Thursday, March 28, 2013

28 March - Blogs I'm Following

10:12am MDST

Debating the Benefits of Nuclear Superiority, Part III

Daniel Nexon at Duck of Minerva - 8 minutes ago
Editor’s Note: Back in February I riffed on a post by Erik Voeten in which Erik discussed two articles in International Organization (IO). One, by our colleague Matt Kroenig, argued that nuclear superiority gives states advantages in crisis bargaining (PDF). Another, by Todd Sechser and Matthew Fuhrmann, rejects this claim (PDF). After the two posts sparked some interesting discussion–both on- and offline–I approached Continue reading

Amooc Time

Daniel Nexon at Duck of Minerva - 8 minutes ago
About a month ago I wrote that: The recent obsession with MOOCs has its roots in three interlocking trends: the application of business-school speak to higher education, technology fetishism, and the quest to push down labor costs. It wouldn’t be too much of an exaggeration to say that these are three faces of late-modern capitalism: the Continue reading

Part 2:Cyprus, Israel,Turkey, Syria: NATO and global resource diversion/control

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 19 minutes ago
*Must Read :Part 1:Cyprus, Israel,Turkey, Syria: NATO and global resource diversion/control before you read any further into the post below, unless you have been reading along here for the past month, minimally.* *Here is where Turkey & Israel come into play.* Recall the big news of Israel 'apologizing' to Turkey? That very strategic, very timely move happened in relation to Syria's destabilization. As I had mentioned it would on numerous occasions. If your new to my previous claims, refresh yourself here: Israel/Turkey "kiss and makeup" Ominous for Syrian Situation Yet another rea... more »

We can fly

Sophia at AMERICAN KABUKI - 26 minutes ago
We are swimming in a sea of possibility. Whatever we desire is right here. All that’s missing is focus. This is all created by us. Thoughts attract more and more of whatever they look or feel like. We know this. We’ve heard it before. Yet we persist in accepting what life “deals” to us. Why? Creation requires active thought. The word “energize” works here. It is an action; it is a doing. You cannot sit still while energizing, and you are never still. Always a thought is emerging on the tail of the one before it. This being that you are is a creation machine! Yo... more »

Salon attempts to discuss the Chicago schools!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 31 minutes ago
*THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013* *We liberals don’t care about black kids:* Yesterday, Salon attempted to discuss Chicago’s public schools. In a rational world, the bungling would be a scandal. The piece was written by Natasha Lennard, "an assistant news editor at Salon, covering non-electoral politics, general news and rabble-rousing." We were struck by one key word in the headline: *Mass protests hit Chicago over school closures* The Chicago Teachers Union is rallying support against closures that will disproportionately affect black, Latino kids We were struck by that one key word: ... more »

How The Civilian Surge In Iraq Didn’t Quite Meet Its Mark

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 1 hour ago
In January 2007, President George Bush announced the Surge. He called for two marine battalions and five army brigades to head towards Iraq along with an increased number of reconstruction workers to conduct a unified counterinsurgency campaign. The argument was that the increased troops would help bring down violence, and allow for reconciliation. On the civilian side, more Americans were to be sent out into the provinces to work with Iraqis to find out their needs, and help empower them to run their own country. While the extra forces helped bring down violence in Iraq the civi... more »

Re-Visiting US Funded Death Squads in Latin America?

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 1 hour ago
Honduras: A Culture of Impunity. Is the US State Department Misleading Congress about Possible US Funding for Honduran Death Squads. (2013, March 28). Al Jazeera, http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestoryamericas/2013/03/201332882542746858.html [Excerpted] A new investigation has further highlighted the culture of impunity that exists within the Honduran police force.The Associated Press heard testimony that strongly suggests that people are being disappeared by roving groups of armed officers. There are claims that the US Congress may be funding these units…. [end] Majia... more »

Waiting for peak oil: a paradox

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 1 hour ago
As an enthusiastic proponent of fracking, Gene sent me a link to this NBC article Power shift: Energy boom dawning in America that argues, among other things, that due to fracking, the U.S. will leapfrog Saudi Arabia and Russia to become the #1 fossil fuel producer by 2020. Already today, we see amazingly dropping prices of natural gas and many other things will follow. The technologies are getting better all the time. You get the point but you may find more information about these matters. Just minutes later, I opened the blog of Alexander Ač, a crazy professional Czech and Slo... more »

Part 1:Cyprus, Israel,Turkey, Syria: NATO and global resource diversion/control

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 1 hour ago
*Yes, we are going long.* With many links. To understand complicated situations, we must delve into a more broad spectrum of information. We are also going to look back to move forward. I am encouraging readers to read the entire two part post once it is up. A great deal of my time is invested in this post. Time to think and time to write up. *Cyprus: Island in the Sun* *So let's begin with today's news:* As we are all aware Cyprus is reopening it's banks for the first time in nearly two weeks. With very strict controls in place. Controls that will most assuredly remain permanent... more »

The Cyprus banking system explained

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 1 hour ago
Clarke and Dawe explain in their own manner... *Thanks to Theo Spark for the spot.*

What is the purpose of insurance?

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 1 hour ago
A friend points me to this passage: At a White House briefing Tuesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said some of what passes for health insurance today is so skimpy it can't be compared to the comprehensive coverage available under the law. "Some of these folks have very high catastrophic plans that don't pay for anything unless you get hit by a bus," she said. "They're really mortgage protection, not health insurance." I have the same problem with my other insurance policies. My homeowner insurance doesn't cover the cost when my gutters need cleaning, and... more »

GLOBAL REPUTATION OF HYPOCRISY

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 hour ago
- As the wealthy have gotten wealthier, a new study reported by the Washington Post found, an economic arms race has been created in which the middle class has been spending beyond their means in order to keep up with the Joneses. The study calls this “trickle-down consumption.” The result? Americans are saving less, bankruptcies are becoming more common, and politicians are pushing for policies to make it easier to take on debt. As the rich spend more on things like expensive preschools or fitness clubs or even fashion, their middle-income neighbors start ... more »

Don't Drink the Yellow Snow

jurassicpork at Welcome Back to Pottersville - 1 hour ago
(Tip o' the tinfoil hat to reader CC) This is what passes for propaganda nowadays. After watching this four and a half minute-long clip on North Korean TV, you'll be begging for Goebbels and PRAVDA to make a comeback. Either that or you'll be laughing your ass off at the North Koreans' obsession with Americans drinking snow. But hey, at least America's poor, hungry and homosexual who are lucky enough to have floors to sleep on can huddle together. Although I wish the poors hadn't eaten all the birds. Watch out for a cameo of a Republican candidate from Oregon, whoeve... more »

THE ROAD TO IRAQ: The liberal world just keeps getting conned!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 1 hour ago
THU*RSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013* *Part 4—Richard Perle and our own liberal swine:* It’s amazing how often we liberals get conned while watching The One True Channel. Consider one of the many things Chris Matthews said on last Friday’s Hardball. Matthews was lustily praising himself as a brave anti-war freedom fighter in the run-up to the war in Iraq. He pimped himself on last Friday’s Hardball, then again on the 10 PM discussion program concerning the documentary, Hubris. This Monday, he was at it again, praising himself for his antiwar stand. In all these instances, he got over with a ... more »

The Conservative Coalition

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 1 hour ago
This week's revolt in the Conservative caucus has exposed the government's fault lines. Tom Walkom writes that the Harper Party is split three ways: Over the past eight days, three of those factional fault lines have emerged into full public view. The first is economic. Some Conservatives are true market zealots who view any interference with the workings of demand and supply as anathema. It was these Conservatives that Small Business Minister Maxime Bernier was speaking to last week when he publicly chastised Finance Minister Jim Flaherty for asking mortgage lender Manulife Finan... more »

Food Stamp Use Up Dramatically in US

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 1 hour ago
The article attributes the rise in food stamp use primarily to the economy, but also notes that there has been some loosening of eligibility restrictions. I can tell you that the eligibility restrictions are very rigorous. I recently had a student come to me in distress because she found out she was ineligible for food stamps, despite having no assets, because of her student status. I've had former students (since graduated) with children who really needed the stamps, but were deemed ineligible because they had some limited retirement assets. I think growing dependence on food st... more »

Turning Canada's Back on the World

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 2 hours ago
We're out. The Harper government has pulled Canada out of the U.N. convention to fight drought in the world. We're officially the only country to exit the drought agreement. Every other nation remains a party to the convention. We stand alone, supposedly because John Baird wasn't pleased with "the results" the group had achieved. With a government as duplicitous and secretive as Harper's we can only guess at this government's true motives. It certainly wasn't the trifling amount Canada was contributing to the effort. For the period 2010 to 2013 Canada kicked in a whopping $2... more »

Apologies...

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 2 hours ago
*A morning market mess in Dongshih.....* Just overwhelmed with work at the moment. Gonna listen to the symphonies of Joly Braga Santos (Two and Four are especially lovely) and finish up my work. Might have a post up in a couple of days. _______________________ [Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, and scores of links to other Taiwan blogs and forums! Delenda est, baby.

Read Stuff, You Should

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 2 hours ago
Happy Birthday to Ken Howard, 69. Do people even know about the White Shadow? A little good stuff: 1. Doug Ahler, Jack Citrin, and Gabriel Lenz on polarization and the new(ish) primary law in California. 2. Conor Friedersdorf on drones. 3. Dan Larison makes an obvious but overlooked point. 4. And welcome to the news media, 2013 edition.

A CO2 apocalypse and what caused it - an answer

address-withheld@my.opera.com.invalid (Dr. John v. Kampen) at - 2 hours ago
Link: http://youtu.be/2mxjeCqngJI *Our ancestors thought* their Gods caused disaster and havoc. Since the Gods were dismissed only some 400 years ago we tend to believe that WE ourselves are the cause of global catastrophes. What may be true for moneyor a traffic accident certainly doesn't hold true for Nature. Its Grand Scheme only sees the holistic rhythm of things, the natural cycles that may take many years, hundreds of years or even far longer to return to some starting point again. But also the connections between all natural phenomena, whether that is a lightning strike, or a... more »

NASA: Mars in collision with asteroid 2013A1?!

address-withheld@my.opera.com.invalid (Dr. John v. Kampen) at - 2 hours ago
Link: http://youtu.be/8r9U29gnhbo - Bear in mind: this is NOT Comet C2012/S1 (ISON): http://youtu.be/-1GMB52BI2M *Rush hour in the skies*? Do we live in a shooting gallery? John

Giving

John Carroll at Dying in Haiti - 2 hours ago
Short video from the New York Times. Could be a satire of all of us who are trying to "help" Haiti.

Blue America Hires A Forensic Specialist To Look Over Bachmann's Crooked Dealings

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 3 hours ago
You've probably seen that right-wing extremist Michele Bachmann (R-MN) has been in trouble with federal regulators regarding monkey business with the huge flows of cash into and out of her political campaigns. The semi-independent Office of Congressional Ethics is investigating how she's been using her campaign funds, similar charges that forced Jesse Jackson, Jr. to resign and get sentenced to prison. She's now using her campaign funds to hire the biggest, most well-connected, most expensive-- and most people Inside-the-Beltway admit the absolute shadiest-- law firm in DC, Patton... more »

ALECers Get "Education" at Canadain Tar Sands

2old2care at Because I Can - 3 hours ago
FIRST Saw this on Daily Kos This is a very short note to provide notice to all that the U.S. Department of State has scheduled a public meeting on the KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE for April 18, 2013 in Grand Island, Nebraska. They will be taking comment on the Supplemental EIS recently published March 8 and up for a 45 day comment period. Procedures for the Public Meeting Speakers: All members of the public are welcome to attend the meeting and state their comments for the administrative record. Persons who want to speak at the meeting will need to sign up in person at the entrance o... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 3 hours ago
*Katrina's winds too weak to destroy Biloxi houses, State Farm claims manager says ~Anita Lee, SunHerald.com* Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2013/03/27/4555678/katrinas-winds-too-weak-to-destroy.html#storylink=cpy *Corps of Engineers Excels at Wasting Money ~Ryan Alexander* ~Editilla Co'tellas~Setting aside the Exquisite Corps' current extortion of New Orleans with their never-finished *Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System in Name Only * (HSDRRSNO), take for example: The M/V * Mississippi* is (according to Corps PR) a "working" towboat for the USACE Memphis Di... more »

In case you missed it "Cold Dead Hands"

2old2care at Because I Can - 3 hours ago
'Cold Dead Hand' is abt u heartless motherf%ckers unwilling 2 bend 4 the safety of our kids.Sorry if you're offended… say.ly/jtu5rar — Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) March 24, 2013 From Crooks and Liars.

Irrational dissatisfactions with physics

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 5 hours ago
When people aren't understanding certain issues in physics and when they're asking questions, e.g. at the Physics Stack Exchange, they understandably seem unhappy about something. When something seems strange or something doesn't make sense, it's sensible for people to feel somewhat disturbed or unhappy. All of us know the feeling. In some cases, the dissatisfaction depends on a technical result and there are many of them to be learned. However, I would say that way too often, people are dissatisfied because of reasons that are utterly non-technical and that are universal. One s... more »

BEREZOVSKY; LITVINENKO; BIN LADEN; JEWISH MAFIA

Anon at aangirfan - 7 hours ago
"The global organized crime syndicate ... has ... thoroughly permeated the American political and business system... "Across the United States, FBI agents have been hamstrung by the Justice and Homeland Security Departments... whose close links to the Russian-Israeli Mafia ... have seen case after case involving Russian-Israeli mobsters going un-investigated and virtually ignored... *The Russian-Israeli Mafia: Off-limits to FBI, US intelligence ...* *Forest Hills - home of the Mafia. aangirfan.blogspot.com* "As seen in the poisoning of Russian ex-FSB and KGB agent Alexander Litv... more »

For the idiots and those full of hate who scream "we are all Hamas now"

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 8 hours ago
This is what Hamas do, still proud?

TV Dragon Breathes New Life Into Jessops

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 8 hours ago
'The collapsed high street camera chain Jessops is being relaunched today by Peter Jones, of Dragon's Den fame.' More here on Sky News. I felt sorry for Jessops when they went under and am pleased that they may return to the high street; we need proper camera shops not just Internet suppliers. Jessops had mostly knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff and you could at least handle the cameras you were thinking of buying, something you can't do on the Internet. However many years ago, I was very keen on photography and saw something play out many times... On New Oxford Street in Lon... more »

Deposit Confiscation

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 9 hours ago
Fundamentally, the state owes an obligation to the first standard deviation of all depositors by size to preserve their deposits and matching assets in full. This is done through prudent banking. Outside that magic pool that preserves every household, the banks can accept large deposits and take large risks and they can all go bust or make great profits. That is called investment banking. Deposit insurance was never meant to backstop any form of speculation. That the losers have worked assiduously to lay off their mistakes is certainly no surprise and will not end until... more »

Leadership Failure

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 9 hours ago
This item makes the much more telling argument that we are dealing with structural failure most of the time or realistically all the time. Solving that type of failure is naturally difficult since we have long remained unsatisfied. I have been saying as much on specific cases for years. In fact much of our civilization is gamed disadvantageously and tradition has kept it all in place. I see our core problem as our dependence on a command and control model and no obvious replacement put in place. I have thought through an alternate that I call the rule of twelve, but it may ... more »

Cannabis and Graham Hancock

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 9 hours ago
This is an informed comment of cannabis well worth reading. Momentum is presently in the direction of legalizing and regulating the proper use of this drug. It will not stop outright abuse as that is usually part of a different problem altogether. I anticipate that the winding down of the 'war on drugs' will take years and ignorance will continue to be the preferred stance. In the meantime individuals deal with it as they can and this looks to be a case of masking as far a arthritis is concerned. *Was I wrong to quit cannabis completely?* *Greg Hancock* * I recently an... more »

Mystery Booms

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 9 hours ago
This is both amusing and makes total sense. No good old boy is going to ask either the mines department or the EPA for permission if they can help it and they most certainly have title anyway so surface rights are no problem. The boom will have overwhelmed the original suppliers a long time ago and anything close to spec would be satisfactory. I am sure that the engineers can determine quality on site when they take delivery. (The sand has to be rounded and within a screening standard). Thus a convenient bench on the back forty can soon become a quarry with a screener,... more »

For Your Reading Torture: The Army Corps of Engineers Permit

Alex Lotorto at Stop The Tennessee Pipeline! - 9 hours ago
Our protest 2/26/2013, Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia HQ by Alex Lotorto On Monday, March 25, in a filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. stated that they had received all required federal permits, including those needed from the Obama administration's Army Corps of Engineers for wetland, streams, and river crossings in Pennsylvania. After clear cutting was complete, TGP was forced to leave the trees laying in Pennsylvania because they had not received this permit. Now, heavy equipment can move in to construct Loops 317, 319, 321, and... more »

Robert H. King responds to Louisiana Attorney General James Caldwell

angola3news at Angola 3 News - 10 hours ago
*This statement from Robert King was released as part of the new issue of the A3 Coalition newsletter, which you can read in full here. * *Albert Woodfox* Many thanks to all of you who have aided our cause and added your voices to our quest to free Albert from an obviously unjust imprisonment of more than 40 years. Please continue to make your voices heard and your dissent known, especially in light of the recent email response by Louisiana's Attorney General, James Caldwell. One wonders: Why in the face of so many mitigating facts and circumstances would the Attorney General persis... more »

March 27, 1973

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 10 hours ago
Nixon and Haldeman are back in Washington, dealing with the McCord accusations that have leaked, Jeb Magruder's new threats, Dean's impossible situation, the continuing possibility that Hunt or Liddy will start talking, the continuing effort to find some way to get on top of things, the Gray nomination (which is still out there)...it's going to be a busy day. (Note: At this point, and for the next few weeks, there's far more information than I can include in these posts; I'll do what I can, but the White House is now obsessed with Watergate -- and there's also the prosecutors and... more »

Universal internet slows after main attack in history

Megaan at Current news updates, World current news - 10 hours ago
*The internet around the world has been slowed down in what security experts are describing as the biggest cyber-attack of its type in history.*A row between a spam-fighting set and hosting firm has sparked reprisal attacks affecting the wider internet. It is having an impact on popular services like Netflix - and experts worry it could rise to affect banking and email systems. Five national cyber-police-forces are investigating the attacks. Spamhaus, a group based in both London and Geneva, is a non-profit association which aims to assist email providers filter out spam and oth... more »

Delayed Spring: Egypt's Morsi Is Not A Very Popular Leader

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 11 hours ago
Assad is more popular in his country than Morsi is in his, and yet the latter is the beneficiary of a youth-led revolution. In the context of the Arab Spring this doesn't make any sense, but there is a good reason why Assad is more popular than Morsi. What is going on in Syria cannot be attributed to the Arab Spring. Syria is under attack from the outside, and most of the so-called "rebels" are foreign-born Jihadists (Libyans, Tunisians, etc). Basically, the scum of the Islamic world have descended on Syria and are tearing Syrian society apart with the help of U.S. money and weapons... more »

Happy Easter

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 11 hours ago
Yes, folks, it’s Easter—that time of year in which we celebrate the advent of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, with all that suggests: fertility, new life, rebirth, the end of the darkness of Winter. No wonder then that this celebration, named after Ishtar (pronounced “Easter”)—the Babylonian goddess of fertility, war, love, and sex—involves eating, drinking, eggs, buns and rabbits. Oh, and a dead figure from Christian mythology: the Christian festival having been grafted onto (and borrowed from) the pagan. Ishtar’s Sunday commemorated the resurrection of her consort, a god cal... more »

"A Look to the Heavens"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 11 hours ago
“Are the nearest galaxies distributed randomly? A plot of over one million of the brightest "extended sources" detected by the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) shows that they are not. The vast majority of these infrared extended sources are galaxies. *Click image for larger size.* Visible above is an incredible tapestry of structure that provides limits on how the universe formed and evolved. Many galaxies are gravitationally bound together to form clusters, which themselves are loosely bound into superclusters, which in turn are sometimes seen to align over even larger scale... more »

WTF?!, No Seriously, WTF! - Bank Of America Holds Patent On 'Changing Your Emotions' During Customer Service Call

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 11 hours ago
Reblogged from: http://dailybail.com/home/wtf-no-seriously-wtf-bank-of-america-holds-patent-on-changin.html *WTF?!, No Seriously, WTF! - Bank Of America Holds Patent On 'Changing Your Emotions' During Customer Service Call* *Systems For Inducing Change In A Human Physiological Characteristic* Patent Abstract Systems and methods for inducing a change in a human physiological characteristic. The physiological characteristic may correspond to an emotional state of a dialogue participant. The dialogue participant may be an individual participating in a conversation. The outcome of ... more »

Thursday Morning Linkage

Josh Busby at Duck of Minerva - 12 hours ago
Here is your Thursday Morning Linkage with some categories for helpful reading… Global Economy Cyprus and EU avert financial catastrophe but EU looks like “gang that can’t shoot straight” Krugman recommends Cyprus exit from the Euro Energy and the Environment Wildlife returns to Guyana CFR hosts joint event with Conservation International on the mainstreaming of Continue reading

Chet Raymo, “The Nagel Ado”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 12 hours ago
*“The Nagel Ado”* by Chet Raymo “I've now read Thomas Nagel's “Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature Is Almost Certainly False,” and, frankly, I don't see what all the fuss is about. Nagel's argument goes something like this: Consciousness cannot be explained within the current evolutionary physio-chemical paradigm- that is, consciousness is irreducible within the context of contemporary science. Therefore, a new paradigm is required, one admitting an irreducible cosmic consciousness, a natural teleological principle that guides and informs na... more »

Vettin' The Candidates

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 12 hours ago
What a rotten hand to be dealt! *DWT* readers always ask me to check out whichever Democrat washes up on the beach of their district and see if they're any good. I mean, chances are they'll always be better than whatever godforsaken Republican already holds the seat, but my job is to see if they're better enough to warrant really getting behind them. The vetting process usually takes a couple months. But I just got off the phone with a woman running for Congress, her first bid at any kind of electoral office. And, without prejudicing the process, I couldn't help myself from sharing s... more »

Google Street View sends cameras into Namie, an abandoned town in Fukushima where once 21,000 people lived

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 12 hours ago
[image: Google Streetview image showing the abandoned city of Namie in Fukushima Prefecture, March 2013. Photo: Google] By David McNeill 27 March 2013 TOKYO (Independent) – Google’s Streetview cars have been in to the area around the Fukushima nuclear plant for the first time. Their maps reveal the destruction wrought by Japan’s huge earthquake – and give the 21,000 residents forced to flee the chance to see what they left behind. It is a nuclear-era *Mary Celeste*, a town left virtually untouched since its 21,000 residents fled two years ago. Rubble and roof tiles still litter ... more »

Video Havasupai Elder Rex Tilousi Speaks at Hickory Ground Rally Phoenix

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 12 hours ago
Havasupai Elder Rex Tilousi speaks in defense of sacred lands, outside the National Indian Gaming Association annual gathering in Phoenix, as Native Americans rally to defend Hickory Ground ceremonial grounds from casino development.

VIDEO Klee Benally at Hickory Ground Rally Phoenix

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 12 hours ago
Klee Benally, Dine', speaks at Sacred Lands Rally, outside National Indian Gaming Conference in Phoenix, defending San Francisco Peaks, and supporting the movement to protect Hickory Ground ceremonial grounds from casino development.

The Daily "Near You?"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 12 hours ago
Kailua, Hawaii, USA. Thanks for stopping by.

Ecuador auctions off three million hectares of Amazon rainforest to China oil firms

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 13 hours ago
[image: Oil exploration blocks to be auctioned off by Ecuador. Ecuador plans to auction off more than three million hectares of pristine Amazonian rainforest to Chinese oil companies, angering indigenous groups and underlining the global environmental toll of China's insatiable thirst for energy. Graphic: Amazon Watch] By Jonathan Kaiman 26 March 2013 BEIJING (guardian.co.uk) – Ecuador plans to auction off more than three million hectares of pristine Amazonian rainforest to Chinese oil companies, angering indigenous groups and underlining the global environmental toll of China's ... more »

An appeal in the Kachkar case would likely fail

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 13 hours ago
The Crown can appeal a finding of Not Criminally Responsible but only in very limited circumstances. The Crown has to show the trial judge made a material legal error in charging the jury, the jury's verdict was perverse or somehow the decision was a miscarriage of justice. It is not enough that the decision was wrong - the jury are entitled to be wrong just so long as they are not perverse. And that means an appeal in the Kachkar case would likely fail. The trial judge appears to have given a perfectly acceptable charge. Kachkar's behaviour, screaming about Chinese technology and... more »

Morning Brew Round Table Discussion on Manifestation Thur Mar 28th at noon EST

Brian Kelly at AMERICAN KABUKI - 13 hours ago
Join Gwen Caldwell, who will be hosting a roundtable discussion on Morning Brew tomorrow with Bob Wright, Seraph G: El (and perhaps other guests) about energy, frequencies and how to manifest all things in your life which you desire. Please join us at noon ET morningbrew.webs.com

Mohawk Nation News 'Cyprus'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 14 hours ago
CYPRUS Posted on March 27, 2013 MNN. Mar. 27, 2013. The theft of the savings accounts of the people has begun, starting in Cyprus. The bankers “royal economists” created the current fractional reserve system based on debt. They are squeezing the people “so tight against their chest that the people can hardly breathe”. [Dekanawida]. So who are these bankers that presume

Jim Carrey's "Cold Dead Hand"

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 14 hours ago
Cold Dead Hand with Jim Carrey from Jim Carrey

Quote of the Day, 3: Post-Cyprus

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 14 hours ago
“You cannot dick around with money on this scale unless you know what you’re doing. To suggest that the bail-in legislation is a problem [only] for the periphery and uninsured depositors is to say that the fire is downstairs… [We have rank amateurs playing a high-stakes game without understanding either the rules or what’s at stake. Maybe our masters have plans for a controlled detonation of a massively complex and unstable system. But I see damn all evidence of that. Instead we appear to have a group of under-qualified provincial politicians who, having been badly mauled by a hou... more »

If Supreme Court justices are really concerned about standing, make Paul Clement give back the BLAG-pilfered millions or make "Sunny John" Boehner pay it all back

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 15 hours ago
*The New York Times's Marcus Mabry talks to reporter John Schwartz about the Supreme Court's consecutive days of hearings on marriage-equality issues -- California's Prop 8 yesterday, DOMA today.* *by Ken* Court-watchers stress that we mustn't make assumptions about Supreme Court justices' ultimate decisions from the questions they ask during oral arguments. But nobody seems to question that: (1) Yesterday the justices showed reluctance to take bold action in the appeal to save California's homo-hating Prop 8. What some of of those court-watchers conveniently forget is that the Ro... more »

Dr. Jon Saphier and the Lie That Keeps on Paying Off for His Company

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 15 hours ago
Massachusetts is just one state that has approved Jon Saphier as a licensed vendor to peddle his "Research for Better Teaching" (RBT) to teachers and school leaders across the state. Saphier's consultants, in fact, are in action tomorrow in at the RBT Conference Center in Acton, MA. Big bucks. At the tap root of Saphier's expensive advice is a very old and withered lie that Saphier keeps alive, told so often by Saphier, himself, that it is impossible to know if he has come to actually believe it. From the preface of The Skillful Teacher . . . (2008): Of all the things that matter... more »

Quote of the Day, 2: “…the puritans are after the drinkers and eaters…”

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 15 hours ago
“Everybody needs somebody to hate, after all. The smokers are sufficiently marginalised, so now the puritans are after the drinkers and eaters. Can you spot the epicurean persecution yet?” - Will de Cleene, “Fat Fucks Burn Better on a Righteous Pyre” Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)

Quote of the Day, 1: "Opposition to same-sex marriage is..."

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 16 hours ago
"Opposition to same-sex marriage is a continuation of a long-term cognitive dissonance that has infected my political party, the Republican Party. In my view, we can't be the party of self-determination—and then tell people who they can, and can't, legally spend their lives with." - Reed Galen, “Gay Marriage: Freedom Should Be Central Issue” Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)

American Nationalist Association on Christianity, Religion, and Spirituality

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 16 hours ago
*As an Association concerned primarily with developing and advancing the interests of White European-derived Americans, honoring and defending the dignity and integrity of our ancestors, and otherwise championing our people, culture, heritage, and history, the American Nationalist Association views an individual's religious and spiritual perspectives, or lack thereof, as a private matter that need not be interjected into the official business of the Association.* * **The ANA has a healthy respect for the Christian faith, and recognizes its central role in the development and advancem... more »

Haslam and Insurance Execs Hold 150,000 Poor Tennesseans Hostage

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 17 hours ago
At stake for the greedy bastards who made and control Bill Haslam? A billion dollars in Medicaid that these corporate socialists want to turn into private insurance premiums, rather than offering the poorest Tennesseeans healthcare under the state TennCare program. From the * News-Sentinel*: NASHVILLE — Gov. Bill Haslam told the General Assembly today that he is rejecting an expansion of Medicaid for now because the federal government has not agreed to some aspects of a “Tennessee plan” that involves using federal money to buy private insurance. “A pure expansion of medicaid, expan... more »

Muslim staff escape NHS hygiene rule - Telegraph

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 17 hours ago
'Muslim doctors and nurses are to be allowed to opt out of strict hygiene rules introduced by the NHS to restrict the spread of hospital superbugs. Female staff who follow the Islamic faith will be allowed to cover their arms to preserve their modesty despite earlier guidance that all staff should be "bare below the elbow".: More here in The Telegraph. What's more important to the patient hygiene or the religious requirements of the Muslim health workers? Are we sufficiently dhimmified yet?

Evidencia de FBI, Gov tiene Ovnis,

Abraham Ben Judea at Abraham says - 17 hours ago
The subject: FLYING SAUCERS INFORMATION CONCERNING "An investigator for the Air Force stated that three so-called flying saucers had been recovered in New Mexico," Hottel writes. "They were described as being circular in shape with raised centers, approximately 50 feet in diameter. Each one was occupied by three bodies of human shape but only 3 feet tall, dressed in metallic cloth of a very fine texture. Each body was bandaged in a manner similar to the blackout suits used by speed fliers and test pilots.” Lo que sigue es una trducion de la carta arriva.... Ofic... more »

Is the right to life right?

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 17 hours ago
*Guest post by Terry Verhoeven* THE LIFE CON ACT Just a fortnight after making an historic fourteen hour filibuster-for-liberty speech, Jekyll-and-Hyde Senator and 2016 Presidential Contender Randal Paul last week showed his other side when he introduced to the US Senate his Life At Conception Act (hereafter the 'Life Con Act''), an abominable rights-infringing piece of legislation that aims to "define life at conception in law, as a scientific statement" (according to Paul's website). If passed, the Life Con Act would have the effect of transforming, by decree, hundreds of tho... more »

Sirena en medio del oceano

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 17 hours ago
[image: Sirena en medio del oceano] *Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de sirenas* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

Santuario de mariposas monarca

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 17 hours ago
[image: Santuario de mariposas monarcas] *Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de mariposas* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

Perrito descansando entre las flores del campo

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 17 hours ago
[image: Perrito descansando entre las flores del campo] *Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de perritos* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

Orilla de la playa rocosa

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 17 hours ago
[image: Orilla de la playa rocosa] *Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de playas* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

Imágenes bonitas de árboles

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 17 hours ago
[image: Imágenes bonitas de árboles] *Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de árboles* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

Hermoso amanecer en el mar

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 17 hours ago
[image: Hermoso amanecer en el mar] *Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de amaneceres* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

Bello arreglo floral con tulipanes de colores

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 17 hours ago
[image: Bello arreglo floral con tulipanes de colores] *Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de flores* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

Two state solution still the pretend aim?

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 18 hours ago
I saw this poster on Twitter, thanks to @kamelhawwash. Note the map on the poster...Two state solution the aim or one Muslim state?

ECONOMICS FOR REAL PEOPLE: Film Night!

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 18 hours ago
Here’s the note from our friends at the Auckland University Economics Group about their meeting tonight: Hi everyone, This week, due to Easter, we will be watching and discussing a documentary about some of the most prominent economic ideas in the past decade, and their significance. Date: Thursday, 28th March Time: 6pm * Location: Room 215, Level Two, Business School* As always, all are welcome to attend. Look forward to seeing you there. -- Check us out on the web at our Facebook Group. Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission ... more »

Clearer Evidence of Smoke?

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 18 hours ago
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvj8qwdw-sQ

How to build a big gun with a 3D printer

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 18 hours ago
Should probably have titled this one, "Smart kid kills the world" because this kid seems a little crazy to me. But that aside I've been trying to visualize how this 3D printer thing works. I've seen dozens of stories about how they're using this technology to build everything from spare body parts to automatic weaponry. Now thanks to Roger Ebert at least I understand, "How to print out a firearm in the comfort of your own home." Calling it printing is somewhat deceiving. It's more like you design it in 3D and then build the model from the specs with a fairly simple machine. They... more »

Chellis Glendinning : Confessions of an Obituary 'Aficionada'

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 18 hours ago
Fred Astaire: Bidding adieu. Witness to notable crossings: Confessions of an obituary aficionada Brimming with Mississippi gentility and rousing political arguments, he drew me into the swirl of mad farmers, musicians, historians, sheep herders, and political philosophers who were demanding that the state of Vermont secede from the United States of America. By Chellis Glendinning / Wild

The Primer Fields

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 18 hours ago

Satire: “Scalia Furious He Has To Hear About Gay Couples All Week”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 19 hours ago
*“Scalia Furious He Has To Hear About Gay Couples All Week”* by Andy Borowitz WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)— “In an outburst that shocked many onlookers at the Supreme Court today, Justice Antonin Scalia said that it made him “angry beyond belief” that he had to listen to people talking about gay couples all week. As Justice Anthony Kennedy questioned whether it was appropriate for the Court to hear a case about same-sex marriage at this time, Mr. Scalia stunned observers with an emotional outburst. “O.K., could we just stop talking about this stuff right now?” Justice Scali... more »

Such short memories...

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 19 hours ago
The reason is that Israel is not the problem, Jews are the problem.

The Steersman, or Ars 0 1

Douglas Storm at Schools Matter - 19 hours ago
(Audio Link, 2:45) *Ars* 0 1 by Doug Storm In fact it's possible to interpret information carried by a message as essentially the negation of its entropy and the negation log of its probability; more probable less illuminating. Governing by recent amps out of context I embraced ordering whole fields while straining after complexities; constrained inventiveness, steering others toward incidental accidents: definition's qualities positively derivative. Orders are given: you are sent for by command proc... more »

What Happened To The Class Of Rahm? Will The Class of Israel Follow Them Down The Toilet?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 19 hours ago
The Democrat voting most consistently with Boehner & Cantor-- Ann, again! Rahm Emanuel took over the DCCC in 2006 and ran it that year and in 2008, the two cycles when voters were repulsed by right-wing extremism and overreach compliments of George W. Bush, Tom DeLay, Jack Abramoff and their cronies. Emanuel and his sidekick Steny Hoyer went out and recruited a pack of conservative corporate whores and drove as many progressives out of races as they could. But they picked up 31 seats in 2006 and a net of 21 more in 2008. So where are they now? We'll start with the 2006 batch: *•* Ha... more »

Or Could You Do That On Television?

Jay Allbritton at Jay Allbritton - 19 hours ago
On today's episode of *The Pretty Good Podcast* the gang looks back at the TV shows and toys that were staples of their childhood. One of the shows mentioned was a significant staple of my childhood, the Canadian made Nickelodeon show *You Can't Do That on Television*. This crudely edited montage shows the abuse that Christine "Moose" McGlade, who hosted for seven years and wasn't fat even though they pretended that she was, took on the show. It occurs to me that this show was pretty much the same handful of jokes over and over, which I can kind of get behind. This 2008 mini-docum... more »

Dying Veteran Writes On Behalf Of Thousands As He Tears Into Bush And Cheney In An Open Letter

*C* at The Web (Untangled) - 19 hours ago
This is honest. This is important. This is going viral. Via truthdig. "A Message to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney From a Dying Veteran To: George W. Bush and Dick Cheney From: Tomas Young I write this letter on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War on behalf of my fellow Iraq War veterans. I write this letter on behalf of the 4,488 soldiers and Marines who died in Iraq. I write this letter on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of veterans who have been wounded and on behalf of those whose wounds, physical and psychological, have destroyed their lives. I am one of those gravely... more »

The Times reports a remarkable life!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 19 hours ago
*WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013* *Rabbi Schacter at Buchenwald:* We’ve been thinking all day about the front-page obituary in today’s New York Times. Margalit Fox recalls the life of Rabbi Herschel Schacter, who died last week at 95. Rabbi Schacter led a long, distinguished, productive life. Fox begins her report in 1945, when Schacter entered Buchenwald, the first Jewish chaplain to enter the camp on the day of its liberation: FOX (3/27/13): *In Buchenwald that April day, Rabbi Schacter said afterward, it seemed as though there was no one left alive.* In the camp, he encountered a you... more »

Tim Johnson

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 19 hours ago
Earlier this week, Tim Johnson announced he won't be running for re-election. That makes seven announced retirements (five Democrats), along with the two resignations from John Kerry and Jim DeMint. Johnson will be 68 by January 2015, so his retirement is another stop towards a somewhat less aged Senate. In fact, we already have the three most likely replacements already in place. Former Governor Mike Rounds (b. 1954) is already running and is the probable Republican nominee, although we've learned not to count on such things always working out for the GOP. On the Democratic side,... more »

US At War With Syria? Truth About Cyprus and Why No One Speaks Out About America’s Oligarchs

Our Syrian War William Boardman, Reader Supported News "There were no official war bulletins about Syria from the White House last week, but the news is just as official as if there were: the United States is now in war in Syria." READ MORE Why Does No One Speak of America’s Oligarchs? One of the striking elements of the demonization of Cyprus was how it was depicted as a willing

UNDERSTANDING CYPRUS

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 19 hours ago
Depositors in the Bank of Cyprus, the biggest bank on the island, will reportedly lose from 30 to 40 per cent on their holdings above 100,000 euro as result of a bailout agreement which Cyprus and the troika of international backers signed on Monday.

RubinReports: What Obama Didn't Say: Peace Requires More than Israeli Willpower

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 20 hours ago
http://rubinreports.blogspot.nl/2013/03/what-obama-didnt-say-peace-requires.html

Desperate Christy Clark Liberals Play The Moe Sihota Card

Grant G at The Straight Goods - 20 hours ago
** * Wow, breaking news, controversy, shocking explosive news revealed, travesty of justice, Democracy crushed, the scandal of the year..* * **Breaking news on cknw, number 3 story on their 12:00 noon newscast..* * **Deathblow to the NDP, game-over for Adrian Dix...* * **Alright, *have I got your attention yet, yesterday the Straight Goods exposed cknw for engaging in blatant yellow journalism, today cknw is at it again, here`s the startling statement from cknw`s newsroom......"*CKNW has learned that ex NDP president Moe Sihota is embroiled in controversy down in Palm Springs....* T... more »

MILIBAND TO HEAD 'CIA FRONT ORGANISATION'

Anon at aangirfan - 20 hours ago
*David Miliband, whose brother Ed is expected to be the next prime minister of the UK.* David Miliband was the UK government minister responsible for the UK spy service MI6. Now he is to head the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a charity based in the USA, with operations in over 40 countries. The IRC provides "emergency relief, post-conflict development and resettlement services." *The IRC is reported to be a CIA front organisation.* The IRC is "one link in the CIA’s covert network.” http://www.questia.com/library/84052038/covert-network-progressives-the-international-re... more »

Schoolhouse Equality

P. L. Thomas at Schools Matter - 20 hours ago

All the dope on DOMA

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 20 hours ago
Day two of marriage equality at SCOTUS. Today my Senator Kay Hagan came out in support for equality. I appreciate her courage. Even given my longstanding belief that red state Dems should act like real Democrats and forget the Blue Dog GOP lite positions, it was just less than a year ago an anti-equality measure passed in this state. Don't blame her for hestitating. Other than that, I don't have much to say about today's arguments. For one thing I'm superstitious about predictions and as I said before, think it's pointless to even try. SCOTUS has surprised me more often than not. B... more »

Are your children in government schools?...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 20 hours ago
*it may be a good idea to listen to this man.* I shamelessly filched this from The republican Mother who has compiled some of the best information on home schooling you can find. On her sidebar she has links to "Books that Make Life Make Sense." Many of these are links to full books in pdf form like The Underground History of American Education. In this video, Voddie Baucham, Jr. does about the best job of explaining why your children should be home schooled. Don't like what the public schools are teaching - or *not* teaching your children? Then take them out. Imagine if tom... more »

WHAT IS BRICS?

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 20 hours ago
A new powerful institution, the BRICS joint development bank, is set to emerge on the international financial arena - that's as the 5th annual summit of the world's fastest emerging economies has kicked off in South Africa. The leaders of Brazil, Russia, China, India and the host nation this year are joined by Egypt's president Morsi - who's hoping to book a place in the club. RT's Alexey Yaroshevsky has more.

"How It Really Is"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 20 hours ago
The highly educated and literate American public, being fully and truthfully informed by their beloved and totally honest and trustworthy main stream media and government, consider solutions to the many problems facing the country... - CP

"It'll Do..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 20 hours ago
Deputy Wendell: “It's a mess, ain't it, Sheriff?” Sheriff Bell: “If it ain't, it'll do till the mess gets here.” - “No Country For Old Men” ● And you'd better believe, the mess is coming... - CP

Exposing The Race Mixing Agenda

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 20 hours ago
Another great video put together by Kyle Hunt and *Renegade Broadcasting*. Must watch guys.

“Cyprus Ripe For Revolution, Youth Have No Hope: "They Just Got Rid Of All Our Dreams"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 20 hours ago
*“Cyprus Ripe For Revolution, Youth Have No Hope:* *"They Just Got Rid Of All Our Dreams"* by Tyler Durden "There is a reason we think of youth unemployment as the 'scariest' thing in Europe as we have discussed here and here. After a few months of relative calm, it appears the youth are once again finding their hopes dashed and are protesting. As Reuters reports, thousands of students and bank workers protested in the Cypriot capital Nicosia today. "They've just gotten rid of all our dreams, everything we've worked for, everything we've achieved up until now, what our parents h... more »

Untitled

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 21 hours ago

Greg Hunter, Peter Schiff, “Why Leave Extra Money in a Bank?”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 21 hours ago
*“Why Leave Extra Money in a Bank?”* By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com "Money manager Peter Schiff says, “Cyprus is a wake-up call for everybody who has a bank deposit. When you are depositor, you are in fact lending your money to the bank.” Schiff predicts, “There’s no question banks will fail. The question is will government do the right thing and allow depositors to lose money. Or, do the wrong thing and bailout depositors by printing a bunch of money which, in the long run, means deposits will lose even more value.” The FDIC has just $33 billion to insure more than $10.8 tr... more »

Karl Denninger, "Cyprus: Once Again, For Those Who Are Sleeping"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 21 hours ago
*"Cyprus: Once Again, For Those Who Are Sleeping"* by Karl Denninger "I know it's considered impolite to repeat yourself but you need to at times like this because the commentary on the Cyprus situation continues to miss the mark to the point that it appears to be intentional. The controls may include a ban on cashing checks and carrying more than 3,000 euros ($3,830) in cash across borders, Phileleftheros reported today, citing a draft Finance Ministry decree. The measures will last for seven days from when the decree is published and apply to all accounts and payments rega... more »

Pay to Play, Peasants!

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 21 hours ago
Stung by recent criticism from public interest groups and editorial boards that it was operating a bribery-intensive astroturf slush fund, Organizing for Action has now switched gears in an effort to stay viable. No more acceptance of anonymous, unlimited corporate money -- officially, that is. In a transparent ploy to deflect attacks of corruption and elitism, OFA is mounting a brand-new PR offensive to spread the delusion that regular people are just as important to President Obama as his millionaire donors. And to prove it, he'll make you a very special Founding Member of his leg... more »

Feeling under the weather...

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 21 hours ago

In case you were wondering why BBC and The Guardian were so keen to attack Boris Johnson

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 21 hours ago
'YouGov said: "New research shows that influential Britons view Boris Johnson far more positively than the leaders of the three main political parties. These findings come from YouGov's monthly survey of UK opinion formers, who are drawn from politics, business, media, academia, NGOs and the public sector. The Mayor of London is the only leading politician to gain a strong net score (+53) when influential Britons were asked how well they believe UK political leaders are doing in their current roles. Two-thirds (67%) say Boris Johnson is doing a good job, and only 14% think he is d... more »

Smoke?

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 22 hours ago
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/77637499/mar26%2001%2058jst.PNG Capture from WideAwake

The Real News: Obama Makes Nice Speeches but One Sided Support for Israel Continues

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 22 hours ago
*Photo Source: REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa*. Obama Makes Nice Speeches but One Sided Support for Israel Continues. Source: The Real News [March 25, 2013]: Phyllis Bennis: President Obama recognizes injustice and need for two states but does nothing to pressure Netanyahu to make concessions to Palestinians.

The Blue Army Chorus Revolts

noreply@blogger.com (fern hill) at DAMMIT JANET! - 22 hours ago
The kerfuffle over Warawa's Wank is becoming even more FUN! Another CON backbencher has been designated attack dog on this and calls the malcontents 'rogues'. The Conservatives admit they have “rogues” within their party as one MP said his colleagues “must suffer the consequences” for their anti-abortion stance amid the most open show of rebellion under Prime Minister Stephen Harper to date. He does have a point. All CON candidates campaigned knowing Harper's frequently repeated vow 'not to reopen the abortion debate'. Yet they happily campaigned under the CON banner. The NatPo... more »

EU Proposes Tighter Rules on Investment Incentives

Kenneth Thomas at Middle Class Political Economist - 22 hours ago
The European Commission's Directorate-General for Competition is the EU equivalent of the U.S. Department of Justice Anti-trust Division plus units for controlling domestic subsidies to industry. According to a new policy briefing from the European Policies Research Centre at the University of Strathclyde, DG-Competition has released a draft of new regulations on "regional aid" (subsidies to firms in poorer regions of the EU) that, among other things, includes tighter rules on investment incentives. EU rules on subsidies to business have long fascinated me because they present a sta... more »

Another green world - some ideas

Roobin at THROUGH THE SCARY DOOR - 22 hours ago
There will of course be lots more refined ideas out there, but these are some suggestions that can act as both demands and an means to get people active: Housing: There should be an urgent house building programme, linked firstly to available brownfield sites and secondly to a plan for redistributing work around the country. All building materials to be locally sourced where possible. Priority should be given to key workers, then to workers in nearby industries, thus reducing the need and length of communing, reducing emissions and costs. New houses to be owned by an elected local g... more »

Manufacturing New ACA Myths

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 22 hours ago
Here's how myths get started. Over the weekend, Alyene Senger at Heritage ran an item called "Obamacare at Three Years: Increasing Cost Estimates." Her claim: Over the last three years, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has revised its cost estimates for Obamacare’s new entitlements—the Medicaid expansion and exchange subsidies—many times, and they have more than doubled since 2010. And she has a chart showing estimated new costs rising from $898 billion in March 2010 to $1.6 trillion in February 2013. The chart is titled "Obamacare's New Spending Estimates Keep Rising," and in... more »

Is Tim Johnson's Retirement A Disaster For The Democrats' Chance To Hold The Majority In The Senate?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 23 hours ago
Last cycle at this time, no one really thought the retirement of Kent Conrad from the Democratic Senate seat in North Dakota-- a state McCain won with 53% and Romney won with 58%-- would lead to a new Democratic freshman, Heidi Heitkamp. But while Obama's 124,966 votes yielded him 38%, Heitkamp squeaked past Rick Berg 160,752 to 157,758. It was one of the cycle's most stunning results. In 2008 South Dakota had the same results as North Dakota-- McCain 53%, Obama 45%. In 2012, Obama did marginally better in South Dakota than North Dakota-- 40% as opposed to 38%. But Tim Johnson's a... more »

No Fear

Sophia at AMERICAN KABUKI - 23 hours ago
(Re-post from February 29th, 2012) In order for your dreams to occur – your dreams must become a singular focus. This life has existed within polarity for so very long, the navigation of thought out of that focus will require some decided effort. Consistency is the call. Belief and intent are the process. As a people we are moving out of polarity and into unity. This process seemingly divides our thinking, yet what is occurring is a “culling”. Unity does not mean we will all look, dress and act the same. Unity is a realization of our Godhood; an acceptance and utilizati... more »

This is why Israel needs secure borders and to search Palestinians

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 23 hours ago
'It's a tiny story; insignificant really, except for those of us with some imagination... andpersonal experience. It very likely was not reported at all in the news channels which reach most of our readers. But it happened, and it has implications. A Palestinian Arab male (at this stage, no further details) was stopped at the IDF security checkpoint at Bekaot, south-east of Sh'chem (Nablus) in the northern Jordan Valley yesterday (Tuesday), the first day of Passover. The personnel manning the checkpoint found four improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on him [Times of Israel]. Arm... more »

Joan Walsh goes around the bend!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 23 hours ago
*WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013* *The state of the big tribal dumb:* Maureen Dowd saved the best for last. Dowd’s new column concerns same-sex marriage. Obama came out in favor of same-sex marriage last year. Hillary Clinton came out in favor last week. That said, the modern pseudo-liberal knows only one way to reason. With that in mind, Dowd saved the best for last. In an otherwise pedestrian column (at best), she unloaded her bomb at the end: DOWD (3/27/13): The fusty legal discussion inside [the Court] was a vivid contrast with the lusty rally outside. There were some offensive ... more »

Iraq’s Human Rights Committee, An Example of Parliament’s Inability To Oversee The Government

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 23 hours ago
Iraq’s constitution gives wide-ranging powers to the parliament to oversee the government. It can investigate public offices, question ministers, and remove them through no confidence votes. The problem is the executive branch has largely refused to cooperate. A perfect example of that is the relationship between the human rights committee and the Justice Ministry. The committee wants to question the Justice Minister, but he refuses. The committee wants to inspect prisons, but has recently been barred by the ministry. This shows the difference between what Iraqi law says and how it... more »

The one hundred and eighty second weekly "No shit Sherlock" award

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 23 hours ago
Late in Europe #forex trading: For what it's worth, every trader I have spoken to says #ECB fighting inevitable #euro collapse @ForexLive -- Robin Shepherd (@RobinShepherd1) Euro collapse is inevitable - No shit, Sherlock

Palestinians don’t 'deserve' a State

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 23 hours ago
'Palestinians don't deserve a State because they are not interested in peace. The use of death and the exaltation of martyrdom remain an axiom underlying their society. The extent to which terrorists, killers and criminals are glorified in Gaza, Judea and Samaria is not only the indicator of a perverted vision of life but it is also a key element in understanding the pathological way with which Palestinians consider their relations with Israel. From Hamas' genocidal and destructive claims to the weekly stone throwing protests, little is done to show that the Palestinians are willi... more »

United Nations and Palestinians / Israel

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 23 hours ago
That the United Nations has a Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People does suggest that they may not be entirely unbiased with regard to the Israel / Palestinian conflict. Source - http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2013/gapal1260.doc.htm

Resistance to High Stakes Testing Blossoming

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 23 hours ago
Compilation by Bob Schaeffer at FairTest: Parents Agree: Standardized Tests Should Not Have This Much Power http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/03/22/parents-agree-standardized-tests-should-not-have-power High-Stakes Testing is the new "March Madness" http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-opinion/ci_22859295/their-view-educational-testing-new-march-madness Arizona House Votes to End Grad Test; Governor Likely to Sign Bill http://azstarnet.com/news/local/education/precollegiate/b55341e0-51aa-5576-a1b2-5475fde4862c.html Texas House Votes to Reduce High-Stakes Testing http://www.statesman.... more »

Midweek Linkage

Daniel Nexon at Duck of Minerva - 1 day ago
Dan Trombly worries about the effectiveness of proxy warfare in Syria. Drone reconnaissance aids archeology. Chinese missile porn. US policy toward Bahrain. Did the US once save Hugo Chávez’s life? Colin Dueck thinks that the US is strategically overextended. Andrew Yeo looks at the NRA and right-wing social movements. David Kaib riffs on the Portman gay-marriage Continue reading

Robert H. King responds to Louisiana Attorney General James Caldwell's recent email statement about Albert Woodfox

angola3news at Angola 3 News - 1 day ago
Many thanks to all of you who have aided our cause and added your voices to our quest to free Albert from an obviously unjust imprisonment of more than 40 years. Please continue to make your voices heard and your dissent known, especially in light of the recent email response by Louisiana’s Attorney General, James “Buddy” Caldwell. One wonders: Why in the face of so many mitigating facts and circumstances would the Attorney General persist in his unethical efforts to pursue the persecution of Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace? Is it really justice he seeks, or is there something el... more »

Video Examines Citizens' Trust of Government Radiation Data in Japan

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 1 day ago
The video is embedded in this New York Times article: ‘In Japan, a Portrait of Mistrust’ By ITAI KESHETPublished: March 26, 2013 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/27/opinion/in-japan-a-portrait-of-mistrust.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130327&_r=0[Excerpt] Two years after a huge earthquake, giant tsunami and nuclear meltdown ravaged parts of Japan, life has only seemingly returned to normal. Authorities say that outside the evacuation zone in Fukushima, there is at most a very low amount of radioactive contamination — that everything is safe. But after the tragedy, many citizen... more »

Gulf War Syndrome, Long Denied, Shown to Have Neurological Basis

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 1 day ago
Gulf War veterans show abnormalities in scans of their brains by Sara Reardon, New York Times, Tuesday, March 26 http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/gulf-war-veterans-show-abnormalities-in-scans-of-their-brains/2013/03/25/2da39138-926c-11e2-9cfd-36d6c9b5d7ad_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines[Excerpted] Now an imaging study has found that these veterans have what appear to be unique structural changes in the wiring of their brains. This fits with the scientific consensus that Gulf War Syndrome, or GWS, is a physical condition rather than a psychosomatic one and should b... more »

Philippe Cousteau: ‘The ocean can and should be a source of hope and solutions for a brighter future’

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 1 day ago
[image: Philippe Cousteau and a team of marine conservationists dive off the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, featured in CNN’s portfolio of environmental programming, 'Going Green: Oceans'. Photo: CNN] By Philippe Cousteau, Special to CNN 27 March 2013 (CNN) – My grandfather Jacques Cousteau and my father Philippe dedicated their lives to revealing the ocean's wonders and helping us understand our connection to this vast expanse of water. Their work inspired generations and filled people with awe. Times have changed and so have circumstances and perceptions about the ocean. In rec... more »

China Grabs Ecuadorean Amazon for Oil

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 1 day ago
A team of Ecuadorean politicians is in Beijing. They bring gifts - more than three million hectares of pristine Amazon rainforest that is to be auctioned off to Chinese oil companies. *On Monday morning a group of Ecuadorean politicians pitched bidding contracts to representatives of Chinese oil companies at a Hilton hotel in central Beijing, on the fourth leg of a roadshow to publicise the bidding process. Previous meetings in Ecuador's capital, Quito, and in Houston and Paris were each confronted with protests by indigenous groups.* *Attending the roadshow were black-suited repr... more »

GATHER YOURSELVES

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago
I am so happy to see the Idle No More indigenous movement spreading throughout Canada and the US (and around the world). The native people understand how to live on Mother Earth - they know the rhythms of the planet, they don't have to be told how important it is to protect the water and the air. They deeply acknowledge our (human) connection in the web of nature. The arrogance of the white civilization has tried to drown the wisdom of the native people. The white culture, so self-assured and violent, long ago lost its spiritual connection to the Earth. So-called modern societ... more »

Will Climate Change Drive Britain Back Into Recession?

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 1 day ago
Britain's Tory government is hoping desperately to avoid a "triple dip" recession on its watch. The Cameron government eked out a 0.1% growth for the three months ending March 1st, about as slender a margin as they come. Recently, however, the British Isles have been plunged into a deep freeze that researchers are now attributing to atmospheric changes triggered by the loss of Arctic sea ice. Now it seems the cold snap could plunge Britain into yet another recession, the "triple dip." *...amid reports of empty shopping malls, closed schools and factory shutdowns, analysts said... more »

EPA: More than half of U.S. rivers unsuitable for aquatic life

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 1 day ago
[image: EPA Index of Watershed Indicators (IWI), percent of imparied waters in the U.S., 1999. Graphic: EPA]By Ian Simpson 26 March 2013 WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Fifty-five percent of U.S. river and stream lengths were in poor condition for aquatic life, largely under threat from runoff contaminated by fertilizers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Tuesday. High levels of phosphorus and nitrogen, runoff from urban areas, shrinking ground cover, and pollution from mercury and bacteria were putting the 1.2 million miles of streams and rivers surveyed under stress, the ... more »

U.S. Congress environment committee chair denies climate science

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 1 day ago
[image: Utah Rep. Chris Stewart, among the skeptics of climate change science and President Barack Obama’s attempts to use federal regulations to curb carbon emissions, is the new chairman of the House environmental subcommittee charged with overseeing the politically charged debate. Photo: Scott Sommerdorf / Salt Lake Tribune] By Matt Canham 19 March 2013 WASHINGTON (The Salt Lake Tribune) – Count Utah Rep. Chris Stewart among the skeptics of climate change science and President Barack Obama’s attempts to use federal regulations to curb carbon emissions. That position puts fres... more »

Texas drought: Don’t tread on our green grass – ‘They grow the grass with free Colorado River water and sell it to us, and then tell us not to water it’

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 1 day ago
[image: A dry riverbed in Texas with stranded docks, 17 August 2011. Photo: ButteryBooks.com] By ROSS RAMSEY 23 March 2013 (The New York Times) – In big Texas cities, the state’s water shortage can seem like someone else’s problem. Drought has been in the news a long time, but rates haven’t gone up. Water still comes out when you turn on the tap. The golf courses are still green, and so are the lawns. Some places do have restrictions; the state keeps a long list of them. El Paso residents pay fines if the sprinklers in their front yards accidentally water the streets. Austin ... more »

Aaron Cheng - Leap Motion holographic desktop design

address-withheld@my.opera.com.invalid (Dr. John v. Kampen) at - 1 day ago
Link: http://youtu.be/XbVNUImVq-g "Give me a platform, I will amaze the world" says top-designer Aaron Cheng. Is Windows Blue, Linux Ubuntu or Apple's OSX too familiar and much of the same, this is different. Yet, there are a lot of technical issues to resolve. It's a design concept, but with quite interesting aspects. However, nothing for mobiles I suppose... John

The one hundred and eighty first weekly "No shit Sherlock" award

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 1 day ago
The Human Rights Act has become an umbrella protecting foreign terrorists and criminal suspects from facing justice in their own countries -- Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) The Human Rights Act protects foreign terrorists and criminal suspects - No shit, Sherlock

Archbishop Wenski and Pope Francis

John Carroll at Dying in Haiti - 1 day ago
Archbishop Wenski has always been a strong supporter of Haiti. Here are his words on our new pope.

THE ROAD TO IRAQ: Christopher Matthews, begging for war!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 1 day ago
*WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013* *Part 3—A hot yellow river ran down it*: Was Chris Matthews “a lonely voice” opposing the onrushing war in Iraq? That’s the story you’re now being sold on The One True Liberal Channel. That said, many false or bogus tales have been peddled concerning the war in Iraq. Is *this* story accurate? Let’s start with an interview Joan Walsh published on February 14, 2003—on Valentine’s Day, no less. Walsh had interviewed Matthews that week for the long piece in Salon. She wasn’t yet a Hardball star. Years of ass-kissing lay ahead, producing that happy outcome... more »

No comments: