Thursday, September 19, 2013

19 Sept - Blogs I'm Following

English: Roman Catholic church, Târgovişte, Ro...English: Roman Catholic church, Târgovişte, Romania (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
2:32pm MDST

“Danger! Exploding Wealth Gap!”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 26 seconds ago
* * *“Danger! Exploding Wealth Gap!”* by Egon von Greyerz “How can the Fed taper when the real U.S. economy is in a terrible state? Add to that the massive problems in the eurozone. And Japan, the world’s third-largest economy, is a guaranteed basket case. In the U.S., the job participation rate is the lowest since the 1970s, real unemployment (calculated on a consistent basis) is *23%*, workers’ real wages have not gone up for decades, 50 million people are on food stamps, government deficit runs at $1 trillion per year and government debt including unfunded liabilities is $220 ... more »

Evidence of extrinsic misconduct

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 33 minutes ago
R. v. Samuels, 2013 ONCA 551: [42] Evidence may be admissible for one purpose but inadmissible for another. Where the evidence relates to conduct that is extrinsic to the charges before the court, it may be irrelevant and inadmissible if used for one purpose, but relevant and admissible if used for another. The trial judge is required, as he did here, to weigh and balance the evidence to determine if the prejudicial effect related to the forbidden purpose outweighs its probative value for the proper purpose*.* [43] The courts have observed in cases such as *R. v. D. (L... more »

The Birthing

Sophia Love at AMERICAN KABUKI - 1 hour ago
You are ready for this. We are partners in this next dance, with all sorts of accompanying music! Let’s listen to some of it… A conversation with “Cosmic Awareness” as interpreted by Will Berlinghof, from Rainbow-Phoenix. Click here. A conversation between Inelia Benz, Lucia Rene and Victoria More, co-founders of A.W.A.K.E.N. Academy. Click here. And finally, a song: “Happy” is oozing through the air today. This is new, and not because of any external event in this 3D life being lived, quite the contrary. There are people whom I love... more »

Pope Franky Spanks the Vatican

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 1 hour ago
Pope Francis continues to rock the Vatican. *Pope Francis, in the first extensive interview of his six-month-old papacy, said that the Roman Catholic Church had grown “obsessed” with preaching about abortion, gay marriage and contraception, and that he has chosen not to speak of those issues despite recriminations from some critics. * *In remarkably blunt language, Francis sought to set a new tone for the church, saying it should be a “home for all” and not a “small chapel” focused on doctrine, orthodoxy and a limited agenda of moral teachings. * *“It is not necessary to talk ab... more »

How Fantasy Becomes Fact

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Pielke, Jr.) at Roger Pielke Jr.'s Blog - 2 hours ago
The flooding in Colorado has wreaked tremendous devastation, by one estimate the costs will total about $2 billion. Some people remain unaccounted for and it will be many months if not longer before the Front Range recovers. If you'd like to contribute to the recovery, please see this page with resources. As is often the case in the aftermath of extreme events and disasters, people look for some way to put them into a bigger perspective. With respect to floods, a common way of establishing this perspective is through the N-year flood, which is defined as a flood with 1/N probabili... more »

If Syria is a dictatorship, then what is your government, really?

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 2 hours ago
Recall the helicopter shot down? I mentioned this incident the other day. Here. "The helicopter strayed 2 kilometers into Turkish airspace, but crashed inside Syria after being hit by missiles fired from the jet" So, the Syrian helicopter had turned back into Syrian territory and the Turks shot it down with a fighter jet. "rebel fighters captured one of the pilots, while the fate of the other one was unclear" NATO fighters captured the one living pilot and given the track record of the NATO mercs, I expect this guy will wish he died in the crash. After my brief tirade w... more »

Talk Like A Pirate

Southern Man at Southern Man - 2 hours ago
Arr, it be International Talk Like A Pirate Day. So talk like a pirate, ya scurvy dog!

Those Obamacare Rape Ads Are a Scam on Conservatives, and That's Not the Worst Part

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 2 hours ago
I suppose I have to talk about the creepy anti-Obamacare ads that everyone, or at least all the liberal bloggers, are talking about today. Look, folks: this is a very obvious scam. This is not about stopping the ACA. This is about money. Oh, for the donors, it's presumably about stopping Obamacare. But for the people putting together the ads, unless they are incredibly stupid and naive, it's almost certainly about raising money from those donors. And, perhaps, making a name for themselves (or a bigger name -- I'm not looking to see who is responsible) within the conservative moveme... more »

Kurdish Sunni Muslim Women: FSA and Al Nusra mercenaries are not Muslims!

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 2 hours ago
America, Israel, Turkey, Qatar, France, England, and Saudi Arabia unleashed the plague Al-Qaeda on Syria and on the different religious groups and ethnicities inside that country. The blood of Kurds is on their hands. They let loose these heartless monsters and racist cannibals who chop up humans like cow meat. These criminal states and countries will ultimately pay the price for these crimes, in one form or another, whether physically or spiritually, economically or strategically, whether in the arena of global public opinion or on the battlefields of the Middle East, whether tomor... more »

John Cusack Wants To Know (We ALL Do)

You just gotta love this guy's integrity and determination to speak out on issues important to us all. (As most celebrities are happy to just nitpick a little and then slide back into the money (h/t to Fitzgerald).) I know I do. I think I feel a crowd growing. At least I hope so. (Emphasis marks have been added - Ed.) Will Eric Holder Guarantee NSA Reporters' First Amendment Rights? By

Are We Medicating Ourselves to Death?

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 3 hours ago
A report from the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) wades into the tens of thousands of lives claimed in America each year from overuse of antibiotics. *Each year in the United States, at least 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die each year as a direct result of these infections. Many more people die from other conditions that were complicated by an antibiotic-resistant infection. * * * *Antibiotic-resistant infections can happen anywhere. Data show that most happen in the general community; however, mo... more »

Talk Like A Pirate Day Cupcakes

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 3 hours ago
We are over the top in this house. We eat a completely green meal on St. Patrick's Day and heart attack our own house on Valentine's Day. My mom always had fun things for us to do on each holiday, but I get my over the top-ness from my older sister. My sister is a party planner, cake maker extraordinaire. She makes and sells cakes in South Carolina, and she is pretty much amazing. I'm not just saying that either, check out her Facebook page, Creative Cakes by Jana for proof. One of the things I have learned from my sister is that any reason can be a reason to celebrate. Today is I... more »

Democrats Still Love Obama-- When He Sticks To His Knitting

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 3 hours ago
When Obama sticks to Democratic Party values and grassroots principles, he engenders tremendous affection and support from the huge coalition that elected him twice. When he strays off into corporate Republican territory-- whether in regard to Austerity (like Chained CPI), atrocious anti-worker trade policies, or bombing Syria-- his support drops. That simple. But his fiercest opponents within the Democratic Party-- whether Raul Grijalva on Chained CPI or Alan Grayson on blowing shit up in small nasty countries-- are also his fiercest supporters when he's doing what the American pe... more »

On the road ...

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 3 hours ago
I'm in transit today. Doing a lot of errands that have no money attached. Hope it's not as stressful as this: Happy trails to me.

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New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 3 hours ago
*Brees Hits Out at Goldson for Going After Saints ~Steven Babcock, NOLA DEFENDER* *House Money ~moosedenied* ~Well, shit. So much for Sean Payton's Revenge Tour. The Saints are off to a second consecutive 0-2 start and it sure doesn't look like these guys have it in 'em to climb out of the early hole they've dug for themselves. Just our luck, right? The defensive retooling has so far exceeded even our most wildly optimistic expectations, but right on cue, our formerly historically-great offense has suddenly turned to complete dogshit. Because, of course. Drew Brees and Sean Payton ... more »

What Is Policy Relevance, and (How) Should We Reward International Relations Scholars for It?

Johannes Urpelainen at The Duck of Minerva - 4 hours ago
The subfield of international relations seems to suffer from an inferiority complex. While most subfields of political science do their research and trust that the results are relevant to policy for a good reason, many an international relations scholar complains that the subfield is not relevant enough. The latest example is Campbell and Desch, who Continue reading

Ottawa: Doubledecker bus and train collision

LeDaro at LeDaro - 4 hours ago
*TRANSIT ACCIDENT: An official photographed the scene of an accident involving a bus and a train in Ottawa Wednesday. Six people died and at least 11 others were critically injured after a VIA Rail passenger train and an Ottawa city transit bus collided, local authorities said. (Chris Wattie/Reuters)* There are allegations that the driver of the bus was careless. Very sad. It made international news. Media tends to pick up the tragic stories like these quite fast. It was reported on CNN and NBC.

Tony Abbott's Australia Will Have Nothing to Do With Climate Commission

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 4 hours ago
Australia has just come through its hottest twelve months on record in time to sweep into power Tony Abbott's wonky coalition government. And, true to form, Tony's been busy doing a little sweeping of his own. After manfully wrestling with the issue of how he would find space for a woman in his 19-man cabinet, he decisively moved on to scrap Australia's independent Climate Commission. *The commission, which was established in 2011, has compiled 27 reports on various aspects of climate change. Its most recent major report, The Critical Decade, warned that the world must "virtua... more »

Whenever I See the Gathering Clouds of Nihilism, It's Strangelove For Me.

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 4 hours ago
At times it can seem that, as a species, we're backsliding. Egalitarianism seems to be in rout. The drive for equality has stalled and is quietly reversing. We now focus on the short term, the relatively trivial stuff and pursue means and goals that are outdated, even discredited, while we give a pass to the long term issues and challenges that confront us. Why does it feel like we're getting back to this mentality?

Government Shutdown: “Dumb And Dumber”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 4 hours ago
* “Dumb And Dumber”* By CAP Action War Room “The federal government is hurtling toward two critical deadlines where a failure to act will be extraordinarily damaging to the US economy. But Republicans think it’s okay to play political games even if it means sabotaging our economy. *Deadline 1:* To avoid government shutdown, Congress needs to pass a spending bill to fund the federal government by September 30. Republicans have been engaged in a civil war for weeks over how best to use this deadline to manufacture a crisis. Those on the far right, led by Senators Marco Rubio and ... more »

No right to serve foreign prison sentence in Canada

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 4 hours ago
Divito *v.* Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness),* *2013 SCC 47: *Date:* 20130919 *Docket:* 34128 [45] The ability of prisoners to serve their sentence in Canada is therefore a creation of legislation. Independent of the*ITOA*, there is no right to serve a foreign prison sentence in Canada. In my view, although the *ITOA *contemplates a mechanism by which a citizen may return to Canada in the limited context of continuing incarceration for the purpose of serving their foreign sentence, s. 6(1) does not confer a right on Canadian citizens t... more »

Nepal: Colourful religious rituals

LeDaro at LeDaro - 5 hours ago
*GIRLS’ WORSHIP: Nepalese girls wore traditional attire as they waited for a worship ceremony for girls meant to offer protection from evil and good luck in the future in Katmandu, Nepal, Tuesday. (Narendra Shrestha/European Pressphoto Agency*

Achievement Gap? Nope, parts 1 and 2

P. L. Thomas at Schools Matter - 5 hours ago
The term “achievement gap” is misleading and thus one of the problems with the education reform debate. Please see the following posts addressing why: Achievement Gap Misnomer for Equity Gap, pt. 1 Achievement Gap Misnomer for Equity Gap, pt. 2

New Report on Race to the Top Finds Many Wrecks in the Ditch or Over the Cliff

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 5 hours ago
EPI and The Broader, Bolder Approach have an important important report on how things are going with Race to the Top (RTTT), or as it may be more aptly known, HUAP (Hurry Up and Privatize). In examining what the states have done to get some of Arne's 3.4 billion bucks, the authors find confusion, conflict, corruptionism, confoundedness, and cautious dread (that's as optimistic as it gets in RTTT land these days). In looking at the how bonus bribe points for RTTT grant applicants were stated, I have responded (after each below) to what this has meant in the RTTT golden state of Tenn... more »

‘My ELF Weapon’: More Proof Navy Yard Shooter Targeted with Mind Control Weapons

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Daniels) at Global Political Awakening - 6 hours ago
[image: Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...] *Discussion that would have instantly caused anyone involved to be labeled a ‘crazy conspiracy theorist’ even a few weeks ago has now made its way into the mainstream media.* Melissa Melton Following reports that suspected Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis had called police just weeks before the mass shooting in D.C. to claim he was the victim of gang stalking and a target of microwave energy weapons that left him hearing voices and unable to sleep, now reports are surfacing that the military contractor had carved “My ELF Weapo... more »

“A Letter to Nancy Pelosi”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 6 hours ago
* * *“A Letter to Nancy Pelosi”* by Bill Bonner “As expected, Ben Bernanke is not going to taper in the final months of his term. Too risky. Instead, *laissez les bons temps roulez...!* The Dow jumped 144 points yesterday. And look at gold. It soared $56 an ounce yesterday. The newspapers are full of retrospectives on the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy and what it meant. We have an observation of our own: Five years after the financial crisis hit the headlines it’s amazing how so much fantasy, delusion and conceit have built up around the event. According to Nancy Pelosi – then Spea... more »

Business 360 11: Avoiding Middle Income Trap

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 6 hours ago
* This article was published twice. First in Business 360 magazine in Kathmandu, Nepal, September 2013 issue; then in the Economic Freedom Network (EFN) Asia website today. ------------- Many Asian economies are now among the “engine of growth” for some countries within and outside the continent due to their huge contribution to international trade as big exporters/producers and big importers/consumers, as well as big recipients of foreign remittances. Such opportunity has allowed many Asian economies to move from low income to middle-income levels, and for the lucky and more techn... more »

New Baghdad Administration Finds Millions Stolen In Corrupt Construction Deals

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 6 hours ago
In 2013, most of Iraq’s provinces received new governments following elections. One of the first things many of the new administrations did was announce that the previous governorate councils walked away with millions of dollars in corrupt development deals. Over 200 of such cases were just discovered in Baghdad. The new governor blamed the theft for the lack of services in the province. The problem is the new officials are likely to be just as crooked as the old ones as stealing government funds is considered a privilege of holding office in Iraq. In September, new Baghdad Gove... more »

Alison Stewart's Great History of D.C.'s Dunbar High School

John Thompson at Schools Matter - 6 hours ago
Alison Stewart's *First Class *brings us full circle. Actually, Stewart guides us through a variety of recurring social, moral, and educational cycles that undoubtedly will continue to repeat themselves in one way or another. Her history of the rise and fall of Washington D.C.'s elite Dunbar High School tells a story that cannot be ignored if we really believe that education can be the civil rights movement of the 21st century. Stewart begins with her mother, Carol Stewart, as she watches the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Carol, a retired biology teacher, marvels, "What a ... more »

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Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 6 hours ago
EPI and The Broader, Bolder Approach have an important important report on how things are going with Race to the Top (RTTT), or as it may be more aptly known, HUAP (Hurry Up and Privatize). In examining what the states have done to get some of Arne's 3.4 billion bucks, the authors find confusion, conflict, corruptionism, confoundedness, and cautious dread (that's as optimistic as it gets in RTTT land these days). In looking at the how bonus bribe points for RTTT grant applicants were stated, I have responded (after each below) to what this has meant in the RTTT golden state of Tenn... more »

Coups, MI5 and the British Labour Movement

Paul Coker at News Spike - 6 hours ago
24 Hours - Yesterday's Men (16 June 1971) from Spike1138 on Vimeo. Straight-dealing is one of the principles of BBC programme making, but it has not always been followed. The BBC enraged Harold Wilson and his outgoing government after they lost the 1970 General Election. They were effectively tricked into taking part in a programme that would ridicule them. Had Wilson and his front-benchers known, for example, that the programme would take as its title a soundbite from their own campaign against the Conservatives (they called the Tories "yesterday's men"), they would not have ag... more »

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New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 6 hours ago
*Canal Street ferry to be pedestrians-only starting Monday**~Jackson Avenue Ferry Terminal to be auctioned off Thursday* *Knight Foundation awards The Lens $50,000 to create "local government contracts" database ~Steve Meyers* *The Giant Big Oil Lawsuit That Bobby Jindal Wants to Make Disappear ~Tim Murphy, Mother Jones* *Mid-Barataria project could be first of 10 in state aimed at reinforcing eroding coast ~Amy Wold, Advocate* *New fun at City Park! New Boats! New Bikes!*

6 Things Hawaii can Teach Us About Health and Happiness by Elizabeth Renter

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 6 hours ago
6 Things Hawaii can Teach Us About Health and Happiness by Elizabeth Renter Natural Society, 18 September 2013 *Hawaiians are generally happier** than their landlocked countrymen, and there are several reasons why.* At first blush, it’s tempting to say, “Who wouldn’t be happier?—living in a place as beautiful as Hawaii, spending time on the beach with an umbrella in your glass.” But, Hawaiians aren’t on a permanent vacation. They work just like we do, pay bills, and deal with life stressors. Through it all, however, they manage to stay happier and even live longer. *So, what ca... more »

Mexico: Severe weather is an international phenomanon in 2013

LeDaro at LeDaro - 6 hours ago
Floods in Mexico have established new records. *"Zipline rescues from Mexico floods* *Hundreds of local and foreign tourists have arrived in Mexico City, after the country's military sent a plane to transport them out of the resort city of Acapulco where they were stranded after some of the most damaging storms in decades. ITV’s Lewis Vaughan Jones reports."*

A one-day mission of national import!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 6 hours ago
*THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2013* *Plus, Salon interviews Ravitch:* If this is Thursday, we're off on a mission of national import involving the professional development of a superlative group of managers within several departments in the federal government. We'll return to our sprawling campus tomorrow. For those who are interested in public school issues, we'll recommend Salon's interview with Diane Ravitch, which we will review in detail at some point. Can we talk? When we read interviews with Ravitch, we sometimes get the feeling that she doesn't know a gigantic amount about the i... more »

Judges presumed to know and apply the law

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 6 hours ago
*R. v. Burns *(l994) 89 C.C.C. (3d) l93 at l99 to 200, states the following: Failure to indicate expressly that all relevant considerations have been taken into account in arriving at a verdict is not a basis for allowing an appeal under s. 686(l)(a). This accords with the general rule that a trial judge does not err merely because he or she does not give reasons for deciding one way or the other on problematic points ... The judge is not required to demonstrate that he or she knows the law and has considered all aspects of the evidence. Nor is the judge required to explain why h... more »

We Are Beings Of Light - A Poem by M.N. Hopkins

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 6 hours ago
** *We are beings of Light* ** *Surrounded by images of darkness* ** *Darkness directed* ** *By those of dark determination* ** *Who are weak of mind* ** *And will* ** *Separated from Spirit* ** *Easily influenced* ** *And * ** *Corrupted* ** *Dimming their vision* ** *As they dim ours* ** *Distracting our thoughts* ** *Our emotions* ** *Away from* ** *Self-reliance* ** *Self-determination* ** *Self-direction* ** *Self control* ** *Until the day of illumination* ** *When Light is unleached* ** *Projected outward again* ** *Pushing the darkness further away* ** *Then* ** *Once again* ** *W... more »

If John Boehner Really Had Chutzpah...

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 6 hours ago
...what he'd do today is convince over 100 Members of his conference who have been griping about Ted Cruz and the Crazy Caucus to stand with him while he makes the following statement: -- Over the last several months, I was convinced by enthusiastic Tea Party conservatives that their defund Obamacare idea really had a chance to work. I admit I was against it at first. But they convinced me that I was trapped in politics-as-usual Washington thinking, and that what we had here was a one-time opportunity to turn the tables on Barack Obama and the Democrat Party. They were right. A Hou... more »

FORGET LIMBAUGH! Work to Restore The Fairness Doctrine/Communications Act of 1934

Len Hart at The Existentialist Cowboy - 7 hours ago
*By Len Hart, The Existentialist Cowboy* FORGET LIMBAUGH Limbaugh is just a symptom. He's the ugly pimple that refuses 'off-the-shelf' remedies. It's time to drain the boil, pop the pimple. The REMEDY --the only remedy that will work and had worked until the election of Ronald Reagan. That is ---RESTORE THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE. The Fairness Dcotrine dates to the Communications Act of 1934. The 'Act' limited the concentration of media into very few hands. Radio and TV station owners were required to provide equal time to opposing views. Individual broadcasters who operated electronic ... more »

Achievement Gap? Nope, parts 1 and 2

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE - 7 hours ago
The term “achievement gap” is misleading and thus one of the problems with the education reform debate. Please see the following posts addressing why: Achievement Gap Misnomer for Equity Gap, pt. 1 Achievement Gap Misnomer for Equity Gap, pt. 2 Tagged: achievement gap

Alison Stewart's History of Dunbar H.S. Is a Must Read

John Thompson at Schools Matter - 7 hours ago
Alison Stewart's *First Class *brings us full circle. Actually, Stewart guides us through a variety of recurring social, moral, and educational cycles that undoubtedly will continue to repeat themselves in one way or another. Her history of the rise and fall of Washington D.C.'s elite Dunbar High School tells a story that cannot be ignored if we really believe that education can be the civil rights movement of the 21st century. Stewart begins with her mother, Carol Stewart, as she watches the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Carol, a retired biology teacher, marvels, "What a ... more »

Did Kerry And His Clique Plot An End Run Around Obama On Syria?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 7 hours ago
Susan Rice is as much a hawk and a creature of the Military-Industrial Complex as John Kerry ever was. But McCain and Lindsey Graham, America's two most preeminent warmongers, sandbagged and sabotaged Rice and demanded that Obama appoint Kerry Secretary of State. Policy-wise there is no difference between Rice and Kerry and today she serves as National Security Advisor and he serves, thanks to McCain and Graham, as Secretary of State. The difference is that her loyalty is unquestionably to Obama. Kerry doesn't give a crap about Obama. In fact, impeccable Beltway sources have told ... more »

Latest Mass Shooting in the U.S.

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 7 hours ago
*Eric Draitser of StopImperialism.com appears on RT hours after the latest mass shooting in the US. Draitser provides perspective on the incident, discussing the nature of “private military contractors” and the connection between US militarism and violence at home. He also examines the critical role that private mercenaries play in US “black ops” and what that tells us about the types of individuals who might work for them. Also, Draitser reminds viewers of the uncertainty surrounding the early details in this story and the need to maintain a critical perspective.*

Two busy links:

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 7 hours ago
I am bogged down with a crapload of work that seems unlikely to clear for a couple more days, so you should be reading... Frozen Garlic: The Courts are Run by the KMT: When the Taipei District Court handed down its ruling last Friday, Ma’s lawyer made an interesting comment to the press. In his disappointment with the news, he turned to the reporters and said something to the effect of, “I hope no one ever says the courts are run by the KMT again.” This was a reference to an infamous statement from about 20 years ago. Hsu Li-teh 徐立德, who was then Vice-Premier, Hsu Shui-teh 許水德, wh... more »

Stephen Harper: Love affair with America

LeDaro at LeDaro - 7 hours ago
He should do the right thing and move to U.S. Maybe George W. will provide him accommodation. And they both can have fun at Dubya's ranch. After all he called Canada in 1997: *"Welfare state in the worst sense." Stephen Harper *

Greece updates - September 19 , 2013 ... Aftermath of Pavlos Fyssas murder continues to roil Greece ... Will there be further austerity - depends on whether you listen to Troika representatives or PM Samaras .....Quarterly unemployment drops for the first time in four years - down to 27.1 percent....

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 7 hours ago
*Samaras pleads for calm and unity in wake of Fyssas murder* Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said on Thursday that his government would not allow the “successors of the Nazis” to destabilize Greece in the wake of the murder of antifascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas by a Golden Dawn member. “Democracy is much stronger than its enemies realize,” said the New Democracy leader in a brief televised statement. Samaras pleaded with the public and his political colleagues not to allow further violence. “Violence is a downhill slide that destroys any chance of Greece achieving what it deserves, in ot... more »

Back To Where We've Been

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 7 hours ago
The Harper government has repeated the same mantra for seven years: We know best how to manage the Canadian economy. But, Edward Greenspon writes, the truth is opposed to the mantra: With exceptions such as the drive to rebalance the budget, ours is a government that dabbles in economic policy, often with little consistency, coherence or conviction. Telecom is just a recent manifestation. Policy has been predicated on a simple — and simplistic — proposition: introduce a fourth player in the market and prices will plummet. The government has been at it since greasing the wheels for... more »

Syria updates for September 19 , 2013 - US and France backs dow from Use of Force Provision in UN Resolution... Chemical Weapon Convention delayed - first of many ... Al Qaeda turns up heat on " moderate " rebels as in fighting continues ... US training of Al Qaeda rebels proposed , will join CIA in joining jihadists !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 7 hours ago
AQ seizes town on Syria-Turkey border … from other rebels POSTED AT 8:41 AM ON SEPTEMBER 19, 2013 BY ED MORRISSEY A strategic crossing into Turkey from Syria may soon be in the hands of al-Qaeda after infighting among Syrian rebels broke out into open warfare. The assault on Azaz did not come from rebels against the Bashar al-Assad regime, but from al-Qaeda in Iraq and the Nusra Front against the Free Syrian Army, which had previously held Azaz: Al-Qaeda-linked militants seized a key northern Syrian town from rebels on Wednesday, as mounting friction between anti-­government extrem... more »

Read Stuff, You Should

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 7 hours ago
Happy Birthday to Kim Richards, 49. Not only was she Tia (and the kid who played Tony really couldn't act at all), but was also a regular on "James at 16", which is a huge big deal for many people my age...it was sort of a 1970s Degrassi, but less Canadian. And she was on "Hello, Larry." Gut yontif to all those observing the holiday -- you really can't knock a holiday that basically just celebrates happiness for a week, can you? Meanwhile, some good stuff: 1. Sarah Binder on the politics of the Fed. 2. House Republicans have a "replace" plan for ACA, after all. Austin Frakt and A... more »

Zionism in the Third Reich

Paul Coker at News Spike - 8 hours ago
From the front page of *The People*, 17th October 1943: Following World War I, King Faisal's conquest of Damascus and the glorious victory of the British Empire at Battle of Meggido (in the Valley of Jezreel, NOT witnessed by a man named Bügenhäagen, the possessor of 12 ceremonial daggers - at least as far as I know), the Ottoman Province of Palestine was partitioned amongst the Great Powers by League of Nations mandate. Britain retained control of Egypt, the Sinai and the lucrative Sinai Canal Zone (built with Anglo-French Capital), the French obtained control of Syria, th... more »

TPP IS LIQUDATION OF EVERYTHING WE'VE BUILT

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 8 hours ago
In this parody of Star Wars, episode 4, a new hope- It is a period of class war. The DIDACTIC EMPIRE, striking from a hidden base, have won a major victory against the OPEN ALLIANCE with the passage of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). During the battle to fast track the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership), Luke Whistleblower managed to steal secret plans to the Empire's ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, which has enough power to make nations subservient to corporations. Pursued by Emperor Pipeline and Dark Banker with their captive Barack Obama, Princess Laidoff is able to ... more »

Alison Stewart's Great History of D.C.'s Dunbar High School

John Thompson at Schools Matter - 8 hours ago
Alison Stewart’s *First Class *brings us full circle. Actually, Stewart guides us through a variety of recurring social, moral, and educational cycles that undoubtedly will continue to repeat themselves in one way or another. Her history of the rise and fall of Washington D.C.’s elite Dunbar High School tells a story that cannot be ignored if we really believe that education can be the civil rights movement of the 21st century. Stewart begins with her mother, Carol Stewart, as she watches the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Carol, a retired biology teacher, marvels, “What a ... more »

HILARY CLINTON, COREY HAIM, SULTANA BEGUM, CHARLOTTE COLQUHOUN, PRINCE OSMAN, MICHAEL ROCKEFELLER

Anon at aangirfan - 8 hours ago
front.moveon.org A family can be up one one minute and down the next. *"Bill Clinton appearing on CBS's '60 Minutes' in January 1992 with Hillary looking on as he denies any affair with Gennifer Flowers." *www.dailymail. Gennifer said: ‘What Bill told me ... was that he was aware that Hillary was bisexual and he didn’t care. He should know. 'He said Hillary had eaten more p***y than he had.’ *www.dailymail.* Teen idol Corey Haim was ‘broke and destitute’ when he died at age 38 in 2010. *Sultana Begum. **dailymail*. Sultana Begum is a descendant of India's last emperor. Sul... more »

Alison Stewart's First Class is a Must Read

John Thompson at Schools Matter - 8 hours ago
Alison Stewart’s *First Class *brings us full circle. Actually, Stewart guides us through a variety of recurring social, moral, and educational cycles that undoubtedly will continue to repeat themselves in one way or another. Her history of the rise and fall of Washington D.C.’s elite Dunbar High School tells a story that cannot be ignored if we really believe that education can be the civil rights movement of the 21st century. Stewart begins with her mother, Carol Stewart, as she watches the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Carol, a retired biology teacher, marvels, “What a ... more »

I talk with Larry Kudlow

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 9 hours ago

Cool out today!

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 10 hours ago

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 10 hours ago
*Regata al Sol: Epic Journey to the Sun ~Troy Gilbert, Yucatan Living*

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 10 hours ago
*Opportunity's cost ~Library Chronicles*

So Who Will Pay The eBook VAT on 1st January 2015?

Martyn Daniels at Brave New World - 11 hours ago
We are all aware that the EU VAT rules will change at the beginning of 2015 and that this will effectively end the offshore tax loophole operations of the ebook operators. This EU rule change will not impact the corporation tax loophole and so we will not see a mass migration from those countries who offer low corporation tax today, but it demonstrates that the EU as a block has the ability when pushed to change the rules. The EU official statement is available on their taxation and customs site. http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/taxation/vat/traders/e-commerce/ What it mean is... more »

Barack Obama - orator, genius, athlete?

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 11 hours ago
Including "the time for come has changed", "Israel is a strong friend of Israel's", Barack Obama's teleprompter troubles and of course the extensive 'um ah' tapes. Be honest have you seen many or even any of these gaffes on the BBC? A BBC who delighted in ridiculing George W. Bush for less.

Aspartame – The GMO Excrement Polluting Your Body by Christina Sarich

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 11 hours ago
Source of Poster: http://jenniferaccomando.com/tag/adhd-aspartame/ Aspartame – The GMO Excrement Polluting Your Body by Christina Sarich Natural Society, 19 September 2013 If you switched to diet soda hoping to avoid refined sugar, or any other fizzy drink or aspartame-sweetened food, you are now guzzling down a product created by one of the GM Giants – Monsanto. *Many scientists are calling for further study of a genetically modified bacteria which is used to create aspartame, but the evidence is already quite glaring, that the stuff is no good.* It has been a secret until ve... more »

Matt Strassler's debate with anti-string conspiracy theorists

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 11 hours ago
Matt Strassler decided to waste some hours with a lengthy discussion with activist crackpots (Dilaton did some work to improve the general decency of the participants, thanks), Did the LHC Just Rule Out String Theory?! Apparently for the first time, Matt saw someone stating something like “Results from the Large Hadron Collider [LHC] have blown string theory out of the water” (such insane statements have been around for years, however!) so he decided to elaborate on the basic explanations why such claims are utterly preposterous. The first weird and manifestly pathological feature ... more »

Beings Of Light - A Poem by M.N. Hopkins

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 12 hours ago
** ** *Your Light shines bright* ** *From* ** *A never ending Source* ** *An infinite beacon* ** *That lights ones way* ** *Through the finite* ** *With it's storms* ** *It's turmoils* ** *It's troubles* ** *That never end* ** *A Light that is* ** *So bright* ** *It illuminates* ** *And* ** *Enlightens ones heart* ** *And mind* ** *A never ending Source of* ** *Warmth* ** *Of visions* ** *Of inspirations* ** *That nourish* ** *And * ** *Enrich* ** *We are Pilgrims* ** *On our finite paths* ** *Of* ** *Suffering and Strife* ** *Following a beacon* ** *A beacon that lights* ** *Our ways* ** ... more »

beautiful iPhone5 promotional video

Mike Philbin at PROGNOSIS II - 13 hours ago
I don't go to infowars very much these days, I got too addicted to the shouting Jonesy, but I couldn't resist this morning and found this ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUSLY SCRIPTED iPhone5nsa promotional video. Enjoy the cynicism. "It puts your brain in your hand." classic. *AFTERNOON JOGGING UPDATE:* seven miles in one hour. A (kinda) new record, for me, for that distance. Yay!

War has always been good for business!

Mike Philbin at PROGNOSIS II - 13 hours ago
"War has always been good for business! It's about selling weapons that destabilise countries, that then enable the exploitation of that country's Natural Resources." so says John McDonnell MP in this new interview with Artist Taxi Driver, talking about the Corporate War Machine. *OMEGA RED SUPER SOLDIER REFERENCE:* Nate Grey, Michael Prince, and James Rink go at it with an interview on human mutants, cloned super soldiers, cybernation, and more. And they're both dropping loads of Marvel comic book character code names and M.O.s, enhancements. Very nice reference to Victor Alie... more »

Marilyn Katz : A Different Path for Syria, and Hopefully for Chicago

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 13 hours ago
Child at funeral in Chicago. Image from The Old Black Church. And for Chicago? A different path for Syria Will U.S. diplomacy in Syria carve a new path towards peace at home and abroad? By Marilyn Katz / The Rag Blog / September 19, 2013 CHICAGO -- The example of our leaders cannot help but guide the thinking of our youth: Might makes right and those who are "wrong" -- who disagree with our

Johnny Hazard : Tanks Versus Teachers in Mexico City

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 13 hours ago
Striking teachers at Zócalo plaza in Mexico City, Friday, September 13, 2013. Photo by Eduardo Verdugo / AP. Tanks vs. teachers: Federal police drive striking teachers from Mexico's Zócalo plaza By Johnny Hazard / The Rag Blog / September 19, 2013 "In addition to promoting just causes and altering business as usual for awhile (and hoping that such alterations will be permanent), marches,

Evidentiary sufficiency as opposed to absence of evidence is a question of fact

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 14 hours ago
Jai Inder Singh Sandhu et al. v., 2013 MBCA 82 : [5] While it is trite to say that a finding of fact made in the absence of any supportive evidence is an error of law, I have not been convinced that is what happened in this case. After considering the material filed, including the supplemental motion briefs, and the submissions of counsel, I have been persuaded, for the reasons which follow, that the issue raised by the applicant relates to one of evidentiary sufficiency as opposed to one of absence of evidence. The issue raised is therefore not a question of law o... more »

Aangirfan - meet your next president - and other extreme-edge reporting

Mike Philbin at PROGNOSIS II - 14 hours ago
Who is Stanley Weiss and what's his new job gonna be? Thus begins the latest report from extreme-edge blog Aangirfan. *Stanley Weiss is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.* *And he's a member of the American Ditchley Foundation, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and the Royal Institute in the UK.* *Weiss tells us who is going to be the next president*. [source AANGIRFAN] The whole site (if not some sick and complex joke on *You The People*) needs to win a journalism award of some kind for keeping this kinda atrocity foremost in its editorial remit. Me, I ... more »

The sheer class that is Sarah Silverman

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 15 hours ago
What a classy girl...

Tories Handed a Little RoboCall ComeUppance.

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 15 hours ago
The Tories, being the pricks that they are, thought they'd teach the petitioner/plaintiffs a lesson in the Robo-Call case. Not content on skulking away with their small, tactical, "trench warfare" win after having been found to have committed electoral fraud and voter suppression, they decided to grind the applicants with a bill of costs for $355,907. They got caught with their slimy hands in the cookie jar and without the slightest shame immediately sought to break the petitioners on a hurdle. Well it fell to another judge to tell the scumbag Tories where to put their claims for... more »

“The Deepening Crisis At Fukushima”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 16 hours ago
* * * “The Deepening Crisis At Fukushima”* By ENENews “*Harvey Wasserman*,* host:* We don’t even know where these cores are, do we? That’s a really amazing situation. *Gordon Edwards*, *nuclear expert and president of the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility:* That’s correct. What’s happening is, how far these cores have penetrated through the floor of the reactor building, or not, is really unknown because the radiation levels are so intense, that not only can humans not go in there, but even robots that they sent in there, the gamma radiation is so intense that it fri... more »

Thursday Morning Linkage

Josh Busby at The Duck of Minerva - 16 hours ago
After last week’s diplomatic overtures on Syria, we’ve entered a period of relative calm and back to our mixed bag of stories of interest. NPR is running a fabulous series on Brazil in the lead up to the World Cup, which is also timely since the Brazilian president cancelled her plans to visit the United Continue reading

Is there a way toward a solution in Syria that protects the Syrian people in a way consistent with legitimacy and morality?

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 16 hours ago
*by Ken* If indeed "diplomatic action combined with the threat of force moves the Syrian regime toward putting its chemical weapons under international control," Michael Ignatieff writes in a NYRB blogpost, "How to Save the Syrians," "it will be a victory for international law, for the authority of the UN Security Council, and for peace." What it won't be is salvation for the Syrian people. "It is only too obvious," Ignatieff says, "that thus far the peoples of the democratic states have failed in our responsibility to protect the people of Syria." This is hardly a failure to int... more »

A Good Political Leader Knows When To Step Down - Adrian Dix Leaving Leadership Of BC New Democrats ...

leftdog at Buckdog - 16 hours ago
*B.C. NDP Leader Adrian Dix has announced his resignation as party leader today in Vancouver, following the party's surprising defeat by the Liberals in the May provincial election.* * **Dix said he accepted responsibility for the election loss and felt it was in the best interests of the party for a new leader to take over.* * **“Since our defeat in the election on May 14, I have reflected both on my future as leader of the B.C. NDP and on the future of our party.* * * - *B.C. NDP caucus meets as leadership questions mount* - *NDP Leader Adrian Dix to reveal future plans next ... more »

Guest Post - Hybrid Cars–A Step Towards A Greener World

Small Footprints at Reduce Footprints - 16 hours ago
What is the future of the car industry? Whilst electric powered cars used to be nothing more than a pipe-dream, as we watched vehicles like the ill fated Sinclair C5 fail to capture the UK public's imagination, it now seems like advances in battery technology are providing the public with the means to use electrically powered engines in the same way in which they've used petrol engines for decades. However, it seems like we're not quite ready for an overall switch to electrically powered cars – as batteries appear to limit the range of these vehicles to around 100 miles, making them ... more »

America, Turkey, And Saudi Arabia Are Waging War On Kurds In Syria Via Al-Qaeda

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 16 hours ago
*America, Turkey, And Saudi Arabia: These nations are led by Evil Scumbags and Shitty Souls. America, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia should get together with their Al-Qaeda love buddies and form their own separate United Nations called the United Terrorist League. * *Understand this and take it to heart: the tyrants who speak for America, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey will be defeated in Syria and the Middle East. They have already lost their war against Syria and the Kurds because they have no ideas or solutions to offer, only terror and chaos. They are arming and sheltering Al-Qaeda t... more »

Jersey Jazzman Reviews “Reign of Error”

Michael Paul Goldenberg at @ THE CHALK FACE - 16 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman Reviews “Reign of Error”. This review really gets to the crux of the education deform paradox, its fundamental contradictions, and what may well be the key chapter in Diane Ravitch’s new book: the inseparable link between outlooks on education and outlooks on the larger society in which it is embedded. And the […]

Rouhani, Like Countless Iranian Officials Before Him, Affirms: Iran Will Never Seek Nuclear Weapons

Nima Shirazi at Wide Asleep in America - 17 hours ago
NBC's Ann Curry interviews Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran, September 18, 2013 (Photo Credit: David Lom / NBC News) Speaking in Tehran to NBC's Ann Curry in his very first interview with an American media outlet, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani again - and repeatedly, considering Ms. Curry kept asking him the same question over and over - asserted Iran's wholesale condemnation

UN Commission of Inquiry has more news for Gareth Morgan

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 17 hours ago
The head of a UN Commission of Inquiry into the place Gareth Morgan recently described as “just fantastic”—a place whose economic achievements have been “magnificent”—calls North Korea a place harbouring “unspeakable atrocities.” Retired Australian judge Michael Kirby, who has spent recent months gathering evidence in South Korea and Japan from North Korean defectors and other victims, says "testimony heard thus far points to widespread and serious violations in all areas." He said the evidence, both sobering and heart-rending, had "given a face and voice to great human suffering... more »

Five years “stimulus” in one graph

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 17 hours ago
Pic from Not_Jim_Cramer Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)

Musical Interlude: Yanni, "Magical Concluding Musical Performance"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago
Yanni, "Magical Concluding Musical Performance" -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbBAlUnNKjM&html5=1

"A Look to the Heavens"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago
“Have you ever seen the Pleiades star cluster? Even if you have, you probably have never seen it as dusty as this. Perhaps the most famous star cluster on the sky, the bright stars of the Pleiades can be seen without binoculars from even the depths of a light-polluted city. With a long exposure from a dark location, though, the dust cloud surrounding the Pleiades star cluster becomes very evident. * Click image for larger size.* The above exposure took about 20 minutes and covers a sky area several times the size of the full moon. Also known as the Seven Sisters and M45, the ... more »

Musical Interlude: Brulé, “Indian Summer Showcase 2012”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago
Brulé, “Indian Summer Showcase 2012” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOYW4oOSIPQ&html5=1

"The End of Innocence"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago
* * *"The End of Innocence" * by John W. Whitehead “Just as the post-war generation was gaining a sense of social consciousness and angst, John F. Kennedy arrived on the scene, in a time of social and political turmoil. In his farewell address, Eisenhower startled his conservative supporters by warning the nation against business lobbies greedy for government munitions contracts and fat profits. Thus, even before Kennedy took the reigns of power, an ominous cloud covered the American cultural landscape. Kennedy, however, took the oath of office during anxious times. Soviet-suppor... more »

Kahlil Gibran, "Pain"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago
"Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart may stand in the sun, so must you know pain. And could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your life, your pain would not seem less wondrous than your joy; And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted the seasons that pass over your fields. And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief. Pain is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self. Therefore tr... more »

"Natives"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago
"If you live on this land, and you have ancestors sleeping in this land, I believe that makes you a native to this land. It has nothing to do with the color of your skin. I was not raised to look at people racially. What I was taught is that we're flowers in the Great Spirit's garden. We share a common root, and the root is Mother Earth." - Oh Shinnah Fastwolf, Shishindi Nation (Apache)

“The Dream of a Ridiculous Man”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago
"For I have seen the truth; I have seen and I know that people can be beautiful and happy without losing the power of living on earth. I will not and cannot believe that evil is the normal condition of mankind. And it is just this faith of mine that they laugh at. But how can I help believing it? I have seen the truth- it is not as though I had invented it with my mind, I have seen it, seen it, and the living image of it has filled my soul for ever. I have seen it in such full perfection that I cannot believe that it is impossible for people to have it. And so how can I go wrong?... more »

UHC 19: Health is a Right, Health is a Responsibility

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 18 hours ago
Last week, September 10, 2013, I attended the “Health System Shapers Roundtable Discussion” for NGOs and private research institutes, held at the DOH. The Health Shapers forum is held for various sectors, like the private hospitals, drugstores/pharmacies and pharmacists, patient groups, drug manufacturers, and so on. The event is jointly sponsored by the Universal Health Care (UHC) Study Group, the AIM Zuellig Center for Asian Business Transformation (AIM-ZCABT) and the DOH. Dr. Ivanhoe Escartin, Director of the National Center for Health Promotion, DOH, gave the welcome remarks. D... more »

INTERVIEW / Jonah Raskin : Occupy's Nathan Schneider on Anarchy and Radical Catholicism

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 18 hours ago
Nathan Schneider, June 17, 2012. Photo from Occupy. Interview with Occupy’s Nathan Schneider: Anarchy, activism, and radical Catholicism By Jonah Raskin / The Rag Blog / September 19, 2013 "It's hard to pick a revolution about which one doesn't have major misgivings. But they also have peak moments: the nuns kneeling before Marcos' tanks in the Philippines; the queer crusaders emerging

Influence of the #commoncore in my classroom: None.

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE - 18 hours ago
See, that wasn’t so bad, was it? Despite my math books, which I have yet to actually use, being labeled as “Common Core” approved, the Standards really have no impact or effect on my Kindergarten classroom. Now, this tells me two things. One, that the standards are entirely benign and unthreatening, imaginative. Two, that this […]

Analytic Eclecticism, Phantom Confrontations, and Dialogue: On Reus-Smit´s “Beyond Metatheory?”

Jon Western at The Duck of Minerva - 19 hours ago
[Editor's Note: This is a guest post by Guzman Castro of the University of Pennsylvania. This post refers to an article and post in the European Journal of International Relations-Duck of Minerva symposium on "The End of International Relations Theory?"by Christian Reus-Smit and the corresponding post by Milja Kurki.] Christian Reus-Smit’s and Milja Kurki’s interventions Continue reading

Helena Cobban: Syria Needs A "South Africa-Style Negotiated Transition To Democracy"

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 19 hours ago
*"The Superpowers and the Syrian-Israeli Conflict"* by Helena Cobban (1991). Description of "The Superpowers and the Syrian-Israeli Conflict" (*Source: Google Books*) This study investigates the evolution of the military balance between Israel and Syria between 1978 and 1989 and the effects of the close strategic ties that developed in this period between these states and their respective superpower partners. The fighting in Lebanon in 1982 is closely examined, both because it proved to be a key strategic turning point for Israel and Syria, and because it provided important l... more »

American-Turkish Policy Towards Syria: A Tough Balancing Act

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 19 hours ago
Below is an excerpt from, *"In Kurdish Syria, a Different War,"* by Daniel Wagner and Giorgio Cafiero, published in Foreign Policy In Focus on September 5, 2013. As the majority of Syria’s oil and gas reserves exist in northeastern Syria, the stakes are high for both sides. The geopolitical ramifications of an established autonomous Kurdish region—or independent Kurdish state—in northeastern Syria are complicated. From Turkey’s vantage point, a PKK-run Syrian Kurdistan would constitute a major setback given the likelihood that the PKK would utilize the territory to launch attacks ag... more »

Mike Klonsky : Forbes Calls Charter Schools 'Part of a Corrupt System'

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 19 hours ago
Demonstration in New York against school privatization. 'Part of a corrupt system': Forbes piece pounds charters About the only thing charters do well is limit the influence of teachers’ unions. And fatten their investors’ portfolios. By Mike Klonsky / The Rag Blog / September 18, 2013 An article appearing in the September 10 issue of Forbes gives a swift kick in the rear end to

ON THE OTHER HAND......

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 19 hours ago

DCCC Has Its Dander Up Again-- The Hypocrisy Is Spilling All Over DC

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 19 hours ago
The last time-- the 41st time-- the House voted to defund Obamacare, every single Republican voted yes, making each one a potential target for an "engaged" DCCC. There was a slight glitch. The Republicans are calling it a "bipartisan vote." Why? Because 5 reactionary Blue Dog Democrats voted to defund Obamacare as well-- John Barrow (GA), Collin Peterson (MN), Mike McIntyre (NC), Jim Matheson (UT) and Dan Lipinski (IL). Worse still, three of them-- Barrow, McIntyre and Matheson-- are dependent on the DCCC for their reelection efforts. Last year the DCCC spent over $4 million of th... more »

The True Size of the Shadow Banking System Revealed (Spoiler: Humongous)

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 19 hours ago
in The Physics arXiv Blog https://medium.com/the-physics-arxiv-blog/5e1dd9d1642 *The True Size of the Shadow Banking System Revealed (Spoiler: Humongous)* The shadow banking system is vastly bigger than regulators had thought, say *econophysicists* *who have developed a powerful new way to measure its hidden impact* In most parts of the world, the banking system is closely regulated and monitored by central banks and other government agencies. That’s just as it should be, you might think. But banks have a way round this kind of regulation. For the last decade or so, it has beco... more »

Think about it . . .

Edstock at The Galloping Beaver - 20 hours ago
Toxoplasma gondii THE ATLANTIC has a fascinating article on how parasites can change how you think and react. No foolin’, they have found that infected people have more car accidents, for example. “How Your Cat Is Making You Crazy”, by Kathleen McAuliffe looks at the research of a Czech scientist, Jaroslav Flegr whose research on a single-cell parasite called Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii or

The Taper That Wasn't

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 20 hours ago
*Guest post by Fed-watcher Peter Schiff, who reckons the U.S. Central Bank, whose non-decision yesterday left financial markets in all sorts of confusion, have dug themselves a hole we won’t easily climb out of.* The Fed's failure yesterday to announce some sort of tapering of its QE program, despite the consensus of an overwhelming percentage of economists who expected action, once again reveals the degree to which mainstream analysts have overestimated the strength of the U.S. economy. The Fed understands, as the market seems not to, that the current "recovery" could not survive... more »

Liberty Notes from Larry Reed (3)

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 20 hours ago
A continuation of useful quotes from Lawrence "Larry" Reed, President of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) in the US. Posted in his facebook wall. Photos below -- 1st row: Larry Reed, Friedrich Hayek; 2nd row: Ludwig von Mises, Franklin D. Roosevelt; 3rd row: Thomas Szasz, Rand Paul. Government is awful at fighting poverty. That's because its expertise is in fighting prosperity. And it ought to be small enough that you have to go looking for it, instead of it always looking for you. -- Lawrence Reed Top of Form There is all the difference in the world between treating peo... more »

Chet Raymo, “Palm Reading”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 20 hours ago
*“Palm Reading”* by Chet Raymo “I find myself looking at the palm of my hand. The pattern of lines in which palm readers claim to read my fate. A criss-cross of indentations that is apparently unique to me. Then I look at my other palm. The same pattern, in mirror image. And I'm gobsmacked. It all started out as a single fertilized cell. 2. 4. 8. 16. 32. Eventually, tens of trillions of cells. How do the cells multiplying in my left hand know what the cells in my right hand are doing? How is such perfect symmetry maintained across what is in effect molecular light-years? Gene... more »

Flooded oil and gas wells - Colorado flooding has wrecked holy hell as a result of the inland oil and gas industry there. Apart from wrecked road , landslide and wreckage water and sewage problems - coming into focus is contamination from the natural gas and oil exploration facilites wrecked by the storms....

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 20 hours ago
Flooded oil and gas wells spark fears of contamination in Colorado by Renee Lewis September 18, 2013 12:30PM ET Activists say ruptured pipelines, gas leaks and oil spills in flood-stricken Weld County put environment at risk Topics: Environment Energy Fracking ** ** ** [image: Weld County] An oil storage tank on a well pad lies toppled by flood waters in Weld County -- environmental activists have raised concerns about leaks of gas, oil and hazardous materials from compromised oil and gas industry infrastructure.Rick Wilking/Reuters As Colorado reels from a prolonged flooding disast... more »

The Daily "Near You?"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 20 hours ago
Waynesville, North Carolina, USA. Thanks for stopping by.

"Want To Fly Like An Eagle?"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 21 hours ago
“Want to fly like an eagle? Thanks to a GoPro camera, you can!” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3QrhdfLCO8&html5=1 Do watch this fullscreen... • Hat tip to Alex Noble for this material.

"Find Another Way..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 21 hours ago
“Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way. And don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.” - Leroy Satchel Paige

A Note on Natural Science and Social Science

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 21 hours ago
Doting dads have small bollocks. That was the news story preoccupying the news cycle for half a day last week. You may recall it *appeared* to "scientifically" prove a correlation between the size of a man's balls and whether he's a doting dad or not. Small balls = good dads. Giant bawbags - bad dads. Of course, it did nothing of the sort. How it got through peer review for a prestigious scientific journal when a simpleton like me drove a cart and horses through their sampling beggars belief. This isn't to say there is no correlation, it's just that they have not proved it because ... more »

Pooh’s Little Instruction Book for Teachers

Susan O at Schools Matter - 21 hours ago
* by Susan Ohanian* 1. When waking in the morning, if your first thought is, “I wonder what’s going to happen exciting today?” it’s unlikely you’ll find it in your Plan Book. 2. When you’ve been following your Lesson Plan for miles, and you suddenly stop for breath and a student says, “Do you want to hear why the chicken crossed the road?” then you know it’s a Friendly Day. 3. If you plant an acorn, it will grow up into an oaktree. But it doesn’t follow that writing *The students will…* in your Plan Book means they will become 21st Century Workers. 4. If you want to make your... more »

Crash + 5 years of “stimulus” = “2007 all over again, but worse”

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 21 hours ago
It’s like 2007 all over again, says the banker who picked the 2008 global financial storm, only worse. The “irrational exuberance” for debt instruments is the same, based as before on gobs of cheap money, only this time (after all those gobs of failed stimulus spending) debt levels for every over-spending government are even higher than before, and there is nowhere for interest rates on those borrowings to go but up. Which means the global economy is on the edge of the same cliff as six years ago, only higher up—and it’s ready to jump. William White, former economist for “the ba... more »

Ron Jacobs : 'Another Self Portrait' of Bob Dylan

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 21 hours ago
Another Self Portrait: Dylan’s take revisited Dylan's voice here is the voice of an earnest troubadour. There is little of the smoky raspiness present in his mid-sixties material or the world-weary gruffness of Dylan's current persona. By Ron Jacobs / The Rag Blog / September 18, 2013 When I lived there in the early 1970s, the main shopping area in Frankfurt am Main revolved around the

Inter-National Ill-Health Service

Rufus News From Atlantis at News From Atlantis. - 21 hours ago
Over the past two weeks I have been in-and-out of hospitals caring for family members who have been stricken ill. Hospitals are never pleasant places, and it is especially traumatic when loved ones are taken in for treatment. Thankfully, all concerned now seem to be alright, which is in itself miraculous considering the decay of the NHS and the culture of shoddiness which has pushed out the traditional caring approach to the people who need health care. This is not to say that there are not many professional staff in the NHS who genuinely have the best interests of the people at ... more »

Walking! Long Walk 4 headed west from Kansas City!

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 21 hours ago
. Photos 1 -- 6 by Nikki Lopez, photo 7 -- 9 by Carl 'Bad Bear' Sampson! Thank you! Photos of Longest Walk 4 Return to Alcatraz Sept 17 and 18, 2013 in Kansas. On Wednesday afternoon, the walkers were on Prairie Band Potawatomi land in Kansas and headed west! The walkers will walk through Lawrence, Kansas, on Friday, Sept. 20, 2013.

Fukushima updates - September 18 , 2013 ..... Things fall Edition Wednesday ( Steam pouring out for 5 of 6 past days , cracks in steel observed - follow Crane failure ..... symptoms of high radiation ? Of course water everywhere and where in the world is the missing Corium ? How many more reasons do we need for Tepco to be immediately removed from oversight and control of Fukushima and the Executives who ran the remediation efforts put on trial ? How about Tepco choosing not to stop water leaks in 2011 because of concerns of hurting their precious stock price - with Government consent ? Assume that is accurate , how can you trust any statements , assurances , actions taken or failures to follow Rules / Regulations from Tepco and the Government ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 22 hours ago
Energy News...... 11:22 PM EST on September 18th, 2013 | 54 comments TV: Officials concerned about 400 ft. tall pipe near Fukushima reactors collapsing during quake — 8 cracks found in support brace — Gov’t orders immediate investigation — Tepco unsure how to access area as radiation levels around it are 10 sieverts per hour (PHOTO & VIDEO) 08:31 PM EST on September 18th, 2013 | 32 comments Famous Japanese Actress: Gov’t is covering up Fukushima crisis — “Our nation has a right to know” — People who write the truth on Internet will be punished under new law — TV stars in Japan are t... more »

“This Time There Really Will Be a Government Shutdown”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 22 hours ago
* * *“This Time There Really Will Be a Government Shutdown”* And that's not all bad... BY Noam Scheiber “Suffice it to say, it’s hard to do a deal when the only thing the other guy wants is the one thing you can’t give him. This null set scenario is, unfortunately, precisely where we find ourselves in the debate over funding the government beyond September 30th. House Republicans are insisting that any funding measure simultaneously de-fund Obamacare, while Democrats have rightly proclaimed this idea preposterous. And there appears to be no wiggle room in the GOP position. Accord... more »

Nature Photography

Southern Man at Southern Man - 22 hours ago
Southern Man does these posts any time Teen Daughter gets 'hold of the camera. Southern Man got this one with the phone cam. Drop the camera and step away from the car, or I lick it again! Meta photography. Southern Man loves his children equally (if differently) but this one adds a special sparkle to his life. *Lord, thank you for my children. Guide and direct me, as I strive to guide and direct them. Amen.*

And they’re off … or are they? [updated]

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 22 hours ago
Wait your patience with the classic Irish yachting commentary… *UPDATE*: Former blogger Cactus Kate is a Kiwi Ninja. Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)

Lightning Round--Shutdown Redux, Cable News Fails Again, iOS 7 Available, Wing Thief Warned, Google Takes on Death, More

Jay Allbritton at Jay Allbritton - 22 hours ago
*MaddowBlog*: Steve Benen covers the power struggle that John Boehner just lost with the right wing of his party over how to proceed in the budget negotiations that will determine whether we have a government shutdown in less than two weeks. *TPM*: A reader named PJ explains why the coming storm over GOP threats to shut down the government if Obamacare isn't defunded comes at a time when even the most politically engaged are dealing with a high level of political fatigue. The two dominant political stories leading into this were about Syria and the mass shooting in DC. "So the two d... more »

Austerity - long term

Roobin at THROUGH THE SCARY DOOR - 22 hours ago
The birth rate in Greece has dropped by 10% in four years. This is truly sad - children are a source of joy but adults are afraid to bring children into the world. This will also have a knock on effect on Greek society. Unless, for some reason, Greece becomes super-prosperous and the children born now are super-fertile, this will result in a long-term decline in the Greek population. Fewer people means fewer people working, fewer people producing wealth, Greece falls further behind. Future generations have been sacrificed by current politicians to the Almighty Market.

The Balance of Probabilities

Paul Coker at News Spike - 22 hours ago
The Balance of Probabilities from Spike1138 on Vimeo. *CNN: * *"Mr Bin Laden, you have declared a Jihad against the United States.... * * * *Can you tell us: Why?* Who Carried out 9/11? Let's play "Jesus or Judas...?"

And they’re off … or are they? [updated]

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 23 hours ago
Wait your patience with the classic Irish yachting commentary… *UPDATE*: Former blogger Cactus Kate is a Kiwi Ninja. Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)

When Larry Fell (And How) What Could Possibly Go Wrong? Goldman Sacked (What Does Goldman Think Now?)

Sometimes it's difficult to tell how Obama feels about certain issues. Sometimes not. Larry Summers: Goldman Sacked By Greg Palast Joseph Stiglitz couldn't believe his ears. Here they were in the White House, with President Bill Clinton asking the chiefs of the US Treasury for guidance on the life and death of America's economy, when the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Larry Summers

Democrats Use The NRA in Their Campaign Ads

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 23 hours ago
Yesterday I heard some "brilliant" Beltway pundit on MSNBC babbling incoherently that there won't be any progress on gun control unless pro-gun control forces can beat an NRA shill at the polls. Being from the Beltway, one wouldn't expect her to know anything about America... and a states like California and Illinois are so, so far away. But last year-- that's *soooooo * long ago too-- NRA whore Joe Baca was defeated on exactly one issue: gun control. And isn't that why former Congresswoman and NRA shill Debbie Halvorson (D-IL) still a *former* congresswoman? Then you have the p... more »

Hamilton Police: Distracted Driving Bad, Causing Distracted Driving "Peaceful"

noreply@blogger.com (fern hill) at DAMMIT JANET! - 23 hours ago
The Fetal Gore Pron Gang are in Hamilton, Ontario, and up to their usual mischief. A graphic anti-abortion banner that hung across an overpass on the Linc Tuesday evening snarled traffic and angered some Hamiltonians. The Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform (CCBR) draped a banner with a picture of a 10-week-old fetus and the slogan “abortion kills children” on the overpass by the Upper Wentworth exit on the Linc on Tuesday during rush hour. Police reported an accident in that area at 4:20 p.m., and further traffic incidents shortly after. Doesn't that sound like the banner ca... more »

A recommendation

Roobin at THROUGH THE SCARY DOOR - 1 day ago
If literature has a future it is in collective, open source writing. If you haven't come across this before those of you who love creepypastas will love the SCP Foundation, a wikipage that collects sci-fi/horror stories.

The Story of the Jews (Part Three)

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 1 day ago
Simon Schama can certainly tell a story; indeed, the third part of his *The Story of the Jews *seemed to flash by, such was the power of his story-telling. And it was a big story he had to tell. "This is the story of an immense leap of faith, made on a promise of equality and toleration. It would carry the Jews of Europe from the certainties of tradition, and from the ghettos enforced by ancient prejudice, and expose them to the opportunities and to the threats of freedom in world transformed by revolution, technology, mass culture and nationalism." "The consequences would be wo... more »

“The Constitution-Free Zone: Fact and Fiction”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
*“The Constitution-Free Zone: Fact and Fiction”* By Guillermo Jimenez “In recent months, there has been a growth in the level of interest and curiosity regarding the area near the border of the United States known as the “constitution-free zone.” Persistent civil disobedience, viral “checkpoint refusal” videos on YouTube, and unlawful arrests of several activists in the area have caused the issue to reach newfound levels of awareness. For those who have worked towards generating a wider public discourse, the increased media attention and revived dialogue is undoubtedly a good sign... more »

Natural disasters and anomalies - Signs of Change the last weeks

address-withheld@my.opera.com.invalid (Dr. John v. Kampen) at - 1 day ago
Link: http://youtu.be/uH9jGI1mzSI Is it because our solar system on its journey through the galaxy we call "Milky Way" is gradually changing places? Are different forces from the outside at work throughout our planetary system? Yes, other planets also show anomalies. Or is it our variable star, the Sun and its currently weakening electro-magnetic force-field that plays its part in strange weather and seismic phenomena we see these days. What about some bright meteors then at our night skies? With our highly fragmented sciences and pseudo-sciences it is hard to figure out what the G... more »

The Realist Report with John Friend

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 1 day ago
On this edition of *The Realist Report*, we'll be joined once again by Tom in Connecticut. Tom and I will be discussing the systematic use of deception. Please visit *The Realist Report* on TalkeShoe to download this and past episodes. Below are relevant links and data for this program: - *TERROR IN THE CAPITAL DRILL GONE REAL* - *The Washington D.C. Navy Yard Shooting Hoax* - *Navy Yard shooting: Aaron Alexis narrative crumbling* by John Rappopport - *Artifacts from the DC Navy Yard Shooting* by Dr. James Tracy - *Carney: Obama Implementing Executive Actions Foll... more »

Al-Qaeda Thanks The Mainstream Media For Its Slanted Coverage of Syria

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 1 day ago
Related: *Al-Qaeda Presents The Moral Case For U.S. Intervention In Syria*. *Al-Qaeda Is Disappointed In British Parliament, Calls On British PM To Attack Syria*. *Al-Qaeda Applauds Secretary of State John Kerry's Latest Remarks On Syria*. *Al-Qaeda Approves of Barack Obama's Glorious Declaration of War Against Syria On August 31st*. *Al-Qaeda Praises Obama Reaching Out To Friends McCain And Graham*. *Al-Qaeda Demands Congress Pass Obama's Syrian War Resolution*. *Al-Qaeda Rejects False Accusations That It Was Behind The Chemical Weapons Attack At Ghouta*. *Al-Qaeda Slams Putin's NYT O... more »

A Small Point About the Hard and Soft of Shutdown Deadlines

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 1 day ago
I think I mentioned this at some point, but I keep reading things that don't seem to get it, so a quick dedicated post about the flexibility of the fiscal year deadline. Yes, the deadline for funding the government is a hard deadline. No CR, and the government shuts down. The deadline is the end of September. However, one thing that Dylan Matthews didn't include in his nice explainerthis morning): just as Congress can pass a one-year CR or a ten week CR (what the GOP is apparently planning for now), they can also pass a one day or ten day CR. Any length of time at all, in fact. Hours... more »

Hansen: Europe standing tall against rogue state of Canada

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 1 day ago
It seems that no other climate skeptic is paying any attention to James Hansen and his home page anymore. The guy has retired and he's irrelevant, the underlying assumption probably says. Well, I sometimes follow the page because in some sense, I still consider him the most important single person of the climate alarmist movement. Al Gore has sold his soul to Arab oil sheikhs for hundreds of millions of dollars and well before he did so, his climate alarmist empire incredibly shrank by 80% or so. Pachauri is widely viewed as a politically appointed engine driver of a sort who is ... more »

CHOOSING THE NEXT PRESIDENT; MOSSAD, THE CIA AND THE SAUDIS

Anon at aangirfan - 1 day ago
*Stanley Weiss* *Stanley Weiss* is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. And he's a member of the American Ditchley Foundation, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and the Royal Institute in the UK. Weiss tells us who is going to be the next president. *Prabowo. **Prabowo, a fan of Ataturk, has business interests in many countries, including Canada. Prabowo's ties to the U.S. military are the closest of any among the U.S.-trained officer corps. He attended the Advanced Infantry Officers Course at Fort Benning, Ga., in 1985 and the Army Special Forces Train... more »

Gaia Waters Energetics Carry Sparkles of Iridescence…

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 1 day ago
* * * * *Gaia Waters Energetics Carry Sparkles of Iridescence…* by ÉirePort Gaia Waters energetics carry sparkles of iridescence, blue, violet, green, gold, as well as Higher Dimensional "colors" or "aspects of consciousness". Current upgraded and transformed and transmuted Gaia grid structures are able to support such iridescence. Incorporation of these Gaia Waters energetics into each and every Hue-Being, each and every hu-being (small 'h' (namely, not yet fully conscious of Higher Energetics)) has completed. Full integration is in progress. ÉirePort | September 18, 2013 at 17:... more »

Terraformed Energetics Have Continued to Eliminate Dark-Intenders from Gaia Inner and Outer Consciousness Planes

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 1 day ago
*Terraformed Energetics Have Continued to Eliminate Dark-Intenders from Gaia Inner and Outer Consciousness Planes* by ÉirePort Terraformed Energetics have continued to eliminate dark-intenders from Gaia inner and outer consciousness planes. Peak of this process is soon to be reached and will manifest as mass consciousness awakening within short period, possibly within this current (what Earth beings call) "month". Friability* of new grids has been ameliorated and the increased flexibility of such to respond to 3D-5D changes is assured. [*fri·a·ble [frahy-uh-buhl]: adjective... e... more »

Is Baird being muzzled by Harper on Loubani/Greyson case?

noreply@blogger.com (deBeauxOs) at DAMMIT JANET! - 1 day ago
In August R.E.A.L.wimminz of Canada launched a full-metal attack on the minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, John Baird. In September, the Harper government has yet to offer any serious, harsh direction to the Egyptian government with respect to the illegal detention of two Canadian citizens in a Cairo prison: award-winning filmmaker John Greyson and his traveling companion Dr Tarek Loubani. Has Baird been cowed by Gwen Landolt's homophobic screeching? John Greyson wears his homosexuality proudly and rigorously in his work. Or is the Harper government malignantly punishing Dr Lo... more »

"How It Really Is"

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

“Failure to Withdraw: The CIA, the Taliban, and the Strategy of Tension in Afghanistan”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
*“Failure to Withdraw: * *The CIA, the Taliban, and the Strategy of Tension in Afghanistan”* by Sibel Edmonds “The Afghan war has provided NATO with access to control the $200+ Billion opium trade. The war has given NATO a key toe-hold in a geostrategic region, bordering perennial US target Iran as well as providing access to the key Central Asian nations- a vital area in NATO’s ongoing quest to encircle China and Russia. The occupation also affords the ISAF forces direct access to Afghanistan’s mineral resources, and the compliant Kabul regime is only too happy to allow multinati... more »

“Corporate Corruption: They Don't Give A Damn”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
* “Corporate Corruption: They Don't Give A Damn”* by Karl Denninger “Well now. You know those "Terms and Conditions" where everyone says we respect your privacy? Really? All of them have carve-outs for valid legal process, of course. Nobody in business is willing to go to jail for you, nor should they be. That would be flatly unreasonable. But- there is a difference between going to jail for someone and being their lapdog, especially when the "requests" made are not targeted at individuals who are under suspicion but rather are for everyone's records. If you don't push back ag... more »

Food Stamps... A Victim Of Deficit Reduction Mania

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
I'm not a big fan of obsessive focus on deficit reduction. I'd rather see the government investing in the country's future-- our people and our infrastructure. But the Obama Administration has successfully fought to cut the deficit at a faster rate than any other Administration since World War II. I don't blame just Obama. The Republicans have made a really bad situation much, much worse. All this deficit reduction is called Austerity, the failed European budget slashing program that has devastated most European economies. Ideologically, the Republicans laser in on government fun... more »

No Proclamation for Fetus Fetishists

noreply@blogger.com (fern hill) at DAMMIT JANET! - 1 day ago
Woo-hoo! After five straight years of bending over for fetus fetishists, the City of Kelowna has declined to proclaim the last week in September "Protect Human Life Week". It's a yet another straight-up victory for sane people who oppose this tiny minority of fanatics in our midst. In a long overdue move, Kelowna has changed its criteria for issuing proclamations to focus on local common issues and, more importantly, to take into account the human rights issue so often glossed over by these anodyne statements. "Although the wording of the proclamation may have sounded harmless, ... more »

UFO Crashes Fifty Years Before Roswell

KRandle at A Different Perspective - 1 day ago
Zoamchomsky, in response to a comment in the last posting, suggested that there had been stories of UFO crashes for more than fifty years prior to the Roswell case. He was asked to provide sources but that isn’t really necessary. There is plenty of evidence that this is true and for those who would like to see a long listing of them, including a story or two that are centuries old, take a look at *Crash: When UFOs Fall from the Sky*. In 1897 the Great Airship was being seen all over the Midwest and Southern states, with occasional excursions into the West. A report from San Angelo, ... more »

The Economy: “Always Look on the Bright Side...”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
*“Always Look on the Bright Side...”* by Bill Bonner “Some things in life are bad, They can really make you mad. Other things just make you swear and curse. When you're chewing on life's gristle Don't grumble, give a whistle, And this'll help things turn out for the best. And always look on the bright side of life, Always look on the light side of life...” – Eric Idle, Monty Python, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” “Today, we continue our showdown with Gary Shilling, John Mauldin and Justice Litle (who responds to our case below). On one side: people who are looking on... more »

New Study Finds Guns Kill

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 1 day ago
A study published in the *American Journal of Medicine* refutes the common American myth that high levels of gun ownership make countries safer. Well, duh. *Guns do not make a nation safer, say US doctors who have compared the rate of firearms-related deaths in countries where many people own guns with the death rate in countries where gun ownership is rare.* *On the contrary, the US, with the most guns per head in the world, has the highest rate of deaths from firearms, while Japan, which has the lowest rate of gun ownership, has the least.* *The journal has fast-tracked public... more »

One Reason the IPCC Estimates Regularly Fall Short.

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 1 day ago
Why has the IPCC repeatedly failed to anticipate the onset and severity of climate change impacts? IPCC reports, with a very few exceptions, routinely understate impacts. A study, published in the Quarterly Reports of the Royal Meteorological Society, says the methodology of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is flawed because it's incomplete. *Traditional estimates of climate sensitivity such as that adopted by the IPCC focus on "fast feedbacks" like water vapour, natural aerosols, clouds, and snow cover, but do not sufficiently account for slower feedbacks includin... more »

Miley Cyrus, Rob Ford and Skyler White

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 1 day ago
I was FRONT PAGE NEWS that 20-year old pop super-vixen Miley Cyrus and her fiance Liam Hemsworth have definitely called it Quitsville. I'm not sure of the reasons for the split, but it was a long time coming. Also, the bungling Obama's attempts to start World War III appear to be stuttering to a halt; the hunger-strike in California prisons is over, teachers are being clubbed by riot police in Mexico City, global warming, financial system tottering ... but on the front page of newspapers is the denouement of the wedding plans of two celebrities. Despite his aides tweeting (on "Tw... more »

R.I.P. Eiji Toyoda

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 1 day ago
Eiji Toyoda was the younger cousin of the founder. Toyota has done the world a lot of good. The Kan Ban inventory system and process of constant improvement pioneered by Toyota have been adopted by almost every enterprise. Thus lowering the cost and improving the quality of life. Eiji Toyoda ruled this firm for 25 years. Amongst his accomplishments the Prius and the Lexus brand.

Newest Post By JB Campbell: Unconditional Surrender!

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 1 day ago
The news these days is a combination of both good and bad.... We see the good in the Syrian government working with the international community in showing that they were not responsible for the chemical weapons attack on their own people, and them willing to commit to a removal of their own chemical weapons stockpile so as to not give the United States, Israel, and other criminal nations their excuses for an invasion of their country....And of course we see the bad, where the criminal maniacs in both the United States and the criminal state of Israel are absolutely lusting for war, ... more »

Do you remember that day when you first heard “no excuses?”

Timothy D. Slekar at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
Sexual Abuse Physical Abuse Malnutrition No Health Care Homelessness Some idiots just keep on saying it! No excuses DAMN IT! Follow Tim Slekar on Twitter: @slekar

MAINE DRONE PEACE WALK

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago
*Preserve our Privacy: No Drone Spying in Maine* *Limestone to Bath * *October 10-19* Peace activists from Maine and beyond will walk through large portions of our state from October 10-19 in order to bring the issue of drone surveillance at home and drone killing overseas to the public’s attention. The walk will begin in Limestone in Aroostook County and end in Bath. President Obama has announced that as many as 30,000 drones will be flying around the US doing surveillance of the American people in the coming years. Thirty-seven states have applied to host one of six military dron... more »

In Which John Boehner Tells a Little White Lie

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 1 day ago
So House Republicans are going to (try to) pass a semi-clean CR except for including an ACA defunding mechanism. John Boehner says: “On every major issue we’ve faced for the past two and a half years, the math has been the same: House Republicans either find a way together to get to 218, or the Democrats who run the rest of Washington essentially get everything they want,” he added, pressing for House GOP unity. This is, well....not true. Look: with a normal, healthy party, 218 could be important, as the process of getting to consensus would involve internal compromises and as the ... more »

Lockheed - Arm Twister Extraordinaire?

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 1 day ago
What Lockheed wants, Lockheed intends to get especially when it comes to the F-35 stealth light attack bomber. Last week the company tried to stiffen spines here in Canada by warning that Canadian businesses stood to lose over $10-billion in contract work if their government tries to play wise guy and cancels the F-35 purchase. *Nice little place ya got here. It'd be a shame if anyting was to happen to it.* Now Lockheed seems to be doing a full Wall-Mart on its own contractors. Seemingly desperate to cut costs that are scaring off potential buyers, Lockheed has told the contrac... more »

Bizarre Confrontation With Toledo Cop Caught on Video

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Daniels) at Global Political Awakening - 1 day ago
[image: Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...] Amanda Warren An incident with one policeman in Toledo, Ohio escalated over the weekend and was caught on film in Washington Township, Lucas County. Already chaotic, the scene gets more heated as more angry words and swearing are interchanged; and finally, after a few minutes, other bystanders start appearing. According to the description, the couple in question, who are flat face forward on the road with their hands behind their backs in cuffs, wound up there after asking the officer to move his car because it was blocking ... more »

Fukuchiyama, Japan: Flooding

LeDaro at LeDaro - 1 day ago
*A residential area in Fukuchiyama, Kyoto Prefecture, flooded because of Typhoon Man-yi. - Kyodo News via AP* It looks Japan is not getting much break lately. Too many natural disasters.

Stephen Harper and friends

LeDaro at LeDaro - 1 day ago
Stooge meets stooges.

When "Biblical" Becomes Normal

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 1 day ago
The word being bandied about now to describe Colorado's raging flash floods is "Biblical". That's a step up from "once a century" but some are saying "new normal" might be more accurate. *Andrew Freedman at Climate Central ...notes that this lethal catastrophic event is consistent with the increasing frequency of extreme rain storms occurring under, and sometimes definitely linked to, continued climate change.* *Climate Central/National Climate Assessment* Biblical? Hardly. Normal? Yeah, that's right - or at least that's right now. If we start passing these events off as superna... more »

Click, Click, Boom! Again?

Timothy D. Slekar at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
In case you need to know about the number of mass shootings in America, Mother jones has produced the “data.” In case you’ve forgotten here is a small sampling… http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/14/us/california-santa-monica-gunman/index.html Slain Santa Monica gunman John Zawahri left behind a note on his body apologizing for killing his father and his brother and hoping his father’s […]

Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW) - National Ceiling Fan Day

Small Footprints at Reduce Footprints - 1 day ago
Welcome to Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)! Wondering how to live greener? You've come to the right place. Each week we challenge ourselves to try a new task ... or "amp up" something we're already doing. We raise our awareness, learn from each other and develop Eco-friendly skills which will improve our lives and protect our planet. Doing so together gives us power ... the power to Change The World! If this is your first visit, please click HERE for information and a complete list of all the challenges we've taken on so far. This post contains great information and I encourage ... more »

WORKERS ARE YOU READY?

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago
September 5th, 2013, Raleigh, NC - As Walmart workers petition managers to reinstate employees who have been unfairly treated, a flash mob breaks out. Did you know it's your right to form a union?
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