tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365Fri, 16 May 2008 04:30:28 +0000http://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/newsrackblog.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)Blogger1956125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-7738937801092904077Wed, 14 May 2008 21:38:00 +00002008-05-14T17:38:50.471-04:00An NPR team followed a couple of parents back to the rubble of their apartment building in Dujiangyan, and reported it inDujiangyan Parents' Search for Child: With some bodies now found, the military was called in. Soon, about three dozen military police arrived in green camouflage fatigues and black rubber boots but with no supplies or equipment. Mrs. Fu and Mr. Wang ran out to buy them cotton http://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_05_11_newsarcv.html#7738937801092904077noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-4795974174346408647Mon, 12 May 2008 17:17:00 +00002008-05-13T11:54:35.227-04:00Via Roy Edroso.http://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_05_11_newsarcv.html#4795974174346408647noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-8100375016219248503Sun, 11 May 2008 18:15:00 +00002008-05-13T12:20:13.715-04:00An occasional review of further developments in stuff I've written about before. Past diminishing and well into negative returns..., April 24, 2008 --- Responding to Senator Clinton's threat to "obliterate" Iran if it were to attack Israel,* Iranian cleric and "Assembly of Experts" member Ahmed Khatami said: A disreputable American (presidential) candidate has said that if Iran attacks Israel, http://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_05_11_newsarcv.html#8100375016219248503noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-8151747920295285638Tue, 06 May 2008 20:00:00 +00002008-05-16T00:30:28.989-04:00First Lady Condemns Junta's Response to Storm - washingtonpost.com: 'Although they were aware of the threat, Burma's state-run media failed to issue a timely warning to citizens in the storm's path,' she said. 'The response to this cyclone is just the most recent example of the junta's failures to meet its people's basic needs.' ===== UPDATE, 5/8: How hypocritical is Ms. Bush? ThinkProgress http://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_05_04_newsarcv.html#8151747920295285638noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-4128980203143192459Tue, 06 May 2008 16:30:00 +00002008-05-12T07:49:18.270-04:00Last week I had to put down my newspaper in the Metro for a long time. The front page news photo -- connected with the story "U.S. Role Deepens in Sadr City" -- was this: Two-year-old Ali Hussein is pulled from the rubble of his family's home in the Shiite stronghold of Sadr City in Baghdad, Iraq, April 29, 2008. (Karim Kadim/AP Photo)It might have been a more cropped version. Certainly all Ihttp://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_05_04_newsarcv.html#4128980203143192459noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-2945861685601210811Fri, 02 May 2008 13:30:00 +00002008-05-02T14:05:26.690-04:00What Jim Henley said, about Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's sophistry about torture not being prohibited under the Eighth Amendment because it isn't "punishment" but interrogation: ...one of my biggest arguments was that the corruption of war and torture would seep back across the border and contaminate republican institutions and principles here at home. Scalia makes clear that that is http://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_04_27_newsarcv.html#2945861685601210811noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-838107071727673009Thu, 01 May 2008 16:30:00 +00002008-05-02T22:36:45.375-04:00 Hank Prensky, Julius West, Michelle Bailey, Joy Austin-Lane. 2d photo here. Originally uploaded by Thomas Nephew. As advertised, I joined my friends Michelle Bailey, Hank Prensky, and Joy Austin-Lane in a short visit to Congressman Chris Van Hollen's (D-MD-8) local Hyattsville office (just outside Takoma Park), to bring the Congressman a copy of "A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq." http://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_04_27_newsarcv.html#838107071727673009noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-1834445089302368003Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:35:00 +00002008-04-30T14:54:27.886-04:00Thursday, May 1 is the fifth anniversary of "Mission Accomplished" - the day George Bush stood on an aircraft carrier declaring major combat operations over in Iraq. Five years later, the costs of war keep mounting and there's still no end in sight. In 1994, the Republicans came up with a Contract with America that they worked to implement as soon as they were sworn in. This time around, it http://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_04_27_newsarcv.html#1834445089302368003noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-4700198866995494266Thu, 24 Apr 2008 05:38:00 +00002008-05-04T11:18:36.967-04:00...on the value of this Democratic primary campaign. eRobin ("fact-esque") and others see it differently, seeing the campaign as giving candidates a chance to hear from more voters: ...the more time they're out there forced to compete for the votes of the people who want to hear about the candidates' schemes to reverse the damage of the BushCo years, the better off the Democrats are for Novemberhttp://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_04_20_newsarcv.html#4700198866995494266noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-1288762870941734309Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:00:00 +00002008-05-04T10:47:01.376-04:00The past few weeks have provided numerous headlines about torture authorized by the American government. The stories quickly climbed up the dungeon ladder from John Yoo's second torture memo to the revelation that Cabinet-level discussions were held specifically about whether and how to "interrogate" -- that is, torture -- prisoners, to the revelation that Dubya himself knew of those meetings http://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_04_20_newsarcv.html#1288762870941734309noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-3041498863114528559Tue, 22 Apr 2008 05:15:00 +00002008-04-22T01:37:05.874-04:00Huge, if belated applause for Roy Edroso ("alicublog"), whose "The Official Village Voice Election-Season Guide to the Right-Wing Blogosphere: A confederacy of dunces was last week's cover story in the Village Voice! My favorite parts are the "stupid/evil ratio" factoids assigned to all --highest evil quotient: Glenn Reynolds (5:95); highest stupid quotient: Ace of Spades (99:1). Some might http://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_04_20_newsarcv.html#3041498863114528559noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-5292275972122224557Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:48:00 +00002008-04-21T15:01:45.464-04:00The Real News Network is a great resource for different takes (and sometimes the only takes) on world news, with voices from outside the mainstream of U.S. media. Here are some of the clips I've saved, as recently as today, on topics from Iraq to Zimbabwe to the Democratic primaries. As storage resources tighten here, this and the recent deli.cio.us links post will migrate to the top of the http://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_04_20_newsarcv.html#5292275972122224557noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-7048296930316895900Fri, 18 Apr 2008 04:47:00 +00002008-04-18T01:20:30.073-04:00Not just health care policy -- funny health care policy. And even brave health care policy, says Ezra Klein, who describes Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Bob Bennett's (R-UT) plan asradical integration of the system, a sort of single-payer that uses private insurers as regulated subcontractors, rather than a multipayer that keeps them as independent players (which Obama and Clinton both do).http://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_04_13_newsarcv.html#7048296930316895900noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-6999655392423131169Sun, 13 Apr 2008 05:17:00 +00002008-04-21T15:02:23.202-04:00Sound advice for Obama supporters -- in a barely friendly, clenched-teeth, ... oh, what the heck, fairly hostile sort of way -- from Obama-skeptic Kate Harding (at "Shakesville"). With the refrain "Obama is not a f*@%ing progressive," Harding rehearses a well-researched list of many of the Obama negatives I've noted myself,* concludingObama has feet of clay, just like every other politician in http://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_04_13_newsarcv.html#6999655392423131169noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-637749651847079248Fri, 11 Apr 2008 03:20:00 +00002008-04-21T15:03:08.983-04:00 Reprisal attacks by Robert Mugabe's militias (Zimbabwe) Originally uploaded by Sokwanele - Zimbabwe. More here.Via the Flickr "Democracy in Action" photo pool, I ran across a blog by Zimbabweans called "This is Zimbabwe" this evening. The blog is run by Sokwanele, described as a "popular underground movement in Zimbabwe" in Wikipedia. Sokwanele means "enough is enough"; it appears to be http://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_04_06_newsarcv.html#637749651847079248noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-6179084369215557026Thu, 10 Apr 2008 22:01:00 +00002008-04-14T16:16:19.429-04:00 Senator Feingold addresses fundraiser attendees Two other photos from the event here. Originally uploaded by Thomas Nephew (For more and better images, see KC's photos.)I went to a "Netroots Nation" fundraiser yesterday at the Mott House near the Capitol. The price was pretty reasonable as fundraisers go, and there was the prospect of seeing some friends and hearing from some of the good http://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_04_06_newsarcv.html#6179084369215557026noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-1223394519415253136Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:30:00 +00002008-04-10T11:00:28.830-04:00Your former Undersecretary of Defense and mine, Douglas Feith, speaking with Philippe Sands ("The Green Light," Vanity Fair about the good old days when he played a role in approving torture: "This year I was really a player," Feith said, thinking back on 2002 and relishing the memory. I asked him whether, in the end, he was at all concerned that the Geneva decision might have diminished America’http://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_04_06_newsarcv.html#1223394519415253136noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-4019367517967249902Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:30:00 +00002008-04-09T13:42:34.979-04:00 (Self-updating listing of my "del.icio.us" links) This blog is parked at an ISP home page site granting about 16MB of space. After about six and half years(!) of blogging, that space is almost full; you might say newsrack blog is approaching the "one more wafer" stage. I've been moving images (they really are worth a thousand words!) and various documents over to Photobucket and Google Docs, http://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_04_06_newsarcv.html#4019367517967249902noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-852511013622962204Wed, 02 Apr 2008 05:24:00 +00002008-04-02T01:49:16.869-04:00...we have a tendency to demonize and jump on and make mockery of each other across the aisle, and that is particularly pronounced when we make mistakes. Each and every one of us is going to make a mistake once in a while…and what we hope is that our track record of service, the scope of how we’ve operated and interacted with people, will override whatever particular mistake we make.By itself, http://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_03_30_newsarcv.html#852511013622962204noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-2434391907952978475Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:30:00 +00002008-04-21T16:16:57.018-04:00Really! Fafblog! back to save the universe. I'm glad, even if it's just for a day. (Hat tip to KCinDC)http://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_03_30_newsarcv.html#2434391907952978475noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-1585338152479612519Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:30:00 +00002008-04-21T16:17:27.060-04:00I haven't meant to keep quiet here quite this much since last Thursday -- but now the pause may get extended through the weekend. We're on the road to Connecticut to see an old friend, so new posts may not be possible and won't be a priority. === I watched part 2 of Frontline's "Bush's War" documentary last night. If you haven't seen it, I recommend it; with a good Internet connection, you http://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_03_23_newsarcv.html#1585338152479612519noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-1963364765029603915Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:30:00 +00002008-04-21T16:17:48.123-04:00Politics & Prose is quite possibly the best bookstore in the country, and I've seen some good ones. We went there again last night, ostensibly to pick up a birthday present for Maddie's friend, in reality to feed our family's book addictions, and just to go to one of our favorite places. The hook for me: "Eric Alterman will be there, you want to go?" I would have gone anyway, but that made it http://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_03_16_newsarcv.html#1963364765029603915noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-7838175533920488638Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:00:00 +00002008-03-19T14:06:26.935-04:00Donna Edwards and other congressional candidates explain why they've endorsed "A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq" in the video below: Yes, I know he's not Donna Edwards; I mainly want the leftyblogs Maryland link. Ms. Edwards has made the plan a prominent feature of her campaign web site. From the press release:The United States has been in Iraq for 5 years now; 3,988 honorable http://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_03_16_newsarcv.html#7838175533920488638noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-1632984286664891687Tue, 18 Mar 2008 05:03:00 +00002008-04-21T16:18:31.814-04:00Responsibly ending the U.S. military action in Iraq and returning control of the country to the Iraqis is a critical step in enhancing U.S. security. This solution requires that no residual U.S. troops remain in Iraq. The continued presence in Iraq of so-called “residual” forces beyond the minimum needed for standard embassy-protection would be a serious mistake. Any such troops would become a http://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_03_16_newsarcv.html#1632984286664891687noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1453365.post-9010189296803715000Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:30:00 +00002008-03-17T14:07:56.823-04:00Pieces providing an overview of the conference, "Winter Soldier testimonials," testimony by Hart Viges, and commentary on Blackwater are also available, but aren't currently listed above; there may be a 10-clip limit or something. As eRobin mentions, these conferences and videos cost money. Consider supporting Winter Soldier and Real News Network. ===== UPDATE, 3/17: Also consider joining thehttp://pages.prodigy.net/thomasn528/blog/2008_03_16_newsarcv.html#9010189296803715000noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Nephew)