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Sunday Open Thread

FARC has announced it will free its hostages and cease economic kidnapping.

Since I will shortly be turning my attention to the Oscars, here's an open thread for other news, all topics welcome.

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    Went to see "The Artist" Fri. evening (none / 0) (#1)
    by Peter G on Sun Feb 26, 2012 at 04:53:32 PM EST
    Liked it, but can't see why it's the front-runner for Best Picture.  I liked "Midnight in Paris" much more, for lots of reasons; "The Descendents" was a better movie than "The Artist" as well, in terms of story, scriptwriting, acting (individual and ensemble), direction, and musical score.

    Oh, I have to differ on The Descendants (none / 0) (#3)
    by ruffian on Sun Feb 26, 2012 at 04:58:56 PM EST
    I just was not that impressed.

    Parent
    My most long shot Oscar hope (none / 0) (#2)
    by ruffian on Sun Feb 26, 2012 at 04:58:14 PM EST
    Gary Oldman for best actor.  He was much better than George Clooney, and I think just as good as the actor from The Artist. (OK, shoot me, I don't know his name).

    Things that would make me mad (Oscar level mad, not really mad, you know):
    The Descendants winning Best Picture
    George Clooney winning Best Actor

    I guess that's it...I am not very emotionally involved this year, except being disappointed in 'TheDescendants'.

    What would be most pleasant surprise: Michelle William winning Best Actress. I didn't see her movie, but based not he 'should have won last year' theory, she should win. She totally deserved it for Blue Valentine. Thats not to say I don't adore Viola Davie and Meryl Streep. Guess I would most like a 3 way tie.

    sorry for the typos... (none / 0) (#4)
    by ruffian on Sun Feb 26, 2012 at 05:00:28 PM EST
    should be 'based on the' ...and of course Viola Davis

    Parent
    your typos (none / 0) (#5)
    by fishcamp on Sun Feb 26, 2012 at 05:54:51 PM EST
    are a little different than mine.  Some people never, ever make typos...and we know who you are too.  

    Parent
    Sometimes The Onion (none / 0) (#6)
    by Edger on Sun Feb 26, 2012 at 06:45:37 PM EST
    Following on the December 2011 (none / 0) (#7)
    by Edger on Sun Feb 26, 2012 at 07:38:35 PM EST
    hack by Anonymous of security firm Stratfor in retaliation for the imprisonment of Bradley Manning in which obtained personal information and credit card numbers were obtained, now the WikiLeaks media organization has announced its intention to publish over five million emails allegedly obtained through that hack.

    The Global Intelligence Files

    LONDON--Today, Monday 27 February, WikiLeaks began publishing The Global Intelligence Files - more than five million emails from the Texas-headquartered "global intelligence" company Stratfor. The emails date from between July 2004 and late December 2011. They reveal the inner workings of a company that fronts as an intelligence publisher, but provides confidential intelligence services to large corporations, such as Bhopal's Dow Chemical Co., Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and government agencies, including the US Department of Homeland Security, the US Marines and the US Defense Intelligence Agency. The emails show Stratfor's web of informers, pay-off structure, payment-laundering techniques and psychological methods, for example:

    [snip]

    The material contains privileged information about the US government's attacks against Julian Assange and WikiLeaks and Stratfor's own attempts to subvert WikiLeaks. There are more than 4,000 emails mentioning WikiLeaks or Julian Assange. The emails also expose the revolving door that operates in private intelligence companies in the United States. Government and diplomatic sources from around the world give Stratfor advance knowledge of global politics and events in exchange for money. The Global Intelligence Files exposes how Stratfor has recruited a global network of informants who are paid via Swiss banks accounts and pre-paid credit cards. Stratfor has a mix of covert and overt informants, which includes government employees, embassy staff and journalists around the world.

    Read all of the release at WikiLeaks.org...



    WikiLeaks will be partnering (none / 0) (#8)
    by Edger on Sun Feb 26, 2012 at 07:58:40 PM EST
    with more than 25 activists and media organizations to process the massive horde of emails. In the United States, these include McClatchy and Rolling Stone.

    Parent