What Triggers Mass Extinctions? Study Shows How Invasive Species Stop New Life
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Bio
- okami
- former US Marine, retired police; in other words, professional babysitter. "Ah's jes' th' ign'nt sonuva po' ol' shahcroppah, yas ah is. . ."
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20101231
(i haven't seen this reported in American media) All parties demand end to drone attacks
http://ping.fm/W7MIF
http://ping.fm/W7MIF
Keith Olbermann: 'Fox News Is 100% Bullshit'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/30/keith-olbermann-fox-news-_n_802594.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/30/keith-olbermann-fox-news-_n_802594.html
20101230
IRIN Middle East | MIDDLE EAST: Iraqi refugees - interpreting the statistics | Iraq | Syria | Conflict | Refugees/IDPs http://ping.fm/Z622x
Christine O'Donnell Investigation: Criminal Probe Into Campaign Finances Reportedly Underway
nope. thank her.
i only ever heard of her having one real job, and apparently there was some friction there. she, as usual, blammed the employer for the problems.
this isn't about the economy; it's about the fact that Christine O'Donnell'
she's a parasite, living off other people, and has been for quite some time.
in this, she resembles Joe Miller and his financial state, and Sarah Palin and the money she's bilking off suckers.
About Christine O'Donnell
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Tea Party Influence In GOP-Controlled House Set To Produce Unprecedented Scenarios
frankly, this may be the best news i've ever heard about the Tea Party.
their members always refer to the Constituti
they, and the other Republican
might.
having to cite congressio
this might actually decrease their ignorance, dependent on their capacity to learn.
the late Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) always carried a copy wiith him, and often read from it while on the floor.
i have numerous copies, and usually carry one wherever i go. i don't admit to being any kind of expert; far, FAR from it. still, it's better than screaming "My gun!" and "States rights!" at everything
this should be interestin
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Venezuelan Ambassador's Visa Revoked By White House
in the interest of easing relations between Venezuela and the United States:
' Hugo Chavez: "The Stupid People From Fox News" '
http://www
he may be a dictator, but he has a little bit of sense.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
20101229
Meet the Leadership: Corporate America and the Religious Right’s New Team in the House
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http://ping.fm/m4PqP
Glenn Beck: Irresponsible And Indifferent To The Violent Consequences of His Dangerous Rhetoric
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http://ping.fm/NpU1F
PeeWee's was better. . . Build Your own Jetbike – Military Videos - Military.com http://ping.fm/VFgVz
The unreality of Sarah Palin's Alaska - plus some musings on the art of commenting
http://ping.fm/9hwcW
http://ping.fm/9hwcW
20101228
God's little rabbits: Religious people out-reproduce secular ones by a landslide
http://ping.fm/OScEM
http://ping.fm/OScEM
Latest Right-Wing Freak-Out: Obama Wants To Give Manhattan Back To Native Americans
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http://ping.fm/CnaJ0
IRIN Middle East | MIDDLE EAST: Iraqi refugees - interpreting the statistics | Iraq | Syria | Conflict | Refugees/IDPs http://ping.fm/ycmYa
IRIN Middle East | MIDDLE EAST: Iraqi refugees - interpreting the statistics | Iraq | Syria | Conflict | Refugees/IDPs http://ping.fm/wcVui
IRIN Middle East | MIDDLE EAST: Iraqi refugees - interpreting the statistics | Iraq | Syria | Conflict | Refugees/IDPs http://ping.fm/Tqnay
20101227
WikiLeaks disclosures complicate diplomacy, says Ban - Related Stories - UN Wire http://ping.fm/4DWFc
Keith Ellison To Peter King: Muslim 'Radicalization' Probe Will 'Vilify' Community (VIDEO)
Manny Peddy, i saw your reply in my sidebar. it's never shown up here, so maybe the moderators had some kind of problem with it, as with some of mine.
still. . .
the 'political
it's no 'fantasy' to be reminded of a fact. . .as for me, i detest the term 'political
Muslims do live and study here in the town i live in, and every contact i've ever had was peaceful. however, every death threat i ever received was from a Christian.
you say you had 'several hundred' death threats from Muslims. strange. . .if they were 'believers
laws in Muslim countries are far more severe, yet death threats, revenge and more are still carried out. with the 'easy' system of justice we have here, i'm surprised no one made good on their threats.
that, or you're fantasizin
About Video
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
IRIN Middle East | YEMEN: Children carry scars of northern fighting | Yemen | Children | Conflict | Refugees/IDPs | Security http://ping.fm/RYzoP
i doubt it's connected to WikiLeaks or Anonymous; it's more a government's style. . . http://ping.fm/f79J3
Mitch McConnell's Fortress Of GOP Unity Fractures As Iron Grip Slips
anyone who's read my posts knows i'm not a member of the right. still,
“My sense is the Republican
now, it's bad enough that John F Kennedy's greatest quote was stolen from a Kahlil Gibran essay, written while both were living in Boston, and published in Boston papers as well as in Lebanon.
but Obama quoting Spider-Man
Stan oughtta collect royalties from the US Government
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Grand jury weighs whether there was a conspiracy to kill abortion doctor - KansasCity.com http://ping.fm/63xYW
(American gangs or Mexican cartels? THAT is the question. . .) 2 Plead Guilty in SEAL Weapon Case
http://ping.fm/dF69n
http://ping.fm/dF69n
GOP Actions Often Defied What Most Americans Want On Key Issues Tackled During Lame Duck Session
my life doesn't matter. it could be better, but i had my fun. and, now and then, i still do.
if you have kids, the kids are what's important. mine have grown up educated and well-adjus
to me, that's what's important. no one can be called a parent if they don't wish that for their kids.
and please keep in mind i'm not defending the Congress, not by a long shot. i'm just saying it can be done. if necessary.
there wouldn't be a necessity except for the actions and inactions of Congress, and the past ten years' events.
and i've had third jobs, as well, now and then. i'm not as good as my father was. the thing is, people are being faced with choices, none of which are good. the problem is in finding out the best of those bad choices and making it.
for some, there may literally be no choice. depending on location and circumstan
one could surmise that demographi
it may yet happen, if it hasn't already started.
About Lame Duck Session
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
What Do Sarah Palin and Marie Antoinette Have in Common?
the Constituti
as for "where in the Constituti
you can probably find what you're looking for in the Preamble of the Constituti
that "Welfare" would probably include health, physical and mental, though nothing's been done since 1980 to improve mental health. . .
Article I Section 8 gives Congress the power to 'provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States. . .'
if they wanted, they could apply that as well as they have the Commerce clause.
if we don't have a healthy population
there's already an epidemic of Type 2 diabetes among kids. i lost a leg to it 19 months ago, and i'll be losing my other foot soon. wouldn't want any kids to end up that way.
children aren't adults. they need real guidance and protection from real dangers. disease is one of thoose real dangers.
About Sarah Palin
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
In 'Daily Show' Role On 9/11 Bill, Echoes Of Murrow
i like them both myself. KO was, i thought, quite effective when he started his special comment segments, and i thought at the time that he was becoming something of another Edward R Murrow.
unfortunat
there's an old saying that, if you fight dragons too long, you become a dragon yourself. i fear at times this is what's happening to Keith.
as long as Jon keeps in mind that comedy is his forte, he'll be fine, and he'll be able to skewer left and right as needed. i don't want to see him devolve into what's happened elsewhere; he's better than that.
About Michael Bloomberg
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
| Unleashing Leviticus: Religious Right Rants Over Change In Military's DADT Policy http://ping.fm/15047
A Holiday Letter from the Family of an Air Force Academy Graduate
it's not so much the Republican
while Republican influence is often associated with fundamenta
however, this doesn't retract from the nagging thought that, at its root, fundmental
numerous lawsuits were filed some years ago at intimidati
fundamenta
while some news sites don't archive their stories very far back (i first heard of it at military.c
About Military
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
while Republican influence is often associated with fundamenta
however, this doesn't retract from the nagging thought that, at its root, fundmental
numerous lawsuits were filed some years ago at intimidati
fundamenta
while some news sites don't archive their stories very far back (i first heard of it at military.c
About Military
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
20101226
Bush Intelligence Chief: Obama "Has Been as Aggressive, if Not More Aggressive in Pursuing" Terrorists
http://ping.fm/YfHle
http://ping.fm/YfHle
The War on Drugs is a War fought on American soil against American Citizens. No Victim, No Crime!!! http://ping.fm/Vpdeg
Proposal That Reason be Restored In America (Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator) http://ping.fm/Ll05L
20101225
Kathy Griffin On Mocking The Palins: I Do It To Irritate The View & Bill O’Reilly
http://ping.fm/EbgYG
http://ping.fm/EbgYG
(they're getting better; it only took them seven months) WikiLeaks: Army Opens Probe Into How Bradley Manning Allegedly Stole Files http://ping.fm/0fXKj
IRIN Africa | NIGERIA: Troops accused of abuses in raids on Islamic sect | Nigeria | Governance | Human Rights | Security http://ping.fm/mvtbU
The Catholic Church today announced that its communion wafers will henceforth be manufactured from the product Soylent Green. As the Miracle of Transubstantiation already converts previously used communion wafers into the body of Christ, this should be no problem whatsoever. However, it will be more inclusive of humanity as a whole. . .
$385 Million TSA Program Fails to Detect Terrorists: Behavioral Profiling Program Is Pseudoscience
http://ping.fm/4CCvZ
http://ping.fm/4CCvZ
"The people are celebrating in My honour, pursuing the tradition woven by the ages around My name, but as to Myself, I am a stranger wandering from East to West upon this earth, and no one knows of me. The foxes have holes, and the birds of the skies their nests, but the Son of Man has no place to rest his head." -Khalil Gibran, 'Eventide of the Feast'
20101224
You Don't Bring a Praseodymium Knife to a Gunfight - By Tim Worstall | Foreign Policy http://ping.fm/qq2I5
You Don't Bring a Praseodymium Knife to a Gunfight - By Tim Worstall | Foreign Policy http://ping.fm/FCo4i
Najim al-Anbaky, Iraqi, Kills Daughter Recruited As Al-Qaida Bomber
this is a double tragedy. . .one, for her recruitmen
the United States helped create this monster; and, as usual, the monster got out of control.
many Islamophob
will this satisy them? this is the most extreme form of taking action i could think of, but i doubt it.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Alaskans Speak (In A Frightened Whisper): Palin Is “Racist, Sexist, Vindictive, And Mean”
http://ping.fm/fpJRa
http://ping.fm/fpJRa
Barney Frank Takes On Those Worried About 'Radical Homosexual Agenda' (VIDEO)
homosexual 'marriages
the 'one man-one woman' refrain has always existed, but it's never been a hard-and-f
it's the present definition
some people--ev
unemployme
in the meantime, (as always) allowing gays and lesbians to marry is harmless in that they don't add to the burden of overpopula
About Barney Frank
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Chinese Fossil Find: Discovery Of 20,000 Fossils Sheds Light On Life After Mass Extinction (PHOTOS)
http://ping.fm/E1gdm
http://ping.fm/E1gdm
20101223
20101222
20101221
Museveni's Uganda: Paradoxes of Power in a Hybrid Regime; The Lord's Resistance Army: Myth and Reality http://ping.fm/dI39o
Raymond Hartley Couldn’t Man Up For Drug Screen - Uses Fake Penis To Avoid Small Penis Jokes http://ping.fm/uepvL
Open letter to President Obama and General Attorney Holder regarding possible criminal prosecution against Julian Assange
http://ping.fm/ITNs2
http://ping.fm/ITNs2
Teresa And Dennis Holloway Loved Their Daughter A Little Too Much - Jailed On Incest Charges http://ping.fm/nECKe
Zannish Frazier Had A Bag Full Of Stoopid - Jailed After Burglarizing House And Car - Then Calling Police For A Rid... http://ping.fm/Jd8u9
Jessi Clark - Jailed After Someone Else’s Drugs Mysteriously Ended Up In Her Crotch http://ping.fm/ArqOd
Employed But Struggling: Report Finds 1 in 3 Working Families Near Poverty
" that is seems to be failing"
Whaaa. . ? invisible words?
on the other hand, the Republican
their stated plan as of the midterms is basically to spend their time attacking him and anything he tries to do.
in other words, they won't do a single thing for the people, because they'll be too busy attacking Obama. they could care less about you or anyone else.
open your eyes.
to that extent, he's part of the plan. they want to scapegoat him as they did Clinton. even more, really. lots more.
then they hide behind the statement that 'the President sets the agenda', while refusing to work with him and opposing him every step of the way. hypocrisy at its purest.
if you want to live as a serf in a nation of serfs and feudal landlords, go ahead. some of us want something better. . .and being someone else's property isn't part of it.
that's the type of tribal thinking that would have people still spearhunti
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
20101220
Haley Barbour's Account Of Civil Rights Era In Mississippi Assailed By NAACP, Historians
there's racism in the North, too; it just isn't anywhere near as blatant as here in the South.
f'rinstanc
it's a little-kno
the 'cultural tradition' of the South makes racism lots easier to spot, since it's a lot more 'in your face', but it isn't exclusive to the South alone.
people here just make bigger idiots of themselves expressing it.
About Civil Rights
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Groom Kills Bride, Best Man, Self At Wedding
the groom appears to have at least believed that his wife and his best man were having an affair.
there's a stereotype of macho 'Latino' honor. this might have been the 'best way' of restoring it: in public, announcing what'd been done 'to him and his honor', taking revenge and then his own life. whether there would be 'proof', i don't know.
i live in a small Texas town. up until the seventies, it was a legal defense in Texas to murder if the victim had been having an affair with the murderer's spouse.
this happened several times in my experience
old primal urges still live within us, as do cultural notions of women/spou
crimes of passion still take place. if my guess is correct, i'm surprised he was able to hold it in till the wedding. . .
i'd like to hear what the relatives consider the motivation for it all, if not an affair. . .people usually believe the best about themselves and their friends or relatives, and ignore or deny other behavior.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Tea Party Nation's Judson Phillips Wants To See Methodist Church Disbanded
for all the very very very very many faults of the Bible, it stresses social justice almost from Genesis. over and over, the Jews and the Christians are told by God, prophets and teachers to help and give to the sick and poor and oppressed, the widowed and the orphaned, AND the stranger. Jesus was the highest examplar of those teachings.
it's almost difficult NOT to find instances of social justice in the Bible. for all the rhetoric to the contrary, it's there, and i speak as one who speaks out, on a regular basis, against the hypocrisy and idolatry that much of American Christiani
i wonder at the type of religious worldview that denies the plain words and substitute
this is the supreme ignorance which some Americans have elected to leadership of the country. it tells quite a bit, not only about the state of political discourse, but the state of relligious belief in the United States. . .
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Cover-Ups, Coups and Drones - A Holiday Sampler of What WikiLeaks Reveals About the US
http://ping.fm/4klW7
http://ping.fm/4klW7
Now, third woman who was seduced by WikiLeaks founder emerges - The Times of India http://ping.fm/FO6Pc
20101219
Always Someone's Mother or Father, Always Someone's Child: The Missing Persons of Iraq
http://ping.fm/Aob9Q
http://ping.fm/Aob9Q
9/11 Joe Lieberman - WTC 7 Did Not Occur .... I Do Not Support A New Investigation http://ping.fm/Deed2
This Week at War: Could North Korea be the next Afghanistan? - By Robert Haddick http://ping.fm/5xDjT
WikiLeaks XXIII: Torture Cables Undermine India's Efforts to Inhabit Higher Ethical Ground Than China http://ping.fm/4ldge
20101218
Air Force 'Routinely' Blocks Access To News Websites; HuffPost Caught In The Web
http://ping.fm/r5xiD
http://ping.fm/r5xiD
20101217
(Why am I Not surprised?) Red Cross says Afghan conditions worst in 30 years - AlertNet http://ping.fm/waHzI
Terror Babies, Terror Tampons, & now this. . .Louie Gohmert is the Michelle Bachmann of Texas: Gay Soldiers Can’t ‘Control Their Hormones’
http://ping.fm/20y9L
http://ping.fm/20y9L
WikiLeaks: Swedish government 'hid' anti-terror operations with America from Parliament
http://ping.fm/PYlrj
http://ping.fm/PYlrj
Relatives of Spanish cameraman killed in Baghdad use WikiLeaks to press for justice
http://ping.fm/EOe0T
http://ping.fm/EOe0T
How the Pentagon Turns Working-Class Men into the Deadliest Killers on the Planet
http://ping.fm/XznXD
http://ping.fm/XznXD
Bradley Manning, WikiLeaks' Alleged Leaker, 'Very Annoyed' At Solitary Confinement
. . .and therein lies the definition of freedom.
it's having the guts to make choices, stick with them, and face the consequenc
otherwise you're not free; you live within an illusion of freedom.
in that respect, Manning is more free than a great many Americans.
About Wikileaks
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
20101216
Sweet child in time, you'll see the line
The line that's drawn between the good and the bad.
See the blind man shooting at the world:
Bullets flying, taking toll. . .
If you've been bad (Lord I bet you have),
And you've been hit by flying lead,
You'd better close your eyes and bow your head. . .
Wait for the ricochet.
The line that's drawn between the good and the bad.
See the blind man shooting at the world:
Bullets flying, taking toll. . .
If you've been bad (Lord I bet you have),
And you've been hit by flying lead,
You'd better close your eyes and bow your head. . .
Wait for the ricochet.
20101215
Air Force Reportedly Blocks Sites Posting WikiLeaks
really?
i wasn't aware that he was paid for hiis services?
where's the proof that he 'sold' them?
and a more important question. . .
in whose jurisdicti
not the United States. he certainly wasn't here when he leaked the cables, so he committed no crime here.
since there is no proof of a 'sale', that can be ignored.
on the other hand, he transmitte
from where? again, whose jurisdicti
one thing is positive. if he had released the cables from plane or ship over internatio
inventing crimes after the fact is futile, especially when the 'crime' has already happened.
if Assange is prosecuted under a new law, it violates the Consitutio
i'm rather sure you'd want to know when the next fair is scheduled, as well as seeing what you city council's up to. . .especiall
About Wikileaks
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Glenn Beck Hypothetically Calls For Fareed Zakaria's Death (AUDIO)
therefore you imply that Glenn Beck is your Messiah, which is your opinion.
first the 'gluteous maximus surgery'
(must be clean here).
second the 'impending blindness'
third the 'numbness in hands and feet'
none of which he updates, details or alludes to.
none of which he provides evidence of.
his 'mission from God'
his approval from 'a person in the Vatican'
his ability to know how many Muslims are terrorists just by 'reading and praying'
his admitted claims that
he's a 'rodeo clown'
he could 'care less about politics'
he's 'only in it for the money'
his program is 'just an entertainm
my. . .the ignorance in the country IS rather swelling, isn't it. . ?
i could go on and on, but all this has been documented in his own words, on his radio station, cable show and elsewhere.
and let's not forget the Vick's-dep
About Most Popular
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Air Force Reportedly Blocks Sites Posting WikiLeaks
as a former Marine and a retired police officer, i'd also like to know what 'crime' Julian Assange committed. as far as i know, no formal charges of any criminal type have been filed: in Sweden, in Britain, or the United States.
on the other hand, we already know that George W Bush admitted to a war crime in his memoirs and on videotape. waterboard
and there are loads of other cimes that could be charged as well, not just to Bush but also to many of his subordinat
About Wikileaks
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Glenn Beck Hypothetically Calls For Fareed Zakaria's Death (AUDIO)
if what you say is true, then it's VERY true that they wouldn't have that hate, except for the way our government and our policies have treated them.
we supported and created what was to become al Qaeda. we created the Taliban with the Pakistani ISI. we removed a democratic
we have continuall
each and every time we have done so, our actions have lead to oppression and death among the people. and when we tire of our puppets, we take them out, if the people themselves don't do it first. (ex: Noriega and Hussein).
besides, the vast majority of Muslims aren't Arabic in ethnicity, yet some people classify ALL Muslims--A
is it any wonder that people hate our government and its policies? is it any wonder that approval for the American PEOPLE, which has always been high up to 2003, is now a shadow of what it once was? is it any wonder that resentment
About Glenn Beck
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Glenn Beck Hypothetically Calls For Fareed Zakaria's Death (AUDIO)
however, there is no freedom to express a constant stream of threats, towards the President, the First Family, a political party, or individual
a gunshot can kill in an instant, and the shooter can be charged with murder. slow doses of arsenic spread out over time can also kill, and the one responsibl
it doesn't matter that his comments are spread out over large periods of time. if the pattern can be proved, regardless of 'i said do it, but don't do it', he's still liable; at a minimum, in civil court, where evidentiar
one little item that's forgotten: recordings and copies can be made in real-time by video and audio, as well as by the words transmitte
acts of violence have already occurred due to the words of this false messiah. those who record his public statements are gathering evidence, which may be used in court to prove that he does indeed promote not only violence, but sedition.
About Glenn Beck
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Air Force Reportedly Blocks Sites Posting WikiLeaks
i don't blame the present situation, but the pattern of overclassi
it's instructiv
http://www
http://nsa
any social actions which have endured for a period of time, including bureaucrat
while a large group can change course with speed, as in our immediate public response to 911, small groups or individual
this is one of the reasons the President'
for that matter, much material has been declassifi
in other words, it became classified material which never reached the public, because it became a new type of classified material. . .much like Bush's term 'enemy combatants
and bureaucrat
About Wikileaks
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
US Air Force Blocks Internet Access To New York Times, Guardian And 23 Other Website Posting WikiLeaks Documents
http://ping.fm/G0HLw
http://ping.fm/G0HLw
If you see something that looks like a star and it's shooting up out of the ground,
And your head is spinning from a loud guitar,
And you just can't escape from the sound,
Don't worry too much, it'll happen to you:
We were children once, playing with toys. . .
And the thing that you're hearing is only the sound of the low spark of high-heeled boys. . .
And your head is spinning from a loud guitar,
And you just can't escape from the sound,
Don't worry too much, it'll happen to you:
We were children once, playing with toys. . .
And the thing that you're hearing is only the sound of the low spark of high-heeled boys. . .
20101214
Air Force Reportedly Blocks Sites Posting WikiLeaks
child, i cite this example as symptomati
they're focused on survival and their mission, but one cannot such maintain a focus 24 hours a day. it leads to mental and physical burnout.
one can't remain focused in that manner without adverse psychologi
not to mention that, with the internet, keeping up with events back home could assist in an easier readjustme
also, among other things, boredom could set in. without alternativ
i'm not saying that making better informatio
you must learn to think holistical
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Air Force Reportedly Blocks Sites Posting WikiLeaks
i reposted this story to about 40 sites immediatel
in a strange 'coinciden
according to http://dow
. . .welcome to the land of the 'free'. . .
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
'FREEDOM' IS NOW TO BE IGNORANT: Air Force Reportedly Blocks Sites Posting WikiLeaks
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http://ping.fm/1xEEf
Julian Assange: The Stainless Steel Rat
Going through news stories this morning, I found one that had caught my eye: Julian Assange to Appear in Court to Appeal , located at commondreams.org. Having an interest in the case against Mr Assange, and especially the behavior of the United States towards him, I proceeded to read the report, when a certain passage suddenly leapt out at me. . .
“ Meanwhile a dating site profile from 2007, supposedly created by Assange, had prompted by some lively online debate. The profile on the OKCupid site featured pictures of Assange, though gave the name Harry Harrison - who described himself as a "passionate and often pig- headed activist intellectual" who sought to change the world. He concluded: "Write to me if you are brave." (emphasis mine). “
I went to the site named and saved a screenshot of the page, located at http://www.okcupid.com/profile/HarryHarrison
The picture resembles him, and states he’s from Melbourne, Australia. If you place the cursor over the picture, two more fly out. The center picture most resembles his current appearance.
While I was looking over the page, however, it suddenly hit me. . .I had a major key to his personality and the way his thought processes work. Quite simple, actually.
I'll refrain from commenting on the case itself at this time, but i can clear up one little mystery: the nom de guerre or username on the OKCupid site. If the site is confirmed as his, as is likely, the pseudonym 'Harry Harrison' is entirely reasonable and to be expected, because it confirms that Assange is a fan of science fiction. And it’s a key to the mind of Julian Assange.
The author Harry Harrison wrote a series of science fiction novels about a character named James Bolivar deGriz, alias 'Slippery Jim', or 'The Stainless Steel Rat'. The original novel was written in 1961; the last was published this year. I have the first five or so novels in my personal library, and they’re great favorites of mine.
deGriz lived in a future which had no crime, no wrongdoing, and was ultimately dull and boring. He refused to be a part of such a boring utopia. Thus he decided to give police something to do, and entertain the people, by performing fantastic feats of theft and other nonviolent crimes, while making the police look like fools. He was wanted by law enforcement across numerous solar systems, as well as by planetary governments, some with a price on his head.
(Sound familiar so far?)
As i recall, deGriz was described as a 'rat' moving through the wainscoting of a futuristic, emotionless, boring, static interstellar society, thumbing his nose at law enforcement as he performed his crimes. . .a stainless steel rat. He had no ‘home’ as such, moving from planet to planet.
Eventually, he was captured by (and joined) a supersecret intelligence organization, which solved difficult problems concerning societies on different worlds. Subsequent novels followed those assignments and adventures.
One sees from this admittedly sketchy description of the novels (by memory, i admit) that Julian Assange and Wikileaks serve as the 'Stainless Steel Rat' of the present. His 'crimes', if any, have been virtually nonviolent, leading 'law enforcement' (including the CIA) on a merry chase, while he transmits secret documents from corporations and governments around the world. He has done his successfully for some years now.
It’s evident that he identified intensely with the character of Slippery Jim deGriz from his first reading. Using the alias 'Harry Harrison ' is therefore a tribute to the writer he idolizes. I don't believe Harrison himself is aware of this, but the connection seems very clear to me. And yet, as a globetrotter, it’s possible that Julian Assange might have met Harry Harrison, even in disguise.
It’s also apparent to me that he not only determined to be our ‘Stainless Steel Rat’, but that—knowing he couldn’t do it alone--Wikileaks was built around the concept.
Assange, as a hacker, shows the independent, ‘antisocial’ and anarchist nature of deGriz, although his actions ultimately benefit society. Wikileaks (and Assange) have repeatedly thwarted past efforts to contain or stop them. They have repeatedly angered corporations and governments by disseminating information revealing corruption, lies or otherwise embarrassing material. Assange, although an Australian citizen, has no ‘home’ as such, moving from place to place. His support team are volunteers from diverse places. His equipment, funds and supplementary resources are likewise scattered. He has supporters across the world, much like some citizens of the fictional future who idolized James Bolivar deGriz.
Harrison’s deGriz was a master of disguise, and loved thumbing his nose at the cops, performing feats literally under their very eyes. Yesterday, I found this story: Assange attended US embassy party in Iceland at The First Post, dated December 13, 2010. It’s worth quoting at length. . .
By December 2009, Assange had received the US embassy cables, the Iraq war logs, a video of US helicopter pilots mowing down innocent Iraqis, and documents relating to the Afghanistan war, all of which were subsequently published on WikiLeaks.
Although he had already upset the US Assange was the toast of Iceland at the time of the party, having published a secret report relating to the 2008 collapse of the country’s banks on WikiLeaks.
It was against this background that Assange apparently thought it would be amusing to go into the lion’s den. On the day of the ambassador’s reception, he didn’t even bother to wait for Jonsdottir before heading over to the US embassy.
Jonsdottir explains: "The irony was that I went to collect him from his guesthouse and couldn't find him, so just went back to work and didn't even go myself.
"I found out later he'd just decided to go on his own and got in by saying he was my guest. He said he'd spent a long time talking to Mr Watson."
And, at this time, he was already being sought out by the government of the United States.
It would appear that the pattern holds. Assange’s boldness and behavior in this instance would mirror exactly the behavior of the deGriz of science fiction.
This analysis is only partial and, as I stated, sketchy. I do believe there are enough parallels that it offers an important insight into the mind and personality of Julian Assange.
It’s doubtful that the United States government would be aware of such important connections to understanding their ‘enemy’. Often political appointees, or even those of the traditional hierarchy, are ignorant of the subjects they are supposed to deal with. And events of the past ten years have confirmed that they do not understand whom they’re fighting very well, even now.
Such was the case with Michael D Brown, of Hurricane Katrina infamy (“Heckuva job, Brownie”), who was appointed head of FEMA under President Bush. He had no qualifications and no experience in Emergency Management. Prior to his assignment, he had been a Commissioner for the International Arabian Horse Association.
I also remember reading a story some time later about a man assigned to head counterterrorism in the FBI. He admitted he knew nothing about Islam, and said something to the extent that it “wasn’t needed” for the job.
It’d seem to me that it’s difficult to fight something you don’t understand. Sun Tzu realized this some thousands of years ago when he wrote “The Art Of War”.
If this pattern has continued into the Obama Administration, then, I highly doubt they’ve made the connection I’ve described above. Imagination is not a quality associated with politics, in my opinion. Only fans of science fiction—probably the older ones—would even be aware of Harry Harrison’s novels, as I am.
If I am correct, I believe these are important clues to his personality of Julian Assange and the nature of Wikileaks itself.
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