Friday, May 03, 2013

3 May - Blogs I'm Following

Paul Weyrich - Undertaker for the American DreamPaul Weyrich - Undertaker for the American Dream (Photo credit: DonkeyHotey)
English: A map of United Kingdom constituencie...English: A map of United Kingdom constituencies showing which constituencies were 'won' by the candidates in the 2010 leadership election of the UK Labour Party. Green indicates constituencies won by David Miliband, light blue for Ed Miliband, pink for Andy Burnham, yellow for Ed Balls and white for a tie. All ties with the exception of Wigan were between David and Ed Miliband. Northern Ireland was counted as one constituency. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Conservative Party propagandaConservative Party propaganda (Photo credit: PabloBM)
Red PlanetRed Planet (Photo credit: chiaralily)
2004–2007 Škoda Octavia II vRS2004–2007 Škoda Octavia II vRS (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Skoda Octavia MPI photographed in Gothenburg, ...Skoda Octavia MPI photographed in Gothenburg, Sweden. Category:Škoda Octavia II (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
New Orleans at Night (NASA, International Spac...New Orleans at Night (NASA, International Space Station, 01/26/11) (Photo credit: NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center)
New Orleans SkylineNew Orleans Skyline (Photo credit: joseph a)

Very Cute Tiny Green Pea Car...


11:41am MDST

Jenn from Rules of Engagement topless

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 9 minutes ago
You know Rules of Engagement, it's repeated on E4 seemingly endlessly during the daytime. The only reason to watch this programme would be to see Jenn scantily dressed. If you don't know the show then here's Jen That's Bianca Kajlich aka Jennifer. This is Bianca Kajlich showing somewhat more of her body in the film 30 Minutes or Less. Bianca Kajlich - 30 Minutes or Less *by thisjeenius*

Free Planet - technology - stealth living

Mike Philbin at FREE PLANET - 11 minutes ago
*original image* (c) Bison Lu No, no, no, no - this free planet post isn't about futuristic 'technology' of 'cloaking devices' for interlinked hexagonal Floating Homes? It's not. It's about the 'technology' of LEAVING NO HUMAN FOOTPRINT upon this Earth. As far as Free Planet is concerned, with the potential for local solutions for Energy, Waste, Water and Well-being, we don't need to 'leave our mess' all over this wonderful world. We're clever enough to just have a limited i.e. virtually 'no presence', impact upon this Earth if only we put our mind to it (abandon PROFIT) and try to... more »

OK Unions are A-OK With Me!

2old2care at Because I Can - 26 minutes ago
I am so in love with the union workers in Oklahoma that protested ALEC yesterday - I wish I could actually give them all a big old hug for their shoutouts (literally) to the extremist right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council. They did such an amazing job! *Here's a post of the rally protest on Daily Kos with pictures (like this one).* *>>>HERE<<<<*

UK Elections-- A Bad Day For The Conservatives, The Establishment And Austerity But A Swell Result For British Fascism

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 39 minutes ago
British Tea Party makes huge gains across England The U.K. had 35 council elections-- like state legislatures-- across England (plus one in Wales) yesterday, as well as a parliamentary by-election in South Shields, a traditionally Labour area, to fill the seat for David Miliband, who held it since 2001 and resigned to take a job based in NYC. The seat has been in Labour hands since 1929. Going into the elections, the Conservative/Liberal-Dem coalition was expecting to get its ass kicked. And it did. Pollsters predicted that the Conservatives could lose more than 300 seats and the Lib... more »

VISIT EGYPT?

Anon at aangirfan - 45 minutes ago
www.ibtimes.co.uk *Egypt's president Morsi, put into power by the CIA, wants a war crimes trial for Syria's Assad, whose country is under attack by the CIA.* Egypt's President Morsi criticises Syria's President Assad, while Egypt collapses into chaos. *Lynched. Egypt today.* "Standing... on the Cairo ring road with an AK-47 automatic rifle pressed to his neck, he did not deliberate long before giving in to the three men who, with a spray of gunfire, had forced his Skoda Octavia to the side of the road." www.thenational. In Egypt, interior ministry officials say that the crime... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 53 minutes ago
*I’m Living in New Orleans Now ~Rabbi Stone Goodman* * * *Craig Giesecke: Hey Jazzfesters — Be nice or leave ~Uptown Messenger* *Stacy Head Issues Stripped-Down Food Truck Ordinance After Veto ~NOLA DEFENDER* *Flood maps prompt costly insurance hikes for homeowners ~DisasterMap.net*

Robotic Birds are a Thing Now

Jay Allbritton at Jay Allbritton - 59 minutes ago
This is such a breathtaking design accomplishment that I'm blocking out the paranoia I'm feeling re: national security applications.

The Face of Globalization

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 1 hour ago
When you're racing for the bottom dollar, it eventually costs some people their lives.

Red Ink Premiere Party: Pine Ridge and Tucson May 3, 2013

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 hour ago
    RED INK will be holding dual premier parties in both Tucson, AZ and Pine Ridge, South Dakota. "We begin by letting the Powers know that we are willing to be their servants to others." -- Fools Crow, LAKOTA      Please join RED INK and friends as we celebrate the release of the long-awaited Volume 16.2/17.1 "

The NRA Installs A New President And He Is Proof Of How Mentally Deranged The American Right Has Become

leftdog at Buckdog - 1 hour ago
"*Jim Porter of Birmingham, a longtime board member whose daddy's name graces an NRA championship shooting trophy, is expected to take office tomorrow in Houston at a national shindig that will include speeches by Sarah Palin, Rick Santorum, and John Bolton.* ** *In addition to bearing a passing resemblance to Pappy O'Daniel, Porter works at his own law firm, where his areas of expertise include "defense of firearms manufacturers" from product-liability lawsuits. His NRA election announcement also identifies him as a "special assistant attorney general for the state of Alabama," wh... more »

New Study Examines Media Coverage of Iranian Nuclear Program

Nima Shirazi at Wide Asleep in America - 1 hour ago
Late last month, The University of Maryland's Center for International and Security Studies (CISSM) released an extensive new report examining the mainstream media's coverage of the Iranian nuclear program and its attendant developments and implications over the past four years.The study, entitled "The Media & Iran’s Nuclear Program: An analysis of U.S. and U.K. coverage, 2009-2012" [PDF] and

International Workers' Day

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 1 hour ago
The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or the Wobblies) is an international industrial union that was formed in 1905. The origin of the nickname "Wobblies" is uncertain. The IWW promotes the concept of "One Big Union," contends that all workers should be united as a social class and that capitalism and wage labor should be abolished. They are known for the Wobbly Shop model of workplace democracy, in which workers elect their managers and other forms of grassroots democracy (self-management) are implemented. IWW membership does not require that one work in a represented workplac... more »

Blog Break

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Pielke, Jr.) at Roger Pielke Jr.'s Blog - 1 hour ago
This blog is going to go silent for the summer, as I turn my attention to completing the 2nd edition of *The Honest Broker*. I'll keep up my blogging at The Least Thing and my periodic column at The Breakthrough Institute. You can also find me on Twitter @RogerPielkeJr. Have a nice summer and tune back in here in the fall!

Preventing the Next Catastrophe

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 1 hour ago
Wisdom from David Romer.

The last time CO2 was this high, humans didn’t exist – ‘There is the possibility that we’ve already breached the threshold of truly dangerous human influence on our climate and planet’

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 1 hour ago
[image: CO2 levels are far higher now than they have been for anytime during the past 800,000 years. Graphic: Scripps Institution of Oceanography] By Andrew Freedman 3 May 2013 (Climate Central) – The last time there was this much carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere, modern humans didn't exist. Megatoothed sharks prowled the oceans, the world's seas were up to 100 feet higher than they are today, and the global average surface temperature was up to 11°F warmer than it is now. As we near the record for the highest CO2 concentration in human history — 400 parts per mil... more »

Bishop Tobin to Catholics of Rhode Island on "same-sex marriage"...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 2 hours ago
*well said, Bishop Tobin. * *As the Rhode Island General Assembly prepares to pass “same-sex marriage” legislation and the Governor scheduled to sign the bill this afternoon, Bishop Tobin offers the following pastoral letter to Catholics in Rhode Island. The contents of this letter will be printed in the May 9, 2013 edition of Rhode Island Catholic Newspaper.* My dear Brothers and Sisters, Since the legislative approval of “same-sex marriage” in Rhode Island, a number of people have requested that I offer some guidance on this development. It is for that purpose that I write at th... more »

Greedy Bastards and Democracy

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 2 hours ago
Teaching a class about American politics, Congress, interest groups, or some related topics? You really should find room for this comment, from a Ryan Grim and John Celock article about the online sales tax fight: As one moderate Democratic senator put it during the swipe fee fight, "I'm surprised at how much of our time is spent trying to divide up the spoils between various economic interests. I had no idea. I thought we’d be focused on civil liberties, on education policy, energy policy and so on." "The fights down here can be put in two or three categories: The big greedy bastar... more »

BOSTON BOMBS

Anon at aangirfan - 2 hours ago
Alex Jones explains. Sibel Edmonds and Lew Rockwell

Sign the Keystone XL Pledge of Resistance

2old2care at Because I Can - 2 hours ago
*Subject:* Sign the Keystone XL Pledge of ResistanceDear Friend, President Obama and his administration are moving toward approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline. If tens of thousands of people stand up as President Obama mulls his final decision, we can convince the White House that it will be politically unfeasible to go forward. I just signed the Keystone XL Pledge of resistance - committing to participate in civil disobedience if the Obama administration issues draft approval of Keystone XL. *If you are also committed to stopping Keystone XL, read the call to action, *and consi... more »

Tupac Shakur, 17, More Enlightened than Duncan

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 2 hours ago
Thanks to Stephanie Rivera for posting; see some of the video below in transcript HERE. Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical Tagged: Tupak Shakur

Mohawk Nation News 'Canada, Your Goose is Cooked'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 3 hours ago
Canada, Your Goose is Cooked Mohawk Nation News www.mohawknationnews.com Posted on May 3, 2013 by admin MNN. May 3, 2013. Indigenous worldwide all have common ownership of our land and resources. For our use, not for profit; political power in the hands of the people; everyone is equal and has a voice; no person exploits another. We all use our inherent natural scientific methods

ALEC Legislators - Use Myopic, Ill-informed ALEC Tax Policies

2old2care at Because I Can - 3 hours ago
YOUR State ALEC legilsators is an ALEC sheeple - just doing whatever ALEC tells them to do when it comes to economic policy YOUR state legislators are at the the ALEC meeting in OKC - supposedly working on economic legislation - legislation that is detrimental to your state and your personal economic well-being. Take this example this morning from NonProfit Quarterly: For example, News & Observer columnist Rob Christensen reports that Governor McCrory has proposed to slash the budget of the Rural Economic Development Center from $18 million to $6.6 million, the Biotechnology Center... more »

Why Bother With Climate Change? The World is Ending Soon Anyway.

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 3 hours ago
Apparently an awful lot of Americans have embraced *"End Times Theology".* As they see it, the world is ending soon anyway so there's no point worrying about trivialities like climate change. A study by David Barker of the University of Pittsburgh and David Bearce of the University of Colorado concludes there is simply too much resistance to hope for effective action by Congress to deal with climate change. “*[T]he fact that such an overwhelming percentage of Republican citizens profess a belief in the Second Coming (76 percent in 2006, according to our sample) suggests that gov... more »

Void for Vagueness

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 3 hours ago
R. *v.* Levkovic, 2013 SCC 25 deals with the concept of a law being void as too vague: [32] The doctrine against vagueness is founded on two rationales: a law must provide fair notice to citizens and it must limit enforcement discretion. Understood in light of its theoretical foundations, the doctrine against vagueness is a critical component of a society grounded in the rule of law: *R. v. Nova Scotia Pharmaceutical Society* [1992] 2 S.C.R. 606, at pp. 626-27;*Canadian Foundation for Children, Youth and the Law v. Canada (Attorney General)*,* *2004 SCC ... more »

China's new biological weapon?

Abraham Ben Judea at Abraham says - 3 hours ago
** ** *IMMUNOLOGISTS are concerned about the "dangerous" work of Chinese scientists in creating a hybrid bird flu virus able to spread in the air between guinea pigs, and now living in a lab freezer. * The team from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Gansu Agricultural University have written in the journal Science that they have created the new virus by mixing genes from H5N1 "bird flu" and H1N1 "swine flu". H5N1, transmitted to people by birds, is fatal in about 60 per cent of cases but does not transmit between humans - a characteristic so far preventing a pandem... more »

Swimming bear

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 3 hours ago

The White House Ponders an Ice-Free Arctic Ocean

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 3 hours ago
The domestic and international security implications of an ice free Arctic ocean will be briefed at the White House this week. *The meeting is bringing together Nasa's acting chief scientist, Gale Allen, the director of the US National Science Foundation, Cora Marett, as well as representatives from the US Department of Homeland Security and the Pentagon. * * **Senior scientists advising the US government at the meeting include 10 Arctic specialists, including marine scientist Prof Carlos Duarte, director of the Oceans Institute at the University of Western Australia. * *In early ... more »

Talking Academic Journals: Publishing the “Best Work”

Daniel Nexon at Duck of Minerva - 3 hours ago
Note: this is the second in a series of posts opening up issues relating to journal process for general discussion by the international-studies community. All journals commit to publishing “the best work” that they receive within their remit. All journals aspire to publish “the best work,” period, within their specialization. This raises special challenges for Continue reading

Beef Industry is asking Federal Government to approve food irradiation

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 4 hours ago
Beef Industry is asking the Federal Government to approve irradiation of food **Everyone, everywhere: Say NO to radiated food. And say it loud! While I am using Canadian news, this is not only ongoing in Canada. The EU is looking at radiating food. As for the US, sadly, it appears the food has been irradiated more extensively for some time. Yet, even that can be rolled back! Canada's beef industry is about to ask the federal government to approve the use of irradiation in meat-processing plants to kill dangerous E. coli bacteria in a full range of meat products. The Canadian ... more »

Naomi Klein Attacks Big Enviro

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 4 hours ago
There's dissension in the ranks of the environmental movement. Naomi Klein has written a piece in *The Guardian* attacking some A-list environmental groups that, she claims, have been of more help than harm to the fossil fuelers. *...some of the most powerful and wealthiest environmental organisations have long behaved as if they had a stake in the oil and gas industry. They led the climate movement down various dead ends: carbon trading, carbon offsets, natural gas as a "bridge fuel" – what these policies all held in common is that they created the illusion of progress while allo... more »

VIDEO of Anti-ALEC Union Protest Rally in OKC

2old2care at Because I Can - 4 hours ago
The American Legislastive Exchange Council got an earful yesterday in OKC. "ALEC is not OK for Oklahoma - ALEC is not OK for America" - one of many excellent quotes in this video. Watch it and get ready to smile - - - - - - - - really big It's and hour and a half - here are my most favorite snips. The speech at minute 18 is amazing - - - The speech at minute 55 is amazing - - - Minutes 49 - 52 are PRICELESS!!!!! - Makes the Communications Director from American for Prosperity looks like a fool - probably had to change his drawers after this. Watch start... more »

Draft Gambling Legislation Passed by Cabinet

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 4 hours ago
*Trash row.* With the residents of Matsu approving gambling on their island via referendum, the Cabinet has passed a draft bill. The Matsu gambling referendum, as I noted in a blog post last year, is the camel's nose in the tent.... In my previous post on this topic I collected the following information..... The AmCham article notes that infrastructure on Matsu is primitive and bad weather often shuts down transportation, making it the less preferable of the two islands. It seems intuitively obvious that a referendum for Kinmen is in the cards at some point. This suggests also t... more »

Read Stuff, You Should

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 4 hours ago
Happy Birthday to Dule Hill, 38. And some good stuff: 1. Scott Monje on the NRA and the UN Arms Trade Treaty. 2. James Fearon on the question of how many wars the United States is currently fighting -- and what's at stake in answering that question. 3. Kevin Drum on what George Washington couldn't do. 4. Got behind on this, but David S. Bernstein on how the parties decide -- and enforce their decision -- in the Massachusetts Senate special. 5. And Sarah Posner on the National Day of Prayer (and the post-policy GOP).

Police Arrest Man Filming Police and Delete Camera Footage, Hacker Gets It Back

Mark Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 4 hours ago
*YouTube - WeAreChange* WeAreChange recently got a chance to meet up with Alex from Federal Jack and Hack Miami, to get the full story of his arrest and destruction of evidence by the Miami Police Department. Alex was arrested for merely filming the police in Miami, the police later illegally deleted the footage from Alex’s camera and charged him with resisting arrest. The Miami Police officer who made the arrest, Richard Anastasi was later found guilty of extortion and kidnapping in a separate case. *See exactly how to recover camera footage deleted by police HERE* Learn more a... more »

John Boehner-- Bad For America, Bad For Ohio

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 4 hours ago
Republicans find it easy and natural to demonize Nancy Pelosi. After all, conservatives have cast assertive and visionary women as "witches" and "bitches" since time immemorial. It's part of their whole self-inflicted patriarchal disease. And it's another manifestation of the pathetic Republican Party War Against Women. But this week, Billy House at the *National Journal* asked why isn't Boehner a target in congressional elections? Excellent question and before we get into it, please let me remind you that although Steve Israel and the DCCC work frantically to protect Boehner and ... more »

WHY WE CALL IT CIVIL RESISTANCE

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 4 hours ago
On April 27, 2013, Ellen Grady and John Hamilton presented a workshop titled "Civil Resistance, What is it? and why do we do it?" at the “Resisting Drones, Global War and Empire" convergence in Syracuse, NY.

He's Worried

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 4 hours ago
Carol Goar wrote* *in the*Toronto Star *that Stephen Harper is "at risk of sneering himself into irrelevance." Boston has its suspected terrorists. So does Canada. And Canadians are troubled: [Harper's] comments on terrorism in the last three weeks have left Canadians shaking their heads, hoping he doesn’t really mean what he says and looking elsewhere for answers. They want to know how young men amid them, going to the same schools as their kids, turn into mass killers. Who is radicalizing them? How does this metamorphosis happen in plain view of their unsuspecting parents, frie... more »

Non-Compete Agreements Can't Be Used to Prevent Competition

Donna at Screw You Guys, I'm Going Home - 5 hours ago
Whether you work in the copy room or in a corner office, you may have been presented with something called a Non-Competition Agreement. Or maybe it was called something sneakier, like a Confidentiality Agreement or Intellectual Property Agreement. Whatever it was called, it said you can't work for a competitor of the company for a year or two after you leave. If you haven't been forced to sign one yet, beware. They're all the rage with management these days. Physicians, managers, executives, professionals and employees are often given the choice: sign or be fired. While companies cl... more »

Along The Pilgrim Trail Dedicated To St. Olaf of Norway and the Seven Characteristics of The Pilgrim

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 5 hours ago
Saint Olaf of Norway** *During one of my wanderings, I came across a Church in Sweden that is one of the stops along the Pilgrim Path that is between Skara, Sweden and Trondheim, Norway. The Church was built in the 14th Century and dedicated to St. Olaf of Norway. There was written there the seven key qualities or characteristics of a Pilgrim. I found this good advise that can lead to a balanced and happy life although somehow being difficult to fit into our modern world.* ** *I thought that I would share these wise and long forgotten words with all whom visit my blog. I truly h... more »

Education “writers” are kind of annoying, or no?

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 5 hours ago
I read a fluff piece on the Common Core at Inside Higher Ed. Pretty basic, hits most key players. I checked the author, just a 2009 journalism graduate. She quotes significantly folks from PARCC, SBAC, and other supporters. Mentions a lot about teacher preparation, but no one actually FROM teacher preparation. This has been an issue [...]

Ag-Gag Law is Now Prosecuting Activists

Mark Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 5 hours ago
*Youtube* ** * * *Green is the New Red by Will Potter* Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurner Be the Change! Share this using the tools below. Sharing on Reddit and Newsvine will help the most.

ALEC - Can't Play Well with Others...

2old2care at Because I Can - 5 hours ago
Last year at the ALEC Annual Meeting in Salt Lake - ALEC did this ALEC is Using its Political Clout to Silence Dissent, Group Says June 7, 2012 A room at the Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City ... ALEC is reportedly pulling strings behind the scenes to shut down dissent at its annual meeting this summer. *The Alliance for a Better Utah, a Utah progressive group, reports that after it reserved space* at the Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City for July 25-28 — the same hotel and dates where ALEC will hold its 2012 annual meeting — the *hotel called back and canceled the group... more »

Did You Know: Natural Cancer Treatments are Hidden from You – But Why? by Paul Fassa

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 6 hours ago
Source: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ryders-Army-Childhood-Cancer-Awareness/558890637473772 Did You Know: Natural Cancer Treatments are Hidden from You – But Why? By Paul Fassa Natural Society, 3 May 2013 The recent Texas Medical Board attacks on Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski, who has been highly successful at curing hopeless cancer victims in his Houston research clinic, brought to mind an interview quote from Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez. He referred to the cancer industry’s attitude toward treating cancer outside the medical mafia’s zone of standard care. “It’s beyond a double standard.... more »

We think Kevin Drum got it right!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 7 hours ago
*FRIDAY, MAY 3, 2013* *Despite that, please donate here:* Late yesterday, the analysts cheered when they saw Kevin Drum refer to Maureen Dowd in a rude, dismissive way: “I just don't get it. What does it take to convince the Dowds and Milbanks and Fourniers of the world? How can any of them still believe that Republicans will ever agree to real revenue increases?” We recommend Drum’s full post. But this would be a different world if career writers had dismissed the very influential Dowd that way over the past twenty years. If they had been willing to sniff at her as one of “the Dow... more »

THE PROFESSORIATE FAILS US AGAIN: Reinhart and Rogoff describe their key finding!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 7 hours ago
*FRIDAY, MAY 3, 2013* *Interlude—Do you understand what they said:* By all accounts, Reinhart and Rogoff made some gruesome mistakes in their now-famous study. Their paper appeared in early 2010. According to Paul Krugman, the paper was “instantly famous.” According to Krugman, “it was, and is, surely the most influential economic analysis of recent years.” Gack! Three years later, three graduate students discovered and reported the famous professors’ mistakes. Given the consequences, citizens ought to be angry that the professors’ bungles occurred at all. Citizens ought to wonde... more »

Religious Freedom

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 8 hours ago
The Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent advisory body created by the International Religious Freedom Act to monitor religious freedom abuses internationally, released its 2013 report, which idenitifes “governments that are the most egregious violators.” The 15 countries are Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Uzbekistan, Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Vietnam, all of which severely restrict independent religious activity and harass individuals and groups for religious activity or beliefs. The... more »

GERMAN-AMERICANS RUN THE WORLD?

Anon at aangirfan - 9 hours ago
*Germany, after May 1945. **A girl in the Kloster Indersdorf children's centre, photographed in an attempt to locate surviving relatives. *Displaced Persons* ** *Allegedly, the German-Americans run the world. This is no doubt a slight exaggeration. There is a theory that certain powerful Americans, both Jewish and non-Jewish, financed Hitler and encouraged him to wreck Europe. In 1939, there were German-Americans, and others, who* "dreamed of scavenging the assets of a doomed British empire."* *That special relationship* How America planned to destroy BRITAIN and grab its wealth.... more »

Greg Hunter, “Weekly News Wrap-Up 5.3.13”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 9 hours ago
*“Weekly News Wrap-Up 5.3.13”* By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com "This week, the President was asked about State Department whistleblowers that claim they are being pressured NOT to come forward.The President said he was not aware of this. Meanwhile, whistleblowers are scheduled to testify in Congress on Benghazi. Our Ambassador and three others were killed in a terrorist attack on 9/11/12. Some are charging the White House is stonewalling on important details to cover gross mistakes on foreign policy. War drums continue to pound around Syria. There are charges of chemical ... more »

Chimericana Books - rights returned deals secured - redesigned relaunch titles announced.

Mike Philbin at FREE PLANET - 10 hours ago
For the last decade or so, *Chimericana Books* has been a repository for all 'rights returned titles' that I, Mike Philbin, have written in collaboration with various writers or under various pseudonyms, Michael Paul Peter, Hertzan Chimera and my role as editor of the Chimeraworld anthology (which made it so its sixth annual issue). I've recently re-secured the rights to all my paperback-published novels from 2008 to the present day. As soon as the final-edit is completed on CUSTODIAN (free planet¹), I'll be publishing it through the brand new Chimericana Books (using a different... more »

Skin Probiotics Offer Best Defense Against MRSA Infections

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 10 hours ago
http://www.activistpost.com/2013/05/skin-probiotics-offer-best-defense.html#more Thursday, May 2, 2013 *Skin Probiotics Offer Best Defense Against MRSA Infections* Case Adams Activist Post Researchers from the University of California at San Diego have determined that healthy skin bacteria serve as defense mechanisms against infection, and can fight off even the sometimes deadly MRSA infection. This of course explains why not everyone who comes into contact with the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria – or any other skin infective agent for that matter –... more »

Two Parent Mice

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 10 hours ago
This certainly infers that our generational experiment with single parent families needs to be reviewed and carefully studied as to the presence of deleterious biological impact. The implied assumption has been that there is no problem. Now we suddenly know that this is not quite true. I would go further. We need to rethink how we organize our civilization to optimize child nurturing even when parent hate each other or are simply not there. If that is not important, then what is? *Mice with 2 parents grow healthier brains, research shows* *Calgary** scientists s... more »

Tower of Basel

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 10 hours ago
This is a reminder that we do have a global currency in the form of the US dollar. Everyone else would like to figure out how to create a global currency that worked better and was less prone to the USA having difficulties. Now that we are four years down the road, it is time to take stock again. So far it is not happening and it will not properly happen for at least twenty years. I suspect that it will not be achieved until 2050 when poverty has been reduced to such a level as to provide no further competitive advantage anywhere. At the present, the euro-currency is c... more »

Ethnicity Immunity Factor

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 10 hours ago
In time we will have your genome and a way to target the problem even on the fly. In the meantime we at least know to check for ethnic variation even more carefully than previously indicated. I do not think this is that particularly crucial but it can explain failure in particular cases or the need for an alternative. Well covered disease sees us shopping anyway. We are steadily getting better at this DNA thing. *DNA study suggests human immunity to disease has ethnicity basis* * by Staff Writers* * Burnaby, British Columbia (UPI) Apr 19, 2013* * http://www.ter... more »

New Zealand Oil

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 10 hours ago
I extracted this from Energy and Capital and it is a surprise. Best is that jurisdiction works for everyone. Thus it will see quick development. I know mega fields discovered in Africa over thirty years ago that remain utterly untouched. At least the rest of the world is now receiving a glowing lesson on how the USA in particular is able to turn on a dime when local resource extraction becomes possible. USA production has jumped an astounding twenty percent in the last year. Better this growth appears poised to continue at least until pricing drops. New Zealand is also ... more »

Corrections and clarifications | From the Guardian | The Guardian

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 11 hours ago
' In two articles (Ukip stands by candidate despite links with BNP, 25 April, page 6, early editions;Ukip candidates may have BNP or criminal past, Farage admits , 26 April, page 21), we stated that Caven Vines, a candidate for Ukip in Rotherham, had close links to the British National party. This was incorrect. We apologise to Mr Vines for the error.' From The Guardian here http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2013/may/02/corrections-and-clarifications Too little, too late? Job done?

9 year old discusses the meaning of life and the universe

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 11 hours ago

A Modest Proposal for Effective Electoral Reform

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 11 hours ago
Manitou only knows how we're struggling to find democratic reform for our ailing electoral system. At the moment some type of proportional representation is the favoured approach. I have another idea, one that may even be superior to proportional rep. How many of us have dutifully dragged ourselves to the polls only to have to hold our noses and cast a ballot for the least odious of a motley crew of candidates and their respectively odious parties? I know I certainly have. Yes I have voted for representatives when I was less than convinced that any of the candidates or their p... more »

Dine' Adella Begaye: The vultures of dirty coal

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 11 hours ago
Dine' Adella Begaye responds after Navajo government signs lease to continue the dirty coal industry on Navajoland Navajo Generating Station near Page, Ariz. on Navajoland.  By Adella Begaye, Dine' Censored News www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com   The passage of the Navajo Generating Station by the Navajo Nation Council and Ben Shelly was a major disappointment -- especially when they are being

The Harper Conservative Snub Of Astronaut Marc Garneau Should Tick Off Most Canadians ...

leftdog at Buckdog - 12 hours ago
** [image: Progressive Bloggers] *If you need a demonstration of exactly how petty, vindictive, nasty and divisive the Harper Conservative's are ... look at their snub of Canadian Astronaut Marc Garneau! * *Wow ... just wow.* * **Most Canadians agree .... (perhaps even a few self respecting folks who voted for Harper) ... * *-Ottawa Citizen * *-CBC.ca*

Christy(Crash) Clark Rear Ends Car, Causes Injuries, Finally Settles Out Of Court

Grant G at The Straight Goods - 12 hours ago
Laila Yuile has The Straight Goods... According to court documents Christy Clark, the habitual red light runner rear-ended a car and caused injuries, Christy Clark admitted fault and settled the claim, (the car was leased to her ex-husband, the limp penis guy, Mark Marissen)... Who was also named in the court case.... (*I Still haven`t determined how much Christy Clark had drank..Grant G)* And in case you forgot, Christy Clark who ran a red-light then called her son Hamish a liar when Hamish admitted to Jonathan Fowlie that her mom Christy Clark always runs red lights..A common p... more »

Your moment of Zen

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 12 hours ago
The future as envisioned by Science and Mechanics magazine in 1951. Aluminum car via Roger Wilkerson.

May 2, 1973

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 12 hours ago
At this point, the morning newspapers are just full of revelations and accusations; the Times today has stories about the Ellsberg trial, where it's been revealed that Ehrlichman met with Judge Byrne in April to offer him a job, and about the details of the Fielding break-in. I love this one: on the plane to California, Liddy and Hunt were traveling under assumed names, presumably to cover their tracks. A flight attendant from that plane now says that she had talked to Hunt, who later sent her a book (presumably one of his? the story doesn't say) -- signing the accompanying note with... more »

Will you help John Cook "quantify the consensus"?

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 13 hours ago
Climate fearmonger and kook John Cook sent me, because of this "one of the more highly trafficked climate blogs on the web" you are just reading, the following link: Survey of Peer-Reviewed Scientific Research (University of Queensland) I suppose that the gibberish characters at the end of the URL will be used to identify the TRF readers. If you have fifteen minutes or so, you may try to be asked about 10 randomly chosen (unverified) abstracts of 1991-2011 papers from "Web of Science" and whether or not (at the scale 1-7) they confirm the "consensus" on the hysterical man-made gl... more »

Vegan Recipe - Potato Soup

Small Footprints at Reduce Footprints - 13 hours ago
*The calendar may say that it's spring but in my neck of the woods, there are still more than just a few wintery evenings. On a cool night, nothing is more comforting than a bowl of soup. This month's recipe comes from ... me. It is a hearty dish, packed with flavor. I prefer using whole spices ... in my opinion, they taste better. One can certainly use ground versions but I encourage you to try using them whole ... you'll love the complex flavor. I hope that you and your family enjoy this recipe.* *Potato Soup* *Makes 2-3 adult, main-dish servings* *Ingredients* 1/2 teaspoon Cum... more »

Urban Gadabout: It's Jane's Walk weekend -- be sure to check to see what's happening in your area`

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 13 hours ago
*The NYC subways' Brighton Line had its origins in the Brooklyn & Brighton Beach Railroad, one of the railroads that connected to Brooklyn's ocean beaches. The big news in summer gadding is that Jack Eichenbaum is devoting another of his day-long subway-line odysseys to the Brighton Line.* *by Ken* Okay, I've been kind of grumpy about the fact that I'll be on the shelf for one of my favorite weekends of the year: that of Jane's Walks, in honor of pioneer urbanologist Jane Jacobs, who did so much to reorient the way we think about urban life and to empower urban folk to feel that we... more »

Photo radar and taxes and the power of political myths

paul at Paying attention - 14 hours ago
It’s interesting the way political orthodoxy emerges, without much real evidence. Take two examples - photo radar and irrational tax phobia. Photo radar, it was clear during the leaders’ debate, is seen as political poison. Asked about reinstating it, all four leaders said no. The evidence from around the world is conclusive - photo radar reduces crashes and health care costs and saves lives. In the six years that B.C. had photo radar, road deaths averaged 408 annually. In the previous six years, an average 534 people died on the roads. That’s 126 families spared the death of a loved... more »

First Voices Indigenous Radio: Water, Borders and Resistance

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 14 hours ago
Listen to First Voices Indigenous Radio Host Tiokasin Ghosthorse, Lakota from Cheyenne River http://firstvoicesindigenousradio.org/program_archives Listen to the Program May 2, 2013 CANDACE DUCHENEAUX (Lakota) (www.facebook.com) and type in Mni or Mni Indigenous Water Summit to get the latest information and

State Of Texas To Enact "Texas-Israel Day" On May 8th... Yes, This Is NO JOKE!

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 15 hours ago
I had closed my files of absurdity a few years back, and maybe that was a mistake... It seems that these days the lunacy of our society is becoming more and more pronounced! What you will see in this article is a prime example.... I came across the following article from the website: Liberty Fight, at www.libertyfight.com, and I seriously had to do a double take and read it again to realize it was no joke.... According to this article, that I have here for everyone to view for themselves, the criminal legislators in the state of Texas are going to honor (I really want to puke) the... more »

Social Injustice in Medicine

John Carroll at Dying in Haiti - 15 hours ago
Science has revolutionized medicine but there was no revolution and no plan for ensuring equal access. Excellence without equity is what you now inherit. It’s the chief human rights problem of twenty-first-century medicine, and only when we’re all under general anesthesia of the soul will we be able to ignore it as the century marches on. Farmer, Paul (2013-03-02). To Repair the World (p. 18). University of California Press. Kindle Edition.

The process of drawing inferences from the evidence is not the same as speculating

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 15 hours ago
R. v. Scott, 2013 ONCA 286 holds: [12] The process of drawing inferences from the evidence is not the same as speculating. In this case, the evidence at the preliminary inquiry, fully considered in the context of a drug "rip off" robbery, did not provide some evidence of the subjective *mens rea** *requirement for second degree murder.

Coral Harbour NU

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 16 hours ago

Peter MacKay's Hole in the Ocean

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 16 hours ago
Sailors often complain that a boat is merely a hole in the ocean into which you pour money. This brings us to Harper DefMin, Peter MacKay's 250-million dollar hole in the ocean. *CBC News* is reporting a quirky deal surrounding Canada's Arctic offshore patrol vessel programme. And, yes, it involves not only MacKay but Harper hairpiece Rona Ambrose also. *Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose and Defence Minister Peter MacKay announced March 7 in Halifax that Ottawa will pay Irving Shipbuilding $288 million just to design – not build – a fleet of new Arctic offshore patrol ships.*... more »

Historic snows hit Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa – Snowfall unprecedented in the historical record for the month of May

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 16 hours ago
[image: Observed snowfall amounts in inches from the 1 May - 2 May 2013 snowstorm as of 9am EDT, 2 May 2013. A rare and historic May snowstorm pelted Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin with snowfall amounts unprecedented in the historical record for the month of May. Graphic: NWS Minneapolis] By Dr. Jeff Masters 2 May 2013 (wunderground.com) – A rare and historic May snowstorm continues to pelt Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin with snowfall amounts unprecedented in the historical record for the month of May. Winter Storm Achilles has brought 15.5" of snow to Owatonna, Minnesota, about ... more »

Tom Corbett And His Big Bong Theory

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 16 hours ago
The Tea Party Tide swept a lot of toxic garbage into governors' mansions across the country-- Rick Scott in Florida, Scott Walker in Wisconsin, Sam Brownback in Kansas, John Kasich in Ohio, Rick Snyder in Michigan, Bob Forced Ultrasound McDonnell in Virginia, Nathan Deal in Georgia, Nikki Haley in South Carolina, Puppet Pat in North Carolina, Jan Brewer in Arizona, Paul LePage in Maine, Mike Pence in Indiana, Rick Perry in Texas... to name some of the worst of the worst. How do you actually name one overall worst though? Very difficult... but no one could leave Pennsylvania's Tom... more »

Would you sign this?

Chris Cerrone at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 16 hours ago
Teachers and administrators across New York State were told to sign this “Confidentiality Agreement” before scoring the recent ELA and Math State Assessments. Are the exams that are used to judge students, teachers, and schools top secret? Should the public have the right to see the entire test? State Education bureaucrats keep repeating the importance [...]

Shout out to a new member of the team: Anne Sullivan, the Antique Teacher

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 16 hours ago
Check out the About page here and these are some of her first posts. The Many Faces of NYSUT Mixed Messages? On Being “College Ready” We look forward to many more. -At the Chalk Face knows Schools Matter Filed under: CHALK FACE: General News & Commentary Tagged: anne sullivan, antique teacher

Bagram aircrash (29 April 2013) explained

address-withheld@my.opera.com.invalid (Dr. John v. Kampen) at - 17 hours ago
Link: http://youtu.be/lksDISvCmNI - what caused it? Link: http://youtu.be/eZbH62Bn0oM Now you know... Center of Gravity too far aft. Have a safe weekend! John

BEALE AFB DRONE PROTEST IN CALIFORNIA

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 18 hours ago
MARYSVILLE/BEALE AFB, CA. – Five people were arrested around 8 a.m. on April 30 after dozens of anti-drone demonstrators blocked the entrance to Beale Air Force Base for hours, resulting in hundreds of vehicles being prevented from entering the base. The California Highway Patrol had to be called in to clear traffic which had lines of hundreds of cars in several directions after peace advocates from Sacramento, San Francisco, Nevada City and as far away as Fresno protested President Obama’s U.S. killer drone program. Those arrested were briefly held on misdemeanor charges, which coul... more »

Risking everything for a better life

Jody Paterson at A Closer Look: Jody Paterson - 18 hours ago
Illegal immigrants aboard La Bestia, a notorious Mexican cargo trainIllegal immigration to the United States is both bane and blessing for Honduras. A young acquaintance of my boss is currently experiencing the bane side of things, locked up in a prison in Tyler, Texas after she got caught last month trying to enter the U.S. illegally. Prison officials are telling her she'll be held in jail for two or three months as punishment, then shipped back to Honduras along with the 2,500 or so other illegals from the country who are deported from the States every month. The blessing is, of co... more »

The power of thought and voice

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 19 hours ago

What's the Chance of a Northern Gateway Supertanker Disaster? Try 93-99%

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 19 hours ago
Simon Fraser University has released a study of the likelihood of an environmental catastrophe from the Harper/Enbridge Northern Gateway bitumen pipeline/supertanker scheme. Not surprisingly, their conclusions aren't quite as carefree and rosy as those put out by Enbridge. The chance of a bitumen supertanker disaster during the operating lifespan of the Northern Gateway? The research suggests it's a near certainty, at least if you consider a *93 to 99 per cent chance *nearly certain. Enbridge was claiming an 18% chance of tanker mishap. Along the Northern Gateway pipeline its... more »

ALEC OKC - Protestors Outnumber, “ALEC Members” Attending

2old2care at Because I Can - 19 hours ago
*THANK YOU OK Brothers and Sisters!* *Oklahoma Labor gets the ALEC Gold Star* * * *What an Amazing Bunch of Protesting People!!!* Oklahoma Unions set a new standard that has to replicated in Chicago in August!! Bigger and Better. As I noted in a previous post – the ALEC legislative turnout for the OKC meeting was dismal. So much embarrassment for the struggling ALEC. Anyhow on the first day of the ALEC conference – The AFL-CIO, Teamsters – pushed along by the Professional Firefighters – had a rally – which they livestreamed. ALEC Not OK in Oklahoma 05/02/2013 Mike Hall Not e... more »

Heather Ann Tucci-Jarraf responds to Italian accusations on Lack of Validity of UCC Filings

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 20 hours ago
* * * * *Reblogged from: http://oppt-in.com/heather-ann-tucci-jarraf-responds-to-italian-accusations-on-lack-of-validity-of-ucc-filings/ * * * *Heather Ann Tucci-Jarraf responds to Italian accusations on Lack of Validity of UCC Filings* May 2, 2013 *Heather Ann Tucci-Jarraf responds to Italian accusations on Lack of Validity of UCC Filings* *This is an excerpt from a Skype room conversation this morning May 2, 2013* * [8:05:26 AM] Heather:* In response to Francesca’s message (or whomever was making the legal/lawful/commercial opinion) that the OPPT filings are/were inapplicable t... more »

The Romantic Spirit: Triumph of Death

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 20 hours ago
Title: The Romantic Spirit: Triumph of Death [Full Version]. YouTube Video Description - [Channel: Steven Steinbach. Uploaded on January 19, 2012]: "Triumph of Death" [Directed by Jean-Louis Fournier] - The 'art' of death influences Romantic writers.

Oliver Hartwich: The never-ending Euro crisis - anatomy of an economic policy disaster

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 20 hours ago
*Last night **The New Zealand Initiative**’s Dr Oliver Hartwich gave the University of Auckland Economics Group an update on the never-ending Euro crisis, including a brief history of monetary union (we’ve seen all this before!), and a look at current issues and public debt, and hidden aspects like TARGET2. “Germany is the key player in this crisis,” he says. I took notes…* There is no easy solution any more. Monetary union: Today's Euro is not the first European monetary union to have been undertaken, or to fail. Mid-nineteenth-century France pushed for a Europe-wide monetary un... more »

Appearing tonight on "The Big Picture" with Thom Hartmann

Kenneth Thomas at Middle Class Political Economist - 20 hours ago
I will be talking austerity tonight with Thom Hartmann on his show, "The Big Picture." The program reaches 50 million homes in the United States, and you can look for a station here. Alternatively, you can watch it online here. The show starts at 7:00pm Eastern Daylight Time, and I am told my segment will begin about 7:15. The European Union released its unemployment figures this week. Eurozone unemployment increased from 12.0% in February to 12.1% in March, up from 11.0% in March 2013. Greece reached 27.2% unemployment in January 2013 (most recent data available), while according t... more »

Does Your Heart Break For The Congressional Republican Leadership?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 20 hours ago
Yesterday there was a flurry of speculation that Texas' radical right extremist Ted Cruz, who was born in Canada and is ineligible to serve, would run for president in 2016. Intensely disliked and mistrusted in his own caucus, there are probably plenty of Republicans-- cognizant that no one is going to beat Hillary Clinton anyway-- who would be happy to see Cruz run, lose and be gone from the Senate. But 2016 isn't going to be a good year for Senate Republicans anyway. They have a *lot* of vulnerable seats to defend. A Ted Cruz candidacy would positively kill them. Oh, Dick Shelby... more »

@HuffingtonPost cheerleading for #edreform.

Timothy D. Slekar at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 20 hours ago
It seems Huffington Post is confused when it comes to defining civil rights and labeling groups that fight for civil rights accordingly. In a story that ran in Huffington Post yesterday, Joy Resmovits opened up with: As droves of states wiggle out from some of the toughest components of the much-maligned federal No Child Left Behind Act, [...]

RNC exploits grieving Newtown mother in new ad

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 21 hours ago
It's true that this new RNC ad where they're celebrating their "victory" over Obama in having squashed gun safety reform hits a new low in tasteless GOP gloating. But I'm only posting this because it shows the footage of Obama's last press conference where Jon Karl asked a stupid question about whether POTUS thought he's "lost his juice" because the bill couldn't even get to the floor for a simple up or down vote. Our DC insider media was obsessed with this one stupid question. Everybody covered it at length. I've seen Obama's response described as sarcastic, defensive, irritated a... more »

China Crosses 'Line Of Actual Control' With Stealth Invasion Of India

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 21 hours ago
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-05-02/china-crosses-line-actual-control-stealth-invasion-india *China Crosses 'Line Of Actual Control' With Stealth Invasion Of India* Submitted by Tyler Durden on 05/02/2013 15:10 -0400 ● China India Newspaper Whether this is just a 'misunderstanding' or a land-grab to make up for Japan's Senkaku actions, the Indians are claiming that a platoon of Chinese soldiers have crossed the so-called 'Line of Actual Control' in the Indian-held Ladakh region. They have remained there for two weeks and even as India complains, the Chinese deny, saying t... more »

This week's All the Hegemony You Can Eat

Roobin at THROUGH THE SCARY DOOR - 21 hours ago
Here’s an interesting little story. The state of Louisiana currently legislates for the equal teaching of evolution and intelligent design. The state’s governor endorsed the act, asking the rhetorical question, “what are we scared of”? Disinvestment in science and technology is one thing. Students who hold that the laws of nature can be suspended at any point are going to struggle with the sciences. If the state education system will not foster a scientific culture it will not turn out new scientists and will drive existing ones away. It’s an interesting illustration of the practi... more »

Transformational Tubes of Light…

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 22 hours ago
*Transformational Tubes of Light…* by ÉirePort Transformational Tubes of Light connect doorways, portals, gateways, along and within continents of surface Gaia, as well as throughout Inner Gaia. Those with eyes for viewing these are already aware of the intense transformational energies involved. Transformational Tubes of Light are required for the proper direction of these High Cosmic Frequencies. Tubes will appear and dissolve as required for Golden Age type upgrades of humanity, to Hue-manity. Rainbow Bodies become more visible, even to those with relatively non-developed Hig... more »

How Embarrassing - ALEC Mtg OKC - No Quorum

2old2care at Because I Can - 22 hours ago
How incredibly sad. ALEC doesn’t have a quorum – for their big meeting about writing and passing ALEC “model legislation”. One of three meetings held annually, this one focuses on ALEC “model legislation" and only 15% of their ALEC legislators showed up. How incredibly sad. ALEC must be so embarrassed. No Quorum – the votes on the legislation don’t count No Quorum – the discussion is useless. What a waste of taxpayer money – They have NO quorum – they can’t do anything binding May as well just put those 15% of ALEC legislators back on the plane and send 'em home! Here you have... more »

Break up the Too Big To Fail banks

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 22 hours ago
Don't want to get too excited about this just yet, but it's the best shot at killing the Too Big To Fail beast I've seen so far. Last week, on April 24th, Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Louisiana Republican David Vitter introduced legislation called the "Terminating Bailouts for Taxpayer Fairness Act of 2013 Act," or the "Brown-Vitter TBTF Act" for short. The bill is a gun aimed directly at the head of the Too-Big-To-Fail beast. Who knows if they'll get anywhere with it. Big Finance will be throwing around a lot of big money to stop them. But there are quite a few sur... more »

The Pope tweets

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 23 hours ago
Yes I know the Pope has something of checkered past. People change over time. Let the person who has never done something they regret, or changed their mind about anything, be the first to sit in judgment. Me, I'm taking this tweet at face value. Pope Francis: My thoughts turn to all who are unemployed, often as a result of a self-centred mindset bent on profit at any cost. Usually ignore the trolling replies but the crackpot con response to this one is so jaw dropping I read the whole thread. There are some very sick people on the internets.

Eric Cantor's Dilemma?

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 23 hours ago
Ross Douthat is a fan of the ill-fated House health care initiative last week, which was torpedoed by a faction who decided that voting for a program to carry out a GOP talking point would, in this instance, count as supporting Obamacare. Douthat had previously bashed Republican politicians for not fighting for the policy ideas that some conservative wonks support, but now decides that Cantor deserves credit for trying -- because, Douthat believes, in his position he couldn't do more: Because the Republicans are a minority in the Senate, because senators represent broader constituen... more »

For whom the economy recovers

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 23 hours ago
This isn't new, but it shows income inequality keeps getting progressively worse every day. In short, our current obsessed-with-profits philosophy is creating a country of a few million overlords (shareholders) and 300+ million serfs (employees). It is also resulting in employees sharing less of the corporate wealth that they spend their lives creating than they ever have before. That's not what has made America a great country. It's also not what most people think America or other lands of opportunity are supposed to be about. This is an old chart I've had saved for a few mon... more »

GMO MONKEY BUSINESS

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago
Ignoring the many existing alternatives our indigenous biodiversity and knowledge offers to address the public health emergency of iron deficiency, India's Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) has signed an agreement with Queensland University (Australia) to provide AUD $1.4 million (US $1.44 million) and INR80 million (US $1.43 million) towards the cost of the Indian component to increase the iron content in banana through genetic engineering. Dr. Dale of Queensland University who will receive this generosity from our government, and has already received $15... more »

WASTING YOUR $$$ IN AFGHANISTAN

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago
Top Afghan officials have been on the CIA's payroll for over a decade, receiving tens of millions of US dollars in cash. Afghan President Hamid Karzai admitted to receiving the clandestine financial support, but dismissed the sum as a "small amount." You'd think the public and Congress would be screaming about this as we see cutbacks to vital social programs in the US. Politicians get upset about a few "welfare Queens" but this corruption makes that look like peanuts.

It Wasn't A Happy May Day, Not In Europe-- And Probably Not At Chez Paul Ryan

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
Except for Seattle, it was a pretty quiet May Day here in the U.S. where Boehner, Ryan, Miss McConnell and Obama are introducing the devastating Austerity agenda more gradually than they did in Europe. May Day was marked by protests by workers across the globe, starting in Asia, with as many as 150,000 demonstrators getting the ball rolling in Jakarta, while smaller protests sprang up in Seoul, Phnom Penh, Dhaka and Manila. With 80 countries around the world marking May 1 as a public holiday, Istanbul's Taksim Square was in lockdown on Wednesday, after the Turkish government ban... more »

Mining 17: Palawan, Samar, Surigao and Mine Tailings

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 1 day ago
There is one lively exchange on mining in the facebook wall of a friend, JB Baylon. The original exchanges were made last February 19, 2013. Then the other day, one of JB's friends, that we will just call Mr. U, made strong anti-mining comments and called those who posted about mining in Australia and people wearing precious stones as "morons". It's personal attack of course, shooting the messenger, not the message. I am posting the raw, unedited exchanges, except the less substantial comments. With explicit permission from JB and implicit permission from the others. To see the raw ... more »

Don't give your Beer Money to ALEC!

2old2care at Because I Can - 1 day ago
The latest bad news came from* **Anheuser-Busch *InBev, the world's largest brewer, which on Tuesday reported a* 4.1% drop* in sales to U.S. retailers for the first quarter ending in March. Sales for *MillerCoors* brands, meanwhile, *dropped 3.3%* in the quarter, parent company SABMiller recently reported, while Heineken USA sales were down by low-single digits. *From ALECExposed* Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc.[14] Member of ALEC's Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force and ALEC's Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force[35] MillerCoors Brewing Company,[15][14] member o... more »

Mohawk Nation News 'Indigenous Preparedness'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 day ago
INDIGENOUS PREPAREDNESS Posted on May 2, 2013 MNN. May 1, 2013. Theft of our Indigenous resources is the cause of war. Some of us are standing up to it. All of us resisting together will end war. A big danger for the bankers is that the people will come to the Indigenous way and support the protection of natural resources. In the bankers’ pursuit of world domination the

Top Secret Memo: U.S. Govt Admits UFO Subject is Most Highly Classified in U.S. Rated Higher Than the Hydrogen Bomb

Brian Kelly at AMERICAN KABUKI - 1 day ago
*Citizen Hearing on Disclosure Day 4: U.S. Govt Admits UFO Subject is Most Highly Classified in US Rated Higher Than the Hydrogen Bomb* May 2, 2013 This is some of the best testimony I've seen so far. *"UFOs to be "the most highly classified subject in the United States. Flying saucers exist." *It doesn't get much more in your face than that! ~BK Link to Huffington Post article here. It's international day at the Citizen Hearing On Disclosure (CHD), in Washington, D.C., in which several individuals, including military personnel, will present testimony of UFO encounters in ... more »

Two Random Things

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 1 day ago
Almost a decade ago, I spoke to a group of socialist academics and activists. I said that if we were to move forward we needed to come up with something big but nevertheless doable with the political system as we know it. I proposed utilizing small-l liberal values about democracy and human rights to begin campaigning for a constitutional amendment guaranteeing liberal rights of citizenship (including freedom of speech, assembly) of workers within their workplaces. It's rather developed and I've discussed it elsewhere (to no effect!) so you're free to read about it here or at enm... more »

We’ve been right about this too!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 1 day ago
*THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013* *We’ll grant you, it does no good:* Right from the start, for many years, we’ve warned you about Maureen Dowd. Make no mistake! Dowd has been very influential over the past twenty years. Back in 1992, Katherine Boo warned the world about the insipid trend she described as “Creeping Dowdism.” Boo’s detailed warning was ignored. The simpering dumbness Boo denounced has very much taken hold in the mainstream press. This has been a disaster for modern pseudo-journalism. We’ve endlessly warned you about this matter. We’ll grant you, it does no good. Public edi... more »

UFO Sighting Moon Caught by Amateur Astronomer

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 1 day ago

Stephanie Miller avoided the truth!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 1 day ago
*THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013* *This is the way the guild works:* Over at the New York Times, Gail Collins had been off for three weeks. This morning, she returned with her first column since April 13. Needless to say, she wrote her column about “The Luv Guv.” With three full weeks to dream up a topic, she wrote her column about Mark Sanford, his fiancée and his wife. The Times has insulted you in this way for a great many years. This brings us to a striking segment we saw on CNN. Not that many people were watching, but a problem was clearly defined. Erin Burnett teased last night’s seg... more »

FILM / Michael Simmons : How Bob Fass Revolutionized Late-Night Radio

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 1 day ago
Bob Fass in the WBAI studios in New York. Photo by, yes, Bob Fass. Photos courtesy Radio Unnameable. Radio Unnameable: Bob Fass revolutionized late-night radio Fass and 'Cabal' changed history and deserve the credit and Lovelace and Wolfson have provided the first in-depth cinematic look. It resonates like an epic tale with the hero emerging as a long-shot survivor. By Michael Simmons /

sweet dreams

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 1 day ago

Dirty coal wants Navajo water, and reporters are helping the cause

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 day ago
By Brenda Norrell Power lines on Navajoland take electricity to the Southwest Censored News www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com  May 2, 2013 The Salt River Project has not signed the Navajo Generating Station lease signed by the Navajo Nation. SRP wants the Navajo rights to the Little Colorado River water for the future, and SRP does not want to pay the amounts in the lease to the Navajo Nation to

Why Democrats Lost the FAA Fight, and What They Should Do Next Time

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 1 day ago
I have a new column out over at TAP on the FAA fight: Here’s what Democrats should have done, and should be ready to do next time that a Republicans object to a specific program cut...Democrats should collect all of their sequestration complaints: Head Start, Meals on Wheels, and on and on. Next time Republicans squawk about a terrible spending cut (maybe to defense contracts?), Senate Democrats should immediately rush a bill to the floor to satisfy the Republican complaint along with a similar-sized Democratic objection. And they should satisfy those complaints, but not by giving a... more »

Iraq’s Protest Movement And Insurgency Split About Response To Hawija Raid

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 1 day ago
Iraq has been beset by a new wave of violence following the raid upon protesters in Hawija in Tamim province. On April 23, 2013, security forces entered the protest camp in the town looking for the assailants who attacked a checkpoint four days beforehand that left one soldier dead and three wounded. That resulted in 30 people being killed, and dozens more wounded. Immediately afterward there were retaliatory attacks across northern and western Iraq. The Baathist Naqshibandi group took responsibility for many of these operations. That insurgent movement and others have been trying... more »

Kristin Moe : Polluted Houston Neighborhood Draws the Line at Tar Sands

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 1 day ago
Children from the Manchester neighborhood in Houston with oil refinery smokestack in the background. Photo by Tar Sands Blockade. Photo by Tar Sands Blockade / YES! Magazine. Houston's most polluted neighborhood draws the line at Alberta Tar Sands East Texas is the belly of the beast: the heart of America’s oil country and the seat of power for the fossil fuels industry. By Kristin Moe /

Belief in biblical end-times stifling climate change action in U.S. – ‘The Earth will end only when God declares it to be over’

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 1 day ago
[image: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, by Viktor Vasnetsov, 1887. Graphic: via youarenownearingtheend.blogspot.com] By Eric W. Dolan 1 May 2013 (The Raw Story) – The United States has failed to take action to mitigate climate change thanks in part to the large number of religious Americans who believe the world has a set expiration date. Research by David C. Barker of the University of Pittsburgh and David H. Bearce of the University of Colorado uncovered that belief in the biblical end-times was a motivating factor behind resistance to curbing climate change. “[T]he fact ... more »
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