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The Blogmanac: "On This Day" ... and much more
Think universally. Act terrestrially.
For in a hard-working society, it is rare and even subversive to celebrate too much, to revel and keep on reveling: to stop whatever you're doing and rave, pray, throw things, go into trances, jump over bonfires, drape yourself in flowers, stay up all night, and scoop the froth from the sea.
Anneli Rufus*
Teensy-weensy hole in the Pentagon wall, no shorn-off wings, no skid marks on the lawn, an unskilled terrorist pilot with the skills of Han Solo, eyewitness accounts of a small plane or missile rather than a Boeing 757, films confiscated by FBI ...
From J-9, a Flash-animated short documentary about the plane that allegedly struck the Pentagon. It's a very slow download but I think well worth the wait. Have a cuppa while it loads.
While I'm at it, I must mention I'm a bit fed up with Google News's presentation of what's going on in the world.
The tragedy in Beslan is a huge thing happening in the world, and top of the headlines worldwide, but Google News (which is otherwise a great service) today has headlines like
Bush Opens 11-Point Lead Over Kerry at Convention, Poll Shows Bypass surgery among most common in USA Cardiologist: Clinton's outlook good A warning from Intel sets stocks tumbling
You have to scroll down for World News, which is always below news from the USA.
Memo to Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin: There are 190 countries out here. Cumulatively known as "World". We love the USA as much as any of them, but ... hey, fellas, give us a break.
Granted, Google is an American company, and they can do any damn thing they want. (Why not, we may ask, all the other American companies do.) But the Internet is used by the people of the planet. Isn't it about time that Google's owners acknowledged that their own wealth comes from the people of a world, not just a nation? And even if most of their trade is domestic, perhaps they might allow internationalism to transcend parochialism.
I'd urge Google to put world news at the top, above any individual nation's local concerns. Sure, it's not very difficult for the rest of us to scroll down past Oprah Winfrey's's facelift or Edward Kennedy's grumbling gallbladder, down to "The Rest of You", but the symbolism of placing six billion people below any one country is rather telling and, quite frankly, insulting.
Our hearts go out to Beslan today. No suffering that has happened in Chechnya, no matter how vast, can ever justify the taking of innocent lives, especially those of children.
The Chechnyan people have suffered horrifically under the Russian boot, with organizations like Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture of one accord that human rights are still being systematically repressed in Chechnya.
It's all for Chechnya's oil, for rich industrialists and shareholders living in luxury in Moscow, Berlin, New York, Tokyo ... and countless thousands of innocents have been killed, tortured and "disappeared" to support their lifestyle.
Homes have been bombed indiscriminately, and the huge occupying Russian force behaves like Nazis, aided by the other major nations whose profit-making elites and their media ensure their citizens know practically none of the facts. Like Iraq, it's yet another case of "Sorry, but our oil is under your sand".
Even this 2001 report, 'Endless Brutality' from Physicians for Human Rights, reveals the level of the crisis, and it's quite out of date now and things have got much worse. We can well understand how long-brutalised people can get so desperate that violent reprisals seem the only choice.
Terrorism is wrong, and obsolete However, terrorism and revenge are to be condemned as cruel and ineffectual methods of personal or political action. History records no lasting successes from the use of violence, and the skills of non-violent resistance are now well developed. There is enough experience of alternative methods of conflict resolution and self-defence to have rendered violence obsolete, especially terrorism which always turns global public opinion against the groups that employ it. Terrorism is clearly a method that works against the people who have the grievance.
People of goodwill are urged to spread knowledge of these superior strategies and tactics, information on which abounds on the Internet. The survival of our species and our world depends on it.
"The bird flu virus that can kill humans has the potential to be spread by cats, scientists have found.
"It had been thought that domestic cats were resistant to diseases caused by influenza A viruses - one of which, H5N1, is responsible for avian flu.
"The disease killed at least 20 people in Asia earlier this year, and forced farmers to cull almost 200m birds.
"The research, by Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, is published in the journal Science ...
"Professor John Oxford, an expert in virology at Queen Mary College, London, told BBC News Online the study was 'very significant and slightly alarming'.
"He said there was little evidence at present that cats could be infected with other forms of human flu virus, and so the possibility that H5N1 could mix with a human virus inside a cat and produce a deadly new strain was probably slim." [My emphasis - N] Full text
"The Science Museum is opening up its vast storerooms in west London.
"The public can now book a curator-led tour of some of the 170,000 objects that are not on display in the museum's South Kensington exhibition halls.
"Known as Blythe House, the storerooms are home to early telescopes and operating tables, Stone Age tools and even freeze-dried GM mice ...
"Visitors who take up what are likely to be some of the hottest tickets on the London museum circuit will wince as they marvel at the massive collection of medical instruments, many of them amassed by the philanthropist Henry Wellcome.
"There are drills to open up people's skulls, amputation saws and intricate ivory models of the human anatomy used to explain to well-to-do ladies where babies come from. [!!!]
"A bottle of pills labelled 'Aphrodisiac' bizarrely also carries a warning in small print: 'poison'.
"'I suppose you would just have to chose your priorities,' medical curator Alice Nicholls said." Full text
Remember your cause and keep your mind on why you came here and on what you came to do. Remember all of those people who came before you and did just what you did tonight for something they believed in. NYC police officer to young protester
Published here (thanks to Almaniac Star Light) is a report from the New York City demos against Bush's war machine:
"Sorry we haven’t been up-to-date with our up-dates, but thanks to George Bush and Mayor Bloomberg, we’ve been in jail!
"Here’s what happened: We’d joined a march organized by War Resisters League, Schools of the Americas, Pax Christi, Veterans for Peace and others. The event was framed with this statement:
"'Our aim is to confront the administration with the death and suffering for which they are responsible: more than 10,000 Iraiqs and Afghanis, as many as 1,000 Americans killed, thousands more wounded and scarred for life, as well as the economic victims of Bush policies – the unemployed, the uninsured, the undereducated. The Republicans have chosen to hold their convention in New York City to link George Bush and 'Ground Zero'. Bush’s policies have created 'ground zeros' of death and suffering throughout the world and we hold him accountable for that.'
"Organizers asked people to gather at 3 p.m. on Tuesday at Church and Fulton Streets (just in front of Ground Zero). The plan was to march from Ground Zero up Broadway to Union Square and finally to Madison Square Garden where a 'die-in' would be dramatized to honor the fallen.
"We arrived early to distribute Progressive Democrats of America fliers to the crowd as they gathered. An estimated 1-2,000 people had assembled. After a brief negotiation between organizers and police, a police officer clearly in charge of the event (whose badge read 'Shea') announced to the marchers over a megaphone that the march could begin. He cautioned marchers to:
Obey all traffic lights Walk 2 X 2 Stay close to the fence and keep the sidewalk clear
"As we were told to do, we waited for the traffic light to change before crossing Church Street to begin marching East on Fulton. As we began to walk along the south side of St. Pauls’s Church, we walked 2 X 2 and stayed as close to St. Paul’s wrought iron fence as we could. When 100-200 had moved onto Fulton Street sidewalk, the march was halted by police at the front forcing marchers to spill into the whole sidewalk. The police (who numbered almost as many as the protesters) immediately closed off and circled the marchers contained on the sidewalk. We couldn’t move. We couldn’t back up or leave. We heard no warning and were not allowed disperse. We were enclosed by an orange net fencing and were told that we were being arrested.
"At about 4:15 p.m., police began rounding us up, handcuffing us and putting us onto to buses to be taken away. We then began being told that we were not “arrested” but merely 'detained'.
Twenty-four-hour ordeal "What followed was a 24-hour ordeal of being moved from a temporary holding facility and eventually to central booking. We were continuously moved from cell to cell – chained to each other in chain-gang fashion. Conditions were deplorable. The cells were overcrowded and filthy and the food was not edible.
"As more and more people were brought into jail, we learned that similar sweeps had taken place across Manhattan. People were picked up at Union Square, Times Square, Madison Square Garden, the Library, and various other locations. It was a planned sweep to interrupt and shut down growing nonviolent protests to the Republican National Convention.
"Such is the 'America' that George Bush has brought us to.
"We do want to acknowledge that the rank and file police were overwhelmingly in support of us but seem to feel forced to satisfy the top brass to keep their jobs and feed their families. During our incarceration, we heard these comments from police:
"One police officer looked us in the eye and sadly said, 'I’m so sorry.' Another said: 'You don’t think that any of us want to be doing this, do you?' Another officer told us during the wee hours of the morning, that 'We’re doing this to keep the rich Republicans happy.' Another officer reminded us that: 'When you’re feeling down and discouraged, remember why you’re here and what you came to do.' And my favorite story ... When a young 17-year-old woman began to cry as she was being fingerprinted, the officer finger printing her gently said to her: 'Remember your cause and keep your mind on why you came here and on what you came to do. Remember all of those people who came before you and did just what you did tonight for something they believed in'."
Sherry and Thom Bohlen reporting from New York City, September 1, 2004 Sherry Bohlen, Arizona Democratic Progressive Caucus
Never has a convention been hosted so late in the year and this is the first time a Republican Convention has been in New York City. Why host a convention in September? Why New York? By exploiting our grief and trauma from September 11th, the right wing intends to further their regressive political agenda.
"New York (CNSNews.com) - About a thousand protesters descended on Fox News Channel's headquarters in New York City on Tuesday afternoon and blasted the network as a fascist arm of the Republican Party." Protesters Denounce Fox News for 'Twisted Views'
PS I've heard that these huge demonstrations haven't been getting much media coverage across the USA. If you have an important progressive action planned or in progress, we recommend you upload info to your local free Indymedia website, of which there are dozens worldwide. There's a list in the left-hand column at Indymedia central And we might be able to help by placing brief reports here. Just ask.
This here is the wattle, emblem of our land. You can stick it in a bottle, you can hold it in your hand. Monty Python's Flying Circus*
Formerly August 1, Wattle Day was gazetted for September 1 by the Keating Government in 1992. The wattle may be one of many species available, and it is said that across Australia, on any day of the year there is at least one species flowering.
The flower loved by Australians (except allergy sufferers) was so named because the early British and Irish settlers used wooden slats and sticks of these Acacia trees to make their wattle-and-daub huts, being made of clay spread over light timbers in the style of the old country, or 'Home' as it was known for many years in the colony.
Australia's colours, as seen at the (ptuii!!) Olympiks are green and gold, due to the popularity of the plant and its frequent presence in the Australian bush alongside the omnipresent gumtrees (Eucalyptus spp).
This is just a snippet of today's stories. Read all about today in folklore, historical oddities, inspiration and alternatives, with many more links, at the Wilson's Almanac Book of Days, every day. Click today's date (or your birthday) when you're there.
We have the full text of the Monty Python classic 'Aussie sketch' today, including 'The Drinking Song of the Department of Philosophy of the University of Woolloomooloo', with lyrics & audio of the song.
I didn't watch a single event during the Olympics. Whether one is pro or anti competitive sports, I believe that the alleged corruption at IOC level, the scandal of sweatshops, and the never-ending saga regarding steroids etc. have soured it all for many. I saw a half-hour of the opening ceremony, which was quite spectactular as a pageant. But this is the funniest story of my week so far:
EU claims ‘victory’ over US in Athens
"Brussels: The European Union claimed on Monday that it was the true champion of the Athens Olympics, taking far more gold medals than the United States, the official winners of the most first places at the Games.
"The 25 EU member states compete as individual nations in Olympics, but that did not stop the EU’s executive European Commission from adding up their scores.
"'With 82 gold medals and all together 286 medals, the European Union swept the floor in the Olympic Games,' chief spokesman Reijo Kemppinen told a daily news briefing. 'For the sake of comparison, the United States of America won 35 gold medals and 103 medals in total, with China and Russia behind them (the United States).'
"He also said that European Commission president Romano Prodi hoped that the blue EU flag with its 12 gold stars would be featured for the first time at the 2008 Beijing Games." Full text
And then:
"Anti-EU papers aghast at Brussels 'hijack' of Olympics
"LONDON (AFP) - The European Commission spokesman might only have been joking when he hailed the collective success of the European Union at the Olympics, but for the vehemently anti-Brussels [UK] press it was no laughing matter ...
"'New EU bid to hijack Olympic glory,' screamed the Daily Mail in a front-page banner headline ...
"'Fury at 'Euro medal total'' was the page two headline of the Sun, the country's best-selling daily paper, which closely reflects the euro-scepticism of its proprietor, Australian-born media tycoon Rupert Murdoch ..." Full text
"With two French journalists facing execution in Iraq by Islamic radicals unless France scraps an imminent headscarf ban in schools, Muslims are protesting against the hijacking of their religion by terror groups.
"It is not only the government in Paris and numerous colleagues who demand the release of the two kidnapped French journalists in Iraq who have been threatened with death: There are also many voices from the Islamic world, including Amr Mussa, the secretary-general of the Arab League.
"The calls for the release of Christian Chesnot of Radio France Internationale and Georges Malbrunot of Le Figaro newspaper have stressed that from the very beginning, France was opposed to the war in Iraq. Therefore any French reporters on the ground would be operating in a neutral capacity.
"But this latest case of westerners being held captive under a death threat in Iraq has little to do with the contentious conflict in that land.
"It is claimed that their detention and possible execution in fact has its roots in a situation within France, their own country. The kidnappers from the so-called 'Islamic Army of Iraq' are not concerned with France's political involvement in the Iraq war but with the headscarf ban in French schools which comes into effect at the beginning of September.
"The kidnapping case has revealed a level of public protest more notable and with more supporters than the amount of Islamic federations who stand against the headscarf ban. The protest is against the kidnapping itself and it is coming from a large contingent of French Muslims.
An insult to all Muslims
"Those who have joined to protest are angry about the use of the word 'Islamic' in the title of the group responsible and in the justification of its actions. They see this as an insult to Muslims all around the world, and reject the claim made by the group that the actions are dictated by the Koran, Islam's holy teachings." Continue here
"Giuliani recalled standing below the north tower on Sept. 11 and seeing a man jump to his death from the 101st or 102nd floor.
"'At the time, we believed that we would be attacked many more times that day and in the days that followed,' he said. 'Without really thinking, based on just emotion, spontaneous, I grabbed the arm of then-Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik and said to him, "Bernie, thank God George Bush is our president." I say it again tonight, "Thank God George Bush is our president."'" Source
*Ø* UK Seeks Global Support for Stem Cell Research
"LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's leading scientific institution said Monday it is urging countries to back a campaign to stop a possible ban on stem cell research as part of a global treaty banning human cloning.
"The London-based Royal Society is stepping up its drive to push the United Nations to ban the cloning of babies, but to make no ruling on using the technology for medical research, or therapeutic cloning, at its 59th General Session in October." Continue here
August 30, 30 BCE Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony) committed suicide at the court of Cleopatra VII of Egypt of Egypt when he wrongly heard that his queen was dead.
Cleopatra later committed suicide (legend has it she clasped an asp, the royal snake of Egypt, to her bosom) when she thought she would be exhibited by Octavian in his triumph at Rome.
I've never been very fond of Elizabeth Taylor, but if I had to choose ...
This is just a snippet of today's stories. Read all about today in folklore, historical oddities, inspiration and alternatives, with many more links, at the Wilson's Almanac Book of Days, every day. Click today's date (or your birthday) when you're there.
As in the USA, electors will choose between two conservatives
Well, it's official. Australia goes to the polls on October 9, to choose between Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum.
The right-wing Prime Minister John Howard refuses to divulge whether he plans to retire during the term if he is re-elected, and thus hand over the reins of power (unbridled?) to right-wing Treasurer Peter Costello. Costello refuses to promise not to challenge Johnny Howard's leadership after the election, if they win. The Government is running on a platform of "trust". Leader of the Opposition, the right-wing Mark Latham, missed his golden opportunity today by responding to that announcement with politician weasel words instead of one long, cackling laugh.
Meanwhile, someone said today "A vote for Howard is a vote for Costello". Someone replied, "Yeah, but a vote for Latham is a vote for Latham".
Latham's Labor Party, one of the very first social democrat parties in the world, and written about by VI Lenin, has moved inexorably closer to the middle. If that wasn't bad enough, because the right, represented by Howard's misnamed "Liberal Party", has moved so extremely right, the middle has shifted, making middle-of-the-road Laborite Latham just slightly to the left of Goebbels. However, many feel that Australia has an "anyone but Howard" situation.
Much of the above, we can be sure, will all have the ring of familiarity to our American readers.
Australian PM calls October poll
"CANBERRA, Australia -- Prime Minister John Howard says Australians will head to the ballot boxes on October 9, in a race that is seen as being the closest in 30 years.
"The 65-year-old leader will be pitted against maverick Labor leader Mark Latham in his bid to win a fourth consecutive term of government.
"Howard's eight-and-a-half-year-old conservative coalition has trailed the main center-left opposition Labor in recent opinion polls after months of unofficial campaigning ...
"Earlier this month, 43 eminent Australians – including two former chiefs of defense, three former intelligence chiefs and 30 former ambassadors – issued a scathing public statement accusing the government of deceit, and of rubber-stamping foreign policies decided by Washington.
"'We are concerned that Australia was committed to join the invasion of Iraq on the basis of false assumptions and the deception of the Australian people,' the statement said.
"The group said Howard told Australians in March 2003 that his reason for supporting the U.S.-led coalition was disarming Iraq, not removing Saddam Hussein.
"Two Australian inquiries have found the government did not misrepresent intelligence about Iraq's weapons programs and had not pressured spy agencies into bolstering a case for war.
"Australia still has nearly 900 troops in and around Iraq, and their deployment is likely to become a key election issue, with Howard saying they must remain there as long as they are needed ..." Source: CNN
What a shame that bloglinker is being spammed. About 6,000 blogs are using what has been till now an excellent link exchange (it's in our right-hand column, down low), but now the owner of bloglinker has had enough and sounds like he wants to sell.
At time of writing, the following dubious-sounding "blogs" are gaining valuable free reciprocal links from bloglinker members:
The Best Online Pharmacy for Women 30 Aug Orchid Care 30 Aug emarketingprofit - powerlinking smartpages and blogbooks 30 Aug PartnersManager 30 Aug Cover for Ebook - Ecover Software 30 Aug phone sex 30 Aug CashWayz Links 30 Aug GrowingWealthOnline 30 Aug Jack Humphrey's Website Promotion Log 30 Aug Profitbuz 30 Aug BizOppCity - Get Rich Before You Get Old. 30 Aug A Home Business That Makes Perfect Sense 30 Aug BreakTrue Impact Newzine 30 Aug Profitbuz 30 Aug Net Affiliate Programs - Work at Home Ideas and Opportunities 30 Aug new infoproducts 30 Aug Smart Designer Consultants 30 Aug Downline Builder 30 Aug Free IQ Test 30 Aug Russian Brides 30 Aug Your Thai Bride is waiting to meet you... 30 Aug Popinadvertising 30 Aug Online Dating 30 Aug BPJC Enterprises.biz
And that's just today's list. My apologies if any of these is a genuine blog.
In fact, not one of the recently updated blogs looks genuine. How do these people sleep at night? They probably don't, they sleep by day, hanging upside down.
Protesters against President George W. Bush march in front of Madison Square Garden, site of the Republican National Convention in New York. The marchers were estimated by the United for Peace and Justice coalition to reach more than 200,000. Source
"A Staffordshire family home has been plagued by an infestation of tropical spiders for almost two months after they were brought in on a bunch of bananas.
"The Huntsman spiders, more commonly found in the US and the Caribbean, began breeding in the home of Emma Bradbury, of Salters Lane, Werrington, eight weeks ago.
"One adult can give birth to up to 400 offspring - and now her home is overrun with the creatures, which can grow as large as four inches." [And the family is still in the house. Yikes!] Full text
Bananas could power Aussie homes [?]
"Australian engineers have created an electricity generator fuelled by decomposing bananas, and hope to build a full size fruit-fired power station.
"At present, much of Australia's annual banana crop goes to waste, because the fruit are too bruised or small ...
"However Dr Clarke admits this technology has a flaw: it takes an awful lot of bananas to generate a small amount of power.
"He said: '60kg of bananas are needed to power a household appliance such as a fan heater for 30 hours.'" [Hmmm ...] Full text
In a Neopagan e-list to which I subscribe, came this message (my reply is below)
Please ponder this.
War is and evil thing, but to submit to the dictation of other states is worse. Freedom if we hold fast to it, will ultimately restore our losses, but submission will mean permanent loss of all we value. To you who call yourselves men of peace, I say: You are not safe unless you have men of action on your side.
-Thucydides
* Ø * Ø * Ø *
Dear Gyllias,
I've pondered the quotation as requested, and thank you for it.
Thucydides was a remarkable man and a fine historian for his day, but his views on freedom and the necessity of war must be taken with a grain of salt. We only know his name because he wrote the history of the Peloponnesian War. He might, in fact, be considered to have had a vested interest in human slaughter. As a general of Athens, he most certainly had a vested interest in war, and no doubt was surrounded by a culture too wrapped up in war to think outside the square. His family background is heavily aristocratic and military, which must have coloured his thinking.
Thucydides was largely able to write his famous history because his inherited wealth afforded him luxuries such as education.The money for this came from the suffering of his family's slaves who worked in their gold mines. Thucydides, I feel, has little to share with us about freedom. Like many readers, I also find his writings to reveal an incredibly pessimistic man, so I'm not surprised if he doesn't have the brightness of mind to consider imaginative alternatives to war. Not everyone can do it.
He's been dead for 2,400 years and despite his wisdom (and I really do love the old coot), the challenges of the 21st century are way beyond his experience and understanding. He knows nothing of globalization nor the manipulation of public consent. The past has much to offer us, but very little of the arts and sciences of conflict resolution and creative alternatives to violence, as these are on the whole new disciplines. Thucydides could never have imagined the writings of people like Gene Sharp. Sharp is one of many who remind us that war, which was horrible in 5th-century BCE Greece, is even worse today and completely unnecessary as we've developed techniques that render it obsolete. National self defence needs no weapons.
So, thank you for stimulating me with this quotation. It reminded me of cranky old Thucydides, his wonderful writing, and most importantly, that there is much work to be done by peace-loving pagans to spread the word in the Neopagan community, which is still confused on this pressing issue. I'm sure most of us believe that there is absolutely no point to any religion if it is not about peace.
It will be so nice when the news tells us what's really going on in the world instead of playing another interview with some puffing athlete. Most galling of all, of course, is the constantly repeated myth that when a rich country like Australia wins "gold, gold gold", there is some sporting fairness in the achievement. It's a lie as big as the obvious canard that says that competition between people and nations engenders brotherhood.
There is, of course, no level playing field in international sport. Australian athletes are supported by huge taxpayer-funded institutions; most countries have no chance of matching that largesse. And when people with full bellies beat hungry people, what is the cause of national pride? Two thirds of the world's population don't stand a chance, and hungry people have other things on their minds. That makes international sport sound like a cheating game to me.
A radio station in Senegal is offering listeners a 50 kg sack of rice if they can catch and kill 50 kg of locusts (source). Maybe the Olympics corporation could consider adding events like that.
Pages
of Days
Almanac
President
While I'm at it, I must mention I'm a bit fed up with 
It's all for 
"The bird flu virus that can kill humans has the potential to be spread by cats, scientists have found.
"The Science Museum is opening up its vast storerooms in west London.
Police reluctantly bully demonstrators
"Millions of business users face problems when installing Microsoft's big security update for Windows XP. 
EU claims ‘victory’ over US in Athens
"He also said that European Commission president Romano Prodi hoped that the blue EU flag with its 12 gold stars would be featured for the first time at the 2008 Beijing Games." 
"It is claimed that their detention and possible execution in fact has its roots in a situation within France, their own country. The kidnappers from the so-called 'Islamic Army of Iraq' are not concerned with France's political involvement in the Iraq war but with the headscarf ban in French schools which comes into effect at the beginning of September.
"Giuliani recalled standing below the north tower on Sept. 11 and seeing a man jump to his death from the 101st or 102nd floor. 
"A Staffordshire family home has been plagued by an infestation of tropical spiders for almost two months after they were brought in on a bunch of bananas.
"Australian engineers have created an electricity generator fuelled by decomposing bananas, and hope to build a full size fruit-fired power station. 
There is, of course, no level playing field in international sport. Australian athletes are supported by huge taxpayer-funded institutions; most countries have no chance of matching that largesse. And when people with full bellies beat hungry people, what is the cause of national pride? Two thirds of the world's population don't stand a chance, and hungry people have other things on their minds. That makes international sport sound like a cheating game to me.