English: St. Bartholomew's - Orford St. Bartholomew's as viewed from the castle keep, the BBC world service transmitter station in the background. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Rampisham Down (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: London :Aldwych - BBC World Service, Bush House The centre of the BBC's World Service output takes place at this building - Bush House (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Bush House, the headquarters of the BBC World Service, with a 'free Alan Johnson' poster on the right hand side. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Guess Who Really Wants Common Core Now? Principals!
On December 13, 2013, I received an email informing me that the National
Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) has conducted two
surveys and has found that “principals overwhelmingly support the CCSS
(Common Core State Standards) initiative.” My first thought: “Here we go
again.” Another survey (this time two surveys) in which stakeholders forced
to implement […]
Burbling away
I feel a bit like the BBC at the moment: All I can talk about is Nelson
Mandela. So here's another post on the same subject.
Tomorrow will see extensive coverage of the great man's funeral on BBC
One, the BBC News Channel, the BBC World Service, BBC Radio 4 and 5Live
and, frankly, it's even getting too much for the BBC's Kate Adie.
DB at *Biased BBC* has transcribed part of an interview she gave to the BBC
World Service:
Paul Henley: Kate how are you taking to the Mandela coverage that has been
pretty much across all the airwaves for the past week?
Kate Adie: It’s not been “pret... more »
Ron Burgundy's Ashes verdict | Video | Watch TV Show | Sky Sports
http://www1.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/cricket/9072387/ron-burgundy's-ashes-verdict
Kim Jong-un and the Purge
After decades of loyal service to the Kim dynasty, "despicable human scum
... who was worse than a dog" was probably not the epitaph Chang Song-thaek
hoped for. But the very public and very final defenestration of the
"traitor for all ages" says a couple of things I think professional
Kimologists and the BBC are missing. The idea the "Great Comrade", or
whatever absurd title he's using this week, offed his uncle to secure his
power is true. But making that kind of observation is a bit like saying
Lehman Brothers collapsed because it ran out of money. It doesn't grasp the
underlying... more »
Some fictional books
How I Survived an Hour with a Sprained Finger
Celestial Homecare Omnibus
Death: a User's Manual
A Biography of Men Who Had Greatness Thrust Upon Them
The Chums of Chance Nearly Crash into the Kremlin
Mr T
Me and T
For the Last Time I'm Not Mr T
An Answer for Night Hags
Confronting the Faceless
Where's Waldo? The Representation of Everyman in Emerson
The Last Loan Shark of Bodega Bay
Azathoth and Other Horrors
Astrology Applied to Horse Racing
The Joye of Snackes
The Novelisation of Caddy Shack
Things That Can Happen in European Politics
Prefects Who Gained Power
How Water is Made
Fauna of t... more »
Open letter to Ford Motor Company
Dear
Ford,
Don't ever think I don't like my new Fusion Energi. It's literally the
best car I've ever had. But you have made some extremely annoying,
unsettling or just plain counter-productive decisions (or bugs) in the
software, and I wish you'd fix them.
Some of these are weird behaviors that have no obvious explanation:
The other day I was on a relatively long trip driving on cruise
I have wasted my entire life, all my talents, all my artistic promise.
*I remember when THIS is all I wanted to do.*I did this post a couple days
ago, CORPORATE WAR VETERAN.
It was called this because I sorta chickened out a bit. I had called it
'reality slams right into my face' and then went and turned it into yet
another anti-corporate rant, which I'm sure you're all very tired of.
Truth is, I was looking back on where I might have gone as an artist and I
came to the conclusion "I have wasted all the artistic talents, promise,
life I may have had," it's not you, it's me.
That Red Hedz painting there is indicatibe of the sort of BALLS OUT art I
alw... more »
From Newpeak To Nospeak
We learned in the Throne Speech that the Harper government was consumer
friendly. But this week -- when Canadians learned that they would be paying
more for less service from the Post Office -- the House of Commons was
empty. Andrew Coyne writes:
Not only was the House of Commons conveniently shuttered, but neither the
minister responsible, Lisa Raitt, nor any Canada Post executives were on
hand to answer questions regarding this drastic reduction in public
services. But then, in this they were only following the example set by the
prime minister, who has for months avoided answer... more »
PEDOPHILES, OUTED BLOGGER, POLITICIANS
*Von Gloeden*
*In Italy, a 60-year-old man took in an 11-year-old disadvantaged girl and
they became lovers.*
The 60-year-old man works in social services in the Italian town of
Catanzaro, and had taken responsibility for the 11-year-old girl’s care.
The relationship was discovered when the police raided the man’s home and
found the pair in bed.
The man was given a five year jail sentence.
*An Italian court has now annulled the jail sentence, because the man and
the girl had a “romantic relationship,” and the girl claimed she is in love
with the man. *
In Italy, the age of conse... more »
Bad News for New PhDs
From *The Chronicle of Higher Education*:
Economics Ph.D.'s on the academic job market had fewer jobs to apply for in
2013 than a year earlier, according to new data from the American Economic
Association. The number of new academic job openings listed with the
association fell 6.6 percent, to 1,924, in 2013. However, the number of
nonacademic jobs rose slightly, from 856 to 866. Overall the number of new
jobs fell 4.3 percent in 2013, to 2,790.
Hunkered down
It's not unheard of to be snowed in here; we're near the 45th parallel in
the Northern Hemisphere, after all. But it is relatively rare, as our
location, a bit over two hours' drive from the Pacific, gives us some
moderation from the weather they get on the other side of the mountains.
The snow line often drops to 2000 feet, but seldom reaches the valley floor.
It *is* rare, though, these days, to see temperatures drop below zero here.
I'm not sure I have seen it happen in my thirty-seven years in residence.
But so it was this time; ten inches of snow and five degrees below zero
F... more »
Government Investment in the Technology Sector
You
all regularly read Mike Moffat and are aware of his opposition to
Ontario Premier Wynne's announced investment in Cisco, right? If not,
fix that will you?
While I don't necessarily agree that “this easily ranks as the worst
public policy of 2013” I do agree that it is a horrible policy that will
not do anything to decrease unemployment. And I also think this is one
of those times
Habitual Driver Alert
"Snow
doesn't actually make some drivers worse, but it sure increases the
contrast." @vickersty
Ever feel your mind suddenly shift how it conceptualizes a topic? That
tweet did that for me. It was that proverbial "puzzle piece clicking
into place" moment authors like to describe in their novels.
Every winter, right after the first snowfall, there's an annual griping
about how drivers start
CALLING FOR CONVERSION
*An aerial view of Bath Iron Works (BIW) shipyard in Maine*
I was out at the Advent vigil at BIW today. It was about 10 degrees though
felt much colder with the breeze coming off the river. There were 10 of us
there for the second to last of the weekly Advent season vigils.
One of the vigilers, a long-time local person, said that she felt the
workers "get our message" but they are just in a place of fear where they
worry about maintaining their comfortable lifestyle. Many of the workers
are driving in "style" as they leave the shipyard in their big V-8 pick-up
trucks. A very h... more »
$50 Gordman's Giftcard Giveaway for last minute shopping!
[image: Gordmans giveaway]
Can you believe that there is just over 10 days until Christmas? I still
have so many things to make and wrap before the big day!
Luckily Gordmans wants to help you with your last minute Christmas Shopping
. Take the Stress out of the holidays and head on over to Gordmans. They
have great deals and everything you need to check everyone off your list.
They are actually where I found my oversized polo shirt that I used in this
post. I’ve teamed up with Gordmans, Utah Sweet Savings, Raegun Ramblings
and Our Thrifty Ideas to offer one lucky reader a $50 Gordma... more »
Republican War Against Women Leads To More Dysfunction In The U.S. Senate
The senators had to stay up past their bedtimes Wednesday and Thurdsay
because Miss McConnell is having another one of his pointless hissy fits. A
career-long hater of democracy-- and someone who had pledged to obstruct
everything President Obama set out to accomplish, including even the
orderly functioning of government, McConnell has ramped up his now-failed
agenda of blocking all presidential nominations but pointless delaying
tactics. He's desperate and he's a fool and even Republicans see that now.
Friday morning at 7AM Deborah Lee James was confirmed to be Secretary of
the A... more »
What Mattered This Week?
The confirmations. I think I said this before, but put aside the drama (and
real importance) of the Senate rules fight: the nominations at stake,
especially those three DC Circuit picks, are quite important.
Of course the various Mandela memorial flaps don't matter, but you all knew
that.
What else? It was a pretty newsy week, seemed to me. What do you have? What
do you think mattered this week?
Phoning it in Again
This also happens to be my Twitter avatar for the rest of the year,
although I must say I've been a bit more productive than this incarnation
of Santa Claus. You'll make my nice list if you mail this to Megyn Kelly at
Fox.
Anyway, with Scott Carson, Buffalo Bull, Annie Oakley, Sitting Bull
and Arthur Conan-Doyle chasing down Jack the Ripper throughout the East End
of London in the denouement of Tatterdemalion, plus doing the usual
Christmas thing and keeping the household running, there's been no time for
real-time blogging (although I've got the annual bizarre Christ... more »
Faith-Based Education Reform: Common Core as Standards-and-Testing Redux
Faith-Based Education Reform: Common Core as Standards-and-Testing Redux.
via Faith-Based Education Reform: Common Core as Standards-and-Testing
Redux.
Untitled
*Cam On Feel The Noize ~moosedenied*
Dear Education Reformers: A Thank You Letter From Any CEO in the Future
Dear Education Reformers, I wish to sincerely thank you for your
determination and resolve in implementing rigorous standards in computation
and comprehension. Undoubtedly, my current staff is the smartest workforce
I’ve ever employed. Each employee has remarkable mathematical computational
skills. I’m simply amazed at the their ability to analyze complex manuals
and technical reports. Although […]
VISIONS OF PISA: The liberal world fails!
*SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2013*
*Epilogue—What Zakaria said:* For our money, liberal reaction to the new
PISA scores was often remarkably clueless.
The most remarkable liberal error involved the apparent acceptance of our
nation’s new elite cult.
According to the new cult of the PISA, we should consider the PISA, nothing
else, when we talk about test scores.
We shouldn’t discuss American scores on the TIMSS. Most important, those
large score gains on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (the
NAEP) must never be discussed.
In her reactions to the new PISA scores, Diane Ra... more »
Pearson Agrees to Pay $7.7 Million for Using Foundation to Advance Corporate Profits
This past week the Pearson Foundation agreed to pay $7.7 million to settle
a charge that the Foundation had used charitable and tax-exempt assets to
further Pearson profits. The amount of the settlement represents .0077% of
Pearson profits for 2012.
Following the widespread adoption of Common Core corporate standards that
resulted from race to the top incentives, Pearson saw its profits soar in
2011 by an amazing 72%.
Here is a link to an earlier post on Pearson-Gate, which provides the seedy
details of Pearson's influence peddling.
And below are details of the settlement:
NEW ... more »
Real-time global wind map
I just saw an amazing tweet by Pakistani string theorist Amer Iqbal (whom I
know from Harvard) and you have to see it:
Real-time global wind map (earth.nullschool.net)
It's beautiful, fast, and hopefully accurate.
Using the usual gestures (dragging with the left mouse button, mouse wheel
etc.), you may rotate the globe, zoom it in/out, and/or focus on the region
you are interested in. The wind flows are visualized by animated flying
green jets, sort of.
It may take a few seconds for the wind data to load and for the green
animation to begin.
When I was posting this blog p... more »
Trifecta: Why Obamacare will give the rich the best health care in America, and how the poor will get worse...
*listen carefully to what Ezekiel Emanuel says.*
The Star Of Bethlehem
*From http://www.bethlehemstar.net/ click the link for footnotes, etc*
*It’s an astronomical mystery.* A strange star is claimed to have appeared
at the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. This site is an investigation of the
story found in the Biblical Gospel of Matthew, a story often called the
‘Star of Bethlehem.’ It brings the words of Roman and Jewish historians
alongside the visions of ancient prophets. It mixes “modern” mathematicians
with murderous turmoil in the Roman imperial court. It combines all these
with astronomical facts which no one disputes. And it concludes that the
... more »
Spain in focus - December 14 , 2013 - Debt to GDP surges to new record high , Catalan party leaders agree to slef rule referendum - Spanish Government of course has other ideas on that subject !
*Spanish Debt-To-GDP Surges To New Record High*
*[image: Tyler Durden's picture]*
*Submitted by Tyler Durden on 12/13/2013 20:04 -0500 - recovery - Reuters
- UnemploymentinShare2 The last 2 years have seen the clearest indication
of the health of Spain deteriorate at its fastest rate on record. In spite
of constant reassurances from Rajoy et al. that recovery is here, as we
noted here, it's not just unemployment that is dogging Spain; and now -
having risen at a stunning 25.8 percentage points in the last 2 years, as
Reuters reports,Spain's debt-to-GDP has hit 93.4% - t... more »
#2 Most Powerful Man In North Korea Was Executed. Dick Cheney… Still Off The Table
I'm a big fan of accountability-- especially for people who society rewards
with positions of trust, honor and generous livings. Cheney, for example,
committed treason against the U.S. Constitution, but his crimes were taken
"off the table" and there was never a trial or justice. That encourages
others to repeat his behavior. Not so in North Korea, an odd place to hold
up as a paragon of… anything.
Jang Song Thaek was the Cheney of North Korea. He was the top advisor to
the relatively young North Korean hereditary ruler. (They don't call it a
king or a monarch there but that's wh... more »
Ukraine Protests - live updates for December 14 , 2013 and highlights from December 13 , 2013....
http://rt.com/news/kiev-protests-integration-clashes-873/
Mass protests in Kiev: LIVE UPDATES
Published time: December 07, 2013 05:35
Edited time: December 14, 2013 12:43
Get short URL
[image: Pro-European integration protesters gather at a meal area during a
rally in central Kiev, December 13, 2013 (Reuters / Vasily Fedosenko)]
Pro-European integration protesters gather at a meal area during a rally in
central Kiev, December 13, 2013 (Reuters / Vasily Fedosenko)
Share on tumblr
Tags
Accident, Clashes, Conflict, Opposition,Police, Protest, Rally, Tymoshenko,
Ukraine, Yanukovich
Hundreds... more »
Jefferson, Washington and Separation of Church and State
*by Len Hart, The Existentialist Cowboy *
There may be millions of people in the United States who do not share our
founders' reverance for what Thomas Jeffeson called the "wall of
seperation" between church and state. Many throughout the ranks of the
religious right wing, for example, are eager to court bigots and fanatics,
promising them a "theocracy" in exhange for their "souls". The following
excerpt is typical of a "movement" to create an American Theocracy:
If conservatives are smart, we will make the GOP a relic of the past, and
will go to the polls and vote the "Jesus Christ... more »
NCTQ’s Free Pass in an Era of Press-Release Journalism
A controversial shock-jock-type right-wing pundit spoke as a guest of a
conservative student group at my university a few years ago (she has since
returned with less fanfare). When I made a passing comment about her lack
of credibility, a student in one of my introduction education courses noted
that this pundit had footnotes in […]
Untitled
*British Petroleum's outta-be-illegal advert uses Emeril as example of
abuses in oil spill settlement *
*City dismisses disputed charges against tour guides, cabbies ~Clair
Galofaro, New Orleans Advocate*
*Crews work to move 1,500-ton school for new Mid-City medical center
~Rachael Wulff, WDSU*
*Critical Conditions: Sheri Fink’s ‘Five Days at Memorial’ ~Sherwin B.
Nuland, NYT*
*Army Corps awards $8.1 million contract to replace bridge in Jefferson
Parish*
*OSHA Cites Geismar Plant For 6 Safety Violations ~WWNO*
*Heart of Louisiana: Mayor of Keachi ~WVUE*
*N.O. musicians pitch in... more »
China unmanned lunar probe successfully lands on the Moon today ! First such soft landing by any Nation since 1976 !
Chinese unmanned spacecraft lands on moon
BY PETE SWEENEY
SHANGHAI Sat Dec 14, 2013 9:01am EST
0 COMMENTS
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[image: The Long March-3B rocket carrying the Chang'e-3 lunar probe blasts
off from the launch pad at Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan
province December 2, 2013. REUTERS/China Daily]
1 OF 2. The Long March-3B rocket carrying the Chang'e-3 lunar probe blasts
off from the launch pad at Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan
province December 2, 2013.
CREDIT: REUTERS/CHINA DAILY
(Reuters) - China landed ... more »
TURN Chapters of AFT Take Lead in "Share My Lessons" Common Core Marathon
In the December 13 issue of *Inside AFT* (yes, I am an AFT member), I found
this, which got me wondering:
*Share My Lesson* has been on the move recently. This weekend will mark the
third of three Share My Lesson marathon weekends the AFT has hosted over
the last month. The sessions are nonstop events where teachers from all
over the country come together to brainstorm, share lessons, learn how to
assess the extent to which a lesson plan aligns with the Common Core State
Standards, and apply that knowledge as they review and rate resources on
Share My Lesson. With a marathon in Pro... more »
Thailand: Breaking Down Reuters' "Class" Lies by the Numbers
Baseless narrative disingenuously portrays Thailand as divided along class,
rather than united against regime.
*December 14, 2013* (Tony Cartalucci) - Thailand's embattled regime has
long fashioned itself as the champion of the nation's north and northeast
rural poor - and its opponents, essentially the rest of the nation - as
aloft elitists which also inexplicably includes hardworking middle class,
and much of the nation's central and south, including laborers and farmers.
It is a myth that the regime's extensive Western backers are also helping
perpetuate, but is one that is easi... more »
The oldest telephone in the world?
The above is an image of a 1,200 year old telephone as held in the
Smithsonian Collection, you can read more here. But this is an excerpt:
'The gourd-and-twine device, created 1,200 to 1,400 years ago, remains
tantalizingly functional—and too fragile to test out. “This is unique,”
NMAI curator Ramiro Matos, an anthropologist and archaeologist who
specializes in the study of the central Andes, tells me. “Only one was ever
discovered. It comes from the consciousness of an indigenous society with
no written language.”
We’ll never know the trial and error that went into its creation. ... more »
DEPRAVED PENGUINS
In 1911, George Murray Levick documented homosexual behaviour in Penguinsat Cape
Adare.
He described this behaviour as "depraved".
His report was considered too shocking for public release, and it was
suppressed until 2012.
Some of the readers of this blog are like Levick.
According to scientist Petter Bøckman: "No species has been found in which
homosexual behaviour has not been shown to exist, with the exception of
species that never have sex at all, such as sea urchins and aphis."
In most human societies throughout history, males who had male lovers were
not labeled as homo... more »
DNAs Hidden Language
.... a second hidden language within our DNA, eh?
http://www.breitbart.com/system/wire/upiUPI-20131212-174536-3107
Scientists find second, 'hidden' language in human genetic code
UPI 12/12/2013 11:12:42 PM
SEATTLE, Dec. 12 (UPI) --
U.S. geneticists say a second code hiding within DNA changes how scientists
read its instructions and interpret mutations to make sense of health and
disease.
Since the genetic code was deciphered in the 1960s, scientists have assumed
it was used exclusively to write information about proteins, but University
of Washington scientists say they've disc... more »
Dafydd Fell of SOAS to speak this week in Taipei
Dr Fell is also speaking Kaohsiung on the 24th but no details available yet.
主講人：Dr. DAFYDD J. FELL(the Director of the SOAS Centre of Taiwan Studies,
University of London, UK)
題 目：Publishing in Taiwan Studies: Opportunities and Challenges
時 間：2013年12月19日（四）14:00-16:00
地 點：802室
主辦單位：中央研究院台灣史研究所、社會學研究所、中興大學人文社會科學研究中心
~~歡迎報名參加~~ Here is the link:
http://140.109.185.220/academic_01_look.php?no=420&page=1
_______________________
[Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its
sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, and scores
of links to othe... more »
Tycho Brahe: birthday
*Another anniversary:* Andrei Sakharov died on this day in 1989. A Russian
dissident, a mastermind of their H-bomb, peace activist, and the author of
the conditions needed for baryogenesis.
Today, the Google Doodle Booble reminds us of Tycho Brahe:
His name has appeared in nine TRF blog posts so this is the tenth one.
Tycho Brahe was born on December 14th, 1546, to a top-tier aristocratic
family in Scania, Denmark (now South Sweden). He would attend a Latin
school (age: 6-12 years; Latin is a subject for babies, of course), then
study philosophy and rhetoric in Copenhagen (age: ... more »
Tom in CT on The Realist Report
Subscribe to *The Realist Report on YouTube*
Strategic Partnership with foreign government trumps Homeland Austerity.
in this special SMR or Saturday Morning Report, Free Planet is going to use
EDITORIAL CONTENT and links directly from today's excellent Citizens for
Legitimate Government newsletter, edited by Lori Price.
*Congress triples Obama's request on defense cooperation with Israel**
--Defense cooperation funding, to which Israel contributes, is separate
from the $3.1 billion Israel receives in defense assistance as part of a
10-year package.* 12 Dec 2013 The final version of the congressional
defense budget triples the Obama administration's request for funding for
joint U.S.-Israel defense... more »
Comcast Management CHOOSES to Destroy the Company by Attrition
A thought provoking Marketwatch article regarding the growing trend of
cable "cord cutting" demonstrates the need for a shakeup in the cable
television industry. The industry is being run into the ground by old
guard gatekeepers. It is becoming a case study of what not to do when
faced with competition from visionaries with new technologies and
business
models.
*Comcast* CEO Brian L. Roberts is best thing that ever happened to
$*NFLX*shareholders. Listen Comcast shareholders: Despite CMCSA
sitting near 52
week highs, that is abysmal compared to what the market cap SHOULD be
and... more »
Comcast Management Chooses to Destroy the Company by Attrition
A thought provoking Marketwatch article regarding the growing trend of
cable "cord cutting" demonstrates the need for a shakeup in the cable
television industry. The industry is being run into the ground by old
guard gatekeepers. It is becoming a case study of what not to do when
faced with competition from visionaries with new technologies and
business
models.
*Comcast* CEO Brian L. Roberts is best thing that ever happened to
$*NFLX*shareholders. Listen Comcast shareholders: Despite CMCSA
sitting near 52
week highs, that is abysmal compared to what the market cap SHOULD be
and... more »
Sunday Classics preview: Three acts, three duets
*by Ken*
Okay, so we've got these three duet-chunks for soprano and tenor --
duet-chunks that for reasons which I hope will become apparent have a way
of merging and mingling in my head. They're very different, and yet . . . .
I don't think I'm giving away too much by stipulating that the composer is
Giuseppe Verdi, or noting that in all three cases our chunk occurs near the
end of a dramatic scene and seems to be attempting some resolution of the
situation, with one partner tossing out the tune (in two cases the soprano,
in one the tenor), and then the other partner lobbing it ba... more »
This Is Pathetic! US Congress Critters Vote To Triple "Aid" (Free Handout) To Their Jewish Masters In Israel For A Weapon System, While Americans Are Now Starving In American Cities!
I have long said that both of our governments, here on Parliament Hill in
Ottawa, Canada, as well as the idiots that occupy the US Congress in
Washington DC (Tel Aviv West), will do absolutely everything possible to
please their Jewish masters in a heartbeat… From what I have seen over the
last while, it is beyond sad for our citizens, and has now definitely
become absolutely pathetic!
But one article just came to my attention the other day that shows how
absolutely pathetic the morons in Washington DC have become in their
unceasing need to grovel to their Jewish masters like the go... more »
Absurdity of reform: Should I laugh or cry?
Not feelin’ too good myself….(Joe Cocker) Seems I got to have a change of
scene Cause every night I have the strangest dreams Imprisoned by the way
it used to be Left here on my own or so it seems I got to leave before I
start to scream But someone’s locked the door and […]
Saving the Salmon, Saving the Rivers: Photos Long Walkers join Natives in Sacramento!
.
Me-wuk of Shingle Springs honor walkers tonight!
.
Photos by Western Shoshone Long Walker Bad Bear, on Longest Walk 4 Return to Alcatraz, almost home to Alcatraz.
By Brenda Norrell
Photos by Carl Bad Bear Sampson
Censored News
Photographer Bad Bear
SACRAMENTO -- At the California Capitol today, the Longest Walk 4 Return to Alcatraz
Ukraine Eurevolution? Who benefits? The EU and NATO
Catchy new buzz words and the tried and true
Eurevolution and Ukraine Spring
A question that begs asking repeatedly?-* Why would the Ukrainian people
really want to join the EU or NATO, for that matter? *I have yet to see one
good reason, one real incentive any real benefit for the Ukrainian people
to undertake these mostly small and rather bizarre demonstrations.
Two articles.Ignoring completely the usual spin and just cutting to the
chase
One interview
*Cui bono?*
Not the Ukrainian people.
How about the EU? How about NATO?
*Ukraine’ Eurolution is a PR Godsend for a struggling EU*
... more »
"Cause for hope" in India: "Gay rights . . . have finally become a political issue. The rest is only a matter of time" (Shivam Vij)
*"The text of Section 377 -- a gift from our departed British friends
dating back to 1860 -- states that 'Whoever voluntarily has carnal
intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal'
shall be subject to a punishment up to life imprisonment. The law does not
specify what might constitute 'carnal intercourse against the order of
nature,' other than to note that 'penetration is sufficient to constitute
the carnal intercourse' cited."*
*-- Shivam Vij, in a newyorker.com "News Desk" post,*
"The Dubious Arguments for India's Ban on Gay Sex"
*by Ken*
Howie wrote ... more »
Bitcoin news for Friday the Thirteenth - December 13 , 2013 ( No crash if one was wondering ) .......Sbrebank of Russia follows JP Morgan in proposing forming a cyber currency alternative to BitCoin.... EU says BitCoin consumers on their own , no deposit insurance if bad things happen ( account hacked , BitCoins stolen , BitCoin collapse ) ..... ..... Producer of physical Casascius BitCoin targeted by Feds , shuts down for now...... meanwhile , Coinbase ( which allows trading of BitCoins ) attracts venture capital in the amount of 25 million.....
Bitcoin news for December 13 , 2013 ..... first the prior thread !
*JP Morgan getting ready to launch* its own *BitCoin killer cyber* *...*
Now today's news and views.....
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-12-13/russias-largest-bank-proposes-bitcoin-alternative
Russia's Largest Bank Proposes Bitcoin Alternative
[image: Tyler Durden's picture]
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 12/13/2013 09:58 -0500
- Bitcoin
inShare
Hot on the heels of JPMorgan's "web cash" developments in the virtual
currency arena, the CEO of Russia largest bank - Sberbank - appears to be
looking for a... more »
Christy Clark`s Families First, First To Die?
Read the shocking story of sickness from fracking, children`s hair falling
out, earthquakes and sickness when the wind blows..
A story of tainted water, ....Read how the people of Lethbridge Alberta are
fighting to keep fracking from happening in the middle of town..
Read how the locals are selling their properties for anything thing they
can get as sickness and life itself is in jeopardy..
How can you live in your homes when the energy companies are killing your
children..
From the ...
*LETHBRIDGE HERALD *
______
Big oil, big problems? *Nick Kuhl**The Hawkwoods have experience... more »
Gates Seek to Flood Job Market with Programmers--Pushes the New Code Literacy
At one time, computer programming was a glamorous occupation in the U. S.
All that changed when the corporate race the bottom began chasing the
cheapest programming labor in India, and when that became too scandalous,
then Bill Gates started lobbying for unlimited work visas in order to
import the cheapest programming labor. Think of these exploited workers as
high tech gardeners who don't have to hide at night for fear of deportation.
So it should come as no surprise that both the left and right aisles of
Washington's corporate jet are now calling for, that's right, more
programm... more »
Untitled
*Picayune Employees Sue Newspaper, Parent Company Over Now-Defunct Job
Security Pledge ~Rebecca Theim, NOLA DEFENDER*
coming soon: let them stay week 2014
Maybe you thought we gave up and went away? Not a chance. The War Resisters
Support Campaign is still working to make Canada a safe haven for people of
peace and conscience.
Several US war resisters were forced out of Canada, court martialed, and
given harsh prison sentences by the US military. Many more could no longer
bear the uncertainty and surrendered themselves to the military. But some
forty people who refused to participate in the US invasion and occupation
of Iraq, along with their families, are still living in Canada. And we are
still fighting for them.
About a month from... more »
war resister kimberly rivera released from prison in u.s.
At long last, Iraq War resister Kim Rivera is out of prison and reunited
with her family. This is great news, the best news. I should be thrilled,
but the whole situation makes me so sad that I can't muster much joy.
At Mandela's Memorial, A Peanut Gallery of Heroes and Criminals
In
late August 2012, Archbishop Desmond Tutu was slated to attend and
speak at the Discovery Invest Leadership Summit in Johannesburg, South
Africa. He canceled at the last minute.
Why?
Tony Blair was one of the honored invitees and Tutu, quite simply,
couldn't stomach the thought of sitting alongside a war criminal,
especially such a craven, unapologetic and unaccountable one.
Writing in
The Holographic Universe?
Now before we go any farther, I am not a scientist so I'm not saying this
article is correct, but.....
Transparency is being made known in all aspects of knowledge. With
articles in the areas of science that have been coming out this past year,
it guides me to believe that while the science as an exact fact might not
be correct, the direct it is taking us is very telling....
Oh and side note from Nick: Take out the word "Gravity" (which really is a
misnomer) and substitute "Zero Point Energy Field".
Follow the line of thought and see where that takes you my friends.
http://rt.co... more »
3 Wall Street-Owned New Dems Face Rematches
Teabagger Robert Lowry poses with realistic Ted Cruz blow-up doll
Everyone is probably relieved there won't be a Patrick Murphy-Alan West
rematch, but next year a handful of New Dems almost as bad as Murphy are
going to have to face the Republican ex-congressmember they beat in 2012.
Actually, Sean Patrick Maloney has an *even worse* voting record than
Murphy. In fact, Maloney, who does his call-time from the office of a
sleazy hedge fund in Manhattan, has the single worst voting record of any
Democratic freshman-- yes, generally worse than Sinema and Gallego. He
votes even more conse... more »
Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary
Both this afternoon's *Feedback *on Radio 4 and tonight's *Newswatch *on
the News Channel led with the 2000+ complaints about the BBC's coverage of
the death of Nelson Mandela. Those complainants felt (like me) that the BBC
has gone Malala...Madiba mad in recent days.
Also on both programmes, the BBC's Head of News, Mary Hockaday, was wheeled
out to say that the BBC always takes viewers'/listeners' concerns on board
but that, despite that, those viewers/listeners are all wrong and the
BBC's coverage was absolutely spot-on.
Moreover, she made it perfectly clear that the corporati... more »
If only they had passed Medicare for All
It's like everybody forgot what health insurance was like before Obamacare.
Sam Baker reminds us don't blame Obamacare just because it's there. Take
for instance, losing your doctor:
Insurers tried to narrow their provider networks in the '90s using HMOs,
and consumers hated the plans so much that insurers ultimately backed away.
That could happen again this time—*the Affordable Care Act doesn't require
narrow networks and it doesn't dictate how much insurers pay doctors. *
"No one has ever heard of an HMO? Networks have been around forever," said
Aaron Carroll, director of the Cen... more »
Is TURN Trying to Take Over Your Union?
I received the following letter from a teacher in California, who is
concerned about her local union in California being taken over by the
Broad-sponsored embeds from The Union Reform Network (TURN). If your local
has been taken over by TURN, please contact me to share your story.
Her letter below is followed by my response:
Dear Mr Horn,
I am a union rep in __________ California . . . , and my union leadership
has begun looking into the possibility adopting TURN in conjunction with
the school district. I am, however, having a difficult time finding any
resources about TURN and ... more »
Democracy Now! The CIA and the Capture of Nelson Mandela
http://www.democracynow.org/2013/12/13/one_of_our_greatest_coups_the
Stuff
According to the Reverend Tatton-Brown the Father Christmas we all know is
not real but based upon St Nicholas, who brought three murdered children
back to life. But, on the other hand, according to Megyn Kelly, Fox News
anchor, Jesus was white, just like Santa Claus, and that's a fact because
they're historical figures. Then again, a group of physicists from Japan
have discovered the clearest evidence yet that the universe is a hologram,
although what is actually meant by this is from our vantage point in the
known universe we can only experience three dimensions and were we able to... more »
A VIEW INSIDE KIEV
Members of the European Parliament are pressuring Ukraine's government to
hold early elections - as a way out of the crisis that's gripped the
country. Ukraine's government has said it could renegotiate the terms of
the association deal, if Europe provides more money. The sides met in
Brussels and agreed to discuss a new roadmap towards a possible deal. While
in Kiev, anti-government protesters continue to defy the authorities,
blocking the city centre with barricades and suspending the work of
government institutions. And as RT's Aleksey Yaroshevsky reports, it's not
only causing... more »
Mohawk Nation News 'Problem, Reaction, Solution'
“Problem,
Reaction, Solution
Mohawk Nation News
MNN. Dec. 13, 2013. The UN “Agenda 21” is the hostile takeover of the
world to control all its natural resources and peoples. First a problem
is created, to get a reaction from the people. Only when the people
demand a solution to the problem they created do they provide their
solution. This will always erode the freedom of the people.
The Selective Memory of Shimon Peres
Israeli
President Shimon Peres
"Why should we hear about body bags and deaths and how many, what day
it's going to happen, and how many this or what do you suppose? Oh, I
mean, it's, not relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on
something like that?"
- Barbara Bush, March 18, 2003
Following the death of Nelson Mandela, Israeli President Shimon Peres
issued an official statement
DANGER !!!
when we expect...
we allow others to determine
the hour of our happiness.
An Extract from The Report From Iron Mountain, 1966
Nevertheless, an effective political substitute for war would require "alternate
enemies," some of which might seem equally farfetched in the context of the current
war system. It may be, for instance, that gross pollution of the environment can
eventually replace the possibility of mass destruction by nuclear weapons as the
principal apparent threat to the survival of the species.
Poisoning of the air, and of the
principal sources of food and water supply, is already well advanced, and at first glance
would seem promising in this respect; it constitutes a threat that can be dea... more »
Your moment of Zen
Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia. [via Google Earth Pics]
The Federal Reserve Exudes Growing Desperation
A Marketwatch column points out that the "*Fed wants to exit QE but keep
long-term rates low*".
This is as realistic as saying that "I want to get rich but I do not want
to work".
They cannot keep rates down without buying UNLESS the Treasury takes over,
literally prints the money off their presses - then buys their bonds
themselves at auction instead of the Federal Reserve buying.
One of the things that keeps these scoundrels in the administration out of
prison is that their collusion with the federal Reserve cannot be proven
and secondly, the Federal Reserve is ostensibly a non-g... more »
New York's U.S. Bankruptcy Court Rules MERS's Business Model Is Illegal
*New York's U.S. Bankruptcy Court Rules MERS's Business Model Is Illegal*
Posted: February 16, 2011 03:00 PM
L. Randall Wray
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/l-randall-wray/new-yorks-us-bankruptcy-c_b_824167.html
United States Bankruptcy Judge Robert Grossman has ruled that MERS's
business practices are unlawful. He explicitly acknowledged that this
ruling sets a precedent that has far-reaching implications for half of the
mortgages in this country. MERS is dead. The banks are in big trouble. And
all foreclosures should be stopped immediately while the legislative branch
comes up wit... more »
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