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The Lollipop Incident
A post on YouTube of the infamous Lollipop Incident. It features Colt Cabana, Joey Ryan and Johnny Cockstrong in one of the most awkward wrestling matches in the history of the business. It involves things being done to a lollipop that should never ever be done to a lollipop.
July 2, 2015
Bill DeMott new job
While many were under the assumption that he might be done with professional wrestling forever, Bill DeMott has found a way to stay involved in the industry, and he picked up recognizable faces to help him out. DeMott, Mickie James and Brutus Magnus will be teaming up to host a camp where wrestling hopefuls get evaluated to see if they can make it in the business.
June 29, 2015
Jake Roberts tribute to Dusty Rhodes
A post on YouTube where Jake Roberts gives a heartfelt tribute to Dusty Rhodes, whose death earlier this month saddened the entire professional wrestling industry. Roberts talks about what Rhodes did for him when he was a kid and what he did for him when he joined the business.
June 24, 2015
GFW starts touring
A post on Twitter where Jeff Jarrett talks about the rich history of professional wrestling in the state of Tennessee and how proud he is that GFW is going to start their live events business there. He also invites fans to be there in person as Global Force Wrestling carves out a new chapter in the professional wrestling history books.
June 9, 2015
Kazarian in WWE
During a recent interview, Frankie Kazarian showed just how mature of a person that he is. When asked about his short stint in WWE, he admitted that the reason why he did not do well there was because he was not mentally mature enough for the job. He stated that he was not smart enough to realize that wrestling is a business and not just about the performance.
June 9, 2015
Justin Roberts writing book
Since he was with the company for a dozen years, Justin Roberts is going to have insight into WWE than the internet wrestling community has never had. He is hoping to make a profit off of that by writing a tell all book about his experiences backstage. The belief is that he will devote a good portion of the book talking about management made the business less fun for guys like him. He also does not see a bright future for the promotion.
June 5, 2015
AJ Styles hates TNA
A lot of professional wrestling fans are under the assumption that AJ Styles hates TNA because he refuses to do business with them again. However, when asked about why he turned down the offer to make a brief return and be inducted into the hall of fame, Styles stated that the decision had nothing with how he feels towards the company. He stated that the reason why he opted against it was because his home is now in ROH and New Japan.
June 4, 2015
WWE in Italy
TNA wasn't the only wrestling promotion finalizing a new television deal in Italy this week. Vince McMahon did so as well. He has secured a contract that will enable WWE to keep broadcasting their programming in that country until the year 2020. The promotion has been with Sky Italia since 2003. The network stated that the business partnership between the two sides have been mutually beneficial and should continue on for years.
June 4, 2015
Matt Hardy bashes fan
A post on Twitter where Matt Hardy bashes a fan who thinks that he understands how the wrestling business works.
June 4, 2015
Eva Marie joins Dwayne Johnson
It appears that Eva Marie has one of the smartest business minds in the wrestling business. Not only did she choose to learn from Brian Kendrick in the ring, she has now decided to sign Dany Garcia as her business manager. For those that do not know, Garcia was once married to Dwayne Johnson and is currently handling his business affairs. Johnson stated that he is building an entertainment empire, and Eva is now going to be a part of that success.
May 27, 2015


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Haswell, and maybe Iris graphics like the new MBPs.
What's up with the Haswell Mac mini?
Apple's June refresh of the MacBook Air saw the introduction of Intel's fourth-generation Core processors, internally called "Haswell." Apple's spent this autumn introducing new iMac and MacBook Pro systems that also use the Haswell architecture (except for the venerable "standard" 13-inch MacBook Pro, which still uses last year's chip). The all-new Mac Pro that's due out in December uses a different processor, so that leaves one lone holdout: the Mac mini. So where's the Haswell Mac mini?
Why Haswell?
Haswell doesn't really speed up core processing in the Mac as much as it improves efficiency. The biggest benefit is improved power management for laptops, which really doesn't translate into a significant improvement for desktop systems like the Mac mini.
But there are some tangible benefits to graphics performance with Haswell processors - the Intel HD 5000 integrated graphics run way faster than last year's model did. OS X heavily leverages OpenGL in its Core Image technology, so that means faster performance across the board, not just for games or video rendering, but most processes that touch graphics in some way.
There are other improvements to Haswell that provide better temperature regulation and other benefits, but they're not "customer facing" in the same way that improved battery life and better graphics performance are likely to be. It's because Intel employs a "tick tock" manufacturing model, where it introduces new chip architectures and then makes efficiency improvements (smaller die sizes, lower power consumption) on alternating years. The Haswell chip is a result of that "tock" - it builds on the truly significant Ivy Bridge CPUs we saw released last year, but doesn't make any revolutionary changes.
Having said that, Apple has used the refresh to improve other aspects of the Mac's design as well. Haswell Macs come with 802.11ac Wi-Fi, or Gigabit Wi-Fi - wireless networking that's up to three times faster than before. On some models that use Solid State Drive (SSD) technology, they've switched from SATA to PCIe interfaces, which translates into dramatically improved storage performance. On some models, like the new MacBook Pros with Retina Displays, Apple's incorporated Thunderbolt 2, which provides twice the bandwidth as the original Thunderbolt - capable of driving a massive 4K display, or transferring data much faster from a Thunderbolt hard drive or RAID array. For what it's worth, I don't think the Mac mini will get Thunderbolt 2 - the iMac didn't get it when Apple refreshed it but I wouldn't be surprised to see some other changes to make it worth your while to buy a new Mac mini.
So there are some really good reasons for wanting a Haswell equipped Mac mini, even if better battery life isn't applicable.
Apple's uneven Mac mini refresh cycle
The Mac mini has been a mainstay of Apple's product line since its introduction in 2005. It's Apple's entry-level Mac model, designed especially to give Windows switchers an inexpensive entry into the Mac realm - something they can just plug their existing screen, keyboard and mouse into and pick up where they left off from their desktop PC.
But Apple's been wildly inconsistent about refreshing the Mac mini over the years. They've refreshed the Mac mini in as little as five months, but one time they went more than a year and a half. That's led some pundits to write the Mac mini off over the years - certain that Apple's going to discontinue the little Mac at any moment because of Apple's apparent negligence.
It's not a case of negligence. Apple simply doesn't feel the same pressure to update the Mac mini with the same frequency or make it as much of a show as other Mac models because, well, the sex appeal simply isn't there. The Mac mini is a reliable seller season to season. And people do buy them. They're popular workgroup servers in corporate IT environments. Small and medium-sized businesses use them as all-purpose servers, especially now that OS X Server costs a scant $19. Home theater installers often use them as media servers - Apple's even built recent models with HDMI connectors to make it easier to connect to flat screen televisions.
In 2010, Apple unveiled a redesigned Mac mini that eschewed an internal SuperDrive, added HDMI and an SD card slot and made other changes. Since then, they've been on a more-or-less an annual upgrade cycle.
So where's the new Mac mini already?
So if past is prologue, the Mac mini is due for a refresh Real Soon Now™.
To be frank, I expected to see it updated when the new iMac and the new MacBook Pro with Retina Display made their debut last month. Because the Mac mini is often updated at the same time as other consumer-focused Mac models. And Apple usually makes it pretty low-key. Last year, for example, the Mac mini's refresh didn't even elicit its own press release - its update was mentioned in the same press release as Apple's all-new iMac.
As it is, I wouldn't be surprised to see a new model hit by the end of the year.
I don't expect that there will be a lot of major changes in clock speed to the new Mac mini, when it finally gets here. But integrated graphics improvements in Haswell, combined with some of the other changes Apple has made like faster Wi-Fi, will make the new Mac mini worth the wait once it gets here.
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Reader comments
What's up with the Haswell Mac mini?
I'm more concerned about the Apple TV. I am waiting for a refresh so that I'll buy it. Could you do an article on that Peter?
I'm with you. The Xbox 360 has been our media center for the past few years but I'm getting tired of the slow start up, slow app launching, heat, noise, size, power consumption, and as I've stopped gaming on it, the $35/yr hit to access streaming services.
I was extremely let down when there was no ATV announcement in October as rumored!
As an alternative, I was thinking of buying a Raspberry Pi and installing XBMC on it, to use as my media center until the new ATV comes out. But still, There's no way to watch my iTunes movies without connecting a Mac to my tv other than the ATV.
Actually, Google "airplay raspberry pi". There are a few options for enabling your raspberry pi as an airplay receiver. One project claims it even supports mirroring. IIRC, another tutorial said their solution works alongside any OS you want to throw on your raspberry pi. It may be a little less convenient than streaming directly on an ATV, but $35 for pi is hard to beat.
Yeah. But I've heard that all the AirPlay mirroring methods are quite unstable and takes a hell lot of a work to install. Is that true?
I haven't tried it myself, so I can't speak to any of that from experience. I view the mirroring as a perk -- especially in the context of a stop-gap solution . AirPlay video and audio would be my primary concern. The tutorial I read through didn't seem all that much work -- as compared to say, installing and configuring linux.
My other concern would be stability, but that's not something I've taken the time to look into yet. I guess the other trick is that even if it's stable today, it's a proprietary protocol, so Apple could break it with an update to iOS/OSX.
Then again, it's $35 in hardware, the worst case scenario is I find some other fun project to occupy my time until Apple gets their ATV together.
Hahaha! You're right. Beggars can't be choosers. :p
A Mac mini with Iris Pro graphics and PCI SSD would be sweet. My wallet is waiting.
Me too. I have a 2009 Mac Pro Tower. I have no use for the new Mac Pro. Don't want an iMac (already have nice monitors and keyboard) and don't want to make my MacBook Air my main Mac. A Mac Mini is the best, last hope.
Ive never had a Mac before. I have had an Iphone and Ipad for years now and continually update both those devices every few years. I have been waiting for about 4 months now to get a mac mini, and everyone I have talked to tells me to wait for the new one to come out. Come on already.
I was also waiting but bought a late 2012 Mac Mini, 1TB i7 processor and it does everything I need it for (I am not a Gamer), but I am using Parallels 9 and Windows 7; simply because I need Quicken while I transition to SEE Finance. I can switch between Mac OS X (Mavericks) and Windows 7 without any perceptible delay. Glad that I did not wait.
ipad mini has already been announced.
A dual slot user upgradable PCIe flash based Mac mini with thunderbolt 2 would be too good. Space saved from the removal of the had might lead to The mac nano perhaps, excellent for servers and studio drones. I like the iMacs but they suffer too many problems... The screen goes and yer out of a computer till it's fixed. You want a second display? You can't have them matching... Want to upgrade, can't keep monitors. The Mac Pro addresses these issues but is way too exp. I'd love to see someone calculate the number of hackintoshes being built especially in design environments.
"Apple's spent this autumn introducing new iMac and MacBook Pro systems that also use the Haswell "
Didn't they only introduce MacBook Pro Retina's NOT Macbook Pros? Seems to me the bottom end stuff is getting axed for just the more premium products and maybe the Mini is viewed similarly. That is maybe they aren't updating it/planning to phase it out which i think, sadly, they are doing to the affordable, storage filled macbook pro w/o retina.
The thing is bro, that despite the fact that Apple will never mention it, it has a HUGE brand value in countries like India and China. Because of this, it WILL keep its lower strata products to appeal to these second fiddle markets. I saw it happen with the marketing campaign happening in India for the 5C and the Macbook Air. Apple is not just a brand here, its a way of life. :p
I have no idea why they don't don't update some of those products. to me the seem forgotten or ignored.
It's apple. What did you expect? :p
They still have a 13-inch "standard" MacBook Pro which went untouched. I don't see "bottom end stuff getting axed," because that's exactly what remains in the MBP line. Along with two lower-priced MacBook Airs.
I think eventually they will. Why not give at least a new processor to the MacBook Pro? It's long overdue. And air's don't sacrifice storage and memory. By that i mean you can get them but you pay a ton more. Like if you want 500GBs and 8 mbs of ram you're over $1500, where as before that was the low end of macbooks. Now you pay an extra $600 or so bucks to get that. yeah you get a tiny 11 inch screen with a drive smaller than my old ipod. I guess that's fine for some but it's not remotely a replacement for those that need the storage. All the things i've heard rumored to be be axed are mac book pro, ipods, and minis. Interestingly, those are all the things that have gone unattended too for quite a long time. Too bad for me as i think they fill a role some of the other products don't, a music player for those that don't want data, the macbook pro is a laptop for people that don't care about screen resolution but need storage space and memory power at an affordable price. Lower priced? yeah, but they don't match the storage or screen size or memory of a macbook pro so to me they aren't replacement devices.
The worst part is, that in India they sell the Macs 'as is' so you can't upgrade your choice of MacBook. So I can't buy the 256 gb MacBook Air with 8gb RAM like I wanted to.
Isn't Haswell a tick? (A tick is new architecture, a tock is die-shrink)
Haswell is a tock, though the author of the article has things confused:
A tick is a new process node (ie 22nm, 14nm etc).
A tock is a major architectural overhaul, ie (Sandy bridge, Haswell).
Haswell is a major new architecture on the previous process node (22nm). It is NOT a minor revision of Ivy Bridge as the author claims. Next year however will be a minor architecture bump on a new (14nm) process node with Broadwell.
The Thunderbolt display is more than two years old now and definitely long in the tooth - reflecting Apple's industrial design pre-iMac 2012, when bezels were much thicker.
I wouldn't be surprised if Apple redesigns it and even offers a 4K display once the new Mac Pro ships in December.
Since the Mini doesn't run on batteries, the main advantage is mute. My i7 Mini only draws 12 watts a idle. That means it cost about a $1 a month in electricity. If Haswell cut that that in half, it would save me a whopping $6 a year. Since I'm not a gamer, nor am I transferring terabytes of data across my network, why pay extra. I say good move Apple. Keep the Mini prices down.
Actually, graphics performance touches just about every aspect of the Mac's system performance, since OpenGL is so interwoven into the experience. So it's not just games - it's every time the Mac lights a pixel on the screen.
I tried to buy a Mac Mini i7 yesterday in France : I go to the biggest electronic chain (Fnac) and asked the seller for 1 MacMini but none of them was in stock in the shop.
Then I asked the seller for an other shop with stock but zero in stock in Paris and suburbs.
Then I asked to order one : no stock at the central buying service...
...I asked him if it looks like a new model will be released : he confirms.
So I look at differents forum and made a little movie to show the actual stock of this company : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnhHfGvLEIM (But, unlike shown in the movie, they do not have any MacMini i7 in the "Paris-Italie2" shop)
It looks like a new product will be revealed soon... or Fnac and Apple are quarrelling :-)
May 7 and still no updated Mac Mini. If I buy an old one right now, Apple will announce a new one tomorrow. shall I go for it?
I wanna buy an i7 mac mini too, is it worth it ?! The late 2012 i7 costs only 700 euros in Greece...
Is a new macmini coming out ? I'm starting a new business in a month, and need a new computer asap... !!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
All signs point to a strong financial year for Burlington. A clean audit and $750,000 from a Burlington Electric Department billing error puts the City in a good position.
Lawmakers work late into the night Friday to find common ground on taxes and the budget before the final day of the session Saturday.
This is the third consecutive year Milton's school budget was voted down for the first try. School officials hope the second time continues to be the charm.
The recent stretch of winter weather that has hit the region has put a strain on winter maintenance budgets.
Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin is expected to outline his plan on how to close the state's deficit Thursday.
The Montpelier City Council held its first public hearing a time for the public to weigh in on the proposed budget.
Governor Peter Shumlin outlined some of his legislative priorities in 2015. For Vermonters it was simple: Taxes.
The governor announced $17 million in cuts needed to make up for a projected shortfall in revenue returns.
Until further notice the school will be closed starting tomorrow," said South Burlington School Board Clerk Martin Lalonde. That was a gist of a message for South Burlington parents: school and school activities have been put off, until the district teachers get their contract.
For me football is a chance to make history," said Missisquoi Valley Thunderbird's Quarterback Austin Sullivan. The MVU Thunderbirds are doing just that.
Lawmakers are worried medical providers aren't getting the money they need from state funding sources.
Vermont lawmakers are looking over a proposed $31 million in cuts to balance budget.
Governor Shumlin is asking for cuts not tax raises to fix wrong prediction.
As lawmakers wrapped up this legislative session we take a look back on the work they've done this year.
The city has a limited PR budget and finding a free way to promote the city is a bonus.
Hundreds of students, parents, and teachers tried to fight back against proposed cuts for the Burlington School District.
This will be a tough weekend for dozens of Burlington teachers.
Across Vermont, many school districts are having to take another look at their proposed budgets.
This winter has dumped plenty of snow and ice on the state of Vermont. South Burlington now finds itself "in the red" and over budget.
The weather over the last few weeks has been perfect for creating potholes. And this year crews are seeing larger potholes earlier in the season.
Property taxes could be going up in Burlington.


text: Kim Kardashian gets turned down Mon-03-Sep-12 16:58 Share this Tell Us What You Think WTF 0 LOL 0 FAIL 0 OMG 0 HOT 0 CUTE 0 ] KIM KARDASHIAN's dreams of landing a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame have been dashed - Hollywood Chamber of Commerce officials have advised her to start acting before they'll even consider her for a pavement honour. The socialite recently told V Magazine she wanted to become the first reality TV star to unveil a plaque on the sidewalk - but she has to do a lot more than just be famous, according to the bigwigs who select the honourees. A spokesman for the Chamber of Commerce tells The Hollywood Reporter, "Part of criteria in being honoured is receiving awards such as Emmys, SAG Awards, Oscars... in the category of television, live-stage performance or motion pictures. "And they have to have a career in the business of acting for five years or more."WENN.com You May Also Like Jay-Jay, Mike and Dom re-create Kim K's Paper Mag photoshoot (NSFW) Behind the scenes: JMDBreakTheInternet (NSFW) Kim Kardashian's butt on the cover of Paper Magazine (NSFW) Become a fan of The Edge on Facebook and on Twitter .


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false dichotomy by charles davis
Monday, June 15, 2015
On the killing of Ezell Ford and the impotence of civilian review boards
Friday, June 05, 2015
Protests and prisons
Earlier this week, California's state senate approved a bill that would strictly limit the use of solitary confinement at juvenile detention facilities. When I asked the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to comment on the legislation, I was told that there is no such thing as "solitary confinement" in California, the people who say they experienced it apparently mistaken (the state says the presence of a television, or the ability to take correspondence courses, means one is not truly in isolation). Read my report here.
Monday, May 18, 2015
A review of 'Syrian Notebooks'
Thursday, May 07, 2015
From Argentina to Iraq: I have an opinion
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Hillary the Hawk
What six weeks at Vice looks like
"America Helped Make the Islamic State," by Charles Davis (August 12, 2014)
"Israel's War on Palestine: It's Bad, but Is It 'Genocide'?" by Charles Davis (August 13, 2014)
"A Reddit Thread Claims a Hookah Lounge in Los Angeles Banned Jews," by Charles Davis (August 14, 2014) [EDITOR'S NOTE: It didn't; I investigated.]
"Instead of Killing Lawns, We Should Be Banning Golf," by Charles Davis (August 15, 2014)
"It's Not Just Ferguson: Protesting Police Violence in LA," by Charles Davis (August 18, 2014)
"This Teen Wants to Abolish School as We Know It," by Charles Davis (August 20, 2014)
"The LAPD Thinks It's at War and Now It Has Drones," by Charles Davis (August 22, 2014)
"The US Government Will No Longer Trick People Into Deporting Themselves," by Charles Davis (August 27, 2014)
"Hollywood's Latest Garbage: Our Tax Dollars at Work," by Charles Davis (August 28, 2014)
"Liberals Won't Let the Death Penalty Die," by Charles Davis (August 29, 2014)
"Immigrants Are Going to Have to Keep Waiting for Change," by Charles Davis (September 3, 2014)
"Why Should We Care What Mitt Romney Has to Say About Foreign Policy?" by Charles Davis (September 5, 2014)
"The Establishment Turns Against the Drug War," by Charles Davis (September 9, 2014)
"Is Obedience the Only Way to Avoid Police Brutality?" by Charles Davis (September 15, 2014)
"California Lawmakers Want to Limit Police Drones, but Activists Want Them Banned," by Charles Davis (September 16, 2014)
Read the rest of my archive here: http://www.vice.com/author/charles-davis
Pieces I wrote during this time but were published elsewhere:
"Payment on an Unpaid Basis," by Charles Davis (The Baffler; October 1, 2014)
"Why are banks opening branches… in high schools?" by Charles Davis (Salon; October 16, 2014)
Pieces I edited:
"Seattle's Former Police Chief Speaks Out Against Police Brutality," by Leighton Woodhouse (August 18, 2014)
"In New York City, Police Brutality Is Bringing People Together," by Aaron Miguel Cantú (August 19, 2014)
"Republicans Hate the New AP History Exam," by Avi Asher-Schapiro (August 20, 2014)
"People Are Blocking Cargo Ships to Protest Israel," by Charlotte Silver (August 21, 2014)
"We Asked a War Correspondent About the Origins of ISIS," by Leighton Woodhouse (August 25, 2014)
"Gross Old Men Are Hot and Bothered by War," By Belén Fernández (August 26, 2014)
"Al Sharpton Is a Huge Fraud," by Michael Tracey (August 26, 2014)
"The Police Aren't So Brave When Someone Has a Weapon," by Lucy Steigerwald (August 26, 2014)
"We Asked an Iraqi Teen What She Thinks of ISIS and America," by Zach Schwartz (August 29, 2014)
"Can the Feds Fix Local Police?" by Lucy Steigerwald (September 2, 2014)
"This Tribe Wants to Kick Rich People Out of the Hamptons," by Justin Doolittle (September 3, 2014)
"The Pentagon Is Giving Grenade Launchers to Campus Police," by Hannah K. Gold (September 5, 2014)
"Cops Can Take Your Stuff Without Convicting You of Anything," by Lucy Steigerwald (September 8, 2014)
"Rich Millennials on Trains Won't Save America," by Aaron Miguel Cantú (September 10, 2014)
"Militarized Cops Pretend to Fight Terrorists in Oakland," by Julia Carrie Wong (September 12, 2014)
"It's Time to Start Boycotting the NFL," by Michael Tracey (September 12, 2014)
"Anonymous Border Patrol Agents Keep Killing People," by Lucy Steigerwald (September 15, 2014)
"Child Refugees Are Pleading for Asylum in Downtown LA," by Leighton Woodhouse (September 17, 2014)
Pieces I commissioned but which ran elsewhere:
"Against Sharing," by Avi Asher-Schapiro (Jacobin; September 19, 2014)
"Prison Smells Like Balls: The Hidden Stench of Mass Incarceration," by Elizabeth Renter (Playboy; October 28, 2014)
"On and Off the Record with Graham Nash," by Mr. Fish (Huffington Post; November 23, 2014)
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Netanyahu, Sisi and Assad: Peas in a pod
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu likened Hamas to al Qaeda, ISIS and other extremist Islamist groups Tuesday as he implored the international community to hold Palestinian militants responsible for the bloodshed in Gaza. Israel's top politician said Hamas must be held accountable for rejecting multiple cease-fire agreements and a relentless attack on Israeli civilians.Egypt:
Netanyahu made his comments at a joint press conference in Tel Aviv alongside U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon. "What we're seeing here with Hamas is another instance of Islamist extremism, violent extremism that has no resolvable grievance," Netanyahu said. "Hamas is like ISIS, Hamas is like al Qaeda, Hamas is like Hezbollah, Hamas is like Boko Haram."
A month after an Egyptian court ruled that Hamas's armed wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, was a terror organization, another court on Saturday branded the entire group — including its political wing — with the same designation.Syria (note: Resistance State):
Since Egypt's military ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, the authorities have accused Hamas of aiding jihadists who have waged a string of deadly attacks on security forces in the Sinai Peninsula.
The Syrian regime no longer has any relationship with former ally Hamas and will never trust the movement again, Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview published Friday.
"There is no relation at all on the formal level or on the popular level," the president told Swedish newspaper Expressen, adding, "I don't think the Syrian people will trust them anymore."
Assad alleged that the movement had allied itself with extremist militants fighting in Syria.
He said that recent events in Yarmouk refugee camp "have proved that part of Hamas, which is basically a Muslim Brotherhood organisation, supports al-Nusra Front."
Monday, April 20, 2015
On claims in the Argentine media
"Wait, what?" was my in-real-time response, but I've since pieced together and here's the deal: That two-part series – part one; part two – concerned U.S. hedge fund manager Paul Singer's attempts to defame Argentina as a deadbeat backer of international terrorism as part of his campaign to shake down the South American nation for billions of dollars. In 2002, the Argentine government defaulted on its debt and while it reached deals with 93 percent of its bondholders to pay them back a fraction of what they were owed, people like Singer – people who run what are called "vulture funds" that do this sort of thing all the time – bought up a bunch of those defaulted bonds and took Argentina to court in New York City, de facto finance capital of the world, where he insisted it pay all that was owed. So far he's winning.
In addition to the legal battle, Singer has been fighting in the court of public opinion, using millions of his ought-to-be-confiscated wealth to fund a whole bunch of far-right hacks and the think tanks that employ them to link Argentina to terrorism by way of Iran. At the same time, in Argentina, prosecutor Alberto Nisman was investigating the 1994 bombing of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 people. Nisman was murdered in January, found in his apartment with a bullet in the head, but before he died he alleged that the Kirchner government was helping Iran cover up its role in that bombing so as not to jeopardize its expanding economic relations with the Islamic Republic. Singer, naturally, exploited this, with Nisman becoming a hero to neoconservatives and Republican lawmakers in Washington who are ever eager to allege that Iran is engaged in the same nefarious actions in Latin America as a previous generation accused deceased bogeyman, the Soviet Union; now as then, the allegations make headlines, but they rarely stand up to scrutiny.
I don't know who carried out the 1994 bombing: Some have charged that Iranian officials, acting officially or not, ordered the attack, while others claim right-wing elements in Argentina's intelligence service did it (the Kirchner government has accused these same alleged elements of feeding disinformation to Nisman and then killing him the night before he was set to deliver his findings to Congress, presumably an attempt at a "false flag"). What I do know is that in my reporting on Paul Singer I never uncovered any direct financial links between him and Alberto Nisman, though that appears to be the charge now being made by Kirchner and Jorge Elbaum, writing in the pro-government newspaper, Página/12 (there's an English translation on Kirchner's website, seemingly thanks to Google). It's a convenient allegation, combining two problems facing the Argentine state into one neat little enemy, but it's also not one that my reporting made. I'm not saying Nisman definitely didn't get any of that sweet Singer cash or steer some of it to his allies, just that from what I know Nisman's crusade – he was appointed as a special prosecutor to look into the AMIA bombing by Kirchner's deceased husband – was merely exploited by Singer and his allies in pursuit of their own, what-appears-to-be-separate agenda, not directly funded by his ill-gotten wealth.
Anyway, as far as being cited by a head of state goes, it could be worse but I don't really want it to happen again.
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Now accepting editor applications
Which brings me to my point: I need another editor, my last one at a national publication choosing to leave me for some hot new sketchy start-up. Could it be you?
My ideal partner is: Compassionate, but not a pushover; firm, but gentle; rigorous, but not a god damn pedant; and good with words, but not intent on replacing every other one that I write with a synonym.
What I can offer: A rollicking but respectful back-and-forth regarding every little edit you make – I'll keep you honest! – and, of course, exposure. You could be my editor; just think of all the doors that will open. If you think you have what it takes, submit an application to email@example.com. Be sure to include a paragraph or two on why I should choose you out of the dozens of other qualified candidates to edit the words that I write. And good luck!
Thursday, April 16, 2015
The week (so far) in links
"I know how much the German nation loves its Führer, I should therefore like to drink to his health." -- Josef Stalin, who in a wink-and-a-nod toward Hitler's anti-Semitism sacked his Jewish foreign minister ahead of the negotiations to divvy up Eastern Europe.Meanwhile, in the former Soviet Union:
Sergei Baryshnikov, one of the leading local ideologists of Novorossiya and the rector of Donetsk University, told me that we were now "at the first stage" of the recreation of a Russian state that would eventually take in everything that had once belonged to pre-revolutionary, imperial Russia. That would mean most of modern Ukraine and the three Baltic states. The exception would be Lviv and the far west of Ukraine, which before 1941 had belonged to Poland, and to the Austro-Hungarian Empire until 1918. They might be left out of the new expanded Russia. But he sees the restoration of the imperial Russian borders as "our historical mission." The very idea of a Ukrainian nation was like a cancer and needed to be extirpated, he said.
Whether or not everyone in the local leadership agrees with Baryshnikov and his call for a struggle that he believes could last years or decades is not so important. What is important is that his are ideas that feed into the creation of a general worldview, not just of the rebels but in policymaking circles close to Putin, whom Baryshnikov described as "our president" and "de facto, our leader."The National Security Archive at George Washington University has released U.S. government documents concerning the Eisenhower administration's discovery that Israel had developed nuclear weapons:
In the last months of 1960 as the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower was coming to a close, the U.S. government discovered that Israel had been building, with French assistance, a secret nuclear reactor near Dimona in the Negev Desert that could give Israel a nuclear weapons potential. The discovery caused apprehension within the Eisenhower administration by invoking concerns about regional stability and nuclear proliferation, but it also produced annoyance because Israeli officials at all levels provided less than credible answers to U.S. questions about Dimona.
One episode that helped create a sense of deception was that, in response to initial U.S. official questions about the construction site, the Israelis said it would be a textile factory. Over the years the "textile factory" story has acquired legendary status, but exactly when the story came about has been a mystery. But recently unearthed U.S. government documents — an embassy telegram and a memorandum by the Deputy Chief of Mission — help solve this historical puzzle. They show that during a helicopter flight in September 1960, with American Ambassador Ogden Reid and others of his staff on board, not far from the reactor site, Ambassador Reid (or one of the travelers) asked what the big construction site was. Their host, Addy Cohen, a senior Treasury Ministry official, replied, "Why, that's a textile plant." In December 1960, when the Dimona issue was publicly exposed, Cohen was asked why he had said "textile factory." He responded: "that was our story at the time." Cohen acknowledged that "we have been misbehaving" by keeping Dimona secret, but justified the project as a "deterrent" against Arab neighbors.'Every denial of Mass Murder by State sounds exactly the same, Armenian genocide edition. From The New York Times:
The Turkish government acknowledges that atrocities were committed, but says they happened in wartime, when plenty of other people were dying. Officials stoutly deny there was ever any plan to systematically wipe out the Armenian population — the commonly accepted definition of genocide.
Speaking of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Here's a woman who once claimed she had evidence that Turkish intelligence was blackmailing a US congresswoman with a secretly recorded tape of her engaged in lesbian sex -- evidence she gathered from her couple months spent as an FBI translator -- promoting another sounds-legit theory while appearing on a right-wing crank's conspiracy show:
"The Armenian diaspora is trying to instill hatred against Turkey through a worldwide campaign on genocide claims ahead of the centennial anniversary of 1915," Mr. Erdogan said recently. "If we examine what our nation had to go through over the past 100 to 150 years, we would find far more suffering than what the Armenians went through."
Huge, as they say, if true. Whatever one thinks of Edmonds, though: Donate! Buy her book! This DVD too! And #StayWoke!
Moving on: Russia's state media reports that Libya's internationally recognized government, which controls the Eastern half of the country, plans to revive some Gaddafi-era contracts with the Russian Federation. It's unclear which contracts are being referred to there, but back in February Al-Monitor reported that Russia was using Egypt as a middleman to sell arms:
During Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Cairo Feb. 9, the Libyan army's chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Abdulrazek Al Nadoori, also arrived in the Egyptian capital in an unannounced visit, in which he met with Russian officials to sign agreements for the supply of Russian weapons to the Libyan army.Libya, however, technically remains under a United Nations-imposed arms embargo, which the U.K. and U.S. have thus far been unwilling to remove. The Libyan government (or, again, one of its governments) is asking for Russia's help in lifting it. My humble, personal opinion: The last thing Libya probably needs right now is more guns.
Col. Ahmed al-Mismari, the spokesman for the Libyan chief of staff, told Al-Monitor, "Arming the Libyan army was a point of discussion between the Egyptian and Russian presidents in Cairo."
Finally, ON TWITTER (collective "ugh"), imprisoned whistleblower Chelsea Manning -- loved by those who love to see war crimes exposed; loathed by liberals for exposing the wrong party's criminals and Undermining Faith in Government -- has sent a handwritten note verifying that her social media account is not in fact a deep-state PsyOp meant to make us all love Spotify and Hillary Clinton or whatever online's #justaskingstupidquestions crew thought her use of emoticons was supposed to achieve.
Still, though: Why hasn't questioned the official narrative on 9/11 or, more importantly, linked to my blog? I, for one, will continue to keep one eyebrow raised.
LATE ADDITION: Corporate media coverage of the conflict in Syria continues to be abysmal, bad reporting aided by the fact there are precious few reporters on the ground. Case in point: While it may make for a good, sensationalist headline, not all rebels who are Muslim are "Islamists," not all Islamists are Al Qaeda and, as during the US occupation of Iraq, not all members of Al Qaeda's declared affiliate are actually true believers in its hermit leadership's ideology.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Saudi air strikes, backed by America, kill 38 civilians a day
Saudi Arabia began bombing its neighbor, Yemen, on March 26, responding to a call from the country's unelected president, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, for intervention to beat back a military campaign by Houthi rebels -- allied with former strongman and erstwhile U.S. ally, Ali Abdullah Saleh -- who the Saudi monarchy claims are nothing more than a proxy force backed by Iran in order to destabilizing the Islamic Republic's foes in the Arabian peninsula. That claim, making a complex power struggle out to be a Iranian proxy war and nothing more, if self-servingly reductionist, the product of Saudi paranoia that its own repressed population might see what's happening next door and rise up too (which would, of course, be blamed on Iran, just as other actors in region dismiss the idea their own brutality is the root of their problems in order to cast blame entirely on "outside agitators").
The rebels may not be saints, but even if Iran were providing the Houthis with every bullet they fire (ignoring for argument's sake that, in fact, many of those bullets were originally provided by the US government to Yemen's military before the rebels took them, while some weapons were reportedly handed to them directly by US personnel evacuating the country), the reality is that only one party to the conflict is bombing the country from the air with the support of the world's leading imperialist power. And that's killing a whole lot of innocent people.
From The Wall Street Journal:
At least 648 civilians have been killed since the intervention began, and Saudi-led strikes have hit hospitals, schools, a refugee camp and neighborhoods, according to U.N. officials.That works out to be at least 38 civilians killed by U.S.-backed Saudi air strikes each day, on par with Israel's last bombing run on the densely populated prison of Gaza, which reportedly worries U.S. officials who want the conflict to be over so they can resume killing alleged members of Al Qaeda (and, of course, whoever happens to be in the vicinity). I'd suggest the more powerful, morally defensible argument against the Saudi campaign is that it's killing 38 civilians a day, but there's a reason, I guess, that I'm writing on Wordpress and not being anonymously quoted in the WSJ.
Relatedly: I'd like to take this moment to caution against suggesting that this war places the war criminals "on the same side" of Al Qaeda, as Glenn Greenwald stated on Twitter in order to score points against the US and the Saudis; it's a good way to get retweets -- and bashing the American government and its awful allies is indeed a worthy endeavor -- but Greenwald's take is, alas, a hot and vulgar one that unfortunately has the effect of erasing the fact many of those fighting the Houthis on the ground in southern Yemen consider themselves socialists. I think these people would probably object to being cast as "on the same side" of a reactionary terrorist organization, whether that organization is Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula or the Saudi military, just as peace activists objected to the neoconservative smear that they were apologists for jihad because they were "on the same side" as jihadists in opposing the U.S. occupation of Iraq. All I am saying is: Give nuance a chance.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
All the news I feel like printing
After Bashar al-Assad's regime spent nearly two years massacring Palestinians in Yarmouk camp, after regime bombardments destroyed nearly 70 percent of the camp, after thousands were arrested and tortured to death, and after civilians were forced to resort to scavenging through trash and weeds to ward off starvation — after all this, the world is finally paying attention to the situation in this long-suffering southern Damascus neighborhood. And all they want to talk about is the Islamic State. I think this is a disgrace.Fellas: If you're going to commit war crimes and, unlike the Islamic State, you don't want to attract the world's attention -- make sure you shave.
"Palestinian Envoy Broke PLO Line to Agree Yarmouk Deal With Assad Regime":
The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) official who announced an agreement for a joint military operation between the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's regime and Palestinian factions against ISIS in Yarmouk refugee camp did so against PLO wishes and policies because of allegiances to the Syrian government and may be removed from his position as a consequence, Newsweek can reveal.
This week, Ahmed Majdalani, the former Palestinian Authority Labour minister, headed a delegation to the Syrian capital, Damascus, from the West Bank for talks with the Syrian government and yesterday confirmed that a "joint operation centre" will be created for Palestinian groups in Syria and the Syrian regime to coordinate an offensive against ISIS after the terror group captured large parts of the encampment last week.
However, a senior official within the PLO, speaking on condition of anonymity to Newsweek, said that members of the Palestinian executive body were "very upset" with Majdalani's breaking of the PLO's official line to announce cooperation with the Syrian government, claiming that he did so because the faction of which he is the secretary-general, the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front, is supported by the Assad regime.
Another PLO official, Wasel Abu Yousef, said that the Syrian regime may destroy the encampment by bombing the site behind the claim of attacking ISIS, as eyewitnesses revealed to Newsweek yesterday that the regime had barrel-bombed the camp's main hospital.
"We know that if the [Syrian] army, with its planes and tanks, would interfere, this would mean the complete destruction of the camp," Yousef told the Associated Press.
"Reuters Iraq bureau chief flees after death threats over story"
The Baghdad bureau chief for Reuters has left Iraq after he was threatened on Facebook and denounced by a Shiite paramilitary group's satellite news channel in reaction to a Reuters report last week that detailed lynching and looting in the city of Tikrit. The threats against journalist Ned Parker began on an Iraqi Facebook page run by a group that calls itself "the Hammer" and is believed by an Iraqi security source to be linked to armed Shiite groups. The April 5 post and subsequent comments demanded he be expelled from Iraq. One commenter said that killing Parker was "the best way to silence him, not kick him out."Here's the story that has these Iranian-organized and U.S.-armed militias so upset. Meanwhile, from the BBC: "Karl Marx on Alienation." Gillian Anderson (yes) explains Marx's theory on how capitalism alienates workers, reducing them to cogs in the machine who only truly live a few hours a day when they're not toiling away making products they themselves can't afford so a rich person they've never met can become even richer.
Alienated though they may be, workers have not lost their humanity. "If We Left, They Wouldn't Have Nobody":
When an assisted living home in California shut down last fall, many of its residents were left behind, with nowhere to go. The staff at the Valley Springs Manor left when they stopped getting paid — except for cook Maurice Rowland and Miguel Alvarez, the janitor. "There was about 16 residents left behind, and we had a conversation in the kitchen, 'What are we going to do?' " Rowland says. "If we left, they wouldn't have nobody," the 34-year-old Alvarez says. Their roles quickly transformed for the elderly residents, who needed round-the-clock care. "I would only go home for one hour, take a shower, get dressed, then be there for 24-hour days," says Alvarez.Finally, a blast from the not-so-distant past, when another dictator beloved by the GlobalResearch.ca pseudo-left was cozying up to the absolute worst the imperialist West has to offer. "Gaddafi wants EU cash to stop African migrants":
"Tomorrow Europe might no longer be European, and even black, as there are millions who want to come in," said Col Gaddafi, quoted by the AFP news agency. He was speaking at a ceremony in Rome late on Monday, standing next to Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. "We don't know what will happen, what will be the reaction of the white and Christian Europeans faced with this influx of starving and ignorant Africans," Col Gaddafi said. "We don't know if Europe will remain an advanced and united continent or if it will be destroyed, as happened with the barbarian invasions."
Tuesday, April 07, 2015
On Russia, Ukraine and different brands of imperialism
Sunday, April 05, 2015
Our terrible world, in links
SANA, Yemen — At least nine people from a single family were killed when what appeared to be an airstrike by the Saudi-led military coalition struck a home in a village outside Sana, Yemen's capital, officials said Saturday.
Village residents gave a higher toll, saying that as many as 11 members of the Okaish family, including five children, were killed in the bombing on Friday. The airstrike may have been intended for an air defense base about a mile and half away, a Yemen Interior Ministry official said.Meanwhile, in Asia, the United States is encouraging its ally, Japan, to abandon its U.S.-drafted pacifist constitution so it can offload some of the cost of militarily containing China, something the country's ultra-nationalist prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has been more than willing to do, fond as he is of his nation's much maligned war criminals. Some still remember history, however, and are warning against this. Again, in the Times, "Retired Japanese Fighter Pilot Sees an Old Danger on the Horizon":
"I fought the war from the cockpit of a Zero, and can still remember the faces of those I killed," said Mr. Harada, who said he was able to meet and befriend some of his foes who survived the war. "They were fathers and sons, too. I didn't hate them or even know them."
"That is how war robs you of your humanity," he added, "by putting you in a situation where you must either kill perfect strangers or be killed by them."
"I realized the war had turned me into a killer of men," he said, "and that was not the kind of person I wanted to be."
A Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports official told the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency that women and their families would be allowed to attend most athletic events, except for those of "masculine" sports, like wrestling or swimming, during which male athletes wear uniforms or suits that cover little of their bodies.Speaking of the Islamic Republic, one of the more curious things to me is that the recently agreed upon framework for a deal with Western powers over its nuclear program is that members of United Against Nuclear Iran, a billionaire-backed alarmist group that many have perceived as an Israeli proxy, are cautiously supportive even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is bellowing that the deal threatens the whole existence of his white supremacist settler colony:
The Iranians won the right to research, but not to use more modern machines for production for the next 10 years.
At Arak, which officials feared could produce plutonium, another pathway to a bomb, Iran agreed to redesign a heavy-water reactor in a way that would keep it from producing weapons-usable fuel.
Those conditions impressed two of the most skeptical experts on the negotiations: Gary Samore and Olli Heinonen of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard and members of a group called United Against Nuclear Iran.
Mr. Samore, who was Mr. Obama's top adviser on weapons of mass destruction in his first term as president, said in an email that the deal was a "very satisfactory resolution of Fordo and Arak issues for the 15-year term" of the accord. He had more questions about operations at Natanz and said there was "much detail to be negotiated, but I think it's enough to be called a political framework."I realize all these stories are from the Times. What can I say? They had a good week. I'll do better next time.
Saturday, April 04, 2015
The Iraqi State
"They waved their knives in the air, to cheers from the crowd, and chanted: 'We will slaughter him. We will take revenge for Colonel Imad. We will slaughter him.'
The policemen laid the Egyptian's head over the curb. Then one of the police pushed the other out of the way and he swung his whole body down, landing the knife into the Egyptian's neck.
The cop lifted the knife and thrust the blade in the Egyptian's neck a second time. Blood gushed out, staining the boots of the cheering onlookers.
The killer started to saw through the neck, but it was slow-going. He lifted the blade again and slammed it into the Egyptian's neck another four times. Then he sawed back and forth."
Friday, April 03, 2015
In 2011, Syria 'did not know poverty'
The trip is grotesque enough: Dialogue is one thing, lending "left" cover to a man whose family has grown extremely wealthy by exploiting the working class is quite another. What's especially galling is that, in an article recounting their fantastic journey, these "anti-imperialist" authoritarians allow a regime official to say the following:
"Syria was formerly one of the fastest developing countries in the world," [Assad adviser Bouthaina Shaaban] continued, "and one of the safest. We have free education and health care. We did not know poverty; we grew our food and produced our own clothing. At universities, 55 percent of the students were women. In whose interest is it to destroy this heritage? Who is the beneficiary of this?"One adequate response to this might be: "LMAO, what?" But seeing as this is a blog on the Internet and I have all the space in the world, allow me to quote another article, this one from the World Socialist Web Site.
"But aren't they Assad apologists too?" an earnest reader asks. And I'm glad they did because yes, the folks at WSWS kinda actually are -- but this article is from 2010, back before some leftists decided that "anti-imperialism" requires dismissing the efforts of tens of thousands of regular people to overthrow their neoliberal oppressors, U.S. aligned (Libya) or not (Syria), and reducing said uprisings to Zionist/American/Saudi imperialism. Back in 2010, some socialists were reporting on the actual factors that would cause the residents of rich, tranquil Syria to later rise up against their benevolent leader:
Poverty in Syria has increased significantly in the past five years. The United Nations Human Development's study of Poverty in Syria 1996-2004 is the most comprehensive statistical report currently available. It found that the wealth gap widened and 11.4 percent of people, or 2.2 million of Syria's 21 million population, lived in extreme poverty, defined as unable to obtain their basic food and non-food needs, a sum equal to SYP92 or US$2 per capita per day. Syria Today reports that a new United Nations Development Programme report due out shortly states that this figure rose to 12.7 percent in 2007.
A 2007 Central Bureau of Statistics report shows that the number of people living in poverty—those only able to cover a "reasonable amount" of their basic needs—rose from 30.1 percent to 33 percent between 2004 and 2007. But since 2007, the situation has deteriorated sharply. The property real estate boom and the removal of some of the subsidies have increased the cost of living.
The turn to the market and inward investment has led to few new decent-paying jobs, while the lifting of trade restrictions has increased imports and led to a fall in exports to Turkey and other countries, forcing small traders and services out of business. Unemployment is officially about 8 percent, but unofficial estimates put it at about 20 percent, with many more under-employed.
Real wage growth has fallen, according to official data, from 9.9 percent in 2005 to 3.2 percent in 2007, implying a fall in living standards as prices have risen, with little left over for education, culture or leisure activities.On top of all this, Syria suffered a severe drought in the years leading up to the 2011 uprising, with 1.5 million people leaving their arid lands for the city, which "had a catalytic effect" in a country, according to a report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
While foreign meddling of the Russian, Iranian, Saudi, Qatari, Turkish and American variety has no doubt had a negative impact on Syria, leftists would do well to remember that outside agitators are historically ineffective at getting tens of thousands of people to take to the streets in a totalitarian state where chanting "down with the dictator" might very well earn one a bullet in the head. Imperial powers will always attempt to shape events in their favor, with varying degrees of success, but the masses are not as easily manipulated as the likes of Ramsey Clark and Cynthia McKinney; when poor people rise up, it's generally because they have nothing left to lose. That some of these superficially "left" Assad apologists would present a neoliberal dictator's denial of the existence of poverty in Syria as truth in the service of an easier to digest "anti-imperial" narrative speaks pretty loudly to the intellectual and moral poverty of the authoritarian left.
(h/t Ben Norton)
Thursday, April 02, 2015
My journalism requires free alcohol
My second thought: Nobody loves stories about journalists as much as other journalists, which leads to their proliferation in the media, but why, when the author himself says there was no "editorial meddling from the top," must we be subjected to thousands upon thousands of words about "epic managerial incompetence"? At least the former has the benefit of at least ostensibly being a story about something other than thoroughly typical inter-personal drama; of being about Issues, not just office politics. This, though? If First Look Media were an Applebee's, Silverstein would staple 8 sheets of paper from a yellow legal pad to the comment card on the table detailing, precisely, how the entire damn team working that Wednesday night, from host to busser, was incompetent and grossly unprofessional. His complaints might even have the merit of being true, but we would all have a good snicker at the entitled guy freaking out over a lukewarm mozzarella stick on a dirty plate.
Employees were initially told that we were free to spend whatever we needed for our reporting and the company simply asked that we spend its money responsibly, as we would if it were our own. But soon new orders came down from management that made it difficult to pay for a source's drinks—and to report, at least in Washington, it is pretty much required that you be able to take sources out for drinks to have discreet, relaxed conversations. Over time, management began closely scrutinizing expense reports. Some of us became so frustrated, and intimidated, that we decided to simply stop expensing some legitimate reporting costs because it wasn't worth the hassle of trying to get reimbursed.The next nine words, in bold, are sincere: Silverstein has a done a lot of good journalism, if not so much at The Intercept (EXCLUSIVE: PROSECUTOR SAYS HE GOT THE RIGHT GUY.). He was a reliably good read at Harper's and I have no reason to doubt some of that good journalism was indeed helped along by a source drinking seven Manhattans on the company dime. But most journalists – I want to say the vast majority of journalists, including those in Washington – are expected to churn out journalistic content, including "exclusives" that can go "viral," without any sort of expense account and usually without health insurance or even a business card on which the words "staff writer" are printed. I have had outlets offer to publish stories that could get me sued but which declined to offer me any legal protection; they were happy to take the clicks, but the liability was to be all mine. Freelancers in war zones are paid as little as $50 a piece and it isn't much better in more peaceful places with higher costs of living. Reporters are expected to take all the risks, getting the story however they can, a process made harder by the fact no one just hands scoops to journalists who lack reliable access to major platforms, with the expectation they will be paid primarily in exposure. ("And maybe that will lead to something," every freelancer's mother says on the phone when they aren't in the mood to broach the subject of law school again).
Silverstein is certainly right to knock a billionaire for being a cheapskate – just pay for the god damn booze, Pierre – but his complaints are remarkably tone-deaf in an age when most of his peers would gladly trade the hassle of filling out an invoice every time they write a $150 article for the extreme hassle of saving receipts from the bar. I don't blame anyone for wanting the free drinks and editors who will just hit "publish" on whatever one sends in, but you can tell he comes from the shrinking but comfortable world of staff writing, where the concept of an "expense report" isn't just an inside joke among jaded freelancers. If alcohol is an essential part of reporting, it's largely because journalists use it to cope with the conditions of journalism, which the 1 percent of journalists at the top would do well to acknowledge lest they come off as a bit spoiled and out of touch. The problems Silverstein details might make for good gossip over a beer, but they are also the sort of problems many others would love to have.
Finally, much has been made about the fact Silverstein says he never bothered to Google "Pierre Omidyar" before going to work for Pierre Omidyar.
Understandably, thise strikes some as unbecoming of an investigative journalist, but truth be told: All billionaires are terrible people and in journalism, as in most professions, there are really no "good bosses" (not even Amy Goodman). Maybe it would've been smart to dig up a little dirt before accepting the gig, but what would Silverstein have found? That this obscenely rich individual offering to fund his journalism was motivated by something other than the pursuit of truth and justice? That a billionaire surrounded by people whose job it is to praise him would have an inflated sense of his own abilities? Because that's the case everywhere and every writer who wishes to do more than just wank off on WordPress in front of a dozen people who already agree with them (hello) is forced to deal with the same thing no matter where they work: Capitalism.
In the absence of viable alternatives, the journalist who aspires to be more than just a transcriptionist for power but needs money to live is required to accept that money from people they probably would not want bring home to meet Mom and Dad, at least if they desire a platform that makes the sacrifice of journalism worth it (and if one's writing and politics are more than just an attempt to fashion an online identity, with no real attempt to change minds much less the world, platforms do actually matter). If one finds the positives, such as access to food and an audience, don't outweigh the compromises? Charge one last drinking binge to the company and move on -- but if you're privileged enough to have that expense account, which you use to file two to three stories a month, not two to three every single day about what's trending on Twitter and Reddit? Forego the "Why I Left _________" essay and, now that you're freelancing, write about the exploitation of independent contracting; you'll have to buy your own booze, but at least the source who will be drinking it will be you.
That said, Have you at least thought about law school?
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Cops get $4 million after killing black man
The officers did have their day in court, though – they sued, alleging discrimination. Would a white cop who kills an unarmed black man get stuck behind a desk or would they get a promotion and be hailed as a hero on AM radio? A jury ruled in their favor, awarding over $4 million to the two killer cops whose only punishment had been getting to keep their jobs as police while facing none of the risks cops cite to justifying killing civilians.
"God damn America." – Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Is the CIA deliberately funding Al Qaeda?
On March 14, The New York Times published an article entitled, "C.I.A. Cash Ended Up in Coffers of Al Qaeda," detailing how the government of Afghanistan used "a secret fund that the Central Intelligence Agency bankrolled" to help pay a $5 million ransom to Al Qaeda, which had kidnapped an Afghan diplomat. Responding to the headline, those who suggest the US government is deliberately funding Al Qaeda in order to create an enemy whose existence it can then cite to justify intervention chortled at the Times' use of the passive voice. "Oh, come on," the marginalized conspiracy theorists groaned, "it just 'ended up' in their hands, now did it?"
The New York Times often runs terrible headlines, but I would suggest that those who believe this article, based on documents that were reportedly recovered in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, provides evidence for their theory that the United States is funding Al Qaeda on purpose, are quite mistaken
And the see-through-the-spectacle analysis they apply to Washington? It could also be applied to one of its long-time foes, were their analysis coherent and consistent. Reading past the headline, one discovers that while the Afghan government did indeed take $1 million from that secret fund to pay off an Al Qaeda ransom, "$4 million more [was] provided from other countries." Pakistan "contributed nearly half the ransom," the paper notes, while the remainder that didn't come from the CIA "came from Iran and Persian Gulf states, which had also contributed to the Afghan president's secret fund."
Are we to believe the Islamic Republic of Iran is deliberately funding Al Qaeda as well? Not only did it help pay the ransom, it contributed to the same secret slush fund as the CIA. That money just "ended up" in the hands of a group whose existence Tehran has cited to justify intervening in both Syria and Iraq? Yes, actually: I don't believe the evidence that's not the case is any stronger with respect to Iran than it is with respect to the United States.
If Washington (or Tehran) wanted to fund Al Qaeda, it wouldn't need to go the indirect route of dropping bags of cash outside Hamid Karzai's office in Kabul in the hope that some of it would in turn, on occasion, be used to pay off 20 percent of a ransom: It could just end its policy of not paying the ransoms itself. Many have called for it do just that and it would be far from alone in doing so.
"Paying Ransoms, Europe Bankrolls Qaeda Terror," The New York Times reported last July, noting that Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland have all paid ransoms directly to Al Qaeda and its affiliates: $165 million since 2008, according to the U.S. Treasury Department, and $66 million in 2013 alone. "Only a handful of countries have resisted paying," the Times observed, "led by the United States and Britain." If the U.S. empire really does have a deliberate policy of funding Al Qaeda, this stance is perplexing: Here is a clear and convenient opportunity to hand over millions of dollars to extremists, openly, in a way that much of the public would find morally defensible, and it's not . . . because? I'm sure someone has a theory -- I just doubt it's any good.
This ain't 'anti-imperialism'
To be young again . . .
These days, most anti-imperialists still hold to the idea that opposing the dropping of bombs does not require simply ignoring or excusing the crimes of any nation-state that is not currently allied with the criminal regime in Washington. Being against war does not, actually, require that one reflexively defend war criminals – a word justly applied to those who would bomb and starve Palestinians, for instance, be they in Gaza or Yarmouk – under the infantile reasoning that raising awareness complicates the antiwar cause. Moral credibility is the anti-imperialist's strongest card and it's lost forever when dead children in one place demands all of our outrage while in another conspicuous silence is seen as the only way to be effectively antiwar, or the only way to not be an imperialist, even, which can get confusing: Is this sectarian death squad backed by America or Iran? Both? Damn, this is hard.
If you're an American, it makes sense to focus on American war crimes and support for them, but it also strikes me as increasingly indefensible to simply ignore the humanitarian crisis in Syria, to name one glaring example, where nearly a quarter million are dead and millions more living in destitution as refugees, because the man most responsible for the killing, hereditary dictator Bashar Assad, is not on good terms with the White House that feeds him intelligence on its bombing campaign against the Islamic State. What's become clear is that some who were the biggest critics of George W. Bush are some of the biggest defenders of Assad's "war on terror," every atrocity at worst the regrettable consequence of fighting "imperialism" and "jihadists," though the vast majority of victims are civilians and not all Sunnis with guns are members of ISIS.
To these sorts, the war in Syria is but an abstraction -- the West vs. a perhaps unsavory (though secular and moderate!) dictator -- but let's take a look at what is actually being defended by amoral "anti-imperialists":
What's seen in this video is what happened on March 16, 2015, in the town of Sarmin, where eyewitnesses report that "Syrian armed forces helicopters dropped four barrels containing [chlorine] gas," as noted by Amnesty International. A hundred people were exposed: "a small number of fighters from the Free Syrian Army armed group, but the vast majority . . . civilians," including a an entire family with three small children that suffocated to death. As in every war, those who suffer the most are not the imperialists or the butchers who justify their butchery in the name of anti-imperialism, but innocent men, women and children. This sort of incident is no anomaly in Syria, though typically the atrocity is carried out the humane and enlightened way: with conventional weapons that tear people limb from limb.
"I saw body parts everywhere," one resident of Raqqa told Amnesty after the Syrian military bombed a crowded marketplace there. "I carried 40 bodies to cars, ambulances and pick-ups that transferred them to [hospitals]." In the span of two weeks last November, regime airstrikes on the Islamic State-occupied city, in "most cases" on non-military targets, killed up to 115 civilians, including 14 children – more than the U.S.-led airstrikes on ISIS have killed in over six months (Syria's state news agency hasn't reported on civilians killed by either U.S. or Syrian bombs).
Again, even if one were to believe all that is claimed from Assad's apologists and the vulgar reductionists of the reactionary "left," the vast majority of people the Syrian government is killing aren't "jihadists" or "imperial proxies" or "Contras," but Syrian civilians: 176,000 of them, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, on which the United Nations relies for such statistics; though the Islamic State boats of its crimes, more people have allegedly been killed by the regime snipers (5,761) than the social media-savvy terrorists. And according to Physicians for Human Rights, "The Syrian government is responsible for 88 percent of the recorded hospital attacks and 97 percent of medical personnel killings, with 139 deaths directly attributed to torture or execution."
If one takes these numbers with an iceberg of salt – which would be fair enough given the fog of war in a country where journalists are denied access by the government and killed by ISIS – the overall picture is fairly clear and the idea that this picture is the product of a State Department fabulist is more than just an absurdity, it's an insult. Rather than denial, anti-imperialists ought to own the fact that a lot of evil can be perpetrated without the direct support of the U.S. empire -- and that the only thing that could make Syria even worse at this point would be an imperial "liberation" by way of airstrikes on the regime or Marines on the ground.
Skepticism is certainly warranted when allegations are made about a state the American empire doesn't like, but one can be skeptical without being an apologist who white-washes war crimes and baits as an "imperialist" anyone who doesn't believe every dead baby is the product of a rebel false flag. If I were a young intelligence officer (let me stress that: if) trying to come up with a PsyOp to discredit the anti-war left, though? I would suggest doing just that. There's no better way to tar anti-imperialists as rank apologists than having anti-imperialists become rank apologists.


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Lirael (The Abhorsen Trilogy...Garth Nix
New York Times bestseller Lirael is perfect for fans of epic fantasy like Game of Thrones. In this sequel to the critically acclaimed Sabriel, Garth Nix draws readers deeper into the magical landscape of the Old Kingdom.Lirael has never fel… more
Lirael (The Abhorsen Trilogy Book 2)
The Keys to the Kingdom #3: ...Garth Nix
The next spellbinding book in best-selling author Garth Nix's magical Keys to the Kingdom series.Everyone is after Arthur Penhaligon. Strange pirates. Shadowy creatures. And Drowned Wednesday, whose gluttony threatens both her world and Art… more
The Keys to the Kingdom #3: Drowned Wednesday
The Keys to the Kingdom #1: ...Garth Nix
Average wait: 6d, 13h
Best-selling author Garth Nix creates a magical world and an intriguing mystery in this new blockbuster series.Seven days. Seven keys. Seven virtues. Seven sins. One mysterious house is the doorway to a very mysterious world — where on… more
The Keys to the Kingdom #1: Mister Monday
The Keys to the Kingdom #2: ...Garth Nix
Average wait: 86d, 2h
Arthur Penhaligon's magical adventures continue as he faces a new grave danger — in the form of an enemy named Grim Tuesday. More amazing fantasy from best-selling author Garth Nix.Arthur doesn't think he will ever have to return to the s… more
The Keys to the Kingdom #2: Grim Tuesday
Sabriel (The Old Kingdom Book 1)Garth Nix
Game of Thrones fans will love the New York Times bestselling Abhorsen series. Sabriel, the first installment in the trilogy, launched critically acclaimed author Garth Nix onto the fantasy scene as a rising star.Since childhood, Sabriel ha… more
Sabriel (The Old Kingdom Book 1)
The Keys to the Kingdom #7: ...Garth Nix
Average wait: 61d, 20h
The fantastic conclusion to Garth Nix's NEW YORK TIMES bestselling series!Seven days. Seven keys. Seven virtues. Seven sins.In this thrilling conclusion to Garth Nix's Keys to the Kingdom series, Arthur Penhaligon must complete his quest… more
The Keys to the Kingdom #7: Lord Sunday
Clariel: The Lost Abhorsen (...Garth Nix
The long-awaited fourth book in the New York Times bestselling Old Kingdom series by Garth NixAward-winning author Garth Nix returns to the Old Kingdom with a thrilling prequel complete with dark magic, royalty, dangerous action, a strong h… more
Clariel: The Lost Abhorsen (The Abhorsen Trilogy Book 4)
Across the Wall (The Abhorse...Garth Nix
Nicholas Sayre will do anything to get across the Wall, back to the Old Kingdom.Thoughts of Lirael and Sam haunt his dreams, and he has come to realize that his destiny lies there, along with all those he cares for. But here in Ancelstierre… more
Across the Wall (The Abhorsen Trilogy)
One Beastly BeastGarth Nix
One beastly beast that's more than meets the eye. Two aliens with slimy tentacles and too many eyes fixed on adopting a human son. Three inventors and a sea serpent, a princess, an orphanage, and two ships full of pirates.Four fantastic tal… more
One Beastly Beast
Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz...Garth Nix
Average wait: 6d, 18h
Sir Hereward. Knight, artillerist, swordsman. Mercenary for hire. Ill-starred lover.Mister Fitz. Puppet, sorcerer, loremaster. Practitioner of arcane arts now mostly and thankfully forgotten. Former nursemaid to Hereward.Sir Hereward and Mi… more
Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz: Three Adventures
Sabriel with Bonus Material ...Garth Nix
For a limited time, Sabriel by New York Times bestselling author Garth Nix is available with a special sneak peek of the highly anticipated A Confusion of Princes.Since childhood, Sabriel has lived outside the walls of the Old Kingdom, away… more
Sabriel with Bonus Material (Old Kingdom)
Troubletwisters Book 2: The MonsterGarth Nix, Sean Williams
Average wait: N/A
The spectacular new middle-grade fantasy series from bestselling authors Garth Nix and Sean Williams.Since moving to the town of Portland, many bizarre things have happened to Jaide and Jack Shield. The twins have discovered their own magi… more
Troubletwisters Book 2: The Monster
Troll's-Eye View: A Book of ...
Everyone thinks they know the real story behind the villains in fairy tales?but the villains themselves beg to differ. In Troll?s-Eye View, you?ll hear from the Giant?s wife (?Jack and the Beanstalk?), Rumpelstiltskin, the oldest of the Twe… more
Troll's-Eye View: A Book of Villainous Tales
WitchlandersLena Coakley
Some prophecies thwart danger. Others create it. "Fans of contemplative, psychologically rich (but no less action-packed) fantasies à la Ursula Le Guin will welcome this warm, inventive debut" (BCCB, starred review).High in their mountain c… more
100 Must-read Fantasy Novels...Nick Rennison, Stephen E. Andrews
Fantasy is one of the most visible genres in popular culture - we see the creation of magical and imagined worlds and characters in every type of media, with very strong fan bases in tow. This latest guide in the successful Bloomsbury Must-… more
100 Must-read Fantasy Novels (100 Must Read)
IncarceronCatherine Fisher
Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells and corridors, but metal forests, dilapidated cities, and wilderness. It has been sealed for centuries, and only one man has ever escaped. Finn has always been a prisoner here. … more
Devoured Earth, The (Books o...Sean Williams
In a glacial lake at the top of the world' salvation and destruction await … Haunted by a ghost from the future' Shilly and her man'kin allies are drawn into the snowbound mountains on a mission to save the world. Yod' trapped by the Cas… more
Devoured Earth, The (Books of the Cataclysm: Four)
Newt's EmeraldGarth Nix
After the Newington Emerald is stolen at the height of a conjured storm, eighteen year-old Lady Truthful Newington goes to London to search for the magical heirloom of her house. But as no well-bred young lady can hunt the metropolis for a … more
Newt's Emerald
Fire and HemlockDiana Wynne Jones
Polly Whittacker has two sets of memories. In the first, things are boringly normal; in the second, her life is entangled with the mysterious, complicated cellist Thomas Lynn. One day, the second set of memories overpowers the first, and Po… more
Fire and Hemlock
Representations of Technolog...Noga Applebaum
In this new book, Noga Applebaum surveys science fiction novels published for children and young adults from 1980 to the present, exposing the anti-technological bias existing within a genre often associated with the celebration of technolo… more
Representations of Technology in Science Fiction for Young People (Children's Literature and Culture)


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October, 2013
The final score line hides the effort and passion the Fromberg/Roberts team put into their Homecoming encounter with Winnett-Grass Range last weekend. Despite going down 55-6, the Fromberg/Roberts teams kept to their objective to break down the opposition's defense and do what they could to disrupt their offense. Miles Guenthner and Duncan...
To the Editor, I would like to use this forum to publicity thank Crystal and Laura at the Bridger Public Library for the courtesy and professionalism which they have afforded me when I find myself needing help while in the library. They are an asset. Groucho Marx has been quoted as saying, "Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best...
To the Editor, There is a lot to admire about Ed Williams. Ed brings solid credentials as a candidate running for Mayor of Red Lodge. His vast, varied, and successful business career provided the strong foundation necessary for his effective contributions to the Red Lodge City Council for the past 3 years. Ed's experience in dealing with...
To the Editor, I have known Ed for over 40 years, seventeen of which he managed various businesses where I was an investor in the business. For several years Ed was the Chief Financial Officer of a public company in Melbourne, Florida that did classified work for the Department of Defense. In that position he managed numerous employees as...
To the Editor, I was amused by Mr. Lehnherr's letter espousing juvenile opinions and comments concerning the Republican dinner and movie event on Oct. 6. You see, he's the man who wasn't there. If he had been at the Republican event, he would have enjoyed an excellent meal in the company of people exploring the issues of "...
To the Editor, Bridger Cares would like to heartily thank everyone who helped make the Sixth Annual Clothing Swap the most successful one ever. We had a record number of individuals bring clothes and take clothes. Many of the people who brought clothing on Friday morning stayed to help sort, thus making our job much easier. Kudos to you folks. We...
To the Editor, I was one of those oblivious loons attending the snake oil rally and getting fed propaganda and a meal and was also greatly offended by the "ironically funny" letter on 'Fracking Misinformation.' I didn't see blinders on any in the attending group, just intelligent people wanting to be better informed,...
While Congress contemplates, Montana farmers and ranchers are hard at work. The sugar beet harvest is ongoing in Carbon County. Corn is being harvested. Grains are in. Montana Department of Agriculture (DOA) spokesman Ron Zellar reported, "We have two state employees assisting in the federal National Agriculture Statistical Survey....
Arthur E. French III passed away suddenly on Sept. 30, 2013, in Red Lodge. He was 49 years old, born on July 19, 1964, in Bryn Mawr, Penn. He was called Beau by his family and Boz by his friends in Montana and New Jersey, where he spent most of his life. He is survived by his mother, Sandra Rhodes of Palm Coast, Fla., his three sisters, Wendy...


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Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) - Related Sites
Department of Justice — Freedom of Information Act Guide
The guide contains an extensive discussion of FOIA exemptions and its procedural aspects written by the Justice Department's Office of Information and Privacy.
Department of Justice's Privacy Act Overview
This overview provides a discussion of the Privacy Act's disclosure prohibition, its access and amendment provisions, and its agency recordkeeping requirements.
Freedom of Information Act Post
The FOIA post is an online replacement for FOIA Update, established by the Office of Information Policy in 2001, to provide information and guidance to federal agencies on FOIA related matters. This publication is posted by the Department of Justice's Office of Information Policy.
Text of the Freedom of Information Act
A Citizen's Guide to FOIA
This booklet was prepared by the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight.
Attorney General's Memorandum for Heads of Departments and Agencies regarding FOIA, March 19, 2009
President's Memorandum for Heads of Departments and Agencies regarding FOIA, January 21, 2009


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In All Wound Up, where does Aubrey first find Tucker?
Read the excerpt from All Wound Up.
Two lucky winners will each win a copy of Playing to Win, Book Four in the Play-by-Play series.
Bridget T., Scottsdale, AZ
Gladys P., Houston, TX
(April 2015)
Sue G., North Royalton, OH
Collen C., Goodyear, AZ
(February 2015)
Candice A., Toledo, OH
Adrienne P., Houston, TX
(December 2014)
Congratulations to the winners of Jaci's most recent contest, who each picked their favorite criteria of Chelsea's 10 for "The One" in Love After All. Two lucky winners will each win a signed copy of Hope Flames.
From the excerpt of Love After All:
She scanned her list, nodding as she ticked off the attributes in her head.
- Never married. Guys with exes carry a lot of baggage and woes.
- Has to be a suit and tie kind of guy, because it means he cares about his appearance.
- Has to work a 9-to-5 job, so he'll be available for her.
- No crazy ex-girlfriends. This one needs no explanation.
- Likes fine dining and good wine. No more burger joints! Some guy out there must like something other than hamburgers, right?
- Hates sports. Everything about sports. What is it with men and sports, anyway?
- Must want at least two kids. A man who doesn't want children is a deal breaker.
- Must love animals—preferably big dogs, not those yippy little dogs.
- Doesn't spend all his time at the bar with his friends. If he's always hanging out at the bar with his friends, then he isn't with her.
- Idea of a perfect vacation getaway is somewhere warm and tropical. With room service.
All winners will be selected at the end of the contest, and will be contacted shortly afterwards. Be sure to check back here for your name!
Contests are sponsored by Jaci Burton on JaciBurton.com solely for the enjoyment of her fans. Have fun... and remember that the prizes are offered just to sweeten the playing. However, just so everyone is on the same page, here's the way the contests work:
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How did BP become an unprincipled bottom-line operator ready to cut any corners for profit?
In politics, impractical positions count as inherently … unprincipled.
Refusing to do so on the basis of ethnic solidarity is an unprincipled copout.
1630s, "not instructed" (in something), from un- (1) "not" + principled. Meaning "not honorable" is recorded from 1640s.


text: As the sun scorches the earth, threatening to wipe out all life on the planet, desperate survivors Philip, Marie, and her younger sister Leonie race to reach a water reservoir rumored to be nestled deep in the mountains. Making the acquaintance of a lone mechanic named Tom as they head towards the mountains in a specially outfitted car, the trio must fight for their lives after being drawn into an ambush. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi


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July 2, 2015
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WICHITA, Kan. (AP) -- The federal government has refused to accept a tract of suburban Wichita land into trust so an Indian tribe can build a casino there.
The Kansas Attorney General's Office said Monday that the Interior Department rejected a request from the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma to take the land into trust. The Wyandotte Nation bought the tract in Park City in 1992.
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act allows tribes to conduct gambling only on Indian lands, which are defined as land within a reservation or held in trust by the United States.
But the Interior Department has found that the tribe did not have sufficient trust funds to have purchased both the Park City land and a Kansas City tract where it has already built a casino.
Posted by Greg Palmer
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Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or email@example.com.


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Current Highlights on Broadway
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Your independent guide to the best shows in New York
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Kid Rock & Foreigner
Jul 3, 2015
Def Leppard, Styx & Tesla
Jul 11, 2015
Dave Mason's Traffic Jam
Jul 12, 2015
Brad Paisley, Justin Moore & Mickey Guyton
Jul 24, 2015
Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
Jul 25, 2015
July 3, 2015
Two very different rock icons are joining up this summer for a concert experience like none other. With the release of his new album, First Kiss, Kid Rock has enlisted veteran rockers Foreigner to join him on the road and give fans a double treat! For Foreigner, this is an opportunity to gain new fans from a younger, newer demographic, treating them to their 1981 album 4, their biggest album to date.
July 11, 2015
Titans of the 80's British Heavy-Metal revival and progenitors of contemporary Pop Metal Def Leppard have never let anything stand in their way, even their drummer Rick Allen losing an arm to a car accident. Overcoming this with a custom kit and a new style of drumming, the band surged on to create the album 'Hysteria', which hit 12 times platinum in US sales and sold over 20 million copies worldwide.
July 12, 2015
The British singer-songwriter and guitarist formerly of the band Traffic will be concentrating on his time as part of the collective, when he takes to the road this summer for no less than 30 dates. As one of the founding members, he performed on their first two albums, 1967's 'Mr. Fantasy' and their self-titled record the next year. After leaving Traffic, he succeeded in carving out a career as both a solo artist, with hits such as 'We Just Disagree' and 'Only You Know and I Know,' and as a sideman for other acts. In short, this is one rocker who refuses to keep still.
July 24, 2015
Brad Paisley's Crushin' It World Tour is in support of his latest record Moonshine in the Trunk, which was yet another winning collection of radio-ready, upbeat country tracks from the Grand ole Opry inductee, including the singles River bank and Perfect Storm.
July 25, 2015
In one of the more unique collaborations in recent years, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga have won wide acclaim with their duet album, Cheek to Cheek, exploring the intoxicating sound of jazz standards. Whilst Bennett has always been known for his career long obsession with the world of Jazz, Lady Gaga's change of scene is perhaps even more impressive than her fashion transformation, her rich voice was made for the likes of Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and Gershwin.
Jul 3, 2015
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The timelessly elegant Glamour giclee print offers dynamic style to this wide pendant chandelier.
This fashionable pendant chandelier creates instant style in any setting. The design features an exclusive pattern printed on high-quality canvas. A white acrylic diffuser at the bottom of the shade prevents glare. Includes extra cable and cord so you can vary the hanging height. U.S. Patent # 7,347,593.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans gave themselves a little breathing room with a much-needed victory, and the Pittsburgh Steelers still can't win away from Heinz Field.
Bironas' FG gives Titans 26-23 win over Steelers
Rob Bironas kicked his fourth field goal, a 40-yarder as time expired, and the Titans beat the Steelers 26-23 on Thursday night to snap a two-game skid.
Matt Hasselbeck threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Britt with 4:19 left to tie it at 23, and the Titans (2-4) snapped a three-game losing streak against the Steelers. More importantly, the team that had given up more points than any other team in the NFL held its first opponent below 30 points this season.
"It's only one win, we know that," Titans coach Mike Munchak said. "But it's a great win for us at this point in the season when we needed a win to show people what we're all about."
Pittsburgh (2-3) lost its third straight road game this season and the fifth in six games dating to last season despite Ben Roethlisberger throwing for 363 yards and becoming the Steelers' career passing leader.
"We're not doing enough things to finish games in hostile environments," Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. "That's just the reality right now. Hopefully, it's just right now. We didn't do the job tonight. We defeated ourselves in some areas. We'll go back to work. Needless to say it's disappointing. We tip our caps to those guys."
Roethlisberger drove the Steelers into position to take the lead after the Titans tied it. Shaun Suisham, who already had connected from 29, 28 and 52 yards, had his 54-yard attempt fall short of the crossbar with 49 seconds left. Tomlin said Suisham hit the 52-yarder pretty good so he decided to give his kicker the chance to win a second straight game.
"I take full responsibility for the miss," Tomlin said.
Chris Johnson ran for 91 yards on 19 carries, and Hasselbeck finished with 290 yards passing.
"It feels good to win against a good opponent," said Hasselbeck, who started his second straight game in place of injured Jake Locker. "It feels good to win a close game."
The Steelers were up 20-16 when Lawrence Timmons picked off Hasselbeck's pass, but they had to settle for Suisham's third field goal after moving the ball only 14 yards. That field goal put Pittsburgh up 23-16, and the NFL's fifth-ranked defense couldn't make that stand up.
Johnson, who has been criticized mercilessly for his struggles running the ball, kicked off Tennessee's next drive with a 12-yard run. The Titans drove 80 yards before Hasselbeck found Britt to tie it. Britt had dropped a would-be TD the play before and bobbled the TD catch too.
After the Titans stopped Pittsburgh, Hasselbeck drove them 33 yards with the big play a 25-yard pass to tight end Jared Cook on a night his mother, Yulinda, was honored as a breast cancer survivor. The Titans gave the ball to Johnson to run down the clock, then sent out Bironas for the field goal.
Tomlin tried to ice Bironas with a timeout. Bironas waited it out, and then kicked the ball through to give the Titans a rare chance to celebrate this season.
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