Saturday, December 07, 2013

7 Dec - Blogs I'm Following II

English: U.S. Marines searching for the Indian...English: U.S. Marines searching for the Indians among the mangroves during the Seminole War NARA caption: Marines battle Seminole Indians in the Florida War--1835-1842. Defense Dept. Photo (Marine Corps) 306073-A (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Massacre of the Whites by the Indians and Blac...Massacre of the Whites by the Indians and Blacks in Florida, engraving by D.F. Blanchard for an 1836 account of events at the outset of the Second Seminole War (1835–42). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Seminole Canyon State ParkSeminole Canyon State Park (Photo credit: NixBC)
10:19pm M

How Many Republicans In Congress Does Oily Joe Barton Speak For When He Says He Wants To Abolish The Minimum Wage?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 19 minutes ago
Monday candidate registration for the 2014 congressional elections close in Texas. So far "Oily" Joe Barton doesn't have a Democratic opponent, just a teabagger, Frank Kuchar, in the primary and then a Libertarian, Hugh Chauvin, in the general. Another dismal DCCC failure presided over by Steve Israel! Since Barton has no Democratic opponent to worry about, he strayed on Thursday from his usual diatribe on the fabulousness of Big Oil and ventured into one of the most unpopular positions in America-- abolishing the minimum wage. Yes, you read that correctly. Barton feels so secure ... more »

这是所有时代最伟大的间谍剧之一

Barbara Diamond at American Scofflaw - 50 minutes ago
https://showyou.com/v/y-RbGJStYA6WU/in-like-flint?u=terryadams 支付6:21-8:00分帧之间的具体注意。爱它!

What if Common Core Had Followed the Democratic Process?

deutsch29 at @ THE CHALK FACE - 52 minutes ago
On December 2, 2013, I posted a piece that focused on the governor-business hybrid nonprofit, Achieve, Inc. The post also included information on one of the “lead writers” of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), Sue Pimentel. I followed the post on December 3 with CCSS Validation Committee member Sandra Stotsky’s response to my post. […]

Live Blogging: Beer O'Clock Pilsener Taste-Off

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 1 hour ago
Beer O'Clock has arrived, the Auckland sun has come out momentarily to greet it and (despite appearances) I have before me two bottles of Pilsner to try. So I'm going to try an experiment: I'll live-blog a taste test comparing the two, one from eatablished award-winning Tutara brewery from Paraparaumu, the other from Auckland's newest craft brewers, the Black Sands Brewing Co from Kelston--who boats about being the only Westie craft brewers. You aren't allowed to mention oxymorons. First up, the Tuatara Bohemian Pilsner... Looks great in the glass. Light coloured with a substant... more »

Second Seminole War

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 1 hour ago
In 1835, the U.S. Army arrived to enforce the treaty. The Seminole leader Osceola led the vastly outnumbered resistance during the Second Seminole War. Drawing on a population of about 4,000 Seminole Natives and 800 allied Black Seminoles, he mustered at most 1,400 warriors (Andrew Jackson estimated they had only 900). They countered combined U.S. Army and militia forces that ranged from 6,000 troops at the outset to 9,000 at the peak of deployment in 1837. To survive, the Seminole allies employed guerrilla tactics with devastating effect against U.S. forces, as they knew how to mov... more »

CON control . . .

Edstock at The Galloping Beaver - 1 hour ago
SETTLER TREATY CARD: a fine concept from the folks at Briarpatch. Click on the link to see a giant-size version, 'cause the fine-print ‘some conditions apply’ is worth reading.

What Is Only PISA Stat that Matters?

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 hour ago
On December 15, 2010, Mel Riddile posted PISA: It’s Poverty Not Stupid, detailing that when PISA scores were adjusted by poverty the U.S. actually excelled: With the release of 2013 PISA scores, however, PISA scores adjusted by poverty is not the only PISA stat that matters—although, as Daniel Wydo shows again: This is not a new […]

Sunday Classics preview 2: In which we hear more of tomorrow's featured work

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 3 hours ago
*by Ken * Last night we heard a historic performance of a movement from a great symphony. Let's hear with a more up-to-date recording. Now let's hear another movement from the same piece, from the newer recording: *IN TOMORROW'S SUNDAY CLASSICS POST* We identify last night's and tonight's performances, and hear four stories about the whole piece. #

Imágenes de Navidad y Año Nuevo realmente sorprendentes

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FOTOFRONTERA - 3 hours ago

Dear Little Thomas - Death by Vaccine?

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 4 hours ago
Dear Little Thomas The information on the package inserts doesn't even begin to describe what is in a vaccination. I've learned the hard way. My son, Thomas was born September 28, 2012 and on November 29, 2012, I took him for his 1st set of immunizations and on December 1, 2012, he was gone. I was stupid and will forever be heartbroken. This is a picture of my Thomas in the doctor's office the day he received his shots, of course before they gave them to him. Perfectly healthy and happy. Suzanne Fuhri Source of the picture and text: *My Child's Vaccine Reaction Facebook*

Pearl Harbor Day Of Infamy - December 7th, 1941 - Remembrance, And The Real Circumstances Behind That Fateful Day

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 4 hours ago
It is hard to believe that it is now 72 years since that fateful day in 1941 when the Japanese strike force, known as "Kido Butai" comprising 6 fleet carriers (Akagi, Kaga, Shokaku, Zuikaku, Soryu, Hiryu) approached the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii, and launched two strikes of some 351 aircraft against the US naval facility at Pearl Harbor and airfields on Oahu itself…. It has always been claimed that this was a "surprise attack" but true history and the findings of modern researchers shows definitely otherwise… There is so much that still is not known to the general public at large ... more »

NM’s Skandera: Let’s Be Tennessee

Kris Nielsen at @ THE CHALK FACE - 5 hours ago
The latest feel-good email from New Mexico Education Secretary-Designate Hanna Skandera to teachers included this little gem: https://vimeo.com/80764983 Teachers and parents have a couple of problems with this video, and the “rhetoric” within. Let’s explore some of the points Skandera makes, and the realities behind them. 1. New Mexico is ranked 51st in the nation […]

A (Sun)Day in the Life (of the BBC) - 4.

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 5 hours ago
Time is a thief, according to the old saying. He seems to particularly enjoy stealing from bloggers. So, with just one day left before many of last Sunday's Radio 4 programmes are melted into air, into thin air, here we are, still stuck in the middle of (last) Sunday morning with barely enough spare blogging time to reach *The Archers *before programmes start disappearing off the i-Player, and with this Sunday just about to ring the doorbell. So this series looks likely to go the way of the England cricket team then. Still, what's next? Ah yes... 09:00 *Broadcasting House* The ... more »

Abbotsford Mayor Bruce Banman, Only Bible Thumpers And Murderous Drug Dealers Allowed In His Town

Grant G at The Straight Goods - 6 hours ago
They’re Afraid Of You Bruce … Can’t You Get It? From the *Abbotsford Today * * By The Editor on December 5, 2013 * *Mayor Banman told CTV news that Abbotsford had some empty emergency shelter spaces during the extreme cold weather Thursday night.**He couldn’t resist trying to score a few political points in his battle of wits with the homeless telling CTV that, if the homeless protesters in Jubilee Park won’t come in out of the cold there’s not much the City can do for them.* *What an ill-informed, callous and inflammatory thing to say.* *They are trying to survive in the middle of ... more »

Video Games and Social Critique

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 6 hours ago
When you play a video game, you're playing fast and loose with communism. Who knew? Well, Paul Mason did, for one. His piece, 'How computer games can help us overthrow capitalism' demonstrates how critiquing games can, as much as any other media product, help illuminate certain cultural logics; sets of ingrained, commonsensical social practices; and the continuous structuring and restructuring of political economy. Quite why this kind of writing in relation to one of capitalism's cultural mainstays continues to be underdeveloped is baffling, both in and out of the academy and radica... more »

Brazilian Firm Goes To Market With Free Energy Generator Capable of Powering Two Average Size Houses

urupiper at Yesterday 's Lies - 7 hours ago
Project.Nsearch Posted by Glenn Canady on December 7, 2013 http://energiauniversal.eco.br/ There goes the neighborhood. Two Brazilian inventors, Nilson Barbosa and Cleriston Leal, claim to have invented a free energy device and are now selling this device to the public. The device is called the Earth Electron Captor Generator, or “GERADOR CAPTOR DE ELÉTRONS DA TERRA” in Portuguese. There is one catch, they are *presently* only offering the device to people who live in the city of Imperatriz. However, they are working to license production with several manufacturing firms that wi... more »

Matt Moore Isn't Running Against Don Young In Alaska Just For The Sake Of Running

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 7 hours ago
Interesting House race shaping up in Alaska this cycle Matt Moore is a Democrat running for Alaska's gigantic at-large House seat, presently occupied by ethically-challenged Don Young. I spoke with him on the phone earlier this week and I;m happy to report that he has a refreshingly progressive world view. Matt has a BS degree in Geology and worked in the oil and gas business for several years prior to moving to Alaska. He's a small business owner and has been managing medical practices for the past 23 years. He and his wife live in Anchorage and have 2 children. We got into a discus... more »

Good Citizens are Signing Up

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 7 hours ago
While the Zombie threat is well documented, compelling evidence of the scourge of Space Reptiles originating in the Orion Nebula is relatively new. When I first read the comment linked above, I was so skeptical, but then I did a google search and found this! ZSRDF is a crowdsourced loosely knit, group of people not afraid to put on the tinfoil. I am the nominal leader known for security reasons as Major Jones Spaceman. I am currently doing everything.(mostly using altered states to reach out to the Pleiadians) If the Head of Space Reptile Intelligence (actually the head and tor... more »

the greatest

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 7 hours ago

Updates On Syria [12.7]: Observers Warn of An Exodus of Islamist Extremists To Turkey And Beyond, Top Iraqi Diplomat Warns A Jihadi Emirate Is Forming In Syria, Global Jihadists Find Home In Turkey

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 7 hours ago
*1. An excerpt from, "Turkey should prepare itself for mass exodus of fighters from Syria" by Lale Kemal, Today’s Zaman, November 25:* Turkey, which has an approximately 900-kilometer border with Syria on its south, is unfortunately among the losers of the Syrian war since it has pursued an ill-conceived policy by purely backing the Syrian opposition, while basing its strategies on the quick fall of the Assad regime. On the contrary, Assad has appeared to have been regaining ground, while the opposition lost its fighting edge. It is not surprising that we have been seeing the beginn... more »

Quantum Computing Superpower

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 8 hours ago
Mankind goes deep into God territory building things as large as can be imagined and as small as can still be seen using a Quantum toolbox. With any luck most of the Gods will live in Canada.

Being Old in Wintertime

theozarker at The Conflicted Doomer - 8 hours ago
December 7, 2013 We are getting old together – the cat, the dog and I. The cat, who is thirteen, now, has turned gray around the head and tail, sleeps a lot more and, although still curious, sometimes needs my … Continue reading →

We Own You ...

Dave at The Galloping Beaver - 8 hours ago
At least that is the tacit message that comes from the excerpted emails from the PMO (Nigel Wright) to the Conservative house leader in the senate. Although not subordinate in any way to the frat boys in the PMO, senators are taking orders from Nigel Wright. Now, I didn't do the heavy lifting so I will send you off to Creekside, where Alison has done just that.

THE MURDEROUS MANDELAS

Anon at aangirfan - 8 hours ago
*Stompie* Stompie was reportedly a Mandela victim. *6'4" tall Mandela and his first wife Evelyn Mase in 1944* It is as if there were two Mandelas. The Mandela who went into prison was reportedly six foot, four inches tall. The Mandela who came out of prison was reportedly about five foot, nine inches. I Believe Nelson Mandela Had Already Died - Godlike Productions *Victim of Mandela* Nelson Mandela's terrorists planted bombs in public places, thus killing women and children. *Victims of Mandela.* Mandela's first wife was Evelyn. Mandela flaunted his girl friends in front ... more »

Riding Greeener on the H2O Highway

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 8 hours ago
Another case where being green is not only more profitable, but reduces long term risk.

things i heard at the library # 10: weeding, the library's not-so-dirty, not-so-little secret

laura k at wmtc - 9 hours ago
Wmtc readers have told me that they like the inner-workings-of-the-library posts, so I'm going to let myself write those whenever an idea comes up. That means the "things I heard at..." category becomes less literal... not unlike the title of this blog. Did you ever wonder how a library manages to keep its whole collection on the shelves, when new books are coming out all the time? Where do all the books go? How can it all fit? The answer: it doesn't. Space is finite, and the number of books in any collection, although also finite, is always expanding. That contradiction is resolv... more »

An investigative documentary into the Common Core State Standards Initiative

Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene at Schools Matter - 9 hours ago
*BUILDING THE MACHINE (2014) - Official Trailer [HQ]* I want to use the same disclaimer here that I did the last time I posted Common Core State Standards (CSSS) related materials from sources that I disavow any connection with. The video is produced by, and also features, individuals that are from fringe-right-wing groups. The last time I published a disclaimer like this, I was subjected to a firestorm of criticism from the right. That's fine, we will never be allies in any sense other than shared opposition to the vile corporate CCSS curriculum being foisted on students. That s... more »

Repost of Bang Bang Club from August 2012

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 9 hours ago
The Bang Bang Club was a 2010 joint Canadian South African production. If you never heard of it join the club, it was released in the US (2011) and made a staggering $124,000 before the plug was pulled. Perhaps the key reason it was not a big success is that it was extremely politically incorrect. Is there a more saintly figure in the world than Nelson Mandela? Well Bang Bang pukes all over his carefully constructed story. It was an excellent movie more documentary than drama. Two of the real life photographers upon whom the movie is based won Pulitzer prizes, and two of them di... more »

RIP Nelson Mandela

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 9 hours ago
I am going to write more, a great man, a man that gave South Africa a fighting chance in the toughest ring in the solar system, but as usual we are getting a very distorted picture of what actually happened. The fact the no one can explain what actually happened is a flashing red light to think aboot. http://www.whiteoliphaunt.com/duckofminerva/2013/12/21212.html Thoughts much like mine. Yes he was a black Francis Underwood. http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/12/06/nelson-mandela-was-as-clever-as-he-was-virtuous-as-cunning-as-he-was-bold/ Background follow the dots http://suspendeddi... more »

What Mattered This Week?

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 10 hours ago
I'm really not sure this week. There's the apparently promising budget talks, but what's really going to matter is whether the radicals can once again intimidate mainstream conservatives; I don't think we know that yet. There's the presidents speech on the economy and inequality...that's certainly not apt to have any direct immediate effects, but it surely might signal the future direction of the Democrats. Even on health care, it's not really clear how and whether successful and unsuccessful fixes on Healthcare.gov will matter. So I'm just going to leave it all to you. What do you ... more »

KOREAN CATHOLICS TAKE ON FASCIST PARK GOVERNMENT

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 10 hours ago
On December 4 the Catholic Priests’ Association for Justice officially states, ‘Out, Park Geun-Hye.’ Their statement reads: *Whenever resisting to power, the history has demanded heavy price to the churches. The history of martyr tainted with blood plainly proves. However, Resistance is the pulse of faith. The Catholic Priests’ Association for Justice, respecting the Jeonjoo Diocese that has denounced on unjust Election and claimed on the resignation of President states [on Nov. 22]: Even though inquiring on the responsibility of unjust election would bring into suffer... more »

Re-trending

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 11 hours ago
As Sue alluded to in the previous post, poor Rod Liddle has felt the heat from an 'outraged' Twittersphere (and the *Daily Mail*) over his criticism of the BBC's OTT coverage of the death of Nelson Mandela. Rod wrote: But for Christ’s sake BBC, give it a bloody break for five minutes, will you? It’s as if the poor bugger now has to bear your entire self-flagellating white post-colonial *bien pensant* guilt; look! Famous nice black man dies! Let’s re-run the entire history of South Africa. That’s better than watching the country we’re in being flattened by a storm. From the commen... more »

Behind the scenes of the Autumn/Winter 2013 Agent Provocateur video that I posted yesterday (NSFW) - A Rule 5 post

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 11 hours ago
Behind the scenes on the making of my Christmas present concept...

Which ConservaDem will represent Obama’s birthplace? And does it even matter?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 11 hours ago
Is Hawaii about to elect a conservative anti-gay crusader disguised as a Democrat to Congress? President Obama won Hawai`i’s 1st Congressional District-- the urban Honolulu district where he was born, went to high school and partied to the tunes of both Stevie Nicks and Stevie Wonder-- last year with 70 percent of the vote. This is a solid-blue district. Over the last couple of decades, the only time a Republican represented the district (briefly) was when there was a special election, and two Democrats split the vote in a winner-take-all format. There are no prominent Republicans ... more »

War Watch December 4 - 5 , 2013 - In Afghanistan , has John Kerry been reduced to suggesting a potential unconstitutional work around to obtain a signature for the hotly desired Bilateral Security Agreement which President Karzai refuses to sign ( Desperation ) ..... Syria rebellion reduced to extortion rackets ( FSA ) and kidnapping Nuns ( Al Qaeda ) ...... Iran nuclear talks blockade led by Congress of US ( as dictated by Foreign powers such as Israel and Saudis ) ...... Tragedy of Forgotten Libya continues - apart from wondering who Senator John McCain secretly met with in Tripoli , another day of Militia thuggery , protests and deaths...........

Catharsis Ours - 11 hours ago
Afghanistan........ http://antiwar.com/blog/2013/12/04/the-zero-option-is-the-best-option-in-afghanistan/ The ‘Zero Option’ Is The Best Option in Afghanistan John Glaser, December 04, 2013 Print This | Share This | Comment [image: Obama-confused[1]] As the U.S. wrestles with the Karzai government to finalize a security agreement that would govern thousands of U.S. troops in Afghanistan for another decade, virtually everyone across every spectrum agrees that pulling out completely – the so-called ‘zero option’ – would be reckless and dangerous for America. The U.S.-backed regime in... more »

The Progressivity of the Current Tax Code

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 11 hours ago
Source: CBO. Click on graphic to enlarge.

Will freedom of expression come to Canada?

Denis Rancourt at Activist Teacher - 11 hours ago
OCLA's principled letter to the AG of Ontario... By Denis G. Rancourt Political agents across the left-right spectrum in the USA, including left public intellectual Noam Chomsky, positively advance the USA as being the modern society with the greatest protections for free speech. In the USA, expression of opinion is absolutely protected, as is all expression except in limited areas (LINK):

Delbert Newhouse and the Utah Movie

KRandle at A Different Perspective - 11 hours ago
There are two things that have happened recently that impact this blog. First is a statement, again, by someone who should actually know better, that there is no evidence that UFOs are alien craft. He asks, demands really, just one example of a solid case for the UFO. Ignoring the fact that the debunkers have worked wonders in marginalizing UFO reports by throwing all sorts of ridiculous explanations for the sightings out there, some of which are contradictory, there are some very good cases that have multiple chains of evidence and some very good research attached to them. Any exp... more »

Bangkok, Thailand: Mass Mobilization Against Wall Street-Backed Regime

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 11 hours ago
*December 7, 2013* (Tony Cartalucci) - For the second time during recent anti-regime protests, a mass mobilization is planned to begin this Monday, December 9, 2013 at 9:39am at Democracy Monument. Universities across Bangkok are setting times and locations for pre-rally staging. Protesters who individually attended the last mobilization, the largest in modern history, are better organized for this coming Monday - gathering their own smaller groups to join larger staging areas for a mass march across the city. According to even the Western press, who has thus far attempted to shelt... more »

The gap that just keeps growing

Jody Paterson at A Closer Look: Jody Paterson - 12 hours ago
Something about being in the capital of Honduras in the runup to Christmas has really brought the income disparity issue home to me. I was in one of the big malls this week looking for books to take back to the Angelitos Felices kids as a gift, and seeing all those shiny $25 children's books that rich Hondurans are buying for their own kids just made me really sad. The gap between the rich and the poor exists everywhere, of course. In Canada, the average income for the top 20 per cent of the population is 5.5 times as much as the bottom 20 per cent. But in Honduras, the to... more »

Trending

sue at Is the BBC biased? - 12 hours ago
Have you noticed the trend whereby an increasing number of people emphasize the ‘K’ in words ending with “k”? It’s quite annoying once you notice it. Even Giles Fraser does it, li*K*e. If the great and the good can start an answer with ‘so’, so can I. So Bari Atwan was on Dateline again. I didn’t see it but I’m told he was. Still, if Russell Brand can bounce bac*K*, I guess “‘ari Batwan” can too. Who’s suffering from Nigella overkill? Me. Momentarily reflecting on Nigella’s false eyelashes, the rolling banner slid across the bottom of the screen, and as you do, I misread “false al... more »

BARRY SEAL AND THE JFK ASSASSINATION

Anon at aangirfan - 12 hours ago
*Barry Seal of the CIA* The key to 9 11 is the CIA-connected airfield in Venice Florida and *the key to the JFK assassination is the CIA-connected Redbird airfield in Dallas*. Reportedly, the CIA's Barry Seal flew a 'get-away plane' out of Dallas after the Kennedy assassination. *Redbird airfield, Dallas.* Barry Seal was born in Baton Rouge in Louisiana. *Barry Seal flew covert flights for the CIA and for the Medellín Drugs Cartel.* Barry Seal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. *FIDEL CASTRO OF THE CIA.* *In 1958 Seal began ferrying weapons to Fidel Castro who was supported ... more »

CONtempt™: it's the Harper CONservative party brand.

noreply@blogger.com (deBeauxOs) at DAMMIT JANET! - 12 hours ago
Another day, another cpc Senator in the news. This particularly repulsive Con — Jean-Guy Dagenais — has also been a useful idiot for the Harper regime. As a former cop and past president of the police officers' association of Québec, Dagenais was a keen supporter of the federal long-gun registry. Once tactically appointed to the Senate by PMSHithead, he CONveniently started spewing the anti-registry propagandaand speaking points supplied by the PMO. *Il a changé son fusil d'épaule*. And now, this: In a letter sent to all parliamentarians, Dagenais referred to Charmaine Borg’s... more »

Faith, hope and charity

sue at Is the BBC biased? - 12 hours ago
The BBC aired a programme that seems critical of Islam, then for balance, they aired an episode of Health Check, a BBC World service programme fronted by Claudia Hammond featuring a charity that was supposedly set up to comfort parents whose babies or children had died. All well and good, you’d think, a much-needed service, like the Samaritans, Childline or the NHS Direct.(I jest) A support group, then. But this is not just any old support group. It’s an M for Muslim Support group. Why was there a need for such a specialised service? It’s because “Muslims” (mustn’t tar them all w... more »

The ex factor

sue at Is the BBC biased? - 13 hours ago
I didn’t hear the programme ‘Leaving the Faith’ last Wednesday when it was first broadcast, but a thread about it on Harry’s Place tempted me to ‘listen again’. Sarfraz Manzoor’s programme illustrates that leaving the faith is a delicate and problematic issue within Muslim communities in the UK. Extricating yourself from the stifling Islamic religious lifestyle literally puts your life in danger, and the dreaded curse of a family member’s apostasy tears families asunder in a brutal and unnatural fashion. You’d think the BBC, which is notoriously obsessed with Islamic affairs, woul... more »

Petition Works: 37-Year Hispanic Scholarship Fund Dream Policy Overturned

Roberto Rodriguez at Dr Cintli - 13 hours ago
Friday, 06 December 2013 11:04 By Roberto Cintli Rodriguez, Truthout | Opinion Thanks to all who signed the petition, inspired by the DREAM 9 and Scholarship A-Z. Petition Works: 37-Year Hispanic Scholarship Fund Dream Policy Overturned Something remarkable happened last month during the nation's immigration debate; while the president and Congress continued their prolonged stalemate, the board of directors of the national Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) voted to reverse its 37-year-old policy of excluding DREAM students from its scholarship programs. This reversal is actually... more »

NSA Spying December 7 , 2013 - domestic and foreign spying items of the day .... Highlight of the Day - Obama: My Overseas Spying Not Constrained by the Law I Passed as Senator !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 13 hours ago
NSA fables from the Grand Fable teller..... Obama: My Overseas Spying Not Constrained by the Law I Passed as Senator Posted on December 6, 2013 by emptywheel In a democracy in which separation of powers still functioned as intended, this would be a deliberate provocation (my transcription): The Snowden disclosures have identified areas of legitimate concern. Some of it has also been highly sensationalized and has been painted in a way that’s not accurate. I’ve said before and I will say again: the NSA actually does a very good job about not engaging in domestic surveillance. Not r... more »

Michael Cannon of the Cato Institute warns President Obama's failure to follow ObamaCare law as actually written could lead to armed revolt against the US Government - Cato Institute giving Obama warning or giving folks a heads up ? How long might it be before violence spews forth in Cities like Detroit ? US Watch List - 700 , 000 in Hotel California type situation ?

Catharsis Ours - 13 hours ago
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/expert-testifies-to-congress-that-obamas-ignoring-laws-could-lead-to-overthrow-of-government/ During a congressional committee hearing about the constitutional limits imposed on the presidency and the implications of President *Barack Obama*’s disregard for implementing the Affordable Care Act as written, one expert testified that the consequences of the president’s behavior were potentially grave. He said that the precedent set by Obama could eventually lead to an armed revolt against the federal government. On Tuesday, *Michael Cannon*, Cato Institute’s ... more »

War Watch December 7 , 2013 - Afghanistan and Pakistan in focus.... Karzai still refuses to fold to US and NATO demands that he sign the Bilateral Security Agreement by the end of December or else..... Pakistan still dealing with anti- drone protests as Pakistan's PM plans to crackdown on anti - drone protests....

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 14 hours ago
Afghanistan..... http://news.antiwar.com/2013/12/06/karzai-aide-afghans-wont-bow-to-us-pressure-on-pact/ Karzai Aide: Afghans Won’t Bow to US Pressure on PactUS Ultimatum 'Will Not Achieve Anything' by Jason Ditz, December 06, 2013 Print This | Share This US officials continue to make regular warnings of a full scale withdrawal from Afghanistan if President Karzai doesn’t sign the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) by the end of the month. It’s not getting anywhere. That’s the message from key Karzai aide Aimal Fox, who in a statement today insisted that the US “will not achieve a... more »

OUTSCORING FINLAND: Outscoring ourselves!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 14 hours ago
*SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2013* *Epilogue—The meaning of the gaps:* Yesterday, we said some data concerning the PISA aren’t available yet. As it turns out, they are. If you want to disaggregate the new PISA scores by race/ethnicity, that can be done for all three subjects tested—reading, math and science. Yesterday, we showed you those data for math. If you want to see them for science and reading, click here, scroll to pages 34 and 46. Those data help you contemplate the size of our nation’s gaps. What’s the overall meaning of our nation’s very *large* gaps? Once again, let’s review... more »

For The Birds

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 15 hours ago
The irony is of epic proportions. The Jewish National Fund plans to put Stephen Harper's name on a bird sanctuary. It shall be called The Stephen J. Harper Hula Valley Bird Sanctuary Visitor and Education Centre. Michael Harris writes that naming a bird sanctuary after Stephen Harper is like naming a kids' summer camp after Rob Ford. Consider what is happening in Northern Alberta: Bloomberg Businessweek [reports] that by 2020 wastewater from the Canadian tar sands will cover 62,000 acres of Northern Alberta and possibly spread through the boreal forest ecosystem. Big players l... more »

SUPREME COURT HEARS VANDENBERG PROTEST CASE

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 15 hours ago
*Dennis Apel, 2nd from left, appeared at the US Supreme Court this week defending the right to protest at Vandenberg AFB in California* This past Wednesday Dennis Apel was sitting inside the US Supreme Court in Washington DC. After 14 years of vigiling, and often being arrested, at Vandenberg AFB, California his case challenging the legal line for base property has hit the high court. The Washington Post covered the story and here is just a bit of it: The federal government owns the land on both sides of the road, which runs through this sprawling air base north of Santa Barbara.... more »

Gov't says it will shut down illegal guesthouses at Qingjing. No, seriously.

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 15 hours ago
*Guesthouses just above the last 7-11 at Qingjing.* The movie Beyond Beauty apparently has had some effect in dramatically portraying the destruction of Taiwan's environment. The public was moved. And so the government responded to this social demand by moving against illegal gravel operations illegal farming in the mountains illegal occupation and development of public land pollution by factories deforestation overdevelopment of highways and roads guesthouses. *Only four of the 134 inns and guesthouses in Qingjing are operating legally, the interior ministry said Thursday*, vowing... more »

Deta Elis – Star Trek Medicine – Bioresonance

urupiper at Yesterday 's Lies - 15 hours ago
Posted by Dr Sircus on December 4, 2013 [image: http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/cnishared/tools/shared/mediahub/06/69/06/slideshow_1066968_mckoyold.JPG] Thought doctor McCoy had it good with his equipment on the Starship Enterprise? Wait until you get a load of what is coming to revolutionize the world of medicine. Medicine just got exciting thanks to Russian scientists and over 17 years of in-depth research. The future has arrived and just as three-dimensional printing will revolutionize manufacturing, this technology will revolutionize the practice of medicine. This groundbreaking m... more »

Right Wing Revolution Eating Its Children-- And Parents… GOP Needs A Time Out

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 15 hours ago
It's nothing new to hear progressives bloggers-- particularly this one-- try to persuade donors, and even Members of Congress, to defund the DCCC, particularly while Steve Israel is recruiting fellow corrupt conservatives to serve in the interests of Big Business and undercut ordinary working families. The Democratic Establishment, Beltway "professional Democrats," don't care for us either. You might have caught Wall Street whore Chuck Schumer's hissy fit about liberal bloggers the other day. He was bitching to Isaac Chotiner about how misunderstood his Wall Street financiers are:... more »

Playing

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 15 hours ago

Utter threats

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 15 hours ago
R. *v.* McRae, 2013 SCC 68 clarifies the elements of uttering threats. It is now clear the threats need not be communicated to the person threatened. The *actus reus* of the offence of uttering threats will be made out if a reasonable person fully aware of the circumstances in which the words were uttered or conveyed would have perceived them to be a threat of death or bodily harm. The Crown need not prove that the intended recipient of the threat was made aware of it, or if aware of it, that he or she was intimidated by it or took it seriously. Nor must the words be directed t... more »

Ex Pearson "Female" Exec Joins Twitter Board

freetoteach at Schools Matter - 15 hours ago
My my, you never know what you will find by reading the business news. Pearson and Twitter, imagine the possibilities. Wall Street is all aflutter with a "woman" on the board of Twitter, how progressive. By Jessica Guynn December 5, 2013, 9:16 a.m. SAN FRANCISCO -- Twitter has added a female media veteran to its all-male board of directors. Marjorie Scardino, 66, former chief executive of publishing company Pearson, joined the Twitter board Thursday after a deafening wave of criticism that it lacked diversity in its upper ranks. The absence of a woman on Twitter’s board was “a joke,”... more »

"Standardized" Documentary: How Testing Is Ruining Public Education

freetoteach at Schools Matter - 15 hours ago
“Standardized: Lies, Money and Civil Rights: How Testing Is Ruining Public Education” *"We think this film is going to give more parents **the guts to say, 'Our kids don't have to take these tests,'"**Hornberger said. **"They prove nothing.* To watch it, go to www.youtube.com and search on “Standardized.” *By the way:* After its theatrical run, Hornberger intends to post “Standardized” at www.vimeo.com, charging $5 per viewing and donating $1 from each purchase to the United Opt Out movement. The official trailer for “Standardized” has received more than 3,600 views on YouTube. T... more »

Taiwan Communique 144

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 16 hours ago
*Temple, Taiping, Taichung city.* FAPA sent this around (click on READ MORE to see full info): To: Friends in the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia From: Formosan Association for Public Affairs We are pleased to let you know that the new issue of Taiwan Communiqué is hot off the press (attached). This issue starts with a summary of the very recent declaration by China of an Air Defense Identification Zone, covering a wide area of the East China Sea, including the Senkaku / Diaoyutai island. This increased tension and prompted immediate protests from the US, Japan and South Korea. The... more »

Weingarten's Day of Inaction December 9

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 16 hours ago
In October AFT launched its Principles that Unite Us (PUU), a piece of foamy rhetoric that offers the impression of resistance to corporate ed reform while providing a rubber stamp to CorpEd's status quo assault on public education. PUU is full of fuzzy talk that offers plenty of corporate space to 1) continue the education genocide based on high stakes testing, 2) the implementation of the Corporate Common Core, 3) the continuing use of test scores to evaluate teachers, 4), the continuation of alt-cert schemes like TFA, 5) the continuing resegregation of schools, and 7) the contin... more »

Video Umatilla at Halted Tar Sands Megaload Oregon

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 16 hours ago
Article at Censored News: http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2013/12/umatilla-and-activists-block-tar-sands.html Video: December 3 2013: Members of the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation and friends gathered tonight in Pendleton, Oregon to hold ceremony at the site where the Omega Morgan "mega load" remains. Oregon Department of Transportation confirmed that freezing weather

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New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 16 hours ago
*Our New Orleans Saints seek to break loudest crowd roar at an indoor sports stadium* *Retired chef chosen by NBC Sports to tweet as Fan of the Week ~Ian McNulty, N.O. Advocate* *Allen Toussaint, Hot 8 Brass Band among local Grammy nominees ~Dominic Massa, WWLTV* ***

Terrance Nelson urges Aljazeera to voice truth about US gas exploitation

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 16 hours ago
By Terrance Nelson Anishinaabe Roseau River Censored News Jorge;   I have reviewed the story put together by Wab Kinew on Elsipogtog.The link you sent me is as follows   http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=m0N-lDcq1PQ&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dm0N-lDcq1PQ I am sorry to say that I view the story as told by Wab Kinew as lacking focus and context. I understand that in order to be an objective

VAT On Bitcoin, UK Tax Authority HMRC Changes Mind

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 18 hours ago
*Prediction: Bitcoin is already controlled by central banking system and an attempt will be made to replace the Federal Reserve system with it. Canada, Australia and the UK are already involved with it, and the reason for dropping the VAT is because they don't want to tax themselves. China is also buying huge quantities of Bitcoin. -Bill* VAT On Bitcoin, UK Tax Authority HMRC Changes MindDecember 06, 2013 21:48 http://bitcoinblogger.com/vat-on-bitcoin/ Back in November, UK tax authority HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announced they intended to classify bitcoins as vouchers, mea... more »

Now Let's talk about SEX

Breaking The Silence at Removing The Shackles - 19 hours ago
So we talked about "LOVE", now let's talk about SEX. ..... ok, not exactly "SEX" per se, but Sexual Desire. Like the "LOVE" article, I do not have answers, but I think that speaking about it openly may help a lot of people perhaps come to their own answers. But this is just my personal opinion. The topic of Sex is taboo in most circles of society, showing the castrating influence of Religion to warp something that has nothing to do with Religion. To control Sex, is to control human desire and to control the exchange of energy that is part of the physical act of sexual union. R... more »

THE FAMOUS PROSTITUTE

Anon at aangirfan - 19 hours ago
*Lord Lambton, a UK defence minister; and prostitute Nora Russell, aka **Norma Levy, who was married to a man linked to US intelligence.* Nora Russell was born into a devout Roman Catholic family in Ireland. Nora had an aunt who was the mother superior of a convent; and an uncle who was a monk. Nora married Colin Levy and became world famous as prostitute. *Colin Levy was reportedly linked to the US intelligence services.* *Colin Levy* Norma has related that her clients included: The Shah of Iran, the head of a Middle Eastern state, a fraudster who funded Richard Nixon's presid... more »

Salaries and wages since 1932-1934: uniform 30-fold increase

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 20 hours ago
*Some data suggest "almost no progress"* I was looking at some reality of the life in the U.S. of the "dirty 1930s": Incomes and prices in 1932-1934 What I was amazed by is that there seems to be no progress in a vast majority of the entries here. If you just multiply all the prices and wages by a factor of 30 (30 per 80 years corresponds to 300.0125=1.043 i.e. 4.3-percent average annual inflation rate), almost all the entries seem to coincide with the values now, 80 years later! (Dow Jones went from 50 or so to 16,000, i.e. by the factor of 300+, or the average 7.5% growth in thes... more »

Defining "LOVE"

Breaking The Silence at Removing The Shackles - 21 hours ago
The word "LOVE" is used in so many ways to describe so many things. To define it- in english- is to discover the inadequacy of the English language itself. Below is the dictionary definition of "LOVE" love lʌv/ *noun* noun: *love*; plural noun: *loves* 1. *1*. a strong feeling of affection. "babies fill parents with intense feelings of love" synonyms:deep affection, fondness, tenderness, warmth, intimacy, attachment, endearment; More devotion, adoration, doting, idolization, worship; passion, ardour, desire, lust, yearning, infatuation, adulation, besotted... more »

Friday Baseball Post

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 21 hours ago
I know there's a lot going on in baseball, but just Giants today, folks. I was okay with Lincecum. I was happy with Hudson. But I'm really not happy at all with bringing Ryan Vogelsong back. To begin with: he was awful in 2013. He was just fine in 2012, and quite good in 2011. So we're talking about a pitcher who will be 36 next year and, really, has very little chance of being better than league average. Granted: a low-priced league-average starting pitcher isn't a bad idea. Take a team with four solid starters and a hole, and adding a cheap starter -- even one with a low ceiling -... more »

Mother Agnes Mariam - Americans Misled by False Mainstream Media Reports on Syria

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 22 hours ago
Mother Agnes Mariam is standing up to Obama and challenging his administration's policy of war and aggression towards Syria. How will the Obama administration respond to her vocal resistance to the hijacking and destruction of Syria? Send their Al-Qaeda agents to kidnap or kill her. They would be happy if Jihadist terrorists take her life. To label her as *"Assad's nun"* as some have ignorantly done is wrong. It is an attack on her nobility and courage, and this attack on her character is futile. She is serving the cause of peace, not any political ruler.

Sunday Classics preview 1: Feel free to identify the music -- and, if you can, identify the conductor!

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 22 hours ago
[*This post originally appeared in somewhat different form on January 8, 2010. By Sunday it should be clear why I've resurrected it.*] *by Ken* Yes, this audio clip is in mono -- and we'll have another one in a second preview tomorrow at 6pm PT/9pm ET, but Sunday's main-post offerings will be all stereo, and for this music, it does matter. For tonight's clip, it was necessary to return to mono years in order to represent this conductor. That might give you a clue as to his identity. (Yes, I'll give you that much: It *is *a man.) Many of you will recognize the music, of course. I... more »

Regarding Carolyn Yeager

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 1 day ago
This past Monday, Carolyn Yeager, one of the leading voices in the pro-White and WWII revisionist community, dedicated the entire second hour of her radio program *The Heretics' Hour* to criticize and attack me following *the "debate" I participated in with Mike Delaney and Scott Roberts*, and Andrew Anglin's subsequent commentary on it at the *Daily Stormer*. I'd like to respond to what she had to say, and what it reveals about her character. Yeager begins by saying that she has always had a problem with me, viewing my *"agreeableness"* and behavior as extremely suspect. She also s... more »

Israel's Assassination Policy: Hit or Miss?

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 1 day ago
An excerpt from, *"Israel's Kill List"* by Ronen Bergman, Foreign Policy, December 4: "Hezbollah was quick to point the finger at Israel; Israel was quick to deny the attack. If indeed the assassins belong to some elite intelligence organization, by now they are most likely to be out of Lebanon, away from Hezbollah's grasp. *But this tactical success -- if you can call it that -- is not necessarily a strategic one in the Middle Eastern political arena. * To play assassin is to challenge history outright. Some hit jobs proved effective in changing reality, but not all changed it i... more »

Knoxville Teachers Call for Jim McIntyre's Ouster

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
Many thanks to Mike Donila from Screams from the Porch for this fact sheet on McIntyre and TN superintendents (that's McIntryre below with his gold-stamped Broad Center plaque just behind him--ah, symbolism): Superintendent Jim McIntyre *FACT:* McIntyre is in charge of the county’s more than $400 million educational budget, its 89 schools and a 7,500-person workforce that includes 4,800 teachers. *FACT:* Of the state’s 15 largest school districts, 13 superintendents spent between seven and 33 years as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal. *FACT:* Only two superintendent... more »

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New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 1 day ago
*Poppy Tooker, food journalist and radio host, recovering from illness*

"A special committee that will have the right Senators on board"

Alison at Creekside - 1 day ago
Yesterday in the House, Stephen Harper publicly backed the Senate's decision not to hear testimony from Michael Runia, the Deloitte auditor who allegedly intervened in the audit into Mike Duffy’s expenses at the behest of ConFund Senator Irving Gerstein and the Prime Minister’s Office. I doubt there's anyone left who imagines the Senate's decision on Wedneday was achieved independently of Steve's input and there's two excellent columns from Tim Harper and Murray Dobbin on that below. But there's one email from Nigel Wright to PMO *Manager of Parliamentary Affairs* Patrick Rogers I h... more »
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