I'm A Pimpin Turtle...

Anti-War / March on Washington - March 20, 2010

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-18T22:09:00Z

A friend just reminded me today that this is coming up soon!

National March on Washington
Saturday, March 20

Gather at 12 Noon at the
White House (Lafayette Park)

For Boston Buses to Washington:
https://secure2.convio.net/pep/site/Ecommerce?VIEW_PRODUCT=t......

The March 20 bi-coastal mobilizations in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles are endorsed and supported by a broad range of antiwar, labor, social justice and human rights organizations across the country. March 20 marks the beginning of the eighth year of the U.S. war against the people of Iraq.

• Troops Home Now from Afghanistan and Iraq!
• Funds for jobs, health care, education, housing, and human needs— not wars and occupations!
• End the Bombing of Afghanistan and Pakistan Now!
• End the Siege of Gaza and All U.S. Support for the Israeli Occupation of Palestine!
• Aid for Haiti— Not Occupation!
• Hands off Iran and Latin America!
• End War Crimes Including Torture!

www.march20.org www.natassembly.org

There are organizing meetings for those who would like to join the effort to publicize and organize transportation for the March on Washington, DC scheduled for Saturday, March 20. All are invited. Join us:

Next Organizing Meeting:
Saturday, March 6, 1:00 PM
33 Harrison Ave, 5th Floor, Boston
(Chinatown Stop on the Orange Line T)

Below are two copies of the flyer to download. A two to a page pdf version and a word document.

http://www.stopthewars.org/stwc/?q=node/74

Obama: No crisis in U.S. ties with Israel

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-18T12:11:00Z

HAARETZ - Barak Ravid and Natasha Mozgovaya

United States President Barack Obama said Wednesday that there was no crisis in ties with Israel, despite a high-profile diplomatic feud over the Netanyahu administration's plans to build 1,600 homes in East Jerusalem.

"Israel is one of our closest allies, and we and the Israeli people have a special bond that's not going to go away," Obama said in an interview with Fox News.

"But friends are going to disagree sometimes," Obama said.

The United States had previously described as an "insult" Israel's decision to construct housing units in the neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo, announced during a visit to Israel last week by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.

Interior Minister Eli Yishai gave approval for the construction hours after Biden spoke about Obama's commitment to Israel's security in the face of what both countries see as threats from Iran.

Obama said in the interview that he had sent Biden to the region at a moment when the United States was trying to restart talks between Israelis and the Palestinians.

"I specifically sent Vice President Biden to Israel to send a message of support and reassurance about my belief that Israel's security is sacrosanct and that we have a host of shared interests," Obama said. "There is a disagreement in terms of how we can move this peace process forward."

He added: "The actions that were taken by the interior minister in Israel weren't helpful to that process. Prime Minister Netanyahu acknowledged as much and apologized for it."

"What we need right now is both sides to recognize that it is in their interests to move this peace process forward."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday called the timing of the move a "bureaucratic mishap".

"This neighborhood is located five minutes from the prime minister's office," Netanyahu told Catherine Ashton, the European Union's foreign policy chief, in Jerusalem during her first official trip to the Middle East.

Because Ramat Shlomo is considered a Jewish neighborhood, the Jerusalem District Planning and Building Committee which approved the project did not consider its decision controversial, Netanyahu told Ashton.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last week demanded that Israel scrap the project and show commitment to U.S.-mediated peace talks with the Palestinians.

State Department Spokesman Mark Toner said late Wednesday said that Clinton was still awaiting Netanyahu's answer to the demands.

"We're still looking forward to a response. It hasn't happened yet," he said. "There hasn't been a call yet."

By the early hours of Thursday morning Netanyahu was still in talks with seven senior ministers over Israel's reply to Clinton.

A government source said it was possible that the 'forum of seven' would not complete its deliberations that night, and might continue discussions on Thursday.

During the meeting, Defense Minister Ehud Barak spoke by telephone with George Mitchell, the U.S. peace envoy to the Middle East, Haaretz learned.

Mitchell on Tuesday canceled a planned visit to Israel as a protest against the announcement on Ramat Shlomo but told Barak that he was now considering arriving in the country on Sunday. It was not clear if Barak offered any specific Israeli response to U.S. demands.

Toner said the United States was seeking commitments from both Israel and the Palestinians on restarting stalled peace talks.

"We're looking for steps that we think would demonstrate the commitment. I don't think there's any timeline on that response," he said "We're trying to keep the process moving forward."

Israel envoy: Don't let tensions hurt peace process

In an opinion piece published by The New York Times on Thursday, Israel's Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren urged the United States and Israel not to let the recent tensions affect the peace process.

Netanyahu's policy on construction in Jerusalem is no different than that of his predecessors, writes Oren.

"We should not, however, allow peace efforts, or the America-Israel alliance, to be compromised by Israel?s policy on Jerusalem," writes Oren. "That policy is not Mr. Netanyahu?s alone but was also that of former Prime Ministers Ehud Barak, Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres and Golda Meir - in fact of every Israeli government going back to the city?s reunification in 1967.

"Consistently, Israel has held that Jerusalem should remain its undivided capital and that both Jews and Arabs have the right to build anywhere in the city," he writes."

The ambassador also reiterates in his peace Israel's commitment to seeing the peace process advance, and accuses the Palestinians of introducing new preconditions at a critical juncture in the renewal of talks.

"Despite these Palestinian actions, Israel wants to begin 'proximity talks' - indirect negotiations involving United States intermediaries - which we hope will lead to a direct dialogue and a historic and permanent peace," he writes. "But the only way to negotiate a peace agreement is to begin negotiations.

"Though Israel will always ultimately rely on the courage of its own defense forces, America?s commitment to Israel?s security is essential to give Israelis the confidence to take risks for peace," writes the ambassador.

Revealed: Ashcroft, Tenet, Rumsfeld warned 9/11 Commission about ‘line’ it ’should not cross’

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-18T11:50:00Z

RAW STORY - Sahil Kapur

Senior Bush administration officials sternly cautioned the 9/11 Commission against probing too deeply into the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, according to a document recently obtained by the ACLU.

The notification came in a letter dated January 6, 2004, addressed by Attorney General John Ashcroft, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and CIA Director George J. Tenet. The ACLU described it as a fax sent by David Addington, then-counsel to former vice president Dick Cheney.

In the message, the officials denied the bipartisan commission's request to question terrorist detainees, informing its two senior-most members that doing so would "cross" a "line" and obstruct the administration's ability to protect the nation.

"In response to the Commission's expansive requests for access to secrets, the executive branch has provided such access in full cooperation," the letter read. "There is, however, a line that the Commission should not cross -- the line separating the Commission's proper inquiry into the September 11, 2001 attacks from interference with the Government's ability to safeguard the national security, including protection of Americans from future terrorist attacks."

The 9/11 Commission, officially called the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, was formed by President Bush in November of 2002 "to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks" and to offer recommendations for preventing future attacks.

"The Commission staff's proposed participation in questioning of detainees would cross that line," the letter continued. "As the officers of the United States responsible for the law enforcement, defense and intelligence functions of the Government, we urge your Commission not to further pursue the proposed request to participate in the questioning of detainees."

FireDogLake's Marcy Wheeler speculates that this was an attempt by the Bush administration to ensure that its torture of certain detainees, which has since been widely documented, remained secret.

"[W]hoever made these annotations appears to have been most worried that Commission staff members could make independent judgments about the detainees and the interrogations," Wheeler wrote on her blog. The official "didn't want anyone to independently evaluate the interrogations conducted in the torture program."

Eventually, the commission's co-chairs harshly criticized the administration for having purportedly "destroyed" tapes of its interrogations with terror suspects, as Raw Story reported last year.

9/11 Commission members Thomas Kean and Lee H. Hamilton wrote that although US President George W. Bush had ordered all executive branch agencies to cooperate with the probe, "recent revelations that the CIA destroyed videotaped interrogations of Qaeda operatives leads us to conclude that the agency failed to respond to our lawful requests for information about the 9/11 plot."
"Those who knew about those videotapes — and did not tell us about them — obstructed our investigation."
They continued: “There could have been absolutely no doubt in the mind of anyone at the CIA — or the White House — of the commission’s interest in any and all information related to Qaeda detainees involved in the 9/11 plot.
"Yet no one in the administration ever told the commission of the existence of videotapes of detainee interrogations," Kean and Hamilton wrote.

The letter can be found on page 26 of the ACLU's set of unveiled documents.

TSA To Make Full Body Scans Mandatory At US Airports

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-18T11:23:00Z

eCanadaNow

In a new attempt to curb terrorism on airplanes and in airports, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced this week that they plan on making full body scanners mandatory. The full body scanners, which produce an image and show any object carried by an individual, are already in use at several airports across the country.

One of the largest concerns regarding flying and traveling for many individuals is the threat of terrorism and suicide bombers. After 911 and various other terrorist attempts, the TSA finally feels that the full body scanners will be a huge deterrent in preventing future attacks.

While 21 airports across the country have already purchased at least one full body scanner, some are concerned that the cost of installing the body scanners will prevent many airports from getting one. The scanners that are approved for use by the TSA will cost anywhere between $130,000 and $170,000. Despite the cost, the TSA has planned on sending more of the machines to airports across the country.

The new body scan process has received other criticism saying that it will drastically delay the boarding and security time. Unless airports receive multiple scanners, security lines are likely to increase in length.

One killed as Gaza rocket hits Israel: army radio

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-18T11:17:00Z

AFP

JERUSALEM (AFP) – One person was killed when a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit a kibbutz in southern Israel on Thursday, Israeli army radio said.

The rocket attack came as EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton was visiting the Gaza Strip.

The rocket slammed into the Netiv Ha'assera kibbutz, a few kilometres (couple of miles) from the Gaza Strip, an army spokeswoman said. She could not immediately confirm that one man died of his injuries.

"It is the third rocket fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip since Wednesday evening," she said.

A New World Order Is Moving In

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-17T22:38:00Z

FORBES - Bernie McSherry

Recent events offer evidence that the ground beneath our feet is shifting, both literally and metaphorically, and scientists and traders alike are noting the effects. In the literal sense, Richard Gross, a geophysicist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, estimates that the massive earthquake that struck off the coast of Chile last Saturday moved hundreds of miles of solid rock several yards, altering the Earth's axis by approximately three inches due to the shifting of such a substantial mass. A movement of that magnitude is rare; yet investors can be forgiven for being unimpressed. The axis of world economic power is also shifting as the aftershocks of economic crisis continue to alter the world order.

The European economy appears to be on shaky ground as its leaders struggle to come to terms with what we will one day view as having been an inevitable sovereign debt crisis, caused by structural shortcomings in the European Monetary Union and brought to a head by profligate spending on the part of its weakest members. While it seems likely that Germany and France with their banks heavily exposed to Greek sovereign debt will reluctantly guarantee Greece's bonds, the assault on the euro is underway and massive short bets are being placed worldwide. Traders won't be surprised to see the market turn on Spain next, further testing the resolve of the E.U.'s strongest members. The fate of the euro itself may hang in the balance.

Just as tectonic movements can dramatically alter the landscape (the Chilean quake had the effect of raising Santa Maria Island, off the coast of Concepcion, by six full feet, claiming new land from the sea), so too can shifts in economic mass affect the distribution of global power. The upheavals that have plagued the financial world in the last two years have lifted China to a new level of prominence as the world's largest exporter, one with a nearly insatiable appetite for commodities. The sleeping giant has moved into the next phase of the economic cycle far sooner than the rest of the world, and it is taking key resource suppliers like Australia along for the ride. Both governments have recently taken steps designed to prevent their economies from overheating and creating new asset bubbles.

This stands in stark contrast to the actions of governments across Southern Europe where debt concerns are forcing governments to curtail stimulus efforts, even in the face of deepening recessions. As Asia supplies the majority of world economic growth over the next decade or three, America's gaze will continue to shift westward. The world's economic axis is shifting and the new century will be dominated by the countries of the Pacific Rim and the Indian subcontinent.

Western efforts to slow the process are probably doomed to failure, victims of enormous demographic differences that benefit the nations of Asia, abetted by a technologically linked world in which capital and ideas flow across borders at lightning speed. Traders in the West have long become accustomed to coping with world markets that trade 24/7, and ordinary citizens are feeling the stress as well. As the pace of daily life accelerates for citizens across the planet, there is one more piece of bad news: The Chilean earthquake is believed to have increased the speed of Earth's rotation, shortening the day by 1.26 millionths of a second due to the “ice-skaters” effect of moving mass closer to the axis of a rotating body.

That may not sound like a lot of time, but it may provide some relief to those who find themselves groggily banging on the snooze button tomorrow, wondering how morning could have come so quickly. If you fall into that category, you can relax. For once, it's not a figment of your imagination: Your alarm clock actually did wake you earlier than it did last week. It's merely fundamental physics.

Bernie McSherry serves as senior vice president of strategic initiatives at Cuttone & Company where he is a member of the management committee.

Tensions Rise As Israel Announces New Homes... In ADDITION to the 1600 already announced.

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-16T22:13:00Z

SKY NEWS - Dominic Waghorn, Middle East correspondent

Israel is being accused of deepening the crisis with the US by announcing it is set to build 426 new settler homes - in addition to the 1,600 announced last week.

The plans, for two areas of East Jerusalem, come the day after Israel's ambassador to the US described relations between the two countries as at their lowest in 35 years.

Palestinians mounted violent protests in a "day of rage" in Jerusalem on Tuesday as Washington said US special envoy for Mideast peace, George Mitchell, had cancelled plans for talks this week with Israeli and Palestinian leaders

It is claimed that the Israel Land Authority and the Ministry of Construction have published new tenders for the construction of 309 residential units in Neve Yaacov and 117 new units in Har Homa.

Daniel Seideman, with NGO Ir Amim, told Sky News: "Somebody is sticking their finger in the eye of the President of the United States.

"At best this is benign neglect, and more likely malign neglect."

The announcement of 1,600 new settler homes in Ramat Shlomo, in East Jerusalem, during a US vice presidential visit last week infuriated America and the Palestinians.

Palestinians have suspended efforts to revive indirect peace talks, that Joe Biden had hoped to launch during his visit to Israel.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the announcement an insult and is thought to have asked Israel to make amends by announcing concessions.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by refusing to compromise on the issue of building in Jerusalem.

The latest announcement is in keeping with the spirit of those comments but like last week's announcement its timing is not going to help repair relations with the US.

Israel reopening of historic synagogue angers Palestinians

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-16T22:06:00Z

AFP

JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israel on Monday reopened a landmark synagogue in Jerusalem's walled Old City, saying it should symbolise religious tolerance, 62 years after the building was destroyed in fighting with Jordan.

In a video message because he was unable to attend personally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the synagogue brought a message of coexistence.

"We permit believers of other faiths to conserve their places of worship. We proudly protect our heritage, while at the same time allowing others freedom of religion," he said.

But the rededication came against a backdrop of heightened political and religious tensions in the holy city, with thousands of police deployed after clashes with Palestinian demonstrators.

Palestinian rivals the secular Fatah and Islamist Hamas were united in their condemnation of the move.

Exiled Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal slammed it as "a falsification of history," and warned it could cause the Middle East to "explode."

Hamas also declared Tuesday a "day of rage and alarm" and called on Arabs and Muslims to "come to the aid of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa."

"Israel is playing with fire and touching off the first spark to make the region explode," he said.

Hatem Abdel Qader, who oversees Jerusalem affairs for Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah, said: "This is not just a synagogue.

"This synagogue will be a prelude to violence, extremism and religious fanaticism, and that will not be limited to extremist Jews but includes members of the Israeli government."

The United States however, called Palestinian comments incitement.

"We are deeply disturbed by statements made by several Palestinian officials mischaracterising the event in question, which can only serve to heighten the tensions we see," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters.

"We call upon Palestinian officials to put an end to such incitement," he said, without singling out officials by name.

The ceremony was attended by parliament speaker Reuven Rivlin, ministers and the chief rabbis of Israel.

Yona Metzger, the Ashkenazi chief rabbi, placed at the entrance of the synagogue a mezuza -- the parchment scroll inscribed with a verse from the Torah and placed in a case which Jewish families hang on door frames.

Monday's ceremony came as Israel barred men under the age of 50 and non-Muslims from entering the Al-Aqsa mosque compound for a fourth day running after clashes between police and Palestinians in and around the site.

Meshaal, the leader of Hamas which rules the Gaza Strip, denounced the ceremony.

"We warn against this action by the Zionist enemy to rebuild and dedicate the Hurva synagogue. It signifies the destruction of the Al-Aqsa mosque and the building of the temple," he said in Syria.

Al-Aqsa and the rebuilt Hurva synagogue are around 700 metres (yards) apart in the Old City.

The Al-Aqsa compound is Islam's third holiest site after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia. It is also Judaism's holiest site because it was the location of the Second Temple, destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.

The synagogue was first built in 1694 and destroyed 21 years later by Ottoman authorities who held power at the time.

The site lay empty for many years and acquired the name "Hurva," Hebrew for ruin, before being rebuilt in 1864 and becoming a centre for the Jewish community in the Holy Land.

It was blown to pieces in 1948, after Jordan captured the Old City from the newly established state of Israel, during the battle for control of Jerusalem.

The synagogue's latest incarnation is the result of a 20-million-dollar (15-million-euro) government-funded restoration project.

The ceremony was held hot on the heels of a controversial Israeli decision to build 1,600 new Jewish settlements in predominantly Arab east Jerusalem, leading the Palestinians to rule out peace talks until the move is reversed.

DR. RAND PAUL Hits $2 Million Donation Mark For Senate Race!

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-16T00:32:00Z

BLUE GRASS BULLETIN

Property Value Assessor From Grayson's Home County Puts Paul Over The $2 Million Mark

At 8 pm this evening Cindy Rich, the Boone County Kentucky PVA made a $400 contribution to the Rand Paul campaign putting his fund raising total over the $2 million mark. Boone County is home to Secretary of State Trey Grayson.

Ron Paul & Jesse Ventura Talk About Weed

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-16T00:25:00Z

Netanyahu: Israel will keep building in Jerusalem

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-15T17:28:00Z

HAARETZ - Barak Ravid and Mazal Mualem

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said that Israel would continue to build in Jerusalem in the same way that it has over the last 42 years.

"The building in Jerusalem - and in all other places - will continue in the same way as has been customary over the last 42 years," said Netanyahu at a Likud party meeting.

Israel drew angry reactions from the U.S. and the Palestinians by announcing last week the construction of 1,600 new housing units in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo during a visit by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden last week.

Netanyahu did not specifically address the diplomatic crisis with the U.S.over Israel's announcement about the East Jerusalem construction.

However, when asked by MK Tzipi Hotovely what would happen in September, when the 10-month settlement freeze ends, Netanyahu responded that construction would continue unabated.

Under U.S. pressure, Netanyahu imposed a limited moratorium on new housing starts in West Bank settlements in November but excluded Jerusalem from the 10-month partial freeze.

Also on Monday, in a speech to the Knesset to welcome Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Netanyahu said the construction of homes for Israelis in the city's eastern sector in no way hurts Palestinians.

In his speech, Netanyahu gave no indication he would cancel the project or limit construction in East Jerusalem.

"For the past 40 years, no Israeli government ever limited construction in the neighborhoods of Jerusalem," he said in a speech to the Knesset, citing areas in the West Bank that Israel captured during the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed to the city.

Netanyahu called on the Palestinians, who have said they would not restart peace negotiations unless the project was scrapped, not to place new preconditions on the revival of the talks.

He added that there was nearly total consensus among Israeli political parties that what he called Jewish neighborhoods in and around Jerusalem would remain "part of the state of Israel" in any future peace agreement.

Palestinians say Israeli settlement in the West Bank will deny them a viable state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. They claim East Jerusalem to be the capital of a future state.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Ehud Barak earlier on Monday urged the government to work toward defusing the diplomatic crisis over Israeli construction in East Jerusalem and getting peace talks with the Palestinians back on track.

The government must make an effort in order "for this crisis to be forgotten and for the proximity talks, and later direct talks, to return to the right path," said Barak at a Labor party meeting.

Barak said he met with American officials about the necessary steps to move forward.

"Peace talks are a first priority for Israel and for the entire region," said Barak. "The political process is in the interest of the state and it is a subject in which the Labor party believes. It is one of the things that anchors us in the government and drives us to work within it."

Mr. E's Travel Vlog - Life is Hard in the "Pepsi-Cola" District Orphanage - Episode 4

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-14T20:42:00Z

MR.E

"This is the orphanage sponsored by VSN (Volunteer Society of Nepal). Archana works hard everyday to provide for these children. Unfortunately, they do not have electricity for between 14 and 16 hours a day.

I was only in Kathmandu for a short time period, but when I return I will update their situation and will try to setup a donation counter to help sponsor more children there...

Hope you like the video..."

US ponders denying Israel arms needed for conflict with Iran

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-13T23:44:00Z

Ehud Barak meets Robert Gates in D.C.

DEBKAfile

Prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu convened his inner cabinet Saturday night, March 12, to discuss the spiraling crisis with Washington and his first response.

DEBKAfile's military and Washington sources report: The Obama administration is considering withholding from Israel military items urgently needed in case of a flare-up of hostilities with Iran. This would further ratchet up the mounting row over Israel's decision to build another 1,600 homes in E. Jerusalem. The requests were filed by defense minister Ehud Barak as recently as Feb. 26, when he visited Washington and met defense secretary Robert Gates and secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

In an exceptionally harsh phone call to Netanyahu Friday, March, Clinton herself hinted at this possibility while administering a dressing-down on the East Jerusalem housing decision and its announcement during Vice president Joe Biden's visit.

Reporting on that phone call, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley disclosed: "The secretary said she could not understand how this happened, particularly in light of the United States' strong commitment to Israel's security."

Washington correspondents interpreted this as a threat to withhold items vital for Israel's security unless the prime minister reversed that decision (which Palestinians now demand as the precondition for resuming peace talks).

Our military sources report that the Barak arms list is tailored to a potential four-front offensive against Israel launched by Iran and its allies. It includes systems needed by the Israeli Air Force, certain types of missiles and advanced electronic equipment. During his last visit, the defense minster complained the list had been pending in Washington for more than three months and the sands for a possible conflict were running out fast. He stressed that it was essential for these items to reach Israel before a flare-up occurred. The urgency was such that he suggested that if they could not be supplied to Israel at short notice, they should at least be held ready meanwhile in the emergency stores of the US bases in Israel's Negev.

Gates promised Barak to study the list and let him have his answer in the coming days, but none has so far been received.

Some circles in the United States and many in Israel say the Obama administration is blowing the crisis up with deliberate intent. American-Jewish criticism was led Saturday night by the Anti-Defamation League's Abraham Foxman, who issued this statement: "We are shocked and stunned at the Administration’s tone and public dressing down of Israel on the issue of future building in Jerusalem

Defense sources in Washington reported Saturday the view that the Obama administration, which has never cultivated warm relations with the Netanyahu government, has seized on the Jerusalem housing spat as a device for restraining Israel from attacking Iran's nuclear sites, a step which the White House strenuously opposes.

Campaign stunt launches a corporate 'candidate' for Congress

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-13T23:31:00Z

WASHINGTON POST - JOHN WAGNER

Murray Hill might be the perfect candidate for this political moment: young, bold, media-savvy, a Washington outsider eager to reshape the way things are done in the nation's capital. And if these are cynical times, well, then, it's safe to say Murray Hill is by far the most cynical.

That's because this little upstart is, in fact, a start-up. Murray Hill is actually Murray Hill Inc., a small, five-year-old Silver Spring public relations company that is seeking office to prove a point (and perhaps get a little attention).

After the Supreme Court declared that corporations have the same rights as individuals when it comes to funding political campaigns, the self-described progressive firm took what it considers the next logical step: declaring for office.

"Until now, corporate interests had to rely on campaign contributions and influence-peddling to achieve their goals in Washington," the candidate, who was unavailable for an interview, said in a statement. "But thanks to an enlightened Supreme Court, now we can eliminate the middle-man and run for office ourselves."

William Klein, a "hired gun" who has been enlisted as Murray Hill's campaign manager, said the firm appears to be the first "corporate person" to run for office and is promising a spirited campaign that "puts people second, or even third."

The corporate candidate already has its own Web site, a Facebook page with 2,600 fans and an online ad on YouTube that has drawn more than 172,000 hits.

The ad makes a particularly passionate case for why it's necessary to have more direct corporate representation in Congress.

In a soothing voice, a narrator bemoans that "as much as corporate interests gave to politicians, we could never be absolutely sure they would do our bidding." The ad includes images of gleaming office towers and disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and promises Murray Hill will bring "enlightened self-interest and corporate accounting" to Congress.

It concludes with a rousing call to action: "Vote for Murray Hill Incorporated for Congress -- for the best democracy money can buy."

The firm, whose clients include labor unions and environmentalists, is seeking to enter the Republican primary for the 8th District seat held by Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D).

The firm "wanted to run as a Republican because we feel the Republican Party is more receptive to our basic message that corporations are people, too," Klein said, adding that his client has no particular beef with Van Hollen.

Manifold mockery

Van Hollen welcomes the competition. "The majority on the Court has made a mockery of our campaign finance laws, and Murray Hill is just mocking the mockers," said Doug Thornell, a senior adviser to Van Hollen.

The court's ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission drew a torrent of criticism, including from President Obama, who said in his State of the Union address that it would "open the floodgates to special interests, including foreign corporations, to spend without limit in our elections."

An obstacle course

Murray Hill does face a couple of tiny problems in its effort to get elected to Congress.

For starters, candidates must officially register to vote as a Republican to run in a Republican primary in Maryland. Late this week, the Montgomery County Board of Elections wrote to Murray Hill, informing the firm that its voter registration application had been rejected.

It seems the corporation does not meet the "minimum requirements" for voter registration, which include being a U.S. citizen and at least 18, according to Kevin Karpinski, a lawyer for the county elections board.

Just another case of The Man sticking it to Corporate America.

Eric Hensal, the firm's president, questioned whether the age requirement should really be applicable. "It's not as if, when a corporation turns 21, it can buy beer," he said.

The firm is weighing legal action, but the ruling still leaves open another potential path to victory, said Klein, a longtime political and communications consultant whose clients have included presidential aspirant Paul Simon (D-Ill.) and Montgomery County Council member Duchy Trachtenberg (D-At Large).

In Maryland, independent candidates are not required to be registered voters. They can qualify for the fall ballot by collecting enough signatures from voters in their district -- about 4,500, in this case.

But the same pesky age issue is posed by the U.S. Constitution.

It requires candidates for Congress to be at least 25 -- a concern that is likely to be flagged at the point the corporation attempts to file for office, which it has yet to do, said Jared DeMarinis, director of the candidacy and campaign finance division of the Maryland State Board of Elections.

DeMarinis said the issue of whether Murray Hill is enough of a person to run for office sounds "like one of those great law school debate questions." But it's not one that he thinks will be answered in the firm's favor.

The firm has prepared to deal with other "antiquated" parts of election law through the use of a "designated human" capable of signing paperwork and showing up at debates, for example. By vote of its shareholders, Murray Hill selected Hensal, the company's president, for that.

Ideas rolling in

Whether or not a corporation ultimately replaces Van Hollen in Congress, Murray Hill's interest has sparked other speculation among the political chattering class in Maryland.

Why not have an accounting firm run for comptroller, the state's chief tax collector? Why not a law firm for attorney general? The winning firm could arrive in office with a full cadre of associates and save taxpayers money.

It remains to be seen whether the attention generated by Murray Hill's bid will be good for its bottom line.

"This really wasn't part of a marketing plan for ourselves," Hensal said. "It's an opportunity to see this court opinion play out to its logical conclusion."

In the meantime, Murray Hill is looking to franchise -- and found its first taker: Computer Umbrella of Sterling. The company is planning to run in Virginia's 10th Congressional District.

A Murray Hill tool kit available for other corporate aspirants includes a model news release, talking points and templates for other campaign materials.

"If your campaign conforms to Murray Hill Inc.'s exacting standards," the company says, "your materials may use our logo and official graphics, which tell the world you are an affiliate of the leader in corporate civil rights."

Stephen A. Horvath, a prominent Montgomery banker, said he thinks he is probably better represented in Congress by a live human than a corporation but added: "I guess with a corporation, should someone go on vacation, like many of our current members of Congress, you'd have fill-ins to take their place."

Mr. E's Travel Vlog - Kathmandu, Thamil's "Reggae Bar" with Fire-Dancing Girls - Episode 3

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-13T12:49:00Z

MR. E

"This was the rest of the night from Day 2. It was also the beginning of my three vows of sincerity. No more drinking/smoking, eating meat (unless it is made for me unknowingly), or having any type of sexual relations for at least one year and perhaps longer.

This is to demonstrate to my friends and family, as well as to myself, my sincerity in undertaking this volunteering trip around the world. I would like to prove to them that material substances and adverse temptations can be conquered through sheer will if the bearer deems so necessary.

Hope you all like the video... The next ones from now on will be a little bit more serious. Uploading my first "Orphanage" video now and it will be released in the next two days....

Peace!" - Mr. E

Southern Russia overwhelmed with purple snow

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-12T14:03:00Z

VIDEO & PICTURES: Lil wayne goes to jail

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-09T12:28:00Z

Joe Biden in Israel on peace tour as fear of war looms large

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-08T19:04:00Z

Once-in-a-century storm hits Melbourne

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-08T11:50:00Z

TIMES ONLINE UK

A once-in-a-century thunderstorm swept across the southern Australian state of Victoria on Saturday, raining hailstones the size of lemons which ripped a hole in a train station roof, caused flash flooding in the capital of Melbourne and left 100,000 homes without power.

The storm cell, which unleashed itself on the capital just before 3pm, dumped an inch of rain in less than an hour as wind gusts exceeding 100km/h lashed the city and the airport.

The Southern Cross train station was evacuated as the hailstones punched holes in its roof and a deluge splashed down on the train platforms. Horse-racing carnivals were abandoned, and buildings including the Docklands football stadium, a local hospital, the Victorian Arts Centre and 20 schools were damaged.

Thousands of people were left stranded and up to 100,00 homes were left without power during the wild storm. Fifteen families from Melbourne and the east of Victoria were today relocated because of flooding or building damage to their homes, while more than 500 volunteers have begun to repair damaged homes.

At Melbourne’s famous Flemington horseracing track, the rain poured down the stairs at the grandstand like a waterfall, according to witnesses.

“It was very dark and all of a sudden it was like a hurricane or a howling wind came through,” said Josh Bell, who was in the members' grandstand when the storm hit. “Marble-sized hailstones came down for about 10 minutes. The track was covered in hail. It was all white. It looked like it had snowed.”

Kevin Parkyn, an Australian Bureau of Meteorology forecaster, said that the storm brought hailstones 10cm in diameter — the size of lemons — in an event perhaps not seen since early last century.

“The weather system that brought the damage to Melbourne is known in meteorological terms as a supercell thunderstorm, an organised beast of a storm that once it gets going tends to last more than your average thunderstorm,” he said.

As the mop up from Saturday’s freak storm continued in the Victorian capital today, where the temperature was a mild 22C, locals were warned to brace themselves for more wild weather that was predicted to hit in the next 24 hours.

The weather bureau issued a severe thunderstorm warning and said that more wind gusts of up to 100km/h were expected to lash the state.

John Brumby, the Victorian Premier, warned people to be careful outdoors, particularity in bushfire areas where trees had become weak and unstable.

“There have been no reported fatalities or serious injuries. For that we are grateful,” he said.

“People really should take great care as we move through this afternoon, tonight and into tomorrow and make sure we put this focus on protecting life and protecting public safety because all the advice is that it will be a pretty difficult period.”

Meanwhile in the northeastern state of Queensland, rural communities that were inundated by floodwaters last week were bracing for more floods as their rivers rose. Queensland declared a state of emergency and made emergency funds available for the communities.

The Balonne River in St. George was expected to peak over the weekend at 44ft (13.5m) — its highest level since records began in 1890 — as some locals stayed at a makeshift evacuation centre at the highest point in town.

Sheppard Air Force Base Reopened After LOCK DOWN

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-08T11:39:00Z

NEWSCHANNEL 6

Newschannel 6 has confirmed that police apprehended a man carrying a shotgun on Sheppard Air Force Base. The call came out just after 9PM last night. It happened outside a dormitory.

There were no shots fired or hostages taken, he said. All airmen have been accounted for.

Sheppard continued to operate under lock down until just after midnight. Newschannel 6 will continue to follow this developing story, and have live reports throughout the morning.

Newschannel 6 Early Morning starts at 5:30AM.

China ready to say goodbye to dollar

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-08T11:13:00Z

PRESS TV

The head of China's Central Bank has declared that the country is ready to end pegging its currency in dollars, but said that any changes would be gradual.

Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the People's Bank of China, described the decision as a "temporary" response to the global financial crisis, but gave no timescale for any change in policy.

"If we are to exit from irregular policies and return to ordinary economic policies, we must be extremely prudent about our choice of timing," Zhou said. "This also includes the [yuan] exchange rate policy."

His comments come as the US administration accuses China of artificially keeping the value of the country's yuan low.

"China and its currency policies are impeding the rebalancing [of the global economy] that's necessary," President Obama had told Bloomberg last month.

"My goal over the course of the next year is for China to recognize that it is also in their interest to allow their currency to appreciate because, frankly, they have got a potentially overheating economy," Obama said.

MGH/MMA

6.0 MAGNITUDE Earthquake hits eastern Turkey

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-08T05:37:00Z

AFP

ANKARA (AFP) – A strong earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale shook eastern Turkey early Monday, media reports and officials said.

The quake struck at 04:32 am (0232 GMT) with an epicentre near the Karakocan town in Elazig province, the Istanbul-based Kandilli observatory said on its web site.

The Anatolia news agency quoted the governor of Elazig, Muammer Erol, as saying that they had so far received reports of a house damaged in a village.

Deadly earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which is crossed by several active fault-lines. Two powerful tremors in the heavily populated northwest claimed about 20,000 lives in August andNovember 1999.

Alex Jones exposes attempt to demonize 9/11 Truth on Geraldo following Pentagon incident

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-08T05:29:00Z

CNN: Conspiracy Theorists Are Potential "Suicide Warriors" & Are Mentally Disturbed

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-07T21:44:00Z

...

CANCER 'CODE' IS CRACKED

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-07T17:04:00Z

Researchers believe they have succeeded in halting the spread of advanced cancer

EXPRESS UK - Lucy Johnston

SCIENTISTS believe they have made a major breakthrough in cancer treatment after cracking the “code” behind the disease.

They have discovered the body’s immune system can kill cancer cells within a window occurring every 12 to 14 days.

By giving low-dose treatment at exactly the right time, researchers believe they have, against the odds, succeeded in halting the spread of advanced cancer.

Professor Michael Quinn has led the trial in patients with advanced ovarian cancer and suggests it could signal the most exciting development since the introduction of chemotherapy in the Fifties.

While he points out that it is still a theory, he said: “This is astonishing and could infl uence the treatment of all solid tumours in the future. We hope it will revolutionise the treatment of cancer.” Professor Quinn and his team reviewed 63 papers involving more than 1,200 patients since 2000.

They discovered that sufferers had about a 1-in-12 chance of responding to chemotherapy. During further studies they found the body has a fortnightly immune cycle during which it “switches on and off”.

When the immune system turns off, it releases “inhibitory cells” which prevent it fighting disease, including cancer.

Professor Quinn and his team in Melbourne, Australia, target chemotherapy when the immune system is not working to knock out “inhibitory cells”, dramatically improving patients’ chances of recovery.

The treatment is in pill form and patients avoid almost all the debilitating chemotherapy side effects.

Professor Quinn, originally from Glasgow, said: “Everyone, including non-cancer patients, has an immune cycle which fluctuates every 12 to 14 days.

“That’s why if someone in the family comes in with a cough or cold, only some members of the family will develop it. The immune system also attacks cancer cells, which is why we need to give chemotherapy on the right day."

“The concept is sensational. If you can treat people at the right time it could dramatically improve their chance of a successful outcome. The research is still in its early stages, however if we are proved right this method of treatment could be applied to all cancers and in fact all diseases.”

Since last year Professor Quinn and his team at Royal Women’s Hospital and Monash University, Melbourne, have given the therapy to seven women. Their advanced, recurrent ovarian cancer is almost impossible to treat successfully. Several responded positively and their tumours have stopped growing. Professor Quinn added: “These are very, very promising results.”

One patient, Melissa Campbell, went to her doctor four years ago with back pain and a bloated stomach, and was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer.

The disease recurred twice, and she has endured surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, as well as severe side effects from another experimental drug.

The 44-year-old said the new treatment had been a totally different experience: “It’s keeping it under control, and fingers crossed it will get rid of it down the track. It’s so much easier compared with the other times.”

The treatment is a pill taken for a few days every fortnight rather than the patient being attached to a drip in hospital. Blood tests are also carried out every two days to assess the immune system.

Preliminary work is now underway to use the same methods to treat patients with skin cancer. Professor Peter Johnson, Cancer Research UK’s chief clinician, welcomed the news: “We know the immune system may be influential in treating many cancers.

“Any research that helps our understanding may hold promise for the future.”

Pakistani lawmakers refuse body scan, cut short US visit

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-07T16:58:00Z

YAHOO NEWS India

Islamabad, March 7 (DPA) A delegation of Pakistani lawmakers refused to subject themselves to a controversial full-body X-ray scan at a Washington airport, a media report said Sunday.

The six-member group of the parliament members from Pakistan's restive tribal region cut short their official US visit immediately to return home, the Pakistani Express News channel said.

It was the first official delegation that refused to go through the body scanners since they were installed at 19 US airports last month.

Abbas Afridi, the head of Pakistani delegation, said the US State Department had invited them to Washington to discuss security and development projects in the tribal region, with a promise that they would not be subjected to body scanning.

'We were not scanned when we arrived on March 28 in Washington from Pakistan, but on Saturday when we wanted to travel to another city the authorities told us that we would be scanned,' Afridi told Express News.

'We refused the scanning and now we are returning home,' he said.

The airport X-ray machines show the naked image of a passenger, allowing the staff to see any hidden weapons and explosives. But they have drawn criticism for showing outlines of passengers' genitals.

Some Muslim scholars have issued decrees to prohibit Muslims going through the scanners because they violate religious rules on nudity.

Earlier this month, two Pakistani women refused to pass through the security screen at Manchester airport in Britain and opted to miss their flight for Pakistan, to become the first passengers to refuse the scan.

Mr. E's Travel Vlog - Hindu Priest Child-Naming Ceremony - Episode 2

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-07T01:49:00Z

MR. E

"This is a typical Hindu priest child-naming ceremony. I had never seen it before and thought that many people internationally were unaware of it as well... So I hope you learn a little bit and enjoy the video. This was also the last day that I could drink because of my 3 vows of sincerity." - Mr. E

Mr. E's Travel Vlog - Wild Wild East in Kathmandu - Episode 1

PIMPIN TURTLE — 2010-03-06T09:19:00Z

MR. E

"This is my first video from day one in Kathmandu, Nepal..." - Mr.E

PART 1

PART 2