oldephartte(in training): 19 Nov - Blogs I'm Following

2:45am MST

Screwed by Social Security Administrators? (And Not Even Kissed) Slump May Last Decades (Geithner Should Be In Jail Instead of Hedge Fund?)

Cirze at Welcome to Pottersville 2 (Blogging Against Fascism!) - 37 minutes ago

Republican Felon Tim Geithner Should Be In Jail Rather Than Going to Work for Warburg Pincus. I guess in this time of constant reminders about the deepening tragedy in Greece and thoughout the bankster-stricken world of debt (not to mention the natural horrifics in the Philippines - although aid is finally flowing in), I shouldn't be so upset at getting a one-figure (last year it was much

The United Nations translator that told the truth

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 43 minutes ago

I think I posted this story when it broke but here's the video and transcript, thanks to Harry's Place and UN Watch “I mean, I think when you have five statements, not five, like a total of ten resolutions on Israel and Palestine, there’s gotta be something, c’est un peu trop, non? [It’s a bit much, no?] I mean I know… There’s other really bad shit happening, but no one says anything, about the other stuff.” The United Nation's obsession with demonising Israel whilst ignoring horrific human rights abuses across much of the Muslim world is both vile and predictable bearing in mind... more »

USA LETS AL QAEDA ENTER FROM MEXICO?

Anon at aangirfan - 50 minutes ago

*Julia Davis* Whistleblower Julia Davis, from California, is the former U.S. *Department of Homeland Security* agent who claimed that the U.S. government was letting in terrorists over the Mexican border. A Texas congressman Louie Gohmert said on C-SPAN’s *Washington Journal *April 17, 2013: "We know al Qaeda has camps over with the drug cartels on the other side of the Mexican border. Louie Gohmert: al Qaeda told to act 'Hispanic' Brittany Murphy is the star of 'Clueless' who supported Julia Davis. Brittany died in her Los Angeles home in December 2009. Brittany's father, Ang... more »

More Obama lies: Justice Dept Filing States Most Americans Could Lose Employer Health Care Plans...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 1 hour ago

*but, wait - didn't Obama say it was only private insurance that was not grandfathered?* *More:* The Volokh Conspiracy: *More on the Legality of the Latest ObamaCare Fix*

Darpa - secret Human Hybrid research - HAC'ing the 47 chromosome

Mike Philbin at PROGNOSIS II - 1 hour ago

Kenny Valenzuela makes me horror-chuckle. He runs the website Artificial Vaccines. Kenny goes around all the government/defense department websites citing them as sources for his whacked out theories on the ruthlessness and the amorality of the CORPORATE WAR MACHINE. According to Kenny, it's all about CREATING CHIMERAs for *corporate profit* and *war-readiness*. Isn't everything?

low-wage workers rising: strikes and demos planned for the day after u.s. thanksgiving

laura k at wmtc - 2 hours ago

Low-wage workers in North America are on the move. This movement has been building for more than a decade, and it's beginning to reach a critical mass. And could any workers need it more? Fifty-two percent of fast-food employees’ families rely on public assistance to put food on the table or to get medical care. McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, Taco Bell, KFC - hugely profitable, multibillion dollar corporations - *are being subsidized by taxpayers* to the tune of almost $7 billion a year! Ordinary working Americans are picking up the tab so that these corporate giants can pay pov... more »

the war continues to kill: the wounded survivors, and those killed by their own conscience

laura k at wmtc - 2 hours ago

Here are two excellent, heartbreaking stories about what happens to those who survive and don't survive war. The first, excerpted from Ann Jones' book *They Were Soldiers: How the Wounded Return from America’s Wars — the Untold Story*: An older Army officer calls me over and gestures toward the empty seat by his side. He sits ramrod straight, wrapped in his blanket, and speaks through tight lips as if he fears what might come out of his mouth. “I’ve been in the Army twenty-six years,” he says, “and I can tell you it’s a con.” He has been an adviser to the chief counterterrorism of... more »

justin doolittle in salon: stop thanking the troops for your freedom. they didn't give it to you.

laura k at wmtc - 2 hours ago

Justin Doolittle, writing in *Salon*, takes down the military lovefestcurrently enveloping professional sports in North America: "Stop thanking the troops for me: No, they don’t “protect our freedoms!”" Doolittle makes the point - extremely important and almost always overlooked - that we do *not* owe our present "freedom" (whatever that word is taken to mean) to "the troops". (This is a point I recently quoted from Noah Richler's book *What We Talk About When We Talk About War*.) Doolittle writes: Freedom has become one of those politically charged terms that means whatever people ... more »

what i'm reading: nw by zadie smith

laura k at wmtc - 2 hours ago

If you haven't read anything by Zadie Smith, I highly recommend finding *White Teeth*, her debut novel, and diving in. Smith wrote *White Teeth* while still attending university, and it was published to great acclaim when she was only 25 years old. It's a wonderfully sprawling novel, by turns wry, satirical, and poignant, crammed full of vibrant characters, multiple themes and threads, and brilliant, surprising language. It deals with the cultural clashes and changes of immigration, generations, and class differences. If you read *White Teeth* and didn't like it, stop right there; ... more »

JFK on Adolf Hitler

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 2 hours ago

Given I'll be attending *the conference in Santa Barbara, California* this coming Friday commemorating the 50th observance of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, I decided to delve into some JFK research the past couple weeks. I recently read *Final Judgement: The Missing Link in the JFK Assassination Conspiracy*, written by the legendary author and historian Michael Collins Piper, which thoroughly documents the role Israel's Mossad and the international criminal syndicate led by the Jewish gangster Meyer Lansky played in organizing and benefitting from the murder of our... more »

How Do You Know The Good Guys From The Bad Guys In DC? Social Security Is The Key

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 4 hours ago

When I was in elementary school in Brooklyn I was one of the only ones in my neighborhood who used to take the subway-- most of which was elevated-- in to "The City." Parents worried "The City" would turn you into… whatever they feared most. But they would warn the neighborhood kids that they went on the subway, they might be killed by the third rail. Wikipedia defines the third rail as "a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit ... more »

Untitled

Roberto Rodriguez at Dr Cintli - 4 hours ago

Attend and Support the Nov 19, 2013 Tlakatl: What it means to be human Symposium: I was informed that the link did not work for someone. I tried it and it works and is active. We definitely need a little help. Anyone who can, please do so. Very greatly appreciated. It is directed at: The R. Rodriguez events (That's how it is designated).: https://www.uafoundation.org/netcommunity/sslpage.aspx?pid=493&fid=Ar8Qg1Ky8nk%3D&fdesc=5tGaT3D3zD630judWyFfjNu0TvtKikii

Keeping the Billionaires Out of Reform Resistance: What Do WE Want?

educationalchemy at @ THE CHALK FACE - 4 hours ago

Image from: http://kochcash.org/the-kochtopus/ Arne Duncan’s trying his darndest to cloak resistance to education reform as the mantle of either “crazy Tea Party” people or privileged “suburban moms” (his words, not mine). Nice way to deflect Arne, but it won’t work. You see, here in the trenches we are not all Conservatives. And we are not all […]

Update On Syria: Turkey Has Second Thoughts On Aiding Al-Qaeda

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 4 hours ago

An excerpt from, *"Turkey backing off support for jihadists on Syria border"* by Amberin Zaman, Al-Monitor, November 18: Over the past month, the international media has been awash with reports of rebel fighters crossing into Syria from Turkey and their wounded being treated in Turkish hospitals along the Syrian border. This state of affairs is nothing new. But as Sefik Cirkin, a Turkish lawmaker for the Nationalist Action Party who is from the border town of Reyhanli, observed: “It’s only after the Salafists took over the border crossings and that the Obama administration took fri... more »

Alice Embree : Anne Lewis' New Website Brings Austin Movement History to Life

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 5 hours ago

Filmmaker Anne Lewis' new website is called Austin Beloved Community. 'Austin Beloved Community': Anne Lewis' new website brings movement history to life 'This was designed as cooperative and experimental. It’s really a community organizing art project.' By Alice Embree / The Rag Blog / November 19, 2013 Austin Beloved Community is a gift. Movement history comes alive in a digital

Libya updates November 18 , 2013 .... Fog of " liberated " Libya getting denser by the day !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 5 hours ago

Europe pulling back.... Lufthansa suspends flights until 25 November *By Tom Westcott*. *Tripoli, 18 November 2013*: German airline Lufthansa has suspended its Libya flights until 25 November on the grounds of the General Strike that is taking place in Tripoli. “We have cancelled flights until the 25 November, due to the General Strike announcements,” a spokesperson for Lufthansa told the *Libya Herald*. He added that any tickets booked over this week-long period would be refunded or rebooked at no extra cost. “Since we only have one flight a day, the effect is not dramatic,” the spo... more »

What I Tried To Say

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 5 hours ago

How did we get to the place where Rob Ford is not only happening, but we're all reconciling ourselves to his existence? For this to have happened, we needed a critical mass of people who still support him after all the hypocrisy and ridiculousness.

Ford Nation

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 5 hours ago

Argh. No, he's NOT doing a good job for the city otherwise. Add up the extra expenses of his subway fever and get back to me.

Call me when you're ready to rise up

Jody Paterson at A Closer Look: Jody Paterson - 5 hours ago

I was having one of those days today that I recognize as the start of my “What is wrong with you people?” stage that I reach sooner or later in every job. I’m not exactly sure what the triggers are, but I know that once it starts, I find it harder to be Nice Jody and get increasingly intense in all my workplace and social interactions. Paul calls it my “looming” stage, based on my habit of projecting my intensity onto whoever I might be talking with. Usually it makes them quite nervous. I think the mood starts to kick in when I've been long enough in a job that I can s... more »

Homeland Security Calls Bitcoin an "Emerging Threat"

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 6 hours ago

[image: Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...] Eric Blair The popularity of the digital currency Bitcoin is exploding. Today's price spiked over $600, nearly double what is was just over a week ago. It seems the U.S. government now wants into the party. Today several federal agencies weighed in on the decentralized currency. While most agencies acknowledged its legitimate uses, the Department of Homeland Security referred to Bitcoin as an *emerging threat*. In a letter to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, DHS wrote that they have "been... more »

Untitled

Roberto Rodriguez at Dr Cintli - 6 hours ago

FINAL SCHEDULE FOR NOV 19, 2013 SYMPOSIUM UA Tlakatl: What it Means to be Human All-Day Student/Community Symposium 6:30-7:30 Am “Tlakatl: What it Means to be Human” Run -- 23rd/8th cross streets: Calpolli Teoxicalli to UA - KIVA Student Union KIVA Student Union 8-8:45 Ceremony/Platica: What it Means to be Human Calpolli Teoxicalli KIVA Student Union 8:45 am-9:15 Welcome/Intro By Cynthia Diaz & her mom, Maria Rodriguez, via Skype 9:15am-10:50 KIVA Student Union Immigration/Human Rights Panel Lemus, Anakaren Sofia Nuno Cymthia Diaz Crystal Echerivel Daniel Lavi Respondent: Jesu... more »

Arne Is Aiming for Damage Control But Just Can’t Seem to Get It Right

deutsch29 at @ THE CHALK FACE - 6 hours ago

US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s tasteless remarks on Friday about the seeming inability of “White suburban mothers” to come to terms with their children’s limited intellectual ability as such is highlighted by the Duncan-beloved Common Core State Standards (CCSS) has the former Australian basketball player-gone-US-Sec-of Ed attempting to “close the gap” and re-score some […]

@chucktodd @dailyrundown: Why SC State Sen. Lee Bright when talking #CCSS?

Timothy D. Slekar at @ THE CHALK FACE - 6 hours ago

I was outside this morning checking the handy work completed by my wife and me yesterday in the rain and cold (putting up a shed). Luckily the shed was still in the yard but just as I was going to check out the detailed craftsmanship my wife opened the door, “Tim! Hurry up! Come here!” […]

Eating A Sandwich

Way Way Up at Fort McMurray Adventures - 6 hours ago

The past few weeks have certainly been busy for me as much of my free time has been taken up with school applications. I initially began looking into pursuing an MA in History back in around April. For the most part that involved first looking at my interests (which are quite vast given how much I read) and looking at potential schools. To be honest, I had little idea of where to begin. I knew I'd likely apply to my alma mater at Windsor but I was also interested in exploring other schools as well. The University of Calgary soon emerged as an enticing possibility, not just becau... more »

Hermosa colección de imágenes para navidad muy hermosas

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FOTOFRONTERA - 7 hours ago

Where are YOUR boundaries of activism, and can they be pushed a little?

Shaun Johnson at @ THE CHALK FACE - 7 hours ago

I know for an irrefutable fact that this petition on ousting Secretary Duncan, more symbolic than practical, has been making the rounds in the last two days. Given the recent press on Duncan’s odd remark regarding suburban white moms, or whatever, I have no idea why this petition, as of this writing, is stagnant at […]

Europe Watch November 15 , 2013 - Spain public debt surges to new record , Madrid trashmen strike sends garbage to new record levels in Madrid....... Greece continue dance of death with Troikans.....

Catharsis Ours - 7 hours ago

Spain........ Spanish FinMin "Concerned" As Public Debt Surges To New Record [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 11/15/2013 11:16 -0500 - Bond - Gross Domestic Product inShare2 *Spain’s public debt climbed sharply in September to a new record high of 954.863 billion euros*, casting doubt about the government’s ability to meet its target for the end of the year. Even *finance minister Cristobal Montoro acknowledged that "there are concerns about the pace of the increase,"*adding that this meant bringing down the public deficit even more of a pr... more »

If you worried that ex-Treasury Sec'y Tim Geithner would wind up on food stamps (or no food stamps), you can rest easy

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 7 hours ago

*Daily Kos caption: "Ka-CHING!!!"* *TIMOTHY F. GEITHNER TO JOIN WARBURG PINCUSAS PRESIDENT AND MANAGING DIRECTOR* New York, November 16, 2013 –- Warburg Pincus, a leading global private equity firm focused on growth investing, today announced the appointment of Timothy F. Geithner as President and Managing Director. Mr. Geithner also will be a member of the firm’s Executive Management Group. In his role, Mr. Geithner will work closely with Warburg Pincus’ Co-Chief Executive Officers, Charles R. Kaye and Joseph P. Landy, on overall firm strategy and management, investing and portf... more »

VIGIL IN IOWA

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 7 hours ago

Warfare being waged from our backyard in Des Moines, Iowa. This must not pass. Down the drones. Bring an end to war. Peace in the world. Folks from central Iowa, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City joined in the protest.

Does anyone know what the heck is going on in DC - Foreign policy ? Domestic Policy ? What the heck gives ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 8 hours ago

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/11/18/exclusive-john-kerry-defies-the-white-house-on-egypt-policy.html Photo by The Daily Beast Exclusive: John Kerry Defies the White House on Egypt Policy[image: Josh Rogin] By Josh Rogin November 18th 20135:45 AM FOLLOWMore Stories by Josh Rogin The secretary doesn’t agree with Obama’s team, especially Susan Rice, on how to deal with Egypt. Unfortunately for Rice, Kerry is the one on the ground—and he’s doing things his way. Before Secretary of State John Kerry’s recent trip to Cairo, National Security Adviser Susan Rice told him to ma... more »

ObamaCare Weekend thread November 15 -17 2013 ..... Upton Bill passes the House , will the Senate allow votes on either the Upton Bill or Senator Landrieu's " Keep Your Plan " Bill ? Updates on the ObamaCare as they are revealed !

Catharsis Ours - 8 hours ago

Sunday items..... http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-11-17/guest-post-most-puzzling-and-haunting-statement-about-obamacare-fiasco Guest Post: The Most Puzzling (And Haunting) Statement About The Obamacare Fiasco [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 11/17/2013 13:17 -0500 - fixed - Guest Post - Henderson - Obamacare - President Obama inShare *Submitted by F.F.Wiley of Cyniconomics blog,* This may be a little after-the-fact, but I’ve been thinking about the ACA mess this weekend and keep coming back to President Obama’s November 7 ... more »

There's No Cure For Stupid

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 8 hours ago

What a way to sell the idea of health insurance to the young people of America. Automatically assume that all 20-somethings are either sluts, drunks, painkiller addicts, sexual predators, exhibitionists, or all of the above. Not to mention dumber than dirt. Not to mention cartoonish. These ads for Obamacare are currently running (online only, thank god) in Colorado: So here's the problem. Even if these attractive dissipated models existed in the real world, they'd never in a million years be able to navigate the website, let alone click on their computers.... let alone remember... more »

And so it begins

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 8 hours ago

Unlikely to end well. RT @nravitz: Backstage at the @WSJ CEO Council with @rupertmurdoch and @GovChristie pic.twitter.com/Gfl4aZnON8 — Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) November 18, 2013

Money changes everything

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 8 hours ago

Kevin Drum tells some very serious people are becoming concerned about income inequality. This argument follows a simple causal chain: unequal growth concentrates wealth in the hands of a tiny slice of consumers who can only spend so much money. In turn, the vast majority of earners are left with little extra cash for goods and services. Resulting weak demand undermines growth. Low growth makes everyone poorer than they otherwise might be, including those who own the means of production. Inequality produces other bad economic outcomes, too, such as the underutilization of the nat... more »

Give me that old time populism

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 8 hours ago

Just when I despair of the possible rehabilitation of the Democratic party, Elizabeth Warren delivers a speech on the Senate floor in which she calls for increased Social Security benefits: “The absolute last thing we should do in 2013 – at the very moment that Social Security has become the principal lifeline for millions of our seniors — is allow the program to begin to be dismantled inch by inch. “Over the past generation, working families have been hacked at, chipped, and hammered. If we want a real middle class — a middle class that continues to serve as the backbone of our c... more »

Cuomo: No longer the “lobbyist” for the students?

Chris Cerrone at @ THE CHALK FACE - 9 hours ago

As the fight over Common Core, high-stakes testing, the new APPR teacher evaluation system, and education commissioner John King’s leadership hits a fever pitch in New York State, Governor Andrew Cuomo has been silent for weeks. Today we finally get some quotes from Cuomo who declared himself “lobbyist” for the students of New York. “It’s […]

BOOKS / Ron Jacobs : Marc Myers Tells Us 'Why Jazz Happened'

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 9 hours ago

'Jazz, man, that’s where I’m at': Chronicling the history of America's music Myers provides the reader with a deep, rich, and broad perspective on the confluence of jazz and U.S. history in the decades following World War Two. By Ron Jacobs / The Rag Blog / November 18, 2013 [Why Jazz Happened by Marc Myers (2012: University of California Press); Hardcover; 266 pp; $30.51.] After a very

Now we all care Secretary Duncan.

Chris Cerrone at @ THE CHALK FACE - 9 hours ago

My initial and continued reaction to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s ‘suburban moms” speech is how he insulted all parents with his flippant comment. Does he imply that other parents do not care about their children? Or does he think Common Core opposition comes from only one segment of society? Is this the continued strategy of Common […]

Regenerating a comment

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 9 hours ago

And before I fly off with Peri into the deepest reaches of the universe tonight, I'd like to lift another exchange tonight at *Biased BBC* (partly because it involves me!): *chrisH *says: November 18, 2013 at 8:48 pm I`ve only had the radio on three times times today, but each occasion has mentioned the bloody Dr Who day coming up. HGAF?…when the BBC wants to put its daleks back into senior management , then I`ll think it worth the endless puffs and plugs. Can say puffs still can`t I? Shameless self-referential gobshites , the BBC. Exterminate…FFS! PS-don`t suppose the inventor of th... more »

US House pulls bill second time to desecrate sacred Apache land

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 10 hours ago

No Vote on the Oak Flat Land Exchange Bill By Sandra Rambler, San Carlos Apache Traditionally Speaking Censored News Washington, D.C. – On Nov. 13, Arizona Congressman, Paul Gosar (R-CD 4), was forced to pull H.R. 687 from the floor of the House of Representatives with a “no vote” for the second time on the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange Bill, which includes Chi’Chil’Bagoteel (Oak

Letting a thousand Flowers - and five mentions of Labour - bloom

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 10 hours ago

In the interests of fair blogging, I must point out, in the light of an earlier post - *Bowdlerising 'A Bankers Tale'* - that the BBC News website is actually leading tonight with the latest developments in the Paul Flowers story: Co-op probe after drug allegations against ex-boss, and it even mentions "Labour" five times. That's progress.

BBC exclusive: Kennedy was shot by a right-wing Republican

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 10 hours ago

Several commenters at *Biased BBC *have been pointing an accusing finger at a BBC documentary broadcast last night on BBC Two, as part of the corporation's build-up to the 50th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy this week. Here are the exchanges at *B-BBC*: *JonT says: **November 17, 2013 at 7:23 pm. J**ust watched a documentary on BBC2 about the Kennedy assassination. Three times they they stated that Texas was an evil ‘right wing republican state’ but not once did they deign to mention that Lee Harvey Oswald was a communist. Watch this in ignorance and you coul... more »

Sounds like 'Cocaine Psychosis' to me ........

leftdog at Buckdog - 10 hours ago

*"Ford has previously admitted to smoking crack cocaine "in a drunken stupor," but in excerpts of an interview aired on CNN's "New Day" Monday, he admitted to having "smoked some crack sometimes."* *Cocaine Psychosis* [image: Progressive Bloggers] * (just sayin' ......) *

Other Sources Besides Amazon for TMoE

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 11 hours ago

If you are looking for a copy of *The Mismeasure of Education*, try B&N or the publisher, IAP. All have the same price of $27.50. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Why Keeping Your Kids Home Sends the Wrong Message

Kris Nielsen at @ THE CHALK FACE - 11 hours ago

Today, a protest took place, which was started by a New York State mom and was aggressively advertised as a move against the Common Core State Standards. It was celebrated as national day of protest, although it seems that designation fell flat. It seemed like a good way to get attention, and to some extent, […]

Sublime . . .

Edstock at The Galloping Beaver - 11 hours ago

JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME, an unusual human himself, has made a TV ad for Volvo trucks (not affiliated with Volvo cars, btw), part of which you see above. According to Jalopnik, in an article “Jean-Claude Van Damme's Split Between Two Moving Trucks Is No CGI” that's real, no CGI, J-C actually did that stunt. Well, it inspired somebody to adapt it to the Rob Ford fiasco which Jalopnik kindly

Christy Clark Speaks Glowingly About David Hahn And BC Ferries Profitability Under Hahn`s Tutelage

Grant G at The Straight Goods - 11 hours ago

Let me start by saying this, if Vancouver Island was a B.C. Liberal riding stronghold, if the BC Liberals needed Vancouver island ridings in their political camp to form Government ferry fares would be half the current price or even less.. Second, everything blathered by the BC Liberals on BC Ferries is a lie....Gordon Campbell lied, David Hahn lied and Christy Clark repeated those BC Ferry lies on radio, and the liefest continues today... Below is factual, below is actual radio transcript I received from the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council after I filed a formal complaint ... more »

Does The GOP Actually WANT To Be Known As The Party Of Bigotry And Hatred?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 11 hours ago

The Republican Party civil war over LGBT equality isn't just tearing the Cheney family apart. The bitter rear guard bigotry is making the whole party Establishment look pathetic and prehistoric. By preventing a vote on the ENDA bill that passed the Senate with strong bipartisan support, Boehner is once again bringing his party into further national disrepute-- although it doesn't seem likely that a congressional 9% approval rating is going to get much worse. Still identifying Republicans with the bad guys in every argument before the public is probably not the best way to impleme... more »

JFK50: Robert Strange McNamara

Paul Coker at News Spike - 11 hours ago

Delivery of the McNamrra-Taylor Report (Authored by President John F. Kennedy, Esq.) *"**Who is man? Is he a rational animal? * *If he is, then the goals can ultimately be achieved. * *If he is not, then there is little point in making the effort.* *All the evidence of history suggests that man is indeed a rational animal but with a near infinite capacity for folly. * *His history seems largely a halting, but persistent, effort to raise his reason above his animality. * *He draws blueprints for utopia. But never quite gets it built. * *In the end he plugs away obstinately with th... more »

WHO KILLED JFK

Anon at aangirfan - 11 hours ago

*Moments before he was shot* On 18 November 2013, CNN had an article entitled: *One JFK conspiracy theory that could be true* CNN quotes Dave Perry who has been researching John F. Kennedy's killing since 1976. Dave Perry : Biography - Spartacus Educational / Dave Perry's JFK Assassination Pages *Perry does not rule out the theory that the CIA killed Kennedy.* Oliver Stone thinks it was a conspiracy / Even John Kerry thinks the JFK assassin had help Hercule Poirot, in Agatha Christie's 'Murder on the Orient Express' tries to discover which of the passengers on the train has... more »

Welcome to Wally World

jurassicpork at Welcome Back to Pottersville - 12 hours ago

...where no sacrifice by the 99% is too great. And, yeah, the thing about the Canton, Ohio store is for real, according to *ABC News*. They've actually been doing this for several years running and their spokesperson says the associates are "offended" at news reports of the proletariat having to help each other while the company rakes in $33 billion a year in profits idly stands by. I'd be offended, too, if I had to admit my employer, the world's largest retailer, pays it workers so little that their other low-paid workers have to chip in to make sure my coworkers got ... more »

Ignore Those Polls! (Small Sample Size Crosstabs Edition)

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 12 hours ago

Josh Kraushaar also said: The president isn't just losing his skeptics from the chaotic Obamacare rollout but his allies who stood to gain from the law's benefits -- namely Hispanics, whose approval of the president has dropped more than any demographic subgroup since the problems began. Ignore those polls! Or at least, be very careful about subsamples. Kraushaar published this one early today, before last week's Gallup numberswere ready; turns out that Obama's approval among Hispanics, per Gallup, is now at 52% -- up three points over two weeks ago, while the overall rate remained... more »

JFK: The Transparency that is still denied

Breaking The Silence at Removing The Shackles - 12 hours ago

50 Years later, the American Government and it's sycophantic bully boy co-corporationists and their suckup mind & money controlled media stooges are STILL trying to sell the blatantly laughable Warren Commission's final report on the Assassination of JFKennedy. I just did a search, and truth be told, not even the alternative media are really doing justice to this anniversary. The MainStreamMedia cartel are lobbing memorial bombs at the public and waxing eloquently about that dark day in history when the young JFK was murdered by a lone gunman, and they are drowning us with images... more »

Longest Walk 4 walks onto Western Shoshone land Nevada

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 13 hours ago

. Photos by Western Shoshone long walker Carl 'Bad Bear' Sampson, thanks for sharing with Censored News! Longest Walk near Ely, Nevada, on Monday, Nov. 18, 2013

No really, Obamacare is a big success

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 13 hours ago

Shocking news. Obamacare rollout working well in states that aren't run by GOP thugs determined to sabotage it. In our states — Washington, Kentucky and Connecticut — the Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare,” is working. Tens of thousands of our residents have enrolled in affordable health-care coverage. Many of them could not get insurance before the law was enacted. People keep asking us why our states have been successful. Here’s a hint: It’s not about our Web sites. The Affordable Care Act has been successful in our states because our political and community leaders grasped t... more »

Argentina: April 1950 - Unidentified Flying Object over Corrientes and Resistencia

Inexplicata (IHU) at Inexplicata-The Journal of Hispanic Ufology - 13 hours ago

*Source: Ovnisencorrientes and Planeta UFODate: 11.13.13* *Argentina: April 1950 - Unidentified Flying Object over Corrientes and Resistencia* *By Andrés Salvador* The following sighting of a UFO over the cities of Corrientes and Resistencia in the early morning hours of Monday, 17 April 1950, constitutes the oldest case we have documented in the territory of the province of Corrientes, and is also the oldest we have on record for the Province of Chaco. The article we are presenting here was published by the El Nacional newspaper of Corrientes on Tuesday, 18 April 1950 (Archivo ... more »

A Chilly description of just one of the candidates...but why?

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 13 hours ago

*Today, *this morning, gave Radio 4 listeners an overview of the results of the first round of the presidential election in Chile. The run-off will be between two daughters of Chilean air force generals. That's strange enough, but it gets stranger. Their fathers were close friends for most of their lives, and the two daughters (who lived next door to each other) were also friends in their younger years. That was before the military coup of 1973. The father of the left-wing candidate in this election, ex-president Michelle Bachelet, was a supporter of the democratically-elected... more »

World Bank Whistleblower exposes EVERYTHING - senior counsel Karen Hudes - must see interview!

Mike Philbin at PROGNOSIS II - 13 hours ago

Christopher Hudson, host of the Forerunner Chronicles, interviews former WORLD BANK Senior Counsel Karen Hudes who exposes IRS and JESUIT connection, OBAMA being blackmailed, NUCLEAR False Flag attack on US soil... etc. "...and we found out, IT'S *ALL ONE BANK*," Hudes claims. "Anything the Corporate Media tells you, ISN'T THE WAY THE WORLD IS," she goes on the explain the Big Six Media and Banker Collusion with the Big Six Energy Companies etc. You're all being shat on.

Shush! (Why We Should NEVER Discuss What Real Journalists Do - HINT: It Upsets Plutocrats (and Criminals)) Jeremy Hammond Sentenced to 10 Years for Practicing Journalism (Long Live Lessing!)

Cirze at Welcome to Pottersville 2 (Blogging Against Fascism!) - 13 hours ago

Bob Dylan awarded France’s Legion of Honor One of the greats. A fearless spokeswoman for the ignored and abused. Has passed away. Doris Lessing, any of whose 55 works of fiction merited prizes for courage, has disappeared from the comment scene where she illuminated controversial issues for 60 years. Long live Doris' spirit! Doris Lessing, 88, holds flowers on her doorstep after learning

A new religion is causing today’s downward spiral

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 14 hours ago

*In his oft-quoted tome on the history of ancient Rome, Edward Gibbon identified the rise of Christianity as a key factor in the fall of empire--degrading it’s martial readiness just as the barbarians approached the gates. Doug Casey wonders if today’s west might be going the same way. * *Casey identifies a new religion—environmentalism—as playing a similar role in the downward spiral of the United States, as well as many of the large democracies. In this Guest Post, David Galland from Casey Research summarises Doug Casey’s argument.* In a nutshell, in the same way that the early ... more »

jimi

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 14 hours ago

Follow up to: Did Obama write the regulation to cancel your insurance after Obamacare was passed?...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 14 hours ago

*an update. * In that post, * Did Obama write the regulation to cancel your insurance after Obamacare was passed?... *(many thanks to Doug Ross for linking at both *Larwyn's Linx* and at *Bad Blue.*) I asked the question, "Why are we just hearing about this now?" Remember when Sen. Mike Enzi predicted just such a occurrence? I only vaguely remember this for the most human of reasons - it didn't directly affect me. My bad.

Chris Matthews goes crazy about the L-word!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 14 hours ago

*MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013* *We recall when the L-word was Limbaugh:* Watching MSNBC has become increasingly painful. The station churns endless propaganda with its teams of propagandists. It’s often wrong on the simplest facts. For one especially embarrassing episode from Politics Nation, cover the eyes of the kids, then fight your way through this three-part report from PolitiFact. (One example from that program, uttered by Goldie Taylor: "You know, our national debt is as low as it has been since World War II.” Good God.) The channel is painful to watch. Even by its own declinin... more »

How to teach your child to ride a bicycle, Big Train style

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 14 hours ago

Absolute genius from Simon Pegg and the Big Train team.

Matt Strassler's failed attempt to mask his antinuclear activism

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 14 hours ago

The strong March 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami were brutal and caused 16,000-20,000 deaths. If I borrow a term used in the Obamacare, they have also caused some glitches in the Fukushima One Nuclear Power Plant which, despite the hype in the media, haven't killed a single person. Two workers had radiation burns and 37 people have suffered non-radiation physical injuries. This outcome of a 9.0 magnitude earthquake that failed to cause any casualties (so far) despite its scariest possible interplay with a 42-46-years-old nuclear facility is a testimony of the wonderful safety th... more »

Is Obama mania over?...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 14 hours ago

*maybe.* Then again, maybe not. I don't have much faith in the intelligence of the majority of libtards. I *have* noticed many of the commenters at Huff & Puff are calling Obama a liar. So, anyways - I have some tulip bulbs to get in before the rain starts up again. Not feeling particularly brilliant today (not that I'm *ever* particularly brilliant), so I suggest you read something from someone who is. Daren Jonescu at American Thinker has an interesting take: *Might the Establishment Turn Against Obama?*

100m in 9 seconds, if only he didn't have a delayed start... It's the "Starting Blocks Lesson" from Big Train

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 15 hours ago

Simon Pegg is taught how to start a 100m metre race.

ANOTHER epic Israel-boycott failure as BDS groups use Israeli tech to build websites | Trending Central

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 15 hours ago

Britain’s Zionist Federation has today highlighted the latest example of a failure of Israel boycotters (BDS campaigners) to hold to their principles as it transpires that various anti-Israel groups have been building their own websites with Israeli-developed technology. The website of the Cornell University branch of ‘Students for Justice in Palestine’ explains that the group’s campaigns include boycotting skincare products, soft drink manufacturers, and even hummus, while the ‘Palestinian Holocaust Museum’ website actively attempts to smear the Jewish state with claims of a “Pa... more »

'Rape porn' possession to be punished by three years in jail, David Cameron to announce | Metro News

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 15 hours ago

Unsurprisingly they haven't thought this through. Are anybody with DVDs, or similar, of one or more of Deliverance, Pulp Fiction, Shawshank Redemption and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo to face a prison sentence? Metro article here http://metro.co.uk/2013/11/17/rape-porn-possession-to-be-punished-by-three-years-in-jail-david-cameron-to-announce-4189512/

NSA Asked Linus Torvalds To Install Backdoors Into GNU/Linux

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 15 hours ago

INFOPOLICY – CHRISTIAN ENGSTRÖM http://falkvinge.net/2013/11/17/nsa-asked-linus-torvalds-to-install-backdoors-into-gnulinux/ *NSA Asked Linus Torvalds To Install Backdoors Into GNU/Linux* The NSA has asked Linus Torvalds to inject covert backdoors into the free and open operating system GNU/Linux. This was revealed in this week’s hearing on mass surveillance in the European Parliament. Chalk another one up of the United States NSA trying to make information technology less secure for everyone. The father of Linus Torvalds, Nils Torvalds, is a Member of the European Parliament for Fi... more »

Fires of Higher Light emblazon Portals upon Gaia Earth surface

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 15 hours ago

*Fires of Higher Light emblazon Portals upon Gaia Earth surface* by ÉirePort Fires of Higher Light emblazon Portals upon Gaia Earth surface. Each Portal is emblazoned. Softening occurs as Hue-manity embraces the Fires. All of Gaia surface awakens to Higher Dimensional Awareness in short order. Summation of lower dimensional constructs is dissolved. Primary focus returns. ÉirePort | November 18, 2013 at 16:55 URL: http://wp.me/p2sFUY-qg

Programming Our Life

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 15 hours ago

Considering my husband is a Web Programmer, HTML and PHP have a big place in our life. Sometimes I joke that my husband speaks PHP more often then he speaks English and one day he is going to start speaking his whole life in code. He thought he would start today. Did you catch that? No? How about this? I am so excited to announce that I am pregnant. I was told by my last doctor that we would never have another baby, so we couldn't be more thrilled. It has been a hard pregnancy, but we feel really blessed to get a second baby at all, so I am trying to count my blessings instea... more »

Aside From Steve Israel, Where Does Empty Suit Pete Aguilar Get His Campaign Money?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 15 hours ago

In 2012 Steve Israel's empty suit candidate lost to TWO Republicans in a D+5 district! Redlands’s unelected Mayor, City Councilman Pete Aguilar, has never actually ever done anything well. In fact, most people regarded him as an unaffiliated conservative or a Republican until Steve Israel encouraged him to run for a nice blue congressional seat as a Democrat. Under Aguilar's leadership, once thriving small businesses in Redlands have been killed by the Wal Mart Aguilar’s administration attracted and now much of the city’s north side is in Detroit-like poverty. 34 year old Pete, simp... more »

The foamer at the mouth (Ed Miliband), former close associate of the nose picker (Gordon Brown)

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 15 hours ago

Guido Fawkes has video of Ed Miliband foaming at the mouth. The video of Gordon Brown picking his nose is on this blog, but never shown on the pro Labour BBC.

Setting Aside Default Judgment

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

*Royal Bank of Canada v. Datanet Wireless Inc.,* 2013 ONCA 706: [3] The motion judge explicitly addressed the applicable pre-requisites for the setting aside of a default judgment, as described in *HSBC Securities (Canada) Inc. v. Firestar Capital Management Corp*., 2008 ONCA 894, 245 O.A.C. 47, leave to appeal to S.C.C. refused (2009), 399 N.R. 398 (note) (S.C.C.), *Morgan v. Toronto (City) Police Services Board* (2003), 34 C.P.C. (5th) 46, 169 O.A.C. 390 (C.A.) and related authorities. He considered all the relevant factors in the context of the evidentiary record befor... more »

Obamacare Press Frenzy Stuff

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 16 hours ago

Oy, Kraushaar. Oy, Galston. Oy, half the damn press corps. It's ugly out there, folks. The two that set me off in particular today are Josh Kraushaar's massive overinterpretation of the events of last week, leading him to believe that Democrats are close to abandoning the ACA. And then Todd Purdom on the imminent collapse of "Big Government progressivism" if the ACA doesn't work well (complete with supporting quotes from William Galston). Anyway, here are some links to what I've written in response. There's just a lot of nonsense right now. Which is pretty much what happens when th... more »

Japan's New Emissions Targets

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Pielke, Jr.) at Roger Pielke Jr.'s Blog - 16 hours ago

Last week the Japanese government announced that it would adopt a new emissions reductions target: A government panel on measures to tackle climate change approved on Friday a new goal to reduce the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions by 3.8 percent by 2020 from the 2005 level. . . Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he is sure that Japan can substantially contribute to global efforts to tackle climate change. The government will steadily implement necessary measures to achieve the new emissions reduction target, he said. The new goal means a setback from the target of reducing emissions... more »

Hellzapoppin?

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 16 hours ago

With visions of stagnant swamps and bubble economies dancing in my head after reading Paul Krugman's column, I wonder if this morning's newsis indicative of the next toxic carbuncle fixing to pop any minute now, spreading its poison all over the globe: In early trading, the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index *crossed the 1,800-point mark* for the first time, and the Dow Jones industrial average *surpassed 16,000 points for the first time*. By midmorning, the S.&P. was flat, at 1,798.46 points; the Dow was up 0.3 percent, at 16,003.86; and the Nasdaq composite was off 0.1 percent, at 3... more »

INTERNATIONAL CHILD ABUSE NETWORK?

Anon at aangirfan - 16 hours ago

* Eric Dejaeger* While Eric Dejaeger was a priest in the community of Igloolik in Canada, between 1978 and 1982, he allegedly had sex with a large number of Inuit children. In 1995, the Canadian authorities knew of Dejaeger's alleged crimes but reportedly allowed him to escape from Canada to his native Belgium just days before he was due to stand trial. In 1990, Dejaeger had been briefly jailed on separate charges of sexually molesting children in Baker Lake. *Canada let priest Eric Dejaeger flee to Belgium amid sex abuse charges: Official* Georges Vervust is the top official wi... more »

Toronto Council Cannot Remove Statutory Powers of the Mayor

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

News reports suggest that today's motion will seek to remove all of Mayor Ford's remaining powers. If that is, in fact, the proposal, then Mayor Ford has a Christmas in November situation. The City of Toronto is a statutory body. It is created by Provincial Legislation and cannot exceed the jurisdiction granted by statute. And powers given by statute to the Mayor cannot be removed by the City. Any attempt to remove statutory powers is simply illegal. Story

Fukushima Nuclear Plant disaster November 16 , 2013 and Weekend Updates - Top news item in possible start of fuel rod removal at the Spent Fuel Pool ( Reactor Building 4 ) .... New Details released revealing damage at Reactor Building 1 ....... Healths effects hidden by Japan , radiation plumes and health effects on animal life in North American appearing in the West .....

Catharsis Ours - 16 hours ago

EX SKF.... SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2013 #Fukushima I Nuke Plant: TEPCO Admits Total 80 Spent Fuel Assemblies Had Damages Before the Nuclear Accident, 70 of Them in Reactor 1 Spent Fuel Pool Move over, three fuel assemblies with damaged/deformed fuel rods inside in the Reactor 4 Spent Fuel Pool! You're nothing. According to Kahoku Shinpo, a Fukushima local paper, TEPCO admitted on November 15, 2013 that *there are 70 fuel assemblies with damaged fuel rods in the Reactor 1 Spent Fuel Pool*, located on the operating floor (top floor) of the reactor building whose air radiation levels ... more »

No THB2 ... At Least for Now

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Pielke, Jr.) at Roger Pielke Jr.'s Blog - 17 hours ago

Not long ago I mentioned on this blog I that I had set to work on an 2nd edition of *The Honest Broker, *my 2007 book with Cambridge University Press After a lot of work and thought I've decided at this point not to press forward with it, for two reasons. One is that after going through the first five chapters I made a few revisions, but mostly very small and very nuanced. I actually really like these chapters as they are. The second is that getting into further details on each of the four ideal types (well, five) means ... getting into the details. I have a lot of interesting mat... more »

Argentina: UFO Sightings are Ongoing in Victoria

Inexplicata (IHU) at Inexplicata-The Journal of Hispanic Ufology - 17 hours ago

*Source: www.diariovictoria.com.arDate: 11.14.13* *Argentina: UFO Sightings are Ongoing in Victoria* Victoria is a city in [the province of Entre Rios] that stands out for its single-storey houses, its artistic grillwork and their narrow streets laid out in the classic Spanish style. It is also famous for another reason: UFO sightings. This is how Silvia Perez Simondini "discovered" it after seeing an article published in the Clarin newspaper, which made her feel Victoria was her rightful place in the world. "I was living very well in a *petit hotel*l in Villa Devoto, Capital Fe... more »

The Grit-sters Have a New Guru without CIA Connections

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 17 hours ago

With the spook-ish Dr. Seligman too scary to mention in contexts involving children, his longtime disciple, Angela Duckworth, does not even mention Seligman in her mini-TED talk that CorpEd is pumping this week on HuffPo's education page. Seligman's work with the CIA as an expert on learned helplessness, and then his work with the Pentagon on how to teach the joys of positive psychology to Iraq vets with PTSD, have made the mention of his name within the chain gang charter movement out of bounds. The new guru in town is Carol Dweck, who is given the credit for grounding Angel Duckw... more »

Demography 20: Presentation at ILS, DOLE, on Population and Growth

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 17 hours ago

Yesterday, I was one of three speakers in a forum by the Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on "From Challenges to Dividents: A New and Healthy Discourse on Gender, Employment, Population and Development" held at The Bayleaf Hotel, Intramuros, Manila. Special thanks to a friend, Bryan Balco, focal point person of ILS on Gender and Development (GAD), for inviting me. The two other speakers were Dr. Juan Antonio Perez, Executive Director of the Commission on Population (PopCom), and Dr. Ramon Benedicto Marcelino, Director for Research, ... more »

Peru: UFO Visible in the Sky over Ica for Two Hours

Inexplicata (IHU) at Inexplicata-The Journal of Hispanic Ufology - 17 hours ago

*Source: ASTROUFO and Planeta UFODate: 11.14.13* *PERU: UFO Visible in the Sky over Ica for Two Hours* An unidentified flying object remained visible in the skies over Ica (Peru) for at least two hours on Sunday afternoon, 10 November 2013. The first sighting of the object took place at 12:45 pm from the San Juan Bautista sector, where it was seen moving for a few minutes while making changes in its shape, following a constant pattern: sphere, tube, diagonal shape and "old telephone receiver" shape. The white-colored object displayed an intense glow at all times, perhaps a result... more »

Turkey’s Changing Stance Towards Iraq’s Kurds, An Interview With Lehigh Prof Henri Barkey

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 18 hours ago

In just the last few years Turkey’s policy towards Iraq has gone through a dramatic transformation. For decades, Ankara was opposed to any form of autonomy or independence for Iraq’s Kurds, while it denied rights to its own Kurdish population, and fought a long insurgency led by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Since the second term of Turkish Prime Minister Recept Tayyip Erdogan from the Justice and Development Party (AKP), that has begun to change. Turkey now stands as the largest investor in the Kurdistan region, it has become one of the main backers of Kurdish President Ma... more »

Yuck! Another Foul Odour Is Coming From The PMO .. This One Smells Like Robo-Calls Coverup

leftdog at Buckdog - 18 hours ago

*"At the same time as some Conservative party staffers allege meeting with Michael Sona and reporting that he told them of his involvement in the robocalls controversy in the riding of Guelph, travel records show that Sona was vacationing on the island of Aruba. Sona is charged with violating the Elections Act in a controversy stemming from the 2011 election wherein robocalls directed voters to the wrong polling stations.[...] Elections Canada has heard complaints of dirty tricks in the 2011 election from over 200 ridings. Many of the grievances don’t amount to much, sources say, ... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 18 hours ago

*Saints' faith in Garrett Hartley pays off ~Mike Triplett, ESPN* *Plaquemines seeks optimum shoreline options ~Amy Wold, The Advocate* *TUCP Direction Presents: A Lecture by Angela Davis * *Tornadoes rip through Midwest, killing 6 and devastating neighborhoods ~CNN* *Doris Metropolitan: International Steakhouse Opens in French Quarter ~M.D. Dupuy, NOLA DEFENDER*

Tartarstan

Paul Coker at News Spike - 18 hours ago

*"What is most important to the history of the world? The Taliban or the collapse of the Soviet empire? Some stirred-up Muslims or the liberation of Central Europe and the end of the cold war?" * *- Zbignew Brezynski, * *La Monde, 1998 * The Republic of Tartarstan lies on the banks of the Volga. *Right near all the oil Hitler was trying to get to in 1942.* *"If I do not get the oil of Maikop and Grozny then I must liquidate this war."* *—Adolf Hitler* *“One has to understand what the enemy is all about: the enemy's history, the enemy's culture, the enemy's aspirations. If you... more »

LOOKING BACK AT DRONE CONFERENCE

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 19 hours ago

- I am heading home after the weekend drone conference here in DC. Yesterday I spoke in a workshop along with David Swanson and Clare Hanrahan who I've know since my Florida days. Clare is doing some great organizing in the south educating people about the environmental impact of military production sites across the region. - During my time in the workshop I talked about how space technology coordinates all Pentagon warfare these days. I read the words of former Air Force Maj. Gen. James Poss (he helped oversee the Predator drone's development) who... more »

Standing In The Way Of History Is Often Fatal-- As Both Republicans And Conservative Democrats Are About To Find Out

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 19 hours ago

The Republican Party, particularly the congressional wing, has one issue they're gearing up for the midterms: Obamacare. After doing everything in their power to sabotage it, from inception to roll out, the, Republicans want to focus all their attention on howling about what a failure it is. But are people buying their message? Over the weekend we saw how a Republican primary in northeast Louisiana resulted in a loss for the Establishment, party-line candidate and a win for a candidate who ran explicitly on expanding Medicaid for working families. That doesn't fit the GOP narrativ... more »

Ripples: Your Daily Howler keeps getting results!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 19 hours ago

*MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013* *To his credit, Bill Keller backs down:* Incomparably, your Daily Howler just keeps getting results! This morning, right there in the New York Times, Bill Keller starts backing down: KELLER (11/18/13): *The decline of our education system is exaggerated* but real, especially in the scientific and technical fields. Say what? “The decline of our education system is exaggerated?” Where in the world did *that* come from? Back in August, Keller was saying this about our K-12 schools. His column that day concerned the new Common Core: KELLER (8/19/13): Thi... more »

Brady disclosure

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 19 hours ago

*Brady v. Maryland*, 373 U.S. 83 (1963) holds that withholding exculpatory evidence violates due process "where the evidence is material either to guilt or to punishment". This is similar but arguably more limited than the Canadian position. In Canada all material evidence (subject to privilege) held by the prosecution must be disclosed. In America request for disclosure is (usually) required. A defendant's request for "*Brady *disclosure" requires the prosecution to disclose material exculpatory evidence to the defense. Exculpatory evidence is "material" if "there is a re... more »

Read Stuff, You Should

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 19 hours ago

Happy Birthday to Jamie Moyer, 51. I'm obviously not alone in this, but he was my guy: the last player older than me in the majors. Or anywhere in organized ball, as far as I know. Ah well. My cohort was obviously pretty lucky in that respect. A wonderful career. Good stuff: 1. As one who agrees with the courts that partisan gerrymandering is kosher by the Constitution, I nevertheless agree very much with Rick Hasen about voter suppression and the Constitution. That is, courts "should hold that when a state passes a law that burdens voters, it must demonstrate, with credible eviden... more »

Mixing Scholarly with Blogging Identities

Jon Western at Duck of Minerva - 19 hours ago

[Note: This is a guest post from Mira Sucharov and Brent E. Sasley. Mira Sucharov is Associate Professor of Political Science at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. She blogs at Haaretz.com and at Open Zion. Follow her on Twitter. Brent Sasley is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Texas Continue reading

Watch "CAMERA Video Brief Exposes Economist and al Jazeera Anti-Israel Bias" on YouTube

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 19 hours ago

The Economist -- and al Jazeera following suit -- took biased treatment of Israel to new depths with a segment claiming Israel, in its apparently diabolical attempts to torment Arabs, resorts to setting traffic lights so that Arabs must wait longer than Jews. The absurdity of this false charge led to this video alert, aired on Jewish Life TV, and prompted CAMERA to prepare a detailed video of its own exposing the bogus claims, which can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ectEf4...

The Facts Are Catching Up With Them

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 20 hours ago

Haroon Siddiqui writes that, in the end, buffoonery won't bring Rob Ford and Stephen Harper down. Eventually, the truth that they are not who they say they are will catch up with them: Both play the outsider. Harper of Etobicoke, pretending to be a Calgarian, says he “didn’t go to Ottawa to join private clubs or become part of some elite.” He’s there only to take on the civil servants, “the courts,” the “union bosses,” the media, etc. Ford, a fellow-Etobian, is “watching every dime” at City Hall, taking on lazy unionized workers and the media “maggots.” But his claim of havin... more »

TRIBE AND RACE: Race-fueled street fight on the left!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 20 hours ago

*MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013* *Part 1—Perlstein belittles Winfrey:* Last week, historian Rick Perlstein took out the knives in a street fight he launched against Oprah Winfrey. Or did he? This street fight, which we have imagined, concerns the role played by race in the denigration of President Obama. In the course of disagreeing with Winfrey’s view, Perlstein displayed his rather obvious sense of white privilege. Or at least, a person could *say* that he did! In a lusty, name-calling piece at The Nation, Perlstein claimed that the tea party is just the latest example of a well-know... more »

Tepco commences fuel rod assembly removal at the Spent Fuel Pool - Building 4 ! Keep your fingers crossed that Tepco pulls this off safely - also keep in mind the overall operation will take a year ! Highlights on the Fukushima ongoing nuclear debacle from Energy News !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 20 hours ago

Simply info....... Unit 4 Fuel Loaded In Cask At Fukushima Daiichi[image: Unit 4 Fuel Loaded In Cask At Fukushima Daiichi] TEPCO has released photos of the first fuel successfully removed from the fuel racks at unit 4. NHK reports the removal of some of the unused fuel from the pool to the transfer cask. TEPCO estimates it may take a week to load the first cask of 22 fuel assemblies before they can remove it from the pool. From TEPCO’s press … Read entire article » Unit 4 Fuel Assemblies To Be Removed 3pm JST Today[image: Unit 4 Fuel Assemblies To Be Removed 3pm JST Today]... more »

Hope the tree doesn't blow over!!!

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 20 hours ago

Fukushima- Dangerous fuel rod removal begins

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 20 hours ago

Links for information can be found at the end of the post The decades-long decommissioning process at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 plant is about to take what Tokyo Electric Power Co. says is “an important step,” as the utility starts removing fuel rod assemblies from the spent fuel pool high up in reactor building 4 . *“Usually, spent fuel rods are safely stored in sturdy reactor buildings, but reactor building 4 experienced a hydrogen explosion, so it has lost its full containment capability,”* said Kiyoshi Takasaka, an adviser on nuclear issues to Fukushima Prefecture. *The hyd... more »

BitCoin crosses 600 this morning - shortly before a Senate Hearing on BitCoin .... between China allowing BitCoin for Real Estate transactions and friendly noises coming from US agencies such as the Department of Justice and SEC , we may be entering a blowoff phase for BitCoin !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 20 hours ago

Bitcoin Soars Above $600: Rises 20% In One Day Ahead Of Senate Hearing [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 11/18/2013 07:57 -0500 - Bear Market - Bitcoin - China - Department of Justice - NASDAQ - Real estate - Securities and Exchange Commission - Yuan inShare While the relentless multiple expansion (if not so much earnings growth and certainly not revenue contraction) looks set to push all three main stock indices over the key psychological levels of 16000, 1800 and 4000, with the all time bubble high on the Nasdaq in... more »

Annie Machon on Edward Snowden | London Real

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 21 hours ago

*16 Oktober 2013* Annie Machon is a Former MI5 Intelligence Officer turned Whistleblower and now a writer, commentator and public speaker on issues like the war on terrorism, the war on drugs, and the war on the internet. She is also a director of LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition). *http://anniemachon.ch/*

Another windy day

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 21 hours ago

It's easy to forget the weather especially in Southern Ontario. (Nunavut is another story). But last night, taking shelter by the indoor pool of a hotel, as tornadoes moved through the area I was forcibly reminded of the nature and danger of storms!

Ir wasn't just Barack Hussein Obama who lied, Hillary Rodham Clinton did too

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 22 hours ago

'In 2007, campaigning in Iowa, Clinton like Obama, promised Americans that if they liked their plans they could keep them. Clinton, also like Obama, left out the fine print that her plan had a provision similar to Obamacare which would have kicked millions off of their own insurance plans.' For when Hillary Clinton becomes the next saviour of the United States and the media (including the BBC) get right behind her after all the USA has never had a woman President.

ABC News: West Coast Evacuation Possible

Barbara Ann Levy at WPB/NYC and Anything Else; A Curated Green Rights Collection - 1 day ago

The expansion is accelerating due to negative enough pressure

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 1 day ago

*...no strings attached...* In recent years, I got used to the fact that Sean Carroll is confused about some very basic physics – the postulates of quantum mechanics as well as thermodynamics (and the very basic insight due to Boltzmann and others that its laws are microscopically explained by statistical physics and not, for example, by cosmology). And I won't even threaten your stomach by memories of the Boltzmann brains, doomsdays, and similar delusions. But I thought he could rationally think at least about classical general relativity. His book was pretty good, I thought, altho... more »

the War On You by Corporate Initiative NG/152-XXX - it's not what you 'discover'

Mike Philbin at PROGNOSIS II - 1 day ago

there's been a helluva lot of distractionary material out there on the internet of late relating to SURVEILLANCE, ooh the big Stasi-like bogey man. Is it fair to say that in a Corporate War situation with Stasi-like Full Dominance Surveillance/Hacking, Advanced Interrogation Techniques, Weather Weapons, Metering, Top Six (Energy, Media, Defence) Companies Monopolising and The Rules of Corporate Take-over applied to each and every 'competitor' in their war i.e. You The Individual. Isn't it ture that cyber-attack-sponsored Corporate War is an Ugly Game that is NDA'd beyond the moral c... more »

Liz Cheney-- Rotten To The Core

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago

Dick Cheney with a blond wig-- and rabies I've been savoring every moment of Barton Gellman's book on how Cheney took over the Bush presidency, Angler and I recommend it highly. (You can buy at at the link in the last sentence, which goes right to the *DWT Book Store*. Gellman begins his book with how Cheney systematically fucked over all the legitimate Republican choices for vice president, one after the other. Laytre he had an army of henchmen but that early in his career of evil he counted on the rotten daughter, Liz, the one running for the U.S. Senate against Wyoming conservativ... more »

Meet & Greet Monday (#MtaGt) - Briogeo

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:

*The rules:* 1. Use the link-up tool below to share your green-living blog or collection of environment... more »