TOO F*N BAD GOONS!

* When reading this we want to keep in mind who the “Taliban” are, and who they work for, etc… And who the Govt / Cops in Kabul are paid by etc…

There are no major stories to cover, but lots of seemingly minor ones that all point to major trends in the works. Let’s start with the news that the Heritage Foundation is "censoring" pro-surveillance material coming out of that policy-wonk factory: yes, you heard me, although "censoring" is Politico reporter Josh Gerstein’s phraseology. Funny, but […]

A photo of the real Tower of David taken by the Spanish photographer Sebastian Liste, one of 14 posted on newyorker.com in January"One day, I asked the real El Niño Daza about the community that he had created in the Tower [of David]. He spoke in the style of a new sheriff of Dodge who had cleaned out the riffraff. 'We live well here.

Anne Kuster ran for Congress twice-- both times as a grassroots progressive and both times with super-prioritized support from progressive organizations both in New Hampshire and nationally, despite having worked as a Big Pharma lobbyist. In 2010, she lost her first race, 48-47% against conservative incumbent Charlie Bass. Two years later, in the 2012 rematch, and with President Obama's coattails in play, Kuster beat Bass 50-46%.

At least 92 people were killed and 120 more were wounded in today's attacks. Although there were not that many attacks, the severity of those in Baghdad and Rawa left behind the substantial body count.

The Koch brothers just cost American taxpayers $24 billion with their two and a half week Republican temper tantrum. They should foot the bill. Ha ha ha… right? That's funny, huh? No, I'm serious. Society must protect itself from dangerous predators and there are no predators in the world-- not in al Qaeda, not in North Korea, not in Iran-- more damaging to America than David and Charles Koch, scions of a European fascist family.

RT | October 20, 2013

US electronic surveillance in Mexico reportedly targeted top officials, including both current and previous presidents. Intelligence produced by the NSA helped Americans get an upper hand in diplomatic talks and find good investment opportunities.

"♫Makin' a soundtrack for another planet to hear♫ on Episode081 - Master Plan which features brand new sounds from Goldspot, Pink Martini, Weekend, Dismember

By Lawrence S. Wittner | History News Network | October 14, 2013

Can the world’s biggest corporations act with impunity? When it comes to General Electric (GE) — the eighth-largest U.S. corporation, with $146.9 billion in sales and $13.6 billion in profits in 2012 — the answer appears to be “yes.”

Sunday, the second anniversary of the American and NATO murder of a great leader, Muhammar Gadaffi, and it is time for my usual rant...First, yes..

by Judith Curry The answer is the fruit of my labor, not the object of it. Because of that, you’ll look for anything to come up with the correct answer, not just a predetermined one where your self-esteem depends on it. – Joe Bastardi The … Continue reading →

UPDATE: I had the text for the complete Farewell all ready to paste in, and then -- already running late for an appointment -- I forgot to do it! It's done now.Brünnhilde (Lisa Gasteen) and Wotan (James Morris) at the Met, 2008

MEMO | October 20, 2013

The famous Israeli analyst of Arab affairs, Ehud Yaari, is urging Israel to take advantage of the historical situation that the Arab region is going through to “defeat” Hamas with the help of Egypt.

An urgent public health crisis exists. An effective, humanitarian response is available. But rather than pitching in and helping to save lives, Greenpeace is attacking the aid workers.

This  colourful report made me think of Ziad at SyPer, so I just had to put it up!230 Militants in one Shot

Finnish Broadcasting Company/YLE News
October 19, 2012
Watch: NATO anti-mine vessels on show
Six anti-mine vessels from the military alliance NATO docked in Helsinki this weekend. Members of the public were able to board the vessels for a close-up view.
The mine-seekers hail from the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Poland, Germany and Estonia and all docked at Helsinki’s Katajanokka harbour for the weekend.

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Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
Erich Maria Remarque: Selections on war
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Erich Maria Remarque
From All Quiet on the Western Front (1929)
Translated by A.W. Wheen

AMERICA VANQUISHED, Part 1: America as an Israeli Colony

By Rud Istvan | Climate Etc… | October 19, 2013

The Associated Press ran an alarming news piece on 9/6/13:  Climate Change Threatens Caribbean’s Water Supply

By Kevin Ryan | Dig Within | October 20, 2013

We first wrote about Damon Silvers, the AFL-CIO's director of policy, on Friday. I had never heard of him before. But I liked what he said about holding Blue Dogs, New Dems and other conservative quasi-Democrats accountable for voting with the Republicans against the interests of seniors and working class Americans. Apparently CNBC noticed him to an invited him on for a dressing down. A conservative class warrior from Britain wound up getting his nose rubbed in his own shit.

Yesterday, Hillary Clinton offered a glowing endorsement of “longtime family friend” Terry McAuliffe in his second run for Governor of Virginia. McAuliffe certainly has been a good friend to the Clintons, having once made them a $1.35 million gift which, after becoming a scandal, turned into a loan.

Body parts black market booming in UK

Press TV – October 20, 2013

Millions of food stamp recipients in the United States will see their benefits cut from the beginning of next month as the program is fully paid through October.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will be cut because a temporary measure to increase food stamps expires Oct. 31.

Listener feedback and donations for the month of September 2013.

Iran hawks here are pushing hard for Congress, where they enjoy the greatest influence, to approve a new set of extra-territorial sanctions – albeit with some tactical adjustments to take account of the newly hopeful mood coming out of Geneva – before the next round of talks between Tehran and the so-called P5+1 (the U.S., […]

At least 15 people were killed and 28 more were wounded in the latest violence.

The celebrity gossip section of the NY Post has floated a silly story about Arnold Swarzenegger, a Republican actor who managed to become governor of California when the state wasn't paying any attention, may run for president in 2016. And, no, this is neither from The Onion nor from Andy Borowitz.

I do not know why I need to repeat this over and over again, but considering that most Americans are just too stupid to realize the bitter truth, it must be said..... Osama Bin Laden, also known as American CIA agent Tim Osman, died of natural causes in the mountains of northeastern Afghanistan sometime around December 13th, 2001.   His death was recorded in most Arabic news publications at the time, and even the German newspaper Der Spiegel carried the headline of his death.  (No publication of his death in American Jew run media, surprise, surprise!).

A Film By Massimo Mazzucco

“September 11 – The New Pearl Harbor” is a 5 hour documentary that summarizes 12 years of public debate on 9/11. While aimed primarily at a general, uninformed audience, the film also contains some new findings that may be of interest to advanced researchers.

British Chancellor George Osborne, the country's second-ranking official, says officially, "China is what it is." It's business, you see. Just business.by KenIn a new NYRB blogpost, "Who's Afraid of Chinese Money?," journalist Jonathan Mirsky -- one of our most valuable chroniclers of matters Chinese -- flashes back 20-plus years:

RT | October 19, 2013

UK service company Serco has its fingers in numerous government pies, running British services from transport to prisons while staying invisible to the ‘man on the street.’ The global giant now faces investigation for fraud as it seeks new contracts.
Towards the end of September, the company was alleged in a government report to have charged for the service of tagging criminals who were dead, in prison, or were never tagged at all.

By William Boardman | Reader Supported News | October 14, 2013

There are times when something you hear on the radio simply "gets your goat", and when you "get a bee in your bonnet" about it, the only thing to do is to write a letter to "get it off your chest." On the 8th of October, on BBC Radio 4's "Today" programme, John Rentoul, Evan Davis and Mark Pack were in conversation about the recent appointment of Liberal-Democrat MP Norman Baker to the position of Minister at the Home Office; a "jaw-dropping" event, we were told, because Mr. Baker was one of those curious untouchables of the modern world - a CONSPIRACY THEORIST!

James Lee WittArkansas freshman Rep. Tom Cotton is one of the most radical right extremists in the House and is considered a major mover-and-shaker in the GOP sabotage of the U.S. government and the American economy. When you hear talk about radicals unwilling to compromise and who are willing to drive the economy right over the cliff, Cotton is foremost among them.

by Rud Istvan The Associated Press ran an alarming news piece on 9/6/13:                     Climate Change Threatens Caribbean’s Water Supply It was picked up and echoed around the world, from Time Magazine’s … Continue reading →

Both Boehner and McConnell have tried reassuring voters-- who have turned massively against the Republican Party in poll after poll-- that the GOP will not shut down the government again in January.

Press TV
October 19, 2013
US troops pullout misnomer: Rozoff
Interview with Rick Rozoff
Video
Press TV has conducted an interview with Rick Rozoff, from Stop NATO International Network, from Chicago, over the United States calling for legal immunity for any US soldiers left in Afghanistan beyond the 2014 withdrawal.

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Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
Giuseppe Berto: A fable: The war was going well, the war was going badly
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Giuseppe Berto
From The Sky Is Red (1947)
Translated by Angus Davidson

Welcome to http://NewWorldNextWeek.com — the video series from Corbett Report and Media Monarchy that covers some of the most important developments in open source intelligence news. This week:
Story #1: ASEAN Countries Could Become Ground Zero For Another Proxy War
http://ur1.ca/fwlwc
Crisis Group: Stirring up the South China Sea
http://ur1.ca/fwlwk
Philippines, US launch South China Sea war games

In 1994, the Republican slime machine went after the wrong Foley-- purposefullyTom Foley, age 84, died Friday at his Washington, DC home. He was elected to Congress in 1965, succeeded John Brademas as Majority Whip in 1981, then Jim Wright as Majority Leader in 1987 and then Wright in 1989 as Speaker of the House. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Heather, who was at his bedside when he died. Wife, you ask? Don't be stunned.

RT | October 18, 2013

President Barack Obama has chosen a former Pentagon attorney who defended the extrajudicial killing of American citizens to man the helm of the United States Department of Homeland Security and replace outgoing Secretary Janet Napolitano.
Jeh Johnson, a general counsel for the Pentagon during the president’s first term in office, was named by Mr. Obama as his choice for new DHS secretary during a Friday afternoon press conference.

By Prof. Paola Manduca | MEMO | October 18, 2013

Despite U.S. and Western pressure on the opposition to take part in U.N.-sponsored talks aimed at halting the two-and-a-half-year-old Syrian civil war, most experts here believe the rebels are unlikely to show up any time soon. And even if they do, the results will be unlikely to change much of anything on the ground. The […]

When small children want something to go away, they close their eyes. Poof! The monster disappears. The spoonful of spinach vanishes. The spilled milk evaporates. Except that they don’t. U.S policymakers indulge in a similar variety of child’s play called collapsism. They close their eyes when they want a particularly despised adversary to go away. […]

The dusty cemetery in Saracha village hosts three new graves: small hills of soil shielding the bodies of Sahebullah, Wasihullah and Amanullah, three of the five boys and young men killed by an ISAF-NATO airstrike on late Friday, Oct. 4. According to the firsts ISAF-NATO reports, the five were “enemy forces”, “insurgents”, killed with a […]

The final parting of Brünnhilde (Anne Evans) and Wotan (John Tomlinson) in Harry Kupfer's Bayreuth production of Die Walküre -- we hear a snatch below.

At least 39 people were killed and 63 more were wounded in prayer day attacks.

by Judith Curry It’s your turn to introduce topics for discussion.Filed under: Week in review