Saturday, August 31, 2013

31 August - Blogs I'm Following

English: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, then a Judge on ...English: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, then a Judge on the U.S. D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals accepts her nomination to the United States Supreme Court while President Bill Clinton looks on. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Official portrait of Supreme Court Justice Rut...Official portrait of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
1:27pm MDST

US SPY BOSS MESSAGE ON SYRIA GAS ATTACK ALLEGEDLY HACKED

Anon at aangirfan - 20 minutes ago
*Obama Will Seek Syria Vote in Congress* *The following may be true or may be disinformation.* "Hacker €Wagn3r got access to american intelligence officer correspondence and published Col. ANTHONY J. MACDONALD's mails. "He’s big boss from the US Army Staff Intelligence: "In the message August 22 Eugene Furst congratulates Col. on successful operation and refers him to publication of Washington Post about chemical attack in Syria. "From the Anthony’s wife dialog with her friend it’s clear *the video* with the children killed in the chemical attack near Damascus was staged by U.S.... more »

A Reading for the Pigou Club

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 35 minutes ago
Click here to read my column in Sunday's *NY Times*.

The History of Video Games

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 37 minutes ago
While I was away from blogging, I found that occasionally I had spaces of time to fill. Thanks to our near-infinite supply of books, more than a few hours were so spent. But when the media of cadaverous trees was not enough I got into retro video games. Hence why readers have to put up with occasional posts about them. I am far from the only one who has this peccadillo. The vast expansion of content on YouTube these last few years is fuelling interest in what the games systems of yesteryear have to offer. And it's not just folk of a certain vintage reliving digital nostalgia for a ... more »

Is Canada going to participate in Syrian war?

LeDaro at LeDaro - 44 minutes ago
The answer is yes. The participation will be covert. King Harper is not sit and just watch it. He doesn’t want silly discussions in the Canadian Parliament - there he is in favour of pro-rogue. *HMCS Toronto* *"Military sources tell CTV News it would take at least a week to get Canadian assets into the area, when a precision strike could be just days away.* ** *Canada is capable of taking over U.S. military tasks in some locations to free up American resources. Canada could also provide capabilities like transport and refuelling…… * ** *The Canadian warship HMCS Toronto is currentl... more »

Slaying the Mythical al-Qaeda Beast

Paul Coker at News Spike - 1 hour ago
** * * * `Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. "Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!" He took his vorpal sword in hand: Long time the manxome foe he sought -- So rested he by the Tumtum tree, And stood awhile in thought. And, as in uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, And burbled as it came! One, two! One, two! And through and... more »

What Mattered This Week?

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 1 hour ago
Well, Syria, obviously. I'm going to mention, however, the latest confirmation that Ruth Bader Ginsburg is going nowhere anytime soon. Really could be a very big deal. It sure was an unusually newsy week for the last week of August, no? Not sure what I have for "didn't matter." How about impeachment talk? I'm as guilty as anyone for picking up on stray comments by GOP politicians, and in some symbolic sense one could make a case for it being important, but I'm not really sure the comments do matter. What do you think? What am I missing? What do you think mattered this week?

We've come too far to turn back now

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 1 hour ago
It wasn't so long ago that Republicans won an election by fearmongering about gays destroying "traditional marriage." So it's rather stunning that we've evolved so quickly to this level of public acceptance of equal marriage rights for gays. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will become the first Supreme Court member to conduct a same-sex marriage ceremony Saturday when she officiates at the Washington wedding of Kennedy Center President Michael M. Kaiser. The gala wedding of Kaiser and economist John Roberts at the performing arts center brings together the nation’s highest court and t... more »

Michael Ratner, President Emeritus of the Center for Constitutional Rights, explains the REAL reason why Obama has been intent on attacking Syria. It is not to destroy chemical weapons but rather to degrade the Syrian military, leading ultimately to "...the overthrow of Assad and getting rid of some of the opposition groups that the United States doesn't want in there." The only lawful international justifications for a war of agression are (1) self defense and (2) a ruling by the UN Security Council. The only national justification under the U.S. Constitution is an affirmative vote of the U.S. Congress. Obama will violate both if he goes forward with his plan.

David L Griscom at Cherchez la Verite - 2 hours ago
------------------------------ * the**REALnews Permalink* *Fool Me Twice, Shame on US* Michael Ratner: Obama administration asserting the use chemical weapons by Assad feels like deja vu of the lead-up to the Iraq War - *August 31, 13* More at The Real News *Bio* Michael Ratner is President Emeritus of the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) in New York and Chair of the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights in Berlin. He is currently a legal adviser to Wikileaks and Julian Assange. He ... more »

Has The State Of North Carolina Given Up On The Concept Of Democracy? Ask Art Pope, Who Owns The State's Political Establishment

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 2 hours ago
For decades you could ask any progressive who the most evil and dangerous man in North Carolina was and the overwhelming response would have been "Jesse Helms" or, just plain "Jesse," a former ConservaDem-- very much like today's ConservaDems-- who finally switched to the Republican Party, just like Strom Thurmond and most of the racist trash from the garbage heap of the pre-Voting Rights Act southern Democratic parties. Today, however, not everyone knows who North Carolina's most evil and dangerous man is. Some might say it's the state's bungling and floundering governor, Pat McCr... more »

NSA... illegal to use

Abraham Ben Judea at Abraham says - 2 hours ago
According to law 86-36...even mentioning or writing the initials NSA, requires permission from the director of *N*-O * S*-UCH * A*-GENCY *NSA Lawfully Intercepts Use of Its Logos* http://www.dailydot.com/news/nsa-trademark-infringement-liberty-maniacs/"The NSA seal is protected by Public Law 86-36, which states that it is not permitted for “…any person to use the initials ‘NSA,’ the words ‘National Security Agency’ and the NSA seal without first acquiring written permission from the Director of NSA.” http://i1.cpcache.c... more »

Fighting Wildfire in Santiago de Besteiros, Portugal

LeDaro at LeDaro - 2 hours ago
*VALIANT EFFORT: A person used a bucket of water to fight a wildfire in Santiago de Besteiros, Portugal, Friday. (Francisco Seco/Associated Press)* This should extinguish the fire. Every drop of water helps. :)

Phillip Agnew: Director of Dream Defenders - 50th anniversary of MLK "I have a dream speech"

LeDaro at LeDaro - 2 hours ago
*"Director of Dream Defenders Phillip Agnew and leader of United We Dream Sofia Campos were ready to represent our generation at the commemorative events of the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington. But at the last minute, they were cut from the speaking roster because of "time".*Published on Aug 29, 2013 Instead Philip Agnew gave his speech in front of a camera and posted it on YouTube. Chris Hays of MSNBC broadcasted his speech on his show All In. It is worth watching. Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Senator Obama in 2007

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 2 hours ago
"The president does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation ... In instances of self-defense, the president would be within his constitutional authority to act before advising Congress or seeking its consent ... History has shown us time and again, however, that military action is most successful when it is authorized and supported by the legislative branch."

Prime Minister Cameron's utter humiliation in Parliament today is Exhibit A for why President Obama will absolutely refuse to request War Authority from Congress - he knows what's in store for him if he tries that ! And here is the big issue - the issue Obama and the war mongers do NOT want to debate publicly - is the US campaigning in syria in support of Al Qaeda and proponents of transitional jihadist islam ?

Catharsis Ours - 2 hours ago
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2406208/Syria-conflict-Tory-rebellion-forces-Prime-Minister-David-Cameron-rule-military-strike-country.html David Cameron’s authority in Parliament and on the world stage was dealt an unprecedented blow last night as he faced a breathtaking Commons defeat over plans for missile strikes on Syria. In an extraordinary assault on the Prime Minister’s authority, 50 coalition MPs joined Labour in voting against a watered-down Government motion supporting the ‘principle’ of military action. There were shouts of ‘resign’ from the Labour benches as th... more »

It's Saturday...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 2 hours ago
*what's going on.* *Syria:* Economic Collapse: Who Benefits From A War Between The United States And Syria? American Thinker: Mr. Flexible's Inflexible Stance on Syria SHTF Plan: War Within 72 Hours: “The World Understands that the American People Are Being Zombified” Ulsterman Report: Move Over Jimmy – Barack Hussein Obama Now “Worst Foreign Policy President Ever” * Obamacare:* Maggie's Notebook: Ted Cruz: ObamaCare PaperWork Requires 190M+ Hours Annually – Could Build 1547 Mt. Rushmores Lonely Conservative: 52 reasons Why ObamaCare Won’t Work Weasel Zippers: Obamac... more »

MOSSAD LIED; TROODOS IN CYPRUS DID NOT PICK UP ANYTHING IMPLICATING ASSAD

Anon at aangirfan - 2 hours ago
*The UK's listening post on Mount Troodos in Cyprus which did not pick up any messages implicating Assad in the gas attack.* * *Former UK ambassador Craig Murray tells us about *The Troodos Conundrum* The UK has the best spy equipment in the region of Syria and yet it failed to pick up any evidence implicating Assad in the gas attack in Damascus. *Craig Murray writes:* "The GCHQ listening post on Mount Troodos in Cyprus monitors all radio, satellite and microwave traffic across the Middle East... "Even almost all landline telephone communication in this region is routed through mic... more »

Hard at work...

Sandra Guzman at Sandra Guzman - 2 hours ago

Obama – the Nobel Peace Prize!

Hani Fakhouri at Middle East Today - 2 hours ago
President Barack Obama, the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize because of his opposition to the invasion of Iraq, is reversing his political role. He is now acting as an advocate for punishing President Bashar al-Assad of Syria for using poisonous chemical gas against his people. The use of such weapons, regardless of who uses them, should be condemned by the whole world. The irony of American politics and the tactics used by its politicians, especially its presidents, is that a link is always made between international issues and American national interest or national security. ... more »

Workaday answers

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 2 hours ago
Head This week's *Newswatch *saw Samira Ahmed interviewing Mary Hockaday, head of the BBC Newsroom. They discussed charges of liberal bias against the corporation, particularly in the light of their coverage of the David Miranda story and the CPS report into BBC bias. The quoted viewer complaints which preceded the interview (and which echoed my own feelings) were: "68,999 people detained and, as far as I can tell, the media don't give a stuff. The 69,000th is the partner of a prominent journalist, and the news industry goes ballistic." "Had Mr. Miranda been the partner of a *Tel... more »

Thanks for this @stoptesting15: DCPS wellness policy on recess

Chalk Face, PhD at SCHOOLS MATTER @ THE CHALK FACE - 3 hours ago
The reader may or may not know: I walked away from higher education to return to the classroom. I’m now teaching Kindergarten in Washington, DC. After our first week, schedules are continually adjusted to meet this or that requirement. For instance, the District mandates 120 minutes for ELA and 90 minutes for math. That leaves […]

Long Live the Syria Army: Defenders of Freedom and Victims of Terrorism and Lies

Rufus News From Atlantis at News From Atlantis. - 3 hours ago
The 'British' Government is comprised of people who can be classed as amongst most depraved anti-humans who roam the Earth. These so-called democratic representatives of the British people, are in reality the lackeys of international finance, and the wholly-owned whores of multinational corporations. It is not in jest that the UK government is referred to as a Zionist Occupation Government. Just like the other ZOGs across the shattered remains of what used to be the civilised European world, those who sit in the UK Parliament are tools of the enemies of humanity, and they do not ... more »

Bill Whittle: First, the Grotesque...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 3 hours ago
*I vowed not to say anything about Miley Cyrus, so I'll let Bill Whittle say it for me - and I thank him.*

Why I am running for President of the Massachusetts Teachers Association

Barbara Madeloni at SCHOOLS MATTER @ THE CHALK FACE - 3 hours ago
I became a teacher because I was committed to public education as the soil in which we grow the democratic project. I became a teacher of English Language Arts because it seemed an ideal space in which to develop empathy and imagination; to ask the questions of meaning and purpose that guide our choices; to […]

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 3 hours ago
*Levee Board Takes On Oil Industry Over Damage To Delta ~Eve Troeh, WWNO*

Not everything is political

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 4 hours ago
Seamus Heaney - famous, and rightly so I've long found that the BBC's political concerns have a tendency to intrude into places where you wouldn't expect them to intrude. You can be minding your own business, enjoying some history, arts, science or drama programme, when up crops some jarring political point. Then sometimes when there *is* a political aspect to something, thought it's not of prime importance - such as a sub-theme in a novel, or some incident in a composer's life -, that political theme comes to dominate the discussion on a BBC programme far more than it ought to. Re... more »

As the moment approaches when Obama will either make himself a war criminal or ignominiously call off his attack on Syria, Paul Craig Roberts is a man on fire: "Intoxicated with hubris from past successful lies and deceptions used to destroy Iraq and Libya, Obama thought the US 'superpower,' the 'exceptional' and 'indispensable' country, could pull it off again, this time in Syria. But the rest of the world has learned to avoid Washington’s rush to war when there is no evidence." Roberts also excoriates "the presstitute media on the evening news" for "beating the drums for war," as well as the brainwashed Americans that still listen to them.

David L Griscom at Cherchez la Verite - 4 hours ago
------------------------------ *America Totally Discredited — Paul Craig Roberts* ------------------------------ August 30, 2013 | Original Here Go here to sign up to receive email notice of this news letter America Totally Discredited Paul Craig Roberts A foolish President Obama and moronic Secretary of State Kerry have handed the United States government its worst diplomatic defeat in history and destroyed the credibility of the Office of the President, the Department of State, and the entire executive branch. All are exposed as a ... more »

U.S., Britain and Israel have used chemical weapons in the last 10 years

LeDaro at LeDaro - 5 hours ago
When the U.S, Britain and Israel uses these chemical weapons then it is okay. There is no repercussions. However, if any other country uses it then it is a crime against humanity. Hypocrisy and double talk. The U.S used chemical weapons against civilians in Iraq in 2004. Israel used chemical weapons against Palestinians repeatedly and there is evidence that Britain did the same in last decade. *Palestinian civilians and medics run to safety during * *an Israeli strike using phosphorus shells at a UN school. * *Photograph: Mohammed Abed/AFP* *"But the U.S. used chemical weapons agains... more »

Death Penalty for Failing Schools?

antiqueteacher60 at SCHOOLS MATTER @ THE CHALK FACE - 5 hours ago
http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/buffalo-public-schools/coumo-urges-death-penalty-for-failing-schools-20130829 So, then there’s this……….Governor Cuomo calling for a “death penalty” for failing schools. Great…….so school communities get to choose their method of execution. And, honestly, I’ve been wondering where my excitement for the start of the school year has gone? Previously, ‘failing’ as been defined by both the Governor and the Commissioner as ‘academic’ […]

Fukushima updates ( 8/31 ) Fukushima radioactive leaks alleged to be causing the water to boil off Japan coast - with pictures.....Assessing the projected devastating radioactive contamination over time , national security issues raised - where are you Secretary of state John Kerry and President Obama ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 5 hours ago
Fukushima just keeps getting worse and beyond the control of Tepco..... http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2013_08_31/Fukushima-radioactive-leak-causes-the-sea-off-Japan-coast-to-boil-1867/?from=menu Fukushima radioactive leak causes the sea off Japan coast to boil [image: япония аэс Фукусима-1 Фукусима Фукусима-1 выходит из-под контроля радиация защитный костюм] Photo: EPA The sea is boiling off of the coast of Fukushima, Japan, and the picture of this devastating phenomenon has recently been called the photo of the day by Coolbuster. While it certainly can’t be good for any plant or a... more »

The Unseen Guest

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 6 hours ago
Not present Today's *Dateline London *was wholly devoted to the issue of Syria and made for interesting viewing. This may be accounted for by the fact that the panel was atypical in *not*being tilted towards what might be described as 'the *Guardian *worldview'. It consisted of Henry Chu of the *Los Angeles Times*, Mina al-Oraibi of Asharq Al-Awsat, Alex Deane of *ConservativeHome* and Bozorgmehr Sharafedi of the BBC Persian Service. Their contributions helped me to think about a few things I've never thought about before - which is a good thing. That said, there was a tilt - and ... more »

Open wide

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 6 hours ago
People are too bony to eat; we are lacking the comfort-food blubber the bears need to endure the cold.

A list...

Roobin at THROUGH THE SCARY DOOR - 6 hours ago
List of notable people to be interned had the nazis successfully invaded Britain. It's a small lesson in the meaning of fascism. Fascism means the dismantling of all democracy. The vast majority stand to lose from fascism. We must always be sure to cast our net wide when it comes to anti-fascist campaigning. Max Aitken, Lord Beaverbrook Sir Norman Angell, Labour MP awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1933 Robert Baden-Powell, founder and leader of Scouting (the Nazis regarded Scouting as a spy organisation) Edvard Beneš, President of the Czechoslovak government in exile Violet Bonham Car... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 6 hours ago
*Huey Long is in “complicated” relationship ~Michelle Mollhollon, New Orleans Advocate* *BP expands challenge to Gulf spill settlement* *DNR okays permit for coal export terminal in Plaquemines Parish ~Amy Wold*

The Barbara Lee Letter Asking Obama To Stick To The Constitution-- Who Signed It? And Who Refused?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 6 hours ago
Barbara Lee and 53 other Democrats sent a letter to President Obama Thursday in the hopes of slowing down the rush to war in Syria. It was similar to the message the British Parliament delivered to David Cameron Thursday: "don't be so trigger-happy and let's at least wait and see what the UN inspectors have to say about who used the chemical weapons. And these are the Members of Congress who signed it. If your congressmember's name isn't on the list... he or she did not sign the letter. You might want to ask him or her why. Barbara Lee (D-CA) Lois Capps (D-CA) Mike Honda (D-CA)... more »

"Unwritten Law" did exist! Astonishing

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 6 hours ago
I always assumed the "unwritten law", that is, a husband could kill his wife's lover if caught in adultery, was just an urban myth. The suggestion that provocation, a legitimate defence used today, is the modern form of "unwritten law" fails as provocation does not justify homicide - it merely goes to degree of guilt - and is not directed at adultery at all. Both Blackstone and Hale expressly held there was no justifiable homicide at Common Law if a man killed his wife's lover. But some United States jurisdictions did write the "unwritten law" and those statutes remained into th... more »

No Simple Answers

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 6 hours ago
The United States and France appear ready to attack Syria. If that happens, Iran says it is ready to attack Israel. And Israel has atomic weapons. Bob Rae wrote this week that: A couple of years ago I had the chance to meet Benjamin Netanyahu and Shimon Peres, Israel’s prime minister and president, respectively, in separate meetings. The subject was Iran. For Mr. Netanyahu, the issue was clear: Iran is arming itself with a nuclear capacity, and the rest of the world had to be prepared to “act.” For Mr. Peres, the conversation went in a different direction. We know Iran is up to no... more »

SEQUESTER & FISCAL CLIFF = BOMB SYRIA FOR ISRAEL

Big Dan at Big Dan's Big Blog - 7 hours ago
*The SEQUESTER & FISCAL CLIFF ARE OVER! We have enough $$$$$$ to bomb Syria! Hooray!* *We'll have to raise the "DEBT CEILING" to bomb Syria.......and cut UNEMPLOYMENT some more........* Did you notice that after bombarding us with the words SEQUESTER & FISCAL CLIFF 24x7 for months by politicians and their mainstream "news", they suddenly stopped talking about that for the last few weeks in the lead-up to bombing Syria? They brainwashed us into thinking we needed a SEQUESTER because we are going BROKE and have no MONEY and we are going off a FISCAL CLIFF. Now SUDDENLY we have the ... more »

The people versus the construction-industrial state

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 7 hours ago
*A candy maker in Tainan sculpts a goldfish.* The construction-industrial state cancer in Taiwan continues to metastasize, this time consuming a chunk of land belonging to the Thao people.... Performing a traditional exorcism ritual, a group of Thao Aborigines yesterday protested against a build-operate-transfer (BOT) resort project near Sun Moon Lake on Thao traditional lands, for which the government gave initial approval without consulting them. ............ The Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area Administration Office and the Nantou County Government are planning to work with... more »

"Labor Day"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 8 hours ago
Enjoy the holiday weekend, folks. I too will be offline and away for a couple days. Be safe! See you when I get back. - CP

...And the rain continues

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 8 hours ago
We're getting pounded. The center and south are overwhelmed with water. Rail lines out. Apple Daily ran this image of a building sliding off a mountain (video at that link), and a gigantic boulder that slid down a hill. The boulder is on video: A Facebook friend posted some pics of a train he is trapped on, stuck outside Keelung: Ugh. Tracks knocked out in several places, according to news reports. PNN has a collection of news vids on Youtube in Chinese showing the damage. Tomorrow we expect more of the same.... _______________________ [Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And ch... more »

Generating hot air

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 8 hours ago
Bacon on a bike BBC Radio 5 Live proudly announces: A day of output dedicated to the energy debate with a studio powered by renewable energy. The BBC Media Centre provides all the details of the day here. The *Daily Telegraph*'s Damian Thompson is not impressed: If you’re a fan of BBC Radio 5 Live, you should steer clear of it on September 5. Unless you’re a raging eco-bore, in which case you’re in for a treat. To mark Energy Day, whatever that is, “Richard Bacon will be powered by the pedal as exercise bikes are set up for guests and Richard himself to 'hop-on’.” Ed Davey and Car... more »

"‘Boiling Sea’ Off Fukushima"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 9 hours ago
*"‘Boiling Sea’ Off Fukushima" * By Live Free or Die ․ "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." - “Bhagavad Gita” "The sea is boiling off of the coast of Fukushima, Japan and the picture below has been called a viral photo of the day by Coolbuster. Check out the picture, what is that all about? It certainly can’t be good for any plant or animal life left off of the coast of Japan… if this radiation keeps leaking, and there’s no way to stop it, will boiling seas spread all the way across the Pacific Ocean to the West Coast of the United States? If so, what happens then?... more »

“How a Moment Can Change the Course of Life"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 10 hours ago
Joshua Prager, “How a Moment Can Change the Course of Life: The Crash That Couldn't Break Me” - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

Ozzie impartiality rules

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 10 hours ago
"Pale, male and stale" - Phil Mercer, BBC Despite what they say at a certain university in Cardiff... One of the BBC's Australia correspondents seemed to be engaged in something of a campaign against the tough immigration policies of that country's politicians. Phil Mercer's piece on Radio 4's *Sunday *a couple of weeks ago, described here, was one of the most loaded pieces I've heard on the BBC for a long time, with a stream of pro-immigration 'talking heads' denouncing tough immigration policies and the reporter himself offering just two explanations for the irrationality ("dee... more »

Court to decide in Formosa Plastics Lawsuit against Environmental Researcher

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 10 hours ago
Nature has a write-up of the coming court decision in the case of the scientist sued by a big company for reporting on what it was doing to the environment. A Taiwanese court will rule on 4 September in a libel lawsuit filed by a petrochemical company against an environmental engineer whose studies had suggested that a plant operated by the company was causing higher cancer rates in its vicinity. In December 2010 Ben-Jei Tsuang, an environmental engineer at Taiwan’s National Chung Hsing University in Taichung, presented evidence of increased cancer rates in residents living near ... more »

South China Sea: Beijing has no historical claim

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 10 hours ago
With the Obama Administration about to engage in more aimless, useless killing in the Middle East (brilliantly satirized by Andy Borowitz in the New Yorker this week), an excellent and timely piece reminds us of the coming wars in Asia as China flexes its expansionist muscles. This piece argues, as so many of us have before, that history is the weak link in China's maritime claims: History, as is well known, is written by the victors, not the vanquished. China’s present borders largely reflect the frontiers established during the spectacular episode of eighteenth-century Qing (Man... more »

How geopolitics are made - the plan behind Syria as a lesson to the world...

address-withheld@my.opera.com.invalid (Dr. John v. Kampen) at - 11 hours ago
Link: http://youtu.be/cCdaExnIpGs James Corbett and his The Corbett Report analysis of the Syria crisis is a Must See. It demonstrates how geopolitics are shaped and executed. It also shows how misleading (or 'worthless') main stream media have become, when you read or see about Syria. The conflict about Syria could plunge the planet in a global war of catastrophic proportions. In particular now AP/BBC reporter Dale Gavlak revealed that he discovered Saudi-backed mercenaries in Syria, who -by accident (?)- launched chemical weapons! John

David Lloyd tells a tale

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 11 hours ago
David Lloyd aka Bumble tells the tale of being hit in the gentleman's area by a ball from Jeff Thompson. I think he's practised the telling of this story quite a bit. As an aside, here's Bumble distracted by a sausage... And here's David Lloyd telling a great Geoffrey Boycott story

LUNCH WITH THE FT - ASMA ASSAD

Anon at aangirfan - 11 hours ago
* * *Asma Assad, from London.* To discuss the gas attack in Damascus, I have lunch with Asma, the wife of President Assad. We meet at Il Circo restaurant, at the Four Seasons Hotel, in Damascus. Asma orders Pizza Margherita, which has Buffalo Mozzarella, Tomato and Fresh Basil; I order Grilled Sea Bass with Sautéed Vegetables and Caper Sauce *Il Circo* Asma was born in Acton, in London. Her father was a consultant at the Cromwell Hospital. Asma graduated from King's College London in 1996 with a degree in computer science and a diploma in French literature. Asma takes a keen int... more »

"The Bird And The Cage"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 12 hours ago
* * *"The Bird And The Cage"* by Paulo Coelho "Once upon a time, there was a bird. He was adorned with two perfect wings and with glossy, colorful, marvelous feathers. One day, a woman saw this bird and fell in love with him. She invited the bird to fly with her, and the two travelled across the sky in perfect harmony. She admired and venerated and celebrated that bird. But then she thought: He might want to visit far-off mountains! And she was afraid, afraid that she would never feel the same way about any other bird. And she thought: “I’m going to set a trap. The next time the ... more »

37 Eliz Rd - dream infiltration - We All Burn Together

Mike Philbin at PROGNOSIS II - 12 hours ago
very strange 'dream infiltration' just happened... I happened to arrive at 37 Elizabeth Road, Haydock (a place where several dreams have been set), via a circuitous side alley route that 'just doesn't exist' but existed at my (German) nan's house. I used the 'back door' to enter 37 Eliz Rd and it was obvious that a) the decor was totally different from what I remember and b) someone had already been in and ransacked it. In my head was Paul McCartney's frog song, which doesn't go: WE ALL *BURN*TOGETHER . Odd, and ominous, in light of second dream I had where I was explaining to the ... more »

An Announcement

Daniel Nexon at Duck of Minerva - 13 hours ago
As many of our readers know, I am the incoming editor-in-chief of International Studies Quarterly, the “flagship journal” of the International Studies Association. My team will begin to take new submissions in October. The full handoff occurs in January of 2014. The scope and nature of the responsibilities involved are inconsistent with an active presence here. Continue reading

GAIA PORTAL: Gaia Higher Vibrationals currently call for Hue-manity Collaboration…

Americani Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 14 hours ago
* * * * *Gaia Higher Vibrationals currently call for Hue-manity Collaboration…* by ÉirePort Gaia Higher Vibrationals currently call for Hue-manity Collaboration in refinement of grid points connections along all channels of resistance. Such channels of resistance have served their function and are resisting change in paradigm. Collaboration of Hue-manity will refine and align such resistance channels with Ascension protocols now in place. Understanding of this message occurs from Higher Levels only. 3D-4D analysis will fail to give such. As Higher Guidance is followed, understand... more »

An Epic Disaster In The Making: A Round-Up of Articles About Obama's Upcoming War On Syria

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 14 hours ago
*Obama looking sombre and grave as he prepares to drop bombs over Damascus. Photo Source: AP Photo/Evan Vucci. Cheer up, Obama. We're all mortals. * *An Epic Disaster In The Making: A Round-Up of Articles About Obama's Upcoming War On Syria.* "Release of the long-awaited US government intelligence dossier on the alleged chemical attack in Syria on Aug. 21, had been moved and postponed until the media black-hole of a Friday afternoon before a big US holiday weekend. Now we see why. Here is the crux of the White House argument for war on Syria: A chemical attack took place. ... more »

Your moment of Zen

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 14 hours ago
Life is a highway. [photo via Harry Hunsicker]

Sunday Classics' Great Moments in Music History: Arnold Schoenberg, the movie mogul, and the mogul's "boys"

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 15 hours ago
*Schoenberg, seen in a 1910 self-portrait (Yes, he was also a painter)* *by Ken* Or we could call this installment of Great Moments in Music History: "The Day Arnold Schoenberg's career as a Hollywood film composer began and ended." As I mentioned last week, I've been reading the second part of Arthur Rubinstein's autobiography, *My Many Years*. And as I also mentioned, Rubinstein seems to have known just about everybody in the world of the arts (not just music) through most of his career. In October 1939, with Poland already fallen to the German *Blitzkrieg* that set off World W... more »

the laws of nature

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 15 hours ago
ufo italy the laws of nature

Obama Promises "Limited" And "Narrow" Strikes Against Syria

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 15 hours ago
War is not a casual affair. But the way President Obama speaks you'd think America is just going for a stroll in the park. This is criminal and irresponsible leadership. If you are going to go to war, state your reasons, provide the evidence for the other side's wrongdoing, explain why there are no peaceful avenues, and then bomb the shit out of the enemy. But, this is not Obama's approach. He has not provided any evidence, he is barely stating his reasons why he wants to attack Syria other than repeating the lie about Assad using chemical weapons, he is not serious about making... more »

Mediterranean Moon - KP Devlin

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 16 hours ago
Title: Mediterranean Moon - KP Devlin. Source: YouTube Channel wwwKx. LYRICS (from 5:51): End of the day What a turbulent sky Floating away On the waves in your eyes Dangerous moves In a precarious place Hold on to my hand, my love And we're flying through space Oh, Mediterranean Moon See how your disciples have strewn From Egypt to Andalusia Madrigal lines In the obsidian night Drinking the wine And absorbing the light Phantasma rays And Illyrian psalms Casting away everything You did that was wrong No one can touch you Out over the sea No one can know you No one but me

“5 Terrifying Statements in the Leaked Climate Report”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 16 hours ago
* * *“5 Terrifying Statements in the Leaked Climate Report”* By Chris Mooney “Climate Desk has obtained a leaked copy of the draft Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 2013 Summary for Policymakers report, which other media outlets are also reporting on. The document is dated June 7, 2013. We recognize, as we've previously reported, that this document is not final, and is in fact certain to change. Most media outlets are focusing on the document's conclusion that it is now "extremely likely"—or, 95 percent certain—that humans are behind much of the global warming seen over... more »

Another Great Video Narrated By Snordelhans.... Wargasm!

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 16 hours ago
It definitely does appear that we are on the eve of another war against another innocent nation... This time the psychotic warmongers occupying the American government are about to go to war against the innocent nation of Syria based only on lies and falsehoods..... It is so amazing to see the American public do almost nothing to stop their so called "elected" criminals in their insane lust for war and bloodshed... I have long been a fan of the fine works that have been narrated by Patrick Willis, aka.. Snordster, or Snordelhans, and I have a brand new one to present here for all of... more »

Will Obama Intervene In Israel When It Uses Chemical Weapons Against Palestinians?

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 16 hours ago
Strong nations want to protect the weak against chemical weapons used by immoral states? Sounds good. No one should have any problem with this sound moral, political, and legal response to a crime against humanity. But, how can nations like France, England, and America honestly say that they are interested in protecting the weak and punishing immoral states for using chemical weapons when their record suggests otherwise? *French companies gave Saddam's regime poison gas in the 1980s*, so France needs some explaining to do before it lectures Assad. Ditto for Washington. Don't exp... more »

Maths for Americans

Paul Coker at News Spike - 17 hours ago
* "To initiate a war of aggression, therefore, is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." * Any action by either the *UN* or *NATO* on Syria is a mathematical impossibility, and there is zero legal basis for unilateral action. Therefore it will not happen. Anyone who says otherwise is just blowing smoke and is probably either William Hague, French, or an agent of the Mossad. *NATO* has fought precisely one war, and that was in circumvention of... more »

U.S. WANTS TO BE JUDGE, JURY AND EXECUTIONER OVER SYRIA GASSINGS

US Secretary of State John Kerry has said that, having considered the evidence presented in a Government Assessment released yesterday, the US will punish the Syrian government for its alleged use of chemical weapons in Damascus on 21 August 2013. The US government has taken it upon itself to act as judge, jury and executioner over the Syria gassings. It asserts that the Government Assessment represents all the evidence it needs to justify ‘punishing’ the Syrian government despite the fact that the UN inspection team has not yet delivered its report and the mounting evidence that th... more »

From our You Can't Make This Stuff Up Dept.: Oops! Arkansas advocate for arming teachers accidentally shot one

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 18 hours ago
*Somebody thought it would be a good idea to put a firearm in the hands of this guy?* *by Ken* When NRA psychopath Wayne LaPierre and his gun-totin' fellow loonies floated the idea of arming teachers in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting, I don't think I was alone in thinking it was urgent that these people were far too removed from reality to be allowed any voice in any discussion of school safety. Anyone who doesn't grasp the insanity of dumping guns into schools is truly a danger to humanity, in particular to the teachers and children destined to be victims of those gun... more »

News from the Jews

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 18 hours ago
*Israeli "intelligence" used to justify yet another war, Jewish child abuse & pedophilia, more "anti-Semitism" programming* Well, it looks like America will be at war with yet another Muslim nation thousands of miles away that poses no threat to our nation or our interests in a matter of days, if not hours. I won't go through all the developments leading up to this, but I do want to point out that, as always, Israeli "intelligence" and the Jewish-owned mass media complex are behind the push for war, this time in Syria. *The Times of Israel* has admitted that Israeli "intelligence" ... more »

the tv detective mystery, where women are crazy and ex-husbands don't kill

laura k at wmtc - 18 hours ago
One type of TV show that I enjoy are detective murder mysteries. I don't watch them all - that would be nearly impossible, Netflix carries so many - but I'm always looking for detective shows that I find absorbing. "Inspector Lewis" is probably my favourite. I loved "Prime Suspect", Helen Mirren's tour de force. I'm in the middle of "Wallander", recommended by a few wmtc readers, although I'm watching the BBC version with Kenneth Branagh, not the original Swedish show. "Case Histories", featuring Jason Isaacs as private investigator Jackson Brodie, is another one I enjoy. And I've s... more »

Gold and Silver report - August 30 , 2013 - News and views touching on the precious metals - including a look at the financial sphere in Europe ( PIGGS falling over again ) and examining gold in light of today geopolitical three dimension chess games ( Jim Willie piece ) .....

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 18 hours ago
http://jessescrossroadscafe.blogspot.com/2013/08/comex-registered-gold-drops-to-702000.html 30 AUGUST 2013 COMEX Registered Gold Drops To 702,000 Ounces On the Day Before Delivery End About 11,600 ounces of gold were added to the eligible storage facility at HSBC, and 22,446 ounces were transferred from registered (deliverable) status to eligible storage. This is the activity which occurred on Thursday which was reported today. Total ounces of registered deliverable gold have fallen to 702,488 ounces of gold bullion. The total ounces of gold stored in COMEX authorized warehouses ... more »

"If Obama now strikes Syria, when he has no cover from the UN, or from NATO, or from the American people, or from Congress..." "[he] will have to be handed over and put on trial. He will have no more leg to stand on than did the Nazis." -- Paul Craig Roberts

David L Griscom at Cherchez la Verite - 19 hours ago
------------------------------ *Will Obama Doom Himself As A War Criminal — Paul Craig Roberts* ------------------------------ August 30, 2013 | Original Here Go here to sign up to receive email notice of this news letter Will Obama Doom Himself As A War Criminal Paul Craig Roberts Obama, pushed by his Israeli and neocon masters, especially his National Security Adviser, Susan Rice, who, in effect, functions as an Israeli agent, crawled far out on the limb, only to have it sawed off by the British Parliament. In response, the “socia... more »

Syria: Pipelines, Global Control Tyranny and US dollar hegemony

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 19 hours ago
Ok, everybody. I have got a doozy of a post for you all. We have talked pipeline politics so many times here. Pipeline politics and Syria's place in that grand scheme. I have noticed for some time now the 3 part series I had done way back, April 1/2013 has been getting regular hits and being posted at various sites. That series of posts grew legs and walked around the globe! If you are new here and haven't read all 3 parts, let me suggest that you take the time to do so. It might help to clarify why Syria is so important. So pivotal. It might help to understand why we are, where we a... more »

"How It Really Is"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 19 hours ago

Russia's Stealth Fighters Debut at Moscow Air Show

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 19 hours ago
By the time the F-35 ever finds its way into Canadian air force hangars it'll have this to contend with, Russia's T-50 stealth fighter. The T-50 is much faster, more agile, far longer range and carries a much greater weaponload than the F-35.

BBC's NEWSNIGHT: THE JEWISH DRIVE FOR WAR

NO ONE TO VOTE FOR at NO ONE TO VOTE FOR - 19 hours ago
. It was grim tonight on Newsnight, the BBC's flagship late night political magazine. There was no upside, seemingly, to Cameron's defeat in parliament last night. Not a single sigh of relief. The entire inquest was about Britain's potential 'loss of international credibility' and the like. Warmongering ex-soldier Paddy Ashdown was wheeled on to call it a "bad day for Britain". The 'evidence' against Assad was not doubted by anyone on view, excepting perhaps government critic Diane Abbott who was so on the defensive she didn't have time to mention that the majority in the UK simpl... more »

“Target Iran: What Bombing Syria Is Really About”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 20 hours ago
* * *“Target Iran: What Bombing Syria Is Really About”* By Ray McGovern “Amid the increased likelihood that President Barack Obama will cave in to pressure from foreign policy hawks to “Libya-ize” Syria and to accord Syrian President Bashar al-Assad the same treatment meted out to Libya’s Col. Muammar Gaddafi, the main question is WHY? Obviously, there is concern about the human rights catastrophe in Syria, but is the main target Syria’s main ally, Iran, as many suspect? Surely, the objective has got to be more than simply giving Secretary of State John Kerry a chance to brag, in... more »

Haiti in the Time of Cholera

John Carroll at Dying in Haiti - 20 hours ago

Elsewhere: Heritage/GOP, Syria, more

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 20 hours ago
I put together my thoughts on Syria in a Plum Line post this afternoon. Sort of an extension of what I've already said around here, but a bit more. Oh, and I liked this one from yesterday about Heritage and the GOP. But mostly because the Post's editors let me use, for the Republican realization that Heritage may have different goals and incentives than GOP politicians: "Sokath, his eyes uncovered!" Oddly enough, they changed "weed" to "pot" in another post yesterday. Really, I think "Weed and the complexity of giving the president a hard time" would have been better, no? Shaka, whe... more »

Does This Sound Like War, Playground Rules?

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 20 hours ago
Anyone skeptical about the wisdom of an American attack on Syria should consider the options sketched out by former Obama deputy assistant secretary of state, Suzanne Nossel. Seriously, this sounds like war waged by playground rules. It begins with a show of force, a cruise missile strike. *What happens afterwards, though, is anybody's guess. * * * *"They don't want to do something that could look like an empty gesture," says Suzanne Nossel, who served as a deputy assistant secretary of state during Obama's first term. * * * *"They'll wait for a reaction. Does Assad step it up w... more »

Fukushima updates - August 28 , 2013 - Groundwater reached 10 centimeters or 4 inches from ground surface at seaside of Reactor 2 Building - once again Tepco doesn't provide answers as to what's going on....Another day of revelations of slipshod work done cheaply , poor decision for remediation work - always driven by doing something quickly and cheaply , more workers contaminated by radioactive water ( how long before Tepco their contractors . subs of their contractors and subs of their subs simply run out of test dummy workers ? )

Catharsis Ours - 20 hours ago
Daily read them and weep items ...... [image: original.jpg (628×335)] Really hows the numerous problems presented..... numerous sources of contamination- water and airborne..... A nice graphic that shows what's happening at Fukushima..... recall this is one example of what could be happening with Reactors 1, 2 and 3..... Tropical Storm Kong-rey Tropical Weather Discussion WunderMap® | Hurricane Archive Storm DetailsYouTube Videos (0)WunderPhotos (0) Last Updated: Wednesday, August 28, 2013, 20:00:00 (EDT) Wind: 60 MPH Location: 25.1N 237.6E Movement: N -... more »

"Defiling the Memory of President Eisenhower"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 20 hours ago
* "Defiling the Memory of President Eisenhower"* by Peter Coyne "On a Tuesday night, 52 years ago. President Dwight D. Eisenhower appeared on TV sets across America. Three days later, he would leave the Oval Office to John F. Kennedy. It all happened very fast. No one was prepared for the grim prophecy Eisenhower would tell that night in his farewell address. “My fellow Americans…” he began. “Until the latest of our world conflicts, the United States had no armaments industry. American makers of plowshares could, with time and as required, make swords as well. But now we... more »

Do we have a looming Constitutional crisis here in the US ? Obama seems deadset on unilaterally making an Executive decision regarding starting War with Syria - finally , the House is waking up and showing responsibility ! Note that even though the work by the UN might not be completed - UN personnel probably will leave Syria by Friday at the latest - will the US act over the weekend , especially if the UK is on hold until next Tuesday ? Would the US , France and the rest of Nato act - without the UN completing its investigation and the UK resolution being voted upon ? BTW , the views of three - Cameron , Obama and Merkel along don't determine whether Wars start - they aren't all knowing omnipotents , regardless of what they may think to themselves !

Catharsis Ours - 21 hours ago
Impeachment warning - from a Democrat ? http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/dem-congressman-constitution-requires-congressional-authorization-use-force-against-syria_751350.html Dem. Congressman: 'Constitution Requires Congressional Authorization on Use of Force Against Syria' 6:05 PM, AUG 28, 2013 • BY DANIEL HALPER Send to Kindle Single PagePrintLarger TextSmaller TextAlerts Democratic congressman Jerrold Nadler appears to be warning President Obama in a statement released today on striking Syria. "Constitution Requires Congressional Authorization on Use of Force Against S... more »

One Goal of Illegal Syria War: The Delegitimization of The United States As An International State Actor

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 21 hours ago
The United States is committing political suicide by unilaterally and illegally attacking Syria. The British Parliament's decision to vote down military action in Syria was not driven by rational, positive, democratic, and moral motives. No, not even close. This is the Parliament that has stood silent for almost a decade after one of its own members was assassinated for opposing the illegal Iraq war and unraveling the criminal war on terror narrative. Has this Parliament pursued justice for MP Robin Cook? No. Okay, then, don't pretend that this is a moral and spiritually aware Parli... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 21 hours ago
*Trombone Shorty to Play National Anthem Before Saints-Falcons Season Opener ~NOLA DEFENDER*

Skype Discussion from RTS: Positive Energy Questions & Answers

Breaking The Silence at Removing The Shackles - 21 hours ago
This is a conversation that happened in the RTS skype room last night. A huge thank you to BZ and Pete and several others who separated out the conversation and put it all together. It might seem a bit disjointed in places as there were other people involved in the conversation.... but to copy ALL of it would mean posting over 400 comments here. I just added a few comments from later on in the day to the end.... and tidied up my spelling and typing dyslexia, lol! The first section of discussion is also posted on the I-UV.com site, and in several skype rooms. *Positive Energ... more »

Syria and the problems of compellence

Stacie Goddard at Duck of Minerva - 22 hours ago
To my mind, the situation in Syria has prompted an incredibly thoughtful debate within the political science community, one that undermines the idea that scholars have become irrevocably detached from policy. Ian Hurd and Charli Carpenter have written excellent pieces on the legality of chemical weapons and military intervention. James Fearon contributed this superb piece Continue reading

Debunking the "U.S. Government Assessment of the Syrian Government's Use of Chemical Weapons on August 21, 2013"

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 22 hours ago
Eric Draitser StopImperialism.com The documententitled “U.S. Government Assessment of the Syrian Government’s Use of Chemical Weapons on August 21, 2013”, released in tandem with public statements made by Secretary of State John Kerry, is merely summary of a manufactured narrative designed to lead the US into yet another criminal and disastrous war in the Middle East. Having been released prior to even preliminary reports from UN chemical weapons investigators on the ground in Syria, the document is as much a work of fiction as it is fact. It begins with the conclusion that “*The U... more »

Tainting Evidence: Inside the Scandals at the FBI Crime Lab

Paul Coker at News Spike - 22 hours ago
*The FBI's vaunted crime lab is a scandal of atrocious forensic science. Its "junk science" permeates the U.S. criminal justice system as it bogus "findings" routinely punish the innocent and set the guilty free, affecting thousands of lives in the process.* by John F. Kelly and Phillip K. Wearne Scientific crime solving or sci-crime – it is an image upon which much of the FBI's awesome reputation is based. Humans are fallible, are inclined to lie and are often motivated by anything but the truth. The history of crime fighting in the United States is littered with eyewitnesses w... more »

Will The Attack On Syria Destroy Pelosi's Legacy, The Same Way The Attack On Iraq Destroyed Gephardt's?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 22 hours ago
When I lived in San Francisco, Nancy Pelosi was my congressmember. A case could be made that she was Congress' best member. I was proud to have voted for her. That was a long, long time ago and Pelosi needs to retire before she further ruins her incredible legacy. Pelosi blasted onto the national stage in a big way in October, 2002, when she led the Democratic revolt against House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt and his connivance with Bush and the congressional Republicans to rush the U.S. into an unwarranted attack on Iraq. The Democrats split. 126 Democrats (plus Independent Berni... more »

North Korea and robotic army

LeDaro at LeDaro - 22 hours ago
Almost all countries do a good job of brainwashing their soldiers - its all for patriotism and thus killing the enemy is justified. However, dictatorial governments do even a better job. North Korea is a good example. The picture below puts some light on this phenomena. *Female North Korean soldiers march during a mass military parade on Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang to mark the 60th anniversary of the Korean War armistice Saturday, July 27, 2013. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)*

Your moment of Zen

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 22 hours ago
At the Minneapolis Peace Garden.

What Dr. King would be doing today!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 23 hours ago
*FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013* *Driving Professor Dreier:* Everybody seems to know what Dr. King would be doing and saying were he alive today. Almost always, Dr. King would be doing and saying exactly what the clairvoyant in question is inclined to do and say. This is one of the most annoying aspects of civil rights retrospectives. Last Sunday, Professor Peter Dreier of Occidental took the practice to new heights. He wrote the featured, front-page piece in the Washington Post’s Outlook section. “Where would he lead us today?” a large headline asked. “With new battles over gay rights,... more »

Dr. Helen Caldicott - the informed democracy, another take on Fukushima & Co.

address-withheld@my.opera.com.invalid (Dr. John v. Kampen) at - 23 hours ago
Link: http://youtu.be/nsrik7HEvh8 Dr. Helen Caldicott said it: "What I want is an informed democracy with educated people who understand the world they live in". I could hear saying that myself. This film shows why she thinks that way. The report that is shown at 5:45 minutes into the interview is here and of great interest from pag. 318(pdf)/297(report) to its end. A very interesting and delicatematter now ' Fukushima' shows significant signs of going out of control again. It explains why governments won't do anything about such catastrophes, rather preferring their uninformed dem... more »

Paul Craig Roberts: "British MP George Galloway is the only real leader in the entire Western world." Don't miss his speech below! Also note that American veterans appear to agree with his message.

David L Griscom at Cherchez la Verite - 23 hours ago
------------------------------ Thursday, August 29th, 2013 | Posted by Editor Original Here ------------------------------ *Democratic Reward for the British People Rejecting Military Action Against Syria* *UK Prime Minister Cameron loses Syria war vote* British Prime Minister David Cameron lost a vote endorsing military action against Syria by 13 votes Thursday, a stunning defeat that will almost guarantee that Britain plays no direct role in any U.S. attack on Bashar al-Assad’s government. A grim-faced Came... more »

Kosinski, Cruise, Kurylenko, Freeman - Oblivion - film review

Mike Philbin at PROGNOSIS II - 23 hours ago
what is wrong with Film Critics? They were a right angry bunch when they came to deliver their verdict on the Cruise/Kosinski feature Oblivion. This reviewer found NOTHING WRONG with it. The visuals were top notch. The characters were top notch. The story turned out to be top notch. I mean, yeah, it was fun(ny) when the Prometheus waterfall in Iceland turned up in the centre of ruined New York, but I only know this because I'm a tediously boring film buff. A fan of sci-fi expanse, visual splendour and take-your-brains-out joy rides. And Oblivion fit that bill, it was a totally acc... more »

Call the WAAHmulance!

noreply@blogger.com (fern hill) at DAMMIT JANET! - 23 hours ago
When pesky fetus fetishists chalked up the sidewalk outside his Toronto business with anti-choice glurge, Imperial Pub owner, Fred Newman, told them to knock it off. They refused so he got his staff to wash it away. Well, of course they wanted to provoke something, so they redid it. Here's how LifeShite is reporting the incident. Newman then became aggressive towards the group, shouting and waiving his arms. Footage filmed by Golob shows Newman demanding the pro-life activists leave the area. Golob can be heard saying to her companions: “You don’t have to engage with him [the owner]... more »

Al-Qaeda Applauds Secretary of State John Kerry's Latest Remarks On Syria

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 23 hours ago
Related: *Al-Qaeda Presents The Moral Case For U.S. Intervention In Syria*. *Al-Qaeda Is Disappointed In British Parliament, Calls On British PM To Attack Syria*. *Below is a statement by Jamal Ahmed al-Tahiri, the spokesman for Al-Qaeda in Damascus (AQD), in support of Secretary of State John Kerry's remarks on Syria on Friday, August 30, 2013. * In the Name of Allah the Merciful, America the Accursed, Aslam O' Alikum, If the British Parliament was filled with men with half the moral caliber and political vision of Mr. John Kerry, oh, *what a wonderful world this would be!* Sure,... more »

Who Made America Judge, Jury and Executioner?

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 23 hours ago
*Source*. There is no evidence that Assad used chemical weapons against his own people. Kerry and Obama are lying their asses off. They have insulted the public's intelligence, scrapped international law, and destroyed their country's standing in the world even more than Bush did. They can't even persuade a child with their empty lies and empty tears. No one is deceived. And God is not mocked.

Republicans ban Heritage Foundation from Capitol Hill

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 1 day ago
This is the most amusing story I've seen this week. The crackpots at Heritage are no longer welcome at GOP strategy sessions. According to a report Wednesday in National Journal, the Republican Study Committee is no longer allowing employees for the Heritage Foundation to attend the meetings. Heritage, currently led by former Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), had been a fixture at the meetings until last month when the RSC, comprised of 172 conservative GOP House members, made the change. Apparently the establishment GOPers are not happy with Heritage's role in screwing up the vote on the Fa... more »

Canada Should Follow Britain's Lead

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 1 day ago
David Cameron wanted to bomb Syria so badly his teeth hurt. There was just one problem, Britain's Iraq War fiasco. *Because of Iraq, David Cameron had promised to allow parliament a veto on going to war back in 2010. He had even committed himself to repealing the royal prerogative, the executive powers which enable him to bypass parliament, though he hasn't, yet.* *As a result, parliament had the power to deny him authority, even in a relatively modest and constrained form, to strike against Assad. The jury's out on when that last happened: some say 1782 and the American war of ... more »

Syria vote - WTF just happened?

Roobin at THROUGH THE SCARY DOOR - 1 day ago
A British Prime Minister has been denied the right to make war by a vote in the House of Commons. This is big news. This is a serious blow for David Cameron and the coalition. Let's get one thing straight though. This government won't fall unless the civil service wants it too. It was put together by the civil service, not by any of the party machines, let alone any democratic process. Unless something very usual happens David Cameron will remain prime minister until 2015. By all means march tomorrow but don't let certain terminal optimists fool you that one more push and this "wea... more »

Syrian Civil War and Stephen Harper

LeDaro at LeDaro - 1 day ago
Will this monkey dance when called upon by Obama to intervene in Syria's civil war? Will he recall the Parliament the way Cameron of Britain did to make the decision? Cameron was turned down by the British Parliament. Or will he quietly join in without Parliament's consent?

ZEROHEDGE: US Finally Admits What Ron Paul Said: "Nobody Knows Who Set Off The Gas"

Americani Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 1 day ago
* * * * *US Finally Admits What Ron Paul Said: "Nobody Knows Who Set Off The Gas"* Submitted by Tyler Durden on 08/29/2013 12:39 -0400 http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-08-29/us-finally-admits-what-ron-paul-said-nobody-knows-who-launched-chemical-attack *The AP reports that US intelligence officials are admitting that linking Syrian President Bashar Assad or his inner circle to an alleged chemical weapons attack is no "slam dunk," as opposed to Obama (and Kerry) who are 'unequivocal' of the fact.* Via AP, The intelligence linking Syrian President Bashar Assad or his inner circle t... more »

ZAPIRO Cartoon 8-27-2013

Americani Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 1 day ago

Poverty is not healthy for children and other living things

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 1 day ago
A new study shows poverty is bad for your brain: The mental strain of living in poverty and thinking constantly about tight finances can drop a person’s IQ by as much as 13 percent, or about the equivalent of losing a night of sleep, according to a new study. It consumes so much mental energy that there is often little room to think about anything else, which leaves low-income people more susceptible to bad decisions. Previous studies have shown it is also bad for your health and diminishes a child's chances to escape the cycle of poverty: Poverty has other negative impacts. The ... more »

Catch of the Day

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 1 day ago
Dan Larison, on the "special relationship." The first thing to understand about the “special” relationship is that it doesn’t exist in the real world... Somehow the alliance–which had nothing to do with *attacking*anyone–survived [Vietnam and Suez]. It will suffer no real damage from one vote on Syria. Yup. There are good reasons for the US and UK to be close allies -- otherwise they wouldn't be! But that doesn' t mean they must always agree. Indeed: to the extent that their behavior, as opposed to basic interests, have anything to do with keeping the alliance strong, surely they're... more »

Friday Nerd Blogging: Galactica (Not) Actual and the Sci-Fi / Sci-Fact / Globalization Intertext

Charli Carpenter at Duck of Minerva - 1 day ago
The Chinese state media could perhaps be forgiven for mistaking fictional Battlestar Galactica blueprints for future US fleet schematics this week, given this. This incident has me thinking about Nexon/Neumann’s argument regarding the fuzzy relationship between science fiction and “”reality.”" (Yes, you did just read scare quotes in scare quotes.) In their Harry Potter and International Relations introduction, they point out that Continue reading

Friday Afternoon Linkage

Jon Western at Duck of Minerva - 1 day ago
Syria updates: The White House’s public assessment of last week’s chemical weapons attack. Deborah Avant – Action is not synonymous with intervention. Is there a moral argument for intervention? Tony Lang unpacks some of his comments on various threads hereat Duck below with his own post at Carnegie on the case for punitive action. Given Continue reading

Remembering the Longest Walk 1978 in St Louis

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 day ago
Long Walk 1978 video screen capture by Censored News By Terri Roman-Szynkowski Censored News  Aug. 29, 2013 Scroll down for Longest Walk 1978 videos! Long Walk 4 in St Louis/Photo by April Rhodes I heard the Longest Walk  4 is in St. Louis today. It brought back some memories! The Longest Walk camped right there by the arch back in 1978. I remember laying there in the grass under

By-Election Results August 2013

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 1 day ago
Party No. of Candidates Total Vote % +/- July Average/ contest +/- July Seats Conservative 18 7,404 26.8% +6.9% 411 +151 n/c Labour 17 9,725 35.3% -3.6% 572 +30 +3 LibDem 12 2,284 8.3% -5.8% 190 -130 n/c UKIP 144,997 18.1% +9.3% 357 +180 -2 SNP* 0 Plaid Cymru** 1 929 3.4% +2.7% 929 +767 n/c Green 5 314 1.1% -7% 69 -383 n/c BNP 0 TUSC 3 259 0.9% -0.3% 86 -1 n/c Independent*** 7 951 3.5% -3.9% 136 -71 -1 Other**** 5 713 2.6% +2.1% 143 +84 n/c *... more »

Chemical Warfare: Gaza, the Jordan Valley under Occupation and The Apartheid State of Israel

Paul Coker at News Spike - 1 day ago
*The Isreali Defence Force *regularly and routinely drops White Phosphorus *ON CHILDREN*. These are *US-made *incendiary munitions. Unlike Syria, both the US and the State of Isreal are signitorys to international treaties and international laws banning the use of Chemical Weapons under all circumstances in global armed conflicts. These laws are very specific - they have to be. A can of Axe Body spray is not an weapon of mass destruction. A shell-casing loaded with a weaponised delivery payload of Sarrin Gas clearly is. White Phosphorus ("*Willie-P*") is instantl... more »

Now Will Come Heaven On Earth - A Poem by M.N. Hopkins

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 1 day ago
Source of this picture: http://portfolio.kevinthom.com/travel/Heaven_and_Earth** ** *We see as others our our kind* ** *You see as your kind* ** *But* ** *With a twist* ** *You can touch to the Heavenly Realm* ** *And* ** *With this comes a price* ** *You pay the price* ** *Of knowing that a realm of beauty exists* ** *In which justice is real* ** *Goodness prevails* ** *And* ** *Love is the binding force of our communities* ** *To touch to this alternate reality* ** *To feel alive* ** *Gives one a different perspective* ** *On living* ** *Then* ** *At the same time* ** *Others can only... more »

Revenge Porn

Paul Coker at News Spike - 1 day ago
Seoul’s *Chosun Ilbo** *reports that the female singer Hyon Song Wol was arrested along with 11 other entertainers on August 17 for filming themselves having sex. They then sold the videos, some of which made it to China. The 12 people, who belonged to prominent performing troupes, were killed by firing squad on August 20 as their families looked on. Hyon was best known for performing the song “A Girl in the Saddle of a Steed.” Kim met her a decade ago, but his father Kim Jong Il — then North Korea’s ruler — apparently did not approve of the relationship. Hyon subsequently married... more »

Mohawk Nation News 'Bouncing Check NSF'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 day ago
BOUNCING CHECK NSF Posted on August 30, 2013  Mohawk Nation News MNN. Aug. 2, 2013. When disaster strikes, the first thing to do is to get up out of your chair. Indigenous population is growing at a fast rate, by 50% between 1996 and 2006. The Metis by 33%. Are they “Metis Inc.” or our traditional Indigenous relatives? Incorporated Injuns cannot sign away land and resources to

Treaty Obligations, War Crimes and Accountability:A Study in American Hypocrisy

Nima Shirazi at Wide Asleep in America - 1 day ago
The U.S. Air Force firebombing Japan in 1945 "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" - Juvenal, Satires (VI, 347–8) "I have no interest in any open-ended conflict in Syria, but we do have to make sure that when countries break international norms on weapons like chemical weapons that could threaten us, that they are held accountable," President Barack Obama said in a PBS interview earlier this week.

Argumentation about de Broglie-Bohm pilot wave theory

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 1 day ago
*Guest blog by Ilja Schmelzer, a right-wing anarchist and independent scientist* A nice summary of standard arguments against de Broglie-Bohm theory can be found at R. F. Streater's "Lost Causes in Theoretical Physics" website. Ulrich Mohrhoff [broken link, sorry] also combines the presentation of his position with an interesting rejection of pilot wave theory. These arguments I consider in a different file. Here, I consider the arguments proposed in several articles of Luboš Motl's blog "The reference frame": David Bohm born 90 years ago and Bohmists & segregation of primitive and ... more »

Forced To Be A Jerk Over Impeachment

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 1 day ago
Yeah, only a jerk would point out that "impeachment" is what happens in the House, while trail and conviction, or acquittal, or "Not Proven," is what happens in the Senate. Well, I'm afraid today I'm just going to be that jerk. In response to a Kay Steiger inforgraphic over at TPM, which asks: Republicans are talking a big game about impeaching the president...Could they actually pull it off? And concludes that, no, they couldn't, because the Senate. But of course 218 Republicans in the House certainly could impeach Barack Obama. (As long as I'm at it...no, technically, it doesn'... more »
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