Neoconservatism dies in Gaza

Neoconservatism dies in Gaza

Article by Juan Cole @ Salon.com. I agree with Professor Cole that Neo-Conservatism's Foreign Policy has largely contributed to the current state of affairs in the Middle East. I don't expect President Obama to achieve 'Peace in the Mid-East' but I hope that he doesn't go out of his way to actively screw up the region.

Russian Officials Attempt (But Fail) to Squelch the Nation's 1st LGBT Film Fest

I just don't really understand the fascination which the world apparently exhibits regarding what a couple (or more) do in their own beds. If it isn't harmful to either person (such as incest, rape, etc) I'm not really sure where the government's place is. Surely the State of Russia is not doing a morality play? 

Here's an excerpt from the article:

Last Thursday, the St. Petersburg fire department shut down both venues for Side by Side, Russia's first LGBT film festival, which was due to open that evening with a screening of Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

Alexey Bulokhov, a Russian citizen and Soulforce Director of International Outreach, was in St. Petersburg to present the Russian debut of For the Bible Tells Me So. He describes the scene:

...festival producers Irina and Manny and I arrived early at the venue. We were met with strong law enforcement presence. Electricity was shut off in the venue. There were regular policemen with demonstratively visible batons, representatives from the Ministry of Emergency Situations who typically deal with earthquakes, floods and other national disasters, a court bailiff and a transport van. Several supporters in the area informed Irina that there were two busloads of police in the side streets as well as several cars with what appeared to be private security personnel wearing ski masks."

In spite of this massive display of state power and intimidation, many of the planned screenings and events--including an unforgettable evening with John Cameron Mitchell--did manage to happen below the radar this weekend. It's a story of determination and ingenuity on the part of organizers and audiences alike.

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Palin: Obama Is ‘Palling Around With Terrorists’ - New York Times

I will be so glad when this election is over. Seriously, we seem to lack any sort of restraint or intellect in politics. Of course now we do know a lot more about how Palin reads her news: through soundbites and headlines. So yes, Obama has met someone before who performed terrorist acts, acts performed when he was 8. Of course, the fact that he was never close to Ayers and has called his acts "detestable" but that is beside the point!

ABC News

Palin: Obama Is ‘Palling Around With Terrorists’
New York Times - 1 hour ago
By Kate Phillips In remarks at a Colorado airport hangar today, Gov. Sarah Palin tore into Senator Barack Obama with a twist that she ripped right from the headlines of this very newspaper.
Palin Says Obama 'Palling Around' With Terrorists ABC News
Palin Turns to NYT, Citing Article on Ayers Washington Post
CNN Political Ticker - The Swamp - Tribune's Washington Bureau - FOXNews
all 267 news articles

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Amazon's Kindle 2 leaked

Boy Genius Report gets ahold of some photos of the next-generation digital Reader from Amazon, and they seem real.

Though I'm currently using my iPhone as an eReader, this could of course change. I decided to use my iPhone because of the convenience and because I'm sick of having so many books in my overloaded bag. So I'm interested in such devices. Kindle hasn't really impressed me too much but I'll undoubtedly take a look at the device if I happen to have a chance. As for Sony's new device, mentioned in the article, it does really intrigue me. Apparently these readers are beginning to incorporate some touch screen technology but what really caught my interest is the mention of being able to annotate the text. As a student, this is a must. If I'm going to make a full conversion one day I need an easy way to totally highlight and scribble on my book. Of course, such features come with a price and Sony is asking for $400 for their lovely new device. Oh well, I'll keep my eyes open at the very least.

I do recommend anyone with an iPhone who is doing a significant amount of reading, purchase the Annotater [sic] app through Apple's App store it does allow for a significant amount of well, annotation.

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