Top Scoops: Comment & Opinion Digest 16 April 2007

Monday, 16 April 2007, 12:08 am
Article: Alastair Thompson

SCOOP COMMENT & OPINION:
Satire: Computer Software Meets Parliamentary Press Releases Leading To Humour
Ahmed Zaoui: NZ's North African Affairs Specialist On Algerian Bombings
Letter From Lebanon: No Help For the Injured And Displaced
George W. Bush: Two Doctors Take A look Inside Bush's Head
Smacking Debate: Ron Law's Dummie's Guide To The S59 Repeal Bill
Stateside: Rosalea Barker's American Odyssey (Via Greyhound Bus)
Motornet: A Big Ford & A Bigger Ford
Film: Sonia Nettnin At The Chicago Palestine Film Festival
American Coup: Insider Emails Surface Showing FL Chaos
Media: David Swanson Farewells Kurt Vonnegut
US Attorneys: White House Email Trial Leads To RNC
US Dollar: An American Perspective On Current Account Chaos
LATEST WAR COMMENT:
MORE SCOOP COMMENT & OPINION:

Satire: Computer Software Meets Parliamentary Press Releases Leading To Humour -

Computer programmers often leave 'Easter Eggs' in software - special features or surprises that can be revealed by some secret combination of events. Some early Unix systems, for example, responded to the command "make love" with "not war?". More recently, the 1997 version of Excel contained a flight simulator. And then there's the 'Exploding Lara Croft' trick. In honour of the recent holy season, I present the list of little-know local easter eggs. See... Lyndon Hood: Real Life Easter Eggs [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00234.htm

Ahmed Zaoui: NZ's North African Affairs Specialist On Algerian Bombings -

New Zealanders in London when the Rainbow Warrior was sunk may know something of what Ahmed Zaoui felt after the bombings in Algiers this week, that left over 30 people dead. Suddenly, the television screen carries images of home, but in a truly unsettling light. See... Zaoui on the Algiers bombings [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00204.htm

Letter From Lebanon: No Help For the Injured And Displaced

- In the bombed-out suburb of Haret Hreik the Attieh family is returning to its home in spite of continuing safety concerns. Hassan Attieh, his wife Hoda Yassine Attieh and their five children evacuated the area during the summer 2006 war. They left shortly after Israeli aircraft bombed the Al-Manar television headquarters located one block from their apartment. The family has stayed elsewhere since the war, waiting for a safety check that government officials assured them would be conducted. The promise has remained unfulfilled. See... Lebanon: Injured, Displaced Can’t Depend on State [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00235.htm

George W. Bush: Two Doctors Take A look Inside Bush's Head

- When we feel inadequate about some aspect of our lives, we work to submerge those feelings with compensations and defenses. Evidence is that in the case of George W. Bush, deep feelings of inadequacy and powerful defensive behaviors employed to submerge them and cover them up cripple the decision-making process he needs for his duties as president. See… The Psychology Behind G.W. Bush's Decision-Making [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00200.htm

Smacking Debate: Ron Law's Dummie's Guide To The S59 Repeal Bill

- Contrary to popular belief, Sue Bradford's so-called ‘anti-smacking’ Bill has already been defeated by the parliamentary process. Having been the recipient of numerous "anti ‘anti smacking’" or "anti ‘pro beat your kids’" emails I thought it prudent, as a risk & policy analyst, to look at what all the fuss was about so I could make an informed decision myself. See... Ron Law: Section 59 for Dummies [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00205.htm

Stateside: Rosalea Barker's American Odyssey (Via Greyhound Bus)

- As a kind of rite of passage (or trial by sore bum, depending how you look at it) I celebrated my becoming a U.S. Citizen by taking a three-day Greyhound Bus trip from DC back to California. This series highlights some of the people I met. See... Stateside: My Fellow Americans (Part 3) [1] MORE:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00201.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0703/S00452.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00054.htm

Motornet: A Big Ford & A Bigger Ford

- It’s been a few years since I last drove the Escape, Ford’s early ‘new century’ answer to the unprecedented Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) demand. The Escape offered a welcome alternative to a heavy and gas-guzzling full-sized SUV for a lot less money, while still offering the high riding drive and off-road respectability that proved so popular. See... MOTORNET: Boost For Ford Territory & Escape [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00231.htm

Film: Sonia Nettnin At The Chicago Palestine Film Festival

- In August 2003 Palestinian violinist Ramzi Aburedwan, who grew up in Al Amary Refugee Camp, and a group of international musician colleagues established Al Kamandjati (the violinist) Association. Every summer they travel to refugees camps in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza to perform for boys and girls. During their visits they have music workshops where they sing songs and introduce the children to different musical instruments. See… Palestine Film Festival Review: It’s Not a Gun [1] MORE REVIEWS:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00221.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00230.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00196.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00195.htm

American Coup: Insider Emails Surface Showing FL Chaos

- The 18,000 "undervotes" in Sarasota and other questionable elections in November 2006 election were not the only problems faced by Florida voters last year. Most of them, in fact, likely have no idea just how bad it really was. See... Insider Emails - FL Voter 2006 Database Problems [1] MORE AMERICAN COUP:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00213.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00190.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00206.htm
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[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00229.htm
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Media: David Swanson Farewells Kurt Vonnegut

- Kurt Vonnegut published over two dozen books, including 2005's "A Man Without a Country." It's a book that is brutally honest in its hopelessness, in fact – I think – overly hopeless, and yet humorous. It may even be hopeless in order to better be humorous. Vonnegut discusses in the book the use of tragedy to heighten laughter. But certainly the humor works to lighten the load of dismay and despair that this book ever-so-lightly dumps on us. See... Vonnegut Dies Without a Country or Religion [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00223.htm

US Attorneys: White House Email Trial Leads To RNC

- Democrats in the US House of Representatives served a subpoena on Tuesday demanding all previously undisclosed documents relating to the firings of eight US attorneys in 2006. The Senate is considering a similar action. See... Dems Subpoena DOJ in Attorney Firing Investigation [1] MORE US ATTORNEYS NEWS & VIEWS:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00199.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00197.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00222.htm

US Dollar: An American Perspective On Current Account Chaos

- The American people are in La-la land. If they had any idea of what the Federal Reserve was up to they’d be out on the streets waving fists and pitchforks. Instead, we go our business like nothing is wrong. Are we really that stupid? What is it that people don’t understand about the trade deficit? It’s not rocket science. The Current Account Deficit is over $800 billion a year. See... Mike Whitney: Doomsday for the Greenback [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0704/S00218.htm

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ENDS

© Scoop Media

Alastair Thompson

Scoop Publisher

Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.

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