Sunday, September 01, 2013

1 September - Blogs I'm Following

Jeddah -Saudi ArabiaJeddah -Saudi Arabia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Tomb of Muhammad in Madinah, Saudi ArabiaEnglish: Tomb of Muhammad in Madinah, Saudi Arabia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
SyriaSyria (Photo credit: Yishac - Isaac Alvarez i Brugada)
Bandar bin Sultan, Secretary-General of the Na...Bandar bin Sultan, Secretary-General of the National Security Council of Saudi Arabia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
9:00am MDST

Tim Tebow and the “Hard Work” Myth: No Excuses? | the becoming radical

plthomasedd at SCHOOLS MATTER @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 minute ago
Tim Tebow and the “Hard Work” Myth: No Excuses? | the becoming radical.

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New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 28 minutes ago
*Facing Fire Over Challenge to Louisiana’s Oil Industry ~Campbell Roberts, NYTs*

Robert Jensen on US American Democracy

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 29 minutes ago
I agree with many of the sentiments here and think they apply to Canada as well. Let me be clear: I’m not suggesting that there is nothing democratic about the contemporary United States, nor am I suggesting that we live in a fascist state. It’s important to avoid rhetorical overkill. Rather, I’m simply recognizing that, counter to the mythology of the United States, no existing nation-state is a democracy in any deep sense. The question is, to what degree are the features of a society—not just the formal political process, but the economic and social structures as well—truly democr... more »

Milky Way's giant black hole is a messy eater

LeDaro at LeDaro - 45 minutes ago
I wrote a post earlier that Milky Way's giant black hole is very hungry and his diet consists of stars. Now a new reports shows that it is not a good eater. *"The colossal black hole at the heart of the Milky Way galaxy is a messy eater. Of all the gas that falls toward the black hole, 99 percent gets spewed back out into space, new observations show, making the black hole akin to a toddler whose food ends up mostly on the floor, rather than his mouth."* *X-ray: NASA / UMass / Q.D. Wang et al.; IR: NASA / STScI * *A composite image of the region around Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), * *t... more »

Barack Obama seeks Congress's approval before launching an attack on Syria

LeDaro at LeDaro - 45 minutes ago
What happens if Congress turns Obama down the way the British Parliament did to Cameron? The Syria attack story is an unfolding drama. What next?

True or false?

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 1 hour ago
I'm seeing a lot of comments appearing below the line on websites and blogs stating that it has now been proved that the apparent chemical attack on a suburb of Damascus was caused by the rebels, not the Assad regime - a startling claim. Oddly, few links seem to be appearing alongside those comments to back them up. After scouring the internet, this looks to be what people are talking about. It’s a report from a newish U.S. online news organisation called Mint Press News: http://www.mintpressnews.com/witnesses-of-gas-attack-say-saudis-supplied-rebels-with-chemical-weapons/168135 / ... more »

Putin orders a massive attack on Saudi Arabia if U.S. attacks Syria?

LeDaro at LeDaro - 1 hour ago
Interesting news. *"A grim “urgent action memorandum” issued today from the office of President Putin to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is ordering a “massive military strike” against Saudi Arabia in the event that the West attacks Syria.* ** *According to Kremlin sources familiar with this extraordinary “war order,” Putin became “enraged” after his early August meeting with Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan who warned that if Russia did not accept the defeat of Syria, Saudi Arabia would unleash Chechen terrorists under their control to cause mass death and chaos during th... more »

RISE OF THE IMPERIAL PRESIDENCY

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 hour ago
Chris Hedges, whose column is published Mondays on Truthdig, spent nearly two decades as a foreign correspondent in Central America, the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. He has reported from more than 50 countries and has worked for The Christian Science Monitor, National Public Radio, The Dallas Morning News and The New York Times, for which he was a foreign correspondent for 15 years. He has written nine books, including "Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle" (2009), "I Don't Believe in Atheists" (2008) and the best-selling "American Fascists: ... more »

Who reads Nuclear Green?

Charles Barton at The Nuclear Green Revolution - 1 hour ago
Nuclear Green continues to receive international attention. Where did these guys and gals come from? During the last month, Nuclear Green received the following page hits: Pageviews by Countries [image: Graph of most popular countries among blog viewers] EntryPageviews United States 5198 Norway 1413 China 1145 Netherlands 957 United Kingdom 528 France 468 Canada 467 Germany 452 Poland 266 Russia 166 China we know about, The UK is Kirk Sorensen's territory. The French have their own ideas about MSRs. The Chinese have let down the great firewall of China for Nuclear Green! Amazing.

Fred Upton Lies About Republican Healthcare Initiatives For His Pal Boehner

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 2 hours ago
Fred Upton represents a blue-leaning district in western Michigan that Obama won 53-45% in 2008 and lost to Romney by a handful of votes. The biggest county in the 6th district, by far, is Kalamazoo. Upton only got 49% of the vote there last year (same as his under-funded opponent). On the same day, Obama took Kalamazoo County with 56% and Senator Debbie Stabenow swamped her GOP opponent 57-39%. The only reason Upton, an out-of-touch hereditary multimillionaire, keeps winning is because DCCC chairman Steve Israel has given him a free reelection pass and refuses to back anyone runn... more »

Not-So-Militant Birds

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 2 hours ago
This has absolutely nothing to do with BBC bias but a blog is a blog is a blog...and I'm bursting to pass on the news that some scientists now suspect that the massive flightless Terror Birds which stood atop the food chain (long) after the demise of the dinosaurs, chasing down and devouring mammals with their vicious curved beaks (you may have seen them starring in an episode of the BBC's *Walking with Beasts, *scaring the bejesus out of watching children), may have been...and sorry to break the news to you...vegetarian. Scientists assessing the composition of their fossils have... more »

SUNDAY SONG

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 2 hours ago

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 2 hours ago
*Entergy labors to reach mark ~Richard Thomas, New Orleans Advocate* *Flood insurance costs causing drop in St. Charles property values ~WWLTV*

The Artic Shadow

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 2 hours ago
Michael Byers, the Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law at the University of British Columbia, writes that during his recent Arctic Tour Stephen Harper tried to look like Vladimir Putin: Photos showed Harper standing awkwardly in front of a campfire made of logs that must have been flown in specially, because the camp was 800 kilometres north of the tree line. Putin would have killed a seal with his bare hands and ignited its oil by striking a rock against his teeth. Harper’s rifle was one of the 65-year-old relics used by the Canadian Rangers, relics th... more »

Yes Director General

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 3 hours ago
This is interesting, and seems a little reminiscent of *Yes Minister *(and comes courtesy of Alan at *Biased BBC *and *The Sunday Times, *behind its paywall)... Godric Smith CBE worked at Downing Street from 1996-2006, acting as Tony Blair's Official Spokesman between 2000 and 2004. He worked on London 2012 for seven years as Director of Communications for the Olympic Delivery Authority and as Director of Government Communications for London 2012. He was appointed a Non-Executive Director of HS2 in June 2012, and is also a Non Executive Director at The Cambridge Junction art centr... more »

Feminists demand gender quotas for bodies buried in Panthéon

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 5 hours ago
A 2006 article about the feminist totalitarianism attracted hundreds of Slovak visitors today because it was linked to in a discussion under a remarkable Slovak newspaper article about some incredible demands by the French feminists. The story sounded like a hoax but Reuters was among the many well-known news agencies that ran the story which made me believe that in spite of its nearly comical content, the information is legitimate. Panthéon, Paris was built sometime in the middle of the 18th century (I've been there once but that's enough). Between 1791 and 2011, 74 French figur... more »

The first 'Sunday' of September

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 5 hours ago
As it's Sunday morning, it's *Sunday* review time. ('Oh goodie!' I hear you cry.) 7.10 *Introduction*, by William Crawley 7.11 *New chief rabbi installed today*. The installation of Ephraim Mirvis (above) at the new chief rabbi of the UK brought invites to the *Sunday *studio for Justin Cohen of The Jewish News, and Labour's Lord Glasman. William asked Justin what people expected from Rabbi Mirvis. Justin said that his pastoral work is what people talk about, that he's "very much a people's person". He won't be a "revolutionary "though on issues such as gay marriage. He will cont... more »

ALEXANDER DUGIN: OPPOSING THE NEW WORLD ORDER

NO ONE TO VOTE FOR at NO ONE TO VOTE FOR - 6 hours ago
. The most interesting political analyst out there. Copied from here. Interview with Alexander Dugin Alexander Dugin *Introduction* In February 2012, Professor Alexander Dugin traveled to New Delhi, India to attend the 40th World Congress of the International Institute of Sociology, the theme of which was “After Western Hegemony: Social Science and its Publics.”Professor Dugin was kind enough to take some time away from the conference to answer a few questions by representatives of Arktos who attended the event. In this interview, we attempted to have Professor Dugin clarify some o... more »

Walter Burkert On The Epic of Atrahasis

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 6 hours ago
*Wikipedia:* Atra-Hasis ("exceedingly wise") is the protagonist of an 18th century BC Akkadian epic recorded in various versions on clay tablets. The Atra-Hasis tablets include both a creation myth and a flood account, which is one of three surviving Babylonian deluge stories. Below are excerpts from Walter Burkert's book, *"The Orientalizing Revolution: Near Eastern Influence on Greek Culture in the Early Archaic Age."* 1992. Harvard University Press: Cambridge, Massachusetts. Pgs. 88-89 & 100-103. "Since the rediscovery of the Akkadian epics and of *Gilgamesh* in particula... more »

Alexander Dugan: A New Politics to Oppose the New World Order

NO ONE TO VOTE FOR at NO ONE TO VOTE FOR - 6 hours ago
.The Wise Counsellor By Israel Shamir [A Review of The Fourth Political Theory, by Alexander Dugin. Arktos, London 2012] Ideas do not flow easily westwards. It is a norm that Western ideas are being spread in the East, not vice versa. Russia, the heir to Byzantium, is an “East”, among other great “Easts” of Dar ul-Islam, China, India; of them, Russia is the nearest to the West, and still very different. This is probably the main reason why Dugin, this important contemporary Russian thinker makes his belated entrance into Western awareness only now. Alexander Dugin, a youngish, sty... more »

ISRAEL, OBAMA AND SYRIA

Anon at aangirfan - 7 hours ago
*Marco di Lauro says he nearly "fell off his chair" when he saw his Iraq photo (above) was being used by John Kerry to promote a war in Syria. Timeline Photos* *Political analyst Adrian Salbuchi has written **'Israel: The missing link in Syria puzzle'* Extracts: "*The Arab Spring* is the code for instigating, triggering and engineering civil strife in target countries.... "But the case of Syria is different... "Today, America's credibility, trust and prestige have fallen so low that even the British Parliament finally disavowed any armed intervention by the UK... "But let’s ... more »

Nuclear Watch - Fukushima Daichi - getting worse and worse and worse...

Mike Philbin at PROGNOSIS II - 7 hours ago
With the sea (allegedly) still boiling just outside what remains of the Fukushima nuclear reprocessing plant, here's a thorough, horrific and noteworthy video from NHK WORLD in Japan about the still-leaking triple-meltdown catastrophe that happened to the Fukushima Daichi nuclear reprocessing plant on 11th March 2011 when a tsunami slammed right into it. According to a German oceanic flow simulation, *the entire Pacific region*will be contaminated by nuclear radiation by 2017 and the West Coast of USA will start receiving the effects of this contamination on their shores by 2014.

Skirts and Pot Roast- Creative Showcase: A Creative Link-up

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 8 hours ago
School is in full swing here and I am gearing up for all sorts of exciting things next week, including an awesome post about the The Little Mermaid themed party I threw for my little girl. Stay tuned. Here are my favorite link ups from last week. I love this Star Wars Bows from Allons-y Kimberly. The Chocolate Caramel Cookie Bars from look absolutely divine! I can't lie, I keep one of these Parabati bags from Rae Gun Ramblings in my purse at all times. I love it! This Pot Roast Made Easy recipe from Ashley's Dandelion wishes looks simple and delicious. I am completely in lo... more »

Awareness and Preparation = Risk Mitigation

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 9 hours ago
I'm very afraid that something very wicked this way comes. It is known as radiation and it can come with a blast wave, be swept through the wind, or be carried in the ebb and flow of the ocean. We could all be at imminent risk for another very large exposure from Fukushima Daiichi, particularly people living closest to the plant and those directly downwind through local wind and through the jet stream. The first sign of imminent danger is spiking radiation. Enenews reports, via NHK, that levels have spiked 2,000 times. This is yet the most recent report of spiking rad levels at... more »

The Politics and Strategy of War on Syria

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 9 hours ago
*Eric Draitser of StopImperialism.com appears on Press TV on Friday August 30, 2013 to discuss the latest on the situation in Syria. He examines the political divides that exist in the US ruling establishment between military and civilian factions. Draitser explains how Syria might respond to any military strike, including widening the conflict to other parts of the region. He also lays out the scenario for a possible escalation before any strikes might take place.*

"Geniuses perceive the world in a different way, and as a result have trouble interacting with other people" (Ian Welsh)

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 10 hours ago
*"Perhaps the storyteller," suggests *The New Yorker*'s James Woods, "is especially ill suited for happy family life." Foremost among his subjects is Saul Bellow (above).* * * *"True genius, and I've known a few, is alienating. Geniuses perceive the world in a different way than other people do, and as a result they have trouble interacting with other people. . . . In the old days, geniuses were tolerated, even coddled. . . . Geniuses were surrounded with other geniuses, their eccentricities tolerated, and allowed to run. Today it's 'if you don't play well with others, even if you ... more »

No Syria Strike Without Congress OK? Why Not Before? Who's Going To Bail US Out Now? Cheney/Murdoch-Linked Israeli Energy Company

Obama to seek Congressional OK for Syria action I keep asking myself if President Obama saw no reason to consult with Congress prior to Great Britain's refusal to join the Syria strike coalition (actually it's a constitutional necessity that he do so before making war on foreign countries), with whom was he consulting (and shouldn't the citizenry know who's more important than their

Near Death Experience: Big rock nearly takes out car outside Keelung

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 12 hours ago
This amazing video covers the entire event of a giant rock rolling onto a road and nearly wiping out a car. If you look carefully at the beginning of the video you can see the rock beginning its fall from atop the ridge. The rock is clearly visible on Google streetview shots of the site (below) ...and here is a view of the slide from the air: _______________________ [Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, and scores of links to other Taiwan blogs and forums!

Testing “Revolution” in Wisconsin: Wrong or Right?

Timothy D. Slekar at SCHOOLS MATTER @ THE CHALK FACE - 12 hours ago
You kill one and two more rise up to take its place! This is what it feels like dealing with education reformers. Their sheer ability to resurrect discussions that have been thoroughly run through with a sword is miraculous. For example, Alan J. Borsuk, writing for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel decided to push more common […]

An opportunity presents . . .

Edstock at The Galloping Beaver - 12 hours ago
YOU CAN BECOME PART OF THE PROBLEM, from the perspective of the NSA. MOTHERBOARD runs a site that generates keywords that they suggest the NSA will find magnetic. HELLO, NSA is a kind of oblique, my-hovercraft-is-full-of-eels buzz-word generator that you can click on for a new chunk of jabberwocky. The government is listening to your internets. Generate a sentence with some of the keywords

Not On Your Evening News: The Day After America Attacks Syria

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 12 hours ago
*Photo Source: ABC Entertainment (1983).* It is easy to go to war. It is probably the easiest thing in the world because no thinking is required. It is easy to kill a demonized enemy. Logic is thrown out of the window. And this is the case here. Obama is making up false evidence to justify his criminal attack against Syria, but does he really know what he is getting himself and his country into? Does the White House have a plan for the day after an illegal attack on Syria? Author and geopolitical analyst William Engdahl *says* that the Obama administration does not have a clear... more »

Caveat surfer . . .

Edstock at The Galloping Beaver - 13 hours ago
SOME SITES ARE RUN BY WEASELS. We've all encountered them, sites that are designed to force you to do something, most often at your expense. THE VERGE has a fascinating outline by Harry Brignull, “Dark Patterns: inside the interfaces designed to trick you”, which explores some of these foul constructs. And it's not just sites; Apple does the same thing with iOS 6 and they're not the only

SYRIAN INTERVENTION – LEGAL? DOUBTFUL; MORAL? DEFINITELY NOT!

The US and their allies are expending a lot of effort in trying to convince both each other and public opinion that intervention in Syria would be legal both under their own respective domestic laws as well as under international law. Little, however, is being said about whether or not such action would be moral. Neocon chickenhawk warmonger, “Mad Max” Boot, writing in *Commentary*, invokes George W. Bush’s legal justifications for attacking Iraq – of all examples – to set a precedent for Obama to attack Syria. Boot cites notorious Bush legal advisor and fellow warmonger John Yoo (f... more »

NO SYRIA ATTACK

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 13 hours ago
*The war team meets to plan strategy* *Contact Congress Now - No Syria Attack* Prevent an Attack on Syria The terrible and widespread killing in Syria will become even more terrible and more widespread if the U.S. military (or a coalition of allies) launches an attack. We can't idly sit by and watch the already suffering Syrian people suffer even more at the hands of the US-NATO war machine. We must act for peace now. Contact your House and Senate members immediately. Get others in your community to do it as well. Growing numbers of Republicans agree with us so reach out beyon... more »

Roswell, the GAO and Hiding Documents

KRandle at A Different Perspective - 13 hours ago
Back in the mid-1990s, New Mexico Representation Steven Schiff asked the Air Force, and by extension other government agencies, what they knew about the UFO crash outside of Roswell. The Government Accounting Office, as it was then known, approached many of those agencies, asking for a search of their files for any documents relating to the event. Predictably, no one found anything that wasn’t already known. The FBI, for example, provided a redacted copy of a message from their Dallas office about information derived from their telephonic investigation of the incident, citing Major ... more »

Nothing Interests Me

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 13 hours ago
I don't even have the energy to waste time these days. But my blood work says I'm fine. It's a mystery.

How Do They See An Attack On Syria In Arizona?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 14 hours ago
The *NY Times* Public Editor, Margaret Sullivan, admits she detects-- or at least readers bitching at her detect-- a bias in her paper's coverage, a bias that presents the administration's propaganda as conventional wisdom. Let's go clear across the country, to sweltering Arizona, to get two perspectives that vary significantly from what Obama is trying to sell. Dependable warmonger John McCain, with his reliable sidekick Lindsey, fear that Obama won't spill nearly enough blood for their taste. "The purpose of military action in Syria should not be to help the President save face... more »

Princess Diana murder mystery - witnesses and interesting clues as to what might have happened coming forth suddenly - what is afoot ? Was a military signal given after Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed were killed to signify " mission accomplished " ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 14 hours ago
http://www.blacklistednews.com/Culprit_Gave_Military_Style_%E2%80%98Mission_Accomplished%E2%80%99_Gesture_After_Causing_Diana_Death_Crash/28542/0/38/38/Y/M.html Culprit Gave Military Style ‘Mission Accomplished’ Gesture After Causing Diana Death CrashAugust 31, 2013 Print Version *Source: Daily Mail* [image: Culprit Gave Military Style Mission Accomplished Gesture After Causing Diana Death Crash article 2407571 1B8BF028000005DC 176 634x843] Crucially, my investigations show that the paparazzi who supposedly hounded Diana to her death were not even in the Pont d’Alma tunnel at the time... more »

Tropical Storms Kong Rey and Trami pummel Taiwan , filling up most reservoirs across the country , causing massive mudslides and stopping train service between Pingtung and Taitung until September 2 , 2013 . Suao -Tonao section of Suhau highway closed due to storm as a precaution ! ! Next stop for Kong Rey - Japan !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 14 hours ago
http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201308310022.aspx Reservoirs fill up as storm rain drenches Taiwan 2013/08/31 20:35:54 Zengwen Reservoir discharges flood Aug. 22, after Tropical Storm Trami skirted Taiwan. Taipei, Aug. 31 (CNA) Heavy rain brought by Tropical Storm Kong-Rey over the past few days has filled up most of the reservoirs across the country, the Water Resources Agency (WRA) said Saturday In areas south Miaoli County, the reservoirs are either full or almost full, while some are overflowing, said Tien Chiao-ling, deputy director-general of the WRA. These reservoirs inclu... more »

Case Study: Račak

Paul Coker at News Spike - 15 hours ago
Kosovo - It Began With a Lie from Spike1138 on Vimeo. President Obama is set to nominate former White House aide Samantha Power to replace Susan Rice as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Power has long been a staunch advocate for U.S. intervention on moral grounds. In 2008, she appeared on Democracy Now! to debate journalist* Jeremy Scahill*about Kosovo, Iraq sanctions and Bill Clinton’s foreign policy record. Power wrote extensively about Bosnia and Kosovo in her book, *"A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide,"* which won a 2003 Pulitzer Prize. Scahill covere... more »

Congress putting the brakes on Obama

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 15 hours ago
* * * * * * *Congress putting the brakes on Obama* by Robert Naiman, Common Dreams …with Press TV [Editors Note: Dear all, now is the time to grab your telephone pitch forks and get those calls in to the White house, your Congressman and both Senators. Give them congrats or spanking accordingly. They need to be shocked when they get back after Labor Day if they don't get called back anyway. A debate will give us more time to find more holes in their bogus gassing scam and expose them enough to demand an investigation now for treason for 'someone' attempting to launch the co... more »

The largest biological and chemical weapons attack of the 20th century...

Left I on the News at Left I on the News - 16 hours ago
...was the deliberate murder of a million Iraqs, 500,000 of them children, by the United States Government. The recent attack in Syria, which is presumed to have been carried out using some sort of poison gas, is described as "the largest use of chemical weapons since the Syrian civil war began." 25 years earlier, an even larger attack launched on Iran by Iraq, with the assistance of the United States, killed thousands of people. But shortly after that attack, there occurred another attack, this one directly perpetrated by the United States, which killed a million people, half of... more »

To Russia With Rainbows

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 16 hours ago
The 2014 Olympic games are set to be held in Sochi, Russia-- notable for their snow capped mountains, love of winter sports, and rabidly homophobic laws about "gay propaganda" (whatever that means). While these games have all of the trappings of Berlin 1936, the one organization we'd expect to have a clear head about these bigoted laws is the International Olympic Commission (IOC). The IOC chose Sochi before Russia passed their anti-gay laws, so the least you would expect them to do is allow Olympic athletes who are repulsed by Russia's institutionalized homophobia wear rainbow fl... more »

Al-Qaeda Approves of Barack Obama's Glorious Declaration of War Against Syria On August 31st

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 16 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*. *Al-Qaeda Applauds Secretary of State John Kerry's Latest Remarks On Syria*. *Below is a statement by Jamal Ahmed al-Tahiri, the spokesman for Al-Qaeda in Damascus (AQD), showing strong approval of President Barack Obama's glorious declaration of war against Syria on Saturday, August 31, 2013. * In the Name of Allah the Merciful, America the Accursed, Aslam O' Alikum, What a majestic, mighty, and magnificent leader America h... more »

Russia Restructures Cyprus Debt; Cyprus Prohibits US Strikes On Syria

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 16 hours ago
*Never try to outplay a Russian at chess... -Bill* Russia Restructures Cyprus Debt; Cyprus Prohibits US Strikes On Syria [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 08/31/2013 15:00 -0400 - Google - Middle East - United Kingdom Yesterday afternoon, *Russia agreed to restructure Cyprus' EUR 2.5 billion loan terms* to a much more affordable 2.5% semi-annual coupon through 2016 and a principal re-payment over the following four years. While probably still out of reach for the desparate economy, it was a positive step. Of course, this 'offer' ... more »

Pope Francis names Pietro Parolin as secretary of state

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 16 hours ago
Pietro Parolin was the Vatican's representative in Venezuela 31 August 2013 Last updated at 10:31 ET *Pope Francis names Pietro Parolin as secretary of state* http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23911986 Pope Francis has named a new secretary of state, in what is seen as his most significant appointment since he became leader of the Catholic Church in March. Archbishop Pietro Parolin, a 58-year-old Vatican diplomat, replaced Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, 79, who is retiring. Cardinal Bertone, appointed by Francis' predecessor Pope Benedict, had been widely criticised over last y... more »

Unfolding the Future of the Long War: Geostrategic/resource control

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 16 hours ago
Continuing on with the real reason for the war on Syria. Not, the ‘bad man’ who did something very, very bad. That so called *bad deed *requiring punishment from the benevolent big daddy. You should have gotten past that stuff in Gr. 2! *We are talking the real reason for the US/Israel/NATO destabilization of Syria, which started long ago. In a land far, far away. The USA.* *You read yesterday’s post? Syria: Pipelines, Global Control Tyranny and US dollar hegemony* I know you have a well honed attention span and a sharp eye for good information. So, here is some more of it. No spin. ... more »

The More Things Stay the Same, the More They Change

jurassicpork at Welcome Back to Pottersville - 18 hours ago
So here we are again. As Obama starts stroking that massive, uncut black cock of his in Syria's general direction, the GOP was screaming that Obama was going to essentially declare war against a giant bowling pin, aka President Assad. Then Obama announced while Congress was still in recess until September 9th that he would first seek Congressional approval before engaging in any military action vs Syria. "Well... day-am," the GOP then said since the President had scuttled their one biggest chance for writing articles of impeachment in the sick, sad, sorry clown show t... more »

Trouble Brewing.

Paul Coker at News Spike - 18 hours ago

Crier Havot

Wit's End - 19 hours ago
O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, That I am meek and gentle with these butchers! Thou art the ruins of the noblest man That ever lived in the tide of times. Woe to the hand that shed this costly blood! Over thy wounds now do I prophesy Which like dumb mouths do ope their ruby lips To beg the voice and utterance of my tongue, A curse shall light upon the limbs of men; Domestic fury and fierce civil strife Shall cumber all the parts of Italy; Blood and destruction shall be so in use, And dreadful objects so familiar, That mothers shall but smile when they behold Their i... more »

Everyday Oneness

Sophia Love at AMERICAN KABUKI - 19 hours ago
Audio Blog It’s like watching an image, once pixelated, come together. There is evidence in the everyday. When the channellers emerged en masse two years ago, the message was clear. Inhaling the enlightened fumes, arrogance emerged. We were played brilliantly. Misfits all of our lives, it was like giving us crack – we ate it up. *We were the Chosen Ones, the Special Ones, the Enlightened Ones, here to finally claim our untold worth. *Long life, prosperity, joy and beauty – this is where we belong. The separation which had been only slightly obvious to us, cl... more »

The Eve of Destruction

theozarker at The Conflicted Doomer - 19 hours ago
August 31, 2013 Once again, a President of the American Empire and its military/industrial complex stand on the cusp of war in the Middle East – this time with even less support from the American people and the international community … Continue reading →

US SPY BOSS MESSAGE ON SYRIA GAS ATTACK ALLEGEDLY HACKED

Anon at aangirfan - 19 hours 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 »

My Climate Action Plan

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 20 hours ago
Click here to read my column in Sunday's *NY Times*.

The History of Video Games

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 20 hours 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 - 20 hours ago
The answer is yes. The participation will be covert. King Harper is not going to 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... more »

Slaying the Mythical al-Qaeda Beast

Paul Coker at News Spike - 21 hours 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 - 21 hours 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 - 21 hours 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 - 21 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! - 21 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 - 21 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 - 21 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 - 21 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 - 21 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 - 21 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 - 22 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 - 22 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 - 22 hours ago

Obama – the Nobel Peace Prize!

Hani Fakhouri at Middle East Today - 22 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? - 22 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 - 22 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. - 22 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 - 23 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 - 23 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 - 23 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? - 23 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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? - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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! - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day ago
*Big Dan at today's protest in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.* *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 g... more »

The people versus the construction-industrial state

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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: ** *UPDATE*: The moment the big boulder came down is captured here, I think. 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 s... more »

Generating hot air

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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? - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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
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1 September - The View

Description unavailableDescription unavailable (Photo credit: Climate Patrol)
English: Measurement of post glacial rebound o...English: Measurement of post glacial rebound of the Baltic shore in Vaasa (Finland). The stones with metal balls mark the rise of the land over the times. Česky: Měření postglaciálního vzestupu pobřeží Baltského moře ve Vaase (Finsko). Kameny s kovovými koulemi vyznačují postupný vzestup souše v čase. Deutsch: Das Messen von Postglazialer Landhebung an der Ostseeküste in Vaasa (Finnland). Die Steine mit Metallkugeln markieren die Hebung des Festlandes in der Zeit. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: An Andean man in traditional dress. P...English: An Andean man in traditional dress. Pisac, Peru. Français : Un homme des Andes en costume traditionnel. Písac, Pérou. Italiano: Un uomo delle Ande in costume tradizionale. Pisac, Perù. Português: Um homem dos Andes, num fato tradicional. Pisac, Peru. Basa Sunda: Lalaki Andés dina pakéan tradisional. Pisak, Péru 中文: 秘鲁比萨卡穿传统服饰的安达斯人。 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A map of Post-Glacial Rebound effects on the B...A map of Post-Glacial Rebound effects on the British Isles, namely whether areas of land are rising, sinking or are stable. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMGENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISM (Photo credit: live w mcs)

 
 
People in Columbia standing against bad agricultural policies.
[2] About 30,000 people marched in the Colombian capital of Bogota on Thursday to support a strike by small farmers who are protesting the government’s agricultural policies, which they say are driving them into bankruptcy.

The large protests have involved teachers, students and health workers.

Demonstrators chanted “Long live the farmers’ strike.” Some clashed with riot police, who responded with tear gas to disperse them.

An estimated 45,000 farmers, coffee growers and truck drivers have blocked highways and battled riot police since last week.
Wow, fascinating...a look inside big biotech's PR machinery; how spin is made and we are being played: http://www.spinwatch.org/index.php/issues/science/item/5461
What did you do when you learned the truth? Or are you one of those in the "frankly I don't give a shit so long as it's cheap" camp?

“We can't plead ignorance, only indifference. Those alive today are the generations that came to know better. We have the burden and the opportunity of living in the moment when the critique of factory farming broke into the popular consciousness. We are the ones of whom it will be fairly asked, What did you do when you learned the truth?” ~
Jonathan Safran Foer
“We are not taught to be thinkers, but reflectors of our culture. Let's teach our children to be thinkers.” -Jacque Fresco @ http://goo.gl/c9iMF
See founder Sandy Rosenthal, on WGNO-TV. She talks to Jon Huffman on Levees.org's quest to list the 17th Street Canal to the National Register.

http://wgno.com/2013/08/31/hurricane-katrina-breachesnational-register-of-historic-placessandy-rosenthallevees-org/#axzz2deGjKTc

 

We have a long way to go, but it would be a much grimmer world without the progress made by unions. Wishing everyone a good Labor Day weekend.

 

a link.

 

Anybody who remembers when Princess Diana died, will tell you that there was a LOT of strange coincidences and evidence which conflicted with the simple "car crash" story....

Now more clues have come out to further enhance the credibility of the 'conspiracy theory'.

It seems like everyday a new 'conspiracy theory' gets proven correct...I wonder how long it will be until even the sheep can begin to question the 'official theories' of important events...considering that most of them are never backed in actual evidence..

ekim
Christian OilMafia shared Boycott Rush Limbaugh's Sponsors to SHUT HIM DOWN.'s photo.
Petition Against Rush Limbaugh/Clear Channel Hate Radio: http://chn.ge/12aTw2I

For an extensive list of Limbaugh Sponsors: http://StopRush.net/
As the machinery for a U.S.-led military intervention in Syria works hard to gather pace, we can hear the drums of war in the White House, the Congress, the Pentagon, the press, the think tanks, the war-profiteers… but we, the people, are not silent. Fifty years after the historic March on Washington, we continue the dream - of a world based on justice, solidarity, mutual aid, dialogue, peace.The struggle did not end in '63, and the spirit remains alive. International and national outrage is growing in the face of new war, our solidarity is slowing the imperialists… let's not stop now!

As Syrians wait to see if they will join the long list of nations the US war-machine has bombed over the years, we say that no longer will we tolerate more racist, imperialist wars. We reject the notion that bombing Syrians will make them safer.

Mobilize your community and take a stand against militarism and empire.

 

#Syrian President #Assad says that his country is capable of confronting any external attack. http://aje.me/15qpkoW

Egypt Shuts Down Al Jazeera’s Egyptian Channel

From an outraged Reuters:
Its offices in Cairo have been closed since July 3, when they were raided by security forces hours after Mursi was toppled, although it has continued to broadcast from Qatar… 

Robert Parry on bizarre replay of Iraq invasion

Robert Parry deserves our attention on any issue he addresses.  He may well be onto a critical point with regard to the White House claims about the Syrian chemical weapons attack.  He notes that the delivery mechanism specified by the Obama administration is one used by “irregular troops.”  That would implicate the rebels and not the Syrian Army.  Any finding that contributes to stopping the rush to judgment needs to be investigated.  This is a great lead.
- See more at: http://agonist.org/robert-parry-on-bizarre-replay-of-iraq-invasion/#more-110395

U.S. intelligence committees say they’re not properly consulted on Syria 

Marty Kaplan in today's Chimp: "As with the sequester, Congress may devise a vote that takes no responsibility and leaves no fingerprints. Most Republicans think that giving Obama a flat yes on anything puts a bulls eye on them for primary challenges. A flat no, like the one Prime Minister Cameron got from Parliament, risks their being blamed for kneejerk partisanship and the next horror out of Syria. So to fudge things and evade accountability, Congress could construct, as Amy Davidson wrote in her New Yorker blog, 'some legislative monstrosity, as it did during the debt-ceiling crisis, that relies on a complicated series of mechanisms that assure nothing -- except that whatever happens is Obama's fault.'"
The Daily Chimp for Sunday, 1 September 2013 | The Smirking Chimp
www.smirkingchimp.com
Minutes after President Obama's hot-potato toss from the Rose Garden to Capitol Hill, "put up or shut up" soared on
http://www.globalresearch.ca/missing-nukes-treason-of-the-highest-order/7158

www.globalresearch.ca
Unauthorized removal of nuclear weapons would be virtually impossible to accomplish unless the chain of command were bypassed.

".....60 percent of Americans, despite weeks of propaganda out of Washington, and cheerleading in the corporate media, oppose a US war in Syria. Only nine percent are in favor of the US launching an attack."

Robert Parry on bizarre replay of Iraq invasion

Robert Parry deserves our attention on any issue he addresses.  He may well be onto a critical point with regard to the White House claims about the Syrian chemical weapons attack.  He notes that the delivery mechanism specified by the Obama administration is one used by “irregular troops.”  That would implicate the rebels and not the Syrian Army.  Any finding that contributes to stopping the rush to judgment needs to be investigated.  This is a great lead.
- See more at: http://agonist.org/robert-parry-on-bizarre-replay-of-iraq-invasion/#more-110395


I fear we're on the brink of a tragic decision to strike Syria, because, in the dubious logic of the President, "a lot of people think something should be done," and American "credibility" is at stake. He and his secretary of state assure us that the strike will be "limited" and "surgical." Yes, the use of chemical weapons against Syrian citizens is abominable, and if Assad's regime is responsible he should be treated as an international criminal and pariah. But have we learned nothing? Time and again over the last half century American presidents have justified so-called surgical strikes because the nation's credibility is at stake, and because we have to take some action to show our strength and resolve -- only to learn years later that our credibility has suffered more from our foolish and brazen bellicosity, that the surgical strikes have only intensified hostilities and made us captive to forces beyond our control, and that our resolve eventually disappears in the face of mounting casualties of Americans and innocent civilians. We and others have paid an incalculable price.

On Labor Day weekend we should rather be testing the nation's resolve to provide good jobs at good wages to all Americans who need them, and measuring our credibility by the ideal of equal opportunity. And we should strike (and join striking workers) against big employers who won't provide their employees with minimally-decent wages. We need to commit ourselves to a living wage, and to providing more economic security to the millions of Americans now working harder but getting nowhere. Yes, Mr. President, a lot of people think something should be done -- about these mounting problems at our doorstep, within America. We can have more influence on the rest of the world by showing the rest of the world that we live by our ideals, than by using brute force to make points.
John Farnham The rest of the world believes brute force is the American Way.  
Healthier Steps's photo.

 

The case of the poison potato

The Exciting Groundswell That's About to Topple Monsanto   
The evidence surrounds us, and according to Jeffrey Smith, it's about to reach the tipping point that we all have worked so hard to achieve. See the 5 telling signs that I'm thrilled about, and the next crucial stage happening now targeting 4 key groups...


In the US, we saw a tipping point against Monsanto’s genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rBGH) when it got kicked out of Walmart, Starbucks, Yoplait, and Dannon.
This was not due to any action taken by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but occurred when mothers across the nation became aware of the cancer risks associated with milk from cows treated with bovine growth hormone.
Now, the tipping point of consumer rejection of genetically engineered foods in the US is almost here.
A clear sign of this occurred last year, when the president of Whole Foods confessed that when a product becomes verified as Non-GMO or GMO-free, sales leap by 15-30 percent. Of all the categories of health and wellness claims, such as “gluten-free,” etc, “GMO-free” products have the most rapid growth in sales.
“This shows an enormous desire and demand for non-GMO products,” Smith says. “There are now 10,000 products in our NonGMOShoppingGuide.com database that are verified as non-GMO, and that’s expanding every day.”
“It’s actually happening in a big way. The next stage of the tipping point was heralded by a New York Times article1 on the 27th of May. If you were to read it from the perspective of a food product manager, you would realize the absolute need to make a decision.

Results from Animal-Feeding Studies Correlate with Human Disease Patterns

According to Smith, there are definitive correlations between the results from animal-feeding studies and the patterns of human disease we’re now seeing. For example, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine has done a number of animal-feeding studies on GMO’s and specifically enumerated the particular categories of diseases and disorders found in these controlled environments:
Gastrointestinal problems Immune problems Reproductive problems
Organ damage Dysfunction and dysregulation of cholesterol Dysfunction and dysregulation of insulin

glyphosate may actually be the most important factor in the development of a wide variety of chronic diseases, specifically because your gut bacteria are a key component of glyphosate’s mechanism of harm. 


Monsanto has steadfastly claimed that Roundup is harmless to animals and humans because the mechanism of action it uses (which allows it to kill weeds), called the shikimate pathway, is absent in all animals. However, the shikimate pathway IS present in bacteria, and that’s the key to understanding how it causes such widespread systemic harm in both humans and animals. The bacteria in your body outnumber your cells by 10 to 1. For every cell in your body, you have 10 microbes of various kinds, and all of them have the shikimate pathway, so they will all respond to the presence of glyphosate!

 “Roundup is actually patented as a biocide. It’s an antibiotic, it kills bacteria. That affects not only the soil, killing the beneficial bacteria that provide the nutrients to the soil, but it also kills the beneficial bacteria in your gut... It kills the Bifidus. It kills the Lactobacillus. But it keeps alive the E.coli, salmonella, and botulism, which is not something we want to keep alive. When you kill the beneficial gut bacteria, it affects your immune system and digestive tract.”

Will Second Trial End in Jail for Peaceful Farmer?
Why are small farmers facing jail time for providing wholesome food to willing buyers?

 

  1. sweetness-light.com/.../ted-kennedys-real-october-surprise   Cached
    But it wasn’t Mr. Reagan (or his henchmen Mr. Bush) ... there really was an attempt at freeing the Iranian hostages as an ‘October Surprisein 1980 after all. ...


Obama says that he can strike against Syria before weapons inspectors report their findings from the investigation in Damascus and without a vote at the United Nations Security Council which he knows he would lose.

With the lapdog British government blocked from military action and with public opinion seriously against him he is seeking to cover his back and share the responsibility with the Fools and Tools on the Hill.

This was to avoid being seen as solely responsible for attacks which are aimed simply at taking out Assad military assets to make it easier for the 'rebels' to win the civil war and hand power in Syria to the US, Britain and Israel (the Rothschilds). All the rest is smokescreen.


He must be seriously confident of winning the vote when Congress reconvenes on September 9th, but since when did they have any backbone given that Israel has most of them in its back pocket? This delay is, however, indicative of how weak his position is compared with Bush in 2003.

By the way, another speech comes and goes and still no evidence produced that Assad ordered a chemical attack.


Click here to read and watch ...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23916752


. Robert Parry on bizarre replay of Iraq invasion
Robert Parry deserves our attention on any issue he addresses.  He may well be onto a critical point with regard to the White House claims about the Syrian chemical weapons attack.  He notes that the delivery mechanism specified by the Obama administration is one used by “irregular troops.”  That would implicate the rebels and not the Syrian Army.  Any finding that contributes to stopping the rush to judgment needs to be investigated.  This is a great lead.
Robert Parry, Consortium News, August 28 - See more at: http://agonist.org/robert-parry-on-bizarre-replay-of-iraq-invasion/#more-110395
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