March 13, 2009 archive

Docudharma Times Friday March 13

Jim Cramer Handed His Hat

Among Other Things




Friday’s Headlines:

Despite Madoff Guilty Plea, Questions Swirl and Rage Boils

Raped and killed for being a lesbian: South Africa ignores ‘corrective’ attacks

Bailed Roy Bennett tells of horror conditions in Mugabe jail

Seven arrested over Dutch bomb plot

Tangled mind of a school killer

Chinese Premier concerned about assets in US

Pakistan’s airwaves: On militant turf, Radio Khyber offers a softer voice

Some Iraqis Support Tough Shoe-Thrower Sentence

Israelis support captured soldier’s family

Mexico drug cartels buying public support

Investors See a Glimmer and Shares Soar Worldwide



By STEVE LOHR and JACK HEALY

Published: March 13, 2009


A few clues that the economy’s downward spiral might be slowing galvanized Wall Street on Thursday and sent world stock markets soaring for the second time this week.

Investors searching for relief from a relentless march of bad economic news found wisps of hope in developments that, not many months ago, would have been regarded as alarming. The news, by and large, was bad – just not quite as bad as feared.

General Electric, the blue-chip corporation, was stripped of its triple-A credit rating, an emblem of business prowess it proudly held since 1956. But its rating fell just one notch, less than some analysts predicted. Shares of G.E. soared 13 percent.

Secret emails show Iraq dossier was ‘sexed up’

Intelligence chiefs criticised ‘iffy drafting’ of key document

By Nigel Morris, Deputy Political Editor Friday, 13 March 2009

Secret Whitehall emails released yesterday provide damning new evidence that the notorious dossier making the case for invading Iraq was “sexed up”.

They disclose that the intelligence services were sceptical over the “iffy drafting” of government claims that Saddam Hussein could mount a missile strike on his neighbours within 45 minutes of ordering an attack.

Officials privately mocked assertions that the Iraqi president was covertly trying to develop a nuclear capability and wisecracked that perhaps he had recruited “Dr Frankenstein” to his supposed crack team of nuclear scientists.

The release of a series of confidential memos and emails, following a protracted Freedom of Information battle, reignited the controversy over accusations that Tony Blair’s government “spun” Britain into war.

Last night both the Tories and the Liberal Democrats renewed their demands for a full public inquiry into the decision to join the US-led invasion of Iraq.

 

USA

A stem cell battle along state lines

Conservatives who oppose the use of embryonic cells will lobby at the national level too.

By Dahleen Glanton

March 13, 2009


Reporting from Atlanta — Faced with a new federal policy that opens the door for more embryonic stem cell research, conservatives have geared up for a political battle at the national and state levels that goes to the core of their beliefs about the sanctity of human life.

Since President Obama lifted the eight-year ban on nearly all federal funding for stem cell research this week, conservative leaders have stepped up efforts to lobby Congress to preserve some restrictions, they said. They plan to launch a far-reaching campaign to educate the public about their point of view — as well as research alternatives that are not as controversial.

“This executive order is just the beginning of the process. Our concern is how broad this will be interpreted, and will there be limitations,” said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council. “With limited tax dollars available, we should not use those funds for research that is at best morally questionable.”

Muse in the Morning

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
Muse in the Morning

Dream Catcher #3

Blooming Bliss

Bliss created

from stardust

memories

seeds coalesce

from strands

of time

and shed

their husks

creating space

to weave

the threads

in the tapestry

of existence

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–March 12, 2009

Four at Four

  1. The Wall Street Journal reports Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao voices concern over China’s U.S. Treasuries. Wen said China is closely watching the policies of President Obama and what impact they have on the U.S. economy.

    “We have lent a huge amount of money to the U.S., so of course we are concerned about the safety of our assets. I do in fact have some worries,” Mr. Wen said in response to a question. He called on the U.S. to “maintain its credibility, honor its commitments and guarantee the safety of Chinese assets.”

    China holds the world’s largest foreign-exchange reserves, reported at $1.946 trillion at the end of 2008.

    About two-thirds of that sum is believed to be held in U.S. dollar assets, primarily Treasury bonds. Mr. Wen repeated China’s position that those investments are managed with a view to “safety, liquidity and profitability” — in that order.

    He said that while China’s first priority is to protect its own interests, it will “at the same time also take international financial stability into consideration, because the two are inter-related.”

    Larry Summers, ugh, Obama’s economic aide tries to reassure China over its bond investments, according to AFP. “This is a commitment that the president has made very clear — we need to be sound stewards of the money we invest,” Summers said. “Summers… stressed that the United States had to utilize all resources available at present to jolt its economy from prolonged recession.”

Four at Four continues with Amtrak capital investment, climate change warning, and spy blimp.

Late Night Karaoke

Beethoven?

The Diary From New Galt Gulch

From a mud caked Hello Kitty diary found by a stream:

New Galt Gulch – Day One!!!

Well we did it, just like Ms. Rand suggested we have left behind all the penalties that are being imposed on the creative people by the heinous Obama administration. Let’s see how they like it when their society falls apart!

Here in NGG we are sure that we are just the first of the those that will drop out and make our own new way of living. Diary, you can not believe who is with us here! We have Michelle Malkin and her hubby, former Gov. Mark Sanford, and best of all Rush Limbaugh!!! He really is as big in real life as he looks on TV.

Things are a little Spartan, what with everyone setting up their campaign equipment from Lands End, but no doubt with all these creative people we will have new mansions in short order! Must run Diary, Limbaugh is hosting a first night Luau! You can’t believe how much booze he brought with him!  

America’s Shame, UN to Investgate Torture While DOJ Devolves

A bit of a reprint, but new material below the fold….and simul-posted at Dkos

It comes down to this. If America doesn’t wash it’s own incredibly stained laundry, the rest of the civilized world will do it for us.

From the BBC

The UN is to investigate the use of secret detention centres allegedly used by the CIA and other groups as part of US counter-terrorism efforts.

The decision follows a UN report which uncovered what it said were serious abuses by the intelligence services.

The report said secret prisons were “one of the most horrendous practises” adopted by intelligence services.

Martin Scheinin, UN special rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, said that in many cases states receiving detainees had “reportedly engaged in torture and other forms of ill-treatment”.

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