I'm Feeling Sick All The Time - Here's Why

Photo link

Zoonotic is defined as a disease which can be passed from animal to human. All humans at any given time have a variety of these pathogens and defenses against them(antigens) with-in our stomachs, as a part of our immune system; both can cause deteriorating health and death.

Over time the whole of human civilization individually build defences to these pathogens; but at a price, sometimes taking the form of a mass death epidemic.

The rate of increase in the incidence and variety of zoonotic pathogens in our food supply at the present time is alarming the experts.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concludes with respect to the new abundance of these zoonotic pathogens, "...public health concerns must now include the safety of what food animals themselves eat and drink." This suggests a return to an old standard of how we husband livestock.

The standard inspection regime right now is, if the animal appeares healthy at the slaughter house door - if it can stand steady, has a normal temperature, is not showing outward signs of ill health - it is considered fit to eat by humans. But with the help of antivirals, antibiotics, and Antimicrobials, Livestock are adapting to pathogens in unsanitary conditions; so they look healthy while the diseases they harbour are deadly.

So the old way of ensuring public health, including these casual 'check-up' style inspections and line inspections to ensure no fecal matter comes in contact with slaughtered meat - is now insufficient. Even Kosur or Halal type slaughter regimes will not protect us from these new emerging pathogens that are developing in the barnyard.

Livestock are adapting to new pathogens at a rate faster than humans are adapting to new pathogens in their diet. This is due the inhuman conditions in which we raise livestock, in cattle barns and feed lots; to global food distribution, which introduces new pathogens to new populations of animals and humans; and to underfunded health networks, which undermine our ability to cope with crisis.

As we've seen this summer and fall, the effluent running off these production sites into our waterways are funneling new pathogens into produce growers water supplies and then into the produce food chain as well.

Animal husbandry is a term you don't hear alot today - it's a term from the era of the family farm. Farmers who run large scale family farms unexpectedly prefer the phrase 'livestock production' to descibe what they do. For corporate farms managed by boards of directors and run by waged workers the term 'livestock production line' is entirely appropriate and where the term originates. For both kinds of production entities the new phrase is integral to a mindset that produces profit. The scale of new farming demands a new mindset. Yet the choice of the term 'animal husbandry' says volumes about the way we treat our livestock.

The continuing industrialization of our food production and the global distribution model is a critical new health threat. The mass production model must include animal Care. The result of ignoring so called 'animal rights' could be an epidemic spread through the global food supply chain.

If we permit the animals we eat to live their lives in feed lots, regularly up to their bellies in their own excrement, we get what we get; we reap what we sow. Poultry for example get no exercise, living the vast majority of their lives in cages - only big enough for the full grown bird. In the case of pigs they also live their lives immobile, inhaling high levels of ammonia that eminate from their stool.

As a result of this unhealthy environment the animals we eat are adapting to pathogens faster than we, in our healthy evirons are. Add to this the fact that the global trade in livestock is also a global trade in pathogens, and one can say without qualification: this state of affairs will eventually lead to a mass death epidemic.

What we're seeing in industrial food production amounts to abuse. So the moral imperative groups like PETA are acting upon in the spiritual dimention can now be seen in a larger sence; choosing not to eat meat is not essencially a moral choice, but a health safety issue.

This clairity demands an expansion of the moral imperative; not eating meat is now a Hedonistic Reaction - choosing not to eat meat that is produced in this industrial manner is a Moral Imperative.

These new findings by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others are the canary in the coal mine - a warning; our food production/distribution model must change.



LINKS TO THIS POST


THE RAMS HORN - a monthly journal of food systems analysis.

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal


CANADIAN FOOD INSPECTION AGENCY - Food Recalls and Allergy Alerts

THE LANCET.COM - "Europe set to tackle zoonotic infections"

MED-VET-NET - a vitual journal working for the prevention and control of zoonoses...

How Did We Get Here? An Analysis

Canadian soldier at Kandahar


That is not my oil, that is not my beautiful car.

Originally publisihed September 4, 2006

Canadian soldiers are now involved in a NATO counter insurgency in Afghanistan. This summer, for the first time since Korea we saw Canadian soildiers in a fire-fight. How did we get here?

Well, 9/11 happened - Al-Qaeda was blamed. The government of Afghanistan, the Taliban, aided and abetted them. On October 7 the area bombing of Taliban strong-holds began. The Americans supported one of several groups fighting in parts of Afghanistan. The Northern Alliance and others formed a provisional government on April 18, 2002; officially ousting the Taliban; and institutionalizing US primacy in Central Asia.

Canadian troops were sent by the Liberal government of Jean Chretien in 2002; to fill a power vacuum created by US bombing, and to rebuild the country after 10 years of Soviet occupation and 10 more years of civil war.

Four years later the Taliban have regrouped. What we are doing there now, in no way resembles peace keeping or reconstruction. Canadian soldiers are involved in a NATO counter insurgency. Its time to take stock.

How did we get here, why are we trying to kill them? Oh yes.., 'the Taliban aided and abetted Al-Qaeda'.

The Taliban are no friends to democracy, rule of law, the enlightenment, or equal rights. They desire a theocracy like the Dark Ages(400 - 1600AD) - when Rome projected terror across Europe to maintain its' primacy - not anything like the German Fascism of the 1930's and '40's the Whitehouse keeps pumping. Neither are they friends of an oil pipeline on the northern border. A pipeline that would send regional resources west, to the USA; or the 'Great Satan', in their vernacular.

I personaly wouldn't support a government like that; but that doesn't mean I would go to war with them either.

The Taliban stopped the opium crop when they were in power, something we cannot seem to do. The Taliban have never invaded a foreign land; they are not even a regional power. At this time, a multi-polar global power negotiation is in progress; Taliban rule, while hard to stomach could be a stabilizing force right now. The alternative, an unwinnable urban war could become much worse.

Tolerating the de-facto situation in Afghanistan is not defeat, its clear thinking. Canada, as a member NORAD and a transmogrified NATO should push for another way.

We could have cut a deal with the Taliban in 2001; we may need to now. Before more blood is spilt, NATO's political leaders should talk with the Taliban who controlled 90% of the country pre-9/11.

A US 'No Fly Zone' would project Imperial tranquility with-in a schematic borrowed from British imperial history; a step 'back to the future', towards the G-8 model of the balance of powers pre 9/11. To facillitae this the Americans have to recognise Russian control of her oil industry; just as congress blocked China from buying UNICOL the largest energy company in the world(US), the Russians are protecting their national interest, albeit with slight of hand and 'lawyering'.

A 'No Fly Zone' would facilitate an intelligence net and the ability for the US to project influence on the Taliban government; and to maintain their primacy with-out Al Qaeda or other forces. It would continue to fortify and stabilize the Northern Alliance, and with Russian help, ensure passivity along the northern border; bringing relative stability to the entire region.

We need to deal. The question is, do the Taliban still want to make a deal, now that they have us perplexed militarily? The road out will hurt more than the road in; but less than an unending counter-insurgency amongst an increasingly desperate civilian population.

We have to make a deal. With in a model that recognizes American primacy we can propose: give the Taliban power with-in a new US hegemony that recognizes the strategic importance of the northern frontier and the impropriety of tolerating Al Qaeda's presence. This would serve all the demands of Bush's' 'war on terrorism' and the underlying strategic objective: an stable oil pipeline corridor to Turkey.

One problem with this plan is that the Northern Alliance and the Taliban were at war pre 9/11. The Taliban may have been involved in the assassination of the Alliances top field commander, Ahmed Shah Masood. But the reality of the situation is that they would have no choice but to accept the power. Undoubtedly they would display a genuine front while perusing other agenda. This is standard when empires try to project their will.

All this speaks to the complex inter-dependencies present, in the largest geo-political sense. Canada with its vast oil and gas reserves, has very little interest in any of these machinations, aside from one.

We need another assembly line at the Oakville Car Plant. In jest of coarse, but it represents a critical part of our Strategic National Interest. The basis of the post war affluence in Canada was the Auto-Pact. Canada traded leading Jet technology and expertise to the Americans for a share in the American automobile market and other things. This guaranteed Canada's post war affluence; and Americas primacy in air power and space power.

If we continued the "head in the sand", Jean Chretien strategy of doing as little as possible while continually telling the Americans they're too loud, the USA might restrict trade with-in a post 9/11 xenophobic reaction.

American protectionism is not on the political front burner right now in Washington, instead it's been over shadowed by a ugly drift towards persecution of non-citizens, witnessed by the massive Latino demonstrations around the still stalled immigration bill. Illuminating just how important citizenship has become to protecting ones self from both real and perceived new anti-terrorism powers of the state.

60% of Americans polled think their army should be out of the Iraq debacle. They can hardly be vitriolic now if we suggest a different coarse. In fact we might be their best friends again by 2008. We should lead and innovate now, be the honest broker.

This congressional election year, the Whitehouse is easing up on the rhetoric and is trying to look more conciliatory. Surrounded by litigation and corruption scandals all around, and a quagmire in Iraq, the administration might be willing to talk.

Lets make a deal!

c

How Did We Get Here? An Analysis

Originally published September 4, 2006 in michaelhollowaysblog.


Canadian soldier at Kandahar


"That is not my house, That is not my beautiful car."


Canadian soldiers are now involved in a NATO counter insurgency in Afghanistan. This summer, for the first time since Korea we saw Canadian soldiers in a fire-fight.

How did we get here?

Short Form: 9/11 happened - Al-Qaeda was blamed. The government of Afghanistan, the Taliban, aided and abetted them. On October 7 the area bombing of Taliban strong-holds began. The Americans supported one of several groups fighting in parts of Afghanistan. The Northern Alliance and others formed a provisional government on April 18, 2002; officially ousting the Taliban; and institutionalizing US primacy in Central Asia.

Canadian troops were sent by the Liberal government of Jean Chretien in 2002; to fill a power vacuum created by US bombing, and to rebuild the country after 10 years of Soviet occupation and 10 more years of civil war.

Four years later the Taliban have regrouped. What we are doing there now, in no way resembles peace keeping or reconstruction. Canadian soldiers are involved in a NATO counter insurgency. Its time to take stock.

How did we get here, why are we trying to kill them? Oh yes.., 'the Taliban aided and abetted Al-Qaeda'.

The Taliban are no friends to democracy, rule of law, the enlightenment, or equal rights. They desire a theocracy like the Dark Ages(400 - 1600AD) - when Rome projected terror across Europe to maintain its' primacy - not anything like the German Fascism of the 1930's and '40's the White House keeps pumping. Neither are they friends of an oil pipeline on the northern border. A pipeline that would send regional resources west, to the USA; or the 'Great Satan', in their vernacular.

I personally wouldn't support a government like that; but that doesn't mean I would go to war with them either.

The Taliban stopped the opium crop when they were in power, something we cannot seem to do. The Taliban have never invaded a foreign land; they are not even a regional power. At this time, a multi-polar global power negotiation is in progress; Taliban rule, while hard to stomach could be a stabilizing force right now. The alternative, an un-winnable urban war that could become much worse.

Tolerating the DE-facto situation in Afghanistan is not defeat, its clear thinking. Canada, as a member NORAD and a transmogrified NATO should push for another way.

We could have cut a deal with the Taliban in 2001; we may need to now. Before more blood is spilt, NATO's political leaders should talk with the Taliban who controlled 90% of the country pre-9/11.

A US 'No Fly Zone' would project Imperial tranquility with-in a schematic borrowed from British imperial history; a step 'back to the future', towards the G-8 model of the balance of powers pre-9/11. To facilitate this the Americans have to recognise Russian control of her oil industry; just as congress blocked China from buying UNICOL the largest energy company in the world (US), the Russians are protecting their national interest, albeit with slight of hand and evil 'lawyering'.

A 'No Fly Zone' would facilitate an intelligence net and the ability for the US to project influence on the Taliban government; and to maintain their primacy with-out Al Qaeda or other forces. It would continue to fortify and stabilize the Northern Alliance, and with Russian help, ensure passivity along the northern border; bringing relative stability to the entire region.

We need to deal. The question is, do the Taliban still want to make a deal, now that they have us perplexed militarily? The road out will hurt more than the road in; but less than an unending counter-insurgency amongst an increasingly desperate civilian population.

We have to make a deal. With in a model that recognizes American primacy we can propose: give the Taliban power with-in a new US hegemony that recognizes the strategic importance of the northern frontier and the impropriety of tolerating Al Qaeda's presence. This would serve all the demands of Bush's' 'war on terrorism' and the underlying strategic objective: an stable oil pipe-line corridor to Turkey.

One problem with this plan is that the Northern Alliance and the Taliban were at war pre-9/11. The Taliban may have been involved in the assassination of the Alliances top field commander, Ahmed Shah Masood. But the reality of the situation is that they would have no choice but to accept the power. Undoubtedly they would display a genuine front while perusing other agenda. This is standard when empires try to project their will.

All this speaks to the complex inter-dependencies present, in the largest Geo-political sense. Canada with its vast oil and gas reserves, has very little interest in any of these machinations, aside from one. We need another assembly line at the Oakville Car Plant.

In jest... But it represents a critical part of our Strategic National Interest. The basis of the post war affluence in Canada was the Auto-Pact. Canada traded leading Jet technology and expertise to the Americans for a share in the American automobile market, and other things. This guaranteed Canada's post war affluence; and Americas primacy in air power and later, in space power.

If we had continued the Jean Chretien, "head in the sand" strategy, doing as little as possible while continually telling the Americans they're too loud, the USA might have restricted trade -- in a post 9/11 xenophobic reaction.

American protectionism is not on the political front burner right now in Washington, instead it's been over shadowed by a ugly drift towards persecution of non-citizens, witnessed by the massive Latino demonstrations around the still stalled immigration bill. Illuminating just how important citizenship has become to protecting ones self from both real and perceived new anti-terrorism powers of the state.



60% of Americans polled think their army should be out of the Iraq debacle. They can hardly be vitriolic now if we suggest a different coarse. In fact we might be their best friends again by 2008. We should lead and innovate now, be the honest broker.

This congressional election year, the Whitehouse is easing up on the rhetoric and is trying to look more conciliatory. Surrounded by litigation and corruption scandals all around, and a quagmire in Iraq, the administration might be willing to talk.

Lets make a deal!





mh

The Tension of Life; and the Death of Ease.

Living is not easy, it's not supposed to be; but I discovered the death of ease, is excruciating.


Recently I have begun to manipulate the code that makes my blog look the way it does. In one year I've gone from writing on paper with my favourite style pen - an IT sceptic waiting for the producers to stop talking to each other in code and come up with some friendly software - untill now, I've become a Web Geek.

The search engine, tab browsing and push button publishing have changed everthing; the web is now officially (in my opinion) friendly.

Now the work starts; I'm 30 years behind; the last time I wrote software was is 1976, the first year my highschool had a computer science coarse to GOTO.

The tension is on, the ease of ignorance and critical opining about the revolution is for the critics.

Now to create that widget that 'windows' my favourite dictionary in my writing page... .



Image: Edgar Degas from wikipedia

A Noosphere-sythesizer: The first Human/Cyber Machine - the Beginnings of Web 3.0

The search engine is like what the steam engine was to the industrial revolution.

In the early years of the industrial revolution (1700's) the waterwheel and then the steam engine powered machinery that was beginning to replace manual labour. This change lead eventualy to Fords' production line, mass production and economies of scale.

A buisiness model like Fords' production line, in the context of the Information Technology Revolution(ITR), hasn't been invented yet; or has it?

The production line was the central innovation that changed the industrial revolution from a slowly developing reniasance of knowledge to an extrapolating technological juggernaut.

The production line began a doubling of human knowledge, the rate of which is quickening exponentially - this means that at one point, knowledge will double before it doubles again; a singularity, a sea-change in human history, Web 3.0 . Here's how Ray Kurzweil one of the leading edge thinkers in this area puts it: "...we won't experience 100 years of progress in the 21st century -- it will be more like 20,000 years of progress...". His estimate may well be under the mark...

An information sythesizer, a commons, a machine that intigrates humans and computers - has been developed - that can be seen as the first machine in a future ITR production line.

"A Noosphere-sythesizer" (to borrow Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadskys' notion of Gaia; noos Gk.-mind- through the Fr. nous us, we; plus sphere or globe), this IT Machine consists of large communities harnessing the collective intelligence of the whole to produce Intelligent-solutions to complex problems. A Self organizing information sharing Tool; a combination of 'wikis' and the 'blogs'; create individual human cognition quickly from vast data-sets one human could not organise in a life-time.

A synthesis of many brains working collectivly on the internet with an array of search tools in a commons, creates this Noosphere-sythesizer. Knowledge is offered, edited, tested, and peer reviewed - in other words the data-set is rationalized, based on the understanding or the collective vision of the group. A solution derived through this virtual think-tank is immediatly recognized by the collective as true, or requiring a tweek here and there - in other words it's self regulating.

With study and in the very near future (2008) the proper inputs of info, or raw materials will be defined that produce desired out-puts - in essence a human/cyber machine!

Huston, Neuromancer has landed!




N.B. I think I've coined "Noosphere-sythesizer" (let me know if I'm wrong), also I like Us-sphere or We-sphere or Cybersphere-sythesizer too (better names out there? Comments is always on).



.

Fake Cheney quote:

A friend of mine was watching one of those Sunday Week in Politics shows and Vice President Dick Cheney was on talking about energy self-sufficiency, and Cheney says, and I can't believe this; a solution to the foriegn oil problem

"...is shredding all the books and making them into ethanol."

Food Recalls, Mario Saroli Sales Inc. and the CFIA.

On Decmber 1, 2006 The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced a food recall that may involve botulism, distibuted by a little known food Wholesaler in Ontario. Which food Retailers are involved is not being disseminated and thus consumers don't have enough information to protect themselves against this deadly toxin.

Transparancy in food quality situations should be the guiding philosophy of companies and the CFIA. Instead big retailers and government seem to be afraid of the consumer. By approaching this situation with a Need-To-Know Mind Set, the Government of Canada and corperations are complicating a deadly situation for consumers.

To be clear, SAROLI BRAND GREEN BELLA DI CERIGNOLA OLIVES, sold in 1 litre containers bearing UPC 7 79390 00404 1 and the lot code 075/6, imported to Canada by Mario Saroli Sales Inc. are being removed from the market, "because the product may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum (that)... may cause botulism, a life-threatening illness." says The Canadian Food Inspection Agency(CFIA) which is over seeing the voluntary recall. No updates have to this time, been released as to the effectiveness of the recall.

Botulism is amoung the most deadly of food toxins, most dangerous because it is colourless and odourless and thus impossible for consumers to detect.

What retail companies recieved these foods from Mario Saroli Sales Inc.? Why don't consumers know?

Granted it's probably not Mario Sarolis' fault that the olives may contain the precursors of botulism; and understood by consumers that Mario Saroli Sales Inc. dosn't want to injure the reputations of their retail clients, but fault and reputation pale in relation to the deadly nature of the contaminent in question.

The situation demands more transparancy from corperations and government.

The consumer is left with the burden of checking each package of olives at every retailer they may shop at. We're left relying on the store manager at our neighbourhood stores who may be stressed-out this week because of all the recalls, or the increased volume of shoppers at this time of year; what if a low wage stock person misses aome packages?

If Loblaws was listed as one of the companies involved in the recall, and I shop at my local 'Loblaws Market Store', I'd pobably print out the info noted above on my way to my 'Loblaws Market Store' next Friday. As it is I don't know where I should be looking, Sobeys, Dominion, Value Mart, at the small delicatessen I like to go to for that extra special Christmas thing? Or at the corner grocer I occasionaly visit on my way home? Because it's so difficult I'll probably decide not to buy olives this month; thus further injuring the industry at a time when it can least absorb the shock.

Transparancy is the best policy. Are big retailers afraid of the consumer? By being opaque, approaching this Deadly situation with a need-to-know mind set, the Government of Canada and corperations are just complicating the situation for consumers.

Companies like Mario Saroli Sales Inc. who have very little presence in the market place or on the web, (just a brief public listing in www.profilecanada.com.), should ask the CFIA to publish a supply chain 'tree' diagram showing exactly what went where when - in the CFIAs' press release.

Creating Transparancy through Real Time tracking should be our long term goal; rather than worrying that retailers brand names may suffer if pertinent information is made available to consumers.

The up side for retailers and governments alike, is a sence of trust that will develop among shoppers as we all work together to protect our food security through information sharing.

You can recieve e-mail press releases from the CFIA at this LINK

Telephone CFIA at 1-800-442-2342, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time Ottawa, Canada, Monday to Friday.

Food Recalls, Mario Saroli Sales Inc. and the CFIA.

On Decmber 1, 2006 The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced a food recall that may involve botulism, distibuted by a little known food Wholesaler in Ontario. Which food Retailers are involved is not being disseminated and thus consumers don't have enough information to protect themselves against this deadly toxin.

Transparancy in food quality situations should be the guiding philosophy of companies and the CFIA. Instead big retailers and government seem to be afraid of the consumer. By approaching this situation with a Need-To-Know Mind Set, the Government of Canada and corperations are complicating a deadly situation for consumers.

To be clear, SAROLI BRAND GREEN BELLA DI CERIGNOLA OLIVES, sold in 1 litre containers bearing UPC 7 79390 00404 1 and the lot code 075/6, imported to Canada by Mario Saroli Sales Inc. are being removed from the market, "because the product may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum (that)... may cause botulism, a life-threatening illness." says The Canadian Food Inspection Agency(CFIA) which is over seeing the voluntary recall. No updates have to this time, been released as to the effectiveness of the recall.

Botulism is amoung the most deadly of food toxins, most dangerous because it is colourless and odourless and thus impossible for consumers to detect.

What retail companies recieved these foods from Mario Saroli Sales Inc.? Why don't consumers know?

Granted it's probably not Mario Sarolis' fault that the olives may contain the precursors of botulism; and understood by consumers that Mario Saroli Sales Inc. dosn't want to injure the reputations of their retail clients, but fault and reputation pale in relation to the deadly nature of the contaminent in question.

The situation demands more transparancy from corperations and government.

The consumer is left with the burden of checking each package of olives at every retailer they may shop at. We're left relying on the store manager at our neighbourhood stores who may be stressed-out this week because of all the recalls, or the increased volume of shoppers at this time of year; what if a low wage stock person misses aome packages?

If Loblaws was listed as one of the companies involved in the recall, and I shop at my local 'Loblaws Market Store', I'd pobably print out the info noted above on my way to my 'Loblaws Market Store' next Friday. As it is I don't know where I should be looking, Sobeys, Dominion, Value Mart, at the small delicatessen I like to go to for that extra special Christmas thing? Or at the corner grocer I occasionaly visit on my way home? Because it's so difficult I'll probably decide not to buy olives this month; thus further injuring the industry at a time when it can least absorb the shock.

Transparancy is the best policy. Are big retailers afraid of the consumer? By being opaque, approaching this Deadly situation with a need-to-know mind set, the Government of Canada and corperations are just complicating the situation for consumers.

Companies like Mario Saroli Sales Inc. who have very little presence in the market place or on the web, (just a brief public listing in www.profilecanada.com.), should ask the CFIA to publish a supply chain 'tree' diagram showing exactly what went where when - in the CFIAs' press release.

Creating Transparancy through Real Time tracking should be our long term goal; rather than worrying that retailers brand names may suffer if pertinent information is made available to consumers.

The up side for retailers and governments alike, is a sence of trust that will develop among shoppers as we all work together to protect our food security through information sharing.

You can recieve e-mail press releases from the CFIA at this LINK

Telephone CFIA at 1-800-442-2342, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time Ottawa, Canada, Monday to Friday.

Daily Garth

As you know, earlier this year the Conservative Party Leadership booted MP Garth Turner from cabinet, then banded him from standing for nomination in his local Halton Conservative Party, kicking him out of the party - without kicking him out of the party. They've never said anything about why, but the corperate media has surmised the Prime Ministers Office didn't like the independant ideas he was writing in his blog.

In an effort to create 'transparency, openness and accountability' in the Parliment of Canada, the now Independant MP Garth Turner held a press conference at the Ottawa press club on Tuesday November 14th.

In that press conference he TRIED to launch a new Web site, but he gave the domain name of an Evangelical web site by accident (because he's 'old' and he doesn't understand the KEY importance of that single line "Go To...").

I think what he's up to is a New Canadian Virtual Political Movement, a Canadian Daily Kos, called 'Promiseskept.ca'.

Daily Kos is a Web movement that almost got Howard Dean nominated as the Democratic Presidential Candidate in 2004 and in the two years since the sites influence is political book in the U.S.. Since the revolution in congress on November 7th that turfed the Republicans from the House and the Senate, political organizers know they ignore the new model only at great risk to their political careers.

If I'm right a site like Promiseskept.ca could develop something like this:

A web site would act as a chat room on national political issues; a critical mass of e-mailers and bloggers would then create public pressure on individual MP's thus making the Party Whips job of browbeating members into voting Always with the Party difficult, hopefully impossible. This could easily lead to defections from the Parties and create a critical mass of independant MPs who could dominate the political agenda with-in this minority government, in the short term, as in NOW!

The next step in the years ahead would be to support candidates with campaign workers organization and money all pulled togeather Online, to Win Ridings in the next election. Quickly the Old Parties would begin to adapt to the new reality (hopefully), democratizing themselves from the inside in order to save their political lives. If this didn't happen, a new Political party would coalesce out of the ferment.

Garth writes in his announcement today:

" ... my Conservative party believes in free speech, diversity of opinion, co-operation, equality of all people, progressive social values, true environmental protection and stands firm against intolerance, bigotry exclusion. "

This new beginning could be a Very Broad Coalition from 'Red Tories' or small 'c' conservatives to unfearful lefties - people who are able to put aside some less important issues and including all those who see the Corporatization of government as the important thread that is the Great Challenge to democracy today. A way to bring that 50% of people 'too smart' to waste their time voting, back into the political process.

Thats my take on it, at any rate. As always, the Comments section is OPEN.

PERMALINK




mh

Hill 145 & The Pimple

General Arthur Currie

After 3 years of carnage, where the life-blood of entire generations from four continents was left in the soil of Europe, someone on the front lines was given real power to realize a plan that hopefuly would see the Allies out of four years of senceless death. That person was Canadian General Arthur Currie.

Curries plan was the logical progression of the ever increasing complexity of modern war. In order to take the 'The Pimple', the high ground that enables German artillary to dominant the great plain around Passchendaele just beyond Ypres - Hill 145 just to south and in range of the Pimple must be taken at the same time.

On Hill 145 the north and south parts of the division do well, but the center is annialated by artillary from the Pimple. By the end of the day however special forces using tactics designed specifically to take the Pimple are successful and the Canadians hold both hills. The advance through the centre is secured. Now the giant machine, ney a city swings into action to exploit the new reality.

Currie had an understanding of the bureaucratic systems and probably the logistics of the great German General Field Marshal Alfred Graf von Schlieffen; but more importantly I think, a first hand knowlege of the devastating effects of the more accurate, powerful and abundant artillary.

Currie created a mammoth information gathering and disemination system, and supply infrastructure that looked like a modern government bureaucracy. Planners ingrated real-time statistical information into battle plan. Like a coiled steel snake about to strike, it was designed to move quickly and powerfully in a synchronised fashion. It was designed not only to win battles but exploit them with powerful, rapid advances. This was one of the first successful examples of what later became known as Combined Operations.

The intricate planning that resulted in the taking of one of the flanks we all know as Flanders Fields. It's where the beautiful peom comes from, from where the Rememberance Day Poppies come from. It was the first battle in the First World War where the Lines moved Miles rather than Yards. It was the beginning of Blitzkieg, Asymmetric warfare or Combined Operations.

No credit to the Canadian Military hierarcrhy, they buried Currie after the war. Thankfully we learned his lessons again in time to contribute to the victory over Fascist Germany in the second go around, 22 years later.

If your a soldier in the Canadian Forces now, this should be compulsory reading, check it out.

Links: For King And Empire -a Great documentary, great web site, great maps!

Canadian Government Archives: War Diaries -gotta read those original sources!

The Changing Face of War: Into the Fourth Generation - West Points leading edge theory


mh

America In The World- A Review Of The Maltese Falcon, 1941

This film is about a new consciousness that America has gleaned from it's collective experience in the First and now the impending reality of the Second World War.

Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade plays the American, the democrat, the great hope in the midst of two great wars; who through Conscience finds the Truth amongst the power plays and greed of Empires and powerful interests, played in their various characters.

Mary Astor as Brigid O'Shaughnessy as the love interest, but in the larger sence the British Empire; Kasper Gutman as the German Imperialist, logical yet not evil but focusing on his ends, justifing his means; and Peter Lorre playing the Fench Interest as Joel Cairo the man "capable of Anything" in Gutman opinion, including co-operation and capitulation to the Nazi machine.


Sam Spade returns to Gutmans Apartments for a discussion of the price to deliver the Falcon, there Gutman promises a World in riches - he talks of the myth of the Knights Templar - perhaps contained with-in the shell of the Maltes Falcon. He's tempting Sam as a metaphor for American Democracy, with the powers of World Empire. Drugged, something in his drink, Spade(America?) passes out; the tables have been turned, Gutman has milked Spade for information - rather than the other way around.

In the next scene at Spades Detective Offices, Sam has covered all his bases, what ever happens - he's going to come out the winner. In the end his play wins, he can have the Falcon, the girl, anything he wants. Yet he knows, through his experience of real freedom, the there's only one option. He chooses the Democratic path, The Rule of Law and calls the cops.

As always in Hollywood, a happy ending... .



mh

Abramoff: The House That Jack Built

Originally posted at Think Progress.com reprinted here because its not availiable through the Think Progress search engine (Web-f**king?).

I don't mean to step on any copy rights just trying to even up the Karma; this is Web-f**king in reverse, printing something someone doesn't want you to see.

michaelholloway


Abramoff: The House That Jack Built

A comprehensive look at the potential scope of the “biggest scandal in Congress in over a century“:

Jack Abramoff *

SunCruz

Sen. Conrad Burns +
Rep. Tom DeLay +
Rep. Bob Ney *
Adam Kidan *
Neil Volz

Tigua Casino

Sen. John Cornyn
Rep. Bob Ney * +
Rep. Don Young
Ralph Reed
Michael Scanlon *
Neil Volz
Mariana Islands

Sen. Conrad Burns +
Rep. Tom DeLay +
Rep. John Doolittle
Rep. Don Young
President Bush +

Saginaw Funding

Sen. Conrad Burns +
Sen. Byron Dorgan +
Rep. J.D. Hayworth +
Choctaws

Grover Norquist
Ralph Reed

Capital Athletic Foundation

Julie Doolittle *
Coushatta Campaign

Rep. Roy Blunt +
Rep. Eric Cantor +
Sen. Thad Cochran +
Rep. Tom DeLay +
Rep. John Doolittle
Sen. John Ensign
Sen. Charles Grassley
Rep. J. Dennis Hastert +
Rep. Ernie Istook +
Sen. Trent Lott
Sen. Harry Reid
Rep. Pete Sessions
Rep. David Vitter +
Rep. Roger Wicker
Grover Norquist

Cronyism

Sen. Conrad Burns +
Rep. Tom DeLay +
Rep. John Doolittle
Rep. Bob Ney * +
Grover Norquist
Tony Rudy
Neil Volz
J. Steven Griles
Susan Ralston
Favors

Rep. Bob Ney * +
Rep. Richard Pombo +
Rep. David Vitter +
Rep. Don Young
Doug Bandow
Italia Federici
Timothy Flanigan
J. Steven Griles
Gale A. Norton
Susan Ralston

Trips

Rep. Tom DeLay +
Rep. John Doolittle
Rep. Tom Feeney +
Rep. Bob Ney *
Ed Buckham
Susan Hirschmann
Ralph Reed
David Safavian
Mashpee

Rep. Richard Pombo +

Gifts

Rep. Tom DeLay +
Rep. John Doolittle
Sen. Tom Harkin +
Rep. J.D. Hayworth +
Rep. Bob Ney * +
Rep. Don Young

* denotes individuals who have been subponaed, indicted, or found guilty in the Abramoff investigation.

+ denotes individuals who have returned donations from Abramoff, his clients, or his partners.

Methodology: Members of Congress were included if they received over $10,000 from Abramoff, his clients or his partners and have allegedly done favors for Abramoff, his clients or his partners. Members who were acting on behalf of a constituent in their state were excluded, even if those constituents were Abramoff clients. Certain members who received less than $10,000 in Abramoff were included because of extensive allegations of favors done for Abramoff.
Jack Abramoff

© 2005-2006 Center for American Progress




More at the link above

The Federal Conservatives Need Some Writers With An Ear To The Ground.

The Oxford on-line compact dictionary defines a word that would end this irrelevancy; Lapdog: • noun .. 2. a person who is completely under the influence of another.

What Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay should have said early the morning of October 20th, at a press conference he should have called was; 'What I meant to say is that Ms. Stronach is a Lapdog for the Party opposite.'

End of story.

Instead his continuing denials have only incensed MP's who heard him say it; and convinced the electorate he has something to hide - as with no information people assume the worst - perhaps that he is a misogynist.

So, the Harperites understand control of information but even with that, having no ear to the ground, they appear to be suffering from an ivory tower syndrome. Now they appear as a whole to be liers, surrounded by so many half truths, they can't separate the truth in their own minds and thus don't know where to begin.

Sometimes silence is golden, sometimes it's just more bad ink.

Photos: CBC.ca


mh

Neo-Con Liberals Out To Destroy Ignatieffs' Leadership Bid

Photo courtesy RadioCanada

Ignatieff said and I paraphrase, You can't solve the Palestinian Problem with force of arms, the way forward is through negotiations. Ignatieff stakes out an important difference of opinion with Prime minister Harper and the Bush Whitehouses' policy; where-in certain groups and countries are labeled 'Terrorist', then invoking the Pre-Emption doctrine agreed to by the US congress after 9/11, use force of arms with-out provocation.

I have searched the web for the Text of what Michael Ignatieff actually said, an original source, but the language barrier between the Two Solitudes is intact - even with the wonderful translation devices often found at foreign web sites.

Also there seems to be some web-f**king going on. This is my term and comes from the Watergate affair in the US in 1972 Presidential elections - where Nixon set up a dirty tricks network to de-rail opponents campaigns - known as Rat-f**king; the scope of the tactic should be viewed in my opinion as the first evidence of Black Operations at home. Now 30 years later the technique has come to the internet. If you try to search the topic using Ignatieffs' name articles will come up that are not relevant to the other two search parameters your using, whatever they are.

The best I could do was the original print source for the story, The National Post. The possible next Leader of the opposition gets 50 words. Half an hour later I coundn't find my way back to the original story to quote it for you here, but I'll keep working on it.

The Qana bombing was not the impetus for the UN, the Red Cross or Human Rights Watch to call the Israeli actions in Lebanon 'War Crimes' ; Qana was only a graphic example of it. Now the media here, around this story has re-written the history sloppily, using this Qana imagery as reference point everyone can remember.

It is not accurate, the charge of war crimes comes from the disproportionate Israeli response to a border incident which cost the lives of eight Israeli soldiers along with the capture of two more. We all saw the response; the heavy area bombing of Lebanon that went on for over a month killing 900 civilians and causing the displacement of over a Million. If Israel hadn't stopped the refugee crisis would have hit the front pages and one part of the war, the ideological war would have been lost. As it was Israel apologized for hitting the Qana shelter and stopped the area bombing, not in time though, turning Hezbollah into hero's on the Arab street.

Check back to August in this Blog and read: Lessons from the Nazi Terror bombing of London...

Ignatieffs view seen in context and accurately, is in stark contrast to many in and outside of the Liberal party, specifically Neo-cons who would irresponsibly take us down the road to World War Three; a plan towards a One Super Power Global Empire. See the highlighted web sight for details of the new arms race going on in the so called 'new world order'.

UPDATE, October 13, 2006: found a National post article with less quotes from Ignatieff than the original stor- still no original sources, but some of the next days qualifiers, so, here it is, from an American conservative web site called FreeRepublic.com that reprinted the National Posts story:

Graeme Hamilton
National Post
Wednesday, October 11, 2006

MONTREAL - Michael Ignatieff, the front-runner in the race for the federal Liberal leadership, has accused Israel of committing "a war crime" during its conflict with Hezbollah last summer.

In an interview on a widely watched Quebec talk show, Mr. Ignatieff apologized for comments in August when he told a newspaper he was "not losing sleep" over an Israeli bombing that killed dozens of civilians in the Lebanese village of Qana.

"It was a mistake. I showed a lack of compassion. It was a mistake and when you make a mistake like that, you have to admit it," he told the French-language Radio-Canada program Tout le monde en parle.

"I was a professor of human rights, and I am also a professor of the laws of war, and what happened in Qana was a war crime, and I should have said that. That's clear."

His comments, broadcast on Sunday, sparked an angry reaction among Jewish leaders who learned of them yesterday.

"That's appalling. To call it a war crime is totally, totally unacceptable," said Frank Dimant, executive vice-president of B'nai Brith Canada.

"I have to wonder if he is pandering to certain delegates who will be voting in the Liberal election for leadership."

Shimon Fogel, chief executive of the Canada-Israel Committee, said it was frustrating to hear Mr. Ignatieff's accusation.

"For somebody as well-informed and experienced as Mr. Ignatieff, he should know that is not a reasonable charge to level against Israel," he said. "What he ought to be preoccupied with is the kind of intolerance that gave rise to the conflict to begin with and the extent to which there are efforts to have it leach into Canadian society."

He said his group had been concerned by previous comments about the war made by Mr. Ignatieff's chief Quebec organizers, Denis Coderre and Pablo Rodriguez. Mr. Coderre took part in a pro-Lebanon march in Montreal in August at which some participants carried the flag of Hezbollah, which Canada has classified as a terrorist organization.

Since joining the leadership race, Mr. Ignatieff has had to back down from controversial comments several times. Contacted for clarification yesterday, an aide to Mr. Ignatieff said he would not retract the use of the term "war crime," but said he had been misunderstood.

Leslie Church, director of communications for the Ignatieff campaign, said that even though he prefaced his comment by referring to his expertise in the law of war, he did not intend to apportion legal responsibility.

"This isn't a deliberation that Michael would make on his feet. There is no way that he would make a pronouncement on international law in this format, and that's not what he's driving at here," Ms. Church said.

"He meant that this was a tragedy of war, that this was a deplorable act in war, that this was a terrible consequence of war."

The July 30 Israeli air strike on Qana killed 28 civilians, according to Human Rights Watch. Israel said it was targeting Hezbollah rocket positions and was unaware of the presence of civilians, but at the time Human Rights Watch labelled the attack a war crime.

Mr. Ignatieff, the MP for Etobicoke-Lakeshore, is not the first politician to get tripped up by the conflict. Maria Mourani, a Bloc Quebecois MP, told Le Devoir in August that her visit to Lebanon persuaded her war crimes were committed by Israel. The next day she issued a statement saying it was up to international bodies to determine what constitutes a war crime.

Borys Wrzesnewskyj, a Liberal MP from Ontario, was forced to resign his post as foreign affairs critic after accusing Israel of "state terrorism" and suggesting Canada should open talks with Hezbollah.

Mohamed Elmasry, president of the Canadian Islamic Congress, said he was heartened by Mr. Ignatieff's use of the term "war crime" to describe Israel's actions. Last month Mr. Elmasry wrote an essay urging Liberals to choose anyone but Mr. Ignatieff as their leader. "He's taking the time to find out the facts, and, based on that, he's correcting his position. We appreciate that stand coming from him," he said yesterday.

Mr. Dimant predicted that Mr. Ignatieff's comment would "jolt some of the Jewish support that was on his side, that thought that he had taken some correct positions in terms of the Middle East before."

ghamilton@nationalpost.com

© National Post 2006




An aside, There is no original source Canadian content of current events on the web. No one is traking down original sources and publishing them, we Canadians are letting editors and corporate media centres create the Canadian record; edited, filtered and spun to their own agenda. If I can, I will find original sources on an on-going basis and publish them here, please help if you can.



..to be continued...

" Run And Tell All Of The Angels, Everythings Gonna Be Alright. "

Picture from: http://www.foofighters.com/

"Run and tell all of the angels everything's alright."

Foo Fighters - Learn To Fly.


Every stupidity that can happen to a Empire, is happening. Don't worry Everyone, the predicted Stumble has occurred. This column is intended to detail each and every insane empiric policy direction I can see.

The reality is back, the G-8 paradigm, the North/South dialog thing and the Extra G-8 negotiation. The negotiation that sets the ground work for the real, the negotiated New World Order.

TALKING is in, weather one likes it or not.

At the same time, new democrat law makers, finding themselves replacing Pork-Barrelers in Congress next month should pass laws to de-fang the shadow air force; and especially Naval Intelligence Black-Ops, evidenced in the Congressional Iran/Contra investigation (please try to find the TEXT online - I could not). Here is a round-up of what Global Security.org said in 1994. Walsh is the Independent Counsel assigned by Congress:

U.S. OPINION: WALSH REPORT ON IRAN-CONTRA (Roundup of newspaper columns) (1070) Columnists and other opinion-writers are commenting editorially on independent counsel Lawrence Walsh's final report on the "Iran-Contra" affair -- the covert plan in the mid-1980's (allegedly supported by the Reagan White House) to sell arms to Iran and divert the proceeds to the "contra" rebels in Nicaragua, assistance to whom had been banned by Congress. The Walsh report was released on January 18, 1994. Following are excerpts from some of those columns:

(BEGIN EXCERPTS) THE NEW YORK TIMES, PETER KORNBLUTH AND MALCOLM BYRNE (CO-EDITORS OF "IRAN-CONTRA SCANDAL: THE DECLASSIFIED HISTORY"):


...Mr. Walsh's report...makes clear that (Reagan administration officials) did indeed have much to hide. Once and for all the Walsh report dispels the carefully cultivated mythology surrounding the scandal, which involved illegal sales of arms to Iran, diversion of funds from these sales to finance the Nicaraguan contras and a cover-up to conceal the entire affair.


...It sheds light on serious flaws in our system...which allowed a constitutional crisis to occur and which remain unresolved. The report notes, in particular, the inadequacy of the 1987 Congressional investigation....


The report sets the record straight on the major players in the scandal. -- On Ronald Reagan: The report contradicts the popular image of a disengaged President misled by those around him. Mr. Walsh's investigators conclude that Mr. Reagan "created the conditions which made possible the crimes committed by others in his Administration," and "permitted the creation of a false account of the Iran arms sales to be disseminated to members of Congress and the American people."

The Cuckolding of this shadow power should be future Presidents upmost priority. The continuance of the republic is at stake; as Special Operations are now able to wag-the-dog, here at home.

Canadian democrat's should be taking a leadership role in a re-definition of NATO with a mind to this new functioning. We can spin with the best of them, in fact we invented the post modern version of it as I'm sure your all aware. Our government helped invent the management, theory and practice of advanced societal Macro-Engineering. Check out Marshall McLuhans work and where it leads: on the one hand, MIT's open source internet world and Stanford's Prison Experiment, and the Pentagon funded McGill LSD trial in Montreal, Canada. In 1940 Britain copied the entire Empire bureaucracy in Ottawa, we mirrored it in our own war production and post war economy. See C.D.Howe, 1945.

Afghanistan is the First Counter Insurgency NATO has ever done, we are GREENING our troops so that they can become the sergeants of the next, larger contingent of Canadian Forces, apparently fighting for American Peace; or is it for Empire?

We should have learned our lesson in WWI, Empire is folly.



mh

(It Was Not) A Perfect Game

Daniel Cabrera


It, wasn't a no-hitter either, with one down in the ninth the Baltimore Orioles Pitcher Daniel Cabrera finally gave up a hit to the New York Yankees. This is the story of how the Yankees scored a run in the 7th with out a hit, in this not very perfect game.

The 5th is when you start to notice stuff around a no hitter. The Yankees started to hit the ball hard. The defense seemed like they were in a gravity well. Then someone would smack a line drive right at somebody and the time distortion would snap back to real time, because the defense had no choice - speed up or die.

Was it because I was hanging on every pitch, or was it them? The Orioles seemed to be slowing down, sensing they were over hyped they consciously paced themselves a fraction slower.

In the 7th the Orioles were still acting like deer in the head lights. I said to myself, 'careful - careful, get your heads in the game. You guys are going to give up a run before Cabrera gives up a hit!'

And they did!

As well as I can remeber it, it went down something like this...

" Tejada, moving to his left, he's gotta come in, his footworks off, the throws in the dirt, a long bounce... Millar missed it! Bobby Abreu's on first. Score it E-3.

Next play, " second baseman Roberts is shifted to the line, its a bouncer to the right , Roberts is circling the ball... Its off his glove! He keeps it in front of him... The throw... SAFE! Runners at second and first. That's scored E-4. still a no hitter!

Two Pass Balls later, its first and third, two out.

" A soft grounder to third, good bounce for Mora, setting for the throw... it's off his glove! The ball's in foul ground, Abreu scores! That must be an error! ..yes there it is, the official scorer says E-5. "

The Final score: Baltimore 7, Yankees 1.

Daniel Cabreras' Line: 9 IP, 1 Hit, 1 Run, 0 Earned Runs, 2 BB, 5 SO.

Baltimorians a little self-conscious in Yankee Stadium tonight?


.

The Micro-Manager Gibbons

" There are cliques in the Blue Jay clubhouse, you can see them from outside the door; but Gibbons actions have led to private club house politics getting out to the media. "

A pleasant June evening for a ball game at Rodgers Centre. The Jays are in contention a week after the All-star game, and Roy Halladay is starting; its smiles all around for the reconstituted Jays, sans Shea Hillenbrand.

When Vernon Wells hit the majestic home run in 11th inning, a walk-off win over The New York Yankees, it seemed like a crucible moment, the team was reborn. Eleven games over .500, they were Toronto's favorite under-dogs, the come-back kids.

The team seemed stronger than the One, or the avarice of the General Manager, or even the short fuse of the Manager.

Halladay had was one of his, 'Retired-Rodger-Clements' type Starts (fast ball then junk, more junk; out pitch: more junk); he gained no decision. Later Ryan blew a save.

This was the first game since Manager Gibbons 'called out' Hillenbrand for his 'cancerous' (media spin) behavior. The reserved intellectual, under utilized corner man didn't understand the confrontational mannerisms of his boss. Hillenbrand apparently thought Gibbons was challenging him to a fight. Subsequently these events were leaked to the media, Ricciardi's hand was forced and Hillenbrand was released.

In retro-spect,the issue was not sophomoric quotes scribbled on the line-up board or else where. The starting staff was tired and the bullpen was shaky. After two years of over-work the pitching staff was showing cracks and fissures everywhere; brush fires in long relief, the odd explosion in the set up slot, blown saves.

Bad starts were leading to early runs-against; and the Nine-Cylinder-Offense was sputtering. Hillenbrands exile wasn't the panacea. Something had to be done to save Bird-Land soon, or this run would be done.

On July 30th Halladay had another of his 'Retired-Rodger-Clements' starts, he struggled and left with a no-decision. The nine-cylinder-offence surged from behind to take a 2 run lead, then Ryan blew the save and collected a loss.

Concerning pitching up until this point, Gibbons philosophy was: If a starter is keeping you in a game, even if he's given up 7 runs but is only trailing by 3, leave him. Study his command and control, consult with the catcher and pitching coach, use your judgment. It's one of the things I think makes Gibbons a very good manager.

After an off day, Gibby pulled Burnett after 4 innings - behind by 3. He must have thought Burnetts arm was dead, or Burnett told him it was so.

I think this is the game where Gibbons decided that to win this year, he had to micro-manage the starting staff. So now, not only was he managing a complex platoon system on defense, and his brilliant management of the bull-pen, he now took upon himself the micro-management of the starting staff. He figured he could take the pressure off his league leading offence by paying more individual attention to the starting staff.

Gibby has 3 starters; he's been searching the organization to find a 4 & 5 since Chacin went down and Towers didn't rise to expectations. Its been open season all season on Blue Jay pitching this season. This left Gibbons with some flexibility; so if one of the three starters had a bad outing - perhaps 5 days rest instead of 4 would help. This created a complex algorithm in the starters line up where only Halladays' starts kept a regular rhythm. At the same time, Gibbons continued to search for major league starting pitching by giving hopefuls spot starts, and follow-up starts if they did well.

He's good at evaluating the strengths of players and in setting them up to succeed; he leads by demanding respect of the Team - by the team.

Gibbons pitching experiment reminds me of what La Russa tried after the heyday in Oakland in the early 1990's. He declared the team would run a starter-by-committee rotation. It was in the dog days of summer in a losing year, the team was down on itself. La Russa was content that he had thoroughly searched the organization for starters - there were none.

So he proposed that every pitcher should think of themselves as part of a Pitching Team. The 'team' rebelled. If a starter doesn't pitch at least 5 innings he cannot get a Win. The team rebelled not because the idea might not work, but because the arbitration process which determines player salary has come to rely heavily on statistical WINS. Next arbitration year the Oakland pitching staffs pay would plummet. Starters are marketed like gods by MLB, because the pitcher/batter duality is easy to photograph; the arbitration process reflects this truth.

There are cliques in the Blue Jay clubhouse as well, you can see them from outside the door; but in trying to create a Team, Gibbons actions have led to private club house politics getting to the media.

The first transgression came when he tried to call out the reserved Hillenbrand in front of the team, barging into a player-only meeting. He should have talked to Hillenbrand one on one about his Secret Sedition Campaign. Gibbons was a stand up guy in the eyes of some in that clubhouse, as Hillenbrand wouldn't say anything to Gibbons face; but Gibbons crossed several lines in the way he acted.

The Lilly fight was the other incident to darken the threshold of the clubhouse.

Manager Gibbons was well into the theory and practice of micro-managing the starters, so in the third inning he came to get Lilly, who was down by three runs. Before micro-ball management theory Gibbons would have left Lilly in; but Lilly seemingly didn't understand the new paradym at that moment, and he wouldn't give the manager the ball, showing him up in front of a million eyes. Lilly then compounded the problem, breaking a clubhouse rule by leaving the bench before the Team was out of the inning. Gibbons then chased Lilly down the tunnel to confront him for not handing over the ball.

In hind-sight the way to handle the situation would have been to talk to Lilly much later, privately; not in front of the Team, not during the television/radio broadcast, not with 30,000 fans in the RC. Instead, they brawled in the tunnel. Fans who phoned the post-game show on the FAN590 said they, '.. saw the bench clear like there was an emergency in the tunnel.'

Both incidents point to a manager who hasn't quite learned how to manage big league pressure. This is baseball though, in baseball you get three strikes. He's the best young manager I've ever seen. In his first year managing I counted 9 games where in-game desisions he made lead to wins, not including managing the best bullpen in the majors.

To quote J P Ricciardi, " It's all about the pitching. "

Pitching is exactly the cancer in Blue Jays plans this year; in the great crap-shoot of baseball injuries, Ricciardi crapped out in 2006.

Fans were taken on a roller-coaster this year, starting with the big signings in the spring and the WAMCO type line up that emerged early. From a starting staff that had two Aces, a good number Two and a good Three guy to pitch forth, plus the amazing rookie Towers; Until now, with the fall colors starting to show, we are left with one tired ace, three number threes and a blank spot for off-days.

I think Ricciardi has found Gibbons braking point, now its time to take the pressure down a little by getting more pitching. And don't sign any more corner infielders!


If Ricciardi fires The Micro-Manager this off-season, it ain't nothin' but scapegoating.

.

Thankfully, War is Becoming More Democratic

Warfare is becoming more Democratic. Cities are now targets in "legal" war.


A revolution in gun metal technology in the 1800's created trench warfare. A later revolution in mechanization got soldiers out of the trenches and onto the roads. It became understood that speed and combined operations were paramount in avoiding an intolerable loss of soldiers inherent in trench war. Air power introduced a new vector into this functioning. Soon factories in cities became targets. In another quick-step of logic, the city itself becomes a legitimate target. Now a myriad of destructive agents, and delivery vectors are available - the bulk of which target cities.

As the technology of warfare achieved a thoroughness that is known as total war, the experience of it is being shared by more and more people. Since photographs of war were first displayed(Washington,1861), the experience of war has become ubiquitous.

Before these technological innovations, wars were fought between armies on battle fields. Sometimes armies sieged cities or did battle in cities, but the city itself was not the primary target, the army with-in it was. Since WW II, the city itself has become an important target.

Cities account for 90% of populations in 'First-world' economies, 10% are 'on the land'. Chinese plans forecast that during the current modernization, a population shift of 300 million people will take place. The majority of humans will soon be resident of cities, targets in 'legal' war.

The economist Karl Polanyi talked of how technology 'disembeds' itself from the society that created it. In other words, advances in the technology constantly challenge the previous cultural construct negotiated in the previous cultural/technological paradigm.

The technological advances in warfare have brought us to a fundamental contradiction with in a Polanyian' model. The technology of warfare like all technology is disembeding, but unlike other technological eras, the ultimate effect of this disembeding could be the total destruction of the civilization that created it.

On the other hand, with this level of technology comes the World Wide Web, the infrastructure of direct democracy. "The Rights of Man", liberty, property, security, and the opportunity to resist oppression(the pursuit of happiness), are intricately linked to the functioning of a modern economy. The inter-connectivity of the modern post-industrial society paves the way for advances towards direct democracy.

So different elements of the current technological Diaspora are disembeding at different rates. The innovative manipulation of communications technology in a truly mass scale is creating a hooking function, where-in two objects with different vectors pass each other, one hooks on altering the vectors of both. Or as in this example, slowing the disembeding of technology and speeding the cultural adaptation to it.

This is expressed in our time by a qualitatively New Left.

The explosion of the Seattle Movement that 'came out of nowhere' was the first truly mass virtual Movement. It did not come 'out of nowhere' though, it came from the www; e-mail organizing, web paging and faxing, and connected by mobile phone technology.

Next, the World Wide Peace Movement showed up, marked by world wide demonstrations in 2003 around the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq. The movement choose the best slogans in an internet 'fashion show' of ideas in art, a design process that took place in communities from around the world. There was no edict issued from any where, people just choose what art-work best expressed what they felt. Advertising in reverse I guess you could say.

The speed at which the 9/11 Truth Movement has reached 'critical mass' is astonishing. Fueled by lap top movie making and distribution, they have collectively/independently created a sub-culture of dissent, a 'buzz' that marketers salivate for is mushrooming out of the American diaspora.

A revolution in the Democratic Party is an on going development. Go to 'Daily Kos.com' to take a warm bath in it.

So, war is becoming more democratic; and so is the civilization that created it. The question is: Will the culture be able to 'catch' the quickly disembeding military industrial complex? Can the information revolution change the repeating algorithm before it destroys its creator?

It sounds like the outline for a Godzilla movie.

" Mothra! Please help. "


LINKS

The Changing Face of War: Into the Fourth Generation

The Truman Show, September 11, 2006,

(photo)

The main thing is, where was the Air Force?

9/11 must have been orchestrated by people at the highest levels of responsibility; there must have been a stand down order, as David Ray Griffin keeps coming back to in his book, 9/11 Commission Report; Omissions and Distortions. The Commissions Time-line sucks; a log of probabilities and stretches that test the limits of the Commissions own model.

On the other hand, is it unfathomable that the security umbrella we thought was stretched over the continent, actually didn't exist? That the Soviets could have invaded at any time in the 60 years of the cold war; a nuclear first strike would have been absolutely successful?

The foundation of government, and it's chief function, especially in the nuclear era, is its role as security provider.

If we are to believe the 9/11 Commission, then we must face the 'fact' that security was, and is a myth.

It begs the question, where did all the money go?


" Perhaps all the money was spent in Production? "


Plot Summary for
The Truman Show (1998)

In this movie, Jim Carrey is Truman, a man whose life is a fake one... The place he lives is in fact a big studio with hidden cameras everywhere, and all his friends and people around him, are actors who play their roles in the most popular tv-series in the world: The Truman Show. Truman thinks that he is an ordinary man with an ordinary life and has no idea about how he is exploited. Until one day... he finds out everything. Will he react?


We're all Truman Burbank now.

The New World Order is a personality disorder - denial psychosis - caused by confusion and fear applied over time and especially acute in these times of great change in technology.

But don't worry Jim Carry went on to do other roles...

-photo

An Oil-Centric View of the Economy, Politics and Everything

This is my global view of what time it is, what the major forces defining history right now are. Phrases historians 500 years from now might use to label this period of history.

In case you can't wait till the end of the article, the answer is "Six".

Economy

"Americans are paying $3.00 a gallon," I heard someone say, "in Europe they've been paying $4.00 a gallon for years."

WHY?

Europe was reconstructed, post-WWII, with a built-in high gasoline price structure - to reflect the relative value of the European economy to the rest of the world. Europe was re-building after total destruction.

$4.00 a gallon expresses the value of the regions' economy relative to the American economy at $1.00 a gallon (in our recent past experience).

The victors of WWII(August,1945) had to tie the American dollar to something tangible in the real world. They announced the price they would pay for oil, a world price. At the same time they tied the value of the American dollar to the value of a barrel of oil ($35 American = 45 gallons of oil).

They could do this because they were the biggest buyers and they owned the most aircraft carriers.

Politics

They set the price low, and they wanted all they could get. Caveat emptor though: if supplies are curtailed the USA would consider that an Act of War. The fact that the US could declare this to be - and have it stick - was the Final Victory of WWII. The USA was the Empire du jour, if she choose the enterprise.

Four years later the world changed. The USSR, a country with the most men in uniform at the time (5 million), achieved nuclear capability and rocketry. They thus became a de-facto Super Power along with China - shortly there after.

The nuclear 'club' has expanded ever since.

The true value of nuclear weapons appears to be coming under some question though: China has said they believe the nuclear threat is that of a Paper Tiger.

And Everything

In 1999 real American debt was so high, the US dollars' value was coming into question. A result I believe of 'pedal to the metal' economics as part of a concerted effort towards global dominance by the United States. This amounted to a revolution in world power. American power was apparently not 'Super' with out the balancing terror of an opposing power.

The catalyst for this destabilization was China's new demand for oil which is in the process of changing the balance of power in the world. The relative rarity of the commodity is causing price fluctuations. Instead of a duality (two super-powers) we face an algorithm involving seven power centers: USA, UE, UK, Russia, China, India and Brazil.

"This thing, it should not be spoken, least it be believed."

The US could not allow this to happen; firstly because of their incredible foreign debt, the cost of financing it would sky-rocket and hobble the economy; Secondly, it wasn't true, the US economy remained the most efficient and productive, and the largest by double.

One solution was to break OPEC's monopoly through conquest. Another has been the creation of a speculative price bubble, which oil companies and corporate banks are trying to maintain right now - to ensure a stable High-Oil price; since they can no longer maintain the Cheap-Oil model. A retreat for future gains.

The new players in the post cold war era are supporting the insurgency in Iraq. They hope to stale-mate the Bush White House's conquest plan, and use it as leverage, covertly, not publicly - as that would be an act of war they cannot win. They are forcing the Americans to address a realignment of power with-in a new international political reality.

Politics through the barrel of a gun. A proxy war in Iraq between the same old powers (and some new ones) who fought the last two 'world' wars, this time with Arab civilians and coalition volunteers as fodder. Now we see the reason there had to be a 9/11 pretext; The politics of fear and greed. There was no reason that this realignment needed be violent, except by an ascension to power of a Military Industrial/Political alliance in Washington.

The disgraced Neo-Con politician, and deep thinker Newt Gingridge, while we watched with horror Israeli air power level parts of Beirut in July 2006 said, "WWIII has begun."

I love this guy!

Couldn't have said it better.













Newt Gingrich




mh
edit 06/26/07

Marshall McLuhanisms

People don’t actually read newspapers. They step into them every morning like a hot bath.

The price of eternal vigilance is indifference.
(Indifference-avoidance disorder?)

All advertising advertises advertising.
(Brand-New Brand: Branded-Branding Tool.)

The specialist is one who never makes small mistakes while moving toward the grand fallacy.

When a thing is current, it creates currency.

When you are on the phone or on the air, you have no body.

—Copyright © 1986, McLuhan Associates, Ltd.



Air-Conditioning as a McLuhanist ’Warm Bath’

“When you are on the phone or on the air, you have no body”.

“People don’t actually read newspapers. They step into them every morning like a hot bath.”

When you are in air conditioning, the difference between ‘are’ and ‘body’ disappears. Your not just bathing in media, you are the media; the cold turns on your furnace. Pretty soon you’d rather not go out, you’ve warmed to the bath water. When you’re bathing in any media the universe becomes a subjective place.

When you read a book bathed in light, the reflection of light waves from the page activates neurons; the brain translates the icons into meaning…where you are.

On the Special Tonight: Visible light.

Or on Reality Great Channel! It’s Gravity Fields!

Great! Or REM put it:

Sounds great.
Sounds, like,
An aeroplane.
Lenny Bruce is not afraid.

And I feel fine.

REM from Document
Song: It's The End Of The World As We Know It(and I feel fine).



mh

Baseball will survive MLB

Strikeouts are boring. They're Fascist. Throw some ground balls, it's more Democratic.
Crash Davis, from Bull Durham



Good read, Reed Johnson

I was always one against change, but especially if it was change-for-greeds'-sake. Like the way MLB marketed the game to inspire dumb-awe at home runs(which are fascist). So when MLB re-juiced the ball again in 1995(also in 1920), I was against it. Selling spectacle dumbed-down the game on all levels, including the story telling.

But according to one cagey veteran, what's happening on the field with this "nuclear" baseball, may well bring the game back to the fundamentals. Just like us Baseball Fundamentalists like.

The centre of it is, the ball comes off the bat faster. This obviously effects offence, but it also significantly influences defense, and pitching too.

Formerly 3-2 games are now 8-5 games. Since each run is worth less than in the previous era, the number of opportunities available to effect the out come of each game increases. Every opportunity to plate a run must be maximized, making base running and on base percentage more important.

Anything you can do to stop runs from scoring has become very important. So speed and professionalism in the out field is a must. You can't have a Jose Cansecos out there.

On the offensive side, 20 home run guys are 40 home run guys. Line drive hitters get 20 homies 'with out even tryin'. More shots get to the gaps for doubles. The check-swing-homer has appeared; the batter is trying hold up on a pitch, and it goes over the wall in the corner! I think I've seen it in The Bronx and at Fenway too.

So yes, specialized freaks (and I mean that in a nice way) can pound out 75 homeys a season. But they demand freakish cash as well.

A cheaper team can win by choosing 100M champions out of college or off the grid iron,(two places where the stat. is kept). Your outfielders should have great range and great read. They have to get to those spots quicker when tracking down the line drives or lickity split grounders. Coaches could also look for baseball I.Q. and professionalism: Can the player be taught, will they learn the foot work needed to be an exceptional defensive player, are their heads in the game, do they love team baseball?

The hardest thing to do in sport is hit a baseball pitched by a major league pitcher, said the great Ted Williams, a hitter. Hitters are rare and homey hitter are very expensive; line-drive-hitters are cheaper. Also, because they suck, line-drive-hitters usually get to the majors through the practice of the art of hitting; so they see more pitches, which is harder on pitchers. Most often homey hitters rely on their unfair advantage, god given talent and not on the study of the game. Or in other words, they strike out a lot.

The line drive is penultimate in today's game, hit it past them, you win, cut it off or catch it, you win.

This bodes well for the game. The free enterprise tactics of the New York Yankees are forcing smaller market teams to re-think the game. I haven't read 'Money Ball', but I assume they're talking of the same things.

The change is afoot! And this Baseball fundamentalist approves!

Oh, I almost forgot; we really don't need the DH now to encourage more scoring. We've got a nuclear baseball for that. So lets just put it away now - OK?