FEBRUARY2007

By Louise Hogan The Independent

Published: 26 February 2007

Three hundred Father Ted fans descended on a small island off the west coast of Ireland today, donning white collars and habits to celebrate the comedy series.

As surreal as any Father Ted episode, the 11-kilometre long island, Inis Mor, suffered the invasion of fans determined to party as hard as the notorious drink-swilling Father Jack.

The bleak landscape of the largest of the Aran islands was chosen as a fitting location for Craggy island for the three-day Friends of Ted event from Friday to mark the ninth anniversary of the death of comic Dermot Morgan, the star of the Channel 4 series.

All politically correct notions were cast from the island as a bizarre array of themed events associated with the comedy got under way. On the bill were the Toilet Duck Comedy Awards, the Father Jack Cocktail Evening, A Song for Europe and the Lovely Girls Competition.

Michael Gill, 65, from Inis Mor, sat supping a pint of the black stuff at a pub in the village packed with clerics, alongside the lovely girls.

"When you see all these nuns going around and they have the boyfriends with them, that would sort of put you thinking," he laughed.

24th February
theblacklist@lists.riseup.net,
Subject: Memorial Tribute for Preston Wilcox 2/27
Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2007 11:01:28 -0500

Greetings All,
On Tuesday, February 27, 2007, Medgar Evers College, The Center for Law and Social Justice and The National Black Unitied Front (NYC Chapter) is hosting a Memorial Tribute to Preston Wilcox. Born in Youngstown, Ohio in 1923, Preston, a 1st citizen of Harlem died on August 12, 2006. A long-time educator and activist, Preston was the founder of AFRAM Associates, Inc, a non-profit organization, researching, archiving and sharing information about Black organizations, education, history and resources, including an extensive collection on Malcolm X. The Memorial Tribute will be held in the MEC FoundersAuditorium at 1650 Bedford Avenue. It will begin at 6:00 pm. Please join us in celebrating the life and work of our beloved brother.

PLEASE FORWARD!!!

Peace and Blessings,
Joan P. Gibbs

23 February
Train crashes in Lake District

Passengers are reported to be injured and trapped after a train derailed and slid down an embankment in Cumbria. Nine carriages were left on their side, with some "stuck up in the air", passengers said. Fire crews said it was thought there were "numerous injuries". The Virgin train, the 1715 from London Euston to Glasgow Central, crashed at Grayrigg near Kendal at 2015 GMT. It had been due in Glasgow at 2154 GMT.

Passenger Caroline Thomson said the train seemed to hit something. The BBC executive said there were "lots and lots" of walking wounded at the scene. RAF helicopters, police and fire crews have been sent to the scene of collision, between Oxenholme and Tebay in the Lake District.

Cumbria Ambulance Service said six to eight people were feared trapped in one of the carriages of the train. The train had about 180 people on board, the fire service said. Michael Mulford from RAF Kinloss rescue centre said his crews were searching the carriages "systematically and are finding people injured in all sorts of places".

21st February
Just in case you want to see the details about Americans purchasing a home in the West Bank, the site of the organization is   www.amana.il   and the details about the purchasing is on   http://www.amana.co.il/Index.asp?ArticleID=
350&CategoryID=108&Page=1  
BIG BUSINESS THIS, IF WE LET THEM GET BY WITH IT!   PLEASE HELP STOP IT.  I trust your judgments to think ways up.  Notify your government officials where ever you live.  After all, this just shows Israel's true face vis a vis the so-called 2 state solution--Palestine and Israel living side by side.  Ha!  Israel is swallowing up Palestine--building more and more, fencing off more and more!  These 'private' companies undoubtedly have the Israeli government's blessing.  Please do all you can, all that is in your power, to stop this continued theft of Palestinian land, which is going hand in hand with Israel's ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from the Occupied Palestinian Territories!   Dorothy

Italians march in US base protest

Tens of thousands of people have marched in the north-eastern Italian city of Vicenza against a planned extension of the US army base there. Organisers say the majority of local people are opposed to US plans. They say Prime Minister Romano Prodi has ignored strong local objections.

Mr Prodi is going ahead with a plan agreed by his pro-US predecessor, Silvio Berlusconi. Despite fears of possible violence, the march passed off peacefully. Schools normally opened on Saturday were closed, and the US embassy warned Americans to avoid the city, as Mr Prodi appealed for protestors to avoid violence. BBC World News

Was Mathews Eager to Sell his Turkeys Elsewhere?

Publisher:  Ian Morgan/12/02/2007



Bird flu outbreak controversy rages on

Vets will receive the results today of tests on meat transported from the UK to Hungary after the British bird flu outbreak, according to reports.

Channel 4 News reported yesterday that Hungarian vets were carrying out tests on the processed meat, said to have been taken from the Suffolk farm at the centre of the outbreak to Hungary in the past few days.

Vets would get the results of those tests today, the programme said.

Yesterday the Sunday Times claimed lorryloads of turkey meat had been taken from Bernard Matthews' farm in Holton, Suffolk, to Hungary as late as three days after bird flu was confirmed at the farm on February 1.

MonoSodiumGlutamate (MSG)and Obesity

Not only is MSG scientifically proven to cause obesity, it is an addictive substance! Since its introduction into the American food supply fifty years ago, MSG has been added in larger and larger doses to the pre-packaged meals, soups, snacks and fast foods we are tempted to eat everyday.The FDA has set no limits on how much of it can be added to food. They claim it's safe to eat in any amount. How can they claim it safe when there are hundreds of scientific studies with titles like: 'Obesity induced by neonatal monosodium glutamate treatment in spontaneously hypertensive rats: an animal model of multiple risk factors'. Iwase M, Yamamoto M, Iino K, Ichikawa K, Shinohara N, Yoshinari Fujishima Hypertens Res. 1998 Mar.

Even as you read this, G. W. Bush and his corporate supporters are pushing a Bill through Congress called the "Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act" also known as the "Cheeseburger Bill", this sweeping law bans anyone from suing food manufacturers, sellers and distributors. Even if it comes out that they purposely added an addictive chemical to their foods. Read about it for yourself at: http://www.yahoo.com The Bill has already been rushed through the House of Representatives, and is due for the same rubber stamp at Senate level. It is important that Bush and his corporate supporters get it through before the media lets everyone know about 'MSG, the intentional Nicotine for food'. Several months ago, John Erb took his book and his concerns to one of the highest government health officials in Canada. While sitting in the Government office, the official told him "Sure I know how bad MSG is, I wouldn't touch the stuff!"
But this top level government official refused to tell the public what he knew.

The big media doesn't want to tell the public either, fearing  legal issues with their advertisers. It seems that the fallout on fast food industry may hurt their profit margin. The food producers and restaurants have been addicting us to their products for years, and now we are paying the price for it. Our children should not be cursed with obesity caused by an addictive food additive. But what can I do about it?... I'm just one voice! What can I do to stop the poisoning of our children, while our governments are insuring financial protection for the industry that is poisoning us!



Feb.3rd:
MEPs of the European Union unite to shut out far-right
Far-right members of the European Parliament have been denied leading positions on two assembly committees after other MEPs united to block them. Candidates from the Identity, Tradition and Sovereignty Group were defeated in secret ballots after centre-left and liberal MEPs put the matter to a vote. Under the informal system which usually operates the bloc would have been given two vice-chairmanships without a vote.

Group leader Bruno Gollnisch denounced the move as petty and dishonourable. Last month the arrival of MEPs from European newcomers Bulgaria and Romania in parliament gave the far-right enough seats to form a recognised parliamentary alliance. Mr Gollnisch said the group would base itself on Christian values and on human rights.

Levy arrested over perversion of justice

Police detain Blair's chief fundraiser for second time

Sandra Laville and Will Woodward
Wednesday January 31, 2007
The Guardian

Tony Blair's chief fundraiser and confidant Lord Levy was arrested for a second time yesterday on suspicion of perverting the course of justice over his role in the cash for honours affair.

The dramatic development suggests Lord Levy, who answers directly to the prime minister, is suspected of allegedly lying or withholding evidence from detectives as part of a coverup. Police are known to be following a trail of encrypted emails and electronic trails on computer hard drives as part of their 10-month inquiry.

Scotland Yard detectives, who are investigating whether money was donated to the Labour party in exchange for peerages, placed the peer under arrest when he went to a central London police station to answer bail yesterday.

Perverting the course of justice involves attempts to put obstacles in the way of police. It is considered an extremely serious offence by the courts. The maximum jail penalty is life although in practice no one has ever been jailed for more than 10 years in the last century.

A spokesman for Lord Levy said he "completely denies any allegations of wrongdoing whatsoever. Lord Levy went to the police station today as asked. He was interviewed again. He left the police station in the early afternoon and since there is a continuing investigation he will not make any further comments at this time." The peer was released on bail last night pending further inquiries.

Government sources were also bullish about the development. As pressure mounted on No 10, senior ministers expressed anger and frustration about the length of the police investigation and a belief that it is time to put up or shut up.

A government source said: "This has now been going on a year and questions need to be asked whether there is or isn't sufficient information." Scotland Yard has, however, has repeatedly defended the integrity of its inquiry.

Downing Street refused to comment on Lord Levy's re-arrest, but the development will heighten speculation that Mr Blair - who has already been questioned as a witness - may be seen again by detectives before they conclude their inquiry.

Birth rates 'must be curbed to win war on global poverty'

Published: 31 January 2007

The earth's population will approach an unsustainable total of 10.5 billion unless contraception is put back at the top of the agenda for international efforts to alleviate global poverty. A report by MPs released today challenges world leaders to put the contraceptive pill and the condom at the centre of their efforts to alleviate global poverty, tackle starvation and even help to avert global warming.

Gordon Brown has staked his future premiership on leading the world in tackling global poverty. And the report, by the all-party parliamentary group on population, development and reproductive growth, makes the point that the population surge presents a massive stumbling block for his ambition.

Since the 1970s, when coercion was used in India and China, family planning has become a dirty word among environmental and hunger campaigners. But the report warns that eight UN targets for reducing poverty in the developing world will be missed unless world leaders do more to stop the soaring birth rates.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article2201090.ece

Artists face jail after cartoon stunt !

Two artists from Boston found themselves in court yesterday facing the possibility of a prison sentence after signs they had placed around the city to advertise a late-night animated show triggered a traffic-snarling terror scare. Boston police closed major commuter arteries, underground stations and even a section of the Charles River on Wednesday after receiving phone calls from concerned citizens who had spotted the devices and apparently mistaken them for bombs. The scare crippled parts of downtown Boston.The Cartoon Network, owned by Turner Broadcasting, later acknowledged that it had contracted with a publicity company, Interference Inc, to distribute the foot-tall, magnetic signs around Boston and nine other cities, including New York and Chicago.

The two accused men, Peter Berdovsky, 27, and Sean Stevens, 28, were arrested on Wednesday evening and released on $2,500 (£1270) bail.This was an advertising stunt gone wrong for two reasons: firstly, the signs which traced out figures from the cartoon, called Mooninites, in flashing lights looked like circuit boards, which can also be used in bomb-making, and had visible batteries and protruding wires; and secondly, the men put them in obviously sensitive places, like the supports of road flyovers and near hospitals and underground stations.Also, no one at Interference Inc or the Cartoon Network seemed to have taken into consideration the paranoia that still exists after the terror attacks of 11 September 2001. The public is encouraged to report suspicious packages, and these flashing figures - one appears to be a angry-looking gnome making an obscene gesture - apparently qualified.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article2208254.ece