Kessler Shamelessly Plugs His Wife's Book

Accused Christmas party killer compromised by medication
Keith Fraser, Postmedia News · Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010 Vancouver — Eric Kirkpatrick was “highly compromised” by his epilepsy medication and not thinking clearly when he shot his boss several times with a shotgun, the accused killer’s lawyer told a jury Thursday. Kirkpatrick, 63, has pleaded Not Guilty to first-degree Murder in the December 2008 slaying of his employer Ben Banky, during an office Christmas Party. A B.C. Supreme Court jury has heard from Crown witnesses...

Revealed: Assange 'rape' accuser linked to notorious CIA operative
Comment: We are collecting these stories because they are important for keeping track of what may be going on behind the scenes as well as in the court of Public Opinion. SOTT's official view can be found here. We support Julian Assange and Wikileaks fully, and hope to see his legal troubles come to an end and the future of global leaking of evil secrets assured. © Unknown Anna Ardin may have "ties to the US-financed anti-Castro and anti-communist groups" One of the women accusing WikiLe...

Tomgram: Fatima Bhutto, The War Against Pakistan
In other words, anywhere we have a foot in the door of war, the next thing you know we're trying to slip a (uniformed) body through it as well. That catches the American way of war these days and helps explain why we always seem to end up more, not less involved, in conflict in distant lands. Among the places where the U.S. offers big dollars for the right to blast the hell out of things, Yemen is actually a Johnny-come-lately. Only recently have American officials made Sana'a, its capital, a ...

5 ex-captives seek to revive torture-flights suit
(12-08) 17:27 PST WASHINGTON -- Five former U.S. captives who say they were tortured in overseas Prisons have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to revive their Lawsuit accusing a Bay Area flight-planning company of arranging their transportation for the CIA. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ordered the suit dismissed in September, agreeing with the Obama Administration that the case could threaten National Security. On Tuesday, the American Civil Liberties Union, representin...

WikiLeaks: US pressured Germans on CIA warrants
WASHINGTON—A top diplomat at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin warned the German government not to issue international arrest warrants against CIA agents involved in the 2003 abduction of a German citizen mistakenly believed to be a Terrorist, according to diplomatic dispatches released Wednesday by Wikileaks. In the document dated Feb. 6, 2007, deputy chief of mission John M. Koenig, the second in command at the Berlin Embassy, reported he had told the German deputy National Security adviser th...

5 ex-captives seek to revive torture-flights suit
Wet weather today, 70s by the weekend 12.08.10 (12-08) 17:27 PST WASHINGTON -- Five former U.S. captives who say they were tortured in overseas Prisons have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to revive their Lawsuit accusing a Bay Area flight-planning company of arranging their transportation for the CIA. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ordered the suit dismissed in September, agreeing with the Obama Administration that the case could threaten National Security. On Tuesday, th...

Why is Olbermann Linking to an Anti-Semite?
Michael C. Moynihan reports: Here’s how an evidence-free, innuendo-filled personal attack on a Rape accuser trespasses the mainstream political debate. On his Twitter feed, MSNBC host Keith Olbermann (162,000 followers) links to a rambling blog post arguing that Anna Ardin, the Swedish feminist who accused Assange of rape, is an anti-Castro Activist with connections to CIA front groups. Elsewhere on the Internet, NYU Professor Mark Crispin Miller, the popular liberal website FireDogLake, Bia...

Cold War drama on tap at Mariners' Museum
NEWPORT NEWS, Virginia -- Norman Polmar was skeptical that the people involved in Project Azorian would ever talk about it. Consider the subject. Project Azorian was the code name for the CIA’s top-secret attempt to raise a sunken Soviet sub during the heart of the Cold War. The sub was laden with Nuclear Weapons, cryptology equipment and the remains of dead sailors. The effort was billed as an undersea mining operation, and a suspicious Soviet Navy -- they couldn’t find their own su...

Man raised as Russian spy turns double-agent on his dad to avoid prison...
The son of a CIA officer who spied for Russia avoided a Prison sentence after he promised to help build a new case against his father. Nathan Nicholson travelled the world meeting Russian agents to collect payments on behalf of his father, Harold 'Jim' Nicholson. He is currently serving 24 years at a federal Prison in Oregon for his 1997 Espionage conviction. Yesterday, US District Judge Anna Brown sentenced Nathan Nicholson to five years' Probation and 100 hours Community Service after agreeing...

Assange Accuser Worked with US-Funded, CIA-Tied Anti-Castro Group
Source: Alexander Coburn via Firedog Lake Yesterday Alexander Cockburn reminded us of the news Israel Shamir and Paul Bennett broke at Counterpunch in September. Julian Assange’s chief accuser in Sweden has a significant history of work with anti-Castro groups, at least one of which is US funded and openly supported by a former CIA agent convicted in the mass Murder of seventy three Cubans on an airliner he was involved in blowing up. "Anna Ardin (the official complainant) is often described by ...

The CIA's El-Masri Abduction: Cables Show Germany Caved to Pressure from Washington
The American diplomatic cables provide new details about the case of Khaled el-Masri, a German citizen abducted by the CIA in 2003. The reports confirm just how much pressure the US put on Germany to not pursue 13 agents believed to have been involved. But they also reveal how cooperative and responsive German officials were in light of American worries. In the case of Khaled el-Masri, the Lebanese-born German abducted by the CIA, the Munich public prosecutor's office and Germany's Justice Min...

Grand Old Christmas Party 2010
The Williamson County Republican Party celebrated Christmas a bit early on Tuesday evening at the Georgetown Community Center with a potluck dinner, white elephant gift exchange, toy drive for needy children and a bit of politics, of course.   The event was organized by Nita Davidson, vice-chairman of the party, and featured children's activities including a visit by local balloon artist, Doodle Bug.   One of the highlights of the evening was the arrival of Santa Claus, to th...

Harper sings a few songs for his party faithful
OTTAWA — Mick Jagger, eat your heart out. There’s a powerful politician roaming around in a black shirt who likes his day job — but he likes singing your stuff before an adoring crowd of fans just as much. That was apparent on Wednesday evening, as Prime Minister Stephen Harper surprised a packed ballroom of loyal Conservatives who had gathered for their annual Christmas Party. Tory MPs, senators, their staff and the media had all been expecting Harper to kick off the evening w...

Woman vanishes after crash that killed husband
A set of snowy footprints are the only trace of an Illinois mother who vanished from a car crash that killed her husband. Police continued a search Tuesday for Tanya Shannon, a mother of four who mysteriously vanished Sunday near Ransom, Ill., according to the LaSalle County Sheriff's Office. Shannon, 40, and husband Dale Shannon, 41, were last seen at a Christmas Party Saturday night until officers discovered the body of Dale inside the couple's vehicle, which reportedly slammed into a pole on ...

Illinois Man Dies in Crash; Wife Leaves Car, Vanishes
© Getty Images Authorities survey the crash site for clues in the disappearance of Tayna Shannon in rural Illinois. An Illinois woman walked away from a car crash that killed her husband, authorities believe, but they have found no trace of her other than footprints in the snow leading to a road. A search was in its third day Tuesday for Tanya Shannon, 40, of Ransom, Illinois, according to the LaSalle County, Illinois, Sheriff's Office. Ground operations began at 9 a.m. with air operati...

Libertarian activist seeks seat on city council
You can't miss Tracy Ward - she has pink hair and she can be seen all over Kansas City. A native Kansas Citian, Tracy is the Area Director of the Liberty Restoration Project, a grass roots Activism group. Tracy now seeks the 6th District At-Large seat on the Kansas City City Council about to be vacated by Cathy Jolly. Local NBC News reporter, Chris Hernandez, claims a "crowd" is looking longingly at that City Council seat as well, including Jolly's husband, attorney Scott Taylor. I am ...

Stephen Harper shows Tory faithful his rock star side
Stevie Harper and the Herringbones rocked the Conservative Party Christmas Party Wednesday night, to raucous applause from what was, admittedly, a friendly house. Sweet Caroline started the show, with the Prime Minister in a grey shirt and playing an electric piano, assisted by local musicians Richard Linke on guitar and bass, Phil Nolan on drums and Andre Van Schyndel playing bass and accordion. The show continued with I’m On My Way by The Proclaimers, The Who’s The Seekers and a f...

Stephen Harper performs rock show at party event
Stevie Harper and the Herringbones rocked the Conservative Party Christmas Party Wednesday night, to raucous applause from what was, admittedly, a friendly house. Sweet Caroline started the show, with the Prime Minister in a grey shirt and playing an electric piano, assisted by local musicians Richard Linke on guitar and bass, Phil Nolan on drums and Andre Van Schyndel playing bass and accordion. The show continued with I’m On My Way by The Proclaimers, The Who’s The Seekers and a f...

Thank God for the Recession
Applewood Baptist Church performs Scrooge for the Troops. “Times are tough.” “Have you seen the Unemployment numbers?” “My husband just lost his job.” “We might have to close the doors this year.” “I don’t know how things could get worse. Gift giving isn’t going to happen this Christmas.” Our generation is far from the first to have suffered through hard times. Indeed, these are far from the worst of hard times. Still, thing...

Operation Homefront winter Clothes Drive in the Chicago Region
In conjunction with Cutting Edge event, Operation Homefront-Illinois is throwing a Christmas Party for Illinois’ Military Families, and doing a winter clothes Drive. Bring new or used clothes to Homer Township Adm. office 14350 W. 151st Homer Glen, 60491  call Steve Balich 815 557-7196 with questions. The last day I will be taking clothes is 12-20-10. Operation Homefront-Illinois is a non-profit organization that provides emergency assistance to Active Duty Illinois Military families ...

Canadian PM Harper covers Mick Jagger
Published: Dec. 9, 2010 at 11:23 AM Cellist Yo-Yo Ma gives a thumbs-up to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper (C) as they rehearsed for their performance at the 2009 National Arts Centre Gala in Ottawa on Oct. 10, 2009. In the show, Harper played and sang The Beatles' hit "With a Little Help From My Friends." Photo supplied by prime minister's office. OTTAWA, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, backed by an Ottawa band, brought the house down with a five-song party set en...

Joe Cerrell: One of the Great Good Guys in Politics
By Rick Orlov Special to Calbuzz In the end, it was one more party thrown by Joe Cerrell for more than 600 of his closest friends. A memorial service saluting Cerrell, who was the first of the modern political consultants who grew up in an age when politics was fought with “rough elbows..but no rancor,” was held at Christ the King Roman Catholic Church in the Larchmont District near his office and home in Los Angeles. Cerrell, 75, died last Friday of complications from Pneumonia and tribut...

HuffPost TV: Howard Fineman: Obama Channeling Reagan To Avoid Becoming Carter
HuffPost's Howard Fineman appeared on MSNBC's "Countdown" Tuesday night to discuss the fallout from President Barack Obama's tax-cut deal with Republicans. "I just came from the White House Christmas Party, and everybody's having a nice, quiet time in there. Meanwhile, a couple miles down the road on Pennsylvania Avenue, the House Democrats have been caucusing again, and what I hear is they're practically throwing chairs against the wall, they're so upset," Fineman told host Keith Olbermann. "...

Good Morning FishbowlDC Readers
“One of my favorite pictures of my dad is him talking to Elizabeth Edwards in NH in early ’08. May she be risen.” — NBC’s Luke Russert in a Tuesday tweet accompanied by the above photograph. “I’d spent a little bit of time with Elizabeth Edwards in Iowa, she was unlike any other political spouse I’d ever met.” — Roll Call Editor Christina Bellantoni in a Tuesday night tweet. “As you might imagine, last night’s Christmas part...

Gross Overload
Sorry to hear you’re in the suckage…kinda been there myself. Christmas Party this Friday, I intend to wash away some Headaches with some cold Bombay and tonic water. Any law says we can’t start now? "Sign on, young man, and sail with me. The stature of our homeland is no more than the measure of ourselves. Our job is to keep her free. Our will is to keep the torch of freedom burning for all. To this solemn purpose we call on the young, the brave, the strong, and the free. Heed ...