How real journalists talk to each other

And actually listen.

Bill Moyers and Keith Olbermann.

China and Iran win

As Bush blunders on: (Quote is from front page brief on the article.)

In an audacious swoop, China has beaten off rivals from the US, Canada and Russia to secure a US$4 billion copper project in Afghanistan, leaving India to build hospitals and schools. And this week, China Petroleum Corporation sealed a $2 billion oil and gas development project in Iran, just as Delhi - at Washington's bidding - slapped banking restrictions on Tehran. By hitching its colors to the US-Israeli bandwagon, India is now paying the price for overlooking the reality that Iran is the only really viable regional power in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf.

When you piss all over diplomacy, this is what you get. Nothing and a broken big stick.

So... is bombing Iran still on the table because of this?

Update. Notice a theme?:

China has emerged as a leading and growing buyer of US debt, notably bonds linked to the troubled American housing market.

On the back of a business-first foreign policy, China is rapidly supplanting Europe as Africa's major trade and development partner. It is an intriguing geopolitical alliance between the world's fastest-expanding economy and the most impoverished continent. Meanwhile, the EU squirms as Beijing's non-interference policy ignores its lofty plans for good governance and sustainability.

A cultural shift is taking place in easternmost Russia, and it's not what Moscow fears. It's not the massive influx of unwanted Chinese long predicted in the press, but a more subtle and unexpected "Sino-ization" of ethnic Russians who are increasingly turning towards China as a land of tolerance and opportunity.

This will obviously be the century of China as the main superpower.

Apparently J. K. Rowling is a witch

Because she writes about wizards and witches and stuff so she must be one and it must be evil because witches are evildoers and must be burned or drowned or something....

Discussions found on the threads on Amazon discussing the sale of Rowling's The Tales of Beetle the Bard:

Gary Oates says:

Not that I have anything aganist witches, but I think now its fairly obvious that Rowling and her writings seem to be favoring a certain sect of paganism where she cleverly hides her beliefs and practices in a story where everyone can have a witchy, magical good time. There are several books that back me up available on this website stating that the Harry Potter books encourages kids to take an interest in witchcraft and a few even raises the possibility of real white magik spells in the Harry Potter books. The skull on this auctioned book and the drawings of several paganistic objects associated with witchcraft (including wizardry) only makes it more obvious. Just making a point to those who are confused about this whole issue... By the way, what is the difference between white and black magik when the power behind the both kinds of magik and their spells come from the same source?

I wonder what it feels like to be so benighted....

Join Congressman Robert Wexler

In asking for the impeachment of Dick Cheney.

The charges are too serious to ignore. There is credible evidence that the Vice President abused the power of his office, and not only brought us into an unneccesary war but violated the civil liberties and privacy of American citizens. It is the constitutional duty of Congress to hold impeachment hearings.

Hipparchia of Over The Cliff, Onto The Rocks has more.

The joys of photoshop

Maybe if we restarted the draft

Or something...


(Bumpersticker stolen from Pygalgia).

A day late, but never a dollar short

Phila of Bouphonia's Friday Hope Blogging. Excellent as usual.

Friday Cat Blogging

Wid sumbude elz' kat:

Why do you support this administration?

Arthur Silber:

The Bush administration has announced to the world, and to all Americans, that this is what the United States now stands for: a vicious determination to dominate the world, criminal, genocidal wars of aggression, torture, and an increasingly brutal and brutalizing authoritarian state at home. That is what we stand for.

And who says otherwise? The Democrats could -- and the most forceful means of doing so, the only method that is appropriate to this historic moment, the method that is absolutely required if we are to turn away from this catastrophic, murderous course, is impeachment. That is the one method the Democrats will categorically, absolutely not utilize -- because the Democrats are a crucial, inextricable part of the identical authoritarian-corporatist system that has led us to these horrors. They have all worked toward this end over many decades, Democrats and Republicans alike, and now the horrors manifest themselves explicitly, without apology, even with the sickening boastfulness of the mass murderer who is proud of what he has done, and who vehemently believes he is right.

So the dare goes unanswered. These horrors are what the United States now stands for.

We are the Nazis now. And anyone who disagrees, list the things we have been encouraged to embrace: preemptive attacks on sovereign nations, torture, intolerance, the mixing of church and state, mercenary armies. We have become a rogue nation in seven short years. It will take decades to climb out of this hole.

And we will be asked, as the Germans have been asked ever since WWII, if we had supported the Bush administration? And we will be asked to explain why.

A holiday movie

To make us dream of what might have been.

Via Avedon Carol of the Sideshow, It's a Blunderful Life!