Saturday, May 31, 2014

31 May - Blogs I'm Following

6:19pm MDST

Tehran’s Surrealistic Muralist

Nima Shirazi at Wide Asleep in America - 6 minutes ago
"Life Cycle" by Mehdi Ghadyanloo “Never underestimate the power of colors and how they can bring life to old walls and buildings,” remarks a correspondent for Iran’s PressTV in an April 2012 report on the increasing ubiquity of urban artwork on the streets, walls, and façades of Tehran. While Iranian municipalities have long devoted so-called resources to “urban beautification” projects such

Kindle Mojo Risin'

jurassicpork at Welcome Back to Pottersville - 25 minutes ago
[image: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4rYjSqjMw7A/TorGMXICMnI/AAAAAAAAAuA/KY44J1jNGRM/s1600/Mojo.png] Since the fascist twats at Scribd ("We don't do counts") and I have parted company these past few days, I thought it was high time to start marketing my books again. So I set up an account with Kindle Mojo, since it seems to be popular with the young whippersnappers on Twitter and elsewhere on the internet boxes. My profile is here and this is my inaugural post, promoting *American Zen*. I've also got an interview coming up with Florida based indie author Marcia Meara (whose... more »

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New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 46 minutes ago
*Holy Cross Neighborhood Assn files lawsuit to stop riverfront condo tower development* *How New Orleans Saints Are Building One of the NFL's Most Potent Defenses ~Bleacher Report* *Despite improvements in storm protection, evacuation plans are still vital, officials say ~Richard Thompson, New Orleans Advocate* *Small island slammed in oil spill may be saved ~John Snell, WVUE* *Which Came First: The Mockingbird Or The Musician? ~Eve Abrams, WWMO*

Mike's Story Part 37: New Year's Day in Bellevue

Jenna Orkin at From the Wilderness' Peak Oil Blog - 1 hour ago
*By **Jenna** Orkin* *As a companion to this post, see Mike's article on fromthewilderness.com entitled, "New Year's at Bellevue."* January 1, 2007 Email to Ray with the heading "mike's phone number:" xxx-xxxx they're trying him on lithium today. i was going to visit him at 1 but he says he doesn't see much point. 'there isn't much to talk about here.' we may speak later about whether i should visit him at six. in a couple of days they'll decide whether he can leave. they think maybe he should stay 'upstairs' (in the long term wing?) for a few more days to see ho... more »

Good news, hopefully - and some sharp words for the BBC

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 2 hours ago
Mother facing death penalty in Sudan for abandoning religious faith to be freed in few days - senior Sudan official http://t.co/j1RGmQrQhj — BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) May 31, 2014 Damian Thompson in the *Telegraph *has a sharp word or two for the BBC - and others too: There are reports that Meriam Ibrahim, the Sudanese woman sentenced to death by a Muslim judge for refusing to abandon her Christian faith, is to be freed. The BBC announced it thus: *Mother facing death penalty in Sudan for abandoning religious faith to be freed* No! That is a lie. Meriam was sentenced to ... more »

Democrats and Liberals Give Obama a Pass on Closing Gitmo

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 2 hours ago
*"I have said repeatedly that I intend to close Guantanamo, and I will follow through on that"* *-President Barack Obama* Liberals disgust me. With 2014 being an election year and the looming announcement from Queen Hillary the Inevitable that she is running for president in 2016 liberals and their beloved Democratic Party are closing ranks and circling the wagons to protect Team Blue Jackass from heretics unwilling to line up and salute the party flag. Obama is now well into his second term and the American torture and concentration camp at Guantanamo Bay is still open for busines... more »

Brutal Mutliation-Murder of 15-Year Old Girl By Husband Causes Outrage In Iraq's Kurdistan

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 2 hours ago
May 23, 2014 a husband in the Kalakji district of Dohuk killed his 15 year old wife Dunia Selman. He was a 45 year old man with two wives. According to the Kurdish News Network he cut of her breast and carved out her eyes. He then shot her several times with an AK-47, and then tied her body to a car dragging her around before fleeing. There was a protest against this brutal murder on May 29 outside the Kurdish Judicial Council in Irbil. These are pictures of the protest taken by AFP's Safin Hamed. (*AFP*) (*AFP*) (*AFP*) *SOURCES* Kakayi, Bestun, “15-year-old killed and mutila... more »

Stoke's Trip to the Chelsea Flower Show

Phil at All That Is Solid ... - 2 hours ago
One problem when you have an market-based economic system built around production for profit, is that those with binding decision-making powers (heads of companies, politicians, etc.) frequently have to make perverse choices. Enter stage left Stoke-on-Trent City Council's entry to the Chelsea Flower Show. Despite being the son of prize-winning gardeners, what I know about plants and gardens could fit on the back of a seed packet. But looking at the pictures the Council's garden looks very swish. In the socialist future all our cities will be adorned by horticultural displays of its... more »

May 31: May is such a wimpy month - glad it's over.

Graeme Decarie at The Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad - 3 hours ago
Unless you get all excited by beer festivals and obvious but useless statements from politicians (A15. St. John MP Rodney Weston - a good, half-page of wasted paper to tell us that if we boost the economy, gas sales will go up and therefore produce more money in taxes. Obviously, this is a man who can see through walls.)........Well, if you get all excited at drinking beer in a big room and reading about uninteresting people, you'll love section A of today's paper. There is only one story in the section worth reading - A3, "Shale gas protesters begin three-day march." It's about 75... more »

Billy Bragg, Michael Gove and BBC bias

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 3 hours ago
Melvyn Bragg Billy Bragg has had a busy week at the Beeb, appearing on *Newsnight* one day and on *Any Questions *the next. (Well, 'fairly busy' anyhow). His *Newsnight *discussion about 'Englishness' with Peter Hitchens was refereed, less than impartially, by Kirsty Wark who - as is her way when interviewing a certain kind of artist - kept smiling at him like a schoolgirl with a crush. [*Which Side Are You On, Kirsty?*] Similarly, his *Any Questions *appearance was untroubled by any challenges from Jonathan Dimbleby, ending with a question about protest songs which Jonathan asked... more »

Hunger Games looming for much of the World ? World Bank warns of food riots as rising food prices push world populations toward revolt

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 3 hours ago
World Bank warns of food riots as rising food prices push world populations toward revolt [image: eTrust Pro Certified] [image: food] 6,027 [image: Delicious] 37 Friday, May 30, 2014 by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger *Tags: World Bank, food riots, emergency preparedness* (NaturalNews) A new report issued by the World Bank (1) warns that food prices are skyrocketing globally, with wheat up 18 percent and corn up 12 percent this quarter. Ukraine, one of the largest wheat exporters in the world, has suffered a 73 percent increase in domestic wheat costs. Argentina has seen wheat prices sky... more »

Another Inevitable Right-Wing Night Of The Long Knives-- This Time John Boehner's Kolibri

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 3 hours ago
Jake Sherman at *Politico* doesn't exactly describe it as a modern day reenactment of Night Of The Long Knives, but when far right freakshow Chris Chocola was creaming about it on Twitter yesterday, he saw exactly what Boehner and his Chamber of Commerce/Big Business allies were up to in cutting off the legs of the Tea Party extremists who had given the GOP a populist patina in decent years. That would have liked to have gotten to Boehner before he got to them. With Steve Israel guaranteeing a solid Republican majority after the midterms, Boehner and his allies are making certain... more »

War watch - Iran in focus May 31 , 2014 - Israel Deploys 3 Nuclear-Armed Subs Off Iran Coast; Iran Warns Of Forceful Response To "Evil Acts" ....... A flotilla officer told the Times that the deployed submarines were meant to act as a deterrent, gather intelligence and potentially to land Mossad agents. Anything afoot here ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 3 hours ago
Note - underlying Article from 2010 ! Israel Deploys 3 Nuclear-Armed Subs Off Iran Coast; Iran Warns Of Forceful Response To "Evil Acts" [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 05/31/2014 16:03 -0400 - BTFATH - China - Iran - Israel - Japan - Turkey inShare3 With tear-gas flying in the streets of Turkey, Ukraine's civil-war raging in the south and east, US drones based in Japan to oversee the South China Sea, and Europe's extremist parties gaining significant traction, today we get one more piece of considerably worrisome geopol... more »

Is the Brazil World Cup at risk of Match Fixing ? Two weeks before the World Cup , allegations of rampant match fixing put a cloud over the looming Mega Event ! FIFA doesn't come away from this piece looking very good .... Questions being raised about a recent friendly match between Scotland and Nigeria......

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 3 hours ago
RIGGED: PART 1 OF A TWO-PART SERIES Fixed Soccer Matches Cast Shadow Over World Cup A report by FIFA, soccer’s governing body, said a match-rigging syndicate infiltrated the sport’s upper reaches. ILLUSTRATION BY SAM MANCHESTER / THE NEW YORK TIMES; PHOTOGRAPHS FROM FIFA REPORT AND AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE — GETTY IMAGES - - - By DECLAN HILL and JERÉ LONGMAN May 31, 2014 JOHANNESBURG — A soccer referee named Ibrahim Chaibou walked into a bank in a small South African city carrying a bag filled with as much as $100,000 in $100 bills, according to another referee traveling wit... more »

We Will Win

noreply@blogger.com (fern hill) at DAMMIT JANET! - 3 hours ago
May 30 and 31 are important dates for progressives in Canada and the US. We remember two heroes: Dr George Tiller, who was vilified, persecuted, and assassinated, and Dr Henry Morgentaler, who had his share of troubles, but who was celebrated and died in his home at the age of 90. By the way, abortion services have have returned to the very same building Dr Tiller had to turn into a fortress. We lose some battles, but the war will be won by the sane, compassionate people.

FULL STORY OF NAZI ATTACK ON ODESSA

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 3 hours ago
This documentary is a must watch because it answers many questions. The first part gives us an inside look at the fascist forces being mobilized in western Ukraine. You see them marching, chanting pro-Nazi slogans and calling for the death of Russians. If you can only watch bits then I highly recommend the following: * At 28 minutes you see the start of the recent Nazi attack on the union hall in Odessa. * At 36 minutes you see the fascists thugs going inside the union hall to kill those who had ran into the building to escape the attack. These people, who were calling for a na... more »

Education is NOT for Sale in New Mexico (Video)

Kris Nielsen at @ THE CHALK FACE - 4 hours ago
After New Mexico teachers received their bogus evaluations from the state education department, they decided it’s past time to get loud and active. This group of rank-and-file teachers, parents, and students picketed and protested a three-day training session for principals, where corporate and state leaders were making sure administrators use the teacher evaluation system, TeachScape, with […]

The Childish and Cruel Nature of harpercon Attitudes About War

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 5 hours ago
By now, everyone's heard of the corrupt idiot Julian Fantino's non-interaction with Jenifer Migneault, the wife of a Canadian Forces veteran with PTSD. Evidently, Mrs. Migneault has been trying to speak with Fantino (or someone in authority) about how maybe the spouses of veterans with PTSD and other problems, should get training in how to deal with their spouses' problems. She can no longer work as her husband needs 24-hour monitoring because suicidal thoughts are never far from his mind. I can imagine that the more slobberingly stupid members of the "Blogging Tories" might be spec... more »

What I Learned (Again) on My Vacation

theozarker at The Conflicted Doomer - 6 hours ago
May 31, 2014 The past two weeks have been busy around here, with some wins and some losses, a couple of wins I’d thought were going to be losses and vice versa. I got the transplants for the backyard garden … Continue reading →

REMEMBER LABOR HISTORY

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 6 hours ago

An Electric Guitar Makes Everything More Hip and Exciting

jurassicpork at Welcome Back to Pottersville - 6 hours ago
Meetings! Answering calls! Canvassing! Dusting! Paperwork! Riding bikes! Driving aimlessly! Siccing attack dogs on unarmed black teens wearing hoodies! Raiding empty houses! THIS... is your Miami Gardens PD! (Not shown: Tens of thousands of racist Stop and Frisks that have yielded zero arrests.)

mother of god

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 6 hours ago
"god is not religion, god has no religion, religion divides us, spirituality brings us together."

Gold and Silver weekend Report May 31 , 2014 - featuring Ed Steer's Report and items of note from additional sources......

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 6 hours ago
http://www.caseyresearch.com/gsd/edition/chinas-weekly-gold-demand-rises-to-highest-level-in-nearly-three-months ¤ YESTERDAY IN GOLD & SILVER It was pretty quiet in Far East trading on their Friday. The high of the day came shortly before 9 a.m. Hong Kong time---and then it was a long, slow slide into the 8:40 a.m. EDT open in New York. The subsequent rally only lasted until shortly after 9 a.m.---and by the time the HFT boyz were done with it, gold hit its low minutes before noon EDT. From that point, the gold price rallied quietly until 4:30 p.m.---and then traded mostly sideway... more »

The people will believe what the media tells them to believe

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 7 hours ago
Sad, but true. Accept. Never question. Passively take in. But, not here... more »

The Dutch teleportation advance

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 7 hours ago
Most of the generic science news sources – see e.g. PC Magazine – report on a new result by experimenters at a Kavli-named institute in Delft, a historical academic town in Holland, that just appeared in Science: Unconditional quantum teleportation between distant solid-state quantum bits(SciMag) by Pfaff, Hensen, Hanson, and 8 more co-authors Let me emphasize that Hansen isn't among the authors. ;-) *Their evil device...* They have made some progress in the experimental work that could be useful for quantum computers in the future – potentially but not certainly foreseeable futur... more »

How To Tell A Real Democrat From A Poseur

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 7 hours ago
Above is a video of New York Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman talking about the real issues real Democrats should be talking with voters about. I don't want to offend him-- nor do I think he would be offended-- but he is an Elizabeth Warren Democrat. Blue America endorsed him for reelection today and you can contribute to his reelection here. Just over a year ago, Howard Meyerson, writing for the *American Prospect*, called Eric The Man the Banks Fear Most. Until Schneiderman had been elected Attorney General, Wall Street had gone completely unpunished for its starring role in ... more »

What makes for a happy couple?

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 7 hours ago
Armstrong and Miller know...

ISIS VIDEO: Battlefield Iraq

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 7 hours ago
WARNING: Video includes graphic executions of Iraqi soldiers and Sahwa. Also shows Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) fighters wearing uniforms of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) setting up fake checkpoints and carrying out raids on houses.

Republicans, Limbaugh, Hannity, Rightwing Media are OUTRAGED at VA Health Care...except on February 27, 2014 WHEN THEY BLOCKED A LANDMARK VA HEALTH CARE BILL !!!!!

Big Dan at Big Dan's Big Blog - 7 hours ago
*FEBRUARY 27TH, 2014, THESE 41 REPUBLICAN SENATORS BLOCKED A LANDMARK VA HEALTH CARE BILL...AND NOW ARE DOING THEIR PATENTED "FAKE OUTRAGE" IN OPPOSITE-LAND AT VA HEALTH CARE !!!!!!!!!* This latest VA health care "outrage" is coming from one source: THE RIGHT - Limbaugh, Hannity, rightwing media, & the Republicans. It is a great case-in-point how THE RIGHT controls the media, all the while falsely referring to it as "the liberal media". Is there a problem with VA health care? YES. The previously mentioned sources want everyone to know this and it's Obama & the Democrats' fault. W... more »

NEW POWER BLOCS FORMING - BACK TO COLD WAR

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 7 hours ago
*US Secretary of Endless War Chuck Hagel meets with China's Lt. Gen. Wang Guanzhong, deputy chief of the General Staff today in Singapore* This picture intrigues me. The Chinese representative wears a military uniform. The US representative of the Pentagon wears an expensive suit in order to perpetuate the myth that we have civilian control of our military. The truth is that the corporate military industrial complex in the US controls the military and the Congress. Hagel should have a uniform on as well. The patch on his sleeve could be a photo of Mr. Big. The US is heating up ... more »

The Privatization of Special Education

Katie Osgood at @ THE CHALK FACE - 7 hours ago
Like so much else in education and beyond, we are seeing the familiar pattern of defunding, claiming crisis, and then calling for privatization in special education. This past week in Chicago, our unelected Board of Education recently voted to expand contracts with private, for-profit organizations to meet the growing needs of our children with special needs as […]

Friday Beaver - world economic edition

Demeur at Demeur - 8 hours ago
Not much to write about these past few weeks, too busy watching the world fall apart. What happened in the 1920s that lead to the great depression is much again following suit. Just like today banks were leveraged to the hilt. The stock market soared as investors borrowed 100% to "invest" in a market that had no chance of success at least in the long run. "Bucket shops" placed side bets on the direction of the market much like the hedge funds of today. When the entire economic system unraveled cooler heads finally prevailed but not until much damage was done. Homes and farms were ... more »

Jim Willie missive - May 30 , 2014 - Does the curious Belgium US Bonds movements reflect Treasury dumping ( Russia and other parties presently unknown ? ) Are the Saudis a new target of gold confiscation and if so , have the Saudis plotted revenge ? Belgium bulge reflective of margin call for a massive gold contract ........ Jim Willie wonders if this might involve BRICS ? Interestingly , Jim Rickards also recently commented on the death of the global monetary system based on the USD !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 8 hours ago
http://www.silverdoctors.com/jim-willie-the-belgium-bulge-brics-pincer-movement-to-capture-western-gold-form-anti-usd-central-bank/ By Jim Willie, GoldenJackass.com The detection of the rapid rise in USTreasury Bonds in the Belgium official central bank account has aroused broad and deep suspicions. Finally an open sore is visible that cannot be explained away easily. It first appeared a couple months ago. The initial knee-jerk reaction was that the USFed was colluding with the Euro Central Bank to hide heavy bond monetized purchases in New York, in effect demonstrating the Jackass p... more »

Non est factum

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 8 hours ago
Justice Cartwright described non est factum in Marvco Colour Research Ltd. v. Harris [1982] 2 SCR 774: "(W)here a document was executed as a result of a misrepresentation as to its nature and character and not merely its contents the defendant was entitled to raise the plea of non est factum on the basis that his mind at the time of the execution of the document did not follow his hand."

Your Weekly White House Wheeze

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 8 hours ago
President Obama has used a bunch of sick kids with breathing problems as the backdrop for his latest exercise in executive empathy. After delaying several EPA anti-pollution rules (for purposes of his own re-election) that might have improved their lung function and prevented their hospitalizations in the first place, he's free at last to be airily concerned about the young asthmatics of America: * Hi, everybody. I’m here at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., visiting with some kids being treated here all the time for asthma and other breathing problems. Oft... more »

JAPAN EXPANDS MILITARY MOBILIZATION

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 8 hours ago
Japan's Prime-minister has pledged his country's support to South-East Asian nations in their disputes with China. Shinzo Abe said Japan will help the countries in the region control their borders - and keep their sea and air routes open. Political blogger Ryan Dawson thinks Japan's involvement is not about working towards stability but rather about selling more arms. Japan's expanding military will be integrated with the US - an example of NATO moving into Asia-Pacific.

Fukushima Updates May 31 , 2014 --- Japanese Official makes cry for help to world ( world continues to doze..... ) , additional news / damage reports from the barely standing Fukushima nuclear plant .....

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 8 hours ago
Energy News...... http://enenews.com/official-in-fukushima-please-please-help-us-hot-particles-of-melted-fuel-are-inhaled-by-children-everyday-we-are-forced-to-have-it-in-our-bodies-please-let-all-people-in-the-world-kno Excerpts from Oyama Koichi of the Minamisoma City Council, May 13, 2014 — Translation by*Dissensus Japan*, May 25, 2014: - *I want to shout for all the people in this world: “Please Please HELP US!”* - The cause substance have been found. This is an aggregate of radionuclides which starts with Uranium [in] a nuclear reactor at more than 5000°C. ... more »

WIPP ongoing nuclear debacle May 31 , 2014 -- New emails reveal concern over plutonium chain reaction in WIPP containers — “There shouldn’t be a ‘significant’ reaction… criticality safety issues are not my area of expertise” — “Significant amount of plutonium” — No mention of kitty litter ......

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 8 hours ago
WIPP.... New emails reveal concern over plutonium chain reaction in WIPP containers — “There shouldn’t be a ‘significant’ reaction… criticality safety issues are not my area of expertise” — “Significant amount of plutonium” — No mention of kitty litter Albuquerque Journal News, May 29, 2014: *WIPP probe: Emails raise new questions* [...] internal Los Alamos National Laboratory emails showing Los Alamos approved products to be used in the drums that some experts say contain ingredients widely known to cause a heat reaction when combined with the drums’ other contents. The emails ... more »

Our month of the gaps to continue next week!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 9 hours ago
*SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014* *In a nutshell, here’s why:* Next week, “Our month of the gaps” will continue. Here’s why: In the course of creating her 10,000-word report for The Atlantic, Nikole Hannah-Jones stumbled upon a deeply unfortunate world. She describes a public high school—Tuscaloosa’s Central High—where even the brightest seniors can’t seem to qualify for college. Her reaction? Students at this all-black school need to attend school with more white kids! Hannah-Jones is principally concerned with their “segregation.” On balance, we’d like to see superlative kids like D’Leis... more »

Cyber security and government surveillance updates May 31 , 2014 -- “TrueCrypt is not secure,” official SourceForge page abruptly warns Support for decade-old crypto program pulled, touching off Internet firestorm......... Cisco purchase of CIA-funded company may fuel distrust abroad Few are talking about In-Q-Tel investment in ThreatGRID.........EFF Accuses the Government of Spoilation of Evidence........Snowden interview : discussion / query of a classified Executive Order ??? US cybercrime laws being used to target security researchers Security researchers say they have been threatened with indictment for their work investigating internet vulnerabilities .........

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 10 hours ago
Cyber security items..... http://arstechnica.com/security/2014/05/truecrypt-is-not-secure-official-sourceforge-page-abruptly-warns/ “TrueCrypt is not secure,” official SourceForge page abruptly warnsSupport for decade-old crypto program pulled, touching off Internet firestorm. by Dan Goodin - May 28 2014, 4:48pm EDT - PRIVACY 442 One of the official webpages for the widely used TrueCrypt encryption program says that development has abruptly ended and warns users of the decade-old tool that it isn't safe to use. "WARNING: Using TrueCrypt is not secure as it may contain unfixed... more »

Plutocracy And A Dystopian Future For Our Children

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 11 hours ago
The wave of super-charged economic inequality-- spurred by uncontrolled greed and avarice and abetted by sold out politicians-- isn't just drowning the American middle class. This week, the British are being told to get ready for a grim future, with no chance for the vast population to "claw their way out of a hand-to-mouth existence." Rising house prices will see the British middle classes disappear within 30 years, leaving behind a tiny elite and a huge proletariat, a Government adviser has warned. David Boyle, a fellow of the New Economics Foundation think tank, said that fo... more »

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jonjayray at EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL - 11 hours ago
*White Privilege* Walter E. Williams What would you think if your 8-year-old came home and told you that "white privilege is something that white people have, meaning they have an advantage in a lot of things and they can get a job more easily"? You would have heard that at the recent 15th annual White Privilege Conference in Madison, Wisconsin, attended by 2,500 public-school teachers, administrators and students from across the nation. The average parent has no idea of the devious indoctrination going on in classrooms in many public schools. What follows are some of the lessons... more »

War watch May 31 , 2014 -- Syria in focus -- Al-Qaeda Kidnaps Nearly 200 Kurds from North Syria 193 Kurds Taken in Latest Raid on Kurdish Village , Russia warns US that arming Al Qaeda rebels in Syria will be another mistake ......... Libya General Says Pro-Coup Rallies Give Him ‘Mandate’ Vows to Rid Libya of 'Fundamentalists' , political confusion and security concerns continue.......... Odd items to consider ( Bilderberg secret agenda and US military's dependence on Russia for satellite launches ! ) ...

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 11 hours ago
Syria..... Moon of Alabama.... Syria: Obama To Work With Assad? Leslie Gelb, former president of the Council on Foreign Relations, muses about Obama's speech in West Point. The piece includes this nugget on Syria: This may well surprise experts, but *senior administration officials tell me that Obama has been modifying his objective and is now prepared to work with Assad, to some degree, along with the moderate rebels, against what the White House finally has come to see as the real and major threat—the jihadists.* These senior officials further say that they expect support in t... more »

Independent-minded

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 11 hours ago
Sometimes a newspaper's commentariat really surprises you. There's an article in the Independent about being the BBC being "deluged with complaints that its coverage of the elections was biased in favour of Ukip." The 1,190 complaints logged by the BBC are thought to be the most the broadcaster has ever received about its coverage of elections. A further 149 complainants accused the BBC of being unfairly anti-Ukip, while 73 said the coverage was biased against Labour. There are ten comments beneath this article at the moment. Given that it's the *Independent, *a left-liberal new... more »

Phil Mickelson might have a Martha Steward type Insider Trading " Problem May 31 , 2014 -- Did you hear the one about the Vegas gambler, the Pro golfer, and the Wall Street insider? Straight off the pages of some Hollywood script, the Wall Street Journal reports that Federal investigators are pursuing a major insider-trading probe involving finance, gambling and sports, examining the trading of investor Carl Icahn, golfer Phil Mickelson and Las Vegas bettor William "Billy" Walters....... Clorox and Deans Foods Co trades caught the eye of Federal Investigators....

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 11 hours ago
http://www.cbssports.com/golf/eye-on-golf/24577490/report-phil-mickelson-involved-in-insider-trading-investigation Phil Mickelson is used to finding his way out of trouble on the course and now he might have to do so off the course, as well. The *Wall Street Journal* is reporting that Mickelson is the focus of an investigation by the FBI and SEC regarding insider trading between Mickelson, a Las Vegas bettor named Billy Waters, and investment trader Carl Icahn. "The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Securities and Exchange Commission are examining whether Mr. Mickelson and Mr.... more »

Occupiers Not Reformers

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 11 hours ago
Andrew Coyne is no fan of the CBC -- even though he appears regularly on the public broadcaster's *At Issues* panel: As I’ve noted on other occasions, whatever once may have been true, the case for public broadcasting has collapsed, along with the rest of the broadcast regulatory apparatus. The spectrum scarcity and other technical limitations that in the past made broadcasting a textbook example of market failure have disappeared, as in time will much of what we now know as broadcasting. It serves no one’s interests — viewers, taxpayers, or the CBC itself — to carry on as before.... more »

Is 'More or Less' biased?

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 12 hours ago
Of course the question everyone is asking (well, 100% of the people writing this post anyhow), "Does Radio 4's *More or Less* have a political bias?", could be answered through statistics (which would be fitting.) What could be done is to examine all the subjects covered [or all those segments that explore politically-edged subjects] and see whose stats are being debunked/defended in each segment of the show and then infer which side of the political spectrum would most like the programme's conclusions. If more right-wingers than left-wingers, or vice versa, are debunked/defended ... more »

Do You Know What's In Your Corn?

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 12 hours ago
[image: Foto: Do you know what's in your corn? The FDA maintains that GMOs are "substantially equivalent" to real food. What do you think? Learn more: http://gmofreeusa.org/gmos-are-top/gmos-are-sub/ Learn why the FDA's policy on GMOs is fraudulent & illegal: http://illinoisrighttoknowgmo.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Why-FDA-Policy-on-GE-Foods-is-Fraudulent-and-Illegal.pdf #WhatsInYourCorn #GMO #FDA #SubstantiallyEquivalent #BtToxin #Roundup #EColi #glyphosate #herbicide #labelgmos #needtoknowgmo #freedom2chooz #gmofreecanada #gmofreeusa] Do you know what's in your corn? The FD... more »

Ukraine situation -- May 31 , 2014 -- Invasion of South East Stalling out ? Gas situation still clear as mud - next round of talk June 1 , 2014 , June 3, 2014 cut off still on the table ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 12 hours ago
Anti War -- Updates on Kiev's Actions in the South East ... Russian FM: US Must Urge Ukraine to Halt Invasion of EastState Dept: Ukraine Has Right to Invade East to 'Maintain Calm' by Jason Ditz, May 30, 2014 Print This | Share This Another phone call between Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, has centered on the ongoing Ukrainian military invasion of a pair of breakaway provinces in the nation’s far east. Lavrov insisted that the US should use their influence with the interim Ukrainian government to urge them to begin direct negotiations with ... more »

Steve Hinnefeld Reviews Hoosier School Heist: Unions Unite NOW

Doug Martin at Schools Matter - 12 hours ago
by Doug Martin Steve Hinnefeld has posted a review of my book *Hoosier School Heist* on his blog, *School Matters*. Please read his review and check out his other pieces, too. Here is an excerpt from Steven's review: *"Martin has a Ph.D. in literature, has taught in universities and published a book of Walt Whitman criticism. He can turn a phrase, and he can bring out the drama in a right-vs.-wrong narrative. Now working as a behavioral aide at a Vigo County, Ind., public alternative school, he grew up near Terre Haute, which may explain a lot. Maybe it’s the legacy of **Eugen... more »

Ukraine & Syria: Elections of Mass Destruction

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 15 hours ago
Elections Pushed Ahead in Ukraine, Obstructed in Syria, So Mass Murder Can Continue - the West's Weaponization of Democracy *May 28, 2014* (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - Early polls began for Syria's presidential election, as the country begins turning the tide against foreign-backed terrorists and restoring order throughout much of the country. It was impossible for the Western media to cover up tens of thousands of Syrians around the world queuing up in impressive numbers to cast their votes in support of both President Bashar al-Assad and other candidates participating in the electi... more »

ROKAF Receives Additional C-130J Super Hercules Aircraft

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 15 hours ago
[image: Korean C-130Js Depart]Two additional C-130J Super Hercules aircraft operated by the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) ferried from the Lockheed Martin facility here today. These C-130Js will join the ROKAF’s other two Super Hercules aircraft, which were delivered in March. ROKAF aircrews also currently operate a fleet of C-130H legacy aircraft. The ROKAF’s new Super Hercules is the longer fuselage or “stretched” combat delivery variant. Lockheed Martin is also contracted to provide a two-year support program, including C-130J aircrew and maintenance training. Read more

Italian Navy tests Camcopter S-100 unmanned aerial vehicle

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 15 hours ago
[image: Camcopter S-100]The Italian Navy is conducting a series of technical and tactical evaluations on the Camcopter S-100 remotely-piloted aircraft by Scheibel of Austria. The testing comes on the heels of the rotorcraft drone completing tests in the North Sea by the Netherlands. The Camcopter S-100 has a top speed of 138 mph, a range of 112 miles and is designed for military intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions and for civilian tasks such as search and rescue and disaster relief. Read more

Unmanned aerial vehicle shot down by Ukrainian special operation units is Russian

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 15 hours ago
[image: Orlan 10 UAV]An unmanned aerial vehicle shot down by Ukrainian army on May 28, according to preliminary report, is a type of "Orlan-10" UAV produced by Russia, the Security Service of Ukraine's spokesman said. "According to the preliminary analysis of the specialists, the vehicle is one of the serial modifications of the "Orlan-10" UAV made by Russia, with a parachute landing system. The "Orlan-10" is a component of the air reconnaissance, observation and monitoring complex. It is used by the Russia state structures, in particular, Russian Defense Ministry as a reconnaissan... more »

Cole secures funding to save AWACS

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 15 hours ago
[image: E-3A Sentry AWACS]Rep. Tom Cole has taken another step to protect Air Force command-and-control planes called AWACS at Tinker Air Force Base from proposed cuts by the Obama administration. Cole, R-Moore, whose district includes Tinker, said Friday that a defense spending bill cleared a subcommittee with enough money to spare all seven planes proposed for retirement. There are 27 AWACS planes at Tinker. Along with retiring planes, the Air Force had also proposed that a reserve unit at Tinker no longer fly AWACS and that the remaining ones be flown only by an active duty unit.... more »

Funding for desi aircraft carrier tops CCS agenda

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 16 hours ago
[image: INS Vikrant]India's mission to build its own aircraft carrier has virtually come to a grinding halt, with the defence establishment awaiting allocation of fresh funds to finish the 40,000-tonne warship's construction at Cochin Shipyard. The approval for the around Rs 19,000 crore Phase-II and III construction of the long-delayed indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC), to be christened INS Vikrant, figures among the top agenda items for the new Modi government's Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), say sources. The UPA regime's CCS, in fact, was to take up the case earlier this y... more »

Aircraft carrier Vikramaditya fully operational: Navy Chief

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 16 hours ago
[image: INS Vikramaditya]Signalling that INS Vikramaditya is battle ready months after its arrival from Russia, Navy Chief Admiral Robin Dhowan has said that the aircraft carrier is fully operational with an adequate number of pilots now qualified to operate from the floating airfield. Speaking with The Indian Express, Dhowan shared that the Indian crew has now been fully trained and the carrier is ready to conduct operations. “The ship is now operationally deployed and our pilots have been conducting regular flying operations. An adequate number of pilots have been trained,” he sa... more »

Future Frigates today’s challenge

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 16 hours ago
[image: Type 26 Global Combat Ship]The notoriously long gestation period of a major military capability means considerable effort has already been directed at the so-called Future Frigate that will replace the RAN’s eight Anzac-class workhorses sometime in the next decade. Although the Sea 5000 program has yet to complete the ­requirements definition phase, there has been no shortage of ­debate on capability and construction issues within both Defence and industry — until recently. One-on-one discussions in Sydney last year between ­Defence’s Capability Development Group and major i... more »

New-class Black Sea submarine leaves for sea trials

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 16 hours ago
A new generation diesel-electric submarine Friday left St. Petersburg's Admiralty shipyard for Baltic Sea trials. The near-complete diesel-electric Novorossiysk will be at sea for less than a month and will return to base for final fitting ahead of joining the Black Sea naval fleet, a defence industry source told Itar-Tass on Friday. Three-month mooring trials have already been completed. Novorossiysk is the first in a series of 636.6 Varshavyanka Project vessels, Black Sea Fleet Commander Admiral Viktor Chirkov told ITAR-TASS. Read more

Iran's first Caspian sub will be active in 2015

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 16 hours ago
A submarine Iran is building at Bandar Anzali on the Caspian Sea will be operational in 2015, according to military sources cited by the Azerbaijan Press Agency (APA). In November 2013, IHS Jane's published satellite imagery that revealed the submarine was being constructed at Bandar Anzali and that a second, similarly sized boat had already been launched at the Bostanu shipyard on the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials have said a new class of 500-tonne submarines called the Fateh is under construction. Read more

Navy to extend service life of Groton-based USS Dallas

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 16 hours ago
[image: Los Angeles-class SSN]The U.S. Navy announced on Friday that it would retire the USS Norfolk (SSN 714) sooner than anticipated and extend the service life of the USS Dallas (SSN 700) in order to save approximately $10 million, spread maintenance work across shipyards and meet the Navy’s operational needs. The two submarines are part of the Los Angeles-class attack submarines and were each scheduled to be retired from active service. The 32-year-old USS Dallas, currently in Groton, was initially scheduled to be inactivated in fiscal year 2015 but will remain active until fisc... more »

PLA to up number of Type 041 submarines to at least 60 in 10yrs

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 16 hours ago
[image: Type 041 (Yuan) class SSK]Experts have predicted that China is likely to increase the number of its type 041 conventional submarines to 60 or 70 over the next decade. The Japanese navy also plans to increase the number of its Soryu-class diesel-electric powered submarines from 16 to 22 in response to a perceived threat from China, reports our Chinese-language sister newspaper Want Daily. Soryu-class diesel-electric powered submarines are the latest model of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. The vessel has a displacement of 2,000 tonnes and is equipped with an air-ind... more »

Nuclear-powered submarine Alexander Nevsky to arrive in Kamchatka before end of 2014

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 16 hours ago
[image: Alexander Nevsky]The strategic nuclear-powered submarine of Project 955 (Borey class) will arrive in Kamchatka before the end of the current year, Commander of the Eastern Military District of Russia Colonel General Sergei Surovikin said on Friday at a visiting session of the military council. “In accordance with the Russian Defense Ministry’s instructions, the construction of the facilities of the first priority stationing site should be completed by October 2014, and the Alexander Nevsky submarine will start the combat training program before the end of the year,” he said.... more »

The Piketty Affair rumbles on

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 17 hours ago
This week's *More or Less *weighed into the heavy-weight spat over left-wing French economist Thomas Piketty's use of stats in his bestselling tome *Capital in the 21st Century*. Prof. Piketty argues that capitalism inevitably leads to increasing levels of inequality and that a progressive wealth tax is needed to tackle this problem. People may have vigorously disagreed with his solution but no one doubted his data, which was universally praised as being of great value and taken as being true... ...until Chris Giles, economics editor of the *Financial Times*, did what no one el... more »

Notes from Brazil

Josh Busby at Duck of Minerva - 18 hours ago
A long overdue post from Brazil. I’ve been here about two weeks, first in Rio and have just concluded the second week in the Amazonian city of Belém. I hope to come back with more substantive thoughts about the country’s direction, but here are some preliminary thoughts. The Brazilians we met were somewhat ambivalent about Continue reading

On Those Who Missed Getting the Memo on Abortion Being Settled - Maybe*

noreply@blogger.com (Niles) at DAMMIT JANET! - 19 hours ago
I'm sticking this here because the comment box on the post before said, oh nooo, you're not running on in *this* spot. The desired, concrete outcome of "This Is Eviltm" 'debate' on willful biological intervention in human pregnancy aka abortion, (and this is my cynical observation) is for one In-group to be privileged over others. 'Debate' is what happens when unilateral Commands aren't possible. Misinforming 'Debate' still allows stoking the sexual and Out-group fears in authoritarian followers (google: Bob Altemeyer Authoritarians) and bolsters a power base that too often unquesti... more »

Confidential to [name of business omitted]: Here's another fine chance-to-win you've tried to hoodwink me into

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 20 hours ago
*by Ken* I know I've complained more than once about this newfangled fondness for trying to bribe us with the offer of a bribe that barely qualifies: the famous "chance to win" somethiing or other. However, I'm going to complain again tonight, on the well-established principle that nothing brings about change more surely than whining about something *over and over*. I got an e-mail recently with the subject line "We'd like your opinion," from a company that deals in a service, a service that I have taken advantage of occasionally, with fairly pleasant results. If they had just as... more »

This lifted my spirits...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 20 hours ago
a lot. *and this makes me so sad...* Can you say Obamacare????

Mike's Story Part 36: Bellevue 2

Jenna Orkin at From the Wilderness' Peak Oil Blog - 21 hours ago
*By **Jenna** Orkin* * This account is different from the previous post on Bellevue. I remember some of the scenes in both but not when they took place. I think there were two visits to Bellevue but it's possible that my notes were simply written at two different times.* December 31 2006 10:30 PM Back from Bellevue, with the bag his psychiatrist told him to pack in case his assessment allowed it. (It didn't.) We’d been lying down when he said, “I chose the location.” He did not need to add, "to kill myself.’ “Are you going to tell [your outpatient psych... more »

DAB No. 2576 - NCD 140 3 Transsexual Surgery

Zoe Brain at A.E.Brain - 23 hours ago
DAB No. 2576 - NCD 140 3 Transsexual Surgery by EvanMcSan A follow-up to a previous post on the issue. Reading between the lines, there are some very damning comments about how the original decision was arrived at - such as the dismissal of studies with follow-up over many years as "not long-term" without defining what "long-term" meant; or the citing of treatment as "controversial", not in a scientific sense, but a political one. We note that in addition to stating that transsexual surgery was experimental, the NCD and the 1981 report stated that transsexual surgery was "controv... more »

Despite right-wingers' decades-long war on U.S. vets, they expect Americans to gobble up their lies -- and they're probably right

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 23 hours ago
by Ken So Shinseki is gone as VA Sec, no doubt inevitably, and possibly deservedly, though we'll probably never know, since the psychotic lying scumbags who have been leading the assault oh him not only are incapable of speaking a word of truth but have now effectdively substituted their psychotic lying scumbag agenda for any possible consideration of discovery of truth and fixing it. Howie wrote the other day about one of the most astonishing of the psychotic lying scumbags, a superscumbag among superscumbags, NC Sen. Richard Burr, a vile pile of puke who deserves someday to hav... more »

White House has " Spring Cleaning " ? May 30 , 2013 --- While the resignation of Veterans Administration Chief was probably long overdue , the sudden and unexpected resignation of Press Secretary Jay Carney is more surprising ( leaving in two weeks , not much lead time - no reason given for the sudden departure ! )

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 23 hours ago
Obama's spokesman Jay Carney unexpectedly resigns Published time: May 30, 2014 18:01 Get short URL [image: White House Press Secretary Jay Carney (AFP Photo/Saul Loeb)] White House Press Secretary Jay Carney (AFP Photo/Saul Loeb) Share on tumblr Tags Obama, USA United States President Barack Obama announced Friday afternoon that he’s accepted the resignation of White House press secretary Jay Carney. Josh Earnest, the White House special assistant to the president and principal deputy press secretary, will assume Carney’s role, Obama said during a surprise appearance from the commande... more »

As Pearson Tag Teams with Microsoft for Common Core Curriculum in Urban America, Weingarten Attacks Conservatives for Attacking the Common Core

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 23 hours ago
Randi Weingarten has arrived at the most delusional and convoluted logic yet to deflect from her continuing support of CorpEd's centerpiece strategy for more lucrative testing, corporate professional development, and corporate canned curriculum. Weingarten has this quote in the New York Times today in a puff piece on Common Core resistance: “The Tea Party is using the frustration with the implementation as the guise to eliminate standards in schools and to destabilize public education,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, the country’s second-... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 1 day ago
*"The Dirty Dozen" local legislators dishonor constituents to protect Big Oil ~Clancy Dubos, The Gambit*

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 1 day ago
*LPBF: Fracking on the north shore could lead to thousands of wells ~John Snell, WVUE* *Supreme Court justice has close ties to BP's lawyers ~David Hammer* *Louisiana House of Oil & Gas votes to kill levee board lawsuit ~Mark Ballard, The Advocate* *Stephanie Grace: At Capitol, not all petitioners are equal* *House Natural Resources Comm. kills SELPA-E suit even as committee chairman cited for dumping toxic oilfield wastes ~Louisiana Voice* *Endgame: Disaster Capitalism, New Orleans, and the Charter Scam ~P.L. Thomas* *Armed citizens form group to keep eye on French Quarter ~WDSU*... more »

Friday Nerd Blogging: “Game of Thrones” is Coming! #ISA2015

Charli Carpenter at Duck of Minerva - 1 day ago
On behalf of Dan Drezner and myself I am pleased to announce the lineup for our panel proposal to the 2015 International Studies Association Annual Conference in New Orleans, which I submitted today. The call for proposals specified we were looking for papers specifically investigating the empirical impacts of / circulation of ASOIAF/GoT cultural artifacts Continue reading

NBC Censorship or selective editing , hard to understand why NBC cut out Snowden dissection of the main flaw with NSA surveillance hoovering if having an informed discussion matters ( it doesn't make the US safer and actually is counter-productivity ) -- Read Snowden’s comments on 9/11 that NBC didn’t broadcast

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
http://rt.com/usa/162576-nbc-snowden-september-attack/ Read Snowden’s comments on 9/11 that NBC didn’t broadcast Published time: May 30, 2014 17:13 Get short URL [image: This NBC News handout video frame grab shows an NBC News Exclusive interview with Brian Williams and Edward Snowden, excerpted from the May 28, 2014 TV primetime special. (AFP Photo / NBC NEWS / Handout)] This NBC News handout video frame grab shows an NBC News Exclusive interview with Brian Williams and Edward Snowden, excerpted from the May 28, 2014 TV primetime special. (AFP Photo / NBC NEWS / Handout) Share on t... more »

Would You Buy a Car From This Man?

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 1 day ago
As an American would you put your full faith and trust in not only an agent of the US Government but one of President Barack Obama's hand-picked best and brightest, a man who will never simply be thrown under the bus in an election year like the freshly jettisoned Eric Shinseki? This is no ordinary man but one of mighty power who presides over the national intelligence apparatus, the Big Kahuna who is able to lie to Congress with impunity and as Director of National Intelligence presides over the red, white and blue Orwellian security state that is beyond reproach and despite the ... more »

'Newsnight' - 26-30 May: Coda

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 1 day ago
The post above was the objective version. Here's the subjective one. *Monday's edition* saw a UKIP spokesman being ganged up on by representatives from the three established parties before Lord Heseltine was given the platform to swing into action against UKIP, yodeling 'racists!' as he did so: A report from Chris Cook featuring three continental Europhiles followed. Hmm, not very balanced so far. Still the closing discussion between Dan Hannan and a French Europhile allied to the Socialist Party redressed this failure slightly. *Tuesday's edition* featured another Major era Tory... more »

'Newsnight' - 26-30 May

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 1 day ago
It's time to find out what's been going on at *Newsnight *this week. What stories did they choose to report? How did they frame those stories? Who did they interview? *Monday 26/5* *European election special* *"There's no arguing with Nigel Farage's much-trumpeted claim today that his party has "pulled off something unprecedented". He's right. They have. But what does it all mean? The established parties dismiss the United Kingdom Independence Party as a one-man band but now the bandwagon is really rolling. Will an upsurge of protest transform politics in this country or is it jus... more »

Rozalla - Are You Ready to Fly?

Phil at All That Is Solid ... - 1 day ago
It's Friday night and the All That Is Solid disco is underway. My pick for this evening was placed highly in the best dance songs of the 1990s, but now haunts the backwoods of YouTube and Spotify with other huge and tragically forgotten tunes of yesteryear. Yet until my dying day I shall maintain there are fewer better ways to touch off the dance floor than with this house monster from 1992. Are you ready to fly?

Why Elizabeth Warren Is Backing Brian Schatz Instead Of Colleen Hanabusa

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
Yesterday, one of the least progressive organizations working on behalf of Democrats, EMILY's List, sent out an e-mail to their followers-- most of whom are convinced that EMILY's List is still a thorpughly progressive outfit as it was years ago-- entitled "Elizabeth Warren's Footsteps." They are attempting to raise money, primarily to pay their own bloated salaries, but also to push their awful, conservative candidates, like New Dem Colleen Hanabusa, who they are running against progressive Senator Brian Schatz. Schatz is demonstrably better than Hanabusa on every issue, including... more »

Doug Martin's Letter to the Anderson Herald Bulletin

Doug Martin at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
*(The following is Doug Martin's letter to the editors of the Anderson, Indiana, Herald Bulletin, sent at 7:56 pm, May 30, 2014. If you would like to contact that newspaper, you can at letters@heraldbulletin.com) * *DOUG MARTIN'S NOTE TO THE EDITORS: "My letter is endorsed by ONLY myself. It does NOT reflect the views toward your paper of any of the panelists that appeared with me on the Rise Above the Mark event panel, and it does NOT reflect the views toward your paper of any of the makers of the film or the organizers of the event. In fact, the panelists, makers of the movie, a... more »

Spanish Inquisition Day 13

Southern Man at Southern Man - 1 day ago
Today the bus ride was relatively brief - fifteen km or so out of town (but on a city bus that made many stops) to Itálica, a second-century Roman outpost that was left high and dry when the Guadalquivir River shifted its course due to silation after the removal of forest cover. Without a water supply the city was abandoned and no new settlement was constructed, leaving a remarkably well-preserved site. Danni and Professor Ginnet are dwarfed by the amphitheater. Travel bug "Little Roswell" surveys the amphitheater from on high. And why was Little Roswell out and about? Oh, checki... more »

A SPIRITUAL CONSPIRACY IS ALIVE AND GROWING

Allen L Roland, Ph.D at Allen L Roland's Weblog - 1 day ago
*An inner revolution is happening today throughout the world~ a spiritual conspiracy against the status quo and a world seemingly devoid of spiritual meaning. It cannot be stopped because it is tapping into our individual DNA and the real reason we are here on this planet ~ to bear the beams of love and help the planet evolve**.* *It's a spiritual conspiracy and there are sleeper cells in every nation, every state, every town and every neighborhood ~ it is alive and growing and cannot be stopped. We are slowly creating a New World Order where our minds are driven by our hearts, so... more »

Christopher Pissarides

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 1 day ago
A profile of the Nobel laureate.

Are We Headed To the “Bloodiest Thing the World Has Seen” Or Just Another Orchestrated American Disaster Rewarding the Connected/Rich?

Piketty — whose work I relied on for years and who substantiates a lot of things that I’ve written with his research — argues that the concentration of wealth will just continue and continue and continue. As Herbert Stein, Richard Nixon’s chief economic adviser, famously said, a trend will only continue as long as it can. We will either, through peaceful, rational means, go back to a system

CLEANSING THE HOMELESS KIDS BEFORE WORLD CUP

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago
Danish documentary about the social and human price of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Congress Passes A First Step Towards Marijuana Legalization

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
The House was busy last night. At just past 1AM they passed, H.R. 4660, a huge appropriations bill for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and related agencies. The final vote was 321-87. Sounds routine and humdrum? There were 25 amendments, 14 of which got through. The one everyone is talking about today is a bipartisan amendment from two Californians, Dana Rohrabacher ® and Sam Farr (D), which restricts the Drug Enforcement Administration from targeting medical marijuana operations in states where it is legal. The House has never passed any pro-pot bill before. THi... more »

Degeneracy Today, or The Coercion of Dogma Versus the Coercion of a Design

Harry Dale Huffman at The Earth and Man: Setting the Stage - 1 day ago
Steven Goddard has a post on "A Dark Age of Degeneracy", speaking about the state of the Democratic party in the U.S. now. This is no news to me, as I have been referring to them as "The Insane Left" for most of Obama's presidency, certainly since the passage of "Obamacare" in early 2010. But the degeneracy is not limited to politics, nor to recent years. My response to Goddard's post follows: *If you "believe" in undirected (Darwinian) evolution (evolution by "natural selection" of random mutations--the "greenhouse effect" of biological science--which is the consensus theory and th... more »

Obama Defends His Foreign Policy???

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 1 day ago
Don't get too excited folks. He's defending himself against that portion of humanity who think he's been too *restrained*. Too *meek and mild*. Yep. He's defending himself against the Sean Hannity/Bill Kristol/Dick Cheney school of chickenhawks. The people who are so completely delusional that they think the invasion of Iraq was a *success*! They call Obama, he of murderous drone-strikes across the Middle East, he of troop surges in Afghanistan, he who tried to negotiate an extension of the presence of US troops in Iraq after bush II's negotiated withdrawl date, he of the coup in Ho... more »

AVOIDING THE GAPS: A mockingbird down!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 1 day ago
*FRIDAY, MAY 30, 2014* *Part 4—Watching the gaps get suppressed:* It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. Gregory Peck said that. Something else is sinful too. It’s a sin when our journalists fail to report—*refuse* to report—our black kids’ substantial score gains. Singing sweetly, the nation’s reporters and pundits routinely repeat elite propaganda about stagnant test scores in our allegedly failing schools. But how odd: As pundits have done this in recent decades, black kids’ test scores in reading and math have risen rather sharply. These test scores come from the National Assessm... more »

Top Ten LA Radio Shows That Are Rated Higher Than Rush Limbaugh's

jurassicpork at Welcome Back to Pottersville - 1 day ago
On May 15, Media Matters' Eric Boehlert followed up on his April dispatch revealing that powerful conservative icon Rush Limbaugh's flagship station, KEIB, finished 37th out of a market of 45 radio outlets. The May report proved even worse for the AM political pundit: Boehlert reports that KEIB had slipped to 39th place in the field of 45 and there's no end in sight for Limbaugh's plummeting ratings. Included in the Nielsen Radio report is that, beating Limbaugh in the LA radio market, the second largest in the nation, were "12 non-English stations and four college outlets." Bu... more »

Mike's Story Part 35 - Bonding

Jenna Orkin at From the Wilderness' Peak Oil Blog - 1 day ago
*By **Jenna** Orkin* * "When I was about ten and had just moved to a new school, we had rope-climbing in gym. I'd never climbed a rope and I sucked. I became a champion rope-climber after that.* * 'Another time, also when I was ten, the kids were changing in the locker room at the pool, I was uncircumcised so I made my dad wait with me in the parking lot until the kids were done. He was furious. He spanked me. When I was twelve I got circumcised." * Then he told another story from his twelfth year - and not, as I'd incorrectly remembered, his teens, - of his father... more »

JUST CALL IT TERRORISM

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago
Just call them terrorists or Somali pirates call them separatists or pro-Russian call them anything and just keep shelling them into submission or civil war or onto refugee camps or bantustans or reservations Just make sure that the oil-i-garchy can grab the land the resources the riches for exploitation Just make sure NATO can set up bases with interceptor missiles on the Bear's border It won't be long the Bear's lair is next just call them terrorists

Management-Side Firm Whines Because EEOC Mediators Are Doing Their Jobs

Donna Ballman at Screw You Guys, I'm Going Home - 1 day ago
The law firm Fox Rothschild, LLP has posted a series of blog posts where they complain bitterly about EEOC mediators. They claim the mediators are unfair because they have the nerve (the noive!) to tell employers that EEOC could enter a cause finding in their case. The whining began with a survey by Merrily Archer where she asked management-side folks who participated in EEOC mediations whether or not mediators mentioned "cause" findings as a possibility. She found that they did so in 73.7% of cases. In 70% of cases, mediators mentioned to employers that EEOC could possibly bring a s... more »

Extending time to move in Court of Appeal

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 1 day ago
*D.G. v. A.F*., 2014 ONCA 436: [11] In my view, the test to apply to the applicant’s request for an extension of time should be the same as the test on a motion to set aside a Registrar’s order dismissing an appeal for delay, since such an order was at the root of the motion before Doherty J.A. That test was succinctly stated by Weiler J.A. in *Paulsson v. Cooper,* 2010 ONCA 21, [2010] O.J. No.123, at para. 2: The factors a court should consider in deciding whether to grant this type of motion are well-known. They are: whether the applicant had an intention to appeal within t... more »

Another of the BBC's dirty little biases on show

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 1 day ago
The BBC's anti-India/pro-Pakistan bias is often pretty obvious but today it has reached a new level. The story of the poor Pakistani woman stoned to death outside of a Lahore court has now been relegated from the BBC news front page. However the little pro-Pakistan elves at the BBC have put another anti-India story on the front page in its place. Yes the story from India is really terrible but the BBC's news priorities do shine through, see how they report the two stories below... The BBC, beyond contempt.

The Sickness Of Angelina Jolie: Angelina Jolie On Maleficent - "I Was Drawn To The Evil"

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 1 day ago
I periodically take some shots at the crap coming out of "Hollywood" or what I can safely call..."Jewlywood", and the so called "movies" that they produce for both propaganda and for clouding the minds of gentiles.... Now Hollywood is releasing a new garbage movie called "Maleficent", and from what I have seen, there is a horrendous amount of satanic symbology in this latest piece of crap. And of course the leading actress in this sham is none other that the ultra-pyschotic Jewess herself, Angelina Jolie. I put out an article two years back exposing the insanity of Angelina Jolie, ... more »

THE 'CHRISTIAN' REWRITING OF INDIAN WARS

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago
This week on his 'WallBuilders Live' radio show, debunked Christian historian David Barton compared Native Americans of the 1700s to modern day terrorists and explained why the U.S. had to commit genocide of Native Americans. This same way of thinking can be seen in operation today as the "christian" US kills people all over the world that stand up against the resource extraction policies of the corporate controlled Pentagon. This week on his 'WallBuilders Live' radio show, debunked Christian historian David Barton compared Native Americans of the 1700s to modern day terrorists a... more »

'Holding Brad Wall Accountable' - Sask New Democrats Meet In Annual Convention

leftdog at Buckdog - 1 day ago
*Saskatchewan's New Democrats are holding their annual convention this weekend in the friendly city of Moose Jaw. Party Leader Cam Broten has signaled that New Democrats are ready and able to hold Brad Wall accountable for the fact that his so called 'boom' has busted for many citizens of the province. The hype built up about the prosperity simply does not match with reality. * *The following letter to the editor appears in the Yorkton News Review:* *May 28, 2014 * * To the Editor:**This spring session, the Saskatchewan NDP’s focus was on the government’s neglect of the basics in... more »

CSPAN VIDEO: Future Of Iraq

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 1 day ago

Endgame: Disaster Capitalism, New Orleans, and the Charter Scam

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
Endgame: Disaster Capitalism, New Orleans, and the Charter Scam. via Endgame: Disaster Capitalism, New Orleans, and the Charter Scam.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical

Temporary Foreign Wanking

Alison at Creekside - 1 day ago
Evan Solomon asks why restaurants don't just raise wages to attract workers : "Guess what? This is the criticism - raise the wages and they will come." Jerry Lundegaard Garth Whyte of *Restaurants Canada* : "So let's raise it to $100 an hour - we'll still need them [temporary foreign workers]. That's the issue, we have, uh, you know, people, we're, this is well above the average wage, we're putting it well above ... " [h/t Press Progress for above vid] Ok, let's look at that. This is Slide #20 in a 2012 powerpoint presentation given by Ron Reaman, VP, Ontario, of *Restauran... more »

What would be the point of an abortion debate?

noreply@blogger.com (fern hill) at DAMMIT JANET! - 1 day ago
About that debate that nobody wants and yet seems to be raging all the fucking time nonetheless... I will have more to say about this (biiiig surprise, regular DJ! readers are thinking), but for now (I'm really busy) I just want to put a couple of points out there. Here's a question no one seems to be asking: What would be the purpose of an abortion debate? Rabid political partisans are obviously betting that it can score them some votes or at least some points. Rabid anti-choicers want to roll history backwards and if not recriminalize abortion altogether (which even they admit i... more »

Do Famous People Sway Voters?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
The big endorsement news in L.A. yesterday was when Mayor Eric Garcetti-- or as many people around here refer to him, future POTUS Eric Garcetti-- backed Ted Lieu for Congress in the CA-33 seat Henry Waxman is giving up. "Tuesday's election is extremely important for the future of our region," said Mayor Garcetti. That's why I am endorsing Ted Lieu for Congress. Ted is not only the most qualified candidate, but the type of person we need in Washington-- intelligent, ethical and relentless as a representative for our community. He has shown tremendous leadership on important issues... more »

Gold Report May 30 , 2014 -- Ed Steer's usual collection of News , data and views touching on gold and the precious metals ...... additional itms of note after " The Wrap "

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
http://www.caseyresearch.com/gsd/edition/lawrence-williams-china-and-india-consuming-more-gold-than-the-world-mines ¤ YESTERDAY IN GOLD & SILVER The gold price did little of anything during most of the Far East trading session on their Thursday. Then shortly after 2 p.m. Hong Kong time, an HFT-type dropped the price by about seven bucks. The low of the day came shortly after the London open---and from there it traded flat until 10 minutes before the 8:20 a.m. EDT New York open. The rally that began at that juncture got capped moments after London closed at 11 a.m. EDT---and jus... more »

LA Lakers Eat Grass-Fed: An Interview With Cate Shanahan, Nutritionist For The Lakers by Joe Salama

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 1 day ago
[image: DrCateShanahan]Dr. Cate Shanahan, M.D. LA Lakers Eat Grass-Fed: An Interview with Cate Shanahan, Nutritionist for the Lakers by Joe Salama Farm To Consumer Legal Defense Fund, 23 May, 2014 *Joe Salama, attorney and author of The Paleo Miracle, interviewed Cate Shanahan, M.D., the nutritionist for the L.A. Lakers basketball team. Dr. Cate Shanahan promotes fats from pastured animals while FTCLDF promotes farmers who raise those animals!* *What do you do for the Lakers?* We operate on several levels so answering the question is a little complicated but the basics are th... more »

The Madness Of King Stephen

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 1 day ago
Tim Harper writes that the the parliamentary press gallery has always known that the prime minister has a hair trigger temper: When Stephen Harper returned from political exile to lead the Canadian Alliance 12 years ago, a few of the more cynical members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery played a little game on the side. We plotted how we could get a notoriously volatile Harper to “blow’’ at the mike on the opposition side of the House of Commons foyer. Such was his reputation for a short fuse, a man who would not abide provocative or ill-informed questions from journalists, we t... more »

Local Council By-Elections May 2014

Phil at All That Is Solid ... - 1 day ago
Party Number of candidates Total vote % +/- April Average/ contest +/- April +/- Seats Conservative 99 70,345 30.1% -2.9% 711 +358 -2 Labour 95 72,754 31.1% +5.6% 766 +483 -1 LibDem 72 27,810 11.9% +0.4% 386 +109 -1 UKIP 54 31,871 13.6% +0.4% 590 +378 +4 SNP* 4 3,293 1.4% +1.4% 823 +823 -1 Plaid Cymru** 0 -3.4% 0 Green 40 16,059 6.9% +5.6% 401 +277 +3 BNP 1 327 0.1% +0.1% 327 +327 0 TUSC 13 896 0.4% +0.4% 69 0 ... more »

Natural Wrinkle-Reducing Remedies With Mary Kremer

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 1 day ago
Have you ever wondered how to make your face look younger and fresher, without having the “worked on” look associated with plastic surgery? Or maybe you’re just like me, and any kind of medical procedure freaks you out. I’m all about all-natural remedies, and I know I’m not alone. So here are a few natural remedies to help you revitalize your face and decrease the look of wrinkles. Milk and Honey The land flowing with milk and honey wasn’t just abounding in food, it had a very effective facial cleanser. That’s right, milk and honey make a wonderful facial cleanser, and they’ve be... more »

War Watch May 30 , 2014 -- Regardless of troop levels remaining in Afghanistan after the end of 2014 ( allegedly 9800 for 2015 , half of that for 2016 and then complete removal at the end of 2016 ) , an army of private contractors will be in country ...... ....... Iraq death dealing continues unabated ...... ...... Libya’s Dueling PMs Add to Uncertainty Over Parliament’s Future Already Facing Coup, Parliament's Internal Split Grows ........ Syria Updates from Syria Direct

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
Afghanistan...... WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 2014 09:35 AM EDT Exclusive: New document details America’s war machine — and secret mass of contractors in AfghanistanWhat is a huge army of private contractors secretly doing in Afghanistan? A leaked PowerPoint presentation explainsTIM SHORROCK - Share 621 - 383 - - 97 - - TOPICS: WHITE HOUSE, WAR, AFGHANISTAN, AL QAEDA, BARACK OBAMA, EXCLUSIVE, TROOPS, SAIC,CONTRACTORS, EDITOR'S PICKS, LAWRENCE WILKERSON, MILITARY, ARMY , POLITICS NEWS [image: Exclusive: New document details America's war machine -- and secret ... more »

Malaysia Airline flight 370 Mystery May 27 -28 , 2014 -- Officially back to square one ( Pings not related to flight 370 black boxes which are now dead ........ Malaysia Prime Minister declines to meet family members during China visit ( think those families were made before ? ) ......... MH370 FAMILIES FURY: Satellite data released 'INCOMPLETE' & ‘MAKES NO SENSE’ ( Why are we not surprised by this ? )

Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/najib-wont-meet-mh370-families-during-china-visit Najib won’t meet MH370 families during China visit MAY 28, 2014 2 2 Google +0 0 TOOLS - INCREASE TEXT - DECREASE TEXT - RESET TEXT - PRINT ARTICLE [image: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will not meet the families of missing passengers, about two-thirds of whom were Chinese during his visit to China. ― Reuters pic]Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will not meet the families of missing passengers, about two-thirds of whom were Chinese during hi... more »

In the U.S., Where the Female Nipple Is More Dangerous Than a Gun

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
In the U.S., Where the Female Nipple Is More Dangerous Than a Gun. via In the U.S., Where the Female Nipple Is More Dangerous Than a Gun.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical

Overnight News and Data May 30 , 2014 - Focus Asia and Europe..

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
Zero Hedge .... What Q2 GDP Surge? After March Spending Spree, Tapped Out Consumers Had Biggest Spending Drop Since 2009 [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 05/30/2014 09:04 -0400 - Lehman - Personal Income - Savings Rate inShare3 Last month, when we noted the massive surge in Personal Spending *which was funded entirely by the depletion of personal savings, *we said that "since spending was so much higher than income for one more month, at least according to the bean counters, the savings rate tumbled and at 3.8% (down from 4.2% in Februa... more »