2:02am MDST
No fighter jet replacement contract before 2018: government guide
[image: CF-18 Hornet]A contract to replace Canada's aging fleet of jet fighters won't be finalized until at least 2018. The Harper government has released its long-anticipated defence acquisition guide, which is meant to provide industry a snapshot of the military's expected equipment needs over the next two decades. Defence Minister Rob Nicholson recently notified defence contractors that the guide, which contains some 200 different pieces of kit, is not a commitment to buy and that it's meant to start a dialogue with manufacturers. Read more
USS Mesa Verde Arrives in Gulf, Can Evacuate Americans if Need Be
[image: USS Mesa Verde]The Pentagon said this morning that the USS Mesa Verde has arrived in the Persian Gulf to join the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, destroyer USS Truxtun, and USS Philippine Sea. “Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel ordered the amphibious transport dock ship USS Mesa Verde into the Arabian Gulf today. The ship has completed its transit through the Strait of Hormuz,” Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said today. “Its presence in the Gulf adds to that of other U.S. naval ships already there — including the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush — ... more »
French naval ships in Halifax let Canada do some window shopping
[image: FS Halifax]The arrival of two French naval ships in Halifax Harbour for joint exercises gives France a chance to showcase just what their equipment can do, as Canada continues to search for designs for its new combat vessels. “There’s billions at stake here,” says Dalhousie University political science professor Ken Hansen, a retired navy commander who has written extensively on Canada’s military. The Mistral, an amphibious assault ship and helicopter carrier, and La Fayette, a frigate, are now docked in Halifax. Canadian soldiers from Valcartier, Que., will board the Mistr... more »
USS Ross Arrives in Rota
[image: USS Ross]The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) arrived at Naval Station Rota, Spain to begin her forward deployment to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations, June 16. Ross, departed Norfolk, Va., June 3, and is the second of four Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers to be forward deployed to Rota, joining USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) which has been on station since February. "On the global and regional stage, we are allies, and we share a common interest in maintaining a Europe that is safe, secure and prosperous. Read more
Shen heats up Taipei Mayor Race
*SETTV Poll* News out: DPP says it will support the independent Ko in Taipei race, agrees with TSU not to field candidate. Quid pro quo: As part of the reciprocal commitment, Ko agreed to hold talks with DPP candidates in other mayoral and commissioner elections to formulate “shared platforms” and, if he wins the election, take the same positions as DPP mayors and commissioners on major policy discussions. Ko also pledged to campaign for DPP candidates in the Taipei councilor elections. On Twitter @Formosanation sent around this SETTV poll. The poll has Ko Wen-je, the independent... more »
Obama's commencement speech and the illusion of science literacy
Obama gave a commencement speech at UC Irvine: He said some optimistic words, left-wing clichés about the inequality and the tautologically untrue propositions about the superior importance of the middle class, the need to welcome immigrants, and especially various words about the good quality of UC Irvine. This school sort of sucks but because they sent him 10,000 postcards to make him visit, they must be great. I will discuss his comments about the climate and science in general. Go to 8:00 or so where this segment begins. This junk unfortunately goes on and on and on. Obama...more »
Obama, commencement, and illusion of science literacy
Obama gave a commencement speech at UC Irvine: He says some optimistic words, left-wing clichés about inequality, the need to welcome immigrants, and especially various words about the good quality of UC Irvine. This school sort of sucks but because they sent him 10,000 postcards to make him visit, they must be great. I will discuss his comments about the climate and science in general. Go to 8:00 or so where this segment begins. This junk unfortunately goes on and on and on. Obama says that he has never seen the existence of a problem that would be denied by the opposition. B... more »
N Korea cruise missile fuels proliferation concerns
[image: Kh-35]North Korea appears to have acquired a sea-based copy of a Russian cruise missile, the latest step in an effort to enhance its maritime strike capability, a US think-tank said today. A state propaganda film disseminated on social media sites, including YouTube, provides a very brief glimpse of the missile being launched from a naval vessel. Writing on the closely watched 38 North website of the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University, arms control expert Jeffrey Lewis said the missile would mark “a new and potentially destabilising addition” to North Korea’s mi... more »
If Everyone Were Living According To..........Wise Words From Osho
[image: Foto]Source: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Living-with-Common-Sense/154468647938561
Sevastopol: Home of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet
The city of Sevastopol has come to international attention during the past months as Crimea was reunited with the Russian Federation. The Black Sea Fleet, biggest employer of the area, will be completely modernized by 2020, Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu announced on the Fleet’s 231st anniversary. Sevastopol has other assets as well. It is a city full of historical monuments and a popular seaside resort with a marine biology centre. Read more
Dhruv chopper likely to be deployed on-board INS Vikramaditya
[image: Dhruv helicopter]Indigenously-built Dhruv helicopter is likely to be deployed on the country's largest warship- Russian-origin aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya for carrying out the role of detecting hostile submarines. If inducted, the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) will be the first indigenous system to be integrated on the warship, which so far operates only imported equipment such as the MiG 29K naval combat fighters and the Kamov-31 helicopters. The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited-built ALH Dhruv is undergoing trials for carrying out role of detecting hostile submarines... more »
Sindhurakshak brought out of water after lengthy salvage operation
Submarine INS Sindhurakshak, on which 18 sailors were killed after it sank due to "internal explosions" at the Mumbai naval dockyard last August, has finally been fished out of water in the complex salvage operation underway since February. "The Kilo-class submarine, on a special pontoon, was brought to the dry dock on Monday. After forensic and other examination of the vessel now, the pending board of inquiry (BoI) can be completed to establish the exact cause that led to the mishap," said an officer. On August 14 last year, INS Sindhurakshak had been fully-loaded with 18 missi... more »
Scots keener than English to keep Trident on Clyde
[image: Vanguard class SSBN]More Scots believe Trident nuclear missiles should stay in the country if it becomes independent than think the weapons should be removed, research has revealed. Two-fifths of people north of the Border said that if there was a Yes vote in the referendum, Britain’s nuclear submarines – currently sited at the Faslane base on the Clyde – could continue to be based there. But 37 per cent did not agree with the weapons remaining in Scotland if the country voted for independence. Alex Salmond’s Scottish Government has made its opposition to nuclear weapons cl... more »
ATLAS race: conquering K2 for the first time
If someone happens to occasionally follow the ATLAS Higgs Contest Leaderboard, she could have noticed that among the 677 athletes or teams, your humble correspondent jumped to the 2nd place early in the morning. (Too bad, the T.A.G. team jumped above me an hour later, by a score higher by 0.00064 than mine, so I am third again.) This is how I imagine the formidable competitors. Lots of powerful robotics and IT under the thick shields, boasting the ability to transform from one form to another, consuming terawatts of energy, and so on. Most of them would have competed in numerous s... more »
WILL THE CRISIS IN IRAQ PROVIDE COVER FOR AN ISRAELI ASSAULT ON GAZA?
The kidnapping of three Israeli settler youths in the West Bank has been used by Israel as an excuse to round up Hamas leaders in the West Bank with a view to possibly deporting them to the Gaza Strip. One wonders if, while the world’s attention is drawn to the crisis in Iraq, whether or not the Israelis might also be planning an all-out incursion into the Gaza Strip. Without actually mentioning the Gaza Strip, Israeli commander in chief, Lt. Gen. Benny Grantz, has been quoted as saying: "We have a goal, and that is to find these three boys and bring them home”, but he also went on t... more »
Weekend in Paradise
***Midas is a handsome boy. He followed me around the yard while I took pics, so I of course, had to take pics of him*. Friday is Farmer's Market Day, yay! They were out of Kurt's blackberry pie, so this time, he bought an apple which he says was BETTER. I tried a piece of the crust, and WOW. Awesome. Bought the other standard stuff. Nice that even in the rain, the outdoor market is open, with tarp covering! Friday was Gretel's Day to go to the beach! She was not as excited about the water as Midas. She was more smart too, quickly figuring out the tide going in and out. S... more »
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*Why Millenials Embrace Oil, Fracking* Katie Kieffer There’s hope for the future. My generation of Millennials is embracing entrepreneurial oil jobs to keep America’s lights on. On June 2, the Obama administration proposed new carbon regulations calling for a 30 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030. Why 2030? Who knows! It’s an arbitrary date, not a number based on sound science. Coal currently supplies 39 percent of America’s electricity. TIME Magazine reports that Obama’s proposal will promote “fuel switching” from coal to so-called clean forms of energy such as solar. ... more »
Getting To Know Politicians-- Probably Better Than Running Yourself
JFK comes to Kings Highway, 1960 I was 12 when I met Senator John Kennedy at Dubrow's on Kings Highway, a couple of blocks from my house on 17th Street in Brooklyn. He was campaigning for president and I wanted to figure out what I could about the guy who wanted to follow Dwight Eisenhower into the White House. A few tumultuous years later, when I was 16, I was an elevator operator, a volunteer they couldn't figure out what else to do with, at his brother's senate campaign headquarters in Manhattan. I never got to "know" either man but I did get to exchange a few words with each and ... more »
Why Mass Shootings Make Gun Control Less Likely to Pass Congress
**This is a guest post by Dr. Christopher Neff, Lecturer in Public Policy at University of Sydney.** This past week President Obama marked one year since legislative efforts at gun control failed in the Congress. He lamented at the normalization of school shootings in the United States, noting, “my biggest frustration is that this society has not Continue reading
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Galaxies NGC 5216 (top) and NGC 5218 really do look like they are connected by a string. Of course, that string is a cosmic trail of gas, dust, and stars about 22,000 light-years long. Also known as Keenan's system (for its discoverer) and Arp 104, the interacting galaxy pair is some 17 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. The debris trail that joins them, along with NGC 5218's comma-shaped extension and the distorted arms of NGC 5216, are a consequence of mutual gravitational tides. The tides disrupt the galaxies as they repeatedly swing close to one another. ... more »
"Two Lessons..."
“I have learned two lessons in my life: first, there are no sufficient literary, psychological, or historical answers to human tragedy, only moral ones. Second, just as despair can come to one another only from other human beings, hope, too, can be given to one only by other human beings.” - Elie Wiesel
Chet Raymo, “To Love The Darkness”
*“To Love The Darkness”* by Chet Raymo "You darkness, that I come from, I love you more than all the fires that fence in the world, for the fire makes a circle of light for everyone, and then no one outside learns of you. But the darkness pulls in everything: shapes and fires, animals and myself, how easily it gathers them! - powers and people - and it is possible a great energy is moving near me. I have faith in nights." "I have long pondered these verses by the poet Rainer Maria Rilke (here translated by Robert Bly). I think I firs... more »
The Poet: Mary Oliver, "One"
*"One"* "The mosquito is so small it takes almost nothing to ruin it. Each leaf, the same. And the black ant, hurrying. So many lives, so many fortunes! Every morning, I walk softly and with forward glances down to the ponds and through the pinewoods. Mushrooms, even, have but a brief hour before the slug creeps to the feast, before the pine needles hustle down under the bundles of harsh, beneficent rain. How many, how many, how many make up a world! And then I think of that old idea: the singular and the eternal. One cup, in which everything is swirled back to the color of the sea and ... more »
Paulo Coelho, "How To Behave Like A Fool"
*"How To Behave Like A Fool"* by Paulo Coelho "Mullah Nasrudin (the central figure in almost all tales of the Sufi tradition) had already become a sort of attraction at the main market in the town. Whenever he went there to beg, people would show him a large coin and a small one: Nasrudin always chose the small one. A generous man, who was tired of seeing everyone laugh at Nasrudin, explained to him: “When people offer you two coins, choose the larger one. Then you will have more money, and people will not think you a fool.” “You are surely right”, replied Nasrudin. “But if I alway... more »
Charter School Strong-Arming Where No One Wants Charters: A Case Study
The Emerald Academy Charter School Application submitted to and approved by the Knox County Board of Education is signed by Steve Diggs, who is the Executive Director of the Emerald Youth Foundation (EYF), a Christian ministry with some of Knoxville’s and the State’s highest rollers onboard. This effort represents a prime example of corporate missionaries being joined by Christian missionaries to force-feed charters where no one wants them. *2013 Board of Trustees* Doug Kennedy, Chair CEO, Johnson & Galyon General Contractors Tim McLemore, Vice-Chair Attorney, Gentry, Tipton... more »
The world now produces more farmed fish than beef
You know, years ago when this blog first started, we had a discussion about property rights in fish, large and small, and talked about property rights as a way both to save the oceans, and to de-politicise them. The solution to the imminent and watery Tragedy of the Commons represented by whale-harvesting and out of control fishing is similar to the problem solved by nineteenth century cattlemen by the imperfect means of branding, and eventually by the invention of barbed wire. It is one of recognising and legally protecting the property right in these animals. And no, it’s no... more »
Modelling a Negative, Or the Easy Proliferation of Hypotheses in Science Today
Jo Nova has a series of posts on the apparent discovery of a "notch filter" mechanism in the Earth's climate system, that doesn't do anything positive, but only negates, quite improbably, an "expected" dependence of the global mean surface temperature on the total solar irradiation (TSI). I submitted the following: *It is just too pat (i.e., characterized by a highly improbable "coincidence"): You find the temperature doesn't follow the 11-year solar cycle of TSI; now you find that something (apparently, the Sun's magnetic field) is cancelling that "expected" following--with an impr... more »
“Eurosceptics”? European Union Haters? Don’t Ask The Canadian Media.
What Is The Significance Of The “Eurosceptics”? The European Union Haters? Don’t Ask The Canadian Media. *Written By Robin Mathews* June 15, 2014 There have to be reasons for the downright, fundamental badness of present Major Media work in Canada. People still go to CBC – and to CBC Radio especially – believing the fiction that *there *they will get some real reporting and real analysis. It isn’t so. In the parlo... more »
"The People Who Broke Iraq Have A Lot of Ideas About Fixing It Now" (Hayes Brown)
*Ari Ferchrissakes Fleischer? Shouldn't he be out somewhere on a roadside trash-pickup crew?* *by Ken* Howie wrote at length about the mess in Iraq on Saturday "Who Will Save Iraq Now -- Obama? Rouhani? The Anunnaki? A Negotiated Rational Partition?," and on the whole I would prefer not to touch the subject. But it's so much another case of the chickens coming home to roost and, American-discourse-style, not being recognized as either the old chickens or the old roost, that I have to jump in. And always hanging over any possible discussion of the subject is not just this habit of... more »
The Daily "Near you?"
Much Wenlock, Shropshire, United Kingdom. Thanks for stopping by.
Free Download: Nevil Shute, "On The Beach"
*"On The Beach"* by Nevil Shute “Nevil Shute's novel "On the Beach" is set in what was then the near future (1963, approximately a year following World War III). The conflict has devastated the northern hemisphere, polluting the atmosphere with nuclear fallout and killing all animal life. While the nuclear bombs were confined to the northern hemisphere, global air currents are slowly carrying the fallout to the southern hemisphere. The only part of the planet still habitable is the far south of the globe, specifically Australia and New Zealand, South Africa, and the southern parts... more »
“Fomenting a Revolution: Extreme Acts of Greed Against the American People”
*“Fomenting a Revolution: * *Extreme Acts of Greed Against the American People”* by Paul Buchheit “Examples of extreme inequality are becoming easier to find. Progressive leaders have us thinking about revolution. If a revolution is to take place, Americans — especially young Americans— need to know the facts, and they need to know how they're getting cheated, and they need to get angry. The following should help. *1. $1,000,000,000,000,000 in Sales. Not One Cent for Sales Tax: *The trading volume on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) reached an incomprehensible $1 quadrillion i...more »
Those Nonsense Annual NCTQ Ratings Are Coming on June 17
On June 17, 2014, the so-called National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) will unleash upon the world its ratings of teacher training programs. Here is part of an announcement sent on June 9, 2014, to members of the press: Washington, DC – On Tuesday, June 17, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) will release the […]
Shifting Sands, Swimming Against the Tide and Being Screwed At Every Node (Little Truth To Be Found On MSM (Still) No Matter the Consequences)
I guess it's no wonder that Dumbya's kitty boo-boo and nakedy pics had to dominate the national AND local U.S. news coverage (so to speak) recently as we now have finally been let in on about what to expect when we get those next reports of the big explosions in Iraq. Shock and awe, indeed. And . . . “We got what we had coming,” wrote Rep. Eric Cantor in his book “Young Guns” in 2010. He was
Have you stopped beating your wife?
An inquiry into tragedy has ended up in farce. The recommendations of Owen Glenn’s inquiry into child abuse and domestic violence range from the banal (NZ courts are dysfunctional, who knew!) to the farcical (let’s just presume everyone is guilty until they presume otherwise). In that, they are no different to the outcome of the government inquiries this one was intended to mirror. But this one was supposed to be different. Yes, we all know NZ courts are time-consuming, elephantine and dysfunctional. But reversing the presumption of innocence is not a recipe to fix that: it’s a r... more »
Two opposing views of Iraq...
*which one is correct?* Doug Hagmann, at Canada Free Press, has a wildly different take on the Iraqi issue than Mike Konrad at American Thinker. Mr. Hagmann sees the middle east conflagration as the beginning of WWIII, and Mr. Konrad thinks we should just sit back and let the Muslims kill each other. While I like the idea of the Muslims wiping each other off the map, common sense informs me it isn't going to happen. They've had thousands of years to reach that goal, if you date it back to Ishmael from the Book of Genesis, the son of Abraham by way of his handmaiden Hagar, and th... more »
Blocked
I think I might be one of life's tiptoers. In fact I'm sure of it. That may sound a little self-insulting but I've always felt warmly towards a couple of lines from Yeats' *The Second Coming*: The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity. I could take that as my motto. Still, sometimes even a tiptoer must place his foot down firmly and say what he really, really thinks - even if he's about to walk on fire... I read all the outrage at the *Telegraph *and *Biased BBC* about Frankie Boyle's Radio 4 pilot comedy *Blocked *with great interest (tipto... more »
Solving the Productivity Problem
The high foreheads down at the Bank of England are stumped, confuzzled. Employment is up, output is up, economic growth is up but productivity is stubbornly stalled. In fact, it remains well below the pre-crisis peak. Such a scenario in economics is what Jack the Ripper is to murder mystery. There's a definite culprit, but none of the received models are capable of pinning down the guilty party. Is it the statistical measures? Is it the weather? Naturally, the Bank are right to be concerned - the less productive the UK economy, the more pronounced its relative decline would be *vis... more »
6 Weight Loss Tips for Busy Moms with Slimfast
“This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Slimfast, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #14daystoslim http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV” Becoming a mom of two has been one of the hardest and more rewarding things I have ever done. I didn't realize just how much time a second child would take up, but I am loving every second of it. One thing that I am having trouble finding time for is weight loss. I would love to get the baby weight off as soon as possible, but I don't have tons of extras hours in the day to hit the gym. These... more »
GOP Leadership Battles Wednesday And Thursday
Wednesday morning the 233 House Republicans will get together and vote for a replacement for Eric Cantor as Majority Leader. Since he already has commitments from way more than the 117 Members needed to ascend the predetermined leadership ladder, Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) will surely beat the wacko-bird caucus fave, Raúl Labrador. Labrador is being pushed by Hate Talk Radio hosts (who claim they defeated Cantor and think they have the right to name his successor) and by FreedomWorks. Whatever chance Labrador had-- basically none-- he wound up with even less of a chance after last week... more »
Right standing.
If you have the time, please take a listen to *Generation Right *(Radio 4, 8.00pm). I expected the worst (and said as much), but I'll happily now eat my words. This was an absolute pleasure to listen to from start to finish, fascinating and - especially gratifying - scrupulously fair too. All credit then to the BBC's Declan Harvey [who I bashed the other day for an injudicious anti-UKIP tweet], Vicky Spratt and Lewis Goodall for making such a fabulous, unbiased programme. It can be done. *Generation Right* explored and gave voice to the political views of 'Generation Y' - i.e. to... more »
June 16: Sound and fury meaning nothing....
I have just read the report of Brian Gallant speaking to kick off his campaign in Dieppe. What a tiresome and brainless experience that was! Gallant, it seems, is a classical political speaker. Roughly, it went something like the following..... "Fellow Liberals, we must spend. But we must spend carefully." (Applause) "Fearlessly, we must not make promises we can't keep." (Standing ovation.) "I would go further, and say we must be honest." (Audience goes wild. Maidens swoon.) As far as one can tell from that speech, Gallant has no platform. All he has is a set of stale platitudes t... more »
Nancy Pelosi ("ardent Catholic") schools Archbishop Cordileone and Wild Bill schools liberals about Christians...
*a twofer for Monday.* You absolutely can not make this stuff up. I have been watching world events from a Catholic perspective and here's what I see: The Catholic Church has been infiltrated with an anti-Catholic Marxist leaning bunch of scalawags. World and Church events are running on train tracks side by side. Lest you think you're immune if you're not Catholic, you had better take a hard look at whatever church you attend. Does your church promote "social justice", prosperity gospel, or celebrate homosexuality? *From SFGate:* House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi took the ... more »
New Report from Brazil on Global Civil Society and Small Arms Control
For a perspective on how global civil society might better mobilized for armed violence reduction read this new report, by a Brazilian humanitarian disarmament NGO, Instituto SoudaPaz. “What’s Next?” is both an up-to-date manifesto on the importance and political tactics by which small arms advocates might more meaningfully influence global debate and policy, and a reflection on the Continue reading
The thng is
The thing is that people are people. When people know something they are better people. All this threat of a super Al Qaeda virus take it with some salt. Every Muslim country is under great tension of falling to the great Satan, as are we all.
What Will Weingarten Say in Connecticut on June 17?
Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy is no friend to public education. As education historian Diane Ravitch notes in December 2013: Malloy has abandoned his commitment to equality of education opportunity and now relies on high-stakes testing, evaluation of teachers by test scores, and ample funding to charter schools as the reforms that can take the place of […]
The Very Disappointing Teacher Impact Numbers from Chetty
The Very Disappointing Teacher Impact Numbers from Chetty. via The Very Disappointing Teacher Impact Numbers from Chetty.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical
Should Ontario MDs Be Allowed to Refuse Basic Healthcare to Women?
There was a spot of bother a few months back when "at least three" Ottawa family doctors refused to prescribe birth control because such an act would violate their Gord-given right to control women. The Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons, feeling the heat, has decided to revisit its policy on human rights and is inviting public input. The site says the questionnaire will take only a few minutes and it does, but first you should read the existing policy. It's not all bad but does provide some pretty wide wiggle-room for anti-choicers. After citing some "general principles" f... more »
Nuclear Propaganda: "Safer Fuel"
Associated Press (2014, June 15). *Fukushima No. 1 meltdowns stir industry quest for ‘safer’ nuclear fuel Designs by U.S. researchers offer hope of heading off future meltdowns*. The Japan Times, available http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/06/15/national/science-health/wake-fukushima-disaster-industry-explores-accident-resistant-fuel/#.U58DI7G9YpM [excerpted] In response to the disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 plant, the U.S. government dramatically increased funding to develop tougher protective skins for nuclear fuel, hoping to spur innovation in designs that had not changed... more »
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METRO | Mariann Wizard asks if planning in SE Austin is controlled by bickering special interests & if minority neighborhoods will be prey for the bulldozer?
Teachers' June strike a tactical error
I don’t understand the teachers’ union decision to strike with two weeks left in the school year. Parents resent school closures at any time; they impose serious hardships on working families. My entirely unscientific sampling in the Comox Valley suggests parents blame both government and union for the strike/lockout. But shutting down schools now has little real impact. End-of-year events are lost, but starting summer holidays two weeks early doesn’t pose much of a threat to learning. Government can wait out the strike without much pressure from parents. Based on the first reports on... more »
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*Analysis: 'Big oil' lawsuit issues linger ~Kevin McGill, AP via SFGate* *Despite low coal use, La. must reduce CO2 by 40% ~Amy Wold, The Advocate* *Felon alleges legal retribution after gold business shakedown with St. Tammany DA ends ~WWLTV* *Placenta…it’s what’s for dinner ~New Orleans Moms Blog!* *Tango dancers take hold of New Orleans with return of festival ~Jaclyn Kelly*
“Has the Dept. of Homeland Security Become America’s Standing Army?”
*“Has the Dept. of Homeland Security Become America’s Standing Army?”* By John W. Whitehead “A standing military force, with an overgrown Executive will not long be safe companions to liberty.”—James Madison “Here in New Mexico, we are moving more toward a national police force. Homeland Security is involved with a lot of little things around town. Somebody in Washington needs to call a timeout.”—Dan Klein, retired Albuquerque Police Department sergeant “If the United States is a police state, then the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is its national police force, with all the...more »
Something to think on...
*Fortune lost, nothing lost;* *Courage lost, much lost;* *Honor lost, more lost;* *Soul lost, all lost.* *Dutch*
"How American Democracy Was Bought... and Sold"
*"How American Democracy Was Bought... and Sold"* by Bill Bonner "Eric Cantor, in the news last week, was the best sort of politician. When he was bought, he stayed bought. When campaign season came around, the oligarchs wouldn't forget him. The trouble was, he forgot the poor little "garchs." He was so sure he had the election in the bag, he forgot to lie to the voters. Some say Goldman Sachs owned him. That is an overstatement; Wall Street only had a leasehold, which expired when his grip on House Republicans gave out. Besides, most leading industries had a piece of him, too; th... more »
Can you spot the link between these news stories?
The main news items on BBC Radio 4 this morning: 1. Religious based carnage in Iraq 2. Terror attacks in Kenya 3. Trojan horse plot in Birmingham schools 4. New laws to combat forced marriage 5. Terror cell uncovered in Madrid. Is there some sort of link between all of these stories, the BBC didn't see fit to try and think of a link. Here's the BBC's news front page as of 18:20 tonight There seems to be a link between these top stories, Michael Schumacher excluded, but what? For some reason I'm once again reminded of this In The Bull Pen sketch from a few years ago Any link seems ... more »
Some people just dont know how to approach the peaks/
Thats the key to drug addiction. If you want to climb Everest know the risks. And in the event your mainlining Heroin its going to raise that risk exponentially. Although I am waiting for Keith Richards to weigh in, maybe when your blood is fully in a trance it can retrain more oxygen. Should a single person get high? If we were all communists no, but we live in a real world with real people living real lives. I think many people who do not get high bury themselves in religion to fill that need to know they are relevant. We are humans, we are animals what kind of power freak wants t... more »
World Issues Bull Hockey
I do not want to kill someone in Iraq or Iran or Afghanistan because they disagree with the ruling system.
Economic Inequality Is Expensive… And Destructive
Lately you've been hearing a few political leaders, particularly Elizabeth Warren, Jeff Merkley, Brian Schatz and Bernie Sanders in the Senate and some of the Progressive Caucus members in the House, talking about steeply rising income inequality. They're talking about the kind of inequality that's part of vicious cycle that inevitably leads to oligarchy, plutocracy or outright fascism, in which a few families, through an accumulation of wealth and power, can dictate the laws and even the societal norms and control the mechanisms of enforcement to such an extent that they can virt... more »
Maths CGSE Unit 3 exam tomorrow? Here's what might be happening behind you...
Armstrong and Miller again...
Iran And Its Shiite Militias Mobilize In Iraq Interview With Phillip Smyth
After the collapse of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) in northern and central Iraq the press started reporting that militias were mobilizing in Baghdad and other areas, and that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Quds Force was sending in several hundred of its members to aid the Iraqi government. The fact is militias had been shifting their fighters from Syria and carrying out mass recruiting drives in Iraq since the beginning of the year far preceding the current security crisis. To help explain the situation is Phillip Smyth from the University of Maryland’s Institute for... more »
CLIMATE CHANGE & CONVERSION: JULY 4 PARADE IN BATH
*Climate Change & Conversion Theme* At the July 4 parade in Bath, Maine local peace and environmental activists will merge to bring our joint concerns about climate change and conversion of the war machine together. Artists are now designing props and posters that we will carry during the parade to show the large audience the deadly connection between climate change and militarism. The Pentagon has the largest carbon boot print on the planet. In addition the Pentagon controls the vast part of the federal discretionary budget thus inhibiting the funding of real alternatives (sola... more »
It appears that the two greatest government liers are the United States and those installed in Kiev who, with U.S. aid, took power away from the legally elected president by means of an (illegal) coup d'etat. Now these two lying governments are attacking Russian-speaking enclaves in the east and south of Ukraine with heavy artillery and aircraft dropping internationally baned white phosphorus incendiaries. Rivaling the U.S. govenment lying is the despicable U.S. "mainstream media" that reports every lie the govenment utters without doing a shred of journalistic research. Consequently, the gullible American public is led to believe that all of the slaughter is being committed by Russia at the direction of Vladimir Putin, whereas Putin has pulled back his troops from the border and has set up shelters for the Russian-speaking Ukrainians fleeing their homes to save their lives and those of their children. How much longer can the American people be so heinously duped! ...this blogger asks.
------------------------------ ‘Bombardment never stops’: E. Ukrainian refugees share horrors of Kiev military op Published time: June 13, 2014 19:34 Go here if you should want to play the videos *(recommended)* Kiev does not care about civilians in eastern Ukraine, and people have to flee their homes amid daily bombings, Ukrainian refugees told RT at a temporary camp in Russia’s Rostov. It comes amid Kiev’s “lies” about humanitarian corridors, they said. Thousands of eastern Ukrainians are flowing into Russia amid the ongoing Kiev military operation, i... more »
Oklahoma City Families and Teachers Find Their VOICE
Until recently, I thought of VOICE as a handful of liberal Christians, spitting into the hot Oklahoma City wind. Similarly, I never expected a grassroots coalition of parents from across the state to stand up to the bubble-in testing mania. I realized last Sunday that VOICE has also become a force to be reckoned with. […]
Left standing.
Returning from a short spell away from the BBC and the internet I thought I detected a slight, but perfectly formed shift in the atmosphere. I looked online at Sky news to see what was being said about the kidnapping of the three Israeli teenagers. The BBC was slow to report this story. I looked on the Sky website and read the comments under the report of the incident. The discussion had strayed to the shooting dead of two Palestinian teenagers during a nakba-day demonstration. Two ‘teenage’ incidents with an implied comparison between the relative fuss over the “missing” Israelis a... more »
Iraq and Syria Updates June 15 , 2014 -- Reviewing the Co-Joined Battleground and Connecting the Dots ( Fall of Baghdad planned to coincide with Ramadan- June 28 , 20144 ? ) ..........The Battle for Baghdad: Scenarios ..............A suicide bombing in Baghdad has killed at least nine people and wounded 20 more, officials in Iraq's capital say. Police said an attacker wearing an explosive vest detonated his device near central Tahrir Square.......... .Iraq crisis: Sunni caliphate has been bankrolled by Saudi Arabia ......... US pushes Operation Dither -- Officials: Obama to Hold Off Iraq Intervention Until Maliki Agrees to Reforms US Pushes for Power-Sharing Deal Mid-War ........ Iraqi Sunni scholars: Iraqi rebels, not ISIS, who face the Iraqi army ........ Iraq Claims ‘Victories,’ But Loses Largest Refinery to al-Qaeda Refinery Still Operating Under al-Qaeda Control ......... By taking advantage of the Opportunity presented to seize Kirkuk and also by selling their oil outside of the control of the Iraq Government , th Kurd are moving more openly to an Independent State ........ ISIS ‘achievements’ in Iraq and Syria a gift to the Iranian negotiator? US won't strike against ISIS in Syria
Catharsis Ours - 16 hours ago
http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/150620141 Nineveh Governor: Army Betrayed Me and People of Iraq2 hours ago [image: An abandoned army base in Mosul. Photo: AFP] An abandoned army base in Mosul. Photo: AFP By Raed Asad Ahmed ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Top military commanders assured Mosul Governor Athil al-Nujaifi that Iraqi forces were securing the province hours before they fled along with thousands of troops, leaving Mosul in the hands of tribes and extremists. Speaking to Rudaw in Erbil, Nujaifi said the commander of Iraq's ground forces, General Ali Ghaidan, and the deput... more »
“Our month of the gaps” in its final week!
*MONDAY, JUNE 16, 2014* *Return to Tuscaloosa:* This week, we’re finishing the series we’ve called, ”Our month of the gaps.” We’ll be returning to Tuscaloosa—more precisely, to Nikole Hannah-Jones’ fascinating report for The Atlantic, “Segregation Now...” To our ear, Hannah-Jones displayed an odd part of liberal culture in that lengthy report: She focused on the racial imbalance in Tuscaloosa’s public schools, a problem which basically can’t be fixed. In the process, she largely finessed a very large problem which *must* be addressed—the problem of the very large achievement gaps... more »
The Best of All Possible Evils
So Paul Krugman was talking to some of his liberal friends recently, and was somewhat aghast when they expressed disappointment in President Obama. And thus, after delving deep into the Conscience of a Liberal, Krugman emerged in full Pangloss mode. He has written a column addressed to all those cynics, rubes and ingrates out there being unduly influenced by "the prevailing media narrative." (Warning -- before you read any further, make sure you have swallowed any food or drink still in your mouth:) *The truth is that these days much of the commentary you see on the Obama administra... more »
Role of Mentors
*Dadabhai Naoroji mentor of Gandhi* Role of mentors is different from the role of a coach. A mentor has no self interest in mind. A coach is looking for a payoff. Everyone needs a mentor and in most cases they are your parents. The unfortunate fact is that your parents are clueless about your life and the future faced by the young. I want to create a website called Mentor dot com to hook up retired wired people with yungins. I need a mentor to set this up!
DISDAIN FOR THE GAPS: In Tuscaloosa!
*MONDAY, JUNE 16, 2014* *Part 1—A tale of two public school problems:* Within our student population, the so-called achievement gaps are quite large. Millions of deserving kids are on the short end of those punishing gaps. Question: How much do we liberals and progressives actually care about this? We’ve spent the past two months thinking about The Atlantic’s 10,000-word report, “Segregation Now...” (Full title: “Segregation Now.../Sixty years after Brown v. Board of Education, the schools in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, show how separate and unequal education is coming back.”) How much...more »
President Ma Restaurant
Restaurant in Taichung named "Chairman of the Party" in Chinese. Its English name? President Ma. _______________________ [Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, and scores of links to other Taiwan blogs and forums!
George Saunders’s Allegory of Scarcity and Slack
George Saunders’s Allegory of Scarcity and Slack. via George Saunders’s Allegory of Scarcity and Slack.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical
Bush is to Blame for Iraq - War based on LIES! Put Blame where it belongs. Obama is to Blame for Libya, Syria (arming/training rebels), Ukraine (CIA behind unrest)
I have been completely stunned by so many blaming Obama for what is happening in Iraq all over the internet. Do people have such short memories? Do people not remember that Bush, Powell, Tony Blair and corrupt politicians are the ones who invaded Iraq in the first place, all based on Lies? Edit to add: Unbelievable. Blair is in the news today... Blaming Syria for the Iraq problem, not
WATCH BOTH HANDS
*Watch the Magician's Hands* You've got to watch both hands all magicians pull the tricks with their hands they create illusions disney apple pie baseball and these days guns camo everywhere the colors of endless war I've studied the O'man closely and he will do something sort-of-nice but then follow up with a real bad one watch those hands the 1-2 punch creating illusions he's the magician The core is hard to find what does he really believe? not much he just works for the man the corporate man It's a nice ride 'most powerful' guy in the world free rent good travel get your face... more »
Thank you Mr, Bush
By Capt. Fogg Our efforts against Al Qaeda in Iraq and elsewhere have been much like the indiscriminate use of antibiotics, killing off the weak bacteria and letting the strong get stronger. The group they're now calling ISIS seems more radical and has more blind hatred for America and the West than the old guard and they're likely to "take back" the Iraq we set up for destruction, killing hundreds of thousands and putting control into the hands of brutal and incompetent people.There's not a hell of a lot we can do, even if that most strange of bedfellows Iran joins forces with u... more »
Memphis: School Board Gets 360% Pay Raise and Indigent Juvenile Lawyers Get New Furniture
From the Daily News: And an ordinance that would raise the pay of Shelby County Schools board members from $4,200 a year to $15,000 a year, with $16,000 a year for the chairman, is on Monday’s agenda for third and final reading. . . . Another resolution includes $190,258 in funding for furniture and installation for the new Public Defender Juvenile Defense Unit at 600 Adams Ave.
ISIS- A US created "stay behind" using Iraqs plundered wealth.
If we understand ISIS to be a* left behind army*, working on behalf of another master, then the application of pressure on Maliki & the collusion between the Kurds of Iraq and ISIS makes perfect sense*.* *Where or when did ISI/ ISIS/ISIL get started? * *Note: I am going to call this Left behind army - ISIS from here on in. Because they are one Army broken down in subdivisions like any standard army- top down organization. So ISIS. Easier to recall.* *CFR** AND **Al-Monitor* - The roots of ISIS go back to Oct. 15, 2006, when what is known as the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) was est... more »
Highly speculative look at le Habs 2014 season
The first two dominoes have fallen: 2009 18th overall draft pick Louis LeBlanc abandonment and polarizing coach Michel Therrien 4 year entombment. 2014 will be played in rebuild tank mode. Marcl Bergevin realizes that the 2013 even with super sniper Tomas Vanek team with was a low odds vehicle to win the cup. Without Vanek there is no hope for 2014. Matt Moulson is the only alternative available and by Bergevin critical eye not level. The loss of Leblanc is like a crop failure. The poor harvest lost means a bit of starvation is in order. The player most likely to ameliorate this ... more »
Are Your Children Roundup Ready?
[image: Photo: Are your children Roundup Ready? No more barefoot in the park. Scotts Miracle-Gro Company has released Roundup Ready GMO Kentucky Bluegrass into our environment. Employees have started planting at their homes and Scotts plans to commercialize it over the next 2 years. Like most other GMOs, this is just another way to sell more toxic Roundup. Not only in our food but now in our yards where our children play and our pets run. The USDA doesn't care and this grass is totally unregulated. If you care, tell Scotts: NO ROUNDUP READY GMO GRASS. BOYCOTT SCOTTS Miracle-Gro, Mon...more »
Treading Water
The graph above shows data from the BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2014, which was released today. It shows the proportion of global energy consumption that comes from carbon-free sources. The proportion of carbon-free energy consumption is a far more important metric of progress with respect to the challenge of stabilizing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere than looking at carbon dioxide emissions. The reason for this is that emissions are a consequence of energy consumption, and the way that we influence emissions is through energy technologies and their use in the ec...more »
Hopeless
Imagine a friend or a loved one with a debilitating disease. It's going to kill them one day, but nobody can say when exactly. It could be a month, it could be years from now. In the meantime, they're wracked with excrutiating pain and the slow degeneration of their body's functioning. They're either whacked on sedatives that reduce their pain to a constant, throbbing ache, or they're gritting their teeth in a hopeless frenzy. No dignified suffering. No lessons on living to impart to those around them. Just a hopeless waste of a life. That's kind of the level of futility I feel watc... more »
UKRAINE WANTS 'SPECIAL DEAL' ON RUSSIAN GAS
The Kiev puppet government doesn't want to pay the $4.5 billion they previously owe for Russian natural gas. On top of that Kiev wants a special price that is lower than anyone else pays. Do they think we are just plain stupid? Presently we see the US-EU backed Kiev regime killing their own citizens in the east (they shot 100 men just two days ago), they've been dropping phosphorus bombs on them, attacking the Russian embassy in Kiev, and then they EXPECT Russia to forgive their gas debts and give them a reduced price. Fa-get-about-it! This is all a public relations ccampaign... more »
Shenna Bellows: A Fighting Chance
As you may have guessed, I'm really enjoying Elizabeth Warren's new book, A Fighting Chance and hope you're either reading it too or will soon. The book makes it so clear why we're progressives and not garden variety partisans on either side of the aisle. This morning, I thought I'd share a couple of paragraphs from the book with you. We pick it up just at the time we first met her, when she was deciding whether or not to run for the Massachusetts Senate seat then occupied by Wall Street's favorite-- and best funded-- senator, Scott Brown. She describes a scene on a Boston subway ... more »
Untitled
*Obama’s Approach to Student Loans Hurts Millennials* The job market and student loan debt had lawmakers waxing philosophical at today’s Conversations with Conservatives event on Capitol Hill. “When I graduated from undergrad, I had a degree in Spanish literature and a minor in philosophy. I knew I wasn’t going to get a job,” Rep. Raúl Labrador, R-Idaho, said. In fact, he joked, “I was not marketable at all, so I had to run for Congress.” Actually, the Idaho Republican recalled, he paid his way through college and law school, taking multiple jobs to afford the cost of higher educ... more »
Self-Publish And Be Dammed?
We read today of rise of self-publishing and the claims that ‘Self-publishing boom lifts sales by 79% in a year’ made by industry analysts Neilson and published in the Guardian. Steve Bohme, Research Director at Nielsen, claims that of the 80 million ebooks sold in the UK at a value of some £300 million, 18 million were self-published at an average price of £1. So whilst the volume of self-publishing was a little under 25% of the UK ebook market the value of the sales was only half that at some 12%. There are many questions about these and other self-publishing statistics. How m... more »
Collateral effects of Iraq Insurrection ( June 16 , 2014 ) .... Iran sits in catbird seat - US militants, says official Washington wants direct dialogue with Tehran to prepares for talks with Iran to stop Iraq tackle insurgency threatening Baghdad, says government source ( Note out pleas to Iran come in the context of the ongoing P5 +1 Nuclear Talks with continue today ! ) Any contribution Turkey could make to halt advance of Iraq Opposition / Insurgents / ISIS aka ISIL checked by continuing hostage situation..... Saudis weigh in on Iraq ( reject foreign interference in internal affairs of Iraq - message to Iran as well as US ? Saudis blame exclusionary/ sectarian policies of Iraq Government as causing present problems ! )
US now going hat in hand to Iran ? http://www.theguardian.com/world/middle-east-live/2014/jun/16/iraq-crisis-us-could-team-up-with-iran-live-updates 1h 58m ago Iranian officials are due to enter talks on its nuclear programme with world powers, including the US, in Vienna today. There is a widespread expectation that the talks will be used to discuss possible US-Iran cooperation in Iraq. US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, who held secret nuclear talks with Iran in 2013, was due in Vienna, as was Iraian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, AFP reports. Reuters point out... more »
Geldof Terror Cadre Publish Threats on J.K. Rowling in Full-Page National Ads
*Familes Need Fathers is to Fathers4Justice as Sinn Fein is to the Provisonal IRA.* *Father 4 Justice is an Anti-Woman Domestic Terror Organisation.* *Familes Need Fathers is their Political Wing.* *Bob Geldof KBE has firm and proven ties to both groups, produced documentaries attacking mothers and women in general that downplay genuine and valid legal concerns about child protection and safeguarding, and is known to have been a major donor in the past.* *Both groups will say they are unaffiliated with one another, but this is a lie.* *Their monthly newsletter, McKennzie has over... more »
“Click, Clack, Moo”: Why the 1% Always Wins
“Click, Clack, Moo”: Why the 1% Always Wins. via “Click, Clack, Moo”: Why the 1% Always Wins.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical
There Is Much At Stake
Kathleen Wynne's victory, Murray Dobbins writes, offers hope -- not just to Ontario, but to the rest of Canada: While the right's hardliners may be lighting their hair on fire, citizens on the other hand may actually get to see what governments used to be like. There is, of course, still a possibility that Wynne will renege on these pledges as Liberals have done historically. But just imagine if she does deliver with the most progressive budget in Canada in 20 years. It could have huge implications for politics at all levels. For forty years the Right has pumped the message that... more »
Crossing the Pond
The history of American English usage marks the most recent, and in some ways the most dramatic set of changes in English since the days of Chaucer and Shakespeare. And yet, in this change, there was no single author, no single literary or political influence to credit, or blame; like the United States itself it was a patchwork affair, arrived at by degrees and with contributions from both immigrants and indigenous peoples over a period of more than four hundred years. There is, however, one name that is often linked to some of the key changes in spelling and usage which made Amer... more »
Global Equity Ponzi scheme ? ( June 16 , 2014 ) -- The FT reports "a cluster of central banking investors has become major players on world equity markets." The report, to be published this week by the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum (OMFIF), confirms $29.1tn in market investments, held by 400 public sector institutions in 162 countries...... How to keep the ponzi going ? Herd investors out of bond funds by threatening ( and thereafter imposing ) Gates ? BTW , is there any implication here that bank accounts also could be gated ????? Apart from Central banks , stock buybacks appear to be other major leg of great ponzi scheme stool -- According to the most recent CapitalIQ data, the single biggest buyer of stocks in the first quarter were none other than the companies of the S&P500 itself, which cumulatively repurchased a whopping $160 billion of their own stock in the first quarter !
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-06-16/fed-prepares-bond-fund-runs-looking-imposing-bond-exit-fees-gates Fed Prepares For Bond-Fund Runs, Looking At Imposing "Exit Fee" Gates [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 06/16/2014 15:36 -0400 - B+ - Bond - Fail - Federal Reserve - Lehman - Momo - Reality - recovery - Securities and Exchange Commission - Shadow Banking inShare8 It was two short years ago that the Fed, in its relentless attempt to push everyone into the biggest equity bubble of all time, did something... more »
Ukraine Prime Minister "Yats" Invokes Nazi Rhetoric
While Americans who are dependent on the corrupt state-corporate media fail to understand anything that is really going on in Ukraine, such as their tax dollars being used to support murdering neo-Nazi militias the mask slipped a bit in the aftermath of the shooting down of a Kiev junta military aircraft. The plane, ferrying military troops to the east for the ongoing ethnic cleansing operations sanctioned by the Obama-Kerry-Nuland dream team with a domestic media blackout to keep the war crimes hidden from the American people was taken out by an anti-aircraft missile outside of L... more »
Ontario Election - the dangers of overselling
Advocates learn early that it makes sense to underplay their case. Clients don't like that – they tend to want their lawyer to take an extreme position – but the reality is that taking an extreme position impresses the client but turns off the judge (and it's the judge who makes the decision). I thought of this last night when it became clear that Ontario was returning a Liberal majority government. The election was there for Tim Hudak; candidly if he had gone around the province smiling and referring to his family and little else my sense is the election would have been v... more »
Mike's Story Part 52 - Rosebud
*By **Jenna** Orkin* Citizen Kane is the story of a newspaper magnate who, while publishing a rag that was the diametric antithesis of FTW, bore some superficial resemblance to Mike. The film's director, the legendary Orson Welles, said, "Kane was selfish and selfless, an idealist, a scoundrel, a very big man and a very little one. It depends on who's talking about him ." Kane dies uttering the mysterious word, "rosebud." In the belief that uncovering the meaning of the word will provide an "open sesame" to the man's life, the editor of a news digest sets out to intervie... more »
Close-In Warfare System on INS Vikramaditya next
[image: Shitil missile]As euphoria over the newly inducted aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya settles down, it is the time for the Navy to equip the warship with two sets of weapons and missile systems. INS Vikramaditya does not have the Close-In Warfare System (CIWS) and the long range missile firing capability that can pick out targets up to 100 km. The CIWS is slated to be fitted in April-June 2015 at the Karwar naval base. Sources say the Navy is looking at two options, either the Israeli Barak or the Russian Shitil missiles. Read more
What People Are Saying about Hoosier School Heist after the Dance Circus
By Doug Martin As I come off of my buzz from speaking to over 700 people as Dance Circus Ringmaster for the Nancy Sauer School of Theatrical Dancing's 60th Anniversary performances in Indiana (check out a few photos here: it was a great way to get the word out about corporate ed. reform to parents) and prepare for my talk at the IUPUI-Indiana Urban Schools Association's summer conference this week, I want to give readers an overview of my book *Hoosier School Heist* and what people have been saying about the book. So, here it is, below this lovely pic of me with the circus dancers... more »
Missile Ejection Test Ahead of Agni-V's Canister Launch
[image: AGNI V ICBM]Scientists carried out a canister-based launch of a 50-tonne dummy missile in a simulated environment at an undisclosed facility near Hyderabad on Saturday. Sources confirmed to Express that the exercise, termed as MET-2 (Missile Ejection Test), was the second in a series conducted in the last six months. The successful result of MET-2 has given confidence to Defence Research and Development Organisation( DRDO) scientists to go ahead with the critical canister launch of 5,000 km-plus range nuclear-capable Inter Continental Ballistic Missile(ICBM) Agni-V later th... more »
Find Solitude & Strength.......by M.N. Hopkins
*Find solitude and find strength in the knowing that soon a new day dawns and you will be a part of the coming about of this new way of living.* M.N. Hopkins
The Roundup And Infertility Connection
[image: Foto: MONSANTO'S ROUNDUP IS LINKED TO MALE INFERTILITY. Study: Roundup Disrupted Male Reproductive Functions By Triggering Calcium-Mediated Cell Death In Rat Testis And Sertoli Cells. READ: http://sustainablepulse.com/2013/07/18/monsantos-roundup-to-blame-for-worldwide-male-infertility-crisis/ LINK TO STUDY: http://gmoevidence.com/dr-cattani-roundup-causes-infertility-in-rats/ #roundup #monsanto #glyphosate #herbicide #pesticides #infertility #MaleInfertility #SertoliCellDisruption #SertoliCellDeath #gmofreecanada #gmofreeusa] MONSANTO'S ROUNDUP IS LINKED TO MALE INFERTILI... more »
Untitled
*‘ZERO TOLERANCE’ RE-ENABLES SEGREGATION – ‘EDUCATORS’ NOTWITHSTANDING * Faced with Black mayhem in American schools, ‘zero tolerance’ [of bad behaviour] policies had been introduced in some areas, resulting in Black delinquents being consigned to ‘sin bin’ schools and, inevitably, in subsequent White Marxoid complaints that such policies were ‘racist.’ But a 2014 study in the Journal of Criminal Justice by criminologists like John Paul Wright found that racial disparities in student discipline resulted from more frequent misbehaviour by Blacks, not racism. The study, “Prior Proble...more »
@Wotsit4 update
Over the weekend @Wotsit4 seemingly revealed some of his true nature. One tweet referring to 'Jew girls' and another blaming Mossad for 9/11. He tried to excuse the former by claiming lack of space, have a look at the original tweet, what do you think? When pressed regarding the latter tweet, with me pointing out that Al Qaeda were happy to claim responsibility/credit for 9/11, not a word came back. I don't normally stop engaging with offensive idiots on Twitter but @Wotsit4 has already admitted that he just enjoys winding me up and I see no reason to let him carry on trying. In add...more »
Norway goes four-for-four with Raytheon's NASAMS
[image: NASAMS AMRAAM]The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) successfully fired four Raytheon Company Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) from a National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS). All four AMRAAMS intercepted their airborne targets during the annual live fire exercise at the Andoya Rocket Range in Northern Norway. "NASAMS has proven its capability year after year. The success rate of the extensive tests and tactical live fire programs has been over 90 percent against a variety of targets and profiles in challenging scenarios," said Ralph Acaba, v... more »
Japan to equip E China Sea unit with anti-ship missiles
[image: Type 12 anti ship missile]Facing the potential expansion of China's maritime presence in the East China Sea, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force plans to equip its unit near the southwestern island of Kyushu with the country's most advanced Type 12 surface-to-ship missile by 2016, reports the Tokyo-based Japan News Network (JNN). The JGSDF has already sent a batch of Type 88 anti-ship missiles to Miyako Island's Port of Hirara on June 6. Miyako is part of Japan's Okinawa prefecture and the closest to the disputed Diaoyutai islands (Senkaku to Japan, Diaoyu to China) in the E... more »
Sabine began to understand the incompatibility of discrete physics with relativity
Several years ago, the writers of The Big Bang Theory, the sitcom, may have been inspired by Sabine Hossenfelder when they ordered Leslie Winkle to present a ludicrous anti-string rant defending loop quantum gravity in front of Sheldon Cooper. The episode S02E02 was actually the first one I ever watched because of that exchange. Winkle would say the very same things as her real-world subpar physics counterparts. Things like "loop quantum gravity" are predictive and it's so great that they predict that the speed of light depends on the frequency due to the discrete character of the ... more »
$40-billion missile defense system proves unreliable
[image: Ground-based Midcourse Defense]With a convulsive rumble, followed by billowing flames and exhaust, a sleek 60-foot rocket emerged from its silo at California's Vandenberg Air Force Base. It was a test of the backbone of the nation's missile defense system. If North Korea or Iran ever launched nuclear weapons against the United States, the interceptors at Vandenberg and remote Ft. Greely, Alaska, would be called on to destroy the incoming warheads. Scientists conducting the test at Vandenberg on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010, had left little to chance. They knew exactly when the targ... more »
“7 Odious Right-Wing Statements This Week: The Ignorant Bash Gays in Even New Ways Edition”
*“7 Odious Right-Wing Statements This Week:* * The Ignorant Bash Gays in Even New Ways Edition”* By Janet Allon *“1. Rick Perry: Homosexuality = alcoholism. Same thing. *The Texas GOP unveiled an all-out crazy platform this week, which includes climate denialism, appointment rather than election of senators, and a repeal of the state’s hate-crimes law. It also includes support for reparative therapy and treatment to patients who are seeking escape from the homosexual lifestyle, which has, of course been completely discredited. Asked what he thought of the inclusion of “gay cure ther... more »
Pentagon temporarily grounds F-35 fighter jets
[image: F-35B Lightning II]The US military temporarily grounded its entire F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet fleet at the weekend after an apparent engine oil leak, the latest glitch for the much-vaunted program. Joint Strike Fighter program officials described Friday's move as "prudent action" and most the F-35s were back on line the next day after inspections, the latest in a series of technical problems and delays that have bogged down the costliest weapons program in Pentagon history. It came after a pilot was alerted to an engine oil problem while in flight on Tuesday and landed sa... more »
Meet the Corps' new drone killers: Humvee mounted lasers
[image: Humvee mounted laser]Naval researchers are working to provide Marines a vehicle-mounted laser that can zap unmanned aerial vehicles out of the sky. The program, lead by the Office of Naval Research, aims to protect ground units by bringing the technology already proven aboard Navy ships to Marine Corps Humvees and Joint Light Tactical Vehicles. “The Ground-Based Air Defense Directed Energy On-the-Move Program, commonly referred to as GBAD, aims to provide an affordable alternative to traditional firepower to keep enemy unmanned aerial vehicles from tracking and targeting Ma... more »
Windows 8.1, shape writing etc.
Last night, I wasn't sufficiently exhausted by the usual Sunday floorball match and card games so I decided to upgrade my Lumia 520 to Windows Phone 8.1 preview for developers. You register yourself as a developer and then "check for updates" offers you these beta updates, too. You can't return to 8.0 and may void some warranties. But you will be upgraded to the final version of Windows Phone 8.1 when it's out. The upgrade process was free of any glitches (you shouldn't try to interrupt the process by taking pictures etc.! Be sure that you don't run out of the battery in the middle!)... more »
NATO says not to blame for planes vanishing from radar
[image: E-3A Sentry]NATO said on Sunday it was not to blame for recent incidents in which dozens of aircraft briefly vanished from air traffic control radar screens in Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Slovak state Air Traffic Services company said on Friday that the brief disappearance of planes from radar screens on June 5 and 10 was connected to a military exercise whose goal was "the interruption of radio communication frequencies." It did not identify the military force organising the exercise, but Austrian media said it was NATO. Read more
Untitled
*Wow! No wonder the ecofascists fired him* *Prof Caleb Rossiter is a sincere Leftist. He really does want to help the poor -- particularly in Africa. So the ecofascist determination to reduce EVERYONE'S living standards disgusts him. And it disgusts him most of all because it has only pseudo-science behind it. Below he gives a comprehensive demolition of the whole of Warmism* The Debate is finally over on “Global Warming” – Because Nobody will Debate I am deserting from the Climate War. I will never write another climate article or give another climate talk, and I’ll bite ... more »
US aircraft carrier welcomes PLA aboard, seeks return invite
[image: C-2 Greyhound]The US Navy today welcomed four members of China's military aboard one of its aircraft carriers -- and said it hoped to receive a return invite someday. The four People's Liberation Army members were among guests flown by a C-2 Greyhound aircraft to the USS George Washington for a "VIP visit" before it berths tomorrow off Hong Kong on a routine call. Tensions are high in the South China Sea and East China Sea as Beijing asserts its sovereignty over reefs and islands also claimed by US allies such as Japan and the Philippines. Read more
N. Korean leader inspects navy submarine unit
[image: Kim Jong-un]North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected a navy submarine unit, and stressed the need to raise combat preparations and underwater operation capability, the country's official news wire reported Monday. During Kim's visit to the Korean People's Army's Naval Unit 167, Kim inspected "various indoor trainings including the drill for launching torpedoes at the underwater comprehensive training room," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in an English-language dispatch. Kim also toured submarine No. 748 and guided a navy drill aboard the vessel, while also teac... more »
The Navy's top secret submarine base in land-locked IDAHO where its new stealth technology
The U.S. Navy's submarine bases are some of the most high-security installations in the world, but one of the most important is located at a lake in landlocked Idaho. The Navy's Acoustic Research Detachment (ARD) at Bayview, Idaho, has supported every major submarine design development of the last 65 years. Although located some 375 miles from the ocean, it has been called ‘the U.S. Submarine force's most important body of water" by Admiral Edmund Giambastiani, who once headed the Navy's submarine warfare group. Read more
Asian paleo pioneers - twenty thousand years of missing American Settlement chronology?
in the Settlement of the Americas, there appears to be a gap in the immigration chronology of twenty thousand years. *The first is the short chronology theory, with the first movement (across the Beringia land bridge) beyond Alaska into the New World occurring no earlier than 15,000–17,000 years ago, followed by successive waves of immigrants. The second belief is the long chronology theory, which proposes that the first group of people entered the hemisphere at a much earlier date, possibly 21,000–40,000 years ago, with a much later mass secondary wave of immigrants.* [sourc... more »
Happy Bloomsday! (Great Day for Irish Bar Tour) Fracking Limits and Costs Revealed, The Propaganda of the Known and Unknown Wars Coming Home To Roost
Happy Bloomsday! Lift one for yours truly. NotionsCapital has the details, but you can read the whole book (Ulysses) and intro/reintroduce yourself to Stephen Daedalus and the gang here. “The Only Bloomsday Sentences You Will Ever Need to Know,” Margret Soltan, University Diaries (part two is here) However, when getting back to pressing present day concerns after that bout of cheer . . .
METRO | Mariann G. Wizard : Fragmented planning in Southeast Austin? Or worse?
I can almost visualize oversized, faux luxurious, slapdash-built ‘mixed-use’ towers, perhaps rising already in blueprint form. By Mariann G. Wizard | The Rag Blog | June 16, 2014 SOUTHEAST AUSTIN — More and more the City of Austin’s planning processes … finish reading *METRO* | Mariann G. Wizard : Fragmented planning in Southeast Austin? Or worse?
Republican Civil War Devastates One Party Politics In Red, Red Idaho-- Bad News For Labrador
Earlier today we poked around a little in the silliness around the House Republicans quest for an Eric Cantor replacement, a very key job in their obstructionist m.o. We thought the absurdity of Idaho libertarian Raúl Labrador would be the best palate cleanser after Cantor… but not one with even the vaguest of chances to beat the Kevin McCarthy wind-up doll. And whatever chance he may have had-- say one in ten thousand-- was further reduced as reports are an eruption of full scale civil war in Moscow leaked out today. Moscow, Idaho-- the site of this year's Idaho Republican Party ... more »
The Other Fighting Force That Took Mosul - Army of the Men of the Naqshbandi Order
“We were betrayed by our own captains and commanders. When we realised they had all left, we changed our uniforms for plains clothes and followed suit,” the 35-year-old told IPS while he queued in Erbil for a flight ticket to Baghdad. Salem had served in Mosul for over three years and, as most of the soldiers deployed in Iraq´s predominantly Sunni west, he is also Shiite. He said he could not figure out whether the attackers were ISIS fighters or local Sunni militants. “Why should I bother to defend a community that hates us?” added the former soldier from Samawa – 260 km southea... more »
Ukraine natural gas talks end without resolutions ( June 15 - 16 , 2014 ) -- Russia getting ready for whatever comes next after the 2 AM deadline passes ! As the 2amET gas-cut-off deadline looms, it appears Putin is mobilizing a significant force ahead of what will likely mean retaliatory actions by either Ukraine military forces or Ukraine militants. As InfoResist reports, up to 200 units are moving towards Ukraine from Kaluga and in the Rostov region, Russia
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-06-15/convoys-russian-tanks-heading-ukraine-border-ahead-2amet-deadline Convoys Of Russian Tanks Heading For Ukraine Border Ahead Of 2amET Deadline [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 06/15/2014 21:52 -0400 - Ukraine inShare1 As the 'negotiations' between Europe, Ukraine, and Russia were taking place this afternoon, technically unconfirmed reports of convoys of Russian military vehicles moving towards the Ukraine border were growing. As the *2amET gas-cut-off deadline looms*, it appears Putin is mobilizing a significa... more »
Musical Interlude: Moody Blues, “Land of Make-Believe”
Moody Blues, “Land of Make-Believe” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E32Nvlb8p98
Chet Raymo, “Stretching The Imagination”
*“Stretching The Imagination”* by Chet Raymo *“Professor, that stuff you spoke of in class this morning- about the beginning of the universe..."* Yes? *"Well, you know how you said that the universe began 14 billion years ago as an infinitely small point...?"* Yes, that appears to be the case. An explosion from a point of infinite energy. Space and time expanding from nothing. Matter coalescing from cooling radiation. Stars, galaxies... *"To tell the truth, I'm having a hard time believing it. I mean, the idea that everything that exists today, the billions and billions of galaxi... more »
"For This Is What We do..."
“For this is what we do. Put one foot forward and then the other. Lift our eyes to the snarl and smile of the world once more. Think. Act. Feel. Add our little consequence to the tides of good and evil that flood and drain the world. Drag our shadowed crosses into the hope of another night. Push our brave hearts into the promise of a new day. With love: the passionate search for truth other than our own. With longing: the pure, ineffable yearning to be saved. For so long as fate keeps waiting, we live on. God help us. God forgive us. We live on.” - Gregory David Roberts, “Shantaram”
The Poet: William Stafford"You Reading This, Be Ready"
*"You Reading This, Be Ready"* by William Stafford "Starting here, what do you want to remember? How sunlight creeps along a shining floor? What scent of old wood hovers, what softened sound from outside fills the air? Will you ever bring a better gift for the world than the breathing respect that you carry wherever you go right now? Are you waiting for time to show you some better thoughts? When you turn around, starting here, lift this new glimpse that you found; carry into evening all that you want from this day. This interval you spent reading or hearing this, keep it for life. Wha... more »
"Who Are You? How Do You Know?"
"Go without a coat when it's cold; find out what cold is. Go hungry; keep your existence lean. Wear away the fat, get down to the lean tissue and see what it's all about. The only time you define your character is when you go without. In times of hardship, you find out what you're made of and what you're capable of. If you're never tested, you'll never define your character." - Henry Rollins
Syria Update June 13 , 2014 ( and also the regional implications touching upon Jordan , Lebanon , Turkey , Israel and Iraq ) ...... The height of irony is that the Western sponsored war against Assad has morphed into the rise of ISIS / ISIL - at risk is not just targeted Syria , but Iraq , Jordan , Lebanon and note Israel getting worried also !
Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
http://syriadirect.org/rss/1435-syria-direct-news-update-6-12-2014 SYRIA DIRECT: NEWS UPDATE 6-12-2014 inShare *ISIS poised to take Deir e-Zor* The Syrian army shelled the opposition-held neighborhood in Deir e-Zor city on Thursday, as the three-front battle between Jabhat a-Nusra-led rebels, the Syrian regime and the Islamic State of Iraq and a-Sham (ISIS) for the eastern, oil-rich province drags into its third month. Pro-opposition news site Zaman al-Wasl cited rebel fears the group would be empowered inside Syria amidst the Islamic State in Iraq and a-Sham’s (ISIS) Tuesday capture... more »
NYT Finally Gets another Education Reporter who Gets It
Common Core, in 9-Year-Old Eyes By JAVIER C. HERNÁNDEZJUNE 14, 2014 *On that April day, Chrispin was determined. As one of the smallest children in the fourth grade, he had grown accustomed to being underestimated. With the right luck, he thought, he would earn high marks when test scores came back in August. “If I don’t pass the test,” he said, “I will feel miserable and never come out of my room.”* This is our education policy. It finally made it to the front page of the Sunday *New York Times. *Even my daughter who works on health care policy in Washington, DC noticed that Common... more »
Paulo Coelho, “Convention For Those Wounded In Love”
*“Convention For Those Wounded In Love”* by Paulo Coelho *“General Provisions:* *A* – Whereas the saying “all is fair in love and war” is absolutely correct; *B* – Whereas for war we have the Geneva Convention, approved on 22 August 1864, which provides for those wounded in the battlefield, but until now no convention has been signed concerning those wounded in love, who are far greater in number; It is hereby decreed that: *Article 1* – All lovers, of any sex, are alerted that love, besides being a blessing, is also something extremely dangerous, unpredictable and capable of ca... more »
Bob Feldman : People’s History of Egypt, Epilogue/Update, Section 1, February-October 2013
Millions of Egyptians take to the streets and military deposes Morsi; El-Sisi initiates brutal counterrevolution. By Bob Feldman | The Rag Blog | June 15, 2014 [With all the dramatic activity in Egypt, Bob Feldman's Rag Blog "people's history" series, … finish reading Bob Feldman : People’s History of Egypt, Epilogue/Update, Section 1, February-October 2013
Middle East Peace Envoy Tony Blair
*These people don't go away. Ever.* *Middle East Peace Enoy Tony Blair takes stock in Gaza. * *They appear to be running low.* *ANDREW MARR: * "Nevertheless, reading your essay a lot of people will conclude that you believe that Britain, as well as America, ought in effect to go to war in Syria to help topple Assad as a question of urgency. Is that what you’re saying? *MIDDLE EAST PEACE ENVOY TONY BLAIR: * "*We* don’t need to go back to war in the way that *we were**(1)* in Iraq or in Afghanistan, and I think we’ve got to in a way stop believing that the only alternatives are ... more »
Mass Executions of Iraqi Soldiers And Moderate Sunni Clerics By ISIL
* Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki's quote about the war in Syria (date unknown): "I wish Syria unrest won't impact security in Iraq." If wishes were horses. . .* Maliki is an easy figure to hate, especially in these new circumstances. He has not been a good leader. He is a petty, small-minded man who keeps files on his political enemies. He does not deserve to rule Iraq. He should be out of office. But he is right about one thing, and that is the irresponsible support for what are genocidal Jihadist terrorists by the regimes in Saudi Arabia and Qatar must end. Obviously, behind-the-sc... more »
Piss Off, Grant.
It’s starting to look as if Grant Dalton is well-named, because he’s after another one. A grant. A handout. A reach-around from taxpayer to pocket -- the pocket being his and his colleagues, the lever to extract the dosh being the fear “we” may not have another America’s Cup challenge. Without an immediate cash injection the syndicate are, in the words of boss Grant Dalton, "gone by the end of the month." And if Mr Dalton is looking nowhere else than the dwindling resources of the taxpayer for that injection (and the statement is made in the context of approaching the government y... more »
Know Your Enemies - They have names and faces and can be confronted
The whole of Europe is under attack; not just the European homeland, but overseas Europe too. We are faced with such a concerted attack that it can become demoralising. However, what we need to remember is that our enemies are just people; people with names, faces, places of work; people who can - and must - be confronted. We often think of our enemies as the heads of financial and political institutions; people who are protected day-and-night from the grim reality they have created for the rest of us. There are bankers in their gated communities and MPs, MEPs etc who pontificate... more »
Crisis in Iraq
The Iraqi society is in a very chaotic situation politically, socially, and economically. This havoc is the result of the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. Furthermore, the type of democracy, which emerged with the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq in 2011, led to the rise of sectarianism under the leadership of Prime Minister Al-Maliki, who is a tool in the hands of Iranian politicians. Prime minister Al-Maliki turned out to be an authoritarian dictator targeting senior Sunni politicians by jailing some and killing others. Furthermore, he directed his Shia militia groups t... more »
What would John M. Keynes say about John N. Key?
*“The ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed the world is ruled by little else. Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist…”* -John Maynard Keynes If you’ve ever wondered what ails your Prime Minister economically – extreme economic micro-management; picking winners losers; borrow-and-spend; emissions trading scams; the institutionalisation of cronyism; the idea that a na... more »
Should I buy a 4K TV?
The clear answer is no. The problem is 4K content is only available as a 50GB download or streaming at 20MPS. Therefore unless you can crack those nuts stay on the sidelines until things get sorted out. From 10 feet away very few can tell 4K from 1080p, from 15 feet from 720p. You can buy two fantastic 1080p sets for the price of most 4K at the same screen size. Buy a normal TV and build up your Blu Ray collection. Also be sure to buy an Oppo Blu Ray player with Darbee
The Iraq Debacle
It's been a week of political mistakes, but the horrendous crisis now unfolding in Iraq is less *faux pas* and more unmitigated catastrophe. The only thing that surprises about the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) militia pouring from fractured Syria into the north of the country is that it has take so long. Having been fought to a stand still by Assad's forces, why not take the road of least resistance and invade the weak, unstable neighbour? Depressingly, yet predictably, this Islamist incursion is getting read as confirmation of one's stance on Iraq. Stop the War says ... more »
Negative Campaigns Can Hurt-- The Perpetrators
Leave it to EMILY's List to find the most negative candidates anywhere You know what Democratic primary voters don't like? They don't like negativity against other Democrats. No one minds going negative on Republicans, but sizable numbers of Democrats recoil when Democrats attack other Democrats, especially when they attack women. This has been a career-killing problem for former Republican Wendy Greuel, who seems to have picked up a Rovian strategy of sliming her opponents during her 13 or 14 years as a registered Republican. If her vicious attacks on the well-liked Jan Perry and Er... more »
COPD - Man Uses Cannabis Oil to Successfully Treat Another Incurable Disease
*NATURAL SOCIETY* *by* Paul Fassa *June 15th, 2014* COPD, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, ranks third in disease death rates, behind only heart disease and cancer. COPD creates constricted airways in one’s lungs or renders small lung sacks within inelastic and unable to fully accommodate breathing cycles, thus the lungs are obstructed. *The pharmaceuticals prescribed for treating symptoms often have side effects that cause more problems, so maybe it’s time to shed light on alternative solutions – marijuana.* Maybe It’s Medical Marijuana Time?The treatment situation is so b... more »
Catching up, falling behind
As you may have noticed, this hasn't been a particularly busy week of blogging here at *Is the BBC biased?*. It's not that there's been nothing to write about, rather the reverse: There's been far too much to write about. For starters, there's the news from Iraq, where a small band of medieval-minded Muslim fanatics have attempted to seize control of the Iraqi Midlands, and there's the news from England, where a small band of medieval-minded Muslim fanatics have attempted to seize control of the country's second city. On the Iraq story, I'm not going to be disingenuous here. I ... more »
The Secret City. (Oak Ridge, Tennessee) History, Facts and Pictures, Including First Nuclear Reactor Ever.
What I learned and saw during my Secret City tours. Oak Ridge Tennessee has the 'Secret City' Festival every year that is a Friday and Saturday. On the Friday is the one day a year that the public can view and tour the Y12 Facilities, X10 now called ORNL - Oak Ridge National Laboratories and the K25 areas. You have to be a U.S. citizen and it is only a one day event of tours. My
Glasgow School of Art -- Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Glasgow School of Art of (designed 1906-7; completed 1909) was one of the twentieth Century's first true architectural masterpieces. Mackintosh designed it at the age of just twenty-eight. That's a model (above) of the completed building, and a glimpse of the West facade (below). I was devastated to discover over the weekend that the masterpiece by architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, his Glasgow School of Art, was destroyed by fire last week. [image: Restoration is Definite for Glasgow School of Art] The shell remains, but rooms are ravaged – and t... more »
12 Types of Procrastinators
There are many kinds of procrastinator. Which one are you? Me, I’m a bunch of these: a Panicker, a Perpetuator, a Gamer and (mostly) a Sidetracker. But not a cleaner. The windows are always safe around me when I’m working. [Hat tip Noodle Food] Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
WHOA!! Happy Father's Day!
P.S.... Thwap? It's a jungle out here. Miss me? I miss you. All. lali.
Beaver weekend
This beaver hasn't died yet but he sure is busy. Life seems to be getting in the way of fun things like posting snarky articles and comments around the innerwebs. Now where was I.... Don't you just love it when the government causes a problem then tries to blame somebody else? Such is the case with Iraq. Roll back through history a bit and we find that the U.S. helped Saddam gain power. We even supplied him with weapons to fight Iran in the 80s. Ah yes Iran another of our success stories where we forced out a democratically elected leader and installed the Shah a brutal dictator n... more »
Senator Lindsey Graham Plays the 9/11 Card on Sunday Morning TV
The neocons wasted no time in exploiting the escalating violence in Iraq (no mention that they are responsible for the whole fiasco in the first place) in rolling out the big guns on the Sunday morning propaganda shows. Senator Lindsey Graham, fresh off of his primary win in the Palmetto State slithered out on CBS's Face the Nation to engage in the very fearmongering and lies that keep the war machine permanently set on kill and the machinery of the national surveillance state humming along. Graham is a disgrace to America and a loose cannon with the type of ideas that get people k... more »
Republican Civil War Turning To Cannibalism?
*DWT* is for Raul Labrador Angry right-wing populists struck out blindly against Eric Cantor last week-- and scored a knockout. But to the victors do not go the spoils, not Inside-the-Beltway. David Brat will become a largely ignored, probably short-term, backbencher; he will *not* become Majority Leader. Nor will any teabagger who celebrated Cantor's political demise. They won't even have a say in who replaces Cantor. Next in line in Boehnerland is the #3-ranking Republican, Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). A couple of ambitious standrad-issue GOP politicians-- Jeff Sessions, Jim Jordan, Jeb ... more »
THE EUROPE DEBATE
Critical comments inside the German Bundestag by Dr. Sahra Wagenknecht from Die Linke (Left Party). She speaks passionately about the growing economic disparity across Europe and the unraveling situation in Ukraine. Wagenknecht denounces the German-US policy that supports fascists and oligarchs there. She calls on German Chancellor Merkel to "free herself" from the US program of endless war.
Michael James : Gifts from the Great Spirit, tripping in NOLA, leaping forward & following a rainbow, 1975-’77
As the rain poured down and we cradled ourselves in the palm of a giant southern oak, Katy and I shook hands and committed to giving this restaurant thing a try. By Michael James | The Rag Blog | June … finish reading Michael James : Gifts from the Great Spirit, tripping in NOLA, leaping forward & following a rainbow, 1975-’77
How America Was Lost: A Chronicle of Our Decline
*“The further a society drifts from truth the more it will hate those who speak it.”* *-George Orwell* I just picked up a copy of the new book by Paul Craig Roberts “How America Was Lost” and must say that it is an impressive chronicle of the decline of what was once at least theoretically a free country into a sucking black hole of fascism, corruption and the moral abrogation that has made it all possible. Dr. Roberts, a former assistant Treasury Secretary in the Reagan administration, associate Editor at the pre-Murdoch Wall Street Journal and a prolific columnist calls it as he... more »
walk - Bath skyline - six miles
yesterday, we went for a walk. Got on a train. Got off at Didcot. Got on a second train. Got off at Bath. Walked the Bath skyline route. Picnic'd. Meandered. Chatted. Lovely warm day. Nice locals. Couple hours out in the countryside. Came home. Here are some other images from our route (non animated).
Hal Yang Dilarang Pada ketika Persiapan Kehamilan
ada beberapa hal yang enggak boleh dilakukan selama struktur persiapan kehamilan , karena hal ini bisa berakibat fatal jika dilakukan imbas orang yang sedang hamil ini jauh lebih rawan dari pada orang biasa ,dan dampak itu kami disini ingin memberikan informasi mengenai beberapa hal yang sebaiknya engkau memerlukan hindari dan juga bahkan tidak boleh sederajat sekali dilakukan semala
We chose to Be here surrounded by Darkness to Find the Light.
We chose to come to the most Dark Place of the Universe to find the Light. We chose to be here. As hard as it is to be here right now, we all have to realize we chose this right now. It is ruled by darkness, we have to climb up and see the LIGHT! I found the following video in IN5D and the article about Free Will. When you are ready to Rise Up, You will. Wayseer Manifesto (I love
The BBC and fundamentalist Christians versus fundamentalist Muslims
As found on Biased-BBC comments 'loony fundamentalist Christians want to quote verses of the Bible at you while loony fundamentalist Muslims want to murder you. Only socialists and the bBBC think they are equivalent.' Pretty unarguable.
Galeri Foto Terbaru Modifikasi Motor Yamaha Mio Soul
Galeri Foto Terbaru Modifikasi Motor Yamaha Mio Soul - sekarang itu kite-kite akan membahas tulisan seputar modifikasi motor yang pada kans yang sebelumnya kami juga membahas artikel mobil, yang akan kami kupas kali ini diantaranya Model Modifikasi Yamaha Mio Soul Terupdate 2014. bagi sobat jenis yang ingin menonton informasinya silahkan ikuti artikel di bawah ini. Yamaha Mio Soul merupakan
Foto dan Gambar Mobil Toyota Corona Modifikasi Terbaru 2014
Foto dan Gambar Mobil Toyota Corona Modifikasi Terbaru 2014 - Toyota corona merupakan mobil kelas menengah yang dibuat oleh layanan otomotif toyota, dengan tahun produksi antara tahun 1957 hingga 2001. Mobil toyota corona yang sangat populer adalah dengan bentuk mobdy sedan, yang memiliki empat buah pintu. Untuk sebagian kalangan mobil ini mencakup mobil yang cukup sering dicari, karena mobil
Resep Minuman Es Campur Buka Puasa Ramadhan Menyegarkan
Resep Minuman Es Campur Buka Puasa Ramadhan Menyegarkan - Satu lagi minuman asal republik indonesia yang pastinya amat top di nikmati ketika cuaca hangat yaitu minuman dingin es campur, dimana minuman ini terdiri dari campuran berbagai karakteristik bahan, kemudian disiram menggunakan sirup yang indah. Adapun bahan yang biasa dipergunakan untuk membuat minuman ini diantaranya ialah roti, dawet,
Charles Darwin, Science and Society
Four and a half years ago, I attended this forum in UP Diliman. I was invited by a good friend, mathematician Fidel Nemenzo, who was then the Director I think, of the Science, Technology and Society (STS) program in UP, aside from being a Math Professor. Fidel rediscovered the Closing Remarks he gave that afternoon from his old files and sent it to me. Posting it below. It was a big audience. And... Ahaa! I also found this from my old files of photos. That day, I was seated next to my former boss, Prof. Randy David. In front of us were Dr. Raul Fabella (left) and Dr. Perry Ong (rig... more »
Iraq Updates June 13 , 2014 -- As ISIS continues its relentless push to Baghdad and the Iraq Army continues its pitiful cutting and running from battles ( Saadiyah and Jalawia fall to ISIS in the province of Diyala as security forces lay down weapons and leave their posts again ) , has Iraq turned into " Saving Prime Minister Maliki ( and Iran with its Qods forces and the US with a few drone strikes try to salvage what's left of the Maliki Government ( one without a functional Parliament ) ......... Kurds now have Kirkuk ( a long desired goal ) while Turkey has a mess on its hands with 80 hostages still held by ISIS ....
Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/13/obama-iraq-ultimatum-us-military-action ( Obama pours cold water on Iraqi hopes of quick US military actions..... ) President Barack Obama issued a stark ultimatum to Iraq’s leaders on Friday, making it clear that any US military action against advancing Islamic extremists was contingent upon Baghdad's commitment to resolving sectarian differences. The US president said he would decided "in the days ahead" whether to launch military strikes in Iraq to help halt the progress of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis), which has swe... more »
Professor Stephen Cohen, prominent US scholar of Russian studies and author who advised George H.W. Bush in the late 1980s, speaks to RT about the mistakes of consecutive American administrations in their Russia policies, leading to the worst crisis in decades and the deterioration of political discourse in America, which prevents things from changing in Washington.
------------------------------ Cohen on Ukraine civil war: ‘Lincoln didn’t call Confederates terrorists’ Published time: June 14, 2014 13:08 Historical analogies may be inaccurate, but Americans may need to look at their own civil war and compare it to what is happening in Ukraine now. Today the US supports a murderous criminal adventure that has little to do with unifying the country. This assessment came from Professor Stephen Cohen, prominent US scholar of Russian studies and author, who advised George H.W. Bush in the late 1980s. He spoke to RT about the mistakes of the consec... more »
Mike's Story Part 51 - The Enemy In My Bed
*By **Jenna** Orkin* * Mike to his psychiatrist, 2-27-07* * For several days now I have had less and less energy. Each day I have spent as much as an hour vibrating and shaking with rage on the bed as Jenna comforts me. I have been afraid to shower or shave. I did both after 2 PM today. I don't want to go out. We went out to shop a while ago and Jenna had a number of options (DVD, new sweater, health food, see a movie). I nixed the local movies and felt so weak I just came home after we bought some liqueur for Jenna and Scotch for me. [No, that wasn't what I'd meant by he... more »
Untitled
*Analysis: In minicamp, Saints were clicking on offense and defense ~Ramon Antonio Vargas, New Orleans Advocate* *I began to broach the issue with my father of my last wishes etc.* It took a second, since Pop was still under the impression that "this can't be happening in America".. that people wearing a uniform meant something and I just needed to go find them and get out of there.. that our country, his country.. well whateva... About that moment a NOPD car drove by full of BlackWater Mercenaries, all the windows gone with their little rifles sticking out, ball caps on jar heads...... more »
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