Friday, September 22, 2006

Music

"Sweet smoking in the back of the car"

That's from a song on Carly Simon's Playing Possum. Though not a steady nicotine smoker (I kicked it a few years back), I will partake from time to time and Rebecca, who is a smoker, and I ended up sharing a cigarette tonight. We went to a party tonight and, at one point, Rebecca and I ended up in a backyard sharing a smoke. And thanks to C.I., I can say the song was written by Billy Mernit. I knew the title "Sons of Summer" (a great song and one of the best songs Carly's recorded that was written by someone else). C.I., Ava, Wally, Betty, Ty and Jim are helping Gina and Krista wrap up the round-robin so it can go out in a few seconds. If I were home, I would've just grabbed my copy of the CD and pulled out the booklet to look up the songwriter.

Speaking of music, I finally finished another review last night. It went up today, "Kat's Korner: 'Mommy, May I Pet With Danger?'" and I need to say thank you to everyone because I was trying to force two when I really wanted to address this one. Everyone kept encouraging me to write what I wanted. I think it turned out pretty good. This is the review that I had a dream about at the beginning of the summer and then, after sharing it with several people, promptly forgot it. C.I., fortunately, remembered it and said, "Write it down." I did and there are about five lines in there from the dream. I had to change it from "Mommy, May I Sleep With Danger?" (after the Lifetime flick) because Justy's not getting any on the album despite all the panting about his being 'sexy' this go-round. It's your basic dickless album from a teeny bop crooner. So I changed "sleep" to "pet." He's a light petter on the CD. (I don't think it even qualifies for heavy petting.)

On the radio, in the car (I have no idea of the station), they were saying 166 people got e-coli from spinach, in twenty-five states. C.I.'s written about getting e-coli in the round-robin and Polly's Brew but I think "NYT: "Strained, Army Looks for Relief From the Ground" (Thom Shanker & Michael R. Gordon)" today was the first mention of it at the site. (Though I think it was referenced last Sunday in the TV commentary.) This really is a serious problem and I'd feel that way even if I didn't have a friend who got sick -- and was sick for seven or eight days. I don't remember exactly, but I do remember thinking, "I could not be that sick, hop on a plane, go speak to several groups, hop on a plane and come home, and still be posting." Actually, if I had been sick, I wouldn't have spoken anywhere or gotten on a plane. I wrote about this in "Spinach and how the FDA failed you."

Check out Wally and Cedric's joint-post ["THIS JUST IN! BULLY BOY & FRIENDS HELP MUSHARRAF PLUG BOOK!" and " The Bully Boy Book Club (humor)"].

Closing with C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"

Friday, September 22, 2006. Chaos and violence continue in Iraq, the 2700 mark for US military fatalities in Iraq looms ever closer (2697), the Defense Department learns (again) that the press makes the best lobbyist, and, as Democrats continue to run from Iraq, activists continue to speak out and organize.
Starting with peace news, Mima Mohammed (Los Angelse Times) reports on Helga Aguayo's statements regarding her husband, war resister Agustin Aguayo, who decided to self-check out September 2, 2006: "My husband has never broken a law and I am proud of him. He doesn't want to support the war -- he cannot do so conscientiously. He is a conscientious objector, but the Army forced him to become a resister." Helga Aguayo was speaking Wednesday at Camp Democracy (which continues free and open to the public through October 1st) in Washington, DC. and stated that her husband will turn himself in but he will not go to Iraq.
Also reporting on war resistance and Camp Democracy, Tim Wheeler (People's World Weekly) covers war resister Ricky Clousing's speech from this past weekend where Clousing noted what he saw "an innocent Iraqi killed before my eyes by U.S. troops. I saw the abuse of power that goes without accountability" and notes some of the torture techniques he observed and how Bully Boy "is seeking legal cover. . . . He is seeking another loophole to continue what they have been doing." Ricky Clousing announced at the Seattle Veterans for Peace conference in August that he would be turning himself in after self-checking out. He did so and that military has charged him with desertion and the war drags on . . .
While the military gets all the money they can grab (that's at the top, it never flows down to the enlisted). AP reports that today $70 billion more for quagmires in Iraq and Afghanistan were added to the trough "as they wrapped up talks on a $447 billion Pentagon funding bill. The additional war frunds would bring the total approved by Congress for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan [. . .*] to more than $500 billion, with another installment likely to come next spring."The bumper sticker reads: "Bully Boy illegal invaded Iraq and all I got was a mountain of debt."
"*"? AP feels the need to insert "since September 11, 2001" into the sentence for some unknown reason. Are they attempting to repeat the discredited "link" between Iraq and 9-11? Clearly Congress approved no war spending measures on September 11th. AP also notes that the Defense Department got what it wanted and AP ties it to those reports of an overstretched (economically) military. Again we ask the question of Thom Shanker and Michael R. Gordon's report (New York Times) today:"Is it news or is it fundraising?"
AP also editorializes with this: "Even opponents of the war tend to support the measure because it supports U.S. troops in harm's way." Actually, cutting off the spending would cut the war. But don't rock the conventional 'wisdom' boat, don't tip the boat over. Which is apparently the m.o. for Dems when it comes to the November elections. Arianna Huffington (The Huffington Post) reports that the big plan revolves around stressing the economy and ignoring Iraq: "In poll after poll, voters place Iraq well above the economy when asked which issue will most affect their vote this year. And when you combine concerns about the war with concerns about terrorism/national security, it's the economy that is 'a distant reality.' Yet Democrats keep returning to the same domestic-issues-uber-alles thinking that cost them the elections in 2002 and 2004. They can't really believe that people are more interested in raising the minimum wage, middle class tax relief, and college affordability than they are in who's going to keep them from being blown up, can they? The Dems are like a bunch of crack addicts who know that the stuff is killing them, but keep reaching for the pipe."
This as Lolita C. Baldor (AP) reports that James Thurman (US "Maj. Gen.") loosens his grip on reality (further?) and claims that attacks on civilians in Iraq are down. Well pay it forward, Thurman. America can't afford universal health care but can pay $500 billion (and counting) for wars? Thurman also stated that, "As we clean up the streets, we find a city capable of starting to function properly." Street cleaners? That's what US troops are being kept in Iraq for? No, they aren't street cleaners and Thurman needs to work a little harder at his illustrations (working harder at capturing reality might cause a blood vessel to explode so we'll accept the fact that he's an Operation Happy Talker and move on.)In the real world (which Thurman is welcome to visit), Patrick Cockburn (Independent of London) reminds: "The pervasive use of torture is only one aspect of the utter breakdown of government across Iraq outside the three Kurdish provinces in the north. In July and August alone, 6,599 civilians were killed, the UN says." The torture, the UN has stated, is being committed by a variety of groups including 'government forces.' Tim Reid (Times of London) reports that the White House takes offense to the UN report and denies it. We all await Condi Rice trotting out her "No one could have guessed" line yet again.
Bombings?
AFP reports, that in Baghdad, two bomb detector/defusers were killed when a bomb they were attempting to defuse exploded. Reuters reports a civilian dead from a roadside bomb in Latifiyaand sixteen wounded from bombs in Baghdad.
Shootings?
AFP reports that four Iraqi police officers were shot dead in Baquba. AP reports that attacks on mosques and homes resulted in four shooting deaths in Baghdad. China's People's Daily notes that four houses were set on fire in the attacks. Reuters reports one civilian shot dead in Kirkuk and that Nomass Atout shot dead "near his house in Diwaniya".
Corpses?
KUNA reports that 48 corpses were discovered in Baghdad today. AP reports a corpse ("blindfolded . . . bound") was discovered in Musayyib. Reuters reports two corpses discovered in Mosul and a woman's corpse found in Kirkuk. That should be 64 deaths reported, counting corpses, thus far today.
Returning to peace news, Paul Hogarth (Beyond Chron) reports, " About 25 activists gathered at the Office of Supervisor Chris Daly yesterday to display the Code Pink Peace Ribbon Quilt, and to kick off the Declaration of Peace Week of Action. The Declaration, which has been endorsed by over 180 peace and justice organizations throughout the country has three basic platforms: (1) bring our troops home now, (2) establish a plan to end the war in Iraq, and (3) prevent future U.S. invasions such as Iran, Syria or North Korea."
Posted by at

Thursday, September 21, 2006

The Mac

Okay, Elaine wrote about Fleetwood Mac tonight and you should read it. I love to talk music and since we've been doing activism all day I have no idea what's going on. (And honestly am having KPFA withdrawal.) I could talk about cameras because C.I. has upgraded us all to higher digital cams. (Which was very nice.) I'm used to film and developing it myself (I have my own dark room at my place) but I gotta' be honest, digital's a whole new world to me. I'm not giving up traditional cameras (nor was the gift intended to encourage anyone to) because I've put in too many hours and too many years learning how to fix something in the developing stage. I honestly wonder whether, other than framing, there's much you can do with the photos?

I know Rebecca loves to use photoshop and I imagine there are a number of techniques there. But I'm equally sure that twenty years from now, you'll have photographers (working with digital cameras) doing things in some form of photoshop that are so far beyond what's capable currently. As I understand it, photoshop is basically a filter. And you're using the same technique that doesn't necessarily require . . .

I'm trying to think of how to put this so it doesn't sound like an insult because it's not intended as such. But with photoshop, there are X options and everyone has access to them. In developing traditional prints in a dark room, I have basics I was taught and things I learned over the years through trial and error. It's more hands on.

Less mechanical and more of an art. Or maybe, if I've insulted anyone (which wasn't my intent), photoshop is more of a mass process and developing in a dark room is more of a hands on process. (If you do feel insulted, laugh at me and my fears that years of knowledge are about to be flushed down the toilet.)

So it's been a busy day and a fun day. It's also been a hungry day. We ate lunch late and I wasn't hungry at breakfast (I was sleepy, I'm not used to the EST time zone) and then we had dinner late. Dinner was a dish C.I. cooked that was wonderful. I have no idea what it was. It had shrimp. It was similar to gumbo but not rice based. (Maybe, in my California ignorance, I just assume gumbo comes with rice or it's not gumbo?) I was starving and would have enjoyed anything, granted, but it's also true that it was delicious. There was also a spinach dish. Which made my day.

Before anyone panics, we're staying in the home of a friend of C.I.'s and it was canned spinach that's probably several months in the pantry. I love spinach and if I had any in cans I'd be eating it. (Cans bought before the spinach problems. I won't even buy canned spinach right now.) C.I. made a thing with fruit and sunflower seeds that made the spinach taste wonderful. There were other dishes but I pretty much stuck to the shrimp dish and the spinach because I love spinach. Tracey and Mike are cooking tomorrow night and I think Trina has plans for Saturday (she and her husband arrive Friday with, I think, Jess' parents). (Betty's forbidden to cook. We all agreed that snacks or meals, Betty's not lifting a finger. She's responsible for herself and her three kids nearly every day of the week so she can just enjoy other people cooking and cleaning up after.)

It was a crazy day and there are still computer problems but I think, between trial and error as well as helpful advice/trouble shooting from the UK Computer Gurus, we're all able to blog now. That's dependent upon everyone having access and most of the computers are being used to complete the gina & krista round-robin right now (and get it sent out, if you're reading this, check your inboxes).

So music. Fleetwood Mac is a favorite of mine. I'd rank "Storms" a little higher than Elaine did (it's a personal choice, that's not me saying she's wrong) and I'd agree with her call of Tusk as the favorite Mac album (of the Nicks & Buckingham lineup). Rumors I rank higher than the the album before (known as Fleetwood Mac by some and the white album by others) but I think both suffer from the fact that Lindsey Buckingham thinks he's a lyricist and he isn't. In the traditional format, he's either glaringly bad or manages to be a little better than passable. When he can trick out the format (musically), the lyrics matter less.

Trick out does not include those annoying 'music box' noises he begins to insist upon on everything beginning with Mirage. The more candy corn he offers, the further away the music gets from rock. They also tend to become lighter than air and about as substantial. I think he achieved his best work on Tusk and I'd even go so far as to say that Say You Will offered some surprisingly strong work from him. However, after all these years, Fleetwood Mac should have insisted he work with a lyricist years ago. The bulk of the lyrics he's written for the group are not just shallow, they're obvious in word choices as though a ninth grader wrote them. There's no poetry, there's nothing beyond the obvious. To liken them to bumper stickers would give them too much credit because a good bumper sticker is clever. When Nicks, Buckingham and McVie were all with the group, there was some stupid need to give the most tracks on any disc to Buckingham. Nicks and McVie are strong writers (lyrically and musically) so, presumably, the fear was that if the strongest writers were used, the group might be seen as too "girly."

So we've all had to suffer through doodles from him and missed out on strong work by Nicks and McVie such as "What Has Rock & Roll Ever Done For You". Or to use a more widely known example, Nicks' "Silver Springs." That was recorded for Rumors but it was more important that Buckingham's doodles be included. So it ended up being the B-side of "Go Your Own Way." The boxed set (The Chain) rescued it in the CD age and it would become a hit when it was re-recorded (live) for the Mac's The Dance.

Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"

Thursday, September 21st, 2006, International Peace Day established by the United Nations November 30, 1981 and Bully Boy offers 'alternative programming' as the chaos and violence continues in Iraq, as the press learns that 'suicide bomber' is an imprecise term, as those doing the torture includes 'government forces,' as the US military fatality count approaches the 2700 mark and the so-called coalition of the willing continues to shrink with the US forces left to sing,
"To be the last to leave, the last to be gone, stolen from the ones who hung on to it" ("Fireflies," written by Stevie Nicks, available on Fleetwood Mac Live).

The BBC reports that Manfred Nowak (anti-torture expert for the United Nations and Austrian law professor) has stated that torture is not only on the rise in Iraq but it may be happening more frequently than when Saddam Huseein was in power. Nowak's statements were based on a UN report which found that "Victims come from prisons run by US-led multinational forces as well as by the ministries of interior and defence and private militias".

This as Reuters notes: "The Sunni religious organisation, the Muslim Scholars Association, accused unnamed militia and government forces of killing five people in the village of al-Intsar, on the northeastern outskirts of Baghdad late on Wednesday. The group said others were kidnapped and houses burned."

Richard A. Oppel Jr. (New York Times) reported today, in Baghdad alone, at least "5,106 people . . . died violent deathd during July and August". Which is no doubt why, as reported by Sudarsan Raghavan's (Washington Post), The Giddiest Gabor in the Green Zone, William Caldwell IV, US military spokesperson, announced the obvious, after the UN had, that there was "a spike in execution-style murders" and "many bodies found had clear signs of being bound, tortured and executed." Way to stay ahead of the curve, but then he wouldn't look like the third guest, the loopy, bra-less one, if he couldn't state the obvious long after it had already been noted, would he?

Meanwhile Reuters reports that at least 38 corpses were discovered in Baghdad with most bearing signs of torture. Bombings? Reuters reports that a rocket attack on a home in Baghdad killed four and left five wounded, while bombs killed eight in Baghdad and left eighteen wounded and, in Diwaniya, a roadside bomb took the lives of two Iraq soldiers. Shootings? Reuters reports 3 shot dead in Kerbala and three police officers in Baquba. In a combination of the two (mortar attack, followed by gunfire) AP reports the deaths of six Iraqi police officers when their Baghdad police station was attacked.

AFP reports that the so-called coalition of the willing continues to suffer from shrinkage as Italy hands over Dhi Qar to Iraqi forces and, low and behold, there are no reports the Italy's actions "embolden" terrorism or that their action prevents "democracy." Quite the contrary, a US military press release credited to Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and Gen. George W. Casey Jr.
maintains that the handover and Italy's withdrawal predicated on the handover is "another sign of progress." Progress is possible, apparently, for all but the U.S. and England. Reuters identifies Italy as "the last major Western European ally" for England and the US and notes that an Italian soldier died just "hours" before the handover raising the total number of Italian soldiers who died in the war to 32.

The US military fatality count continues to rise and the US military announced today that a US soldier died in Baghdad Wednesday from a roadside bomb while today a soldier died from wounds received while fighting in al Anbar province. The announcements come as the US military fatality count is at 2,693 (seven away from the 2700 mark) and as the AP reports questions remain in another Wednesday US military death in Baghdad ("Sgt. 1st Class Charles Jason Jones, 29, of Lawrenceburg", Kentucky ) which is currently classified as due to "non combat-related causes".

"Suicide bombers" and "suicide car bombers"? The AP reports that term is far from precise and that the Iraqi Defense Ministry issued a warning today based upon the fact that people are being kidnapped, released and then used as unknowing bombers via remote control from devices planted on them or their vehicles.

In peace news, Sue Anne Pressley Montes (Washington Post) reports "A group of ministers, veterans and peace activists attempted to deliver a 'declaration of peace' to the White House today, kicking off a week of vigils and other activities in 350 communities across the country calling for the prompt withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq" and "The day's activities also featured vigils for peace in dozens of cities and towns, including Little Rock, Ark.; Tucson, Ariz.; Pasadena, Ca.; Miami, Fla.; Decatur, Ga.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; and Austin, Tex. In San Diego Friday, there will be a Dance Action for Peace; on Saturday in Cincinnati, a Peace Tent City will be erected. San Francisco is hosting a mass bicycle ride to protest the conflict, and Madison, Wisc., is holding community forums on the issue." The Declaration of Peace site contains a
Vigils Calendar that will help you find events in your area as well as more information.












Posted by at

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Waking, Guns and Butter and my neighbor

I just finished listening to Guns and Butter at the KPFA archives. I had the time wrong on when we were catching the flight. (I was so tired last night.) I woke up this morning and did my usual slow morning wake up which consists (when I'm alone in bed) of stretching my arms above my head and pointing my toes straight, then moving my arms in one direction and my legs in the other, then the reverse. At which point, exhausted from my workout, I go back to sleep.

Truly, that is how I wake up. The radio will go off (I hate the beep-beep-beep of the alarm on the clock radio) and I'll wake up at some point when I hear something on KPFA that interests me. (It's usually music. I'm usually up between five and five-thirty, most mornings, which is a music hour for the station, but sometimes I will sleep in until Andrea Lewis and Philip Maldari are talking.)

So this morning, Dona calls and asks if I'm on my way over. I had gotten the time so wrong. We were taking one of the first flights out. I've got the portable in my hand and, with my other hand, am turning on the shower while I tell Dona I think I can be ready in fifteen minutes and then drive over. She said to forget it and that they'd pick me up so I wouldn't break something rushing around to get ready.

So I wasn't able to get a tape from Toni of the show today and ended up listening to Guns and Butter via the KPFA archives. It is a really strong show and couldn't have come at a better time. Why? If you missed how Drunk Uncle took theories and turned them into "theory," listen to the show. You've got a variety of speakers and there's no way, unless you're Drunk Uncle, that you'll miss that point. One speaker, and I'm sorry, I didn't write down names, Betty's daughter wanted to play dolls, so we did that while I listened, was talking about Christie Todd Whitman and the air at Ground Zero. He has an internal report (that's probably led to all the reporting this week) and that's the perfect example of the truth movement. That report was passed to him because he would stand up. You heard from a number of law enforcement (I think they were all law enforcement -- I'll try to listen again and write some more about it) and it was a really strong show.

Rebecca asked me to write about something I'd mentioned to her. It's about a neighbor of mine. I said I was so glad to get away because I think my neighbor's about to kill his boyfriend. I doubt he'll kill him but there will be some loud door open, screaming down the hall scenes. How come?

Backstory. He's in his late fifties and a very nice man. His boyfriend is 18 and they've been together about six months. His boyfriend was a crack addict and they hooked up when the guy offered a show. My neighbor felt sorry for him (and was also turned on by him) so he invited him to move in and clean up his act. Which the young guy, let's call him Tom, more or less has done.

I don't butt in to other people's problems but my neighbor, whom I'll call Troy, has asked my opinion since the day after Tom moved in. I've been very upfront.

The first thing I told him is that when you're homeless, addicted to crack and need money and you only offer a show (Tom could look at him naked but not touch was the offer Troy had made), then you're probably not gay. And when you're in need of money that badly and not offering some sort of j/o, you're probably a little more than not gay.

But Troy wanted to believe things could work out and for awhile they did. Tom's usually able to stay away from crack for three weeks at a time. Since he refuses Troy's offers for rehab and won't do a twelve step group, that's probably what the pattern will remain. But they shared a bed and that's not my way of saying "had sex." They shared a bed for six months now and there had been some action. But not "all the way." (No penetration and no swallowing.)

Three weeks ago, Troy asked me if I'd noted anything different because Tom was "distant." Yes, I had. While Troy's at work (Tom has no job), there's a woman who's supposedly a cousin visiting all the time. This week, Troy finally accepted something might be going on. He's found out the woman isn't a cousin and confronted Troy.

The woman is Troy's girlfriend and Troy is "not gay" according to Troy. (Tom: "He seemed pretty gay when he was licking my nuts.") So for six months, Troy's been happy to take Tom's money for clothes, fun and food (and hinted he "needs" a car for the last month) but he told Troy that from now on, they'd just "share" the place and he'd sleep on the sofa. ("Share" doesn't include sharing the rent.)

So Troy's very hurt and I think he's going to be even more hurt. (I told him the following yesterday.) I don't think the girlfriend knows they've shared a bed -- Troy and Tom. I'm willing to bet Tom has told her that Troy's a friend who helped him out or something like that. Possibly that Tom has a crush on him.

I think Troy's about to get even more hurt. My advice was kick him out. He showed up with the understanding that he could 'clean out' and then go on his way. Then he realized Tom had some spending money and suddenly it was, "I think I might be in love with you." At which point, they were a couple. (And Tom made a point to present himself as part of a couple to all of Troy's friends.) They are not a couple and I wouldn't consider Tom a friend if I were Troy.

Troy's a very nice person and he doesn't like confrontations. So, how this will likely play out, is that at some point this week, Troy will finally realize how he's been used and something will set him off. He will tell Tom to leave and Tom will either try to flirt his way out of it or cause a big scene. If he tries to flirt his way out, that will be the last straw for Troy because he's already hurt by this. So I'm glad I won't be there to hear the shouting. I think it will get very ugly.

Troy's a wonderful person but too trusting. Or too trusting to be around little hustlers like Tom. It's wonderful that Troy's trusting. But it's a liability when someone wants to lie to you and use you. Troy wanted to kick him out when we talked but was concerned about where Tom would go? My response was that Tom's well being is something his girlfriend should worry about, that Troy should pack up Tom's stuff, change the locks and tell him to leave.

I also wouldn't be surprised, if Troy did that, if Tom didn't show up in a month or so begging to come back. Which wasn't my point in suggesting it. I just think his girlfriend's going to have a huge problem when she realizes that not only does he not work but, without Tom in the picture, Troy doesn't have any spending money. If Tom's living with her and expecting her to do all the things Tom was doing for him, I bet she'll send him packing fairly quickly. (Tom is very good looking and, except for some light porn, has never worked a day in his life nor does he appear to be willing to do so.)

So that was the story. Tom's always asking why Dak-Ho and Maggie and the rest make it up here (he's not into music so he knows he's never going to be mentioned in one of my CD reviews) and I told him that I'd started mentioning them in the reviews before I started this site. I wasn't sure he would want to be mentioned.

But we were talking last night, he came over after I'd blogged and we probably talked for an hour, and he said, "See, my life would make a good post." Hopefully, when he reads this, he won't think, "I wish I hadn't suggested she write about me." (But I have changed his and his boyfriend's name. And "Tom" is his boyfriend. He's a lousy boyfriend but he's a boyfriend. You don't sleep in someone's bed and do everything 'but,' then turn around and say, "We're just friends.")

Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"

Wednesday, September 20, 2006. Violence and chaos continue in Iraq with the Associated Press estimating at least 45 have died and the United Nations estimating that July and August saw the death of 6.5 thousand Iraqis; a British prosecutor argues an admitted war criminal heard the sounds of torture and compared them to a a choir singing; Camp Democracy continues in Washington DC on Women's Peace day;
and Iraqi vet and war resister Darrell Anderson discusses a planned September 29th return to the United States: "I just want to put my uniform back on and then tell them no to their face that 'I'm not going to participate in your war. Do whatever you want to me because I'm right and this is how I feel.' I've never had the chance to do that."

AFP reports that the United Nations, noting the increase in reported deaths since the start of July, has estimated that "[a]t least 6,599 civilians were killed across war-torn Iraq in the months of July and August".

And the violence goes on.

Bombings?

AFP notes six dead and thirty-seven wounded in Samarra "when a suicide bomber carried out the bloodiest attack by ramming his car into the house of a tribal leader" and, in Baghdad, three dead from a "suicide bomber driving a truck" in an attack on "a police station near an oil refinery". AP notes that seven were killed in the truck bombing attack on the police headquarters and that a police officer and two civilians were killed in a mortar attack in Baghdad. AP also notes that a roadside bomb claimed one life and left "two more wounded in east Baghdad".

Shootings?

AP reports that "a U.S. soldier was killed Wednesday by small arms fire in northeastern Baghdad" (we'll note US soldiers' death in a moment).

Corpses?

AP notes the "mutilated" corpse of a police officer was discovered in Kut. Reuters notes 35 corpses discovered in Baghdad "in the last 24 hours"


Iraq in microcosm. Sudarsan Raghavan (Washington Post) looks at the farming of dates in Iraq and speaks to Iraqi farmer Aboud Ahdim Abbas Mohammad ("whose family has grown dates here since the 18th century") and "U.S. Army Maj. Marcus Snow, a member of the State Department Provincial Reconstruction Team in Dayala, . . . stockbroker from Lancaster, PA". Mohammad states his intent to remain in Iraq despite threats on his life and Snow can't stop raving about a desire for "better accounting, production and marketing practices . . . better packaging and transportion systems" and increasing the cost of exported dates by 10 percent. As malnutrition continues throughout Iraq (the alarming increase in malnutrition among children is only one population segment effected), the US occupation sees profit-motive and the people continue to go hungry.

Larger picture? Dahr Jamail and Ali Al-Fadhily (IPS) report on the continued destruction of Ramadi and "collective punishment of civilians in several cities across the al-Anbar province". They report on those teaching and attending the University of al-Anbar where: "Nearly every week we face raids by the Americans or their Iraqi colleagues" (a professor) and "The infrastructure destruction is huge around the governorate building in downtown Ramadi." They also quote Fayiq al-Dilaimy, an engineer "who was on the rebuilding committee set up after the November 2004 U.S.-led operation which destroyed approximately 75 percent of the city" who states:
"Infrastructure rebuilding is just a joke that nobody laughs at. People of this city could rebuild their city in six months if given a real chance. Now look at it and how sorrowful it looks under the boots of the 'liberators'."

In England, a court martial goes on against seven British soldiers. One, Donald Payne pleaded guilty to war crimes yesterday. The BBC reports that Payne, while copping to war crimes, "denied a further charge of perverting the course of justice." Devika Bhat (Times of London) notes that the argument made today was that Payne "enjoyed beating his prisoners until they became a 'choir,' of pain". The BBC quotes prosuctor Julian Bevan telling the court martial Payne was the "conducter": "The choir consisted of Cpl Payne systematically assaulting each detainee in turn by, for instance, hitting in their stomachs, kicking them and punching them wherever on their bodies, causing them to shriek out or groan in pain, their various noises constituting the music".

As noted above, a US soldier died from "small arms fire" in Baghdad. This is in addition to ones noted earlier today. Prior to the one who died from "small arms fire," as David Rising (AP) notes, "the US military [had] announced the deaths of four other soldiers in Iraq. On was killed Tuesday by a suicide car bombing, which also wounded two other soldiers. Antoher two soldiers were killed Sunday -- one by small arms fire and the other by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. A fourth soldier, assigned to a medical task force, died Monday of non-combat related injuries in the capital." Those four, the one who died from "small arms fire" and "an American soldier was killed by a roadside blast northeast of Baghdad on Tuesday." The current total of American fatalities since the beginning of the illegal war is 2691. Proving that he can at least recognize an increase, Giddy in the Greenzone William B. Caldwell IV has noted the obvious --- "Attacks against U.S. troops have increased".


In peace news, Armina Ligaya (Globe & Mail) spoke with war resister Darrell Anderson who was "one of the first of about 225 U.S. soldiers to flee to Canada since 2004". Courage to Resist has noted that Anderson is planning to return to the United States. Anderson explains to Ligaya that there are options prior to his planned return to the US which could explain Canada granting him refugee status or approving his sponsorship claim (Anderson is married to Canadian citizen Gail Greer.) Anderson doesn't have hopes of either happening by September 29th.


Today is Women's Peace Day and NOW and CODEPINK are joint-sponsoring events at Camp Democracy which is where the Troops Home Fast ends today on Day 78. An estimated 5,023 people are participating today and people have grabbed one-day only, one-day each week and longterm fasts through the 78 days. In addition, The Feminist Wire notes: "Other activities on Wednesday include a discussion on how to end violence in Iraq, an update on the violence against women in Juarez, a panel discussion by military women, and a history workshop led by Howard Zinn."

Tomorrow (Thursday Sept. 21st) is International Peace Day and Camp Democracy notes: "We will encourage Camp Democracy participants on this day to engage in activities organized by the Declaration of Peace, including a press conference at 10:30 a.m. or 11 a.m. followed by an action at the White House."

Actions will be going on around the US (Corvallis Gazette-Times notes a gathering Thursday, Sept. 21st, at the Benton County Courthouse, 120 N.W. Fourth St., Corvallis, OR) and around the world.)

A complete schedule can be found here.

In California, Martin Snapp (Contra Costa Times) reports the the Berkeley City Council "unanimously passed a resolution supporting Lt. Ehren Watada, an Army officer who is facing a court martial for refusing to go to Iraq." George Coates (Berkeley Daily Planet) writes of Berkeley mayor Tom Bates: "Now Bates is up for re-election at a time when many high school-age students are learning that the U.S. military is monitoring their MySpace pages and targeting potential recruits. The plight of soldiers like Lt. Erhen Watada, the first commissioned officer to go AWOL from duty in Iraq, has also triggered fears that a national draft could be reinstated if the number of volunteer enlistments continue to decline as the war threatens to widen. Progressive Berkeley City Councilmember Dona Spring's effort to pass a resolution in support of Lt. Watada is important because if it succeeds the city will have deepened its stance against the war and candidates for mayor will have heard the message: Sanctuary for war resisters is a local issue that no serious candidate for mayor can evade."

More information on Watada can be found at Courage to Resist and ThankYouLt.org.













Posted by at

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Short post

Elaine's "Should The Notion be finger-pointing?" is a must read, go read it. Thank you for all the great e-mails but tonight, that's the one you should read. I would also encourage you to read Mike's "Thoughts on McGreevey" which address Jim McGreevey and examines Cipel's counter-claims that (a) he was harrassed, (b) he's straight and (c) there was no affair -- Mike examines it front a straight male perspective and doesn't feel Cipel's claims hold up. (For the record, I don't either.) Have you sampled GreenStone Media yet? I'll add them to my links at some other point this week. I'm too tired tonight. I went with C.I. to speak today and it went really well but I'm not like C.I., I can't hop off a plane, talk, hop on a plane, come back and not be worn out. It leaves me too disoriented. (Plus, I'm trying to get a second review ready and I had to do the big packing for the big trip when we got back. I was on the phone with Rebecca asking her what to pack because I'm not sure how cold it is in the east already.) But GreenStone Media started up this summer. I did catch Mo's show. Mo Gaffney is very funny and so is the woman she's paired up with. They make a good team. If you're looking for a conversation and you'd like to laugh, consider checking out the show. There are issues (and issues touched on) but this isn't a news program or news. This is more of a sharing sort of thing. That's not an insult.

I would love to sample the other two programs (they have a fourth coming to the lineup) but I doubt I'll be able to. One thing I will listen to, tomorrow, because it's Wednesday is? Guns and Butter on KPFA, I never found time to listen to last week's. I'm planning on listening to it on the plane flight. And if tomorrow's crazy, Toni will tape it for me and I'll listen to that one then as well. And this Sunday, KPFA has the following event:


9/11 & American Empire: Intellectuals Speak Out
Sunday , September 24
7:00 PM
Martin Luther King Middle School
1781 Rose StreetBerkeley, CA
A KPFA original event gathering scholars who confront the unspeakable:
DAVID RAY GRIFFIN - Professor Of Philosophy and Theology, Emeritus, Claremont Graduate University. He is the author or editor of some 30 books, including The New Pearl Harbor, Disturbing Questions About the Bush Administration and 9/11 (2004) The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions and Distortions (2005) Christian Faith and the Truth Behind 9/11: A Call to Reflection and Action (2006)
PETER DALE SCOTT - former Canadian diplomat, Professor of English, Emeritus, at U.C. Berkeley. Books include: Drugs, Oil and War; The U.S. in Afghanistan, Colombia, and Indochina, The Iran-Contra Connection, and Coming To Jakarta. Forthcoming from U.C. Press: The Road to 9/11: Wealth, Empire, and the Future of America. He won the 2002 Lannan Poetry Award.
RAY McGOVERN, host - Army officer, CIA analyst for 27 years (from John F. Kennedy to George H. W. Bush administrations). Founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity. His articles and op-eds have appeared in newspapers around the country, in Europe, on TomPaine.com, Truthout.com, Commondreams.org, Counterpunch.org and Antiwar.com. McGovern has appeared in several video documentaries-notably, Robert Greenwald's "Uncovered: The War on Iraq" and "Breaking the Silence: Truth and Lies in the War on Terror" (produced by John Pilger). He writes and speaks for the arm of Tell the Word called "Speaking Truth to Power."
PETER PHILLIPS - Professor of Sociology at Sonoma State University, Director of Project Censored (with Bridget Thornton and Celeste Vogler), a media research organization, whose annual compilations are published by W.W. Norton. "Project Censored is one of the organizations that we should listen to, to be assured that our newspapers and our broadcasting outlets are practicing thorough and ethical journalism." - Walter Cronkite. His senior-level research assistants are Bridget Thornton and Celeste Vogler.
KEVIN RYAN - Certified Quality Engineer, B.S. in Chemistry, many years Laboratory Operations Manager and then Site Manager at Environmental Health Laboratories. On March 15, 2006 Ryan gave a lecture titled A 9/11 Whistleblower Examines the Official Conspiracy Theory in Bloomington, Indiana. This lecture was taped and broadcast.
"We have put out this volume in the conviction that 9/11 was not only the largest and least-investigated homicide in American history but perhaps also the largest hoax, with extremely fateful consequences for human civilization as a whole. If our educational community cannot address this issue, then it risks remaining merely "academic" in the worst sense of that term." - statement of editors David Ray Griffin & Peter Dale Scott
wheelchair accessible, substantial free parking
tickets: $15 advance, $20 door (available August 25 at Bay Area independent bookstores or http://www.kpfa.org/tickets) Bookstores (always to be supported!) - EAST BAY: Black Oak, Cody's 4th Street, DIESEL a Bookstore, Moe's Books, Pegasus (both stores), Pendragon, Walden Pond SAN FRANCISCO: Cody's, Modern Times
Event sponsors: KPFA 94.1FM + Pacifica Radio, Northern California 9-11 Truth Alliance, Interlink Publishing + Bay Area independent bookstores
Media Contact: Bob Baldock bobbaldock@kpfa.org T: 510.848.5006 KPFA Radio 94.1FM, 1929 M. L. King Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704

That sounds like a pretty solid lineup. If you're in the area and able to attend, please do. I won't be. We're not coming back until Monday. That's in case there are problems with The Third Estate Sunday Review (technical problems). And I'm really bummed that I won't be able to attend. (Not upset with anyone. And C.I. told me that I didn't have to stay and could fly out Sunday but I know that they're going to be working and I remember March with all the technical problems so I'm not going to say, "Sure, great, have fun and let me know how it went.")

That's it for me tonight. I really am wiped out. I don't know how C.I. does it. There were two posts this morning before we took the plane and then there was grabbing time for the snapshot here, there and everywhere. I feel very sorry for Shelley Kovco (read the snapshot below) and I don't think the inquiry will have accomplished anything. I don't think there will be any accountability either. But maybe it's being tired. (I doubt it though. I think Judy Kovco spoke the truth the other day.) So here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"

Tuesday, September 19, 2006, violence and chaos continue in Iraq, Bully Boy went to the United Nations and so did activists, a soldier pleads guilty to a war crime, Camp Democracy continuesin Washington, DC and, in Australia, Shelley Kovco tells the military inquiry into the Aprtil 21st Baghdad death of her husband, "'Sorry' just doesn't cut it after the first time."

Starting in Australia, on April 21, 2006, Jake Kovco became the first Australian soldier to die in Iraq. For months now, a military inquiry into his death and the problems immediately after (including the destruction of evidence and losing his body) has been ongoing.

Belinda Tasker (Herald-Sun) reports that the head of the inquiry, Group Captain Warren Cook, has stated: "It is the intenion of the board to say . . . Jake Kovco did not committ suicide. . . . I can't make it any plainer than that."


Eleanor Hall (ABC's The World Today) summarized: "It wasn't suicide. In a surprise announcement this morning, the Preisdent of the Board inquiring into the death of Private Jake Kovco in Iraq interrupted an address from one of the Kovco lawyers to say that he had already ruled out that the young soldier deliberately took his own life."
Dan Box (The Australian) reports that Colonel Leslie Young ("representing [Jake] Kovco's interests") declared that the hearing should issue a finding of accidental death or "return an open verdict" due to the destruction and loss of evidence. Box quotes Young: ""Have you ever received direct evidence that Jake was handling his weapon when it discharged? The answer is no."

This follows (see yesterday's snapshot) the statements made by Judy Kovco, mother of Jake Kovco, to Kerry O'Brien in an interview on ABC's 7:30 Report. Judy Kovco discussed her feelings regarding the inquiry, how "the evidence so far, there is no way known, no, he did not shoot himself" and that she believes the military would cover up "an accidental shooting by somebody else or a murder". Conor Duffy (ABC's The World Today) reported that the announcement of no finding of suicide came as Lieutenant Colonel Holles "was speaking for Jake Kovco's parents, Martin and Judy, and he began addressing the board and tell them why they shouldn't find suicide."

Following the announcement that the inquiry would not issue a finding of suicide, Shelly Kovco, Jake Kovco's widow, addressed the inquiry.

ABC's PM provides a recreation of some of her statements including: "I had explained to Tyie that Daddy's mates were bringing him home so that we could say goodbye. I then had to explain to my son why we weren't picking Daddy up. No mother ever wants to tell their children their Daddy has died and they won't see him again. But out on top of that, they didn't bring Daddy home, it was another man, we have to go get Daddy in a couple of days, is pretty hard and confusing on him and me."

Tyrie is the young son of Shelley and Jake Kovco (under five-years-old) and the couple also has a younger daughter, Alana (a one-year-old).

Conor Duffy reported on the statements to Eleanor Hall (ABC's The World Today), "Eleanor, so far Shelley Kovco has remained silent throught the entire three months of the inquiry, and today she was dressed in black and she gave an emotional address, and it really revealed the extent of her anger and the sense of betrayal she feels towards the Defence Force and to the Government."

Belinda Tasker (Herald-Sun) reports that it was a five-page statement and that Shelley Kovco was "[s]obbing as she read" it. The statement directly addressed Brendan Nelson's actions. Nelson is the Defense Minister and his breathless, uninformed gushing to the media helped no one (and may have tarnished his own 'rising star'). Dan Box (The Australian) reports her stating, "Brendan Nelson has said Jake was cleaning his pistol, and then he changed his story . . . These things shouldn't have been said to the media until the truth was known."

Shelley Kovco also addressed the pain caused by some of the rumors that were circulated. (We didn't note them here when they were circulating as gospel, we won't note them now but we will note that she addressed them, and the pain they caused, in her statement.) Belinda Tasker reports that Shelley Kovco stated "she did not hold either of her husband's roommates, Pt Ray Johnson and Pte Rob Shore, repsonsible for his death . . . Likewise, she said she did not believe another soldier, Pte Steve Carr, whose DNA was found on Pte Kovco's pistol, was to blame."

Also speaking was David Small, Shelley Kovco's father. Dan Box (The Australian) reports he spoke "outside the inquiry" to reporters and "said the family held Alastar Adams, the Australian consular official in Kuwait City who sealed Kovco's casket, responsible for the confusion over the body's transport." And what did Small say to the inquiry? Conor Duffy, on ABC's PM, reported: "Shelley Kovco was followed onto the stand by her father David Small, a former military man who also attacked the Defence force, saying the bungled repatriation had almost caused him to return his medals. . . He also attacked the facilities used to return Private Kovco's remains to Autralia, saying staff at the Kuwaiti morgue was illiterate and little more than fridge mechanics and cleaners." Small is quoted stating: "We have no reason to believe that Jake's death is anything but a tragic accident. However, we think that something has been withheld, perhaps with misquided good intentions. For Shelley and the kids' sake, if anyone knows anything that hasn't been said please come forward now and not in some years time as it will only increase the pain."

According to Dan Box (The Australian), it will be "about six weeks" before the board of the inquiry turns "a final report . . . [over] to the chief of the defence force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston".

Meanwhile, as noted by Aileen Alfandary on KPFA's The Morning Show, today, Bully Boy went to the United Nations (and spoke to French president Jacques Chirac, before speech making). Bully Boy went to the United Nations and so did activists "calling for an immediate end to the war in Iraq" (Alfandary). Alfandary spoke to Leslie Cagan (United for Peace and Justice) moments before the protests were to begin. Cagan: "We are out on the streets of New York because President Bush is addressing the UN General Assembly and we're here to say no to his war, it's time to end the war, bring all the troops home and no new wars."

As CBS and AP note, Bully Boy's speech included the cry "Stand up for peace." No word on whether that was greeted by UN delegates with snorts of derision or boos and hisses.

Gertrue Chavez-Dreyfuss (Reuters) reports on what took place outside with
"[t]housands of protesters including former American soldiers rallied . . . urging the U.S. government to end the war in Iraq and bring the troops home." The article quotes Raed Jarrar, "People in Iraq also want to end the war. We want our country back."


From the Bully Boy to another war war criminal -- in England, Corporal Donald Payne pleaded guilty "to inhumanely treating civilians detained in Iraq between Sept 13 and Sept 16 2003 in Basra, Iraq" (Telegraph of London). The Guardian notes that Payne ("one of seven British troops who went on trial today facing charges linked to the death of an Iraqi civilian") was pleading guilty to chrages that "relate to the death of Baha Musa, 26, an Iraqi civilian in Basra". Jeremey Lovell (Reuters) reports that Musa is said to have had "93 injuries on his body, including a broken nose and ribs" and that "another detainee was so badly beaten that he nearly died of kidney failure."

This as Reuters reports British military has announced that two British soldiers died in Iraq on Monday (British Iraq fatalities now stand at 118) and the BBC reports that the Secretary General of the UN, Kofi Annan, is calling "for urgent actions from Iraqi leaders and the international community to bring Iraq back from the brink." The brink? As AFP notes, "Violence continued unabated Tuesday" in Iraq.


Bombings?

CBS and AP report, in Baghdad, 10 people are dead and 19 wounded as a result of a "rocket attack". A car bomb, AFP reports, claimed the lives of two more people in Baghdad. Outside Baghdad, Reuters reports one dead (two wounded) from a car bomb al-Rasheed; two dead (seven wounded) in Mahmudiya from mortar attacks; and, in Baquba, two dead from a roadside bomb

Shootings?
AFP notes a police officer was shot dead in Baquba. Reuters notes that eleven people were shot dead today "across Baquba" and that two people were killed in Najaf.

Corpses?

Reuters reports that 11 corpses were discovered in Mahmudiya.

Meanwhile, AFP reports that John Abizaid ("US Central Command chief") told Congress that he thinks "this level probably will have to be sustained through the spring and then we'll re-evaluate". He was speaking of the fact that 140,000 US troops are currently in Iraq. Lolita C. Baldor (AP) reports that Abizaid also spoke of the option of adding more troops "or extending the Iraq deployments of other units if needed." Apparently no one's supposed to remember the talk at the end of 2005 -- about drawing down the numbers. In June, the number was 127,000. It's now 140,000 -- like everything else the Bully Boy attempts, it goes the wrong way.

In peace news, Camp Democracy continues its activities in Washington DC -- free and open to the public and open through October 1st. Camp Democracy's activities today revolved around media activism and tomorrow's activities focus around Women's Peace Day and is joint-sponsored by NOW and CODEPINK (among those scheduled to participate is Howard Zinn). . A complete schedule can be found here.

And, in Berkeley, Judith Scherr (Berkeley Daily Planet) reports on the agenda for this evening's city council meeting which includes a vote on the "resolution to support Lt. Ehren Watada". Ehren Watada is the first commissioned officer to publicly refuse to deploy to Iraq. In August, an Article 32 hearing was held. Last Friday, the military tried to sneak in a new charge ("conduct unbecoming an officer" for statements made at at the Veterans for Peace conference held in Seattle -- here at CounterPunch and here at Truthout). More information on Watada can be found at Courage to Resist and ThankYouLt.org.















Posted by at

Monday, September 18, 2006

Spinach and how the FDA failed you

I am tired so tonight I think I've got low iron or something. I generally eat spinach and that's out right now. So I called Dak Ho, who minored in nutrition. He gave me some foods rich in iron. I know a little about what contains what but for iron, I've always just had spinach. Since that's out the window currently, and maybe some people are wondering as I was, I'll note that Dak-Ho says chicken, eggs, oat cereals (and whole grains) are good for iron. He also recommended raisins and wheat germ, parsley and bran, tofu, garbanzo beans and sunflower seeds.

Hopefully, there's something above that helps you. I'm not swearing off spinach. As soon as there's the okay, I'll be eating it again. But I am someone who eats it all the time. When I have a sandwich, I put it on there. Same with a salad and not just in the "spinach salad" type salads. I use it instead of iceberg lettuce. I use it in lasanga and so many dishes.

If you're a woman, you know you lose iron when you get your period. So, with not knowing how long we're going to have to avoid it, if you're someone needing alternate sources of iron, hopefully there's something listed above that you can use.

Does anyone else look at the spinach issue and think, "Where the hell was the Bully Boy?" I mean all this talk about 'securing' our borders (the nonsense of building a fence between the US and Mexico) and the spinach issue is much bigger. Why did the FDA only today issue a "stay away from fresh spinach" advisory. The information last week was a joke. Where was the FDA? They were slow to react and when they did act, they tended to minimize the dangers.

People were talking about eating fresh spinach is it was washed (which, on Friday, the FDA was getting the word out that it could be in the spinach leafs and washing wouldn't work) and the FDA was making noises about cooking it and it being safe. Logic tells you -- and Trina, C.I. and I were talking about this Friday because Trina was going to say, "Do not eat spinach right now" and wanted feedback. We both said, "Go for it. We're not eating it." -- that if it's in the spinach, cooking alone may not kill it. And if cooking does kill it, there are a variety of ways to cook. Do you need to nuke it, do you need to boil it, do you need to bake it, fry it, wok it . . . Is steaming it good enough?

Where was the FDA?

I cannot believe people are not asking this. Maybe most people don't eat spinach so it's not really effecting them. Fine, picture it was ice cream. Would you be happy with this kind of slow response then?

This response was unacceptable.

On September 14 the FDA issued this (all government press releases are paid for by you and I the tax payer and I will print in full):


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEP
06-131
September 14, 2006
Media Inquiries: 301-827-6242
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA
FDA Warning on Serious Foodborne E.coli O157:H7 Outbreak One Death and Multiple Hospitalizations in Several States
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is issuing an alert to consumers about an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in multiple states that may be associated with the consumption of produce. To date, preliminary epidemiological evidence suggests that bagged fresh spinach may be a possible cause of this outbreak.
Based on the current information, FDA advises that consumers not eat bagged fresh spinach at this time. Individuals who believe they may have experienced symptoms of illness after consuming bagged spinach are urged to contact their health care provider.
"Given the severity of this illness and the seriousness of the outbreak, FDA believes that a warning to consumers is needed. We are working closely with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local agencies to determine the cause and scope of the problem," said Dr. Robert Brackett, Director of FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN).
E. coli O157:H7 causes diarrhea, often with bloody stools. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people can develop a form of kidney failure called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death. To date, 50 cases of illness have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including 8 cases of HUS and one death.
At this time, the investigation is ongoing and states that have reported illnesses to date include: Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Wisconsin.
FDA will keep consumers informed of the investigation as more information becomes available.
####

On the 15th, they issued this and the only advice they give you is that you shouldn't eat fresh spinach:

FDA Statement on Foodborne E.coli O157:H7 Outbreak in Spinach
Updated 9/15/06
This release was updated September 16, 2006, to remove the brand Pro*Act from the list of recalled brands.
As part of the agency's continued commitment to keep the public informed of food safety issues, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is providing this update on the outbreak involving spinach.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is continuing to alert consumers about an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in multiple states that may be associated with the consumption of fresh spinach and fresh spinach containing-products.
Based on current information, FDA advises that people not eat fresh spinach or fresh spinach containing-products that are consumed raw. Individuals who believe they may have experienced symptoms of illness after consuming pre-packaged spinach are urged to contact their health care provider.
At this time, Natural Selection Foods, LLC, of San Juan Bautista, California, is recalling all of its products that contain spinach in all the brands they pack with "Best if Used by Dates" of August 17, 2006 through October 1, 2006.
FDA continues to investigate whether other companies and brands are involved.
Natural Selection Foods, LLC brands include: Natural Selection Foods, Pride of San Juan, Earthbound Farm, Bellissima, Dole, Rave Spinach, Emeril, Sysco, O Organic, Fresh Point, River Ranch, Superior, Nature's Basket, Pro-Mark, Compliments, Trader Joe's, Ready Pac, Jansal Valley, Cheney Brothers, Coastline, D'Arrigo Brothers, Green Harvest, Mann, Mills Family Farm, Premium Fresh, Snoboy, The Farmer's Market, Tanimura & Antle, President's Choice, Cross Valley, and Riverside Farms. These products include spinach and any salad with spinach in a blend, both retail and food service products. Products that do not contain spinach are not part of this recall.
E. coli O157:H7 causes diarrhea, often with bloody stools. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people can develop a form of kidney failure called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death. To date, 94 cases of illness have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including 14 cases of HUS and one death.
At this time, the investigation is ongoing and states that have reported illnesses to date include: California, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The affected products were also distributed to Canada and Mexico.
FDA continues to work closely with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local agencies to determine the cause and scope of the problem. As part of our investigation, we will test packages of spinach from confirmed cases of E. coli infection.
FDA will provide daily updates on its investigation. Please check this site for updated information.
####

All they tell you isn't don't eat BAGGED fresh spinach. On the 16th, they issued this:

FDA Statement on Foodborne E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak in SpinachUpdate: Saturday, September 16, 2006
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will continue to provide the public with regular updates on the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak each day until further notice.
Case Reports
To date, 102 cases of illness due to E. coli infection have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including 16 cases of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) and one death. Illnesses continue to be reported to CDC. This is considered to be an ongoing investigation.
Symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 Illness
E. coli O157:H7 causes diarrhea, often with bloody stools. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people can develop a form of kidney failure called HUS. HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death.
States Affected
There are 19 confirmed states (versus 20 reported yesterday). The case originally attributed to Tennessee was, in fact, in Kentucky. States reporting illnesses include: California, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Consumer Advice
FDA advises consumers to not eat fresh spinach or fresh spinach-containing products until further notice.
If individuals believe they may have experienced symptoms of illness after consuming fresh spinach or fresh spinach-containing products, FDA recommends that they seek medical advice.
Recalls
Natural Selection Foods, LLC, of San Juan Bautista, California, is recalling all of its products containing spinach in all brands they pack with "Best if Used by Dates" of August 17, 2006 through October 1, 2006. These products include spinach and any salad with spinach in a blend, both retail and food service products. Products that do not contain spinach are not part of this recall.
Natural Selection Foods, LLC brands include: Natural Selection Foods, Pride of San Juan, Earthbound Farm, Bellissima, Dole, Rave Spinach, Emeril, Sysco, O Organic, Fresh Point, River Ranch, Superior, Nature's Basket, Pro-Mark, Compliments, Trader Joe's, Ready Pac, Jansal Valley, Cheney Brothers, Coastline, D'Arrigo Brothers, Green Harvest, Mann, Mills Family Farm, Premium Fresh, Snoboy, The Farmer's Market, Tanimura & Antle, President's Choice, Cross Valley, and Riverside Farms.
The affected products were also distributed to Canada and Mexico. FDA continues to investigate whether other companies and brands are involved.
Lettuce Safety Initiative
The FDA developed the Lettuce Safety Initiative http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/lettsafe.html in response to recurring outbreaks of E.coli O157:H7 in lettuce. As a result of this outbreak, the initiative has been expanded to cover spinach. The primary goals of the initiative are to reduce public health risks by focusing on the product, agents and areas of greatest concern and to alert consumers early and respond rapidly in the event of an outbreak. This initiative is based on the 2004 Produce Safety Action Plan, intended to minimize the incidence of food borne illness associated with the consumption of fresh produce.
FDA continues to work closely with the CDC and state and local agencies to determine the cause and scope of the E.coli outbreak in spinach. Please check this website for updates.
####

On Saturday (above), they finally told us not to eat fresh spinach at all. On Sunday (below) they note that, from one to two, two companies have decided to launch a recall. They decided? Where was the FDA all last week?

FDA Statement on Foodborne E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak in Spinach
Update: Sunday, September 17, 2006
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will continue to provide the public with regular updates on the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak each day until further notice.
Case Reports To date, 109 cases of illness due to E. coli infection have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including 16 cases of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) and one death. Illnesses continue to be reported to CDC. This is considered to be an ongoing investigation.
Symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 IllnessE. coli O157:H7 causes diarrhea, often with bloody stools. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people can develop a form of kidney failure called HUS. HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death.
States Affected
There are 19 confirmed states: California, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Consumer AdviceF
DA advises consumers to not eat fresh spinach or fresh spinach-containing products until further notice. If individuals believe they may have experienced symptoms of illness after consuming fresh spinach or fresh spinach-containing products, FDA recommends that they seek medical advice.
Two (2) Recalls
FDA has been informed that River Ranch, of California, is recalling packages of spring mix containing spinach. River Ranch obtained bulk spring mix containing spinach from Natural Selections. The following brands are involved: Farmers Market, Hy Vee, Fresh and Easy. Products that do not contain spinach are not part of this recall. Natural Selection Foods, LLC, of San Juan Bautista, California, is recalling all of its products containing spinach in all brands they pack with "Best if Used by Dates" of August 17, 2006 through October 1, 2006. These products include spinach and any salad with spinach in a blend, both retail and food service products. Products that do not contain spinach are not part of this recall.
Natural Selection Foods, LLC brands include: Natural Selection Foods, Pride of San Juan, Earthbound Farm, Bellissima, Dole, Rave Spinach, Emeril, Sysco, O Organic, Fresh Point, River Ranch, Superior, Nature's Basket, Pro-Mark, Compliments, Trader Joe's, Ready Pac, Jansal Valley, Cheney Brothers, Coastline, D'Arrigo Brothers, Green Harvest, Mann, Mills Family Farm, Premium Fresh, Snoboy, The Farmer's Market, Tanimura & Antle, President's Choice, Cross Valley, and Riverside Farms.
The affected products were also distributed to Canada and Mexico. FDA continues to investigate whether other companies and brands are involved.
Lettuce Safety InitiativeThe FDA developed the Lettuce Safety Initiative http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/lettsafe.html in response to recurring outbreaks of E.coli O157:H7 in lettuce. As a result of this outbreak, the initiative has been expanded to cover spinach. The primary goals of the initiative are to reduce public health risks by focusing on the product, agents and areas of greatest concern and to alert consumers early and respond rapidly in the event of an outbreak. This initiative is based on the 2004 Produce Safety Action Plan, intended to minimize the incidence of food borne illness associated with the consumption of fresh produce.
FDA continues to work closely with the CDC and state and local agencies to determine the cause and scope of the E.coli outbreak in spinach. Please check http://www.fda.gov/ for updates.
####

Today, they gave us this:

FDA Statement on Foodborne E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak in SpinachUpdate: Monday, September 18, 2006
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will continue to provide the public with regular updates on the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak each day until further notice.
Case Reports
To date, 114 cases of illness due to E. coli infection have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including 18 cases of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), 60 hospitalizations, and one death. Illnesses continue to be reported to CDC. This is considered to be an ongoing investigation.
States Affected
There are now 21 confirmed states: California, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Consumer Advice
FDA advises consumers not to eat fresh spinach or fresh spinach-containing products until further notice.
If individuals believe they may have experienced symptoms of illness after consuming fresh spinach or fresh spinach-containing products, FDA recommends that they seek medical advice.
Symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 Illness
E. coli O157:H7 causes diarrhea, often with bloody stools. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people can develop a form of kidney failure called HUS. HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death.
Two Recalls
On September 17, 2006, River Ranch, of Salinas, California, announced a recall of packages of spring mix containing spinach. River Ranch obtained bulk spring mix containing spinach from Natural Selections. The following brands are involved: Fresh N' Easy Spring Mix and Hy-Vee Spring mix containing baby spinach, distributed to retailers in Texas, Iowa and New Mexico. Product was packed in 5 oz. bags and 5 oz. plastic trays. Products that do not contain spinach are not part of this recall.
On September 15, 2006, Natural Selections Foods, LLC, of San Juan Bautista, California, announced a recall of all of its products containing spinach in all brands they pack with "Best if Used by Dates" of August 17, 2006 through October 1, 2006. These products include spinach and any salad with spinach in a blend, both retail and food service products. Products that do not contain spinach are not part of this recall.
Natural Selections Foods, LLC brands include: Natural Selections Foods, Pride of San Juan, Earthbound Farm, Bellissima, Dole, Rave Spinach, Emeril, Sysco, O Organic, Fresh Point, River Ranch, Superior, Nature's Basket, Pro-Mark, Compliments, Trader Joe's, Ready Pac, Jansal Valley, Cheney Brothers, Coastline, D'Arrigo Brothers, Green Harvest, Mann, Mills Family Farm, Premium Fresh, Snoboy, The Farmer's Market, Tanimura & Antle, President's Choice, Cross Valley, and Riverside Farms.
The affected products were also distributed to Canada, Mexico, and Taiwan. No illnesses from these countries have been reported. FDA continues to investigate whether other companies and brands are involved.
Lettuce Safety Initiative
The FDA developed the Lettuce Safety Initiative www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/lettsafe.html in response to recurring outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 in lettuce. As a result of this outbreak, the initiative has been expanded to cover spinach. The primary goals of the initiative are to reduce public health risks by focusing on the product, agents and areas of greatest concern and to alert consumers early and respond rapidly in the event of an outbreak. This initiative is based on the 2004 Produce Safety Action Plan, intended to minimize the incidence of food borne illness associated with the consumption of fresh produce.
FDA continues to work closely with the CDC and state and local agencies to determine the cause and scope of the E. coli outbreak in spinach. Please check http://www.fda.gov/default.htm for updates.
####


There was a lettuce safety program and they only paired spinach with it on Monday? Well, last week, America needed a real FDA director, not a buddy or kiss up to the Bully Boy. And we didn't have one. The FDA should have launched the recall. They should advised Americans to stay away from all spinach at the start. (Not just bagged.) If they were worried about overreacting, well, hey, that would be acting. Instead they did nothing. And each day it got worse and they'd play catch up.

This wasn't Hurricane Katrina. The effects are not as evident. Hopefully, it's very small scale and it's over or soon will be. But the FDA did not protect Americans. The FDA did not lead. They did not demand a recall. They still don't know if other companies should be recalling. This is unnacceptable. And if was another food that's consumed more -- or say it was milk -- we'd have a national crisis right now. The FDA's performance was and remains hideous.

Trina did more than the FDA. And sooner. Again, she, C.I. and I (all spinach eaters) discussed it Friday. If you don't know Trina's Kitchen, it's a once-a-week community site and she discusses food and other items. She felt she had to say something and wanted to say, "Avoid it all." But she wanted to be sure she wasn't being an alarmist. C.I. and I both agreed, she wasn't. We both told her that the FDA should be doing that. Everyone should be bothered by the reaction of the FDA, whether they eat spinach or not. Where was a standing program when there was an outbreak in our food system? Apparently there was a lettuce safety program but it wasn't until this week that they decided to put spinach under that umbrella. Where were the FDA ordered recalls? The FDA did nothing. They issued statements that were weak until Saturday. They underinformed the public. This was a disgrace.

Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"

Monday, September 18, 2006, chaos and violence continue in Iraq with the AFP counting "[a]t least 62 people" dead, Camp Democracy continues (and extends) in Washington, D.C., in Germany: "Wife of War Profiteer Down!" and Judy Kovco, the mother of Jake Kovco, registers her opinion of the inept hearing into her son's death.

Starting in Australia, photos taken by Australian soldiers serving in Iraq have turned up online. Rory Callinan (Time) interviewed Angus Houston ("head of the ADF, Air Chief Marshal") about the photos who stated he first learned of the photos from Callinan and that "The way people have mishandled those weapons, that offends me." The Townsville Bulletin deems the photos "offensive and unprofessionl" and states that they feature "mostly from the Darwin-based 2nd Cavalry Regiment and the Brisbane-based 5/7 infantry battalion". [Houston is the witness in the Jake Kovco inquiry who strongly disagreed with Defence Minister Brendan Nelson's 'explanation' for the various reports Nelson gave the press as to Kovco's death. Houston stated Nelson was warned that nothing was known and Nelson was warned of that from the start.]

Though there's no indication that the photos feature Jake Kovco, the prospect that they might is speculated everywhere. Jake Kovco died in Baghdad on April 21st and issues surrounding his death and what happened after have been the subject of an ongoing military inquiry. Dan Box (The Australian) reports that the "inquiry . . . has warned it may find that the soldier [Jake Kovco] broke army regulations and should bear some responsibility for the circustances of his own shooting." And the inquiry, the Herald-Sun reports, has "requested the pictures and video footage showing soldiers waving the pistols."

Leigh Sales walked viewers through the latest on The 7:30 Report (Australia's ABC) and got reactions from Dan Box ("I don't think the board can deliver any other finding except for an open finding") and a criminologist at Sydney University, Mark Findlay. Findlay told Sales: "This is not just one example of incompetence, this is an example of the conscious interference with relevant evidence and in some situations that interference is almost inexplicable. . . . This wasn't a situation where one piece of evidence was lost or perhaps a minor piece of evidence had been despolied. There are many, many examples of where the evidence hs either been ruined or been put into a situation where, in fact, it's no longer useful to an investigation." Box tells Sales, "There is evidence to support the theory that it was murder. There is evidence to support the theory that it was suicide and there is evidence to support the theory that it was an accident. From what I've seen, there isn't evidence to say conclusively it was any one of those."

As Dan Box reports in print (The Australian): "Any adverse finding is expected to rely largely on the evidence from Private Steve Carr, a soldier who served with Kovco in Baghdad." Carr is "Soldier 14," the person whose DNA was found on Jake Kovco's gun, the person who offered his theories to the inquiry on how his DNA ended up on Kovco's gun, and the person whose guesses on DNA transfer were refuted by expert witness (Michelle Franco of the NSW Department of Health's Analytical Laboratories).
As Belinda Tasker (The Age) reported: "The lawyer representing Private Kovco's parents, Lieutenant-Colonel Frank Holles, asked Ms Franco whethere the fact that Soldier 14's DNA was found on the gun indicated he had touched it. Ms Franco replied: 'It is consistent with that.'"

Meanwhile Judy Kovco, mother of Jake Kovco, and Ben Kovco, his step-brother, granted an interview to Kerry O'Brien (7:30 Report). In the interview, Judy Kovco rejects the notion that her son played with guns (a behavior 'heard of' but not seen by anyone testifying in the hearing -- what is known as "hearsay") and notes that her son grew up around guns. Box's conclusion of an the inquiry reaching an opening finding (unable to determine what happened) is something she is prepared for and also prepared that the inquiry might find that her son committed suicide "[b]ut the evidence so far, there is no way known, no, he did not shoot himself. I know what you're saying, but I'm not prepared to go along with that, because there is no way known Jake shot himself purposely."

Kerry O'Brien: That really only leaves two other possibilites, an accidental shooting by somebody else or a murder, both of which it seems to me would involve a major cover-up, a major cover-up. Do you really think that's possible?

Judy Kovco: I certainly do, yes, without a doubt.

Kerry O'Brien: Do you really think that the army would go along with that?

Judy Kovco: They've done it in the past, they have done that in the past.

And the interview is getting coverage. Ben Doherty (The Age) has a piece entitled "Someone shot my son: Judy Kovco" which notes that she believes Jake Kovco was either "accidentally shot . . . or murdered". Australia's ABC leads their report with her belief that the military "would go along with a cover-up over her son's death." The Townsville Bulletin closes with Judy Kovco's statements regarding the lack of acountability and emphasizing the fact that as they waited the arrival of Jake Kovco's body, they learned that instead, somehow, Juso Sinanovic had been sent to Australia instead (a problem for Sinanovic's family in Bosnia as well): "The whole thing is just wrong to me, that these are all just acceptable. It is all just acceptable as far as they are concerned."

Box notes that Shelley Kovco (Jake Kovco's widow) is expected to provide provide a statement and that Soldier 14/Steve Carr's "credibility . . . is now expected to come under attack from lawyers representing Kovco and his family." The inquiry was thought to be winding down but, as Conor Duffy reported to Eleanor Hall (The World Today, Australia's ABC), "It's been sitting for three months, and now it seems it's going to have run a little longer. . . . It had been scheduled this week to begin wrapping up."

In Iraq, the talk of the waterless moat (or ditch) continues. The 'crackdown' hasn't worked since it started in June but apparently the moat passes for a new 'toy' or 'gadget' and we're all supposed to be excited. In the real world, the chaos and violence continued.

Bombings?

Al Jazeera reports "a suicide bomber blew himself up at a market in the north-western Iraqi city of Tal Afar".

Al Jazeera also reports that a car bomb "exploded at a police recruitment centre in the western Iraqi city of Ramadi" and killed at least thirteen. CBS and AP note that the Interior Ministry is stating it was two but that al-Arabiya is also noting 13. (Al Jazeera went with what the Ramadi police stated about the Ramadi explosion, not the Ministry back in Baghdad. Reuters also goes with 13.)

Shootings?

AFP notes four women were shot dead in Mosul and four police officers were shot dead near the Syrian border. Reuters notes that four family members were shot dead (with five more wounded) in Baquba while, in Hibhib, two family members were shot dead (two others wounded).


Corpses?

BBC reports that fourteen corpses were discovered in Baghdad, AFP notes three discovered and Babil and two severed heads discovered in Baiji. CBS and AP note that Lt. Col. Fawzi Abdul Karim al-Mousawi was kidnapped Sunday and his corpse was discovered in Basra today.

Turning from the corpses to the morgue, NBC posts a report by a journalist in Baghdad, whose name is withheld, about reporting and attempting to report from the capital -- the journalist requests permission from the Minister of Health, meets a camera operator at the morgue, have the paperwork checked by an officer and . . . "gunfire erupted all around us."

Lara Logan (CBS) takes a look at life in Baghdad and reports: "This is how it works. Iraqis say: 'If they haven't found the body, then they are probably still alive. Then you can still hope.' That's the only way most people have any idea about the fate of their disapeared loved ones and friends. Sometimes they know immediately. When the lock is broken in the middle of the night and they walk into your home, through the rooms where your children sleep, and drag your sons from their beds and tear your husband out of your arms -- then, even before the bodies are found, you know the men you love most likely are never coming back. Many say the men wear uniforms -- police uniformas. The police say these uniforms are stolen or bought and have nothing to do with them. It doesn't matter anymore. The damage is done."


In Germany, Melissa Eddy (AP) reports that Jaqueline Battles "has been arrested on suspicion of laundering her husban'd ill-gotten gains after investigators seized about $1 million from her accounts". Eddy notes Battles is a German citizen married to US citizen Mike Battles, of Custer Battles, who, along with partner Scott Custer, was ordered by jury in the United States "to pay $10 million for swindling the U.S. government over Iraqi rebuilding projects in connection with their Middletown, R.I.-based company, Custer Battles LLC."

In peace news, Camp Democracy continues its activities in Washington DC and has extended the date for the camp to October 1st. Camp Democracy is free and open to the public. John Nichols (The Nation) took part in Sunday events focusing on the issue of impeachment and notes: "Polls and practices suggest that the citizenry well understands the necessity of holding this administration to account -- not to punish Bush or Cheney but to restore the system of checks and balances that has been so warped in this ear of executive whim and lawlessness. And 219 years into this American experiment, as we honor the Constitution that is its foundation, the message from Camp Democracy is clear: It is time to remind politicians and the pundits that: 'This Magistrate is not the King. . . The people are the King.'"

David Lindorff also participated and he notes (Baltimore Chronicle): "It was [Elizabeth] Holtzman who stole the show, with the former member of the House impeachment panel that drew up impeachment articles against Richard Nixon noting that one of those three articles was for spying on American citizens. Holtzman, who has a new book out on impeachment herself -- (The Impeachment of George W. Bush), said that when she and the others on that committee -- Democrats and Republicans alike -- unanimously voted out those articles which led to Nixon's resignation from office, 'I thought we had protected the Constitution for generations to come."

At the start of the year, Elizabeth Holtzman contributed "The Impeachment of George W. Bush" for The Nation. Lewis Lapham's "The Case for Impeachment" (Harper's) would quickly follow, as would the Center for Constitutional Rights's Articles of Impeachment Against George W. Bush, David Lindorff and Barbara Olshansky's The Case for Impeachment (Olshansky is an attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights), Holtzman's The Impeachment of George W. Bush and John Nichols' The Genius of Impeachment: The Founders' Cure for Royalism will be published next month. (And there are other books and articles, that's only some of the ones that have come out in 2006.)

Today's events have included discussions on Iraq, tomorrow Ray McGovern and Jeff Cohen are among those taking part in Take on the Media Day (And Sherry Glaser will also do some of her standup and hold a workshop on comedy.), Wednesday's activites focus around Women's Peace Day and is joint-sponsored by NOW and CODEPINK (among those scheduled to participate is Howard Zinn). And, to repeat, the camp has extended their schedule, they will not be ending this week but will continue to October 1st -- free and open to the public. A complete schedule can be found here

Remember Take on the Media Day? Jeff Cohen reports (Consortium News) that the Washington "Post's inexcusable coverage before the war, and its ongoing pro-war editorial bias" is why he will be taking part in the forum on the media at Camp Democracy and that "[t]here will also be a protest march to the Washington Post headquarters that eveing." A lot of people participating and, though donations are welcome, Camp Democracy is free and open to the public. Olshansky, Lindorff, Cohen, Nichols, Holtzman, Zinn, McGovern, Elizabeth de la Vega . . . And that's just a few of the people participating. If you are in the DC area or are planning to be there, David Swanson's Camp Democracy is something to check out.












Posted by at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)