10:45AM mst
The remarkable problem of basic test scores!
*THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2014*
*Is San Diego the best:* Is San Diego the nation’s best urban school system?
We have no opinion about that. We don’t know if there is one single best
urban district.
Diane Ravitch says San Diego is best; she may be right, of course. On
Tuesday, she started a post on the subject like this:
RAVITCH (1/7/14): *Something magical is happening in San Diego.* It is a
good school district. Teachers and administrators and the school board are
working towards common goals.
*San Diego, in my view, is the best urban district in the nation.*
*I say this not based on... more »
Audio: Deal making behind purchse of BHP Navajo Mine
Deal
making behind purchase of BHP Navajo Mine
-This audio is in Navajo and English, but we can translate to English if
we get enough requests. PLEASE share with your parents, grandparents,
friends, and neighbors.- This audio is a report by Shiprock's Council
Delegate, Russell Begaye on the purchase of BHP Navajo Mine. It is an
enlightening and totally incredible report on the
Market-Driven Researchers Find that Reality Is Messy III
This is the third in a series of critiques of Matt DiCarlo’s “The Year in
Research on Market-Based Education Reforms: 2013.” The preceding posts,
here and here, summarized research on some obvious problems with
value-added evaluations that should have been foreseen. This post addresses
pitfalls that were discovered after value-added systems were implemented.
The preceding […]
What is the White Man March?
Kyle Hunt, host of *The Blitzkrieg Broadcast* on *Renegade Broadcasting*,
is one of the leading organizers of the *White Man March* scheduled for
March 15th, 2014. What follows is a transcript of the questions I asked
Kyle for an article about the White Man March I am currently writing for *American
Free Press*, followed by his responses.
*JF:* What is the White Man March? What is the purpose and ultimate goal of
the march?
*KH:* The White Man March is scheduled for March 15th, 2014, and will
involve coordinated pro-White activity around the world. The purpose is to
spread informat... more »
Game On! Gaming Party Trailer Utah Giveaway
It's a New Year and that means everyone has a birthday this year! What is a
better way to celebrate then to spend time playing your favorite video game
with your family and friends? Bargains with Brittanie and Trust Me, I'm a
Mom are teaming up with some fantastic bloggers and Game On! to offer our
Utah Readers a spectacular giveaway! Game On! is a company that provides a
mobile video game party trailer dedicated to bringing the finest video game
party right to your front door or where your next party is located. The
gaming trailer provides five internal 55″ HD TVs where gamers can... more »
On Corporate Tax Reform
An article out of the Richmond Fed offers a nice overview of the issues.
DUMBNIFICATION STUDIES: Scandal!
*THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2014*
*Interlude—Dumbnification is us:* In modern journalistic culture, you *are*allowed to talk about a journalist’s alleged “bias.”
You *aren’t* encouraged to think about his or her level of dumbnification.
Such assessments are considered rude, beyond the pale.
In our view, this constitutes a major flaw in modern press corps culture.
It’s hard to see how dumb our press culture is, especially when the topic
is kept out of sight, out of bounds. And so it continues:
The inability to report even the simplest types of statistics. The
inability to quote or paraphr... more »
Ending Poverty Requires Community, Not War
Ending Poverty Requires Community, Not War. via Ending Poverty Requires
Community, Not War.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + ... = -1/12
Yes, I was dubious too...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-I6XTVZXww&feature=youtube_gdata_player
To be honest, I still am!
Watchdog of the Week: Murray Freedman Beats the BBC
It is possible to get the BBC to apologise for a piece of bias I've had a
couple of successes in the past. Today, Honest Reporting has news of
another victory over the BBC's anti Israel agenda.
http://honestreporting.com/watchdog-of-the-week-murray-freedman-beats-the-bbc/
Of rats and men
*Or, In Vino Veritas*
By Capt. Fogg
When I watched Dennis Rodman's drunken rant the other day, I was
astonished, dumfounded and amazed that none of the commentary included the
compelling, obvious, unavoidable observation that the man was dead drunk:
smashed, stewed, tanked, wasted, three sheets to the wind and shitfaced.
It was probably more obvious to the sheepish players sitting next to him
who were, I'm sure, worried about any open flame in such hazardous
atmosphere. If we needed any further reminder of the somewhat erratic
journalistic and public tendency to forgive athle... more »
Progressive Music Classics. "Punk Prayer" by Pussy Riot
.
.
*By MARC McDONALD*
Welcome to another edition of Progressive Music Classics.
I have to laugh when I hear bands like Green Day described as "punk." Green
Day is about as "punk" as a cup of Starbucks coffee. Green Day wouldn't
know real "punk" if it walked up to them and grabbed them by the balls.
(Not that corporate cowards like Green Day have any balls in the first
place).
In any case, Russia's *Pussy Riot* has more balls than the entire U.S.
corporate recording industry.
Real punk has always been about challenging the system. The Sex Pistols (at
least in their first incarnat... more »
ALEC Corporations - Legislation to Cover Incompetence
PUC = Public Utilities Commission
*New PUC member might hinder Boulder’s municipalization*
*By Jefferson Dodge*
Why did I find this info?
Cause I was following this:
The controversy over the appointment of Glenn Vaad, a member of the
right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), … ALEC, a
group that has campaigned to overturn renewable energy standards around the
country.
ALEC’s “State Legislator of the Year” award in 2012
chair of the ALEC Task Force on Commerce, Insurance & Economic Development,
Vaad received ALEC “scholarships” for traveling to the council’s
c... more »
Steve, Maggie and Ronnie
Stephen Harper has never been a big tent politician. But he has always been
devoted to Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan. Jeffrey Simpson writes:
In March, 1989, with the Progressive Conservative government of prime
minister Brian Mulroney safely re-elected, a young right-wing maverick
wrote a long memorandum about how to create a stronger, sharper
conservative movement.
Stephen Harper was by then a Reformer, having abandoned the PCs, and he
offered advice on how to shift the Reform Party from being a populist
critic of the status quo to what he called a “modern version of the ... more »
Just Say No-- To Fast-Tracking The Corporate "Free" Trade Agenda
Let me reiterate an old story. Bush I signed the NAFTA treaty at the end of
1992. Bush couldn't get it through Congress so he left his Wall
Street/Chamber of Commerce baby in Clinton's hands and Clinton put
responsibility for getting House Dems to get on board in the hands of a
then little known White House thug from Chicago, Rahm Emanuel. Emanuel was
still bragging, threateningly, at the time that he had lost a finger
fighting off a Syria tank on the Golan Heights. (He was actually making
lanyards at a summer camp for children of wealthy American Jews, nowhere
near the Golan Heig... more »
Greatest Conspiracy
(credit)
In the pantheon of conspiracy theory the winner by far is the Kennedy
assassination. Some real interesting stuff here.
If I was making a purely speculative movie with total poetic licence about
the Kennedy assassination the plot would be as follows.
*Dulles is convinced JFK will not fight in Vietnam. A syndicate is formed
with Dulles, Hoover, Johnson and the Mob. The hit team is lead by GHWB and
the actual trigger pulled by Liddy and Hunt. Nixon has nothing to do with
it. Strange though in real life he was in Dallas that day, even more
curious the reason why?*
*So in my mov... more »
Market-Driven Researchers Find that Reality Is Messy III
This is the third in a series of critiques of Matt DiCarlo's "The Year in
Research on Market-Based Education Reforms: 2013." The preceding posts, hereand
here, summarized research on some obvious problems with value-added
evaluations that should have been foreseen. This post addresses pitfalls
that were discovered after value-added systems were implemented.
The preceding post concluded with Dan Goldhaber's and Susanna Loeb's finding
that value added produced up to 68% false positives and 68% false negatives
when predicting future effectiveness. In other words, value-added
evaluatio... more »
Gold flash crash ( 30 $ ) on January 6, 2014 ( velocity logic circuit today's excuse to run stops and scalp traders - note the trades were not cancelled ) ..... Once the scalp was over , prices for gold and silver recovered all of the crash losses ! Bill Holter covers the major story of last week ( Bundesbank is holing an empty bag as their gold deposited at the New York Fed is long gone.....Koos Jansen's excellent repor covering China huge appetite for gold in 2013 ! Eric Sprott sees 2014 as the year gold and silver breaks prior nominal highs , believes we could see some sovereign banking systems fail - we shall see what comes to pass !
Catharsis Ours - 4 hours ago
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-01-06/gold-flash-crashes-halts-trading
Gold Flash Crashes, Halts Trading As "Velocity Logic" Circuit Breakers
Triggered
[image: Tyler Durden's picture]
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 01/06/2014 10:24 -0500
<ul class="links inline" style="color: black; display: inline; font-size:
0.9em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0p
Untitled
*Kickin’ It Old School ~moosedenied*
*"That sensation you were feeling late Saturday night was the Quickening.
Believe it." ~Grand Master Wang*
*Clueless or Lying ~Library Chronicles*
*Woman found dead in tent under Pontchartrain Expressway overpass after
freezing night ~Robert Morris, Uptown Messenger*
*Rift aired out between police monitor, inspector general ~John Simmerman,
N.O. Advocate*
*Carnival 2014 brings more changes for suburban krewes ~Scott Satchfield,
WVUE*
*Residents hear Corps' coastal plan for South Louisiana ~John Guidroz /
American Press*
*Barges Pile Up Near ... more »
William Hauge
This guy even from across the ocean always irritated me. I do not know if
he is Gay or not, it really does not matter to me. However if William is a
pedophile its a different story. Aangrifan has some interesting views on
the subject. The upper level of England seems to be a overflowing cesspool.
And my conspiracy theory jones loves that deceased MI6 worker Gaerth
Williams found locked inside his gym bag is part of the speculation.
Apparently even though the bag was locked from the outside, it was
determined there was no foul play. Apparently there were no fingerprints
anywhere in... more »
harper is Like the Weather
Everybody talks about him but nobody does anything about him.
Hamiltonians, not dogmas, pick the right bases, prices, and rates
*What big-government advocates and hidden-variable cranks have in common*
This blog post will combine diverse topics – including the philosophy of
science, economics, general quantum physics, quantum field theory, and
string theory. It will try to answer the following question:
What is the most widespread general error that prevents people from
acquiring the rational and/or correct understanding of problems?
My answer is that a vast majority of people constrain themselves by dogmas,
assumptions, group think, and stereotypes – while they should try hard to
impartially look for the an... more »
Early Taipei Mayor Election Prognosticatin'
*Thinkin'....*
The Taipei Times ran a short piece on Sean Lien, the son of Lien Chan, the
former Presidential candidate of the KMT and Honorary Chairman, etc, who is
one of Taiwan's wealthiest human beings. The piece hinted at a couple of
important issues that a longtime politics watcher in Taipei explained to me
over dinner this week. For the first time in a while a victory for the
pro-Taiwan side in Taipei may be within reach. The article observes:
Recent opinion polls have suggested that *Sean Lien is the favorite to win
the Taipei mayoral race, while showing that support for Ko... more »
HOT ARGENTINIAN SEX
*Fanny.*
Fanny Foxe (Annabelle Battistella) was an Argentinian stripper who became
the mistress of Arkansas Congressman Wilbur Mills.
Mills was a contender for the Democratic nomination for president in 1972.
In October 1974, Fanny and Wilbur were taking a drive in Washington at
around 2 am when they were stopped by the police.
Fanne attempted to flee the scene.
Wilbur was re-elected to his congressional seat in 1974.
*Maria Belén Chapur and Mark Sanford*
Maria Belén Chapur is an Argentine journalist who had an affair with South
Carolina Governor Mark Sanford.
For six days in... more »
Stalker's Guide To... another new Mike Philbin novel?
STALKER'S GUIDE TO... is a potentially massive novel that's been playing in
the back of my mind for 'a few years' now.
*SGT... started out as an idea for a Video Game, but I didn't 'go through
with it' in any constructive sense, and it's just been there, in the
background. I've explored certain aspects of this story, this
interventionist world, in recent novels Bukkakeworld (2008) and Tandem
(2013) for example, but that's all they are; snippets of, referential to,
jarring visuals from; nothing more than. With my second Free Planet novel
#2 LIBERATOR now in its first-draft (spell... more »
"[T]he White House tells us that ObamaCare is a worthy program even though those who are supposed to be helped by it aren’t because of large deductibles, copays, and Medicaid estate recovery. The cost of this non-help is a doubling of the policy premiums on those insured Americans who did not need ObamaCare and the reclassification by employers of workers’ jobs from full-time to part-time in order to avoid medical insurance costs. All it took was campaign contributions from the insurance industry to turn a policy that hurts most and helps none into a worthy program. Worthy, of course, for the insurance companies." [excerpt]
------------------------------
*The Case of the Missing Recovery — Paul Craig Roberts*
------------------------------
January 3, 2013 | Original Here
Go here to sign up to receive email notice of this news letter
*The Case of the Missing Recovery*
Paul Craig Roberts
Have you seen the economic recovery? I haven’t either. But it is bound to
be around here somewhere, because the National Bureau of Economic Research
spotted it in June 2009, four and one-half years ago.
It is a shy and reclusive recovery, like the “New Economy” and all those... more »
Look at what lane closures in New Jersey have just wrought
Read this very, very closely.
New Jersey governor Chris Christie was ensnared in a billowing political
furore on Wednesday when newly released emails connected one of his top
aides to a decision to block lanes on the approach to a busy bridge,
causing traffic chaos, apparently in an act of revenge against a
political enemy.
So what, you say. Dirty U.S. politics. Meh! Read a little more.
The Pre-Stonehenge Caucasian Man - far too photogenic? what's going on here?
*Tourists entering English Heritage's new £27 million visitor centre at
Stonehenge will quickly confront its most spectacular exhibit - a man who
was born 500 years before the earliest stone monument appeared at the site.
The well-preserved skeleton was discovered in an elaborate tomb in the
1860s, providing a rare example of the anatomy of Neolithic people. His
face has been brought to life by Swedish sculptor Oscar Nilsson, using
information from bone and tooth analyses. The length of the man's bones,
the skeleton's weight and his age - estimated at between 25 and 40 years
old... more »
Musical Interlude: 2002, “Remember Now”
2002, “Remember Now”
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq4qjI8VVzg
Perhaps their finest work, certainly my favorite... sublime.
MAIZ ORIGINS & MIGRATIONS HISTORY CHANNEL SEGMENT
MAIZ ORIGINS & MIGRATIONS: I got interviewed for a program below by the
History Channel. It will be airing Saturday January 18th at 9PM EST/8PM CST
on the H2 network. They did not give me a script about the rest of the
program. They asked me about Aztlan... but O told them that was not my
primary research, rather, maiz. Think they were more interested in Aztlan,
but I did get to speak about the origins of maiz and its spread throughout
the continent. See what happens.
More info below.
http://www.history.com/shows/america-unearthed.
The 20 Democratic House Incumbents Leading Their Party To Ruin In November
Gallup was out with some interesting findings this morning: Record-High 42%
of Americans Identify as Independents. Look at that chart! It should be
sending waves of fear through the hearts of the worthless careerists who
run the Beltway establishments of the two corrupt political parties.
Forty-two percent of Americans, on average, identified as political
independents in 2013, the highest Gallup has measured since it began
conducting interviews by telephone 25 years ago. Meanwhile, Republican
identification fell to 25%, the lowest over that time span. At 31%,
Democratic identific... more »
BLOGGER - How to change template
First, log into www.blogger.com (Dashboard) and click the down arrow near
the orange pencil icon as shown in the screenshot below:
[image: Dashboard down arrow]
Dashboard > Template
Then at the top right hand corner you will see a tab BACKUP/RESTORE
and you will see a pop-up:
[image: Backup or restore template popup]
First, it is wise to first backup your template before you make any
changes, so click DOWNLOAD FULL TEMPLATE then save the xml file in your
computer where you can easily find it again.
Now assuming you have the new template in xml format save in your computer,
click... more »
inBloom and Data Mining: A Common Core Cousin
This week I posted this piece about a January 9, 2014, webinar promoting
data mining– a webinar with Gates money all over it. (Here is a briefer
follow-up to the post.) The initial post had a record number of comments,
some of which were made by an inBloom representative. The comments prompted
me to further investigate some of the […]
Musical Interlude: 2002, “We Meet Again”
2002, “We Meet Again”
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_OmsxDef9c
"A Look to the Heavens"
“How far away is spiral galaxy NGC 4921? Although presently estimated to be
about 310 million light years distant, a more precise determination could
be coupled with its known recession speed to help humanity better calibrate
the expansion rate of the entire visible universe. Toward this goal,
several images were taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in order to help
identify key stellar distance markers known as Cepheid variable stars.
Since NGC 4921 is a member of the Coma Cluster of Galaxies, refining its
distance would also allow a better distance determination to one of the
large... more »
Blowing The Sandy Hook Fraud To Bits: John Friend's Realist Report With Guest Jim Fetzer Discuss The Fraudulence Of Sandy Hook!
I have long said that the Sandy Hook "massacre" of December 14th, 2012 was
a complete HOAX! The fact is, readers, that Sandy Hook was a criminal
government controlled operation for the sole purpose of creating the
propaganda of fear and grievance to try to convince the American people to
give up their second amendment right to bear arms to resist their own
tyrannical government.... It is a fact that NOBODY died in the Sandy Hook
operation and that the supposed "shooter" himself, Adam Lanza, probably
never existed at all!
For this article, I want to present the following article tha... more »
Professor Bernard McGinn On Christian Mysticism - Meister Eckhart
*Wikipedia:*
Bernard McGinn (born 1937) is a theologian, historian, and scholar of
spirituality, affiliated with the University of Chicago, where he is Naomi
Shenstone Donnelley Professor Emeritus of Historical Theology and of the
History of Christianity in the Divinity School and the Committees on
Medieval Studies and on General Studies.
Video Title: Meister Eckhart. Source: YouTube channel Eric Gilmour. Date
Published: May 21, 2013. Description:
Interview of Professor Bernard McGinn on Christian Mysticism.
Reading the Mystics
Police State USA - an overview of 2013 in the police state and additional items of note to consider - apart from the NSA revelations ( still unfolding ) , consider the many other events and actions that ave occurred - so many things have come to pass , they probably are a blur in the minds of many !
Catharsis Ours - 15 hours ago
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-01-04/nsa-responds-bernie-sanders-whether-it-spies-congress
( Guess that's pretty clear.... )
- Bernie Sanders
- George Orwell
- None
- SPY
inShare
Yesterday, in what we characterized as an episode of a "*real life
magic-mushroom, banana dictatorship envisioned by George Orwell*" gone full
retard, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders asked the NSA point blank whether it
has "spied, or is the NSA currently spying, on members of Congress or other
American elected officials?" Today, via the Bezos Post, we got the answer: "*Members
... more »
Hats off to Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and Frank Thomas!
*by Ken*
If you're thinking that the Mssrs Maddux, Glavine, and Thomas fall outside
DWT's normal purview, I think I can explain why it seems to me important to
celebrate them by means of a simple analogy to our more familiar political
and journalistic spheres.
Take "Mo" Dowd -- please! (Ha ha!)
If you looked at the NYT e-roundup this morning, you saw this:
The sensible response would have been to mutter, "Oh, the horror!," and
move quickly on. But let's say that instead you allowed yourself to wonder
whether our Ms. Mo based this brilliant observation on actually having
watche... more »
The 9/11 Commission Concluded that "Al-Qa'ida Appears to Have Relied on a Core Group of Financial Facilitators Who Raised Money from a Variety of Donors Primarily in the Gulf Countries and Particularly in Saudi Arabia"
U.S. Admits Review of Drone Strike on Reported Yemen Wedding Party Natasha
Lennard Footage passed on to a human rights group shows graphic aftermath
of a strike that enraged Yemenis VIDEO The Saudi plan looks doomed from the
start, though it could get a lot more Syrians killed before it fails. Yazid
Sayegh of the Carnegie Middle East Centre highlights succinctly the risks
involved in the
The Daily "Near You?"
San Rafael, California, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
Chet Raymo, “Criteria For Truth”
*“Criteria For Truth”*
by Chet Raymo
“The physicists and cosmologists tell us that the universe consists of 5%
ordinary matter (the kind of stuff your chair is made of), 27% dark matter
(massy stuff of a yet undetermined nature), and 68% dark energy (also yet
unidentified). Dark matter and dark energy are hypothesized to exist
because of their apparent effects on luminous objects \- stars and
galaxies. Which is to say, most of what is is invisible. It's sort of like
hypothesizing the existence of poltergeists to account for moving
candlesticks.
With a difference. Weakly interactin... more »
Alternative news and views - January 8 , 2013 - An Indiana National Guardsman was arrested outside Columbus on New Year’s Day after a state trooper found nearly 50 bombs and the blueprints for a Navy SEAL training facility inside his car, the Madison County prosecutor said yesterday - don't recall hearing about this one on the national news ..... Border patrolman gives refreshing response at checkpoint - hope springs for a minute...........despite the non response by almost every congress critter to the revelation that the NSA spys on them just like any other American citizen - this is a big deal folks .......Ford knows when their customers break the law and where - makes one wonder does the NSA know what Ford knows , have they obtained or can they obtain Ford's GPS data...... Terminators coming closer to reality ....... 911 story crumbling , not that many sheeple give a hot darn.......
http://www.blacklistednews.com/Indiana_guardsman_stopped_for_speeding_had_48_bombs%2C_blueprints_for_a_Navy_SEAL_training_facility/31837/0/0/0/Y/M.html
SOURCE:
COLUMBUS DISPATCHAn Indiana National Guardsman was arrested outside
Columbus on New Year’s Day after a state trooper found nearly 50 bombs
and
the blueprints for a Navy SEAL training facility inside his car, the
Madison County prosecutor said yesterday.
Andrew Scott Boguslawski, 43, also had a remote-control device to
detonate
the bombs, Madison County Prosecutor Stephen Pronai said. Boguslawski’s
civilian job is as a ground... more »
"Boss Sells Restaurant He Has Owned For 17 Years To Pay Medical Costs For Employee, 19, With Brain Tumor"
*"Boss Sells Restaurant He Has Owned For 17 Years To Pay*
* Medical Costs For Employee, 19, With Brain Tumor"*
By Daily Mail Reporter
"A generous boss is selling the restaurant he has owned for 17 years to
help a 19-year-old employee suffering from a brain tumor. Brittany Mathis,
whose father died suddenly from a brain tumor when she was just a child,
was diagnosed last month - but does not have health insurance to cover the
costs of her treatment. Now Michael De Beyer, the German-born owner of
Kaiserhof Restaurant and Wunderbar in Montgomery, Texas, has offered to
sell his life's wo... more »
Deep tweets
No, I didn't click the link and watch the stupid "faux ads" and neither
should you encourage this sort of pathetic click-baiting. The tweets alone
tell the story. Clearly *The Lead* has ruined Jake Tapper. I've been
thinking for the last couple of weeks his work has been going downhill.
This just lost any respect I had left for him.
What attack ads based on Bob Gates' book might look like #TheLead
http://t.co/u9g6CkBoI7
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 8, 2014
Followed by this one. You probably know Sippe Cupp is the resident crackpot
con on the tv somewhere. Forget what show sh... more »
Mitch McConnel: GOP's top ratfucker
Interesting
profile piece on how Mitch McConnell rose to become the top gunof GOP
ratfuckery. If you wondered how he gets away with his transparent
dirty tricks, this would explain it:
McConnell nevertheless manipulates the press masterfully, using methods
that are head-smackingly obvious and yet still elude most politicians.
He
knows exactly what he wants to say, repeats it with emphasis, then
stops.
He will not be drawn out, and has no compunction about refusing
questions.
He would never make Boehner’s mistake, because he won’t entertain
hypotheticals. “We don’t issue a whole lot ... more »
Gilad Atzmon does le/la Quenelle
A big thanks is being sent out to Gallier. He is keeping you and I in the
know regarding the Quenelle
Merci mon ami!
Gallier2January 8, 2014 at 2:22 AM
Hi Penny,
here a nice video in English from Gilad Atzmon. Explaining things. You will
like it.
And I do like it. Yes, I do!
*First up Gilad Atzmon does la quenelle. *
*And pay attention to his line of questioning. Hmmmmm......*
*Updated: Longer version of the adoring crowds greeting the interior
minister*
gallier2January 9, 2014 at 1:14 AM
Hi Penny,
here a bit longer version of the second video
http://joelecorbeau.com/... more »
Climate Tricks 24: Polar Vortex is Caused by Global Warming?
The terrible cold experienced in Canada and the US this week and last week
has caused death and misery for some, but also fun and laughter for others.
All images below I got from facebook photos of several friends, not one I
made myself.
A Filipino friend in NYC posted, "Many are cold, but only a few are frozen"
:-)
This is lifted from the original biblical verse, "Many are called, but only
a few are chosen."
The "soon extinct polar bears due to anthropogenic global warming (AGW)"
also have a good time.
In Lake Michigan...
Chicago River was 3/4 frozen as of last Monday. See ... more »
Conservative Senator wants heads to roll ...
Harper-appointed
senator, Bob Runciman got all pen-to-paper-like today and went into a
Duffy-style rant over political message carriers walking into the
anointed one's private hob-knob session in Vancouver.
Former Ontario solicitor general Bob Runciman is questioning why two
activists who got to within an arm's-length of the prime minister this
week were allowed to "walk away scot-free and
APPR on Steroids and other Cuomoisms
My quick reaction to New York Governor Cuomo’s education proposals from his
“State of the State” speech today. For those outside New York State,
Governor Cuomo has proclaimed himself as the “lobbyist for the students”,
but reads right from the Corporate Education reform script. I address my
teaching colleagues here: APPR on Steroids and other […]
Thailand: Regime Power Grab Runs into Judicial Brick Wall
Usurping constitutional amendment that would allow prime minister to sign
foreign treaties without Parliamentary approval is overturned. Regime cries
"judicial coup."
*January 8, 2014 *(ATN) - The now overturned amendment of article 190 of
the Thai Constitution would have allowed the Prime Minister Yingluck
Shinawatra to sign foreign treaties without Parliamentary approval - in a
dangerous and despotic consolidation of power that was begun under her
brother Thaksin Shinawatra. Bangkok's English newspaper The Nation reported
in its article, "Constitutional Court rules against Artic... more »
Answering the question frozen on the lips of North Hemispherians…
[image: image]
More …
- *Record cold from global warming causing 'polar vortex' debunked* –
THE HOCKEY SCHTICK
- *Princeton Physicist Dr. Will Happer refutes claims that global
warming is causing record cold: ‘Polar vortices have been around forever.
They have almost nothing to do with more CO2 in the atmosphere’* –
CLIMATE DEPOT
- *Global warming devastates America* – James Delingpole, TELEGRAPH
- *‘Height of absurdity!’ Joe Bastardi blasts global warming ‘geniuses,’
their ‘delusional agenda’ [pics]* – TWITCHY
- *Embarrased Global Warming Alarmist... more »
.gif)
Mark Duggan inquest verdict
Mark Duggan was unarmed, he always was unarmed. The police followed him
through the streets and then shot him down. He had no gun. The gun that the
police said he had on him had no fingerprints and no traces of his DNA.
What was the jury thinking when they decided, 8 to 2, that despite this
fact, his killing was lawful? How were they selected? Say it again and
again to anyone you meet who has doubts, Mark Duggan was unarmed.
Regardless of who he was, what he had done, or what he might have been
going to do, on that car journey he was unarmed.
With this perverse verdict the police ha... more »
The Plundering of South Sudan
US AFRICOM, Israel, and Uganda's Dictator-for-Life Yoweri Museveni set up
in South Sudan, inflame conflict, push out China and prepare to take over
oil.
*January 9, 2014* (LD) - RT's report "Who is to blame for the crisis in
South Sudan?" gave a succinct background on the warring factions inside the
new "nation" of South Sudan and the Western genesis of the conflict. The
report would state:
The SPLM has received support from the US and Israel throughout the
duration of the civil war fought between southern rebels and Khartoum,
which has historically had unfriendly relations with ... more »
Thoughts on Mark Duggan
Trials or inquests by jury are the most democratic means of bringing a
legal process to a conclusion. Recruited from the electoral roll, jurors
provide an important corrective to magistrates and judges, who might be
hardened by the number of cases that come before them and/or be out of
touch with the pace of modern life.
Juries aren't perfect by any means. In their turn they are open to
manipulation of evidence by skilled barristers, can be bamboozled by expert
testimony, and are subject to judicial direction. They can also reach
"perverse" conclusions by ignoring the instructions ... more »
Charles le Gai Eaton On Consumerism and The Environment
*Source of photo.*
*Wikipedia:*
Charles le Gai Eaton (also known as Hasan le Gai Eaton or Hassan Abdul
Hakeem; 1 January 1921 – 26 February 2010) was a British diplomat, writer
and Sufist Islamic scholar.
Having been passed over for military service during the Second World War,
in the late 1940s and early 1950s he worked as a lecturer, teacher and
newspaper editor in Egypt (at Cairo University) and Jamaica, before joining
the British Diplomatic Service in 1959. As a diplomat, Eaton's postings
included the Colonial Office outpost in Jamaica and the Deputy High
Commission office ... more »
Maine's Tea Party Governor Paul LePage Wants To Abolish Child Labor Laws
Politics isn't something polite people people discuss at dinner, especially
not with strangers. Not since high school when the class year book referred
to me as *gallant*, has anyone accused me of being polite. The first day of
my Galapagos cruise a few weeks ago, we hadn't even boarded the ship yet
when I ferreted out that one of my fellow passengers was not just a
Republican from Chicago, but a Republican from Chicago enamored of Rahm
Emanuel! I despaired that everyone on the ship was going to be a
Republican. But then I met Sheron and Stephanie, a sparkling and delightful
mothe... more »
Professor Parker journeys to Colby!
*WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2014*
*A rather peculiar performance:* We’ve been curious about Christopher
Parker since 2010.
Parker, an associate professor at the University of Washington, burst on
the scene at that time with a somewhat murky, somewhat bungled study of the
tea party’s racial attitudes. The study produced substantial excitement in
some liberal precincts.
The bungling struck us as odd. We’ve been curious about Parker ever since.
Over the weekend, C-Span aired an event at Colby College featuring
Professor Parker. Colby students were in the audience, along with some
people f... more »
Tax increases in Honduras, and linking aid to fair, effective tax policies
Taxes are big news in Honduras, as the outgoing Congress pushes through a
bunch of last-minute increases.
The Congress is controlled by the National party, which won the November
election. The increases are a way to get the unpopular deeds done before
the new president takes over in two weeks.
It doesn’t look much like good governance, mostly because there are
apparently no studies of the impact of the increases, or whether they are
the best way to raise more revenue.Taxed into poverty?
I was going to write about the increases anyway, but a Guardian blog postthis week added an interest... more »
40 Maps That Will Help You Make Sense of the World
This is an awesome article for those like me who really like the visuals.
It's also very entertaining and enlightening, and there are a couple of
WOWs in there too.
Enjoy!!!
http://www.pakalertpress.com/2013/12/23/40-maps-that-will-help-you-make-sense-of-the-world/
40 Maps That Will Help You Make Sense of the World truther December 23, 2013
2
If you’re a visual learner like myself, then you know maps, charts and
infographics can really help bring data and information to life. Maps can
make a point resonate with readers and this collection aims to do just that.
Hopefully some o... more »
is it time to de-legalise PROFIT?
well, this post might to cause a stir: is it time to de-legalise PROFIT?
"But, then, Mike, how are we to *make a living*?"
Now, we're talking, but first what do I mean by 'profit'.
In business, you have overheads (costs) and takings (how much money you
make), profit is *'what's left from your takings once you've removed your
overheads'*.
It's real easy.
Too easy, maybe. Why is that? Well, *why* are you living your life like
that? There's nothing virtuous or right about making money, there's nothing
moral about charging more than something's worth, there's nothing honest
about ri... more »
WEDNESDAY DOUBLE FEATURE.....
*The Daily Show*
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook
*The Daily Show*
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook
Dine' Minds: Grassroots gather to discuss energy and business on Navajo Nation
PUBLIC
FORUM
Diné Minds presents the Diné Bóhólníí’ áła’ a lei: Restoring
Communication and Understanding within our Nation Forum
When: January 17th, 2014 (9:00 AM- 5:00 PM)
Where: Navajo Nation Museum
Why: To provide the public an opportunity to get their questions
answered on the decisions being rendered by our council and our
government representatives regarding energy policy
MARK DUGGAN MURDER AND RIOTS - INSIDE JOB
*Mark Duggan's son, at his father's funeral.*
The killing of Mark Duggan, by police in London, led to the big riots in
England of 2011.
Many people believe that the killing of Duggan was designed to spark the
riots.
The UK authorities have a long history of killing unarmed civilians.
In 2009, the police in London killed an innocent man called Ian Tomlinson.
Tomlinson was on his way home from work when he was struck by police
officer Simon Harwood, from the notorious Territorial Support Group.
The Guardian published video footage which showed Tomlinson being struck
from behind b... more »
Leni Riefenstahl was a film-maker too
As this year is 'The Year of *Newsnight*' at '*Is*', I'd just like to echo
Sue's concerns about last night's edition of the programme*. *
Yes, that Paxo interview with far-Right Holocaust denier Alain Sohal really
did simply introduce him as a 'French writer and film-maker' (as did the
accompanying caption), with Jeremy Paxman merely adding that Sohal is
Dieudonne's friend.
Astonishingly, Jeremy Paxman didn't even ask Sohal about his own use of the
quenelle at the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin - a sick provocation if ever
they was one.
Why on earth not?
If Sohal had to be chose... more »
Unemployment creates jobs and is good for the economy...
*so sayeth a man who just returned from a multimillion dollar vacation.*
7 Types of Goals: Dave Ramsey Explains the Wheel of Life...
*in two minutes.*
Christie's bridge scandal leads nowhere
Josh joined the chorus singing a dirge for Chris Christie in the wake of
emails released today showing Gov. Blowhard's top aides were involved in
creating that massive traffic jam in New Jersey simply for petty political
payback. Lot of internet pundits seem to think this is the death knell for
Christie's 2016 hopes. I'm not seeing it.
This kind of juvenile ratfuckery is exactly the sort of thing that thrills
the crackpot con base. He pissed off a librul Democratic mayor and most of
the base considers New Jersey just another outpost of east coast elites. If
anything, it's going to ... more »
Moving Day
Yes, boxes are being packed and unpacked at Plain Blog world headquarters
today for the big move...well, figuratively at least. But in fact the big
day is tomorrow.
Bloomberg View is here. And they already have a page for me, here. Empty
now, but by late morning tomorrow there should be something there. I'm
afraid at first there won't be a dedicated rss feed, but they're actually a
few weeks away from a redesign, and among other things one of the benefits
will be rss feeds for the authors. I'll have all of that easy to find here
once it happens. Meanwhile, you can use that bio page ... more »
"Retired Air Force Colonel With Three Graduate Degrees Is Homeless And Sleeps In A Van"
*"Retired Air Force Colonel With Three Graduate*
* Degrees **Is Homeless And Sleeps In A Van"*
by Michael Snyder
"What advice would you give to a retired Air Force Colonel that has three
graduate degrees and that cannot even find work as a janitor? 59-year-old
Robert Freniere once served as a special assistant to General Stanley
McChrystal, and he has spent extensive time in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
But now this man who once had an office in the heart of the Pentagon cannot
find anyone who will hire him. In addition to his story, in this article
you will also hear about severa... more »
The Realist Report - Sandy Hook debate
** Michael Collins Piper backed out of the debate late last night. I
received an email from him this morning when I woke up stating that he was
having health issues, and would be unable to participate in the debate. **
On this edition of *The Realist Report*, we'll be joined by *Dr. Jim Fetzer*and *Michael
Collins Piper*. We will be debating the alleged shooting at the Sandy Hook
Elementary School on December 14th, 2012. Calls are welcomed during the
second hour.
You can download the mp3 for this program *here*, or visit *The Realist
Report* on BlogTalkRadio to subscribe via iTune... more »
Anthem for High Stakes Testing Era (with apologies to Country Joe McDonald)
To be sung to the tune of “I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die” by Country Joe
and the Fish (see video below)
Well come on all you teachers and tykes,
Uncle Sam’s made a problem he’s tryin’ to hype,
He got himself some pressure to privatize,
All the schools in the nation right before our eyes,
So put down your books and grab a #2,
We've got a whole lot of testin’ to do.
And its 1,2,3 what are we learning for?
Don't ask me I don't have a say,
It's high stakes testing day,
And its 5,6,7 send in Melinda Gates,
Well there ain’t no time to do your best,
WHOOPEE we've all got more tests.
W... more »
A Different Look at the Income of the 99%
Research by Emmanuel Saez and Thomas Piketty is fundamental to debates over
inequality. They have documented that a larger share of US income has been
going to the top 10% -- and especially the top 1% -- of all earners. Their
data is shown in the graph at the top of this post.
Here is how the New York Times recently characterized their work:
The top 1 percent took more than one-fifth of the income earned by
Americans, one of the highest levels on record since 1913, when the
government instituted an income tax.
The figures underscore that even after the recession the country remain... more »
Looks Like Humpty Dumpty Is Falling Off A Bridge-- Will Chris Christie Resign?
"They are the children of Buono voters."
When Blue America endorsed Barbara Buono for governor of New Jersey last
year, it wasn't because she's pretty and it wasn't because she's a
Democrat. It's because she's an outstanding, principled progressive and
because she was running against the corrupt transpartisan New Jersey
political machine headed by one of America's worse governors ever, Chris
Christie. New Jersey voters, basking in their ignorance and pigheadedness,
elected Christie 1,252,100 (60.4%) to 790,245 (38.1%). Hudson County
(Jersey City, Bayonne, Hoboken, Union City) was th... more »
How Pinteresting: An Easy Way To Keep Track Of Medicine Doses
[image: Keeping Track of Medicine, Children's Medicine]
I realized this morning that is has been more than year since I tested a
Pinterest pin and shared the results. This idea is a simple one, when you
or your child have a medication that needs to be taken daily for a set
number of days, you take a black marker and mark a box for all of the doses
on the side of a bottle.
I had this pin in my back of my mind for a long time, but didn't have the
occasion to use it until just a couple of months ago when my daughter had
an ear infection. I have to say it was an absolute life saver. I d... more »
Twisted Logic: The Kafkaesque Saga Continues
Imagine if you dunked the Obama Pretzel into a cup of your favorite
winter-time comfort beverage. Not only would it get increasingly soggy, it
would inevitably dissolve into a pathetic clump of dough, never to be a
popular taste sensation again.
That now appears to be the fate of the secrecy-obsessed president. Even
with a complicit federal court actually agreeing that we the citizens have
no right to see all the sorry excuses the Justice Department has dreamed up
over the years to cover up for the human rights abuses perpetrated both at
home and abroad, there is no longer much pub... more »
Why do you not comment
I comment way to much. I take risks with my commentary. So if you think I
am sane or even suffer insanity, please comment just one damm time, it
would mean so much to me.
I said the wrong thing
No you did not, you said what in your heart was true,
Who can we blame when our real life romances
do not even measure up to the first act of any Hollywood advance flame
So far we do not have GPS to direct lonely hearts to
their best possible address
I do not want tech to know
how I love
and how other users
could use that for
there personal freak show.
I love my wife, I love my kids
and its not my first rodeo.
If you want to search my files
and sell my joy
then I would say
to the military
get me a drone
I have identified
an Al Queda suspect
and speaking as a tourist
I think he is doing so... more »
Alan Dershowitz Leaves Harvard for Hasbara
(Photo
Credit: Sun Sentinel)
Often times, when powerful and public figures – from government
officials and politicians, community leaders, high-powered corporate
CEOs, NFL coaches, and countless local TV news anchors - leave their
longtime positions, they say their decision was influenced by wanting
“to spend more time” with their families and loved ones.
Such a stated reason is often a
What Linda Darling-Hammond said!
*WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2014*
*Frankly, we don’t get it:* Over Christmas, we were surprised by several
statements from leading “educational experts.”
One such expert was Professor Linda Darling-Hammond, who guested on Morning
Edition. Early on, tape was played in which she said this:
GREENE (12/26/13): This is Morning Edition from NPR News. Good morning. I'm
David Greene.
The United States has spent a decade trying to improve the standing of its
schools compared to the rest of the world. *Education researcher Linda
Darling-Hammond says the result is disappointing.*
DARLING-HAMMOND... more »
Standards Won’t Change Inequity: A Reader
Standards Won\’t Change Inequity: A Reader. via Standards Won’t Change
Inequity: A Reader.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical
Untitled
*Former Mayor Ray 'Baby Head' 'Chocolate Don' 'Ack Ack' 'Soft Hand' 'Mr.
Goddamnit' Nagin's attorney says he is ready for trial*
*RSD’s school closure process has uneven effect on students at failing
schools ~Jessica Williams, The Lens*
*New Mardi Gras laws would keep all ladders six feet from the curb ~Robert
Morris, Uptown Messenger*
*Coming soon to Algiers: a herd of Masai giraffes ~Chad Calder, The
Advocate*
*Ian McNulty: Breakfast, and biscuits, on Banks ~New Orleans Advocate*
O’Reilly and Beck have nice things to say!
*WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2014*
*O’Reilly heaps praise on Maddow:* Everyone is dumb on occasion, as
everyone understands.
Yes, it was dumb to ask for jokes about that Romney family photo. When
we’re using our heads, we don’t do that.
That said, we were glad to see Bill O’Reilly take a walk on the mild side
last week. He spoke up for Harris-Perry:
O'REILLY (1/2/14): Now Miss Perry has apologized to the Romney family, but
this seems to be a never-ending saga over at MSNBC.
Joining us from Washington, Miss Laura Ingraham. *So I don't think Miss
Harris-Perry meant to be malicious here,*... more »
DUMBNIFICATION STUDIES: It spreads!
*WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2014*
Part 3—MSNBC too: Within our journalistic culture, it isn’t polite to
notice, mention, cite or complain about the dumbnification.
You’re allowed to talk about media bias. You’re even allowed to say that
some statement or viewpoint is wrong.
But it isn’t considered polite to talk about the spread of The Dumb, even
as it worms its way into every aspect of the nation’s journalistic life.
Within our spreading, democratized press corps, almost everyone is surfing
The Dumb at this point. The right to engage in the dumbnification makes
everyone’s life a little... more »
John Karhiio Kane 'Here We Go Again'
Here
We Go Again
By John Karhiio Kane (Mohawk)
Censored News
I'm sorry, but I can't resist the temptation. As we rip open a new
calendar I can't help but reflect on the past year and the one that is
now before us.
I won't attempt to list all those who completed their time with us in
this last trip around our eldest Brother, the Sun. We have had people
close and intimate to us as well as
Children's Book Corner: The United States of Bubba
Once upon a time, there was a mighty nation named the United States of
Bubba. Bubba used to be part of a much larger country called the United
States of America but, fearing government infringement on their states'
rights, Bubba seceded from the union and founded its own neo-confederacy
and named it Bubba.
Bubba's national motto was "Fuck, Yeah! Fuck you!" and its flag
consisted of a revamped Confederate flag with a giant red, white and blue
finger pointed at the rest of the earth in the center.
For many of the people in these new United States, this was a
paradise. ... more »
THE GEMINI PLANET IMAGER - first pictures just in.
a yearning for an upbeat and positive news story amongst all the doom-laden
FLOOD STORIES from my current country of residence and Solar X-class flares
led me to this encouraging story: THE GEMINI PLANET IMAGER.
images c/o geekquinox
*The Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) took almost 10 years to complete, and began
its first observations back in November 2013. One of the first targets the
astronomers pointed it at was the young star HR4796A (pictured above),
which is the central partner in a binary star system with a distant red
dwarf companion.* [source GEEKQUINOX]
Lovely stuff, and ... more »
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