University of Arizona, why the tap dance isn't enough
University of Arizona claims it will have a human rights conference -- while designing drones and partnering with Homeland Security and Raytheon Missiles10:52 pm MST
Now thieves who escaped with a caution won't be barred from jobs in care homes, hospitals and schools
People who have been given police cautions for theft will be free to work
in care homes, schools and hospitals despite their criminal past, under a
human rights ruling.
Currently, anybody applying to work with children or vulnerable adults must
disclose any convictions or cautions they hold.
The Criminal Records Bureau checks are designed to weed out applicants who
could abuse positions of trust.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2270059/Now-thieves-escaped-caution-wont-barred-jobs-care-homes-hospitals-schools.html
New IRA 'plotting terrorist attack on G8': Security sources warn dissidents could target summit when it is held in Northern Ireland this summer
Republican
dissidents are plotting a terrorist outrage in the run-up to the
G8 summit in Northern Ireland this summer, British sources have warned.
Ministers are said to be alarmed by the resurgence in hardline
republicanism in recent months, with hundreds of youngsters signing up
to
join the shadowy 'New IRA', which has vowed to continue the armed
struggle
to create a united Ireland.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2270447/New-IRA-plotting-terrorist-attack-G8-Security-sources-warn-dissidents-target-summit-held-Northern-Ireland-summer.html
Robert Plan Arrested for sexual assault and brutal murder of mother-of-three in France
Robert Plant, 32, is being questioned about the murder of Joudia Zimmat,
34, who was attacked while out jogging.
She was sexually assaulted and stabbed so many times her face was
‘unrecognisable’, French police said.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2270054/Pictured-Moment-British-man-32-arrested-France-sexual-assault-brutal-murder-mother-three.html
'Our parents pay tax so we're entitled to benefits': Couple who are living off £17,000-a-year state handouts refuse to work for the minimum wage
Gina Allen, 18, and Danny Creamer, 21, say they are entitled to claim
£17,000 benefits because it's unfair to expect people to live on the
minimum wage. The pair also said they were owed a living by the state
because their parents have paid tax all their lives. The couple live in a
tax payer funded home in Portsmouth with their baby daughter, Tallulah
Rose.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2270247/ITV-This-Morning-Couple-living-17k-handouts-say-working-minimum-wage-unfair.html
Tony Blair is a national hero (if you're Polish): Former PM given award by country for helping thousands come to live in Britain
In
Britain, his ‘open door’ immigration policies have been criticised by
all sides.
But in Poland, which was transformed by entry into the EU, Tony Blair is
feted as a hero.
And yesterday the former Prime Minister was handed a special award for
helping hundreds of thousands of Poles come to live in the UK.
He was honoured with the gong at the annual Polish Business Leaders
Awards
ceremony in Warsaw.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2270398/Tony-Blair-national-hero-Polish--Former-PM-given-award-country-helping-thousands-come-live-Britain.html
Millions of workers should be tested for drugs: Met police chief declares war on substance abuse
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has suggested
anyone who fails a drugs test and refuses help to get clean should lose
their job. He said testing (top) in the workplace (below) could take place
in 'all occupations' but cited in particular teachers, intensive care
nurses and transport staff. Sir Bernard said drug testing and the fear of
losing their job would act as a deterrent for drug users.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2270419/Millions-workers-tested-drugs-Met-chief-declares-war-substance-abuse.html
U.S. rating still at risk despite reduced threats from DC
The retreat by Republicans from threats to push the United States into a
debt crisis has stayed the hand of at least one credit ratings agency, but
that does not mean the United States is suddenly safe.
The country has retained its top triple-A rating from Moody's Investors
Service and Fitch Ratings, despite rising debt levels. It was downgraded by
one notch in 2011 by Standard & Poor's after a chaotic debt ceiling battle.
On Monday, Fitch said the recent debt ceiling extension eliminates the
immediate risk to the rating.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/30/us-usa-debt-rating-... more »
Rare pygmy elephants are found dead in Malaysia
Ten endangered Borneo pygmy elephants have been found dead in a Malaysian
forest, with wildlife officers saying that they were probably poisoned.
The carcasses were found near each other in the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve,
Laurentius Ambu, director of the wildlife department in Malaysia’s Sabah
state on Borneo island, said.
Officers also rescued a calf that was apparently trying to wake its dead
mother.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/international/rare-pygmy-elephants-are-found-dead-1-2765867
Beach foam may be toxic, expert warns
A toxicologist has warned against frolicking in the smelly brown foam
blanketing Sunshine Coast beaches as hidden dangers lurk within.
University of Queensland Associate Professor Barry Noller said residents
should steer clear of the foam whipped up by strong winds off the foreshore
for fears it may be poisonous and containing pollutants, toxins and sewage.
Holidaymakers at Mooloolaba Beach Holiday Park have complained of itching
and stinging after coming into contact with the sticky foam.
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/beach-foam-may-be-toxic-expert-warns-20130129-2di1d... more »
DAILY MAIL COMMENT: This despicable vote insults democracy
This was Parliament at its most contemptible. In a despicable display of
treachery and spite, Lib Dems joined forces with self-serving Opposition
parties last night to vote against a fundamental principle of democracy.
Didn’t the House’s rejection of fairer constituency boundaries, by a
majority of 42, speak volumes about the moral bankruptcy of many of our
politicians?
In the past, MPs automatically accepted reviews by the independent Boundary
Commission. They rightly saw them as an essential part of the democratic
process, keeping constituency sizes roughly equal, and so ensuring... more »
Police forces veto G4S outsourcing deal
Three police forces have abandoned a planned outsourcing contract with the
security company G4S after their newly appointed police and crime
commissioners vetoed the deal.
Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire police were considering
contracting G4S to provide information technology and human resources
support as part of a money-saving collaboration strategy. But in a meeting
Tuesday night the commissioners decided to drop the plans.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6aef1640-6a65-11e2-a3db-00144feab49a.html
Brazil fire caused by cheap fireworks, say police
The chief investigator in the southern Brazilian city of Santa Maria has
said that cheap fireworks meant for outdoor use caused a deadly nightclub
fire.
The death toll in Sunday's blaze reached 235 people after a 21-year-old man
died of his injuries in hospital.
Police chief Marcelo Arigony said the band had chosen not to buy more
expensive indoor flares.
Earlier, a court froze the assets of the owners of the Kiss nightclub.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-21256400
Chaos in Egypt Stirs Warning of a Collapse
As three Egyptian cities defied President Mohamed Morsi’s attempt to quell
the anarchy spreading through their streets, the nation’s top general
warned Tuesday that the state itself was in danger of collapse if the
feuding civilian leaders could not agree on a solution to restore order.
Thousands of residents poured into the streets of the three cities,
protesting a 9 p.m. curfew with another night of chants against Mr. Morsi
and assaults on the police.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/world/middleeast/egypt-protest-updates.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Change the World Wednesday (#CTWW)
*Welcome to Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)! If this is your first
visit, please click HERE for information and a complete list of all the
challenges we've taken on so far.
As promised, we're doing something a little different this week ...
different and exciting. Our challenge is being presented by Kristina Ross.
Take it away Kristina ...*
Hey guys! What’s up? Ready to change the world? No sense in waiting around
until Thursday.
This week’s challenge is pretty simple: keep an eye on your mailbox.
Alright, it’s a little more complicated than that – but not much. Here’s
the de... more »
'Syria Is Being Destroyed' Says UN Envoy
The war in Syria has reached "unprecedented levels of horror" after
evidence emerged of the massacre of dozens of men, the UN envoy for the
country has said.
Lakhdar Brahimi told the divided UN Security Council it must act now to
prevent further atrocities like the apparent execution of at least 65 men
found dumped in a river in Aleppo.
Syrian rebels blamed president Bashar al Assad's government for the
killings, but state media said an Islamist opposition faction was to blame.
http://news.sky.com/story/1044801/syria-is-being-destroyed-says-un-envoy
Pneumonia, measles death toll climbs to 47 in Upper Dir, Pakistan
The death toll of children from pneumonia and measles in Kohistan area of
Upper Dir district increased from 25 to 47 as a team of health officials
returned from the remote area on Monday. Executive District Officer (EDO
Health) Dr Abdul Wakeel confirmed 47 deaths from the outbreaks that hit
Thal, Kumrat and Lamoti areas of Dir Kohistan. He said the most of the
areas were inaccessible due to snowfall. He feared the deaths could be more
than what they had recorded. “We faced problems in ascertaining the exact
number of the deaths caused by post-measles pneumonia due to snow that has
c... more »
ALEC Meetings - Where Democracy is Stolen
(my emphasis)
Tobacco Institute
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Tobacco Institute, Inc. was a United States tobacco industry trade
group, founded in 1958 by the American tobacco industry.[1]:251[2] It was
dissolved in 1998 as part of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.[3]:25
Founding
The Tobacco Institute was founded in 1958 as a trade association by
cigarette manufacturers, who funded it proportionally to each company's
sales. It was initially to supplement the work of the Tobacco Industry
Research Committee (which later became the Council for Tobacco Research).
Th... more »
Fotomontaje de un gato gusano - Manipulaciones digitales
[image: Fotomontaje de un gato gusano - Manipulaciones digitales]
*Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de fotomontajes*
Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
5.3 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE COAST OF OREGON - 30th January 2013
Magnitude
5.3
Date-Time
Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 03:14:28 UTC
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 06:14:28 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
43.566°N, 127.598°W
Depth
10.2 km (6.3 miles)
Region
OFF THE COAST OF OREGON
Distances
263 km (163 miles) WNW of Bandon, Oregon
5.4 Magnitude Earthquake PHILIPPINE ISLANDS REGION - 30th January 2013
Magnitude
5.4
Date-Time
Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 02:32:19 UTC
Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 10:32:19 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
10.558°N, 126.684°E
Depth
46 km (28.6 miles)
Region
PHILIPPINE ISLANDS REGION
Distances
89 km (55 miles) NE of San Isidro, Philippines
Perrito besando a un lindo gatito
[image: Perrito besando a un lindo gatito]
*Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de perritos*
Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
Deliciosos potres de sabores y frutas frescas
[image: Deliciosos postres de sabores y frutas frescas]
*Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de postres*
Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
Niño pescando en el cielo montado en su perro
[image: Niño pescando en el cielo montado en su perro]
*Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de niños*
Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
Linda y perfumada flor de manzana color rosa
[image: Linda y perfumada flor de manzana color rosa]
*Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de flores*
Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
Hillary - She is Ruthless
Saw this on The Hill tonight
Clinton backers launch ‘Ready for Hillary’ super-PAC in hopes of 2016
campaign
By Cameron Joseph - 01/28/13 04:26 PM ET
A group of Hillary Clinton supporters is launching a campaign to draft her
to run for president — the first major push from an outside group for her
to run.
The group, “Ready for Hillary,” filed as a super-PAC with the Federal
Election Commission late last week and plans to roll out a website in the
coming weeks.
Only hours after I had read this in a 1993 ALEC FYI Newsletter (distributed
to all ALEC members) in an article entitl... more »
Plan C - RWNJ's Heads Explode
I can just visual the heads of extrermist right wing nut jobs - exploding
across the Unietd States - as they rutn on their computer go to The Hilll
and read
FDA OKs Plan B vending machine
By Sam Baker - 01/29/13 11:34 AM ET
Federal regulators will let a Pennsylvania university continue to dispense
Plan B — also known as the morning-after pill — through a vending machine.
Students at the university can obtain Plan B without waiting for an
appointment by depositing $25 in the machine.
Thank god - by morning - there will be fewer RWNJ's to deal with.
Rush will have a stroke
Gun Control - Keep up the pressure
*"At first *
*people refuse to believe that a strange new thing can be done, *
*then *
*they begin to hope it can be done, *
*then *
*they see it can be done --- *
*then it is done *
*and all the world
wonders *
*why it was not done centuries ago."*
***-- "A Secret Garden", Francis Hodgson Burnett*
Round and round and round in the circle game
Probably going to rot in hell for taking entirely too much pleasure in watching
Fox News flail:
January marked Fox News Channel’s lowest 25-54 demo delivery for
Monday-Sunday Primetime and Sales Prime (M-Su 7p-2a) since August 2001.
January was also the worst month ever for FNC’s On the Record w/ Greta Van
Susteren in the 25-54 demo. It was also Fox's lowest total at 10 pm since
July '08.
Photos and more at the link.
That's not the only untoward delight I'm enjoying on this day of great
changes. The long past their sell-by date, dueling husband and wife
pundits, Carville and Ma... more »
April in January: Spring-like severe weather and record warmth in the U.S. Midwest – ‘Chicago’s craziest January in memory’
[image: NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has placed portions of Arkansas,
Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, Alabama, Oklahoma, Illinois,
Indiana, and Mississippi in their 'Moderate Risk' region for severe weather
on Tuesday, 29 January 2013. This is the first 'Moderate Risk' forecast
issued during 2013. Graphic: Weather Underground]
By Dr. Jeff Masters
29 January 2013
(Weather Underground) – The calendar says it’s January, but the atmosphere
looks more like April over the Midwest U.S., where a spring-like surge of
warm air is interacting with a strong low pressure system to cr... more »
Equanimity
Equanimity (Latin: æquanimitas having an even mind; aequus even animus
mind/soul) is a state of psychological stability and composure which is
undisturbed by experience of or exposure to emotions, pain or other
phenomena that may cause others to lose the balance of their mind. The
virtue and value of equanimity is extolled and advocated by a number of
major religions and ancient philosophies.
In Buddhism, equanimity (upekkhā, upekṣhā) is one of the four immeasurables
and is considered:
Neither a thought nor an emotion, it is rather the steady conscious
realization of reality's tr... more »
Immigration-- Only The Dregs Of GOP Bigotry Still Opposing Reform
Most House Republicans have the luxury of running in crazy little red
districts drawn to exclude likely Democratic voters. They can say or do
whatever they want regardless of what most voters prefer-- just as long as
they're pleasing the lunatic fringe that watches Fox and listens to Hate
Talk Radio hosts. Republican senators, particularly those outside the old
Confederacy and the Mormon Empire, don't have it quite so good. They do
have to take all their constituents' views into consideration if they hope
to get reelected. That's the reason there were catastrophic GOP losses last
... more »
Musical Interlude: Don McLean, “Vincent”
Don McLean, “Vincent”
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsxfvwuCqxo
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Clouds of glowing gas mingle with dust lanes in the Trifid Nebula, a star
forming region toward the constellation of the Archer (Sagittarius). In the
center, the three prominent dust lanes that give the Trifid its name all
come together. Mountains of opaque dust appear on the right, while other
dark filaments of dust are visible threaded throughout the nebula. A single
massive star visible near the center causes much of the Trifid's glow.
* Click image for larger size.*
The Trifid, also known as M20, is only about 300,000 years old, making it
among the youngest emission nebulae ... more »
Headlines that Connect the Dots
**
“Energy Firms Seek New Answer to Security Risk” by B. Faucon, S. Williams,
S. Said, and S. Kent Jan 29, 2013 The Wall Street Journal, p. A10
[excerpted] This month’s attack on an Algerian gas plan is forcing global
oil giants to rethink protection of oil fields from the Middle East and
Africa to the Arctic circle, a new reality that could potentially boost the
cost of production. [end]
“U.S. to Expand Role in Africa” by A. Entous and S. Gorman Jan 29, 2013 p.
A1, A11
[Excerpted] the US and France are moving to create an intelligence hub in
Niger that could include a ba... more »
Chet Raymo, “A Momentary Stay”
*“A Momentary Stay”*
by Chet Raymo
“This from a review of Paul Muldoon's new book of poetry, "Maggot", by Nick
Laird, in the June 23, 2010 "New York Review of Books". It seems Muldoon
was heckled by an audience member who claimed that what he was reading
wasn't poetry. Muldoon replied: "It doesn't come naturally to me to defend
these things as poems. As a concept, I see it like this: the word "poetry,"
as you know, means "making," so these are constructs in the world…One is
trying to construct something that will help us to make sense of things,
and a construct, or building even... more »
Immigration Nation
I'm not willing to get too excited about this sudden bi-partisan comity on
immigration reform just yet. Think I'll wait until we see how many crackpot
cons want to sabotage this before I get my hopes up too high. Still, it is
rather astounding to see the issue embraced at all, much less being
supported by actual Republicans.
Missed the delivery of President Obama's immigration speech live, but he
made a strong case. I especially liked the point that this about people,
not just policy. And the reminder that we're all immigrants here. I'm first
generation myself. I wasn't born here.... more »
"We Are Free..."
“The worst that could happen to us is that we have to die, and since that
is already our unalterable fate, we are free; those who have lost
everything no longer have anything to fear.”
“Death is our eternal companion. It is always to our left, an arm’s length
behind us. Death is the only wise adviser that a warrior has. Whenever he
feels that everything is going wrong and he’s about to be annihilated, he
can turn to his death and ask if that is so. His death will tell him that
he is wrong, that nothing really matters outside its touch. His death will
tell him, ‘I haven’t touched ... more »
Followup on the PBS documentary "The Untouchables"
------------------------------
* the**REALnews
Permalink*
January 29, 2013
*Obama Admin. Fails to Prosecute Banking Fraud to 'Save the System'*
James S. Henry commenting on PBS documentary "The Untouchables": If one of
these institutions was indicted and made an example of, it would have a
profound affect on the whole industry - but Obama raises money on Wall St.
*Watch full multipart Obama: Rhetoric or New Direction?*
More at The Real News
*Bio*
James S. Henry is a leading economist, attorney and inve... more »
Elizabeth May on Canada's Emperor Constantine
In the latest *Island Tides*, Green Party leader Elizabeth May draws a
piercing comparison of Roman emperor Constantine and our emperor, Stephen
Harper.
*It may seem a strange parallel, but what Stephen Harper is
doing to Canada reminds me of what Roman Emperor
Constantine did with Christianity. He took a clandestine and
illegal religious practice and made it the official religion of the
Roman Empire.
*
*Constantine understood the importance of symbols. To
allow Christianity to be accepted among sun-worshipping
pagans, a few adjustments were needed. Worship moved from
Saturday to Sun... more »
Kinder Morgan's Bold Play
Kinder Morgan has dropped a bomb. The bitumen pipeline trafficker wants
to triple its existing pipeline capacity. From *Island Tides:*
*Citing ‘additional customer support’, Kinder
Morgan recently announced that it intends to
increase the capacity of its proposed new ‘twin’
oil pipeline from Edmonton to Burnaby.
*
*The current capacity of the existing Trans
Mountain pipeline is approximately 300,000
barrels per day (bpd). While the pipeline
capacity in the original expansion proposal was
750,000bpd, this updated proposal brings the
capacity of the two pipelines, existing and
proposed... more »
"Largest Wave Ever Surfed- 100 Feet Tall"
*"Largest Wave Ever Surfed- 100 Feet Tall"*
by WashingtonsBlog
"Garrett McNamara of Hawaii rode a giant wave in Nazaré, Portugal
yesterday. It was claimed to be 100 feet high, although the Guiness Book of
World Records has not yet confirmed the measurement. Nazaré has unusual
conditions for making huge waves … an undersea trench narrows right before
the shore, shooting the sea up to the sky at the last minute.
After McNamara set his prior world record at Nazaré in 2011, he explained:
“There is an underwater canyon 1,000ft deep that runs from the ocean right
up to the cliffs... more »
It's Time to Bury the Easterlin Paradox
Over the past several years as I have discussed The Climate Fix and the
"iron law" of climate policy, someone often brings up the Easterlin Paradox
as a counter argument. There are several reasons why it fails to contradict
the iron law, the most important one being -- it is just wrong.
Here is how Richard Easterlin described the paradox that carries his name
to The Guardian a few years ago:
... Richard Easterlin of the University of South[ern] California, has been
studying the concept of national happiness since the 1970s, when he
formulated his "Easterlin Paradox".
"Simply s... more »
Curling Up With a Cornwell
*It would probably be better than a reading a Globe.... *
"Mystery novelist accuses her manager of betrayal" by Milton J. Valencia |
Globe Staff, January 09, 2013
It is a tale of an alleged betrayal, fraud, of high-rollers,
multimillion-dollar homes, a helicopter, a lost Ferrari, a rare book
collection, and political donations to Hillary Clinton.
It has all the drama and intrigue that would befit a tale by Patricia
Cornwell, the award-winning American crime writer, widely known for her
series of novels featuring the heroic medical examiner, Dr. Kay Scarpetta.
Only, this is not a... more »
Brooks School Sex Abuse Scandal
"School says ex-headmaster, student had inappropriate relationship" by
Travis Andersen | Globe Staff, January 04, 2013
A former headmaster of a North Andover college preparatory school
reportedly had an *inappropriate relationship with a student* during his
tenure and also *received threats from escorts* he hired, the school
acknowledged Thursday.
In an e-mail to alumni and parents, officials at the Brooks School said
that Lawrence W. Becker, the headmaster from 1986 to 2008, had engaged in a
questionable relationship with a student during an unspecified time while
he ran the sc... more »
Why Did the Kid Cross the Road?
*No joke.*
"Malden teen killed crossing highway" by Lisa Kocian and Jason
Mastrodonato | Globe Staff and Globe Correspondent, January 03, 2013
An 18-year-old Malden man was killed Thursday morning when he tried to run
across Route 128 in Newton and was hit by vehicles on both the northbound
and southbound lanes of the highway, State Police said.
Reishaun Michael Hopkins was employed by the Honey Dew Donuts shop located
in the Newton rest area and was normally scheduled to work the day shift,
State Police said....
Before graduating from Malden High School, Hopkins spent three yea... more »
Billions for Job Piracy Despite State Budget Cuts
According to Center on Budget and Policy Priority data cited by Louise Story,
in 2011 the states enacted $156 billion of austerity measures, between
budget cuts and tax hikes. Despite their budgetary woes, however, this did
not stop them from throwing billions of dollars a year into the worst kind
of corporate subsidy, relocation incentives that move existing facilities
from one state to another without creating any new jobs. A new report from
Good Jobs First documents their widespread use, which is far more commonthan most people would imagine.
One great aspect of this report is tha... more »
One more (for now) on whether Alex Callinicos is finished
The IS Blog has something to say on that matter, a collective effort, and
it's pretty good if you ask me. See here.
Tom Harkin
I forgot to write a post about Tom Harkin's decision, announced over the
weekend, not to seek re-election next year.
I've never been a big Harkin fan, but make no mistake about it: the Americans
with Disabilities Act was a major, major accomplishment. Harkin doesn't get
the credit alone; just in the Senate, Bob Dole was a major player. But if
that's all he had done in his career, and it isn't, Harkin would still have
left a lasting mark. I mean, literally. Young'ns may not realize that
things such as regular curb cuts at intersections didn't exist in many
(most?) places before the A... more »
"The Predator of Man"
*"The Predator of Man"*
by Carlos Castaneda
“’Predators Mind.’ This is the Castaneda term for that which aligns man
with the thought center of service to self. In “Active Side of Infinity,”
Don Juan tells Castaneda of the Earth being invaded in the mists of time by
creatures of condensed darkness, the so-called Flyers which use man as
food. The key idea as that these cosmic predators gave man their own mind.
This is reasonable in light of much other material. At the human level, a
system based on exploitation and consuming and control is seen to shape
people in its own imag... more »
Will The GOP Abandon Austerity If England Has A Quadruple-Dip Recession? Or Will It Take A Full On Depression?
The U.K. Conservative Party Austerity agenda-- basically an English version
of Paul Ryan's budget-- has just further wrecked Britain's fragile economy
as we all watch it slip into a tragic triple-dip recession. By fighting
back against the Republican tide and ignoring Ryan's Ayn Rand-inspired
foolishness, Obama has managed to steer the American economy back towards
modest growth. Ryan, Boehner and Cantor are still screaming for Austerity
and still fighting Obama every step of the way, even as they see the
European countries that have adopted their outlook sink beneath the waves
o... more »
Tuesday Afternoon Linkage
Let’s get to the news and the comments: Tim Burke talks about the real
intersection of science fiction, the great convergence, and international
governance [Easily Distracted] Surowiecki talks Boeing and outsourcing [The
New Yorker] Have Malian rebels destroyed ancient texts? [The New Yorker]
Maybe intercepting a Taepo-dong is illegal [The Diplomat] I like reading
about
Continue reading
SWP Resignation Via the Medium of Song
Too good for Socialist Unity to have it to themselves.
If only Lenin had rounded off his *April Theses* with a little tap number,
eh?
"In The Process..."
"We are in the process of creating what deserves to be called the idiot
culture. Not an idiot sub-culture, which every society has bubbling beneath
the surface and which can provide harmless fun; but the culture itself. For
the first time, the weird and the stupid and the coarse are becoming our
cultural norm, even our cultural ideal."
- Carl Bernstein,
U.S. journalist, “Guardian” (London, June 3, 1992)
ASIAN UPDATE: Assault with a deadly sound system
[image: image]*Another report from our roving Asian correspondent, Suzuki
Samurai—this time from his language school in rural Cambodia.*
Each day in Asia I see something mental; but some sights and sounds are
more insane than others. Today (Sunday) started out inspiring, then ended
up surreal and downright stupid. I write this at the very culmination of
the insanity.
The day started well: blue skies and the ubiquitous smiles of the locals;
but today was also graduation day at the school in which I’m resident—I was
looking forward to being part of it.
The school’s Deutsche spons... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland. Thanks for stopping by.
"In The Presence of Difficulty, Compassion"
*"In The Presence of Difficulty, Compassion"*
by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM
"True compassion recognizes that all the boundaries we perceive between
ourselves and others are an illusion. Compassion is the ability to see the
deep connectedness between ourselves and others. Moreover, true compassion
recognizes that all the boundaries we perceive between ourselves and others
are an illusion. When we first begin to practice compassion, this very deep
level of understanding may elude us, but we can have faith that if we start
where we are, we will eventually feel our way toward it.... more »
Cookie Dough Balls (Meant To Be Eaten Raw)
I love cookie dough. In an ideal world, there would be no cookies, just
dough. I love all kinds of cookie dough and if I am making cookies and my
husband isn't home, only about half the cookies ever make it to the oven. I
don't really see a problem with this, my husband on the other hand is
completely grossed out by my love of cookie dough. To appease him, I
started making these freezer Cookie Dough Balls, they are delicious,
satisfy the cookie dough craving and have no raw eggs in them to gross out
my husband.
You will need:
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
c... more »
GOP fury as Obama FAILS to include guarantee of tougher border controls in blueprint that allows 11 million illegal immigrants to become U.S. citizens
President
Barack Obama managed to provoke the ire of Republicans before he
even unveiled his immigration reform plan this afternoon
The president refused to tie tougher border enforcement to his proposal
that would allow 11million illegal immigrants to become American
citizens.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2270315/President-Obamas-immigration-reform-includes-pathway-citizenship-stepped-enforcement.html
Casey Anthony on the beach: New photos show her life of freedom as she breaks silence to complain of 'things holding me back'
In a candid photograph Casey Anthony relaxes on a Florida beach as she
soaks up the sun and chills out by reading a book. In another, the beaming
26-year-old stands with the legal team that successfully defended her from
charges she murdered her three-year-old daughter, Caylee. The never before
seen pictures of the 'most hated mom in America' - the first of her in more
than a year - come as Anthony breaks her silence to reveal she is seeking
'closure' on 'these things holding me back'.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2270254/Casey-Anthony-beach-Pictures-reveal-mothers-life-f... more »
Gunned down on the court steps: Dramatic pictures show aftermath of botched hit on Bulgarian crime boss 'The Beret'
Bulgarian drugs lord Zlatomir Ivanov, second right, was shot four times in
his legs, arm and stomach on the steps into the building in central Sofia
yesterday. The 44-year-old was there to appeal against his eight-year jail
sentence, police said. Ivanov and his bodyguard, who was also wounded, were
taken to hospital, where the mafia head was due to have surgery. Inset,
police comb the scene for clues to the identity of the gunman, who they
think was positioned in a building opposite the court.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2270089/Crime-boss-The-Beret-shot-enters-court-app... more »
"Equals..."
"I like pigs.
Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us.
Pigs treat us as equals."
- Sir Winston Churchill
Sarkozy was paid £128,000 for Davos speech in which he insulted Israel to room full of Jewish businessmen
Nicolas Sarkozy was paid more than £128,000 to criticise Israel to a room
full of enraged Jewish business people, it emerged today.
Delivering a master class in how not to perform a paid-for conference
speech, the former French president caused offence at the prestigious world
economic forum at Davos, Switzerland.
Despite being hired to make his speech at a United Israel Appeal, Mr
Sarkozy made it clear that he saw a proper Palestinian homeland as the only
secure future for the Middle East.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2270084/Sarkozy-paid-128-000-Davos-speech-insulted... more »
LEAKED EMAIL: U.S. 'backed plan to launch chemical weapon attack on Syria and blame it on Assad's regime'...........(new posts below)
Leaked emails have allegedly proved that the White House gave the green
light to a chemical weapons attack in Syria that could be blamed on Assad's
regime and in turn, spur international military action in the devastated
country.
A report released on Monday contains an email exchange between two senior
officials at British-based contractor Britam Defence where a scheme
'approved by Washington' is outlined explaining that Qatar would fund rebel
forces in Syria to use chemical weapons.
Barack Obama made it clear to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad last month
that the U.S. would not ... more »
Rapist who attacked teenager after forcing her to drink alcohol awarded compensation because HIS human rights had been breached........And our Government has to pay him that Compensation
A fairground worker who raped a young teenager after forcing her to drink
alcohol won damages today after a European court ruled his human rights had
been breached.
Samuel Betteridge, 58, from Mablethorpe, was jailed after he pleaded guilty
to two counts of rape and one of attempted rape at Lincoln Crown Court in
2005.
A 13-month delay between the end of Betteridge's minimum term and his first
parole hearing was a breach of his right to a speedy hearing, the European
Court of Human Rights found.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2270114/Rapist-attacked-teenager-forcing-drink-... more »
5.1 Magnitude Earthquake SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS - 29th January 2013
Magnitude
5.1
Date-Time
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 19:30:33 UTC
Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 06:30:33 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
11.206°S, 165.355°E
Depth
24.7 km (15.3 miles)
Region
SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
Distances
75 km (46 miles) SW of Lata, Solomon Islands
UN nuclear watchdog backs Iran's denial of Fordow explosion
The United Nations atomic watchdog made clear on Tuesday it had seen no
sign of any explosion at one of Iran's most sensitive nuclear plants,
backing up Tehran's denial that such an incident had taken place last week.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in an unusual move, made a
brief statement following media reports of significant damage at the
underground Fordow uranium enrichment site.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/un-nuclear-watchdog-backs-iran-s-denial-of-fordow-explosion.premium-1.500153
10km of Srepok River covered by dead fish, Vietnam
The area where dead fish appeared runs from Hoa Xuan commune, Buon Ma Thuot
city of Dak Lak province to Ea Po commune of Cu Jut district in Dak Nong
province.
Deaf fish began floating on the river surface in the night of January 27.
Mr. Le Tien Cuong, from Ea Po commune, Cu Jut district, Dak Nong province
said while rowing his boat in the river at 10.30pm of January 27, he looked
down and saw a lot of fish gasped and floated to the surface.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/environment/58176/10km-of-srepok-river-covered-by-dead-fish.html
With Timbuktu Retaken, France Signals It Plans to Pull Back in Mali
The world as a whole, and particularly the people of northern Africa, owe
France a great debt of gratitude. The French had nothing to gain from
routing the Islamists in Mali. They simply acted because Mali was formerly
a French colony and France wanted to do what is right and good.
The New York Times is reporting this morning that French and Malian troops
have captured the famous desert city of Timbuktu from the Islamists who,
before France intervened, had taken over the northern half of Mali and had
been imposing its totalitarian brand of religion on that nation.
SEGOU, Mali — F... more »
University of Arizona, why the tap dance isn't enough
University
of Arizona claims it will have a human rights conference -- while
designing drones and partnering with Homeland Security and Raytheon
Missiles
By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com
TUCSON -- The University of Arizona claims it will have a human rights
conference focused on Indigenous Peoples and extractive industries. This
is the same university that has
Here comes the next batch of Democratic party voters
CNN report:
'President Barack Obama on Tuesday threw his support behind a comprehensive
overhaul of U.S. immigration laws, saying "now's the time" to replace a
"badly broken" system.
Obama said the overhaul must provide a "pathway to citizenship" for the
more than 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., and that if
Congress does not act "in a timely fashion" he will propose a bill "and
insist that they vote on it right away."'
Bird Flu kills two Cambodian children
Two children have died of bird flu in Cambodia, bringing the number of
cases recorded in January to five, officials said on Tuesday.
A 17-month-old girl and a nine-year-old girl died on Monday after
contracting H5N1 influenza, a joint statement from the World Health
Organisation and Cambodia's Ministry of Health said.
The children were from villages in the southern provinces of Kampong Speu
and Kampot, where recent poultry deaths had been reported, they said.
http://www.iol.co.za/news/world/bird-flu-kills-two-cambodian-children-1.1460242
US salmonella Scare: 16 sick in 5 states; linked to ground beef recall
Federal health officials say at least 16 people in five states have been
sickened by salmonella food poisoning linked to ground beef.
No one has died, but half were hospitalized. Most of the illnesses have
been in Michigan, but a few cases were scattered in Arizona, Illinois, Iowa
and Wisconsin.
http://www.thepublicopinion.com/news/associated_press/national/article_d2a2a55d-7d59-50b3-9de4-2f2ca4e557aa.html
Could a Drone Cop Become Obama's Biggest Nightmare?
He's Ben Emmerson, a 49-year old British lawyer and U.N. special rapporteur
for human rights and counter-terrorism in which capacity he's embarking on
a 5-month enquiry into drone warfare. That could spell problems for the
leaders of the one country active in worldwide drone attacks, the United
States.
*Accountability, Emmerson tells Danger Room in a Monday phone interview,
“is the central purpose of the report.” He’s not shying away from the
possibility of digging up evidence of “war crimes,” should the facts point
in that direction. But despite the Obama administration’s secrec... more »
Nicky Lovell Charged over Bristol Tandem Cyclists' Deaths
A man is charged with killing a husband and wife who died after they were
knocked off their tandem bike in Bristol on Sunday.
Nicky Lovell will appear before North Avon Magistrates' Court on Wednesday
accused of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.
http://news.sky.com/story/1044714/bristol-tandem-cyclists-deaths-man-charged
Hegemony and truthiness
George Monbiot has a whimsical piece in the Guardian about the system of
ruling class education, the effect it has both on the people processed
through the system and the wider implications for society. It is also a
useful piece of anecdotal evidence about the material basis of truthiness.
The telling part is what Monbiot describes as the typical output of public
school education, colonial service, the civil service or the armed forces.
You might want to add that the solidarity generated by said system (the
process detaches young men from their families and attaches them to
institu... more »
These are the times of their discontent
Conor Friedersdorf is concern trolling over the "Obama/Clinton 60 Minutes
interview. Young Conor is very sad that 60 Minutes "diminished their brand"
when Steve Kroft failed to ask the *tough questions*.
To be fair, when it aired on Sunday, my twitter stream was full of White
House press bitching about the same thing. Why weren't these two being
browbeat over policy, forced to answer for every policy misstep -- real or
imagined -- over the last five years? A sentiment that was echoed among the
crackpot con punditry who feel so betrayed. Why didn't Kroft bring up every
wingnut consp... more »
Have less, give more, be happy
Bit of a repost.
The garden is almost at rest. it's hosting two dozen chickens and ducks.
What will left to rake together into beds is surprisingly little.
Fortunately they also manure in place, because they, by choice, spend all
their daylight hours there.
It dawned on me, looking at this scene, that we have met an important goal
here. The rains this week will come to about four inches, yet there is no
lake out there. The organic matter and the increased capillary capacity
from expanding worm populations have given even this much water somewhere
to go. There's now very little r... more »
James McEnteer : The Pirates of Ecuador
Image
from Nuke the Fridge.
Straight to video:
That movie’s too expensive! Knock it off!
By James McEnteer / The Rag Blog / January 29, 2013
“I’d like to thank the members of the Academy. Or at least, one of
them…”
QUITO, Ecuador -- You won’t hear that speech at the upcoming Oscar
ceremonies. But movie fans in Ecuador, where I live, and in many other
so-called “developing” countries, have
The Schrumpf Effect or Why Soldiers Can Learn to Enjoy Killing
An article in *Scientific American* reveals that at least some soldiers
actually enjoy killing, particularly when they're not at much risk of being
killed themselves.
The article recalls one, "*Sgt. Eric Schrumpf, a Marine sharpshooter,
saying, "We had a great day. We killed a lot of people." Noting that his
troop killed an Iraqi woman standing near a militant, Schrumpf adds, "I'm
sorry, but the chick was in the way."
Does the apparent satisfaction—call it the Schrumpf effect—that some
soldiers take in killing stem primarily from nature or nurture? Nature,
claims Richard Wrangham,... more »
“Nature’s Capital Is The Limiting Resource”
*“Nature’s Capital Is The Limiting Resource”*
Life Will Perish As The Environment Perishes
by Paul Craig Roberts
“Only in science fiction can humans escape the consequences of destroying
their own habitat. In Robert A. Heinlein’s "Time Enough For Love", the
“Great Diaspora of the Human Race” began “more than two millennia ago” and
has spread to more than “two thousand colonized planets.” The once “lovely
green planet” Earth is a slum planet barely able to support life where only
the poorest live, Earth’s natural capital having been consumed over two
thousand years ago. Human... more »
Obama giving $155 million in humanitarian aid to Syrians
President Barack Obama on Tuesday said the United States would boost
humanitarian aid to Syria and urged other nations to do more to help the
United Nations, which is struggling to assist some 4 million people in the
war-torn country and more than 700,000 who have fled it.
Obama said he authorized an additional $155 million in aid for food,
medical care and clothing for Syrians and refugees, bringing the U.S. total
to $365 million. He issued a video statement on youtube.com with Arabic
subtitles speaking directly to Syrians.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/29/us-syria-obama-i... more »
Niger approves U.S. drones for Mali
Niger has given permission for U.S. surveillance drones to be stationed on
its territory to improve intelligence on al Qaeda-linked Islamist fighters
in northern Mali and the wider Sahara, a senior government source said.
The U.S. ambassador to Niger, Bisa Williams, made the request at a meeting
on Monday with President Mahamadou Issoufou, who immediately accepted it,
the source said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/29/us-mali-rebels-niger-idUSBRE90S0DX20130129
Call for papers: European Consortium on Political Research, Sept 4-7
In case folks have missed it, there is an upcoming deadline (FRIDAY!) for
the 2013 ECPR General Conference in Bordeaux, September 4-7th. Unlike many
other conferences, EPCR paper proposals are submitted to already-organized
panels. This often results in more cohesive panels and, one hopes, more
helpful feedback. Paper proposals are due this coming Friday and
Continue reading
Army says political strife taking Egypt to brink
Egypt's army chief said political unrest was pushing the state to the brink
of collapse - a stark warning from the institution that ran the country
until last year as Cairo's first freely elected leader struggles to curb
bloody street violence.
Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a U.S.-trained general appointed by President Mohamed
Mursi last year to head the armed forces, added in a statement on Tuesday
that one of the primary goals of deploying troops in cities on the Suez
Canal was to protect the waterway that is vital for Egypt's economy and
world trade.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/... more »
Lies of the State: Corporate tax cuts = jobs
So many lies emanate from the "State".
I scratch my head at just how widely believed all this nonsense is?
What am I talking about?
For the past 20 years or so the plebs have dutifully believed the lies of
their government.
We have to cut corporate taxes so multinationals can compete globally, to
create jobs.
Get a clue! Tax cuts have NOT created jobs. And tax cuts and breaks for
multinationals WILL NOT create jobs.
*Case in Point*
Corporations’ stockpile of ‘dead money’ tops $500 billion:
“Rather than investing the windfall from their tax cuts to create jobs,
Canada’s largest non-... more »
Krugman enters the sandbox on Morning Joe!
*TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013*
*It’s hard for the gang to stay calm:* Yesterday morning, Paul Krugman did
a 21-minute segment on Morning Joe. To watch the full segment, click this.
There were no commercial breaks. Eight hours later, Joe Scarborough offered
his thoughts in Politico.
Scarborough’s headline: “Paul Krugman vs. the world.”
It may have seemed that way to someone watching the lengthy segment. Former
governor Ed Rendell took a fairly balanced view. But by the end, it became
quite clear—the rest of the Morning Joe gang weren’t buying Krugman’s
outlook.
According to Scarborou... more »
The Economy: “John Williams: May 2013- End of the Road?”
*“John Williams: May 2013- End of the Road?”*
by Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com
"Anybody who thinks the U.S. is in a so-called recovery isn’t listening to
economist John Williams. He contends, “We haven’t had a recovery and we’re
not about to have one, and it’s getting worse.” Williams says it’s
because, “The consumer is in very serious trouble. The average guy is not
making it. His income is not keeping up with inflation.” As far as
Congress getting the budget and debt ceiling under control, Williams says,
“Both sides are faced with devil’s choices.” If Congress does not g... more »
Argentina's Indigenous Support Navajos Battling Mining
Protest
against multinational companies and lithium mining Jujuy.
By Mamani, Jorge Luis
REPRESENTANTE DEL PUEBLO KOLLA
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com
English/Espanol
Good evening, I am writing from Jujuy Argentina, I am representing the
Kolla People of Jujuy Province, natives throughout the Andean region of
South America, and I heard about the resistance and struggle with
Poverty and the “achievement gap”: Some new data
Carnoy and Rothstein (2013) compared US performance with Korean, Finland
and Canada on the PISA 2009, given to 15-year-olds. All three of these
countries generally score about 1/3 of a standard deviation better than the
US in reading and math on international tests; Arne Duncan refers to these
three countries as the three “consistent high-performers” (Carnoy and
Rothstein, 2013 p. 10). In the PISA 2009 reading test, Korea had the
highest score of all OECD countries (539), Finland was second highest (536)
and Canada third (524). American students scored 500, 33 points behind the
aver... more »
“'Obamacare' To Hit Smokers With Huge Penalties”
*“'Obamacare' To Hit Smokers With Huge Penalties”*
by Justin Sullivan
“Smokers, beware: tobacco penalties under President Obama’s Affordable
Care Act could subject millions of smokers to fees costing thousands of
dollars, making healthcare more expensive for them than Americans with
other unhealthy habits. The Affordable Care Act, which critics have also
called “Obamacare”, could subject smokers to premiums that are 50 percent
higher than usual, starting next Jan 1. Health insurers will be allowed to
charge smokers penalties that overweight Americans or those with other
healt... more »
"About Those SSRIs (And Other Drugs)"
*"About Those SSRIs (And Other Drugs)"*
by Karl Denninger
"I shouldn't be surprised at any sort of scam in any industry,
really. With the destruction of the rule of law and the buying of our
government the sort of behavior that we've seen by banksters is utterly
common, such as what UBS did with screwball "bonds" that were in fact
synthetic PUTs- and a bad deal whether you knew what you were buying or not.
But when it comes to studies of various sorts, consider something simple-
the flip of a coin. You and I agree that we will study how coins fall when
flipped. I tell you t... more »
Curative provision to be viewed from position of lay jury
*R v Bishop* 2013 NUCA 3, an appeal from a jury trial, has a useful comment
on how to interpret the curative provision under the Criminal Code:
[142] In any event, the question is not how legally-trained counsel (or
trial judge) viewed the weight of the impugned evidence. The question is
how a lay jury may have. That is why the test for s. 686 is "may have
affected the result", not "must have affected". Nor is the test "result
possibly the same". The idea that this evidence could not have affected lay
jurors because it is certain that they made narrow legalistic distinctions,
or th... more »
Ron Jacobs : From Wounded Knee to Idle No More
Image
by Andy Everson from Huffington Post.
From Wounded Knee to Idle No More
The movement is slowly spreading to the indigenous nations of the
northern United States, which have seen their lands ravaged numerous
times over the course of history in the name of resource extraction.
By Ron Jacobs / The Rag Blog / January 29, 2013
The American Indian Movement’s (AIM) best known and most
First Nation Terrance Nelson 'Standing between the White Man and his money'
By First Nation Terrance Nelson
Roseau River Ojibway
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com
Chief Arlen Dumas
January 29th 2013
Chief, today is a great day for your people. You may not know it
but you have made more impact than all the protests across Canada and
any opposition comments made in the House of Commons yesterday. Now you
are standing between the White Man and
Catching Up
After early January, when I had already written the guest post *Whispers
From the Ghosting Trees* so kindly published today by Greg Laden, several
intriguing new studies have since emerged in just these past few weeks.
For any new readers who might stray by from Greg's blog, I thought I would
do a quick recap, with links back to the posts that go into more detail on
each.
This view is looking out my kitchen window just after sunset, at the steep
hill that looms above Wit's End. When I moved here just about a dozen
years ago, the woods were impenetrable. You could barely walk thro... more »
Personal bias has no place in the criminal justice system
R. v. Nguyen, 2013 ONCA 51 is a good reminder that judges must be careful
in their language and avoid stereotypes and bias:
[5] On the second point, we agree that, against the backdrop of no
evidence in the record, the trial judge should not have said that "[t]o a
certain extent, there is an ethnic element in that certain groups of new
Canadians, or Canadian citizens sharing cultural and ethnic heritage,
appear before the court in unusual numbers charged with marijuana
production." There is no place in the Canadian criminal justice system for
this type of negative and ste... more »
VISIT TO NEWTOWN BEE; ADAM LANZA MYSTERY
*The Sandy Hook Tragedy: An Inquisitive Visit to Newtown, Connecticut*
Extracts from Text and Photos by Scott DeLarm - Global Research News - January
29, 2013.
We spent January 21 in Newtown visiting the Sandy Hook School and Sandy
Hook Volunteer Fire House, Gene Rosen’s residence...
Inside the tent was a chaplain who asked that I not take any photos. There
were hundreds of stuffed animals and candles as well as children’s art ....
I asked the chaplain if she had seen any children whom had been impacted.
She did not answer.,,,
The front of the school is entirely boarded up
... more »
The Economy: "Smart People Share"
*"Smart People Share"*
by Jeffrey Tucker
"For young people facing terrible job prospects and a generally bad
economic environment going forward, starting a business sounds very
appealing. It has advantages over embedding yourself in a big institution,
taking your wages in forms of benefits, and hoping (against hope) to climb
the ladder. It’s never been easier to strike out on your own, except for
one thing: Commerce is always harder than it appears. Success means
overcoming challenges that seem insurmountable and that you never expected.
People write me all the time with busines... more »
Young Men Struggle Most in Pursuit of Stable Jobs: Korea (and the World)
More men over 60 now have jobs than men in their 20s, a first for Korea
since statistics started in 1963.
Statistics Korea on Monday said 1.8 million men aged 60 or older were in
employment last year, up 100,000 from a year ago, compared to only 1.72 men
in their 20s.
The number of employed men in their 20s was the smallest among all age
groups except for teenagers. Those in their 40s were most economically
active with 27.3 percent, those in 30s made up 25.3 percent, those in their
fifties 22.2 percent, those in their sixties 12.5 percent, those in their
20s 12 percent, and teenage... more »
Inside Timbuktu: Angry Looters On The Streets
Crowds of looters have taken to the streets of Timbuktu in Mali after it
was liberated of Islamists, raiding the homes and businesses of suspected
jihadist supporters.
The angry crowd plundered shops they said belonged to Arabs, Mauritanians
and Algerians who they accuse of supporting the Al Qaeda-linked radicals
during their 10-month rule over the ancient city.
http://news.sky.com/story/1044673/mali-angry-looters-hit-timbuktus-streets
They Are Not Of Us
An interesting essay from George Monbiot today on the grooming of oligarchs
and why, even though they govern in our name, they don't rule on our behalf.
They rule as they were born and raised to rule. An excerpt.
*In the Origins of Totalitarianism, Hannah Arendt explains that the nobles
of pre-revolutionary France "did not regard themselves as representative of
the nation, but as a separate ruling caste which might have much more in
common with a foreign people of the same society and condition than with
its compatriots".*
*Last year the former Republican staffer Mike Lofgren wr... more »
In Chicagoland, Exactly One Month From Today...
Residents of the IL-02-- Jesse Jackson Jr.'s old Southland seat-- will
decide who's going to Congress on February 26, 4 weeks from today. And
although there are nearly two dozen candidates running, polls show only two
in the double-digits, progressive state Senator Toi Hutchinson and
self-described "conservative Democrat," ex-Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson.
They're neck and neck but Chicagoland voters who haven't been paying close
enough attention to see the difference got a big jolt today from a headline
in the *Chicago Tribune*: Halvorson says she won't join Democrats on
assaul... more »
Israeli racism against Chechen Muslim football players -- Wait a minute, you mean Jews aren't the only victims?
Fans of Beitar Jerusalem protest against the imminent arrival of two
Chechen Muslim players, holding up banners that read 'Beitar pure forever'
and '70 years of principles'. Beitar is a bastion of Israel's political
right wing and the only major team never to have signed an Arab player. In
a ruling last year, the Israel Football Association (IFA) said Beitar 'had
not made an honest effort to combat fans' racist chants'.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/video/2013/jan/28/israeli-football-chechen-muslim-video
*Matt's thoughts:*
Well isn't this interesting. In fact, several oth... more »
Ontario government admits to dropping the ball on horse racing
The Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ted McMeekin,
has finally come clean to the Ontario horse racing industry that the
ministry made a mistake by rushing the decision to end the
Slots-at-Racetracks Program (SARP).
Why is this important you might ask?
Let me explain.
Years ago the OLG (Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp.) and the horse races
were the only legal ways to gamble in Ontario. Then along came the casino
in Niagara Falls and similar locations. Gamblers began to flock to such
locations and the Ontario government realized that casinos were extremely
... more »
MASE, First Memphis Charter, Up for Renewal or Closure: Where the Oxymoronic Meets the Moronic
When the Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering (MASE) opened 10 years
ago, it was supposed to herald a new day of great achievement in Memphis
schools. Now ten years and millions of wasted dollars later, what was to
be the solution to low test scores has now achieved its way to the bottom
of the barrel in test score accountability. Here's the latest from the
State website:
Grades 3-8: TCAP Criterion Referenced Academic AchievementView Chart ?*(3
year average)**2010**2011**2012**2012 State**CRT*ScoreGradeScoreGradeScore
GradeTrendScoreGradeTrendMath36F34F39FNC52BNCReading/Langua... more »
Whispers from the Ghosting Trees
Greg Laden generously offered me the opportunity to guest post on his blog
(I know, shocking right! A real scientist!!). Here's the beginning of it,
which was published today. You can click here to read the whole thing (and
stick up for me in comments!). Thanks, Greg!!
*Whispers from the Ghosting Trees*
While we hustle busily through the necessities of our lives, wrapped up in
our daily preoccupations - our obligations to our families, our jobs, and
our dreams - at the same time all around the world, trees are silently
expiring. For those who take the time to look, we can see... more »
The South Will Rise Again and No Good Will Come Of It
The American south is often seen as the white trashiest place on the
planet. Even American comedians mock it as the home of rednecks, racists
and rectums.
Canadians tend to have little knowledge of the Deep South although we may
know a good deal about the United States generally. For example, having
grown up along the border and spent time in the States during undergrad, I
was shocked at the revelation that slavery didn't end with the defeat of
the South in the Civil War but persisted, thanks to the perfidy of southern
legislatures and courts, right up until the start of America... more »
He didn't know the secret handshake
Some news from across the atlantic:
Fake Portuguese economist unmasked
And to some lighter news out of Portugal, where a fake economist duped the
nation for months. Our correspondent Giles Tremlett reports:
Artur Baptista da Silva had become one of the most authoritative voices on
Portuguese television, using his experience as an economist and United
Nations consultant to explain why so much austerity was bad for the
bailed-out country's economy.
But now it turns out that the 61-year-old economist who explained so
seriously – and clearly – the damage being inflicted on the country by... more »
Ontario Liberal Sleaze
The following post will be an expansion of the ideas in a comment I left
in response to today's post at Owen Gray's "Northern Reflections" blog. I
very much like Mr. Gray, even as he attempts, now and again, to resurrect
the Liberal brand in Canada. In the case of today's post, where he was
criticizing ONDP leader Andrea Horwath for calling for a public inquiry
into the cancelled gas plants and OPC leader Tim Hudak for launching attack
ads against the new OLIBs' new leader, when the tradition is for party
leaders to be collegial and welcome the leader of a new party, Gray was
basi... more »
OBAMA Style Neoconservative Imperialism
"US Plans to Add Drone Base in Africa" by Craig Whitlock published in
the *The
Washington Post* 1/28/2013:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-plans-to-add-drone-base-in-west-africa/2013/01/28/ce312c24-6994-11e2-aba3-d72352683b69_story.html
[excerpted] The US and Niger 'finalized a new “status of forces”
agreement
that would permit the expanded presence of U.S. troops in the
country....Two Obama administration officials said military planners are
eyeing the West African country of Niger as a base for unarmed Predator
drones, which would greatly boost U.S. spy m... more »
John Friend's Realist Report For Monday, January 28th, 2013
I spent last night listening live (finally) to John Friend's (
www.johnfriendsblog.blogspot.com) Realist Report over the Truth Militia
online network (www.truthmilitia.com). This show had Charles Giuliani
from Oracle Broadcasting Network's (www.oraclebroadcasting.com) "Truth
Hertz" program, in a very lively debate with Pastor Eli James. I have the
link to that show right here for everyone that missed the show to listen
for themselves:
http://blogtalk.vo.llnwd.net/o23/show/4/314/show_4314159.mp3
NTS Notes: It was indeed a very lively debate, and John did his best to try
to keep e... more »
Here We Go Again ... More Phony Liberal 'Policy' on Cannabis Reform ...
*"Marijuana legalization could mean thousands of new jobs and a significant
tax boon for Canadians, according to a new draft policy paper by the
Liberal Party. But the detailed report, released by the Liberals’ B.C branch,
argues that low prices and high quality are essential to keep marijuana
production out of the black market. The paper states that marijuana
prohibition has failed in not only preventing usage among Canada's youth
but also in enabling the black market to flourish. Legalization, it argues,
is essential to fighting organized crime."*
*Victoria Times Colonist*
*Hol... more »
Perceptions and Opinions of the Cyber Threat
This is a guest post by Brandon Valeriano and Ryan Maness. Cyberwar is a
pressing international security problem. The news media breathlessly covers
any potential attack before the facts are in. Policy briefs and reports are
produced on all levels of government and private industry. It would then
behoove us to take a step back and
Continue reading
Stepping back...
*in order to see the forest rather than just trees.*
I've discovered that too much information is sometimes a hindrance to
understanding a situation. It's easier to see the big picture by stepping
back and concentrating on the major pieces of the puzzle and how they fit
together. * *
Too much of my time has been taken up with the trees. It's time to view
the forest. *
*
I can't think of one other thing to say.
*More:*
Moonbattery: Here Comes the Flood
AWD: There’s Something Happening Here
Breitbart: No Deal - Obama: No Border Security Before Path to Citizenship
Keith... more »
Immigration Kabuki
The best part of President Obama's ballyhooed immigration reform speech in
Vegas today is that he'll lose his usual victimization angle. He won't be
able to frame it in terms of "you and me against the
world." (Congress) That is because one of those creepy bipartisan Gangs
beat him to the punch yesterday with their own plan, with John McCain
senilely admitting on behalf of the GOP that it's just a cynical ploy to
shill for the Hispanic vote.
Of course, the Republicans' (and many Democrats') idea of immigration
reform is to ramp up the 3,000-mile border militarized zone, concentratin... more »
After Cornerstone Charter Abuse Scandal Deepens in Memphis, NAACP Demands Accountability from State and Charter Operators
Cornerstone CEO SippelWhat began last fall in Memphis as the corporate
reform schoolers' grand experiment to turn over public schools to white
charter operators with no accountability for how children are treated, has
turned into a nightmare for parents of children at Cornerstone Prep and
other less publicized charter chain gangs for black and poor children in
Memphis.
What began as a charter school abuse story that the local media in Memphis
tried to ignore has erupted into deep rage among parents who previously
were sweet-talked into sending their children to the total compliance... more »
Is "No Budget No Pay" a Misstep?
I highly recommend Stan Collender's latest on GOP budget strategy for those
who aren't quite sure what a "budget" (that is, a Congressional budget
resolution) is and why it does or doesn't matter.
I think I disagree with him, however, on the question of whether "no budget
no pay" was a mistake for the Republican leadership.
Not on the part having to do with the Senate; I agree that pushing the
Senate to pass a budget resolution is basically a waste of the House's
time. But on the other hand, I don't think it matters much. Sure, if the
Senate actually passes a budget resolution this ... more »
Bill Keller breaks all the guild rules!
*TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013*
*Why isn’t this on the front page:* Did we ever mention that we and Bill
Keller share the old home town tie?
In 1965, we graduated from San Mateo’s Aragon High. One mile down the
Alameda, Keller was warehoused at Serra.
We mention this because Keller got something very right in his op-ed column
in yesterday’s New York Times. This makes us think we must have influenced
him somehow back in the home town days.
Good lord! Next thing you know, Keller will be spilling the beans about the
nation’s rapidly improving NAEP scores! Right from his opening paragraph... more »
Obama 2 and Foreign Policy Partisanship: Results of a New Survey of Congressional Staff
Last May, Jon Monten, Will Inboden and I published on Foreignaffairs.com
the results of a survey of about 40 U.S. foreign policy professionals,
split equally among Republicans and Democrats with nearly all of them
having served in some capacity in the Executive Branch. As I discussed here
on the Duck, we found some surprising sources
Continue reading
What is the Value of Fiction?
Someone in one of my Linked In writers groups, taking his cue from an
excellent article in the ***Asia Times*, reiterated the original author's
question: What's the value of fiction ? What follows below is my answer:
------------------------------
It's one thing to challenge your mind by reading alternative theories
not held by you. Someone, I forget who, once said the distinguishing
characteristic of a superior intellect is to simultaneously hold two
opposing sides of an argument.
But aesthetic and philosophical differences aside, there's no reason
to read the work of ... more »
In the Spirit of Cautious Optimism
We find ourselves at the beginning of another year. Although the news we
are constantly subjected to regarding the state of human affairs around the
globe gives us cause to be pessimistic about prospects for the future
viability of the species, there are also trends that may suggest a
different future. I have come to this conclusion not out of unfounded
optimism or purely wishful thinking but rather out of the realization that
there lies an insatiable hunger within the vast majority of the world’s
people for a more peaceful world grounded in true human equality and social
justice.... more »
Climate change blamed for Australia’s extreme weather – ‘The frequency of more intense events is going to increase’
[image: Fire storms over a hill at Maffra in Gippsland, Australia, Januray
2013. Photo: Simon Noble / Instagram]
By Michael Slezak
29 January 2013
The east coast of Australia has been drenched by floods and torrential
rains, even as recent bush fires affecting much of the country continued to
burn. Four people are known to have died as Australians get a further taste
of extreme weather that is predicted to become more common as the planet
warms.
The deluge came as a storm that started as tropical cyclone Oswald just
north of Australia was dragged south over most of the east coast... more »
BLANCO AND BALKANIZATION: Hannity speaks—and his mainstream enablers don't!
*TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013*
*Part 2—One source of the nation's division:* Richard Blanco’s inaugural
poem may be seen as aspirational.
(For part 1 in this award-winning report, just click here.)
In a sprawling continental nation, it’s hard to maintain a sense of unified
national purpose, a sense that we're really one people. Blanco’s poem may
be seen as an encouragement—as a suggestion that we see ourselves as one
national people under our “one sky.”
That said, the nation has been deeply divided in recent years. In truth,
“we the people” *don’t* all believe the same things, as Oba... more »
NASA data registers strong deforestation signals in Sumatra, Borneo, Brazil, Gabon
[image: Mongabay.com's Global Forest Disturbance Alert System (GloF-DAS)
alerts in Sumatra. NASA satellites picked up signals of extensive potential
deforestation in Sumatra, Borneo, Central Africa, the Brazilian and
Peruvian Amazon, the Chocó in Colombia and Ecuador, and the Chaco region of
Paraguay between 1 October 2012 and 31 December 2012. Graphic: mongabay.com]
29 January 2013 (mongabay.com) – NASA satellites picked up signals of
extensive potential deforestation in Sumatra, Borneo, Central Africa, the
Brazilian and Peruvian Amazon, the Chocó in Colombia and Ecuador, and the ... more »
Lovely video of Taiwan, and some links
*A gorgeous video from Gigabyte for a new product launch this week.*
If you haven't seen the pics from '57-8 below this post, take a look.
Meanwhile some links...
- People talking about....Chinese tourist has her kids take a crap in
the airport lounge in Kaohsiung. Have money to travel, can't find the
toilet in the airport. Thank you for specially selecting tourists for us,
government of China.
- People talking about....Rice vermicelli is a major item many local
dishes. The nation was shocked to find that the labeling on almost all rice
vermicelli is false an... more »
Who are the extremists? - Israel Opinion, Ynetnews
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4327421,00.html
NOAA, USGS: Climate change impacts to U.S. coasts threaten public health, safety, and economy
[image: Example of a vulnerability assessment for shoreline change due to
sea-level rise. Maps of the U.S. Atlantic coast show (a) the posterior
probability of shoreline change < −1 meter/year and (b) the maximum
posterior probability for each location. The probabilities are color-coded
and labeled using IPCC likelihood terminology that is familiar to coastal
managers. Source: Gutierrez, et al., 2011]
28 January 2013 (NOAA) – According to a new technical report, the effects
of climate change will continue to threaten the health and vitality of U.S.
coastal communities’ social, eco... more »
'I feel like a stranger where I live’ - Telegraph
Is it true that ' mass immigration is making reluctant racists of us all.'?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/9831912/I-feel-like-a-stranger-where-I-live.html
Read Stuff, You Should
Happy Birthday to Louie Perez, 60.
Lots of good stuff today, so better get right to it:
1. Mike Konczal on the debt-to-GDP ratio: if there is a magic danger point,
economists don't know about it.
2. Filling the IPAB: the problem you didn't even think of. Sarah Kliff
explains.
3. How parties maintain and lose technical advantages, by David Karpf.
4. The Electoral College still turns out to be relatively unbiased (as far
as partisanship is concerned); Andrew Thomas has the graphs.
5. Josh Putnam corrects me: the Electoral College is easier to rig than I
suggested; it just takes so... more »
The Tarnished Brand (Florida Episode)
Will Debbie Wasserman Schultz save the Florida GOP from extinction?
Florida's Republican elected officials don't have to worry about being
buffeted by the vicissitudes of public opinion. As another poll, for
example, shows that Florida voters overwhelmingly back the Medicaid
expansion GOP elected officials are dead set against and as their party
approval collapses in the minds of voters everywhere, Tallahassee
politicians know that the neatly gerrymandered state legislative districts
will keep almost all of them in their lucrative political careers until the
time they can make a try ... more »
NYT: Sitting Down With Amos Oz
'The right of return is a euphemism for the liquidation of Israel. Even for
a dove like myself this is out of the question. Refugees must be resettled
in the future state of Palestine, not Israel.'
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/01/29/opinion/global/roger-cohen-sitting-down-with-amos-oz.xml
No Discretion, No Valor
There was a time when all parties welcomed a new party leader with a
standing ovation. There was a time when all parties allowed that leader
time to adjust to his or her new position. That time has passed. These days
there are no honeymoons.
On the day after Kathleen Wynne was elected leader of the Liberal Party,
Tim Hudak -- following the pattern set a decade ago by his Uncle Stephen --
launched attack ads against Wynne. Andrea Horwath demanded a public
inquiry into the cancelled gas plants.
Martin Regg Cohen points out that:
The auditor general will report on the government’s... more »
Hospital evacuated as Australia hit by heavy flooding
Heavy flooding in Australia caused by torrential rains has forced mass
evacuations from towns along the country's east coast, with critically-ill
patients and newborns from one hospital being airlifted to safety.
The floods, which came in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Oswald, have
killed four people so far, including a three-year-old boy who died after
being hit by a falling tree in Brisbane, Australia's third largest city.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/29/world/asia/australia-queensland-flooding/?hpt=wo_c2
UKIP leader Nigel Farage sees EU exit in "few years"
Britain's withdrawal from the European Union "within a few years" is a
certainty as no government will be able to resist demands for an exit from
a population incensed by the arrival of low-wage migrants, the leader of
the UK Independence Party said.
Nigel Farage, who is siphoning off voters from Prime Minister David
Cameron's Conservatives by attacking EU bureaucracy and immigration from
eastern Europe, said it was the dramatic rise of his own party that had
pressured the premier into promising last week what would be a historic EU
referendum.
"Cameron's speech was the moment whe... more »
Man sells canned fresh air in China. Welcome to yuppie capitalism, comrades
This is a story that shows how deliriously capitalist China has become (for
good and bad). Rapid industrialisation has covered northern China in a
dense pea soup of toxic chemicals. In the past, the old fashioned communist
solution might have been either to ignore the problem or, if people insist
on dying, organise the entire country in a “popular war on bourgeois
toxins.” But in a post-Mao order, how does China’s elite deal with
pollution? Yuppie consumerism.
Chen Guangbiao, an entrepreneur worth $740 million (how, why, and would he
like to meet my daughters?) has started selling ... more »
British Based Syrian Opposition Group: 65 People Shot Dead With Hands Bound
A Syrian opposition group says 65 people, apparently shot in the head, have
been found dead, with their hands bound, in Aleppo.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the death toll
could rise as high as 80, calling the killings a "new massacre".
Photos posted online by activists showed the muddied bodies of several men
lying by a small river.
http://news.sky.com/story/1044524/syrian-group-65-people-shot-dead-with-hands-bound
No "special" treatment for aboriginal people?
Yesterday's National Post had an OpEd from a status Indian explaining, in
detail, why there should be no special treatment for aboriginal peoples in
Canada. He noted that oppression in the past, while dreadful, ought not to
come down to modern people who had nothing to do with the wrongdoing.
A legitimate, if somewhat over-simplistic, argument. Not an argument that
I agree with but rational and reasonable.
But that's why today's cover story in the Post struck me:
*Step-grandchildren of infamous Nazi propaganda boss Joseph Goebbels are
hidden billionaires Story*
Apparently some we... more »
Bedroom Tax: No Answers
Some lowlights from yesterday's DWP session in the Commons. Dignifying
Ministers' replies with the appellation 'answers' is to duff up the English
language. I've focused on the landlords' subsidy and the bedroom tax for
this sorry selection from Hansard. Studious straight-answer avoidance and
whataboutery rules the roost. They treat it like a game because, for the
government, it is. I guess you can expect this from a snake oil merchant
like IDS but Steve Webb (pictured), the LibDem minister for pensions, is
supposed to be some kind of "lefty". Oh really? Then I'm a hatstand.
*Jess... more »
Beijing shuts factories, removes cars, but pollution stays high
Beijing temporarily shut down 103 heavily polluting factories and took 30
percent of government vehicles off roads to combat dangerously high air
pollution, state media reported on Tuesday, but the capital's air remained
hazardous despite the measures.
Air quality in Beijing has mostly stayed above "very unhealthy" and
"hazardous" levels for about two weeks. On Tuesday, it hit 517 on an index
maintained by the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, which described the pollution as
"Beyond Index".
Pollution in Beijing regularly exceed 500 on an index that measures
particulate matter in the air wi... more »
Egypt's army chief warns of 'state collapse' amid crisis
Egypt's army chief has warned that the current political crisis "could lead
to a collapse of the state".
General Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, in comments posted on his Facebook page,
said such a collapse could "threaten future generations".
He made his statement following a large military deployment in three cities
along the Suez Canal where a state of emergency has been declared.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21241753
Prescription Sleeping Pills Lead to 4x Increase in Premature Death Risk by Elizabeth Renter
Prescription Sleeping Pills Lead to 4x Increase in Premature Death Risk
by Elizabeth Renter
Natural Society, 29 January 2013
*As a nation, our dependence on prescription drugs continues to climb.
Even kids are heavily medicated, with over **25% of children being on some
type of prescription drug**, wheather it be antidepressants,
antipsychotics, or ADHD pills. Prescription sleep aids, called hypnotics,
are also being tossed back at an alarming rate and with little thought to
their negative effects. One recent study revealed that these pills may do
more than help you get some zzz... more »
Untitled
*John Georges expresses ‘serious interest’ in The Advocate ~Timothy Boone*
*Saints extended GM Mickey Loomis ~ESPN*
*It’s a fine, fine day for a reunion ~moosedenied*
*Settlement reached on Super Bowl "Clean Zone" ~WWLTV*
*Free bikes to get around Super Bowl events*
*LSU reorganizing Coastal Studies Institute*
*Streetcar Expansion Could Help Local Communities ~WWNO*
*Dueling petitions address food truck status ~Danny Monteverde*
*Feet on the Street, Local Fish on the Table*
*Krewe of Rex 2013 illustrated parade notes *
4.6 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS - 29th January 2013
Magnitude
4.6
Date-Time
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 09:03:20 UTC
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 09:03:20 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
24.059°S, 179.828°W
Depth
505.1 km (313.9 miles)
Region
SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
Distances
395 km (245 miles) SSW of Ndoi Island, Fiji
Mali: British Troops To Join French Mission
Forty British troops are to be deployed to Mali in a training role to help
the French-led mission against Islamist militants, according to Sky sources.
The British personnel will be part of an EU force to train Malian soldiers
for after French troops have left.
Up to 350 UK troops are to be deployed in total to Africa, all in
non-combat roles, Sky News understands. This is part of a UN-led mission.
http://news.sky.com/story/1044320/mali-british-troops-to-join-french-mission
5.0 Magnitude Earthquake EASTERN KAZAKHSTAN - 29th January 2013
Magnitude mb 5.0
Region EASTERN KAZAKHSTAN
Date time 2013-01-29 08:57:56.8 UTC
Location 42.63 N ; 79.71 E
Depth 1 km
Distances 53 km S Koshkar, Kazakhstan
U.S. military spy drone that's so powerful it can see what type of phone you're carrying from 17,500ft
The ARGUS-IS array can be mounted on unmanned drones to capture an area
of
15 sq/miles in an incredible 1,800MP - that's 225 times more sensitive
than
the camera on an iPhone. From 17,500ft above the ground, the remarkable
surveillance system can capture objects as small as 6in on the ground
and
allows commanders to track movements across an entire battlefield in
real
time.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2269563/The-U-S-militarys-real-time-Google-Street-View-Airborne-spy-camera-track-entire-city-1-800MP.html
Was there an explosion at Iranian nuclear plant? Government denies reports of blast at top secret facility
Iran has denied reports of a major explosion at its Fordow nuclear
facility, one of its most sensitive uranium enrichment sites.
The country has described the claims as Western propaganda which they say
is intended to influence upcoming international nuclear negotiations.
The reports originate with Israeli intelligence sources in Tel Aviv, who
since Friday have spoken of an explosion damaging the Fordow bunker which
is situated deep under a mountain near the religious city of Qom.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2269507/Iran-denies-reports-explosion-Fordow-underground-uraniu... more »
Marcelo Santos Lead singer of band linked to Brazil nightclub inferno is arrested at dead bandmate's wake
The lead singer of the band believed to be responsible for causing the
nightclub fire that killed 234 people in Brazil was arrested as he
attended
the wake of his bandmate today.
Marcelo Santos of the Gurizada Fandangueuira band, was arrested by
police
at the Santa Maria municipal gymnasium during a collective wake among
the
coffins of the 234 dead.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2269625/Brazil-nightclub-Lead-singer-pyrotechnics-band-Gurizada-Fandangueira-linked-Brazil-nightclub-inferno-arrested-wake-accordion-player.html
Passenger Plane Crashes In Kazakhstan
A plane reported to be carrying 20 passengers and crew has crashed near
Almaty, Kazakhstan.
All 20 people on board were killed, Russia's Interfax news agency reported,
quoting SCAT airlines.
The accident reportedly happened near Almaty, the financial capital of the
Central Asian country, close to the border with neighbouring Kyrgyzstan.
http://news.sky.com/story/1044361/passenger-plane-crashes-in-kazahstan
Stephen Campbell and Michael Beardmore Jailed for 18 Months for stealing £3 from a 14 year old
Two thugs have been jailed for robbing a schoolboy for just three pounds.
Stephen Campbell and Michael Beardmore confronted the teenager in Dover,
Kent, last June, before grabbing him around the neck demanding cigarettes
and money.
Scared of being attacked, the boy handed over all the cash he had, which he
had saved for his bus fare home.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2269689/Thugs-robbed-14-year-old-schoolboy-just-3-jailed-18-months.html
*No doubt this will be reviewed by one of UK notorious pretend Judges or
the Sinister European Court of Human Rights, before they are ... more »
FIREBALLS erupt from exploding manhole covers in America after electrical fire.....(Fracking jumps to mind!)
This is the moment an underground blaze caused several pillars of fire
to
erupt from sewer coverings in downtown Omaha.
The image was captured by a Reddit user who was in their apartment at
the
time of the explosion.
The fire caused the power to be cut to areas surrounding the area where
the
fire broke out.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2269859/Pictured-Incredible-moment-string-FIREBALLS-erupt-Omaha-sewers-electrical-fire.html
Indian teenager accused of Delhi gang-rape faces a maximum of ONLY three years in jail
An Indian teenager accused of taking part in the gang rape and murder of a
23-year-old student in New Delhi will be tried as a juvenile, facing a
maximum of three years in prison if convicted, a special panel has ruled.
The teenager has not yet been formally charged because police were hoping
he would be declared an adult so they could include him in the main trial
of his five co-accused.
He does not have a lawyer and his account of what happened on December 16
is not known.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2269725/Indian-teenager-accused-Delhi-gang-rape-faces-maximum-year-ja... more »
How the Chancellor has cut 119 taxes since the Coalition came to power... but raised another 299
The Coalition has increased nearly 300 taxes since its formation, a report
reveals today.
Chancellor George Osborne has introduced more than twice as many tax rises
as he has cuts.
The Treasury has implemented or pencilled in 299 separate increases since
May 2010, but only 119 cuts.
And the new taxes will mean that taxpayers will shell out £671billion a
year by 2015/16 – a 15 per cent increase on the £513billion in the final
year of the Labour government.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2269870/How-Chancellor-cut-119-taxes-Coalition-came-power--raised-299.html
France is 'totally bankrupt', jobs minister admits as concerns grow over Hollande's tax-and-spend policies
Socialist
France is 'totally bankrupt', a senior government minister
admitted yesterday.
Michel Sapin, who is in charge of the employment ministry in Paris, made
it
clear that his government's tax-and-spend policies are just not working.
Just half a year since his party came to power, Mr Sapin told radio
listeners: 'There is a state but it is a totally bankrupt state.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2269938/France-totally-bankrupt-jobs-minister-admits-concerns-grow-Hollandes-tax-spend-policies.html
Egyptian protesters defy curfew, attack police stations
Egyptian protesters defied an overnight curfew in restive towns along the
Suez Canal, attacking police stations after Islamist President Mohamed
Mursi imposed emergency rule to end days of clashes that have left at least
52 people dead.
At least two men died in overnight fighting in the canal city of Port Said,
the latest unrest in a wave of violence unleashed last week on the eve of
the anniversary of the 2011 revolt that brought down autocrat Hosni Mubarak.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/29/us-egypt-anniversary-idUSBRE90N1E620130129
Julian Ponder Jailed For Six Years for cocaine possession in Bali
British national Julian Ponder has been jailed for six years after being
convicted of cocaine possession in Bali.
Prosecutors in Indonesia had asked for a seven-year prison term, and he
could have faced a maximum sentence of life.
Lindsay Sandiford, the British grandmother sentenced to death for smuggling
cocaine worth £1.5m onto the island, had alleged that Ponder was the man
she was going to deliver the cocaine to.
http://news.sky.com/story/1044338/bali-drugs-case-brit-jailed-for-six-years
Suicide bomber strikes near Somali presidential palace
A suicide bomber blew himself up near the Somali presidential palace on
Tuesday, killing at least one soldier and wounding two others in a strike
apparently aimed at the country's leaders, a palace guard at the scene said.
Officials working in the palace and palace guards said Somali President
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was abroad at the time of the blast and the country's
prime minister, near whose house the explosion took place was safe.
"The bomber killed one soldier and injured two others," the guard told
Reuters. "The man blew up himself near a wall between the Ethiopian embassy
and... more »
GOEBBELS FAMILY - RICH AND JEWISH
*Magda Goebbels and her children, including Harald.*
Magda Goebbels was born Johanna Maria Magdalena Behrend.
Magda's mother Auguste Behrend divorced Oskar Ritschel and married a
JEWISH businessman named Richard Friedländer.
Magda Goebbels once dated Haim Arlosoroff.
He became a prominent ZIONIST.
Magda married Günther Quandt, a rich German industrialist twice her age.
Quandt's business later grew into VARTA batteries among other businesses.
He also had large shareholdings in BMW and Daimler-Benz.
Magda and Gunther produced a child called Harald.
*Harald, being touched by Ad... more »
Confirming North Korean Nuclear-test almost impossible
North Korea appears all set to detonate an atomic device, but confirming
the explosion when it takes place will be virtually impossible for
outsiders, specialists said Tuesday.
The best indication of a test will be seismic tremors and abnormal
radiation in the air, but even that can be masked if North Korea wants to.
In all likelihood the first word of the test will come from Pyongyang
itself, just as it happened when the country conducted nuclear tests in
2006 and 2009.
Last week, North Korea warned a third nuclear test is planned to protest
toughened international sanctions meant... more »
Iceland slams Europe over fishing
Iceland's president has dismissed the European Union's Common Fisheries
Policy as a "colossal failure" as some 75% of Europe's fish stock is
endangered.
The policy sets quotas for each of the 27 member states and for types of
fish.
"Europe is the problem," Olafur Ragnar Grimsson said at the World Economic
Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
"It is paradoxical that Europeans see themselves as the most enlightened
policy makers in the world," he added.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21206881
Icesave ruling in Iceland's favour costs UK taxpayers £100m, thanks to the European Court
UK
taxpayers have been left more than £100m out of pocket after a European
court ruled that the Icelandic government had no obligation to repay
Britain and the Netherlands for rescuing depositors in failed bank
Icesave.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/9831785/Icesave-ruling-in-Icelands-favour-costs-UK-taxpayers-100m.html
*This
comes just days after the President of Iceland made the following
statement regarding Icland's plans to abolish joining the European
Union:
"It's quite clear both in my country and other parts of northern Europe
that there is a g... more »
RBS close to Libor settlement with US, UK authorities - WSJ
Royal Bank of Scotland Group is close to a 500 million pounds settlement
with U.S. and British authorities over claims that some of its employees
submitted false Libor rates, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing
people briefed on the negotiations.
The settlement would involve the British bank pleading guilty to criminal
charges in addition to paying a penalty. However, RBS executives are
resisting any guilty plea, the Journal said.
The deal is expected to close within the next two weeks, the Journal
reported.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/01/29/uk-rbs-libor-settlement-idUK... more »
Brisbane risks running out of drinking water
Parts of Brisbane could run out of drinking water overnight if the city’s
residents don’t use drought-style water saving measures.
Mt Crosby Water Treatment Plant has been forced to shut down because of
turbidity caused by the flood and Wivenhoe Dam has begun releases in a bid
to clean the water.
It will be a few days before the treatment plant is operating again and
before then Brisbane homes will only have access to half the clean drinking
water they would usually consume, according to Premier Campbell Newman.
‘‘If people just used water at the normal rate in certain parts of
Bri... more »
Protesters defy curfew in Egypt troublespots
Protesters have defied a night time curfew in Ismailia on the Suez Canal.
They are ignoring the state of emergency declared by President Mohammed
Mursi as he tries to stop the surge of violence that has claimed more than
50 lives.
The army has been deployed in Port Said, as well as in Suez. The government
has also agreed a measure to let soldiers arrest civilians.
“I’ve lost my son,” one woman wailed,“how can I get him back? He is
sleeping now, none of this can bother him anymore.”
http://www.euronews.com/2013/01/29/protesters-defy-curfew-in-egypt-troublespots/
Recaptured by moonlight, the fabled desert city where Islamists burned books in a bitter farewell
The recapture of Timbuktu was done by moonlight. More than 250 French
troops parachuted down to the northern entrance of the fabled desert city,
while an armoured column sealed the southern exit.
After close to a year of occupation by Islamists, which has driven more
than half the population from Mali’s cultural heart and left an unknown
toll on its famous libraries and shrines, the ordeal was over.
“Not a shot was fired,” said a French Colonel who declined to give his
name, but confirmed he had led the 12-day operation to retake the city.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/af... more »
High-tech tots?
Science education: No reason to panic
Sent to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, January 27, 2013
The Hopkins District has introduced science education into preschool
(“Hopkins School District takes science ed down to the next level,” Jan
27), apparently under the impression that the US is experiencing a shortage
of science and technology experts.
Hopkins administrators may want to consult research done by Rutgers
Professor Hal Salzman, who concludes that there are two to three qualified
graduates for each science/tech opening: There is a surplus, not a shortage.
We are all in favor of hi... more »
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment