The Rag Blog

Today, I found a story that has big implications. I listen to CBC Radio 2 in my little car, and I had to go to the post office this morning. It turns out that Stuart McLean, of The Vinyl Café, was talking about the Arthur Awards as I backed out of the driveway. He was awarding all the Moms and Dads across Canada who took their kids on a road trip this Summer an Arthur Award. Because my daughter did just that to visit all her Family in the Pacific Northwest, I sent her an e-mail about it. And that led me to look for the Vinyl Café Web site, which led me to find this story that is posted there:

*****
Tall Grass Prairie Bread Company

…

Finally they asked … what could they do? Could they do anything to support farmers in some larger way?

To read the entire story, which is well worth the time, please click here.
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My daughter Rachel happens to live in Winnipeg, so maybe she can go find the Tall Grass Prairie Bread Bakery. And maybe all of us can give some thought to sustainability and what we might like to do to promote it in and bring it to our communitities. Me, I believe this is just another example of a small synchronous event on a Saturday morning.

Richard Jehn

Sailor Says He Watched Marines Kill Iraqi
By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Oct. 7) – A Navy corpsman testified Friday that Marines in his patrol seized an Iraqi civilian from his home, threw him into a hole and put at least 10 bullets in his head and chest after growing frustrated in their search for an insurgent.

Bacos said he asked the Marines to let Awad go, but Cpl. Marshall L. Magincalda told him in crude terms that he was being weak and should stop protesting.

Read the entire article here.

In 1979, depleted uranium (DU) particles escaped from the National Lead Industries factory near Albany, N.Y.,which was manufacturing DU weapons for the U.S military. The particles traveled 26 miles and were discovered in a laboratory filter by Dr. Leonard Dietz, a nuclear physicist. This discovery led to a shut down of the factory in 1980, for releasing morethan 0.85 pounds of DU dust into the atmosphere every month, and involved a cleanup of contaminated properties costing over 100 million dollars.

Imagine a far worse scenario. Terrorists acquire a million pounds of the deadly dust and scatter it in populated areas throughout the U.S. Hundreds of children report symptoms. Many acquire cancer and leukemia, suffering an early and painful death. Huge increases in severe birth defects are reported. Oncologists are overwhelmed. Soccer fields, sand lots and parks, traditional play areas for kids, are no longer safe. People lose their most basic freedom, the ability to go outside and safely breathe. Sounds worse than 9/11? Welcome to Iraq and Afghanistan.

To read the complete article, go here.

by Al
October 6, 2006

The recent disclosures by Bob Woodward in State of Denial alarmingly note Henry Kissinger’s access to George W. Bush and reputation as an esteemed foreign policy advisor. We should all be very afraid.

Maureen Dowd [See here, also. rdj] has masterfully reminded us why we should be afraid as has Molly Ivins.

It is time to re-cycle the art of a bygone era when Kissinger’s visit to Austin, Texas prompted the poster by Puerto Rican artist, Carlos Osorio. Kissinger is shown, sporting a Wall Street ring, walking his dictator dogs.

The poster was drawn to publicize a protest at the LBJ Auditorium in Austin, Texas on Monday, November 7, 1977. A leaflet provided background on the disastrous foreign policy of Henry Kissinger, in particular his support of the apartheid regime of Vorster in South Africa.

Kissinger’s famous quote, “Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac,” may seem dated as we look at the face of the 83 year old today. But his January, 1969 quote on Vietnam is chillingly pertinent “No matter how irrelevant some of our political conceptions or how insensitive our strategy, we are so powerful that Hanoi is simply unable to defeat us militarily.” Now we find in Woodward’s book, that the man is grinding the same old axes in yet another foreign policy disaster, advising the Bush du jour and Vice President Cheney on Iraq, saying that “Victory is the only meaningful exit strategy.”

As time has marched on, the bad influence of Henry Kissinger has as well. The movie, “The Trials of Henry Kissinger,” by Alex Gibney and Eugene Jarecki documents more of the Kissinger legacy: the scuttling of the peace process in Vietnam for partisan political gain, the horrific air war in Cambodia, and the covert involvement in the assassination of General Schneider in Chile, which prepared the way for the toppling of the democratic government of Salvador Allende on September 11, 1973.

By March 22, 1984, Henry Kissinger was back again at the LBJ Library in Austin. The protest poster was recycled with different dictator dogs. Only Chile’s dictator, Pinochet, remained in power. Fifty-three protestors were arrested when Kissinger spoke.

Kissinger was invited for a return visit to the LBJ Library in Austin, February 1, 2000. In the face of planned protests, this visit was cancelled. When the President of the University issued a statement of regret, implying that free speech had been sacrificed, two of the protest planners, Rahul Mahajan and Robert Jensen (UT Professor of Communications) took offense, noting that they wanted to hear what Kissinger had to say. “We wanted to ask him what he said to Gen. Suharto in a meeting two days before the Indonesian dictator used U.S.-supplied weapons to begin the genocide in East Timor in 1975. Why did he work so hard to undermine the democratically elected government of Chile in the 1970s? How does he feel knowing that hundreds of thousands of Cambodians died in the “secret” war he planned there in 1969?”

Kissinger hasn’t returned to Austin, but he apparently has made his way countless times to the Bush White House.

Original post also here.

These are intended to go with the video posted earlier in the week.

Cherry-Almond Scones (26 December 2004)

Actually, you can make any flavour combination you wish, from sweet to savory. These are sweet, but you are not limited to the fruit/nut combination I chose. As with many things, these are not exactly “bread,” but I’ve no idea where else to put them.

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice

Mix dry ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl.

8 tablespoons COLD unsalted butter
1/2 cup dried cherries
2 tablespoons slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Cut butter into small pieces with a sharp knife. Using a pastry cutter or two table knives, mix the butter into the dry mixture until the little bits are pea-size or smaller (I usually try for rice-sized).

When you’re to that point, mix the cherries and almonds into the ‘about-to-be’ dough. Form a well in the center.

1 large egg
1/2 cup plain yoghurt (or substitute light or regular sour cream)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (I use very high quality, organic)

In a separate bowl whisk the egg, yoghurt, and vanilla together until it is a very smooth mixture. Add the liquid to the ‘dry’ and mix with a spatula, then your hands, pressing it all together, until a dough forms.

On a very lightly-floured surface, form the dough into a disc about 8-inches in diameter and 3/4-inch thick. Using a very sharp, long knife, cut the ‘cake’ into 8 symmetrical wedges, place each piece onto a large baking sheet covered with parchment paper (1-inch between them), optionally sprinkle lightly with a little more sugar, and bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until golden-brown on top.

Let cool for 5 minutes and serve with Earl Grey tea.

Note: FF = Foodie Friday

Nothing I could say can adequately prepare you for the mind-boggling fate of billions upon billions of Iraqi dollars under US supervision.

[snip]

This is not just ‘water under the bridge’ as one US official in the clip would have us believe. Even the word ‘failure’ does not adequately describe it.

This is perhaps the greatest war-time swindle in history – a testament to just how criminal our government has become.

To read the entire post from ‘The Truth Will Set You Free,’ click here.

From the person who posted the video on YouTube:

The coalition was given trusteeship of nearly 20 billion dollars of Iraq’s money, nearly all of it was spent with no accountability and records. Fraud and corruption rampantly consumed much of these funds. Paul Bremer who headed the Coalition Provisional Authority made certain that as much of the money was spent as possible. Has some heartbreaking stories of actual Iraqi citizens and their children. Shows that the infrastructure, especially water and hospitals, which supposedly had billions spent on it though is still in shambles. Where did the money go!?

PORT TOWNSEND — A scattering of North Olympic Peninsula protesters are expected to join in ‘The World Can’t Wait’ protest Thursday in Olympia, said Brinnon resident Kenn Dzaman.

Dzaman is one of several organizers of the event being staged near the state Capitol to protest a White House administration they believe is no longer representing them.

“I’ve got eight people coming from Brinnon,” said Dzaman, who was buying on Tuesday large quantities of water and snacks to take to participants involved in the event.

Dzaman said the protest, which is taking place in conjunction with others around the country, is because of distress and anger over White House policies concerning war in Iraq, torture, domestic spying and other issues.

Organizers are urging students to walk out of school and businesses to close their doors in protest.

Protests are also planned in Everett, Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, Twisp and Wenatchee.

The Olympia protests and demonstrations will be staged on the Capitol’s West Campus Lawn at Tivoli Fountain.

For more information, check the protest Web site at this location.

This was one of those remarkable photo opportunities that one is occasionally fortunate to find. The hummers loved the red hot pokers in the front yard in Shelton, and they were there frequently. This was near dusk which made the lighting very interesting. The downside is that I don’t know which species this is, Anna’s or rufous. It’s one of the two, and very busy, as hummingbirds typically are. The pic was taken on 1 June 2004.

George W. Bush has repeatedly warned, “Either you’re with us or you stand with the terrorists.” Now he has gotten through legislation that allows him to back it up. On Thursday, September 28, 2006, in a hastily drawn decision that will likely live in infamy, the Senate nodded assent to the Military Commissions Act (PDF).

According to this Act, an “unlawful enemy combatant” is to be defined as: “an individual engaged in hostilities against the United States who is not a lawful enemy combatant.”

This basically means that if a person is not a soldier in the service of a foreign government, but is nevertheless engaging in “hostilities” against the United States, then this person is an unlawful enemy combatant. Notice that this definition does not require that such a person be an “alien,” which accordingly leaves open the possibility that this designation could also be applied to an American citizen.

[snip]

According to the definition approved by the Senate, you don’t even have to be part of a terrorist organization. Nor does your “hostile” act have to be done to aid such a force; nor do you have to have supported such acts. Nor do you have to be in violation of the “law of war.” Nor is there anywhere in the act where the term “hostilities” has itself been defined. For example, is an anti-war activist an unlawful enemy combatant? What about an American journalist who publishes leaked information damaging to the Bush administration? What about an anti-Bush blogger? In short, the definition is broad (and vague) enough to include any American citizen who is acting in a way the President deems “hostile” to the United States. As such, it is difficult to imagine a single piece of legislation with greater potential to undermine freedom and democracy in America. (emphasis added)

Eliot Cohen

Read the full article here.

Who are these people? Who are these useless hanks of bone and fat that call themselves Senators of the United States? Let’s call them what they really are, let’s speak the truth about what they’ve done today with their votes on the bill to enshrine Bush’s gulag of torture and endless detention into American law.

Who are they? The murderers of democracy.
Sold our liberty to keep their coddled, corrupt backsides squatting in the Beltway gravy a little longer.

Chris Floyd

Read more from this venerable Southern gentleman here. Or, if you would like to hear Chris read this piece himself, click here.