Saturday, December 02, 2006

[blogfocus saturday] creative initiatives

As the title suggests, this Blogfocus concerns those with a new, novel, creative initiative or way of looking at a particular issue which has not been done a thousand times before. Hope you enjoy it.
1

Bryan Appleyard specializes in extra-terrestrial explanations for the origins of life and this is no exception:
Panspermia - the theory that life on earth was seeded from space - finds support from the discovery of hollow spheres in meteorites. These could have rained organic molecules onto the surface and got the whole show on the road. In fact, panspermia does not seem to explain very much, but it's a theory of which I have always been fond. To my mind, it implies that we are the alien invaders of earth, which is exactly what it feels like early in the morning on the Norfolk saltmarshes. Atmospheric.

2

The similarly atmospheric look of Outside Story’s blog does not prepare us for his piece on the CBI: Wat Tyler’s summing up of the CBI: If the first rule of journalism is "never let the facts get in the way of a good story" then the first rule of think tank economists must be "never let the sums get in the way of a good idea". Unfortunately Wat has
done just that and found the Citizens Basic Income (a version of Friedman's negative income tax) comes up short.

He then offers some food for thought: Perhaps there is some way of cutting benefits in half and scrapping council tax altogether. This would be an obvious administrative saving because the two activities would cancel each other out - so the government would be doing nothing at all. It's something to think about at least.

Another 12 bloggers here

[england] will they win and is warne finished

Paul Collingwood

Have to smile, really. When I put up the little poll in the right sidebar, England were crashing out to ignominy in the 1st Test. I was the one who posted the 'draw' vote for the series. All others posted 'lose'. Now England is in command of the 2nd Test, the situation has radically changed in the poll. As for Warne, is he finished or not?

[protection] how long must the container be

German researchers are developing a type of spray can into which the man inserts Percy, then latex is sprayed on from nozzles on all sides - a bit like a car wash, as they put it, all within about five seconds. However, before it can be sold in shops, the firm who’ll make it must ensure that the latex is evenly spread when sprayed, as well as optimizing the vulcanisation process.

They hope it will be available in different strengths and colours and on the market by 2008. The spray can would likely cost about 20 euros as a one-off purchase. The latex cartridges - sufficient for up to 20 applications - would cost roughly 10 euros.

So – what do you think? Personally it sounds quite good but the fear of emasculation by a guillotine type malfunction might put many off. And what if you weren't ... er ... excited at the point of application?

[semantics] christmas trees lit in iceland today

The lights of the Christmas tree in Midbakki in Reykjavík harbor will be turned on today at 5 pm. The tree in Akureyri town center will start glowing at 4 pm. The Christmas tree in Reykjavík is a gift from Hamburg in Germany. This is the 41st year Hamburg has given Christmas trees to Reykjavík out of gratitude to Icelandic seamen who brought food to children in Hamburg after WWII. Fréttabladid reports.

Quiz Question 1: What is the most unusual thing about this otherwise mundane story?
Answer: It actually gratuitously uses the word Christmas in four places.

This is enough to make a godless leftie fume. After all the hard work getting into positions of power and influence over the last few decades, after rewriting all the schoolbooks, after expunging any references to THAT superstitious myth and after educating the common man in the cold, materialistic humanistic light, these throwbacks in Iceland still insist on using the correct name for the tree. What hope is there for the world?

Here's the oldest trick in the book:

1] You want to normalize and make acceptable an unacceptable concept;
2] You group some other generally accepted concepts together and lump this one in with them;
3] You then concentrate on or attack something else altogether and mention this group of concepts in passing, thereby never opening them to question but assuming they’re taken as read.

The Chinese are good at this. They speak of THE three enemies of society, for instance: Crime, Drugs and Careless Speech or the three eternal verities: The Family, Hard Work and the State Leadership.

In the same way, the Labour Party gave us this one:

''Whether the barrier is their background, their race, religion or sexual orientation, the Labour party has always been prepared to take the decisions to open up opportunity for all.''

Except that the first two are equal and different but the third, cleverly tacked on at the end, is simply deviance from the biological roles of the higher animal kingdom. It is no more a choice than paedophilia. It’s deviance from the norm.

The cleverest part of it is that people will be so incensed by Labour’s claims in the last five words that the real aberration will get through unchallenged. They've been very clever about it.

[icelandic logic] food prices down, alcohol up

Here’s a perfect example of the type of government interference which makes Tim Worstall and Chris Dillow fume, only this time in Iceland:

Minister of Finance Árni M. Mathiesen submitted a bill yesterday aimed at lowering food prices after 1 March next year. If passed, the price of alcoholic beverages would rise. The bill includes the abolishment of excise taxes on food products and the lowering of VAT to 7 percent. As a consequence, the VAT of alcohol will also go down to seven percent, automatically lowering the price of alcohol as well. Fréttabladid reports.

Mathiesen said the purpose with the bill had been to lower food prices, not alcohol prices, as the tax decrease on alcohol would deprive the state budget of an income of several ISK billions (ISK 1 billion = EUR 11 million, USD 15 million). To prevent that, the government has decided to raise the price of alcoholic beverages. The cost of some brands of beer could go up by 17 percent. The Federation of Trade & Services and The Icelandic Travel Industry Association have objected to the government’s plans.

At least the government is being honest about it. They didn’t try to claim it was to prevent the spread of alcoholism or to protect children – they admitted it was to rake in the kroner.

[litvinenko] one or two developments

Although tests have been conducted on dozens of people who came into contact with Litvinenko after he fell ill — including the doctors who treated him — an Italian investigator named Mario Scaramella is so far the only one to show more than a negligible amount of radiation in his body. Scaramella has said all along that he felt fine. The health agency would not say how much radiation he had ingested, only that he had "a significant quantity."

Scaramella was a consultant for a parliamentary commission in Italy looking into reported connections between the KGB and Italian politicians. In the process, the group — the Mitrokhin Commission, created during the tenure of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi — created dossiers on a number of opponents of Berlusconi, including the present prime minister, Romano Prodi. It was disbanded earlier this year.

Litvinenko also worked for the Mitrokhin Commission, Goldfarb said. The two met regularly in London. Their last meeting took place at the Piccadilly branch of the Itsu sushi restaurant on Nov. 1, the day Litvinenko became sick. The Health Protection Agency also said Thursday that someone who could only have been Litvinenko’s wife "had tested positive for low levels of radiation exposure. "

Scaramella told reporters that during the meeting he presented Litvinenko with e-mailed documents showing their names on a list of people whose lives were in danger from Russian criminals. Scaramella said the same criminals had killed Anna Politkovskaya, a well-known Russian investigative journalist, in October.

Meanwhile, the 2008 question is getting closer and closer and so far there don’t appear to be any credible alternatives to Putin in the offing. A quick scan of today’s Russian news sources reveals nothing new except opinion pieces and that is truly the state of play. Countless journos are offering up opinion but the only ones who seem to have some of the facts at hand are the British investigators. As my contact said on Thursday, better to wait and see what happens.

That, of course, does not satisfy the need for a daily fix of shocking revelations and following this blog's withdrawal from the Litvinenko/Politskaya issue on Thursday came an immediate drop in site visitors. Perhaps it was just coincidence.

[better technology required] ufo crashes in siberia

An unidentified flying object has crashed in Krasnoyarsk Region, Siberia, causing a forest fire, the RIA-Novosti news agency reported on Friday.

The crash took place in the taiga between the towns of Yeniseisk and Lesosibirsk, the agency said, quoting the local Interior Ministry Directorate. The crash was reported by local villagers and traces of forest fire could be seen. Air traffic officials said that no aircraft were scheduled to fly in the region at the time of the crash and no air vessels were missing.

A group formed of police investigators, representatives of the Transport Prosecutors Service and representatives of the aircraft safety watchdog Rosavianadzor has started to the site of the crash from Krasnoyarsk. The Local Emergencies Directorate has sent a helicopter to the site.

This is not good enough.

This blog feels that 1] these alien life forms should be required to submit documentation, in triplicate, on air safety standards compliance and craft reliability before entering terrestrial airspace; 2] should cease attempted abductions of terrestrial lifeforms henceforth until approval is granted 3] as this is a clear case of threat from alien sources [hostile], all citizens should report to their local ARP shelter Monday morning for implantation of the bio-data ID verichip in their right forearms.

Friday, December 01, 2006

[grimm tale] little red riding hood

One afternoon a big wolf was waiting in a dark forest for a little girl to come along carrying a basket of food to her grandmother. Finally a little girl did come along and she was carrying a basket of food.

'Are you carrying that basket to your grandmothers?' asked the wolf. The little girl said yes, she was. So the wolf asked her where her grandmother lived and the little girl told him and he disappeared into the wood.

When the little girl opened the door of her grandmother's house she could see that there was somebody in bed with a nightcap and nightgown on.

She approached no nearer than three metres from the bed when she saw that it was not her grandmother at all but the wolf, for even in a nightcap a wolf does not look the least like anybody's grandmother. So the little girl took an automatic pistol out of her basket and shot the wolf dead.

Moral. It is not so easy to fool little girls nowadays as it used to be.

James Thurber:Fables for Our Time [adapted]

[london olympics] just who should foot the bill

Lady Ellee asks: Should UK taxpayers pay towards the Olympics? Is it fair that London taxpayers should bear the full brunt of the astonomical costs for the 2012 Olympics, a national event that will benefit other parts of the country too?

Teri says: Here’s the sticking point Elle: It’s in London. If it had been somewhere like the Midlands or in the North then maybe a large number of people would agree that it’s fair to distribute the cost.

james higham says: It’s a good point about the dweller in the north. He’s hardly likely to get down and see them but on the other hand, he’ll bask in the national glory. I don’t know if it should be national or city. What about the expats too? Don’t they reap some of the radiated glory?

[food & wine] red wine, mediterranean diet, as we thought

New research from the William Harvey Research Institute and the University of Glasgow shows that red wines from areas of greater longevity in southwest France and Sardinia have higher levels of procyanidins - a type of flavonoid polyphenol with potent protective effects on blood vessels.

The team tested wines from two specific regions in southwest France and Sardinia, associated with increased longevity, to see if they differed to wines sourced from other countries across the world. The 'traditional' wines revealed surprisingly high levels of procyanidins, with often five to 10 times more than some new world wines.

Welshcakes Limoncello said… "Vino vecchio ed olio nuovo" = "old wine and new olive oil" - that's what they say the secret is here, James.

Forbes agrees: people who eat a "Mediterranean" diet rich in fruits, vegetables, olive oil, legumes, cereals and fish have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, U.S. researchers report. Another study finds that taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements slows cognitive decline in some patients with very mild Alzheimer's disease.

"It seems that this diet is [health] protective," Scarmeas said. "Taking into account that this diet is protective for other conditions such as coronary heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, obesity and a series of cancers, it seems to make sense to follow this diet anyway, and the diet may also protect from Alzheimer's disease."

It all seems pretty clear to me.

[freedom of speech] assault on the blogosphere gains momentum

Chicken Yoghurt has an important post on the freedom to blog and that many bloggers can’t see how they can be shut down if their host is offshore. CY refers to the Prime Minister’s senior policy adviser, his former press secretary and the director of the Press Complaints Commission and their views on what they’d like to do to the blogosphere. Also, former US Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich:

“This is a serious, long-term war,” Gingrich added, “and it will inevitably lead us to want to know what is said in every suspect place in the country. It will lead us to learn how to close down every Web site that is dangerous.”

War? Yes, it is indeed a war and you can just see the wheels turning in their minds. At the moment they can’t touch the blogosphere so they’ll soon resort to the good ’ole Hegelian thesis-antithesis, translated into layman’s terms as: 1] create a crisis 2] raise cries from the populace to solve the crisis 3] step in with your pre-packaged solution which achieves your true aim.

The blogosphere is the only place left where the long term goals of these very dangerous people who purport to lead the country can be exposed. We still have the freedom for now but the Google shutdown last evening perfectly illustrated how tenuous is our ability to communicate with each other. The plug can be pulled at any time.

[space shuttle] haute cuisine out of this world

Space shuttle Discovery, meant to launch Dec. 7, will carry Thai chicken and two other dishes devised by Food Network star and TV talk show host Rachael Ray. She made the astonauts' meals in NASA's kitchens, the first from a food celebrity to fly on the shuttle. The meals will make "a nice … psychological twist for our crewmembers," says NASA food systems manager Vickie Kloeris.

Space station astronauts have already sampled Emeril Lagasse's jambalaya and mashed potatoes with bacon, devoured on the station in August. German station resident Thomas Reiter told Lagasse, famous for his New Orleans-style fare, that it was "perfect" for satisfying the crew's "longing … for spicy food."

Most of the shuttle food is freeze-dried or heat-treated and can last for months - freeze-dried shrimp cocktail and irradiated steak for example. Ray's dishes, which were cooked at NASA's kitchens, will get eaten despite the astronauts' tendency to skip meals because they'll go in the fresh-food tray, which holds perishables such as fruit and favorite snacks of the crew's choice.

Appearing on Ray's talk show in October, Discovery commander Mark Polansky, an avid cook, pronounced Ray's chicken "great." The crew can also dig into treats from crewmate Christer Fugelsang, the first Swede to fly in space: ginger cookies and moose pâté. More here.

[wishful thinking] the pope and the muslims

This business of the Pope praying with the Muslims - wonder if they’re praying to the same G-d? For what expected result?

1] to convert the Muslims to Christianity or vice versa?
2] to reach understanding so all that nasty terrorism will stop?
3] to prevent the mistreatment of the Christian minority by establishing dialogue and therefore some sort of negotiating position?

Pope Benedict XVI stood Thursday in silent prayer, facing Mecca, beside Mustafa Cagrici, the chief of religious affairs for Istanbul — under the ornate domes of the Blue Mosque. He stated his desire to reconcile Christians and Muslims and then referred to the “Christian roots of Europe” and then, in a joint declaration with Bartholomew, the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople, referred to the Christian roots of Turkey — the Byzantine church based there for more than a millennium.

He must fail on N1 for obvious reasons, he’ll fail on N2 for a less obvious reason – namely that the unrest and killing is done by crazies funded by the 4th player and so reason N3 appears to be the one he’s running with.

On Thursday he endorsed Turkey’s entry to the European Union but linked it to specific progress in respecting the rights of minorities e.g. the officially harrassed Orthodox Christians. Finally, he repeated a theme from that speech in Regensburg, Germany, about violence in the cause of religion, though this time without mentioning any religion by name.

The Pope’s real purpose, though, was to heal the rift with the Orthodox Church. How? There are several doctrinal differences and the East will never accept the pontiff as anything more than first among equals so this blog asks, yet again, for what expected result?

UPDATE: Melanie Phillips' take on this.

[the snow] signs of winter out there

You can’t use the term ‘bucketing down’ for snow, as you can for rain and sleet or even ‘p---ing down’. ‘Fluttering down fast’? ‘Driving downwards like a fast hit shuttlecock’? Whichever you choose, that’s what’s happening now outside and the sky is full of it. The temperature is hovering around minus 3 and that’s not good.

It’s not good because it doesn’t kill off all the little bugs and nasties, doesn’t help the plant life and gives rise to epidemics of flu and the like. It’s not mere bravado that has us wishing for low temperatures like minus 25 or so, every so often. It’s absolutely necessary. And it’s deceptive. After the initial onslaught, the body gets used to it and that’s where the danger lies – in over-confidence. Then the chills come and you’re off for a week.

There’s a contrast between men’s and women’s approaches. A young woman will often go without hat but will always wear gloves – a young man the other way around. Same for the fur coats [increasingly acrylic nowadays]. The men generally have the fur inside, the women outside. Women go for long scarves, the men for functional items.

The traditional Russian hat still can’t be beaten but there aren’t many of the under 40s who’d wear one. The black, woollen, knitted cap is the way to go. I myself choose that way, with the fur-lined hood up if the wind’s up outside. I also have fur mittens of a thick variety for when it dips to minus 30 or so. This is much rarer than you might think and generally, it’s around a nice ambient minus 10 and this is not being facetious.

Being a continental climate, minus 10 here is about plus 3 or 4 in Britain in terms of body effect. I recall one day at Hadrian’s Wall, at 06:00 in November when I almost literally froze to death. I wasn’t that cold again until I tried to work on my car in the carpark in minus 37 one morning here.

Which brings me to the car. If it kicks over in the morning, you offer a silent prayer if you’re that way inclined and things go smoothly and safely for the day. Trouble is, when you have a car, you’re generally dressed more lightly and if something goes wrong, such as leaving your keys in it and the doors automatically locking after you, then you’re in real trouble. You’d have about 25 minutes before hypothermia began its inexorable setting in. Always, always, there’s the possibility of such things lurking at the back of the mind.

It happened that way on the road to the airport and there was no choice but to abandon the car, engine still running and catch another car back home for the spare keys. But that’s another story.

[body builders] beware the dreaded chromium-6

Researchers at Sydney's Garvan Institute say they are concerned some people could be exposing themselves to toxic levels of Chromium-6, made famous in the Hollywood movie Erin Brockovich.

The naturally-occurring Chromium-3, a supposedly harmless substance found in small quantities in beer and other yeast products is often taken as a nutritional supplement by diabetics, to improve insulin action, and in much larger quantities by body builders to help lose weight.

A research team led by Lindsay Wu was the first to observe that Chromium-3 transforms into cancer-causing Chromium-6 in human fat cells. The substance was at the centre of a movie based on the real story of a community made sick by water contaminated by Chromium-6. Most humans will consume about 25 micrograms of Chromium-3 a day - a tiny but vital amount - but body-builders will take up to 400 micrograms.

Most would have started taken the supplements in the early 1990s, but any cancer would take 20 to 30 years to develop, Mr Wu said. Professor Chris Winder, a toxicology expert at the University of NSW, said it was possible that Chromium-3 could reduce to Chromium-6 in the body but the process would be slow and therefore unlikely to be hazardous in people. It would also need to be in large quantities.

[warning – non story] is your city competitive

What makes for a competitive city in today's global economy? That's what an OPEC report released Thursday set to find out. The report stresses that, while there is no ‘one size fits all' policy for cities, there are ideas that can be tailored to meet specific needs. These include:

• a flexible vision that fosters competitiveness with information and transportation links between universities, researchers, technicians, and manufacturers

• “livable” cities with high-quality infrastructure, green spaces, and inner city residential areas and public projects, which contribute to economic success by attracting foreign investors as well as professionals and tourists

• leadership from the national government to encourage reform, government at the metro level and local networks that include non-governmental actors and businesses which can deal with social tensions and market realities

• cities can diversify tax revenues with ‘smart taxes' such as congestion charges and use public-private partnerships to raise money for public projects. Equalization payments between metropolitan regions can also sometimes be effective

Are you feeling the same sense of disappointment as me? Seems to me they’re stating the bleeding obvious here and where’s the list of cities? Also, I wonder how much the OPEC report cost in terms of money and free lunches or is that just being cynical?

Thursday, November 30, 2006

[antikythera mechanism] was it the first calculator

Is this the discredited von Daniken all over again? Was there an amazingly sophisticated body of knowledge in ancient times which was then somehow lost? [Including the secret of king making?]

An ancient astronomical calculator made at the end of the 2nd century B.C. was amazingly accurate and more complex than any instrument for the next 1,000 years, scientists said Wednesday. The
Antikythera Mechanism is the earliest known device to contain an intricate set of gear wheels. It was retrieved in 1901 from a shipwreck off the Greek island of Antikythera but until now what it was used for has been a mystery.

Although the remains are fragmented in 82 brass pieces, scientists from Britain, Greece and the United States have reconstructed a model of it using high-resolution X-ray tomography. They believe their findings could force a rethink of the technological potential of the ancient Greeks. "It could be described as the first known calculator," said Mike Edmunds, a professor of astrophysics at Cardiff University in Wales.

The calculator could add, multiply, divide and subtract. It was also able to align the number of lunar months with years and display where the sun and the moon were in the zodiac. Francois Charette, of the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, Germany, said the findings, reported in the journal Nature, provide a wealth of data for future research.

Edmunds described the instrument as unique, saying there is nothing like it in the history of astronomy. "What was not quite so apparent before was quite how beautifully designed this was," he said. "That beauty of design in this mechanical thing forces you to say 'Well gosh, if they can do that, what else could they do?'"

[currency] dollar falls to 14 year low v pound

Forbes reports that the U.S. dollar fell Thursday to its lowest level against the British pound in 14 years and lost value against the euro and Japanese yen.

The dollar's decline came on mixed economic news from Washington and positive developments in Germany, Europe's largest economy. The pound rose as high as $1.9575 from its level of $1.9462 late Wednesday in New York, marking its strongest showing against the dollar since September 1992, before Britain crashed out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism.

The euro rose to $1.3200 in afternoon European trading, up from $1.3156 late Wednesday. The euro has risen from below the $1.30 mark over the past week amid expectations that the European Central Bank will continue to raise interest rates, while the U.S. Federal Reserve holds, or eventually cuts, rates. The dollar fell to 116.12 Japanese yen from 116.31 yen.

[ayer’s rock] always a dangerous climb

An Irish tourist and his 13-year-old daughter were flown off Uluru by helicopter after they became stranded on the landmark rock under a burning desert sun. The 38-year-old tourist's young son yesterday thanked those who helped his family, including a ranger injured during the rescue.

Soaring temperatures forced rangers to close the climb on Uluru about 8am on Wednesday, when the Irish family, who live in London, were already about 100m up the rock. The Irishman, who had taken off his plastic sandals to walk on the rock, was suffering extreme blistering and dehydration while his daughter was having difficulty breathing.

About 200,000 visitors climb the rock each year, ignoring aboriginals who ask them not to. For safety the Uluru climb is also closed when there are strong winds, when it is raining or the climb is slippery and when lightning, storms or other potentially dangerous conditions are imminent.

There’s also a warning: Do not attempt to climb Uluru if you suffer from:

# Heart Condition
# Breathing Difficulties
# Fear of Heights

All of this is very true. Firstly, you can’t get any conception of how vast the rock is from photos. Basically, one climbs up one rock face with the aid of a rope ladder but it’s best in the early morning before the sun comes up. Once it comes up, it’s like that moment in Mummy 2 – it scoots across the land and hits the rock full blast. The other great danger was the rogue wind gust which just bodily picks you up and tries to sweep you over the curved edge.

Then you’re in trouble, with temperatures at the surface around the mid 40s and you’re advised to drink a litre an hour. I didn’t when we visited – I took two pints, not two litres and so I made it up and then, halfway down again my legs buckled under me and I had to go the rest of the way hand over hand on the rail and then baby crawled across to our car, where water and rest restored the balance.

[russia-chechnya] that little matter some were waiting on

I had three longish discussions today about Chechnya, Politkovskaya, Litvinenko, the former PM and radiation but mainly about Chechnya. It’s oh so complicated, essentially because various parties have ancient feuds with other parties, who have feuds with yet others. Here’s how I understood what was said to me today by Muslim and non-Muslim Russian alike.

Chechnya – the history behind the conflict really starts with intense resentment of the Russians who prevented the caliphate from Persia to Kazakhstan centuries ago. In other words, Chechnya was the stalling point and the Russians prevented further incursion. Vienna was another stalling point in Europe proper. The population in the mountainous Chechyan region remained predominantly Muslim and therein lay the problem.

With disaffected Checnyans forever sniping at Russia and resenting the lost opportunity, the USSR just moved the whole population to Kazakhstan and Siberia in the 40s to prevent them aiding the Germans but they were allowed back by Kruschev later. This did not help Russia but gave the Chechnyans a base and an identity. When the USSR fell, the Chechnyans saw the chance for independence as a nation and unilaterally declared this. Unfortunately, the area became both gangsterland and the breeding ground for more terrorism.

Two brutal wars followed and the Russians acted with the type of brutality which Cromwell showed in Ireland and that which followed the ’45 in Scotland, whilst the Chechnyans went in for both ethnic cleansing [mass murder] through these sort of people:
Akhmed Zakayev, Dzhokhar Dudaev and Shamil Basayev and attacks on neighbours e.g. Dagestan, which in turn led the Russians to see them as terrorists, not freedom fighters.

One lady today said the problem was one of totally unreasonable forces on both sides killing and maiming each other whilst the general populace wanted to just live their lives. But the others I spoke to today didn’t agree. Deep down, this whole thing is about simple antipathy. The two sides absolutely detest one another – almost an ancient blood feud. Hence the atrocities and the frenzy with which one attacks the other.

Who’s right?

If you support a non-Muslim west and the stonewalling of sharia law, then you’ll support the Russians. If you prefer to see sharia law across Europe and Britain, then you’ll support the Chechyans. From all the comment in the UK blogosphere, it seems most Britons want the sharia law.

When Politkovskaya butted in, she was initially even-handedly scathing about both sides and not a lot was done about her. But as she showed she was clearly aligned with Chechyan independence, which means dismantling the Russian bulwark against militant Islam and allowing it to spread once again across Europe, she and the warlords had to find sanctuary somewhere.

Enter Britain, who happily threw open its doors to them, aided and abetted by the FCO and BBC. The Russians concluded from this that Londonistan was just another haven for terrorism and fugitives from justice, e.g. Berezovsky - and their little club was a natural gravitating point for the likes of Litvinenko and anyone else getting the rough end of the stick in Russia.

Now comes the bone of contention. Even if Politkovskaya was a traitor to her country [which one side says and the other hotly denies], almost no one I spoke to today would favour the systematic bumping off of various parties. The Kremlin denies it, the Brits pretty well think the FSB is behind this and my friend this morning simply said: ‘It’s stupidity to speculate when we simply don’t know, on current evidence. Let British justice take its course and see where it goes.’

And that’s where I leave the topic for now until something new comes up.

[rude health] french, italian wines still the best

As it was featured in the Times, you know doubt saw it:

They might be losing out to the New World competition on taste tests, but traditional red wines from the vineyards of France and Italy are the best there are for protecting your health. The artery-clogging effects of a fatty Christmas dinner can best be counteracted by washing it down with a red from south west France or Sardinia, new research has suggested.

British scientists have discovered that red wines from the two regions boast the highest concentrations of a chemical that underlies the drink’s well-publicised benefits for cardiovascular health. Wines from Nuoro province in Sardinia, and the Gers departement in the foothills of the Pyrenees, are particularly rich, containing up to 10 times more of the beneficial compounds than alternatives from Australia, South Africa and the United States.

So there it is. I'm off to the wine shop to check it out.

[briefly] two pieces of non-news news

I’ll be accused of being a ‘glamourist’ by running Nicolas Sarkozy’s pic and not Peter Jackson’s but truly – I felt the latter was too much to inflict on the reader on a Thursday morning. Some may see it the other way round.

Two disparate pieces of news, not unsubstantial and yet not warranting more than a few lines. Plus you’ve no doubt already heard:

1] Peter Jackson will now direct The Hobbit movie, according to a producer whose company will soon own rights to the book.

2] Confirming the worst-kept secret in France, Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, le Ministre d'Etat, ministre de l'Intérieur et de l'Aménagement du Territoire, has announced he is running for president next spring and will quit the government if his ruling centre-right backs his candidacy.

Perhaps neither were real surprises although I had thought Jackson might not.

[russian health problems] press finds another case

I’m not trying to minimize in any way this western journalistic beat-up – it could well be so. First this:

Another mysterious illness has struck another prominent Russian. Former Prime Minister Yegor Gaidar became ill Friday at a conference in Ireland, vomiting and then losing consciousness for three hours, according to his spokesman. Doctors have not identified the cause of the illness and are considering the possibility that Gaidar, 50, might have been poisoned, his spokesman said. Gaidar became ill shortly after eating breakfast.

And then the inevitable Livinenko tie-in:

Former Russian intelligence officer Alexander Litvinenko died Thursday in London after being exposed to a radioactive substance. That death, which has set off wide speculation about who is responsible, remains under investigation by British police.

What is on safer ground is this:

Gaidar was one of the architects of the post-Soviet transition to a market economy. He was later reviled by many Russians who blamed him for their impoverishment as favored tycoons enriched themselves from the privatization of state assets.

So, one of the boys actually. You know, it’s a rummy thing but you noticed an increase in the number of my posts last week? No? Well, I was off sick actually – stomach problems. Yikes!

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

[calling lady bloggers] new cervical cancer vaccine

Eva Green, mother and sister

Now people, I feel distinctly uncomfortable running this and I don’t think it’s what I should be concerning myself with. And yet it seems to be quite important to at least get the attention of some of our lady bloggers, not least because of the moral issues for mothers with daughters.

A new vaccine is available to help protect young girls and women from cervical cancer. But local doctors say some parents think it is just too soon for their daughters to be getting the vaccine. "It's incredible, it's an awesome breakthrough for women," said Barbara Horwitz. Her daughter is eleven. And so on …

That’s it. Will one of the ladies please pick up on this and run it ’cause I’m outta here.

[country quiz 3] how many of these do you know?

1]…Suva is the capital of which country in Oceania?
2]…Avianca is the national airline of which South American country?
3]…Which airport has the code DFW?
4]…The Vinson Massif is the highest mountain in which continent?
5]…n which group of British Islands would you find the port of Sullom Voe?
6]…What are Chafarinas, Alhucemas and Vélez de la Gomera?
7]…In which Asian city would you find the Potala Palace?
8]…Which is the longest river in France?
9]…How is Portuguese West Africa now known?
10]..A black letter 'A' in a white oval on the back of a car denotes it is from which country?

Answers at the end of this link...

[gavin ayling proved right] wii really is better

Gavin Ayling’s dilemma: PlayStation 3 vs Wii. Even people utterly uninterested in videogames know by now that two new game machines have arrived this month to lure holiday shopping dollars out of consumers' wallets. One is the long-anticipated PlayStation 3 from the videogame leader, Sony Corp. The other is the more obscure Wii, from the videogame pioneer, Nintendo Co. Both are going up against the year-old Xbox 360 from Microsoft Corp.

Like the Xbox, the PS3 and the Wii bear little resemblance to the toylike game consoles of the 1980s and 1990s. They are powerful computers that have been optimized for graphics and sound. And, like the Xbox, the two new contenders can handle multimedia and can connect to the Internet.

The PlayStation 3 is a bulky, shiny black box that costs $600, or $500 for a somewhat stripped-down model. That's up to $200 more than the Xbox 360, and about what you'd spend on a basic Windows computer. The PS3 includes a hard disk, a networking port, Wi-Fi wireless networking, and playback of DVDs and CDs. It produces high-definition video. In fact, the PS3 can also play a next-generation, high-definition movie disk, called Blu-ray.

The Wii is a small, thin white box that costs just $250 and has much wimpier specs than the Sony. It does have Wi-Fi, but it lacks a hard disk, a networking port, and the ability to play DVDs or CDs, let alone Blu-ray disks. It cannot produce high-definition video. It has fewer ports and connectors.

Yet, in our tests, we found the more modest Wii to be the more exciting, fun and satisfying of the two new game machines. This is a longish article and you can read on here

[global warming] fact or myth – does the epa care

1] The Stern Report was set upon by many bloggers and dismantled but did they dismantle the report or the phenomenon of climate change as well? Is anyone saying there’s no climate change?

How much of this do you dispute? Greenhouse gases are generated naturally and by human activities, including the burning of fossil fuels. Once in the atmosphere, they trap the sun's heat and radiate it back to Earth. Motor vehicles emit four major greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and hydrofluorocarbons.

Whose side are you on here? California is part of a coalition of 12 states and environmental groups imploring the Supreme Court to tell the Bush administration that its Environmental Protection Agency has the authority and responsibility to regulate greenhouse gases emitted by new cars. The EPA has balked for years, saying the Clean Air Act does not allow it to step in.

The EPA's approach has frustrated environmentalists and the majority of climate scientists, who say rising levels of greenhouse gases are the driving force behind global warming. The Bush administration contends that it does not have the power to regulate greenhouse gases, and that even if it did, it would not exercise it. The government says carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are not “air pollutants” as the Clean Air Act defines them.

To oversimplify, Arnie says there’s global warming and that the cause and the course are clear. Dubya says there’s not and that they are not.

2] Or there is an alternative explanation. What about this and this being the real causes?

[state medical] some questions about the russian health system

On the topic of the state medical I underwent yesterday, Gavin Ayling asked…What is the point of these compulsory medicals? How does the Russian health service compare to the UK and is it free at the point of use? Ellee also asked…And what happens if you don't go for your appointment?

Both good questions. To answer, having a current medical record is what’s compulsory, not actually yesterday’s fun ’n games. Yesterday just brought all specialists together in one place, away from the houses of sickness and for that reason, on reflection, it was probably the best option of three. If I hadn't gone on the last available day yesterday, I'd have had two other choices:

1] waiting in lines, at different clinics, for each and every specialist over a period of weeks;

2] to have paid about 30% of western prices at a 'platnaya klinika', pay clinic. I glanced at a US site to get a photo for the post and they were advertising the same battery of tests for $1050. With the new affluence in this republic since 2001, many are now doing this sort of thing.

The question of compulsory health checks is one we could argue about – people’s freedoms etc. Some might say it is just window-dressing. Me – I suppose it’s necessary, otherwise I’d never go and have it done and it is nice to know my glucose is 4.6, that my eyes are minus something and that my blood pressure is 123 over 78.

Health insurance is still in it's infancy but it's coming. Many people say that though the new technologies are used at the pay places, they can still give shoddy service. It’s a case of Russia trying to lift itself by its bootstraps and taking two steps forward, one step back. But they are moving forward overall. For how long is anyone’s guess.

[worst movie ever] 4th nomination - starship troopers

Imdb: Directed by Paul Verhoeven, Writing credits (WGA), Robert A. Heinlein (book), Edward Neumeier (screenplay) Plot Outline: Humans of a fascistic, militaristic future do battle with giant alien bugs in a fight for survival.

All right, we get the idea. Now, not long ago, dirty dingus wrote…Starship Troopers should be there for its wilful abuse of the novel. It’s another of those movies that cause you to stop watching before the end. In this case it also makes you feel like shooting the dire-ector.

Author: Freemheart from Chile gives her literate take on the movie: The acting it's good, the soundtrack it's one of the best works of Basil Poleoduris. After this you can read the book of Robert Heinlein founding how far goes Paul Verhoeven in every scene and every character creating. This is a little worrying – praise from Chile. Let’s look at the cast: Casper Van Dien playing Johnny Rico, Dina Meyer playing Dizzy Flores and Denise Richards playing Carmen Ibanez.

Stop! Stop! Denise Richards, another ‘actress’ who runs the full gamut of emotions from A to B. Denise Richards, of TWINE – you know – the one with the tummy tatts and the heaving bust, whose acting won her the coveted Movie Site: Worst Supporting Actress of 1999, in The World is Not Enough.

All right, it’s on the list, dirty dingus.

[bond] a verdict from one who viewed it

Johnathan Pearce believes Mr Fleming would be very impressed. Here I reprint the bulk of his comprehensive verdict, for those who haven’t already read it:

Last night, I went along to see the latest
007 movie … there had been so much media noise and excitement leading up to the film, starring Daniel Craig as Bond, that I just had to go and see it.

I am very glad that I did so. I am one of those folk who actually prefers the original Ian Fleming books to the films, and I have a consequent dislike of the nonsense of the Roger Moore films, and the excesses of gadgetry and sheer silliness that the film-makers imposed on the stories after the first two or three of the Sean Connery movies, which are my favourites. So the fact that the new film deliberately sought to be more hard-edged, less dependent on gimmickry and cheesiness, was a good development.

Daniel Craig has been a controversial choice for Bond. The Bond of the novels is a slim, dark-haired old Etonian, of Swiss-French and Scottish ancestry - with a hard streak, a weakness for beautiful women in distress and a belief in living life to the full. Craig does well to convey the hard side of Bond, but he tries a bit too hard, sometimes.

He comes across as a sort of over-muscled army squaddie, who struts about the set rather than adopt the sort of feline grace of Fleming's character. But there is no doubting that Craig - who says he loves the Fleming novels - has taken up the challenge of portraying Bond as not just some suave dude who can kill and seduce the girls, but who can also take risks and get hurt in the service of his cause - his country.

And that is the unspoken message of this film, and very un-PC it is. Bond is a patriot (not much sign that he wants to work for the UN). He kills without the need to consult a post-traumatic stress disorder clinic, and is more likely to drink a large glass of bourbon instead. He gets cut, he gets beaten up, and he falls in love and learns the dangers of emotional involvement with ravishing brunettes (not that there is anything wrong with ravishing brunettes, ahem).

I thought the scene in the casino was the highlight, and even though the game was poker rather than baccarat - as in the story - the tension is built up nicely. The setting is nice, the actors who support Bond are pretty good, and the actress who plays Vesper is lovely - I can see why any red-blooded man can fall for her. The torture scene, taken from the original book, is pretty nasty, although the scene in the book is far nastier (it gave Raymond Chandler nightmares, apparently).

Some of the stunt/action scenes do not seem to add a great deal to the plot - such as the amazing scene at Miami airport - but they are incredibly well-done. For sheer excitement, the opening half-hour of the film cannot be beaten.

What is clear is that the film-makers, seeing how the Bond movies were mocked by the Austin Powers series of Mike Myers, have decided that our Jim is not going to put up with being a joke any more. Daniel Craig deserves a large, well-made vodka martini - made the right way, obviously - for playing 007 so well, and with such obvious conviction and relish.
Good review of the movie here. The original Fleming novel is definitely worth a read. Meanwhile, Jim Henley has thoughts. One final gripe: will the moviemakers ever get the casting right of Felix Leiter, Bonds' CIA buddy? In the books, he is a fair-headed Texan, ex-Marine Corps with a wonderfully sardonic sense of humour. Update: here is my review of Simon Winder's recent diverting if also irritating book about the James Bond phenomenon and post-war British history.

[obama] time to play or time to hold

The Chicago Tribune says: Granite State Democrats asked Obama to be the star attraction at a party event to celebrate sweeping victories in the state in the November election. The senator also recently has discussed a potential campaign with leading Democratic activists in Iowa, which holds the influential caucus that kicks off the presidential primary campaign in early 2008.

Among those he has spoken with are the former Iowa campaign managers for 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry and 2000 Democratic nominee Al Gore, an Obama campaign adviser said. The recent release of his second memoir, "The Audacity of Hope," and a publicity tour in promotion of the book has bolstered his already high visibility just as he is contemplating a presidential run.

This blog does not claim any expertise in American politics but still, it seems premature. The Russians use the words ‘nye tak’, literally meaning ‘not so’ and there’s something a bit that way about the man. The answers a bit glib, the philosophy a bit pat and generalized - the passion is what carries him along, giving all the appearance of aptitude and authority.

First there’s his obvious charisma. One Iowa campaign worker said: You felt it. It was not just his speech. It was the way the crowd surged around him ... You couldn't move if he was in the area. I don’t trust that sort of charisma one inch. That’s early Blair charisma.

Then there was Cheney, who despite his faults is still an astute campaigner: He said in late October that he thought
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton could win the White House in 2008 and that a potential Democratic opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, was too inexperienced. That could all have been spin and yet …

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

[blogfocus tuesday] lad, lass, lad, lass, lad ...

The correct choice of beer before entering the cricket ground is critical. A fan ponders.

The beginning of this Blogfocus could have been called focus-on-food but the actual theme is 50-50, with one lad, one lass, one lad and so on. I don’t know so many female bloggers but we made eight and drew lots for the eight males. A little note – all links are in yellow but all other colours are highlighting only. Anyway, without further ado, here it is and hope you enjoy it:

The cricket is first up - Four and a Half Days at the Gabbatoir - The Sequel, by Colin Campbell and what I want to know is what a Scot’s doing following cricket [or is that my ignorance]? Not that I’m complaining or anything like … not any way:

The hype has been dissipated and normality has been restored. Andrew Miller dissects the Execution in the Gabbatoir … At least the beer is cold, the weather warm and sunny and although the Barmy Army Trumpeter has been banned in Adelaide, [he’s] welcome in Melbourne and Sydney. Life goes on.

Welshcakes limoncello issues us all un invito a pranzo - an unexpected invitation to lunch with Marco and Giovanna today.

Here are trays of Giovanna's wonderful breads [in the photograph]. It doesn’t end there – the page is full of dainty morsels from Sicily, so if you’re a cosmopolitan gourmet, this is for you.

7 more lads and 7 more lasses here ...

[worst movie ever] 3rd nomination – arthur’s dyke

Arthur's Dyke (2001)
Directed by
Gerry Poulson, Writing credits Robb Stringle Cast: Pauline Quirke … Janet, Robert Daws … Arthur; Richard Graham … Andy

Gracchi said … Not sure if this made it to the cinema but otherwise it surely would make the list. I ended up watching it whilst on holiday in Wales with a couple of mates and it was unintentionally funny because it was so bad. Its called Arthur's Dyke. Unfortunately I don't think it qualifies because I suspect it was never released cinematically.

James answers: That doesn’t necessarily disqualify it. It only had to be seriously intended for cinematic release.

Plot Outline: Twenty years ago, three men set out on the longest walk of their lives. They vowed to repeat the walk, but this time they are joined by a forty year old wife and mother who is in the midst of a mid-life crisis.

Looking, good, Tiberius Gracchus. Another review:

Shamefully assembled Author:
(lord_seagrave@totalise.co.uk) from London, England

In spite of a humorous and interesting summary, Arthur's Dyke failed to sustain either humour or interest for any length of time. There are moments of well-observed comedy, but it looks and feels like an extended Sunday night drama - although overly long and disappointingly shallow. The film attempts to incorporate too much (neglect, terminal illness, ignorance, regret, homophobia etc) and is tarnished by a pointless cameo from Dennis Waterman. The story is potentially good, but let down in execution because insufficient time and depth is afforded to the key areas of the plot, and the cluttering of other (crassly inserted) issues. Having said that, it is well shot and occasionally witty, and Quirke's performance is solid. The viewer will, however, gain more from an average episode of 'Down to Earth'.

Think it’s qualified itself. One more from the SMH:

Arthur's Dyke plays out like an extended episode of Monarch of the Glen. At best, it's free promotion for the Welsh Tourism Board. Mostly, it's like walking all day through the driving rain, mud and marshes of the British countryside without a nice B&B to roll up to.

And if you need that in Dutch:

Drie vrienden besluiten na twintig jaar bij wijze van reünie nog één keer de oude wandelroute langs Offa's Dyke in Noord-Engeland te lopen. Huisvrouw Janet heeft hetzelfde idee gekregen en de vier ontmoeten elkaar onderweg, evenals allerlei andere soorten wandelaars.

So, Arthur’s Dyke has qualified as the 3rd nomination and thanks to Gracchi. The other two nominations so far are here and here. The 4th will be tomorrow morning, from dirty dingus.

[wren cross update] vapidity, interpretation, commentary

Remember the William and Mary business where the cross was taken from the altar of the chapel and locked in a cupboard so that it did not offend other faiths?

The Director, Gene Nichols, who did the act:

It is precisely because the Wren Chapel touches the best in us—the brightened lamp, the extended hand, the opened door, the call of character, the charge of faith, the test of courage—that it is essential it belong to everyone. It defines us. And it must define us all. I make no pretense that all will agree with these sentiments.

Interpretation:

He’s going to keep it locked away.

Commentary by Beach girl:

The removal of the Wren Cross is like a rape, a violation. The Wren Chapel without its Wren Cross is an empty place, devoid of the solemn majesty that guarantees all of us freedom of religion. It is a sad day when Christians have to plead, to ask permission from a secular authority that the Wren Cross be taken out from under lock and key so that it may be placed upon the altar in the Wren Chapel.

Was there anyone so dispossessed as a uni student? Their opinions apparently mean nothing, compared to a smiling, besuited man in a mahogany office.

[likability] how whitehouse contenders rank

Trouble with journalistic articles on polls is that they never give you just the stats – it has to be woven into some magic piece of prose to justify their paycheck. Here are all the stats I could glean from the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, Hamden, Connecticut Likability Poll in the US, taken after the elections and then hacked about by the Washington Post:

1] New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, a Republican, 64.2
2] Democratic Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, 58.8
3] McCain, 57.7
4] Condoleezza Rice, 56.1
5] former Democratic President Bill Clinton, 55.8
6] Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, 52.7
7] New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Republican, 51.1
8] former Democratic Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, 49.9
9] Hillary Clinton, 49
10] New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, 47.7
11] Democratic Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, 47
12] Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a Republican, 45.9
13] unlisted by article
14] former Vice President Al Gore, 44.9
15] Bush 43.8
16] Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana, 43.3
17] former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a Republican, 42
18] outgoing Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist, 41.5.
19] unlisted by article
20] Kerry, 39.6

So, the Lizard Queen isn’t all that high, really. Wonder what would happen if Condi ran?

[turkey and the eu] cyprus the stumbling block

On the eve of the Pope's visit to Turkey, where Europe's fraught relations with its predominantly Muslim neighbour have been highlighted by widespread protests, the EU abandoned any hope of reaching a deal on Cyprus. The breakdown sets the scene for three weeks of intense diplomacy as the EU decides how severely Turkey should be punished for refusing to open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot shipping.

When will they wake up? There are certain things which will never happen. One of them is Britain escaping the EU clutch, another is Turkey compromising over their occupation of northern Cyprus. Another is Wimbledon Vinnying another FA Cup. CAP is another. And US trade subsidies is yet another. They’ll have lovely lunches together and trips to the Bahamas to sort it all out but, of course, they never will. Entrenched national interest is, in the end, paramount.

[state medical] still alive after they set the octopus on me

Who was the lady who muttered: "Men are wimps?"

Just got back from my first compulsory Russian state medical and count myself very, very lucky – just a bit of blood here and there, nothing worse.

They told me there were hundreds yesterday but today there were only five ahead in the line. Miss Gestapo in her jackboots and white cap snapped, “Follow me,” and I was mortified until the hard faced women on the desk behind began to laugh and berate her for being “slishkom gromko”, too loud.

Relief was short-lived because as I was being led away for execution, the women started shouting at me. I looked around at them, bewildered and they gesticulated at my winter boots. Ah, they wanted me to take them off. “Nyet, nyet,” they cried, jabbing fingers at a pile of plastic galoshes which go over the boots.

So, to cut a long story short, all seems fine but I - do – not – not - like probes and needles and when they started attaching giant octopus suckers to all parts of the body, the wires leading to a battery, I had to draw the line. “Electro-shock, da?” I asked which was the wrong thing to ask ’cause the girl was controlling the dial and she had a wicked smile on her face.

S’pose I have an irrational fear of clinical, sterile rooms, gurneys and electrical equipment and try to give hospitals and any other remotely medical facility a wide berth. Always felt that’s where I’d end up once the 4th player finally got to me. Either there or in a Grand Temple with the Ascended Brothers. So, still alive and reporting with just a touch of rhinitis and bronchitis. Could be worse. Could be much, much worse.

By the way, we have minus 15 today and beautiful sunshine. What about you?

Monday, November 27, 2006

[they got me] bureacracy and the workplace

Well, work finally caught up plus the bureaucracy. Tomorrow I must stand around a large building in the centre of the city for about four hours during morning blogging time, along with about 2000 others, for a battery of state medical tests - blood sample, fluorograph etc., then off to work, so unless I squeeze one post in early tomorrow morning during the glass of water breakfast, it will be tomorrow afternoon before the next one. And on Blogfocus day too. Wish me luck and hope they don't come up with something nasty I've contracted.

[cia recruitment test] do you have the personality for us

Of course you want to join the CIA – who doesn’t? First a question: Which words are etched into the wall of the original building's main lobby? Check the end of the post. ….. Well, how’d you do? All right, you may now proceed:

At the CIA, the challenges of today’s fast-paced global changes present opportunities for exceptional careers. Our intelligence mission is the work of the nation — and our success depends on a network of professionals around the world.

Myth 1 - You’ll Never See Your Family and Friends Again.

The work we do may be secret, but that doesn’t mean your life will be. Because the variety of CIA careers is similar to that of any major corporation. So… your friends and family will still be part of your life.

Myth 2 - Everyone Drives a Sports Car with Machine Guns in the Tailpipes.

Car chases through the alleyways of a foreign city are common on TV, but they’re not what a CIA career is about. And, they don’t compare with the reality of being part of worldwide intelligence operations supporting a global mission.

Myth 3 - You Have to be Superhuman in Every Way.

You don’t have to know karate or look good in a tuxedo to work at the CIA. But you must possess a deep intellect, the ability to make good decisions and a dedication to serving America through the collection of intelligence.

Myth 4 - A Glamorous Lifestyle Awaits You.

Working at the CIA doesn’t mean you’ll be jet-setting around the globe, attending parties with billionaires and showing off your Tango skills. In reality, we depend on administrative managers and staff for our operational success, at home and abroad.

Myth 5 - Hardly Anyone Ever Makes it Through the Background Check.

Because of our national security role, CIA applicants must meet specific qualifications — but, don’t worry. Getting caught smoking in high school isn’t enough to disqualify you. Your intellect, skills, experience and desire to serve the nation are most important to us.

"And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." John VIII-XXXII

[anna politkovskaya] curiouser and curiouser

Well, it gets more and more convoluted. First a western defence of Russia I wasn't expecting:

The Western reaction to Politkovskaya’s murder is quite another matter. The fact that the Kremlin is prone to shoot itself in the foot is not enough ground to portray it as an embodiment of all evil or worse, to accuse the Russian authorities as somehow being behind the killing. The people in the Kremlin are no angels and can be clumsy in their public gestures, but they are not cold-blooded murderers and they certainly are not idiots. The political and media frenzy that has engulfed the Western capitals is disgusting, and glaringly anti-Russian. It gives the impression that the West is not mourning Anna Politkovskaya but is instead trying to put Putin on trial.

Then my most rational source with military connections got back to me and a forty minute phone discussion ensued just now.

Out of it came a surprising defence of AP. Yes she was in with the warlords, yes she reported essentially the Russian misdeeds and a token number of Chechyen misdeeds to balance the books, yes she actually met Litvinenko in London to discuss strategy, yes the latter was on speaking terms with the other two, yes she was a woman driven by a sort of 'mission from above' as she saw it and it p---ed off a great many people, yes she met the terrorist leaders and was escorted around by them. And Putin's view that she was vastly more important to the west than inside the country [though of course she has her support] seems borne out by most people seeing her as "one piece in the jigsaw".

Out of all this comes the question: "And why not?" She was a reporter and that's what reporters do. Of course Basaev and company were accommodating, as she was taking a heavily anti-Putin and pro-Chechnyen line which she admits in her book "Dirty War". Of course Russian officers ran the other way when they saw her. I have a question no one's yet answered. "Why was she allowed to remain in the war zone reporting thus?" If she was subject to poisonings, beatings and so on, this is not the Russian way. Russians are not half-hearted if they turn against you with piddly little semi-poisonings and the like. The Russian way is to disappear you or send you to the gulag.

It suggests to me that either she was not nearly as great an adversary as the West likes to make out or else someone was making these clumsy attempts for publicity. Even the average Britisher will admit the KGB were at least efficient. So that's another twist. Out of it all, I look back at my previous posts and stand by them. Through Moscow and military eyes she was certainly a traitor, failing to adequately present the Chechyen leadership as a breeding ground for terrorism which all sources I've seen agree on. Through Western eyes she was a fearless heroine. I can't see that we can get much further now, really I don't.

Here
and here are two more articles on her, both critical and supportive. Naturally you'll dwell on the part you wish to.

[anna politkovskaya] where lies the truth

I’ve been asked a perfectly reasonable thing: “Show why your negative assessment of Anna Politkovskaya and on what basis you're convinced that all was not straightforward with her.” It comes down to sources in the end:

1] politkovskaya’s own words
2] journalistic reportage on her
3] feelings of the ordinary person over here
4] statements by the Kremlin
5] certain sources close to the action

Source 2 currently floods the internet and the vast majority is derived from a small number of journalistic sources and/or based on AP’s words. 1 and 2 are the basis of most of your opinions.

My sources were 3 to 5. For a start then, we have the problem of agreed sources. I don’t mind saying that after reading a swathe of material today from sources 1 and 2, I began to have serious doubts. Then I went to work and thee asked all and sundry, which brought up this result:

3] The ordinary person’s opinion is not so reliable. Many today weren’t even fully aware of the major players, let alone who was who. I’ve cited the ‘ordinary Russian’ in earlier posts but it’s fairly clear now that they are in the same boat as most of you and don’t really know.

4] The Kremlin itself. Well, they're unequivocal – she was a known cohort of Basaev and was a spy. She was acting in the best interests of the terrorist warlords. Right, so not much for'rader.

Clearly, the only thing to do now was to go back to my own two contacts who’ve been reliable in the past and double check. This was for my own benefit really, to be sure myself before I even thought of posting anything. So I prepared a question:

“There are a number of people in the West who have been challenged my assertion that Anna Politkovskaya was not the innocent she appeared to be and I need to support what I've written. I’m not asking for details at this point but can you tell me – is there anything at all in the story of her collaboration with Basayev and others?”

Then I put in the phone calls. The first was silent at the other end, then wanted to know about how I’d use this and after I’d explained, he answered the question: “Konyeshno”, which is Russian for “of course”. So, I phoned the second, couldn’t immediately reach him but eventually did. He hobnobs with many who were and still are on the ground in Chechnya and he was less forthcoming. All I could get was that he’d meet me on Thursday morning to “talk about the woman”.

So we have an impasse, at least until Thursday. Now, even if my sources do enough to convince me, how much I’ll be permitted to put on record [remember the Chatham House situation] is anyone’s guess. Personally, the "Konyeshno" was too quick and categorical to allow me to graciously bow out and it seems that there is very much something in the assertion. But till Thursday, unfortunately, it must wait.

[woodpecker] not a bird which plays the haarp


Recently I ran
a post on the strange humming sound which appeared to be in and around Auckland, New Zealand and how they were having trouble identifying it. UK Daily Pundit, though, had the answer: It's the woodpecker grid.

What he was referring to, of course, was this: It has been established that the former Soviet Union (fSU) developed and boasted of weather modification technology during the 1960's and 70's with deployment against the United States coming in 1976 with the audible arrival of the woodpecker grid. They have called it the Geophysical Weapon. These weather operations continue to this day. But is the fSU the ONLY superpower that have developed this technology? The short answer is no, but they were the first.

The writer was quite right – they were not the only superpower to indulge in a bit of weather modification. One other power, whom I won’t name, also did this, in these programs:

# Project Argus (1958)

# Project Starfish (1962)

# SPS: Solar Power Satellite Project (1968)

# Saturn V Rocket (1975)

# SPS Military Implications (1978)

# Orbit Maneuvering System (1981)

# Innovative Shuttle Experiments (1985)

# Mighty Oaks (1986)

# ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency). Aug. 11, 1987

# Desert Storm (1991) EMP used

# High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program, HAARP (1993)

# Poker Flat Rocket Launch (1968 to Present)

So that’s where the matter was left until I received the following message from New Zealand, which shows that the hum is not only in and around Auckland, as first thought, but more widespread. The bona fides of the writer seem to add weight to this.

Please read his comment here
...