Thursday, September 26, 2013

26 Sept - Blogs I'm Following

NorwayNorway (Photo credit: Moyan_Brenn)
NorwayNorway (Photo credit: mishox)
10:22am MDST

People Think Crazy Things About Inflation

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 1 minute ago
I don't recall every seeing this one; it doesn't surprise me, but, you know, this is just crazy talk: Over the next twelve months, do you expect that the cost of living – that is, what you pay for everyday goods and services ─ will increase, decrease, or stay about the same? Decrease........................................... 1 Stay the same ................................... 22 Total increase.....................................77 Increase 1% to 3% ....................... 23 Increase 4% to 5% ....................... 18 Increase 6% to 10% ..................... 15 Incr... more »

Even Norway Gets the Dutch Disease

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 2 minutes ago
We sometimes think of Norway as the country where fossil fuel riches are handled responsibly, not like the Alberta and Canadian governments that just piss it all away. Yes, Norway has amassed an impressive sovereign wealth fund from its Statoil royalties but, beyond that, it has many of the same problems that confront Canada. Like us, Norway is at serious risk from the Carbon Bubble. The big difference is they've kept their money and so have resources to deal with it. From *OurWorld2.0*: *According to the OECD, the Norwegian economy is projected to expand robustly in 2013 a... more »

Iranian American Artists On A Mission to Stop War Through Hip Hop

Nima Shirazi at Wide Asleep in America - 7 minutes ago
Close the ears on your head, that listen mostly to lies and cynical jokes. There are other things to see, and hear. Music. Dance. A brilliant city inside your soul! ~ Rumi Justin Mashouf, two-time Emmy winning filmmaker, artist, and erstwhile friend of Muftah, sent us this press release yesterday: Iranian American rap artist Base One Basic and director Justin Mashouf released their

The Doable We Refuse to Do: End Poverty, Confront Privilege | the becoming radical

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE - 10 minutes ago
The Doable We Refuse to Do: End Poverty, Confront Privilege | the becoming radical.

Iran

Paul Coker at News Spike - 11 minutes ago
Obama/Rouhani: Iranian dètante from Spike1138 on Vimeo. BBC Our World - Ruling Iran from Spike1138 on Vimeo. Iran's Second and probably last ever Supreme Leader will likely die within the next few years. Khameni is not Khomeni. There is a rare window of opportunity now. October Surprise: Honegger from Spike1138 on Vimeo. * * *"Ronald Reagan's Number One Fear is a Soviet Invasion of Iran - It's That Simple."* * **Jinkies! Former Reagan White House staffer and truthteller Barbara Honegger vs. The Casey Family* * * *"The speeches of the US and Iranian presidents, Barack Obama... more »

The 4 Horsemen - impressive documentary on how this world works and how it changed our cognitive map

address-withheld@my.opera.com.invalid (Dr. John v. Kampen) at - 45 minutes ago
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fbvquHSPJU&feature=share&list=SP07AE1842FAD6AC6E Our "cognitive map", the way we *learned* to 'think' (aka believe in the gospel of the powerful), guides us through this impressive film. The world is changing. Be surprised by the ways and alternatives how it is changing...! John

What people think of Obamacare!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 52 minutes ago
*THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013* *Familiar strange reporting on the Northwestern Arkansas 9:* What the heck do we the people think of Obamacare? The New York Times decided to take a national survey. This morning, Martin and Kopicki report the results. We balked at one of their findings: MARTIN AND KOPICKI (9/26/13): [T]here is little doubt that the president is being hurt by questions over his health overhaul. *Only one in five Americans say they expect to be positively affected by the law.* Frankly, we were puzzled. How many Americans *should* expect to be positively affected by t... more »

Right seeing = observe and interact

risa bear at A Way to Live - 59 minutes ago
"Right seeing" in the Buddhist sense is easily taken as a negative -- noticing where we as human beings have gone "astray." But it can also mean "see what is right to do," referring by implication to such things as right action and right livelihood. "Observe and interact" in the Permaculture sense is also positivist. The assumption is that the universe has no "astray" and that by studying the life and energy flows around us, we can more closely attune our actions to what is, instead of trying to buck the system. Both principles are the same. Watch what the sun, moon, sky, landsca... more »

Thursday Morning Linkage

Josh Busby at Duck of Minerva - 1 hour ago
I was transfixed this week by the week’s events in Kenya, the attacks by Al-Shabaab on the Westgate shopping center that resulted in the deaths of at least 60 people. With friends just a stone’s throw away from that mall, it was hard to turn away from that unfolding set of events. So, this week, Continue reading

Objector insists to judge 'there isn't a bankruptcy' in Detroit because all global debts have been erased

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 1 hour ago
*I am not 100% who this guy is and the "private group" he represents, but his argument is interesting... and it appears to have captured the Judge's attention as can be heard in the YouTube video below... **-Bill* http://www.freep.com/article/20130919/NEWS01/309190172/Detroit-bankruptcy-hearing-Chair-of-Saint-Peter Chair of St Peter leader talks about Detroit bankruptcy: Robert Marques, leader of the Chair of St. Peter speaks to the media after leaving U.S. District Court in Detroit on Sept. 19, 2013. Kathleen Galligan/Detroit Free Press - Chair of St. Pete... more »

Gladue factors are significant

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 1 hour ago
*R v Courtorielle*, 2013 ABCA 317 is a useful reminder that Gladue factors are not merely items for a sentencing judge to mouth before giving the sentence that would be given to a non-aboriginal offender. The Alberta Court of Appeal emphasizes that a failure to give proper weight to Gladue will lead to leave being granted and a sentence being reviewed; and in this case the charges were far from minor being break and enter with assault, break and enter a dwelling house, break and enter with theft, assault with a weapon, and resisting arrest. The Court held: [3] In our... more »

Boehner's Unlikely But Plausible Anti-Insanity Program

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 1 hour ago
Information is starting to emerge about what the House is going to try to do in the next few weeks. Nothing is certain, especially the details, but the broad outline is fairly clear now. What's John Boehner up to? Remember, my view is that he's trying to avoid a shutdown or debt limit breach (because the situation for him gets worse post-deadline than pre-deadline) while at the same time keeping his conference from blaming him for anything. At least privately; one of the costs I assume he's willing to accept is for many of them to blame him publicly for things they actually want him... more »

Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part V, Sheikh Jassim Mohammed Salah al-Suwadawi And Sheikh Abdul Rahman al-Janabi

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 2 hours ago
--> Sheikh Jassim Mohammed Salah al-Suwadawi of the Albu Soda tribe and Sheikh Abdul Rahman al-Janabi of the Albu Mahal tribe were two prominent tribal leaders in eastern Ramadi. They found themselves unemployed after the 2003 invasion, but unlike many of their compatriots they did not turn that frustration into armed struggle against the Americans and Iraqi government. Instead they attempted to reach out to Baghdad and the U.S., but their initial attempts were failures. Eventually they joined the Anbar Awakening and helped secure the province. Along the way they lost many relative... more »

VIDEO: Iraqi Kurdistan

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 2 hours ago

Stephen Harper missing again at UN General Assembly

LeDaro at LeDaro - 2 hours ago
Although Harper was in New York during opening of the United Nations but he will not be speaking to UN General Assembly. His highness has no time for the UN. He was on his potty break as usual. All previous Prime Ministers - Mulroney, Chretien and Martin spoke at UN General Assembly. Shame. *“In fact, questioning Harper's views of the UN is becoming as much a regular event as the prime minister's streak of missing its annual opening session, even though he's been in New York at the same time for the last two years.* ** *Academics, retired diplomats and the opposition parties insist... more »

LATEST SHOW

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 2 hours ago
Interview with Leonard Yannielli from Vinalhaven, Maine

AMANDA RIPLEY’S BELIEVE IT BY LAW: You might almost think you’re getting conned!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 2 hours ago
*THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013* *Part 4—“Miracle,” Ripley said:* Amanda Ripley’s The Smartest Kids in the World is an interesting, highly readable book. That said, an instructive moment occurs on page 126. It’s part of a two-page sub-section bearing this headline: “The Polish miracle.” In fairness, it’s important to know what Ripley means when she refers to this particular “miracle.” She doesn’t say that Poland has miraculously become one of the world’s highest-scoring countries, although every reviewer in the country seems to *think* that’s what she said. (Toch and White in the W... more »

Research proven: School Libraries and Free Voluntary Reading. Unproven and expensive: CCSS and iPads

Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene at @ THE CHALK FACE - 2 hours ago
Research proven: School Libraries & Free Voluntary Reading. Unproven and expensive: #CCSS & iPads. #LAUSD @skrashen pic.twitter.com/Cg2z5Z7uxM — Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) September 26, 2013 The former means engaged critical thinking, but the latter leads to more corporate profits and increased market share for PSO, AAPL, MHGE, NWSA, and others. The Power of Reading : […]

Kenya: The Westgate Mall, Shabab and Israel

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 2 hours ago
*Kenya-* * * The hostage taking. In a mall, of all places? But, not just any mall, no, an upscale mall. A mall where white western diplomats from across the globe shopped. *A mall that was most definitely not for the masses in Africa.* The ordinary people might go to a market. Or just sustain themselves? *However, this is a mall that would definitely hold the attention of the main stream western media audience** Even the name Westgate would be very easy for the receptive western audience to remember. It would stick in the mind. Right? Of course! WESTGATE. The perfect mall to plant ... more »

Research proven: School Libraries and Free Voluntary Reading. Unproven and expensive: CCSS and iPads

Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene at Schools Matter - 2 hours ago
Research proven: School Libraries & Free Voluntary Reading. Unproven and expensive: #CCSS & iPads. #LAUSD @skrashen pic.twitter.com/Cg2z5Z7uxM — Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) September 26, 2013 The former means engaged critical thinking, but the latter leads to more corporate profits and increased market share for PSO, AAPL, MHGE, NWSA, and others. - The Power of Reading : Insights from the Research - Common Core [sic] Standards (Susan Ohanian Speaks Out)

University of Glasgow - average female face from 40 countries - all of them uber-alluring

Mike Philbin at PROGNOSIS II - 2 hours ago
they say that an amalgamated face is a more beautiful face, and this study of the amalgamated faces from 40 different countries computer-generated by psychologists at the University of Glasgow proves it: ready? *clicking the image takes you to STERN.de* Surely, this kind of technique can also be used to trace historical genetic migration through facial characteristics?

David LeBlanc explains Molten Salt Reactors

Charles Barton at The Nuclear Green Revolution - 2 hours ago
David Le Blanc explains recent developments in Molten Salt nuclear technolog y.

the box

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 2 hours ago

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Steve at Thinking Aboot - 2 hours ago
Wow, climber finds over $300K worth of jewels on Mt Blanc. H/T to The Raw Story.

Greece facing Greek Army Reservist Union calls for Government to step down - emergency meeting held ? Deposits continue to flee Cyprus and Greece ..... Troika set to demand further austerity as next bailouts loom !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 3 hours ago
*Looming Government Crisis ? * * * * * *Greece probes blog post calling for government change* A prosecutor in Athens has ordered an investigation into a blog post on the special forces reservists' website demanding the government and president resign and an interim government be appointed under the "guarantee" of the armed forces. The misdemeanor court prosecutor ordered the investigation Thursday into the posting, which appeared overnight on the website of the Special Forces Reserve Union (KEED). Apart from the government's resignation, the posting calls for Greece to withdraw from... more »

Read Stuff, You Should

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 3 hours ago
Happy Birthday to Cesar Rosas, 59. Good stuff: 1. Hey, the Monkey Cage is over at the Post! Excellent. Here's Sarah Binder with a relatively optimistic view of the possibility of averting a debt limit crisis. 2. Jonathan Chait on Obamacare news and the conservative closed information feedback loop (which I think is Chait's phrase originally, but I'm the only one who still uses it as far as I know). 3. Wait -- the House might pass a short-term extension to give them more time to work out the CR! Robert Costa reports. Where have I heard that one before? As I've said: there may be ... more »

The Economy: “Americans Wake Up?”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 3 hours ago
* * *“Americans Wake Up?”* by Karl Denninger “Hmmm... “Americans by a 2-to-1 ratio disagree with President Barack Obama’s contention that Congress should raise the U.S. debt limit without conditions. Instead, 61 percent say that it’s “right to require spending cuts when the debt ceiling is raised even if it risks default,” because Congress lacks spending discipline, according to a Bloomberg National Poll conducted Sept. 20-23. That sentiment is shared by almost three-quarters of Republicans, two-thirds of independents, and a plurality of Democrats. Just 28 percent of respondents... more »

The Numbers Do Not Lie: People Don’t Like Numbers

Steve Saideman at Duck of Minerva - 3 hours ago
Perhaps the first Monkey Cage post at the Washington Post presents some numbers that show that policy-makers tend not to like the higher tech kind of poli sci (or theory) We knew this from previous TRIP reports and other studies, but still it is important to consider such stuff, especially given that quantitative work (in Continue reading

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New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 3 hours ago
*James Gill: Graves shows why lawsuit is needed* *~So what else is new? Oil and gas executives must have spent many hours congratulating themselves on how easy it is to take Louisiana for a ride and having a good laugh at our expense. They will have many more opportunities to do so once Jindal has made sure the levee board lawsuit is junked and perpetuated the myth that they are our benefactors because we need their jobs and their taxes.* * **They need our oil and gas even more, as their fabulous profits attest. Those profits would have been much reduced had they not been allowed to ... more »

Lindsey Graham-- Southern Belle In Distress Over Syria Hysteria

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 3 hours ago
I wonder if the polling was done before or after the above *Daily Show*, but in either case, Lindsey Graham's reelection prospects look difficult... at best. Over a third of South Carolina Republicans have a negative opinionof their senior senator. So a third... the crackpot nihilists and tea baggers. That leaves two-thirds who could vote for him, right? Dig a little deeper into the results and you find that only 31% of GOP voters say they will vote for Graham regardless of his primary opponent. Nearly 20% of Republicans said they would not vote for Graham. Republicans say they di... more »

Bright and Blind

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 3 hours ago
Michael Ignatieff still does not understand the part he played in his party's worst defeat in history. Bob Hepburn writes that Ignatieff's new book should be titled *It Really Wasn't My Fault*: According to Ignatieff, the Liberals were trounced because they lacked money to buy television ads to counter Harper’s attack ads, which kept hammering away at the fact Ignatieff had been out of Canada for nearly 30 years, because they were in worse shape internally than he had imagined and because Harper and Layton were veteran politicians who knew how to connect with voters better than h... more »

Europe continues economic collapse as european loans decline for the 16 th month in a row and largest monthly decline since 1999 !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 3 hours ago
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-09-26/mario-draghis-nightmare-gets-worse-european-loans-decline-new-record-pace Mario Draghi's Nightmare Gets Worse: European Loans Decline At Record Rate [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 09/26/2013 08:04 -0400 - European Central Bank - Eurozone - Gross Domestic Product - M3 - Money Supply - Ray Dalio - recovery - Unemployment inShare Back in July we posted "What Keeps Mario Draghi Up At Night, And Why The European Depression Has A Ways To Go" in which we presented "Europe's annual ... more »

Windows 8, the lack of progress, and the end of the PC era

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 3 hours ago
For the first time, I could have spent a few hours with a Windows 8 computer (although I have played with an emulator of it last year). Well, I had to first-boot someone's new HP laptop and install some basic software and hundreds of Windows and driver updates. It took many hours. Fortunately, no blue screens of death were a part of the experience. The system starts with the tiles and it's sort of cleaner and I wanted to know whether it would have a WOW effect on me. Sadly, as a long-term Microsoft fan and Windows person, I must say that it didn't. Maybe the decrease of my excitem... more »

Special Report: We Are Winning The Fight Against Monsanto & GMOs

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 4 hours ago
Special Report: We Are Winning The Fight Against Monsanto & GMOs by Anthony Gucciardi Natueral Society, September 26, 2013 Thanks to the intellectual campaigns we have been launching on the front lines against the agricultural corruption brought upon by Monsanto and its GMOs, we are now winning the overall war against the corporate monopoly and genetically modified creations at large. One such major victory, which occurred as a result of activism and overall outrage from the public, is the announcement by Senators that they are going to ‘kill’ the Monsanto Protection Act renewa... more »

NSA bugged India Permanent Mission at the UN and its Embassy in D.C ! Spying on India appears not just preventing terrorism , but similar to Brazil spying , it may have involved commercial espionage !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 4 hours ago
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/nsa-planted-bugs-at-indian-missions-in-dc-un/article5164944.ece NSA planted bugs at Indian missions in D.C., U.N. US Passport Renewal - Renew Your US Passport Today! Order Online And Avoid the WaitUSPassportOnline.com/Renewal Ads by Google SHOBHAN SAXENA SHARE · COMMENT (50) · PRINT · T+ [image: The NSA selected India’s U.N. office and the embassy as “location target” for infiltrating with hi-tech bugs, which might have given them access to vast quantities of Internet traffic. File photo.] APThe NSA selected India’s U.N. off... more »

“When We Almost Nuked Savannah: The Case of the Missing H-Bomb”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 4 hours ago
* “When We Almost Nuked Savannah:* *The Case of the Missing H-Bomb”* by Jeffrey St. Clair “Last week a report by investigative journalist Eric Schlosser (excerpted from his terrifying new book "Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident and the Illusion of Safety") revealed that two Mark 39 hydrogen bombs were accidentally dropped over Goldsboro, North Carolina on January 23, 1961. Each bomb carried a payload of 4 megatons. One of the weapons was fully engaged and, despite denials from the US government, came very close to detonating. A few years ago, I investigat... more »

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New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 4 hours ago
*Louisiana treasurer Kennedy suggesting state-run flood insurance ~Melinda Deslatte, New Orleans Advocate* *Meanwhile back in Real World Louisiana: homeowners brace for huge flood insurance hikes ~Scott Satchfield, WVUE* *Déjà vu? Saints coach Payton’s message in ’13 remarkably similar to that of ‘09 ~WWLTV * *NOPD faces losing off-duty details for downtown Saints games et al * *LSU dental students in New Orleans offer free oral screening Saturday for children aged 1-16* *Minn. taking lead to reduce size of Gulf ‘dead zone’ ~Amy Wold* *Bar screens to help channel debris at Corps' ... more »

Get Your NSA On, Romulans!

Alison at Creekside - 5 hours ago
*Techdirt: NSA Chief Begs His Public To Help Agency 'Get The Facts Out'* Apparently sitting in the captain's chair on the bridge of the USS Surveillance* has lost its thrill. *Keith Alexander, the director of the National Security Agency, called Wednesday on the public to help defend his agency's powers as Congress mulls restrictions aimed at protecting privacy.* *He warned that if Congress hampers the NSA's ability to gather information, it could allow for terrorist attacks in the United States similar to last week's massacre in a mall in Nairobi, Kenya.* *"If you take those... more »

To John Merrow, Who Quit

deutsch29 at @ THE CHALK FACE - 5 hours ago
Mr. Merrow, my name is Mercedes Schneider. You answered my post on your accepting Gates funding and the connection between such funding and two decisions you have made: 1) ceasing your investigation of Michelle Rhee and 2) proclaiming New Orleans schools as “reborn” in your documentary. You did not address me by name, but at […]

CIA TERRORISTS IN THE PHILIPPINES, IN LEAGUE WITH THE OLIGARCHS

Anon at aangirfan - 8 hours ago
*The US military - come to rape and pillage.* The purpose of the US military is to rape and pillage countries around the world. The CIA runs the Philippines, in alliance with the Philippino oligarchs. *Philippine troops have been battling 'Moslem insurgents' in Zamboanga city on Mindanao island in the Philippines. The insurgents are said to be linked to the CIA.* *The Philippines's President Aquino, a very rich oligarch 'in league with the CIA.' Egyptians under Mubarak were three times as rich as Philippinos under Aquino.* "The US military presence in the Philippines appears to... more »

“Seven Gripping Photos Of Homeless Los Angelenos Will Change The Way You Look At A Stranger”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 9 hours ago
* “Seven Gripping Photos Of Homeless Los Angelenos * *Will Change The Way You Look At A Stranger”* by HuffPo “Photographer Michael Pharaoh is only 22 years old. Yet already, he possesses the uncanny ability to capture the story written on a stranger's face. New Zealand-based Pharaoh created the gripping series "The Homeless of L.A." while on vacation in California. The photographs evoke, in tremendous detail, the identity of Hollywood's homeless population in a series of muted yet stylistically gorgeous up-close portraits. "The project was fascinating to me because we don't have t... more »

Weekend Update + October/November Cold & Snow Update

rss2009 at Global Cooling & New Ice Age UK - 9 hours ago
The coming days will bring some quite extensive cloud cover for many parts of the country, although some brighter spells will develop in parts to the south and east of the country. There will also be some periods of fine rain and showers developing in places, especially in parts to the far north and west of the country. As we head into the weekend, a surge of thunderstorm activity will initially break out across parts of the south, in particular, in parts of the south-west and Wales, before spreading northwards to other parts of the country. The intensity of the storms and expected ... more »

"Butterflies..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 9 hours ago
"We are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think its forever." - Carl Sagan

Musical Interlude: Vangelis, “Continuum”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 10 hours ago
Vangelis, “Continuum” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGHm7-uNOQU&html5=1

"A Look to the Heavens"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 10 hours ago
“Separated by about 14 degrees (28 Full Moons) in planet Earth's sky, spiral galaxies M31, left, and M33 are both large members of the Local Group, along with our own Milky Way galaxy. This wide-angle, telescopic mosaic captures colorful details of spiral structure in both, while the massive neighboring galaxies seem to be balanced either side of bright Mirach, beta star in the constellation Andromeda. But M31, the Andromeda Galaxy, is really 2.5 million light-years distant and M33, the Triangulum Galaxy, is also about 3 million light years away. *Click image for larger size.... more »

Do Washington And Its Sunni Allies Seek A Sharia Law Regime In Syria?

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 11 hours ago
*Don't let the beard and headgear fool you. This guy is totally run by the CIA, MI6, and Mossad. His whole outfit has been picked out by his masters in Western intelligence agencies. He has CIA socks, MI6 underwear, and Mossad undershirts. * Related: *US-Backed Al-Qaeda Commander Poses Inside Of USAID Tent*. *Add The United States, Turkey, And Israel To The List of State Sponsors of Islamic Terrorism.* * * *America Aims To Prop Up Fictitious Syrian Army (FSA), While Still Backing Al-Qaeda Terrorists.* * * *Kurdish Sunni Muslim Women: FSA and Al Nusra mercenaries are not ... more »

Obama & Rouhani: The historic handshake that never happened

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 12 hours ago
Nile Bowie Russia Today As political leaders in Washington and Tehran signal they are in favor of diplomacy, is a genuine rapprochement between the two powers actually possible? The speeches at this week’s UN General Assembly by the leaders of Iran and the US, although each striking conciliatory tones, both envisage a vastly different international order. Recently-elected President Hassan Rouhani, in his first speech to the assembly, reiterated that the Iranian nuclear issue is essentially a red herring, while eloquently addressing the moral deficiencies of the international order... more »

Chet Raymo, “Universal Constants, Universal Consensus”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 12 hours ago
*“Universal Constants, Universal Consensus”* by Chet Raymo “I received a book in the mail last week, as I sometimes do, for potential review on this blog, James Stein's “Cosmic Numbers: The Numbers That Define Our Universe”. I often write here about books I read, but I don't review. I did glance at Stein's book, however. It has an audience, but it's not for me; been there, done that. The subtitle is provocative, however. The idea that a dozen or so numbers "define the universe." *That's* a mind-blowing concept. The gravitational constant. The speed of light. Absolute zero. Planck'... more »

What stops you from taking a green vacation?

Small Footprints at Reduce Footprints - 12 hours ago
When planning a vacation, do you consider the environment? Do you research Eco-friendly accommodations, methods of travel and food? If our recent survey is any indication, then most of our vacations could use some "greening". Let's take a look at the results: [image: Green Vacation Survey Results] We had some comments: * - I had a great experience WWOOF'ing when I was in Australia in February, working on an organic farm (pictures here: http://ecogrrl.net/2013/02/26/where-i-be-chillin-part-four/) in exchange for room & board. It was great! When I fly, whenever possibl... more »

Will The Extreme Right Make It Easier For Ami Bera (D-CA) To Get Reelected?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 12 hours ago
Republican civil war comes to Sacramento County Monday I went to a public forum with three of L.A.'s most progressive congressmembers, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Janice Hahn and our old friend Judy Chu. Remember my proposal last week calling for progressives to stop paying dues to the DCCC while Steve Israel is still chairman? They all seemed open to the idea and even started riffing on how progressives could give contributions directly to fellow progressives instead, like Carol Shea-Porter, John Tierney, and... Ami Bera. Ami Bera? You *really* have to stretch the meaning of "progressive... more »

Your moment of Zen

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 12 hours ago
Morning on the Hudson in lower Manhattan 9-22-13. [Hudsonette photo]

Imágenes con mensajes de "Feliz Jueves" para compartir

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FOTOFRONTERA - 12 hours ago

Anna Porter of eastern europe's transition to democracy

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 12 hours ago
* **"The Storyteller: Memory, Secrets, Magic and Lies"* by Anna Porter (2002). "One of the problems with total free speech of course is that you are now free to voice your hatred." - Anna Porter, a quote from the interview below. Video Title: Anna Porter of eastern europe's transition to democracy. Source: AllanGregg. Date Published: June 21, 2011.

The holistic way

risa bear at A Way to Live - 12 hours ago
If we look up "holistic" in Google we find, apart from the narrower medical term, that it means "characterized by comprehension of the parts of something as intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole." It is a term used by Permaculturists and is the point of Permaculture; treat this life (the "world") as a whole system of which we are a part, rather than as a set of resources (separate from us: *objectified*) to be exploited, regardless of "externalized" costs (placed beyond consideration as a consequence for which we are responsible, so as to be able... more »

How To Get Lots Of "Likes" On Facebook

Southern Man at Southern Man - 12 hours ago
Just post pictures like this...

Bill and Melinda Gates Money at Work

Susan O at Schools Matter - 13 hours ago
* by Susan Ohanian* He's back! Who knew that Jonah Edelman is alive and well--and pumping the Common Core! I stumbled on this information by way of a Tweet by Vicki Phillips, Director of Education - College Ready at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, who issued two shout outs in praise of Edelman's work--a Huffington Post piece One Thing All Parents Should Know about the * CommonCore*, in which Edelman is humping a new film made by Stand for Children. She'd already declared her love of the film: #*CommonCore*'Building Dreams' - great video explaining #*CCSS* from @*Stand4Childre... more »

US Treasury Letter to John Boehnor

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 13 hours ago
Letter courtesy the Huffington Post

M7.0 - NEAR THE COAST OF SOUTHERN PERU

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 13 hours ago
* * * * *M7.0 - NEAR THE COAST OF SOUTHERN PERU* *Preliminary Earthquake Report* Magnitude 7.0 Date-Time - 25 Sep 2013 16:42:43 UTC - 25 Sep 2013 11:42:44 near epicenter - 25 Sep 2013 08:42:43 standard time in your timezone Location 15.851S 74.562W Depth 45 km Distances - 46 km (28 mi) S of Acari, Peru - 91 km (56 mi) SE of Minas de Marcona, Peru - 120 km (74 mi) SSE of Nazca, Peru - 135 km (83 mi) SSW of Puquio, Peru - 498 km (308 mi) SSE of Lima, Peru Location Uncertainty Horizontal: 0.0 km; Vertical 4.2 km Paramet... more »

Rand and Cruz in the House

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 13 hours ago
During his marathon 21-hour speech on the US Senate floor yesterday, filibustering against the failing ObamaCare plan, Senator Ted Cruz read from Ayn Rand’s *Atlas Shrugged* … [Hat tip Julian D.] Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)

Emergency: Major Criticality

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 14 hours ago
I just witnessed a major criticality via the Tepco web cam Time stamp is 4:01am sep 26 I will follow up tonight with screenshots A purple sphere and flames in the foreground of the common spent fuel pool building were followed by streaming emissions, still present at 4:21 I brought into my office academic colleagues to witness the phenomena Please take shelter if downwind and warn others. Watch the cam and prepare for fallout if it fails.

The 1% Government

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 14 hours ago
Taiwan is getting pummeled by several long-term trends -- the financial liberalization of the late 1980s that brought in big global financial players, to Taiwan's detriment; the shift of factories and investment to China; and governance by the KMT. The trend is clear, as Commercial Times observed in another hard hitting editorial: According to government statistics, the disposable annual income of people aged below 30 averaged only NT$366,000 (US$12,388) in 2012, lower than NT$380,000 in 1999. * In 2012, the starting monthly salaries for bachelor's degree holders averaged NT$26,0... more »

Peter Schiff was right … again. [updated]

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 15 hours ago
Peter Schiff famously gave warning about the collapse of the American housing bubble .. and was laughed at by others who were less prescient. [If you haven’t done it before, then Google “Peter Schiff was right.” Go on, do it. Do it now. I’ll wait.] He did it again with the non-ending of QE… Over the last few weeks, as the overwhelming majority of economists, reporters, and Wall Street insiders expressed certainty that the Fed would begin to taper its QE program, I did my level best to make the public understand that the Fed would do no such thing. As a result, last week's "surpr... more »

ObamaCare - examining the ongoing rolling healthcare clusterfark !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 15 hours ago
ObamaCare..... http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-09-25/they-got-it-wrong-all-accounts-where-obamacare-now "They Got It Wrong On All Accounts" - Where Is Obamacare Now? [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 09/25/2013 18:29 -0400 - Consumer protection - Obama Administration - Obamacare - President Obama - Reality - Recession - White House inShare1 *The Obamacare that consumers will finally be able to sign up for next week is a long way from the health plan President Obama first pitched to the nation.* As Politico notes,*mi... more »

The Federal Reserve - are they holding the world hostage as per Marc Faber OR has the Fed been snared by the " tar baby " known as Quantitative Easing - as per Zero Hedge ? Or are both views correct ? To understand the intersection of Shadow Banking and concepts such as re-hypothecation / de-leveraging / counter-party risk ......Excess Reserves and modern finance and the perilous state of the Banking system .......Fed policy and how the tar baby appears stuck to the neo- keynesians , read the Zero Hedge piece entitled " What Shadow Banking Can Tell Us About The Fed's "Exit-Path" Dead End "

Catharsis Ours - 15 hours ago
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-09-22/marc-faber-feds-neo-keynesian-clowns-are-holding-world-hostage Marc Faber: "Fed's Neo-Keynesian Clowns... Are Holding The World Hostage" [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 09/22/2013 18:16 -0400 - Bond - Central Banks - China - Federal Reserve - Global Economy - Housing Market - keynesianism - Marc Faber - Market Conditions - Monetary Policy - NASDAQ - Neo-Keynesian - Real estate inShare1 "*There is nothing safe anymore, because the money-printing distorts... more »

Urban Gadabout: Friday is World Tourism Day -- so GO someplace (I've got some NYC suggestions)

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 15 hours ago
*by Ken* No, I don't know anything more about "World Tourism Day," and I'm not interested enough to research it. But I do know what it means to me, and one thing it *doesn't* mean is booking a $10K fancy-pants trip to some exotic destination. For reasons that probably wouldn't interest anyone but me, regular travel-style tourism isn't terribly workable for me, but as "Urban Gadabout" readers know only too well, I've become a firm believer in the "tourist in your own city" approach, and if I did have occasion to travel, I would probably try to do it the way I've been doing my loca... more »

Jordan: Yosra's Pain As A Syrian Refugee [Source: UNHCR]

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 15 hours ago
Jordan: Yosra's Pain As A Syrian Refugee. Source: UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). Date Published: September 25, 2013. Description: Syrian refugee Yosra lost most of her hip bone when her home in Damascus was hit by artillery fire. But her deepest pain came from losing her husband in the incident.

‘The Billionaire and the Mechanic’

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 15 hours ago
It’s the story of how the billionaire, Larry Ellison, brought the America’s Cup to San Francisco through his friendship with a car mechanic. “It’s non-fiction that reads like a novel.” And this is just the story of how he first won the Cup, and that’s almost the material for a film. As if history’s greatest ever sporting comeback—the dramatic story, that finally ended this morning, of how the Cup was held by the same team—isn’t material enough on its own! Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)

National Guard set to guard Chicago ? The sounds good but what happens the first time a child is accidentally shot by a Guardsman ? How many troops will be deployed and where throughout the City and for how long ? Who directs the Guardsmen and what happens with City Police - are they under the command and control of the National Guard Commander also ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 15 hours ago
http://globalgrind.com/2013/09/23/national-guard-chicago-4-dead-15-wounded-weekend-shootings-details/ http://www.guns.com/2013/09/24/il-gov-says-consider-using-national-guard-help-chicagos-violence-police-supt-says-video/ Illinois governor said National Guard could help curb Chicago’s violence (VIDEO) 9/24/13 | by Jennifer Cruz 28 1127 [image: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel says that the increase in patrols is helping to reduce violence in the city. (Photo credit: CBS)] Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel says that the increase in patrols is helping to reduce violence in the city. *(Photo cr... more »

USAID: A Tool of International Development Or International Terrorism?

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 16 hours ago
*US-Backed Al-Qaeda Commander Poses Inside Of USAID Tent.* "America, *this should be on the front page of every newspaper.* This is the result of our policy. If this isn't aiding and abetting the enemy I don't know what is. In a USAID tent, holding a rocket launcher, an al-Qaeda rebel. Congratulations on your foreign policy America." - Glenn Beck, *referring to this photo* that shows an al-Qaeda commander posing for the cameras Hollywood-style inside a USAID tent. For once I agree with Glenn Beck. This is a miracle. Praise the Lord. Video Title: Glenn Beck Program: Muslim ... more »

Allah Be Damned If He Supports Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIS

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 16 hours ago
Below is an excerpt from, *"A little-noticed battle"* published in The Economist on September 25, 2013: In a state-run hospital in Turkey’s south-eastern province of Urfa, rows of wounded Syrian opposition fighters gaze listlessly at the ceiling. Many were hurt fighting Syrian regime forces. But some say they were injured in a little-noticed, nasty battle against Syria’s long repressed Kurds. The Kurds, who landed control of a string of towns and villages in northeast Syria after the men of Bashar Assad, the Syrian president, left voluntarily over a year ago, insist they are the vi... more »

UN inspectors back in Syria after 'one-sided' nerve gas finding

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 16 hours ago
"prepare for another gas attack from the terrorists" is the highest rated comment for the video below. UN inspectors back in Syria after 'one-sided' nerve gas finding. Source: RT.

Are the mainstream media informing Americans of climate change? "Absolutely not." Says Subhankar Banerjee: "The corporate media is doing a dismal job. After my first piece was published about the Boulder Colorado flood last Friday, I received numerous comments from readers that the media is showing the tragedy and what is going on, but no one is raising a single question about if this event is related to climate change. Jaisal Noor, TRNN Producer: "...supporters of President Obama would say that he is confined by the political reality, lack of public support, and the Republicans, who will not back any real climate change initiatives. What's your response to people that say that President Obama is doing is much as he can?" Bannerjee: "That is absolutely not true, because you just mentioned the public. The public, as polls after poll show, are deeply concerned about climate change, and support, actually, public policy to address climate change. And you brought up the Republican. Republican leadership of course has been horrible. Bush was the oil president, and then Obama is following in his heels. But the public ...even some 70 percent Republicans are actually in support, do now understand, and believe climate change, and do support public policy to address it."

David L Griscom at Cherchez la Verite - 16 hours ago
------------------------------ * the**REALnews Permalink* *Colorado's Biblical Floods Linked To Climate Change Pt1: Subhankar Banerjee: * The media has utterly failed its responsibility to inform the public of the link between climate change and worsening natural disasters - *September 19, 13* More at The Real News *Obama's Climate Change Policies Are Imperialistic and Despotic Pt 2: * Subhankar Banerjee: The Obama administration's focus on oil extraction and emphasis on fracking is not addressing clima... more »

Economics for Real People: ‘How an Economy Grows & Why it Crashes’

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 17 hours ago
*Here’s the note about tonight’s economic discussion from our friends at the Auckland Uni Econ Group:* Hi all, This week, we start taking a look at the boom and bust cycle, which is said to be a natural feature of mature economies. But before we know how things go wrong, we need to know how they go right. So we’ll start by discussing how economies grow, contrasting the growth theory of the classical school, and of Friedrich Hayek with that of the Chicago school economists, of whom Milton Friedman was the best known. What does growth look like? What exactly grows... more »

Gold and Silver news and views - September 25 , 2013.... Gata , Russia Today , Jesse Crossroads and Harvey Organ items highlighted !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 17 hours ago
Russia Today .... Gold shipment disappears from Air France flight to Zurich Published time: September 25, 2013 03:37 Get short URL [image: AFP Photo/Paul J. Richards] AFP Photo/Paul J. Richards Share on tumblr Tags Crime, Drugs, France, Scandal, Security Some 44 kilograms of gold bars from an overall cargo of 300 kg of precious metal have mysteriously disappeared from a flight bound to Zurich. An insider operation could be to blame for a €1.5 million heist at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport. France's national aviation police (GTA) is now investigating how and by whom the gold was st... more »

Should We Celebrate Hispanic Heritage? But of course...

Sandra Guzman at Sandra Guzman - 17 hours ago
Check out my latest column on CNN where I explore the significance of our nation celebrating Hispanic American Heritage. * * *(CNN)* -- From the White House to statehouses across America, from Main Street to Wall Street, there will be many commemorations marking Hispanic Heritage Month, which officially kicked off on September 15 -- but does all the hoopla matter? Yes. All the proclamations, mariachi music and exultations, even the tacos served at these tributes are necessary -- especially if, beyond cocktails and soggy nachos, everyone takes the time to learn the stories and recogni... more »

Kenya: Not Even a Drill-Gone-Live, This is Just a Drill

Paul Coker at News Spike - 17 hours ago
Spot the Hoxtonite Photojournalist having way too much fun and his colleague taking pictures of the third photojournalist taking this picture, who has utterly failed to take cover before snapping away at government forces whilst standing out in the open, in clear view of the large building supposedly swarming with crazed killers just across the street. Seriously, there were more cameramen who responded to this event it seems at times that police or soldiers... * Oh, please...*

HISTORY / Bob Feldman : A People's History of Egypt, Part 10, 1930-1945

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 17 hours ago
Signing of the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty in 1936. Image from Islam Project 2010. A people's history: The movement to democratize Egypt Part 10: 1930-1945 period --Anglo-Egyptian Treaty reaffirms Egypt's 'independence' though British domination continues. By Bob Feldman / The Rag Blog / September 25, 2013 [With all the dramatic activity in Egypt, Bob Feldman's Rag Blog "people's history" series,

Failure to prove time of offence does not necessarily require acquittal

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 18 hours ago
R v Jacques, 2013 SKCA 99: [64] In summarizing the proper approach a judge must take when the evidence has not proven that an offence was committed on the date specified in the indictment, Wilson J. said this at p. 53: Accordingly, when a court is faced with circumstances in which the time of the offence cannot be determined with precision or the information conflicts with the evidence, the first question that must be asked is whether time is either an essential element of the offence or crucial to the defence. It will only be in cases where this first question is answered affirmat... more »

The world’s biggest sporting comeback. Ever.

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 18 hours ago
Granted, I”m not a sporting historian, but if anyone knows a bigger, more spectacular come-from-behind sporting victory than this famous America’s Cup victory by James Spithill’s and Team Oracle, then let us know. These boys started at minus 2. They were down on the canvas with a broken arm at 8-1. Yet they got up, focussed, fixed things, and came out to win, eight straight, against the very best Team NZ could try to throw at them. That right there is the work of deserving champions. So stop whinging New Zealand, and start recognising greatness when you see it. And start being t... more »

The Daily "Near You?"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago
Hulu Langat, Selangor, Malaysia. Thanks for stopping by.

The Spirit Level

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 18 hours ago
This excellent talk was given at the SWP's Marxism festival in 2011 by Richard Wilkinson. He co-authored *The Spirit Level* with Kate Pickett, and was published in 2009. It's an excellent read that proves time and again that equality leads to better, healthier, more secure, and more trusting societies. And that even the mega rich in more equal societies have a better standard of life than the mega rich in unequal countries. If you find this video interesting I very much recommend the book.

A Geopolitical Earthquake In The Middle East?

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 18 hours ago
Related: *Last Year A Leading Iraqi Shiite Cleric Compared Kurds To Rogues And Said Imam Mahdi Will "Save" Them. * *Civil War In Iraq: A Matter of When?* *Don't Take Your Eyes Off Of Iraq.* *A Future Republic of Kurdistan?* Below is an excerpt from the article, *"Iraq Kurds dream of independence but differ on details"* by Prashant Rao, AFP, September 24, 2013: “We were second-class citizens,” said Mohammed Saleh, an architect who studied at the University of Baghdad until 1979 but, like many of fellow Kurds, expressed a desire for independence. “The people here do not lik... more »

Catch of the Day

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 18 hours ago
I really like Ezra Klein's analysis of the Cruz, Paul, Sanders, and Wendy Davis filibusters/extended speeches, trying to answer the question: why don't more Senators pull this stunt, since it seemed to work so well for the four of them? Klein has three answers: doing it is difficult and carries risks (of saying something foolish); it's usually unnecessary in purely legislative terms, at least in the current Senate; and it can be annoying and counterproductive. All correct under current Senate rules and procedures. It's not surprising, then, that the three Senators who have done it ... more »

"Twirling A Baton..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago
“Humanity is a parade of fools, and I am at the front of it, twirling a baton.” - Dean Koontz, “Brother Odd”

Are debts a future perspective, really? Prof. Michael Hudson reviews the world...

address-withheld@my.opera.com.invalid (Dr. John v. Kampen) at - 19 hours ago
Link: http://youtu.be/b-Tkn9zi1Yc Prof. Dr. Michael Hudson, professor of economics at Missoury University, author and columnist, is one of the very few economists who can clearly and plainly explain what is happening around us and... behind our backs in the world of economy. Who are actually 'leading' this world? What about growing, crushing debts? How to get rid of both, to be replaced by something innovative and new? Yes, I reviewed this film a year after it was made! Has anything turned for the better? There is a lot we can learn from the explanations from Prof. Hudson! In part... more »

Coalition of Dumb Asses United Against Obama And Rouhani Outside The UN On Tuesday

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 19 hours ago
Below is an excerpt from, *"Former U.S. officials blast diplomacy with Rouhani at MEK rally outside UN"* by Alex Kane, Mondoweiss, September 24, 2013. "Former U.S. officials joined an Iranian expatriate group in a rally outside the United Nations Tuesday to blast any diplomatic opening between the Obama administration and Iran. . . . The stars of the rally included former U.S. ambassador to the UN John Bolton; former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani; former Rhode Island Democratic Representative Patrick Kennedy; and former chairman of the Republican National National Committee Mic... more »

The Economy: “What a Tangled Web We Weave...”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 19 hours ago
* * *“What a Tangled Web We Weave...”* by Bill Bonner “Oh! what a tangled web we weave When first we practice to deceive!” – Walter Scott, “Marmion” “First, let’s check the markets. The Dow fell 66 points yesterday. And gold sold off too – down $10 an ounce. In August, our hypothesis was that we would see falling US stock markets and rising gold prices as the dominant trends of fall. So far, we haven’t seen much in the way of trends at all. Last week’s Fed “no taper” announcement should have been followed by robust increases in stock and gold prices. But what happened instead? Aft... more »

John Kline (R-MN) Wants To Make A Deal-- Balance The Budget By Reducing Social Security Benefits

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 19 hours ago
Kline hates everyone-- young and old! Steve Israel was never a businessman-- nor a farmer. He's always worked in politics. He doesn't know how to make long term plans or how to initiative and follow through on long term goals. He can't see beyond the quarter or, off on his furthest horizon, the cycle. And the DCCC chair isn't the only near-sighted Democrat in power. The whole party is blinkered by strategists who never see the value of long-term planning. Putting a plan into operation to win a House seat in 2 or 3 cycles? Unheard of... by these congenital losers whose idea of strateg... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 19 hours ago
*BIG FREEDIA BROKE THE GUINNESS TWERKING RECORD TODAY IN NYC!!!*

“Watch Ted Cruz Read Green Eggs and Ham During His Quasi-filibuster”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 19 hours ago
* * *“Watch Ted Cruz Read Green Eggs and Ham* * During His Quasi-filibuster” * by Peter Weber “Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) isn't officially filibustering a House spending bill he pushed for but doesn't want Senate Democrats to tamper with - Democrats will start stripping a measure to defund ObamaCare later Wednesday, no matter how long Cruz talks - but he is putting on an impressive show. To fill his 13 hours of floor time, Cruz compared his fellow Republicans to Nazi appeasers, said that most people in Washington wear "cheap suits with bad haircuts," said a lot of negative things ab... more »

Party Conference Watch 2013: UKIP

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 19 hours ago
So far *Is the BBC biased?*'s whirlwind tour of the *Today* programme's coverage of the 2013 party has covered the Greens, who received only about six minutes' worth of coverage on a single day but got a helpful interview with their party leader, free of interruptions and challenges. We've also covered the Liberal Democrats, who got two and bit day's worth of fairly extensive coverage, a good-natured interview with their party leader and generally positive coverage. Next up came UKIP, whose coverage was held last weekend (as 'Bloomgate' broke). [Again, sorry for the delay!] Frida... more »

Stephen Harper gives cold shoulder to Ban Ki-Moon on Climate Change (repost)

LeDaro at LeDaro - 20 hours ago
I did this picture in May 2010. There has been change for the worse. Now that Harper has majority he has become full time salesman for oil companies, Tar Sands, Crude-oil pipeline etc.

Research Primer for Religion and IR

Jon Western at Duck of Minerva - 20 hours ago
Michael Desch and Daniel Philpott at Notre Dame have concluded their two-year Mellon funded working group on religion and IR and published their final report titled Religion and International Relations: A Primer for Research. Desch, in his introduction (titled: “The Coming Reformation of Religion in International Affairs? The Demise of the Secularization Thesis and the Continue reading

Mohawk John Kane 'No, Really! It’s OK to Watch Al Jazeera America'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 20 hours ago
PHOTO Dianne McNair, Bureau Coordinator/Assistant to the Bureau Chief, Al Jazeera Network, Washington, DC Bureau and Abderrahim Foukara, Al Jazeera Bureau Chief, Washington, DC and New York with a Unity Flag from yours truly. Al Jazeera network is committed to the voices of the voiceless. Sign me up! No buffalo speeches. Just the hard truth and how WE see things. (Photo by L. Hill) By John

Conspicuous Consumption at Its Finest

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 20 hours ago
When you really need to say, "I've got mine and you and your planet can go straight to Hell," nothing beats a mega-yacht just like any of these currently on display to prospective buyers in Monaco. Vancouver islanders will soon be able to bask in the beauty of these behemoths. Victoria has approved development of a marina for just such vessels in the inner harbour. True wealth demands nothing less. The Victoria International Marina will boast 29-slips for yachts from 65' to 150'. Leasing rates per slip range from $9,500 to $11,000 per lineal foot on a 40-year lea... more »

Senate to Kill Monsanto Protection Act Amid Outrage

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 20 hours ago
* * * * * * *Victory: Senate to Kill Monsanto Protection Act Amid Outrage* Anthony Gucciardi by Anthony Gucciardi September 25th, 2013 Updated 09/25/2013 at 2:59 am In a major victory brought upon by serious activism and public outrage, new legislation changes will shut down the Monsanto Protection Act rider that granted Monsanto protection from legal action and was set to renew on September 30th. monsanto protection act stopped 263x164 Victory: Senate to Kill Monsanto Protection Act Amid OutrageThis unprecedented move shows the true power of the anti-GMO, anti-Monsanto movement, a... more »

Bashar Al- Assad will now follow international norms

LeDaro at LeDaro - 20 hours ago
Power addiction is dangerous as it could turn some of the powerful into a mass-murderer. It is hard to understand this aspect of human nature. Assad is up there with Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld. *Cartoonist: Matt Bors*

Cash Cow $tate $tandards

P. L. Thomas at Schools Matter - 21 hours ago
With all due respect to Joanne Yatvin, who has made important contributions to NCTE and to literacy (notably her work confronting the flawed National Reading Panel), this is why we cannot be fatalistic about Cash Cow $tate $tandards: CC$ advocacy is being driven by corporate interests, the allure of money to be made. If no one could profit from CC$ or the tests, if no one could build political capital off CC$, how many advocates do you think would remain? I suspect around none. It is not too late. Even DC political insiders believe the fate of CC$ is deeply in question. To rec... more »

Cash Cow $tate $tandards

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE - 21 hours ago
With all due respect to Joanne Yatvin, who has made important contributions to NCTE and to literacy (notably her work confronting the flawed National Reading Panel), this is why we cannot be fatalistic about Cash Cow $tate $tandards: CC$$ advocacy is being driven by corporate interests, the allure of money to be made. If no […]

Add The United States, Turkey, And Israel To The List of State Sponsors of Islamic Terrorism

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 21 hours ago
"Ask not what al-Qaeda has done to America, ask what America has done for al-Qaeda." - President Exceptional of Exceptional Country of exceptional blah blah blah exceptional blah blah blah. If any states in the world today have to be defined as "terror states" then the United States, Turkey, and Israel certainly fall into this category, along with the usual suspects such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, North Korea, Cuba, and Syria. America's support for Jihadist terrorism sounds counter-intuitive, but there is more than enough proof to melt away skepticism in the hearts of disbel... more »

David Corn shatters a firm pundit rule!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 21 hours ago
*WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013* *Your Howler keeps getting results:* Last night, speaking with Lawrence O’Donnell, David Corn broke a firm rule of the guild. We take our hats off to Corn. Just look what the gentleman did: O’DONNELL (9/24/13): Who is the best presidential tactician since LBJ? In an article today from Mother Jones, David Corn gives us his answer. The article’s entitled, “Obama is the shrewdest political tactician since LBJ.” Joining me now, David Corn. David, I got to tell you, when I saw the piece today, I said, “Get me David Corn,” because I completely agree with y... more »

(Crazies Calling the Shots) Cato/Heritage Thinkers Want You To Be Free To Starve and Die of Disease Miserably (In the Streets If Possible): Exposing The Financial Core of the Transnational Capitalist Class and How Millennials Will Not Be Appealed To By Reaganites

Is it really that they just hate poor people and wish they'd go away (die)? Or is it that Food Stamps (SNAP - Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) is one of the few programs for poor people that doesn't pay rich people (enough) as the middle men before eligible recipients can receive benefits? Is it possible that we'll see further Rethuglican ideas about deciding to let "undeserving"

NGOs: Chemical Weapons are the Least of Syrian Civilians’ Concerns

Charli Carpenter at Duck of Minerva - 21 hours ago
Action on Armed Violence is circulating some terrific info-graphs and advocacy videos documenting civilian harms from various conventional weapons in Syria: By even the most cautious estimates, explosive weapons have killed and injured tens of thousands of people in Syria. They are thought to be responsible for about 40% of deaths in the conflict. Crucially, civilians are Continue reading

Reason to sue Google, Demanda a Google

Abraham Ben Judea at Abraham says - 22 hours ago
It has come to ALL Google Bloggers that the Google corporation is intentionally sending the photographs and other graphics to ALL cell telephones that are remotely connected with the Google Bloggers. Those photos are then send in such a way that it becomes impossible to delete... If you don't want your wife or girl friend to find out what pictures you post in the internet DON'T USE GOOGLE...They will send all photos to your cell phone SD card, and if you remove the cell phone number and change it to say a Fax number Google will then send those pictures to the nearest Cell number as... more »

"How It Really Is"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 22 hours ago

Limit CIA Role To Intelligence by Harry S. Truman December 22, 1963

Paul Coker at News Spike - 22 hours ago
* * ** ** * * * * *Limit CIA Role To Intelligence * by Harry S. Truman December 22, 1963 ** *The Washington Post, page A11* INDEPENDENCE, MO., Dec. 21—I think it has become necessary to take another look at the purpose and operations of our Central Intelligence Agency—CIA. At least, I would like to submit here the original reason why I thought it necessary to organize this Agency during my Administration, what I expected it to do and how it was to operate as an arm of the President. I think it is fairly obvious that by and large a President's performance in office is as effective ... more »

“The Smell of Financial and Economic Collapse is in the Air”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 22 hours ago
*“The Smell of Financial and Economic Collapse is in the Air”* by DeviantInvestor "The U.S. stock market is near all-time highs, while politicians and economists are blathering about recovery, low inflation, and good times, but instability and danger are clearly visible in our debt based monetary system. To the extent we rely upon the fantasies of ever-increasing debt, money printing, and credit bubbles, we are vulnerable to financial collapses. Perhaps a collapse is not imminent, but it would be foolish to ignore the possibility. Consider what these insightful writers have to s... more »

More from the world of bad reporting!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 22 hours ago
*WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013* *The New York Times and SNAP:* We couldn’t help noting more bad reporting in today’s New York times. Ron Nixon in back on the food assistance beat. Today, his report starts like this: NIXON (9/25/13): House leaders on Tuesday said they were working with their Senate counterparts toward a new five-year farm bill, just days after *the House pushed through a bill that would slash billions of dollars from the food stamp program.* [...] The farm bill, a 1,000-page measure that sets the nation’s food and nutrition policy, was formerly a bipartisan piece ... more »

Microtel Inns, Dairy Queens, St. Sensible and Detroit Country Day: Realities and Myths of "Choice"

Michael Paul Goldenberg at @ THE CHALK FACE - 22 hours ago
Reblogged from @ THE CHALK FACE: EDUCATION WEEK recently published "Calculator Use on Exams to Shift With Common Core," by Erik W. Robelen. In reply to some discussion about the article on a private Facebook page, Wendy Hart wrote, “ I think the real issue here isn't what is the proper use of a calculator, but […]

AMANDA RIPLEY’S BELIEF IT BY LAW: Admittedly, a talented writer!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 22 hours ago
*WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013* *Part 3—With a weak intellectual culture:* This past Sunday, the Washington Post gave major play to Amanda Ripley’s new book, The Smartest Kids in the World. A cynic would say it’s easy to see why the Post did that. Jay Mathews’ review of the book topped the front page of the Post’s Outlook section. Mathews, a nationally known education writer, drew a conclusion from Ripley’s new book which extended a treasured Post theme. (“The most consistent U.S. failing Ripley discovers is our way of selecting and training teachers.”) That’s what a cynic would s... more »

United Opt Out Helps Get Folks United Against Common Core

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 22 hours ago
*From Wisconsin Reporter:* By Ryan Ekvall | Wisconsin Reporter MADISON — An unlikely alliance of progressives and tea party activists have found common ground in opposing *Common Core State Standards* in *Wisconsin* — even as the political elite on both sides support the new standards that are quickly spreading through schools. Standing in the hallway that separates *Assembly Majority Leader Robin Vos, R-Rochester* from *Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha*, two progressives and two tea party activists recently discussed leading the outside-the-Capitol charge against Common Core. ... more »

is it a FREE PLANET or is it a WAR WORLD?

Mike Philbin at PROGNOSIS II - 22 hours ago
the title "is it a FREE PLANET or is it a WAR WORLD?" assumes you understand what either a Free Planet or a War World even is. And that's dangerous. Why? Well, we're taught, from an early age, that it's our 'right as free human beings' to 'live long and prosper' and to 'go forth and multiply' to 'earn our own salt' and have our world 'the way we want it', cherries on top, three squirts of cappuccino foam and loads of horsepower under the hood. THE GAME PLAYERS OF THE CORPORATE WORLD still need to fill their pockets with profit, at your expense, that's the bottom line. Think too ha... more »

Shopping

Southern Man at Southern Man - 22 hours ago
Teen Daughter was here for the weekend. We had a lot of fun, as usual - a nice eat-out and movie Friday evening, the local trampoline park with her cousin on Saturday, and shopping on Sunday. Teen Daughter is a pro shopper New York Style Her Favorite Brand 'Tis a joy to have daughters. Expensive, but a joy.

Is there a split at the BBC?

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 22 hours ago
Whilst BBC's website refers to the murderous Islamist terrorists who killed so many in Nairobi as 'militants', Radio 4 are correctly calling them 'terrorists'. Is there a difference of opinion at the BBC?

Obama's Moment – A Deal With Iran! by Patrick J. Buchanan

Paul Coker at News Spike - 23 hours ago
*PLEASE NOTE: I Do Not Endorse Pat Buchanan.* *But I Do Endorse This, Wholeheartedly and Without Reservation:* In his second term, Richard Nixon had Watergate, but also the rescue of Israel in the Yom Kippur War. In his second term, Ronald Reagan had Iran-Contra, but also a treaty eliminating U.S. and Soviet missiles in Europe, his "tear-down-this-wall" moment in Berlin and his lead role in ending the Cold War. In his second term, Bill Clinton had Monica, but also came close to a peace treaty between Ehud Barak and Yasser Arafat. Obama's second-term scandals — IRS, Benghazi, w... more »

And We Thought All We Had to Deal With Was Enbridge.

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 23 hours ago
Nexen, the Chinese Communist Party's anchor in Athabasca, is urging Canadian National Railways to start shipping bitumen by rail car to Prince Rupert where it can then be loaded on supertankers for transport to the Peoples' Liberation Army and other users. Apparently China is getting impatient with Comrade Steve's inability to make headway on the Northern Gateway pipeline to Kitimat and so they've taken matters in their own hands. For some strange reason, opponents of the Northern Gateway aren't mollified by the proposal to ship bitumen across B.C. by rail. This will give you som... more »

Pennsylvania State Senator Daylin Leach Got An "F" From The NRA

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 23 hours ago
Watch Daylin Leach's statement on sensible gun control in the video above. It's likely to be the only substantive thing you'll hear about guns in the campaign for the congressional seat being given up by Allyson Schwartz (Northeast Philadelphia and Montgomery County). There are 4 Democrats in this primary-- and aside from Daylin, so one has a record on guns... and that's the way they like it. Recently the insufferable Chris Matthews fed batty former congresswoman Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky a softball lede about how wonderful PA-13 is, emphasizing all the wonderful parts of the ... more »

OBAMA'S DECLARATION OF IMPERIALISM

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 23 hours ago
In an address to the United Nations General Assembly, President Obama openly embraced an aggressive military doctrine backed by previous administrations on using armed force beyond the international norm of self-defense. Obama told the world that the US is prepared to use its military to defend what he called "our core interests" in the Middle East: U.S. access to oil. "[Obama] basically came out and said the U.S. is an imperialist nation and we’re going to do whatever we need to do to conquer areas [and] take resources from people around the world," says independent journalist Je... more »

One day the axe just fell

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 23 hours ago
I was working as a cook in the Northwood's for a spell and one day the axe just fell. Bob Dylan Well it happened to me yesterday. I used to work for one of the fourth biggest Market Research firms in the world. In my five years there I did many good things for them. I had a sales base that was 34 times my annual income. About half that total was new clients I had recruited. However my portfolio was under constant attack from category decline and the move away from bricks and mortar to the internet. So someone way above my pay grade analyzed the situation and decided closing the Ca... more »

Evil and Power- The Dark Art of Mind Control

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 23 hours ago
If you have been around here for some time you will have grasped at least one constant theme that runs through this blog - 'perception management'. *How is your perception managed?* The main stream media. Religion. Popular culture would also be a means of managing you. Fashion. Advertising. You get the idea? Being aware of how it is you are manipulated, managed and thusly controlled is paramount to knowing how to resist the mind control. A few weeks back I came across an interesting pdf. *Called "Evil and Power" * It is 27 pages in length. Read it. Print it. Keep it. Share it. Wh... more »

Speech Full Of Lies: Ripping President Obama's Speech To The UN General Assembly To Shreds!

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 23 hours ago
As I stated in my weekly rant on Sunday, September 22nd, I have been extremely busy concentrating on finishing this work related course.... I therefore have not had much time to post any new material at this blog. Today, I happen to have a few hours rest, and I figured I would do some catching up..... Just yesterday, the criminal President of the United States, Obama/Soetoro/Davis (take your pick as to what his real name is...) gave a speech to the UN General Assembly, and as usual it was so full of lies and falsehoods that it was amazing most UN members actually sat through it wi... more »

Filibusted

jurassicpork at Welcome Back to Pottersville - 23 hours ago
What if a man, for want of a better word, in the Senate for less than nine months fell over giving a filibuster and nobody listened? Would it have happened? Well, we found out the answer to that quasi-Zen question when Ted "I'm Morphing into Joe McCarthy" Cruz, after vowing he'd filibuster The Affordable Care Act until he "could no longer stand", bloviated for exactly an hour before having to be spelled by Utah Senator Mike "Fuck Child Labor Laws" Lee. After 20 minutes in, he'd already blown his wad of talking points and was blabbering on about unemployment statistics... more »

America the Exceptional

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 1 day ago
I owe my readers an apology. I neither watched nor read Obama's sermon at the United Nations yesterday. I did not savor his appearance at the Clinton Greed-Washing Rich People Confab. I am not joining the required liberal mock-fest of Ted Cruz's phony filibuster. I did not and do not eat *Green Eggs and Ham.* (the progressive blogs are reverse-orgasming over the Cruzian rape of Dr. Seuss. I imagine Gail Collins will devote a full column to it) Okay. So my denial of watching the latest American Atrocity Exhibition is a fib, kind of. Because, although I did turn on CNN yesterday, I k... more »

Our Governments Gave Up the Business of Protecting Us a Long Time Ago. Will Banks Fill the Breach?

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 1 day ago
We know that a fossil fuel future is unsustainable. Even the energy industry may agree that fossil fuel consumption is unsustainable but just not yet. The old nag has still got some good years ahead of her, nobody knows how many for sure, so let's just keep going. The fossil fuel industry is on life support. It's kept going by subsidies, grants and deferrals lavished on producers by governments in their service. Why do we give the most profitable industries such massive subsidies? Rationalize that, please. There's the question. Is it rational for governments to keep prop... more »

Iran at the U.N.

Left I on the News at Left I on the News - 1 day ago
The media are all noting "moderate" Iranian President Rouhani's talk at the U.N., and contrasting him with former "crazy" President Ahmadinejad. Here's what Rouhani said on the major topic of interest, Iran's [non-existent] nuclear weapons program: "Nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction have no place in Iran's security and defense doctrine, and contradict our fundamental religious and ethical convictions." And here's what Ahmadinejad said in 2008: "Regarding the question of the bomb. We believe, as a matter of religious teaching, that we must be against any form of ... more »

Right singularity

risa bear at A Way to Live - 1 day ago
I've been covering, in my idiosyncratic way, the eight points of the eightfold path promulgated by Gotama when he snapped out of his long bout of meditation, determined to save the world. We've arrived at the last one, and it's a doozy. Here's the first part of the exposition/exegesis by the author of *A Basic Buddhism Guide:* *8. Samma-Samadhi — Full, Integral or Holistic Samadhi.* This is often translated as concentration, meditation, absorption or one-pointedness of mind. http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/8foldpath.htm And the rest: None of these translations is adequate. Sa... more »

UPDATED: Early morning message?

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 1 day ago
Frame capture from the opening sequence of Star Trek Voyager.... approx image to what was on my tablet... I woke up early this morning. My Sony Android tablet was making skype message sounds and it had somehow come out of its dormant hibernation state. At night it sits in the docking cradle on my night stand where it functions as an alarm clock.... or a quick messaging platform if I get an early morning skype call... This image was on the face of tablet instead of the usual clock that is triggered when I place it in the cradle or when the device idle timer clicks in. The time I ... more »

freedom

Geezer Power at GEEZERPOWER - 1 day ago
Oh yeah...deja vu...sitting in the Tap Room and Weird Harold walks in, picks up my pitcher of beer. He chugs the whole thing while this is playing on the juke box and orders me another pitcher. There is a smokeout in the restroom, where the roaches are an inch deep on top of the towel dispenser. That's how it was, in the "here&now", in those days...peace...G: Many of the folks that were around in those days are not around anymore, especially the old timers that had some great stories about the "rat room", which was accessible through a trap door in the floor. There is a rich ... more »

Top Quebec Tory Fine with Charter of Values

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 1 day ago
The Quebec government's proposed Charter of Values may have Jason Kenney's frillies in a bunch but the Tories' senior minister from Quebec, Denis Lebel, is fine with it. According to Lebel, "*there's nothing that upsets me in there.*"

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's speech at the United Nations

LeDaro at LeDaro - 1 day ago
Below is an excerpt. In his full speech he pointed out, among other issues, that war in Afghanistan and Iraq caused destruction and instability - not peace and stability. He stated that the turbulence in the Middle East will not help the world or 'super- powers'. He also talked about the plight of the Palestinians and brutality of Israel. Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy *"The speech wasn’t an unqualified embrace of the west. Rouhani condemned what he said was the “persistence of a Cold War mentality” and the “bipolar division of the world... more »

More Notes on the Cruz Speech

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 1 day ago
First, on "fillibuster." As Josh Huder pointed out on twitter, there certainly is a filibuster involved here. That's correct, but the filibuster is, essentially, the objection to the motion to proceed, which forces a cloture vote and sets the clock for the cloture vote. That's the filibuster. By all accounts, the filibuster will be defeated at that point. Cruz's speech is occupying a (very large!) portion of the time within that filibuster; if he wasn't speaking, either someone else would be or the Senate would be in recess. So there is a filibuster -- which Cruz and Mike Lee are re... more »

Ocean heat content: relentless but negligible increase

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 1 day ago
*0.065 °C in 45 years* Stefan Rahmstorf posted a text on the Real Climate called What ocean heating reveals about global warming where he shows some graphs of the global ocean heat content. He postulates that "ideologically motivated skeptics will deny the data, reject millions of stations", and so on. Well, your humble correspondent is clearly not an "ideologically motivated skeptic" according to Stefan Rahmstorf because I believe that Argo is a good piece of work and the graphs of the global ocean heat content are probably trustworthy and could actually be much more reasonable ... more »

Quote Of The Day: Bryan Fischer

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
Bryan J Fischer, Republican Party psychopath, on Twitter just now: "Last night was Ted Cruz's Mount Carmel moment: Elijah standing alone against all the prophets of Baal." *UPDATE: Ted Cruz Changes His Mind-- Votes To Back Obamacare* The Senate just voted on shutting down the filibuster and both crackpots, Ted Cruz and Mike Lee voted "aye," which Cruz had just defined as a vote to support Obamacare. Republicans are out of their minds.

The Economy: “Americans Are Smarter Than CNBC Hosts?”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
* * *“Americans Are Smarter Than CNBC Hosts?”* by Karl Denninger “One wonders... “Americans are losing faith in the nation’s economic recovery even as forecasters expect growth to accelerate, according to a Bloomberg National Poll. Fewer people anticipate improvement in the economy’s strength over the next year than in the last survey in June, with 27 percent saying the expansion will be more robust, down from 39 percent who expected improvement three months earlier.” There has been no "economic recovery." There has been no job growth. None. Here's the jobs picture, in a n... more »

Turning Schools into a "Cheaters' Paradise"

John Thompson at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
James Owens’ *Confessions of a Bad Teacher *is full of the big lies of urban education that are the essence of school “reform.” The single most destructive deceit in inner city schools is the claim that individual teachers with “expectations” do not need disciplinary backing by administrators. Since long before I entered teaching, every system I heard of had its equivalent of “the most important and most troubling” convention at Owens’ “Latinate” Academy. Their big illusion was, “The individual teacher will handle all behavior problems in the classroom.” Back then, however, it never... more »

Measles Reports in America: What Does It Mean?

Barbara Loe Fisher at Vaccine Awakening - 1 day ago
Posted 9/24/2013 *by Barbara Loe Fisher* On Sept. 12, 2013, public health officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) called a press conference to announce that vaccination rates among pre-school children are “high and stable” and “less than 1% are unvaccinated.” 1 More than 90 percent of American toddlers have gotten a measles containing MMR shot by age three, along with many doses of 10 other government recommended vaccines. *159 Measles Cases Reported This Year in U.S.* But health officials warned there have been 159 cases of measles reported so far this year, the... more »

Measles Reports in America: What Does It Mean?

Barbara Loe Fisher at Vaccine Awakening - 1 day ago
Posted 9/24/2013* * *by Barbara Loe Fisher* On Sept. 12, 2013, public health officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) called a press conference to announce that vaccination rates among pre-school children are “high and stable” and “less than 1% are unvaccinated.” 1 More than 90 percent of American toddlers have gotten a measles containing MMR shot by age three, along with many doses of 10 other government recommended vaccines. *159 Measles Cases Reported This Year in U.S.* But health officials warned there have been 159 cases of measles reported so far this year, the... more »

Hungry? Have a bowl of fresh worms/bugs or cook them and then enjoy

LeDaro at LeDaro - 1 day ago
*"A team of students from McGill University has proposed insect-infused flour as a possible solution to the global food crisis."* Looks delicious. Dig in.:)

KATHY KELLY TO JOIN MAINE DRONE PEACE WALK

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago
Veteran peace activist Kathy Kelly (Voices for Creative Nonviolence) will join the Maine Drone Peace Walk for our last two important events. On Friday, Oct 18 the walk will reach the state capital in Augusta and hold a *3:00 pm closing ceremony inside the Hall of Flags*. This permitted event will give us the chance to bring our message of "no unwarranted drone surveillance" and "no weaponized drone testing" directly to the state house and the office of Gov. LePage. Kathy Kelly will be among the speakers at this closing. The public is invited to join us. Then on Saturday, Oct ... more »

Kokesh from Jail: The People's Law of Jury Nullification

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Daniels) at Global Political Awakening - 1 day ago
[image: Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...] *Adam Kokesh* Subscribe to Adam Kokesh's Channel *Write to Adam at:* Adam Kokesh #338454 1901 E Street SE Washington, DC 20003 *DONATE TO ADAM'S LEGAL FUND HERE* Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurner Be the Change! Share this using the tools below.

“War With Syria And Iran Will Be Hell On Earth”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
*“War With Syria And Iran Will Be Hell On Earth”* by Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com “Trends researcher Gerald Celente says President Obama’s handling of the Syrian conflict deeply damaged his credibility. Celente says, “It was the presidential amateur hour and reality show all rolled into one. I have never seen such poor performance as illustrated by our Commander in Chief and Secretary of State.” War is Celente’s top trend, and when it comes, it will be ugly and unpredictable. Celente predicts, “If America goes to war with Syria and Iran, it’s the beginning of WWIII–dirty bombs, ... more »

How to Turn Your Vehicle Into a Statement of Tech Activism Against the Police State

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Daniels) at Global Political Awakening - 1 day ago
[image: Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...] John Galt There is clearly no respect for the Fourth Amendment right to probable cause before being interrogated and searched, as many videos on YouTube will confirm. There is also an indisputable trend toward the militarization of police with armored vehicles and an array of exotic battlefield weaponry. Couple this with new training that we are all "civilians" who could be the next lone wolf domestic terrorists, and we are sliding very fast toward a vicious form of tyranny. Even if you are unarmed, trapped in your vehicl... more »

Iraq’s New 5-Year Development Plan Sets Nice Goals But Will Have Little Effect Upon Policy

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 1 day ago
Iraq just issued its new 5-year National Development Plan (NDP). Its main goal is to use the country’s vast oil wealth to diversify the economy towards agriculture, industry, and other sectors. It has the same basic goals as the previous plan. The problem is that the NDP is not a real path of action for Baghdad to follow rather it just sets broad goals for Iraq. More importantly, the government does not pay attention to it when passing legislation or making policy, which means it has no real affect upon the future of the country. September 2013, Iraq’s latest National Development... more »

Russian Revere Rings Alarm in Albany: Anton Konev vs NDAA

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Daniels) at Global Political Awakening - 1 day ago
[image: Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...] *YouTube - Blake Walley* Blake "The Eccentric" speaks with Albany (NY) Councilman Anton Konev about his introduction of the "Strongest Resolution" in America against the Dreaded NDAA. Anton explains the legislation, his past experiences growing up in the former Soviet Union, the parallels of our current situation versus the former USSR, why he decided to get involved, and why he's taking a stand against this secretive and controversial bill. For those unfamiliar, NDAA was very quietly signed into law by Obama on New Years ... more »

Homage to Tristan Tzara

Oilsforfun-Cristina Homem de Melo at GlobaLove Think Tank - 1 day ago

WotW: Simplify Your Blogging/Social Media World, Part II

Seth R. Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 1 day ago
Last week we discussed how to simplify your blogging/social media world by following a simple plan. In less than an hour, you can have all your social media posts for the day scheduled and out of your hair, freeing you up to write your next post, do social media for fun or whatever else you love to do. Today, we'll continue this simplification process, starting with Twitter. Remember, in our order of posting, Twitter posts come immediately after writing a blog post. You should write five tweets based on your post. But what should you tweet about? And how do you get five tweets fro... more »

"Return of the iZombies"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
*"Return of the iZombies"* by Jason Farrell “America’s greatest passion– for marginal technical tweaks in existing products– lives on. Independent film maker Casey Neistat demonstrated as much in his short film about the iFans who queued up on the sidewalk outside an Apple store in New York City to wait on the release of the iPhone 5S earlier this month. “I think you have to be kind of crazy to wait in line,” said one guy waiting in line. “We’ve been lined up here for eight days… We got guys that been here thirteen days…” said another, sounding a bit like an old soldier reflectin... more »

LNG Black Swans Appear, Christy Clark Keeps Clucking

Grant G at The Straight Goods - 1 day ago
Harvey Oberfeld is so old, so stale and I believe, now senile, besides him ranting about perceived Quebec racism and First Nation`s robbing Canada blind he really has become a bore...Oberfeld`s latest advice to the NDP, allow all big industrial projects to go through, greenlight everything, don`t bother with those pesky environmental reviews, ..Oberfeld wants jobs jobs and more jobs.. Thank goodness Harvey Oberfeld is close to being finished, imagine if he was deciding your children`s future, a tired old man who`s views went out with the tide decades ago, ...Just look at Alberta, ... more »

Housing allowances show MLAs' rich sense of entitlement

paul at Paying attention - 1 day ago
This Times Colonist story on MLAs' housing allowances should make you angry. Especially the arrogance. Rob Shaw reports that MLAs are on track to claim $1.1 million in accommodation costs this year - $14,100 each - even though the legislature will sit just 36 days. That’s simply wrong. But what’s infuriating and shameful is the sense of entitlement, embodied by Liberal caucus chair Michelle Stilwell. She told Shaw MLAs still end up spending some of their own money because the $1,000-a-month taxpayer allowance isn’t enough. (MLAs can claim $1,000 a month without providing any receipts,... more »

My posse

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

Read Stuff, You Should

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 1 day ago
Happy Birthday to Rocco Baldelli, 32. Here's some good stuff: 1. Jordan Ragusa says: cliff analogies for a shutdown are too strong. Hey, I used that word! I consider myself chastened. Absolutely true that short-term government shutdowns are really not a big deal. If it gets over a week, however... 2. David Hawkings on the politics of the third showdown -- the one where the parties finally get to hashing out a budget. Could be in November, could be in December, but Democrats are (finally) signalling that it's coming. 3. Harry Enten argues that the Clinton-era shutdowns had little o... more »

"A Time Comes When Silence Is Betrayal"

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
*Michelle Newsum, Oregon Reading Association* *Voices* “A time comes when silence is betrayal.” ~Martin Luther King Junior April 4, 1967 I was silent when NCLB was enacted. I knew full well the mandates were ludicrous. As a result of this legislation, many good schools, especially schools that housed poor kids, suffered unnecessary pain, shame and absurd sanctions when their special education populations did not pass the standardized tests. Harebrained policy continued as NCLB morphed into Race to the Top (Trough), which removes the 100 percent mandate, but ties teacher evaluatio... more »

Photos Longest Walk 4 Lot Hot Road to Wichita Kansas Sept 25, 2013

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 day ago
. . Thanks to Carl 'Bad Bear' Sampson, Western Shoshone, for sharing photos from the Longest Walk 4 with Censored News! The Longest Walk made it to Emporia, Kansas, on Tues., Sept. 24, 2013! More photos from yesterday! http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2013/09/long-walk-4-photos-near-lyndon-missouri.html Route and donation tab at www.returntoalcatraz.com

They Tell Us It's About Principles

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 1 day ago
Tim Harper writes that the prime minister and the mayor of Toronto are a political odd couple: Harper would treat a meeting with a voter in an unscripted moment as a crisis. Ford ditches his aides and wanders into crowds at a Saturday night street festival on the Danforth. Harper works hard to avoid over exposure. Ford has his own open line show. The prime minister seeks political advantage in a squeaky clean image, proudly denying marijuana use in his younger years while Ford laughs, and, without missing a beat, agrees he smoked “a lot.’’ What explains this oxymoron? The ne... more »

The Next Frontier in Choice

noreply@blogger.com (fern hill) at DAMMIT JANET! - 1 day ago
Dying with dignity is the next big battle in choice and bodily autonomy. Who better to lead the way than we Boomers? Kudos to Dr Donald Low, a courageous and public-spirited man to the very end. Check out Dying with Dignity. ADDED: CON MP Steven Fletcher backs dying with dignity. That'll get him spanked by PMSHithead who, on this topic, as on abortion, 'does not intend to reopen the debate'. (Very busy. In the feast part of the Freelancer's Feast/Famine Cycle.)

The Flood Next Time

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Pielke, Jr.) at Roger Pielke Jr.'s Blog - 1 day ago
*UPDATE:* CU/CIRES/NOAA/WWA have just released their "preliminary assessment of Front Range floods." You can find it here in PDF. I have an op-ed published today in the Boulder Daily Camera, titled "The Flood Next Time." The intended audience is the Boulder community, and here is an excerpt: One of the first steps that Boulder should take in the near term is a rigorous evaluation of how we did in the flood. What actions did we take in recent decades that worked? Where can we do better? The city has seen an enormous amount of development since 1969, and the floods of 2013 tell us... more »

Was an American security team inside Kenya's West Gate Mall - and why ? Did this American security team rescue a Harvard Grad student - and how did they get in place to do so ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
Was an American security team inside Kenya massacre mall? - [image: The Alex Jones Channel][image: Alex Jones Show podcast][image: Prison Planet TV][image: Infowars.com Twitter][image: Alex Jones' Facebook][image: Infowars store] *Harvard graduate claims she was rescued by ‘Americans’ after she saw man sat next to her shot dead* *HELEN POW and JAMES NYE* UK Daily Mail September 25, 2013 Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy An American woman who was trapped inside the Nairobi mall as terrorists ran amok claims she was eventually rescued... more »
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