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Laura’s grandmother Peg was born on December 6, 1908 in Trevor, Wisconsin - the same year Bette Davis was born (April 5) and Henry Ford produced his first Model T automobile. She was the daughter of Wayne and Lillian (Frank) Bush. Peg died on December 17, 2007 peacefully in her sleep at a retirement home in Charlotte, Michigan. She is survived by her daughter, Dolores Wendell of Charlotte; daughter-in-law, Genie Michel; grandchildren, David Wendell, John Wendell, Carol Kostyshyn, Paul Wendell, Peter Wendell and Laura Wendell; 3 great grandchildren, Mira Kostyshyn, Julia and Jacob Henn. She was preceded in death by her husband, Julius in 1991 and son Philip in 1998.

Peg is remembered for her kindness and generosity, and her love of the good things in life. She was very active in her community as a member of her church and as an officer of clubs and community organizations in Charlotte, and she received community service awards for her work. To her family, Peg’s and Julius’ house was a place of stability and comfort, where the door was always open. Although she will be missed, we’re grateful for her long, rich life and for the moments we shared with her.

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Forty six years ago today, the East German Stalinist regime began fortifying the border across Germany. They built one of the most infamous borders ever: the Berlin Wall. During the 28 years that followed, an estimated 260 people were killed in attempts to cross into West Germany. The Stalinists always denied that the regime gave explicit orders to shoot these people, but a newly discovered document proves that the Stasi, the secret police, had numerous agents among the border guards and these Stasi agents had unequivocal orders to shoot to kill:

Do not hesitate to use your guns even if women or children are involved in the border penetration, as the traitors are known to use these situations.

Translated from Der Spiegel, quoting from Dienstanweisung vom 1. Oktober 1973.

Apparently the Stasi agents had orders to prevent defections from the border patrol, and they were to shoot anyone who tried to cross into West Germany illegally. Egon Krenz, the last ruler of the GDR, has vehemently denied the existence of the Schießbefehl  - at least as an order to shoot to kill. The question about the Schießbefehl is pretty important, because the existence of such an order to kill refugees, moves the responsibility for the killing of defectors from East Germany up the ranks. Otherwise, the responsibility for these acts lies squarely on the shoulders of the border guards who pulled the trigger, and who were later prosecuted in the Mauerschützen-Prozesse.

Beautiful, melancholic video of the demolition of the Durham Hotel, Durham, North Carolina, in 1975.

video by Billie Mann

Yesterday’s execution of Saddam Hussein by hanging brings to a violent end a violent life, and raises many more questions than it answers. What impact will the execution have on the civil war in Iraq andthe suffering of the Iraqis? Why execute him on one of Islam’s most sacred holidays, Eid ul-Adha? Some argue that it is fitting, as he was responsible for many, many deaths of innocent Muslims. Yet, is this not a holiday that celebrates peace, family and forgiveness?

The biggest question Saddam’s demise raises is whether Justice was served. Human Rights Watch has a long track record of criticizing Saddam’s brutal regime, and they also strongly condemn the conduct of the trial and the execution:

Human Rights Watch has for more than 15 years documented the human rights crimes committed by Hussein’s former government, and has campaigned to bring the perpetrators to justice. These crimes include the killing of more than 100,000 Iraqi Kurds in Northern Iraq as part of the 1998 Anfal campaign.

“Saddam Hussein was responsible for massive human rights violations, but that can’t justify giving him the death penalty, which is a cruel and inhuman punishment,” said Richard Dicker, director of Human Rights Watch’s International Justice Program.

The Iraqi High Tribunal sentenced Saddam Hussein and two others to death in November for the killing of 148 men and boys from the town of Dujail in 1982. The tribunal’s statute prohibits, contrary to international law, the possibility of commuting a death sentence. It also requires that the execution take place within 30 days of the final appeal.

Human Rights Watch opposes the death penalty in all circumstances. Increasingly, governments are abolishing the death penalty in domestic law.

“The test of a government’s commitment to human rights is measured by the way it treats its worst offenders,” said Dicker. “History will judge these actions harshly.”

Human Rights Watch Press Release, December 30, 2006

The United States and its Iraqi helpers had a chance to demonstrate to the world a “new, improved Iraq” that respects justice and human rights. Not surprisingly that was not accomplished, and the hanging of Saddam now serves as a showcase of what is wrong with the “new” Iraq, and serves as a new focus for the Iraqi resistance. They will proclaim Saddam Hussein a martyr and that will likely lead to more bloodshed in this brutal civil war. That is very tragic.

Personally, if Saddam’s death were to stop the killing of innocent people in Iraq, I would have very little trouble with it. But it’s more likely to escalate the bloodshed precisely because of the terrible way in which the trial was conducted and the way his execution was rushed.

Happy Hannukkah!

Frohes Lichterfest!

Get your dreidels out and fry some latkes: Today at sundown Jews began to celebrate the eight days of Hannukkah.

The holiday was called Hanukkah meaning “dedication” because it marks the re-dedication of the Temple after its desecration under Antiochus IV. Spiritually, Hanukkah commemorates the Miracle of the Oil. According to the Talmud, at the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem following the victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucid Empire, there was only enough consecrated olive oil to fuel the eternal flame in the Temple for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days - which was the length of time it took to press, prepare and consecrate new oil.”

(Wikipedia, 12/15/06)

November 9 has been a fateful day in German history. The März revolution was started, the emperor was dethroned and the Berlin Wall fell on that day. During the night of that fateful day in 1938 German Nazis damaged or destroyed “1574 synagogues (constituting nearly all Germany had), many Jewish cemeteries, more than 7,000 Jewish shops, and 29 department stores. Some Jews were beaten to death while others were forced to watch. More than 30,000 Jewish males were arrested and taken to concentration camps; primarily Dachau, Buchenwald, and Sachsenhausen.” (Wikipedia)

Today, however, there is a reason to celebrate: today the new Ohel Jakob Synagogue was opened (de) in downtown Munich. The complex includes a museum, a community center and a school, and it is the largest new synagogue in Europe since WWII.

The Jews are back in town - that’s awesome! Judaism is finally an “official” religion in Germany with the same legal status as the Catholic and Lutheran Churches.

Germany is home to the third largest number of Jews and the fastest growing Jewish population in Europe. There are currently more than 105,000 members of the Jewish community living in Germany – although this estimate does not include the many Jews not affiliated with the country’s main Jewish organization, the Central Council of Jews.

Germany.info, Nov. 9, 2006

Still, it is not all sunshine and brotherly love in Germany. The Neonazis are on the offensive and racist and antisemitic aggression are not infrequent. In October, players from the Jewish football (soccer) club TuS Makkabi Berlin(de) walked out of a game against VSG Altglienicke because spectators hurled antisemitic insults at the players.

Recently, the University of Leipzig published a study(de) where 1 in 4 Germans expressed the desire for a single party and a strong leader to run the country. It comes as no surprise to me that they also found pervasive nationalist, racist and antisemitic attitudes across all social strata. Forty percent of respondents found Germany to be “überfremdet” - overrun by foreigners!

This fear of foreigners, xenophobia, is a fear that lives in all of us. It is a fear borne out of weakness and lack of self esteem. And it is a sentiment rooted in helplessness and a way to attempt to assert control over one’s life. This fear, and the pain and violence it can produce is not a uniquely German problem. But Germany has a special responsibility to face that fear and deal with it because of the incredible pain and destruction the Nazis wrought across Europe and the World, and in particular because of the incredible pain and destruction inflicted upon the people of Jewish faith and tradition. This is not guilt. I feel no guilt. I do feel responsibility and a strong desire to reconcile and make peace and make friends.

The only way to overcome this fear is to learn and make friends. We need Jews in Germany to help defeat this fear by showing flag and sharing their culture with everyone. Jewish culture was once the beating heart of Germany. Things will probably never be the same, but I know that Jewish culture will once again be part of, and enrich, Germany.

Shalom!

The reason why many crave to know the truth is that without some level of truth, there can be no freedom and dignity. A people blinded by lies becomes a weak people, exploited by its elites, and ultimately doomed as a society.

Truth is an elusive mistress and a tough teacher. Truth is not a singular entity, that can be captured, boxed and marketed. It is an ideal, a concept that requires constant work, care and attention. So beware of all who proclaim to be in possession of THE TRUTH!

I think that the truth about what happened on this day five years ago in New York, Washington and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania lies buried in the rubble of Ground Zero. The official government narrative leaves too many questions unanswered. Most critics are too quick at proclaiming The Truth, as well. However, some of those who offer alternative narratives, do ask very pertinent questions and point to some compelling answers.

But if you are content with the government version of what happened five years ago, if you have no doubts and trust that the US government and its media told you the honest truth, then click here.

If you are looking for more information and if you are prepared to ask questions that probe the official government narrative of the events of September 11, 2001, then check out some of these websites:

The Ground Zero Grassy Knoll - A New Generation of Conspiracy Theorists are at Work on the Secret History of 9/11 — New York Magazine

Loose Change 9/11

Pentagon Strike

Wikipedia: 9/11 Truth Movement

Complete 9/11 Timeline

Or just google for “9/11 Truth” …

350.092 MpH (529km/h) - that is the new land speed record for a diesel-powered vehicle. Andy Green, a British RAF officer set this new landmark this morning with the JCB DieselMax. The vehicle is powered by two 4-cylinder diesel engines that deliver a peak power of 750hp and torque of 1500Nm at 2000 RPM. The engines are based on JBCs 444 engine, an industrial, common-rail injection diesel engine, which usually powers backhoes and other equipment.

In comparison, the fastest piston-engine car is currently Tom Burkland’s Streamliner, at 417 MpH (the official FIA record is 409.978 - set Aug 21, 1991 by Speed0Motive (source). The curent holder of the overall land speed record is ThrustSSC a jet-propelled land vehicle, which achieved 763 mph, or 1227 km/h on October 15, 1997. This was the first time a land vehicle broke the sound barrier.

Sixty one years ago 140,000 residents of the city of Hiroshima died when the United States Air Force dropped a nuclear bomb on the city. Three days later, the Americans bombed Nagasaki with another nuclear weapon, killing another 74,000 people. We may debate over the role of these bombings in WWII, but we shall never let these images fade away into history, because, despite of the end of the Cold War, we are still sitting on a huge pile of nuclear weapons. We cannot ever unleash this hellish technology again!

As of last weekend TDI does not only stand for outstanding fuel economy but also for “superior racing platform.” The Audi R10 TDI of Joest Racing made history with the first-ever win of a diesel-powered race car at the 24-hours of LeMans - one of the toughest and most prestigious races in motor sports.

The fans on the race track and a worldwide audience of millions of TV viewers saw an impressive demonstration of Audi TDI Power and the performance of modern diesel engines. The brace of Audi R10 TDI cars, powered by a 650 hp V12 TDI engine, were by far the fastest and most economical cars. During the entire race, one of the new diesel sportscars from Ingolstadt was at the head of the field. Le Mans record winner Tom Kristensen drove the fastest lap of the race, setting a 3m 31.211s time, and he was the first driver at the wheel of an LM P1 sportscar to cover 16 laps with one fuel load. Completing 380 laps, Audi also set a new distance record.

In the race, the advantage in fuel consumption of the Audi TDI Power was visible for the spectators too: on average, the Audi drivers only pitted every 14 laps to refuel 90 litres of Shell V-Power Diesel. The opposition, who relies on petrol engines, had to pit considerably more often. The fans were also impressed just how quiet an environmentally friendly 650-hp sportscar can be.
Joest Racing press release, 18/06/06

I wonder if these diesel racers can run on biodiesel??!

The Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission last night published its final report on the events of Nov. 3, 1979 in Greensboro, NC. That day, five people were shot to death during a confrontation between a leftist, black worker’s rights demonstration and a caravan of white-supremacists. The picture the report paints is of two groups ready for a violent confrontation and a police department that was either incompetent, indifferent to the potential for violence, or possibly in cahoots with the white supremacists.

The Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission was an independent, democratically selected body seeking truth and healing transformation for Greensboro, N.C., a city left divided and weakened by the events of Nov. 3, 1979. The seven commissioners were a respected group of individuals selected for their diverse perspectives, strengths and resolve to fulfill their Mandate.
Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission

So far, I have read the Summary (pdf) and found certainly truth. However, it seems that one of the most divisive questions - whether the Greensboro Police was conspiring with the white supremacists - remains without closure:

Even though no legal basis for law enforcement involvement in a conspiracy was
found in the trials, the majority of commissioners believe there was intentionality
among some in the department to fail to provide adequate information or to take
steps to adequately protect the marchers.
Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission - executive summary - p 10

The commission certainly made a big contribution for documenting the truth - reconciliation is another matter altogether. That will be up to the community of Greensboro.

A journalist at the Greensboro News-Record is writing a detailed analysis of the report on his blog.

I remember quite well the days after April 26, 1986, when human error and the lack of any disaster preparedness planning led to the worst nuclear accident in the short history of this horrific technology. When reactor no. 4 of the V.I. Lenin Memorial Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station melted down 20 years ago, it released 400 times the amount of radioactivity released by the Hiroshima bombing in the form of a plume that travelled across Europe and released its “payload” in the form of radioactive fallout.

We were told that we can’t drink milk or eat eggs. We were told that we had to stay inside. For days nobody knew for sure what was going on, because the Soviets (remember them?) would not fess up to what had happened. I remember endless discussions about what was safe to eat and what was not. A huge freight train was loaded with radioactive milk powder and travelled all around Germany, but no city allowed it to stay. Eventually this train just disappeared.

Today, there are 443 nuclear power plants in operation worldwide, and 27 under construction. We live within 50 miles of one. These plants produce waste material that will be extremely toxic and radioactive for thousands of years - what a great legacy to leave to our children and future generations. Here’s our toxic, radioactive trash, kids - don’t loose it! And what guarantees do we have that there won’t be another Chernobyl? “Trust us” they say. “We’re careful,” they say. Yeah right. So far they (we) were just lucky - unlike the 336,000 people in Ukraine and Belarus who had to be re-settled after Chernobyl - and unlike the thousands who died as a direct result of the catastrophe.

The infamous Holocaust denier David Irwing might have to do hard time in Austria. It was, and is, perfectly illegal in Austria to publicly state that the Holocaust was only a figment of the imagination of six million Jews, three million Soviet POWs, and millions of Poles, Roma, French, Communists, Socialists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Gays, handicapped people, and some brave Germans who resisted the Nazis. According to the likes of Irving, the Jews made it all up, and the gas chambers were just recreational facilities.

As stupid and offensive as these opinions are, locking Irving up for three years for uttering such nonsense may seem harsh, even to people otherwise thoroughly offended by his views. One might think in a “free marketplace of ideas,” such nonsense will easily fall by the wayside, when faced with the overwhelming, gruesome evidence of what really happened in the Nazi death camps. Even Irving eventually had to acknowledge “I made a mistake when I said there were no gas chambers at Auschwitz.” Ooops! Now he’s oh-so-sorry that he insulted the intelligence of half the world, soiled the memory of millions of innocent victims and trampled on the honor of the Jewish people. I think he’s getting off way too easy.

In Austria and in Germany Holocaust denial is not just a free-speech issue, or an academic debate. After World War II, when Austria and Germany rose from the rubble of the former Axis-powers, much of the identity of both states was founded on the shame and humiliation of having been perpetrators of some of the worst crimes against humanity in Europe’s history. In Britain, the question whether the gas chambers were used for de-lousing or mass-murder may be an academic argument. In Austria and in Germany it rips open still-fresh wounds. Neither Austria nor Germany are in a moral position to give Holocaust deniers a stage or an audience. Not only are these symbols and opinions too painful to be tolerated, but sadly the ground is still also way too fertile in Germany and Austria for the blame-the-Jews message.

Never again! Never forget!

Looks like another South American country is taking a left turn: Bolivia seems to have handed a clear victory to Aymara Indian candidate Evo Morales, a socialist and admirer of Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez:

Several polls give him 42-45% of the vote ahead of his nearest challenger, former President Jorge Quiroga who, the polls say, got between 33-37%.

Mr Quiroga has now admitted defeat, offering his congratulations to his opponent and his party.

Mr Morales seems certain to become Bolivia’s first indigenous president.
Leftist set for Bolivia victory, BBC News, 19 December 2005, 01:21 GMT

And there might be more left turns in elections in various South American countries next year.

Both are depressing:
Kanzlerin Sauerkraut climbs behind the wheel of that stalling, choking, smoking dumptruck that Germany is these days. Good luck, you’ll need it. 53 members of the Bundestag from her own “coalition” voted against her. I give this arrangement no more than 2 years. This government will probably fail not so much over SPD-CDU tensions as over power struggles inside the two parties. Too bad, because Germany really could use some bold, smart leadership.

History: President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on this day in 1963 in Dallas, Texas.

Tropical Storm Wilma is the 21st named storm of this season, making this the busiest hurricane season ever. Considering that this season included one of the worst natural disasters on the US mainland (Katrina) and one of the 30 deadliest hurricanes (Stan), as well as one of the easternmost hurricanes ever (Vince), this is a truly remarkable season.

The historic Hurricane Season of 2005 now has the distinction of being the busiest ever. Wilma’s formation this morning gives 2005 21 named storms, equaling the mark set in 1933. With over six weeks still left in hurricane season, that mark will likely be surpassed.
Jeff Master’s Blog

To a large extent, as far as I understand, this record season of destructive storms was triggered by unusually warm waters in the Carribbean. I think this should give every global-warming-denier pause.

During the years I lived in Stuttgart, I remember several occasions when construction workers found unexploded bombs from WWII. But this recent discovery of a piece of Nazi-era legacy is uniquely horrifying, and within an easy bike-ride from where I lived:

Remains believed to be from some 30 Jews forced into labour by the Nazis during World War Two have been found by construction workers at Stuttgart airport.

The skeletons were found on Monday near the entrance of a U.S. military airbase which borders the airport, the Stuttgart prosecutor’s office and the Baden-Württemberg bureau of investigation said in a joint statement.

Medical checks suggested the bodies were buried around 60 years ago and were possibly the remains of Jewish prisoners from the nearby Echterdingen labour camp who had starved to death in late 1944 and early 1945, the statement said
Reuters AlertNet - Mass WWII grave discovered at Stuttgart airport, Sept 21, 2005

I know the airport quite well, and I was vaguely aware that there had been a labor camp. To hear about this mass grave, though, is chilling. To my generation, the Holocaust is history. Important history, but history that belongs into books and museums. Human remains covered in dirt resurrects this history from its dusty pages and make it stare at you with hollow eyes and a tired, tortured grimace. No, we’ll never forget.

Remembering a tireless fighter for justice and human dignity:

Simon Wiesenthal, the famous Nazi Hunter has died in Vienna at the age of 96, the Simon Wiesenthal Center announced today (September 20th).
“Simon Wiesenthal was the conscience of the Holocaust,” said Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean and founder of the International Human Rights NGO named in Mr. Wiesenthal’s honor, adding, “When the Holocaust ended in 1945 and the whole world went home to forget, he alone remained behind to remember. He did not forget. He became the permanent representative of the victims, determined to bring the perpetrators of the history’s greatest crime to justice. There was no press conference and no president or Prime Minister or world leader announced his appointment. He just took the job. It was a job no one else wanted.
SWC News Items - Simon Wiesenthal Center

Lots of talk today. Silence and reflection would be better …

A toast to the efforts of Sean Wilson and Julie Bradford and all supporters of the Pop the Cap effort here in North Carolina. This weekend the NC Governor Mike Easley signed House Bill 392 into law. It is now on the books as S.L. 2005-277 and it raises the cap on alcohol content for beer from a measly 6 percent to 15 percent alcohol by volume. This change makes hundreds of fine brews available to beer connoisseurs in North Carolina.

Congratulations to North Carolina on another step into the 21st Century. It didn’t hurt, did it? Keep on going, and maybe this great state, too, will one day have both feet solidly this side of the turn of the century.