Tom MacMaster says complimentary anonymous commenter in online forum using same IP address was friend who was visiting Tom MacMaster, the US graduate student behind the Gay Girl in Damascus blog hoax , has been accused of creating another fake Arab female online identity to defend his own reputation online. A comment on the website Mondoweiss under the name “Miriam Umm Ibni”, mounting a spirited defence of MacMaster’s conduct in posing as “Amina”, a lesbian Syrian woman, was traced by fellow users to the same IP address in Edinburgh that he used for the Amina hoax. The Guardian has seen screengrabs of the IP data, emailed by one of the site’s hosts Adam Horowitz, that show the post originated from the address 188.74.64.53. Journalists, bloggers and web users unmasked MacMaster earlier this month as the unlikely hoaxer behind the Amina blog, in part after its posts were traced to the address. In an email, later posted on the site, MacMaster acknowledged that “Miriam Umm Ibni” was a fake identity, but denied being behind it, saying a “friend of mine who would really like to remain nameless” had posted the comment in his defence. It came from the same IP address because she had been staying with his wife and him, he wrote. “Like many of my friends, many of whom are committed pro-Palestinian, anti-war and anti-colonialist activists, she was outraged by some of the slanders made against me online. And, like many of my friends, she’s been urged by me to defend me. She did so. She’s that kind of person.” MacMaster said he had received death threats after being exposed as the Amina blogger, who shot to international attention after he wrote a post , posing as the blogger’s cousin, saying “she” had been kidnapped by Syrian security forces. “Some people, I suppose, are angry at the uniqueness of their experience being called into question when someone can successfully impersonate that voice. Others question the ‘right’ of a simple non-Arab goy [a Jewish name for a non-Jewish person] to speak on these issues in any form. Still others have trouble understanding the concept of fiction.” He added that he had “signed an agreement forswearing all use of sockpuppets”. Contacted directly by the Guardian, MacMaster declined by email to explain the circumstances further, saying only that he was “committed to maintaining all confidences that were given to me in either personae and will continue to do so”. He also declined to elaborate on the details of the “agreement” or why he considered it binding. Mondoweiss describes itself as “a news website devoted to covering American foreign policy in the Middle East, chiefly from a progressive Jewish perspective”. The post on which the comment appeared argued “that western audiences will only embrace Arab gay movements if those movements attempt to mimic western gay movements”, and described MacMaster as “vile”. The author of the post, “Seham”, told the Guardian by email that he used a pseudonym to retain his anonymity “given my work on Palestinian issues”. In response, “Miriam Umm Ibni” wrote: “MacMaster, misguided though he may have been in his actions, _did_ [sic] highlight real issues … He misguidedly placed himself in the guise of an Arab woman but he did so from real compassion. “He is (or was) a real ally (though considering how so-called progressives are calling for his blood I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s turning into a rightwinger).” After MacMaster’s exposure, a second supposedly lesbian blogger , “Paula Brooks”, founder of the US site LezGetReal.com, was revealed also to be a man. Last week, MacMaster updated the Gay Girl blog with a post entitled: “That kinda sucks: Not that anyone cares.” Gay rights Syria Blogging Esther Addley guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Forecasters expect Monday to be hottest day of the year but for heavy rains to drown out the sunshine Thunderstorms are to bring the short-lived heatwave to an abrupt finish on Monday evening, forecasters warn. Sunday is the hottest day of the year, with temperatures rising above 28C. And although Monday will see the mercury tipping as much as 30C, by evening the hot weather could be broken by thunder and heavy showers. Paul Mott of MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: “It’s certainly the hottest day of the year – temperatures in St James’s Park in central London reached 28.4C (83.1F). “And tomorrow the weather will get even hotter, at least in the south-eastern areas of the UK. There will be plenty of sunshine over England and Wales, although the north-west will be a bit cloudier. “But there will be a breakdown in the weather in the evening and on Tuesday, with heavy showers and localised thunder storms spreading east across England. “And by Wednesday the heat wave will definitely be over. If anything it will be a bit colder than average, 20C (68F) in London and down to 15C (59F) elsewhere.” London parks were packed with scantily clad sun worshippers, taking advantage of the blue skies. But those heading to the coast may have been disappointed to find temperatures as low as 15C. In Brighton, beach goers made do with temperatures of 19C (66F), although the mercury will rise to 24C (75F) tomorrow. Andy Murray, first on Centre Court on Monday for a last-16 showdown with Frenchman Richard Gasquet, will be glad to play his match before the weather turns. But despite the occasional threat of showers, Wimbledon is likely to see some prolonged sunny spells throughout the week. On Saturday, the Met Office issued a heat-health alert for the east Midlands, east of England and the south-east, warning of dangers of high temperatures, particularly for the very old, the very young and those with chronic conditions. Weather guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Forecasters expect Monday to be hottest day of the year but for heavy rains to drown out the sunshine Thunderstorms are to bring the short-lived heatwave to an abrupt finish on Monday evening, forecasters warn. Sunday is the hottest day of the year, with temperatures rising above 28C. And although Monday will see the mercury tipping as much as 30C, by evening the hot weather could be broken by thunder and heavy showers. Paul Mott of MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: “It’s certainly the hottest day of the year – temperatures in St James’s Park in central London reached 28.4C (83.1F). “And tomorrow the weather will get even hotter, at least in the south-eastern areas of the UK. There will be plenty of sunshine over England and Wales, although the north-west will be a bit cloudier. “But there will be a breakdown in the weather in the evening and on Tuesday, with heavy showers and localised thunder storms spreading east across England. “And by Wednesday the heat wave will definitely be over. If anything it will be a bit colder than average, 20C (68F) in London and down to 15C (59F) elsewhere.” London parks were packed with scantily clad sun worshippers, taking advantage of the blue skies. But those heading to the coast may have been disappointed to find temperatures as low as 15C. In Brighton, beach goers made do with temperatures of 19C (66F), although the mercury will rise to 24C (75F) tomorrow. Andy Murray, first on Centre Court on Monday for a last-16 showdown with Frenchman Richard Gasquet, will be glad to play his match before the weather turns. But despite the occasional threat of showers, Wimbledon is likely to see some prolonged sunny spells throughout the week. On Saturday, the Met Office issued a heat-health alert for the east Midlands, east of England and the south-east, warning of dangers of high temperatures, particularly for the very old, the very young and those with chronic conditions. Weather guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Bodies found by fellow climber at Neige Cordier peak near Villar d’Arêne in Hautes-Alpes region French police have opened an investigation into the deaths of six climbers killed in an accident in the Alps at the weekend. It is though the climbers were swept off the mountain by an avalanche of snow and rocks in what is one of the worst such incidents in France in recent years. The bodies of the climbers, who were reportedly roped together in two groups, were discovered by an English climber who was following the same route, high in the Alps, on Sunday morning. They were at an altitude of 2,700 metres (8,858ft) on the Neige Cordier peak, near the village of Villar-d’Arène in the Hautes-Alpes region. The area, just south-east of Grenoble in the southern French Alps, is popular with climbers. The victims, whose names and nationalities have not been released, had left an overnight mountain refuge in the village area on Saturday morning, saying they were going to climb the 3,614 metres to the summit. Shortly after they set off, they are believed to have fallen 200 metres into a steep passthat locals said was frequently used by snow-walkers and mountaineers. Although the party had been due to return to an Alpine lodge on Saturday evening, the alarm was not raised when they failed to appear. A mountain rescue team consisting of police, paramedics and doctors, was called when the hiker discovered their bodies at around 9.40am on Sunday. The bodies were flown by helicopter to Villar-d’Arène, where a makeshift morgue was set up. The local mayor, Xavier Cret, who works as a mountain guide, told French journalists: “I am a high mountain guide and I am very familiar with this site. It’s not a particularly difficult area [to climb] but, hypothetically, there could have been [an avalanche of] snow and stones which could have swept away the ropes. “We won’t know until there is an investigation. It’s not a place with a dangerous reputation, and the conditions for climbing were ideal. We are a small village and everyone is extremely distressed.” A spokesman for the mountain rescue service said “all hypotheses are possible”. “They could have been caught up when a snow bridge collapsed, or [in] a fall or an avalanche,” he said. Local guide François Pinatel said the area in the Ecrins Alpine range was known to be dangerous when the snow is heavy and in certain places where there are overhanging rocks. In June 2007, five climbers from the same family died after falling in the same range. France Mountaineering Europe Kim Willsher guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Fox News Watch Brings in the Red Eye’s Greg Gutfeld to Defend Chris Wallace From Jon Stewart
June 26, 2011 No Comment
Click here to view this media On Fox’s sorry excuse for a media watchdog show, Fox News Watch, host Jon Scott brought in Greg Gutfeld, the host of their late night show, the Red Eye, to defend Fox News Sunday’s Chris Wallace and to attack Jon Stewart after the dressing down Stewart gave Wallace last Sunday . Nothing like having the host of a show that’s so painfully bad it really is unwatchable for more than a few minutes from the Republican propaganda channel come on to lecture Jon Stewart about political ideology.
Continue reading …
Alan Colmes and Cal Thomas had a humorous exchange about the media's love for Obama on Saturday's “Fox News Watch.” After Thomas asked when the press will come to their senses and admit they were wrong about the messiah-like powers of the former junior Senator from Illinois, Colmes replied, “You keep presuming the media is supporting this guy and they're not” (video follows with transcript and commentary): CAL THOMAS: You know what the press is really reluctant to do, and I think they're going to have to do it at some point? We’ve said on this show before they were cheerleaders leading up to 2008 election. This was the guy who was going to part the waters. He was going to smooth out the crooked places, do all of these things, cure tooth decay, falling hair, everything else, and now they’re realizing he's mortal just like every other president. When are they coming to their senses and say, “You know, we were wrong about this guy?” ALAN COLMES: You keep presuming the media is supporting this guy and they're not. THOMAS: Well, they certainly did in 2008. COLMES: They’re not. THOMAS: Well, then they were wrong. COLMES: You know what, whenever some liberal gets elected, and he's not even that liberal… THOMAS: [Laughs] COLMES: …it’s the media that did it. Whenever a conservative does, it’s the people have spoken. So Colmes doesn't only believe the media haven't been supporting Obama, he also thinks the current White House resident isn't that liberal. Do you need to know anything more about the value of his opinions?
Continue reading …
Education secretary says planned walkouts over pensions on Thursday are premature and will hit single parents worst The education secretary, Michael Gove, has warned against union “militancy” ahead of a planned walkout by teachers and public sector workers. Gove said the government was doing everything possible to keep schools open on Thursday, including appealing to parents to help out. He warned the planned action by teaching unions would damage the reputation of the profession and was “premature” as negotiations over controversial pension reforms were taking place. Gove told BBC1′s Andrew Marr Show: “If schools aren’t open on Thursday there will be massive inconvenience for working parents, in particular single parents, who will have to rearrange childcare at very short notice. “I think it is wrong for people who are working hard to have their lives disrupted in this way. “So I think it is right that schools to stay open. Maybe they won’t be offering the traditional menu but I think they should be open so the children are doing something purposeful and people aren’t inconvenienced.” He added: “I do worry that taking industrial action, being on the picket line, being involved in this sort of militancy will actually mean that the respect in which teachers should be held is taken back a little bit and I think that will be a shame for all of us who want a better education system.” Gove said the government would “do everything possible to make sure schools stay open” with arrangements which could see “parents going in to help”. He said anti-strike legislation “has to be kept under review” and acknowledged that different options were being looked at following reports a minimum threshold on strike ballot was being considered by ministers. But he added: “The one thing I don’t want to do is to ratchet up the rhetoric because I think it is important we get back to talking.” However he warned the unions: “The public have a very low tolerance for anything that disrupts their hard-working lifestyles.” He added: “You don’t see hospital consultants going on strike and I don’t believe teachers and headteachers should. “It’s within their rights, it’s a civil right, but I think it is wrong in terms of the reputation of the profession.” On Thursday, up to 750,000 teachers, lecturers, civil servants and other public sector workers take action over and there are threats of further walkouts throughout the summer and autumn. Speaking on the same programme, shadow cabinet minister Peter Hain declined to urge people to go to work on Thursday and added that they went on strike if they “really think they have got no option”. “Teachers and others are not strike-happy. What this government should do is withdraw their unilateral, reckless attacks on these workers and get round the negotiating table like everyone wants them to do.” Former prime minister Tony Blair also urged the unions today to “engage with the process of change”. Speaking to BBC1′s The Politics Show, he said the unions had “got to modernise” and not end up as “small c conservatives”. “I said this constantly when I was leader and they used to think that meant I was anti union,” he said. “I’m not, I’m in favour of strong trade unions, I think it’s great. But you’ve got to understand today how fast the world is changing. And what you’ve always got to be careful of – particularly with public sector unions, is you don’t become ‘small c’ conservatives.” Asked about the public sector strikes over pensions, Blair added: “I just think the best thing is for them to engage with the process of change.” In an interview with The Guardian yesterday, the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, said the unions needed to get their message across better and see strikes as “the very last resort”. “The most important thing for the unions is to get the public to understand what their argument is,” he said. “I don’t think the argument on public sector pensions has yet been got across as to some of the justices contained on what the government is doing. I think strikes must always be the very last resort.” Michael Gove Schools Teaching Trade unions Liberal-Conservative coalition guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Judge says tape on which energy secretary and ex-wife discuss speeding penalty points should be given to Essex police Police investigating allegations that the cabinet minister Chris Huhne persuaded his estranged wife to take speeding penalty points on his behalf have obtained a court order to take possession of a tape recording in which they apparently discuss the case. The Sunday Times reported that a judge at Chelmsford crown court had ordered that the tape be handed to Essex police. The paper said it was considering an appeal. The recording – disclosed by the Sunday Times in May – features a conversation between Huhne, the Liberal Democrat energy secretary, and his former partner, Vicky Pryce. Huhne urges her not to talk to journalists about the allegations, saying there was no evidence to support the story “unless you give it some legs by saying something”. Pryce, an economist, says: “It’s one of the things that worried me when I took them, when you made me take the points in the first instance.” The estranged couple were interviewed by detectives last month over the claims that he persuaded her to accept a penalty on his behalf in March 2003 so he could escape a driving ban. Images of Pryce’s driving licence have emerged indicating that she received points for an offence in the Essex area on the date in question. However, she is believed to have told police she was actually at an event in London and Huhne was behind the wheel. Huhne denies the allegations. Both the prime minister, David Cameron, and his Lib Dem deputy, Nick Clegg, have insisted there is no reason he should resign. Chris Huhne Liberal Democrats Police Sunday Times guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Hacking organisation announces move on Twitter after attacks on entertainment company and law enforcement agency sites The LulzSec hacking group, which has sabotaged a trail of websites over the last two months including attacks on law enforcement agencies and the release of private data, has said it is dissolving itself. The group made the announcement through its Twitter account on Saturday. It gave no reason for the disbandment, which analysts say could be a sign of nerves in the face of law enforcement investigations. Rival hackers have also released information they say could point to the identities of the six-member group. LulzSec claimed hacks on major entertainment companies, FBI partner organisations, the CIA, the US senate and a pornography website. Kevin Mitnick, a security consultant and former hacker, said the group had probably concluded that the more it kept up its activities, the greater the chance was that a member would make a mistake enabling the authorities to catch them. LulzSec has inspired copycat groups around the world, he said, meaning similar attacks are likely to continue. “They can sit back and watch the mayhem and not risk being captured,” he added. As a parting shot, LulzSec released documents and login information apparently gleaned from gaming websites and corporate servers. The largest group of documents – 338 files – appears to be internal documents from AT&T, detailing its building of a new wireless broadband network in the US. The network is set to go live this summer. A spokesman for the phone company could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the documents. On Friday, a LulzSec member told AP the group was sitting on at least five gigabytes of government and law enforcement data from across the world, which it planned to release in the next three weeks. Saturday’s release was less than one-tenth of that size. In an unusual strategy for a hacker group, LulzSec has sought publicity and conducted a conversation with the public through its Twitter account. Observers believe it is an offshoot of Anonymous, a larger, more loosely-organised group that attempts to mobilise hackers for attacks on targets it considers immoral, such as oppressive Middle Eastern governments and opponents of WikiLeaks. LulzSec, in contrast, attacked anyone it could for “the lulz” – internet jargon for laughs. LulzSec Hacking guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
… which helps explain why conservative radio continues to dominate the airwaves while Air America Radio, uh, went kaput. During a recent appearance on Tavis Smiley's PBS show, enviro lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose “Ring of Fire” show ran on Air America, made what reasonable souls among us might construe as a questionable claim. Here's Kennedy responding to a question from Smiley on how liberals can better hone their message (video clip after page break) — SMILEY: How do the people get the facts to deal with the issues that you're raising, that I'm raising, and others are raising consistently? KENNEDY: Well, you know, there's ways to do it nowadays. You can, you know, I mean, I do it in my own way which is, I don't use computers a lot. That's what my kids do. But you get, and you know, if you go to certain sites you'll get, you'll get truthful information, but it's really, I don't think we have the infrastructure yet to really deliver that kind of information in a targeted way that, information that is critical of corporate power. So much of the media's really dependent on corporate money, so you're not going to see, like Air America failed not because it wasn't popular. In every jurisdiction where it was operating it was beating out right-wing radio. There was a huge appetite for it. The problem was, it couldn't get advertising because the corporations, the oil companies, the biggest advertisers, the pharmaceutical companies, which is now 70 percent of the, of the revenue for, for, news shows on TV, is pharmaceutical companies. And so it's very hard to criticize them on the news. Automobile companies, which is the other big player, and many other, these companies won't, wouldn't advertise, they all boycotted Air America. So Air America was like, you know, relying on, like, you know, hair growth products and this kind of stuff and they were scrambling for money and they couldn't find it and it killed them. I don't pretend to be an expert on the machinations of radio markets across the country, but consider me skeptical. Air America was so popular, Kennedy claims, with a “huge appetite” among the public for its content , yet it could not line up advertisers because of that ever-so convenient bogeyman, corporate America. A claim like this begs for specifics — where and when did Air America Radio outdraw Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, etc., for listeners? This wasn't quite the take on Air America's demise as reported by Brian Stelter in the New York Times on Jan. 25 2010 — The nearly six-year-old network, which suffered from merry-go-round management and repeated financial shortfalls, halted production on Thursday evening, only one hour after staff members were told they were losing their jobs. … In an interview (Thom Hartmann) said he found Air America to be “spectacularly incompetent” at running a radio network and gaining an audience, and left Air America last year for a lesser-known syndication company. “We've been far more successful since we left,” he said. In interviews last week a half-dozen former Air America employees cited similar complaints, namely that a series of owners and managers lacked the necessary broadcasting business expertise. … Air America's problem, said Michael Harrison, editor of Talkers Magazine, was not knowing “whether they were a political campaign or a broadcasting company.” “They ended up not being terribly good at either,” Mr. Harrison added. The article curiously lacked any mention of a corporate “boycott” depriving Air America of advertising. The Times also cited the losses of Al Franken and Rachel Maddow as contributing to Air America's downfall, as did Hartmann and Randi Rhodes departing for other companies. (h/t, ihatethemedia.com)
Continue reading …