Friday, August 30, 2013

30 August - Blogs I'm Following

10:45am MDST

Grand Theft Data

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 6 minutes ago
Gwynne Dyer contends that America is hopeless - and helpless - when it comes down to securing the data it steals on an industrial scale. In a country where 850,000 people have "top secret" security clearances and access to this mountain of data there are bound to be plenty of Edward Snowden's quietly digging for the mother lode. Unlike Snowden, it's unlikely many of them are motivated by altruism. *What the NSA has built is a system that is too big to monitor properly, let alone fully control. The system’s official purposes are bad enough, but it cannot even know the full range of... more »

UPDATED Ban Ki Moon & UN. John Kerry to make statement 12:30

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 15 minutes ago
UN leader Ban Ki-moon will meet ambassadors from Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States on Friday after cutting short a visit to Europe over the Syria chemical weapons crisis. "He intends to engage with member states on developments in Syria, starting today at noon (1600 GMT) with a meeting with the permanent members of the Security Council," said UN spokesman Martin Nesirky. The United States and its allies are considering a military strike on Syria over the attack. Russia and China are fiercely opposed to such a move. Noon today, yet another meeting? BREAKING: U.S.... more »

EPISTEMIC ENCLOSURES: We get little help from our friends!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 19 minutes ago
*FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013* *Part 4—Why is our tribe so clueless:* The tribal mind will always know when it is getting conned. This clairvoyance was observed last Sunday when Ross Douthat wrote a (rather fuzzy) column in the New York Times. Douthat identifies as a conservative. Within our tribe, that meant that his claims would of course be wrong. Rather fuzzily, Douthat argued that the “underlying realities” of our “polarized politics” are not as bad as they were as the time of the march on Washington. Even though we’re still “divided by race,” he said, “there is vastly more room ... more »

The Lingering Legacy of Segregation | the becoming radical

plthomasedd at SCHOOLS MATTER @ THE CHALK FACE - 29 minutes ago
The Lingering Legacy of Segregation | the becoming radical.

Weekend Fun 47: San Miguel, Galman and Inuman

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 36 minutes ago
More than a week ago, August 21, was the 30th death anniversary of former Sen. Ninoy Aquino, husband of former President Cory Aquino and father of current President Noynoy Aquino. He was murdered when he got off the plane upon his arrival in Manila from the US. The Marcos government version then was that a hired killer, Rolando Galman, slipped out of nowhere past a thick phalanx of airport policemen and soldiers armed to the teeth, and shot Ninoy. That story is a hoax, of course. Anyway, Filipino humor made fun of that Marcos government story. Among such humor is converting portions... more »

Syrian civil war and the plight of children

LeDaro at LeDaro - 41 minutes ago
THREE’S COMPANY: Girls looked from behind a curtain at their family’s home at al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City on Thursday. (Ashraf Amra/APA Images/Zuma Press)WSJ. It is very sad to see these children. What kind of life is awaiting them? However, bombing Syria is not the answer. U.S and other countries should find a diplomatic solution to this problem.

Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Kiev, Ukraine

LeDaro at LeDaro - 41 minutes ago
*ROTATION: Aliya Asymova of Kazakhstan competed in the women’s individual hoop qualification during the 32nd Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Kiev, Ukraine, Wednesday. (Valery Sharifulin/ITAR-TASS/Zuma Press)*

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 1 hour ago
*How the Dutch are Helping New Orleans Stay Dry ~Marco Werman, The World* *Lies of omission ~Library Chronicles* *Lucky Dogs ~KnowLA*

Syria: Proxies, Pipelines and People

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 1 hour ago
*Eric Draitser of StopImperialism.com appears on AMTV to discuss the current situation in Syria. He explains some of the motivations of key regional players and their Western backers in terms of economics and geopolitics. Draitser examines various scenarios that could play out in the coming weeks and months depending on how events unfold on the ground and diplomatically. Additionally, he explores the discredited US narrative about the use of chemical weapons and the historical precedents for such lies.*

Not In Vlad Putin's Russia You Don't

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 1 hour ago
Russian artist Konstantin Altunin has hightailed it to safety in France and none too soon. Russian authorities have moved to seize Altunin's paintings, especially one depicting Vlad Putin, in a woman's slip, brushing the hair of president Dmitry Medvedev, depicted in bra and panties. Here the boys are in all their artistic glory:

Archbishop of Canterbury - Homophobes are "Wicked"

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 1 hour ago
Britain's top prelate, the Archbishop of Canterbury, warns that Christians need to "repent" the mistreatment of gay people and, if they don't, they're "wicked." *The Most Rev Justin Welby told an audience of born-again Christians in London that the vast majority of people under 35 find the Church's beliefs on the issue "incomprehensible" and equate them to "racism and other forms of gross and atrocious injustice".* * * *While standing by his decision to vote against same-sex marriage in the House of Lords, the Archbishop, who is an evangelical, made clear that he was reassessing his... more »

FREEDOM OF O-PRESS-ION ON PALESTINIAN LANDS

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 hour ago
Israeli military tries to prevent Palestinian TV reporter from doing a story at the weekly Bilin demonstration in their village. Now Israel wants to help Obama "liberate" the people of Syria just like they've "liberated" the Palestinian people - onto refugee camps where they can be smothered.

Canada Should Follow Britain's Lead

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 1 hour ago
David Cameron wanted to bomb Syria so bad his teeth hurt. There was just one problem, Britain's Iraq War fiasco. *Because of Iraq, David Cameron had promised to allow parliament a veto on going to war back in 2010. He had even committed himself to repealing the royal prerogative, the executive powers which enable him to bypass parliament, though he hasn't, yet.* *As a result, parliament had the power to deny him authority, even in a relatively modest and constrained form, to strike against Assad. The jury's out on when that last happened: some say 1782 and the American war of in... more »

James Corbett interviews Pepe Escobar on Bandar Bush's role in Syria & more

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 1 hour ago
Interview 733 – Pepe Escobar on Bandar Bush’s Role in Syria Posted by Corbett Podcast: Play in new window | Download Roving correspondent and frequent guest Pepe Escobar of Asia Times Onlinejoins us once again to discuss the geopolitical machinations behind the latest developments in Syria. We discuss the possibility of an Iran-Iraq-Syria pipeline and how the regional players react to such a proposal, Prince Bandar of Saudi and his role in orchestrating the terror in Syria, the reason why the chemical weapons attack in Syria was a false flag attack and why Syria can’t come out and ... more »

'CIA'S BANDAR SUPPLIED GAS FOR DAMASCUS ATTACK'

Anon at aangirfan - 1 hour ago
*Prince Bandar, who is reported to be behind the gas attack in Syria. Rumsfeld on the left.* Syrians in Ghouta claim that Saudi Arabia supplied the rebels behind the chemical attack of 21 August 2013 / EXCLUSIVE: Witnesses Of Gas Attack Say Saudis Supplied Rebels With Chemical Weapons 'The rebel group al-Nusra, which is linked to al-Qaeda, did the gas attack in Damascus, using gas supplied by Prince Bandar of Saudi Arabia.' A group of journalists, one of whom works for the Associated press, report that both rebels and local residents in Ghouta accuse Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan... more »

Warning: This May Cause Your Lungs to Collapse. Donald Rumsfeld Accuses Obama of Rushing Into War.

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 1 hour ago
Rummy's back! Donald Rumsfeld, the architect of not one but two failed American foreign wars, is dissing Barack Obama over plans to possibly bomb targets in Syria. "*When you think about what’s really important in that region—it’s Iran’s nuclear program and the relationship between Iran and Syria, the Assad regime, with respect to terrorists that go around killing innocent men, women and children, including Americans*." Whatever that means. *even if Rumsfeld had a point, he'd be a really terrible messenger for it, given his role in Iraq, argues Steve Benen at Rachel Maddow's blog... more »

Here's How The Corrupt Harper Administration Operates - Defeated Tory Candidate (who cheated on election spending) Gets Senate Appointment!!!

leftdog at Buckdog - 2 hours ago
** *Never doubt how rotten to the core our Federal Conservative government actually is:* * **"Federal New Democratic Party leader Tom Mulcair ripped into Prime Minister Stephen Harper Thursday for appointing a defeated Conservative candidate to the Senate. Yonah Martin, who lost in the riding of New Westminster-Coquitlam, was given a $132,300 Senate patronage post by Harper. * *In addition, Martin's campaign in 2008 failed to comply with the Elections Act by spending $93,778.33, which is more than the legal limit of $85,621.43. * * **Mulcair, speaking in Rocky Point Park in Port Mo... more »

Chimp - the artist: Wins $10,000 for his paintings

LeDaro at LeDaro - 2 hours ago
*Brent, a chimpanzee at Chimp Haven in Keithville, La.,* *outpolled chimps across the United States to win * *the $10,000 prize for his art work, right. * *(AP photos courtesy of Chimp Haven)* ** *"Brent, 37, a retired laboratory animal, was the top vote-getter in an online chimp art contest organized by the Humane Society of the United States, which announced the results Thursday. The chimp won $10,000 for the Chimp Haven sanctuary in northwest Louisiana."* *Read the **CBC** story.* It is not fair though. They did not ask Stephen Harper to participate. He would have won.

Escuela Zapatista: Resistance as a Way of Life

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 2 hours ago
The stage at the “Escuelita Zapatista” in La Realidad has the images of Emiliano Zapata and the differents subcomandantes zapatistas.PHOTO DR 2013 Alex Mensing At the Escuelita Zapatista, Students Learn Community Organizing and Civil Resistance as a Way of LifeThe Class Was Stopped Twice: The First Time to Emphasize the Importance of Discipline in Their Organization August 29, 

Money Is Not Safe In The Big Banks

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Daniels) at Global Political Awakening - 2 hours ago
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BREAKING: UK Parliament Votes AGAINST War in Syria

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Daniels) at Global Political Awakening - 2 hours ago
[image: Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...] Humanitarian Bombs - Freda Art *Activist Post* Prime Minister David Cameron recalled parliament following reports of a chemical weapons attack against Syrian citizens. Reuters is reporting that the British Parliament narrowly voted down a measure to authorize military action in Syria. From Reuters: In a humiliating and unexpected development, Cameron and his coalition government failed to pass a motion that would have authorized military action against Syria in principle by 285 to 272 votes. Cameron said afterwards he w... more »

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DREAMERS PETITION:

Roberto Rodriguez at Dr Cintli - 2 hours ago
It's an awesome morning! Today is judgement day for the payaso in Phoenix... Also, in that spirit, please sign the petition to make scholarships available for DREAMERS. This went out yesterday on Change.org... so far, there are 125 signatures. Let's get at least 1,000 signatures. Here's the message with link: Please sign, blast and share etc. We will followup with board to see when they will bring it up for a vote. All info should be within page.. including contact info for the NHSF board: To the Chair and Board of Directors of the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund: As peopl... more »

Lies and Disinformation on the Road to War

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Daniels) at Global Political Awakening - 2 hours ago
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Energy Firm Caught Breaking Down Door to Install Smart Meter!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Daniels) at Global Political Awakening - 2 hours ago
[image: Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...] *Activist Post* Smart Meters are a financial Trojan Horse for Big Energy. This is why we are witnessing – and now catching on film – criminal acts of vandalism, breaking and entering and trespass by energy firms trying to install their next-generation cash machines in the homes of customers. When energy companies are prepared to treat the personal property of customers with such abject disrespect, the extent to which they will care for highly-sensitive personal data is in no doubt. A one-year study in Toronto, by Toronto H... more »

WE ARE DESTROYERS: RUMORS OF WAR MONGERING

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 2 hours ago
- Dave Webb, Chair of the UK's Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament wrote me this morning with these words, "We are so relieved about the vote in parliament last night. People are realising at last that war is not the answer. There is no public backing for military intervention! All those protests, actions and all the lobbying have been worth it after all! Keep up the good work - it is so important." Dave also serves as the board convener of the Global Network and runs our web site. - Because of revelations made possible by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowd... more »

Stop-and-Frisk Replaced by Stop-and-Assault in Detroit

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Daniels) at Global Political Awakening - 2 hours ago
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Noncompete Answers - Company Lost The Customer Contract; Employer Owes Me Wages

Donna Ballman at Screw You Guys, I'm Going Home - 3 hours ago
On the ever-popular topic of non-competition agreements, I continue to get tons of questions. I'm answering some more today. *Is My Noncompete Agreement Enforceable If My Employer Owes Me Wages?* *Q: My former employer wrote such an ambiguous non-compete that it virtually eliminates any chance of me finding any employment in my field. Plus they owe me $9500 and say they won't pay unless I provide them with proof I'm not competing. They made exceptions to the non-compete during my employment and now say that I'm violating the agreement by continuing to do the exceptions that they ... more »

Reports Of Very Unusual Troop Movements In The U.S. And Air Power Massing In Cyprus

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Daniels) at Global Political Awakening - 3 hours ago
[image: Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...] Michael Snyder The photo posted below shows a massive lineup of U.S. military armored vehicles on the Huey P. Long Bridge over the Mississippi River in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. According to Before It’s News, this photograph was emailed to them by a very concerned reader: “The picture below was just emailed to Beforeitsnews by a very concerned reader who asked that we publish this to get it out to the world. The picture shows a HUGE number of military vehicles being transported towards New Orleans and was just taken by o... more »

Ron Paul: Syria Chemical Attack Was a False Flag

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Daniels) at Global Political Awakening - 3 hours ago
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Musical Interlude: Nirvana- Lake of Fire

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 3 hours ago
annie reminded me of this tune- what the hell! It's timely.

"Family, Bonds, Space and Time"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 3 hours ago
"There is a family of us who have this yearning for a kind of excellence that we can manifest every day of our lives, a family who wants to believe we're not pawns, we're not victims on this planet, that knows we have the power within us here and now to change the world we see around us!" "The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof." - "Illusions: The Adventures of A Reluctant Messiah" "If our friendship depends on things like space and time, then when we final... more »

Read Stuff, You Should

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 3 hours ago
Happy Birthday to Bill Daily, 86. Of course I'm a big Bill Daily fan; you knew that, right? The good stuff seems to have more political scientists and a lot more Syria than usual: 1. Molly Jackman on discharge petitions -- and the immigration bill. 2. James Fearon on Syria. 3. Deborah Avant on Syria. 4. I already linked to this one at the other place, but it helped my thinking a lot so I'll repeat it here: Charli Carpenter on Syria. 5. And Dan Drezner's "Shatners." Unfair! To Kirk, that is. On content...I'm skeptical that there isn't something worse than the last one on his list,... more »

A Class Act

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 3 hours ago
A profile of Stanley Fischer.

Good News from the Marketplace

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 3 hours ago
It is the beginning of a new academic year, and I am pleased to report that my favorite textbooks are still selling well.

Establishment, Careerist Republicans Strike Back Against The Right WIng "Fringe"

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 3 hours ago
You probably heard about how poor old doddering McConnell stumbled right into a right wing trap, tarring all the Kentucky teabaggers as "fringe," which, of course they are. But Republicans aren't supposed to talk that way about what's now their party's base. Local Tea Party leaders immediately blasted McConnell in a very public and very damaging way: August 29, 2013 Dear Senator McConnell, We were extremely disturbed by a recent comment by your campaign spokeswoman on Monday dismissing conservative and Tea party Activists who support or are considering supporting Matt Bevin as “... more »

Syrians in Ghouta Claim Saudi-Supplied Rebels Behind Chemical Attack ! Syria updates - August 30 2013 ....While the US contemplates its navel and mulls going solo in its stubborn quixotic determination to attack Syria , why is there such a blind refusal to consider that the Syrian Rebels ( the party with the greatest motivation to use chemical weapons , aided by the Saudis eager to get the US bombing Syria post haste ) , not only have acted as the guilty party here ( snipers shooting at UN inspectors , refusing to grant safe access to Un inspectors ) , now just admitted they were responsible for last week's attack ? .In the aftermath of the Uk Parliament rejecting UK involvement in any military action in Syria , the US stands alone - if a desired non symbolic and certainly not mockable attack of Syria is to occur this weekend ( before the UN completes its chemical weapon investigation , before an UN authorization is voted upon and before Congress reconvenes and gives its authorization to attack )

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 4 hours ago
http://www.infowars.com/rebels-admit-responsibility-for-chemical-weapons-attack/ ( So , the Rebels did it ? US Attack still on track ? This may be a bombshell - if this is investigated rather than ignored ! ) Rebels Admit Responsibility for Chemical Weapons Attack - [image: The Alex Jones Channel][image: Alex Jones Show podcast][image: Prison Planet TV][image: Infowars.com Twitter][image: Alex Jones' Facebook][image: Infowars store] Militants tell AP reporter they mishandled Saudi-supplied chemical weapons, causing accident *Paul Joseph Watson* Infowars.com August 30, 2... more »

FYI: Washington Post and No Paywall for .mil/.gov/.edu

Josh Busby at Duck of Minerva - 4 hours ago
You might not have been aware of this when the Washington Post paywall went up back in June, but there is no paywall if you have a .edu/.mil/.gov email address. Go here to obtain your free access. From the website: By registering with a valid .gov/.mil/.edu email address, you will get free, unlimited digital access to washingtonpost.com whether Continue reading

Syria: After the Commons Defeat

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 4 hours ago
I really detest the phrase, but last night's Commons vote that ensured the path to war with Syria is one that won't be taken is definitely a "game-changer". Here are my quick thoughts on the fall out - some domestic, some not. 1. It is regrettably true, Ed led his Parliamentary troops into voting against the government on technical rather than principled grounds. Whether he's a copper-bottomed shit or not, his opposition was based on testsinvolving standards of proof and legal justifications. It was neither principled nor based on an understanding of the specifics of the situation. ... more »

Pacific waters as an excuse for the warming hiatus

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 5 hours ago
Most of the mainstream media offered us a bizarre "story" in the recent two or three days. The absence of global warming in recent years – well, it's really 17 years now – has been "explained" by the Pacific waters. Problem solved, the belief in the global warming ideology may continue unchallenged, we're *de facto* told. *PDO: warm and cool phase* The claims are based on the paper by Kosaka and Xie in *Nature*, Recent global-warming hiatus tied to equatorial Pacific surface cooling, which is bad enough but I will mostly focus on the journalists' added spin which is even worse. T... more »

What Dawg Said

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 5 hours ago
This entry is why I still read his blog. To begin with, there are several ways people tend to respond to an evil when they are confronted with evidence of it. They can say it never happened. They can say it isn’t what it appears. They can say it isn’t as * bad* as it appears. They can say they weren’t responsible for it—it’s ancient history. They can quibble with definitions. They can engage in legal prestidigitation: “Courts have rejected native claims of genocide against Ottawa and the churches because Canada had no law banning genocide while the schools were operating.” They can c... more »

The North Atlantic Council

Paul Coker at News Spike - 5 hours ago
"Gentlemen, please..! You can't fight in here, this is the War Room..!" The War Room from Spike1138 on Vimeo. "To initiate a war of aggression, therefore, is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." On *12th March 1999*, *Hungary*, *Poland* and the*Czech Republic* Ascended to full NATO Membership. On *23rd March 1999*, NATO launched the first war in it's history. To "initiate air operations in the *Federal Republic of Yugoslavia*" The... more »

Syria: Rachel Maddow Does Good Journalism

Paul Coker at News Spike - 5 hours ago
Syria: Rachel Maddow is Actually Still THINKING, as Opposed to REACTING - First Class Journalism from Spike1138 on Vimeo. Although unlikely to win any further faint praise from Russia Today's lead attack-dog* Abbey Martin *for producing another one of her *"epic rants"*, this measured and excellent analysis by our Saphic Siren may have done enough to herself sufficient goodwill with Putin's people to place her firmly back out of the warning zone and on her way to being in Russia's good graces. They might be prepared to cut her some slack on the Tsarnaev trial, provided she not ge... more »

Today - A Poem by M.N. Hopkins

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 6 hours ago
** ** *Someday * ** *Is today* ** *Today is the day* ** *In which all days meet* ** *There is no better time* ** *Than* ** *To meet your Self* ** *Than * ** *Today* ** *Yes* ** *Today* ** *We will meet* ** *We will dance* ** *We will sing* ** *In our Glory* ** *And* ** *In our Grace* ** *Yes* ** *Today* ** *The only day* ** *We really have* ** *To express* ** *What we truly are* ** *Shall we?* ** *Yes* ** *Shall we?* ** *Just be* ** *Just as we truly are* ** *This day* ** *This Glorious Day* ** *This Shining Bright Day* ** *We call* ** *None other * ** *Than* ** *Today.* ** M.N. Hopkins ... more »

Honourable Mentions

Paul Coker at News Spike - 6 hours ago
Here is a list of government members of parliament who voted against their leader, Prime Minister Cameron. *Conservatives * * * David Amess (Southend West) Richard Bacon (Norfolk South) Steven Baker (Wycombe) John Baron (Basildon & Billericay) Andrew Bingham (High Peak) Crispin Blunt (Reigate) Fiona Bruce (Congleton) Tracey Crouch (Chatham & Aylesford) David Davies (Monmouth) Philip Davies (Shipley) David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden) Nick de Bois (Enfield North) Richard Drax (Dorset South) Gordon Henderson (Sittingbourne & Sheppey) Philip Hollobone (Kettering) Adam Holloway (Gravesha... more »

Beijing: No excuse for strikes

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 6 hours ago
*Editor's Note:* *This op-ed recently appeared in the China Daily, and is reflective of Beijing's official stance on Western military intervention in the Syrian conflict. After the international humiliation of the NSA leaks, the United States would surely find itself increasingly isolated in diplomatic channels if it went ahead and intervened in Syria outside of international law and under false pretenses. * As the United States and its Western allies have made it clear they believe the Syrian government used chemical weapons on the outskirts of Damascus, there is growing speculati... more »

The Polarisation of the Civic Library?

Martyn Daniels at Brave New World - 6 hours ago
In stark contrast to the new £188 million Library of Birmingham, we read of yet more cuts of some 20% to library service budgets in Anglesey, of potential closures to local libraries in Southend and across Lincolnshire and many other areas. Over 200 libraries have closed over the last year and Library campaigners are predicting some 400 closures in the next three years. Southend however are not just closing libraries but are spending 27 million on The Forum, a state-of-the-art library being delivered by the Council, the University of Essex and South Essex College. So are we seeing... more »

Tiny Rowland

Paul Coker at News Spike - 6 hours ago
Secretive, ruthless and contemptuous of anything that smacked of "Establishment hypocrisy", Rowland made few concessions to accepted principles of corporate governance, and none at all to public relations. In 1973 his methods were condemned by Edward Heath, the Prime Minister, as "an unpleasant and unacceptable face of capitalism". His later career was marked by a series of vendettas - notably against the Fayed brothers - which he pursued with cold, obsessive fury. But to an army of small shareholders, well satisfied with their dividends, Rowland was a hero, tarnished only by L... more »

Musical Interlude: "Tablay 15: Fast Paced Arabic Drums"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 7 hours ago
"Tablay 15: Fast Paced Arabic Drums", Posted by A7laBladiFalasteen - http://www.youtube.com/

"We All Know..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 7 hours ago
“We all know that something is eternal. And it ain’t houses and it ain’t names, and it ain’t earth, and it ain’t even the stars... everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has to do with human beings. All the greatest people ever lived have been telling us that for five thousand years and yet you’d be surprised how people are always losing hold of it. There’s something way down deep that’s eternal about every human being. - Thornton Wilder

"A Look to the Heavens"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 7 hours ago
“These three bright nebulae are often featured in telescopic tours of the constellation Sagittarius and the crowded starfields of the central Milky Way. In fact, 18th century cosmic tourist Charles Messier cataloged two of them; M8, the large nebula left of center, and colorful M20 on the right. The third, NGC 6559, is above M8, separated from the larger nebula by a dark dust lane. All three are stellar nurseries about five thousand light-years or so distant. * Click image for larger size.* The expansive M8, over a hundred light-years across, is also known as the Lagoon Nebula... more »

Ted Cruz: Quote of the Day...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 7 hours ago
and we thank him. “You look at Syria and you look at Obamacare, and they’re tied together,” he explained. “They’re tied together by an arrogance of this administration, that they don’t believe they’re accountable to the American people, and they’re going to jam their agenda down the throats of the American people. And on both of them, the answer is the same as it was on guns, it’s the same as it is on stopping amnesty, which is the American people have to rise up and hold every elected official accountable, Democrat and Republican, every one of us including me.” source

Cliff Morgan R.I.P.

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 8 hours ago
I never saw Cliff Morgan play rugby, a little before my time, but I remember his voice as being one of the great commentator voices. Here he is describing the 'gretaest try ever scored' - It's 1973 and the Barbarians are playing the great All Blacks...

One can't background-independently localize field operators in QG

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 8 hours ago
*...because the "basis" of coherent states is overcomplete...* Let me begin with something simple. John Preskill asked you "What's inside a black hole?" and offered you four options: 1. An unlimited amount of stuff. 2. Nothing at all. 3. A huge but finite amount of stuff, which is also outside the black hole. 4. None of the above. Well, the option (D) may have been at the beginning and an obvious suboption of (D), "The black hole interior is a region just like any other region and independent from others", should have been offered as a special choice (E). A surpri... more »

Greg Hunter, “Weekly News Wrap-Up 8.30.13”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 9 hours ago
*“Weekly News Wrap-Up 8.30.13”* By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com “To bomb or not to bomb. That is the question for President Obama on Syria. This is the only real story to be concerned with as Syria is the domino that could spark World War III. I am not being dramatic. It looks like the President has already made his choice with five U.S. Navy destroyers off the Syrian coast. Will our closest allies help? In a word–No. France says there should be a diplomatic solution. The Parliament in the UK voted “No” to bombing Syria. According to a recent poll, 91% of Americans do not want t... more »

Blurred Lines - accoustic version

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 9 hours ago

Salazar Presente...

Roberto Rodriguez at Dr Cintli - 9 hours ago
Awesome week... and it's not even over... wanted to end the night with some thoughts on Aug 29, 1970. Truly, that day shaped me as a young kid.. The moratorium and the death of Ruben Salazar made a dramatic impact on my life. Where he was killed was a just a few blocks down the street from where I grew up on Whittier Blvd. in East LA. In fact, I remember my brothers and I drove to the Silver Cafe where everyone knew Salazar had been shot, but the Sheriff's deputies would not permit anyone near there... we were turned away... they kept him inside the Silver Dollar for at least thre... more »

Chet Raymo, "Seeing"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 9 hours ago
*"Seeing"* by Chet Raymo "There was a moment yesterday evening when the elements conspired to evoke these few lines, spoken by Macbeth: "Light thickens, And the crow makes wing to the rooky woods, Good things of day begin to droop and drowse." The fading light. The crows gliding down the fields to the trees in Ballybeg: "Light thickens, And the crow makes wing to the rooky woods, Good things of day begin to droop and drowse." It's all there, in those few lines- the mysterious power of poetry to infuse the world with meaning, to anoint ... more »

The difference between Iraq and Syria

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 10 hours ago
* *In the case of Iraq, we invaded and found no stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction, although chemical weapons had been used previously by the Saddam Hussein regime. In the case of Syria we didn't invade despite us knowing that they do have stockpiles of chemical weapons and that they probably used them. Odd old world.

Wyre Davies reprimanded by the BBC Trust

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 10 hours ago
The BBC Trust has censured their Middle East correspondent Wyre Davies for a tweet he made last November, during Operation Pillar of Defence. They found that he breached accuracy guidelines in this tweet: "In this 'limited operation' at least 13 Palestinians and 3 Israelis have been killed - nearly all civilians. #Gaza". As a report in the *Independent *puts it, "Four of the 13 Palestinians were later identified as civilians, with the others being militants." The BBC Trust has now called on the BBC to have a good, hard look at the use of Twitter by BBC staff and, among other reco... more »

"A Look to the Heavens"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 10 hours ago
“Framing a bright emission region this telescopic view looks out along the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy toward the nebula rich constellation Cygnus the Swan. Popularly called the Tulip Nebula the glowing cloud of interstellar gas and dust is also found in the 1959 catalog by astronomer Stewart Sharpless as Sh2-101. About 8,000 light-years distant the nebula is understandably not the only cosmic cloud to evoke the imagery of flowers. *Click image for larger size.* The complex and beautiful nebula is shown here in a composite image that maps emission from ionized sulfur, hydroge... more »

No!

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 10 hours ago
Last night's historic parliamentary vote against the UK's military involvement in the impending attacks on the Syrian regime broke just as * Newsnight *was going on air. The sense of the importance - and the sheer drama - of the moment certainly came across, as Jeremy Paxman, Mark Urban and Allegra Stratton reacted as they reported, seeming almost as stunned as anyone else to begin with (well, perhaps not Mark Urban, who's a cool customer at all times.) Allegra floundered rather badly, it has to be said, reporting in an increasingly breathless manner and fixing too narrowly on her ... more »

Chet Raymo, “Seeing”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 10 hours ago
Sunday, July 29, 2012 Chet Raymo, “Seeing” *“Seeing”* by Chet Raymo "There was a moment yesterday evening when the elements conspired to evoke these few lines, spoken by Macbeth: "Light thickens, And the crow makes wing to the rooky woods, Good things of day begin to droop and drowse." The fading light. The crows gliding down the fields to the trees in Ballybeg: "Light thickens, And the crow makes wing to the rooky woods, Good things of day begin to droop and drowse." It's all there, in those few lines- the mysterious power of... more »

John Friend on Rense Radio w/ Jeff Rense

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 11 hours ago
I was a guest on the *The Jeff Rense Program* last night. We discussed a variety of subjects, including the debauched, hedonistic, and truly evil "entertainment industry" and mass media. Please visit *The Realist Report* on TalkeShoe to download my guest appearance on The Jeff Rense Program.

CAMERON AND KOSHER NOSTRA DEFEATED; 'BANDAR BEHIND GAS ATTACK'

Anon at aangirfan - 11 hours ago
"British MPs have rejected possible UK military action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government to deter the use of chemical weapons. "A government motion was defeated by 285 to 272, a majority of 13 votes. "PM David Cameron said 'the government will act accordingly', effectively ruling out London's involvement in any US-led strikes against Damascus." *Commons votes against Syria action* However, this does not mean that the UK government will stop secretly aiding the rebels, the people who are fighting for the creation of a Greater Israel. *Cameron (2) and fellow to... more »

What Do International Law and Norms Say About Burning People Alive?

Charli Carpenter at Duck of Minerva - 11 hours ago
One line of discussion this past week has been whether it makes any kind of moral sense to think that death by chemical weapon is so much worse than death by “conventional” weapons. Video imagery captured by BBC in the aftermath of another horrific massacre in Syria yesterday throws this into stark relief. At least Continue reading

Survey Results - Is It Too Late?

Small Footprints at Reduce Footprints - 12 hours ago
This month's survey addressed how we feel about the future ... whether we can reverse the negative impact of climate change or not. Let's look at the results: [image: Is it too late survey results chart.] *Comments: - If everyone was on board, ready and willing to make all the changes necessary today we might be able to reverse the destruction, but there are too many who aren't willing to give up the lifestyle they are accustomed to. That combined with how quickly the ice sheets are melting, which adds to the problem I believe it is too late. - It's been s... more »

So, Is It Time To Get Behind Cory Booker Now?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 12 hours ago
Same crap, though one wears blue panties and one wears red panties (big ones) As you may recall, Blue America backed-- vigorously backed-- Rush Holt for the Democratic nomination in the New Jersey Senate primary. Newark mayor Cory Booker won, and won big. On the Republican side of the fence, an extremist sociopath, Steve Lonegan, won the nomination and he's genuinely far worse than Booker on almost everything. So are we getting on the team and getting behind Booker now for the general election? If you really have to ask yourself that kind of question, you're probably new to *DWT*. In... more »

Steve : "Justin Trudeau has shown poor judgement"

Alison at Creekside - 12 hours ago
Trudeau's poor judgement ? Yeah, let's go with that. .

The best ever Obamacare ad...(video)

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 12 hours ago
enjoy.

Facebook friends could change your credit score

Americani Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 12 hours ago
* * * * *Project XIII can't come soon enough! Enough of this data harvesting! -Bill* * * *Facebook friends could change your credit score* By Katie Lobosco @KatieLobosco August 27, 2013: 11:24 AM ET http://money.cnn.com/2013/08/26/technology/social/facebook-credit-score/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 *Some tech startups are using your online social data to determine your creditworthiness.* NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Choose your Facebook friends wisely; they could help you get approved -- or rejected -- for a loan. A handful of tech startups are using social data to determine the risk of lending... more »

Your moment of Zen

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 13 hours ago
In Maeve's magic garden the hummingbirds have no fear.

Obama The Avenger From Space: Obama Set To Star In Standalone Film After Cast of "Bomb Syria Right Now" Drops Out

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 13 hours ago
*Obama: The Avenger From Space. Coming Soon.* Sorry movie fans, but that multi-star, comic book blockbuster about a new war in Syria with President Obama in the lead role has been nixed due to contract problems and conflicts in the schedules of the actors. Pentagon Studios, the film company behind the anticipated project, has revised its original script and is deciding instead to produce a standalone film with Obama. Titled "Obama: The Avenger From Space" the film will revolve around Obama's quest to bring Assad to justice for crimes against his people. Although Obama will be ma... more »

Speaking of Crazies Bursting Into Flames

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 13 hours ago
You may have caught the video of a U.S. embassy staffer in Malta going ballistic at a Maltese motorist with a tirade of threats and profanity. Apparently whatever got to him is spreading quickly south of the border. Consider this guy, Ayo Kimathi, an employee of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Off-duty, Kimathi does his bit for American security by hosting an anti-gay, anti-white, race war web site. Hauled on the carpet, Kimathi, a.k.a. "*The Irritated Genie*", told his bosses the website is strictly entertainment and a vehicle for selling concert and lecture vide... more »

BRITISH PARLIAMENT SAYS NO!

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 13 hours ago
Stung deeply by George W. Bush and Tony Blair's deception leading up to the 2003 Operation Iraqi Liberation (OIL) the Brits step up to the plate and say NO this time. Very nice. Now let's see France say NO to the Obomber. And let's hear the US Congress, especially the rest of the Democrats, take on their war-mongering president for once like Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) does in the video just below.

Whoa! Sweet Lorraine: A must see video...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 13 hours ago
*no, really. You must see this!* Via Nunly , who found it at Creative Minority Report - and we thank them both.

Rise of Right Ensures USA Status As Planet's No. 1 Crime Family (Surefire Scheme: Fund 'Em! No Matter How Unable To Repay! As Taxpayers Are Always First On Hook)

Not a mistake. Sounds like no mistakes were made at all. And if Angilo Mozingo's jail time is spent as nicely as Raj Rajaratnam's is, there will be lots more "not a mistake"s made in the future. No harm, no foul? Not to them anyway. But watch out for the whistleblowers! They're dangerous! You've gotta love this guy as much as I do. Now, here's a candidate after my heart. Wednesday, Aug

Only Bad Guys Ignore Public Opinion, Right?Not to Mention International Law

Nima Shirazi at Wide Asleep in America - 13 hours ago
It is conventional wisdom in U.S. government officialdom and among our mainstream punditry that popular opinion in Iran has absolutely no impact on the decision-making of that country's leadership. The common refrain is that the policies, namely with regard to foreign affairs and national security, pursued by Iran's political and military elite have little relation to - and are often at odds

Philadelphia School district funding crisis - Mayor nutter blames teachers rather than take on the Republican Governor who caused the present funding crisis ... Tension rising between the PFT and the School /district even as numerous employees are recall from the earth shattering layoffs earlier this year of 3900 District Employees - 1649 position restored to date ...... Acting Eduction Secretary Hamer forced out., new Acting Education Secretary will be Carolyn Dumaresq.............. and s

Catharsis Ours - 13 hours ago
TUE AUG 27, 2013 AT 08:31 AM PDT Philadelphia mayor still blaming teachers for funding crisis created by Republican governor byLaura ClawsonFollowforDaily Kos Labor - - - Email - 23 Comments / 23 New Demonstrating exactly why Philadelphia teachers and parents might have problems with how he's handled the funding crisis in the city's schools, Mayor Michael Nutter's responseto a teachers union ad urging him to do better was to spout a bunch of anti-union, anti-teacher talking points: "It's a part of a planned distraction campaign that gets all of you talking a... more »

Retired Algerian Col. Hadan S: America "cannot wage war against Syria without the participation of Israel"

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 13 hours ago
*Below is an excerpt from, "Algerian Experts Share Predictions For Syria Intervention" by Mohammad Ben Ahmad (Al Monitor, August 29, 2013)*. Retired Col. Hadan S. said: *“The war in Syria is completely different from the war that took place in Libya and can never be resolved through air strikes, even if the armed opposition cooperates with Western air forces.*The reason is that the Syrian army is very well organized, equipped and trained and has plenty of weapons. Moreover, it has expanded its deployment in light of the two-year war experience.” Hadan added, *“The United States ca... more »

HARD TO IMAGINE THIS FROM ORLANDO - BUT SO GLAD TO SEE IT

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 14 hours ago
I lived in Orlando, Florida for 20 years from 1974-1994. The entire time I lived there the Central Florida region was ruled by right-wingers. Somehow that community now has a Congressman named Alan Grayson representing them. He stands his ground remarkably well in opposition to Obama's attack on Syria in this interview on CNN. Good to see that Orlando is coming to its senses. *Action:* Here in Maine there will be a protest against military intervention in Syria at noon on Saturday, August 31, at Monument Square in Portland.

Cascadas Skogafoss en el Río Skógá de Islandia

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 14 hours ago

Paisaje natural con praderas y colinas verdes

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 14 hours ago

Celebration

Lori Anne Haskell at Adventures with Kurt and Lori - 14 hours ago
Had an amazing time today at the Tigers game with the office. Tigers were down pretty much the entire game, and then Torii Hunter hit a walk off home run to win the game! It was incredible! The weather was super hot, and I got a lot of sun, I actually think I look a little bit tan! We came home and went on an outside bike ride too, so even more sun. I love having a little bit of color (don't worry, I wear sunscreen). Looking forward to a non-work filled holiday weekend. Usually, Kurt and I go out of town for this holiday, but since we travelled quite a bit in August and July, ... more »

Autos de carreras deportivos - Arte Digital - Fondos

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 14 hours ago

Syrians in Ghouta Claim Saudi-Supplied Rebels Behind Chemical Attack

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 14 hours ago
*This article is a collaboration between Dale Gavlak reporting for Mint Press News (also of the Associated Press) and Yahya Ababneh. * Ghouta, Syria — As the machinery for a U.S.-led military intervention in Syria gathers pace following last week’s chemical weapons attack, the U.S. and its allies may be targeting the wrong culprit. Interviews with people in Damascus and Ghouta, a suburb of the Syrian capital, where the humanitarian agency Doctors Without Borders said at least 355 people had died last week from what it believed to be a neurotoxic agent, appear to indicate as much. ... more »

Leonard Peltier Inspires Native American Long Walkers now in St Louis

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 15 hours ago
Photo by April Rhodes In St Louis tonight, Native American long walkers surprised with message from Leonard Peltier Video: Lisa Zahner Reinhold reads message to walkers Article by Brenda Norrell Censored News ST LOUIS -- Native Americans walking across America on the five-month Longest Walk 4 Return to Alcatraz arrived in St Louis late today and received a surprise message from

A Diplomatic Career Bursts Into Flames

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 15 hours ago
A staffer at the U.S. embassy in Malta is winging his way back to the United States of America, after a video of this career-ending explosion hit YouTube and went viral. (warning - coarse language, lots and lots of it) You gotta figure that, if you're causing a scene in public these days, somebody is probably recording it and it'll wind up on YouTube before you can get back to your desk in the embassy.

Obama Sitting With Allies, Going Over Syria Attack Plans

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 15 hours ago
*Photo Source: Pete Souza/Flickr*.

WHAT IS REALLY ABOUT TO HAPPEN IN SYRIA, WHY IT WILL BE HAPPENING, AND WHAT IS LIKELY TO BE THE UNFORSEEN CONSEQUENCES. Though he may look like a hippie, Pepe Escobar has proved to me to be the best reporter of all facets of the political planning and scheming of all the countries of the Asian contenent. Here he analyzes Obama's ill-advised (and illegal) rush to war with Syria and the many possible consequences (all of them bad) likely to flow from his actions.

David L Griscom at Cherchez la Verite - 15 hours ago
------------------------------ *OpEdNews Op Eds 8/29/2013 at 00:46:53* *"War On Chemical Weapons": Obama Traps Himself Into Syrian Combat * *By Pepe Escobar (about the author)* *Permalink* *Headlined to H2 8/29/13 * opednews.com Source: RT *Syrian activists inspect the bodies of people they say were killed by nerve gas in the Ghouta region, in the Duma neighbourhood of Damascus August 21, 2013. (Reuters)* Only a few days before the 12th anniversary of 9/11, Nobel Peace Prize winner Barack Obama might be fighting side by side with... al-Qaeda, as he ... more »

Billionaire Hedge Fund Manager Invokes MLK In Call For Mass Civil Disobedience Over Climate Change

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 15 hours ago
Tom Steyer thinks the percentage of Americans willing to resort to civil disobedience to force action on climate change is nearing a tipping point. The billionaire hedge fund manager, a capitalist renegade, suggests his countrymen follow the wisdom of Martin Luther King Jr. "*According to a fascinating poll that came out last week, 13 percent of Americans claim that they would commit some form of non-violent civil disobedience to get action on climate change. * * **Wednesday marked the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a Dream" speech. ... more »

Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 15 hours ago
This has often been attributed to Sun Tzu and sometimes to Niccolò Machiavelli or Petrarch, but there are no published sources yet found which predate its use by "Michael Corleone" in *The Godfather Part II *(1974)!

ALERT: TIME FOR PRODUCT RECALL

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 15 hours ago
Hello, I have an important public service announcement from The National Institute. Please pay close attention. There is a recall of a pharmaceutical drug that has been on the market since 2007. In preliminary studies, Obama was found to alleviate symptoms of major depression and anxiety disorders that were pandemic during the Bush/Cheney Administration. This is a Class One Recall, a situation where there is a reasonable probability that use of or exposure to this product will cause serious adverse health consequences or even death. Obama was given to the nation in large doses ... more »

US foreign policy regarding Syria seems similar to our reaction to the Yemen terror threat ( remember that one ? ) - Launch a peck of missils somewhere and then see what happens next ? Apparently a plan to hit a country with a hundred or so misiles / bombs represents " punishment " but not regime change ) although we have postponed talks with russia designed to find a diplomatic path to a resolution of the syria debacle in process... Meanwhile , the inane / contradictory foreign policy saw John Kerry opposing the UN inspection mission ( once again he was for it before he was against it ) ......For the US and UK - are legal justifications to support war , things like Authorizations from World Bodies , rules , laws , constitutions ---- things for the other guy to worry about ? For the White House , does Congress equal Engel and King in the House and McCain and Graham in the Senate ? And once again , is Obama saying if you don't like it - impeach me spineless wonders ?

Catharsis Ours - 15 hours ago
Making it up as they go along..... No Apparent Endgame Strategy for US War on SyriaUS to Start Lobbing Missiles, But Then What? by Jason Ditz, August 27, 2013 Print This | Share This Since the disastrous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, officials have been insistent that future US wars would have limited goals and well defined endgame strategies. That has been conspicuously absent with respect to Syria. The “goals,” to the extent they’ve been presented to the public at all, seem to begin and end with lobbing a bunch of missiles at Syria and declaring it “punishment.” That’s where thing... more »

Welcome to IntelligenceWorld, where secrecy and budgets are sky-high, and intelligence, not so much

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 15 hours ago
* By the unanimous vote of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, Martin Luther King Jr. -- in the wake of the 1963 March on Washington and the "I have a dream" speech -- was named "the most dangerous Negro of the future in this Nation from the standpoint of Communism, the Negro and national security."* *by Ken* I can't help thinking that the three stories below are related, that in fact while they involve three totally separate government entities -- the FBI with its "dangerous Negro of the future" Martin Luther King Jr., the NYPD with its "terrorist" mosques, and the constellation of fede... more »

B.S. On Your Collar (Says Your Argument’s Untrue): Another Common Core Lie Exposed

Michael Paul Goldenberg at SCHOOLS MATTER @ THE CHALK FACE - 15 hours ago
FLOAT LIKE A BUTTERFLY, STING LIKE AN S.O.B.: First, let me introduce my first post at “Schools Matter at the Chalk Face.” It’s an enormous compliment to have been invited by Tim and Shaun to contribute to the collective blogging efforts of so many bright, insightful, and dedicated people. For the last couple of years, […]

Leonard Peltier's Statement to Longest Walk 4 Now in St Louis

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 16 hours ago
Photo by Lisa Zahner Reinhold, with long walkers at Babler State Park in St Louis, photo via mobile Peltier's statement to Longest Walk 4 Return to Alcatraz, now in St Louis By Leonard Peltier August 29, 2013 Censored News Greetings!  I want to take some time to thank each and every one of you for committing to do this walk and to carry prayers for me. I also want to

today! right now! fast-food workers on strike throughout the united states

laura k at wmtc - 16 hours ago
Today, fast-food workers all over the United States are standing up for their rights, demanding a living wage, demanding to be free from harassment and intimidation. From New York to Seattle, from Maine to Texas, from Los Angeles to Chicago to Raleigh, low-wage workers are on strike. Please show your support by signing their open letter to McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, Domino’s and Papa John’s. These corporate giants netted $7.35 billions in profit last year alone, yet they pay their workers poverty wages. Help them demand more!

"Passive Acceptance..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 16 hours ago
"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Fukushima updates - August 29 - 30 , 2013....The awakening of the world as to Fukushima debacle....Various " Simply Info " items of the day....

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 16 hours ago
[Column] Summary of Fukushima situation – The difference among contaminated water, groundwater and sea contamination Posted by *Mochizuki* on August 30th, 2013 · No Comments Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on emailShare on printMore Sharing Services The contaminated water situation is getting increasingly complicated. I think some people are too busy to follow up. Here I’d like to summarize the situation short so you can read it before the next metro station. ■ The difference among contaminated water, groundwater and sea contamination. *1. Contaminated water* Contaminated water... more »

"How It Really Is"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 16 hours ago
Well of course, nothing else one could possibly think about, right?

Friday Morning Ramble: The ‘Guns of August’ Edition

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 17 hours ago
[image: toy-soldiers]*When you make a threat—“do that again and you’ll be punished!”—you have to carry it out if they do do it again, or you’ll begin to be taken for granted. Every parent knows this. That’s the **“line in the sand**” that now confronts Mr Obama as he contemplates sending Tomahawk missiles into a Syrian civil war. But send them in to do what? To support whom? And into a hornet’s nest that, with every one of the world’s major powers taking an interest, could end who knows how? Can this possibly end well?* So it’s war; or is it? *Two Minds on Syria* – George Packe... more »

Seriously. Thanks Obama

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 17 hours ago
Busy with real life stuff so outsourcing all my posts today. Betty Cracker finds a bucket full of good news: 1. Colorado, Washington get OK from feds on marijuana 2. Federal Tax System Will Recognize Married Gay Couples Even If Their States Do Not 3. HHS Extends Medicare Benefits To Married Gay Couples Plus the executive order on guns. Not a bad day’s work. Thanks, Obama! The gun order closes a loophole that allowed convicted felons to subvert background checks by taking possession of firearms through a corporation and shut down the reimportation of military weapons from abroad... more »

Government waste on welfare

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 17 hours ago
This has happened in every state that has tried this trick. It's wasteful and the money would be better spent on helping people rather than trying to feed bogus stereotyping. Why drug testing people who need welfare assistance is stupid. Utah has spent more than $30,000 to screen welfare applicants for drug use since a new law went into effect a year ago, but only 12 people have tested positive, state figures show. The idiots in the Statehouse who sponsored this bill were (shockingly) unavailable for comment. [image via]

What's in a name?

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 17 hours ago
Via Charlie Pierce, this is really a brilliant idea for naming major storms. And while you're at it, just click over and read everything Charlie has to say. Perfect place to catch up on the news that matters when you've been offline for a while.

“7 Outrageous and Downright Horrific Statements From the Right-Wing Fringe Just This Week”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago
* * *“7 Outrageous and Downright Horrific Statements* * From the Right-Wing Fringe Just This Week” * By Janet Allon “*1. Justice Scalia wonders aloud if citizens should have rocket launchers.*How do you solve a problem like Scalia? The Supreme Court’s most shoot-from-the-hip, right-wing, Tea Partying, really un-judge-like judge mused this week in a speech in Montana about what sort of arms are protected under the Second Amendment. Might “shoulder-fired rocket launchers” be protected? Perhaps, he concluded. Scalia reminded the crowd that the framers of the Constitution put that am... more »

Al-Qaeda Is Disappointed In British Parliament, Calls On British PM To Attack Syria

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 17 hours ago
*Below is a short statement by Jamal Ahmed al-Tahiri, the spokesman for Al-Qaeda in Damascus (AQD), in response to the British Parliament's decision against military action in Syria.* In the Name of Allah the Merciful, America the Accursed, Aslam O' Alikum, The blind and stupid men in the British Parliament do not see what we see here on the ground. Bashar the dog is killing women and children with chemical weapons. Assad is mocking America and Great Britain. Mr. Obama and Mr. Cameron must respond with full force and break this war criminal to pieces. They must ignore the will of t... more »

Syria: The hand of the US will soon be free. Cameron lost. Another fail at the UN

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 18 hours ago
*Hands off Syria! Hands off Syria! Hands off Syria! * *Just a quick news round up:* *Russia had requested a UN Security Council Meeting: Closed Door* *Reports are: no progress was made.* [image: http://db2.stb.s-msn.com/i/5c/34108f3af68a1a549223e48ef9fd9d/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg] A meeting of the UN Security Council's permanent members today ended quickly with no sign of progress on an agreement over the Syria crisis. The meeting started breaking up after less than an hour, with the ambassadors of C... more »

Satire: “Obama Promises Syria Strike Will Have No Objective”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago
* “Obama Promises Syria Strike Will Have No Objective”* by Andy Borowitz WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)— “Attempting to quell criticism of his proposal for a limited military mission in Syria, President Obama floated a more modest strategy today, saying that any U.S. action in Syria would have “no objective whatsoever.” “Let me be clear,” he said in an interview on CNN. “Our goal will not be to effect régime change, or alter the balance of power in Syria, or bring the civil war there to an end. We will simply do something random there for one or two days and then leave. I want ... more »

“'Crash Alert' Flag Still Flying"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago
* * *“'Crash Alert' Flag Still Flying"* by Bill Bonner "We hoisted our “Crash Alert” flag last week. So far, no crash. The US stock market came back a bit yesterday, with a 48 point gain on the Dow. Gold was flat. The flag is not a prediction. It’s merely a warning – like the flag at the beach that warns of a dangerous riptide. You can still go in the water. But watch out. You could get washed out to sea. Syria? Tapering? The return of the debt-ceiling debate? Anemic real economic growth? A preponderance of negative earnings guidance? Rising Treasury yields? A panic in the emergi... more »

The Evidence Against Syria

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 19 hours ago
Source. Strong stuff. *Post script 21:06* There are the five tests Ed Miliband has published this evening as conditions to be met for Labour's backing in the Commons. I reproduce them here for information: 1) We must let the UN weapons inspectors do their work and report to the UN Security Council; 2) There must be compelling and internationally-recognised evidence that the Syrian regime was responsible for the chemical weapons attacks; 3) The UN Security Council should debate and vote on the weapons inspectors' findings and other evidence. This is the highest forum of the wor... more »

David Hartley - Beautiful Sunday. Another form of chamber music...

address-withheld@my.opera.com.invalid (Dr. John v. Kampen) at - 19 hours ago
Link: http://youtu.be/GaV0EcTk14I and listen to this as well! *David Hartley* is a veteran British steel guitar player. He wrote that he works for Coca Cola and plays for fun. Well, his YouTube channel will convince you how formidable he can play - for fun and education. Excellent indeed. It's relaxing to listen to him, in particular when times cause stress. Have a... funny weekend anyway! John

Al-Qaeda Presents The Moral Case For U.S. Intervention In Syria

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 19 hours ago
*Below is a statement by Jamal Ahmed al-Tahiri, the spokesman for Al-Qaeda in Damascus (AQD). * In the Name of Allah the Merciful, America the Accursed, Aslam O' Alikum, There are calls from the capitals of the world to punish Bashar the dog. We welcome this news. The crimes of Assad and his Satanic regime are legion. So far, he has gassed his imprisoned people with impunity, this latest one in a suburb in our beloved Damascus being just one among many examples. All true Muslims must fight against Assad's tyranny and brutality. If Obama attacks Assad he will show himself to be a tr... more »

Mohawk Nation News: 'Pro' Rogue Harper

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 19 hours ago
'PRO' ROGUE HARPER Posted on August 29, 2013 Mohawk Nation News  MNN. Aug. 29, 2013. Prime Minister Harper ended a session of Parliament. Proroguing is a fundamental abuse of power.“When danger reared its ugly head, he bravely turned his tail and fled”. [Monty Python]. We Indigenous have always been in the way. Hence the holocaust of 150 million of us with bullets and disease!   PM

Ready For Another Pointless War In The Middle East?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 19 hours ago
All the military pieces needed to bomb Syrian are being put into place. According the excellent sources, the Akrotiri Airforce Base on Cyprus is ready for action. Syria is preparing for an attack as well. I've been 100% positive it was coming. Now I'm only 90% sure. Cameron botched the opportunity, if one ever existed, for making a compelling case in front of Parliament Thursday and Obama is coming under a great deal of public pressure to hold off *at least* until the UN inspectors report whether it was Assad or the someone else who unleashed the gas attack on civilians in the Da... more »

More Replies and More Miley Cyrus ...

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 20 hours ago
Commenter karen said this not too long ago: I beleive that politics are not something that can play in the background of our lives. We either participate or we risk winding up victims. One thing that I would like to suggest is that the focus NOT be on stopping something, or tearing something down, that the focus be on the building of something. It needs to be positive, not negative. I have a suspicion that the exhaustion comes from fighting, but that we can draw energy from building. I totally agree about politics' being in the foreground. Politics is everywhere. There's politics ... more »

Obamacare Disappearing Already?

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 20 hours ago
TPM today has a nice collection of ads for the various health care exchanges. Except the word "exchanges" isn't mentioned in the ones that I looked at. Nor are words such as "Obamacare." Or "Affordable Care Act." Or even "government." A couple of them did hit on the word "affordable," I suppose. Which is as good an excuse as any to trot out again my claim that if the ACA works, it will disappear. That is, few will realize that they've had any interaction with "Obamacare" at all. They may be only marginally more aware of the government's role in making health insurance affordable than... more »

Once again a failure to apply W(D) leads to a retrial

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 20 hours ago
*R. v. Jeffrey Lea Hogg* 2013 PECA 11 holds: [6] In failing to properly apply the burden of proof, the trial judge made two errors in law: 1. After deciding that he did not believe the testimony of the accused, he did not go on to analyze and consider whether that evidence nevertheless raises a reasonable doubt (*R. v. Ellis*, 2006 PESCAD 25 (CanLII), 2006 PESCAD 25, at paras. 17, 18 and 20; *R. v. J.M.H.*, 2012 PECA 6 (CanLII), 2012 PECA 6, at paras. 37 and 30). 2. He did not scrutinize the evidence adduced by the Crown to ensure it was su... more »

Who has been using chemical weapons in Syria

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 20 hours ago
The use of chemical weapons in Syria is being pinned on the Assad regime, I'm not sure why as the BBC themselves aired this interview with Carla Del Ponte in May. A leading United Nations investigator says she is 'stupefied' by the testimony from victims of the Syrian conflict that rebels have used nerve agent sarin. Carla Del Ponte told Swiss TV there were "strong, concrete suspicions but not yet incontrovertible proof". She said her panel had not yet seen evidence of government forces using chemical weapons. So why were Barack Obama and other Western 'leaders' not interested i... more »

Mohawk Nation News 'Three Feathers'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 20 hours ago
THREE FEATHERS By Mohawk Nation News  August 28, 2013  MNN. Aug. 28, 2013. In the spring of 2005 the women of Akwesasne asked the men to fill council positions in the Turtle, Wolf and Bear clans. Bear and Wolf Clans each selected three men and the Turtle Clan selected one. During the next few years, they worked on establishing various businesses to help the people.  In July 2011 to

Our leadership is astoundingly weak!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 20 hours ago
*THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2013* *Joan Walsh attempts a rant:* Over here in the liberal world, our intellectual leadership is just extremely weak. Consider what happened yesterday morning when Joan Walsh attempted to stage a rant. She started with words of praise for all the brilliant recent writing by all the other liberal leaders. This will become relevant just a bit later: WALSH (8/28/13): *I’m finally getting around to writing about the 1963 March for Jobs and Freedom commemoration this week, mainly because, for a change, so much of the writing about it has been so excellent.* Fran... more »

Federalists

Paul Coker at News Spike - 21 hours ago
People who didn't want the Federalist Papers: All those not owning property, the deed of estate valued at not less than £1000 sterling.

Steven Benner: We are all Martians

LeDaro at LeDaro - 21 hours ago
We are all Martians. A rock brought us on earth. I don't know about rest of us but Harper and company definitely came from the Mars and have not fully adjusted on earth.:) *"The evidence seems to be building that we are actually all Martians; that life started on Mars and came to Earth on a rock," Steven Benner, a chemist at the Florida-based Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, said in a news release. What's more, recent studies suggest that the conditions suitable for the origin of life "may still exist on Mars," he said.* Read about the new theory by a scientist at NBC N... more »

A missile attack on Syria will further perpetuate the civil war

LeDaro at LeDaro - 21 hours ago
According to Clare Short, Former Secretary of State for International Development, it will be a blunder to carry out a missile attack on Syria. In a column in The Huffington Post she writes: *"It is notable that the Finnish Institute for Verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention said after the Damascus attack, that it did not look like military strength toxins because otherwise those who help the injured would have had to wear protective clothing. Other experts have said that sarin gas is not difficult to manufacture. It is also significant that in recent months, the Syrian ... more »

The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster: This Is Disturbing News - Your Days Of Eating Pacific Ocean Fish Are Over... And Fukushima Is 1000x Worse Than We Thought!

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 21 hours ago
With all of the world's attention focused exclusively on the situation with Syria these days, there is indeed news happening elsewhere, especially with very disturbing reports about the situation at Fukushima Japan. For this article, I want to present the following very disturbing report that comes from the website: Natural Blaze, at www.naturalblaze.com. It is entitled: "Fukushima: Your Days Of Eating Pacific Ocean Fish Are Over", and as the title states, the entire Pacific Ocean as a major source of food for at least a billion people is no longer available due to radiation from ... more »

monster

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 21 hours ago
sometimes i feel like there's a monster inside of me

Hypocrisy of the criminal U.S. government exposed (one more time)

David L Griscom at Cherchez la Verite - 21 hours ago
------------------------------ *Exclusive: CIA Files Prove America Helped Saddam as He Gassed Iran* The U.S. knew Hussein was launching some of the worst chemical attacks in history -- and still gave him a hand. ------------------------------ *BY SHANE HARRIS AND MATTHEW M. AID* | AUGUST 26, 2013 Original Here The U.S. government may be considering military action in response to chemical strikes near Damascus. But a generation ago, America's military and intelligence communities knew about and did nothing to stop a se... more »

I'm Pretty Sure Clicking On This Is One of Them

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 21 hours ago
There's an ad that's appearing on news web sites seemingly everywhere. It's this: Just a warning. Of those "5 Signs You'll Get Alzheimer's", going for the "Click Here" is the decisive one. Seriously, click it and you're done.

What was John Lewis planning to say!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 21 hours ago
*THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2013* *Adventures in the press corps:* Can a person ever believe what he or she reads in the press? In Monday’s Washington Post, Krissah Thompson did a 2200-word retrospective about the original March on Washington. At one point, she described the flap concerning the speech John Lewis planned to deliver that day. This is what Thompson wrote: THOMPSON (8/26/13): The stretched nerves began to fray the night before the march, when drafts of John Lewis's speech were circulated by members of SNCC, which hoped to generate buzz for the youngest of the day's official ... more »

David Cameron: "Syria is not like Iraq".

Roobin at THROUGH THE SCARY DOOR - 22 hours ago
Well, if you say so Dave, I don't know about you but that's my fears allayed. Come on everybody, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iraq... sorry, Syria.

The Apple Really Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 22 hours ago
When it comes to murderous brutality, North Korea's new despot, Kim Jong Un is proving himself a chip off the old blockhead. *Time Inc.* reports that Kim just had an old girlfriend executed by firing squad. *Seoul’s Chosun Ilbo reports that the female singer Hyon Song Wol was arrested along with 11 other entertainers on August 17 for filming themselves having sex. They then sold the videos, some of which made it to China. The 12 people, who belonged to prominent performing troupes, were killed by firing squad on August 20 as their families looked on.* ** *Hyon was best known for ... more »

Alt-Market: What To Expect During The Next Stage Of Collapse ...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 22 hours ago
*it's not pretty.* For years now at Alt-Market (and Neithercorp.us) I have carefully outlined the most likely path of collapse to take place within the U.S., and a vital part of that analysis included economic destabilization caused by a loss of the dollar's world reserve status and petro-status. I have also always made clear that this fiscal crisis event would not occur in the midst of a political vacuum. The central banks and international financiers that created our ongoing and developing disaster are NOT going to allow the destruction of the American economy, the dollar, or gl... more »

Depardieu Awarded Belgian Citizenship

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 22 hours ago
There it is. Belgium has a new passport holder, Gerard Depardieu. Cue the Belgian jokes.

Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia.

Paul Coker at News Spike - 22 hours ago
[image: Screenshot from 2013-08-29 07:12:12]** *Source* *Here is the earlier version of the story*: *US official says Syria crisis is ‘past the point of no return’ as UN members meet* Jim Miklaszewski, Courtney Kube, Keir Simmons, NBC News, Aug 27 2013 *Updated: Wed Aug 28 at 19:45:04 GMT* A divided UNSC huddled Wednesday over the crisis in Syria, but a senior US official told NBC News that “we’re past the point of no return” and that airstrikes are expected soon to punish the Syrian regime for using chemical weapons. The five countries with permanent seats on the UNSC held a prel... more »

Press Conference: Leonard Peltier International Tribunal on Abuse of Indigenous Rights

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 23 hours ago
Press Conference for Leonard Peltier International Tribunal on the Abuse of Indigenous Human Rights MEDIA ADVISORY Contact:  Dorothy Ninham, Wind Chases the Sun, N5679 Skylark Drive, De Pere, WI  54115; Phone: 920/869-2641; E-mail:  dorothyninham@yahoo.com WHEN:  September 4, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. WHERE:  National AIM Interpretative Center, 1113 East Franklin Avenue, Suite 3210A

Delbert "Shorty" Belton to receive full military honors at Thursday's funeral......

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 23 hours ago
SPOKANE, Wash. -- The first of two memorials for World War II veteran Delbert Belton was scheduled for Thursday afternoon. Belton, 88, was beaten to death in the Eagle’s Lodge parking lot August 21. A public funeral planned for noon at Greenwood Cemetery will see Belton buried with full military honors. Hundreds of people from around the region were expected to attend, as news of Belton’s murder has received national attention. The local Patriot Guard planned to be on hand, as well, to help secure the event. They hoped that would not be necessary but said they would be read... more »

SYRIA AND SARAJEVO MARKETPLACE BOMBING - UN DEPUTY CHIEF MILITARY OBSERVER

Anon at aangirfan - 23 hours ago
*Letter to the UK Telegraph by Colonel S C H Ashworth:*

Another Comment on Empirical Research Relating to Ethics and Morality: The Moral Behavior is not Necessarily so Moral at All

noreply@blogger.com (Christian Munthe) at Philosophical Comment - 23 hours ago
So, once again I have dared to post a small comment on an article in the mighty *PLOS ONE* open access science journal*. *Last time, as some of you may recall, it was a piece of psychology research claiming demonstrated *predictive links* (indeed!) between very particular emotional features and equally very particular types of moral judgements, to which I had some to my mind rather devastating comments based on the authors' apparent lack of insight into elementary ethical theory, quite besides the gap between the conclusion reached and the methodology applied. This time, it is once a... more »

Republican: Kyrsten Sinema "Participated In Pagan Rituals, Singing And Spiraling"

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 23 hours ago
Reactionary Arizona New Dem, Kyrsten Sinema is one of the half dozen most conservative Democrats in Congress. Her voting record on crucial roll calls is worse than even Blue Dogs Mike McIntyre's and Jim Matheson's, who both represent deep red districts (unlike her own). She votes more frequently with the GOP than even fellow Arizona ConservaDems Ann Kirkpatrick and Ron Barber. Unquestionably, she deserves to lose her seat next year. But, instead of attacking her as a Wall Street shill undermining the best interests of her constituents, her crazy extremist opponent, well-known neo... more »

CAMERON HAS NO EVIDENCE!

Anon at aangirfan - 1 day ago
On 29 August 2013, the UK Prime Minister David Cameron revealed that he has no evidence that Assad carried out the gas attack in Damascus. Syria Debate: Cameron Makes Case For Action "The Joint Intelligence Committee ... did not produce a 'smoking gun'". www.ft.com/ Cameron's case is as follows: The rebels do not have chemical weapons and so they cannot have carried out the attack. Of course, there is plenty of evidence that the rebels *do* have chemical weapons and have used them. A Wall Street Journal article, "U.S., Allies Prepare to Act as Syria Intelligence Mounts," stat... more »

"Stay Tuned" - Indeed

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 1 day ago
"*Can't talk ...can't speak freely ...stay tuned.*" All I'm getting out of Ottawa Tories is static. It's as though they're locked down. Nobody wants to talk Duffy or Wright much less Tkachuk, Stewart-Olsen or Harper himself. The whole PMO/Senate scandal seems to have become taboo, off limits, out of bounds, perhaps even a bit dangerous. No e-mails, no phone calls, no nothin'. You and me, outsiders, can only watch from the sidelines and pick up whatever scripted scraps fall from political talking heads and the national media. Right now I think you would have to dangle a ca... more »

Four Pictures Worth Many Thousand Words

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 1 day ago
A Vancouver group is targeting the public conscience with an ad campaign to show what has happened to the Palestinian homeland. Unless you're a Zionist, it's a pretty disturbing but accurate depiction of how the Palestinians are being erased from their homeland. The point is, it's not over yet. The aquifer beneath Gaza has been "inadvertently" drained and the U.N. believes that enclave could be unlivable by 2020. Presumably those Palestinians would have to be relocated to the fractured ghettos inland to the north. The ads are running on Vancouver's transit system and they're exp... more »

THE SOUL OF OUR NATION - WAR

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago
This is how it works. The US has been providing Egypt with nearly $2 billion a year in "aid"since 1979. Most of this is military aid. That "aid" is then used to buy weapons from American corporations. So in reality most of US foreign aid becomes more welfare programs for the military industrial complex. Because of current civil war conditions in Egypt the Obama team is having to hold off on providing more aid to that embattled nation. A recent Pew Research Center poll found that 51% of respondents said it's better to cut off military assistance to Egypt, while 26% backed contin... more »

Who Speaks for Whom?

plthomasedd at SCHOOLS MATTER @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
With the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington before us, two moments should inform the education reform debate and the essential issue of who speaks for whom. Gloria Richardson confronted the silencing of women’s voices at the March on Washington in 1963, and Diane Ravitch confronting the tensions between civil rights advocates appearing to […]

A Promised Land Of Our Own Making - A Poem by M.N. Hopkins

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 1 day ago
** *A mission * ** *To none* ** *Rather* ** *Love* ** *To all* ** *This is the message* ** *For* ** *All who gasp* ** *For the breathe of life* ** *All who thirst* ** *For the water of Life* ** *Our will* ** *Is * ** *Your will* ** *And * ** *Your will* ** *Is * ** *Our will* ** *Love colors * ** *Our lives* ** *Nourishes our dreams* ** *Brings with it* ** *Wisdom* ** *And a peace in knowing* ** *That all is of Goodness* ** *As* ** *Goodness enriches all* ** *And* ** *Colors our lives* ** *With acts of kindness* ** *To one another* ** *As we unfold* ** *Evolve* ** *And* ** *Complete* ** *O... more »

Intervention to Punish? Or to Protect?

Charli Carpenter at Duck of Minerva - 1 day ago
Two kinds of military intervention are being discussed and conflated by political elites (like Nicholas Kristof) and international diplomats. The first is an enforcement operation to punish a state for violating a widespread and nearly universal global prohibition norm against the use of chemical weapons. This is what Kristof refers to in the title of Continue reading

EPISTEMIC ENCLOSURES: A slight condescension!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 1 day ago
*THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2013* *Interlude—What’s in a word:* We’d be inclined to question one word in President Obama’s remarks. Some will think we’re picking nits. We think they are wrong. Yesterday, Obama began by describing the people who marched in 1963. We’d be inclined to challenge one word late in this passage: OBAMA (8/28/13): On a hot summer day, they assembled here, in our nation's capital, under the shadow of the great emancipator, to offer testimony of injustice, to petition their government for redress and to awaken America's long-slumbering conscience. We rightly and be... more »

Giveaway: Family Four Pack of Tickets to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 1 day ago
I was given tickets to Ringling Brothers in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own. I told you to stay tuned for a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus ticket giveaway and it is finally here! Today I am giving away a 4-pack of Circus tickets in Salt Lake City. If you are looking to buy ticket read the rest of the post for information. To enter the giveaway use the Rafflecopter widget. Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus will be in Salt Lake City September 26-30th, at the Energy Solutions Arena, with the following shows. - Thursday, September 26 ... more »

Obama's Grotesque Nightmare Speech

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 1 day ago
The standard hypocrisy emerging from the lips of Barack Obama was more jarring than usual Wednesday, as he struggled to pay tribute to the civil rights struggles of yesteryear while still staying true to his own right wing ideals. For all his phony black preacher-speak adulation of Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks, and the cinematic stereotype of struggling black folks (*Pullman Porters, chambermaids and* *shoeshine boys*), Obama simply couldn't resist getting in his usual dig about personal responsibility, and what he perceives to be the chronic whining of the oppressed: *Legitim... more »

Memphis Commercial Appeal Ignores Cuts to Worker Salaries/Benefits to Pay for Charter School Empire and Other CorpEd Priorities

Jim Horn at SCHOOLS MATTER @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
Policy elites of Shelby County are in search for more tax money for corporate welfare education projects. For pre-K, there is a plan to increase the burden on the poor, who now pay almost 10 percent in local and state sales tax, which includes the same tax on food. This fall the ballot will […]

Pork Barrel 6: Spontaneity and Friedrich Hayek

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 1 day ago
* This is my article last Monday in thelobbyist.biz. ----------- After the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF0 has been abolished by the President last Friday, August 13, 2013, there is an unprogrammed amount of P25.4 billion in the proposed 2014 budget. If explicit pork barrel is indeed abolished, the budget should be lower by that amount. But this is not the case. According to DBM Secretary Butch Abad, legislators can introduce their priority projects, subject to certain guidelines as mentioned by the President last Friday, into the budget. Meaning those projects will be ... more »

Jesse Jackson Goes to Syria

Paul Coker at News Spike - 1 day ago
*In 1980, the Reverend Jesse Jackson Jr. paid a visit to Mob-Connected Super-Attorney, Baltimore Oriels owner Edward Bennett Williams, or (as his formidable reputation most frequently preceded him as) "The Man to See". * *"When the establishment turned on Jackson, he came to Williams. * *In 1977, Senator Hubert Humphrey had seen a piece on 60 Minutes, describing Jackson's attempts to motivate inner-city youth to get an education. Humphrey urged HEW Secretary Joe Caliphano* *[to intervene]*...* *Jackson gratefully asked Caliphano for a $25,000 grant.* *Caliphano told him he needed "a... more »

Barack Obama and Martin Luther King

LeDaro at LeDaro - 1 day ago
Was Obama a suitable person to give a speech on the 50th anniversary of MLK's "I have a dream" speech? MLK may have his own weaknesses as he was human after all, but he was not a hypocrite like Obama. It was Martin Luther King's efforts and Lyndon Johnson's co-operation that brought about the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, which were signed by Lyndon Johnson. However, when it came to the Vietnam war, Martin Luther King spoke out loud and clear that it was an unjust war where innocent people were being killed and American soldiers were losing their lives, all for an unj... more »

Within This World Of Man - A Poem by M.N. Hopkins

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 1 day ago
** ** *Do not fear* ** *These days of darkness* ** *When nations* ** *Rival for control* ** *Of resources* ** *Economic markets* ** *And* ** *The minds of mankind* ** *All will fail* ** *For they have chosen * ** *The path of failure* ** *Devoid of Light* ** *Devoid of Love* ** *An end to thir archaic systems* ** *Is soon at hand* ** *Hope springs from a Land to the East* ** *A New way of living* ** *A respect for each other* ** *Reason returns* ** *In time* ** *Love will once again* ** *Rule upon the Land* ** *And* ** *Amongst the nations* ** *A new renaissance* ** *New creations* ** *Man... more »

Iraq’s Kurdish Elections To Go Ahead In September Despite Flawed Voter Rolls

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 1 day ago
The last barrier to Kurdish parliamentary elections was recently removed. The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and some of the opposition parties were complaining about outdated voter roles being used. The Election Commission said that they could go through the lists, but that would delay the vote for two months. Instead, the lists decided to hold the balloting on time, which will be in September. The parties therefore decided to maintain the status quo rather than pushing through a much needed reform. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is finally cleared to hold its parliam... more »

Summer swim

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 1 day ago

"11 Horrifying Facts About The Ongoing Fukushima Nuclear Holocaust"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
*"11 Horrifying Facts About The Ongoing Fukushima Nuclear Holocaust" * by Truth Wins "Is Fukushima the greatest environmental disaster of all time? Every single day, 300 tons of radioactive water from Fukushima enters the Pacific Ocean. The radioactive material that is being released will outlive all of us by a very wide margin, and it is constantly building up in the food chain. Nobody knows for sure how many people will eventually develop cancer and other health problems as a result of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, but some experts are not afraid to use the word “billions”. I... more »

King's Dream Still Just a Dream After Fifty Years

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 1 day ago
Eric Draitser RT *Dr. Martin Luther King waves to supporters on the Mall in * *Washington D.C., August 28, 1963* As America marks the 50th anniversary of a landmark speech delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, it’s fitting to ask the most important question: has the ‘dream’ of a just society built upon a foundation of morality and equality actually been fulfilled? Or is it merely a collective delusion that all must accept? Dr. King stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, before the assembled masses on that summer day in 1963 as the United States slowly but sure... more »

MANIPULATING THE MEDIA STILL CONTINUES

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago
By Hajduk28 August 28th, 2013 Video on the CIA funding and manipulation of the U.S. news media. Operation Mockingbird was a secret Central Intelligence Agency campaign to influence domestic and foreign media beginning in the 1950s. According to the Congress report published in 1976: “The CIA currently maintains a network of several hundred foreign individuals around the world who provide intelligence for the CIA and at times attempt to influence opinion through the use of covert propaganda. These individuals provide the CIA with direct access to a large number of newspapers and... more »

Read Stuff, You Should

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 1 day ago
Happy Birthday to Jim Brady, 73. 1. Andrew Sprung on Obama's speech. And yes -- I noted the lack of GBA, too. Maybe Fallows got to him! 2. Jamelle Bouie on Obama's speech. 3. And Laura Sjoberg on networking at APSA. Good advice, as far as I can tell, although I'm probably the wrong person to ask. I'll toss in my two cents: keep in mind that if someone (an important scholar, a senior colleague, someone you took a class from in grad school) ignores you or otherwise doesn't seem to treat you as well as you hoped, it may well be that person's poor social skills, not anything at all a... more »

Chairman of Zurich Insurance , Josef Ackerman ( that name should be familiar ) quits - this follows the suicide of its CFO this week ! What the hell is going on ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2406413/Zurich-Insurance-forced-admit-finance-director-took-life-left-suicide-note-naming-chairman-widow-blames-husbands-death.html Zurich Insurance confirmed today that former finance director Pierre Wauthier left a suicide note naming the firm's then-chairman Josef Ackermann. The Swiss company said today that the letter documents the relationship between the pair but said that it would be 'inappropriate' to elaborate further. Mr Ackermann quit as chairman yesterday after saying he had come under pressure to take 'my share of responsibility... more »

Making Duffy An Enemy

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 1 day ago
John Ivison compares Senator Mike Duffy to Kevin Spacey's character in the recently released film, *House of Cards*: Frank “The Whip” Underwood was speaking from experience when he said: “Friends make the worst enemies.” Kevin Spacey’s menacing character in House of Cards is intent on bringing down all those on his own team who betrayed him when he was passed over for high office. The vindictiveness, if not the malevolence, bears a striking similarity to a certain former Conservative senator, who feels he has been thrown to the wolves by his former colleagues, in the interests o... more »

You Can't Separate Conservatism From Corruption-- Not On Either Side Of The Aisle

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
Ahmad & Rahm-- two crooks Yeah, yeah... Republicans stink-- all of them. I hope they all disappear off the face of God's earth (before they destroy it). But there are politicians who call themselves "Democrats," for one reason or another, who are every bit as bad as any corruption-mired garden variety Republican. Remember the crook Rahm Emanuel hired as Comptroller of Chicago, Amer Ahmad, who helped Rahm figure out how to illegally cut pensions for public service employees? His behavior could have been predicted long before Rahm hired him-- and probably was; Rahm was looking for a ki... more »

Flooding down south

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 1 day ago
One of the many pics circulating right now. From here. The south got hammered today. _______________________ [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!

Syria updates - August 27 , 2013 ...US indefinitely postpones August 28 , 2013 meeting with Russia to discuss political solution to Syria.....Russia once again expresses regrets Obama Administration decision to cancel approaches to finding a political rather than military solution for Syria ....White House ponder limited time kinetic action ( perhaps two days of cruise missile or strikes by long range bombers ) - then what ? War on Terror gangsters ready to cut another notch on the long growing series of War crimes on its gun belt ?

Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/10269591/Western-attack-to-punish-Syria-likely-to-begin-with-barrage-of-more-than-100-missiles-in-48-hour-blitz.html ( This isn't for regime change ? ) By Ben Farmer, Philip Sherwell and Damien McElroy 10:47PM BST 27 Aug 2013 A Royal Navy Trafalgar class submarine will join forces with American warships in the Mediterranean to fire Tomahawk cruise missiles in an attack that is likely to begin within days. The missiles would be unleashed to destroy Mr Assad's command and control facilities, weapons delivery centres, intelligenc... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 1 day ago
*Environmental groups criticize Jindal copious oil donations ~Jeff Adelson, New Orleans Advocate* *Green Groups Spotlight Big Oil Donations to Jindal Amid Coastal Lawsuit Saga ~NOLA DEFENDER* *John Barry: We Sued the Oil Industry So New Orleans Can Survive ~National Geographic * *An Economic Plan for New Orleans Beyond the Usual Suspects, Tourism and Oil ~Bill Bradley, Next City* *Riveting interview: Lt. General Russell Honore* *~Aerial view of New Orleans (August 31, 2005). U.S. Navy photo by Jeremy L. Grisham. * *~Hat Tweet *@defendnola *To Katrina: Without Whom We Would Not B... more »

"How It Really Is"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago

The Poet: gk thomas, “Wretched of the Earth”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
*“Wretched of the Earth”* By gk thomas “Poor kids, wretched of the earth, why should we feed you? Why shouldn't we empty our sea of bullets into your swollen bellies or poison you with toxic chemicals or depleted uranium? Why should we care, we who are living well? Where is it written in stone that you deserve better? Or that we are not animals subject to the law of nature: kill or be killed? You suspect us of being cruel, but we are kind. Our god tells us so. It is yours that lies. So you cry at night, shivering in the cold or sell yourselves for a slice of bread. What is that to t... more »

Sir James Goldsmith vs. The New World Order

Paul Coker at News Spike - 1 day ago
The Mayfair Set Part 4: Twilight of the Dogs from Spike1138 on Vimeo. Tiny Rowlands tries and fails to buy Harrods; Mohammad Al-Fayedd saves the Pound, Margaret Thatcher and claims Harrods as his reward. Sorros breaks the Bank of England In the wake of Lockerbie, Tiny Rowland hooked up with Allan Frankovitch and declares war on the CIA, DEA, MI5, MI6 and the Secret Team. And exploding out from the rainforests of Central America, Sir James Goldsmith, accompanied by his children, Mistresses all his wives declare all-out war on the forces of The New World Order. On May 1st, 1997,... more »

Obama: Promotes lie of Syrian chemical weapon use against the US!

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 1 day ago
Which most likely means we should be alert to the potential for a false flag attack this long week-end I couldn’t believe what I read, nor what I heard when I took the linked news story in. If one lie won’t work then lie, lie and lie again. It must be difficult for the Obama junta? I guess that is why Kerry made the comment about the internet making it difficult to govern? Truth be told the internet doesn't make governing more difficult. What it does is level the playing field by allowing the people to keep tabs on the very governments who are supposed to be serving their populac... more »

Repression in China

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 1 day ago
A professor in China brings this story to my attention: A renowned professor has confirmed online rumours that his peers will decide whether he will be expelled from China's most eminent university after he made a series of remarks in favour of free speech and constitutional governance. Economics professor Xia Yeliang of Peking University was told by his department that his fate would be decided by a faculty vote, he told the *South China Morning Post* on Monday. "They told me it's because of all the things I have said and written," Xia said. "They have threatened me before, but ... more »

"Why Worry About Total Surveillance When You're Just An Ordinary Joe?"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
* * *"Why Worry About Total Surveillance When You're Just An Ordinary Joe?"* By Joe Giambrone ․ "I'm an upstanding citizen and I'm not doing anything wrong. I just don't want the government invading my privacy." -Unnamed "I got into a heated argument, a disagreeable shouting match over that idea today- mostly being shouted at for nitpicking someone on my own side. I find the above rationale to be a surface response without any thought behind it or any acknowledgement of how actual surveillance-societies of the past devolved into Orwellian abominations. Worse still, the c... more »

“[The Jews] must be butchered” says Palestinian “peace partner” | Trending Central

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 1 day ago
'The Jews are the Jews, whether Labor or Likud, the Jews are the Jews. They do not have any moderates or any advocates of peace. They are all liars… They must be butchered and they must be killed, as Allah said [in the Quran]: 'Fight them, Allah will punish them by your hands. He will humiliate them, and grant you victory over them.' Note he says Jews not Zionists or Israelis. The Palestinian hatred for Israel is a result of their following Islamist teaching. More here http://www.trendingcentral.com/the-jews-must-be-butchered-says-palestinian-peace-partner/ If an Israeli rabbi s... more »

"The Deadly Gaze of American Love"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
*"The Deadly Gaze of American Love"* By Mark Sashine "The cat then hugged the mouse and purred, 'I love you to death.'" - Old Turkish saying. *"The Deadly Gaze in the U.S.:* Several years ago in one of my OEN articles I wrote that the U.S. behaved toward Iraq like a rapist who, after raping a woman, tells her to clean herself because of her disgusting appearance. I was expecting a barrage of comments, but, instead, I got silence. In the U.S., however, silence doesn't mean assent; it means a deliberate ignoring. The same happened, and still happens, when I state that Dick Cheney... more »

For Ethiopian Jews, the end of a 30-year road to Zion | The Times of Israel

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 1 day ago
That apartheid state of Israel again. Is there no end to their racism? http://www.timesofisrael.com/final-flight-of-falash-mura-arrive-in-israel-ending-an-era

APSA 2013 Morning Linkage

Josh Busby at Duck of Minerva - 1 day ago
It’s Syria week. Post use of chemical weapons, some sort of intervention looks more likely than not. We are conflicted. Here to help us make sense of this: The intel that suggests the Syrian regime did it, but unclear command and control George Packer on our inner dialogue about why intervention is necessary but folly Continue reading

ATTACK ON CAMERON'S ZIONIST CABAL

Anon at aangirfan - 1 day ago
*Fatty Cameron - worried by a gas attack.* In the UK, the Non-Zionist faction within the elite has turned against David Cameron and his evil-smelling Zionist cabal. The world's biggest news site, the highly influential Daily Mail, thunders: "*If our MPs STILL have any doubts, they've a moral duty to vote no*." *However*, it is likely that Cameron will go ahead with his 'illegal war for Israel'. *Theresa May* Reportedly some of Cameron's cabinet are opposing a UK attack on Syria. *Philip Hammond* Among those said to be opposing Cameron are Theresa May, the Home Secretary, and ... more »

We're #194!

Kenneth Thomas at Middle Class Political Economist - 1 day ago
I recently learned that a company called Onalytica calculates the influence of economics blogs, using the model of impact factors for academic journals. Basically, it is a question of how often you are cited and the importance of who cites you. I was tickled to find out that Middle Class Political Economist is now ranked in its top 200 economics blogs, a new entry at #194. At the relatively tender age of 25 months, this was a nice pat on the back. Of course, this is a testament to both my readers and those who cite me, and I'd like to thank you all. Also, congratulations to my frien... more »
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