A Day in the Life

116 years ago Joseph Robert's, father of 5, wife packed her husband an orange and saw him off in the morning in Staffordshire, England. He never made it home.

One of the millions of nameless over the long slog that has toiled so that we all can warm, chatter and enjoy.

The story impelled me to search "world mining disasters" and came up with this site. Another reminder of those who missed their citrus this noon.

What country has the most expensive drugs in the world?

Why, El Salvador of course. Amazing.

The Right, Hippies and Hillary

The Right's effective effort to turn a right wing Democrat into a mix between Rosa Luxemburg and Joan Baez. Or why the right still redbait.
Waldman's wonderful article here dissects the Right's political tactics and social role. And it's quite well written and funny too.

Doctor Watson's Race Problem

Why Nobel Laureate Dr Watson is wrong about race.

Stephen Jay Gould's take.

In Gould's own words.

Here's why the term "Caucasian" was coined by Friedrich Blumenbach:

"Caucasian variety - I have taken the name of this variety from Mount Caucasus, both because its neighborhood, and especially its southern slope, produces the most beautiful race of men, I mean the Georgian; and because all physiological reasons converge to this, that in that region, if anywhere, it seems we ought with the greatest probability to place the autochthones (birth place) of mankind."

Odd he thought his "race" the most beautiful, no?

Race: The Power of an Allusion.

Crossover Dream or

Why Bollywood is the future. A must see!

De-Industrialization: Auto

GLOBAL CAR COMPANIES COMPARED

Sales (volume) Sales ($bn) Profit ($bn) Market value ($bn) Workforce
GM 8.3m 192 -10.9 20 335,000
Toyota 8.2m 176 12.5 208 285,000
Daimler/Chrsyler 4.8m 185 -1.7* 65 382,000
Ford 6.6m 153 -12.7* 16 300,000
Volkswagen 5.2m 118 5.2 43 344,000
*2006 (Chrysler only)
Source: PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 2005


The decline of Detroit.

The Case for Letting Malibu Burn

Mike Davis on the "natural disaster" that is the fire out West.

Death Count Religion

Billy Graham lackey of the war machine.

Death Count Religion

This October day inagurates a new feature here at the Red and the Black Death Count Religion. The body count is high and although seemingly a secular tide has been rising since the late 1700's the authoritarians always know the route to control is a little bit of angel dust with a touch of eternal damnation. In an effort to try and shed a tiny light on the horror show that is GOD Death Count Religion with periodically high light the body bags. Todays entry is somewhat commical but the consequences tragic for Delhi's Deputy Mayor who fell a story after fighting off monkeys who are protected given the worship of Hanuman by millions in South Asia.

The story.

ZOG? No

In March of this year liberals John Mearsheimer and Steve Walt put out a mild critique of the Israeli lobby and unleashed a shit storm. They have weathered the storm and have put out a reply to some of the hysterics.

The Liberal Washington Post

The Washington Post comes out against passing a resolution condemning the Armenia genocide. On what grounds? Turkey is an ally of the US and instrumental in waging war in Iraq, thus let's not get them mad. The Post also works a little genocide denial into the article as they put in quotes around the term itself.

The Post still likes to ride on the coattails of the Watergate days when they helped topple a President but historically they have been a flak for US power. This latest grand stand is just part in parcel in their long traditional of standing for power of the state over truth.

A few sources on the Armenian genocide.

By the way the Clinton Administration also played the game of denial in the interests of national security under its watch.

Hasta La Victoria

On the 40th anniversary of Che's assasination a look at his writings.

Who was/is Che?

Che's Assassin Treated by Cuban Doctors

In Bolivia last year Cuban doctors operated on the man who killed internationalist hero Che Guevara. The operation was part of a Cuban program that offers free eye care to people throughout Latin America.