[Drew's WHEEEEE™ Technology]

Where's your motherf*%&ing flag pin?

But ET has spoiled me, I'm really not used to making a case in front of people who can't/won't follow an argument, simply disagree with your understanding of a historical narrative without necessarily giving a credible alternative view cos it's their opinion and they're entitled to it and generally aren't willing to debate honestly.

It didn't help that there was another TG floating through the discussion who was, imo, trying to win respect by agreeing with the Bindelistas. I was having to restrain myself from pointing out that you don't get respect by demonstrating you have none for yourself. No, cos that would make me an angry trans and all feminists know that trans people are always angry. Not that being on the receiving end of endless bigotry from feminists has anything to do with it at all.

So I reviewed the comments this morning and I just felt tired. Apparently somebody being a bigot and  pointing out that that somebody is a bigot is morally identical in feminist world. So.....


keep to the Fen Causeway

A plan to kill Roberto Saviano and his police escort before the end of the year has been confirmed by authorities. La Repubblica has linked the gangland rumours to the confessions of Oreste Spagnuolo one of the killers of the Castelvolturno massacre in which six Africans were slaughtered as well as an Italian police informant. The Casalese band had been shopping for detonators to raise the level of conflict against the state.

The possible plan to use explosives for Camorra terror operations recalls the mafia war against the state by Totò Riina and Bernardo Provenzano in the early 90's with bombings in Florence, Rome and Palermo.

The purpose of that war was to force the state to negotiate with the mafia.

It may now have come full circle after 15 years of silent mafia. If it won't be Saviano, the message is clear. The intention is more bombs or massacres.  

World Bank governance | Guardian | 13 Oct 2008

The US is to lose its power to appoint the president of the World Bank after the UK's development secretary, Douglas Alexander, brokered a deal to throw open the post to candidates from any country.

Backed by European governments and developing countries, Alexander overcame resistance from the US and Japan to secure a reform he described last night as "a significant step forward".

Washington has had the right to hand-pick the president of the World Bank since the institution was founded after the second world war, with Europe choosing the managing director of the International Monetary Fund.

Alexander is certainly fortunate to be able to negotiate World Bank procedure, following the very strange performances of presidents Robert Zoellick and The Wolfowitz, "a guy who combed his hair with his own spittle" (cometman) and did not darn his socks but surely guaranteed his lover's income.

But to paraphrase McCain oppo-strat (originally coined by Anna Quinlan, doyen columnist at the Washington Post), Who is Douglas Alexander? Superficial answer: tail-end of the Boomer cohort and an advocate for international development aid (IDA, searchable) which is one very broad class of a global NGO industry. Alexander is concerned about improving poverty metrics worldwide. So is Mr Obama.

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Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

LOL or IOKIYAR

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

HuffPo | McCain Transition Chief Aided Saddam In Lobbying Effort:

William Timmons, the Washington lobbyist who John McCain has named to head his presidential transition team, aided an influence effort on behalf of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to ease international sanctions against his regime.

The two lobbyists who Timmons worked closely with over a five year period on the lobbying campaign later either pleaded guilty to or were convicted of federal criminal charges that they had acted as unregistered agents of Saddam Hussein's government.

During the same period beginning in 1992, Timmons worked closely with the two lobbyists, Samir Vincent and Tongsun Park, on a previously unreported prospective deal with the Iraqis in which they hoped to be awarded a contract to purchase and resell Iraqi oil. Timmons, Vincent, and Park stood to share at least $45 million if the business deal went through.

Any suggestions for a photoblog theme this week?

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I think tonight she explained herself.

All I can say is....I hope not. I wish I could be more certain.

keep to the Fen Causeway