oldephartte(in training): 28 Dec - Blogs I'm Following

English: Watchtower, Rafah, Gaza Strip border with Egypt, April 2009. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Smuggling Tunnel, Rafah, Gaza Strip (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Tent Camp, Gaza Strip (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Map of the course and watershed of the Cheyenne River in the United States. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Panorama di Gaza City (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

6:04pm MST

The Bankruptcy of America – 1933

urupiper at Yesterday 's Lies - 8 minutes ago

[image: http://anticorruptionsociety.com/the-bankruptcy-of-america-1933/?blogsub=confirming#subscribe-blog] [The following is excerpted from Judge Dale's *The Great American Adventure - Secrets of America.*] By Judge Dale, retired [image: our corrupt legal system_2] Public Trust On March 9, 1933, House Joint Resolution No. 192-10 by the 73rd Congress, was voted into law, which is the Emergency Banking Act. This Act declared the Treasury of the United States, ‘Bankrupt’, which is an impossible feat since the U. S. Treasury was secretly closed by the Congress twelve years earlier in... more »

Similar Fact Evidence

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

R. v. P.E.L., 2013 BCCA 542: [20] Similar act evidence exemplifies a type of propensity reasoning. It could be colloquially expressed by the aphorism that a leopard does not change its spots. Of course, this sort of reasoning collides squarely with the long established common law rule that no one should be convicted simply by reason of rascality or a disreputable history – see *Harrison's Trial*(1692), 12 How. St. Tr. 833 (Old Bailey (London)), referred to by Binnie J. in*R. v. Handy*, 2002 SCC 56 (CanLII), 2002 SCC 56, [2002] 2 S.C.R. 908 at para. 32. He said at p. 926, p... more »

Big Foot Riders Photos by Pte San Win

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 hour ago

Photos by Pte San WinPublished with permission at Censored News(Above) This photo was at the Cheyenne River by Bridger the first day the OGLALA's joined with Standing Rock and Cheyenne River relatives for the Big Foot Ride 2013. 12-23-13 Oglala Akicita Ronald Cross Dog - Little, the morning of 12-23-13 the first day he joined with relatives from Standing Rock and Cheyenne River on the

Shelby County Accepts Hard Cash to Settle Civil Rights Lawsuit Brought Against Municipalities

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 2 hours ago

Last year when Shelby County saw the lucrative Gates plan for turning over Memphis City schools to corporations melting away, the County filed a lawsuit against five suburban municipalities that were threatening to form their own school systems to avoid the Gates consolidation. The ostensible basis for the lawsuit was that the five new leafy suburban districts would exacerbate segregation in the remaining county schools. When the pending lawsuit failed to block the formation of the new school districts, thanks to neo-segregationists at the state level, the County essentially black... more »

File Under: What If...

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 2 hours ago

If you're following the narrative on the blog with any regularity over the week, you probably noticed we've been taking a close look at Stephen Kinzer's brilliant new book, The Brothers, an intense look at the two worst and most destructive arch-villains in 20th Century American history. Having a major international airport named after John Foster Dulles is a slap in the face to all Americans who revere democracy and detest the aggressive fascism he espoused his entire miserable life. The Dulles brothers had just finished deposing the democratically elected prime minister of Iran... more »

Remembering the Gaza Massacre

Nima Shirazi at Wide Asleep in America - 3 hours ago

Government ministry buildings destroyed by an Israeli airstrike on December 30, 2008 in Gaza City, Gaza Strip. (Photo Credit: Abid Katib/Getty Images) On December 27, 2008 – five years ago today – Israel launched a devastating military assault on the besieged people of Gaza. Relentless bombing and destruction continued for 22 days, during which time the Israeli army invaded the occupied

"Am I free to go?"

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 4 hours ago

The post on Carding raised a concern among readers that cooperating with police as a custom makes Carding effective. That's quite true. My concern is that for most young black men (and that's who are stopped - let's not pretend otherwise) anything other than immediate and polite cooperation might lead to unfortunate results. Remember it's a good idea to save yourself and then save the world. However, if if if one wants to exercise ones rights on being stopped a viable line is: "I do not wish to answer any questions. Am I free to go?" This repeated several times will likely le... more »

Karl Muck playing Parsifal

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 4 hours ago

One of the wonders of modern life is the ability to access major works of art almost anywhere. I recall when finding historic recordings required visiting record stores and hoping some obscure bin might have a Furtwangler or Hertz or Muck. Rarely indeed were such recordings to be found. That said, earlier today I downloaded Karl Muck's recordings of Parsifal from the late 20's (there is some issue as to whether they are studio or live or a mix). Muck has a direct connection to Wagner; whether we can say this is how Wagner would have presented Parsifal is not clear. But certainly... more »

Mike Duffy

LeDaro at LeDaro - 4 hours ago

I wonder what is he doing these days?

Year’s End

theozarker at The Conflicted Doomer - 5 hours ago

December 28, 2013 I made a pot of chicken and vegetable soup for Christmas dinner (and supper). And before you say, “Poor old woman,” this was a deliberate choice based on several factors – the main one being, had I … Continue reading →

Crippling Government

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 5 hours ago

Eugene Lang writes that, if you want to know what Stephen Harper has "accomplished," all you need do is tally up his tax cuts: Over the past eight years, most major categories of federal taxes have been cut deeply — from personal income taxes, to corporate income taxes, to the GST — so much so that Canada now has the second lowest business and consumption taxes in the G7. In addition, a litany of tax credits have been put in place, notably the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit, the Public Transit Credit, The Home Renovation Tax Credit and The Tax Credit for first time home buyers. An... more »

New look for blovel

risa bear at A Way to Live - 5 hours ago

New look for blovel header, illustration by Katrin Orav. http://starvationridge.blogspot.com/ Book cover to follow. No, I had not read Hunger Games when I wrote this. It's more like a The Road/Seven Samurai mashup. http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/risabee

What research really says about "explicit and structured" phonics

skrashen at Schools Matter - 5 hours ago

Sent to the West Australian (Dec. 28) "New reading rules for kids," (Dec. 27) states that " ...international research has found that explicit and structured teaching of phonics - the relationship between letters and sounds - is the most effective way to teach reading." Not so. What research says is that the impact of explicit and structured phonics is strong only on tests in which children read lists of words in isolation; it is minuscule on tests in which children have to understand what they read. By far, the best predictor of how well children read for meaning is the amount o... more »

Will 2015 Be Labour's Poisoned Chalice?

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 6 hours ago

It's tough being a political party. Life outside of government is relatively care free affair. You can formulate policy, spend your time critiquing and criticising, and look forward to a fair amount of time sat atop opinion polls. But once you're in power it's a whole different ball game. It's time to come up with the goods you promised in opposition. It's an occasion for breaking promises and getting found out, as our friends the Liberal Democrats have found to their cost. A party's image takes a battering, its representatives in local, devolved and European bodies pay the price o... more »

Caturday Blogging

jurassicpork at Welcome Back to Pottersville - 6 hours ago

Guys, I'm so sorry for the complete lack of posts since Christmas. I'm sure you can all appreciate what demands the silly season makes on us. And right now, my thoughts aren't on the political landscape of the here and now but 1888 Whitechapel. Last night, in a 4000+ word last gasp, I'd finally completed the first draft of *Tatterdemalion*, my epic novel spanning 244,000+ words and over 600 pages. I've been working on it since late February this year and I finally have a complete draft. I've already finished the reformatting and all the headaches real writers publishing real b... more »

Are the elites in Pyongyang all that different from those in DC or NYC or most anywhere else?

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 7 hours ago

*"Gee, I wish we had one of them Doomsday Machines."* *-- Gen. Buck Turgidson (George C. Scott)* *In the U.S. War Room, Soviet ambassador Alexi de Sadesky (Peter Bull) reveals the existence of his country's Doomsday Machine to the American security brain trust, including President Merkin Muffley and technology genius Dr. Strangelove (both Peter Sellers) as well as General Turgidson.* The execution of the uncle of Kim Jong-un, North Korea's leader, had its roots in a firefight between forces loyal to Mr. Kim and those supporting the man who was supposed to be his regent, according to... more »

I THANK MY MOTHER

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 7 hours ago

*4th of July in Bath, Maine* I often suffer from the world. Maybe because we moved around in my Air Force family so much I have always found myself deeply identifying with suffering people everywhere. Because I lived in Germany and England when I was young I never considered myself an "American" when we moved back stateside. Really my only loyalty to America was the Baltimore Orioles baseball them - my version of a hometown - and hamburgers. I didn't think much about US military bases when I was young. When we were overseas we spent good periods of time living "on the economy" - ... more »

Sovereignty 101:Installment 3 - The Myth of Accumulation

Sophia Love at AMERICAN KABUKI - 7 hours ago

What you see as your daily life becomes burdensome as its purpose moves further up the food chain than you. Fulfillment is part of your every day when you have chosen a work, occupation, pastime or activity that on some level satisfies a desire or allows an expression or expansion of who you are. Most of your time is currently spent consumed in activity that serves the purpose of maintaining your physical life. You have to eat and desire a place to sleep. Perhaps there are others you feel responsible for as well. These facts alone create in you a “need” to work at some... more »

Thailand: Dead Policeman Shot from Above Where Regime Gunmen Were

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 7 hours ago

*December 28, 2013* (Tony Cartalucci) - Thai PBS confirms that Police Sergeant Major Narong Pitisit was killed by a bullet fired from above, in its article titled, "Chalerm told to clarify “men in black” at the Labour Ministry." It stated (emphasis added): PDRC spokesman Aekkanat Promphan said on Friday that there was no way that protesters could get into the Labour Ministry’s building and climb up to the rooftop unnoticed whereas all the police were deployed at the centre to prevent protesters from breaking in. He added that he would like to know whether Chalerm was aware of the ... more »

New Year's Resolution: Resist the Lists

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 7 hours ago

I don't know about you, but whenever I see a headline with the words Best Of, Worst Of, Most Shocking Moments of 2013, Best Tweets of the Year, etc., etc. I do an immediate Gump, and run Forrest run. In this last week of the best of all possible worst years ever, we are being inundated by a veritable plague of lists. Have you noticed that *Duck Dynasty* seems to be on every single one of them? A cartoonish Methuselah homophobe racist is only the latest wedge issue in the culture wars that define the divide-and-conquer politics of the ruling class. The timing of Phil Robertson's Firs... more »

Postales de Año Nuevo 2014 con mensajes bonitos

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FOTOFRONTERA - 8 hours ago

PEDOPHILES

Anon at aangirfan - 8 hours ago

*Professor Cantor* Professor James M. Cantor claims to be an expert on pedophiles. He takes an interest in various paraphilias, such as: Feederism which is about being sexually aroused by eating. Maschalagnia which is about being sexually aroused by armpits. Pedovestism which is about being sexually aroused while dressed like a child. Stigmatophilia which is about being sexually roused by tatoos and body piercings. Professor James M. Cantor is an American clinical psychologist and research scientist. *He is an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Univers... more »

Time Warped: Repeated Rhetoric of Urgency from Israel to Iran

Nima Shirazi at Wide Asleep in America - 8 hours ago

"You will be the death of me. You will be the death of me." - Time Is Running Out (Muse, 2003) Earlier this week, journalist and author Max Blumenthal posted an excellent piece in Mondoweiss detailing the repetition of the "time is running out" bromide, so often used in discussions about the so-called two-state solution in Israel/Palestine by those who promote the endless and

War Plan Red

Paul Coker at News Spike - 8 hours ago

Joint Army and Navy Basic War Plan Red, also known as the Atlantic Strategic War Plan, was a plan for the United States to make war with the British Empire (the "Red" forces). It was developed by the United States Army following the 1927 Geneva Naval Conference; and approved in May 1930 by the Secretary of War and the Secretary of Navy and updated in 1934–35. In 1939 it was decided that further planning was no longer applicable but that the plan be retained. Canada (Crimson), Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Newfoundland (Red), British Raj (Ruby), Australia (Scarlet), New Zeal... more »

Are children in D.C. learning more?

bob somerby at the daily howler - 8 hours ago

*SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2013* *In the Post, Whitmire says yes:* Are children in D.C.’s public schools learning more than they did in the past? Have their reading skills advanced? Do today’s students know more math than their counterparts from earlier years? That’s the way it looks on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, even after disaggregation. But uh-oh! Because we liberals know as a matter of faith that such things *cannot* be true, Valerie Strauss invented a set of ridiculous claims to explain the score gains away. To examine Strauss' claims, click this. As always,... more »

Gold and silver news and views - December 28 , 2013 .... Data , pertinent articles and views on and / or touching on the precious metals ..... bonus items exposing the fake fed taper (

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 8 hours ago

http://www.caseyresearch.com/gsd/edition/cheaper-gold-brings-new-customers-to-dubai-in-droves ¤ YESTERDAY IN GOLD & SILVER Despite the big decline in the dollar index, there was almost no sign of that in the price action for gold in Far East and early London trading on their Friday. The smallish rally in late-afternoon Far East trading got dealt with in the usual manner at the London open---and the gold price was back below the Thursday New York close by the London morning gold fix. After that, the gold price didn't do a lot until around 8:45 a.m EST in Comex trading. Then, in les... more »

Fukushima nuclear debacle updates - following Fukushima pollution around the globe and into th global food chain.... State of play and decay of Fukushima nuclear plants...... Update on removal of the fuel rods at Reactor building 4

Catharsis Ours - 8 hours ago

Energy News..... 07:34 PM EST on December 27th, 2013 | 25 comments Radio: Experts warn ocean currents spreading Fukushima contamination across world — Official 4,000 miles away: Radiation in seafood imports increased noticeably; Time for all stakeholders to be on alert (AUDIO) 02:31 PM EST on December 27th, 2013 | 87 comments Reports: Highly significant quantity of fission products are flushed into environment by water used on Fukushima molten fuel, including plutonium and curium — Radioactivity to recirculate for many generations in ocean food chain, meat content will increase with... more »

I'm not against the police; I'm just afraid of them.

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 9 hours ago

Alfred Hitchcock

Ben Carnes 'Remembering Carter Camp'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 9 hours ago

Carter Camp: R.I.P. 2013 "We Decided that our Indian people are more important to us than long jail terms." Carter Camp, Ponca Nation, Wounded Knee 1973 By Ben Carnes, Choctaw Eaglemanz Carter Camp painted as a warrior at Wounded Knee Remembering people of their words and actions has been my way of mourning, as a way to keep their spirit alive in our memories. His words above

Israel's Hilarious Hysteria:or, How Many North Koreas Does It Take to Fear-Monger About Iran?

Nima Shirazi at Wide Asleep in America - 9 hours ago

Back in April, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz took the stage at the second annual Jerusalem Post Conference in New York City and told the right-wing crowd that, among other things, an Iran with an atomic arsenal would be "equal to 30 nuclear North Koreas." Steinitz repeated all the favored Israeli talking points; he called Iran an "existential threat," tossed out lazy

Carding - is it legal?

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 9 hours ago

Carding, that is police stopping of pedestrians on the street, and asking for identification and other information, is in the news again. (Note, if you are stopped I urge you always to be polite with police regardless of your legal rights. Unless you actually have something problematic on your person cooperate fully. If you have something problematic then politely say "I believe I do not have to answer any questions or show you what I have on me. I refuse to answer any questions or show you what I have on me. May I go now?" If they arrest you the police then have to justify their act... more »

AA: "Flight 11 Did Not Fly on 911!"

Len Hart at The Existentialist Cowboy - 10 hours ago

*by Len Hart, The Existentialist Cowboy* American Airlines is the source for information that AA Flights 11 (North Tower) and 77 (Pentagon) did not fly on 9/11. WikiScanner discovered that American Airlines changed the Wikipedia entry to state that Flights 11 and 77 were not in the air on 9/11. WikiScanner offers users a searchable database that ties millions of anonymous Wikipedia edits to organizations where those edits apparently originated, by cross-referencing the edits with data on who owns the associated block of internet IP addresses.Reference: http://www.wired.com/politics... more »

Judging the (European) judges

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 10 hours ago

Some senior British judges are now echoing the concerns expressed by many British people (including me) that the unelected judges of the European Court of Human Rights are aggressively asserting their right to overrule British laws, as devised by our own sovereign elected parliament, and that that's a bad thing. Anyone from a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri who enjoys watching what the neighbours are getting up to behind closed clouds (especially over Britain) and who keeps tuning into BBC News (through their ever-so-fetching green antennae) might infer (from the BBC) that those c... more »

FEPZs on the march into education

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 10 hours ago

*Are those egg cases on its back?* The Free Economic Pilot Zone initiative continues to advance, as Taiwan Today observes. Apparently one area to be liberalized is education, foreign institutions will be permitted to set up schools in the zones: The eye-catching new plan firmly demonstrates the government’s determination to liberalize. For example, in recent years elite educational institutions from Australia, Europe and the U.S. have established branches in Asia, precipitating educational innovation; Singapore, South Korea and even Malaysia have become important bases for interna... more »

Will Obama's Covert Actions In Egypt Haunt America In Future Decades The Way Eisenhower's Covert Actions In Iran Haunt Us Today?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 11 hours ago

Everyone blames Nazi-sympathizer John Foster Dulles, Eisenhower's Secretary of State, and his bumbling and incompetent brother, Allen, head of the CIA, for the unintended consequences brought on by the violent CIA overthrow of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddegh. History blames them-- and history was meant to blame them. Eisenhower's fingers are nowhere near any of that stuff-- only on his revered speech warning Americans about the Military-Industrial Complex. Eisenhower, who desperately wanted a cheap "victory" against communism, is more to blame than the venal Dulles broth... more »

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New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 11 hours ago

*Federal judge dismisses most of remaining Katrina damage lawsuits ~Mark Schleifstein*

Good News For Cold & Snow Lovers - The Big Freeze & Snow Is Coming To Many Parts Of The Country!

rss2009 at Global Cooling & New Ice Age UK - 11 hours ago

*Good News For Cold & Snow Lovers - The Big Freeze & Snow Is Coming To Many Parts Of The Country!* The Arctic Oscillation has remained largely positive to date throughout December and it has been an unusually mild month overall. However, there has still been some snow events in the early and middle part of December, despite the milder temperatures. *http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/02/snow-forecast-for-uk-freezing-weather* *http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-25450818* *http://news.stv.tv/scotland/257435-warnings-in-place-as-gale-force-winds-rain-and-snow-batter-scotland/*... more »

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New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 12 hours ago

*Feds cancel St. Bernard Parish government's Hurricane Gustav disaster loan ~Bob Warren *

War watch December 28 , 2013 -- Israel , Iran , Afghanistan and Syria in focus -- Did Secretary of State John Kerry dare to offer that the infamous spy Jonathan Pollard could be release to Israel Officials - without President Obama's prior approving such a move - who is in charge ? Iran set to move toward direct Iran - US talks ? UK Army Chief Disputes Cameron’s Call for Afghan Pullout - who's in charge ? Syrian Army Killed 60 Islamist Rebels North of Damascus - Syria Army taking charge on the battlefield....

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 12 hours ago

Israel...... http://news.antiwar.com/2013/12/27/report-kerry-offered-pollard-release-to-israel/ ( Kerry must think he's President or something , right ? ) Report: Kerry Offered Pollard Release to IsraelOfficials: Obama Hadn't Approved of Idea by Jason Ditz, December 27, 2013 Print This | Share This Reports swirling around the Israeli press say that Secretary of State John Kerry has offered to release convicted spy Jonathan Pollard and secure his departure to Israel if the Israeli government doesn’t renege on the promised releases of Palestinian detainees. The Channel 10 report cit... more »

harper Tweets About the Ice Storm

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 12 hours ago

Montreal Simon has another great indictment of the usurper. Far be it from that garbage-head harper to interrupt his Christmas in hiding to make a personal appearance during this crisis.

Some naughty Seinfeld

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 12 hours ago

Elaine's nipple is on her Christmas card! But not alas Julia Louis-Dreyfus George can't tear his eyes away from cleavage What happens when Elaine talks dirty He took it out!

Fat Free Econ 51: Ten Things About the Meralco Rate Hike

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 14 hours ago

* This is my article the other day in interaksyon.com. -------- 1. The P4.15 per kilowatt-hour (kwh) electricity rate increase is short-term. It should have applied for only a month (if the increase had not been staggered) while the Malampaya natural gas platform was under maintenance. After that, the original lower rates, other things being equal, should return. Thus, contrary to public opinion, the rate hike is not long term. 2. The rate increase stems mainly from the generation charge, partly from the transmission charge, but nothing from the distribution charge. As distributor,... more »

A Holiday Message From The Great Dictator

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 14 hours ago

A Holiday Message From The Great Dictator [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 12/27/2013 13:14 -0500 *Submitted by Simon Black via Sovereign Man blog,* *http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-12-27/holiday-message-great-dictator* In September 1939, six days after the United Kingdom declared war on Germany, Charlie Chaplin began filming one of his most epic films ever… and the first “talkie” for the silent film star. It was a courageous project - the ‘Great Dictator’ directly poked fun at Adolf Hitler. At the end of the movie, Chaplin looked into the camera and g... more »

Kruskal can read your mind and the mind of God

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 15 hours ago

Gordon sent me a fun trick invented by physicist Martin David Kruskal. He can read your mind. Choose a random word in the first 3 verses of the Bible. So many choices! Count the number of letters $N$ in that word $W$ and find the next word that is $N$ words after the word $W$; for example, if you chose "heaven" in the first verse, you will have $N=6$ and jump to "earth" in the following one; overlook the digits and punctuation marks. If you landed in the 7th verse, stop. Otherwise return by two sentences in this blog post and repeat the instruction again and again. Le... more »

World's BIGGEST Blog - Day 6

Roobin at THROUGH THE SCARY DOOR - 16 hours ago

"Some articles consist of a list of things that are themselves about lists of things..." Yep, this is the list of lists of lists. Possibly the most useful thing on the internet.

The Tsar speaks

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 16 hours ago

Apropos of nothing (as someone - can't remember who - used to say)... There's a news headline sitting on the *My Blog List *panel at the right-hand side of our blog at this very moment which calls out to be drawn attention to: *Sky News* Smacking Children Should Be Banned, Says Tsar How times change! The Tsar turns out to be more liberal than Putin. As I say, 'apropos of nothing'.

Past History

Zoe Brain at A.E.Brain - 17 hours ago

When I was young, I was one of the few kids who would talk to a boy called Stephen Bristow. Son of "Timmy" Bristow. A walking mountain. Or, as one Judge described him in court, a "Walking Nightmare". Oddly enough, he had a personal code of conduct that amounted to "Do unto others as they've done unto others, with interest.". The honest had nothing to fear. Others.... My mother disturbed an intruder in our house when coming home from shopping once. He fled, taking some items of considerable sentimental, though not monetary, value. Tim Bristow got word of it.... We received them bac... more »

Christmas leftovers

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 17 hours ago

As the effects of that enormous Christmas turkey continue to wear off (and, no, I don't mean *Still Open All Hours*), here's a little pre-New Year BBC-related reading from the newspapers to while away a few minutes of your tedious post-Christmas Saturday morning. I leave you to form your own opinions. *1. Sir Tim Berners-Lee banned from having atheist on Radio 4's Thought for the Day (Daily Telegraph)* The BBC has banned Sir Tim Berners-Lee from having an atheist deliver Thought for the Day as he guest edited Radio 4’s Today programme, saying it must be spoken by a believer. Si... more »

The American Enterprise Institute, Common Core, and “Good Cop”

deutsch29 at @ THE CHALK FACE - 18 hours ago

In my research on Gates’ Common Core State Standards (CCSS) spending, I came across this unusual grant to the pro-reform group, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI): Date: June 2012 Purpose: to support their education policy work in four distinct areas: Exploring the Challenges of Common Core, Future of American Education Working Groups, Innovations in Financial Aid, and Bridging K-12 and […]

Sunday Classics preview: "Broadway in a Box"

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 19 hours ago

*by Ken* I was looking at this box, *Broadway in a Box*, that I got for some agreeably modest price as an Amazon special -- 25 cast recordings of Broadway musicals, mostly Original Broadway Cast recordings, but with seven revivals mixed in, four from Broadway and three from the Music Theater of Lincoln Center. I only had two on CD, and one of those wasn't an original-label reissue, so I figured what the heck. So I was looking at the box, which contains an interesting selection. Not necessarily the 25 I would have chosen from the RCA and Coiumbia musical-theater vaults (all now in... more »

Alan Waldman: 'A Bit of Fry & Laurie' Was Brilliant British Sketch Series

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 20 hours ago

Waldman's film and TV treasures you may have missed: This was most people’s first exposure to the highly original comic genius of English national treasures Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, who wrote and performed many classic sketches. By Alan Waldman / The Rag Blog / December 27, 2013 [In his weekly column, Alan Waldman reviews some of his favorite films and TV series that readers may have

Syria's Neighbours On Edge: A Corruption Scandal In Turkey And A Political Assassination In Lebanon Bring The Region Closer To Chaos

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 20 hours ago

There are over half a million Syrian refugees in Turkey. In October, *Reuters reported*, "The number of Syrian refugees in Turkey has exceeded 600,000 and more than 400,000 of them are living outside refugee camps, the Turkish disaster management agency said on Monday." There are even more Syrian refugees in Lebanon, who account for as much as 20 percent of the overall Lebanese population. According to the UN, the official number is a little under 800,000, but "Lebanese authorities say the exact number could be even higher since many of the Syrian refugees are unregistered and undoc... more »

Snowden the Spook

Paul Coker at News Spike - 21 hours ago

• Raised in Elizabeth City, North Carolina and later moved to Maryland. • Attended a community college, but never completed his coursework and never graduated from high school. • 2003-2004: U.S. Army, discharged after training accident • 2005: NSA, Security Guard, University of Maryland. • 2006: CIA, IT security. • 2007-2009: CIA, diplomatic cover, Switzerland. • 2009-2013: NSA Contractor, Dell and later Booz Allen Hamilton.

National Socialism - The one and only true way to free ourselves from enslavement

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 21 hours ago

Much to think about here...

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New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 22 hours ago

*Eight years after Hurricane Katrina and West End still lies unrepaired ~Troy Gilbert, GulfLatitudes.com*

Thailand: Another Protester Killed as Regime Thugs Do Drive-By at Rally Site

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 22 hours ago

Same violence seen used by Thaksin Shinawatra in 2010, now unfolding again. *December 28, 2013* (Tony Cartalucci) - At approximately 3am Saturday morning, regime gunmen drove by the anti-regime rally site near Chamai Maruchet Bridge and gunned down one security guard - leaving several others injured. This comes one week after the regime's "red shirt" supporters began threatening an armed campaign of violence against protesters if the regime's sham elections were disrupted, and just after this week's violence in Din Daeng where one policeman and one protester were killed. In the l... more »

The Idiocracy Files (Redux), Part 3: Republicans Seek to Create a New Country. It's Called Crackpotopia!!!

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 23 hours ago

[*We continue our encore presentation of Noah's Idiocracy series. And don't forget Noah's new "Need a last-minute Christmas gift suggestion?," "50 Years Ago Today: The Beatles," and "A Tale of Two Popes -- the one in the Vatican and the one in North Carolina."*] [*On Wednesday Noah began chronicling a spate of 2012 "Idiocracy moments" that recalled for him Mike Judge's 2006 film Idiocracy, a look 500 years into the future at a world gone, well, you know. Yesterday he was back with more, and still his list of sightings overflowed. So today we have Part 3.*-- Ed.] *by Noah* All hail... more »

"I'll be back..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 23 hours ago

Roger Waters, Radio KAOS, “Tide Is Turning” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66nqhVtq6xo Obviously something pretty catastrophic happened health wise here, and I have to suspend any blog activity for at least another few weeks while recovering from quadruple (4) coronary artery bypass graft surgery. (Without surgical intervention I'm assured there would have been be a zero % probability of survival, within days at most, so I'm very grateful for that.) Recovery is usually 4-12 weeks, and this is only week 2, so not a real happy camper at the moment. Thank you for your patience as thi... more »

Bail conditions not reasonably connected to purposes of bail are unconstitutional

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

R. v. Thompson, 2013 NSPC 124: [8] The purposes of a constitutional bail system were described by Lamer J. (as he then was) in *R. v. Morales*.[1] They are not hard to grasp: bail is structured to get the accused to return to court as required, prevent the commission of further offences, and prevent the commission of offences against the administration of justice; public safety and evidence preservation are implicit in this. [9] In order for bail to be reasonable, it makes sense that the conditions of bail must be reasonable. A condition imposed upon the liberty interes... more »

spaceship earth

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 1 day ago

buckminster fuller

Las mejores Imágenes para fin de Año Gratis

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FOTOFRONTERA - 1 day ago

In Memory Carter Camp, Ponca

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 day ago

Carter Camp on far right at Wounded Knee March 1973. In Memory of Carter Camp, Ponca Carter Camp on far left. Photo Brenda Norrell Carter Camp has passed over to the Spirit World. In memory, a note of thanks for Carter and all of those present for sharing this special day in 2004. Prayers for a good journey, Brenda, Censored News By Brenda Norrell Human Rights Editor UN

Sovereignty 101:Installment 2 - Cultivating Power

Sophia Love at AMERICAN KABUKI - 1 day ago

What is happening now is exceptional. There are no moments before this one that you can call on as reference. None have gone through such a time as you now navigate. You have no historical figures, no guidelines, no memories to shape the world for you – to color your actions so you do this the “right way”. There is no “right way”, no “wrong way” – there is your way. Each thought, word and action is creative. Your co-creators, your “oppressors”, those found on and off planet are all participants in the formation of this new era. Do not assume that any greater power is held b... more »

Focusing and clarification of all Gaia Higher Dimensional energetic constructs occurs at this moment

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 1 day ago

*Focusing and clarification of all Gaia Higher Dimensional energetic constructs occurs at this moment* by ÉirePort Focusing and clarification of all Gaia Higher Dimensional energetic constructs occurs at this moment. *"Novelty"1 energy items are being discarded* along with all grids which support such. Authenticity is currently required for all new energetic and (so-called) Light Work. Flash Points of understanding come for non-resisting Hue-Beings, as well as hu-beings. The "Hue-Beings / hu-being" designation is now fading rapidly. Global Gaia awakening is near. ÉirePort | D... more »

NSA news for December 27 , 2013 .....The NSA's Massive Phone-Tracking Program Is Legal, New York Judge William Pauley Finds - this decision is in conflict with the decision of another Federal Court , Judge Richard Leon , who ruled the NSA's "indiscriminate and arbitrary" invasion of privacy is "likely" unconstitutional .... On to the Court of Appeals and US Supreme Court it would appear to resolve the conflicting decisions....Meanwhile back at the ranch , what does it all mean ? Is the mass culling producing useful intelligence - pertaining to fighting international terrorists ? On that point , it should be noted that ..... NSA Can’t Make Sense of Masses of Culled Data Too Much Useless Data, Warns Former NSA Coder William Binney .... Cutting through prior lies , Stanford Study: It Is Trivially Easy to Identify People With Metadata .... .....

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-12-27/nsas-massive-phone-tracking-program-legal-new-york-judge-finds The NSA's Massive Phone-Tracking Program Is Legal, New York Judge Finds [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 12/27/2013 12:15 -0500 - Israel - national security - New York City - New York State inShare Less than two weeks after Federal Judge Richard Leon ruled that the NSA's "indiscriminate and arbitrary" invasion of privacy is "likely" unconstitutional, giving a trace of hope that America may *rise above *its Orwellian Banana repub... more »

Target customer alert December 24 , 2013 - Target hackers are believed by at least one major bank ( JP Morgan Chase and Santander perhaps ) to have stolen encrypted bank PINs - CONTACT YOUR BANK - Change PINs at a minimum , consider the replacement of your debit card ...... Note both JP Morgan Chase and Santander Bank have lowered limits as to debit card withdrawals and purchase ! Target story getting bigger as now two Banks have reduced withdrawals and spending limits on debit cards , class actions suits multiply - first by customers but the Banks are going to " target " Target also ..... Was the hack internal or did the hack come through point of service technology ? Krebs on security articles discuss Target hack , the black market for credit cards and who is running the scam

Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago

http://rt.com/usa/us-banks-magnetic-card-target-651/ ( The use of outdated technology in US ( when compared with Europe and Canada ) gives thieves an edge - banks and retailers share blame for US weaknesses ) Magnetic swipe: Obsolete credit card tech makes US prime Target for fraudsters Published time: December 22, 2013 21:57 Get short URL [image: AFP Photo/Anne-Christine Poujoulat] AFP Photo/Anne-Christine Poujoulat Share on tumblr <iframe id="_atssh899" src="http://ct1.addthis.com/static/r07/sh142.html#iit=1388065319136&tmr=load%3D1388065317878%26core%3D1388065318088%26main%3D13... more »

Mike Pence's Secret Santas

Doug Martin at Schools Matter - 1 day ago

by Doug Martin As we enter an election year here in Indiana, it is time for all of us to start peering in on the campaign records of our beloved state politicians and the front groups that are their publically-secret Santas. So here are a few of Gov. Mike Pence’s, and they are many of the same people and corporations who funded former Indiana and Florida supt. of education Tony Bennett. *ELI LILLY: SWINGING BOTH WAYS* Eli Lilly’s PAC, this October, gaveGovt. Mike $10,000. Lilly, in its various shapes and forms, has been a big player in privatizing Indiana public schools and cl... more »

No shortage of high-tech workers

skrashen at Schools Matter - 1 day ago

Sent to the Los Angeles Times, Dec. 27, 2013. In "Its no sin to be rich," (Dec. 27), Richard Riordan and Eli Broad state that jobs that don't require higher education "have left the country" and the "good jobs" that will stay require technological know-how. They conclude that we must work harder at educating our workers in technology. It is not clear that there is a demand for high-tech workers. In fact, some studies conclude that there are too many qualified candidates. Rutgers University professor Hal Salzman has reported that there are approximately three qualified graduates ann... more »

Today The Fed Soaked Up A Record $95 Billion In Excess Liquidity Sloshing Around ...........while the Fed music is playing the bankers and traders will dance........ just beware the music will stop and most likely suddenly !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago

Today The Fed Soaked Up A Record $95 Billion In Excess Liquidity Sloshing Around [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 12/27/2013 15:48 -0500 - Liquidity Bubble - Reverse Repo inShare Once upon a time, back in 2010 and 2011, the Fed's Primary Dealers would engage in a furious game of window dressing at the end of every quarter, when they would sell their risky assets, and convert them into cash, a phenomenon which could be followed on the Fed's Primary Dealer asset holding page, and which we would showcase periodically such as on the chart below... more »

The Republican War Against Women [cont.]: "Doonesbury" explores the GOP's "Lady Problem"

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago

*With UPDATE: Saturday's Strip* *DOONESBURY -- Wednesday* [*Click to enlarge*] *"Okay, I might've said it, but I was probably drunk."* *-- how GOP pols should not respond to queries about"Lady Problem" gaffes, says their special consultant* *by Ken* In our last post Howie took a nostalgic look back at the age-old and still-raging Republican War Against Women. In case there are readers who haven't been keeping up with this week's *Doonesbury* series, I thought we might recap the story of this desperate GOP in-house attempt to deal -- with the help of a trainer from Sensitivity Solu... more »

When Schools Close

Angel Cintron Jr. at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago

“The Arts & Technology Academy Public Charter School (ATA) is a Pre-K3 through 5th grade elementary school {Washington, D.C.} that focuses on performing, visual, and media arts instruction, which is infused with an extraordinary use and application of modern technology. Charter schools are independently run, publicly financed, and non-selective of its students.” Although ATA is a public charter school, the […]

@johnkuhntx guest post: The Wizards of Ed.

Timothy D. Slekar at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago

By John Kuhn There is a conundrum facing American K-12 education. It is the same conundrum that has always faced American K-12 education. How do we educate “those” kids? “Those” refers to the kids who are dealing with any (or all) of a host of disadvantages. They are from the “wrong” side of the tracks. […]

A College Rating System Designed to Benefit the Testing Industrial Complex and the Efficiency Zealots

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 1 day ago

In these days of casino capitalism, the corporate education losers look more like losers every day. If those of us who are determined to restore sanity to our schools and colleges keep pushing, the whole corrupt and cowardly con game known for decades now as "education reform" will continue to unravel in the coming year. They will not go easily, however, which means that the education affirmation movement must keep pushing, debunking, uncovering, revealing, analyzing, and dissecting. No one wants the planned college rating system dreamed up by Pearson, Gates, and the short-sighted... more »

Jon Swift Memorial Roundup 2013

Batocchio at Vagabond Scholar - 1 day ago

(The Best Posts of the Year, Chosen by the Bloggers Themselves) (A 2007 Jon Swift picture.) Welcome to a tradition started by the late Jon Swift/Al Weisel. He left behind some excellent satire, but was also a nice guy and a strong supporter of small blogs. Lance Mannion put it well in 2010: Our late and much missed comrade in blogging, journalist and writer Al Weisel, revered and admired

Imágenes fantásticas de Año Nuevo 2014

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FOTOFRONTERA - 1 day ago

Only one civil standard of proof - balance of probabilities

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

*McLean v. McLean*, 2013 ONCA 788 makes very clear there is only one civil standard of proof – balance of probabilities: [39] The trial judge held that Helen was required to provide “convincing proof” of a prior common intention to support her claim for rectification. He relied on the decision in Performance Industries Ltd. v. Sylvan Lake Golf & Tennis Club, 2002 SCC 19, [2002] 1 S.C.R. 678, at para. 41, in which Binnie J. held that in cases of rectification, “convincing proof”, that is, “proof that may fall well short of the criminal standard, but which goes beyond the sort o... more »

TOUCHING HEARTS

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago

Sent to me this morning from a friend in Maine......

Republican War On Christmas Might Be Over For The Year, But Their War Against Women Never Ends

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago

Sometimes we cover the Republican War on Women, and invariably some pompous Republican asshat denies that there's any such thing. But it's very real and very serious and profoundly undemocratic. And it's got to stop. I've been reading The Brothers, Stephen Kinzer's much-acclaimed book about the two most venal Republicans who lived in any of our lifetimes, John Foster Dulles and Allen Dulles, two deeply corrupt men-- in terms of using government office for self-enrichment-- the former the most destructive Secretary of State in American history and the latter, the bumbling head of t... more »