Doonesbury (musical) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The star cluster Pismis 24 lies in the core of the large emission nebula NGC 6357 that extends one degree on the sky in the direction of the Scorpius constellation. Part of the nebula is ionised by the youngest (bluest) heavy stars in Pismis 24. The intense ultraviolet radiation from the blazing stars heats the gas surrounding the cluster and creates a bubble in NGC 6357. The presence of these surrounding gas clouds makes probing into the region even harder. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Musical Interlude: Medwyn Goodall, “Vision Quest”
Medwyn Goodall, “Vision Quest”
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIUuyoRfbvw
"A Look to the Heavens"
“How massive can a normal star be? Estimates made from distance, brightness
and standard solar models had given one star in the open cluster Pismis 24
over 200 times the mass of our Sun, nearly making it the record holder.
This star is the brightest object located just above the gas front in the
above below.
*Click image for larger size.*
Close inspection of images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope, however,
have shown that Pismis 24-1 derives its brilliant luminosity not from a
single star but from three at least. Component stars would still remain
near 100 solar masses, making ... more »
Doonesbury Watch: Ms. Caucus goes to law school (with Saturday UPDATE)
*by Ken*
I've made no secret of the fact that of all the *Doonesbury* characters, it
seems to be Joanie Caucus who exerts the strongest pull on me, and one
thing that the apparently unending world of *Doonesbury* weekday reruns
archival flashbacks has made possible for us is to revisit the long path
Joanie has traveled, from her flight from an abusive husband to the
position of day-care provider for the Walden Commune on up to her coming
out of retirement to join the Senate staff of Elizabeth Warren -- and also
embracing, or at any rate falling into, the role of great-grandmotherdom... more »
Lies And Crime
Lies And Crime
*Written By Mark Taliano*
Hanna Arendt describes a peculiar dynamic of mob mentality in her classic The
Origins Of Totalitarianism that resonates with the world today.
She explains that “one could make people believe the most fantastic
statements one day, and trust that if the next day they were given
irrefutable proof of their falsehood, they would take refuge in cynicism;
instead of deserting the leaders who had lied to them, they would protest
that they had known all along that the statement was a lie and would admire
the... more »
Chet Raymo, “This View of Life, With Its Several Powers”
* “This View of Life, With Its Several Powers”*
by Chet Raymo
“Somewhere in his "lost" notebooks Loren Eiseley writes of the pleasure of
exploding a puffball in a woodland clearing, or shaking seeds out of their
pods. As I recall, he takes a gleeful satisfaction in messing with
evolution, in hurrying the process along.
I remember identifying with that sentiment when I read it. I like exploding
puffballs too. Dropping insects into spider webs. Picking up turtles that
are half-way across a road and placing them in a ditch on the other side.
Most of all I like breaking off the stalks ... more »
From Snowy Ski Slopes to Sun-Kissed Shushtar:Two 4-Minute Videos of an Iran Rarely Seen
Earlier
this month, a freak sandstorm swept through Tehran, effectively
shutting down the metropolis and tragically taking the lives of at least
five people. Such an event might not seem like such an anomaly to those
whose conception of Iran’s landscape resembles Lawrence of Arabia
rather than reality. This past February, Tehran also experienced the
largest snowfall the city had seen in half a
Apple, Starbucks, Others Under EU Tax Investigation
No sooner do I comment on the difference between tax planning and tax
avoidance than Richard Murphy points out that several multinational
corporations are having their tax deals looked at for potential violations
of the European Union's state aid rules. As The Guardian and The Wall
Street Journal report, there are three cases currently under investigation
by the European Commission, but more investigations may be opened in the
near future.
First is Apple in Ireland. What a surprise! It has a subsidiary it claims
is taxable nowhere, incorporated in Ireland but managed from California... more »
Toxic Culture of Education
Orlando SentinelFrustrated Orange teacher decries 'toxic culture of
education'
By Leslie Postal, Orlando Sentinel
6:26 PM EDT, June 12, 2014
Fed up and fired up, algebra teacher Josh Katz this spring took to the
stage for a 17-minute denouncement of what he called the "toxic culture of
education" in Florida's public schools.
Since then, nearly 30,000 people on YouTube have viewed the University High
School teacher's impassioned attack on high-stakes testing, Common Core
academic standards, private education companies and the false "narrative" that
"public schools are teeming with h... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. Thanks for stopping by.
"Dogtown!"
"Dogtown"
"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more
than you love yourself." ~ Josh Billings
"It's not just a sanctuary - it's Dogtown! Dogtown is the most welcoming
place on earth. They may have been homeless, but none of the dogs here are
sad and forlorn. Everywhere you go, you're greeted with wagging tails,
whelps of excitement and big, friendly eyes. This is truly a neighborly,
all-American town.
Best Friends Animal Society is guided by a simple philosophy: kindness to
animals builds a better world for all of us. In the late 1980s, when Best
Friends was in its early... more »
"The Rules"
"The rules may be stupid, irritating and arbitrary,
but God help you if you break them."
"The Biggest Questions"
"*The Biggest Questions"*
Compilation by CP
"When I consider the short duration of my life, swallowed up in the
eternity before and after, the little space which I fill and even can see,
engulfed in the infinite immensity of spaces of which I am ignorant and
which know me not, I am frightened and am astonished at being here rather
than there; for there is no reason why here rather than there, why now
rather than then. Who has put me here? By whose order and direction have
this place and time been allotted to me? 'The remembrance of a guest that
tarries but a day.'”
- Blaise Pascal
... more »
Untitled
*What's next for the Charity Hospital building? ~WVUE*
*March from Grand Ilse to Baton Rouge June 21st, rally at Governor's
Mansion June 28th*
*Cityscapes: Richard Campanella on New Orleans' Second-Largest Flood*
*Business And Political Leaders Gather For Flood Insurance Meeting ~WWNO*
*Canal Street ferry to operate for longer hours ~Jeff Adelson, New Orleans
Advocate*
*Business leaders, railroad industry hope to reroute train traffic on west
bank ~WDSU*
*LA- US bishops hear controversial speaker in New Orleans ~SNAP*
*New GSI Executive Director Margaret Henderson, An Influential ... more »
The Poet: Rainer Maria Rilke, "Do You Remember?"
"Do you remember still the falling stars
that like swift horses through the heavens raced
and suddenly leaped across the hurdles
of our wishes - do you recall?
And we did make so many!
For there were countless numbers of stars:
each time we looked above we were
astounded by the swiftness of their daring play,
while in our hearts we felt safe and secure
watching these brilliant bodies disintegrate,
knowing somehow we had survived their fall."
- Rainer Maria Rilke
"Gotcha, bitch!" screamed Scott Brown at NH Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. Only the cannonball landed on his own foot, which happened to be in his mouth at the time
*"Ooh, gotcha!" apparently thought once and would-be-future Sen. Scott
Brown. "Bitch'll never know what hit her!" Maybe, maybe not.*
*by Ken*
Normally the modern blood sport of "gotcha" politics thrives on ignorance
and stupidity, a perfect match for the virtually achieved right-wing dream
of an electorate -- and a snoozemedia gang -- dominated by people with
absolute-zero functional IQs (fIQs). Every now and then, though, this dream
of a world where political intercourse is squeezed free of any intelligence
quotient encounters a hiccup.
It turns out that in America in the year 20... more »
War watch June 11 , 2014 -- Iraq focus -Al-Qaeda Seizes Iraq’s Mosul, Moves on Kirkuk Maliki Declares 'State of Emergency' After Troops Routed , ISIL takes more Turkish drivers hostage in northern Iraq as 500,000 flee Mosul ........... Syria focus - Hundreds killed as ISIL insurgents gain ground in east Syria ......... Iran nuclear talks update !
Catharsis Ours - 5 hours ago
Iraq......
http://www.alliraqnews.com/en/index.php/component/content/article/41-2011-11-19-15-21-19/53928-sadr-rejects-involving-his-followers-in-war-created-by-qwrongq-political-actions
Sadr
rejects involving his followers in war created by "Wrong" political
actions
Wednesday, 11 June 2014 17:19 | [image: PDF] | [image: Print] | [image:
E-mail]
*[image:
b_280_189_16777215_0___images_idoblog_upload_1853_images_804.jpg]*
*Baghdad (AIN) –The head of the Sadr Trend, Muqtada al-Sadr, rejected
involving his followers in a war created by "Wrong" political actions.*
*In a press statement re... more »
wmtc: happy birthday to me
I have been alive and kicking on this planet for 53 years today. I'm pretty
damn happy about it.
I'm celebrating my birthday by taking the day from work, reviewing my talk
for this weekend's Marxism conference, getting caught up on some personal
business, having a play date with Allan (also ditching work) and the pups,
then tonight, having dinner at Kaji, my go-to place for birthday
celebrations in recent years.
Then I can celebrate all weekend by engaging in discussion, education, and
solidarity: Resisting a System in Crisis: Marxism 2014. This year I'm
stewarding a room, and I wa... more »
“When Things Go Wrong”, "Don't Quit"
*“When Things Go Wrong”*
by Zen Gardner
“Things going “wrong” aren’t easy tasks to handle, for sure. No matter how
much we prepare for or try to avoid seeming wrong eventualities, they
happen. It can be anything, from a wrong turn to lost or stolen items or
nagging financial matters. It can be a health issue or a serious accident.
Shift happens. It’s part of life.
Handling these matters is nothing new as life progresses, but they can set
you back and even throw you off, some times a lot more than others. Clearly
conscious awareness must prevail to see beyond the circumstances and th... more »
"Real Glory..."
"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact,
it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are,
what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it."
- Maya Angelou
"The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back.
That’s real glory. That’s the essence of it."
- Vince Lombardi
◆
*"How Buster Douglas Beat Mike Tyson” *
by johnnysmack7
“Going into the fight, Mike Tyson was the undefeated and undisputed
heavyweight champion of the world. He held the WBC, WBA, and IBF titles.
Despite the several controversies tha... more »
Inequality 18: Piketty, Fabella, Equity-Efficiency Nexus and EPIRA
A good artice from my former teacher at UP School of Economics. The
italics-red highights are mine, meaning I like them. The italics-blue
highlights after the article are observations that I am skeptical or
disagree with. Enjoy.
------------
*Power and the pursuit of equity*
Introspective
Raul V. Fabella
Posted on June 08, 2014 08:09:32 PM
INEQUALITY is back. The trigger is the book *Capital in the Twenty-First
Century* by Thomas Piketty. Three allusions to the book have appeared in
the BusinessWorld opinion section in the last month alone. Piketty claims
that ever-rising income i... more »
Obama "urgently" considering airstrikes on Syria as well as Iraq
Well wasn't that "unexpected" attack on Mosul very fortuitous for NATO's
designs on Syria.
Of course, I am being facetious. If you can't get to your destination via
one path there are many other roads that can be travelled
*The Obama administration is urgently considering an air assault on Islamic
extremists* that officials told the Guardian *could be directed at targets
in Syria as well as Iraq.*
President* Obama announced on Friday that in the "days ahead" he will
decide on a package of military and diplomatic options to halt the rapid
advance of the Islamic State of Iraq and the... more »
Friday Nerd Blogging Extra: GoT Games
Too good and with the finale coming up, we need to double dip:
Dey do do dat dough don't dey dough
The 'North West Tonight' studio tonight - and most nights
As Iraq and the world falls apart, what better time for another
introspective post...and something about Hillsborough?...
When we started this blog I was absolutely determined to be as impartial
and fair-minded as could be. I also meant to write in an uptight,
scrupulous fashion - as free from the spirit of ranting as possible.
Well, some of that spirit hopefully remains, but I've definitely slipped
over time.
Like subsidence, bias will always out itself, if it's there - whether it be
*my* bias or the bias of a BBC report... more »
The Economy: “Little By Little, We Went Insane”
*“Little By Little, We Went Insane”*
by Tim Price
“Are we finished ? The answer is no.” - Mario Draghi, President of the
European Central Bank, 5th June 2014, having just cut ECB deposit rates to
minus 0.1 percent.
“The first panacea for a mismanaged nation is inflation of the currency;
the second is war. Both bring a temporary prosperity; both bring a
permanent ruin. But both are the refuge of political and economic
opportunists.” - Ernest Hemingway.
“The way to crush the bourgeoisie is to grind them between the millstones
of taxation and inflation.” - Vladimir Lenin.
If it look... more »
Hollywood Accredits the Memes: The Big Libowski
*Walter was in 'Nam.*
*He didn't refuse. And as far as we know, he didn't frag his Second Looey. *
*He isn't a patriot. And in the film, he enthusiastically supports Desert
Storm.*
*If there is a patriot, hero and man of peace in the Big Libowski other
than The Dude, it's the man he's about to point that gun at in the aisle -
Smokey was a Conscientious Objector.*
*Fuck Walter. *
*Walter's a fascist.*
*And a Zionist. By choice.*
*He's shoma shabbas.*
*"This aggression cannot stand."*
*"This aggression cannot stand."*
*"This aggression can not stand, Man!"*
Why Is Republican John Kline Blocking Student Loan Re-Financing? Just Follow The Money Flowing Into His Shady Career
The battle over refinancing student debt has been playing out-- badly-- in
the Senate. Senate Republicans have filibustered Elizabeth Warren's bill so
that it couldn't even be formally devoted on the floor.
And in the House? Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman, John
Kline, has bottled up the House version, H.R. 4582, proposed by John
Tierney (D-MA) and cosponsored by 111 Members of Congress, although not
even one Republican. He and House Ways and Means Committee chairman, Dave
Camp (R-MI), won't even schedule hearings on the bill.
Mike Obermueller, the progressive Demo... more »
"Stop... Eating Carbs"
*"Stop... Eating Carbs"*
by Karl Denninger
"About 29.1 million Americans—nearly 10% of the U.S. population—now has
type 2 diabetes, according to a new report. Of those Americans with the
illness, 27.8% of them are undiagnosed, according to the U.S. Centers of
Disease Control and Prevention’s 2014 National Diabetes Statistics Report
released Tuesday. The report uses data collected between 2009-2012, as well
as national surveys.
That's an insane statistic. Equally-insane is the claim that this costs
nearly 1/4 of a trillion dollars a year, with most of it (~$175 billion)
being dire... more »
最好的朋友 LOL
http://www.vice.com/read/republicans-try-to-win-back-asian-americans-if-white-bankers-in-hong-kong-count
和
http://youoffendmeyouoffendmyfamily.com/white-is-the-new-asian-gaze-on-the-faces-of-asian-republicans/
An Academic Woman’s Rant of the Week: Negotiation
Sorry, faithful Duck readers, for the radio silence – I’ve been traveling
for much of the last month and then – ugh – just started teaching a daily
undergrad class. I promise – real blog posts are coming! In the meantime,
I wanted to fill you in on some information I’ve been digesting in the
Continue reading
Why Tenure is Essential
I usually find it easier to communicate with conservative reformers like
Mike Petrilli or Rick Hess. Unlike their liberal counterparts, they don’t
have to contort themselves into crusaders for equity and justice. They
don’t have to pretend that attacks on teachers and other workers is some
sort of civil rights crusade. These defenders of Scott […]
South Carolina Officially Vamboozled
South Carolina Officially Vamboozled. via South Carolina Officially
Vamboozled.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical
A few thoughts on #Vergara and Inequality
Why don’t the billionaires encourage parents to sue because of large class
size creating inequality? Why don’t the billionaires encourage parents to
sue because of a lack of school nurses & counselors creating inequality?
Why don’t the billionaires encourage parents to sue because of a lack of
music & art creating inequality? Why don’t the […]
Supplemental: Hillary Clinton and the word gap!
*FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014*
*Concerning the way our world works:* Just last month, Hillary Clinton
discussed the 30 million word gap.
She spoke at the New America Foundation Summit. This is part of what she
said about the gap:
CLINTON (5/16/14): When I left the State Department, I joined my husband
and daughter at The Clinton Foundation. I wanted to continue my lifelong
work pursuing ways and answers and solutions that could help more people
live up to their own God-given potential.
[...]
*I was very struck by how difficult it was for so many children to be
successful in school, des... more »
Republican Civil War Hurtling Towards D Day In Mississippi
Competing with Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity just endorsed this
anti-American garbage
June 24 is the date of the next round of exciting primaries. Although we're
most interested in seeing if Heather Mizeur can confound the odds and win
in Maryland and if Tom Guild can beat a ConservaDem for the Democratic
nomination for the open Oklahoma City congressional seat, there are also
contests in Colorado, New York, Utah and, of course, the big run-off in
Mississippi pitting Dave Brat against Eric Cantor Chris McDaniel against
Thad Cochran. Smart money is on McDaniel, more so after the Cantor... more »
Michael Hastings Was Investigating Bergdahl's Capture Before He Died - As Usual, the Radical Conservatives React To Empathy Issues In Wrong Way (Opposite To Their Stated Beliefs)
Michael Hastings, pen maître (and undisputed maître of the clearly
devastating but unlikely C250 Mercedes coupe explosion) had been
documenting the circumstances around Bergdahl's disappearance in
Afghanistan at the time of his shocking death. He had also just told
friends the day before that the FBI was tracking his every move and that he
needed to get off their radar screen (so to speak). Who
KIEV USES WHITE PHOSPHORUS BOMBS
In recent days the US-NATO puppet project in Kiev has been using white
phosphorus bombs against their own citizens in the east of Ukraine. The
reason? They will not submit to full corporate fascist authority. Simple
as that.....and Russia is next on the list.
I'm reading a very good book called Gladio: NATO's Dagger at the Heart of
Europe, The Pentagon-Nazi-Mafia Terror Axis by Richard Cottrell. I highly
recommend it.
In the book Cottrell shares this important insight while discussing the
dangerously expanding role of NATO:
A military pact ostensibly grounded on the principl... more »
THE ROLE OF THE GAPS: At 18 months!
*FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014*
*Part 5—Thirty million words:* The achievement gaps are very large within
our student population.
In this morning’s New York Times, a former teacher offers a perfectly
sensible thought about this state of affairs. These large gaps must be
nipped in the bud, the writer essentially says.
The writer refers to Robert Balfanz’s struggles to keep ninth-graders in
school, which he described in an essay in Sunday’s New York Times. (For our
previous report, just click here.)
Balfanz works with high school and middle school students who are likely to
drop out. But ... more »
KIEV USES WHITE PHOSPHORUS BOMBS
In recent days the US-NATO puppet project in Kiev has been using white
phosphorus bombs against their own citizens in the east of Ukraine. The
reason? They will not submit to full corporate fascist authority. Simple
as that.....and Russia is next on the list.
I'm reading a very good book called Gladio: NATO's Dagger at the Heart of
Europe, The Pentagon-Nazi-Mafia Terror Axis by Richard Cottrell. I highly
recommend it.
In the book Cottrell shares this important insight while discussing the
dangerously expanding role of NATO:
A military pact ostensibly grounded on the principle... more »
Five observations on the Ontario election
1) A record of corruption and incompetence doesn’t disqualify a party from
forming government. The Ontario Liberals cost taxpayers almost $1 billion
when they cancelled two power plants in 2011 to improve their election
chances, and were either dishonest or incompetent in covering up the real
costs. It wasn’t enough to get them kicked out of office. In fact, their
share of the popular vote rose from 38 per cent in 2011 to 39 per cent this
week.
Opposition parties can't count on voters to punish parties for past
wrongdoing.
2) Changing leaders, as the Liberals did, appears to be like... more »
Letter from Canadian sex worker clarifies dangers of Bill C-36
As a Canadian practically ready to flee the country just because I hate
the current federal government so much, I'm feeling empathy with all those
poor Americans who endured all those humiliating years under the presidency
of George W. Bush.
OK, the Conservatives aren't quite up there with Bush in terms of
outrageous, poorly informed decisions. But this new anti-prostitution bill
they've put forward certainly puts them much closer to the zone. Why would
a government of a country known all around the world for its humane laws
table a bill that will not only fail to protect sex ... more »
No wonder moms can't get anything done
I've been back in a life with young children again for the last six weeks,
helping out with three of our grandsons for a couple of months while their
parents get up to various things. There’s much that is quite lovely about
it, but being able or willing to do my usual amount of writing is not one
of them.
This new life has helped me see that in fact, I had become quite used
to having time alone for writing and reflecting. But when you’re living in
a house with children, forget it.
At this moment, my 14-year-old grandson is madly playing some iPod game
a mere metre away ... more »
Continued Collapse Of Iraqi Security Forces And Fighting In Baghdad Leads to Militia Mobilization And Arrival Of Iran
The continued collapse of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) along with the
advance of the insurgency towards Baghdad has brought out both the militias
and Iran. June 12, 2014 there was more news that police and army units were
disintegrating in the face of militants. In Diyala police and army units
started pulling out of the Sadiya area throughout the day. A Baathist
Military Council later posted several videos of it burning parts of an
abandoned ISF base in that part of the province. In Anbar, soldiers withdrew
from Kubaisa near Hit in the west after fighting with insurgents. To the... more »
What The HELL Is Going On In Iraq? ISIS Looming Iraq Victory Is Fruit Of Decade Of Failed US Policy!
I have been watching all the reports over the last few days about the so
called "ISIS" (Islamic State of Iraq in Syria) "army" that has already
conquered most of northern Iraq, and is presently bearing down on the Iraqi
capital of Baghdad as I write this report.... It is startling to see how
quickly this army of "insurgents" has seized so much of Iraq, and may very
quickly take full control of Iraq away from the US puppet regime in Baghdad
itself.
I first want everyone that needs a better understanding of what has really
been happening so far in northern Iraq to turn to some amazing... more »
Mike's Story Part 49 - Furies
*By **Jenna** Orkin*
* From Mike to Ray 2-20-2007*
* I really want to talk to them [this probably referred to the Ashland
Police Department] as the victim also. I have nothing tohide and I wouldn't
mind if they asked me questions.No 5th amendment issues.You tell me.*
* From: "Mike Ruppert" stgeorge119@gmail.com To: "Ray Kohlman" Subject:
Ashland PD Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2007 14:43:21 -0500 Can we get a letter from
Ashland PD stating that I am not a suspect n the burglary? I still kind of
want to let them know about [two employees.] *
*February 21 2007 *
* Two days after ... more »
James Clerk Maxwell: a birthday
*Off-topic, geology:* The world ocean may have just quadrupled. A Science
article brings evidence that at the depth of 410-660 km, there is a huge
amount of so far overlooked water hiding in ringwoodite, a sponge-like
stone, whose volume is 3 times the surface oceans' combined.
James Clerk Maxwell was born on June 13th, 1831, i.e. 183 (similar digits)
years ago, which was fortunately for him Monday and not Friday we have
today ;-), to a wealthy advocate from a family of Conservative Party
lawmakers, and he died on November 5, 1879 (deja vu without MathJax). He
was probably the mos... more »
Chinese Government Settles Pielke vs. Krugman
Last week I had a letter in the Financial Times in which I explained the
simple but powerful logic of the Kaya Identity for understanding efforts to
reduce carbon dioxide emissions (for some nice discussions see here, here
and here). The letter was motivated by a proposal floated by a Chinese
academic that China should "cap" its emissions in the near term. I used the
logic of the Kaya Identity to conclude:
It should thus not come as a surprise that carbon caps have not led to
emissions reductions or even limitations anywhere. China will be no
different.
In response, Paul Krugman o... more »
Iraq is burning and Obama heads to Palm Springs...
*right after disrupting the locals in Bismark, ND so "President Ribbon
Cutter" can have a round-table discussion with some teenagers.*
*10:00 am ET ||* Receives the Presidential Daily Briefing
*11:25 am ET ||* Departs White House
*1:45 pm CT ||* Arrives Bismarck, North Dakota
*2:40 pm CT ||* Participates, with Mrs. Obama, in a roundtable discussion
with Native American Youth; Cannon Ball Elementary School
*3:45 pm CT ||* Attends the Cannon Ball Flag Day Celebration and delivers
remarks; Cannon Ball Powwow Grounds
*5:20 pm CT ||* Departs Bismarck, North Dakota
*6:20 pm PT ||* Arrives Pa... more »
Absent urgency police need judicial authorization to get IP address
R. *v.* Spencer, 2014 SCC 43:
Whether there is a reasonable expectation of privacy in
the totality of the circumstances is assessed by considering and weighing a
large number of interrelated factors. The main dispute in this case turns
on the subject matter of the search and whether the accused's subjective
expectation of privacy was reasonable. The two circumstances relevant to
determining the reasonableness of his expectation of privacy in this case
are the nature of the privacy interest at stake and the statutory and
contractual framework governing the ISP... more »
یک زن در ایران
یک زن در ایران. یک زن سوار موتور سیکلت، به تنهایی در سمت شهرستان و کشور
ماجراجو با تجربه و نویسنده، ساخته شده است ایران آخرین مقصد سفر خود، بازدید
از کشور برای بار دوم در یک سال است. او برای اولین بار رفت و در سپتامبر گذشته
، کنجکاو در مورد جایی است که اغلب منفی در رسانه های غربی برجسته.
"از یک طرف من می خواهم همه چیز افتضاح است در مورد زنان که به جرم زنا سنگسار
شنیدن، بالاترین میزان اعدام در جهان، و غنی سازی هسته ای،" او تلگراف سفر سال
گذشته گفت: "بعد از آن مسافران زمینی می گویند ایران فوق العاده بود و خود را کشور
مورد علاقه، و این تفاوت مجذوب من.
"من آگاه بود که یک عنصر خطر وجود د... more »
Kelly Brook on a beach in Mexico, no bikini top required - A Friday Night Rule 5 Post NSFW
It's Friday and Mexico play their first World Cup match of the 2014 World
Cup tonight against Cameroon, so how better to celebrate than with a photo
of a topless Kelly Brook on a Mexican beach?
This Blog has a Mirror Site in UK
I just found out today that my blog has a mirror blog registered in UK.
The original blog site is http://funwithgovernment.blogspot.com/
And the mirror site is http://funwithgovernment.blogspot.co.uk/
Both are owned by blogger.com and google.
I wondered if it is good or bad. My IT-techie friend Rad Basa said that
it's ok, similar to google.com.ph and google.com. They segregate
geographically to balance the traffic across their servers around the world.
I checked this blog's stats, overall viewership since July 2010, #4 blog
readers are from UK, So the mirror site may have helped.
A... more »
The Iraq disinegration
The British drew lines on a map. But they never ruled the people. Now we
see Iraq going tribal. This is a change 200 years in the making. Let it
happen, let the crazy rule, it will all turn out alright. BTW the force
behind everything from Syria to Ukraine is Saudi, why are they not on the
global carpet?
Friday Nerd Blogging: GoT Music
With the finale of this season of Game of Thrones upon us, I thought this
take on the theme might be a suitable Friday Nerd entry.
Facebook Stories
Looks like the DPP has decided to support Ko in Taipei against Sean Lien.
Taoyuan is looking more interesting by the minute, lots of stuff on the
blog tomorrow, stay tuned. Meanwhile....
Taiwan joke I heard the other day:
Q: How do you know the person standing in front of you is Chinese?
A: They keep trying to persuade you that YOU are Chinese....
A friend posted this to her Facebook:
Taiwan's Invisibility
A medical researcher at X University mentioned it's getting harder for
Taiwanese to participate in international conferences. The pharmaceutical
companies used to pay for Tai... more »
Standard of review of administrative tribunal
Canadian Artists' Representation *v.* National Gallery of Canada, 2014 SCC
42:
[13] Reasonableness is the presumptive standard of
review when a tribunal is interpreting its home statute or a statute
closely connected to its function and with which it will have particular
familiarity. The *SAA *applies to, among other things, "authors of artistic
. . . works within the meaning of the *Copyright Act*", requiring the
Tribunal to interpret and apply that statute (*SAA*, s. 6(2)(*b*)(i)). None
of the exceptions to this presumption of reasonableness apply. No
c... more »
Almost back to (the new) normal?
Torsten Slok of Deutsche Bank Research sends along the above graphic. At
face value, it indicates the labor market is almost back to normal. If so,
this fact suggests that the Fed may soon need to back off its policy of
near zero interest rates, and that the slow pace of economic growth
experienced in recent years reflects slow growth in potential due to
adverse structural forces rather than inadequate aggregate demand.
Bernie Sanders Puts His Foot Down-- Breaks With The Political Elites Of Both Parties Over The Federal Reserve
There were three votes in the Senate yesterday confirming President Obama's
Fed nominees. Stanley Fischer was confirmed to be Vice Chairman of the
Fed's Board of Governors and Jerome Powell and Lael Lael Brainard were both
confirmed as members of the Board of Governors. The nominations were not
considered "controversial" and all three sailed through the Senate, with no
one opposing them except a handful of Republican obstructionists who,
basically, oppose everything and anything. Oh, and Bernie Sanders. His
perspective is that foxes were being hired to guard the chicken coop. Two ... more »
11 Wreaths for the 4th of July
I love decorating for the 4th of July. My decorations are minimal and easy
to pull out and put away and there is something so festive about red, white
and blue. Here are 11 patriotic wreaths to get you in the mood for all
things 4th of July!
4th of July Wreath by Stubbornly Crafty.
Patriotic Ribbon Wreath by Wait Till Your Father Gets Home.
American Pinwheel Wreath by Housewife Eclectic.
4th of July Wreath by Naptime Crafting.
Patriotic Wreath by Priscilla.
Patriotic Wreath by That Cute Little Cake.
Red Hots and Blue 4th of July Rocket Wreath by Tatertos and Jello.
Ruffletastic... more »
His Cheese Is Slipping
Not long ago, Stephen Harper mused about scoring a hat trick in Ontario --
a Tory at Toronto City Hall, a Tory at Queen's Park and himself -- the Big
Cheese -- in Ottawa. This morning, Rob Ford is in rehab; Tim Hudak has
resigned; and Stephen Harper -- who knows?
The Conservative defeat last night -- and that's what it was -- was a case
of a flawed message and a flawed messenger. Voters clearly understood that
Tim Hudak's much vaunted one million jobs plan couldn't pass a grade four
math class. And Mr. Hudak was a lousy salesman.
Because Ontario's provincial ridings mirror its fed... more »
Producer Prices Miss, Plunge To Negative After April Surge ( June 13 , 2014 ) -- After the surge in prices in April, May's Producer Prices fall 0.2% MoM (compared to a +0.1% expectation). Year-over-year inflation rose 2.0% (down from last month's 2.1% and missing expectations of 2.4% significantly). This is the first MoM drop since February for the headline and core numbers as it appears vehicle rental appeared to see prices implode. PPI Ex Food and Energy (core), saw prices rise at 2.0% - the fastest since May 2012.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-06-13/producer-prices-miss-plunge-negative-after-april-surge
Producer Prices Miss, Plunge To Negative After April Surge
[image: Tyler Durden's picture]
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 06/13/2014 08:37 -0400
- BLS
inShare
After the surge in prices in April, May's Producer Prices fall 0.2% MoM
(compared to a +0.1% expectation). *Year-over-year inflation rose 2.0%
(down from last month's 2.1% and missing expectations of 2.4%
significantly)*. This is the first MoM drop since February for the headline
and core numbers as it appears vehicle rental ap... more »
The Criminalization Of Employment Law
A new indictment in a trade secret case, where a former employee opened his
own business, made me think about something that's been bothering me for
awhile, namely, the criminalization of employment law. I did a piece about
this a couple years ago called Your Ex-Boss Wants You In Jail. It's gotten
worse. Not only are we sending employees to jail for what used to be civil
offenses, but the criminalization is completely one-sided. Employees blink
wrong, go to jail. Employers can't get tossed in the hoosegow no matter how
bad they misbehave.
Here's what *The Dallas Morning News* says... more »
A few thoughts on inequality and #Veraga
Why don’t the billionaires encourage parents to sue because of large class
size creating inequality? Why don’t the billionaires encourage parents to
sue because of a lack of school nurses & counselors creating inequality?
Why don’t the billionaires encourage parents to sue because of a lack of
music & art creating inequality? Why don’t the billionaires encourage
parents […]
Ed Miliband and The Sun
The Labour Party is expending megabucks on the team of advisors surrounding
Ed Miliband. How's that working out? Not too well, not too well at all.
After the bacon sandwich debacle, having the Labour leader appear with *The
Sun* just beggars belief. I suppose the only saving grace is that Dave 'n'
Nick looked a right pair too. But to top it off, Ed Miliband's office have
since *apologised* for the photo. What a sorry shambles. What a farce.
I don't get it. These people, your Wee Dougies, your Spencer Livermores,
and the others who staff the leader's office, they're supposed to be th... more »
World Cup News June 13 , 2014 -- Ahead of today round of three games , yesterday's controversial Referee call for a penalty in Brazil's opening game , coupled with a heavy police response to protesters ( tear gas utilized once again ) mar the first day ! )
http://www.businessinsider.com/gif-flop-fred-brazil-world-cup-croatia-2014-6
It didn't take long for the first major controversy of the World Cup as
Brazil took a 2-1 lead over Croatia late in the opening match when Fred
appeared to flop in the penalty area, drawing a penalty.
There was definitely contact on the play with the Croatian defender placing
his hand on Fred's shoulder, but the Brazilian clearly embellished the
contact..
Fred was even holding his hands out looking for a call even before he hit
the ground.
[image: Brazil World Cup]
ESPN
The Croatian players were furious, su... more »
Why Wynne Won!
*Land area of solar needed to power:World, EU, Germany*
This is the big picture that people know in their hearts. Kathleen Wynne
let Ontario know she can see what is hidden by the reactionary world.
Election Autopsy
Wynne's majority win is a testimony to how scary and awful Ontarians
thought Tim Hudak and his innumerate platform was. (All the right-wing
pundits and etc., who endorsed this piece-of-shit have managed to hammer
another nail in the coffin of their credibility AFTER it was long ago
buried under the ground!)
A majority government for these Liberal sleaze-balls is the worst thing in
the world though. These people cut taxes for the corporations and the rich,
waste BILLIONS on various mad schemes and corruption, and then charge us
for it with higher taxes and reduced services. Expect a ... more »
Obama Regime's Russia Provocations a Nuclear Accident Waiting to Happen
There is one ominous news item this week - or maybe it is just more
propaganda because who really knows anymore - and that is that two Russian
bombers were reportedly spotted by NORAD just outside US airspace off the
California coast. Throw in the neocon-infested crackerjack foreign policy
team of the Obama administration who in their infinite wisdom decided to
send Putin a message by dispatching two nuclear capable B2 Stealth bombers to
Europe as another provocation in the ongoing dick-measuring contest between
the two leaders and we now live in an environment as dangerous as any... more »
Cameron Diaz's sex-tape?
The Red Band Trailer for the film Sex Tape, starring Cameron Diaz. It's by
the same people as Bad Teacher, so could be worth a watch.
Michael Mann's six new lies
BillMoyers.com interviewed the world's most notorious fraudulent climate
fearmonger Michael Mann about
Six Things Michael Mann Wants You to Know About the Science of Global
Warming.
Well, they mostly spoke in such a way that Michael Mann preached and
BillMoyers.com obediently listened so I shouldn't have called it an
interview.
His text is rather incredible. As Roger Pielke Jr observed five years ago,
if Michael Mann did not exist, the skeptics would have to invent him.
According to Mann's latest tirade, everyone would be a fearmonger and a
demagogue like himself if the public be... more »
America's Covert Re-Invasion of Iraq
*Image: ISIS clearly did not materialize spontaneously within Iraq, it
hasclearly redeployed from its NATO-sponsored destruction of Syria to
northern Iraq, perhaps in an attempt to justify a NATO incursion and
thecreation of a buffer zone straddling Syrian, Iraqi, and even possibly
Iranian territory with the goal of targeting Iran directly with ISIS. **June
13, 2014* (Tony Cartalucci - LD) - Heavily armed, well funded, and
organized as a professional, standing army, the forces of the Islamic State
of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) swept southward into Iraq from Turkey and
northeastern S... more »
Be Divergent - A Song & Music Video from Mike Adams
Song Lyrics
You wanna learn something about yourself?
You're more powerful than you could ever imagine
Listen up
Did you ever have a new idea?
Did you ever seek a new frontier?
Did you ever try to question something
Invent something, create something?
Did you notice how they keep you down
Friends shove your mind into the ground
"You can't do it!" they scream 'cuz your ideas are
So unique they make them look weak Just think for yourself. Think for
yourself
Think for yourself, be divergent, be divergent
Think for yourself. Don't be like everyone else
Think for yourself, be divergen... more »
A new low for Big Brother? NSFW
The Daily Mail ask 'Is this a new low for Big Brother? New series of
reality TV show facing Ofcom probe after first week sees more than 200
complaints over blasphemy, bullying, racism and swearing.'
I think not, remember Makosi and Anthony from Big Brother 6?
Déclarez un moratoire sur la généralisation du vaccin gardasil - Signez cette pétition
[image: Déclarez un moratoire sur la généralisation du vaccin gardasil]
Déclarez un moratoire sur la généralisation du vaccin gardasil
Pétition de Océane Bourguignon
France
Je m'appelle Marie-Océane Bourguignon et j'ai 18 ans. J'aimerais pouvoir
vivre comme les autres filles de mon âge, mais *le vaccin gardasil a rempli
ma vie de souffrances.*
À l'âge de 15 ans, j'ai reçu deux injections de ce vaccin prescrit contre
le cancer du col de l'utérus. À la suite de cette vaccination, je souffre
d'une attaque du système nerveux central qui m'handicape dans la vie de
tous les jours... more »
Energy Econ 22: FEF on FIT for Solar Power Plants
A good statement and warning from the FEF on guaranteed rate for solar
energy producers. The average generation charge by various power generation
companies (from coal, natural gas, geothermal, hydro, oil-based, some
renewables) collected by Meralco is about P5.70/kWh (+/- 10 to 20
centavos). The solar producers are given guaranteed rate of P9.68/kWh, or
about P4 more expensive than existing rates. We already have a high
electricity cost in Asia, the FIT for solar, wind and other renewables will
make it even more expensive.
Solar power, wind, biomass are cool, I am not against them ... more »
Sign The Petition To Declare a Moratorium on the Widespread Use of Gardasil in France
[image: Gardasil changed my life.]Marie-Océane BourguignonPetition: Declare
a Moratorium on the Widespread Use of Gardasil in France
Sane Vax., Inc. 11 June 2014
*TO: Marisol Touraine, French Social Affairs and Health Minister*
*Declare a Moratorium on the Widespread Use of Gardasil in France*
Petition by *Océane Bourguignon, *France
*Multiply Your Impact*
Turn your signature into dozens more by sharing this petition and
recruiting people you know to sign.
*You Your Friends Their Friends*
170 ... more »
Gardasil: 5 Years To The Light At The End Of The Tunnel by Donna Eliassen
[image: Shania from Australia]ShaniaGardasil: 5 years to the light at the
end of the tunnel
By Donna Eliassen
Australia
Sane Vax, Inc., 10 June 2014
Part 1 – The nightmare begins: *http://sanevax.org/shania-from-australia/*
Part 2 – A promising update:
*http://sanevax.org/update-on-shania-the-flyer-mandurah-western-australia/*
It is now May 2014. It was May 2009 when Shania had the first of the two
Gardasil shots that ruined her swimming career and her life in the ensuing
years. (You can read about that in the links above.)
In 2014, the only obvious legacy from the Garda... more »
The Futuro House - get this thing powered up with a decent anti-grav engine - and a floating taxi ride home
*The Futuro House was designed in 1968 by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen.
It was commissioned as a "holiday house" or vacation home. Because it would
be used in a mountainside setting, the structure needed to be easy to
transport to the site, low maintenance and shed snow easily.*
Here are some 'real' pictures of the Futuro House: get an anti-grav engine
on this thing, and take a floating taxi ride home.
I'm gonna leave this above image as is, despite the *Comment* from Grumpy
Old Limey.
The idea I'm trying to show is that you can have your Futuro House 'however
you w... more »
Fall of Mosul Brings Saudi Arabia And Iran Closer To A Hot War; Collapse of The Iraqi Army Means More Assertive Shiite Militias; Birth of Kurdistan And ISIS's Cross-Border Rule Signifies The End of The Sykes–Picot Agreement
*ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant), for all its evils and
horrors, has done the people of the region a great service by taking Mosul
from the Iraqi army: burying the Sykes–Picot treaty in history's pages.
This treaty has caused more violence and bloodshed than ISIL or any
terrorist group ever could.*
*1. An excerpt from, "Iran’s intervention in troubled Iraq could broaden
regional conflict" by Patrick Martin, The Globe and Mail, June 12, 2014:*
Spurred by threats against Shia holy sites in southern Iraq, Iranian
President Hassan Rouhani announced on Thursday his country w... more »
Recent Poll Shows 92% Of Americans Want GMOs Labelled
[image: Foto: NEW POLL on GMO FOODS: A new poll conducted by Consumer
Reports found that 92% of U.S. consumers want GMO labeling - to include GE
salmon if it should be approved - as well as strong standards for
government long term safety testing of GMO foods. This is a mighty strong
indication that the majority of the population is not happy living under a
Monsantocracy and isn't buying the industry funded pseudoscience that is
the basis of the FDA's approvals of genetically engineered foods. Well what
a surprise. READ:
http://enewspf.com/latest-news/health-and-fitness/53529-new-c... more »
Lockheed Martin Receives $109 Million Sustainment Contract For The Air Force’s Minuteman III Reentry Subsystem
[image: LGM-30 Minuteman III Missile]Lockheed Martin received a contract
from the U.S. Air Force with an initial value of $109 million for
sustainment of the reentry subsystem for the Minuteman III intercontinental
ballistic missile (ICBM).
Lockheed Martin’s work will include repair, modification and testing of
hardware and software components in the reentry system-reentry vehicle
(RS-RV) subsystem, as well as related support equipment.
The contract is part of the Air Force’s Future ICBM Sustainment and
Acquisition Construct, which is designed to ensure a safe, secure and
reliable... more »
Saudi defence spending rises $16bn in five years
[image: BGM-71 Tow missiles]Saudi Arabia increased its annual defence
spending by $16 billion over the past five years, according to a new report
by Deloitte.
Its Global Defence Outlook 2014 study said the Gulf kingdom was one of the
top six military spenders in the world.
The report said Saudi Arabia’s increasing defence budget is tied to new
capital programmes including new and re-fitted F-15 fighter aircraft
totalling nearly $30 billion.
Read more
Tories given green light for F-35 jet decision
[image: CF-18 Hornet]For the first time in two years, the path is clear for
the Conservative government to select Canada’s next fighter jet, a choice
that could very well mean buying the controversial F-35 Lightning without a
competition.
A panel of independent monitors on Thursday gave its blessing to a
still-confidential Royal Canadian Air Force report that evaluated the risks
and benefits of purchasing four different warplanes and has been forwarded
to the federal cabinet.
Sources say cabinet is expected to make a decision on fighters within the
next couple of weeks.
Read more
China Calls Japan the Aggressor in Flybys Over Sea
China’s Ministry of National Defense accused Japan on Thursday of airborne
brinkmanship over the East China Sea, rejecting Tokyo’s account of the
latest close encounters between military aircraft from the two increasingly
estranged countries.
The official Chinese rejection of the Japanese version of events was
predictable, but the vehement wording from Beijing showed the bitterness
that has built up between the two neighbors.
The Chinese defense ministry spokesman, Senior Col. Geng Yansheng, said
that in two incidents on Wednesday, Japanese military aircraft flew
“abnormally clos... more »
Quantum contextuality is just another fancy word for Bohr's complementarity
*People keep on rediscovering the old quantum wheel, while they produce and
eat lots of šit, too*
The popular science media were full of reports that a "magic word" has been
found that will enable quantum computers, and the "magic word" is
"contextuality". Quantum contextuality is a fancy word for the fact that
quantum mechanics doesn't allow you to assume that the quantities you
measure objectively had (in the classical sense) the sharp values you
ultimately measured before the measurement.
Because of the quantum contextuality, what the measurements reveal depends
on the character... more »
U.S. Secretly Flying Drones Over Iraq
The U.S. since last year has been secretly flying unmanned surveillance
aircraft in small numbers over Iraq to collect intelligence on insurgents,
according to U.S. officials.
The program was limited in size and proved little use to U.S. and Iraqi
officials when Islamist fighters moved swiftly this week to seize two major
Iraqi cities, the officials said.
Before the Islamist offensive, the program was expanded based on growing
U.S. and Iraqi concerns about the expanded military activities of al
Qaeda-linked fighters.
Read more
Untitled
*Fired for ‘Diverging’ on Climate: Progressive Professor’s fellowship
‘terminated’ after he called global warming ‘unproved science’*
Dr. Caleb Rossiter was “terminated” via email as an “Associate Fellow” from
the progressive group Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), following his May
4th, 2014 Wall Street Journal OpEd titled “Sacrificing Africa for Climate
Change,” in which he called man-made global warming an “unproved science.”
Rossiter also championed the expansion of carbon based energy in Africa.
Dr. Rossiter is an adjunct professor at American University. Rossiter
holds a ... more »
DigitalGlobe cleared to sell sharpest images to all buyers
[image: Liaoning aircraft carrier]U.S. government regulators have approved
DigitalGlobe's request to sell its highest-resolution satellite imagery to
commercial clients, easing restrictions that limited the sale of the most
detailed imagery to intelligence agencies, DigitalGlobe announced Wednesday.
DigitalGlobe said the decision will expand the market for its image
products and help companies and state and local governments with oil and
gas extraction, mining and exploration, urban planning and disaster relief.
The Longmont, Colo.-based satellite operator submitted a request to the ... more »
Greg Hunter, "Weekly News Wrap-Up 6.13.14"
*"Weekly News Wrap-Up 6.13.14"*
By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com
"Remember how I have been pointing out repeatedly that the U.S. was arming
al-Qaeda linked terrorists in places like Libya and Syria? Remember how I
have been telling you it’s a very bad idea to arm terrorists to do your
bidding? Even before 9/11/12 in Benghazi, Russian President Vladimir Putin
was warning that arming terrorists can basically blow up in your face. It
did. Well, once again, arming terrorists has blown up in our face–this time
in Iraq. You have to know, some of the very same people that were al-Qaeda
l... more »
Pentagon sees progress on F-35 jet; software still a concern
[image: F-35C Lightning II]Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 fighter jet is
making steady progress but needs further work to accelerate software
development, increase reliability and lower the cost of operating and
maintaining the new warplanes, the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer said on
Thursday.
Frank Kendall, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and
logistics, told reporters the Pentagon was looking at a series of measures,
including incentives tied to future payments and investments in process
improvements, to cut the cost of building, operating and maintaining the
p... more »
UK to step up collaboration with US over nuclear warheads
[image: UGM-133 Trident II]Britain is stepping up its cooperation with the
US over the design of nuclear warheads, raising new questions about the
independence of the UK deterrent, according to documents disclosed after a
freedom of information request.
Increased cooperation on warhead design and the exchange of material
crucial in the manufacture and stockpiling of nuclear weapons will be
sealed in a pact being drawn up by senior officials from the two countries.
The pact, renewing the 1958 mutual defence agreement (MDA) between the UK
and US, is expected to be signed in a discreet... more »
NATO's Terror Hordes in Iraq a Pretext for Syria Invasion
*June 12, 2014* (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - All roads lead to Baghdad and the
Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is following them all, north from
Syria and Turkey to south. Reading Western headlines, two fact-deficient
narratives have begun gaining traction. The first is that this constitutes
a "failure" of US policy in the Middle East, an alibi as to how the US and
its NATO partners should in no way be seen as complicit in the current
coordinated, massive, immensely funded and heavily armed terror blitzkrieg
toward Baghdad. The second is how ISIS appears to have "sprung" from th... more »
Greece sues for 7 billion euros over German submarines that have never sailed
[image: S-120 Papanikolis]Greece has launched a multi-billion euro claim
against one of Germany’s biggest defence firms who sold the
financially-beleaguered country four submarines in a complicated deal which
has become symbolic of the country’s economic woes.
The controversial deal has threatened Greece’s position in Nato, according
to well-placed sources, led to the criminal prosecution of the country’s
defence minister and the resignation of a senior Naval figure.
The Telegraph today publishes photographs of the four submarines, which are
still unfinished in a Greek shipyard almo... more »
Musical Interlude: Giorgio Moroder, “Midnight Express, Love Theme”
Giorgio Moroder, “Midnight Express, Love Theme”
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JArUeMCi0OA
George HW Bush Gets Thrown Out of a Helicopter
Viz Magazine Letter's page used to have a photo-feature called "Up the Arse
Corner".
For a man who started his college career lying naked in a coffin
masturbating over the freshly grave-robbed remains of Geronimo (some
sources claim Emma Goldman) whilst being watched by all his friends, once
threw up into the Japanese Prime Minister's lap (on video) during a State
Dinner whilst passing out, and socialises with Henry Kissinger...
Nothing shocks about how far that sick bastard has to go now to get his
jollies...
Jumping out of a perfectly good aircraft in flight while the guy behin... more »
The Battle Of The Clowns-- Texas vs California… A Week From Yesterday
To be honest, the only interest I have in the Republican leadership fight
is my hope that they pick someone really demonstrably terrible-- which is a
slam dunk, since only demonstrably terrible candidates have offered
themselves up for the June 19 election-- and that there be plenty of
opportunities for the kinds of humor that will entertain our little
community here at *DWT*. Supposedly, the candidate for Majority Leader most
like the defeated Eric Cantor, has it all wrapped up, the fine fella from
Bakersfield up top.
He's not really a fine fella; he's a third rate hack who has d... more »
Musical Interlude: Vangelis, “Alpha”
Vangelis, “Alpha”
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jG--3elufo
Friday Morning Ramble: Stormy Weather
*How have you enjoyed the storms? No damage, I hope?*
What happened to those mayoral election promises?
*Big rates rises tipped for Auckland* – WIRELESS
We get light rail, and downtown rail tunnels, because
Baptist-and-bootlegger coalitions are enabled by ignorant voters.
*Baptists, Bootleggers, and Public Squalor: Light Rail Isn't a Good Public
Investment* – Art Carden, ECON LOG
Next target for public transport campaigners: Park-and-ride stations, which
are “subverting the sustainability goal of transit.” And you thought public
transport was about helping folk travel around the ... more »
Adventures With Midas at Jaco Beach
We decided to take baby Midas to the beach so he could check out the ocean
for the first time. Super fun. We chose Jaco Beach since it is closest to
the house. Midas is a pro at car rides since he was in a car from Michigan
to Herradura just recently! :).
Took his collar and leash since we really had no idea how he would react to
everything going on at the beach. It was slightly overcast when we took
him, so there were not a ton of people out, which is good, since Midas
likes people and likes to bark at them too. Parked and went down near the
water. Midas had no idea what... more »
"Three Things..."
“To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do
this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every
day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number
three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness
or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a
full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're
going to have something special.”
- Jim Valvano
"A Look to the Heavens"
"NGC 6188 is an interstellar carnival of young blue stars, hot red gas, and
cool dark dust. Located 4,000 light years away in the disk of our Galaxy,
NGC 6188 is home to the Ara OB1 association, a group of bright young stars
whose nucleus forms the open cluster NGC 6193. These stars are so bright
that some of their blue light reflects off of interstellar dust forming the
diffuse blue glow surrounding the stars in the above photograph.
*Click image for larger size.*
Open cluster NGC 6193 formed about three million years ago from the
surrounding gas, and appears unusually rich in close... more »
An Ojibway Prayer
"Grandfather,
Look at our brokenness,
We know that in all creation
Only the human family
Has strayed from the sacred way.
We know that we are the ones
Who divided,
And we are the ones
Who must come back together
To walk in the sacred way.
Grandfather,
Sacred One,
Teach us love, compassion, honor,
That we may heal the earth,
And heal each other."
An Ojibway Prayer
The Poet: Wendell Berry, "A Warning To My Readers"
*"A Warning To My Readers"*
by Wendell Berry
"Do not think me gentle
because I speak in praise
of gentleness, or elegant
because I honor the grace
that keeps this world. I am
a man crude as any,
gross of speech, intolerant,
stubborn, angry, full
of fits and furies. That I
may have spoken well
at times, is not natural.
A wonder is what it is."
"Choices..."
"The human life is made up of choices. Yes or no. In or out. Up or down.
And then there are the choices that matter. Love or hate. To be a hero or
to be a coward. To fight or to give in. To live. Or die. Live or die.
That's the important choice. And it's not always in our hands."
- "Grey's Anatomy"
“’The Better Angels Of Our Nature’: How Charles Dickens Influenced Abraham Lincoln”
*“’The Better Angels Of Our Nature’: *
*How Charles Dickens Influenced Abraham Lincoln” *
by Gene Griessman, Ph.D.
"Here’s the story of an obscure but beautiful quotation from Charles
Dickens that found its way into the First Inaugural Address by Abraham
Lincoln. In 1861, before his inauguration, Lincoln showed a draft of what
he intended to say to William Seward, his Secretary of State. Seward
recommended that Lincoln conclude with conciliatory words, and sketched out
a few sentences for Lincoln to consider.
Seward’s rough draft, which has been preserved, contains the expression ... more »
Chet Raymo, “The Burden Of Thinking”
*“The Burden Of Thinking”*
by Chet Raymo
“Let me speak for gray. Not black or white. Good or evil. Truth or falsity.
Yes or no. Let me speak for maybe. Sort of. More or less. I think so.
I am reluctant to speak for gray for fear of being considered wishy-washy.
Indecisive. Unprincipled. But lately it seems as if we are surrounded on
every side by zealots, and it's not a pretty sight. We are surrounded by
people who are so certain of their Truth that they are willing to strap
bombs to their chests and walk into crowded pizza parlors. Or fly airplanes
into towers. Or bomb abortion c... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Post Falls, Idaho, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
"Side With the Living: A Note to Those Who Would Demonize Nature"
"Side With the Living: A Note to Those Who Would Demonize Nature"
by Derrick Jensen
"The other night I saw a commercial for a PBS program that breathlessly
described how orcas “dominate” the oceans. And the nature program I had the
misfortune to see before that talked of different species of bears
“conquering” each other’s territories. The program repeatedly emphasized
the powerful bite of one particular type of bear—making sure we got the
point by always playing scary music when these bears were depicted—and only
late in the program did viewers learn that these bears were exclusivel... more »
"All You Need..."
"The greatest wisdom is in simplicity: love, respect, tolerance, sharing,
gratitude, forgiveness. It's not complex or elaborate. The real knowledge
is free. It's encoded in your DNA. All you need is within you. Great
teachers have said that from the beginning. Find your heart, and you will
find your way."
- Carlos Barrios
Quotes From Locals About The Fall of Mosul And The Collapse of Maliki's Army
*Source of quotes: The Guardian/Mona Mahmood*.
"Everyone in Samara is happy with the fighters’ management of the city.
They have proved to be professional and competent. We have water and power;
there is a shortage in fuel because Maliki’s forces have cut the bridges
between Samara and Baghdad. The fighters themselves did not harm or kill
anyone as they swept forward.
We as Sunni people have never been treated fairly by Maliki’s fanatic
government and army. If it were not a sectarian army, it would have fought
to the end but they fled as soon as things got serious. *A friend of mi... more »
"Fukushima Update, 6/12/14"
◆
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXdfKkr9_bs
◆
*“Is Fukushima Leaking … Or Are the the Reactors Wholly Uncontained?”*
by Washington’s Blog, April 6, 2013
"You may have heard that TEPCO – the operator of the stricken Fukushima
nuclear power plants – announced a large leak of radioactive water. You may
have heard that the cooling system in the spent fuel pools at Fukushima has failed
for a second time in a month. This is newsworthy stuff… but completely
misses the big picture. Japanese experts say that Fukushima is currently
releasing up to 93 billion becquerels of radioactive cesiu... more »
Why shouldn't Leona Helmsley's greedy scumbag executors walk off with that cool $100M?
*Leona and Trouble (the doggy kind, that is):* *Those canny executors
succeeded in wangling the pooch's $12M bequest down to $2M, with the rest
going to no-doubt-admirable charities.*
*by Ken*
If your first response to the news is anything like mine, it will have
something to do with the four scumbag executors (two of whom are grandsons
of the legator) cashing in an unconscionable payday for their not quite
seven years of servicing the $5.4B estate of the departed Queen of Mean,
Leona Helmsley since her departure in August 2007. As James Fanelli writes
in his DNAinfo New York repo... more »
Iraq is 'sliding into the unknown' - Martin Chulov Reports From Baghdad
*Link to the Source.*
listen to ‘Iraq is 'sliding into the unknown' @MartinChulov reports from
Baghdad’ on Audioboo
How can the US help Maliki when Maliki is the problem- But ISIS isn't?!
*ISIS is not the problem so what can be done about Maliki- should be the
headline *
*The answer looks to be a planned further destabilization with either a
complete removal of Maliki or Maliki as a purposeless leader of a fiefdom.*
*Before you read the information below please read** #1- The US Departure
from Iraq was all Illusion!*
*And- #2 Very Telling! US REBUFFED multiple prior Iraq requests to quash
ISIS*
*It's important for filling in the blank places*
*Now onto the WP article*
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria’s (ISIS) genuinely stunning capture of
Mosul, and advances acr... more »
Ukraine updates June12 , 2014 --- Gazprom seems to be tiring of Kiev games ( Gazprom not to postpone gas payment deadline for Ukraine anymore ) , no more delays and the bill is due June 16 , 2014 or else advance payment will kick in............ Status of South East Ukraine and did the Kiev Authorities use white phosphorus on civilians ? Wonder if the UN will bother to say anything about this ?
Gas talks clogged ......
Gazprom: Ukraine Gas Supplies Will Halt Monday Without PaymentCEO Urges
Ukraine to Pay Its Bills
by Jason Ditz, June 12, 2014
Print This | Share This
Ukraine managed to duck a gas shutoff earlier this month, but after the
latest round of talks on their debt and pricing disputes with Russian
exporter Gazprom ended in a stalemate, they’re facing another.
Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller warned today that because of Ukraine’s sizable
debt they are on a prepayment system, and if they don’t prepay for any gas,
they won’t receive any.
“If Ukraine pays for no volume at all... more »
AFT’s American Educator: Voice of the Rank and File or Tool of the Reformers?
Guest Post: By Bianca Tanis Teachers are dosed with Common Core propaganda
daily. A few times a year, this comes in the form of the American
Federation of Teachers’ quarterly journal, American Educator. It is not
surprising that the summer 2014 issue (which focuses primarily on early
childhood) is chock full of “career and college ready” […]
The US Departure from Iraq was all Illusion!
*A bit of history- 2011- Much needed background*
Barack Obama has made good on one of his election promises, announcing:
"After nearly nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over." The Iraqis'
assertion of their sovereignty – meaning no legal immunity for US troops –
was the deal-breaker, and 39,000 US soldiers will leave Iraq by the end of
the year.
Jonathan Steele wrote that the Iraq war was over and the US had learned
"that putting western boots on the ground in a foreign war, particularly in
a Muslim country, is madness".* Yet this madness may continue in a
different guise, ... more »
Bitcoin updates June 12 , 2014 -- US Marshals to auction 18 million USD in bitcoin from Silk Road bust ....... Bitfinex distancing itself from Bitstamp........Google joins Yahoo in offering bitcoin prices ....... Latest news in the MT Gox bankruptcy.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-06-12/virtual-currency-slides-fbi-prepares-dump-144341-silk-road-bitcoins
Virtual Currency Slides As FBI Prepares To Dump 144,341 "Silk-Road" Bitcoins
[image: Tyler Durden's picture]
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 06/12/2014 16:54 -0400
- Bitcoin
- FBI
inShare
The FBI announces it is preparing to sell the 144,341 Bitcoins that were
collected during raids in the online drug market Silk Road. While the WSJ
reports, the timing and sales method are unclear, it is already weighing on
the virtual currency as the Bitcoin traders front run the Fed... more »
Obama Doubles Down on Iraq War Catastrophe
When you find yourself in a hole the smart idea is to stop digging, that is
unless it is a grave. With the situation in Iraq deteriorating by the
minute, thanks to the neocon ideologues who goaded George W. Bush into
attacking and invading the country in 2003 the now fully blossomed leader
of the imperial war machine is prepared to once again sink more American
blood and treasure into the Mesopotamian meat-grinder rather than stand up
on his hind legs to the keening squealing of the war pigs. The grand "Shock
and Awe" adventure of using the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks as a... more »
Karen Lewis on the Vergara Decision and What It Means
Karen Lewis points to the corporate boot-licking study by Raj Chetty that
speculates on how much income would be added if the worst teachers (based
on VAM, hah!) were replaced by average teachers. The Chetty study was used
as the principal documentation to support the court decision in California
to roll back teacher tenure. Read here excerpts from Bruce Baker's takedown
of the Chetty study.
No excuse required, it's Kate Upton on a Sports Illustrated shoot - Rule 5 Post - NSFW
Does a Kate Upton post need a reason?
POST VERGARA FALL OUT: Nothing says it any better than this from Brian Jones:
POST VERGARA FALL OUT: Nothing says it any better than this from Brian
Jones:.Filed under: SHAUN JOHNSON, PHD: Musings from the Chalk Face
Sam Smith, "Why Bother?" (Excerpt)
"Why Bother?" (Excerpt)
by Sam Smith
"H. L. Mencken once said that the liberation of the human mind has best
been furthered by those who "heaved dead cats into sanctuaries and then
went roistering down the highways of the world, proving . . . that doubt,
after all, was safe - that the god in the sanctuary was a fraud."
Mencken made it sound easier than it is. It is a lifetime's work to clear
away enough debris of fraudulent divinities, false premises, and fatuous
fantasies to experience a glasnost of the soul, to strip away enough lies
that have been painted on our minds, layer aft... more »
The Poet: Carl Sandburg, "What Shall He Tell That Son?"
"What Shall He Tell That Son?"
"A father sees a son nearing manhood.
What shall he tell that son?
'Life is hard; be steel; be a rock.'
And this might stand him for the storms
and serve him for humdrum and monotony
and guide him amid sudden betrayals
and tighten him for slack moments.
'Life is a soft loam; be gentle; go easy.'
And this too might serve him.
Brutes have been gentled where lashes failed.
The growth of a frail flower in a path up
has sometimes shattered and split a rock.
A tough will counts. So does desire.
So does a rich soft wanting.
Without rich wanting nothing arrives.
Tell... more »
A Call to Establish the Anti-Wahabi Block of Nations
*Anyone find it interesting that all of them have brand-new designer
trainers, and nobody can see if they're white mercenaries...? *
*Ex-SAS most likely.*
The fork-tongued BBC liars are talking out of both sides of their mouths
again - stressing that al-Baghdadi's group seeks to establish "a single
Islamic[no, a single SUNNI] Caliphate", stretching across Iraq, Syria, "and
parts of other countries as well" [meaning they want to attack Iran (but
not Saudi Arabia, Oman or Qatar), ethnically cleanse the Shi'ia apostates
and wipe them from the face of the Earth], they also stress "the ... more »
Another Reason why the Lipid Hypothesis is Bunk
The lipid hypothesis, as evry fule kno, predicts that eating saturated fat
causes elevation of serum cholesterol or LDL which then plays a causal role
in cardiovascular heart disease. How or why no-one knows but the feeling
out there is that saturated fat causes bad cholesterol and heart disease.
The notion is, as they say, entrenched; it is a meme more widely believed
now than any religious dogma.
Unlike the unknowable nature of God, the lipid hypothesis can be disproved
by multiple lines of evidence. Here is one.
Animal fat is a blend of saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, and... more »
Hanabusa: Why The Republican Wing Of The Democratic Party Is Failing In Hawaii Again
*Hanabusa’s conservative record comes back to haunt her in progressive
Hawaii; electorate not supporting her efforts to cut earned benefits,
increase militarism and fight the EPA*
Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa is badly trailing progressive Brian Schatz
in her bid to oust him from the Senate in Hawaii’s August 9th primary. And
she woke up on June 11th to read a headline in the state’s biggest
newspaper (the Honolulu *Star-Advertiser*) that probably confirms her
political career’s demise:
*Group links Hanabusa to 'threat' against Medicare*
Beltway pundits and consultants of cours... more »
Fighting Vergara in California and Elsewhere
As a former legal historian and inner city teacher, I’m offended by Judge
Rolf Treu’s one sentence legal justification of the key issue in Vergara v
California. The judge ruled for Students Matter and struck down the
hard-won rights of teachers based on a citation of California legal
precedents that seems facile to me. Some […]
THE JAIL-GO-ROUND
*The Colbert Report*
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,The Colbert Report on Facebook,Video
Archive
“The Powerful Anti-'Redskins' Ad the NFL Refuses to Air”
*“The Powerful Anti-'Redskins' Ad the NFL Refuses to Air”*
By Janet Allon
“During this weekend's highly anticipated NBA final, an ad that the NFL
does not want to air will hit the airwaves. It is a powerful and moving
plea to change the offensive Washington Redskins name and mascot produced
by a group called the National Congress of American Indians.
The ad runs through a list of words that Native Americans actually call
themselves: proud, forgotten, Navajo, mother, survivor, Inuit, patriot,
underserved . . . and many more.
It's quite a long and enlightening list, accompanied by bea... more »
Ordo Templis Orientis
*"Sex-magick"* is a loaded term with all sorts of connotations....
It is, quite simply, a method of sublimating sexual energy to the will of
the magician in a variety of rituals, for a variety of purposes, using the
sexual practice appropriate to the desired end.
Thus, everything from the missionary position to sodomy to masturbation has
a magical analogue and refers to a different quality of occult power. The choice of partner is also a matter for some concern, and the practice
of sex-magic has become so refined by later initiates of the Order that
even the specific days of a wo... more »
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