Silver Rider
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Dog escapes yard, runs half-marathon
Many runners know that some of the best running buddies in the world come on four legs. Normally, they also come with a leash and an owner, but that wasn’t the case for Dozer, a 3-year-old goldendoodle that escaped the invisible fencing of his home and crossed the finish line of the Maryland Half Marathon on May 15.His triumphant moment at the end of the race was captured in this video on YouTube. Dozer’s owners had no idea that the active young dog had joined more than 2000 runners around mile 5 of the 13.1-mile race. Although many runners saw the canine running the course and drinking water from cups at the water spots, nobody realized he was on his own, Maryland Half Marathon co-founder Jon Sevel told ESPN Page 2.
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http://www.diffen.co...vs_Criminal_Law
http://criminal.find...ft_larceny.html does not equal http://www.copyright.gov/laws/
theft is not the issue in copyright law
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And then when a major battle in that war is won, what's wrong with celebrating and flag waving?
"It's weird to celebrate someone's death," 22-year-old Laura Cunningham told the Observer's Azi Paybarah. "It's not exactly what we're here to celebrate, but it's wonderful that people are happy."The Scene at Ground Zero
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I experienced how much it hurts to be rejected.
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missysorry to hear that.
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This is all true. I think the problem for Ireland is that being as close to Britian as they are, they never stood a chance at being free from British involvement. The United States was lucky to have revolted at a moment when Britian was at war with France.
But of course (in the case of the IRA), after many years an organization like that becomes more and more brutal out of sheer frustration. You see similar with the Palastinians.
The IRA become consumed by the ghosts of the past and lock into battle with their opponents, caring not for the well-being of the present inhabitants of the region and wishing only to avenge history. That part of the world is very haunted. Whatever keeps the current population in a state of grace is what matters. Not sure if that was what drove Bin Laden. He mainly seemed to want to force the United States out of the Arab lands.
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Bingo! A system where some (mostly Protestants) were allowed special privledges over others (mostly Catholics). And thus the roots for deep divisions and resentments.
For some people to deny this, it would be the same as an American denying that whites were given special privledges over blacks, and then not accpeting the basis for long held resentment and hostilities.
It all had it's start during Henry the VIII's reign when the Tudors served as monarchs.
As for Bin Laden, his plans that resulted in the 9/11 catastrophe are similar to actions by the IRA and other militant groups.
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Incidentally, these headlines appeared today.
Queen Elizabeth II honors fallen Irish heroes
First British royalty visit in century goes on after bomb discovered
Queen Elizabeth honored Irish people killed fighting for independence from Britain on Tuesday in a powerful gesture of reconciliation just hours after police and army officials discovered a bomb on a bus near Dublin.The queen laid a wreath at Dublin's Garden of Remembrance, Ireland's monument to its fallen heroes, before a hushed crowd of dignitaries, soldiers and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, whose uncle was killed by militant Irish nationalists in 1979.
The visit, the first by a British monarch since Ireland won independence from London in 1921. The queen's grandfather, King George V, visited 100 years ago. The queen's visit highlights exceptionally strong Anglo-Irish relations and the slow blooming of peace in neighboring Northern Ireland following a three-decade conflict that left 3,700 dead.
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As with most common people they have little or no power over the decisions of their government. Obviously much more difficult centuries ago, and at what point are people to retain collective guilt for the actions of their governments...
Unless of coarse the people today are unwilling to reflect on how or why they may have benefited from the policies of the past. To say that we here in the United States are sorry for the treatment of the Indians is not enough unless we at the very least willing to attempt to see things from their perspectives.
My grandmother was Scots-Irish and born in Ulster but came to America after WW 1 as a girl. During the 70s she used to tell me that Ireland "never got a chance to grow up". And what she meant by this was that as long as Britian continued to intervene with their army, the people of Ireland would never be able to deal directly with each other in an honest way. She compared it to the American Civil war where the two parties had to come to terms one way or the other. By having the British army there to "keep the peace" it only prolongs the agony.
There is an element of Scots-Irish who are loyal to England because initially during an earlier time near the onset of the Industrial Revolution, England's industrial powers imported Scottish labor into Ireland and deliberately displaced Irish workers through a process of discrimination, thus preventing equal employment. From this policy and similar ones, the conflict represented by Bernadette Devlin and Ian Paisley evolved.
It is this element of Scots-Irish modernly characterized by support for Paisley and similar leaders that believes it needs support from England or else be targeted by some of those Irish descendants who remain from generations dating back to Tudor times. So even if England wants to leave, the Paisley supporters and similar others insist that England stay. If England were to make a complete exit, some of the Irish who are of Scots origin would not feel safe in Ireland.
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If it is your claim that the domestic terrorism inflicted by the IRA is the same as the foreign terrorist attacks by OBL and company, then I don't see where there will ever be agreement.
I wonder why I don't fear being bombed by the IRA here in the United States?
When the United States revolted against the rule of King George the III of England at the time it declared independence from the British monarchy, the U.S. established credibility in regard to protecting liberties threatened by the British crown, which had oppressed Ireland. The IRA initially developed as a means to regain control that was lost during the conquest by the British monarchy and subsequent actions taken by the British ruling class. So in some ways the United States and the IRA shared similar values.
Later, the IRA resorted more and more to retaliatory, criminal actions, similar to Bin Laden, often with callous disregard for the citizenry as a whole, and people got tired of living in fear and danger, so the IRA lost popular support.The IRA developed more of a reputation as feared thugs in later years.
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I know what they said was the reason OBL was shot. I just don't know if I accept the explanation. If the mission was to take him alive, then I believe they would have done so, even accepting that by attempting it there might be American causualites. But again, I believe the mission was to not take him alive.
This may sound complicated, but it is likely that powers in Pakistan were benefiting greatly by keeping OBL alive. Just as with Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, having a bonafide "threat" is cause for a lot of attention. Attention that converts to BILLIONS of dollars in the accounts of Pakistan's power elite. We saw the same scenario after the break-up of the old Soviet Union. The west made many billionaires in Russia in an attempt to buy stability. North Korea is attempting the same type of "shakedown" as well.
Could be that when we discoverd OBL alive and well snuggled up alongside the Pakastani military, we finally decided to put and end to that part of the "shakedown".
Just my opinion.
They didn't want any American casualties though, in my opinion. But anyway, here's the press release.
cia.gov/news-information/press-releases-statements/press-release-2011/justice-done
Message from the Director: Justice Done
Statement to Employees by Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Leon E. Panetta on the Death of Usama Bin Ladin
May 2, 2011
Today, we have rid the world of the most infamous terrorist of our time. A US strike team stormed a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan and killed Usama Bin Ladin. Thankfully, no Americans were lost, and every effort was taken to avoid civilian casualties.
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Wouldn't it also be fair to say that the people of Britian through their government and their military also contributed to the troubles? I agree that it is a complicated matter, but from the perspective of many on this side of the pond, the imperialist policies by the British for many centuries is where the troubles began.
Again, a difference of perspective. It is also a fact that the British government funded, supported and even commanded for centuries opressive policies against the Irish people... look it up as well.
As an American I accept my nation's guilt for slavery, the treatment of native people's and other failures without excuse. I believe that some of you Brits ought to also consider the same when it comes to your history in Ireland.
Most of the working, middle class in Britain had very little say over Britain's policy in Ireland during those early years of conflict. It was the Tudor monarchs of England who confiscated Irish land, starting with Henry the VIII in the 1530s. There also were very repressive laws in regard to property, taxes and various civil rights. It would not be fair to say the people of Britain were at fault except those specifically engaged in the oppression of Ireland. Most of the common people of Britain had no idea of Britain's foreign policy in Ireland during those early years of problems.
There was a minority of conniving and powerful individuals who conspired to oppress Ireland, often in secret, mostly unbeknown to the commoners of Britain, who were preoccupied with their own labors and struggles. Some of the ruling class purposely tried to prevent the working class from becoming too well educated so they would not understand what had happened, thus perpetuating the monopoly of power exercised by Britain's ruling class. At times the ruling class used a divide and conquer strategy to reach their goals in this regard. Gradually that changed, but some residual problems persist.
As many of the world's governments modernized, they developed representative systems of checks and balances designed to concentrate power in several branches of government rather than only in the executive (royal) branch. This process began in France when the judiciary (parlements) conflicted with the executive, royal monarch over taxes, in a series of rebellions, termed collectively as the Fronde, that failed in the 1640s, mainly because the judiciaries were too dependent on the French monarchy for resistance during periods when the city of Paris was under siege, and later, dilemmas posed by intrigues.
Cardinal Mazarin arrested many of the members of the judiciary, putting pressure on them to pay their taxes to the French monarch rather than seek aid from Spain to counter the siege of Paris by the Prince of Condé of the House of Bourbon, which is a European royal house of the Capetian dynasty. Later conflicts led to the Revolution. From this process, the newly minted citizens of the United States drew inspiration and declared their own independence as they struggled to secure a more representative system of government, ending policies of taxation without representation.
As time progressed many of the monarchs saw the wisdom of diffusing power into the various branches of government because it reduced the corruptive aspect of power, and the heavy burden they bore in having to govern when they did not always want to do so. For the monarchs, the duty of governing was often a do or die situation into which they were born and had no choice over.The more that power is shared in a system of checks and balances, the less corruptive it is to those who exercise it. At least some of the monarchs preferred to delegate duties to free up their time to pursue more pleasurable activities. Still, they learned a lot about the power of the executive over the centuries, and are a source of knowledge on government and history.
Source: wiki
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First of all this was a CIA operation and the SEALS were part of that operation. But for a moment just consider this: If it were a fact that powers within the Pakistani goverment and/or military either had knowledge that OBL was in Pakistan, or they supported his presence there; then taking him alive might create a political nightmare for US/Pakistain relations. Killing OBL would then have been the easiest out for the United States.... and the Pakistani government too for that matter.
They could easily have whisked him off to the Navy ship nearby, as they did with his remains. He would have been en route and incommunicado to Guantanamo in no time flat. The SEALS are efficient in what they do. But again, the reason they gave was that Osama refused to surrender and resisted being taken into custody, which at that point constituted imminent danger in the judgement of the commanding officer who confirmed the order to kill. They had permission to kill where they encountered imminent danger, but if he had peacefully surrendered they could easily have arrested him and taken him into custody onto the nearby Navy ship. From there he could have been transported to a more secure location. The SEALS are an elite and sophisticated group who are usually well-prepared as a matter of course for just about any scenario they can envision.
When the helicopter with radar-evading technology flew in from Afghanistan, it was to prevent anyone in Pakistan from knowing about the mission at all. The first Pakistanis to learn of the helicopter's presence were those who occupied the compound and the neighbor randomly blogging on his twitter account. This was a secret operation, and surprised the Pakistani government, which raised issues of sovereignty in retrospect.
Certainly his death created a political nightmare for US/Pakistani relations as it stands. It's a little impolite to trespass into the jurisdiction of a foreign sovereign nation without its permission. The Department of State, of which Hillary Clinton currently serves as Secretary, will resort to etiquette now to preserve what is left of value in those relations.
But the world knew that OBL was a person wanted by the United States on charges related to terrorism and 9/11. Pakistan can only act a little surprised about his apprehension. No one loyal to the United States would have informed Pakistan ahead of time and jeopardized this mission. Pakistan was the scene of the assassination of its own Prime Minister Bhutto in recent years, and is not a highly secure place.
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Wow, this will be an interesting case to follow.
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U.S. imams arrested for alleged Pakistani Taliban links
Two South Florida imams and a third family member were arrested Saturday on charges of providing support to the Pakistani Taliban, the Justice Department said.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The four-count indictment alleges that all six defendants conspired to provide material support to a conspiracy to kill, injure and kidnap people abroad, and that they provided support to the Pakistani Taliban.
Source: CNN
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For me the real brilliance is in the writing and less in the performance. One could argue that Zep's Traveling Riverside Blues is more appealing than Robert Johnson's recording, but the inspiration came from the writer and not from the cover band.
Robert Johnson was that guy who stood at the crossroads. Story was he sold his soul to the devil to play the blues. But maybe he only sold 1% and kept the other 95% hid.
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At least I stay on topic.
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Back on topic...
BBC News: ''Bin Laden's wives to face rest of lives in hiding.''
In other words, they'll continue to wear their Burkhas
Like some of the original Zeppelin fans.
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I'm trying to stay on topic.
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I don't believe that there was ever any plan to capture him alive.
The reason that the SEALS gave for killing him was that he did not surrender but instead resisted. Had he surrendered, they would have taken him into custody.
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Of course but the bottom line is nationalists vs. unionists.
There is also a neutral element.
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Gunmen kill Saudi consular employee
KARACHI, Pakistan, May 16, 2011 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Gunmen in Pakistan's port city of Karachi fired on a Saudi Arabian consulate vehicle Monday, killing an occupant, police said.The identity of the victim was not immediately known nor how many people were in the vehicle.
China's Xinhua news agency, quoting police, said the victim was the vehicle's driver.
Geo News quoted a Saudi Embassy media section official as saying the victim, a diplomat, was killed in a drive-by shooting near the consulate. The report said another official earlier identified the victim as a security official.
The incident occurred near the consulate in the country's largest city which has been wracked for months by political, ethnic and sectarian violence, leaving hundreds dead.
Last week, the Saudi consulate was attacked by some motor cyclists who tossed two grenades at the facility. No one was injured in that incident.
No one had yet claimed responsibility for the Monday incident.
It comes in the wake of the May 2 killing by U.S. forces of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in the Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad, northeast of Islamabad. Militants have vowed to avenge his death.
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Northern Ireland is a failed political entity requiring change and the sooner both sides accept that the better for everyone.
There are more than 2 sides to that conflict.
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Bin Laden town hopes for bumper tourism
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It would have been nice if they could have just arrested him. But I guess it was self defense in that highly risky situation. He was too much of a danger to just let him go, so they continued in their pursuit. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
SCO Says Bin Laden's Death May Spur Terrorism
16 May 2011Reuters
ALMATY, Kazakhstan — The killing of Osama bin Laden by U.S. special forces might trigger a backlash from his supporters and a "new wave of terror" across Central Asia, the Russia- and China-dominated Shanghai Cooperation Organization said."The recent elimination of terrorist No. 1 Osama bin Laden is beyond all doubt a success of the United States, but it is in no way a victory over international terrorism," Kazakh Foreign Minister Yerzgan Kazykhanov told a meeting Saturday of his counterparts from the SCO states. Kazakhstan currently holds the rotating chair of the NATO-style grouping.
(May 2 was Monday.)
On May 2, 2011, around 01:00 Pakistan Standard Time, Osama bin Laden was shot and killed by U.S. Navy SEALs in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Within 24 hours of his death he was buried at sea. He was 54 years old.Sources: The White House · Guardian UK · Reuters . answers.com
missy
What Made You Un-Happy Today ?
in Ramble On
Posted
^You have my sympathy. I have been through a similar experience and it was no fun at all.