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| One of the first traverses in the 19th century. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| English: John Williams conducting at Hollywood Bowl (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| English: American cable news host and former U.S. Representative Joe Scarborough (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| Mahamadou Issoufou speaking to the press during his 2004 election campaign. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| English: Paul Krugman at the 2010 Brooklyn Book Festival. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Niger approves U.S. drones for Mali
Niger has given permission for U.S. surveillance drones to be stationed on
its territory to improve intelligence on al Qaeda-linked Islamist fighters
in northern Mali and the wider Sahara, a senior government source said.
The U.S. ambassador to Niger, Bisa Williams, made the request at a meeting
on Monday with President Mahamadou Issoufou, who immediately accepted it,
the source said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/29/us-mali-rebels-niger-idUSBRE90S0DX20130129
Call for papers: European Consortium on Political Research, Sept 4-7
In case folks have missed it, there is an upcoming deadline (FRIDAY!) for
the 2013 ECPR General Conference in Bordeaux, September 4-7th. Unlike many
other conferences, EPCR paper proposals are submitted to already-organized
panels. This often results in more cohesive panels and, one hopes, more
helpful feedback. Paper proposals are due this coming Friday and
Continue reading
Army says political strife taking Egypt to brink
Egypt's army chief said political unrest was pushing the state to the brink
of collapse - a stark warning from the institution that ran the country
until last year as Cairo's first freely elected leader struggles to curb
bloody street violence.
Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a U.S.-trained general appointed by President Mohamed
Mursi last year to head the armed forces, added in a statement on Tuesday
that one of the primary goals of deploying troops in cities on the Suez
Canal was to protect the waterway that is vital for Egypt's economy and
world trade.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/... more »
Lies of the State: Corporate tax cuts = jobs
So many lies emanate from the "State".
I scratch my head at just how widely believed all this nonsense is?
What am I talking about?
For the past 20 years or so the plebs have dutifully believed the lies of
their government.
We have to cut corporate taxes so multinationals can compete globally, to
create jobs.
Get a clue! Tax cuts have NOT created jobs. And tax cuts and breaks for
multinationals WILL NOT create jobs.
Point in Case:
Corporations’ stockpile of ‘dead money’ tops $500 billion: “Rather than
investing the windfall from their tax cuts to create jobs, Canada’s largest
non-... more »
Krugman enters the sandbox on Morning Joe!
*TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013*
*It’s hard for the gang to stay calm:* Yesterday morning, Paul Krugman did
a 21-minute segment on Morning Joe. To watch the full segment, click this.
There were no commercial breaks. Eight hours later, Joe Scarborough offered
his thoughts in Politico.
Scarborough’s headline: “Paul Krugman vs. the world.”
It may have seemed that way to someone watching the lengthy segment. Former
governor Ed Rendell took a fairly balanced view. But by the end, it became
quite clear—the rest of the Morning Joe gang weren’t buying Krugman’s
outlook.
According to Scarborou... more »
The Economy: “John Williams: May 2013- End of the Road?”
*“John Williams: May 2013- End of the Road?”*
by Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com
"Anybody who thinks the U.S. is in a so-called recovery isn’t listening to
economist John Williams. He contends, “We haven’t had a recovery and we’re
not about to have one, and it’s getting worse.” Williams says it’s
because, “The consumer is in very serious trouble. The average guy is not
making it. His income is not keeping up with inflation.” As far as
Congress getting the budget and debt ceiling under control, Williams says,
“Both sides are faced with devil’s choices.” If Congress does not g... more »
Argentina's Indigenous Support Navajos Battling Mining
Protest
against multinational companies and lithium mining Jujuy.
By Mamani, Jorge Luis
REPRESENTANTE DEL PUEBLO KOLLA
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com
English/Espanol
Good evening, I am writing from Jujuy Argentina, I am representing the
Kolla People of Jujuy Province, natives throughout the Andean region of
South America, and I heard about the resistance and struggle with
Poverty and the “achievement gap”: Some new data
Carnoy and Rothstein (2013) compared US performance with Korean, Finland
and Canada on the PISA 2009, given to 15-year-olds. All three of these
countries generally score about 1/3 of a standard deviation better than the
US in reading and math on international tests; Arne Duncan refers to these
three countries as the three “consistent high-performers” (Carnoy and
Rothstein, 2013 p. 10). In the PISA 2009 reading test, Korea had the
highest score of all OECD countries (539), Finland was second highest (536)
and Canada third (524). American students scored 500, 33 points behind the
aver... more »
“'Obamacare' To Hit Smokers With Huge Penalties”
*“'Obamacare' To Hit Smokers With Huge Penalties”*
by Justin Sullivan
“Smokers, beware: tobacco penalties under President Obama’s Affordable
Care Act could subject millions of smokers to fees costing thousands of
dollars, making healthcare more expensive for them than Americans with
other unhealthy habits. The Affordable Care Act, which critics have also
called “Obamacare”, could subject smokers to premiums that are 50 percent
higher than usual, starting next Jan 1. Health insurers will be allowed to
charge smokers penalties that overweight Americans or those with other
healt... more »
"About Those SSRIs (And Other Drugs)"
*"About Those SSRIs (And Other Drugs)"*
by Karl Denninger
"I shouldn't be surprised at any sort of scam in any industry,
really. With the destruction of the rule of law and the buying of our
government the sort of behavior that we've seen by banksters is utterly
common, such as what UBS did with screwball "bonds" that were in fact
synthetic PUTs- and a bad deal whether you knew what you were buying or not.
But when it comes to studies of various sorts, consider something simple-
the flip of a coin. You and I agree that we will study how coins fall when
flipped. I tell you t... more »
Curative provision to be viewed from position of law jury
R v Bishop 2013 NUCA 3, an appeal from a jury trial, has a useful comment
on how to interpret the curative provision under the Criminal Code:
[142] In any event, the question is not how legally-trained counsel (or
trial judge) viewed the weight of the impugned evidence. The question is
how a lay jury may have. That is why the test for s. 686 is "may have
affected the result", not "must have affected". Nor is the test "result
possibly the same". The idea that this evidence could not have affected lay
jurors because it is certain that they made narrow legalistic distinctions,
or t... more »
Ron Jacobs : From Wounded Knee to Idle No More
Image
by Andy Everson from Huffington Post.
From Wounded Knee to Idle No More
The movement is slowly spreading to the indigenous nations of the
northern United States, which have seen their lands ravaged numerous
times over the course of history in the name of resource extraction.
By Ron Jacobs / The Rag Blog / January 29, 2013
The American Indian Movement’s (AIM) best known and most
First Nation Terrance Nelson 'Standing between the White Man and his money'
By First Nation Terrance Nelson
Roseau River Ojibway
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com
Chief Arlen Dumas
January 29th 2013
Chief, today is a great day for your people. You may not know it
but you have made more impact than all the protests across Canada and
any opposition comments made in the House of Commons yesterday. Now you
are standing between the White Man and
Catching Up
After early January, when I had already written the guest post so kindly
published today by Greg Laden, several intriguing new studies have since
emerged in just these past few weeks. For any new readers who might stray
by from Greg's blog, I thought I would do a quick recap, with links back to
the posts that go into more detail on each.
This view is looking out my kitchen window just after sunset, at the steep
hill that looms above Wit's End. When I moved here just about a dozen
years ago, the woods were impenetrable. You could barely walk through
without a machete, and you coul... more »
Personal bias has no place in the criminal justice system
R. v. Nguyen, 2013 ONCA 51 is a good reminder that judges must be careful
in their language and avoid stereotypes and bias:
[5] On the second point, we agree that, against the backdrop of no
evidence in the record, the trial judge should not have said that "[t]o a
certain extent, there is an ethnic element in that certain groups of new
Canadians, or Canadian citizens sharing cultural and ethnic heritage,
appear before the court in unusual numbers charged with marijuana
production." There is no place in the Canadian criminal justice system for
this type of negative and ste... more »
THE LANZAS ONLY HAD ONE SON; VISIT TO NEWTOWN BEE
*
**Verified: Lanzas only had ONE Son
FROM: Godlike Productions*
Verified: The Lanza's had ONE son on the date of their divorce verified by
Court Documents.
Not TWO.
Adam and Ryan would have been minors at the time, but court record shows
only one son.
[*link to civilinquiry.jud.ct.gov*]
Can't verify the name change yet, but it is *suspected* the same year 2009,
Adam changed his name to "Ryan," and magically "Adam" disappeared.
[*link to 4.bp.blogspot.com*]
This all fits together as to why Adam Disappeared fell off the face of the
Earth in 2009.
Explains why the Shoote... more »
The Economy: "Smart People Share"
*"Smart People Share"*
by Jeffrey Tucker
"For young people facing terrible job prospects and a generally bad
economic environment going forward, starting a business sounds very
appealing. It has advantages over embedding yourself in a big institution,
taking your wages in forms of benefits, and hoping (against hope) to climb
the ladder. It’s never been easier to strike out on your own, except for
one thing: Commerce is always harder than it appears. Success means
overcoming challenges that seem insurmountable and that you never expected.
People write me all the time with busines... more »
Young Men Struggle Most in Pursuit of Stable Jobs: Korea (and the World)
More men over 60 now have jobs than men in their 20s, a first for Korea
since statistics started in 1963.
Statistics Korea on Monday said 1.8 million men aged 60 or older were in
employment last year, up 100,000 from a year ago, compared to only 1.72 men
in their 20s.
The number of employed men in their 20s was the smallest among all age
groups except for teenagers. Those in their 40s were most economically
active with 27.3 percent, those in 30s made up 25.3 percent, those in their
fifties 22.2 percent, those in their sixties 12.5 percent, those in their
20s 12 percent, and teenage... more »
Inside Timbuktu: Angry Looters On The Streets
Crowds of looters have taken to the streets of Timbuktu in Mali after it
was liberated of Islamists, raiding the homes and businesses of suspected
jihadist supporters.
The angry crowd plundered shops they said belonged to Arabs, Mauritanians
and Algerians who they accuse of supporting the Al Qaeda-linked radicals
during their 10-month rule over the ancient city.
http://news.sky.com/story/1044673/mali-angry-looters-hit-timbuktus-streets
They Are Not Of Us
An interesting essay from George Monbiot today on the grooming of oligarchs
and why, even though they govern in our name, they don't rule on our behalf.
They rule as they were born and raised to rule. An excerpt.
*In the Origins of Totalitarianism, Hannah Arendt explains that the nobles
of pre-revolutionary France "did not regard themselves as representative of
the nation, but as a separate ruling caste which might have much more in
common with a foreign people of the same society and condition than with
its compatriots".*
*Last year the former Republican staffer Mike Lofgren wr... more »
In Chicagoland, Exactly One Month From Today...
Residents of the IL-02-- Jesse Jackson Jr.'s old Southland seat-- will
decide who's going to Congress on February 26, 4 weeks from today. And
although there are nearly two dozen candidates running, polls show only two
in the double-digits, progressive state Senator Toi Hutchinson and
self-described "conservative Democrat," ex-Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson.
They're neck and neck but Chicagoland voters who haven't been paying close
enough attention to see the difference got a big jolt today from a headline
in the *Chicago Tribune*: Halvorson says she won't join Democrats on
assaul... more »
Israeli racism against Chechen Muslim football players -- Wait a minute, you mean Jews aren't the only victims?
Fans of Beitar Jerusalem protest against the imminent arrival of two
Chechen Muslim players, holding up banners that read 'Beitar pure forever'
and '70 years of principles'. Beitar is a bastion of Israel's political
right wing and the only major team never to have signed an Arab player. In
a ruling last year, the Israel Football Association (IFA) said Beitar 'had
not made an honest effort to combat fans' racist chants'.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/video/2013/jan/28/israeli-football-chechen-muslim-video
*Matt's thoughts:*
Well isn't this interesting. In fact, several oth... more »
4.2 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHERN PERU - 29th January 2013
Magnitude M 4.2
Region SOUTHERN PERU
Date time 2013-01-29 15:52:05.3 UTC
Location 16.95 S ; 71.98 W
Depth 70 km
Distances 9 km NE Mollendo, Peru
GOP Immigration Reform Dos and Don'ts
*The Hill* managed to get a look at specific suggestions to the Republicans
in Congress offered by The Hispanic Leadership Network, a group tasked with
aiding GOP outreach to the Hispanic community. Among the dos and don'ts:
Do use the phrase 'earned legal status'
Don't use the phrase 'pathway to citizenship'
Do use the wording 'enforcement of our borders includes more border patrol,
technology, and building a fence where it makes sense'
Don't use phrases like 'send them all back,' electric fence,' 'build a wall
along the entire border'
Do use 'undocumented immigrant' when referring to... more »
Ontario government admits to dropping the ball on horse racing
The Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ted McMeekin,
has finally come clean to the Ontario horse racing industry that the
ministry made a mistake by rushing the decision to end the
Slots-at-Racetracks Program (SARP).
Why is this important you might ask?
Let me explain.
Years ago the OLG (Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp.) and the horse races
were the only legal ways to gamble in Ontario. Then along came the casino
in Niagara Falls and similar locations. Gamblers began to flock to such
locations and the Ontario government realized that casinos were extremely
p... more »
MASE, First Memphis Charter, Up for Renewal or Closure: Where the Oxymoronic Meets the Moronic
When the Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering (MASE) opened 10 years
ago, it was supposed to herald a new day of great achievement in Memphis
schools. Now ten years and millions of wasted dollars later, what was to
be the solution to low test scores has now achieved its way to the bottom
of the barrel in test score accountability. Here's the latest from the
State website:
Grades 3-8: TCAP Criterion Referenced Academic AchievementView Chart ?*(3
year average)**2010**2011**2012**2012 State**CRT*ScoreGradeScoreGradeScore
GradeTrendScoreGradeTrendMath36F34F39FNC52BNCReading/Langua... more »
Whispers from the Ghosting Trees
Greg Laden generously offered me the opportunity to guest post on his blog
(I know, shocking right! A real scientist!!). Here's the beginning of it,
which was published today. You can click here to read the whole thing (and
stick up for me in comments!). Thanks, Greg!!
*Whispers from the Ghosting Trees*
While we hustle busily through the necessities of our lives, wrapped up in
our daily preoccupations - our obligations to our families, our jobs, and
our dreams - at the same time all around the world, trees are silently
expiring. For those who take the time to look, we can see... more »
The South Will Rise Again and No Good Will Come Of It
The American south is often seen as the white trashiest place on the
planet. Even American comedians mock it as the home of rednecks, racists
and rectums.
Canadians tend to have little knowledge of the Deep South although we may
know a good deal about the United States generally. For example, having
grown up along the border and spent time in the States during undergrad, I
was shocked at the revelation that slavery didn't end with the defeat of
the South in the Civil War but persisted, thanks to the perfidy of southern
legislatures and courts, right up until the start of America... more »
He didn't know the secret handshake
Some news from across the atlantic:
Fake Portuguese economist unmasked
And to some lighter news out of Portugal, where a fake economist duped the
nation for months. Our correspondent Giles Tremlett reports:
Artur Baptista da Silva had become one of the most authoritative voices on
Portuguese television, using his experience as an economist and United
Nations consultant to explain why so much austerity was bad for the
bailed-out country's economy.
But now it turns out that the 61-year-old economist who explained so
seriously – and clearly – the damage being inflicted on the country by... more »
Ontario Liberal Sleaze
The following post will be an expansion of the ideas in a comment I left
in response to today's post at Owen Gray's "Northern Reflections" blog. I
very much like Mr. Gray, even as he attempts, now and again, to resurrect
the Liberal brand in Canada. In the case of today's post, where he was
criticizing ONDP leader Andrea Horwath for calling for a public inquiry
into the cancelled gas plants and OPC leader Tim Hudak for launching attack
ads against the new OLIBs' new leader, when the tradition is for party
leaders to be collegial and welcome the leader of a new party, Gray was
basi... more »
OBAMA Style Neoconservative Imperialism
"US Plans to Add Drone Base in Africa" by Craig Whitlock published in
the *The
Washington Post* 1/28/2013:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-plans-to-add-drone-base-in-west-africa/2013/01/28/ce312c24-6994-11e2-aba3-d72352683b69_story.html
[excerpted] The US and Niger 'finalized a new “status of forces”
agreement
that would permit the expanded presence of U.S. troops in the
country....Two Obama administration officials said military planners are
eyeing the West African country of Niger as a base for unarmed Predator
drones, which would greatly boost U.S. spy m... more »
John Friend's Realist Report For Monday, January 28th, 2013
I spent last night listening live (finally) to John Friend's (
www.johnfriendsblog.blogspot.com) Realist Report over the Truth Militia
online network (www.truthmilitia.com). This show had Charles Giuliani
from Oracle Broadcasting Network's (www.oraclebroadcasting.com) "Truth
Hertz" program, in a very lively debate with Pastor Eli James. I have the
link to that show right here for everyone that missed the show to listen
for themselves:
http://blogtalk.vo.llnwd.net/o23/show/4/314/show_4314159.mp3
NTS Notes: It was indeed a very lively debate, and John did his best to try
to keep e... more »
Here We Go Again ... More Phony Liberal 'Policy' on Cannabis Reform ...
*"Marijuana legalization could mean thousands of new jobs and a significant
tax boon for Canadians, according to a new draft policy paper by the
Liberal Party. But the detailed report, released by the Liberals’ B.C branch,
argues that low prices and high quality are essential to keep marijuana
production out of the black market. The paper states that marijuana
prohibition has failed in not only preventing usage among Canada's youth
but also in enabling the black market to flourish. Legalization, it argues,
is essential to fighting organized crime."*
*Victoria Times Colonist*
*Hol... more »
4.3 Magnitude Earthquake NEW GUINEA, PAPUA NEW GUINEA - 29th January 2013
Magnitude
4.3
Date-Time
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 13:58:48 UTC
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 11:58:48 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
4.004°S, 143.020°E
Depth
10 km (6.2 miles) set by location program
Region
NEW GUINEA, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Distances
32 km (19 miles) NE of Ambunti, Papua New Guinea
Perceptions and Opinions of the Cyber Threat
This is a guest post by Brandon Valeriano and Ryan Maness. Cyberwar is a
pressing international security problem. The news media breathlessly covers
any potential attack before the facts are in. Policy briefs and reports are
produced on all levels of government and private industry. It would then
behoove us to take a step back and
Continue reading
Stepping back...
*in order to see the forest rather than just trees.*
I've discovered that too much information is sometimes a hindrance to
understanding a situation. It's easier to see the big picture by stepping
back and concentrating on the major pieces of the puzzle and how they fit
together. * *
Too much of my time has been taken up with the trees. It's time to view
the forest. *
*
I can't think of one other thing to say.
*More:*
Moonbattery: Here Comes the Flood
AWD: There’s Something Happening Here
Breitbart: No Deal - Obama: No Border Security Before Path to Citizenship
Keith... more »
Immigration Kabuki
The best part of President Obama's ballyhooed immigration reform speech in
Vegas today is that he'll lose his usual victimization angle. He won't be
able to frame it in terms of "you and me against the
world." (Congress) That is because one of those creepy bipartisan Gangs
beat him to the punch yesterday with their own plan, with John McCain
senilely admitting on behalf of the GOP that it's just a cynical ploy to
shill for the Hispanic vote.
Of course, the Republicans' (and many Democrats') idea of immigration
reform is to ramp up the 3,000-mile border militarized zone, concentratin... more »
After Cornerstone Charter Abuse Scandal Deepens in Memphis, NAACP Demands Accountability from State and Charter Operators
Cornerstone CEO SippelWhat began last fall in Memphis as the corporate
reform schoolers' grand experiment to turn over public schools to white
charter operators with no accountability for how children are treated, has
turned into a nightmare for parents of children at Cornerstone Prep and
other less publicized charter chain gangs for black and poor children in
Memphis.
What began as a charter school abuse story that the local media in Memphis
tried to ignore has erupted into deep rage among parents who previously
were sweet-talked into sending their children to the total compliance... more »
Is "No Budget No Pay" a Misstep?
I highly recommend Stan Collender's latest on GOP budget strategy for those
who aren't quite sure what a "budget" (that is, a Congressional budget
resolution) is and why it does or doesn't matter.
I think I disagree with him, however, on the question of whether "no budget
no pay" was a mistake for the Republican leadership.
Not on the part having to do with the Senate; I agree that pushing the
Senate to pass a budget resolution is basically a waste of the House's
time. But on the other hand, I don't think it matters much. Sure, if the
Senate actually passes a budget resolution this ... more »
Bill Keller breaks all the guild rules!
*TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013*
*Why isn’t this on the front page:* Did we ever mention that we and Bill
Keller share the old home town tie?
In 1965, we graduated from San Mateo’s Aragon High. One mile down the
Alameda, Keller was warehoused at Serra.
We mention this because Keller got something very right in his op-ed column
in yesterday’s New York Times. This makes us think we must have influenced
him somehow back in the home town days.
Good lord! Next thing you know, Keller will be spilling the beans about the
nation’s rapidly improving NAEP scores! Right from his opening paragraph... more »
Obama 2 and Foreign Policy Partisanship: Results of a New Survey of Congressional Staff
Last May, Jon Monten, Will Inboden and I published on Foreignaffairs.com
the results of a survey of about 40 U.S. foreign policy professionals,
split equally among Republicans and Democrats with nearly all of them
having served in some capacity in the Executive Branch. As I discussed here
on the Duck, we found some surprising sources
Continue reading
What is the Value of Fiction?
Someone in one of my Linked In writers groups, taking his cue from an
excellent article in the ***Asia Times*, reiterated the original author's
question: What's the value of fiction ? What follows below is my answer:
------------------------------
It's one thing to challenge your mind by reading alternative theories
not held by you. Someone, I forget who, once said the distinguishing
characteristic of a superior intellect is to simultaneously hold two
opposing sides of an argument.
But aesthetic and philosophical differences aside, there's no reason
to read the work of ... more »
Gore Makes Money for Nothing but His Chicks Aren't Free
“Senator” Al Gore. He is now reportedly wealthier than Mitt Romney as his
net-worth is conservatively estimated to be at $300 million dollars. What
exactly did Gore do to gain such wealth? It’s really quite amazing. After
leaving government with a pile of debt, he was given positions on the
Boards of Google and Apple.
Typically, people who make it onto the Board of any major corporation have
impressive resumes in business and are given modest compensation of say
$50,000-$100,000 for their occasional visits to board meetings. Al Gore on
the other hand was given stock options in the... more »
In the Spirit of Cautious Optimism
We find ourselves at the beginning of another year. Although the news we
are constantly subjected to regarding the state of human affairs around the
globe gives us cause to be pessimistic about prospects for the future
viability of the species, there are also trends that may suggest a
different future. I have come to this conclusion not out of unfounded
optimism or purely wishful thinking but rather out of the realization that
there lies an insatiable hunger within the vast majority of the world’s
people for a more peaceful world grounded in true human equality and social
justice.... more »
Climate change blamed for Australia’s extreme weather – ‘The frequency of more intense events is going to increase’
[image: Fire storms over a hill at Maffra in Gippsland, Australia, Januray
2013. Photo: Simon Noble / Instagram]
By Michael Slezak
29 January 2013
The east coast of Australia has been drenched by floods and torrential
rains, even as recent bush fires affecting much of the country continued to
burn. Four people are known to have died as Australians get a further taste
of extreme weather that is predicted to become more common as the planet
warms.
The deluge came as a storm that started as tropical cyclone Oswald just
north of Australia was dragged south over most of the east coast... more »
BLANCO AND BALKANIZATION: Hannity speaks—and his mainstream enablers don't!
*TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013*
*Part 2—One source of the nation's division:* Richard Blanco’s inaugural
poem may be seen as aspirational.
(For part 1 in this award-winning report, just click here.)
In a sprawling continental nation, it’s hard to maintain a sense of unified
national purpose, a sense that we're really one people. Blanco’s poem may
be seen as an encouragement—as a suggestion that we see ourselves as one
national people under our “one sky.”
That said, the nation has been deeply divided in recent years. In truth,
“we the people” *don’t* all believe the same things, as Oba... more »
NASA data registers strong deforestation signals in Sumatra, Borneo, Brazil, Gabon
[image: Mongabay.com's Global Forest Disturbance Alert System (GloF-DAS)
alerts in Sumatra. NASA satellites picked up signals of extensive potential
deforestation in Sumatra, Borneo, Central Africa, the Brazilian and
Peruvian Amazon, the Chocó in Colombia and Ecuador, and the Chaco region of
Paraguay between 1 October 2012 and 31 December 2012. Graphic: mongabay.com]
29 January 2013 (mongabay.com) – NASA satellites picked up signals of
extensive potential deforestation in Sumatra, Borneo, Central Africa, the
Brazilian and Peruvian Amazon, the Chocó in Colombia and Ecuador, and the ... more »
Lovely video of Taiwan, and some links
*A gorgeous video from Gigabyte for a new product launch this week.*
If you haven't seen the pics from '57-8 below this post, take a look.
Meanwhile some links...
- People talking about....Chinese tourist has her kids take a crap in
the airport lounge in Kaohsiung. Have money to travel, can't find the
toilet in the airport. Thank you for specially selecting tourists for us,
government of China.
- People talking about....Rice vermicelli is a major item many local
dishes. The nation was shocked to find that the labeling on almost all rice
vermicelli is false an... more »
Who are the extremists? - Israel Opinion, Ynetnews
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4327421,00.html
NOAA, USGS: Climate change impacts to U.S. coasts threaten public health, safety, and economy
[image: Example of a vulnerability assessment for shoreline change due to
sea-level rise. Maps of the U.S. Atlantic coast show (a) the posterior
probability of shoreline change < −1 meter/year and (b) the maximum
posterior probability for each location. The probabilities are color-coded
and labeled using IPCC likelihood terminology that is familiar to coastal
managers. Source: Gutierrez, et al., 2011]
28 January 2013 (NOAA) – According to a new technical report, the effects
of climate change will continue to threaten the health and vitality of U.S.
coastal communities’ social, eco... more »
'I feel like a stranger where I live’ - Telegraph
Is it true that ' mass immigration is making reluctant racists of us all.'?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/9831912/I-feel-like-a-stranger-where-I-live.html
Read Stuff, You Should
Happy Birthday to Louie Perez, 60.
Lots of good stuff today, so better get right to it:
1. Mike Konczal on the debt-to-GDP ratio: if there is a magic danger point,
economists don't know about it.
2. Filling the IPAB: the problem you didn't even think of. Sarah Kliff
explains.
3. How parties maintain and lose technical advantages, by David Karpf.
4. The Electoral College still turns out to be relatively unbiased (as far
as partisanship is concerned); Andrew Thomas has the graphs.
5. Josh Putnam corrects me: the Electoral College is easier to rig than I
suggested; it just takes so... more »
The Tarnished Brand (Florida Episode)
Will Debbie Wasserman Schultz save the Florida GOP from extinction?
Florida's Republican elected officials don't have to worry about being
buffeted by the vicissitudes of public opinion. As another poll, for
example, shows that Florida voters overwhelmingly back the Medicaid
expansion GOP elected officials are dead set against and as their party
approval collapses in the minds of voters everywhere, Tallahassee
politicians know that the neatly gerrymandered state legislative districts
will keep almost all of them in their lucrative political careers until the
time they can make a try ... more »
NYT: Sitting Down With Amos Oz
'The right of return is a euphemism for the liquidation of Israel. Even for
a dove like myself this is out of the question. Refugees must be resettled
in the future state of Palestine, not Israel.'
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/01/29/opinion/global/roger-cohen-sitting-down-with-amos-oz.xml
4.8 Magnitude Earthquake EASTERN KAZAKHSTAN - 29th January 2013
Magnitude M 4.8
Region HOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION
Date time 2013-01-29 13:17:20.0 UTC
Location 42.86 N ; 143.99 E
Depth 30 km
Distances 34 km SW Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan
No Discretion, No Valor
There was a time when all parties welcomed a new party leader with a
standing ovation. There was a time when all parties allowed that leader
time to adjust to his or her new position. That time has passed. These days
there are no honeymoons.
On the day after Kathleen Wynne was elected leader of the Liberal Party,
Tim Hudak -- following the pattern set a decade ago by his Uncle Stephen --
launched attack ads against Wynne. Andrea Horwath demanded a public
inquiry into the cancelled gas plants.
Martin Regg Cohen points out that:
The auditor general will report on the government’s... more »
Hospital evacuated as Australia hit by heavy flooding
Heavy flooding in Australia caused by torrential rains has forced mass
evacuations from towns along the country's east coast, with critically-ill
patients and newborns from one hospital being airlifted to safety.
The floods, which came in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Oswald, have
killed four people so far, including a three-year-old boy who died after
being hit by a falling tree in Brisbane, Australia's third largest city.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/29/world/asia/australia-queensland-flooding/?hpt=wo_c2
UKIP leader Nigel Farage sees EU exit in "few years"
Britain's withdrawal from the European Union "within a few years" is a
certainty as no government will be able to resist demands for an exit from
a population incensed by the arrival of low-wage migrants, the leader of
the UK Independence Party said.
Nigel Farage, who is siphoning off voters from Prime Minister David
Cameron's Conservatives by attacking EU bureaucracy and immigration from
eastern Europe, said it was the dramatic rise of his own party that had
pressured the premier into promising last week what would be a historic EU
referendum.
"Cameron's speech was the moment whe... more »
Man sells canned fresh air in China. Welcome to yuppie capitalism, comrades
This is a story that shows how deliriously capitalist China has become (for
good and bad). Rapid industrialisation has covered northern China in a
dense pea soup of toxic chemicals. In the past, the old fashioned communist
solution might have been either to ignore the problem or, if people insist
on dying, organise the entire country in a “popular war on bourgeois
toxins.” But in a post-Mao order, how does China’s elite deal with
pollution? Yuppie consumerism.
Chen Guangbiao, an entrepreneur worth $740 million (how, why, and would he
like to meet my daughters?) has started selling ... more »
British Based Syrian Opposition Group: 65 People Shot Dead With Hands Bound
A Syrian opposition group says 65 people, apparently shot in the head, have
been found dead, with their hands bound, in Aleppo.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the death toll
could rise as high as 80, calling the killings a "new massacre".
Photos posted online by activists showed the muddied bodies of several men
lying by a small river.
http://news.sky.com/story/1044524/syrian-group-65-people-shot-dead-with-hands-bound
No "special" treatment for aboriginal people?
Yesterday's National Post had an OpEd from a status Indian explaining, in
detail, why there should be no special treatment for aboriginal peoples in
Canada. He noted that oppression in the past, while dreadful, ought not to
come down to modern people who had nothing to do with the wrongdoing.
A legitimate, if somewhat over-simplistic, argument. Not an argument that
I agree with but rational and reasonable.
But that's why today's cover story in the Post struck me:
*Step-grandchildren of infamous Nazi propaganda boss Joseph Goebbels are
hidden billionaires Story*
Apparently some we... more »
Bedroom Tax: No Answers
Some lowlights from yesterday's DWP session in the Commons. Dignifying
Ministers' replies with the appellation 'answers' is to duff up the English
language. I've focused on the landlords' subsidy and the bedroom tax for
this sorry selection from Hansard. Studious straight-answer avoidance and
whataboutery rules the roost. They treat it like a game because, for the
government, it is. I guess you can expect this from a snake oil merchant
like IDS but Steve Webb (pictured), the LibDem minister for pensions, is
supposed to be some kind of "lefty". Oh really? Then I'm a hatstand.
*Jess... more »
Beijing shuts factories, removes cars, but pollution stays high
Beijing temporarily shut down 103 heavily polluting factories and took 30
percent of government vehicles off roads to combat dangerously high air
pollution, state media reported on Tuesday, but the capital's air remained
hazardous despite the measures.
Air quality in Beijing has mostly stayed above "very unhealthy" and
"hazardous" levels for about two weeks. On Tuesday, it hit 517 on an index
maintained by the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, which described the pollution as
"Beyond Index".
Pollution in Beijing regularly exceed 500 on an index that measures
particulate matter in the air wi... more »
Egypt's army chief warns of 'state collapse' amid crisis
Egypt's army chief has warned that the current political crisis "could lead
to a collapse of the state".
General Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, in comments posted on his Facebook page,
said such a collapse could "threaten future generations".
He made his statement following a large military deployment in three cities
along the Suez Canal where a state of emergency has been declared.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21241753
Prescription Sleeping Pills Lead to 4x Increase in Premature Death Risk by Elizabeth Renter
Prescription Sleeping Pills Lead to 4x Increase in Premature Death Risk
by Elizabeth Renter
Natural Society, 29 January 2013
*As a nation, our dependence on prescription drugs continues to climb.
Even kids are heavily medicated, with over **25% of children being on some
type of prescription drug**, wheather it be antidepressants,
antipsychotics, or ADHD pills. Prescription sleep aids, called hypnotics,
are also being tossed back at an alarming rate and with little thought to
their negative effects. One recent study revealed that these pills may do
more than help you get some zzz... more »
4.0 Magnitude Earthquake EASTERN KAZAKHSTAN - 29th January 2013
Magnitude mb 4.0
Region EASTERN KAZAKHSTAN
Date time 2013-01-29 10:03:37.0 UTC
Location 43.19 N ; 76.62 E
Depth 2 km
Distances 1 km S Karasay, Kazakhstan
Untitled
*John Georges expresses ‘serious interest’ in The Advocate ~Timothy Boone*
*Saints extended GM Mickey Loomis ~ESPN*
*It’s a fine, fine day for a reunion ~moosedenied*
*Settlement reached on Super Bowl "Clean Zone" ~WWLTV*
*Free bikes to get around Super Bowl events*
*LSU reorganizing Coastal Studies Institute*
*Streetcar Expansion Could Help Local Communities ~WWNO*
*Dueling petitions address food truck status ~Danny Monteverde*
*Feet on the Street, Local Fish on the Table*
*Krewe of Rex 2013 illustrated parade notes *
4.6 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS - 29th January 2013
Magnitude
4.6
Date-Time
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 09:03:20 UTC
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 09:03:20 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
24.059°S, 179.828°W
Depth
505.1 km (313.9 miles)
Region
SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
Distances
395 km (245 miles) SSW of Ndoi Island, Fiji
Mali: British Troops To Join French Mission
Forty British troops are to be deployed to Mali in a training role to help
the French-led mission against Islamist militants, according to Sky sources.
The British personnel will be part of an EU force to train Malian soldiers
for after French troops have left.
Up to 350 UK troops are to be deployed in total to Africa, all in
non-combat roles, Sky News understands. This is part of a UN-led mission.
http://news.sky.com/story/1044320/mali-british-troops-to-join-french-mission
5.0 Magnitude Earthquake EASTERN KAZAKHSTAN - 29th January 2013
Magnitude mb 5.0
Region EASTERN KAZAKHSTAN
Date time 2013-01-29 08:57:56.8 UTC
Location 42.63 N ; 79.71 E
Depth 1 km
Distances 53 km S Koshkar, Kazakhstan
U.S. military spy drone that's so powerful it can see what type of phone you're carrying from 17,500ft
The ARGUS-IS array can be mounted on unmanned drones to capture an area
of
15 sq/miles in an incredible 1,800MP - that's 225 times more sensitive
than
the camera on an iPhone. From 17,500ft above the ground, the remarkable
surveillance system can capture objects as small as 6in on the ground
and
allows commanders to track movements across an entire battlefield in
real
time.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2269563/The-U-S-militarys-real-time-Google-Street-View-Airborne-spy-camera-track-entire-city-1-800MP.html
Was there an explosion at Iranian nuclear plant? Government denies reports of blast at top secret facility
Iran has denied reports of a major explosion at its Fordow nuclear
facility, one of its most sensitive uranium enrichment sites.
The country has described the claims as Western propaganda which they say
is intended to influence upcoming international nuclear negotiations.
The reports originate with Israeli intelligence sources in Tel Aviv, who
since Friday have spoken of an explosion damaging the Fordow bunker which
is situated deep under a mountain near the religious city of Qom.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2269507/Iran-denies-reports-explosion-Fordow-underground-uraniu... more »
Marcelo Santos Lead singer of band linked to Brazil nightclub inferno is arrested at dead bandmate's wake
The lead singer of the band believed to be responsible for causing the
nightclub fire that killed 234 people in Brazil was arrested as he
attended
the wake of his bandmate today.
Marcelo Santos of the Gurizada Fandangueuira band, was arrested by
police
at the Santa Maria municipal gymnasium during a collective wake among
the
coffins of the 234 dead.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2269625/Brazil-nightclub-Lead-singer-pyrotechnics-band-Gurizada-Fandangueira-linked-Brazil-nightclub-inferno-arrested-wake-accordion-player.html
Passenger Plane Crashes In Kazakhstan
A plane reported to be carrying 20 passengers and crew has crashed near
Almaty, Kazakhstan.
All 20 people on board were killed, Russia's Interfax news agency reported,
quoting SCAT airlines.
The accident reportedly happened near Almaty, the financial capital of the
Central Asian country, close to the border with neighbouring Kyrgyzstan.
http://news.sky.com/story/1044361/passenger-plane-crashes-in-kazahstan
Stephen Campbell and Michael Beardmore Jailed for 18 Months for stealing £3 from a 14 year old
Two thugs have been jailed for robbing a schoolboy for just three pounds.
Stephen Campbell and Michael Beardmore confronted the teenager in Dover,
Kent, last June, before grabbing him around the neck demanding cigarettes
and money.
Scared of being attacked, the boy handed over all the cash he had, which he
had saved for his bus fare home.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2269689/Thugs-robbed-14-year-old-schoolboy-just-3-jailed-18-months.html
*No doubt this will be reviewed by one of UK notorious pretend Judges or
the Sinister European Court of Human Rights, before they are ... more »
FIREBALLS erupt from exploding manhole covers in America after electrical fire.....(Fracking jumps to mind!)
This is the moment an underground blaze caused several pillars of fire
to
erupt from sewer coverings in downtown Omaha.
The image was captured by a Reddit user who was in their apartment at
the
time of the explosion.
The fire caused the power to be cut to areas surrounding the area where
the
fire broke out.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2269859/Pictured-Incredible-moment-string-FIREBALLS-erupt-Omaha-sewers-electrical-fire.html
Indian teenager accused of Delhi gang-rape faces a maximum of ONLY three years in jail
An Indian teenager accused of taking part in the gang rape and murder of a
23-year-old student in New Delhi will be tried as a juvenile, facing a
maximum of three years in prison if convicted, a special panel has ruled.
The teenager has not yet been formally charged because police were hoping
he would be declared an adult so they could include him in the main trial
of his five co-accused.
He does not have a lawyer and his account of what happened on December 16
is not known.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2269725/Indian-teenager-accused-Delhi-gang-rape-faces-maximum-year-ja... more »
How the Chancellor has cut 119 taxes since the Coalition came to power... but raised another 299
The Coalition has increased nearly 300 taxes since its formation, a report
reveals today.
Chancellor George Osborne has introduced more than twice as many tax rises
as he has cuts.
The Treasury has implemented or pencilled in 299 separate increases since
May 2010, but only 119 cuts.
And the new taxes will mean that taxpayers will shell out £671billion a
year by 2015/16 – a 15 per cent increase on the £513billion in the final
year of the Labour government.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2269870/How-Chancellor-cut-119-taxes-Coalition-came-power--raised-299.html
France is 'totally bankrupt', jobs minister admits as concerns grow over Hollande's tax-and-spend policies
Socialist
France is 'totally bankrupt', a senior government minister
admitted yesterday.
Michel Sapin, who is in charge of the employment ministry in Paris, made
it
clear that his government's tax-and-spend policies are just not working.
Just half a year since his party came to power, Mr Sapin told radio
listeners: 'There is a state but it is a totally bankrupt state.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2269938/France-totally-bankrupt-jobs-minister-admits-concerns-grow-Hollandes-tax-spend-policies.html
Egyptian protesters defy curfew, attack police stations
Egyptian protesters defied an overnight curfew in restive towns along the
Suez Canal, attacking police stations after Islamist President Mohamed
Mursi imposed emergency rule to end days of clashes that have left at least
52 people dead.
At least two men died in overnight fighting in the canal city of Port Said,
the latest unrest in a wave of violence unleashed last week on the eve of
the anniversary of the 2011 revolt that brought down autocrat Hosni Mubarak.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/29/us-egypt-anniversary-idUSBRE90N1E620130129
Julian Ponder Jailed For Six Years for cocaine possession in Bali
British national Julian Ponder has been jailed for six years after being
convicted of cocaine possession in Bali.
Prosecutors in Indonesia had asked for a seven-year prison term, and he
could have faced a maximum sentence of life.
Lindsay Sandiford, the British grandmother sentenced to death for smuggling
cocaine worth £1.5m onto the island, had alleged that Ponder was the man
she was going to deliver the cocaine to.
http://news.sky.com/story/1044338/bali-drugs-case-brit-jailed-for-six-years
Suicide bomber strikes near Somali presidential palace
A suicide bomber blew himself up near the Somali presidential palace on
Tuesday, killing at least one soldier and wounding two others in a strike
apparently aimed at the country's leaders, a palace guard at the scene said.
Officials working in the palace and palace guards said Somali President
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was abroad at the time of the blast and the country's
prime minister, near whose house the explosion took place was safe.
"The bomber killed one soldier and injured two others," the guard told
Reuters. "The man blew up himself near a wall between the Ethiopian embassy
and... more »
GOEBBELS FAMILY - RICH AND JEWISH
*Magda Goebbels and her children, including Harald.*
Magda Goebbels was born Johanna Maria Magdalena Behrend.
Magda's mother Auguste Behrend divorced Oskar Ritschel and married a
JEWISH businessman named Richard Friedländer.
Magda Goebbels once dated Haim Arlosoroff.
He became a prominent ZIONIST.
Magda married Günther Quandt, a rich German industrialist twice her age.
Quandt's business later grew into VARTA batteries among other businesses.
He also had large shareholdings in BMW and Daimler-Benz.
Magda and Gunther produced a child called Harald.
*Harald, being touched by Ad... more »
Confirming North Korean Nuclear-test almost impossible
North Korea appears all set to detonate an atomic device, but confirming
the explosion when it takes place will be virtually impossible for
outsiders, specialists said Tuesday.
The best indication of a test will be seismic tremors and abnormal
radiation in the air, but even that can be masked if North Korea wants to.
In all likelihood the first word of the test will come from Pyongyang
itself, just as it happened when the country conducted nuclear tests in
2006 and 2009.
Last week, North Korea warned a third nuclear test is planned to protest
toughened international sanctions meant... more »
Iceland slams Europe over fishing
Iceland's president has dismissed the European Union's Common Fisheries
Policy as a "colossal failure" as some 75% of Europe's fish stock is
endangered.
The policy sets quotas for each of the 27 member states and for types of
fish.
"Europe is the problem," Olafur Ragnar Grimsson said at the World Economic
Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
"It is paradoxical that Europeans see themselves as the most enlightened
policy makers in the world," he added.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21206881
Icesave ruling in Iceland's favour costs UK taxpayers £100m, thanks to the European Court
UK
taxpayers have been left more than £100m out of pocket after a European
court ruled that the Icelandic government had no obligation to repay
Britain and the Netherlands for rescuing depositors in failed bank
Icesave.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/9831785/Icesave-ruling-in-Icelands-favour-costs-UK-taxpayers-100m.html
*This
comes just days after the President of Iceland made the following
statement regarding Icland's plans to abolish joining the European
Union:
"It's quite clear both in my country and other parts of northern Europe
that there is a g... more »
RBS close to Libor settlement with US, UK authorities - WSJ
Royal Bank of Scotland Group is close to a 500 million pounds settlement
with U.S. and British authorities over claims that some of its employees
submitted false Libor rates, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing
people briefed on the negotiations.
The settlement would involve the British bank pleading guilty to criminal
charges in addition to paying a penalty. However, RBS executives are
resisting any guilty plea, the Journal said.
The deal is expected to close within the next two weeks, the Journal
reported.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/01/29/uk-rbs-libor-settlement-idUK... more »
Brisbane risks running out of drinking water
Parts of Brisbane could run out of drinking water overnight if the city’s
residents don’t use drought-style water saving measures.
Mt Crosby Water Treatment Plant has been forced to shut down because of
turbidity caused by the flood and Wivenhoe Dam has begun releases in a bid
to clean the water.
It will be a few days before the treatment plant is operating again and
before then Brisbane homes will only have access to half the clean drinking
water they would usually consume, according to Premier Campbell Newman.
‘‘If people just used water at the normal rate in certain parts of
Bri... more »
Protesters defy curfew in Egypt troublespots
Protesters have defied a night time curfew in Ismailia on the Suez Canal.
They are ignoring the state of emergency declared by President Mohammed
Mursi as he tries to stop the surge of violence that has claimed more than
50 lives.
The army has been deployed in Port Said, as well as in Suez. The government
has also agreed a measure to let soldiers arrest civilians.
“I’ve lost my son,” one woman wailed,“how can I get him back? He is
sleeping now, none of this can bother him anymore.”
http://www.euronews.com/2013/01/29/protesters-defy-curfew-in-egypt-troublespots/
Recaptured by moonlight, the fabled desert city where Islamists burned books in a bitter farewell
The recapture of Timbuktu was done by moonlight. More than 250 French
troops parachuted down to the northern entrance of the fabled desert city,
while an armoured column sealed the southern exit.
After close to a year of occupation by Islamists, which has driven more
than half the population from Mali’s cultural heart and left an unknown
toll on its famous libraries and shrines, the ordeal was over.
“Not a shot was fired,” said a French Colonel who declined to give his
name, but confirmed he had led the 12-day operation to retake the city.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/af... more »
High-tech tots?
Science education: No reason to panic
Sent to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, January 27, 2013
The Hopkins District has introduced science education into preschool
(“Hopkins School District takes science ed down to the next level,” Jan
27), apparently under the impression that the US is experiencing a shortage
of science and technology experts.
Hopkins administrators may want to consult research done by Rutgers
Professor Hal Salzman, who concludes that there are two to three qualified
graduates for each science/tech opening: There is a surplus, not a shortage.
We are all in favor of hi... more »
4.1 Magnitude Earthquake EASTERN KAZAKHSTAN - 29th January 2013
Magnitude mb 4.1
Region EASTERN KAZAKHSTAN
Date time 2013-01-29 05:19:00.5 UTC
Location 42.60 N ; 79.65 E
Depth 1 km
Distances 57 km S Koshkar, Kazakhstan
The Current State of Medical Care – A Doctor’s Perspective
Read this and weep.
I add one caveat. Socialized medicine, if that is what you want to call it
needs to be made competitive by been regulated on a State by State basis at
least. There will still by national associations to use when appropriate.
Otherwise the present US system is disgusting. Today, all Canadians have
medical care and most if not all Canadians are happy. The only twist needs
to be the availability of private clinics for those who wish to jump queue
for certain procedures.
In short, the Canadian system can be made somewhat better but presently
costs ha... more »
Fifteen Year Old Boy uses Genome to Locate Birth Father
The take home is that it is possible to identify a person from his genome
and soon to be cheaply available. The good news is that it is not a gold
mine. The bad news is that genetic anonymity has ended when a fifteen year
old boy can nail it and it starts been good enough for half the targets.
Our society can and will recognize parenthood only on the basis of the
genome. This allows imposing child care obligations exclusively on the
biological parents and to do this unilaterally. It may not be fair, but the
alternative is also not fair. One can foresee mothers collecting ... more »
Icelandic Constitutional Crowd-sourcing.
Iceland has become a laboratory for banking and political reform. The
collapse has radicalized the population to the extent that they have
stepped up to help sort things out in such a way as to thwart gross self
interest exploiting the system. I think that they may even get it mostly
right..
The bottom line is that they now have a growing economy in the face of a
mountain of ruinous debt instruments stuck out there.
Fears related to those precollapse debts are misplaced. Bankers like to
forget that in sovereign debt, that the king does make the rules. The
country is now... more »
Surrogate Mother to Neanderthal
This is unexpected and also establishes that just about any creature that
has gone extinct during the last twenty thousand years is prospective at
least. I consider the creatures wiped out over the past five centuries and
preserved in museum collections as inevitable recovery prospects. Most will
require habitat reconstruction first but even that is just beginning to get
underway. Most are islands anyway so it is possible at least.
I suspect that the passenger pigeon will have difficulties with rodents
though.
At least the prospect is been raised and it would allow a lo... more »
A 'true Muslim girl'
Of all the pieces of video I have posted here over the past few years this
one is maybe the scariest. It's not a one off, example of Muslim children
being brainwashed to hate Jews but it is of the youngest child, just three
and a half.
What are the chances for peace between Jews & Muslims in the Middle East
when schools and television in Saudi Arabia, Gaza, Egypt and beyond are
pumping hatred for Jews into their children?
Note this is nothing to do with Israel, this is the result of the
historical hatred of Jews by Islamic teaching.
More worryingly is the fact that every so of... more »
Great Plains Politics 101: Why everything new in Alberta’s Legislature must be old again
Perfesser Dave with Gene Zwozdesky, a.k.a. Mr. Speaker, the Speaker of the
Alberta Legislature, with that rara avis, a recent Alberta Throne Speech.
But not the one for March 5, 2013. Quick quiz: Why is that? Below: Alberta
Premier Alison Redford in a screen grab from last week’s “State of the
Province” address. If you’re ... more »
What Was On Television On The Day I Was Born
"When television is good, nothing — not the theater, not the magazines or
newspapers — nothing is better.
But when television is bad, nothing is worse. I invite each of you to sit
down in front of your own television set when your station goes on the air
and stay there, for a day, without a book, without a magazine, without a
newspaper, without a profit and loss sheet or a rating book to distract
you. Keep your eyes glued to that set until the station signs off. I can
assure you that what you will observe is a vast wasteland." - Former FCC
Chairman Newton N. Minow, *"Television an... more »
The Realist Report with John Friend
On *this edition* of the Realist Report, Pastor Eli James of *Anglo-Saxon
Israel* and Charlie Giuliani of *Truth Hertz Radio* will join us for a
debate about Christianity. I have interviewed Pastor James and Giuliani in
the past, and think they both make valid points about Christianity that are
worth discussing.
Is Christianity a Jewish creation meant to psychologically enslave the
gullible goyim? Or, has mainstream organized Christianity been hijacked and
subverted by organized Jewry? Is Christianity an asset or liability in our
struggle against organized Jewish interests and the... more »
British soldiers will be in west Africa 'in weeks': Cameron sends 200 troops in major escalation of UK's involvement
Britain
is sending 200 troops to west Africa, it emerged last night, as
David Cameron said he was ‘keen’ to give more backing to the French
assault
on Islamist militants in Mali.
A source said last night the soldiers will be deployed ‘within weeks’.
The move represents a major escalation of British involvement in the
three-week-long French-led conflict and came on the day Washington
warned
the conflict could take ‘years’ to win.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2269818/British-soldiers-west-Africa-weeks-Cameron-sends-200-troops-major-escalation-UKs-involvement.html
Migrants with no medical insurance 'won't get NHS care': Minister's tough stance on new influx from the East
Migrants
from Romania and Bulgaria who travel to Britain without a job are
to be told they must have private medical insurance to prevent the NHS
becoming an ‘international health service’.
Immigration minister Mark Harper told the Daily Mail that limiting
access
to free healthcare is seen as key to preventing a fresh influx of
migrants
when controls are lifted at the end of this year.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2269838/Migrants-medical-insurance-wont-NHS-care-Ministers-tough-stance-new-influx-East.html
Detroit faces bankruptcy
At the Detroit Auto Show earlier this month, luxury was in the air. Pricey
new Bentleys and Maseratis glittered - including a Maserati 2014
Quattroporte with a $132,000 price tag; U.S. Cabinet Secretaries and
dignitaries rubbed shoulders; and many of the well-heeled attendees ponied
up for a $300-a-ticket black-tie charity ball.
But in a city that is slowly dying, the glitz didn't extend much beyond the
Cobo Center exhibition hall.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/28/us-usa-detroit-bankruptcy-idUSBRE90R13O20130128
Kate Braun : Welcome the Light on Candlemas
Image
from The Mystical Kingdom.
Candlemas 2013:
A season of renewal
By Kate Braun / The Rag Blog / January 29, 2013
“Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side,
Keep on the sunny side of life...”
Saturday, February 2, 2013, is Candlemas, aka Imbolc, Feast of Lights,
Brigid’s Day. Lady Moon is in her 3rd quarter in Scorpio. Waning
moons are times to release and let go of unwanted
Large arms shipment intercepted off Yemen, Iran eyed as source
Yemeni forces intercepted a ship on January 23 carrying a large cache of
weapons - including surface-to-air missiles - that U.S. officials suspect
were being smuggled from Iran and destined for Yemeni insurgents, officials
said on Monday.
Yemen's government said the arms intercepted aboard the ship off the
country's coast also included military grade explosives, rocket-propelled
grenades and bomb-making equipment, according to a statement by its embassy
in Washington.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/29/us-yemen-weapons-iran-idUSBRE90S01B20130129
Egypt clashes continue as curfew defied
Egyptians defied efforts by President Mohamed Morsi to restore order around
the country on Monday as demonstrators and security forces clashed for the
fifth consecutive day and tension mounted between the government and its
opposition rivals.
The Islamist-dominated upper house of parliament quickly approved Mr
Morsi’s controversial proposal to grant the army powers to arrest
civilians. This came the day after he declared a state of emergency and
imposed a curfew in the Suez Canal cities of Suez, Ismailia and Port Said,
where a court verdict on Saturday sentencing 21 people to death ... more »
Rogue 5m-long great white shark attacks boat off Victoria's coast
MELBOURNE fishermen have captured the moment a monster 5m great white
shark
attacked their tiny fishing boat off Victoria's coast.
The three fishermen, brothers Andrew and Ben Donegan and friend Joel
Ryan,
were tuna fishing at Cape Nelson, off Portland, near the Victorian and
South Australian border, when the huge predator started to circle the
vessel.
They said it then suddenly became aggressive and tried to take a bite
out
of the boat.
http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/national/rogue-5m-long-great-white-shark-attacks-boat-off-victorias-coast/story-fndo6axq-1226563793141
Gas Leak Causes Fatality at Korean Samsung Plant
A gas leak at a Samsung semiconductor plant in Hwaseong, Korea, last night
killed a worker—and local news sources are suggesting that a cover-up by
Sammy could be behind the incident.
Yonhap News is reporting that a 132-gallon tank of hydrofluoric acid began
leaking last night at the plant. An initial leak apparently occurred at
11pm, and then a subsequent leak at 5am, in total issuing 2.6 gallons of
acid, mainly in gaseous form. While the precise order of events remains
unclear, it is suggested that Samsung then called a maintenance team to fix
the problem, but did not report the i... more »
Areas of Sydney flooded by heaviest rainfall in a decade
Parts of Sydney have been drenched in their heaviest daily rainfall totals
in more than a decade as a wild storm system washed over the city on Monday
night after causing havoc in the north of the state and in Queensland.
About 1500 residents downstream of Grafton spent the night in emergency
accommodation after being evacuated due to the storm, which has claimed
four lives in Queensland, including that of a three-year-old boy who was
hit by a falling tree in Brisbane's north
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/weather/areas-of-sydney-flooded-by-heaviest-rainfall-in-a-decade... more »
ComVal villagers flee from landslide, Philippines
Scores of families fled their homes after a heavy downpour caused a
landslide in a village in Maco, Compostela Valley, on Sunday, authorities
said.
Several houses were washed away after a river in Barangay Mainit “changed
course” following the landslide at past 7 p.m., according to Abel Dagoon,
barangay chief.
Mainit is still haunted by memories of a similar incident—but of much
bigger scale—almost six years ago. At least 20 people were killed in a
series of landslides that hit the village and the neighboring Barangay
Masara on Sept. 5-6, 2008.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/348655/... more »
Seven dead in landslide at football match in Turkey
At least seven people were killed late Sunday when a landslide invaded the
pitch at an amateur football game in southeastern Turkey, engulfing players
and spectators, local sources said.
Three others were injured and a fourth person went missing as sodden earth
knocked over a wall at the football pitch in the city of Sirnak, hit by
heavy rains in recent days.
http://sports.ndtv.com/football/news/item/202642-seven-dead-in-landslide-at-football-match-in-turkey
'Muslim Vigilantes': Video Abuse Victim Found
The victim of a "Muslim vigilante" attack that was filmed and uploaded to
YouTube has come forward after a police appeal.
The man was one of a number of people who were harassed on east London
streets in a single weekend earlier this month.
Several incidents were filmed and the footage posted online.
http://news.sky.com/story/1044186/muslim-vigilantes-video-abuse-victim-found
F-16 Fighter Jet Missing Over Adriatic Sea
The US Air Force has begun a search operation after losing contact with a
fighter jet during a training mission off the coast of Italy.
The headquarters of the 31st Fighter Wing, at Aviano Air Base in Italy,
issued a brief statement saying the F-16 fighter had one pilot aboard when
contact was lost over the Adriatic Sea.
There was no immediate word on the fate of the plane or the pilot.
http://news.sky.com/story/1044225/f-16-fighter-jet-missing-over-adriatic-sea
Report: Youth Joblessness Rises Fastest In UK
Youth unemployment has increased in the UK at a faster rate than any other
country in the G8 since the start of the recession, a new report has said.
A study by the Work Foundation found that the UK now lags only behind Spain
and Greece for youth joblessness in OECD countries.
The problem cannot be attributed just to the recession because other
countries have fared better, the research group said.
http://news.sky.com/story/1044248/report-youth-joblessness-rises-fastest-in-uk
Missing Mexican Band: Survivor Tells Of Attack
The survivor of a deadly attack on a 16-member Colombian-style music group
has told authorities how at least 10 gunmen entered a private party and
kidnapped the band and four crew members.
A member of the Kombo Kolombia band told police that the 20 hostages were
blindfolded before being driven away in a number of vehicles.
The band member then heard gunshots and a conversation about where the
assailants would dump the bodies, according to Nuevo Leon state security
spokesman Jorge Domene.
http://news.sky.com/story/1044252/missing-mexican-band-survivor-tells-of-attack
William Hill Sign Kills a Man as it Fell from one of their Shops in London
A man has died after being hit by a large metal sign that fell from a
William Hill shop.
The man, believed to be in his 20s, was treated at the scene in Camden,
north London, on Monday afternoon before being taken to hospital, where
medics were unable to save him.
http://news.sky.com/story/1044208/man-dies-as-sign-falls-from-william-hill-shop
4.1 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHERN PERU - 29th January 2013
Magnitude
4.1
Date-Time
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 03:31:23 UTC
Monday, January 28, 2013 at 10:31:23 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
15.545°S, 72.077°W
Depth
99.6 km (61.9 miles)
Region
SOUTHERN PERU
Distances
42 km (26 miles) SE of Orcopampa, Peru
4.9 Magnitude Earthquake SULAWESI, INDONESIA - 29th January 2013
Magnitude
4.9
Date-Time
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 03:16:36 UTC
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 11:16:36 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
0.060°S, 122.980°E
Depth
133.7 km (83.1 miles)
Region
SULAWESI, INDONESIA
Distances
55 km (34 miles) SSW of Bilungala, Indonesia
4.4 Magnitude Earthquake DODECANESE ISLANDS, GREECE - 29th January 2013
Magnitude
4.4
Date-Time
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 01:48:57 UTC
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 03:48:57 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
35.375°N, 27.204°E
Depth
26.6 km (16.5 miles)
Region
DODECANESE ISLANDS, GREECE
Distances
15 km (9 miles) S of Karpathos, Greece
4.6 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR THE COAST OF NICARAGUA - 29th January 2013
Magnitude
4.6
Date-Time
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 00:56:44 UTC
Monday, January 28, 2013 at 06:56:44 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
12.104°N, 88.030°W
Depth
34.5 km (21.4 miles)
Region
NEAR THE COAST OF NICARAGUA
Distances
95 km (59 miles) SW of Jiquilillo, Nicaragua
4.2 Magnitude Earthquake EASTERN KAZAKHSTAN - 28th January 2013
Magnitude mb 4.2
Region EASTERN KAZAKHSTAN
Date time 2013-01-28 23:49:17.0 UTC
Location 42.60 N ; 79.66 E
Depth 1 km
Distances 57 km S Koshkar , Kazakhstan
4.8 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS - 28th January 2013
Magnitude
4.8
Date-Time
Monday, January 28, 2013 at 21:24:36 UTC
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 09:24:36 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
22.228°S, 179.547°W
Depth
585.2 km (363.6 miles)
Region
SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
Distances
195 km (121 miles) SSW of Ndoi Island, Fiji
4.6 Magnitude Earthquake EASTERN KAZAKHSTAN - 28th January 2013
Magnitude
4.6
Date-Time
Monday, January 28, 2013 at 20:37:09 UTC
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 02:37:09 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
42.544°N, 79.771°E
Depth
10 km (6.2 miles)
Region
EASTERN KAZAKHSTAN
Distances
69 km (42 miles) SE of Kegen, Kazakhstan
Who Pays For The Consequences Of Not Dealing With Climate Change?
I've only been to one state banquet at the White House in my life. It was
for Czech President Vaclav Havel and the only reason I was invited was
because it was pre-Google and I was the only one in President Clinton's
rolodex who knew the difference between Lou Rawls and Lou Reed. It was the
first time I got to meet so many people I write about here at *DWT* so
often: from arch-villains like Charles Koch, Henry Kissinger, Jane Harman,
Erskine Bowles, and Tipper Gore to some passing political figures of the
day like Pat Danner (D-MO), Vic Fazio (D-CA), Richard Lugar (R-IN), Norman
... more »
4.7 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 28th January 2013
Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Monday, January 28, 2013 at 20:29:14 UTC
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 06:29:14 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
37.500°N, 143.606°E
Depth
33.4 km (20.8 miles)
Region
OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances
227 km (141 miles) ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan
4.8 Magnitude Earthquake PANAMA-COSTA RICA BORDER REGION - 28th January 2013
Magnitude
4.8
Date-Time
Monday, January 28, 2013 at 20:20:53 UTC
Monday, January 28, 2013 at 03:20:53 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
9.072°N, 82.866°W
Depth
29.8 km (18.5 miles)
Region
PANAMA-COSTA RICA BORDER REGION
Distances
28 km (17 miles) N of Rio Sereno, Panama
4.6 Magnitude Earthquake EASTERN KAZAKHSTAN - 28th January 2013
Magnitude
4.6
Date-Time
Monday, January 28, 2013 at 19:47:38 UTC
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 01:47:38 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
42.507°N, 79.595°E
Depth
9.9 km (6.2 miles)
Region
EASTERN KAZAKHSTAN
Distances
64 km (39 miles) SSE of Kegen, Kazakhstan
Smartphone Sensors: Security Secrets
*According to security researchers, Data captured by smart phone sensors
could help criminals deduction codes used to lock the gadgets.* The data
was useable because sensors can gather information with more freedom than
apps loaded on the machine. By analyzing data gathered by accelerometers
they were able to get a fine idea of the Pin used to protect a phone.
In forbidden tests, data from accelerometers was captured, exported and
analysed to see if it matched a bigger dictionary of taps and swipes that
had been previously gathered. After five guesses it could spot Pins about
43%... more »
Perrito entre las flores del jardín
[image: Perrito entre las flores del jardín]
*Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de perritos*
Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
Flamingos enamorados disfrutando de un buen baile
[image: Flamingos enamorados disfrutando de un buen baile]
*Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de flamingos*
Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
Hermoso paisaje natural con ríos casas y un cielo maravilloso
[image: Hermoso paisaje natural con rios casas y un cielo maravilloso]
*Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de paisajes*
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Pajaritos jugando en las ramas de los árboles
[image: Pajaritos jugando en las ramas de los árboles]
*Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de pajaros*
Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
Hermosa foca blanca recostada en la nieve
[image: Hermosa foca blanca recostada en la nieve]
*Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de focas*
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Ricos pastelillos de chocolate acompañados de ricas fresas
[image: Ricos pastelillos de chocolate acompañados de rojas y jugosas
fresas]
*Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de pasteles*
Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
Cascada de agua cristalina en un día de otoño
[image: Cascada de agua cristalina en un día de otoño]
*Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de cascadas*
Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
"US-China Relations: War in 2013?"
*"US-China Relations: War in 2013?" *
by Addison Wiggin
"War between the US and China — an unpleasant thought, for sure…unless you
happen to be a defense contractor. The threat of war could be sufficient to
power the defense industry’s profit growth for many years. We would not be
tackling this grim topic — nor engaging in the financial market version of
grave-dancing — if the suits and uniforms in Washington understood that
China is merely implementing its own version of the Monroe Doctrine.
If you don’t remember the Monroe Doctrine from history class, it goes like
this: P... more »
Alan Waldman : 'Ballykissangel' is a Charming Irish Small-Town Drama Rich in Characters
Waldman's
film and TV
treasures you may have missed:
Drama, comedy and a wealth of Irish characters make 'Ballykissangel'
fun.
By Alan Waldman / The Rag Blog / January 28, 2013
[In his weekly column, Alan Waldman reviews some of his favorite films
and TV series that readers may have missed, including TV dramas,
mysteries, and comedies from Canada, England, Ireland, and Scotland.
Most are
Christy Clark Gets Busted, Fake Awards Ceremony IS BC LIBERAL ELECTION PLOY
Here`s the deal, details are emerging, the BC Liberals approached IIFA ,
...IIFA is the outfit that holds the Bollywood Oscars, the real ones, the
BC Liberals attempted to get IIFA to change the traditional date in late
June/Early July to April...IIFA said no..
I`ll let Michael Smyth explain the rest, here`s an excerpt..
___________
*"The International Indian Film Academy negotiated with the government to
bring their 2013 awards gala to Vancouver, but the deal never got done.*
***Why? According to an IIFA official, the government wanted to move up the
date of the awards from June to... more »
Australia rainfall records tumble as storm heads south – Winds whip up bushfires in Victoria
[image: Flooding in Queensland, Australia, 29 January 2013. Photo:
3aw.com.au]
By Peter Hannam, Carbon economy editor
29 January 2013
(Sydney Morning Herald) – Update A slew of January rainfall records were
broken as the remnants of ex-tropical cyclone Oswald heads south along the
NSW coast.
Pine Ridge, south of Tamworth, copped 131 millimetres of rain in the 24
hours to 9am Tuesday, setting an annual record, according to Aaron
Coutts-Smith, NSW manager of climate services at the weather bureau.
Other notable falls include Wyee, near Lake Macquarie, which received
171.8mm, its ... more »
justice
Allegory of Justice, Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1537
RIP Challenger crew
[Photo via SpaceX]
It was 28 years ago. I got up at the crack of dawn to watch the Challenger
launch. I witnessed the explosion live. Heard the disbelief and horror in
the news anchor's voice as he described a scene gone so terribly off
script. It was gruesome... Spent the rest of the day in a near trance,
watching the sanitized video loop a thousand times while I struggled with
my own shock and grief.
It was also the day I realized video can lie, even on the news. The loop
didn't nearly capture the searing violence of that moment. Perhaps for the
best that most were spared the m... more »
When Bob Woodward tells you to read something, you stand up and READ -- plus other Woodward enhanced interrogation techniques
*Watch out, Diane! If Bob doesn't like your question, he can have you get
up on the table and cluck like a chicken.*
*by Ken*
I think I've established that I'm not a great fan of make-believe
journalist Bob Woodward -- having posed such questions as "Is Bob Woodward
the very best person to review George Tenet's book? Or maybe the WORST?
(Can you guess which way the Washington Post voted?)" (May 2007) and "Is it
possible that Bob Woodward really believes he's giving us first drafts of
actual history?" (October 2010). All the same, I wasn't expecting to find
myself laughing out loud... more »
Bob Feldman : The Rise of the Texas 'Big Rich,' 1930-1940
Charles
Marsh, owner of the Austin American and Austin Statesman (later merged
as the Austin American-Statesman), also made big money in the oil
business. Image from the Public Welfare Foundation.
The hidden history of Texas
Part 11: 1930-1940/2 -- The rise of the Texas 'Big Rich'
By Bob Feldman / The Rag Blog / January 28, 2013
In his 2009 book, The Big Rich: The Rise and Fall of the
Contact Robin Mathews
To contact Robin Mathews, click here..
rmathews@telus.net
Koalas become ‘urban refugees’ as global warming causes record fires across Australia – Deforestation, dogs, and traffic increase peril
[image: Logo for the documentary film, 'Koala Hospital', which highlights
the many perils facing koalas, including climate change due to record fires
across Australia, deforestation, dogs, and vehucular traffic. Graphic:
koalahospital.com]By Jeremy Hance
28 January 2013
(mongabay.com) – According to Susan Kelly, koalas have become "urban
refugees," under siege by expanding cities that bring with them
deforestation, dogs, traffic, and other ills for native wildlife. Director
of Global Briefing, and writer, producer and director of the new
documentary *Koala Hospital*, Kelly has sp... more »
Cuz!
- Recently saw tv about Spencer Wells' Genographic project, where he claims
all human DNA came from east Africa. I'm cool with that; his presentation -
the tv version at least - makes plenty good sense.
My pasty white German/Welsh ass is fundamentally African, and I am your
cousin. Admitedly a few times removed but still, that sits cozy in my mind.
Of course you've got your critics, some of whom make sense; like scientists
who say there's a problem or two with Wells' methodology, but also some
indigenous folks who are scared of "biocolonialism," wtf that is; another
who claims to be a... more »
Army training exercise happening on Houston's south side shortly after Miami military excerise: What are they preparing for?
SkyEye 13 HD was over the south side where at first look, it appears
there's a massive SWAT scene happening.
People have been calling police, as well as our newsroom, saying they're
hearing gunshots in the area of Scott and Airport. It turns out, the Army
says, it's a multi-agency training drill. They're doing it at the old
Carnegie High School.
Helicopters were also involved. The Army isn't giving any details of what
the training is about.
So if you see the helicopters or hear gunfire, it's only a drill.
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=8971311
*
Matt's th... more »
NEOCON DRONES ON ABOUT DRONES
Neoconservative
propagandist Michael Rubin, writing today in *Commentary*magazine,
attempts to defend the use of drones in the fight against the
West’s enemies. Rubin begins his piece by writing:
*The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has announced
an inquiry
into the use of drones in Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan, and the Palestinian
Territories, and whether drones violate international law. The inquiry
comes at the request of Russia, China, and Pakistan, a triad of
countries
not known for their concern about human rights.*
Rubin neglects to mention that the US and thei... more »
"We need to be able to engage the Sask Party on economic issues” - Erin Weir - Candidate for #skndpldr
*A great article from the Lloydminster, Saskatchewan 'Meridian Booster'. By
my reckoning, economist Erin Weir continues to ask the hardest questions of
any candidate in the Saskatchewan New Democrat leadership campaign. The
governing Saskatchewan Party is led by Premier Brad Wall and boosted (to
the point of embarrassment) by the province's major daily papers and other
MSM outlets. Weir holds Wall's fiscal and natural resource policy under the
microscope and it's not as rosy as the government or the press try to tell
you it is. **NDP leader candidate makes Border City stop **A Saska... more »
The Sunni Middle East and the Korean Peninsula, both artificially divided by the cabal, to be reunified
*
* *I find this curious that Ben promotes Keenan knowing full well who he is
and who he works for. So much of what Ben does is passing coded messages to
various groups. **-AK*
*
* *The Sunni Middle East and the Korean Peninsula, both artificially
divided by the cabal, to be reunified*
Posted by Benjamin Fulford
December 11, 2012
As the center of world economic gravity continues to shift towards Asia,
changing old Western political constructs aimed to “divide and conquer”
have become a key topic of secret debate. The machinations and fighting in
Syria are aimed at “destroying arti... more »
Meat — A Benign Extravagance
Is meat evil? A vocal minority shouts “Yes!” The British eco-journalist,
George Monbiot, was an enthusiastic advocate for the vegan diet. He did an
abrupt U-turn after reading Simon Fairlie’s book, *Meat — A Benign
Extravagance*. Fairlie is a powerhouse thinker, a fire hose of ideas, and
a tireless detective who hunts down those who ejaculate statistics that are
ridiculously biased or fictitious. This book will reduce your trust in all
statistics by 71.8 percent. He doesn’t take sides; he forces everyone to
reconsider their beliefs. I strongly recommend it to readers who have ... more »
Cool Collection of Pics from 1957 and 1958
Former US serviceman Tom Jones sent these around and eventually they made
their way to me. Here's his story in Chinese. Visions of a lost Taiwan, in
color. The last dozen plates are from his round the island scooter trip.
Enjoy by clicking on READ MORE below:
現在小朋友對於早期的台灣，都只能透過零碎的照片、以及長輩口述拼湊出樣貌。最近網路上流傳一位美國大兵 Tom
Jones 在46(1957)到47(1958)年間駐守台灣時所拍攝的一系列照片，可看到與現在大不同的台北，以及各旅遊景點的早期樣貌。
Tom
Jones 早期在美軍服役，並於46(1957)到47(1958)年間隨著美軍顧問團來台駐守台灣發射站。這位老兄顯然很喜歡攝影，拍下大量50年代的台灣。他在2006年將這些半世紀前的照片，分享到
Picasa 「1957-58 Taiwan」相簿，最近被台灣網友發現後大量轉載，引起一股懷舊旋風。
Tom Jones
以外國人的眼光，拍下50年代的純樸台灣，看似百無聊賴的建築、街景、風景畫面，過了... more »
Trashed
Having canceled my subscription to satellite service several years ago, I
rarely have an opportunity to watch television anymore (not that I want
to). The obsolete teevee, a grumpy hefty metallic relic, collects dust on
the floor under my bedroom window...I don't know quite how to retire it in
a socially responsible way. So it remains - a perpetually antiquated,
hostile rebuke - a repulsive hulk of my former stupidity, oblivious of our
unsustainabilty - that now gives me nightmares.
Every now and then though, I come across an advertisement on the 'tubes,
that just knocks me over. ... more »
How will shrinking shelf space impact publishing?
This week Barnes and Noble boldly stated that they envisaged a store
reduction of around a third over the next decade. Some however might raise
the question of whether they will be in the market at the end of that
period. We also expect Waterstones in the UK to cut their cloth and shrink
in the near future.
What would you predict for the sales of your next best seller that you will
publish in say 12 to 18 months? What will be the initial print run and
costs to get it to first base? How reactive can you be to ramp up or shut
down? Will merely cutting back the list resolve the issu... more »
Irish Town Resists Bailout Conditions
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/01/201312872217801108.html
*
* *Irish Town Resists Bailout Conditions*
*
*
Blaming banks for economic crisis, community in the south unwilling to
accept terms for national debt restructuring.
Last Modified: 28 Jan 2013 12:46
The European Central Bank has rejected Ireland's proposals to restructure
some of the country's huge debts.
The government wants to avoid paying tens of billions of dollars over the
next decade to underwrite a failed bank.
But one community in southern Ireland is unwilling to accept the terms of
the bailout... more »
UFO sighting over Russia, January 21 2013, stabilized & zoomed: Missile? Something else?
*Questions to be answered if this is a missile:*
1. If the flame is providing the source of illumination, why does it linger
for so long after the projectile's flight ceases (and indeed seems to hover
in the sky), unlike a missile which snuffs out immediately?
2. Why is the illumination so incredibly large in the sky, instead of a
point of light?
3. Why is the contrail fanned out in such a broad manner, unlike the
straight trail usually seen with rockets?
4. Why two missile tests so close together, if not simultaneously?
5. Why conducted where they'll be seen by the public?
6. W... more »
Lamar W. Hankins : Gun Control and the Ethics of Self-Defense
Political
cartoon by J.D. Crow / AL.com.
The ethics of self-defense:
Reconsidering gun control
Much of this will seem counterintuitive, especially to those who are
brought up with a macho mentality, whose inclination will be to fight,
get revenge, teach the hoodlum a lesson...
By Lamar W. Hankins /The Rag Blog / January 28, 2013
Since I last wrote about gun control in the middle of
Florida Boondoggle
Posted on
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/content/time-hardwire-florida-schools-senate-ed-chairman-says
Florida Boondoggle
The Florida Board is eager to spend nearly a half billion dollars to buy
and set up equipment primarily so that children can take tests online.
There is zero research support for this kind of testing program. Nor is
there any demand for a pilot study to be done.
As soon as the equipment is set up, it will be declared obsolete.
It will not improve student performance, so a more full-proof and expensive
computer system will be developed.
The result: A perma... more »
Bill Good`s Female Phone Answerer Stages Fake Partisan Phone-In Callers
*CKNW brass and BC Liberal Operatives are playing fake phone-call games on
Billy Good`s Show*
Bill Good phone-in callers are being staged, partisan callers who hate the
NDP, BC Liberal operatives are being put through while NDP supporters and
those critical of the BC Liberals are being screened out..
I`m not too sure that Bill Good is aware of it, the woman answering the
phones on his show is a new voice, either Bill Good is fully aware or cknw
brass have planted a BC Liberal operative on his show to screen callers..
I mentioned last week how Billy Good set-up Adrian Dix with bil... more »
Crackpot Congressman of the Day
And the winner is, Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) who proffered a "constitutional
amendment which would make failure to balance the nation’s budget an
impeachable offense." His amendment "calls for a balanced budget within
five years, after which time federal spending could not exceed federal
revenue." And he's polishing his crackpot bonafides with the stipulation
that said budget balancing cannot in any way be accomplished with the
raising of revenues. It mandates spending cuts only. Guessing, cuts in
military spending would not be acceptable either, considering his committee
assignments a... more »
Krugman discusses the Jindal moves!
*MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013*
*And Ryan’s shifting statistic:* Bobby Jindal has been scolding his own
GOP, calling it “the stupid party.”
In today’s column, Paul Krugman quotes Jindal making another bold-sounding
statement: “We must not be the party that simply protects the well-off so
they can keep their toys. We have to be the party that shows all Americans
how they can thrive.”
As Krugman notes, Jindal’s snark about “the well-off” is new to the GOP.
But uh-oh! Krugman notes what Jindal has now proposed for Louisiana—shifts
in taxes which will *benefit* the well-off and penalize th... more »
Will Darrell Issa Be Allowed To Kill Off The U.S. Post Office This Year?
Last week when Blue America endorsed Toi Hutchison for Jesse Jackson Jr.'s
old congressional seat (IL-02), she told first Nicole Sandler's listenersand then Crooks
and Liars readers what a strong supporter of the post office she is.
[H]ealthcare delivery is just like mail delivery in this way. Fedex is the
private option, USPS is the public option. And the reason it doesn’t cost
$99 to send a package through the private option is because the Postal
Service will do it for $6. The public option holds private carriers
accountable, and having a public option for health insurance woul... more »
Musical Interlude: Brulé and Aero, “Circle Of Life”
Brulé and Aero, “Circle Of Life”
- http://www.youtube.com/
Clearly the Party Is NOT Over
The Dems (Dims?) are useless? Receiving huge pay-offs while approving
business-friendly agendas at the expense of the taxpayers would render
almost anyone useless, wouldn't it? The more controversy is stirred up
about death panels and Muslim infiltration of the government, the less
discussion there is, for example, about the tax subsidies for the oil
industry. These people know what
Sunday Globe Special: New York Times Will Get You Out of Russia
*Now we know who are the intelligence assets in the country.** *
*
**"The magazine New Times recently published a five-page guide for would-be
asylum-seekers, offering information on the most receptive countries and advice
on how to get there."*
*
**I'm sorry, I thought it said New York Times (what did they do, leave out
the York and think we would be fooled?).*
"In Russia, a simple choice changes lives; Prosecution of Putin opponents
sends some on run" by Kathy Lally | Washington Post, January 27, 2013
*
**NYT, WaPo, same thing.*
MOSCOW — In the end, Suren Gazaryan had little time ... more »
The happy faces around me
It's not always fun hanging out with the kids at Angelitos children's home.
Sometimes it's just a lot of work, and sometimes it's really discouraging.
Sometimes they just get on your nerves, the way any kid does.
But yesterday was one of the good days. Not sure if that was due to the sun
shining for the first time in a couple of weeks, or if the kids were just
ready for a free-for-all at *el campo*, the empty dirt field above the
foster home where they can burn off a little energy from time to time.
It was a good day for getting some new photos of the kids, and I wanted to
share them ... more »
"How It REALLY Is"
What a *lovely *heroic fantasy... pure bullshit, but entertaining until
you
start really thinking about it, or God forbid, do it... - CP
●
*"Being John Wayne, Or Not..."*
by CoyotePrime**
*
*
Being a dumbass kid whose mind was full of delusional “John Wayne” hero
nonsense, I enlisted (with the required parental consent) in the Marine
Corps at 17. It was late 1968, the VietNam war was raging, and the military
had a tremendous need for fresh bodies. (The first draft wouldn't happen
until July, 1969. Incredibly, my birthdate was picked number 1! So my sorry
self was going an... more »
Sunday Globe Special: Dominican Discrimination
*"Both industries require cheap labor that Haitians have long provided. Yet
many Dominicans have come to resent the influx of lower-paid workers from
across the border."*
"‘Stateless’ Haitians get legal foothold; Migrants start to receive papers
needed for rights" by Ezequiel Abiu Lopez | Associated Press, January 27,
2013
SAN PEDRO DE MACORIS, Dominican Republic — Julien Henrique spent 50 years
toiling in the sugar cane fields of the Dominican Republic and 10 more
trying to collect a meager monthly pension after he left the company.
Born in neighboring Haiti, Henrique never rece... more »
The Tricky Math of Rigging the Electoral College
Rick Hasen has a good column about about the national GOP effort to get
Republican-controlled legislatures in states which vote for Democrats in
presidential elections to switch to apportioning electoral votes by
Congressional districts. Mainly I agree with his bottom line: it's unlikely
to go anywhere. In particular, he focuses, correctly, on some of the ways
in which the incentives for the legislators and governors involved run
against the incentives of national presidential candidates.
Hasen is certainly correct that there's nothing illegal or unconstitutional
about the scheme. I... more »
Hagel Warned Obama Of Rogue Pentagon Leading A 'New World Order'
*
*
http://www.businessinsider.com/hagel-warned-obama-about-out-of-control-pentagon-new-world-order-2013-1
*
* *Hagel Warned Obama Of Rogue Pentagon Leading A 'New World Order'*
Robert Johnson and Geoffrey Ingersoll | Jan. 28, 2013, 11:29 AM
AP
As Chuck Hagel seeks support for his nomination to become Secretary of
Defense, Bob Woodward has released a story about a White House trip the
former Senator made in 2009.
The Washington Post reports:
According to an account that Hagel later gave, and is reported here for the
first time, he told Obama:
“We are at a time where there is a ne... more »
SPOT THE CHILD ABUSER, AND SPY
*James Taylor Jr (centre)*
The most dangerous child abusers are often members of one of the following:
*1. *A fundamentalist religious group
*2.* An intelligence service
*3.* An extreme right-wing political party
The Exclusive Brethren has been accused of providing over half a million
dollars to the campaign of George W. Bush, and providing cash to other
right-wing politicians allegedly linked to the CIA.
Exclusive Brethren - Wikipedia...
*When Alan Robertson was aged ten, he was raped by James Taylor Jr, who was
the head of the Exclusive Brethren.*
The Exclusive Brethern is a ... more »
Uh, Agent Green? Seriously? *rattles empty bottle in kitchen*
How are we supposed to run a successful psy-ops website when you're always using up all the creamer? Store is a block away, and you have a company Segway at your disposal. I tell you, agents these days. *shakes head*
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