Sunday, January 19, 2014

19 Jan - Blogs I'm Following II

English: Near colliding NGC 2207 and IC 2163 a...English: Near colliding NGC 2207 and IC 2163 as seen by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. Français : Image obtenue par le Télescope spatial Hubble (ESA, NASA) et montrant NGC 2207 et IC 2163 se frôlant. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
10:34pm MST

Musical Interlude: Joe Bonamassa, "Driving Towards The Daylight"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 2 minutes ago
Joe Bonamassa, "Driving Towards The Daylight" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTG-bCMG05E

Scott Simon Rocks the Blog World (and other links)

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 4 minutes ago
[image: FTV_Jan_2014_100] *A sausage vendor in Jiji.* Just to point you to something really great, longtime anthropologist Scott Simon has opened a blog, Anthropology of Taiwan. Dr. Simon is brilliant and insightful. Can't wait! Other links... _________________ *Daily Links*: - Ben rips the attack on Deng Nan-jung in an excellent post on character assassination. - Taiwanese mil recruiters looking to recruit out of Burma? - Taiwan KOM is one of world's toughest bike races. - Lee Teng-hui is a voice of sanity on Senkaku issue, says Japan owns the islands. - ACER po... more »

"A Look to the Heavens"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 28 minutes ago
“Billions of years from now, only one of these two galaxies will remain. Until then, spiral galaxies NGC 2207 and IC 2163 will slowly pull each other apart, creating tides of matter, sheets of shocked gas, lanes of dark dust, bursts of star formation, and streams of cast-away stars. *Click image for larger size.* Astronomers predict that NGC 2207, the larger galaxy on the left, will eventually incorporate IC 2163, the smaller galaxy on the right. In the most recent encounter that about peaked 40 million years ago, the smaller galaxy is swinging around counter-clockwise, and is now sl... more »

The Daily "Near You?"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 28 minutes ago
Deerwood, Minnesota, USA. Thanks for stopping by.

The Battle Over The Honolulu Congressional Seat-- One Progressive And A Whole Lot Of DINOs

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 35 minutes ago
So far this cycle, when we've talked about Hawai'i politics it's almost always been about a Senate primary in which corrupt New Dem Colleen Hanabusa is challenging progressive Senator Brian Schatz. But there's another important race in Hawai'i, which is not unrelated-- to fill the Honolulu-based House seat Hanabusa is giving up (HI-01). For one of the bluest states in the nation-- Hawaii gave Obama 71% of its votes in 2012 and the state legislature is made up of 24 Democrats and just one Republican in the Senate and 44 Democrats and 7 Republicans in the House-- there are an overab... more »

Reduce Footprints Is Back!

Small Footprints at Reduce Footprints - 35 minutes ago
[image: Happy New Year & Welcome Back to Reduce Footprints Blog] Happy 2014 and welcome back to Reduce Footprints. I hope that you enjoyed the holidays, kept them green, and are ready for an exciting new year! Before leaving for my hiatus, I asked you to give me your Reduce Footprints "Wish List": suggestions, ideas, and a general critique of the blog. Many of you obliged me with wonderful comments, which I have taken to heart. Here are the ideas which we are implementing this year: Meet and GreetThe purpose of the Meet & Greet link-up is to grow our community, get acquainted with ea... more »

“10 of the Nuttiest, Nastiest Right-Wing Statements This Week—Pot Freak-Out Edition”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 hour ago
*“10 of the Nuttiest, Nastiest Right-Wing Statements This Week—* *Pot Freak-Out Edition”* By Janet Allon *1. Nancy Grace:* People on pot shoot, stab and strangle each other: It is now abundantly clear that Nancy Grace has never smoked, or known anyone who smoked marijuana. How do we know this? On her show this week, she hysterically ranted hat marijuana is highly addictive, and that it causes people to go on bloody killing sprees. Her guest, Mason Tvert of the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), tried to inject some reason into the conversation, by pointing out that “marijuana’s addicti... more »

The Battle For Human Survival

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 1 hour ago
We are in a fight for our very lives... Right now, the criminal psychotic Jewish elite are working their best at poisoning our food through the insidious chemicals that are added to our food supply as well as through the criminal use of GMO foods via the Jewish run Monsanto, and destroying our minds via their control over our media and by the lies they perpetuate through their so called "history books"... We are indeed watching their long sought plans to have the Gentiles destroyed or made their permanent slaves unfold before our very eyes... For this article, I want to present this... more »

Clarifying the Cross Strait Situation, Redux: Etzioni in The Diplomat

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 1 hour ago
[image: FTV_Jan_2014_138] *A Yanshui Street corner.* Amitai Etzioni, longtime international affairs expert, writes on the strategic ambiguity of the US commitment to Taiwan in The Diplomat.... True, even if the restraint both sides imposed on themselves (and on their respective hawks) is made more explicit, either side could violate it. However, the more explicit the agreement the less likely is that it will be subject to misunderstandings and the more likely it is to survive. It may well be impossible at this stage to turn the implicit understanding, such as there is – if there is ... more »

China credit markets will be a key focal point over the next two weeks ! Chinese Money Markets Spooked Despite Slight Beat (And Miss!) In GDP ....Bank of America Is Actively Preparing For The Chinese January 31 Trust Default

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 2 hours ago
Chinese Money Markets Spooked Despite Slight Beat (And Miss!) In GDP [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 01/19/2014 21:16 -0500 - China - default - Gross Domestic Product inShare *UPDATE: China overnight repo rates just spiked to 6% - the worst since June...* Chinese *overnight repo rates were already on the rise (several trades at 5.5%: 200bps above Friday's close)* as contagion concerns over wealth management product default spreads and the *Chinese Business Climate Index tumbled to its lowest since June 09*. Equity futures were sliding ... more »

Gold and Silver news and views January 18 , 2014 - Ed Steer's Saturday missive , Koos Jansen missives - focusing on China , Andy Hoffman declaring COMEX is in technical default on the December Contract for Gold !

Catharsis Ours - 2 hours ago
http://www.caseyresearch.com/gsd/edition/eric-sprott-one-more-sign-of-manipulation-in-the-gold-market ¤ YESTERDAY IN GOLD & SILVER The gold price drifted aimlessly in Far East trading on their Friday---and that continued into morning trading in London. But once the noon silver fix was in, which was also the low of the day, away the price went to the upside. The rally got capped shortly after 11:30 a.m. EST in New York---and that was it for the day. The CME Group recorded the low and high ticks at $1,237.30 and $1,254.60 in the February contract. Gold closed on Friday in New York at... more »

Australasia: the world leader in excessive house prices

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 2 hours ago
Alan Moran at the always enlightening Australian economics blog Catallaxy Files is uncomfortable sharing his country’s appalling housing affordability ranking with New Zealand. There is one area where Australia leads the world [which it shares with New Zealand]. Demographia’s 10th Annual Survey of house prices - this one covering 360 cities in nine countries – shows Australasia imperiously blitzing all opposition other than Hong Kong in house prices. To ensure against distortions from different standards of living and costs, the survey compares median house prices in terms of a... more »

MeTA 15: Forum 2014 on Healthcare Ethics and Transparency

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 2 hours ago
The Medicines Transparency Alliance (MeTA) Philippines will hold its annual forum this year with a timely theme, Transparency and Ethics in Healthcare. Things that are expected of various players and professionals in the health sector -- pharma companies, drugstores and pharmacies, hospitals and clinics, doctors and pharmacists, etc. And patients and the public too, we should have our own "code of ethics". Here is the provisional program for the event three weeks from now. The Mexico City Principles (MCP) is a set of ethical conduct adopted by APEC member countries for the pharmace... more »

Seahawks...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 2 hours ago
*Going * *to* * the* *Super Bowl* Yay!!!

Obama's Special Ops Surge: America’s Secret War in 134 Countries, NC Fracking Results To Be Kept Secret, Milwaukee Voucher School Disappears After Getting $2 Million in Taxpayer Funds, Fake HillBillies Run Amuck and Bill Maher Rules!

BREAKING NEWS! "Fracking Chemicals In North Carolina Will Remain Secret, Industry-Funded Commission Rules" What, exactly, are those chemicals being pumped underground during the fracking process? In North Carolina, no one has to say. On Tuesday, the 15-member state Mining and Energy Commission voted unanimously to pass a rule that would let fracking companies keep secret the makeup of the

Ten Reasons Why Taichung is the Best City

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 3 hours ago
[image: FTV_Jan_2014_195] *Processing pork.* I saw Ten Reasons Why Taipei is the Best City on Facebook. It lists ten reasons why Taipei is the best city: safety, shopping, food, 7-11s, the people, expenses, the sights, the events, transportation, and culture. To which I reply: Harumph! Taichung is clearly the better city. *1. The people.* People in Taipei aren't friendly, people in Taipei are cold -- compared to people in the rest of Taiwan. That includes Taichung, though in fairness, Tainan and Kaohsiung are even better. If you think people in Taipei are friendly, you need to get o... more »

Imágenes bonitas que puedes mirar para relajarte un poco

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FOTOFRONTERA - 3 hours ago
[image: Aviones volando] [image: Barco en la isla] [image: Cabaña entre los árboles] [image: Castillo en el mar] [image: Mar congelado] [image: Gatitos con mensaje para facebook] [image: Mujer hada] [image: Paisaje de otoño] [image: Lago cubierto de hojas] [image: Mujer bonita] [image: Venado junto a las manzanas]

WOULD THE U.S. ENJOIN WITH ISRAEL IF ISRAEL LAUNCHED A UNILATERAL ATTACK AGAINST IRAN?

On Monday, 20 January 2014, the agreements entered into between Iran and the so-called P5+1 will come into effect that will relieve Iran of some of the sanctions against it and release billions of much needed dollars into the Iranian economy. On top of that, President Obama seems to have prevailed in his stoush with a large bipartisan group of Senators wanting to push a bill in the Senate that was pushing for increased sanctions against Iran that would be triggered at the slightest sign of faltering on the agreement by Iran. Also imbedded in that bill is a clause that gave Israel th... more »

Robert Reich on "David Brooks' Utter Ignorance About Inequality"

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 3 hours ago
Occasionally David Brooks, who personifies the oxymoron "conservative thinker" better than anyone I know, displays such profound ignorance that a rejoinder is necessary lest his illogic permanently pollute public debate. Such is the case with his New York Times column last Friday, arguing that we should be focusing on the "interrelated social problems of the poor" rather than on inequality, and that the two are fundamentally distinct. *-- Robert Reich, in his blogpost* "David Brooks' Utter Ignorance About Inequality" *by Ken* Now Bob Reich is maybe the smartest person I've ever kn... more »

Drum Majors and Gatekeepers

Paul Coker at News Spike - 3 hours ago
*"When I was a young boy, * *My father took me into the city, * *To see a marching band.* *He said, **'Son, when you grow up, * *Will you be the saviour of the broken? * *The beaten and the damned...?'* *He said, 'Will you defeat them?* *Your demons and and the non-believers?* *The plans that they've made....'"* Welcome to The Black Parade. The March on Washington represented a coalition of several civil rights organizations, all of which generally had different approaches and different agendas. The "Big Six" organizers were James Farmer, of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE... more »

“Aucklanders Give a Hoot – Len Brown Should Get the Boot”

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 3 hours ago
*I still maintain that a lame duck Auckland mayor is the very best outcome for all Aucklanders – given what an Auckland mayor *could do* with the powers Rodney Hide gave him,* if* he thought he had popular support behind him. Stephen Berry from **Affordable Auckland** figures otherwise, however, this short Guest Post …* Auckland mayor Len Brown says Aucklanders generally "don't give much of a hoot" about his battles over the last few months. The people of Auckland do give a hoot about your disgraceful conduct Len. And in 34 days, The Len Brown Stand Down March will show you just h... more »

Selections from, comments on Ravitch, Everything you need to know about the common core

skrashen at Schools Matter - 4 hours ago
Excerpts from, and a few friendly comments on, Diane Ravitch's essay, Everything you need to know about the common core. (Comments marked with "SK"). My hope is that this very strong essay will turn the tide. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/01/18/everything-you-need-to-know-about-common-core-ravitch/ 1. "These two federal programs (NCLB and Race to the Top), which both rely heavily on standardized testing, has produced a massive demoralization of educators; an unprecedented exodus of experienced educators, who were replaced in many districts by young, i... more »

A World of Wounds

gail zawacki at Wit's End - 5 hours ago
“One of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds. Much of the damage inflicted on land is quite invisible to laymen. An ecologist must either harden his shell and make believe that the consequences of science are none of his business, or he must be the doctor who sees the marks of death in a community that believes itself well and does not want to be told otherwise.” ~ Aldo Leopold, *A Sand County Almanac* After a trip back north for Christmas with the family, I returned to Palm Beach in good time to escape the Polar Vortex and consequentl... more »

"The Retail Death Rattle"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
“I was part of that strange race of people aptly described as spending their lives doing things they detest, to make money they don't want, to buy things they don't need, to impress people they don't like." - Emile Gauvreau You really need to read this post, unable to place it here: “The Retail Death Rattle” - http://www.theburningplatform.com/

A Tale of Two Protests: Ukraine and Thailand - Part III

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 5 hours ago
*Image: The US backs mobs in Kiev, Ukraine attacking police with clubs, sticks, and baseball bats - while it calls protesters in Bangkok, Thailand "anti-democratic militants" even as the US-backed regime there carries out nightly, and now daily terror attacks against them. * .... *January 20, 2014* (ATN) - When last looking at these two protests, one in Eastern Europe's Ukraine, and another in Southeast Asia's Thailand, it was concluded that: It is more than mere fascist ideology that attracts the West to Svoboda in Ukraine and the regime of Thaksin Shinawatra in Thailand - it is ... more »

UK Set to Sell Out it's Population's Medical Data and Records to Private Industry and Health Insurers

noreply@blogger.com (Christian Munthe) at Philosophical Comment - 5 hours ago
I posted almost a year back about a then apparently more restrictive, but to my eyes still outrageous, move of the UK government to frivolously open up a genomic database created out of the medical records and samples collected within the NHS in the course of normal health care (for diagnostics, safety and quality assurance purposes) for research not only by public research institutions, but also private companies in the pharmacological and medical technological area. Now, if this lengthy accountis to be belived, it transpires that, apparently, the data base, which is due to be launc... more »

Straw Dogs

What Is Sustainable at What Is Sustainable - 6 hours ago
When the philosopher John Gray looks out over the world, he sees a bloody madhouse, a hell broth of deranged magical thinking. In his bestselling book, *Straw Dogs*, he turns into a ruthless vigilante who tirelessly pounds the stuffing out of ridiculous ideas that condemn us to mindless self-destruction. What might happen if we ever succeeded at clearing the decks of loony whims? Would this make it easier to think clearly, and move onto a path with a future? By the time you get to the end of the book, not one sacred cow is left standing. He rubbishes our entire belief system. ... more »

sonder

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 6 hours ago

Capitalism and Nature

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 7 hours ago
It's not customary for me to do a reply to a reply, but Boffy made a couple of comments on this piece looking at the progressive creds of the Greens that begged replies requiring more elaboration than the character count in the comments boxes allow for. Boffy's first point replied to my observation that, "Wealth and power insulates the owners of capital from the consequences of climate change to a degree. As human beings their long-term interest lies in a post-capitalist future. But, in a society such as ours, while people own capital, in a very real sense capital owns people and t... more »

The One Side of the Argument Show

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 7 hours ago
There's a response from the BBC on their Complaints page about last Tuesday's edition of *The One Show* The One Show, BBC One, 14 January 2014 Complaint We have received complaints about Paul O'Grady's appearance on the One Show on 14 January. Some viewers felt that his views on benefit reform were not adequately challenged. BBC's Response The One Show is a topical magazine programme which occasionally reports on prominent news stories. Following media coverage of the debate around Channel Four's Benefits Street, The One Show asked members of the public for their views on the p... more »

When Should Aging Politicians Retire?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 7 hours ago
Texas Congressman Ralph Moody Hall was born a few weeks after Warren G. Harding died in office, Vice President Calvin Coolidge had been sworn in and the Republican Teapot Dome bribery scandal was shaking confidence in the Republican Party. He was ten when FDR was first elected and an adult when there was an President in office not named Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Other than John Dingell (age 87), Hall is the last living congressman who fought in World War II. An attorney, he was elected to the Texas state Senate in 1962 and then to Congress in 1980. He was an ultra-conservative D... more »

NZ housing now more unaffordable than everywhere but Hong Kong [updated]

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 8 hours ago
[image: image] *Every year since 2005, the **Demographia** organisation has been measuring housing affordability across the cities of the English-speaking world. As the planning virus continues with no abatement, the results have been increasingly horrific – especially for New Zealand house-buyers. * *This year, with even more cities included, is no exception, with New Zealand’s major urban markets more unaffordable as a whole than any place measured outside Hong Kong. * *Do you hear me, planners? More unaffordable than any place outside Hong Kong …* [image: clip_image002] MEDI... more »

The Birds of Hiroshima

Way Way Up at Fort McMurray Adventures - 8 hours ago
Evening grosbeaks and Pine grosbeaks eeking out their existence in a nuclear winter.

Afghanistan President Karzai escalates his demands toward the US ! The Afghanistan's president said on Sunday that the US must no longer carry out military operations or air strikes and must jump-start peace talks with the Taliban, before his country will sign a security deal to keep American troops in the country after 2014.

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 8 hours ago
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/19/karzai-us-afghanistan-air-strikes Karzai demands end to US air strikes as condition for Afghanistan security deal • President calls on US to arrange peace talks with Taliban • Karzai stalling on agreement for troops to stay beyond 2014 - Share3 - - - inShare0 - Email - Associated Press in Kabul - - theguardian.com, Sunday 19 January 2014 14.49 EST - Jump to comments (3) [image: Kabul restaurant memorial]An Afghan man lays flowers on Sunday outside the Lebanese restaurant attacked in a suicide bomb and gun at... more »

Christy Clark, Time To Make A Leader`s Decision

Grant G at The Straight Goods - 9 hours ago
What will it take before the media calls out the BC Liberal government and Christy Clark for acting like ignorant asses.. Jobs plan slogan is dead, failed propaganda, LNG won`t bring our province any money until at least 2019 if at all, endless reviews and phony public consultations on how to help the disabled, how to sell more booze, how to set speeding limits, how to expand gambling and gaming to every street corner and public gathering places.. Reviews on BC Hydro, on BC Ferries, on Translink, reviews into CLBC, now a review on why the ministry of justice is refusing to lay the... more »

And all shall be well and/ All manner of thing shall be well

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 9 hours ago
Whether we BBC critics like it or not, Radio 4 has a lot of devoted listeners who will defend it, it purely metaphorical terms of course, to the death. And if they keep on asking Jeremy Irons to read T.S. Eliot's *Four Quartets *I might well join them. A people without history Is not redeemed from time, for history is a pattern Of timeless moments. So, while the light fails On a winter's afternoon, in a secluded chapel History is now and England. And, as the dark penetrates our windows on a winter's night, in a crowded house in Morecambe, blogging is now and England, and here are ... more »

On Friday President Obama gave a speech wherein he suggested new limitations on NSA's surveillance activities. In the first video below, NSA whistleblowers argue that his "limitations" don't even begin to restore our 4th Amendment rights and strongly suggested that a non-government group of hackers be appointed to determine and make public exactly what the NSA is and isn't doing. In the second video, Michael Ratner, President Emeritus, Center for Constitutional Rights, opens by saying "I sat there watching [Obama's speech] really astounded, because I didn't expect a lot, but I think we got almost nothing in what I call this national surveillance state."

David L Griscom at Cherchez la Verite - 9 hours ago
------------------------------ Originals here and here *NSA Whistleblowers Criticize Obama's Proposed Reforms* Reforms must include independent oversight with unrestricted access to all intelligence databases, say whistleblowers - *January 18, 14* More at The Real News *Bio .* Jessica Desvarieux is a producer and correspondent for the Real News Network. She covers politics and foreign affairs. *Obama NSA Reforms Are "A Bouquet of Roses" to the Intelligence Agencies* Michael Ratner: By p... more »

Masashiro Tanaka bidding heats up with the finish line is sight ( January 24 , 2014 at 5pm ) .. Current state of play - The Yankees were among five teams to formally place a bid for Masahiro Tanaka this week with nearly all bids coming in around six years and more than $100 million. In addition to the Yankees, the Dodgers, White Sox, Cubs, and Diamondbacks have all reportedly made an offer for the Japanese right-hander with the deadline for bidding coming this Friday, January 24th, at 5:00 pm. .....Additionally , According to Nikkan, a daily sports newspaper in Japan, the Yankees and Dodgers have made "equivalent offers"..... The equivalent offers may or may not be on par with the purported Arizona Diamondbacks' six-year/$120 million offer.

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 9 hours ago
http://www.pinstripealley.com/yankees-rumors-offseason-hot-stove/2014/1/19/5325214/masahiro-tanaka-rumors-yankees-decision ( main contenders seem to be Arizona Diamondbacks , Yankees and Dodgers... ) Masahiro Tanaka rumors: Decision could come Tuesday or Wednesday By Caitlin Rogers on Jan 19 2014, 4:14p 14 Adam Pretty Tanaka could make his decision early this week so that teams can conduct more medical tests before Friday's deadline. TWEET (10) SHARE (4)  SHARE 14 COMMENTS If you've been paying attention, the deadline for teams to bid on Masahiro Tanaka is January 24th at 5:00 PM.... more »

Newsnight: 13-15 January 2014

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 9 hours ago
If Friday and Thursday's editions of *Newsnight *were brimming to the very top of the glass (plus added foam) with BBC bias, what of the remaining three days? Well, as the French president said to the actress (as he invited her to join him on his moped), 'Continuez tout droit' and let us see. Like Monet, I shall give my own impressions here. Minus the lilies. Oh, OK then, with lilies. Wednesday night's edition was the edition which provided the subject for an earlier post - the one called 'Bang, bang'. (Did you read it?) The first segment of the programme dealt with Labour's ban... more »

WY ALECers - Confuses Propaganda with Transparency

2old2care at Because I Can - 9 hours ago
Oh, my ..... Today - two pieces of pro-ALEC propaganda in the newspapers. One of the pieces interviews ALEC PR poobah in detail (to be covered tomorrow) notes: *Meierling said ALEC didn't have a public affairs office until he was hired a little more than a year ago. * Oh, my ........ That's what started off my day - more lying from ALEC When they lie so much - you can't help but question everything they say - bunch of psychopaths. BTW: they had plenty of PR people in the past 2011 "according to *ALEC* Senior Director of *Public Affairs* Raegan *Weber"* 2009* - "**For ... more »

Northerntruthseeker Rant For Sunday, January 19th, 2014

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 9 hours ago
Yes, it is Sunday again, and time for my usual rant... I am one truly pissed off blogger this week... I have been absolutely disgusted by the actions of some of those who call themselves "truth seekers" and yet are not.... It all stems of course from the recent actions of a certain group of individuals that rather than look at the facts and all of the evidence of the fraud known as the Sandy Hook shooting, would rather spend the time trying to insult and slur those who have looked at all the evidence and have concluded that Sandy Hook was indeed a fraud and a massive deception perpe... more »

Germany attempt to repatriate its gold from the US ( New York Fed ) has been a stunning failure to date ! As a brief recap , The Bundesbank announced in January of 2013 , its decision to repatriate 674 tons of gold from the New York Fed and French Central Bank - this was to occur over a eight year period between 2013 and 2020 , with 300 tons comes from the New York Fed and 374 tons coming from the French Central Bank .... Approximately a year after the January 2013 announcement , the Bundesbank alleged managed to obtain 37 tons ( far below a 84 ton sum needed to ratably obtain 674 tons over the timeframe noted for the repatriation ) .... While intial news indicated all 37 tons came from the New York Fed , today's shocker reveals ( from Die Welt ) , that in actuality , 32 tons did come from France's Central Bank , while only 5 tons came from the New York Fed ! ! ! And look at the feeble excuse offered by the Bundesbank as it lamely tries to justify what appears unjustifiable - why hasn't more than 5 tons been obtained from the New York Fed if Germany's gold allegedly stored in New York actually is there ? And of course , there is the issue of the quality of gold which Germany received in the past from both the US and UK !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 10 hours ago
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-01-19/germany-has-recovered-paltry-5-tons-gold-ny-fed-after-one-year ( Does anyone still believe there is any significant quantity of gold held by the New York Fed at this point in time ? And how long before other countries , that allegedly have gold held at the New York Fed , demand the immediate return of their gold held at the New York Fed - after all , if it is there , there is no reason why this gold held for the benefit of the various countries ironically for safe keeping ? ) Germany Has Recovered A Paltry 5 Tons Of Gold From The NY Fed A... more »

Chris Christie Bridgegate aka Bullygate scandal continues to roar along - articles of note January 19 , 2014 .... .... Has Chris christie decided to go on the offensive ? Christie spokesman lashes out at Hoboken mayor and MSNBC in wake of aid allegations .......Meanwhile , residents of Sandy swamped Hoboken wants answers from chris christie concerning Mayor Zimmer's Sandy funding allegations ...... Bridgegate aka Bullygate dogs Christie on his Florida swing ....... CHRISTIE, LEGISLATURE ON COLLISION COURSE FOR CONSTITUTIONAL SHOWDOWN

Catharsis Ours - 10 hours ago
Sandy relief funding spurs NJ protest January 18, 2014 7:30PM ET Occupy protesters plan to camp out at the New Jersey Statehouse as Gov. Chris Christie grapples with political scandals Topics: New Jersey Occupy Wall Street Chris Christie [image: New Jersey Sandy storm Occupy protest] A protester carries a sign near the Statehouse in Trenton, N.J.Mel Evans/AP Protesters in New Jersey who are upset with how the state is distributing relief funding forSuperstorm Sandy victims have taken their complaints to the capital city. The Occupy Sandy New Jersey group arrived in Trenton, N.J., on Sa... more »

SWANSON ON OBAMA'S 'NSA BONE'

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 10 hours ago
David Swanson will be speaking in Brunswick, Maine (public library) on Saturday, February 15 from 3:00-5:00 pm. He's one of the really good ones out there and you'll enjoy listening to him talk about the need to end war and other such corporate malfeasance's. Swanson writes: President Barack Obama gave a eulogy for the Fourth Amendment on Friday, and not even his fans are proclaiming victory. In this moment when Obama is actually doing one thing I agree with (talking to Iran), more and more people seem to be slowly, agonizingly slowly, finally, finally, finally, recognizing wha... more »

"How It Really Is"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 10 hours ago

Britain SUCKS - and that's OFFICIAL

Roobin at THROUGH THE SCARY DOOR - 11 hours ago
UKIP cadre frequently spout ludicrous and offensive opinions, this week's revelation that gay marriage causes floods (and that homosexuality can be cured with prayer). Yet the UK Independence Party may be (at least for the moment) Britain's best regarded party. This is how low we've stooped. Thirty years of neoliberal public life and the political compass has been entirely abandoned. Little wonder facts have no place in current public debate, we just have recursive bile and bigotry. Now, we just need some way of getting all these people, crabbed nazi shitdust Little Englanders to fu... more »

Reggie Middleton discusses his proposal to recreate today's financial system ... Bitcoin 2.0, aka Ultra Coin: Bitcoin's Derivative Layer That Allows The Virtual To Control Real Things ...... More discussion on Ultracoin ( presented simply for consideration - this blog and blogger post should not be considered an endorsement of any product , cyber / crypto - currency of any type or any endorsement of the safety of any such product )

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 11 hours ago
http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2014-01-19/bitcoin-20-aka-ultra-coin-bitcoins-derivative-layer-allows-virtual-control-re ( Reggie is seeking to launch Zero Trust Currency Contracts, the first implementation of UltraCoin, to go into open public beta by the end of next week. That means individuals / traders / organizations will be able to short, leverage, go long and arbitrage BTC. So , we are seeing additional derivative development for bitcoin - ponder whether this is a good or bad development ? ) Bitcoin 2.0, aka Ultra Coin: Bitcoin's Derivative Layer That Allows The Virtua... more »

“The Myth of the Deserving Rich”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 11 hours ago
*“The Myth of the Deserving Rich”* by Paul Krugman “Many influential people have a hard time thinking straight about inequality. Partly, of course, this is because of Upton Sinclair’s dictum: it’s hard for a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it. Part of it is because even acknowledging that inequality is a real problem implicitly opens the door to taking progressive policies seriously. But there’s also a factor that, while not entirely independent of the other two, is somewhat distinct; I think of it as the urge to sociologize. I’ve writt... more »

"We are rats, deliberately starved and set against each other" (Ian Welsh)

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 11 hours ago
*"What I see is that we are rats, deliberately starved and set against each other. . . . When the rich are taking all of the winnings of the economy, and then some: we tear at each other like starved rats."* *-- Ian Welsh, in a new blogpost,* "Helping the most discriminated against" *by Ken* I mentioned recently, when I passed along Ian Welsh's post "The Death Bet" (in "'We're living the good life on "death bets,' says Ian Welsh, and the IOUs may come due sooner than we gamblers thought)," Ian has recently been doing a number of posts on and around the subject of economic inequalit... more »

Info Hotel dan Penginapan Jayakarta Bali Beach Resort, Residence di Bali

irfan ganteng at Yaya Blog's - 11 hours ago
Info Hotel dan Penginapan Jayakarta Bali Beach Resort, Residence di Bali - Melihat keindahan pulau bali enggak afdol jika kite-kite tidak bermalam di bali untuk menikmati jagat raya malam atau bisa disebut surga dunia malamnya di bali, dengan memperhatikan kehidupan malam bila anda sudah lelah tentunya anda bagaimanapun juga beristirahat di hotel atau penginapan, bagi sampean yang memiliki

“Money As Debt”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 12 hours ago
*“Money As Debt”* by paagleTV “Essential viewing on money and the banking system. “Money As Deb”t is a fast-paced and highly entertaining animated feature by artist & videographer, Paul Grignon. It explains today's magically perverse DEBT-MONEY SYSTEM in terms that are easy to understand. "When banks extend loans to their customers, they CREATE money by crediting their customers' accounts." - Sir Mervyn King, Speech to the South Wales Chamber of Commerce at The Millennium Centre, Cardiff on 23rd October 2012. For further evidence of this in the UK please visit the Bank of England we... more »

"Homeland Security": a Jewish racket

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 12 hours ago
An article recently appearing in the *Jewish Telegraph Agency* further underscores a point I've been making on this blog for quite some time now: *the entire "Homeland Security" paradigm is a Jewish contrived concept serving Jewish interests, first and foremost*. The *Jewish Telegraph Agency* reports: Congress budgeted *$13 million for a nonprofit security assistance program that mostly aids Jewish institutions*. The money was allocated in the $1.1 trillion budget passed this week by both houses of Congress. The program, which has existed since the mid-2000s, has so far disbursed *... more »

Contoh Model Desain Rumah Type 36 Minimalis modis Terbaru

irfan ganteng at Yaya Blog's - 12 hours ago
Contoh Model Desain Rumah Type 36 Minimalis modis Terbaru - mempunyai rumah adalah impian dari setiap umat akrena tempat tinggal adalah suatu kebutuhan bagi berbagai orang untuk tempat berlindung dari panas, hujan atau gangguan lain. Pada jam sekarang sudah banyak desain rumah yang bagus dan terlihat modern akibat tampilannya perkembangan jaman maka para arsitekturpun membentuk sejenis desain

California: Instead of rain or snow the state is getting wildfires in the dead of winter

LeDaro at LeDaro - 13 hours ago
California has a serious drought, it did not get such a weather in over a century. Drought is causing serious problems for farming besides other uses of water. Drought is affecting other states as well, but California is the worst hit. Drought is causing out of control wildfires and the state needs more firefighters. What climate change deniers have to say about this situation? Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

A Canadian Snow Job

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 13 hours ago
While Neil Young was reminding Harper and Co. that they had obligations to Canada's native peoples, John Baird was in Washington, trying to extract a promise from Barack Obama and John Kerry that the United States would build the Keystone XL pipeline. But Mr. Obama and Mr. Kerry were unmoved. They know that American opinion is turning against Keystone. And they know the real reason Baird was in Washington. Jane Kleeb, the founder of Bold Nebraska -- a network of American activists -- understands what's going on: "Canada and TransCanada made a really bad investment in tar sands, ... more »

Early Whistle Blower Ex CIA John Stockwell @ Stop Watching Us Ralley

Geezer Power at GEEZERPOWER - 13 hours ago
source: ForbiddenKnowledgeTV http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL7NpUy03h0 John Stockwell in 1989 John Stockwell - CIA's War on Humans Soliloquy Monologues http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3ioJGMCr-Y#t=227 _________________________ THE SECRET WARS OF THE CIA:by John Stockwell A lecture given in October, 1987 Part I - Part II John Stockwell is the highest-ranking CIA official ever to leave the agency and go public. He ran a CIA intelligence-gathering post in Vietnam, was the task-force commander of the CIA's secret war in Angola in 1975 and 1976, and was award... more »

Kālī

Bill Robertson at GlobaLove Think Tank - 14 hours ago
"There are many ways to calm a negative energy without suppressing or fighting it. You recognize it, you smile to it, and you invite something nicer to come up and replace it; you go somewhere in nature, or you do some walking meditation.” — Thich Nhat Hanh

Bob Geldof: "Russell Brand is right"

Roobin at THROUGH THE SCARY DOOR - 14 hours ago
While Bob Geldof was never a major political actor he was indicative of something a bit important. Musical interventions into public life may have begun with the fight to Free the Strip in Los Angeles. The pioneering modern form though was Rock Against Racism. In the lesser days of the Miners Strike, when everything was VERY political, Bob Geldof saw another issue, famine in Africa, and demanded (rightly or wrongly) that all politics be put aside for the sake of immediate action. He took the RAR model and blew it up to gigantic proportions and in the process invented the big rock s... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 14 hours ago
*Saints Superbowl alum, Darren Sharper, arrested on charges of rape, NOPD also investigating ~WVUE* *Glover family continues to seek justice ~Gina Swanson, WDSU* *Proposed changes in New Orleans noise ordinance are more significant than proponents let on ~Jarvis DeBerry* *City complains about NOPD monitor’s billing; judge says pleased with work ~Richard Thompson, New Orleans Advocate* *As New Orleans teachers get Unioned-Up,,, Orleans Parish School Board doubles-down ~WWNO* *As Carnival begins, large swath of lights off on St. Charles Avenue ~WWLTV *

Proof of anti-independence bias at the BBC?

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 14 hours ago
The pro-independence website *Newsnet Scotland* is reporting the findingsof a year-long study into TV news coverage of the Scottish independence debate. The research, conducted from September 2012 to September 2013, has been carried out by a team at the University of the West of Scotland headed by Dr John Robertson. Unlike the highly suspicious BBC-funded Cardiff University research published last year, which purported to find that the BBC was actually biased *towards* the Right, I can find no evidence of partisanship and political activism on Dr Robertson's part. And, unlike the ... more »

Egypt's Fascist Government Declares Victory-- Only 1.9% Oppose The Military Coup

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 15 hours ago
Democracy can be so messy… and sometimes even unpedictable. Why bother if you can get away with it? Last night we looked at how Republicans in our country are trying to replace democracy with plutocracy. Egypt has gone even further. When democracy didn't suit the military chiefs, they simply staged a coup, arrested the president, slaughtered his supporters and staged a phony election with a very predictable outcome-- 98.1% of voters backed the new fascist constitution the military presented. With a gratuitous slap at President Morsi-- Laura King and Amro Hassan referring to him a... more »

Change in Canada's position on Jerusalem?

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 15 hours ago
Prime Minister Harper is visiting the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Previous Canadian official visits avoided the Western Wall as Canada (officially) does not recognize Israel's claim to Jerusalem as capital (or sovereignty in general). It is also significant that Prime Minister Harper will be speaking to the Knesset. This action implicitly recognizes Jerusalem as the Israeli capital (although the Knesset is on territory held by Israel prior to 1967 it is located in Jerusalem as Israel's capital). Remember a previous Conservative Prime Minister, Joe Clark, planned to move Canada's e... more »

SUNDAY SONG

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 16 hours ago

A Colder Week Ahead + Snow Update + FREE Feb PDF Weather Forecast UK & Ireland

rss2009 at Global Cooling & New Ice Age UK - 16 hours ago
*A Colder Week Ahead + Snow Update* A much cooler theme will develop throughout the forthcoming week across many parts of the UK & Ireland. This will allow for the development of widespread frosts and some persistent fog patches. It will also be remaining unsettled and periods of rain and showers will develop from midweek after a somewhat dry start for many, especially in parts to the north of the country. Some of these showers are also likely to turn increasingly wintry in parts of the north throughout this period, in particular, across parts of Scotland from Tuesday onwards. As we... more »

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks' Erasmus Lecture

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 16 hours ago
http://vimeo.com/m/78011617 I'm not totally convinced but it certainly is worth a listen.

An Important Notice: Attributions

Inexplicata (IHU) at Inexplicata-The Journal of Hispanic Ufology - 18 hours ago
We kindly request anyone making use of information from *INEXPLICATA* to *please* have the common courtesy to mention the source of the information (www.inexplicata.blogspot.com or just Inexplicata will do fine). We have endeavored for years to be scrupulous about giving proper credit where it is due, and we expect no less in return. Thank you. - *Scott Corrales, Editor, Inexplicata - The Journal of Hispanic Ufology* Inexplicata Podcasts covering items from UFO / paranormal history in Spain, Latin America and the Caribbean

Thailand: US-backed Regime Using Terrorism Against Occupy Bangkok Protesters

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 18 hours ago
Since TIME's report warning of regime's Hitleresque "red shirts" stockpiling weapons to assault protesters in Bangkok there have been 3 grenade attacks aimed at protest leaders and one shooting critically wounding a protest guard. *January 19, 2014* (ATN) - "Occupy Bangkok" protesters rising up against the US-backed dictator Thaksin Shinawatra and his proxy regime in Thailand are now the target of daily terrorist attacks carried out by the regime itself. TIME magazine on January 16 reported in their article, ""Bangkok Shutdown: Yingluck Supporters Prepare to Fight for Democracy," ... more »

Washington State Bill Would Turn Off Resources to NSA's Yakima Facility

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 18 hours ago
Thursday, January 16, 2014 *Washington State Bill Would Turn Off Resources to NSA's Yakima Facility* Activist Post The state level campaign to turn off power and electricity to the NSA got a big boost Wednesday. In a bipartisan effort, Washington became first state with a physical NSA location to consider the Fourth Amendment Protection Act, designed to make life extremely difficult for the massive spy agency. Rep. David Taylor (R-Moxee) and Rep Rep. Luis Moscoso (D- Mountlake Terrace) introduced HB2272 late Tuesday night. Based on model language drafted by the OffNow coalition... more »

DIANA DEATH - SAS BRIBED WITNESS

Anon at aangirfan - 20 hours ago
In 2013, it was reported that 'Soldier N', an officer in the UK's notorious SAS regiment, had boasted to his family that the SAS murdered Princess Diana. The former wife of 'Soldier N' claims that she was paid cash to buy her silence about the accusation. She says she was given a brown envelope filled with bank notes by an SAS officer who told her to 'keep quiet about Diana’. The SAS officer "warned her that she would end up dead like Lee Rigby" if she did not keep quiet. "The officer said that if I spoke out ... I might have cause to worry about my safety and my children’s safe... more »

Under Palestinian Law, Abbas is Subject to Death Penalty if He Signs Peace Deal With Israel | Jewish & Israel News Algemeiner.com

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 20 hours ago
Here's some facts that the anti Israel media won't report... ' The law of the right of return for Palestinian refugees No. (1) for the year 2008 The right of return for Palestinian refugees to their homes and property and compensation for their suffering is a sacred and inalienable right that cannot compromised or exchanged; it is beyond the scope of jurisprudence or interpretation or referendum. The right of return is the natural individual and collective civil and political right that moves from parents to children and does not disappear over time, by the signing of any agreem... more »

France’s Re-Emergence as a Major Power

Jeffrey Stacey at Duck of Minerva - 20 hours ago
If there is an Obama Doctrine in the realm of foreign affairs, it comprises robust multilateralism—being multilateral when the U.S. can, unilateral when it must. Subjected to scrutiny, however, the Obama Doctrine can only work if the U.S. has capable and willing partners. Yet under conditions of widespread fiscal austerity among western allies—and the political Continue reading

Savannah’s Gardasil Nightmare by Becky Goins

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 20 hours ago
Savannah Savannah’s Gardasil Nightmare By Becky Goins from Harrison, Tennessee Sane Vax, Inc 18 January 2014 *You never know how strong you are, until being strong is the only choice you have.* I wish our family had never heard the word Gardasil. I had no idea a ‘simple’ vaccine could take so much from my daughter. We have spent years trying to help her regain some semblance of her normal Life. Savannah was always energetic and outgoing. She was happy, positive and loved being with her family and friends. She was very athletic with soccer being her sport of choice. She won ... more »

Don’t drown in the education reform Sea.

Angel Cintron Jr. at @ THE CHALK FACE - 21 hours ago
Do you show up to your classroom, every single day, ready to influence the lives of your students? Do you arrive at your school building, every single day, ready to change the trajectory of your students’ lives? Do you wish to become a teacher that some student…someday…somewhere will always remember? If so, be careful not to […]

Spot the Difference Competition

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 21 hours ago
This morning's news running orders on the various media website make for interesting comparative reading. See what differences you can spot. *ITV News * 1, 'Rosdeep Kular charged' in connection with son's death 2, British man killed in St Lucia after attack on a boat 3. Leaked inquiry: BBC 'turned a blind eye' to Savile abuse 4. Former aide to Nick Clegg quits Lib Dems over Lord Rennard row 5. Two Brits among 21 killed in Kabul suicide bomb blast 6. Ukip 'now Britain's favourite party' 7. Syrian political opposition agrees to peace talks 8. Two Britons among family of five killed in Uta... more »

Republicans Want To Replace Democracy With Plutocracy-- It's Their Only Shared Core Value

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
I think my health has actually improved since Satanic religionist right extremist Bryan Fischer blocked me from his deranged, anti-American twitter feed. (Maybe ignoring Steve Stockman's equally psychotic feed would be like discovering the fountain of youth.) I still hear what kind of idiocy is brewing on Fischer's fringe of the Republican Party by following People for the American Way's awesome Right Wing Watch and I recommend you do as well. Last week they were the first to report on the move on the extreme of the GOP to take a giant step backwards into the 18th century by disen... more »

Your moment of Zen

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 1 day ago
The Japanese Garden in Portland, Oregon. [photo via]

Christie's crony corruption throws up another roadblock to 2016

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 1 day ago
Still not writing Gov. Blowhard off as a 2016 candidate, but I'm pretty sure Christie has lost Hoboken. Two senior members of Gov. Chris Christie’s administration warned a New Jersey mayor earlier this year that her town would be starved of hurricane relief money unless she approved a lucrative redevelopment plan favored by the governor, according to the mayor and emails and personal notes she shared with msnbc. Longer at the link. Shorter version: Port Authority hired "a reputable firm" to do a study on redeveloping some prime real estate in lovely Hoboken. It took time to cond... more »

Bob Mankoff pays tribute to surrealists René Magritte and Salvador Dali -- "New Yorker"-cartoon-style

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
*Magrittte's "Son of Man"* *by Ken* In his e-newsletter/blogpost this week, "Ce n'est pas un newsletter," *New Yorker* cartoon editor pays tribute to the surrealists on the occasion of an exhibition of the work of René Magritte at the Museum of Modern Art. There’s a René Magritte retrospective at MOMA called "The Mystery of the Ordinary," which covers the artist’'s work from 1926 to 1938, the golden era of surrealism, during which Magritte and Salvador Dalí helped establish that art form in the public mind. And, in the public's mind, at least as reflected in the mind of *New Yorke... more »

Fogged in

risa bear at A Way to Live - 1 day ago
The neighbor's sheep.Fog for the last two weeks, fog predicted for the next two, hovering around the freezing mark. I feel as if I've retired from farming and am spend my time, as you may have noticed, bringing my titles up to date at Stony Run Press, to meet the requirements for Amazon distribution. The ducks have been banished from the garden, to their great dismay, and the chickens have been let in. There is some overlap but also some divergence in their dietary interests, so it pays to run both groups through, as it stirs and levels everything in preparation for building up the... more »

REMEMBERING A GREAT PROTEST AT THE SPACE CENTER

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago
*Bobbie Heinrich was arrested on January 17, 1987 at Cape Canaveral and was one of the leaders of the Florida Coalition for Peace & Justice. She got arrested several times at the space center and was an important activist in her Ft. Myers community. Bobbie and her husband were avid gardeners who were pioneers in the idea of localization. They had lived in Africa for many years.* *Dr. Benjamin Spock spoke at the January 17 protest at Cape Canaveral. In his book "Spock on Spock" he ended the autobiography with a photo of him climbing over the base gates. He wrote, "Every effort m... more »
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