Welcome! "The Evening Blues" is a casual community diary (published Monday - Friday, 8:00 PM Eastern) where we hang out, share and talk about news, music, photography and other things of interest to the community.
Just about anything goes, but attacks and pie fights are not welcome here. This is a community diary and a friendly, peaceful, supportive place for people to interact.
Everyone who wants to join in peaceful interaction is very welcome here.
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Hey! Good Evening!
This evening's music features Atlanta jump blues singer Billy Wright, "The Prince of the Blues." Wright was a mentor to Little Richard and helped him get his first recording contract. Enjoy!
Billy Wright - Live The Life
“What you do in this world is a matter of no consequence. The question is what can you make people believe you have done.”
-- Arthur Conan Doyle
News and Opinion
Obama Promises Disappear from Web
Change.gov, the website created by the Obama transition team in 2008, has effectively disappeared sometime over the last month.
Why the change?
Here's one possibility, from the administration's ethics agenda:
Protect Whistleblowers: Often the best source of information about waste, fraud, and abuse in government is an existing government employee committed to public integrity and willing to speak out. Such acts of courage and patriotism, which can sometimes save lives and often save taxpayer dollars, should be encouraged rather than stifled. We need to empower federal employees as watchdogs of wrongdoing and partners in performance. Barack Obama will strengthen whistleblower laws to protect federal workers who expose waste, fraud, and abuse of authority in government. Obama will ensure that federal agencies expedite the process for reviewing whistleblower claims and whistleblowers have full access to courts and due process.
It may be that Obama's description of the importance of whistleblowers went from being an artifact of his campaign to a political liability. It wouldn't be the first time administration positions disappear from the internet when they become inconvenient descriptions of their assurances.
NSA surveillance critics to testify before Congress
Democrat congressman Alan Grayson says hearing will help to stop 'constant misleading information' from intelligence chiefs
Congress will hear testimony from critics of the National Security Agency's surveillance practices for the first time since the whistleblower Edward Snowden's explosive leaks were made public.
Democrat congressman Alan Grayson, who is leading a bipartisan group of congressman organising the hearing, told the Guardian it would serve to counter the "constant misleading information" from the intelligence community.
The hearing, which will take place on Wednesday, comes amid evidence of a growing congressional rebellion NSA data collection methods. ...
Grayson, who was instrumental in fostering support among Democrats for the the amendment, said Wednesday's hearing would mark the first time critics of NSA surveillance methods have testified before Congress since Snowden's leaks were published by the Guardian and Washington Post.
"I have been concerned about the fact that we have heard incessantly in recent weeks from General Keith Alexander [director of the NSA] and Mr James Clapper [director of National Intelligence] about their side of the story," he said. "We have barely heard anything in Congress from critics of the program.
Poll: Back off the snooping, public tells Washington
Americans are fed up with the federal government collecting information on their phone calls, emails and Internet use, and they want curbs on what can be monitored, majorities say in a new McClatchy-Marist poll.
The July 15-18 survey also found widespread opposition to the Insider Threat Program revealed in a recent McClatchy story, a sweeping, unprecedented Obama administration initiative that has federal employees and contractors watching for “high-risk persons or behaviors” among co-workers. ...
Enough, says the public. By a 2-to-1 margin, they declared that having federal employees track each other is going too far. The strong concern crosses all party lines, age, race and income groups.
Fifty-six percent of the 1,204 adults surveyed thought the government had gone too far in its collection of personal data, while a third said the effort was needed. Seventy percent want regulations to limit what can be monitored to protect privacy, while more than a quarter regard the programs as part of life in the digital age.
John
Asscrack Ashcroft resurfaces as a boardmember of the Blackwater Militia, now re-named "Academi," and lets his eagle fly for his fellow Aspen Institute warmonger buddies. And what a nice man that Michael Hayden turns out to be when you get him in a room amongst his buddies:
Shocking 'Extermination' Fantasies By the People Running America's Empire on Full Display at Aspen Summit
John Ashcroft, the former Attorney General who prosecuted the war on terror under the administration of George W. Bush, appeared at Aspen as a board member of Academi. Responding to a question about U.S. over-reliance on the “kinetic” approach of drone strikes and special forces, Ashcroft reminded the audience that the U.S. also likes to torture terror suspects, not just “exterminate” them.
“It's not true that we have relied solely on the kinetic option,” Ashcroft insisted. “We wouldn't have so many detainees if we'd relied on the ability to exterminate people…We've had a blended and nuanced approach and for the guy who's on the other end of a Hellfire missile he doesn't see that as a nuance.”
Hearty laughs erupted from the crowd and fellow panelists. With a broad smile on her face, moderator Catherine Herridge of Fox News joked to Ashcroft, “You have a way with words.”
But Ashcroft was not done. He proceeded to boast about the pain inflicted on detainees during long CIA torture sessions: “And maybe there are people who wish they were on the end of one of those missiles.”
Competing with Ashcroft for the High Authoritarian prize was former NSA chief Michael Hayden, who emphasized the importance of Obama’s drone assassinations, at least in countries the U.S. has deemed to be Al Qaeda havens. “Here's the strategic question,” Hayden said. “People in Pakistan? I think that's very clear. Kill 'em. People in Yemen? The same. Kill 'em.”
Keiser Report: Royal Goldman Household
Who Are We at War With? That’s Classified
In a major national security speech this spring, President Obama said again and again that the U.S. is at war with “Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and their associated forces.”
So who exactly are those associated forces? It’s a secret.
At a hearing in May, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., asked the Defense Department to provide him with a current list of Al Qaeda affiliates.
The Pentagon responded – but Levin’s office told ProPublica they aren’t allowed to share it. Kathleen Long, a spokeswoman for Levin, would say only that the department’s “answer included the information requested.”
A Pentagon spokesman told ProPublica that revealing such a list could cause “serious damage to national security.”
“Because elements that might be considered ‘associated forces’ can build credibility by being listed as such by the United States, we have classified the list,” said the spokesman, Lt. Col. Jim Gregory. “We cannot afford to inflate these organizations that rely on violent extremist ideology to strengthen their ranks.”
ooooOOOOoooohhh! The administration trots out its "unnamed US officials" to bat back at reports. Claims without evidence as usual:
US Officials Attack Leaked Report on Civilians Drone Deaths
US officials are claiming that an internal Pakistani assessment of civilian deaths from US drone strikes – obtained and published in full by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism – is ‘far from authoritative.’
The secret document was obtained by the Bureau from three independent sources. It provides details of more than 70 CIA drone strikes between 2006 and 2009, and was compiled by civilian officials throughout Pakistan’s tribal areas.
They noted that at least 147 of 746 people listed as killed in CIA drone strikes between 2006 and 2009 were said to be civilians. That number could be as high as 220 civilian dead, the leaked report indicates.
Now unnamed US officials are questioning the contents of the leaked report. A written statement has been provided to news organisations including the Bureau.
The statement notes that the leaked document was based on ‘indirect input from a loose network of Pakistani government and tribal contacts’. As such, an official indicated, ‘the result is a report whose findings are far from authoritative’.
The same statement added: ‘The notion that the United States has undertaken operations in Pakistan that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of innocent Pakistanis is ludicrous. There is no credible information whatsoever to substantiate the report’s distorted figures.’
Obama 'Concerned and Disappointed' After Journalist Who Exposed US War Crimes Freed
Abdulelah Haider Shaye 'put in prison because he had the audacity to expose' deadly US drone strike
The White House is "concerned and disappointed" over the news that Yemeni Journalist Abdulelah Haider Shaye, who was kept in a Yemeni jail for three years per the request of the Obama administration after he exposed a deadly U.S. drone strike, was released Tuesday. ...
We are concerned and disappointed by the early release of Abd-Ilah al-Shai, who was sentenced by a Yemeni court to five years in prison for his involvement with Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
Report Recounts US-Backed Atrocities in Colombian Civil War
Over 54 years of civil war in Colombia—fueled by decades of US financial backing of the nation's rightwing government in alliance with paramilitary groups—nearly a quarter million people were killed, 4 out of 5 of them civilians, according to a government report released Wednesday. ...
The over 400 page report that is capturing global headlines states that violence spiked between 1980 and 2012, with a majority of massacres carried out by Colombian government-allied paramilitaries. The report details chilling atrocities—including photographs of massacred civilians—that the US and Colombian governments have long denied.
Approximately 4.7 million had been forcibly displaced since 1996, according to the report ...
Extensive atrocities throughout Colombia's half decade of armed conflict have been flamed by staunch US support—including funding and training for the Colombian military, and by extension, its paramilitary allies. Multinational corporations, including Chiquita, also financed paramilitary organizations to enable their continued economic grip on the country, and civilians, social activists, leftists, and guerillas have been brutally targeted over the past decades.
Since 2000, the US has dumped over $8 billion dollars into "Plan Colombia" an extension of its 'War on Terror' and 'War on Drugs' that escalated military violence throughout Colombia, policies that have been continued under the Obama administration.
Egyptian army questions Mohamed Morsi over alleged Hamas terror links
The overthrown Egyptian president, Mohamed Morsi, is under investigation for aiding Hamas attacks on Egyptian security facilities during Egypt's 2011 revolution, state media reported on Friday, in the first official update on his status since the Islamist was forced from office and detained incommunicado by the Egyptian army on 3 July. ...
Millions are expected to fill Egypt's streets on Friday in support of army chief General Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, who asked on Wednesday for Egyptians to give him a mandate to deal with what he termed terrorism. His speech was seen by sceptics as a thinly veiled attempt to win popular support for a violent crackdown on Morsi supporters. Much of Egyptian media has spent the last month depicting the Muslim Brotherhood and its allies as terrorists. At least seven channels have suspended normal programming to encourage their audience to back Sisi. ...
The decision by Egypt's judiciary to focus their investigations against Morsi on allegations from before his presidency began, rather than on human rights violations that occurred during the presidency itself, indicates that they may be wary of implicating state institutions such as the police, who were also complicit in the torture and killing of protesters under his tenure.
Since Morsi's overthrow, parts of Egypt have been hit regularly by violent protests and counter-protests by those supportive and opposed to his rule. More than 200 Egyptians have already died in clashes between Morsi supporters, opponents and security forces since protests against the ex-president began in late June. Contrary to local media reports, which blame the Brotherhood almost entirely for the unrest, all sides have been party to violence – not least the state. On 8 July, police and soldiers massacred 51 pro-Morsi supporters at a rally outside a military compound in east Cairo.
Egypt Tensions Escalate as Morsi Detained and Supporters of Army, Brotherhood Hold Rival Protests
Egyptian Military announces ‘War on Terror’
Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the Minister of Defense, called for big demonstrations on Friday so that that people can “delegate” to the military the ability to wage a “war on terror.” The use of that language came after a state security police building was bombed in Mansoura. I tweeted that when activists call for demonstrations, that is activism; when generals do, that is Peronism. ... Al-Sisi is playing with fire by ensuring that dueling crowds will be out on Friday, and they could clash. To their credit, some liberal political parties and youth movements like April 6 and the Revolutionary Socialists have announced that they will not participate.
Gaza’s Ark a bid to break Israel’s blockade from within
Palestinian labourers and foreign activists are working tirelessly to transform a large fishing boat into “Gaza’s Ark” with the aim of exporting local produce in the latest bid to break Israel’s blockade on the coastal strip.
The Ark, which is being fitted out to carry goods and more than 100 passengers, is expected to set sail for Europe when it is completed by the end of July in the latest high-profile attempt to challenge Israel’s maritime lockdown on the tiny Hamas-run territory.
If they are successful, this will be the first time goods from Gaza have been exported by sea since the signing of the 1994 Oslo Peace Accords.
Significantly, this attempt to alleviate the effects of the seven-year blockade comes from within Gaza, where locals refurbishing the 24-metre-long (78 feet) vessel want to take matters into their own hands, rather than waiting for help from the outside world.
Emergency Exit: Greeks flee country as govt resorts to mass layoffs
A bit of good news...
UK Court Strikes Blow Against Privatization of the Seas
Louisiana Sues Oil Companies For Wetlands Damage in Gulf Showdown
After decades of operating with complete disregard for the environment, the dirty energy industry finally has to face the music for destroying the wetlands that form a natural barrier against storm damage in the state of Louisiana.
The suit, filed by the board of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East, claims that the oil and gas industry's irresponsible pipeline placement, drilling, and excavation methods have eroded and polluted vital wetlands in Louisiana. ...
The suit alleges that the wetlands, which took more than 6,000 years to form, provide vital protection for the state from the impacts of severe storms, floods, and hurricanes. The degradation caused by the dirty energy industry’s activities leaves the state more vulnerable to the effects of severe weather.
The lawsuit has been adamantly opposed by Republican Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal who, according to the New York Times, claims that the board has “overstepped its authority” in filing the suit. It is worth noting that the dirty energy industry has been a substantial financial backer of Jindal, contributing nearly a quarter of a million dollars to his campaigns. The Times reports that Jindal claimed the board had been “hijacked” by “trial lawyers.”
Alberta Regulator Approves Jackpine Mine Expansion Despite "Irreversible" Environmental Impacts
Blog Posts of Interest
Here are diaries and selected blog posts of interest on DailyKos and other blogs.
What's Happenin'
False memory planted in mouse's brain
What Congress Could do about NSA Spying if It were Serving the People
Another dead transwoman of color…this time in Philadelphia (again)
Jill Stein addresses the Green Party of the United States Sat. 12:30pm
A Little Night Music
Billy Wright - Hey Little Girl
Billy Wright - Billy's Boogie Blues
Billy Wright - After Dark Blues
Billy Wright - Mean Old Wine
Billy Wright - Wind It Up
Billy Wright - Have mercy baby
Billy Wright - Married woman's boogie
Billy Wright - Man's Brand Boogie
It's National Pie Day!
The election is over, it's a new year and it's time to work on real change in new ways... and it's National Pie Day. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to tell you a little more about our new site and to start getting people signed up.
Come on over and sign up so that we can send you announcements about the site, the launch, and information about participating in our public beta testing.
Why is National Pie Day the perfect opportunity to tell you more about us? Well you'll see why very soon. So what are you waiting for?! Head on over now and be one of the first!
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