Saaed Mortazavi To Oversee Iran protesters questioning

Saaed Mortazavi has been empowered to interrogate leaders of Iran’s governmental opposition. Mortazavi is responsible for helping keep a stranglehold on media news in Iran.
The government’s use of Mortazavi, also known as “Butcher of the press” and “torturer of Tehran,” is sending warning alarms to human rights watchers. Mortazavi has been the prosecutor of Iran since 2003.

Mortazavi was behind Roxana Saberi’s arrest earlier this year. His name is also linked to the arrest, torture, rape and death of Canadian photographer Zahra Kazemi.

Times Online reports:

Reporters without Borders concurs: “It was Mortazavi who was chiefly responsible for Canadian-Iranian press photographer Zahra Kazemi’s death.”

Mortazavi has been behind the closure of 100 newspapers in Iran. He is also reponsible for bloggers and journalists being arrested and in some cases killed.

Raw Story reports:
[quote“I have no doubt that these protesters will be treated just as brutally as Ms. Kazemi, maybe worse,” said Shahram Azam, a doctor who, in 2005, testified to a Canadian court that Kazemi had been tortured.

Protesters who are being detained by Iran after the recent election could be face to face with Saaed Mortazavi.

Cafe Sentido.com reports:

“The leading role of Saeed Mortazavi in the crackdown in Tehran should set off alarm bells for anyone familiar with his record,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, the Middle East and North Africa director of Human Rights Watch.

Mortazavi has been a central figure in Iran’s crackdown on dissenters. He has seen to the arrest of aides to the top opposition figures.

Mortazavi is said to have a history of detaining women for “immodest” clothing.

It is said that the government’s use of Mortazavi shows that they will be ruthless to crush the uprising in Tehran.

Jackson said to be in good shape the night before he died

How could a man who appeared on the top of the world and full of energy one night drop dead of a sudden cardiac arrest the next day? Those who with Jackson prior to his death say he was in good shape the night before he collapsed at his home.
Jackson was working with a personal trainer in order to prepare for the shows. According to those who were working on the show Jackson was involved in every step of the process, from choreography to watching auditions of the dancers.

Those who were with Jackson on the night prior to his death are saying that the singer was happy and in good shape as he prepared from 50 shows in London at rehearsals in Los Angeles.

Kenny Ortega, the director of Jackson’s show says that he stood side by side with Jackson as they beamed with ‘gladness’ about the upcoming concerts.

Magician-comedian Ed Alonzo echoes Ortega’s feelings of the eve of Jackson’s death.

Nine MSN reports:

Another member of the rehearsal, magician-comedian Ed Alonzo, added: “He didn’t even take a moment to grab a bottle of water or take a rest. He went from one number to the other. ‘Let’s do that again.’

“He looked great and had great energy. He wasn’t singing at full level, but it was as beautiful as ever.”

Max Miller is another who was at the last rehearsal. Miller, a dispatch manager at the studio observed Jackson practice the transition routine between two songs with no music.

The Age reports:

“He was totally dancing like top-notch. He seemed totally good,” Miller said.

“He seemed totally cool and really focused.”

Ken Ehrlich, executive producer of Grammy Awards, had a business meeting with Jackson at the studio on Wednesday night. He is said to have been amazed by the vitality and focus Jackson had as he practiced moves with his backup dancers.

The Age reports:

“There was this one moment, he was moving across the stage and he was doing these trademark Michael moves, and I know I got this big grin on my face, and I started thinking to myself, ‘You know, it’s been years since I’ve seen that,”‘ he said.

“There was that Michael that was just like no one else and no one else could touch,” he said.

“The shame is that new generation won’t see that – but we all came close to being able to see it again.”

Less than 12 hours after the rehearsal ended Jackson was in cardiac arrest. He collapsed at his home with his personal physician, Conrad Murray present. Dr. Murray is a cardiologist who was hired by AEG Live to be with Jackson in London during his series of concerts.

Murray’s employment is not a common practice in the show business world as The Guardian reports.

“As a company we would have preferred not having a physician on staff full-time because it would have been cheaper without the hotels and travel, but Michael was insistent that he be hired,” Phillips told the Associated Press. “Michael said he had a rapport with him.”

The actual cause of death is yet to be determined but many are speculating that Jackson had a heart attack. There are also reports that drugs could have been a factor in his death. Because of that, Murray’s car has been seized by the police. The police believe that it could contain drugs or other evidence. Murray is not considered a criminal suspect in the case.

The shows have multiple insurance policies that covered them in case of cancellation. That coverage may very well though depend on what the toxicology results are.

The Guardian quotes his older brother Jermaine’s announcement of Michael’s death.

“My brother, the legendary King of Pop Michael Jackson, passed away on Thursday 25 June 2009 at 2.26pm,” he told a press conference at the hospital.

“It is believed he suffered cardiac arrest in his home. However, the cause of his death is unknown until results of the autopsy are known.

“His personal physician who was with him at the time attempted to resuscitate my brother, as did the paramedics who transported him to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Centre. Upon arriving at the hospital at approximately 1.14pm, a team of doctors including emergency physicians and cardiologists attempted to resuscitate him for a period of more than hour, and they were unsuccessful.”

The Reverend Jesse Jackson is saying that Jackson’s family also said that the singer was in good health prior to his death.

The death of a young chef sparks protests in Shishou City

The death of a young man in the Hubei Province of China is sparking protests. As many as 70,000 people have barred the police from removing the body of a young man who fell to his death from a third floor at a local hotel in Shishou City.
The public has been protesting what they believe is governmental corruption, torture and murder.

On June 17 the young man’s body was found in front of the Yonglong Grand Hotel’s entrance. On June 20 a Public Security Office released a statement about the incident.

The dead man is Tu Yuangao, a chef, who had left behind a suicide letter. The preliminary medical exam found no other fatal wounds on the body and ruled out murder. The family rejected attempts by the police to remove the body for an autopsy.

Eyewitnesses report that they saw no blood on the ground but did see blood clots around the man’s mouth, nose and ears. They also reported that the lower body of the man showed signs of severe torture.

The family was offered $5,200 on June 18 as compensation if they confirmed that their relative had indeed committed suicide. They were told if they did not the body would be taken away by force and cremated that evening.

The father of Tu Yuangao, 24, refused the offer. He said that he had cans of chemicals and that he would kill himself and anyone else who attempted to seize his son’s body.

By June 19 there were 2,000 people who had gathered around the hotel to help the father’s desire that the authorities not remove the body. The entrance to the hotel had been blocked to prevent the police to enter. Over a dozen people were beaten and taken to a detention center without receiving medical treatment.

Chinese media goes against these reports saying that there were no injuries during the protest.

China Daily reports:

“A handful of people have been detained, but I don’t know if they will be charged or given detention,” an official from Jingzhou publicity office surnamed Xiong, said yesterday.

That only served to fuel the anger of the people.

Radio Free Asia reports:

“We believe this may relate to some kind of illegal activities and drug issues going on in the hotel that resulted in the deaths of certain people. There have already been five mysterious homicide cases at the hotel, but only two cases have been solved,” Huang, one of the protesters said.

By that afternoon there were as many as 40,000 people on the streets near the hotel. The protesters were said to be throwing bricks and bottles at the police.

By early evening riot police had arrived on the scene using water hoses on the crowds. The crowd instead of leaving destroyed the fire trucks supplying the water. The riot police then used tear gas on the crowd.

On June 20 China’s media Xinhua released a report titled Many Departments in Hubei’s Shishou City Jointly Organized a Fire Drill for Vehicle Fires.

Bloggers reports on the incident from within China were removed by the government.

According to those that reside in Shishou there have been at least two other mysterious deaths at the same hotel. One took place in 1999 and the other in 2007.

Those in the city say that the hotel is a hotbed of criminal activity. It is believed that the young chef knew of secrets and those secrets cost him his life.

There are reports that the body of Tu Yuangao has been removed by the police but there is no confirmation on this report.

Radio Free Asia reports:

“A lot of armed police came and took the body away,” another protester said. “They detained a few people as well.”

“They persuaded the family to let it go after they agreed to go through a formal autopsy. We were just watching from the outside. At one point there were around 10,000 of us,” he said.

Shanghai Daily reports that the body was cremated at 4am and a funeral was held around 9:30am on Thursday.

Collision of two streetcars in Toronto backs up traffic

The streetcar was on its last stop at Spadina and Queen’s Quay in Toronto when it was in an accident with another TTC streetcar. The oncoming train appears to have not been switched properly resulting in a head-on collision.
The two streetcars collided at approximately 2:15 p.m. Saturday afternoon. The area of the accident is a popular tourist destination. The Spadina car connects to a streetcar at the location to carry passengers to the Exhibition. The Harbourfront is also one of the stops on the route.

Jeannie Kazen was on the streetcar when it collided. She and her husband said that there were only about seven others on the TTC vehicle at the time of the collision.

“This is unofficial of course but it appears that the switch was not on right and the cars just hit,” Kazen told Digital Journal.

The TTC employees at the scene refused to comment on the accident. They were busy sweeping up sand along the tracks and readying the street for service to continue.

There were no injuries in the accident.

Child killer found dead in prison cell

A convicted child killer has been found dead from a possible suicide in his New Brunswick prison cell. The man was serving a life sentence for the second-degree murder of Shannon Morrissette, 5, seventeen years ago.
Gleason Bennett Williams died on Thursday as Dorchester Penitentiary in New Brunswick. An investigation has been ordered dealing with the circumstances surrounding his death.

In 1992 the Prince Edward Island native slit the throat of Shannon Dawn Morrissette after strangling her. Shannon was hearing-impaired and unable to speak.

Williams, 54, had been denied day passes by the National Parole Board just two weeks ago. The board has decided that Williams showed little insight concerning his behavior and posed a risk to reoffend.

The family of Shannon is said to be relieved that Williams is no longer a threat. Janet Morrissette was at the prison two weeks ago when Williams was up for the parole hearing. She spoke on her daughter’s behalf on why the man should not be allowed outside of the prison’s walls.

Ms. Morrissette told the National Post her feelings about hearing that Williams was dead.

“My heart started racing. I started thinking, ‘Oh no, he’s appealing [the denied day parole] and I’d have to go back there. All those emotions, in the 30 seconds of answering the phone,” Ms. Morrissette said from her Regina home.

“Then, when they said, ‘We’re victim services. He’s dead,’ I was so relieved.”

Williams was found in his cell during a routine cell check.

CBC quotes Dorchester Institute’s assistant warden Brenda Hastie:

“We found Mr. Williams unresponsive in his cell. Action was taken to, you know, do CPR, take care of him, [but] he was pronounced dead.”

Farrah Fawcett’s famous red swimsuit poster caused a stir

Farrah’s most famous poster in a one-piece bathing suit was not supposed to happen that way. Bruce McBroom was set to shot the actress, then 29, in a bikini but Farrah liked the one-piece because it covered a scar she had gotten as a child.
The poolside shoot was inexpensive by today’s standards. Farrah did her hair with rollers. The backdrop wasn’t an expensive screen but rather an Indian blanket that had been in McBroom’s pickup truck.

The poster was soon a hit among teen boys across the United States. In the first four days it hit the market more than 12 million copies were sold.

Farrah owned the copyright of the image. Thirty years after the poster hit the market she said she was proud of the photo.

Newsday quotes the actress from 2006:

“I was a little self-conscious, probably because my smile is so big,” Farrah had said.

On June 25, Fawcett died after a long battle with cancer. The actress who burst on the scene in the 1970s in the television show Charlie’s Angels was 62.

The drug Demerol may have caused Michael Jackson’s death

Times Online is reporting that Michael Jackson’s death could be linked to the drug Demerol. The singer had an injection of the powerful pain medication just prior to his collapse. One of the risk factors with the medication is cardiac arrest.
Reports coming out from the Jackson camp say that shortly before the singer collapsed he had an injection of the drug Demerol. A source at the scene said that Jackson’s breathing became shallow and slower until it stopped. This is a common effect when an overdose of Demerol occurs.

The drug Demerol is a narcotic closely related to opiod morphine. It’s not a commonly abused substance because it isn’t usually administered outside of the hospital setting.

Jackson had a history with the drug, quite possibly for medical reasons.

There are several side effects of the medication including lightheadedness, dizziness, sedation, nausea, vomiting, sweating, respiratory depression, circulatory depression, respiratory arrest, shock, and cardiac arrest, euphoria, dysphoria, weakness, headache, agitation, tremor, uncoordinated muscle movements, severe convulsions, transient hallucinations and disorientation, visual disturbances, dry mouth, constipation, biliary tract spasm, flushing of the face, tachycardia, bradycardia, palpitation, hypotension, urinary retention. In cases where there has been an overdosage of the drug symptoms include bluish discoloration of the skin, cold and clammy skin, coma or extreme sleepiness, limp, weak muscles, low blood pressure, slow heartbeat, troubled or slowed breathing.

Family lawyer Brian Oxman has confirmed Jackson had trouble with prescription medications he was taking in an effort to deal with his planned London shows.

Kansas City.com reports:

“This was something which I feared and something which I warned about,” Oxman said on CNN. “I can tell you for sure that this is something I warned about. Where there is smoke there is fire.”

An autopsy is planned to be carried out Friday afternoon.

According to Michael’s brotherMarlon Jackson, Jackson was feeling ill and was visited by a doctor the evening prior to his death.

Brother Randy Jackson was with the singer when he collapsed. He was in the ambulance with his brother.

Michael Jackson dealt with several injuries that caused reoccurring pain throughout his lifetime, such as a commercial shoot during the early 1980s. On January 27, 1984 Jackson was rushed to hospital after suffering serious burns to his head and hair during a freak accident on the set.

In 1993, Jackson had an accident during rehearsals for a tour that resulted in back pain for the rest of his life.

According to friend Uri Geller, the stress of a comeback was a factor in the death of Michael Jackson. The Herald Sun quotes Geller:

“He wanted to prove to the world that he is number one, that he is still Michael Jackson, that he can still deliver a thriller,” Geller told BBC radio. “The anticipation, the stress levels, the anxiety for what was coming up in London was so huge … I believe that that stopped his heart”.

Jackson just had a physical that was required by promoters for his upcoming 50-night performance stint. Doctors gave the go-ahead for the show following the exam.

King of Pop Michael Jackson dead at 50

The “King of Pop” music has died at the age of 50 in a Los Angeles hospital. This is a breaking news story. Details will be added as they come in.
According to TMZ, paramedics rushed to Jackson’s home Thursday afternoon. Upon arrival, they found the singer in full cardiac arrest.

A Star Line tourist bus was at the scene when the ambulance carrying Michael Jackson left his home. There was a lot of traffic on the street at Jackson’s residence when the ambulance was taking off from the scene.

According to early reports, Jackson never regained a pulse.

Michael Jackson passed away at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. Outside the hospital a crowd has formed.

It has been confirmed that Jackson never regained consciousness after his collapse. He was en-tubed on route to the hospital.

The cause of death has yet to be determined.

The LA Times has confirmed that Jackson died after arriving to the hospital in a deep coma.

Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana on August 29, 1958. He was the seventh child of Joe and Katherine Jackson.

As a child, Jackson and his brothers performed as the Jackson Five. He left his brothers and went on to be one of the world’s top solo artists in 1971.

Five of his solo albums set world records for best-selling albums: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995).

The outpouring of support and comments have spread like wildfire across the Internet and through social networks. Former Barenaked Ladies singer Steven Page wrote on Twitter: “Michael Jackson, you saved a very shy and awkward 12-year-old boy in 1983. Thank you.”

Ryan Seacrest reported on Twitter that his sources at UCLA have confirmed that Jackson passed away.

Jackson is survived by his three children: Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince “Blanket” Michael Jackson II.

The news comes as a shock to the entertainment world, who saw actress and Hollywood icon Farrah Fawcett die just hours earlier. Fawcett lost her three-year battle to anal cancer.

Actress Farrah Fawcett dead at 62

Actress Farrah Fawcett died Thursday after a three-year battle with cancer. The actress who burst on the scene in the 1970s in the television show Charlie’s Angels was 62.
Fawcett died this morning at St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. Her long-time partner Ryan O’Neal was at her side.

As People reports:

“She’s gone. She now belongs to the ages,” O’Neal tells PEOPLE. “She’s now with her mother and sister and her God. I loved her with all my heart. I will miss her so very, very much. She was in and out of consciousness. I talked to her all through the night. I told her how very much I loved her. She’s in a better place now.”

Fawcett was discovered while attending the University of Texas. She had a degree in Microbiology.

She met Lee Majors in 1968. They married in 1973. They divorced amid scandal in 1982 after being separated in 1979.

Farrah met her lifetime love Ryan O’Neal in 1981. The couple never married but had a son named Redmond in 1985.

The couple were planning on getting married.

After leaving the show Charlie’s Angels, Fawcett proved her acting ability by taking on gritty dramatic roles. Her portrayal of an abused wife in the 1984 The Burning Bed earned her an Emmy nomination.

Fawcett is survived by her and O’Neal’s son Redmond and her parents.

Kindness Is Not A Photo Op

Celebs are often treated like teenagers in the press, the only time they make the wires is from something they have done that is wrong. Good news doesn’t bring in money. Sometimes though the good guys do good deeds that isn’t for the public display.
Actors are generally good people with creative energy flowing through their souls. They will do as much as they can do for others. Sometimes it’s visible and sometimes it is hidden away. Kindness is not a photo op.

It’s not often written about the good works of celebs. The public would rather hear about who’s doing who and who is a total goon. Those are the stories that sell papers.

Some stars like Ashton Kutcher use social networking in order to gather support for their causes. Kutcher is currently working to end hunger in the United States and using Twitter as a means to get the message across.

Others lend their names to causes to help the donations come in. Some celebs like Michael J. Fox use a condition they have to help others have hope. Michael J. Fox’s foundation is behind many medical breakthroughs for Parkinson’s Disease.

Alyssa Milano has been a huge supporter of the Twitter movement for Eric De La Cruz to get a heart transplant.

There are others though in the world of celebrity that do good works without the need for the media.

As a journalist it’s hard to be silent when the feel good story of the day falls in your lap. I made a promise though to a Hollywood agent. I promised not to reveal the man who brightened the day for a very sick little girl in Toronto. This man’s movies make my little friend laugh. As she battles serious medical issues a laugh is important. Her home for the past two months has been a Canadian hospital. Yesterday was a bad day. When I asked her mother what would make this strong and beautiful child smile she told me an actor’s name. It was an impossible dream.

I don’t believe in the word impossible.

A phone call here, a phone call there. I talked to the man’s agent and told her of a child who was sick. She told me she would talk to the man. She did. My friend talked this evening to her favorite actor.

There was a condition. No media involvement.

This story is real. No names are allowed.

A hero gave a child a giggle tonight.

Miracles do happen.

Jeff Wyonch’s Art Hits The City Running

There’s a new writing photographer in Toronto showing the world the beauty of the city’s art in the form of graffiti. “Artist Welcome” by Jeff Wyonch shows Toronto in a can of paint.
Wyonch has been writing since he can remember breathing and taking photos of Toronto for a number of years.

His photos can be seen on his photostream at flickr under the mysterious name Jape Wisteria. I asked Jeff what his screen name meant:

“Jape is a old time word for prank and Wisteria just fit in perfectly. The wisteria is a very strong flower and artful. It has a manly quality about it. Plus I tend to be a prankster so take that as you will.”

“Artist Welcome” is now back into editing production. Wyonch promises that the next edition will be even better than the first.

For a man who doesn’t consider himself an artist Wyonch has a very artful approach to the world. He sees every space as another extension that can be put under the microscope.

After Jeff puts the finishing touches on “Welcome Artist” he is planning on publishing a book of haiku.

“I have a million ideas and in time hope to have at least one more photography book out. Even though I have written for all of my life I still consider myself new to the craft.”

During the day Jeff works as a User Interface Developer for CBC. He and the others in his department make sure that the Internet side of the CBC run smoothly.

At night and on the weekend the artist emerges. It is a safe bet this prankster’s art will be delighting Toronto and the world for a very long time.

Cheney’s memoir due in 2011

Threshold Editions, a division of Simon and Schuster has signed a book deal with former Vice President Dick Cheney. Cheney’s memoir is due to be released a few months after President George W. Bush’s is due to hit the stores.
The book, yet to be titled will cover his career in government from when he served as President Ford’s chief of staff through his Bush years. The book will also cover Cheney’s involvement as chief executive officer of the oilfield services provider, Halliburton Co.

AP quotes Cheney:

“I’m persuaded there are a lot of interesting stories that ought to be told,” Cheney said. “I want my grandkids, 20 or 30 years from now, to be able to read it and understand what I did, and why I did it.”

Cheney is said to be writing the book in longhand and on his computer with the help of his daughter Liz Cheney.

Generally books written by vice presidents do not attract much public interest. In the case of Dick Cheney however, it is expected that his memoir will be a best seller.

Its speculated that the deal will fetch Cheney about $2 million.

“He knows he’s called Darth Vader,” said Simon & Schuster’s Carolyn Reidy. “He’s aware of how he’s been portrayed. But I didn’t feel any defensiveness when I met with him. I remember thinking, `I can see why four presidents gave him very responsible jobs in their administrations.’”

Iran demands Soltan’s family remove mourning banners

The family of Neda Soltan has been ordered by the authorities in Tehran to remove mourning banners in an effort to prevent the slain teenager from becoming a national martyr.
Soltan was killed while protesting and a video of her apparent murder was uploaded to the Internet.After her death, Soltan’s family placed banners outside their home in Tehran.

Now, the government has asked the family to remove the banner and they’ve also forbidden them from holding a memorial in a mosque, according to Raw Story.

It appears the government is trying to prevent the nation from making Soltan a symbol of the protests in Tehran after a bullet to her heart ended her short life. Neda was with her father when she was shot en route to a demonstration.

New reports say the slain woman was 26. For those in Iran’s government, the woman’s death has become a struggle and local media have not reported it.

While authorities have been able to force the family to hide evidence of the woman’s death, posters bearing Soltan’s face are appearing everywhere in Tehran.

The Times Online quotes Soltan’s friendHamid Panahi:

“We were stuck in traffic and we got out and stood to watch and, without her throwing a rock or anything, they shot her,” he said. “It was just one bullet.”

Panahi said that Soltan’s last words were, “I’m burning! I’m burning!”

Soltanwas planning a career in tourism after obtaining a degree in Islamic philosophy from Azad University in Tehran.

She was laid to rest on Sunday at Behesht Zahra cemetery. The ceremony was quiet after orders were laid out for the family not to sing her praises loudly or to mourn her loss.

The LA Times also quoted Panahi as saying he taught Soltan about music. He said that she was a brave woman passionate about life. She was willing to take a risk for her beliefs, knowing that going to the protest could end her life.

“She couldn’t stand the injustice of it all,” Panahi said. “All she wanted was the proper vote of the people to be counted. “For pursuing her goals, she didn’t use rocks or clubs,” he said. “She wanted to show with her presence that ‘I’m here. I also voted. And my vote wasn’t counted.’ It was a very peaceful act of protest, without any violence.”

Western Companies, Iran, China and the Media Backlash

Siemens AG and Nokia Corp are denying that their technology is being used by Iran to censor and spy on the online activities of their citizens.
Nokia Siemens Network announced on Monday that while Iran’s government did buy telecommunications systems. That equipment according to Nokia Siemens has built-in monitoring technology that will only work on voice communications and not on the Internet.

CBS reports:

“The lawful intercept capability is purely for local voice calls,” spokesman Ben Roome told CBSNews.com. “We don’t know who may have provided other Internet technologies to Iran.”

Any Western company that is linked with the Iranian governments monitoring of its citizens could have lasting business implications.

When Yahoo did business with China Washington’s politicians were quick to attack CEO Jerry Yang. Cisco faced the similar scrutiny when the company sold Internet switches and routes to China.

The Wall Street Journal has gone on the attack against Nokia Siemens Networks concerning Iran. On Monday’s front page the paper proclaimed: “Iran’s Web Spying Aided By Western Technology.”

“We didn’t know they could do this much,” said a network engineer in Tehran. “Now we know they have powerful things that allow them to do very complex tracking on the network.”

This claim can be disputed by the company but the headline will stick with readers during this time of unrest in the Middle Eastern country.

Spokesman for Nokia Siemens Networks, Ben Roome has had to face the accusations from the major news source pointing out the inaccuracies of the article. While there may be faults concerning wiretap-ready mobile phone networking that network has allowed for the rest of the world to hear communications from within the country during this crisis.

“Mobile networks in Iran, and the subsequent widespread adoption of mobile phones, have allowed Iranians to communicate what they are seeing and hearing with the outside world,” he said. “The proof of this is in the widespread awareness of the current situation.”

It is difficult to know what technology is being used by the Iranian government to track their citizens use of the Internet and mobile cell phones. In 2005 a Berkman Center report stated that Iran was using Secure Computing’s SmartFilter to block the use of the Web from its citizens.

At that time company president John McNulty was quoted as saying: “We have been made aware of ISPs in Iran making illegal and unauthorized attempts to use of our software. Secure Computing is actively taking steps to stop this illegal use of our products.”

The software is now owned by McAfee and marketed under the name McAfee SmartFilter.

CBS reports:

“We have never seen any direct evidence or hard proof that Iran has ever used any McAfee or Secure Computing product,” McAfee said in an e-mailed statement on Monday. “McAfee complies with all export laws and regulation applicable to its products. Rigorous due diligence was conducted prior to the acquisition of Secure Computing and there was no indication of any contract in Iran or support being provided in Iran.” (A U.S. economic embargo restricts trade with Iran.)

When nations like Iran purchase such software they can claim it is for lawful activity. Claims that the West is helping them can be a powerful media tool to harm a company’s name.

The reality is that Iran’s ability to monitor and block the Web and cell phone use could be home grown.

The West’s technology has been used though in the past by their own governments to tap citizens.

Jay Botelho, WildPackets’ director of product management, said the best way for an Iranian Internet provider to monitor its customers would be to use one bank of monitoring equipment for e-mail, another for Web browsing, a third for VoIP calls, and so on. “Using our product, the easiest way to monitor everything is to hook onto an (extra port) port off your main switch,” Botelho said. “The problem is that depending on the traffic, that could overload an appliance. But if you slowed everything down, you’d get everything.”

In Iran that does not pose a problem. The country has limited connectivity to the outside and download speeds are much slower than in many other nations.

Providing nations with the ability to allow their citizens to communicate with the outside world can put technology companies in a Catch-22. The network systems have to have filters and those filters can be used in the wrong way by some governments. The alternative is not to provide questionable nations with the equipment but then the citizens are without the media of communication.

There is no easy answer to the dilemma.

MySpace proposed restructuring will slash 300 international jobs

MySpace is restructuring its international operations in order to refocus personnel with a reduced area of territories. MySpace believes it will be able to retain a robust global consumer presence by doing this.
According to a press release from the company, MySpace’s international staff will be cut back from the current 450 international employees to 150. The company also announced four offices outside of the United States would be closed down according to a press release.

The MySpace offices in London, Berlin and Sydney would become the primary hubs for international operations under the proposed plan. Offices in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, India, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Sweden, and Spain would be placed under review for possible restructure.

Since the 2005 purchase of MySpace by News Corp., the company has faced difficulty adding to its user base. Facebook has surpassed MySpace in usage with more than 200 million members compared to the 125 million that are members of MySpace.

Jonathan Miller, the recently appointed CEO of digital media and chief digital officer at News Corporation has stated that MySpace had grew too big when one considered the marketplace in today’s economy.

“With roughly half of MySpace’s total user base coming from outside the U.S., maintaining productive and efficient operations in our international markets is important to users worldwide and our immediate financial strength,” said MySpace Chief Executive Officer Owen Van Natta. “As we conducted our review of the company, it was clear that internationally, just as in the U.S., MySpace’s staffing had become too big and cumbersome to be sustainable in current market conditions. Today’s proposed changes are designed to transform and refine our international growth strategy.”

Last week MySpace announced the company was reducing its staff by 30 per cent within the United States.

Times Online reports:

Owen Van Natta, the chief executive, said: “As we conducted our review of the company, it was clear that internationally, just as in the US, MySpace’s staffing had become too big and cumbersome to be sustainable in current market conditions.”

The total restructured work force for MySpace will go from 1,950 to 1,150.

The MySpace offices in Japan and locally owned MySpace China are not affected by the proposed plan.

New chapter begins for Jon and Kate

The big announcement for Jon and Kate Gosselin’s marriage ending came on Monday night’s episode of the show “Jon & Kate Plus 8.” The announcement wasn’t a surprise to anyone who has watched the media frenzy this year concerning the couple.
The parents of eight talked during the second half of Monday’s airing on their choice to lead separate lives. The pair made it clear the coming divorce is not a result of being media fodder for the past few years.

E! Online reports:

“We haven’t really known where we’re going but we’ve been dealing with this for a long time,” said Kate, 34, after she and Jon managed to get through the construction of the kids’ new playhouses without actually interacting.

“It’s the next chapter—not a chapter that’s been brought on by our show, not a chapter that’s been caused by our career choices at all. I believe that it’s a chapter that probably would have played out had the world been watching or not.”

Instead of uprooting their eight children, the parents will take turns living at their large home.

And the show will go on; Jon & Kate Plus 8 will remain on the airwaves, undoubtedly allowing the public to watch the new chapters of single parents to eight children.

Jon has admitted that while he would like a friendship with Kate, it’s not likely at the moment.

The Toronto Star reports:

“Kate and I have decided to separate,” Jon Gosselin said. “It’s just not good for our kids for us to be arguing in front of our kids. I’m not very fond of the idea personally, but I know it’s necessary because my goal is peace for the kids,” Kate Gosselin said.

The couple stresses they are doing what is best for their children who seem to be oblivious to the stress their parents are going through.

Kate filed for divorce Monday morning in Reading, Pa. to start the conclusion of the couple’s 10-year marriage.

“Over the course of this weekend, Jon’s activities have left me no choice but to file legal procedures in order to protect myself and our children,” she said. “While there are reasons why it was appropriate and necessary for me to initiate this proceeding, I do not wish to discuss those reasons at this time, in the hope that all issues will be resolved amicably between Jon and myself. As always, my first priority remains our children.”

CIA involvement with the 1953 Iran coup affects the future

Iran and the US have a long history when it comes to politics. On June 4, 2009 President Obama admitted the CIA was involved in the 1953 Iranian coup. The past is very important when it comes to current conditions with the Middle Eastern nation.
As far back as 1953, the CIA has been playing in the background of the Middle Eastern nation working on overthrowing the government. The overthrowing of Iran’s government was the first for the CIA.

The puppet masters made sure their were tentacles well placed within the money pits of oil. They laid out who would be the prime minister’s replacement and used propaganda within local media to achieve their objectives.

The wheels had been set in motion in 1953 when Iran’s Parliament voted to nationalize the oil industry. Britain was the first to place sanctions in place as Dr. Mohammed Mosadegh was elected prime minister.

Mosadegh refused to cave in to demands.

At the time, the Americans decided to study the situation, as it was feared the Soviets would be in power in Iran.

Those tentacles were able to work well when in March 1953 a general from the Iranian army approached the American Embassy about helping out an army-led coup.

Within a month the Iran fund was as $1 million to be used in any way to take Mosadegh out of power.

The New York Times reports:

“A shah-General Zahedi combination, supported by C.I.A. local assets and financial backing, would have a good chance of overthrowing Mosadegh,” officials wrote, “particularly if this combination should be able to get the largest mobs in the streets and if a sizable portion of the Tehran garrison refused to carry out Mosadegh’s orders.”

By May 1953, the CIA sent Dr. Wilber to Cyprus to make the initial coup plans. The meeting between Wilber and Norman Darbyshire, chief of the Iran branch of British intelligence left both sides not trusting the other nor that of the ability of General Zahedi to be able to pull of the coup.

Regardless of the doubts the CIA’s Tehran station started a gray propaganda strike passing out anti-Mosadegh cartoons in the streets and working the local press with negative articles.

The plot was in motion even though the final approval had yet to come from President Eisenhower and the Shah was reluctant as a warrior.

The British met in June with the American intelligence officials putting the last touches on the strategy. Soon Kermit Roosevel was on the scene in Tehran to direct the proceedings.

The Shah proved to be a problem from the start. While the CIA had directed him to stand fast and allow the agency to work behind the scenes stirring up unrest and getting General Zahedi appointed as prime minister.

On July 11 Eisenhower signed off on the plan. Early in August the pressure was stepped up by the CIA. Operatives from Iran pretended to be Communists issued threats to Muslims leaders. At least one prominent Muslim was also bombed by CIA agents in the guise of Communist.

On August 4 the results of a referendum was rigged to be in Mosadegh’s favor. The New York Times reported on the same days that the prime minister had won with 99.9 percent of the vote.

The New York Times reports:

“On Aug. 3rd,” the secret history says, “Roosevelt had a long and inconclusive session with the Shah,” who “stated that he was not an adventurer, and hence, could not take the chances of one. “Roosevelt pointed out that there was no other way by which the government could be changed and the test was now between Mosadegh and his force and the Shah and the army, which was still with him, but which would soon slip away.”

On August 13, the Shah signed decrees saying that he would support an army based coup backing General Zahedi. The stage was set.

On August 15, 1953 the coup began in Iran. It failed within hours because of loose lips. Tehran radio was the first to announce that a failed coup against the government had been attempted.

“Headquarters spent a day featured by depression and despair,” the history states, adding, “The message sent to Tehran on the night of Aug. 18 said that ‘the operation has been tried and failed,’ and that ‘in the absence of strong recommendations to the contrary operations against Mosadegh should be discontinued.’”

On August 19, the coup did take place. As the Moscow radio was telling of the American failure in Iran the reality was the Mosadegh government was in tatters.

“It was a day that should never have ended,” the C.I.A.’s secret history said, describing Aug. 19, 1953. “For it carried with it such a sense of excitement, of satisfaction and of jubilation that it is doubtful whether any other can come up to it.”

Obama’s admission that the CIA was involved in the coup was the first time a sitting U.S. president owned up to the involvement.

AFP reported:

“For many years, Iran has defined itself in part by its opposition to my country, and there is in fact a tumultuous history between us,” the US president said.

“Since the Islamic revolution, Iran has played a role in acts of hostage-taking and violence against US troops and civilians. This history is well known.

“Rather than remain trapped in the past, I’ve made it clear to Iran’s leaders and people that my country is prepared to move forward. The question now is not what Iran is against, but rather what future it wants to build.”

Because of the past, the United States has to tread carefully when it comes to current conditions in Iran. Any movements that could point to CIA involvement could prove to be disastrous for future foreign policy in the Middle East.

Friendship Can Change a Life, the Nathaniel Ayers Story

Sometimes the course of a life is changed by a simple act of kindness. Sometimes that kindness comes because a journalist wants a story. for whatever reason Nathaniel Ayers life changed when his friendship with Steve Lopez formed.
Ayers story was presented in the recent movie The Soloist starring Jamie Fox and Robert Downey Jr. But Nathaniel Ayers is a real man and his story is inspiring.

Ayers’ story has inspired newspaper columns, a book and the movie. In 2008 a foundation bearing his name was started to support the artistically gifted that struggle with mental illness.

Above all Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Jr. is a musican. His mental illness has hindered his role in society but not his talent.

He studied at Julliard School in New York City until his schizophrenia blocked his way. For years he lived at his mother’s home in Cleveland, Ohio and dealt with electroshock treatments. They didn’t help.

In 2000 after his mother passed away Ayers left for Los Angeles believing that his father lived there. In LA he joined the thousands that live on the street. Playing broken instruments on street corners for a living Ayers survived.

In 2005 Steve Lopez happened upon Ayers. The LA Times journalist wrote about the talented man and formed a friendship. Lopez went on to write a book,”The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music” , about Ayers transition from living on the street to living inside.

Jennifer Ayers-Moore, sister of Nathaniel, is the founder of the Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Foundation. The Foundation was begun in 2008. It is Jennifer’s desire to use the foundation to help thousands of people by keeping public awareness about mental health on the front burner.

One of the partners of the foundation is the LAMP Community. LAMP is an organization that works to end homelessness and build self-sufficiency with those on the Los Angeles streets that deal with mental illness. Using a Housing First approach they use housing as a means to begin the first steps in treating their clients mental illness.

Doctors Give Tips For Protesters Safety

Doctors in Iran are warning protesters on conditions from arrest and chemical weapons to stay as safe and healthy as possible. The advice is practical, simple and perhaps something that readers may need to tuck away.
These are some tips if you are planning on attending a protest that has the possibility of becoming violent.

In case you are handcuffed with plastic handcuffs flex your muslces as much as possible to make extra space inside the cuffs. Alert the authorities if you feel pain, numbness or tingling. Those are signals that long-term nerve damage may be occurring.

If you are on medication or have a medical condition make sure you have a note from your doctor on the importance of your medical needs. If it is possible carry your medication on your person so that you will have it with you. Give copies of the doctor’s note to the police, any legal representation and medical personnel.

It is possible that chemical weapons could be used during a protest. If you believe that this is a possible danger wear a waterproof outer layer of clothing with tight cuffs and collar. The most natural materials will soak up chemicals. Before attending the event cleanse with non oil-based soaps to prevent chemical weapons from sticking to your skin. Do not use any type of oil on your skin, this can include perfume, lotion, deodorant and many sunscreens.

Do not shave for at least a day in advance of the event. When you shave your pores are opened and that makes chemical weapons more effective.

Do not wear tampons as they absorb chemical weapons.

Do not wear contact lenses. Chemical weapons can in severe cases causes the lenses to melt.

If you do not have a gas mask carry a bandanna soaked in apple cider vinegar or lime juice with you in a sealed bag and carry swimming goggles.

If you are caught in a chemical attack you can blow your nose, rinse out your mouth, cough and spit. Do not rub your eyes or swallow. If you are wearing contacts take they out as soon as your fingers are clean.

Pepper spray is the most common chemical used by authorities. The pain will last for about fifteen minutes before it starts to fade away.

Tear gas is another common chemical that is used during protests. It can take up to five seconds for the chemical to take effect.

If there is an attack call out for those around you to walk and not run to avoid trampling.

Norman Rockwell Museum Celebrates 40th Anniversary

The Norman Rockwell Museum has been open for the past 40 years. This summer they have lined up exhibitions, programs and events through July to celebrate the works of Norman Rockwell.
Founded in 1969 with the help of Norman and Molly Rockwell the museum has been a large part of the culture scene in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Rockwell resided in the Massachusetts town for the last quarter of his life.

The museum has two new shows, “American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell” and “The Fantastical Faces of Peter Rockwell: A Sculptor’s Retrospective.” The latter is showcasing the works of Rockwell’s son Peter.

On July 4, the museum is free for everyone under the age of 18 for a celebration of the nation’s birthday. There will be a barbecue, hands on red,white and blue art projects and more.

On July 5, the 40th Anniversary Party will take place honouring the founding leaders Norma Ogden, Lila Berle, and Jane Fitzpatrick. The night will feature music, a silent auction, activities for all ages and a cocktail party.

On July 11 Peter Rockwell will be at the museum for the day explaining his approach to his work in clay, stone, ceramic and bronze. The day will feature Rockwell guiding an exhibition walk and talk and a book signing.

The museum is open throughout the year except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Photography is not permitted inside the galleries. Visitors are not allowed to carry backpacks or large packages into the museum.

Same-sex penguin couple given egg to raise at German zoo

When the biological parents of a penguin egg at Germany’s Bremerhaven zoo wouldn’t tend to their egg zookeepers decided to give gay couple Z and Vielpunkt a shot at parenting.
The two male penguins have shown that they have that parenting instinct as they tended to the egg and have been good dads to the baby chick.

Bremerhaven zoo has three same-sex couples among their 20 penguins. They have observed the penguins attempt to mate with their partners. Zoos in Japan and New York have also observed that some of their penguins have homosexual tendencies.

This doesn’t surprise scientists that study the animal kingdom. There are plenty of documented cases of homosexuality.

Most giraffes are homosexual according to research observation. When bottlenose male dolphins are born they are often homosexual and grow to exhibit bisexual behaviours.

These findings are observed both in captivity and in the wild. It also doesn’t seem to matter if there are plenty of the opposite sex around. Actually animals don’t have many hang-ups when it comes to sex. They are fairly animistic when it comes to doing the wild monkey dance of love.

See Magazine reports:

“The whole question of sexual pleasure and where that comes into it is very difficult for zoologists to deal with,” he adds. “There is a continuum of sexual expression in the animal world that includes heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, and everything in between. Why can’t we see this behaviour as a natural variation in sexual expression?”

Illegal Abortions Kill At Least 70,000 Women A Year

When a woman faces an unwanted pregnancy she has few options in many parts of the world. To terminate the fetus she risks prison or the possibility of death. Still 17 million women this year will take that risk by having an illegal abortion.
In Tanzania abortions other than those to save a mother’s life or health are illegal. Because of that hospitals in the nation due with the complications of illegal abortions.

In January one hospital performed 31 minor surgical procedures for the month, 17 of those were to repair damages as the result of ‘incomplete abortions.’ While some of those may have been miscarriages the doctors knew most were from untrained hands attempting to abort a fetus.

Women and girls in Tanzania have no where to turn other than the amateurs when they choice to terminate a pregnancy. Some punch them in the stomach, others insert objects into their vagina and still others use herbs and who knows what in order to terminate the pregnancy.

Those who turn to the back street abortionists risk infection, bleeding, tears into the uterus or bowel and death. They also face the possibility of emergency hysterectomies as doctors race to save their lives.

In Africa it is dangerous to be pregnant. For every 100,000 births 950 women will die. Compared to the 11 deaths per 100,000 women in the United States and even lower counts in other developed countries those figures show the grim realities.

In Latin America its estimated that 5,000 women die every year from illegal abortions. In Chile, Colombia and El Salvador hundreds of women are prosecuted for terminating their pregnancies. Despite being illegal in Chile and Peru one woman in 20 has had an abortion.

Women’s ENews quotes Cristina Alonso who works at the Luna Maya birthing clinic in San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico.

Alonso: “In Latin America, we still have very concrete gender frameworks in terms of male sexual behavior. Men are not supposed to be responsible for the consequences of sexual behavior, but they are supposed to be active sexually . . . Women, on the other hand, still maintain fairly strong gender notions of passivity, of wanting to trust the man. You know there’s this whole idea in Latin America of romance and ‘maybe if I do get pregnant he’ll stay with me forever.’”

Worldwide there are 19 million unsafe abortions every year. According to the World Health Organization 70,000 to 200,000 women will die as a result of one of the blotched illegal abortions. More than two million women will face a serious complication because of turning to an amateur to terminate their pregnancy.

In Tanzania those caught practicing abortions face a 14-year prison term. A woman who ends her pregnancy illegally faces seven years in prison.

The New York Times reports:

“They are supposed to be arrested,” Dr. Mdoe said. “Our work as physicians is just to help and make sure they get healed.”

He went on, “We as medical personnel think abortion should be legal so a qualified person can do it and you can have safe abortion.” There are no plans in Tanzania to change the law.

The woman don’t talk, the doctors don’t ask.

‘Virgin Myth’ Behind Zimbabwe Child Rapes

In Zimbabwe it is believed that by raping a virgin a man will be cured of HIV. The myth came into being when traditional healers started spreading the idea. That myth is behind as many as ten girls being raped a day.
Every year as many as 3,600 girls are being infected with HIV after being raped in Zimbabwe. UNICEF says that the false belief has lead to the rape of hundreds of innocent girls for almost a decade.

CNN reports that Hope Makoni was just 6 when she was raped by a local shopkeeper. Three years later she watched her father kill her mother. She grew strong using education as a way to speak out and break the silence of child rapes in her nation. She went to university obtaining two teaching degrees. As she watched girls dropping out of school she started Girl Child Network in 1998 to give young girls a place to talk and find solutions to their problems. At the end of the first year there were 100 GCN clubs in Zimbabwe. In 2000 Makoni quit her teaching job to devote all of her time to the program. In 2001 she obtained land and opened the first empowerment village, a haven for abused girls. Girls arrive after being rescued by the police, social services or their community. As soon as a girl arrives she is given emergency medication, put into school and put into counseling.

“The youngest girl I ever came across was a day-old baby who was raped,” said Makoni, 37.

Her work has come with a cost. In 2008 Makoni had to flee Zimbabwe. She lives now in the United Kingdom.

“I left Zimbabwe because my life was in danger as a result of my project being interpreted politically.”

In Essex, England Makoni continues to fight for the rights of women and girls by working with the DOVE project.

Stephen Colbert is Off to Baghdad

Comedian Stephen Colbert has gone to Iraq to entertain the troops a la Bob Hope. There will be four shows of The Colbert Report that will air next week from Baghdad.
The shows will have about 450 audience members and have been dubbed “Operation Iraqi Stephen: Going Commando.” The shows will be the first time any show has been broadcast from Iraq for an USO tour.

Colbert is a staunch supporter of the troops overseas. He has helped to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Yellow Ribbon Fund that helps those injured in the war and their families.

AP reports:

“Sometimes my character and I agree,” Colbert said in an interview at his Manhattan office before leaving for Baghdad. “My character and I both know the Apostles’ Creed and my character and I both think it’s a shame that we’re not talking about the troops anymore.”

While Colbert has let it slip that a trip was in the works for a while the exact location was not disclosed.

In March viewers of The Colbert Report were told that Colbert was taking up an invitation from U.S. troops. As Washington Wire reports the comedian said:

“Long ago,” the comedian said, “I made myself a promise– a promise that I would do whatever was asked of me by someone holding an automatic weapon.”

“The Colbert Report” will be sending 30 production staff for the show in Iraq. That is a third of the regular staff. The shows will air Monday through Thursday next week.

Carradine’s Death May Not Have Been Suicide

The reports that David Carradine committed suicide may have been premature. The actor’s manager and wife both say that Carradine was too full of life to take his own.
The death of Carradine is under a police investigation. There is speculation that his death could have been the result of a sex game gone wrong.

Hotel manager said that on Carradine entertained fellow guests of Bangkok’s Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel with piano and flute performances in the lobby.

There have been unconfirmed reports that at least one police officer saying that when found the rope that strangled Carradine was attached to his neck and his genitals.

CBC News reports:

Police Lt. Gen. Worapong Chewprecha told reporters that Carradine was found with a rope “tied around his penis and another rope around his neck,” and that the two ropes were tied together.

“It is unclear whether he committed suicide or not or he died of suffocation or heart failure due to an orgasm,” he said.

While officials are not talking about the allegation either way they have said that there is no evidence that foul play was involved in the actor’s death.

According to friends Carradine was not depressed when he left the United States last week for Thailand to begin filming Stretch.

While many say that Carradine would not kill himself the actor himself admitted to suicidal thoughts in a 2004 interview.

Boston.com reports:

He said: “Look, there was a period in my life when I had a single action Colt 45, loaded, in my desk drawer. And every night I’d take it out and think about blowing my head off, and then decide not to and go on with my life.”

That interview though goes against what friends and family members are saying. The general sentiment is that the actor was in a great period of his life and enjoying his time.

Actor Michael Madsen is quoted by CBS News:

“I spoke to his wife this morning,” Madsen said, “and she really wants everybody to know that David was not suicidal. Certainly, I would have known about something like that. Depression wasn’t really a part of his personality. Whatever causes people to have that emotion, he seems to have — seemed to have gotten over it.

If the speculations are correct than Carradine died while engaging in autoerotic asphyxiation. The sex act involves cutting the oxygen supply for sexual arousal. It has been written about when young men have died performing the sex act.

Autopsy reports will take at least three weeks pending toxicology results.

Update To Pastor Jones and The San Diego Code Rules

Last week it was reported that Pastor David Jones was told that his weekly Bible study on Tuesday nights was not legal. The home study would be requiring a conditional use permit that could cost thousands. The media came out in force.
The Pastor was told last week by a code enforcer that his Bible study required a conditional use permit after being questioned about the Bible study. The official had asked Jones if at the weekly meeting members prayed, said “Amen” and “Praise the Lord”. When the answers were positive the official stated that they were a religious assembly and required the permit.

The permit is no longer being required for Pastor Jones and his wife’s Tuesday night Bible studies but the case is not closed yet.

There are still open issues about the land use to be haggled through.

Digital Journal talked to James Griffiths of the The Western Center for Law & Policy (WCLP) on Monday about the case.

While the county has reversed the order to have a conditional use permit for the Pastor they have not as of yet apologized for the overzealous code official’s writing of the order, according to Griffiths.

The original complaint came as a result of a car door ding from a visitor to the neighbourhood. Griffith said that all of the neighbours on the street had no concerns over the weekly Bible study. In fact they are standing behind Pastor Jones.

As for the car ding Pastor Jones paid out of his own pocket for the repairs without even knowing for sure where the damage came from, says Griffiths. The minor damage cost the pastor about $220.

Pastor Jones is the pastor of South Bay Christian Fellowship in San Diego. He and Griffith hope that the Bible study will continue to grow as large as it can. Space is an issue but there could be a chance for additional Bible studies to take place. Regardless they are hopeful that they can reach more people.

As to what comes next Griffiths says that depends on the county.

“So far we have only sent the demand letter to San Diego County. No motion has been filled yet. We are concerned about the land permit issue. We are hoping not to have to fill a motion in the end.”

The WCLP is doing all of the work for Pastor Jones pro bono.

According to spokesman Luis Monteagudo County Supervisor Greg Cox has received 240 emails and 33 voicemail messages concerning this case as of May 29.

San Diego County chief administrative officer Walt Ekard issued the following statement about the case reports the Washington Post.

“No one respects the right to free religious expression more than I do and no one would find the infringement of such rights more abhorrent. The Bible studies will continue in Pastor David Jones’ home as we work to find a solution that works for everyone involved in this matter. Should I find that County staff at any level acted in a heavy-handed way; did anything inappropriate under the circumstances; or that a change or revision to our processes and procedures is warranted, I will take appropriate action immediately.”

Both sides will meet on June 9 to discuss additional issues about the case. Until that meeting the Bible study will continue.

Ontario May Close 146 Schools in The Next 2 Years

Across Ontario 146 schools may lock their doors for good over the next two years. Those closings would effect more than 150,000 students according to a report by People for Education.
Low enrollment is the force before the proposed school closings. In the larger cities students get still be close to another school but in rural areas those closings could have a devastating impact and not just for the children.

The Globe and Mail reports:

“It can become an accelerating issue, where a small town loses people and services and if it loses its schools, fewer families want to move there,” said Annie Kidder.

“Do we say to a small town, ‘No, sorry, it’s just too expensive?”’

School enrollments have decreased since 2002 by 14 per cent.

In 2008 16 schools were closed. This will be the last year for another 34 schools slated to be closed.

The closing of a school often means another school will be getting more programs. The smallest schools do not have the funding that they need to have extra programs. This is a difficult issue for school boards.

Some northern Ontario schools have to deal with so little funding that science departments haven’t enough. Some areas are eliminating middle schools sending their Grade 7 students straight into a high school environment or putting the students back into a elementary school setting.

According to the report by People for Education 145 schools in Ontario are undergoing Accommodation reviews.

The most northern schools in Ontario have the smallest school populations. The optimal school size according to researchers is between 600 to 700 students in secondary schools and under 400 in primary schools. While schools with larger populations appear on paper to have more success by economical standards research has shown that graduation rates are higher when school populations are smaller. Students are also more engaged and tend to participate in activities more often at the smaller sized schools.

People for Education is an independent parent-led organization. The group researches and provides information about Ontario schools to the public. In a phone interview with Executive Director Annie Kidder Digital Journal asked about the group’s concerns.

“The school closings have an effect across the board. We need to think about the total community that is effected. The Providence understands that there is an issue. They are doing a lot of talking about it. They understand the importance that schools should act as their community’s hub.”

The largest number of school closings are in the rural areas of the province. The closings are affecting both the elementary and secondary schools in Ontario.

The Water That Kills in Gujarat

In Gujarat, India the farmers have plenty of water to irrigate their crops. The problem though is that water kills. The residents of this village say that Gujarat Fluorochemicals has poisoned their land.
The water that comes out of the well stinks. On the surface an oily film is visible.

That is the water for the villagers.

Years ago the barren land was filled with crops. Radha, the only female farmer in the village, grew spinach, potatoes and other crops. Now her plants are useless. Cotton fields produce nothing. For a widow with six children that means hunger.

The soil has a white crust. It smells like paint thinner.

The village is overlooking a plant that is owned by Gujarat Fluorochemicals (GFL). The plant makes refrigerant gases for air-conditioners and refrigerators.

The plant was built in 1989. Four years ago it was equipped with technology to reduce the greenhouse gases it produces as part of a worldwide carbon-trading scheme. It is supposed to help with global warming. It failed. Instead it is poisoning the lands that surround it.

That scheme may sound good on paper but the realities are an environment being poisoned as the push for greenhouse gases is emphasized.

Probe International reports:

Veteran anti-dam activist Himanshu Thakkar told a UN conference in Delhi last week that the Clean Development Mechanism – which aims to allow polluters in rich nations credit for emissions reductions they fund in poorer countries – is not reducing India’s greenhouse gas emissions. “We have seen no new technology being used in India and no benefit to anyone but big companies,” he is quoted saying.

India is one of the largest targets for the changes but there is not enough funding to do it properly.

The Centre for Science and Environment, an influential think tank based in Delhi, has also pointed out that “the stock of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere was built up over centuries in the process of creating nations’ wealth. This is the natural debt of nations, and they must pay up.”

The soil and water tested in the areas are filled with the very chemicals that the plant produces. The testing was conducted by The Daily Mail.

While the plant is working on changing their greenhouse gases it appears that they are not as concerned about the environmental changes that are taking place in the villages that surround it.

‘The carbon-credits business operates rather like the financial-services industry did,’ says Kevin Smith of campaigning watchdog Carbon Trade Watch.

‘Insufficient scrutiny and transparency, dodgy projects getting money when they shouldn’t be. And we all know the consequences of what happened in financial services. But this is potentially much more serious, because unlike the Government, nature doesn’t do bailouts.’

The factory produces a gas called HFC23. That gas is one of the most dangerous when it comes to global warming. One ton of HFC23 is equivalent to 11,700 tons of carbon. GFL installed new technology to capture and recycle HFC23. That technology has helped pad the pockets of GFL and Ineos.

The UN credit scheme is proving to be very profitable for those involved.

In the last quarter of 2006 GFL made €27 million.

It is being alleged though that those profits are coming with a very high human toll. Water is now caustic. Children are born with birth defects. People stay sick. Children die in their parents arms.

We didn’t have these illnesses before this factory came. When the wind blows the gas this way, mostly at night, it hurts our throats and eyes and burns our crops. We’ve lost six healthy children. They go giddy, they fall and die. We were carrying one child out the door to the hospital and she just died in her mother’s arms.’

Testing of the water shows high levels of fluoride and chloride. All water in the area that was tested was deemed unsafe to drink. The soil had high levels of the same chemicals.

‘High flouride levels cause skeletal fluorosis in which people complain about joint pain, backache and rigid bones,’ environmental specialist Hiral Mehta says. ‘The crop deterioration is another impact. Your tests confirm previous investigations.’

The recession may help slow down help for the villagers. There is less money for the major players to work with. The price of Clean Development Mechanism (CDMs) offsets has slumped by nearly 30% over the last couple of weeks.

Kevin Smith from Carbon Trade Watch says, ‘The carbon market is riddled with projects like GFL. It’s not like this project is the bad apple – the whole barrel is rotten. Time and again we’re seeing evidence of gross injustices being carried out – people being evicted to make way for dams and waste incinerators being built in residential areas. Carbon trading has been the subject of a very slick PR campaign portraying it as the answer to climate change, so investigations such as this are very important.’

Golden Child Turns Back On Buddhism

Osel Hita Torres, 24, the boy that the Dalai Lama has hand-picked as a reincarnation of a spiritual leader has turned his back on the Buddhist order.

Torres grew up in a palace, living a monastic life. That life has been replaced by university in Madrid where he is studying film. He has given up the life that was picked for him as a toddler saying it was all a lie.

The Guardian reports:

“They took me away from my family and stuck me in a medieval situation in which I suffered a great deal,” said Torres, 24, describing how he was whisked from obscurity in Granada to a monastery in southern India. “It was like living a lie,” he told the Spanish newspaper El Mundo.

It was suspected that Torres was the reincarnation of Lama Yeshe. He was found at the age of five months. In 1986 his parents took him to see the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India at the age of 14 months. He was chosen from nine others to be enthroned.

He grew up being called Lama Tenzin Osel Rinpoche. As a boy his only social contacts were with other reincarnated souls and Richard Gere who had a cabin next to him.

Today Torres is a Jimi Hendrix fan. Last year he performed in the Burning Man Festival is the Nevada desert.

The young man has distanced himself from the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition. He is no longer wearing the monastic robes as he pursues his education in his homeland of Spain.

Facebook May Start Vanity URLs This Week

Just like vanity plates for your car, Facebook will soon be offering vanity URLs for profile pages this week according to a reliable source to Tech Crunch.

There will be words that are in a blacklist according to Tech Crunch. Those words will include trademark infringements and many generic terms.

At this time Facebook profiles have been using user id numbers instead of words. Since March some Facebook pages have had the vanity URLs. Those who have the vanity tags are in a business relationship with Facebook.

The vanity URL is a useful tool on many other sites including MySpace and Twitter.

Facebook employees will get first dibs on the vanity URLs. Mark has already been taken by Mark Zuckerberg.

Surgery may not be best first approach to colorectal cancer

Researchers are saying that patients with Stage VI colorectal cancer may benefit more from chemotherapy than from surgical removal of the tumors.

When a patient has been diagnosed with Stage VI colorectal cancer the colon tumor has spread to another organ. If the tumors are not presenting with problems to the patient it may be best to move straight into chemotherapy without delay because of surgical complications.

The study focused on 233 metastatic colorectal cancer cases at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). The researchers found that 90 percent of the cases did not require surgery.

The patients all were given a standard three-drug chemotherapy combination. In folow-up exams 217 of the patients did not require surgery for the primary tumor.

55 had elective surgery on the original tumor and removal of other lesions. Eight had a hepatic-artery infusion-pump implanted. That device pumps the chemotherapy medications directly into the liver.

In the past surgery was the first option and then chemotherapy. The rationale was that the tumors would not respond well to the chemotherapy on the primary tumors.

Doctors now have better medicines to use for chemotheraphy. They believe that the chemotherapy approach is better at reducing the size of colon tumors and the metastases.

Science Daily reports:

“We now know that the routine use of surgery for these patients is based on old thinking, and we’re beyond that. There will always be the need for individual exceptions based on the clinical situation, but our default position should be not to operate,” said Dr. Paty.

Researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center has found that the survival period from Stage VI colorectal cancer has increased from eight months (patients diagnosed prior to 1990) to more than 30 months. Those diagnosed after 2004 have a 30 percent chance of a five-year survival.

UPI reports:

“In this study, we wanted to determine if these changes resulted in longer survival of metastatic colorectal cancer patients in a large population base,” Kopetz, the study’s corresponding author, said in a statement.

“There had been some hints — for example, in Phase III trials we had seen the overall survival increase over several years. However, because of the enormity of the data, the large population data bases are slow to reflect these changes, so there had not been a signal of increased survival.”

A Profile of Michael Rafferty, the Suspect in the Stafford Case

Michael Rafferty has been named as a suspect in the Tori Stafford murder in Ontario. He was named after a fellow suspect reportedly heard that he was dating other women. Learn more about the man in the centre of this case.

It’s known that Michael Rafferty was a ladies man. He is accused of cheating on his girlfriends, Tara McDonald, the mother of Tori Stafford, told police.

Rafferty has a son. It’s been said that as a father he wasn’t in contact with his son.

Rafferty was also a party guy. The Toronto Star reports that in Toronto, where he lived ten years ago, he was a regular at a bar on Peter Street.

In Woodstock he spent time at Good Times Charlie’s.

Although some have called the man odd, no one would have connected him to the murder of a child.

Rafferty is said to be on a suicide watch at Elgin Middlesex Detention Centre in London, Ontario.

The Calgary Herald reports:

“From what I am told, and I don’t know if it stands true or not, but the only reason that she confessed was that she found out he had found another girlfriend out here and that was pretty much her way of getting back,” Tara McDonald said.

Const. Laurie-Anne Maitland told this Digital Journalist she “…can’t give out any other information than on the media releases”.

Good Time Charlie’s in Woodstock refused to comment about Rafferty.

“We’re not going to comment on that case.”

Rafferty has remained silent about the case. His lawyer is quoted by CBC about the Crown having separate trials.

Mattson said, “They have — or might be — negotiating a deal with the other side.”

“I mean, they [prosecutors] may be trying to avoid what in another case that is a little more famous — or was more famous — where there was a lot of criticism of the attorney general’s office. And maybe that’s why they’ve got two separate prosecutors. But that’s just speculation,” Mattson told reporters gathered outside the courthouse in Woodstock.

This Digital Journalist contacted one of the law offices assisting with the Rafferty case in Kitchener. The receptionist said that they are not commenting at all about this case.

Terri-Lynne McClintic has also just been charged with first-degree murder. She was arrested May 19 in Woodstock, Ont., and later appeared in court to face charges of abducting the eight-year-old schoolgirl, as well as assisting Rafferty, 28, to escape the area and being an accessory to murder after the fact.

Also, police continue to search for Tori Stafford’s body. OPP Det.-Insp. William Renton told media:

The investigative team is working hard and is utilizing all available resources to help locate the body of Victoria Stafford.

Animals Share Morals With Humans

It’s often been suggested what sets humans apart from other animals is the ability to have morals. That theory is being disputed by some scientists that have observed humans are not alone in morals.

From rats to wolves animal scientists are observing that morals may be something we all in the animal kingdom are born with.

Humans are indeed animals. As scientists research futher into the morality clause of humans they are finding that we are not alone. Most animals have the ability to tell right from wrong and have emotions.

Professor Marc Bekoff who works at the University of Colorado, Boulder believes that morals is ‘hard-wired’ into the brain of all mammals. Could it be that morals is how all animals are able to live together in groups.

Wolves are not known for their fairness when it comes to other species but as a group they work well together. Wolves will even ‘handicap’ themselves amongst their pack to give equal footing to others.

Chimpanzees are kinder to the members in their groups who are handicapped.

The Daily Mail quotes Bekoff:

‘The belief that humans have morality and animals don’t is a long-standing assumption, but there is a growing amount of evidence that is showing us that this simply cannot be the case,’ Prof Bekoff told the Sunday Telegraph.

‘Just as in humans, the moral nuances of a particular culture or group will be different from another, but they are certainly there.

‘Moral codes are species specific, so they can be difficult to compare with each other or with humans.’

Consider dogs. Humans have put a lot of faith in an animal that often are not considered capable of morals. Would you trust a non-moral human with helping your blind mother across the road?

Would you allow testing on your family pet similar to those being done on mice in the lab?

Ask yourself why. We know the truth. We see the truth in their trusting eyes. If an animal can trust how can we even think that they don’t have other emotions.

Primatologist Frans De Waal agrees with Bekoff:

De Waal argues that morality evolved to address a need: “in the course of human evolution, out group hostility enhanced in group solidarity to the point that morality emerged. This presents a “profound irony”: our noblest achievement-morality-as evolutionary ties to our basest behavior-warfare.

The Challenges of Crime Reporting

On May 26 the Canadian Journalism Foundation hosted The Media and Wrongful Conviction with criminal lawyer James Lockyer. The evening focused on murder cases where an innocent person served time.

The role of the journalist in these type of wrongful conviction cases is very important.

First let’s examine the judicial system.

As Toronto lawyer James Lockyer stated at the beginning of his lecture:

“All human processes are human and prone to error. A criminal trial is a human process.”

When dealing with the court a journalist has to examine the fallacies as they present their story. Those fallacies are plentiful for the court room is filled with humans.

But you’re already ahead in the game so let’s go back to the crime scene. While journalists aren’t always allowed at the scene of the crime they can ask important questions. The early clues are vital for a fair hearing.

At the beginning we as journalists and the public want the same thing as the police, an answer. That answer takes time. Unless witnesses are at the scene and the crime is filmed it’s difficult to get down to brass tacks, the suspect. There is often a rush to judgment, the easiest answer is the suspect. In many wrongful conviction cases that was the case. The innocent knew the victim, often they were in a relationship, were a relative or a neighbour.

That rush to judgment is not just due to the police, the public and the media is often on the bandwagon. In the recent case of Tori Stafford her mother was a very early suspect.

In this rush to judgment the journalist needs to be ready to look at the evidence presented and start asking vital questions. Are the witnesses reliable? Are the police and the witnesses telling the truth? Do the findings make sense? What types of forensics are being used as a means of pinpointing a suspect? Are those tests junk science?

Once the case makes it to the courtroom the journalist has a much more difficult task. They have to examine all the findings and observe them with a slightly jaundiced eye. Wide eyed innocence in the court room is not a practical way to cover a trial that may result in a person being sent away for life. A journalist now has a different set of questions to add to the first set, which should still be in play.

Is the Crown disclosing the information to the court? Is the defense council reliable? Can the jury grasp the information being present to them?

Mr. Lockyer observed that is should not surprise anyone that wrongful convictions can easily take place.

“What I would like to see is reporters covering cases with a jaundiced eye.”

It’s not difficult that the media can be a key element in murder cases. That element can be both positive and negative. The media can ask questions, find witnesses and examine findings with a new eye that police can use. On the other hand the media can put pressure on the police to help a suspect that results in a rush to judgment before the evidence supports that finding.

After the trial the journalist has not lost their importance. This is the time when a journalist may have to take on the establishment. To raise questions about if an innocent has been convicted of a crime. The journalist may be the only voice a wrongly convicted person has to have a voice.

Sadly there isn’t enough of this type of reporting going on. Once the case has closed it’s time for the next story. Often though it’s just the beginning of the story. These stories are not easy nor do they have a pre-set wrap up time. They take long hours of research, interviews and aren’t always that popular. They are when the journalist is most needed though. That in itself, makes it an issue that journalists must strive to improve on.

An innocent person’s life may just depend on it.

Opinion: Maybe It’s Time For The Truth About Death And Insurance In Obits

John Doe, 35, died from lack of funds. Cancer treatments that would have saved his life were not affordable. Donations to help bury Mr. Doe are being accepted by his family.

“I’m sorry but there’s nothing we can do. While the cancer is treatable we can’t work with you. You don’t have insurance and that’s just unforgivable. Have a nice day.”

This obituary will not appear in the local paper nor did the doctor’s conversation take place but maybe they should. In Ohio alone two people a day between the ages of 25 and 64 die because they do not have health insurance.

We can’t imagine those words being said to a cancer patient but the reality is people without insurance are routinely given a death sentence. They don’t have the means to pay for the operation, drugs or hospital stay. Without the money to afford the keys to life they die.

The Dayton OS reports:

U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton (D-Chardon) said the study underscores the need for Democrats’ national health care reform proposals.

“It is incomprehensible that in the most advanced nation in the world, so many Americans are priced out of a healthy life, and in some cases are being priced out of life at all,” she said.

Col Owens, representing Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage, said the report disproves a common misconception.

“It is clear that too many Ohioans believe that because hospital emergency rooms must accept everyone, that people in Ohio don’t die for lack of health care coverage,” he said. “The problem doesn’t start in the emergency room. It starts invisibly and silently.”

People without insurance often believe if they get sick enough they can go to the emergency room and be treated. There is only so much the average emergency room can do. They can’t treat cancer, they can’t give a person a heart operation. They can only treat what they can treat. From that point on a patient has to deal with the admitting department.

Some of the best doctors in the world practice in the United States. There are 47 million Americans who do not have a chance for that excellent care because they don’t have the means to pay for it.

Perhaps Dr. Sanjay Gupta says it best on his blog:

I think it’s safe to say that no one thinks our health care system works well. I haven’t thought so, almost from the moment I entered it. Simplifying a bit, for the purposes of this blog, the two issues on the table are cost and access – and probably in that order. Having sat down with President Obama, I know he believes we should build on the current system. That is, people who have health insurance they like should be able to keep the same coverage. People who can’t afford it would be eligible for subsidies to help defray the costs. I have not heard anyone from the administration talk about completely overhauling the system or having it completely run by the government.

So perhaps it is time for newspapers to print the real cause of death in the newspapers obit section. Those death notices could help really bring about change.

The long road home may never end- Brain Injury Recovery

The way home has changed. The pathways were easy to navigate in the past. They are now a maze of jumbled vines and branches ready to trip me up.

I hadn’t left for that long. From what I remember the trails that were close by were well maintained. How did they become so jumbled in just a month?

There were bridges that very recently connected to each other. The supports have vanished.

The older parts along the way home haven’t changed. They don’t mean the same thing to me, but they are in their place. It’s the latest developments, the real estate has shifted. Sometimes I remember where things were so short a period ago and then I forget. It’s like a giant fog came and rearranged the landscape.

And such is the recovery process from a brain injury.

At times memories are clean cut and clear. At others they are gone. Each day brings new challenges, new solutions, new frustrations.

What works well with one patient is often the opposite of what is needed in another.

It is very common for a patient with a brain injury to deal with changes in memory, concentration, response time, planning and problem solving, initiative, flexibility, insight, impulsively, control of anger, talking, behavior, dependence, emotional stability, depression.

There have been some advancements in treating brain injury but many more are still in the study process. One important finding in 2006 was reported by Science Daily.

“We can theoretically take a single brain cell out of a human being and – with just this one cell – generate enough brain cells to replace every cell of the donor’s brain and conceivably those of 50 million other people,” said Dennis Steindler, Ph.D., executive director of UF’s McKnight Brain Institute. “This is a completely new source of human brain cells that can potentially be used to fight Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and a host of other brain disorders. It would probably only take months to get enough material for a human transplant operation.”

Onto the reality of dealing with a brain injury.

Recovery from a brain injury is a loose term. The truth is most people who suffer a traumatic brain injury will have some limits. Brains don’t recover the same as a broken bone. The deficits caused to the brain are generally permanent. Expecting a full recovery can cause a patient and their families to experience denial, frustration, disappointment, and even worse, extremely unrealistic expectations and planning. Hope is a positive element but reality needs to play a large part when it comes to the ‘recovery’ period of a brain injury.

There is no magic number when it comes to the time it will take for visible recovery to happen. Some people take six months to see progress, some a year, some take several years and some will never see a big improvement. Less severe brain injury patients typically recover quicker and those with massive brain injury take longer periods.

Recovery comes in small peaks and valleys. There is no consistent pattern though with brain injury cases.

Miracle cures are rare. There is no magic formula that speeds up the process. While using the most up-to-date therapies are beneficial they are not a cure.

IQ scores don’t pick up all the deficits when it comes to a brain injury. Testing for IQ can be misleading. Task testing is a better indicator on what damages have occurred. As the Web site Get Real Results puts it traditional intelligence tests bear little relationship to the mental processes required for successful everyday functioning. They are composed of brief, highly structured, artificial tasks, that emphasize old learning and over learned skills.

MRIs don’t tell the whole picture either. Brain scans may look completely normal and yet there are serious damages that are the reality of a patient’s life.

Most patients with a brain injury will not use that injury to their advantage. Most are frustrated by the challenges they face. Patients though do have a tendency to become dependent on their support teams. This is a learned dependency and can be unlearned.

Psychotherapy needs are very different for those with a brain injury than the rest of the population. This is not the time to cure the past. This is a time period that requires a structuring, supportive, problem-solving approach.

Many brain injury patients have to take medications. Some of those drugs are used to treat various emotional, behavioral, and even cognitive problems after brain injury. Some though can cause a patient to lose footing on their way back. Mild tranquilizers are one of those drugs. In a non-injured brain they may calm a person, in an injured brain they may cause memory problems, poor judgment, and emotional control problems in head injured persons.

With brain injury recovery is not known. There are no magic bullets. Learning strategies to cope with deficits can be more important than holding out for a total recovery.

It’s a long road. There are many blockades in the process and there is no guarantee that the final word will be positive.

Why Is Ibrahim Jassam In Custody?

Cameraman Ibrahim Jassam has been in custody since September. Jassam works for Reuters. He is considered by the United States government to be a security risk. But is he any more of a risk than Roxana Saberi was to Iran?

Ibrahim Jassam isn’t alone in being detained by the United States in a foreign land. For six years Sami al-Haj was held in Guantanamo without a trial. Sami al-Haj was a cameraman for Al Jazeera. His story, unlike Saberi’s went untold for the most part by the media.

He was released in 2007 without the fanfare the Saberi case received. He was asked to spy on Al-Jazeera while in Guantanamo instead of asked about his life as a terrorist. Why? Because there was no evidence that the man was anything but a journalist.

Bilal Hussein was in prison for almost two years without being charged. Hussein is a Pulitzer Prize winning photographer for AP.

In the Ibrahim Jassam case five months ago an Iraqi court found no evidence that justifies his detention. He was ordered to be released. The United States has refused to recognize that court order. He is still in custody.

Reuters reports:

“Though we appreciate the decision of the Central Criminal Court of Iraq in the Jassam case, their decision does not negate the intelligence information that currently lists him as a threat to Iraq security and stability,” said Major Neal Fisher, spokesman for the U.S. military’s detainee operations in Iraq.

“He will be processed for release in a safe and orderly manner after December 31st, in the order of his individual threat level, along with all other detainees,” Fisher said in an email to Reuters.

“Since he already has a decision from the CCCI, when it is his turn for release he will be able to out-process without having to go through the courts as other detainees in his threat classification will have to do.”

Jassam, 31, was arrested on September 2, 2008. Troops from both the US and Iraq came to his home in the middle of the night breaking down the family’s front door. When Iraqi soldiers asked where the journalist Ibrahim was he stepped forward. The LA Times reports that one of his brothers recalls:

Ibrahim Jassam, a cameraman and photographer for the Reuters news agency, stepped forward, one of this brothers recalled. “Take me if you want me, but please leave my brothers.”

They did. Blindfolding him, taking his computer’s hard drive the troops handcuffed Jassam and drove away.

There are still no formal accusations that have been made against Jassam.

Jassam’s brother, [url=He may well break under the pressure of being detained. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraq-journalist24-2009may24,0,2581320.story t=_blank]Walid, visited him recently in Camp Bucca, the desolate, tented U.S. prison camp in the desert in southern Iraq, and found him close to the breaking point.

“He used to be handsome, but now he’s pale and he’s tired,” said Walid, who says his brother had no ties to insurgents. “Every now and then while we were talking, he would start crying. He was begging me: ‘Please do something to get me out of here. I don’t know what is the charge against me.’

“I told him we already tried everything.”

Reporters without Borders has called for his release. But where is the rest of the world’s outrage?

Salon reports:

Hussein’s detention is not an isolated incident. Over the last three years, dozens of journalists—mostly Iraqis—have been detained by U.S. troops, according to CPJ research. While most have been released after short periods, in at least eight cases documented by CPJ Iraqi journalists have been held by U.S. forces for weeks or months without charge or conviction. In one highly publicized case, Abdul Ameer Younis Hussein, a freelance cameraman working for CBS, was detained after being wounded by U.S. military fire as he filmed clashes in Mosul in northern Iraq on April 5, 2005. U.S. military officials claimed footage in his camera led them to suspect Hussein had prior knowledge of attacks on coalition forces. In April 2006, a year after his arrest, Hussein was freed after an Iraqi criminal court, citing a lack of evidence, acquitted him of collaborating with insurgents.