Thursday, November 14, 2013

14 Nov - Blogs I'm Following II

SyriaSyria (Photo credit: Yishac - Isaac Alvarez i Brugada)
I am currently unable to post in Firefox due to ad interference in the composition frame. Hopefully I will be able to continue to evade this malfunction.

10:13pm MST

Making Your Own Powdered Vegetable Bouillon

Small Footprints at Reduce Footprints - 13 minutes ago
Have you ever considered making your own bouillon powder (aka dehydrated bouillon)? It's not only easy to do, but it's a healthy alternative to commercial versions which often include things like hydrogenated oils, Monosodium Glutamate, Salt, Palm Oil, and preservatives with unpronounceable names. It's also economical and a great way to use up extra veggies in your bin. Here's my easy guide to making your own powdered vegetable bouillon: Gather a variety of vegetables. [image: Make your own powdered vegetable bouillon.] Choose an assortment of vegetables. The goal is to create a nic... more »

Quote of the Day: Truth speaks...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 25 minutes ago
"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the rich out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend is about the end of any nation. You cann... more »

Cheng’s Views on Chinese and American Education

deutsch29 at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 hour ago
We live in a time in which the worship of test scores has bred an unprecedented, obsessive desire among corporate reformers to best other countries on international tests. I supposed such would somehow permanently etch into the world consciousness that the United States truly is ”the” world power to be reckoned with. Thus, any time international test results become available, […]

Mohawk Nation News 'Fat Cats'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 hour ago
FAT CATS Mohawk Nation News MNN. Nov. 14, 2013. Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s “bunga bunga” antics are not democracy. It’s becoming obvious that the “Fat Cats” machine is in charge of city hall. Fat Cats: “Rob, we’ll tell you when to step down”. The corporate system is riddled with loopholes to keep a rich dabbler like Rob Ford in. His job is to ignore the will of the people. They can

Updates On Syria: CIA Dissent About Ghouta Chemical Attack Was Suppressed, Hezbollah Promises To Stay In Syria, Destruction of Syria's CW Is On Track

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 2 hours ago
An excerpt from, *"Fixing Intel Around the Syria Policy"* by Robert Parry, Consortiumnews, November 14: After the Aug. 21 chemical weapons incident in Syria, a number of senior U.S. intelligence analysts disagreed with the Obama administration’s rush to judgment blaming the Syrian government, but their dissent on this question of war or peace was concealed from the American people. The administration kept the dissent secret by circumventing the normal intelligence process and issuing on Aug. 30 something called a “Government Assessment,” posted at the White House press office’s Web ... more »

Apocalypse now? Rural Hondurans can handle it

Jody Paterson at A Closer Look: Jody Paterson - 2 hours ago
New biodigester in Aceituno, LempiraShould the apocalypse come one day, we'd all be well-advised to ride it out with a Honduran campesino. Picture a typical Canadian in the event of an apocalypse – electricity gone, supermarkets empty, no gas for the car, that sort of thing. We'd be hooped. Sure, some of us keep backyard gardens, maybe even a few chickens. But it’d be a rare Canadian who could feed themselves even through a short-lived apocalypse. Our country talks a good game about 100-mile diets, but almost a third of our food comes from outside the country and most of... more »

The Map and the Territory

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 3 hours ago
Click here to read my review, coming out in Sunday's *NY Times Book Review*, of Alan Greenspan's new book.

Lesson plans: Something scripted, something borrowed, something new. #ShareMyLesson

Chris Cerrone at @ THE CHALK FACE - 3 hours ago
Today I was preparing a sub plans for next week and read Shaun Johnson’s piece about lesson plan books during my lunch period. I know I will be out for a morning next week for some dental work so I am getting my lesson plans set for the day I will be absent. Any teacher […]

Ooh, that Obama! (With thanks to E. J. Dionne Jr. and Ian Welsh)

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 3 hours ago
*Is it really much consolation to the president to be linkable to this pack of born-and-bred nitwits and liars?* *"For Obama, there is no escaping health care. He needs to engage in an aggressive new defense that acknowledges problems in the individual market. . . . But he also has to grapple with the wider causes of discontent. . . . He can survive his enemies. He needs to win back the citizens who were once his friends."* *-- E. J. Dionne Jr., in his WaPo column today,* "Obama needs his friends back" *"When you are dealing with bad people, you must assume bad faith; bad behavior.... more »

Charter $chool CEOs of New York

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 3 hours ago
The guy at the bottom--that's the Chancellor of 1,600 New York City Public Schools. Remember--it's all about the children. From the Daily News:

The Night of the Doctor

Zoe Brain at A.E.Brain - 3 hours ago

Your move Big Insurance Republicans

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 4 hours ago
Dizzy from trying to follow all the media spin on Obama's fix for Obamacare. It's bold. It's desperate. It's smart. It's incredibly stupid. It's a trap. It's a trick. It's dictatorial. It's weak. It's generational theft, dammit. Me, I think it was rather brilliant solution. Shorter Obama: You fools like getting ripped off for junk policies? Fine. You can keep 'em. Let the insurance gougers explain why they don't want to give them back to you. Shockingly, the insurers are unhappy with this fix. They can't blame Obamacare for cancelling insurance policies now. The idea isn’t to retr... more »

Saving Privatized Obamacare

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 4 hours ago
I got this in the email today (my few little tweaks serving to reveal the whole subliminal message.) Dear MoveOn member, There's no sugar-coating it: *Obama(care) is in serious political trouble. And Obamabots progressives need to step up and start shelling out fighting to save him it right now.* Obviously, the man law itself is still really good at bullshitting. But it's clear to everyone that *rolling us* rollout has been badly botched—and now Republicans smell blood in the water. They think this is their chance to undo the whole thing. Worse yet, some Democrats in Congress are st... more »

City of Scranton unlikely to make required 6.3 million payment to its Pension fund ! Here is the situation Scranton faces - 195 million in outstanding debt. And another 100 million of unfunded pension debt. Another 28 millionis needed to pay off a Court ordered settlement with the Fire and Police Unions ( back pay but with pension implications as well - perhaps several million more on the Scranton tab ) and the above mentioned year end Pension fund Contribution. Add another half million required by law when the 6.3 million Pension contribution is not paid by December 31 , 2013......How long before we see a bankruptcy filing ? Might the recovery be 30 cents on the dollar - which is close to the value of the pension plan assets ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 5 hours ago
http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/scranton-unlikely-to-make-required-payment-to-pension-fund-1.1585710 Scranton unlikely to make required payment to pension fund BY TERRIE MORGAN-BESECKER (STAFF WRITER) Published: November 14, 2013 It's unlikely Scranton will make the required $6.3 million contribution to its pension plans by the end of the year, meaning city taxpayers will have to pay an additional $504,000 in interest into the composite pension fund. The city has until Dec. 31 to make the payment, but its failure to secure a $27 million loan that's earmarked to pay that debt and ... more »

LORI WALLACH: "The bottom line of all of this is we need a new procedure to replace fast track that gives the public the role and Congress the role to make sure what will be binding, permanent, global laws do not undermine either our democratic process of making policies at home—that we need—or that lock us into retrograde policies that the current 600 corporate trade advisers are writing to impose on us."

David L Griscom at Cherchez la Verite - 5 hours ago
------------------------------ *TPP Exposed: **WikiLeaks Publishes Secret Trade Text to Rewrite Copyright Laws, Limit Internet Freedom* http://www.democracynow.org/2013/11/14/tpp_exposed_wikileaks_publishes_secret_trade WikiLeaks has published the secret text to part of the biggest U.S. trade deal in history, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). For the past several years, the United States and 12 Pacific Rim nations have been negotiating behind closed doors on the sweeping agreement. A 95-page draft of a TPP chapter released by WikiLeaks on Wednesday details agreements relating to... more »

Will A Battle For The Soul Of The Republican Party Pit Chris Christie Against Ted Cruz?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 7 hours ago
In his attempt to fool low-info New Jersey independents and Democrats that he's a moderate and not really a conservative, Chris Christie may have inadvertently convinced conservatives across the country. He was reelected governor of New Jersey last week-- while voters rejected his agenda and specifically overturned his veto of a bill raising the minimum wage. New polls, though, indicate that he's alienated GOP primary voters outside of the Northeast, which still includes a good number of old fashioned mainstream conservatives and where teabaggers are less of a force. A new poll fr... more »

Regarding Goldhaber on VAM at AEI

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 7 hours ago
My fellow blogger, John Thompson, just posted a piece that looks at the new Mathematica study on teacher transfer incentives, and he begins with this paragraph, to which I would like to respond: Maybe I’m naïve, but I found it hopeful when economist Dan Goldhaber told the conservative American Enterprise Institute that value-added models work at the elementary level, at least in comparison with other ways of evaluating teachers. But, he cited evidence that value-added might not work quite so well at the high school level. He concluded that less emphasis would have been placed on the... more »

This is bad @waldenu, very bad. Why would you do this? #phd

Shaun Johnson at @ THE CHALK FACE - 7 hours ago
Earn a #PhD in #Education online, on your own time. Find out how we can help you! http://t.co/oeh5Cy3Skg — Walden University (@WaldenU) October 10, 2013 Tagged: online, phd, walden

AZOV-FILMS USED FOR BLACKMAIL?

Anon at aangirfan - 7 hours ago
*Vladik (right). As a child, Vladik appeared in the 'naturist' or 'soft-porn' films produced by Azov-Films. * Azov-Films reportedly produced child porn. Azov-Films' headquarters was in Toronto Canada, but its films were made in Crimea, Russia and Romania, by people including* Igor Rusanov*. *Brian Way *and his mother* Sandra Waslov*, of Staford VA USA, were the owners of Azov-films.com and Boyjoy.com. Way has been in custody since 2011. *On 14 November 2013, Police in Canada announced that 348 people have been arrested and nearly 400 children rescued during their three-year inves... more »

SUN News Network Signs Rob And Doug Ford To Host New TV Show .... are you freakin' kidding me?!!!

leftdog at Buckdog - 7 hours ago
*"Every TV station wants Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. But it's Sun News Network that has landed the hottest man on the airwaves. If you have loved or even hated the Ford Show so far, stayed tuned because there's more to come. The Rob and Doug Ford Show is coming to Sun News Network.* *You read it right.* *The Fords are about to relaunch their on-air platform, this time on the small screen.* *The brothers have agreed to terms with Sun News to pick up where they left off with their much-listened-to show The City on Newstalk 1010. That show ended its run last week and a lot of people mis... more »

I have Ketchup in my Veins

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 8 hours ago
National security starts with food security. For a decade we have been giving it away. The latest casualty is Ketchup. The streets should be red protesting this decision.

Controlling the past makes the future mallable

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 8 hours ago
Obviously David thinks George Orwell is a dead Goliath.

Your moment of Zen

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 8 hours ago
Abandoned City Hall Subway Station, NYC. [photo via Jeremy Duns and Expatina]

Rob Ford's new dance moves

LeDaro at LeDaro - 8 hours ago

I REMEMBER A PARADISE

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 8 hours ago

DIY Fruit/Vegetable Stand

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 8 hours ago
This year, my goal was to add a handmade element to our holiday celebrations. So many store bought toys are broken after they are barely played with and they don't hold the same memories as the homemade ones. My mom isn't a crafter, by any stretch of the imagination, but the presents she made instead of bought hold many memories and we still have them. She made my doll's sleeping bags that my 4-year-old now plays with and a Cabbage Patch Kid jacket that is still on my sister's doll. I love the thought and work that goes into handmade, so I am making bigger efforts this year... more »

Three D printing the new plastics

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 8 hours ago
Those who remember The Graduate remember plastics. If they remade the movie it would be 3D printing. Its a revolution as big as the industrial and information revolution combined.

Thought Salad

jurassicpork at Welcome Back to Pottersville - 8 hours ago
I have maybe six chapters and the epilogue to write for my massive epic, *Tatterdemalion*, so I'm going to be sprinting to the finish from here on out. That's not to say I don't take the time to go on Twitter every so often to bemuse my nearly 1100 followers. So here are some leftover thoughts from the last week. Let it not be said I don't recycle. ------------------------------ To the person who's, without exception, blown their nose in every restaurant I've ever eaten in since the 60's, why haven't you died, yet? ------------------------------ I'm curious: Since resigning as th... more »

NASA - Mars had lakes!

Mike Philbin at PROGNOSIS II - 8 hours ago
seriously, while NASA don't show *ANY JUSTIFICATION* or evolution in this video for 'how' Mars got the way of the desert it is today, it is (nostalgically) pretty in a retro-Pro-Gen* 80's stylee. Nice analog Korg-age on the soundtrack. Just old-house. *Billions of years ago when the Red Planet was young, it appears to have had a thick atmosphere that was warm enough to support oceans of liquid water - a critical ingredient for life. The animation shows how the surface of Mars might have appeared during this ancient clement period, beginning with a flyover of a Martian lake... more »

How well do we liberals know how to read?

bob somerby at the daily howler - 9 hours ago
*THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013* *Excerpting Richard Cohen:* Richard Cohen incited more rage from us liberals this week. He managed to do so in a column which pretty much savaged the tea party. The column appeared in Tuesday’s Washington Post. Did Cohen really attack the tea party in the column which made us so mad? Yes, he did, without using the name, except in the headline. He focused on those culturally conservative Iowa Republicans who, he said, will never go for Chris Christie. Below, you see the first two-thirds of the column, the part which hasn’t been cut-and-pasted by us ir... more »

abby and brittany

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 9 hours ago

Impeachment!

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 9 hours ago
Well, not the president. Just the Attorney General. And not actual impeachment; just a few radicals planning to introduce articles of impeachment today. Ah, but this is as good an opportunity as any to admit I was pretty much dead wrong about this one. I thought someone would formally introduce articles of impeachment against Barack Obama long ago. Not that they would actually go ahead an impeach him. I will note that my prediction wasn't just "someone" -- I picked Michele Bachmann. Which, granted, wasn't really a wild stretch, but it turns out she's one of the group gunning for Ho... more »

那么,为什么便宜的阿富汗海洛因到美国的水灾?是谁守着罂粟田,傻!LOL

Barbara Diamond at American Scofflaw - 10 hours ago
*http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303460004579193992106490318*

Healthy Ageing 4: GCOA-EMHN Meeting in Bangkok Last October

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 10 hours ago
This is the continuation of my earlier article, GCOA-EMHN Policy Dialogue in Bangkok last month, on the Global Coalition On Aging (GCOA) - Emerging Markets Health Network (EMHN) Policy Dialogue on Aging, held on October 23, 2013 at Plaza Athenee Bangkok, Thailand. There were about 16 of us from eight different countries. The resource speaker was Dr. Anindya Mishra, a faculty member of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorke India. He gave a 30 minutes presentation entitled “Social and Economic Challenges of Ageing in Asia: Special Focus on India.” Among the points raised ... more »

Southern Life Hacks

Southern Man at Southern Man - 10 hours ago
A collection of tips and tricks to simplify your life, found from all over. Sure, you can just Google "life hacks" but this page will be periodically updated with the best ones so no need to bother. Or you could just click on these links... Life Hack Videos 40 Clever Life Hacks 50 Life Hacks

A Quiver of Ghosts

Inexplicata (IHU) at Inexplicata-The Journal of Hispanic Ufology - 11 hours ago
*A Quiver of Ghosts* *By Scott Corrales* [From the upcoming monograph *INEXPLICATA - The Paranormal*] The ghostly traditions of Latin America have not received much attention in the English language media. Perhaps the stereotypes of fun in the sun and Carmen Miranda-type dancers make it hard to believe that hauntings form an integral part of the traditions of countries from Mexico to Argentina, with some apparitions dating back centuries. In Mexico alone we find La Llorona – the ancient Aztec goddess known a Cihuacoatl, the serpent woman, worshipped in the darkness of the temple kn... more »

The Potential Value of Teacher Transfer Data

John Thompson at Schools Matter - 11 hours ago
Maybe I’m naïve, but I found it hopeful when economist Dan Goldhaber told the conservative American Enterprise Institute that value-added models work at the elementary level, at least in comparison with other ways of evaluating teachers. But, he cited evidence that value-added might not work quite so well at the high school level. He concluded that less emphasis would have been placed on the value-added of individual teachers if research had focused on high schools rather than elementary schools. I am far from convinced that value-added evaluations make sense even in the early years... more »

Republicans Can't Be Shamed

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 11 hours ago
Republicans did everything they could do sabotage Obamacare including running ads on TV urging people, especially young people, to not sign up. Now they want to use the low sign up rates to accomplish their political goal of repealing it. According to the *National Review*, a Republican Party propaganda website, Boehner reminded his colleagues yesterday about his repeal strategy and explained how bringing the “keep your plan” bill introduced by anti-healthcare plutocrat Fred Upton to the House floor tomorrow fits into it. “Remember the strategy for stopping Obamacare we laid out ... more »

The suitable age for marriage - According to a fatwa from Shaykh `Abdul-`Azeez Bin Baz

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 11 hours ago
*The Suitable Age For Marriage* *Question:* *What is the suitable age for marriage for men and women, because some young women do not accept marriage from those who are older than them? Likewise, some men do not marry women who are older than them. We request a response and may Allaah reward you with goodness.* *Answer:* I advise young women not to refuse marriage from a man due to his age, such as being ten, twenty or thirty years older than her. This is not a reason, because the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi was salam, married 'A'ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, when he was fi... more »

Fallujah Mayor Assassinated While Anbar Council Tries To Replace Provincial Police Chief

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 11 hours ago
Iraq’s Fallujah has once again become a center for insurgent attacks in the country. Most recently the mayor of the city was assassinated in November 2013. Afterward the provincial council voted to replace the chief of police for the governorate due to the deteriorating security situation. The police and the army have failed to protect the city, and it appears that militants have free reign there. (*WestherForecast.com*) Hitting government targets has been a top priority for insurgents in Fallujah, which recently lost its mayor. On November 13, Mayor Adnan al-Jalbawi was gunned ... more »

Heavy Rains And Flooding In Iraq

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 11 hours ago
Baghdad Nov 11, 2013 (*AFP*) Baghdad Nov 11, 2013 (*AFP*) Baghdad Nov 11, 2013 (*AFP*) Baghdad Nov 11, 2013 (*AFP*)Basra Nov 2013Anbar province Nov 10, 2013

101 Sci Fi Adventures

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 11 hours ago
From IO9 Top Picture from The Reality Dysfunction a book that could have been set in the Firefly Universe or maybe the Firefly Universe was set in his Universe.

Out of the mouths of husbands...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 11 hours ago
*spot on.* Couldn't have said it better: "Obama said, I'm *directing* the insurance companies blah, blah, blah. The insurance companies can do what ever they want. They don't take orders from him. He can go direct his own ass." *my husband* Of course, you all realize that by saying people can keep their old policies, Obama is essentially giving the insurance companies the right to break the law? Now, most insurance companies won't be able to reinstate those cancelled policies. Bingo - the insurance companies become the bad guys. When, exactly, will the libtards wake up to t... more »

As promised, a deeply personal and private look at (GASP!) my plan book #edchat @rweingarten #sharemylesson

Shaun Johnson at @ THE CHALK FACE - 11 hours ago
Gazing into the educator’s plan book is a highly uncommon occurrence, and I say this with just a hint of sarcasm. I don’t really know why it’s so deeply personal, seems silly, but it really is very personal. I hear and read quite a bit about lesson plans for this and that. Templates for, of […]

You Are Sometimes 'Known' By The Company You Keep ....

leftdog at Buckdog - 11 hours ago
*-Rob Ford is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada.* *-Mike Duffy is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada.* *-Patrick Brazeau is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada.* *-Pamela Wallin is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada.* *-Are you a member of the Conservative Party of Canada?* *(if so ..... I guess you are where you should be ... in bad company ......) *

Breaking: Holland drops A-bomb on millions of people!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 11 hours ago
*THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013* *Full-scale war may start:* Friend, do you want to avoid the atavistic impulses which lead to full-blown tribal war? The impulse to war is bred in us all. If you want to avoid that prehistoric impulse, we’ll make two suggestions: First, challenge the idea that people come in well-defined types. Example: Suppose a study shows that members of Tribe A are more likely to do X, Y or Z, as compared to members of Tribe B. In that case, pay attention to the key term, “more likely.” Is the other tribe more likely to hold some view? If so, always ask yourself th... more »

BIG TURNOUT AT FORUM IN BATH

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 11 hours ago
We counted right at 90 people last night at the forum our local committee organized here in Bath. The event, sponsored by Bath Citizens for Responsible TIF Action, was held in the city hall auditorium and featured three speakers. We had to use the balcony for seating as the auditorium was packed. The speakers included a retired college law professor who has studied corporate tax breaks for 30 years, an economist from a leading Maine organization, and a city councilman from nearby town of Brunswick. In the end they all agreed on the need for greater transparency and disclosure b... more »

Obama getting ready to say something really stupid, insulting, and (no doubt) illegal...w/ Update

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 11 hours ago
*so what else is new?* If you can squelch your puke response, it's will be live on: *C-Span* *Of course, he's late:* *In the realm of social psychology and psychodynamics, when we discuss chronic lateness, we typically do so in reference to passive-aggression and control. An individual who is passive-aggressive is, by definition, arrogant...and arrogance is bred, not by a sense of personal power, but, rather, through fear and insecurity. (source) *

Nicolas Cage as Disney Princesses!

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 12 hours ago
The above image of Nicolas Cage as Snow White was found along with plenty more at this Sad and Useless page. Take a look, they are really rather good.

Electoral Effects of the...Oh, C'mon, People, Really?

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 12 hours ago
Sometimes, I think it helps to be a solid 1500 miles away from Washington. Or maybe it helps to have read a little history. Or maybe I'm just an old guy. Anyway: we're at a point at which even Jonathan Chait, writing against panic, says that "the current sense of dread enveloping the Democratic Party has a very real basis. President Obama’s poll numbers are plunging to unprecedented depths." Yes, it's all massively overstated. Plunging? His approval (and some associated numbers) have definitely dropped. I suppose "plunge" is subjective, but HuffPollster's estimate, set for "less s... more »

Succinctness of Intent is Called for by Gaia Energetic Structures at this Time

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 13 hours ago
*Succinctness of Intent is Called for by Gaia Energetic Structures at this Time* by ÉirePort Succinctness of intent is called for by Gaia energetic structures at this time. Hue-manity is currently requested to REAL-ize actual Gaia request and to discern alternative ego desire. Rising above the "sense-perceptibles" is required for such REAL-ization. Gaia energetics responds only to Higher Intent in alignment with Gaia Ascension at this moment. ÉirePort | November 14, 2013 at 04:43 URL: http://wp.me/p2sFUY-qd

It was hard to stomach David Cameron preaching austerity from a golden throne

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 13 hours ago
David Cameron prepares to speak on the need for 'permanent austerity' at the Lord Mayor's banquet. Photograph: Ray Tang/Rex Features http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/13/david-cameron-austerity-public-sector-cut *s* *It was hard to stomach David Cameron preaching austerity from a golden throne* *As a waitress at the lord mayor's banquet, the contrast between what Cameron was saying and where he was saying it felt particularly chilling* Ruth Hardy theguardian.com, Wednesday 13 November 2013 12.58 GMT David Cameron at Lord Mayor's Banquet At a state banquet for ... more »

USING TYPHOON TO STAY IN PHILIPPINES

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 13 hours ago
Earlier this month, negotiations between the United States and the Philippines to sharply increase the number of US troops regularly rotating through Philippine bases hit a snag. Critics claimed American demands, if met, would undermine Philippine sovereignty. Increasingly, it seemed, prospects for an accord this year looked shaky. Then typhoon Haiyan hit. Since the ferocious storm blasted the archipelago and laid waste to the city of Tacloban Friday, the Filipino media have carried images of US military personnel aiding relief operations. Will the US use the humanitarian aid exc... more »

Stephen Harper's Bobblehead

LeDaro at LeDaro - 13 hours ago
I found Stephen Harper's Bobblehead (or bubblehead) on the internet. I just added the bobbling. Also found another version of the bubblehead of Rob Ford.

Happy Early Birthday, Arne Duncan, on Your 52nd Birthday

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 13 hours ago
I know, I know, you just turned 49 on November 6, but since I missed your birthday (sorry), I thought I would get ahead of the game and wish you the best on the one birthday that all of America's teachers and parents will celebrate, just days before your departure from the U. S. Department of Education in 2016. And yes, I know, some other corporate shill will take your place at ED, but it won't be the same. No one can come close to your false innocence, your feigned interest, your formulaic and robotic responses, your gift for platitudes and redundant superlatives, your "Rosa Pa... more »

Are you seeing a pattern yet?...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 13 hours ago
*of more and more government overreach?* Some people might even go so far as to call it tyranny. First they tell the American people what they must buy or pay a penalty tax because "it's the law", doncha know. Now Mary Landrieu, of the infamous "Louisiana Purchase" wants to tell insurance companies what they must sell. Hmmmmmmmm - makes you wonder, doesn't it? *More:* *The Correct Strategy For Obamacare Sufferers?*

War watch - Egypt , Iran , Syria and Libya in focus November 13 , 2013.....

Catharsis Ours - 13 hours ago
Egypt set to provide Russia access to port facilities on the Mediterranean while buying advanced Russian weaponry......... US influence in Egypt waning ! http://www.debka.com/article/23438/Lavrov-to-confirm-Russian-air-defense-system-surface-missiles-for-Egypt-Russian-Navy-facilities-at-Alexandria- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu start a two-day visit to Cairo Wednesday, Nov. 13, to wind up a major sale of advanced Russian weaponry for the Egyptian army and the Russian Navy’s access to port facilities on the Mediterranean. DEBKAfile’s mi... more »

STALKING THE FAUX EDUCATION REPORTERS: The virtues of Cather’s immigrant girls!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 13 hours ago
*THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013* *Part 4—Who is Eleanor Barkhorn:* In our post-journalistic world, few group get discussed less, or less favorably, than our American black kids, all of whom are just kids, of course. There’s no group we seem to care about less. Consider the current state of play regarding these children’s test scores, which get discussed all the time. From 1990 to the present, black kids seem to have shown a lot of progress in reading and math. On the National Assessment of Educational Progress, their score gains look like this: *Score gains by black students, public ... more »

Mob Attacks Private Security In Iraq's Rumaila Oil Field Over Imam Hussein Posters

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 13 hours ago
After some private security officers took down images of Imam Hussein near the Rumaila oil field in Basra an angry mob attacked them as shown in these two videos. Afterward Baker Hughes said it was suspending its operations at the field to investigate the incident.

Let's start the day with Ted Cruz...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 14 hours ago
*"Obamacare is not fixable." *

The Horror of Trans fats

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 14 hours ago
It boggles the mind. When you hear GMO foods are safe, thinkaboot transfats.

Who Will Follow Harper?

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 14 hours ago
Murray Dobbins writes that it's easy to become obsessed with Stephen Harper. But whoever follows him could make things worse. After all, Paul Martin made Stephen Harper possible, just as Brian Mulroney made Martin possible. Together they established corporate government in Canada: No one was prepared for what Finance Minister Paul Martin had in store for the country (he effectively ran the Chretien government). Mulroney had established the foundation for corporatism with the free trade deal with the U.S. Martin delivered punch number two: the gutting of federal spending and reven... more »

ObamaCare updates November 12 , 2013 - Hmm , The ObamaCare Healthcare.gov website Project Manager ( Henry Chao ) testifies before Congress that he was not told that security flaws posed limitless risk ( also wasn't shown the September 3 , 2013 CMS memo on same - note that the time to fix flaws of mid- 2014 to early 2015 ! ) ....Bill Clinton sticks shiv in Obama - saying Obama should honor his promise about keeping your health plan if you like it ........... Rate shock coming in January for consumers from ObamaCare - more politicians ducking from incoming political backlash ( passing Laws without reading legislation , let alone comprehending same , has consequences ! Cue Democrat panic city times !

Catharsis Ours - 15 hours ago
http://hotair.com/archives/2013/11/12/cnn-source-if-white-house-doesnt-have-solution-to-canceled-plans-by-friday-dems-may-vote-for-gops-keep-your-plan-act/ ( Dem rebellion against W. H dilly dallying ? What does the fox ( obama ) say ? ) CNN source: If White House doesn’t have solution to canceled plans by Friday, Dems may vote for GOP’s “Keep Your Plan Act” POSTED AT 8:01 PM ON NOVEMBER 12, 2013 BY ALLAHPUNDIT Amazing stuff via Mediaite. The “Keep Your Plan Act” is Fred Upton’s bill, which Jay Carney spent a few minutes attacking at today’s press briefing because it would make c... more »

Read Stuff, You Should

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 15 hours ago
Happy Birthday to Laura San Giacomo, 51. Perhaps she doesn't want to do it, but otherwise difficult to understand why she's not starring on one of those TVLand sitcoms. Actually, how about a TVLand sitcom with her, Amy Yasbeck, Hector Elizondo, and Jason Alexander? Isn't that a totally plausible cast? And, yeah, I'd watch it if it was on. It'd be better than the last thing they did together. Back to business: there's always good stuff: 1. Good Aaron Blake analysis of what Tea Party and other radical Republican organizations look for when endorsing. 2. Nice back and forth this week ... more »

How Many House Seats Will The Republican Civil War Cost The GOP In 2014?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 15 hours ago
I know just where to go for some Inside-the-Beltway convention wisdom and yesterday I found out that momentum has swung away from House Democrats and towards House Republicans-- they're tied at 39-39%-- because Obama's image has suffered due to the amateurish roll-out of the Affordable Care Act website. The GOP-directed media frenzy over the website worked. And now it's time to get back to reality. Luckily, Pope Francis doesn't have to face a teabagger in a GOP primary. If he did, Palin thinks first Jesus-oriented Pope in our lifetimes is someone she could beat. After all, nothin... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 15 hours ago
*Louisiana now ranks second-best in thecountry for fighting sex trafficking ~WVUE* *Port president blasts proposed changes to Claiborne expressway, Convention Center ~Jaquetta White, New Orleans Advocate* *ADHD Transitions Challenge Won By New Olrean’s Rebar Interactive ~Health News Texas*

Frackers: Convoy of trucks arrive on Mi'kmaq land Nov. 14, 20

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 15 hours ago
Mi'kmaq and allies turned the fracking trucks around Thursday!  Thumper trucks came for seismic testing for Southwestern Energy of Houston, SWN Scroll down for video: Security firm protecting frackers SWN hired company owned by ex-con who claimed undercover work for RCMP in Akwesasne Jennifer Choi CBC photo: Mi'kmaq and allies watch as trucks turn around late Thursday. SWN says it will be

Life, Vanishing

gail zawacki at Wit's End - 15 hours ago
Richard Adrian Reese, a devoted environmentalist who writes with delightfully nimble alacrity at his blog WhatIsSustainable, has posted a review of William Stolzenburg’s book, *Where the Wild Things Were*. His description is absolutely splendid, and germane to a topic of sporadic but ongoing scrutiny here at Wit’s End...when I stray off the topic of trees dying from ozone pollution and wonder, more broadly...why do we persist, so obstinately, in fucking up the world? When did the barely nascent epoch identified as the Anthropocene morph in the blink of an eye - into the Endocene?... more »

21st Century Numbers Games

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE - 15 hours ago
I remember vividly the moment I fell out of love with numbers. First semester of my freshman year of college, I sat in the weekly fourth hour of calculus set aside as a test period. I was reading a question that was something about shooting a bullet in a vacuum, and the only response I […]

What's not in the news

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 15 hours ago
*Ferret Badger roadkill.* *When human groups divide and become fragmented, during a period of malaise and conflicts, they may come to a point where they are reconciled again at the expense of a victim. Observers nowadays realize without difficulty, unless they belong to the persecuting group, that this victim is not really responsible for what he or she is accused of doing. The accusing group, however, views the victim as guilty, by virtue of a contagion similar to what we find in scapegoat rituals. The members of this group accuse their "scapegoat" with great fervor and sincerity.... more »

A Nurse Calls Parent “Loser” for Not Vaccinating Her Child

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 16 hours ago
Copy of the note left by the nurse: A Nurse Calls Parent “Loser” for Not Vaccinating Her Child Vax Truth, November 2013 A recent post on the *Great Mothers (and others) Questioning Vaccines* Facebook page is starting to gain a lot of attention. According to the post, a mother who made a trip to the emergency room at Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital was left a nasty note from a nurse calling her a “loser.” The nurse apparently disagreed with the mother’s choice not to have her child injected with neurotoxic chemicals and dangerous biological agents. The Facebook post from the br... more »

Big Brother / Police State Updates November 14 , 2013......Rapid rollout of various means to surveil Americans being deployed here in the US - wake up folks !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 16 hours ago
TSA should focus on what is supposed to be their actual mission , rather than launching various dubious programs which do nothing more than blow taxpayer money ..... http://www.infowars.com/1-billion-tsa-chat-down-program-a-complete-failure/ $1 Billion TSA ‘Chat Down’ Program a Complete Failure - [image: The Alex Jones Channel][image: Alex Jones Show podcast][image: Prison Planet TV][image: Infowars.com Twitter][image: Alex Jones' Facebook][image: Infowars store] Invasive policy “no better than chance” at identifying security threats *Paul Joseph Watson* Infowars.com ... more »

Lecturer whose hand was chopped off acquitted of hurting religious sentiments

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 16 hours ago
This happened in India not even a Muslim country: 'A Kerala college lecturer whose hand was chopped off allegedly by radicals over his comments on the Prophet Mohammed in a question paper, has been acquitted by a court of charges of hurting religious sentiments, reports PTI. The Chief Judicial Magistrate at Thodupuzha on Wednesday let off TJ Joseph, accepting his plea that he had prepared questions for the graduate course "without any mala fide intention." Mr Joseph, a former lecturer of Malayalam literature at the Newman College, was attacked on his way to church in July, 2010, b... more »

Leaked TPP Treaty: Worse Than SOPA and ACTA

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 16 hours ago
Source: http://www.nznotforsale.org/page/2/ Leaked Treaty: Worse Than SOPA and ACTA Washington's Blog, 14 November 2013 *Treaty Threatens Global Government … Run by Giant Corporations* We noted last year: An international treaty being negotiated in secret which would not only crack down on Internet privacy much more than SOPA or ACTA, but would actually* destroy the sovereignty* of the U.S. and all other signatories. It is called the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). We also noted that even Congressmen are furious that the bill was being kept secret from the American public. ... more »

State-of-the-art non-SUSY \(SO(10)\) grand unified models

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 17 hours ago
Several recent hep-ph papers studied grand unification without supersymmetry, an approach that seems intriguing to a whole group of researchers. Grand unification theories (GUT) work nicely with supersymmetry (SUSY) – it's the supersymmetric version of the \(SU(5)\) and larger models that achieves the accurate unification of gauge couplings of the \(U(1)_Y\), \(SU(2)_W\), and \(SU(3)_c\) factors of the gauge group in the simplest, most natural way. *Super-Kamiokande has looked for a proton decay, a flagship prediction of grand unified theories* However, SUSY hasn't been experimen... more »

Shhh: No Yelling Allowed

Angel Cintron Jr. at @ THE CHALK FACE - 17 hours ago
Have you ever worked in a public school where teachers often yelled at students? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen educators yell at students. Now, before you think I’m completely innocent, I can assure you, I’m not. I’ve had several “bad teacher moments” too. However, after a few years of observing my […]

THE CIA, MODI and GANDHI

Anon at aangirfan - 18 hours ago
[image: Asia - India / Nagaland] *India - RURO photography* The CIA has apparently infiltrated most institutions in India, including the two main political parties that will contest the 2014 general election. The Pentagon and the Wall Street Globalists want to control India's food, agriculture, resources, land, public infrastructure and water. Parts of agriculture have already been placed in the hands of powerful Western agribusiness, producing food for export. *General Elections in India: The Choice is “Globalization” or “More Globalization”. The Role of the Wall Street Lobby*, by ... more »

The Most Disturbing Post Yet…

jillconroy at @ THE CHALK FACE - 18 hours ago
Hello, America!! As I sit here enjoying the 86 degree daily sunshine & palm trees in Dubai, UAE, I am thinking of my friends and family in Boston, where I understand winter is upon them. As much as I continue to be homesick, I do not miss the impending winter weather, and have decided to […]

Ford shitshow resumes and what really matters

Alison at Creekside - 18 hours ago
What a screaming shitshow that was today. Inside the Toronto city council meeting, Mayor Rob Ford and his handler/brother Doug Ford were unsuccessfully fighting off an unenforceable council motion to have Rob Ford step down *temporarily* while demanding everyone else on council submit to mandatory drug screening. Grilled about the infamous photo of himself with 3 men - one of whom, Anthony Smith, was soon after shot and killed while Khattak was shot and survived - outside the Windsor Street crackhouse described as an ad hoc 2005 Ford campaign office, Rob Ford said repeatedly toda... more »

Those genoicidal Israelis

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 19 hours ago
As posted on Biased BBC by 'Pounce', I couldn't have worded it better myself: 'The bBC and its customary Anti-Israel article and half the story Israel-Gaza conflict: One year on *Israel launched Operation Pillar of Defence, which it says was aimed at ending rocket fire from Gaza, with the killing of a Hamas military leader. Israel subsequently carried out hundreds of air strikes on the territory, while Hamas and other groups fired hundreds of rockets into Israel.* *According to the United Nations, a total of 174 Palestinians were killed, at least 168 of them by Israeli military act... more »

Columbia U. Conference Shows Incentives Pervasive but Controls Work

Kenneth Thomas at Middle Class Political Economist - 19 hours ago
Day one of the Columbia International Investment Conference in New York has concluded, and the takeaways are very clear. The topic is investment incentives, prompted by Louise Story's "United States of Subsides" series last December. Story moderated panel 1, which covered the pervasiveness of subsidies. How widely used are investment subsidies? As the presentations made clear, they are used by virtually every country in the world. That is depressing takeaway number one. The second big lesson is that for most types of foreign direct investment, the use of incentives has no effect at ... more »

DOLPHINS

Anon at aangirfan - 21 hours ago
*Luke Halpin (left) Flipper (right)* Female dolphins "have a built-in system of contraception: their organs contain two chambers - one for fun, the other for reproduction. "Sex, including same-sex sex, is an important part of dolphin life, used for socialising and recreation, and they don't form lasting pair-bonds." *QI: Some quietly intriguing facts about dolphins*

Imminent groundbreaking Wolfram Language

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 21 hours ago
Stephen Wolfram and his smart folks are preparing something big. Click here to be alerted about the Wolfram Language developments. For a few decades, Wolfram has been an epicenter of powerful computational paradigms – including Mathematica, Wolfram Alpha, CDF, A New Kind of Science, and even a TRF guest blog on particle physics. But all these things have converged to something bigger – a new language: the Wolfram Language. Tools allowing you to use this language – and to have a more direct access to the *Wolfram Engine* inside all the Wolfram products and the *Universal Platform* ... more »

it's like Benny Hill is subsidizing journalistic/political integrity on this sick world

Mike Philbin at PROGNOSIS II - 21 hours ago
more farcical Neo Cold War shenanigins as (once again) Russia Today uses its English language broadcast service to diss the United States Government. I can't work out if they're serious or just taking part in a GPG or Global Policy Game against We The People, but, allegedly: *American taxpayers have unwittingly paid more than $150 million to companies throughout the Middle East that are known to have helped finance terrorist attacks on US soldiers stationed in Afghanistan, according to a new internal US government report.At least 43 companies based in Afghanistan were found to h... more »

Navajo horse roundups for kill buyers continue: Tuba City

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 22 hours ago
Cruel horse roundups in Tuba City on Thursday and Friday, horses going to kill buyers for slaughter house meat By Leland Grass Horse roundup in Kayenta area/Photo Leland Grass Censored News Tuba City Chapter House is opening the doors to The Cruelty Group, Navajo Nation Agriculture and Navajo Nation Resource Enforcement.  Over the last three months many of the Dine'

Thursday Morning Linkage – Special Typhoon Haiyan Edition

Josh Busby at Duck of Minerva - 22 hours ago
This week, more news from the relief effort and typhoon Haiyan and how the events in the Philippines threaten to overshadow the on-going climate negotiations in Warsaw. The Security and Relief Situation on the Ground U.S. military ramps up aid to Philippines with up to 1,000 soldiers likely on the ground from Okinawa in short Continue reading

ObamaCare wounded duck spiral continues unabated November 13 , 2013 - Is it too late to " Keep Your Plan " ? ( Too late for January 1 , 2014 , what work around may be tried to fill the cancellation gap for those scheduled but not yet booted from their old plans ? Washington Post posits HealthCare.gov will not be fully functional by the end of November as promised by the White House - what happens then ? What will the next promise from the White house be - will anyone pay attention ? ObamaCare navigators in Dallas caught on video encouraging fraud and lying to applicants - how many navigators doing same have not been caught ? Was this part of a script or talking points given to navigators - why would these folks tell folks to lie and commit fraud on their own ? Obama boxed in by Bill Clinton on " Keep Your Plan " promise ?

Catharsis Ours - 23 hours ago
Panic City....... http://hotair.com/archives/2013/11/13/crisis-reid-calls-special-meeting-of-senate-democrats-on-obamacare/ Crisis: Reid calls “special meeting” of Senate Democrats on ObamaCare POSTED AT 5:11 PM ON NOVEMBER 13, 2013 BY ALLAHPUNDIT I don’t get it. Sebelius claims that “the marketplace is working.” What is there to talk about? Actually, I can think of two items on the agenda. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Thursday will convene a special meeting of the Senate Democratic caucus and senior White Officials to discuss the troubled rollout of ObamaCare… Th... more »

GOP War on Women Combines With GOP War On The Judiciary For Another Successful Filibuster

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 23 hours ago
A few months ago, Senate Republicans agreed to start behaving and stop the ritual obstruction of all the president's judicial nominations. Basically, a handful of Republicans agreed they would help Democrats break the filibusters of routine nominees and only filibuster obviously really, really bad ones. A bunch of nominees got passed and then… the Republicans went back on the agreement. Tuesday, they successfully filibustered Cornelia Pillard for an appointment to the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The cloture attempt, which needed 60 votes, went down 56-41... more »

Updates On Syria: SNC Calls Kurds "Hostile," Wealthy Gulf Arabs Raise Money For Al-Qaeda, PYD Forms Transitional Government

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 23 hours ago
*An excerpt from, "Syria opposition says armed Kurds 'hostile'" Al Jazeera/Al-Qaeda's Media Channel, November 13:* The Sunni Arab-dominated main opposition alliance, the Syrian National Coalition, has been at pains to keep the Kurds on side. Its main faction, the Syrian National Council, even named secular Kurdish dissident Abdulbaset Sayda as its leader last year. But mounting violence between the Kurds and al-Qaeda loyalists - who form a major battlefield component of the Sunni Arab-dominated rebellion - has sparked a deepening rift between the Kurds and the mainstream opposition ... more »

Attention Plutocrats!   Why Not State-Funded Banks? Because It's UnAmerican To Want To Protect Your Money From Scoundrels?

Do you get dental with that? The wisdom of my bestest blog buddy Sardonicky sets up today's essay almost too succinctly. . . . a bankster bigwig named Andrew Huszar, no doubt hoping to save his own skin from the Elizabeth Warren Flay-a-Thon, finally says Sorry to America. He admits that Quantitative Easing is nothing but corporate welfare for financial predators. The rich are robbing the

The Same Goes For You, Con Artist

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 1 day ago
BBC News - Obama: Syria must 'follow through' on commitments (September 27).

Last fitting for the whitie tighty

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 1 day ago
In fact it did not fit that tight, and who choose white to deal with a dirt spot? After a lifetime, a half century of living white and tight I am now in a coloured and form fitting camp. Yes I am wearing dark blue spandex and mostly cotton boxer briefs, and I would not be blogging about it if it was not not a grip of the future.

Opportunity to Let MA DESE How You Feel about Common Core Testing Plan

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
Instructions below for getting on the agenda. - November 18, 2013, 5-7 p.m. - Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 75 Pleasant Street, Malden (Meeting Notice Posted: 11/13/13, 9:05 A.M.) - November 19, 2013, 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. - Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 75 Pleasant Street, Malden (Meeting Notice Posted: 11/13/13, 9:05 A.M.) The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education welcomes public comment on matters within its purview. Accordingly, the Board makes available a maximum 30-minute period at its regular meetings for persons ... more »

CBI Director Ranjit Sinha illustrates why India has a huge problem with rape... " If you cannot enforce the ban on betting, it is like saying, 'If you can't prevent rape, you enjoy it,'" ... "

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
CBI director Ranjit Sinha regrets 'rape' analogy after backlash All India | Edited by Agencies | Updated: November 13, 2013 20:26 IST [image: submit to reddit] inShare [image: email] Ads by Google Don't Invest in the Dinar – Major Revaluation Imminent… BUT It's Not Our Top Pick. This One Is… WallStreetDaily.com/Top-Currencies [image: CBI director Ranjit Sinha regrets 'rape' analogy after backlash] File photo: Ranjit Sinha, CBI Director *New Delhi: * The CBI's chief Ranjit Sinha has said that his remark "If you can't prevent rape, you enjoy it" was taken out of context. "I regret any hur... more »

Quote of the Day: On Conversation

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 1 day ago
“The playroom [on the floor below the lounge] contains the television screen, so that those members of the family or guests who enjoy looking at television can indulge, without victimising those of us who still enjoy conversation.” - architect Richard Neutra, on the design of the Greenberg House, 1949 Here’s Laurie Anderson with Lou Reed: And here's Phil Manzanera on 'The Art of Conversation': PS: And on that subject, I’m heading away for a few days good conversation with friends. Look after yourselves while I’m away. Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact autho... more »

House Republicans plan to introduce Articles of impeachment for Attorney General Eric Holder Thursday ! Article One - Fast And Furious Operation probably is the Article most likely to resonate with the public......

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/14/us-usa-congress-holder-idUSBRE9AD02O20131114?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews House Republicans to try to impeach U.S. Attorney General Holder WASHINGTON Wed Nov 13, 2013 8:40pm EST 0 COMMENTS - - inShare - Share this - - Email - Print [image: U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder speaks during the Community Memorial Service at 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama September 15, 2013. REUTERS/Marvin Gentry] U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder speaks during the Community Memorial Service at 16th Street Baptis... more »

WikiLeaks reveals draft of TPP Intellectual Property chapter - highly secretive multinational trade deal sees light of day ! Comment on the IP Chapter that should focus attention ......“Compared to existing multilateral agreements, the TPP IPR chapter proposes the granting of more patents, the creation of intellectual property rights on data, the extension of the terms of protection for patents and copyrights, expansions of right holder privileges and increases in the penalties for infringement,” James Love of Knowledge Ecology International explained after reading the leaked chapter. “The TPP text shrinks the space for exceptions in all types of intellectual property rights. Negotiated in secret, the proposed text is bad for access to knowledge, bad for access to medicine and profoundly bad for innovation.” ....... “Particular measures proposed include supranational litigation tribunals to which sovereign national courts are expected to defer, but which have no human rights safeguards,” warned WikiLeaks. “The TPP IP Chapter states that these courts can conduct hearings with secret evidence.”

Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
http://www.infowars.com/trans-pacific-partnership-ready-for-christmas-delivery/ ( After the ObamaCare disaster , do we want to see a " Treaty " negotiated in secret by Corporate elites and Global Elites , that Congress itself can't see the details of , presented after passage as a completed affair ? Do we want to wait until it's passed to see what's in it once again ? ) Trans-Pacific Partnership Ready for Christmas Delivery? - [image: The Alex Jones Channel][image: Alex Jones Show podcast][image: Prison Planet TV][image: Infowars.com Twitter][image: Alex Jones' Face... more »

The secret sell-out . . .

Edstock at The Galloping Beaver - 1 day ago
STEVIE'S SECRET SELL-OUT: according to Sunny Freeman and Daniel Tencer at HUFFPOST BUSINESS, in an article “Trans-Pacific Partnership Chapter Released By WikiLeaks”, it's so secret it took WikiLeaks to get the details. And truly, the Devil is in the details. A trade agreement Canada intends to sign will have “far-reaching implications for individual rights and civil liberties,” WikiLeaks says

Meet the new face of the Republican Party: Fairfax County (VA) Electoral Board imbecile-liar Brian W. Schoeneman

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
*State Sen. Mark Herring, Virginia's apparent AG-elect* *by Ken* In the end I decided to go conventional and lead with a photo of Virginia State Sen. Mark Herring, the Democratic provisional winner of the race for Virginia state attorney general. Most of the way, though, my plan was to lead with the tweet reproduced below, with the caption (from Alex Rogers's *Time* "Swampland" report (see below): "While Brian W. Schoeneman, a Republican member of the Fairfax Electoral Board, protested through Twitter that all [absentee ballots] had been counted, upon further review, state electio... more »

Will the Common Core improve knowledge of history?

Chris Cerrone at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
On twitter recently I spotted a post from a Common Core supporter that implies that the new standards will solve our problems when it comes to history instruction in our schools. Here we have another CCLS advocate who ignores the reality in our schools: In this era of high-stakes testing what is tested will determine what is taught. […]

Fukushima updates November 11 - 12 , 2013 - At this point , I guess it's not surprising to see the Government of Japan continues to attempt to suppress " harmful rumors " otherwise known as the true condition of the Fukushima nuclear plant , that the Government attempts to suppress interviews with people other than " friendly government leaders ( concerning Fukushima exposures ) , that outside experts are praying nothing goes wrong and are shocked Tepco will be attempting the dangerous , uncharted task of removing the fuel rods in Reactor Building 4's spent fuel pool ( without outside supervision and direction ) .... Par for the course...... What is shocking is anecdotal evidence of radiation exposures in Tokyo - medications not working , rare diseases increasing ( and this is not just children , it is suprising to hear the first comments regarding evacuating Tokyo , it is surprising to hear talk of criminal conduct regarding resettling folks back within potentially lethal areas - 10 - 15 km from the Fukushima plant ! .

Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
Energy News....... 04:27 PM EST on November 12th, 2013 | 7 comments Ex-Fukushima Worker: “This is the end!” I thought after seeing explosion at plant… “I knew how much fuel was there” — NHK: Reactor 3 blast “like being lifted up off floor” 6 km from plant, I thought plane crashed outside (VIDEOS) 02:19 PM EST on November 12th, 2013 | 31 comments Magazine: The Fukushima Crisis Comes to the U.S. — Professor: “New and improved version of the original atomic plague is spreading”; The truth is so incomprehensible it’s easier to pretend it doesn’t exist 11:27 AM EST on November 12th, 2013... more »

Six thoughts about the Rob Ford disaster

paul at Paying attention - 1 day ago
I’ve resisted adding to the flood of words about Rob Ford. But no more. Here are six thoughts. First, this is sad. Ford, as a human being, is a mess and any compassionate person should feel empathy watching him struggle. Especially because he seems to have no one in his life to say ‘I care about you, and you have to stop this.’ Second, Ford’s hypocrisy is appalling. A month ago, a photo emerged of a Toronto employee with his head on his desk, apparently asleep. Ford wanted the employee and his manager fired if he was sleeping. Not suspended, or disciplined. Fired. But he uses illega... more »

Fukushima nuclear debacle updates November 13 -14 , 2013 - What going on at the plant - on the surface as well as underground...... Cancers keeping popping up , despite attempts to suppress the truth......

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
EX SKF http://ex-skf.blogspot.com/2013/11/fukushima-i-nuke-plant-reactor-4-sfp.html ( Hmm , Tepco wants everyone to believe a damaged fuel assembly - bent 90 degrees , occurred 25 years ago ? Are they lying even before they start this most dangerous and unprecedented project the world has seen regarding a nuclear disaster ? If yes , how can you trust what they might say about the work moving forward ? ) TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013 #Fukushima I Nuke Plant Reactor 4 SFP: Three Fuel Assemblies Deformed or Damaged, Says TEPCO It must be from the explosion! Or from something TEPCO has... more »

More insults

Roobin at THROUGH THE SCARY DOOR - 1 day ago
The Tory Party has deleted a decade’s worth of speeches and press releases from its website, including pronouncements given by David Cameron praising the internet for realising greater transparency and freedom of information. Meanwhile, the Home Office has written to a seven year old boy telling him to go back to Canada, suggesting he had “no basis on which to stay” in Britain (his mother is British, btw, not that that's the crucial issue here), also threatening that if he fails to leave voluntarily his “departure may be enforced”. Newsreader gets torrents of racist and sexist abuse... more »

keeping you safe

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 1 day ago

Rhinos eradicated for profit

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 1 day ago
So heartbreaking. Black Rhinos are gone. *Extinct*. An ugly word befitting such a hideous outcome. [South African Animal Rights Activists Community photo] It didn't have to happen. Greedy, evil, vicious, self-absorbed humans with black holes for souls did this. I won't wish them equal evil though. I trust the universe will deal with them in its own time.

THE NEOCON LIE OVER IRAN

Jonathan Tobin, one of neoconservatism’s leading propagandists, writes in *Commentary* today that, “If those pushing for more sanctions really wanted war, they wouldn’t be bothering with more sanctions”. What Tobin neglects to mention is that it is he and the entire neocon movement, together with the right-wing Zionists of Israel, who are the ones that ‘really want war’. And the reason why they are bothering with sanctions is three-fold; first, they are aware that the vast majority of Americans and most of planet aren’t in the slightest bit interested in war and to just come right a... more »

We are all Sopranos, and please dont be Ritchie

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 1 day ago
This is a work in progress, but its so grand I wanted everyone to feel my Astral Works. The Sopranos How long has it been since Shakespeare died? The Sopranos will never have the impact of Shakespeare. The reason is as Malcom Gadwall has recently idendified and everyone who was a wiseguy had known for centuries is it is better to be a big fish in a small pond. If you can rule this pond by whatever means maybe you should move up a few million liters. What is so interesting about our modern politics is we are led by people who have never been a big fish. Getting back to the Sopranos.... more »

price of content

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 1 day ago
I was at a store and I saw something I knew would not make me snore and that is so preious in this age of incredible bore But why do they have to bust my balls and ruin my credit limit to view something ten years old thats the question and leads to my suggestion these are greedy motherfuckers that do not care but in our world the place where we live ten year old cultural experiences are a step ahead from old Hollywood.

Mohawk John Kane 'It's not what you say. It's what you do."

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 day ago
“It’s Not What You Say. It’s What You Do.” By John Kane, Mohawk Censored News John Kane Almost a year ago federal agents invaded the Kaniekeha community of Akwesasne, breaking into the Three Feathers Casino which had been closed for more than three months and charging members of the Men’s Council from the Kaianerehkowa Kanonhsesne (Longhouse). Rarahkwisere and Kaneratiio, duly appointed

Gridlock/Polarization

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 1 day ago
National Journal is running a funny-looking chart of partisan polarization in the House with this explanation: If you're looking for a quick fact to explain congressional gridlock, it's this: In the 113th Congress, only 59 members have voted with the majority of their party less than 90 percent of the time (20 Republicans and 39 Democrats). So first of all, a minor point: "Congress" here apparently means the House. Second: polarization -- partisan polarization -- just means that Members vote with their party and against theother party. Gridlock is about failure to pass legislation.... more »

The inevitability of transnational racial profiling?

Adrienne LeBas at Duck of Minerva - 1 day ago
Today’s thought experiment: A foreign national is killed in your state, igniting emotional protests and a road blockade by members of his community. Your state is almost entirely economically dependent on tourism. There’s standard boilerplate for these events, right? You express regret, you pledge to investigate the murder, you vow that locals who violently attacked protesters will Continue reading

It's Time to Scrap Pairing

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 1 day ago
How to make a good thing backfire in a few easy steps. Most Labour Party people and a wavering chunk of the British public think the bedroom tax is as punitive as it is useless. Even those softened up by decades of relentless benefit-bashing and support it would at least expect Labour to be opposed to it, even die-hard Tories. So using Parliamentary time yesterday was good politics. It showed that Labour MPs (well, most of them who spoke anyway) actually, deeply, genuinely *cared*. Even the hardest of Blairite hearts found compassion still dwelt at the bottom of theirs as Tory memb... more »

All Through History Conservatives Have Been The Anti-Science Party-- And That Fits The GOP Perfectly

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
In *The Atlantic* on Monday, Mischa Fisher, a GOP operative, tried making the case that Republicans aren't really the anti-science party. Really? Tell it to the victims of Global Warmiong in the Philippines-- or to the 5.6 million residents of Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach counties in South Florida who may have to decide between moving inland or drowning. Incredulously, *The Atlantic* gave Fisher the space to make the case that people see the GOP as the anti-science party, not because they are, but because Chris Mooney and Bill Maher tell people they are. Georgia Con... more »

Thinking Aboot Crackman

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 1 day ago
The Sopranos How long has it been since Shakesphere died? The Sopranos will never have the impact of Shakesphere. The reason is as Malcom Gadwall has recently idendified and everyone who was a wiseguy had known for centuries is it is better to be a big fish in a small pond. If you can rule this pond by whatever means maybe you should move up a few million liters. What is so interesting about our modern politics is we are led by people who have never been a big fish. Getting back to the Sopranos. Its all about big fish. Its all so perfectly described. Its all so real that no one watc... more »

Guest Post by Adam Bessie. Resist the Feed, Feed the Resistance

Timothy D. Slekar at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
School ™: Resist the Feed, Feed the Resistance “School ™ is not so bad now, like back when my grandparents were kids, when the schools were run by the government, which sounds completely like, Nazi, to have the government running the schools?” So proclaims what sounds like a Twitter tirade by angry, futuristic teenage reincarnation of Milton […]
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