I have no idea if anyone has been following coverage of the emerging Anthrax scandal, but a piece run in Saturday’s edition of the New York Daily News provides a bit of a shocking primer… “In the immediate aftermath of the 2001 anthrax attacks, White House officials repeatedly pressed FBI Director Robert Mueller to prove it was a second-wave assault by Al Qaeda, but investigators ruled that out, the Daily News has learned. After the Oct. 5, 2001, death from anthrax exposure of Sun photo editor Robert ...More »

McClatchy’s eight-month investigation into the US detention system post 9/11 and wrongful imprisonments is, in my opinion, a must read. McClatchy describes the journalistic investigation as follows… “An eight-month McClatchy investigation of the detention system created after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has found that the U.S. imprisoned innocent men, subjected them to abuse, stripped them of their legal rights and allowed Islamic militants to turn the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba into a school for jihad.” The following is an excerpt from Guantanamo: Beyond The ...More »

It’s eight o’clock in the morning. I have no idea what I am doing up, other than the fact that I went to bed pretty early. I watched The Other Boleyn Girl last night after rehearsal and prior to passing out. Why is it that no one can portray the Tudors with any historical accuracy? Recent Catastrophes Matters in China are looking grimmer by the day, as are conditions in Burma. One searches for words to put such catastrophes into context, but there are few. The ...More »

If you’re labouring under the misconception that the Bush Administration is going to leave office without first confronting the Iranians, it’s time to start paying serious attention. The propaganda machine is in full swing, led by a new report by the State Department that labels Iran the most active sponsor of terrorism. If you can believe it, the Sudanese government actually ranked lower despite the fact that it has been complicit in supporting the Janjiweed who have been responsible for a genocidal campaign in Darfur. ...More »

The Israeli fuel blockade of Gaza is forcing the United Nations to suspend humanitarian relief efforts. That said; why should we care that 80% of those living in Gaza rely on humanitarian assistance? They are, after all, terrorists, or at the very least terrorists in training (even in their cribs, correct?). Because as we’re all aware, when you’re born and raised in the world’s foremost ghetto the enticement of striking back against those you perceive to be oppressing you isn’t a predominant factor. If only ...More »

A reader, Kevin Mejlholm, recommended the following lecture (*See update below) by David Ray Griffin regarding 9/11. I am posting this not to promote the ideas presented by Griffin, but rather to simply present information that I think should be presented. Therefore, if you want to spend the time watching this lecture, which is one hour and thirty-eight minutes in length, I would be interested to hear your views in the comments as an exercise in open public debate. The video is too large to ...More »

It’s weird to think that I woke up in my own bed this morning but will be performing tonight in another city in another country. It’s only a 30-minute flight away, mind you, but it’s still strange. I took Nyquil at around 8:30 last night and went to bed. This meandering head cold is really, really pissing me off. So tonight will be a rather interesting experiment in under rehearsed hilarity, but I’m sure that it’ll all be fine in the end. The death toll ...More »

I’m going to go on a bit of a tirade, so prepare yourself. Let’s cut the shit and be honest - Muslims blow people up, right? Since September the 11th, and even preceding it, that has been much of the Western world’s perception. Since 9/11, Islam has been attacked by right-wing hacks the world over as being a faith that is steeped in intolerance and hatred. Of course, those same people, even if they’ve read the Qu’ran, usually have zero experience with regards to Muslim cultures. ...More »

In a surprising move after reports that Turkey’s offensive in northern Iraq would be sustained for the foreseeable future, Turkish forces began withdrawing yesterday in force. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that the withdrawal occurred just after President Bush called on the Turkish government to end the offensive and a day after US Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited the Turkish capital to deliver Washington’s message that the incursion must not be open ended. Of course, the Turkish government and military is claiming ...More »

I was sent a scathing email this morning for posting an Op-Ed piece yesterday that suggested there are similarities with regards to the recent independence of Kosovo and the Kurdish struggle for independence, which is by no means a new notion as far as the Kurdish people are concerned. As many of you are aware, the Turkish armed forces have recently crossed the northern frontier of Iraq in force to engage the PKK, a group that has been internationally labeled as a terrorist organization. Elements ...More »