English: Map of Crimea, Ukraine. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Port_of_Theodosia. Crimea. Ukraine. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Juniperus. Kanaka. Crimea. Ukraine. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Blackberries (Rubus), ripe and unripe on a bush. Possibly a garden hybrid cultivar. Ukraine, the Crimea. Русский: Ежевика спелая и незрелая. Возможно, культивируемый сорт. Украина, Крым. Français : Mûres (Rubus), mures et vertes. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Reporters and Foreign Affairs Analysis: Ukraine Edition
This is a guest post by former Duck of Minerva blogger Dan Nexon. It is
cross-posted at his personal blog, Hylaean Flow. One of the ongoing
rationales for The Monkey Cage is that journalists do a poor job of
covering US electoral politics. They focus on personality and style. They
downplay the role of fundamentals, such as economic forces and
Continue reading
Oscar Preview: American Hustle-- An Incidental Indictment Of Our Political Elites
I don't go to many movies, especially not movies that wind up nominated for
Oscars. This year I saw The Wolf of Wall Street and complained ever since
that the movie whitewashed the real life story about how the antihero,
Jordan Belfort, bribed New York's crooked Senator Al D'Amato and the
Republican Party. Last night a friend wanted to "do something." I suggested Lucha
VaVoom, street mixed martial arts or one of the dollar-a-dance joints
downtown. That all scared my friend-- he's from the East Coast-- so we went
to see *American Hustle*, the dramatization of the Abscam sting in th... more »
Structure of jury charge
R. v. Feng, 2014 BCCA 71:
[56] While the structure of a jury charge is a discretionary matter
for the trial judge and therefore is entitled to deference, it must give
the jury the necessary tools to properly decide the issues before them. In
this case, where the jury had to consider three potential verdicts and two
defences, considerable care had to be taken in ensuring they understood the
proper sequence to their deliberations.
[57] In *R. v. Almarales, *2008 ONCA 692 (CanLII), 2008 ONCA 692,
244 O.A.C. 127, Mr. Justice Watt, writing for the Court, observed that
"som... more »
Northerntruthseeker And Pragmatic Witness Collaborating On New Internet Show… "Turbulent Times"
I am pleased to announce that in cooperation with my friend, Whitewraithe,
who writes the Pragmatic Witness blogsite at
www.whitewraithe.wordpress.com, that we are starting our own weekly talk
show to discuss matters that concern us and all of our readers….
The show will be called "Turbulent Times", and it is a collaboration that
her and I have talked about and planned for years…Only now are we able to
finally get it off the ground….
Our first show will hopefully, depending on the success of Wraithe's dental
surgery on Monday, be later this week. The subject of that first show will... more »
Five Links On The Crisis In Ukraine And Crimea
*Photo Source: Darko Vojinovic/AP*.
Five Links On The Crisis In Ukraine And Crimea:
The Centre for Global Studies Strategy XXI - *Gas Subtexts of Crimea Crisis*
.
Dr. Paul Craig Roberts - *Democracy Murdered By Protest: Ukraine Falls To
Intrigue and Violence*.
RT - *Calls in Kiev to ‘regain nuclear status in six months.’ *
Michael Shrimpton - *The West Attacks Ukraine*.
Deutsche Welle - *'Crimea secession likely': Ukraine expert*.
Apartheid Israeli company receives US border mega contract
Photo by Brenda Norrell
US spy tower on Tohono O'odham
land near Sells, Arizona
Breaking News: Shocking development as US gives border contract to Israeli defense contractor
Obama giving lip service to recovering US economy -- while giving mega contracts to Israelis
By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
March 1, 2014
TUCSON -- In a shocking development, Homeland Security has given the $145
CSOs and State 18: Civil Society as Lobbyists for More Government? Cigarette Warning Bill
There are moves again to have a new law, mandating and forcing tobacco
manufacturers to put warning signs in their cigarette packs like "Smoking
Kills".
While I believe that tobacco use is harmful for one's body, while I have no
affection for tobacco companies, I do not believe that we need a new law on
this.
Notice that in many things in health care and other sectors, people keep
asking for new laws, or amending old laws to make the regulations and
restrictions more strict. The more that people ask from government, the
latter will give more than what they need. like more pork bar... more »
Viewing Jasper Mountain book blog
Here is the header for a new book blog, Viewing Jasper Mountain. It's the
book divided into post-sized bits, and they will appear once a week over
the next few months. This one joins Starvation Ridge, 100 poems, iron
buddhas, and Buddhism and Permaculture as book blogs already associated
with the books from Stony Run Press.
*Viewing Jasper Mountain* (Kindle link) is a homesteading/gardening journal
with twelve chapters, one for each month, and gives the reader a glimpse of
homesteading thinking and doing in the fast-receding 1990s.
If you like the blog, do consider buying the book... more »
Cultural Scenario for Rich People Believing That Poor People Deserve Their Starvation Diet (Sadism?) How To Keep The Workers Running Scared and Working Cheap (More Education = More Underemployment?)
It’s Social Calvinism, a worldview that does not just see money as a reward
for virtuous behavior, but as evidence of virtue itself. The 1 percent
consider themselves an Economic Elect, whose wealth is a byproduct of
self-discipline, intelligence, thriftiness and tolerance for risk. As
inequality increases, so does the winners’ conviction that they are more
equal than everyone else.
Game on in Ukraine
*Guards take their places in front of government buildings in Crimea, over
the opposition of ethnic Ukrainians.*
*SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine -- Russian armed forces effectively seized control of
Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula on Saturday, as President Vladimir V. Putin had
the Russian Parliament grant him broad authority to use military force in
Ukraine in response to deepening instability there.Russian troops stripped
of identifying insignia and military vehicles bearing the black license
plates of Russia’s Black Sea force swarmed the major thoroughfares of
Crimea and occupied major gover... more »
Ron Jacobs : Moorcock’s ‘Pyat Quartet’ is story of a twentieth century knave
This epic work unfolds in a litany of prejudice, arrogance, and
wrongheadedness, all told in a manner that is delightful to read. By Ron
Jacobs | The Rag Blog | March 1, 2014 [Pyat Quartet by Michael Moorcock
(2012-13: PM … finish reading Ron Jacobs :
Moorcock’s ‘Pyat Quartet’ is story of a twentieth century knave
Crimea- Terror prevented, communications cut off, protest, gas cuts and more
So, today was a busy day. But I would steal myself away to the computer and
search for the latest news when I could. I also took the time to visit
Saker's early this a.m.
So, I am going to start at the Vineyard... as I finish up my Cabernet Franc
from dinner
Saker had some interesting news about a car bomb being stopped in the Crimea
Saker also mentioned that mostly all communications had mysteriously been
cut off to the residents of Crimea
-A car with 400kg of TNT-equivalent explosives was intercepted a a
checkpoint yesterday in Crimea. There is no word on the diver or possible
p... more »
Ronald Deibert on the World After Snowden: Towards Distributed Security in Cyberspace
Video Title: Ronald Deibert on the World After Snowden: Towards Distributed
Security in Cyberspace. Source: BerkmanCenter. Date Published: October 17,
2013. Description:
In this talk Ron Deibert -- Professor of Political Science, and Director of
the Canada Centre for Global Security Studies and the Citizen Lab at the
Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto -- puts the
revelations of NSA wiretapping in a broader context, emphasizing the
political economy of the cyber security industrial complex and its
unintended consequences in a world of Big Data, along with an alter... more »
Saudis putting out their word that if Iran gets nukes , they will get nukes - which probably means the Saudis already possess them , whether literally or " on standby orders " ! Considering the ongoing Ukraine situation which the Saudis ( like the rest of the world ) are carefully watching to see whether the US or Russia wins this round of geopolitical chess , that might change any timing for said " stand by orders " of nukes !
Saudi Arabia: besieged and fearful
by Immanuel Wallerstein @ajam March 1, 2014
Now that the Kingdom's special relationship with the US has soured, to whom
will it turn for support?
Topics: International Saudi Arabia Religion, Spirituality & Ethics
[image: King Abdullah]
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah (R) and his brother Prince Salman arrive in
Mecca to attend the funeral of Saudi Crown Prince Nayef June 17, 2012.Saudi
Press Agency/Reuters/Landov
The Saudi regime has long been considered a pillar of political stability
in the Middle East, a country that commanded respect and prudence from... more »
What did the BBC do for me this week?
So, following through on the spirit of the previous post, what did the BBC
do for me this past week?
Well, it gave me an episode of *Nature *on Radio 4, *Bewitched by
Dragonflies*, which made me want to sit by the semi-stagnant waters at the
end of the falling stair of locks at the end of the sadly-blocked-off
segment of Lancaster Canal (over the road from the Longlands Hotel at
Tewitfield, near Carnforth, should you fancy a visit) in order to re-watch
the dragonflies I saw there - so large and so in-yer-face yet so beautiful.
(I also saw an owl there, for good measure, in broad d... more »
The Storm is Now
March 1, 2014 The weatherman told us we’d have a small storm, yesterday –
some freezing rain, possibly snow. As it was, we had a little rain as the
system moved through. We didn’t even get that, at this end … Continue
reading →
Will The Democratic Party Save America From The Predators? Just Kidding
This morning we took a sad little look at how the Democrats are fiddling
while the world burns in an orgy of sociopathic fossil fuel profiteering.
Today RJ Eskow, in a brilliant piece for *Nation of Change*, his take on
the Bill Moyers-Adolph Reed conversation about the demise of the American
left that we looked at Thursday. Eskow pointed to why the Democratic Party
is not going to come to anyone's rescue any time soon.
The relationship between the left and the Democratic Party is central to
Reed’s argument, which might be summarized as follows:
1. The Democratic Party has shifte... more »
Positive feedback?
All that enthusiast pro-BBC feedback which *Feedback *is so keen to report
really shouldn't come as a surprise. (Does it to you?)
It's only the fact that I tend to spend a lot of time writing about BBC
bias and reading blogs where the sheer awfulness of the BBC pretty much
seems to go without saying - and where the BBC's redeeming features only
rarely get a mention and, even when they do, only grudgingly and heavily
accompanied by caveats - that....if you're still following this long, Henry
James-like sentence...it still *does* come as a bit of a shock to hear
viewers and listeners... more »
A Re-run of Munich. If we're lucky...
See also Munich Agreement
The Munich Agreement was a settlement permitting Nazi Germany's annexation
of portions of Czechoslovakia along the country's borders mainly inhabited
by German speakers, for which a new territorial designation "Sudetenland"
was coined. The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich,
Germany, among the major powers of Europe, without the presence of
Czechoslovakia. Today, it is widely regarded as a failed act of appeasement
toward Germany. The agreement was signed in the early hours of 30 September
1938 (but dated 29 September).
If the EU get... more »
The (Very Sane) Reason Why Russia Seized Two Airports In Crimea
*Photo Source: AFP/Viktor Drachev*.
An excerpt from, *"The Crimean Anti-Coup Move"* by 'b' of Moon of Alabama,
March 1, 2014:
*An alleged attempt by coup forces to seize the interior ministry of the
Crimea tonight was repelled. In Kiev anti-Russian Tatars call for more
trouble*:
Meanwhile, Tatar lawmaker Mustafa Dzhemilev of Batkivshchyna has asked
acting President Oleksandr Turchynov to deploy the entire Ukrainian army to
Crimea.
“I spoke with Turchynov that all of our military might should be deployed
to Crimea. There are no threats in other oblasts yet. Call a state of
emerg... more »
Niall Ferguson's Alternate Great War
This last week has seen two interesting programmes about the First World
War broadcast. On Tuesday we had conservative journalist and historian Max
Hastings making the case for Britain's entry into the conflict in *The
Necessary War* and Niall Ferguson fielding the argument against in *The
Pity of War* last night. Both are well worth watching.
As we approach the centenary of the 20th century's calamitous pivot, the
struggle to impose dominant, commonsensical frame on the conflict and the
part played by Britain is sure to intensify. Which, in a way, is why the
BBC's choice to booken... more »
JEJU PROTEST UPDATE
Episode #5 The Spirit of Gangjeong from Regis Tremblay on Vimeo.
Bitcoin Updates March 1 , 2014 - MT GOX outed as an inside ? Crowd Detectives and Falkvinge opine YES......... Butterfly Lab mystery covered by blogger Payton Peterson - did they fly away Friday night or are folks just in a freak out first get full answers later mode ? What is Buttercoin planning to launch and where ??? With the death of a very young Autumn Radtke ( dead at 28 , former CEO of First Meta Exchange ) , keep all who may have lost forunes by way of Mt Gox or other criminal schemes or gross negligence in your prayers - and be vigilant
Catharsis Ours - 8 hours ago
Caveat Emptor......
State of Massachusetts Planning to Release ‘Consumer Advisory’ on Bitcoin
Eric Calouro | March 1, 2014 | 0 Comments
[image: Massachusetts Flag]For the past several months, we’ve seen no lack
of governments around the world issue warnings related to bitcoin and other
digital currency. The movement is seemingly spreading to individual U.S.
states.
The State of Hawaii independently released their own bitcoin-related warning,
noting that any organization transmitting bitcoin without proper
money-transmitting licensing was doing so unlawfully.
Here in Massachusetts... more »
Mohawk Nation News 'Last Queen, Last Pope'
LAST
QUEEN, LAST POPE
Posted on February 28, 2014
MNN. Feb. 28, 2014. Soon the British monarch, her family, and her
minions, as per the Magna Carta, will be removed by the people of
England. When that happens, all her corporate assets – Canada, US,
Australia and New Zealand – will revert to the true owners. The “Crown”
based in the Vatican and all their banking tentacles throughout
Fate of the Earth
Is it possible that the Planet Earth can become a totally barren planet in
the not too distant future? In particular if the CO2 emissions and
pollution continue at the current or accelerated rate?
Bob Feldman : A People’s History of Egypt, Part 18, 1962-1976
Nasser establishes a national party then moves to isolate Communists; his
successor, Anwar Sadat, aligns Egypt with the West. By Bob Feldman | The
Rag Blog | March 1, 2014 [With all the dramatic activity in Egypt, Bob
Feldman's Rag … finish reading Bob Feldman :
A People’s History of Egypt, Part 18, 1962-1976
WHAT LINKS MICHAEL JACKSON, JIMMY SAVILE AND MR X?
*Michael Jackson, David Blaine, Paul Boateng and Yuri Geller.*
What links Michael Jackson, Jimmy Savile and Mr X?
*UK Foreign Secretary William Hague and Sir Jimmy Savile.*
According to an article in the *Daily Mail*, the UK's *National Council for
Civil Liberties (NCCL)* has links to the opposition Labour Party and to the *Paedophile
Information Exchange (PIE)*.
In 1976, a Press release from the NCCL proposed that the official age of
consent should by lowered to 14 and be dropped to ten in cases where 'the
consent of the child' could 'be proved'.
*Geller with former UK prime mi... more »
Connecticut Patriot Group Fights Back Against Confiscation Order: ‘We Are Armed… And Are Familiar With the Finer Points of Marksmanship’
[image: SHTF Plan - When The Shit Hits the Fan, Don't Say We Didn't Warn
You - Preparedness, Planning, News, and Commentary]
Mac Slavo
February 28th, 2014
[image: Patriots-Fight-Back]
The war on liberty is coming to a head in Connecticut, where tens of
thousands of gun owners have refused to comply with their state
government’s gun registration laws. Officials have literally ordered those
who failed to meet the registration deadline to surrender their firearms or
face arrest.
The State of Connecticut is now demanding that gun owners across the state
turn in all newly-banned, unre... more »
Another BBC-bias-bashing blog!
I almost feel as if I'm spamming my own blog today, but here's another
post...which, to prevent burying Sue beneath twenty foot of snow, I'll
place underneath her latest post (through the magic of *Google Blogger*).
It's just to register another hat-tip to Alan at* Biased BBC* for spotting
the return of a BBC monitoring blog I thought had vanished years ago -
former BBC editor David Keighley's *Newswatch*.
Well, it's back and it looks to be doing sterling work again.
The cottage industry of BBC bias related blogs continues to swell. As Mr
Burns might put it, 'Excellent!'
It need... more »
LATEST GUEST
The latest edition of *This Issue* features Lisa Savage from CodePink Maine
discussing US drone policy and the need to cut military spending. Lisa is
a high school teacher and lives in Solon, Maine.
Five Most Popular Posts for February
The five most popular posts of the month were:
1. In Defence of White Dee
2. Obituary: Stuart Hall
3. Why UKIP Will Not Die
4. Identity Politics and Intersectionality
5. The Desperation of the Right
So, White Dee pips Stuart Hall for this month's crown. Does that suggest
anything about the state of contemporary Britain? Don't ask me, I'm a
sociologist.
It's always gratifying to see a couple of posts from the last week make the
grade too. There is a large appetite for all things intersectional.
Therefore it would not be sporting if I wasn't to also share Intersectionality
and Postm... more »
THE GRAND CHESSBOARD
As Russia moved additional military forces into the Crimea the New York
Times reports this morning:
On Saturday morning, the pro-Russia prime minister of Crimea, Sergei
Aksyonov, declared that he had sole control over the military and the
police in the disputed peninsula and appealed to Mr. Putin for Russian help
in safeguarding the region. He also said a public referendum on
independence would be held on March 30.
The Kremlin has denied any attempt to seize Crimea, where it maintains
important military installations, including the headquarters of its Black
Sea Fleet. But the Kre... more »
Consistency arguments in theoretical physics
*Originally written with a different audience in mind*
Arguments involving the internal consistency of a theory or a system of
ideas have assumed increased prominence in modern mathematical and
theoretical physics as well as in other branches of human thought that were
or are being inspired by physics.
It is possible to underestimate these arguments; and it is possible to
overestimate them as well. And indeed, numerous thinkers err in both ways.
The goals of this essay are to explain the basic logic and assumptions
behind these arguments, to present several examples, to show that th... more »
Begging the Question...Is the BBC biased?
Alan at *Biased BBC* observes that the BBC, throughout the day, has been
emphasising on all its news bulletins [in that word-for-word way the BBC
goes in for when reporting such stories] that Moazzam Begg, the former
*Guardian*/BBC-friendly Guantanamo detainee who just has been charged with
'terror offences' relating to Syria, "was never charged with any offence"
before:
Why emphasise that?
Why is that relevant to this? Surely of more relevance is that the US
thought he was guilty of exactly the same offences he has been charged with
now. He admitted attending terrorist training... more »
Reacting to Ukraine/Crimea
Yesterday, I suggested that there is little the US/NATO could do about the
Russian intervention in Ukraine. That still is very much true. Obama’s
statement referred to costs–that this would cost Russia and it will (trade,
the G8 summit, etc). But that is not a redline or a serious effort at
deterrence–just a statement
Continue reading
Naoto Kan directly responsible for Fukushima meltdowns?
This
was posted at Hiroshima Syndrome, but because the blog format does not
allow permalinks to specific content I'm going to quote the entire March
1 2014 entry below. Do not skim, read every word.
March 1, 2014
Naoto Kan’s crime against Japan
This past week, a court panel in Tokyo rejected a criminal suit against
former PM Naoto Kan concerning his actions during the first week of
the
Saving The Planet From Tawdry Profiteers-- Or Just More Politics As Usual?
I would like to see environmental safety true believers like Paul Clements
(D-MI) and Marianne Willimson (I-CA) take on Fred Upton and the rest of the
self-satisfied elites in Washington who haven't gotten the urgency of
Climate Change into their skulls yet-- and probably never will.
I got very nervous this week after seeing 4 fundraising requests from an
outfit I had never heard of, Environmental Majority. They appeared to be
trying to raise money to defeat House Energy and Commerce Committee
chairman, Fred Upton, a vulnerable Michigan Republican totally under the
protection of D... more »
Musings On Iraq In The News
I was cited in this article by Dan Murphy on Sadr's retirement "Muqtada
al-Sadr doesn't appear to have quit Iraq politics" in the Christian Science
Monitor
Oscar exclusive: The Three Faces of (union head) Paul!
*SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 2014*
*Nunziato rejiggered again:* Inexorably, your Daily Howler keeps banging
out those results!
This morning, we can exclusively report that a review in Sunday’s New York
Times will lodge a masterful complaint:
It will say that a new book of popular science is too hard to
understand—that “a physics naïf will be totally befuddled” by its
“endlessly dense sentence[s].”
Never mind how we know that! You’re going to read this exclusive report
nowhere else!
We had hoped to elaborate on that review this morning. Our interest in the
historical record takes us somewh... more »
Untitled
*Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans opposes legislation to weaken flood
protection authority ~Ruthie Frierson*
Why the Crimea is the Third Rail of International Politics
*this is a guest post by Konstantinos Travlos, currently a Visiting
Assistant at Georgia Southern, who writes on international conflict and
history. The arguments presented below are based on past research. Russian
policy towards Ukraine is partly driven by short term political reasons
such as protecting an investment in the form of Yanukovych, the Russian
view of
Continue reading
The Realist Report Spring 2014 fundraiser
Regular listeners to *The Realist Report* will have heard the announcement
I made on *a recent program* with Tom in Connecticut that I will be
conducting a Spring 2014 fundraiser for the radio program and website. I
gave a general overview of the fundraiser during the program with Tom, but
I'd like to take a moment and explain it in more detail here.
I have always been reluctant and, quite frankly, uncomfortable requesting
donations for my radio programs, blogging and other forms of activism. When
I have brought the topic up, I've always encouraged those of you who
appreciate, enjo... more »
Want to know what Obama was doing while Russia was marching into Ukraine?...
*sure you do.*
The man-boy, after scaring the crap out of Putin, was at the White House
Student Film Festival taking selfies with Bill Nye and Neal Tyson DeDegrass.
No really!
Mr. Nye could hardly wait to post it on his Facebook page.
While Russia is marching into the Ukraine, these educated beyond their
intelligence elitists are grinning it up and taking selfies like a bunch of
teenage girls. They even look like teenage girls. Fools!
We could use some adults in DC.
I sing the body mechanical
by Captain Fogg
"America's love affair with the automobile" used to be the most noticeably
overused cliche in the the American idiom and indeed, starting with the
20th century few things transformed private life and personal liberty like
the automobile. Few things contributed so much to economic growth From the
end of WWII and through the 1960's everything was about cars. If you're
one of the dwindling part of the population who remembers first hand, I
don't have to explain. You'll remember the car culture and you'll remember
how it made the USA run. Our youth was about the free... more »
Thought (for the day)
After the two world wars, at the time when many people were acclimatised to
friends and family being slain right left and centre, the importance of our
emotional and psychological ‘rights’ paled into insignificance. Heaven
help the young woman who found herself pregnant out of wedlock. It was
almost as sinful to utter the word bastard as to be one. What life-long
trauma for everyone involved, all for the sake of respectability.
Right up until the 1950s children were still being caned in schools and in
some places beaten with something called the tawse, for misdemeanours
ranging fr... more »
John Holdren's Epic Fail
Last week in a Congressional hearing, John Holdren, the president's science
advisor, characterized me as being outside the "scientific mainstream" with
respect to my views on extreme events and climate change. Specifically,
Holdren was responding directly to views that I provided in Senate
testimony that I gave last July (and here in PDF).
To accuse an academic of holding views that lie outside the scientific
mainstream is the sort of delegitimizing talk that is of course common on
blogs in the climate wars. But it is rare for political appointee in any
capacity -- the president's ... more »
Fresh Water Reservoirs Contaminated in Japan Up to 390,000 Becquerels per kilogram in Soil
*Japanese Government declares its not responsible for decontaminating
reservoirs in residential areas not classified as evacuation zones:*
Health risk or not? Cesium levels high in hundreds of Fukushima reservoirs. SHINICHI
FUJIWARA February 25, 2014
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201402250071
[excerpted] A joint survey by the prefectural government and a branch
office of the farm ministry found that the levels exceed 8,000 becquerels
per kilogram of soil in 576 reservoirs. In 14 of those cases, the level
tops 100,000 becquerels. The central government say... more »
Feedback
The BBC, as a public service broadcaster, is understandably keen *to be
seen* to listen to license-fee-payers' concerns about its output...until
serious challenges to its claims to impartiality come along - when it rolls
up, hedge-hog-like, into a very prickly ball (as I know all too well).
Still, starting with BBC One's *Points of View *(begun as long ago as
1961), the corporation has provided various (usually short) programmes that
give voice to viewers' and listeners' opinions of the BBC.
Some of us call them 'fig leafs'.
*Points of View *has been a much-loved 50+-year running ... more »
@thechalkface is going mainstream, our official press release #NPEConference
We’re in Austin, TX for the first Network for Public Education conference
with an actual radio crew as we find our way towards a mainstream and
syndicated radio presence, in particular to topics in education. Here’s a
link to our official press release from syndication. If you have a moment,
consider helping us by forwarding […]
Russia upper house debates deploying troops to Ukraine
[image: Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...]
*Putin requests parliament approval to use Russian troops in Ukraine* (via
AFP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday submitted a request to the
upper house of parliament asking approval for the use of Russian troops in
Ukraine, the Kremlin said. "In connection with the extraordinary situation
in Ukraine and the threat to…
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Russian Parliament approves use of armed forces in Ukraine
Ukraine situation has taken a turn for the worst.
What next?
Read more here
*Update: *
Remember when the libtards laughed at Romney and Palin?...
*here's a reminder.*
From Palin's Facebook page:
Yes, I could see this one from Alaska. I'm usually not one to Told-Ya-So,
but I did, despite my accurate prediction being derided as “an extremely
far-fetched scenario” by the “high-brow” Foreign Policy magazine. Here’s
what this “stupid” “insipid woman” predicted back in 2008: "After the
Russian Army invaded the nation of Georgia, Senator Obama's reaction was
one of indecision and moral equivalence, the kind of response that would
only encourage Russia's Putin to invade Ukraine next.
*This is from Nov., 2013 *
Obama 'deeply concerned' by Russian military moves in Ukraine
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*Obama 'deeply concerned' by Russian military moves in Ukraine* (via AFP)
President Barack Obama said Friday he was deeply concerned about reports
of Russian military activity in Ukraine, while a US military official said
Moscow had sent several hundreds troops into Crimea. Obama made a hurriedly
scheduled statement at the…
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Untitled
*We’ve Got That Fire ~Mark Folse*
*~MARDI GRAS PARADES, SATURDAY, MARCH 1*
*KREWE OF IRIS: 11 a.m., Uptown New Orleans. *
*KREWE OF TUCKS: noon, Uptown New Orleans. *
*KREWE OF ENDYMION: 4:45 p.m., Mid-City New Orleans. *
*KREWE OF ISIS: 6:30 p.m., Metarie. *
*KREWE OF NOMTOC: 10:45 a.m., Westbank, New Orleans. *
*BALDWIN MARDI GRAS PARADE: 11 a.m., Baldwin.*
*KREWE OF SPANISH TOWN: noon, downtown Baton Rouge. *
*KREWE OF SALT BAYOU: 2 p.m., Slidell*
*CHILDREN’S PARADE: 12:30 p.m., Lafayette.*
*KREWE OF BONAPARTE: 6:30 p.m., Lafayette.. *
*CYPREMORT POINT MARDI GRAS PARADE: 1 p.m., Morga... more »
Obamacare Updates March 1 , 2014 - Apparently the " Law " is whatever the " King " says it is on any given day ----- Are ObamaCare’s “Retroactive Advance Payments” for Buying Private Policies in States with Failed Exchanges Even Legal ? Pressure rises as ObamaCare nears enrollment deadline ........ Memo to Reid: Cancellation pain in ObamaCare increasing ........
Are ObamaCare’s “Retroactive Advance Payments” for Buying Private Policies
in States with Failed Exchanges Even Legal?Posted on March 1, 2014 by Lambert
Strether
*By Lambert Strether of Corrente.*
Here’s a summary of the administration “fix” in question, otherwise known
as a “rule change.” From CNBC:
Major tech problems at several state Obamacare enrollment websites are so
bad that the federal government Thursday said it would give some people who
in frustration bought health insurance outside those websites the tax
subsidies that otherwise would be unavailable to them.
While the ... more »
Will The Beltway Democratic Party Become Just Like The Mississippi Democratic Party?
Two of the most reactionary and bigoted Democrats to have served in
Congress in modern times were Mississippi Blue Dogs Gene Taylor and Travis
Childers. Both amassed voting records that would make any right-wing,
hate-filled yahoo delighted. Yesterday each announced his far-fetched plan
to get back into Congress. Taylor, who represented Mississippi's Gulf Coast
between 1989 and 2011, finally admitted what I've been saying for over a
decade: he's nothing but a Republican. He'll be primarying Steve Palazzo,
the GOP incumbent who beat him in 2010, 52-47%. The qualifying deadline was ... more »
Why Aren't Acknowledgements Acknowledged in Academic Citation Indeces and Metrics?
Today, as many times before I received a so-called "alarm" from Google
Scholar in my email inbox. This notified me of a new research publication
in the GS index related to myself, but this time it was none of my own work
that had appeared online and neither one in which some of my work was
cited, which are otherwise the typical contents of these "alarms". It was,
instead, a new article by Neil Levy in *Biology & Philosophy*, called
"Addiction as a disorder of belief", where I'm mentioned in the
acknowledgements section, due to Neil having presented a draft of this
paper at our resea... more »
He chortled in his joy
The Jabberingwocky
Sometimes good things happen when you least expect then, and life really is
like a box of chocolates.
I'd seen a tweet from *Conservative.Home*'s Alex Deane yesterday listing
who he was going to be on today's *Dateline London *will him today and it
included the dreaded Twitter name '@abdelbariatwan'.
*Alex Deane* @ajcdeane Feb 28
I'll be on #BBCDateline tomorrow at 1130 with @gavinesler, @abdelbariatwan,
Nazenin Ansari of Iran’s Kayhan & Die Welt's Thomas Kielinger
So I tuned in today, expecting to see *Dateline'*s favourite guest (that
hate-filled, Saddam-adm... more »
Washington Orchestrated Protests Are Destabilizing Ukraine (US Spent $5 Billion To Destabilize The Country)
*(there is always a need to remember that 99% of anything being spewed on
the Mainstream Media is LIES . . . the NeoCons are still in charge . . .
also please consider the possibility that the TV is there to make, and
keep, YOU dumb, while deceptively making you believe that you are educated
. . .that you know all you need to know, lol) *
Paul Craig RobertsInstitute for Political Economy February 12, 2014Paul
Craig Roberts
The protests in the western Ukraine are organized by the CIA, the US State
Department, and by Washington- and EU-financed Non-Governmental
Organizations (NGOs)... more »
Me And Thee
This week, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation handed out its Golden Pig
Awards for profligate public spending. And -- world of wonders -- Jason
Kenney's ministry, Employment and Social Development Canada, copped a pig.
How was that possible? After all, Michael Harris writes, Stephen Harper has
a long and distinguished record of railing against pigs at the public
trough:
Don’t they know how much Steve hates pigs in public life? Back in 1997,
when he was president of the National Citizen’s Coalition, Steve outed lots
of pigs during the election campaign of that year. In fact, he ac... more »
Mendacious Meddler Obama Warns Putin Not to Meddle in Ukraine
Those groaning, creaking and popping noises that were barely audible during
Barack Obama’s hastily announced Friday afternoon White House statement
was the sound of an empire of lies on the verge of collapsing under the
weight of its own bullshit. The President of the most exceptional,
god-kissed, special nation in the history of the planet warned the reviled
Russian leader Vladimir Putin not to dare to intervene in Ukraine after a
joint US-EU instigated coup d’etat that effectively ousted democratically
elected Viktor Yanukovych. While Obama’s lies are dutifully and
unquestiona... more »
Global protest Updates February 27 , 2014 - Venezuela -- Arrests in Venezuela protest deaths , Chief prosecutor says five more domestic intelligence agents were related to deaths of two Caracas protesters ( 24-year-old university student Bassil Da Costa and government supporter Juan Montoya . ) ..... Thailand -- Thai PM hears negligence charges , Charges of negligence from the anti-graft commission could lead to impeachment for Yingluck Shinawatra
Catharsis Ours - 15 hours ago
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/2/27/5-domestic-intelligenceagentsarrestedinvenezuela.html
Arrests in Venezuela protest deaths
February 27, 2014 2:19AM ET
Chief prosecutor says five more domestic intelligence agents were related
to deaths of two Caracas protesters
Topics: Venezuela Protests Venezuela International
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War Watch March 1 , 2014 -Ukraine situation getting extremely hot today --- Ukraine Acting President Calls Emergency Meeting Of Security Chiefs; Russia Threatens To Cut Off The Gas / Pro-Russian Protesters Storm Kharkiv City Administration Building; Klitschko Calls For General Mobilization / Putin Asks For, And Is Granted Permission By Parliament To Use Military In Ukraine ! Syria War vs Rebels and Rebels internal War by and between themselves roll on...... Iran update - IAEA: We Didn’t Shelve Any Iran Report ....... Russia seeks new bases , China plots a new strategy for Asia.......
Catharsis Ours - 16 hours ago
Al-Qaeda Faction Live-Tweets Amputation in AleppoAccused Thief Has Hand
Chopped Off With Sword
by Jason Ditz, February 28, 2014
Print This | Share This
Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), the largest rebel faction in Syria, has had its
Twitter account suspended today after live-tweeting the forced amputation of
the hand of an accused thief in Aleppo Province.
AQI, which was disavowed by al-Qaeda earlier this month for being too
brutal, tweeted several photos leading up to the amputation and one of the
aftermath, along with captions saying the amputation was done to “cleanse
his sins.”
AQI con... more »
Untitled
*Virginia Congressman warns EPA regs could cause brownouts*
“There is the possibility of some brownouts.” That was U.S. Rep. Morgan
Griffith’s (R-Va.) take on the impact of recent Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) regulations against coal burning power plants in a brief
conversation with Americans for Limited Government on February 27.
Rep. Griffith said in his district alone based in southwestern rural
Virginia, Appalachian Power Co. was closing two coal-burning power plants,
only one of which would be replaced by a natural gas facility. But with a
big downside — it would n... more »
1946 Archive Film Proves Despotism Has Taken over America
[image: TRUTHstreammedia] TRUTHstreammedia
The Declaration of Independence boldly states: "When a long train of abuses
and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to
reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty,
to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future
security."
Thomas Jefferson, writing on behalf of the independent-minded colonists in
1776, backed up the Declaration's conclusion with numerous examples of
British tyranny, stating: "To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a
candid world."
... more »
Untitled
*Children born to older fathers have a higher incidence of autism and poor
performance at school*
*Some of the effects reported in this study are astoundingly strong (e.g.
for ADHD and bipolar) -- much stronger than what has been found in earlier
studies of similar populations (e.g. here). That does of itself suggest
some artifact. The obvious artifactual confounder -- social class -- was
however taken into account in the study design. Paternal education and
income were controlled for. The remaining possibility is IQ. It seems
likely that low IQ Swedish men might have difficu... more »
Russia can hardly allow Crimea to become militarily hostile
*...and the same is probably true for the whole Ukraine...*
Relatively to my expectations, Russia remained incredibly calm and peaceful
in the wake of the new Ukrainian "revolution". Putin et al. may try to keep
their Olympic-inspired image of the saints; or they are just too upset
about Yanukovitch's inability to protect his country from chaos; or they
know or believe that the more patience they will display, the better for
them.
At any rate, in August 1968, Leonid Brezhnev didn't hesitate to invade
Czechoslovakia where no violent and no major illegal events were taking
place. I... more »
'Newsnight' - 24-28 February 2014
Time flies. It only seems like last week when we did this last time.
Yes, it's time again 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 24/2*:
1. Labour's Harriet Harman tells *Newsnight *she doesn't think it was a
mistake to be associated with a paedophile organisation in the past.
Interview with Harriet Harman.
2. Moscow's "fury" at the 'coup' in Ukraine.
3. Sir David Nicholson, head of the NHS, is retiring next month. A personal
report by Sir Dav... more »
Precessional characteristics of ensembles within Gaia structures have up-shifted to align with “New Paradigm of Gaia” Beings
*Precessional characteristics of ensembles within Gaia structures have
up-shifted to align with “New Paradigm of Gaia” Beings*
by ÉirePort
Precessional characteristics of ensembles within Gaia structures have
up-shifted to align with "New Paradigm of Gaia" Beings.
Selection of pathways has narrowed and out-phasings of non-aligneds
continue until necessary "purity" levels reached.
"Salvation" energetics have all but faded from planetary surface, and
continue to dissolve as Higher Cosmics intervene.
ÉirePort | March 1, 2014 at 12:43 am | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:
http://wp.... more »
Bitcoin Updates - February 28 , 2014 -- Mt Gox files for bankruptcy in Tokyo - now a total of 850 , 000 bitcoins allegedly stolen ( of which 100 , 000 were owned by Mt Gox ) ..... Additional articles of note on bitcoin touching on Mt Gox , regulation attempts , security / malware .......... BTC - E coming under a major cloud of suspicions - keep an eye on this Exchange folks - as bad as Mt Gox was , you at least knew who was the CEO of Mt Gox , where their office in Tokyo was ( until they went belly up and vamoosed ) , where Mt Gox was set up and which country's laws and regulations would apply - as you can't state with certainty where BTC-e is located ( Russia or Bulgaria ) , whose country's laws apply ( Russia , Bulgaria or might it be Cyprus ) and who owns and / runs BTC-e , ask whether this lack of transparency provides comfort after the MT Gox debacle ?
Catharsis Ours - 16 hours ago
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-02-28/fortress-loses-millions-bitcoin-investment
Fortress Loses Millions On Bitcoin Investment
[image: Tyler Durden's picture]
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/28/2014 18:52 -0500
- Bitcoin
- None
- Private Equity
inShare
Readers will recall that back in October, when the only way for Bitcoin
seemed up, none other than the head of sophisticated hedge fund/private
equity megafund Fortress Group, Michael Novogratz, recommended buying
Bitcoin: "I have a nice little Bitcoin position,” Novogratz said. "Enough
that I’m smiling that it do... more »
The Chastisement...
*may be near.*
*The Chastisement*
*are you ready? *
"Time..."
"Time is a great teacher,
but unfortunately it kills all its pupils."
- Louis Hector Berlioz
Excerpts, Viktor Frankl, "Man's Search For Meaning"
* "Man's Search For Meaning"*
by Viktor Frankl
“In attempting this psychological presentation and a psychopathological
explanation of the typical characteristics of a concentration camp inmate,
I may give the impression that the human being is completely and
unavoidably influenced by his surroundings. (In this case the surroundings
being the unique structure of camp life, which forced the prisoner to
conform his conduct to a certain set pattern.) But what about human
liberty? Is there no spiritual freedom in regard to behavior and reaction
to any given surroundings? Is that theory... more »
"Regrets of the Dying"
*"Regrets of the Dying"*
by Bronnie Ware
"For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had
gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with
them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives. People grow a lot
when they are faced with their own mortality. I learned never to
underestimate someone's capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal.
Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger,
remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found
their peace before they departed t... more »
“Let It Flow: Tears”
*“Let It Flow: Tears”*
by The DailyOm
“Tears are as natural to us as breathing and there is beauty in allowing
yourself to be open to the pain of tears. How wonderful it feels to give in
and let tears flow when we are overwhelmed with emotions, whether we are
happy or sad. Tears come from the soul, from our well of feelings rising
from deep down. When we give in to the prickling behind our eyes and the
lump in our throat to let teardrops fall from our eyes, we allow our
feelings to surface so they can be set free.
Proud parents shed tears of pride in a child’s accomplishments, a ba... more »
Musical Interlude: Mike & The Mechanics, “The Living Years”
Mike & The Mechanics, “The Living Years”
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGDA0Hecw1k
Musical Interlude: Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush, “Don't Give Up”
Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush, “Don't Give Up”
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twVErD4Wf0I
"A Look to the Heavens"
"The dark Horsehead Nebula and the glowing Orion Nebula are contrasting
cosmic vistas. Adrift 1,500 light-years away in one of the night sky's most
recognizable constellations, they appear in opposite corners of the above
stunning mosaic.
*Click image for larger size.*
The familiar Horsehead nebula appears as a dark cloud, a small silhouette
notched against the long red glow at the lower left. Alnitak is the
easternmost star in Orion's belt and is seen as the brightest star to the
left of the Horsehead. Below Alnitak is the Flame Nebula, with clouds of
bright emission and dramatic ... more »
A few suggestions for Danny Cohen
Further to yesterday's post about those three diversity-seeking senior
directors and controllers at the BBC who are going to ensure more women,
more gays and more blacks on BBC comedy shows and dramas....
It's now the turn of *Match of the Day *to face BBC Director of Television
Danny Cohen's diversity-loving ire.
There are too many white men on *MOTD *he says, and that's gotta change.
I agree, but I think he needs to go much, much further.
For starters, there are *far* too many ex-footballers on *Match of the
Day. *
I propose that the UK's Olympic women's curling team should ... more »
Will France abolish the "Holocaust-denial-law"?
God bless Robert Faurisson and all brave revisionists who have risked life
and limb to expose the fraudulent Jewish "Holocaust" narrative of WWII. May
truth and justice prevail.
*What is the "Holocaust" story really all about?*
*Against Hollywoodism, Revisionism - Robert Faurisson*
Life Returns - A Poem by M.N. Hopkins
Life Returns
*Life returns, *
*followed by Love, *
*then Joy, *
*then the warmth of the homecoming. *
*Yes, *
*coming home to one's heart again. *
*The place of power, *
*that begins *
*and *
*ends with Love.*
M.N. Hopkins
*Note: *This is from an inspiration writing that I transformed into a
poem. It was first published on my blog today.
A Quotation from M.N. Hopkins
M.N. Hopkins
The new Crimean War, national socialists in Ukraine, UKIP, Wacko, and sturnus borealis
Last night's *Newsnight *was a classic of its kind.
First up, *Ukraine* and Russia's military activity in Crimea. The programme
began by asking if Russia's deployment of troops in Crimea could escalate
into war with Ukraine. Thankfully, diplomatic editor (and military
historian) Mark Urban [who managed to survive Ian Katz's cull] was on hand
to dampen down the sensationalism of its introduction.
Gabriel Gatehouse's subsequent investigation into the role of role of *the
far-right in **Ukraine* was a case of *Newsnight *(and the BBC more
generally) starting, very belatedly, to catc... more »
Gardasil: My Family Suffers With Me by Heidi Juul Pedersen
Gardasil: My Family Suffers With Me
by Heidi Juul Pedersen
Frederikshavn, Denmark
Sane Vax, Inc., 1 March 2014
*It is not actually answers I need but ACTION as do all my fellows
sufferers of Gardasil damage who have been harmed in Denmark by this
vaccine. All of us need to be diagnosed correctly and given treatments that
will give us back our good health and our lives. We need this NOW – not
next year*.
My husband and I have three young children. Before Gardasil, we were a very
active family and did a lot of different things with our children – we had
fun. I personally hav... more »
A Farmer Struggles to Remain GMO-Free - An Interview With Iowa Farmer, George Naylor by Tracy Fernandez Rysavy
George Naylor has farmed GMO-free corn and soy in Iowa since 1976. Photo by
Chris Henning.
*A Farmer Struggles to Remain GMO-Free*
by Tracy Fernandez Rysavy
Green America, January/February 2014
*George Naylor has been growing non-GMO corn and soy on his Iowa farm since
1976. He talked to Green America editor-in-chief Tracy Fernandez Rysavy
about his fight to stay GMO-free.*
*TRACY: Why did you decide to go GMO-free??*
*George Naylor:* I chose not to raise GMOs, period. I just refused to buy
products where corporations are messing around with the building blocks of
lif... more »
Why the disparity in treatment?
Why was it necessary for the furtherance of peace in Northern Ireland to
issue Royal Pardons to some convicted IRA terrorists and comfort letters to
200 others but to investigate the British Army's actions on Bloody Sunday?
Other than Tony Blair and his government being pro Irish Republicanism, can
you think of a reason?
Actually there is the possibility that supporting the IRA was trendy in the
1970s amongst the British left, just as other 'Civil Liberties' matters
were.
The Poet: Lynn Ungar, "Boundaries"
*“Boundaries”*
“The universe does not
revolve around you.
The stars and planets spinning
through the ballroom of space
dance with one another
quite outside of your small life.
You cannot hold gravity
or seasons; even air and water
inevitably evade your grasp.
Why not, then, let go?
You could move through time
like a shark through water,
neither restless or ceasing,
absorbed in and absorbing
the native element.
Why pretend you can do otherwise?
The world comes in at every pore,
mixes in your blood before
breath releases you into
the world again. Did you think
the fragile boundary of your... more »
Chet Raymo, "Free As A Bird"
*"Free As A Bird"*
by Chet Raymo
"All afternoon I have been watching a pair of hummingbirds play about our
porch. They live somewhere nearby, though I haven't found their nest. They
are attracted to our hummingbird feeder, which we keep full of sugar water.
What perfect little machines they are! No other bird can perform their
tricks of flight - flying backwards, hovering in place. Zip. Zip. From
perch to perch in a blur of iridescence. If you want a symbol of freedom,
the hummingbird is it. Exuberant. Unpredictable. A streak of pure fun. It
is the speed, of course, that gives the ... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, United Kingdom.
Thanks for stopping by.
"The Legend Of The Thorn Bird"
“There is a legend about a bird which sings just once in its life, more
sweetly than any other creature on the face of the earth. From the moment
it leaves the nest it searches for a thorn tree, and does not rest until it
has found one. Then, singing among the savage branches, it impales itself
upon the longest, sharpest spine. And, dying, it rises above its own agony
to out-carol the lark and the nightingale. One superlative song, existence
the price. But the whole world stills to listen, and God in His heaven
smiles. For the best is only bought at the price of great pain… or so s... more »
"Whatever Your Fate Is..."
"Whatever your fate is, whatever the hell happens, you say, “This is what I
need.” It may look like a wreck, but go at it as though it were an
opportunity, a challenge. If you bring love to that moment- not
discouragement- you will find the strength there. Any disaster you can
survive is an improvement in your character, your stature, and your life.
What a privilege! This is when the spontaneity of your own nature will have
a chance to flow. Then, when looking back at your life, you will see that
the moments which seemed to be great failures, followed by wreckage, were
the inciden... more »
"What Matter..."
"What matter if this base, unjust life
Cast you naked and disarmed?
If the ground breaks beneath your step,
Have you not your soul?
Your soul! You fly away,
Escape to realms refined,
Beyond all sadness and whimpering.
Be like the bird which on frail branches balanced
A moment sits and sings;
He feels them tremble, but he sings unshaken,
Knowing he has wings."
– Victor Hugo
"I Don't Know..."
"We are here on Earth to do good to others.
What the others are here for, I don't know."
- W. H. Auden
“Through the Climate Portal: Humanity's Tragic Flaw”
*“Through the Climate Portal: Humanity's Tragic Flaw”*
by David Goldstein
“In the autumn of 1992, I was alone in my studio apartment in Philadelphia,
puking my guts out. Something bad had happened inside; it felt like a bomb
had gone off in my belly. Just how bad was it? Was I bleeding internally?
Was I dying?
I suspected what needed to be done: I had to call for an ambulance. But
still, I hesitated. I just couldn't believe it- I was not the sort of
person who needed an ambulance. I was only 29-years-old. I'd been a
three-sport athlete in high school. This sort of thing only happe... more »
“Ukraine: A Warning To Those Who Are Fools”
*“Ukraine: A Warning To Those Who Are Fools”*
by Karl Denninger
“There are many who have expressed the opinion over the years that the
United States should go down some sort of "revolutionary" road. The topic
has come up repeatedly in various areas of what was Tickerforum and I have
repeatedly slapped it down, noting that only a fool who pays no attention
to history pines for such a thing irrespective of how bad you may think the
situation is.
Those who refuse to learn from history are destined to repeat it.
Unfortunately the sort of "repeat" you get in this kind of situation is t... more »
Where's the outrage in the United Nations or online?
Even the BBC are reporting that:
'A jihadist group in Syria has demanded that Christians in the northern
city of Raqqa pay a levy in gold and accept curbs on their faith, or face
death.
The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) said it would give
Christian residents "protection" if they agreed to the list of conditions.
...
Correspondents say ISIS is trying to implement an extreme interpretation of
Islamic law in areas it controls.
...
The directive from ISIS, citing the Islamic concept of "dhimma", requires
Christians in the city to pay tax of around half an ounce (14g) o... more »
F. William Engdahl And Francis A. Boyle On The Crisis In Ukraine
*The Rape of Ukraine: Phase Two Begins*
By F. William Engdahl
*21st Century Wire*
February 28, 2014
The events in Ukraine since November 2013 are so astonishing as almost to
defy belief.
An legitimately-elected (said by all international monitors) Ukrainian
President, Viktor Yanukovich, has been driven from office, forced to flee
as a war criminal after more than three months of violent protest and
terrorist killings by so-called opposition.
His “crime” according to protest leaders was that he rejected an EU offer
of a vaguely-defined associate EU membership that offered little to ... more »
'NATO TROOPS SHOT BOTH SIDES IN UKRAINE' - REPORT
*2003. Left to right: Admiral Ihor Kabanenko (Deputy Chief of Defence,
Ukraine) with Major General Anatolii Petrenko (Military Representative to
NATO for Ukraine)*
On 29 February 2014, it was reported that Russia has taken control of the
Crimea region of Ukraine.
Russia executes de facto takeover of Ukraine's Crimea region - Haaretz
However it would appear that the conflict began when NATO troops organised
the toppling of the elected president of Ukraine.
*Ukrainian lawmaker Oleg Tsarev has claimed that there may be up to 1,000
NATO troops in Western Ukraine.*
This is according t... more »
An Open Letter to Michelle Obama From a Knucklehead
An Open Letter to Michelle Obama From a Knucklehead. Source: Pat Kane.
This guy is great. Plus he has a great name.
The video he was referring to:
the ndp: so sad, so frustrating, so maddeningly predictable
Where oh where has the NDP gone?
One of the most wonderful things about Canada, for me, has always been the
presence of a viable third party on the left. When we first moved here, it
was so amazing to hear Jack Layton, Libby Davies, Peggy Nash, Paul Dewar,
Olivia Chow, Linda Duncan, and many others defend the rights of working
people, speak out against war, stand up for democracy, and in general
represent the interests of average Canadians. Sometimes I would hear a
speech and think, that's an elected MP speaking! People say things like
that in Parliament here!
I feel strongly about... more »
Thailand: Protesters to Refocus Movement
With the "Shutdown Bangkok" campaign a success, protesters plan on
consolidating stages and refocusing with their newly gained momentum.
*March 1, 2014* (ATN) - The "Shutdown Bangkok" campaign was designed to
coordinate pressure on the regime of US-backed dictator Thaksin Shinawatra
and his proxy political machine headed by his own sister, Yingluck
Shinawatra. Elections held on February 2, 2014 were successfully boycotted
by over half the population in an unprecedented display of unified national
defiance by the Thai people.
Since the elections, the regime has responded with an exp... more »
My Open Letter to Dennis Van Roekel
Mr. Van Roekel: I haven’t formally thanked you for allowing me to share the
stage with you in December of last year at the NCUEA conference in Austin.
It was an enlightening experience for me and it was a pleasure to meet you.
I remember being pleasantly surprised by your speech! Your insistence that
the […]
120 automatically generated gibberish papers made it to journals
Nature and Fox News (not necessarily a complete list) inform us about a
story that is both amusing and troubling but one that sheds some new light
on the term "peer review".
If you haven't seen that it really works, you should have a look. Go to the
website of David Simmons-Duffin of IAS (but he was at Harvard a few years
ago; I sold him some furniture when I was fleeing Cambridge) and find the
link pointing to the website sNarXiv.ORG (TRF 2010). It looks like just
another arXiv.org competitor or a clone but David's website has one huge
advantage.
The advantage is that it doesn'... more »
Snuggwugg Baby Shower Spectacular Giveaway
There is nothing more exciting than a new little one, but it can be
expensive. I have teamed up with some awesome bloggers and sponsors to
bring you a baby shower giveaway with more than $1,000 in prizes!
Welcome to the Snuggwugg Baby Shower Spectacular Giveaway!
Snuggwugg™, a Huggies Mom Inspired Grant Winner and the world's only
smartphone interactive pillow for babies & toddlers, is excited to announce
the $1,000 Snuggwugg Baby Shower Spectacular Giveaway.
One lucky winner will receive over $1,000 in baby shower prizes and $75 in
Paypal cash for all the extras you may need!
----... more »
Meet your Labor Secretary (via an "In the Loop" Background Check) -- plus State Dept. travel tips for students
*Labor Secretary Thomas Perez with the boss*
*by Ken*
If *Washington Post* "In the Loop"-master's idea with the Background Checks
is to give us a better sense of the officeholder as a person, I have to say
that this one on Labor Secretary Thomas Perez sure did the job for me.
*DIAMOND DREAMS*
When President Obama nominated Thomas Perez a year ago to be labor
secretary, he noted that Perez was then an assistant attorney general for
civil rights and had also been Maryland's labor secretary.
But he added that Perez -- the son of immigrants from the Dominican
Republic and the first ... more »
War Watch February 27 , 2014 - Afghanistan -- Despite the toothless threats to completely withdraw made by President Obama , the reality is that Obama , the Pentagon and Nato aren't looking to go anywhere -- Obama Looking Beyond Karzai to Secure Afghan Troop Deal NATO Chief Hopes for Deal to Continue Occupation ........ Syria Government forces score a major triumph against Syrian Rebel forces near Damascus , Al-Qaeda in Iraq Collecting Taxes on Syrian Christians ......... Even as the daily death dealing goes on unabated in Iraq's sectarian war , internal and external political events and influences continue to shape and impact Iraq's Kurds , Sunnis and Shia populations / spheres of influence ..... Full transcript of voice recording of Turkish PM Erdogan and his son where Erdogan orders his son to dispose of as much as one billion( during the ongoing corruption investigation , which also saw PM Erdogan sack police and prosecutors to prevent the extent of corruption to come to the surface ) , continues seismic shake up in Turkey , AKP Party shook up as well ( founders seem to concede recording is legit ) , thousands demonstrate for government to resign
Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
Afghanistan / Pakistan.....
Obama Looking Beyond Karzai to Secure Afghan Troop DealNATO Chief Hopes for
Deal to Continue Occupation
by Jason Ditz, February 26, 2014
Print This | Share This
The Obama Administration continues telling two different stories on
Afghanistan. After yesterday’s threats to withdraw from the nation if
Karzai doesn’t sign a troop deal, officials are now saying President Obama
is “looking beyond Karzai” in securing the occupation for years and decades
to come.
Karzai has repeatedly ruled out signing the Bilateral Security Agreement
(BSA), which would keep troop... more »
First Video of Chemical Weapons Being Transported Out of Syria
*There was a compromise made in Syria. Will there be a compromise in
Ukraine? The precedent has been set with the decision to remove Syria's
chemical weapons, so it's not a stretch to say that, tough talk and shows
of bravado aside, the United States and Russia will both come to their
senses and stop the escalation in Ukraine. *
Video Title: First Video of Chemical Weapons Being Transported Out of
Syria. Source: NTDTV. Date Published: February 28, 2014.
Norwegian Armed Forces release video of the first run to remove chemical
weapons from Syria.
Full Story:
This is the first video... more »
“Choosing Not to Look Away: Helping the Homeless”
*“Choosing Not to Look Away: Helping the Homeless”*
by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM
“Most of us know in our hearts that the homeless and the poor are not so
very different from us. Homeless people in our communities are a fact of
life, especially in big cities. Many of us don’t know how to interpret this
situation or what we can do to help. We may vacillate between feeling
guilty, as if we are personally responsible, and feeling angry, as if it is
entirely on their own shoulders. The situation is, of course, far more
complex than either scenario. Still, not knowing how to respond, we... more »
The Sandy Hook HOAX: Was The Sandy Hook Elementary School A Prop? Sherrie Questioning All Exposes Inconsistencies With The School Itself!
It does seem that with Wolfgang Halbig's astonishing exposure of the Sandy
Hook hoax, the pursuit of the truth behind that fraud has ratcheted up in
the past month, with more and more new evidence coming out showing that the
shooting was indeed an elaborate operation where NOBODY died.
I am continuing my exposure of the fraud by presenting new material at this
blog for everyone to see for themselves, and right now I have an article
and an important video by Sherrie, from "Sherrie Questioning All" (
www.sherriequestioningall.blogspot.com) that I definitely want to share
with all of ... more »
Thanks to the discovery that brunch is an "event," New York's besotted brunchers are back in booze heaven
Thrillist
*by Ken*
In a moment the question that's going to come to the fore is: *Is brunch
an
"event"?* It's a question that hasn't come into play as much as you
would
expect among the great philosophers. In my vast reading of Plato, for
example (that's a joke), I don't recall coming across any citable
insights.
However, if upon reflection you come to the conclusion that brunch is
*not*an event, well, there's a portion of the New York population that
would beg
you not to voice your opinion within the hearing of New York's State
Liquor
Authority (SLA). These people have just been t... more »
Libya Updates - February 28 , 2014 .....State of alert declared in Benghazi , security issues naturally ! The GNC given seven days to fix security in Benghazi or sanctions will be imposed ( the revenue generated from Benghazi state institutions would be withheld from government accounts. The money would instead be redirected to the Benghazi Joint Security Room (BJSR) ) ...... More demonstrations in Benghazi over ongoing killings - Protestors said that, although men of Benghazi were being killed on a daily basis, the General National Congress (GNC) and the government did nothing except release statements condemning the attacks......... Misratan forces impose curfew in Sebha - hope is to control tribal violence ......
State of alert declared in Benghazi
*By Ahmed Elumami*.
*Tripoli, 28 February 2014*:
The Prime Ministry has declared a state of alert in Benghazi in response to
ongoing security issues in the city.
Measures to enhance security will be taken over the next few days,
according to a statement on the government’s official website. The
announcement followed a meeting of the crisis committee yesterday, which
focused on Benghazi. The committee would be meeting in Benghazi next week,
the government said, to oversee the implementation of its plans to enhance
security.
In a televised press conf... more »
2014 WW3 Update: Russian troops heading to Ukraine.Obama threatens, Putin's response
This is a pretty long video, but it's informative, insightful, intelligent,
informed, and truthful commentary about the events in Ukraine.
Video Title: 2014 WW3 Update: Russian troops heading to Ukraine.Obama
threatens, Putin's response. Source: YouTube Channel notregme. Date
Published: February 25, 2014.
Quote from the video: "Make no mistake, it is a regime change. It's a
destabilization. There's no good guys here. A lot of people are stuck with
this idea of either/either. I pick the third option, neither." [9:13 -
9:27].
Follow the Golden Brick Road, Part I, by Robert J. Miller
*“People are ‘awakening’ to the fact that something is radically wrong with
our collective civilization, but to understand what is going on and why, we
need to see it all — everything — the whole picture, including how and why
things ever got this distorted in the first place.*
*“The short answer is Mankind has been programmed-to-be-programmed, and
throughout our collective history there are those who have always known
this fact and have known exactly how to do it on a massive scale. To
illustrate the point, ask yourself how any mother or father could send his
or her son off to war t... more »
SYDNEY ACADEMIC ENDORSES THE RHETORIC THAT VEILS AUSTRALIA’S RACISM
Yesterday I wrote about how Australians had surrendered their compassion
with regard to boatpeople. I showed how they had become convinced by the
rhetoric and propaganda of the right-wing of the commentariat and the
right-wing of both major political parties that stopping the boats was
imperative in order to ‘stop the drownings’ of refugees seeking asylum in
Australia by boat. I showed how the ‘stop the drownings’ meme had become a
useful catchcry to cover for the real reason for many Australians not
wanting to allow non-European non-white foreigners into Australia and that
racism w... more »
The New Great Game: Why the Ukraine matters to so many other nations
Again a 3 post day. Sigh.....
Actually started working on this one early in the mornin' but got
sidetracked by poster comments and links
So my 3rd contribution for the day below
*1st- Op-ed from Israel Shamir* The Spectacle In Kiev: The Brown Revolution
*2nd-Excellent Interview *-William Engdhal with James Corbett: The Western
Agenda in the Ukraine
What is going on in the Crimea? The western backed regime change government
in the Ukraine is making all sorts of crazy claims-
From "Russia has invaded" Ukraine pleads for help after Russian 'invasion'including asking for UN Security Cou... more »
Friday Nerd Blogging: Walter White’s Next Big Adventure
The only thing scarier than Godzilla? A scared Walter White (Bryan
Cranston). This preview is most exciting trailer in a while And, to pass
the time, see The Lego Movie as Everything Is AWESOME!
Why does Vladimir Putin think he can get away with invading the Ukraine?
When President Obama was taking part in a global nuclear security summit in
South Korea, he was caught on tape asking for Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev for "space." "This is my last election. After my election I have
more flexibility," Obama implored. Obama assured the departing Russian
President he will have the "flexibility" required to deal with missile
defense issues after the 2012 presidential election. What other issues
might Obama be more flexible over?
Bill Maher and Bill Moyers Give Fox News Zombies Heart Attacks Over Ronnie Raygun
That Bill Maher video above is one of the best explanations-- especially
for young people who didn't live through it-- of the RRR-- the Real Ronald
Reagan. We sure don't hear it from Obama… and never will. Tonight, Bill
Moyers will tackle the same subject from a more… genteel, less vituperative
perspective. Moyers sat down with Ian Haney López to talk about his new
book Dog Whistle Politics: How Coded Racial Appeals Have Reinvented Racism
and Wrecked the Middle Class and you can watch the entire interview at the
bottom of the page. Please do. But in this short clip directly below,... more »
Classroom Activity: Trust and Exploitation
This sixth activity comes after students are to have listened to a
lecture (slides) about trust and exploitation (see also this post). I asked
the students to make more or less the same decision faced by the actors in
the formal model discussed in that lecture, though their choice was bit
simpler because only one of the actions involved
Continue reading
Natives to Oscars Depp: Not your Tonto
Depp's
Oscar nomination
Native Americans Protest 'The Lone Ranger' Oscar Nomination for Redface
Jacqueline Keeler
Eradicating Offensive Native Mascotry
jackiekeeler@mac.com
Censored News
PORTLAND, Oregon – Eradicating Offensive Native Mascotry, a group of
Native parents from across the country are protesting the nomination of
'The Lone Ranger' for an Academy Award in makeup,
The Radio Show you do NOT want to miss!
Yesterday I posted an article about the ExpandingU Radio- Mission I'M
Possible show:
MISSION I”M POSSIBLE 3: MEETS HOPE GIRL LIVE ON AIR
I'm posting this now because I am sooooooo excited!!!! I just finished
having a call with Dave and India from ExpandingU Radio, Hope Girl and
Ralph and Marsha Ring, and I'm electrified!
THE ENERGY IS JUST PUMPING !!!! Tonight on Mission I'm Possible
Radio, Dave and India and several other amazing people will be talking to
Hope Girl AND Ralph & Marsha Ring, and I can tell you..... this is NOT a
show you want to miss!!!
As I said yesterda... more »
Earthcycles Live from BC: Indigenous Caucus planning UN agenda 2014
Watch
live streaming video from earthcycles at livestream.com
Govinda is live in BC at the North America Caucus, where the planning
will be underway for the agenda for the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous
Issues in NY.
Govinda said, "We have arrived in Kamloops, BC for the North American
Peoples Caucus Preparatory Meeting for the 13th session of the United
Nations Permanent Forum on
Boldly, the New York Times tackles the Klan!
*FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014*
*From Oberlin on to Ole Miss:* We aren’t thrilled by the New York Times’
general approach to issues of race.
In our view, the paper favors a grandstanding approach built around tired
and blinkered self-glorying notions of upper-class Northern exceptionalism.
On balance, last week’s reporting about Ole Miss seemed like a case in
point.
On Sunday, February 16, two or three youthful lost souls committed a
pitiful act on the campus of the University of Mississippi. Three days
later, the Times’ Alan Blinder reported what had occurred:
BLINDER (2/16/14): *The... more »
LETTER FROM OKINAWA
Yesterday in the mail I received a letter from Susumu Inamine, the Mayor of
Nago City on Okinawa. I was one of the signers of a January letter of US
activists and intellectuals who declared our opposition to the relocation
of a US Marine base at Futenma to another part of the island at Henoko in
Nago City.
The letter was widely printed, along with our photos, in major Okinawan
newspapers. Mayor Inamine wrote that on January 19 he was reelected in
Nago City "holding fast to my previous campaign promise not to allow the
construction of a new military base either on sea or land....... more »
Terrance Nelson: Canadian Border Turns Away Native Americans
Southern
Chiefs Grand Chief Terrance Nelson
By Terrance Nelson
SCO Grand Chief Terrance Nelson
Vice Chair American Indian Movement
Censored News
February 28 2014
Good Morning Tom
It has been a long time since we talked and I am so glad to know that
you are the elected Tribal Chairman of Lac Du Flambeau again. I was
Chief of Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation for 5
Nancy Pelosi, Kathleen Sebelius, Lynda Carter Dance and Sing...(w/ two "must see" videos)
*and we actually allow these skanks to dictate how we are to live our
lives?*
Jammie Wearing Fools reminded us of this awful disgusting display of our
elected officials acting like rhythm challenged dopes back in June.
According to JWF, Nancy Pelosi is so proud of her behavior, she tweeted the
video yesterday to congratulate Mooch on her "Let's Move" 4th anniversary.
The tweet:
#tbt: Dancing with Wonder Woman—the only way to move, right @FLOTUS? Happy
4th Anniversary, #LetsMove. http://t.co/rQGE5G1BW4 #DancyPelosi
— Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) February 27, 2014
Make no mistake abo... more »
Local Council By-Elections February 2014
Party
Number of candidates
Total vote
%
+/-
Jan
Average/
contest
+/-
Jan
+/- Seats
Conservative
9
4,021
29.3%
+4.1%
447
+24
0
Labour
6
4,839
35.3%
+2.7%
806
+189
-1
LibDem
6
1,201
8.7%
+1.1%
200
+58
+1
UKIP
4
1,109
8.1%
-4.8%
277
-3
0
SNP*
0
-7.9%
0
Plaid Cymru**
2
1,169
8.5%
+8.5%
584
+584
0
Green
2
291
2.1%
-0.1%
145
+35
0
BNP
0
0
TUSC
2
305
2.2%
+1.9%
152
+109
0
Independent***
3
669
4.9%
-6.2%
223
-337
0
Other****
2
108
... more »
How UNC Beat Duke (2014) Marcus Paige WOWS!
I'm a little bit late with this story (so please pardon me), but it's well
worth the wait. From Adam Lucas via Linked-In: By Adam Lucas "What are you
writing?" the lady in front of me asked. We were sitting in the Smith
Center around 8:30, and I had a (very nerdy) black pocket notebook that I
carry with me everywhere at games. I write down big plays. I write down
turning points. I write
Wisconsin #commoncore Senate Bill 619: A conundrum?
Here it is as plain and simple as I can make it. Wisconsin Republicans in
the state Senate drafted a bill that essentially turns over the writing of
education standards to politicians and kills the common core. Someone has
to say it: “Any bill that would allow politicians the ability to directly
and/or indirectly write learning […]
Wide Asleep on Radio Dispatch, again!
I
had the sincere pleasure of joining the great John Knefel -
investigative reporter, Occupy gadabout, and broadcaster extraordinaire -
on today's episode of Radio Dispatch, the stellar progressive daily
podcast.
John and I spoke about the ongoing multilateral negotiations over the
Iranian nuclear program, the constant barrage of disinformation and
sabre-rattling from Israel, and the AIPAC
The people Obama should speak to next!
*FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014*
*Perhaps with O’Reilly’s assistance:* Yesterday, President Obama announced
an initiative designed to help black youth.
In the New York Times, Michael Shear quotes the president:
OBAMA (2/27/14): *He called the challenge of ensuring success for young men
of color a “moral issue for our country” as he ticked off the statistics:
black boys who are more likely to be suspended from school, less likely to
be able to read,* and almost certain to encounter the criminal justice
system as either a perpetrator or a victim.
*“We just assume this is an inevitable pa... more »
The BBC not quite reporting the whole story re the sentencing of the murderers of Lee Rigby
Compare this BBC article with this Telegraph one, specifically the part
about the fracas that occurred during sentencing.
The BBC:
'The pair were absent during sentencing after a fracas in the dock.
As Mr Justice Sweeney began to sentence the men they started shouting and
scuffling with court security guards. They had to be forced to the ground
and were removed from court.
Fusilier Rigby's family wept as Adebolajo shouted "Allahu Akbar", and
Adebowale called out "that's a lie" as the judge told them their extremist
views were "a betrayal of Islam".
One relative needed medical tre... more »
Censored News Fundraiser 2014: Photo gift for donation!
Hi
friends,
Censored News is fundraising for our spring coverage, which includes
travel expenses for live coverage. Anyone who donates today will receive
by mail the gift of a unique historic photo taken by Censored News.
Thanks for supporting Censored News, now in its 8th year with no
advertising.
Best, Brenda
Donate here at PayPal, or mail to: Brenda Norrell, PMB 132, 405 E
Wetmore
Hard hearted talk
The episode of HardTalk with Stephen Sackur and Naftali Bennett
I know interviewers aren’t supposed to answer questions put to them by the
subject of the interview. The understanding is that the interviewer asks
the questions and the interviewee answers them. But Stephen Sackur’s line
of questioning took no account of Israel’s circumstances. In other words he
spoke as though Israel did not have to contend with people to whom the very
idea of normal relations with Israel is considered a deadly sin, never mind
the inconceivable proposal that such people might actually contemplate
pe... more »
Alibi
R. v. Tomlinson, 2014 ONCA 158:
[48] The principles that govern the defence of alibi are
uncontroversial. A brief reference to some of their features is sufficient
for our purposes.
[49] First, the Latin word "alibi" means "elsewhere". When used in the
context of criminal prosecution, an alibi is a claim that a person, usually
a person charged with a crime, was elsewhere when the allegedly criminal
conduct took place and thus it was *impossible* for him or her to have
committed it: *R. v. Hill*(1995), 102 C.C.C. (3d) 469 (Ont. C.A.), at p.
478; and *R. v. Wright*, 2009 O... more »
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