Saturday, June 29, 2013

29 June - Blogs I'm Following

AthensAthens (Photo credit: theworldscreams)
Economically --- Challenged & illiterate .. CI...Economically --- Challenged & illiterate .. CIA website forced offline (11th February 2012) ...item 2.. Anonymous turns its attention to the U.S. Senate over controversial bill -- upgrade your lifestyle (December 8, 2011) ... (Photo credit: marsmet526)
photographphotograph (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Poggi Bonsi, Burien Shopping, Salt/Pepper MillsPoggi Bonsi, Burien Shopping, Salt/Pepper Mills (Photo credit: burienundressedblog)
10:45am MDST

Troika back in Athens , more / additional measures will be required to fill latest but not last funding gap ! OPAP under pressure from Emma Delta - another privatization failure looming ? And what should come as no surprise - deposits below 100 K are NOT safe , they still can be seized - which means they will be seized under next pretense.....

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 11 minutes ago
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_29/06/2013_506603 *Troika due back in Athens, with mixed agenda* As the government prepares for the return of envoys representing Greece’s troika of foreign lenders on Monday, a draft plan of the revised memorandum seen by Kathimerini indicates the potential need for new austerity measures if authorities fail to meet revenue targets and to plug a funding gap. According to the draft document, unspecified new measures may have to be taken if authorities fail to collect adequate revenue from outstanding debts to the state and fail ... more »

Racism Is Busting Out All Over

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 29 minutes ago
Paula Deen may be finally getting her just desserts over revelations of racism, but that doesn't mean other uber-wealthy bigots are getting theirs. To the contrary: the eighth wonder of the world richest billionaire in the Homeland, Michael Bloomberg, still reigns supreme one day after uttering these reptilian words on why he wants to continue New York City's infamous Stop and Frisk program aimed against minorities: *One newspaper and one news service, they just keep saying, ‘Oh, it’s a disproportionate percentage of a particular ethnic group.’ That may be. But it’s not a dispropo... more »

What’s wrong with being a “badass?”

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 31 minutes ago
Tomorrow at 6PM EST, we’re going to interview Mark Naison, someone who’s been with us in this fight for a long time now. He has recently gathered a group of people in an effort to organize the Bad Ass Teachers association on Facebook. In what, a week, there’s almost 20,000 members? The discussion is lively […]

POGGI ARRESTED AFTER NAMING TOP CLERGY 'INVOLVED IN CHILD ABUSE'.

Anon at aangirfan - 51 minutes ago
*Poggi.* * * Don Patrizio Poggi, who accused priests in Rome of involvement in the sexual abuse of children, has been arrested by the police for slander. *Pedofilia: arrestato ex sacerdote Poggi per calunnia */ *Italian prosecutors reject claims of Roman clerical-pedophile ring* * * Poggi has named names. *Romanian street child* *Prostituzione gay in Vaticano. I nomi: dal vescovo di Tivoli* ... Translate this page *The transcript from the Italian TV channel La 7: * Young Romanians were recruited for pedophile priests. Romanian boys and girls were lured to participate in feasts wit... more »

Mohawk Nation News 'Losers, Weepers'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 hour ago
LOSERS, WEEPERS Posted on June 29, 2013 MNN. June 29, 2013. The mayors of four Montreal South Shore communities are blocking Quebec’s decision to give back a 300-acre plot of stolen land to the Mohawks of Kahnwake. It was taken to build Highway 30 on unceded territory. The mayors said “two wrongs don’t make a right”. Returning stolen property is just wrong! They have

Has the NSA collected gun data ? This would be in addition to collecting phone records - are book purchases , credit card purchases , medical records , financial records , pharmacy records or anything else that would be considered private matters ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 hour ago
Senators Ask if NSA Collected Gun Data Potential to construct gun database, senators say [image: James Clapper / AP] James Clapper / AP BY: CJ Ciaramella June 28, 2013 3:35 pm Senators are questioning whether the National Security Agency collected bulk data on more than just Americans’ phone records, such as firearm and book purchases. A bipartisan group of 26 senators, led by Sen. Ron Wyden (D., Ore.) asked Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to detail the scope and limits of the National Security Agency’s surveillance activities in a letter released Friday. “We ... more »

A massive improvement over last year!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 1 hour ago
*SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 2013* *Charles Blow outlines the case:* We wouldn’t want to be on the Zimmerman jury. That jury faces a hard decision about events which were poorly observed. The jurors know that considerable feeling surrounds the case. As part of that considerable feeling, many frameworks are being offered which may or may not make sense. We were struck by some of Charles Blow’s frameworks in this morning’s New York Times column. We thought quite a few of those frameworks made sense and were quite fair. Sometimes, we thought they maybe didn’t and weren’t. This is one of Blow... more »

Sunnanæfen Linkage

Daniel Nexon at Duck of Minerva - 1 hour ago
Robert Lieber takes another swing at the declinism debate. Kyrgyzstan moves forward on evicting the US from Manas. US suspends Bangladesh’s trade privileges. China shifts policy on the Dali Lama. Also commits combat troops to Mali. David Schorr on nuclear zero. And also: Kindred W. takes on Dan Drezner’s critique of the foreign-policy commentariat. In case you missed Continue reading

Vote now!

Roobin at THROUGH THE SCARY DOOR - 1 hour ago
The Steering Committee of the International Socialist Network has, in its wisdom, put the title of its future publication up to a vote. You can rank up to twenty three suggestions (some of them saner than others) in order of preference. I would have suggested One Foot in the Gulags, but without that option I went for Cactus first, then Here Comes Everybody, then Left Field, then Vendetta. There's also "Up Yours" which I will go with on the proviso we can also add "Alex Callinicos".

Global Power Project, Part 3: The Influence of Individuals and Family Dynasties

Mark Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 1 hour ago
By: Andrew Gavin Marshall [image: slide_2] *The following is Part 3 of the Global Power Project, originally published at Occupy.com* *The Global Power Project, an investigative series produced by Occupy.com, aims to identify and connect the worldwide institutions and individuals who comprise today’s global power oligarchy. In Part 2, which appeared last week, I discussed some of the dominant institutions that have facilitated and have in turn been supported by the development of this oligarchic class. In this third part, I examine the dynastic influence wielded by prominent cor... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 1 hour ago
*YES WE HAVE A WINNAH!* *~Editilla Crowtellas~ Aaaaah neva'win anything bwahahahahaha! ~Special thanks yous to'da seller who gave all the proceeds to Team Gleason!* *The Sean Payton Effect ~Ryan Edwards, Canal Street Chronicles* *Orleans Parish School Board president slams superintendent, calls for ouster ~Andrew Vanacor, Advocate New Orleans bureau* *Improvements coming to neglected city cemeteries ~Carolyn Scofield, WVUE* *New Orleans Dance Festival takes over Tulane*

Bill Gross " How to Escape a Sinking Ship " and Doug Noland's Friday Essay " Uninsurable Risks "

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 hour ago
Bill Gross Explains How To Escape A Sinking Ship [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 06/29/2013 10:39 -0400 - Ben Bernanke - Bill Gross - Bond - Central Banks - China - Equity Markets - High Yield - Housing Prices - Monetization - PIMCO - Quantitative Easing - Reality - St Louis Fed - Total Return Fund - Unemployment - Volatility It is unclear if the florid analogy in Bill Gross' latest monthly letter, namely a "sinking ship" or at least a seaborne vessel on the verge of being one, is ... more »

Agenda 21: A Baby Boomer Rant

Mark Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 2 hours ago
Samm Simpson I don’t watch TV because of lying charlatans. And ads telling people what pill to ask for while detailing those deadly side effects from that medicine you’re supposed to ask for. TV is a multi-tasking wonder: babysitter, entertainment, propaganda information control center. Today’s digital and aural implants maneuver their magic as brain washer, social engineer and in-home beast. I stopped watching TV after George Clooney left *ER*. Does that mean I’m out of touch? Glad my Toyota still runs. Getting the oil changed every 3000 miles helped. My odometer has clo... more »

Snowden: Shooting the Messenger

Mark Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 2 hours ago
Stephen Lendman A previous article said challenging US lawlessness more than ever matters. Big Brother spying reflects it. Unprecedented global surveillance is official US policy. Everyone can be monitored all the time, everywhere, for any reason or none at all. National security threats are fabricated. America's only enemies are ones it creates. The ACLU said "(i)t's time to get angry. (It's) "Time to Rein in the Surveillance State." Stop lawless US spying. Mega-data-mining's unconstitutional. "This unprecedented surveillance strikes at the core of our right to free speech, a... more »

Designer Babies One Step Closer Thanks To UK Ruling

Mark Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 2 hours ago
Chris Carrington A ruling today brings the prospects of ‘designer babies’ a step closer to reality. The UK has approved three person IVF (in vitro fertilization) which experts say could remove the chance of fatal diseases passing down the mitochondrial DNA strand from the female line. Defective mitochondrial DNA affects one in 6500 babies. Opponents adamant that the procedure is unethical arguing that there are other methods available to women affected by mitochondrial disorders. Earlier this year, a public consultation by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) ... more »

Med Mob Has Groomed 70 Percent of Americans on Prescription Drugs

Mark Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 2 hours ago
*Dees Art* Heather Callaghan Have you ever had a family member come home with a drug sample? Kind of like those Wal-Mart product samples you can get in the mail except it's handed to you in good faith by an authority. Prescription medicines are the first go-to solution of doctors for almost any type of ailment. Recently, Mayo Clinic research found that 70% or 7 out of 10 people in the U.S. are on prescription drugs. Twenty percent are on five or more prescriptions. Shocking as that may seem, it isn't really when one considers that some of those prescriptions were most likely giv... more »

Harvey Organ's Gold and Silver Report - June 26 , 2013 - another huge smash down for the Precious metals - gold , silver and platinum get tommy hammered again ... note gold standing for June at Comex has risen despite the raids , JP Morgan still has not supplied the gold for the unfilled May and June contracts , GLD inventory flat despite today's massive manipulations . What will the Cartel try thursday and Friday to shake out longs ?

Catharsis Ours - 2 hours ago
http://harveyorgan.blogspot.com/2013/06/massive-raid-on-goldsilver-todayamount.html Wednesday, June 26, 2013 Massive raid on gold/silver today/Amount standing for gold at comex rises to 30.46 tonnes/GLD and SLV inventories remain constant/Italy reveals massive fraud on the public with hidden derivatives/Gold coming close to marginal cost/Mining sector in South Africa in disarray/ Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen: Gold closed down by $45.20 to $1229.60 (comex closing time ). Silver fell by 94 cents to $18.59 (comex closing time) In the access market at 5:00 pm, gold and silver fin... more »

Bwa-ha-ha-ha!

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 2 hours ago
I'm seriously just too busy to post anything else.

Surveying the sectarian divide in the Islamiac world - the view from Egypt , Iraq and Syria where the US backed extremist tend to be Sunni .....

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 3 hours ago
Egypt...... http://www.juancole.com/2013/06/duelling-demonstrations-fundamentalism.html Duelling Demonstrations Divide Egypt over Morsi and Fundamentalism Posted on 06/29/2013 by Juan Cole Tens of thousands of leftist, liberal and centrist protesters gathered in Tahrir Square on Friday for “The Last Warning” aimed at President Muhammad Morsi of the Brotherhood. Morsi has ruled Egypt for the past year, after winning the presidential election in June of 2012. He has made a series of arrogant and polarizing policy decisions that have so angered the activist youth who led the January 25... more »

Agenda 21: The Steady-State Illusion

Mark Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 3 hours ago
*Energy is the all-pervasive underlying currency of our society*. -- (Senator Mark Hatfield, 1974) Julie Beal Plans are afoot to control population growth, the production and consumption of goods, and the very air we breathe. Faithfully following the blueprint of Agenda 21, the United Nations is now ‘considering’ the transition to a steady-state economy – a system of central planning which has been gaining headway since the release of the Club of Rome’s *Limits to Growth*, more than forty years ago. Requiring technocratic global governance, the steady-state economy, … aims for ... more »

Bipartisanship... The Good Kind

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 3 hours ago
Yesterday we talked about how cowardly New Dem freshmen Patrick Murphy and Kyrsten Sinema, who Boehner and Cantor know they can count on to almost always betray progressive Democratic ideals and vote with the GOP in a way that allows them to claim their toxic agenda is "bipartisan," have a phony-baloney bipartisan caucus that helps round up naive Democratic freshman to vote with the GOP. That isn't bipartisan-- that's self-loathing surrender-monkey opportunism. And Murphy and Sinema are probably the two worst mistakes of 2012. This week Alan Grayson (D-FL) showed the way real bipa... more »

U.S. Army restricting access to the Guardian across all of their networks over security concerns

Mark Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 3 hours ago
image credit: US Army Africa/Flickr Madison Ruppert The U.S. Army has admitted to restricting access to the Guardian, the site that has reported extensively on National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance programs as of late, over “operational security” concerns. Interestingly, the Army has a habit of blocking websites for reasons which are at times strange, including the official website for the Southern Baptist Convention, a Christian denomination with almost 16 million members. The Army removed the block after public outcry; but during the time it was blocked, the user attemptin... more »

Saturday Linkfest

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 3 hours ago
[image: IMG_1350] *Weeding the sidewalk garden...* Too busy to blog today, so let's catch up on some links: - China and Taiwan: Steady as She Goes China, Taiwan and the US appear to be relatively comfortable with the current state of cross-strait relations. But that shouldn’t lead us into a false sense of security, warns Roderick Wye. Beijing still remains determined to unite Taiwan with the Chinese mainland. - Not often you see good stuff like this in the media: Taiwan on Edge as China grows closer As China's economy has slowed so too has Taiwan's,... more »

Washington Is Driving The World To The Final War

Mark Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 4 hours ago
Anthony Freda Art Paul Craig Roberts *V For Vendetta*, a film that portrays evil in a futuristic England as a proxy for the evil that exists today in America, ends with the defeat of evil. But this is a movie in which the hero has super powers. If you have not seen this film, you should watch it. It might wake you up and give you courage. The excerpts below show that, at least among some filmmakers, the desire for liberty still exists. Whether the desire for liberty exists in America remains to be seen. If Americans can overcome their gullibility, their lifelong brainwashing, the... more »

What Do We Tell Our Children?

Mark Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 4 hours ago
Dave Hodges When I became a parent, I mistakenly thought that I would raise my son just like my parents raised me. My parents instilled in me a fundamental respect for authority, how to honor the great traditions of our country and how to work hard to get what I wanted out of life. I grew up loving the ideals of our country, the freedom and the opportunity. As a result, I have lived a good and prosperous life. I give thanks to my parents and to God everyday for my good fortune. However, I have learned that I was not fully prepared to be a parent because I do not know how to teach... more »

Multiple Government Agencies Are Keeping Records Of Your Credit Card Transactions

Mark Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 4 hours ago
Michael Snyder Were you under the impression that your credit card transactions are private? If so, I am sorry to burst your bubble. As you will see below, there are actually multiple government agencies that are gathering and storing records of your credit card transactions. And in turn, those government agencies share that information with other government agencies that want it. So if you are making a purchase that you don't want anyone to know about, don't use a credit card. This is one of the reasons why the government hates cash so much. It is just so hard to track. In ... more »

A Pox on the CDC’s Vaccination Agenda: The Rise of Herpes Zoster (Shingles)

Mark Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 4 hours ago
Sayer Ji A new systematic review published in *PLoS* titled, "Herpes Zoster Risk Reduction through Exposure to Chickenpox Patients: A Systematic Multidiscplinary Review," confirms that the widespread adoption of chickenpox vaccine over the past 30 years, which has resulted in a decline in chickenpox cases associated with infection from the wild-circulating virus, has led to a concerning increase in the incidence of herpes zoster (shingles), a far more serious expression of chickenpox virus (varicella zoster) infection. This new review brings to the forefront a few critically impo... more »

Jurors Still Angry About Hershberger Trial; Food Club Gets 100 New Members

Mark Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 4 hours ago
Unlikely friends? Vernon, wife, jurors Heather Callaghan If you've been paying attention to the details of Vernon Hershberger's trial, the bigger picture is completely insane. The final result was a less punitive fine of $1,000 and $513 in court costs that a supporter covered on Vernon's sentencing day. He was found not guilty on three criminal charges relating to lack of licensing to distribute fresh foods, and guilty on the last count of breaking a food holding order. The jury members, however, are feeling jilted. Listen to their own words: Hat's off to author David Gumpert ... more »

WikiLeaks and Whistleblowers

Mark Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 4 hours ago
*YouTube - Ali Shah* This video sheds light on the effects of Cablegate, and focuses on the role of WikiLeaks in the journalistic spectrum. Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurner Be the Change! Share this using the tools below.

We’re Going Into the Greatest Depression: “They Will Not Be Able To Pull Off the Stimulus Game Again”

Mark Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 4 hours ago
Mac Slavo Look around and you can’t miss it. The world is on the brink … politically, economically, financially, monetarily, and militarily. Events are accelerating. Over the last decade trend forecaster Gerald Celente has been blaring the alarms. If you’ve been paying attention, then you’ve heard them. You know we’re going under. And this time they’re not going to be able to stop it. It will be worse than the panic of ’08. It will be deeper. It will be more painful and there’s a reason why… because they will not be able to pull off the stimulus game again. Everybody got hi... more »

Is the NSA Blackmail Inc. for the military industrial complex?

Mark Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 4 hours ago
Jon Rappoport Every director of the NSA is a general or an admiral. The NSA is organized under the US Dept. of Defense. Imagine that you are a powerful player who straddles two worlds—the Dept. of Defense and the private sector where corporate defense-contractors live and flourish. You’ve served many times in both arenas. Your name is Mr. Military Industrial Complex. Your mission is war. The reasons for war don’t matter. Reasons can be invented at the drop of a hat. You want endless armed conflict. That’s how you make your money. That’s how you express your impulses. That’s you... more »

Some Newcastle humour escapes Stephen Fry

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 4 hours ago
"Well they should go to school, it's just ridiculous"

He's Losing His Grip

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 4 hours ago
Lawrence Martin writes that the cracks are spreading at Fortress Harper. First it was those ornery backbenchers who refused to shut up. Then one of them, Brent Rathgeber, resigned. And, last week, sixteen Conservative senators joined with their Liberal colleagues to gut a Harper supported private member's bill which would have crippled unions. Martin writes: While sending the union bill back to the Commons with amendments prompted PMO anger, these Conservatives have done themselves and their party proud by voting according to what they thought was right. With the exception of Co... more »

Being One Of The World's TOP War Criminals Has Its Perks!

Mark Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 5 hours ago
*Youtube* Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurner Be the Change! Share this using the tools below.

We Are (Still) Winning

Mark Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 5 hours ago
*James Corbett* Subscribe to Corbett Report's Channel Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurner Be the Change! Share this using the tools below.

Cops Forcibly Take Blood From Drivers Suspected of Drinking

Mark Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 5 hours ago
Atlanta News, Weather, Traffic, and Sports | FOX 5 Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurner Be the Change! Share this using the tools below.

DoD Blocks Millions of Computers From Viewing Alternative News

Mark Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 5 hours ago
Eric Blair After the initial surge of web traffic to alternative news websites following *The Guardian* breaking the NSA spying story, traffic has slowed considerably despite the continued interest in the NSA story as well as other alternative headlines. This dramatic drop in traffic may be due to broad censorship by the Department of Defense on "millions of computers". What began as a rumor that the military brass was ordering soldiers not to view news about the whistleblower revelations that the NSA is spying on all Americans has swelled into a confirmed military-wide censorsh... more »

The oddest lip dub video yet

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 5 hours ago
I've posted lip dub videos before but this one is seriously odd and French.

Thought for the Day

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 5 hours ago
On my WeatherBug smartphone App, the pollen tab notes: This lack of change in airborne pollen will continue to affect those who suffer from allergies and those who live with allergy sufferers. How is it, then, that the “no excuses” education reform crowd is unable to admit that poverty affects those living in poverty and […]

Quarter Two Local Council By-Election Results 2013

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 6 hours ago
Here are the results from last quarter's bumper crop of by-elections. As with these things a little bit of error can creep in, so apologies in advance. Party No. Contests % Vote % Average Wins +/- Conservative 157 95.7% 78,572 30.1% 500 64 -17 Labour 140 85.3% 77,637 29.8% 554 60 +12 LibDem 107 65.2% 32,396 12.4% 303 17 -5 UKIP 86 52.4% 40,061 15.4% 466 10 +9 SNP* 5 5,098 2% 1,020 0 -1 Plaid Cymru** 2 153 0.1% 76 0 0 Green 48 29.3% 9,044 3.5% 188 2 -1 BNP 6 3.6% 424 0.2% 71 0 0 TUSC 11 6.7% 718 0.3% 65 0... more »

SHORT REPORT FROM SWEDEN SPACE CONFERENCE

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 7 hours ago
Our high north space organizing conference in Kiruna, Sweden is now in its third day. My suitcase didn't arrive with me on the plane and I had to borrow some clothes from my host family. Finally it was delivered to me last evening and we learned that the bag had made a trip to Hawaii instead of being sent to Sweden. One woman at the conference remarked that "Americans don't know much about Europe so that explains why the bag was sent to Hawaii." Yesterday we loaded on a bus and made the one hour trip to the Esrange Space Center where they launch rockets and serve as a downlink ... more »

Blackberry shares thrust after $84m first-quarter loss

** *Shares in smart phone maker Blackberry have dived after it reported an $84m loss for the three months to 1 June. *The figure was better than the $518m loss for the similar period last year, but much worse than analysts' forecasts. Shipments of new smartphones increased, but Blackberry, which used to be called study in Motion, did not release how many new handsets running the BB10 operating system were sold in the quarter. Chief executive Thorstein Heins supposed the company was continuing to focus on the global roll-out of BB10 and was sure it would be a hit with customers.... more »

HOLDING ON TO CULTURE

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 7 hours ago
Rumored to be the descendants of Alexander the Great, the Kalash people have in fact inhabited northern Pakistan's Chitral valley since long before the legendary conqueror came to the region. They uphold a rich cultural heritage, with polytheistic beliefs, seasonal festivals, and a variety of other traditions that are at odds with Pakistan's dominant Islam. Today, even as the the majestic peaks of the Hindu Kush mountains shield the Kalasha from the region's worst violence, their culture faces a variety of pressures: poverty, tourism, and Islamism are all contributing to the erosi... more »

Congress Votes to Legalize Hemp

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
The process is slow, but hemp is on the march through the USA regulatory maze while farmers are busy learning how to grow the crop. The point today is that dawn is creeping over the horizon to the inevitable. Stevia was way harder when I first wrote about it in 2007. Marijuana is quite another matter, and this debate is part of that process of recognition. However the drive toward legalization has made opposition to hemp itself look idiotic although the technical reasons do not change. After all the best place to hide a Marijuana crop is surely in the middle of a hemp ... more »

China Puts up a Green Wall to US Trash

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
Unsurprisingly China is finally stepping in to regulate this sector. They will not quit, but they will stop outright abuse. There are obviously still ample places to send garbage besides China. Yet the other problem out there is that alternative processing is becoming available to grab some of that feed. What China does provide is ample manpower to operate a picking line. This will become more and more important and once set up is easy to manage profitably. On the other hand, a picking line manned by unskilled people also works in North America and haulage pays for sever... more »

Common Virus linked to Alzheimer's

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
Recent work has already hinting at this conjecture, or more properly it is better to say that the data was conforming to a pathological vector as yet unidentified. Now we have a prospect. This does means that an outright cure should be come possible and prevention likelier still. We needed that. I think that seeing off most forms of brain disease in the next decade has now become possible with the exception of impact induced micro tears. That may be more of a challenge yet we also see the way there to some degree. Scar has to be removed and adjoining tissue must be properly r... more »

Chinese wine heads to Europe

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
The reality of the wine business model is that you pay attention to the product and your market will emerge. The grape has beaten off all competition for centuries and this will continue until it is everyone's preference. Southern China in particular is obvious, but also many other terranes throughout China. Better yet, China gas an unlimited supply of real growers. The same holds true for India and the Himalayas. Of course the industry is just getting going in the far east, but so what? I recall when Canadian wines were an awful joke. Then free trade was going to wip... more »

Arctic Ice to Shrink to New Low

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
The evidence to date does not show this but we also know that modeling has been improved hugely over the past several years. Area is adjusted heavily by wind and current. So it is very brave to predict a five percent drop this September. Regardless the delta heat that has been applied to the Arctic of the past forty years continues to be sustained and the majority of multiyear ice is now long gone. The trend has not obviously been reversed. I would like to see a fleet of container ships make the North West Passage. Of course, they would have to be double hulled an... more »

Brain Mapped at 20 microns

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
It just keeps getting better. As well each of those sheets will also be available for microscopic viewing if a comparable is called for. This mapping should be almost the catalog. A decade of solid work will end up mapping all brain activity generally and lead to meaningful recognition of anomalies. At worst, we can expect brain diseases to be easily identified at the earliest stages. I am sure we will have similar work for the rest of the body, before we are finished, as well as additional comparables to check on the range of possible variation. *Map of brain at ... more »

Utilities grapple With Change

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
As usual leaders take up the challenge and find solid working solutions when real change arrives. The fact remains that a given utility can sit on its book of business and not respond and they will get along okay for quite a while. Yet that is a form of eating your capital. What is important is that a flood of technological change is upon the industry right now. The palette is filling up and certainly prudent buys are demanded. At the same time, it is clear that natural gas will replace Coal unless there is something wrong with the reserves. The value proposition is... more »

Precision Farming

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
This article sort of gets it. We will have available manpower and we will have field robotics able to physically replicate human dexterity in collecting product. All this and a full palette of tools will also be available to allow successful multicropping that naturally maximizes productivity. It is also painfully clear that simple improvements to the stock in hand will allow a doubling of the global population to 15,000,000,000 without doing anything special like greening all deserts. We have addressed this before but it is well worth repeating just in case some other ... more »

Giant Sloths Encountered in Nam

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
This is a extraordinary report that I plucked out of several from Indochina. What is critical here is that these are real creatures that conform to what I already know about the giant three toed sloth. The bright yellow is their fur. Their flat face and nose slits and large eyes all conform to other reports and the fossil data for the giant sloth. Their physical reality as wild animals is confirmed by the feces on the ground. You do not make this up in the middle of a mystery report that could be aliens. This was a war zone and it is a good bet that the creatures were gath... more »

Recovering Memory Loss in Alzheimer's

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
We are getting more and more clarity on the pathology of Alzheimer’s. We can start becoming optimistic that a solution can be found. It does not appear to be as intractable as other diseases we could mention and the labs are cranking out good stuff. In fact, brain diseases appear to now be getting serious attention that seems to be a little of better late than never. They were almost ignored for far too long and one got the impression that our outright ignorance of brain function discouraged interest. In any case, it is looking much easier to be optimistic. *Blocking Ov... more »

AIDS-like Disease Seldom Mentioned

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
What this is saying is that we have diseases that are actually sexually transmitted that are at least debilitating although not fatal. The scary ones have got the attention while the others are been ignored. Yet we now have the tools available to pay real attention. After all successful pathogens do not kill their hosts. This could well be a tamer version of something like the same problem that is at least side stepping our testing protocols. I suspect we are overdue for a full search for these obscure pathogens simply because all possible pathogens are now active parts ... more »

Farmers Online: Old Traditions, Modern Technology

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
We will see a lot more of this. There are plenty of first generation urbanites who want easy access to the farm. This gives it to them. In fact this new ease of access outright encourages just that. You will know what is available before you head out. In fact you can pay for it before you even leave home. In that way you can plan your route. More important it helps shift farming over into organic and allows the farmer to expand his offering list. He is no longer dependent on the wholesaler or single retail outlet. Recall that it is possible to generate $200,000 gross... more »

One Third More Dead Bees

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
Let it be said that the battle of the reports is well under way and it is been fought out in the middle of my old stomping grounds in Ontario. Last year Bayer ran an expensive exercise in Ontario in which the selected hives were exposed for exactly two weeks before removed to pristine conditions to show no effect. That should have worked perfectly save for the obvious avoidance of continuing exposure driving accumulation levels that kill. In fact prior work readily predicts just this result. This is a far more deadly set of statistics simply because it proves that proxi... more »

Underwriting Student Loans

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
If you read this little history lesson slowly, it should be abundantly clear that it is impossible to stimulate the economy by merely providing capital to the banks. It must be done by underwriting the people and the infrastructure with cash and loans. Obama's failure in this regard has generated an anemic recovery. What is saving the day, happens to be the huge capital infusion supporting the oil industry which is also single handedly making north America energy independent. It could all have been far sooner and millions could already be working. In the meantime, the... more »

Exotic Form of Matter

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
This looks to be an unstable assemblage that quickly falls apart. I suspect that there will be larger assemblages produced in time with any luck. I would not be too excited about it per se. This is all good. *Mysterious Subatomic Particle May Represent Exotic New Form of Matter*** *BY ADAM MANN* *06.17.13* http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/06/four-quark-particle/** *In the course of exploring the properties of a strange subatomic particle, physicists may have stumbled upon something even stranger: a mysterious and exotic new form of matter.* ... more »

Science vs. Pseudoscience & Collective Unconscious

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
As pointed out at the end, the real battle is between skepticism and scientific fundamentalism which should be an oxymoron. The sad truth is that far too many scientists are actually poorly attuned to empiricism. We all have prejudices clouding our minds and too easily dismiss evidence outside our specialty with them, yet still have an opinion to throw our authority on. It takes maturity to stop, look and listen to a fresh observer. Sometimes a fresh observer is speaking in a different language. You have to discipline yourself to get past that to collectible facts. ... more »

China Secures Russian Oil

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
China has now secured one key source of oil and we can expect them to also secure long term supplies of LNG out of Canada’s west coast as well as alternative oils supplies there as needed. China has also secured significant supplies out of South America. All this relieves pressure on India to source oil as it can largely monopolize Persian Gulf supplies. What is making all this so easy, is that USA internal production is increasing and allowing the USA to release suppliers to the international market. So it is still a scramble in terms of China but not in competition with ... more »

Ontario Bee Die off Coincident With Corn Planting

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
Six hundred thriving hives died off right in the middle of the spring planting corn season and we are supposed to see no linkage. I am sorry but plenty of things can go wrong during the winter. That is totally not true in early June. This particular demonstration provides a clean direct link between the gross application of the neonicotinoids and bee mortality. Up to now the inference has been clear but here conditions lined up to optimize the kill effect directly upon application. The fact of chronic queen bee replacement informs us that it is clearly a systemi... more »

Threat of a Declining China

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
We are entering a dangerous period in which general's dreams are gaining popular currency. Do recall our discussion on the dreams of the Russian generals before WWI. That informed us that it only takes one to tango to produce a disaster. Rather than switching over to a war time economy, they are instead switching over to a hyper urbanization model which will move 250,000,000 people into highrises. This shoves many more into their labor pool. This also means serious depopulating of the country side. The good news is that China has no creditable unresolved border issues ... more »

Gem Genesis Decoded

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
I do not think we will gain enough information to actually map much history, but these certainly are indicator minerals. At least we now have an expectation that can be confirmed with bore holes. We have a whole range of gem like materials that do tell geological stories. It is through them that we zero in on diamond mines. Add to that our understanding now of the genesis of mineralogy through temperature gradients and one almost begins to think we have a chance. Unfortunately most of it is still just rock. Otherwise it is a nice addition to our understanding. *In... more »

Is Monsanto Killing Your Brain?

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
This spells out the fundamental risk associated with GMO products. They are an unsupervised experiment that has the tangible risk of altering our own genetic makeup as peripheral damage. Worse, without precise labeling, you cannot monitor your intake. As mentioned, whole foods is now leading the charge to change that at least by demanding proper labeling. This will likely lead to a collapse of industry resistance. Better it will soon lead to a price differential which will penalize farmers who do not care for quality. Needless to say, the only way to gain the credentials w... more »

Early Biotic Phosphorus Enrichment

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
A nice enough idea, but not one that I think that we can easily accept unless we can show a creditable scarcity in the primordial crust and that is not done here. More plausibly, early life was great at laying down phosphorus enrichment that it naturally collected and it simply did not release so easily. We also note that prebiotic phosphorus was actively supplied by comet bombardment as per this paper by Macia and Henandez dated 1996. Thus it is not a new idea, but the actual enrichment is the real question which is much better solved by initial limitations of the biot... more »

China’s Great Uprooting

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
While there are aspects of this transformation that I certainly agree with, I have ample misgivings. It fails to understand that the land actually needs the people. Better, the people need to be empowered and not be treated as chattels. On the other hand, this can be achieved this way around also. It is important that everyone lives in modernity. That means ample food, clean living conditions and access to entertainment and knowledge. If after that you jump into an electric go-car that delivers you in twenty minutes to a chunk of land you are responsible for, then what is... more »

Medical Cooperatives Reborn

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
What Americans fail to realize is that the insurance industry is operating a health monopoly scheme which has gamed out the maximum benefit for the industry while leaving the impecunious third of the population in the lurch. Nice work if you can get it but also naturally unstable. This item shows us just how unstable it is. Now imagine a doctor setting this up on a cooperative clinic basis in which any surplus is paid back to the supporting members or invested in better equipment. My more serious point is that the competition is so overpriced that such a clinic is a ... more »

Government Snooping

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 7 hours ago
It is and has always been pretty clear that the government get anything they want. Just who is going to say no at anyone's pay level. Yet what they do get is raw data. What is more important for the citizen, this raw data is collected without a warrant. This means that it cannot be readily used to support a legal action. That is really the true protection available to the citizen. Thus an individual active in wholesale criminality get little comfort but chuck the unlucky is pretty well off the hook. When legal phone taps began in Canada, the first serious test case en... more »

THE 'PROMISED LAND' IS NOT A 'PLACE'; INTIMIDATED BY 'JEWS'

Anon at aangirfan - 8 hours ago
* * During the 1980s there were new discoveries in archaeology. *The story of the 13th century BC exodus from Egypt into the PROMISED LAND was shown to be a myth. * Moses could not have led the Hebrews out of Egypt into the Promised Land, because the Promised land was Egyptian territory at the time. The archaeologists say there is no trace of either a slave revolt against the Egyptian empire or of a sudden conquest of Canaan by outsiders. Nor is there any trace or memory of the Biblical kingdom of David and Solomon. *Just a parable.* "Biblical promises about the land of Israe... more »

Dobrodošli u EU, Hrvatska

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 9 hours ago
*It means Welcome to the EU, Croatia, just to be sure* In two days, Croatia will become the 28th member state of the European Union. I think it is positive news for Europe and Croatia's parameters justify its membership because they don't differ too much from those of Slovenia, so far the only post-Yugoslav EU member state. *Vinetou and Old Shatterhand, two most famous Americans, on a lake in the Plitvice Lake Region, Croatia* The European Parliament has already welcomed Croatia as well: by creating a Facebook web page with a huge coat-of-arms of the puppet fascist state of Croati... more »

Reflections on the 100th anniversary of The Rite of Spring

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 10 hours ago
Related: *"The World And Society In 1913."* *Wikipedia:* The Rite of Spring (French: Le Sacre du printemps) is a ballet and orchestral concert work by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It was written for the 1913 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes company; the original choreography was by Vaslav Nijinsky, with stage designs and costumes by Nicholas Roerich. When first performed, at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées on 29 May 1913, the avant-garde nature of the music and choreography caused a sensation and almost a riot in the audience. Although designed as a work... more »

NON COMPLIANCE

Anon at aangirfan - 10 hours ago
*Challenge The New World Order with Global Non Compliance - A Solution*

Graduate School After Peace Corps

Josh Busby at Duck of Minerva - 10 hours ago
In 1998, while I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador, I decided to apply for a PhD program in political science. I had no idea what I was doing. Though I had majored in political science at UNC-Chapel Hill, graduating in 1993, I had a limited understanding of the “discipline.” I barely knew what Continue reading

Sunday Classics preview: A little more of "The Flying Dutchman" -- we hear from the sailors

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 12 hours ago
*WAGNER: The Flying Dutchman: End of Act I, Daland, "Hei! Wie die Segel schon sich blähn" ("Hey, how the sails are already filling!") . . . Sailors, "Mit Gewitter und Sturm" ("Through thunder and storm")* *DALAND* [*going aboard his ship*]: Hey, how the sails are already filling! Hallo! Hallo! [*He gives a signal on his whistle.*] Quick, lads, cast off! *SAILORS* [*as they sail off*]: Through thunder and storm, through distant seas I draw near, my lass! Hurrah! Through towering waves, from the south I am here, my lass! Hurrah! My girl, were there no south wind, I could never come to ... more »

Gun Nuts - Ruining Family Fun - becausetheycan

2old2care at Because I Can - 12 hours ago
Last week I wrote about a bunch of gun nuts who were going to open carry at a family friendly event here in Minnesota - called Open Streets. Open Streets is kinda like a big old block party designed so the kids can ride their bike in the streets and the adults don't have to worry. The open carry gun nuts were going to force their weapons into the faces of the children (some who have been traumatized by gun violence) kids - who just wanted to safely ride their bikes on the blocked off streets - Why? becausetheycan. Well they eventually decided to backoff - the fact that they felt t... more »

Elisabeth Pawelke sings Pastime with Good Company (with Fiona)

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 13 hours ago
*Wikipedia*: "Pastime with Good Company", also known as "The King's Ballad" ("The Kynges Balade"), is an English folk song written by King Henry VIII in the beginning of the 16th century, shortly after his coronation. It is regarded as the most famous of his compositions, and it became a popular song in England and other European countries during the Renaissance. It is thought to be written for Catherine of Aragon." *Wikipedia*: Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was king of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. . . Henry cultivated the image of a Renaissance man, ... more »

Aramaic hymn of Emerli Eita (Ancient Church of the East)

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 13 hours ago
Aramaic hymn of Emerli Eita (Ancient Church of the East). Source: YouTube Channel Rimon Yousif. Date Published: December 5, 2012. Aramaic hymns commemorating martyrs of the ancient church of the east.

Gold and Silver Friday Night Report - June 28 , 2013......

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 13 hours ago
UPDATE: Comex Gold Bounces On Short Covering Ahead Of Weekend, Quarter EndBy Allen Sykora of Kitco News Friday June 28, 2013 11:00 AM * * * * * * * http://www.kitco.com/news/2013-06-28/Comex-Gold-Bounces-On-Short-Covering-Ahead-Of-Weekend,-Quarter-End.html * * * *(Kitco News) - *Gold futures recovered back above $1,200 an ounce Friday morning on short covering ahead of a weekend and end of the quarter, traders said. As of 11:09 a.m. EDT, gold for August delivery was 30 cents higher at $1,211.90 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, having bounced more tha... more »

If you haven't treated yourself to the film "V For Vendeta," download or buy a copy. It's about people's desire for liberty in a futuristic England, which parallel's today's America ...except that the strength of Americans' desire for liberty remains to be seen.

David L Griscom at Cherchez la Verite - 14 hours ago
------------------------------ *Washington Is Driving The World To The Final War — Paul Craig Roberts* ------------------------------ June 28, 2013 | Original Here Go here to sign up to receive email notice of this news letter Washington Is Driving The World To The Final War Paul Craig Roberts “V For Vendetta,” a film that portrays evil in a futuristic England as a proxy for the evil that exists today in America, ends with the defeat of evil. But this is a movie in which the hero has super powers. If you have not seen this film, yo... more »

Ping Pong Balls . . .

Edstock at The Galloping Beaver - 15 hours ago
PING PONG BALLS are incredibly flammable. Something irrelevant to ponder on this Canada Day.

Canadian Mounted Police confiscate guns from flooded homes.... And predictions of race riots already being floated if Zimmerman is acquitted - let the trial play out folks ! And why did the FBI turn a blind eye on plots to kill Occupy leaders " if deemed necessary " ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 15 hours ago
http://www.zerohedge.com/node/475832 Canadian Mounted Police Confiscate Guns From Flooded Homes Without Search Warrants [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 06/28/2013 14:27 -0400 - Germany - New Orleans "We just want to make sure that all of those things are in a spot that we control, simply because of what they are," is the 'excuse' that the Canadian Mounties are using to seize a “substantial amount” of firearms from homes in the evacuated town of High River. That news didn't sit well with a crowd of frustrated residents, as The Calgary Herald ... more »

Now that we've heard from everyone else about marriage equality, let's hear from the cartoonists!

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 15 hours ago
*"Harry's decided that if the federal government won't defend our marriage then he's got to."* *"I have been gay all my life, and for most of it gay marriage was not even on the table. In fact, for many years the only time you saw anyone openly gay was on television, and they were hiding behind a screen with their voice disguised. "I am thoroughly convinced that at some point in time same-sex marriage will be a non-issue. For the most part. Eventually. Sort of. . . . "Did I mention that I'm on vacation? I'm waiting for the sun to come out. I am not waiting for any government body... more »

Save a Speeder - Save Yourself

2old2care at Because I Can - 15 hours ago
When I lived on the east coast, the area I lived in was really really bad for speed traps and highway cops hiding in the bushes along the highway ready to pounce.. After I had lived there a few months I was commenting to a colleague at work that people coming towards me on the highway were always flashing their lights at me and I couldn't figure it out. Well - - they told me that two rapid blinks of the high beam was "speed trap" - - - four rapid blinks of the high beams was "SLOW DOWN speed trap". Anyway to present day. The area I live in right now is really bad for speed traps a... more »

Untitled

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 16 hours ago
Some can gaze and not be sick, But I could never learn the trick. There's this to say for blood and breath, They give a man a taste for death. *--A.E. Housman* * *

Obama " Other Events " for the Africa sojourn , which certainly has seemed like an oddly timed and staged event ...... Certainly falls in the tinfoil category .....but we know stranger things have happened and Obama seems like milk passed its expiration date lately ! Might Tanzania be the site for the other event ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 16 hours ago
http://beforeitsnews.com/politics/2013/06/obama-to-be-arrested-bush-put-on-trial-russia-today-the-truthseeker-video-report-2530156.html ( Maybe this explains the size of the protective detail ? ) Obama To Be Arrested? Bush Put On Trial? Russia Today & The TruthSeeker – Video Report Friday, June 28, 2013 14:23 0 (Before It's News) Is Barack Obama about to be arrested? What about George W. Bush, is he about to be arrested and put on trial? This hopeful report from RussiaToday argues just that. I say bring it on! Couldn’t happen to two ‘nicer guys’ and they certainly deserve it for thei... more »

Have Four Decades of Test Based Accountability Closed the Public and Catholic School Score Gaps?

Jim Horn at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 16 hours ago
One way to gauge the effects of over four decades of more testing with higher stakes is to examine how NAEP public school scores compare over time with the Catholic schools, which have not and do not use high stakes standardized testing, even though they have participated in NAEP since 1980. The Catholic schools have […]

Steve Cohen takes the fifth - lots of that going around these days....

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 17 hours ago
Steve Cohen Pleads The Fif , Declines To Testify Before A Grand Jury [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 06/28/2013 16:47 -0400 - Cohen - Fund of Funds - Insider Trading - SAC - Steve Cohen If there is a better way to admit guilt, and several decades of ill-gotten billions courtesy of now legendary "information arbitrage", coupled with some heavy expert network hot tips and one year contract retentions of every biotech expert from here to Calcutta, than pleading the Fifth, we have yet to hear it. We are confident, however, that SAC F... more »

US ready to implement no-fly zone in Syria: Pentagon

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 18 hours ago
Washington, June 27: US forces are ready to implement a no-fly zone in Syria if it is asked to do so, but it would be difficult because the Syrian air defence system is sophisticated and dense, a top Pentagon official said. From the 'horses mouth': *“A no-fly zone is just one option of many that we have analysed and prepared. It will be difficult because the Syrian air defence system is sophisticated and it’s dense,” said Gen Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with the US Defence Secretary, Chuck Hagel present with him.* *“As I’ve said many times, if that is a... more »

SURVEILLANCE STATE: Shot or hung?

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 18 hours ago
From Simon Black’s newsletter this morning… Ron Paul recently said on his Facebook page: *My understanding is that espionage means giving secret or classified information to the enemy. Since Snowden shared information with the American people, his indictment for espionage could reveal (or confirm) that the US Government views you and me as the enemy. *He's right. If nothing else, the way this has played out tells you everything you really need to know about the Land of the Free right now. [image: image]Snowden has been demonised by just about every government o... more »

No schools shut down that opted out, many shut down that opted in

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 18 hours ago
Reclaiming the Conversation on Education See 9:19 in, Ceresta Smith Tagged: high-stakes accountability

Gerald Celente, “Trends In The News 6/26/13”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 19 hours ago
Gerald Celente, “Trends In The News 6/26/13” - http://www.youtube.com/

Falkirk Fallout

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 19 hours ago
Stitch ups have been around as long as the Labour Party itself. From the days when the party was a federal alliance of political groups, societies and trade unions to now when, officially at least, everything is a member-led process; too often the selection of candidates has been in the gift of cliques. Whether it's elites in London, the regions, or the executives of Constituency Labour Parties sewing up contests for their mates, or for services rendered, or for placating different bits of the party, fixing and manipulating selections is one awful tradition Labour has stuck by unsw... more »

The Syrian Lie- Al Nusra Front's war for Western Interests

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 19 hours ago
ht to freethinker! freethinkerJune 27, 2013 at 7:11 AM For anyone who hasn't seen it already this is worth watching- EX-AL QAEDA Member: Nabil Naim - The Syrian Lie, Al Nusra's Fake War

Arizona’s Freshmen Reps: What’s Going On Here?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 19 hours ago
Kirkpatrick, Sinema & Barber all voted with the Republicans for CISPA Is Steve Israel or Steny Hoyer calling the shots, or did Arizona’s three freshman reps reach these cynical heights all on their own? It’s hard to say, but my bet is on Israel or Hoyer. Or maybe it's the New Dem operation. Otherwise, it’s hard to fathom the votes we’re seeing from Kirkpatrick (AZ-01), Barber (AZ-02) and Sinema (AZ-09). Regardless, the progressive base in Arizona (and, yes, there is one) is not amused. Blog For Arizona features a collection of progressive bloggers. At the start of the session, that g... more »

Deceptive and Demagogic Presidential Rule (Nothing To See Here, Move Along) Tell US More Lies - We Adore Them?

Help! Not only am I unemployed and desperately looking for work, but nobody's reading my blog! Is it because I've suddenly become overloaded with knowledgeable essays on the implications of what our Nobel prize-winning-without-breaking-a-sweat change President Obama has brought to US? Or just because I'm adding my own two cents before I publish essays (long essays) from reporters who have the

Daring to struggle, daring to win!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 20 hours ago
*FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 2013* *Wendy Davis and Jeremy Bird set out to fight for Texas:* Yesterday, we suggested that liberals and progressives stop begging the Court to protect them. We suggested that we liberals and progressives should get off our keisters and go out and fight for the state of Texas in standard political ways. We can’t do that with our world-famous snark, which is mainly designed to entertain and convince us of our own greatness. Last night, however, Rachel Maddow interviewed Jeremy Bird, a senior adviser from Battleground Texas. It isn’t easy, and nothing is guarante... more »

SYRIAN REBELS BEHEAD BISHOP; PAKISTANIS IN SYRIA

Anon at aangirfan - 20 hours ago
The CIA's forces in Syria have beheaded a Christian bishop. On 23 June 2013, Vatican Radio and other Catholic media reported that Father Francois Murad was killed when a group of rebels attacked a Franciscan convent in Syria. *Syrian rebels behead bishop François Murad* / *Syria: priest killed during rebel attack on convent* Murad was reported to be among three handcuffed victims in a video posted to news and social media websites. *Syrian rebels behead bishop.* In the video, a number of masked gunmen gather around the victims before cutting their throats and slowly severing th... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 21 hours ago
*Gator Sightings in Bywater! ~NOLA DEFENDER* *Brennan’s closed through weekend, but family hopes to reopen Monday ~Jaquetta White, The Advocate N.O.*

In Case You Were Wondering…?

Timothy D. Slekar at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 21 hours ago
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgPePk3kGZk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jKahlEKo0Q http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_fM_TBn_Do Follow Tim Slekar on Twitter: @slekar

Nauseating Spectacles

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 21 hours ago
Dalton McGuinty testifying about his scuzzery. "This is a partisan circus." Listen fuck-face; YES! The Hudak-PC's are a bunch of hypocrites. You STILL wasted almost a billion dollars cancelling gas plant contracts that the ONDP told you not to start in the first place. You then illegally deleted all the records of the decision making process to spend ONE BILLION dollars of OUR money to benefit your stupid party and then you demonstrated contempt to the legislature when the majority of the people's representatives demanded to know how much this all cost them. Fuck you! You lousy piec... more »

The Future of Iran’s Foreign Policy (and Arsalan Kazemi)

Nima Shirazi at Wide Asleep in America - 22 hours ago
As could be expected, speculation about the future of Iranian foreign policy has been rife since Hassan Rouhani, a respected cleric, moderate pragmatist, and fixture of the Islamic Republic's political and security establishment, was elected as Iran's new president on June 14, 2013. Similarly expected, most of the analysis is awful. Thankfully, a few strong pieces have recently been

Busy bear

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 22 hours ago

SEX AND MOSLEMS

Anon at aangirfan - 22 hours ago
*Boys dancing for Moslem men. "**Beardless boys are not regarded as male, so sex with them is not considered as homosexuality." **Islam* * * What really goes on in Moslem countries? At 13, Ardy was sent to a pesantren, an all-male Islamic boarding school, and was quickly initiated into homosexual sex... "Many people loved to play with me,'' says Ardy (not his real name)... "Ardy maintains a facade. "He has a girlfriend (who does not know his sexual orientation); he says he will ''turn straight'' in his 30s, get married and have children. "Most importantly his family treats him a... more »

Young Voting Update: Scotland!

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 22 hours ago
OK, I admit, I haven't been following the upcoming referendum on Scottish Independence. If it's not about aliens trying to win Wimbledon by turning everyone into...oh, never mind. It just hasn't been on my radar. Until now! Because they've extended the franchise for that election to 16 and 17 year-olds. 103 MSPs voted for the bill with 12 voting against it. The legislation will allow 16 and 17 year olds to vote in next year's Scottish independence referendum. Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the Scottish government had long wished to extend the referendum franchise and th... more »

ALEC - Unique, Like No Other Organzation

2old2care at Because I Can - 22 hours ago
The American Legislative Exchange Council is like no other organzation. It is the ONLY organization – on either side of the aisle – *that *intentionally (and in my opinion with malice) brings corporations directly and unabashedly into the legislative process. *Unique to ALEC * is corporations attending private meetings with state and federal legislators – sitting side-by-side with the legislators behind closed doors. *Unique to ALEC * is corporations writing legislation that is distributed at ALEC meetings to later be introduced at the state and federal level. *Unique to ALEC * is ... more »

BILL HICKS / OUTLAW COMIC AND PATRIOT

Allen L Roland, Ph.D at Allen L Roland's Weblog - 23 hours ago
*Comedian Bill Hicks, who died in 1994 at 32 years old, was a brilliant American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, and musician. His unique comedy style and material largely consisted of general discussions about society, religion, politics, philosophy, patriotism and personal issues. He was never boring and is still more than relevant today: Allen L Roland* *I get a kick out of being an outsider constantly. It allows me to be creative. I don't like anything in the mainstream and they don't like me: Bill Hicks* Bill Hicks.. Do you remember him? He was a ... more »

NSFW - Carlin 1996 - Ahead of HIs Time

2old2care at Because I Can - 23 hours ago
*From HuffPO* *Nine Minutes * "These conservatives are really something, aren’t they? They are all in favor of the unborn, they will do anything for the unborn, but once you’re born, you’re on your own! Pro-life conservatives are obsessed with the fetus from conception to nine months. After that, they don’t want to know about you, they don’t want to hear from you. No neo-natal care, no daycare, no head start, no school lunch, no food stamps, no welfare, no nothing! If you’re pre-born, you’re fine. If you’re pre-school, you’re fucked." That's not all: He hits the nail on the ... more »

News from the Jews

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 23 hours ago
*Organized Jewry as the destroyers of America* Alright folks, it's Friday and I have some news items from the Jewish press to highlight and comment on once again. I think you'll find what I have to highlight both enlightening and infuriating at the same time. I'm sure most reading here are familiar with the recent Supreme Court decision "to pave the way to gay marriage" as *The Jewish Daily Forward*put it. Just in case you weren't already aware that the entire "gay marriage" and "homosexual rights" movement is a Jewish operation to destroy traditional Western social and cultural no... more »

Wendy Davis For Governor Of Texas?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 23 hours ago
Most Texas politicians-- both sides of the aisle-- got A+ or A grades from the NRA. Blue Dog Pete Gallego got an A- and Ft. Worth freshman Dem, Marc Veasy, was given a B+. Remember state Senator Leticia Van de Putte standing up the other night and asking what it takes for a woman senator to get recognized in the male-dominated Texas Senate? The NRA rated her a B. Of the dozens and dozens of Texas politicians the NRA rated, only six, all Democrats, got an F. One of those six was state Senator Wendy Davis. In 2011, the Texas legislature passed a number of bills to gerrymander the s... more »

Drug Price Control 35: DOH Procurement Price and Lobbying for Another Price Coercion

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 23 hours ago
Government price control is price dictatorship. It is wrong, messy and ugly. Explore new data below, 2,500+ words, nine pages long including seven tables and one graph, get your favorite drinks and enjoy the ride. Price comparison across countries of certain goods and services is useful both for public and private decision making, provided that people are using the appropriate and verifiable conversion factors. Otherwise, the comparison can only lead to confusion, not education, and can lead to wrong public policy formulation. After my reply to the email of James Auste, head of the C... more »

Mohawk Nation News 'High Steel'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 day ago
HIGH STEEL Posted on June 28, 2013 MNN. June 26, 2013. The Haudenosaunee ironworkers “Ratiristakehron” worked on nearly all the big structures of greater New York: Empire State Building, George Washington Bridge, Chrysler Building, World Trade Center, Triborough Bridge, Verrazano Bridge, Pulaski Skyway and West Side Highway. They worked all over the world, even helping to

Public schools: You’ve been told a false story again and again!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 1 day ago
*FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 2013* *This morning, the Post has recanted:* Here’s a basic news report we thought we’d never see. In this morning’s Washington Post, Lyndsey Layton reports the latest data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (the NAEP). After all these years of rank deception, Layton and the Washington Post are finally reporting a basic fact: The mainstream press corps’ Standard Story about the public schools has been wrong! The Post has endlessly pushed that false tale. This morning, the Post is recanting: LAYTON (6/28/13): *The nation's 9-year-olds and 13-ye... more »

For Republicans, Hastert Violation Beats Discharge Petition

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 1 day ago
The latest excitement among those who want an immigration bill is the possibility that the House could use a discharge petition to bring a bill to the floor. There are basically two possibilities here in which a discharge petition happens, and neither is likely. Why? Because the House leadership really, really, doesn't want discharge petitions to become common. And the rank-and-file share an interest in it, too. One is that Speaker Boehner and most Republicans really want a bill to pass, but they don't want the blame. That means the eventual floor vote would have the bill passing ... more »

the shadow government

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 1 day ago
the greater community

Pope (NC-ALEC) This is What Fascism Looks Like

2old2care at Because I Can - 1 day ago
There is a link in a *Think Progress piece today* about North Carolina. That link takes you back to an article that written before Moral Monday protests started. The April article begins: *In 2010, Republicans took over both houses *of the North Carolina legislature for the first time since 1870, due in no small part to the spending of a single, very wealthy Republican. As Jane Mayer reported in 2011, “three-quarters of the spending by independent groups in North Carolina’s 2010 state races came from accounts linked to” wholesale baron Art Pope. Of the 22 state legislative races ta... more »

Sufficiency of reasons

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 1 day ago
R. v. Vuradin, 2013 SCC 38 holds: [10] An appellate court tasked with determining whether a trial judge gave sufficient reasons must follow a functional approach: *R. v. Sheppard*, 2002 SCC 26, [2002] 1 S.C.R. 869, at para. 55. An appeal based on insufficient reasons "will only be allowed where the trial judge's reasons are so deficient that they foreclose meaningful appellate review": *R. v. Dinardo*, 2008 SCC 24, [2008] 1 S.C.R. 788, at para. 25. [11] Here, the key issue at trial was credibility. Credibility determinations by... more »

Challenging US Lawlessness

Mark Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 1 day ago
*Reuters Image* Stephen Lendman It's vital today more than ever. America's a rogue terror state. It's ruthlessly out-of-control. It spurns rule of law principles. It mocks democratic rights. It honors its worst. It persecutes its best. It acts unconscionably. It threatens freedom. It menaces world peace. It endangers humanity. It's guilty of worldwide espionage on a massive, unprecedented scale. Edward Snowden revealed it. Everyone needs to know. He did it heroically. He accepted great risks. He acted responsibly. He did so because it matters. He's a role model for others. Hopefu... more »
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