The Other War

The finaincial crisis has caused several states to consider steps towards the legalization of marijuana, if only as a source of new tax income. The parallels with alcohol prohibition are obvious. What would this country be like if marijuana was legalized?

The Great Game

For the last few days, the release of the Libyan convicted of the bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie has made the headlines again. This time, BP (the company we love to hate) is implicated in the early release. Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi was released, we were told, due to his terminal illness. Reports have since been made that he will live for much longer that previously expected. We hear questions surrounding his release and his health, but not his guilt.
A UN observer at the trial is not convinced, and in the years since the bombing, several alternative theories have emerged, a number of which involved the CIA, DEA and drug smuggling. One of the best documentaries on the bombing is The Maltese Double Cross, from 1994:

Death In The Gulf

As it temporarily fades from the news, the Deepwater Horizon well continues to allow crude oil to gush into the ocean. People living on the coast are already starting to experience health problems due to exposure to the toxic chemicals released from the oil, or byproducts of burning the oil, or of course the dispersant, Corexit. However, the real devastation is occuring out at sea, where BP is attempting to restrict access. This footage was recorded a few days ago:



We hear people talk about the cost of this disaster, but have you noticed that we always use dollar amounts. No mention is made of the lives lost in the fire, or the lives destroyed along the coast, or the devastation to marine life. What will it take to force us to consider the true cost of environmental disaster - and avoid the next one?