Sunday, December 15, 2013

15 Dec - Blogs I'm Following

Where The Pacific Electric RanWhere The Pacific Electric Ran (Photo credit: waltarrrrr)
6:03pm MST

Longest Walk 4 Sacramento today Dec. 13, 2013

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 47 minutes ago
. Thanks to Western Shoshone Long Walker Carl 'Bad Bear' Sampson for sharing photos of the Longest Walk 4 Return to Alcatraz today with Censored News. The walkers five month journey culminates on Dec. 21 at Alcatraz, with a Sovereignty Gathering at Oakland Friendship House on Dec. 22.

Joe Oliver, Stephen Harper Oil Spill Response Fake Out

Grant G at The Straight Goods - 2 hours ago
*Bitumen excluded from data for federal tanker study, documents reveal* * The possible effects of a bitumen spill on Pacific waters were not considered in the oil response preparedness report released last week by the Harper government, the background data study reveals.....** The Genivar study, however, does warn, that if the Enbridge Northern Gateway project does go ahead, the spill risk from diluted bitumen carrying tankers in Douglas Channel and along the north Pacific coast will jump from “low” or “medium” to “very high.” If the twinning of the Kinder Morgan pipeline goes ahea... more »

12 Academic Days of Christmas

Megan MacKenzie at Duck of Minerva - 2 hours ago
Instead of the Monday linkage I thought I would start the 12 days of Academic Christmas. It represents that ‘to do’ list we all struggle to finish before the holidays. We’ll start with the first two and I’ll add another one each day- feel free to add suggestions! On the first day of Christmas my Continue reading

Françafrique

Paul Coker at News Spike - 2 hours ago
*"Without Africa, France will have no history in the 21st century"* François Mitterrand, then-minister of the Interior of France, 1957 *Clementine Churchill:* "General, you must not hate your friends more than you hate your enemies" *De Gaulle (in English):* "France has no friends, only interests."

Did Christie's Inability To Control Himself Just Queer His Chances To Run For President? Bridgegate

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 3 hours ago
Last week I was stunned when I heard Rachel Maddow's first report on how Chris Christie took revenge on a mayor for partisan differences by essentially shutting down the traffic on the country's busiest bridge for a few days. Turns out, it's the *world's* busiest bridge-- and Friday, Maddow did a little update (above). The words "dangerous sociopath" come immediately to mind. I wonder how many voters will see this as the ultimate example of why a self-entitled bully like Christie must be kept as far away from lethal power as possible. I sure hope so, because polls seem to show he... more »

Sunday Question for Liberals

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 3 hours ago
Same question, plus a bit more. What's the general consensus of neutral experts going to be by, oh, the end of March on how the ACA is working? Series of disasters? Surprisingly successful, given the fiasco in October? Too soon to know? Or something else? And what of Barack Obama's job in implementing the law. Presumably he'll still be knocked for October, but among liberals, will it look not so bad in retrospect? Sign of all that is wrong with his presidency? Demonstration that he makes at least his share of mistakes, but is good at recovering from them? Or something else?

Mobutu Sese Seko, Glenn Close and the AIDS Crisis

Paul Coker at News Spike - 3 hours ago
NOTE: The AIDS Crisis *began* in the Congo, in Kinshasa, around 1975. It first affected the (hetrosexual) black urban upper and middle-classes of the Congolese Civil Service, and is believed to have originated radiating outwards from two brothels known to be frequented by government officials and other elites as their primary or sole clientele. AIDS in Africa is primarily a hetrosexual disease and intravenous drugs use is incredibly rare. The US Embassy in Kinshasa was the regional station for all of Southern Africa - the illegal secret war in Angola was run from there, by Philip ... more »

Pope Francis

Paul Coker at News Spike - 3 hours ago
“There is nothing in the Exhortation that cannot be found in the social Doctrine of the Church. I wasn’t speaking from a technical point of view, what I was trying to do was to give a picture of what is going on. The only specific quote I used was the one regarding the “trickle-down theories” which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice and social inclusiveness in the world. The promise was that when the glass was full, it would overflow, benefitting the poor. But what happens instead, is that when the g... more »

Grumpy Cat Sez, Pt 2

jurassicpork at Welcome Back to Pottersville - 4 hours ago

TOP POLITICIAN; NAKED TEEN; ONE BILLION IN CASH

Anon at aangirfan - 4 hours ago
* Khadijah Azhari* What links model Khdijah to a top politician? *Top Moslem politician Luthfi, linked to illicit sex, money laundering and huge bribes.* Homophobic politicians who claim to be strong Christians or strong Moslems are usually liars and crooks. The scandal involving *Luthfi* began in January 2013. This was when anti-corruption investigators raided a Jakarta hotel room and found a man called *Ahmad* and a naked teenage student and 1 billion rupiah. *Ahmad* is a personal aide to *Luthfi *Hasan Ishaaq *Luthfi* Hasan Ishaaq was, until he was arrested, boss of Indonesia... more »

Who Needs the Debt Ceiling?

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 4 hours ago
*Arguments about the U.S. debt ceiling refuse to go away. That’s a good thing, say Russell Lamberti in this Guest Post. The singular brilliance of the debt ceiling, he argues, is that it keeps reminding everyone that there is a growing national debt that never seems to shrink. That is a tremendous service to American citizens, and others, who live in the dark regarding the borrowing machinations of their political overlords.* US lawmakers reached a(nother) budget deal this week that will avert sequester cuts and shutdowns. These fiscal “roadblocks” supposedly damaged investor con... more »

Sunday Question for Conservatives

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 4 hours ago
What's the general consensus of neutral experts going to be by, oh, the end of March on how the ACA is working? Series of disasters? Surprisingly successful, given the fiasco in October? Too soon to know? Or something else?

Democracy Is A Cesspool In Iraq And Everywhere Else

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 5 hours ago
*Source. * Making the "world safe for democracy" is the dumbest idea man has ever come up with in his political history on earth. It's not surprising that the so-called leader who came up with this stupid slogan also gave the world the rotten Federal Reserve Bank. Woodrow fucking Wilson. The idiot to crown all idiots. A century later, Barack fucking Obama, a liberal-progressive in the tradition of Wilson, wants to make Syria "safe for democracy." Enough of this bullshit. Democracy is a cesspool in Iraq and everywhere else. The best thing Syria has going for it right now is Assad,... more »

THE WORLD'S LONG FESTERING TRUTH / ISRAEL IS AN ILLEGAL GARRISON STATE

Allen L Roland, Ph.D at Allen L Roland's Weblog - 5 hours ago
*The Universal Declaration of human rights was adopted by the UN General Assembly of the United Nations* *65 years ago this week.* *The solution to the Israel / Palestinian problem starts and ends, as it eventually did in South Africa, with the restoration of human rights. Now the world's attention rightfully turns to the Garrison State of Israel where apartheid still rules and 650,000 Israel settlers are illegally living in Palestine territory: Allen L Roland * *Gaza from within the Garrison State* The Palestinian disintegration plot thickens as Gaza is recently flo... more »

THERE IS A WAR GOING ON

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 5 hours ago
Following a deadly U.S. drone strike on civilians in Yemen, members of a dozen peace groups wearing blue scarves gathered yesterday at the entrance of CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. With guards and barricades on one side and cars whizzing by on Rt. 123 on the other, they held a vigil in memory of civilians, especially children, killed by U.S. drone bombings in Yemen, Afghanistan and Pakistan. “The CIA touts that drones are accurate,” said Jack McHale of Pax Christi USA to about 30 protestors from groups including CODEPINK and Veterans for Peace. But, he said, according to ... more »

Hypocrisy, thy name is King

Chris Cerrone at @ THE CHALK FACE - 5 hours ago
As NYSED Commissioner King’s traveling Common Core forum circus makes its way around the Empire State we are seeing more and more hypocrisy from New York’s educational leader. Example #1: “Special Interests” I have watched several of the forums, read about others, and attended one. At the first forum in Poughkeepsie King called parents and […]

Against the Ruin of the World

gail zawacki at Wit's End - 5 hours ago
A Camellia, in Charleston, South Carolina *Against the ruin of the world, there is only one defense - the creative act.* ~ Kenneth Rexroth*, **World Outside the Window* I found that quote in an essay written by Christy Rodgers which, thanks to the creative commons license, I am able to re-post (with deep gratitude) in its entirety, unmodified, other than to add some photographs. But let’s first start with an update of the last couple of weeks, since I’ve been very busy and unable to post here at Wit’s End. Does a road trip qualify as a creative act - performance art, perhaps? First... more »

A warning to teachers unions from collaborators in their demise, @teachplus

Shaun Johnson at @ THE CHALK FACE - 6 hours ago
Teach Plus is a leadership development program (of sorts) for teachers in urban schools. Now, good leadership to me sounds like someone who distrusts party lines and examines issues from all angles. Our faculty was visited by Teach Plus one morning for a brief presentation, a lot of which focusing, oddly enough, on Common Core. […]

One Hundred KIPP 5th Graders in a Single Classroom on the Floor for a Week Until They "Earned" Their Desks

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 6 hours ago
KIPP spends a great deal of money promoting their brand of total compliance segregated charter schools as the tough love, no excuses solution for schooling in urban communities disabled by poverty and the lack of hope. KIPP and its billionaire supporters contend that we cannot wait for an end to poverty to properly educate the children of the poor. No one I know would disagree with this premise, but everyone I know disagrees with KIPP's conception of what "properly educate" means. KIPP sees no irony in requiring the poorest urban children who have received the least in life to ear... more »

Sunday Classics: Three duets from three Verdi operas

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 7 hours ago
*Marcelo Álvarez and Sondra Radvanovsky sing the Act II duet from Verdi's A Masked Ball at the Met, Dec. 8, 2012.* *by Ken* In Friday's preview we heard answering soprano and tenor snippets from three great Verdi duets, and I hope you heard what causes them, as I noted, to blend in my head. I assume you also guessed that, although the act numbers (I, II, and III) were given correctly, they weren't from the *same*Verdi opera. Today we're going to listen to a larger chunk from each duet -- still not the full scene, though perhaps one day we'll get to that. Even though the full duets... more »

Grumpy Cat Sez...

jurassicpork at Welcome Back to Pottersville - 7 hours ago

Lardbaugh Should Pick His Victims More Carefully: Picking On Pope Francis May Backfire

Manifesto Joe at Manifesto Joe's Texas Blues - 7 hours ago
By Manifesto Joe I don't know how many Roman Catholic "followers" Herr Rush Lardbaugh has, but he risks alienating many of them when he trashes the new pontiff, Pope Francis. Quoting recent e-mail alerts, on his radio "show" Herr Lardbaugh apparently referred to the pope as a "Marxist" and implied that Francis was bribed into urging the church toward more tolerant, more charitable (perhaps more CHRISTIAN) views about gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people. I confess to having a lot of blue-collar attitudes. When it comes to LGBT causes, I can't say that I've ever had a do... more »

OFF THE AIR

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 7 hours ago
Peter Woodruff and I have had a weekly radio show on WBOR at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine for the past six years. Peter works at Bath Iron Works and is a loyal union man. We've had past union leaders on the show. We talk politics, play commentaries, and put on good music connected to our theme that night. Peter has been the stalwart spending hours each week finding new music and timely commentaries for us to share with our midcoast audience. How many listeners? Know one knows. I used to ask folks to raise their hands high if they were listening so we could count them... more »

Anecdotes on teacher evaluation, horror-show edition @NCTQ

Shaun Johnson at @ THE CHALK FACE - 7 hours ago
The DCPS IMPACT is considered by many to be a model for the nation, or it was in its heyday just a few years ago. It is now derided, disliked, and distrusted by nearly every DCPS educator with whom I encounter. If not for the impact of IMPACT, namely performance bonuses and the keeping of […]

LUNCH WITH THE FT - BETTY BOWERS

Anon at aangirfan - 7 hours ago
I meet Betty Bowers for lunch at *Taco John's* in Des Moines. Betty is 'America's Best Christian' and she is keen to talk about the greatest conspiracy of all - the conspiracy to promote bisexuality and homosexuality. "I can put you straight," says Betty, "Praise the Lord!" Baptist Betty begins tucking in to her hard-shell taco, made with a prefabricated shell. "You know," says Betty "Even my pussy has become bisexual. "The people promoting the gay agenda are putting strange things in cat food. "And you know, my neighbour's son was recently seen wearing a pink shirt. "And his ... more »

Northerntruthseeker Rant For Sunday, December 15th, 2013

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 7 hours ago
Sunday again, and of course time for my weekly rant... Is it just me? Or are others just as disgusted by the continuing world wide praise for the mass murdering terrorist known as Nelson Mandela. I for one cannot see what was so "great" about this man at all. He was a Communist, a terrorist, and definitely a mass murderer. He spent years in prison not for his stance against "Apartheid", but for his actions against the South African government. He called for the violent overthrow of a government, and rightfully should have been hanged for his acts of terrorism against the South ... more »

SWP: 'Comrade X' Resigns

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 7 hours ago
The below comes from 'Comrade X', the woman who, like 'Comrade W' made a sexual assault complaint to the SWP's Dispute Commission about the alleged behaviour of a former leading member. Again, it is worth reiterating that "Delta" has never had charges brought against him and is entitled to the presumption of innocence like anyone else. The scandal, the putrescent stench has always been about the appalling handling of those allegations and hounding of alleged sexual abuse survivors by active SWP'ers. As you can see from X's resignation note (original here via Ciara Squires), her exp... more »

Libya updates- December 15 , 2013 ....Oil ports in Eastern Libya remain closed by Political Bureau of Cyrenaica, conditions not met allegedly by Libya nominal government .....petrol crisis in Tripoli hits third week.....fifty tons of ammunition destroyed in Misrata - that is good news......Sarir power station alleged to be restored to normal power by Wednesday.....more trial delays for Qaddafi aides as expected.....

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 7 hours ago
Breaking News – Jadhran now refuses to open oil terminals *By **Aimen Eljali*. [image: Jadhran speaking today in Ajdabia (Photo: Nabba TV)] Jadhran speaking today in Ajdabia (Photo: Nabba TV) *Tripoli, 15 December 2013:* Ibrahim Jadhran, head of the self-styled Political Bureau of Cyrenaica, has refused to reopen oil ports in the east of the country, as promised, on the grounds that the authorities have failed to meet the conditions put forward by his federalist movement. Jadhran had said on Tuesday that he would reopen the oil export terminals at Sidra, Ras Lanuf and Zueitina today on... more »

Snowden still has 1.7 million docs. NSA considering amnesty. Is amnesty for real or just a lie to get Snowden and his documents back in US hands ? And how far does this proposed amnesty extend - are all Federal and State law enforcement Agencies who could potentially charge Snowden with civil , criminal and administrative charges , fines actions of any and all types really on board ? And what about Congress and the President - these parties on board ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 8 hours ago
http://www.businessinsider.com/nsa-officials-are-considering-an-amnesty-for-edward-snowden-in-exhange-for-secret-documents-2013-12 ( Amnesty won't happen... think of what that could open up ? ) NSA Officials Are Considering An Amnesty For Edward Snowden In Exchange For Secret Documents [image: The Guardian] SPENCER ACKERMAN, THE GUARDIAN DEC. 15, 2013, 12:19 PM 261 2 - - inShare - - - EMAIL - MORE [image: Edward Snowden] Getty Images National Security Agency officials are considering a controversial amnesty that would return Edward Snowden to the United States... more »

Shocked, Shocked, I Tell You

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 8 hours ago
As the outrages pile up, so does the outrage fatigue. So I'll be brief: Rich people get away with it. When plutocrats misbehave, they get special meetings with the attorney general and set the terms for their own deferred prosecution agreements. When garden variety rich people and spoiled brats misbehave they either go to celebrity rehab, or get off on a novel defense called *Affluenza.* So here's an idea for all you poor slobs out there. Next time you get arrested for robbing a bank because your unemployment and food stamps got cut off, try pleading not guilty on grounds of *Indi... more »

Do you think charter schools “know how to do middle school really well?”

Angel Cintron Jr. at @ THE CHALK FACE - 8 hours ago
According to DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson, charter schools “know how to do middle school really well.” When it comes to defining the phrase “really well,” are education reformers basing their narrative on quantity over quality, i.e. proficiency rates versus growth? What do you – @thechalkfacers – think? In this piece, you can compare the data […]

"According to [Washington's] self-righteous doctrine, America is the indispensable country." "A person might wonder what is exceptional and indispensable about a government that is a reincarnation of Nazi Germany in every respect. People propagandized into the belief that they are the world’s special people inevitably lose their humanity." "With the exception of the ACLU, constitutional rights groups and independent Internet voices, the American people including the Christian churches have accepted their government’s criminality and immorality with scant protest." -- Paul Craig Roberts

David L Griscom at Cherchez la Verite - 8 hours ago
------------------------------ *Washington Drives the World Toward War — Paul Craig Roberts* ------------------------------ December 15, 2013 | Original Here Go here to sign up to receive email notice of this news letter *Washington Drives the World Toward War* Paul Craig Roberts Washington has had the US at war for 12 years: Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, Yemen, and almost Syria, which could still happen, with Iran waiting in the wings. These wars have been expensive in terms of money, prestige, and deaths and injuries of bo... more »

Bears seen at extreme distance

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 8 hours ago

Crown must prove the offence particularized

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 8 hours ago
R. v. Sadeghi-Jebelli, 2013 ONCA 747: [23] When the Crown charges an accused with an offence, and particularizes the way the offence was committed, it must prove the offence as particularized in the charge. The Supreme Court of Canada affirmed this principle in *R. v. Saunders*, [1990] 1 SCR 1020 at 1023. McLachlin J. said: "It is a fundamental principle of criminal law, that the offence, as particularized in the charge, must be proved". So, for example, if the Crown charges an accused with trafficking in heroin, it cannot, without an amendment to the charge, obtain a co... more »

Fukushima updates - December 15 , 2013 - highly contaminated water in gutters and trenches - source may be reactor buildings...... #Fukushima I NPP: Workers Cleaning Out and Water-Proofing the Drainage Channel in Effort to Prevent Contaminated Water from Flowing into Ocean ( pity the poor workers doing that slave labor ) .... Fukushima is death by a thousand lies from Tepco and Government of Japan

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 8 hours ago
drainage related issues - with high radiation naturally ....... http://fukushima-diary.com/2013/12/high-level-of-contamination-in-gutter-near-reactor2-tepco-doesnt-mention-the-possibility-of-reactor2-leakage/ High level of contamination in gutter near reactor2 / Tepco doesn’t mention the possibility of reactor2 leakage Posted by *Mochizuki* on December 14th, 2013 · 2 Comments Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on emailShare on printMore Sharing Services *Note : If you are from the international mass media, Don’t read this site before taking a contact with me.* Along a drain, ... more »

They Call That Accountability

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 9 hours ago
Last week, the Harper government announced that it was going to tighten the rules on the transportation of petroleum by rail. But, for this government, the proclamation of the rules and the enforcement of them are mutually exclusive propositions. Cutbacks cripple enforcement. David McGuinty says: “My first concern is the cuts (are) beginning to take effect on the good people at Transport Canada,” he says. “There’s a serious capacity crisis.” Phil Gibson writes that the Harper government doesn't take the Ministry of Transportation seriously: Transport Canada has been “victimized... more »

Who is Watching the President...? - Part 247

Paul Coker at News Spike - 9 hours ago
"The VIP section was where Obama and dozens of other dignitaries sat, including former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. This area was protected by a short pane of protective glass that covered only those in the first row of seats. Obama and his wife were several rows back. Large crowds were allowed to gather in front of where Obama sat, with *no visible security nearby.* When Obama made his way to the stage to deliver his speech, a South African sign-language interpreter stood an arm's length away. *This man later described himself as schizophrenic with violent tendenc... more »

Vietnamese Woman Rendered Stateless in cruel, hypocritical, racist act

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 9 hours ago
The Taiwan government renders a Vietnamese woman stateless for the crime of having an extramarital affair. This move, so obviously racist in every way... well, no need to comment further. FrozenGarlic describes: A few days ago, the media gave a tiny bit of coverage to the case of Wu Tsui-heng (武翠姮). Wu, who is originally from Vietnam, came to Taiwan in 2005 for work, married a Taiwanese man in 2006, got ROC citizenship in 2010, and gave up her Vietnamese citizenship. She had an extramarital affair, and her husband divorced her in 2011. This week the government notified her that it ... more »

Texas Is Afflicted By Affluenza

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 10 hours ago
Growing up, I never knew any rich people. I'm sure I saw some in movies and on TV but it was like the tooth fairy or a white Santa Claus… not real. I had aspirations but they weren't tarnished and perverted by a lust for money; I was lucky. Susan Berman was my first wealthy friend. Like most wealthy heirs, her money was inherited from criminals. Her father was a Las Vegas mobster, David "Davie the Jew" Berman, a bank robber, crime boss of Minneapolis and, finally, a pioneer in the Vegas gambling business in association with the Genovese Family, Moe Sedway and Bugsy Siegel. Her pa... more »

SUNDAY SONG

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 11 hours ago

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 11 hours ago
* George Rodrigue dies at 69* *~Please also see: Musings of an Artist's Wife* *And Statement from the Rodrigue Family * *It’s Not A Trap ~The Angry Who Dat* *Saints vs. Rams 2013: Game Time, TV Schedule, Online Streaming, Radio, Odds and More ~Canal Street Chronicles* *Legislative auditor won’t review legality of levee board’s contract ~Jeff Adelson, New Orleans Advocate* *Extra Caffeine Please ~Slabbed* *Sunday: Big Nine Social Aid and Pleasure Club second line parade ~Big Red Cotton, Gambit*

Prioritization of Individualized Programs has Completed

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 11 hours ago
*Prioritization of Individualized Programs has Completed* by ÉirePort Prioritization of individualized programs has completed. Analysis of relevant Star Pattern contributions has begun and will continue for necessary time period. *Meritorious(1) procurements take precedence.* Flashes of Higher Light may be noticed as upgrades continue. ÉirePort | December 15, 2013 at 10:42 URL: http://wp.me/p2sFUY-qQ *(1) meritorious* Syllabification: (mer·i·to·ri·ous) Pronunciation: /ˈmeriˌtôrēəs/ adjective deserving reward or praise: a medal for meritorious conduct Law, chiefly North American ... more »

The BBC v free schools (2)

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 12 hours ago
As you may recall, various right-leaning commentators took the BBC to task for spinning a recent report about free schools to make it look worse than it was. They accused the BBC of having an "anti-free schools bias". Toby Young, in particular, specifically charged BBC online education correspondent Hannah Richardson with having written a "misleading article", accusing her of "Left-wing bias". Just to test the grounds for this allegation, I've checked back through the BBC News website and tracked down all of Hannah's articles which focus (to a lesser or greater extent) on the iss... more »

A T Shirt for Princeton Students

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 12 hours ago
Princeton University--the ivy league school known for its policy of "grade deflation"--has been experiencing a small outbreak of Meningitis B, for which students are now being vaccinated. Hence, this T shirt:

Dreams: Behind the Wall of Sleep

Inexplicata (IHU) at Inexplicata-The Journal of Hispanic Ufology - 12 hours ago
*Behind the Walls of Sleep* By Scott Corrales (c) 2013 *“But the dream is your enemy…”- Kate Bush* Research into dreams became mainstream in the 1960s thanks to the pioneering work of Dr. William Dement into the nature of sleep and dreaming. By the 1970s, even astronomer Carl Sagan was venturing into this territory in the pages of his landmark The Dragons of Eden from an anthropological and medical standpoint. “Statistical studies,” he writes, “have been made of the most common categories of dreams – studies which, at least to some extent, ought to illuminate the nature of dreams... more »

What constitutes a religion?

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 13 hours ago
This morning's *Sunday *with Edward Stourton did mostly what you would expect *Sunday *with Edward Stourton to do. There were segments dealing with two of the programme's main obsessions - same-sex marriage and priestly abuse within the Catholic Church - plus three distinct features on Nelson 'Madiba' Mandela. The report on same-sex marriage featured a balanced range of voices but did what such reports tend to do on *Sunday*: End with the liberal point of view. (One day, when I've got some spare time, I'll properly test that hypothesis out). It looked at the continuing debate with... more »

Dr Rima Laibow - you heal yourself - 9/11 missile legacy

Mike Philbin at PROGNOSIS II - 15 hours ago
I was randomly talking to a person who turned out to be a Hypnotherapist the other day and the summary of that conversation is, "You hear yourself." Sure the hypnotherapist has a hand in putting your mind in the right attitude to heal itself, but the hypnotherpist doesn't heal you, you heal yourself. I kinda like how Rima Laibow explains how 'gut feeling' is based on the amount of SERATONIN in the gut as compared to the brain: the gut is an 'emotional entity'. Here's another person who also believes that, "You heal yourself," Dr Rima Laibow, wife of Major Albert Stubblebein III: ... more »

AGE OF CONSENT?

Anon at aangirfan - 16 hours ago
Child marriage. Roman women were married off at the age of thirteen. "In the middle ages, Girls were as young as 12 when they married, and boys as young as 17. *"Most of the time, women didn't even know the man before they wed.* "The arrangement of the marriage was based on monetary worth." Marriage - Medieval Times "The good bourgeois of fifteenth-century Siena ... remained convinced that, whatever the preacher said, *it was still better for their boys to chase boys than to mess with the virginity of girls of their own class."* *Sin, sex and the very alien morality of the Romans... more »

What America would look like without the EPA

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 16 hours ago
Pretty much like Shanghai: For the seventh day this month, Shanghai officials have warned children and the elderly to stay inside in a city where 24 hours exposed to the off-the-charts pollution would have hazardous consequences to one’s health. Hundreds of flights and sporting events have been cancelled, while face masks and air purifiers sold out in stores. All week, the pollution level hovered at “heavily” and “severely” polluted, according to Shanghai’s Air Quality Index, at up to 31 times the recommended levels. [...] Officials have ordered vehicles off the road to curb air ... more »

Your moment of Zen

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 16 hours ago
"Monster Sled" at Fenway starting 12/28. [photo via RedSox]

For uncertainty principle, against philosophy

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 16 hours ago
Scott Aaronson was asked five questions about the "progress in philosophy". In this text, I will replace his talkative nonsensical answers by the concise and correct ones and clarify some of his minuderstandings of quantum mechanics, too. OK, the first question is: 1. Why are you so interested in philosophy? And what is the social value of philosophy, from your perspective? The social value of philosophy was hiding in its role of a subject that used to attract – and, to a lesser extent, still attracts – high-IQ people and makes them think about important questions. Historically, ph... more »

Hegemonic Warfare Watch: ADIZziness, while in Taiwan... *Sigh*

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 17 hours ago
Well, well. The depressing global situation, which pits hegemonic powers against each other, when they need to be attacking global warming and the global economic downturn, just got a little more depressing this week with the US claim that a Chinese ship had attempted to ram a US ship shadowing the task force around the Chinese carrier Liaoning (WashTimes, Reuters, WantChinaTimes). Such ramming actions are normal for the Chinese, as we have seen over the years, and the incident has the ring of truth. Meanwhile, back in ADIZ land, the commentary on China's new ADIZ is like a signal ... more »

Merry Christmas From Parliament Hill ,2013 Edition

Grant G at The Straight Goods - 17 hours ago
*Merry Christmas From Parliament Hill ,2013 Edition* *Written by Robin Mathews* T’is some days before Christmas, and all through The House The PM’s voice drones. He’s attempting to douse The things being said there that all know are true And replace them with rancid and festering brew. His MPs are trained seals, with nary a brain – “Elected” there by voters, completely in vain. His Office is full of appointees with might - All ‘Truthful’ And ‘Honest’, ‘Upholding The Wright’. They strong-arm whoever might step out of line. Or they bribe (if it wor... more »

Old House on the way

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 17 hours ago
I set out to put in some kilometers on the bike yesterday. Intending to ride down to the coast, I hopped on the 140, and then, as so often is the case, I had a never-been-on-this-road moment, and turned down the oddly named Chung-Miao 47 (this intersection). This turned out to be a pleasant, gentle downward sloping ride all the way to Yuanli through rice fields and old farmhouses. At one point I passed this old house and said to myself "Hmm, original wood! Have to have a look!" I turned into the driveway, where a man in his forties was eating breakfast. I asked if I could see the h... more »

Execs Got Bailout Bonuses/Pensioners Get Permanent Cuts? (Investing In Prestige - It's Not Charity, Folks!) JP Morgan Chase, the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act and the Corruption of America (Vampires Continue To Suck!)

They can own the mass media, who misrepresent every important event, but they cannot own our perceptions of it and them. We know when the Congress, whom we've elected to represent the interests of millions of common citizens, pass laws against our interests and in favor of those who pass riches to them for votes that favor their interests, industries and personal wealth. We are not confused.

Sandy Hook Hoax One Year Later: Fantastic Video - Sandy Hook Hoax Oscars Nominees 2013!

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 18 hours ago
It is now just over one year since the Sandy Hook operation in Newtown Connecticut involving the use of poor actors, a fully compliant media in the hoax, and some other high paid shills…. I have yet to see any evidence that convinces me that this was real, and more and more from what I have seen and what has been sent to me by fellow real truth seekers, I am absolutely convinced that this was indeed an operation carried out to shock the American people into being fully compliant in the acceptance of more freedoms curtailed, and to push for gun control on the entire American nation!... more »

Third Way Strikes Back-- And Strikes Out

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 20 hours ago
You know the famous old audio clip of FDR welcoming the hatred of Wall Street plutocrats? It was a long speech but, by far, that line, about welcoming the hatred of America's villains, got the loudest and most sustained applause. I don't mean to equate Adam Green of the PCCC with FDR, but if I were giving him any advise I would tell him to welcome the hatred the consultant-driven world of hacks that Buzzfeed services. "The group is seen as an irritant and a drain, a parasite on liberal successes and a direct-marketing machine better at raising money than at changing policy or win... more »

Las mejores imágenes para Navidad y Año Nuevo 2014 (5)

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FOTOFRONTERA - 21 hours ago

Common Core Math and Teaching to the PISA Test

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 21 hours ago
Student Achievement Partners is the outfit headed by David Coleman that Achieve, Inc. and Bill Gates hired to write the Common Core corporate standards. Along with his two partners, Susan Pimentel and Jason Zimba, SAP raked in $3,942,566 in tax exempt money during 2011, alone (see 990 here). Coleman has had a number of other pursuits, including helping to found Michelle Rhee's Students First, and more recently being elevated to the top spot at ETS. Zimba, on the other hand, remains the guiding math light for the SAPs, whose staff has grown from 3 to 27. On December 13, SAP issued t... more »

With the mercy of the Lord, we survive yet another SantaCon

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 22 hours ago
*NYT caption*: "*Here Comes SantaCon (Despite the Snow and Rain)*: *The annual costumed bar crawl, which has faced complaints from New York residents, went on despite the snow and cold temperatures."* *"For us, it's a tradition. And nothing is going to stop us."* *-- Amber Tyson, 32, who drove from Philadelphia to NewJersey, then took three trains to get to SantaCon NYC* *by Ken* For those of us unendowed with Holiday Spirit, it's the darkest of many fairly dim days strung from about Halloween (or is it Labor Day now?) through New Year's and beyond. I suppose it's just another pr... more »

The Rabbit has landed

Zoe Brain at A.E.Brain - 23 hours ago
From Universe Today : China scored a stunning, history making success with the successful touchdown of the ambitious Chang’e-3 probe with the ‘Yutu’ rover on the surface of the Moon today, Dec. 14, on the country’s first ever attempt to conduct a landing on an extraterrestrial body. The dramatic Chang’e-3 soft landing on the lava filled plains of the Bay of Rainbows occurred at about 8:11 am EST, 9:11 p.m. Beijing local time, 1311 GMT today. The monumental feat is the first landing on the Moon by any entity in nearly four decades. It was broadcast live on CCTV, China’s state run ... more »

Horus the Avenger on The Realist Report

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 1 day ago
Subscribe to *The Realist Report on YouTube* Check out *WhiteRabbitRadio.net* Subscribe to *WhiteRabbitRadioTV on YouTube* *The Mantra* *ASIA FOR THE ASIANS, AFRICA FOR THE AFRICANS, WHITE COUNTRIES FOR EVERYBODY!* *Everybody says there is this RACE problem. Everybody says this RACE problem will be solved when the third world pours into EVERY white country and ONLY into white countries.* *The Netherlands and Belgium are just as crowded as Japan or Taiwan, but nobody says Japan or Taiwan will solve this RACE problem by bringing in millions of third worlders and quote ass... more »

Having it All? A Male Academic’s Perspective

Josh Busby at Duck of Minerva - 1 day ago
With Thanksgiving behind us and the winter holidays and family time approaching, the season encourages some stock-taking and reflection. We at the Duck have been having a bit of behind the scenes emailing about the challenges of finding child care, and I wanted to recount a happier story from my own experience here at the Continue reading

Dan Bacher's Photo Essay Native Americans protest at California Capitol

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 day ago
Dec. 13 Bay Delta Conservation Plan Protest Photo Essay  by Dan Bacher  Censored News  "Turn the pages and you’ll discover what William Burroughs meant when he observed that, 'a paranoid schizophrenic is simply someone who’s discovered what’s going on,'" quipped Bill Jennings, Executive Director of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and board member of

Updates On Syria [12.14]: Washington Publicly Backs Al-Qaeda Sympathizers, Al-Qaeda Kidnaps 120 Kurdish Civilians, US-Backed Jihadists In Syria Pose Security Threat To Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 1 day ago
*1. An excerpt from, "US Open to Backing Syria’s Islamist Rebels" by Jason Ditz, AntiWar.com, December 13:* But the goal must go on, apparently, and the White House now says its open to the idea of throwing its support behind the Islamic Front, a Salafist group that was involved in mass kidnappings and executions earlier this weekon the outskirts of Damascus. All the US is asking is that they disavow al-Qaeda, who was also involved in those executions. *It wouldn’t do for the US to be backing al-Qaeda, you see, but backing their ideological brethren so long as they’re at least nomin... more »

Movie Review - The Desolation of Smaug

Southern Man at Southern Man - 1 day ago
Today was the last day of classes so Southern Man celebrated with a light dinner and drinks and then a double feature, in glorious IMAX 3D, of *The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey* at 8:30 and then the midnight release of *The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug*. Southern Man's fears (expressed in his original review of *An Unexpected Journey*) were put to rest tonight. Peter Jackson is handling the light-adventure and comic elements of the book with aplomb; for example, the conversation of the Mirkwood spiders is revealed only when Bilbo puts on The Ring. The film also clears up a ... more »

ObamaCare Updates December 14 , 2013 - Healthcare.gov fixed ? Don't bank on it ! October 1st and December 1st deadlines have come and gone , website woes continue.....And come January , more confusion likely as those folks who believe they signed up ( and perhaps even paid that first premium ) , find out the latest circle of hell from Obamacare and Healthcare.gov ! And as far as getting folks to pay - we shall how that plays out but it's not going swimmingly so far ...... Obamacare has even lost the confidence of the uninsured at this point ? That was a major part / point of this effort , right ?....

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
Weekend items - but first the prior post ! Catharsis Ours: *ObamaCare updates* - *December 9* - 13 , 2013 - top *...* Fixes they say ? Well , Fixes is not exactly the same as fixed...... WSJ: About those Healthcare.gov fixes … POSTED AT 2:01 PM ON DECEMBER 14, 2013 BY ED MORRISSEY The Obama administration insisted that they would have a working web portal for ObamaCare by October 1st, but they couldn’t even get people within a dozen clicks of determining their eligibility. Kathleen Sebelius tried pretending that all was well more than once in live events, only to have the webs... more »

That Your Flight Not Be in Winter

theozarker at The Conflicted Doomer - 1 day ago
December 14, 2013 First thing this morning, even before turning on the light, I peered through the slats on the venetian blind to check for snowfall during the night. Up here in north Springfield, we’ve had about seven inches over … Continue reading →

Making stuff in China

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 1 day ago
H/T Boing Boing

Mike Pence, His Artist Wife, and the Death of Art in Indiana Schools

Doug Martin at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
By Doug Martin By now, most teachers in Indiana know that Mike Pence’s wife Karen is a former art teacher in the public schools. But living in the Strict Father world* dictated by her husband, Pence’s wife hasn’t publicly spoken about the corporatization of Indiana education (which is merely another example of abuse against women—in this case, teachers—and children) and has remained silent about how school privatization and tax slashing (which her husband is calling for more of) detrimentally affect school art in the Hoosier state. Those who have mentioned the arts have been mout... more »

So What Do Santa Clarita Republicans Think Of Buck McKeon's Hand-picked Successor?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
This week the Santa Clarita Valley Republican Assembly posted a resolution they had just passed on their Facebook page. Short version: "thanks, but no thanks." Santa Clarita Republicans-- not to mention *normal* people in Santa Clarita, absolutely detest Tony Strickland, the carpetbagger who switched districts from CA-26 to CA-25 this month. (People in CA-26 who contributed money because they preferred him to Julia Brownley, are just out of luck. He's not giving anyone their money back.) Anyway, here's the resolution: WHEREAS; California's 25th congressional seat is a safe Repub... more »

And now for something completely different...

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 1 day ago
On a more positive note (and to change the subject), there was a lovely programme on Radio 4 this morning hosted by pianist and academic (and occasional Radio 3 presenter) David Owen Norris on the musical interests of the 'peasant poet' John Clare. This episode, the first in a new series called *The Playlist Series, *had a fascinating subject, a likeable presenter, and three interesting (and interested) guests - and the music the presenter unearthed included a pleasant folksong, a delightfully smutty song and a particularly beautiful arrangement of another folksong as arranged by ... more »

Guess Who Really Wants Common Core Now? Principals!

deutsch29 at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
On December 13, 2013, I received an email informing me that the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) has conducted two surveys and has found that “principals overwhelmingly support the CCSS (Common Core State Standards) initiative.” My first thought: “Here we go again.” Another survey (this time two surveys) in which stakeholders forced to implement […]

Burbling away

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 1 day ago
I feel a bit like the BBC at the moment: All I can talk about is Nelson Mandela. So here's another post on the same subject. Tomorrow will see extensive coverage of the great man's funeral on BBC One, the BBC News Channel, the BBC World Service, BBC Radio 4 and 5Live and, frankly, it's even getting too much for the BBC's Kate Adie. DB at *Biased BBC* has transcribed part of an interview she gave to the BBC World Service: Paul Henley: Kate how are you taking to the Mandela coverage that has been pretty much across all the airwaves for the past week? Kate Adie: It’s not been “pret... more »

Ron Burgundy's Ashes verdict | Video | Watch TV Show | Sky Sports

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 1 day ago
http://www1.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/cricket/9072387/ron-burgundy's-ashes-verdict

Kim Jong-un and the Purge

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 1 day ago
After decades of loyal service to the Kim dynasty, "despicable human scum ... who was worse than a dog" was probably not the epitaph Chang Song-thaek hoped for. But the very public and very final defenestration of the "traitor for all ages" says a couple of things I think professional Kimologists and the BBC are missing. The idea the "Great Comrade", or whatever absurd title he's using this week, offed his uncle to secure his power is true. But making that kind of observation is a bit like saying Lehman Brothers collapsed because it ran out of money. It doesn't grasp the underlying... more »

Some fictional books

Roobin at THROUGH THE SCARY DOOR - 1 day ago
How I Survived an Hour with a Sprained Finger Celestial Homecare Omnibus Death: a User's Manual A Biography of Men Who Had Greatness Thrust Upon Them The Chums of Chance Nearly Crash into the Kremlin Mr T Me and T For the Last Time I'm Not Mr T An Answer for Night Hags Confronting the Faceless Where's Waldo? The Representation of Everyman in Emerson The Last Loan Shark of Bodega Bay Azathoth and Other Horrors Astrology Applied to Horse Racing The Joye of Snackes The Novelisation of Caddy Shack Things That Can Happen in European Politics Prefects Who Gained Power How Water is Made Fauna of t... more »

Open letter to Ford Motor Company

Engineer-Poet at The Ergosphere - 1 day ago
Dear Ford, Don't ever think I don't like my new Fusion Energi.  It's literally the best car I've ever had.  But you have made some extremely annoying, unsettling or just plain counter-productive decisions (or bugs) in the software, and I wish you'd fix them. Some of these are weird behaviors that have no obvious explanation: The other day I was on a relatively long trip driving on cruise

I have wasted my entire life, all my talents, all my artistic promise.

Mike Philbin at PROGNOSIS II - 1 day ago
*I remember when THIS is all I wanted to do.*I did this post a couple days ago, CORPORATE WAR VETERAN. It was called this because I sorta chickened out a bit. I had called it 'reality slams right into my face' and then went and turned it into yet another anti-corporate rant, which I'm sure you're all very tired of. Truth is, I was looking back on where I might have gone as an artist and I came to the conclusion "I have wasted all the artistic talents, promise, life I may have had," it's not you, it's me. That Red Hedz painting there is indicatibe of the sort of BALLS OUT art I alw... more »

From Newpeak To Nospeak

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 1 day ago
We learned in the Throne Speech that the Harper government was consumer friendly. But this week -- when Canadians learned that they would be paying more for less service from the Post Office -- the House of Commons was empty. Andrew Coyne writes: Not only was the House of Commons conveniently shuttered, but neither the minister responsible, Lisa Raitt, nor any Canada Post executives were on hand to answer questions regarding this drastic reduction in public services. But then, in this they were only following the example set by the prime minister, who has for months avoided answer... more »

PEDOPHILES, OUTED BLOGGER, POLITICIANS

Anon at aangirfan - 1 day ago
*Von Gloeden* *In Italy, a 60-year-old man took in an 11-year-old disadvantaged girl and they became lovers.* The 60-year-old man works in social services in the Italian town of Catanzaro, and had taken responsibility for the 11-year-old girl’s care. The relationship was discovered when the police raided the man’s home and found the pair in bed. The man was given a five year jail sentence. *An Italian court has now annulled the jail sentence, because the man and the girl had a “romantic relationship,” and the girl claimed she is in love with the man. * In Italy, the age of conse... more »

The Paleo Rodeo is up...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 1 day ago
The Paleo Rodeo

Bad News for New PhDs

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 1 day ago
From *The Chronicle of Higher Education*: Economics Ph.D.'s on the academic job market had fewer jobs to apply for in 2013 than a year earlier, according to new data from the American Economic Association. The number of new academic job openings listed with the association fell 6.6 percent, to 1,924, in 2013. However, the number of nonacademic jobs rose slightly, from 856 to 866. Overall the number of new jobs fell 4.3 percent in 2013, to 2,790.

Hunkered down

risa bear at A Way to Live - 1 day ago
It's not unheard of to be snowed in here; we're near the 45th parallel in the Northern Hemisphere, after all. But it is relatively rare, as our location, a bit over two hours' drive from the Pacific, gives us some moderation from the weather they get on the other side of the mountains. The snow line often drops to 2000 feet, but seldom reaches the valley floor. It *is* rare, though, these days, to see temperatures drop below zero here. I'm not sure I have seen it happen in my thirty-seven years in residence. But so it was this time; ten inches of snow and five degrees below zero F... more »

Government Investment in the Technology Sector

Catelli at Not Quite Unhinged - 1 day ago
You all regularly read Mike Moffat and are aware of his opposition to Ontario Premier Wynne's announced investment in Cisco, right? If not, fix that will you? While I don't necessarily agree that “this easily ranks as the worst public policy of 2013” I do agree that it is a horrible policy that will not do anything to decrease unemployment. And I also think this is one of those times

Habitual Driver Alert

Catelli at Not Quite Unhinged - 1 day ago
"Snow doesn't actually make some drivers worse, but it sure increases the contrast." @vickersty Ever feel your mind suddenly shift how it conceptualizes a topic? That tweet did that for me. It was that proverbial "puzzle piece clicking into place" moment authors like to describe in their novels. Every winter, right after the first snowfall, there's an annual griping about how drivers start

CALLING FOR CONVERSION

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago
*An aerial view of Bath Iron Works (BIW) shipyard in Maine* I was out at the Advent vigil at BIW today. It was about 10 degrees though felt much colder with the breeze coming off the river. There were 10 of us there for the second to last of the weekly Advent season vigils. One of the vigilers, a long-time local person, said that she felt the workers "get our message" but they are just in a place of fear where they worry about maintaining their comfortable lifestyle. Many of the workers are driving in "style" as they leave the shipyard in their big V-8 pick-up trucks. A very h... more »

$50 Gordman's Giftcard Giveaway for last minute shopping!

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 1 day ago
[image: Gordmans giveaway] Can you believe that there is just over 10 days until Christmas? I still have so many things to make and wrap before the big day! Luckily Gordmans wants to help you with your last minute Christmas Shopping . Take the Stress out of the holidays and head on over to Gordmans. They have great deals and everything you need to check everyone off your list. They are actually where I found my oversized polo shirt that I used in this post. I’ve teamed up with Gordmans, Utah Sweet Savings, Raegun Ramblings and Our Thrifty Ideas to offer one lucky reader a $50 Gordma... more »

Republican War Against Women Leads To More Dysfunction In The U.S. Senate

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
The senators had to stay up past their bedtimes Wednesday and Thurdsay because Miss McConnell is having another one of his pointless hissy fits. A career-long hater of democracy-- and someone who had pledged to obstruct everything President Obama set out to accomplish, including even the orderly functioning of government, McConnell has ramped up his now-failed agenda of blocking all presidential nominations but pointless delaying tactics. He's desperate and he's a fool and even Republicans see that now. Friday morning at 7AM Deborah Lee James was confirmed to be Secretary of the A... more »

What Mattered This Week?

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 1 day ago
The confirmations. I think I said this before, but put aside the drama (and real importance) of the Senate rules fight: the nominations at stake, especially those three DC Circuit picks, are quite important. Of course the various Mandela memorial flaps don't matter, but you all knew that. What else? It was a pretty newsy week, seemed to me. What do you have? What do you think mattered this week?

Phoning it in Again

jurassicpork at Welcome Back to Pottersville - 1 day ago
This also happens to be my Twitter avatar for the rest of the year, although I must say I've been a bit more productive than this incarnation of Santa Claus. You'll make my nice list if you mail this to Megyn Kelly at Fox. Anyway, with Scott Carson, Buffalo Bull, Annie Oakley, Sitting Bull and Arthur Conan-Doyle chasing down Jack the Ripper throughout the East End of London in the denouement of Tatterdemalion, plus doing the usual Christmas thing and keeping the household running, there's been no time for real-time blogging (although I've got the annual bizarre Christ... more »

Faith-Based Education Reform: Common Core as Standards-and-Testing Redux

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
Faith-Based Education Reform: Common Core as Standards-and-Testing Redux. via Faith-Based Education Reform: Common Core as Standards-and-Testing Redux.

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New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 1 day ago
*Cam On Feel The Noize ~moosedenied*

More Selective than Harvard

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 1 day ago

Dear Education Reformers: A Thank You Letter From Any CEO in the Future

Angel Cintron Jr. at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
Dear Education Reformers, I wish to sincerely thank you for your determination and resolve in implementing rigorous standards in computation and comprehension. Undoubtedly, my current staff is the smartest workforce I’ve ever employed. Each employee has remarkable mathematical computational skills. I’m simply amazed at the their ability to analyze complex manuals and technical reports. Although […]

VISIONS OF PISA: The liberal world fails!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 1 day ago
*SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2013* *Epilogue—What Zakaria said:* For our money, liberal reaction to the new PISA scores was often remarkably clueless. The most remarkable liberal error involved the apparent acceptance of our nation’s new elite cult. According to the new cult of the PISA, we should consider the PISA, nothing else, when we talk about test scores. We shouldn’t discuss American scores on the TIMSS. Most important, those large score gains on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (the NAEP) must never be discussed. In her reactions to the new PISA scores, Diane Ra... more »

Pearson Agrees to Pay $7.7 Million for Using Foundation to Advance Corporate Profits

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
This past week the Pearson Foundation agreed to pay $7.7 million to settle a charge that the Foundation had used charitable and tax-exempt assets to further Pearson profits. The amount of the settlement represents .0077% of Pearson profits for 2012. Following the widespread adoption of Common Core corporate standards that resulted from race to the top incentives, Pearson saw its profits soar in 2011 by an amazing 72%. Here is a link to an earlier post on Pearson-Gate, which provides the seedy details of Pearson's influence peddling. And below are details of the settlement: NEW ... more »

Real-time global wind map

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 1 day ago
*Programmers! See this web page with the source etc.* I just saw an amazing tweet by Pakistani string theorist Amer Iqbal (whom I know from Harvard) and you have to see it: Real-time global wind map (earth.nullschool.net) It's beautiful, fast, and hopefully accurate. Using the usual gestures (dragging with the left mouse button, mouse wheel etc.), you may rotate the globe, zoom it in/out, and/or focus on the region you are interested in. The wind flows are visualized by animated flying green jets, sort of. It may take a few seconds for the wind data to load and for the green ... more »

The Star Of Bethlehem

urupiper at Yesterday 's Lies - 1 day ago
*From http://www.bethlehemstar.net/ click the link for footnotes, etc* *It’s an astronomical mystery.* A strange star is claimed to have appeared at the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. This site is an investigation of the story found in the Biblical Gospel of Matthew, a story often called the ‘Star of Bethlehem.’ It brings the words of Roman and Jewish historians alongside the visions of ancient prophets. It mixes “modern” mathematicians with murderous turmoil in the Roman imperial court. It combines all these with astronomical facts which no one disputes. And it concludes that the ... more »

Spain in focus - December 14 , 2013 - Debt to GDP surges to new record high , Catalan party leaders agree to slef rule referendum - Spanish Government of course has other ideas on that subject !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
*Spanish Debt-To-GDP Surges To New Record High* *[image: Tyler Durden's picture]* *Submitted by Tyler Durden on 12/13/2013 20:04 -0500 - recovery - Reuters - UnemploymentinShare2 The last 2 years have seen the clearest indication of the health of Spain deteriorate at its fastest rate on record. In spite of constant reassurances from Rajoy et al. that recovery is here, as we noted here, it's not just unemployment that is dogging Spain; and now - having risen at a stunning 25.8 percentage points in the last 2 years, as Reuters reports,Spain's debt-to-GDP has hit 93.4% - t... more »

#2 Most Powerful Man In North Korea Was Executed. Dick Cheney… Still Off The Table

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
I'm a big fan of accountability-- especially for people who society rewards with positions of trust, honor and generous livings. Cheney, for example, committed treason against the U.S. Constitution, but his crimes were taken "off the table" and there was never a trial or justice. That encourages others to repeat his behavior. Not so in North Korea, an odd place to hold up as a paragon of… anything. Jang Song Thaek was the Cheney of North Korea. He was the top advisor to the relatively young North Korean hereditary ruler. (They don't call it a king or a monarch there but that's wh... more »

Ukraine Protests - live updates for December 14 , 2013 and highlights from December 13 , 2013....

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
http://rt.com/news/kiev-protests-integration-clashes-873/ Mass protests in Kiev: LIVE UPDATES Published time: December 07, 2013 05:35 Edited time: December 14, 2013 12:43 Get short URL [image: Pro-European integration protesters gather at a meal area during a rally in central Kiev, December 13, 2013 (Reuters / Vasily Fedosenko)] Pro-European integration protesters gather at a meal area during a rally in central Kiev, December 13, 2013 (Reuters / Vasily Fedosenko) Share on tumblr Tags Accident, Clashes, Conflict, Opposition,Police, Protest, Rally, Tymoshenko, Ukraine, Yanukovich Hundreds... more »

Jefferson, Washington and Separation of Church and State

Len Hart at The Existentialist Cowboy - 1 day ago
*by Len Hart, The Existentialist Cowboy * There may be millions of people in the United States who do not share our founders' reverance for what Thomas Jeffeson called the "wall of seperation" between church and state. Many throughout the ranks of the religious right wing, for example, are eager to court bigots and fanatics, promising them a "theocracy" in exhange for their "souls". The following excerpt is typical of a "movement" to create an American Theocracy: If conservatives are smart, we will make the GOP a relic of the past, and will go to the polls and vote the "Jesus Christ... more »

NCTQ’s Free Pass in an Era of Press-Release Journalism

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
A controversial shock-jock-type right-wing pundit spoke as a guest of a conservative student group at my university a few years ago (she has since returned with less fanfare). When I made a passing comment about her lack of credibility, a student in one of my introduction education courses noted that this pundit had footnotes in […]

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New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 1 day ago
*British Petroleum's outta-be-illegal advert uses Emeril as example of abuses in oil spill settlement * *City dismisses disputed charges against tour guides, cabbies ~Clair Galofaro, New Orleans Advocate* *Crews work to move 1,500-ton school for new Mid-City medical center ~Rachael Wulff, WDSU* *Critical Conditions: Sheri Fink’s ‘Five Days at Memorial’ ~Sherwin B. Nuland, NYT* *Army Corps awards $8.1 million contract to replace bridge in Jefferson Parish* *OSHA Cites Geismar Plant For 6 Safety Violations ~WWNO* *Heart of Louisiana: Mayor of Keachi ~WVUE* *N.O. musicians pitch in... more »

China unmanned lunar probe successfully lands on the Moon today ! First such soft landing by any Nation since 1976 !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
Chinese unmanned spacecraft lands on moon BY PETE SWEENEY SHANGHAI Sat Dec 14, 2013 9:01am EST 0 COMMENTS - Tweet - inShare2 - Share this - - Email - Print [image: The Long March-3B rocket carrying the Chang'e-3 lunar probe blasts off from the launch pad at Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan province December 2, 2013. REUTERS/China Daily] 1 OF 2. The Long March-3B rocket carrying the Chang'e-3 lunar probe blasts off from the launch pad at Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan province December 2, 2013. CREDIT: REUTERS/CHINA DAILY (Reuters) - China landed ... more »

TURN Chapters of AFT Take Lead in "Share My Lessons" Common Core Marathon

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
In the December 13 issue of *Inside AFT* (yes, I am an AFT member), I found this, which got me wondering: *Share My Lesson* has been on the move recently. This weekend will mark the third of three Share My Lesson marathon weekends the AFT has hosted over the last month. The sessions are nonstop events where teachers from all over the country come together to brainstorm, share lessons, learn how to assess the extent to which a lesson plan aligns with the Common Core State Standards, and apply that knowledge as they review and rate resources on Share My Lesson. With a marathon in Pro... more »

Thailand: Breaking Down Reuters' "Class" Lies by the Numbers

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 1 day ago
Baseless narrative disingenuously portrays Thailand as divided along class, rather than united against regime. *December 14, 2013* (Tony Cartalucci) - Thailand's embattled regime has long fashioned itself as the champion of the nation's north and northeast rural poor - and its opponents, essentially the rest of the nation - as aloft elitists which also inexplicably includes hardworking middle class, and much of the nation's central and south, including laborers and farmers. It is a myth that the regime's extensive Western backers are also helping perpetuate, but is one that is easi... more »

The oldest telephone in the world?

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 1 day ago
The above is an image of a 1,200 year old telephone as held in the Smithsonian Collection, you can read more here. But this is an excerpt: 'The gourd-and-twine device, created 1,200 to 1,400 years ago, remains tantalizingly functional—and too fragile to test out. “This is unique,” NMAI curator Ramiro Matos, an anthropologist and archaeologist who specializes in the study of the central Andes, tells me. “Only one was ever discovered. It comes from the consciousness of an indigenous society with no written language.” We’ll never know the trial and error that went into its creation. ... more »

DEPRAVED PENGUINS

Anon at aangirfan - 1 day ago
In 1911, George Murray Levick documented homosexual behaviour in Penguinsat Cape Adare. He described this behaviour as "depraved". His report was considered too shocking for public release, and it was suppressed until 2012. Some of the readers of this blog are like Levick. According to scientist Petter Bøckman: "No species has been found in which homosexual behaviour has not been shown to exist, with the exception of species that never have sex at all, such as sea urchins and aphis." In most human societies throughout history, males who had male lovers were not labeled as homo... more »

DNAs Hidden Language

Breaking The Silence at Removing The Shackles - 1 day ago
.... a second hidden language within our DNA, eh? http://www.breitbart.com/system/wire/upiUPI-20131212-174536-3107 Scientists find second, 'hidden' language in human genetic code UPI 12/12/2013 11:12:42 PM SEATTLE, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- U.S. geneticists say a second code hiding within DNA changes how scientists read its instructions and interpret mutations to make sense of health and disease. Since the genetic code was deciphered in the 1960s, scientists have assumed it was used exclusively to write information about proteins, but University of Washington scientists say they've disc... more »

Dafydd Fell of SOAS to speak this week in Taipei

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 1 day ago
Dr Fell is also speaking Kaohsiung on the 24th but no details available yet. 主講人:Dr. DAFYDD J. FELL(the Director of the SOAS Centre of Taiwan Studies, University of London, UK) 題 目:Publishing in Taiwan Studies: Opportunities and Challenges 時 間:2013年12月19日(四)14:00-16:00 地 點:802室 主辦單位:中央研究院台灣史研究所、社會學研究所、中興大學人文社會科學研究中心 ~~歡迎報名參加~~ Here is the link: http://140.109.185.220/academic_01_look.php?no=420&page=1 _______________________ [Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, and scores of links to othe... more »

Tycho Brahe: birthday

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 1 day ago
*Another anniversary:* Andrei Sakharov died on this day in 1989. A Russian dissident, a mastermind of their H-bomb, peace activist, and the author of the conditions needed for baryogenesis. Today, the Google Doodle Booble reminds us of Tycho Brahe: His name has appeared in nine TRF blog posts so this is the tenth one. Tycho Brahe was born on December 14th, 1546, to a top-tier aristocratic family in Scania, Denmark (now South Sweden). He would attend a Latin school (age: 6-12 years; Latin is a subject for babies, of course), then study philosophy and rhetoric in Copenhagen (age: ... more »

Tom in CT on The Realist Report

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 1 day ago
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Strategic Partnership with foreign government trumps Homeland Austerity.

Mike Philbin at PROGNOSIS II - 1 day ago
in this special SMR or Saturday Morning Report, Free Planet is going to use EDITORIAL CONTENT and links directly from today's excellent Citizens for Legitimate Government newsletter, edited by Lori Price. *Congress triples Obama's request on defense cooperation with Israel** --Defense cooperation funding, to which Israel contributes, is separate from the $3.1 billion Israel receives in defense assistance as part of a 10-year package.* 12 Dec 2013 The final version of the congressional defense budget triples the Obama administration's request for funding for joint U.S.-Israel defense... more »

A Christmas message from BC's biggest liar

Dave at The Galloping Beaver - 1 day ago
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