Kaohsiung, Taiwan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: NASA astronaut image of Pratas Islands (also called Dongshao Islands), Rep. of China, South China Sea (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Syria (Photo credit: Yishac - Isaac Alvarez i Brugada)Duck! National Republicans And Virginia Republicans Have The Same Motives, The Same Goals
This afternoon we took a look at the dystopian vision encompassed in the
growing American Deep State. I know it was long-- apologies-- but, well…
it's important and I cut it in half several times before publishing it. But
even if you just scratched the surface, there was a compelling quote by
Mike Lofgren about how the Republicans'-- both their Selfishness and Greed
obsessed Establishment and their hate-filled fascist Tea Party wings--
insistence on the illegitimate nature of the Obama presidency has
manifested itself in terms of government dysfunction. "As I wrote in *The
Party i... more »
Traditional Dine' educate University of Arizona on water rights
Photosby
Ed Becenti, published with permission
By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
Photos Louise Benally and Marshall Johnson at UofA by Ed Becenti
TUCSON -- When the University of Arizona in Tucson invited a water
rights attorney who is protested by Dine', traditional Dine' made the
long journey from the northern part of the state to southern Arizona to
both protest the selection of the
Geopolitical Chess and Proxy War Watch February 24 , 2014 ---- US And Israel Quietly Provide Military Support And Parts To Iran, Which In Turn Is Arming Syria ...... U.S. warns Russia to keep its military out of Ukraine after protesters force president out ( National Security Adviser Susan E. Rice said the situation unfolding in Kiev “reflects the will of the Ukrainian people and the interests of the United States and Europe,” and that Russia would be making a “grave mistake” if it sends in military forces to try to reverse the developments — or to seize control of pro-Moscow eastern Ukraine. ) What could go wrong with grabbing the russian Bera's tail ? PLA Officer: China Must Establish South China Sea ADIZ; Will "Fight When Appropriate"
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-02-23/us-israel-providing-military-supports-and-parts-iran-which-turn-arming-syria
US And Israel Quietly Provide Military Support And Parts To Iran, Which In
Turn Is Arming Syria
[image: Tyler Durden's picture]
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/23/2014 21:19 -0500
- Boeing
- General Electric
- Greece
- Iran
- Israel
- Middle East
- Newspaper
- None
- Reuters
- Treasury Department
- Ukraine
inShare
Before the Ukraine, there was Syria. Before Syria, there was Iran. For over
30 years, Iran was the p... more »
Another problem with ending strategic ambiguity
[image: Sovereignty-claims_in_the_south_china_sea-US-DoD-2012]
*Taiwan currently controls Pratas Island (Dongsha) and Taiping island, the
largest of the Spratlys. Map source.*
Lately calls for ending US strategic ambiguity towards Taiwan have appeared
in the media, as they do cyclically. I raked one by Etzioni over the coals
a couple of weeks ago. Joseph Bosco has also been calling for the US to
unambiguously declare it would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese
attack (2010 for example).
Responding to the piece on Etzioni I wrote:
In the Senkakus the situation is crystal clear: ... more »
Please take a closer look at the Common Core
Sent to the School Library Journal 2/23
Librarians may be "findings aspects of the common core to
celebrate"("What's happening at the core," Feb. 2014), but they are
ignoring very serious problems.
The standards might look like look like they involve "deeper levels of
critical thinking" but they are completely untested. There were no pilot
studies. The language arts standards force students to deal with demanding
nonfiction texts in order to promote earlier mastery of "academic
language," but there is no evidence that making reading harder produces
better results. There is, howe... more »
Roger Angell reflects at 93
*New Yorker caption*: *Roger Angell and Andy; Central Park, January, 2014.
Photograph by Brigitte Lacombe.*
*"I'm ninety-three, and I'm feeling great. Well, pretty great, unless I've
forgotten to take a couple of Tylenols in the past four or five hours, in
which case I've begun to feel some jagged little pains shooting down my
left forearm and into the base of the thumb. . . ."*
*-- Roger Angell, in* "This Old Man: Life in the nineties"
*by Ken*
At age 93, longtime *New Yorker* editor and writer Roger Angell has
produced a terrific, alternately crotchety and mellow remembrance in t... more »
Foreign Policy Blog Fail
*New SRAM shifters and new bar tape, lovely old views. Nothing like 80 kms
and 1100 meters of climbing to cure what ails.*
Foreign Policy blog today offers a wonderful explanation of what is wrong
with Taiwan's media. Oh, not by explaining, but by an outstanding display
of all the faults of Taiwan's media in the article itself. Really as
wonderful a case of irony-free writing as can be imagined. To wit, the blog
explains some of the problems with the media:
Strong political beliefs among Taiwanese, Hong said, have emboldened media
outlets to reveal their own political character, t*... more »
Myths and Lessons of the Argentine “Currency Crisis”
*Guest post by Joseph Salerno*
[image: image]The crash of the Argentine peso last month brings to a close
yet another foredoomed experiment in South American left-wing populism. The
precipitous “devaluation” of the peso by 15 percent against the U.S. dollar
in January represents its steepest decline since the devaluation of 2001
when Argentina defaulted on its foreign debt. From January 21 to the close
of trading on January 23 the peso dropped from 6.88 per dollar to 8.00 on
the official market. On the black market the peso fell by 6 percent on
January 23 to 13 to the dollar. Over... more »
Untitled
*Where are the Global Warmists for Freedom?*
*Warmism is an essentially Authoritarian creed*
By Daren Jonescu
Global warming "admitters" -- to distinguish you from those of us you call
"deniers" -- I have a question for you: Do any of you have an answer to the
cataclysm your settled science has proven beyond any possible doubt is
coming which does not require totalitarian measures?
Let me rephrase that, in case the connotations of the phrase "totalitarian
measures" have not yet passed peer review, in which case their meaning may
not be able to reach minds occupying the rarefied a... more »
Neocons Crow Over Ukraine Coup d'Etat
With the cherry on top of cake of the epic spree of Russian bashing that
the U.S. establishment spewed forth for months during the lead up to the
Sochi Winter Olympic games being the weekend coup d'etat that took place in
Ukraine the Obama administration and American Neocons engaged in an obscene
victory celebration. Returning to his normal Sunday morning bloviation
circuit perch Senator John McCain railed against the hated Vladimir Putin from
the bully pulpit of CBS's Face the Nation. McCain who has had a burr up his
ass since he was shot down over Vietnam and ended up as a guest ... more »
Friday Nerd Blogging: Super-belated version
Why are we late with Friday Nerd Blogging? Because we were too busy
celebrating all that is awesome:
Len Brown Stand Down March: Media Manipulation Analysis
[image: Picture]
Vinny Eastwood and Stephen Berry analyse Saturday’s Len Brown Stand Down
March,
a big success according to its organisers and in a way this is evidenced by
the enormous criticism thrown at it by desperate left wing commentators and
woefully inaccurate reporting by the establishment media.
To counter this propaganda we are releasing a critical analysis of a number
of these news stories and blogs so that the public may be made aware of the
lengths these scumbaggery filth will go to protect the corruption,
financial incompetence and lies of Auckland Mayor Len Brown.... more »
Identity Politics and Intersectionality
Julie Burchill wrote this. Paris Lees rejoined with this. Burchill
(paraphrased): "intersectionality is about scoring points off multiple
oppressions". Lees (paraphrased): "intersectionality is about respecting
difference". Who's right? Both of them are. Here's a 3,000 word
essaymaking that point too. But what often falls by the wayside in
discussions
around intersectionality is, to put it crudely, what intersectionality
*is
for*. It doesn't have to be for anything, of course. If you want it to
just
be a marker for mutual respect then take it. But for more people of a
more
socialist... more »
Climate science is a "Zombie science"
By
Denis G. Rancourt
Dr. Bruce G. Charlton recently (2012) wrote an informed and polemical
book entitled "Not even trying... The Corruption of real science". In
this book, Dr. Charlton defines what he calls "Zombie science".
I submit that Dr. Charlton's definition of a "Zombie science" eminently
applies to today's climate science. I predict that today's climate
science enterprise will, in
PRIVATIZED GOVERNMENT
In this week's show, Mike Lofgren joins Bill Moyers to talk about the Deep
State, a hybrid of corporate America and the national security state, which
is "out of control" and "unconstrained."
Destroy Environmental Paradise to Facilitate Acceptance of the Unacceptable
As a boy attending school was always a distant second thought, who needs
English lessons and math quizzes when one can embrace the ocean and all its
glorious treasures, my dad understood both the uniqueness and splendor of
the mighty herring, a small fish that enabled the survival of our largest
denizens of the deep..
Pender Harbour was not rare or special merely one of thousands of sheltered
harbours where a tiny fish by the millions schooled at night, so thick, so
special, and now so distant a memory...
With herring came salmon, bright silver green jumping coho salmon, chinook
... more »
The Dangers Inherent In The Deep State-- And Partisan Politics
Mike Lofgren had been a GOP operative and congressional aide for nearly 3
decades when he retired in 2011 and penned the book The Party Is Over: How
Republicans Went Crazy, Democrats Became Useless, and the Middle Class Got
Shafted the following year. His critique of his former party is that they
care solely and exclusively about their rich contributors-- "The party has
built a whole catechism on the protection and further enrichment of
America's plutocracy. Their caterwauling about deficit and debt is so much
eyewash to con the public"-- and that they are war mongers who pander t... more »
Dalai Lama honors Peggy Wellknown Buffalo Crow Unsung Hero
Dalai
Lama honors Unsung Heroes, including Crow Peggy Wellknown Buffalo
Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014
By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
Honored today Grace Mashaba for soup kitchen in South Africa
SAN FRANCISCO -- His Holiness Dalai Lama honored 51 Unsung Heroes of
Compassion today, including Peggy Wellknown Buffalo, Crow, for Center
Pole in Montana. Peggy was honored for her recreation program
Putin in deep thoughts
He is thinking how to deal with Obama.;) He is upset that his buddy
Ukraine's president Viktor Yanukovich has been toppled by the Ukrainian
Parliament. Putin thinks that that is what Obama wanted.
Is cold war on again?
Smog in Beijing
It is getting really bad in Beijing. People on the streets wear masks as
well as commuters in the trains wear masks.
From Somerset to the paddy (O'Connell) fields of Bangladesh
It was like old times on this morning's *Broadcasting House*, with Paddy
O'Connell dancing in the streets (so to speak) over events in Kiev.
We've been here before.
I remember very well Paddy's enthusiastic coverage of the early days of the
Arab Spring (before it turned to deepest winter). He didn't quite say,
"Bliss is it this dawn to be alive, But to be a middle-aged BBC presenter
is very heaven!", but he could well have done so.
And then there was his now-equally-risible attempt (on both *BH *and
Twitter) to promote the idea of a 'Financial Spring' after the #Occupy
revoluti... more »
QUOTE OF THE DAY: On whitewashing Marxism-Leninism
"No self-respecting person who loves humanity
or wishes for a world of greater equality and justice
should have anything to do with whitewashing the
slavery and extermination of Marxism-Leninism."
—Anthony Gregory, “Stalin Apologia”
[Hat tip Scott DeSalvo]
*UPDATE*: The grim reality:
[Hat tip Capitalism]
Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission
to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
Canadian women's hockey - why is it not televised more often???
Canada's Women's Olympic Hockey Team took the gold today in a nail biting
game against Team USA. The USA was winning most of the game 2 to nothing,
and then the Canadian women tied it up during the last 5 minutes of the 3rd
period - followed by winning in overtime.
It was a truly memorable and entertaining game.
But it made us think.
Why does the CBC not broadcast women's hockey games more often?
I mean once every 4 years at the Olympics seems like showing a lot of
favouritism towards men's hockey, especially when the NHL is basically all
year round when you are living in Canada.
... more »
Russia loses the Olympics
*Russia has lost the Olympics.*
Why?
Let us count the ways.
#1. Russia lost a key hockey game against Finland and won't even get a
single men's medal in hockey. By Russian standards if you don't get gold in
men's hockey then you LOSE THE OLYMPICS. That is Russia's own measurement
of success.
#2. Pussy Riot has embarrassed the Russian government by pointing out
Russia's many human rights violations. (And to make matters worse the
Russians sent cossacks to attack Pussy Riot in the street, and it was all
caught on video.)
#3. The Russian gay community has embarrassed the Russian ... more »
Northerntruthseeker Rant For Sunday, February 23rd, 2014
Sunday… Last day of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, and time for much of
the world to get back to the reality of the disintegration of our economies
and much of our livelihood… And of course, time for my weekly rant…
Again, it seems that I have been spending a lot of time going over the
Sandy Hook fraud, and working at exposing the disinformation agents that
have finally exposed themselves amongst our ranks… These are of course
those who harp that many of us, including myself of course, are nothing
more than "Cass Sunstein" agents, and working against the truth… But of
course in rea... more »
This just in from the Cutting Edge of Science: Do cats cause depression?
*Can't dog people and cat people just get along?*
*by Ken*
It would be oversimplifying to suggest that the world is divided between
dog people and cat people. After all, there are also none-of-the-above
people, even within the pet-owning community, which includes such odd ducks
as bird people and fish people and monkey people and ocelot people and
(yuck!) lizard people and (God help us) reptile people. Oh, and there are
also the occasional strange souls who straddle the dog and cat world.
It takes an intrepid spirit indeed to go public against either the dog or
the cat lobby. Then... more »
Fuzzy speaks...
*and we thank her.*
*Read it at Fuzzy Logic (which is not "fuzzy" at all) *
Dear America, I Miss You
Photos Tucson Peace Fair: Defenders of Human Rights!
Never giving up, Isabel Garcia, Derechos Humanos, battling for migrants rights
Raging Grannies taking on Obama, singing of Obama's broken promises
Hopi Foundation's 'Owl and Panther' poetry and arts for children victims of torture and exile
Iskashitaa Refugee Network sustainable community: Harvesting Hope, Empowering Dreams
.
'Humanitarian Aid is Never a Crime' No More
Please Take This Oath of Allegiance
Remember back when the Bush Administration wanted academics to offer an
"oath of allegiance" of sorts in order to be considered for a role on an
expert advisory committee? Well it appears -- surprise, surprise -- that
the Obama Administration does the same sort of thing.
The Washington Post yesterday published an account from Danielle Allen of
the Institute for Advanced Study on being approached by the Obama
Administration to serve on the National Council on the Humanities:
I was not willing to commit to never criticizing the administration, nor to
restricting my publishing agenda ... more »
Read this now: Kirby Cairo
Excellent commentary.
...Such a treasonous act undertaken by the government itself is something
that requires more than rarefied political discourse. People have to be
woken up to the dangers of an encroaching fascism, to a government that
is attempting to gradually replace our democratic system with an
autocracy in which any democratic processes have been rendered exercises
in futility,
Mohawk Nation News 'World War III'
WORLD
WAR III
Posted on February 22, 2014
Mohawk Nation News
MNN. FEB. 22, 2014. US President Obama thinks he can beat President
Putin of Russia at diplomacy, war, intelligence and propaganda. It’s so
complex. They’re both powerful. Let’s try and simplify it as we did in
the Great Law using tewa’ara:ton. We want to know who the toughest guy
on earth is!
We’ll put Obama and Putin
Barry Goldwater Rolls in His Grave as Arizona Pushes to Legalize Bigotry
With last week’s crowning achievement of the Arizona legislature in passing
a bill that would provide the official state seal of approval to business
owners seeking to deny service to those who are gay or are perceived to be
gay under the guise of protecting their religious freedom there was the
satisfaction of going on up in the culture wars. Similar legislation is
being pushed in other states by big time religious right groups to pander
to flocks of ignoramuses and dinosaurs who refuse to be peacefully sucked
into the tar pits of history. Arizona has become quite a symbol for the... more »
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Being Poor Makes You Stupid
By Manifesto Joe
One hears much talk on the political right about the self-inflicted wounds
of the poor, and that economic outcomes are closely tied to one's
intelligence. It's a convenient way to justify highly unequal outcomes, and
can be made to sound very "noble" with the emphasis on individual
responsibility.
But science is finding that it's quite often the other way around. Being
stupid may make you poor, yes -- but being poor also makes you stupid.
In a recent study of Indian sugar cane farmers, it was found through
cognitive testing that before harvest, when the farmers are... more »
THE NAZI'S IN UKRAINE
'I'll be fighting Jews and Russians till I die': Ukrainian right-wing
militants aiming for power
Kalashnikov-wielding members of Ukraine's radical nationalist opposition
group, Right Sector, have pledged to resort to arms in their fight against
those involved in "lawlessness" and looting, saying they will shoot to
restore "order and discipline."
*"I warn you, if anyone in this town, this area, engages in 'lawlessness'
and looting, Right Sector squads will shoot the bastards on the spot. Then
there will be order and discipline,"* one of the radical nationalist
opposition group lead... more »
freedom to read week 2014: celebrate your freedom to read
Image from Freedom to Read websiteFreedom to Read Week 2014 runs from
February 23 to March 1. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Freedom to
Read Week in Canada.
Freedom to Read Week - called "Banned Books Week" in the United States -
encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to
intellectual freedom, a human right guaranteed to us under the Charter of
Rights and Freedoms. For me, it is also a time to celebrate the library as
a bulwark against censorship, and for library workers to reflect on our
jobs in a broader political context.
FtRW 2014 is especial... more »
Harper's Achilles Heel
Some commentators were disappointed that both of Justin Trudeau's
convention speeches were not barn burners. But Michael den Tandt
writesthat Trudeau's second speech was masterful in the way it went
after those
who voted for Stephen Harper the last time around. He did not demonize
them:
Appealing directly to disenchanted Tories, Trudeau first debunked the
notion of the Blue base as “some angry mob to be feared.” Rather, he
told
his audience, “the 5.8-million Canadians who voted Conservative aren’t
your
enemies. They’re your neighbours.”
If the Conservatives plan is to run on the ... more »
Fiction changed to informational text, #commoncore
This looks about right.Filed under: SHAUN JOHNSON, PHD: Musings from the
Chalk Face Tagged: common core, corduroy, informational text
Homer Lea
[image: IMG_2936]
*A shop on a mountainside in Miaoli.*
An acquaintance today by chance alerted me to the fact that Homer Lea is interred
in Beitou (google map link)(Thanks Russ!). I also never realized he was
closely connected to the founding of the ROC. Wiki:
Homer Lea (November 17, 1876—November 1, 1912), was an American adventurer
and author. He is today best known for his involvement with Chinese reform
and revolutionary movements in the early twentieth century as close advisor
to Dr. Sun Yat-sen during the 1911 Chinese Republican revolution that
overthrew the Qing Dynasty. Hom... more »
Untitled
*Jindal plans to swipe Coastal Protection and Restoration Funds for budget
shortfall ~WRKF*
*Levee board begs corps to get a 10-year jump on subsidence — at local
expense ~Bab Marshall, The Lens*
*Saints GM Mickey Loomis talks about NFL Scouting Combine*
Social Media Can Predict Country Music Hits-- Can It Predict Political Races As Well?
This morning a friend asked me if I was aware that Social Media could help
radio programmers-- not to mention A&R executives and retailers-- determine
which artists would make it big and which songs would be hits. Although
they were talking specifically about the very formulaic and relatively
simplistic country music genre, there's no reason why this report from *Inside
Radio* couldn't be applied across the board to all genres of music.
Picking a hit record may still be an art, but there’s a lot more science at
a programmer’s fingertips than ever before. And none is more reliable... more »
Foreign Policy Blog Fail
*New SRAM shifters and new bar tape, lovely old views. Nothing like 80 kms
and 1100 meters of climbing to cure what ails.*
Foreign Policy blog today offers a wonderful explanation of what is wrong
with Taiwan's media. Oh, not by explaining, but by an outstanding display
of all the faults of Taiwan's media in the article itself. Really as
wonderful a case of irony-free writing as can be imagined. To wit, the blog
explains some of the problems with the media:
Strong political beliefs among Taiwanese, Hong said, have emboldened media
outlets to reveal their own political character, t*... more »
Is Human Extraterrestial Migration Banned by (Monotheistic) Religious Ethics – And Maybe Some Secular Too?
As you know, the ethical assessment and political evaluation of
technological risk is one of my main areas of interest, and a focus of one
of my main research publications, the book T*he Price of Precaution and the
Ethics of Risk*. In that book, I consider a number of futuristic scenarios
to illustrate and test my theoretical ideas. One thing that I'm not
considering, however, is the vision of human migration to other planets.
But this very scenario has now become the topic of some inflamed debating
between a visionary entrepreneurial endeavour to such an effect and the
opinions of... more »
Thailand: Regime Terror Campaign Intensifies
*Image: A regime terror attack today left at leasttwo dead - a woman and a
12 year old boy. The regimehad threatened to carry out an armed terror
campaignto quell growing dissent. It now appears the campaignis
being carried out in earnest. **February 23, 2014* (ATN) - Coordinated
grenade and gun attacks have been carried out across Thailand by the regime
of US-backed Thaksin Shinawatra and his nepotist proxy, sister Yingluck
Shinawatra in an attempt to quell growing dissent that now includes rice
farmers once considered the foundation of the regime's support. Among those
dead an... more »
Blood on the streets as bomb kills two, wounds 22 in Thai capital - while not as vilent as Ukraine and Venezuela protests , Thailand's ongoing protests are becoming more serious as we now see hooligans involved .....
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/23/us-thailand-protest-idUSBREA1M02H20140223
Blood on the streets as bomb kills two, wounds 22 in Thai capital
BY AMY SAWITTA LEFEVRE AND PAUL BARKER
BANGKOK Sun Feb 23, 2014 7:57am EST
1 COMMENTS
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[image: Thai police officers inspect the site of an explosion during an
anti-government protest at Khao Saming district, Trat province February 23,
2014. REUTERS/Stringer]
Thai police officers inspect the site of an explosion during an
anti-government protest at Khao Saming district, Trat ... more »
Gov't Report: Food Stamps Participation at Historic High ( military use of food stamps increase a record high also ) , Even as Unemployment Rate Falls ....... Walmart full year forecast disappoints as food stamp cuts take a toll ......
Catharsis Ours - 15 hours ago
Gov't Report: Food Stamps Participation at Historic High, Even
as
Unemployment Rate Falls
11:00 AM, FEB 20, 2014 • BY JERYL BIER
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A lot of discussion about these “data walls” lately
The concept of the “data wall” has been gathering some attention lately,
more so than normal. They’ve been with us, I don’t know, for a few years
now. To be honest, I don’t have much experience with them. I certainly
don’t have one in my classroom, even though I was told I needed to have […]
Removing the Shackles:BIS: BEing and DOing - UPDATE
SUNDAY, 23 FEBRUARY 2014
*BIS: BEing and DOing- UPDATE*
*Posted by Dani from Removing the Shackles*
Last Night Brian Kelly posted an exciting article that I reposted : "BIS:
BEing and Doing...? Why the Banking Documents Were Not Accepted"
As Brian explained in the article, he was sent a screen shot of the UCC
filing search that was done by someone. Brian showed the (rather poor
quality) jpg to Heather who was sitting at the next table over, and
everything steam rolled from there.
There was a lot of conversation last night in the various skype rooms,
facebook pages and on Brian'... more »
Untitled
*Mystic Krewe of Barkus!*
~*For the unlikely monarchs of Barkus, a happy ending*
*‘Carrollton Sunday’ a triple-header of Uptown parades ~Arthur Hardy, New
Orleans Advocate*
[image:
http://www.theneworleansadvocate.com/multimedia/walthandelsman/8442110-171/walt-handelsman-for-feb-23]
*Live Streaming from tit rex and Chewbacchus ~small affairs*
*Fine dining while watching Mardi Gras parades ~Stacy Plaisance*
*A Lesson for Detroit in Efforts to Aid a New Orleans Devastated by Katrina
~Campbell Robertson, NYT*
Trend-spotting on 'Newsnight'
Keeping track of what Ian Katz's *Newsnight* reports over the past few
weeks, a few general trends can already be observed.
One that stands out for me is the way the programme pays close attention to
technology, and less attention to general science stories - something that
was very clearly reflected in Ian Katz's decision to abolish the role of
Science Editor and create a new role of Technology Editor instead.
Tellingly, the sacked Science Editor (Susan Watts) has a degree in
Chemistry while the new Technology Editor (David Grossman) has a degree in
Politics, which pretty much ... more »
Bitcoin updates - February 21 , 2014 -- Mt. Gox Bitcoin Price Falls Below $100 ( reaching 91.50 USD ) , its Lowest Level Since July ...... Bitstamp Restores Withdrawals Following Security Scare ....... Italian Money Transfer Law Threatens Bitcoin Businesses ....... New York Department of Financial Services Superintendent Ben Lawsky Demonstrates ‘Evolution’ on Bitcoin Issues in Reddit AMA .......
Catharsis Ours - 16 hours ago
nullic is gregory maxwell - a bitcoin developer.....
Mt Gox problem discussions....
MTGox still authoring invalid transactions (self.Bitcoin)
submitted 1 hour ago* by nullc
The MTGox transaction API (https://data.mtgox.com/api/0/bitcoin_tx.php)
shows transactions MTGox authors.
Throughout the outage— e.g. as early as the 8th— they've been making a
small number of what looks like dust sweeping transactions.
One shown right now is TXID
ed7ffa58fef651adaf1281ad10e98a4399eb2be40950345c7ccb7c8f76f067e1 which
spends 45d45286bac04311684ab7716ab170b50781cde6b094d9a644fb89ca07ae6888:31
whic... more »
Superstars and Niche Products
Robert Frank has a great article in today's *NY Times* about how technology
is changing the return to talent. I think he is focused on a key issue. A
lot of the longer-term trends we see in the economy are driven mostly by
changes in technology, of which economists have only a rudimentary
understanding.
Bob's story of Alfred Marshall and the piano industry is particularly
noteworthy and, I am embarrassed to say, new to me.
Brave Bookselling
On one side of the pond the ABA (American Booksellers Association) proudly
proclaimed that some 44 new independent bookstores opened for business in
2013 and that 10 of these were in the technology state of California. In
addition they also announce that 14 stores were bought by new owners. On
the other side of the pond the BA (Booksellers Association of UK and
Ireland) announced that the number of independent bookstore had dropped
below 1000 to 987 and that in less than 10 years they had dropped by around
a third from 1,535 in 2005 to today’s figure.
Both markets have lost majo... more »
Untitled
*MEN are warned: Older dads are more likely to have 'mutant sperm'*
*This seems pretty dubious to me. Mutated sperm would be less fit and
hence less likely to reach the egg first. Nature's own filtering system
should take care of the problem proposed*
The longer a man delays fatherhood, the more likely his sperm is likely to
become 'mutant', researchers have warned.
They say that older fathers have a higher risk of fathering a child with a
disorder such as autism or schizophrenia.
This is because mutations cause stem cells in the testicles to divide
abnormally, resulting in an i... more »
LIES ABOUT THE JEWS
The Jewish journalist *Ari Shavit *has written *"My Promised Land: The
Triumph and Tragedy of Israel"*.
Shavit refers to the 1936 Arab revolt and writes: "From this moment on, the
idea of 'transfer' - the removal of the Arab population - became part of
mainstream Zionist thinking."
*Prof Emeritus Ralph M Coury, of Fairfield University in the USA, quite
rightly points out that Shavit is wrong.*
(*History writing that aims at damage control* - Financial Times)
*The Deir Yassin massacre. The Jewish gangsters who had arrived from Europe
and America massacred Palestinian women and ch... more »
'Newsnight' - 17-21 February 2014
It's also time for *Is the BBC biased?*'s now-regular listing of all the
stories covered over the course of the week by BBC Two's *Newsnight*.
Here's what they chose to report this week:
*Monday 17/2*:
1. Who knows best on floods - scientists or politicians?
2. Is climate change responsible for the floods? Interview with Andrew
Montford & Professor Kevin Anderson.
3. What happens when benefit claimants break the rules and the government
stops their money? Interview with Nadhim Zahawi MP (Con) and Debbie
Abrahams MP (Lab).
4. The UN compares North Korea to Nazi Germany. Interview wi... more »
BIS: BEing and DOing- UPDATE
Last Night Brian Kelly posted an exciting article that I reposted : "BIS:
BEing and Doing...? Why the Banking Documents Were Not Accepted"
As Brian explained in the article, he was sent a screen shot of the UCC
filing search that was done by someone. Brian showed the (rather poor
quality) jpg to Heather who was sitting at the next table over, and
everything steam rolled from there.
There was a lot of conversation last night in the various skype rooms,
facebook pages and on Brian's comment section of his blog. Oliver sent us
copies of much clearer screen shots that he captured and... more »
The World Stands and Says: "NO MORE!"
http://removingtheshackles.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-world-stands-and-says-no-more.html
*The World Stands and Says: "NO MORE!"*
*By Dani from Removing the Shackles*
Many people are feeling a pause, like the quiet before the storm. The huge
intake of breath that is held in anticipation, with a quickening of the
pulse that is the prelude to the adrenaline rush. It feels as if the world
is sitting on the blade of a knife, waiting for the slightest flicker of
air to ever so gently brush against it and waft it over the edge of Change.
Many many people stand watching intently to see ... more »
Who Would You Buy; Readers Digest, B&N, Nook, Whatsapp?
This last week has seen three company potentially changing hands and
although they are all very different in the price offered they are also
very different in what they offer their new owners. So which would you buy
and how much are they really worth?
*Barnes & Noble*
G Asset Management LLC has offered to acquire 51% of *Barnes & Noble* at
$22 a share, valuing the bookseller at $1.32 billion. They also proposed to
acquire 51% of the Nook e-book division at $5 a share.
The big question is whether the business is worth the valuation and also
exactly what they will do with it in or... more »
Some more good old Country music - Kendel Carson - "I Like Trucks"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-vZlNKlCkg&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Sunday in the Park with Peter
Yes, it really is that time of the week again: Sunday morning. Or should
that be *Sunday* morning?
This week's *Sunday*, presented by Shelagh Fogarty, pursued the following
subjects - with each subject introduced as the programme's website
presented it. My ramblings follow on.
*From Papal Meetings with the Council of Cardinals to the creation of
nineteen new Cardinals, Shelagh Fogarty talks to the BBC's David Willey in
Rome about this week's events at the Vatican.*
David Willey said there was a "very joyful atmosphere" after the ceremony,
with lots of singing (especially from su... more »
Kirsty MacColl : There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis
The much missed Kirsty MacColl..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL2GmaI3Xus&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Brien Foerster - Paracas elongated skulls - DNA results in
here's the short version of Brien Foerster's investigation into the Paracas
elongated skulls, obviously auto-narrated from press release text - nice
renderings of skinned Paracus elongated skull people though:
and here's the loooong version detailing the results of DNA testing of 25%
greater elongated skulls...
Untitled
*"Hockeystick" Mann in financial trouble?*
by John O'Sullivan
Massive counterclaims, in excess of $10 million, have just been filed
against climate scientist Michael Mann after lawyers affirmed that the
former golden boy of global warming alarmism had sensationally failed in
his exasperating three-year bid to sue skeptic Canadian climatologist, Tim
Ball. Door now wide open for criminal investigation into Climategate
conspiracy.Mann arrest photo
Buoyed by Dr Ball's successes, journalist and free-speech defender, Mark
Steyn has promptly decided to likewise countersue Michael Mann fo... more »
UKRAINE - THE NEW IRAQ, OR LIBYA, OR EGYPT?
*Russian troops enter Ukraine.*
Ukraine could now become like Iraq or Libya or Syria or Egypt.
Leading party says Soros prepares “Libyan scenario” for Ukraine
Ukraine, the gateway to the gas and oil fields around the Caspian Sea,
could now face civil war and break up.
The pro-Russian districts in the East of Ukraine are not happy about the
fall of President Viktor Yanukovych.
In 2010, Yanukovych was elected with 12.5 million votes (48.9 per cent)
against 11.6 million votes (45.5 per cent) for Yulia Tymoshenko.
*Ukrain'e Russian speakers are mainly in the East.
news.nationalgeog... more »
Creatures with poor memory may time travel
Last night, I watched *The Time Traveler's Wife*, based on a 2003 novel by
Audrey Niffenegger, so it's time for another crazy post related to Quantum
gravity and afterlife and Wormholes into the past.
*The host introducing the trailer says that the novel/movie is a work of
"good love and bad science" and that Albert Einstein is undoubtedly
spinning in his grave now. But I will argue that the general theme about
the time-traveling librarian (or at least something remotely similar to it)
is actually something that is suggested by Einstein's theory of gravity
when combined with some ... more »
Progressive Music Classics. The Fatima Mansions: "Something Bad"
.
.
*By MARC McDONALD*
Welcome to another edition of Progressive Music Classics.
These days, I think pretty much everyone outside of the Rush/Drudge/Fox
crowd now accepts that George W. Bush's eight years in the White House were
a true disaster for the American nation, as well as for the world.
Bush's two terms were so awful that it's easy to forget just how bad his
father's term in office was, as well. So while the memories are still fresh
of how GWB was an arrogant, incompetent little prick and a warmonger, it's
important to remember that Bush senior wasn't a whole lot better. Cl... more »
Magical New Zealand Video
*Published on Feb 21, 2014*
I have always wanted to travel to New Zealand for as long as I can
remember, and so when I decided to move out of my home of 10 years and
start pursuing film making around the world, I knew the time had come. It
was one of the hardest decisions I've ever made to leave my beloved home,
but I was more ready than ever to embrace the unknown and explore the
world. I spent 3 months in New Zealand traveling in a Camper Van having one
of the most incredible times of my life. I enjoyed countless nights under
the stars, towering mountains, magical rainforest, st... more »
U.N. Security Council unanimously approves Syria aid access resolution
So, the US-UN plan is to send terrorists to nations, cover up the crimes
of sectarian-minded murderers, and then give ordinary citizens miniscule
aid to deal with all the suffering and chaos? Oh, how generous and kind of
them. What a great display of the humanitarian spirit!
U.N. Security Council unanimously approves Syria aid access resolution.
Source: Reuters. Date Published: February 22.
UN unanimously adopts Syria aid resolution. Source: Al Jazeera. Date
Published: February 22.
The future of higher education, Doonesbury-style
*DOONESBURY -- Monday*
In this week's *Doonesbury* "Flashback" we -- along with select members of
the Walden community -- see dear old Walden entering the 21st century.
(Note: You should be able to click on any of the strips to enlarge it. But
I always hate to promise.) -- *Ken*
*DOONESBURY -- Tuesday*
*DOONESBURY -- Wednesday*
*DOONESBURY -- Thursday*
*DOONESBURY -- Friday*
*DOONESBURY -- Saturday*
#
On the Serving Platter: The NEA-Teach Plus “Partnership”
I think both national teachers unions have some skewed arrangement to “seek
solidarity” by fastening themselves to privatizing groups. Perhaps such is
an adult display of grasping to belong to the “cool kids” clique. The “cool
kids” are the ones exploding with reform philanthropy money to invest in
ways to drain money from the teaching […]
THEM
It's the title of an early Joyce Carol Oates novel, possibly her best and
deserving a place in the US literary canon.
*_THEM_* depicts the chaotic lives of a family living in poverty in the
Detroit slums, from the 1930s to the 1967 riots. Oates draws a vivid
portrait of a matriarch, from self-awakening as a naive young mother nagged
by regrets at the age of sixteen, to a mature woman whose aspirations and
struggles encompass the destinies of her children battling to survive in a
perilous world fraught with violence. Poor white trash folks, before that
epithet became a thing.
US ag... more »
Beware Of Filthy Lies Spread By The SPLC And The Bankrupt Media About The Growth of Racism
The Southern Poverty Law Center is a total joke. In the video below, the
leader of the useless organization named Mark Potok says that, "Anti-black
racism has risen over the last four or five years. There's polling that
shows that both implicit and explicit anti-black attitudes among American
whites have gone up quite significantly between 2008 and 2012, to the point
where now more than half of white Americans have these anti-black
attitudes."
More than half? Yeaaah riiight you lying piece of shit. This huckster got
this number out of his ass, one hundred percent. He gets all his po... more »
Timothy Snyder, "Disjuncture Between History and Memory in Ukraine and Eastern Europe"
Video Title: Timothy Snyder, "Disjuncture Between History and Memory in
Ukraine and Eastern Europe." Source: UkeTube. Date Published: November 3,
2012. Description:
"Disjuncture between History and Memory in Ukraine and Eastern Europe" a
lecture by Timothy Snyder, 31 March 2011. Audio courtesy of University of
Cambridge, R.E. Finnin, & Timothy Snyder.
"Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin wall, to revert to that cliche,
there really isn't European history yet. And, more strikingly, it's not
clear that there's even been that much progress made towards European
history, with ... more »
Register for UOO’s annual spring event in Denver, CO, March 28th to 30th
Click the box below to head over to Eventbrite. All the action you need for
$20. Filed under: SHAUN JOHNSON, PHD: Musings from the Chalk Face Tagged:
action, Denver, education reform, protest, testing, united opt out
Our Country Is Up To No Good Again-- This Time In Venezuela… And On Behalf Of Big Oil
You would never guess it from the U.S. media coverage but the U.S. is
making its move against the people of Venezuela, doing all it can to incite
and support a violent right-wing takeover of a legitimately elected
government of the working masses. Sure, that's the kind of thing that
scumbags like Nixon and Kissinger did. But Obama and Kerry? You bet your
ass! You'd like the Obama Administration gets it's Venezuela policy direct
from Fox-- or vice versa. Since the government of Venezuela nationalized
the oil industry, the standard of living for Venezuelan working families
has made... more »
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