Click here to view this media Via Ed Henry at CNN : WASHINGTON (CNN) – P.J. Crowley abruptly resigned Sunday as State Department spokesman over controversial comments he made about the Bradley Manning case. Sources close to the matter said the resignation, first reported by CNN, came under pressure from the White House, where officials were furious about his suggestion that the Obama administration is mistreating Manning, the Army private who is being held in solitary confinement in Quantico, Virginia, under suspicion that he leaked highly classified State Department cables to the website Wikileaks. Speaking to a small group at MIT last week, Crowley was asked about allegations that Manning is being tortured and kicked up a firestorm by answering that what is being done to Manning by Defense Department officials “is ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid.” Crowley did add that “nonetheless, Bradley Manning is in the right place” because of his alleged crimes, according to a blog post by BBC reporter Philippa Thomas , who was present at Crowley’s talk. Glenn Greenwald of Salon.com gives his acerbic take on the situation. Greenwald has been an outspoken critic of U.S. policy on torture and rendition, a policy he regards as duplicitous and hypocritical. Sadly, the Manning affair only reinforces that notion. On Friday, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley denounced the conditions of Bradley Manning’s detention as “ridiculous, counterproductive and stupid,” forcing President Obama to address those comments in a Press Conference and defend the treatment of Manning. Today, CNN reports , Crowley has “abruptly resigned” under “pressure from White House officials because of controversial comments he made last week about the Bradley Manning case.” In other words, he was forced to “resign” — i.e., fired. So, in Barack Obama’s administration, it’s perfectly acceptable to abuse an American citizen in detention who has been convicted of nothing by consigning him to 23-hour-a-day solitary confinement, barring him from exercising in his cell, punitively imposing “suicide watch” restrictions on him against the recommendations of brig psychiatrists, and subjecting him to prolonged, forced nudity designed to humiliate and degrade. But speaking out against that abuse is a firing offense. Good to know. As Matt Yglesias just put it: “Sad statement about America that P.J. Crowley is the one being forced to resign over Bradley Manning.” And as David Frum added: “Crowley firing: one more demonstration of my rule: Republican pols fear their base, Dem pols despise it.” John Amato: When PJ made his remarks I mistakenly thought the administration wanted to get the overkill treatment Manning has been receiving by the military out there as they obviously try to break him so they can link Assange directly to the leaked documents, which can be used so Assange can be prosecuted in America without the President having to use his bully pulpit against the military. Obviously that wasn’t the case. .
Continue reading …Maybe if we get them to wear tea bags on their heads and show up in their Medicare funded Scooters the media will start to pay attention to them — or not. Wisconsin protests larger than any Tea Party rally : Police estimated that more than 100,000 people flooded the streets around the Wisconsin Capitol in Madison Saturday, making the turnout larger than any of the fledgling Tea Party’s rallies. The largest turnout for a Tea Party rally is the estimated crowd of 60,000 to 70,000 people who marked in Washington, D.C. during the group’s September 12, 2009 demonstration. The 2009 Tea Party rally’s crowd size is also notable for the controversy that surrounded it. ABC News published a piece claiming conservative activists had told them that 1 million to 1.5 million people turned out at the rally, when the corrected number was only a fraction of that size. According to ThinkProgress , the protests in Wisconsin have inspired demonstrations in seven other states, with some protesters even wearing “Cheesehead” hats as a nod to their Madison counterparts. Wisconsin Democrats have also vowed to make virtually every upcoming election a referendum on Gov. Walker’s anti-union administration, which they say has made Wisconsin akin to “a dictatorship.” More there so go read the rest. And as they noted at Raw Story, the above video is from ” YouTube user stumptownfilms put together a time-lapse video from footage of one day of protests in Madison last week that shows the impressive crowd sizes.” And as Steve Benen noted, It’s Not Jut Madison : The efforts of progressive activists in Wisconsin have generated considerable attention, and with good reason. But here’s hoping the activism won’t be limited to Madison. For example, you may not have heard about this gathering in Austin, Texas. Thousands of parents, teachers and other education advocates poured onto the Capitol grounds Saturday to rally against proposed state budget cuts that school districts say could force layoffs of thousands of teachers and other public education employees. Demonstrators sprawled across the statehouse grounds, carrying signs scrawled with “Save Our Schools” and “Fund the Future.” Others carried umbrellas to underscore their desire that lawmakers tap into the state’s rainy day fund to help balance the budget. “We hope that being here will make a difference,” said Nicollette Anthony, a 17-year-old from San Antonio. “But even if it doesn’t, they’ll know we tried.” Estimates of the crowd size vary, but I’ve seen some put the number at 12,000 people. (Organizers brought 11,000 stickers to hand out to those on hand, and ran out while folks were still showing up.) It’s a shame events like this don’t get more attention. A year ago at this time, a former half-term governor attended a Tea Party rally in Nevada, drew a crowd of 8,000 , and garnered national media attention, including live television coverage. But 12,000 people take a stand against deep education cuts, and it’s largely an afterthought outside the local media. Read on…
Continue reading …Anonymous Releases Part 1 of Bank of America Emails, Ex-Employee Says He Can Prove Mortgage Fraud
March 14, 2011 No Comment
enlarge Ex-employee: ‘Tells me Boa is knowingly hiding Foreclosure information from Feds…’ It’s here. The first Anonymous leak from an ex-Bank of America employee has been released, so have at it. Here’s a sample: How is Balboa able to charge such inflated premiums and get away with it? It’s all very simple. First, when you call in to customer service, for say, GMAC, you’re not actually speaking to a GMAC employee. You’re actually speaking to a Bank of America associate working for Balboa Insurance who is required by their business to business contract with GMAC to state that they are, in fact, an employee of GMAC. The reasoning is that if you do not realize you’re speaking to a Bank of America/Balboa Insurance employee, you have no reason to question the validity of the information you are receiving from them. If you call your insurance agent and ask them for the lienholder information for your GMAC/Wells Fargo/etc lien (home or auto) you will be provided with their name, but the mailing address will be a PO Box at one of Balboa’s 3 main tracking locations (Moon Township/Coreaopolis, PA, Dallas/Ft Worth, TX, or Phoenix/Chandler, AZ) Anonymous also released this video (warning: turn down the volume), and has called for multiple days of national civil disobedience to shut down the Fed, March 28th and on:
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Hacker Group Anonymous Brings Peaceful Revolution To America: Will Engage In Civil Disobedience Until Bernanke Steps Down: The world’s most (in)famous hacker group – Anonymous – known for effectively shutting down their hacking nemesis security firm (with clients such as Morgan Stanley and, unfortunately for them, Bank of America)- HBGary, advocating the cause of Wikileaks, Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Les Jones Discovery Date : 13/03/2011 10:50 Number of articles : 3
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Bashir regime accused of funding and training militias to destabilise south before country’s division after referendum Southern Sudan has suspended talks with the northern government after accusing President Omar al-Bashir’s regime of arming rebel groups before the country’s split in July. The move comes amid a sharp increase in tensions in recent weeks, with hundreds of people killed in clashes in the south, and along the north-south border. In the latest fighting, up to 42 people were killed after militiamen attacked Malakal, a state capital, on Saturday. Announcing their withdrawal from key negotiations on Sunday, southern officials accused Bashir of using proxy forces to weaken the south and to try to topple its government before secession. “They [the north] have stepped up their destabilisation of southern Sudan by creating, training, and arming and financing various militia groups in southern Sudan,” said Pagan Amum, secretary general of the south’s ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), on Sunday. Amum said that the northern government was “already engaged at war”, forcing the south to suspend talks. The two sides, which ended their 22-year war in 2005, are meant to be negotiating crucial issues related to the country’s breakup, including border demarcation and oil-revenue sharing. Bashir’s National Congress party dismissed Amum’s allegations as “ridiculous”. But it also warned of more fighting in Abyei, a disputed and volatile border area whose status remains unresolved. The war of words – and the fighting on the ground – follows the mostly peaceful referendum in January , when 99% of southerners voted for independence. Bashir did not attempt to disrupt the ballot, as many observers suspected he would, and promised to respect the south’s decision to secede, raising hopes of a painless separation. But there were always warning signs this might not happen. The main one was Abyei, a long-contested region that was supposed to have its own vote in January on whether to join the south or north. Given that most of the eligible voters were expected to be Ngok Dinkas – southerners – it seemed inevitable that Abyei would join the south. But Bashir, ignoring the provisions of the 2005 deal to end the war, insisted that northern Missereya herders be allowed to vote too, forcing the ballot to be postponed. With only four months left to secession, the north is insisting on a negotiated settlement for Abyei, angering the SPLM and local people. After clashes in January, at least 70 people were killed in attacks involving Missereya and Ngok Dinka fighters earlier this month, with three villages razed and tens of thousands of people displaced. Elsewhere, in Jonglei and Upper Nile states, fighting between the southern army and militias groups allied to the renegade general George Athor have left hundreds dead. The SLPM says Athor is sponsored by Khartoum, although it has provided no evidence for this. Claire McEvoy, Sudan project manager at the Small Arms Survey , a Swiss-based research group, said that the unresolved post-referendum issues meant that the tension and violence was no surprise. But she added that neither side wanted another war, and that both were using rhetoric to try to maximise gains from the negotiations, as they have done in the past. “Posturing and accusations of bad faith are inevitably part of that process,” she said. Sudan Xan Rice guardian.co.uk
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As forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi advance on rebel-held towns, follow the latest news from Libya and the wider region 12.57pm: It’s probably time for a quick recap, taking things county by country: Libya • Muammar Gaddafi’s forces continue to push eastward , having taken the town of Braga last night following a fierce artillery barrage. Rebels say they re-took Braga after dark , but there is no way to verify this. The Guardian’s Chris McGreal, who left Braga with the fleeing rebel forces, says it is by no means inevitable that Gaddafi’s troops will be able to move swiftly towards Benghazi, the main rebel stronghold. • G8 foreign ministers are to meet in Paris this evening to discuss a no-fly zone and other possible responses, with William Hague saying “a point of decision” is near. The foreign secretary remains officially non-committal on a no-fly zone but rebel leaders reportedly say they have been promised this by the UK, US and France. In the meantime Gaddafi’s warplanes have bombed the eastern city of Ajdabiya. Bahrain: • In a significant development following six-weeks of opposition protests, around 1,000 Saudi troops have arrived in the country . They have been sent to shore up the rule of Bahrain’s fellow-Sunni Muslim royal family, under siege from the demands of opponents in the majority Shia community. • A group of independent MPs in Bahrain’s parliament have called for a period of martial law to restore order. Yemen • A stand-off between security forces and opposition groups continues in Sana’a , with the president sacking one of his ministers. Political correspondent Allegra Stratton has been listening to the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, discuss options for Libya at a press conference in Westminster. She writes: Ed Miliband edged towards supporting military action in Libya, telling journalists the west cannot “stand by”. Miliband said he supported the idea of a no-fly zone but called for more details from the government on what type of troop detail would be involved. He said: “I don’t think we can stand by as Colonel Gaddafi takes greater hold of Libya.” 12.41pm: I’ve just had a chat with the Guardian’s Martin Chulov, who’s following develoments in Bahrain, where around 1,000 Saudi troops are now known to have arrived (see previous post). There are wider regional factors at play, he notes, particularly Iran’s backing for Shia opposition groups and Saudi backing for their fellow Sunni royals: The real game has been much bigger than this. It’s all been part of the standoff between Saudi Arabia and Iran, with America in the middle. 12.22pm: More on Bahrain. This just in from Reuters: About 1,000 Saudi soldiers entered Bahrain early on Monday to protect government facilities following recent unrest by the country’s Shia Muslim majority, a Saudi official source said. “About 1,000 Saudi soldiers have entered Bahrain early on Monday morning through the causeway to Bahrain,” the source told Reuters. “They are part of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) force that would guard the government installations”. 12.17pm: To reiterate a point made briefly at the start of today’s blog, Libyan rebels say they re-took the port of Brega last night, having been dislodged during the day. According to the Associated Press they claim to have destroyed armoured vehicles and captured fighters from Gaddafi’s elite Khamis Brigade; again, there is no confirmation of this. 12.12pm: Back to Bahrain, and the reported imminent arrival of Saudi troops to shore up the fellow-Sunni royal family: opposition groups in Bahrain have reacted with predictable anger, calling the move a declaration of war. There is, however, no confirmation as yet that Saudi troops (or indeed any outside forces) are on the way. Martin Chulov will be filing a story on this imminently. 11.50am: Al-Jazeera has its own live blog of the day’s events running, as ever. This interesting update is just in: unnamed sources among the leadership of Libya’s rebel group say they have received private promises about a no-fly zone from the US, UK and France. 11.45am: Here’s a photo from yesterday of some of the tens of thousands of migrant workers who have fled Libya and are now at a UN displacement in Ras Jdir, Tunisia, on the Libyan border. UN officials warn that it risks becoming a major humanitarian crisis. – 11.26am: The issue of a no-fly zone is all the more pressing given that Gaddafi’s air force is continuing to raid rebel positions. According to rebel groups, war planes attacked weapons stores today near the eastern city of Ajdabiya. France and the UK are seen as the main proponents of a no-fly zone within the G8 group of major industrialised nations, which also comprises the US, Russia, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada. Russia, one of the big players if a proposal is to be put before the UN security council, apparently remains to be convinced. The country’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said this morning that he wanted more information about how such a zone would work. Russia would “closely study” any proposal put before the security council, he added. 11.14am: I’ve finally had time for a proper listen to Hague’s comments on Radio 4 this morning (see 9.56am). On a no-fly zone he remained non-committal ahead of tonight’s G8 foreign minister talks in Paris: Clearly a no-fly zone is one of the leasing propositions. It isn’t the answer to everything… but it has been called for by the Arab League and it is something that the international community now must consider. Interestingly, Hague refused to rule out an argument made in today’s Times (paywall) by one of his Tory predecessors in the job, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, that the west should arm Libyan rebels, saying: “I wouldn’t exclude various possibilities on this score.” For now, however, the international arms embargo on Libya would prevent such a move for now, he said, adding: This is the kind of subject which has to be discussed with our international partners and those discussions are now taking place. Of course, as these discussions go on (and on), Gaddafi’s forces move eastward. Reuters spoke to a series of regional experts this morning, many of whom made the point summed up by one pundit, London-based Saad Djebbar: The international community is dragging its feet. The diplomatic pace is very slow. There is an urgency to act quickly before those people are finished off by Gaddafi’s forces. 11.06am: In response to some questions below about the latest on the Guardian’s Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, detained 11 days ago in Libya, we had an update on the website last night . It doesn’t add much beyond that he remains in custody and all efforts are being made to secure his freedom or at least give him access to a lawyer. 11.00am: Turkey’s prime minister, Tayyip Erdogan, has just been on Al Arabiya TV to say he has told Muammar Gaddafi that he should appoint a president with popular support to defuse the crisis, and that he expects the Libyan leader to take “positive steps in this direction”. He added, according to Reuters: “We want a halt to the fighting by both of the sides, both in the east and west of Libya.” No indication yet as to why Erdogan seems confident that Gaddafi will heed his advice. 10.32am: Bahrain opposition groups have been uploading videos which they say show police brutality during yesterday’s protests. Perhaps most troubling is this brief clip, which appears to show one officer shooting a rubber bullet or similar non-lethal baton round at a man’s midriff from point-blank range. The man staggers up and is seemingly then hit in the head with another round from similar range. Warning: video shows images of violence – 10.28am: Libyan state TV has carried a message today assuring troops who defect to the rebel side that they will receive a full amnesty if they repent, Reuters reports. The military told “all soldiers who have been deceived that there will be an amnesty for every soldier who returns showing regret and hands over his weapon”, the TV report said. A pundit on Al-Jazeera’s English services was speculating that this message could be a sign of worry amid widespread defections by military forces unwilling to target their own people. 10.18am: And finally to Yemen where a standoff between protesters and security forces near Sana’a university in the capital continues, following severe clashes yesterday. The country’s embattled president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, announced last night that he had sacked a government minister, Hamoud al-Hattar, who had been involved in trying to get opposition groups to talk with the president. 10.06am: And now to elsewhere in the region. Bahrain remains on the cusp of potential chaos, with the county’s crown prince expected to request Saudi forces to intervene following some of the most serious clashes between police and demonstrators since protests began a month ago. The country’s official Bahrain News Agency is additionally reporting that a group of MPs has called on the king to impose martial law and for the military to intervene to “protect national security and stability and preserve public and preserve properties”. The Independent Bloc, the second-largest grouping in Bahrain’s directly elected (by men only) lower house of parliament is calling for martial law and a curfew lasting an initial three months, as well as “a ban on all illegitimate acts which may instigate violence and terror, terrorise innocent people, foment sectarian internecine strife, endanger social peace and security in addition to harming the economy and high national interests”. It remains to be seen whether this will be carried out by the Sunni royal family, which faces increased pressure from the Shia-majority population. 9.56am: One more brief update on Libya before I turn to Bahrain and Yemen. William Hague, the UK foreign secretary, believes the international community is “now reaching a point of decision” on what to do about Libya, notably a no-fly zone. Hague – who meets Clinton and other G8 foreign ministers in Paris later today – told BBC Radio 4′s Today programme : Clearly a no-fly zone is one of the leading propositions. It isn’t the answer to everything but it has been called for by the Arab League and is something which the international community must now consider. In language inevitably somewhat reminiscent of the build-up to the Iraq war, Hague said that although the “cleanest and simplest” way of imposing a no-fly zone would be a UN Security Council resolution this was not needed: In cases of great, overwhelming humanitarian need, then nations are able to act under international law, even without a resolution of the Security Council. 9.48am: I’ve now talked with Chris McGreal, who left Brega with rebel troops as the rockets fell. While Gaddafi’s forces are better equipped and trained he stresses that they will find further progress east more difficult as the desert gives way to a series of towns and cities. Taking Benghazi itself, a city of more than half a million people, would potentially be very difficult, he says: “I think it really is a wholly different prospect for his army to fight their way into this city.” 9.41am: Good morning. The situation in Libya remains chaotic and fast-changing, but it does appear that Muammar Gaddafi’s forces are consolidating territorial gains and pushing rebels further east towards their main stronghold of Benghazi. The Guardian’s Chris McGreal reported last night how rebels fled the town of Brega under heavy bombardment. Chris is now in Benghazi, and I’ll be speaking with him soon. The Associated Press reports that rebel groups claimed they moved back into part of Brega under darkness last night, but this was impossible to verify. The next step would seemingly be for Gaddafi’s troops to push onwards another 150 miles or so to Benghazi. But this is by no means inevitable given already stretched supply lines and the prospect of a brutal battle ahead through a series of rebel-held towns. Meanwhile, the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, is due to meet rebel leaders in Paris today to discuss possible intervention. However, the US and Europe seem no closer to agreeing whether or not to impose a no-fly zone, despite the Arab League’s appeal to the UN for such a measure. Arab and Middle East protests Libya Muammar Gaddafi Saudi Arabia Peter Walker guardian.co.uk
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Pope John Paul II Joining Facebook | ThirdAge Pope John Paul II joining Facebook . Pope John Paul II Joining Facebook | Last news of America Pope John Paul II Joining Facebook . Posted on March 14, 2011 by writer. Rumors that deceased Pope John Paul II is joining Facebok have been confirmed by the Vatican. The Facebook page for the late pope will be unveiled by the Vatican in … Pope John Paul II Joins Facebook | Facebook | Computer World Pope John Paul II beatification gets Facebook page · Pope John Paul II Joining Facebook · Friend the pope? John Paul II gets Facebook page · Sony considering movie distribution on Facebook · Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg is a hero in the … Pope John Paul II Joining Facebook – ThirdAge – Facebook Is Down Pope John Paul II Joining Facebook ThirdAge. The Facebook page for the late pope will be unveiled by the Vatican in an effort to promote his beautification. Monsignor Paul Tighe, one of the Vatican’s top two in the social media … Pope John Paul II Joining Facebook – ThirdAge | SNS Research Kansas City StarPope John Paul II Joining FacebookThirdAgeThe Facebook page for the late pope will be unveiled by the Vatican in an effort to promote his. SimahCPT says: Ha! Perfect place to find potential victims! :'-D RT @Buhlebonga Pope John Paul II Joining Facebook [Social Networks] *weird* http://gaw.kr/
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James Madison 67 VCU 57, CAA Women’s Game 9 VCU Press Conference Norcom v LC Bird Virginia Group AAA State Championship (ShawBall) James Madison 67 VCU 57, CAA Women’s Game 9 James Madison Press Conference USC set to face VCU in play-in game | Daily Trojan The Trojans (19-14), with the benefit of an expanded 68-team tournament format this year, will travel to Dayton, Ohio to take on the VCU Rams (23-11) out of the Colonial Athletic Conference. The game will be played on Wednesday night … USC makes NCAA Tournament, will face VCU – USC – The Orange County … Tweet Share USC has made the NCAA Tournament and will face Virginia Commonwealth in one of the “First Four” games in Dayton, Ohio, on Wednesday. The winner will face Southwest… 2011 NCAA Tournament: VCU Makes Field, Will Play USC In Play-In … VCU was sweating heavily on Selection Sunday after losing to ODU in the final of the CAA Tournament. They made it into the field of 68, where they’ll face USC for the right to move on to the first round against Georgetown. NCAA Bracket Preview: Complete VCU Tournament Primer – SBNation.com VCU played as complete a game as any CAA team did all year in cooling off one of the nation’s hottest teams in the CAA Tournament semifinals. The Rams took a 14-point lead at the break and weathered a brief Patriot run at the beginning … Tech's bubble bursts again: Mason, VCU get at-large bids, UR, ODU … George Mason (26-6) and VCU (23-11) from the CAA both got at-large bids, joining tournament champion Old Dominion (27-6), marking the first time the Colonial got two at-large bids into the tournament field. … bmo84 says: I wasn't too upset about UAB getting in, but don't think VCU deserved it.
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Sister Wives Season 2 Episode 1 Browns Out of Hiding Sister Wives and Polygamy – I Could Get Used To It West Valley Sister Wives Season 2: Polygamy's Strange Charm | Hot News Today NEW YORK – Sister Wives Season 2: Polygamy’s Strange Charm As TLC’s hit polygamist reality show Sister Wives returns, the threat of criminal charges against the Browns looks unlikely. Joyce C. Tang talks to them about shaking the stigma … Watch Sister Wives Season 2: Polygamy's Strange Charm Online … Watch Sister Wives Season 2: Polygamy’s Strange CharmAs TLC’s hit polygamist reality show Sister Wives returns, the threat of criminal charges against the Browns looks unlikely. Joyce C. Tang talks to them about shaking the stigma of … Sister Wives Season 2: Polygamy's Strange Charm | Today's Most Wanted Sister Wives Season 2: Polygamy’s Strange Charm. Posted by irwanbee on Mar 14th, 2011 // No Comment. As TLC’s hit polygamist reality show Sister Wives returns, the threat of criminal charges against the Browns looks unlikely. … Watch Big Love: Look Into Polygamy and Its Practicality in Current … Watch Bіg Lονе: Look Intο Polygamy аnd Itѕ Practicality іn Current Times. Article bу Rainrotoka. Bіg Lονе іѕ highly-gripping ѕhοw аbουt a traditions bound man, strongly sticking tο thе ritual οf polygamy , іn times whеn people hаνе … Sister Wives Season 2: Polygamy's Strange Charm | DailyTopNews.net Article: Sister Wives Season 2: Polygamy’s Strange Charm :: NEW YORK – [Url Address: http://dailytopnews.net/784/sister-wives-season-2-polygamys-strange-charm.html][Generated: Sunday, 13 th/March/2011 - 21 : 16 : 19] _ahh_RAH_ says: Sister-wives? If your down with polygamy then good for you.. The man is always winning though..
Continue reading …We’re facing a hugging epidemic in America: not only do we hug our friends constantly, we’re also expected to hug our friends’ girlfriends’ coworkers, writes Juliet Lapidos in Slate . Sure, there are times when hugs are called for: when the hugger is your boyfriend, or your mother, or when you…
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