Tuesday, October 29, 2013

29 Oct - Blogs I'm Following

OBAMAS DEATH PANEL------ GUESS WHAT FOLKS IT'S...OBAMAS DEATH PANEL------ GUESS WHAT FOLKS IT'S ALIVE AND WELL---"CRAZY PALIN" NOT SO CRAZY NOW (Photo credit: SS&SS)
STU-III secure telephones on display at the Na...STU-III secure telephones on display at the National Cryptologic Museum in 2005. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
11:15am MDST

'We're Really Screwed Now': NSA's Best Friend Just Shivved The Spies

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 3 minutes ago
* * * * *'We're Really Screwed Now': NSA's Best Friend Just Shivved The Spies* Posted By Shane Harris, John Hudson Monday, October 28, 2013 - 7:21 PM http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/10/28/were_really_screwed_now_nsas_best_friend_just_shivved_the_spies One of the National Security Agency's biggest defenders in Congress is suddenly at odds with the agency and calling for a top-to-bottom review of U.S. spy programs. And her long-time friends and allies are completely mystified by the switch. "We're really screwed now," one NSA official told The Cable. "You know thing... more »

Orwellian Obama or Russell Brand? (No Real Contest)

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE - 11 minutes ago
In late spring, I posted a video of Tupac Shakur because I was impressed with his clarity, especially against the sad state of public commentary by our elected officials concerning education. Now I ask a follow up question: Do you prefer Orwellian Obama or actor Russell Brand? Please watch and decide:

It's Tuesday...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 16 minutes ago
*what's going on.* MOTUS: If You Like Your Plan…Well, You Know. Freedom's Lighthouse: Outraged Megyn Kelly Holds Up Evidence Obama Knew His “If You Like Your Insurance. . .” Promise was Not True; Thiessen Says, “You’ve Got the Smoking Gun” – Video 10/28/13 I'm a Man. I'm 41: Ted Cruz Exposes Amnesty Bill: $5000 Penalty For Hiring Citizens Over Legalized Aliens Mychal Massie: Questions Megyn Kelly Must Answer American Thinker: ObamaCare Schaden-Fraud The Blaze: NBC News’ Bombshell Obamacare Report Disappears Due to ‘Publishing Glitch’ – and There Was Something Missing From Re... more »

IMPORTANT: SIGN-ON FUKUSHIMA LETTER

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 38 minutes ago
*Please Sign-On to this Important Letter:* Here is the final version of the International Sign-on letter regarding Fukushima. Please send this to individuals and organizations you know who would be willing to sign on. We will deliver this letter to the UN on Nov. 7 so we will need the signers before then. It looks like removal of the rods will start on the 8th. And the 7th coincides with the showing of a pro-nuclear movie on CNN called "Pandora's Promise." Please ask signers to contact me at mdpnhp@gmail.com Please also encourage people to plan actions on the weekend of Nov. 9... more »

Tuesday Linkage

Charli Carpenter at Duck of Minerva - 40 minutes ago
Drones are on the international agenda this week, with Pakistan excoriating the US at the General Assembly and with human rights heavyweights Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch launching a new and scathing joint report. OpenGlobalRights, OpenDemocracy’s global-south-oriented human rights wing, is having a number of interesting articles on the Responsibility to Protect Doctrine: here, here Continue reading

Robbing the Suburbs to Pay for Memphis Apartheid Corporate Charter Schools

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 53 minutes ago
Today's story in the Commercial Appeal makes it clear that Shelby County Schools (SCS) are in a big hurry to close the deal to keep large numbers of County students from going to the municipal boutique districts that sprang into existence when the threat of consolidation made it clear that they, otherwise, would have been in the same school system as all the poor black kids in Memphis. Hanging on to large numbers of the poorer County students that, otherwise, would end up in the municipal districts serves SCS in two ways: 1) it helps to cover the $212 million loss ofthe thousand... more »

Oh, C'mon (Try Harder, Partisan Spinners)

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 1 hour ago
Bipartisan edition. I usually have been complaining about lazy GOP spin, but today I'm annoyed at both sides... Item One: Club for Growth tells Senate R's to oppose Mel Watts's nom to lead FHFA: "It is entirely inappropriate for a politician to fill this role" Really? Seems to me it's absolutely a good idea for a politician to head up the FHFA. At any rate, it seems to me that this principle (which I only noticed today, but it's been kicking around since...oh, probably since five minutes after Watt was nominated) couldn't be much phonier. But on the other hand... Item Two (and, so... more »

How much does the US National Debt increase every day?

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 1 hour ago
How much the US national debt grows each day in gold bars Each bar is worth about $674,248 (at $1684.7 per troy ounce) this is part of a larger work in progress that may take a month or more to finish rendering out Makes you think...

Rape in Haiti's Tent Cities

John Carroll at Dying in Haiti - 1 hour ago

Ponca Trail of Tears Spiritual Camp Protecting Land from Keystone Pipeline

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 hour ago
Ponca Trail of Tears Spiritual Camp Descendants of the Ponca Tribe will host a Spiritual Camp in Nebraska from Nov. 8-11, to draw the line against the Keystone XL pipeline's potential destruction and disrespect to the sacred sites along the Trail of Tears of the Ponca Nation. Invited are descendants of the Ponca Tribe and all allies who wish to preserve the significant history of this

Some rare Star Wars bloopers

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 2 hours ago
Rhe sound does come eventually, after 0:46

Limning Minnesota: Reviewing Ripley's portrait!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 2 hours ago
*TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2013* *How much of her portrait is false:* For starters, let’s undertake a bit of review: In her widely-praised book, The Smartest Kids in the World, Amanda Ripley paints a flattering portrait of Minnesota’s public schools. “Eric” is one of three exchange students Ripley followed to foreign lands. In this passage, she suggests that Eric was lucky to come from Minnesota, given the state’s success with the teaching of math, the result of a great improvement: RIPLEY (*page 72*): Of the three American students I followed, Eric was the only one who did not loathe... more »

The Charlotte Danielson Who Is Getting Rich on the Misuse of Her Intellectual Property

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 2 hours ago
Charlotte Danielson has built a fence between herself and the misuse of her teacher evaluation scholarship. I call it scholarship rather than research because there is little hard evidence that her system works to improve teaching. Even so, CorpEd has paid the Danielson Group millions to use her materials to create a ridiculous rubric for high stakes teacher evaluations, even as Danielson publicly decries (when asked by Chelsea Clinton) the use of teacher evaluations for high stakes purposes. Perhaps when Danielson is named as a litigant in the lawsuits that are brewing over Cor... more »

Read Stuff, You Should

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 2 hours ago
Happy Birthday to Tim Minear, 50. Good stuff: 1. Regular readers will know that I strongly agree with Ilya Somin about the words "democracy" and "republic." There are two reasonable choices: treat them as synonyms, which is what we should do in most contexts...or treat them as about the concepts of Athens vs. Rome, which is interesting and all but has nothing at all to do with the USA or any other modern polity. I mean, of course some of our ideas come from Athens and Rome, but our institutions really don't, and can't. See more here -- really the first three, which are all more or ... more »

Fourth Wave of Anti-Pension Protests Hit Iraq, But Can They Achieve Their Goals?

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 2 hours ago
--> For the fourth time since August 2013 hundreds of Iraqis took to the streets to protest against the lavish pensions that the country’s politicians receive. Again these demonstrations were seen in multiple cities. Many praised a recent Federal Supreme Court ruling that claimed to have ended pensions, but it turned out that it only covered a few top parliamentarians. That meant the issue is hardly resolved. Given the history of past protest movements however, the current one is unlikely to achieve anything. On October 26, 2013 there were marches against parliament’s pensions in... more »

HEDGES: LOST ART OF SATIRE

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 3 hours ago

MALALA, MATTHEWS AND MADDOW: When the Great Souls present!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 3 hours ago
*TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2013* *Part 1—Not against anyone:* This one time, we’ll let you ask us about our travels! We went to the Hudson Valley this weekend, as we periodically do, to visit our older friend who is in nursing home care. He happens to be the late Ed Lauter’s brother-in-law. We knew that one of Ed’s sisters would be drawn to the person, and to the story, of Malala Yousafzai, the “education activist” who was shot by the Taliban last year when she was barely 15. For that reason, we took along Parade magazine’s cover story about Malala. By happenstance, the New York Times... more »

10 Drugs That May Cause Memory Loss by Dr. Armon B. Neel Jr.

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 3 hours ago
10 Drugs That May Cause Memory Loss *Are you having trouble remembering things? One of these meds may be the problem* by Dr. Armon B. Neel Jr. AARP, 10 May 2013 For a long time doctors dismissed forgetfulness and mental confusion as a normal part of aging. But scientists now know that memory loss as you get older is by no means inevitable. Indeed, the brain can grow new brain cells and reshape their connections throughout life. Most people are familiar with at least some of the things that can impair memory, including alcohol and drug abuse, heavy cigarette smoking, head inju... more »

Georgia (Europe) : A Strategic Nation Dumps it's Pro-West Leadership

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 4 hours ago
Switching gears. I would think we are going to be reading and/or hearing much more about Georgia in the near future. NATO is not going to stay hands off on this prime bit of global property. Key to destabilizing Russia. Leading towards a western goal of balkanization. Georgia is after all pipeline central. Pipelines for oil. Pipeline for western backed Islamic fighters. There are a number of posts on this subject at the blog, you can access them by clicking on the label below Perhaps Kaspi will stop by and let us all know the latest from Georgia? Kaspi, if your around and wouldn't ... more »

Carol Shea-Porter And Mike Honda Make The Case For Not Balancing The Budget On The Backs Of Seniors

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 4 hours ago
Many progressives fear that conservative Democrats are working with Boehner, McConnell and the Republicans to undermine the inviolability of Social Security-- the Third Rail aspect-- by including Chained CPI in a so-called "Grand Bargain" which would see the GOP give a tiny bit on taxes-- raising taxes on the rich slightly which could be easily lowered as soon as they regain power-- in return for forever decoupling Social Security from the Third Rail. Will the Democrats bargain away hard-won social insurance policies for bullshit compromise from the GOP? Wall Street whore Paul Rya... more »

Mike Duffy Now Knows The Truth That Buckdog Blog Has Been Warning You Of Concerning Stephen Harper Since Feb 2006!!!

leftdog at Buckdog - 4 hours ago
*"The millions of Canadians who voted for Prime Minister Harper and the thousands of Tories gathering in Calgary this week would be shocked to see how some of these people, some of these Tories, operate. They have no moral compass. Oh, they talk a great game about integrity, but, in my experience, they demonstrate every day that they do not understand the meaning of the phrase “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”* *Senator Mike DuffyOctober 28, 2013 * * -=-=-=-=-=- * * "I see that Democracy Watch has dubbed Prime Minister Harper both a liar and a hypocrite. Democr... more »

Fukushima Updates October 29 , 2013 - Cancer deaths among Fukushima workers coming forth - note Japan running out of nuclear plant test dummies ... contaminated foods spreading globally as radiation contamination spreads west from Japan across the Pacific ...... ...

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 4 hours ago
Energy News.... Japan 12:32 AM EST on October 29th, 2013 | 21 comments Fukushima Worker: I was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2012, now stomach and intestinal cancers found recently — Each developed independently, not from one spreading — Worked at plant for just 4 months in 2011 11:16 PM EST on October 28th, 2013 | 16 comments ‘Nuclear Slaves’ at Fukushima: Workers have debts paid off, forced to stay as ‘indentured servants’ — Foreign workers may soon be needed at plant, official reveals 09:53 PM EST on October 28th, 2013 | 35 comments Former Leader of Japan: Fukushima disaster... more »

Why I Didn’t Quit Academia

Steve Saideman at Duck of Minerva - 4 hours ago
There have been a spate of posts about why folks have quit academia…. so much so that Dan Drezner issued this challenge: Has anyone written a “Why I Haven’t Quit the Academy” post yet? — Daniel Drezner (@dandrezner) October 27, 2013 So, I decided to figure out why I did not quit. Sure, looking backwards Continue reading

Abolish The Senate? You've Got To Be Kidding.

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 4 hours ago
Mike Duffy's speech yesterday should have reminded all Canadians why we have a Senate. Mitchell Anderson writes in *The Tyee:* Harper's response to Mike Duffy's disloyalty has been thermonuclear: essentially to set a precedent where the PMO can unseat the same senators recently appointed at a whim and without due process -- relying on a legal anachronism dating back to 1300. As Duffy told his colleagues yesterday, the Senate is the last brake on an imperial prime minister: If successful, Harper would succeed in further advancing his incremental coup d'état of the PMO on our go... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 5 hours ago
*Louisiana auditor: NOPD crime statistics flawed ~Gordon Russell, N.O. Advocate* *Court case gives casket buyers an alternative option ~WDSU* *How Local Governments Hinder Our Response to Natural Disasters ~The Atlantic Cities* *In New Orleans – Camille Henrot dives into Houma oral traditions and finds connections to a lost city in Brittany ~Lianna Patch* *Dr. John’s Candies Headed South for New Orleans American Dental Association Annual Session ~Digital Journal*

Stronger than the Storm ? Examining the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy , after the politicians move on to other sound bites ( the shattered lives still remain ) - battling insurance companies and government agencies , economic disparity means the storm is still impacting many every day as some Americans remain trapped in homes that still aren't repaired , while other forgotten Americans helplessly live in makeshift hotel housing which barely rises above a squatter's life. Isn't it time for an accounting on where the 50 billion dollars went - especially considering these reports on unfinished work and unfinished lives ?

Catharsis Ours - 5 hours ago
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/10/26/superstorm-sandyacasestudyineconomicdisparity.html Superstorm Sandy: A case study in economic disparity by Peter Moskowitz @PeterMoskowitz October 26, 2013 5:05AM ET The storm knew no income or class when it hit, but a year later, those most vulnerable have yet to patch up their lives Topics: Sandy Anniversary Economy New York ** ** ** [image: Sandy homeless] Olivia DeCellio in her Highlands, N.J. home, October 14, 2013. Andrew Lichtenstein for Al Jazeera America HIGHLANDS, N.J. — Not much has changed on Gravelly Point Road in near... more »

10 tipos de medicamentos que pueden causar pérdida de memoria

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 5 hours ago
10 tipos de medicamentos que pueden causar pérdida de memoria *¿Tiene dificultades para recordar las cosas? Podría ser el efecto secundario de uno de sus medicamentos.* ** por Dr. Armon B. Neel, Jr AARP, 30 de mayo de 2013 Durante mucho tiempo, los médicos desestimaron la falta de memoria y la confusión mental como parte normal del envejecimiento. Pero los científicos ahora saben que la pérdida de memoria a medida que uno envejece de ningún modo es algo que no se pueda evitar. En realidad, el cerebro puede generar nuevas neuronas y reconfigurar sus conexiones durante toda la vida.... more »

Open Minded Health

Zoe Brain at A.E.Brain - 6 hours ago
Open Minded Health - Results of Transsexual Brain Studies (as at 2011) Recommended. Conclusion The amount of research that has been completed on the differences between transsexual and cissexual brains is small, but suggestive. Some areas of the brain appear to be sexually dimorphic irrespective of genetics or hormones (e.g., BSTc), whereas others appear to be more dependent upon sex hormones (e.g., brain volume). From the results of these studies, one may infer that pre-transition transsexual women’s brains are feminine in the BSTc and INAH3, partially feminine in their white matt... more »

List of superpartners

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 6 hours ago
Today could be a good time for many readers to remind themselves of the known elementary particles – and to try to understand which particles exist if supersymmetry is true and relevant even at LHC energies (or for the direct dark matter searches). You must have seen this table. What we see around seems to be made out of atoms. They have electrons \(e^-\) orbiting around nuclei and nuclei seem to be composed of protons \(p\) and neutrons \(n\). For over 40 years, we have known that protons and neutrons aren't elementary. Each of them is composed (mostly) of three quarks, \(uud\) ... more »

Noah Evidence / Was Noah & His Wife 10' + Tall? ◦ Jonathan Gray

urupiper at Yesterday 's Lies - 6 hours ago
[image: urupiper2] urupiper2 *Oct 20, 2013* THE ARK CONSPIRACY By Jonathan Gray Cover-ups, Betrayals and Miracles. The cloak-and-dagger story behind the discovery of Noah's Ark and the attempts to suppress the news. Why some people reject the discovery. Solid evidence that this is the 'real' Noah's Ark. A true-life thriller - archaeology at its most exciting. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rc... ======================================= [SNIP] Later expeditions also located what appears to be Noah's first home after the flood and the grave sites of Mr. and Mrs. Noah. The graves ... more »

Prisoners of the Dulce Base - by Sherry Shriner

urupiper at Yesterday 's Lies - 6 hours ago
[image: BackToConstitution] BackToConstitution Your government made it illegal for you to put humans in cages, but they made deals with aliens to put humans in cages and to kill them and eat them. Now what do you think of your government? Dulce, New Mexico is a small town, but it's a bee hive of activity for aliens. This article by Sherry Shriner will tell you more about it. These aliens eat humans and they keep them in cages, until they are ready to kill them. They love children! If you want someone to sit down and tell you all about the Dulce underground base, for the next ... more »

"How It Really Is"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 6 hours ago
And despite the NSA, and God knows what other "alphabet agencies", *this* is how it's really going to be... And you, Good Citizen, better not either... - CP

WE ARE AT THE FINAL MOMENT

urupiper at Yesterday 's Lies - 6 hours ago
*ILLUMINATI MUSIC VIDEOS: SATANISM, CROWLEY AND NEUROLOGICAL WARFARE* By Paul McGuire October 29, 2013 NewsWithViews.com The Illuminati motto is “Order through Chaos” or “New World Order through Chaos.” The Illuminati was officially formed in 1776, which was the same year America became a nation, and it was instrumental in the forming of our nation, along with the Biblical ideas of the Puritans and Pilgrims. Right at the very beginning of America there was a spiritual and ideological conflict between the Illuminati and those who held a Biblical worldview. Sir Francis Bacon, head of ... more »

Spying

Paul Coker at News Spike - 6 hours ago
26 October 2013 *UN Resolution Against US Spying* ------------------------------ A sends: http://www.voltairenet.org/article180703.html Projet de résolution de l’Onu contre l’espionnage US À l’initiative du Brésil, une vingtaine d’États préparent une proposition de résolution de l’Assemblée générale des Nations Unies pour garantir la confidentialité des communications par Internet (voir brouillon ci-dessous). Bien que la NSA n’y soit pas citée, cette initiative est dirigée contre les États-Unis dont l’espionnage de masse viole le Pacte des droits civils et politiques et la Décl... more »

“29 Uncomfortable Truths About Soaring Poverty In America”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 6 hours ago
* * *“29 Uncomfortable Truths About Soaring Poverty In America”* by Michael Snyder “Did you know that the number of Americans on welfare is higher than the number of Americans that have full-time jobs? Did you know that 1.2 million public school students in the U.S. are currently homeless? Anyone that uses the term "economic recovery" to describe what is happening in the United States today is being deeply insulting to the nearly 150 million Americans that are considered to be either "poor" or "low income" at this point. Yes, things are great in New York City, Washington D.C. a... more »

“America's Culture of Ignorance”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 6 hours ago
* “America's Culture of Ignorance”* By James Quinn “Five percent of the people think; ten percent of the people think they think; and the other eighty-five percent would rather die than think.” - Thomas Edison The kabuki theater that passes for governance in Washington D.C. reveals the profound level of ignorance shrouding this Empire of Debt in its prolonged death throes. Ignorance of facts; ignorance of math; ignorance of history; ignorance of reality; and ignorance of how ignorant we’ve become as a nation, have set us up for an epic fall. It’s almost as if we relish wallowi... more »

harper the gutless

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 6 hours ago
It's so obvious by now that he's a complete coward whenever it comes to accountability. It must be because he knows he's an utter fraud in everything. Today I only ask if he's so cowardly that he'll resign before having to face the voters in the face of Mike Duffy's revelations of his serial lying to Parliament.

Smart Arguments Why Social Security/Medicare Benefits Should Never Be Cut (Only Increased) - Think Your Info/ID Is Safe (Anonymous) Online? (Think Again! Everyone Who Wants It Has It)

Five Reasons Why Cutting Social Security Would Be Irrational By Paul Buchheit Even for Congress. They, and others who apparently don't study the facts, believe that Social Security is a government handout. But 'entitlement' means that people who have paid into a program all their lives are entitled to a reasonable return on their investment. A better definition, as pointed out by Mark

25 Years of the Sega Mega Drive

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 6 hours ago
Saturday 29th October, 1988. 25 years ago today the Sega Mega Drive (or the Genesis if you happened to live in North America) was released in Japan. It promised high definition graphics and stereo sound, and had enough power to make the competition - the Famicom (the eponymous Nintendo Entertainment System in the West) and NEC's PC Engine melt before the technological white heat Sega's wonder machine was packing. Unfortunately, both companies had the home market sewn up between them. It was overseas where the Mega Drive's sun rose high into the sky. The North American video game ma... more »

Lou Reed R.I.P.

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 6 hours ago
I was too upset by Lou Reed's passing away to post yesterday. I spent much of my day driving to the sounds of the Velvet Underground and Lou Reed. Here's a few tracks that I love This one is writen by Lou Reed but performed by Nico on the Velvet Underground's debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico. ** Femme Fatale Now some Lou Reed tracks Venus in Furs by the Velvet Underground Walk on the Wildside Satellite of Love Lou Reed once said "One chord is fine, two chords are pushing it. Three chords and you're into jazz."

Who knew what when?

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 7 hours ago
President Obama is getting heat over his often repeated claim that, under his healthcare reform, "If you like your plan, you can keep it." It is clear now that for millions of Americans, particularly those who participated in the individual insurance market, that is simply not true. You can argue that the plan they will get under the Affordable Care Act is better, but it seems undeniable that the President's sales pitch was factually incorrect. As someone who has previously worked for a President, I am fascinated by how the White House staff let the President so consistently and ... more »

THE REAL KING DAVID

Anon at aangirfan - 8 hours ago
King David was reportedly described by God as "a man after my own heart." King David reportedly fought Goliath, wrote the Psalms, loved Jonathan the son of King Saul, had an affair with Bathsheba and was the ancestor of Jesus. *The truth about the Bible's King David* The Bible contradicts itself because, according to the Bible, Goliath was killed by a warrior named Elhanan. The Bible never actually says that David wrote the Psalms. David became King as the result of the killing of a lot of the members of King Saul's family, including Jonathan. The Bible admits that David was wo... more »

18 Natural Pain Relievers Found In Your Kitchen

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 8 hours ago
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Agriculture-Society/217990047058

Bullying by Numbers: Value-Added Measures

Kris Nielsen at @ THE CHALK FACE - 9 hours ago
If you’ve been paying attention, you know that the evaluation focus for public education has moved quickly away from students and rapidly towards teachers and schools. The propaganda is everywhere, and too many people are convinced by the mantra, “the greatest factor of student success is the teacher in the classroom.” I don’t know who […]

Pol. Ideology 52: What is the Main Purpose of Government?

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 9 hours ago
* This is my article today in thelobbyist.biz. Quotes below are not part of the original article, I just added them here. ------------ There are several theories and opinions on the role of government in society and the citizens. This column takes the classic liberal philosophy that the main function of government, its raison d'etre or reason for existence, is to promulgate the rule of law. The law against murder and aggression, the law against stealing and destruction of property, the law protecting individual liberty and freedom of expression. When people get more private security... more »

Vader Sends Clone Army to Occupy Taipei

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 10 hours ago
*Pic shamelessly stolen from link below, some other great pics there.* It's like something out of science fiction, reverberating around Facebook with knowing sneers from weapons fans: our new clone army, ready for the next set of Star Wars movies. What a coincidence. Wu Po-hsiung, the former KMT heavyweight and KMT chairman, as well as one of the first KMT politicians to visit China over a decade ago in his position as head of a large Hakka federation, was out front and center this week saying that political talks are probably inevitable... Political issues may be unavoidable for T... more »

The Leaking And The Lemon, A Fraccing And LNG Story(Non technical version)

Grant G at The Straight Goods - 12 hours ago
Madness becomes intertwined in the fabric of everyday life, spin, promise and the vague are weapons of control, so subtle is the illusion, so numbing is the machine, insanity sold as easily as elixir drawn from the mythical fountain of youth..... That above paragraph doesn`t sound like the start of another LNG article, but it is...The more one delves into the fracked world of liquefied natural gas the more one comes to the conclusion that the world truly is mad, or gone mad, extracting gas and extracting gas, drill a vertical hole in the ground, find a deposit of gas and presto, g... more »

Top 10 Scary Books and Book Covers

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 13 hours ago
Around Halloween, I always like to pick up a creepy story or two. This week's theme is scary book covers, but I have combined it with some of my favorite creepy stories, because what would one be without the other? Linking up with The Broke and the Bookish. - Pretty Girl -13 by Liz Coley- The creepy story of a young girl who was kidnapped and held hostage for many years. She eventually finds her way home, but she is broken and fractured and not sure how to put her life back together with everything she went through. This book and cover is one that held my rapt atten... more »

Will The Republican Civil War Devastate The Tennessee GOP?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 13 hours ago
Teabaggers are running wild, encouraged by all the media coverage Ted Cruz's infantile nihilism and extremism is getting. They've rewritten history to read-- at least in their own rarified circles-- that Republicans have lost recent elections not because their agenda is too extreme for normal people, but because the platforms aren't extreme enough to bring out the right-wing base. This week teabaggers announced primary campaigns against more conservatives including NRCC Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR), GOP Senate Whip John Cornyn (R-TX) and House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH). Linda Veg... more »

The Realist Report with John Friend

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 13 hours ago
On this edition of *The Realist Report*, we'll be joined once again by Tom in Connecticut. Tom and I will be discussing Cass Sunstein's 2008 public policy paper entitled "Conspiracy Theories" and other issues relating to psychological and information warfare. You can download the mp3 for this program *here*, or visit *The Realist Report* on BlogTalkRadio to subscribe via iTunes and view past programs. Below are relevant links for this program: - *CIA Document 1035-960: Concerning Criticism of the Warren Report* - *Are "conspiracy theories" gaining traction? *by John Friend ... more »

They grow up so fast

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 14 hours ago
Debts, that is. Ricochet’s Jon Gabriel put together this infographic illustrating the extreme state of America’s finances, brought to you by a bipartisan coalition of fast-spending Republicans and Democrats: [image: image002] [Graph from Sutherland Institute. Hat tip Julian P.] I don’t think there’s any evidence anywhere of deceleration… Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)

BitCoin ATMS hit Canada ? Is BitCoin now considered a currency at least by Canada ? President Obama asks Eric Schmidt of Google should he be worried about BitCoin ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 14 hours ago
As Obama Asks If He "Should Be Worried" About Bitcoin, ATMs Arrive In 5 Canadian Cities [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 10/28/2013 21:21 -0400 - Google - Las Vegas - President Obama - SPY - White House inShare The *world's first Bitcoin ATM will be ready for use this week at a coffee shop in Vancouver, Canada.* Created by Las Vegas based Robocoin, the new ATM in Vancouver will allow users to turn bitcoins directly into Canadian dollars, or turn Canadian dollars into bitcoins. As The Telegraph reports, the ATM first scans the ... more »

美国的消遣:退房意见。这些人是精神病患者

Barbara Diamond at American Scofflaw - 15 hours ago
http://blog.angryasianman.com/2013/10/kolten-wong-picked-off-first-base-for.html

Afternoon logic

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 15 hours ago
[image: Spiked Math Comic - Three logicians walk into a bar] Cartoon by Spiked Math Comics. Hat tip Stephen Hicks. Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)

On a code of conduct and ethics for teachers

Shaun Johnson at @ THE CHALK FACE - 16 hours ago
Some interesting interactions with a quickie I put up the other day on a practice sheet for Kindergarteners to teach them how to bubble properly. Our own Chris Cerrone made another contribution in this regard. I won’t say that having children fill in bubbles, or even test preparation, is akin to child abuse. That diminishes the […]

For the Sandy anniversary, those within reach of the afflicted NY-NJ-CT coastal area are invited to "Light up the shore!"

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 16 hours ago
*Blacked-out lower Seventh Avenue in Manhattan, looking northeast, with the tower of the Empire State Building poking up in the background* *by Ken* It's an anniversary that has been looming ominously for, well, going on a year. As it happened, yesterday I was in New Jersey's "Mile-Square City" of Hoboken, on the mostly flatland lip of land below the southern end of the bluffs that rise above the state's Hudson River shoreline, on a wonderful 5½-hour Wolfe Walkers walking tour with the incomparable Justin Ferate, and wherever we went -- at least until we finally reached the high g... more »

Harper's Parade of Perps with Perks #7

Alison at Creekside - 16 hours ago
Welcome, Con chief counsel Arthur Hamilton, to Perps with Perks for your part in the Senate scandal - Wrighting a cheque to Mike Duffy's lawyer - *"CON FUNDS $13,560"* *- **while Duffy was under investigation *to pay off his legal bills and shut him up so as not to arouse the Wrath of Cons. "Cheque(s)" actually because we haven't yet seen the other Hamilton cheque stub Duffy mentioned last week, along with all the other paperwork the PMO assured CBC doesn't exist. About that CON FUND mentioned on Hamilton's cheque - flashback to 2011 re the Cons' in-and-out scheme when Hamilton wa... more »

No "Kind Regards" for the Pretend-Scientists Promulgating Anti-Scientific Tyranny in the Name of Science

Harry Dale Huffman at The Earth and Man: Setting the Stage - 16 hours ago
Claes Johnson has posted an inquiry to one Hans Rosling, a high-profile climate alarmist in Sweden, and Rosling has responded with "answers" to Johnson's questions. My response follows: *Hans Rosling: I reject your "answers" as blatant political and ideological chaff, i.e., scientifically non-responsive, thus worthless. And since they ARE so clearly political chaff, it is also obvious you are not a scientist, at least not a competent and honest one. You are one of the Insane Left, relishing a position in which you can promulgate empty alarmism to the people of the world (blaming esp... more »

Military Rape

Paul Coker at News Spike - 16 hours ago
U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release ------------------------------ *IMMEDIATE RELEASE**No. 583-13 August 15, 2013* ------------------------------ Secretary Hagel’s Statement on New Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Measures Eliminating sexual assault from the armed forces remains one of the Department of Defense’s top priorities. This effort requires our absolute and sustained commitment to providing a safe environment in which every service member and DoD civilian is free from the threat of sexual h... more »

Russell Brand on Scapegoats

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 18 hours ago
Very quick one tonight. No time for a proper post. This from his *New Statesman* essay. The system is adept at turning our aggression on to one another. We condemn the rioters. The EDL condemns immigrants. My new rule for when I fancy doing a bit of the ol’ condemnation is: “Do the people I’m condemning have any actual power?” The immigrant capacity to cause social negativity is pretty slender. Especially if you live in luxury in Hollywood and the only immigrants you meet are Gabby, my Mexican second mother, and Polo who looks after the garden. It probably seems more serious if you’... more »

Sandy Hook shooting: Where's the proof?

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 18 hours ago
*Note: this article was written and submitted to American Free Press for review, however, it appears it will not be published in the newspaper or on the website. Therefore, I have decided to publish it here. I ask readers to provide feedback in the comments section. -JRF* The alleged shooting at the Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut in December of last year has caused quite a bit of friction and disagreement amongst the staff at *American Free Press*. Here I will attempt to explain my views on this controversial subject, which stand in stark contrast to the positi... more »

Defence Secretary William S. Cohen and Earthquake Weaponry

Paul Coker at News Spike - 18 hours ago
*Secretary Cohen and "Sunshine".* Q: Let me ask you specifically about last week's scare here in Washington, and what we might have learned from how prepared we are to deal with that (inaudible), at *B'nai Brith.* * *A: Well, it points out the nature of the threat. It turned out to be a false threat under the circumstances. But as we've learned in the intelligence community, we had something called -- and we have James Woolsey here to perhaps even address this question about phantom moles. The mere fear that there is a mole within an agency can set off a chain reaction and a hun... more »

Lou Reed, 1942-2013

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 18 hours ago
I woke up yesterday to find that Lou Reed was dead. And as someone just said, no matter how many times you re-check it, he still remains dead today. *Magician take my spirit inside I'm young and vital Inside I'm alive please take me away So many things to do - it's too early For my life to be ending For this body to simply rot away* - Lou Reed, “Magician,” from the album *Magic and Loss* Lou was still sharp earlier this year, shortly after a liver transplant, appalled at what “his” president has done, and offering sage advice on how to stay creative. I was lucky myself to find... more »

REPORT FROM UK CND CONFAB

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 18 hours ago
Recent Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) annual conference in Liverpool. Mayor Kang from Gangjeong village on Jeju Island was a guest speaker (and singer).

Catch of the Day/How's the nude lady?

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 19 hours ago
Juliet Lapidos is brutal about the return of creepy Uncle Sam, still trying to scare young people away from getting health insurance. As she notes, the latest iteration urges that young people should, instead of getting insurance through the exchanges, go for crappy insurance that doesn't actually cover anything. My question: are the anti-ACA groups who are urging young healthy people to buy insurance which doesn't cover anything talking at all to the anti-ACA wonks who are making the case that regular health insurance is a disaster and that what we really should be doing is pushing... more »

Longest Walk 4: The Road to Montrose Colorado

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 19 hours ago
.. . .  . Photos by Bad Bear Sampson, thanks for sharing with Censored News! Honoring the memory of Robert Bucksin, Klamath Long Walker 1978 By Censored News www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com Bad Bear and Cindy The Longest Walk 4 Return to Alcatraz honored the memory of Robert Bucksin, Klamath long walker on

Paul Kariya, Run Of River Power Industry Spokesman Puts Both Feet In His Mouth, A Clueless Industry Shill

Grant G at The Straight Goods - 19 hours ago
This is indeed getting interesting, all the dirty rats squirming to get a piece of the action, the only problem is....There is still no game or arena in which to play in.. Paul Kariya(Run of river private power spokesman) is using First Nations support and power to turn the screw, an article appeard in the Vancouver Sun today titiled... "First Nations Fear Being Cut Out Of LNG Boom" A couple of months ago Bill Bennet(BC`s energy minister) announced 10 run of river projects have been cancelled while 9 others have been put way off into the future.. The reason this was done is BC ... more »

The Prime Minister’s Office - A Criminal Organization?

Grant G at The Straight Goods - 19 hours ago
(Day by day it grows, Stephen Harper flaunting justice, poo-fooing science, intimidating Canadians while his excuses and alibis become more and more feeble, time is running out for Stephen Harper, time running out for Enbridge, the natives, meaning all Canadians are rejecting Harperism....{Now time for another installment of professor Robin Mathews`s ex`pose on Fascism}...Grant G) Fascism And Contemporary Canada. Locating The Present Conservative Government Led By Stephen Harper. ....... Part Seven. *The Prime Minister’s Office - A Criminal Organization?* *Written by Robin Mat... more »

Of Babies and Bathwater: Can We Separate the Common Core, Various Materials, and Assessments?

Michael Paul Goldenberg at @ THE CHALK FACE - 19 hours ago
Back in the ’90s, when the Math Wars raged (and they still do), I thought that if only the US Dept. of Ed was like the Ministry of Education in Japan, and could impose a national curriculum in mathematics, with a well-organized method of getting feedback on a lesson-by-lesson basis, fed through carefully-constructed local, state, […]

The ZAP Report 10-29-2013

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 20 hours ago
*Your Mind is On Vacation..... * Date: Mon, 28 Oct 2013 10:28:54 -0400 *www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUBxey4a9q4 * * * *Van Morrison: Your Mind Is On Vacation* * Lyrics * *Songwriters: MOSE ALLISON* * * *Sitting there yakkin’ right in my face * *Coming on like you own the place * *If silence was golden * *You couldn’t raise a dime * *Cause your mind is on vacation and your mouth is working overtime* * * *You’re quoting figures, you're dropping names * *You’re telling stories, you're playing games * *You always laugh when things ain’t funny * *You try to sound like you don'... more »

A Cold Thanksgiving And Christmas Season-- But Just For Poor Families, So Our Congress Of Multimillionaires Doesn't Give A Rat's Ass

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 20 hours ago
The Ted Cruz/Koch brothers-inspired government shutdown cost the American taxpayers an unfocused and gratuitous $24 billion. Conservatives in Congress can at least tell them selves they're recouping part of that loss by cutting back on food stamps. The end of next week-- Friday, November 1-- will come as a shock for millions of American families as food stamp benefits-- including benefits for children, seniors and the unemployed thrown out of work because of bad conservative economic policies that crashed the economy are slashed. Conservatives feel confident that many of the 47 m... more »

The Power of Nightmares

Paul Coker at News Spike - 20 hours ago
** * * * * *"In the past, politicians promised to create a better world. * * * *They had different ways of achieving this, but their power and authority came from the optimistic visions they offered to their people. * * * *Those dreams failed. * * * *And today, people have lost faith in ideologies. * * * *Increasingly, politicians are seen simply as managers of public life. * * * *But now, they have discovered a new role that restores their power and authority. * * * *Instead of delivering dreams, politicians now promise to protect us - from nightmares. * * * *They say that they will re... more »

Google's mystery barge anchored off of San Francsico's Treasure Island

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 20 hours ago
by American Kabuki Google has created a four story barge of stacked containerized servers according to San Francisco TV station KPIX. The salty monstrosity of a data warehouse has no permit for its permanent anchoring in the high tech city's bay. Yahoo News reports: There’s just one major problem: many of these same experts say Google hasn’t sought the proper permits to open any such operation. “Google has spent millions on this,” one anonymous source close to the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) told the station. “But they can’t park ... more »

Avoiding the toughest exam in the world .... so far.

skrashen at Schools Matter - 21 hours ago
A Sunday LA Times page one story had this headline: "China gives US schools budget help" (Oct 27). The subheadline: "Tuition-paying Chinese students are providing much needed money - and cultural exchange - to high schools here." Our schools would not have these budget problems if we didn't waste so much money on standardized testing. And the budget crisis will get worse because testing will soon be online, which means massive and ever-increasing spending on technology. Also, the article explains that a major motivation to doing high school in the US is to avoid the brutal gaokao ... more »

S 684(1) Assignments and Good Faith

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 21 hours ago
Section 684(1) of the *Criminal Code * allows the Court to assign counsel to act on behalf of an appellant on an appeal. The question to be decide is do the interests of justice require such assignment. The Court notes: [10] Clearly, it would not be in the interests of justice to allow an appellant to abuse the process by which criminal appeals are publically funded, either through the Legal Aid process or through a s. 684 order. In my view, conduct intended to precipitate a breakdown in the client-solicitor relationship to be followed by an application for the appointment... more »

The Corrupt SOB Who Is Our Prime Minister ... should take his own advice!!!!!! sheeesh!

leftdog at Buckdog - 21 hours ago
* **I thank God EVERY DAY, that I am NOT afflicted with 'Conservatism'!!* [image: Progressive Bloggers]

Chile: Strange Object Reportedly Crashes in Vicuña

Inexplicata (IHU) at Inexplicata-The Journal of Hispanic Ufology - 21 hours ago
*Source:El Observatodo (Chile) Date: 10.28.13* *Chile: Strange Object Reportedly Crashes in Vicuña* *By Claudio Rojas Ayara* Resident of Vicuña and Valle del Elqui say that the object fell in a hill after zig-zagging for a few minutes. Several residents of Vicuña and vicinity have reported the collision of a hitherto unidentified flying object in a hill near Vicuña, in the interior of Valle del Elqui. According to eyewitnesses, who took the photograph attached to this story, the event occurred around 16:00 hours on Sunday when an object - flying at considerable altitude - zig-za... more »

这种废话是荒谬的!

Barbara Diamond at American Scofflaw - 22 hours ago
看哪,污垢打扮成伤痕累累,血迹斑斑的韩亚航空公司的空姐。

Secret Saudi Hospitals Discovered on Turkey Syria Border (Video)

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 22 hours ago
Video Title: Secret Saudi Hospitals Discovered on Turkey Syria Border. Source: YouTube Channel Westernprensalibre. Date Published: October 27, 2013. Description: Secret saudi hospitals were discovered by turkish journalist while doing a story regarding terrorism in Southern Turkey.Syria Daily news 10/27/13

Disaster Relief

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 22 hours ago
Hope you all survived the storm. Commenters at the *Telegraph *have been helping report on the devastation. [A warning: What follows contains graphic descriptions of suffering which some readers may find disturbing. There's also some flash photography.] *startledcod* • 8 hours ago West Sussex was horrendous, one chair in my pergola was leaning against the table and another had blown over all together. 37 *nathaniel @startledcod* • 7 hours ago You think that's bad? Here in Surrey my wheelie bin lid was literally blown open. Of course, all trains to London are cancelled. 21 *at_... more »

As God Sees

Sophia Love at AMERICAN KABUKI - 22 hours ago
This is how we look to god. Adorable, funny, dancing, curious, full of life, limitless, faultless, open Respond to and care for yourself as if you were your own child. How you are nurtured is the determining factor in your life. As you feel love and joy for yourself you will be that for others. What do you want? Who do you want to be when you get it? Love yourself as you would a child, without reservation. Blame and fault finding are heavy burdens. Let them go. Each moment is a step taken on the path to your future. It is the chosen color for this piece o... more »

Supporting Protocols for All Gaia Next Steps are in Place…

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 22 hours ago
* * * * *Supporting Protocols for All Gaia Next Steps are in Place…* by ÉirePort Supporting protocols for all Gaia next steps are in place. Such steps will occur at appropriate now moments, and create mass transmutation of overall Gaia Consciousness. Participation portals have been operating at near full "capacity". Hu-manity is accepting its higher awareness. ÉirePort | October 28, 2013 at 04:58 URL: http://wp.me/p2sFUY-pH

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah !

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 22 hours ago

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah !

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 22 hours ago

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah !

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 22 hours ago

The goal of Obamacare is single payer?...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 22 hours ago
*what in hell do you think Medicaid is?* It seems the majority of people who braved the dysfunctional Obamacare website have been shuffled off into Medicaid. and... Did you know that once you're shuffled off into Medicaid you may no longer enroll in one of the exchanges and receive subsidies? Makes no never mind if you wish to buy your own insurance. You are forever consigned to a welfare program. If you voted for Obama may a camel nest in your privates.

Paisaje nevado iluminado con un Sol espectacular

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FOTOFRONTERA - 22 hours ago

ASSORTED UNVARNISHED NEWS

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 22 hours ago
*NSA data collection center in Utah* - The Utah Data Center, also known as the Intelligence Community Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative Data Center, is a storage facility for the US Intelligence Community that is designed to store extremely large amounts of data. The megaproject was recently completed at a cost of $1.5 billion despite ongoing controversy over the NSA's involvement in the practice of mass surveillance in the United States. The data center is able to process all forms of communication, including the complete contents of private ... more »

Czechoslovakia: 95th anniversary

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 23 hours ago
We've had another beautiful, summer-like day today. It was the Czech national holiday, an anniversary of the 1918 birth of Czechoslovakia. Slovakia isn't celebrating – I respect that but frankly speaking, I do think that it's a sign of their partial national immaturity. Prof Tomáš Garrigue [American wife's surname] Masaryk returned from the exile where he convinced Woodrow Wilson and other leaders of the Western powers to agree that the dissolution of the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy was inevitable and the creation of a new state of the Czechoslovak nation would make Central Europe... more »

HITLER - KEEPING THE MASSES UNDER CONTROL

Anon at aangirfan - 23 hours ago
*Hitler (right) and 'Hitler after his escape' (left)* * * From November 1912 to April 1913, Hitler stayed in a flat in Liverpool in the UK with his married half-brother Alois. *Hitler spent months living in Liverpool flat* There is a belief that while he was in the UK, Hitler was taken over by a right-wing faction within the UK security services. Hitler may have had a *British Handler* *Some people have speculated that Hitler may have come in contact with Tavistock.* If Hitler was linked to a shadowy cabal within the UK and USA, this might explain: *Why Hitler was financed by th... more »

Galaxia junto a los planetas y estrellas brillantes

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FOTOFRONTERA - 23 hours ago

Cabañas a orillas del lago bajo la lluvia

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FOTOFRONTERA - 23 hours ago

The Coming Senate Apocalypse. Or Not.

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 23 hours ago
The first of the three DC Circuit Court nominees is headed to the Senate floor this week. Where we can expect...well, apparently we have no idea. Sahil Kapur has an overview here, but it's noticeably lacking anything very specific about what the dozen or so Republicans who have been available on exec branch nominations, since July at least, intend to do. Way back at the start of August, Kapur had Susan Collins reading to consider each of the nominees "on the basis of his or her merits," which presumably would mean a vote for cloture (and perhaps confirmation, although her vote woul... more »

Two CW sites not yet inspected: Deadline fail? Turkey bombs Syrian territory

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 23 hours ago
*Here is the latest on Syria-* *Two Syria chemical weapons sites not yet inspected* In a statement, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said *verification activities had been completed at 21 out of 23 sites.* "Efforts to ensure the conditions necessary for safe access to those sites will continue," it added. On Sunday, Syria submitted to the OPCW a plan to destroy its chemical arsenal. The Hague-based organisation said that it did so three days ahead of the 27 October deadline set by UN Security Council resolution 2118. *Correspondents say the fac... more »

Three amigos

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 23 hours ago

5 Tips for Better Halloween Photos of Your Kids

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 1 day ago
Every year, my sister is a little disappointed that the Halloween pictures of her kids didn't turn out the way she wanted them to. This year I am sharing a few tips to make sure you get pictures you will love this Halloween! 1. Background: The background of a picture is very important even for a snapshot. Your background doesn't have to be completely blank or a professional backdrop, but try to find something that is not distracting and fits the Halloween theme. On Halloween itself, I like to take pictures of my daughter in front of a tree with lots of leaves on the ground. If yo... more »

America Needs More Women Like Eloise Reyes In Congress

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
I can picture DCCC Chairman Steve Israel, an "ex"-Blue Dog from Princesses: Long Island, drooling when he saw the MoveOn/PPP survey a couple weeks ago for CA-31, the new Inland Empire district southeast of L.A. that stretches from Rancho Cucamonga and Upland and heads west along the 10 and 210 Freeways towards San Bernardino, Colton, Loma Linda and Redlands. It's a D+5 district that Obama won 57-41% both last year and in 2008 and it's the bluest district in the country-- by far-- with a Republican congressman. An extremist and corrupt reactionary, Gary Miller was only elected becau... more »

As a preamble, Paul Craig Roberts muses over the question of whether the American people search for the facts that will determine their future or they prefer to remain ignorant of such facts and hope for the best. Then he reproduces an article by Kelly Mitchell that lays out such facts for those may want to know them. In fact Americans really should know these facts so that they can prepare for the worst that's yet to come.

David L Griscom at Cherchez la Verite - 1 day ago
------------------------------ *Gold Wars — Kelly Mitchell* ------------------------------ October 25, 2013 | Original Here Go here to sign up to receive email notice of this news letter *Gold Wars* I do not know what role facts, evidence, or a desire to know the truth any longer play in American lives. This article http://www.alternet.org/media/most-depressing-discovery-about-brain-ever?paging=offconfirms my experience as a scholar, journalist, public policy maker, and corporate director. The vast majority of people believe what they wan... more »

Where in the World is The Indignant Teacher???

jillconroy at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
I am in Dubai…in the middle of the Middle East – United Arab Emirates, to be exact. Communication with the western world has been difficult, at best, and this is not in any way helping the homesickness!! Not quite sure where to begin this post… Life here over the other side of the world […]

OUT OF CONTROL NSA

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Message from Supai Waters to all front line nations

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 day ago
Message from Supai Waters to all front line nations Message from Supai Waters Damon Watahomigie, Havasupai Censored News "Warning. Warrior Nation, surrender your anger and vengeance to the the gods not your leaders. They have no answer. Do not strike back, feel every pain and bitterness. Take  courage, you're doing it for your land and your children's future and their generations that are

Dangling Conversations

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 1 day ago
Bill Keller, *New York Times* executive editor-turned-columnist, devotes an unprecedented seven digital pages to his most recent piece, an apparently unedited email exchange with Glenn Greenwald on the role of contemporary journalism. Read the whole thing and see if you don't agree that Greenwald comes out the more lucid, fair-minded and even-handed.... despite Keller's pretty laughable claim that Glenn espouses a "partisan point of view." So, journalism is activist.... who knew? I always thought the stories just kinda wrote themselves. And of course, every reporter in America has a ... more »

NR Takes on the Radicals (A Little)

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 1 day ago
Sometimes, the twitter machine just spits out perfect material for items to write. So this morning I wound up opening tabs on Ramesh Ponnuru and Rich Lowry's epic (five-screen) condemnation of radical Republicans, along side anice takedown of Russell Brand's recent political babbling from Alex Massie. One of them was about "an adolescent extremist whose hatred of politics is matched by his ignorance" -- want to guess which one? OK, it's the one calling all politicians frauds...from the Left, where liberal democracy, including the "left" parties, looks like a conspiracy against the Tr... more »

Political Cowardice Is Political Courage

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
In the opening pages of George Orwell’s 1984, readers are introduced to Oceania along with the work and world of Winston Smith: Winston kept his back turned to the telescreen. It was safer; though, as he well knew, even a back can be revealing. A kilometer away the Ministry of Truth, his place of work, […]

Argentina: Curious Light Photographed Over San Juan

Inexplicata (IHU) at Inexplicata-The Journal of Hispanic Ufology - 1 day ago
*Source: Tiempo de San Juan (Argentina) http://www.tiempodesanjuan.com/notas/2013/10/24/ovni-sobrevolando-cielo-sanjuanino-41938.asp Date: 10.24.2013* *Argentina: Curious Light Photographed Over San Juan* A UFO flying over San Juan? Luis Adolfo Tinto and Juan José Mulet, public utility inspectors, submitted the images of what they took to be a UFO to Tiempo de San Juan. They saw the object on Tuesday, October 22 while going about their duties. According to the witnesses, “It happened on Tuesday the 22nd at 6:50 at Sarmiento Street before 25 de Mayo, facing the dovecote (El Palomar... more »

Driving Magnum PI's Ferarri

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 1 day ago
Loved that show and love this car. Over at Autoblog they drive it. One can no longer rent a 308 in Oahu. However late models are available for a grand a day.

Lion Rock 11: Barun Mitra on Democracy, Reading Salon 2013

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 1 day ago
I still have to write my reflection paper on the Reading Club Salon 2013 of the Lion Rock Institute (LRI) on "Democracy -- Past, Present and Future" held in Harbour Grand Hong Kong last October 19, 2013. It's good that good friend Barun Mitra, Founder and Director of Liberty Institute in India, sent us today his reflection paper about the event. Short and well-argued points by Barun, reposting it below. Our group photo after the whole day round table discussion. Barun is 4th from left standing. To his left is Peter Wong, Executive Director of LRI, and to Barun's right (3rd from lef... more »

Dick Cheney (who someday will be charged with war crimes) Says Canada Is 'Too Dangerous' And Cancels Toronto Speaking Engagement ..

leftdog at Buckdog - 1 day ago
* TORONTO — Former U.S. vice-president Dick Cheney has cancelled an April appearance in Toronto citing concerns Canada is too dangerous.* ***“He felt that in Canada the risk of violent protest was simply too high,” said Ryan Ruppert, president of promotions company Spectre Live Corp., which had booked Mr. Cheney for an April 24 appearance at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.* ***“They specifically referenced what happened in Vancouver,” Mr, Ruppert added.* ***In September, Mr. Cheney was speaking at a private club in Vancouver when protesters massed outside the front door harassi... more »

New Survey On Estimated Deaths In Iraq Refutes Lancet Reports

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 1 day ago
In October 2013 a new study was released in the PLOS Medicine journal estimating the number of deaths following the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It attempted to avoid and make up for some of the criticism of previous surveys that looked at fatalities in the country. These included the 2004 and 2006 Lancet papers, the 2004 Iraq Living Conditions Survey, the 2007 Opinion Business Research (ORB) poll, and the 2008 Iraq Family Health Survey. The new report estimated 460,000 excess deaths occurred after the fall of Saddam Hussein. It didn’t give a figure for all violent deaths, but did say ... more »

Education Funders Sponsor a Great Study of NYC Small School Reforms but Will They Read It?

John Thompson at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
The Education Funders Research Initiative’s “New York City Schools: Following the Learning Trajectories of a Cohort," by Douglas Ready, Thomas Hatch, Miya Warner, and Elizabeth Chu, is excellent. It has the scholarly integrity of the research of the Consortium on Chicago School Research or Johns Hopkins’ Everyone Graduates. It also reads like a diplomatic call for New York City reformers to heed social science when taking the next steps towards improving the city’s schools. The results of “New York City Schools” suggest positive outcomes associated with New York City’s small high sc... more »

Read Stuff, You Should

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 1 day ago
Happy Birthday to Daphne Zuniga, 51. I know I've babbled on about this before, but The Sure Thing is just a much better movie than When Harry Met Sally. Good stuff: 1. A nice interview with David Mayhew. By the way: the APSA Congressional Fellowship is basically the best thing in the world. I didn't do it (didn't apply; I had already spent four plus years on the Hill, plus it wasn't right for our family situation at the time), but from everything I know, both from talking to friends who did it and from reading the research of those who did it, it's absolutely the best thing. 2. ... more »

Rob Zerban Announces A Rematch Against Paul Ryan In Wisconsin

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
Last year, with no help from the DCCC (unless you want to consider negative help of Steve Israel calling wealthy donors and telling them to not "waste" their money on Rob Zerban), Rob Zerban came closer to defeating Paul Ryan than any Democrat had before. Ryan represents a swing district in southeast Wisconsin, WI-01 (Kenosha, Racine, Janesville, Muskego, Elkhorn and southern Milwaukee suburbs like Oak Creek and Greendale. Spending $6,651,221 to Zerban's $2,250,102, Ryan took 199,715 votes (55%) to Rob's 157,721 (43%). Rob managed to beat Ryan in Kenosha and Rock Counties (respect... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 1 day ago
*'Bowl eligible' not good enough for Saints ~Mike Triplett* *Why so serious Coach Payton? ~Steve Geller* *N.O. Mayor’s office releases Tulane scholarship forms ~Gordon Russell, New Orleans Advocate* *La. lawmakers release insurance reform bill, hope to ease flood insurance costs ~Antwan Harris, WWLTV* *Forensic engineering firms explore new business lines in New Orleans ~Ryan Kelly, New Orleans CityBusiness, via The Republic *

Abandonment

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 1 day ago
Stephen Harper has abandoned three of his senatorial appointees -- including the man he once called "my most valuable senator." Abandonment defines the man. And in foreign affairs, Joe Clark writes, Stephen Harper has "all but abandoned the global arena." Foreign affairs has never been the prime minister's strong suite, even though he has spent a lot of time in international forums. Clark writes: In the seven years between his first election and the time I am writing this, Stephen Harper would have been exposed directly to informed and passionate leaders describing similar chal... more »

US has finally found a way to energize and unify much of the world on a foreign policy issue - unfortunately , it's due to NSA spying ! And regarding spying on France - was this the work of Mossad ? Interestingly , a classified note from NSA suggests that might be the situation ! And just wondering who may have been behind the protracted offline situation at NSA site - lots of applause ( I am sure ) heard in quarters we would not normally expect to smile at the predicament of NSA ....

Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
Axis of Spying ( UK / US and Israel ? NSA / GCHQ and Mossad seem to be the Spy Club ... ) http://rt.com/news/gchq-surveillance-snowden-secrecy-749/ The UK’s spy agency GCHQ was doing whatever it could to avoid igniting a “damaging public debate” and a subsequent possibility of a legal threat over its surveillance practices and cooperation with telecoms, new Snowden papers reveal. The documents leaked to the Guardian by former NSA contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden illustrate how the Government Communication Headquarters feared the possibility of being challenged under the ... more »

Why do baseball games take so long?

bob somerby at the daily howler - 1 day ago
*MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2013* *Full service returns tomorrow:* Why do baseball games take so long? Last week, the New York Times reported on the topic. As we return to our sprawling campus from a brief trip to the Hudson Valley, we thought you might want to see what the World Series was like in 1963. Fifty years ago this month, the Dodgers swept the Yankees. Here are the scores, with the length of time of each game: *October 2, 1963:* Dodgers 5, Yankees 2. Length of game: 2:10 *October 3, 1963:* Dodgers 4, Yankees 1. Length of game: 2:13 *October 5, 1963:* Dodgers 1, Yankees 0. Length ... more »

Who's taller comedian Greg Davies or Pointless's Richard Osman?

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 1 day ago
Who's taller comedian Greg Davies or Pointless's Richard Osman? According to Wikipedia, Greg Davies 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) tall and has size 13 feet whilst Richard Osman is 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) (his shoes size is not recorded). So Greg Davies is taller but his size 13 feet seem a little small, I'm only 5ft 9in and have size 12 feet - *yes everything else is in proportion*.

Tom Friedman, taking dictation from experts!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 1 day ago
*MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2013* *Direct from Shanghai, an innocent abroad:* Tom Friedman isn’t an expert on schools. But when has that ever stopped anyone? Last Wednesday, in the New York Times, Friedman wrote a column about his visit to a public elementary school in Shanghai. Because of its extremely high scores on the 2009 PISA, Shanghai has become the new Finland—the place to which the journalists go on junket, hoping to find The Secret to high-scoring schools. That was Friedman’s headline: The Shanghai Secret. For decades, writers like Friedman have been revealing The Secret which e... more »

The Deric Longden Swanwick Memorial Prize

Martyn Daniels at Brave New World - 1 day ago
The Writers Summer School in Swannwick, Derbyshire has played host to many writers. Past speakers have included; Iain Banks, Ruth Rendell, PD James, Norman Wisdom, Terry Pratchett, Colin Dexter and Deric Longden. Deric was from Derby and met his second wife, author Aileen Armitage at the annual writing event. He had been sent to interview her for Radio Derby and became a regular speaker himself and together with Aileen, helped guide many budding writers. Now the Swanwick Writers’ School together with the ME Association are creating the Deric Longden Memorial Prize. The 500 word ... more »

Operation Tailwind

Paul Coker at News Spike - 1 day ago
Operation Tailwind from Spike1138 on Vimeo. In June of 1998, CNN/Time premiered a new joint venture, a weekly program called "News Stand'. Their first segment had revelations about a "Valley of Death' (as one of the veterans interviewed called it) during the Vietnam War. The news story of this 1970 U.S. military black operation known as Operation Tailwind aired nationally over two consecutive Sundays. It quoted members of the military who alleged that commandos from the U.S. Special Operations Group (SOG) had been dispatched to a village base camp in Laos with sarin gas, a toxic ... more »

Duck and Cover when Cyber Doomsday Comes

Brandon Valeriano at Duck of Minerva - 1 day ago
“The current blackout is a result of a cyber attack” “It will happen” Ominous words from the National Geographic channel and their premier movie this weekend. Not really sure how the news reporter can still report given the aforementioned blackout, and also not sure why toilets cease to work when you lose power, but the Continue reading

Chris Wark Said No To Chemo And Went Raw!

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 1 day ago
*July 29, 2013* ** Chris Wark was told he needed Chemotherapy to live. He understood the chemo would kill him. Chris decided to go against his doctors advise. Instead Chris ate a raw food diet while also changing his unhealthy habits. Hear his amazing story of recovery. This week on The Raw Life Health Show (http://www.rawlifehealthshow.com) we will feature interviews with Chris about different topics about his recovery and what other people in similar situations can do. If you liked this video please share it with others who need to know the truth. ** *Also be sure to check ou... more »

Teenager Megan Sherow Heals Brain Cancer With Raw Food

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 1 day ago
Teenager Megan Sherow heals brain cancer with raw food 17 year old Megan Sherow and her mother Maria share the amazing and inspiring story of how she healed brain cancer in three months by converting to a raw food diet, after two surgeries failed, and instead of undergoing treatment at St. Jude. (She had glial neuroblastoma) Megan is smart, funny and bursting with life. And as you will see, she and her mom are quite the pair. This was such a fun interview. You. will. love. it. *Source:* ** *Chris Beat Cancer Blog* View Video Of Megan Below: *Youtube link: http://ww... more »

Belling the Cat

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 1 day ago
Once upon a time, there was a group of human malcontents. Very idealistic malcontents. They championed such things as social justice, human equality, environmental sustainability, individual freedom and world peace. But their lives were made miserable by THE SYSTEM. The System was controlled by powerful elites. Selfish people who valued profit and excess over social justice and the environment. Psychopathic authoritarians and militarists who promoted was and oppression. Sadly for the idealistic malcontents, The System was an effective propaganda exercise and millions of ordinary hu... more »

Monday Linkage: Roma and race links

Megan MacKenzie at Duck of Minerva - 1 day ago
The recent ‘Maria’ case- involving a young blonde girl taken from a Roma family and found to be the daughter of a Bulgarian Roma couple- has inspired greater scrutiny of Roma communities. More specifically, there have been subsequent cases of children taken from their Roma families because they did not ‘look’ Roma; however subsequent DNA Continue reading

R.I.P. Lou Reed (1942-2013). "Like a Possum"

Marc McDonald at BeggarsCanBeChoosers.com - 1 day ago
. . *By MARC McDONALD* Today, the tributes are pouring in for the great Lou Reed, who passed away on Sunday. Loads of musicians are coming out of the woodwork, declaring their love for Reed and claiming what a wonderful influence he was on their music. You know, it's a shame that more people didn't love Reed when he was still around. After all, his brilliant albums with America's greatest band, the Velvet Underground, were all commercial duds. The Velvets certainly weren't ever played on the radio---at least in America. And Reed's four-decade solo career hardly did much better. In... more »

Music Videos: Dine' Klee Benally on tour in Europe!

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 day ago
Watch videos! Klee Benally on tour in Europe! http://vimeo.com/album/2579852 Read more at www.kleebenally.com

DAVID SHURTER, CHILD ABUSE, CIA SATANISM

Anon at aangirfan - 1 day ago
*David Shurter* "My father was a high priest- and along with some very well connected friends who were enamored with the devil- were using some of the children that were involved in a human trafficking ring as blood sacrifices to feed their sick, hedonistic desires. "Satanic ritual abuse is just what it sounds like- ritualistic abuse that has a satanic theme to both the abuse, and the ritualistic practices that are performed... *Ritual Abuse, Satanic Ritual Abuse, and Omaha, NE* *Noreen Gosch, mother of kidnapped Johnny Gosch.* "I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT NOREEN GOSCH IS THE VICTIM SH... more »

EDWARD SNOWDEN CONNED OUT OF SECRET FILES

Anon at aangirfan - 1 day ago
Reportedly, the Guardian is run by MI6. "Whistleblower Edward Snowden was taken for a ride by con artists in the service of the US and UK intelligence agencies. "Under the cover of 'independent journalism', the scammers conned him out of his trove of secret NSA files, hustled him from Hong Kong ahead of legislature-sponsored public hearings on cyber-espionage, and unceremoniously dumped him, minus documents, in a transit lounge at Moscow Airport . "This report shows how the American and British spymasters retrieved the top-secret files by luring the fugitive into a well-laid tra... more »

Conservatives Need To Come To The Realization That Harper Is The Problem ...

leftdog at Buckdog - 1 day ago
*OTTAWA — The Conservative Senate caucus will meet Monday morning to discuss possible amendments to three motions that would suspend embattled senators Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau without pay or benefits. [...] “There are a lot Conservative senators who are very concerned about the way the government proposes to do this, so I hope they’re going to have an opportunity (Monday) to try to persuade the government to change its mind,” Cowan said. “What I would hope is that Conservative caucus would say, ‘We not only have to do the right thing, we have to appear to do ... more »

Not All The Bad News In North Carolina Comes From Republicans

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
A young member of Congress, Don Young (R-AK), mostly senile these days When Valerie Foushee replaced Ellie Kinnnaird in the North Carolina state Senate, she gave up her District 50 state House seat (Orange and Durham counties), Thursday, a 4 person selection committee, two Democrats from each county) voted to replace her with Graig Meyer. There were 7 candidates, including, Danielle Adams, whose responses to the committee's questionnaire are here-- and very much worth reading. Meyer, a white male with no experience in elective office, will serve out the rest of Foushee's term, just o... more »

Meet & Greet Monday (#MtaGt) - Eco Passport

Small Footprints at Reduce Footprints - 1 day ago
Welcome to Meet & Greet Monday, a regular series designed to grow our green community. [image: A link-up for green blogs on Reduce Footprints Blog] Banner by Art Ist Grab our banner for your site:
A link-up for green blogs on 
Reduce Footprints Blog *The rules:* 1. Use the link-up tool below to share your green-living blog or collection of environment...
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12 paisajes naturales de nuestro hermoso planeta tierra

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FOTOFRONTERA - 1 day ago
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