text:
Kerry Coronated – Then PUNKED!
Posted in International Politics on July 31, 2004|
Kerry's first day after his coronation.
"Ninety-seven days [left in the campaign]; let's make it happen," Kerry told hundreds of bleary-eyed but upbeat supporters who showed up at a 7:30 a.m. rally on the shores of Boston Harbor — less than nine hours after Kerry finished his acceptance speech.
He then invoked the memory of Paul Revere's famed midnight ride, "One if by land, two if by sea." He no doubt didn't expect to be assailed by some [in his next stop] that do travel "by sea". He got thoroughly PUNKED!
Kerry was treating running mate Sen. John Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, to a Wendy's lunch in Newburgh, N.Y., for their 27th wedding anniversary — an Edwards family tradition — when the candidate approached four Marines and asked them questions.
The Marines — two in uniform and two off-duty — were polite but curt while chatting with Kerry, answering most of his questions with a "yes, sir" or "no, sir."
But they turned downright nasty after the Massachusetts senator thanked them "for their service" and left.
"He imposed on us and I disagree with him coming over here shaking our hands," one Marine said, adding, "I'm 100 percent against [him]."
A sergeant with 10 years of service under his belt said, "I speak for all of us. We think that we are doing the right thing in Iraq," before saying he is to be deployed there in a few weeks and is "eager" to go and serve.
The Marines — all of whom serve at nearby Stewart Air Force Base — wouldn't give their names.
Bwwahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
I don't give a damm, I have over 400 blog entries to read in RSS Bandit at the moment – and this is the read of the day!
Sempre, mother fucking, Fidelis – Take that "War Hero."
Other references to this story: (And proud to say I was way out in front of – don't think so? Subtract 12 hours EST from my post and compare, HUH as Glenn would say) [Who also notes the story – late].
Capt'n Ed
BitsBlog
Whomping Willow
California Yankee
Also noted @ The Command Post and Blogs of War
Bill @ INDC Journal who includes this:
"I've always thought that Kerry's post-Vietnam behavior ("reminiscent of Ghengis Khan …") was despicable, but I also thought that some right-wing criticism of Kerry's record in Vietnam was cheap and unwarranted (the flesh-wound complaints). But you know what? That was months ago. And since then, I've watched this man base his entire resume on his actions during 4 months of combat in Vietnam. No senate record, no prosecutorial career, no lieutenant governorship, nothing. And it's ludicrous."
"If he wants to merely rely on four months of his life so heavily, I can't really criticize individuals that decide to pick apart those same four months. I just wonder if the rest of America (or at least the swing voters) feel insulted by this shameless self-promotion as much as I do. And if they aren't angered by it, do they at least find it ridiculously funny?"
"I mean, Dubya prowling around in the flight suit was worth a chortle or two, but "My name is John Kerry and I'm reporting for duty?" "Viet-naam … Viet-naaam, Viet-naaaaaaaam …""
"Oh, man …"
Or…. "Oh, manchild"
Fisking the Democrats – The Last Roundup Edition
Here is a post convention roundup of editorials, and a couple blog posts of note.
New York Post: John Kerry "Doesn't Get It" When it Comes to the War on Terror. "Give John Forbes Kerry credit for being honest as he accepted the Democratic Party's nomination for president last night. Because in his 55 minutes at the mike, he was truthful about how he'd fight the War on Terror. He won't. 'The United States never goes to war because we want to,' Kerry said. 'We only go to war because we have to.' At best, this is a gross calumny: President Bush never 'wanted' war — and it is repugnant even to hint otherwise. At worst, it is telling evidence of a profound misunderstanding of America's proper place in a fractious world. . . . There is no greater concern that Americans have today than the War on Terror. Kerry showed last night that he doesn't understand this." (Editorial, "Kerry's Strategic Myopia," New York Post, 7/30/04)
Rocky Mountain News: Kerry Gave Few Answers. "What we had hoped to hear Thursday, however, was how Kerry's admirable record of valor and public service would make a difference in leading this nation in the struggle against terrorists that target the United States and the regimes that aid them. Unfortunately, we came away still unsure of the answer." (Editorial, "Kerry's Tough Talk Leaves Many Questions," Rocky Mountain News, 7/30/04)
Washington Post: Kerry's Speech "A Disappointment." "In accepting the Democratic nomination last night, John F. Kerry spoke to a far more anxious America, one that has weathered a recession and, more important, entered what the nominee called 'a global war on terror against an enemy unlike we've ever known before.' Mr. Kerry therefore sought above all to make the case that he could be trusted to lead a nation at war, and rightly so; he and Mr. Bush must be judged first and foremost on those grounds. But on that basis, though Mr. Kerry spoke confidently and eloquently, his speech was in many respects a disappointment." (Editorial, "Missed Opportunity," The Washington Post, 7/30/04)
New York Times: Kerry Failed To "Provide A Clear Vision On Iraq." "He did not, however, provide a clear vision on Iraq. Voters needed to hear him say that he understands, in retrospect, that his vote to give President Bush Congressional support to invade was a mistake. It's clear now that Mr. Kerry isn't going to go there, and it's a shame." (Editorial, "John Kerry Speaks," The New York Times, 7/30/04)
USA Today: "Kerry Leaves Boston Still Not Having Formed In Voters' Minds An Image Of Where He'd Take The Nation On Its Most Urgent Issues." "Trouble is, Kerry leaves Boston still not having formed in voters' minds an image of where he'd take the nation on its most urgent issues: the war on terrorism and resolving the mess that is the U.S. situation in Iraq. So far, his policies sound a lot like those of President Bush." (Editorial, "Kerry's Challenge: Set His Own War-Time Course," USA Today, 7/30/04)
Los Angeles Times: Kerry Needs To Further Explain His Position On Iraq. "By putting Iraq near the top of the speech, before jobs and the economy and healthcare, Kerry made it official that he is going to make opposition to the war his big issue. Possibly the best of many great lines in the speech was: 'I will be a commander in chief who will never mislead us into war.' Kerry voted for the war. Is he now prepared to say he was misled? If Iraq is going to be Topic A, he will need a smarter strategy of evasion, or more brutal frankness, than he has managed so far." (Editorial, "Kerry's Craft," Los Angeles Times, 7/30/04)
Boston Globe: Kerry "Didn't Close The Sale Last Night." "All in all, it was a pedestrian address, uninspiring, cliched, and humorless. It made sure to work in all the poll-tested buzzwords — I counted 17 mentions of 'strong' and 'strength,' 28 of 'value' or 'values.' But buzzwords don't decide elections, and they aren't the key to a swing voter's heart. Kerry may yet prevail over George W. Bush, but he didn't close the sale last night." (Jeff Jacoby, Op-ed, "Buzzwords And Cheap Shots," The Boston Globe, 7/30/04)
Steven Taylor has posted his "Bite-Size Toast for Thursday Night" that is a excellent compendium of reactions to Kerrys speech.
And I include this on target, straight to the point, at the heart of the matter rant because, well, because it's, on target, straight to the point, at the heart of the matter.
The Dem convention is a wrap, and that's an appropriate word to use because they spent most of it keeping their real motivations and base of support as under wraps as possible. Oh, sure, now and then you'd get a nightmare like Michael Moore popping out like the monster who lived under the bed when you were a kid, but the public face the Dems tried to present throughout was nothing but a mask.
There's a good reason for that. Because the last thing Kerry and the Democrats need is for Mr. and Mrs. America to see what they look like without the mask.
From here on out, the election campaign is going to consist of attempts by the Bush team to strip the mask off the Dems, and the Dems attempting to see that it remains in place, or enough so that a plurality of Americans will be fooled into thinking that the Dems are serious about fighting terrorism. Hint: they aren't. They weren't back in 1993, when Clinton shook his fist at the WTC bombers and swore to hunt them all down and then called the job done with one or two lower-echelon dupes jailed—and the masterminds sitting comfortably in safe havens (one of which was Iraq, by the way) and plotting the next one. They weren't after the Cole was attacked and nearly destroyed—when Clinton did the same thing, followed by the same brand of do-nothing-much-of-use. Ditto the other terrorist attacks throughout the 90's.
The Democrats, most of them, don't have the heart to fight the WoT because they can't bring themselves to believe that war, even a proactively defensive one (awful as all war unquestionably is), can ever serve a useful purpose, can ever be a means to a more noble end—sometimes the only workable one. It's pretty damned amusing to sit back and watch today's Dems declare their admiration for Kerry's youthful bravery and derring-do: a "war hero" from a war they despised at the time, the real heros of which they were too busy spitting on at airports to give them the kind of plaudits they're only too happy to shower Kerry with now. Apparently, they don't see a contradiction there. I suppose if Kerry had returned home with his shoulders squared and his head held high rather than shamefacedly contrite and eager to dump on his "band of brothers" in front of Congressional committees they wouldn't be so eager to bring it up these days. But then, that's just another thing they need to keep under wraps.
The Dems can hide, but not forever. The chase ends in November but along the way there will be many signposts that indicate the coming victory. I doubt very much if the Dems. have enough poster paint left on their palette to make a mark.
Fisking the Democrats – Waffles Edition
Well that was fun – for the diehard Bush hater – for the rest of us normal citizens it was a damm snooze inducing bore. Tap that alarm button…… damm he's still speechifying. Minuteman, better known as Sen. Kerry dorned for nearly an hour before they "cued the balloons," and the Fleet Center erupted in the predictable Bush hating euphoria.
So how did Kerry do in his shinning moment? Pure vanilla, sweet but no color. Not all together surprising, that's the nature of acceptence speeches. But something was missing. He started the speech in 1966 and jumped into some magical Democratic time machine and landed in the present. Almost totally missed [except two short paragraphs]were his 19 years of Senate work presence. Also not surprising considering his miserable work record as a Senator. Strange after stating many times how, "I will stand by my record," except when running from it I suppose.
There were two taglines that will resonate thru the news cycle My name is John Kerry and I am reporting for duty" and "Help is on the way." The help line tweaked my memory. 24 hours ago Edwards tagline was "Hope is on the way." Similar but very different in meaning. Did somebody change from hope, an ambiguious term, to help a more substantive positive word. Could be coincidence, or a subtile flip-flop in tone.
As for the rest, lets go thru the main points.
We have it in our power to change the world again. But only if we're true to our ideals – and that starts by telling the truth to the American people. That is my first pledge to you tonight. As President, I will restore trust and credibility to the White House.
I ask you to judge me by my record……:
It only took 14 paragraphs to drag out the "Bush lied" meme, and we'll let your record speak for it self in the link above.
I will be a commander in chief who will never mislead us into war. I will have a Vice President who will not conduct secret meetings with polluters to rewrite our environmental laws. I will have a Secretary of Defense who will listen to the best advice of our military leaders. And I will appoint an Attorney General who actually upholds the Constitution of the United States.
Another "Bush lied," and a few misdirections. What Kerry calls "secret" meetings are common policy meetings, hardly secret, and protected by executive privilige, somthing all the conspiracy theorists wanted to break thru.The implyed ignored military advice may be Gen. Shinseki who publicly stated the need for more troops in Iraq. Something I would agree with. I suspect if Ashcroft had torn up the Consitiution and thown it into the Potomic he would have been hogtied by Congress and tossed in behind it by now. It hasn't happend, and won't. Chalk that statement up to use of a little Joe Wilson "literary flair."
We're told that outsourcing jobs is good for America. We're told that new jobs that pay $9,000 less than the jobs that have been lost is the best we can do. They say this is the best economy we've ever had. And they say that anyone who thinks otherwise is a pessimist. Well, here is our answer: There is nothing more pessimistic than saying America can't do better.
Ahh the old outsourcing bugboo, this has been a Kerry staple for over a year, get off of it, it's just bullshit, in fact the corporate taxes you blame Bush for pre-date him by decades. It also seems you believe outsourcing is bad for America, but you have allowed your campaign to use foreign nationals to volunteer and work for your election. Your either a duplicitious bastard, or such an incompetant administrator you have no clue your staff has undercut your stated policies. Or both. Not a good trait for a future president.
To be fair, here is a good business deal you made, although of fairly recent vintage. When Teresa allows her "manchild" to invest some of her condiment cash you snapped up a whole butt load of Made in America stocks to the tune of $18 million to $32 million, all under Teresa's name. In true flip-flop fashion this purchase was preceeded by a sell off of approx, $16 million in international holdings. Afraid of appearences John?
"$9,000 less than the jobs that have been lost." This is the flop side of a previous "flip." This line used to read under the Bush watch America has lost 3 million jobs [then 2 mil, then 1 mil, then oops 9K less in pay], that was before the economy started to boom. In any case it's debatable and borders on being a flatout nonsense.
Now I know there are those who criticize me for seeing complexities – and I do – because some issues just aren't all that simple. Saying there are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq doesn't make it so. Saying we can fight a war on the cheap doesn't make it so. And proclaiming mission accomplished certainly doesn't make it so.
We get pretty critical about your mysterious "foreign leaders" that support you as well.
I defended this country as a young man and I will defend it as President. Let there be no mistake: I will never hesitate to use force when it is required. Any attack will be met with a swift and certain response. I will never give any nation or international institution a veto over our national security. And I will build a stronger American military.
And the money quote is right there, "Any attack will be met with a swift and certain response." The mantra Kerry has lived by his entire public life. Reactive, not proactive. A reactive stance explains why you have proposed adding 100,000 first responders to the ranks of firefighters and emergency medical personnel nationwide. You feel the need to suck up to their unions first of all, but the need is there as well to respond after we get hit again, "Any attack will be met with a swift and certain response."
When faced with the Vietnam war you didn't jump on the first plane and drop into Da Nang and say, "My name is John Kerry and I am reporting for duty." There is every indication he attempted to defer his service for a year, to study in Paris, after completing his degree course at Yale.
For four years, we've heard a lot of talk about values. But values spoken without actions taken are just slogans. Values are not just words. They're what we live by. They're about the causes we champion and the people we fight for. And it is time for those who talk about family values to start valuing families.
You opened this pandoras box John so lets stir it around a little. Just who has been on the receiving end of your value system John? Here is a partial list.
Michael Moore of 9/11 dungmentary infamy. One of the most inflammatory, Bush hating, America hating, noxious lying bastards on the face of the planet. When given the chance to denounce his film you brushed it off. You gave him credentials for the convention and there he was proudly sitting in a Fleet Center skybox next to Jimmy "wussy" Carter for all the world to see. Values John?
Joe ("literary Flair")Wilson. Provided the impetous behind the majority of the Bush haters 'Bush lied" meme. Throughly discredited by both the 9/11 commission report and the British government's Lord Butler report. At first Kerry staff didn't comment on the affair, then claimed Wilson was an "unpaid advisor." Even now after having been proven to be nothing more than a book hawking partisan hack, word surfaces the campaign still has connections. "July 29, 2004 — DEMOCRAT John Kerry's campaign yesterday gave a ringing endorsement to Bush-bashing Ambassador Joe Wilson — even though a bipartisan Senate committee just found so many holes in his story that even his own wife won't back it up."
"[Kerryites] yesterday hailed Wilson's "integrity" and said he's still very much a part of the team that Kerry hopes will make him commander in chief.
Kerry foreign policy adviser Susan Rice is quoted as saying: "Joe Wilson has served for many months as an informal adviser to the Kerry campaign and continues to do so," Bush is a liar in your eyes and you think nothing of associating yourself with someone who has created hate and division in the country. Prior to the convention he was cut loose, post convention he is "very much a part of the team."
Values John, what about those values we keep hearing about? You may have them but when will they be put into practice?
Markos Moulitsas Z�niga Editor of left-wing blog The Daily Kos. He became extremely radioactive after an abhorant screed about four American contractors murdered, mutilated, and left to hang from a bridge in Iraq. Calling them mercenaries (but never recalling it was Clinton that began the use of contractors in Kosovo) and thus deserveing of his "screw 'em remark. During the wide-spread condemnation that followed (both from the Blogosphere and traditional media) Kerry staff pulled a link to Kos from the Kerry campaign web page to avoid the controversy. Yet where is Kos today? Front and center as a credentialed "blogger" in Boston. Why is that? Could it be because what once was disassociated from the campaign (while the spotlight was on) is now embraced (after the media moved on and the light was dimmed) due to the $400,000 in campaign cash Z�niga's site has raised for the Democrats? Where are the "values" you speak of?
Al Sharpton. I'll defer to Conrad on slamming Al to the turf because frankly I'm too lazy to chase down all the links. "[Al Sharpton has] incited murder against "white interlopers"; fabricated charges of rape mutilation and abduction, that he knew were false, against a prosecuting attorney; committed persistent perjury in a judicial proceeding; deliberately obstructed an investigation in order to prolong a hoax for his own aggrandizement; shared stages with and defended the outrageously anti-Semitic Khalid Abdul Muhammad; participated in publicly disclosing the name of an innocent (and unlike Tawana Brawley, real) rape victim and labelled her a "whore"; incited further violence by blacks against Jews — among other things blaming Jews to the oppression of blacks under South African apartheid — in the wake of the murder of rabbinical student Yankel Rosenbaum by a black Crown Heights mob; and set fire to his own offices (twice) to avoid producing financial disclosures to election officials.
Okay, to be perfectly fair about that last bit, I can't actually prove that, when Sharpton's offices caught fire immediately before the start of both his US Senate and presidential campaigns (destroying financial records each time), that it was anything other than a very fortunate coincidence for the man who once claimed, under oath, that he didn't actually own anything at all, not even the clothes on his back but rather only had "access" to them)".
End of Conrads rant, and a fine one it was. Here are a couple of notes of my own on the good Reverand. Rev. Sharpton consistently attacked (post 9/11) NYC mayor Giuliani and did everything in his power to sabotage NYC's crime fighting efforts. With your approval John this dispecable waste pile was given a primetime television slot to speak before the convention, and a worldwide audience to the shame of you and the Democratic party. Again, where's the beef values John?
Values my aching ass, you or your party wouldn't know a value if it slapped you on your collective bare hinny's with a tennis racket. And you have the audacity to wrap yourselves in religion with invocations and benedictions from a Greek Orthodox archbishop, a Muslim imam (who reportedly has ties to Islamic extremists), a rabbi, black preachers, a progressive Catholic priest and a few female pastors as well.
With that amount of religious coverage no matter which way you go, heaven or hell, you certainly have access to all the correct routes to take. But that is you John, cover all bases, straddle the fence, and flip-flop.
Greasing the Slippery Slope With WD-40
I always knew Josh Marshall was riding the crest of the slippery slope like Eddie Aikau rode the big waves at North Beach. But Jesus H. Christ riding a ferris wheel in hell! He has crested the wave and been dashed on the rocks with this lunacy. See if you agree, this is his comment upon learning of the capture of Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani by Pakistani forces on Sunday. He attempts to spin the Bush hid him till the proper moment crap.
I'm not going to be able to watch the television coverage of this throughout the day. But many of you will. So I'd be very, very curious to hear whether when, oh say, CNN goes on about how this al Qaida guy has been hauled in they will mention at all, or with any consistency, that one of the most respected political magazines in the United States reported just weeks ago on the pressure the administration has been placing on the Pakistanis to serve up an al Qaida bad guy on this day. Will they make the obvious connection?
Or will they just ignore it?
This is just the latest, but perhaps the most blatant, example of how this administration has placed politics and, really, political dirty tricks above national security itself, and along the way persisted in defining political deviance down until tactics we used to associate with banana republics start to seem commonplace here.
And while we're at it, this is yet another example of how truly important it is that we democratize the Middle East. Because once we have, some of them will be able to come back here and redemocratize us.
Still pedaling the "save the capture til the Convention" meme. Cheap moronic partisan hack! I defy someone to tell me Josh hasn't crested that slippery slope and isn't laying dead with all the rest of the mullusks, clams and other assorted stinking fish.
Update on Saddams Health
Posted in Lifetime War -Terrorism on July 30, 2004|
And still not "caring a dog squat in the woods"
As previously reported Saddam's shysters made the claim he had suffered a "mild stroke" and felt his life was in danger. Well there has been a new diagnosis. Stephen relays word the alleged malady has migrated southward:
Seven months after being taken prisoner, former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein suffers from a chronic prostate infection but has rebuffed suggestions that a biopsy be performed to rule out cancer, Iraq's human rights minister said Thursday.
Tests show that, despite the prostate problem, the 67-year-old deposed dictator is otherwise in good health and has even shed some extra weight while in U.S. detention, Human Rights Minister Bakhtiar Amin told Al-Jazeera television.
He said X-ray and blood tests came back negative for cancer, but officials wanted to take a biopsy to be safe.
So it appears the bottomline on Saddam is, he started with a possible brain related illness [stroke] that morphs into something concerning the rectal area. [prostate infection]. Does anyone else see a conection here? Or is it just me?
Head……Anus, Head…Anus, Head-Anus.
I thought so…. but we all knew that. Except the French, Russians and Germans.
What's Wrong in the Middle East? – A lot and More
"Arab Nations seek to slow push for sanctions against Sudan."
KHARTOUM, Sudan — Egypt and the Arab League tried to put the brakes on a campaign for sanctions against Sudan yesterday as the Sudanese government blamed rebels in the western region of Darfur for the humanitarian crisis there.
They have zero common sense, and even less decency to help their fellow Arabs as evidenced by the 1991 Gulf War. The few that assisted then only did so out of fear that rogue bastard Saddam would roll his tanks thru their own tents next. They hung out a "gone fishing" sign in the effort to remove Saddam, and after his removal have resisted aiding the new Iraqi Government, some backtracked on previous promises to the fledgling government. Jordan's King Abdullah II went so far as to advise Iraq's neighbors to stay out because it may "improperly influence Iraqi society." Influenced how? Could the answer be the cold grip of fear around your heart is caused by a threat by your own people? If they see even a small amount of freedom in Iraq your own citizens will toss you into the desert to live with the camel spiders, devoid of your limos, and billions of dollars in US aid.
Best estimates claim 30,000 dead in Darfur alone, never mind the rest of the country, at the hands of Arab militias known as the Janjaweed in the last 18 months. Yet Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit of Egypt stresses "the importance of giving the element of time to the Sudanese government to carry out what it has taken upon itself in the way of commitments." So just how much time is needed? Enough to allow the Arab Militias to assume control of the rest of the country? And you and your fellow Arab League members will have another dues paying member to your sweet tea drinking club.
I'm not smart enough, or possess the powers of clairvoyance, to know the real answer. One thing I feel sure of. As you and your bunch of twisted turbin wearing friends sit on your ass and do nothing and block others that would, just four days ago you were screeming for help yourselves. Monday you were begging, beseeching, the US and UN to rush to the Arab Leagues aid in protecting the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
Turn about is fair play. Let me stress the "importence of giving the element of time" to this issue and give the US and UN time to carry out what is needed to be done.
Meanwhile sit back and dream of your forthcoming, and very much undeserved, 72 vestal virgins.
Upon further review, here is a portion of , "alot and MORE." Via Jessica:
"Border patrol agents from the Willcox station encountered a large group of suspected illegal border crossers, estimated to be around 158, just east of the Sanders Ranch near the foothills of the Chiricauha Mountains. 71 suspected illegal aliens were apprehended; among them were 53 males of middle-eastern descent. According to a Border Patrol field agent, the men were suspected to be Iranian or possibly Syrian nationals."
"alot and MORE" = Turbin wearing [although disguised by their sombreros] Islamofacists headed our way!
An Unholy Alliance for Florida
Just who are these people, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)?
It turns out they will be monitoring the Presidential election in November. At the request of U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown. As you may remember she has become paranoid maniacal unhinged concerned about the Florida debacle of 2000 and fears a repeat. Acting on that perception she previously asked the UN to monitor the election. The UN quickly acted, [yes that's an oxymoron] and told her to enter the nearest bathroom and filibuster herself til she disappeared.
Well, it didn't work, she's still around [damm the bad luck] and the ODIHR has agreed to monitor the US elections. And in what comes as the least surprising association of the century she has teamed up with Michael Moore, aka Fat man in a liars suit.
"I am coming to Florida," the director of Fahrenheit 9/11, [more commonly known as "shit on celluliod"] promised Florida's delegation to the Democratic National Convention in Boston. "Together we will guarantee to every Floridian that their vote will be counted this year."
"I will have my cameras. We will put a huge spotlight on them. They will not get away with it this time."
"We have an army of lawyers who will be poll watchers throughout the state," he said. "The second anyone tries to prevent a voter from voting, we will go down to the courthouse, we will get the judge immediately and we will stop it at that moment."
And we all know that film doesn't lie don't we Michael? Don't we? Michael?…….Chirp!
First thing you have to ask yourself is, will Moore go to Florida? Or will he display his gelatinous spine as he did for the promised Crawford, Texas screening of his dungmentary. The second question reverts back to my lead.
Just who is the ODIHR? Turns out the US has been a signatory to this illustrious body since 25 June 1973. One of their mandates listed on their "What does the ODIHR do" page (pdf file) states among other things:
Promotes democratic election processes through the in-depth observation of national and local elections and conducts election assistance projects that enhance meaningful participatory democracy.
Provides practical support in consolidating democratic institutions and uses long-term programmes and targeted projects to strengthen civil society and democratic governance practices; programme activities are divided into two primary areas: longer-term, multi-year, institutional and capacity-building programmes; and shorter-term, high-impact projects.
So what do you think? In a 228 year old democracy will these people provide any benefit?
And just where does the Godfather of election observers, Jimmy Carter fit into this? Shouldn't he be part of this site seeing party? Shouldn't he round up his band of merry monitors and make the trek to Florida. Hell why waste the trip, he could also construct a few humble abodes for the gators in the Everglades.


text:
Q: Linux memory problems.. with java program
Possible Duplicate:
How to set the maximum memory usage for JVM?

I am running a java program but when the memory usage reaches 26.1%, it does not increase any more and the program gets very slow.
What could be the problem? Does java have a limit of memory usage? or is there a limit of memory per app on linux?
java version "1.7.0_11"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0_11-b21)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 23.6-b04, mixed mode)

Tasks: 126 total,   1 running, 125 sleeping,   0 stopped,   0 zombie
Cpu(s): 97.5%us,  0.4%sy,  0.0%ni,  2.1%id,  0.0%wa,  0.0%hi,  0.0%si,  0.0%st
Mem:  33018800k total,  9522548k used, 23496252k free,    12100k buffers
Swap: 32764528k total,        0k used, 32764528k free,   391812k cached
  PID USER      PR  NI  VIRT  RES  SHR S %CPU %MEM    TIME+  COMMAND
 3463 wonn24    20   0 8769m 8.2g 9.8m S 391.3 26.1 257:09.24 java
 3725 hong8e    20   0 14876 1148  872 R  0.3  0.0   0:01.81 top
    1 root      20   0  4088  972  720 S  0.0  0.0   0:00.71 init
    2 root      15  -5     0    0    0 S  0.0  0.0   0:00.00 kthreadd
    3 root      RT  -5     0    0    0 S  0.0  0.0   0:00.17 migration/0
    4 root      15  -5     0    0    0 S  0.0  0.0   0:00.00 ksoftirqd/0
    5 root      RT  -5     0    0    0 S  0.0  0.0   0:00.00 watchdog/0
    6 root      RT  -5     0    0    0 S  0.0  0.0   0:00.15 migration/1
    7 root      15  -5     0    0    0 S  0.0  0.0   0:00.00 ksoftirqd/1

A: By default, the server version of Java has a maximum heap size of 1/4 of the main memory.  With a little overhead of libraries and thread stacks this could easily be 26 or 27% of main memory.
When your JVM starts to fill up, it takes lower to perform a GC, and the lower free memory means it also occurs more often (so really bad)  Ideally, you actual usage might as low as 40% of your maximum size.  In your case you actual usage could be at least 7 GB.
I suggest you try increasing your maximum heap size to at least 16 GB, possibly 24 GB if you can spare the memory. i.e. -Xmx16g or -Xmx24g

A: By default, Java has a heap size limit of 64Mb (if memory servers...) You can increase it with command line arguments, but before you do, make sure you need the extra memory and don't have a leak.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Kia Motors Corporation has announced its September global sales figures (export sales, domestic sales and sales from overseas plants) for passenger cars and commercial vehicles, which accumulated a total of 252,586 units sold. This figure represents a 3.5% year-on-year increase compared to the same month of 2015.
Cumulatively through the first nine months of 2016, Kia's global sales totalled 2,190,700 units for a year-on-year increase of 3.1%. Western Europe (338,071 units sold), Korea (396,460 units sold), China (432,849 units sold) and North America (547,845 units sold) have seen a 14.3%, 5.0% 3.7% and 3.4% rise in sales, respectively.
Kia's bestselling model in overseas markets during September 2016 was the Sportage compact CUV with 42,864 units sold. The B-segment Rio (known as 'K2' in China) was the second best seller with 39,215 units sold, while the C-segment Cerato (Known as 'Forte' or 'K3' in some markets), Optima midsized sedan and Soul urban crossover followed with 36,092, 19,871 and 16,468 units sold, respectively.
Launched in the domestic market in May, the fourth-generation Kia Sportage comes with a bolder overall design to evoke a sense of sporty and powerful energy when viewed from every angle. The attractive 'face' of the Sportage features the biggest change to the car's design over its predecessor, with Kia's hallmark 'tiger-nose' grille, the headlights with Ice Cube foglights and LED DRLs. Additional features include the swept back along the outer edges of the sharply-detailed bonnet and a lower and wider grille give the Sportage a more menacing front look.
The Sportage is presented in a more swept-back profile. From the highest point of the roof, the Sportage's silhouette gently tapers towards the rear of the car, while bolder wheel arches, sharp features lines and smooth surfacing endow the Sportage with a more dynamic stance.


DL Port - 6pp - Letter Fold & Perforateded leaflets are perfect pamphlets to use in advertising. Our prime quality printing on glossy or silk paper stock will let you showcase your services in a professional way. Folded fliers produced on 115gsm or 130gsm paper stock would be the low-priced option for mass marketing and higher quantities. On the other hand thicker paper like our leaflets folded on premium quality 350gsm or 400gsm feel superb to the touch.
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Greenpeace, Une pièce en plus, Le marché de Rungis, La mairie de Courchevel, the French Chambers of Trade and Industry in China and Japan, various consulting firms trust MyCVthèque. Discover the advantages of this solution and the opinion of our clients!
Since 1999, the departmental council of Eure-et-Loir supports the steps of people looking for work through its network of Espaces Cyber Emploi and more widely the Boostemploi system.
Faced with the success of this scheme, in 2015 we wished to take a new step by professionalising our working tool and facilitating the matching of offers and applications. The MyCVthèque solution won our adhesion by its simplicity and its capacity to adapt to our needs.
Prestadev has accompanied us efficiently throughout the implementation, and their teams have shown themselves to be very available.
MyCVthèque allows our users, sometimes distant from the job market, to acquire more autonomy in the management of their applications online.
In addition, the facilitators of our 25 Spaces Cyber Emploi have found in this solution an effective way to ensure the daily monitoring of their visitors, their contacts and their statistical activity.
With this experience, the departmental council of Eure-et-Loir once again solicited Prestadev in 2016 to enrich its offer for trainees this time.
Since 1990, the French Chamber of Industry in Japan provides its subscribers (500 French and Japanese companies) with a service of recruitment support.
"…the flexibility and adaptability of MyCVtheque teams have helped us to develop in record time new functions to develop our image. For example, applicants had the opportunity to upload a short CV in the registration form, and to automatically export a short CV recorded the previous month. This tool helped us boost our development and promote our applicants with companies that are members of the Chamber, receiving from us every month a sample of our applications. In 6 months, 40 new prospect files have been generated and 12 new files opened: we could immediately have a return on investment.
LMI MONACO rationalizes and organizes its recruitment management according to this process, through customizable application bricks of MyCVthèque.
Moreover, we can easily process about 70 CVs per day on average, with picks of 90 CVs. In the past, 40 CVs only were considered overload. "Our assistants do have more time to focus on research, an activity with greater added value for the agency.
Valérie Arsena, Commercial Director of MI.
Mycvthèque a révolutionné notre approche du sourcing et notre gestion du recrutement.
La traçabilité des CV nous permet de fiabiliser notre plan sourcing et de faire de meilleurs choix budgétaires.
La gestion des CV est facilitée, avec un meilleur suivi sur une même plateforme, quel que soit le recruteur.
à nos besoins et nos évolutions internes.
Our job consists in providing our subscribers with some qualified employees suitable to their very specific needs.
We often recruit in a hurry people belonging to more than thirty different job fields for about a hundred companies and we need a performing database that can easily deal with thousands of applicant files.
MyCVthèque allows us to easily and independently manage job offers online, through our website, easily exchange by email and SMS with the applicants and track our actions during the recruiting process.
MyCVthèque has been a partner for us from the beginning and has been assisting us for 5 years now.
It's a major tool of our daily activity that has never failed.
Delville Executive is an executive search recruitment consulting firm, specialized in banking and finance.
"…We have met the publishers of these solutions. We have chosen MyCVthèque as this solution met our criteria: it was accessible by Internet, robust, reliable, customizable, but, above all, information could be found easily.
Accessible: it is so easy to remotely question the database, even directly from home…and when our offices are moved, there are constraints! Robust and reliable: we have never had any problems (unlike our Internet access provider). Customizable: we have turned all our paper forms in digital forms, to the very last comma, and developed the key competences our clients are looking for. Information can be found easily through keyword research, even if it is contained in CVs.
MyCVthèque has generated specific reports about Delville Executive that provide us, with a click only, with an exhaustive view on our activity, or help us produce "progress reports" that we regularly send to our clients to keep them informed about the progression of the project: half-day of work is replaced by a click!
The TEE networks have called on the services provided by PRESTADEV in 2004.It was about implementing a CV and job bank.
This "CVThèque" has been evolving since its creation and currently includes over 5,000 CVs and 3,000 recruiters.
Whether it is about creation or maintenance, we are satisfied about the job made by PRESTADEV and by their responsiveness in meeting our expectations.


text:
Clifford Collinson (3 March 1920 – September 1990) was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Manchester United during the 1946–47 season.

Born in Middlesbrough, in north-east England, Collinson was spotted playing for Urmston Boys Club towards the end of the Second World War and joined Manchester United as an amateur in May 1946. He turned professional in September 1946, before making his debut for the club in a scoreless draw away to Aston Villa on 2 November 1946. He went on a run of seven consecutive games, culminating with a 2–1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on 14 December 1946. However, he was not able to claim the "number one" jersey from Jack Crompton on a regular basis and never played for the club again.

External links
Profile at StretfordEnd.co.uk
Profile at MUFCInfo.com

1920 births
1990 deaths
Footballers from Middlesbrough
English footballers
Association football goalkeepers
Manchester United F.C. players
English Football League players

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


McQuaid expects to insert two starters into its lineup on February 1.
Isaiah Stewart, a 6 foot-8 inch sophomore voted on to the 2016 Democrat and Chronicle All-Greater Rochester Boys Basketball Team, and 6-4 junior guard Thomas Jones plan to play a limited number of minutes in a conference game against Monroe at No. 33 School.
Jones and Stewart have yet to play a game this season, due to injuries. Stewart broke his tailbone during a try-out for USA Basketball's Under-16 team. Jones suffered a concussion during a preseason scrimmage.
Edison and Leadership Academy are the new leaders of the Rochester City Athletic Conference races in Division A and Division B.
Leadership won eight consecutive games, before falling hard to Class AA Bishop Kearney, 67-48 at East High's Invitational Jan. 14.
Edison has won all but one of its eight conference games, including 59-54 at McQuaid Jan. 4. An 84-64 loss to East Dec. 16 at Edison came without a leading scorer Marique Simkin, a 6-2 senior guard averaging 28.7 points a game. The rematch at East is 6 p.m. on Feb. 14.


text:
Hydromys est un genre de rongeurs de la sous-famille des Murinés.

Liste des espèces
Ce genre comprend les espèces suivantes :
 Hydromys chrysogaster E. Geoffroy, 1804
 Hydromys hussoni Musser et Piik, 1982
 Hydromys neobrittanicus Tate et Archbold, 1935
 Hydromys ziegleri Helgen, 2005

Hydromys habbema Tate et Archbold, 1941 et Hydromys shawmayeri (Hinton, 1943) sont placés dans Baiyankamys depuis Helgen, 2005.

Répartition

Liens externes

Rongeur (nom scientifique)
Muridae


text:
PA High School Sports
All Southeastern Pa. first team: Tony Carr, Roman Catholic
Guard Tony Carr, Roman Catholic A terrific ball handler and penetrator, the 6-foot-4 junior point guard averaged 12.8 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.1 steals while sparking the Cahillites to a 29-2 mark and their first PIAA Class AAAA state title. Carr netted 19 points, five assists, and five rebounds as Roman nipped Pennsbury, 58-57, in a state quarterfinal. He has scholarship offers from George Washington, La Salle, Maryland, Penn State, Rhode Island, and Temple.
Tony Carr, Roman Catholic
A terrific ball handler and penetrator, the 6-foot-4 junior point guard averaged 12.8 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.1 steals while sparking the Cahillites to a 29-2 mark and their first PIAA Class AAAA state title. Carr netted 19 points, five assists, and five rebounds as Roman nipped Pennsbury, 58-57, in a state quarterfinal. He has scholarship offers from George Washington, La Salle, Maryland, Penn State, Rhode Island, and Temple.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
GameStop Corp.
CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT
TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
Date of report (Date of earliest event reported)
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)
1-32637 20-2733559
625 Westport Parkway, Grapevine, Texas 76051
⃞ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
⃞ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
⃞ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
⃞ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Item 8.01 Other Events.
On February 8, 2012, GameStop Corp. (the "Company") issued a press release announcing that its Board of Directors has approved the initiation of a cash dividend to its shareholders. The quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share will be paid on March 12, 2012, to shareholders of record on the close of business on February 21, 2012.
A copy of the press release issued by the Company on February 8, 2012 announcing the dividend is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
99.1 Press Release, dated February 8, 2012.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
/s/ Robert A. Lloyd
Robert A. Lloyd
Executive Vice President and
EXHIBIT INDEX
Press Release, dated February 8, 2012.


text:
businessTechnology
Apple unveils new and improved iPhone, iPad, Watch, gaming and TV services
Always-on Apple Watch, new entry-level iPad among product launches
Apple's product launch event is today at its headquarters in Cupertino, California.(JOSH EDELSON / Getty Images)
By Wire Services
6:02 PM on Sep 10, 2019
1/5Apple CEO Tim Cook talks about the latest iPhone during an event to announce new products Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019, in Cupertino, Calif.(Tony Avelar / AP)
2/5Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller introduces the new iPhone11 and iPhone 11 Pro during a product launch event.(JOSH EDELSON / Getty Images)
3/5Phil Schiller speaks on-stage during a product launch event at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California, on September 10, 2019.(JOSH EDELSON / Getty Images)
4/5Apple's Kaiann Drance talks about the new iPhone 11 during a special event.(Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)
5/5The iPhone's new color scheme is projected behind Drance.(Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)
The design has tough glass
It comes in six new colors
It has 6.1-inch display
"Tap to wake"
It supports Dolby Atmos sound
New cameras are dual with an all-new wide lens
A new ultra-wide camera with 120 degrees field of view.
Apple Inc. showed off updated Apple Watch models that come in new ceramic and titanium cases and a new always-on screen.
The devices were announced by Apple Watch marketing head Stan Ng during an event at Apple's Cupertino, California headquarters. The Watch changes are more muted than last year, when Apple added redesigned cases, larger screens, faster processors, and an EKG sensor with the Series 4 line.
The new models, called the Series 5, will start at $399, in line with the entry price of the previous model. The always-on screen includes new underlying technology for lower power consumption. The Watch has the same 18 hour battery life, Apple said. The new Watch also will add a compass sensor for improved directions in maps and a new compass app. Cellular models will also have built-in global emergency service calling.
Apple dropped the price of its Series 3 from 2017 to $199. That may increase competition with Fitbit Inc., which sells cheaper smartwatches and other health-tracking devices.
Apple also announced new studies on the Apple Watch for hearing health, women's cycle tracking, and the connection between heart health and movement. It also announced a new health study research app, coming to the U.S. later this year.
Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks on-stage during a product launch event at Apple's headquarters.(JOSH EDELSON / Getty Images)
New entry-level iPad
Apple Inc. launched a new entry-level iPad for $329, increasing the screen size of the tablet 10.2-inches from 9.7-inches.
The new models include the same A10 Fusion chip as last year's model. The base iPad included a 9.7-inch screen since it debuted in 2010. Besides the screen change, the new model looks like its predecessor, and lacks the Face ID unlocking technology of the more-expensive iPad Pro. It's made with 100% recycled aluminum, the company said.
The Cupertino, California-based technology giant made the announcement at its iPhone-focused event at the Steve Jobs Theater on Tuesday.
Earlier this year, Apple launched new mid-tier tablets, the iPad Air and new iPad mini. It's also working on updated iPad Pros for release later, Bloomberg News has reported.
Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of product marketing, talks about the new iPad.(Tony Avelar / AP)
Apple Inc. said its TV+ original video subscription service will launch Nov. 1 for $4.99 a month, undercutting the price of rival offerings.
The Cupertino, California-based technology giant made the announcement at a Tuesday event focused on new versions of the iPhone. The service will be free for one year with purchases of new Apple devices, Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said on stage.
The TV+ service is entering a crowded field that already includes Netflix Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Hulu and AT&T Inc.'s HBO. In November, Walt Disney Co. plans to launch a Disney+ streaming service, with a giant catalog of titles, for $6.99 a month. Netflix's entry-level subscription is $8.99 a month in the U.S.
Netflix shares fell after Apple's announcement on Tuesday.
Apple is pushing into services to generate extra revenue from its large base of iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch users. Consumers have been slower to replace hardware recently due to higher prices, market saturation, economic headwinds and a lack of new, breakthrough features.
Apple's TV+ service, first previewed in March with Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Aniston and other stars, will lack a large back catalog and instead focus on original movies and TV shows. Still, some analysts have suggested Apple TV+ could top 100 million subscribers in the next half-decade, which would make it a major challenger to Netflix and Amazon.
Apple's pricing undercuts the cost of its other digital services, such as Apple Music and Apple News+.
Apple TV+ will launch with a slew of titles, Apple said, including Dickinson and The Morning Show. At its event, Apple showed a trailer for See with Jason Momoa.
The service is available in the TV app that is pre-installed on iPhones, iPads, iPod touches, Apple TVs, and soon Macs. It will integrate with the Apple TV Channels service, which lets users subscribe to other providers like HBO, STARZ, and Showtime individually.
Apple's Ann Thai, manager for the App Store, announces new products.(Tony Avelar / AP)
Arcade gaming service
Apple Inc. said its Arcade gaming subscription service will launch on Sept. 19 and cost $4.99 a month. The offering, previewed in March, will let users subscribe to a bundle of ad-free games that can be played on iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple TVs. It will have a one month free trial.
The announcement came during the annual iPhone launch event at Apple's headquarters on Tuesday. Apple said it has signed up more than 100 exclusive games for the service, and that new titles will be added each month. Some games include Frogger in Toy Town and a graphically-intense underwater world game. It will debut in 150 countries, Apple said.
Apple joins other tech and gaming companies that are launching subscription services. Earlier this year, Google unveiled its Stadia service, while Microsoft Corp. and Amazon.com Inc. are working on similar offerings. Apple also initiated support for game controllers on the Apple TV earlier this year as part of its gaming push.


I discovered my love for painting on fabric in 1994 and gradually developed my own distinctive style to transform pieces of plain white cotton into functional pieces of art.
I use various painting techniques and combine precise outline drawing with brush & roller painting, including some stenciling. I make all stencils and elements pertaining to my designs myself, and mix all my colours from the primary colours, ensuring a completely unique end product. The use of industrial screen printing ink as 'paint' and proper heat setting before careful sewing, ensures that each product is washable and durable. From beginning to end, each item is lovingly hand-crafted and made up.
Brighten up any kitchen with Flights of Fancy potholders, oven gloves & tea towels or make each meal a visual experience with gorgeous place mats and napkins. My guest towels also make wonderful gifts.
I concentrate mainly locally flavoured South African designs because they are so easy for travelers to pack in their luggage as mementos. Also, I am very fortunate to live in the picturesque Cape Town, where inspiration can strike around every corner, meaning I often design new ranges.


text:
Nobiskrug delivers Sailing Yacht A
The extraordinary 143-metre Philippe Starck-designed Sailing Yacht A has been delivered.
TAGS: NobiskrugPhilippe Starck
The 143-metre Sailing Yacht A has been delivered by Nobiskrug. "She is one of the world's largest and the most advanced superyachts, with unique features such as an underwater observation pod, a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system and state-of-the-art navigation systems. The three masts are the tallest and most highly loaded free-standing composite structures in the world. The main mast towers 100 metres above the waterline," the yard says.
The styling for this extraordinary and unconventional yacht is by Philippe Starck, who also designed the equally startling Motor Yacht A, which launched at Nobiskrug in 2008, and is one of SuperYacht World's Hall of Fame yachts. The yard worked closely with the owner's project director Dirk Kloosterman. "Born from the desire of the owner to push the boundaries of engineering and challenge the status quo of the industry, Sailing Yacht A is undoubtedly one of the most visionary projects Nobiskrug has ever been involved in", says managing director Holger Kahl.
Photos: Carl Groll
• See Sailing Yacht A and Motor Yacht A side by side. Click here


I'm looking an an honest opinion in the 2018 model 1.5 blueHDi Flair. There are very mixed views on the internet review websites and looking for owners thoughts.
Not looking an in-depth review but any thoughts, positive or negative would be a great help!
2018 C4 Cactus Hatch Flair 1.2 Puretech 130 Emerald Blue with silver colour pack.


text:
Citigroup to Exit Citigroup Center; Taking New Lease at One Cal Plaza
By Ciaran McEvoy
Citigroup Inc. is moving out of the Citigroup Center at 444 S. Flower St. in downtown Los Angeles to 29,000 square feet at nearby One California Plaza at 300 S. Grand Ave., according to sources.
Citigroup currently leases nearly 71,000 square feet at its namesake building according to CoStar Group Inc.
Citigroup's move is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2019, according to Thomas Ricci, managing principal of development and construction at Coretrust Capital Partners, which owns Citigroup Center.
Citigroup will vacate around 55,000 square feet of space in the Flower Street building, but retain more than 10,0000 square feet as part of a bank branch, Ricci said.
The bank's original lease at Citigroup Center was signed more than 30 years ago, Ricci said.
Big banks have been reducing their headcount and floor space as more customers use mobile banking. Citigroup in particular has focused on digital banking.
The New York-based bank's new landlord will be downtown-based Rising Realty Partners and Colony Capital, which bought One Cal Plaza last year for $459 million, or nearly $442 per square foot.
Thomas McDonald, an executive vice president at Jones Lang LaSalle Inc., represented Citigroup in the new lease negotiations while Josh Wrobel, managing director at JLL, represented Rising Realty Partners, according to sources.
Telephone messages left with Citigroup, McDonald and Wrobel were not immediately returned.
The bank's move also will give Coretrust the opportunity to offer signage on the 48-story, 914,000-square-foot tower.
"Those opportunities don't come along all that often," Ricci told the Business Journal. "We're open to thoughts and ideas and suggestions."
Citigroup Center was built in 1981 and was featured in the "L.A. Law" television drama that ran from 1986 to 1994.
"We and our partner Colony Capital are thrilled to welcome Citi, a prestigious, global bank to One Cal Plaza, one of the premier Class A skyscrapers in DTLA. Citi's arrival will coincide with the completion of a series of exciting building improvements and amenities that will further the property's appeal to existing and future tenants," Christopher Rising, founder and president of Rising Realty Partners.
Real estate reporter Ciaran McEvoy can be reached at cmcevoy@labusinessjournal.com or (323) 556-8337.


text:
Media diversity: Speech by Pat Rabbitte
by freelance • February 6, 2012 • 2 Comments
Media Diversity: Why does it matter?
Speech by Pat Rabbitte TD
Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
Radisson Blu Hotel, Golden Lane, Dublin 8
Good afternoon everyone, thank you for the invitation to address you all on the subject of Media Diversity.
In an age where we are exposed to a barrage of media, electronic, paper, broadcast, where media is so pervasive that it becomes part of our mental wallpaper, it is often easy to forget how important media is to our society and for our democracy.
Our Constitution reflects the importance of the media in the lives of the citizen and the State. The media are referred to in the Constitution as 'organs of public opinion' and the 'rightful liberty of expression' is enshrined. That guarantee quite properly appears in the Constitution in the context of the personal rights of the citizen – because any diminution of freedoms impacts on the right of citizens to receive and impart information and opinions.
An active, robust and diverse media sector, both in terms of ownership and in content, is therefore a key prerequisite for any modern democratic society. Diversity of content – ensuring that the full spectrum of views, interests and concerns prevalent in Irish society are represented fully in media – is central to any inclusive democracy. After all, Irish society is considerably more diverse than it was 20 years ago, and our media should reflect that. This plurality is therefore the key metric – and the one that should concern us most.
In and of itself, this is a challenging issue to address for any Government in any country. But in this country we have a series of additional complexities, brought about by issues of geography, of language and of the commercial and economic developments occurring on a global scale. We are a small nation operating within several interlocking spheres of media influence, and are subject to larger market forces on a regional, EU and international scale. As global media conglomerates grow in scale and influence, decisions taken elsewhere can impact on Irish citizens in a very immediate way. Sometimes, we have to admit that, there is relatively little that we, as a State, can do on our own. The evolving nature of convergence, which is proving as much economic and behavioural in nature as it is technical, is challenging media and Government all over the world. And, while we are subject to these same universal – and universalising – forces as everywhere else, we often feel them more intensely that many other jurisdictions, mainly due to how open and international our economy and society is.
The challenges are worth disaggregating briefly.
On an international level, the deeper structural reformation of traditional media players, associated with a move away from a traditional vertically integrated model of media provision towards a more disaggregated and internet focussed model, continues. In turn, this has particularly severe implications for the print media, with the number of publications available in decline internationally. It has also facilitated or driven cross media mergers, with companies increasingly building a deliberately diverse portfolio of media interests.
Similarly, changes in the television market place have long since allowed outside broadcasters to target advertising at Irish consumers without any significant presence, or cost base, here. International media players, including those operating from our far larger next door neighbour, can continue to compete in both television and print for market share and for advertising revenue, with very little additional cost required to cover our market.
More recently, the rise of social media and the advent of highly flexible and tailored internet based advertising threaten the basic advertising income of all media, national and local, print and broadcast.
For the media industry, the effects of all of these are, clearly, compounded by the general economic situation. It has meant job losses, changing terms of employment and the disappearance of previously venerable institutions.
However, while these challenges are marked, it is important to note that many of the key contextual drivers of the industry, and of national policy, remain the same; we remain a State that, despite significant outside influence, retains a very distinct identity. We retain a national economy and a national polity that drive a considerable volume of media, and we retain a population with a huge thirst for news, local and national, political, sporting – even if sometimes some elements of the media treat politics as a sport. The market for media in Ireland is still many times the size it was 25 years ago – when there was a very limited local radio sector by comparison. While media will always change, these changes, disruptive in nature though they may be, bring new opportunities as well as new challenges.
Also, it should be noted that elements of the media industry in Ireland are proving very resilient – just like elsewhere in the developed world, television audiences have grown significantly in recent years and Irish channels are maintaining their market share, with over 50% of viewing.
Still, it is undeniable that many of the certainties that underlined our traditional policy framework are dissolving. The task that Government faces, then, is to ensure that our constitutional and political principals persist: that Irish citizens retain access to media that is directed at them, to a media ecosystem that reflects the diversity, complexity and nuance of Irish life.
The policies to deliver these will not be constructed on a solely national basis – while the globalisation and fragmentation of the media market place limits how much we can do on a national basis, it also means that practically every country is facing similar issues. That, in turn, means that international co-operation is not just likely but a certainty. The EU and the Council of Europe have long had a role in the media space, both in terms of ensuring freedom of expression and in terms of making a space for a national voice: the EU legislative framework makes specific allowance for public service broadcasting on a national basis, for example. These organisations are developing an ever more active role in this space and offer us a profound opportunity to influence events on an international level which is, in some cases, the only way in which policy can hope to have any real effect on steering the development of the sector. Already policy initiatives have emerged, particularly on internet governance, and more can be expected. Interestingly, by definition media now includes technologies like social networks – and so issues of data protection are also pertinent to this debate.
For Government then, the challenge is to adjust to changing market, technological and social trends, in the broader context of European policy – and to do so in a flexible and appropriate manner, and one that reflects the central tenets of preserving both freedom of expression and media plurality. Critically, this is going to be an ongoing process – as I have said before there is no silver bullet solution – we must remain as flexible as the industry itself when it comes to governance and regulation.
This may take us all into new space in terms of policy; I have pointed out on a number of occasions that I do not see a case for a single 'Department of the Media', not least due to the need for the media to remain entirely separate from Government and most certainly not relying on it for fear or favour. Across Europe – and indeed the developed world – Governments in democracies have, for a range of sound reasons, generally tried to stay out of media in as much as possible. In my view, this remains a sound principle.
But that does not mean that Government should not, or does not, engage where it deems necessary. The State has long had a central role in the governance of radio and television – albeit that an independent body has responsibility for drawing up codes and enforcing them. Even the Public Service Broadcasters, which receive State funding in order to ensure that pluralism persists in broadcast media, are held accountable by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. Even the print media, an older and entirely privately owned industry, operates under the auspices of the Press Council. While this is an independent body formed by the industry itself, it is recognised under the Defamation Act of 2009, which provides an additional protection to members of the Council.
Accordingly, it's clear that Government has long engaged in the media space – sensitively, and with due regard for freedom of expression at all times, but engaged nevertheless. The nature of the situation we find ourselves in, where the media ecosystem is increasingly diverse and dynamic, and subject to some very powerful commercial forces, means, I believe at least, that there may be a call for further such carefully crafted interventions, ideally with the consent and active involvement of the industry itself.
At all times, any such intervention could only be undertaken to preserve or encourage plurality or freedom of expression. The model of the Press Council is a very interesting one in that regard. It has operated successfully, in a very difficult area – a particularly important result given that the only workable alternative was widely viewed as being a Privacy Act. The fact that it is not undergoing the same degree of existential angst as its counterpart in the UK probably has as much to do with the different tone of press behaviour here as it does with the legal base. But, nevertheless the Press Council is working, and the fact that the vast bulk of the print media in Ireland have joined it shows that it has widespread support.
In terms of other interventions in media, the Government has already announced its intention to bring forward new legislation on media mergers – heads of which have already been brought to Government by my colleague Richard Bruton. My Department is now working on the drafting of this Bill in conjunction with the Department of Jobs, Innovation and Enterprise, and we expect to publish this draft in the coming months.
As many of you will know, this legislation owes its origins both to the Competition & Mergers Review Group of 2000 and the Report of the Advisory Group on Media Mergers, which was presented to Government in 2008.
The first report stated that: 'The nature of the media sector is such that issues such as the plurality of ownership of titles and the position in the media market generally of enterprises constitute public policy issues, as they inevitably overlap with questions of editorial and cultural diversity.' And it concluded that we needed: 'a set of criteria for the analysis of [media mergers] which are qualitatively different from those criteria which make up conventional micro-economic competition analysis'.
And the second report, from the Advisory Group on Media Mergers, recommended that the 'media' aspects of such mergers be separated from the more generic 'competition' aspects and that there be both a statutory definition of media plurality and a statutory test to be applied by the Minister when making a determination on media merger cases.
It is important to stress that diversity of ownership and diversity of content are separate concepts in this case. The Advisory Group on Media Mergers gives a purely quantitative definition of diversity of ownership: the spread of ownership and control of media businesses amongst individuals and other undertakings, linked to the market share of those media businesses as measured by listenership, readership or other appropriate methods.
While diversity of content is a term altogether more qualitative in nature. It refers to: the extent to which the broad diversity of views and cultural interests prevalent in Irish society is reflected through the activities of media businesses in this State, including their editorial ethos, content and sources.
The criteria which make up conventional micro-economic competition analysis remain important, but do not tell the entire story when it comes to media mergers. Given that the proper functioning of our democratic system depends ultimately on liberty of expression and all that that entails, an excessive concentration of media ownership and control involves risks that go beyond those involved in the case of ordinary goods and services – as we can see clearly given the impact of print media empires in our neighbouring island – hence the need for a specific set of tests around concentration of ownership and potential effects on media plurality.
This is why we are adopting the approach and the recommendations set out in these reports. We will legislate for new, media-specific and principles-based criteria to be applied when assessing any future proposed merger. These criteria will include "the likely effect of the media merger on plurality (which, as I've said, includes both diversity of ownership and diversity of content)", and the "undesirability of allowing any one individual or undertaking to hold significant interests within a sector or across different sections of media businesses". Also, our Bill will include a definition of 'media' that explicitly includes news material published on the internet.
I think we all acknowledge that the management of media mergers is critical – and it is being dealt with – but it is just one of many pressing issues in this sphere. I know that the Press Council is considering its own role and remit, with a view to what might be required of it in future. The Government will consider any proposals it might bring forward with interest. Also, I know that other countries are considering the issue of media plurality anew, driven by the same technological and market forces that affect us all – I'm sure we all wait to hear the outcome of the Ofcom consultation on Media Plurality in the UK with great interest, for example.
That brings us neatly to the elephant in the room – the rise of the internet media. Despite all of the hyperbole, to someone of my generation, it often appears as if, in some important ways, little has changed. Content and good journalism prevails online in exactly the same way as it does in old media – content, as they say, is still king. The trends online suggest that the sites people visit for media generally mirror offline behaviour – people visit, and trust, established media outlets. And, at the other end of the spectrum, the vast 'blogosphere' could be said to mirror everything from pamphlets to graffiti – it can be entirely ephemeral. But things have changed. Anybody who watches the media cannot fail to be struck by the underlying trend in social media – it has entirely democratised media – and it has devolved power down to the level of the citizen. Anyone with a Smart Phone and an internet connection can become a journalist, instantly – as several former Governments in North Africa will attest. On balance, this proliferation of media is a massively positive development for humanity, but it is not without its challenges for Governments, even in Western Europe.
Defamation laws have yet to fully come to terms with the implications of new media. In time, there may be a place for the inclusion of established online media organs in a system of non-statutory and independent self-regulation in the digital media, possibly even being afforded recognition in the Defamation Act. More immediately, the consequences for print media have already been severe. Newspapers, on a global basis, are struggling to deal with the financial implications of a shift to online news – and to content distributed freely on the web. In the context of media diversity, the established and considered voice that print media provides is a critical component of a pluralistic media and I, for one, would regard any diminution of this industry as a further loss to a pluralistic media.
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San Francisco Review of Books: Interview: Bill Mitchell says "Donald Trump was a shock to the system – to break it out of the pattern that it's been in"
Interview: Bill Mitchell says "Donald Trump was a shock to the system – to break it out of the pattern that it's been in"
This is the second part of my discussion with Bill Mitchell. The first segment can be read here. Quoted text below appeared in yesterday's article, offering background on our conversation.
Joseph Ford Cotto: More than anything else, why have principles such as immigration restriction and cultural cohesion managed to evade scrutiny from 'respectable' politicos on both sides and secure starring roles in the future of American conservatism?
Bill Mitchell: I think that the immigration thing was an economic issue mainly and lots of big corporations wanted open borders and cheap labor coming into America. A lot of these big corporations were dependent upon cheap labor, and cheap foreign labor, and this illegal labor, and what would happen is they would bring this labor in, pay low wages, with the idea that the government would pay laborers the rest with welfare to support them so they could survive.
So big corporations were profiting literally off of the largess of the government supporting illegals.
What's happening now is that is being taken away from those corporations, and one of the things that was guiding government was the fact that these big corporations were donating a lot of money to the Republican Party, and to the Democrat Party, to make sure this kept happening, and that's why you never had anybody that had the force of will and the force of character to stand up to these guys and say "No more!" because they know that they would be cutting off a tap where all the money flowed.
So that, I think, is what you really needed to create a new paradigm; you need a shock to the system, and Donald Trump was a shock to the system – to break it out of the pattern that it's been in. What's going to happen now is, these corporations that had all this money and were like the puppet masters pulling all the strings of these government leaders like Paul Ryan and so on and so forth, they have much less power now because Trump is going to show these people that they can't do what they've been doing anymore.
You're not going to have this cheap labor anymore. You're going to have to change the way you think because Trump is making this an economy based on American workers, not cheap foreign workers, and you already see this happening where Ford was going to build a $1.3 billion plant in Mexico and they just came back and said they were going to build a $700 billion plant in America. You see U.S. Steel hiring. You see all these major corporations saying they're going to expand.
So, Trump has changed the whole paradigm and you needed a shocking, dramatic candidate like him to make that happen. We were "slouching toward Gomorrah," as the expression says. As America, the frog was slowly being boiled and we were just becoming less and less of a sovereign nation all the time because nobody would stand up to this – everybody kept kicking the can down the road.
Trump finally stood up to this, and I think that history will look back at this election as the moment in time where America literally stepped back from the brink. I think that if Hillary Clinton had been elected, within ten years we would not even recognize America as the nation we knew.