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| English: I took this photo of a Ministry of Natural Resources CL-125 and Cessna 310 (C-GJAX) spotter aircraft in Kenora ON in 1995 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| English: Dennis Kucinich Created by user and released into the public domain. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| 263 of 365:Dennis Kucinich Protest Version 2 (Photo credit: GIRLintheCAFE) |
Sydney endures hottest day ever recorded – Emergency services council warns government of worse to come
[image: Hourly temperature in Sydney, Australia, 18 January 2013. The
mercury topped 45.8 at Sydney's Observatory Hill at 2.55pm, breaking the
previous record set in 1939 by half a degree. Graphic: Fairfax Media /
Source: Bureau of Meteorology]
By Ilya Gridneff, Tom Arup, and Jacob Saulwick
19 January 2013
SYDNEY, Australia (SMH) – Sydney endured its hottest ever day on Friday,
with records smashed across the city and thousands of people suffering from
the heat.
The mercury topped 45.8 at Sydney's Observatory Hill at 2.55pm, breaking
the previous record set in 1939 by half a degr... more »
No relief in sight for drought-stricken Plains – U.S. declares Wheat Belt a natural disaster area
[image: U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook, 1 November 2012 - 31 January 2013.
Dry weather was predicted to continue through at least the end of January
in the drought-stricken U.S. Plains. NOAA]
By Sam Nelson, with additional reporting by Carey Gillam in Kansas City;
Editing by Dale Hudson
18 January 2013
CHICAGO (Reuters) – Dry weather should continue through at least the end of
January in the drought-stricken U.S. Plains and a blast of Arctic cold air
in the Midwest early next week poses a threat to unprotected livestock and
possibly some wheat, an agricultural meteorologist said o... more »
Dennis Kucinich Makes Fox News Debut With Bill O'Reilly (VIDEO) Will Obama’s gun plan pass congress?
Dennis Kucinich made his official debut as a Fox News contributor on
Thursday's "O'Reilly Factor."
The left-wing ex-congressman probably startled many supporters when
he announced that he was on the Roger Ailes payroll on Wednesday, but he
appeared eager to chat when O'Reilly introduced him.
"Wow, what a conversion!" O'Reilly joked. "Congressman, how did that
happen? You know all the people on Fox News are far-right crazy people!"
"Together again at last, Bill," Kucinich said. "So you're the same
left-wing nut we know and love," O'Reilly said. Kucinich pointedly noted
that, un... more »
Dietary shifts driving up phosphorus use – World phosphorus footprint increased 38 percent since 1960s
[image: Global mined phosphorus use for food per capita, 1961 and 2007.
Dietary changes since the early 1960s have fueled a sharp increase in the
amount of mined phosphorus used to produce the food consumed by the average
person over the course of a year. Metson, et al., 2013]Contact: Chris
Chipello
Organization: Media Relations Office
Office Phone: 514-398-4201
Mobile Phone: 514-717-4201
17 January 2013
(mcgill.ca) – Dietary changes since the early 1960s have fueled a sharp
increase in the amount of mined phosphorus used to produce the food
consumed by the average person o... more »
Eastbound and Down
Southern Man's Friday morning lab runs from 9:00 - 10:40. Be eleven o'clock
he plans to be on the interstate headed to Fort Meade, MD to deliver Teen
Daughter The Elder's car. Photos and commentary will be appended to this
post over the course of the weekend.
In the meantime, here's a little Jerry Reed from one of the truly great
road trip movies.
urgent: help defend ontario's endangered species!
The Government of Ontario is poised to gut the province's Endangered
Species Act.
Right now, according to the David Suzuki Foundation, Ontario's Endangered
Species Act is one of the strongest in Canada. Under the ESA, companies
that intend to develop land or extract resources must apply for permits
that leave the species better off than where it started.
Last month, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources quietly proposed *exempting
most industries from meeting these requirements - and giving industries the
power to regulate themselves*.
Exempted activities could include logging,... more »
Book Review: Graceling by Kristin Cashore
In the Seven Kingdoms, some children are born just a little bit different.
Some can swim or juggle better than anybody else and some are blessed with
fighting or in the case of Katsa killing. These special abilities are
called Graces and although these people are a benefit to many the Graced
are shunned and even feared by most people.
Graces are practically impossible to hide, as they cause the eyes of the
Graced to turn two different colors. As soon as a child's eyes change, they
are given to the king of their land to serve him as he sees fit. Katsa
discovers what her Grace is wh... more »
Redigi to Land in Europe and Sell Music and Books!
Are we about to see the demise of the lack of a first sale doctrine on
digital files? Although ReDigi is still locked in a US court case with
Capitol records accused of copyright infringement they now plan to
bring their service to Europe. Amazon is releasing its AutoRip service
which gives buyers of the physical they can resell and a digital copy for
life in the cloud. Others a queued up watching as many start to push the
boundaries on digital media, the right to resell and the whole question of
the licence you get when you buy digital media.
ReDigi move to Europe is within the... more »
Untitled
*New Orleans area levee improvements already outpaced by science,
engineering, engineer says*
*Two Storms, Two Cities: Not Many Parallels Between Sandy, Katrina ~Roberta
Brandes Gratz* ~Hat Tweet @LeveesOrg
*Bobby Jindal was Against taxes before he was For taxes*
*Businesses warned of Super Bowl restrictions*
*Bead Mosaics Cover Da World! ~Leigh Ann Sturart, The Advocate*
~Mardi Gras parades are infamous for, among many things, the piles of
unwanted plastic beads they leave in their wake. While many might be quick
to dismiss the gaudy neckwear as fool’s gold, one man has proven such... more »
Near The Bottom
The Conference Board of Canada -- not a left leaning think tank -- has
released a report on Canada's environmental health. The news is not good:
The study ranks Canada 15th out of 17 developed nations on environmental
performance, ahead of only The United States and last place Australia.
The bottom three are also the largest nations surveyed in terms of land
mass and all depend on natural resources for a large part of their economic
output.
And the Harper government's push to make Canada an "energy superpower" is
doing nothing to improve our environmental well being:
On per ca... more »
Philadelphia Subway Attack: Suspect Held By US Police
Police investigating a horrific attack on a woman on the Philadelphia
subway have arrested a man.
Surveillance video shows the 23-year-old woman being viciously punched and
then dragged across the platform.
She is then pushed onto the railway track at the station in the city's
Chinatown neighbourhood.
The attack happened around 3.30pm on Tuesday, after the suspect initially
approached the victim and asked for a light.
http://news.sky.com/story/1039842/subway-attack-suspect-held-by-us-police
Bolshoi Ballet Boss Has Acid Thrown In Face
The Bolshoi Theatre's artistic director has been hospitalised with
third-degree burns and may lose his eyesight following an acid attack by a
masked man in Moscow.
Sergei Filin, 43, was attacked as he got out of his car outside his home,
according to Arkady Bashirov, a spokesperson for the city police.
http://news.sky.com/story/1039790/bolshoi-ballet-boss-has-acid-thrown-in-face
4.7 Magnitude Earthquake NIAS REGION, INDONESIA - 18th January 2013
Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 12:25:44 UTC
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 07:25:44 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
0.266°N, 97.703°E
Depth
21.8 km (13.5 miles)
Region
NIAS REGION, INDONESIA
Distances
202 km (125 miles) SW of Sibolga, Indonesia
Self-portrait with cropped hair.
[image: Frida Kahlo. Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair. 1940]
It was two years ago that Lhasa de Sala died of cancer at the age of 37.
My
post.
I have been thinking a lot about Lhasa recently; the *Idle No
More*movement as well as the season's reminder of family members and
friends who
died in December and January stir these memories.
In late November, I viewed the AGO exhibition *Frida and Diego* with my
daughter.
It was an intense and powerful learning experience; if you're able to
see
it before it closes on January 20th, do go!
Frida's shorn hair self-portrait is echoed in Lh... more »
Read Stuff, You Should
Happy Birthday to Jason Segal, 33. It was really nice to have the Muppets
come back, I thought.
And a bit of good stuff:
1. Andrew Rudalevige takes a closer look at exactly what Barack Obama did
on guns this week.
2. Ezra Klein is looking for discharge petitions to make the House work. I
don't think that's going to happen.
3. And Carah Ong at the Miller Center has been looking through the oral
histories for Inaugural stuff. This one is brilliant:
Well, first thing that happened, they got in deep do-do with Speaker
O’Neill and they never recovered the whole four years. Hamilton Jor... more »
Andrew Cuomo-- The Anti-Progressive Running For President In Progressive Clothes
For many non-New Yorkers the video above might have been their first look
at 2016 presidential hopeful, NY Governor Andrew Cuomo. He sounds like a
passionate progressive, taking on the extremist gun nuts and the NRA,
right? Yes, but "sounds" is the key word in that sentence. Andrew Cuomo is
anything *but* a progressive, passionate or not. He's figured out how to
make high profile social issues-- like marriage equality and gun laws--
work for him but where it really matters most, Cuomo is another Wall
Street-owned political hack serving the interests of the one percent, not
the in... more »
Friday Morning Linkage….Mali Edition
New term altert: France is worried that Mali and the region is turning
into “Afrighanistan.” If you didn’t see this on Wednesday, go back and read
Adrienne LeBas’s piece here on Duck. Some evidence of Malian support for
intervention? Mohammed Adow at Al Jazeera’s Africa blog also thinks so.
Gregory Mann believes the intervention was
Continue reading
The Time Has Come To Talk A Little Bit About The Lenient Rape Convictions In Sweden - A Guest Post by Inga
The time has come to talk a little bit about the lenient rape convictions
in Sweden.
Maybe, maybe, the time has come to talk a little bit about the lenient rape
convictions in Sweden. To save face we have put out the big lie to the
world that Sweden is very tough on sex criminals, almost like we have a no
tolerance for sexual crimes. I guess it would be more truthful to say that
we have a lot of tolerance when it comes to the perpetrators and that we
always should feel sorry for them. In some cases they are too young to
understand the meaning of their actions. This happens whe... more »
things i heard at the library: an occasional series: # 8
At the branch library where I'm currently working as a page, the magazine
section is along a back wall forming an L shape - the long part full of
magazines, the short part with teen magazines and comic books. This isn't
the graphic novel section; it's Archie, Amazing Spider-Man, and such.
Around another corner from that short wall is a cozy reading area arranged
among the youth novels.
The other day, as I was beginning to file a big pile of magazines, I came
upon a girl, maybe tweens or early teens, wearing a hijab (not unusual),
standing in the very corner of the L, looking throug... more »
"Vigilantees implementing Islam upon your own necks"
See what unfettered immigration and the creed of multi-culturalism is
bringing to the streets of London. Islamic thugs patrolling their
self-proclaimed "Muslim Area" and forcing Sharia on non-Muslims.
Today East London, tomorrow...? Compliance with these thugs is dhimmiism,
although they'd intimidate many. However standing up to them would probably
be deemed Islamophobic.
Thanks to Gates of Vienna for the video spot.
Weird Or Not, Beliefs Are Protected Religion
A recent case where a vegan claimed she was protected from religious
discrimination has caused some wailing and gnashing of teeth on the
management side of my profession. The court said this about her claims:
[I]t is plausible that Plaintiff could subscribe to veganism with a
sincerity equating that of traditional religious views.... Accordingly, at
this early stage of the litigation, the Court finds it inappropriate to
dismiss Plaintiff's claims for religious discrimination based on her
adherence to veganism.
I, on the other hand, was not surprised. Indeed, I predicted this in my ... more »
Videos
Doing other things today ...
This is a good listen.
This was interesting.
Hopefully.
Ronald Reagan Era US Military Trained The Leaders Of The Mali Al-Qaeda To Fight The Old USSR ...
*Remember Afghanistan??? ... Well ... here we go again .. Stephen Harper
won't be able to resist throwing Canadian troops into yet another conflict
with guerrilla forces that can't be defeated in an open field of war. *
*"A lot of the terrorists the French are battling in Mali were well-trained
by the US and know how US special forces operate, and can use that
knowledge against American troops." *
*Michael Maloof *
*Former Pentagon Official *
*RT Question More*
*Former Pentagon official Michael Maloof told Russia Today that many of the
terrorists in Mali were well-trained by the... more »
5.4 Magnitude Earthquake WESTERN SICHUAN, CHINA - 18th January 2013
Magnitude
5.4
Date-Time
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 12:42:54 UTC
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 08:42:54 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
31.046°N, 99.556°E
Depth
31.2 km (19.4 miles)
Region
WESTERN SICHUAN, CHINA
Distances
72 km (44 miles) W of Rulong, China
4.7 Magnitude Earthquake NIAS REGION, INDONESIA - 18th January 2013
Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 12:25:44 UTC
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 07:25:44 PM at epicenter
Location
0.266°N, 97.703°E
Depth
21.8 km (13.5 miles)
Region
NIAS REGION, INDONESIA
Distances
202 km (125 miles) SW of Sibolga, Indonesia
David Cameron: Don't put Ukip in TV debate....Scared of Losing More Votes?
David Cameron has dismissed calls for Ukip leader Nigel Farage to join the
leaders’ debates on TV at the next general election.
The PM said only parties “that are going to form the government” should
take part. The Lib-Dems and Ukip are both on about 10 per cent in the
polls, but many experts predict Ukip will peak at the Euro elections in
2014.
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron-dont-put-ukip-in-tv-debate-8457116.html
Sahara hostage holders make new threat as 22 hostages are unaccounted for
At least 22 foreign hostages were unaccounted for on Friday and their
al-Qaeda-linked captors threatened to attack other energy installations
after Algerian forces stormed a desert gas complex to free hundreds of
captives, resulting in dozens of deaths.
With Western leaders clamoring for details of the assault they said Algeria
had launched on Thursday without consulting them, a local source said the
gas base was still surrounded by Algerian special forces and some hostages
remained inside.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/18/us-sahara-crisis-idUSBRE90F1JJ20130118
Syrian Rebels fire Rocket at Aleppo neighbourhood
A large blast hit a neighbourhood of the Syrian city of Aleppo on Friday
and caused several casualties, state television said.
It was unclear who was behind the attack.
Syria TV said the explosion had been caused by a rocket fired by a
"terrorist group" - a term it frequently uses to describe rebels in the
22-month-old uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.
But opposition groups said Assad's forces were behind the blast, which hit
the Muhafaza Sakaniya neighbourhood in a western district of the city.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/01/18/uk-syria-crisis-blast-idUKBRE90H0KC201... more »
Can The Public Library Deliver That Golden Egg?
Why do we allow the goose that could lay a golden egg to decline? If you
could envisage one service , one hub, one recognised body from today that
could do battle with the internet’s digital omnivores and add real value,
it would not be the big chains, nor the media chains, not the independent
bookstores and not even the supermarkets, but could be the public library.
The public library has the real ability to add real value and to be a real
community hub in social network community world. But does it understand
this, or as in the UK, is it obsessed with its statutory obligations a... more »
Global dust or ash storms - what would happen?
address-withheld@my.opera.com.invalid (Dr. John v. Kampen) at - 3 hours ago
Link: http://youtu.be/HCg3aD_6AR8
Dust storms can take many shapes and sizes. The hypothesized "global dust
storm" in this movie covers the whole planet. Do mind however that 70% of
the global population lives only on the northern hemisphere. That is the
hemisphere most affected by solar particle storms and volcanic ash storms.
The risks for populations hit on that hemisphere is much higher than on the
southern one. Apart from the long-lasting "Chernobyl-effect" and "Fukushima"
we face the ashes from the many active volcanoes on our planet with
particularly 'threatening' ones (for ... more »
What the Gates MET Study Really Shows
The final report by the $50 million Gates Foundation Measures of Effective
Teaching experiment concludes that their research into value-added models
“should give heart to those who have invested considerable effort to
develop practices and policies to measure and support effective
teaching.” But, it gives no evidence or logic why those policies would work
in the real world.
For some reason, Gates researchers claim that studying outcomes of randomly
assigned students, from the same school, could determine whether
statistical models can distinguish whether some teachers are “truly bett... more »
Medinat Weimar - Nein Danke!
Is there any end to the self-importance and arrogance of the Jewish people.
Not content with having stolen Palestine from the people to whom that land
truly belongs, the international parasites now have their eyes set on the
German State of Thüringen.
The capital of the State of Thüringen is Weimar. In the aftermath of the
Great War, the enemies of Germany set up a Jewish-controlled state, which
became known as the Weimar Republic. The proposal of Medinat Weimar is for
a restoration of the Weimar Republic in Thüringen.
The post-war Weimar Republic was a Jewish fiefdom in which ... more »
Berlin Bank Heist Tunnel Pictures Released
Police have also issued a composite sketch of a man suspected of
involvement in the digging of the tunnel.
The audacious criminals spent weeks digging the tunnel into a vault of the
Berliner Volksbank and, earlier in the week, escaped with the contents of
several hundred safety deposit boxes.
They set fire to the tunnel as they left to destroy any evidence.
Police were alerted to the break-in early on Monday when a security guard
noticed smoke coming from the deposit room
http://news.sky.com/story/1039725/berlin-bank-heist-tunnel-pictures-released
Jonathan Thompson 'on the run' after beating his girlfriend's four-year-old godson to death in Amityville
A man is on the run after allegedly beating his girlfriend’s four-year-old
godson, who was in his care, to death just one mile from the scene of the
notorious Amityville Horror killings of 1974.
Detectives on Long Island, New York are investigating the death of Adonis
Reed who was found unconscious in his pyjamas at 4pm Wednesday and was
pronounced dead in hospital shortly before 6pm.
The suspect, Jonathan Thompson, was identified by live-in-girlfriend
Lakisha Pitt, who has primary care of Adonis and his six-year-old sister
after their mother ran into financial troubles.
http://ww... more »
Michael Van Hise denied bail after judge learns of his 'depraved' talk about what he wanted to 'do to a newborn.'
A federal judge refused to set bail on Thursday for a New Jersey man
charged in the notorious ‘cannibal cop’ case after a prosecutor said he
discussed raping an infant during an online chat.
Michael Van Hise, 22, told an unidentified person he met online that he
wanted to ‘do the newborn,’ Manhattan federal prosecutor Randall Jackson
said.
Federal Judge William Pauley III said the allegations against Van Hise
represented ‘really shocking, depraved and violent conduct.’
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2264255/Cannibal-Cops-partner-denied-bail-judge-learns-depraved-talk-rapin... more »
Gabriela Osorio sentenced to 24 years for stabbing a new mom and kidnapping her week-old daughter
A California woman desperate to have a baby who faked pregnancy for nine
months and stabbed another young mother to steal her newborn daughter,
will
spend years in jail, she was told yesterday.
Gabriela Osorio was sentenced to 24 years in prison over the brutal
attack
and kidnapping in Santa Ana, California, in May 2010, the Orange County
Register reports.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2263977/Gabriela-Osorio-sentenced-24-years-stabbing-new-mom-kidnapping-week-old-daughter.html
Mary Hansen survived botched suicide pact after shooting her daughter, 18, dead
Utah mother, Mary Hansen, 43, has made a plea deal after shooting her
18-year-old daughter dead in what she said was a suicide pact gone wrong.
Virginia Ray Hansen was found dead at the mother and daughter's Jordan West
home, on March 22. She had been shot twice in the head. Her mother also
shot herself in the head but survived her injuries.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2264145/Utah-mother-shot-daughter-18-dead-botched-suicide-plot-agrees-plea-deal.html
Rainer Klaus Reinscheid 'who Fantasized about Shooting 200 students with a Machine Gun, set fire to bullied son's school' slapped with new arson charge
A California college professor who had been accused of setting multiple
fires at his son's school over the summer to avenge the boy's suicide is
now facing an addition felony arson charge.
The Orange County District Attorney's has announced that prosecutors will
file a new charge against Rainer Klaus Reinscheid Thursday.
In July, Reinscheid, 49, pleaded to multiple counts of arson for allegedly
setting nine separates fires to University High School in Irvine, a local
park and a school administrator’s home.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2263749/UC-Irvine-professor-Rainer-R... more »
Rafael Robb set to be released after serving FIVE YEARS for brutally beating wife to death as she wrapped Christmas presents
The family of a woman brutally beaten to death by her Ivy League professor
husband is furious that he is being released after serving just five years
behind bars.
Rafael Robb, 62, admitted to bludgeoning his wife Ellen with a metal
pull-up bar until she was 'unrecognizable' as she wrapped Christmas
presents at their home in suburban Philadelphia in December 2006.
Prosecutors say the University of Pennsylvania economics professor was
hoping to avoid a costly divorce. He claims he snapped in a 'moment of
madness.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2263995/Rafael-Robb-Univers... more »
Whole Foods threatened with boycott by liberal customers after CEO compares Obamacare to fascism
Organic supermarket chain Whole Foods is facing a backlash from many of
it’s more liberal customers after founder and CEO John Mackey compared
Obamacare to ‘fascism’ in a radio interview on Wednesday.
In an interview to promote his new book, Mackey was quizzed about an
article he had written in The Wall Street Journal in 2009 that liken
Obamacare to socialism.
‘Technically speaking, it's more like fascism,’ Mackey told NPR. ‘Socialism
is where the government owns the means of production. In fascism, the
government doesn't own the means of production but they do control it. And
tha... more »
Seattle-bound flight Escorted by Fighter Jets after caller reports sleeping passenger as a hijacker
Two
military jets escorted an Alaska Airlines flight into Seattle last
night after a caller told the FBI that a possible hijacker was aboard
the
flight from Hawaii, officials said.
After the jet landed safely, authorities took the male passenger off the
plane and questioned him for about two hours.
FBI Seattle spokeswoman Ayn Dietrich said late Thursday night that the
agency was 'not anticipating an arrest.' The man was not identified.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2264345/Seattle-bound-flight-escorted-fighter-jets-caller-reports-sleeping-passenger-hijacker.html
Deadly message from jihadist Mokhtar Belmokhtar behind the heavily-armed 'Signed-In-Blood-Battalion'
There are faces one would not want to meet in a dark alleyway. One of them
belongs to the veteran Algerian jihadist Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the one-eyed
former bandit also known as The Uncatchable or Mr Marlboro, in recognition
of his career as a brutally violent cigarette smuggler.
Belmokhtar is also an arms smuggler who specialises in death. He is behind
the heavily-armed Islamist group called the 'Signed-In-Blood Battalion'
which stormed BP's and Norwegian Statoil's In Amenas gas facility in
eastern Algeria, taking 40 American, British, Norwegian and Japanese
hostages.
He was not a... more »
5.1 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTH OF MARIANA ISLANDS - 18th January 2013
Magnitude
5.1
Date-Time
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 09:32:33 UTC
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 07:32:33 PM at epicenter
Location
11.709°N, 143.309°E
Depth
24.7 km (15.3 miles)
Region
SOUTH OF THE MARIANA ISLANDS
Distances
250 km (156 miles) SW (219°) from HAGATNA, Guam
129 DAYS LATER: FBI DIRECTOR IN LIBYA TO REVIEW BENGHAZI PROBE
The FBI director met with top Libyan officials on Thursday to discuss the
probe into last year's killing of the U.S. ambassador in Benghazi where
authorities are planning a curfew following an upsurge in violence, Libyan
officials said.
Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed on Sept. 11,
2012 in an attack that Washington officials suspect was carried out by
militants linked to the al-Qaida terrorist group. There has been little
news of progress in the investigation, and U.S. officials have complained
about poor cooperation with governments in the region.
htt... more »
Y'all come to Texas, state official tells New York gun owners
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has a message for New York gun owners:
Come to Texas, and bring your guns with you.
"Texas is better than New York, and New York just gave us another excuse to
say that," Abbott, a Republican, said on Thursday, after ads extolling
Texas appeared on several media websites.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, signed sweeping gun-control
legislation earlier this week expanding the state's ban on assault weapons
and putting limits on ammunition capacity in the wake of last month's
school shootings in Connecticut.
http://www.reuters.com/article/... more »
Thirty hostages reported killed in Algeria assault
Thirty hostages and at least 11 Islamist militants were killed on Thursday
when Algerian forces stormed a desert gas plant in a bid to free many
dozens of Western and local captives, an Algerian security source said.
Details remained scant - including for Western governments, some of which
did little to disguise irritation at being kept in the dark by Algeria
before the raid and its bloody outcome.
Two Japanese, two Britons and a French national were among at least seven
foreigners killed, the source told Reuters. Eight of the dead hostages were
Algerian. The nationalities of the r... more »
Cruz: Obama 'High on His Own Power'
Republican senator Ted Cruz of Texas said Thursday that Barack Obama is
"high on his own power" with regard to the president's announced efforts on
gun control. Speaking on Laura Ingraham's radio talk show, Cruz, who was
just elected to the Senate last November, said "this is a president who has
drunk the Kool-Aid."
"He is feeling right now high on his own power, and he is pushing on every
front, on guns," Cruz said. "And I think it's really sad to see the
president of the United States exploiting the murder of children and using
it to push his own extreme, anti-gun agenda. I think... more »
Flats collapse sparks protests in Egypt
The collapse of an eight-storey block of flats in the Egyptian city of
Alexandria, which killed at least 25 people, has sparked protests over
safety.
The cause of the collapse, which happened early yesterday when most tenants
were at home, was not clear but it came a day after 19 recruits were killed
when a military train derailed south of the capital, Cairo.
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/flats-collapse-sparks-protests-in-egypt-8455874.html
Questions On EU Mali Mission
European foreign ministers are making much of having accelerated their
training mission for Mail troops. But it’s not clear what exactly the
initiative will accomplish, given that Mali’s army is already getting the
most useful training it can, intense fighting alongside French troops
against Islamist militants.
European foreign ministers met Thursday in special session to approve a
contingent of several hundred troops to train Mali’s armed forces.
Afterward, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said foreign ministers
offered unanimous praise for his country’s week-old intervention... more »
11 dead as floods swamp Jakarta
Floods in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta have left at least 11 people dead and
two missing, authorities said yesterday as murky brown waters submerged
parts of the city’s business district, causing chaos for a second day.
The capital’s worst floods in five years have forced 18,000 people from
their homes, the nation’s disaster agency said, with many ferried to
temporary shelters on rafts.
“Floods are occurring still and since January 15, 11 people have died, five
of which from electrocution,” said National Disaster Mitigation Agency
spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.
http://gulfnews.com... more »
Mali Islamists tougher than France anticipated: envoys
French troops' initial clashes with Islamist militants in Mali have shown
that the desert fighters are better trained and equipped than France had
anticipated before last week's military intervention, French and other U.N.
diplomats said.
The realization that the fighting could be bloodier than anticipated in the
weeks -- or months -- ahead might make Western countries even more
reluctant to get involved alongside France. French officials, however, hope
it will rally their allies behind them, diplomats say.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/18/us-mali-rebels-un-idUSBRE90H089201... more »
Algeria attack planned before French strike in Mali: officials
Algerian militants planned their hostage-taking attack on a remote desert
gas plant well before a French military operation against militants in
neighboring Mali, European and U.S. national security officials said on
Thursday.
Intelligence indicates that the hostage takers, believed to be members of a
breakaway faction of al Qaeda's North African affiliate, Al Qaeda in the
Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), had planned to capture the hostages and take them
to a hideout where it would be harder to mount a rescue attempt, a European
security official said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01... more »
Several injured during avalanche in New Hampshire
An avalanche was reported late Thursday evening at Tuckerman Ravine in
North Conway, NH. Between six and nine people were said to be on the
mountain at the time of the incident, several of whom were injured
transported to Androscoggin Valley Hospital, according to a spokesman from
Berlin Fire Department.
“It seems like they are all off the mountain,” said firefighter Jonathan
Larin. “I noticed that about three or four ambulances from both Gorham and
Jackson were utilized.”
The condition of those injured was not immediately available.
http://bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/01/17/several-... more »
Earthquake Near Loughborough, East Midlands
An earthquake with a magnitude of 2.9 has been felt in the east Midlands,
according to the British Geological Survey.
The tremor was reported across Leicestershire, Derbyshire and
Nottinghamshire.
Julian Bukits, of the BGS, said the earthquake happened at 5.20am and was
"average" for the UK.
http://news.sky.com/story/1039681/earthquake-near-loughborough-east-midlands
Algeria Hostage Crisis: '10 Brits Unaccounted For'
At least 10 British nationals are unaccounted for in the "ongoing" Algerian
hostage crisis, according to Sky Sources.
It follows an Algerian attempt to rescue gas workers taken hostage by al
Qaeda-linked militants which ended in a number of deaths.
Prime Minister David Cameron warned of "further bad news" as he put off a
high-profile speech on Europe to stay in London and oversee developments.
http://news.sky.com/story/1039636/algeria-crisis-10-brits-unaccounted-for
Happy Anniversary - Join in Internet Freedom Day Today, January 18, 2013
Today marks a milestone in the history of the free and open internet. It's
called *#InternetFreedomDay*—and we want you to join in the celebration.
One year ago, tens of thousands of websites around the world went dark and
thousands of people took to the streets to protest SOPA and PIPA, two
pieces of US legislation that seriously threatened the free and open
internet.
On *January 18*, the global internet community spoke loud and clear: we
will not accept censorship. And today *we want to remind policymakers that
we never will.*
*Click here to join Access and many other organiza... more »
Surprise Fall In Retail Sales In December.......I like to know who was Surprised by this
Retail sales disappoint in December, falling by 0.3% when compared to
November, according to official figures.
TThe news comes days after high street stalwarts electricals retailer HMV
and DVD rental chain Blockbuster called in administrators.
http://news.sky.com/story/1039739/surprise-fall-in-retail-sales-in-december
Snow: Travel Chaos Fears In Freezing Weather
Heavy snow has been falling in Wales this morning and more is set to
blanket Britain, with chaos expected on transport networks in the coming
hours.
Temperatures are expected to remain below zero in most parts, making it
bitterly cold, while blizzards and strong winds are set to make conditions
treacherous on the roads.
http://news.sky.com/story/1039631/snow-travel-chaos-fears-in-freezing-weather
4.8 Magnitude Earthquake KEPULAUAN TANIMBAR REGION, INDONESIA - 18th January 2013
Magnitude
4.8
Date-Time
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 05:16:15 UTC
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 02:16:15 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
7.316°S, 130.331°E
Depth
89.4 km (55.6 miles)
Region
KEPULAUAN TANIMBAR REGION, INDONESIA
Distances
129 km (80 miles) WNW of Saumlaki, Indonesia
Freedom in the Middle East and North Africa
Freedom House's latest report into Press Freedom around the world is out.
Here's an interesting graphic
So where do these 2% of people live?
Here's how Freddom House rate the 20 countries:
Algeria - Not Free
Bahrain - Not Free
Egypt - Partly Free
Iran - Not Free
Iraq - Not Free
Israel - Free
Jordan - Not Free
Kuwait - Partly Free
Lebanon - Partly Free
Libya - Partly Free
Morocco - Partly Free
Oman - Not Free
Qatar - Not Free
Saudi Arabia - Not Free
Syria - Not Free
Tunisia - Partly Free
United Arab Emirates - Not Free
West Bank & Gaza Strip - Not Free
Western Sahara - Not Free
Yemen - Not ... more »
Sandy Hook "shooting" hoax - Updates
A reader sent me the following information that I have not seen anywhere on
the internet or discussed on any radio program. Apparently, the blog *Don't
Forget 2 Breathe* posted an article on September 8, 2012 about the fake
Sandy Hook "shooting" in Connecticut - almost three months before the
official "shooting" even took place. I went to this blog, and the article
has been removed. The only post for the month of September was this one
titled *Revival*, which reads (bold and underline mine):
Things don’t remain the same. They either grow or decay, and without
effort, my blog has l... more »
Greg Hunter, "Weekly News Wrap-Up 1.18.13"
*"Weekly News Wrap-Up 1.18.13"*
By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com
"It’s all guns all the time as President Obama makes a big push for gun
control. Part of the plan includes “Executive Orders.” The other part of
the President’s plan includes new legislation that bans assault weapons.
This coming at a time when the nation’s top bankers fraud and crime is
enormous and going criminally unpunished. More deals are being cut to
eliminate any criminal prosecutions of top bank officials for committing
fraud and crime on a scale never seen before in America. From LIBOR rate
rigging fraud to... more »
Israeli democracy and the US President
As usual Dry Bones nails the Obama delusion.
Topology Theorems Inform New Materials
This is a measure of just how far we have come on manipulating single
molecules and atoms. We can expect some amazing stuff out of all this. We
will even have serious applications for all that work in topology and in
fact give the field itself quite a boost.
It is all good and no longer even surprising.
*Physicists' research creates 'recipe book' for new materials*
*December 21, 2012*
*
http://www.colorado.edu/news/features/physicists-research-creates-recipe-book-new-materials
*
*By showing that tiny particles injected into a liquid crystal medium
adhere to ... more »
Bird Watching in China
This approach needs to be applied globally. Data needs to be collected
confirmed as to quality and posted. Folding in older records will provide a
lot of depth and then over time we will have a temperature sensitive
distribution map.
It is also something that once established, can be introduced to school
children to participate in. I remember as a young lad my own enthusiasm for
birds and my collector's instincts. It beat hockey cards. This provides a
steady stream of data with some level of teacher supervision. Imagine this
at work globally?
Birds also provide early war... more »
Epidemic of Homicidal Violence Med Driven
This article was recently prepared for Forbes Magazine and apparently will
not run. This is no surprise. The industry is clearly attempting to outrun
the lawsuits while redirecting rage to the NRA as pointed out here.
At best the science will be challenged and the challenge will lose in
front of the courts just as tobacco lost. What is going to have to happen
now is for defense lawyers to take the science into court to defend their
mass murderer as a deliberate victim of clearly dangerous drugs. Then the
publicity bandwagon will start to counter the gross abuse now obviously... more »
Quebec Right to Die Legislation Likely
Quebec has opened up the right to die debate in Canada and it appears
likely that this will go ahead. I suspect that other provinces will then
follow suit as the debate is then tempered by debate. So far the state of
Oregon and Washington has legislation and the country of the Netherlands
has legislation in Europe.
My sense of all this is that legislation is needed to end de facto
situations in the emergency room as presently true and to allow a small
number of patients to do what is clearly right. It is not suicide but
assisted release from the sometimes painful act of ... more »
ELM HOUSE - CHILD SEX RING - TOP PEOPLE
The UK police are to investigate allegations that members of a paedophile
ring, based at *Elm Guest House* in Barnes in London, sexually abused young
boys from *Grafton Close children's home* in Richmond, in London.
*Those alleged to have abused the young boys include spies, celebrities,
government ministers, senior Members of Parliament, top police officers,
top judges, and people with links to the royal family.*
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
*Elm Guest House*
The police launched Operation Fernbridge after they obtained a list of
‘prominent people’ who allegedly stayed at the gue... more »
Sloppy Smart(sic)Brief
Sloppy Smart(sic)Brief
S Krashen
The ASCD Worldwide Edition of Smart(sic)Brief announced the publication of
an article in the Telegraph (UK) with this heading: “Educator calls for UK
students to be tested on character.” Unlike the author of this heading, I
read the article. It did not mention the possibility of testing students on
character. In fact, it quoted administrators as being critical of the
over-emphasis on test scores.
I am sure the testing-industrial-complex would love to develop and sell
tests on character, along complete with video-taping of planned and
unplanned beha... more »
Go back to sleep!
this lovely and touching music video helps explain why You The People are
the major controlling interest behind what you call T.H.E.Y. or The
Illuminati:
STOP FUNDING THEIR CORPORATE WAR, stop voting these subservient weaklings
into power.
Video 'Idle No More' Hawaii
#IdleNoMore Hawaiʻi from Oiwi TV on Vimeo.
Jordan Paust's Bad Law:UH Law Professor Tries & Fails to Legalize an Israeli Attack on Iran
On
January 15, 2013, University of Houston Law Center professor Jordan
Paust penned an article entitled "Iran's Nuclear Weapons Program and
Lawful Israeli Self-Defense," which was published on Jurist, a website
of analysis and opinion pieces written by law professors, lawyers, and
legal scholars. It is clear throughout Paust's piece that his arguments
are neither sound nor based in fact, and
The Woman They Couldn't Kill
Mouse Chimera - part mouse, part human ear *Eva Moore forwarded this
remarkable story to me. Cynthia Marie has a rare genome that is impervious
to disease and toxins. When faced with something the body can't handle,
instead of dying her body puts her into a coma until it excretes the
toxin/germ out in her urine. According to Cynthia her DNA was sold like a
commodity through Wall Street and hypothecated through various financial
products. She is an extreme case of slave system we all live under and
how the securitization of birth certificate as collateral was carried to an
extr... more »
Inquiry testimony suggests pricey private clinics – nudge-nudge, wink-wink – really can engineer preferential access
Wheeling and dealing: Staff of private clinics use advanced clinical
techniques to decide which patients go to the front of the line for quick
medical tests. Alberta medical insiders may not appear exactly as
illustrated. Below: Retired judge John Vertes, Alberta Health Minister Fred
Horne. What appears to be the first confirmed example of methodical ... more »
Dreamliner in meltdown as hi-tech Boeing jets are grounded in Europe and U.S. amid fears its electric 'car batteries' can trigger fires
The move comes after one of the problem-stricken 787 aircraft was forced
to
make an emergency landing in Japan, after corrosive fluid leaked from
its
high-tech lithium battery. All 137 passengers and crew members aboard
the
All Nippon Airlines flight were evacuated down emergency escape chutes.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2263126/Dreamliner-meltdown-hi-tech-Boeing-jets-grounded-Europe-U-S-amid-fears-electric-car-batteries-trigger-fires.html
Mysterious 'smiley face' symbol sparks internet debate after appearing on hundreds of sheep across UK
A bizarre smiley face branding has appeared, on hundreds of sheep at
opposite ends of the country, sparking debate on social networking sites
into how the markings have appeared. The symbol was first reported on 20
animals in a field in Melton Mowbray, in Leicestershire, but there have
since been further sightings in a further five fields across the UK
including Perthshire, in Scotland, and Exeter, in Devon.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2264281/Just-grin-baaaa-Mysterious-smiley-face-symbol-sparks-internet-debate-appearing-hundreds-sheep-country.html
Recycling, Reusing, Reducing and Repurposing
Those liquid soap dispenser pump bottles are great in the laundry room. If
you aren't going to refill with some more hand soap, fill it with liquid
laundry detergent instead. Keep it in the laundry area for spraying an
extra bit of detergent on any stains you have. Just put one pump's worth on
the stain, rub it in with your fingers; and, wash as usual.
Use an old toothbrush to pretreat those deep-down, stubborn grass stains or
any other stubborn stain. Place a small amount of liquid detergent on the
stain and work in with the toothbrush.
Toothbrushes make excellent scubbers for th... more »
OPPT: OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT THE DISCLOSURE 1111.1
The one people, creation's universe, The One, The Law of One, the
principle of Common Law and the Current State of Now
TO BE or NOT TO BE and TO DO or NOT TO DO...by free will conscious
choice...that IS the question and choice consciously before you NOW, and
IN plain english as legalese (CODE), is no longer lawful and legal... we DO
clarify:
THE LAW OF ONE: Creator's value EMBODIED, equally, with the same value
regardless of how it is created or where, The One, duly noticed and
confirmed upon creation, re-noticed, reconfirmed and ratified upon each
creation thereafter.
... more »
'Right to family life' keeps 200 foreign convicts in Britain: Nine in ten use laws to cheat deportation
Almost
every foreign criminal who cheated deportation last year did so by
claiming a human right to a 'family life' in Britain.
Figures released by the Home Office show the notorious Article 8 of
Labour's Human Rights Act is now responsible for nine out of every ten
victories for overseas rapists, muggers and other convicts.
Last year, an estimated 200 criminals were granted permission to remain
in
the UK in this 'spurious' way.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2264275/Right-family-life-keeps-200-foreign-convicts-Britain-Nine-use-laws-cheat-deportation.html
5.3 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTH OF MARIANA ISLANDS - 18th January 2013
Magnitude
5.3
Date-Time
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 04:57:05 UTC
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 02:57:05 PM at epicenter
Location
11.797°N, 143.322°E
Depth
23.7 km (14.7 miles)
Region
SOUTH OF THE MARIANA ISLANDS
Distances
218 km (135 miles) SW of Merizo Village, Guam
Panic buyers strip shelves across country as Met Office warns almost whole of UK will see snow and Wales will be hit by blizzards
Anxious customers in Wales, Sheffield and the Peak District stripped
supermarkets' shelves of bread and milk, top and bottom left, in
preparation for blizzards, as the Met Office issued its first red
warning
for snow in two years. There is expected to be twelve hours of
continuous
snow fall in London from late morning.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2263837/Panic-buyers-strip-shelves-Met-Office-issues-blizzard-alert-Wales-Britain-braces-blanket-12in-snow-today.html
Massacre at School Sways Public in Way Earlier Shootings Didn't
The massacre of children at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., appears
to be profoundly swaying Americans’ views on guns, galvanizing the broadest
support for stricter gun laws in about a decade, according to a New York
Times/CBS News poll.
As President Obama tries to persuade a reluctant Congress to pass new gun
laws, the poll found that a majority of Americans — 54 percent — think gun
control laws should be tightened, up markedly from a CBS News poll last
April that found that only 39 percent backed stricter laws.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/18/us/poll-shows-school-shootin... more »
Leprosy bacteria use 'biological alchemy'
Infectious bacteria have for the first time been caught performing
"biological alchemy" to transform parts of a host body into those more
suited to their purposes, by a team in Edinburgh.
The study, in the journal Cell, showed leprosy-causing bacteria turning
nerves into stem cells and muscle.
The authors said the "clever and sophisticated" technique could further
therapies and stem-cell research.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21056644
Why Europe could spell the end for David Cameron
David Cameron was meant to be in the Netherlands today, drumming up Dutch
courage to deliver his big speech on Europe.
He put his plans on hold when it became clear that the Algerian army’s
deadly assault to free Brit hostages in the Saharan desert was under way.
It was the right decision, of course.
But this speech, supposedly the most important of his political career,
was jinxed from the start.
He was due to make it last summer, but put it off to the autumn Tory
conference.
Then it was “before Christmas” and finally January.
Even then, the schedule was decided by German Chance... more »
Important Video: Sandy Hook Shooting - Fully Exposed
I really have wanted to get beyond the fraudulent Sandy Hook shooting at
this point. I had hoped that everyone would have finally came around to
the fact that we are definitely dealing with a criminal operation conducted
by paid actors (albeit very poor ones at best), the criminals in the US
government, and of course the shills in the Jewish controlled mainstream
media. However that does not seem the case and there are STILL those who
will believe the lies they are being spoon fed, for the sole purpose of
brainwashing them into accepting criminal gun control and confiscation of
th... more »
Iran strengthened cyber capabilities after Stuxnet: U.S. general
Iran responded to a 2010 cyber attack on its nuclear facilities by beefing
up its own cyber capabilities, and will be a "force to be reckoned with" in
the future, a senior U.S. Air Force official told reporters on Thursday.
General William Shelton, who heads Air Force Space Command and oversees the
Air Force's cyber operations, declined to comment about Iran's ability to
disrupt U.S. government computer networks, but said Tehran had clearly
increased its efforts in that arena after the 2010 incident.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/18/us-iran-usa-cyber-idUSBRE90G1C420130118
Tempeh Neatballs Recipe & The 30-Minute Vegan’s Taste of Europe Review
When I first became vegan, I immediately tried to recreate my favorite meat
dishes into meatless meals. It didn't go well! In fact, it's a true
testament to my stubbornness that I didn't give up the whole vegetarian
idea ... those early meals were that bad. Oh how I wish I would have had *The
30-Minute Vegan’s Taste of Europe* by Mark Reinfeld. This book is terrific!
Mark Reinfeld and his contributing chefs, people who really know what
they're doing, have come up with plant-based makeovers of the classics from
France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Greece, United Kingdom and more. These are ... more »
Right-wing Nut John Mackey Of Whole Foods Jumps On The Obama-Is-A-Fascist Bandwagon
I haven't gone into a Whole Foods store in a couple years so maybe my info
is out of date, but I remember it as being a chain trying to paint itself
as health-conscious and organic when it was pretty low down on the
evolutionary health scale. And far less likely to be carrying organic
produce than conventional produce. And really expensive. Last week, through
no fault of my own, I was in Dubai and I stopped by the world's biggest
mall, the Mall of Dubai, and stumbled across Organic Foods and Cafe, a far
better and more healthy eating conscious enterprise than Whole Foods. In
Dubai... more »
Could the markets handle a U.S. default?
Squabbling in Washington over the debt ceiling is again raising the specter
that the United States may be forced to delay payments on its debt. While
the stigma of a default would be damaging enough to investor sentiment, the
chaos from a breakdown in financial markets' systems that might result
would be even scarier.
A failure to make payments on U.S. Treasuries, however brief, would create
widespread damage in short-term funding markets, which are crucial to daily
operations of financial institutions, investment firms and many
corporations, said analysts and investors.
http://www... more »
Algeria ends desert siege, but dozens killed
Algerian forces stormed a desert gas complex to free hundreds of hostages
but 30, including several Westerners, were killed in the assault along with
at least 11 of their Islamist captors, an Algerian security source told
Reuters.
Western leaders whose compatriots were being held did little to disguise
their irritation at being kept in the dark by Algeria before the raid - and
over its bloody outcome. French, British and Japanese staff were among the
dead, the source said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/18/us-sahara-crisis-idUSBRE90F1JJ20130118
David Cameron: Britain to drift out of European Union without reforms
Britain will drift out of the European Union and the European project will
fail unless the bloc tackles three serious problems it faces, British Prime
Minister David Cameron had planned to say in a postponed speech on Friday.
Cameron delayed the long-anticipated address on Europe at the last minute
to deal with the hostage crisis in Algeria. Aides said a new date and venue
would be announced later.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/18/us-britain-europe-idUSBRE90H00520130118
Indonesian State Intelligence Agency: ‘Terrorism likely behind avian flu outbreak’
The National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Lt. Gen. Marciano Norman said
on Thursday that the agency was on alert and would continue to monitor the
spread of the new strain of avian flu, identified as H5N1 clade 2.3.2,
which was reportedly been behind the deaths of tens of thousands of ducks
across the nation.
“My agency has been closely watching this phenomenon,” Marciano told
reporters at the State Palace on Thursday. “We have to stay alert, as the
global development of biological weapons is very fast.”
“In the future, this kind of biological attack will be frequently used in
w... more »
Bird Flu Hits Mexican Egg Industry Again
Highly pathogenic bird flu has broken out again in one egg flock in Mexico,
with a neighbouring flock subsequently also found to be affected. Both
flocks have been destroyed and the usual procedures have been put in place
to halt the spread of the disease, which hit the country's top
egg-producing state just last year. New research highlights ways that
poultry processing plants can protect workers from Campylobacter
infections. Pressure is mounting in the UK and the US for more restrictions
on antibiotic use in farm animals.
The New Year did not start well for the poultry industry i... more »
Indonesian bird flu outbreak “has only infected ducks”
Indonesian health officials have downplayed concerns over a fresh outbreak
of avian influenza which has killed some 160,000 reared ducks since
September 2012.
“So far no Indonesians have been infected by the new clade [virus group] of
the H5N1 virus,” Tjandra Yoga Aditama, the director of disease control and
public health at the Health Ministry, told IRIN.
“The outbreak has only affected ducks. There have been no known cases in
humans,” said Muhammad Azhar, coordinator of the Avian Influenza Disease
Control Unit. "We have taken necessary measures to control the outbreak."
http://ww... more »
WHO releases report on Darfur yellow fever outbreak
The World Health Organization and the government of Sudan released a
situation report last week as an update on the outbreak of yellow fever in
Sudan’s Darfur region.
Thirty-five localities are experiencing the outbreak in East, North, West,
South and Central Darfur. As of January 6, the total number of suspected
cases hit 849, including 171 deaths. The case fatality rate is 20.1 percent.
http://vaccinenewsdaily.com/africa/321684-who-releases-report-on-darfur-yellow-fever-outbreak/
Greece Tax Evasion Claims Debated By MPs
Greece's parliament has become embroiled in a huge tax scandal, which risks
implicating two former prime ministers and two ex-finance ministers.
Politicians are due to vote on whether the four should be investigated and
possibly prosecuted for allegedly covering up tax cheats in the biggest tax
evasion scandal in decades.
The vote spawns from allegations of fraud and breach of duty levelled
against socialist politician George Papaconstantinou while at the helm of
the country's finance ministry three years ago.
http://news.sky.com/story/1039373/greece-tax-evasion-claims-debated-by-mps
Cancelled: "most important speech on Europe by a British PM since 1945"
David Cameron has cancelled a key speech setting out his vision for
Britain’s future in Europe because of the Algerian hostage crisis.
The Prime Minister postponed his visit to the Netherlands to make what has
been described as the "most important speech on Europe by a British PM
since 1945".
Foreign Secretary William Hague will also return early from Australia to
deal with the aftermath of the drama at the gas plant in In Amenas.
http://news.sky.com/story/1039578/cameron-cancels-major-speech-on-europe
Mali Conflict: France Sends In More Troops
France is sending more troops into Mali as it steps up its military
operation to wrest back the north from al Qaeda-linked groups.
On the seventh day of fighting, the French have increased their soldiers to
1,400 and are planning to deploy a total of 2,500.
It came as fighting broke out in the towns of Konna and Diabaly and army
troops raced to protect Banamba - amid fears militants had reached 90 miles
away from the capital.
http://news.sky.com/story/1039506/mali-conflict-france-sends-in-more-troops
Gaddafi's Son Makes His First Court Appearance
Colonel Gaddafi's son Saif al Islam has appeared in court in Libya for the
first time since his capture more than a year ago.
He is accused of meeting an International Criminal Court (ICC) lawyer
Melinda Taylor and of being 'involved' with an ICC delegation.
Ms Taylor was arrested and detained for three weeks after meeting al Islam
and has since said it proved he could not receive a fair trial in Libya for
war crimes and that he should instead be tried at The Hague.
http://news.sky.com/story/1039451/gaddafis-son-makes-his-first-court-appearance
Horsemeat Burger Factory In Ireland Shut Down
All production has been halted at an Irish factory discovered to have
produced beef burgers containing horsemeat
Silvercrest Foods in the county of Monaghan, announced it would suspend
operations indefinitely pending further investigations into how its
products were contaminated.
Ten million burgers have been removed supermarket freezers across Ireland
and the UK and are now expected to be destroyed after Irish authorities
found they contained traces of horse DNA.
http://news.sky.com/story/1039605/horsemeat-burger-factory-in-ireland-shut-down
Stephen McFaul Had Explosives Around Neck
An Irishman who escaped from the Algerian hostage crisis had explosives
tied around his neck, his brother has revealed.
Father-of-two Stephen McFaul, from west Belfast, fled after the vehicle he
had been travelling in crashed after coming under attack from Algerian
forces, Brian McFaul said.
The 36-year-old was able to run off and made it to safety. He later was
able to contact members of his family.
http://news.sky.com/story/1039599/algeria-irish-hostage-had-explosives-around-neck
Did You Know That?
A trait that distinguishes sea horses from other creatures is that the
males are impregnated instead of the females. The female lays her eggs in
the male's "birthing pouch", where they gestate, then hatch about 21 days
later.
If someone says they looked in every nook and cranny, they are using old
words with origins in Scotland. Nook meant a corner while cranny was
another word for crevice.
The song, "Edelweiss" is one of the famous songs from the 1965 movie, "The
Sound of Music". This was the last song ever written by lyricist Oscar
Hammerstein II.
A Komatik is a traditional Inu... more »
Algeria Hostage Crisis: Military Operation 'Ends'
An unknown number of hostages are thought to have been killed after
Algerian military stormed a gas plant where they were being held by
Islamist gunmen.
The nationalities of those killed in the assault is unknown, but David
Cameron said Britain should be "prepared for the possibility of further bad
news".
The Prime Minister has postponed his speech on Europe on Friday in the
Netherlands to stay in the UK to deal with the situation.
http://news.sky.com/story/1039364/algeria-hostage-crisis-military-operation-ends
5.0 Magnitude Earthquake CENTRAL MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE - 18th January 2013
Magnitude
5.0
Date-Time
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 04:08:03 UTC
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 02:08:03 AM at epicenter
Location
0.735°N, 25.381°W
Depth
10 km (6.2 miles)
Region
CENTRAL MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE
Distances
1313 km (816 miles) ENE (57°) from Natal, Brazil
4.6 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 18th January 2013
Magnitude
4.6
Date-Time
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 03:02:07 UTC
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 12:02:07 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
40.480°N, 142.718°E
Depth
20.9 km (13.0 miles)
Region
NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances
103 km (64 miles) E of Hachinohe, Japan
4.8 Magnitude Earthquake MOLUCCA SEA - 17th January 2013
Magnitude
4.8
Date-Time
Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 23:09:01 UTC
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 07:09:01 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
1.698°N, 126.493°E
Depth
34.8 km (21.6 miles)
Region
MOLUCCA SEA
Distances
141 km (87 miles) NW (315°) from Ternate, Moluccas, Indonesia
4.9 Magnitude Earthquake EGYPT - 17th January 2013
Magnitude
4.9
Date-Time
Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 21:17:35 UTC
Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 11:17:35 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
31.993°N, 30.660°E
Depth
10 km (6.2 miles)
Region
EGYPT
Distances
68 km (42 miles) NNE of Rosetta, Egypt
The Los Roques Curse?
The sea between Los Roques and Venezuela is becoming as infamous as the
Bermuda Triangle. Photo courtesy: Carloscastilla | Dreamstime via
LiveScience.com
The disappearance last week of the airplane carrying Italian fashion mogul
Vittorio Missoni and five others across the Caribbean Sea has been blamed
on everything from mechanical failure to kidnapping by drug smugglers.
Now, a new theory has emerged: The airplane and its passengers fell victim
to the "Los Roques Curse," a phenomenon that some have likened to the Bermuda
Triangle, according to the British newspaper The Guardian.
T... more »
Dr. Steve Pieczenik - Hollywood Films Secretly Dictated By The CIA
"Those of us who work in the arts know that depiction is not endorsement."
- Kathryn Bigelow, *"Kathryn Bigelow addresses 'Zero Dark Thirty' torture
criticism."* LA Times, January 15, 2013.
Those of us who live in reality know that Zero Dark Thirty is based on the
big lie that Osama bin Laden was killed in a raid in Pakistan that was
ordered by President Obama on May 1, 2011. Zero Dark Thirty crosses the
line between art and totalitarian propaganda.
*Title - Hollywood Films Secretly Dictated By The CIA. YouTube Video
Description - [Channel: Steve Pieczenik, Posted on YouTube: Dece... more »
Into The Field
Today just seemed like one of those days.....and it wasn't even Monday
Snow, wind, cold, more snow, a broken generator, more cold. There was one
bright spot though, not completely unexpected but greatly welcomed
nonetheless. And it actually had nothing to do with the potential big
change I alluded to in my New Year's post either.
Beginning very shortly, either the end of the month or early next month,
I'll be heading out "into the field". This is industry talk meaning that I
will be down in the plant at Suncor, working with scaffolders rather than
in the yards....in the "rear wi... more »
New Workout
I work out almost every day. I decided about a week ago to order a video
from Netflix to try and put some spin on my workouts. After doing the
workout below, I am def going to start ordering more videos. Using them
insures I push myself and don't half ass my workouts. I can actually from
the short time doing this feel improvements to my abs, legs and arms.
What's great about the ab stuff is that you don't do ANY crunches.
I ordered Jillian Michael's Banish Fat Boost Metabolism. Anyway, I first
tried to do this on Saturday, when I was sick. Could only do about half
before I ha... more »
Ronaiah Tuiasosopo: The wizard behind the curtain in the Manti Te'o hoax?
Did this man 'catfish' his friend, Manti Te'o?
I remain unsure what the full truth is in the Manti Te'o hoax. However,
there is evidence which suggests Te'o was lying to people about the
fictional Lennay Kekua. He may have been fooled into believing she existed.
But he certainly knew he never had met her. That did not stop him from
telling others he spent time with her. Consider this quote from his dad,
who I assume was not in on the hoax in any way:
"They started out as just friends," Te'o's father, Brian, told the Tribune
in October 2012. "Every once in a while, she would tra... more »
Terrance Nelson 'We can stop all trains in Canada'
Rail Blockade Jan. 16, 2013
'Not one Toothpick'
By Terrance Nelson
First Nation Roseau River Ojibway
Censored News
Chief Fox,
Yesterday, our small group of fifty delivered a
notice to Business Canada. CN had obtained an injunction on Monday, the
day previous to the railway blockade. CN only delivered that notice to
us later on yesterday. I got a copy only after a CN Cop
Financial Tyranny on Russian TV
Too bad no English subtitles...
Musical Interlude: David Meirovich, “Sail to the Sun”
David Meirovich, “Sail to the Sun”
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhE1pDHCVhc
"A Look to the Heavens"
"A gorgeous spiral galaxy some 100 million light-years distant, NGC 1309
lies on the banks of the constellation of the River (Eridanus). NGC 1309
spans about 30,000 light-years, making it about one third the size of our
larger Milky Way galaxy. Bluish clusters of young stars and dust lanes are
seen to trace out NGC 1309's spiral arms as they wind around an older
yellowish star population at its core.
*Click image for larger size. *
Not just another pretty face-on spiral galaxy, observations of NGC 1309's
recent supernova and Cepheid variable stars contribute to the calibration
o... more »
Paulo Coelho, “Obsession Arrives And Says...”
*“Obsession Arrives And Says...”*
by Paulo Coelho
“Obsession arrives and says: ‘Your fate now belongs to me. I will make you
look for things that do not exist. From now on, your heart will know no
peace, because I will drive out enthusiasm and take its place. I will allow
fear to spread throughout the world, and you will always feel afraid, but
without knowing why. You don’t need to know, you just need to stay afraid.
Work harder, then you won’t have to think. Work harder than you need to, so
that you can stop living altogether.
Your Love, which was once a manifestation of ... more »
Hollywood Hate: Viewers Say "Zero Dark Thirty" Makes Them Want To Kill Arabs And Muslims
Read: *The reviews are in: ‘Zero Dark Thirty makes me hate muslims.’*(Source: Mondoweiss).
After watching the Oscar-nominated film "Zero Dark Thirty," some people
went on to Twitter to express their new-found hatred for Arabs and Muslims,
and a few even said that they want to kill them.
This shouldn't be blown out of proportion. These people are not in the
majority. They are obviously ignorant and stupid for 1) thinking this way
about a whole group of people after watching a CIA-made film that depicts
only the extremists, and 2) being honest about how they think about
Arabs/Muslims ... more »
Elsewhere: Rolling, DOMA, More
At
PP today, I asked when is a roll not a roll? It's about the Hastert
Rule
and House Republicans. Also about House Republicans: at Greg's place, I
saidthat the reason they don't adopt the sensible divided government
strategy
that Democrats used in 2007-2008 of passing the legislation they wanted
to
run on is that, well, they don't have any. I don't think I was clear
over
there: I don't consider this an inherent weakness of Republicans or
conservatives; it's just the mark of this particular group of
conservative
Republicans.
What else? I have a new column up at TAP today about execut... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Macclenny, Florida, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
Barney Frank is as quotable as a private citizen as he was as a congressman
I think [the Republicans] have a real crisis. If they do not break the grip
of the tea party they will be very much a minority party. In the short
term, they have a real problem because breaking that is going to be messy.
I was talking to a Republican senator the other night at the airport when I
was waiting for Jim, my husband. I mentioned to him that the House
Republicans were now thinking about changing the [fiscal cliff] deal, and
he said, ''Boy, I went over a couple weeks ago to talk to the Republicans
from my state to try to get them to be more reasonable. They're fucking
nu... more »
Poodle of the Plutocrats: Dennis Van Roekel
Platonist D Coleman
Van Roekel has an established record of selling out the membership of NEA (
here, here, here, and here), just as Randi Weingarten has done for AFT
members. With an uprising imminent over teacher evaluations based on test
scores and more high stakes national testing based on a national curriculum
written by arrogant elitist, David Coleman, we wonder how long it will take
for Van Roekel and Weingarten to decide to spend more time with their
families. In the clips below, Van Roekel defends his position as the
handsomely-paid lap dog of philanthrocapitalists. Here i... more »
"Good News and Bad News About Habits"
*"Good News and Bad News About Habits"*
by Gene Griessman, Ph.D.
“Sometimes less is more, and that certainly is true of today’s great
quote. It’s a short one, but it contains a giant truth. The good news is,
if you habitually act with kindness, courtesy, and honesty, one fine day it
will be impossible for you to be anything but kind, courteous, and honest.
Conversely, if you habitually act selfishly, rudely, and dishonestly, one
day you automatically behave selfishly, rudely, and dishonestly. It will
be impossible for you to do anything else. Now here’s the quotation:
“Hab... more »
Radioactive elements from the Fukushima nuclear disaster are spreading across the Pacific Ocean toward the U.S. However, Americans are not in great danger due to dilution and the decays of the radioactive nuclides during their 5-year journey to the west coast. Moreover, the levels of radioactivity tolerable by the human body are much higher than specified by the prevailing Linear-No-Threshold (LNT) model, which has been retained despite irrefutable data to the contrary (see link below this header). On the other hand, many Japanese living near the wrecked Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant have received dangerous doses due to coverups by Tokyo Electric Power Company and Japanese government bureaucrats. Be sure to watch the video, where one Ms. Mori gives the bureaucrats holy hell for their failure to produce any of the needed reports after repeated demands by the citizens, and for saying virtually nothing when Ms. Mori called on them by name. It's beautiful! The Mayor, who was himself misled by the bureaucrats, spoke at length, expressing great remose.
*
http://impactglassman.blogspot.com/2011/04/what-do-experts-say-are-consequences-of.html
*
------------------------------
*Fukushima:
West Coast cesium slam ahead, hair falling out, Tepco data flaw*
*FUKUSHIMA | JULY 16, 2012 | BY: DEBORAH DUPRE | Original Here*
*Human rights violations escalate amid Fukushima catastrophe*
As hair falls out of a Fukushima victim's head, a new German study
reportsthat North America’s West Coast will be the area most
contaminated by
Fukushima cesium of all regions in Pacific in 10 years, an
"order-of-magnitude higher” than waters o... more »
Former Iraqi MP Ayad Jamal Al-Din: I Fear Sunni-Shiite Fighting in Iraq
Related: *String of bomb blasts in Iraq kill at least 22, mostly Shiite
pilgrims*.
Source: MEMRI.
They've got form (Part I)
Regarding the recent brouhaha over Julie Burchill's recent article in the *
Observer*, republished (and then taken down) on the *Guardian* website, and
re-re-published at her request in the Telegraph, an article referring to
Trans people as "Shims" and "She-males", "Dicks in chick's clothing" etc...
The Guardian said it best, the last time this happened. Or rather, one of
the last times - it happened again and again afterwards too.
On January 31 the Guardian's Weekend magazine published the first of two
articles by the lesbian feminist Julie Bindel, written in the place
recently vacat... more »
US Power Plants (Including Nuclear Plants) Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks
Two US power plants infected with malware spread via USB drive Investigators
find no up-to-date antivirus, system backups for control systems.
http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/01/two-us-power-plants-infected-with-malware-spread-via-usb-drive/[Excerpted]
Critical control systems inside two US power generation facilities were
found infected with computer malware, according to the US Industrial
Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team. Both infections were spread
by USB drives that were plugged into critical systems used to control power
generation equipment, according to the... more »
High Financial Affairs PDF Available
PDF of the report of High Financial Affairs
is available on ScribD here:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/120901479/High-Financial-Affairs
I've made the following changes: enhanced photos and
sticky notes of AK and D.'s comments have been added.
The text remains the same.
R.I.P. NWO - The Experiment Is Over
Stay tuned for prosperity and Oneness Consciousness!
Warm hands, cold art
Something in me loves guerrilla street artists.
I regularly constructed such spontaneous street art in my youth, if on a
smaller scale.
Return of the Vortex
http://2012portal.blogspot.ca/2013/01/blog-post_5675.html
Posted by Cobra at 10:26 AM
Parents Across America Are Opting Out
Looks like parents have finally had enough testing too. The Superintendent
of Montgomery County Maryland called for a three year moratorium on high
stakes standardized testing. The budget squeeze is making it impossible to
ignore all the money for testing. The perfect storm.
*
*
*On **January 27 at 1:00 PM PST, 3:00 PM Central and 4:00 PM EST,** Parents
Across America will be hosting an online seminar on high stakes testing and
opting out of such tests.*
Our guests will be:
- Jesse Hagopian, teacher at Garfield High School and part of the MAP
test boycott
- Shaun Johnson, ... more »
Regina Leader-Post And Saskatoon Star Phoenix Continue Their 'Pro-Wall' Bent ...
*Brad Wall wrote to President Obama in his role as 'premier'. The use of a
photo of him with a partisan Sask Party banner is highly inappropriate...
but fairly typical of a pro-Wall bent that repeats itself quite frequently
in the Regina Leader-Post and the Saskatoon Star Phoenix.*
*Unfortunately, Saskatchewan is the ONLY province in Canada without a
functioning 'press council' where a member of the public can lodge a
complaint against a media outlet for errors, omissions and partisan
failings. *
A Travesty of a Mockery of a Sham
It's tenderly and exquisitely touching that our (beloved and so humbly
welcomed) corporatocracy overlords never pause in one of their paramount
functions, which is to use the media they own to trivialize and obfuscate
any rebeliously awkward emerging evidence of real collapse - whether of the
ecosystem or a stable climate or the economy - all the while marketing the
trappings of Empire. Keep that circus going! The worse the dire truth
becomes, the more frenetically they overreach in spinning it. In this long
noble tradition, Vogue magazine has published a series from Annie
Leibo... more »
Pew Research on Gun Control
I'm so old that I remember when 51%+ actually represented a majority of the
people.
That was before the Repugs changed the way people think with all their"
supermajority" legislative acts.
Based on the fact that 51%+ is no longer considered "a majority" - in
today's political world - I'm not sure how significant the following
information is - but it is interesting.
In Gun Control Debate, Several Options Draw Majority Support
Gun Rights Proponents More Politically Active
Overview
While the issue of gun control remains divisive, there are clear areas of
agreement when it comes to a ... more »
Forget Champagne & Reefer. Make Mine a Bicycle & Dope.
I don' wanna live like Buddy Guy. I wanna live like Lance Armstrong.
Here's his house, or one of them any way.
And this is the room where he keeps his Tour de France jerseys.
And here's Lance's super eco-friendly Nissan Leaf
That he uses when to get him to his Gulfstream private jet, N7LA, that he
uses when he needs to chat with Auntie Oprah.
Poor bugger.
h/t richbutbroke
Globe Finally Lances the Lies
*It's
about time. *
"Armstrong case reflects lesson about human behavior" by Joseph P. Kahn
|
Globe Staff, January 17, 2013
Beginning Thursday, the world gets to hear what *disgraced cyclist Lance
Armstrong* has to say to Oprah Winfrey about having been *found to
cheat*his way to the top of his sport — after repeatedly denying pointed
accusations that he’d been illegally blood-doping.
*
**To be followed by looters, lying war criminals, and their mouthpiece
media enablers, right?*
For the *millions expected to watch* the two-part interview, taped
earlier
this week, *any sympathy* h... more »
The Art of Falling Apart with Adah Almutairi -- Founders' Symposium 2012
YouTube Video Description - [Channel - UCtelevision]:
(Visit: http://www.uctv.tv/) Adah Almutairi, the director of UC San Diego's
Center of Excellence in Nanomedicine describes some of her research at UC
San Diego's 2012 Founders' Symposium.
WTF? The Polar Vortex Has Split in Two?
On Monday there were reports of mid-January flooding in Anchorage,
Alaska. Now the Polar Vortex has split, apparently the result of massive
heating from below.
Follow the link above to Daily Kos and check out the animation depicting
the current temperature anomalies in the high Arctic.
Salafi Syrian Rebel Waves Sword, Threatens to Behead Alawites
Fucking savage.
Source: MEMRI.
Q Day 10: TV News?
Okay, one more. N asks:
I read about politics online every day, mostly via Twitter, magazines, and
newspapers. For at least as long as Obama's been president, however, I've
stopped watching televised news with the exception of the very occasional
Colbert episode (I'm 32). Temperamentally, I just have no interest in that
medium for politics. My q: do you think there are any compelling reasons to
keep up with politics through television? Corollary: do you watch politics
on tv?
I have to say -- other than live events, I now very rarely turn to the TV
news.
I wonder sometimes about i... more »
An American Makes the Case for Public Healthcare
Public healthcare works. Ask any American senior citizen. *The
Washington Post's* Harold Meyerson explains:
*...a funny thing happens to Americans’ life expectancy when they age. The
U.S. mortality rate is the highest of the 17 nations until Americans hit 50
and the second-highest until they hit 70. Then our mortality ranking
precipitously shifts: By the time American seniors hit 80, they have some
of the longest life expectancies in the world.*
*What gives? Have seniors discovered the Fountain of Youth? Do U.S.
geriatricians outpace all our other physicians?*
*Part of the answ... more »
GOP boasts cheating to win works very well
[Photo: AP file/J. Scott Applewhite]
Guessing they won't be leading the nightly news with this story.
Republicans feel so safe from being held accountable for their vandalism of
our government process, they feel free to boast GOP voting district rigging
protected their power to enforce their own agenda against the will of the
people. In a published report titled "How a Strategy of Targeting State
Legislative Races in 2010 Led to a Republican U.S. House Majority in 2013″
they gleefully admit they cheated to win:
Farther down-ballot, aggregated numbers show voters pulled the lever ... more »
Untitled
*Vilma's defamation suit against NFL Commissioner dismissed*
*Berrigan Dismisses Vilma’ Lawsuit ~Who Dat Warriors*
Navajo Robyn Jackson 'Coal Mine Produces Poison, Not Sovereignty'
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Pulperia dreamin'
Somebody told me not long after we moved here that Honduran women often
long to have their own corner store.
I thought it a strange thing to say at the time. But it makes more sense
all the time now that I see how impermanent the work culture is here. I’m
betting that it’s not racks of little chip bags or a cooler full of giant
bottles of Coke that gets a Honduran woman hankering to open her own *
pulperia*. It’s economic stability.
The days of 35 years and a gold watch have been over for a while now in
virtually every country, what with free trade having unleashed a new kind
of work... more »
Please Sign the Petition in Support of Garfield Teachers
*Go here to sign the petition.*
The Measure of Academic Progress test used in Seattle Public Schools needs
to be removed because:
-The MAP’s margin of error is greater than expected gains.
-The MAP is not aligned with state standards which teachers are expected to
teach. There is no way to see the content of the test and thus prepare for
it.
-Administering the MAP takes time away from instruction. The test is taken
3 times a year and requires dedication of crucial instruction hours to test
preparation and administration.
-The test negatively impacts students with special needs & Engl... more »
Syrian and Iran make bank/energy deal
Ignoring all the distraction- Cutting to the chase
An apparently confident & forward looking (to the future) Syria makes a
billion dollar plus deal with Iran
*On Wednesday state TV announced that Syria and Iran have agreed a credit
facility between Commercial Bank of Syria and Export Development bank of
Iran, worth a billion US dollars (750 million euros).*
*It also said the two countries had reached agreements on energy
transmission and electricity equipment.*
From SANA
*Syria, Iran Sign $ 1 Billion Credit Facility Agreement and Seven
Contracts on Energy Transmission*
Syr... more »
Would Punishment Be Swifter And Surer If It Was American MEN Being Raped On Military Bases Instead Of Women? Male Rape Victims Are Coming Forward
Americans, like people all over the world, were horrified by the brutal
gang rape and murder of a 23 year old medical student on a bus in Delhi
last month. Americans, as we've explained before, have something to be
horrified about closer to home. The cover-up engineered by House Armed
Services Committee chairman Buck McKeon of a series-- a culture-- of rapes
on U.S. military bases, is unraveling. Despite McKeon's strenuous and
consistent efforts to prevent light being shed on the scandal, serious
hearing are finally beginning, thanks in large part to the efforts of the
brave wome... more »
The Poet: Walt Whitman, “Song of the Open Road”
*“Song of the Open Road” *
by Walt Whitman, “Leaves of Grass”
“Afoot and light-hearted, I take to the open road,
Healthy, free, the world before me,
The long brown path before me, leading wherever I choose.
Henceforth I ask not good fortune- I myself am good fortune;
Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing,
Strong and content, I travel the open road.
The earth- that is sufficient;
I do not want the constellations any nearer;
I know they are very well where they are;
I know they suffice for those who belong to them.
(Stil... more »
Guns Only Give Americans The Illusion Of Freedom
*By MARC McDONALD*
*Fact:* America has by far the fewest restrictions on guns of any First
World nation (as well as most of the rest of the world).
*Fact:* With over 2.3 million people locked up in prison, America has the
biggest prison population and the highest incarceration rate of any nation
on earth.
What's wrong with this picture?
Gun advocates often claim that guns play a crucial role in giving Americans
freedom.
But the fact is, guns only give Americans the *illusion* of freedom.
America today is a nation is that is awash in guns. There are an
astonishing 300 million guns... more »
Q Day 9: Big House?
Writer asks:
At what point does the growth of the population demand
(require/suggest/whatever) that the House expand? What logistical
challenges exist? I see that politically, there would be little chance of
anything but a doubling to 870, but that would require a massive increase
in office space in an already crowded area of DC. Still, the number of
constituents per Representative has to peak at some number, right?
Ah, an old Plain Blog favorite. My position on this is that a Big House (of
Representatives) is an intriguing idea, but ultimately a bad one.
Basically, once you have o... more »
Feed an ally, starve a troll
Been saying this for years. Of course nobody listens to me. But now that
the Maddow said it on teevee maybe some of the hotshot opinion makers will
pay attention:
“Trolling is a key part of the conservative-entertainment/media business
model,” she said. “These guys say stuff all the time that they do not
intend to be persuasive. They’re not trying to explain something, or bring
people along to their way of thinking, they’re just doing something to
attract attention, and hopefully condemnation and outrage from the
mainstream, and particularly from liberals. They want to offend you. ... more »
“JPMorgan Told To Fix ‘Oversight’ Tied To $6B Loss”
"What a bunch of morons... they actually believed that bullshit, lol."
*
*
*“JPMorgan Told To Fix ‘Oversight’ Tied To $6B Loss”*
by Marcy Gordon
WASHINGTON (AP) — “JPMorgan Chase has been ordered to take steps to
correct poor risk management that led to a surprise trading loss last year
of more than $6 billion. Federal regulators also on Monday cited the bank
for lapses in oversight that could allow the bank to be used for money
laundering.
JPMorgan, the nation's largest bank by assets, will *not* pay a fine under
the agreements with the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Comptr... more »
The Economy: "What the Labor Pool Collapse Means"
*"What the Labor Pool Collapse Means" *
by Jeffrey Tucker
"Where have all the workers gone? One of the most bizarre happenings in
our current economic environment has been the surprising collapse of the
number of people in the labor pool. This reality adds a sting to the
unemployment numbers. They are falling bit by bit, but so is the total pool
of people who are even part of the count. Once people drop out, they
disappear economically.
The trend for men in particular goes back half a century, but for all
groups, the dropout rate accelerated dramatically after 2008: Writing... more »
NRA Gets Its Tits Caught in Its Very Own Wringer
If the National Rifle Association needed to convince Americans, including
staunch Republicans, that it was an extremist and perhaps truly unstable
outfit, it could not have done better than it did by releasing an
outrageous TV ad questioning why Obama's kids get security at school and
others don't.
Even rank-and-file right wingers are putting as much distance as they can
manage between themselves and the NRA. Here's how Joe Scarborough reacted:
*What's wrong with these people, Mika? What's wrong with these people? You
have, you have children that had no say in the decision on whe... more »
An alternative theory on Manti Te'o: he's gay?
Listening this morning to the Gary Radnich Show on KNBR, one of his
sidekicks, Kate Scott, who is a lesbian, suggested a theory on the Manti
Te'o hoax that had never occurred to me: that Mr. Te'o could be gay, and
that he invented the Lennay Kekua "girlfriend," where he had this female
lover who lived far away and who he never visited, because he did not want
anyone to think he was a homosexual, but he had no interest in dating real
women.
Ms. Scott, who was a competitive athlete at Cal-Berkeley, said that when
she was in college, she made up a boyfriend, because she was not yet ... more »
Town close to Mali capital on alert after jihadist sighting
French special forces inched closer to an al-Qaida-held town, fighting
erupted in another centre and army troops raced to protect a third, as the
Islamic extremists controlling northern Mali ceded no ground Thursday,
digging into the areas they already occupy and sending out scouts to widen
their reach.
Banamba, a town just 144 kilometres from the capital, Bamako, was put on
alert overnight and a contingent of roughly 100 Malian soldiers sped there
on Thursday after a reported sighting of jihadists in the vicinity, the
closest the extremists have come to the seat of government of t... more »
Anthony Kyser 'choked to death by pharmacy manager after stealing a tube of toothpaste'
A
Chicago homeless man was choked to death after a pharmacy manager
chased
him out of a store for stealing toothpaste and shocking surveillance
camera
footage from the incident emerged today.
The video shows Anthony Kyser running into an alley near the CVS after
taking the toothpaste on May 8, 2010 and being followed by a store
manager.
Kyser, 35, is cornered by the employee and after a brief struggle, Kyser
falls the ground.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2264035/Shocking-video-shows-homeless-man-choked-death-shoplifting-toothpaste-Chicago-pharmacy.html
*WARNING:
GRAPHIC V... more »
Syrian rebels accuse jihadist groups of trying to hijack revolution
A schism is developing in northern Syria between jihadists and Free Syrian
Army units, which threatens to pitch both groups against each other and
open a new phase in the Syrian civil war.
Rebel commanders who fight under the Free Syrian Army banner say they have
become increasingly angered by the behaviour of jihadist groups, especially
the al-Qaida-aligned Jabhat al-Nusra, who they say aim to hijack the goals
of the revolution.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/17/syrian-rebels-jihadist-hijack-revolution
Algeria crisis: Cameron postpones Europe speech and warns of 'bad news'
David Cameron: "It is a fluid situation but we should be prepared for the
possibility of further bad news"
David Cameron has postponed a long-awaited speech on Europe due to the
hostage crisis in Algeria, saying the country should prepare "for bad news".
Britons were among a group of foreign nationals taken hostage at a gas
plant near In Amenas. One is confirmed dead, the fate of other hostages is
unclear.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-21064114
Radiohead Warns: 'We'll Sue David Cameron'
Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has warned David Cameron he will take legal
action if the Prime Minister uses any of his songs to promote his
re-election campaign.
Speaking to Dazed and Confused magazine the 44-year-old singer said if any
of his songs were used by Mr Cameron he would “sue the living ****” out of
him.
http://news.sky.com/story/1039408/radiohead-warns-well-sue-david-cameron
To All My Progressive Friends, You Dwindling Few
Progressivism is now pretty thoroughly scrubbed out of the Liberal Party
and it's in a state of respiratory distress even in today's Tony Blairified
NDP. Fortunately there are still progressive voices and progressive
minds. If you're one of them I'd like to introduce you to a wonderful
offshore newspaper, *Island Tides. *
It's been publishing every second Thursday for 21 years and is circulated
along the east coast of Vancouver Island and throughout Saltspring,
Gabriola, Pender, Galiano, Mayne, Saturna, Denman, Hornby, Quadra, Cortes,
Texada, and Read Islands.
There's some te... more »
Some guff about David Bowie
David Bowie is back. His new album was made in secret, his first new music
in a decade. Bowie had more or less disappeared from public life in 2006.
Given there were some grisly rumours that he was dying, it’s no surprise he
lead-off song, Where Are We Now, has inspired such a reaction. It’s good to
have an old friend back.
The song is not bad too. It is mildly overproduced, always a risk with a
record produced over time. Overproduction is a common pitfall in popular
music. Bowie albums past have avoided that trap by being recorded quickly
and spontaneously. Of course no one woul... more »
Liberals suffer big self-inflicted damage in three ridings: What's gone wrong?
The Liberals’ fumbling in three potential swing ridings is baffling.
They’re spending big money on political advisors and campaign staff (some
from party funds, some from taxpayers).
But the Liberals have suffered self-inflicted wounds in three ridings -
Vernon-Monashee, Boundary-Similkameen and Abbotsford-South.
Polls point to an easy New Democrat victory. If the Liberals hope for a
surprise win, they’ll need those seats.
Instead, they’re giving the advantage to rivals.
In Boundary-Similkameen, the Liberals have bounced sitting MLA John Slater.
Publicly, they say he has “personal iss... more »
Algeria Gas Plant Siege: Warning From Cameron
David Cameron has said Britain should be "prepared for the possibility of
further bad news" in the hostage situation at a remote gas plant in Algeria.
The Prime Minister has postponed his speech on Europe tomorrow in the
Netherlands to stay in the UK to deal with the crisis.
http://news.sky.com/story/1039364/algeria-gas-plant-siege-warning-from-cameron
"Anyone Who Insists..."
“People who shut their eyes to reality simply invite their own
destruction,
and anyone who insists on remaining in a state of innocence long after
that innocence is dead turns himself into a monster.”
- James Baldwin
South Korean nuclear reactor shuts down due to technical malfunction
A South Korean nuclear reactor shut down on Thursday due to a technical
malfunction, the latest in a series of glitches that have raised public
safety concerns
The Uljin-1 reactor, 330 km southeast of Seoul, was tripped off by what a
spokesman for the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co said appeared to be a
faulty gauge.
"There has been no radioactive leak and there is no health hazard involved.
It was an automatic shutdown for safety," the spokesman told AFP, adding
that an investigation was underway to confirm the precise cause.
http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/asia/story... more »
Silversea forced to cancel cruise after being struck by a Giant Wave
Silversea has been forced to cancel a cruise onboard the Silver Explorer
after the vessel was damaged by a giant wave.
The incident happened in rough weather while the ship was on an 18-night
voyage in South America.
Four crew suffered minor injuries during the incident, which saw a wave
strike in the waters between Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica.
http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/silversea-forced-to-cancel-cruise-following-damage-to-vessel/
Man is bitten on arm during shark attack in West Hawaii
Fire/rescue units responded to a 5:10 p.m. alarm Wednesday (Jan 16) to
Kiholo Bay for a man bitten by a shark.
A 43-year-old man was surfing with a friend at Kiholo Bay when he was
bitten on the lower right arm.
Bystanders on the beach were attending to the bitten surfer when medics
arrived. The victim was taken by ambulance to North Hawaii Community
Hospital.
http://www.hawaii247.com/2013/01/16/man-is-bitten-on-arm-during-shark-attack-in-west-hawaii/
Orange County Health Officials are warning about a measles epidemic that they say is putting everyone in Central Florida at risk.
The announcement comes after four kids in Orange County-- all from the same
family-- came down with the highly contagious virus.
"If it's an epidemic yeah it would be scary," said Wendi Barnard, who was
playing with her young son at Lake Eola park.
http://www.clickorlando.com/news/4-Measles-cases-confirmed-in-Orange-County/-/1637132/18150978/-/i01p5y/-/index.html
Severe thunderstorm to hit Christchurch
Canterbury is bracing for a severe thunderstorm, with motorists warned of
treacherous conditions due to large hailstones.
A severe weather warning has been issued for Christchurch, the Canterbury
plains and the Canterbury high country until 6:30pm this evening.
Large hail, in excess of 20mm diameter, is likely to accompany the storm,
which is expected to ease in the early evening.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Severe-thunderstorm-to-hit-Christchurch/tabid/423/articleID/283451/Default.aspx
Mystery light flashes through Winnipeg sky, Canada
A sudden flash of light that appeared in the night sky in Winnipeg on
Tuesday remains a mystery, but it might not have been an otherworldly
phenomenon as previously thought.
Many Winnipeggers reported seeing the whitish-green flash in the sky at
around 10 p.m. CT Tuesday. It disappeared as suddenly as it appeared.
On Wednesday morning, astronomer Scott Young of the Manitoba Museum told
CBC News it was possible the light came from a meteorite.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2013/01/16/mb-mystery-light-meteorite-winnipeg.html
Q Day 8: How Did Republicans Get This Way?
EJF asks:
[W]hat are the root historical causes of the current Republican Party
dysfunction? When did things start going wrong? Was it 1993?
I don't think we really know, but I think there are two or three reasonable
theories.
One is that it's demand-driven. Essentially, there's a very good market
that responds strongly to The Crazy. They'll donate for it, they'll buy
products of it, they'll listen to or watch shows about it. It's not a huge
market, but it's big enough that it creates seriously goofy incentives for
Republican politicians and other party leaders -- there's a lot of ... more »
KP: Lisa Harrison “Collective Imagination” Show 1-15-13 “TOPPT (OPPT)” with D of Removing the Shackles…MP3s
*
* *
* *Lisa Harrison “Collective Imagination” Show 1-15-13 “TOPPT (OPPT)” with
D of Removing the Shackles…MP3s*
Posted on 2013/01/15 by kauilapele
This show on Blogtalk radio discussed many aspects of the OPPT documents,
principles, and related intel from D of Removing the Shackles (RTS) (D
comes in at about 42 minutes of this MP3).
I felt many of you would find this helpful as this OPPT story unfolds.
As I understand it, the 1111.1 document released today, is a significant
one, and stresses the importance of the date “January 21, 2012″
(inauguration date, anyone?), as follows:... more »
Japan's Nuclear Utilities Spending on Public Relations
*The Asahi Shimbun* has had quite a few excellent articles over the last
couple of months, exposing corruption and fraud in decontamination of Fukushima
radiation throughout Fukushima Prefecture. If you've not seen these
articles, do check them out. Here's the link tot the latest one
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201301170063It seems
to me that *The Asahi Shimbun* has been conducting journalism in the public
interest recently. They are to be applauded. Here is an interesting articleby the
*Asahi* about spending on public relations by the Japanese nuclear indu... more »
Growing Moon near the horizon and binocular vision
When you see the Moon near the horizon, it appears larger than when the
Moon floats somewhere in the middle of the sky.
If you haven't joined the club of witnesses of this optical illusion,
you're a rare exception and you're invited to try to explain the illusion
as seen by the humans whose vision is not as objective as yours. ;-)
Needless to say, the actual angular size of the Moon – and the size of the
spot on your retina – is the same regardless of our satellite's distance
from the horizon (although both fluctuate roughly by 10% due to the
eccentricity of the Moon's orbit). The... more »
Panditas en un corazón compartiendo sus regalos
[image: Panditas en un corazón compartiendo sus regalos]
*Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de panditas*
Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
Ramo de rosas rojas para el Día de San Valentín
[image: Ramo de rosas para regalar el Día de San Valentín]
*Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de rosas*
Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
Gillard visits charred ‘moonscape’ of Coonabarabran – ‘Flames at the height of the observatory tower – it was an amazing firestorm’
[image: Prime Minister Julia Gillard speaks with Jeanette and Bob Fenwick,
who lost their property in the Coonabarabran fire. Photo: Jacky Ghossein /
SMH]
By Tim Barlass
17 January 2013
Prime Minister Julia Gillard flew into Coonabarabran on Thursday to witness
first-hand the devastating effects of the bushfire that claimed at least 49
homes.
At a press conference, the Prime Minister announced financial support for
those who had lost homes or been evacuated.
Ms Gillard drove through the Timor Road in Warrumbungle National Park, the
epicentre of the inferno, which opened on Wedne... more »
"Here’s The Real Unemployment Rate"
*"Here’s The Real Unemployment Rate"*
by Jerome R. Corsi
NEW YORK – "The real unemployment rate for December 2012 is closer to *23
percent*, not the 7.8 percent reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
according to economist John Williams. Williams, author of the Shadow
Government Statistics website, argues that the federal government
manipulates the reporting of key economic data for political purposes,
using methodologies that tend to mask bad news.
In the BLS news release Jan. 4, the unemployment rate for December 2012
was reported to have remained unchanged at 7.8 pe... more »
Dutch Jewish author: Aid to... JPost - Jewish World - Jewish News
' Offering aid to Egypt is the same as giving billion to support Nazi
Germany,'
http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/JewishNews/Article.aspx?id=299928
It’s a remarkable day in the neighborhood!
*THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013*
*If you live in the New York Times:* In the hard-copy New York Times, this
was a remarkable morning.
On the front page and in the National section, there was some actual news
reporting. But for us, the great newspaper’s array of pathologies dominated
the offerings.
In how many standardized ways does the Times bollix up its reporting? All
the standard pathologies seemed to be present this morning!
Let’s start with a simple mistake. Below, you see the headline on Tamar
Lewin’s news report—a report which appeared on the first page of the
National section ... more »
Postales para compartir el Día de San Valentin
[image: Postales para compartir el Día de San Valentín]
*Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de postales*
Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
4.9 Magnitude Earthquake BANDA SEA - 17th January 2013
Magnitude
4.9
Date-Time
Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 16:55:36 UTC
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 01:55:36 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
5.588°S, 131.194°E
Depth
82.6 km (51.3 miles)
Region
BANDA SEA
Distances
173 km (107 miles) W of Tual, Indonesia
Perrito con sus lentes de corazones para ver a su novia
[image: Perrito con sus lentes de corazones]
*Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de perritos*
Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
Pareja de enamorados bajo el árbol sin hojas y el cielo estrellado
[image: Pareja bajo el árbol sin hojas]
*Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de enamorados*
Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
Hermosa palomas blancas bajo el cielo azul
[image: Hermosas palomas blancas bajo el cielo azul]
*Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de palomas*
Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
Osito esperando a su amor para festejar
[image: Osito esperando a su gran amor]
*Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de ositos*
Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
Aaron Swartz Suicide: Carmen Ortiz and Stephen Heymann: accountability for prosecutorial abuse - Imposing real consequences on these federal prosecutors in the Aaron Swartz case is vital for both justice and reform
*
*
US Attorney Carmen Ortiz is under fire for her
office's conduct in the prosecution of Aaron Swartz.
Photograph: US Department of Justice
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/16/ortiz-heymann-swartz-accountability-abuse
*Carmen Ortiz and Stephen Heymann: accountability for prosecutorial abuse*
Imposing real consequences on these federal prosecutors in the Aaron Swartz
case is vital for both justice and reform
Glenn Greenwald
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 16 January 2013 06.40 EST
Whenever an avoidable tragedy occurs, it's common for there to be an
intense spate of ange... more »
Intercambiando regalos el día del amor y la amistad
[image: Intercambiando regalos el día del amor y la amistad]
*Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de regalos*
Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
Imágenes para el 14 de febrero- Los cubos del amor
[image: Los cubos del amor -dados-]
*Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de amor*
Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
Wit’s End: The withering of all woods is drawing near
*And it may well be that that time is drawing near at last. For if Sauron
of old destroyed the gardens, the Enemy today seems likely to wither all
the woods. *~ Treebeard, Chapter 4, *The Twin Towers*
January 2012, Maidstone, England
By Gail Zawacki
13 January 2013
I don't think of myself as lacking imagination, but, being a mostly
doggedly practical person, I never was a fan (*loathed* him! … thought he
was a weird boring wuss!) of elaborately convoluted fantasies such as
Tolkien's. I tried, and failed, to read him when I was a teenager. But now
I think maybe he was on to som... more »
John Ibbitson's Stupid Column
So, my previous post was going to describe how Globe & Mail columnist and
full-time shit-licker John Ibbitson is nothing more than a mainstream media
version of an internet troll and to establish this by going through his
execrable column on harper's response to the "Idle No More" protest
movement.
But my discussion of Ibbitson as a troll ended up being pretty fucking
long, so I'm going to make the specific discussion of his stupid column the
subject of a separate post right here.
Let's begin with the title, wherein Ibbitson says that harper should "stay
the course" in his strategy... more »
Gatitos enamorados sobre un corazón
[image: Gatitos enamorados sobre un corazón]
*Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de gatitos*
Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
Muslim Patrol vigilantes believe they are 'policing' London's streets
The hooded men, who call themselves Muslim Patrol, have been filmed
loitering around London's streets and calling some women 'naked animals
with no self respect' and burning 'vile' posters. The group is also shown
taking alcohol from revellers and film a cyclist being treated after a road
accident, claiming they are injured because they are unclean. They have
uploaded videos to their YouTube channel with the most recent three-minute
clip causing a stir online.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2263905/Muslim-patrol-Hooded-vigilantes-walking-streets-London-telling-women-cover-t... more »
NRA Ally John Barrow (Blue Dog-GA) Attacks President Obama
John Barrow is the NRA's favorite House Democrat. The co-chair of the
reactionary Blue Dog caucus takes more money from the NRA than any other
Democrat in the House-- and more than many Republicans. And he serves their
interests well. Yesterday Barrow was the first Democrat to attack President
Obama's modest and very mainstream proposals to curb gun violence. Barrow
sounds like he was reading from the same talking points pages that Eric
Cantor's office handed out to Republicans. "I support the President's call
for stronger enforcement of existing gun crime laws," hedged Barrow,
"... more »
the writing on the wall
Antônio Vilas-Boas (in many English sources misspelled "Villas-Boas")
(1934–1992) was a Brazilian farmer who claimed to have been abducted by
extraterrestrials in 1957. Though similar stories had circulated for years
beforehand, Vilas Boas' claims were among the first alien abduction stories
to receive wide attention.
At the time of his alleged abduction, Antônio Vilas-Boas was a 23-year-old
Brazilian farmer who was working at night to avoid the hot temperatures of
the day. On October 16, 1957, he was ploughing fields near São Francisco de
Sales when he saw what he described as a ... more »
Miliband accused of 'total hypocrisy' after attacking government car use while being driven around in £135,000 taxpayer-funded limo
Ed Miliband was today accused of ‘total hypocrisy’ after running up a
£135,000 bill for a taxpayer-funded chauffeur driven limo while
sanctioning
attacks on cars used by government ministers.
The Labour leader faced calls to use public transport or invest in a
bicycle instead of being driven around London in car paid for by the
state.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2263899/Miliband-accused-total-hypocrisy-attacking-government-car-use-driven-135-000-taxpayer-funded-limo.html
Kieran Crump-Raiswell Stabbed to death as he walked home in 'bungled mugging for his mobile phone'
A 'caring' gap year student who was stabbed to death as he walked home in
broad daylight may have been the innocent victim of a bungled mugging.
Kieran Crump-Raiswell's killer is thought to be as young as 16. He ran up
to him armed and plunged a knife into his torso yesterday afternoon.
Murder squad detectives were baffled as to a motive for the stabbing in the
Whalley Range district of south Manchester, but have ruled out gang related
violence.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2263844/Caring-student-18-stabbed-death-walked-home-bungled-mugging-mobile-phone.html
Robert Gleason Jr Final Words "Kiss my a**" before being he died in the electric chair
A killer who strangled two fellow prisoners in order to ensure his
execution used his final moments while strapped in an electric chair to
tell witnesses to ‘kiss my a**’ moments before he died at 9.08pm on
Wednesday.
Robert Gleason Jr. uttered the vulgar phrase in Irish Gaelic, according to
Larry Traylor, a spokesman for the Virginia Department of Corrections,
while adding 'Put me on the highway going to Jackson and call my Irish
buddies. ... God bless,' before a leather strap was tightened over his face.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2263723/Robert-Gleason-Jr-death-usin... more »
'Thirty-five hostages killed in Algerian helicopter attack on BP gas plant siege': Two Brits feared dead, but Irishman among escapees
A trapped oil worker at the BP gas plant in Algeria made a desperate 'last
phone call' to tell his family he had been captured by al-Qaeda hours
before a botched rescue attempt killed up to 35 foreigners, it emerged
today.
Stephen McFaul barricaded himself into a room with dozens of others as
armed militants stormed their compound in the remote African desert.
He was able to relay the terrifying series of events on the phone to his
brother, Brian, who said he heard gunfire in the background before cut off.
Several hours later, Stephen re-established contact with his sibling, but
on... more »
Met Office issues red alert for Wales with blizzards and up to 12ins of snow forecast as nearly all Britain will be blanketed tomorrow
Forecasters predict the heaviest snowfall of winter will blanket the
country tonight, with the North West, Wales and the West Midlands worst
affected (right, a map showing predicted depths in centimetres for the UK).
The Met Office issued its most serious red warning for snow in two years
(left), with up to 12 inches expected tomorrow. Transport chaos reigned on
icy roads after temperatures plummeted to -12C overnight, with four
accidents in Dover in just three hours and a car in Carmarthenshire
skidding off an icy road (centre).
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2263837/UK-w... more »
Tom Hayden : Pentagon Calls Civilian Drone Casualties 'Bug Splat'
Splat
from NuUniform.
Drone policy attacked in top think tank report
Bug splat!
That's what the Pentagon calls civilian casualties in drone attacks.
By Tom Hayden / The Rag Blog / January 17, 2012
The Council on Foreign Relations issued a report last week calling for
fundamental reforms in U.S. drone policies, surfacing sharp differences
in official circles in response to widespread
Fewer than 10 environment reporters left at top 5 U.S. newspapers
[image: Journalists covering the annual summit of the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change in Mexico in 2010. Photo: UNFCCC /
flickr]By Katherine Bagley
17 January 2013
(InsideClimate News) – The news last week that the *New York Times* is dismantling
its environment desk and reassigning the reporters throughout the newsroom
provoked an outpouring of reaction, much of it suggesting that now isn't
the time to take risks that could diminish the coverage of climate change.
In October, Hurricane Sandy brought home the reality of climate dangers to
many Americans, an... more »
Floods paralyze Jakarta, heavy rains continue – ‘In 30 years of my life here it has never flooded, ever. This is the very first time.’
[image: A man carries his son across a flooded area at the business
district in Jakarta, 17 January 2013. Photo: REUTERS / Supri]
By Fergus Jensen and Rieka Rahadiana, with additional reporting by Michael
Taylor and Janeman Latul; Writing by Jonathan Thatcher; Editing by Robert
Birsel
17 January 2013
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Heavy monsoon rain triggered severe flooding in large
swathes of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, on Thursday, bringing the city
to a halt with many government offices and businesses forced to close
because staff could not get to work.
At least 20,000 people were ... more »
Snowfalls are now just a thing of the past - Environment - The Independent
' However, the warming is so far manifesting itself more in winters which
are less cold than in much hotter summers. According to Dr David Viner, a
senior research scientist at the climatic research unit (CRU) of the
University of East Anglia,within a few years winter snowfall will become "a
very rare and exciting event".
"Children just aren't going to know what snow is," he said.'
When you hear that 'experts know' that there is man made climate change and
what it means, remember what such 'experts' knew in 2000 and how wrong they
were.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/s... more »
Judges cannot sit in appeal of their own decisions
Brown v. Canada (Attorney General), 2013 ONCA 18 holds:
[53] While it was not always the case, I think it can now safely be
said that judges cannot sit in appeal of their own decisions: see e.g., *Law
Society of Upper Canada v. French*, [1975] 2 S.C.R. 767, at pp. 782-83, *per
* Spence J., at p. 775, *per* Dickson C.J.C., dissenting.
60% of Toxic Fine Dust 'Comes from China': Korea
Up to 60 percent of ultrafine particles in toxic smog that blanketed Korea
over the weekend was blown in from Chinas, the National Institute of
Environmental Research said Wednesday. It said the density of heavy metals
in China's air apparently increased due to serious pollution even as Korea
tried to clean up its act.
A study released in 2009 by the institute and Prof. Yoon Soon-chang of
Seoul National University found that up to 60 percent of ultrafine
particles here originated from China, with 60 percent ions and 55 percent
organic and inorganic carbon. The study was based on a c... more »
Monitor No More
Monitor Group to lay off 235 as part of bankruptcy
*
**But the economy is fine and good and growing and.... *
Try to Think Logically Here - Yes, It's A New Skill, America, But You'll Benefit From It! - They Aren't Trying To Pay Down Debt, They're Locking You Into Theirs Forever
Thinking logically (and critically) is a skill that the U.S. voter may need
to sharpen rapidly. And in a country where the debate is driven by
Koch-funded denialists, you really need it. But why pay any attention to
what I think? After all, what could I know? I've always thought Paul
Krugman had a very well-defined sense of humor (and a sharp logical mind).
January 17, 2013 On the
People do not need assault weapons: defense secretary
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta joined the gun control debate on Thursday
when he told troops at a military base in Italy that only soldiers needed
armor-piercing bullets or assault weapons.
Asked by a soldier what President Barack Obama would do to protect school
children from gun violence without infringing Americans' right to own guns,
Panetta said action was needed after the attack on a Connecticut school in
December in which a gunman killed 20 children and six adults.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/17/us-usa-guns-panetta-idUSBRE90G0PQ20130117
U.S. trade pact offers Cameron a way to sell Europe
Momentum for a trade deal between the United States and European Union is a
challenge to Britons who say London is better off without Brussels and
hands Prime Minister David Cameron a strong argument to resist their
pressure.
Cameron will outline plans to dilute Britain's EU membership on Friday in
Amsterdam in one of the most anticipated speeches on Europe by a British
leader since World War Two. Diplomats in Brussels and business leaders in
the UK fear he could set off a process that ends with Britain quitting the
Union.
Eurosceptics in Britain say the country's future lies in tr... more »
Q Day 7: The WH '16 Dem Field if Clinton Runs
TapirBoy1 asks:
To what extent does an HRC presidential run pre-winnow the field before the
Iowa Caucus?
(Slightly edited for clarity)
That's a great question.
Democratic fields for open nominations have typically been fairly large,
with one big exception: 2000, when only Bill Bradley challenged Al Gore.
2008 was typical, with six plausible nominees running (Obama, Clinton,
Edwards, Dodd, Richardson, Biden). Similarly, in 2004, there were about
seven plausible nominees who made it to Iowa. Democrats typically have done
little winnowing between the "all-in" stage and Iowa; that is,... more »
Massacre of over 100 reported in Syria's Homs
More than 100 people were shot, stabbed or possibly burned to death by
government forces in the Syrian city of Homs, a monitoring group said on
Thursday, and fierce fighting raged across the country.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said women and
children were among the 106 people killed by forces loyal to President
Bashar al-Assad forces who stormed Basatin al-Hasawiya, a poor district on
the edge of Homs, on Tuesday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/17/us-syria-crisis-idUSBRE90G09R20130117
NAZIS AND ZIONISTS
Are the top Nazis and top Zionists on the same side?
Are they both part of the feudal elite?
According to Israel Shahak, "Jewish physicians, tax collectors and bailiffs
could be relied upon by a king, nobleman, pope or bishop...
"Jewish rabbis and rich Jews were part of the governing class.
"Together they oppressed the masses, Jew and non-Jewish."
*Makow - Jewish Elite*.
PRINCE WILLIAM IS JEWISH?...
American Ambassador in Berlin William Dodd wrote:
"One evening my wife visited Baron Eberhard von Oppenheim, who lives
splendidly and quietly near us. Many German Nazis were presen... more »
4.2 Magnitude Earthquake CROATIA - 17th January 2013
Magnitude ML 4.2
Region CROATIA
Date time 2013-01-17 13:21:51.0 UTC
Location 43.67 N ; 16.44 E
Depth 2 km
Distances 7 km W Neoric, Croatia
Indonesia: Judge Apologises Over Rape 'Joke'
A senior Indonesian judge who joked that rapists should evade capital
punishment because victims enjoyed the act has apologised.
Muhammad Daming Sunusi - a High Court judge who is running for a Supreme
Court position - made the remarks during a "fit-and-proper test", when
parliament asked whether the country should introduce the death penalty for
rapists.
http://news.sky.com/story/1039315/indonesia-judge-apologises-over-rape-joke
New York 'Mafia' Raid: 30 Arrested By FBI
Thirty alleged New York mobsters have been arrested on suspicion of using
the city's private waste disposal industry as a Mafia front.
The suspects, with nicknames including 'Big Bill' and 'Uncle Sonny', were
held after early-morning FBI raids in the New York and New Jersey areas.
Those arrested, including Carmine 'Papa Smurf' Franco, are thought to have
close ties with the Gambino, Genovese and Lucchese families - three of New
York's largest organised crime families.
http://news.sky.com/story/1039309/new-york-mafia-raid-30-arrested-by-fbi
Gold Find: Novice Prospector Earns Big Bucks
An amateur gold prospector has made the find of a lifetime in southern
Australia, unearthing a nugget worth almost £200,000.
The Y-shaped nugget, which weighed five kilograms or 117 ounces (11 lbs),
was discovered by an unidentified man armed only with a hand-held metal
detector just outside the 'gold rush' town of Ballarat 65 miles from
Melbourne.
http://news.sky.com/story/1039397/gold-find-novice-prospector-earns-big-bucks
'Many Dead' In Strike On Algeria Gas Plant
A number of foreign hostages at a besieged Algerian gas plant have
reportedly been freed in the wake of a military strike which news agencies
say has killed several people.
Mauritania's ANI news agency reported the deaths citing one of the
kidnappers who had earlier taken 41 people captive at the compound near the
border with Libya.
A large explosion has been heard away from the accommodation block at the
remote desert complex, Sky sources said.
http://news.sky.com/story/1039364/many-dead-in-strike-on-algeria-gas-plant
4.3 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR THE COAST OF ECUADOR - 17th January 2013
Magnitude
4.3
Date-Time
Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 13:12:49 UTC
Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 08:12:49 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
0.649°S, 80.260°W
Depth
41.3 km (25.7 miles)
Region
NEAR THE COAST OF ECUADOR
Distances
14 km (8 miles) N of Tosagua, Ecuador
Breaking: Various people who don’t exist!
*THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013*
*Manti Teo’s tragic girl friend and Maddow’s Beltway press:* As it turns
out, Manti Teo’s tragic doomed girl friend didn’t really exist.
As national news, this story is basically insignificant, although sports
journalists are going to thrash it within an inch of its life. That said,
someone else didn’t exist this week—a whole group of people, in fact.
This *does* involve a significant story. As it turns out, Rachel Maddow’s
“entire Beltway press” didn’t exist this week.
What sorts of conduct has Maddow been attributing to “the Beltway press?”
For start... more »
Second GOP congressman suggests impeachment over executive action for gun control
A second Republican congressman is suggesting that impeachment should be an
option as President Barack Obama takes executive action to enact gun
control measures.
In an interview with Florida’s “The Shark Tank,” Florida Republican Trey
Radel addressed Texas Republican Rep. Steve Stockman’s statement that he
might seek impeachment if Obama goes forward with executive action to bring
about gun control measures.
“All options should be on the table,” Radel responded.
Obama announced 23 executive actions during his Wednesday press conference.
“It is one of those times in our history, ... more »
It's Thursday...
*what's going on. *
White House Dossier: *The Real Problem with Obama’s Gun Control Remarks*
Laughing Conservative: *Another liberal squished on guns*
Angry White Dude: * OBAMA SHOOTS BLANKS ON GUN CONTROL*
* *
Diogenes: * I Ask You My Democrat Friends.....How Does It Feel?*
HancAquam: *Religious Freedom Proclamation: what gets left out?*
Father Z: *Pres. Obama declares – no kidding – “Religious Freedom Day”*
Bunkerville: *3 Supreme Court Cases to Watch: Gay Marriage, Drunk
Driving, and Property Rights:*
Elder of Ziyon: Jew-hatred is the Muslim Brotherhood's official position
'Anyone with eyes knows that Jewish character - wherever and whenever it is
found - is indistinguishable from delinquency, and has never rid itself of
corruption....[Jews] never succeeded to have a normal coexistence and good
relationships with humanity. It is not an exaggeration to say that they do
not cease to be a source of evil and harm to all human societies, in other
words: [Judaism] inherently can not ever be compatible with a community of
human societies.'
That's from the Muslim Brotherhood's website. The 'moderate' Muslim
Brotherhood...
More at Elder of Ziyon
But rememb... more »
UPDATED: The Vile Odour Of Corruption Coming From Stephen Harper's Conservative Government ...
*-RCMP Investigate Conservative MP Del Mastro’s election campaign spending
*
*-Conservative Finance Minister Flaherty tried to influence broadcast
regulator's decision on radio licence*
*-Highly partisan letters from Conservative Cabinet Minister Julian Fantino
posted to government website *
*UPDATE - Damage Control is underway from the PMO, attacking the MSM for
coverage of the Del Mastro RCMP investigation*
Activist Teacher's radical book about racism
Activist
Teacher Denis Rancourt has written a radical ("to the root") book about
racism, now available in both paperback and Kindle:
"Hierarchy and Free Expression in the Fight Against Racism"
Paperback: 180 pages
Publisher: Stairway Press (January 15, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0985994282
ISBN-13: 978-0985994280
Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
Recent endorsements include
Sean Carroll, Copenhagen, and consensus
The recently published poll about the interpretations of quantum mechanics
was discussed by Sean Carroll under this dramatic title:
The Most Embarrassing Graph in Modern Physics
I would agree with him that the diverse results of the poll are somewhat
strange and a reason for discouragement but I disagree with everything else
he writes – what the poll means and doesn't mean, why we should be
concerned, and so on. He's clearly a "consensus scientist" and make no
doubts about it, all consensus scientists are hacks or at least sleezy
jellyfish who spend their time by optimizing the solu... more »
The Gains from Trade
A story of how a model employee outsourced his own job.
Threating
R v O'Brien 2013 SCC 2 deals with uttering threats. The Court holds, as is
settled law, that it is not an essential element of threating that the
recipient of the threats uttered by the accused feel intimidated by them or
be shown to have taken them seriously. All that needs to be proven is that
they were *intended by the accused to have that effect. *That said the
Court held the reaction of the person threatened is relevant in context.
The Court holds:
[9] At no point in her reasons did the trial
judge state, as the Crown contends, that she was acqui... more »
Happiness is...
pre-ordering a book, forgetting that you did so, and finding it on your
doorstep after a long day at work.
In case you might wonder just what is canon in Star Wars, the answer is
simple: The Han Solo trilogy by Brian Daley, the three original episodes,
and everything by Timothy Zahn, who took a single throwaway line from *The
Empire Strikes Back* - "That bounty hunter we ran into on Ord Mantellchanged my mind" - and spun it into a terrific adventure.
These should have been Episodes 1, 2, and 3. Daley had the *Millenium Falcon
* flying sideways through canyons before *The Empire Str... more »
Be Kind, Please Rewind
Southern Man was watching a DVD with a friend a while back and was a little
amused that when the movie was over she hit the high-speed-reverse button
on the remote and backed up to the menu. Southern Man thought she wanted to
watch another part of the movie again, but we didn't. He though no more
about it. But he started paying attention and noted that at the end of
movies she would hit that reverse button before removing the disc.
One day Southern Man dropped in a DVD and noticed that the first thing that
came up was a "resume" option, and the light dawned. Most DVD players will
r... more »
Q Day 6: Midterms
It's still question day around here. Why not? Several good ones I wanted to
get to. Such as this...
Bajsa asks:
Off year elections are as important as years with Presidential elections.
What can Obama do to get his coalition to vote in a mid-term election?
It's a great question, so I wanted to highlight it, but I'm not sure I have
much of an answer. So instead I'll give four answers.
One answer is: not much. It's just a basic truth that different demographic
groups vote at different rates, and that midterms are lower-interest
elections than presidential contests. So you're going to... more »
Untitled
*Deficient levees found across America*
~The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has yet to issue ratings for a little
more than 40 percent of the 2,487 structures, which protect about 10
million people. Of those it has rated, however, 326 levees covering more
than 2,000 miles were found in urgent need of repair.
Read more here:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/17/3186676/ap-impact-deficient-levees-found.html#storylink=cpy
~Editilla Crow'tellas~ Cain Burdeau is on my shit list ya'heard. This
article is actually bogus and he of all Corps "journalists" should know how
biased it appears. Th... more »
And Then There Were Two
Of the original six who were arrested at an Occupy Wall Street planned
action across from the New York Stock Exchange on April 27, 2012, finally
after five prior appearances and continuences and various dismisssals ("the
People" were interminably not prepared), two of us went to trial yesterday.
Here we are with our co-conspirators, OWS jail support, and famous First
Amendment pro bono attorney, Martin Stoler, Esq (the distinguished one in
the stylish beret).
That was outside the courthouse during lunch break, when we still had high
confidence we would be aquitted. After all, the v... more »
This Blog Post Has Been Disabled
Divided Senate considers pact for disability rights
Treaty for disabled rights falls short
An Angry Spring
The Idle No More protests across the country yesterday were the opening
salvo in what is shaping up to be an angry spring. Rest assured that there
will be calls to re-establish law and order. But -- before you join the
crowd of righteous law-abiding citizens -- ask yourself, "Are there times
when the law is an ass?"
In 1960, a student at one of North Carolina's all black universities, led a
sit-in at the lunch counter of a Woolworth's store in Greensboro, North
Carolina. The lunch counter was for white customers only. The student's
name was Jesse Jackson. Jackson clearly broke t... more »
The Authoritarian Science Myth
The image above shows President Dwight Eisenhower swearing in James Killian
as the first science advisor to the US president. Eisenhower rushed through
the ceremony because he wanted to leave on a golf trip to Augusta, Georgia.
Little appreciated is that James Killian, widely celebrated at the best and
most powerful science advisor was not a scientist at all.
Writing in yesterday's New York Times, physicist Laurence Krauss repeats a
common call for scientists to occupy a position more central to political
power:
Scientists’ voices are crucial in the debates over the global challe... more »
The Boston Globe's Fake Photos
*Why bother looking then?*
The surprisingly old art of photo fakery
*
**The Bin Laden fakes are never mentioned.*
Paneurhythmy (ПАНЕВРИТМИЯ) - The First Day of Spring: Sung by Plamena Girginova
*Published on 1 December 2012 by Peter Ganov*
ПАНЕВРИТМИЯ - Студиен запис в БНР
Youtube link: *https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9fZdaXdhBA*
ПЪРВИЯТ ДЕН НА ПРОЛЕТТА - БЕИНСА ДУНО - ПАНЕВРИТМИЯ - БНР Студиен запис
Камерен Оркестър "Софийски Солисти" Аранжимент: Петър Ганев, Диригент Петър
Ганев, Солистка: Пламена Гиргинова
Paneurhythmy -* It is a sacred dance created by The Spiritual Master Beinsa
Douno. The music and the movements corespond with the energies of the
Universe.*
*The Song that you will listen to is called , The First Day Of Spring and
sung by Plamena Girginova. Ac... more »
Read Stuff, You Should
Happy Birthday to Muhammad Ali, 71. Lots of great choices today, but
certainly can't go wrong with The Greatest.
And just a little good stuff:
1. Sarah Binder on the Sandy vote and the Hastert rule.
2. The Voteview gang confirm it: the 112th was the most polarized Congress
yet.
3. And a cute White House response to the petition for...impeaching Barack
Obama.
By the way, I think I'm going to extend question day. I only did five
yesterday, and there are lots of good ones remaining. So if you have one
you didn't ask, feel free to post it now, although I can't promise to get
to any... more »
Jake and The Neverland Pirates Birthday Party
Did you just love the my sister's Lego party that I shared last week? I
am back with another one of her parties this week, this one is her Jack and
the Neverland Pirates Party. The invitations are above, pirate maps in a
bottle (IBC bottles to be exact).
The craft involved the kids coloring a Scully the Parrot, made from a
toilet paper roll.
The birthday ship..er...cake.
The snacks all had a water theme, Swedish Fish, Goldfish Crackers and
slices of orange floating on a Jello sea.
The cupcakes. My sister always does cupcakes and a cake for the party,
because cupcakes are ... more »
Can ConservaDem Debbie Halvorson Be Stopped?
Former Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson wants back in
"Ex"-Blue Dog Steve Israel is quietly encouraging big money to back
self-described "conservative Democrat" Debbie Halvorson in the primary for
the IL-02 congressional seat that has opened up because of Jesse Jackson
Jr.'s resignation. From Day One Halvorson's strategy to win in the
minority-majority district-- after being soundly rejected by primary voters
last year-- was to hope that lots of African Americans would jump into the
race and split the vote so she could slip in with her pro-corporate agenda.
A new poll, however, doesn't... more »
Saying So Long to Salazar
"Salazar to step down from Interior Department
WASHINGTON — Ken Salazar, the *blunt-spoken lawyer and rancher* who took
over the scandal-ridden Interior Department at the outset of the Obama
administration, said Wednesday that he would *step down* in March to return
to his home in Colorado.
He did not say what he intended to do after leaving Washington, and the
White House gave no hint of who might succeed him.
Salazar’s exit, along with the announced resignation of Lisa P. Jackson,
the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the
anticipated departure of Energy Se... more »
Arkansas Sheriff Barricades Town To Conduct "Safety" Checkpoints
*"Papers Please"*
*"There are good people with bad papers; and bad people with good papers." -
Bertolt Brecht*
There is a new Sheriff in town and he is pulling out the back log of
warrants and knocking on doors. The Grant County Sheriff has also kicked
off the year with plans for safety check points.
Normally you hear about a warrant sweep or a safety check point. But
imagine in a town of 500, having both in one day. That was Friday, January
11 and it's still the talk of the town.
Like the saying goes, if you blink you missed it. Leola is a small town
where everyone knows one an... more »
The Boston Globe Needs a Hug
*They ju$t got one*:
November Project members embrace exercise, one another
Hundreds of locals are turning out three times a week at 6:30 a.m. to hug
and socialize before running stadium steps, sprinting up hills, or knocking
out a muscle-searing series of sit-ups and push-ups. The group is called
the November Project.
The one hundred and seventy third weekly "No shit, Sherlock" award
This week's winner is Rand Paul as reported by The Washington Post. Apparently
Rand Paul thinks that:
'President Obama was “arrogant and presumptuous” in saying in recent weeks
that Israel “doesn’t know what its own best interests are.”'
President Obama 'arrogant and presumptuous' - "No shit, Sherlock"
are we seeing the beginning of a global people's revolution?
*"There's something happening here, what it is ain't exactly clear..."*
This week, I attended a talk put on by the International Socialists,
featuring an organizer with OUR Walmart, by Skype from Texas, and a
Toronto-based union activist. Both speakers were terrific and so inspiring,
but although I took copious notes, I'm not posting a summary of the talk.
It was similar to the talk I blogged about here - from greece to chicago to
toronto, workers fighting back against austerity - and an extension to an
article I wrote recently: workers doing it for themselves: fighting the
austerit... more »
A Fresh Start With the Boston Globe
"11-year Globe editor Martin Baron to depart; Will take reins at Washington
Post" by Robert Weisman | Globe Staff, November 14, 2012
Martin Baron’s tenure also was marked by deep cuts that plagued the entire
newspaper industry. Steep losses in print advertising, aggravated by the
global financial crisis that began in 2008, prompted the Globe’s parent,
The New York Times Co., to threaten in 2009 to shut down the Boston paper
unless its labor unions agreed to $20 million in concessions. The paper
survived and regained its financial footing, but has endured several rounds
of buyouts ... more »
NIH Study Links Diet Drinks to Depression by Lisa Garber
NIH Study Links Diet Drinks to Depression
by Lisa Garber
Naural Society, 17 January 2013
A new study by the *National Institutes of Health* has linked diet
beverages with heightened risk of depression in older adults.
Researchers surveyed over 260,000 adults aged 50 to 71 in the United States
on their beverage habits. Ten years later, survey responders were asked if
they had been diagnosed with depression. Of those who reported consuming
four or more daily servings of artificially sweetened soda, iced tea, or
fruit drinks, 31 percent had been diagnosed. Twenty-two percent of regu... more »
Obama Tweets 8-Year-Old's Plea to Rally Support...
The president of the United States tweeted a picture of an 8-year-old's
letter pleading for gun control to rally support for the initiatives he
rolled out today at the White House.
"Dear President Obama," the letter reads. "I think there should be some
changes in the law with guns. It's a free country but I recommend there
needs be a limit with guns. Please don't let people own machine guns or
other powerful guns like that. I think there should be a good reason to get
a gun. I think there should be a limit about how many guns a person can
own. We should learn from what happened at ... more »
Gov. Perry: Using Massacre of Children to Advance Agenda 'Disgusts Me'
Gov. Rick Perry released the following statement regarding President
Obama's executive actions:
"The Vice President's committee was appointed in response to the tragedy at
Newtown, but very few of his recommendations have anything to do with what
happened there.
"Guns require a finger to pull the trigger. The sad young man who did that
in Newtown was clearly haunted by demons and no gun law could have saved
the children in Sandy Hook Elementary from his terror.
"There is evil prowling in the world - it shows up in our movies, video
games and online fascinations, and finds its way ... more »
Florida moves to ban drones from spying on citizens...
A Florida Senate panel says police should be banned from using drones to
spy on citizens.
A bill (SB 92) that would prohibit law enforcement agencies from gathering
evidence or other information flew through the Criminal Justice Committee
with a unanimous vote Tuesday.
It also would ban government agencies from using drones for code
enforcement.
http://tampa.cbslocal.com/2013/01/15/fla-senate-panel-votes-to-ban-spying-with-drones/
Google denies Street View car ran over donkey, adds to intrigue
A scene captured by a Google Street View vehicle in Kweneng, Botswana, that
went viral Monday seems to show the car hitting and possibly killing a
donkey on the road.
The scene is still visible on Google Street View: The Google vehicle
appears to come up upon a standing donkey before knocking it over.
But Google has a different version of the incident and insists the animal
is fine.
"Our Street View teams take the safety of people and donkeys very
seriously," Google said in a statement. "A review of our imagery confirms
that we did not cause any harm to the donkey."
http://www.la... more »
Iran Navy to Deploy to Mediterranean
Iran will deploy a fleet of warships to the Mediterranean Sea, Navy chief
Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said on Wednesday.
“The Navy’s 24th fleet of warships will patrol the north of the Indian
Ocean, the Gulf of Aden, Bab-el-Mandeb, the Red Sea, Suez Canal and the
Mediterranean Sea for three months and will even sail as far as
southeastern Asian countries,” Sayyari was quoted by Press TV as saying.
The 23rd fleet of warships will return to the country next week, he added.
http://en.rian.ru/military_news/20130116/178824364/Iran_Navy_to_Deploy_to_Mediterranean.html
Nationwide Ammo Shortage -- for Cops!
Police departments nationwide are experiencing ammunition shortages,
according to the online law enforcement resource, PoliceOne.com
Sgt. Chris Forrester of the Greer Police Department in South Carolina told
local TV-news channel WSPA-7:
"It's never easy to get ammo, but since the tragedy in Connecticut, it's
become even more difficult."
Forrester says the department began experiencing problems ordering
ammunition a little less than a month ago. "You'll call and they say 'sorry
we're out,' or 'it's on back order,'" he said.
http://cnsnews.com/blog/gregory-gwyn-williams-jr/nationwid... more »
Malicious virus shuttered U.S. power plant -DHS
A computer virus attacked a turbine control system at a U.S. power company
last fall when a technician unknowingly inserted an infected USB computer
drive into the network, keeping a plant off line for three weeks, according
to a report posted on a U.S. government website.
The Department of Homeland Security report did not identify the plant but
said criminal software, which is used to conduct financial crimes such as
identity theft, was behind the incident.
It was introduced by an employee of a third-party contractor that does
business with the utility, according to the agency.
ht... more »
Dappy Guilty Over Forecourt Fight
N-Dubz frontman Dappy has been found guilty of affray and one assault
offence in connection with a brawl at a petrol station.
The rapper had pleaded not guilty to three assault charges following a
fight in a petrol station in which three men suffered serious facial
injuries.
http://news.sky.com/story/1039323/dappy-found-guilty-over-forecourt-fight
Gun industry thrives in face of ban proposal
The stock prices for Smith & Wesson Holding Co. (SWHC) and Sturm, Ruger &
Co. (RGR) rose about 4%. The stock for Sturm, Ruger has risen 13% in the
month since the shooting at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school that left
20 children and six educators dead.
Retailers that specialize in guns have also done well. The stock price for
Cabela's (CAB) surged 6% on Wednesday and has gained 20% over the last
month. Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS, Fortune 500) notched up slightly, and
has gained 6% over the month.
Obama issued the call for the assault ban as part of a broad response to
the Newto... more »
Obama calls for research on media in gun violence
Hollywood and the video game industry received scant attention Wednesday
when President Barack Obama unveiled sweeping proposals for curbing gun
violence in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., school shooting.
The White House pressed most forcefully for a reluctant Congress to pass
universal background checks and bans on military-style assault weapons and
high-capacity ammunition magazines like the ones used in the Sandy Hook
Elementary massacre.
No connection was suggested between bloody entertainment fictions and
real-life violence. Instead, the White House is calling on research on ... more »
Obama using gun issue to advance health law
President Obama is using the national debate over gun violence to push for
further action on his health care law, including insisting on the kind of
mental health coverage states must provide under their Medicaid programs.
Mr. Obama, unveiling his gun proposals Wednesday barely a month after the
deadly school shooting in Newtown, Conn., will make it clear that his
health law, known as the Affordable Care Act, allows doctors to ask
patients whether they have guns in their homes, and will tell them they are
able to report any threats of violence they hear to police.
The president also... more »
Ed Miliband calls for some powers to be clawed back from the EU (but refuses to promise a referendum)
Labour leader Ed Miliband today dramatically backed David Cameron's call
for powers to be clawed back from Brussels, but refused to give voters a
say in a referendum.
As the war of words escalated ahead of the Prime Minister's long-awaited
Europe speech tomorrow, Mr Miliband warned talk of giving voters a say on a
new deal with the European Union risked taking Britain to the edge of the
'economic cliff'.
But he said negotiations should start now on returning key powers on
regional funding and industrial strategy to Westminster.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2263441/Ed-Mil... more »
Indonesian capital hit by floods
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