8/29/2012

weight loss and movies

on morning edition today, allison aubrey had an interesting report about baby boom generation women and weight loss:
So what separated the successful dieters from the not so successful? For starters, cutting back on meats and cheeses was important. And eating fewer desserts and sugar-sweetened drinks such as soda or sweetened tea were both important.
But the most powerful predictor was what the women added to their diet. "The strongest effect actually was for fruits and vegetables," says Barone Gibbs.
The study found that four years after starting a diet, the women who added in daily servings of fruits and vegetables did best. The new findings, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics fit with another study published in the same journal last year that examined strategies for losing weight and keeping it off.



check out the whole story and add some fruits and vegetables to your plate!

e-mails want to know why i hate remakes?

i don't hate all remakes.

i'm not looking forward to a remake of 'carrie.'

i think the 'psycho' remake works up to the point julianne moore shows up.

that film that val kilmer did with marlon brando, 'the island of dr. moureu, i though val kilmer was deliciously sexy in that.  the film sucked but for val alone it was worth catching.

i thought 'his girl friday' tremendously improved on 'the front page.'

i hated 'high society' (a musical take on 'the philadelphia story.')


though i doubt any 1 could match demi moore's intensity, i could live with a remake of '7th Sign.'



let's close with c.i.'s 'Iraq snapshot:'


Wednesday, August 29, 2012.  Chaos and violence continue, Ibrahim al-Jaafari makes an idiotic statement, 400 Camp Ashraf residents move to Camp Liberty, Osama al-Nujaifi and Massoud Barzani meet up, two prisons in Iraq are now on a hunger-strike for an amnesty law to be passed, Roseanne Barr's campaign releases its first ad, Mitt Romney talks to the American Legion and offers a great proposal for veterans who go to college, and more.

In the land of orphans and widows, Al Mada reports, the poor -- including the widows and the orphans -- labor in the heat in places such as the brick plant where their faces are saturated with smoke and they're exposed to harsh conditions, verbal abuse and worse.  Jmria Ali explains that he starts working at six a.m. and continues to four p.m. with only 30 minutes for lunch.  He says he works alongside children and that he makes 15,000 dinars to the 10,000 the children are paid.  With so many living in poverty, unemployment so high and with inflation hitting Iraq, there are serious money issues in Iraq.  Thus far, Nouri's refused to share money from the oil surplus -- share that money with the people and his Cabinet recently insisted there wasn't any money to share leading Moqtada al-Sadr to politely call that assertion a lie.   Al Mada notes a meeting of political parties and blocs in Basra yesterday in which the consensus was that 25% of the proceeds from oil should be going to the Iraqi people.  This proposal would be popular throughout Iraq. 


While Nouri clutches tightly to the money, he freely orders people to the knoose.  AFP notes Iraq has executed 5 more people today which, when combined with Monday's 21, makes for 26 executions so far this week and "at least 96 the number of people executed so far this year."  The five today were not just Iraqi, they were also foreign nationals.  Alsumaria reports 1 Syrian and 1 Saudi were among those executed and that there are approximately 50 crimes which can result in the death penatly in Iraq.  Yesterday, Human Rights Watch's Joe Stork told Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN), "Our main concern is what were these people actually convicted of?  Terrorism does not tell us very much."  Dar Addustour adds that there are at least 200 executions still to be carried out.  The news outlet notes that an Iraqiya youth leader is calling for Iraq to stop the executions at least until the much talked of amnesty bill is passed into law.  The student accused the government of rushing to carry out executions for sectarian reasons.  Al Rafidayn notes that MP Haider Mulla is stating that they will vote on the amnesty last this Monday.

The claims of voting on an amnesty bill have been put forward repeatedly leading some to doubt that it will happen which is why prisoners in Mosul began a protest yesterday.  Dar Addustour notes that hunger strike continues, with all prisoners also doing a sit-in and stating that they will continue it until the amnesty bill becomes an amnest law -- in addition, the outlet notes that the hunger strike has now spread to the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad as well and is expected to spread to other prisons. 

 Al Rafidayn notes that Brigadier General Nazim Tayeh, with the Interior Ministry, was shot dead in Baghdad as his car passed the airport and they note that a Kirkuk roadside bombing claimed the life of 1 police officer and left another injured, a Riyadh bombing killed 3 security forces and left four more injured and another Kirkuk roadside bombing left two Peshmerga injured.   Bahrain News Agency adds that Brigadier-General Sardqader survived an attempted assassination in Kirkuk which left 3 police officers dead and another three injured.  AFP notes 1 Sunni sheikh was shot dead in Baghdad.

In addition, Dar Addustour reports that thieves dressed as police and driving apparent police vehicles robbed a car of 600 million dinars.  In a security addition, Daughters of Iraq are being brought into the system.  Al Shora reports:

 
"A decision was made to integrate members of the Banat al-Iraq organisation, the women's armed wing of the Sahwa forces that fought al-Qaeda in Diyala, into the local police force," said Amer al-Khuzaie, the Iraqi government's national reconciliation advisor.


Daughters of the Iraq were the female counterparts of the Sons of Iraq or Sahwa, also known as "Awakening."  From violence to weapons, All Iraq News reports that the US Embassy in Baghdad announced Monday that they had transferred the last 9 Abrams tanks to the Iraqi government -- making 140 US tanks (worth over $815 million) transferred to Iraq.  In related news, AKnews reports that Monday saw NGOs protesting in Erbil to register their opposition to the US government's plan to sell Baghdad F-16s and that the NGO's issued a statement which included:

The US is selling F-16 fighters to the Iraqi government while the majority of the Middle East regimes who used heavy weapons against their peoples are being pressed on to leave power and to get stripped of their heavy weapons.  The Iraqi government is not under any external threats from the air or the ground from borders.  The purchase of these fighters is not necessary.  Each of these planes have been purchased with a huge amoung of money which the Iraqi government could use on providing services to the people and reconstructing the country.  The government could buy passenger planes instead of F-16s.  Our concern and fear of the Iraqi government's purchase of those planes stems from our experience with the former Iraqi governments that used heavy weapons against their people.



On the political crisis front, Al Mada reports that Ibrahim al-Jaafari has declared that there's an open door for reconciliation between Baghdad and Erbil.  At one point, that might have meant something.  Maybe not.  But the reality is that the Kurds don't trust Ibrahim, didn't trust him in 2005, don't trust him today.  And since 2005, they've gotten additional reasons not to trust him.  So the idea that he can reach out with an olive branch is rather laughable.  After the US government, the Kurds were the biggest objection to Ibrahim getting a second term as prime minister following the 2005 elections.  AFP's Prashant Rao re-Tweeted this today:


4h
(Would you support 3rd term for PM?) Jafari: Personally I think 2 terms are enough. However, constitution places no limit on number of terms
Retweeted by
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And it's those sort of stupid comments by Ibrahim that guarantee no one outside of a small segment of the National Alliance will take him seriously. 


For the record, the press went crazy, in early 2011, over Nouri's 'promise' not to seek a third term.  They were silent for the most part when Nouri walked that promise back the next day.  The promise was made mainly because protests were taking place throughout Iraq and leaders in surrounding countries were at risk of being overthrown.  Iraqis weren't pleased that they went to the trouble of holding an election and ended up with the exact same prime minister, the exact same president and the exact same two vice presidents.  (A third vice president would be added.  At the time of Nouri's promise, there were two.) 


For months now, many have attempted to pass a law limiting people to two terms.  State of Law has very vocally opposed this; however, many Shi'ite politicians have issued public remarks indicating they supported it.  Sunnis and Kurds are opposed to Nouri having a third term.  And now Ibrahim issues his stupid remarks today which make him seem out of touch with the bulk of Iraq's political blocs.


Jalal Talabani may have a little bit more credibility than Ibrahim with the Kurds, Jalal is, after all, Kurdish;  however, he fled to Germany for a reason and remains there for a reason so maybe not.  Dar Addustour reports that Jalal is saying he'll return to Iraq in September and that he's agreed to meet with Osama al-Nujaifi, Speaker of Parliament, when he returns to Iraq.   He is also scheduled to meet with KRG President Massoud Barzani and there are rumors of a meet-up with Barzani, al-Nujaifi, Iraqiya leader Ayad Allawi and Moqtada al-Sadr.


Karwan Yusuf (AKnews) reports al-Nujaifi and Barzani met today and the two addressed the issue of Nouri al-Maliki and "also discussed the repercussions of the crisis in Syria and the seriousness of it moving into Iraq due to escalating violence in neighboring country."


The UN News Centre notes that another 400 Camp Ashraf residents were moved to Camp Liberty (also known as Camp Hurriya) today and quotes Martin Kobler, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Iraq, stating, "Three-fourths of the residents, 2,400 persons, have now moved to Camp Hurriya.  I thank them for their cooperation, and call on those remaining in Camp Ashraf to act in the same spirit and start preparations for additional moves without delay, in order to peacefully complete the process."


Kobler made no mention of Monday's violence (see yesterday's snapshot) when approximately 20 residents of Camp Ashraf were left injured by Nouri al-Maliki's forces. 


Despite that legal status and the the legal obligation on the part of the US government to protect the residents, since Barack Obama has been sworn in as US president, Nouri has ordered not one but two attacks on Camp Ashraf resulting in multiple deaths.  Let's recap.  July 28, 2009 Nouri launched an attack (while then-US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was on the ground in Iraq). In a report released this summer entitled "Iraqi government must respect and protect rights of Camp Ashraf residents," Amnesty International described this assault, "Barely a month later, on 28-29 July 2009, Iraqi security forces stormed into the camp; at least nine residents were killed and many more were injured. Thirty-six residents who were detained were allegedly tortured and beaten. They were eventually released on 7 October 2009; by then they were in poor health after going on hunger strike." April 8, 2011, Nouri again ordered an assault on Camp Ashraf (then-US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was again on the ground in Iraq when the assault took place). Amnesty International described the assault this way, "Earlier this year, on 8 April, Iraqi troops took up positions within the camp using excessive, including lethal, force against residents who tried to resist them. Troops used live ammunition and by the end of the operation some 36 residents, including eight women, were dead and more than 300 others had been wounded. Following international and other protests, the Iraqi government announced that it had appointed a committee to investigate the attack and the killings; however, as on other occasions when the government has announced investigations into allegations of serious human rights violations by its forces, the authorities have yet to disclose the outcome, prompting questions whether any investigation was, in fact, carried out." Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) observes that "since 2004, the United States has considered the residents of Camp Ashraf 'noncombatants' and 'protected persons' under the Geneva Conventions."



The residents are trapped in a kind of purgatory.  Unable to leave Iraq, they're being moved to former US military base Camp Liberty.  Approximately 2,000 have been moved so far with 400 more scheduled to be moved this week.  Why can't they leave Iraq?  During Bill Clinton's administration the MEK was delcared a terrorist organization.  Ignoring a federal court order for over two years to re-examine that classification, the Obama administration has kept the MEK labeled "terrorists."  As a result of that label, countries are reluctant to take in the residents.


AP reports that the residents are saying they were beaten and Nouri's adviser Gorges Bakoos is insisting that "we needed to search some of them by hand" -- and apparently a pat down is now done with a clenched first and possibly billy clubs?

Also avoiding mention of Monday's violence is the US State Dept.  The department's spokesperson Victoria Nuland issued the following statement this afternoon:

The United States welcomes today's safe arrival of the sixth convoy of approximately 400 
Ashraf residents to Camp Hurriya, the first such convoy in over three months. We welcome 
and are encouraged by this resumption of cooperation by the Ashraf residents in the 
relocation process as set forth in the December 25, 2011 Memorandum of Understanding 
(MOU) between the Government of Iraq and the United Nations. We call on the Camp Ashraf leadership to continue this progress by cooperating with the expeditious relocation of the approximately 800 remaining residents at Camp Ashraf.
The Government of Iraq has made considerable efforts to achieve a peaceful and secure resolution for the residents of Camp Ashraf, and we urge continued steps to address humanitarian concerns raised at Camp Hurriya by the residents. Recent progress includes 
the commencement of construction on a water purification station linked to an outside water source. The United States encourages these efforts and reiterates its commitment to work towards resolution of humanitarian issues at Hurriya, including sustainable means for the continued supply of water and electricity. The United States also reiterates its commitment to support the safety and security of the residents throughout the process of their relocation outside of Iraq.
As the Secretary of State said on February 29, 2012, "given the ongoing efforts to relocate the residents, the Mujahedin-e Khalq's (MEK's) cooperation in the successful and peaceful 
closure of Camp Ashraf, the MEK's main paramilitary base, will be a key factor in any 
decision regarding the MEK's [Foreign Terrorist Organization] status."



Camp Ashraf residents aren't the only targeted population in Nouri's Iraq.  Success Ucime (Ground Report) observes:



The exodus of the Christian population in Iraq has continued unstopped with the escalation of violence in the country.
This indication is contained in a report by the Open Doors (www.opendoorsuk.org) a United Kingdom (UK) Registered Charity adding that July 2012 was one of the deadliest months in Iraq since US troops withdrew in December 2011.
Quoting AFP news agency, it observed that attacks took place on at least 27 of the 31 days in July, leaving at least 325 people dead adding that in May, 20 Christian families living in Mosul received threatening letters.

As noted in yesterday's snapshot, Independent High Electoral Commission Chair Faraj al-Haidari and Commission members Karim al-Tamimi and Osama al-Ani "were found guilty of graft" and received a "suspended one-year prison" term.  Prashant Rao (AFP) obeserved, "There is bad blood between Haidari, a Shiite Kurd, and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's State of Law list over the aftermath of 2010 parliamentary elections, in which the premier's list came in second to the mainly Sunni-backed Iraqiya list of Iyad Allawi."  Alsumaria recaps the long campaign State of Law has waged against the commission since April.  They leave out the fact that a new election law was supposed to have been approved by now for the Electoral Commission and that provincial elections are supposed to take place early next year.  Among the disputes is how many commissioners should be on the board.  All Iraq News reports that Iraqiya declared today that they do not support increasing the number of commissioners and believe it should be left at its present number of 15.


July 19th, Martin Kobler, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Iraq, appeared before the UN Security Council and stated:


As we speak, my political deputy, Mr. [Gyorgy Busztin], is engaged in facilitation efforts to bring about the formation of a new, Independent High Election Commission which is representative of the main components of Iraq -- including women and children and minorities.  The urgent selection of the commissioners is essential for ensuring that the provincial council elections due to take place in March 2013 can be conducted on time. I'm concerned that the ongoing political stalemate is hindering the process however.  In recent days, I have discussed with political leaders -- including Prime Minister al-Maliki -- the need for a swfit conclusion of this political process and the need for an adequate representation of women and minorities in the commission. Today, I would like to re-iterate my appeal to all political blocs to expedite the selection of professional commissioners.  UNAMI stands here ready to actively assist.  



Earlier this month came news that Parliament thought they'd arrived at a stop-gap measure: they'd tack on 35 days to the current Electoral Commission.  AK News quoted the Chair of the Electoral Commission Faraj al-Haidari stating, "A new board of commissioners was supposed to be formed because the delay creates confusion.  The required period to complete the commission's procedures after the ratification of the election law and the budget according to international standards is six months."   Ayad al-Tamimi (Al Mada) reports a new problem today: Test on applicants for the next commission find them confused as to whether Iraq is a royal monarchy or a republic.  Prashant Rao (AFP) speaks to a variety of MPs who see the future commission as neither fair nor independent and an unnamed "Western diplomat" states, "This is no longer about an independependent electoral commission.  You cannot look at the IHEC issue in isolation . . . The consequences could be bigger."

Turning to veterans issues,  Sherry Mitchell (Hendersonville Star News) reports that Henderson, TN is holding a bass fishing tournament on September 15th and "[a]ll the proceeds from the tournament will be used to support veterans, returning military and their families."  Vietnam Veterans for America has (PDF format warning) the rules and entry form here.  Sabrina Wu (Patch) reports on the Walk All Our Soldiers Home parade planned for September 22nd in Darien, Illinois.  The Darien Chamber of Commerce notes that the "parade will honor our local military heroes.  Community involvement will be the cornerstrone of the event and we have invited all Darien families to participate in supporting the event by gathering pledges for marching in the parade.  A post parade fun celebration will be held at Darien Community Park." Meanwhile antiMusic notes  country music artist "Tim McGraw just wrapped his HomeFront program this past weekend in Boston, capping off a summer long campaign to award mortgage-free homes to veterans in need at each stop of his summer tour."  At the start of his tour last spring, Tim McGraw announced he'd present a veteran with mortgage-free home on each of his tour's 25 stops.  ABC News Radio reports he kept that promise and states, "Each family had touching stories and made an indelible mark on me.  From the Delucia family's amazing story of recovery and strength through physical injuries the first night in Tampa to the Connor family, who we suprised this past weekend at their new home with a puppy for their daughter Molly. . . I will never foget any of them."  The Call notes the homes were "part of a three-way partnership to recognize the sacrifices of military veterans involving McGraw, Chase Bank and San Antonio, Texas-based Operation Homefront, a non-profit program that provides mortgage-free homes to wounded soldiers. "  Country music artist Faith Hill joins her husband Tim  from December through April when the two of them headline at the Venetian  in Las Vegas.
The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead notes Suicide Prevention Month is next month and among the events in North Dakota:


Resource fair, 8:30 a.m. to noon, Sept. 10. Programs will include caregiver support, health care for homeless veterans, female veterans, health promotion, disease prevention, minority veterans, suicide prevention and more.• Sept. 9, First Link Walk of Hope for Suicide Awareness and Remembrance, Fargo Civic Center courtyard, 207 4th St. N. Registration begins at 1:30 p.m. For more information, call (701) 293-6462 or email info@myfirstlink.org.
• Sept. 23, Out of the Darkness Fargo-Moorhead Community Walk, Lindenwood Park, Fargo. Registration begins at 1 p.m. and the walk begins at 2 p.m. To register or for more information, visit www.outofthedarkness.org.



And Out of the Darkness notes:


In the United States, a person dies by suicide every 15 minutes, claiming more than 36,000 lives each year. It is estimated that an attempt is made every minute, with close to one million people attempting suicide annually. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. among adults 18-65, the second leading cause of death among teens and young adults, and individuals ages 65 and older account for 16 percent of all suicide deaths. This is a public health issue that does not discriminate by age, gender, ethnicity, or socio-economic status. Walk to save lives, find an event near you and register today!



Lonny Shavelson (Center for Investigave Reporting -- link is text and video) speaks to Iraq War veteran, Marine Cpl David Smith:



Smith: When I got out of the Marine Corps, I chalked everything that I was feeling up to just being normal. And I met a friend, and he happened to be a Marine. And we just kind of started talking about Iraq and stuff like that, and he could tell that I had some things that I was dealing with.
[On-screen text: That friend was Clay Hunt.]
[He also was waiting for disability benefits.]
Smith: He was the first person who I'd ever really talked to about Iraq, about, you know, some of the more tragic events or some of the more frightening things that happened.
The only way that it was going to happen is if another veteran came and got me and said, "Hey,   I've been there, too, and I know what you're going through."
Clay was just an amazing dude, but definitely had some other issues that he was dealing with.    We became extremely good friends. We'd literally go mountain biking, like, every single weekend – I guess try and clear our heads a little bit.
In March, 31st, I was asleep and my girlfriend came in, and she said, "Clay killed himself."
Clay? My Clay?
It's just kind of wild. Clay was also working on getting a claim through the VA. It's kind of     ironic – I think it was a week or two after he passed that, you know, his approved disability    rating showed up at his house.
From the time that I applied for disability to the time that my disability was finalized, it was        414 days.



Access to medical care -- and timely medical care -- is an important issue for veterans.  Karen Jeffrey (Cape Cod Online) reports:
Veterans on Martha's Vineyard are one step closer to having local medical services restored -- services that will enable them to get treated on the island rather than having to travel to the Providence VA Medical Center in Rhode Island.
U.S. Rep. William Keating, D-Mass., announced this week that a contract for veterans services on Martha's Vineyard has cleared one major hurdle: approval by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The contract must now be approved by the Providence VA Medical Center and Martha's Vineyard Hospital, where many of the services would be provided.



Over the weekend, Iraq War veteran Joshua Casteel passed away and IVAW's Jose Vasquez noted, "Joshua believed his illness was a result of his service in Iraq where he was exposed to the toxic fumes from burn pits and had submitted a compensation claim with the Veterans Administration." Across the country, hundreds of thousands of veterans -- nearly one million per the numbers the VA provided to Congress in July -- are waiting for their claims adjudicated.   Aaron Glantz (Center for Investigative Reporting via the San Diego Union-Tribune) reports:
California veterans who file with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for a war-related disability claim are waiting more than nine months on average for a decision, according to a review of VA data.
The review by the Center for Investigative Reporting found that San Diego performs better than the state's other two regional offices in terms of pending claims that have languished longer than the agency goal of 125 days.
In San Diego, the rate of such delayed cases is 66 percent, compared to 94 percent in Oakland and 96 percent in Los Angeles. San Diego claimants are waiting 291 days on average, compared to 363 days in Los Angeles and 346 in Oakland.


In the US,  the presidential election is underway.  Tom Brokaw offered (link goes to video at Huffington Post) that last night at the Republican convention, neither Iraq nor Afghanistan was mentioned despite the fact that both wars were "started by the Republican party and promoted by them in the early stages, with the assent of the Democratic Congress and Democratic Senate."  This morning, Kasie Hunt (AP) reported GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney will speak to the American Legion in Indianapolis today, face-to-face, while appearing at the Republican National Convention in Tampa via satellite to take part in a discussion of veterans' issues with Senator John McCain.  Sarah Huisenga (CBS News) reports, "Romney reiterated his desire to modify the post-9/11 GI bill so that veterans are eligible for in-state college tuition regardless of residency. He also promised to make reforming the Department of Veterans' Affairs 'a personal priority,' citing the 'reproachable failures' in swiftly processing claims, and vowed not to raise rates for Tricare, the military's health care program."  The in-state residency for veterans is a smart idea and something all the candidates for president should support.  It's so obvious now that Romney's suggested it that you wonder why it wasn't part of the original bill.  Huisenga and Hunt are two women covering the campaigns and women reporters are in the minority this election cycle.  Rachel Larris (Women's Medica Center) reported yesterday:


On Monday the Women's Media Center released the shocking statistic, calculated by The 4th Estate Project, that from the presidential primary period (January 1 to April 15) to the general election (April 15 to August 25), 72 to 76 percent of newspaper stories covering the 2012 presidential election were written by men.
The numbers come from a selection of 35 influential newspapers from across the country. Today we wanted to share some of the byline breakdowns for individual newspapers. The numbers reflect only news reports and excludes blogs and opinion columns. For any article with two bylines, the gender of the first name was coded for the entire article.


Though women appear to be fewer in the presidential election press corps, as candidates, they're making real strides.  For example, the vice presidential candidate for the Socialist Equality Party is Phyllis Scherrer (Jerry White is the presidential candidate)  and this election year there are two presidential campaigns made up of four women.  The four: Jill Stein has the Green Party's presidential nomination and her running mate is Cheri Honkala and Roseanne Barr has the nomination of the Peace and Freedom Party and her running mate is Cindy Sheehan. Click here to sign a petition calling on Ms. magazine and Women's Media Center to cover her campaign and the other female candidate for president Roseanne Barr's campaign.  Over 250 people have signed onto the petition so far.  Some sign and leave comments and we noted some of the comments in Sunday's "Women Win When Women Run: The conversation Roseanne and Jill are inspiring" at Third -- and "women win when women run" is a theme that repeats in the comments with several people signing noting that theme or expanding on it.


Johnny Green (The Weed Blog) notes and posts Roseanne's first campaign video.  Here's a transcript.

OBAMA On Medical Marijuana

[Footage of Barack speaking at a Minnesota Town Hall in August 2011, via CSPAN]

Barack Obama:  You know a lot of states are making decisions about medical marijuana, uh, [long pause] as a controlled substance.  The issue then is is it being prescribed by a doctor as opposed to, uh, [pause] you know, well -- I'll - I'll - I'll leave it at that.

ROMNEY On Medical Marijuana

[Romney speaking to a man at a campaign event]

Mitt Romney:  And you have syntheic marijuana that is available.

Man:  Makes me sick.  I have tried it and it makes me throw up.  I have tried all the medications there are and all the forms that come in [inaudible] stimulators or steroids.  I have muscular dystrophy, that's completely against my DNA

Mitt Romney:  I'm sorry to hear that.

Man:  My question for you is would you arrest me and my doctors if I get medical marijuana?

Mitt Romney:  I'm not -- I'm not in favor of medical marijuana being legal.

Man:  So would you have me arrested?

Mitt Romney:  I'm sorry --

ROSEANNE On Medical Marijuana


Roseanne Barr: Dave, you know one thing I want to say is Obama is trying to take our medical marijuana  over there in California and trying to send in federal troops to get our medical marijuana and I'll tell you this, Obama, you'll get my joint when you pry it ouf of my cold, dead fingers.  That's when.  And I know -- I don't want to get Obama's kill list.  You know, I got to look out for drones on my way home now I know.

ROSEANNE BARR
Supports your right to medical marijuana

ROSEANNE BARR
The only serious comedian running for President.

Show your support
SEPT 27th, 2012
Oakland, Ca.

Montclair Womens Cultural Arts Club
1650 Mountain Blvd
Oakland, CA 94611-2258 US

6-30 - 8:30 pm
Thursday, 27 September

Roseanne Barr: I'm Roseanne Barr and I approved this message.

Barr/Sheehan 2012

Announcer: Paid for by Rosanne for President 2012

Register Peace and Freedom Party
Vote Roseanne Barr for President
Attend the 27 September event in Oakland

On Labor Day, this coming Monday, September 3rd, we recognize the past sacrifices of working people in their struggles for emancipation, and rededicate ourselves to the movement for workers power in the year ahead. Please join Jill Stein, Cheri Honkala, and the rest of the campaign team in marking this holiday by taking part in your local Labor Day events. 
We know that many of you already have Labor Day plans for tabling, marching, and flyering. Check out our revised our flyer (CLICK HERE), and also have a special Labor Day editorial (CLICK HERE) by Jill Stein which you can print out and distribute.
Please be sure to contact HQ@JillStein.org to let us know how much you spent on copies.
If you have not already made plans, and don't know where to start, here are three easy steps:
  1. What to do: Round up a few other volunteers (friends, family, coworkers, you name it) ready to help get the word out on Labor Day.
  2. Where to go: Find your local Labor Day events here: http://local.americawantstowork.org/all
  3. What to bring: Plenty of copies of our halfsheet flyers (CLICK HERE TO PRINT OUT) and of our special Labor Day editorial (CLICK HERE), as well as other campaign materials you have on hand. Please be sure to contact HQ@JillStein.org to let us know how much you spent on copies.
Let's get the word out that while the bosses may own two political parties, working people finally have at least one: The Greens.


Another place women are visible in the presidential election this year is in the protest segment.  CODEPINK is currently protesting at the RNC.  Hopefully, they'll have the guts and courage to do as they did in 2004 and protest at the DNC as well.  Jean MacKenzie (Global Post) reports on last night, inside the convention hall:

But as Santorum wound down his speech, a commotion could be heard in the upper reaches of the cavernous hall. A young woman was screaming at the top of her lungs, although her words were indistinguishable to many down below.
It was Alli McCracken, coordinator for the Washington, D.C. office of CODEPINK, a women's organization dedicated to "working to end the war in Iraq, stop new wars, and redirect our resources into health care, education and other life-affirming activities."
McCracken, just 23, created quite a commotion.
"I got to speak for three or four minutes before they escorted me out," she said.
Her message was simple: If you claim to be pro-life, then do things that strengthen life. Stop the wars, help women get access to quality health care. Make education affordable.
"I don't think Rick Santorum is any worse than the rest of them," said McCracken. "They are all egregiously offensive in their own way."





cnn
Posted by at

8/28/2012

brian de palma


an e-mail came in agreeing with me that they shouldn't remake 'carrie,' but surprised that i'm such a brian de palma fan.

i love brian's movies.  he knows how to set up a shot, he knows how to make it flow, his sets and shots are full of rich textures.

he's also a funny guy.  c.i. has known brian for years.  i know him through her.  he's some 1 who likes pratical jokes, believe it or not.

with all the scary movies, you might not guess that he'd have a sense of humor, but he does.

but that's the person.

the director is what i want focus on because i was asked to list his 10 best films.  the e-mailer said his personal favorite was 'phantom of the paradise.'

i like that film but it doesn't make my top 10.

1) 'blow out'
2) 'dressed to kill'
3) 'carrie'
4) 'the fury'
5) 'redacted'
6) 'body double'
7) 'scarface'
8) 'raising cain.'
9) 'sister'
10) /the black dahlia.'

that's my top ten and my rank more or less stays the same with 'blow out' always at the top.

let's close with c.i.'s 'Iraq snapshot:'


Tuesday, August 28, 2012.  Chaos and violence continue,  Iraq War veteran and conscientious objector Joshua Casteel has passed away, Iraq executes 21 people (with more executions planned for tomorrow), Camp Ashraf residents are roughed up by Nouri's goons, Nouri's court finds three members of the Electoral Commission guilty, and more.
Iraq Veterans Against the War's Jose Vasquez notes that Joshua Casteel has passed away afte battling lung cancer.  In 2008, Claire Schaeffer-Duffy (National Catholic Reporter) noted Casteel was "an Evangical Christian" who became a conscientious objector and appeared in the documentary Soldiers of Conscience.  From the November 16, 2006 snapshot:
Starting with Ehren Watada -- the first commissioned officer to publicly refuse to deploy to Iraq.  Last week, the US military announced they would move to court-martial Watada.  The court-martial is expected to take place early next year.  Last night, Watada appeared on CNN's Paula Zahn Now program.  Speaking to Zahn, Watada explained how, as late as September 2005, he was willing to go to Iraq (and had volunteered to deploy with any unit) but "then I began findout out some things about how possibly that our government could have misled, not only the Congress, but also the public, and the world as to the reasons why we were going to Iraq, and there were never any weapons of mass destruction, there were never any ties to al Qaeda or ties to 9/11.  And I just -- at that point, I personally felt very betrayed as a soldier, willing to put my life on the line and willing to order soldiers to do the same, that we were sent to go and fight a war were the reasons were falsified."
After Watada's appearance, Zahn had a panel discussion.  Joshua Casteel noted "the Uniform Code of Military Justice tells us two things.  One is that we have an obligation to obey all lawful orders, but we also have an obligation to disobey all unlawful orders, and -- which includes disobeying orders that are unlawful, even if they come from the President of the United States.  Article Six, Paragraph Two of the United States Constitution dictates that treaties that the United States signs on to are to be considered the laws of the land, including among them, the Hague Convention on Land Warfare of 1899, the Neruember Principles, which in 1953, the Department of Defense declared to be official policy.  And Justice Jackson, who's the chief . . ."  Zahn interrupts to ask if Watada's stand is "justified."  Castell replies, "He is one of the few examples of moral courage that we have in the midst of plenty of individuals who show physical courage to go to Iraq and sacrifice for their country.  But what we need right now are moral leaders.  And Lieutenant Watada is an example of the kind of leadership that reminds us of our better nature and the aspirations of the United States Constitution." 
Jose Vasquez notes Joshua was at his friend Ricky Clousing's side when Ricky turned himself in August 2006.  In addition to speaking up for others who took brave stands, Joshua Casteel also inspired many people like  Logan Mehl-Laituri, the author of the new book   Reborn on the Fourth of July: The Challenge of Faith, Patriotism & Conscience.  Joshua Casteel  took part in IVAW's historic Winter Soldier in March 2008 and he took part in many other truth telling events.  
Jose Vasquez points out, "Joshua believed his illness was a result of his service in Iraq where he was exposed to the toxic fumes from burn pits and had sumbitted a compensation claim with the Veterans Administration."  Veterans for Peace's Mike Wong notes, "I remember so well standing behind and to the left of Joshua and watching him as he spoke at Ricky Clousing's press conference.  He spoke the truth so clearly and without hesitation.  He accomplished so much in his short life and will be sorely missed.  Thank you, thank you for all you have given, Joshua."
Yesterday Joshua went home to meet his Heavenly father and to embrace again his earthly father.  We miss him with all of our hearts and every ounce of our beings.  We cling to the promise that we will see him again.  His body is healed and for that we rejoice. 
When we finalize plans for his memorial service and celebration of his life we will post more information.  Thank you all -- Rebekah
The Republican National Convention is underway in Tampa.  Today former US Secretary of State and former National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice got a little attention today.  Mike Schneider (AP) reports CODEPINK's Medea Benjamin and other members announced they were present -- brandishing handcuffs -- to arrest Rice.  Tom Pennington (Getty Images) has a photo of CODEPINK with signs here.

Yesterday's snapshot noted War Criminal Tony Blair:
Now Tony's off to South Africa and Money Web reports a protest is planned for Johannesburg and quotes the president of the Al Jama-ah political party Ganief Hendricks stating, "The democration is being held to support a warrant of arrest to charge him for crimes against humanity relating to the invasion of Iraq which led to the killings of millions of Iraqis."  Arrest Blair For Crimes Against Peace notes his scheduled appearance in Johannesburg at the Discovery Invest Leadership Summit on Thursday and the site reminds: [. . .]
As Tony Blair prepares to speak at the Discovery Leadership Summitt in Johannesburg Thursday where the War Criminal will be pocketing a large sum of money for speaking, people prep for a protest and a possible citizen's arrest.   SAPA notes, "Attempts to arrest him have been made in China outside the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war and the European Parliament; and in Dublin, Ireland."  Whatever happens on Thursday, War Criminal Blair's impact is already being felt. 
BBC News reports, "Archbishop Desmond Tutu has pulled out of an event because he refuses to share a platform with Tony Blair.  The veteran peace campaigner said Mr Blair's support for the Iraq war was 'morally indefensible' and it would be 'inappropriate' for him to appear alongside him." Caroline Crampton (New Statesman) reports, "A spokesman for Archbishop Tutu told me that this should not be viewed as a nsap decision, saying that Tutu is 'a very prayerful man' who will have 'spent hours on his knees considering this decision'."   Free Malaysia Today quotes from the letter his office sent the ogranizers, "Ultimately, the archbishop is of the view that Mr Blair's decision to support the United States' military invasion of Iraq, on the basis of unproven allegations of the existence in Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, was morally indefensible."  His spokesperson Roger Friedman tells Reuters, "Morality and leadership are indivisible.  In this context, it would be inappropriate and untenable for the archbishop to share a platform with Mr Blair."
"Obviously Tony Blair is sorry that the Archbishop has decided to pull out now from an event that has been fixed for months and where he and the Archbishop were never actually sharing a platform.
"As far as Iraq is concerned they have always disagreed about removing Saddam by force - such disagreement is part of a healthy democracy.
"As for the morality of that decision we have recently had both the memorial of the Halabja massacre where thousands of people were murdered in one day by Saddam's use of chemical weapons; and that of the Iran-Iraq war where casualties numbered up to a million including many killed by chemical weapons.
"So these decisions are never easy morally or politically".
I don't get into 'moral' discussions.  I don't mind discussing ethics but never with War Criminals.  You'll note that Tony Blair's office steadfastly avoided whether "these decisions" are legal or not.  For obvious reasons.

AP is calling it a "scuffle," what happened at Camp Ashraf yesterday when 20 Ashraf residents were left injured.  When the US invaded Iraq, approximately 3,400 people were at Camp Ashraf.   They were Iranian dissidents who were given asylum by Saddam Hussein decades ago.  The US government authorized the US military to negotiate with the residents.  The US military was able to get the residents to agree to disarm and they became protected persons under Geneva and under international law.

Despite that legal status and the the legal obligation on the part of the US government to protect the residents, since Barack Obama has been sworn in as US president, Nouri has ordered not one but two attacks on Camp Ashraf resulting in multiple deaths.  Let's recap.  July 28, 2009 Nouri launched an attack (while then-US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was on the ground in Iraq). In a report released this summer entitled "Iraqi government must respect and protect rights of Camp Ashraf residents," Amnesty International described this assault, "Barely a month later, on 28-29 July 2009, Iraqi security forces stormed into the camp; at least nine residents were killed and many more were injured. Thirty-six residents who were detained were allegedly tortured and beaten. They were eventually released on 7 October 2009; by then they were in poor health after going on hunger strike." April 8, 2011, Nouri again ordered an assault on Camp Ashraf (then-US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was again on the ground in Iraq when the assault took place). Amnesty International described the assault this way, "Earlier this year, on 8 April, Iraqi troops took up positions within the camp using excessive, including lethal, force against residents who tried to resist them. Troops used live ammunition and by the end of the operation some 36 residents, including eight women, were dead and more than 300 others had been wounded. Following international and other protests, the Iraqi government announced that it had appointed a committee to investigate the attack and the killings; however, as on other occasions when the government has announced investigations into allegations of serious human rights violations by its forces, the authorities have yet to disclose the outcome, prompting questions whether any investigation was, in fact, carried out." Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) observes that "since 2004, the United States has considered the residents of Camp Ashraf 'noncombatants' and 'protected persons' under the Geneva Conventions."

The residents are trapped in a kind of purgatory.  Unable to leave Iraq, they're being moved to former US military base Camp Liberty.  Approximately 2,000 have been moved so far with 400 more scheduled to be moved this week.  Why can't they leave Iraq?  During Bill Clinton's administration the MEK was delcared a terrorist organization.  Ignoring a federal court order for over two years to re-examine that classification, the Obama administration has kept the MEK labeled "terrorists."  As a result of that label, countries are reluctant to take in the residents.

Matthew Russell Lee (Inner City Press) reported late yesterday:

Earlier today, after Ashrafis say they were left to wait three hours in temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, violence broke out. Photos of beaten Ashrafis, including an older man bleeding from the head, have been sent to Inner City Press.
  Inner City Press understands that the UN acknowledges that personnel of its mission, UNAMI, were present on the scene, and that some Ashrafis were hospitalized. This contradicts the claim by Gorges Bakoos, an adviser to Iraq's premier, there there was no violence, nor any injuries.
On August 28, Inner City Press went to the UN's noon briefing and asked about the incident.

   Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Associate Spokesman Farhan Haq replied that the facts were "in dispute" and that the UN needed "further details." Video here, from Minute 14:25.

   Inner City Press tweeted this response, juxtaposing it with the photo of the bleeding older man.  Subsequently the following UN response arrived by e-mail:
Subject: Answer on Camp Ashraf
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Tue, Aug 28, 2012 at 12:42 PM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com
UNAMI's preliminary reports confirmed that yesterday, an incident between residents and Iraqi Police led to some light injuries on both sides. However the situation returned to normal. Preparations for the relocation of the next group of 400 residents to Camp Hurriya are continuing and we hope the move will soon be completed.

Turning to today's violence, All Iraq News notes 1 military officer and 1 soldier were shot dead in Baghdad while a Ramadi roadside bombing left five people injured.  Al Rafidayn notes the roadside bombing was in Falluja and that eight people were left injured.  AP also notes the bombing was in Falluja with one of the wounded now dead and 4 soldiers were shot dead in Nibaie.
Today the Voice of Russia reports Iraq plans to execute "over 250 people" tomorrow.  This comes after a series of executions which took place yesterday.   All Iraq News notes that the Ministry of Justice has announced the completion of 21 death sentences with three of those being women.  Alsumaria speaks with a spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice, Haidar al-Saadi, who explains all the executions were carried out under Article IV of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2005 and with the approval of the presidency.  Xinua also notes the Ministry of Justice stating "the death sentences were carried out after the Iraqi Presidency Council approved the penalty verdicts for all those 21 convicts."

Presidency Council.  Iraqi President Jalal Talabani refuses to sign off because he's 'opposed' to the death penalty.   So he lets the vice presidents sign off.  With Tareq al-Hashemi now residing in Tukrey, that just leaves Khodair al-Khozaei.  If Talabani were truly opposed, he would prevent the sentences from being carried out.  He can do that.  Any member of the presidency council can veto an action.  That's in the Constitution.  Tareq al-Hashemi utilized that power in the fall of 2009 with regard to the election law when he didn't feel the refugee population was being properly represented.  So Talabani, if he were really against the executions, could use his veto power and that would be it.  Only one member of the council needs to lodge the objection.

AGI adds, "The executions were carried out on Monday, raising the death sentences carried out in Iraq since the beginning of the year to 91, including the 14 carried out on the 7th of February and the 17 on the 31st of January."  Emily Alpert (Los Angeles Times) reminds, "An earlier rash of executions in January was condemned by U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay as 'truly shocking' in light of grave concerns about due process and fairness in Iraqi trials."
Martin Kolber is the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Iraq.  July 19th, he testfied to the UN Security Council on the status of Iraq and his comments included the following:
Mr. President, Iraq retains the death penalty for a large number of crimes.  I therefore reiterate the call by the Secretary-General [Ban Ki-moon] and the High Commissioner of Human Rights for the government of Iraq to establish a moratorium on all executions with a view to their abolition.  I welcome that the authorities of the Kurdistan Region continue to implement a moratorium on carrying out executions which has been in place since 2007. 
Today Parliament returned for the first session since the month of Ramadan.   Alsumaria reports that 222 MPs plus Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi attended the session.  (There are 325 members of Parliament.)  Raman Brosk (AKnews) reports 225 MPs attended the session.   All Iraq News notes that various bills were read out loud.  All Iraq News also notes the belief on the part of MPs that the long bickered over amnesty bill will be addressed on Monday.  The delay has gone on for so long that a prison in Mosul has prisoners on a hunger strike protesting the delay in passing an amnesty law.
Alsumaria notes one thing the MPs supposedly agreed upon today was to amend the provinical elections law.  Provincial elections are supposed to take place March 2013.  Earlier Nouri targeted Faraj al-Haidari and another member of the Indendent High Electoral Commission, having them arrested. 
 It's not as if Iraq wasn't already in the midst of ongoing political crisis. Now Nouri al-Maliki's really bringing things to a boiling point. Mohamad Ali Harissi (AFP) reports, "Key political factions accused the premier of moving towards a dictatorship with the arrest of Iraq's electoral commission chief, a charge the prime minister denied on Saturday." As noted in yesterday's snapshot, Tuesday found the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy Martin Kobler praising the Independent High Electoral Commission and discussing how important it was to the upcoming provincial elections next year and then the parliamentary elections scheduled for the year after. So news that Nouri's had two members of that commission arrested on Thursday, as reported in real time by Raheem Salman (ioL news), was startling and alarming. The two arrested Karim al-Tamimi and the head of the commission Faraj al-Haidari.
 
Al Mada reports that Moqtada al-Sadr declared on Saturday that the arrests were indications that Nouri al-Maliki might be attempting to delay the elections or call them off all together. He makes it clear that the the arrest needs to be based on eveidence and not on some whim of Nouri's and that it shouldn't be done because Nouri desires to "postpone or call of the election." Al Rafidayn explains Nouri al-Maliki released a statement today decrying those who doubted the arrests were sound. The Baghdad court that Nouri controls made no attempt to even pretend to be impartial or about justice. This system is a nightmare and needs to be called out. It's very distressing that the Western press has refused to do so. The Supreme Judicial Council announced yesterday that Faraj al-Haidari had used UNHCR money to purchase plots of land and that he will face a seven year prison term for those actions.
AFP informs that al-Haidari and two members -- Karim al-Tamimi and Osama al-Ani -- "were found guilty of graft" they each received a "suspended one-year prison" term. 
The news outlet observes, "There is bad blood between Haidari, a Shiite Kurd, and
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's State of Law list over the aftermath of 2010
parliamentary elections, in which the premier's list came in second to the
mainly Sunni-backed Iraqiya list of Iyad Allawi."  Nouri and his kanagroo court.
Dropping back to yesterday's snapshot:
From equal playing fields to unequal ones,  Ayad al-Tamimi (Al Mada) reports the city of Kadhimiya is moving to prevent any woman from entering the city unless she is covered by a veil and that a group known as the morality police are following men and women in the city who were the hair 'differently' and that they stop women without veils and force them to put on veils -- they also force women wearing make up to remove it.  Force?  At least one woman has been beaten by the 'morality police.'  Raman Brosk (AKnews) notes that despite local press insisting this new law on the veil was passed by both the local government and the Baghdad Provincial Council, the provinice is stating, via the head of their legal committee Subbar al-Saadi, "Baghdad Provincial Council did not issue such a resolution.  A decision was issued to wear a head scarf or abaya inside the holy courtyard in the religious shrines in Kadhimiya, Najaf, Karbala or Samurra."  
Today, Al Mada reports that banners have gone up around Kadhimiya praising the annonced decision that women not wearing veils will not be allowed to enter the city.  The newspaper points out this refutes the claims made by the Baghdad Provincial Counil that this applied only to the area inside the courtyard. 
In the US,  the presidential election is underway and there are two campaigns made up of four women, two presidential tickets. The four: Jill Stein has the Green Party's presidential nomination and her running mate is Cheri Honkala and Roseanne Barr has the nomination of the Peace and Freedom Party and her running mate is Cindy Sheehan. Click here to sign a petition calling on Ms. magazine and Women's Media Center to cover her campaign and the other female candidate for president Roseanne Barr's campaign.  Over 250 people have signed onto the petition so far.  Some sign and leave comments and we noted some of the comments in Sunday's "Women Win When Women Run: The conversation Roseanne and Jill are inspiring" at Third -- and "women win when women run" is a theme that repeats in the comments with several people signing noting that theme or expanding on it.
As corporate lobbyists wine and dine the Republican and Democratic national committees in Tampa and Charlotte, Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala are beating at their doors.
Right now, Cheri is in the streets of Tampa with the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign and the tent city at Romneyville. Next week, Jill will arrive in Charlotte. And soon, with your help, we'll all be beating the drums of social progress together, as we launch our first major media campaign!
That's right. We may be coming to a cable channel near you. We've hired one of the most famous political advertising firms in the country. We've cut the ads. And the only question is how many millions of voters will see these ads.
We have until Thursday, September 6th, to raise at least $80,000. If we succeed in doing that, our ads will run in college town media markets from the Pacific to the Mississippi to the Atlantic. If we raise $120,000, we'll have viewership in medium sized cities of population 500,000 to 2 million. And if you help us raise $200,000, we'll be on in at least a couple major metropolitan areas.
The more money we raise, the higher chance that YOUR community will see one of these ads (you can see sneak preview pics from the shooting of these ads at right).
The timing is vital. The primary season ends on Thursday September 6th. This means that you only have until September 6th to get your contributions matched, dollar for dollar, up to $250, with federal matching funds. And this means that you only have until September 6th to donate the maximum allowable contribution of $2500.
Time is running short for another reason. We have to buy these ads now, well ahead of September 6th, so that these ads actually run in the primary season. Federal law requires that our matching funds monies be used in the primaries, by September 6th, and this means that we must reserve our cable and TV ad times right now.
See the graph below to get a sense of how many college town, medium city, and major metro media markets we can reach at each level of fundraising. And please donate right now: http://www.JillStein.org/donate
Ani Esmailian:  Roseanne Barr announces she's running for president.   Hey, everybody, this is Ani Esmailian for HollyScoop, Roseanne Barr, the same woman who wore a t-shirt with a giant chicken on it for nine years during her syndicated sitcom is officially running for president of the United States, for the Green Party, that is.  And this isn't a joke.  She actually registered with the Federal Election Committee late in January to run for the Green Party.  On Twitter, Roseanne lists some of the issues she plans to tackle forgiving student loans, kicking out the federal reserve, instituting single-payer health care, going after financial terrorists, reconfiguring American diets and fighting for gay rights.  Oh, and she also wants to legalize marijuanna.  A lot of you readers just got real political after that one.
Maybe.  But, Ani, Roseann's not running on the Green Party ticket.  Jill Stein's running on the Green Party ticket.  And, Ani, She's The Sheriff, starring Suzanne Somers, is an example of a syndicated sitcom -- a sitcom filmed for airing episodes for the first time in syndication.  Roseanne ran for 9 years on network television -- ABC, in fact -- and, like nearly every sitcom, it went into syndication with repeats of already aired episodes.
afp
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