This page features brief excerpts of stories published by the mainstream
media and, less frequently, blogs, alternative media, and even obviously
biased sources. The excerpts are taken directly from the websites cited in
each source note. Quotation marks are not used.
Source: Windsor Star
October 4, 2011
...You might call it, "The Inevitability of the Second Place Elephant." Simply stated, here's how it works. You may not have noticed, but Republicans ALWAYS nominate the candidate who finished second in the last great nomination struggle.This has been the case throughout the modern era. Flash back to 1976, when presi-dent Gerald Ford narrowly held off Ronald Reagan, in the last time a nomination was decided at a convention.Four years later, the party turned to Reagan, after he fought off a spirited challenge from former CIA director George H.W. Bush.Bush served loyally as Mr. Reagan's vice-president for eight years, then won the nomination for himself - after overcoming a challenge from Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole. Eight years later, in 1996, it was Bob Dole's turn. That race was different in that Dole didn't really have a major challenger for that nomination; the other two men in the race, Pat Buchanan and Steve Forbes, were not major figures in the Republican Party. So four years later, the GOP did the next best thing: They turned to a familiar name, if not face: George W. Bush, the son of the former president. After losing some early primaries, including Michigan's, he managed to overcome John McCain.Guess who got the nomination eight years later?...
Source: Miami Herald
October 3, 2011
PHILADELPHIA - Nearly a year after its celebrity-packed opening, the National Museum of American Jewish History has sharply reduced its attendance expectations and stepped up the call for donations to support its day-to-day operations.The slumping economy and a cold, snowy launch season combined to depress ticket sales at the $142 million gallery overlooking Independence Mall. In addition, officials say, the initial projection of 250,000 visitors annually was unrealistic. They have set a new benchmark of 125,000, which they anticipate reaching by the first anniversary on Nov. 26....At the same time, though, Rosenzweig noted in an interview how precarious those successes may be, given the institution's unusually heavy reliance on philanthropy, large and small, to keep the doors open. Half of its $10 million operating budget has come from donations - well above the national average of 37 percent, according to a 2009 survey by the American Association of Museums....
Source: CNN.com
September 30, 2011
Washington (CNN) - Standing over the letter, one would never know its unique story. Worth millions at auction, reading it unveils that it stands as a testament to religious freedom in America. But as it stares up, idly sitting there, the stories of “erotic” behavior, twisted ownership and historic encounters are lost on those lucky enough to see it.The primary spirit of the letter is clear – the United States government will assure religious freedom, giving “to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.”George Washington wrote those words in a 1790 letter to the the congregation of a synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island. He was hoping to reassure the congregation that the budding government of the United States would allow free expression to all religions. Since then, Jews in America have flourished.The letter is addressed “To the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island,” but it is kept from public view, which hurts and angers those who think private ownership defies the letter’s original sentiment.
Source: AP
October 2, 2011
YORK, Pa. (AP) — A replica of a Civil War-era train could be rolling through central Pennsylvania in time for the 150th anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg, if members of a York County nonprofit have their way.Steam into History Inc. says the project will combine the history of the Northern Central Railway and the Civil War in York County.Co-chair Bill Simpson tells the York Daily Record (http://bit.ly/o23lsr ) that he sees the train drawing railroad buffs and history enthusiasts from far and wide to the area.
Source: LA Times
October 3, 2011
LOS ANGELES - Ten months after World War I ended, a 30-year-old German army veteran wrote a two-page letter in which he explained the "Jewish question" on a “rational” and “scientific” basis.“An anti-semitism based on reason must lead to a systematic combating and elimination of the privileges of the Jews,” he wrote. “The ultimate objective must be the irrevocable removal of Jews in general.”Signed “Respectfully, Adolf Hitler,” the letter received high marks for the author from his superiors in a military propaganda unit bitterly opposed to the newly established Weimar Republic as the perceived handiwork of Bolsheviks, Socialists and Jews.As the first written political statement of the future Fuehrer, the letter is considered a document of immense historical value.It will be shown to the public for the first time on October 4 by the Simon Wiesenthal Center at its Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles....
Source: LiveScience
September 30, 2011
Researchers have identified what is believed to be the world's earliest surviving Christian inscription, shedding light on an ancient sect that followed the teachings of a second-century philosopher named Valentinus.Officially called NCE 156, the inscription is written in Greek and is dated to the latter half of the second century, a time when the Roman Empire was at the height of its power.An inscription is an artifact containing writing that is carved on stone. The only other written Christian remains that survive from that time period are fragments of papyri that quote part of the gospels and are written in ink. Stone inscriptions are more durable than papyri and are easier to display. NCE 156 also doesn't quote the gospels directly, instead its inscription alludes to Christian beliefs....
Source: Reuters
September 29, 2011
KABUL (Reuters) - While everyone else is worrying about Afghanistan's future, a dedicated band of men and women is gathering up its past, hoping that a growing museum collection will show the world Afghan culture is more sophisticated than the tide of news reports suggest.Kabul's rebuilt National Museum, near the haunting remains the bombed-out royal palace, is running out of secure rooms to house centuries-old Buddhas, gold and silver coins from antiquity and other rare artefacts.Many of the museum's original pieces were broken, destroyed or stolen during the Taliban era or the civil war that preceded it in the 1990s, but some have been pieced back together and a series of archaeological digs have also unearthed new treasures.Among the fresh discoveries are a wooden Buddha dating back to the fifth century and Buddha heads made of clay and plaster....
Source: Fairfax Times
September 30, 2011
After criticism in regard to factual errors removed it from classrooms last school year, a fourth-grade Virginia history textbook gained reapproval by the State Board of Education on Sept. 22.Factual errors were discovered in “Our Virginia: Past and Present” by a College of William & Mary history professor whose child brought the book home from school. In March, the Board of Education voted to remove its approval of the book and another book published by Five Pond Press — “Our America to 1865.”At that time, the board agreed to reconsider approval of the books if the publisher corrected the errors. In June, Five Pond Press submitted a second edition of both books with reviews. Initial review began in July, followed by a 30-day public comment period, during which time eight comments were submitted. Most of the feedback focused on credibility of the textbooks because of the initial errors, as well as remaining errors found in the book, according to state education staff....
Source: WSJ
September 28, 2011
SOFIA, Bulgaria—On June 18, Bulgaria's capital awoke to find the statues in a monument to the Soviet armed forces brightly spray-painted as Superman, Ronald McDonald, Santa Claus, Captain America and The Joker.The characters, according to graffiti the pranksters left at the base of the monument, were now "in step with the times."...Ex-communists—rebranded as socialists—are still a force here. Until 2009, when they lost elections amid corruption allegations and economic failings, the Bulgarian Socialist Party was politically dominant. But as the EU's poorest country undergoes an austerity program to boost investor confidence, some are nostalgic for the more certain days of communism.To fight that trend, the government opened a museum Sept. 19 to showcase some of the more shameful sides of Bulgaria's communist past through wacky art and kitsch sculptures. Bulgaria is the latest ex-Soviet bloc country to open such a collection, and its Museum of Socialist Art is also the biggest, the government says....
Source: BBC News
September 17, 2011
The Beatles showed their support for the US civil rights movement by refusing to play in front of segregated audiences, a contract shows.The document, which is to be auctioned next week, relates a 1965 concert at the Cow Palace in California.Signed by manager Brian Epstein, it specifies that The Beatles "not be required to perform in front of a segregated audience".The agreement also guarantees the band payment of $40,000 (£25,338)....
Source: Independent (UK)
September 17, 2011
Gruesome evidence of medieval Japanese Samurai warriors being decapitated, so that their heads could be taken as trophies by their enemies, is being examined by Japanese and British scientists.In a bid to fully understand the nature of warfare in medieval Japan, Dr. Michael Wysocki, a specialist in forensic anthropology at the University of Central Lancashire, and Japanese scientists from Santa Marianna University, School of Medicine, near Tokyo, have been examining battle and decapitation trauma suffered by Samurai warriors in a 14th century Japanese civil war.“The skeletal material is of huge importance in helping to understand the nature of warfare in medieval Japan,” said Dr. Wysocki of the University’s School of Forensic and Investigative Sciences....
Source: BBC News
September 21, 2011
The German fashion firm Hugo Boss has apologised for its maltreatment of forced workers during World War II when it supplied the Nazis with uniforms.It issued the apology to coincide with the publication of a new history of the company during the Hitler years, which it commissioned itself.Its factory used 140 Polish and 40 French forced workers.The book concludes that company founder Hugo Boss, whose past is already well documented, was a loyal Nazi."It is clear that Hugo F Boss did not only join the party because it led to contracts for uniform production, but also because he was a follower of National Socialism," wrote the author, Roman Koester, an economic historian at the Bundeswehr (English: Federal Defence Force) University in Munich.Both Mr Koester and the company insist that it had no influence over the contents of the book, although it provided the funding....
Source: Richmond Times Dispatch
September 29, 2011
Steven Spielberg and the production team from his film “Lincoln” will attend a reception on Monday at the Executive Mansion, one of the locations the crew plans to use for filming.Gov. Bob McDonnell will host the soiree to welcome the crew to the state and “thank all involved in landing this major job-creating project for Virginia,” according to the governor’s office.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
September 29, 2011
WHEN word spread of the sensational discovery of the well-preserved Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum in the 18th century, ''Pompeiian red'' became the favoured colour for smart dining rooms - as it remains today.But, it seems, it may be time to get out the paint chart.Research presented to Sapienza University in Rome concludes that large swathes of the vivid Pompeiian red frescoes in the town actually began life yellow - and were turned red by the gases emitted from Vesuvius as it erupted in AD79.Advertisement: Story continues below
Experts have long realised that some of the characteristic vivid reds of the frescoes in Pompeii and Herculaneum were originally yellow. But a new study, conducted by Italy's National Institute of Optics, suggests the sheer extent of the colour change....
Source: CNN.com
September 28, 2011
(CNN) -- A Jewish human rights organization on Monday called for Thailand's Christian leaders to condemn a parade at the Sacred Heart School in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in which participating students wearing Nazi uniforms performed "Sieg Heil" salutes.The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights organization based in Los Angeles, denounced the event, saying it was "glorifying Nazis."Photographs of the parade show participants carrying a Swastika flag, performing Nazi salutes and wearing SS uniforms, while others dressed as Adolf Hitler complete with toothbrush moustache.Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, said the images made it clear that the event could not have taken place without the knowledge and cooperation of the school administration....
Source: Jeff Biggers at the Huffington Post
September 28, 2011
Based in Tucson, Arizona and Illinois, Jeff Biggers is the David Brower Award/American Book Award-winning author of Reckoning at Eagle Creek: The Secret Legacy of Coal in the Heartland, The United States of Appalachia, and In the Sierra Madre. His website is: www.jeffbiggers.com As a state administrative judge deliberates on the fate of Tucson Unified School District's Ethnic Studies/Mexican American Studies Program (MAS), Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction John Huppenthal compared the nationally acclaimed program to the Hitler Nazi Jugend paramilitary organization at a Pima County Republican luncheon last week.
Source: WaPo
September 27, 2011
MOSCOW — In its heyday, the members of the Young Communist League of the Soviet Union liked to think of themselves as shock troops on the front lines of agriculture and construction. They were building a better USSR, and making themselves better communists in the process.But by the fall of 1991 the Communist Party had been kicked from power and it was clear there wasn’t going to be a better USSR. On Sept. 27, the leaders of the 73-year-old organization, known as the Komsomol, met in a hotel here in Moscow and agreed it was time to put it to rest. There were no tears — there was too much property at stake.The Komsomol, whose members ranged in age from 14 to 28, had been straying from the straight-and-narrow path of Marxist fervor for quite a while by that time. It was an organization for strivers, and for people who didn’t want to look like they didn’t belong. It was a career ladder for apparatchiks, who had used it during the years of Mikhail Gorbachev’s perestroika to create a surprisingly lucrative empire....
Source: Reuters
September 27, 2011
FLORENCE (Reuters Life!) - Global luxury brand Gucci opened its first museum in a Florentine palazzo this week, 90 years after its founder started a family leather goods business inspired by English aristocrats.Stars of the fashion world came out to celebrate the museum's opening at a lavish ceremony on Monday in Florence's treasured Piazza della Signoria, home to the 14th-century Palazzo della Mercanzia that houses Gucci's new exhibit."United we're stronger," said Ferruccio Ferragamo, chairman of the Tuscan star shoemaker which bears his name, at the party to launch the Gucci museum, which spans three floors.Inside the sumptuous confines of the palazzo, Gucci's famed "bamboo" handbags owned by fashion idols Jackie Onassis and Sofia Loren are on permanent display for the first time and the basement houses the Gucci archive, an immense collection of ready-to-wear, accessories and photographs....
Source: Daily Mail (UK)
September 28, 2011
The dynasty behind the BMW luxury car marker has admitted, after decades of silence, using slave labour, taking over Jewish firms and doing business with the highest echelons of the Nazi party during World War Two.Gabriele Quandt, whose grandfather Guenther employed an estimated 50,000 forced labourers in his arms factories, producing ammunition, rifles, artillery and U-boat batteries, said it was 'wrong' for the family to ignore this chapter of its history.He spoke out after an in-depth study by Bonn-based historian Joachim Scholtyseck, commissioned by the family, that concluded Guenther Quandt and his son Herbert were responsible for numerous Nazi injustices.It found Guenther acquired companies through the Nazi programme of 'Aryanisation' of Jewish-owned firms.Herbert Quandt was 'part of the system', son Stefan Quandt said after the conclusion of the three-year study - forced on the family by public outrage over a German TV documentary - compiled using company files from the 12-year period of the Third Reich.
Source: NYT
September 27, 2011
They came from fraying binders, from forgotten boxes in storage units, from cobwebbed closets. They had been in Mississippi and South Carolina and Georgia, and included a wallet-size photograph of a familiar preacher with a dream. Their destination was a drab office space in the back of a library in Queens.Now, a half-century removed from the moments they capture, these artifacts have come to represent the growing, perhaps surprising reputation of Queens College as something of a nexus of civil rights history.Starting more than two years ago, when a small group of Queens College alumni and faculty members with civil rights backgrounds began contributing items from their personal collections, and cresting in February, when the family of the civil rights activist James Forman donated his remaining collection to the school, the archives have attracted an international audience....
