Dutch royals targeted in car attack in Apeldoorn: photos

A car driver made an attempt to attack the Dutch royal family who were traveling on an open-topped bus in the city of Apeldoorn. They were visiting the city as part of the celebration of Queen's Day, a national holiday in the Netherlands.

The driver of the black Suzuki Swift appeared to be targeting the royal bus. The vehicle careered through the crowd and smashed into a monument just metres from the bus.

Witnesses recount seeing people being flung into the air as the car ploughed into the onlookers. Two men and two women died at the scene of the incident. Another person died later in hospital. Thirteen were injured.

According to a witness, many people narrowly escaped death as the car cut through the crowd.

The 38-year old driver sustained life threatening injuries. He indicated to police that his actions were directed against the royal family. If he survives, he will be charged with an attempted attack on the royal family and murder.

Dutch police have ruled out terrorism following a search of the man's car and home. It appears he acted alone.

There was a huge security operation in place for the royal visit to Apeldoorn. But the police were taken by surprise when the car smashed through a security fence and into a crowd of people.

Following the incident flags were lowered to half-mast on government buildings and all planned celebrations called off.

More on story - BBC

Rep Viginia Foxx: calls anti-gay crime 'a hoax'

Matthew Shepard

The anti-gay crime that gave rise to the Matthew Shepard hate-crimes bill was characterized in the US House of Representatives by Rep Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) as "a hoax." She claims Shepard's sexual orientation wasn't a motivating factor when he became the victim of a robbery and beating that ended in his death.

There is powerful symbolism associated with the name of Matthew Shepard and the appalling way in which he was murdered. Conservatives like Foxx fear he is being used as a 'gay martyr' to push a gay rights agenda.

Rep. Virginia Foxx

Foxx's spurious "hoax" claim is based on politics and spin, not on evidence. The fact that Shepard was robbed in no way precludes the anti-gay motivation.

The vicious attack on Matthew Shepard that led to his death occurred on October 7, 1998, near Laramie, Wyoming. He met two associates named Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney in a local area bar. The two invited Shepard for a ride in their car. He was subsequently robbed, pistol whipped, tortured and tied to a post in a remote rural area.

When he was discovered, he was in a coma. His injuries were severe. He had a head fracture and brain stem damage that interfered with his body's ability to regulate heart rate, body temperature and other vital signs. There were also lacerations around his head, face and neck.

The beating was so vicious the only areas of Shepard's face that weren't covered in blood were those where his tears had washed the blood away.

Doctors considered his injuries too severe to operate. He never regained consciousness and died as friends and supporters held a candlelight vigil in Laramie.

The excessive violence involved in this attack suggests intense hatred. Few criminals murder in this brutal fashion for 20 bucks, unless they are unhinged psychopaths. Clearly there was powerful emotion at play that went way beyond simple intent-to-rob.

Former Chief of Police in Laramie, Dave O'Malley, has pointed out that robbery in the Shepard case in no way rules out an anti-gay motive.

The perpetrators have changed their story at various times for reasons that have more to do with expediency than truth, so it's important to look at what was said in and around the time of the crime.

Henderson and McKinney in court

When Kristen Price (McKinney's girlfriend) was interviewed in 1998 for the TV show 20/20 she said: "They just wanted to beat him bad enough to teach him a lesson, not to come on to straight people, and don't be aggressive about it anymore."

In a taped confession after the attack McKinney called Shepard a "queer" and a "fag." Strange language for someone who also claimed he had no problem with gay people.

During a 1998 hearing prior to the trial, a police investigator testified that one of the men announced "It's Gay Awareness Week" before hitting Shepard with a pistol butt.

McKinney's lawyers used a "gay panic" defense. They claimed that McKinney flew into a rage after being hit on by Shepard.

During the trial Chastity Pasley and Kristen Price testified under oath that Henderson and McKinney had plotted beforehand to rob a gay man and that they deliberately selected Shepard as their target. They also testified under oath that McKinney and Henderson weren't on any drugs at the time of the attack.

To try to argue that Shepard's sexuality wasn't an issue in this attack is a re-invention of the incident by people who have a vested interest in a different version.

Not long after the murder Moises Kaufman and nine members of the Tectonic Theater Project traveled from New York to Laramie in order to conduct interviews with a cross-section of the town's residents. Included in the group they interviewed was the bartender from the bar where Shepard was picked up the night he was beaten. Their play about the experience titled The Laramie Project leaves no doubt that this was a crime motivated by anti-gay hatred.

Brad Luna of the Human Rights Campaign said Foxx should be "ashamed of herself" for her "malicious and twisted lies."

The bill, officially called the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, passed the House over conservatives’ objections.

'Manure lagoons' linked to swine flu in Mexico

Near La Gloria in Veracruz state, Mexico, there is a farm that raises up to one million pigs a year. The facility is part-owned by Smithfield Foods, a Virginia-based US company.

Residents living in the proximity of the farm have long complained of the smell and the clouds of flies that are drawn to "manure lagoons" - liquid waste generated by this type of mega-farm operation.

It turns out the first case of swine flu appeared a fortnight earlier than believed.

The victim was a La Gloria resident - a four year old boy named Edgar Hernandez. Initially it was thought he had contracted ordinary influenza, but tests have since shown that he was infected with swine flu.

Edgar Herrnandez

The Mexican Social Security Institute stated in early April that the 'lagoon flies' may have been the original disease vector of the virus.

Pig farm operators and owners have been put on the defensive. Smithfield claims that it has found no clinical signs of swine disease in its herds. Mexico's National Organization of Pig Production and Producers has denied that the virus originated in pigs.

Nonetheless infection patterns suggest that there may be a connection with pig farm manure lagoons.

In early April there was an outbreak of a powerful respiratory disease in La Gloria. The town had to be sealed off and a chemical spray used to kill the swarms of flies that had reportedly invaded people's homes.

James Wilson - a founding member of Biosurveillance Indication and Warning Analysis Community (BIWAC) - has reports on his website that indicate 60 per cent of La Gloria's population of 3,000 have sought out medical assistance since February.

Mexico's health minister, Jose Angel Cordova, announced that epidemiologists want to take a closer look at pigs in Mexico as the possible source of the outbreak.

More detail on Times online here.

Daniel Knight Hayden: teabagger threatens mass murder

An Oklahoma man was arrested earlier in the month by FBI agents for threatening to use the April 15 tax day Tea Party protest to commit mass murder.

Daniel Knight Hayden, 52, was identified by agents as the Twitter user "CitizenQuasar."

Hayden vowed to start a war against the government on the steps of the Oklahoma State Capital building where the Tea Party took place - an event promoted by Fox News.

Oklahoma City teabaggers

Hayden posted messages on his Twitter account containing numerous threats:

START THE KILLING NOW! I am willing to be the FIRST DEATH! After I am killed on the Capitol Steps, like a REAL man, the rest of you will REMEMBER ME!!! ... Send the cops around. I will cut their heads off the heads and throw the[m] on the State Capitol steps.

His black and red MySpace account reflects his right-wing obsessions in the form of memes that accuse Barack Obama of hypnosis-via-TV and that liken gun control to fascism.

On April 15 at 12.49AM, Hayden posted a final announcement on Twitter:

“Locked AND loaded for the Oklahoma State Capitol. Let’s see what happens.”

FBI arrested him at his home later that day. He was arraigned on April 16 and released to a halfway house pending trial.

Conservatives get upset and defensive when anyone suggests that Tea Parties attract people with hateful agendas. Fox News' Bill O'Reilly ranted about a CNN reporter, Susan Roesgen, who in his view was out-of-line when she said a tea party in Chicago was 'anti-government and anti-CNN'. Roesgen's comments were low-key when you check-out the rhetoric and signage on display at some of the more radical tea bagger events. There is also no mistaking a racist undercurrent in some locales where these gatherings have been held.

Hayden canvased his hate across the net, but there is some question as to whether or not he posed a real danger. Since he was released to a halfway house it would suggest that the judge didn't view him as a significant threat.

But Hayden's rage is shared by others and to suggest that it is maligning conservatives to draw attention to the potential threat posed by gatherings of angry right-wingers at Tea Parties or anywhere else is disingenuous.

In many ways the Tea Parties are less about grassroots than astro turf. A lot of these events had extensive corporate backing. Fox News actively promoted Tea Parties and Fox personalities spoke at some of the events. Their claim to be "fair and balanced" is a joke.

Tea bagging hate: photos

Some conservatives go ballistic if anyone accuses tea baggers of racism or hate mongering.

Check out some of this signage and make your own assessment.

Photo: Tony Romao





Photo: ginandtacos.com





Photo: W. Salter





Photo: Tony Romao





Photo: Mary Wood





Photo: J. Scott Willey





Photo: Tony Romao






Photo: Bernard J. Schober

Artists offer Czechs pot shots at politicians

Artists Tomas Cap and Michal Kraus have turned public anger at Czech lawmakers into an art form. They have assembled a 'target' made up of small plastic boxes, each box bearing the portrait of lower-house deputies.

This plastic box assemblage has been placed on the wall of a Prague alternative gallery in front of a mounted air gun with all the ammo you need.

Visitors are invited to shoot the politico they love-to-hate, and many have been eagerly taking up the offer. Those keen to take a shot include people from all walks of life - from managers to pensioners.

The exhibition has been running for two weeks, and the target has suffered serious damage. Some lawmakers' faces are close to unrecognizable. Worst hit is opposition leader Jiri Paroubek, who is missing half his face. Also damaged are Paroubek's ally David Rath and Interior Minister Ivan Langer.

Other casualites are outgoing PM Mirek Topolanek and his girlfriend - lawmaker Lucie Talmanova.

Milan Mikulastik, the curator of the display, said he hopes the exhibition will "trigger a debate on the functioning of the political system."

He said he hopes the photos will last until the end of the exhibition on Sunday as "the artists want to send them to the lawmakers afterwards."

Nobel laureate accuses Israel of 'ethnic cleansing'

Irish Nobel peace laureate Mairead Maguire has accused Israel of 'ethnic cleansing' at a news conference in east Jerusalem. The municipality plans to tear down some 90 Arab homes. The Israelis claim the homes were constructed or renovated without permits. Palestinians say the demolitions are part of a strategy to force them out of east Jerusalem.

Ms Maguire won the Nobel prize in 1976 for her efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution to the conflict in N.Ireland.

She said Tuesday: "I believe the Israeli government is carrying out a policy of ethnic cleansing against Palestinians here in east Jerusalem... I believe the Israeli government policies are against international law, against human rights, against the dignity of the Palestinian people."

A confidential EU report obtained by the UK Guardian makes the allegation that Israel is "actively pursuing the illegal annexation" of east Jerusalem.

US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has described the demolitions as "unhelpful."

If the demolitions go ahead it will leave 1,500 people homeless and will be one of the largest forced evictions seen in east Jerusalem. According to the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem, since 2004 Israeli authorities have demolished more than 400 homes.

Mairead Maguire's concerns relate to a pattern of systemic discrimination in east Jerusalem. A simple visual tour of Jewish and Arab neighborhoods makes it evident that municipal efforts are clearly biased in favor of Jewish areas.

A Guardian article Worlds Apart describes Jerusalem's divisions and inequalities:

Most of Jerusalem's Jews never cross the "green line" - the international border that divided the city until 1967 - and many of those that do go only as far as the Wailing Wall to pray. If more Israelis were to travel deeper into the city they claim as their indivisible capital, they would encounter a different world from their own, a place where roads crumble, rubbish is left uncollected and entire Palestinian neighbourhoods are not connected to the sewage system.

According to the Israeli human rights group, B'Tselem, Jerusalem's Jewish population, who make up about 70% of the city's 700,000 residents, are served by 1,000 public parks, 36 public swimming pools and 26 libraries. The estimated 260,000 Arabs living in the east of the city have 45 parks, no public swimming pools and two libraries. "Since the annexation of Jerusalem, the municipality has built almost no new school, public building or medical clinic for Palestinians," says a B'Tselem report. "The lion's share of investment has been dedicated to the city's Jewish areas."

Palestinians in East Jerusalem, often the city of their birth, are not considered citizens but immigrants with "permanent resident" status, which, some have found, is anything but permanent. In the old South Africa, a large part of the black population was treated not as citizens of the cities and townships they were born into but of a distant homeland many had never visited. "Israel treats Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem as immigrants, who live in their homes at the beneficence of the authorities and not by right," says B'Tselem. "The authorities maintain this policy although these Palestinians were born in Jerusalem, lived in the city and have no other home. Treating these Palestinians as foreigners who entered Israel is astonishing, since it was Israel that entered East Jerusalem in 1967."

There has long been a concerted effort on the part of Israeli authorities to control the demographic balance in Jerusalem in favor of Jews. This however doesn't involve forced removal of Palestinians, so much as the use of rules and red tape to hamper their expansion.

The limited amount of Palestinian construction permitted is restricted to Arab areas. Moreover land in east Jerusalem was taken (some 35%) and various financial incentives were then offered to encourage Jews to build there. These policies demonstrate a consistent effort to restrain Palestinian growth, while facilitating Jewish development whenever possible.

To give an example by way of stats ... in the 1990's for every new residence built in Arab neighborhoods, 12 were built in Jewish areas. Building permits are routinely denied on the basis of race. There is no other way to put it. If Palestinians go ahead and build anyway they risk having their homes demolished.

Hidden land grabs go on and often fly beneath the radar of media attention. If Palestinians forfeit property that has been designated "enemy territory" (a reference to the 1967 war), the state confiscates the land and in most cases it is transferred to Jewish owners. So-called "enemy territory" includes most of the the West Bank.

In the more recent period, stats show that the Jerusalem council issued 1,695 building permits in 2004. Only a fraction of these - 116 in total - went to Arab areas in East Jerusalem.

Possible Che ban in Poland

Poland's equality minister, Elzbieta Radziszewska, wants to ban 'fascist and totalitarian propaganda'. The ban would extend to images or symbols on clothing, posters etc and could include the iconic image of Che Guevara.

Offenders could be subject to a two year prison sentence.

This seems like an overreaction to a legacy of communist rule. Taking the Che image as a case in point - it has become more of a pop culture icon with meaning that goes beyond a purely pro-communist statement. The image reflects concerns about justice and rights, but it can be little more than a fashion statement. It has been adopted by hippies, anarchists, socialists and others who don't necessarily subscribe to Che's revolutionary outlook.

There is some question about the effectiveness of this type of ban. As the situation in Germany pretty much demonstrates, banning Nazi 'propaganda' in the form of symbols such as the swastika, the Hitler image and printed materials with a pro-Nazi message has unfortunately done little to prevent an increase in the numbers of young Germans attracted to the far right. In fact Germany has seen an alarming growth in neo-Nazi support as the turn out in Dresden this year demonstrated - and all of this despite the measures taken by the state to suppress Nazi propaganda.

In a free society banning a message and its symbols tends to have the effect of making the proscribed message and symbols more potent. It also galvanizes opposition and unites those who have been targeted who invariably tend to view themselves as "oppressed" and victimized.

In Germany some neo-Nazi sympathizers have resorted to using the clothing line of Thor Steiner to signal their far-right sympathies. Some have even been using car license plates to get out the message - using number combinations such as "88" (shorthand for Heil Hitler) to advertise political loyalties.

But maybe Radziszewska should widen the net. How about banning symbols associated with ultra-nationalist Polish Catholicism? Some of the most vile discrimination in Poland comes from conservative Catholics who have attacked the gay community and shown other evidences of intolerance and bigotry.

The Roman Catholic League of Polish Families and Polish Self-Defense Party are in the vanguard of these reactionary attitudes. Attacks on homosexuality, abortion and women's rights are part of an outlook that often includes anti-Jewish attitudes also. In common with conservative family values organizations in the US, League spokespersons have stated their opposition to evolution, in favor of the teaching of creationism.

Roman Giertych, was responsible for tabling a bill that was so anti-gay it created an international uproar and protests from human rights organizations. Included was the provision that any individual who reveals their homosexuality or "other sexual deviation" in scholastic establishments, should be subject to a fine, dismissal or imprisonment.

We heard more of the same from PM Kaczynski who proposed firing teachers for "homosexual propaganda". He even went so far as to say that it wasn't in the interests of society to have more gay people.

Meghan McCain thinks Cheney should take a hike

Meghan McCain wants Dick Cheney and Karl Rove to go away. Judging from the polls the majority of Americans would undoubtedly agree.

Cheney is on the wrong side of opinion, just as he was on the wrong side of the Constitution when he ran his side-show as VP - blocking the release of documents, authorizing torture, destroying emails and playing fast-and-loose with the law.

His complaint that Barack Obama's policies have made America more open to attack is a minority opinion. In a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll, 72% of respondents disagreed.

Since he left office Cheney has repeatedly criticized Obama's policies and actions, although he claims it's 'not personal.'

He was steamed that Obama saw fit to apologize during the European visit. He sneers about the use of the term 'contingency operation' rather than the more provocative term - war on terror. He views Obama's readiness to engage and turn a new page as 'cozying up to the likes of Daniel Ortega or Chavez.'

This is a man fixated on the rear-view mirror - more concerned about his legacy than what's good for America in the face of current challenges. It's clear that the old way of doing business has to adopt to new realities.

It is unusual for a former VP to act like a ringside commentator with criticisms for the new administration on everything from the handling of the economy to national security issues. He comes off as patronizing and high handed... in addition to getting it wrong.

Cheney should consider following Meghan McCain's advice. Good advice too coming as it does from a web ad put out by the Democratic Party to tell Karl Rove and Dick Cheney "You had eight years - go away."

Dick and Bo

Adeeb al-Alam: spy for Mossad says Lebanese prosecutor

Retired Lebanese brigadier-general Adeeb al-Alam, and three others, have been charged with spying for Israel. A fourth person linked to the cell has not yet been detained.

Al-Alam was arrested with his wife in the southern Lebanese city of Bint Jbeil. He worked with the General Security directorate where he held a number of sensitive posts, including a position with the passport department. Most recently he had been running an agency that imports Asian domestic workers.

Lebanese media says he has worked for Israel since 1984. It is claimed that the most intensive monitoring of his activities took place after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Al-Alam is charged with supplying the Israeli spy agency Mossad with "information about military and civilian Lebanese and Syrian centers with the aim of facilitating its aggressive acts."

Even though al-Alam has been running a domestic worker agency, he also kept an office at the HQ of Lebanon's Internal Security Forces. Prosecutors claim that he used the office to send classified information to Mossad.

If al-Alam and co-accused are found guilty, they could face the death penalty.

The bust has been described by local media as a major blow for Israel's spying networks.

The charges against al-Alam follow the arrest of Ali al-Jarrah last July. His spying career has been described as 'a real-life John le Carré novel'.

Ali al-Jarrah

Al-Jarrah was arrested by Hezbollah along with his brother Yusuf, who allegedly helped him in his spying activities. The two were handed over to the Lebanese military.

It is claimed that al-Jarrah spoke with his Israeli handlers by satellite phone, received "dead drops" of cash, cameras and listening devices and that he photographed roads and convoys that may have been used for transporting weapons to Hezbollah.

Banksy: Andipa Gallery show

Original works by Banksy will be on show at the Andipa Gallery in Knightsbridge, London, from April 23 to May 16.

Although not all of the pieces at the Andipa are new, there is a wide range of work on show. The largest canvas - Are You Using That Chair - is over 4 meters in length. It's based on Edward Hopper's 1942 work Nighthawks.

Unlike some earlier Banksy exhibitions, work at Andipa is for sale. Banksy productions can be pricey. At the Bonhams auction in 2008, his Kate Moss portrait went for 96,000 British pounds - roughly $140,000 US.

Beneath are a few works included in the Andipa exhibition.

Are You Using That Chair




Precision Bombing




Kids On Guns




Custardized




Paranoid Pictures

Viridiana: 'blasphemous' film awarded at Malaga film festival

Viridiana, a film labeled "blasphemous" by the Catholic Church when it was released in 1961 has been fêted at the Malaga Festival of Spanish Film. This is a tribute not only to a great film and a courageous director, Luis Buñuel, but also to freedom of expression in cinema.

When the film was released in Spain in 1961, it caused outrage. The Catholic regime of Franco banned it from Spanish cinemas. Damning articles in the Vatican's official organ, l'Osservatore Romano, said it was an insult not just to Catholicism, but to Christianity itself.

That the film is subversive of Catholicism is no surprise. Buñuel was an Atheist and had issues with the Catholic Church over its support of Franco and for other positions that it took.

Viridiana is the story of a young novitiate - played by Silvia Pinal - who is drugged and almost raped by an uncle, during a visit to his country estate.

After the suicide of the uncle, Viridiana remains on the estate with her cousin Jorge. She gathers together a group of beggars from the local village with the intention of feeding and educating them. At one point when the new owners are absent, the beggars break into the house.

In a scene that was enormously offensive to the Vatican, the crew is shown sitting around the table in a scene reminiscent of Da Vinci's painting of the Last Supper.

A closing scene in the movie that also caused offense, shows Viridiana with her hair loose, after burning the 'crown of thorns' she wore to enhance her devotions. She knocks the door of Jorge's bedroom and finds him in the company of the servant Ramona. Jorge invites Viridiana to join them saying they were 'only playing cards' - suggestive of a ménage à trois.

Despite being a Palme d'Or winner, it wasn't until 1977 that Viridiana was shown legally in Spain.

Independent article and clip from film here

Far-right crimes in Germany up 16% in 2008

East-Indian men following an attack in Mügeln

A Spiegel online article Tuesday points to a sharp increase in far-right crime in Germany. According to government figures just released it rose by 16% in 2008.

Der Spiegel:

The number of far-right crimes recorded in Germany increased by around 16 percent last year to 20,422, with violent crimes up 5.6 percent at 1,113 cases, including two killings, according to figures released by the German government this week.

Far-right crimes accounted for two thirds of all "politically motivated" crimes last year, which reached 31,801 -- an increase of 11.4 percent and the highest level since 2001.

The murders occurred in east Germany. A homeless man was killed in an attack. In the other case, a young art student was kicked to death after a political argument erupted in a disco.

On January 1, 2008, police forces in Germany adopted a common standard for recording "propaganda offenses". These offenses include everything from displaying banned Nazi symbols to publishing pro-Nazi materials.

The spike in the crime figures also relates to an increase in the number of German youths who have either joined far-right groups or actively identify with the extremist cause. The Dresden "March of Mourning" this year attracted more far-right activists and sympathizers than ever before. Estimates put the number as high as 8,000.

Link here for pics of the Dresden event.

German Interior Minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, said he found the rise in politically motivated crime 'disturbing' and vowed that the government would take necessary measures to address extremism, racism and intolerance.

Bill Donohue labels Ron Howard movie anti-Catholic

Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, views the world through the prism of his Catholic biases. He is quick to brand perceived criticisms of the Church and its values as anti-Catholic.

Donohue's concerns over the years have been pretty diverse. He got upset about the use of the word "Holidays" on White House Christmas cards. He is on record saying that the abuse of children by Catholic priests was "a homosexual scandal, not a pedophilia scandal". He famously said "Hollywood likes anal sex"... claimed that Senator John Kerry "never found an abortion he couldn't justify" and rails at something he calls the "gay death style".

Donohue's latest target is the movie directed by Ron Howard, Angels and Demons. He says that those involved in making the movie "do not hide their animus against all things Catholic."

In a Daily News column Donohue accuses the "tag team" of Dan Brown and Ron Howard of "smearing the Catholic Church with fabulously bogus tales."

On HuffingtonPost, Ron Howard defends himself and Angels & Demons against some of Donohue's erroneous, and one has to say rather paranoid views of a movie he has not yet seen.

Ron Howard:

I guess Mr. Donohue and I do have one thing in common: we both like to create fictional tales, as he has done with his silly and mean-spirited work of propaganda.

Mr. Donohue's op-ed and booklet also suggest that we paint the Church as "anti-reason." There is plenty of debate over what the Church did or didn't do with Galileo, but I for one do recognize that the Church did much throughout the ages to encourage and preserve education, the arts and the sciences.

Had Mr. Donohue and his allies waited to see Angels & Demons before criticizing it, they would have seen references to struggles within the Church between faith and science, but they would also have seen clear signs of support for the pursuit of science at the highest levels of the Vatican. Indeed, one of the first scenes of the movie depicts a scientist at the high-tech CERN laboratory...and he is a priest.

Once again Donohue has demonstrated skewed judgment in his rush to cast the first stone.

On the plus side, advance negative press coming from Bill Donohue can only help Angel & Demons at the box-office. As a commentator on the HuffingtonPost thread put it - "Pissing off Donohue is one of the simple pleasures... if a movie ticket will do it, I'll take TWO."

True to form Donohue hit back at Howard's comments with a press release that includes the following:

Howard must be delusional if he thinks Vatican officials are going to like his propaganda -- they denied him the right to film on their grounds. Moreover, we know from a Canadian priest who hung out with Howard's crew last summer in Rome (dressed in civilian clothes) just how much they hate Catholicism. It's time to stop the lies and come clean.

Link here for Ron Howard's article on HuffPo.

Outrage over IDF troupe's London show

An Israeli Defence Force song-and-dance-troupe has run into a few snags with a performance scheduled in London. The show is to commemorate the founding of Israel. It has run into opposition from groups supportive of Palestinian rights.

The Bloomsbury theatre that hosts an annual family show run by the Zionist Federation, pulled out when it discovered the Israeli Defence Force troupe was on the bill. A spokesperson for the theatre said: "Obviously we couldn't have them perform here".

The ZF has moved the performance to another venue which it hasn't disclosed, claiming that they don't want the show disrupted by demonstrators. The poster on their website doesn't mention the IDF troupe, but a ZF spokesperson confirmed the troupe would be performing.

Dan Judelson, from Jews for Justice for Palestinians described the event involving an IDF troupe as "ghoulish and retrograde".

Judelson said:

The Zionist Federation, with their support for the occupation of Palestinian land, seem massively insensitive to the reactions of most people, who want an equitable settlement for Israelis and Palestinians alike and who will be appalled by the involvement of the IDF in such an event.

In his article in the Guardian Haroon Siddique notes that:

The IDF group was likened by the event organisers, the Zionist Federation, to the troupe portrayed in the 1970s BBC comedy It Ain't Half Hot Mum – but not everyone sees the funny side.

Human rights groups accused the IDF of committing war crimes during the three-week invasion of the Gaza Strip, which began in December – allegations denied by the Israeli government – and the army is the subject of a UN investigation.

Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding said: "This is akin to singing and dancing on the graves of the 400 Palestinian children that the IDF was responsible for killing in January... We should not be permitting a dance troupe from an army currently under a UN
investigation for possible war crimes to be coming to the United Kingdom. It is sick."

BNP: 'oddballs' and 'compulsive liars' put on notice

The British National Party (BNP) has been attempting to rein-in problematic members in the run-up to the European elections. It has been urging members not to set up official party blogs because "they can't write proper English" and "get carried away with conspiracy theories".

Those members who do have a blog are advised to ensure that it is in no way associated with the BNP. The party has banned the use of the BNP logo and name on members' blogs - in fact anything that might give the impression a blog might be associated with the party is off-limits.

The reason for going to such lengths is because by its own admission, the party believes there are many BNP members who are "oddballs", "Walter Mitty characters", "compulsive liars" and "born troublemakers".

The BNP document that addresses concerns about the-oddballs-within was leaked to an anti-racist group Searchlight.

BNP members with blogs are encouraged to make sure their sites appear to be completely independent of the BNP, or any other political party, so that their point-of-view will be "more convincing to the wider public than sites which are clearly ours."

They have also advised activists: "If you hear something odd or unpleasant about someone either forget about it or ask them about it to their face."

BNP leader Nick Griffin in a moment of candor

Order of Canada: Conrad Black still in exclusive club

Conrad Black, who was convicted on $6 million fraud and obstruction of justice charges remains an officer of the Order of Canada. He is presently serving time in the Coleman Correctional Complex in Florida. Not exactly the profile of an appointee to a top Canadian honour.

There are other reasons to question why Black retains the honour. In 2001 he gave up his Canadian citizenship. He claimed he was forced to it because of a court decision that blocked his passage to a British peerage.

Nobody 'forces' you to give up your citizenship. Black gave it up because he was angry with Jean Chrétien and mesmerized by the prospect of becoming a peer of the realm... but not before insulting Canada by describing it as "an oppressive little world."

Two recipients of the Order, Dr Margaret-Ann Armour, a University of Alberta prof and ecologist David Schindler, told the CBC that they felt Conrad Black was no longer a part of the group.

Professor Armour said "This is something where one is upholding the honour of our country, and you don't do a very good job of it if you are not an honest business person."

When you consider the fate of two other appointees to the Order, David Akenakew and T. Sher Singh, who have been stripped of the honour, the appearance of a double-standard, even racism is hard to avoid.

David Ahenakew, former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, was appointed to the Order in 1978. Akenakew didn't defraud anyone or renounce his citizenship. He made a number of highly controversial and offensive remarks about Jews during an interview with the Saskatoon Star Phoenix. He was stripped of the Order on July 8, 2005 - an outcome that in his opinion was due to the lobbying efforts of the Canadian Jewish Congress.

It has been suggested that the council responsible for the Order of Canada are withholding a decision on Conrad Black pending the outcome of his appeal. However Akenakew was stripped of the honour before he completed his appeal - an appeal moreover that resulted in his conviction being overturned.

On February 23, 2009 Akenakew was acquitted in Provincial Court. Judge Wilfred Tucker said that while Akenakew's remarks were "revolting, disgusting and untrue" they did not show an intent to incite hatred.

More recently an Indo-Canadian lawyer named T. Sher Singh had his appointment to the Order terminated. According to the Governor-General's office the termination was `"pursuant to the Law Society of Upper Canada finding Mr. Singh guilty of professional misconduct and revoking his license to practice law."

For all their sins, neither Ahenakew nor T. Sher Singh have been sentenced for obstruction and fraud to the tune of millions. Neither did they cast aside their Canadian citizenship so they could accept a British peerage.

There is a glaring double-standard in the exception accorded to Conrad Black and it needs to be addressed.

Vatican orders investigation of Catholic sisters in US

The Vatican's Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith - formerly known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition - has announced that it will launch a doctrinal investigation into the leadership of Catholic sisters in the US.

This will effectively mean that the Vatican is investigating women's religious communities in the US on two fronts, because last December it announced a study to assess the "quality of life" in apostolic women's religious communities in America.

A letter (Feb 20) from Cardinal Levada, the Congregation's prefect, put the Leadership Conference of Women Religious on notice that a doctrinal investigation was also in the works.

The investigation will address three areas of doctrinal concern - concerns that stem back to a meeting in Rome in 2001 between the Women's Leadership Conference and the tall hats in the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith. The Vatican believes the sisters have come up short in addressing these concerns.

The first is ordinatio sacerdotalis aka "On the Ordination to the Priesthood" - a Vatican document that surprise, surprise... asserts that the priesthood is for men only.

The second concern relates to Dominus Jesus - a document that cautions the ecumenically minded not to get too carried away. Non-Catholic Christians are described as being "in a gravely deficient situation" compared to the more fortunate servants-of-the-Vatican.

The third concern relates to church teaching on homosexuality. It's hard not to have the sense that this might not go smoothly. In 1986 in his former role as Cardinal Razinger, Benedict wrote: “Although the particular inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin, it is a more or less strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil; and thus the inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder.”

Cardinal Levada told women's conference leaders that “Given both the tenor and the doctrinal content of various addresses given at the annual assemblies of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious in the intervening years, this Dicastery can only conclude that the problems which had motivated its request in 2001 continue to be present.”

This Vatican investigation has the appearance of a test of loyalty. Others have suggested a witch hunt. It comes as no surprise that the Vatican might feel threatened by a body of strong minded women who sometimes raise questions about directives coming down from the ecclesiastical old boys' club in Rome.

Vatican investigators check out the sisters

United Airlines fat-attack is off-target

United Airlines is the latest US carrier to penalize 'passengers-of-size' by introducing a plan to charge them for two seats if they can't fit into one seat or use a single seatbelt extender.

Fact is the average American is larger today than a few decades ago, but airline coach seating doesn't reflect that reality. Seating is so cramped it is even challenging for passengers who are not overweight - especially if they happen to be taller than average.

Instead of turning a discriminatory practice toward large passengers into a two-seat money grab, the airlines should change their seating arrangements.

The Association for Airline Passenger Rights (AAPR) has it right. Brandon M. Macsata, executive director of AAPR said "United is now the latest airline to shelve customer service standards in search for higher profits, while claiming that the new policy is to 'protect' other passengers. At issue should not be the size of any passenger, but rather why the airlines continue to pack coach passengers like sardines into the cabin."

Humiliating and 'punishing' larger passengers is bad PR aside from anything else and it does nothing to address the issue of coach seats that still reflect the "sardine can" metaphor.

Roomier coach seats would help to resolve some of the current challenges, but don't hold your breath. So long as the airlines can get away with packing already cramped planes in order to maximize profits they are unlikely to consider seating modifications. Meanwhile it looks as though larger travelers are going to have to pay the price for sub-standard industry practices.

Chavez to Obama: 'I want to be your friend'

Filed by : Nick Sabloff

A picture is worth a thousand words. The above photo of Barack Obama shaking hands with Hugo Chavez was taken at the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago.

Chavez looks like the cat that got the cheese and Obama seems equally enthused. According to the Venezuelan presidency, Obama initiated the handshake. As is his way, the president placed a friendly hand on Chavez' shoulder.

Chavez reportedly told Obama: "With this same hand I greeted Bush eight years ago. I want to be your friend."

It's interesting to compare the response Obama has been getting with the frostier receptions accorded Bush. The smiles are warm and genuine.

Of course actually delivering on the message of hope and 'new beginnings' is another matter. But right now Obama certainly seems to have goodwill in his corner.

Following Obama's lead, Chavez recently expressed a desire to "reset" relations with Washington.

NY same-sex marriage bill: Ruben Diaz objects

New York Governor, David Paterson, has introduced a bill to allow same-sex marriage in the state. If the bill becomes law, New York will follow Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and Iowa in legalizing same-sex marriage.

Governor Paterson said same-sex marriage is an issue of equal rights in America and likened it to the struggle for civil rights.

"For too long, gay and lesbian New Yorkers — we have pretended they have the same rights as their neighbors and friends. That is not the case. All have been the victims of what is a legal system that has systematically discriminated against them."

Paterson pointed out that gay and lesbian couples are denied as many as 1,324 civil protections, including health care and pension, because they cannot marry.

The move is being opposed by some religious leaders and is likely to face resistance in the state Senate.

Sen. Ruben Diaz of the Bronx who is also an evangelical preacher, is opposed to the bill. He said it was 'disrespectful' of Paterson to introduce the legislation on the same week that Catholics celebrated the installation of New York City Archbishop,

Sen Ruben Diaz

Diaz has called an emergency summit of the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization to work on "the next steps to take" in response to Paterson's move.

This doesn't come as a surprise from someone who has a history of opposition gay initiatives. In 1994 when on the Civilian Complaint Review Board he said that the Gay Games would lead to 'an increase in AIDS and more homosexuality in young people'.

Diaz claims Paterson's introduction of the same-sex marriage bill has "... challenged the Christian movement... He's challenged the Christian believers. He's challenged the people that believe in the Bible. We are accepting the challenge."

The Jesus of the New Testament had no comment on the subject of homosexuality. Some of his followers have extrapolated from his moral teachings in order to cast their opposition to gay rights as a "Christian" stance. Their founder may not agree.

A recent poll shows that 41% of New Yorkers support legalized same-sex marriage, 33% favored civil unions and 19% wanted no legal recognition for gay and lesbian couples.