10:16pm MDST
A Perspective Of Gezi Park From An Old Turkish Hippie
In the mid-1970s I was working in the Kosmos, Amsterdam's meditation
center, and I hadn't figured out I was gay yet. I was in love with this
beautiful Dutch woman who was one of the directors of the center. I was
kind of shy but asked her out on a date. She asked me if I'd like to come
over to her apartment for dinner. I was thrilled. When I got there, a
strange local hippie who played sitar at the center, Omar, was helping
prepare dinner. He, it turned out, was the boyfriend. We've been friends
ever since.
He didn't call himself Omar back then; he still doesn't. And he never told... more »
Bob Feldman : Texas Still Ranks High in Poverty and Segregation by Race and Income, 1964-2012
Poverty
in Texas has continued to grow in recent years. Image from
WebGovernments.
The hidden history of Texas
Conclusion: 1996-2012/Final Section -- Texas still ranks high in poverty
and segregation by race and economic status and low in health care and
education.
By Bob Feldman / The Rag Blog / June 19, 2013
[This is the final section of the conclusion to Bob Feldman's Rag Blog
series on
What Was Michael Hastings Working On?
Supreme Court Associate Justice Felix Frankfurter, a Jew, was once
presented with evidence by a friend of the Holocaust. Justice Frankfurter
said he couldn't believe it had happened. His friend responded
incredulously, "Are you telling me you don't believe the Holocaust
happened?" Frankfurter famously replied, "That's not what I said. I said I *
can't* believe it happened." Meaning he couldn't bring himself to believe
it.
That's why I don't go in for conspiracy theories.
For almost eight and a half years, I've been biting my tongue and
refusing to blame Bush and C... more »
The Three Commandments for Editing a Journal
This brief post started life as a comment on a Facebook discussion thread
about peer reviewing practices but I thought it might deserve a wider
readership. The question was raised: is it kosher for a journal editor to
request information about good reviewers from the author of the manuscript?
The general consensus, with which I
Continue reading
Deborah Carter: The Reality of #Teaching
Maryland Teacher and member of the Badass Teacher Association, Deborah
Carter, summarizes the reasons she teaches. This week, a girl called me a
bitch. A mom emailed the same day, demanding that her 11th grade son
receive full credit for an assignment that did not come close to following
the directions (and was turned in […]
News? Media? The joke’s on them.
Comedian Russell Brand finds it difficult to have a real conversation going
on an MSNBC “talk show,” so ends up instead pointing out the triviality of
the modern TV “news” interview.
"Look beyond the superficial, that's the problem with current affairs, you
forget about what's important … don't think about what I'm wearing, these
things are redundant, superficial…”
Says my Facebook friend Paul McKeever who pointed me to it:
This video has been mis-titled. Brand was excellent, whereas the three
people on the MSNBC "Morning Joe" journalistic team were rude, ignorant,
and - especia... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“How many different astronomical phenomena have come together to create
the above vista? Several. First, in the foreground, is Crater Lake- a
caldera created by volcanism on planet Earth about 7,700 years ago. Next,
inside the lake, is water. Although the origin of the water in the crater
is melted snowfall, the origin of water on Earth more generally is unclear,
but possibly related to ancient Earthly-impacts of icy bodies. Next, the
green glow in the sky is airglow, light emitted by atoms high in the
Earth's atmosphere as they recombine at night after being separated during
the ... more »
The Standing Man . . .
Erdem
Gunduz (center) stands in Instanbul's Taksim Square early Tuesday. —
Petr David Josek/AP
THAT PROTEST SHALL NOT PERISH, from the creativity of the human spirit
embodied in a chap name of Erdem Gunduz, who went to Taksim Square, and
just stood there, passively, staring at the Ministry of Culture.
According to NPR's "The 'Standing Man' Of Turkey: Act Of Quiet Protest
Goes Viral", it's
"And In All That..."
"In this galaxy there’s a mathematical probability of three hundred
million Earth-type planets. And in the universe, 100 billion galaxies
like this. And in all that, and perhaps more... only one of each of us."
- Dr. Leonard McCoy, "Star Trek"
"The Chessboard"
"The chessboard is the world; the pieces are the phenomena of the
universe; the rules of the game are what we call the laws of Nature. The
player on the other side is hidden from us. We know that his play is always
fair, and patient. But also we know, to our cost, that he never overlooks a
mistake, or makes the smallest allowance for ignorance."
- Thomas Huxley
"The Denial of Death"
* *
*"The Denial of Death"*
by Ernest Becker
“The idea of death, the fear of it, haunts the human animal like nothing
else; it is a mainspring of human activity - designed largely to avoid the
fatality of death, to overcome it by denying in some way that it is the
final destiny of man... the irony of man's condition is that the deepest
need is to be free of the anxiety of death and annihilation; but it is life
itself which awakens it, and so we shrink from being fully alive.”
"Yet, at the same time, as the Eastern sages also knew, man is a worm and
food for worms. This is the par... more »
"Twilight of the Psychopaths"
* *
*"Twilight of the Psychopaths"*
by Dr. Kevin Barrett
"Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we're
being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put
away as insane for expressing that. That's what's insane about it." - John
Lennon
When Gandhi was asked his opinion of Western civilization he said it would
be a good idea. But that oft-cited quote is misleading, assuming as it does
that civilization is an unmitigated blessing. Civilized people, we are
told, live peacefully and cooperatively with their fellows, sharing the
necess... more »
"The Orchard"
“The world of existence is like unto an orchard and humanity is like unto
the trees. All these trees are planted in the same orchard, reared through
the heat of one sun, watered with one rain. We must be the cause of the
adornment of this orchard. The world of humanity is like unto a rose garden
and the various races, tongues and people are like unto contrasting
flowers. The diversity of colors in a rose-garden adds to the charm and
beauty of the scene as variety enhances unity. Why should we not look upon
the human world with rose-colored vision?”
- Abdul Baha
GOP, please proceed
In case you had any remaining doubts, this should clear them up. The crackpot
cons are clearly running the asylum.
House Republicans flexed their cultural and conservative muscles Tuesday,
passing the most restrictive abortion measure in years. They also advanced
legislation to crack down on immigrants living illegally in the country,
even as senators pursue a plan that would offer those same millions a shot
at citizenship.
The actions reflect a roiling debate among Republicans over why they lost
two elections to President Barack Obama, and how best to rebuild a winning
formula.
... more »
Rational Choice and Selfishness
In his latest post, PTJ moves us past the worst critiques of “rational
choice theory” and focuses on a few more nuanced concerns.1 I’m glad to
see the conversation progressing, and this type of exchange is one of the
things I love most about academic blogging. However, I find some of PTJ’s
arguments problematic. I argued
Continue reading
China displays blazing red flags as liquidity has gotten even worse , a default by Everbright Bank was ignored by the media and shadow banking in the cross hairs of the chinese regulators .....
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-06-19/chinas-red-flags
China's Red Flags
[image: Tyler Durden's picture]
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 06/19/2013 21:03 -0400
- China
- default
- Government Stimulus
- Gross Domestic Product
- Money Supply
- Newspaper
- Recession
- Shadow Banking
- Yield Curve
*
*
*
*
*UPDATE: *China 7-day repo +374bps to 12%! China Flash PMI 48.2 (49.1 exp)
- lowest in 9 months; worst 3-month plunge since Feb 2011.
Following the hushed-up default by Everbright Bank last week, the *liquidity
situation in China has gon... more »
Forgotten Libya and ignored Iraq - updates - June 19 , 2013....
Libya updates - if one consider what a post - Assad Syria might look like -
past is prologue.....
http://www.libyaherald.com/
Huge explosion flattens Benghazi police station – no casualties reported
*By Maha Ellawati and Ayman Amzein.*
The Al-Hadayeq (the gardens) police station in Benghazi was completely
destroyed early this morning by a massive explosion. (*Photo: Abdalha Doma*)
*Benghazi, 19 June 2013:***
A huge explosion totally flattened the police station in the Al-Hadayeq
(the gardens) district of Benghazi early this morning, but miraculously
there are no casualties being rep... more »
FBI drones spying on America
More great news on the domestic surveillance front. FBI director Robert
Mueller told a Senate hearing today the FBI owns several of their very own
drones
“Does the FBI use drones for surveillance on US soil?” Sen. Chuck Grassley
(R-Iowa) asked Mr Mueller during an oversight hearing on Capitol Hill
Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“Yes,” Mueller responded bluntly, adding that the FBI’s operation of drones
is “very seldom.”
Mueller adds they're "generally used in a particular incident where you
need the capability.” Wonder what he means by "generally." Implies that ... more »
Syria updates - June 17 -18 , 2013.... Lars Schall searches for truth regarding the recent attack on the Turkey - Syria border - was it a staged event ? Putin at the G- 8 - is he calling the shots on Syria - note the body and facial language in the Al Jazeera photo ! Rebel / mercenaries set off huge car bomb killing 60 Syria government troops - or was it Israel striking Syria again .....Saudis provide anti-tank missiles to Sunni / Al Qaeda rebels , Syria threatens Europe if they arms Rebel forces .....
Catharsis Ours - 3 hours ago
http://www.infowars.com/did-israel-attack-syria-again/
http://www.debka.com/article/23054/First-European-NATO-heavy-arms-for-Syrian-rebels-Russian-reprisal-expected
NATO and a number of European governments, most significantly the UK, have
started airlifting heavy weapons to the Syrian rebels poised in Aleppo to
fend off a major Syrian army offensive, according to DEBKAfile’s exclusive
military sources. They disclose that the first shipments were landed Monday
night, June 17, and early Tuesday in Turkey and Jordan. They contained
anti-air and tank missiles as well as recoilless 12... more »
Think You Understand Blowback (and Fear Engendered by Blowback)? History and Current Predictions About What's Upcoming May Surprise You (Blowback City!)
In light of the continuing pursuit of everyone by the Department of
Homeland Security in hope of finding terrorists, who are daily being made
by the thousands in Africa, the Middle East, southern Asia, northern Asia .
. . . And have you seen Jimmy Hoffa's murderer (or body) lately? Another
current pressing question for the mainstream media (MSM) in Obamaland.
Blowback Central Nick TurseJune
The new Men's Wearhouse slogan: "You're going to look like crap probably, but now that the old guy's history, see if we care"
*"You're going to like the way you look. I guarantee it."*
*by Ken*
Ah, so that's what it was. It seems that in the three months since Men's
Wearhouse co-founder George Zimmer went from CEO to "executive chairman" of
the national clothing retailer, there has been squabbling between him and
the current management about the direction of the company, according to an
abcnews.com report, which quotes Zimmer as claiming that he was being
"inappropriately" "silence[d]." Today he told CNBC:
"Over the last 40 years, I have built MW into a multi-billion dollar
company with amazing employees... more »
Gandolfini, Dead at 51
HBO has confirmed that actor James Gandolfini has died. Gandolfini, best
known for his role as gangster Tony Soprano, died while traveling in
Italy. He was 51.
Hillary Mann Leverett discusses Claims of Chemical Weapons in Syria
*Breaking News - Obama: Working To Legitimize An Attack Against Syria.*
Title: Hillary Mann Leverett discusses Claims of Chemical Weapons in Syria.
Source: YouTube Channel BizAsiaAmerica. Date Published: June 14, 2013.
Description:
Anchor Anand Naidoo and Hillary Mann Leverett, a professor at American
University, discuss U.S. allegations of chemical weapons in Syria.
Sheikh Imran Hosein On Developments In Turkey
Related:
*The Honest Sheikh Imran Hosein: Turkey Will Be Called Upon To Attack Syria
*.
*The Honest Sheikh: Sheikh Imran Hosein*.
Sheikh Imran Hosein says Turkey is going to invade Syria on the orders of
Washington. As the unrest and protests drag on without a solution, Erdoğan
will be told to create a diversion by attacking Syria. He also says there
will be an alliance between Kurds, Muslims, and Eastern Christians against
NATO in Turkey in the future.
Turkish Unrest Could Encourage An Attack On Syria - Sheikh Imran Hosein.
Source: 108morris108.
Will The Kurds Join In Freei... more »
"The office of Parliament's 'ethics' Commissioner has become a bad, sad joke." - Must Read Article By Francis Russell
**
[image: Progressive Bloggers]
*"The office of Parliament's "ethics" commissioner has become a bad, sad
joke. But the "new" relationship between the RCMP and Public Safety
Minister Vic Toews is alarming for a First-World democracy.*
* *
*Since her office was created in 2007, Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson has
let dozens of Conservatives off the hook for ethics violations and made
more than 80 secret rulings, according to Democracy Watch, a citizens'
advocacy group."*
*-Full Article here from National NewsWatch*
Harvey Organ's Gold and Silver Report - June 17 , 2013 Data , news and views on the PMs !
Catharsis Ours - 4 hours ago
http://harveyorgan.blogspot.com/2013/06/gld-slightly-declinesgoldsilver.html
Monday, June 17, 2013
GLD slightly declines/Gold/silver withstand another raid/
Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen:
Gold closed down by $4.50 to $1382.80 (comex closing time). Silver fell by
20 cents to $21.75 (comex closing time)
In the access market at 5:00 pm, gold and silver finished trading at the
following prices :
gold: 1385.40
silver: $21.88
At the Comex, the open interest in silver fell by a rather large 1923
contracts to 148,560 contracts despite silver's rise in price on Friday.
The silver... more »
Robert Jensen : The Craziest Person in the Room
The
craziest person in the room:
Reflections on how a mediocre
white guy can try to be useful
It’s the job of people with critical sensibilities -- those who
consistently speak out for justice and sustainability, even when it’s
difficult -- not to back away just because the world has grown more
ominous.
By Robert Jensen / The Rag Blog / June 18, 2013
[This is an edited version of a
Federal Reserve Open Market Committee Day - risk off reaction Today , we shall see how the Fed's messages have been received and interpreted over the next few days...
Fed Open Market Committee items of note....
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-06-19/deer-returns-fears-bernankes-training-wheels-are-coming
The Deer Returns On Fears Bernanke's Training Wheels Are Coming Off
[image: Tyler Durden's picture]
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 06/19/2013 16:05 -0400
- Ben Bernanke
- Reality
One word can describe performance across all asset classes today:
clobbered. Stocks tumble, Commodities slide and *Bonds crash*, with the 5
year suffering the biggest intraday percentage jump in yields... ever! And
why? *Because Bernanke confirmed what everyo... more »
#Occupylafayette, happening now, shaking my head
Parents, students, and educators occupied Lafayette ES in Chicago, slated
for closure. This is a brilliant form of protest, everyone there should be
applauded for their courage. This is quite a beautiful building in the
picture. I cannot imagine what the city is planning to do with it. Below
is an image from a friend […]
"This Administration Wants To Rush To The Aid Of The Al Qaeda Backed Rebels!" Rep Gohmert
All hail common sense! All hail the wisdom of non-intervention!
Source: MOXNEWSd0tC0M.
The League of Extraordinary Terrorists: Obama Defends Al-Qaeda's Lie That Assad Is Using Chemical Weapons
*The Syrian "rebels" are not rebels; they are Al-Qaeda. *
"Where we once had Bush and Blair and the sexed up dossier on Iraqi WMD,
presented to the world by the hapless Colin Powell, we now have Obama and
Cameron’s dodgey chemical weapons reports, presented to a somewhat less
credulous public by fiction writer and deputy national security adviser Ben
Rhodes." - An excerpt from the article, *"Obama and Cameron’s Syrian
chemical weapon scam,"* by the website HumanRightsInvestigations.org.
In the USraeli worldview, there are two types of terrorists - ordinary
terrorists whose fana... more »
Chiefs for #butthurt?
I wanted to quickly follow-up with an image and a question based on Jim
Horn’s post earlier today about Chiefs for Change. Sorry Jim, I had to do
it. Chiefs, are you butthurt? It’s OK, you can tell us. Tagged: butthurt,
Chiefs for Change, common core, Duncan, jim horn
Arribes: Everything Else is Noise - my fascinating encounter with film-maker Zev Robinson
address-withheld@my.opera.com.invalid (Dr. John v. Kampen) at - 5 hours ago
It seldom occurs that by chance one encounters very special people. It
happened to me when a friend asked me to look at a short story-telling film
about Spain from the Canadian-British film-maker, painter, photographer and
art-maker *Zev Robinson*. The film *astonished* me and for a reason. It
shows Spain as it is... This is Spain as I know it and can see it each day,
here and now. Far beyond the average knowledge of the tourists and
foreigners who live and huddle along the Mediterranean Coast. Take a deep
breath after viewing this short story. But wait, there is more to tell. Zev
... more »
Chet Raymo “Morning Meditation”
* “Morning Meditation”*
by Chet Raymo
“Crows roost in the trees of Ballybeg, down there at the bottom of the
hill. Their raucous chorus reaches me at my desk, here in my burrow under
the gorse. I look out over the parish, and now and then a solitary crow
drifts into the frame, riding an uplifting wind, taunting me with its
proprietary ownership of the landscape. And I think of Ted Hughes' poem
"Littleblood", from that haunting volume “Crow”:
․
"O littleblood, hiding from the mountains in the mountains
Wounded by stars and leaking shadow
Eating the medical earth."
I'... more »
It Begins With Butter
The world at large will never be convinced of the benefits of
low-carbohydrate diets until the still-vilified "saturated fat" is fully
acquitted of the charges falsely laid in the courts of public opinion.
Butter is the poster child for the defendant saturated fat, and also the
most nutritious and beneficial of the all-fat foods. So any campaign to
vindicate SaFAs should begin with butter.
If anyone needs reminding why it is essential that very low carb diets
enter the medical mainstream today rather than tomorrow, I recommend Toxic's
post on the subject. This is incendiary stuff, a... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Rio Rancho, New Mexico, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
"The Grapes of Wrath" (Excerpts)
"The Grapes of Wrath" (Excerpts)
by John Steinbeck
․
"They breathe profits; they eat the interest on money. If they don't get
it, they die the way you die without air, without side-meat." [referring to
the banks- CP]
"The bank is something more than men, I tell you. It's the monster. Men
made it, but they can't control it."
"It ain't that big. The whole United States ain't that big. It ain't that
big. It ain't big enough. There ain't room enough for you an' me, for your
kind an' my kind, for rich and poor together all in one country, for
thieves and honest men. For hunger and ... more »
Do you, can you, watch your sport online? [update]
EVERYONE’S BEEN A-TWITTER over the last few days about the breaking of the
Sky “monopoly,” and the need for English soccer fans to get themselves a
fast enough connection to watch their favourite sport online—either via
their computer, tablet, smartphone, or through an internet-savvy TV or
set-top box—or through any TV they can hook up to their computer, tablet,
or smartphone.
Much gnashing of teeth about the problems. But you’d think that would give
folk enough choice in how they watch their sport.
And also help to demonstrate that as long as regulatory barriers to entry
remain ... more »
"America Feeds the Rich"
* "America Feeds the Rich"*
by Leo Gerard
"The Farm Bill that is expected to pass the U.S. House this week explains
income inequality in America. The Republican-sponsored proposal slashes
food stamps for poor children and pads farm subsidies for wealthy
agri-businessmen.
This comes just a week after Senate Republicans refused to protect the
poorest students from doubled college loan interest rates because that
required closing tax loopholes that benefit big corporations. It comes just
weeks after a new study showed the Walmart heirs, among the richest people
in the world, pay... more »
Buycott - A Smartphone App Whose Time Has Definitely Come
Tired of unwittingly lining the pockets of the same oligarchs who would
happily sell you and your democracy down the river? Wish you could tell
just who was really behind the products lining your store shelves? Well,
there's an App for that.
It's called Buycott, the handiwork of 26-year old freelance programer Ivan
Pardo.
*Pardo decided to create Buycott after hearing Congressional candidate
Darcy Burner (D-Wash.) propose the idea of an app that allows consumers to
see the corporations behind the products on supermarket shelves during her
keynote speech at last year’s netroots... more »
Dancing about architecture
Elvis Costello once famously berated a music journalist for his questions,
saying “writing about music is like dancing about architecture.” *
So let’s dance…
[image: Dancing about architecture]
Points and a chocolate fish if you can name at least three of the
architects or buildings cartooned.
* Yes, yes, lots of others have said it too.
[Hat tip Nelson Brackin. Dancing About Architecture illustration by Grant
Snider. You can get a poster here for your architecture/dance studio.]
Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission
to republish: (organon at... more »
New Toys!
So Southern Man has finished his teaching for the day and is puttering
about his new office when The Dean pokes his head in the door and says "I
have your fall contract ready, and if you'll come sign it now I'll give you
a prize!"
Well Southern Man is a sucker for free stuff so he goes over to The Dean's
office and signs the next year of his life away. And the prize was a little
2 TB Passport USB drive for backups and (as promised earlier) a brand new Microsoft
Surface tablet and a 64 GB microSDXC card to go with it.
The iPad is going to get mighty jealous when this baby comes hom... more »
Chiefs for Change Angered by Duncan’s Temporary Flirt with Sanity
As pressure mounts from parents, students, educators, and admininstrators
against high stakes testing and Common Core Corporate Standards, Team Obama
has finally blinked. ED will offer a one year reprieve to those 37 states
formerly bribed with RTTT money to adopt the CC and teacher eval based on
Common Core national tests. Such a move […]
Satire: "U.S. Promises Smooth Transfer of Quagmire from Afghanistan to Syria"
* *
*"U.S. Promises Smooth Transfer of Quagmire from Afghanistan to Syria"*
by Andy Borowitz
DAMASCUS (The Borowitz Report)— "Supporters of the United States’
twelve-year quagmire in Afghanistan cheered the news today that the U.S.
would strive to achieve a seamless transfer of that quagmire to Syria,
effective immediately. Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, sought to reassure those who were concerned that the U.S.
withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan signalled a wavering of the nation’s
commitment to being mired in open-ended military muddles. “... more »
Christy Clark, Running Scared
Well, not that I trust pollsters but rumours abound, Christy Clark is not
polling well in Westside Kelowna..
The public, even Alberta/Kelowna rednecks don`t like a candidate parachuted
into their riding, even if that candidate is the leader of the party, the
NDP are not popular in Kelowna and voters aren`t flocking to that party
either, or the BC Conservative party, what is happening is BC Liberal
voters, those who elected Ben Stewart are simply staying home...In an
obvious desperate move, in a blatant electioneering tactic Christy Clark
has temporarily rescinded the pay hikes... more »
So Even a Pathetic Pipsqueak Like Dana Rohrbacher Scares Boehner?
Dana!
Rohrbacher used to be... a surfer, a folk singer, a pot head, a homo,
Congress' #1 supporter of the Taliban and a terrorist in Afghanistan (or at
least someone who dressed up as a terrorist for a photo shoot). Rohrabacher
recognized the affinity between the Taliban and the Republican Party,
backed them for bringing "stability" to Afghanistan and told his
dumb-as-abrick-constituents in Orange County that the Taliban "intend to
establish a disciplined, moral society" and, like Republicans, are just
misunderstood "devout traditionalists, not terrorists or revolutionaries."
And pe... more »
"Lemons..."
"When life hands you a lemon, say
"Oh yeah, I like lemons. What else you got?"
- Henry Rollins
The Great Unwinding
Has America come undone or has it simply reverted to its natural state as
the inner sanctum of social Darwinism? That's the subject of George
Packer's new book, *The Unwinding*.
Packer discusses the question of whether today's America is the "real
America" in an op-ed published in *The Guardian.*
*In or around 1978, America's character changed. For almost half a century,
the United States had been a relatively egalitarian, secure, middle-class
democracy, with structures in place that supported the aspirations of
ordinary people. You might call it the period of the Roosevelt Repu... more »
"Mundus Vult Decipi, Ergo Decipiatur"
"Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur," a Latin phrase, means "The world
wants to be deceived, so let it be deceived." The saying is ascribed to
Petronius, a Roman satirist from the first century, CE.
"The pontifex maximus Scævola thought it expedient that the people should
be deceived in religion; and the learned Varro said plainly, that "there
are many truths, which it is useless for the vulgar to know; and many
falsities which it is fit the people should not suppose are falsities."
Hence comes the adage "Mundus vult decipi, decipiatur ergo."
- http://en.wikipedia.org/
The End Might Be Near for Common Core
Especially in the last few months, John Merrow has hit some tape-measure
home runs. Merrow’s strike outs can be just as amazing. His last whiff is
a doozy. Merrow tried to use some humor and experimental prose to criticize
the recent trend where, supposedly, “the arrival of the Common Core
apparently means the end of the […]
The Economy: "Warning: For Mature Adults Only"
* *
*"Warning: For Mature Adults Only"*
by Bill Bonner
"We're all f**king f**ked! Neil Barofsky, the federal employee in charge
of auditing the TARP program, says the "U.S. is pretty f**ked." The
Huffington Post reports that he is not the first to resort to the F-word to
describe Americans' situation: "Christina Romer... the former chair of
President Obama's Council of Economic Advisers, told Bill Maher last year
that the U.S. was "pretty darned f**ked" on the night that Standard and
Poor's downgraded the country's credit rating. Another Washington official
known for his testy la... more »
Quote of the Day: How to build a car
Today’s quote is paraphrased from page 70 of David Friedman’s 1996 book, *Hidden
Order*:
There are two ways we can produce cars. We can build them in Auckland or
Petone or we can grow them in the Waikato.
Everyone knows how we build automobiles. To grow automobiles, we first
grow the raw material from which they are made – grass. We put the grass
through cows and then out onto ships and send the ships up into the
Pacific. They come back with Hyundais and Hondas on them.
From our standpoint, growing Hondas is just as much a form of
production – using New Zealand dair... more »
"The Horrific $1.5 QUADRILLION Derivatives Bubble"
*"The Horrific $1.5 QUADRILLION Derivatives Bubble"*
That's $1,500,000,000,000,000,000
by Michael Snyder
"Today there is a horrific derivatives bubble that threatens to destroy not
only the U.S. economy but the entire world financial system as well, but
unfortunately the vast majority of people do not understand it. When you
say the word "derivatives" to most Americans, they have no idea what you
are talking about. In fact, even most members of the U.S. Congress don't
really seem to understand them. But you don't have to get into all the
technicalities to understand the bigger ... more »
The End Might Be Near for Common Core
Especially in the last few months, John Merrow has hit some tape-measure
home runs. Merrow’s strike outs can be just as amazing. His last whiff, is
a doozy. Merrow tried to use some humor and experimental prose to criticize
the recent trend where, supposedly, “the arrival of the Common Core
apparently means the end of […]
"GEAB N°76: Global Systemic Crisis II: Second Devastating Explosion/Social Outburst On A Worldwide Scale"
*"GEAB N°76: Global Systemic Crisis II:*
* Second Devastating Explosion/Social Outburst On A Worldwide Scale" *
by LEAP/E2020
"The 2008 shock was certainly violent, but the reactions of the system,
countries and central banks with their bailouts on an unprecedented scale,
managed to hide the worst consequences: downgrading of the West in general
and the United States in particular, a forced cleanup of the economy, a
heavy fall from an artificial standard of living, mass unemployment, the
beginning of social unrest… have been able to be partly neglected in favour
of recovery hop... more »
Coates keeps offering original thoughts!
*WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 2013*
*And the Post’s Emma Brown gets it right:* Can Ta-Nehisi Coates *do* that?
Over at the Atlantic, Coates keep presenting original subject matter! This
practice virtually doesn’t exist within the guild of the modern
professional “journalist.”
People, it just isn’t done! Except by a very few folk.
On Monday and Tuesday of this week, Coates offered posts about the
so-called Moynihan Report, Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s famous, much maligned
discussion of race from 1965. In the first of his posts, Coates presented
this remarkable passage from Moynihan:
*“That t... more »
This Egyptian Man Tells The Truth About The Muslim Brotherhood And The U.S.-Al Qaeda War Against Syria
"Hosni Mubarak had a military upbringing. He was familiar with Egyptian
national security and the threats to it. But those (Muslim Brotherhood
members) are a bunch of moronic amateurs who will succumb to things that
even Mubarak refused to accept. . . We have always known that the Muslim
Brotherhood would not grant liberties to anyone. This is a dictatorial
organization raised on Fascism and on the rejection of other people's
opinions. How can they possibly grant us liberties? They can't give what
they don't have. In order for the culture of the Muslim Brotherhood to
change, this en... more »
Israel To Washington: Bitch, Give Me My Money
An excerpt from, *"Israel Wants US to Front Them Future Military Aid for
More Weapons,"* by Jason Ditz:
The Israeli Defense Ministry is calling it a “bridge loan,” but in reality
it is tantamount to when a child wants a couple of weeks advance on their
allowance to buy something.
The Defense Ministry is seeking to buy $5 billion worth of weapons and
wants the US government to “guarantee” the amount so that US commercial
banks will front them the additional cash on the assumption it will
eventually be covered by future US aid.
Untitled
*NO
WARRANTY / NO RETURN: With new $14 billion hurricane protection system,
who's responsible? ~Levees.org*
The chair of the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration
Authorityrecently made headlines when he testified before a
congressional hearing in
Washington declaring that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is a
"complete
disaster." Garret Graves, testifying before the Senate Environment and
Public Works Committee in February, stated that the local Louisiana
sponsor
working with the corps in building authorized water projects is legally
bereft of the clout needed to provide mean... more »
Chomsky - Don't Let the Commons Be Devoured by Private Interests
Noam Chomsky delivered some blunt warnings at the Global Media Forum in
Bonn.
One was that private capital is taking over everything, even the Global
Commons.
"*The commons have been steadily dismantled by the principle that
everything has to be privately owned." These were the words of American
political critic Noam Chomsky at the Global Media Forum (GMF) in Bonn. *
* *
*"Widely regarded as the intellectual father of the Occupy Movement,
Chomsky spoke about the current conflict in Gezi Park in Istanbul, saying
that "the protesters are trying to save the last part of the commons i... more »
Gingrey (GA-ALEC) - Father Knows Best
Here is an example of an member of the extremist American Legislative
Exchange Council and their ultraconservative, right-wing 1950's mentality.
*From HuffPo *
Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) told colleagues on the House floor on Tuesday
that young boys and girls should take classes on traditional gender roles
in a marriage because there are some things fathers do "maybe a little bit
better" than mothers.
"You know, maybe part of the problem is we need to go back into the schools
at a very early age, maybe at the grade school level, and have a class for
the young girls and have a class ... more »
So Who Will Defend Us from The Damned Martians Now?
Slim Whitman, he's dead, age 90. His song, "*Indian Love Call*", was all
that saved mankind from maurading aliens in *Mars Attacks.*
Glenn Kessler and his editors may need a good rest!
*WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 2013*
*Dear Leader provides latest “fact-check:”* Every Sunday, the Washington
Post includes a full-length Fact Checker piece in its hard-copy Sunday
edition.
This Sunday, the Post featured this Fact Checker piece. Perhaps it’s time
for Glenn Kessler and his editors to take a good long rest.
In Sunday’s post, Kessler “fact-checked” the following statement by Obama,
made on May 31:
*“The good news is, today, our businesses have created nearly 7 million new
jobs over the past 38 months. Five hundred thousand of those jobs are in
manufacturing.”*
As Kessler note... more »
Today's Lesson in Why One Shouldn't Trust Self-Identified "Independents"
Sean Hannity: "I'm not a Republican, though people often mistake me for
one."
(From Political Wire, quoted from a Playboy interview I'm not going to
click through to read).
Or, to quote John Sides:
The three myths [about independents] are:
1) Independents are the largest partisan group.
2) Independents are actually independent.
3) Change in the opinions of independents is always consequential.
Sean Hannity is perfectly free to call himself whatever he wants. But he is
obviously a functional Republican.
Keep this in mind the next time someone tells you about how independents
are ... more »
Hamid Has Seen This Script Before
Washington is positively giddy at the prospect of engaging Taliban leaders
in Qatar to work out some sort of peace deal for Afghanistan.
Afghan leader Hamid Karzai doesn't want any part of it and says he's of
half a mind to tell the Americans to clear out entirely next year.
So, if the Talibs want to take peace and the Americans want to talk peace,
what crawled up Hamid's backside and died? Well this is the 40th
anniversary of the Paris Peace Accords. Maybe that's what is on Hamid's
mind.
40-years ago Washington was looking to bail out of another failed foreign
war, the war in ... more »
ALEC Sponsorships for Secret Liaisons
A couple of months ago - I copied screenshots of some webpages off the net
- that were not intended for public viewing.
The stupid web person at ALEC put them out there in public view, when they
should not have - and then pulled them off, but only after I had copied
down the information and made a few screen shots for sharing.
These screens are probably in the secret, member only section of ALEC.
Pages and pages and pages - hidden from view.
In true ALEC fashion - hidden from public view.
Hidden in a secret place on the ALEC webpage where only special secret,
conniving, special peopl... more »
Father's Day 2013
Father's Day kicked off with a cookout at the church in honor of the
fathers.
Manning the grills.
The Girls ready to put chili on those hot dogs.
Men At Work.
After church Southern Man joined the rest of the family for lunch at a
local BBQ eatery.
Southern Man, Southern Sister, Teen Daughter, Southern Mother, Souther
Father. Photo by the server at Swadley's BBQ.
Southern Father. It's your day, Dad! Hope there are many more!
Teen Daughter made Southern Man a home-made Father's Day card.
Southern Daughter The Elder (who is in the US Navy) called while we were
together and... more »
Concert Review - Huey Lewis and The News
The summer concert series at the theme park where Southern Man and Teen
Daughter get season passes every summer included the Huey Lewis and The News 30th
Anniversary Sports Tour in which they open the show by playing the entire
Sports album, front to back, in track order.
Back when Southern Man first heard it music looked like this.
Or sometimes like this.
But, thankfully, no longer like this.
A good crowd.
Opening set.
"When we wrote this song we didn't realize that we'd have to play it every
night *for the rest of our lives*."
Southern Man is continually amazed that band... more »
Time to get to the Core
Now you get right down to it. You reach back and peel off the layers of
habit and falsehood. Underneath you’ll expose the parts of you hidden. It
is those most concealed and quiet aspects that are called for now.
Until today you’ve believed they didn’t matter. I tell you this. These
most powerful and effective traits are found in those places you’ve been
convinced were bad. There is no such thing as a bad ability. There are
only those abilities the “owners” could not contain, were labeled “wrong”,
and thus punished. Let go of judgment and be.
Who you are is... more »
Don't Like Corporatized News? Get Wasted!
With any luck, the million or so denizens of the Spy State who enjoy top
secret security clearance will take full advantage of this special offerfrom the
*Washington Post:*
**
Anything to loosen up the spooks and make them spill as they swill. After
all, according to the email come-on that just landed in my In-Box, *Washington
Post* connoisseurs have vacuumed up elite wines from all over the world in
order to placate the palate, numb the senses, and loosen the tongue:
*The experts at The Washington Post Wine Club swirl, sip and sniff
thousands of wines from around the globe to cura... more »
Nature Photography
Teen Daughter wandered about the Ancestral Manor with the new camera a few
days ago and took these gems.
Maine governor gags the press
Maine's crackpot governor has an odd view of freedom of the press. If the
local media questions his policies and priorities, LePage isn't going to
talk to them at all.
AUGUSTA – Gov. Paul LePage's administration will no longer comment in
stories published by the Portland Press Herald, the Kennebec Journal and
the Morning Sentinel, his spokeswoman said Tuesday.
Bennett said MaineToday Media, the newspapers' parent company, "had made it
clear that it opposed this administration."
She would not elaborate, saying that responses from the administration
could be gleaned from reports b... more »
Measuring Journal (and Scholarly) Outcomes
Another day, another piece chronicling problems with the metrics scholars
use to assess quality. Colin Wight sends George Lozano’s “The Demise of the
Impact Factor“: Using a huge dataset of over 29 million papers and 800
million citations, we showed that from 1902 to 1990 the relationship
between IF and paper citations had been getting
Continue reading
How Do Americans Feel About Fully Autonomous Weapons?
According to a new survey I’ve just completed, not great. As part of my
ongoing research into human security norms, I embedded questions on
YouGov’s Omnibus survey asking how people feel about the potential
for outsourcing lethal targeting decisions to machines. 1000 Americans were
surveyed, matched on gender, age, race, income, region, education, party
identification, voter registration,
Continue reading
Change, Change, Change
One of the blessings of living in a small, coastal town is being able to
observe change. It doesn't come often. We don't have a forest of
construction cranes obscuring our horizon. There are some two-storey
buildings, a few, but that's it. Anything higher than that is an apartment
or condo.
So when the town pub, the 124-year old former railway hotel, the Rod & Gun,
gets a makeover, it's news. It's so small town that while the pub is
closed for renos, the owners have bought their regulars temporary
memberships at the Legion right behind it.
Change, change, change. Humpback... more »
Hanabusa Cozies Up to Defense Contractors
by PaiaGirl
*Hanabusa: Using bipartisan coziness with defense contractors to tout China
Cold War and promote military spending*
When given the chance, Hawai'i voters reject candidates who favor a hawkish
foreign policy. Despite the military playing a major role in the local
economy, Hawai'i residents don't want to see more war or unnecessary
defense spending.
In 2004, Hawai'i gave John Kerry 54% of the vote in his effort to remove
President Bush, despite Vice President Cheney's fear mongering.
In the 2006 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, reactionary Congressman Ed
Case sought... more »
Half of Canada's Aboriginal Children are living in poverty
*Hardly surprising to those who work with aboriginal communities. The
question is not what is wrong but how to fix it and whether there is the
political will so to do:*
TORONTO — Half of Canada’s First Nations children are living in poverty,
triple the national average, according to a new analysis of census
statistics that pegs the cost of easing the problem at $580-million a year.
The study by the left-leaning Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives being
released Wednesday also paints a grim picture of Metis, Inuit, and
non-status Indian children, as well as of children of immig... more »
Bad Character Evidence
Bad character evidence is not permissible to prove an accused is a bad
person and accordingly guilty. Great care must be used when evidence that
could be of bad character is put forth. Today's decision in *R. v. Precup*,
2013 ONCA 411 deals with such evidence in the form of chronic schizophrenia
and orders a new trial:
[49] As reflected in the trial judge's promise to provide a
cautionary instruction, the nature of the Prior Incidents called out for a
clear warning to the jury as to what uses the evidence of bad character
could and could not be put. As the Supreme Court emph... more »
Your moment of Zen
A rescued rose. [photo from Maeve's garden]
MAINE DRONE BILL NEGOTIATIONS
The Maine drone bill has hit a snag. A couple potential drone
manufacturers in Maine, along with the Presque Isle airport (who wants to
be a drone test site), are pushing for language in the bill to allow
testing of weapons on drones. Maine Attorney General Janet Mills
(Democrat) and Gov. Paul LePage (Republican) are largely behind this effort.
The Maine House of Representatives tabled the bill last night in order to
buy time to add the drone weapons testing amendment.
Late last night I was talking with Shenna Bellows from ACLU about all this
and she said Rep.Seth Berry in the H... more »
No One Cares About the Deficit, Latest Chapter
The CBO says: the Senate immigration bill lowers the deficit (see also a nice
explainer from pro-immigration analyst Matt Yglesias).
Liberals who support immigration reform have been having fun since
yesterday afternoon pointing out that Republicans who oppose immigration
are hypocrites because they will surely ignore or dismiss that effect on
what is supposedly one of their main priorities. Well, yes -- but I have
very little problem with hypocrisy in general, and even less on this
"gotcha" kind. Truth is that immigration policy is terribly important to
determining what kind of nat... more »
Impeach or Not to Impeach: That IS the Question
Catherine J. Frompovich
Hopefully, in this article I can speak intelligently to political issues,
as my normal bailiwick is consumer health issues, vaccine safety advocacy
in particular.
There comes a time when I feel everyone must take a stand for what he or
she believes in and in what truly makes substantial difference to their
sense of morality, ethics, governance, and community. For me, at least, the
saturation point has arrived! I’m up to my eyeballs in overload from the
lack of transparency in an administration that originally campaigned on
changing the former administratio... more »
Chimericana Books - Mike Philbin - new title and reissued titles
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 »
Growing Complaints About Security Operations In Iraq
In response to the deteriorating security situation, the Iraqi military has
launched a series of clearing missions in Anbar, Ninewa, Tamim, and other
provinces recently. These operations have received a growing number of
complaints from politicians and average citizens who claim that the police
and army are violating people’s rights, carrying out arbitrary arrests,
hindering travel, and destroying property. This is in direct contrast to
government statements, which emphasize the cooperation of the public. This
turn of events points to two major shortcomings with the Iraqi forces. T... more »
Sask Premier Brad Wall 'Displays Double Standard' ... Criticised By All Other Sask Political Party Leaders
**
[image: Progressive Bloggers]
*Premier Brad Wall has really stepped into a big mess with his criticism of
Federal Liberal Leader, Justin Trudeau. All leaders of Saskatchewan
political parties have now made that perfectly clear:*
*
**=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=*
*Sask New Democrats**
*
*"Wall has criticized federal Liberal party leader Trudeau for accepting
hefty payments for speaking at charity events, but provincial NDP
Opposition Leader Cam Broten says the premier should look “inwardly.”*
*“The premier is so passionate about highlighting some of the mistakes that
have been made at th... more »
The case of the unreimbursed body wash!
*WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 2013*
*The Washington Post attempts to report on McDonnell:* In Monday morning’s
Washington Post, Laura Vozzella authored a long, peculiar report about
Virginia governor Robert McDonnell.
According to Nexis, the 1450-word piece appeared on page B4 of the Metro
section. Yesterday, we found a hard copy edition of Monday’s Post, and the
piece appeared on B1.
It may have appeared in different places in different editions of the
paper. Wherever it may have appeared, Vozzella’s report was long and odd.
It was terrible journalism.
Vozzella’s report formed the basis f... more »
The Realist Report with John Friend
On this edition of *The Realist Report*, we'll be joined by my good friend
Zan Overall, also known as The Wise Old Man, to discuss 9/11 and the
"truth" movement, and current events. Be sure to check out Zan's *YouTube
channel*.
Please visit *The Realist Report* on TalkeShoe to download this and past
episodes.
Southern Man Saves A Life
So Southern Man and Teen Daughter (henceforth refered to as the Little
Mermaid) and Southern Son all wander down to the local water park for a
morning of fun and sun. And eventually Southern Man found himself on the
big rental tube out in the deep end of the Wave Pool while Little Mermaid
frolicked nearby. It wasn't too crowded nor too loud. In fact it was rather
calm and peaceful and Southern Man was half watching Little Mermaid and
half dozing off. And then Southern Man heard a faint voice.
"Help..."
Southern Man glaced around and spied a young man nearby. He didn't seem to
be ... more »
When You Act Look Like A Baboon, The Monkey Starts to Look Cute
Should
Justin Trudeau have collected speaking fees while sitting as an MP? In
my books, no, he should not have. I find charging people to hear a
sitting MP speak to be a gross violation of the ethics an MP should hold
themselves to. However, to Justin's credit, he disclosed all of his
income in February and has since stopped collecting fees since he won
the leadership race. He has even proposed
Checks & Balances
Back in the primordial era, American schools used to teach that our three
branches of government provide a system of checks and balances to ensure
that no one entity can ever ride roughshod over the system. The courts can
strike down unconstitutional laws, the legislature makes sure that the
president doesn't glom onto too much power, and the president has the power
of the veto pen. Round and round Democracy goes, like a happy little
amusement park ride.
That was then. Today we have a unified Triad of Terror operating in a
funhouse of smoke and mirrors, grotesque simulacra of what t... more »
Movie Review - The Purge
*The Purge* takes an interesting concept - for one night per year, anything
and everything (including murder) is legal - and then fails to deliver. The
protagonist, a husband and father of two who lives in an upscale community,
made a fortune selling security systems that aren't all that secure and
gained the envy of his neighbors in the process. The film is clearly aimed
at conservatives (the government is referred to as the "new Founding
Fathers," the purpose of The Purge is to eliminate the poor, homeless and
other "unproductive" citizens, and one wave of invaders are cookie-cutte... more »
DESTROYING NATURE FOR A NAVY BASE
*C**onstruction trash and debris floats out of a gap in the silt
protectors. Gangjeong was once famous for the cleanliness of it's Joongdeok
Sea.*
*Although just recently made, these caissons are already falling apart,
perhaps due to rough weather and poor construction.*
On June 5 and 12, the Gangjeong village SOS (Save Our Seas) Ocean Team
again took to the seas to monitor the Navy base construction. On one of the
trips, June 12, they were joined by a large group of students from an
alternative school who had come to visit Gangjeong. The students had a
short experiential learnin... more »
Chief Wonk tells a funny, interesting enough if it wasn’t also milquetoast
It’s this guy, Rotherham. Bellwether, or what have you. Some consulting
firm. Some kind of professional love affair brewing between Duncan and
Weingarten? M-haps. Although, I would have used the Tiffany version
instead. Tagged: Duncan, rotherham, weingarten
Plagiarism the new norm in Indian country journalism
An
action packed week in Indian country! Where are the Indian country
reporters? (Photos by Andrew Ironshell, Black Mesa Water Coalition and
Dawn Dyer.)
Plagiarism the new norm in Indian country journalism
By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
There's a great deal of action happening this week in Indian country,
but you wouldn't know it by the national Indian news. Instead of having
reporters
MICHAEL HASTINGS TOLD THE TRUTH ABOUT THE PENTAGON GENERALS
*Journalist Michael Hastings* *died in a mysterious car crash on 19 June
2013.*
Hastings was a critic of the Pentagon generals.
In 2010, Michael Hastings described General Stanley McChrystal's staff as
"a handpicked collection of killers, spies, ... political operators and
outright maniacs."
McChrystal was sacked by Obama in 2010.
*Gen. Stanley McChrystal helped cover up the circumstances of Army Cpl. Pat
Tillman's death.*
*
*
*Gen. McChrystal was fired from job he never deserved to have*
*On 11 November 2012, Michael Hastings wrote that we should never have
trusted General Da... more »
Obesity Officially Declared a ‘Disease’ Requiring ‘Treatment’
*If you are an American, being obese doesn’t just mean you are overweight
anymore.*
Melissa Melton
The American Medical Association voted Tuesday that obesity is now
officially a ‘disease that requires treatment’. The LA Times reported:
In the end, members of the AMA’s House of Delegates rejected cautionary
advice from their own experts and extended the new status to a condition
that affects more than one-third of adults and 17% of children in the
United States.
‘Recognizing obesity as a disease will help change the way the medical
community tackles this complex issue that affec... more »
The Cascadia Fault Line: Locked, Loaded And Ready To Fire
Chris Carrington
On a dark winter's night in January 1700 a tsunami struck Japan. It flooded
fields, swept away villages for miles inland and cost many lives. Even as
far back as 1700 the Japanese had made the connection between earthquakes
and Tsunami, but this time there was no earthquake, no warning to allow the
people time to evacuate to higher ground. The tsunami was called the
‘orphan tsunami’ because it had no ‘parent’ earthquake. For more than 300
years the origin of the orphan tsunami remained a mystery.
In the 1980s Hiroo Kanamori and Tom Heaton published a paper that sa... more »
things i heard at the library: an occasional series: # 9, or why this new librarian found the reference desk a little scary
In this post, I described doing reference as "a bit scary," and Impudent
Strumpet asked why.
I started to write an answer, ran out of time, then found myself on my
first real shift at the reference desk!
During my training and orientation weeks, I did two half-shifts at the desk
during non-busy hours - a second chair, so to speak, when there is normally
only one person working. But this week I had my first proper evening shift,
during peak hours.
It is also exam week for high schools, so every available space in the
entire library is filled with groups of teenagers studying (or no... more »
Obama Bankrupts Coal, Boosts Fracking
*Shutting Down Coal-Powered Plants Is Making Energy More Expensive, and
Hydraulic Fracturing More Common*
Aaron Dykes
All over America, coal power plants which provide stable, cheap energy are
being shut down under Obama-led regulations and the C02 control agenda.
Although coal is dirty, regulations have helped clean it up, and natural
gas from fracking is worse … but hydraulic fracturing is exactly what Obama
is using to replace coal – at great cost to the environment.
Based on what we already known about fracking, it is contributing to groundwater
contamination, adding radioac... more »
Movie Review - Now You See Me
*Now You See Me* is a caper film, pitting four magicians who call
themselves the Four Horsemen (no, not the Four Horsemen of BACA Nation)
against a bumbling FBI investigator. If you like magic and are easily
fooled (like Southern Man) it's pretty entertaining to watch them rob a
bank (with magic!) and fleece their sponsor (with magic!) and keep the
aforementioned FBI investigator one (or ten) steps behind (with magic!) but
just don't focus on the plot *too* much.
Was *this* your card? No? Hmmm....
There are better magician movies (*The Prestige*, *The Illusionist*) but
this one h... more »
High Level Opposition to Escalating Syria's Conflict
Stephen Lendman
Dozens of responsible world leaders oppose Washington's war on Syria. They
do so for good reason. They want peaceful conflict resolution. They're
against greater escalation. Few say so publicly.
On May 15, the UN General Assembly adopted an anti-Assad resolution. It's
non-binding. It was Arab League-led. Washington co-sponsored it. It
followed four others since 2011.
It passed 107 - 12. Over 70 nations refused support. They endorse peace,
not war. They oppose greater foreign intervention. Russia called the
measure "counterproductive and irresponsible."
Assad expre... more »
Obama, Syria and the Aspin doctrine: Plans for a "limited" strike on Syria?
Here is what has been on my mind. Let me run it past all of you here.
We have all this jockeying for position prior to Geneva II.
Not just Israel/NATO/GCC. Not just Russia. Syria, also.
We had the very, very important battle at Quassi(y)r. The loss of the
strategic town by the NATO terrorists and subsequent moves by the SAA have
weakened the NATO/Israel/GCC position.
Obama reacted by using the chemical weapon/red line/humanitarian R2P meme
as a justification for a possible no fly/buffer zone being enacted in parts
of Jordan and possibly Turkey.
The discord in Turkey allows for this... more »
Lawless NSA Global Spying
Stephen Lendman
*Image*
NSA is one of 16 known US spy agencies. Perhaps others operate secretly.
Black budgets conceal what's spent. Amounts are enormous. They're
unconscionable.
Used responsibly, they'd relieve hunger, shelter the homeless, heal the
sick, and educate young people hungry for knowledge.
Out-of-control, unregulated, unmonitored practices operate lawlessly.
Enormous harm results. Rogue states operate that way.
On June 1, 1952, Harry Truman authorized NSA. On October 24, revised
National Security Council Intelligence Directive (NSCID) 9 followed. On
November 4,... more »
United Stasi of America through the Echelon Prism
SARTRE
Signals collection has a long secretive and enigmatic history. The very
definition of espionage implies spying, most closely associated with
foreign sources. Since the Echelon network, the unified function of data
retrieval became a given during the cold war. With the revelation of Prism,
advances in sophisticated electronic devices and software algorithms
provide a major leap.
The article, Is PRISM the US version of Echelon?, sums up the evolution.
With this kind of setup and ambition to capture and evaluate private
conversations (well, not so private now), makes Echelon ... more »
Government twisting facts on NSA ‘targeting’ Americans for surveillance according to reports
Medill DC/Flickr Madison Ruppert
The U.S. government is reportedly distorting the facts on the National
Security Agency (NSA) targeting Americans for surveillance without a warrant,
something which NSA leaker Edward Snowden affirmed in saying the NSA uses
“weasel” words.
In response to a damning report published by CNET based on statements made during
a closed briefing, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence
issued a statement essentially saying that the report was entirely false.
The briefing was an apparent attempt to deal with therecent outcry following
the revela... more »
As the World Turns - It Melts
From HuffPo this morning
STOCKHOLM -- The World Bank says it will increasinglyview its efforts to
help developing countries fight poverty through a "climate lens."
In a report released Wednesday, the international lending institution
warned that heat waves, rising seas, more severe storms and other impacts
of climate change will trap millions of people in poverty.
As a result, the Washington-based bank said it is stepping up support for
efforts to curb climate change and to help the world adapt to it.
"Urgent action is needed to not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but
also... more »
Mining 24: The Regalian Doctrine
A friend, law student and Objectivist, free market blogger Froi of the
http://vincenton.com/ wrote a good legal and economic opinion on mining. In
his article last June 08, 2013, *Regalian Doctrine Versus RP’s Mining
Industry andEconomic Progress, *he traced the history of this philosophy
and its negative impact on regulate-tax-regulate thinking in mining. It's a
long paper, reposting only portions of it. Below, among the products of
mining that many anti-mining activists fail or refuse to recognize.
*The primitive, colonial Regalian Doctrine*
But… such a statist notion is founded ... more »
Breaking Non-News! The Rise of Poverty and the Fall of the Middle Class Affect Schools
The next time you see the world’s richest corporation, Exxon Mobil, trying
to use school bashing to divert attention away from their obscene wealth,
minimal tax rate, job export plan, and climate change denial positions, be
reminded of the other facts that help us understand what may have
contributed to our international test score positions–25th […]
NSA scandal: the deepest secret of the Ed Snowden operation
Jon Rappoport
Everyone wants to see a hero.
When that hero emerges from the shadows and says all the right things, and
when he exposes a monolithic monster, he’s irresistible.
However, that doesn’t automatically make him who he says he is.
That doesn’t automatically exempt him from doubts.
Because he’s doing the right thing, people quickly make him into a
spokesman for their own hopes. If he’s finally blasting a hole in the dark
enemy’s fortress, he has to be accepted at face value. He has to be
elevated.
When dealing with the intelligence community and their spooks and methods,... more »
Real Life Spy Drama On U.S. Bound Plane? “I’m Dead Already, They’re Gonna Kill Me”
Passenger Daniel Perry is escorted
off a United flight from Hong Kong
Is he really connected to the NSA scandal? Mac Slavo
To add further drama and confusion to the story of Edward Snowden, NSA
Spying and Central Intelligence Agency involvement, a passenger on a U.S.
bound flight out of Hong Kong Monday claimed that intelligence agents had
detained him, were going to kidnap him, take him to a safe house, and that
they planned to kill him because of his knowledge about the recently
released leaks.
According to witnesses, passenger Daniel M. Perry relayed to other
passengers aboard ... more »
Will It Be “Lights Out” For Parts of America This Summer?
Chris Carrington
The 2013 Summer Reliability Assessment from NERC highlights that some
states are well below the reserve capacity thats recommended to cope with
peak demand of electricity. The report, published in May shows major
concerns about Southern California and Texas stating:
Tight supply may lead to operational challenges
Peak demand in Texas has risen, but production and spare capacity hasn’t,
leading to a deficit of 1% between supply and demand.
Much of Texas is bone dry, with scarcely any moisture to be found in the
top layers of soil. Grass is so dry it crunches under... more »
Huge Area of Sea Floor Movement Off Iberian Coast
Chris Carrington
Continental Europe has started to move towards the United States as a new
subduction zone forms off the Portuguese coast. This is the start of a
cycle that will see the Atlantic Ocean reduce in size and finally close as
what scientists refer to as a ‘passive margin’ becomes active.
A subduction zone is an area where one of the plates that cover the Earths’
surface is driven underneath the plate it is colliding into. Such faults
are known to produce mega-thrust earthquakes when they get stuck and then
slip allowing massive pressure to be released.
The Indonesian q... more »
Supreme Court Decides: Anything You Don't Say Can and Will be Used Against You
Daisy Luther
Everyone knows that when building a police state, it’s vital to strike a
few Constitutional rights off the books. Now, we can add the right to
remain silent to the graveyard of the American justice system.
How can you expect the people to be properly subjugated with all those
pesky freedoms that the Bill of Rights blathers on about?
The would-be totalitarians can chalk up another victory, because the
Supreme Court has made the decision that if you opt to remain silent, that
silence can (and will) be used against you in a court of law.
The Fifth Amendment to the Con... more »
“This Is A Glock Block” – Frustrated Homeowners All Over America Are Taking Matters Into Their Own Hands
Michael Snyder
All over the United States, frustrated homeowners are banding together,
arming themselves and patrolling their own streets. One of the primary
reasons this is happening is because police budgets all over the nation are
being slashed at a time when violent crime rates in the United States are
increasing and many of our largest cities are being transformed into crime-infested
war zones. So instead of waiting for government to come up with a
solution, many Americans are taking matters into their own hands.
For example, one community group in Milwaukie, Oregon has sta... more »
WotW: Boosting Your Blog's Reach Through Social Media
Wouldn't it be great if you wrote a blog post and thousands of people
instantly knew about it, read it, commented on it and begged you for more?
Of course it would, but for the vast majority of bloggers, that's not
reality. After all, a blog is merely a website, and getting people to go to
that website can be tricky. There's an entire industry dedicated to helping
people find websites. Kind of crazy.
But, just because it doesn't happen automatically doesn't mean there aren't
things you can do to help out your cause. After all, who knows your blog
and your content better than you?... more »
SILLY SEASON: Killing the pig in a shark attack!
*WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 2013*
*Part 2—Low-IQ pundits hunt bimbo:* In fairness, when we’re killing the pig
in a shark attack, things like this will happen.
Early Monday afternoon, Amanda Marcotte was killing the pig at Salon. In
this case, the pig was Miss Utah, “whose real name is Marissa Powell.”
The night before, Powell, who is 21, gave an incoherent reply to a less
than fully coherent question. Now, Marcotte and a school of low-IQ pundits
were staging a ritual of the season—a new form of shark attack.
When we’re killing the pig in a shark attack, things like this will happen!
Below... more »
Read Stuff, You Should
Happy Birthday to Kathleen Turner, 59.
Good stuff:
1. John Side does some teaching: why we should care what happens to Obama's
approval rating. (I thought I remembered writing a version of this myself a
while back, but I can't find it; either way, John's is better.
2. Kevin Drum on medical inflation.
3. And very good one from Ezra Klein on Bobby Jindal.
The Chinese Version of Agenda 21 and Why the US Should Care
Dave Hodges
As most aware people already know, England often provides us with a
forward-looking view of where our police state surveillance grid will be in
three or four years. The US has another canary in the mine from which to
predict its future, and it has to do with how China is implementing Agenda
21.
China has long led the world in repressive and inhuman enforcement of its
one child policies, mandatory sterilization and forced abortions. We also
know that China permits corporate slave labor (e.g. Walmart) within its
boundaries by globalist corporations. China is indeed a mo... more »
Now You Are Man - A Poem by M.N. Hopkins
*Your Heart*
Now You Are Man
*Success is relative*
**
*Failure is a prelude to success*
**
*Success is a culmination of trail and error over countless centuries of
what you call time*
**
*Detach from these notions of success and failure*
**
*Be at peace and be in love with all aspects of your living*
**
*See clearly and know that all is a part of a Divine plan *
**
*And all play their part to bring about a balance to the Whole*
**
*Dark and light*
**
*Good and evil*
**
*Male and female*
**
*All compliment each other and cancel each other out to bring a balance to
the total continuum*
*... more »
Leaked U.N. Report Outlines Iran Sanctions-Busting, As IAEA Details “Steady” Nuclear Progress | TheTower.org
'Iran is making "steady progress" in expanding its nuclear program and
international sanctions do not seem to be slowing it down, the U.N. nuclear
agency chief told Reuters on Monday… "There is a steady increase of
capacity and production (in Iran's nuclear program)," Amano said in an
interview. Asked if international punitive steps aimed at making Iran curb
its atomic activity were slowing it down, he said: "I don't think so … I
don't see any impact."'
More here
http://www.thetower.org/leaked-u-n-report-outlines-iran-sanctions-busting-as-iaea-details-steady-nuclear-progress/
Bu... more »
Whenever Margin Debt Goes Over 2.25% Of GDP The Stock Market Always Crashes
image source Michael Snyder
What do 1929, 2000 and 2007 all have in common? Those were all years in
which we saw a dramatic spike in margin debt. In all three instances,
investors became highly leveraged in order to "take advantage" of a soaring
stock market. But of course we all know what happened each time. The
spike in margin debt was rapidly followed by a horrifying stock market
crash. Well guess what? It is happening again.
In April (the last month we have a number for), margin debt rose to an
all-time high of more than 384 billion dollars. The previous high was 381
b... more »
In- fighting between moderate Syrian rebel groups and islamists leads to willowing out of moderates in Syria .....Blast hits military site in Latakia ! ...
http://www.debka.com/article/23058/Russian-marine-and-air-power-head-for-Syria-versus-Western-intervention-%E2%80%93-%E2%80%9Cto-defend-Russian-citizens-%E2%80%9D-says-Moscow
Just
one day after the G8 Summit ended in the failure of Western leaders to
overcome Russian resistance to a resolution mandating President Bashar
Assad’s ouster, Moscow announced Wednesday June 19, the dispatch to
Syria
of two warships carrying 600 Russian marines. They were coming, said the
official statement, "to protect the Russian citizens there." Russian
Deputy
Air Force Commander Maj.-Gen. Gradusov added ... more »
Farmers' Market Sues City over 'Pave or Vacate' Mandate
Heather Callaghan
A farmers' market in Mount Jackson, Virginia is causing an uproar by
saying, "Yes, we're suing the town."
This little market bought an unoccupied former business building in Mount
Jackson in an effort to improve the town and provide a fun place for all
kinds of vendors. The market performs every year at a financial and
emotional loss because they believe it's so important and rewarding to
provide a market and a place for local fare. Otherwise, people have to go
to the next town over for organic and the town remains more abandoned. They
wanted downtown Mount Jack... more »
Third Week of Bradley Manning Trial Highlights Circumstantial Evidence
image source *Activist Post*
We have spoken to Nathan Fuller at Bradleymanning.org who has given us
gracious permission to reprint his daily firsthand reports, which you can
find below with additional updates, commentary, and video.
*Summary *
Days 7 and 8 of Bradley Manning's trial have highlighted the government's
reliance on circumstantial evidence such as third-party websites in order
to support their contention that Manning deliberately released confidential
information to WikiLeaks, and that he knew that information (if he even did
release it) would wind up in the hands of ... more »
Farewell Bernanke – Thanks For Inflating The Biggest Bond Bubble The World Has Ever Seen
Michael Snyder
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is on the way out the door, but the
consequences of the bond bubble that he has helped to create will stay with
us for a very, very long time. During Bernanke's tenure, interest rates on
U.S. Treasuries have fallen to record lows. This has enabled the U.S.
government to pile up an extraordinary amount of debt. During his tenure we
have also seen mortgage rates fall to record lows. All of this has helped
to spur economic activity in the short-term, but what happens when interest
rates start going back to normal?
If the average... more »
Post Your Anti-Monsanto videos
Saw this on Common Dreams this morning
Seeking to bypass an almost-total corporate media blackout of the rising
movement against GMOs, a coalition of anti-Monsanto groups is launching a
campaign this summer calling on people to make and share online videos
highlighting the issue. More here to help reclaim our food supply.
Almost-total media blakcout?
Here in Minnesota - there was NO coverage of the March on Monsanto - May
25.
If you took a video of your local March on Monsanto -
it can get get national exposure.
See the article below
Mike Adams – *Monsanto Video Revolt announced... more »
Detroit financial woes caused in part by Riverboat gambling with derivatives.....
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-06-18/derivative-losses-bad-bets-and-aggressive-assumptions-leave-detroits-pensions-massiv
( Similar to Jefferson County , Detroit hosed by Banksters ..... one
shouldn't make derivative bets you don't understand... )
Derivative Losses, Bad Bets, And Aggressive Assumptions Leave Detroit's
Pensions Massively Underfunded
[image: Tyler Durden's picture]
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 06/18/2013 09:52 -0400
- Creditors
- Detroit
Late last week, Detroit's emergency manager Kevyn Orr, outlined his plan to
stop a disaster becoming a catastrophe i... more »
Afghanistan political situation takes another swerve as Karzai is upset with change in US policy to the Taliban......
Confusion over planned US-Taliban talks
First direct negotiations may be on hold after Karzai announces boycott
amid row over name of group's office in Doha.
Last Modified: 19 Jun 2013 22:44
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Tensions over the Taliban's new political office in Qatar have thrown
planned talks between the Afghan anti-government group and the US into
disarray.
The meeting was expected to take place in Doha on Thursday but the Afghan
president, Hamid Karzai, has s... more »
BOOM! Talk About Dropping a Truth Bomb on Live TV
*Youtube*
This is an older video, but it's worth watching. Former U.S. Marine Ken
O'Keefe goes off on a truther rant like no other. You won't ever see this
on CNN.
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When Did The GOP Become The Party of Unrelenting Misogyny?
Yesterday, crazed woman-hater--and very sick, deranged closet case-- Trent
Franks (R-AZ) finally got a bill passed... kind of. Even Republicans found
his rape comments so offensive and so dangerous to GOP election prospects
that they took him off the case before the vote and put up an anti-Choice
woman as the bill's "sponsor," Tennessee crackpot Marsha Blackburn.
Franks'/Blackburn's offensive, ugly anti-woman bill would ban abortions
after 20 weeks. The exemptions are premised on a Republican ideological
psychosis that "women lie" and can't be trusted. It's pure authoritarian,
Bi... more »
N.M. County Approves Fracking Ban
Rachel Rindfleisch at Contaminated Nation - Water Contamination, Land Pollution & Hazardous Waste locations - 15 hours ago
By: Nathan Lamb
Citing a desire to protect local water supplies, Mora, New Mexico, has
become the first county in the United States to ban fracking, according to this
story from the L.A. Times.
Energy companies use "fracking"—hydraulic fracturing—to extract
hard-to-reach oil and gas deposits from the ground. The process involves
using a pressurized cocktail of water, sand and chemicals to fracture
underground rock. Federal law doesn't require companies to disclose what
chemicals are used; they are considered trade secrets. This has spurred
water quality concerns in communities acro... more »
Teaching in Dystopia: The Common Corpse
Offred (June) in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale examines a subtle
distinction about words: “We lived, as usual, by ignoring. Ignoring isn’t
the same as ignorance, you have to work at it” (p. 56). In the dystopia of
Gilead, Handmaids gradually and then fully conform to their status: “That
is what we are now. The […]
We Are Way Past an Orwellian Police State and It's Only Going to Get Worse
*Youtube*
Subscribe to Charlie McGrath's Channel
WideAwakeNews.com
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Foreign Death Squad Network in Syria Larger Than Stated by West
Brandon Turbeville
Although evidence supporting the claims that the overwhelming majority of
the Syrian “rebels” are made up of foreign fighters is not surprising to
anyone who has investigated the unfolding crisis in Syria at any length, it
might indeed come as a shock to those whose only source of information are
mainstream Western media organizations like CNN, FOX, MSNBC, and other
similar corporate outlets.
Yet the extent to which foreign mercenaries and religious fanatics make up
the majority of the “rebel” (more aptly named “death squad”) ranks might
surprise even those who... more »
The economic massacre in Italy as 134 Retail outlets close every day ... Greece and Cyprus updates - June 19 , 2013 !
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-06-19/its-massacre-each-day-134-retail-outlets-close-italy
"It's A Massacre" - Each Day 134 Retail Outlets Close In Italy
[image: Tyler Durden's picture]
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 06/19/2013 08:13 -0400
- Carry Trade
- E-Trade
- Italy
If anyone is still not convinced that surging stock bourses in Europe are
indicative of anything more than central bank liquidity, carry trade
allocation and localized asset bubbles, we present a snapshot of what is
actually happening on the ground via Italy's Ansa: "*It's a massacre*,"
said Confese... more »
Untitled
*OPP creates plan for inmates in event of major storm ~WWLTV*
*NORA offers Road Home properties to businesses, churches under
little-known program ~Karen Gadbois, The Lens*
*Two bald eagles poisoned in Thibodaux ~Steven Ward *
*Scientists project large ‘dead zone’ in Gulf this summer ~Amy Wold*
*Six Terrebonne Parish oystermen arrested*
*No open guns at federal Army Corps of Engineers sites*
*The Crab Queen of Dulac, An Outspoken Love for Louisiana’s Seafood
Community*
*The Mississippi River: The Big Muddy from a Canoe ~GRN* *Rare copy of A
Confederacy of Dunces sold to UL Lafaye... more »
The Gulf Gets Bigger
Two reports -- one released yesterday, the other today -- paint a pretty
grim picture of where the country is. The Huffington Post reports that Canada's
wealthiest continued to do well last year:
The stock markets came roaring back after a shaky 2011, and so did the
wealthy. Canada’s high net worth individuals (those with liquid assets of
$1 million or more) saw their wealth grow 6.8 per cent last year, according
to a new report from RBC and Capgemini.
That’s a considerably better rate than what the average Canadian saw.
Household net worth in Canada grew a comparably measly 1.4 ... more »
WI Proves - ALEC Economic Report Misleads Public
It's disgusting that the ALEC economic report gets so much press - when
there is one state out their that specifically shows that implementing ALEC
economic policies is NOT good for the people.
Governor Scott Walker - an ALECer, with the help of ALECers in the
Wisconsin legislature, has followed the ALEC legislative playbook, since he
first stepped into office. He has implemented every nasty thing that ALEC
pushes from tort reform, to de-unionization, privatizations of government
services, voter restrictions, and ultimately, to selling public assets.
In the most recent ALEC econom... more »
MN Gun Nuts RUIN Family Friendly Event
Think about it.
You and your neighbors spend over a year to get the city to agree to close
your street – so you and your neighbors can have a family friendly event on
the street in your neighborhood.
Think about the work with the city to get this approved.
Think about the planning that goes into this for you – YOU – to provide a
family friendly safe environment for your children to play and ride their
bikes for a couple of hours.
Several groups of neighbors did this in Minneapolis and St. Paul
The neighborhood events, known as Open Streets, started as single
Minneapolis neighborho... more »
Get 'em young, train 'em right: dope testing for schoolchildren in Taichung
*Steve contemplates the beauty of a soon to be drug tested landscape*
Don't miss Far Eastern Sweet Potato's disturbing post on the apparent
pattern of organized crime attacks on critics of Beijing in Hong Kong: a
preview of what will happen here? It certainly worked that way in the
martial law days. But here at home in the Intelligent City of 2013, the
City is mandating massive drug testing for school students (Chinese).
Taichung AmCham sent around an English summary:
While the city had previously announced plans to increase the numbers of
students pulled out for urine drug testing... more »
BEN FELLOWS - THE COOK REPORT
*Ben Fellows.*
Anonymous left the following comment on the post "BEN FELLOWS IS MISSING":
*"*There's a site called *Guardianlies* with a document called "The Cook
Report: The One that Got Away" that casts a different light on the Cook
Report sting.
It says: "...they met up with ‘Richard Roberts’ and another Cook Report
investigator, posing as ‘Ben.’
"In furtherance of the entrapment of Ian Greer, the portly *‘Richard’ and
the handsome young ‘Ben’ masqueraded as openly gay partners. ... *
"A few days later ‘Ben’ called at IGA’s offices and told Greer that IGA had
indeed been favou... more »
"Technology Causes Inequality" Refuted
I'm getting to this a little late due to extensive travel (in South Africa
now), but David Cay Johnston has a nice writeup of a recent paper on
inequality based on the World Top Incomes Database. The paper, by Facundo
Alvaredo et al., is important because it largely refutes the idea that technological
change is the big reason for diverging incomes between skilled and
unskilled workers. As Johnston writes:
That [sharply different levels of increased inequality] is significant
because it means that new technologies and the ability of top talent to
work on a global scale cannot explain... more »
Jordan's Turn in the Sun?
Conrad makes the argument pretty clearly here that the stage is now set
for a real settlement. As I posted yesterday, this can be led by Jordan in
particular who has the most to gain. Done properly Palestinians can travel
to jobs on the east bank and the west bank can become a successful refugia
rather than some war zone.
The Arab spring has made it abundantly clear that they will no longer
tolerate Islamo fascism and that they desperately need to get their own
houses in order. It has been a task literally put off for two generations.
It is a task that the rest of the w... more »
Burgeoning Local Food Revolt
What has happened is that industrial agriculture and the processing
industry in particular has lost the trust of the consumer. Worse is that
over half the population has no difficulty in paying for premium quality
food whose production is known to them. This is not yet a runaway
transition to organic farming, but I am certain now that we are going
there. In fact, the developing GMO crisis may well be the key tipping point.
We are messing with mother here and the industry has been conning mother
since the fifties selling awful convenience foods that are damaging to the
he... more »
Nuclear Bomb Tests Confirm Brain Regeneration
So why does our hippocampus shrink? I think we need to know this simply
because it smells like something we can stop or even improve on. To start
with we need comparative studies based on many samples with documented life
ways. We really have to compare Eskimos to Zulus to discover predictive
variation.
It also goes directly to the heart of the race variation question. It is
the one part of the brain that our nurture affects hugely and whose
potential across race and various genotypes can be investigated. A large
number of interesting questions regarding human variations c... more »
True Poverty at One Third Population
Yes, this needs to be said. The measures of poverty have been manipulated
for so long it is hard to see how they can be trusted at all. The same
holds true for inflation figures, unemployment other inconvenient
yardsticks.
This tells us outright that one third of the population is effectively
underwater and not covering basic necessities. That is the third that needs
to be underwritten to hugely increase the wealth of the US itself, simply
because they also will lack access to capital and the means to increase
their incomes. That policy mavens seem never able to get this... more »
Syria is Iran's Stalingrad with Gary Gambill
This really asks two questions. The first is whether Assad has a long
term winning position at all and the answer to that is surely negative. The
second is to ask what is Iran thinking? Even if a short term victory is
possible, they lose because everyone else will be engaged in quickly
overturning that victory.
At best though, they will drag out the war for possibly a decade and
consume their human assets while doing so in a clear cut Sunni Shite war.
Once again, the only problem that either the USA or Israel has is that one
or the other actually wins.
I never quite saw... more »
Top Ten Reasons to Legalize Marijuana Now
The absurdity of the Marijuana Prohibition is continuing and can only
continue because the stakeholders have purchased the vote. Even the weight
of propaganda is no longer enough to sustain a majority in favor of
prohibition.
The same applies equally to all drugs that can be self prescribed. The
prohibition protocol is a stunning failure in every way shape and form and
can be defended only by the utterly incompetent.
I personally loathe drugs in any form and rarely drink even alcohol. I am
also loathe seeing our civilization been hijacked by a utterly unnecessary
crimi... more »
Let Them eat Wood?
We have a continuing effort aimed at somehow exploiting cellulose. It is a
difficult problem not from a lack of chemical pathways but rather for lack
of a cost effective pathway. This is obviously continuing and we are really
no further ahead than were five years ago when I first pointed this out.
I do think that it will still be solved sooner or later. This is not zero
energy or perpetual motion. It is a case of tricky biochemical pathways
been developed that are highly productive.
Certainly doing anything clever with wood chips would be exceedingly
welcome. The defa... more »
Obamacare Drives Minimum Income Entitlement
My personal intuition is that Obama care as constructed simply cannot work.
Thus the loud creaking noise this represents is right on schedule.
A more sensible approach would be to offer matching funds to any state
wanting to create a state system and a regulatory portability oversight
body to slowly bring common cause to bear. Even better would be to do just
that while approaching the Canadian system in order to improve their system
at the same time. This then becomes a platform for rapid improvement.
The real bottom line is that the insurance model cannot work as a
univers... more »
A Socialism for the 21st Century with Richard Wolff
When Socialism fails and when Capitalism fails, they fail for precisely
the same reason. The singular belief that top down command and control
actually works best when it is the least effective way of optimizing
impact. Neither have learned to operate at the community level in terms of
credit and wealth production. In fact the natural instinct is quite the
opposite until a crisis is induced in both regimes and all variations of
them.
The crash part may not even be dramatic. The USSR succumbed to a
persistent withdrawal of services from its increasingly suppressed workers
th... more »
Fibromyalgia Disease Mode
This is a very important piece of clinical teaching that should refocus
the patient's approach to both healing the disease and the management of it.
We have poor understanding of chronic infections, particularly viral. They
set up shop and wait for opportunity to encroach. The cold sore is a great
model.
This informs us that in the majority of cases, a cure can be effected.
That is new. However it is certainly complicated and not limited to one
disease vector.
*Fibromyalgia Disease Mode*
*http://www.envita.com/lyme-disease/is-fibromyalgia-the-real-diagnosis/*
*W... more »
Bilderberg Group
This annual affair is essentially a social gathering of the folks with the
most responsibility in the world. They can really screw things up and it
gives comfort to know that they can speak to their counterparts on a
friendly basis with a common set of assumptions. I suspect North Korea is
not invited.
The opinions listened to do matter just because it sets terms of
engagement that may be right or wrong but will exist. Recall the nonsense
around global warming. A session such as this one can put an agenda firmly
on the road or alternatively kill it for a generation.
T... more »
Chipotle First US Chain Restaurant to Label GMOs by Anthony Gucciardi
Chipotle First US Chain Restaurant to Label GMOs
by Anthony Gucciardi
Natural Society, 18 Jiune 2013
In a display of effective consumer activism, Chipotle Mexican Grill has
become the first US restaurant chain to go ahead and* label all GMOs sold
through their locations on the menu*. And unlike Whole Foods and other
grocers, who are making similar strides but are actually years away from
actual implementation, *Chipotle has already launched the labeling
initiative into existence*.
In case you’ve never heard of Chipotle, it is a ‘natural’ Mexican food
restaurant that you could s... more »
Confessions - Kanae Minato - film review
I have to share this gloriously down-beat film with the readers of Free
Planet. "Confessions"(based on Kanae Minato's 2008 novel Kokuhaku) tells
the disturbing tale of revenge taken by a substitute teacher (played by
Takako Matsu) upon the students she feels are responsible for the death of
her daughter. You've really never seen a film directed with such
ambivalence to the morals of the day. It's a unique horror ride for all
those concerned that 'schools aren't looking after our kids'.
Speaking more truth to Parent Revolution plutocrat power
“The resolution by board member Steve Zimmer requires the district to
independently verify the signatures and how they’re gathered by Parent
Revolution, the group that helps to organize parents in efforts to take
over schools. The district will also increase the amount and types of
information available, such as an analysis of five years of […]
BBC AND CHILD ABUSE
*Stuart Syvret*
More and comments here *http://voiceforchildren.blogspot.com/...*
Huawei unveils slimmest Smartphone- Ascend P6
*Huawei has unveiled what it says is the world's thinnest smart phone.* The
Android-based Ascend P6 is 6.18mm thick and is also inquisitive in that it
has a 5 megapixel front camera for high quality self-portraits. Huawei
supposed it designed one of the slimmest and narrowest circuit boards in
the commerce to press the electronics into the new handset.
*Huawei is previously a well known brand in China where it grew to become
the country's biggest manufacturer of telecoms equipment after being
founded in 1987.*According to Ben Wood, director of research at consultancy
CCS Insig... more »
The Waste Land, read by T.S Eliot (whole poem with notes)
Related: *Nick Mount on T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land*.
*T.S. Eliot - The Waste Land (1922)*.
The Waste Land, read by T.S Eliot (whole poem with notes). Source: YouTube
Channel Menurella. Date Uploaded: January 23, 2013. Description:
The Burial of the Dead: 00:00
A Game of Chess: 04:58
The Fire Sermon: 10:21
Death By Water: 18:19
What The Thunder Said: 19:00
Written in 1921-1922.
"The use of recurrent themes is as natural to poetry as to music. There are
possibilities for verse which bear some analogy to the development of a
theme by different groups of instruments ['different vo... more »
The Situation of The Kurds In Syria, Turkey, And Iraq
Things are looking grim, but, then again, what else is new?* *
Everybody expects a major war to break out between the Kurdistan Regional
Government (KRG) and the central government in Baghdad. Iraqi officials are
excluding Erbil from its new oil plans, taking away a key economic lifeline
between the two centers, and thus removing the last incentive to stay in a
federal partnership. The KRG *has a customer in Turkey*, but with the
recent uprising there, how reliable is it? The Turkish economy will slide
down if there is serious unrest, plus it does not look like that the peace
betwee... more »
Using the Los Angeles school privatization pushers’ own propaganda against themselves
“Several studies of Los Angeles schools showed substantial gains from class
size reduction. One found that smaller classes increased reading scores by
9.5%, math scores by 13.9% and language scores by 14.5%, with double these
gains for “high need” students. Two other controlled studies also show
significant gains in Los Angeles, with effect sizes that […]
Kenneth Wilson, RIP
Kenneth Wilson died from complications of lymphoma (a blood cancer) in
Saco, Maine (where he and his wife were previously brought due to their
love for kayaking) on Saturday, aged 77 years and 1 week. He received his
Nobel Prize in 1982. His adviser was Murray Gell-Mann and students included
Jackiw, Shenker, Peskin, and Ginsparg.
*See also:* WSJ, WaPo, Yahoo, NECN, Newsday, Google News, Physics World,
Cornell, Press Herald, John Preskill, Clifford Johnson, a Shmoit
More importantly, he taught us about the concepts of effective field
theories and the renormalization group that have e... more »
The idiocy of the “two-state solution" - a history lesson many should learn from before debating with me
'After the 1967 war, Israel accepted UNSC resolution 242, under which
Israel would give back lands it had occupied to its neighbors in return for
peace treaties that would guarantee "secure and recognized boundaries." The
clear intent of the resolution was that Israel would give back some of the
land, but not necessarily all of it, particularly because the pre-war
boundaries were not 'secure'.'
More here
http://fresnozionism.org/2013/06/the-idiocy-of-the-two-state-solution/
Edward Snowden - Q&A with Thue Guardian June 17 , 2013.... China refutes Dick Cheney's balderdash from Sunday that Snowden could be a spy for China ! New York City Police Commissioner delivers a strong rebuke to the NSA Spying campaign - even goes as far as to say Edward Snowden was right about privacy abuse !
Catharsis Ours - 21 hours ago
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/nsa_should_come_clean_ray_kelly_dfAKlqJ4keYDNiJqANhIMO
'NSA should come clean about domestic spying': Ray Kelly
- By JENNIFER BAIN
- Last Updated: 6:18 PM, June 17, 2013
- Posted: 4:09 PM, June 17, 2013
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly launched a stinging rebuke to the federal
government’s secret phone and Internet monitoring campaign — and suggested
leaker Edward Snowden was right about privacy “abuse.”
“I don’t think it ever should have been made secret,” Kelly said today,
breaking ranks with US law-enforcement officials.
His blast came d... more »
House price inflation: a bubble in need of a pin
Since the last two posts here encompassed the twin topics of money-printingand
housing—and since Gareth “Captain” Morgan has emerged from his quarter deck
today to berate the Reserve Bank for “a long history now of Reserve Bank
prudential policy combining with selective tax policy to provide a toxic
little no brainer for property investors”—I figured I’d link up all three
topics in one hit, so to speak, by pointing out how the Reserve Bank is
busy buggering up the demand supply of the affordable housing equation just
as successfully as councils are buggering up its supply.
New Zea... more »
The World Is Less Peaceful In 2013
Just before the brutal crackdown in central Istanbul by Recep Tayyip
Erdogan's authoritarian regime in Turkey, Vision of Humanity released their
7th annual Global Peace Index, showing that Europe is the most peaceful
region, with 13 of the top 20 most peaceful countries. I guess the violence
in Gezi Park will bring that average down for 2014. Overall, the Global
Peace Index shows that the world has become less peaceful, with a sharp
rise in the number of homicides. The GPI measures peace in 162 countries
according to 22 qualitative and quantitative indicators of the absence of
vi... more »
Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW) - Take a Walk
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 »
Musical Interlude: Vangelis, "Oceanic Fields of Coral"
Vangelis, "Oceanic Fields of Coral"
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo89tLJ2n2A&html5=1
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Here is one of the largest objects that anyone will ever see on the sky.
Each of these fuzzy blobs is a galaxy, together making up the Perseus
Cluster, one of the closest clusters of galaxies. The cluster is seen
through a foreground of faint stars in our own Milky Way Galaxy.
*Click image for larger size.*
Near the cluster center, roughly 250 million light-years away, is the
cluster's dominant galaxy NGC 1275, seen above as a large galaxy on the
image left. A prodigious source of x-rays and radio emission, NGC 1275
accretes matter as gas and galaxies fall into it. The Perseu... more »
What do you call a limbless man in a pile of paper dollars
[image: image]
The Green’s Russel Norman has backed down on the plan he issued so loudly
last year—loudly, frequently, and to everyone who would stand still to
listen—to fix all the country’s ills by printing money.
His plan was killed not by his realisation that he was talking fruitcake
economics, but because of a tidal wave of rational outrage at the Ginger
Whinger’s insanity. Or in Greenspeak, “The feedback we’ve received on that
element of our proposal made clear it did not have the broad support it
would need to work.”
Crikey, even their potential coalition partners in the L... more »
"How's Your Inner Beggar?"
"How's Your Inner Beggar?"
by Henry Makow Ph.D.
"This being the weekend I am reflecting on the timeless question of human
happiness. What do people want? Simple creatures, we want to feel good. If
you can make other people feel good, they'll love you. But how many of us
bother? We are too busy trying to make them make us feel good. We are feel
good addicts, hoping to wring our happiness from the world. Food, drink,
drugs, sex, money, power, love.
In "The Power of Now," Eckhard Tolle has a story about a beggar who asks a
stranger for money. The stranger tells the beggar to look ... more »
Obama: U.S. Has 'Legitimate Need' To Be Involved In Syria
"Now, in terms of what my goals are. The goals are a stable non-sectarian
representative Syrian government that is addressing the needs of its people
through political processes and peaceful processes. We’re not taking sides
in a religious war between Shia and Sunni. Really what we’re trying to do
is take sides against extremists of all sorts and in favor of people who
are in favor of moderation, tolerance, representative government and over
the long term stability and prosperity for the people of Syria." -
President Barack Obama, from his *interview* with PBS host Charlie Rose on ... more »
"Being Human: A Personal Credo"
"Being Human: A Personal Credo"
by John Robbins
"There is so much pain and death in our times. This is not an easy time to
be a person of conscience and feeling. It can be terribly hard today to
stay in touch with your deep soul. It can seem all but impossible to keep
your love alive. The world has a way of blowing relentless hurricane winds
at our little flickering candles of faith.
This is what I have to say at this time in history. I stand here in the
face of the anguish of our time, and I affirm that it is possible to see it
all, to gaze fully into the abyss, and yet not be... more »
20 imágenes de paisajes naturales para coleccionar
Ver todas las imágenes | Seguirnos en Twitter | Ser fan en Facebook
Ver más *imágenes de paisajes*
¿Busca usted paisajes, animales, playas, lagos, ríos, flores y amaneceres?
Visite: www.bancodeimagenesgratis.com ¡Gracias!
Sick Canadian Prime Minister Says "Evidence" Shows Assad Has Used Chemical Weapons
I have stated clearly in the last few articles that the criminal US
President, Barry Soetoro, is a psychotic freak who wants to lead the United
States into a new war against the innocent nation of Syria to please his
Jewish masters in Tel Aviv..... This criminal is lying to the American
public that Syrian President Al-Assad has used chemical weapons against his
own people, even though all the evidence clearly shows that it has been the
US/Israeli bought and paid for criminal and murderous mercenary "rebels"
that have done the deed.....
I originally thought that the criminal US Presi... more »
The Realist Report with John Friend
On this edition of *The Realist Report*, we'll be joined by Bill Finck of *
Christogenea.org*. Bill and I will be discussing the Founding Fathers, the
U.S. Constitution, Christianity, and early American history.
Please visit *The Realist Report* on TalkeShoe to download this and past
episodes.
The Daily "Near You?"
Torino, Piemonte, Italy. Thanks for stopping by.
Chet Raymo, “Squaring The Circle”
* “Squaring The Circle”*
by Chet Raymo
"Here is a little story about the best and worst of Western civilization.
It can be summarized in one word: square. Yep, that's right. Square. The
ninety degree corner, the plumb-bobbed line. Forget the squiggle, the
wiggle, the curlicue, the arc. We're talking orthogonality here. We're
talking perpendicularity.
I was flying across the country the other day at 37,000 feet. From the
Mississippi to the Rockies, for a thousand miles, as far as the eye could
see, the land was ruled into one-mile squares, as neat as the tiles on your
kitchen floo... more »
Take your hand off it, Tony
Unable to remove his hand from the suite of policy levers he’d like to
pull, the BNZ’s alleged economist Tony Alexander has had another
brainstorm since the weekend, when he issued his 8-point programme of
government meddling to fix house prices that appeared on the *Herald*’s
front page this morning. His brainstorm involves three new levers he’d like
to begin polishing.
Tony’s original plan consisted of eight points ranging mostly from the
fanciful to the farcical, including the creation of a Super-SOE “whose sole
purpose is to undercut existing building materials suppliers,” “a... more »
Kyle Bass interview - The Next 18 months in Japan will define economic orthodoxy for the West
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-06-18/kyle-bass-next-18-months-will-redefine-economic-orthodoxy-west
Kyle Bass: "The Next 18 Months Will Redefine Economic Orthodoxy For The
West"
[image: Tyler Durden's picture]
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 06/18/2013 21:33 -0400
- Bank of Japan
- China
- Demographics
- ETC
- Iceland
- Japan
- Krugman
- Kyle Bass
- Kyle Bass
- Mexico
- Monetary Base
- New York Times
- Volatility
Kyle Bass covers three critical topics in this excellent in-depth interview
before turning to a very wide-rangi... more »
Robert Skeels Attends a pRev Meet and Greet
Reblogged from Diane Ravitch's blog: Robert Skeels attended a "meet and
greet" sponsored by pRev (the organization formerly known as Parent
Revolution). Read what he learned as he socialized with those who are
prepared to close down 50 public schools in Los Angeles. Why? Well, firing
people makes better schools. Or does it? We know […]
Pats Star Aaron Hernandez questioned in a murder ? WTF ????
http://abcnews.go.com/US/patriots-star-aaron-hernandez-questioned-murder-sources-abc/story?id=19430625#.UcEDQT7DVoY
Patriots' Star Aaron Hernandez's Home Searched After Killing
[image: PHOTO: New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez looks on
during an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank
Field, Dec. 23, 2012, in Jacksonville, Fla.]
New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez looks on during an NFL
football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field, Dec. 23,
2012, in Jacksonville, Fla. (Michael DeHoog/Sports Imagery/ Getty Images)
Sha... more »
Purchase money resulting trust
Nishi v. Rascal Trucking Ltd. 2013 SCC 33 upholds the doctrine of purchase
money resulting trust. A purchase money resulting trust is a species of
gratuitous transfer resulting trust that arises when a person advances
funds to contribute to the purchase price of property, but does not take
legal title to that property. Where the person advancing the funds is
unrelated to the person taking title, the law presumes that the parties
intended for the person who advanced the funds to hold a beneficial
interest in the property in proportion to that person's contribution. This
presumption... more »
When we make "tradeoffs" for "national security," shouldn't we know what we're trading off?
*"Since President Obama is asking us to trade some of our privacy with
respect to our phone calls and our use of the Internet for greater
protection against terrorism, at the very least we need to know exactly how
our privacy is being violated."*
*-- Aryeh Neier, in a *New York Review of Books* blogpost,
"Spying on Americans: A Very Old Story"*
*by Ken*
In this voluminous NYRB blogpost (I'm thinking it must be parked on the
NYRBlog while awaiting inclusion in a future issue of NYRB), Aryeh Neier --
longtime national director of the ACLU, executive director of Human Rights
Watch, an... more »
#IranElection: Wide Asleep in America's Twitter Coverage
Remember
that when Iran polls reflect what Western media wants, they're
considered legit, but when they don't, they're dismissed as skewed.
— Nima Shirazi (@WideAsleepNima) June 12, 2013
Western media busy getting narrative straight: If Jalili, vote was
rigged. If Ghalibaf, vote was rigged. If Rouhani, president has no
power.
— Nima Shirazi (@WideAsleepNima) June 12, 2013
Remember, people
NSA and cyberspying updates - June 18 , 2013.....
[image: Print This Post] Print This Post
“Civil Libertarian” Obama’s Options On Surveillance
By Cynthia L. Cooper on Jun 18, 2013
*[image: bush-obama2]Editor’s Note: Readers of this site will have seen
discussion here about the extent to which Obama—or any president—is free to
significantly deviate from a consensus on most “security policy.” For a
recent example, see “**Why Obama Cannot Undo the Surveillance Society—But
We Can**.” Nonetheless, it is reasonable to ask why, if Obama is the top
decision-maker in this country and a purported civil libertarian, does he
not at least try to... more »
Scary travel warnings are hurting Honduras
One of the papers ran a big feature this week on tourism in Copan Ruinas
and what strategies might kickstart the flagging industry. Somebody
mentioned that one problem might be that the marketing approach had become
too boring.
Maybe. But I have a feeling that the terrifying travel warnings about
Honduras issued by virtually every developed country might be the bigger
problem.
The U.S. State Department issued its scariest warning yet yesterday,
raising the spectre of kidnappings, carjackings, "disappearances," rape,
and even the possibility that the Honduran police will kill... more »
TALKS WITH THE TALIBAN? NOW THERE’S A NOVEL IDEA – AGAIN!
It was two years – almost to the day – that I last commented about talks
with the Taliban that might have ended the war in Afghanistan. Nothing came
of it. Nor did anything come of the talks that were proposed back in
October 2008. Since then at least 2287 allied soldiers have died and only
your deity knows how many civilians have been killed since. Now the Western
allies are suggesting that talks might still be a good idea.
But, given the history of past proposals to talks with the Taliban, you
don’t have to be an ‘expert analyst’ to foretell that talks are likely to
be “complex, ... more »
Russia assets its loud but clear voice on Iran and Syria ..... Coincidentally , there is a massive explosion in Russia !
Russia taking the lead position regarding the Middle East......
http://www.debka.com/article/23056/Lavrov-Iran-agrees-to-halt-20-percent-uranium-enrichment-West-must-lift-sanctions
Iran has confirmed it is prepared to halt its enrichment of 20-percent
uranium, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reported on the ministry
website Tuesday, June 18. He urged Western nations to reciprocate by
lifting sanctions. DEBKAfile: It was not clear whether this was a temporary
suspension, an absolute halt – or a dodge for getting sanctions eased to
enable the incoming Iranian president Hassan R... more »
Syria updates - Secretary Kerry urged Obama and Pentagon to begin immediate airstrikes on Syrian airfields - note Army General Martin Dempsey totally squashed Kerry ..... for now of course... Meanwhile , did Israel strike Syria at Damascus Airport ? Bushama War Policy ...... so says Ron Paul !
http://hotair.com/archives/2013/06/18/report-kerry-urged-obama-pentagon-to-begin-immediate-airstrikes-on-syrian-airfields/
Report: Kerry urged Obama, Pentagon to begin immediate airstrikes on Syrian
airfields
POSTED AT 5:51 PM ON JUNE 18, 2013 BY ALLAHPUNDIT
Man, we’re a long way from 2004 if John Kerry is urging shock and awe against
a Middle Eastern dictator over WMD and most Republicans are pounding the
table against a reckless intervention.
Cycle of life, my friends.
Flash-forward to this past Wednesday. At a principals meeting in the White
House situation room, Secretary of S... more »
False Flag Watch - June 16 , 2013 - FWIW
Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
http://truthernews.wordpress.com/2013/06/15/ciaal-qaedalibyansyrian-rebels-false-flag-terror-threat-assessment-u-s-water-supply-bio-terror-and-stinger-missile-attacks-on-airliners-now-trending/
(
FWIW - WE know an excuse is needed to spark off the next kinetic
actions
... )
CIA-Al Qaeda-Libyan/Syrian Rebels False-Flag Terror Threat Assessment:
U.S.
Water Supply Bio-Terror And Stinger Missile Attacks On Airliners
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