. . .

I missed this when it was published a few days ago. Worth a read. . . .

Hmmm. I wonder how many times this sort of thing happened with stimulus money? And how many millions (billions?) were wasted? . . .

When I last visited Batumi, the Soviet empire was in its final death throes. Nestled around a fine Black Sea harbor, Batumi had every appearance of a place that had seen finer days. It was grimy, dimly lit, and poorly maintained, the handful of turn-of-the-century Mediterranean-style villas being overtaken by disheveled apartment blocks of the Krushchev era. My handlers insisted on a tour of the city’s principal landmark: a decrepit oil refinery, the beacon of Adjara’s entry into the industrial age. The refinery was filthy and in obvious disrepair, boasting technology at least fifty years out of date, and the casual pollution associated with it was appalling, forcing the natives to avoid the oil-stained beachfronts and polluted waters. . . .

Wikileaks released thousands of military field reports from six years of the war in Afghanistan, including several asserting that representatives of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence met with Taliban leaders to coordinate attacks against American troops and plan assassinations of Afghan leaders, and that the Taliban has been using heat-seeking missiles provided to the mujahideen by the United States during Afghanistan's Soviet occupation. The reports also describe widespread corruption among Afghanistan's military and police. “I asked the seven patrolmen we detained to sit and relax while we sorted through a problem without ever mentioning why they were being detained,” one report reads. “Three of the patrolmen responded by saying that they had only taken money from the truck drivers to buy fuel for their generator.” Another report describes what happened after an Afghan civilian protested the rape by a police commander of a 16-year-old girl. “The district commander ordered his bodyguard to open fire on the AC [Afghan civilian],” it says. “The bodyguard refused, at which time the district commander shot [the bodyguard] in front of the AC.” “The United States strongly condemns the disclosure of classified information,” said National Security Adviser General James Jones. “Look,” said a spokesman for Afghan President Hamid Karzai about the reports, “this is nothing new.” New York Times New York Times New York Times At least 45 Afghan civilians were killed in Helmand province when a NATO rocket hit a mud house in which they had taken shelter from fighting between NATO and Taliban forces. New York Times A stampede during the Love Parade, an electronic music festival in Germany, killed eighteen people, and an Arab Israeli was sentenced to 18 months for rape after he slept with a woman under the pretense that he was an eligible Jewish bachelor. New York Times Haaretz Daily . . .

As noted previously, the Justice Department’s criminal probe into the U.S. attorneys scandal ended with a “whimper not a prosecution” last week. The Department informed congressional overseers that, even though the probe found serious wrongdoing by senior Department officials, it was unable to string together the evidence needed to bring criminal charges against any of those involved. Now information has emerged that seriously undermines the reputation of former Connecticut U.S. Attorney Nora Dannehy, tapped by former Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey to handle the probe. In a report prepared by the Justice Integrity Project, Harvard University’s Nieman Watchdog reports: . . .

Michelle Singletary couldn’t quite bring herself to say the word — she used the term “” — but her column otherwise nailed the real story. . . .

With the kind permission of C.H. Beck Verlag, former German chancellor Helmut Schmidt, and Columbia University historian Fritz Stern, we present here the second in a series of excerpts from the bestselling book Unser Jahrhundert—Ein Gespräch, in an original English translation. . . .

At his SpyTalk blog at the Washington Post, Jeff Stein reports on why the congressional probe into the Manas fuel contracts has been stagnant. It seems that Red Star/Mina Corp., the shadowy London-based companies who are beneficiaries of roughly $1½ billion in Pentagon fuel contracts, were using their overseas registries to avoid complying with congressional queries—ultimately leading the Oversight Committee to issue formal subpoenas and involve the U.S. Marshalls. Now, Stein reports, the congressional investigators have a compliance agreement: . . .

No, not another report from Guantánamo. Ha’aretz reports that an Israeli court has cleared the way for the publication of a hitherto unknown work by the reclusive writer whose works cast such a shadow over the twentieth century. . . .

During the 2008 campaign, Barack Obama offered a lengthy, detailed critique of the way the Bush Administration had undermined the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). “We need more transparency in government,” he argued. He came into office showing signs of acting on his promise. In a memo instructing agencies to treat FOIA requests with a presumption of validity, he wrote: . . .

I don’t think all these Daily Caller stories demonstrate that Journolist was a grand liberal media conspiracy, and almost everyone writes intemperate, sarcastic emails from time to time that would be embarrassing if leaked. Who cares? . . .

The Associated Press reports that the Justice Department’s two-year-long internal criminal probe into the U.S. attorney’s scandal has closed without bringing criminal charges. As usual, the Department waits for the dog days to deliver its report, hoping no one will pay it any attention. . . .

From the New York Times: . . .

From the Washington Post: . . .

From Haaretz: . . .

With the spread of phone cameras and pocket videorecorders, citizens around the United States have taken to recording the conduct of police. Often the conduct seems innocuous enough. But sometimes, the act of recording itself seems to send police off the deep end. ABC News’s Ray Sanchez now reports on a growing trend: police prosecuting citizens for taping them. . . .

The significance of the Shirley Sherrod affair is clear: an employee at the U.S. Department of Agriculture lost her job and was painted as a racist due to the release of an edited, highly misleading video of a speech she made a quarter-century ago. In any rational world, the headline for a story about the case is pretty obvious: “African American woman fired due to bogus charge of racism; victim smeared by video snippet released by conservative group.” . . .

Strike up the band and bring on Edith Piaf: we now have Jay Bybee’s theme song. The former White House counsel who headed the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) and oversaw what is now the most notorious legal memorandum of all time submitted to questioning by the House Judiciary Committee, and a transcript was released late last week. Bybee had avoided making public statements about his role in the issuance of the notorious torture memoranda, but a Washington Post account by Karl Vick appeared on April 25, 2009, quoted friends who said he was not exactly proud of this chapter of his life. Now Bybee corrects the record: . . .

In the midst of a press season focused on moronic political banter (lately including analyses of the twitter feed of a certain former governor), it’s good to see the Washington Post invest substantial talent and resources in a scoping study of the new national-security state. The wealth of data offered in Dana Priest’s and William Arkin’s series “Top-Secret America” is impressive, and the even-keel approach that is Dana Priest’s hallmark adds to its credibility. Here are some nuggets that struck me on the first read: . . .

Researchers established that American birth weights are declining, that the babies of Indian child brides are at greater risk for malnutrition, and that sharks born tovirgin mothers—contrary to prior assumptions—sometimes reach adulthood. The saltmarsh sparrow was found to be the world’s most promiscuous bird, and it was discovered that if a mouse is promiscuous, its sperms will sometimes cooperate with one another in order to defeat those of other males. The majority of young Swedish women are attracted to both men and women, and a quarter of British women over the age of 35 never have sex. An American cougar died of the plague. Among wild great tits, relative curiosity is genetically determined, and male tits with brighter plumage have better sperm. Ornithologists reported that flattening the crests or whiskers of auklets made the birds 2.5 times more likely to bump their heads in thedark. . . .

From Mother Jones: . . .

Congressman Ron Paul yesterday introduced the SEC Transparency Act of 2010 (HR 5970), a bill designed to force greater transparency in the Securities and.

Send your entries to grassroots@ronpaul.com or post them as a comment to this post. The winning entry will get a RonPaul.com t-shirt, bumper sticker, and.

We've Got Ron Paul - New Steve Dore Songvid. Submitted by Steve Dore on Fri, 07/30/2010 - 15:00. in. Videos. I've been holding this song for a month or so wondering when the right time would come. The Daily Paul Newsletter email ...

Ron Paul comments on the TIME cover and speaks out for ending the war in Afghanistan. It's better to help people than to bomb them! Date: 07/29/2010.

Ron Paul sent out the following email today: Dear Supporter, Connecticut's Republican primary is on August 10, right around the corner, and I wanted to.

David Frum has a post talking about liberal Republican support for Ron Paul in a recent poll of New Hampshire GOP primary voters. Although Paul's conservative supporters would say the Good Doctor is self-evidently more right-wing than ...

During a speech in support of the Fair Sentencing Act Ron Paul called for a repeal of the entire War on Drugs. Date: 07/28/2010.

In a last-ditch effort to prevent the US government's wars from spreading, Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich joined forces to push for a comprehensive withdrawal.

Public Policy Polling just released the exciting results of their latest 2012 poll in New Hampshire: Mitt Romney continues to look like an overwhelming.

A new poll of New Hampshire Republican voters reveals some interesting news about the source of Ron Paul's support.

The complete strangers who brutally attacked a Beacon Hill man just a day from his college graduation learned their fate. The victim spent months in a coma and nearly lost his sight. But some of the his lingering questions may never be answered.

The Leavenworth Fire Department says the fire, reported Friday, has burned at least 300 acres so far.

With Seattle's new emphasis on bicycle lanes, drivers are getting confused. Here are some tips on how to navigate around bikes on city streets.

A Mason County man tried to jump out the window of a courtroom after a judge ordered his arrest, according to court staffers.

Police have released surveillance video of a confrontation in which the driver of a stolen white pickup truck rammed a Centralia police cruiser and the officer subsequently opened fire.

Former Vice President Al Gore has been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing in the case of an alleged sexual assault of a massage therapist in Portland, the Portland Police and Multnomah County District Attorney announced Friday.

The King County Sheriff's detectives are looking for witnesses to an incident where a 25-year-old man was shoved off a 25-ft. cliff into the Green River. The man survived, but suffered serious back injuries.

An 80-year-old woman was beaten in the doorway of her South Seattle home Friday morning by an intruder.

A collision investigation fully blocks SR 99 in the Milton/Fife vicinity from 70th Street to the Pierce/King County line.

Another from the same expired roll of Kodacolor 200.  The graininess is the coalescence* of old film

Join Date: Oct 2009; Location: Friday Harbor , BC; Posts: 2132; Thanks: 173; Thanked 381 Times in 179 Posts. Send a message via MSN to Eclipse. Default Well, this blows. My dad is cheating on my mom :/ inb4insensitivegreedyjewjoke ...

County: Public Works looking to relieve backups at San Juan Island Solid Waste ... PNW Local News Some of the Town of Friday Harbor's trucks are carrying their loads to Skagit County. The operating days for the San Juan Island facility was changed to ... and more »

Alarming service, attitude in some eating establishments Journal of the San Jaun Islands As two who grew up in Friday Harbor , my husband and I find it somewhat alarming the typical service and attitude received at various eating establishments ...

Your chance to own a Spivey: San Juan Island Library auctioning works from its ... Journal of the San Jaun Islands The sale will be held at Friday Harbor Elementary School on Grover Street. The sale starts on Friday with a special opening for members of the Friends only, ...

'Fletcher Fans': Friday Harbor native, now an AppleSox assistant coach, is ... PNW Local News That's what Friday Harbor's Fletcher Vynne experiences every time the Wenatchee AppleSox play a home game. Vynne, a 2003 Friday Harbor High School graduate, ...

Tuxedo - Taz - Medium - Adult - Male - Cat Taz is about 4 yrs old and is friendly, quiet guy. He prefers to spend his time both indoors and outdoors. He g.

It seems to be something of a fashion lately for film photographers to seek out expired rolls of fil

We went back to the dock at 3:45pm to catch the 4:30pm ferry. You always have to arrive early to insure you'll get on or else you will have to wait for the next one which is about 3 hours later.We arrived back in Friday Harbor at 5:15pm ...

SanJuanIslander.com Port of Friday Harbor Air Fair takes off SanJuanIslander.com The Port of Friday Harbor's first Fly-in was a huge success. The show-opener - a Skyraider low pass. The Black Jack Squadron from Arlington flew several ...

Funding may be near for solutions to Friday Harbor ferry terminal gridlock ... Journal of the San Jaun Islands Sheriff Bill Cumming directs traffic while the 6:10 pm ferry offloads Friday in Friday Harbor . Some $230000 in federal funding could be coming to Friday ...

Sheriff Bill Cumming directs traffic while the 6:10 p.m. ferry offloads Friday in Friday Harbor . Some $230000 in federal funding could be coming to Friday Harbor to help control the movement of pedestrians and vehicles during ferry ...

According to the Washington state Department of Transportation's current airport impact report, Friday Harbor Airport's tenants, employees and visitors contribute millions of dollars to the local economy each year. ...

( FRIDAY HARBOR )- A Friday Harbor woman is suing the San Juan County Sheriff's Office in federal court in Seattle for police brutality, violations of her civil.

As I licked me cone of Java Smash-Up ice cream and pondered how it very well may be the most delecta

Super weekend: Relay for Life is Saturday, Sunday at Friday Harbor High School ... Journal of the San Jaun Islands Relay for Life San Juan County is July 24-25 â Saturday and Sunday â at the Friday Harbor High School track. Proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society, ... and more »

A Friday Harbor woman is suing San Juan County in federal court, alleging two sheriff's deputies illegally searched her home, used excessive force and falsely arrested her on March 21.

Friday Harbor woman sues San Juan County; alleges police brutality, unlawful ... Seattle Post Intelligencer A Friday Harbor woman is suing San Juan County in federal court, alleging two sheriff's deputies illegally searched her home, ... Friday Harbor resident files civil rights lawsuit against San Juan County SanJuanIslander.com all 5 news articles »

I am fortunate enough to be part of a great Vistage International group which has the opportunity to

Friday Harbor ranks as one of America's most desirable flying destinations. Every aviation and tourist publication has sung its praises as an idyllic getaway. Each year it hosts 12000 airline passengers, as well as visits from thousands ...

'He's pretty lucky': Friday Harbor man credits assistant harbormaster with ... Seattle Post Intelligencer Steve Cartagena walked up the stairs to the Port of Friday Harbor office so he could pay his moorage. It was July 1. ... and more »

June and July of this year has me coming and going at the same time.  I’m truly living a life

Last year we were in Humbolt, Iowa celebrating the 4th with Bob’s family on our journey from L

Classic island Fourth: Picnics, parade and fireworks planned in Friday Harbor ... Seattle Post Intelligencer The run is 3.1 miles with a route that winds through Friday Harbor and finishes at Hartman Field. The cost is $10 per person and helps support the big ... and more »

We’ve just received three inflatables from Advanced Element’s new Friday Harbor line. Th

A week from my departure to Montana, I had hoped to be writing about that. But something else is on

I can’t wait to get to Butte, Montana to sing for the locals the title track to my debut CD, C

In advance of my Montana tour, I registered on MontanaMusicians.com. Richie Reinholdt of Missoula wa

Sometimes a whole song comes out of me all at once, from a single chord or phrase. Where’s Way

Two weeks ago, Ashley and I were lucky enough to spend a week in the beautiful city of Seattle.  Alt

Tall masts of boats moored at Friday harbor with the towering trees as the backdrop is a nice welcom

Please download for free using the player above! I adapted the traditional song Gentle Annie to writ

seattle & san juan islands ! I just got back from a GREAT vacation out in the northwest! My parents and sister had planned a trip to go out there to meet up with our friends the Gates who used to live in Lexington and whose oldest ...

We're camped on Saddlebag Island. Kevin's boat is anchored in the bay. Dot Island and Hat Island are in the background. The weather was beautiful last weekend and the moon was full. It looked like this every night. Not a cloud in the ...

Hi All- We are hosting the San Juan Islands event and we want to invite all PNW boaters to come join the festivities. We will be anchored at Spencer.

Robin and I, with her uncle Kevin cleaning our catch on the shores of Saddlebag Island. We were crabbing Thursday, Friday and Saturday and caught our limit of 45 crabs. Good eating!!!

Thanks to all of our customers who commented on the two proposals for the Anacortes/ San Juan Islands /Sidney, B.C. fall schedule, which we provided for your review in June. We read all of your suggestions and made adjustments where ...

Dum de dum.  Lazy Saturday, just hangin around waitin — for some news, for the next batch, for

San Juan Islands . Former Spring Street School teacher charged with having sex with student · Airplane photographed buzzing orcas on west side of San Juan Island; photo sent to authorities · Friday Harbor woman sues San Juan County; ...

As I licked me cone of Java Smash-Up ice cream and pondered how it very well may be the most delecta

Searching for Whales in San Juan Islands : Read the story and see 17 photos of a visit to Friday Harbor, WA by TravelPod member dubnation.

Thursday July 8th- Orcas Hotel, Orcas Island, WA- I’ve been working for over one month now on

Every summer, tourists descend on villages, towns, cities and islands around the globe.  The current

We’re on San Juan Island for a few days with visiting Minnesotan friends. Today we took a scen

Photos by Kit and Diana Herring We arrive in Anacortes, barely an hour’s distance from Seattle

Well, not that San Juan. There are a bunch of islands in the very northwest of the state of Washingt

San Juan Islands provide great opportunities for hiking, kayaking, camping and other outdoor activit

large | original | follow me We drifted East on our flight home today, which offered some interesting views of the USA side of the scenery that is the beautiful place I live. Below are the American Gulf Islands known as the San Juan ...

Going to Blanchard Mountain is not a drive for the faint-of-heart.  A not-so-wide gravel road all th

  As many of you know, DVA has worked on over 30 projects in the San Juan Islands and has recently c

San Juan Islands . Orcas Island, San Juan Island waste transfer stations will close on Saturdays beginning Oct. 3 to cut costs · 14 percent rate increase approved; county considers alternative San Juan solid waste transfer station site ...

My husband and I love the San Juan Islands ! We've taken several trips to the islands over the years and have so many wonderful memories. Last Saturday, after completing our weekend chores we decided to make it a day trip to the San Juan ...

IN CUSTODY: Colton Harris-Moore, 19, is shown after his arrest Sunday in the Bahamas. AP He escaped

  The Royal Bahamas Police Force says it’s put the “Barefoot Bandit” behind bars.

A few years ago Ryann, Ariana and I went sailing with my parents in the San Juan Islands. This was o

Orca running off San Juan Island on 3 July 2010 “What was I thinkin?!”  I suddenly thoug

A full moon crests Cypress Island and casts across the gentle sea an orange beam of light, which pro

June 26, 2010 We were very busy in Anacortes, finishing up all the issues needing done before we hea

We can’t show you the photos yet…. but we have been out working on the 2011 HewesCraft c

“Oh my God. That was a huge splash,” S says frantically, reaching for the binoculars on the windowsi

All Aboard the Victoria Clipper! Join Tony Thomas aboard the Victoria Clipper on Sunday June 13th to

And, I am a day late.  Here is the second set of pictures from my trip last week. I don’t know

Colonel Dawson’s quest for answers and justice lead us on a guided tour across borders. Despit

I’m currently on a working vacation, volunteering for the BLM on the San Juan Islands in Washi