Global
For more than two years President Assad of Syria has led the slaughter of his own population without remorse. Approximately 100,000 people have been killed by the regime and over one million children alone have been forced to flee the state. These numbers by themselves are staggering and deserve due attention. When a leader of any state commits these kinds of atrocities against his own people it becomes a moral imperative to intervene. Further, this imperative should strike us at our core not as merely citizens of America, but as members of the human race.
That book has sold more than any of my others, and I like to think it's contributed some teeny bit to the remarkable and very welcome skepticism that is greeting the U.S. government's current claims about Syria. The fact is that, were the White House telling the truth about the need for an attack on Syria, it would be a first in history. Every other case for war has always been dishonest.
Obama appears to be sinking deeper into his war- making plan on Syria. He has probably gone too far to reverse the momentum toward a military strike for which he and his administration are most responsible. But many in Congress seem eager to jump on the bandwagon. Obama worries about his credibility and the credibility of the nation's military might and power to intimidate.
But a diplomatic option is right there, right now, within talking distance, at the G-20 meeting taking place in St. Petersburg, Russia. The US and Russia are the key actors in the terrible Syrian "civil war." They each have important allies - proxies - in the Middle East Region. What could they do? They could influence their respective allies to stop the flow of weapons into Syria. For example, Russia could stops arming Assad. The US could use its considerable influence to stop Saudi Arabia and Qatar from sending arms to its favored "rebel" groups.
This is the time, as the next war strains to be born, amid the same old lies as last time, amid the same urgency and pseudo-debate and pretensions of seriousness:
The government of Syria has crossed a “red line.” It has used poison gas, killing hundreds of innocent people and committing a heinous war crime. And suddenly, clear as a bell, we have good vs. evil. Our only course of action, President Obama and his spokespersons tell us, is to “carry out a punitive strike against the Syrian government.”
Columbus will once again be the center of soccer in America in a few short weeks. For the fourth time at Crew Stadium, the United States men's soccer team will face off against bitter rival Mexico with a place in the World Cup on the line. The best soccer players from both countries will face off in the most hotly contested game in the region.
The Americans track record against Mexico in Columbus is sterling. Three games played, three 2-0 wins. The U.S. defeated “El Triâ” in the bitter cold of an Ohio winter in 2001, a game that was dubbed “La Guerra Friaâ.” The Mexicans, unused to temperatures in the 20s and surrounded by a rowdy pro U.S. crowd, lost to the U.S. in a World Cup Qualifier for the first time since 1980. The Americans duplicated the feat in 2005 and 2009. The scoreline has even created a phrase. "Dos-a-Cero" has spurred supporters' chants and t-shirts to celebrate the U.S. success in Columbus.
In this case, the tiny group of wealthy financiers, tea party supporters and out of town petitioners sponsoring this ridiculous proposal are calling it by the misleading name of “Cincinnatians for Pension Reform” (CPR). However, unlike the medical procedure by the same name, this one would kill its patient!
WHO IS BEHIND CPR?
If you said; “It can’t be Cincinnatians, our own home town folks would never push something this bad,” then you are actually right on the money!
What about the 7,000 signatures filed by the so-called “Cincinnatians for Pension Reform?” Actually, that phony group paid nearly $70,000 to the California Company Arno Petition Consultants to bring in and put up out of town petitioners in order for them to collect the signatures needed to qualify for ballot status.
Star Wars: Episode VII rumors have been running rampant ever since the new film was announced the moment Disney purchased Lucasfilm and the Star Wars franchise from creator George Lucas.
First the rumors all circled around who would direct the new franchise, and that was finally settled when Disney hired Lost creator and the man responsible for the resurrection of Star Trek, J.J. Abrams to lead the charge.
Next came the rumors about the old cast members from the original series returning in some capacity for the new films. We then heard about actors such as Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher going on diets to drop some pounds so they could appear in the new movies.
Now the latest rumor involves an actor who was in both the original series and the prequels released by George Lucas, who could be making a return from the dead (sort of) in the new movies that will begin with Star Wars: Episode VII in 2015.
According to several news sites, Ian McDiarmid is apparently rumored to reprise his role as Emperor Palpatine in the new Star Wars series.
In my line of work attention to detail is essential. Too bad more people in the workforce can't say the same.
A few days ago, while taking a stroll around our stately digs here on E. Broad St., I encountered one of the many security guards who patrol our block, which includes The American Red Cross of Greater Columbus, hence the security. We chatted a moment before he pointed out that a road crew from the City of Columbus had been through the alley behind our buildings. The crew had scraped the surface with a road grader. The security guard explained that they were planning to repave said alley.
I happened to be headed for the parking lot when a crew returned to accomplish the “paving.” The five-person crew swept through a block-long stretch of alley in under 30 minutes. It was a sight to see. And not a sight such as the Grand Canyon or amber waves of grain. No, it was a pitiful sight to see.
One person drove the asphalt truck while three more workers walked behind, spreading out the noxious goo that spewed from the back of the truck. A fifth worker brought up the rear on a steamroller, flattening out the asphalt as he went.
Big comic book events, both on the page and the big screen, have traditionally been a Summer thing, but with an impressive list of upcoming films, comic crossover events and even a TV show, this year Marvel Comics has a Fall line-up that's just as exciting as any June.
The biggest event is the release of Thor 2: The Dark World, coming to theaters on November 8. In the second post-Avengers Marvel Studios movie, the God of Thunder will be facing elves that make the ones in The Hobbit movies look like a bunch of peace-loving hippies. Played by Doctor Who's Ninth Doctor Christopher Eccleston, the villainous Malekith leads his dark elf army to attack both Asgard and Earth and Thor will need the help of all of Asgard's warriors, including his brother Loki, if he's going to defeat them. Tom Hiddleston's Loki is a major fan favorite after the first Thor movie and Marvel's The Avengers and they couldn't have done the sequel without him. The filmmakers even went back and shot more scenes with him because they felt there just wasn’t enough Loki!