[Salman] "Abu Sitta went to Geneva for a week to check out the newly-opened archives of the ICRC [International Committee of the Red Cross]. According to him, the archives were opened to the public after accusations that the ICRC had sided with the Nazis during World War II. It was an opportunity that he could not miss in terms of seeing what the ICRC had recorded of the events that occurred in Palestine in 1948. It was there he stumbled onto records discussing the existence of five concentration camps run by the Israelis."

Hidden history - first I've heard of a planned coup to oust Franklin D. Roosevelt, or of the Black Legion.

Headline I read today
"IS wants to destroy civilisation"
Well, IS, or whatever your name is this week, all you have to do is sit back and watch the news. The US is doing a damned good job of global destruction.

"For years, reporters have watched Israeli soldiers bait Palestinian children by abusing them through loud-speakers. Then they shoot them dead. For years, reporters have known about Palestinian women about to give birth and refused passage through a roadblock to a hospital; and the baby has died, and sometimes the mother.
"For years, reporters have known about Palestinian doctors and ambulance crews given permission by Israeli commanders to attend the wounded or remove the dead, only to be shot through the head.
"For years, reporters have known about stricken people prevented from getting life-saving treatment, or shot dead when they've tried to reach a clinic for chemotherapy treatment. One elderly lady with a walking stick was murdered in this way - a bullet in her back."

(John Pilger)

... and on and on ...

... and on and on and ...

On and on it goes, but look out brave warriors, the headscarves are coming.

Funny thing -
I'm looking round the garden this morning and see a butterfly, a Red Admiral on the bird table. Surely it's not eating crumbs. Maybe it's on the way out and has flopped there. I approach the table and the butterfly takes off. So I continue walking round, then I turn and see the butterfly is back. Now it's on the inside of a bowl of water and looks like it's taking a drink. This is weird!
I go over to the table and see that there's something in the water - a pigeon feather? A closer look informs that it's a large moth and the butterfly seems to be touching it with it's nose, or whatever protrudes at the forward end of a butterfly. I take hold of the bowl and the butterfly's off again. I drop the bowl on the grass to get rid of the mucky water and the dead creature, and what do you know? 'Dead' creature starts to flutter about the ground.
What can I do? Nothing, is my decision. I leave the moth (or is it a colourless butterfly?) to dry out survive or perish, or make a meal for a passing bird. Well, I couldn't take it to a vet and I don't know any hospital for lepidoptera.
Later my missus goes in the garden and sees that the Red Admiral is back and on the grass keeping the moth company.
Sad end to strange tale; the moth died and it's companion disappeared.

How to explain? I can't. Insect solidarity? Empathy? Altruism? I'm stumped.

Correction (6.9.14): The butterfly was not a Red Admiral but a Peacock, the missus tells me.