Race Relations in America

America's racial history is still being written. All Americans share in this discussion and today that discussion will no doubt pick up a little. Sen. Robert Byrd is dead at 92; the West Virginia lawmaker was the longest serving member of Congress in history. He was also infamously a member of the Ku Klux Klan in his early years before formalizing his education and ultimately becoming an elected official, a fact that his detractors never let him live down.

When I was a reading instructor, one passage I was especially fond of was from a great author, historian, actor, and broadcaster, Studds Terkel. I liked it because I was teaching English as a second language and explaining American race relations to outsiders is a formidable task. It's called "Why I quit the Klan" and it's and interview with a former exalted cyclops of the KKK, C.P. Ellis.

"Why I quit the Klan" and inteview with C.P. Ellis by Studs Terkel

Monsanto, Big Brother of the New World Agricultural Order: An Interview With Marie-Monique Robin

Award-winning French journalist and filmmaker Marie-Monique Robin is the author of "The World According to Monsanto: Pollution, Corruption and the Control of Our Food Supply" (The New Press) and the creator of the film by the same name.

In a review of these two projects, Leslie Thatcher writes: "What Marie-Monique Robin most effectively documents are the perverse effects - the moral, social, technological, economic and market failures - of Western society's economic organization, most specifically with respect to science and the products of science and, ultimately, with respect to the preservation of the public commons and human life on the planet"...

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  Mickey Z @'t r u t h-o u t'

Thinking the unthinkable...

RBS tells clients to prepare for 'monster' money-printing by the Federal Reserve

“We cannot stress enough how strongly we believe that a cliff-edge may be around the corner, for the global banking system (particularly in Europe) and for the global economy. Think the unthinkable."

Sports Minister apologises to Liverpool FC fans after Hillsborough disaster slur

A senior Government minister has apologised to Liverpool supporters after suggesting that the 1989 Hillsborough disaster was a hooligan-related incident.

Ninety-six football fans were killed on the Leppings Lane terrace at Sheffield Wednesday's ground on April 15 before the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

Jeremy Hunt MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, claimed that crowd unrest was responsible for the deaths of Reds supporters 21 years ago when answering questions about the conduct of England fans at this summer's World Cup

He said: "As a Minister, I was incredibly encouraged by the example set by the England fans.

"I mean not a single arrest for a football-related offensive and the terrible problems that we had in Heysel and Hillsborough in the 1980s seem now to be behind us.

"I think you know there is small grounds for encouragement there even though obviously we are very disappointed about the result."

Following backlash from Liverpool fans, the Conservative MP for South West Surrey has released a statement apologising for his comments.

In a statement, the Mr Hunt said: "I know that fan unrest played no part in the terrible events of April 1989 and I apologise to Liverpool fans and the families of those killed and injured in the Hillsborough disaster if my comments caused any offence."

Richard Buxton @'Click Liverpool'

HA!

HA! (Thanx HerrB!)

(Click to enlarge)

Optical Illusions

Privacy – the final frontier?

Interview with Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks and Christian Engstrom, Swedish Pirate MEP

???

World Cup 2010: Waddle blames FA for England exit

HERE

The Red Eyes - I Get Wild / Wild Gravity

In anticipation of the release of a blockbuster 2nd studio album due out May 2010 accompanied by a massive national tour, The Red Eyes are unleashing a taster from the album with their new single I Get Wild / Wild Gravity.
This is a first time cover recording for The Red Eyes who are known for their large repertoir of original material, including the anthem Highplace which was recently nominated in the shortlist for the 2009 Triple J Hottest 100.
Nonetheless, I Get Wild / Wild Gravity – a B-side track from the Talking Heads’ 1983 album Speaking in Tongues – was an easy choice for the band who count Talking Heads as up among the top of their varied list of musical influences. The tempo and style of the track lends itself to the Dub/Reggae groove of The Red Eyes and the song has quickly become a crowd pleaser in their massive live show.
‘The Red Eyes’ fan base flock to hear the Melbourne outfit’s party dub sound.’ (Rolling Stone Australia, April 2007) ‘…such is the power of top-shelf dub. True to the spirit and messages of the music’s long history, the Red Eyes are breathing new life into dub in Australia and are doing it with soul and authenticity.’ (In The Mix) ‘Say what you like about John Butler, he has backed an absolute winner in the form of the Red-Eyes…’ (Beat Magazine)

http://thered-eyes.com/

   

A New Generation of Natural Gas Drilling Is Endangering Communities From the Rockies to New York

Theater and film director Josh Fox's documentary Gasland explores the new generation of natural gas drilling, which for a decade has been blasting its way east across the country, tapping shale formations from the Rockies to Pennsylvania, and is now expanding in New York. Fox is only 37, but he is a veteran explorer of complex themes from militarism to war to globalization and torture who skillfully blends artistry and social message. Gasland is more straightforward than Fox's earlier experimental mixes of theater, dance, music and film, but no less striking. Winner of the Special Jury Prize for Documentary at Sundance, where it premiered in January, Gasland has been causing a stir wherever it has gone since...
 HERE

This recently released film looks to be essential viewing, the current information available about the environmental repercussions of "Fracking" as an industrial extraction method leave little to be desired. As mentioned in the article, the secrecy over ingredients used in the process, the involvement of habitual offender,"Short-Cut" Halliburton(already under a cloud for the BP Gulf Disaster), in the industry can only maximise concern. Yet another example of industry failing to look at all the equations before putting its big foot in the pond. And yes, this is the water supply that is being poisoned by industry for money, let's hope they can chop all that money up and hopefully liquify enough for a drink in the future. If this doesn't rank as Managerment Stupidity, I certainly don't know what does, and the sooner these knuckleheads are held accountable the better.....beeden

This Time !

@mirrorfootball.co.uk

HA!

(Thanx Carolyn!)