Austerity (Photo credit: Anne Helmond)
English: Limestone rocks beside Buttertubs pass The secondary road through the pass is visible in the background. It has been described by Jeremy Clarkson as 'England's only truly spectacular road'. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Where are they Now? - A-Z of Bristol bands - Songwriters - Musicians (Photo credit: brizzle born and bred)
English: Repton School An independent school for over 450 years. Past pupils include Jeremy Clarkson. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Cyprus Is More Than Just An Organized Crime-Infested Island In The Mediterranean Where Michael "Mikey Suits" Grimm Sneaks Off Where No One's Looking
Cyprus today-- London and Kenosha tomorrow?
Staten Island Republican Michael "Mikey Suits" Grimm is a Mafia operative
who has managed to get away with... well, a lot that should have landed him
in prison long ago. And in the past, the only mentions of Cyprus on this
blog have been about Grimm's involvement with Cypriot criminal activitiesand his secret
trip to that island. Now Cyprus has an even worse visitor than Grimm-- the
right wing Austerity has come to tear the country apart.
Next time you hear Ryan, Cantor, Boehner or any of the Austerity fanatics
trying to sell you on their r... more »
Clarkson likes us
We NZers like it when people like us. Jeremy Clarkson likes us.
John Cleese called Palmerston North the ''suicide capital of New Zealand''
because ''if you wish to kill yourself but lack the courage to, I think a
visit to Palmerston North will do the trick.” Clarkson disagrees, I think.
If God had got it right, he says, ''Jesus would have been from Palmerston
North.'' Perhaps he means it could be a good place for crucifixion?
In any case, he seems to like the rest of the place:
"If you were God and you were all-powerful, you wouldn't select Bethlehem
as a suitable birthplace for ... more »
BYPASS well was not a sidetrack
- BK Lim & FASEI
So when is a “bypass” not a bypass from the same well but from another well
location?
That should have been the question to ask Transocean's OIM (Jimmy Harrel)
on the Deepwater Horizon, during his 27 May 2010 testimony in the USCG-MMS
investigation hearing.
Jim Harrel was clearly taken aback when asked to elaborate on the specific
problems encountered (such as loss circulation, pipe stuck, cementing and
other safety issues) throughout the duration of the WELL (@min 5:30).
Harrel clearly stumbled when he asked “....you...err.... more »
Beer is beneficial
Politicians and other busybodies obsess about the cost of drinking beer.
Too little analysis focuses on the benefits, so former NOT PC beer writer
Neil Miller has undertaken the serious scientific research on the topic for
you. Here are the top ten benefits of drinking beer.
*1.* Beer lessens the constant anxiety of watching the Black Caps bat.
*2.* After beer, Gareth Morgan's constant lectures become slightly less
annoying.*
*3.* Beer enables people to hold strong opinions on every issue without
resorting to research.**
*4.* Without beer, no one would date in the provinces.
*5... more »
Mohawk Nation News "DNA Wars'
Posted on March 17, 2013
MNN, Mar. 17, 2013. The UN has given the US the job
of taking over Indigenous people and our resources worldwide. The 1973
illegal “War Powers Act” gives the US the “legal” right to create war
with anyone they deem an enemy. Scientists were sent out by
pharmaceuticals to take blood samples of every Indigenous group
everywhere. Someone wanted our DNA. As
Shake, shake, shake!
As with most Aucklanders, yesterday’s shallow 3.9-strength earthquake came
as a surprise. In a house with a concrete floor, lying on the couch playing
a record (remember records?), it seemed as though a truck had hit the front
of the house. Bang! The cat slept, and the house moved enough to make the
needle jump on the record. Serious.
Serious enough to worry about the earthquake being directly under a
volcano: fortunately, GNS Science confirms the quake is not linked to
volcanic activity. So we can go back to laughing about it, and us. As most
did on Twitter:
[image: image]
[ima... more »
“The Internet Is A Surveillance State”
*“The Internet Is A Surveillance State”*
by Bruce Schneier
"I'm going to start with three data points.
One: Some of the Chinese military hackers who were implicated in a broad
set of attacks against the U.S. government and corporations were identified
because they accessed Facebook from the same network infrastructure they
used to carry out their attacks.
Two: Hector Monsegur, one of the leaders of the LulzSac hacker movement,
was identified and arrested last year by the FBI. Although he practiced
good computer security and used an anonymous relay service to protect his
... more »
Matthew Fox: Celebrating the Holiday with the Cosmic Christ
*Wikipedia:*
Matthew Fox (born 1940) is an American priest and theologian. Formerly a
member of the Dominican Order within the Roman Catholic Church, he is now a
member of the Episcopal Church. Fox was an early and influential exponent
of a movement that came to be known as Creation Spirituality. The movement
draws inspiration from the mystical philosophies of such medieval Catholic
visionaries as Hildegard of Bingen, Thomas Aquinas, Saint Francis of
Assisi, Julian of Norwich, Dante Alighieri, Meister Eckhart and Nicholas of
Cusa, as well as the wisdom traditions of Christian s... more »
ALEC Press Releases You Didn't See
This past Friday (I edited it slightly becauseican):
ALEC Posts Full Catalog of Model Policies Online March 15, 2013
ALEC Posts Full Catalog of Model Policies Online Renews call for open
exchange of ideas to create opportunity and move government closer to
communities WASHINGTON, DC (March 15, 2013) –
As I said earlier *yesterday* “BFD”,
the legislation was already on the ALEC Exposed webpage.
So I thought I would take a look at the other things that ALEC has bragged
about. I thought I would go back and look for “transparency” in ALEC press
releases.
This is what I found ... more »
CPAC poll: The untold story of the other
To no one's suprise, Rand Paul won the CPAC straw poll. It was Rand Paul's
crowd. Inherited from his Dad. I hear his tshirt giveaway was very popular.
People love free tshirts. But so what? CPAC has become a meaningless
spectacle.
The twitter tells me Santorum's speech bombed. He came in fourth after Rand
and Rubio. Meanwhile, Grifterella wowed the crowd with her Big Gulp and
boob jokes, one of which actually about her boobs. She came in a distant
last in the straw poll.
At this point you may be thinking, wait -- who was third? Well, that's the
real story here and all the media, ... more »
GAIA PORTAL: Rapidly transforming potentials for change at this moment
*
* *
* *Rapidly transforming potentials for change at this moment*
by ÉirePort
Rapidly transforming potentials for change effect every organic being upon
the planet at this moment. These transform potentials alter strength and
frequency moment to moment. Flexibility in decisions is essential for
movement into higher Dimensional realms.
Gaia proper transmutes the last remaining dark corners of her body to
Light, and clears dross connections. Planetary consciousness now supports
such transmutations.
Waves of Chaos are to be expected as transmutations proceed. Yet High
Planetary co... more »
GAIA PORTAL: Restrictions on movements of Galactic-aligned Gaia Hue-manity have been removed
*
* *
* *Restrictions on movements of Galactic-aligned Gaia Hue-manity have been
removed*
by ÉirePort
Entrance to Galactic and Stellar portals has been aligned with increasing
consciousness of the Master Gaia population. At this current moment,
energetics are supportive of travel via interdimensional gateways.
Restrictions on movements of Galactic-aligned Gaia Hue-manity have been
removed. Await the signal, while honoring the potential for change.
Higher vision is valued at this time.
ÉirePort | March 17, 2013 at 17:21
URL: http://wp.me/p2sFUY-cc
Is It Just Me?
When the photos began coming in of Sarah Palin's appearance at this year's
CPAC conference, something seemed amiss.
Sure five years have passed since Palin was the heartthrob of angry old
white dudes backing John McCain's bid for the presidency. We've all
gotten a little older and worse for wear since then. But was that really
it?
Then a thought crossed my mind. Is that really pop in that cup she's
holding or might she have snuck in a half quart of Jack to help pass the
time before she took the stage?
The Hard Right: A Thought Experiment
Some people are never satisfied. Our LibDem-supported Tory government have
pushed through the most ruinous economic policies since the 1930s. Have
gleefully cracked down on the social security net that supports our lowest
paid, poorest, and most vulnerable. Immigration has been restricted to the
point it's damaging Britain's economic interests. The rich can look forward
to income and corporation tax cuts. And Dave has conceded a referendum on
EU membership should the Tories win the next election. If I was a rightwing
newspaper proprietor I would be pretty gratified, all told. And ye... more »
Sunday Classics: Perusing Van Cliburn's legacy (and yes, we'll even get to "the Tchaikovsky")
*RACHMANINOFF: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30:*
*i. Allegro ma non tanto*
*Van Cliburn, piano; Symphony of the Air, Kiril Kondrashin, cond. RCA-Sony,
recorded live in Carnegie Hall, May 19, 1958*
*by Ken*
The Rachmaninoff *Second* Piano Concerto, as I've said, I love beyond
qualification -- and we heard Van Cliburn play the first movement, with
Fritz Reiner conducting, in the April 2010 post "In perfect balance --
Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto, where everything comes together just
right." As to the more ambitiously scaled Rachmaninoff Third Concerto, one
of the suprem... more »
Did Multi-Millionaire Bachmann Race Bait CPAC Audience?
One of my favorite places to go for tweets, had a post that directed me to
a great short piece from FreakOut Nation this morning.
*Millionaire Michele Bachmann claims Obama lives a life of excess, yet she
still hasn’t paid her staff*
There were a couple of interesting pieces to chew on it that article –
stuff that I had been trying to coalesce in my head, but had not been able
to – Freakout Nation pulled it together - that’s why we need a village.
*First of all – *
Michele Bachmann is a multi, multi-millionaire
“estimated net worth of between $1.3 million and $2.8million”
*Second*... more »
Raised on Hatred - Why no peace with Israel?
' Why would one make peace with bloodsuckers and descendants of apes and
monkeys?'
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/01/18/opinion/global/ayaan-hirsi-ali-morsis-comments-on-jews.xml
FlimFlammery: The Word For Exposing the Whiny M/Billionaires (And Why Should You Pay THEIR Taxes?)
Number of Food Stamp Recipients Reached Record High in 2012 The number of
Americans on food stamps climbed to an all-time peak last year, according
to data released by the Department of Agriculture. An average of 46.6
million people received the benefits each month last year, with the average
number of households that received them totaling 22.3 million. In 2007,
just 26.3 million people
N. American Monarch Colonies Hit "Record Low" This Year
Op-Ed Contributors The Winter of the Monarch By LINCOLN P. BROWER and
HOMERO
ARIDJIS Published: March 15, 2013
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/16/opinion/the-dying-of-the-monarch-butterflies.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130316&_r=0
[Excerpted]
Today the winter monarch colonies, which are found west of
Mexico City, in an area of about 60 miles by 60 miles, are a pitiful
remnant of their former splendor. The aggregate area covered by the
colonies dwindled from an average of 22 acres between 1994 and 2003 to
12
acres between 2003 and 2012. This year’s area, which was reported on... more »
four leaf clover
I was walking near the shores of mille lacs lake
when i noticed a bunch of clover...
looking closer i saw all the clover was four leaf clover...
a treasure, fortune in nature...good luck !!!
Morning Legislative Snark - A Good Read
On days when you want to cry - the universe hands you a reason to smile.
This WONDERFUL piece of snark
Out of Tennessee – they are frustrated and make the best of it!
Snips won’t do it
You really have to read the whole thing to enjoy it!
>>>HERE<<<
“Our lawmakers must set up a sweatshop — that is, set a couple of their
clerks and interns to work cranking out these laws like a legislative
McDonald’s,” he said. “If we get that going, then Tennessee can overtake
states like Louisiana to lead the way forward backward.”
batty bill creation
silly bills
ditzy bills
wacky acts producti... more »
ALEC & Koch's in the Same Obscure Article - How Fitting
I’ve seen a lot in my wandering around the web – but today hit a new height.
A columnist defending the Koch brothers. I could not believe it!
Some ho-bunk columnist in Concord New Hampshire coming to the defense of
the Koch brothers.
You have got to read the whole thing – and remember who is writing it - it
is evident this guy has drank some kind of nasty potion
Read it
>>>>HERE<<<<
I am not joking he spends most of the article defending the Koch brothers.
An unknown columnist in Concord New Hampshire
I hope there is a blogger out there that will tear apart his adulation of
the Koch... more »
Ditching Our Malignant Growth Paradigm
Infinite growth on a finite planet is impossible. That is all you need to
accept to realize that our growth-based economics are invalid, even harmful
and we need to move to a viable, long-term and sustainable economic
model. Today this is called "full world" or "steady state" economics and
we're moving there because we really have no better choice. The only
question is whether we do so of our own volition, on our own terms, or are
compelled to accept steady state economics after costly and destructive
attempts to avoid reality.
Steady state is based on constancy. In its s... more »
Washington “Cancels” Fourth Stage of European Phased Adaptive Approach
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel de facto announced on Friday that the US
will scrap deployment of ground-based ballistic-missile interceptors in
Poland and Romania. At a Pentagon press conference today, Secretary of
Defense Chuck Hagel announced that the planned deployment of the high-speed
SM-3 Block IIB interceptor to Poland (and the corresponding 4th phase of
European
Continue reading
Happy St. Patrick's Day: When Hobbits Attack edition
Here's a blast from the past.
Back in May 2010, then Deputy and future President of Ireland Michael
D. Higgins appeared on a radio show with right wing expat Michael Graham, a
Tea Party-loving lunatic who claims to have all the facts on his side while
revealing his ignorance of basic facts when confronted.
Higgins began by speaking about what he'd seen in Gaza and the plight
of the Palestinians, rightly calling out the Israelis for what amounts to a
slow motion genocide. This, naturally, resulted in a hysterical, loud and
sour rant from Graham who hoarsely began scream... more »
My View: Pipeline decision matters to planet - The Santa Fe New Mexican: My View
My View: Pipeline decision matters to planet - The Santa Fe New Mexican: My
View
Reed U Collection
Canoeing at Takow, Formosa." Illustrated London News Vol 96, No. 2651 (8
February 1890):181. Engraving from sketch by Mr. Edmund Grimani, who lived
in Takow for several months. This is from the fantastic collection at Reed U.
Once again, just want to alert readers to this wonderful resource.
_______________________
[Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its
sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, and scores
of links to other Taiwan blogs and forums! Delenda est, baby.
A First for Pakistan
For the first time since its founding in 1947, Pakistan has seen a civilian
government complete a full term in office.
*Since Pakistan was founded in 1947, government were often overthrown in
coups, toppled by political infighting or end in assassinations or murders.*
*But overhanging the democratic transition is the continuing militancy and
growing sectarian unrest.*
*"There is a long history of tussle between the democratic and undemocratic
forces in Pakistan, but the democratic forces have finally achieved a
victory," [outgoing Prime Minister Raja Pervez] Ashraf said in a televis... more »
The Disposable Citizen
Several years ago, the American educator Henry Giroux moved to Canada to
take the Global Television Network Chair in English and Cultural Studies at
McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. From there he has continued to
write about the land of his birth. His criticisms have been clear-eyed and
stark. Writing yesterday about Paul Ryan's proposed budget, Giroux had this
to say:
It is a story that embodies a kind of savage violence that makes clear that
those who occupy the bottom rungs of American society - whether they be
low-income families, poor minorities of color and class o... more »
Week's Best Word: Flimflammery
It was Dana Milbank who used it but he was clearly referencing Paul
Krugman's classic 2010 column The Flimflam Man, for many people the
introduction to the now infamous Paul Ryan. Friday, Krugman re-introduced
his readers to the term, again, in reference to Ryan: After the Flimflam.
This time it's the new/old Ryan so-called "budget" Krugman is targeting,
which he recognizes not only "isn't serious" but is "essentially a cruel
joke." Back in 2010 Krugman denounced his budget/roadmap as "obviously
fraudulent: huge cuts in aid to the poor, but even bigger tax cuts for the
rich, with... more »
Penashue's political dodgeball
I thought Con MP Pierre Poilievre held the dodgeball record for giving the
same identical non-answer seven times to seven different questions put to
him by a single reporter in November 2012, but three months earlier
now-former Labrador Con MP and cabinet minister Peter Penashue had already
swallowed the ballgag whole at eight identical non-answers to eight
different questions from a reporter about his election spending violations.
Eight.
If this government were any more transparent, they'd be completely
invisible but for the scandals.
h/t Diamondwalker at Pogge's for Penashue vi... more »
Vote Now!
*What is the best meme of the SWP crisis*Don't X Y it's petty bourgeoisCreeping
FeminismThe whiff of AutonomismChina Mieville is SCANDALOUSI've been on the
internet for 20 years and I must admit I'm lostThat's quite an successful
revolutionary organisation you've got there... Aaaaaaand it's goneDo you
support this?We must observe socialist discipline! pollcode.com free polls
You have one week!
Ya gotta love to write
My economy-related posts usually come to me in quick flashes. I try to
write them down quickly, at least the key insight and a few of the
explorations flooding my brain. It always takes longer then, to find the
numbers or develop the graphs that will confirm or confound the initial
flash.
And there is always the question to be resolved, of whether the quick flash
was an insight or a glitch.
Are you sure that they wouldn't try this in the UK?
The Cyprus bailout includes a rather draconian one-off 'tax':
Savers with under €100,000 deposited must pay 6.75%
Savers with more than €100,000 deposited must pay 9.9%
Savers will be compensated with the equivalent amount in shares in their
banks
What a fine reward for prudence. Once again anyone who has actually saved
some money and not spent beyond their means gets penalised, and penalised
harshly.
How sure are you that David Cameron wouldn't try this in the UK?
How about a Labour/LibDem coalition? Do you think Ed Balls and Vince Cable
wouldn't try this little trick?
Really?
If... more »
ALTERNATIVE MEDIA ; GEORGE CLOONEY; LICIO GELLI; DAVID ICKE; FACTIONS...
It is the job of the Alternative Media to tell you about the 'criminals'
who often occupy key positions in society.
*"Montreal-based Global Research gets around 125,000 unique visitors a day.*
"It forwards an anti-globalisation agenda... the mainstream media is
failing to tell people the truth about how bankers, corporate oligarchs and
governments are working hand in glove to deceive people and strip them of
their rights...
*"In the US, talk show host Alex Jones has a massive following on the
net... *
*
*
*The CIA owns some of the people in the Alternative media?*
"In the UK, fo... more »
Military whistleblower Michael Prince aka James Casbolt interviewed by AMMACH
after having featured on The Bases youtube page for a number of years as a *military
whistleblower* resident as a child and trained as a soldier/remote viewer
in underground military bases in UK and USA, Michael Prince aka James
Casbolt has just been interviewed by the AMMACH (Anomalous Mind Mind
Management Abductee Contactee Helpline for MILABS and UK Abductee victims)
project with respect to the alien aspect of life on this planet. It's a
wild, wild story but he's out there, telling it, so we need to just sit up
and listen, in case he's not a T.H.E.Y.-sponsored Walter Mitty-type ly... more »
Strong Flu Season Boosts Vaccine Profits Despite Vaccine Being Ineffective by Dr. Mercola
Source:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Living-with-Common-Sense/154468647938561Strong
Flu Season Boosts Vaccine Profits Despite Vaccine Being Ineffective
by Dr. Mercola
Health Impact News, 17 March 2013
Vaccine policymakers routinely ignore the safest and most effective
strategies that can naturally strengthen your immunity to help you stay
well or move through illness with fewer complications if you do get sick.
For example, there are many far more effective ways to prevent the flu and
other flu-like diseases, such as dietary interventions, making sure your
vitamin D and gut f... more »
Global Warming?
The global warming panic of the late 20th century was based on small
amounts of data and large amounts of political dogma. Now we can see that
the predictions were wrong, will the 'warmists' admit they were wrong or do
they have too much power to have to?
Will we see a BBC investigation into the failure of global warming
predictions? I think we all know the answer to that.
Guess which temperature line on the graph is correct and which one was ussdy
More at Steve McIntyre...
http://www.thegwpf.org/climate-science-scandal-brewing/ but definitely
not on the warmist BBC.
Forget global warming - it's Cycle 25 we need to worry about (and if NASA scientists are right the Thames will be freezing over again) | Mail Online
From January 2012:
'The supposed ‘consensus’ on man-made global warming is facing an
inconvenient challenge after the release of new temperature data showing
the planet has not warmed for the past 15 years.
The figures suggest that we could even be heading for a mini ice age to
rival the 70-year temperature drop that saw frost fairs held on the Thames
in the 17th Century.
Based on readings from more than 30,000 measuring stations, the data was
issued last week without fanfare by the Met Office and the University of
East Anglia Climatic Research Unit. It confirms that the rising tre... more »
Whale watching in Sydney
[image: Whale watching in Sydney]
Humpback whales were spotted off the Australiam east coast last week during
their annual northerly migration. Whale watching cruises are filling up and
curious locals are lining coastal headlands.
Whales are becoming easier to spot. Due to commercial whaling bans, the
population has recovered.
What was a population of 242 humpbacks in 1996, according to National Parks
research, has risen to about 7,000 today.
“We miss some at the start of the season and some at the end –- but there’s
a 99 percent success rate in the middle of the season,” says Richa... more »
Christian Doppler: an anniversary
Irène Joliot-Curie died on March 17th, 1956. She was a member of a
high-brow physics family who got her Nobel prize for artificial
(alpha-radiation-induced) radioactivity.
Christian Andreas Doppler was born in Salzburg in 1803 and died in Venice
160 years ago, on March 17th, 1853, aged 49. His father, a stonemason, was
fortunately observant enough to notice that Christian didn't have
sufficient muscles to inherit the craft. Instead, the son went to study
philosophy and maths in Salzburg and Vienna.
At the age of 32, Doppler was employed by the Prague Polytechnic – now the
Czech Te... more »
March 16, 1973
Still in limbo waiting for sentencing, Howard Hunt now arranges a meeting
with Paul O'Brien, a CRP lawyer. Emery explains what happens next:
Hunt was brusque. The "commitments" were not being met. Before he went to
jail, Hunted wanted his legal fees of $60,000 settled, plus two years'
salary, a further $70,000 -- $130,000 in all, according to O'Brien.
(Apparently, Hunt was anticipating clemency after two years in jail). Hunt
told O'Brien to pass the demand to Dean with the message that unless the
funds were supplied by close of business on March 21, he might have to
review his opti... more »
ELM GUEST HOUSE - EDITOR ARRESTED
In the UK, the Sunday People newspaper has led the way in exposing the
government-linked pedophile ring that operated at Elm Guest House.
"On 14 March 2013, James Scott, the editor of the Sunday People, was
arrested by the police.
"Nick Buckley, Mr Scott's deputy, and former People editor Mark Thomas, are
also understood to be in custody."
*Sunday People editor and former Sunday Mirror editor 'held'*
*
*
The Sunday People is part of the Daily Mirror group.
Lord 'X' won a large sum of money from the Daily Mirror in a libel case.
Lord 'X' was a great friend of the prime minister... more »
Homily: St Francis de Sales: A Spoonful of Honey
St. Francis of Assisi and St. Francis Xavier are two inspirations for the
name of Pope Francis. The media has highlighted their biographies in their
coverage of the new Pope. Another possible inspiration is St. Francis de
Sales, the author of *"Introduction to the Devout Life." *
*Wikipedia: *
Francis de Sales, C.O., T.O.M., A.O.F.M. Cap., (French: François de Sales)
(21 August 1567 – 28 December 1622) was a Bishop of Geneva and is honored
as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. He became noted for his deep faith
and his gentle approach to the religious divisions in his land res... more »
Happy St Paddy's Day
My favorite holiday. Not so much into the drinking thing anymore, but I do
still love leprechauns and all the wearing of the green.
Sarah Palin: Ultra folksy??
*really? How about ultra real?*
DCCC Wants You To Defeat Everyone Who Voted Against The Minimum Wage-- Except The 6 ConservaDems Who Crossed The Aisle Friday
The other day, we mentioned that every single Republican-- no exceptions--
voted against George Miller's modest proposal to gradually increase the
minimum wage to $10.10/hour. And almost every Democrat voted to increase
the minimum wage. Almost? Yes, 6 of the most conservative, anti-working
family Democrats-- each of whom votes far more frequently with the GOP than
with the Democrats-- crossed the aisle and voted with Bohener and Cantor
against working folks. It's not even a big deal about *which* Democrats did
this-- Barrow (Blue Dog/New Dem-GA), Matheson (Blue Dog-UT), McIntyre (... more »
Mining 8: Rio Tuba Mining in South Palawan
I am here in Puerto Princesa City, the provincial capital of Palawan
province. I joined a small group of people brought to Rio Tuba Nickel
Mining Corporation (RTNMC) by Jose Bayani "JB" Baylon last Friday. JB is a
friend and a classmate in one or two subjects in UP Diliman undergrad in
the 80s, He is now one of the VPs of Nickel Asia Corporation (NAC), a
Filipino-Japanese corporation based in Manila, that owns RTNMC and six
other nickel mining and processing firms in the country.
So last Friday whole day, we were in RTNMC, a big bararangay in the
southernmost Bataraza municipality, ... more »
St. Francis of Assisi: In His Own Words, by Larry Cunningham
Title: St. Francis of Assisi: In His Own Words, by Larry Cunningham.
YouTube Video Description - [Channel - ICLnotredame. Uploaded on November
10, 2011]:
Lawrence S. Cunningham, the O'Brien Chair of Theology Emeritus at the
University of Notre Dame, lectures on "St. Francis of Assisi: In His Own
Words" as part of the Saturdays with the Saints Lecture series at the
Institute for Church Life. With an introduction by John Cavadini, Ph.D.,
Director of the Institute for Church Life, recorded in the Andrews
Auditorium of Geddes Hall on October 29, 2011.
St. Francis of Assisi: In His ... more »
Stop Imperialism – Episode 61
Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Pakistan, Africa, and more.
IN TODAY’S EPISODE:*1. Venezuela
*[image: Venezuela]50 truths about Hugo Chavez and the Bolivarian Revolution
Venezuelan economic and social performance under Hugo Chavez, in graphs
Venezuela after Chavez: Who’s who and who stands a chance in the 2013
presidential electionsSegment Start: 00 h 12 min 15 secSegment End: 00 h 45
min 26 sec*2. Syria
*[image: syria_80]US, UK, and France training Syrian rebels in Jordan
US and Europe in ‘major airlift of arms to Syrian rebels through Zagreb’
Damascus briefs UN on transfer of Libyan, Saud... more »
Creative Showcase Linky Party
Happy St. Patrick's Day! St. Patrick's Day is one of my favorite days of
the whole year. I always get a little crazy with the food. Rainbow cupcakes
and an all green dinner are on the menu this year. What fun things do you
do for the holiday?
Want to be featured on Creative Showcase? Link up your projects, reviews,
recipes and any other creative post in the linky below.Here are some of my
favorites from last week's linkup.
This Mint Shake from There's A Mouse in my Kitchen. We are mint lover's
in this house to the point where we fight over the Mint Oreos. This looks
divine!
Gre... more »
"The Astonishing Beauty of Things"
The Purse Seine
~ Robinson Jeffers
Our sardine fishermen work at night in the dark of the moon;
daylight or moonlight
They could not tell where to spread the net, unable to see the
phosphorescence of the shoals of fish.
They work northward from Monterey, coasting Santa Cruz; off
New Year's Point or off Pigeon Point
The look-out man will see some lakes of milk-color light on the
sea's night-purple; he points and the helmsman
Turns the dark prow, the motorboat circles the gleaming shoal
and drifts out her seine-net. They close the circle
And purse the bottom... more »
Businesses and Public begin withdrawing their funds from Cyprus Banks to send abroad
*
*
http://www.cyprusexpat.co.uk/blog/read/id:3126/businesses-and-public-begin-withdrawing-their-funds-from-cyprus-banks-to-send-abroad
*Businesses
and Public begin withdrawing their funds from Cyprus Banks to
send abroad*
The lines are getting longer to withdraw money from Cyprus banks.
Depositors in Cyprus banks are threatening to withdraw their savings and
other types of deposits from the island after the Eurogroup and
government
imposed a one-off bank tax of 9.9 percent on deposits over 100,000 euros
-
and 6.75 percent on deposits under 100,000 euros.
"From Tuesday I wil... more »
TV Watch: I keep hoping I'll figure out what I should say about "Blue Bloods"
*It's the crime-fighting Reagans of Blue Bloods: Jamie (Will Estes), Henry
(Len Cariou), Frank (Tom Selleck), Erin (Bridget Moynihan), and Danny
(Donnie Wahlberg).*
*by Ken*
It doesn't often work out this way, but my favorite way to make the
acquaintance of a TV series is, shall we say, "unmediated" -- to happen
upon the thing with not much more to go on than whatever relationship I may
have with important participants (producers, writers, actors, directors),
and then let it make its case itself. I've found, as I've said here before,
that I'm usually not great at sizing a show up ... more »
Remembering Rachel Corrie: Murdered By The Criminal Jewish IDF 10 Years Ago Today!
Today marks a very solemn anniversary... It is exactly 10 years ago today
that a true hero of mankind, Rachel Corrie, was murdered by the criminal
Israeli Defense Forces in the occupied Gaza Strip. Rachel was with a
group of international observers and peace activists trying to stop the
criminal IDF from using an American built and US taxpayer paid for
Caterpillar armoured bulldozer to bulldoze the home of a Palestinian doctor
in Rafah. Rachel was wearing an orange vest and was easily seen by the
operator of the armoured bulldozer. She somehow fell in front of the
bulldozer and ... more »
ACTION: Bernie Sanders Petition for U 2 Sign
*PETITION AT BERNIE SANDERS WEBPAGE*
Send a Message to President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Reid and House
Speaker Boehner: No Budget Deal on Backs of the Elderly, the Children, the
Sick and the Poor.
At a time when the middle class is disappearing, poverty is increasing and
the gap between the rich and everyone else is growing wider, we demand that
the federal budget not be balanced on the backs of the most vulnerable
people in our country.
A federal budget that reduces the deficit by cutting cost-of-living
adjustments for Social Security and disabled veterans, raising the ... more »
Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food
The industrialization - and brutalization - of animals in America is a
relatively new, evitable, and local phenomenon: No other country raises and
slaughters its food animals quite as intently or as brutally as we do. No
other people in history has lived at quite so great a remove from animals
they eat. Were the walls of our meat industry to become transparent,
literally or even figuratively, we would not long continue to raise, kill,
and eat animals they way we do. Tail docking and sow crates and beak
clipping would disappear overnight, and the days of slaughtering four
hundred hea... more »
Cold War: Old or New?
In the aftermath of a long war, a new degree of suspicion ensues between
two powerful countries that were nominally on the same side…one rattles its
sabre, threatening small countries on its borders…the other shores up
relations with the very same countries… a tit-for-tat arms race begins,
waged with the advantages of recent technological advances…espionage
Continue reading
Agriculture and Husbandry: The Slow-Motion Singularity
I often listen to the radio when following laundry, and today was no
exception. Our local NPR affiliate was playing the TED Radio Hour. Remember
when TED was kind of neat and exciting… before it revealed itself for what
it is: a cliché-ridden academic variant of “business book summaries for
executives”? Anyway, the program featured Andrew McAfee‘s
Continue reading
Benjamin J. Rhodes: another Jew at the pinnacle of world power
Is it a requirement to be a war-mongering Jew with ties to Israel to become
a high level public policy advisor in the White House and other agencies of
the federal government of the United States? It sure seems that way.
Richard Edmondson wrote a brilliant article exposing David S. Cohen a few
days ago, a Jewish lawyer working for Obama's Treasury Department as
Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, a man who is
responsible for many of the policies causing misery and suffering around
the world. Richard aptly titled his piece *A Jew at the Pinnacle of World
Power... more »
How to Stop Public Outrage Against Drone Attacks? Stop Reporting Them
U.S. Air Force stops reporting data on Afghan drone strikes March 10, 2013
Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/10/us-usa-afghanistan-drones-idUSBRE92903520130310[Excerpted]
(Reuters) - With debate intensifying in the United States over the use of
drone aircraft, the U.S. military said on Sunday that it had *removed data
about air strikes carried out by unmanned planes in Afghanistan from its
monthly air power summaries.*
U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Afghanistan war, said in a
statement the data had been removed because it was "disproportionately
focused" on ... more »
The Economist as Civil Libertarian
Tyler Cowen's new column in the *NY Times* reminds us that the worldview of
economists often extends beyond economic issues.
The footnote who would be king
Excerpts from *Gospel Truth: On the Trail of the Historical Jesus* by
Russell Shorto, an account of the finding of the scholars' conclave set up
to dispassionately examine the evidence for the historical Jesus, known as
the Jesus Seminar
As far as Funk [and many scholars at the Jesus Seminar] are concerned,
scholars have known the truth—that Jesus was nothing more than a man with a
vision—for decades; they have taught it to generations of priests and
ministers, who do not pass it along to their flocks because they fear a
backlash of anger...
According to E.P. Sanders [for example... more »
Andrew Hounshell Is Taking On Boehner's Toxic "Free" Trade Agenda
When I first talked to Andrew Hounshell, the Democrat running for Congress
in Ohio's 8th district, the seat currently occupied by John Boehner, I was
a little worried because all I knew about him is that he was a friend of
Obama's and that he's a steel worker and a vice president of his local
union, the International Association of Machinist and Aerospace Workers
(IAMAW). I soon realized that just because President Obama invited him to
introduce him at the big Cincinnati campaign rally last September that
didn't mean he would be parroting any of Obama's specific policies. In
fact,... more »
Good News - Dead Pigs in the River
One of Shanghai's main sources of drinking water, the Huang Pu river, has
had thousand of dead pigs removed from its waters. Recent reports put the
total at 8,300 and climbing.
Now it's being said that the dead pigs may actually be a good sign.
There's speculation that these are pigs that previously would have been
sold to slaughterhouses for processing into meat products. Now, thanks to
a police crackdown, the dead pigs are being tossed into the river.
*In May the police in Jiaxing, a pig-producing city, arrested four people
who had sold dead pigs to slaughterhouses. And, in De... more »
Federal court strikes down National Security Letters
Everyone is obsessed with the CPAC clown show on my intertoobz, so this
isn't making nearly as big a splash as it should be. Great news from a
federal district court:
Ultra-secret national security letters that come with a gag order on the
recipient are an unconstitutional impingement on free speech, a federal
judge in California ruled in a decision released Friday.
U.S. District Judge Susan Illston ordered the government to stop issuing
so-called NSLs across the board, in a stunning defeat for the Obama
administration’s surveillance practices. She also ordered the government to
... more »
It's Time that Canada Found a New/Old Economy
By the time you're in your 60s you've developed a sense of a certain
cadence to life, something like a master Circadien rhythm that regulates
life on our planet. Every now and then something happens and mankind
skips a quarter or half a beat. That's what happened in the Great
Depression and World War II. But before long we get back into the beat and
life goes on. We have families, we make plans, we look to the future
silently trusting in the metronome of life.
We don't do well when our civilizational beat becomes erratic,
unpredictable, unreliable and yet that's what seems t... more »
Watch Harodim (Full Length Movie)
Lazarus Fell, a former naval intelligence officer trained in black ops and
tasked with tracking down the most wanted Terrorist in the world, has gone
rogue, realizing his mission has been inexplicably compromised by his own
chain of command. As a result, Lazarus has faked his own death, forsaken
his life, his family and all that matters to him in the world, to continue
his solitary pursuit. But he has personal motivations as well, believing
his father, Solomon Fell, Chief of Operations for the Office of Naval
Intelligence, was killed in the attacks of 9/11 the event masterminded by ... more »
Mircea Eliade On The Fury of The Berserkers
*Wikipedia:*
Berserkers (or berserks) were Norse warriors who are reported in the Old
Norse literature to have fought in a nearly uncontrollable, trance-like
fury, a characteristic which later gave rise to the English word berserk.
Berserkers are attested to in numerous Old Norse sources. Most historians
believe that berserkers worked themselves into a rage before battle, but
some think that they might have consumed drugged foods.
Below is an excerpt from Mircea Eliade's 1958 book, *"Rites And Symbols of
Initiation: The Mysteries of Birth and Rebirth."* Harper & Row, Publishers: ... more »
Terminator Prescience in Cyberwar's "Anticipatory Self-Defense'
In the Terminator film series, Skynet autonomously precipitated World War
III.
I follow the news closely and I see the very real possibility that World
War III could be accidentally precipitated in the context of global
tensions in the Middle East and Asia.
Today, war can be fought by simply knocking out your enemies' power grids.
Imagine it. Every single nuclear plant in the affected area would begin
nuclear meltdowns within a week given the very short duration of operations
for backup generators. Chaos would reign and then people would panic
utterly.
This article from *The Wash... more »
Film on the Toxic Legacy of Nuclear Power
HOT WATER: ‘Erin Brockovich of Uranium’ Exposes the Toxic Legacy of Nuclear
Power http://www.commondreams.org/video/2013/03/11-0[excerpted] Hot Water,
a new documentary exposing the long-term devastation wrought by uranium
mining and the nuclear industry, will launch the 21st annual Environmental
Film Festival in Washington D.C. on March 12, 2013.
The film follows the investigative journey of Liz Rogers, the “Erin
Brockovich of Uranium,” as she travels around the nation examining the
legacy of uranium mining, atomic testing and the creeping danger of
contaminated waste in the dr... more »
John David Ebert On The Walking Dead
*The Walking Dead *
*Reviewed by John David Ebert*
*Cinema Discourse *
*December 5, 2012*
As I have pointed out elsewhere, television is now the great new medium
that is taking over the role once occupied by cinema, especially the role
of miniaturizing ancient and long forgotten cosmologies. And so, from now
on, I will be including reviews of television shows on this site, along
with contemporary films. Frank Darabont’s television show, *The Walking Dead
*, based on a series of graphic novels, is one of the best of these new
shows and I want to say a few words about it here.
*The ... more »
Record cesium level detected in fish caught near Fukushima nuclear plant
[image: A highly radioactive greenling fish caught near the Fukushima
nuclear plant, 20 December 2012 Photo: Tokyo Electric Power Company]
(Kyodo) – Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Friday it detected a record 740,000
becquerels per kilogram of radioactive cesium in a fish caught in waters
near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, equivalent to
7,400 times the state-set limit deemed safe for human consumption.
The greenling measuring 38 cm in length and weighing 564 grams was caught
near a water intake of the four reactor units in the power station’s port
on Feb. 21 ... more »
Freedom of opinion and expression
Article 19 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights as agreed by Britain in 1948 *Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.*Related articles
Twitter Just Crushed Wall Street After The Cyprus Bailout(businessinsider.com)
NZ paradise fit for Son of God - TV star(nzherald.co.nz)
Cyprus Parliament Delays Bailout Vote, Bank Holiday Extended to Tues, President Warns Banks Will Collapse if Not Passed(silverdoctors.com)
UK troops hit by Cyprus bailout 'will be compensated'(telegraph.co.uk)
Cyprus Bank Holiday Extended Through Tuesday As Confusion Spreads(rvnewstoday.com)
The Cyprus Precedent | Felix Salmon | Reuters | 17 March 2013(thebrowser.com)
Cyprus parliament postpones session to discuss bank levy (Reuters)(newsdaily.com)
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