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Mar 24 2011

DocuDharma Digest

Regular Features-

Featured Essays for March 23, 2011-

DocuDharma

Mar 23 2011

A Tweet From Wasilla

This is what hunting from helicopters teaches you-

Soldier Admits Killing 3 Afghan Civilians

By WILLIAM YARDLEY, The New York Times

Published: March 23, 2011

Specialist Morlock, 22, of Wasilla, Alaska, is the first of the five soldiers to face a court-martial. He pleaded guilty on Wednesday to three charges of premeditated murder, conspiracy to commit murder, assault and other charges.

Before the plea offer, Specialist Morlock gave several interviews to investigators, including some on videotape that have been broadcast nationally, in which he described how members of his unit, part of Stryker brigade deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010, faked combat situations so they could kill Afghan civilians who he said posed no threat.

(h/t dday)

More from dday–

These are not the pictures that President Obama tried to block in 2009, because the incidents from this Army Stryker unit Der Spiegel describes in their story are from 2010. So the change in commanders-in-chief has not occasioned a halt to atrocities and war crimes in Afghanistan.

Mar 23 2011

Problem? What Problem?

Tokyo Issues Tap Water Warning for Infants

By DAVID JOLLY and KEVIN DREW

Published: March 23, 2011

Ei Yoshida, head of water purification for the Tokyo water department, said at a televised news conference that infants in Tokyo and surrounding areas should not drink tap water. He said iodine-131 had been detected in water samples at a level of 210 becquerels per liter, about a quart. The recommended limit for infants is 100 becquerels per liter. For adults, the recommended limit is 300 becquerels.

…

Earlier Wednesday, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said the public should avoid additional farm produce from areas near the power station because of contamination, according to Japanese media.

And the solution?  Same as it always is, more corporate welfare.

The economic cost of the disaster has hit the power company, also called Tepco, which is in negotiations with its bankers for loans of as much as about $24 billion, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation who asked not to be identified.

…

Additional loans will raise new questions about Tepco’s long-term financial health. The disaster led Moody’s Japan to cut Tepco’s debt rating to A1 from Aa2 and warn that further downgrades were possible. The Fukushima Daiichi station, which was only a few weeks ago listed on the balance sheet as an asset worth billions of dollars, may have to be largely written off.

“Our concern right now is not about whether we’ll be paid back,” the source said. “The important thing is to support the company.”

But of course this is just Japan, a backwards third world banana republic with a culture of denial-

DAVID SANGER, “NEW YORK TIMES” (on Hardball): Michael and I both lived in Japan at about the same time, and you know, the Japanese, first, often don’t want to talk very directly about bad news, particularly if they think it’s going to cause a panic.

Something like that could never happen here.

Update: dday.

Mar 23 2011

DocuDharma Digest

Regular Features-

Featured Essays for March 22, 2011-

DocuDharma

Mar 22 2011

Round of 32 Day 2

NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament 2011

Not a good night for underdogs, only North Carolina and Gonzaga beat the seeds.  Advancing underdogs playing tonight are Purdue and West Virginia.

Connecticut gets their own channel, ESPN, for their 7:00 pm game, everyone else shares time on ESPN2.  I like the Lady Huskies, don’t get me wrong, but it does seem kind of unfair especially since if they play to form the game is going to be a snooze fest anyway.

Now tomorrow night will be my first one without basketball in 8 days, but instead of being sensible and taking a nap I have some out of town errands if the weather holds.  Men’s Round of 16 starts Thursday, Round of 8 (Regional Championships) Saturday.  The Women’s Round of 16 starts Saturday and their Regional Championships (Round of 8) on Monday.  Men’s Final 4 on Saturday the 2nd, Championship Monday.  Women’s Final 4 on Sunday, Championship Tuesday.

And then it’s done until next year.

Yesterday’s Results

Seed Team Record Score Seed Team Record Score Region
3 *DePaul 25 – 9 73 6 Penn State 24 – 10 75 East
2 *Duke 30 – 3 71 10 Marist 30 – 3 66 East
1 *Tennessee 32 – 2 79 8 Marquette 23 – 9 70 Southeast
4 *Ohio State 23 – 9 67 5 Georgia Tech 23 – 11 60 Southeast
2 *Notre Dame 27 – 7 77 10 Temple 23 – 9 64 Southeast
1 *Stanford 30 – 2 75 9 St. John’s 21 – 11 49 West
4 Kentucky 24 – 9 74 5 *North Carolina 26 – 8 86 West
3 UCLA 27 – 5 75 11 *Gonzaga 29 – 4 89 West

Current Matchups

Time Seed Team Record Seed Team Record Region
7:05 pm 1 Connecticut 33 – 1 9 Purdue 21 – 11 East
7:05 pm 3 Miami (Fla.) 28 – 4 6 Oklahoma 22 – 11 Southeast
7:10 pm 2 Xavier 29 – 2 7 Louisville 21 – 12 West
7:15 pm 4 Maryland 24 – 7 5 Georgetown 23 – 10 East
9:35 pm 3 Florida State 24 – 7 6 Georgia 22 – 10 Southwest
9:40 pm 4 Michigan State 27 – 5 5 Wisconsin-Green Bay 33 – 1 Southwest
9:40 pm 2 Texas A&M 28 – 5 7 Rutgers 20 – 12 Southwest
9:45 pm 1 Baylor 32 – 2 9 West Virginia 24 – 9 Southwest

Follow the 2011 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament on The Stars Hollow Gazette.

If you don’t like squeeky shoes you can look for alternate programming here-

If you like a more traditional bracket try this NCAA one, they also have a TV schedule.

Mar 22 2011

DocuDharma Digest

Regular Features-

Featured Essays for March 21, 2011-

DocuDharma

Mar 21 2011

Round of 32 Day 1

NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament 2011

Well tonight we get to focus our undivided attention on the women and high time too.  The ‘Sweet’ Sixteen on the men’s side is not so much about who you’re rooting for as who you hate less.

But I digress.

Yesterday’s Results

Seed Team Record Score Seed Team Record Score Region
3 *Miami (Fla.) 28 – 4 80 14 Gardner Webb 23 – 11 62 Southeast
7 *Louisville 21 – 12 81 10 Vanderbilt 20 – 12 62 West
4 *Maryland 24 – 7 70 13 St. Francis 22- 12 48 East
1 *Connecticut 33 – 1 75 16 Hartford 17 – 16 39 East
6 *Oklahoma 22 – 11 86 11 James Madison 26 – 8 72 Southeast
2 *Xavier 29 – 2 72 15 South Dakota State 19 – 14 56 West
5 *Georgetown 23 – 10 65 12 Princeton 24 – 5 49 East
8 Kansas State 21 – 11 45 9 *Purdue 21 – 11 53 East
3 *Florida State 24 – 7 76 14 Samford 25 – 8 46 Southwest
2 *Texas A&M 28 – 5 87 15 McNeese State 26 – 7 47 Southwest
8 Houston 26 – 6 73 9 *West Virginia 24 – 9 79 Southwest
5 *Wisconsin-Green Bay 33 – 1 59 12 Arkansas-Little Rock 23 – 8 55 Southwest
6 *Georgia 22 – 10 56 11 Middle Tennessee State 23 – 8 41 Southwest
7 *Rutgers 20 – 12 76 10 Louisiana Tech 24 – 8 51 Southwest
1 *Baylor 32 – 2 66 16 Prairie View A&M 21 – 12 30 Southwest
4 *Michigan State 27 – 5 69 13 UNI 27 – 6 66 Southwest

Like the men’s bracket, few actual upsets.  Only Perdue and West Virginia yesterday and only Marist, Temple, Gonzaga and St. John’s from Saturday.

Tonight and tomorrow they’re still running the quad format with Tip Off times of 7 and 9:30 pm on ESPN2.

Current Matchups

Time Seed Team Record Seed Team Record Region
7 pm 3 DePaul 24 – 9 6 Penn State 24 – 9 East
7 pm 2 Duke 29 – 3 10 Marist 30 – 2 East
7 pm 1 Tennessee 31 – 2 8 Marquette 23 – 8 Southeast
7 pm 4 Ohio State 22 – 9 5 Georgia Tech 23 – 10 Southeast
9:30 pm 2 Notre Dame 26 – 7 10 Temple 23 – 8 Southeast
9:30 pm 1 Stanford 29 – 2 9 St. John’s 21 – 10 West
9:30 pm 4 Kentucky 24 – 8 5 North Carolina 25 – 8 West
9:30 pm 3 UCLA 27 – 4 11 Gonzaga 28 – 4 West

Follow the 2011 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament on The Stars Hollow Gazette.

If you don’t like squeeky shoes you can look for alternate programming here-

If you like a more traditional bracket try this NCAA one, they also have a TV schedule.

Mar 21 2011

Monday Business Edition

Monday Business Edition is an Open Thread

From Yahoo News Business

1 Disaster could cost Japan $235 billion: W. Bank

by Martin Abbugao, AFP

47 mins ago

SINGAPORE (AFP) – Japan’s massive earthquake and tsunami could cost its economy up to $235 billion, or 4.0 percent of output, and reconstruction could take five years, the World Bank warned Monday.

“If history is any guide, real GDP growth will be negatively affected through mid-2011,” the Bank said in its latest East Asia and Pacific Economic Update report.

But growth should pick up in subsequent quarters “as reconstruction efforts, which could last five years, accelerate”, it added.

Mar 21 2011

DocuDharma Digest

Featured Essays for March 20, 2011-

DocuDharma

Mar 20 2011

Round of 32 Day 2

It may seem like there were a lot of upsets yesterday, but really not so much.  Outside of Pittsburg every single seeded team won.

Keep that in mind as you listen to the gas bags bloviate.  The only group of “so called” journalists even more captured by cronyism, access, ignorance, and laziness than our DC Villager Idiots are sports reporters, a bunch of brain damaged ex-jocks trading on their faded fame and wannabees with even less talent than that.

Did I mention I’m rooting for Illinois?

Yesterday’s Results

Seed Team Record Score Seed Team Record Score Region
4 *Kentucky 33 – 8 71 5 West Virginia 21 – 12 63 East
2 *Florida 30 – 7 73 7 UCLA 22 – 11 65 Southeast
12 *Richmond 29 – 7 65 13 Morehead St. 25 – 10 48 Southwest
2 *San Diego St. 35 – 2 71 7 Temple 26 – 8 64 West
1 Pittsburgh 30 – 5 71 8 *Butler 24 – 9 70 Southeast
3 *BYU 34 – 4 89 11 Gonzaga 28 – 8 67 Southeast
4 *Wisconsin 26 – 8 70 5 Kansas St. 25 – 11 65 Southeast
3 *Connecticut 30 – 9 69 6 Cincinnati 28 – 9 58 West

Today’s Matchups

Time Network Seed Team Record Seed Team Record Region
12:15 pm CBS 2 North Carolina 28 – 7 7 Washington 25 – 10 East
2:45 pm CBS 1 Duke 33 – 4 8 Michigan 21 – 13 West
5:15 pm CBS 1 Ohio St. 34 – 2 8 George Mason 29 – 5 East
6:10 pm TNT 4 Texas 29 – 7 5 Arizona 29 – 7 West
7:10 pm TBS 3 Purdue 27 – 7 11 Virginia Commonwealth 25 – 11 Southwest
7:45 pm True 3 Syracuse 27 – 7 11 Marquette 22 – 14 East
8:40 pm TNT 1 Kansas 35 – 2 9 Illinois 23 – 13 Southwest
9:40 pm TBS 2 Notre Dame 29 – 6 10 Florida St. 24 – 10 Southwest

Follow the 2011 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament on The Stars Hollow Gazette.

If you don’t like squeeky shoes you can look for alternate programming here-

For a more traditional bracket try CBS Sports.

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