WASHINGTON (AFP) - The former US-led Coalition Provisional Authority headed by American Paul Bremer lost track of nearly nine billion dollars it transferred to Iraqi government ministries to a black hole of fraud, kickbacks and fund misappropriation, according to Time magazine.
In a report to hit US newsstands Monday, Time reports that the CPA left “large portions of the 8.8 billion Iraqi treasury open to fraud, kickbacks and misappropration of funds,” citing a US inspector general’s audit. The report was written by the inspector general for Iraq reconstruction Stuart Bowen, a high-powered lawyer from Texas, it said.

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Assisted Living
What does it say that the most curious thing to note about this month’s releases is the presence not once, but twice, of Cicely Tyson? If you guessed “it’s a slow month,” give yourself two points.
FEBRUARY 4
BOOGEYMAN
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Kid grows up to face the boogeyman in his closet from years before. Somehow this is not based on a Stephen King novel.

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From Reuters:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. judge dealt a setback to the Bush administration and ruled on Monday that the Guantanamo Bay terrorism suspects can challenge their confinement and the procedures in their military tribunal review process are unconstitutional.

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Vietnam
Saturday 01.29.05
At Todd Patrick’s New Space In Williamsburg
Vietnam
Blood On The Wall
Psychic Ills
Civil War
NE Corner of Metropolitan & River St – River St door | WLMSBRG, BKLYN
L – Bedford / G – Metropolitan / JM – Marcy | 8pm | all ages + booze | $6

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From Atrios
“Cheney stood out in a sea of black-coated world leaders because he was wearing an olive drab parka with a fur-trimmed hood. It is embroidered with his name. It reminded one of the way in which children’s clothes are inscribed with their names before they are sent away to camp. And indeed, the vice president looked like an awkward boy amid the well-dressed adults.

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Normally, we’d find it self-indulgent to run a story about our new book, Food Court Druids, Cherohonkees, and other Creatures Unique to the Republic, but this article from a Presbyterian gazette in VA is bizarre and priceless:

Resolving to Reach Out in ’05
Asphalt Rangers. Have you every bumped into one? These are people who live in the city, but wear backpacking gear and hiking shoes every day. And how about Stretchibitionists? They are those peculiar gym patrons who never seem to actually work out; instead, they claim a visible spot to do a stretch routine with no apparent aim or reason.
If these descriptions ring a bell, you can thank Robert Lanham, author of the book Food Court Druids, Cherohonkees, and Other Creatures Unique to the Republic. He’s “the Margaret Mead of the North American weirdo,” according to writer Neal Pollack—able to identify dozens of species of humans who may not even know that they are part of a distinctive social group. (Hank Stuever, “Your Life: Highly Classified, By Robert Lanham,” The Washington Post, November 7, 2004, D1)

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from the Guardian
Lobby groups funded by the US oil industry are targeting Britain in a bid to play down the threat of climate change and derail action to cut greenhouse gas emissions, leading scientists have warned.
Bob May, president of the Royal Society, says that “a lobby of professional sceptics who opposed action to tackle climate change” is turning its attention to Britain because of its high profile in the debate.

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For those of you patiently waiting for the new Beck record (out in March), here’s something to keep you busy: an exclusive look at the 8-bit collective remix video of “Hell Yes.” :
Windows Media
Real Player

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Sarah Flynn
See some great music and help out someone in need Tuesday at Rothko. spinART Records’ Sarah Flynn fell ill in November with a rare disorder known as Wegener’s disease. All proceeds from the following show will go towards helping her out with medical expenses:
Tuesday, January 25th @ Rothko

Performances by Ted Leo, Benzos, The Head Set, Apollo Sunshine, Chinese Stars, Countess Zatak featuring The Gill Scott-Heron Band and guest DJ James Murphy (DFA), this show promises to be one for the books.
Tickets are available now through Ticketweb for $15 adv/$20 day of show.
Rotko is located at 116 Suffolk Street (Corner of Rivington), Lower East Side, NYC. For directions and other information, please visit their web site.

Exhibit A – Abortion(from drudge)
“Proposing new political language about abortion rights for an increasingly skittish Democratic Party, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday that friends and foes on the issue should come together on “common ground” to reduce the number of “unwanted pregnancies” and ultimately abortions, which she called a “sad, even tragic choice to many, many women.”
Clinton, in a speech to about 1,000 abortion rights supporters at the state Capitol, firmly restated her support for Roe v. Wade.
But then she offered warm words to opponents of abortion and said that faith and organized religion were the “primary” reasons teenagers abstained from sexual relations.
Exhibit B – Faith Based Initiatives
“There is no contradiction between support for faith-based initiatives and upholding our constitutional principles,” said Clinton, a New York Democrat who often is mentioned as a possible presidential candidate in 2008. (read full Boston Globe article)