English: NGC 3621 galaxy by Hubble space telescope (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
NGC 3621 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: The local group of galaxies surrounding the Milky Way (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Cover of Herbert von KarajanSunday Classics preview: Two of our "J" and "K" conductors shine in Mozart
*As a native Salzburger, not to mention a man with ambitions to be master
of all the musical heights, Herbert von Karajan tried, tried, and tried
again to make his mark in Mozart. This Don Giovanni Overture is better than
many of his efforts -- far from great, but not bad.*
*by Ken*
In the "modern era" of Sunday Classics we've had occasion to take note --
largely but entirely coincidentally -- of four conductors from roughly the
same era who to me epitomize "musicality," something I'd rather have you
listen to and glean for yourselves than attempt to define. So far we've
heard our... more »
Musical Interlude: Vangelis, “Beautiful Planet Earth”
Vangelis, “Beautiful Planet Earth”
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Akb1t37T4E
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Far beyond the local group of galaxies lies NGC 3621, some 22 million
light-years away. Found in the multi-headed southern constellation Hydra,
the winding spiral arms of this gorgeous island universe are loaded with
luminous young star clusters and dark dust lanes. Still, for earthbound
astronomers NGC 3621 is not just another pretty face-on spiral galaxy. Some
of its brighter stars have been used as standard candles to establish
important estimates of extragalactic distances and the scale of the
Universe.
*Click image for larger size.*
This beautiful image of NGC 3621 traces ... more »
Chet Raymo,“The Maintenance of Self”
*“The Maintenance of Self”*
by Chet Raymo
"Ah, yes, the pitcher plant. Those devouring goblets. Those caldrons of
digestive juices. And now naturalists have found the biggest one yet, as
big as a chalice, on a mountaintop in the Philippines, its punch bowl
filled with beetles, flies and wasps.
*Come hither, ye who flitter. Admire my colors. Sip my nectar. Yes, yes,
just like that, *
*touch my milky pool. I'll be your Tar Baby. Your flypaper paramour.
That's it. *
*Sniff my irresistible scent. My buffet waits. Sip. Lap. Gorge yourself. *
Gotcha!
Countless plants use ins... more »
It Can Happen Here: The Confiscation Scheme Planned for US and UK Depositors
*Some interesting data. I have to disagree on nationalization of banks, its
really no cure, as these nations are in reality corporations owned by
banks. Nationalization simply consolidates the banking empire into more
centralized control. -AK*
http://webofdebt.wordpress.com/2013/03/28/it-can-happen-here-the-confiscation-scheme-planned-for-us-and-uk-depositors/
Posted on March 28, 2013 by Ellen Brown
Confiscating the customer deposits in Cyprus banks, it seems, was not a
one-off, desperate idea of a few Eurozone “troika” officials scrambling to
salvage their balance sheets. A jo... more »
Small Modular Reactors and US Military Bases
Bear with me, because this post has a long backstory. As many of you know,
I’m a former policy debater. Indeed, so are a number of guest and permanent
bloggers at the Duck of Minerva. And not a
few other international-relations scholars. Well, this weekend is the
National Debate Tournament (NDT), which is like the NCAA basketball
Continue reading
Paulo Coelho, “Solitude Is Not The Absence of Love”
*“Solitude Is Not The Absence of Love”*
by Paulo Coelho
“Without solitude, Love will not stay long by your side, because Love
needs to rest as well, so that it can journey through the heavens and
reveal itself in other forms.
Without solitude, no plant or animal can survive, no soil can remain
productive for any length of time, no child can learn about life, no artist
can create, no work can grow and be transformed.
Solitude is not the absence of Love, but its complement.
Solitude is not the absence of company, but the moment when our soul is
free to speak to us and hel... more »
HuffPostLive: Glenn Greenwald Talks Racism and Drones | HPL
*Video Title. Glenn Greenwald Talks Racism and Drones | HPL. YouTube Video
Description - [Channel: HuffPostLive. Uploaded on March 27, 2013]:*
Subscribe to HuffPost Live Today: http://bit.ly/13Rzzjw
Watch More HuffPost Live Videos Here: http://goo.gl/IfRrh
Glenn Greenwald says that racism is at play with drone strike sentiments.
HuffPost Live is a live-streaming network that puts you, the community,
front and center. HuffPost Live streams 12 hours of original programming 5
days a week with highlights showing overnight and on weekends. We operate
out of state-of-the-art studios in New... more »
Why We are Occupying the Department of Ed AGAIN!
From the Answer Sheet
Valerie Strauss
Key education activists protesting in D.C. next week
Education activists opposed to corporate-based school reform are converging
on Washington D.C. next week for the second annual United Opt Out National
event on the grounds of the U.S. Education Department. Among those who will
be speaking at the event are education historian Diane Ravitch, Chicago
Teachers Union President Karen Lewis, veteran educator Deborah Meier, and
early childhood expert Nancy Carlsson-Paige.
The four-day event — to be attended by teachers, students, parents and
others —... more »
Removing the Shackles Blog has a need....
I am going to do something here she'd never do herself. D. from the
Removing the Shackles blog has a laptop that is barely working. She needs
a new PC or Mac laptop.
D. and I started working together when we began publishing the Daniel
papers. She's a fearless, ferociously courageous blogger seeking only the
truth. I've come to really trust her, frankly she feels like my long lost
sister. We post each others articles and found ourselves contacted by the
OPPT nearly at the same time.
You guys were fantastically generous when I needed new hardware and what
you helped me with e... more »
WARNING: "Final" Psy-Op Vs. Syria Begins
*March 29, 2013* (LD) - Out of time, out of legitimacy, and out of
options, the West is attempting once again to prop up its faltering
terrorist proxies with another psychological operation aimed at breaking
the will of the Syrian people, despite the West's multiplying tactical and
political shortcomings. It began with a suspicious CBS News/AP report
titled, "AP: "Master plan" underway to help Syria rebels take Damascus with
U.S.-approved airlifts of heavy weapons," which claims to divulge a
"covert" plan by the West to flood Syria's northern and southern borders
with increased we... more »
Can the GOP learn that pretending to be inclusive isn't the same thing as being inclusive?
*The result of this deception is very strange to tell,*
*for when I fool the people I fear, I fool myself as well. . . .*
*Make believe you're brave, and the trick will take you far.*
*You may be as brave as you make believe you are.*
-- "I Whistle a Happy Tune," from *The King and I*
*"The spectacle of the Republicans, like teenagers longing to be invited to
the prom, floundering about in search of more popularity with American
voters, would be comical if it didn’t present the sad picture of a once
great and proud party—the party of Lincoln and Eisenhower—working its way
into near i... more »
The Economist Backs Off Climate Alarmism | Via Meadia
' The mismatch between rising greenhouse-gas emissions and not-rising
temperatures is among the biggest puzzles in climate science just now. It
does not mean global warming is a delusion. Flat though they are,
temperatures in the first decade of the 21st century remain almost 1°C
above their level in the first decade of the 20th. But the puzzle does need
explaining.
The mismatch might mean that—for some unexplained reason—there has been a
temporary lag between more carbon dioxide and higher temperatures in
2000-10. Or it might be that the 1990s, when temperatures were rising fast, ... more »
Canada quietly pulls out of UN convention to combat drought, desertification – ‘We’re increasing our isolation by doing this’
[image: Percent of average precipitation in the Prairie Region of Canada, 1
September 2011 to 15 February 2012. Graphic: Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada]
By Steve Mertl
28 March 2013
(Daily Brew) – Whether you like it or not, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's
Conservative government is reshaping Canada's relationship with the rest of
the world.
From last year's withdrawal from the admittedly ineffectual Kyoto Protocol
on climate change — which as *CBC News* noted will save the government $14
billion in penalties for missing its targets — to the disappearance of the Canadian
Inter... more »
Life Skills: "Alive in Joy: Dispelling Drama"
*"Alive in Joy: Dispelling Drama"*
by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM
"Some people are so used to creating drama that a peaceful existence seems
uncomfortable for them. There are scores of people in the world who seem to
be magnets for calamity. They live their lives jumping from one difficult
to the next, surrounded by unstable individuals. Some believe themselves
victims of fate and decry a universe they regard as malevolent. Others view
their chaotic circumstances as just punishments for some failing within.
Yet, in truth, neither group has been fated or consigned to suffer. The... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Dundee, Dundee City, United Kingdom. Thanks for stopping by.
The American Nationalist Association - On the Necessity of Nationalism and Revisionism
*The American Nationalist Association views positive racial nationalism and
objective historical revisionism as central tenets in its overall purpose.
In the past, nationalist-minded individuals and organizations largely
refrained from engaging in or championing historical revisionism, to the
detriment of the European-derived peoples of America and around the world.
We would like to succinctly clarify our position on these two fundamental
principals of our Association.*
*
**First of all, nationalism is healthy, righteous, and absolutely necessary
for our peoples' revival, and ultimat... more »
"We Few, We Happy Few, We Band Of Brothers..."
*“Eve of St. Crispin’s Day Speech”*
William Shakespeare, “Henry V” (1599)
“WESTMORELAND: O that we now had here
But one ten thousand of those men in England
That do no work to-day!
KING: What’s he that wishes so?
My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin;
If we are mark’d to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God’s will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not ... more »
Kierkegaard On Passion
Related: * *
*Kierkegaard On Socratic Ignorance*.
*Kierkegaard On "Man."** *
*Kierkegaard On Socrates And The Immortality of The Soul.*
*Kierkegaard On God's Love.*
Below is an excerpt from, "The Soul of Kierkegaard: Selections from His
Journals." Edited by Alexander Dru. Dover Publications, Inc: Mineola, New
York. 2003. Pg. 104.
It is really curious how men, whom I otherwise look upon as honest, and who
in other respects are not my enemies, lie monstrously, and are hardly
conscious of it themselves, when they really get into a passion. Passion
has an extraordinary power. H... more »
Friday Baseball Post
Hey, the season is (almost) here!
A couple of things...
Okay, a month ago I said that the main thing (beyond health) that I would
pay attention to for clues about the future was...Brandon Belt's extra base
hits. I guess I'm happy now! Of course, who knows whether it means
anything, but I'll choose to interpret it as a (very mild -- I'm not nuts)
positive.
And Jay Jaffe has a fun column of "20 ways to improve baseball right now."
I'll tell you the ones I disagree with:
* Designated hitter in both leagues? No way; I'd like to see more
differences (bring back the split umps!).
* E... more »
AT list of remarkable professional persons
I
want to start a list of outstanding persons who have used their
professional status to fight injustice, who have thus disturbed power
and suffered significant consequences.
Here is my first attempt at a short list, based on living professionals
that I know about. These folks stand for what they believe, in the face
of powerful and organized opposition.
Bradley Manning
Cynthia McKinney
Untitled
*Louisiana sinkhole now as large as the Louisiana Superdome ~Stuart Smith*
"Think Your Money is Safe? Think Again"
*"Think Your Money is Safe? Think Again: *
*The Confiscation Scheme Planned for US and UK Depositors"*
By Ellen Brown
“Confiscating the customer deposits in Cyprus banks, it seems, was not a
one-off, desperate idea of a few Eurozone “troika” officials scrambling to
salvage their balance sheets. A joint paper by the US Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation and the Bank of England dated December 10, 2012,
shows that these plans have been long in the making; that they originated
with the G20 Financial Stability Board in Basel, Switzerland (discussed
earlier here); and that the r... more »
Friday Nerd Blogging: Globalization Edition
Why show a trailer for an Indian zombie movie? Two reasons: it has the word
globalization in it; and it helped me make it to the Final Four of Twitter
Fight Club 2013. To newbies, the first rule of #TFC13 is to talk about
it. So, check out the competition of the international security wonks,
Continue reading
The true cost of the Iraq war
James Fallows reminds us George W. Bush fired anybody who dared suggest the
true cost of Iraq war. Before the invasion the Bush administration falsely
claimed it would be over in a few months, with few troops and cost a couple
of billion dollars because as Paul Wolfowitz put it, "the invasion would be
largely 'self-financing' via Iraq's oil." Of course, it didn't happen that
way at all. Not even close.
Furthermore, according to a new study done at the the Kennedy School at
Harvard, we've only just begun to pay and the real costs look more like
this:
The Iraq and Afghanistan confli... more »
"Government Malfeasance: You Pay, They Laugh"
*"Government Malfeasance: You Pay, They Laugh"*
by Karl Denninger
"In a just world when someone swindles you they go to prison. If the
swindle is extreme and the loss similarly extreme, they should get the
death penalty- after a proper and fair trial, of course. But we do not live
in a just world. We live in a world where plunder is the order of the day.
The recent Cyprus bank confiscation is both right and wrong. It's right in
that it's the correct way to resolve a bank, provided the capital structure
is honored and both shareholders and bondholders are wiped out- entirely... more »
Spring Break
Break time, that is.
It may look like everything is still asleep out there, but things are
getting organized. Over the winter the barn bedding has been mucked out
twice onto the garden and covered with fresh leaves and straw. Sawdust has
been produced for the blueberries and raspberries. The rhubarb is up. Most
of last year's red russian kale shown here has now been dug up and some
hung in the barn for the birds to play with, and some replanted in their
pasture, ditto, and maybe it will survive to go to seed. I've kept one
magnificent lacinato in the garden to watch through seed t... more »
Far Right Democrat Stephanie Herseth Sandlin Is Lusting For A DC Comeback
The
shady lobbyist husband wants the shady wife politician back in Congress
Blue Dogs like to say they're "just" fiscal conservatives. They
*are*fiscal conservatives and almost always vote against economic
justice,
against the interests of working families and in the interests of the
Wall
Street banksters and corporations that subsidize their cushy careers.
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin was a 3 term Rep from South Dakota and Blue
Dog
chairman until she was defeated, 48.1% to 45.9%, in the Great Blue Dog
Apocalypse of 2010. She managed to amass one of the most right-wing
voting
records of ... more »
Your moment of Zen
A garden in Sammamish, WA.
[Photos are better if you click to embiggen]
Arab Americans for Syria's Johnny Achi: 95% of Militants In Syria Are Foreign Fighters
*Video Title: Johnny Achi from AA4Syria on KPFK Radio Mar. 16, 2013 95% of
militants in Syria are foreign fighters. *
*YouTube Video Description - [Channel: Arab Americans. Uploaded on March
29, 2013]*:
Arab Americans for Syria representative Johnny Achi on KPFK Radio Freedom
Now show discussing the latest report by Bundesnachrichtendienst, or BND,
the German Foreign Intelligence Service 'al-Qaeda is all over Syria' and
that the rebels, FSA, Muslim Brotherhood, and Nusra Front, all supported by
the West including Germany are the ones behind all the massacres in Syria.
Abraham Lincoln's Role in Establishing The University of Florida
I'm a Gator. I attended UF for five years. I worked in the library there
for most of the last eight years. I even have a minor in history and it
wasn't until today when I read this post by Armando over on *DKos* that I
learned that the University of Florida was a "land grant public university
established by Abraham Lincoln". Really? Finding it hard to believe I
somehow never knew anything about this, I checked out the video Armando
posted then I found this one on my own. A little research shows that while
Lincoln didn't literally found the University, the act that led to the
foundat... more »
Why Did The U.S. Arrest Its Own Soldier? Insanity?
The U.S. government arrested one of its own soldiers who was fighting
alongside Jihadist terrorists in Syria. For background, read *this*, and *
this*.
This is so wrong on so many levels.
Why send this soldier out to the battlefield, have him risk his life in a
foreign country for a bullshit cause, and then arrest him for doing what he
was ordered to do? This is a symptom of the insanity of America's military
institutions and government agencies. America's stupid bureaucrats are
insulting America's heroic warriors.
Is Washington arresting this soldier because it wants to pretend th... more »
The Economy: "Bitcoin’s Moment"
*"Bitcoin’s Moment"*
by Jeffrey Tucker
"Bitcoin may reach $100 today. That brings the total value of the existing
Bitcoin stock (10,960,500) to more than $1 billion. It was only a few weeks
ago when a local Bitcoin trader in my town wanted a 40% premium for a local
cash-to-BTC exchange at the rate of $70 per coin. I balked on grounds that
it was too high, since the prevailing market rate was $48. Today, that same
trader is asking $132. Seems like I passed up a good deal.
Many people fear that Bitcoin is overpriced right now. This view is held
even by people in the Bitcoin co... more »
it's pro-choice or no choice: protecting our rights
If you're in the Mississauga area and you're interested in hearing this
blog live and in person, I'm giving a talk on Tuesday, April 1, sponsored
by the Mississauga chapter of the International Socialists. Here are the
deets.
* * * *
*It's Pro-Choice or No Choice – Protecting Our Rights*
Stephen Harper promised he wouldn't re-open the abortion debate, but one
Conservative MP after the next has tabled motions that would limit - or
even destroy - Canadian women's reproductive rights.
What are those rights, and how are they threatened? What can Canadians
learn from the state of repr... more »
In Iraq, and now Syria, US seeks secular outcome by… promoting sectarian division
*In Iraq, and now Syria, US seeks secular outcome by… promoting sectarian
division*
*By Annie Robbins*
*Mondoweiss *
*March 29, 2013 *
Everybody is talking about Syria, which we can all agree is a mess. With
rare exception, this site has not been covering Syria, but I must point out
that Assad is fighting a jihadist-dominated rebel movement, and the US is
continuing to insert itself by utilizing the "inclusion of some of the more
radical forces... to assert a moderate authority in Syria"(pdf). How
reassuring--not.
There's an illusion that exists widely in the mainstream that the US... more »
Natural Gas Is the Answer, Until the Truth Leaks Out
BTU for BTU, natural gas is a lower-emission fossil fuel than oil and,
especially, coal.
The snag comes when you realize that those figures cover natural gas that's
actually burned and leaves out the quantity of natural gas leaked in the
course of extraction, production and transmission.
*Last week, investigators studying methane leakage levels in Manhattan
reported alarming preliminary findings. The gas industry and Con Edison
estimate 2.2% leakage in its distribution systems, and at leakage above
3.2%, according to the Environmental Defense Fund, natural gas ceases to
have any ... more »
A small extract from what you will read below: "An audit of the Federal Reserve released in July, 2011, revealed that the Federal Reserve had provided $16 trillion – a sum larger than US GDP or the US public debt – in secret loans to bail out American and foreign banks, while doing nothing to aid the millions of American families being foreclosed out of their homes. Political accountability disappeared as all public assistance was directed to the mega-rich, whose greed had produced the financial crisis."
------------------------------
*Americans’ Economic Prospects And Civil Liberties Have Been Stolen — Paul
Craig Roberts *
------------------------------
March 24, 2013 | Original Here
Note: there are many new interviews posted [on his original]. If you have
time on your hands, the interviews will give you a better result than video
games.
I receive numerous questions from readers about our economic situation and
the condition of civil liberty. There is no way I can answer so many
inquiries, and no need. I have written two books that provide the answers,
and they are inexpensive. I... more »
Elsewhere: Teens Vote, More
New column up at the Prospect today supporting teen voting. Regular readers
know that I've been on this for a while -- this one is primarily about just
dropping the voting age a couple years.
Speaking of old themes, I hit Mitch McConnell and the GOP for exec branch
nominations obstruction over at PP today.
Wednesday at PP I said that tax reform is the new repeal-and-replace, and
made an actual prediction that there won't be a tax reform bill this year
(or at least a scoreable, revenue-neutral one).
And then yesterday it was the House Republicans, in one amazing quote.
Well, When You See the World From That Perspective...
A poll by the Pew Research Center finds 48% of American Christians believe
Jesus is almost here and will show up within the next 40-years. Only 38 %
rule it out or find that improbable. The remaining 14% were caught up in
rapture over the resurrection of the Hostess Twinkie and the Twinkies
delicious companion treat, the Ding Dong.
Which invites the question of whether our fundamentalist prime minister, of
the hard-core variety of Christian, likewise is betting the farm (and our
kids' future) on a speedy return of Jesus? If so that would go a long way
to explaining his utter ... more »
Enbridge Pipeline Proposal Must End Today
The Shell Corporation was given a green-light by the US Federal Government
to drill in the Arctic for oil, they have now abandoned those plans, albeit
temporarily...
______
"*A year ago Lawrence had said that Shell’s planned Arctic drilling “is
relatively easy.” So it’s fitting that he was made to answer for the
disastrous Alaskan campaign which was marred by a host of delays, accidents
and mishaps. The misadventure resulted in a couple of wells being started,
then abandoned, and one of Shell’s rigs, the Kulluk, being damaged in a
grounding near Kodiak Island. “ Shell screwed up ... more »
SAM CAM
Samantha Cameron, wife of the UK Prime Minister, and friend of Derek Laud,
has been visiting a Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon.
She is wearing the T-shirt of the Save the Children Fund, a charity which
allegedly acts as a front for the spooks, and which is reportedly linked to
Sir Jimmy Savile.
Here Samantha *may* be expressing her sympathy for the Syrian refugees.
Or she *may* be explaining why Israel, the USA and NATO want to smash up
Syria, into little pieces.
Here Samantha *may* be explaining that the UK loves successful, moderate,
liberal, Moslem states, like ben Ali's Tun... more »
BP Slick Is Back!
After a long absence due to personal and disaster related matters I have
decided that the public needs to hear the truth about what's happening in
our Gulf of Mexico.
I have been honored with an invitation to visit the Maori People in New
Zealand to help expose big oil for what it is. A ticking time bomb capable
of destroying entire lifestyles in a single "incident"
What better way to do that than to let the people of the Gulf of Mexico in
America speak directly to the Maori through BP Slick interviews with real
people in a real life energy sacrifice zone.
BP disaster 05/07/2010 by... more »
I Know It's Easter, But
Even if you're a Christian, you're also kind of an atheist.
My Easter Story
Years ago, my sister had gum surgery. (Note: Avoid if at all possible.) She
was in pain and feeling shitty so I went to her place to keep her company.
It was around Easter and some network was running the *de rigeur* Ten
Commandments. We were lounging on her bed watching and getting bored. So I
went and found a bible (as an art history student, she sometimes needed to
look stuff up), turned the sound off, and pretended to read relevant bits
from it.
OK, she was weak but I was ON FIRE!
She'd laugh, then grimace in pain and tell me to stop.
Well, of course I didn't.
More laughing, ... more »
Posturing . . .
STEVIE LOVES UNIFORMS. Maybe he should visit and stay there, and take Airshow with him, too, come to think of it.
Jeffrey C. Isaac on the NSF and Political Science
In a piece that’s bound to generate controversy among political scientists,
Isaac looks at the “big picture” of the defunding of (many forms of)
political science via the Coburn Amendment. What’s likely controversial
about the piece? First, Isaac argues that the defunding of political
science is simply a wedge in the broader conservative “war on
Continue reading
2012 - CEO's Get EIGHT % Raise - Did U?????
Coming off a year in which the Standard & Poor's 500 gained 13% and
companies ended up sitting on record amounts of cash, CEOs are back to
collecting big raises. While many CEOs fell short of performance targets
and saw their bonuses get cut as a result, lucrative salary gains and stock
awards powered by a rising stock market are more than repairing any hit.
Meanwhile, big raises continue even as many companies are laying off
employees.
All told, CEOs scored an 8% pay increase in 2012, taking the median to $9.7
million, for the biggest increase in two years.
A Warning for Post-Mulroney Canada
The Conservative heavens aligned and brought us the magic of Thatcher,
Reagan and Mulroney. The Gang of Three then introduced us to the era of
free trade, outsourcing and the wonders of the "knowledge economy." In the
new era we wouldn't toil with our hands any more but with our minds and
endless riches would befall us.
Like all conjuring tricks it seemed to work well enough, for a while, but
not forever.
America's manufacturing economy has been gutted, shelled out, lifted up and
transported across the seas. Easy money and low, low interest rates made
it possible to extend th... more »
Miss McConnell, A Closeted Homosexual, Threatens A "Scorched Earth" Campaign Against Anyone Who Runs Against Him
Carl Sciortino (D-MA), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), and Miss McConnell
(R-KY) all have something in common; they're gay. Sciortino has been
endorsed by Blue America and we're helping him raise money for his
congressional race here. He's amassed a breathtakingly courageous record as
a Massachusetts state legislator and, gay or straight, he would make one of
Congress' most outstanding members-- a proven leader on the toughest
progressive causes, a real Elizabeth Warren, Alan Grayson, Barbara Lee,
Keith Ellison type. Sean Patrick Maloney defeated Republican Nan Hayworth
in a blue-lea... more »
DRONES AND MORE DRONES
*Eight activists were arrested blocking the gates at Creech AFB drone base
in Nevada on March 27 as the finale event of the annual Nevada Desert
Experience peace walk.*
- The Judiciary Committee of the Maine state legislature will meet on
Thursday, April 11 at 9:00 am (4th floor) at the capitol in Augusta for a
work session on drone bill LD 236. The bill is called "An Act To Protect
the Privacy of Citizens from Domestic Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Use" and
would require law enforcement agencies in Maine to obtain warrants before
using drones to gather information on ... more »
日本沿岸で捕獲高放射能魚
魚は食べられないとみなして、近くの福島原子力発電所が魚介類に対する放射線の2,500以上の法的限界を有することが見出されたキャッチ。
同社は、東京電力（TEPCO）は、福島第一原子炉主に湾の近くにある"マイクMorisai"オンライン吹き替え魚を、つかまえた。
魚はキロ当たり254000ベクレル、または2540回政府によって魚介類に設定されて100ベクレル/ kgの限界を持っていることが確認された。
科学者たちは、地域の他の魚は海の生態系全体に放射線を拡散、汚染された種を食べていることを懸念している。
放射線の高レベルにもかかわらず、Morisai標本は、その物理的な経験では、異常は認められなかった。
Seed Newsvine
UNDERWEAR BOMBER WORKING FOR CIA - MEDIA REPORTS
*Reportedly, Abdulmutallab, the 23-year-old Nigerian 'underwear bomber',
bound for Detroit, was doing the work of the CIA and Mossad.*
The most recent underwear bomber was working for the CIA.
*‘Underwear bomber’ was working for the CIA *
In recent days, an underwear bomb was seized by authorities in the Middle
East.
Citing US and Yemeni officials, Associated Press reported that the
underwear bomber was working under cover for the Saudis and the CIA.
The LA Times has reported that the plot was a "sting operation".
John Brennan, Barack Obama's top counter-terrorism adviser, told AB... more »
Debating the Benefits of Nuclear Superiority for Crisis Bargaining, Part IV
Editor’s Note: Back in February I riffed on a post by Erik Voeten in which
Erik discussed two articles in International Organization (IO). One, by our
colleague Matt Kroenig, argued that nuclear superiority gives states
advantages in crisis bargaining (PDF). Another, by Todd Sechser and Matthew
Fuhrmann, rejects this claim (PDF). After the two posts sparked some
interesting discussion–both on- and offline–I approached
Continue reading
Mexico: Debt Collector Blinded by a UFO
*Source: Milenio Novedades (Mexico)
Date: 03.28.2013*
*Mexico: Debt Collector Blinded by a UFO*
*By Jorge Moreno / SIPSE
http://sipse.com/milenio/el-ovni-que-cego-a-un-cobrador-23222.htm*l
Worker’s motorcycle skidded on the highway: “When I looked at my rearview
mirror, there was nothing there anymore.”
MERIDA, Yucatan – Fifteen days ago I told you about my first UFO
experience, which took place on the Tixkokob-Tixpeual Highway in the year
2002.
To my surprise, several people uploaded comments to www.sipse.com and sent
me e-mails saying that they had also undergone similar situati... more »
Git your souvenir oilsands globe here!
The pitch (yeah, eh, eh, eh):
The innovator is Dan Murphy.
For extra fun, enter the search term "A Celebration of Tarsands!" at
youtube.
Kevin Drum was a naughty lad!
*FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013*
*Gives voice to a Beltway script:* Yesterday, Irvine, California’s Kevin
Drum was a naughty lad.
We aren’t talking about the way he edited David Brody. We’re talking about
this post, in which he said that simple-minded polling figures can’t tell
you whether various gun measures are going to pass.
Naughty lad! When Drum said that, he may well have given voice to a Beltway
script of the Beltway press. In the process, he may have advanced Beltway
common wisdom!
In a remarkably low-IQ manner, Rachel rails about this every night—on
Wednesday night, for instanc... more »
Shroud of Turin, the Sequel, Coming to Your TV
In one of his final acts as Pope, Benny "the Rat" Ratzinger, signed off on another
television documentary about the Shroud of Turin. We haven't seen the
Shroud for 40-years since Pope Paul XI allowed it to be shown on TV in 1973.
Previous research suggested it was actually a medieval mock-up, not the
real deal, but now we'll have some other researchers disputing the earlier
researchers and claiming that it does indeed date back to the time of Jesus.
prison planet
"We are building
a prison planet
silence is consent
wake up and speak up."
Jesus Didn't Have Such a Good Friday...
...and it's not looking so good for us, either.
Riddle: How many right wing nut jobs can you stuff into a Saturn V
rocket? Answer: I don't know. Let's find out.
Scanning the news these past few days reminded me again and again why
I've been trying to divest myself of political blogging for years, now. I
used to think I was immune to outrage fatigue and then it finally caught up
to me back when Junior was still squatting in the White House. And I admit
it: These past few months, blogging for me, with everything else I have
going on, is like trying to start a car with a ... more »
Argentina: Watchman Reports Seeing UFO Over San Francisco
*Source: Cadena 3 (TV) and PLANETA UFO
Date: 03.28.2013*
*Argentina: Watchman Reports Seeing UFO Over San Francisco*
The case involves Paulo Fuentes, who works at a factory in the locality of
Frontera in Córdoba. The watchman told Cadena 3 that the sighting occurred
this morning at 6 a.m.
The watchman provided details on the UFO sighting (report by Osvaldo Soria)
A resident of San Francisco who works as a watchman at a factory in the
locality of Frontera in Córdoba claims having seen a UFO this morning.
Paulo Fuentes works at a business located on Calle 12 in that locality.
“We... more »
Off the Wal-Mart
In case you still needed a reason to boycott Wal-Mart, hate
Wal-Mart, protest Wal-Mart, picket Wal-Mart, avoid Wal-Mart like the
plague, I think this might finally be the breaking point for those
die-hards who still think it's worth it to stand in a sweaty line for an
hour to save 10 cents on a bottle of Chinese shampoo.
Store executives, worried about recent bad sales figures and competition in
the indigent consumer market from the Dollar Store franchise and Amazon,
have hit upon a novel idea to suck every last bit of economic marrow from
the emaciated public -- use desperate Wal-M... more »
Shell's Arctic Overture Gets Frosty Reception
Shell's *Arctic Challenger* drilling rig is supposed to be bound for the
northern waters and the oil riches said to lie beneath the sea bed.
Instead it is tied up at a dock in the port of Bellingham, Washington, and it
might be there for a while as U.S. prosecutors close in.
*The Coast Guard has asked the Justice Department to investigate possible
pollution violations by both the drilling rigs Shell used in its botched
efforts to explore for oil last year in the Arctic Ocean waters off the
northern coast of Alaska. *
In a case eerily reminiscent of the *Deepwater Horizon* fiasco... more »
Iraq, Afghan wars will cost to $4 trillion to $6 trillion, Harvard study says
The Washington Post. By Ernesto Londoño, Published: March 28
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/study-iraq-afghan-war-costs-to-top-4-trillion/2013/03/28/b82a5dce-97ed-11e2-814b-063623d80a60_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines
[Excerpted] The U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq will cost taxpayers
$4
trillion to $6 trillion, taking into account the medical care of wounded
veterans and expensive repairs to a force depleted by more than a decade
of
fighting, according to a new study by a Harvard researcher....
Bilmes said the United States has spent almost $2 trillion alrea... more »
Argentina: An Incredible UFO Sighting in Concordia
*Source: VISION OVNI
Date: 03.28.2013*
*Argentina: An Incredible UFO Sighting in Concordia, Argentina*
*By Andrea Pérez Simondini, Visión OVNI
Investigation by Vicky Zeigler and Martin Bertochi*
Members of the VISION OVNI team in Concordia – Vicky Zeigler and Martin
Bertochi – were informed of a sighting that was taking place in the
vicinity of Yuquerí Chico, Department of Concordia.
The witnesses – members of the Guilme family – phoned the researchers in a
state of alarm and astonishment at what they were witnessing over their
field on the outskirts of the city.
Upon reaching the s... more »
Frankie Says Trance
Blogging will be light today as I'm working on this, so to fill the gap
between now and tomorrow's inevitable post about how awfully sexist the new
*Doctor Who* episode is, I give you one of the finest remixes from the
golden years of trance.
Lett the People Speak
A (convoluted?) thought experiment:
Imagine yourself to be a pro-EU, pro-euro commentator here in the UK. You
are crafting a daily series of articles about the eurozone which are being
published over the course of a week. Your intention is to accentuate the
positive about the EU and the euro and to persuade your largely skeptical
readers that things aren't as bad as they think they are in the eurozone,
even given recent events in Cyprus. You would obviously want to get the
trickier stuff out of the way early on and then end your series on an
optimistic note.
Given that optimis... more »
Mohawk Nation News 'Tower of Power'
TOWER OF POWER
Posted on March 29, 2013
MNN. Mar. 28, 2013. Each Indigenous has an equal
share of the ever-growing $50.3 trillion Indian Trust Fund being
administered by the illegal trustee, the Corporation of Canada, through
the Department of Indian Affairs, 10 Wellington Street, Ottawa/Hull. It
is the accumulated wealth from the exploitation of our natural
resources. We
Right Wing Report Proves DFL Governor is GREAT for MN
There is a right wing nut job out there reviewing state economic conditions
each week based on erroneous and misleading reports from ALEC.
ALEC statistics and conclusions – they are misleading and spurious –
twisting the numbers to fit ALEC's pre-determined conclusions.
ALEC policies are creating economic disasters for states that use them
This week the right wing nut job decided to pick on Minnesota.
*The rankings listed in the report below
are what happens
when you DO NOT have a Democrat
in the governors office.*
March 29, 2013
Each week this year (with the exception of Thank... more »
Argentina: UFO Presence Over Necochea
*Source: PLANETA UFO
Date: 03.28.2013*
*Argentina: UFO PRESENCE OVER NECOCHEA*
At around 17:25 hours on 28 March 2013, a family driving along Route 88
some 50 kilometers from the city of Necochea on the coastline of the
Argentinean province of Buenos Aires witnessed a strange, metallic oval
object reflecting sunlight on an extremely clear, cloudless and warm
afternoon. The object irradiated a white light at times, flying at low
altitude over fields near the shore.
Maria A. Gimenez de Franzoni, with her children Lucia and Guillermo, are
the protagonists of this event, which they b... more »
At the Very Top, Democrats Play the Same Big-money Game as the Right-wingers
Having been born in South Carolina and having witnessed from afar its
gradual engulfment by the new Radical Republican (not conservative) red sea
in the years following the onslaught of Reagan the Terrible's vandals (who
were devastating everything in their path), it's always been interesting to
me to note how the political game was/is being played there still (but
under different names). And
And How Did That Work Out For You?
It's settled now that Iraq's oil riches pretty much sealed Saddam Hussein's
fate. The Anglo-American conquest of Iraq was heavily an oil-driven
decision. And wasn't it nice of the Americans to avoid bombing Iraq's oil
infrastructure and to make it the first of the few things they actually
secured after they toppled Saddam?
And now, a decade later, Iraq is on the verge of becoming the world's
second-largest oil producer. Oh boy, all those years of war and suffering
are finally paying off. Sure, that is if you're China.
*America, with its own homegrown energy bonanza, isn’t ... more »
THE ROAD TO IRAQ: Covering for Chris Matthews' lies!
*FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013*
*Part 5—His willing enablers:* Was Christopher Matthews a lonely voice
against the move to war in Iraq?
On the air, no—he was not. Reading transcripts from the seven months
preceding the war, it’s hard to find Matthews behaving in the lonely way he
and his willing enablers have recently described, as they create the latest
fake stories about the war in Iraq.
Matthews was *not* a lonely voice on the air; elsewhere, things may have
been different. Speaking with Salon’s Joan Walsh, Matthews *pretended* that
he was a lonely voice—the only such voice on TV!
Th... more »
Florida Companies, Republicans Try to Make Wage Theft Legal, Again
The Florida Retail Federation hopes the third time's the charm in trying to
make wage theft legal. They tried two other times to strike down the wage
theft ordinances that are popping up around the state to curtail
unscrupulous employers who pocket employee wages for their own use. This
time, they've enlisted Florida Republican legislators to help with a truly
Orwellian scheme.
Rep. Tom Goodson, a Republican legislator from Titusville, has filed a bill
that purports to help employees fight wage theft. The problem is that,
unlike county ordinances that provide for double or triple da... more »
Ooops! Saskatchewan's Brad Wall Signs Deals With Chinese Telecom That Canada Now Restricts
**
**
*Reuters*
*Huawei Technologies, the mainland's largest phone equipment maker, may
face additional restrictions selling its products in Canada as the federal
government considers new regulations on foreign wireless suppliers it deems
security risks.*
*
**Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government is reviewing whether it needs
rules to govern the equipment used by the country's biggest mobile phone
operators, and has been consulting industry officials, said a person
familiar with the matter.*
*
**While the review is not singling out any company, Canada's trade
minister, Ed Fast,... more »
Read Stuff, You Should
Happy Birthday to Lucy Lawless, 45. OK: I wasn't really much of a Xena fan,
at least not as far as actually watching the show. But I very much liked
her D'anna.
The good stuff:
1. James Fallows on the costs -- to the US budget -- of Iraq and Afghanistan
.
2. Micah Cohen looks at turnover in the Senate.
3. Ann Friedman interviews Chris Hayes, and talks quotas.
4. And a dissenting view to my post on public opinion, from Steve M. He
argues that you can create "artificial" intensity that leads to action,
which I said couldn't be done by presidents, by working at it in a
sustained way ... more »
Untitled
*100th Louisiana Derby draws full field for first time in 50 years ~Advocate
** *
*~New Orleans Handicap features rematch of Graydar, Bourbon Courage~Infield
Festival: Seventeen Food Trucks, Pop-Ups Confirmed; Offisite Parking at
Former JFK School*
*Mayor, sheriff spar over consent decree cost ~Danny Monteverde, Advocate*
*Active hurricane season forecast*
*Teen volunteers come to New Orleans from storm-impacted area* * *
*Bayou Chauvin project aims to ease drainage ~Chance Ryan, Daily Comet*
*Cold snap means fewer crawfish, higher prices ahead of Easter*
*Berl'in! ~Shoot. Eat. Repe... more »
Racist, Homophobic ALEC Members
Here
you have Don Young - ALEC Alum
*My father had a ranch; we used to have 50-60 wetbacks to pick
tomatoes,”
Young said. “It takes two people to pick the same tomatoes now. It’s all
done by machine*.
*It is 2013 - This was a freudian slip of his most basic beliefs.*
*Any apology is forced *
* - becausehehasto - *
* - not becausehewantsto *
*Betcha dollars to donuts*
*he told that exact smae story at an ALEC cigar reception*
*using the exact same words. *
*><><><><><><><><><*
MICHIGAN
And
then you have Dave Agema
and his homophobic Facebook notice.
Michigan GOP Big Shot Dave ... more »
Recent Additions To The Newspeak Dictionary
Carol Goar writes that three buzzords have recently been added to the
Newspeak Dictionary:
The first is *governance,* an amorphous word that covers everything from
the way a leader wields power to the way a small charity accounts to its
donors. The term encompasses laws, procedures, standards, ethics and
expectations. Its meaning varies with the user. Its criteria are
ever-shifting. Yet politicians, bureaucrats, business executives,
non-profit leaders and pundits use the term as if everyone knows — or ought
to know — what they’re talking about.
But, the truth is, our masters mak... more »
8 MILLION new guns in four Months
*Gun checks top two million for fourth-straight month*
Washington (CNN) -- FBI background checks on gun sales have now topped two
million in each of the past four months, according to the latest figures
made available on Monday.
Although the law enforcement agency does not offer public analysis of its
figures, the high check rate occurs amid debate in Washington over new gun
control measures mainly in response to December's school shooting in
Connecticut.
The agency performed more than 2.3 million checks in February using the
National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
Th... more »
Abby- A Story of Life After Death
It never seems like the right moment for a mother to leave her small
children, and the case of Abby is no different. One stormy Saturday
morning, Abby hops into her car to head to a photo shoot, something she
does as a side job, only to crash and lose her life. Although this is where
most stories end, this is where *Abby, *by W. Anne Johnson, begins. Abby,
newly deceased and caught somewhere between life and heaven, needs to learn
how to reach her family and help them move on after her death.
*Abby* was one of those books I stared at for a long time before starting.
I am never sur... more »
From a Candy Factory in Iran to the 'Sweet Sixteen' in Indiana:Arsalan Kazemi’s Mad March through the NCAA
Oregon’s
Arsalan Kazemi (Bruce Ely / The Oregonian)
NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament history was made last week when the
Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, in their inaugural tournament appearance,
became the first ever 15-seed to advance to the third round, joining
other underdogs like 13-seed La Salle Explorers and 9-seed Wichita State
Shockers in the Sweet Sixteen.
But there’s another team that has
Destroying Planet Earth-- For Quick Profits And Payoffs
Scariest report I read all week was by Michael Behar in *Mother Jones*: Fracking's
Latest Scandal? Earthquake Swarms.Who pays for environmental cleanup-- the
corporations who foul the air and water to make profits or the tax payers
who have to deal with the consequences? The relationship between fracking
and earthquakes brings that question to a whole new level. Behar reports
how natural gas fracking violently woke up-- with devastating
consequences-- a fault in Oklahoma that has been dead for 320 million
years. Of course, when a Republican congressman on the House Science
Commit... more »
Highway Garage Linked to New York Water Problems
Rachel Rindfleisch at Contaminated Nation - Water Contamination, Land Pollution & Hazardous Waste locations - 15 hours ago
By: Nathan Lamb
The State of New York is considering several fixes for contaminated wells
near a highway maintenance garage in the town of East Fishkill, according
to this story from the Poughkeepsie Journal.
The problem of unsafe levels of sodium and chloride in groundwater near the
garage was discovered in 1995, and the state has funded bottled water and
testing for some of the garage neighbors since then.
The State Department of Transportation (DOT) has released a draft proposal
that outlined several possible fixes, including installing new wells for
seven of the neighbors,... more »
Good Friday
It is very early Good Friday morning.
Marie just texted me: "Dr mwn pa kapab respire bien ni donmi" ("Doctor I
cannot breathe well or sleep.")
Jesus actual cause of death as He hung on His cross was suffocation. Marie
is having fluid from her heart backing up into her lungs, which floods her
alveoli and impairs oxygen transfer. Marie is suffocating on her cross like
our Lord did on His.
Jesus had to die. Marie doesn't.
Jesus could text no one. Marie can. But our response hasn't changed in two
thousand years.
John A. Carroll, MD
www.haitianhearts.org
WalMart's Profits Trump Customer Safety
This article was brought to my attention on Daily Kos.
Exclusive: Wal-Mart may get customers to deliver packagesto online buyers
Wal-Mart is making a big push to ship online orders directly from stores,
hoping to cut transportation costs and gain an edge over Amazon and other
online retailers, which have no physical store locations. Wal-Mart does
this at 25 stores currently, but plans to double that to 50 this year and
could expand the program to hundreds of stores in the future.
Wal-Mart currently uses carriers like FedEx Corp for delivery from stores -
or, in the case of a same-... more »
Antiprotons obey CPT within 5 ppm
*Just a neutrino link:* Two weeks ago, MiniBooNE reported some results that
seem to conflict with the standard model of 3-flavor neutrino oscillations.
Hat tip: Joseph S.
In January 2013, the ATRAP Collaboration that includes e.g. Gerry Gabrielse
– an ex-colleague of mine who also led the most accurate measurement of the
electron's magnetic moment, the most accurately verified prediction in all
of science – published the preprint
One-Particle Measurement of the Antiproton Magnetic Moment
that finally made it to PRL this Monday. The article was accompanied by a popular
review by E... more »
More thoughts for the brain
Asteroids and comets are almost the functional equivalent of nuclear war
today. They are a function of alienation in Marxism and the uncanny is
Psychoanalysis. Despite the persistence (within the human context) of
capitalist civilisation we know in our marrow that it is unsustainable.
Despite various adventures, we always seem to be back where we began, like
we’re in an ongoing sitcom. Ecocide and revolution are difficult to
imagine. Only the prospect of existential cosmic calamity it seems can
erase that. We rightly fear such an event, yet we do not sublimate or
banish it from ou... more »
'Ogooglebar' ... and 14 Other Swedish Words We Should Incorporate Into English Immediately - Atlantic Mobile
http://m.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/03/ogooglebar-and-14-other-swedish-words-we-should-incorporate-into-english-immediately/274383/
Musical Interlude: The Moody Blues, “Your Wildest Dreams”
The Moody Blues, “Your Wildest Dreams”
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2PIFDTuf2RM#!
Greg Hunter, "Weekly News Wrap-Up 3.29.13"
*"Weekly News Wrap-Up 3.29.13"*
by Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com
"There were new all-time highs on the Dow and S&P 500 this week. Of
course, the mainstream media didn’t mention a word about the how the Fed’s
“open-ended” $85 billion a month bond buying program helped push the stock
market to new highs. Maybe that’s why even some of the folks on CNBC called
the market “creepy.” Legendary investor Jim Rogers said he wasn’t buying
into this market. Rogers was more concerned with the ripple effect that
the Cyprus banking crisis was throwing off. He’s worried that other banks
aroun... more »
BERT HARDY EXPOSING THE FEUDAL SYSTEM
*Vaughton Street, Birmingham, UK, 1954. Bert Hardy/Getty*
Bert Hardy was the star photojournalist on Picture Post, Britain’s most
influential picture magazine.
*Residents of the Korean port of Inchon surrender to American troops.
(Photo by Bert Hardy/Getty Images). 1950*
The USA committed mass genocide in Korea.
*aangirfan: CURTIS LeMAY AND MASS MURDER IN THE USA AND KOREA.*
*
*
"Outside the train station were about sixty political prisoners, aged 14 to
70, suspected of opposing South Korean dictator Syngman Rhee.
"They were tied up, and wore almost no clothes; when they tried ... more »
Novel Brain Wave Model
I was always uncomfortable with our model of brain activity as it was
obviously tentative. This is a way more compelling model and far more
useful. We now have a research mission. Just what does change as the
waves pass through the brain itself? How does it compare between
individuals?
In the meantime, put aside all you thought you knew and read this item.
Just as clearly, polishing this model opens the door for better diagnosis
of brain disease protocols. We will be able to isolate and describe flaws
and develop work around therapies which is already happening but... more »
Cyprus Can Learn From Iceland
Iceland happens to be a complete validation of my advice in late 2008. It
is now well on the way to a complete recovery.
One other important tip. The top echelon of a bank can be removed simply
because their second tier is completely able to do the same job. Special
trade knowledge really does not exist at the top end. What does exist is
immature judgment and greed. Both are best corrected by a glowing example
burned into your memory.
As I suggested, I would have arrested every signatory to a failed bond
above a certain credit rating level for outright treason to the US... more »
Think Then Walk Hardware Here
More welcome news on this front. We can all see the future and it is now
obvious that we are likely closer than we think. When it gets down to
training, technical refinement begins to add to already prepared capability
and real progress speeds up.
It is also obvious that we can already build hardware to empower all forms
of such physical injury. That is great news.
This whole sector can expect to be a 'solved problem during the next two
decades and will largely include mostly full regeneration. While this is
happening artificial hardware is welcome.
Military appl... more »
Excessive Sitting is Contraindicated
The huge take home here is that exercising does not counter the negative
effects of a sit down job. What does though is a stand up desk.
The obvious answer is a hydraulic lift or its equivalent for every work
station desk. It has to be comfortable you use your key board while
standing and an adjustable desk makes that possible.
Even easier, tilt your flat screen back about twenty degrees and get an
eight inch base to set your keyboard on. In that manner, you can easily
rotate between standing and sitting.
That is even easier to work with as either position become... more »
Reunification of Korea
Almost exactly 10 years ago, in March 2003, the U.S. invaded Iraq. I had
mixed feelings about that decision and I still have mixed feelings. At any
rate, Iraq (#2) used to belong to the Axis of Evil, as defined by George W.
Bush, along with Iran (#1) and North Korea (#3). Quite certainly, one
original member of this axis is no longer a member.
Note that John Bolton has defined the "Beyond the Axis of Evil Group"
composed of Cuba, Libya, and Syria. Cuba has softened somewhat and Raul
Castro is planning to retire; the Libyan regime has been overthrown so a
re-evaluation would be appro... more »
ANDREW PARKER
*Andrew Parker.*
*1.* Andrew Parker, a married father-of-two, is the new boss of Britain's
spy service MI5.
He was educated at Cambridge University.
*Lord Victor Rothschild's friends*
In 1991, Andrew Parker spent time in the United States in a liaison
position.
In February 2005, five months before the July 7 attacks, he was appointed
Director International Terrorism.
He led MI5's response to the July 7 terrorist attacks in London, which some
people think was an inside-job.
aangirfan: 7/7 LONDON BOMBINGS - FASCISM AT WORK
His teams of officers played the lead role in dealing wi... more »
Guest Post - What Do You Do When Your Loved Ones Don’t Recycle?
“Hippie” is what I am called by my boyfriend any time I rip a paper towel
in half as opposed to using the full sheet, or wash out a plastic container
to use again instead of buying new Tupperware, or walk around the house
turning off lights in rooms we’re not in. “Annoying” was what my best
friend called me when I moved in with her and insisted we dig out her
trusty blue recycling bin to use instead of collecting dust in the garage.
I’m sure there have been other choice phrases used to describe my need to
help others become aware of and care about the effect we have on our
planet.
... more »
Taichung Book Exchange, Sat, Mar 30
_______________________
[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.
Did You Know that WMD is DMW Spelled Backwards?
Herbert Marcuse had some interesting things to say about certain political
acronyms. The meaning is fixed, doctored, loaded. Once it has become an
official vocable, constantly repeated in general usage, “sanctioned” by the
intellectuals, it has lost all cognitive value and serves merely for
recognition of an unquestionable fact. This style is of
overwhelming concreteness. The
Continue reading
March 28, 1973
In public, or close to in public, a landmark: a hearing of the Ervin
Committee. It comes about because James McCord is reluctant to continue
with the committee attorney and demands to speak to the full committee.
They agree to hold a closed hearing; Ervin himself is unable to attend. It
rapidly leaks out, with Connecticut maverick Republican Lowell Weicker the
main source. And it's big news: McCord, having already named Magruder and
Dean, now says that John Mitchelll and Chuck Colson had prior knowledge of
the break-in.
However, it turns out that the real breakthrough was someone el... more »
Friday Morning Linkage
Joshua Goldstein and I look at R2P After Syria. But, what will Syria look
like after Syria? And, what exactly is the Obama administration
doing there? Training and arming the rebels covertly but not with
non-lethal military aid — body armor and night vision. UN arms treaty
blocked by Iran, North Korea, and Syria. Go figure.
Continue reading
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Bright spiral galaxy NGC 3169 appears to be unraveling in this cosmic
scene, played out some 70 million light-years away just below bright star
Regulus toward the faint constellation Sextans. Its beautiful spiral arms
are distorted into sweeping tidal tails as NGC 3169 (left) and neighboring
NGC 3166 interact gravitationally, a common fate even for bright galaxies
in the local universe. In fact, drawn out stellar arcs and plumes,
indications of gravitational interactions, seem rampant in the deep and
colorful galaxy group photo.
*Click image for larger size.*
The picture spans 2... more »
Will Republicans Manage To Nominate Unelectable Crackpots In South Dakota And Georgia?
Straight from the pit of hell
Georgia and South Dakota are both pretty red-- Romney won the former with
58% and the latter with 53%-- so the value of a Republican senatorial
nomination is massive. Either should sure worth a lot more than a GOP
nomination in New York or Hawaii. So you can count on some internal
bickering... if not bloodletting. Yesterday we took a quick look at the struggle
between Democrat Brendon Johnson and Blue Dog Stephanie Herseth Sandlin for
the Democratic nomination for the now open South Dakota senate seat (from
which Brendon's dad Tim is retiring). But the b... more »
Chet Raymo, “Cranes or Skyhooks?”
*“Cranes or Skyhooks?”*
by Chet Raymo
“In the late 19th century, an intractable problem bedeviled scientists.
Geologists had convincingly demonstrated that the Earth was hundreds of
millions of years old, and fossil evidence suggested that life had been
around for most of that time. Which means the Sun must have been burning
more or less steadily throughout the duration. Yet physicists and chemists
could not provide any credible source of energy that would keep the Sun
shining for all that time. Not gravitational contraction. Not chemical
combustion or any other known chemical... more »
Patitos de color amarillo recién nacidos
[image: Patitos de color amarillo recién nacidos]
*Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de patitos*
Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
Pajarito listo para emprender su vuelo
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Dine' CARE: 'No!' to Navajoland becoming a dumpster for dirty coal
March
28, 2013
By Diné Citizens Against Ruining our Environment
Censored News
Obvious liabilities of Navajo Mine should prevent waste of $2.3 million
more for needless “investigation” by outside firms; Deal with BHP
Billiton should be dropped
Farmington, NM – As the Navajo Nation Council prepares to vote this week
on approving $2.3 million to continue paying a law firm and other
Guest Post by Tom Nichols — Iraq War Debate too Driven by Bush Resentment: A Response to Bob Kelly’s Iraq Posts”
I am happy to invite my friend Tom Nichols to guest-post about the
continuing Iraq War debate. Tom responded so substantially to my original
post series on the war (one, two, three), that I invited him to provide a
longer write-up. Tom is a professor of national security affairs at the
U.S. Naval War College
Continue reading
The Daily "Near You?"
Camden, New Jersey, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
Mujer elegante recolectando flores de primavera
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TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN DESTINY
Teachers, workers and activists hope to pressure Chicago to abandon plans
to close 61 schools.
Lanchitas en la arena del mar a orillas de la playa
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Mohawk Nation News 'Kill the Messenger'
KILL THE MESSENGER
Posted on March 28, 2013
MNN. Mar. 28, 2013. On March 26, 2013, the MNN
editor was invited to be the opening speaker at Champlain College in
Sherbrooke Quebec. The topic was, “A Native Perspective on Canada’s
Exploitation of Resources”. Two Mohawks, as is our custom, accompanied
the speaker. They sat at a table facing the crowd.
Happy Champlain
Hermoso campo de flores junto a las montañas nevadas
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Casa tenebrosa bajo el cielo nublado
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Bella pareja de jirafas comiendo hojas de los árboles
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ALEC Career Path - Legislator to Lobbyist
Why doesn't that surprise me?
Wonder where they got the idea?
*One newspaper article*
11 names
All republicons
All ALEC
Coincidence - I think not!!!
From Texas (with my ALEC additions)
Eleven House members who held office in 2011 and lost their re-election bidsor decided not to run again are now lobbyists.
Vicki Truitt, R-Keller, *ALEC*
former chairwoman, House Pensions, Investments and Financial Services
Committee.
Pay range: $125,000 to $250,000.
Clients: ACE Cash Express, Texas Retired Teachers Association, Texas
Council of Community Centers, Texas Hospital Associati... more »
Terrance Nelson 'Celebrating' the 10 Year Anniversary of the Second Invasion of Iraq
By Terrance Nelson
Roseau River Anishinabe
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com
Brenda Norrell
My last email to you which you posted contained some of the following
Your posting of the Native leaders from US and
Canada joining forces in opposing the Transcanada pipeline is good but
Native Americans and First Nations people must understand how deceptive
and
Men With Loaded Rifles Intimidate Moms Gathered At Indiana Gun Safety Rally
By Igor Volsky on Mar 28, 2013 at 5:36 pm
Several men with assault rifles and hand guns crashed a Mayor’s Against
Illegal Guns National Day to Demand Action event in Indianapolis, Indiana
on Thursday and stood silently as the state chapter of Moms Demand Action
held a rally in favor of limiting the availability of military style
weapons and universal background checks.
At least two or three men showed up at the rally site before the event
began and engaged in a discussion about gun regulations with the group, two
participants in the action told ThinkProgress. The armed men — who were ... more »
An Easter to remember
This is a nice time of year in Copan Ruinas. Semana Santa - the week
leading into Easter - is a crazy-big holiday in Honduras, with hundreds of
thousands of local travellers on the move. But Copan gets just enough of
that scene to make the town feel energized without crossing into insanity.
Tonight, the main street will be full of volunteers building the
two-block-long *alfombras *made from coloured sawdust. Using giant stencils
to create beautiful sawdust art in a rainbow of colours, the volunteers
will work into the wee hours tonight making a street mural that celebrates
Jesus and... more »
New Mexico farmers seek ‘priority call’ as record drought persists – ‘We could dry up some hay farms or we could dry up Las Vegas. Which is it going to be?’
[image: Livestock along the dry Pecos River near Carlsbad, New Mexico. Amid
the worst drought on record, the anger of southeastern New Mexico's farmers
and ranchers is boiling. Photo: Ivan Pierre Aguirre / The New York Times]
By FELICITY BARRINGER
26 March 2013
CARLSBAD, NEW MEXICO (The New York Times) – Just after the local water
board announced this month that its farmers would get only one-tenth of
their normal water allotment this year, Ronnie Walterscheid, 53, stood up
and called on his elected representatives to declare a water war on their
upstream neighbors.
“It’s alway... more »
Bye-bye, Justice Nino -- write if you get work
*Oh no, does this mean the end for the Supreme Court's Sundance and Butch,
Justices Clarence and Nino? Sure, they're just good friends, and it's not
as if they were about to get married or anything -- were they? But still,
High Court Constitution-shredding just won't be the same without them doing
the heavy lifting together.*
*by Ken*
*The New Yorker*'s Andy Borowitz (gosh, that sounds odd, doesn't it?) has
been keeping close tabs on Supreme Court Justice Nino Scalia during this
trying week. (See his report earlier this week, "Scalia Furious He Has to
Hear About Gay Couples All We... more »
The Brookings Institution and Walter Sullivan
As I was looking into the history of the Brookings Institution report
about their investigation into alien life and what would happen if we
learned there were aliens out there, I made a somewhat startling discovery.
Walter Sullivan, one time science editor of the *New York Times*had written
a book, *We Are Not Alone*, in 1964, and he quoted from that report. He was
writing about the short section that suggested that communication with an
alien race might not be a good thing for the people of Earth… might not be
bad, especially if it was only through radio astronomy, but there could ... more »
Progressives are Not a "Movement"
I heard this on the radio on the way home today.
It's the truth - the whole truth
and nothing but the truth
*And the truth hurts.*
12 minutes of your time.
Time to wake up.
What is in it for "my" movement???
That is the problem that the citizen journalists have been running into
with the topic of ALEC.
The nonprofits who have co-opted the ALEC story, see ALEC as the biggest
damn purse they have ever found.
Instead of working together with citizen journalist and researchers that
know a shitload about ALEC - they kick us to the curb - becausetheycan.
Nonprofits vs Citizen Journalists ... more »
Compare the Meerkat
Back by...ahem...popular demand, it's time for another snapshot of what *The
Daily Telegraph, The Guardian *and the *BBC News website *are reporting
tonight - at 23.00, 28 March 2013 precisely:
*
**
**The Daily Telegraph*
*
*
*Block immigration to save British jobs, influential MPs say*
Britain should be able to block immigration during the current period of
high unemployment, according to influential MPs.
*BBC unions silent over the Maggie Question*
BBC staff on strike say they are prepared to return to desks if Nelson
Mandela dies, however their generosity stops there.
*Pope was... more »
FBI only Dowloading "Criminals" - HAH!
FBI's Lawyer Says Modernizing Surveillance Law For Real-Time Online
Snooping Is A 'Top Priority' In 2013
The Huffington Post | By Gerry Smith Posted: 03/28/2013 11:15 am EDT
The FBI’s "top priority" in 2013 is to modernize surveillance law so
authorities can monitor in real time the Web activities of Americans
suspected of committing crimes, the FBI’s general counsel said.
What a crock of sh#t.
They are downloading everything
Cause to the FBI we’re all criminals.
Every damn single one of us..
We all guilty until --- proven guilty.
Well FBI – you can put this one in your... more »
“What Is Perhaps the Most Powerful Word in the English Language?”
*“What Is Perhaps the Most Powerful Word in the English Language?”*
by Michael S. Broder, Ph.D.
“I'll spare you the tease. That word is "no"!
The ability to be assertive and say "no" is a communication skill we all
learn at a very young age. If you're a parent, you know better than anyone
that once this word enters a child's vocabulary it's used very often.
However, as an adult, "no" is often much more difficult to say. As life
gets busier and obligations increase, the ability to say "no" is
increasingly important. If you can learn to assert yourself, it can be the
differenc... more »
Armed and dangerous idiots
This is the stuff that makes me want to break crockery. Assholes with
loaded weapons crash a gun law reform rally.
This is not responsible gun ownership. These guys didn't have to crash this
event. They had to know there would be kids there. In the wake of the
school murders, just seeing the guns would likely frighten the children.
And in the light of the daily accidental discharges, it's fucking
dangerous. If they want to strut around acting like dicks, they could hold
their own damn event at a different time.
And these asshats are all about *their* free speech rights, but you ... more »
A Strange Omission
News of positive or negative predictions for the UK economy from
international bodies such as the IMF and the OECD often attract the
attention of the British media. Today's prognosis from the Paris-based OECD
has been no exception.
This morning's *Financial Times* reflected on the organisation's gloomy
forecasts for the eurozone. The OECD locates the gloom in France and
Italy, predicting that their economies will continue to shrink. They say
that Germany, however - like Japan and the U.S. - will have modest growth.
The* FT*,* *naturally, also reports the bit that will be of most ... more »
Look at all the hungry people
Wall St. Journal is concern trolling about the rise in use of the food
assistance. Some well fed genius is appalled to learn the number of
enrollees aren't falling along with the unemployment rate. Well you don't
have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out. There's a simple answer:
There are record numbers of Americans on food stamps today because there
are record numbers of Americans in poverty (records begin in 1959.)
As of 2011, there were 46.2 million men, women, and children living below
the U.S. poverty line. There isn't much reason to believe that the last
year of medioc... more »
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