The Monk decided to hide in his cave of gray.
He lived in a village and then went away.
He lost his fair love and lived in he hills.
Where he was awakened each morning by spry whipporwills.
He stared at a far mountain and wished he was there.
Walking and talking with his maiden so fair.
She played a flute to lure him back.
One morning he decided to pack.
And walked several miles toward the tune.
Before he realized it was really a loon.
So he turned around back to his cave.
Yes, indeed, he was very brave.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Save the Dance
In June one sunny year after graduating from high school, feeling betrayed by my high school friend Julius who asked me to dance who then laughed as I stood up and said, "Do you really think I would dance with you?", I boarded a train to San Francisco at Clinton, Iowa, sailed past Treasure Island after studying postcards of movie stars and eventually visited the homes of celebrities along the green tree-lined hilltops of Santa Catalina Island.
I saved my money from weed-salvaging and corn-detassling to pay for my transportation. Dad gave me a healthy allowance for my work in the farm fields.
Mother and Dad saw me off on the train, waved slowly, tears of pride shining from their eyes.
Aunt Miranda couldn't join us to the station, she was in a wheel chair with a crocheted shawl drawn across her knees, but she smiled brightly and pressed a green velvet ribbon into my hand, green, she once told me for prosperity and hope.
Aunt Miranda once told me the best advice she could give me was to look everyone straight in the eye, to answer truthfully, and to smile slightly. Every problem can be interpreted in terms of three, she once told me. Three primary colors, red, blue and yellow. Three in religion, father, son, and Holy Ghost, and three in ourselves, past, present, and future. Think in terms of three and you will find your way in life, she once told me.
Symbols of childhood raced across my eyes, thoughts of mother as she ironed my dresses in the morning before school and prepared my lunch with great care and of Dad who took me to town for ice cream when it rained in the summer fields.
After several weeks work in my uncle's store, I returned home briefly with hat and gloves as I was trained to do after completing finishing school to be met with questions of where I might be from by local neighbors, and then when in San Francisco again, dressed as I was taught, meeting new questions of where I might be from.
At fifteen, I looked nineteen, rather plain, with a mind like a many-spoked wheel and several interests, each arrow pointing outward while moving to the next as the hands of a clock marked the time as though it never began and would be in tune with the universe forever.
Years later, when I lived in Pacific Heights in California facing a lovely view of the ocean I painted pictures and wrote poetry, worked part time for an engineering firm and attended some post-graduate classes through an extension division of U.C. Berkeley.
City life in San Francisco was not like riding horseback on the farm or wandering dreamily through the meadows in springtime seeking daffodils or baby yellow meadowlarks.
San Francisco, a favorite of dreaming idealists where diversified culture is accepted as casually as the brisk ocean fog, arguing seagulls and flocks of unwanted pigeons. One must remember to respect the saints, to attend religious services, and not to be surprised to learn some churches in San Francisco teach political theories instead of religion like on the farm communities of Wisconsin.
In Wisconsin, one can leave their screen door unlocked while visiting a neighbor for a cup of sugar, but in the city, one quickly learns the visitors are identified as pushovers by more experienced travelers and newcomers should try to remember their childhood training and not talk to strangers.
Based on a thesis about Watergate, I received a scholarship to the University of California at Berkeley, a prize I treasured almost more than the memories of a happy childhood on the Wisconsin farm.
At Berkeley, I studied nuclear physics, was told it was a secret, but children learn fast, and there is theater in most of us.
I hoped to continue to study music, paint, and create beautiful dreams for others to follow, to remember the best of the past and look forward to a bright future.
My teacher at U.C. Berkeley, Miss Virginia, met me at the Faculty Club as she promised, the exclusive building sheltered in a ravine behind a bridge, just hidden from view.
The walls of the campus dormitory of Cheney Hall were brightly painted with diagonal lines. The Museum of Art was a delight to the eye with large sculptured rectangles, as though placed from above, resting on one another in perfect balance, with the sunlight gleaming through in afternoon glory. Brightly colored paintings by Hans Hoffman greeted visitors, abstracts, pen and ink drawings, and molded chairs were placed facing each other side by side, as though conversations were just completed.
Who walked these halls, where are they now, the artists, teachers, and attorneys? Are they crying, are they happy, did they learn while they were here? Will I find new friends here? Where is the bookstore? When will the campus bells ring?
While I was pondering the relationships between the arts and sciences and my good fortune at winning a scholarship, I recognized the outline of someone who resembled Julius and he walked over towards me.
But he was not Julius, although he resembled Julius. I thought of Julius everywhere and eventually learned to dance professionally and taught ballet and the Latin dances.
During early years in California, I met many surprising situations due to my perceived knowledge of nuclear physics, but I hoped that when the eventual opportunity presented itself, if I saw him, if he could dance, and if he asked me, I would say to Julius, "I would love to dance with you."
I saved my money from weed-salvaging and corn-detassling to pay for my transportation. Dad gave me a healthy allowance for my work in the farm fields.
Mother and Dad saw me off on the train, waved slowly, tears of pride shining from their eyes.
Aunt Miranda couldn't join us to the station, she was in a wheel chair with a crocheted shawl drawn across her knees, but she smiled brightly and pressed a green velvet ribbon into my hand, green, she once told me for prosperity and hope.
Aunt Miranda once told me the best advice she could give me was to look everyone straight in the eye, to answer truthfully, and to smile slightly. Every problem can be interpreted in terms of three, she once told me. Three primary colors, red, blue and yellow. Three in religion, father, son, and Holy Ghost, and three in ourselves, past, present, and future. Think in terms of three and you will find your way in life, she once told me.
Symbols of childhood raced across my eyes, thoughts of mother as she ironed my dresses in the morning before school and prepared my lunch with great care and of Dad who took me to town for ice cream when it rained in the summer fields.
After several weeks work in my uncle's store, I returned home briefly with hat and gloves as I was trained to do after completing finishing school to be met with questions of where I might be from by local neighbors, and then when in San Francisco again, dressed as I was taught, meeting new questions of where I might be from.
At fifteen, I looked nineteen, rather plain, with a mind like a many-spoked wheel and several interests, each arrow pointing outward while moving to the next as the hands of a clock marked the time as though it never began and would be in tune with the universe forever.
Years later, when I lived in Pacific Heights in California facing a lovely view of the ocean I painted pictures and wrote poetry, worked part time for an engineering firm and attended some post-graduate classes through an extension division of U.C. Berkeley.
City life in San Francisco was not like riding horseback on the farm or wandering dreamily through the meadows in springtime seeking daffodils or baby yellow meadowlarks.
San Francisco, a favorite of dreaming idealists where diversified culture is accepted as casually as the brisk ocean fog, arguing seagulls and flocks of unwanted pigeons. One must remember to respect the saints, to attend religious services, and not to be surprised to learn some churches in San Francisco teach political theories instead of religion like on the farm communities of Wisconsin.
In Wisconsin, one can leave their screen door unlocked while visiting a neighbor for a cup of sugar, but in the city, one quickly learns the visitors are identified as pushovers by more experienced travelers and newcomers should try to remember their childhood training and not talk to strangers.
Based on a thesis about Watergate, I received a scholarship to the University of California at Berkeley, a prize I treasured almost more than the memories of a happy childhood on the Wisconsin farm.
At Berkeley, I studied nuclear physics, was told it was a secret, but children learn fast, and there is theater in most of us.
I hoped to continue to study music, paint, and create beautiful dreams for others to follow, to remember the best of the past and look forward to a bright future.
My teacher at U.C. Berkeley, Miss Virginia, met me at the Faculty Club as she promised, the exclusive building sheltered in a ravine behind a bridge, just hidden from view.
The walls of the campus dormitory of Cheney Hall were brightly painted with diagonal lines. The Museum of Art was a delight to the eye with large sculptured rectangles, as though placed from above, resting on one another in perfect balance, with the sunlight gleaming through in afternoon glory. Brightly colored paintings by Hans Hoffman greeted visitors, abstracts, pen and ink drawings, and molded chairs were placed facing each other side by side, as though conversations were just completed.
Who walked these halls, where are they now, the artists, teachers, and attorneys? Are they crying, are they happy, did they learn while they were here? Will I find new friends here? Where is the bookstore? When will the campus bells ring?
While I was pondering the relationships between the arts and sciences and my good fortune at winning a scholarship, I recognized the outline of someone who resembled Julius and he walked over towards me.
But he was not Julius, although he resembled Julius. I thought of Julius everywhere and eventually learned to dance professionally and taught ballet and the Latin dances.
During early years in California, I met many surprising situations due to my perceived knowledge of nuclear physics, but I hoped that when the eventual opportunity presented itself, if I saw him, if he could dance, and if he asked me, I would say to Julius, "I would love to dance with you."
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Governor Blagojevich Appoints Former Attorney General Burris to the U.S. Senate
In a display of political bravado, disgraced Gov. Rod Blagojevich today appointed former Illinois Atty. Gen. Roland Burris to the U.S. Senate, challenging national Democratic leaders to reject the appointment of an African-American to the seat that propelled Barack Obama to the White House.
The defiant move tests the resolve of Senate Democrats who said they would not admit anyone appointed by Blagojevich, who is facing impeachment after being accused of trying to sell the Senate seat for personal gain. And it reveals to a nation celebrating Obama's victory the underbelly of Chicago's race-based political scene.
President-elect Obama supported the announcement by Senate Democrats that Blagojevich's appointment "will ultimately not stand."
Obama issued the following statement:
"Roland Burris is a good man and a fine public servant, but the Senate Democrats made it clear weeks ago that they cannot accept an appointment made by a governor who is accused of selling this very Senate seat. I agree with their decision, and it is extremely disappointing that Governor Blagojevich has chosen to ignore it. I believe the best resolution would be for the Governor to resign his office and allow a lawful and appropriate process of succession to take place. While Governor Blagojevich is entitled to his day in court, the people of Illinois are entitled to a functioning government and major decisions free of taint and controversy."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada now faces a difficult political situation amid uncertainties that an attempt to block Burris from taking office can withstand a legal challenge. Burris, Illinois' first statewide elected African-American, wants entry into a chamber that no longer has any blacks.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush of Chicago, appearing at Blagojevich's announcement at Burris' invitation, underscored the role of race in the governor's decision by using racially charged terms to defend the appointment.
"I would ask you to not hang or lynch the appointee as you try to castigate the appointer," said Rush, who promised to lobby congressional leaders on Burris' behalf.
"That was excellent Bobby. Thank you," Blagojevich said to Rush. The governor then turned to reporters and said, "Feel free to castigate the appointer but don't lynch the appointer. I am not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing!"
While Democrats on all levels were quick to castigate the governor, who was arrested three weeks ago on allegations he tried to sell Obama's former Senate seat, they were careful not to accuse Burris of any taint associated with Blagojevich. Still, questions remained why the former three-term state comptroller and one-term attorney general, nearly 14 years removed from holding statewide elected office, would accept the appointment when others who had sought it shied away after the governor's arrest.
Burris has long sought a jump to higher office, failing in three primary bids for governor in 1994, 1998 and, in 2002 against Blagojevich, as well as campaigns for Chicago mayor in 1995 and U.S. senator in 1984. In accepting the appointment, he refused to discuss Blagojevich's alleged criminal activities or whether he believed the governor should step down.
"I am not a tool of the governor. I'm a tool of the people of Illinois," Burris told the Tribune Tuesday evening. "If I was worried about the taint [of Blagojevich], I would never have accepted that. I don't have any taint from Gov. Blagojevich."
Burris, who has always maintained an outsized political ego even larger than that required of most politicians, said he thought Blagojevich picked "the most qualified person in the state of Illinois to . . . serve out the term of Barack Obama."
Yet Burris was the second of two post-arrest finalists for Blagojevich when the governor offered him the job Sunday night. U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, a black congressman from the West Side, said he was offered the post by a Blagojevich representative a week ago and told the governor's office Friday he declined the offer.
Davis had said he would reject a Blagojevich appointment because the governor had "lost his moral authority" and would rather see "a governor who is not tainted" make the appointment. But on Tuesday, Davis said he would support Burris' selection.
Burris has given more than $20,000 to Blagojevich's campaign fund on his own and through his consulting and law firms, state campaign finance records show. Burris' consulting company received about $290,000 in state contracts with the Illinois Department of Transportation a few years ago, according to state comptroller records. Some of the clients Burris' firm lobbied for also got state business.
Blagojevich had supported efforts proposed by the leaders of the Democratic-controlled General Assembly to approve legislation that would remove the unfettered power of the governor to fill a vacant U.S. Senate seat in favor of a special election. But Blagojevich said the legislature's decision not to move forward left him no choice.
"If I don't make this appointment, then the people of Illinois will be deprived of their appropriate voice and vote in the United States Senate," Blagojevich said.
The governor called Burris an individual of "unquestioned integrity, extensive experience," adding "Please, don't allow the allegations against me to taint this good and honest man."
But early word about the governor's surprise move prompted U.S. Senate Democratic leaders to hold a conference call during which they decided not to seat Burris or any other Blagojevich appointee. Shortly after Blagojevich's arrest, Reid, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois and the other Senate Democrats asked Blagojevich to resign and warned any appointee would not be allowed to serve.
On Tuesday, Senate Democratic leadership said "anyone appointed by Gov. Blagojevich cannot be an effective representative" for Illinois because they "would serve under a shadow and be plagued by questions of impropriety."
The governor said his appointment was about Burris, not himself. While he told reporters that "I don't want to hog the limelight," Blagojevich's brazen move was very much about the governor and his future.
Blagojevich's public support has plummeted sharply, even before his arrest, but the governor still maintained sizable support from the African-American community. In dismissing the threat of Democratic U.S. senators, Blagojevich said he was "absolutely confident and certain" that Burris would be seated in the Senate and Rush said, "I don't think that anyone, any U.S. senator who's sitting the Senate right now, wants to go on record to deny one African American from being seated in the U.S. Senate."
U.S. Rep. Janice Schakowsky, an Evanston Democrat and once a close Blagojevich ally, told CNN the governor's appointment was "in some ways . . . a shrewd, if not cynical move."Blagojevich's move didn't play well in Springfield either.
"I think you'll find that members of the impeachment committee will not be pleased with this development," said committee member and state Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie), adding that "the timing is so wrong as to put a cloud over the appointment."
Republicans also used Blagojevich's decision to resurrect their call for a special election and to attack the state legislature's Democratic majority as enablers for allowing the governor to keep his appointment power.
The defiant move tests the resolve of Senate Democrats who said they would not admit anyone appointed by Blagojevich, who is facing impeachment after being accused of trying to sell the Senate seat for personal gain. And it reveals to a nation celebrating Obama's victory the underbelly of Chicago's race-based political scene.
President-elect Obama supported the announcement by Senate Democrats that Blagojevich's appointment "will ultimately not stand."
Obama issued the following statement:
"Roland Burris is a good man and a fine public servant, but the Senate Democrats made it clear weeks ago that they cannot accept an appointment made by a governor who is accused of selling this very Senate seat. I agree with their decision, and it is extremely disappointing that Governor Blagojevich has chosen to ignore it. I believe the best resolution would be for the Governor to resign his office and allow a lawful and appropriate process of succession to take place. While Governor Blagojevich is entitled to his day in court, the people of Illinois are entitled to a functioning government and major decisions free of taint and controversy."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada now faces a difficult political situation amid uncertainties that an attempt to block Burris from taking office can withstand a legal challenge. Burris, Illinois' first statewide elected African-American, wants entry into a chamber that no longer has any blacks.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush of Chicago, appearing at Blagojevich's announcement at Burris' invitation, underscored the role of race in the governor's decision by using racially charged terms to defend the appointment.
"I would ask you to not hang or lynch the appointee as you try to castigate the appointer," said Rush, who promised to lobby congressional leaders on Burris' behalf.
"That was excellent Bobby. Thank you," Blagojevich said to Rush. The governor then turned to reporters and said, "Feel free to castigate the appointer but don't lynch the appointer. I am not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing!"
While Democrats on all levels were quick to castigate the governor, who was arrested three weeks ago on allegations he tried to sell Obama's former Senate seat, they were careful not to accuse Burris of any taint associated with Blagojevich. Still, questions remained why the former three-term state comptroller and one-term attorney general, nearly 14 years removed from holding statewide elected office, would accept the appointment when others who had sought it shied away after the governor's arrest.
Burris has long sought a jump to higher office, failing in three primary bids for governor in 1994, 1998 and, in 2002 against Blagojevich, as well as campaigns for Chicago mayor in 1995 and U.S. senator in 1984. In accepting the appointment, he refused to discuss Blagojevich's alleged criminal activities or whether he believed the governor should step down.
"I am not a tool of the governor. I'm a tool of the people of Illinois," Burris told the Tribune Tuesday evening. "If I was worried about the taint [of Blagojevich], I would never have accepted that. I don't have any taint from Gov. Blagojevich."
Burris, who has always maintained an outsized political ego even larger than that required of most politicians, said he thought Blagojevich picked "the most qualified person in the state of Illinois to . . . serve out the term of Barack Obama."
Yet Burris was the second of two post-arrest finalists for Blagojevich when the governor offered him the job Sunday night. U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, a black congressman from the West Side, said he was offered the post by a Blagojevich representative a week ago and told the governor's office Friday he declined the offer.
Davis had said he would reject a Blagojevich appointment because the governor had "lost his moral authority" and would rather see "a governor who is not tainted" make the appointment. But on Tuesday, Davis said he would support Burris' selection.
Burris has given more than $20,000 to Blagojevich's campaign fund on his own and through his consulting and law firms, state campaign finance records show. Burris' consulting company received about $290,000 in state contracts with the Illinois Department of Transportation a few years ago, according to state comptroller records. Some of the clients Burris' firm lobbied for also got state business.
Blagojevich had supported efforts proposed by the leaders of the Democratic-controlled General Assembly to approve legislation that would remove the unfettered power of the governor to fill a vacant U.S. Senate seat in favor of a special election. But Blagojevich said the legislature's decision not to move forward left him no choice.
"If I don't make this appointment, then the people of Illinois will be deprived of their appropriate voice and vote in the United States Senate," Blagojevich said.
The governor called Burris an individual of "unquestioned integrity, extensive experience," adding "Please, don't allow the allegations against me to taint this good and honest man."
But early word about the governor's surprise move prompted U.S. Senate Democratic leaders to hold a conference call during which they decided not to seat Burris or any other Blagojevich appointee. Shortly after Blagojevich's arrest, Reid, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois and the other Senate Democrats asked Blagojevich to resign and warned any appointee would not be allowed to serve.
On Tuesday, Senate Democratic leadership said "anyone appointed by Gov. Blagojevich cannot be an effective representative" for Illinois because they "would serve under a shadow and be plagued by questions of impropriety."
The governor said his appointment was about Burris, not himself. While he told reporters that "I don't want to hog the limelight," Blagojevich's brazen move was very much about the governor and his future.
Blagojevich's public support has plummeted sharply, even before his arrest, but the governor still maintained sizable support from the African-American community. In dismissing the threat of Democratic U.S. senators, Blagojevich said he was "absolutely confident and certain" that Burris would be seated in the Senate and Rush said, "I don't think that anyone, any U.S. senator who's sitting the Senate right now, wants to go on record to deny one African American from being seated in the U.S. Senate."
U.S. Rep. Janice Schakowsky, an Evanston Democrat and once a close Blagojevich ally, told CNN the governor's appointment was "in some ways . . . a shrewd, if not cynical move."Blagojevich's move didn't play well in Springfield either.
"I think you'll find that members of the impeachment committee will not be pleased with this development," said committee member and state Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie), adding that "the timing is so wrong as to put a cloud over the appointment."
Republicans also used Blagojevich's decision to resurrect their call for a special election and to attack the state legislature's Democratic majority as enablers for allowing the governor to keep his appointment power.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
India Moves Troops Toward Shared Border of Pakistan
Pakistan said Tuesday that India had moved troops toward their shared border, following Islamabad's own redeployment of forces toward the frontier amid tensions over the Mumbai attacks.
But India's foreign minister insisted it had done nothing to escalate tensions in the region, while another Indian official denied a separate Pakistani allegation that New Delhi had activated forward air bases.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi made the claims in a televised address that included overtures toward India to resume peace talks between the nuclear-armed neighbors, who have already fought three wars in the past six decades.
"I understand India has activated their forward air bases, and I think if they are deactivated, then it will be a big positive signal," Qureshi said. "Similarly, as far as their ground forces are concerned and which have been deputed and deployed, if they are relocated to their peacetime positions, then it will also be a positive signal."
But Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said his country had not widened the diplomatic rift.
"We have not done anything which can escalate the tension between India and Pakistan," he told reporters in New Delhi. "Because from day one, I have been saying that it is not an India-Pakistan issue. This is an attack perpetrated by elements emanating from the land of Pakistan and the Pakistan government should take action against it."
Pakistan leaders have stepped up appeals for calm in the region in the past two days. The Muslim nation's powerful army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, on Monday called for lowering tensions and avoiding conflict, according to a press statement.
Indian defense officials declined to answer questions about troop movements, saying Mukherjee's comments addressed the issue.
Qureshi said Pakistan favored dialogue aimed at resolving disputes such as claims on the Kashmir region.
"It has always been our desire that we sit at the negotiating table and make each other understand our point of view and carry forward the talks," he said.
Qureshi also offered to send a high-level delegation to New Delhi to help investigate the November assault in Mumbai, which killed 164 people. He insisted India had not turned over evidence backing up its claims that Pakistani militants staged the assault.
However, he noted that Indian officials had said that was because their own investigation was not over.
"And the government of Pakistan wants to assure them that when the evidence will come to us, our thinking from day one was constructive and peaceful and we will do our best to reach the bottom of the matter," Qureshi said.
Pakistan has taken some suspects into custody and cracked down on a charity alleged linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, the militant group India says was behind the Mumbai siege. India has given Pakistan a letter from the lone surviving gunman involved in the attacks, Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, reportedly saying he and the nine other gunmen were Pakistani.
Pakistan has said it is examining the letter but that it has no record of Kasab as a citizen. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday on the status of the letter's examination.
In an apparent reference to the letter, Mukherjee said India has already given evidence, and will provide more.
"We have repeatedly said that 'Yes, we will give you evidence as earlier we have given you. But please act on it,'" he said.
An Indian military official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters, denied that key air bases had been activated. "We have not activated any of our forward air bases," he said.
Pakistani intelligence officials said last week that Pakistan is shifting thousands of troops away from its militant-infested northwest regions bordering Afghanistan and toward India. Witnesses in towns along the Indian border have reported seeing more troops than usual, but there have been no signs of a massive buildup on the Pakistani side.
___
Associated Press Writer Ashok Sharma in New Delhi contributed to this report.
But India's foreign minister insisted it had done nothing to escalate tensions in the region, while another Indian official denied a separate Pakistani allegation that New Delhi had activated forward air bases.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi made the claims in a televised address that included overtures toward India to resume peace talks between the nuclear-armed neighbors, who have already fought three wars in the past six decades.
"I understand India has activated their forward air bases, and I think if they are deactivated, then it will be a big positive signal," Qureshi said. "Similarly, as far as their ground forces are concerned and which have been deputed and deployed, if they are relocated to their peacetime positions, then it will also be a positive signal."
But Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said his country had not widened the diplomatic rift.
"We have not done anything which can escalate the tension between India and Pakistan," he told reporters in New Delhi. "Because from day one, I have been saying that it is not an India-Pakistan issue. This is an attack perpetrated by elements emanating from the land of Pakistan and the Pakistan government should take action against it."
Pakistan leaders have stepped up appeals for calm in the region in the past two days. The Muslim nation's powerful army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, on Monday called for lowering tensions and avoiding conflict, according to a press statement.
Indian defense officials declined to answer questions about troop movements, saying Mukherjee's comments addressed the issue.
Qureshi said Pakistan favored dialogue aimed at resolving disputes such as claims on the Kashmir region.
"It has always been our desire that we sit at the negotiating table and make each other understand our point of view and carry forward the talks," he said.
Qureshi also offered to send a high-level delegation to New Delhi to help investigate the November assault in Mumbai, which killed 164 people. He insisted India had not turned over evidence backing up its claims that Pakistani militants staged the assault.
However, he noted that Indian officials had said that was because their own investigation was not over.
"And the government of Pakistan wants to assure them that when the evidence will come to us, our thinking from day one was constructive and peaceful and we will do our best to reach the bottom of the matter," Qureshi said.
Pakistan has taken some suspects into custody and cracked down on a charity alleged linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, the militant group India says was behind the Mumbai siege. India has given Pakistan a letter from the lone surviving gunman involved in the attacks, Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, reportedly saying he and the nine other gunmen were Pakistani.
Pakistan has said it is examining the letter but that it has no record of Kasab as a citizen. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday on the status of the letter's examination.
In an apparent reference to the letter, Mukherjee said India has already given evidence, and will provide more.
"We have repeatedly said that 'Yes, we will give you evidence as earlier we have given you. But please act on it,'" he said.
An Indian military official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters, denied that key air bases had been activated. "We have not activated any of our forward air bases," he said.
Pakistani intelligence officials said last week that Pakistan is shifting thousands of troops away from its militant-infested northwest regions bordering Afghanistan and toward India. Witnesses in towns along the Indian border have reported seeing more troops than usual, but there have been no signs of a massive buildup on the Pakistani side.
___
Associated Press Writer Ashok Sharma in New Delhi contributed to this report.
Pakistan Closes US Supply Route to Hit Militants
Reuters - A U.S. military spokesman in Afghanistan welcomed the operation against the extremists, despite the suspension of the supply route.
"We are glad that they're helping clean out what they call miscreants in that area that have been attacking the supply line," said Col. Greg Julian. "Temporary closure (of the supply line) is not a problem. It's best that they conduct this operation and clear out these trouble spots."
The road through the Khyber Pass in the northwest of Pakistan has come under increasing attacks by militants seeking to squeeze Western forces fighting a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan in recent months.
U.S. and NATO soldiers in landlocked Afghanistan rely on the winding, mountainous route for delivery of up to 75 percent of their fuel, food and other logistical goods, which arrive in Pakistan via the port city of Karachi.
American commanders insist the attacks are not disrupting their mission in Afghanistan, but they also say they are exploring new routes. They also say they have enough supplies to last many weeks in the case the routes are blocked.
The road has been temporarily closed to traffic at least twice this year for security reasons, each time for no longer than several days.
Tariq Hayat Khan, top administration official in the Khyber area, said security forces were battling the militants using helicopter gunships and heavy artillery.
"This operation will continue until the goal is achieved, which is nothing less then the elimination of troublemakers," Khan told The Associated Press. He did not say how long the road would be closed for.
He said he had no information on any casualties.
Gunmen have staged a series of raids on truck depots near the Pakistani city of Peshawar in recent weeks, killing several guards and burning hundreds of vehicles, including dozens of U.S.-bought Humvees destined for the Afghan army.
During the summer, militants attacked and torched dozens of U.S. supply trucks on Afghanistan's main highway.
A smaller number of supplies arrive in Pakistan by a second land crossing at Chaman in the southwest. That road was open Tuesday, a witness said.
NATO says it is investigating other possible supply routes to Afghanistan — such as through central Asian states to its north. Guns and ammunition are not shipped through Pakistan.
On a normal day, some 300 trucks carrying military supplies travel up the pass. Media reports have said that truck companies are becoming increasingly unwilling to transport the goods because of the danger.
"We are glad that they're helping clean out what they call miscreants in that area that have been attacking the supply line," said Col. Greg Julian. "Temporary closure (of the supply line) is not a problem. It's best that they conduct this operation and clear out these trouble spots."
The road through the Khyber Pass in the northwest of Pakistan has come under increasing attacks by militants seeking to squeeze Western forces fighting a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan in recent months.
U.S. and NATO soldiers in landlocked Afghanistan rely on the winding, mountainous route for delivery of up to 75 percent of their fuel, food and other logistical goods, which arrive in Pakistan via the port city of Karachi.
American commanders insist the attacks are not disrupting their mission in Afghanistan, but they also say they are exploring new routes. They also say they have enough supplies to last many weeks in the case the routes are blocked.
The road has been temporarily closed to traffic at least twice this year for security reasons, each time for no longer than several days.
Tariq Hayat Khan, top administration official in the Khyber area, said security forces were battling the militants using helicopter gunships and heavy artillery.
"This operation will continue until the goal is achieved, which is nothing less then the elimination of troublemakers," Khan told The Associated Press. He did not say how long the road would be closed for.
He said he had no information on any casualties.
Gunmen have staged a series of raids on truck depots near the Pakistani city of Peshawar in recent weeks, killing several guards and burning hundreds of vehicles, including dozens of U.S.-bought Humvees destined for the Afghan army.
During the summer, militants attacked and torched dozens of U.S. supply trucks on Afghanistan's main highway.
A smaller number of supplies arrive in Pakistan by a second land crossing at Chaman in the southwest. That road was open Tuesday, a witness said.
NATO says it is investigating other possible supply routes to Afghanistan — such as through central Asian states to its north. Guns and ammunition are not shipped through Pakistan.
On a normal day, some 300 trucks carrying military supplies travel up the pass. Media reports have said that truck companies are becoming increasingly unwilling to transport the goods because of the danger.
Monday, December 29, 2008
American Thinker Global Warming Propaganda
August 03, 2007
By Christopher J. Alleva
I have often wondered how the media are in such lock step on Global Warming. Well, I wonder no more. Recently, I came across a website for the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ). http://www.sej.org/ This website is veritable tool box for any budding reporter assigned to the global warming beat. If you're an editor at the Palookaville Post, all you have to do is send your cub reporters to this site and they'll have everything they need to write an article that fits the template and action line perfectly.
The SEJ was founded in 1989. The association is considered an indispensable resource among many reporters. The SEJ proclaims their mission to be the creation of a formal network of reporters that write about environmental issues. To that end, they maintain a website, run a listserv and send out regular email alerts to coordinate the coverage and make sure no one deviates from story template and action line. To reinforce this, they regularly conduct conferences and workshops teaching propaganda writing techniques and holding indoctrination seminars. To promote hands on discipline, they offer a "mentoring program."
In January of this year, the SEJ published what they call Climate change: A guide to the information and disinformation. The guide is neatly organized into twelve chapters. Except for the seventh chapter titled with the freighted descriptive: "Deniers, Dissenters and Skeptics", the guide is a one sided presentation that resoundingly affirms global warming and puts down anyone with a different point of view. The site is a virtual digest of the global warming industry. If you're looking for a road map to the special interest groups behind the hysteria, this is the place to go. The journalist members of this association have obviously abandoned all pretense of objectivity.
The site is largely a compendium of links to global warming promoters. Many of the links use adjectives like prestigious, best respected, and reputation unrivaled to burnish their credibility. The so-called deniers on the other hand are described with adjectives like, highly polemical, outright false, and deceptive partisan attack dogs. The description of the Competitive Enterprise Institute is especially derisive, citing the often leveled false accusation that they are the tool of Exxon Mobil. And this is journalism at its finest?
The SEJ is supported mainly by foundation grants from many of the places that fund Bill Moyers and PBS. The remaining revenue is generated from membership dues and conference fees.
This year's annual conference is being held in the rarefied atmosphere of Stanford University. The conference agenda and featured speakers are a virtual who's who and what's what of the self -identified progressive movement: the likes of leftist radio personality Amy Goodman and the Weather Channel's chief global warming propagandist Heidi Cullen holding down the celebrity spots. The five-day conference is really a full immersion in the latest liberal tropes. To create the illusion of prestige and open debate they booked a token Republican, shelling out whatever it took to get former Secretary of State George Schultz to participate in a panel titled, "Clean, Secure & Efficient Energy: Can We Have It All?"
The panel description reflects the deeply ingrained bias of the SEJ and its members. "The race is on for commercialization of domestic fuels that shrink our carbon footprint..." From what I've seen this not a race for "commercialization" so much as a fight for government subsidies.
The conference offers several recreational field trips that would set any white liberal's hearts aflutter, including a kayak outing and a tour of California's wine country. But its not all play; to assuage their liberal guilt, they're planning an excursion to the East Bay area of Oakland and Richmond they call the "Hole in the Donut: Environmental Justice in the Heart of Ecotopia" The descriptive narrative of the trip speaks volumes.
"Amid the extraordinary wealth and environmental consciousness ringing San Francisco Bay, two communities at the center of it all wallow in poverty and pollution.
"The East Bay cities of Richmond and Oakland are the industrial entrepôts for the economy of Northern California and beyond. Both surround the massive Port of Oakland, the nation's fourth largest, which fouls water and air with toxics and exotic creatures and is suspected of causing sharply higher rates of asthma and premature death from other diseases. We'll explore the minority-majority neighborhoods that endure the ceaseless movement of trains, trucks and ships. Then we'll tour the port complex to see how goods are moved across the seas and how port officials plan to clean up their act."
(For a look at the terrible environmental injustice around the Port of Richmond, see Thomas Lifson's photos here.)
The mere existence of the Society of Environmental Journalists shows first hand how the media world works, providing the infrastructure to journalists engaged in the practice of global warming advocacy journalism.
By Christopher J. Alleva
I have often wondered how the media are in such lock step on Global Warming. Well, I wonder no more. Recently, I came across a website for the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ). http://www.sej.org/ This website is veritable tool box for any budding reporter assigned to the global warming beat. If you're an editor at the Palookaville Post, all you have to do is send your cub reporters to this site and they'll have everything they need to write an article that fits the template and action line perfectly.
The SEJ was founded in 1989. The association is considered an indispensable resource among many reporters. The SEJ proclaims their mission to be the creation of a formal network of reporters that write about environmental issues. To that end, they maintain a website, run a listserv and send out regular email alerts to coordinate the coverage and make sure no one deviates from story template and action line. To reinforce this, they regularly conduct conferences and workshops teaching propaganda writing techniques and holding indoctrination seminars. To promote hands on discipline, they offer a "mentoring program."
In January of this year, the SEJ published what they call Climate change: A guide to the information and disinformation. The guide is neatly organized into twelve chapters. Except for the seventh chapter titled with the freighted descriptive: "Deniers, Dissenters and Skeptics", the guide is a one sided presentation that resoundingly affirms global warming and puts down anyone with a different point of view. The site is a virtual digest of the global warming industry. If you're looking for a road map to the special interest groups behind the hysteria, this is the place to go. The journalist members of this association have obviously abandoned all pretense of objectivity.
The site is largely a compendium of links to global warming promoters. Many of the links use adjectives like prestigious, best respected, and reputation unrivaled to burnish their credibility. The so-called deniers on the other hand are described with adjectives like, highly polemical, outright false, and deceptive partisan attack dogs. The description of the Competitive Enterprise Institute is especially derisive, citing the often leveled false accusation that they are the tool of Exxon Mobil. And this is journalism at its finest?
The SEJ is supported mainly by foundation grants from many of the places that fund Bill Moyers and PBS. The remaining revenue is generated from membership dues and conference fees.
This year's annual conference is being held in the rarefied atmosphere of Stanford University. The conference agenda and featured speakers are a virtual who's who and what's what of the self -identified progressive movement: the likes of leftist radio personality Amy Goodman and the Weather Channel's chief global warming propagandist Heidi Cullen holding down the celebrity spots. The five-day conference is really a full immersion in the latest liberal tropes. To create the illusion of prestige and open debate they booked a token Republican, shelling out whatever it took to get former Secretary of State George Schultz to participate in a panel titled, "Clean, Secure & Efficient Energy: Can We Have It All?"
The panel description reflects the deeply ingrained bias of the SEJ and its members. "The race is on for commercialization of domestic fuels that shrink our carbon footprint..." From what I've seen this not a race for "commercialization" so much as a fight for government subsidies.
The conference offers several recreational field trips that would set any white liberal's hearts aflutter, including a kayak outing and a tour of California's wine country. But its not all play; to assuage their liberal guilt, they're planning an excursion to the East Bay area of Oakland and Richmond they call the "Hole in the Donut: Environmental Justice in the Heart of Ecotopia" The descriptive narrative of the trip speaks volumes.
"Amid the extraordinary wealth and environmental consciousness ringing San Francisco Bay, two communities at the center of it all wallow in poverty and pollution.
"The East Bay cities of Richmond and Oakland are the industrial entrepôts for the economy of Northern California and beyond. Both surround the massive Port of Oakland, the nation's fourth largest, which fouls water and air with toxics and exotic creatures and is suspected of causing sharply higher rates of asthma and premature death from other diseases. We'll explore the minority-majority neighborhoods that endure the ceaseless movement of trains, trucks and ships. Then we'll tour the port complex to see how goods are moved across the seas and how port officials plan to clean up their act."
(For a look at the terrible environmental injustice around the Port of Richmond, see Thomas Lifson's photos here.)
The mere existence of the Society of Environmental Journalists shows first hand how the media world works, providing the infrastructure to journalists engaged in the practice of global warming advocacy journalism.
Big Money Behind Global Warming Propaganda
Global Warming Hoax
Find out how scientists, government
are fooling the public.
www.douglassreport.comWe Can Solve It
Solutions to Global Warming Exist &
We Can Make Them Work. Learn More.
WeCanSolveIt.org
Paul Joseph Watson reports:
A retired physics professor became the latest public figure to debunk the myth of a “consensus” behind man-made global warming when he slammed big money interests for pushing climate change propaganda that was at odds with real science in a speech yesterday.
Howard C. Hayden, emeritus professor of physics from the University of Connecticut, told a Pueblo West audience that he was prompted to speak out after a visit to New York where he learned that scaremongering billboards about the long-term effects of global warming were being purchased at a cost of $700,000 a month.
“Someone is willing to spend a huge amount of money to scare us about global warming,” Hayden said. “Big money is behind the global-warming propaganda.”
Hayden pointed out that global warming is taking place throughout the solar system, underscoring the fact that natural causes and not human beings are driving climate change, which has occurred throughout history.
“Yes, the polar ice caps are shrinking . . . on Mars,” he said, “On Mars, the ice caps are melting and small hills are disappearing,” adding that warming trends were also being observed on Jupiter, Saturn and Triton.
Citing the fact that human activity is responsible for just 3 per cent of carbon-dioxide emissions on earth, Hayden said that carbon levels in the atmosphere have been rising and falling for 400,000 years.
“We are at the lowest levels in the last 300,000 years,” he said. “During the Jurassic period, we had very high levels of carbon dioxide.”
“About 97 percent of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere comes from natural sources, not humans,” Hayden concluded, adding that global warming is being pushed not by grass roots advocacy groups, but by giant corporations who stand to gain from selling concepts such as carbon tracking and carbon trading.
You have to wonder what kind of return these global warming fear-mongers are expecting on their investment. World government, more taxes, or a newly created “green” industrial complex? Probably all of the above.
I can’t wait until the “War on global warming” becomes the next statist slogan.
Find out how scientists, government
are fooling the public.
www.douglassreport.comWe Can Solve It
Solutions to Global Warming Exist &
We Can Make Them Work. Learn More.
WeCanSolveIt.org
Paul Joseph Watson reports:
A retired physics professor became the latest public figure to debunk the myth of a “consensus” behind man-made global warming when he slammed big money interests for pushing climate change propaganda that was at odds with real science in a speech yesterday.
Howard C. Hayden, emeritus professor of physics from the University of Connecticut, told a Pueblo West audience that he was prompted to speak out after a visit to New York where he learned that scaremongering billboards about the long-term effects of global warming were being purchased at a cost of $700,000 a month.
“Someone is willing to spend a huge amount of money to scare us about global warming,” Hayden said. “Big money is behind the global-warming propaganda.”
Hayden pointed out that global warming is taking place throughout the solar system, underscoring the fact that natural causes and not human beings are driving climate change, which has occurred throughout history.
“Yes, the polar ice caps are shrinking . . . on Mars,” he said, “On Mars, the ice caps are melting and small hills are disappearing,” adding that warming trends were also being observed on Jupiter, Saturn and Triton.
Citing the fact that human activity is responsible for just 3 per cent of carbon-dioxide emissions on earth, Hayden said that carbon levels in the atmosphere have been rising and falling for 400,000 years.
“We are at the lowest levels in the last 300,000 years,” he said. “During the Jurassic period, we had very high levels of carbon dioxide.”
“About 97 percent of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere comes from natural sources, not humans,” Hayden concluded, adding that global warming is being pushed not by grass roots advocacy groups, but by giant corporations who stand to gain from selling concepts such as carbon tracking and carbon trading.
You have to wonder what kind of return these global warming fear-mongers are expecting on their investment. World government, more taxes, or a newly created “green” industrial complex? Probably all of the above.
I can’t wait until the “War on global warming” becomes the next statist slogan.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
