Wednesday, September 27, 2017

27 September - My Feedly! 1 of 2

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The most popular articles in your Feedly

New in blogger-following

Jon Snow and Ygritte announce their engagement the old-fashioned way
It's official, guys. SEE ALSO: Dolce & Gabbana bends the knee for House Targaryen with Kit Harington and Emilia Clarke ads After months of speculation, rumours, and reports, we have confirmation that Game of Thrones lovebirds Kit Harington (a.k.a. Jon Snow) and Rose Leslie (a.k.a. Ygritte) are tying the knot. While People reported the news on Tuesday, everybody took it with a pinch of salt as sev
'America's Team' kneeled before the national anthem on Monday Night Football
The Dallas Cowboys are about as American as American football gets, and even they kneeled before their game Monday night against the Arizona Cardinals. To be clear, "America's Team" — along with its famous billionaire owner Jerry Jones — kneeled before the national anthem on Monday Night Football. SEE ALSO: NFL players slam Donald Trump for rant against protests #FootballIsFamily pic.twitter.com/
'Green News Report' - September 26, 2017
IN TODAY'S RADIO REPORT: Calls grow to accelerate aid for humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria; Adding danger to desperation, major Puerto Rican dam now at risk of total failure; Good news and bad from toxic Superfund sites flooded by Hurricane Harvey in Texas; PLUS: Unusually warm ocean fueling record Atlantic storm season... All that and more in today's Green News Report! Li
Canberra man uses subsidies, “invests” $20,000, still pays $700pa in electricity. Hopes to break even in 14 years.
A fairly crappy investment in every sense — even as a “subsidy farmer”: …renewable energy proponents say individual consumers like Mr Pulford could play an increasingly important role as citizen investors. “I say it is a little bit gold plated,” Mr Pulford says of his $20,000 investment. ‘The new system was installed last month and he is already generating enough power to run all his home energy
Within 5 minutes a wave of hot water systems switch on in SA adding 250MW of demand to the grid
We are creatures of habit. Look at the spike caused at 11:32pm as something like 27,000 hot water tanks in South Australia suddenly switch on to use cheaper off-peak electricity. This spike is entirely due to pricing plans. It’s entirely avoidable too, but at least it’s predictable. “Scheduled”. This peak, allegedly, is only a problem if SA is “islanded” — meaning if it can’t rely on the coal gen
Addicted to Chaos: Trump's War on the People of North Korea, the NFL, and the U.S.: 'BradCast' 9/25/2017
What had been insanely busy news weeks are now being compressed into insanely busy news week ends , apparently. [ Audio link to the complete show follows below. ] So, today on The BradCast , we do some serious triage to try and highlight the news of recent days that folks need to focus on, even as much of the corporate media is otherwise fixated on Donald Trump's obnoxious comments about NFL owne

New in news

Game of Thrones stars Kit Harington and Rose Leslie to marry
Actors, who play on-screen lovers Jon Snow and Ygritte in HBO’s hit fantasy series, announce engagement in the Times NOTE: contains spoilers for those who have not seen or read Game of Thrones Fans of Game of Thrones will know that a wedding in the hit show’s fantasy world does not always ends well. Continue reading...
UK treatment of foreign nationals 'could colour' MEPs’ view on Brexit
Exclusive: Guy Verhofstadt writes to Amber Rudd about recent incidents including threat to deport Japanese woman The European parliament’s Brexit coordinator has warned the home secretary that Britain’s recent treatment of foreign nationals could “colour” MEPs’ attitudes to whether they approve a future Brexit deal. Guy Verhofstadt, a former Belgian prime minister, has written to Amber Rudd to ex
Republicans To Unveil 'Middle Class' Tax Cut; Democrats See Windfall For The Rich
After months of private negotiation, President Trump and GOP congressional leaders are set to reveal the outline of their tax plan. It calls for cuts in both individual and corporate tax rates. (Image credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Kaiser Permanente CEO Says A Bipartisan Health Bill Is The Best Way Forward
If Republicans and Democrats work together to solve a few critical challenges in the health insurance market, it will stabilize, says Kaiser Permanente Chairman and CEO Bernard Tyson. (Image credit: Misha Friedman/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
September Is the Strongest Hurricane Month Ever Recorded—Probably
Harvey, Irma, Jose, Katia, and Maria. Over the past 30 days, some of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean have prompted a diluvial flood, a mass migration, and an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico. It can feel like there’s little precedent for so many hurricanes in so short a time. In fact, there isn’t—at least within living memory. According to early estimates, S
How World War III with China might be fought
(Credit: AP Photo/Charlie Riedel. File) [This piece has been adapted and expanded from Alfred W. McCoy’s new book, In the Shadows of the American Century: The Rise and Decline of U.S. Global Power .] For the past 50 years, American leaders have been supremely confident that they could suffer military setbacks in places like Cuba or Vietnam without having their system of global hegemony, backed by

New in science

More Guns Do Not Stop More Crimes, Evidence Shows
More firearms do not keep people safe, hard numbers show. Why do so many Americans believe the opposite? -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
More Guns Do Not Stop More Crimes, Evidence Shows
More firearms do not keep people safe, hard numbers show. Why do so many Americans believe the opposite? -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Researchers change wavelengths of entangled photons to those used in telecommunications
The potential for photon entanglement in quantum computing and communications has been known for decades. One of the issues impeding its immediate application is the fact that many photon entanglement platforms do not operate within the range used by most forms of telecommunication.
World's First Official Godzilla Store Opening In Tokyo Next Month
[Image: Moviche ] On October 30, the world’s first official Godzilla retail shop will open in Japan. It’s called Godzilla Store Tokyo and will be located in Shinjuku. According to Moviche , the store will feature around 500 items for sale, some of them unique to the store. [Image: Moviche ] The store will be located on the first floor of the Shinjuku Toho Building. You know, the Tokyo building wi
Tree-dwelling, coconut-cracking giant rat discovered in Solomon Islands
Remember the movie The Princess Bride, when the characters debate the existence of R.O.U.S.es (Rodents of Unusual Size), only to be beset by enormous rats? That's kind of what happened here.

New in youtube

SOLO NYC (Full Film)
SOLO NYC is an intimate look at the trials and triumphs of New York’s rising class of creative freelancers. The 6:45 min documentary film, directed by award-winning creative and independent filmmaker Daniel Soares, is AND CO's first film exploring the future workforce. Featuring: Helen Levi (Pottery Designer) Alex Trochut (Lettering Artist) Adriana Urbina (Chef) Zipeng Zhu (Creative Director) See
Wildlife and the Wall | WILDxRED
Construction of a USA-Mexico border wall means huge impacts to wildlife. Migratory corridors would be eliminated, dispersal events would no longer occur, and access to the Rio Grande river, would be cut off for both wildlife and humans. ➡ Subscribe: http://bit.ly/NatGeoSubscribe About National Geographic: National Geographic is the world's premium destination for science, exploration, and adventu
The 'Fuller House' Cast’s Candid Confessions
Andrea Barber, Candace Cameron, and Jodie Sweetin spilled the beans on their "Fuller House" castmates. Who has the biggest crush on John Stamos? Who’s the cheapest? Who stole from set? From: TheEllenShow
Bleachers Perform 'Don't Take the Money'
Rock band Bleachers took the stage to perform their hit, "Don't Take the Money." From: TheEllenShow
Watch a Road 'Breathing' in Mexico After an Earthquake | National Geographic
The pulsing of pavement may be an echo of Mexico City's distant past, as groundwater from a now-drained lake causes soil to flow. ➡ Subscribe: http://bit.ly/NatGeoSubscribe About National Geographic: National Geographic is the world's premium destination for science, exploration, and adventure. Through their world-class scientists, photographers, journalists, and filmmakers, Nat Geo gets you clos
WHEN YOU GET HOME (Short film)
Where does your job end as a police officer? WHEN YOU GET HOME is a hybrid short film / commercial produced by production company 25FPS and written & directed by Ben Brand. It's a project that wants to stretch the boundaries between commercial & film to see if it can create more depth and meaning in advertising. Link to the commercial: vimeo.com/235310925 The film is based on true events. A year

New in The Corbett Report

“The News” is a Social Construct. It is Used to Program You.
If all the "alternative" media ever does is report on "the news" (as decided by the MSM), then aren't they just unwitting participants in the mockingbird media system? Join James for this heady thought for the day as he dissects the idea of "the news" and talks about the real value of an outlet like The Corbett Report.
Episode 320 – Echoes of WWI: China, the US, and the Next “Great” War
[audio mp3="https://www.corbettreport.com/mp3/episode320-lq.mp3"][/audio] In the early 20th century, the world’s dominant superpower looked warily on the rise of a competitor to its supremacy. The machinations of the British to contain the rise of Germany led inexorably to the First World War. Once again in the early 21st century, the world’s dominant superpower is looking warily on the rise of a
Echoes of WWI: China, the US, and the Next “Great” War
In the early 20th century, the world’s dominant superpower looked warily on the rise of a competitor to its supremacy. The machinations of the British to contain the rise of Germany led inexorably to the First World War. Once again in the early 21st century, the world’s dominant superpower is looking warily on the rise of a competitor. Will the American Empire’s machinations to contain the rise o
Questions in Copenhagen – Questions For Corbett #037
[audio mp3="http://www.corbettreport.com/mp3/qfc037-lq.mp3"][/audio] James Corbett answers questions from the audience after delivering his presentation, "Echoes of WWI: China, the US and the Next 'Great' War" to the Open Mind Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark on September 16, 2017.
Interview 1301 – New World Next Week with James Evan Pilato
[audio mp3="http://www.corbettreport.com/mp3/2017-09-21%20James%20Evan%20Pilato.mp3"][/audio] This week on the New World Next Week: the government sues citizens for asking for information; PM May recruits Big Tech in extremist content purge; and yet another study finds fluoride linked to lower IQ in children.
Suing Citizens, Tech Terror, Foolish Fluoride – New World Next Week
This week on the New World Next Week: the government sues citizens for asking for information; PM May recruits Big Tech in extremist content purge; and yet another study finds fluoride linked to lower IQ in children.

New in The EnvironmentaList

Portuguese Kids to Sue 47 EU Governments Over Climate Change
Children from region hit by country's worst forest fires seek crowdfunding for lawsuit
The Snake Lover
A Virginia herpetologist fosters respect for reptiles
Long-Lost Congo Notebooks May Shed Light on How Trees React to Climate Change
Records found in abandoned research station contain a treasure trove of tree growth data dating back to 1930s
EPA Adds Prison Locations to its Environmental Justice Mapping Tool
EJ activists celebrate move as an advance in the struggle to recognize the environmental rights of prisoners
The Environmental Destruction Wrought by War
Transitioning from terracide to ecolibrium
Safeguarding Mexico’s Sierra Madre Cloud Forest against Logging
Recent trip to region uncovered survival of endemic salamander thought to be extinct

New in The Rules of Exposition

The pause after "but"
I first noticed it while watching Star Trek: Next Generation. Every time Mr. Worf used the word "but" in a sentence, the pause came after the "but". These days, everybody says it that way. The pause after "but" implies a comma after "but" in the writing. A pause before "but", where it should be, implies a comma before "but" in the writing. THIS but THAT That's how I see it. THIS but THAT That's ho

New in A.E.Brain

There's a pattern here...
Breitbart Editor: Trans Activism a Plot Against Dumb People Two of the editors of Breitbart, Neil Munro and Alex Marlow, had a rather bizarre conversation on the Breitbart Daily radio show about transgenderism. They think that activism for trans equality is really about clever people making society too difficult to navigate for dumb people. Munro claimed the push for transgender rights is “a prep

New in Activist Teacher

Cause of USA Meltdown and Collapse of Civil Rights
By Denis Rancourt, PhDPublished at Dissident Voice: https://dissidentvoice.org/2017/09/cause-of-usa-meltdown-and-collapse-of-civil-rights/ SUMMARY: Societies of social animals, including humans, are dominance hierarchies. Civil rights are codified in law to protect mechanisms of essential counter measures against excessive exploitation of the hierarchy by elite classes, which destabilizes the

New in Amused Cynicism

Can the USA survive tribalism?
Andrew Sullivan wonders whether the USA can survive tribalism : Over the past couple of decades in America, the enduring, complicated divides of ideology, geography, party, class, religion, and race have mutated into something deeper, simpler to map, and therefore much more ominous. I don’t just mean the rise of political polarization (although that’s how it often expresses itself), nor the rise
How many female MPs and MSPs should there be?
I. A House of Commons committee proposes changes to increase the number of women MPs : The government has rejected all six proposals to give parliament more equal female representation, prepared by the Commons’ women and equalities committee, including fines for parties that do not select enough women as candidates. The women and equalities committee chair, Maria Miller, said the response showed
Explanation of workfare
Here’s a cartoon explaining the government’s policy on workfare (via Reddit ):
6-8 inches of snow?

New in ArmsControlWonk

Nuclear Deterrence and the Revenge of Geography
With the President overriding his advisers to deliver insulting remarks and empty threats at the UN and Kim Jong Un responding personally and at some length, one really wonders where all this ends. John Kelly, left, reacts as he listens to President Trump’s U.N. speech. (Photo: Mary Altaffer/AP) https://t.co/mPR68T7rJ4 pic.twitter.com/MGNQ2jVWVc — Colin Campbell (@colincampbell) September 19, 2017
Two Fantasists, No Exit Strategy
Quotes of the week: “This is a presidency whose defining feature isn’t ideology, much less policy. It’s neurosis.” –Bret Stephens, New York Times “If In a fit of pique he decides to do something about Kim Jong Un, there’s actually very little to stop him. The whole system is built to ensure rapid response if …
Deal Maker or Deal Breaker? Donald Trump’s Approach to Diplomacy
While I get bogged down in the details of how and when North Korea makes something go boom, the smart and much more diplomatic Sarah Bidgood takes a crack at understanding what President Trump’s statement at the UN General Assembly will do for multilateral negotiation. Author: Sarah Bidgood I am assisting Dr. William Potter with …
The Hwasong that Never Ends
A guest post from my colleague Matt Korda Here we go again: another guide to North Korean missile designations. You might be asking yourself, “Self, why do I need to learn all these pesky Hwasongs if I already know all the KN numbers? Surely they’re just different names for the same things?” Well, to quote the …
SAR Image of Punggye-ri
Last week was pretty awesome — we had a huge “new tools” conference here at Monterey with all kinds of cool space and tech companies like Airbus. We have a great relationship with Airbus, which made available a pair of images taken with synthetic aperture radar of North Korea’s nuclear test site before and after …
A Third War in Sixteen Years?
Quote of the week: “Go, my people, enter your chambers, And lock your doors behind you. Hide but a little moment, Until the indignation passes.” — Isaiah At times like these, Biblical prophecy is called for. Instead, we get op-eds. Donald Trump spirals downward. He has no other place to go. Due to circumstances comprehensible only …

New in Big Dan's Big Blog

Can Rush Limbaugh And/Or Rightwing Channels Be Sued Who Broadcast Him For Saying Hurricane Irma Was A "Liberal Hoax"? How Many Died Because Of This?
Our local rightwing radio ENTERCOM EIB NETWORK 103.1 WILKKK the Ku Klux Klan headquarters broadcasts Rush Limbaugh. Rush Limbaugh via WILKKK or YOUR local rightwing KKK channel told his DITTOHEAD listeners HURRICANE IRMA WAS A LIBERAL HOAX. Now how many DITTOHEADS didn't leave their homes in Florida and DIED because of Rush Limbaugh AND THE CHANNEL THAT BROADCASTED THIS??? I guarantee you at leas

New in Cherchez la Verite

New in Dr Cintli

Enriqueta Vasquez: Eminent Historian for "The Women of La Raza"
I am going to go out on an (academic) limb and call The Women of La Raza by Enriqueta Vasquez both a treasure and a living codex. I will also say this about Enriqueta herself: Vive en la sabiduri a -- she lives in wisdom, wisdom of an elder, wisdom of the elders, an elder who also leaves footprints and also walks in beauty. Her words and generational knowledge are gifts to us, and I will say that
The National Council of La Raza's Name Change: A National Capitulation
The National Council of La Raza's Name Change: A National Capitulation Thursday, September 07, 2017 By Roberto Rodriguez , Speakout | Op-Ed The National Council of La Raza's (NCLR) recent name change to UnidosUS is bizarre and incomprehensible and its rationale that their name was " getting in the way of their mission " strains credulity, especially because it was also purportedly trying to be mo

New in Greg Mankiw's Blog

More on the Economics of Healthcare
Back in July, I wrote a NY Times column about the economics of healthcare. Yesterday, my friend John Cochrane posted a lengthy response . I won't take the time to reply to all of John's points, but like everything John writes, his post is provocative and thoughtful. So I would encourage people to read it and decide for themselves. John is certainly correct when he speculates about my motivation in
A Reading List
Every few years, I teach (in addition to ec 10) a freshman seminar for about a dozen students. The seminar is essentially a book group for students who are taking introductory economics concurrently or who have advanced placement credit in economics. Here is a list of this year's books: The Worldly Philosophers, by Robert Heilbroner On Liberty, by John Stuart Mill Capitalism and Freedom, by Milton
What I did last night
Lady Gaga performed at Fenway Park yesterday (and the day before). Apparently, she is the first woman ever to headline an event at Fenway. It was a great concert. Good people watching before the concert started. Ran into a few former ec 10 students.
Still #1
Harvard undergrads show their wisdom in course selection .
How to Get People to Get Along
Click here to read my column in Sunday's New York Times .
News from Amazon
Source . To users of my favorite textbooks: Thank you! Have a great semester.

New in Middle East Today

The Problem of Illiteracy in the Arab World
The UN has designated the month of September of each year to work towards the elimination of world illiteracy. It calls for governments that have a high rate of illiteracy to reexamine their educational strategy and introduce new methods to help to lower the illiteracy rates. Illiteracy in the Arab world is still very high. It is estimated that half of the nearly 400 million people cannot read or
The UN Human Right Report
The UN Human Rights organization has recently issued its annual report. It revealed that Turkey and Israel are the most abuser of human rights. It also listed China, India, Pakistan, Minimar and Venezuela are also abuser of human rights (Al Nahar Newspaper,9/22/2017). Andrew Gilmore, Assistant Director of Human Rights organization, stated in the Report that there are cases individual kidnapping,

New in New Orleans Ladder

Harvey Has Morphed into a Multi-Pronged Environmental Disaster ~Emily Atkin, New Republic Huge and mildly terrifying li...
Harvey Has Morphed into a Multi-Pronged Environmental Disaster ~Emily Atkin, New Republic Huge and mildly terrifying list of issues so far reported at petrochemical facilities after # Harvey , via @SierraClub *
Calculating Harvey’s Aftermath ~Leah Binkovitz, Urban Edge ~The disaster is shaping up to be one of the costliest yet, ...
Calculating Harvey’s Aftermath ~Leah Binkovitz, Urban Edge ~The disaster is shaping up to be one of the costliest yet, after hitting the fourth largest city with the second busiest port in the country. It also hit the Coastal Bend area particularly hard, including Port Aransas, caused flooding in Beaumont and Port Arthur and made landfall again in Louisiana. Read more. Louisiana shelters hundreds
Harvey makes landfall again, Texas death toll mounts from record floods ~Reuters Why Ordinary Citizens Are Acting as Fi...
Harvey makes landfall again, Texas death toll mounts from record floods ~Reuters Why Ordinary Citizens Are Acting as First Responders in Houston ~ The Atlantic Photo: Jon Bridgers, Houston Chronicle ~The ethos behind these efforts is straightforward and admirable: Some people are in trouble, and other people have the tools to help them. Why wouldn’t they? Clyde Cain, who runs a Cajun Navy Faceboo
Harvey Moves Back Over Water; Historic Rainfall Will Continue ~Dr. Jeff Masters, Weather Underground ~When we first saw...
Harvey Moves Back Over Water; Historic Rainfall Will Continue ~Dr. Jeff Masters, Weather Underground ~When we first saw the model predictions last week of widespread rain amounts for Houston of 15 – 25 inches, with some amounts as high as 40 inches, we issued the required “Catastrophic rains coming” forecast, but our view of the forecast was tinged with a sense of unreality. Could the models be w
Harvey's 2-day rain in Houston is 3 times floodwater pumped from New Orleans after Katrina ~ Nola.com ~For the 48 hours...
Harvey's 2-day rain in Houston is 3 times floodwater pumped from New Orleans after Katrina ~ Nola.com ~For the 48 hours ending at 11 a.m. Monday (Aug. 28), Harris County, Texas, which includes Houston, measured an average 23.7 inches of rain, which represents 732 billion gallons of water, said Jeff Lindner, a Harris County Flood Control District official. While sort of an apples to oranges compar
Flood Calamity Continues In Houston and Beyond; Harvey Edges Toward Coast ~Bob Henson, Weather Underground ~The nation’...
Flood Calamity Continues In Houston and Beyond; Harvey Edges Toward Coast ~Bob Henson, Weather Underground ~The nation’s worst flood disaster since Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy continued to unfold late Sunday across Houston and nearby parts of southeast Texas, as Tropical Storm Harvey punished the area with record-shredding rainfall. As of 6:00 pm CDT Sunday, Harvey was centered about 10 miles nort

New in News Center PK

Integrated Border Management: Scope, Challenges and Framework for Pakistan
by Rashid Munir Siddiqui (2017) Table of Contents Abstract 3 Introduction: … Integrated Border Management: Scope, Challenges and Framework for Pakistan is a post from News Center Pk .

New in Paying attention

Six Things to Know about the BC Liberal Leadership Race
Here are six things you need to know about the race to replace Christy Clark, based on the rules the BC Liberal Party released Tuesday. First, you better have money or some rich supporters if you even want to try for the job. It will cost you $50,000, payable to the party, to become a candidate. (Plus $10,000 that you’ll get back if the party doesn’t levy any fines for bad behaviour during the ca

New in Pesticide Action Network

Celebrating Dolores
At age 87, political activist Dolores Huerta is getting some long-overdue recognition for the central role she's played for years in the farmworker movement. It's a role well worth celebrating. The documentary film Dolores , produced by director Peter Bratt, is now in theaters. The film puts Huerta's decades of organizing front and center where it should be, rather than portraying her as a "sidek
PAN UK report shows schoolkids at risk
A report released earlier this month from Pesticide Action Network (PAN) UK found that children across England are exposed to significant pesticide residues in the government’s “School Fruit & Veg Scheme.” Food for Thought documents more than 123 different pesticides on school produce, and calls on officials to source more local, organic produce to protect schoolchildren’s health. The report draw
Dicamba drift? This is on you, Monsanto.
Like a wildfire burning out of control, the epidemic of dicamba drift blowing across 20 states this summer has already damaged over three million acres of soybean cropland. Adding to the list of some 2,200 reported herbicide injuries are likely many more damaged acres of fruit and vegetable farms, vineyards, trees, home gardens, hedgerows and plant habitats critical to pollinators and other wildl
Science for Solutions: Save the brains
This post is part one in our “Science for Solutions” blog series that amplifies scientist voices and underscores the importance of independent science as the foundation for evidence-based policymaking and narrative shifts. With pesticide drift sweeping across the South and Midwest this summer, and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s recent decision to keep the brain-harming pesticide chlorpyrifos on
Dicamba drift? This is on you, Monsanto.
Like a wildfire burning out of control, the epidemic of dicamba drift blowing across 20 states this summer has already damaged over three million acres of soybean cropland. Learn more Slideshow Category: Flex Slider
Equity for farmers of color in California
If passed, California's "Farmer Equity Act" will recognize the historic, systemic wrongs faced by farmers of color — those at the core of building and sustaining our farming communities. Learn more Slideshow Category: Flex Slider

New in Screw You Guys, I'm Going Home

If My Office Is Closed Due To A Hurricane Do I Get Paid?
With Texas recovering from Harvey and Irma bearing down on Florida right now, I thought I'd re-run this popular and necessary column. Whether you’re entitled to be paid when the office is closed depends on whether you are “exempt” salaried or not. Just being salaried doesn’t necessarily mean you aren’t entitled to overtime. It’s possible to be salaried and still non-exempt from the requirements of
OSHA Protects You From Dangerous Working Conditions Post-Hurricane
I'm getting lots of calls and emails about employers making employees work in conditions they deem unsafe. Here's what OSHA says about workplace safety: You have the right to a safe workplace . The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) was passed to prevent workers from being killed or seriously harmed at work. The law requires that employers provide their employees with working con

New in Syria Comment

Mahdi al-Harati: a Libyan Force Multiplier
By @tamhussein Mahdi al-Harati Sitting across Mahdi al-Harati in the hotel lobby it is difficult to see why anyone would want this quiet Libyan dead. His insulin rests on the low table alongside his sugarless coffee and with him is his over-protective doctor and friend. But you need to look closer, there is his trademark military cap worn even inside the lobby, accompanied by wrap round shades; t
Iraqi Minorities Face a Dilemma in Kurdish Independence
By Saad Babir After gaining control of much of Iraq and Syria, the Islamic State jihadist movement (IS) and other Sunni extremists committed grave atrocities and international human rights violations against non-Sunni minorities, including perhaps the most extreme crime of all, the genocide that was perpetrated against Yazidis, Christians, and Shia Muslims. As IS is gradually defeated on the batt
Kurdish Independence and the Unheard Yazidi Voice — by Murad Ismael
This article was originally published Sept. 22, 2017 on al-Arabiya and can be accessed here . by Murad Ismael Yazidis have a population of about a half million people in Iraq. Their voting power in the upcoming independence referendum in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) marks nearly ten percent of eligible voters, which would suggest that the beleaguered minority group has an important politica
KRG Targets Minorities Ahead of Kurdistan Independence Referendum — Part One: Exploiting the Yazidi Genocide
Large signage placed in the Chamishko IDP camp near Zakho for displaced Yazidis. The imagery includes Masoud Barzani’s face above the Yazidi Sharfeddin Temple in Sinjar, scenes from the Yazidi Genocide, and Peshmerga with the Kurdistan flag. The Kurdish text reads: “For the commemoration of the Shingal Genocide—Shingal, through its tragedy, has brought forth the spirit of humanity and proved its
Unwinnable: Britain’s war in Afghanistan 2001-2014- by Tam Hussein
The 9/11 attacks gave birth to a Manichean world which is, as I write this, being played out in Syria and Iraq amongst other places. With this world in mind and the upcoming 9/11 anniversary, Professor Theo Farrel’s Unwinnable is a timely reminder of the consequences of the War on Terror in terms of lives, treasure and more; thousands of Afghan migrants clustered in Calais and Dunkirk hoping to c

New in The Ergosphere

Most people are idiots. Case in point:
I bring you to this page at arguments.com. Direct quote: The 12 flywheels employed by electricity users and utilities store about 77 MW of energy.If a presumptive energy blogger does not know the difference between MW and MWh, one should be removed directly from one's keyboard and publicly flogged. I can find no putative author or contact address on this blog. This is probably a good thing...
Pathetic performance of tidal power station lauded as "world record"
In a "record month" at the MeyGen tidal power project in the Pentland Firth... I'll just quote them: A tidal power station in the Pentland Firth between mainland Scotland and Orkney has broken the world record for electricity generation.... In an update on the progress of the MeyGen project, by Atlantis Resources, the company said it had generated 700 megawatt-hours of electricity in August, a

New in The Straight Goods

Where is John Horgan?...Affordability in Canada, Seniors Living in Poverty, Provincial Clawbacks and Medical Necessities
Written by Grant G I received an email from a regular reader of The Straight Goods.... The man, a senior in a residential government run carehome emailed me...asking me to talk to John Horgan about an issue that affects many low income seniors....The man's frustration was on two fronts...the first being, clawbacks....there are many seniors in British Columbia who are on, classified as disabled,..
Laurie Throness and Daryll Plecas-The Sickness and The Sanity and "A Political Masterstroke"
Written by Grant G What a fascinating last 6 months, a never ending elections, missteps, bad political advice and toxic rot that infected the entire BC Liberal Party Lots of nasty chatter in regards to Daryll Plecas taking to position of Speaker of the House, Liberal party huffed and puffed and tossed Daryll out of the party, constituents who voted for Plecas under a Liberal banner are shouting r

New in thwap's schoolyard

Late September Heat Wave
To hear the global warming experts tell it; We're going to COOK man! We're going to FRY! Methane is rising up from the bottom of the Arctic Ocean. The permafrost will melt and more methane will explode out of the earth. Shrinking polar ice will mean less white reflecting the Sun's rays back into space and more dark ocean water absorbing heat. The eco-systems of the oceans will be devastated and s
Instant Gratification
You can't get the things you want instantly. You can't have a big protest and then expect that the powers that be will magically see the light, act against their self-interest and grant you all your demands. It takes sustained campaigns that inflict actual damage on elite structures and power and etc., ... before anything important will happen. You know, a BIG reason why politicians have been sla
Oh Lonesome Me
There was one part of Russell Brand's book that affected me. The human need for community. He says that consumer capitalism destroys so many of the opportunities for community. Brand himself mentions religions and sport teams. I confess to sometimes casting wistful glances at the church groups/ethnic communities/extended families/workplace friends that I see cavorting merrily in Sunnybrook Park w
Belated Review of Russell Brand's "Revolution"
Back in 2013 a lot of people were excited by an interview on the BBC between Jeremy Paxman and Russell Brand . There were demonstrations and riots in Britain and Brand (a comedian) had recently co-edited a magazine series about political change and BBC interviewer Paxman brought Brand on the show to comment about what was going on. At one point in the interview, Brand said he didn't vote because
Free Speech for Fascists?
Quick thoughts: Should people we disagree with have free speech and other rights? More precisely: Should fascists have freedom of speech and freedom of assembly and the right to hold their views and not be fired for them? Some will argue that leftists would be chumps to stand up for the free speech rights of fascists. First of all, they wouldn't do so for us. (With the right-wing's perpetual amaz

New in Vagabond Scholar

Labor Day 2017
Happy Labor Day! It’s too easy to take for granted the important victories of the labor movement in the past, and also to overlook the attacks on workers’ right in the present. Some good pieces for the day: The Nation, "The Rollback of Pro-Worker Policies Since Trump Took Office Is Staggering": Last week, as most of us in the United States were riveted by Hurricane Harvey’s descent on Texas,

New in Welcome to Pottersville 2 (Blogging Against Fascism!)

(Happy Un-Labor Day?) Liars Figuring Still (Stop Democracy Now!) Junior Soprano Unleashed: As*hole Defined (Ignorant/Racist USA!) Empire of Never-Ending Debt? (White Lashed) Vouchered Rahm? (After Liberalism? When?) Watershed History Moment (New International Economics Needed) Hillary Hype Resented?
Sorry that this is a ridiculously long one, but I'm catching up as I've been on long-term hiatus due to desperate economic circumstances . . . just grab a tall, cold one; you may need a refill. Many of us do constantly these days. A brief moment of clarity for the jobs-bereft (as well as the life-bereft (h/t to D. Trump's "Have a good time!" to the desperate refugees as he scrambled back to

New in What Is Sustainable

Against the Grain
James C. Scott teaches political science and anthropology at Yale. He’s a smooth writer and a deep thinker. A while back, he decided to update two lectures on agrarian societies that he had been giving for 20 years. He began studying recent research and — gasp! — realized that significant portions of traditional textbook history had the strong odor of moldy cultural myths. So, a quick update proj
Surviving the 21st Century
In the old Three Stooges comedies, whenever Curly did something dumb, angry Moe gave him a dope slap (SMACK!). With regard to humankind’s war on the future, a number of thinkers have been inspired to write passionate dope slap books, including Man and Nature (1864), Conservation of Natural Resources (1910), Checking the Waste (1911), Our Vanishing Wild Life (1913). Dope slap books are a two-step:
Safety Nets
Today, a few billion humans live in affluence. Their unsustainable societies have social safety nets made possible by nonrenewable energy. When they are disrupted by hurricanes, earthquakes, or famine, food relief is usually shipped in from other regions, preventing mass starvation. For most of the human saga, each clan or community was on its own, far less likely to be rescued by outsiders. The

New in Wide Asleep in America

Alan Dershowitz Invented a Scary Quote to Fear-Monger About Iran
Alan Dershowitz is a liar. This is not news, of course. His shoddy scholarship and penchant for plagiarism is well-documented. His relentless and tedious self-promotion, let alone his obsession with celebrity - others', as well as his own - is crude, shameless, and pathetic. His virulent Islamophobia has led him to advocate on behalf of torture and in favor of the Muslim ban. He's defended
Citations Needed, Episode 09: Liberal Media Throws #J20 Activists Under the Bus
The Hashtag Resistance warms up to rightwing ghouls David Frum and Evan McMullin while ignoring anti-Trump protesters facing 80 years in federal prison. In the wake of Trump’s unexpected win, the “Resistance” to Trump displayed by many in liberal media has been a toxic combination of gratuitous smears of left activists and ignoring their existence altogether. As over 200 people — including
Citations Needed, Episode 08: The Human Rights Concern Troll Industrial Complex
Samantha Power The concept of human rights has served as the underlying moral foundation of the United States’s role in the world since the end of World War II. The conceit that the U.S. has been a dedicated and earnest promoter of “freedom”, “democracy,” and “human rights” throughout the world — even if, at times, a “flawed” one — is a defining narrative, largely taken for granted by major
Citations Needed, News Brief: Harvey, Climate Change and Snitch Reporters
On this Citations Needed News Brief, we discuss the media's fear of covering Harvey in the context of race, class, and the manifest threat of climate change. We are joined by Katherine Krueger of Splinter News to talk about journalist narcs and the criminalization of survival. *****
Citations Needed, Episode 07: BDS & The Moral Narratives of Colonization
In Episode 7 of Citations Needed, we explore how the media discusses the issue of BDS and the broader topic of Palestinian liberation. What are the stakes? Who are the smear artists? What are the similarities with past apartheid boycotts? We discusses these topics and more using a pro-apartheid 1989 Christian Science Monitor op-ed as our guide. The Guest Steven Salaita previously held
Citations Needed, News Brief: Charlottesville, The ACLU, and the Moral Limits of 'Free Speech'
In a new Citations Needed News Brief, Adam and I discuss Charlottesville, the ACLU, and the moral limits of 'free speech' with George Ciccariello-Maher, Associate Professor of Politics and Global Studies at Drexel University. *****

New in WPB/NYC and Anything Else; A Green Rights Collection

New in WWF - Latest News

The Mediterranean Sea: incomparable wealth in steep decline
Rome, Italy – Along its 46,000km coastline, the Mediterranean Sea supports around 150 million people living along its shores. The report Reviving the Economy of the Mediterranean Sea: Actions for a sustainable future , launched today, shows that the Mediterranean Sea plays a fundamental role in the region's economy but that the sea's underlying natural asset base – which supports much of the econ
French-led Global Pact for the Environment opportunity to strengthen momentum on climate action
NEW YORK (19 September 2017 ) – As climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation continue to impact the wellbeing of millions worldwide, the Global Pact for the Environment, presented by French President Emmanuel Macron at the UN General Assembly today, should enjoy the support of all world leaders, urges WWF. The initiative, first announced at a conference in Paris in June, off
New IPCC report to include science of attributing extreme events to climate change
BERLIN, Germany (11 September 2017 ) - The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has approved the outlines of its Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) at a meeting in Montreal this week. Dr Stephen Cornelius, Chief Adviser on Climate Change at WWF-UK said: "IPCC Assessment Reports are the authoritative source of information on climate change. The wide-ranging reports cover all aspects of clim
Mondi and WWF extend strategic partnership by three years
Mondi Group and WWF International announced today that they have renewed their global partnership for a further three years. In 2014 Mondi entered into a three-year global partnership with WWF, focusing on promoting environmental stewardship in the packaging and paper sector. This global partnership has now been extended by another three years, becoming the longest standing WWF International part
Judge suspends Brazil government's decision to open up a national reserve for mining
The substitute judge of the 21st Regional Federal Court of the Federal District (TRF1), Rolando Valcir Spanholo, granted on Tuesday, Aug. 29, an injunction that suspends the decree of the Brazilian government that abolishes the National Reserve of Copper and Associates (Renca). The request stemmed from a Public Civil Action that argues that the decree signed by President Temer puts protected area
381 new species discovered in the Amazon
New report reveals that, between 2014-2015, a new plant or animal species was discovered in the Amazon every 2 days - the fastest rate this century; New species include a fire-tailed titi monkey, honeycomb patterned stingray, pink river dolphin, a yellow-moustached lizard and a bird named after former US president Barack Obama; WWF i

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