Tag Archives: middle

Egyptian Shark Attack: Jews Not Jaws?

Some conspiracy theories are so laughable that it is obvious to the intelligent reader why they should be immediately dismissed. Unfortunately, when it comes to those involving Israel, such conspiracy theories seem to take on a life of their own, driven by anti-Semitism and hatred. Conspiracy theories about Israel and the Jews are common fare in the Middle East and disseminated widely in the Arab media. From accusations that the Jews were responsible for the 9/11 terror attacks to classic anti-Semitic blood libels, the Western mainstream media have failed to report on this as an issue of Arab incitement. The latest outlandish charge to be hurled at Israel is Mossad involvement in a spate of shark attacks in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm-el-Sheikh. Israeli officials have said that the claims are too ludicrous to respond to. The Independent at least described it as a “more bizarre theory”, while Sky News' Dominic Waghorn certainly got it, saying that “Egyptian officials have plumbed new depths of pottiness with their latest Zionist conspiracy theory.” Even the BBC made sure to note that “Conspiracy theories are always popular in the Middle East, with unlikely suggestions often made that troubles in Arab countries could be caused by Mossad agents.” The Scotsman, however, threw all journalistic credibility and professionalism out of the window with a sensationalist headline and story without even suggesting that the accusation is yet another product of a febrile imagination and a society raised on anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, the story states: '' Some said sharks had been drawn to shallow waters after cattle being shipped in for last month's Islamic feast of Eid al-Adha had died and were thrown overboard. Others suggested it could have been part of a secret plot by Israel's Mossad intelligence agency. “What is being said about the Mossad throwing the deadly shark (in the sea] to hit tourism in Egypt is not out of the question, but it needs time to confirm,” South Sinai governor Mohamed Abdel Fadil Shousha said.'' But it gets worse from a journalistic perspective. For The Scotsman had butchered an original piece from Reuters, deliberately changing the headline and cherry-picking the contents to turn it into a story about the Mossad rather than the shark attack itself. The Reuters piece, which is not centred around the Mossad charge, and headlined “Egypt puzzled after string of Red Sea shark attacks,” mentions more realistic theories to do with the shark's behaviour and includes the paragraph: Egyptians often blame neighbouring Israel for a variety of problems such as drug and weapon smuggling, or say it supports media that seek to portray Egypt in a bad light. While it is possible to criticise Reuters for not making it more abundantly clear as to the ridiculous nature of the Mossad charge, The Scotsman's editors have revealed something far more sinister behind the direction of their version of this story. Based on previous experience, The Scotsman is likely to claim that space issues prevented republishing the full Reuters piece. The reality is, however, that the shark attacks are a major international news story that has been widely covered in the mainstream media. What The Scotsman has done is inexcusable – turning a story about a spate of shark attacks into a sensationalised story of a ludicrous Israeli plot and then giving the conspiracy theory unwarranted credibility. added by: crystalman

Tobacco Virus Could Be Secret to Better Batteries (Video)

Image credit University of Maryland College Park One of the first known viruses, the Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), spelled disaster for tobacco crops, but it could be the secret to success for more efficient batteries and fuel cells, according to research from University of Maryland. Researchers are learning how to exploit the virus’s amazing ability to self-renew and self-assemble to improve on today’s lithium ion batteries. … Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Tobacco Virus Could Be Secret to Better Batteries (Video)

Wikileaks Reveals Hushed Concern Over Tar Sands Oil in US State Dept.

Photo: Jungbim , Wikimedia, CC Not all of the cables aired in the latest Wikileaks focus on the tense, high-stakes diplomacy with China, Afghanistan, or the Middle East, though that stuff certainly grabs the headlines. Yet there are quiet revelations about other important diplomatic subjects as well — like Canada, for instance. And no, the news is not that our northern neighbor is boring ; it’s about concern over tar sands…. Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Wikileaks Reveals Hushed Concern Over Tar Sands Oil in US State Dept.

Reese Witherspoon Finds Robert Pattinson "Very Handsome"

Look out, Kristen Stewart . You may have competition on your hands. Asked by USA Today about Robert Pattinson, her co-star in next year’s Water for Elephants , Reese Witherspoon had nothing but kinds things to report. “I’m not gonna lie. He’s a very, very handsome man,” Witherspoon said . “He’s a very sensitive soul… He’s sweet and loving and has the nicest family.” Reese also referred to Stewart as “really sweet” and commented on the absolute craziness of working with this Twilight Saga hunk. She said there was “fervor and madness and girls waiting at 5 a.m. on a set in the middle of nowhere just to see him.” That sounds unnecessarily tiring to us. You can sit back and ogle our Robert Pattinson photo gallery at any hour of the day, readers!

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Reese Witherspoon Finds Robert Pattinson "Very Handsome"

12 Amazing Authors Who Died Far Too Young

This article does not intend to come off as ageist by any means, but for consistency's sake chose writers under 50 — when Americans attain eligibility to join AARP. Link : http://www.bachelorsdegree.org/2010/12/06/12-amazing-authors-who-died-far-too-yo… added by: sunnyspeaks

Should progressives support Obama’s compromise tax cut extension?

Monday President Obama indicated a willingness to grant a controversial tax cut extension for the rich. Apparently Obama is willing to compromise with the GOP, while upsetting progressive allies, in order to guarantee a tax cut extension for the middle class, as well as an extension of unemployment benefits for out of work Americans. http://www.examiner.com/progressive-in-portland/should-progressives-support-obam… added by: unimatrix0

Paul Wall Beats Fan with a Microphone

Filed under: Paul Wall , You Might Want to Rethink Never give Paul Wall the finger — because based on this video, it doesn’t matter if dude’s in the middle of a concert … he will beat your ass with a microphone. It all went down Sunday night at the Low Low Car Show in San Antonio, Texas — Paul Wall… Read more

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Paul Wall Beats Fan with a Microphone

Beckel to Geller: You’re a Woman, You Better Be Careful

Eric Bolling’s new show on the Fox Business Channel, Money Rocks , saw a significant display of fireworks this evening.  During a discussion of some already controversial statements made by Democratic strategist, Bob Beckel, a very heated exchange developed involving Beckel and Atlas Shrugs publisher, Pamela Geller. The controversy started when Bolling played a clip of Beckel’s previous appearance on the show in which he stated: “Look, at some point, I know it’s sensitive here in New York and probably New Jersey, but we have to get over 9/11.” What did he mean by ‘we have to get over 9/11′?  According to Beckel, this was simply an expression of frustration for a variety of things, such as extra security at airports and a few other minor inconveniences designed to catch “a bunch of non-existent terrorists.”  The short list of ‘non-existent terrorists’ since 9/11 that Mr. Beckel must be referring to, include the Madrid train bombers, Russian train bombers, Shoe Bomber, the Lackawanna Six, Fort Hood assassin, the Virginia ‘Jihad’ Network, Christmas Day bomber, Fort Dix plotters, and the Times Square bomber. Beckel might have been feeling the stress of trying to defend such a blatantly insensitive statement, by providing a blatantly inaccurate defense, as he experienced a misogynistic meltdown directed at Geller in the middle of the segment in which he said: “You’re a woman, you better be careful about saying who I carry water for.” Clip and partial transcript below… Over at Atlas Shrugs , Geller asserts that Beckel’s sexist rants were not limited to the on-air conversation.  Prior to the show, she claims: “I was the only female on the panel and as we were prepping (getting mic’ed etc) for the show, Beckel was regaling his victims (Bob Hemmer, David Webb and Bolling) with sordid tales of pole dancers and the like.  Grotesque and deliberate.” Geller states that the confrontation continued after the break: “When we cut to break, Beckel chided Bolling for not bringing ‘Jewish slumlords’ on the show (referring to Bolling’s segment on Imam Rauf’s status as a New Jersey slumlord, so named in a lawsuit against Rauf by Union City.)  When I heard Beckel’s Jew hating belch, I said ‘and you’re an anti-Semite.’  He told me to ‘kiss his ass’ to which I responded that he would never get anyone anywhere in the world to get with that.” Beckel’s appearances on FNC have been infuriating at times, but mostly for ideological reasons.  He is, after all, a liberal.  But he clearly crossed a line tonight with his uncharacteristically aggressive attacks on Geller.  Even Arlen Specter knows that you don’t start any argumentative statement with the words ‘you’re a woman.’ For your added nauseating pleasure, please watch the lead-in 11 minutes to this incident, in which the ever-bigoted Ahmad Rehab defends radical Islam by calling everybody else (particularly Geller) a bigot.  That’s what racists do though; they refer to everybody else as the racist. Racists, and bigots, and radicals.  Oh my! Enjoy… Relevant clip at (11:00 – 11:45) Geller:  I would like to address Mr. Beckel’s point.  I don’t know why you’re carrying water for the most radical, intolerant ideology in the world today.  There have been 20,000 documented radical Islamic attacks since 9/11.  Each one with the imprimatur of a Muslim cleric… Beckel:  You better be very careful.  You’re a woman, you better be very careful about who you say I carry water for, because you have no idea what you’re talking about.  (Points emphatically at Geller).  And don’t start putting me in the middle of your crap! Geller:  Don’t you point to me! Beckel:  I’ll point to you all I want! Geller:  Don’t you point to me.  You’re a misogynist. Beckel:  You’re getting yourself fifteen minutes, you get yourself fifteen minutes of fame because you’re (Bolling) picking on a bunch of Muslims. Geller:  You’re picking on a bunch of women.  You’re a woman hater. Beckel:  A woman hater?  A woman hater? Geller:  Look how you’re talking to me.  It’s outrageous. Beckel:  You are nuts. Geller:  Yea, I’m nuts. Please contact Rusty at The Mental Recession , or on Twitter @rustyweiss74

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Beckel to Geller: You’re a Woman, You Better Be Careful

Congressman Compares Florida Christians To Taliban

Alan Grayson, the Democratic firebrand from Florida's 8th District, made himself a nationwide household name — and angered conservatives — last year with his declaration that the Republican plan for health care amounts to hoping sick people “die quickly.” Now his latest move could prove equally infuriating to his political opponents. In a new election campaign ad, Grayson compares Florida's Christian politicians to the Islamist fundamentalists of the Middle East. “Religious fanatics are trying to take away our freedom in Afghanistan, in Iraq and right here in central Florida,” declares a female voice-over. The ad focuses on Daniel Webster, Grayson's Republican opponent in this year's mid-term election and a former state legislator. “Daniel Webster wants to impose his radical fundamentalism on us,” the ad asserts. “Webster tried to deny battered women medical care and the right to divorce their abusers. He wants to force raped women to bear the child. Taliban Dan Webster. Hands off our bodies, and our laws.” http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/09/grayson-ad-taliban-dan/ added by: ibrake4rappers13

Coal Costs More Money Than It Creates in W. Virginia

Credit: Sierra Club Things that make you go “duh,” right? A study in West Virginia, the nation’s second-largest coal-producing state, says that the coal industry is a loser when it comes to providing money for the state budget. The industry brings in about $600 million in revenues a year, but costs the state another $97.4 million. … Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Coal Costs More Money Than It Creates in W. Virginia