text:
The Secret Beyond Matter
The PKK's Treachery and Oppression
Introduction: Those Wishing to Divide Turkey Should Read These Lines with Care
A grubby stratagem is being played out in the Southeast of Turkey. The aim is to be able to make first the Southeast, then Turkey and ultimately the entire world communist. Crazed voices saying, "Let us sit down with the PKK" or "Let us give the PKK some land in the Southeast" are, knowingly or otherwise, serving the same end: a communist world state.
A great many people are not even aware of this grave threat. They imagine that if land is given away, that if we sit down with the PKK and if Öcalan is won over, then the terrorism in Turkish territory will come to an end. Some of those in favor of this proposed division are former communists. The majority of these people appeared to change their spots over the years and strove not to attract attention. Yet as the fiercest adherents of communism they waged a covert propaganda, and are still engaged in it even now. They are systematically trying to propagate the idea that "the best thing is to give up some land," trying to portray this cunning idea as legitimate. The Turkish people are being hypnotized into thinking "this is the only remaining solution." By doing this, they foolishly plan to inflict a disaster on our Kurdish brothers and all of Turkey. They are realizing this stratagem using soft words and gentle indoctrination, under a mask of "we are innocent, we are oppressed, but salvation lies this way." They are trying to resurrect communism and its savagery, which inflicted such pain, cruelty and conflict on the world in the 20th century.
The aim of this book is to expose the true objectives of the PKK, a communist terror organization, the stratagem being applied against our Kurdish brothers and the twisted way of thinking of those individuals who favor the division of Turkey. There is another point here that needs to be known. This separatist terror organization is not simply a terrorist group based on the aspirations of Kurdish nationalism. THE PKK IS A DARWINIST, COMMUNIST, STALINIST AND LENINIST ORGANIZATION THAT MERELY USES KURDISH NATIONALISM AS A TOOL IN THE LIGHT OF ITS OWN INTERESTS.
Awareness of this fact brings with it a perspective very different to what is generally known about the PKK and the measures that need to be taken against it. After reading this book, those who imagine that they can resolve the problem of terror in Southeast Turkey by splitting the country up and who say, "Let us give up some land and be done with it," will have a much better idea of the scourge they are dealing with.
Before we go on to set out the details of this terrible scourge:
The PKK must realize this!
We will never permit a communist uprising in the Southeast of the country and will most definitely never give up even the smallest patch of land to the PKK. As Mustafa Kemal Ataturk made clear, "Communism is the worst enemy of the Turkish world. It must therefore be crushed wherever it is seen," and we will abide by that principle and never allow communism to enter our country.
Those who seek to prepare the way for communism by saying, "Let us give up some land and put an end to it" must realize this:
Giving land away will not bring peace to Turkey; on the contrary, it will just lead to an even worse tragedy. The Turkish Nation has no problem with giving up martyrs, but we will never allow the slightest patch of our homeland to be given up. There is not the remotest possibility of this ever happening.
And the Turkish people must realize this:
Giving up the slightest part of our motherland would mean the loss of all the character, honor, nobility, strength and very existence of the Turkish nation. THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN. We have but one agreement with the PKK. The basis of that agreement is these peerless words of Ataturk's:
"The essential thing is for the Turkish nation to live as a proud and honorable one. The Turk has a great and lofty character, self-esteem and ability. SUCH A NATION SHOULD RATHER DISAPPEAR THAN LIVE UNDER CAPTIVITY. INDEPENDENCE OR DEATH!" Kemal Atatürk.
One thing that those who support the PKK separatist terror organization and communism in general, and who are trying to make a place for themselves in the East of the country must realize is that we will never allow our motherland to be divided. A second very important point is that we will never allow communism in Turkey or the world as a whole. This book shows the public the sole effective way of opposing communism. That is through an intellectual struggle and revealing the truth about Darwinism. ANTI-DARWINIST INFORMATION IS EVERY COMMUNIST'S WORST NIGHTMARE. BY GOD'S LEAVE, THAT INTELLECTUAL STRUGGLE WILL ELIMINATE COMMUNISM FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH.
Terror can be Brought to an End If The PKK Terror Organization Abandons its Marxist-Leninist Ideology
The "Solution Process" directed toward the PKK terror organization laying down its arms, which the state and the government are pursuing with great determination, has so far been prosecuted successfully. Prime Minister Erdoğan's emphasis on "a single nation, a single flag, a single country and a single state" right from the outset and particularly in recent times, and the lack of any objections to it, is a very important and appropriate thing to say in terms of increasing the confidence of the nation. Our prime minister's rational and foresighted attitude and determined resistance to division are also a fine manifestation of his good conscience. The fact that as of this time the PKK terror organization is relatively less visible than it was in the past also increases faith in the success of this initiative.
However, various things said by Öcalan that have recently appeared in the press are also important in showing that there has been no substantial change in either his or the PKK's ideas.
It is clear from dialogues between deputies from the BDP party, known to the public as the "Imralı Minutes," and Abdullah Öcalan that he has not relinquished his mentality and perverse Stalinist philosophy that regards terror as legitimate and that he has no compunctions whatsoever about drowning the country in blood.
Statements of Öcalan in these minutes:
◉ "A truth committee will be established. It will be under the supervision of 'rational figures.' That is when there will be a withdrawal. There will be a return to the villages. If they do not do these things, there will be no withdrawal. We will grow the guerrilla movement still further wherever we withdraw to. I do not agree that the guerrilla movement will end if we withdraw. There is Syria and there is Iran. We have 50,000 in Syria, 10,000 in Kandil and 40,000 in Iran at the moment."
◉ "If they do not do this, they will find themselves looking at a more advanced agenda."
◉ "If I am successful, there will be no more KCK detainees or anyone else. If this does not happen, then there will be a popular war with 50,000 people. People will die. It will not be my fault. However, everyone must know that 'We will neither live nor fight as we did before'."
◉ "Our class and people did not know how ruthless our war was."
◉ "The Kurds must develop a self-defense force."
As the above statements show, Öcalan thinks that in the event that the proper circumstances and conditions mature in favor of the PKK, then there will be a return to terror, Stalinist revolution and separatist violence.
On the other hand, Öcalan says that use will be made of the KCK that the Supreme Court of Appeals regards as a terror organization, that there will be a rebuilding in the region and area to which the PKK terrorists withdraw, and that many more new members will be settled in the places that the PKK moves out of. In addition, Öcalan says that PKK forces are already out of the country, and that if necessary these forces can enter the country and initiate a civil war.
Öcalan particularly emphasizes the idea of a 'self-defense force,' and armed force parallel to that of the state and allegedly constituted by the KCK. These illegal groupings, referred to as self-defense forces, intended to back the establishment of a PKK state and to prepare the people of the region for war, are a concept that Öcalan commands the organization to consider.
1. Öcalan speaks of popular and class war, of representing the Turkish left and of maintaining the Dev Genç revolutionary line. This shows that he has not relinquished the idea of "building a state based on Marxist-Leninist principles" as identified by the Ankara State Security Court prosecutor,
2. He issues commands for work to be done to secure and build armed terrorist forces for an armed terrorist uprising,
3. He orders the organization's Marxist-Leninist teachings to be stepped up and spread to the grass roots, and orders an increase in militant numbers,
4. He wants the people of the region to be prepared for a civil war.
In addition to all this, notes in the press also show there has been no change in Abdullah Öcalan's ideas about federation and autonomy:
"The Kurds will express and rule themselves freely. It might create an allergic reaction if we legislate for it now. But it can happen in the future."
"Our attitude will be such that if a fundamental principle arises we will use it. You can legislate for it or not. The democratic rights and solidarity of ethnic groups and regions are guaranteed in Spain within its territorial integrity. We argued about it yesterday. Historical and cultural identities are our inherited wealth. They have not expressed themselves freely, yet this also includes organization and administration, and they have a right to live and these are guaranteed."
The reason why Öcalan and the BDP particularly refer to Spain is that the Spanish Constitution states that the autonomy given to the Basque region of Spain will not damage Spain's integrity and that the autonomous structure is under constitutional guarantee. The fact is, however, events in Spain are not turning out as hoped.
Spain currently has 17 autonomous communities and two autonomous cities. The autonomous region of Catalonia, in the northeast of Spain, fought for independence for many years. At a time when the economy has hit rock bottom and unemployment has reached 25%, it now wishes to obtain economic independence from Madrid and wants various legal changes. Catalonian politicians have already given signals of a breakaway by saying, "If we cannot change the status quo within Spanish law, then we will seek ways of doing this within local Catalonian law." The 1.5 million people they have mobilized marched through the streets of Barcelona to demand independence on September 11th, 2012, shouting "Catalonia, a new European state."
Writing about this phenomenon in the German magazine Der Spiegel, Fiona Ehlers, Hans Hoyng, Christoph Schult and Helene Zuber said, "The debt crisis is strengthening European separatists."
We must not forget that the PKK is a Marxist-Leninist terror organization that has grown strong through propaganda. Young people who go to the mountains to join it still undergo several months of ideological education in so-called 'academies'. After signing up to Marxist-Leninist ideology they are then given weapons in order to "build a Kurdistan based on this ideology." In the event that they obtain any kind of autonomy in the region, they will clearly impose an oppressive Marxist-Leninist-Stalinist system on the Kurdish people. The terror organization dreams of becoming stronger through receiving material, military and political support from the central government in the initial stages, and then plans to alter this autonomy into a fully-fledged independent communist state of Kurdistan. This is a very dangerous plan, not only for our Kurdish citizens but for the whole of the Middle East. It would no doubt end in bloodshed. Therefore, it is vitally important to constantly bear all these perils in mind during these negotiations.
The building of a Turkish-Islamic Union is a cause that the Republic of Turkey can never renounce. The sole objective in the scope of this ideal is to become strong and build a great union along the lines of the European Union, not fragmentation and division. When this objective is made a reality not only Kurds, but also Turks, Laz people, Abkhazians, Circassians and all the peoples who comprise the country and all the peoples of the region will enjoy peace, tranquility, ease and comfort.
Is it Possible to Preach to Öcalan?
The Prophet Abraham (pbuh) preached to Nimrod. He did not just leave him to his own devices. The Prophet Moses (pbuh) did not leave Pharaoh to as he liked. He obeyed God's command and preached to him.
Our Prophet (saas) preached to the antichrists of his own time, such as Abu Jahil and Abu Lahab.
Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will also call on all the antichrists in his own century, numbering more than 30, to believe. He will fulfill the command that God reveals in the Qur'an and for which He holds all Muslims responsible; "amr bi'l maroof wa nahi an al-munkar" in other words, to "...command what is good and eschew what is evil."
The moral values of the Qur'an require that Abdullah Öcalan be preached to and called on to believe. It is out of the question not to preach to the antichrists of this age, such as Abdullah Öcalan; it has to be done, because that is what the Qur'an requires. Then he will either accept that preaching, or not. This is what God commands in the Qur'an.
As one of those in the vanguard of the Mahdi, Mr. Adnan Oktar's sending Abdullah Öcalan a copy of the Atlas of Creation and calling on Öcalan and the PKK to renounce communism and turn to Islamic Unity, to repent and to live by the Qur'an, is also what the moral values of the Qur'an require.
It is incompatible with the spirit of the Qur'an to say, "How can one preach to Pharaoh or Nimrod? One cannot preach to Abu Jahil and Abu Lahab."
People with no knowledge of the Qur'an may well regard this method revealed by God in the Qur'an as very strange but the right thing to do is to obey the Qur'an.
"Go, you and your brother, with My Signs and do not slacken in remembering Me. Go to Pharaoh; he has overstepped the bounds." (Surah Ta Ha, 43-44)
And then, after them, We sent Moses with Our Signs to Pharaoh and his ruling circle but they wrongfully rejected them. See the final fate of the corrupters! (Surat al-A'raf, 103)
Analyses by Mr. Adnan Oktar Broadcast on A9 TV – 1
The PKK thinks that the armed struggle can bring results and believes that it can easily split Turkey up. We will never allow Turkey to be divided.
ADNAN OKTAR: The PKK thinks it has a good organization in the Southeast and enjoys wide popular support there. They think that they can bring Marxist thinking to power through elections, in other words, that they can split Turkey up through elections. They believe they can get a result for separation in a referendum. And they therefore think that a Marxist, Stalinist party can easily come to power through popular vote. In other words, they are striving to suggest that the armed struggle has produced results, and by suggesting that if it does not then they will step it up until it does. The Kurds are very dear to us. We will never surrender the country or our fellow citizens to the communists. They can forget that. We will never surrender an inch of land. (January 11th, 2013; A9 TV)
The founding of the PKK was a plot by the alleged terror organization Ergenekon
ADNAN OKTAR: Some circles are trying to give the impression that Öcalan is supposedly "the man to save Turkey" because he is supposedly a hero who will save us from various scourges, terror and anarchy. "The state cannot save you, but Öcalan will; in other words, he is stronger than the army and the police. He is so good and so blessed that you really need to appreciate him properly." that is the kind of impression they are trying to give. And that is a terrible thing.
The man is a stone cold killer. A fanatical killer. He is someone who has caused the deaths of tens of thousands of our troops and police. I fail to understand why they say these things. What is their aim? For one thing, our opinion as a nation about that man will never change. Life imprisonment. He would normally have been hanged, but it was commuted to life in prison. I am not saying he should be mistreated. He should be treated the same as everyone else. He should read the Qur'an and memorize its verses and inform himself. He should repent to God, pray and prepare himself for the hereafter. The hereafter is where he will have to account for himself. He will have to account for tens of thousands of our martyrs in the hereafter. He should be thinking about how he is going to explain that. He should prostrate himself in prayer day and night.
They should therefore stop trying to create a good impression of this man. Our opinion as a nation will never change. We will never allow anyone to split Turkey up. We will never give up the Southeast, and we will never give the Southeast to the communists. We will never allow our mothers and sisters there to be oppressed by communist gangs. We will never allow a bloody regime like that of Pol Pot there. We have no intention of needing passports to go there. We will never, ever allow it.
We know what Öcalan and the PKK are. There is no need to prolong the issue. The PKK should not try to pull the wool over our eyes. Saying things like, "Who knows where we will go if there is an agreement?" You may be dropping in for a coffee and coming back again. "We will lay down our arms," they say. Yes, they will, but then they will come back with ten times newer models. What matters is to lay down the abnormal thinking in their heads, and Darwinism and materialism need to be eradicated for that to happen.
Abdullah Öcalan is a communist, a Marxist and a Stalinist. Neither he nor the organization will abandon their ideas. If Abdullah Öcalan tries to dismantle the organization, the organization will destroy him, if they can catch him. And they will never accept his leadership, or even take him seriously. Tens of thousands have laid down their lives for communism, and tens of thousands more have gone to prison to bring communism in. What do you expect him to say? He is not going to tell them, "You have all been wasting your time, so break up now and go home." "Why?" "Because that is how I feel today." Then we are expected to say; "What a great man Abdullah Öcalan is. He has saved Turkey from terror and anarchy."
Some people in the media are seeking to legalize Abdullah Öcalan. They will first turn him into a legal, friendly figure and then say; "Look, this is the man who saved you. Why is he in prison? Are you not being ungrateful? Did he not save you? You would have been drowned in blood without him. He saved you from anarchy and terror, so what more do you want? He is stronger than the state. Shelter behind him! Respect and value him. Abdullah Öcalan is a great man." Who do these people think they are kidding? No child would even fall for that.
People who are being taken in by this need to come to their senses. This is simply a project intended to legalize Abdullah Öcalan, nothing more. It will not be possible to deceive our nation with that. Go and ask people in the streets, if you like. Nobody will go along with it.
Our government will never go along with such a thing. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan is highly alert. We see the KCK operations and this and that. The government has a firm stance against the PKK. Our interior minister's attitude is perfectly clear. Our prime minister's language never makes any concessions to the PKK. I regard the prime minister's behavior on this as very right and proper.
But some members of the press are foolishly trying to legalize Abdullah Öcalan and portray him as a pleasant person. They are wasting their time. They have been striving to that end for months or years. They are sniffing the wind. No way! That is out of the question!
I am describing what our nation thinks. Go and ask anyone in the street. My nation is a truly strong and heroic one. It does not forget what has been done to it. We have tens of thousands of martyrs buried underground now. Mothers go and visit their martyred children's graves every day. Flags fly above them all. They water the graves every day and tend the flowers, those dear mothers of ours. They recite verses from the Qur'an.
They are trying to give the impression that they were martyred for nothing, that the police officers were martyred for nothing. My brother, it was not easy for us to make Anatolia ours. Success did not come easy. Did it? It took hard work, and faith and the Qur'an. We will not give the lands we won with faith and the Qur'an away to a handful of bandits. We will not abandon our mothers, sisters, brothers and grandfathers in the Southeast to communist gangs. (January 2nd, 2013; A9 TV)
Laying down of arms is only possible with ideas. So long as ideas remain unchanged, weapons may change, but they will never be laid down.
DİDEM ÜRER: The terrorist Nuriye Kesebir, one of the organization leaders who sat down on behalf of the PKK at the Oslo talks, issued a statement confirming your analysis of the PKK's way of looking at its weapons. She said; "Our weapons are not a problem for us, they are our means of self-defense. Telling us to lay down our arms and go away means they do not know us. They are laughing at us. Who can tell a guerrilla movement spread out over such a wide area what to do? Those weapons can only be laid down once the aim for which they were taken up in the first place has been achieved. If a solution is reached, then we will discuss laying down our arms. And that does not mean laying them down, it means discussing the position we want to move to, namely 'autonomy.' We will not abandon our weapons until that happens.
ADNAN OKTAR: This exactly reflects their real way of thinking. This describes what they honestly think among themselves. Why should they abandon their weapons? She says they will just change their types but they will still have weapons; they will not abandon them. Why should they? The laying down of arms can only come through ideas.
When the PKK signs up to Islamic Unity, when that fine idea spreads among them, then Islamic Unity will spread rapidly all around. That will be good for them and good for the nation.
What will happen when they espouse Islamic Unity? Iran will be theirs from one end to the other. Jordan will be theirs. Izmir will be theirs. They will be able to come and go everywhere. They will be able to live everywhere. I am speaking of our Southeastern brothers. Otherwise, the PKK will just pen them into the Mardin mountains. You will pen them in to the mountains of Siirt. You will be surrendering them to that cold, harsh climate. They will be penned in. Communists will come from North Korea, Chinese communists will come, missile batteries will be installed, advanced weaponry will come in and even old men of 60 will be placed under arms. They will put our mothers under arms, and a huge communist army will be established. As a nation, we will never permit such a thing, we will never let our country be divided. We will not surrender our Southeastern brothers to communist gangs.
The reason why some Kurds in the Southeast support the PKK is that they think this is the way to escape the sufferings inflicted by the alleged terror organization Ergenekon. Yet the freedom and liberation they seek actually lie in Islamic Unity
ADNAN OKTAR: One characteristic of our people in the Southeast is that they dislike pressure. Everyone always wants to be free. Threats are not the only reason why some people support the PKK, as I said the other day. They may say, "If, may God forbid, there is a different structure set up, autonomy or a federation, then there will no longer be anyone looking down their noses at us." In terms of faith, a great many of them think this, "We will be free to carry out our religious obligations. We will be able to dress as we wish. The headscarf will be free, and we will be able to wear turbans if we choose. We will live by Islam as we see fit." They say, 'We will be able to do business as we wish, without paying taxes." But most of all, they think, "There will be nobody above us to humiliate us."
The reason why our brothers think like that is previous policies. The alleged terror organization Ergenekon and those who shared its views constantly humiliated our Southeastern brothers, never took them seriously and talked down to them. They behaved most contemptuously toward them. They made it clear in all ways that they despised and did not want them. They behaved in such a way as to claim to be much more clever and superior to them. They also tried to emphasize the idea that being Kurdish was a source of embarrassment.
In other words, they said, "We are Turks, so we are a superior people" but in genetic terms, rather than moral ones. Their idea was one of, "We are genetically superior to you. We are your lords. They have placed us over you. You must submit to your lords." Those dear ones of ours bore that arrogance patiently for many years. They were beaten and defamed and sworn at. Some of them were ashamed of being Kurds. They were Kurds but would not admit to it. Ask them where they were from and they would say, "I am from Ağrı," may God forbid, but in an icy tone. As if being a Kurd was one of the worst crimes in the world. Those dear ones of ours really felt inferior because of that, from what I have seen, from the people I have asked. They say, "I am from the Southeast" but not, "I am Kurdish." I have seen that with my own eyes, may God forbid.
These vile types devoid of character so oppressed my dear ones that they put them in a state of depression. Precautions need to be taken as once to rectify this immorality and terrible state of affairs. My brother, you are an ordinary human being, a servant of God. If your moral values are defective, then what use to you is being Turkish?
Some people think that Islamic Unity raised its head all of a sudden when things were going really well. They imagined that this strong belief in Islamic Unity appeared just as they were going to achieve their aims. They panicked. Islamic Unity emerged as a cause just when they thought that all of Turkey was about to be split up, may God forbid, and when they were about to turn the Southeast communist. We are now saying, "Turkish-Islamic Union." If Turkish-Islamic Union had emerged as a similarly racialist idea, had it been based on the idea of the superiority of the Turkish race, then that ideology would have been defeated right from the outset, because the whole world can see that this ideology has been defeated. Everyone knows that. The world would unite as one against the idea of the superiority of the Turkish race; they would crush it. Nobody would go along with it. Fortunately, no such claim has been or can be made.
So all that remains is Islamic Unity. Islamic Unity will be hugely invigorated with the system of the Mahdi. It will go on the (intellectual) offensive, insha'God, because Islamic Unity is a structure supported by 1.5 billion people, and one that can achieve very clear results. (January 17th, 2013; A9 TV)
The PKK is saying, 'If you give us the Southeast' there can be a temporary peace and end to the bloodshed
DİDEM ÜRER: The first of the funerals for the three PKK members sent over from France took place in Diyarbakır, with nearly 2,000 people in attendance. Warnings were issued that trouble could flare up and major security precautions were put into place. But for perhaps the first time, a BDP mass activity passed off quietly with no trouble and no posters of Öcalan being unfurled. This report in the papers was interpreted as the BDP and PKK showing their sincere eagerness for peace and being on the side of a solution.
ADNAN OKTAR: They are still saying the same thing. I fail to comprehend the language here. Right from the start they have been saying, "We do not want bloodshed, let us resolve the problem peacefully." They do not really say anything, they just say this. They have been saying it for 30 years. "Our desire is a very plain and simple one," they say. Not the BDP, the PKK. "There is a region there, Mardin, Diyarbakır, Siirt, and that region belongs to us. We want to establish a state there, by your leave. Do not make things difficult for us. Otherwise there will be bloodshed. So do us a favor. Then we will be good and polite and honest and well-behaved. We will not wave the flag. We will do whatever you say. But you must do this for us," they are saying. And what if we do not? "Then we will bring the roof down."
They keep saying the same thing. "Peace is a fine thing, we have attained peace. Peace." Do we not know what peace is? Peace is in any case a distinguishing feature of Muslims. Who wants war? As though we have said we want bloodshed, as if the nation is baying for blood. Then they stand up and go on about peace as if they expect us to say, "Great idea. We never thought of that. This is the first time it has occurred to us." That is what they are saying, "Let us make peace." What did Stalin say? "Hand this region over to us without making a fuss." If you do that, Stalin will treat you like a good boy. But if you do not, he will bring the roof down on your head. It is the same with the PKK. They say, "We would very politely ask you to let Abdullah Öcalan go, and then he can be head of state. We want to live as a neighboring state, as a communist state." They say, "We really do not see what you could find troubling about that." They keep going on about peace, peace, peace: That is what we all want. Nobody wants war. Bring me one normal person who wants war. Nobody wants it. (January 18th, 2013; A9 TV)
Öcalan and the PKK should repent and turn to Islam and the Qur'an. They should espouse Islamic Unity. If they do that, there will be wealth and social justice and an air of rejoicing all over the region.
ADNAN OKTAR: Shall I tell you what the PKK should do? And do you know what the best thing for Abdullah Öcalan to do would be? He should repent and turn to Islam and the Qur'an. He should read the Qur'an. That also goes for the young members of the PKK. They should read the Qur'an and turn to Islamic Unity. They should espouse Islamic Unity. The whole region would then be saved. Everyone: Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Kurds, Laz people, Circassians, they will all be able to relax. An explosion of economic growth, vast social justice, wonderful architecture and art, a great joy, a great spirit of brotherhood will enfold everywhere. There is no other way out. Otherwise they will just sink; God will never permit it. If they want to give a good impression of themselves, they must turn to God. They must not expect anything from other people. They must turn to God. They should pray to God and repent. They should read the Qur'an and memorize its verses. They must see the truth. And other members of the PKK must also turn to Islam and the Qur'an. Let us spread Islamic Unity across the world; all mankind must hasten toward happiness and joy and peace. Let there be an end to wars and weaponry. Instead of weapons, that material could be used in factories for washing machines and fridges. They should strive to use the steel and copper and whatever that goes into weapons for factories and good purposes. Let us enrich the world. Let the whole world live in peace. Let everyone be brothers. Let there be the complete rule of law and justice. At the moment people are wary of the law. They do not trust the law in many parts of the world. There is a world without justice. The judicial system in much of the world is corrupt and inflicts suffering on people, as if the main task of the judicial system were to imprison people and frighten and inflict suffering on them. The main task of the judiciary should be to free people and direct them toward good works. It should work for people's good, not to do evil, but in many parts of the world the judicial system has become a tool of repression, of suffering. The system terrifies people, whereas they should regard it as a blessing and make good use of it. That is how it will be in the End Times. People will regard the judicial system as a blessing. (January 17th, 2013; A9 TV)


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text:
Not ready to hang up your gloves and spade just yet?
The fearless gardener still has a chance to plant some cold-hardy vegetables to harvest next spring, said Jim Myers, plant breeder and researcher at Oregon State University. But don't dawdle.
"Winter gardening is a risky business," Myers said. "It may work one year with a mild winter but not another when the weather is more severe. If you plant some cold-hardy vegetables from mid-August to early October – depending on the crop – there's a good likelihood you will produce something on the other end in the spring. They say farming is a gamble…some years more than others."
Cold weather doesn't kill these hardy plants; it simply slows their growth rate. For every rise of 18 degrees, growth rate doubles, but that guideline is only applicable for an air temperature range of 40 to 98 degrees, Myers said. If you plant cold-hardy vegetables from mid-August to early October, there is a chance they can mature by next spring if they survive in a vegetative state through the winter without reproducing.
According to Myers, the hardiest vegetables that can withstand heavy frost of air temperatures below 28 include spinach, Walla Walla sweet onion, garlic, leeks, rhubarb, rutabaga, broccoli, kohlrabi, kale, cabbage, chicory, Brussels sprouts, corn salad, arugula, fava beans, radish, mustard, Austrian winter pea and turnip.
Semi-hardy vegetables that can withstand light frost of air temperatures in the range of 28 to 32 degrees include beets, spring market carrots, parsnip, lettuce, chard, pea, Chinese cabbage, endive, radicchio, cauliflower, parsley and celery. For beets, spring market carrots and parsnips, the tops will die but the roots will tolerate lower temperatures.
Vegetables that contain the pigment anthocyanin, which gives them a vibrant red or purple color, are more resistant to rots caused by winter rains, Myers said. They include purple-sprouting broccoli, Rosalind broccoli and purple kale.
If you live in an area of the state that gets prolonged snow cover, the fluffy white stuff acts as insulating mulch and warms the soil for these tough plants, Myers said.
No matter where you live in Oregon, "some of the worst problems we have in the winter are with rain rather than temperature, so protecting plants from the rain is quite helpful," Myers said.
He recommends covering vegetables with high or low tunnels made from metal hoops and clear plastic, available from greenhouse supply companies. To protect plants, you can also use row covers or cloches. To warm the soil use mulch made from yard debris, cardboard or newspaper.
Cross your fingers and by next March you could be feasting on shelled, succulent fava beans seasoned with salt and lemon juice.
For more information on extending the gardening season, see the OSU Extension guides "Fall and Winter Vegetable Gardening in the Pacific Northwest" at http://bit.ly/OSU_FallGarden, "How to build your own raised bed cloche" at http://bit.ly/OSU_Cloche and "Garlic for the Home Garden" at http://bit.ly/OSU_Garlic. For an interactive map of Oregon's first frost dates, go to the United States Department of Agriculture's website at http://bit.ly/USDA_FirstFrostOR.


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The U.S. Department of Justice, working with the FBI, this week took the unprecedented step of indicting five Chinese army officers for allegedly breaking into the networks of American companies and a labor union to steal trade secrets of use to Chinese businesses.
China, upset that the DoJ wants these alleged hackers extradited to the U.S. to stand trial, has threatened retaliation in what's become the most serious cyber-spying confrontation yet, with business caught in the middle.
But is it realistic to expect a nation's spy agencies to adhere to rules that would make it off limits to swipe informaton from companies in other countries and share it with businesses in their own backyard? The American Chamber of Commerce in Beijing, which represents about 1,000 American firms with presence in China, Tuesday expressed hope that there might be just such cyber-spying rules of the road.
"While we cannot comment on the specifics of any particular case, AMCham China believes there is a fundamental difference between intelligence gathering for legitimate national security purposes and intelligence gathering for stealing trade secrets, and that the definition of national security ought not include economic interests," Chairman Gregory Gilligan stated. "We urge both governments to reach agreement on the rules of the road regarding cyber security incorporating this distinction."
+ Also on Network World: China counters claims with own charges of cyber-espionage | How do the FBI and Secret Service know your network has been breached before you do? +
The National Security Agency, the spy agency vacuuming up massive amounts of data outside the U.S., claims it doesn't share information with U.S. companies for their competitive advantage, but only with government officials for national-security purposes. That restriction is established under law, points out Tim Ryan, managing director at Kroll who joined the security firm two years ago after a career at the FBI leading a cyber-division.
How far that cyber-spying restriction extends is hard to really know. But even Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor who has leaked volumes of information about how the NSA collects data, hasn't accused the agency of sharing intelligence with American companies the way China's state-sponsored cyber-espionage operations now stand accused of doing with Chinese firms, many of which involve government management anyway.
The problem for the U.S. today, says Ryan, is that the Chinese government's-sponsored cyber-attacks against U.S. businesses are "just so non-stop" that "it's a machine over there."
Many agree. Chinese cyber-attacks against U.S. companies are an unremitting wave that only slows down during Chinese New Year, says Stuart McClure, CEO of security vendor Cylance. "Once it's over, the activity comes flooding back in."
Chinese facing charges
Indeed, the DoJ this week presented a laundry list of computer-crime charges related to four years of hacking into American corporate networks.
According to the 56-page indictment, the victimized companies were Westinghouse Electric, U.S. Steel, Allegheny Technologies, labor union USW, Alcoa, and the U.S. subsidiaries of Germany-based SolarWorld AG.
The accused Chinese cyberspies--Wang Dong, Sun Kailiang, Wen Xinyu, Huang Zhenyu and Gu Chunhui---are said to be officers in China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) thought to be associated with the so-called Unit 61398. That's the Chinese military's suspected cyber-spying operation based in Shanghai. The officers face charges of computer fraud, damaging a computer, aggravated identity theft and economic espionage. The indictment came complete with the officers' mug shots and hacker handles, like UgkyGorilla and KandyGoo.
Many doubt these five will ever be brought to the U.S. to stand trial, but "the indictments are very important because they send a deterrent message to both the Chinese government as well as the individuals involved in these operations," says Dmitri Alperovitch, CTO at security company CrowdStrike. He notes these five officers could face extradition if they travel to countries friendly to the U.S. China doesn't have an extradition treaty with the U.S., notes Craig Carpenter, chief cyber security strategist at AccessData, but he adds it might be possible for the DoJ to get a guilty verdict in absentia.
In announcing that it wants these five PLA officers extradited to the U.S., the DoJ included the accusation that Chinese state-owned companies hired some PLA members working at Unit 61398 to break into U.S. corporate networks to steal information for their gain.The PLA gained "unauthorized access" into the victims' networks to steal information "useful to China, including state-owned companies," said Attorney General Eric Holder this week at a press conference. Holder stood flanked by members of the FBI's national security and cyber divisions as well as by David Hickton, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, where most of the companies allegedly hit by the Chinese cyber-intrusions are located, according to the indictment.
"The victims are tired of being raided," said Hickton, alleging that the theft of technology, cost analysis and trade secrets over the past four years had directly sabotaged U.S. competitiveness, leading to outcomes such as Chinese "dumping" of cheap pipe and the loss of U.S. jobs. "This 21st century burglary has to stop."
Diplomatic efforts to stop cyber-attacks against U.S. firms have largely "failed," said Robert Anderson, FBI executive assistant director in the criminal, cyber, response and services branch. "We are going to hold you accountable," he said about the five accused officers, suggesting more actions to prosecute Chinese cybercrime would be coming. John Carlin, FBI assistant attorney general for national security, said the hope is China will now simply stop the criminal actions.
But the U.S., action has left China furious.
"The U.S. accusation against Chinese personnel is purely ungrounded with ulterior motives," said China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang in a statement. "China is a victim of sever U.S. cyber theft, wiretapping and surveillance activities" which have impacted Chinese government departments, companies and universities. China abruptly ended talks in the Sino-U.S. Cyber Working Group the U.S. and China had begun on cyber-spying issues, and suggested it may bring its own cyber-spying charges against the U.S.
Such charges sprang to life in the Snowden leaks, one being that the NSA hacked into Huawei's network, points out Richard Stiennon, senior research analyst with IT-Harvest.
Where do we go from here?
On the plus side, Stiennon says that the U.S. in the new indictment has provided details in methodologies and targets that were only hinted at in veiled warnings before. He says the spear-phishing attacks used by the accused PLA members "were not sophisticated at all. There are plenty of simple technologies available to counter them."
Is there really hope for a resolution in which China might agree to follow cyber-espionage "rules of the road" along the lines of what the U.S. would want?
"There's definitely room for agreement here," says Kroll's Ryan, noting that some countries actually do have such agreements in place. The U.S. has enough cyber-intelligence-gathering ability that it could probably detect if China were adhering to such rules.
If confrontations over state-sponsored hacking keep mounting, it's possible that Congress might step in and change the law to allow the NSA and other U.S. government agencies to share stolen information gained through cyber-espionage with U.S. companies for their advantage. Though arguments can be made to change current law, that would not necessarily be the best decision, Ryan adds.
Tom Cross, director of research at network security and monitoring firm Lancope, expressed hope that there might be a way to carve out "a set of international norms regarding cyber espionage." There needs to be dialog about "what is and is not an acceptable target" that might eventually lead to a "clear legal framework."
The Chinese military's Unit 61398 in Shanghai believed to do be doing all this hacking of U.S. companies became widely heard of a year ago when Mandiant, since acquired by FireEye, issued a report based on its own research. The Chinese strongly refuted the report's findings.
Nart Villenueve, senior threat intelligence researcher at FireEye, says the five suspects named in the new indictment are just some of the players associated with what his firm calls the "APT1" group. There are many more groups doing something similar around the world, he adds. One clear value in the actions taken this week by the DoJ against cyber-espionage is that they show the scale of what is happening to U.S, companies, among others.
The Chinese cyber-attacks are typically carried out remotely from China behind network hops in servers, many of them compromised machines in the U.S., for purposes of plausible deniability, Villenueve says. FireEye's research indicates the cyberattacks typically adhere to a workday schedule. "The attackers are most active 8 AM to 5 PM, Chinese stand time," he says. Villenueve says he doesn't know if it's possible for the U.S. and China to reach an agreement on cyber-espionage rules of the road, though talk about cyber-treaties has been floated for a long time.
In any event, this week's DoJ actions to try and prosecute Chinese cyber-espionage is a turning point.
The FBI goes to U.S. companies all the time to tell them that their networks have been breached. Kroll's Ryan says what's changed now is that U.S. companies will recognize that when the FBI informs them, there's now the distinct possibility that breach could end up in a public indictment of cybercrime suspects similar to what was seen this week.
What happened to U.S. Steel and Westinghouse Electric has happened to many others. "There's thousands of companies this has happened to," says Ryan, predicting this week's actions by the DoJ is likely to change how U.S. companies investigate and handle information they receive about data breaches.
Ellen Messmer is senior editor at Network World, an IDG website, where she covers news and technology trends related to information security. Twitter: MessmerE. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Read more about wide area network in Network World's Wide Area Network section.


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Happy New Year Shoe lovers! Yes, this is a combo post. It's about some sweet and sassy boots and a very gorgeous dress, keep reading for more...
The dress in question is the Divine dress by Callie Cline, which is only available at the Black Swan Sim, and the boots are the white boots from Yabusaka Loon of Yabusaka. The boots not only come various colors, although I really loved the color of the white, but they have options for removing the cute little charm.
Now that you know the subject of my affection, let me tell you some of the details. First off the Divine dress has some wonderful features. There are three different choices in skirt styles, with the mini, the long dress and then the extra full Bubble Skirt. With options that include different tops (with or without shrug) and gem color changing earrings, shrug broach, ring and bracelet this is a dress that doesn't disappoint. One of the very coolest things is that there are small colored gems on the bodice and back of the dress, which you can change the color of by simply editing your jacket layer with a tint!
What a great dress for a New Year's bash, and I swear the long version would make a perfect wedding dress. Visit Black Swan for the dress and Yabusaka for the boots!
Shown here is the divine dress in the other options available. Many many choices! Enjoy!
Other stuff: Hair Abyss (doll set) in picture 1 & 2 and ETD and Truth in picture 3, Skin Belleza, New Year's Tiara by Caroline's Jewelry


text:
Export 4 results:
Filters: Author is Lee Chin [Clear All Filters]
Conference Abstract
Integration of SlicerRT into the clinical adaptive radiation therapy workflow: deformable image registration algorithm optimization and validation. ImNO 2014. 66.(2014).
Integration of SlicerRT into the Radiation Therapy Clinical Workflow. ImNO2013 - Imaging Network Ontario Symposium. Chin2013.pdf (73.58 KB)(2013).
Interfraction Variation in Dose and Position During the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer Using Tomotherapy. ImNO 2014. 70.(2014).
Investigation of daily deformable image registration for adaptive radiation therapy in head and neck cancer. CARO COMP 2013 – Innovations in Imaging.(2013).


text:
The latest version can always be found at BSF's homepage http://commons.apache.org/bsf/faq.html.
The page you are looking it is generated from this document. If you want to add a new question, please submit a patch against this document to one of BSF's mailing lists; hopefully, the structure is self-explanatory.
If you don't know how to create a patch, see the patches section of this page.
We use Anakia to render the HTML version from the original XML file.
The Velocity stylesheets used to process the XML files can be found in the xdocs/stylesheets subdirectory of BSF's CVS repository - the build file docs.xml is used to drive Anakia. This file assumes that you have the jakarta-site2 module checked out from CVS as well, but if you follow the instruction from Anakia's homepage, you should get it to work without that. Just make sure all required jars are in the task's classpath.
Bean Scripting Framework (BSF) is a set of Java classes which provides scripting language support within Java applications. It also provides access to Java objects and methods from supported scripting languages. BSF allows one to write JSPs in languages other than Java while providing access to the Java class library. In addition, BSF permits any Java application to be implemented in part (or dynamically extended) by a language that is embedded within it. This is achieved by providing an API that permits calling scripting language engines from within Java, as well as an object registry that exposes Java objects to these scripting language engines.
It's the beanage. Beans were the cool thing when BSF was first being designed, and BSF contains several flavors.
BSF began life in 1999 as a research project of Sanjiva Weerawarana at IBM's T.J. Watson Research Center. The initial intent had been to provide access to JavaBeans from scripting language environments (though there is nothing limiting access only to Java Beans). It was soon moved to IBM's AlphaWorks developer site, where significant interest (both internal and external to IBM) led to its being moved to IBM's developerWorks site, where BSF could operate as an open source project. During this time, significant development was done by Matt Duftler and Sam Ruby, and BSF was incorporated into both IBM products (Websphere) and Apache projects (Xalan). It was this interest on the part of the Apache Software Foundation that ultimately led to BSF's acceptance as a subproject of Jakarta in 2002.
During the process of moving BSF to Jakarta, development continued within IBM, with further improvements to BSF's integration with Jasper being made by John Shin and the addition of debugging support for the Javascript language (a team effort, resulting from the work of IBM researchers Olivier Gruber, Jason Crawford, and John Ponzo, and IBM software developers Chuck Murcko and Victor Orlikowski).
It is the current version, 2.3, that has been donated to Apache Software Foundation from IBM.
BSF's distribution contains file names that are longer than 100 characters, which is not supported by the standard tar file format. Several different implementations of tar use different and incompatible ways to work around this restriction.
BSF's <tar> task can create tar archives that use the GNU tar extension, and this has been used when putting together the distribution. If you are using a different version of tar (for example, the one shipping with Solaris), you cannot use it to extract the archive.
The solution is to either install GNU tar, which can be found here, or use the zip archive instead (you can extract it using jar xf).
BSF can be used standalone, as a class library, or as part of an application server. In order to be used as a class library or as a standalone system, one simply downloads a copy of the bsf.jar file from the BSF web site and includes it in their classpath, along with any required classes or jar files for the desired languages.
In order to use BSF as part of the Tomcat servlet engine, one must currently download patches from the BSF web site that permit Jasper to call BSF. Instructions for this will be posted on the website, and will be accompanied by prebuilt binaries. We hope that these changes will be merged into Tomcat in the near future.
No it doesn't.
You may have seen these lower-case directory names in WinZIP, but WinZIP is trying to be helpful (and fails). If WinZIP encounters a filename that is all upper-case, it assumes it has come from an old DOS box andchanges the case to all lower-case for you.
If you extract (or just check) the archive with jar, you will see that the names have the correct case.
There is a bug in the Solaris reference implementation of the JDK (see http://developer.java.sun.com/developer/bugParade/bugs/4230399.html). This also appears to be true under Linux. Moving the JDK to the front of the PATH fixes the problem.


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The Jalopy Journal
Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by Royalshifter, Dec 12, 2007.
Another cool old Drag photo for your enjoyment. Please add more pics if you guys have them.
My pants just got tight!
now I've got the biggest smile I've had all day on...
Nanook. On a "mellow" day.
Here's Nanook pissed off. She looked better when she was pissed.
hey kiwikev, whos 56 is that?
ahhhh...the days of the firey burnout, and the quarter mile burnout...
the showmanship is gone...
I'll never get enough of the wheels up charge while smokin' the hoops. AWESOME!!!!!
I watched my first fire burnout in Spokane when I was 9 or 10. I was hooked ever since
50mercfan.....The 56 was my ride in the early80's.
Check out the eyeballs!
This is got to be one of my top 3 favorite threads!!! keep them coming!
Frank Mazi-1968
Here's one.
Separate names with a comma.
Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.


text:
HealthKit, a new feature of Apple's iOS 8, will let apps share health and activity information and send it to doctors.
The new version of iOS, announced at Apple's World Wide Developers Conference on Monday, will also let developers share features across apps, such as bringing a language translation function into the Safari browser. Other new features in iOS 8 include predictive typing suggestions, recording voice messages in the Messages app, and developers' ability to sell bundles of apps.
HealthKit was the biggest complete addition to iOS in what Apple called a major step forward for the mobile OS.
"iOS 8 is a giant release," CEO Tim Cook told the approximately 6,000 developers in the audience at WWDC in San Francisco. The new OS is available in beta testing now and will be generally released in the fall of this year, Apple said.
With HealthKit, Apple aims to bring together what have been siloed bits of information about health and activity in order to create an overall profile of a user's health.
Today, for example, activity level, heart rate and weight information are typically in separate apps, as are data about chronic health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, said Craig Federighi, senior vice president of software engineering. Using an app that comes with HealthKit, called Health, users can see all the health and activity information their phone collects in one place, he said.
HealthKit will also let one application share information with another, with the user controlling what data is shared with which applications. For example, data such as heart rate and weight could be shared with a fitness app from Nike, which is working on using HealthKit, Federighi said.
Users will also be able to allow applications to share such information with apps from health care providers, who can compare readings with the ranges prescribed that patient. "If not, it can contact the hospital proactively, notify a doctor, and that doctor can reach back to that patient, providing more timely care," Federighi said. Apple has partnered with the Mayo Clinic in developing one such app. Epic Systems, which makes software for medical centers, is also working on integration with HealthKit.


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[More post-BABEL postings (including more SCALE presentations) are to come! Meanwhile, check out this important posting from Dorothy Kim (twitter: @dorothyk98) with suggestions on how we can collectively create a better future for medieval studies.]
Frameworks and clear support for victims. One of the reasons why situations like this continue, despite the offender being known, is that, within our communities (both libraries and beyond), there is little-to-no support for victims and/or survivors. I don't only mean support in terms of victim services (although these are important as well), but even the very minimal support of the benefit of the doubt.
The problem with habitual abusers/harassers is that they tend to know exactly what sorts of things they can get away with. They know who to target. They know that, even if their targets voice their experiences, that the victim will be doubted (and blamed) or that, in the absence of 'proof', nothing much will come of it. And, importantly, they know how to engage in their abusive, harassing, and potentially illegal behaviour in ways that leave very little evidence behind.
Many people think that these situations boil down to 'he said/she said' and that we can just really never 'know' what actually happened. Of course, this generally means giving tacit approval for the predator to continue abusing and harassing people.
In case people have forgotten, we are neither the police nor the judicial system. We do not have to adhere to their evidentiary requirements. We do not have to assume innocence. We don't have to build a 'case' against someone. We don't, in actual fact, require 'proof' that would hold up in a court of law. We don't need to gather evidence and conduct investigations.
This is about community accountability. Holding abusers/predators accountable to the community and holding the community accountable to itself.
Did a woman just report getting sexually harassed? Eject the man from the conference. Don't 'ask' him to stop. Eject him and let him know that he can try again next year.
Did a presenter just make a racist joke?Stop the presentation. Call it out. If this manages to derail the talk (eg., the presenter gets defensive and is unwilling to apologize), then the talk is over.
Does someone have a reputation for being a sexual predator? STOP INVITING THEM TO SPEAK.
Essentially: hold people accountable for the harm that they cause.
The thing is, is that if we don't hold people accountable for small, seemingly innocuous (microagressions anyone?) behaviour, we give them tacit permission to escalate this behaviour. If people are held accountable for their bad behaviour it also gives them a chance to learn and grow and (hopefully) stop behaving that way. If accountability becomes normalized, instead of silently accepting that abuse and harassment are something that we just need to grin and bear, then accountability doesn't have to be this big boogeyman. It also doesn't need to mean that a person's reputation and career are ruined.
Because if accountability is what gets normalized, then we'll all eventually have this experience (since there are no perfect people).NCS London 2016 is a little over 2 years away. That is plenty of time to draft a code of conduct, get information out about resources, and set up victim-centered, community accountability measures. Inform your panel moderators, explain and give them training on addressing moments when the Code of Conduct is violated. I would also suggest that societies and conference organizers make sure that all conference organizers are appropriately trained in regards to sexual harassment and sexual assault. We must take responsibility for what happens in our communal academic spaces.


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As the cost of wind and solar power generation has drastically fallen, these technologies have come to make a major contribution to the decarbonisation of power systems. In Japan, solar photovoltaic uptake has risen rapidly over the last five years, making the country one of the most dynamic photovoltaic markets outside China. While the proportion of variable renewables in the Japanese system is increasing, however, it remains rather low, at around 7%.
Concerns over whether renewables can be efficiently integrated into Japan's power grids without endangering grid stability have raised the spectre of a renewables slowdown in the country. International experience has shown, however, that a number of technical measures that are not yet widespread in Japan can be safely implemented to improve grid stability. Unfortunately, there are very few studies in the public domain on these aspects of Japan's power system.
In this study, Japan's Renewable Energy Institute (REI) and Agora Energiewende attempt to partially fill this lacuna. As well as providing new insights into grid stability in Japan, the study also promotes data transparency. We are firmly convinced that third party analysis on the basis of transparent data can contribute to a more robust discussion and ultimately raise societal awareness of the importance of the energy transition.


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Saturday, May 09, 2009
The lady is 120!
Yes, ladies and gentlemen at the moment (well technically it should have been on March 31, the day the French flag was put on top of the tower in 1889!) we're celebrating the 120th anniversary of the Iron lady. On this occasion, a the Paris town hall, there is a big, captivating exhibit about Gustave Eiffel, before and after the tower. Mock ups, documents about iron made monuments (including the structure of the inside of the Statue of Liberty) and even protests (including a "petition" against the tower signed by many famous French writers), without forgetting the various projects for the "after Tower" since, as you probably know, it was not meant to stay... Do visit this exhibit if you come around, it will last until August 29. If you cannot make it and understand French, visit this and/or watch this.
On a different note: if you happen to be in Paris today (Saturday) and want to join a pre picnic gathering, come to Le Café de Flore @ 7 pm. We'll have a drink.
77 comments:
EIFFEL TOWER!ReplyDelete
*throws confetti*Today I'm taking the crown, whether I earned it or not!ReplyDelete
I'm making snow angels in all the confetti on the floor. Join me!ReplyDelete
Too bad I will miss that exhibit. If I go to Paris, it won't be until autumn.
Gorgeous, Eric! I love the beautiful shades of blue and apricot. See you at 7!ReplyDelete
If I could, I'd just put my feet up, have a glass of wine and just look at that picture for a while.
Thanks, Eric!
I'll be with you all in spirit at Cafe de Flore.
- rimabirdgirlMay 9, 2009 at 12:40:00 AM GMT+2
Aaaah! What a gorgeous photo. You manage to find so many original vantage points for the Eiffel Tower. Thanks, Eric. If only I could be at the Cafe Flore. I'll salute you long distance with a glass of vin rouge.ReplyDelete
Suzy, welldone ! You HAD to be GF today ;-)ReplyDelete
How appropriate our very own ET ET ET Suzy won today! (All her comments together qualify her, as no one came between them!).ReplyDelete
Anyway, the big news today is that there will be a guest "STAR" blogger regular coming in JUST for the picnic,(can you believe it?) and then going right back home!!!!
Anyone who wants to guess who it is(between now and Sunday) and then wins, will get special mention as the winner of the " PDP Inspector Clousseau-Poirot" award at the picnic.
The only clues I will give, are that the person is from North America and is a regular. You can add the reasons for your Sherlock Holmes deduction so I (and they) can laugh.
YAY! A contest!ReplyDelete
North America....hmmmm....could be Canada.
Before I put a lot of thought into this, I should ask - do we have to be a picnic-goer to play, or is this open to all of us peasants, too?
- from caliMay 9, 2009 at 12:52:00 AM GMT+2
Alexa! She said she couldn't due to work, but the picnic is more important!!!!ReplyDelete
Suzy -- when I saw the picture, my first thought was how fitting it would be if you were GF today—and you were! [I believe Par. 8, Subsection B of the rules states that "if the photo is of the ET and Suzy comments first, all she has to say is . . ." well, exactly what you said! I think PHX-CDG can verify. :~D ]ReplyDelete
Actually my very first thought was "Eric has done it again! Another amazing shot of the ET! ET! ET!" We just can't get enough, Eric!
Alexa, I think you just posted my favorite comment ever! :)ReplyDelete
It is an amazing shot of the Eiffel Tower. Love it!
Yes, yes, and yes....esp.on the topic of the sans coulottes...ok I can't spell....but you get the picture! Keep guessing!ReplyDelete
ahhhhh the tower....ReplyDelete
Will definetely check the exhibit at the town hall.
"A pre picnic gathering"??????
Eric, now you simply HAVE TO arrange a post picnic gathering as well. Of all the qualities you have I know that being fair is one of the greatest! So, start thinking of a place for a post gathering in June.
oh yeah, the pressure is on!
PHX I would say the guest star isReplyDelete
Lois. But she has already told us she´s going to the picnic.
Could it be that TOMATE is going to honour you all with her presence there??!!!
- from caliMay 9, 2009 at 1:23:00 AM GMT+2
A post gathering in June is a great idea, Monica. Will I finally meet the other ET, La Tour Eric?ReplyDelete
BTW, this ET isn't so bad either. ;)
Is it ME? Is someone flying ME in for the picnic? Oh please say it's ME!ReplyDelete
Okay. So. Maybe it's not me.
Eric, you keep coming up with new ways to show us Suzy's fetish. This is another knockout.
Might we see pictures of tonight's gathering for tomorrow's post please?
LOL, Petrea. But, take a guess. Even Eric doesn't know!ReplyDelete
But it was supposed to be a surprise!!!ReplyDelete
just kidding...
I'm pretty sure it's Monica!
I know...
It's ....
Oh, shoot, can't be Lynn, or Monica. From North America? Hmmm....ReplyDelete
a regular ...
he he no it's not me, Tomate! xx LOL that made me giggle. I don't even have a current passport & I'm not from North America...I think that's the clue given. Who IS though? Hmm....thinks...ReplyDelete
I love this pic Eric. It's... AtmosphERIC. lol! So what was the original objection to the tower then? What did the writers say was wrong with the idea? Pah! Writers huh? What do they know? lol!
I know, its Michael!!!ReplyDelete
it is, it is!! I know it!!
I got 25c on Michael.
Is it Christie???? :DReplyDelete
Yeah, Michael could be considered from North America, even though he's an ex-pat living in France. You may have something there, Tomate. But he's hardly a surprise. He's at all of these events.ReplyDelete
I'm going to venture a guess and say - Elaine.
Lynn: I'm pretty sure that for a turn of a century person, the Eiffel Tower must have looked like a huge pile of futurist junk that had absolutely no business being there.ReplyDelete
Some people still feel that way when modern "art" is mixed in with the old. Personally, I can't stand the Burren Columns @ Palais Royal, so that would be a similar reaction. I do like the Pyramid at the Louvre, though, but it took me a while to get used to the idea.
Many Parisians still feel ambivalent about the Tour Montparnasse (shrug).
27 comments? Aleady?!ReplyDelete
Who is this secret guest?! Want to know! Katie is coming back? Tomate just bought her tickets?..Who else? Michael? Wouldn't be a surprise! :p
It's a gorgeous pix, Suzy, you deserved to be GF on his one! You go girl!
I'll be there tomorrow btw. Can't wait to meet Bettina and Anne!
Time to sleep.
This is a wonderful photo, Eric! It has an antique feel, like one of the old Vernet paintings...at least to me. I don't comment often but I enjoy your daily photos and commentary very much - I learn so much about different parts of Paris. Thanks! Maybe one day I will get to come to one of your gatherings...ReplyDelete
uh, oh... you'r old news, Michael!ReplyDelete
Could it be Coltrane? After all he is a "STAR" with his drums!ReplyDelete
Eric, love the photo today.
and it seems,Michael is only worth a bet of 25 cents! ouch!!!ReplyDelete
Eric, how about giving us a good guess, too, tomorrow?
Suzy, Suzy, Suzy! I was so happy to see that you snagged GF with this amazing photo. Eric you waited for just the perfect light, and even got those birds to fly by, looking like little balloons in the sky. I'm bummed I'll miss this exhibit, as I won't be in Paris until October. Suzy when will you be there? We SO have to overlap!ReplyDelete
My money's on the special Star guest at the PDP Picnic being Kelly of Geneva Daily Photo (that's Geneva, Illinois, which I do believe is in North America). I'm not sure why, but I thought of her when I remembered Eric's blue ET photo with the EU stars on them. But Petrea I'm also hoping you have a benefactor who will fly you over for the day!
Suzy -- really? Aawww.ReplyDelete
And a surprise guest? What fun. Well, I know that Jeff and Lois will be there (she e-mailed me as she was packing!). And it's probably not from cali, since she thinks it's me (oh, how I wish, but I will be there in spirit of course—unless someone has spoken to my managing editor and secretly arrranged for me to be whisked away from work and flown to Paris and even I don't know it is actually me . . . right, and tomorrow it will rain money). Seriously, unless from cali is that sneaky, and if I have to guess, I'll say Louis La Vache.
BTW, Eric -- also SO sorry to miss the get-together at the Flore (lived around the corner a l'époque—it was my "pub local" and I love it still).
OK, do I hear 50c? 50 going once, twice ...ReplyDelete
Is Michael also featured on Ebay? Is there a time limit for his purchase if he is?ReplyDelete
Even tho it can't be he (the real person arriving for the picnic paid for a round trip flight from North America for the special day), I'll pay one million for Michael, in Polish zlotys.
Maybe it's Jeff. He's not only from North America, he's from North North America.ReplyDelete
Oh, but he wouldn't be a surprise, would he? Everyone already knows he's coming to the picnic.
Remember last year when there was a rumor that Madonna would show up? I'll bet this year she's finally making good.
The suspense is killing me. I don't know if I will manage to sleep tonight. I might have to get up and go hit refresh every now and then.ReplyDelete
Yes, Madonna! Of course.ReplyDelete
Maybe Guille can borrow her cone bra. :)
Katie I would love to overlap with you. Oh, wait a minute...
Merci for the kind words Gramma Ann. Actually, I think you twinkle like a *star*. Sorry to disappoint, but it isn't me. My money is on Mr Florida USA...Miguel! That said, I will certainly be with you all in the true spirit of fraternite, liberte, et egalite. Make some music ya'll! ;-) BTW...Suzy towers above all aujourd'hui, non? Congrats! It couldn't go to a more jubilant PDPer.ReplyDelete
...ah, now it comes to me...of course I know who it is, but I am forbidden to say his/her name. Suffice to say this person ROCKS!!! This person does have a fantastic sense of humor, too. Shhh...I've already said too much.ReplyDelete
Are we back to Guille's armpits again? (Madonna's bra... armpits! not such a big leap!)ReplyDelete
Oh, and BTW, Refresh
Coltrane, do I hear 50c?ReplyDelete
- DrummondMay 9, 2009 at 10:28:00 AM GMT+2
Sounds like Mr TG to meReplyDelete
WOW! What a unique shot of a lady that certainly doesn't show her 120 years! She's really kept up with the fashions of the time and re-made herself over and over (like Madonna).ReplyDelete
Ok, I confess... I am coming to the picnic! But that's no surprise. But after a measly bid of 25c, I may refuse to show up this year. :-(ReplyDelete
My guess is either Tomate, Elisabeth, or the famous Soosha_Q, some of the original visitors to PDP. Tomate and Elisabeth have their French roots and personal reasons for surprising us. And I know that Soosha_Q was planning to give herself a trip to Paris for her graduation from Pharmacy school.
Oh yes, and ET Suzy, OF COURSE you had to be first, numero uno, prima today. We would have asked Eric to delete all of the comments before you had you not been!ReplyDelete
Tomate, 75cents! Come on, look at Michael's hot picture!ReplyDelete
Honestly I have no idea...who's coming? May we have a hint?!
Oh no, no armpits and bra conversation please! ;)
I'd say Alexa. Even if she says no! It may be to maintain the suspense ! She lives in NY, so that's not so hard to make a short stay in Paris, specially to be at the yearly PDP picnic and share time with Eric and his friends. Last but not least, remember she won the GF contest as the quickest GF all over the world (!) that took place in last January (the Procope post). And was set up by US Lynn! Of course, only my guess!ReplyDelete
Have a good time at the Flore's : that's a good choice :)
I think it's Katie!ReplyDelete
So Suzy, what's on your crown today? A little person all wrapped up in gold - hidden and waiting to be unwrapped at the picnic perhaps?
Ok, for you and your crown, Suzy, I've done the little story you invited in yesterday's comments box....! Hope you enjoy.ReplyDelete
- DrummondMay 9, 2009 at 1:51:00 PM GMT+2
Lynn, just read your little story on yesterdays comments - 'Marie de Paris' indeed!ReplyDelete
I've taken the liberty of adding the next paragraph, I hope you don't mind.
Beautiful photo and I so wish I was there to join you for that drink. I even know exactly how to get to Le Cafe de Flore!ReplyDelete
WHO is it?????????ReplyDelete
I think the person who's going alreay made a comment here today but is trying to keep the surprise....
Phx, one more hint please...?
- from caliMay 9, 2009 at 4:05:00 PM GMT+2
I would like to bid a dollar for Michael, but the exchange rate is a bit steep :DReplyDelete
Alexa: while I can be that sneaky and worse, it is not I! I arrive a week later. Always a week late and a dollar short . . .
What a day to be tardy! Eric, how gorgeous she looks ... sunning herself and leaving everything else in the shade. Beautiful.ReplyDelete
Congrats, ET Suzy ~ perfect!
As I'm one of the forty-three people on the planet who still isn't on Facebook, I don't know who's on the list, so I'm really flying blind, but I'll say Tall Gary. I'm basing that on Coltrane's hint, assuming he really does know and isn't just dangling red herrings ...
Gorgeous..!! And Great to hear that she has turned 120...!!!ReplyDelete
Drummond no I'm delighted! I've since added another little chapter. Please come back and add some more! Giggle...ReplyDelete
Wonder if any of you have a laptop with you tonight at Le Cafe de Flore? Coucou if you do!ReplyDelete
I'll guess Tall Gary too, since apparently it really isn't me. TG is a man of the world.ReplyDelete
I always wanted to see Paris, and this picture makes me want it even more. You are a really talented photographer. Also, your blog proves that photoblogs are much more interesting and captivating than regular ones.ReplyDelete
Could there be a more beloved monument in the world? Joyeux anniversaire to her! I like the way sunlight falls on her side in this shot.ReplyDelete
Congrats on GF, Suzy! No one had to say, "Eiffel Tower! Eiffel Tower! Eiffel Tower!" for you today!!
{pouting} I wanna go to the Cafe de Flore right now!!
I could cope better with missing the Cafe de Flore gathering if, when I show up at work in a little while, someone would present me with a ticket to Paris and news that passage to the home of my heart had been cleared with my boss and anyone else who might need me over the next week. Now that I think of it, we need a private plane to fly around and collect all PDPers for the picnic.
Petrea, if it can't be me, I'd love for it to be you. ;)
- DrummondMay 9, 2009 at 10:10:00 PM GMT+2
Lynn, you asked for it - you got it!ReplyDelete
Oh yes...seems like only yesterday they put the Grande Dame up!! Have a wonderful time at Le Flore...what a scene that will be!! ;-)ReplyDelete
I'm guessing the mystery guest is...[drum roll..]...Lois from SF??? Just a guess...but...??
*Have you noticed she hasn't posted here today???
Ohhh..Lois said she was attending...tant pis...I guess I should pay attention...back to the drawing board..ReplyDelete
I will ask the mystery person if I can give another clue.ReplyDelete
Ok Drummond your turn! Vite! Vite!ReplyDelete
OK, I'll take a guess too... I'm also thinking of Alexa, like someone said NY is only a few hours away and she spent a lot of time in Paris - at the Flore in particular!! - so of course, she's willing to come back!ReplyDelete
Tonton Flanneur FYI Lois is coming but she is no surprise guest as we all know it already ;)
Anyway I'm happy to know there is going to be a surprise guest - and I don't want to know before D-Day which is Wednesday 13 and not Thursday as I wrote by mistake.
The weather forecasts are OK, not out standing but OK, so no PB for the river banks.
Did you have a great time tonight Eric? ;) Go to yesterday's comments and see what Drummond and I are cooking up. We're being mischievous...ReplyDelete
75, the young lady on the left! Do I hear a dollar? 75c going once, twice ...ReplyDelete
You, Tomate? It's you? :DReplyDelete
WHaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ha ha haaaaaaaaaaaaaa.ReplyDelete
I got that cackle from UKLynn.
Stay tuned, as Eric said, all revealed at the picnic .
LOL ! It's on permanent loan. You know how to keep us enthralled Phx.ReplyDelete
Oh-wa; I have to go out now and I bet Drummond comes back. I'll be back in a while though - to continue - dun dun dur.
Happy Birthday to La Tour. She is stunning in any light but this is just perfect Eric. I do so with I could come to the PDP picnic, even though I'm not a PDPer! And Michael dear, I would pay more than 25c to see you down here!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 5, 2010 at 7:45:00 AM GMT+1
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News Story
State School Funds On Trial, Again
Next month in an Austin courtroom, two-thirds of the school districts in Texas will resume their argument that the state's school finance system is inadequate and inequitable and that it creates a de-facto statewide property tax, forbidden by the state constitution.
The school districts filed their lawsuit in October 2011, but Texas has been here before: Since 1984, the state's school finance system has been challenged six times, most recently in 2005. In that case, the Texas Supreme Court ruled in favor of the state, but schools have won earlier rounds of litigation.
Lynn Moak, a lobbyist for school districts and former executive deputy commissioner at the Texas Department of Education, has been a witness in all six trials.
"It's sort of a personal history of my last 30 years," he jokes.
While the arguments in the current case aren't new, Moak says that the case—which is actually the combination of six separate lawsuits—represents a broader coalition of plaintiffs than in the past.
"It's a relatively united public education community," he says, "which has been rare."
Texas isn't the only state facing a legal challenge to its school-funding system. Next month, a three-judge panel in a Kansas District Court is expected to rule on a lawsuit arguing that that state isn't spending enough on education. And next spring, the Colorado Supreme Court will review last year's District Court ruling that the state's funding system is "unconscionable" and does not meet the state constitution's requirements for a "thorough and uniform" education system. If they lose in court, Colorado and Kansas might have to spend billions more on education.
Overall, ten states have school finance challenges working their way through the courts, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). Four other states recently wrapped up legal challenges.
But school-funding advocates have found that winning a lawsuit doesn't necessarily improve the quality of education—or even boost funding over the long term, as funding formula changes and budget cuts can eat into court-mandated increases.
"Some argue that the status quo before the litigation eventually comes back into place," says Dan Thatcher, an education finance expert at NCSL.
Evolving Legal Arguments
In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court held that San Antonio's financing system was not an unconstitutional violation of the 14th Amendment's "equal protection" clause because education is not a constitutional right. But a footnote in Justice Thurgood Marshall's dissent in the case made clear that there was no obstacle to challenging school finance plans at the state level. Since then, all but five states—Delaware, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada and Utah— have experienced school funding lawsuits.
Broadly speaking, the legal arguments in school-funding cases have evolved from equal protection claims in the 1960s and 1970s to lawsuits that focus on the states' responsibilities under the education clauses in their constitutions. "All states have a provision for education as a positive right," says Molly Hunter, director of Education Justice, the national arm of the Education Law Center which has successfully argued cases for more funding in New Jersey.
The education-clause argument has been far more successful than the equal-protection argument, Hunter says. Advocates for more funding have focused on "equity," or whether state funding laws favored some districts over others, and more recently on "adequacy," or whether the state provides sufficient resources for all students to meet state or federal education standards.
Some argue that in most of the "adequacy" cases courts are still using an "equity" lens to determine whether disparities between districts are evidence that some students haven't been given an adequate education. But the increasing emphasis on ratcheting up standards could make "adequacy" lawsuits more prevalent, experts say.
What's harder to say is whether that's a good thing, and whether students actually win when these lawsuits are successful.
Jim Ryan, a law professor at the University of Virginia, has argued that trying to prove the inadequacy of school funding through test results could provide perverse incentives for states to water down standards.
"One way to make education cost less is to lower the goals of education," he says.
It also might prompt states to maintain funding disparities if testing results are comparable, or to "fund to the test," rather than trying to meet broader educational goals. That could improve under the national Common Core academic standards that 45 states have adopted, but Ryan says there are other ways to demonstrate inadequate funding without relying on test scores.
What Happens After a Ruling
Washington state, one of only two states entering 2013 with a budget deficit, lost its own school-funding case a year ago. But the state Supreme Court didn't mandate a required level of funding or a way to achieve it. That's not unusual.
"The problem with these cases is that the courts don't provide a clear way forward or a remedy," says NCSL's Thatcher.
While declining to prescribe a specific remedy, the Washington the Supreme Court is requiring that legislators provide an annual progress report for the next six years. Courts in New Hampshire and New Jersey also have remained actively involved in school funding decisions years after lawsuits were resolved.
"These school finances cases never end," says Michael Griffith, a school finance consultant for the Education Commission of the States.
But courts typically don't specify how states must raise additional money for schools, which could present problems if they mandate increases in tax-averse Colorado and Texas. Colorado's constitution includes a "Taxpayer Bill of Rights," or TABOR, which limits budget growth.
The different paths taken by Wyoming and Kansas, where courts ruled against the state, illustrate the funding challenge.
Through a series of decisions from 1995 to 2008 known as the Campbell rulings, the Wyoming Supreme Court played an active role by mandating minimum teacher salaries and laying out policies for equitably funding school facilities across the state. Those mandates have made the state among the most generous in the country for teacher salaries, which has drawn teaching candidates to Wyoming schools from across the country. School funding increases in Wyoming have been helped by the state's abundant natural resources.
In Kansas, funding court-mandated increases has been more of a challenge. After a protracted battle between courts and the Kansas legislature, in 2006 state lawmakers increased funding overall and funneled a disproportionate amount of the new money to needy districts. Those changes prompted the Supreme Court to finally close the Montoy school-funding case.
But that was before the recession, which spurred Kansas to cut hundreds of millions of dollars from education. As a result, this year's state education budget is 13 percent less, when adjusted for inflation, than in the 2007 school year, according to the Center on Budget Policy and Priorities. The cuts triggered the current school- funding lawsuit.
It will be a while before schools in Texas, Colorado, Kansas and other states see any change in funding related to these lawsuits.
The Texas budget that will be introduced next month by Governor Rick Perry won't reflect any change in education funding related to the threat of court action, says his spokeswoman Lucy Nashed.
"We don't make decisions based on things that haven't happened yet," she says.
What Texas and other states can likely count on is future school-funding litigation.
"It will be a continuing option for schools to continue going back to the court," Moak says of school funding in Texas. "The court has become a part of the process."
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics.


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On March 1, lawmakers in the House of Representatives reintroduced legislation to close the loophole that allows large breeders to sell puppies over the internet and direct to the public without any federal oversight whatsoever. Lack of licensing and regulation has resulted in gross abuses of breeding animals and sick puppies sold to unsuspecting animal lovers by commercial dog breeders nationwide. The long-time obvious need for reform has galvanized animal lovers from coast to coast.
Called the PUPS Act, for "Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety Act" H.R. 835 is sponsored by Reps. Jim Gerlach, R-Pa., Sam Farr, D-Calif., Bill Young, R-Fla., and Lois Capps, D-Calif.
The bill amend the Animal Welfare Act to require all breeders selling 50 or more dogs per year directly to the public to be licensed and inspected by the USDA. Dogs must be provided opportunity for exercise for a minimum of 60 minutes per day, separate from their living enclosure.
Read text of the bill here. It was written in 2010. (The final version will likely be somewhat different.)
Call your congressman or woman today to voice your support of this bill. Thank you to sponsors Gerlach, Farr, Young, and Capps!


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Trump's counteroffensive was ugly but IMO it was effective. The level of stress that he inflicted on the Ft. Brooklyn apparat was reflected in Little Donny Deutsch's hysterical performance at MJ today. After letting the man rave against Trump for a while Joe S. told him to "stop screaming." "Listen to me!" Listen to me!" Deutsch had yelled across the table. That must have been a deeply satisfying moment for the Trumpistas.
IMO the ruthless device of bringing forward three of Bill Clinton's women accusers to renew their calls for vengeance on the man from Hope worked very well. Juanita Brodderick's straightforward statement "Bill Clinton raped me and then Hillary threatened me …" must have had SOME effect. With regard to Kathy Shelton who had been brutally raped by a man named Taylor when she was twelve, I don't see anything wrong with HC's conduct. She was Taylor's court appointed attorney and successfully got the scumbag's sentence reduced. It was her duty to do that. Enough said.
The GOPers who deserted Trump over Pussygate now face a moment of truth. Will most of them re-defect to his camp? I think they will and that will be a mistake because IMO he is still going to lose unless Assange has some really good stuff in reserve. You remember him – "Can't we just drone him!"
For me the most ominous thing about the present electoral disaster is the level of perfection achieved by Ft. Brooklyn in the process of the industrialization of the political process in the US. Their willingness to twist, distort and flat out lie in pursuit of the end that for them justifies all means is frightening. The technique employed by their allies in "fact checking" Trump's opinions as opposed to HC's declamations ( "I support the Second Amendment") is amusing by any standard but it works with the semi-sentient masses. The puny Trump wurlitzer playing on and on from the golden chambers in the Trump tower is not well enough organized to compare its steam calliope hooting to the Robby Mook symphony. Mook's people actively and largely successfully seek to create public opinion using implanted memes and constant repetition from their media allies. IMO the success of such PR techniques will mean the end of actual democracy in the US if it continues.
I await the condescension of those who will now write to counsel me as to the non-existence of democracy in the US and/or the holiness of HC's Methodist utopian revolution to come. pl