tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122660212024-03-08T05:25:34.954+01:00Dear KittyMy diary on peace and wars, arts, sciences, politics, the fight for economic and social justice, the environment, and more. Backup for http://dearkitty1.wordpress.com/dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-44778173724524680532012-05-28T15:57:00.000+02:002012-05-28T15:57:46.112+02:00Bahrain human rights violations<br /><br />Amnesty International <a href="http://www.bahrainrights.org/en/node/4854">has commented</a> on the recent report on torture and other human rights violations in <a href="http://www.bahrainrights.org">Bahrain</a>.dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-33507439020646549972008-05-30T00:48:00.003+02:002008-05-30T01:09:17.853+02:00Dutch soldiers oppose Afghan war<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nB3IEXlOkcM"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nB3IEXlOkcM" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />This video is called U.S. ‘turned blind eye’ to torture of Afghan prisoners.<br /><br />According to <a href="http://www.nos.nl/nos/artikelen/2008/05/art000001C8C1D8672AAB0E.html">Dutch NOS TV</a>:<blockquote>30 May 2008<br /><br />Soldiers critical about <a href="http://dearkitty.blogsome.com/2008/05/06/afghan-peasant-tells-how-dutch-soldiers-killed-22-relatives/">Uruzgan</a><br /><br />Half of the soldiers think <a href="http://dearkitty.blogsome.com/2008/05/01/dutch-afghan-prisoners-torture-scandal/">the mission in Afghanistan</a> does not make sense.<br /><br />This became apparent during a <a href="http://www.novatv.nl/index.cfm?ln=nl&fuseaction=videoaudio.details&reportage_id=6077">poll by TV program NOVA</a> of 261 members of four military trade unions.<br /><br />The chairman of the [officers] union NVO, ex commander of the Dutch army Couzy, thinks that this is worrying. "Top brass shout that this makes sense and that things are going well. However, if asked about it anonymously, most think it has no use", Couzy says.</blockquote>dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-50874227654983593262008-02-08T10:00:00.000+01:002008-02-08T10:21:33.494+01:00British army accused of torturing and murdering Iraqis<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eGIa-9vCSto&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eGIa-9vCSto&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />This video from the USA is Fernando Botero, Artist in conversation with Robert Hass, Professor of English, UC Berkeley Poet Laureate of the United States (1995-1997); about Botero's work on Abu Ghraib.<br /><br />By <a href="http://wsws.org/articles/2008/feb2008/iraq-f08.shtml">Steve James</a>:<blockquote>British Army accused of “off the scale” abuses in southern <a href="http://dearkittybackup.blogspot.com/2005/06/bush-lied-over-100000-died-and-are.html">Iraq</a><br /><br />8 February 2008<br /><br />Horrifying allegations of torture and killings carried out by the British Army in southern Iraq emerged on January 31.<br /><br />Based on witness statements, death certificates and video evidence, lawyers Phil Shiner and Martyn Day have claimed that 22 people were killed in British custody following an unequal firefight outside Majar al Kabir, about 100 miles northwest of Basra, on May 14, 2004. The lawyers allege that nine more people survived torture and abuse.</blockquote>dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-46901140721005388512008-02-08T09:30:00.001+01:002008-02-08T10:41:50.732+01:00Problem at my Blogsome blog<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://mariamusic.blogspirit.com/images/medium_blog-cartoon.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://mariamusic.blogspirit.com/images/medium_blog-cartoon.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://dearkitty.blogsome.com/">My blog at Blogsome</a> somehow is not working today. Though Blogsome itself seems to work allright. I hope the tragedy of my ModBlog blog, which disappeared forever without any warning, will not repeat itself.<br /><br />UPDATE: my Blogsome blog is back; though some aspects still seem to be not working properly.dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-83894394680795021682007-08-15T17:44:00.000+02:002008-02-08T10:23:12.655+01:00Great egret<object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="320" height="260"wmode="transparent" data="http://www.birdcinema.com/flvplayer.swf?file=http://www.birdcinema.com/flvideo/1222.flv&autostart=true&showfsbutton=true"><br /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.birdcinema.com/flvplayer.swf?file=http://www.birdcinema.com/flvideo/1222.flv&autostart=true&showfsbutton=true" /><br /> <param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><br /> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /><br /><embed src="http://www.birdcinema.com/flvplayer.swf?file=http://www.birdcinema.com/flvideo/1222.flv&autostart=true&showfsbutton=true" loop="false" width="320" height="260" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></embed><br /></object><br /><br />This video of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Egret">this beautiful bird</a>, the <a href="http://dearkitty.blogsome.com/2007/10/14/great-white-egrets-and-fungi-of-the-naardermeer/">great egret</a>, was posted here to find out whether Bird Cinema videos work on this Blogger blog.dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-61330226631525604582007-04-14T11:48:00.000+02:002008-02-08T10:24:27.922+01:00After Wolfowitz' Iraq and nepotism scandals, family planning scandal<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://zone.artizans.com/images/previews/AND438.pvw.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://zone.artizans.com/images/previews/AND438.pvw.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />After <a href="http://dearkitty.blogsome.com/2007/07/03/usa-wolfowitz-at-american-enterprise-institute/">Paul Wolfowitz</a>' <a href="http://dearkitty.blogsome.com/2007/04/14/scottish-politicians-say-blair-should-apologize-for-iraq-war/">Iraq war</a> and <a href="http://dearkitty.blogsome.com/2007/04/13/world-bank-employees-say-nepotist-wolfowitz-should-quit/">nepotism</a> scandals, he now also has a family planning scandal on his hands.<br /><br />IPS <a href="http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=37336">reports</a>:<span class="marron_titulo_big"><blockquote>Wolfowitz Contradicted on Family Planning Claim</span><br /><br /><span class="marron">Emad Mekay</span><br /><span class="texto1"><br /><b>WASHINGTON, Apr 12 (IPS) - Despite denials by World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz Thursday, newly disclosed internal documents indicate that the Bank may have in fact reversed a longstanding policy of promoting family planning on his watch. </b><br /><br />The contradictions could further intensify Wolfowitz's troubles at the Bank, where he and his office had made statements denying his personal involvement in two unusually high pay raises given to his girlfriend and fellow Bank worker Shaha Riza.<br /><br />After initially distancing himself from the decision, Wolfowitz made a humiliating apology on Thursday and admitted engineering the hike. His mea culpa failed to satisfy the 10,000-member Bank Staff Association, however, which has called for Wolfowitz's resignation.<br /><br />The same day, when asked by U.S. National Public Radio at a press conference opening the spring meetings of the World Bank and its sister institution, the International Monetary Fund, whether the Bank has changed its policy on family planning, Wolfowitz denied there had been any changes.<br /><br />"Absolutely not," he said. "I have seen rumours about that. Let me make it very clear. Our policy hasn't changed."<br /><br />But according to an internal email made public by the Government Accountability Project, a Washington-based whistleblower protection organisation, Managing Director (MD) Juan José Daboub, an appointee of Wolfowitz and a man known for his conservative stance on family issues, had in fact instructed a team of Bank specialists to delete all references to family planning from the proposed Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) for the African nation of Madagascar.</span></blockquote>Wolfowitz' nepotist appointments of Iraq war backers at the World Bank: <A HREF="http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=37350">here</A>.dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-1165851026310715452006-12-11T16:06:00.000+01:002008-02-08T10:24:56.438+01:00Malaysian turtles threatened<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.yoto98.noaa.gov/books/turtles/hawksbill.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://www.yoto98.noaa.gov/books/turtles/hawksbill.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />From <a href="http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/index.cfm?uNewsID=89200">WWF</a>:<blockquote>The island of Pulau Upeh off the Malaysian State of Malacca has only one small sandy beach. But it happens to be one of the most important hawksbill nesting sites in the country.<br /><br />Although the tiny island (seven-acres or 0.03km2 in size) is for the moment uninhabited, it is not entirely out of reach of turtle egg poachers. Nor has it fully escaped the rapid coastal development which threatens all that remains of turtle beaches in Malacca.<br /><br />Malaysia, itself, was until recently one of only seven countries in the world where leatherback turtles landed in many numbers, but no more. Now the struggle is on to save the country's beautiful but critically endangered hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), with its golden brown, exquisitely patterned shell, which still nests on the beaches of the Malacca Straits — the second most important nesting area in the country.</blockquote>See also <a href="http://dearkitty.blogsome.com/2007/10/31/green-turtle-nests-discovered-in-senegal/">here</a>.dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-1123705730736125532005-08-10T22:16:00.000+02:002008-02-08T10:25:48.291+01:00US singer David Rovics interviewed on music, rich, poor, and war<a href="http://members.aol.com/drovics/hbmpcard.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://members.aol.com/drovics/hbmpcard.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>A troubadour for this generation<br />(Wednesday 10 August 2005)<br /><br />INTERVIEW: David Rovics<br />by MIKE CHIVERS<br /><br />INTERVIEW: DAVID ROVICS talks about the inspirations and ideas behind his progressive folk music. <br /><br />At a time when grand humanitarian gestures have become indistinguishable from the latest corporate publicity drive, US singer-songwriter David Rovics is a rare and precious find. <br /><br />Here we have a committed artist who encourages his audience not only to care deeply about the world but to go out and change it themselves - a true anti-capitalist and travelling troubadour for the G8 generation. <br /><br />I meet Rovics at the Brighton [England] pub the Evening Star.<br /><br />He enthuses about the performers that he appeared alongside at the previous day's Glastonwick Beer Festival, including Carter USM's JimBob, ex-<A HREF="http://www.tvsmith.com/">Adverts</A> front man TV Smith and "keep it spiky" trainspotters Eastfield. <br /><br />Rovics's own music falls into the acoustic tradition of Woody Guthrie, Phil Ochs and Pete Seeger. ...<br /><br />"My most recent song was directly inspired by the Bush administration.<br /><br />They appointed Paul Wolfowitz to head the World Bank. That was so poetic, because, at least in the US, there's a real division between the global justice movement, around WTO, G8 and that kind of thing, and the anti-war movement. <br /><br />"It seems outrageous because it is so obvious that these things are connected. How can you separate US economic policy from US military policy?<br /><br />They're all part of the same thing. <br /><br />"Appointing the guy who was in charge of bombing Iraq to the financial institution that's supposed to help develop the Third World?<br /><br />If that doesn't make the connections between capitalism and imperialism obvious, then what will?" <br /><br />Read more <a href="http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index2.php/free/culture/arts/a_troubadour_for_this_generation">here</a>.dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-1123581481053277422005-08-09T10:50:00.000+02:002008-02-08T10:26:20.609+01:00Pakistan nuclear spy helped by CIA, Dutch ex Prime Minister admits<a href="http://www.iranmania.com/News/Photoes/General/Top/Thumbnails/T270abdolghadir010204.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.iranmania.com/News/Photoes/General/Top/Thumbnails/T270abdolghadir010204.jpg" border="0" alt="Abdul Khan" /></a><br />Dutch TV NOS <a href="http://www.nos.nl/nosjournaal/artikelen/2005/8/9/090805_khan.html">reports</a>:<BLOCKQUOTE>US American intelligence service CIA in 1975 and in 1986 has stopped Dutch authorities from arresting Pakistani <A HREF="http://www.dkosopedia.com/index.php/Abdul_Qadeer_Khan">nuclear spy Khan</A>.<br /><br />Dutch ex prime minister Lubbers said this in VPRO radio program Argos.<br /><br />US daily <A HREF="http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/pakistan/nytimes.html" >New York Times already wrote</A> on this affair last year, based on anonymous sources. Now, Lubbers confirms this. <br /><br />In the 1970s, Abdul Khan stole nuclear secrets from Dutch Ultra Centrifuge, part of Urenco in Almelo.<br /><br />With this, in the 1990s he built the Pakistani nuclear bomb. He also sold his knowledge to Iran, North Korea, and Libya. <br /><br />Suspicion<br /><br />In 1975 there already was suspicion what Khan was doing, and Dutch authorities thought about arresting him.<br /><br />According to Lubbers, however, the CIA wanted Khan to continue with his activities "in order to get more information" [the CIA and Pakistani military dictators being close pals; as Lubbers said during the interview; not included on NOS TV web article].<br /><br />In the 1980s, Khan had to appear in court at last, but was freed due to legal errors.<br /><br />Lubbers, then prime minister, wanted the court case to continue.<br /><br />However, he did not carry on, on the "advice" of security services [CIA pals].<br /><br />Dutch Attorney General Donner still last year denied that there had been meddling by secret services in the Khan affair.<br /><br />VPRO radio investigated the affair jointly with Japanese television.<br /><br />They are making a documentary on the affair, as now it is sixty years ago that Japan was hit by two US nuclear bombs, on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.</BLOCKQUOTE>See also <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/8/9/74726/03054">here</a>.dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-1120294050078970532005-07-02T10:43:00.000+02:002008-02-08T10:26:56.770+01:00Bush administration wants control of the Internet<img src="http://www.freedomforum.org/graphics/photos/censored_computer.gif" alt="Cartoon of Internet censorship" align="right" hspace=7 vspace=7>Associated Press <a href="http://www.ladlass.com/ice/archives/009570.html">reports</a>:<BLOCKQUOTE>FRANKFURT, Germany Jul 1, 2005 — A unilateral decision by the United States to indefinitely retain oversight of the Internet's main traffic-directing computers prompted concerns Friday that the global telecommunications network could eventually splinter. <br /><br />"This seems like an extension of American security in the aftermath of <A HREF="http://dearkitty.blogsome.com/2006/10/07/usa-rices-911-scandal-and-foleys-paedophilia-scandal/">9-11</A>," said John Strand, a Denmark-based technology consultant. "People will ask: `Do the Americans want to control the Internet?'" <br /><br />Washington's decision, announced Thursday, departs from previously stated U.S. policy.</BLOCKQUOTE>dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-1120165407817932302005-06-30T23:02:00.000+02:002008-02-08T10:27:28.885+01:00CIA tries to recruit Guantanamo prisoners as spies<img src="http://www.buzzflash.com/wahl/05/06/images/07wahl.jpg"alt="Guantanamo Bay camp"><br /><br />Dutch TV program <a href="http://www.novatv.nl/index.cfm?cfid=37749882&cftoken=97881563&ln=nl&fuseaction=videoaudio.details&reportage_id=3551">NOVA of today</a> is about an attempt by the United States CIA to use ex prisoners of <a href="http://dearkitty.blogsome.com/2006/10/09/usa-marine-sergeant-on-torture-at-guantanamo/">Guantanamo Bay</a> camp as spies in The Netherlands and other countries.<br /><br />They tried with five men of Moroccan ancestry. NOVA interviewed three of them.<br /><br />Two of them declared that the CIA promised them the right to stay in The Netherlands.<br /><br />Their lawyer, Mr Mohamed Hilal, said that for that they were supposed to spy within the Moroccan Dutch community.<br /><br />Experts say the story of these three Moroccans is credible.<br /><br />The five Moroccans were imprisoned in August 2001 in Afghanistan. Then, they went to Guantanamo Bay camp.<br /><br />Last August, they were released without charges and sent to Morocco.<br /><br />In NOVA, Mohamed Ouzar, Mohamed Mazouz, and Brahim Benchekroun said that the CIA in Guantanamo offered them to spy in five countries, including The Netherlands, Canada, and Switzerland.<br /><br />There was heavy pressure on them not to return to Morocco. The CIA said they'd probably be tortured there.<br /><br />In spite of the bad circumstances in Guantanamo, where prisoners were isolated in their cells and one said he had been ill most of the time, the prisoners refused the offers; as they said, they had committed no crimes and owed their captors nothing.<br /><br />A Moroccan court released them after their return to Morocco.<br /><br />NOVA showed the report on the three Moroccans to Martin Dillon. He wrote much on British intelligence in Northern Ireland.<br /><br />Today, this intelligence expert studies mainly the CIA. Dillon says the ex prisoners testimony fits into US tactics in Guantanamo Bay.<br /><br />Also Dutch intelligence expert Wil van der Schans says the ex prisoners' story is credible. He suspects Dutch secret service AIVD were also implicated in this case.dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-1120058404416817372005-06-29T17:15:00.000+02:002008-02-08T10:28:04.123+01:00G8 protests Scotland 2-6 July: blogging<img src="http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/steve_bell/2004/06/09/stbllaa.jpg" alt="G8 summit, cartoon by Steve Bell" hspace=7 vspace=7><br /><br />2-6 July in Scotland there will be the <a href="http://dearkitty.blogsome.com/2006/07/18/bush-and-g8-summit-and-middle-east-war-new-cartoon/">G8 conference</a> of rich countries' politicians.<br /><br />And many <a href="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/actions/2005/g8/">protests</a> against their policies of <a href="http://dearkitty.blogsome.com/category/economic-social-trade-union-etc/">making the rich richer and the poor poorer</a>, and of <a href="http://dearkitty.blogsome.com/category/politics/peace-and-war/">war</a>.<br /><br />Their sudden decision to have some debt relief is definitely not a <A HREF="http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=1807">panacea</A>.<br /><br />There will also be the <A HREF="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/06/313517.html">Live 8</A> concerts then. <br /><br />Scottish bishop Martin Shaw hopes two million people will come to <A HREF="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/06/313517.html">protest</A>.<br /><br /><A HREF="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/06/314718.html">Many blogs</A> will report on all this.<br /><br />Including the <A HREF="http://www.redpepper.org.uk/global/g8.html">Red Pepper</A> special <a href="http://redpepper.blogs.com/">G8 blog</a>.<br /><br />And including Dear Kitty ModBlog, of course.<br /><br />If there is downtime or other problems on ModBlog, then the blogging will be here on my <a href="http://dearkittybackup.blogspot.com">backup blog</a>.<br /><br />MakePovertyHistory Radio: G8 Are You Listening? <br /><br />On July 2, from OneWorld Radio <A HREF="http://radio.oneworld.net/article/view/82491/1/">website</A> you can listen online to Make Poverty History Radio streaming live from the peaceful march in Edinburgh. <br /><br />For one day only a special radio station will broadcast the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY rally live to campaigners and Edinburgh city residents on 2 July - bringing them the latest news from The Meadows in Edinburgh, where tens of thousands of people will gather calling for trade justice, more and better aid and debt relief for the world's poorest countries. <br /><br />Broadcasting on 87.7FM - MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY radio will be on the air for twelve hours -- 08.00 - 20.00, packed full of content from the huge range of events on the day, interviews with speakers, event information, debates on the G8 and the campaigns key aims and live links as the huge human white band forms around central Edinburgh. <br /><br />Throughout the day, a team of reporters, including community radio journalists from Africa, will be in the crowds in The Meadows bringing updates from the different entertainment and action zones as well as a selection of music and speeches from the main stages. <br /><br />Produced in partnership with the <A HREF="http://www.commedia.org.uk">Community Media Association</A> and Edinburgh Telford College community radio station, ETC FM, who kindly offered over their frequency for the day, the station will also be available online at the <A HREF="http://www.makepovertyhistory.org">Make Poverty History</A> website. <br /><img src="http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Newsweek/Photos/Web_Exclusives/040119_040126/nwk_040126_img_zapiro1.gif,standard.jpg" align="left" alt="Rich and poor, cartoon" hspace=5 vspace=5><br />MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY radio will be distributed to number of community radio stations in the UK, Africa and Latin America through the AMARC (World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters) network ( <A HREF="http://www.amarc.org">www.amarc.org</A> ). <br /><br />Project manager Bill Best from Community Media Association said: "This is a fantastic way for all campaigners to keep abreast of what is going on - whether they have made it to Edinburgh in person, or are listening in around the world.<br /><br />The content will be a mix of the serious and the fun - we want to bring a flavour of the rally atmosphere to the airwaves, and ensure the key messages of Make Poverty History are heard by everybody tuning in." <br /><br />Glen Tarman from MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY said: "The 2nd of July in Edinburgh will be the day when the people of Britain add their voices to those from Africa, Asia and Latin America to send a loud and clear message to the G8 that now is the time to make poverty history.<br /><br />Make Poverty History Radio is part of connecting people both in Edinburgh and around the globe as the world calls for justice."<br /><br />G8 and climate: see <a href="http://www.foei.org/g8/">here</a>. And <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4102144.stm">here</a>. <br /><br />Action against Faslane nuclear military base, on 4 July, see <a href="http://www.faslaneg8.com/">here</a>.<br /><br />More news coverage at <a href="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/actions/2005/g8">Indymedia UK</a>; and <a href="http://scotland.indymedia.org">Indymedia Scotland</a>.dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-1119868021063448402005-06-27T12:23:00.000+02:002008-02-08T10:28:35.538+01:00Live blogging on Luxembourg EU referendum 10 July<img src="http://www.ogb-l.lu/graphics/dossiers/bolkestein.jpg" alt="Cartoon of Luxembourg trade union against Bolkestein plan to liberalize the economy of the European Union" align="right" hspace=5 vspace=5>As we noted before:<BLOCKQUOTE>June 3 (Bloomberg) -- Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, the current holder [now, that is Blair] of the European Union's rotating presidency, said he'll resign if voters in his country follow the French and <A HREF="http://dearkittybackup.blogspot.com/2005/05/70-of-dutch-students-vote-no-to-eu.html">Dutch</A> in rejecting the European Union constitution in a referendum next month. <br /><br />... Luxembourg, one of the six founding members of the EU, will hold its referendum on July 10.</BLOCKQUOTE>Read more <a href="http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000080&sid=aCoAQmLKefQ8">here</a>.<br /><br />If Luxembourg voters will vote No, that will not just be important for Luxembourg national politics.<br /><br />It will also in effect kill the proposals for this anti-democratic, "neo-liberal" (or: neo-conservative), and militarist constitution.<br /><br />If even in a country where jobs are much more dependent on EU bureaucracy and offshore banking than anywhere else, the people vote No to the constitutional treaty, than it is dead in the water anywhere.<br /><br />On the evening (Central European time) of Sunday 10 July, on my main blog, there will be live blogging on the Luxembourg referendum results.<br /><br />If there is downtime or another problem at ModBlog, then the live blogging will be here, at my backup blog: <A HREF="http://dearkittybackup.blogspot.com">here</A>.<br /><br />Luxembourg No campaigners are <a href="http://www.dei-lenk.lu/Sujet/">here</a> ("Leftist"); and <a href="http://www.adr.lu/">here</a> ("Left Liberal").dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-1118871538494816912005-06-15T23:37:00.001+02:002008-06-04T18:19:41.016+02:00New Zealand: how giant moa bird became extinct<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/s2EjSihs0HU&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/s2EjSihs0HU&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />This video from New Zealand is called Moa Footprints.<br /><br />Mighty Moa Demise Detailed<br /><br />AFP<br /><br />June 15, 2005 — The <A HREF="http://www.kcc.org.nz/birds/extinct/moa.asp">moa</A>, the biggest <A HREF="http://dearkitty.blogsome.com/category/animals/birds/">bird</A> that ever lived, was hunted to extinction partly because of the extreme length of time it took the giant creature to reach reproductive maturity, scientists say. <br /><br />The moa once thronged across New Zealand before being wiped out several hundred years ago by the Maori, the Polynesians who according to legend migrated to Aotearoa ("the land of the long white cloud") by canoe from the Cook Islands around seven centuries ago or longer. <br /><br />The flightless, wingless bird, a cousin of the kiwi, stood up to 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) high and, at 250 kilos (550 pounds), was a plentiful source of meat. <br /><br />But how did a small Maori population, armed only with close-range wooden weapons and traps, wipe out such a plentiful species in such a large country? <br /><br />The answer, according to the new research, may be found in growth rings in the bones of these extinct giants. <br /><br />These marks are common in many animal species and are caused by differing growth rates in changing seasons.<br /><br />But bird species do not have these rings, as in most cases, their growth phase is confined to less than a year. <br /><br />The moa, though, was the exception.<br /><br />Examination of rings in stored bones suggest that the two moa species, luxuriating in the safety of New Zealand's unique ecosystem, may have taken several years to reach reproductive maturity and up to a decade to attain skeletal maturity. <br /><br />That made them "extremely vulnerable" to hunting. <br /><br />Read more <a href="http://tvnz.co.nz/view/news_national_story_skin/592283">here</a>.<br /><br />See also <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4096032.stm">here</a>.dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-1118249188660437042005-06-08T18:37:00.000+02:002008-02-08T11:45:46.023+01:00Ex US President Carter: shut down Guantanamo torture camp<img src="http://www.buzzflash.com/wahl/05/06/images/07wahl.jpg" alt="Guantanamo Bay camp"><br /><br /><A HREF="http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-06-08-carter-prison_x.htm">Carter Calls on U.S. to Shut Down Gitmo</A><br /><br />By BERNARD McGHEE, Associated Press Writer ATLANTA, 6/8/05 - Former President Carter on Tuesday called for the United States to shut down the <A HREF="http://dearkitty.blogsome.com/2006/10/09/usa-marine-sergeant-on-torture-at-guantanamo/">Guantanamo Bay prison</A> to demonstrate its commitment to human rights. <br /><br />"The U.S. continues to suffer terrible embarrassment and a blow to our reputation ... because of reports concerning abuses of prisoners in <A HREF="http://dearkitty.blogsome.com/2006/11/12/iraq-convicted-us-abu-ghraib-dog-torturer-back-to-train-police/">Iraq</A>, <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagram_torture_and_prisoner_abuse">Afghanistan</A> and Guantanamo," Carter said after a two-day human rights conference at his Atlanta center.<br /><br />Such reports have surfaced despite President Bush's "bold reminder that America is determined to <A HREF="http://dearkitty.blogsome.com/2006/10/25/usa-judge-orders-release-of-abu-ghraib-child-rape-photos/">promote freedom and democracy around the world</A>," Carter said.dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-1118227608562735282005-06-08T12:31:00.000+02:002008-02-08T11:46:16.244+01:00Ancient DNA confirms single origin of Malagasy primates<img src="http://www.africa.kyoto-u.ac.jp/lecture/koyama/koyama1.jpg" alt="Megaladapis" align="left" hspace=5 vspace=5>Yale biologists have managed to extract and analyze DNA from giant, extinct lemurs, according to a Yale study published in a recent issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.<br /><br />Radiocarbon dating of the bones and teeth from which the DNA was obtained reveal that each of the individuals analyzed died well over 1,000 years ago, according to the senior author, Anne Yoder, associate professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.<br /><br /><img src="http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/resources/Grzimek_mammals/Lepilemuridae/Lepilemur_dorsalis.jpg/medium.jpg" alt="Lepilemur dorsalis" align="right" hspace=5 vspace=5><A HREF="http://dearkitty.blogsome.com/2006/11/28/three-new-mouse-lemur-species-of-madagascar/">Living lemurs</A> comprise more than 50 species, all of which are unique to the island of Madagascar, which is the world's fourth largest island and east of Africa.<br /><br />Evolutionary analysis of the DNA obtained from the extinct giants reveals that they, like the living lemurs, are descended from a single primate ancestor that colonized Madagascar more than 60 million years ago, Yoder said.<br /><br />The biologists extracted DNA from nine subfossil individuals in two of the more bizarre extinct species, Palaeopropithecus and Megaladapis. The first has been likened to tree sloths and the second compared to koala bears.<br /><br />Both ranged in body weights from 100 to 150 pounds, as compared to the largest living lemur, Indri indri, which weighs in at fewer than 15 to 17 pounds.<br /><br />"The most important conclusion to be drawn from our study is that the phylogenetic placement of subfossil lemurs adds additional support to the hypothesis that non-human primates colonized Madagascar only once," Yoder said.<br /><br />"However, the limited taxonomic success of our study leaves open the possibility that data from additional taxa will overturn this increasingly robust hypothesis."<br /><br />Read more <a href="http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2005/06/07/ancient_dna_confirms_single_origin_of_malagasy_primates.html">here</a>.dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-1118223211308272662005-06-08T11:16:00.000+02:002008-02-08T11:46:57.095+01:00Bush lied, over 100.000 died, and are still dying<img src="http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39716000/gif/_39716435_iraq_falluja_map150.gif" align="right" alt="Iraq" hspace=5 vspace=5>George W. Bush not just lied ... err ... was economical with the truth on <A HREF="http://www.markfiore.com/animation/wmd.html">weapons of mass destruction</A> as supposed reason for the <a href="http://dearkitty.blogsome.com/category/politics/peace-and-war/">Iraq war</a>.<br /><br />His claims on not wanting to go to war in Iraq also appear to be ... err ...<br /><br />According to <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/index.php?p=1042">Think Progress</a> blog (with many different hyperlinks there):<blockquote>What Did Bush Decide and When Did He Decide It?<br /><br />The <A HREF="http://www.downingstreetmemo.com/">Downing Street Memo</A> reported that in a July 23, 2002 meeting between Prime Minister Blair and his war cabinet, attendees of the meeting discussed the fact that President Bush had already made up his mind to attack Iraq. According to the minutes of the meeting:<br /><br />“There was a perceptible shift in attitude. Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action.” <br /><br />Yet, as the record below proves, President Bush claimed over and over after July 23rd until the war began that he had not made up his mind.<br /><br />Bush: “Of course, I haven’t made up my mind we’re going to war with Iraq.” [10/1/02]<br /><br />Bush:“Hopefully, we can do this peacefully – don’t get me wrong. And if the world were to collectively come together to do so, and to put pressure on Saddam Hussein and convince him to disarm, there’s a chance he may decide to do that. And war is not my first choice, don’t – it’s my last choice.” [11/7/02]<br /><br />Bush: “This is our attempt to work with the world community to create peace. And the best way for peace is for Mr. Saddam Hussein to disarm. It’s up to him to make his decision.” [12/4/02]<br /><br />Bush: “You said we’re headed to war in Iraq – I don’t know why you say that. I hope we’re not headed to war in Iraq. I’m the person who gets to decide, not you. I hope this can be done peacefully.” [12/31/02]<br /><br />Bush: “First of all, you know, I’m hopeful we won’t have to go war, and let’s leave it at that.” [1/2/03]<br /><br />Bush: “But Saddam Hussein is – he’s treated the demands of the world as a joke up to now, and it was his choice to make. He’s the person who gets to decide war and peace.” [2/7/03]<br /><br />Bush:“I’ve not made up our mind about military action. Hopefully, this can be done peacefully.” [3/6/03]<br /><br />Bush: “I want to remind you that it’s his choice to make as to whether or not we go to war. It’s Saddam’s choice. He’s the person that can make the choice of war and peace.” [3/6/03]<br /><br />Bush: “We are doing everything we can to avoid war in Iraq. But if Saddam Hussein does not disarm peacefully, he will be disarmed by force.” [3/8/03]<br /><br />Bush: “Should Saddam Hussein choose confrontation, the American people can know that every measure has been taken to avoid war, and every measure will be taken to win it.” [3/17/03]</blockquote>dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-1118091338645747062005-06-06T22:53:00.000+02:002008-02-08T11:47:23.308+01:00Britain: Blair, stop deporting refugee children<img src="http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/steve_bell/2004/10/14/sorry512.jpg" alt="Blair cartoon"><br /><br />NEWS LINE lead article: Tuesday June 7 2005 <br /> <br />STOP CHILD DEPORTATIONS<br /> <br />‘A Rochdale head teacher, Jed Morgan, and the families of refugee children, travelled to London yesterday in a bid to stop the deportation of seven of his school’s pupils.<br /><br />Immigration minister Tony McNulty had agreed to meet Morgan and the children’s families to discuss their case.<br /><br />St John’s Primary School says the children, from <A HREF="http://socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=9642">Bolivia</A>, Angola and DR Congo, are protected by international law.<br /><br />The school says the children are entitled to protection from deportation under the international convention for the rights of the child.<br /><br />Last week, several hundred of the school’s pupils, the families and their supporters, marched through Rochdale to demand their classmates are allowed to stay in the UK.<br /><br />A 2,000 name petition has been gathered in the children’s support.<br /><br />The families, who have been in the UK for up to four years, say they face being killed if they return home. <br /><br />One family with a pupil at the school was deported to Angola in May. <br /><br />One of those now threatened with deportation is six-year-old Brian Comacho, who his family claim witnessed the murder of his grandparents in Bolivia by political opponents. <br /><br />The families’ campaign has the backing of the town’s Liberal Democrat MP, Paul Rowen.<br /><br />The protests in Rochdale are the latest in a string of locally-organised campaigns against the removal of children from schools because they are members of families who have failed in their application for asylum. <br /><br />Last week, hundreds of people demonstrated in Dover, Kent, against the planned deportation of an <A HREF="http://dearkitty.blogsome.com/2006/12/09/british-marines-kill-afghan-civilians/">Afghan</A> teenager from the town.<br /><br />Children at the protest said 19-year-old Asif Aswary’s life would be in danger if he was sent back to Kabul.<br /><br /><A HREF="http://www.cayr.org.uk/">Community Action for Young Refugees</A> (CAYR) said Asif came to the UK in 2002 after his father was killed because of his political beliefs. <br /><br />A CAYR spokesman said Asif, from Gillingham, Medway, was being held at Dover Removal Centre pending deportation on 11 June.<br /><br />CAYR secretary, Dover councillor Wes McLachlan said the group wanted unaccompanied minors admitted to the UK to receive right of residence automatically. <br /><br />Speaking of the planned deportation, he said: ‘This cruel activity is becoming more and more frequent.<br /><br />‘This will only stop when the cold and uncaring immigration regulations for unaccompanied and orphaned children are changed.’ <br /><br />McLachlan said there were two other cases in Kent where young people were being threatened with expulsion from the UK.<br /><br />Last month, the Home Office published figures on how many families have been given an amnesty because they had been waiting for more than four years for a final decision on their cases. <br /><br />The amnesty began in October 2003 as part of a drive by disgraced former Home Secretary <A HREF="http://dearkitty.blogsome.com/2006/10/13/usa-dogs-used-to-terrorize-prisoners/">David Blunkett</A> to clear the backlog of asylum claims.<br /><br />Of more than 53,000 principal applicants identified as being possibly eligible, just under 11,000 had been given permission to stay in the UK, while 3,300 had been refused.<br /><br />A further 3,500 cases did not qualify for other reasons. <br /><br />As of 31st March, some 18,000 cases were awaiting a decision and another 14,000 had yet to have an initial examination.dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-1117567990598133302005-05-31T21:25:00.000+02:002008-02-08T11:48:02.772+01:0070% of Dutch students vote No to EU constitution<img src="http://www.liebreich.com/LDC/Images/Various/MadonnaD'Estaing+ChildTony.jpg" alt="Madonna Giscard d'Estaing and child Tony Blair"align="right" hspace=5 vspace=5>In The Netherlands, tomorrow there will be the <A HREF="http://dearkitty.blogsome.com/2006/06/28/france-one-year-after-no-vote-in-european-union-constitution-referendum/">referendum on the proposed European Union constitution</A>. Like in France, pollsters expect the majority to vote no.<br /><br />This already happened today. One day before the official referendum, there was a national "mock" election for secondary school students.<br /><br />69,9% of students voted no. Source: <a href="http://www.nu.nl/news.jsp?n=534263&c=11&rss">here</a>.<br /><br />Tomorrow, Wednesday 1 June, the "real" referendum is in The Netherlands.<br /><br />I'll try to do live blogging in the evening (Central European time) on the results; at my main blog.<br /><br />If by any chance there is a ModBlog downtime during that evening, the live blogging will be here, on my backup blog; <A HREF="http://dearkittybackup.blogspot.com/">here</A>.dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-1116442378707816602005-05-18T20:50:00.000+02:002008-02-08T11:48:51.685+01:00Live blogging: EU constitution vote 29 May, 1 June<img src="http://www.ogb-l.lu/graphics/dossiers/bolkestein.jpg" alt="Cartoon of Luxemburg trade union against Bolkestein plan to liberalize the economy of the European Union"align="left" hspace=5 vspace=5>According to pollsters, there is a big chance that majorities of both Dutch and French voters could reject the proposed <A HREF="http://dearkitty.modblog.com/core.mod?show=blogview&blog_id=575710">European Union Constitution</A>.<br /><br />On Sunday 29 May, the referendum is in France.<br /><br />On Wednesday 1 June, the referendum is in The Netherlands.<br /><br />I'll try to do live blogging in the evenings (Central European time) of both days on the results; at my main blog, [then, in 2005, ModBlog].<br /><br />If by any chance there is a ModBlog downtime during these evenings, the live blogging will be here, on my backup blog; <A HREF="http://dearkittybackup.blogspot.com/">here</A>.dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-1116282005977455482005-05-17T00:18:00.000+02:002008-02-08T11:49:17.957+01:00Why did stegosaurs have plates and spikes?<img src="http://prismenfernglas.de/images/paleo/stegosaur01.JPG" align="right" alt="Stegosaur" hspace=5 vspace=5><A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stegosauria">Stegosaur</A> plates and spikes for looks only<br /><br />The bizarre plates and spikes that lined the backbones of the long-extinct stegosaurs were probably extreme examples of the often elaborate and colorful displays developed by animals to recognize fellow members of their species, according to an international team of paleontologists.<br /><br />The team's analysis of stegosaur plates lends support to a growing consensus among paleontologists that the weird adornments of many dinosaurs - the horns of <A HREF="http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/dinos/Triceratops.shtml">triceratops</A>, the helmet-like domes of the pachycephalosaurs, and the crests of the duck-billed <A HREF="http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/diapsids/ornithischia/hadrosauria.html">hadrosaurs</A> - likely served no function other than to differentiate species, akin to <A HREF="http://dearkitty.blogsome.com/category/animals/birds/">birds</A>' colorful feather ornamentation.<br /><br />"Our studies of bone histology are telling us a lot about dinosaur social behavior and lifestyle," said Kevin Padian, professor of integrative biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and a curator in the campus's Museum of Paleontology.<br /><br />Read more <a href="http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/node/7902">here</a>.dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-1115929125486862112005-05-12T22:17:00.001+02:002008-12-10T14:03:05.665+01:00US band Audioslave concert in Cuba<embed id="VideoPlayback" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-4560714296337826565&hl=nl&fs=true" style="width:400px;height:326px" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"> </embed><br /><br />This video is Audioslave - Gasoline (Live on David Letterman).<br /><br />U.S. band plays to 50,000 in Cuba <br /><br />05/12/05 <br /> <br />HAVANA — With an inspired 26-song set, <A HREF="http://www.audioslave.com/">Audioslave</A> made history May 6, playing by far the biggest show for an American band in Cuba. <br /><br />An estimated 50,000 fans at the sprawling La Tribuna Antimperialista José Martí watched as the band made one of its longtime dreams come true. <br /><br />Many of the fans were wearing T-shirts of Audioslave and other American rock bands. <br /><br />Heavy on music and light on banter, the nearly two-and-a-half-hour set included several <A HREF="http://www.ratm.com/">Rage Against the Machine</A> and <A HREF="http://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/">Soundgarden</A> songs alongside Audioslave favorites and tracks from the band’s forthcoming second LP, “<A HREF="http://boss.streamos.com/real/interscope/audioslave/audio/00_stay.ram">Out of Exile</A>.” <br /><br />The group also played a “jam?” (as it was called on the setlist) with the local opening act, singer <A HREF="http://www.mp3.com/x-alfonso/artists/396950/biography.html">X Alfonso</A>.<br /><br />Read more <a href="http://pww.org/article/articleview/7026/1/269">here</a>.dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-1115921926304263092005-05-12T19:30:00.000+02:002008-02-08T11:50:18.836+01:00New research on flying snakes in Asia<IMG SRC="http://itgmv1.fzk.de/www/itg/uetz/herp/photos/Chrysopelea_paradisi2.jpg" width=525 alt="Chrysopelea paradisi"><br /><br />Researchers reveal secrets of flying snakes<br /><br />It seems size does matters after all. But for <A HREF="http://www.flyingsnake.org/">flying snakes</A>, smaller is better, according to University of Chicago researchers.<br /><br />In the May 15, 2005, issue of the <A HREF="http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/full/208/10/i-a">Journal of Experimental Biology</A>, scientists described the effects of size and behavior of flying snakes, and found that the smaller animals were better gliders.<br /><br />"Despite their lack of wing-like appendages, flying snakes are skilled aerial locomotors," said lead scientist and author Jake Socha, Ph.D., who has been studying these unique creatures for the past eight years.<br /><br />With the help of colleagues Michael LaBarbera, professor of organismal biology and anatomy at Chicago, and Tony O'Dempsey, an expert in photogrammetry, Socha used 3-D flight information from the synchronized recordings of two video cameras to digitally reconstruct the trajectories, speed and body postures of Chrysopelea paradisi, or paradise tree snake, and Chrysopelea ornata, golden tree snake.<br /><br /><IMG SRC="http://www.flyingsnake.org/snake_images/ornata/images/ornata-portrait-6-S.jpg" alt="Chrysopelea ornata" align="right" hspace=5 vspace=5>In this study, Socha, who also is a biologist at Argonne National Laboratory, found that paradise tree snakes are true gliders, traveling further horizontally than dropping vertically.<br /><br />The best flight Socha recorded traveled 13 degrees from the horizon at the end of its trajectory.<br /><br />Read more <a href="http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2005/05/12/researchers_reveal_secrets_of_flying_snakes.html">here</a>.<br /><br />See also <a href="http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/050512_flying_snakes.html">here</a>.dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-1115598199538926922005-05-09T02:23:00.000+02:002008-02-08T11:50:58.399+01:00Carrie's Bar & GrillInteresting blog, from Hollywood, USA: <a href="http://carriecann.blogspot.com/">Carrie's Bar & Grill</a>dearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12266021.post-1115349560790879362005-05-06T04:34:00.000+02:002008-02-08T11:51:28.407+01:00Latest UK election news. See you tomorrowI wanted to continue blogging until Bethnal Green and Bow results became known. However, it took longer than expected.<br /><br />The BBC remarked that Labour had just 36,2% of the vote. Lowest ever for a party of government. They had the luck people don't trust the Conservatives (33%) either. Maybe the beginning of the end of the two party system. Since 1923, Labour plus Conservatives did not have such a low share of the vote.<br /><br />Liberal Democrats expected to take about 60 seats, best result since 1923. Including their anti war MP of Brent East who had won a bye election in 2003.<br /><br />Glasgow North East, remarkable result for Socialist Labour Party:<br />===================<br /><br />Labour (Speaker) Michael Martin - 15,153 - 53.3% (-13.8%)<br />Scottish National Party - John McLaughlin - 5,019 - 17.7% (-0.5%)<br />SOCIALIST LABOUR PARTY - Doris Kelly - 4,036 - 14.2% (+14.2%)<br />SCOTTISH SOCIALIST PARTY - Graham Campbell - 1,402 - 4.9% (-3.2%)<br />Scottish Unionist Party - Daniel Houston - 1,266 - 4.5% (+0.3%)<br />BRITISH NATIONAL PARTY [nazi] - Scott McLean - 920 - 3.2% (+3.2%)<br />Independent - Joe Chambers - 622 - 2.2% (+2.2%)<br /><br />(Figures from BBC News website)<br /><br />And now I have to sleep. See you tomorrow, I hope at <A HREF="http://dearkitty.modblog.com">Dear Kitty ModBlog</A>, running again after downtime now.<br /><br />Once Again, Americans Doing Their Bit for Blair<br />Democratic Strategists Working Behind Scenes<br /><br />By Dan Balz<br />Washington Post Staff Writer<br />Thursday, May 5, 2005; Page A14 <br /><br />LONDON, May 4 -- They toil in relative obscurity, urged by their British minders to stay mostly out of sight and especially away from the voracious British press. Behind the scenes, though, American political consultants are involved in virtually every aspect of the campaign of Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Labor Party, continuing a relationship that began with Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign for president.<br /><br />The Americans are taking polls, conducting focus groups and helping to shape and refine the Labor message. They have advised Labor officials on techniques for targeting and mobilizing voters, drawn from the intensive ground war in last year's presidential campaign. They have applied expertise gained from the presidential campaigns of Sen. John F. Kerry and former Vermont governor Howard Dean, and from the activities of MoveOn.org, on how to turn the Internet into a potent weapon in political campaigns.<br /><br />The Americans don't always agree with one another, and not all agreed with Blair and President Bush on the war in Iraq. But as campaign experts, they have come to where the action is this spring, drawn by Blair's quest for a record third term for the Labor Party and the chance to learn as well as advise.<br /><br />On the eve of Britain's general election, the Americans were attending to the last details of Labor's operation and nervously waiting for the polls to open in the morning.<br /><br />A year ago at this time, Zack Exley was burrowing into the Kerry campaign as the newly recruited director of online organizing and operations. On Wednesday, he was at Labor's online headquarters pushing out massive numbers of e-mails urging Labor voters, many of them unexcited about Blair, to get out and vote on Thursday.<br /><br />Karen Hicks spent the day in Rochdale, near Manchester, mobilizing a get-out-the-vote operation in a district where a Labor member of Parliament faces a stiff challenge. Last fall, she directed the ground war operation at the Democratic National Committee after assembling Dean's highly praised but ultimately unsuccessful grass-roots operation in New Hampshire.<br /><br />Pollster Stan Greenberg spent the morning analyzing the last public and private polls, continuing a relationship with Blair and Labor that began with Clinton's 1992 campaign, which became a template for Blair's victory in 1997, down to the creation of a war room patterned after the one Clinton had in Little Rock.<br /><br />Mark Penn, who helped guide Clinton to reelection in 1996, was up all night digesting the results of his last poll and offering last-day recommendations to Blair and his team about their closing message. Penn is a relative newcomer to British politics, but he came with impressive recommendations. He was recruited in September as an adviser to Blair on the advice of Clinton and his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.).<br /><br />Veteran Democratic strategist Bob Shrum is also here. Although he retired from political consulting after last year's election, picking up and moving north for a teaching position at New York University, he has come to Britain this spring to act as a personal adviser to his longtime friend Gordon Brown, the chancellor of the exchequer, the top economic post in Britain.<br /><br />The Americans have in no way supplanted Blair's core team of British advisers, who have been with him for years and remain a loyal and tightknit group. Labor Party officials have been skittish about making too much of the presence of the Americans, despite long-standing ties. An e-mail to one of Blair's most senior advisers, inquiring about the Americans, came back with a reply that encouraged no follow-up questions. "Sorry. We never talk about advisors. Sorry not to be of more help."<br /><br />British and American political parties long have traded information on techniques, message, technology and strategy. During the 1980s, advisers to the Conservative prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, worked closely with Republican Party operatives used by President Ronald Reagan. During the 1992 campaign, Bush's father's team used links to Prime Minister John Major, also a Conservative, for help in gathering negative research on Clinton. That cooperation helped cool relations between Major and Clinton once Clinton was elected.<br /><br />This year, Britain's Conservative Party has imported the GOP's technology for targeting voters through the use of marketing research, but it has turned to a group of Australians to run the campaign itself. Top Bush advisers said in a series of e-mails that Conservative Party officials had traveled to the United States for consultations. But most said they had little direct contact with Tory leaders, and certainly there is no GOP equivalent to the kind of high-profile Democratic strategists working inside the Blair campaign.<br /><br />The war in Iraq has caused some strains in old relations between Blair and the Democrats, with some of those on the American team having worked with groups opposed to the war. Ironically, Blair's team has used its ties to the Bush White House to gain insight into the Republican Party's targeted get-out-the-vote operation that was so successful in 2004, although a Bush adviser said no proprietary information was ever discussed, nor was there any effort to offer advice to Blair's team. When it was suggested in jest that Blair's team had drawn as much from the Republicans as from the Democrats, one Blair adviser laughed. "Well, they won," he said.<br /><br />The Americans and British are respectful of each other's techniques. Laborites say the Americans are far ahead on targeting and mobilizing voters, but Hicks said she has been impressed by what she has seen in the Labor Party. "I'm intrigued with the permanent nature of the infrastructure," she said.<br /><br />Although Blair and his team have two successful campaigns behind them, they approached this campaign with a fresh sense of curiosity -- driven apparently by Blair himself -- about how to reinvigorate their operations. Blair reached out to Penn for strategic advice and also sought help from Democratic strategist Joe Trippi, who as Dean's campaign manager proved how effective the Internet can be for organizing and fundraising.<br /><br />Trippi made several trips to London for meetings with Blair and said he spent more time talking about the Internet as a tool in governing than he did about the campaign. Blair "was more interested in whether I thought it was possible for a sitting prime minister to use the Net to get citizens engaged to help do things," Trippi said.<br /><br />Greenberg said one big difference between this and earlier Blair campaigns is the confidence among the British about their own judgments and strategies. In the 1990s, they looked to the Clinton model for inspiration. Now, he said, "there is much more self-confidence about how they do things here. They turn to the U.S. for much more defined things: getting the new technology; how to use the Internet; how to target individual voters. It's much more instrumental, much less inspirational."<br /><br />http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/04/AR2005050402092.htmldearkittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18385836507833605056noreply@blogger.com0