Hoover Dam (Photo credit: heidigoseek)
English: United States Senator Rand Paul speaking at the Night of the Rising Stars in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Rand Paul eyes 2016 run
Still basking in the afterglow of his orgasmic 13 hours as the biggest
thing on the twitters, Rand Paul is now making the media rounds for
interviews. With his ego so thoroughly satisfied, Rand has an announcementto make:
Paul himself seemed to appreciate that this was an important moment for
himself, confidently acknowledging to POLITICO in an interview that he was
“seriously” considering running for president in 2016.
I'm sure you're as shocked as I am to hear this bold proclamation. In other
words, not at all.
If you were perhaps wondering if Rand's fantastic filibuster sprung ... more »
More supernature
I was mulling over my post on the Wikipedia list of cryptids when I turned
to the list of extra terrestrial species. It is much shorter and simpler.
Either people are much more imaginative when it comes to inventing earth
creatures than they are spacemen or there are a few interesting cultural
abstractions to be made.
It shows an instinctively shrewd understanding of natural selection. Humans
are as they are as much because of their posture and their thumbs as their
brains. We had pre-adapted large brains, nimble digits and forward facing
eyes. Our ancestors moving permanently to t... more »
Musical Interlude: David Gates, “Suite: Clouds & Rain”
David Gates, “Suite: Clouds & Rain”
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AACVcejg1cI
North Korea's John Yoo Lambasts Libertarian Senator
John Yoo, the former adviser to the discredited administration of George W.
Bush, *criticized Senator Rand Paul* for demanding answers from the Obama
White House about their threat to kill American citizens with drones on
U.S. soil.
The man who wrote torture memos and could very well be tried by the Hague
in the near future for war crimes is, *surprise surprise*, fine with the
idea of a totalitarian regime killing its citizens without presenting
evidence of wrongdoing.
Yoo's absurd theories and beliefs belong in North Korea, not the United
States of America.
“’Education’: You've Had 100+ Years. You Failed. Time To Eat You”
*“’Education’: *
*You've Had 100+ Years. You Failed. Time To Eat You”*
by Karl Denninger
"This ought to provoke exactly the title of this article in reaction:
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — "It’s an education bombshell. Nearly 80 percent of
New York City high school graduates need to relearn basic skills before
they can enter the City University’s community college system."
It's not a bombshell. In the 1990s I observed the same thing in Chicago. I
required a High School diploma or GED to apply for a job at my company in
the city. Of the applicants approximately 80% could not mak... more »
NAZIS IN THE FBI; J EDGAR HOOVER; MIND CONTROL
Recently declassified documents reveal that the FBI protected Nazi war
criminals in America.
J. Edgar Hoover recruited many hundreds of Nazis.
*The FBI's recruitment of Nazi war criminals*
Reuters Blogs (blog). By Richard Rashke. Adapted from Useful Enemies:
America’s Open-Door Policy for Nazi War Criminals, published by Delphinium
Books.
Hoover did not report alleged Nazis to the authorities.
Among the Nazi collaborators that the FBI used and protected were John
Avdzej, Laszlo Agh, and Vladimir Sokolov.
*Nazis at work.*
During the war, Belorussian *John Avdzej *had been ins... more »
"It's alright, it's just rhetoric", "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad didn't mean that Iran wants to wipe Israel off of the map"
"It's alright, it's just rhetoric" and "Ahmadinejad didn't mean that Iran
wants to wipe Israel off of the map" are just two of the lines I hear from
haters of Israel. Odd that as here's something that* *Ali Reza Forghani, a
supporter of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and former governor of
Kish province, published in an article titled "Countdown to an Attack on
Israel". Here's an extract:
'Naturally, after that we must equip and upgrade the Syrian forces for the
final blow against Israel, [a blow that will continue] until it is totally
destroyed. We must in no way repeat the mi... more »
Death of a 'dictator': Chavez and the media
The U.S. press is retarded. Seriously.
In the wake of Chavez's assassination via cancer, they're saying that the
Gulf oil kingdoms have spend their oil money more wisely than Chavez did,
because they used it to build large monuments rather than improve the
economy and social welfare of the people. That is an actual argument that
one AP reporter made. Let that insanity and stupidity sink in. The U.S.
media has gone insane. The mainstream press is a certified mental
institution.
I'm against turning Chavez into an idol, but at least he wasn't a
war-making maniac like the thugs in Sau... more »
Dare to Dream: Disney on Ice
On Wednesday, we took the girls to see Dare to Dream by Disney on Ice. It
was magical. The closest thing I can get to taking them to Disneyland
without actually having to fly out of state. This particular show features
Princess and the Frog, Cinderella and Tangled. The segment featuring The
Princess and the Frog was fabulous. It absolutely delighted my 4-year-old
to see Tiana on the ice and then see her turn into a frog.
Cinderella was absolutely beautiful and so much fun to watch.
Even though, Princess and the Frog and Cinderella we both fun to watch.
The Tangled segment was incr... more »
Debra White Plume 'Moccasins on the Ground to Protect Sacred Water'
Moccasins
on the Ground to Protect Sacred Water
by Debra White Plume
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com
Lakota know we love Unci Maka. All of Unci Maka. Our ancestors were
free, to follow the Star Nation Path (the Good Red Road), to roam, to
hunt, to be happy, to have sacred water. Then one day, FAT TAKER came
thru camp, and stole the fat that many women prepared to get their
Satire: "Poll: Majority of Americans Opposed to Being Killed by Drone"
*"Poll: Majority of Americans Opposed*
* to Being Killed by Drone"*
by Andy Borowitz
MINNEAPOLIS (The Borowitz Report)— "In a possible setback for the
Administration’s controversial drone policy, a new poll conducted by the
University of Minnesota shows that a broad majority of Americans are
opposed to being killed by a drone strike on U.S. soil. The poll, which has
a margin of error of plus or minus five percentage points, showed that
ninety-seven per cent of those surveyed “strongly agreed” with the
statement, “I personally do not want to be killed by a drone,” with three
p... more »
"How Money Buys Freedom"
*"How Money Buys Freedom"*
by Bill Bonner
“As long as I live under the capitalistic system, I expect to have my life
influenced by the demands of moneyed people. But I will be damned if I
propose to be at the beck and call of every itinerant scoundrel who has two
cents to invest in a postage stamp. This, sir, is my resignation.” –
William Faulkner resigns from the Oxford, Miss., post office.
"One of the rarely cited advantages of having money is that you’re less
beholden to others who have it too. The more you have, at least in theory,
the more you can ignore the other fell... more »
international women's day 2013
To celebrate International Women's Day, read Judy Rebick's beautiful piece
at Rabble, and watch an excellent video featuring Patrick Stewart, talking
about the role men play in women's equality.
International Women's Day: What's the way forward?
by Judy Rebick
As an aging feminist I am often asked to speak about the progress we have
made as feminists and how much is left to do. It gets depressing sometimes
because of the persistence of violence against women and economic
inequality. I am despairing of the deep gendered divide in children's toys
and the heavy load placed upon young w... more »
Friday Afternoon Linkage
. Happy International Women’s Day. Remembering events in Bosnia twenty
years ago and how the world was changed. The Guardian’s profile of a few
voices from around the world. Urvashi Sahni and Xanthe Ackerman offer
strategies for action. In my weekend reading, I’ll be trying to make sense
of some of this week’s bizarre events.
Continue reading
Beyond the Threshold
Quick important, if a bit basic, point this morning.
National Journal's Elahe Izadi tweeted her story about Ashley Judd with "If
Ashley Judd does indeed run for Senate, she could learn a lesson or two
from Al Franken. She may already be." To which Dave Weigel responded:"Lesson 1: Run in blue state."
Now, to be fair to Izadi, who did in fact cover that in her perfectly fine
story. And candidates do matter in Senate (and lower-ballot) contests.
Unlike presidential elections, where the out-party candidate is always
treated as a serious potential president, lower-ballot races can basical... more »
Can Your Grandma Do This?
What a darling.
As the tune dies down, 88-year old Nana explains: "I could dance all
f***ing day."
A Superior Court has the inherent power to dismiss an action when the claim does not disclose a reasonable cause of action
*Cavanaugh v. Grenville Christian College*, 2013 ONCA 139 holds, somewhat
surprisingly, that a Superior Court judge has the power to dismiss a claim
for failure to disclose a cause of action even absent a formal motion to
dismiss:
[19] A Superior Court has the inherent power to dismiss an action
when the claim does not disclose a reasonable cause of action: see *Hunt v.
Carey Canada Inc.*, [1990] 2 S.C.R. 959, at p. 968. That power is most
commonly exercised on a motion brought under Rule 21.01(1)(b) of the *Rules
of Civil Procedure*, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 194, to strike a plead... more »
Rob Ford a Groper and Dirty Old Man???
Former Toronto mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson says bad boy Mayor Rob Ford
hit on her and grabbed her ass.
Here's a picture Thomson posted of herself an an apparently happy Mayor Ford
"*Thought it was a friendly hello to Toronto Mayor Rob Ford at the CJPAC
Action Party tonight until he suggested I should have been in Florida with
him last week because his wife wasn't there. *
*Seriously wanted to punch him in the face. Happy International Women's
Day!"*
* *
*Thomson elaborated on the events of the evening in the comments on the
post, alleging that Ford grabbed her in a sexual manne... more »
Conrad Black Stands Up for Tom Flanagan
It seems Connie Black got to know a few guys slammed up for possession of
kiddie porn while he was in prison and he says that, like Tom Flanagan,
they got a bad rap. More from HuffPo.
The Greecy Slope
Fascist rally in Athens, Greece... Athens, Georgia next?
Now that Obama appears to be moving closer to letting the Republicans
continue shredding the safety net he was elected to protect by adopting the
very same Austerity agenda that continues to fail so miserably across
Europe, perhaps it's time to consider more of the consequences of that
agenda. We already know what the Sequestration bill Boehner shoved through
Congress will do to hurt normal working families economically and about how
it is likely to deprive as many as 750,000 workers of their jobs. That's
what Austerity is desi... more »
Music For Nothing - Well Almost
The expected new music streaming service from Apple appears to have been
delayed, not due to technology, but due to the commercial terms demanded by
them. The service is expected to be very similar to Pandora.
The music labels want to ensure that they get a respectable return from
this new revenue stream and already it appears that the rates companies pay
varies significantly. Spotify, who are often cited as the bad boys, are
paying some 35 cents per 100 songs, whilst iHeart pays around 22 cents and
Pandora only 12 cents. So is it any surprise the talks hit stale mate when
Apple... more »
Flooding complicates clean-up at Fukushima nuclear plant – ‘Every day we have approximately 400 metric tons of groundwater’
[image: Overview of reactor building of Unit 1, taken from a crane above
Unit 1 on 9 Sep 2011. Photo: Tokyo Electric Power Company]
By James Topham and Mari Saito, with Aaron Sheldrick; Editing by Robert
Birsel
8 March 2013
TOKYO (Reuters) – Tokyo Electric Power Company is struggling to stop
groundwater flooding into damaged reactors at its wrecked Fukushima plant
and it may take four years to fix the problem, possibly delaying the
removal of melted uranium fuel.
The 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami knocked out cooling equipment at
the company's Fukushima Daiichi plant north... more »
Mark your calendars...
“The eighth General Congregation of the College of Cardinals has decided
that the Conclave will begin on Tuesday, 12 March 2013.
“A “*pro eligendo Romano Pontifice*” Mass will be celebrated in St. Peter’s
Basilica in the morning. In the afternoon the cardinals will enter into
the Conclave.”
Our Long Municipal Nightmare Continues
The latest RobFuckingFordFiasco is still developing, so maybe I should hold
off.
But what the hell? Lookit that picture!
After a bunfest last night sponsored by Canadian Jewish Political Affairs
Committee (whatever that is), Sarah Thomson, former mayoral candidate and no
fave here at DJ!, posted that photo to her Facebook page with some
allegations.
Former mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson says she wants an apology from Mayor
Rob Ford for allegedly touching her inappropriately and making a suggestive
remark to her at a party on Thursday night.
“He told me he was in Florida and I... more »
Steal This Book Royalty
What follows is a letter I'd written to my publisher Create Space two
days ago regarding my royalty statements not getting updated since
December. What follows after that is their incredible response:
I've sold multiple copies of my books to both myself and others yet
month after month my royalty report does not reflect anything other than my
first two sales and my royalties have remained stagnant at $3.42 for months
on end. I'd noticed this discrepancy in reportage at the start and wrote to
you people and got some boilerplate response telling me I needed to wait
until th... more »
What's Wrong With Old White People Anyway?
In the United States, angry old white folks are the backbone of the Tea
Party. In Canada, they're Harper Conservatives. In Britain, angry old
white people have the UKIP movement. Here's the sort of Britain Ukippers
crave:
*• Merge income tax and national insurance into a flat 31% for all starting
at £11,500. Scrap employers' NI with revenue recouped from corporation tax,
VAT or reduced welfare.*
*• Cut state spending to 1997 levels with loss of two million public sector
jobs, replaced by one million new manufacturing jobs and at least another
million created because of Ukip's... more »
Jeff Berwick about a new world - but in a different way from what you might think...
address-withheld@my.opera.com.invalid (Dr. John v. Kampen) at - 3 hours ago
Link: http://youtu.be/5zD7xR0DGuE
In this clip Jeff Berwick, anarcho-libertarian, editor-in-chief of the "dollar
vigilante" (from Canada) and investment expert, offers a glimpse of himself
and his interesting thoughts. For those in great hurry: the first 72
seconds of the movie say it all. In many ways, but from a vastly different
(European) perspective, I share many of his believes and thoughts, I admit.
That is why this interview with Berwick by ProActiveInvestors (USA) seemed
of some importance to me. And again I found myself reasonably in-line with
his provocative ideas. Societ... more »
Science cannot answer moral questions II
I wrote about the same topic three years ago and probably at many other
places, too. However, Sean Carroll revived the topic again,
Science, Morality, Possible Worlds, Scientism, and Ways of Knowing
and because I still agree with him, let me review and add some relevant
arguments.
Carroll says that scientifically meaningful propositions are questions
about the past, the present, the future, or the eternal laws that
- might in principle be both false and true
- admit a method, at least in principle, to evaluate their truth values.
He mentions three examples. Oxygen is dist... more »
I Don't Have to Visit Japan - It's Coming to Me!
America (you know, the country that hasn't outlawed science) is finding
some curious critters that have been carried across the Pacific on Japanese
tsunami debris now arriving on our shores.
*Invasive species are hitchhiking to the west coast of North America on
debris from the March 2011 Japanese tsunami and it could be years before it
is known which species will take hold and how much damage they will do,
Oregon State University scientists say.*
*** But there is a major gap in the research because no samples have been
sent from B.C. and there does not appear to be equivalent rese... more »
Mohawk Women rallied with Hugo Chavez against Colonial Oppression
Mohawk
women were among the Indigenous gathered in Venezuela, organizing
against colonial oppression, in 2007. Today, in honor of Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez, Censored News, with permission from Mohawk Nation
News, republishes the Mohawk women's statement.
"Our perception is that the material world is to be shared and
distributed equally. Our ancestors knew that when a
Climate change and deforestation threaten the ecological stability of Lake Tanganyika
[image: Siltation caused by erosion from deforestation is another main
threat to Lake Tanganyika. Photo: Catherine O’Reilly / National Geographic]
By Lisa Borre
7 March 2013
(National Geographic) – Tropical lakes in East Africa don’t grab headlines
the way polar bears do, but climate change is having an effect on them,
too. Although the changes are not as visible as melting polar ice caps,
they are no less real.
As in many lakes around the world, water temperature is on the rise in Lake
Tanganyika. This and other climate-related factors are causing subtle but
significant changes ... more »
Emissions Heading in Wrong Direction - Fast
2012 saw the second greatest annual increase in greenhouse gas
emissions,
bested (or *worsted*) by 1998.
*Carbon dioxide levels measured at at Mauna Loa observatory in
Hawaiijumped by 2.67 parts per million (ppm) in 2012 to 395ppm, said
Pieter Tans,
who leads the greenhouse gas measurement team for the US National
Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The record was an increase of
2.93ppm in 1998.*
*The jump comes as a study published in Science on Thursday looking at
global surface temperatures for the past 1,500 years warned that "recent
warming is unprecedented", promp... more »
O’Reilly’s amazing next-day performance!
*FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 2013*
*Why this should be front-page news:* On Tuesday evening, Bill O’Reilly
melted down on his semi-eponymous program.
He screamed and yelled at Alan Colmes, repeatedly saying that Colmes was
lying about Obama’s budget proposals.
Before the segment was done, Mr. O began apologizing to Colmes. That said,
the segment was monumentally crazy. But O'Reilly's follow-up segment on
Wednesday night was a hundred times more significant. It ought to be
front-page news, though of course it won’t be.
Here’s what happened:
Bill invited Kirsten Powers to help him review the ... more »
Listen up low info voters: Your President is a obscene petty little dictator...(video)
*who thinks he is worthy of a 20 car motorcade to eat a steak dinner while
tourists are kept out of the people's house. *
Don't they have a few radically overpaid chefs in the White House? Did
they get paid for a vacation day?
France: Muslim mom names son Jihad, sends to nursery school in 9/11 bomb t-shirt
She thought the shirt would "make people laugh," Sky News
reports.
Ha ha ha...
Some people!
More here -
http://creepingsharia.wordpress.com/2013/03/08/france-muslim-mom-names-son-jihad-sends-to-nursery-school-in-911-bomb-t-shirt
Video Journey of Nishiyuu March 2013
The inspiring Cree youth trekkers, with their guide and friends, continue trekking to Ottawa, in solidarity with Idle No More.
Untitled
Racetrack Infield Festival Tickets On Sale Now!
Dark Legacy: Systemic Discrimination Against Canada's First Peoples
It's a new book I'm reading. Got it from the Parliament branch of the
Toronto Public Library.
*Dark Legacy: Systemic Discrimination Against Canada's First Peoples* by
L.J. O'Connor and Morgan O'Neal, with Lloyd Dolha and Jim Ada.
I'm about half-way through it. So far it's talked about the betrayal of
treaty promises that led to the cooping-up of First Nations on isolated
reserves that were mismanaged and pilfered by white Indian Agents. It
quickly moved to the development of the idea of residential schools and
their horrible social impact on numerous First Nations families and
comm... more »
Fiduciary duty and aboriginal rights
Manitoba Metis v Canada 2013 SCC 14 is an important decision dealing with
fiduciary duty in the context of aboriginal rights:
[47] Fiduciary duty is an equitable doctrine
originating in trust. Generally speaking, a fiduciary is required to act
in the best interests of the person on whose behalf he is acting, to avoid
all conflicts of interest, and to strictly account for all property held or
administered on behalf of that person. See* Lac Minerals Ltd. v.
International Corona Resources Ltd.*, [1989] 2 S.C.R. 574, at pp. 646-47.
[48] ... more »
OPPT Trustee Caleb on Orion Talk Radio 3-6-13…MP3
*
* *
* *Caleb on Orion Talk Radio 3-6-13…MP3*
Posted on 2013/03/06 by kauilapele
[UPDATE 1329 HST: This is one of the more interesting and enlightening and
instructive MP3s from the OPPT to which I have listened.
Some of you may be interested in this show on Orion Talk's Morning Brew
(cut very short by "technical" issues). Which gives Caleb's history and
involvement with the OPPT.
MP3 (only one; 7 MB, 28 min.) (or use the blue and red player below) (and,
hey... NO ADs, Baby!!)
http://tinyurl.com/a8hu6r5
Disaster Capitalism + Climate Change = Wealth Beyond Imagination
The company is called *Water Asset Management*. Surely the name speaks
for itself. It has to be about water, right? Or the management of water
surely. Well, in reality, it's a hedge fund. From Bloomberg BusinessWeek.
*Drought is helping spur business at Water Asset Management. The New York
hedge fund, which has about $400 million under management, buys water
rights and makes private equity and stock market investments in water
treatment companies. “Not enough people are thinking long term of [water]
as an asset that is worthy of ownership,” says Chief Operating Officer Marc... more »
No Superpowers for the EU Science Adviser
Writing in Science today, Kai Kupferschmidt has an excellent profile of
Anne Glover, Europe's chief scientific advisor. The profile follows the
typical arc of such discussions -- a longing for power, success in
institutionalization, followed by disappointment in the realpolitik of the
position. At the top of this post you can see Glover giving a keynote talk
last month at the STEPS science policy conference in Sussex, UK.
An anecdote related by Kupferschmidt tells the tale:
[In] a magazine interview in July, Glover argued that eating genetically
modified food was no riskier than ea... more »
Cedar Rapids Engineer Sees Disks - Beats Arnold by a Day?
I’ve been working on a new book and I was chasing down stories of flying
saucers, flying discs, seen prior to June 24, 1947. Sure there are some,
but all, or almost all, seem to have been reported after Kenneth Arnold’s
story appeared in newspapers.
One of the best of these, reported in many sources, came from Cedar Rapids,
Iowa, and according to one document, “Thus neither of those sightings [one
from El Paso, Texas and one from Wapakoneta, Oregon] made the papers before
Arnold’s account, but one story was actually reported to newspapers on the
23rd. The tale came from a railroad ... more »
IMITATIONS OF LIFE: The Power Rules!
*FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 2013*
*Part 4—Paul Krugman, left on his own:* In this morning’s New York Times,
we get the latest weather report. According to a new study, global
temperatures are higher than they’ve been in at least four thousand years:
GILLIS (3/8/13): *Global temperatures are warmer than at any time in at
least 4,000 years, scientists reported Thursday,* and over the coming
decades are likely to surpass levels not seen on the planet since before
the last ice age.
*Previous research had extended back roughly 1,500 years,* and suggested
that the rapid temperature spike of the pa... more »
Infographic: How climate change is destroying Earth
14 February 2013 (LearnStuff) – Thanks to extensive research and noticeable
changes in weather and storm prevalence, it’s getting harder to turn a
blind eye to the reality of climate change. Since the Industrial Age
spurred the increasing usage of fossil fuels for energy production, the
weather has been warming. In fact, since 1880, the temperature of the earth
has increased by 1 degree Celsius. […]
Check out the infographic below to see what else the changing climate is
affecting. [more]
[image: Climate-Change]
How climate change is destroying the Earth
Technorati Tags: global... more »
Weingarten Gets Arrested for the Cameras in Philadelphia While Remaining Janus-Faced on Charter Schools
Randi Weingarten is in Philadelphia, pretending to put herself in between
the closing of 23 schools and the opening of a new batch of corporate
welfare charter schools to replace them. Below is her staged arrest.
Seems pretty calm there, Randi.
Now when you go on the AFT website and start to look at the
charter-friendly historical revisionism that Randi's lawyer chums have put
together there for teacher consumption, it is hard to see why Randi would
be in Philadelphia getting her arrested to stop the spread of charter
schools, which she obviously embraces. From AFT's website:
... more »
But Their Tailors Make You GULP! (Banks WERE and ARE Insolvent: This Is the Biggest Transfer of Wealth in History, As the Giant Banks Have Handed their Toxic Debts from Fraudulent Activities to the Countries and Their People (We Bailed Out Foreign Banks Too!))
Paul Krugman thinks we have to approach our "special needs" audience (and
it's not the one you're thinking of first) carefully when we explain the
economic facts of life to them. I understand where this comes from: It
comes from many years of electoral defeats and always feeling that, going
all the way back to Ronald Reagan, always finding that you needed to appeal
to conservative voters — and
Ed Miliband's Zionism lasted less than 24 hours. But he's made it clear he is a friend of Israel, and that's enough – Telegraph Blogs
Interesting article but I disagree with the conclusion:
'Ed Miliband may have been a Zionist for less than 24 hours. But he has
made clear he is Israel's friend. It's enough.'
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danhodges/100206135/ed-milibands-zionism-lasted-less-than-24-hours-but-hes-made-it-clear-he-is-a-friend-of-israel-and-thats-enough
Ed Miliband is a friend of the powerful Trade Union leaders who made him
Labour party leader. That's about it. He's no friend of Israel or he'd
have
taken action against Ken Livingstone and those Labour MPs who have
'issues'
with Israel.
Shortest Bill Ever-- Seeks To End The Obama-Boehner Sequester
It may not be sophisticated but it sure does get right to the point. H.R.
900 was introduced last week by Alan Grayson (D-FL) and John Conyers
(D-MI). Here's the whole bill:
*Section 251A of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of
1985 is repealed.*
Grayson and Conyers introduced it on February 28 and since then, 13 other
progressives signed on as co-sponsors:
Matt Cartwright (D-PA)
Keith Ellison (D-MN)
Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX)
Hank Johnson (D-GA)
Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ)
Frederica Wilson (D-FL)
Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR)
John Lewis (D-GA)
Betty... more »
Read Stuff, You Should
Happy Birthday to Dick Allen, 71. 19th all time in OPS+. Classic fringe
HOFer; could be the answer to "which player makes for the best HOF
argument?"
Plenty of good stuff:
1. Greg Koger on the Rand Paul filibuster.
2. Conservative think tanks and the states, from Patrick Caldwell.
3. Abortion, the Jews, and religious freedom, from Sarah Posner.
4. Andrew Sullivan on marriage and democracy.
5. If you believe that the reason the United States shouldn't run budget
deficits is because it will turn into Greece, you really should read Matt
O'Brien on why that's nonsense.
6. Andrew Spr... more »
Double Dog Dare - To ALEC State Chairs
*In an October 2010 Press Release ALEC stated:*
ALEC is a private organization similar to membership organizations such as
the YMCA. Federal law allows non-profits to protect the privacy of
non-profit donors, but requires all non-profits to publicly disclose annual
financial reports.
No - ALEC is not like the YMCA
I question why it was important in this press release for ALEC to justify
the secrecy of its member list, by noting that they allowed by "Federal
law" to "protect the privacy" of their donors.
In my opinion the US public has the right to know who is a card carrying, ... more »
Are Journalists Exempt From Overtime?
A $660,000 settlement for reporters recently caused both celebration and
ire in the journalism community. The celebration was for a victory on
behalf of hard-working reporters everywhere. Many reporters work deadly
hours for little pay. This decision provides them with some relief,
requiring newspapers to pay them overtime for any week they work over 40
hours.
The consternation was caused by the reason for the settlement. The basis
for the suit was that journalists are not "creative professionals." This
left some reporters shaking their heads. Not creative? But I'm a writer! Of
cou... more »
Media : Chavez failed to build gigantic skyscrapers
Many vile and stupid editorials have been written about Venezuelan
president Hugo Chávez following his death on March 5 from cancer, but none
of them are quite as honest as this one from business writers at Associated
Press* :*
*
*Little Reaction In Oil Market To Chavez Death
"Chavez invested Venezuela's oil wealth into social programs including
state-run food markets, cash benefits for poor families, free health
clinics and education programs. But those gains were meager compared with
the spectacular construction projects that oil riches spurred in glittering
Middle Eastern citie... more »
Imprisoning The Disadvantaged
Howard Sapers, the ombudsman for Corrections Canada, released a report
yesterday on the aboriginal population in this nation's prisons. His
findings should disturb all Canadians, native and non-native. The lead
editorial in today's *Toronto Star *repeats some of Sapers' findings:
Sapers points out that the 3,400 First Nations, Metis and Inuit prisoners
in federal prisons account for 23 per cent of inmates, up from 17 per cent
a decade ago, even though aboriginals are just 4 per cent of the general
population. And the trend shows no sign of abating any time soon.
While Canadian ... more »
DWP Benefit Cap Briefing
The government's attack on and stigmatisation of social security recipients
begins in earnest from April. We have seen the rhetoric, and now comes the
punishment. To prepare MPs and councillors for the change, the briefing
below about the benefit cap has been circulated by the Department for Work
and Pensions explaining what's happening and why. Only a small minority of
recipients will be directly affected - after all, you're more likely to
encounter a Tory with a conscience than someone who receives in excess of
£25k from the state. That said, it's housing benefit/the landlord subs... more »
Voir Dire
A voir dire is a “trial within a trial”. It is used to determine conditions
precedent to the admission or exclusion of evidence. The voir dire may
dispose of the entire case - - if the evidence is excluded the prosecution
may fail - - or the voir dire may deal with a relatively minor point.
Nevertheless, regardless of how complex or simple a voir dire is a separate
proceeding from the trial itself. Accordingly, the evidence heard on the
voir dire does not, unless there is agreement by the parties, form part of
the evidence at trial.
It is critically important to note that the voir ... more »
Geo-engineering is the greatest cause of Global Warming
GEO-ENGINEERING DOOM IS ON!!!!!!!! according to Dane Wigington of Geo-engineering
Watch.
"These geo-engineering particulates SHRED ozone, period," he says early
into his haarp/chemtrails horror story, "Methane expulsion is being
TRIGGERED by geo-engineering, and we're talking a couple of years, from
now. Geo-engineering is about sixty years old already and ozone holes have
nothing to do with CFCs."
The audio is part of a teleconference call between Russ Tanner (Global
Skywatch) and Dane Wigington (WIWATS/Activist).
*The concept of geoengineering has two meanings: The science of m... more »
Bonnie Tyler - a tale of two songs
Bonnie Tyler has been selected to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song
Contest on 18 May. This is the song selected - 'Believe In Me'
It's innocuous but won't win Eurovision. Here's a song that could...
'Total Eclipse of the Heart' - Pure rock ballad gold!
And because I love it, here's the 'literal' version of Total Eclipse of the
Heart - brilliant!
Untitled
*New Orleans Boat Show this weekend*
*La. nuclear plant "near miss" cited*
*Neighbors complain N.O. water plant staining property with diesel
smelling substance* *BP Oil Spill Payout May Be Billions Higher Than
Initially Expected, New Court Ruling Shows *
*Elysian Fields, a novel by Mark LaFlaur* *Review: Booty's Street Food ~Ian
McNulty* *Young jazz musicians heading to Preservation Hall*
Stacking Boards: Seating the "Reform Majority"
Guest Post by John Harris Loflin of the Education-Community Action Team,
Indianapolis
*National agenda to seat "reform majority" school boards in key cities *
*
*
*“Lead the effort to seat ‘reform majority’ school boards in several key
cities.” *
~ Democrats for Education Reform, “A Year of Impact” 2012 DfER
accomplishment
It looks like the January 7, 2013 Stand for Children (SfC) “celebration”
for their 3 endorsed IPS school board commissioners (Arnold, Cosby, and
Hannon) is one more of many this national lobbyist group conducts.
SfC also “celebrated” the August 2012 election of... more »
Ancient Insects Confirm Biodiversity Hypothesis
This is a little unexpected but worth noting. It also suggests that coming
out of the Ice Age, there has been an additional change in seasonality that
may not yet be accounted for in terms of local diversity. Certainly that is
true in terms of the vegetation as a review of post Ice Age flora would
suggest. There may be merit in establishing unoccupied niches and then
setting out to fill them if it is beneficial. At least such a strategy
would be superior to accidental release.
We should at least establish the likelihood of such unoccupied niches.
From that perspective, the intro... more »
Giant Sloth Photographs
This is pay dirt. We have two or three separate photos of the same creature
and its conforms to my expectations for a Giant Sloth. They also
immediately recall our Bronze Age stone sculptures from the island of Delos
in the Aegean. From them we already knew that our Giant Sloth did not sport
a giant belly.
Once again, no others are actually identifying this creature except to
observe what it is clearly not. It is certainly not anything we know and
most surely it is not a guy in a monkey suit.
We have now shifted out almost a dozen separate reports that strongly
characterize th... more »
Worst Drought in 1,000 Years Could Begin in Eight Years
The last mega drought all occurred during the medieval warm period. This
work warns us that we are justly setting up for a repeat episode. However
it also informs us that a sustained warm period is the instrument that
drives these droughts. If anything we get better resolution of the actual
detail.
If the present warm spell is sustained, then it is reasonable that the
warmth will be more extensive as we progress. It is quite possible that the
Arctic must warm a lot more before we reach spring back point that changes
the ocean dynamics enough to cause an abrupt temperature drop.... more »
Twenty Percent Life Extension
The surprise here is that there is a biochemical pathway triggered by a
cooler body core. This is what produces the extended lifespan. Even better,
it appears that the pathway is also triggered by wasabi of all things. That
strongly suggests a supplement can be produced to produce the same result.
A twenty percent improvement is not insignificant and for most it is the
difference between an eighty year life span expectation and a ninety six
year life span expectation. Even better, it can shove the retirement age
expectation from sixty five through to seventy eight.
The inference... more »
Greg Hunter, “Weekly News Wrap-Up 3.8.13”
* “Weekly News Wrap-Up 3.8.13”*
By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com
“The answer is NO. The president cannot kill Americans on U.S. soil with a
drone attack who are not engaged in combat. It took a gutsy 13 hour
filibuster from Senator Rand Paul and some other Republican and Democratic
Senators to get that answer from the White House. When liberal Democrat
Ron Wyden joined the Republicans, it became very hard to blow it off as
partisan politics. My question is where have the liberals been? Actually,
some liberals stepped up today and applauded Senators Paul and Wyden for
asking th... more »
Transport Econ 8: Removing MRT and LRT Fare Subsidy
.jpg)
The MRT line from North Avenue in QC to Taft Avenue in Pasay is the most
congested among the three urban train systems in Metro Manila. At rush
hours, it is relatively common that passengers in midway stations are
“bypassed” once, twice or even thrice and wait for the next train as the
trains are so packed with so many passengers.
There is a new program by the Department of Transportation and
Communications (DOTC) to help decongest the trains. They are fielding buses
that will pick up passengers at North Avenue station only and stop only at
the last three stations -- Ayala, Magal... more »
'ADAM LANZA DID NOT STAY AT 36 YOGANANDA ST.'
*Hi, my name is Ryan Lanza.*
"Using a real estate database", a videomaker called
"1mYourGh0st" reportedly established that Adam Lanza did not stay at the
'Lanza home, at 36 Yogananda Street', near Sandy Hook.
The video in question appears to have been deleted.
*Another video by 1mYourGh0st*
Reportedly:
The Lanza house, at 36 Yogananda Street, was built in 1998.
The records show that the home was purchased by the Lanzas in July 1998.
The records show Ryan Lanza lived at 36 Yogananda Street.
Under the part of the results which list "other people at this address" the
following nam... more »
ATLAS: 3-sigma excess of \(420\GeV\) type III seesaw heavy fermions
I am carefully following all the new preprints by ATLAS and CMS that are
currently being presented at the Moriond 2013 conference so that you don't
have to. So far, everything is compatible with the Standard Model including
the \(126\GeV\) Higgs boson and the latter beast is still behaving as
obediently as the Standard Model assumes. If something changes about these
statements, you will probably learn about it on this blog almost instantly.
However, there's an interesting 3-sigma anomaly in an otherwise obscure
search so let me tell you what it is.
It appears in the following pre... more »
UN on Space Weather - Sun driver of our climate?
address-withheld@my.opera.com.invalid (Dr. John v. Kampen) at - 11 hours ago
Link: http://youtu.be/07z7o8pX8Wc
The last minute seems most interesting for those still believing in '*global
* warming'. Although they are right (!) when we wait another few million
years (when the Sun gets old and starts to expand to reduce CO2 levels
below those necessary to sustain life, finally possibly engulfing our planet),
it isn't what many believers mean. To my opinion it is significant that the
UN now initiates ISWI and action on the phenomenon of 'space weather',
whereas NASA Science in this movie brings up the subject of the Maunder
Minimum that had a profound impact o... more »
Election Watch 4: Senatoriables on Healthcare
Last Monday, March 04, I attended the “2013 Senatorial Elections: A
Universal Health Care Forum” held at Traders Hotel, Manila. The event was
jointly sponsored by the UHC Study Group, Pharmaceutical and Healthcare
Association of the Philippines (PHAP), AIM-Zuellig Center for Asian
Business Transformation, and the Journalism for Nation Building Foundation.
There were many media people who came.
Three candidates from Team PNoy were invited (or accepted the invite?) that
day, Ms. Risa Hontiveros of Akbayan Party, former Senator Ramon “Jun”
Magsaysay, and Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero... more »
The Great Shift. Also Known As The Great Snow Job. John Ibbitson And Darrell Bricker At Work.
This Year’s ‘Absolutely Must Not Read’ Book.
*The Great Shift. Also Known As The Great Snow Job. John Ibbitson And
Darrell Bricker At Work.*
Written by Robin Mathews
rmathews@telus.net
To start, Darrell Bricker was Stephen Harper’s paid boy on Public Opinion
Research. John Ibbitson is and has been a front worker … forever …for the
Stephen Harper-supporting Globe and Mail.
Canadians don’t really need to be told any more. The book – as I see it,
and I’ve only read parts – appears to be one of those fake Social
Scientific (... more »
Samira Ibrahim update
It seems that the US State Department has been shamed by the outing of
Samira Ibrahim as a spreader of anti-Semitic and anti-American hate speech
and has postponed / cancelled her award.
'Ibrahim herself has spoken, writing in Arabic on her Twitter page.
Egyptian democracy activist Mina Rezkalla provides the translation: "I
refuse to apologize to the Zionist lobby in America regarding my previous
anti-Zionist statements under pressure from American government therefore
they withdrew the award."'
More here - http://israelmatzav.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/so-she-lied.html
You'd have th... more »
March 7, 1973
Pat Gray's fourth day of testimony at the Justice Committee.
Nixon's morning meeting with John Dean has a much different tone than
yesterday's. After a third day of terrible news stories from Gray's
testimony, Nixon is fed up. He hits on a scheme. They'll feed a committee
Republican questions about...you guessed it: LBJ tapping Nixon's campaign
plane in 1968. Then, when Gray denies that the FBI had anything to do with
it, Nixon can reveal that he himself told Gray that Hoover had told Nixon
about it, thus trapping Gray in a lie and forcing him to quit.
It's a nice fantasy, albeit ... more »
You are far more powerful and wise than you dare to give yourselves credit for.
*You… are far more powerful and wise than you dare to give yourselves
credit for.*
March 7, 2013 in Michael, Ron's Channeled Messages
Michael
We would speak at this time of the changes which are occurring to your
earthly home and which are largely being ignored by your media and by your
governments.
The information is reaching you, however. Not all of it, but quite a lot.
You are seeing daily reports of earthquakes, volcanoes, sinkholes, floods,
and storms. It is true that some things were intensified, if not created
by human interference. This is not so much the case now, ... more »
Obama and his advisers plan his trip to the Middle East
Barack Obama and his advisers plan his trip to the Middle East; why Israel?
Mining 7: Mining Taxation and Government
* This is my 3rd guest post in antipinoy.com.
----------
The large-scale mining sector is probably the most taxed sector in the
country. National taxes and fees include corporate income tax, tax on
stockholders dividends (local and foreign), excise tax, value added tax
(VAT), capital gains tax, documentary stamp tax, tax on bank interest, tax
on interest payment for foreign loans, vehicle registration tax, import tax
for mining equipment and heavy machineries, royalties to indigenous
communities, mine tailing fees and occupation fees.
Local taxes include community tax, business p... more »
Día Internacional de la mujer
Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
Patriotic syriac/aramaic song (English Subtitles)
Church of the Virgin Mary, Tur Abdin.
*Wikipedia:*
Tur Abdin is a hilly region of south east Turkey incorporating the eastern
half of Mardin Province, and Şırnak Province west of the Tigris, on the
border with Syria. The name 'Tur Abdin' is from the Syriac language meaning
'mountain of the servants (of God)'. Tur Abdin is of great importance to
Syriac Orthodox Christians, for whom the region used to be a monastic and
cultural heartland. The Assyrian/Syriac people of Tur Abdin call themselves
Suroye and Suryoye and traditionally speak an Aramaic dialect called Turoyo.
Title: Patr... more »
Scottish independence: Leak reveals SNP fears over finances - UK Politics - UK - The Independent
The Independent reveals that:
'The Scottish government was accused of "covering up" its private fears
that it would struggle to pay its bills if next year's referendum produces
a vote in favour of breaking away from the United Kingdom.
Fresh acrimony was injected into the independence campaign after the leak
of a paper by John Swinney, the SNP finance minister, which warned
colleagues that the nation's finances – and its ability to afford pensions
and public services - would be imperilled by fluctuating oil prices and the
cost of an ageing population.
He said the cost of collectin... more »
Close enough for government work: Alberta Tories manage to hold their centre-right turf
Finance Minister Doug Horner preps Albertans for yesterday’s budget. Actual
Alberta finance ministers may not appear exactly as illustrated – but
that’s the trick, isn’t it? Below: The real Doug Horner. All in all, I
guess, you could make a good case this was a pretty lousy budget. It’s
deeply confusing, as without any doubt ... more »
The Power of Perception
In our last SURVEY we asked: *"In 10 years do you believe that the country,
which you live in, will be implementing more environmental policies?"* The
majority of participants, 47%, said yes ... 35% said they didn't know ...
and 17% answered no. As I thought about the answers and read the comments,
it occurred to me that it's all about perception ... and our perceptions
are based on fact, right? Or are they?
What if it's the other way around ... what if fact is actually driven by
perception?
Consider this ... when we perceive that the economy is getting stronger, we
may go out to ... more »
Is The GOP Ready To Bet The House-- And The Senate-- On Jebediah Bush?
author
Even Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham were banging their heads on the table
yesterday after Jeb Bush's clumsy self-insertion into the immigration
debate. Apparently his ghost writer never bothered to tell him his book, *Immigration
Wars*, had just come out with a closed door against a path to citizenship
and, just as apparently, he seems to have forgotten his *Wall Street Journal
* OpEd from way back over a month ago.
The only alternatives to increased immigration are mounting debts or
reduced social services. A practicable system of work-based immigration for
both high-skille... more »
Epicurus Quote Regarding Death.
Reading by Bernard Hill. Source: YouTube user 'ThatsSoInane.'
Musical Interlude: Josh Groban, “Remember When it Rained”
Josh Groban, “Remember When it Rained”
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-SKYk0iy5U
Climate change forcing thousands in Bangladesh into slums of Dhaka
[image: Taslima Masud with daughter Karima and husband Mohammed live in
Korail, Dhaka's biggest slum, along with as many as 40,000 other climate
change refugees. Photo: Raveena Aulakh / Toronto Star]
By Raveena Aulakh
16 February 2013
(Toronto Star) – Masud, 19, lives in Korail, Dhaka’s largest slum. Its
roughly 70,000 residents dwell in the shadow of the affluent Gulshan
neighbourhood, with its mansions, restaurants, and western-style shopping
centres.
Masud, her husband Mohammed, and their year-old daughter Karima share a
one-room shanty that can be crossed in two strides. It... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“This helmet-shaped cosmic cloud with wing-like appendages is popularly
called Thor's Helmet. Heroically sized even for a Norse god, Thor's Helmet
is about 30 light-years across. In fact, the helmet is actually more like
an interstellar bubble, blown as a fast wind from the bright, massive star
near the bubble's center sweeps through a surrounding molecular cloud.
*Click image for larger size.*
Known as a Wolf-Rayet star, the central star is an extremely hot giant
thought to be in a brief, pre-supernova stage of evolution. Cataloged as
NGC 2359, the nebula is located about 15,0... more »
Chet Raymo, “The Perils of Anthropomorphism”
*“The Perils of Anthropomorphism”*
by Chet Raymo
"When I was a kid one of the most popular shows on the radio (and later
television) was Twenty Questions. Twenty questions to guess the secret
thing: animal, vegetable, or mineral. As I recall, the first question was
often "Is it bigger than a breadbox?" I can't remember the last time I saw
a breadbox. I just looked at an episode of the show on YouTube and it seems
as long ago and far away as breadboxes. Nevertheless, I was thinking "Is it
bigger than a breadbox?" when I was watching the ant in yesterday's post.
It would take a... more »
Christy Clark, Back-in(g) Black, Unicorns and Ponies, $Trillion Dollar Fantasy Exposed
Christy Clark read a ministerial statement today in our legislature, this
is her second ministerial statement in the last week, the first statement
on Monday was her public apology over the ethnicgate scandal, today Christy
Clark dove back into a future-world filled with unicorns and shiny ponies,
Christy Clark`s ministerial statement today praised David Black`s refinery
proposal, she called him a great Canadian, a visionary, Clark spoke in
terms of this proposal being a once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity, right up
there with her $trillion dollar LNG scheme..
Christy Clark is right a... more »
PRESENTE!
Huge numbers of Venezuelans marched in support of Hugo Chavez today in
Caracas!
A chill descends on locust-licking Israeli gourmands -- are the little buggers kosher?
Haaretz caption: *"A Thai laborer showing off fried locusts. Clouds of
pests crossed the border with Egypt, worrying farmers."*
*"We've allowed the desert locust common in Israel, which arrived in 2005,
for consumption, because it's traditionally called locust. As for the
current ones I don't know. Bring me two or three, I'll tell you right away
whether you can eat it or not."*
*-- Rabbi Schneur Zalman Revach, of Israel's Institute
for the Study of Agricultural Torah Commandments*
*by Ken*
The wail of apprehension that can be heard rising over Israel's southern
desert may be the so... more »
Life Skills: “8 Lessons I Learned This Birthday”
*“8 Lessons I Learned This Birthday”*
by Amy Chan
"Recently, I celebrated another birthday. As I look back at how quickly
time passes, I am amazed at how much can change in a matter of a year. I
think we go through cycles of change - when the complete unexpected throws
you off your equilibrium -giving you the opportunity to reassess and
recalibrate. This past year was one of those cycles for me - and slowly but
surely the pieces that were thrown up in the air are falling into place. At
a time of reflection, I'd like to share with you some of the things I have
learned.
*1. ... more »
British bred Blue-throated Macaws to be released in Bolivia
Rare macaws bred in Cornwall to be flown to Bolivia
[image: Blue-throated Macaw - Pic: Michelle Turton] The trust said about
130 blue-throated macaws survived in the wild
Related Stories
- Race starts to save rare macaws
- Smuggled birds hatch first chick
- Rare chicks reared at attraction
Six rare parrots which have been bred in Cornwall are being flown to a new
life in the wild in Bolivia.
The Blue Throated Macaws are heading to South America, 6,000 miles away
(9,660 km) from their home at Paradise Park in Hayle.
It is part of a project to re-populate parrots in ... more »
He Ate as Many as He Could Get
“I know what you’re thinking about,” said Tweedledum; “but it isn’t so,
nohow.”
“Contrariwise,” continued Tweedledee, “if it was so, it might be; and if it
were so, it would be; but as it isn’t, it ain’t. That’s logic.”
source
Yesterday, the Koch Brothers stopped by Wit's End for an unexpected visit.
Seriously...I'm sure it was a random blunder from trolling through the
blogosphere, with their hired minions little realizing, I suppose, that
they had gone down the Rabbit's Hole. Henceforth the misconceived duo will
be known, here at least, as their misanthropic alter-egos, Tweedledee... more »
DRONES & FREE SPEECH
- About a dozen of us from around the state went to Augusta today for
the second joint Judiciary Committee hearing on the drone bill for Maine.
The committee tabled the bill for three weeks which in a way is good
because it gives us more time to organize. On the other hand the tabling of
the bill indicates that forces are moving to try to block any ban or
regulation of surveillance drones in Maine. In fact Maine's Attorney
General does not like the bill, wants to divert it to a study (that would
likely require funding and in this fiscal climate could mean... more »
“US Debt- Visualized In Physical $100 Bills”
*“US Debt- Visualized In Physical $100 Bills”*
by Moonbattery
“While Obama stages theater of the absurd by squeezing misery out of a
slight temporary reduction in government growth, here’s what his government
is doing to our future:
No matter how irresponsibly people vote, they cannot avoid the upcoming
fork in the road. Our options are default and Zimbabwe-style
hyperinflation. Neither will be pretty.”
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=iTBODoBaCns
- http://moonbattery.com/?p=26699
Wandervogel
Title: Wandervogel. YouTube Video Description - [Source - sandraelflein]:
Sandra Elflein: Gesang, Gitarre,Flöte,Geige
Musik Sandra elflein,Text Emanuel Geibel
Ich sah den Wald sich färben,
Die Luft war grau und stumm;
Mir war betrübt zum Sterben,
Und wusst' es kaum, warum.
Durchs Feld vom Herbstgestäude
Hertrieb das dürre Laub;
Da dacht' ich: deine Freude
Ward so des Windes Raub.
Dein Lenz, der blütenvolle,
Dein reicher Sommer schwand;
An die gefrorne Scholle
Bist du nun festgebannt.
Da plötzlich floss ein klares
Getön in Lüften hoch:
Ein Wandervogel war es,
Der nach dem Süden ... more »
Untitled
Despite mayor’s flipflop on decree, city winnows list of would-be police
monitors ~Tom Gogola, *The Lens*
Greg Ip's Little Book
A terrific, very quick, and nontechnical introduction in economics (more
macro than micro) is Greg Ip's *Little Book of Economics*. In case you
don't know him, Greg writes for *The Economist* magazine and was previously
at the *Wall Street Journal*. He now has a new edition of his book,
together with an online guide to suggested readings.
Carl Levin
The Senator from Michigan retires, giving Sherrod Brown the undisputed
title of Most Rumpled Senator but leaving Most Jewish Looking Senator up
for debate. Levin has been an excellent Senator for years, a workhorse and
not a showhorse.
You know what I'm looking at. Levin will be 80 when the 114th Senate
convenes without him. Of the eight who have announced retirement since the
election (including DeMint and Kerry), the youngest is DeMint, who will be
63 then, and six will be 70 or older. Ed Markey, likely new Senator from
Massachusetts, doesn't help, but Tim Scott does -- and overal... more »
Tenneseeans Gear Up to Fight Vouchers and Charters
From Standing Together 4 Strong Community Schools. Join here and here:
A Netfix For Children's Books?
Netflix for Children’s books sounds interesting but hasn’t Amazon already
put a stake in the ground with their ‘FreeTime’ start-up service?
US start-up *Sproutkin*, is a new US subscription service for books for
children aged between 0 and 3 and 3 and 6. Like a book club it is based
regular shipments of up to ten new books to its older members and some two
to four books for its younger members. All members pay a monthly
subscription of $24.99. It also works with a small educational advisory
board to select its books to ensure their selections are relevant and
quality. It aims to c... more »
Fighting for Cummins Hill
Allies in the struggle against the Tennessee Gas Pipeline from the Energy
Action Coalition came to stay with us for a day, and film part of the
struggle to prevent clear cutting on Cummins Hill, in Milford, PA. For a
number of days after Gifford Pinchot's tree sit ended, local residents
simply stood in the road as a tactic to prevent clear cutting. This last
stand of trees in the pipeline right of way along Cummins Hill was
eventually cut after police arrived early in the morning on March 4th, and
prevent residents from occupying the side of the road. The action to stop
these tre... more »
Canada glaciers face ‘big losses’ – ‘The processes that are currently ongoing will continue and be re-enforced, so the mass loss will increase in time’
[image: Ice lake, or supraglacial lake on Belcher Glacier, Devon Island,
Nunavut, Canada. Surface melt water can pond on the surface of the glacier
forming large lakes that can drain within hours. Photo: Angus Duncan /
University of Alberta]
By Jonathan Amos, Science correspondent
7 March 2013
(BBC News) – The glaciers of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago will undergo a
dramatic retreat this century if warming projections hold true.
A new study suggests the region's ice fields could lose perhaps as much as
a fifth of their volume.
Such a melt would add 3.5cm to the height of the w... more »
Chicken and Egg: Technology and Content?
We often assume that those driving the market and the leading marketplace
are the same and would expect to find the US number one in intellectual
property, its ownership, creation and consumption. With the exception of
the far eastern players, such as Samsung, Sony, LG, etc. the technology
drivers and leaders all have strong US origins and bases, but the content ,
or IP drivers are outside of that marketplace.
In an interesting blog post ‘Foreign Ownership of Firms in IP-Intensive
Industries’ by Jonathan Bland , he highlights how the actual ownership is
often outside of the US c... more »
Private Nuisance
*Antrim Truck Centre Ltd. v. Ontario (Transportation),* 2013 SCC 13,
released today, has a useful discussion of private nuisance:
[19] The elements of a claim in private nuisance
have often been expressed in terms of a two-part test of this nature: to
support a claim in private nuisance the interference with the owner’s use
or enjoyment of land must be both *substantial* and *unreasonable*. A
substantial interference with property is one that is non-trivial. Where
this threshold is met, the inquiry proceeds to the reasonableness analysis,
which is concerned ... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Maisons-alfort, Ile-de-France, France. Thanks for stopping by.
Are we becoming Germany?...
*some people think so.*
*From: Washington's Blog*
*Americans – Like Nazi Germans – Don’t Notice that All of Our Rights Are
Slipping Away*
Americans Are Acting Like Slowly Boiling FrogsIn the classic history of
Nazi Germany, *They Thought They Were Free,* Milton Mayer writes:
“What happened here was the *gradual habituation of the people, little by
little*, to being governed by surprise; to receiving decisions deliberated
in secret; to believing that the situation was so complicated that the
government had to act on information which the people could not understand,
or so dangerous... more »
Why Are The Republicans Blocking Caitlin Halligan?
Senator Sessions (KKK-AL) knows what's best
Yesterday Dick Durbin puffed himself up and shook his fist at
obstructionist Republicans giggling at him, while he made believe he would
re-bring up filibuster reform if they don't stop gratuitous filibusters
against President Obama's nominees. They won't stop and he won't get
serious about filibuster reform. It's all typical senatorial bullshit. “I
hate to suggest this, but if this is an indication of where we’re headed,
we need to revisit the rules again. We need to go back to it again. I’m
sorry to say it because I-- was hopeful that a b... more »
Massimo Calabresi's 'Path To War'
(Credit: iPouya)
On February 28, TIME reporter Massimo Calabresi published a lengthy piece
on the Iranian nuclear program and the Obama Administration's attitude
toward it, notably reflecting the same, tired mainstream myopia and
uncritically accepted false choice over the Iranian nuclear program.
Calabresi quotes Netanyahu cipher Dennis Ross,
who served as Obama's senior Middle East
FRB: Press Release--Federal Reserve releases summary results of bank stress tests--March 7, 2013
'The nation's largest bank holding companies have continued to improve
their ability to withstand an extremely adverse hypothetical economic
scenario and are collectively in a much stronger capital position than
before the financial crisis, according to the summary results of bank
stress tests announced by the Federal Reserve on Thursday.'
So say the US Federal Reserve Why am I not feeling terribly reassured?
Is Rachel smarter than a third-grader!
*THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013*
*She can't seem to figure it out:* Last night, for the second straight
night, Rachel Maddow was trying hard to figure something out!
More than one hundred Republicans have signed a brief in support of
same-sex marriage. Many are former elected officials.
But only two of these Republicans are *current* office-holders. Question:
Why aren’t *current* office-holders willing to support same-sex marriage?
For the second night in a row, Rachel was trying, very hard, to work this
puzzle out:
MADDOW (3/6/13): *Nicolle [Wallace] is a former communications director ... more »
"Libertarian Porn”
*Guest post by Jeffrey Tucker*
Twitter began by calling it "libertarian porn" -- the longest and most
sustained attack on the State leviathan from the U.S. Senate floor in
modern history. But then it became more. And more. It went on for 13 hours.
It was about halfway through when the junior senator leaned over to an aide
and whispered: "Can I get a candy bar?"
He deserved it. Before the end of the night, the significance of what
he was doing was being described as "epic." What began as a surprise
political move became a bipartisan cry against all the evils of our times,
... more »
Dennis Tito's Mission to Mars
Writing of the passing of Hugo Chavez, Pamela Sampson of Associated Press
the criticises his government for lifting millions of Latin America's
poorest out of poverty. Instead, Chavez should have shelled out on vanity
projects. Leaving aside the amorality of their position, Sampson and the AP
have got it wrong. Fancy buildings are like so noughties, man. The
fashionable super rich with hundreds of millions in disposable income need
to get with the (space) programme.
There was a ripple of excitement in medialand a week or so ago when the
world's first space tourist, Dennis Tito, unv... more »
Iraq Casualty Figures For February 2013
There were conflicting numbers for casualties in February 2013. That has
been an on going trend between Iraq Body Count and the Iraqi government for
the last few years. Still, the two have followed roughly the same pattern
since 2011.
Iraq Body Count (IBC) and Baghdad’s numbers for deaths last month went in
different directions. IBC’s preliminary count was 349 in February 2013, almost
the same as January’s 341. Since 2011, Iraq Body Count has recorded a jump
in deaths in January as Shiite pilgrims were targeted. January 2013 was
slightly different, because not only were Shiites h... more »
Show Us Far
This clip from the American Museum of Natural History does an excellent job
of showing the scale of the universe from the Himalayas to the edge of the
known universe.
ROBBIE PARKER; ANNE GREENBERG; ALLISON WYATT; KEVIN ANZELLOTTI; MAURICE GREENBERG
*'Robbie Parker with Anne Levitman Greenberg' (female to the right)*
*
*
*Anne Levitman Greenberg.*
*
**Robbie Parker is alleged to be linked to Anne Greenberg who is reported
to be linked to Maurice Greenberg.*
"Maurice Greenberg is Honorary Vice Chairman and Director of the Council on
Foreign Relations and a member of David Rockefeller's Trilateral Commission
."
In the 1980s, President Reagan offer him the job of Deputy Director of the
CIA, "which he declined."
Maurice R. Greenberg - Wikipedia
In 1995, Maurice "Hank" Greenberg, was "floated as a possible" boss of the
CIA Directo... more »
"Stocks At New All Time Highs… But We’re All Poorer For It"!
*"Stocks At New All Time Highs… But We’re All Poorer For It"!*
By Graham Summers
"Stocks hit a new high in the Dow yesterday. CNBC cheered and Fed
economists everywhere patted each other on the back. The unfortunate
reality for this “success” is that it only works in nominal terms. A DOW at
14,296 vs. a DOW at 13,000 only means something if the rise in price occurs
against low inflation. If inflation was 10% during the time period that
this rise occurred, then you’ve not generated any actual wealth. At best
you’ve maintained your purchasing power. On that note, unfortunately f... more »
Rand Paul's filibuster
By now you've heard of the so-called epic talking filibuster on the Senate
floor yesterday. They're calling it "Rand Paul's filibuster" but it's not
really fair to give him sole ownership. Before it was over nearly every
crackpot con with an eye on an upcoming election, including Mitch
McConnell, had taken to the airwaves to do a little grandstanding for the
rubes back home.
I didn't watch it live myself. Listening to those self-serving hypocrites
makes me want to break crockery and I'm down to my last two dinner plates.
But I did follow the narrative on the twitters. By the end of... more »
Fading Constructs, Fear of the Unknown, Disinfo and Junk Yard Dogs
*A Fascinating Skype Chat w/the OPPT Trustees, Chris Hales & KP*
I found this dialogue to be well worth sharing, as it provides an inside
look into the OPPT and the purpose it has *ALREADY *served.
OPPT was/is a tool "that people could and would connect with what they
felt it represented...truth."
Note: The words inside parentheses (.....) represent emoticons...which we
use A LOT on Skype! Makes communicating more FUN!
I hope you all enjoy this exchange as much as I did.
Cheers,
~ Brian
*Italic red comments are from AK.*
Chris Hales
10:24 PM
Caleb - ... more »
The Real News: Rand Paul Filibusters Brennan CIA Appointment Over Drone Strikes
Americans were killed on U.S. soil by the U.S. government on 9/11.
Filibuster that!
"Viral Video Shows U.S. Wealth Inequality"
*"Viral Video Shows U.S. Wealth Inequality"*
By Deborah Dupre
"In only four days, a video on Mashable that began going viral Friday
showing the extent of United States inequality, has over 486 thousand
"Likes" and continues to climb on YouTube. The video also reflects why the
United States has one of the highest worst human rights violation levels in
the world. Charlie Rose writes for Mashable, "The issue of wealth
inequality across the United States is well known, but this video shows you
the extent of that imbalance in dramatic and graphic fashion." The video
also is demons... more »
Who Is Pete Peterson and How Did He Come So Easily To the Proud Role of Ruiner of the US Middle Class? The Deficit Is A Virtue, Not A Vice In Times of High Unemployment (The Sequester Is Obama's Fault Because He Has Played It Too Cute By Half)
"Too cute by half?" I like the ring of it. Especially as the nightmare
springing from the sequester picks up speed. Peter Peterson, founder and
chairman of Peter G. Peterson Foundation. (Photo: Lingjing Bao / Talk Radio
News) Is the role Pete Peterson's playing still confusing you? Pay
attention. For Christ's your own sake! Much like the many tentacles of the
Kochtopus, “Fix the Debt”
No time to cut entitlements
And for the love of all that is holy, please stop calling them
entitlements. They're earned benefits dammit. Still, Thomas B. Edsall
exposes the stupid in our inane national conversation about starving granny
to save the wealthy a few bucks in taxes. There is a simple fix to "save"
the programs:
Currently, earned income in excess of $113,700 is entirely exempt from the
6.2 percent payroll tax that funds Social Security benefits (employers pay
a matching 6.2 percent). 5.2 percent of working Americans make more than
$113,700 a year. Simply by eliminating the payroll tax earnings cap ... more »
Jimmy Kimmel: New Yorkers give their opinion about the new Pope...
*(who hasn't been elected yet.)*
H/T Philothea on Phire
Sorry for your loss and for our PM, Venezuela
If you, like the people of Venezuela, are appalled by PMSHithead's
sanctimonious anti-condolence message, you can send your own.
First, what he said. Note no mention of Chávez's family.
Harper said in his short statement on Tuesday that he hopes the death of
Chavez brings a more promising future for the Venezuelan people.
"At this key juncture, I hope the people of Venezuela can now build for
themselves a better, brighter future based on the principles of freedom,
democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights," Harper said in a
statement Tuesday evening.
Harper also said ... more »
Color Guard
Southern Daughter on duty at Fort Meade, MD.
Pics stolen from her friend's FB.
Why, yes, Southern Man *is* a Proud Navy Dad. Why do you ask?
Rand Paul and the Merkely Plan
No, Rand Paul's filibuster wasn't, as Josh Marshall thinks, "the best
argument of the need for reform" -- and particularly, for Jeff Merkley's
idea that current successful filibusters (that is, those where cloture
should not be invoked) should become talking filibusters.
Suppose, for example, that the Merkley plan went into effect this week. And
suppose Democrats nonetheless brought up the Halligan nomination. The
cloture vote happens, and fails, since every Republican but one opposes
cloture. Under the new rules, that triggers a talking filibuster.
What happens next? Republicans mu... more »
Vaginas Retaliate!
The University of Cincinnati recently played host to the campus-roving
display of huge nasty photos linking abortion to genocide and slavery and
bad breath. You know, the FetusMobile people.
Well, some smarty-pants students came up with an absolutely brilliant idea
and are pulling it off in spectacular fashion.
Nearly a dozen billboard-sized photos of vaginas in various states –
including shaved ones, others that are blemished, and still some with
tampons inserted – are slated for display today and tomorrow at the
University of Cincinnati as part of a student-sponsored “Re-Envision... more »
Police brutality: cops walk, again.
More evidence that cops are not subjected to the same *justice* system
standards that ordinary citizens are.
Two police officers charged after an incident with an elderly man that
court heard involved a Taser, won’t have to face trial since the case was
delayed too long.
RCMP Const. Mitchell Spears and Transit Police Const. Ken Jansen were both
charged with assault after an incident at Surrey Memorial Hospital with
patient Keith Booker that was witnessed by a nurse, court heard previously.
Spears, the officer who arrested Booker on April 22, 2010 and took him to
hospital, was also ... more »
Canada's Massive Glacier Melt
70-billion tonnes a year and accelerating. That is the amount of ice
Canada's Arctic glaciers are reported to be losing annually.
A peer-reviewed report, *Irreversible Mass Loss of Canadian Arctic
Archipelago Glaciers*, published in *GRL, Geophysical Research Letters*,
found that the world's third largest ice field, after Antarctica and
Greenland, will keep thinning ever faster until, by 2100, what remains will
be melting at 145-billion tonnes a year.
LOCAL DRONE ACTION
A citizen speaks before a Coeur d' Alene City Council meeting in which he calls for banning drones in that Idaho community. Eighteen state legislatures and many local communities are now considering (or have already passed) laws to ban, or at least, regulate drones.Related articles
get the Nazis out of our government(therearenosunglasses.wordpress.com)
The FBI's shameful recruitment of Nazi war criminals(blogs.reuters.com)
Off of Rand Paul's Website(thesexypolitico.com)
SPOTTED: Terrible Media Coverage of Rand Paul Filibuster(jthmishmash.com)
Rand Paul blows up the twitterverse: More than 1 million tweets sent during Paul's #epic filibuster(redalertpolitics.com)
John Yoo, Author of the Bush Torture Memos, Criticizes Rand Paul For Taking an Extreme Position on Drones(txwclp.org)
Rand Paul shifts political orbit(wnd.com)
ACLU Backs Paul's Filibuster(dprogram.net)
3 Takeaways from Rand Paul's #StandwithRand #Filibuster About Drone Strikes(reason.com)
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