While Britain, much like the rest of the world, has been distracted by terror threats from the Middle East, what remains of the Irish Republican Army has regrouped and is apparently looking to blow something up in London. From Al Jazeera:
There is no specific target identified, but there is a desire among the dissident groups to mount an attack on the mainland.
The Real IRA recently warned of potential attacks on financial and banking centres, saying they had helped support Britain's "colonial and capitalist" system.
Since the beginning of the year, the dissident groups are thought to be behind around 60 incidents in Northern Ireland.
Hadn't heard about them? Well that's part of the drive to launch operations on mainland Britain.
The Provisional IRA used to claim one bomb in London was worth ten in Belfast in terms of publicity, economic damage and "prestige" for the cause.
The Gaurdian UK gives us some idea of what the Brits might be facing:
There is growing concern over the sophistication of attacks being carried out in Northern Ireland. Second, bomb makers with expertise gained from the long Provisional IRA campaign of violence are believed to be now helping dissident republican terrorists. And the capability of the dissidents to stage attacks is thought to be nearly as dangerous as was that of the Provisional IRA.
In a couple contentious US Senate races here on the West Coast, a trend may be emerging. First lets look at the race here in Washington State. Long time US senator and woman of the people Patty Murray (Democrat) is facing a considerable challenge from professional loser and former Space Needle floor waxer Dino Rossi (Republican). Tonight while I was watching the news, each of their campaigns ran an ad. Murray's was as follows:
What impression are we left with? That Dino Rossi is in the pocket of big bad Wall Street, yes. But what does it tell us about Murray? Nothing, really. She only appears at the start for the standard message approval bit, then isn't seen or mentioned again. We've likely forgotten about her by the time it's over. By contrast, here's Rossi's ad:
It is still an attack ad, but what is the main difference? Rossi is present the whole time. We begin and end on his image, and it is his voice, not some anonymous baritone, that narrates throughout. Rossi's is much warmer and more personal; he speaks in a tone as if to say "it's a shame, but Patty Murray just isn't working out. Why don't we give someone else a chance?". Compare that to the coldness of Murray's ad, which comes across like the Senator sending one of her henchman after mean old Dino Rossi.
Now another incumbent democrat defending her seat from a formidable opponent; this time it is Barbara Boxer vs political newcomer Carly Fiorina in California
Boxer's piece:
Very similar in tone and structure to Murray's. In fact, that might even be the same voice. Now Fiorina's:
Again, like Rossi's, Fiorina herself narrates and is on screen most of the time.
I should be clear and say that I support Patty Murray and plan to vote for her, and I don't want Dino Rossi elected to anything, but I have to admit that his more personal touch is appealing, and I wouldn't be surprised if it succeeds in bringing him votes he might otherwise not have gotten. Ditto for the California race. Democrats should definitely take notice of what their challengers are doing, and try to learn something.
While addressing the UN General Assembly, the Iranian President took his assholery to a new level:
Ahmadinejad said there was a theory that "some segments within the US government orchestrated the attack to reverse the declining American economy and its grips on the Middle East in order also to save the Zionist regime.
"The majority of the American people as well as other nations and politicians agree with this view," he said.
Naturally, the US delegation walked out, followed by several others. When will insane ideologues stop using 9/11 for petty political attacks? I fear perhaps never.
My letter to Mike McGinn, Mayor of Seattle, advising him on what to do with the Fun Forest space at Seattle Center.
Mayor McGinn,
I am writing to urge you not to follow the Selection Committee's recommendation to build a Dale Chihuly museum at the Seattle Center space currently occupied by the Fun Forest. Of the myriad proposals put forward for what should replace the Fun Forest, the Chihuly museum idea is far from the best. It would not be free to the public, a notion which is incongruous with the spirit of the Seattle Center. Multiplying the Chihuly proposal's inappropriateness is the suggestion that, should the museum be built, an 8 foot wall would be erected around the new structure, quite literally creating a barrier between it and the rest of the Seattle Center. I don't think I need to remind a politically aware person such as yourself of the negative history associated with large, divisive walls.
The proposal you should choose is the one submitted by KEXP. They have proposed to use the open space currently filled with amusement park rides to create a free, outdoor performance space for local and international musical talent. As for the building that currently functions as an arcade, KEXP proposes using that building to house their offices, studios, and other facilities. Anyone, such as myself, who has spent time at KEXP's current location near the corner of Dexter and Denny will tell you that, while the staff does make very efficient use of the space, the building they now reside in is far too small for their operation. Allowing them to move to the Seattle Center would give them plenty of space; this coupled with a free, open air performance space would greatly enrich not only the Seattle Center itself, but the Seattle music scene as a whole, further maximizing the very positive artistic and civic duty that KEXP has made it their mission to carry out. Put simply, KEXP's proposal is a win-win; everyone benefits.
I should acknowledge the financial angle which the Selection Committee uses to support its recommendation of the Chihuly proposal. The committee claims that using the space for a museum that charges patrons for admission is the most financially sound option. Now while, on the face of it, a museum of this nature would appear to bring in more money than a free performance space, the Selection Committee is being narrow-minded and short-sighted. A museum dedicated to the glass artwork of Dale Chihuly will attract only a very specific subset of the local public, and, by some estimates, nearly 2/3 of all patrons will be tourists. I recognize that tourism is a lucrative and essential part of Seattle's economy, but the proposed museum fits into that economy in only the most cynical and superficial way. People will be drawn only to the museum, and perhaps the Space Needle, while bypassing the rest of what the Seattle Center has to offer. If, however, the space is transformed into a free concert venue, it will still be a destination for tourists and locals alike, but will appeal to a vastly wider audience than a glass museum. Very few people are aware of blown glass art, and of those even fewer can appreciate this niche art form, whereas almost everyone listens to and appreciates music, which is what KEXP and the proposed concert space will provide. Additionally, KEXP is a world famous indie radio station, listened to in dozens of countries. Placing it in convenient proximity to other Seattle landmarks such as the Space Needle and the Pacific Science Center only makes sense. KEXP will bring in more tourists than a glass museum, and enrich the Seattle Center in the process.
I know that you will make every consideration before deciding what should be done with the Fun Forest space at the Seattle Center. I hope I have made a strong case for the KEXP proposal. I await your decision with great interest.
Last night in an interview via satellite on Real Time with Bill Maher, Michael Moore called for all Americans to refer to the likes of Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin as the US equivalent of the Taliban. Now, while Gingrich is a jackass who has been irresponsibly spreading misinformation about Muslims, and Palin is an ignorant, fame-hungry megalomaniac, they are nowhere near as backwards and destructive as the actual Taliban. I direct your attention to an article in today's New York Times:
Those who did vote in Kandahar were nervous. “I am so scared to come to the polling station,” said Shafiqa, 49. “My family insisted I not come, but I have to because this is my country and I want to use my vote for someone I like.”
The Taliban used every conceivable tactic to dissuade people from voting, firing rockets at polling places, kidnapping campaign workers, planting a bomb in the toilet of a mosque that was to be used as a polling place, and threatening to amputate not only fingers with voting ink on them, but noses and ears of those who dared to vote.
In the US, when we have elections, people yell lies and insults at each other. When they have elections in Afghanistan, the Taliban terrifies the people so much that barely any of them vote, and those who do are under constant, real threat of being maimed or killed.
Palin and Gingrich are negative and hateful, but to compare them to a violent army of terrorists is simply disingenuous. Moore is, however, not completely filled with pithy, divisive sound bits; he called our attention to a non-profit organization to help finance the Park 51 Islamic Community Center, which Donald Trump has threatened to buy. You can donate here, and do the American thing by supporting religious freedom and tolerance, moving us one step closer to a more peaceful planet.
