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— PBS journalist Bill Moyers.
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Take care, beware, don’t go near that thing on Friday . . . there’s a gouger lurking, with a very greedy eye on your hard-earned money.
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The official status report on Iraq will be presented to the U.S. congress this week. You can be sure in advance that it will be heavily massaged to make War-Losing President George W. Bush look good. We’ll witness a major fantasy based on a few misleading kernels of truth. — 199 words.
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STRAIGHT FROM THE BURNING BUSH. — 297 words.
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Can't get going in the mornings? You're not lazy, just a 'B-person.' It's your circadian rhythms that make you a late riser. – 1,164 words,
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This is a first for the automotive industry: a study on sustainable development that tries to assess the environmental, social and economic impacts of vehicle manufacturing. — 169 words.
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‘In June, U.S. DoD reported that as much as 70 percent of the fuel processed at Iraq's key refinery was sold on the black market. Although neither the Iraqis nor the Americans know precisely how much oil is being produced, some 100-300,000 barrels of oil per day go unaccounted for. . . . There has been a lot of obfuscation around these matters, and the oil sector shenanigans are not the only way the Americans can be blamed for fueling the violence and chaos. But as Rep. Ackerman put it, there is so much corruption in the oil sector that "it's surprising the Iraqi people are not bringing — are not demanding that we bring the old crooks back."’ — 1,041 words.
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By Robert H. Reid of The Associated Press reports: U.S. officers say Anbar is far from secure. But the top US commander, General David Petraeus, is expected to point to a dramatic drop in violence there when he reports to Congress this week on the situation in Iraq after this year's troop buildup. — 770 words.
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The U.S.-backed government is running death squads that follow the Latin America model from the 1970s and 1980s. Death squads from the Ministry of Interior posing as Iraqi police are killing more people than ever in the capital, emerging evidence shows. — 1,039 words.
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With U.S. General David Petraeus's eagerly anticipated final report on Iraq due this week, supporters of the troop surge are busily trying to set the stage for the report that they believe will refute their opponents. — 786 words.
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(Two stories, one with the latest news, followed by a piece by Barry Lando that backgrounds the trial. Both combining to make interesting reading.) — 1,206 words.
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With Gen. David H. Petraeus set to testify before Congress this week about the status of the Iraq war, leading Democrats in the House and the Senate maneuvered Friday to portray his report as being controlled by the White House, while insisting that they did not doubt the general's integrity. — 803 words.
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As it bleeds into its fifth year, the Iraq war is excelling only in savagery and surrealism. We now have an American President publicly citing the similarities to Vietnam as a reason why the US must not withdraw — and he is merrily quoting Graham Greene's anti-war masterpiece The Quiet American in his defence. — 1,189 words.
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For decades, especially since the end of the Vietnam War, the U.S. military has been wrestling with aggressive sects of doomsday Christians demanding control and conversions of those of other faiths as well as nonbelievers within the armed forces. — 3,454 words.
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By Larry Beinhart, AlterNet News. (Larry Beinhart is the author of Fog Facts: Searching for Truth in the Land of Spin. His novels include Wag the Dog, on which the film was based, and The Librarian, which Rolling Stone described as "John Grisham meets Jon Stewart.") George Bush and other Iraq War supporters have argued that if we withdraw from Iraq the result will be like the killing fields of Cambodia — an odd comparison considering that the U.S. had direct responsibility for that holocaust. — 713 words.
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Australia Inter Press News says a brave new attempt is under way to project that all is well now with Fallujah. Residents know better — or worse. — 813 words.
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Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) is apologizing to a couple in his district who complained that he left them two threatening voice mails after they wrote a critical letter to the editor about the freshman member. — 599 words
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A 71-year-old pensioner has been charged with extremism for criticizing Oryol Governor Yegor Stroyev. — 213 words.
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The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, and the Wall Street Journal, at least online, tops its worldwide news box with the Friday release of a Labor Department report indicating that 4,000 American jobs were cut during August—the first downturn in employment numbers since 2003. The news caused stock prices to fall while further sparking fears of a potential recession. The Washington Post leads news that, in a letter to American troops, Gen. David Petraeus expressed disappointment with the pace of political progress in Iraq in what is ostensibly a sneak preview of his upcoming report to Congress. In his letter, Petraeus also praised the gains that have been made in terms of ground security and civilian rapprochement. (And much more — 1,164 words).
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The red and white found on Canada's national flag were designated as Canada's official colors in 1921 by King George V.
Trivia compiled by Randy Ray and Mark Kearney. Visit their Web site at: www.triviaguys.com
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Whatever Happened To…?
Catching Up With Canadian Icons
Randy Ray and Mark Kearney
ISBN: 1-55002-654-2
$21.99 Trade Paperback ORIGINAL
BOOK BY CANADA’S TRIVIA KINGS HAS SECOND PRINT RUN
Whatever Happened To…? Catching Up With Canadian Icons by Randy Ray and Mark Kearney has been reprinted. The second printing consists of 3,000 copies.
``We’re excited that the first print run, also 3,000 copies, sold out in seven months,’’ says Ray, who with Kearney has written eight books about Canada. "Canadians seem to be interested in knowing what's happened to a range of interesting people and things over the years and we’ve given them plenty of food for thought."
Whatever Happened To…? tracks the whereabouts of about 100 celebrities, newsmakers, places and things that have played a significant or interesting role in Canada’s recent history. Long after making headlines or burrowing their way into our collective consciousness, these icons have traveled different roads—or in some cases kept more quietly to the path that gained them attention in the first place.
Ever wonder what became of Marilyn Bell, the first Canadian woman to swim across Lake Ontario? Or of Roger Woodward, the boy who survived the treacherous beauty of Niagara Falls? And what about Lea Parrell, the famous baby-face of Heinz, who was signed on before she was even born?
Kearney and Ray, who are known as Canada’s Trivia Guys, spice up their stories with dozens of fascinating facts. With website links to further information, the book is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn more about Canada’s heritage or have a little fun.
Randy Ray is a freelance writer, author, and publicist. He worked for the London Free Press for 13 years, including three years as a Parliament Hill correspondent. Ray lives in Ottawa.
Mark Kearney is an award-winning journalist who has worked as a reporter, public relations specialist, and freelance writer. He has taught writing at the University of Western Ontario for the past 17 years. Kearney lives in London.
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To set up an interview with Randy Ray and/or Mark Kearney, please contact
Randy Ray at: (613) 731-3873 or rocket@intranet.ca
All Ray/Kearney books can be seen on the Web at:
www.triviaguys.com
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If you have any problems with accessing the newsletter or problems with your computer, send an email to Carl Hall chall2k5@gmail.com , and he will be more than happy to assist you.
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