Monday, December 30, 2013

30 Dec - Blogs I'm Following

5:11pm MST

Your moment of Zen

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 6 minutes ago
Hoya cinnamomifolia is a vine that comes from the island of Java. This is its flower.

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 9 minutes ago
*Our New Orleans Saints Coach Payton's Monday Review and Looking head to Eagles*

Wave of Radiation from Fukushima Will Be 10 Times Bigger than All of the Radiation from Nuclear Tests Combined

urupiper at Yesterday 's Lies - 31 minutes ago
December 22, 2013 by WashingtonsBlog Putting Fukushima In PerspectiveThere was *no* background radioactive cesiumbefore above-ground nuclear testing and nuclear accidents started. Wikipedia provides some details on the distribution of cesium-137 due to human activities: Small amounts of caesium-134 and caesium-137 were released into the environment during nearly all nuclear weapon tests and some nuclear accidents, most notably the Chernobyl disaster. *** *Caesium-137 is unique in that it is totally anthropogenic*. Unlike most other radioisotopes, caesium-137 is not produced from its ... more »

Egypt's Generals Arrest Four Al Jazeera Journalists

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 45 minutes ago
A lot of journalists today are also spies, government contractors, and members of political parties and cults. Journalists are not heroes. The occupation of "journalist" has been stained in most countries, and this is largely due to the actions of journalists themselves, with the exception of a brave few, who almost always end up dead or work as pariahs. Journalists are not pure actors on the civic stage who have a disinterested outlook on political events and the forces that shape history, but political voices who abuse their medium and craft and serve as propaganda voices for a pa... more »

Jobs in the US Economy 1948-2011

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Pielke, Jr.) at Roger Pielke Jr.'s Blog - 1 hour ago
The figure above shows data on employment in the US economy 1948 to 2011 across 10 sectors. The data comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. There is a discontinuity in the data in 1998, when category definitions were changed. and we have not tried to standardize across that discontinuity. In addition, the graph shows "full time equivalents" rather than the frequently used full- and part-time employment series. Some numbers: - In 1948 the US had 48.0 million FTE jobs. - In 2011 the US had 122.6 million FTE jobs. - From 1948 to 2011 the US added 74.6 million FTE jobs, a... more »

Is Saudi Arabia's Prince Bandar Behind Volgograd Attacks?

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 1 hour ago
There are pieces of shit in this universe, and then there's Prince Bandar of Saudi Arabia. Some emperors and heads of states like President Bush have their saving graces and can be forgiven, but not so with Bandar, this fuckhead needs to be six feet underground for humanity to move forward and prosper. What positive thing does his stupid government contribute to the Middle East or world civilization? Nothing but terror comes from his regime. Israel can stand up and say "Hey, look, we have an ancient and biblical history, we have contributed scientists and inventors to the human rac... more »

Slow Arc

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 1 hour ago
It has taken some time to divine what God is responsible for and what is humankind. The results have not been pretty despite the perpertrators defense that they were just doing Gods work and against that will there is no defence. So fucking little ladies at the age of fourteen was somehow more noble than taking little boys who were years from being teens. I say you are all fucked up and deserve to die, but why does my PM look at your troubles and it brings a tear to his eye.

Ruled by Crazy

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 1 hour ago
Look you all went to school with these guys. Tell us the truth if you are not comprised.

Human Pussy no better than a goat

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 1 hour ago
Well it depends upon which depends you wear. So many humans fail when it comes to removing children s underwear. So if you want to keep a British stiff uper lip you have to wonder how they have so many children who did not serve for country and queen. Why the fuck do so many Britions seem to want to fuck off. These crazy motherfuckers used babies to jerk off.

Do not abuse your serfs

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 1 hour ago
That is the lesson of history. The Chinese built a six thousand year empire on that concept. And to give a tip to the dull edge of the sword, most of the admin was done by eunuchs. Its a war between human dignigy and the man. We are losing. Plan B is terrorism. Is that were the MAN wants us to be? Overpopulation, using two times the earths resources every cycle, these are all things the MAN understands naturally. He also understands better than anyone the law of unintended consequences. Its a power struggle between mass extinction and preserving the genome.

YOUR $$$ AT WORK

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 hour ago
The corporate oligarchy runs the US and significant parts of the world by using agencies like the NSA and the CIA to guide the propaganda and war machine. These guys inside the national security complex hate having the light of truth shined on them. They are afraid at some point the public will turn on them - thus their naming of Snowden as a treasonous traitor and other such blarney. The public is yawning as if awakening....we saw them respond well on the Syria issue. We pray that the people will push back hard on these spying-surveillance issues while there is still a crack o... more »

Recopilación de Imágenes para Año Nuevo 2014

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FOTOFRONTERA - 2 hours ago
Las mejores Imágenes de Año Nuevo 2014 (15 ilustraciones) Celebra este Año Nuevo con estas hermosas imágenes Postales de Año Nuevo 2014 con mensajes bonitos Las mejores Imágenes para fin de Año Gratis Imágenes fantásticas de Año Nuevo 2014 Imágenes con mensajes de Año Nuevo realmente fabulosas Imágenes de Año Nuevo con mensajes de felicitaciones muy hermosas Imágenes de Navidad, Año Nuevo y postales con mensajes para compartir

If predators are scamming billions and billions via for-profit hospice "care," isn't this why we have the death penalty?

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 2 hours ago
*Profits up in California*: *The average profit per patient has grown steadily. The combination of more patients and far greater profit per patient has pushed overall inflation-adjusted profit up more than tenfold.*(click to enlarge; from washingtonpost.com) *by Ken* In a moment I'm going to back up a bit to try to enable you to understand why I was so shocked, and found my gut so clenched, upon reading an online teaser Thursday night for an investigative report in the *Washington Post*'s "Cost of Healing" series which appeared on Friday's front page, "Medicare rules create a boom... more »

Headlines adding up to a Sum we do not want to see

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 2 hours ago
I wish I was the NSA then I could do an emperical measure. Like a sniper making a mile long shot. But all I got is my degree in History. And I say something is seriously off. We are in a bad , bad place with no relief.

"The Oyster and the Cormorant"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 2 hours ago
* "The Oyster and the Cormorant"* by CoyotePrime . “Brandt's Cormorants feed either singly or in flocks, and are adaptable in prey choice and undersea habitat. It feeds on small fish from the surface to sea floor, obtaining them, like all cormorants, by pursuit diving using its feet for propulsion. Prey is often what is most common: in central California, rockfish from the genus Sebastes is the most commonly taken, but off British Columbia, it is Pacific Herring. Brandt's Cormorant have been observed foraging at depths of over 40 feet.”-WikiPedia Westport is a small fishing town on... more »

Some actually existing politics

Roobin at THROUGH THE SCARY DOOR - 2 hours ago
A small sample of 2013's most misleading statistics. The point about junk stats as a form of debate is they are pumped into the news cycle every day. By the time any of them are rebutted in any way (not usually on a front page or top of a news bulletin) quite often they have settled in popular consciousness, even if it's just as an impression, e.g. Britain is 'flooded' with immigrants, public sector workers have 'gold plated' pensions, disabled people are 'skivers'. This is truthiness in action. The lack of a functioning counter-hegemony makes it very difficult to fight.

"Courage"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 3 hours ago
* "Courage"* Summer in Washington state is an incredibly delightful time, bright warm sun in a panorama of pure green unlike anywhere else. Winters are another matter entirely, and it’s common for rain to fall daily for months on end, a 24 hour a day onslaught of endless gray and gloom. Frequently animals like raccoons, mice or squirrels will burrow into the walls and roofs of homes, trying to find a warm and dry place to nest. And so it was one afternoon that the house cat suddenly and frantically charged across the living room into the corner, howling ferociously at something w... more »

"Bravery: "The Killings Fields of Gaza""

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 3 hours ago
*"The Killings Fields of Gaza"* by Colin Green "Revelations from Israeli sources such as ‘Breaking the Silence’ and ‘Physicians for Human Rights-Israel’ that the Israeli assaults on Gaza in 2008/9 (Cast Lead) and 2012 (Pillars of Defence) were planned many months ahead pose many questions about the real motives for the seven year siege and these massive attacks on a helpless concentration of impoverished and imprisoned people. Let us then pose just some of those questions and seek objective answers to: *Why does the international community and UN allow Israel to blockade and besie... more »

"How It Really Is"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 3 hours ago

2013 / THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

Allen L Roland, Ph.D at Allen L Roland's Weblog - 3 hours ago
*The tide is rapidly closing in on this year but there is still time to reflect on the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of 2013 ~ which I summarize as the Good with the political emergence of Elizabeth Warren, the Bad reality of the growing poverty and social inequality of America and the persistent Ugly eye sore and continuing injustice of Guantanamo: Allen L Roland* *I'm glad 2014 is coming to a close* ~ I'm tired of living on the edge, of watching the poor get poorer and the rich get richer, of witnessing the seeming triumph of selfishness over altruism, of experiencing the sl... more »

Las mejores Imágenes de Año Nuevo 2014

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FOTOFRONTERA - 4 hours ago

In Cyber Security, it is the little things that matter…

Brandon Valeriano at Duck of Minerva - 4 hours ago
I really like the point of this brief little article on a “cyber attack” against a power plant. The money quote highlighted from the Foreign Policy article, “A shooter could get 200 yards away with a .22 rifle and take the whole thing out…A metal sheet that would block the transformer from view…[is] a lot Continue reading

what i'm reading: the immortal life of henrietta lacks, by rebecca skloot

laura k at wmtc - 4 hours ago
I've just finished *The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks*, by Rebecca Skloot. I’m sure many of you have read it, but if you have not, please run to your local library or bookstore or website and borrow, purchase, or download a copy immediately. This book is literary nonfiction of the highest order, a melding of social, cultural, and science history, and a triumph of research and writing. Henrietta Lacks was an African-American woman, a poor tobacco farmer who lived near and in Baltimore. Henrietta died of cancer in 1951, at the age of 31. She left behind five children, destined for... more »

Penultimate Call for Blogging Awards Nominations

Jon Western at Duck of Minerva - 5 hours ago
One week left for nominations. Please send us your nominations — you can email us a nomination directly or post in the Comments thread below. Here’s what we have so far for each category: Best Blog (Individual) Deborah Brautigam at China in Africa Jay Ulfelder at Dart Throwing Chimp Kan Opalo at An Africanist Perspective Tom Pepinsky Blog Continue reading

LEAKED Confession: Cesspool Of Greek-German Corruption

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 5 hours ago
*LEAKED Confession: Cesspool Of Greek-German Corruption* December 30th, 2013 http://investmentwatchblog.com/leaked-confession-cesspool-of-greek-german-corruption/ Wolf Richter www.testosteronepit.com www.amazon.com/author/wolfrichter Apparently, it has been impossible to sell Greece any weapons at all, not even a water pistol, without bribing officials at the Defense Ministry. Corruption is so pandemic that Transparency International awarded Greece once again the dubious honor of being the most corrupt country in the EU. For 2013, Greece ended up in 80th place of the 177 countri... more »

What's sauce for the goose...

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 5 hours ago

Margaret Spellings, propagandist!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 5 hours ago
*MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013* *The Washington Post rides again:* Margaret Spellings was education secretary under President George W. Bush. She’s also a propagandist. The Washington Post doesn’t care. Last Friday, the Post published this hapless column by Spellings. Because the column is riddled with errors, it shouldn’t have gone into print. That said, Spellings’ column followed a set of scripts the mainstream press has long found quite congenial. This has especially been true at the Post, which has a financial conflict of interest with respect to certain types of education “reform.... more »

"Fukushima Update, 12/30/2013"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
*"Fukushima Update, 12/30/2013"* By Susan Duclos, et al "Earlier I reported that Unit #3 of the Fukushima nuclear plants was steaming, multiple times just this past week and in another report we found out that dust, rain, fog, food and water are all ways that radiation can enter the human body. Now Turner Radio Network has spoken to some experts and are issuing a major urgent alert for the West Coast of the US about the radiation that could possibly hit them, in a massive way, in the next three to five days. The area around #3 is so 'hot' and dangerous that people cannot even go ... more »

“Key Zeitgeist and Anthropology Trends 2014: What If The Unexpected Happens?”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
*“Key Zeitgeist and Anthropology Trends 2014: What If The Unexpected Happens?”* By DK Matai *"OPPOSITES:* 2014 is likely to be a year of Opposites: *a) *Moving forwards in the digital world and moving backwards in the analogue world; *b)* Balancing business and personal life becomes a key challenge whilst distinguishing between the increasingly blurred work and home-life boundaries; *c)* Emotional and social ups and downs and coping with roller-coaster extreme mood swings within others and oneself; *d) *Periods of fast moving complexity punctuated by periods of relative calm – e... more »

Has The American Mass Media Turned Itself Into An Arm Of A Government Propaganda Machine?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 6 hours ago
One month ago, to the day, we looked at a fascinating bit of interaction, billed as a *HARDtalk* interview, between Glenn Greenwald and a British government stooge who broadcasts propaganda on the BBC, Stephen Sackur, the voice of Establishment Group Think. You can hit that link above and watch the interview if you'd like because Greenwald refrerred to it Friday in a German computer conference, Hamburg's 30th annual Chaos Communication Congress on Friday. Greenwald's keynote address accused the media establishment of being "guilty of failing significantly with respect to accomplis... more »

To Common Core Enablers: The Friend of My Enemy Is My Enemy

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 6 hours ago
Common Corers talk of the need for internationally-benchmarked standards and curriculum. By this they pretend to mean relinquishing the wafer-thin, NCLB-inspired drive-by curriculums that demand that students ingest an endless stream of subject matter infobits that are later excreted or regurgitated on command, whereupon the remains are probed and dissected for signs of meaning among the digitized acres of psychometric scat. Common Corers talk of learning that is deep rather than broad, thick rather than thin, learning that calls for less picking and more chewing. Unfortunately, t... more »

Pamela Wallin keeping in shape

LeDaro at LeDaro - 6 hours ago
Sorry about the picture being shaky. Mike Duffy was handling the camera..:)

Best of Housewife Eclectic in 2013

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 6 hours ago
Looking back over 2013, I can't believe that it has come and gone already. So much has changed for me and Housewife Eclectic in 2013, and I can't wait to carry those changes into 2014. I have plans for some fantastic projects and some amazing recipes for the new year, a few that will debut later this week. I can't thank Housewife Eclectic's 2013 sponsors enough. I worked with some amazing people and companies this year! Here as decided by the pages with the post views are the top projects and posts from 2013. 1. How to Make a Little Girl's Dress from an Adult T-shirt. I LOVE this pr... more »

Granny Jan: Barack Obama Sucks...at Being a Macho Man (must see video)...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 6 hours ago
*from our very own Granny Jan (who has been mysteriously MIA) - and we thank her.*

“Life in the Emerging American Police State: What’s in Store for Our Freedoms in 2014?”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 6 hours ago
*“Life in the Emerging American Police State:* * What’s in Store for Our Freedoms in 2014?”* By John W. Whitehead “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” —George Santayana, "The Life of Reason", Vol. 1 "In Harold Ramis’ classic 1993 comedy “Groundhog Day”, TV weatherman Phil Connors (played by Bill Murray) is forced to live the same day over and over again until he not only gains some insight into his life but changes his priorities. Similarly, as I illustrate in my book “A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State”, we in the emerging Am... more »

Thailand: Violent, Homophobic Regime Supporters Plan "Secession"

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 7 hours ago
*December 30, 2013* (Tony Cartalucci) - Singapore's "The Straits Times" reports in their article, "Thai protests: 'Red shirts' plan to hit back Leader warns of retaliation if Yingluck government is forced to cede power," that: ANGRY "red shirts" in northern Thailand are preparing to hit back as anti-government protests in Bangkok are set to enter their third month. Having stayed largely in the background, the red shirts, who propelled the Puea Thai party to power in 2011, are upset by what they see as a weak government response to the protesters' attempts to paralyse the capital a... more »

Update and correction on NTS

Passionate Pragmatist at Northerntruthseeker - 7 hours ago
*Just received more news from Brian a few minutes ago.* *First, the correction - the cardiologist will be doing an Angiogram where they insert a tube into the aorta to clear the minor blockage, instead of and angioplasty which is a repair.* *The procedure is scheduled for Friday, January 3rd. He'll be in hospital at least until the following Monday for post-op observation. Lets hope everything goes well.* *Brian has his Blackberry with him but the hospital has no wi-fi internet capability. If anyone would like to contact him please email me at passionatepragmatist@gmail.com and ... more »

Iraq’s PM Maliki Goes From Offensive Against Al Qaeda To Crackdown On Anbar Protestors

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 7 hours ago
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki just turned a military tragedy, which rallied much of the country behind the government, into a campaign against the Anbar protest movement. In the middle of December 2013 Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) set up an elaborate trap, which resulted in the death of much of the leadership of the Army’s 7thDivision. Baghdad then launched a massive military campaign in Anbar that almost all parties and much of the public supported. In the midst of this offensive however, the prime minister decided to go after the Anbar demonstrators by claiming that they were behind... more »

You (and Harper) already blew it!!

Dave at The Galloping Beaver - 7 hours ago
Harper knob polisher, Michael Den Tandt offers up the results of gazing at the Conservative crystal ball with a set of 2014 predictions on what to expect from (missing in action) Harper. It's actually quite stunning. Den Tandt pines away for the "Charm Offensive" he has oft predicted from Harper but which has never happened. It seems to escape Den Tandt that Harper doesn't have it in him and if

Wells Fargo in $591 million Fannie Mae settlement

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 7 hours ago
Dec. 30, 2013, 9:14 a.m. EST *Wells Fargo in $591 million Fannie Mae settlement* By Saabira Chaudhuri http://www.marketwatch.com/story/wells-fargo-pays-591-mln-in-fannie-mae-settlement-2013-12-30 Wells Fargo & Co. on Monday reached a $591 million deal with Fannie Mae to settle claims that it sold defective mortgages to the government-controlled home-loan financier. Adjusted for credits related to previous repurchases, Wells Fargo will pay $541 million. As of the end of its third quarter, the largest mortgage lender in the U.S. had accrued for the cost of the settlement in full. ... more »

Out, Out, Damned Year

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 7 hours ago
Stuff to make the coffee burble out of your nose on a gloomy Monday morn: Americans named President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as the world's most admired living man and woman in 2013, according to a Gallup poll released on Monday. OMG, you declare in disbelief? Be heartened, Sardonickists. Because they only asked a thousand people out of a population of 300+ million. Because despite winning this dubious popularity contest, Barack is fully 16 percentage points less popular with a thousand people than he was a year ago. Even Hillary, who has been winn... more »

CIA BUSY IN RUSSIA?

Anon at aangirfan - 7 hours ago
*Arthur Atayev*, of Russia’s *Institute of Strategic Research* says that *the organisers of the attacks in VOLGOGRAD "are located outside Russia* (*presumably the CIA and its friends*). "And they have been launching destabilizing attacks in Russia for a long time in order to reduce its foreign policy influence..." *Volgograd attacks are attempt to open internal front, spread panic, chaos*... RT Saudi Arabia's spy chief Prince Bandar allegedly told the Russians: “I can give you a guarantee to protect the Winter Olympics next year. The Chechen groups that threaten the security of ... more »

SNOWED IN

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 8 hours ago
We had more snow last night and are running out of places to put it. Next Thursday and Friday the weather report says we will get up to 16 inches more of snow. That will be a nightmare. The last couple years we didn't get much snow at all. But climate change experts predict that some places will get more drought and other places will be wetter in the future. The predictions are that Maine will be a wet place and this winter's snowfall could be a sign of the times. We have five doors on our big house so we've got to keep them cleared with paths open to each. In addition we need... more »

LAND OF SCRIPT: Krugman says one of the fevers has broken!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 8 hours ago
*MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013* *Part 1—Land of many outbreaks:* In today’s column, Paul Krugman says that one of the fevers has broken. We’re not sure that Krugman is right, although he certainly may be. To us, his evidence seems a bit thin. Time will tell! But as he starts, Krugman describes one of the fevered regimes under which this nation has labored. An obvious question comes to mind: How can this possibly happen? KRUGMAN (12/30/13): In 2012 President Obama, ever hopeful that reason would prevail, predicted that his re-election would finally break the G.O.P.’s “fever.” It didn... more »

TFA/KIPP Teacher Talks of Shame, Isolation, Burnout

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 9 hours ago
From Cloaking Inequity: *Graduating from college, I was energized and ready to take my place on the front line of education reform by becoming part of the Teach For America Corps. Many entering corps members are captured by the convincing sales pitch of TFA recruiters on campus. While I did meet with one of these recruiters who reinforced my decision to join, I had also spent time in my undergraduate coursework studying parts of education reform, including charter schools and Teach For America. I knew the criticisms, but I thought I knew what I was getting into. I was wrong about ... more »

Sol Flips it's Magnetic poles.... or not?

Breaking The Silence at Removing The Shackles - 9 hours ago
So after all the hype, it would seem that our lovely Sol has flipped it's magnetic poles..... at least, that's what main stream news story is saying. However, I can find not a single mention of it on NASA's website.... then again, this is NASA that we are talking about, so the fact that they haven't updated their news section since December 26th, 2013, really isn't that much of an indicator. Below is a video from NASA, and another video that discusses the news article. What I DO find interesting is that neither Solarham, SuspiciousObservers, Watchers, nor any other sites I usual... more »

“They ask only opportunity”: Helen Keller and Those Who Will Not See

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE - 9 hours ago
\”They ask only opportunity\”: Helen Keller and Those Who Will Not See. via “They ask only opportunity”: Helen Keller and Those Who Will Not See.

Male bomber behind blast # 2 in Russia's Volgagrad

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 10 hours ago
*UPDATE BELOW * Another day in Volgograd. Another bombing. Gotta admit this morning's news was surprising even to me. Very brazen, two bombing in 24 hours. *(First one: *Man and/or woman likely to be involved in Volgograd terror bombing) Something that we have read about in Syria, sure. But then is Russia so different then Syria, really? Superficially the similarities may not seem obvious But looking a little deeper ,we see lots of commonalities Both countries, along with others, are on the *NATO 'to do list': * 1.Destabilize 2.Balkanize 3.Weaken 4.Divide to conquer. Clearly some en... more »

Competence And Intelligence?

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 10 hours ago
At this time last year, Michael den Tandt predicted that Stephen Harper would undertake a charm offensive. Perhaps he was simply hoping for the impossible. For a man who doesn't like people, Harper has chosen a curious profession. At any rate, den Tandt is not looking for a charm offensive this year. This year, he predicts: Harper in 2014 will make a visible effort to re-engage – likely through more frequent speeches, perhaps even more frequent press conferences. He will do so not by choice, but by necessity. The Wright-Duffy mess, the sheer scale of the venality and dishonesty ... more »

Republican Party Class War Is Relentless But It's Turning Especially Ugly Right Now

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 10 hours ago
A friend, who apparently doesn't read this blog, just called me astounded that this week 1.3 million Americans would be losing their unemployment benefis. He had just found out. "What are they going to do," he asked. I mentioned something about turning their anger, in a decidedly non-electoral way towards the individual conservatives in Congress, who have authored their impending misery. He pointed out that if anyone gets shot it'll probably be someone at a WalMart or post office, rather than a Paul Ryan, John Boehner or Ted Cruz, all merciless persecutors of the working poor. Fr... more »

Greece Updates December 30 , 2013 - As Greece prepares to assume the Presidency of the European Union even as the country to careen down to ever lower levels of debt hell , perhaps the clouds over Greece provide a symbolic view of Europe for 2014 !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 10 hours ago
[image: Air pollution via fire places? Frankly, my dear, Greeks don’t give a damn] Air pollution via fire places? Frankly, my dear, Greeks don’t give a damn Posted by keeptalkinggreece in Society, Very Mix Greeks got a new top issue to spend the winter with: heating oil tax and heavy air pollution. The conflict between government and citizens will remain unsolved until temperatures start to rise again by end of March. While the citizens demand the reduction of heating oil tax, the government insists on keeping it high claiming some cheap and unconvincing reasons. At the same ... more »

Best Wishes for the Coming Year!

Inexplicata (IHU) at Inexplicata-The Journal of Hispanic Ufology - 10 hours ago
Thanks to all our readers for supporting INEXPLICATA in 2013! We look forward to seeing you again in '14 with new and enlightening information. Inexplicata Podcasts covering items from UFO / paranormal history in Spain, Latin America and the Caribbean

Playing racist chicken

sue at Is the BBC biased? - 10 hours ago
I haven’t anything original to add to the debate about the so-called art installation ‘Bethlehem Unwrapped” that has been erected outside St James’s Church Piccadilly, but the whole thing seems so ignominious and unhelpful that I want to say something, original or not. The BBC seems to have avoided the subject, despite the fact that the Rev Lucy Winkett is involved, and Jeremy Hardy and Mark Steel are performing for the cause. They’re all all BBC regulars, and the BBC’s favourite popular philosopher of the spiritual kind, Giles Fraser, has ‘weighed in’over at the Guardian. The per... more »

Yacht What

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 11 hours ago
*A farmer contemplates a field in Yunlin.* The Taiwan government is so droll. Upon being criticized for building 115 slots for yachts at ports in northern Taiwan last year, the government replied: The project is not limited to pleasure yachts from high income people, but anyone can use the docks if they have a yacht, the agency said, adding that “it is like being able to park in a parking lot if there are empty spots.” Did you hear that folks? Anyone can use them! Which is good, because I was wondering what do with my collection of yachts.... the story is actually more complex. B... more »

15 Health Benefits of Tusli (Holy Basil)

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 11 hours ago
15 Benefits of the Holy Basil (Tulsi) By MP Bhattathiry The tulsi or holy basil is an important symbol in the Hindu religious tradition and is worshiped in the morning and evening by Hindus at large. The holy basil is also a herbal remedy for a lot of common ailments. Here're top fifteen medicinal uses of tulsi. *1. Healing Power:* The tulsi plant has many medicinal properties. The leaves are a nerve tonic and also sharpen memory. They promote the removal of the catarrhal matter and phlegm from the bronchial tube. The leaves strengthen the stomach and induce copious perspirati... more »

Douglas J Hagmann's DHS Insider: “Preparations Have Been Finalized to Respond to a Crisis of Unprecedented Magnitude Within the United States” ....... Apart from what plots may or may not be in the offing , evidence that America has morphed into something other than the Nation we have been and the principles we had adhered to - can be observed from TPP secret talks which run against the interests of the American people in general , the " Too Big to Jail " belief protecting Banksters , the odd events occurring to those who fight the PTBs .....

Catharsis Ours - 11 hours ago
http://www.infowars.com/dhs-insider-preparations-have-been-finalized-to-respond-to-a-crisis-of-unprecedented-magnitude-within-the-united-states/ DHS Insider: “Preparations Have Been Finalized to Respond to a Crisis of Unprecedented Magnitude Within the United States” - [image: The Alex Jones Channel][image: Alex Jones Show podcast][image: Prison Planet TV][image: Infowars.com Twitter][image: Alex Jones' Facebook][image: Infowars store] *Douglas J. Hagmann* SHTF plan December 28, 2013 *Editor’s Note: One of the questions oft asked in alternative news circles is why, if ele... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 11 hours ago
*Saints' Wild Card round playoff game to be Saturday at 7 p.m. CT on WDSU* *Texas Brine draws up new sinkhole containment plans ~David J. Mitchell, The Advocate* *New Orleans earns international recognition for New Years Eve celebration ~WVUE*

Sun has 'flipped upside down' as new magnetic cycle begins

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 11 hours ago
*Video: Sun has 'flipped upside down' as new magnetic cycle begins**The sun’s magnetic field has fully reversed its polarity, marking the midpoint of Solar Cycle 24, which will be completed in 11 years time*TOMAS JIVANDA Sunday 29 December 2013 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/video-sun-has-flipped-upside-down-as-new-magnetic-cycle-begins-9029378.html The sun has "flipped upside down", with its north and south poles reversed to reach the midpoint of Solar Cycle 24, Nasa has said. Now, the magnetic fields will once again started moving in opposite directions to begin th... more »

Who Killed FDR - New Information

Paul Coker at News Spike - 12 hours ago
*"I hope that you will pardon me for this unusual posture of sitting down during the presentation of what I want to say, but I know that you will realize that it makes it a lot easier for me not to have to carry about ten pounds of steel around on the bottom of my legs; and also because of the fact that I have just completed a fourteen-thousand-mile trip."* *Address to Congress on Yalta (March 1, 1945)* *Franklin Delano Roosevelt* Last photo of FDR Last Painting of FDR (unfinished) "Dr. Ross T. McIntire was the White House physician in charge of President's Roosevelt's health.... more »

DIVORCE AND MARRIAGE

Anon at aangirfan - 12 hours ago
The headmaster of a top private school in London once told us that the 'disturbed and difficult' children in his school came almost entirely from broken homes. He said that over 50% of the children at his school came from broken homes and that one boy had had five different mothers. *Divorce Rate in the USA.* *A recent survey suggests that divorcing parents lie to themselves about the effect that divorce has on their children.* The survey showed that most parents thought that their children had coped well. However, according to the survey, *only 18% of children said that they... more »

Archaeological & Historical Discoveries of 2013

Breaking The Silence at Removing The Shackles - 13 hours ago
Beyond all the transparency being made visible in the realms of "government" and finance, there have been some awesome new discoveries in the arena of archaeology. This year has led to all sorts of interesting discoveries in the areas of history and archaeology, some of them truly astounding. When I started pulling together the links for this article though I had to giggle as there are several "top 10" lists, and virtually none of them were even remotely the same, lol. Below I've posted two of the "Top 10" lists of Archaeological discoveries in 2013. Besides those two lists, th... more »

Clive Davis

Paul Coker at News Spike - 14 hours ago
*New York Times Shill-fest for Murderous Industry Mob Vampyre Clive Davis* No mere vulgar showbiz reminiscence — and that’s kind of a pity — Clive Davis’s autobiography has the ceremonious heft we associate with presidential memoirs. At 586 dense pages, “The Soundtrack of My Life” is dwarfed by Bill Clinton’s herculean “My Life.” But it leaves the shrimpy 497 pages of George W. Bush’s “Decision Points” looking like an amuse-bouche. Not that Davis is overestimating his own stature. As the head of Columbia Records in the 1960s, he discovered, among others, Janis Joplin. As the fo... more »

Sweden Spying On Russia For NSA by Jordan Shilton

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 14 hours ago
Swedish intelligence service spying on Russia for US National Security Agency By Jordan Shilton 30 December 2013 Documents released by Edward Snowden reveal that Sweden’s National Defence Radio Establishment (FRA) has been collecting large quantities of communications data from Russia, which it has passed to the American National Security Agency (NSA). The revelations confirm that such collaboration goes back for decades. According to one document published by public broadcaster SVT December, Stockholm signed a top-secret cooperation agreement in 1954 with the United States, Brit... more »

Felix M. Warburg - Clairvoyant Zionist

Paul Coker at News Spike - 15 hours ago
*"The successive blows of contending armies have all but broken the back of European Jewry, and have reduced to tragically unbelievable poverty, starvation and disease about 6,000,000 souls, or half the Jewish population of the earth.* *The Jewish people throughout Eastern Europe, by sheer accident of geography, have suffered more from the war than any other element of the population."* Tells Sad Plight of Jews New York Times, 12 November 1919 *Nice house, Felix.* Felix was a grandson of Moses Marcus Warburg, one of the founders of the bank, M. M. Warburg (in 1798). Felix Warb... more »

Northerntruthseeker needs your prayers and good wishes - a message from Whitewraithe~

Passionate Pragmatist at Northerntruthseeker - 15 hours ago
Late last night I received the unbelievable news that NTS had been admitted to hospital due to chest pains he began suffering day before yesterday. Saturday, we briefly spoke on the phone at which time I detected in his voice that he did not sound like the happy, jovial person he is usually. He seemed to be struggling just to speak, plus he said he was experiencing a lot of pressure in the chest. He’s been dealing with cold and sinus issues for several months so I was concerned that he might have bronchitis or even pneumonia. Initially, E.R. staff thought he may have had a minor ... more »

Alarmists stuck in Antarctica will probably be saved by a helicopter

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 16 hours ago
The formerly entertaining stories about idiots who scream that the world is undergoing a dramatic so-called "global warming" and then must be saved from their otherwise unavoidable death by freezing on their overly risky expeditions have become so frequent that they must be considered a cliché. To review some of them, search for the word "frostbite" on this blog. Here we go again. The Russian vessel called Akademik Shokalskiy got trapped near the sunny Antarctic beaches – about 2,800 km South of Tasmania – in ice that seems to be 3-4 meters thick at many places. Exactly 83 years a... more »

Volgograd

Paul Coker at News Spike - 16 hours ago
*"This city caries the name of The Boss!"* *Marshall Zhukov,* *Enemy at the Gates* *Control Eurasia, you control the world.Take Stalingrad, and you Control Eurasia.* *'Approaching this place, [Stalingrad], soldiers used to say: "We are entering hell." And after spending one or two days here, they say: "No, this isn't hell, this is ten times worse than hell."'* *Vasily Chuikov* In another part of the city, a Soviet platoon under the command of Sergeant Yakov (Jakob) Pavlov fortified a four-story building that oversaw a square 300 yards from the river bank, later called Pa... more »

Michael Jackson, "Earth Song"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago
Michael Jackson, "Earth Song" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAi3VTSdTxU

"Wounded, But Not Slain..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago
"I am wounded but I am not slain. I'm bruised and faint they say... I shall lay me down and bleed a while, then I shall rise and fight again. Just let me lie and bleed awhile; I'll not be long this way. My Spirit's low and my eyes flow. My heart is sad and sore; But when my pen'ent tears are gone, I'll stand and fight some more. I'll bind these wounds; I'll dry these tears; I'll close this bleeding vein; I'll not lie here and weep and die: I'll rise and fight again. 'Twas yesterday I bowed so low, Was weak from tears and pain; Today I'm strong; my fears are gone; Today I fight again.” ... more »

"Cynicism Is Not Smart, Sophisticated or Detached...It’s a Cop-Out"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago
* "Cynicism Is Not Smart, Sophisticated or Detached...It’s a Cop-Out"* by WashingtonsBlog "We have overwhelming numbers. If we worked together we would win. Why aren’t we? A large reason that we are failing is that people are copping out… by adopting a cynical attitude. Many of us pretend that we are too smart to think anything can change. Too smart to get emotionally involved in the destruction of our prosperity or our liberties. “Cynicism is nothing but intellectual cowardice”. - Henry Rollins “Cynicism is not realistic and tough. It’s unrealistic and kind of cowardly because it... more »

[More] Academic New Year’s Resolutions You Won’t Keep

Megan MacKenzie at Duck of Minerva - 19 hours ago
January for academics is like September for the fashion industry. Rather than fresh lipstick shades and new boots, ’tis the season to start fresh, to organize your office, shake off the pre-Christmas crumbs from your desk, and try to tackle the year with enthusiasm and a fresh perspective. Time to forget about the academic resolutions Continue reading

If Your Two Senators And Congressmember Aren't Focused On The Issues Bernie Sanders Is Focused On, Trade Them In For Better Models

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 19 hours ago
I wish I could say that *of course* Bernie is focused on the real issues of economic equality that plague most working families. After all, he went to James Madison High School in Brooklyn, just like Ken and I did. But that "*of course*" would be less than accurate. Norm Coleman was also a student there-- and so was Wall Street shill Chuck Schumer. At Madison the only kind of elitism that was encouraged was intellectual elitism-- not the kind of economic and social elitism that has since we all graduated pushed the U.S. back towards the Roaring Twenties or even the Gilded Age. Doe... more »

Afshin, “Prayer of Change”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 19 hours ago
Afshin, “Prayer of Change” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75SGQ65QhaU

Sunday Question for Everyone

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 19 hours ago
What's a realistic policy outcome you are particularly hoping for in 2014?

This has to be too good to be true

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 21 hours ago
As a female shopper exited a New York convenience store, a man grabbed her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately, and the woman was able to give them a detailed description of the snatcher. Within minutes, the police apprehended the snatcher. They put him in the car and drove back to the store. The thief was then taken out of the car and told to stand there for a positive ID. To which he replied, "Yes, officer, that's her. That's the lady I stole the purse from."

The Idiocracy Files (Redux), Part 5: The U.S. $enate Meets with Its Landlord

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 22 hours ago
[*We continue our encore presentation of Noah's Idiocracy series. And don't forget Noah's new "Need a last-minute Christmas gift suggestion?," "50 Years Ago Today: The Beatles," and "A Tale of Two Popes -- the one in the Vatican and the one in North Carolina."*] *"And the banks -- hard to believe in a time when we're facing a banking crisis that many of the banks created -- are still the most powerful lobby on Capitol Hill. And, frankly, they own the place."* *-- Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), May 2009* *by Noah* On June 13 of this year, almost exactly three years after the above quote ... more »

Celebra este Año Nuevo con estas hermosas imágenes

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FOTOFRONTERA - 22 hours ago

Sovereignty 101:Installment 4 - What about Worth

Sophia Love at AMERICAN KABUKI - 1 day ago
This is a process that in the end will yield a product. This product is you, but not a version of you holding any notion of worth as truth. The version we are looking to release understands that all are worthy equally. It does not matter on which part of the planet your physical body was born. Lines drawn on the ground are separators which serve only one thing – the false notion of accumulation and division. Any idea that categorizes or limits the value of a person – creating a barrier that must be crossed in order to access the heart, are pretend. There are no kings or... more »

They are all shameless lieing

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 1 day ago
All of our leaders think we can not absorb the truth. Pox on all their houses but we still need someone to lead us. I do not mean take us to the promised land. Just keep things working in an efficient way. Thais all I ask of goverment. Keep the ship on keel. We do not need to be something to the world, no better be something to citizens first. We see your lies and ask for better. We know that creation comes with waste. However we have only seen for most of a decade waste creating waste.

Haslam, Bush, WGU, and McGraw-Hill

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
In 2002 Stephen Metcalf documented the financially incestuous relationship between the Bush family and McGraw-Hill that resulted from a long-established familial system of mutual back-scratching and "cross-pollination and mutual admiration" between the the two fiefdoms. Today that system of good ole boy corruption, cronyism, and corporate welfare continues in State Houses and governors' mansions around the country, and Tennessee, once again, is in the middle of it all. We know, of course, that TN's Commissioner of Ed, Kevin Huffman, is a proud member to Jeb Bush's Cheats Chiefs for ... more »

World's BIGGEST Blog - Day 7

Roobin at THROUGH THE SCARY DOOR - 1 day ago
Let's wrap this shit up with some good old fossilised vomit.

Is Enough Ever Enough For The Deluded American Voter?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
You may have noticed that the latest polls show have completely turned around from October when voters were furious at Republicans for shutting down the government and were reporting 50-42% that they planned to back Democrats in 2014. Republicans have now opened a 49-44% lead over Democrats in this generic polling. (Due to gerrymandering, for Democrats to actually win back the House, they would have to be leading the GOP by a minimum of 10 points in the national poll. Being down by 5% is potentially catastrophic.) As expected, Democrats are far less enthusiastic about voting next ... more »

US-Funded "Pro-Democracy" Propagandists Prachatai - Update

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 1 day ago
Dishonest US-funded propagandists forced to disclose funding in 2011 have since failed to update their financial ties or disclose them to their Thai readers. *December 30, 2013* (Tony Cartalucci) - According to it's "about us" page, Prachatai claims to be: "Prachatai (www.prachatai.com or www.prachatai3.info) is an independent, non-profit, daily web newspaper established in June 2004 to provide reliable and relevant news and information to the Thai public during an era of serious curbs on the freedom and independence of Thai news media." In reality, Prachatai is a propaganda fron... more »

Solid Gold Rolex Time

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 1 day ago
Take the car leave the canolli. I was thinking aboot this years ago, and wrote this short story to capture that and other thoughts from early years of the twenty first century. No matter how hard he stared at his wrist, he could not remember what had happened to the solid gold Rolex. So he started the memory process again, like a broken computer hoping to function from a simple restart. Hughie Kim recalled first struggling to find clarity early yesterday Splashing his face with water, he reflected on his quick sleep. Soon he thought, I will escape this prison of opportunity and j... more »

not love, but crap, actually

laura k at wmtc - 1 day ago
Tonight I tried again to watch "Love Actually", and once again am left shaking my head in disgust (at the movie) and disbelief (in its popularity, among people who ought to know better). Why does everyone love this movie? Why is it hailed as the great ode to love and romance and a beloved holiday-season classic? It is not romantic. It is not funny. It is crap. I should start by saying that I didn't want to see "Love Actually". The presence of Hugh Grant alone is enough to drive me away. But so many people - people I respect! people with brains and thoughtful opinions! - said that th... more »

Man and/or woman likely to be involved in Volgograd terror bombing

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 1 day ago
*Are we looking at a solo woman bomber, a so called black widow? * *Was this a duo of perpetrators, two individuals who may have been part of a larger terror group?* *Or.....did the woman serve as the distraction while the man set off the explosives?* It is possible that two people – a man and a woman – were involved in the terrorist attack at the railway station in Volgograd, a source in the law-enforcement bodies of the North Caucasus Federal District told Interfax. *"The policemen who had survived the attack said that they had seen a woman they found suspicious*. A woman they... more »

Richard Wilcox Reviews and Discusses Majia Nadesan's Fukushima and the Privatization of Risk

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 1 day ago
*Nuclear Technology: Lasting Damage To Life’s Genetic Integrity And Heritage* Book Review of “Fukushima And The Privatization Of Risk” by Majia Holmer Nadesan (1) By Richard Wilcox, Ph.D. December 28, 2013 “*Life was not a valuable gift, but death was. Life was a fever-dream made up of joys embittered by sorrows, pleasure poisoned by pain; a dream that was a nightmare-confusion of spasmodic and fleeting delights, ecstasies, exultations, happinesses, interspersed with long-drawn miseries, griefs, perils, horrors, disappointments, defeats, humiliations, and despairs–the heaviest cu... more »

DCPS IMPACT Error? Thoughts from one of the “forty-four.”

Angel Cintron Jr. at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
As a DCPS teacher, I was one of the “forty-four” whose evaluations needed “adjustment.” Although I’m not assigned to Group 1, which is the “group” associated with standardized test scores, my Teaching and Learning Framework (TLF) component needed re-calculation. As I prepared for the holiday break, I received the following email: Note: Final rating (“category”) […]

What Mattered This Week?

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 1 day ago
Okay, I know, I'm a day late, and I'm not sure if any of you are around anyway, and even worse I've really been on full vacation this week and can't even suggest anything...but let's do What Mattered anyway. So anyway: what have you noticed? What do you think mattered this week?

The People Report

Alison at Creekside - 1 day ago
You know how you sometimes wonder how we might reorganize society if we were starting over again today from scratch? Imagine how public meetings would go to discuss it. Anyone recommending any variation on tinkle down economics or massive handouts to the rich as a solution to poverty would get laughed out of the room. Plutocracy? Corporations as citizens and citizens as consumers? Agribiz? Water as a subset of resource extraction? Skynet surveillance? Media monopolies? Organizing our public spaces around what is most convenient for cars? Yeah, we've tried those ideas already thanks... more »

Big Foot Riders arrive at Wounded Knee Photos by Pte San Win

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 day ago
. By Pte San Win Published with permission at Censored News Sunday, Dec. 29, 2013 Mitakuyapi, After making that long and enduring sacred horse ride from the place where Chief Sitting Bull was lured and murdered on the border of South Dakota and North Dakota to Wounded Knee, South Dakota Chief Spotted Elk aka Chief Big Foot was murdered our sacred horse nation and sacred riders of

Sunday Classics: Tapping into "Broadway in a Box"

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
*Maybe it was a little unfair of me to include William Warfield's performance of "Ol' Man River" from the 1966 Music Theater of Lincoln Center revival of Show Boat in Friday's selections (though he was only 46, the voice showed heavy signs of wear), but I couldn't resist. However, here he is 15 years earlier, in the 1951 film version.* *by Ken* In Friday night's preview I explained how I found myself pondering Sony's *Broadway in a Box*, a 25-CD anthology of 25 Broadway musicals in either Original Broadway Cast recordings (18), later Broadway revivals (4), or Music Theater of Linc... more »

REVEALED - THE RULERS OF THE WORLD ARE GERMAN-AMERICANS

Anon at aangirfan - 1 day ago
Who runs the world? Who won World War II? *The World Bank lists the countries of the world in terms of the wealth they produce each year (GDP).* The GDP of Israel - *242 *billion US dollars (2011 figure) The GDP of Egypt - *257 *billion US dollars (2012 figure) The GDP of Germany - *3,399 *billion US dollars (2012 figure) The GDP of the USA - *15*,*684 * billion US dollars (2012 figure) The GDP of the USA, in 2012, was lower than that of the German-dominated European Union. * European Union**[n 4]**16,690,383[9]**2012*1 United States15,684,80020122 China8,358,363[n 5]20123 Japa... more »

National Security Agency Updates December 29 , 2013 - Glenn Greenwald: ‘A Lot’ More NSA Documents to Come ....... Obama’s NSA Phone Spying Reforms Might Make Things Worse

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=227133 How To Destroy An Industry *Just make sure you put back doors in virtually everything American technology companies produce -- an act of insane hubris -- and watch the customers flee*. The ANT division doesn't just manufacture surveillance hardware. It also develops software for special tasks. The ANT developers have a clear preference for planting their malicious code in so-called BIOS, software located on a computer's motherboard that is the first thing to load when a computer is turned on. This has a number of valuable advantages: ... more »

Wild Bill: Has something to say to atheists...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 1 day ago
*is the spirit of God speaking to you?* *Are you listening? *

Use of Value-Added Is "Parochial and Ineffectual"

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
Tennessee is the test site for every crackpot, over-the-top corporate thought disorder that is translatable into an ed industry scheme that fronts as education policy. The state has TFA lawyer and the former Mr. Michelle Rhee, Kevin Huffman, running the schools from Nashville as Commissioner, and earlier this year Huffman and Jeb Bush's Chiefs for Change, a front organization for laundering corporate education cash, came up with a plan to use student test scores (TVAAS) as the sole criterion for decisions related to teacher licensure renewal. As a result, Tennessee teachers have ... more »

ASSORTED OUTRAGES AND RAMBLINGS

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago
- Two days ago more than 100,000 people turned out in Seoul, South Korea to call for the resignation of right-wing President Park, the daughter of a former US puppet and brutal dictator. The South Koreans have had it with their corporate dominated government that has drowned their democracy and they are non-violently pushing back. We have so much to learn from the South Korean movements. - Over Christmas we had one of our dear local friends and her children share the holiday with us. The single mother and her girls lived here at the Addams-Melman Ho... more »

Rammstein ,”Du Hast”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
Rammstein ,”Du Hast” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gZ25MYwWpM

We must not simply add water to the stream. More is expected of us.

Shaun Johnson at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
I recently read this article from the Atlantic on the constant “stream” of information online. Some of it meaningful, most of it not. From the Atlantic: The necessity of nowness plus the professionalization of content production for the stream means that there are thousands and thousands of people churning out more crap than can possibly […]

Musical Interlude: Josh Groban, “Remember When It Rained”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
Josh Groban, “Remember When It Rained” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3bEU70R1Yo

Alternative views to ponder December 29 , 2013 - Discussion on who may have been behind 9/11 .... Obama may want to keep his eyes on Saudis and their geopolitical " comrades " ! April 2013 military style raid ( unsolved to date ) a beta test ? NDAA indefinite nullified in Michigan - how many other states follow ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
http://patdollard.com/2013/12/when-the-mossad-and-saudis-want-you-dead-what-happens-next-arabs-say-world-renowned-liar-barack-you-can-keep-your-plan-obama-stabbed-us-in-the-back/ [image: ObamaCrosshairs] [image: obama-orders-us-to-draw-up-overseas-target-list-for-cyber-attacks] *Saudis Say World-Renowned Liar Barack ‘You Can Keep Your Plan’ Obama ‘Stabbed Us In The Back’* *Both the Saudis and Israel are determined that Barack Obama not give Iran a nuclear program. They feel their lives depend on it. Obama is 100% determined that Iran get a nuclear program. If Obama were to no longer ... more »

Sick leave

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 1 day ago
Sorry, I've been too sick to blog for the last few days. All I want to do is sleep. Going to break down and go out and buy some medicine today, so maybe that will help. I will be back.

Vengeance Is Theirs

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 1 day ago
As part of their tough on crime agenda, the Harperites have instituted mandatory victim fines. They claim that the fines will ensure justice is done. But, Michael Spratt writes, the fines have nothing to do with justice -- and judges have refused to impose them: Given the lack of evidence supporting the use of minimum penalties and the potential negative impacts of mandatory victim fines, the current confrontation was entirely predictable. Conflict between the courts and government is what you get when legislative ideology isn’t backed up by facts. Turning a blind eye to evidenc... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 1 day ago
*St. Aug's Leonard Fournette is Mr. Football ~Mike Strom, Louisiana Sportswriters Association*

REVOLVING DOOR OF CORRUPTION

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago

Some links

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 1 day ago
*Old school newspaper and drink stand operated by an old couple, Taichung.* Don't feel like blogging. Enjoy. - Taichung plans to ban scooters in certain areas in 2021. Hahaha. - China Chips away at Taiwan's tablet industry - No really: college student mildly abuses cat, could get a year. Meanwhile puppy mills, stray dog poisoners, slaughterhouses, all over Taiwan regularly abusing animals. Be serious. - State-run CNA and PTS issue call for reciprocal exchange of media with China. Of course those media offices will be full on PRC spying operations. - Bro... more »

Bipartisan Move To End Unconstitutional Domestic Spying

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
There are now 117 congressmembers cosponsoring H.R. 3361, the John Sensenbrenner and John Conyers-penned USA Freedom Act introduced at the end of October. The official summary of the bill says it aims to end "eavesdropping, dragnet-collection, and Online Monitoring Act or the USA FREEDOM Act-- Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to set forth additional requirements for obtaining orders for business records in counterterrorism investigations, including requiring that the records sought pertain to a foreign power, an agent of a foreign power, or an indivi... more »

A Reminder: “The Children Do Notice”

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
A Reminder: \”The Children Do Notice\”. via A Reminder: “The Children Do Notice”.

Andrew Lilley and the Stoke Labour "Conspiracy"

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 1 day ago
It's good to see Stoke Central Labour in the national press. Not so good when it's about my local constituency party having had at least ten grand nicked by its former treasurer. Back in November, the Stoke-on-Trent Labour-turned-unaligned councillor Andy Lilley was sent down for 16 months after his pilfering of party funds were uncovered. You can read a bit about the subsequent by-election this caused here and here. Unfortunately, as per the "idiosyncratic" nature of local politics in the Potteries this has become the pivot of a local conspiracy theory. A theory given life by some ... more »

SUNDAY SONG

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago

War Watch December 29 , 2013 - Syria , Iran , Afghanistan and Iraq in focus !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
Syria...... Syrian rebels get arms and advice through secret command centre in Amman Phil Sands and Suha Maayeh December 28, 2013 Updated: December 29, 2013 13:48:00 Istanbul // A secret operations command centre in Jordan, staffed by western and Arab military officials, has given vital support to rebels fighting on Syria’s southern front, providing them with weapons and tactical advice on attacking regime targets. Related - ■ Aid to Syrian rebels flows through a complex maze - [image: Comment] Religious edicts broaden the scope of the Syrian conflict - [i... more »

Benghazi Consular attack was Local, not al-Qaeda: NYT ...... Another attempt to revive the offensive islamic video as cause ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
http://hotair.com/archives/2013/12/29/ny-times-hey-that-youtube-did-have-something-to-do-with-benghazi-attack-after-all/ NY Times: Hey, that YouTube video did have something to do with Benghazi attack after all POSTED AT 10:31 AM ON DECEMBER 29, 2013 BY ED MORRISSEY The New York Times produced a lengthy update on a story that conservatives complain the media ignores, but most won’t like what it says. David Kirkpatrick traveled to Benghazi to dig into the attack on our consulate in Benghazi, a terrorist attack that left four Americans dead — on the eleventh anniversary of 9/11. ... more »

BitCoin news and views December 27 - 28 , 2013 - Pro and Con news and views on BitCoin.......

Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
Pro....... http://www.coindesk.com/goldman-sachs-director-board-bitcoin-startup-circle/ ( Vampire squid heavy hitter and current director on board at BitCoin Start Up Firm Circle Internet Financial ) Goldman Sachs Director to Join Board of Bitcoin Startup Circle Jon Southurst (@southtopia) | Published on December 28, 2013 at 12:09 GMT | *Companies, Exchanges,News, Startups* inShare1 Share 22 [image: MMBurns] Goldman Sachs board member M. Michele Burns is joining the board of new bitcoin payment processor Circle Internet Financial, becoming the latest representative from the worl... more »

Did The American Federation of Teachers Really Do This???

jillconroy at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
Last month, Boston voters elected a new Mayor, arguably with a little help from a mysterious political action committee that dumped $480,000 into the campaign during its final days. One Boston confirmed to the Boston Globe this week that the American Federation of Teachers funded the group’s efforts to swing the race in favor of Mayor-elect Marty […]

This Was Philosophical Comment 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Christian Munthe) at Philosophical Comment - 1 day ago
Time once again to make a bit of a summary for this blog during a year which will soon end – last year's summary is here. The trend mentioned last year of a seemingly (after my recovery from illness) continuously increasing popularity (in terms of reads) seems this year to have initially continued and then leveled out somewhat after last year's extremely positive surge. The monthly figures have in 2013 been residing rather steadily between over 6 000 and over 9 000 reads, with 9 549 as the top figure for September and today the total number of reads ever passed 188 000. There will, ... more »

AlterNet 2013

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
AlterNet 2013. via AlterNet 2013.

"Holocaust survivors" and psychological terrorism

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 1 day ago
The fake Jewish "Holocaust" narrative is instilled and implanted in the minds of millions of people around the world - especially young, vulnerable children - largely through psychological terrorism and media manipulation, a subject *I've written about before* and will continue to emphasize. Traumatic images and videos, which in virtually all cases turn out to be either completely fabricated or flagrantly distorted, manipulated, and/or taken out of context, along with extremely emotional (and entirely fabricated or embellished) "eye witness testimony" from "Holocaust survivors" have... more »

A Simple Sourdough Starter

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 1 day ago
Simple sourdough starter Sick of seeing a dozen or more things on the ingredients list of an industrial loaf? Well, here are the first step to making a loaf with just three! - *A bit about sourdough* - *Recipe/method* - *Notes* - *Caring for your starter* see also - Our main sourdough page - Sourdough September A bit about sourdoughTrue sourdough breads are made using a starter that contains a culture of naturally occurring yeasts and lactobacilli or lactic acid bacteria. The yeasts produce carbon dioxide (CO2) that makes the bread rise and the bacteria produc... more »

THE FOURTH REICH; BIS; DONALD MACLAREN

Anon at aangirfan - 1 day ago
*Donald MacLaren* During World War II, Donald MacLaren, a Scottish clan chief, was given the task of fighting the Nazis in America. He was up against people such as Bush, Rockefeller, the Dulles brothers and various bankers. *The spying Scotsman who hunted the Nazis of New York* ... - Daily Mail *Maison Rouge* According to a US intelligence document, in 1944, a group of top Nazi industrialists met at the Maison Rouge Hotel in Strasbourg. They met to plan 'The Fourth Reich', which would be set up after World War II. In 'The Fourth Reich', Nazi bankers and industrialists would ru... more »

Kittens investigate Newton's cradle

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 1 day ago
We often think that the humans are the culmination of the Creation. However, kittens are ahead of us. Dr Panda, Dr Pikachu, and Dr Pavel (the principal investigators above) decided to do some research of Newton's cradle. Their research strategy was wise and the tactics were clever. And the performance was so cute and their creativity was so mesmerizing that it is no wonder they received a $300 million grant from NSF. For those readers who are not that far, Newton's cradle demonstrates the conservation of energy and the conservation of momentum. Both quantities are conserve... more »

Magnification of all Gaia Collective and Gaia Inhabitants’ Intents Attains Maximum Level…

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 1 day ago
*Magnification of all Gaia Collective and Gaia Inhabitants’ Intents Attains Maximum Level…* by ÉirePort Magnification of all Gaia Collective and Gaia inhabitants' intents attains maximum level for the 2013 period. In practice, this period asks for all Hue-Beings to practice care with intent, and refrain from "side thoughts", also referred to in previous post as "Novelty” energy items. Finalizing of Gaia Ascension protocols is now in process, and focusing of this magnified intent is primary. Predication* of collective mass upward movement now occurs. [* predicate: 1. to proclaim... more »

Thailand: Regime Appeals to Same "International Consensus" That Green-Lighted Iraq Invasion

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 1 day ago
*December 29, 2013* (Tony Cartalucci) - Failing to defend the legitimacy of upcoming sham elections, the regime's minister of foreign affairs (and deputy prime minister), Surapong Tovichakchaikul, has instead decided to invoke the common fallacy of appealing to authority, by claiming "53 nations" have backed upcoming polls that will essentially see the current regime of unelected dictator, Thaksin Shinawatra and his Puea Thai Party run unopposed. *Image: The current Thai regime's foreign minister, Surapong Tovichakchaikul, invokes the tired fallacy of appealing to authority, in t... more »

Harga HP Samsung Galaxy Terbaru Januari 2014

Jack Will at Yaya Blog's - 1 day ago
Harga HP Samsung Galaxy Terbaru Januari 2014 - Samsung selalu menghadirkan HP terbaru yang berkualitas melalui jajaran Samsung Galaxy Series. Dan yang terbaru, Pabrikan smartphone asal Korea Selatan ini baru saja merilis Galaxy Grand 2 dan Galaxy Core Advance. Berikut ini adalah daftar harga smartphone Samsung Galaxy terbaru akhir Januari 2014 yang dilansir dari toko online terkemuka di

Daftar Harga HP Lenovo Terbaru Januari 2014

Jack Will at Yaya Blog's - 1 day ago
Daftar Harga HP Lenovo Terbaru Januari 2014 - Vendor asal China Lenovo kini cukup serius menggarap pasar HP android. Berikut ini adalah daftar harga HP terbaru dari Lenovo untuk bulan Januari 2014 . Harga HP Lenovo Terbaru Januari 2014 untuk Segmen menengah dan bawah, harga smartphone Lenovo relatif stabil dan tidak mengalami perubahan harga. Lenovo A390 tidak mengalami penurunan meski telah

Daftar Harga HP Lenovo Terbaru Januari 2014

Jack Will at Yaya Blog's - 1 day ago
Daftar Harga HP Lenovo Terbaru Januari 2014 - Vendor asal China Lenovo kini cukup serius menggarap pasar HP android. Berikut ini adalah daftar harga HP terbaru dari Lenovo untuk bulan Januari 2014 . Harga HP Lenovo Terbaru Januari 2014 untuk Segmen menengah dan bawah, harga smartphone Lenovo relatif stabil dan tidak mengalami perubahan harga. Lenovo A390 tidak mengalami penurunan meski telah

Harga Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Terbaru

Jack Will at Yaya Blog's - 1 day ago
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 merupakan salah satu phablet yang populer di Indonesia saat ini. Pada awal 2014 ini, Harga Samsung Galaxy Note 3 ini berada pada kisaran di angka Rp 7.899.000 atau Rp 7,9 juta. Harga yang tinggi tak menghalanginya menjadi phablet terpopuler di pasar global. Samsung Galaxy Note 3 ini menggunakan layar berukuran 5,7 inci berteknologi Super AMOLED dengan resolusi full HD 1920

Antidepressants Numbing Minds of Children - An Interview With Anthony Gucciardi

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 1 day ago
*Published on December 11, 2013* Anthony Gucciardi joins RT's The Truthseeker to discuss how antidepressants are numbing down the brains of children, leading to the very effects they claim to prevent, and profiting the pharmaceutical industry. *To learrn more about Anthony, visit:* *Natural Society*

The Year of the Whistleblower 2013

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 day ago
The truth is the one thing that the US can not recover from By Brenda Norrell Censored News The year of 2013 was the year of the whistleblower. Edward Snowden exposed that the US is spying on, and collecting data, belonging to the world's citizens and diplomats. A World Bank whistleblower exposed how the financial elite control the world, and bought the media to silence it. Global

Online-Comments Watch: Are people just stoopid, or helpless, or what?

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
*I'm not saying there aren't better Blu-ray players on the market, but my eerily compact, incredibly inexpensive region-free Orei BDP-A3 does everything I can imagine asking it to do and is working just fine, thank you! The remote control too. Some of those online commenters really need help.* *by Ken* I'm realizing that after all these years, I may have acquired something like religion, the object of my worship being Amazon Gold Box Specials. Well, mostly the video offerings thereof. Let me see, there were DVD offerings of the complete *Dick Van Dyke Show*, *Route 66*, *Columbo*,... more »

Trifecta: Dumps on the Pope?...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 1 day ago
*Bill Whittle goes off...* and we thank him. Income Inequality: The next war.

NGA “Corporate Fellows”: Providing Governors Ideas That Work

deutsch29 at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
For four of the five years that I taught in Northwestern Georgia, I taught at an alternative school. Every time I received a new student, it meant that the student had been expelled from a district public school. I had a student who built a bomb and discharged it on a principal’s lawn. I had […]

the ufo factor

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 1 day ago
luna cognita

sorry

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 1 day ago

The Idiocracy Files (Redux), Part 4: Special Arkansas Edition

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
[*We continue our encore presentation of Noah's Idiocracy series. And don't forget Noah's new "Need a last-minute Christmas gift suggestion?," "50 Years Ago Today: The Beatles," and "A Tale of Two Popes -- the one in the Vatican and the one in North Carolina."*] *"A child who disrespects his parents must be permanently removed from society in a way that gives an example to all other children of the importance of respect for parents. The death penalty for rebellious children is not something to be taken lightly."* *-- former Arkansas State Rep. Charlie Fuqua (see below)* [*As Noah e... more »

What's missing from this map?

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 1 day ago
Perhaps the Russians prepared it???