What do you think the big movie will be this weekend?
I really would be thrilled if it was THE KILL ROOM starring Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman but I think it will probably be SAW X -- which I'm sure will be a good film too. Then again, DUMB MONEY did well last week in limited release and it goes wide this weekend so it might top the charts.
What's going to fall out?
My guess would be BLUE BEETLE. It's been coming in tenth during the week and I don't see it suddenly surging on Friday. It's in way too many theaters for the money it's pulling in and it would have dropped out of the top ten last weekend were it not for the fact that it was still in so many theaters -- it had the worst per screen average of any in the top ten last weekend.
I think the studios have gotten lazy but that's another post.
Going out with C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"
Thursday, September 28, 2023. An internet celebrity is shot dead in
Baghdad, meek Ronald DeSantis recedes during last night's GOP sprawl,
Amnesty International calls for justice, and much more.
Nineteen-year-old
Ghaly Nassim was only a few metres away from the al-Haitham banquet
hall when the fire broke out on Tuesday evening.
He rushed to help five of his friends who were trapped inside.
"One
door was blocked, so we opened it by force. Massive flames came out of
the hall. It was like Hell's doors opened," he said.
"The temperature was unbearable. I cannot describe the extreme heat."
At
least 94 people were killed and 100 others were injured in the fire,
which broke out during the first dance of the bride and groom. Civil
defence officials told BBC News Arabic that the couple survived, though
initial reports said they had perished.
Mr Nassim described the scenes as a "real tragedy".
"I could not do anything but run away from the fire," he said, sounding exhausted over the phone line.
"After
the firefighters arrived, I rushed inside to look for my friends. I saw
26 dead bodies in the bathroom. A 12-year-old girl was completely burnt
and left in a corner."
In other news, internet personality Noor BM was shot dead in Baghdad on Monday.
Known on social media as “Noor BM,” 23-year-old Noor Alsaffar had
over 370,000 followers collectively on Instagram and TikTok. Alsaffar
mostly posted short videos showing dresses, hair and makeup styles,
often dancing to music. Following news of the shooting, many posted comments lamenting Alsaffar’s death. Some others cheered it, celebrating the man who fired the shot.
The Iraqi security source told CNN that “an investigation has been
opened,” speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized
to speak to the media. “The deceased has been taken to the forensic
department.”
Khaled Almehna, spokesperson for the Iraqi police, described the attack
as a “criminal incident” on Tuesday, adding that he will provide
“important updates” at a later time.
The killing comes as Iraq cracks down on LGBTQ expression and
moves to criminalize it in law. While being queer is not explicitly
banned under current Iraqi legislation, LGBTQ people are often targeted
under vague morality clauses in its penal code.
Before the shooting, Alsaffar faced online abuse, as well as
questions about sexuality and gender. In a 2020 interview on Iraq’s Al
Walaa channel, Alsaffar said: “I’m not transgender and I’m not gay. I
don’t have other tendencies, I’m only a cross-dresser and a model.”
Alsaffar identified as male who worked as a model and makeup artist.
Turning to the US, last night
Republicans competing for their party's presidential nomination took the
stage for what some termed a "debate" but what most resembled a
shouting match.
Though
many brought a shout, Ronald DeSantis only packed a pout. And he never
looked sadder. This is the guy that they said was the sure thing at
the start of the year? He was like Sad Dad (Andy Richter) on THE NEW
ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE. But, as the brawl continued, it became
obvious that DeSantis was Chris Chritie's mini-me -- both in looks and
in judgment -- neither wanted to pick someone to boot off the stage
(though moderator Dana Perino, trying to be 'with it,' used the term
"island" which would've nailed it . . . in 2004). Chris Christie
finally found an answer -- Donald Trump who, point of fact, was not on
the stage. His mimi-me DeSantis had already noted that and squeaked
that Donald owed it to the voters to be here. "He should be on this
stage tonight," Ronald all but sobbed. His larger self, Chris Christie,
tried to tag Donald with a new nickname: Donald Duck. Get it? Because
he's 'ducking' the debate? No, it's not a good nickname -- most people
like Donald Duck.
While
Ronald DeSantis played meek and awkward, Nikki Haley was going after
everyone. At one point, arguing over Tik-Tok -- because that is the
most important problem for the country right now, apparently -- she
told Vivek Ramaswamy, "Every time I hear you, I feel a little dumber."
Repeating, Nikki Haley, of all people, told Ramaswamy, "Every time I hear you, I feel a little dumber."
Who would have thought that was possible?
"Joe Biden shouldn't be on the picket line, he should be on our southern border working to close our . . ."
The
mincing hand gestures made it difficult to follow what Tim Scott was
saying throughout the night but he did set that remark semi-off. A
shame because no one expects a US president to be physically at a US
border working on that border. But Tim's not too smart as he repeatedly
demonstrates.
Paul Rudnick Tweeted:
The
big question with Tim of course is, since he says he's straight, why
should anyone vote for him? He's 58 years old. That's basically forty
seasons of THE BACHELORETTE and he's telling America that in all that
time no woman's ever chosen him.
Forty adult years and no woman's ever chosen him. But America should?
Strange logic there.
Desperate
for the country to know that at least someone chose him, Mike Pence
felt the need to brag that he's been "sleeping with a teacher for 38
years." Leave it to Prudish Pence to try to sexualize the debate.
Moderator Ilia Calderón asked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to address
the descendants of enslaved people regarding his state’s new standards
on how to teach Black history in schools.
Calderón: “Florida’s new Black history curriculum says, ‘slaves
developed skills, which in some instances, could be applied for their
personal benefit.’ You have said slaves developed skills in spite of
slavery, not because of it. But many are still hurt. For descendants of
slaves, this is personal. What is your message to them?”
DeSantis: “First of all, that’s a hoax that was perpetuated by
Kamala Harris. We are not going to be doing that. Second of all, that
was written by descendants of slaves, these are great Black history
scholars, so we need to stop playing these games,” DeSantis said.
Facts First: DeSantis’ claim is false. Florida’s new standards for teaching Black history do include the clause that Calderón read out.
In July, the Florida Board of Education approved a new set
of standards for how Black history should be taught in the state’s
public schools. The standards for middle schoolers include a benchmark
that says, “Instruction includes how slaves developed skills which, in
some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.”
When asked about the benchmark
in July, DeSantis told CNN he “wasn’t involved.” Instead, just as he
did in his response tonight, he deferred to those who wrote the
education standards.
“You should talk to them about it. I didn’t do it. I wasn’t involved in it,” DeSantis said at the time.
Pressed further at the time, he said: “I think that they’re
probably going to show some of the folks that eventually parlayed, you
know, being a blacksmith into, into doing things later in life. But the
reality is, all of that is rooted in whatever is factual. They listed
everything out. And if you have any questions about it, just ask the
Department of Education.”
DeSantis has argued that it is unfair to depict the standards as broadly pro-slavery, saying that they are clear and detailed about the evils of slavery.
The new standards have been criticized by civil rights advocates and Black lawmakers. Vice President Kamala Harris also criticized the new standards, saying in a speech in July “they decided middle school students will be taught that enslaved people benefited from slavery.”
Be interesting to see if anyone slams Pence for his anti-union remarks.
Moving on . . .
So, Gov. DeSantis, all within a few days, turns down $350 million in federal aid from the Inflation Reduction Act that
would have supported environmental and green energy projects as well as
provided rebates to Florida utility customers, at a time when DeSantis
has done nothing to improve Florida’s energy efficiency efforts or
helped Floridians with the increases in electric rate increases.
Add
to this the fact that he refused to meet with President Biden when he
visited the hurricane ravaged Big Bend area. Why? He doesn’t seem to see
the need, even though the federal government’s FEMA program can and
will benefit those hit hardest by this historic storm. Perhaps, DeSantis
does not want to give any attention to a president who actually gets
things done on his watch rather than restrict freedoms and protect
donors, as is DeSantis’ custom.
-- John King, Pensacola
Yep, America has been warned.
A
do-nothing Congress. That's long been an image for Americans. The
late Alexander Cockburn (
COUNTERPUNCH) used to say it was better than
the alternative and we might be better off when Congress did nothing.
But we've got a government shutdown looming -- possibly Sunday -- and it's a probably a good
time to note that some members didn't take their jobs seriously. For
example, Marjorie Taylor Green. The US House Repellant,
Michael Luciano (MEDIAITE) reports, wasted her time and our time since we pay her salary:
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)
managed to insert a provision into a short-term funding bill that would
reduce the yearly salary of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to just $1.
The
Republican-controlled House is presently barreling toward a government
shutdown at the end of the month thanks to GOP lawmakers’ inability to
agree on spending bills amongst themselves. On Tuesday, the Senate
passed a 45-day stopgap bill that would, if passed by the House and
signed by President Joe Biden, keep the government
funded until mid-November. In the meantime, the House could try to
hammer out twelve separate spending bills that would earn the backing of
the Senate and the White House.
[. . .]
“I would like to introduce an amendment that uses the Holman rule to
slash the secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin’s salary, to no more than a
$1,” she began. “Secretary Austin has not fulfilled his job duties. As a
matter of fact, he’s destroying our military. During Secretary Austin’s
tenure, military recruitment has reached crisis levels of low
recruitment. The numbers show that the Army expects to fall 15,000
recruits short of its annual recruiting goal this year. The Navy is
expecting to be short 10,000 recruits. The Air Force is down another
3,000. This cannot stand, especially with our government funding and
fueling a war in Ukraine that is leading us undoubtedly to World War
III.”
Racist
Marjorie is at it again. She's wasting all of our time because Lloyd
Austin is an African-American male. That is only in doubt if you
haven't attended Congressional hearings where she's 'questioned.' Her
questions on children always result in her saying "White children," for
example. She's a racist puerile and simple-minded.
I
don't want to spend too much time trying to introduce actual facts into
her lunatic conversation but I do have to make the point here that her
hero Donald Trump? They weren't meeting recruitment goals under him
either. One example,
the year the target goal was lowered in August of that year when it was clear that they would not make the target.
Again, I'm not going to waste too much time explaining just how wrong
she is because she doesn't traffic in facts or in truth. She saw an
African-American man rise to a level of success and, instead of trying
to avert a shutdown, she decided to waste everyone's time with her
nonsense and lies.
Luciano notes another idiot liar:
Elsewhere,
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) succeeded in inserting an amendment that
would also reduce Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness Shawn
Skelly’s salary to $1.
“This
delusional man thinking he is a woman, embodies and espouses the
woke-ism that that’s causing significant harm to our military readiness
and troops’ morale!” Boebert said on the floor about the defense official, who is transgender.
The
Assistant Secretary of Defense is only worth $1 a year? No doubt
Lauren's planning to fish a crumpled one out of her thong to pay the dollar?
That
is so disgusting on so many levels. First off, Lauren isn't better
than anyone -- we're talking gutter trash dweller Lauren. Second off,
how dare she insult the office like that. Forget the person holding the
office for just a moment, how dare she insult the office. Someone also
explain to me how gun nut Lauren didn't go off into the military?
Chicken Hawk.
She
is not funny and, goodness knows, she's not cute. All the make up the
world doesn't cover her acne pock marks, for example. I think about how
she's probably about to be kicked out of Congress and how that's
happening as her children get older. They're going to see what a crazy
piece of trash that they have for a mother. She's going to find, as
they kids grow and get married, that they don't want granny coming over
preaching her hate and 'jokes' against LGBTQ+ people. She's going to be
the old racist at any family reunion and people will avoid her like
crazy.
As they should.
I will just add that
Shawn Skelly is a woman and she's a woman who served her country.
Boebert is an overgrown girl who's served any man who would have her --
repeatedly. They're different kinds of service, of course. What I'm
saying is Lauren is special in her own way and that's okay. Give her a
participation ribbon -- and a shot of penicillin.
A Texas
law prohibiting certain “sexually oriented” performances from taking
place on public property or where they may be viewed by minors is
unconstitutional, a federal judge declared Tuesday.District Judge David Hittner, who had temporarily halted the state’s ban a
day before the law was set to take effect in August, in a ruling on
Tuesday wrote it represented “an unconstitutional restriction on speech”
and barred state officials, including the attorney general, from
enforcing it. Hittner said drag shows were protected by the First Amendment.
“Indeed,
First Amendment protection has been extended to all types of
activities, even some that seem untasteful to society,” Hittner wrote in
his opinion, citing a 2020 case concerning exotic dancers.
“Further,
a survey of court decisions related to the issue of drag shows reveals
little divergence from the opinion that drag performances are expressive
content that is afforded First Amendment protection,” he wrote,
referencing recent court decisions blocking drag bans passed in
Tennessee, Florida and Montana.
Former presidential candidate Ralph Nader said he is backing President Joe Biden over any Republican or third-party candidate in the 2024 election because of the "two-party duopoly" presidential elections have become.
Nader, best known for running as a Green Party candidate in the 2000 presidential election, said in an interview with the Washington Post that he is "stuck with Biden" because of the perceived threat the GOP poses.
"We
are stuck with Biden now," Nader said. "In a two-party duopoly, if one
should be defeated ferociously, the logic is that the other one
prevails."
The
longtime activist also compared the choice between Democrats and
Republicans as between "autocracy" and "fascism," arguing autocracy is
the better of the two.
"I
know the difference between fascism and autocracy, and I'll take
autocracy any time," Nader said. "Fascism is what the GOP is the
architecture of, and autocracy is what the Democrats are practitioners
of. But autocracy leaves an opening. They don't suppress votes. They
don't suppress free speech."
No
living person who has run as a third party candidate has gotten as
large a percent of the vote as Ralph did in 2000 -- he got 2.7%. That
does not make his word law. I did not vote for Ralph in 2000 because I
didn't believe in him (as I repeatedly note over the years here, the
ROLLING STONE interview killed any chance that I would've supported him
-- I'm a citizen of the United States, I define myself as a citizen, not
as a consumer). I also don't believe he cost Al Gore the election in
2000. Let's say the mantra we've said year after year here for close
to 19 years now -- No one owns your vote, they earn it (or not). Your
vote is your vote. If Al Gore hadn't taken his home state for granted,
for example, or if he had campaigned stronger and not tried to appear so
eager to sell out (that is what drove many leftists elsewhere, Al and
the triangulation) or if he'd had a personality, he would have done
better.
Is Ralph Nader
right? Ralph Nader has an opinion and if he or Kyle Kulinski or anyone
else wants to make that argument, they should. Making an argument
doesn't make the right. But I have heard for decades now from friends
who voted for Ralph in 2000 and they always want to apologize to me.
I'm not in the mood. I'm not a priest, don't confess to me. If you
were happy when you voted for Ralph on election day, that's great. You
can't second guess the future. You made the best choice you could at
that time.
I have never
said to anyone, "You cost us the election! You're the reason we got
Bully Boy Bush in the White House!" In part, I haven't said that
because the Supreme Court butted into a process that they had no
business in (how we resolve that matter was outlined in the Constitution
and the country had already dealt with the issue in 1876 -- there was
no reason for the Supreme Court to step in other than to rig the
outcome). If you were happy with the vote, good for you. And some
friends have remained happy with their vote so good for them. But a lot
of people have made noises of regret. It's simpering and I don't have
time for Laurie Metcalfs. She simpered as Jackie on the final season of
ROSEANNE, she voted for Jill Stein! If she'd voted for Hillary, Donald
might not have become president. I really don't have time for that
whiny behavior.
So I am
very open to people making the argument that Ralph is doing or that Kyle
has done. Know what you're doing now because I don't personally want
to hear whining later. I'm not telling you how to vote and no one
should. But if you are planning to vote, be happy with your vote.
Iraq: Four years after Tishreen protests, no justice for state and militia violence
The Iraqi authorities must ensure truth, justice and reparations for
the killing of hundreds and maiming of thousands by Iraqi security
forces, Amnesty International said today ahead of the four-year
anniversary of the nation-wide anti-government protests. As an immediate
step, the authorities should reveal the fate and whereabouts of people
forcibly disappeared during the protest movement that began in October
2019.
During the mass protests, known as the Tishreen [October] protests security forces including anti-riot police, counterterrorism forces and members of Popular Mobilization Units (PMU),
a large network of militias legally considered part of the Iraqi Armed
Forces, used lethal force against protesters and pursued a sinister
campaign of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.
“Since the Tishreen protests, successive Iraqi governments have
reneged on their promises to ensure truth and justice for the state and
militia violence inflicted on Iraqi protesters, activists, and lawyers
and their families. The meagre number of prosecutions and investigations
– which pale in comparison to the scale of the abuses – clearly
demonstrate that the authorities are not interested in accountability,”
said Razaw Salihy, Amnesty International’s Iraq Researcher.
“Justice for the Tishreen protests is long overdue. The Iraqi
authorities must ensure independent and impartial investigations into
crimes committed since 2019 against protesters, activists and their
families, publish the findings and hold those suspected of criminal
responsibility accountable in fair trials that meet international
standards. They must also protect families demanding justice from
reprisals”.
Reprisals to silence calls for justice
While some families have continued to insist on calling for
accountability and pursuing investigations left dormant, reprisals for
speaking out have deterred other families from continuing their pursuit
of justice.
In one stark case, the father of a human rights lawyer who was forcibly disappeared in October 2019 was killed in March of 2021 after campaigning for answers about his son’s whereabouts. Amnesty International had warned of threats to the family’s safety in November 2020 and called on the Iraqi authorities to ensure their protection.
The family of Sajjad al-Iraqi, another prominent activist who was
forcibly disappeared in September 2020 in Nasiriya, has also been
subjected to numerous threats by people believed to be linked to the
abductors and to the PMU. These individuals have on several occasions
called the family or come to their home to pressure them to drop their
court case related to Sajjad al-Iraqi’s disappearance. Sajjad al-Iraqi’s
activism focused on corruption issues.
No meaningful accountability
Very few prosecutions of members of security forces or affiliated
militias have taken place for their role in violence against protesters
and activists.
The meagre number of
prosecutions and investigations – which pale in comparison to the scale
of the abuses – clearly demonstrate that the authorities are not
interested in accountability.
Razaw Salihy, Amnesty International
In a report
released in June 2022, the United Nations Assistance Mission to Iraq
(UNAMI) was only able to identify the conviction of four “unidentified
armed elements” since May 2021 and of six members of the security forces
for targeted shootings, killings, and abductions. The report added:
“UNAMI/OHCHR was unable to identify any other cases that progressed
beyond the investigative stage during the reporting period.”
A family member told Amnesty International that they met with Prime
Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani nine months ago and that he promised
to follow up on Sajjad al-Iraqi’s case. On 22 March 2023, the Thi Qar
Criminal Court convicted two individuals in absentia for kidnapping Sajjad al-Iraqi.
However, Sajjad al-Iraqi’s whereabouts remain unknown, and no arrests
have yet been made in his case. A relative told Amnesty International:
“There is no interest in Sajjad’s case. It is just false promises and
reassurances. It is just ink on paper.”
Lack of transparency
Since 2019, successive Iraqi governments have formed numerous
committees to investigate violations committed in the context of the
protests at the national and governorate level, but these committees
have failed to deliver on truth or justice.
The most notable was the ‘Fact-Finding Committee’, established by
Executive Order 293 issued by then-Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on
18 October 2020 with the goal
of gathering evidence, publishing a comprehensive report, and
identifying those responsible for the crimes committed. Under the
decree, the Committee has the right to refer cases to the judiciary,
however there has been no transparency as to whether this has occurred.
In a letter
from Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani’s Office to Amnesty International on
2 April 2023, the Office said that “the Prime Minister ordered in
November 2022 the activation of the work of the [Fact-Finding] committee
and outreach to representatives from the demonstrators”. The Prime
Minister’s Office outlined measures the Fact-Finding Committee had
taken, including having looked into “more than 215 cases obtained from
the Rusafa Central Investigative Court and reviewed more than 5,375
official documents that included medical reports, victim autopsy forms
and reports of forensic experts, and the committee continues to examine
documents received from courts of appeal”.
The Prime Minister’s Office also confirmed that reparations had been
paid to the families of those killed, amounting to ten million Iraqi
dinars for each victim.
However, reparations are not a substitute for establishing the truth
or bringing perpetrators to justice, and nearly three years after it was
first formed, the Fact-Finding Committee has yet to publish any
findings.
Enforced disappearance is currently not a crime under Iraqi law and
therefore cannot be prosecuted as a distinct offence. On 6 August 2023,
the Iraqi Council of Ministers a draft
“Missing Persons Law” and sent it to Parliament. The draft’s stated aim
is to help relatives of the missing learn their fate and be given
access to reparations, including by setting up a national commission for
the missing. Yet, this draft law does not criminalize enforced
disappearance or outline penalties for perpetrators.
The following sites updated:
