Muncie-indiana-ball-state (Photo credit: Wikipedia)John White’s PARCC Contract Problems
In January 2005, I bought a house in Muncie, Indiana, to remodel. It was
quite the adventure for a number of reasons, one of which was the creative
ways that the previous owner managed to dodge making structurally-sound
renovations. For example, the electrical system was in chaos. When the
electrician opened up the breaker box, […]
Ukraine Updates - June 18 - 19 , 2014 -- Reports: Ukraine to order unilateral truce President Poroshenko's move is part of broader plan to end crisis in separatist east, according to Russian media......... UN: 356 killed, incl 257 civilians, in E. Ukraine military campaign , Over 100 civilians killed, 200 injured in Kiev military op – Russia’s investigators ............ Russia to resume gas talks only after Ukraine repays debt — Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak states.....
Catharsis Ours - 41 minutes ago
Rebels Report ‘Heavy Losses’ as Ukraine Attacks Key Eastern TownUkraine
Drops Leaflets Ordering Civilians to Flee
by Jason Ditz, June 19, 2014
Print This | Share This
Ukrainian separatist rebels are reporting “heavy losses” today as the
nation’s military attacks the key Donetsk Oblast town of Krasny Liman,
along with several neighboring villages.
Details are scarce on the fighting, but the rebels report 20 Ukrainian
tanks along with other armored vehicles attacking the town. The rebels
claimed to have destroyed a single tank and have so far prevented an
advance into the town.
Ukraine... more »
"One Summer Night..."
*Click image for larger size.*
"One summer night, out on a flat headland, all but surrounded by the waters
of the bay, the horizons were remote and distant rims on the edge of space.
Millions of stars blazed in darkness, and on the far shore a few lights
burned in cottages. Otherwise there was no reminder of human life. My
companion and I were alone with the stars: the misty river of the Milky Way
flowing across the sky, the patterns of the constellations standing out
bright and clear, a blazing planet low on the horizon. It occurred to me
that if this were a sight that could be s... more »
Amazing Video: Agenda - Grinding America Down
It has been amazing to watch the once great United States of America
crumble before our very eyes... I grew up with the belief that the US was
the "greatest" nation on planet Earth, and for most of my youth I believed
that to be true without any doubt. But after my days in College and
learning about the true evil on our planet and how they had first
infiltrated American society, then took over the American financial system,
which has now led to the destruction of the nation itself, I have long
wondered what the hell happened?? And how in the hell did the American
people ever allow ... more »
Musical Interlude: Ray Charles, "Imagine"
Ray Charles, "Imagine"
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExHsrh0hH-w
Musical Interlude: Yanni, “Standing in Motion, Live At The Acropolis”
Yanni, “Standing in Motion, Live At The Acropolis”
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7rakCMMC1U
ISIS In Iraq To Be Used To Justify Invasion In Syria (No Kidding!)
Ever since this "ISIS/ISIL" phoney terrorist group started appearing
magically out of nowhere a few weeks back, I had a sneeking suspicion that
something more sinister was afoot. This "terrorist" group has not only run
roughshod over most of northern Iraq, but has been the darling of the
Jewish controlled media with its sudden "threat" to the US itself.... And
we cannot forget that this group not only is armed with American weapons,
but as shown in my last article, has been trained by the US itself at bases
in Jordan... I believe that something bigger is going on with this group,
a... more »
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 - June 17 , 2014 -- Search for MH370 Moves Southwest , examining various theories about the ongoing mystery of what went wrong ........
Catharsis Ours - 2 hours ago
Malaysia Chronicle....
Tuesday, 17 June 2014 12:01
M'sian govt gains the most if MH370 is NEVER FOUND: All trails point to a
MASSIVE COVER-UP!Written by Chris Goodfellow
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[image: M'sian govt gains the most if MH370 is NEVER FOUND: All trails
point to a MASSIVE COVER-UP!]
In the early days of the search of MH370, when the mainstream media was
favouring a terrorism-hijacking scenario or questioning if one of... more »
"Only One Rule..."
“There’s only one rule that I know of, babies-
God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.”
- Kurt Vonnegut
“Man shows inhumanity to Man. It’s axiomatic of our existence. It’s the
story of our past, it’s the story of our present, and it will very likely
be the story of our future. Indeed, it’s a story that’s reinforced every
day, whether we’re watching the evening news or the latest entry in the
“Saw” series. However, our history is also littered with awe-inspiring
examples of men and women showing incredible compassion in the face of
unspeakable evil and insurmountable odds. Every story o... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Connecting the Pipe Nebula to the colorful region near bright star Antares
is a dark cloud dubbed the Dark River, flowing from the picture's left
edge. Murky looking, the Dark River's appearance is caused by dust
obscuring background starlight, although the dark nebula contains mostly
hydrogen and molecular gas.
*Click image for larger size.*
Surrounded by dust, Antares, a red supergiant star, creates an unusual
bright yellowish reflection nebula. Above it, bright blue double star Rho
Ophiuchi is embedded in one of the more typical bluish reflection nebulae,
while red emission neb... more »
Chet Raymo, "Probing The Soul”
*"Probing The Soul”*
by Chet Raymo
“More than three centuries ago, Pascal said: "Man considering himself is
the great prodigy of nature. For he cannot conceive what his body is, even
less what his spirit is, and least of all how body can be united with
spirit." Pascal lived at the dawn of the scientific era, but his words
still ring true. We have sent spacecraft to the planets. We have listened
to signals from the dawn of time. We have unraveled the mystery of
starlight. We can even conceive what the body is. But the deeper human
mystery remains: What is the spirit, and how is it u... more »
Paulo Coelho, “Accepting The Fight”
*“Accepting The Fight”*
by Paulo Coelho
“If someone confronts you over ideas or ideals, step up and accept the
fight, because conflict is present in every moment of our lives and
sometimes it needs to show itself in the broad light of day. But do not
fight in order to prove that you are right or to impose your ideas or
ideals on someone else. Only accept the fight as a way of keeping your
spirit clean and your will spotless. When the fight is over, both sides
will emerge as winners, because they tested their limitations and their
abilities. Since both respect the courage and determ... more »
"Some Things Just Can't Be Improved upon"
*"Macbeth," Act 5 Scene 5:*
"Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow"
(Spoken by Macbeth)
"Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."
"Macbeth", by William Shakespeare
•
"Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow"
Soliloquy, Modern Translation:... more »
What the Public Heard/Saw in the Headlines for the ‘Global Summit on Ending Sexual Violence’
If you haven’t read Pablo K’s piece on Angelina Jolie, celebrity, and the
Global Summit on Ending Sexual Violence in Conflict, you should. There has
been some broader discussion about the pros (see ‘Hollywood can actually
help solve complex global problems‘) and cons of celebrity ‘endorsement’
(the foreign secretary was ‘starstruck’) of humanitarian issues- the
Continue reading
Announcement: Interpretive Methods Workshop for Grad Students
Graduate students interested in interpretive methods may wish to sign up
for this workshop at ISA-Northeast in November. Complete details are below
the fold. “Interpretive and Relational Research Methodologies” A One-Day
Graduate Student Workshop Sponsored by the International Studies
Association-Northeast Region 8 November, 2014 • Baltimore, Maryland The
field of International Studies has always
Continue reading
The Daily "Near You?"
Orwell, Vermont, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
"Trademark Board Rules No You Can't Name Your Dumb Sports Team After the Scalped Heads of Native Americans Sold For Cash"
*"Trademark Board Rules No You Can't Name Your Dumb Sports Team *
*After the Scalped Heads of Native Americans Sold For Cash"*
by Abby Zimet
“In a landmark ruling on a years-long case filed by a group of Native
Americans, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has cancelled six trademark
registrations for the name "Washington Redskins" because the name is
“disparaging to Native Americans” and thus in violation of federal laws
banning offensive language. The team says it will appeal the ruling, which
comes amidst growing calls for the team to change its name, including a
recent letter ... more »
"Seasons And Cycles..."
“All human life has its seasons and cycles, and no one’s personal chaos can
be permanent. Winter, after all, gives way to spring and summer, though
sometimes when branches stay dark and the earth cracks with ice, one thinks
they will never come, that spring, and that summer, but they do, and
always.”
~ Truman Capote
Twenty Bucks, Same as in Town
You do it, I do it, we all do it. What have *you* been up to?
------------------------------
When both Harry Reid and Megyn Kelly of Fox both call you on your
bullshit within 24 hours of each other, you *know* you're on the wrong side
of history. But just try telling that to Dick & Liz, who both smugly sat on
their fat asses and troweled out the same 12 year-old talking points. And,
to paraphrase Lyndon Johnson on Walter Cronkite, If you're a Republican and
have lost Megyn Kelly, you've lost 'Murrica.
------------------------------
The Burning Platform is a blog to... more »
Untitled
*What does Common Core math look like?*
Caleb Bonham, Campus Reform’s Editor-in-chief, just released a video that
illustrates the dramatic shift in mathematics education students will
experience under the Common Core national standards. As the video suggests,
Common Core will change dramatically the way math has been taught for
decades.
Developed in 2009 by the National Governors Association and Council of
Chief State School Officers, Common Core immediately was incentivized by
the Obama administration with $4.35 billion in Race to the Top competitive
grants and No Child Left Behi... more »
Credit Watch June 19 , 2014 -- Ukraine about to find out Putin is still " Daddy " --As Ukraine Launches A Debt Restructuring, Is Russia About To Become A "Holdout" Activist Investor ? At the risk of sounding like a broken record , are we really surprised Argentina is about to default once again ? Details - Argentine Default Looms; Refuses To Negotiate; Admits Next Bond Payment "Impossible" ........ China shadow banking and dubious structured products in focus !
Ukraine.....
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-06-19/ukraine-launches-debt-restructuring-russia-about-become-holdout-activist-investor
As Ukraine Launches A Debt Restructuring, Is Russia About To Become A
"Holdout" Activist Investor?
[image: Tyler Durden's picture]
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 06/19/2014 13:51 -0400
- Bond
- CDS
- Covenants
- Creditors
- default
- None
- Reuters
- Sovereign Default
- Ukraine
inShare
With Argentina suddenly no longer able to kick the can any longer in its
decade long fight with holdout investors, and war... more »
Iraq Updates June 17 , 2014 --- Kurds survey their options regarding the oil market , the ongoing Sunni vs Shi'a and discuss the state of play with Regional Player Iran......... US to send troops to Iraq to secure embassy Obama's announcement follows deployment of warships to the Gulf in response to advances by the armed group ISIL - note Qater ( Saudis previously ) and Israel warn about US intervention in Iraq and working with Iran ....... Al Jazeera and Debka explore US actions and option in Iraq , great article from chris Martenson providing and overview on the Iraq situation ... tweets of the day - note both islamic insurgents and Shi'a militias / Iraq Government engage in atrocities !
Catharsis Ours - 5 hours ago
http://rudaw.net/english/business/17062014
Does Iraq Turmoil Augur Kurdish Oil Takeoff?By Harvey Morris 6 hours ago
[image: An oilfield in the Kurdistan Region. Photo: Rudaw]
An oilfield in the Kurdistan Region. Photo: Rudaw
LONDON – Do the troubles in the rest of Iraq augur a takeoff of oil exports
by the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)? Some commentators
suggest that could be.
The prestigious Forbes business magazine wrote on its website on Monday:
“With Kurdish independence appearing to grow closer every day, perhaps this
will be the week when the world’s oil buyers p... more »
Superman - He's Jewish
"And they were in all two hundred; who descended in the days of Jared on
the summit of Mount Hermon, and they called it Mount Hermon, because they
had sworn and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it. And these
are the names of their leaders:
*Samlaz-az*, their leader, *Arakl-ba, Rame-el, Kokabl-el, Taml-el, Raml-el,
Dan-el, Ezeqe-el, Baraqij-al, Aza-el, Armar-os, Batar-el, Anan-el, Zaqi-el,
Samsape-el, Satar-el, Tur-el, Jomja-el, Sari-el. *
These are their chiefs of tens."
*Oy-vey : Kal-El, you flying meshuggener...*
*Superman's Jewish.*
Like Goliath, he brought abou... more »
War Now and War Forever as Neocons Bask in Renewed Glory
You have to give one thing to Dick Cheney, the motherfucker has balls. The
ongoing bedlam in Iraq courtesy of militant Islamic group ISIS - a sudden
arrival so convenient that it is practically too good to be true for the
war machine and just maybe it is - the architects of the disastrous "Shock
and Awe" attack and invasion are taking to the airwaves to take their bows
and trash Barack the magnificent over their own bloody mess in a Neocon
Surge. People are buying it too, just like they got suckered by the
original sales pitch by the Bushreich and bullshit conjecture about smoking ... more »
OIL CORPORATIONS FEED ON THE CARCASS OF IRAQ
Abby Martin speaks with Dr. Dahlia Wasfi, an Iraqi-American peace activist
who gives her perspective on the announcement of the US deploying 275
troops to Iraq as the country continues to spiral into civil war.
Maliki- "viewed as someone who could be controlled"
Vindication!- Not that I was in need of it. I had confidence.
It's been blame Maliki since ISIS pushed into Mosul. ISIS wasn't the
problem, Maliki was the problem
The headlines are becoming increasing blatant about the agenda- but the
clues were always there
*Blame Maliki*
"I believe that had Nouri al-Maliki made a serious effort to reconcile with
the Sunni community and Kurdish community and governed in a more
even-handed manner, that the region wouldn’t be in this position today,"
said Mansoor, author of the book* Surge: My Journey with General David
Petraeus and the Remaking of th... more »
The Biggest Reason Your Government Sucks
*Guest post from **Laissez faire Books*
Secret donors. Wasteful construction projects. Back room deals with special
interests. Tax breaks for select groups. And rampant corruption.
If you think I'm describing to you all the problems of our government and
opposition ... think again. No, this is what's currently going on in Brazil
right now. And it's all because of the World Cup.
But what's going on in Brazil is a great example of why you're stuck with
the terrible government you currently have. Let me explain.
In case you don't know, the World Cup is the premiere soccer tourname... more »
Uruguay 2, England 1
They're coming home, they're coming home, they're coming, England's coming
home.
What a shambles. Let's remember a happier time.
Musical Interlude: Steppenwolf, “Monster”
Steppenwolf, “Monster”
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaNsDx-xmnw
Written in 1967, this song is so tragically prescient and prophetic,
and we haven't learned a thing, nothing at all in 47 years...
"America, where are you now?
Don't you care about your sons and daughters?
Don't you know we need you now?
We can't fight alone against the monster..."
- Steppenwolf
“The Bride of 9/11 – Scripted and Ready to Roll”
*“The Bride of 9/11 – Scripted and Ready to Roll”*
by Zen Gardner
“They’re coming on hot and heavy utilizing this freshly engineered ISIS
uprising in Iraq, and not just for more war in the Middle East and the
taking of Syria and Ukraine as they roll on towards Iran. The psychopaths
seem to be planning another 9/11 using their resurrected terror meme with a
new and improved, as in more “evil, deadly and powerful”, face.
Here’s the set up, front page in NYC news: "Mayor Bill de Blasio said on
Wednesday that New York City is “constantly vigilant” against any terror
threat posed by the... more »
A New MoBIE Dick
*Guest post by Peter Osborne*
I see the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MoBIE) has
appointed a new Registrar of Building Practitioner Licensing.
His name is Paul Hobbs and he’s no slouch. Hell no! He planted his trotters
in the Department of Business, Innovation and Employment six years ago.
More recently he sat his curly tail in Weathertight Services Group as
National Manager. And previously he oinked himself a key role in the
Canterbury earthquake recovery work for the Building System Performance
team, within MoBIE. I am sure this will not be his last posting b... more »
Iraq crisis: Isis jihadists 'seize Saddam Hussein's chemical weapons stockpile' - live - Telegraph
Hold on a moment, we were told that there was no WMD in Iraq and that
Bush
& Blair invaded on a lie.
But this Telegraph report
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10910868/Iraq-crisis-Obama-may-launch-air-strikes-without-Congress-amid-calls-for-Maliki-to-go-live.html
seems to state the contrary.
Footsoldiers of Global White Supremacy Out in Force on the Streets of Brixton
*This isn't 1981 anymore.*
"White Supremacy is present in that picture - even though everyone stood on
that balcony is black."
This picture:
is a *false picture.*
*It's a lie.*
Everything in it, every aspect of it represents the origin of everything
that we fight against.
*This is the Base Theory of Evil.*
This is a completely synthetic instant within a meticulously stage-managed
and micromanaged act of political murder, and social control.
*This is Mind War.*
If it had *not been* for that initial moment of "*That Way*", preserved
forever within the popular culture, frozen... more »
Satire: “Pressure on Obama to Quickly Resolve Centuries-Old Sunni-Shiite Conflict”
*“Pressure on Obama to Quickly Resolve Centuries-Old Sunni-Shiite Conflict”*
by Andy Borowitz
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)— "Congressional leaders left the White
House on Wednesday “deeply frustrated” that President Obama had not found a
swift resolution to the conflict between Sunnis and Shiites that began in
the seventh century A.D. After meeting for more than an hour with the
President in the Oval Office, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
expressed disappointment that Mr. Obama “came up empty” when asked for a
plan to heal the rift between the two religious groups, which... more »
Bill Whittle: Not One of Us (hard hitting video)...
and we thank him!
June 19: Let's start slowly...
For some years, children, including very young ones, have been fleeing
across the Mexican border into the US. In March, it was almost 40,000, with
some travelling as many as 2,000 miles from all over Latin America. Why?
Nobody has ever bothered to find out.
They could be fleeing poverty and hunger; there's lots of it where they
come from. It's possible that these are only a portion of children being
smuggled in by American and Latin American gangsters to satisfy the sex
slave trade in the US. In fact, all of these seem likely.
There are no facilities to hold them. Instead, they ar... more »
The last remaining one-nation Conservative in the BBC is gone
Jeremy Paxman's farewell to *Newsnight *was fun. Especially the bit about
Iraq.
The Boris-Paxo double act got their final *Newsnight *hurrah, riding around
London on a tandem - Boris in front, Jeremy behind.
Really, they should do a series together now that Jeremy is free. If Jeremy
regrew his beard they could be the new Hairy Bikers, cycling around parts
of London and laughing at each others jokes. Jeremy could play the
curmudgeonly one and Boris the buffoonish one. I'd watch it.
Boris described Jeremy as "the last remaining one-nation Conservative in
the BBC".
Well, he's no... more »
What do we want? Labor Day! When do we want it? Soon!
I’m sure most of you have seen this nice Change.Org petition concerning the
dates of the annual APSA meeting. I really like all the reasons given for
changing the date of the meeting and am glad we are having this discussion.
Any thoughts, Duck readers? Is it worth changing the dates of the meeting?
If so, when would
Continue reading
Supplemental: Our changing student demographics!
*THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2014*
*Public school kids, then and now:* On several occasions this week, we’ve
discussed the nation’s changing student demographics.
Among other things, these demographics affect the chances of providing
certain types of racial balance in our public schools. We thought it might
be worth taking a look at the basic numbers.
Our data come from the so-called “Long Term Trend Assessment,” one of the
major ongoing studies conducted as part of the NAEP. These data give us a
look at the student population from 1975 through 2012, the most recent year
in which these tes... more »
Fuck PETA: why feminists are critical.
Another day, another *protest*, another dollar for PETA.
When mercenary mansplainers and faux-progressives grouse about being
deprived of their eye candy entitlements - it's the 1970s all over again! Shulamith
Firestone nailed it when she said: "Radical men may advocate certain
freedoms for women when they overlap their own interest..." When Firestone
'went too far' in denouncing the specific forms of sexual oppression that
her male comrades enjoyed as privileges for their own benefit, she was
maligned for her scathing honesty.
There is much valid criticism of PETA's spurious mono... more »
Untitled
*Landrieu, Cassidy on fracking, St. Tammany ~Stephanie Grace*
*Sediment diversion project on right path, scientists tell state officials
~Amy Wold, The Advocate*
*Frustrations mount as St. Rose plant struggles to identify odor ~WWLTV*
*Mississippi Phosphates ranks high in toxic releases, gets special CEO
~Karen Nelson, Sun Herald*
*N.O. Sewerage and Water Board makes investment in "green" projects ~WVUE*
*Judge OKs keeping jail drawings, blueprints secret after sheriff Gusman
cites security worries ~AP, via The Republic*
*GRN Cheers to 20 Years with a Solstice Party in the Park*
*... more »
Lack of reasons a ground for appeal
Blundell v. Milmine, 2014 ONCA 480:
[26] It will be apparent from the foregoing that the absence of
reasons makes it not possible for this court to determine why the orders
were made, whether they were correctly made and whether justice has been
done. As previously mentioned, due to the insufficiency of the record and
the absence of the necessary findings of fact, the court is unable to
decide the issues that were raised on the motion.
Lamar W. Hankins : Bowe Bergdahl, the ‘universal soldier,’ and the true cost of war
As long as there are people who will agree to fight to kill others for the
whims of a nation state’s leaders, we will continue to have war. By Lamar
W. Hankins | The Rag Blog | June 19, 2014 … finish reading Lamar W. Hankins
:
Bowe Bergdahl, the ‘universal soldier,’ and the true cost of war
Background To The Fall Of Mosul, Insurgents’ Relentless Attacks Upon Security Forces Set Stage For The Taking Of City
On June 10, 2014 Iraq’s second largest city of Mosul fell to insurgents led
by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). While there have been
some conspiracy theories circulating there is solid evidence to back up the
theory that a collapse at the top of the Iraqi Security Forces’ (ISF)
leadership led to the route that spread to other units throughout northern
and central Iraq. The capture of Mosul furthered ISIS’s long term goal of
reclaiming territory that it lost during the Surge, which it outlined in
its July 2013 Soldiers’ Harvest campaign. The first part of that stra... more »
Watch "Hillary Clinton Asked To Inscribe "Hard Choices" …" on YouTube
Hillary Clinton Asked To Inscribe "Hard Choices" …:
http://youtu.be/pFZWjbqn4pw
Sheer genius, especially the 'what difference does it make' line. Trouble
is that Hillary Clinton is utterly shameless.
MJ-12: The Beginning
My friend, Alejandro Rojas, has posted to the *Open Minds* YouTube channel
an analysis of the beginnings of MJ-12. It is based on some original
research he conducted through interviews with some of those involved and on
FOIA requests that he has made recently to the U.S. Air Force. The thirty
minute program can be found here:
http://www.openminds.tv/majestic-12-ufo-disinformation-scandal-video/28049
There are two additional points that I think should be made that add some
context to this story. First, Stan Friedman told me about twenty years ago
when we were in California on a rese... more »
Iraq Updates June 18 , 2014 ( check 6/18 IRAQ SITREP from Mindfriedo for all the events of the day - fantastic wrap up 1 ) --- U.S. rules out Iraq airstrikes for now President Obama opts to pursue alternative strategies , Saudis blast back at PM Maliki , Updates on the Kurdish situation , Tweets of the Morning .........( Evening June 17 , 2014 ) -- As troops move throughout Iraq , the news of the day was the preemptive blast by Iraq Prime Minister Maliki directed to not just the Sunnis , but also a broadside directly at the Saudis ! This Is Not Going As Planned: Iraq Prime Minister Defies US, Accuses Saudi Arabia Of "Genocide" ........ Meanwhile the Kurds keep loading and selling Kurdish oil , controlling Kurdish territory ! Note rising tensions between Kurds and Turkmen though in Kirkuk !
Catharsis Ours - 12 hours ago
Evening wrap 6/18/14....
Explosive !
*The New Yorkers* @TischNewYorkers · 10m
Donald Rumsfeld: The U.S. government paid Shia imam, Ali al-Sistani, $200
million to issue fatwas in support of the U.S. invasion of #Iraq
-
*The New Yorkers* @TischNewYorkers · 11m
Donald Rumsfeld: When Sistani received the money, President Bush
established a new desk at the CIA, headed by retired admiral Symon Polandi
-
*The New Yorkers* @TischNewYorkers · 7m
Donald Rumsfeld: My relationship with Sistani was established through Jawad
al-Mahri, Mr. Sistani’s secretary in Kuwait #Iraq
-
... more »
ISIS seizes Saddam era chemical facility - US reassures
And I for one take no comfort in the US sweet talk! - I am getting a
'history repeats' feeling from this. Not a good feeling either. The NATO
backed mercs used chemical attacks against the people of Syria and the UN
'shiny happy face' covered up for it's global tyranny counterpart. NATO.
This reeks of narrative creation
*The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria have seized a facility that produced
chemical weapons under Saddam Hussein, but the site includes old and
contaminated chemical weapons that U.S. officials said would be ineffective
and hard to move.*
Officials told the Wall Stre... more »
How To Continue a War
The propaganda plan is falling into place very nicely.
Obama has easily scored the congressional public relations fig leaf and
blank check necessary to use military force in Iraq, simply by herding a
few leaders into the coveted pen and informing them he doesn't need their
damn approval for anything. That is because the congressional approval
granted to his predecessor is still in effect. And that means, for all
intents and purposes, that the Iraq War has never really ended. From "the
most trusted name in news":
While the White House statement emphasized Obama would continue to cons... more »
Mike's Story Part 55 Hegel
*By **Jenna** Orkin*
My email correspondent in yesterday's post had more observations worth
discussing:
*1. As Mike himself said to you (at the time), he thought that the MCR
of pre-Venezuela was gone. But to give a complete picture, you would have
also [to] go back to that MCR to balance the brutal freefall you are
writing about. The MCR of the CIA-Drugs era not only functioned through all
of his problems, but provided support and counsel to other whistleblowers
who were in far worse shape. Guys like Cele Castillo. How can you do that
if you're beset with seemingly every psyc... more »
The Shock, Awe and Class War of Titanic
"...Britain was then in the grip of *a national coal strike*, and the
Titanic's owners White Star Liner feared that there wouldn't be enough fuel
to power the mammoth ship.
To deal with the situation, George Frederick Bull, a bursar for the
company, travelled with his colleague, R McPherson, to Wallasey in
Merseyside.
*There, they stole coal from the striking miners at gun-point."*
*The Olympics of the White Star Line.*
*Gigantic was renamed Britannic prior to it's launch.*
*Olympic was renamed Titanic in March of 1912 and sank in April of 1912.*
*Titanic was renamed Olympic in Ma... more »
"Will You Stand?" - March for Marriage June 19th, 2014
San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone will be marching and will
present a keynote address despite the fact that public heretic Nancy Pelosi
thinks the march is "venom masquerading as virtue."
That this woman, promoter of abortion and homosexual unions masquerading as
"marriage", should dare to utter the word "venom", is almost laughable.
"We share our love of the Catholic faith and our city of San Francisco,"
Pelosi wrote to Cordileone. Really Nancy? You are nothing but a cultural
Catholic who does not know the most basic teachings of the Church.
You spew your nonsense a... more »
THE GAPS IN TUSCALOOSA: What made Central High “nearly hopeless?”
*THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2014*
*Part 4—Prelude to flight:* Nikole Hannah-Jones covers a wide range of
issues in her lengthy Atlantic piece, “Segregation Now...”
In our view, she finesses and simplifies almost all these issues. In the
process, she brings the world of public schools in line with preferred
tribal narratives.
In our view, the interests of low-income kids get shoved aside in the
process. Your view may differ, of course.
Tomorrow, we’ll consider Hannah-Jones’ treatment of “white flight,” an
important part of the story she tells about the “resegregation” of
Tuscaloosa’s publ... more »
Louisiana Withdraws from PARCC and Jindal Moves to Block Pearson Test Purchase
In the latest bad news for the Oligarchs' Common Core enterprise, Bobby
Jindal has moved to sever the head from the Common Core monster in
Louisiana. He knows that without the Pearson tests that PARCC is
force-feeding the states without the benefit of a bidding process, the Core
will disappear within a couple of years.
Jindal's office has notified the State Department of Education that
purchasing the Pearson tests without bidding is a violation of state law.
So even though corporate stooge and State Supt., John White, says the
state will keep on teaching to the standards, there ... more »
"########## is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful humanbeing I've ever known in my life."
*That's What He Said**Barack Obama Sounds Just Like Deval Patrick.**Is That
Good Or Bad?*By Adam Reilly and Boston Phoenix 1-17-8
More than any other presidential candidate, Barack Obama owes his success
to sheer rhetorical power. Obama's dazzling keynote address at the 2004
Democratic National Convention made the thenIllinois state senator an
instant presidential prospect. His breakthrough speech at Iowa's
Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner in November 2007 led to his caucus win earlier
this month. Even conservatives dig his shtick: Republican media operative
Mark McKinnon praised him ... more »
It's Thursday...
*what's going on. *
The Federalist: *Why the Redskins Trademark Ruling Should Terrify You*
Camp of the Saints: *A Few Words For Those Who Still Don’t Get It*
Blazing Cat Fur: * A shifting world order, from Iraq to Afghanistan*
Diogenes' Middle Finger: *So-Called Comprehensive Immigration Reform*
*Political Clown Parade: Overpower The System Until It Literally
Collapses *
iOwnTheWorld: *Cruz: ‘You Cannot Win a Battle Against Radical Islamic
Terrorism If You’re Unwilling to Utter the Words’ *
McNorman: *I Call BS When I Read It*
The Organic Prepper: *If You Don't Have a Jo... more »
Pork Barrel 11: Impending Arrest of Sens. Enrile, Estrada and Revilla
I watched the local evening news today, on the impending arrest of three
Senators accused of plunder (more than P50 million stolen public money). My
immediate reaction -- *Tense si Jinggoy, relaks si JPE, nag presscon-drama
si Bong. *
I thought they would be arrested and imprisoned today. *Sayang, bukas pa
pala. Enjoy kayo sa kulungan ha.*
*Naalala ko yong post ng kaibigan kong si Cynthia na nanood ng *"privilege
speech" ni Bong last June 10 at nag post, "P___ MO BONG REVILLA! Not just
for the pork barrel stuff but for that Godawful song." hahaha, *ang lutong!*
*Kaya nang makita... more »
Do not fear the reaper
The ISIS or whatever is taking over the middle east. Good for them because
the previous goverment was incompetent and corrupt. They got oil, wow, I
want to buy some and they want to sell some, is there a way we could make a
deal?
Governing is tough, insurgency is romantic, eventually they settle down
together like an old married couple.
Should there be a better path to this harmony, of course
but no one has a prescription
blood will flow
and from this loss
society grows.
Maybe everyone who wants to be king
should play Sim City
and Sid Miers Civilzaton
to see what the natural constr... more »
I see the Holocaust
There have been thousands of holocausts in this cycle of human history. (I
think there have been six cycles)Why I am consumed by the German one is
that it is so much a aberration of civilization. If the holocaust could
happen, is there any depravity that is not possible in my world, in my
today. The corrupt powers that rule this world are capable of anything to
keep power. People are becoming cold, very cold, I am afraid that common
sense can not deal with technology. Yes people as a collective do not have
the collective intelligence to rule the virtual reality that is our
reali... more »
Vahan Setyan - Armenian Roots of Civilization & The Armenian Genocide
Couldn't help but notice what has looked like the intentional targeting of
Armenians in Syria by the Turkish elite via their Islamist mercenaries
backed by NATO/Israel.
Why would Turkey engage in this kind of genocide. Of course most readers
here will be aware of the Armenian holocaust (that word-holocaust- belongs
to no one group) perpetrated by the Turkish military in order to erase
Armenians from the human historical memory.
Why would the Turks want to do this?
What other nation would gain by removing Armenians roots of civilization
from our global human heritage? Hint- Israel (T... more »
U.S. and Education Reform Need a Critical Free Press
U.S. and Education Reform Need a Critical Free Press. via U.S. and
Education Reform Need a Critical Free Press.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS:
Becoming Radical
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
This was supposed to be a banner year for the Harper government. It hasn't
turned out that way. Chantal Hebert writes:
Time and time again over the past parliamentary year the government has
turned what could have been policy gold into lead.
As often as not, a chronic incapacity to approach policy as more than a
tool to drive a wedge in the electorate was to blame, with diminishing
returns to the Conservatives.
The approval of Northern Gateway was supposed to be the triumph of the
prime minister's economic vision. However,
the most vivid illustration of the perils of a my-way-o... more »
Gold news of the morning June 19 , 2014 ----- Who Just Bought Half A Billion Dollars Of Gold Futures ? Is the answer China or Chinese interests ? China’s Largest Gold Company Seeks To Become Kingmaker In Gold Market .........
Zero Hedge.....
Gold Hits $1300, Silver Surges To 3-Month Highs As China Rehypothecation
Ponzi Unwinds
[image: Tyler Durden's picture]
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 06/19/2014 16:47 -0400
- China
- Copper
- Janet Yellen
- Reality
- Shadow Banking
inShare12
But, but, but... Janet Yellen didn't say precious metal valuations were
within historical norms? Gold and Silver are surging today (and have done
since the FOMC press conference all-clear) with the latter having its best
day in months and back at 3-month highs... Intriguingly, just as we warned, *gold
a... more »
BBC News - Palestinians build luxury houses in the 'Miami of the West Bank'
The BBC report that life in the West Bank is not how they usually report
it... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20275448
July Subway Art and Scrabble Wall Tiles
Are you having a great summer? We sure are! We are excited to start another
party too! Holly from Bits of Everything will be sharing her favorites this
week. [image: You're-Invited]
Jesseca | Holly | Jonie | Debra
Bits of Everything has some fun ideas for your 4th of July holiday. Start
planning some fun now! Make some quick holiday treats, buy some glow sticks
to entertain the kids before the fireworks, and print some holiday subway
art. Now, you are ready for the holiday!
[image: 4th-of-july-activities]
Cake Mix M&M Cookies ----- Fun with Glow Sticks ----- July Subway Art
Look at ... more »
THE PUZZLE PIECES ON THE WALL
- Who would have thought these discredited war mongers would be back on
TV again promoting more war in Iraq? But we've come to learn not to be
surprised at how the mainstream corporate media megaphone works.
Fortunately, like with Syria last year, the public seems to have no stomach
for going back into Iraq. Keep those emails and phone calls going into
Congress and the White House. Remind them that your *$$$* is being
wasted and you'd rather see it spent cleaning up our act here at home!
- It seems that more and more Americans are beginning to wake up ... more »
9/11 emergency broadcast - "Until the Twin Towers come crumbling down!" - surreal and stupid enough to be authentic Predictive Programming
MEGA POWERS and the defenseless Elizabeth (wow) - TWIN TOWERS - Akeem the
African Dream and the Big Boss Man, their manager The Slickster committed
to his 'terrorist attacks'.
*In 1989, WWF Wrestlers Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage predict destruction of
the Twin Towers!*
Proof that Condoleeza Rice never watched WWF, as it was called back then.
*GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY intellectual diversion:* "If we don't save the
galaxy, who will?"
Now, you gotta ask, "What's the real motivational driver for '*galaxy
saving*'?"
“The ISIS Fiasco: It's Really an Attack on Iran”
*“The ISIS Fiasco: It's Really an Attack on Iran”*
By Mike Whitney
"There's something that doesn't ring true about the coverage of the crisis
in Iraq. Maybe it's the way the media reiterates the same, tedious
storyline over and over again with only the slightest changes in the
narrative. For example, I was reading an article in the Financial Times by
Council on Foreign Relations president, Richard Haass, where he says that
Maliki's military forces in Mosul "melted away."
Interestingly, the Haass op-ed was followed by a piece by David Gardener
who used almost the very same language.... more »
Untitled
*Levees.org fighting for flood protection and to hold industry accountable
for erosion: Sandy Rosenthal*
Northrop Grumman Receives $238 Million Contract Modification for LAIRCM Missile Defense System
[image: AN/AAQ-24 LAICRM]Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded a
$238 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract
from the U.S. Air Force to provide hardware and support for the Large
Aircraft Infrared Countermeasure (LAIRCM) system.
Critical to the safe return of troops abroad, LAIRCM automatically detects
a missile launch, determines if it is a threat and activates a
high-intensity laser-based countermeasure system to track and defeat the
missile.
Under the terms of the contract modification, Northrop Grumman will deliver
additional transmitters... more »
Premier flight for self-protection system ESTL
[image: JAS-39 Gripen]Defence and security company Saab´s new
self-protection system ESTL is now airborne. The premier flight was carried
out on a Gripen in early June 2014.
ESTL is an efficient self-protection system for virtually any type of
fixed-wing aircraft where ESTL is installable on a mission-to-mission
basis.
Depending on mission profile, ESTL can be configured for different threat
scenarios. ESTL provides covert sustainable pre-emptive dispensing, missile
warning, forward firing of flares and cocktail dispensing.
Read more
Ukraine keeps maintaining Russian ICBMs Satan despite ban on military ties
[image: SS-18 Satan]Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk-based missile-developing
design bureau Yuzhnoye does not stop maintenance of Russian
intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) RS-20 Satan which are in service
of the Russian Strategic Missile Troops, Izvestia daily reported on
Thursday with the reference to a representative of the design bureau
specialists.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko ordered to halt military
cooperation with Russia. Meanwhile, the design bureau noted that the ban on
military cooperation with Russia is possible only in case of a presidential
decree to... more »
"Whatever Your Fate Is..."
"Whatever your fate is, whatever the hell happens, you say, “This is what I
need.” It may look like a wreck, but go at it as though it were an
opportunity, a challenge. If you bring love to that moment- not
discouragement- you will find the strength there. Any disaster you can
survive is an improvement in your character, your stature, and your life.
What a privilege! This is when the spontaneity of your own nature will have
a chance to flow. Then, when looking back at your life, you will see that
the moments which seemed to be great failures, followed by wreckage, were
the incident... more »
"What We do Have..."
“We have no choice of what color we're born or who our
parents are or whether we're rich or poor. What we do have
is some choice over what we make of our lives once we're here.”
- Mildred Taylor
"These Long Vistas..."
"The aim of science is to discover and illuminate truth. And that, I take
it, is the aim of literature, whether biography or history or fiction. It
seems to me, then, that there can be no separate literature of science…
The winds, the sea, and the moving tides are what they are. If there is
wonder and beauty and majesty in them, science will discover these
qualities. If they are not there, science cannot create them. If there is
poetry in my book about the sea, it is not because I deliberately put it
there, but because no one could write truthfully about the sea and leave
out the p... more »
"We Begin Life..."
"We begin life with the world presenting itself to us as it is. Someone –
our parents, teachers, analysts – hypnotizes us to 'see' the world and
construe it in the 'right' way. These others label the world, attach names
and give voices to the beings and events in it, so that thereafter, we
cannot read the world in any other language or hear it saying other things
to us. The task is to break the hypnotic spell, so that we become undeaf,
unblind, and multilingual, thereby letting the world speak to us in new
voices and write all its possible meaning in the new book of our existence.
... more »
Russia to Fulfill All Military Contract Obligations with Iraq
[image: Mi-28N Night Hunter]All the military contract obligations with Iraq
will be fulfilled, Igor Sevastyanov, the head of the Russian delegation to
the Eurosatory 2014 international defense and security exhibition and
deputy director of Russia’s arms exporter Rosoboronexport told journalists
Wednesday.
“Everything that has been signed will be carried out in accordance with the
contractual agreements, except for force majeure circumstances,” said
Sevastyanov.
International defense and security exhibition Eurosatory 2014 opened on
June 16 in Paris and will go on till June 20.
Rea... more »
Dramatic moment RAF scrambled fighter jets after 'multiple' Russian planes were spotted in Baltic airspace
[image: RAF Typhoon and Su-27 Flanker]RAF Typhoon fighters were scrambled
to intercept 'multiple Russian aircraft' as part of the Nato mission to
police the airspace over the Baltics, the Ministry of Defence said
yesterday.
The aircraft from 3 (Fighter) Squadron were ordered into the skies after
four separate groups of aircraft were detected by Nato air defences in
international airspace near to the Baltic states.
The aircraft were subsequently identified as a Russian Tupolev Tu22
Backfire bomber, four Sukhoi Su27 Flanker fighters, one Beriev A50 Mainstay
early-warning aircraft and... more »
F-35 value oversold
[image: F-35A Lightning II]Re: Only the best jet fighter is good enough for
RCAF (SP, June 10). Contrary to Les MacPherson's claims, the F-35 is not
"the best" fighter jet, not even for Canada.
The F-22 is the most advanced aircraft, but the Americans aren't exporting
it.
The F-35 has been criticized for its single engine, slowness, lack of
agility and massive price tag. The main competitor to Lockheed-Martin's
F-35 is Boeing's F-18 Super Hornet. The Hornet's combat proven twin-engined
jet matches the F-35 in speed, but outperforms its competitor in range and
manoeuvrability. It wi... more »
Defense Ministry mulls SDF filming of Chinese fighter jet encounters
The Defense Ministry is considering video recording Chinese military
aircraft, after Chinese fighter jets repeatedly flew dangerously close to
Japanese Self-Defense Forces planes over the East China Sea, a senior SDF
official said.
By accurately capturing footage of Chinese military aircraft operations
from SDF planes, Japan hopes to better counter claims by Beijing, the
official said Tuesday.
The plan comes after China released a video clip last week that Beijing
claims shows Japanese fighter jets flying abnormally close to Chinese
intelligence aircraft.
Read more
Why I support Israel
Pat Condell pretty much hitting the nail on the head there.
The only part I disagree with is when he says missiles are aimed at women
and children in Israel; in fact they are fired without any care for who
gets hit: men, women or children, and as a man why should my life be worth
less than a woman's?
The facts however are incontrovertible which is why Pat Condell gets so
much flack from so many of the anti-Semites who masquerade as
pro-Palestinians.
Alenia Aermacchi to train Coast Guard on C-27J aircraft
[image: C-27 Spartan]Italian aircraft manufacturer Alenia Aermacchi is to
train U.S. Coast Guard personnel on flying newly acquired C-27J Spartan
medium-sized transport aircraft.
The training services will be for the initial flight crews -- pilots and
loadmaster -- and will consist of in-class sessions, flight simulation
instruction, and in-flight training.
"Alenia Aermacchi is proud to have the opportunity to provide the United
States Coast Guard with outstanding training services that will help
service men and women effectively perform their missions on the C-27J," the
company sa... more »
Is the Pentagon Worried about the China’s J-20 and J-31 Stealth Fighters?
[image: J-31A Gyrfalcon]As the F-35 fighter continues to grapple with cost
overruns and technical issues concerning F-35 fighter jets, the spotlight
falls on the Chinese J-20 and J-31 stealth aircraft, which may emerge as a
low cost alternative to America’s most expensive military plane.
“Pentagon officials continue to compare DOD’s progress (on the F-35) with
that of the Chinese J-20 and J-31 stealth aircraft and their other
capabilities”, a US Department of Defense release issued on June 13, 2014
said.
According to Frank Kendall, US undersecretary of defense for acquisition,
tech... more »
Jordan to convert C295 military transport plane into gunship
[image: C295M]Jordan has inked an agreement with Europe's Airbus Defence
and Space and US's ATK to convert one of its two C295 military transport
aircraft into a gunship.
Under the agreement, Airbus and ATK will cooperatively work with the King
Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau (KADDB) of Jordan in converting
the aircraft operated by the Royal Jordanian Air Force into gunship
configuration.
The new configuration AC295 will join two AC-235 gunships that were
delivered to Jordan by ATK in May this year.
Read more
Ottawa finalizes revised contract to deliver Cyclone choppers, retire Sea Kings
[image: CH-148 Cyclone Maritime Helicopter]Multiple sources say the Harper
government has formally signed a deal to amend its contract with the U.S.
manufacturer of the long-delayed Cyclone maritime helicopters.
The information comes from several defence and government sources, speaking
on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the
matter publicly.
They say the agreement with Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., signed today, paves
the way for the retirement next year of Canada’s outdated fleet of Sea King
choppers.
Read more
Rheinmetall to sign 2.7 billion euro deal with Algerian military for 980 Fuchs vehicles
[image: Meko A200 frigate]German defence group Rheinmetall is set to sign a
2.7 billion euro deal in the coming weeks for the production of 980 Fuchs 2
military vehicles for Algeria, according to German news reports.
German newspaper Handelsblatt today reported that the deal is part of
various German contracts with the North African country that include two
Meko A200 frigates from Thyssen-Krupp (ordered in 2012) and SUVs and trucks
from Daimler valued at a total of 10 billion euros.
A factory to build the Fuchs vehicles will be built in Ain Smara in
northeast Algeria, according to H... more »
Malmstrom completes final Minuteman III configuration
[image: LGM-30 Minuteman III ICBM]Air Force Global Strike Command met a
major milestone June 16, when maintainers at Malmstrom Air Force Base,
Montana, removed the last multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle
in the Air Force intercontinental ballistic missile inventory from a
Minuteman III.
The reentry vehicle is the portion of the missile that houses the nuclear
warhead. Re-configuring the missile to carry only a single reentry vehicle
helps bring the Air Force towards compliance with the New Strategic Arms
Reduction Treaty and comply with direction from the 2010 Nuclear... more »
Argentine Navy receives refurbished TR1700 class submarine ARA San Juan
[image: ARA San Juan]According to Minister of Defense Agustin Rossi, the
MLU cost some 100 million Argentine Pesos (12.4 million dollars) and
comprised more than 500,000 work hours in which the boat was cut in half
and had its four MTU engines and batteries replaced.
The MLU was under way at CINAR since August 2007. He blamed the delay on
the lack of funds and qualified labor.
Rossi called the re-delivery an important milestone for Argentina, as the
state had lost its ability to repair submarines following the previous
Domecq Garcia shipyards being disbanded.
Read more
HMS Tireless navy submarine ends service at Devonport
[image: HMS Tireless]The Royal Navy's oldest nuclear submarine, HMS
Tireless, is being taken out of service later.
The hunter-killer class sub returned to its Devonport base in Plymouth for
the last time on 1 June, after 30 years in service.
The submarine is the longest serving Trafalgar Class submarine in the Royal
Navy.
Read more
German submarines now appear the safer replacement bet
[image: Collins class SSK]Within the space of a few weeks the Abbott
government has presided over a shake-up of the options for a fleet of
submarines to replace the ageing Collins class.
While an evolved Collins class was a short-price favourite at the end of
the Labor era, an almighty spat between the Swedish government and German
industrial giant Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems means a German design could
now fall over the line.
The nuclear option remains off the table despite the US indicating it would
be amenable to an Australian approach on the Virginia class submarines.
Read more
BBC News - Iraq crisis: President Obama can 'bypass Congress'
Imagine the BBC reporting if George W. Bush had dared to ignore the wishes
of Congress: riding roughshod and being anti democratic would be just be
two of the phrases used. But as it's Barack Obama, no attacks...
'US President Barack Obama has told Congressional leaders he does not need
lawmakers' approval for any action in Iraq, the top Senate Republican says.'
More here http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-27916806 at the BBC
where persuading people that Barack Obama is still the Obamamessiah,
despite all evidence to the contrary, is still de rigeur.
Musical Interlude: Adiemus, “Carmina Slovenica”
Adiemus, “Carmina Slovenica”
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRotQyJkKWU
The survey says: Local products are worth the money!
Earlier this month we asked if you would be willing to pay more for local
products. Here are the results:
[image: The survey says: Local products are worth the money!]
Comments
- Local and organic!
- Imported supermarket food is often absurdly cheap anyway, and the low
prices mean that we have very little feeling for the value of food, and
feel disconnected from it and its production, buying, eating and wasting
far too much of it. Paying a little more not only often means you're
getting a 'better' product, but you also value and appreciate it more, and
ar... more »
The Waste Pickers of Brasilia
Two weeks ago as part of our class, we visited Brasilia’s landfill site,
known as Lixão, which again underscored some of the incredible
contradictions in the country. It is a vast site, with six open dumping
sites, this is one of the largest landfills in all of Latin
America. Controversy surrounds this landfill, as it is slated
Continue reading
Aussie Gov't Looking into Allegations of labor abuses against Taiwan working holiday backpackers
A reader alerted me to this story. Apparently Taiwanese backpackers on
working holidays in Australia are being abused. From ABC:
The Fair Work Ombudsman is preparing to launch an investigation into claims
backpackers employed as fruit pickers in one of the country's biggest food
producing regions are being underpaid by labour hire contractors and forced
to live in illegal budget accommodation.
The investigation will focus on the Queensland city of Bundaberg where,
each year, thousands of travellers spend at least 88 days working on farms
along the harvest trail in order to extend t... more »
Turning Piketty Right Side Up
*In all the criticism and commentary on Frenchman Thomas Piketty’s
criticism of ‘*Capital in the 21st Century*,’ one very important thing has
until now not been pointed out.*
*Piketty’s simple formula sets capital against wages and general
prosperity, suggesting that as capital rises in value then wages will miss
out. Yet, as should be obvious to any student of capital, it is capital
that pays wages and raises general prosperity.*
*Thus, Piketty comes at his subject from the wrong side up. In this guest
post, George Reisman turns him right side up.*
*Turning Piketty Right Side Up... more »
Details on La. Gov. Jindal’s Common Core and PARCC Exit
In a press release on June 18, 2014, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal made a
number of statements regarding Louisiana’s participation in the Common Core
State Standards (CCSS) and the associated Partnership for Assessment of
Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC)– one of two assessment consortia
(groups of states) connected to the CCSS. Some have questioned whether […]
A3 Newsletter: 42 Years and Still Waiting (June 18, 2014)
*(New poster by artist César Maxit)*
All eyes are on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals as we move into summer.
Most urgently of course, we wake up every day hopeful that the court will
choose to affirm Judge Brady's ruling that overturned Albert's conviction
for a third time. Although there is no way to know when they will rule, the
average decision wait time is 10 months, so we expect word soon, and
certainly by early fall.
Meanwhile, the landmark A3 civil case seeking to define long term solitary
confinement as cruel and unusual punishment carries on through Robert and
Albert since... more »
Musical Interlude: Tron Syversen, “Moonlight Reflections”
Tron Syversen, “Moonlight Reflections”
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1EZ30fUHLA
"The Most Beautiful People..."
“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat,
known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out
of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an
understanding of life that fills them with compassions, gentleness, and a
deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”
- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
"Ubuntu"
"An anthropologist proposed a game to the kids in an African tribe. He put
a basket full of fruit near a tree and told the kids that who ever got
there first won the sweet fruits. When he told them to run they all took
each others hands and ran together, then sat together enjoying their
treats. When he asked them why they had run like that as one could have had
all the fruits for himself they said: ''UBUNTU, how can one of us be happy
if all the other ones are sad?'' 'Ubuntu' in the Xhosa culture means: 'I am
because we are'."
"How many of you knew this?"
- Found in a group chat, a... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“This beautiful, bright, spiral galaxy is Messier 64, often called the
Black Eye Galaxy or the Sleeping Beauty Galaxy for its heavy-lidded
appearance in telescopic views. M64 is about 17 million light-years distant
in the otherwise well-groomed northern constellation Coma Berenices. In
fact, the Red Eye Galaxy might also be an appropriate moniker in this
colorful composition of narrow and wideband images.
*Click image for larger size.*
The enormous dust clouds obscuring the near-side of M64's central region
are laced with the telltale reddish glow of hydrogen associated with star
fo... more »
Paulo Coelho, “The Cycle of Nature”; "Maybe..."
*“The Cycle of Nature”*
by Paulo Coelho
“In the cycle of nature there is no such thing as victory or defeat: there
is only movement. The winter struggles to reign supreme, but, in the end,
is obliged to accept spring’s victory, which brings with it flowers and
happiness. The summer would like to make its warm days last for ever,
because it believes that warmth is good for the earth, but, finally, it has
to accept the arrival of autumn, which will allow the earth to rest.
The gazelle eats the grass and is devoured by the lion. It isn’t a matter
of who is the strongest, but God’s way... more »
Chet Raymo, "Why Not?"
"Why Not?"
by Chet Raymo
"A few days ago reader Liz asked: "If we are all one and made out of the
same material - then the things that we make are made out of the same
material. But they are not animate. Why not?" At first glance, this might
seem like a naive question, one that we all know the answer to. On
reflection, it turns out to be terribly profound. Or should I have said,
"wonderfully profound"?
Yes, everything, animate and inanimate, is made of the same stuff - the 92
naturally-occurring elements - but all of the animate things we know about
are made mainly of carbon comp... more »
The Wolf's At the Door (Again) Beware His Cohort and the Zen Un-Master (Phony Intelligence No Longer That Hard To Spot)
Not just based on lies. But self-serving lies. It used to be commonly
accepted behavior that if you promoted a certain controversial (and usually
expensive for other people) action that you bent over backward to ensure
your audience that it didn't enhance your own income or lifestyle as a
bonus. That modest courtesy was disabled with the Supreme Court decision in
Bush v. Gore. And it's
With Boobs, anything is possible
Did I fail my daughter by not getting her this stuff? h/t Daisy Lin of the
Facebook group 女權,性別歧視,台灣 Feminism, Sexism, Taiwan
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“Facebook's Extreme Online Tracking Tactics”
*“Facebook's Extreme Online Tracking Tactics”*
By Julia Angwin
“For years people have noticed a funny thing about Facebook's ubiquitous
Like button. It has been sending data to Facebook tracking the sites you
visit. Each time details of the tracking were revealed, Facebook promised
that it wasn't using the data for any commercial purposes. No longer. Last
week, Facebook announced it will start using its Like button and similar
tools to track people across the Internet for advertising purposes. Here is
the long history of the revelations and Facebook's denials:
Facebook's Mark Zucke... more »
Satire: “McCain Calls for Emergency Blame Game on Iraq”
*“McCain Calls for Emergency Blame Game on Iraq”*
by Andy Borowitz
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)— “Citing the deteriorating situation in
the war-torn nation, Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) on Saturday called for
Congress to convene an emergency blame game on Iraq. “This is a dire
crisis,” McCain said. “It’s time to roll up our sleeves and do some serious
finger-pointing.”
McCain said that he hoped Congress would act swiftly to assign blame to a
long list of culprits he identified, including President Obama, the Joint
Chiefs, the media, and everyone who did not vote for him in t... more »
THE TERRIBLE FRUITS OF US-NATO IN UKRAINE
Despite President Petro Poroshenko's call for a ceasefire, shelling has
persisted in the eastern city of Slavyansk, Ukraine.
VICE News visited a section of Slavyansk that was recently struck by an
attack, and spoke with the residents about the chaos of the attack and its
aftermath. They also visited a local hospital and spoke with medical
workers who have stayed behind to treat the increasing number of wounded.
Kiev calls these people terrorists and other nasty names. It's against
international law to target civilians as the US-NATO directed operation has
been doing for the past ... more »
Death Aid : Sir Elton's Dead Friends
Death Aid : Sir Elton's Dead Friends from Spike EP on Vimeo.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, by all rights, I shouldn't be here.
I should be dead. Six foot under, in a wooden box.
Every day I ask myself, "How did I survive..?"
Because the AIDS Disease is caused by *A VIRUS...*"
"To be clear, he was diagnosed with AIDS.
*He wasn't HIV+,* he had *AIDS*."
"Ladies and gentlemen, by all rights, I shouldn’t be here.
I should be dead. Six feet under, in a wood box.
I should have contracted HIV in the 1980s and died in the 1990s.
Just like Freddie Mercury.
Just like Rock Hudso... more »
What do you want to be when you grow up? Our kindergartners at Malcolm X.
How will the PARCC prepare these kids to be a superhero or an “ice
princess.” Huh.Filed under: SHAUN JOHNSON, PHD: Musings from the Chalk Face
Tagged: elementary, end of the year, graduation, job, kindergarten
METRO | Beverly Baker Moore : Austin’s Hippie Church is all celebration, no dogma
As the energy builds, others in the audience join the regular dancers,
moved by infectious enthusiasm, some cosmic spirit… and the margaritas. By
Beverly Baker Moore | The Rag Blog | June 18, 2014 AUSTIN — About noon on
any … finish reading *METRO* | Beverly Baker Moore : Austin’s Hippie Church
is all celebration, no dogma
Assclowns of the Week #99: Dr. Strangehate edition
*...or How The GOP Learned to Love ISIS and the Bomb.*
Well, I guess it was only to be expected (By that, I don't mean Iraq
turning into dog shit again at the hands of Sunni extremists, which *was *to
be expected) but the black guy getting all the blame for Iraq's newest
quagmire after Bush had been praised by the man above for ending the war in
2011. Yes, Republicans finally found a new scandal not named Benghazi to
hang on Obama's neck like a greasy, half-plucked albatross and it's Iraq.
So, Iraq imploding two and a half years after we pulled the last of
our fighting... more »
ruby dee, 1922-2014
Ruby Dee was a towering figure in the American theatre. She was a great
actor, a poet, playwright, and screenwriter, and a steadfast voice for
equality. Along with the actor Ossie Davis, her husband of nearly 60 years,
Dee never stopped campaigning for full civil rights for all people.
Dee and Davis' marriage was something to marvel at and to emulate, a
partnership, as the *New York Times* obit puts it, that was "romantic,
familial, professional, artistic and political".
Dee grew up in Harlem, performed in many Broadway plays, and was a
quintessential New Yorker. On Friday, th... more »
Washington Redskins Name Controversy is Just Another Distraction
The political correctness warriors have recently had their target
coordinates set upon forcing the NFL's Washington Redskins football
franchise to change it's name as it is offensive to a certain aggrieved
demographic - the American Indian. Not that the US government gives a damn
about Indians, the genocidal mass slaughter of the nation's only true
indigenous people during the era of western conquest and Manifest Destiny
doesn't get much play from the corrupt national government nor in their
pocket media. Nor does the ghettoizing of American Indians onto
reservations and the insti... more »
How do you know a politician is lying?
*“It's not the lying that bothers me, it's the fact that people think I'm
stupid enough to believe them that does.” *- Anonymous
How do you know a politician is lying? Their lips are moving.
But was Cunliffe lying when he replied “no,” “definitely not” and “never”
to questions whether he’d known, met or helped party donor Donghua Liu?
Probably not.The petard on which he’s being justifiably hung however is of his own
making, and doubly so: First, Cunliffe wants to make the election an issue
of trust (don’t politicians always say that?), yet for reasons either of
duplicity or ... more »
Related articles
Ukraine prosecutor: 49 dead as rebels down plane(sacbee.com)
Ukraine offers unilateral ceasefire(bbc.co.uk)
Ukraine forces battle separatists after truce 'refused'(thetruthshallsetyoufree.net)
Ukraine Rebels Cite Heavy Losses Battling Kyiv Troops(voanews.com)
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