In article , Charlie wrote:

Uh-oh.....Fist of Death!!

Well, since we seem to be a smidge off subject already, I'm looking for
ward to seeing both Sicko and The Big Sellout. What? Ain't heard of it?

The Big Sellout includes interviews with Joseph Stiglitz, the former
World Bank chief economist [EPA]

Florian Opitz, a German filmmaker whose latest work takes a critical
look at the impact of privatisation on people's lives, says the selling
off of state holdings has become an "unchallenged ideology".

The Big Sellout, to open in German cinemas on Thursday, explores the
effects of privatisation on rail, healthcare and other public services.

The documentary, which features lengthy interviews with Joseph Stiglitz,
the former World Bank chief economist, will also be released shortly in
the United States, Sweden, Austria and Switzerland, Opitz said on
Wednesday.

Spread of privatisation

Opitz told Reuters news agency: "What really bothered me before
starting this was that everyone said you can't do anything about the
spread of privatisation, even though it affects so many people in such a
fundamental way.

"If people are informed about the potential impact of privatisation on
healthcare, railways, power suppliers and still want it, that's their
choice.

"But they're usually left in the dark. My aim was to show
privatisation's impact on people."

While insisting he is anything but a fan of Michael Moore, the US
filmmaker, and his confrontational approach, Opitz's English-language
film Der Grosse Ausverkauf - as it is titled in German - is similar in
style.

'Dangerous system'

Featured in the documentary, Simon, a British train driver, says he
once worked for the most efficient railway system in Europe, but since
its privatisation, it has become run-down and dangerous.

"Privatisation has become such an unchallenged ideology," said Opitz,
who spent four-and-a-half years on the film which has financial backing
from German public television.

"It is not a law of nature. Too many people shrug and say 'What can you
do?'"

In another segment of the four-part story, a poor mother in the
Philippines struggles to raise money for the dialysis her son needs.

In the end, hospital staff tells her she should just accept that she
cannot afford her son's treatment and let him die.

'Guerrilla electricians'

The third story is about a South African activist and his "guerrilla
electricians" who risk their lives helping families illegally re-connect
their power after a privatised electric company switched it off over
unpaid bills.

The fourth story is about violent protests in Bolivia in 2000 that
accompanied - and prevented - attempts by the local congress to impose
charges for water they had received free.

"Sell now, pay later - our world is being privatised," said 34-year-old
Opitz.

"This looks behind the abstract idea of privatising basic public
services."

He said: "Who will have access to water, energy, public transport and
healthcare? Only those who can afford it."

Opitz's film has been featured in festival screenings in Toronto,
Chicago, Berlin and Hong Kong.

Source: Agencies
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2007
---------

(Veering back on subject) The "bird house" gourd cleared the top of the
trellis yesterday at about 5 PM and promptly flowered. A little "hot
dogging". A couple of arms have branched out from the one that scaled
the trellis. The mass now seems to be rocking back and forth as if it
were looking for something else to grab on to. If it reaches our 5' it
will find the kumquat tree. But there is no doubt about it, this sucker
is ALIVE. I'll have to start counting the animals at night now. Most of
the plants in the garden have doubled in size this last week with the
heat.

Found a snail crawling over the alfalfa. He won't be passing that trait
on. Found a "bull" snail up with my starter plants, where 2 more
sunflowers were devoured yesterday. The area is littered with "Sluggo".
He won't be passing on any genetic tricks either. Planted a sunflower
with a sour cream container (bottom cut out) encircling it. Wrapped
aluminum (aluminium to the mates) around it. 48 hours later, it is still
there.

Basils are all potted up. tallest is 8" but they are getting it on. One
of the psylliums (Plantago whatchamacallit) seems to have replicated,
even though it is only 6" tall. I hope the little bugger doesn't turn
out to be invasive. The flax are about 8" high and the rail spur that I
installed next to it doesn't seem to have attracted any freight cars
yet. Slowly getting the medicinals into the ground.

(Veering off subject again) A group of activists at a (Harvard
University) has begun a week-long campaign to highlight the attendance
of Dan Halutz, a former Israeli military chief, on an elite study
programme.

The Harvard University students say that people with poor human rights
records, or who are seen as war criminals, should not be welcomed at the
centre.

The Alliance for Justice in the Middle East has covered the campus with
mock "WANTED" posters accusing Halutz, the former Israeli chief of
staff, of war crimes.

Halutz is being sponsored by the Israeli army to attend a two-month
executive training programme at Harvard's Business School (HBS).

The group launched its week-long mock dragnet on Tuesday to expose what
it says is the university's "pattern of admitting and hiring individuals
with a credible and public record of war crimes and human rights
abuses".

Not wanted

In addition to the posters, members are employing missing person milk
cartons, helium balloons, and the internet to make their case.

The posters say Halutz ordered the indiscriminate bombing of Lebanon
last summer, killing more than 1,000 civilians. Halutz resigned from his
post in January 2007 after admitting failures in the war against
Hezbollah.

The posters read: "The jets he commanded bombed houses and hospitals,
ambulances and airports, refineries and roads. The atrocities committed
under his command were condemned worldwide as war crimes. Now he's
hiding out and padding his resume in an executive education programme at
Harvard Business School."

It then asks people to contact the International Criminal Court if they
spot him.

Human rights organisations have also accused Halutz of war crimes for
the one-tonne bomb he ordered dropped in a heavily populated civilian
area in Gaza in 2002.

A Jewish student group on campus says the posters' are "accusatory and
inflammatory" and condemned the campaign as "hateful propaganda" that
"has no place on HBS campus".

The group is now in talks with the school's administration about how to
prevent similar campaigns in the future.

Source: Al Jazeera

Peace out y'all,
--
Billy
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/