Tuesday, May 28, 2013

28 May - Blogs I'm Following II

English: US airstrike during the battle of Tor...English: US airstrike during the battle of Tora Bora. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
10:30 pm MDST

Vishnu

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 5 minutes ago

Change The World Wednesday - Widening The Circle

Small Footprints at Reduce Footprints - 29 minutes ago
Welcome to Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)! Wondering how to live greener? You've come to the right place. Each week we challenge ourselves to try a new task ... or "amp up" something we're already doing. We raise our awareness, learn from each other and develop Eco-friendly skills which will improve our lives and protect our planet. Doing so together gives us power ... the power to Change The World! If this is your first visit, please click HERE for information and a complete list of all the challenges we've taken on so far. This post contains great information and I encourage ... more »

Inequality Grows In Sweden-- And So Do Social Tensions... And The Potential For A Backlash

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 30 minutes ago
Sunday evening, almost at the same moment I published a "How Safe Is Sweden?" post on my travel blog, Robert Reich tweeted a *Wall Street Journal * story about how growing economic inequality is fueling the social tensions between white Swedes and immigrants and the children of immigrants born in Sweden. The *Journal*, unlike European publication has pointed right to racism as a root cause of the 6 days of violent rioting and arson. One young man rioting near Husby last week told The Wall Street Journal: "If I had a job I wouldn't be here." The man, who declined to give his name ... more »

Ready For A Good Laugh: New Article States Osama Bin Laden "Blew Himself Up With Suicide Belt After Navy SEAL Shot Him In The Thigh"Claims Terror Leader's Former Bodyguard! (You Cannot Make This Stuff Up!)

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 57 minutes ago
It has now been well over 11 years since CIA agent, Osama Bin Laden, aka "Tim Osman" died due to complications from his failed kidneys..... He died in the Tora Bora region of northeastern Afghanistan and his death was announced in major world news reports, but of course... NOT in the United States (other than Fox News)..... It is therefore so sad that there are still those gullible suckers out there that actually believe the laughable lie that Osama Bin Laden died in a Navy SEAL assault on a "compound" in Pakistan over two years ago on May 2nd, 2011. It is so sickening to see the ... more »

Leaks and the limits of the First Amendment

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 1 hour ago
Walter Pincus gets to the heart of what's wrong with the media freakout about DoJ's leak investigations. Do read it all, it's short but here's the main point. The media may "just be doing their job" but the leaker is in breach of their contract. The leaker is breaking the law to give them the information. So why is it so damn scandalous for the DoJ to seek to enforce the law? That *is* their job. As Pincus points out: Applying labels such as co-conspirator provides a probable cause for the judge to grant the warrant, as in the Rosen case. If Rosen offered money or some other rewa... more »

Why the “peaceful majority” is irrelevant

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 2 hours ago
*"While it's true that jihadists don't represent most Muslims, they *do*represent Islam." * - Bosch Fawstin History lessons are often incredibly simple. As an Op-Ed once more doing the rounds makes clear, when the “silent majority” ignore atrocities carried out in their name, they share all the guilt of the perpetrators. I used to know a man whose family were German aristocracy prior to World War II. They owned a number of large industries and estates. I asked him how many German people were true Nazis, and the answer he gave has stuck with me and guided my attitude toward fanatic... more »

Everest!

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 2 hours ago
What was once a mountain has now become the world’s tallest metaphor.* And today, sixty years ago, was the day it was finally conquered. My favourite story of its conquering is possibly apocryphal, but still delightful. It’s said that when Hillary and Tenzing reached the top of Everest for the first time, Tenzing fell to his knees and gave thanks to the spirits that had helped their journey; he prayed to the gods and to each of the four winds, and he carefully placed in the ground a small stake on which prayer ribbons were attached. While he was doing this, Hillary stuck a flag ... more »

The Truth Was Still Putting on its Shoes - How Pseudoscience Came to Dominate the Concept of Healthy Eating

George Henderson at The High-fat Hep C Diet - 2 hours ago
Imagine you could restore health and lose weight by eating fats and protein and consuming fewer carbohydrates, i.e. sugar and grains. This was standard medical advice up until the late 1970s. Then the advice changed to “eat more grains and limit saturated fats”. The new “healthy eating” advice was never subjected to rigorous testing before the old advice, which had served society well, was ignominiously dumped. Are we, as a nation, now fitter, better nourished, and less disease prone as a result? The Kiwi ANZACs, widely considered to be the fittest troops in the Allied armies i... more »

Saluting the president's "star litigatrix"

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 3 hours ago
*White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler* -- *Sorry, no shoe shots* *"When you take a woman who has risen to a remarkable position, serving as the lawyer to the President of the United States of America, and you call her a “litigatrix” in “stunning 4-inch bright pink stiletto spikes,” you diminish her, her accomplishments, and all women."* *-- John Aravosis, in an Americablog post,* "Wash Post runs sexist story about White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler’s shoes" *by Ken* "Would the Washington Post," Americablog's John Aravosis asks, "write a story about Dan Pfeiffer’s “fabulous shoes”?... more »

German Fin Min Schauble warns of revolution ......Are we one year from Mad Max Time.........Geopolitics of Gold and just note the premium on gold coins at the US Mint - 40 percent ? Get yourselves ready folks............

fredw at Catharsis Ours - 3 hours ago
http://www.blacklistednews.com/German_Finance_Minister_Schaeuble_Warns_of_Revolution/26289/0/38/38/Y/M.html German Finance Minister Schaeuble Warns of RevolutionMay 28, 2013 Print Version *Source:* StratRisks Let the austerity backlash begin. Who knew that an excel error could cause so much social strife. Granted common sense would have got you there, but this is politics. German Finance Minister Schaeuble warned on Tuesday that unless Europe wins the battle against youth unemployment, revolution is a distinct possibility. The dreaded r-word came about as some corners push to reform ... more »

Liberty Reserve shutdown by DOJ , Bitcoin next in the sights of Big Government ?

fredw at Catharsis Ours - 3 hours ago
http://www.ticotimes.net/More-news/News-Briefs/Liberty-Reserve-A-cyberweb-of-intrigue_Tuesday-May-28-2013 Liberty Reserve: A cyberweb of intrigue Posted: Tuesday, May 28, 2013 - By David Boddiger and L. Arias A closer look at Arthur Budovsky and his digital currency site Liberty Reserve, closed last Thursday in conjunction with Budovsky’s arrest in Spain. [image: Prosecutor José Pablo González] Tico Times Costa Rican prosecutor José Pablo González announces Arthur Budovsky's arrest in Spain on Friday. *Screenshots from Telenoticias Channel 7* Flashy cars, lavish gifts, multiple identit... more »

Seven Pandas

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 4 hours ago

Fixing the IRS in a three quick steps ! In three years , you could change the IRS.......

fredw at Catharsis Ours - 4 hours ago
By now , most have followed the travails of the IRS - Gate scandals. The purpose of this post is not to pile on the IRS , but rather , consider a few possible steps forward. If I was POTUS what would I do ? 1) RESTORE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN THE IRS A) Revamping the IRS - Key words ... Fresh Blood in the Organization B) From Wikipedia , set forth below is a concise review of two areas for reform.... Current organization [edit] The 1980s saw a reorganization of the IRS. A bipartisan commission was created with several mandates, among them to increase customer service and improve coll... more »

Addendum to Schools Abducted: Despoliation of Community

Kuhio Kane at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 4 hours ago
I wrote the above article while navigating a vessel in a heavy wind. I made an egregious error. I AM not for the closing of public schools, especially those in large, urban areas. NOR would I encourage “urban blight.” What I intended to say was: If it comes to this, then let them take out […]

Schools Abducted: Despoliation of Community

Kuhio Kane at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 5 hours ago
Clearly, there are more and more parents educating themselves regarding testing in schools and how they can pull their kids out of testing. Not all parents can put their children under a homeschooling overseen by credentialed personnel. While we strive to keep our public schools public and free of the new reform movement that brings […]

NRA losing its firepower

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 5 hours ago
Alec MacGillis takes a long look at the battle over gun safety reform and finds NRA is losing its might in the fight. It's a longish read but this is the big takeaway. The narrow defeat of the background-check bill, it turns out, was not the end of hopes for gun reform, but the beginning. Newtown really did change everything and the the conventional wisdom is outdated. The NRA's power to swing elections is waning. Senator Chris Murphy, a rookie Connecticut Democrat who has taken a lead on the issue since the Newtown massacre, points out that, of the 16 Senate races the NRA partic... more »

Is your job worthwhile?

Sandra Guzman at Sandra Guzman - 5 hours ago
We spend a whopping 90,000 hours working over our lifetime. That is alotta hours people. So, the question that begs to be asked *and* answered is: is your job worthwhile? Or, does your job bring you meaning? Does it offer you joy? If the answers are no, no *and* no, know that you are in great company. *I hate my job:* Nearly 80 percent of Americans are dissatisfied with their jobs. We are living among a lot of unhappy folks. And its understandable. Many of us are living the lives that others planned or imagined for us--culture, society, family, community, and of course, we need t... more »

"How It Really Is"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago

Breakfast in bed. Almost.

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 5 hours ago
We used to say that New Zealanders imbibed statism with their mother’s milk. Prime Minister John Key confirmed yesterday that the state will now become the nation’s mother. Key has signed off on a programme in which the state, in the guise of provider, will hand out milk and cereal provided by others. Breakfast on the taxpayer, with Uncle John as host. Key dismisses criticism saying, "...if the child is not fed ... we know they don't learn... Really? We *know*? But as Lindsay Mitchell writes, “an Auckland University study undertaken across 14 low socio-economic schools where c... more »

Bello lugar para descansar a orilla del mar

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 5 hours ago
[image: Bello lugar para descansar a orillas del mar azul] *Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de lugares hermosos* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

Chica hermosa cortando hojas de colores

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 5 hours ago
[image: Chica hermosa cortando las hojas de colores] *Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de mujeres* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

Satire: “Syrian Rebels Urge McCain to Get Over Losing to Obama”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
* * *“Syrian Rebels Urge McCain to Get Over Losing to Obama”* by Andy Borowitz SYRIA (The Borowitz Report)— “During a meeting yesterday with Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), Syrian rebels told the senator that he still seemed “really bitter” about losing the 2008 election to President Obama and advised him to “get over it.” After meeting with the Arizona senator in the border region near Turkey, a spokesman for the Syrian rebels told reporters that while they appreciated Sen. McCain’s support, “We were kind of uncomfortable with the place it was coming from. It was pretty obvious to ... more »

Flor amarilla embelleciendo la cerca

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 5 hours ago
[image: Flor amarilla embelleciendo la cerca] *Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de flores* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

Japan's Disposable Population

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 6 hours ago
Majia here: This series of articles illustrates how the Japanese people have been cast as disposable by elements of the Japanese government and elements within the UN. A. Grover is an exception and as special rapporteur he has traveled to Japan on more than one occasion to advocate on the behalf of exposed Japanese citizens. Unfortunately, the broken, corrupt UN in general has sabotaged his work with their own useless report. * * The first article describes Grover's work. The second article, an analysis by the Asahi Shimbun, illustrates how the outrageous protective action g... more »

PM Stephen Harper May Have Met His Waterloo In Question Period .....

leftdog at Buckdog - 6 hours ago
*(Please forgive and endure the brief commercial prior to QP ...)* *Watch Harper's body language and especially watch Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's reaction to the grilling of the Prime Minister in Question Period today. * *CBC -Harper Faces Sharp Questions Over Duffy-Wright / Senate Scandal * [image: Progressive Bloggers]

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New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 6 hours ago
*Veteran reporter Jaquetta White joins The Advocate’s New Orleans staff*

Hermoso campo de lavanda con un cielo majestuoso

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 6 hours ago
[image: Hermoso campo de lavanda con un cielo majestuoso] *Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de lavanda* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

Fun with OECD indicators

Jody Paterson at A Closer Look: Jody Paterson - 6 hours ago
Hours of fun to be had with this cool graphic from the Organization for Economic Development. The OECD has put together a comparison of 36 countries based on 11 indicators associated with a better life, and a person could pass a lot of time clicking around the site and watching all the pretty flowers move up and down the scale of liveability. The indicators used by the OECD include housing, income, jobs, civic engagement, health, security and such - standard fare when talking about a country's liveability, but much easier to grasp in this highly visual presentation as opposed to the ... more »

Rio de agua clara junto a los árboles y montañas

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 6 hours ago
[image: Río de agua clara junto a los árboles y montañas] *Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de rios* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

Siluetas de delfines saltando en el oceano

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 6 hours ago
[image: Siluetas de delfines saltando en el oceano] *Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de delfines* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

Vívora enorme en espera de su presa

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 6 hours ago
[image: Vívora enorme en espera de su presa] *Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de vívoras* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

"Apple Is a Tax Dodger… You Should Be, Too"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 6 hours ago
* * *"Apple Is a Tax Dodger… You Should Be, Too" * by Alexander Green “There was a collective gasp in some quarters last week when it was revealed that technology giant Apple avoided taxes on billions of dollars in offshore profits. CEO Tim Cook will almost certainly catch plenty of flak in the weeks ahead. But shareholders can breathe easy. Apple is unlikely to pay an extra cent in taxes. And you would be well advised to follow its example. Here’s why… Apple did nothing illegal. It is simply playing the game that Congress created with the near-incomprehensible tax code. Hundreds... more »

The Science of Teacher Evaluation Manipulation

amurdie at Duck of Minerva - 6 hours ago
Hopefully, another semester has come to a close for you and you’re catching up on some much needed research/sleep. After I’ve doled out grades for my students, I usually get a nice big stack of evaluations of my teaching abilities, filled out by those very same students who squeaked by with a “C-“in my class. Continue reading

Frank Lloyd Wright: “The present education system is the trampling of the herd”

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 6 hours ago
A neat new book that’s perfect for your pocket compiles over 200 of architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s pithiest ponderings on different topics. Maria Popova has posted a few of her favourites on the topic of education, with links to related presentations from Ken Robinson, Richard Feynman, William Gibson et al, including some of these gems: “The present education system is the trampling of the herd.” (1956) “Cultivate the poet. The poet is the unacknowledged legislator of this universe and the sooner we knock under to that the better. Get Emerson’s essay on the American scholar and r... more »

Politico throws pity party for Boehner

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 7 hours ago
No need to read the Politico piece, it only states the obvious. Everybody knows the crackpot cons have taken control of the House and Boehner is powerless to stop them. Charlie's takedown of Tiger Beat on the Potomacgets to heart of the dysfunction. This remains the only story worth covering about how our government is operating — or, more accurately, failing to operate — in Washington, and it remains a story that TBOTP, among others, have failed dismally to cover. It is not an unfair summation of that passage to conclude that "most young conservatives" who have been elected to serv... more »

Are Harry Reid's Threats Working?

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 7 hours ago
Item: Sri Srinivasan was confirmed for the DC Circuit Court, the first Obama pick to reach that important bench. Item: District Judge nominee William Orrick was confirmed 56-41 on May 15 (with two Democrats and one Republican missing the vote); no cloture vote was taken. There was also a minor executive branch confirmation a week before that with a 53-45 vote, also without a cloture vote. Item: Rob Portman is apparently trying to cut a deal on the Cordray nomination for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, one of the "nullification" blockade filibusters. In the Roll Call articl... more »

LNG Premium Price Downward Spiral, The Perfect Storm For Buyers

Grant G at The Straight Goods - 7 hours ago
*Written by Grant G* Christy Clark and the BC Liberals entire 2013 platform was based on unrealistic LNG future revenues, the debt to be eliminated, sales tax to be shelved, bridge tolls removed, BC Ferries and BC Hydro debts eliminated as well as a promised prosperity fund worth $hundreds of billions of dollars for future generations. It`s time for the media, the mainstream media to do a little bit of the heavy lifting and start actually reporting the new reality of LNG pricing, why is this task left to a handful of online writers and bloggers, it`s not that I mind breaking vir... more »

It Wouldn't Be Hard For The NRCC To Defeat A Pack Of ConservaDems-- But They Can't Get Past Their Own Idiocy

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 7 hours ago
GOP idiots wasting their money John Barrow (Blue Dog-GA), Collin Peterson (Blue Dog-MN), Ron Barber (New Dem-AZ) and Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ) are 4 of the House Democrats who vote most frequently and most consistently with Republicans on key matters of policy. Defeating all four would be a boon for progressives because they would no longer be acting as a toxin within the party caucus and inside committees. Defeating them in primaries would be the best-- but defeating each of them is the goal. The NRCC is working towards realizing that already-- with a year and a half to go before electi... more »

Smoking Crack with DRUG DEALERS

noreply@blogger.com (fern hill) at DAMMIT JANET! - 7 hours ago
OK, so Ford Nation is apparently standing by their asshat guy. Mostly they're in denial that the video exists. On Twitter today Ezra LeRant aired a different theory. It's not just class. It's race. Rob Ford is the 1st black mayor. At least brown. Ask any cabbie or corner store owner maisonneuve.org/post/2013/05/2… — Ezra Levant (@ezralevant) May 28, 2013 Leaving aside the incredible racism of that, I decided to take the challenge (and I needed cigarettes). My local convenience store is owned by a bunch of brown guys. Not related as far as I can tell. Some, judging by accent, born ... more »

Why Obama's "Leadership" Is Bunkum

Short but sweet. Just another way of saying those with the gold intend on keeping the gold. Grow the fuck up. And figure it out. Or you die. Powerless and poor. From BTC News. Which rocks. This Is Why Democrats Can’t Have Nice ThingsBy Weldon Berger, on April 17th, 2013I’ve now read two opinion pieces, one by Charlie Pierce at Esquire last week and another by Jamelle Bouie at The

Oh, before I forget to mention it…

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 7 hours ago
I found all these great reports that basically prove without a doubt the major contentions of the education reform movement. I’m serious. Here they are, linked below based on each issue. Socioeconomic status does not predict educational outcomes. Competition for per-pupil expenditures improves student and parent satisfaction. Psychic Sylvia Brown predicts: “The Common Core will […]

Rod Liddle and the Economics of the Commentariat

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 7 hours ago
Apologies for the gratuitous Liddle shot. His latest piece in *The Spectator * is mercifully brief, although its short paragraphs condense the "iconoclastic" racism and anti-Islam bile we've come to expect. It's pointless trying to take down the piece through reasoned argument because Rod is now well and truly hitched himself to the bandwagon of professional controversialists. So let's take a scalpel - a figurative one, sadly - to Liddle and the company of metropolitan misanthropes he keeps. Rod, alongside his contemporaries Dan Hodges, Mel Phillips, and Brendan O'Neill all hail fro... more »

A Pig With Lipstick is Still a Pig, Not a Greyhound.

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 8 hours ago
Stephen Harper is still intent on saddling the RCAF with the F-35 light attack bomber. The so-called "reset button" that his government supposedly pushed to launch a full-blown fighter competition is being dismissed by some of Lockheed's competitors as a farce. Here's the thing. There won't be a valid competition without a fly-off that involves getting all the competitors up to Cold Lake to see how they each perform in various mission scenarios and against each other. That's not about to happen - mainly because the F-35 probably wouldn't do terribly well. That's mainly beca... more »

Woolwich aftermath: Increased support to terrorists in Syria; More funding for Police State; Total crackdown on Freedom

Rufus News From Atlantis at News From Atlantis. - 8 hours ago
As the dust settles following the State-ordained Woolwich incident, the reasons for this Zionist psychological operation are becoming ever clearer. The enemies of freedom needed an excuse to crush opposition to their evil plans, and when one did not present itself, the highly-publicised Woolwich event was created. There are those who argue that the man alleged to have been decapitated is still alive, and that Lee Rigby was just another actor. This is possible, but considering that the enemies of humanity were quite happy to murder thousands in New York City on the 11th September 2... more »

“The ‘Social Contract’ Is a Fraud”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 8 hours ago
* * *“The ‘Social Contract’ Is a Fraud”* by Bill Bonner “There are many theories to explain government. Most are nothing but scams, justifications and puffery. One tries to put something over on the common man... the other claims it was for his own good... and the third pretends that he'd be lost without it. Most are not really "theories" at all... but prescriptions, blueprints for creating the kind of government the "theorist" would like to have. Not surprisingly, the blueprints flatter his intellect and engage his imagination. The "social contract," for example, is a fraud. You... more »

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New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 8 hours ago
*Corps of Engineers concludes $10.3 billion, 98-mile-long Morganza to the Gulf levee is 'economically justified' ~Mark Schleifstein* *Peeling the onion ~American Zombie* *State Supreme Court ruling against vouchers means more money for Orleans Parish schools ~Jessica Williams, The Lens* *French Quarter Landmark Tujague’s Restaurant Will Remain In Family!*

René Guénon On The Illusion of Democracy

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 9 hours ago
Related: *René Guénon On The Need For Creating An Understanding Between The East And The West*. Below is an excerpt from René Guénon's 1927 book called, *"The Crisis of the Modern World."* Translated by Marco Pallis, Arthur Osborne, and Richard C. Nicholson. Sophia Perennis: Hillsdale, New York. 2004. Pg. 73-75. "The most decisive argument against democracy can be summed up in a few words: the higher cannot proceed from the lower, because the greater cannot proceed from the lesser; this is an absolute mathematical certainty that nothing can gainsay. And it should be remarked ... more »

Why Defining Terrorism Matters

Rational Insurgent at Duck of Minerva - 10 hours ago
This is a guest post by Karolina Lula, a PhD student at Rutgers-Newark. --------------- The terrorism industry has grown exponentially since 9/11. Whenever a terrorist attack occurs, a plethora of terrorism scholars eagerly spoon out their collective wisdom. The chance to be included in the over-caffeinated media spotlight justifies decades cooped up in small offices pouring over data. In a certain respect, terrorism scholars mirror their subject. They both love an audience. Despite their growing presence in the media, academics fail to persuade others about w... more »

The Real News - Corruption in Palestinian Government is Connected to Occupation

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 10 hours ago
The Real News - Corruption in Palestinian Government is Connected to Occupation. Description: Aman: the main reason for malpractices in the Palestinian government is the Israeli occupation, but reforms should be pursued nevertheless, as public demand for transparency and fair government is strong.

Huh?

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 10 hours ago
I was just watching *North West Tonight *on BBC One. Its political editor Arif Ansari presented the first of a three-part series on the history of the Militant Tendency, especially its role in Liverpool. There was an intriguing moment, however, when Arif said, "the Labour Party, which was pretty right-wing in the 60s and 70s." Right-wing compared to Militant maybe - and that's certainly how Militant themselves saw it - but actually "right-wing"? Really? When Labour had an 83% top rate tax and the commanding heights of the economy were in state hands? Shouldn't Arif have said, ... more »

John McCain visits NATO mercs in Syria via Turkey; Whitehouse aware

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 10 hours ago
Of course the White House was aware! Would anyone believe otherwise? I have heard it said that John McCain is insane? He isn't really, though. A psycopath, sure. Completely, evil/vile, yes. But ruthlessly, calculating and rational. The psychopathy and evil would be necessary attributes to consort with NATO's butchers, organ eaters, rapists and mass murdering killers. . Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames. White House Was Aware Of Republican's Plans But, his own daughter found out on twitter ?! Oh, my! They must be quite estranged? McCain, R-Ariz., a member of t... more »

Calling the Healers

Sophia Love at AMERICAN KABUKI - 10 hours ago
This is not a battle for conquest and defeat. The mindset for supremacy is what has led us into this time of revolution. The force propelling this movement now springs from our very essence. It is oneness. It is unity. It is love. Once balance is achieved, the ferocity of each engagement will change. Not today. Today our fiercest and most unwavering warriors are engaged around the clock. We are multi-dimensional and as such cannot be separated from every aspect of ourselves. You may have whispers of memory in your daily life – of negotiations, meetings, battles, c... more »

Your moment of Zen

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 10 hours ago
Welded shovel pinecones by Floyd Elzinga. [click to embiggen.]

Tiwesdæg: the Left-hand of Linkage

Daniel Nexon at Duck of Minerva - 10 hours ago
The Hong Kong Duck is back! Not much point in having the “best” military R&D in the world if a potential rival can steal your most important designs. A Law of the Sea symposium (and also) at Opinio Juris on “search and rescue operations.” LFC on Kennan’s opposition to the Vietnam War. Making the most out of Google dirigibles Continue reading

Real-time reports from the Washington Times!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 10 hours ago
*TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013* *It happened in Benghazi:* Scripted within an inch of her life, Sharyl Attkisson was deeply confused in a recent C-Span appearance. Attkisson just didn’t get it! She couldn’t *imagine* where people ever got the idea that a spontaneous demonstration had occurred in connection with the deadly Benghazi attack. Nor could she see how that stupid YouTube video ever got into the story. It must have been a giant deception! Cooked up by Hillary Clinton! Right from the very first night! Attkisson was either lying or she’s just crazy—you can take your pick. Her C-Span... more »

No Available Fix for Politician Paranoia

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 11 hours ago
I highly recommend a post by Ezra Klein today about money in politics. He's following up on an earlier item he did about money in the 2012 election cycle being overhyped; today he's taking on criticisms of that one. It's excellent: he doesn't back down on the basic point that the "campaign finance community" (as he puts it) overstates, and often dramatically overstates, the importance of campaign finance. One topic he covers, however, is one where I've become increasingly pessimistic over time: the way that raising money eats into the lives of elected officials. It's something that ... more »

Blue America Welcomes Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN)

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 11 hours ago
You may have noticed that lately, the noisy right-wing Hate Machine has decided to take a little energy out of their stream of hatred and calumny usually reserved for Nancy Pelosi, to focus it on Keith Ellison (D-MN). After all, Keith, a very outspoken and articulate co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and only 49, will be in Congress long after Pelosi, 73, retires. Sean Hannity has declared a right-wing crusade against Ellison and spends an inordinate amount of energy smearing him. We've tried to have Keith's back. And today at 1pm (Central Time), 11am on the West C... more »

CEA Chair

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 11 hours ago
Rumor has it that my friend and former student Jason Furman will be the next chair of the Council of Economic Advisers. If true, that is great news. Jason is smart, knowledgeable, and sensible. He does not come to the job with as long an academic track record as other recent picks, but he has far more policy-relevant experience and expertise.

Israel threatens to strike Russian missile shipments to Syria

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 11 hours ago
*Link * *Israel’s* defence minister on Tuesday signalled that his military is prepared to strike shipments of advanced Russian weapons to Syria, in a rare implied threat to Moscow. Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon issued his warning shortly after a top Russian official said his government reserves the right to provide Syria with state-of-the-art S-300 air defence missiles. Israel has been lobbying Moscow to drop the sale, fearing the missiles would upset the balance of power in the region and could slip into the hands of hostile groups, including the Lebanese militant Hezbollah, a clo... more »

Another taste of test abstention data

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 11 hours ago
As we continue to sift through the data from the survey, I wanted to offer the reader another taste. Here’s the list of tests refused this year. Now, I’ve learned two things from this. One, a great variety of assessments. And two, are you kidding me? How many products do we need and how much […]

Let's Talk Bodychecking

Catelli at Not Quite Unhinged - 11 hours ago
This post is written by someone that has never played organized ice hockey. I barely watch the sport anymore. So if that kind of person talking about changing hockey pisses you off, I suggest you leave now. Hockey Canada has banned the practice of bodychecking in peewee hockey. If the numbers in this Ottawa Citizen article are to be believed (only because they are so striking) every year 12% of

El mono aquatico y su hermano perdido

Abraham Ben Judea at Abraham says - 12 hours ago
Tiene sentido? La hipotesis de que la raza humana una vez estuvo la mayoria de su tiempo en la orilla del mar y que por eso nosotros perdimos el exceso de pelo y aprendimos a caminar recto tiene su validez. La otra razon por la cual tiene su es la conveniencia que tiene el agua en lo del aseo personal, no es lo mismo limpiar el fondillo con una hoja y arena que agua aunque esa agua sea agua salada... El hecho de que aprendimos a caminar erecto y los gluteos maximus frotan al caminar...Que hicieron los primeros homoerectus cuando defecaban y las bacterias digestivas enpezaban a irr... more »

Jabberwocky

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 12 hours ago
'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. "Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!" He took his vorpal sword in hand: Long time the manxome foe he sought— So rested he by the Tumtum tree, And stood awhile in thought. And as in uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, And burbled as it came! One, two! One, two! and through and through The vorpal blade... more »

Justin Trudeau Steps Into A Pile Of Stinky 'Senate' Crap ......

leftdog at Buckdog - 12 hours ago
** [image: Progressive Bloggers] *"We have 24 senators from Quebec and there are just six from Alberta and British Columbia. It's to our advantage. To want to abolish it is demagoguery ... We'll have to improve it."* *Justin Trudeau, Leader* *Liberal Party of Canada* *As more and more Canadians come around to the position of Canada's New Democrats on the unelected Senate ... guess what Justin Trudeau decides to spring on his party faithful?* *The political columnist with the Regina Leader-Post is bang on with today's offering:* *Trudeau lets PM off Senate hook* *"It must be reass... more »

Taking Liberalism on Intervention Seriously: a 12-Step Program

Daniel Nexon at Duck of Minerva - 12 hours ago
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Tim Dunne. He is Research Director of the Asia-Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect at the University of Queensland and the past editor of the European Journal of International Relations. tl;dr warning: ~2400 words. In a recent lively and provocative post, Stephen Walt argues that liberal imperialists are like ‘neocons’ only more human rights-friendly. They Continue reading

In Defence of the Indefensible?

sue at Is the BBC biased? - 12 hours ago
The website of the English Defence League is an ugly sight. The graphics are decidedly Nazi-like, with the red cross of St. George looking disturbingly like the Iron-cross. For an outfit that claims to be fighting religiously-inspired intolerance, including but not limited to: *“**the denigration and oppression of women, the molestation of young children, the committing of so-called honour killings, homophobia, anti-Semitism” *you’d probably think they’d make an effort to sanitise their symbols and liberate their logo. Unsurprisingly, from their inception, the EDL have been writt... more »

Five Teens Reveal Debilitating Stories After Getting HPV The Vaccine by Rachel Porter

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 12 hours ago
Five teens reveal their debilitating stories after getting HPV vaccine by Rachel Porter, Daily Mail Food Freedom, 28 May, 2013 It has been hailed as the wonder jab that will prevent thousands of young women suffering the same terrible fate as Jade Goody. But as parents across Britain rush to have their daughters vaccinated, others are adamant that it has triggered alarming side-effects… *Below are the pictures and names of the six dears sacrificed for Corporate profits and under the pictures will be the link to their story from my source:* ** ** *Jade Goody supported calls to lo... more »

America Is Finished: 40 Statistics About The Fall Of The US Economy That Are Almost Too Crazy To Believe!

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 12 hours ago
I am indeed worried about where the economy here in Canada is going these days... Here in central Canada, there are less and less people purchasing big ticket items, and although most of the local shopping malls are full of people, few are actually buying anything! It does seem that there are indeed fewer Canadian dollars to go around, and the result is a severely weakening economic outlook here.....They call it a "recession" but I am leaning now on it being more of a full scale DEPRESSION! But what is happening in Canada right now is NOTHING compared to the complete mess that the ... more »

My 10 Favorite Picture Books

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 13 hours ago
My little girl loves to read. We read every day and if she had her way, we would read these 10 books over and over again. We have read these books so often that I have most of them memorized, my husband has some of them memorized and even my 4-year-old has a few of them memorized too. Here are our favorite picture books to read as a family with links to help you find them. Linking up to The Broke and the Bookish. Pinkalicious- My little girl is obsessed with this book, about a little girl who loves pink so much that she eats too many pink cupcakes and turns pink. We love this boo... more »

To those who deny that the Nazis killed millions in Concentration Camps and/or who say the Israelis keep the Palestinians in concentration camps

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 13 hours ago
This is a short Pathe news piece about the opening up of some of the concentration camps at the end of the Second World War. If you watch nothing else, watch from 4:02 onwards to see what real concentration camp inmates look like. Here's two stills that I have posted before of dead Jews in concentration camps By way of contrast, here's the food available in Gaza

THE TURKEY-SYRIA CONNECTION

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 13 hours ago
The Global Network was represented at a peace conference in Turkey at the end of April. GN leaders Dave Webb (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in the UK) and Agneta Norberg (Swedish Peace Council) are featured in this short video from that conference.

Black Comedy for Terror Tuesday

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 13 hours ago
From the Department of the Unintentionally Hilarious comes this observation from Senator Lindsey Graham on President Obama's ballyhooed Pivot to Peace: *At the end of the day,this is the most tone-deaf president I ever could imagine, making such a speech at a time when our homeland is trying to be attacked literally every day.* So here we have the top Congressional proponent of endless war on the global battlefield admitting that there is such a thing as blowback. And he actually wants it! By raining down drones from the skies, America is recklessly making itself a target for more ... more »

A War Without Name Is A War Without Meaning - Bacevich

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 13 hours ago
Retired U.S. Army colonel turned professor, Andrew Bacevich, says, when it comes to warfare, "*a rose by any other name*" just doesn't cut it. Bacevich tries on several names for the war of the past decade, looking for a proper fit. Here are his options - *The Long War; The War Against Al-Qaeda; The War For/Against/About Israel; The War For the Greater Middle East; the War Against Islam; and, perhaps by default, The Eternal War*. *Names bestow meaning. When it comes to war, a name attached to a date can shape our understanding of what the conflict was all about. To specify whe... more »

Rumours - NOT by Fleetwood Mac

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 13 hours ago
Oh dear, it looks as if certain sections of the media - old and new - never learn. Rumours that the violent attack on a prison officer at HMP Full Sutton had been led by Parviz Khan - a Muslim extremist found guilty of plotting to behead a British soldier - have been splashed by several newspapers and, inevitably, many on Twitter and, unfortunately, also on blogs followed suit. The Ministry of Justice press office, however, then put out this categorical statement on Twitter: *MoJ Press Office ‏@MoJPress 4hr* *Individual named by media in connection with incident at HMP Full Sutton... more »

A lesson in reform from, of all places, The Princess Bride

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 13 hours ago
Yesterday evening, I was thinking. Not too hard. But I was reminded of this classic scene from The Princess Bride. It’s a longer excerpt, but a good one. Read it, I’ll meet you at the bottom. “Pour the wine,” said the man in black. Vizzini filled the two goblets with deep-red liquid. The man in […]

Teachers College Convocation Turns into Protest Against Corporate Enablers,Tisch and Fuhrman

Jim Horn at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 13 hours ago
I am just back from a weekend off and delighted to see a forwarded email on the Teachers College Convocation/Student Protest May 21. As you can see, the protest was quiet but very powerful, as these photos indicate (click to enlarge). This is the proudest I have been in a long time to be associated […]

Why Not Buy the Chinese Version Just Like Wal-Mart Does?

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 13 hours ago
A confidential Pentagon report leaked to the *Washington Post* accuses hackers of stealing the designs of many of America's most advanced weapons systems. *Experts warn that the electronic intrusions gave China access to advanced technology that could accelerate the development of its weapons systems and weaken the U.S. military advantage in a future conflict.* * * *Some of the weapons form the backbone of the Pentagon’s regional **missile defense for Asia, Europe and the Persian Gulf. The designs included those for the advanced Patriot missile system, known as PAC-3; an Army syste... more »

Iraq’s Protest Movement Splits Over Federalism

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 14 hours ago
Since December 2012 there have been demonstrations throughout Anbar, Ninewa, Diyala, Tamim, and Salahaddin provinces over the perceived marginalization of Sunnis by the central government. Since that time the protesters have faced many divisions over leadership and tactics. That continues to the present day with the issue of federalism, being the newest point of contention within the movement. Raising the issue of federalism at Friday prayers in Fallujah has led to two clashes in May 2013 (*AP*) The issue of whether to make Sunni provinces of Iraq their own federal regions has bec... more »

PBS NEWSHOUR VIDEO: Iraq Attacks Are Worst Insurgent Violence In Years

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 14 hours ago
Watch Iraq Attacks are Worst Insurgent Violence in Years on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

The Highs on Wall Street are Hocus Pocus

2old2care at Because I Can - 14 hours ago
Hocus Pocus Slight of Hand Prestidigitation Flim Flam Remember hearing or reading something like this? The subprime mess has triggered the most destructivefinancial crisis since the stock market crash of 1929. It’s not surprising, then, that the hunt is on for culprits. And for many, there’s no reason to look beyond financial derivatives in general, and credit derivatives in particular. Or something like this? 600,000,000,000,000? *Oct 17, 2008 8:00 PM EDT* If some banks are too big to fail, $600 trillion has become the number too big to question. That's $600,000,000,000,000—the ... more »

Who will inspect the inspectors general?

bob somerby at the daily howler - 14 hours ago
*TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013* *We believe Abraham Lincoln said that:* Yesterday morning, we did a spit take at the bagel joint. The cause of our lapse was a front-page report in the New York Times. Confessore and Luo reported on the way conservative groups (and others) seeking tax-exempt status were spindled and mutilated by the IRS. We aren’t experts on this matter, but we thought the reporters began to get inside some of the paradoxes involved in this issue. We were especially struck by this pushback against Inspector General George, who has been cast in the hero role in this heavily n... more »

WHO IS SHARYL ATTKISSON: She may want your millions, mister!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 15 hours ago
*TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013* *Part 2—In search of employment from Fox:* At this point, is CBS TV star Sharyl Attkisson pursuing employment at Fox? We’d give at least even money. The story began on April 12, when Politico’s Dylan Byers reported that Attkisson was “in talks to leave CBS News ahead of contract.” Sources were citing “disputes between Attkisson and network executives, including CBS Evening News executive producer Patricia Shevlin,” Byers reported. He said specifics about the dispute were not available. On May 8, the Washington Post offered a full-length profile of Attkisson,... more »

Progress Map of Marijuana Laws

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Daniels) at Global Political Awakening - 15 hours ago
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Adventures in Grocery Shopping: When Food Isn’t Food

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Daniels) at Global Political Awakening - 15 hours ago
*Here are just a few examples in the (ever-growing) ‘Food Not Fit to Eat’ category.* Aaron Dykes and Melissa Melton In what is sure to be a continuing series,TruthstreamMedia.com documented just a few stand out items while browsing through the grocery store. There were lots of healthy, organic choices, as well as lots of other … stuff. Let’s face it! It’s a target rich environment: food just isn’t food anymore. That is, the stuff being marketed to us all under an endless array of recognizable brand names and beneficial-sounding buzz terms. We could probably choose an item at random... more »

Obama at Annapolis

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Daniels) at Global Political Awakening - 15 hours ago
Stephen Lendman Obama represents the worst of rogue leadership. He's a war criminal multiple times over. He's guilty of numerous other crimes. He belongs in prison, not high office. On May 24, he addressed Naval Academy graduates. Why any showed up they'll have to explain. So does why those doing so didn't diss him. The 2013 graduates include 1,047 men and women. Nearly three-fourths are navy ensigns. The others are marine lieutenants, three air force ones, and 16 foreign exchange students. Midshipmen are required to take an Oath of Office, stating: Having been appointed a midsh... more »

In The Internet Age, Do We Need Representative Government? Is Congress Out of Date?

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Daniels) at Global Political Awakening - 15 hours ago
Don't people already vote electronically? Brandon Pierce From when we are small children in Social Studies class, we are conditioned to understand the system of government that oversees the spending of our paychecks, the creation and enforcement of our laws, and the actions that the military takes on our behalf. Representation is the concept behind it that is touted as the greatest sign of a democratic and free society. You know the old war cries. Taxation without Representation! Well, our system of government works on a system of representation. How many of us think about what th... more »

Where are Your Fed Tax $$ Being Spent?

2old2care at Because I Can - 15 hours ago
A *new web site on WhiteHouse.gov* let's you calculate where your personal tax dollars will be spent. It gives you a dollar by dollar report by category of where your Federal taxes will be spent. It is located *here*: http://www.whitehouse.gov/2012-taxreceipt Look at each one of the catergories listed. The categories listed add up to 100%. EVERY single one of them is being CUT by the RepubliCONS- except national defense. EVERY single one of them is being decimated by the RepubliCONS - yet you and I keep paying in our taxes. It is interesting to me that one half of a one percent is ... more »

‘See Something, Say Something’: DHS Pushes Fear on Indy 500

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Daniels) at Global Political Awakening - 15 hours ago
Melissa Melton Homeland Security is quickly taking over all our major sporting events. What’s next? Shopping malls? Hospitals? Grocery stores? (Terrorists gotta eat, after all). Your porch? The TSA has caught a lot of terrorists you know (or none ever). *MELISSA MELTON is a co-founder of TruthstreamMedia.com where this video first appeared. She is an experienced researcher, graphic artist and investigative journalist with a passion for liberty and a dedication to truth. Her aim is to expose the New World Order for what it is — a prison for the human soul from which we must break... more »

Lindsey Graham's Homosexuality And... Syria

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 15 hours ago
Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is, in essence, one thing above all else-- a self-loathing, closeted homosexual whose fear of exposure motivates everything else in his miserable life. Lindsey Graham should not be in the Senate or in government service at all. He is obsessed with his own homosexuality. His life in the dark, dank closet, trembling with fear that "the rednecks" will find out, has made him a practiced liar and has stoked a severe mental illness. He doesn't know the truth from the lies any longer. Last week we saw the tremendous damage this gay person is doing to the LGBT commun... more »

‘Common Core’ Nationalizes and Dumbs Down Public School Curriculum

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Daniels) at Global Political Awakening - 15 hours ago
Dees Illustration Dr. Ron Paul In addition to shredding civil liberties, launching a utopian global war for democracy, and going on a spending spree that would make LBJ blush, the so-called “conservative” Bush administration dramatically increased federal control over education via the “No Child Left Behind” act. During my time in Congress I heard nothing but complaints about this law from teachers, administrators, and, most importantly, students and parents. Most of the complaints concerned No Child Left Behind’s testing requirements, which encouraged educators to “teach to the t... more »

Trumped charges against Cyprus revealed ! Will the Bank of Cyprus emerge from Administration by the end of July or is this a pipe dream ?

fredw at Catharsis Ours - 15 hours ago
http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2013/05/more-on-the-trumped-up-charges-against-cyprus.html TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013 More on the Trumped-Up Charges Against Cyprus As readers may recall, the Eurozone decided to make an example of Cyprus by using it to set the precedent of raiding deposits to fund a bailout (query: is a self-bailout even properly called a bailout?). Admittedly, if you are going to let your banking sector get to be 800% to 900% of GDP, you had better be sure your banks have really good assets and lots of equity, and the authorities look to have been remiss in that regard. An... more »

Read Stuff, You Should

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 15 hours ago
Happy Birthday to Gordon Willis, 82. And some good stuff, which certainly isn't what I would have called that new Star Trek movie. Wow, what a clunker... 1. Correlation, or causation? Close call -- from Chris Blattman. 2. I think Paul Krugman is essentially correct on differences right now between liberals and conservatives -- and that it's not an inherent difference, but one that happens to be the case now, essentially through (in my view) historical accident. 3. On the Monkey Cage: David Schleicher on the direct election of US Senators. Interesting. 4. And Monica Gray brings us ... more »

How the Shadow Government Took Over

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Daniels) at Global Political Awakening - 15 hours ago
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OKINAWA SAME STORY

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 15 hours ago
Video on Okinawa visit by Peace Nomad. Last February, some South Korean people, including Peace Nomad, led by Fr. Mun Jeong-Hyeon visited the fields of struggle opposing US bases in Okinawa. It included Futenma AFB, Henoko, and Takae. “In that fields struggling for peace, we met another Gangjeong and people of Okinawa who have same mind with us.”

Ford Nation and Obamabots

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 15 hours ago
"Ford Nation" (the amorphous group of ignorant yahoos who believe that taxation is evil and that public services they like should be free and who therefore like ignorant yahoo Rob Ford) stands fairly firm at 25% of the Toronto electorate. This is even after their hero is accused of having been video recorded smoking crack with the gangsters that Ford Nation and its daily gospel the *Toronto Sun* refer to as the scum of the earth for the violence and mayhem and human suffering they cause. If they were paying attention, they'd know that the Toronto Star, the Globe & Mail and the Natio... more »

The attempt to destroy the individual

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Daniels) at Global Political Awakening - 16 hours ago
Jon Rappoport “What is finished is the idea that this great country is dedicated to the freedom and flourishing of every individual in it. It’s the individual that’s finished. It’s the single, solitary human being that’s finished. It’s every single one of you out there that’s finished. Because this is no longer a nation of independent individuals. It’s a nation of some two hundred odd million transistorized, deodorized, whiter-than-white, steel-belted bodies, totally unnecessary as human beings and as replaceable as piston rods.” — Howard Beale, in Paddy Chayefsky’s 1976 film, *Ne... more »

ALEC Legislators - Mercenaries in the War on Public Good

2old2care at Because I Can - 16 hours ago
There’s an excellent read on *Common Dreams* this morning by John Atcheson: *In Memoriam: Putting American Democracy on Sale* There’s an all-out assault on the public sector. Unions are being busted; public programs are being starved into incompetence and that incompetence is being used as justification for further assaults on the credibility and effectiveness of the pubic sector. This two step has been used against the post-office, teachers, firefighters, transportation workers—anyone in the public sector. And under the guise of “necessary” austerity (in a time of rapidly shrin... more »

Israeli Government in trouble and facing collapse over Ultra - Orthodox conscription issue

fredw at Catharsis Ours - 16 hours ago
http://www.juancole.com/2013/05/orthodox-conscription-government.html Could Ulra-Orthodox Conscription issue bring down the Israeli Government? Posted on 05/28/2013 by Juan Cole Israeli Finance Minister Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist, secular Yesh Atid party, has threatened to withdraw from the government of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu unless a proposed bill is passed into law that would conscript most young men from the Haredi or Ultra-Orthodox community into the Israeli army. Many in the far right wing Likud Party are reluctant to takes this step. In parliamentary systems... more »

Now Is The Time

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 16 hours ago
From the day he took power, Stephen Harper -- like Rob Ford -- has viewed the parliamentary press corps as maggots. Edward Greenspon writes in the*Toronto Star *: When he came into office, Harper threw out long-held rules of government-press engagement. He sowed fear and showed favouritism. Access was severely restricted and doled out based on perceived friendliness of given journalists. Public servants were forbidden from providing background on serious policy matters. A system was introduced by which the PMO, rather than the gallery, decided who could ask questions at press conf... more »

Hey Monsanto, Did You Hear That?

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Daniels) at Global Political Awakening - 16 hours ago
Dylan Charles This past Saturday, May 25th, 2013, millions of people worldwide publicly protested against Monsanto, the corporation that has become the driving force and the figure head behind the effort to monopolize control of food and to genetically modify staple crops to become dependent on toxic chemicals. This may have been the largest ever unified protest against a single company, which is a monumental achievement for the movement against GMO’s, against seed patents and for the labeling of foods and products made with genetically modified ingredients. Protesting against Mo... more »

Thought you'd get free care if you fell sick in Spain?

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 16 hours ago
Apparently not, as 'Britons held hostage by foreign hospitals', EHIC or not. http://www.th-eu-nit.com/index.php/articles/2346-thought-youd-get-free-care-if-you-fell-sick-in-spain-britons-held-hostage-by-foreign-hospitals

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 16 hours ago
*Have You Followed Sean Payton’s New Twitter Account Yet? ~Saints Tailgate* *Large eyesores wearing on Algiers neighbors ~Allen Powell, The Advocate * *Lakefront visitors anxious for end to construction projects, detours ~WWLTV * *No increase in New Orleans area rents seen, despite insurance worries * *The Louisiana Coast: Last Call — Budgeting The River ~Bob Marshall, WWNO* *NOLA Gets Behind Miss Louisiana Kristen Girault ~NOLA DEFENDER* *jewel bush: Adventures in local eating* *Sweet Dreams Popup Menu ~Nola Smokehouse* *Jimmy’s Music Club may be on its way back to presenting live ... more »

The Humanoid Conspiracy

Inexplicata (IHU) at Inexplicata-The Journal of Hispanic Ufology - 16 hours ago
*The Humanoid Conspiracy* is the latest addition to the *INEXPLICATA*library at Scribd.com - a compilation of all the humanoid / CE3K writings we have published over the years in a more readily accessible format - and a conmemoration of the 40-year gulf which separates us from 1973, "The Year of the Humanoids". *Available at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/144137452/The-Humanoid-Conspiracy* Inexplicata Podcasts covering items from UFO / paranormal history in Spain, Latin America and the Caribbean

Heuristic ideas about bounded prime gaps

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 17 hours ago
*Why Yitang Zhang's proof is probably far less fundamental than the claim* Yitang Zhang worked at Subway before he would land a mathematics job. And when he did, he wasn't publishing almost anything for years before he would offer a proof of something rather important weeks ago. That turned the name of the popular math instructor in New Hampshire into one of the most well-known names of number theorists in the world. Some increasingly popular links are: Bounded gaps between primes (Zhang's technical paper) ------------------------------ Philosophy behind the proof (Math Overflow) ... more »

Why does Israel shoot at members of the Press?

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 17 hours ago
The answer, at least according to this video, is quite simple - Palestinian terrorists use the Press as cover. It is inconceivable that the British and American Media don't know that this goes on, so I can only assume that they don't report it because they are anti-Israel.

Stephen Walt on Israel, Palestine and the Need for Open Debate in U.S. Media

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 18 hours ago
Video Title: Stephen Walt on Israel, Palestine and the Need for Open Debate in U.S. Media. YouTube Video Description - [Channel: Middle East Policy Council. Published on May 1, 2013]: Dr. Stephen Walt (Professor of International Affairs, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University) blames the "illegitimate" actions of the Israel lobby for stifling debate on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict by repeatedly labeling critics of Israel as anti-Semitic and isolating them in the realm of politics, academia and the media. Despite the continued effectiveness of this strategy,... more »

Phils/Taiwan Take 7: Linkfest and Pocket Analysis edition

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 18 hours ago
*A road warrior weaves through rush hour traffic on a narrow Taipei street. Lovin' the new Sigma 17-70mm lens.* The Taiwan/Phils mess, some recent stuff.... - Ritual slaughter: David Lin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, "grilled" by the legislature. Lawmakers -- especially the DPP's emptyheaded support of the gov't -- helped feed Taipei's botched response. Hinting that Lin, who probably had no hand in the real decision making, should resign, is unconscionable. - Manila, Taipei, will reach consensus after the probe. Which will naturally be what Taipei wants it to... more »

Gobekli Tepi and the Library of the Sphinx

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 19 hours ago
What is extremely important here is that Gobekli Tepe confirms that there existed stone working skill able to build the Sphinx over 10,000 years ago as indicated by weathering studies. This was the core objection to the conjecture. What is also clear is that there is no sign of a high civilization. These two sites could have been centers of knowledge acting independent of any such non existent civilization. It certainly has been suggested before for Giza, or I have at least suggested just that. Yet this does conform to our knowledge of the ending of the Ice Age with ... more »

Chung ho Kim, Freedom Factory Ltd.

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 19 hours ago
Seoul, S. Korea -- While waiting for an available room in my hotel at Somerset Palace Seoul, I visited a good friend that I have met for the first time in 2005, Dr. Chung ho Kim. Chung ho used to be the President of the Center for Free Enterprise (CFE), a free market think tank in Seoul. He resigned last year from CFE and concentrated teaching Law and Economics at Yonsei University, a big and hilly private university in this city. After an Atlas and Economic Freedom Network (EFN) Asia conference in Phuket, Thailand in 2005, I met him again in 2006 when I attended the Asia Pacific Ta... more »

Is this an example of the BBC's inability to meet a self-imposed deadline?

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 20 hours ago
Leanne Buckle 23 Apr to me Dear Audience Member The Committee’s decisions of 11 April are written up as minutes and are then ratified at the following month’s meeting before being distributed – so you should receive the Trustees’ decision around mid-May. Yours faithfully Leanne Buckle Today is 28 May, somewhat later than mid-May but response I have had not. I will email Ms Buckle and see what the latest excuse is. UPDATE: It seems that Ms Buckle is taking a long weekend: I am out of the office until Wednesday, 29 May and will respond to your email on my return. Best wishes... more »

THE TERRORISTS BEHIND WOOLWICH...

Anon at aangirfan - 21 hours ago
*Yasmin, the pole dancer, and daughter of Omar Bakri Mohammed.* *The Woolwich 'terrorist' Michael Adebolajo* was taught about Islamic militancy by the preacher *Omar Bakri Mohammed.* Woolwich Attack and the Changing Nature of Terrorism | Chatham House. *Bakri* Omar Bakri Mohammed's busty blonde daughter, Yasmin, is a topless pole-dancer. Yasmin, a single mother, performs in London clubs. *A pole dancer. Starrgrrrl * *She told The Sun: I'm willing to go topless if the venue is right.' * Reportedly, 'she has been leading a wild double life thrashing about on stage in pole dancin... more »

The Trouble With the Enlightenment

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 21 hours ago
All of our civilization is a child of the enlightenment. What is not properly understood is that it was actually a moment in which critical mass was achieved in terms of the intellectual endeavor and that critical mass was facilitated by the steady rise of the printing press and far more critically the rise of a general education which naturally liberated the gifted few. It did not matter that a million children learned just enough to read the bible, it was way more important that the one in a thousand was identified and brought forward. General education was a sieve to... more »

Learning to Like the Lady

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 21 hours ago
As outsiders, we quickly forget and about that other time warp country of Burma. So a little interpretation is welcome and a reminder that the future there is optimistic as least as it has broken stasis. It can degenerate into lawlessness if the military were to disintegrate, but that looks unlikely. The foolish usually fail to understand that the military in a backward country is the only real organizing force available. Thus it becomes the natural partner for major modernizing investment. It enemy is corruption, but that is usually far worse at the political and p... more »

John Mack and Alien Abduction

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 21 hours ago
I have always been uncomfortable with the alien abduction phenomena. This is mostly because of the possibility of applying the Luminous Dream conjecture which is a way of eliminating the sheer lack of physical evidence of almost any kind but merely begs understanding human auto imagination. The continuing stream of abductee reports and a couple of specific independent eyewitness reports makes this increasingly difficult. Without question the experience all wraps around the collection of physical data from the victims, while occasionally becoming a short conversation, muc... more »

FSA's Terrorist Attacks Against Christians And Kurds In Syria

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 21 hours ago
*Story #1*: *"Armed rebels attacked a village in Syria's Western province of Homs and slaughtered all its Christian residents on Monday*." (Ahlul Bayt News Agency). Excerpt: The armed rebels affiliated to the Free Syrian Army (FSA) raided the Christian-populated al-Duvair village in Reef (outskirts of) Homs near the border with Lebanon today and massacred all its civilian residents, including women and children. *Story #2*: *"Jihadist groups of FSA kidnapped 700 civilian Kurds between Aleppo & Efrin. They hijacked vehicles too."* ( Amed News Agency via Twitter). Meanwhile, John "... more »

"Libertarian" Koch Brothers Have Taken Tens of Millions in Subsidies UPDATED

Kenneth Thomas at Middle Class Political Economist - 21 hours ago
The Cato Institute, originally the Charles Koch Foundation, is one of the most influential libertarian think tanks in the country. With both Charles and David Koch on its board of directors, Cato has produced numerous studies on the evils of corporate subsidies (which it calls "corporate welfare"), dating back at least to the 1990s. Supposedly, Charles Koch himself (via Wikipedia) is opposed to "corporate welfare," and plans to oppose it this year. I guess I'll believe it when I see it. As previously discussed in Dirt Diggers Digest, Koch Industries has received many subsidies over ... more »

To defeat Islamic terror, we must first acknowledge what it is | Melanie Phillips (part 2)

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 22 hours ago
'Now the Prime Minister says he will crack down on such extremism. Yet after the Woolwich atrocity, he claimed it was 'a betrayal of Islam' and that 'there is nothing in Islam that justifies this truly dreadful act'. The London Mayor Boris Johnson went even further, claiming: 'It is completely wrong to blame this killing on the religion of Islam' and that the cause was simply the killers' 'warped and deluded mindset'. Yet the video footage of the killers — who had shouted 'Allahu Akhbar' when butchering Drummer Rigby — records one of them citing verses in the Koran exhorting the f... more »

To defeat Islamic terror, we must first acknowledge what it is | Melanie Phillips

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 22 hours ago
'The Government has been extraordinarily reluctant to do this — because it refuses to face the blindingly obvious fact that this extremism is religious in nature. It arises from an interpretation of Islam which takes the words of the Koran literally as a command to kill unbelievers in a jihad, or holy war, in order to impose strict Islamic tenets on the rest of the world.' More here http://melaniephillips.com/to-defeat-islamic-terror-we-must-first-acknowledge-what-it-is

Smoluchowski, Milanković: birthdays

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 22 hours ago
Two Slavic, Austrian-Hungarian physicists were introduced to the sunlight on May 28th. Marian Smoluchowski was born as a Pole in Austria in 1872; Milutin Milanković was born as a Serb in (then) Croatia, Kingdom of Hungary, in 1879. Smoluchowski was a statistical physicist; Milanković was a climatologist, astronomer, geophysicist – and also a construction engineer. Marian Smoluchowski was born to an upper-class family near Vienna. He studied physics in Vienna; Exner and Stefan were among his teachers. His research followed the tradition of Ludwig Boltzmann from the beginning. When ... more »

Asghar Khan: India An Imagined Enemy - YouTube

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 22 hours ago
Pakistani General admits that Pakistan started every war with India and that the threat to Pakistan of. India is imaginary. '**Asghar Khan - former Chief of the Pakistan Air Force, Chairman of the Tehrik-e-Istaqlaal political party, and a man renowned for his integrity and clarity - argues against the official anti-India ideology of Pakistan. He explains how: (a) India does not constitute a national threat and has no interest in swallowing Pakistan; (b) all wars between the two countries were started by Pakistan; (c) the Maharaja of Kashmir may not have acceded to India had Pa... more »

31 charts that will destroy your faith in humanity

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 22 hours ago
You might recall a series of 31 charts I linked to last week showing the optimists are right: human activity is making the world a better place in which to live. As you’d expect, however, the pessimists were out in force. So if these 31 charts will restore your faith in humanity, then these 31 charts will destroy it. Buahahaha. Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)

The Realist Report with John Friend

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 23 hours ago
On this edition of *The Realist Report*, we'll be joined by two special guests: Eli James of *Anglo-SaxonIsrael.com* and Dana Antiochus from *Renegade Broadcasting*. Eli and Dana will be having a friendly discussion about Christianity and other spiritual issues, European history, and related matters. Tune in for what will surely be an interesting conversation! Calls will be taken towards the end of the program. You can download the entire program *here*, or subscribe to the American Nationalist Network via iTunes *here*. Thanks for listening everyone!

Do you know the way to Timbuktu?

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 23 hours ago
[image: image] You wouldn’t know it now, but Islam was once a historically moderate and intellectual religion. Yes, true story. The seat of science and civilisation a thousand years ago was in the Muslim world—largely because the Muslim world had become the repository of Greek manuscripts that would otherwise have been destroyed by Europe’s barbarians. Aristotle and his works are important leading players in this historical drama. In a parallel to the story of how Aristotle’s own manuscripts were rescued from destruction by savages, scholars at Timbuktu’s Ahmed Baba Institute r... more »

Chen Shui-bian back to the DPP?

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 23 hours ago
*Snack time in the alleys across from NTU.* Several months ago I asked foreigners who were wasting their time appealing for the medical parole of Chen Shui-bian to stop and think about what they are doing. I then observed: Were Chen ever to get out, he would go back to seeking the limelight, encouraging splits within the DPP in order to aggrandize his own faction and friends, and so on. Both the China Post and Taipei Times pieces essentially say the same thing even though they disagree. When Chen gets out he is going to re-enter pan-Green politics, sucking up time, effort, resourc... more »

The Woolwich murderer, says Ian Welsh, is "a bad man," but "not as bad as the men we put in office"

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
*"When Tony Blair and George W. Bush are put in front of war crimes trials, along with Rumsfeld and many others, we can talk. Till then, our 'justice' isn’t, it’s just tribalism dressed up in the name of justice, because it picks and chooses amongst murderers, letting the greatest of them, the ones with the most blood on their hands, walk free."* *-- Ian Welsh, in a new post,* "The Moral Calculus of the Woolwich Murder" *by Ken* I don't say that our friend Ian Welsh doesn't mean exactly what he says, that "on the scale of bad, immoral things," the murder of that soldier in London ... more »

Growing Food - A Different Take

Small Footprints at Reduce Footprints - 1 day ago
Our last survey asked "Which green-living practice has been the toughest for you?" The results show that growing food ranks as the hardest activity: [image: Toughest Green Living Activity Survey Results] The "other" category, which tied for first place, included these comments: - Buying eco friendly furniture! - I don't have the space to grow my own food but I do support my farmers market each weekend! :) - Purchasing goods that are local and affordable (clothing for example)- I compromise by purchasing a lot from goodwill, but the new stuff...it's hard to stomach p... more »

Chas Freeman — U.S. Grand Strategy

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 1 day ago
Read: *"Israel’s Fraying Image and Its Implications"* by Chas W. Freeman, Jr., retired American diplomat and author. "He most notably worked as the main interpreter for Richard Nixon in his 1972 China visit and as the United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1989 to 1992, where he dealt with issues related to the Persian Gulf War. He is a past president of the Middle East Policy Council, co-chair of the U.S. China Policy Foundation and a Lifetime Director of the Atlantic Council" (*Wikipedia*). Video Title: Chas Freeman — U.S. Grand Strategy. YouTube Video Description - [Chann... more »

Spanish debt explosion and pension promises which can't be met = 22 - 45 drop in pension benefits ..........US threatens UK that EU might nix US - EU trade deal as to the UK .....German thoughts regarding the Financial Transaction Tax - Germany not warming up to the idea on the table....

fredw at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2013/05/evolution-of-spanish-public-debt-and.html Monday, May 27, 2013 8:24 PM Evolution of Spanish Public Debt and Pension Promises Inquiring minds may be interested in a chart of Spanish public debt over time to see how the policies of Spain and the Troika are working out in practice. *Evolution of Spanish Public Debt Over Time * I picked that chart up from estrategiastendencias. My stab at a translation of text regarding public debt reads "Spanish banks are deluded. They must think we are going to save them from the assets that they... more »

Japanese markets open with another wild ride - rumors of even more QE set off the fireworks at the open , let's see where it ends.....

fredw at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
[image: NIKKEI 225 (^N225)] another wild ride....... http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-05-28/japan-central-bank-admits-sending-schizoprenic-signals-market-jgb-liquidity-evaporat Japan Central Bank Admits Sending Schizophrenic Signals To Market As JGB Liquidity "Evaporates" [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 05/28/2013 07:45 -0400 - Bank of America - Bank of America - Bond - Federal Reserve - Gross Domestic Product - Japan - Merrill - Merrill Lynch - Monetary Base - Nomura - POMO - POMO - Region... more »

Stevie's Tar Baby . . .

Edstock at The Galloping Beaver - 1 day ago
THE BEAVER LAKE CREE JUDGMENT: The Most Important Tar Sands Case You’ve Never Heard Of. That's what Carol Linnitt at DESMOG CANADA contends. Do click on the link for more. Sure they’re bad for the environment, for human health, and for wildlife, but we rarely stop to wonder if the Alberta tar sands are in fact unconstitutional. But the constitutional standing of the tar sands – one of

CCSS + iPad + Kindergarten = ?

Chris Cerrone at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 1 day ago
= tablet time instead of : play time discovery time creative time nap time sharing time outside time … Follow the author on twitter @stoptesting15 Filed under: CHRIS CERRONE: The "Parentucator"

'Research fishery' for Queen conch and the tragedy of the commons

paul at Paying attention - 1 day ago
Sometimes news stories just set off all kinds of alarm bells. Honduras has apparently learned from Japan’s bogus scientific whaling program, which lets that country’s operators kill 900 whales a year - and sell the meat - in the name of science. The Honduran government has announced a Queen conch fishery, justified as “a research and evaluation project for monitoring giant snail populations.” It looks more like a way around restrictions on the fishery. A lot of people have seen golden Queen conch shells, with their pink-tinged centres and classic spiral shape. They were a popular souven... more »

cantabria to gernika and bilbao, part 2

laura k at wmtc - 1 day ago
In the Guggenheim, we took audioguides as a substitute for a tour of the building, which in this season are only in Spanish. The audioguide is included with admission, and available in a huge range of languages, including Catalan - clearly a political statement from Basque Bilbao. We joined many other people standing in the atrium, the focal point of the interior, listening to the audioguide and looking around at the dizzying curves and cubes and ramps. The atrium is strange and wonderful. Outside on the patio, you are suddenly on the prow of a ship, a theme that is echoed many time... more »

cantabria to gernika and bilbao, part 1

laura k at wmtc - 1 day ago
I almost forgot to mention, we had some interesting news from home. Everything is fine now, but Essie had her hands full for a while! I warned Essie about the danger of skunks in our backyard after dark: absolutely never, *ever* let the dogs run out into the backyard after dark!! I've lost track of how many times our dogs have been skunked, and I'm determined to make sure it never happens again. But there's no accounting for early-morning skunks! Maybe this skunk was an early riser or maybe he was staggering home from an all-nighter, but either way, a skunk and our dogs greeted eac... more »

Greens: Reciting the rail mantra while reality passes them by

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 1 day ago
The Greens constantly push public transport as the ideal transport system for every city, every passenger, every transport case. See what I mean: Motorists' petrol taxes should go to increasing public transport, they say. Hang everything else and get the Auckland City Rail Link built, they say. Scrap the Kapiti Expressway plan and build more public transport, they say. Scrap the Puhoi-Wellsford highway, they say, and build more public transport. Scrap Transmission Gully, they say, and build more public transport. Their mantra, a never-ending refrain, is more rail, fewer roads—an... more »

RESOLUTION TO THE PALESTINE-ISRAEL CONUNDRUM: FOUR OPTIONS – ONLY ONE VIABLE

For decades the resolution to the Palestine-Israel conundrum has proved elusive and the reason for that has been staring us in the face for years. The fact is; the elitists of both sides want all of the lands that were once Palestine and that are now Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, for their respective selves. The Zionists want all of the lands – and then some – in order to realise their dream of creating a Greater Israel while on the other side of the coin there are some elitist Palestinians who want a nation free of all Jews. These are both ‘one state for one people’ opt... more »

Harper Pal Busted in Panama

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 1 day ago
Arthur Porter has been nabbed by authorities in Panama. The Montreal hospital administrator has been on the run for some time. Three years ago Porter was appointed by Stephen Harper to serve as chairman of SIRC, the watchdog panel overseeing CSIS, Canada's spy agency. Porter was subsequently accused to taking kickbacks from SNC-Lavelin Group (is that all they do?) on a 1.3-billion dollar hospital construction and maintenance contract. Porter and his wife split for the Bahamas where he claimed to be too sick with stage four cancer to return to Canada to face the music. Apparen... more »

Joe Crowley-- Making The Republican Party Look Less Singularly Horrible

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
Dangerous douche bags Huckabee and Crowley... with guitars Earlier today, we mentioned in passing, that Joe Crowley is one of the most corrupt Members of Congress... in *history*, and that he's been facilitating corrupt relationships between freshmen New Dems-- he's the ex-Chairman of the Big Business-owned coalition of anti-working family Democrats. Then I realized it's been *months* since we've covered Crowley. Since the Juniper Park Civic Association first published the piece below in March 2012, Queens Democratic boss, Crowley, has been given a formal position inside the House De... more »

Greens: Reciting the rail mantra while reality passes them by

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 1 day ago
The Greens constantly push public transport as the ideal transport system for every city, every passenger, every transport case. See what I mean: Motorists' petrol taxes should go to increasing public transport, they say. Hang everything else and get the Auckland City Rail Link built, they say. Scrap the Kapiti Expressway plan and build more public transport, they say. Scrap the Puhoi-Wellsford highway, they say, and build more public transport. Scrap Transmission Gully, they say, and build more public transport. Their mantra, a never-ending refrain, is more rail, fewer roads—an... more »

The Rise of Global Civilization: A Conversation with Kishore Mahbubani (The National Interest)

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 1 day ago
*"The Great Convergence: Asia, the West, and the Logic of One World"* By Kishore Mahbubani. An excerpt from the review of the book by Tom Nagorski in The Wall Street Journal on March 19, 2013, called, *"A New Concert of Nations"*: The Indian scholar Brahma Challaney recently gave a talk at the Asia Society in New York about the coming global water-supply crisis. It was a dispiriting forecast: drought and pollution, even wars over water. That same morning brought dreary news from other fronts: a fresh threat from North Korea, another atrocity in Syria, a frightening smog alert fr... more »

One Step Closer……

peggyrobertson at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 1 day ago
Every time a child takes a high stakes test we are one step closer to the end of public education. Keep that in mind next year – especially if you are a student and/or have a child that doesn’t mind the test – know that the action of taking the test in fact is assisting […]

PM Stephen Harper's Hand Picked Former Head Of The Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC) Arrested For Fraud & Gov't Fraud

leftdog at Buckdog - 1 day ago
** [image: Progressive Bloggers] *Issues management for the Harper Conservatives just keeps moving from 'bad' to 'worse':* * * *"Arthur Porter, the well-connected oncologist and hospital administer whom Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed three years ago to oversee Canada’s spy agency, was arrested with his wife in Panama on charges of fraud against the Quebec government.* ***The charges relate to his alleged role in the handling of a $1.3-billion Montreal hospital construction and maintenance contract, awarded to troubled engineering giant SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. in 2010.* ***T... more »

Panda in tree

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 1 day ago

Europe end Arms embargo for Syrian rebels as the war to control of Europe's natural gas supply ses another chess move ....Europe check to Russia

fredw at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
Martin Chulov explains that the US has put its faith in *Salam Idriss*, the commander of the Free Syrian Army, as someone who can be trusted to be supplied with weapons via Saudi Arabia: A reluctant US administration has lately settled on Salam Idriss, the commander of the umbrella guerilla group, the Free Syria Army, as a leader in whom it is prepared to take a risk. Dealings between Idriss and the US military have stepped up in recent months, both in Jordan and Turkey, where small groups of Syrian rebels are being trained. An influx of Saudi supplied weapons that crossed the Jorda... more »

Medea Benjamin : Why I spoke Out at Obama's Foreign Policy Speech

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 1 day ago
Medea Benjamin, co-founder of the political activist group CodePink, is removed by security after speaking out against President Barack Obama during his foreign policy speech Thursday. Photo by Kevin Dietsch  / UPI. Image from Common Dreams. Why I spoke out at  Obama's foreign policy speech Or, Why Obama's policies themselves, not those who speak out against them, are rude. By Medea

MEMORIAL DAY MESSAGE

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago

Catarinas refrescandose sobre el agua cristalina

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 1 day ago
[image: Catarinas refrescandose sobre el agua cristalina] *Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de catarinas* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

Muñequitos de cartón recolectando frutos

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 1 day ago
[image: Muñequitos de cartón recolectando frutas] *Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de m
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