Wednesday Reads
Posted: February 2, 2011 Filed under: Egypt, Foreign Affairs, just because, Middle East, morning reads, Reproductive Rights, Wikileaks, Women's Rights | Tags: australia, Birthright citizenship, Blizzard, BP, Bradley Manning, cyclone, Feinberg, Gulf Oil Spill, Gulf seafood, Japan's Volcano, John Barry, New Orleans, The Lion in Winter, weather 35 Comments
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Here are a few new links that came up since Wonks late or should I say early post. Updates:
Egypt’s military tells protesters to go home: “Your message has been received” – Laura Rozen – POLITICO.com
Yemen’s Saleh agrees not to run again. Is that good enough for protesters? – CSMonitor.com
Morning, we have kept up with the events over in Egypt with live blog post.So for this Wednesdays reads I will highlight other items in the news. The blizzard that is affecting most of the country is quite impressive.
More than a third of the nation shivered, with some states lashed by freezing rain rather than snow. What one official called a “once in a lifetime” storm promised to dump an avalanche of more snow and sleet on the winter-weary region Wednesday.
Throughout the world there are major weather events. As if there wasn’t enough flooding in Australia, now there is a dangerous cyclone “Down Under.” Cyclone Yasi Forces Road Closures In North Queensland. In Japan, Shinmoedake Volcano has erupted again, there are some spectacular photos on the National Geographic site: Pictures: “Ominous” Japan Volcano Erupts Again Take a look at that volcanic lightning, isn’t nature amazing?
Volcanic Lightning, Japan
While I was over at NOAA getting that info for the weather I found this interesting link: NOAA – NOAA Reopens More Than 4,000 Square Miles of Gulf Waters to Royal Red Shrimping
NOAA tomorrow will reopen 4,213 square miles of Gulf of Mexico federal waters off Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama to royal red shrimping. The area was closed to this type of deep water fishing on Nov. 24 as a precautionary measure after a commercial shrimper discovered tar balls in his net. The “fingerprint” analysis to determine whether the source of the tar balls was the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil was inconclusive. Further fish and shrimp sampling and testing from the area showed no oil or dispersant contamination.
[…]
“Extensive testing of royal red shrimp and other fish from this area revealed they are safe to eat,” said Roy Crabtree, assistant NOAA administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service southeast region. “Seafood safety and consumer confidence remain a priority for NOAA, and we will continue monitoring Gulf seafood for as long as necessary to ensure its integrity.”
Which brings me to this: Report Foresees Quick Gulf of Mexico Recovery – NYTimes.com
That prediction will be central to Mr. Feinberg’s plan for paying people who claim their livelihoods were devastated by the spill. It is certain to be controversial among those who believe the damage will be longer-lasting and therefore should result in higher payouts for the spill’s victims.
Mr. Feinberg’s report, to be officially released Wednesday, will lay out for the first time the framework for deciding who gets final settlements for spill-related damage and how payments for future losses will be determined.
Based on the work of environmental scientists, economists and other experts, the report acknowledges that “prediction is not an exact science” but estimates that the gulf should recover by the end of 2012. The hardest-hit oyster beds could take much longer to come back, it says.
Okay, so it seems that Gulf residents aren’t too trusting of Feinberg, they feel that there is some conflict of interest. According to the article plaintiffs have filed a complaint with a Judge in New Orleans.
They have accused the administrator of not being truly independent from BP, and asked the judge to exercise authority over the compensation process.
The Guardian is reporting that Amnesty International has asked the British Government to intervene, and help Bradley Manning. The article states that Manning is a UK Citizen. Bradley Manning is UK citizen and needs protection, government told | World news | The Guardian
Amnesty International tonight called on the government to intervene on Manning’s behalf and demand that the conditions of his detention, which the organisation calls “harsh and punitive”, are in line with international standards.
Amnesty’s UK director, Kate Allen, said: “His Welsh parentage means the UK government should demand his ‘maximum custody’ status does not impair his ability to defend himself, and we would also like to see Foreign Office officials visiting him just as they would any other British person detained overseas and potentially facing trial on very serious charges.”
[…]
Born in the US, he is a US citizen. But under the British Nationality Act of 1981, anyone born outside the UK after 1 January 1983 who has a mother who is a UK citizen by birth is British by descent.
“Nationality is like an elastic band: it stretches to one generation born outside the UK to a British parent. And that makes Bradley Manning British,” said Alison Harvey, head of the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association in London.
This seems like it would be an interesting legal issue. So the British Nationality Act of 1981 gives a possible glimmer of hope, because Manning is a UK citizen by birth. Compare that to the idiots who want to revoke the Constitutional Rights of Birthright Citizenship here in the US.
We have elected officials in this country trying to keep “Anchor Babies” from their constitutional rights to US Citizenship. (Read the link, if you opposed this law would you dress up like a baby to protest it? Does this seem like a good way to get your idea across? I get the feeling that CSM is not fond of defending Birthright Citizenship.) So I have another link here: Vitter, Paul Target Birthright Citizenship For Children Of Illegal Immigrants
Republican Sens. David Vitter (La.) and Rand Paul (Ky.) are seeking to deny birthright citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants by changing the U.S. Constitution.
The Supreme Court has consistently held that the Fourteenth Amendment grants automatic citizenship to those born on U.S. soil, but Vitter and Paul said Thursday that right should not extend to the children of undocumented parents. They introduced a congressional resolution that would amend the Constitution and close what they call a “loophole.”
It’s incorrect to assume “the 14th Amendment confers birthright citizenship to the children of illegal aliens, either by its language or intent,” read a statement from the Senators. “This resolution makes clear that under the 14th Amendment a person born in the United States to illegal aliens does not automatically gain citizenship.”
The last constitutional amendment was passed in 1992, more than two centuries after it was submitted by Congress to the states. Most successful amendments have been enacted within a few years of being proposed, but they are rare. In the past 140 years, only 12 have become law.
Okay, so the GOP wants to amend the Constitution so that children born on US soil to undocumented mothers are not given citizenship. They want to “redefine” rape and add another series of obstacles for Women to exercise their rights under Roe v Wade. What the hell is wrong with these people?
On to something else, I found this link over at Memeorandum: A Guide: How Not To Say Stupid Stuff About Egypt | Sarthanapalos (It is in interesting read, however I have to admit to being leery about the Muslim Brotherhood. They worry me, and not for the reasons that are mentioned. I hope that whatever government the Egyptian People choose, they do not move backward regarding Women’s Rights. That would be a sad thing to see.) This is from the Sarthanapolos link:
It’s time Egyptians were heard. It’s time the pundits and “Egypt hands” (old recycled western diplomats) were retired. These people were as good at predicting the current events as our economists were in predicting the economic calamity. I am glad you all got to see things from Egypt outside your comfort zone. Maybe now, you can give Egyptians and Arabs some respect. The people in Egypt are struggling for human rights, dignity and freedom. Like the rest of us, they want the economic means to care for their families. Break down those closed ideas that dehumanize the Arab and Egyptian people in general. That is all I ask.
Go ahead and chew on that statement for a bit. “The people in Egypt are struggling for human rights, dignity and freedom….they want the economic means to care for their families. “
The Egyptian Uprising is passing on the domino effect to Jordan: Egypt unrest threatens to spread – Ben Smith and Laura Rozen – POLITICO.com
The destabilizing tremors of the Egyptian uprising began to be felt across the region Tuesday, as Jordan’s king dismissed his government, the Palestinian Authority promised new elections and governments in countries from Yemen to Syria turned “reform” into a buzzword.
Analysts said the actions betrayed an acute level of concern within governments throughout the Arab world — governments that must now manage the fallout from the riveting images from Egypt and Tunisia that have left their nations spellbound.
I am sure we will have updates on the events in Jordan and Egypt throughout the day. Just one more item and then y’all have at it.
You may have missed this a couple of days ago. John Barry, composer of Bond film scores…as well as The Lion in Winter and Midnight Cowboy and Out of Africa, passed away. John Barry, Bond films’ man with the golden musical touch, dies aged 77 | Music | guardian.co.uk
The Lion in Winter is one of my favorite films. This particular score was won Barry an Academy Award in 1968.
What’s important to remember about the music for this film is the simple fact that it wasn’t necessary for a composer to create such an “over the top” score, and yet, it is precisely that kid of in-your-face bravado that allowed John Barry to stand on the stage alongside Hepburn and screenwriter James Goldman in accepting an Academy Award for The Lion in Winter. When Barry scored the film, he was at the height of his popularity in the James Bond franchise, with the world knowing him mainly for his sassy Bond scores (and, to a lesser extent, for his jazz band recordings, though Beat Girl wasn’t exactly great material). [Link]
[…]
Left by the director and producer to compose whatever would be appropriate for the film, Barry decided write a dark, menacing, and gothic score, a style which cannot be classified with either his early jazzy works or his later lush romances. He masterfully captured the brutal sounds of the Middle Ages while still adhering to the domination of the Catholic Church.
[…]
This score is often classified as a choral soundtrack, and rightfully so, but there are two distinct uses of the chorus. When The Voices of The Accademia Monteverdiana perform, they are either reciting Latin lyrics written specifically for the film, or they are providing wordless accompaniment to the full orchestra.
Read more at the link, it is a fascinating article about this amazing score. I will leave you with a video of John Barry’s The Lion in Winter Suite, performed at the BBC Proms Film Music Special. Just hearing those pounding trumpets and drums makes me want to watch the film yet again. Oh, it is wonderful.
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Morning, Minx!
Posted two breaking stories in the wee hours of the morning — not going to link bc I’m lazy and they’re on the frontpage 🙂
Egyptian Military asks protesters to stop
Yemeni president won’t seek re-election
Also internet service returning in Egypt according to AP report about military asking protesters to stop.
Thanks Wonk! I put the link in for you! Have a good day.
aww thx MM, and I see your updates in green–nice picks!
Holy cow, thanks for that amazing video. Believe it or not, Lion in Winter is my favorite movie.
Isn’t it an amazing film? Not only the acting, this movie has the whole package. I studied Eleanor of Aquitaine when I was in college. What a strong woman! I am glad you liked that link…Barry’s score is more that just a movie soundtrack. It becomes the backbone to a film that reaches past typical historical movie experiences. This film represents to me, the perfect combination of scripted dialogue, actor’s performance and directional movement of plot. It utilizes and spotlights the best characteristics of each actor, the writers (both for the movie and the play), director and composer. Damn it is one good movie!
We must have the same tastes because I freakin love that movie with a passion!
Here are a few more links that are new this morning.
Here’s The Real Cost Of Food Inflation In America
Egypt’s revolt hits UK businesses – Europe – Al Jazeera English
Hillary Clinton’s Key Role in the Response to the Egypt Crisis «
Interesting clash between pro-Mubarak and anti-Mubarak protesters happening in Cairo now.
MSNBC’s Morning Joe commentators are worthless.
Don’t tell me they have Peggy Noonan or Maureen Orth this morning… gawd, isn’t the world in enough tumult.
LOL
No, Mark Halperin and now Dexter Filkins.
Mark Halperin–well that’s just as awful!
Exactly!
And I guess I shouldn’t be mean about Dexter Filkins, he’s a good reporter, just doesn’t belong on Morning Joe. He looked at live coverage of what’s happening in Cairo, Mika or Joe asked him what his thoughts are and he said, “I wish I were there.”
Rachel Maddow Slams Glenn Beck | Egypt Uprising | World End | Mediaite
This is fabulous, kudos to Maddow….
In a “reality based world”, Glenn Beck would be suited up in a straight jacket, spoonfed applesauce, and be left in the corner staring at a wall. Why this crazy person is allowed to stand in front of a camera 5 nights a week spewing forth the scrambled thoughts in his otherwise diseased brain is puzzling.
And we question why this nation is fast going into the Dumpster when “Crazy Eddie” and his blackboard are celebrated as opinion makers.
According to BBC’s Wyre Davies, Mubarak announcing he won’t run for re-election has “placated many people [in Alexandria] who believe the plan for a deferred transition is the best solution, whilst others are still calling for an immediate change in government.”
OK, BB, take a look at this.
UFO hovers over Jerusalem
I think it’s Tinkerbelle.
Balloon Boy?
Unidentified flying object… must be O’s core convictions.
Wonk, you are hilarious.
It’s probably one of their new drones checking up on every body. They’ve got all the WMDs that we do.
*smile*
Not so peaceful anymore:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/media/
Once again, it’s the Mubarak supporters who are not peaceful:
Violence has broken out after Hosni Mubarak says he won’t step down and live on CNN people are being killed. Head injuries, severe injuries…
They’re still throwing rocks at each other.
Will the military step in?
Serious blizzard here in northern Illinois. The official reports say we only have 18″ so far, but the snow on my deck is three feet high, and it’s continuing to snow as I type. All roads in the entire county have been officially closed. I was here for the blizzard of 1967, and I remember it took 3 days before the roads were passable. A plow just came down our street, and I now have about 4′ of snow at the end of the driveway. Don’t know when things will return to normal.
Grayslady – I was living in Albion MI in 1967 – Chicago was all over the news – this small town had
12 foot drifts! Being a “liberated” female teenager of the late 60’s – I got to shovel the driveway for my corporate hubby to get to work. It was daunting – went to see Dr. Zhivago – brrrrrrh! We didn’t even try to drive to Ann Arbor for BB games.
Not been able to keep up with all the stellar front page posts here – you all have done an amazing job! Thanks so much.
Wow, Hope you don’t lose your power!
We had several brown-outs last night. It was pretty scary, considering all our electric in my area is underground–except the transformers, natch. Am gradually working to clear my driveway. Thank goodness I had my snowblower repaired and tuned up this fall! We’re expecting 25 below zero windchills late this afternoon through tonight, and a high tomorrow of 11 degrees, so everyone is out working hard now.
8:56 A.M. |Egyptian Blogger Says Clashes Are Mubarak Ploy
In a biting, angry and harrowing commentary on the clashes unfolding in Cairo on Wednesday, the Egyptian blogger who writes as Sandmonkey has called the appearance of regime supporters on Cairo’s streets, igniting violent clashes, a ploy by President Hosni Mubarak to create chaos and justify his continued rule.
[…]
Here is Sandmonkey’s commentary, posted on Twitter on Wednesday as the first clashes were reported on Egyptian state television:
9:45 A.M. |Twitter Updates From Cairo’s Tahrir Square
[…]
Nicholas Kristof, a Times Op-Ed columnist on the scene in Tahrir, posted this update on his Twitter feed two minutes ago:
Mubarak’s thugs (They’re calling themselves “pro-stability forces” what a reprehensible joke)… all over the tv and people are getting badly hurt. If the White House is reviewing economic and military aid to Egypt, now wold be the time to cut it off. Look at what our tax dollars are going to. Certainly not an “orderly transition” on Mubarak regime’s part.
Fires being started. One a result of molotov cocktail. Another cocktail being thrown, and another.
BREAKING: Congressional Republicans Run a Prostitution Ring and Other Things You Didn’t Know: