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Jonah Raskin : BOOKS | El Paso poet Bobby Byrd soars
In ‘Otherwise, My Life Is Ordinary,’ Bobby Byrd has taken ordinary things and people and turned them into something extraordinary. By Jonah Raskin | The Rag Blog | June 20, 2014 [Otherwise My Life Is Ordinary: Poems by Bobby Byrd … finish reading Jonah Raskin : *BOOKS* | El Paso poet Bobby Byrd soars
U2: THERE IS NO THEM, ONLY US
*"Invisible"* It’s like the room just cleared of smoke I didn’t even want the heart you broke It’s yours to keep You just might need one I finally found my real name I won’t be me when you see me again No, I won’t be my father’s son I AM more than you know I AM more than you see here More than you let me be I AM more than you know A body in a soul You don’t see me but you will I AM not invisible That's right I’ll be in the invisible world I don’t dream, not as such I don’t even think about you that much Unless I start to think at all All those frozen days And your frozen ways They m... more »
Melli Vs. Messi:Iran's Soccer Team Squares Off Against Sanctions, Shrinkage, and Argentina's 'La Selección'
Attempting to navigate a field of international rivals, under close scrutiny on a world stage, and achieve multilateral recognition before the window of opportunity closes in mid-July, top-level representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran have their work cut out for them this summer. While hopes for a positive outcome have waned of late, there is still time to turn things around. This is
What's next for the Washington R------s?
[*Click to enlarge*] *"It's chilling, because what they're really talking about is the result of centuries of United States policy against native people and the historical precedent of genocide. That argument speaks to the idea that people do not believe that Native Americans exist. In their experience, there are no Native Americans, so the only context you've ever heard that term is through football."* *-- Jacqueline Keeler, a co-founder of Eradicating OffensiveNative Mascotry, to *The New Yorker*'s Jay Caspian Kang* *"[Suzan] Harjo ["the woman who was the driving force behind th... more »
“Cognitive Dissonance? Or Mass Dissassociative Disorder?”
*“Cognitive Dissonance? * *Or Mass Dissassociative Disorder?”* by Zen Gardner "Sounds like a false choice, I know, but it’s not. Unconscious humanity is in a real pickle. A little term defining first since these concepts may seem confusing. Cognitive dissonance, which most people are familiar with, is a psychological phenomenon that takes place in less than conscious human thinking, and a favorite tool for manipulation by social engineers. It pits the experiencer between what they’re being told and the fact that what they’re witnessing is nothing of the sort. The subject then has ... more »
"Cognitive Dissonance"
“Sometimes people hold a core belief that is very strong. When they are presented with evidence that works against that belief, the new evidence cannot be accepted. It would create a feeling that is extremely uncomfortable, called cognitive dissonance. And because it is so important to protect the core belief, they will rationalize, ignore and even deny anything that doesn't fit in with the core belief.” - Frantz Fanon
Concerning knotweed
*Reposted from 2010.* [Twenty-one] years ago, our family occupied this site. I'm not absolutely certain what "ownership" means; my own tribe has behaved badly, in my own opinion, and I can only plead that that was before my time. And so here we are. I can quibble that our whole species is invasive on this continent, for what that's worth. I do know we Bears gave up what was, to us, a lot of money for fifteen years in order to be able to say the place is "ours," and I know that we have to give a certain sum to the local jurisdiction -- something called a "county" -- every year, or we... more »
THE CASE FOR AUSTRALIA DECLARING ITSELF A SOVEREIGN NEUTRAL NATION
Australia is a Westernised nation that exists within the Asian sphere of influence. Despite our geographic position, however, Australia has steadfastly clung to its Western roots, first with Britain and latterly with the US. But with changing times in a changing world it may be time to rethink our traditional and outdated alliances and consider our position relative to our neighbours. There has been a massive socio-economic gap between us and many of our neighbours in the region but now that gap is slowly getting narrower. There are also fundamental societal differences including re... more »
Satire: “In Rare Consensus, Sunnis and Shiites Tell Cheney to Shut Up”
*“In Rare Consensus, Sunnis and Shiites Tell Cheney to Shut Up”* by Andy Borowitz BAGHDAD (The Borowitz Report)— “In a development that offers a faint glimmer of hope for Iraq, both Sunnis and Shiites are finding common ground in the view that former Vice-President Dick Cheney seriously needs to shut up. In the days following the publication, this week, of a Wall Street Journal op-ed piece about Iraq that Cheney wrote with his daughter Liz, hatred of the former Vice-President has, to the surprise of many, become the first thing that Sunnis and Shiites have agreed upon in centuries. ... more »
Mr. Netanyahu Crows to Washington (A Brief Retrospective)
(Photo Credit: Platon) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu loves recycling dire warnings about Middle Eastern rivals acquiring nuclear weapons. He's been doing it for years. For as long as we can remember, Netanyahu has insisted that "time is running out" on preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, despite the fact that Iran has no nuclear weapons program. In July 2013, he declared
Rabid Rabin: Remember, Netanyahu's Nuclear Propaganda is Nothing New
Rabin at the White House with President Bill Clinton, 1995. (Robert Giroux/AFP/Getty Images) Lest anyone think that Benjamin Netanyahu invented the talking points so often repeated in hysterical Israeli warnings about Iran, here's a glimpse at what Yitzhak Rabin told AIPAC back in 1995: Oh yeah, and just in case you thought presidential pandering to Israeli alarmism has
Does anyone doubt that "Slimy Scott" Walker is a crook? Still, don't expect to see him on a chain gang anytime soon
Screen cap from Billionaires for Wealthcare (click to enlarge) *"Shit just got real. 'Scott Walker Involved in Criminal Scheme' is currently the BANNER headline on the front page of 18 Wisconsin newspaper sites. The breath and depth of the coverage is simply devastating. The story is engulfing Walker across the entire state, from cities to suburbia to even rural farm country."* *-- from Billionaires for Wealthcare's Daily Kos postlast night,* "Wisconsin Firestorm Engulfing Walker" *by Ken* So now at least we have some idea what it is that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is thought to... more »
I've Hit the Big Time. Yay?
Every now and then, I like to look through my hit counter's stats and see where my hits come from. I've noticed lately that I get a middling number of hits from universities (Auburn, U of So Cal, Cornell, Princeton, etc), and one regular reader from the DoD Network Information Center, whatever the hell that is. But one caught my eye tonight and it's this one: So I looked up the IP address 143.231.249.138 in an attempt to see whose staffer read my blog. I was hoping for a Democrat but my heart sank into my stomach when I did a Google search and found the following 2009 Wiki... more »
"Everyone Knows That the Federal Reserve Banks Are PRIVATE… Except the American People"
*"Everyone Knows That the Federal Reserve Banks Are PRIVATE…* * Except the American People"* By Washingtons Blog "The country’s most powerful “agency”– the Federal Reserve– is actually no more federal than Federal Express. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1928: "Instrumentalities like the national banks or the federal reserve banks, in which there are private interests, are not departments of the government. They are private corporations in which the government has an interest." The long-time Chairman of the House Banking and Currency Committee (Charles McFadden) said on June 10, 19... more »
The Economy: “Fed Policies Are Dangerous Claptrap... Here's Why...”
*“Fed Policies Are Dangerous Claptrap... Here's Why...” * by Bill Bonner “When we left off yesterday, we promised to take up an important theme on the morrow. The morrow is here. True to our word, we will do so. The subject is wages. And we are digging in. On the surface, we lament the lack of any forward progress in US hourly compensation over the last half century. Deeper down, in the clay and subsoil, we wonder how it is possible that the world's richest and most technologically advanced economy ever, operating during a 50-year period that included the invention of the Internet... more »
“The Era Of No Respect”
*“The Era Of No Respect”* by Barry M. Ferguson “The late, great comedian Rodney Dangerfield once made the following joke. “Last week I told my psychiatrist, "I keep thinking about suicide." He told me from now on I have to pay in advance.” Rodney would tug on his necktie and repeat his catch phrase, “I tell ‘ya, I get no respect!” While Rodney made a joke of it, we now find ourselves living in an era of no respect. One definition of respect is ‘to avoid violation of or interference with’. With the NSA listening to our phone conversations and reading our emails, the US regime has cl... more »
Control Freak, Kevin Huffman, Told to Get Out by Republicans
from Joey Garrison at the Tennessean: *Citing a "complete lack of trust" and alleging possible manipulation of test results, a group of 15 Tennessee Republicans has asked for the immediate resignation of state Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman in a letter sent to his boss, Gov. Bill Haslam, on Thursday.* *"Our trustworthiness has continued to be jeopardized on education reform," reads the letter, signed by several tea party-affiliated House members and senators, including state Rep. Joe Carr, R-Lascassas, a U.S. Senate candidate, and Rep. Rick Womick, R-Rockvale, who has called fo... more »
Hillary Clinton Was A Lion For Keeping Troops There
Some Democrats are happy and some are sad but both camps tend to see Hillary as inevitable, both as their party's nominee and as the next President. Well… better her than Ted Cruz. But do we really need another centrist corporate shill/multimillionaire surrounded by predatory elites? Ughhh. Is getting used it all we can do? Beltway personage Ron Fournier explained how she could squander her second chance a few days ago. First he wants to talk about the lack of authenticity. I only met her up close and personal twice. And was she inauthentic-- painfully so, especially in contrast t... more »
Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) to smarmy smirking IRS Commissioner John Koskinen: "This is the most corrupt and deceitful IRS in history"...
*be sure and keep Koskinen's face in your mind if you're ever audited.* And note the representative wearing glasses in the middle. It appears he's sound asleep. Your tax dollars pay these louts $174,000.00 per year (not including benefits and perks) to sleep on the job.
Here We Go Again: Domestic Terrorist Attacks Hyped for Political Gain
The great Iraq war heroics of Bush and Cheney aren't the only blasts from the past being pushed by the state-corporate media this week - now we are revisiting the good old days of the multi-colored terror alert charts with fear-mongering over possible ISIS attacks on *The Homeland*. According to a story in The Guardian New York City's terrorism top dog has followed up on Senator Lindsey Graham's dire warnings of a new 9/11 by warning that ISIS militants - those who are US citizens - could return from the land of jihad to exact a terrible revenge upon the land of the free and the ho... more »
Supplemental: The New York Times bungles teacher tenure!
*FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 2014* *And the world keeps producing great kids:* On Tuesday morning, we groaned when we read the New York Times letters page. The first group of letters concerned the recent court decision about California’s teacher tenure laws. It’s amazing how often this happens! The very first letter the Times chose to print seemed to misstate the ruling: LETTER TO THE NEW YORK TIMES: Re “Judge Rejects Teacher Tenure” (front page, June 11): Of all the muddle-headedness that passes for serious education policy these days, the least thought through is, to me, *the idea that ge...more »
Untitled
*Bobby 'Big Oil' Jindal's political levee board appointees held at bay on their attempt to kill SLFPA-E Lawsuit --for now ~The Advocate* *Ironton, LA residents fight to stop proposed 'borrow pit' in backyard ~WWLTV* *Officials identify cause of mysterious odor, residents seek medical help in St. Charles Parish ~WVUE* *2015 Capital Budget Requests Map ~Nola Report* *Cellphone providers ready lines of communication for hurricane season ~WDSU*
TFW reformishness
Yeah, whatever. Some caps, some more inspections, some 'up to' fines. Capital is like water and will find the cracks. A $1000 application fee? Some places could probably recover that in a paycheque or two, or find a way of transfering the cost to the employee. Fines seem hi, but not until the fall, which should give the rats plenty of time to find the cracks and spaces to hide. I could go on.
Common Core testing: Asking the big questions.
Sent to the Washington Post, June 20, 2014 According to "Field test of Common Core exams went well, officials say," (June 19), the "field-testing" was largely about how students react to online testing and what testing experts call "item-analysis," which means eliminating tricky items. These are low-level aspect of field-testing. There is no indication that the big questions will be asked now or ever: Is all this testing, the largest investment in testing ever made, worth it? Will it improve student achievement? Stephen Krashen Original article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/loc... more »
GAIA PORTAL: Portal openings and expansions in a rapid sense are to be expected, in short order
*Portal openings and expansions in a rapid sense are to be expected, in short order* by ÉirePort Statics of prior moments is now dissolved and released. Intrusions into Gaia Energetic Complex are monitored and ameliorated, as persistent intruders attempt a time reversal. Placid-ation is now at hand, within each and every Hue-Being, and is now being called forth. E-Lucidation of all priories is now in full progress, and cannot be stopped by lower-intenders. Portal openings and expansions in a rapid sense are to be expected, in short order. ÉirePort | June 20, 2014 at 10:51 | C... more »
THE GAPS IN TUSCALOOSA: Perhaps a tiny bit of a con!
*FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 2014* *Part 5—Coates buys a slightly flawed package:* “Please come to Tuscaloosa,” an old siren song seemed to say. When Nikole Hannah-Jones obeyed the command, she ran into her nation’s very large achievement gaps. This is what some of the gaps looked like when Tuscaloosa’s class of 2013 was completing eighth grade: *Average scores, Grade 8 math, NAEPStudents in Alabama, 2009*All students: 268.52 Higher-income students: 281.83 Lower-income students: 255.04 White students: 280.31 Black students: 248.01 Higher-income white students: 285.84 Lower-income white stu... more »
Two-part post about people talking nonsense
Part one: Melanie Phillips has featured in two audio broadcasts recently. One was the BBC’s Jeremy Vine programme, in which she debated with Lord Phillips of Sudbury (no relation!) about the prospect of aligning with Iran over the Iraq crisis, and the other was a Times podcast, the first part of which was devoted to the same topic. On Jeremy Vine we had to listen to the views of Lord Phillips, formerly the ‘legal eagle on the Jimmy Young Show” (that’s going back a bit, ) who referred to Israel in disparaging terms and needless to say seemed disturbingly willing to overlook Iran’s... more »
Joe Walsh Has His Legs Cut Out From Under Him
Joe Walsh represents everything that's wrong with right wing media and, by logical extension, our entire mainstream media. Walsh, you may remember, got his ass kicked by a legless lady named Tammy Duckworth last Election Day after serving just one term. He made the mistake of pulling a Saxby Chambliss and impugning the sacrifice made by a war veteran and accused his opponent of using her disability for pity and political advantage. Then he had the chutzpah to try to have his child support payments lowered for losing his job "through no fault of (his) own." Obviously, i... more »
Meet The 123 Members Of Congress Who Want The NSA To Continue Undermining Americans' Right To Privacy
Democratic leaders for domestic spying and for more Iraq war Last night, the House continued debating 2015 appropriations for the Department of Defense (H.R. 4870). Voting on amendments went just past 11PM and while they were going on, I at was at a lecture-- an amazing lecture-- by Glenn Greenwald. During the lecture, a version of which you can watch at the link in the last sentence, I tweeted something to the effect of Greenwald's presentation being better than a rock show. And it was. As he was wrapping it up, he tried to end on an upbeat and hopeful note, but he warned that if we... more »
Florida Legalizes Medical "Marijuana" But You Can Still Be Fired For It
Florida's Governor signed a bill legalizing a form of medical "marijuana" called Charlotte's Web this week. The law will go into effect next year. I'm underwhelmed. While it's a bit of a victory for patients covered under this new law (cancer or a physical medical condition that chronically produces symptoms of seizures or severe and persistent muscle spasms), as is typical with Florida laws there is zero protection for employees. What this means is that, even though Charlotte's Web is "low THC" and thus non-euphoric, so you won't be impaired when using it, you'll still likely fail ... more »
11 4th of July Party Ideas
Part of what makes the 4th of July my favorite holiday, is the huge 4th of July party we have every year. As it gets closer to the holiday, I am brain storming centerpieces and other fun things for the party. Here are some of my favorites. DIY Patriotic Luminaries by For the Love of. 4th of July Tablescape by Uncommon Designs Online. 4th of July DIY streamers from Studio DIY. DIY Patriotic Starbursts by Hostess with the Mostess. Patriotic Centerpieces by Heritage School House. Printable Patriotic Photo Booth Props by Fox Hollow Cottage. Uses for Red, White and Blue Bandannas by... more »
KILLING THE INNOCENT
Reports from eastern Ukraine include the following....see full report *here* - 100% confirmed reports of detention camps in areas west of Novorossiya. Evacuees going west by train and vehicle are being stopped by units of right sector [fascists]. Many are taken to these camps. Women and children are interrogated and usually released, some are held for further interrogation. No food or water is provided to the children or women. Men 16 to 50 years are locked in cells and interrogated by right sector and SBU. Evacuees released have all money and valuables taken... more »
Replacing Maliki No Panacea For Iraq
As the Obama administration is about to send military advisers to assist Iraq’s government there are growing reports that Washington wants Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to be replaced. The argument is that the premier is a divisive figure and that by getting rid of him the country’s politics can move forward, which will in turn help counter the insurgency. Finding a new prime minister could definitely improve the atmosphere in Baghdad in the short term, but it is no panacea for the deep structural problems facing Iraq. Pres Obama wants PM Maliki to carry out reforms, which some ... more »
“Both Sides Of The Gun”
“Both Sides Of The Gun”.Filed under: SHAUN JOHNSON, PHD: Musings from the Chalk Face
Mike's Story Part 56 - Burning
*By **Jenna** Orkin* Kellia Ramares-Watson commented on the last post, "Hegel:" *You could have written nothing and TPTB would be laughing. They laughed as soon as they got word that MCR had pulled the trigger. I heard that Raw Story laughed and while I deliberately did not read their story on MCR, I saw the first two words in my emails. Conspiracy theorist...* *If Cheney seems like a god, it is because he is still alive, rich, and listened to, while Mike, Cele Castillo and Gary Webb, etc are gone. Son of a bitch survived 5 heart attacks. That looks godly to a lot of people*. ... more »
THIS Is Absolutely Sickening! European "Royals" Killing Naked Children For Fun At Human Hunting Parties!
I have not done any reports in quite sometime about the ongoing investigation into child abductions from orphanages here in Canada where evidence clearly shows they were taken over to Europe and molested and killed by so called "royal" families including the supreme freak that rules the United Kingdom... At the time I found it disgusting and revolting and I was shocked that few people paid attention to the enormity of its consequences... It was also surprising that subsequent reports strangely disappeared, and the investigations here in Canada, although not ended (yet) have not been... more »
When Right Wingers Whinge
That there Michael Fabricant. He's a bit of a card. What with his silly wig and self-deprecating humour, he's the sort of MP tailor-made for social media. Good old Fabbers. At least, so I thought. I could never appear on a discussion prog with @y_alibhai I would either end up with a brain haemorrhage or by punching her in the throat — Michael Fabricant (@Mike_Fabricant) June 20, 2014 Oh dear. The mask has slipped. The bants, the joshing, it's crumbled away leaving something behind suggestive of a deeply unpleasant personality. I'm not going to spend any more time on Fabricant, especi... more »
The Tang Prize
*On the road in Miaoli.* The Tang Prize is out and the first recipients are being made public this week. The Tang Prize website explains: Dr. Samuel Yin established the Tang Prize in December 2012 to encourage individuals across the globe to chart the middle path to achieving sustainable development by recognizing and supporting scholars for conducting revolutionary research in the four major fields of Sustainable Development, Biopharmaceutical Science, Sinology, and the Rule of Law. The Tang Prize is truly global in reach, with laureates selected on the basis of the originality o... more »
Sense of humour in Court of Appeal
R. v. Pelech, [2012] A.J. No. 430: The Jeep was brought to a stop. Immediately, the respondent emerged from the driver's seat of the Jeep and approached the police car declaring: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so fucked." As will be seen from our disposition of this appeal, that was a prophetic statement.
The Gates Effect in Schools: Divisiveness, Inequity, and the Proliferation of Supercilious Know-Nothings
When Bill Gates left his $90 million calling card in Memphis in 2009, it was plenty to buy the fawning politicians who lined up for a handout in exchange for pushing the Gates Plan to Memphis schools. Now five years later, the effect has been that of a massive institutional fragmentation grenade. A failed consolidation scheme has left at least seven school systems to replace the two that operated when Gates came to town, with the urban poor handed over in increasing numbers to corporate charter chain gang overseers with their No Excuses and Zero Tolerance apartheid penal systems o... more »
MY LETTER TO GLENN BECK
Right-wing radio/TV host Glenn Beck made an astonishing admission the other day about the Iraq war. He said, “From the beginning, most people on the left were against going to Iraq. I wasn’t.” “[Liberals] said we couldn’t force freedom on people,” Beck, who initially supported the Iraq War, reminded his listeners. “Let me lead with my mistakes. You were right. Liberals, you were right; we shouldn’t have.” He went on to say he'd like to learn more about the reasons why people on the left knew what he did not in advance of the war. I thought it was a fair request and sent him the... more »
Paula, Michael & Bob
Flesh & Blood: Paula, Michael and Bob from Spike EP on Vimeo. "I thought he must have left some kind of clue somewhere...." "I don't think he killed himself" "I just don't think he killed himself" "You said that Michael killed himself and that Paula killed herself - they didn't; they just didn't." *"Perhaps you should try and figure it out for yourself!"* Diamond snapped. "*Michael and Paula were out of the country and during that time only a few people had any real access to the place: Bob Geldof, Anita Debney, the nanny who used to work for Bob for twelve or so years, and a wom... more »
Exponentially Better
Every day technology moves forwards in leaps and bounds. Time was tech moved like a stream, a well governed controlled stream. Disruptive technology was not allowed. Now it moves in the words of John Prine, "like a broken down dam". Technology is snowballing but so is human misery. I am not hopeful that we can change the world through technology. But hopefully we can save it.
12-year-old Jewish boy makes raunchy penis jokes, advances in "America's Got Talent"
American pop culture has been so thoroughly debased, it's tough to know how much lower it can or will sink. In perhaps a new low, a 12-year-old Jewish boy made a number of filthy penis jokes in a brief stand-up comedy routine for the popular television series "America's Got Talent," allowing him to advance to the second round of the competition. *The Times of Israel* reports: Josh Orlian, a 12-year-old Modern Orthodox boy from White Plains, NY, had the judges of “America’s Got Talent” bent over with laughter with a stand-up comedy audition Tuesday night that was deemed “naughty, nau... more »
Playing the Irritation Game
*The central mountain range from the river far below.* It is my contention that one of the Ma Administration's central foreign policy tendencies is to irritate relations with Japan and the United States whenever possible. This policy was thrown into harsh relief this week by twin actions in Tokyo and Beijing. First, a misprinted name in a Tokyo National Palace Museum exhibition caused an uproar in the Presidential Office in Taiwan... (FocusTaiwan): Controversy erupted when some posters advertising the exhibition were found to refer to the NPM as simply "Palace Museum, Taipei" an ap... more »
Never forget, never remember
By Capt. Fogg Good morning Republicans and welcome to another bright new day of washing our sins in Obama. And haven't we been having fun preempting the Democrats from using our martial spirit, thanking every veteran for his service by damning Obama for rescuing the one and only soldier (oops, * warrior* ) who was treasonously disillusioned with our dear war? Another day, another reason to impeach! And welcome back to our neocons. Awake after their long sleep to remind us how Obama's weakness has, as we predicted, turned our faultless, perfectly arranged, positively inspiring ba... more »
Al Qaeda + "Awakening Councils" = ISIS
*I have been working on this post for two, well really three, days now. It's long. * *But worth reading entirely. * In this post- *ISIS- A US created "stay behind" using Iraqs plundered wealth* a scenario was presented, to you, explaining how the stolen wealth of Iraq was used by NATO leadership, mostly US/UK, to create ISIS. We recalled the forgiving of odious debt, a request made by the US, which freed up Iraq's wealth to be used & abused, intentionally, under the watchful eye of L. Paul Bremmer. Aside from the usual profiting off the misery of human suffering there was a bigger... more »
Obama: push Maliki out!
As the agenda comes into focus- Obama makes his most blatant statement regarding the pushing out of Maliki CBC With the country now in turmoil, al-Maliki's rivals have mounted a campaign to force him out of office, with some angling for support from Western backers and regional heavyweights. On Thursday, their effort received a massive boost from U.S. President Barack Obama. *The U.S. leader stopped short of calling for Nouri al-Maliki to resign,* saying *"it's not our job to choose Iraq's leaders."* *But his carefully worded comments did all but that.* [image: Mideast Iran Iraq]... more »
Mississippi Runoff Tuesday-- KKK For McDaniel, Brett Farve For Cochran
Amazing new Gallup poll was released yesterday. Gallup's analysis: "Americans' confidence in Congress has sunk to a new low. Seven percent of Americans say they have 'a great deal' or 'quite a lot' of confidence in Congress as an American institution, down from the previous low of 10% in 2013. This confidence is starkly different from the 42% in 1973, the first year Gallup began asking the question… Americans' current confidence in Congress is not only the lowest on record, but also the lowest Gallup has recorded for any institution in the 41-year trend. This is also the first ti... more »
Clearing Out The Rot
A number of shibboleths fell with the election of Kathleen Wynne. The most insidious of them was the notion that the words "tax" and "theft" are synonyms. Linda McQuaig writes: The centerpiece of this ideological orthodoxy has been an almost phobic attitude towards taxes. The vilification of taxes has profoundly changed our society in recent decades, dramatically limiting our ability to act collectively to achieve common goals that improve our lives, confining us instead to isolated lives as private consumers. Under Stephen Harper, Ottawa today collects about $30 billion less in ... more »
Could ISIS in Iraq Be a Hoax?
I have to admit that as the week has gone on, with the increasingly breathless media blather over the baddest bogeymen of all - ISIS - that I have been struck with the idea that this just doesn't smell right. The emergence of a jihadist force, so nasty that even al Qaeda doesn't want them seems to be a wet dream to a war machine that has spent the past year just itching for another military intervention. That the uprising occurred shortly after the recent electoral triumphs of both Iraq's Nouri al-Maliki and Syria's Bashar al-Assad makes it suspect of being a creation of the "regim... more »
Do Charter rights engage when a non-State actor detains someone?
In *R. v. Lerke* (1986), 67 A.R. 390 (Alta. C.A.) the Alberta Court of Appeal found that a tavern manager who arrested an accused person was acting as an agent of the state. There the manager of a tavern thought the accused was a bit young and excluded him from the tavern. The accused re-entered. The manager then arrested him. They took him to an office where they searched his belongings. Marijuana was located in his coat. The trial judge found that the search infringed his s. 8 Charter rights. The Crown appeal to the Court of Appeal was dismissed. Laycraft J.A. held that the arrest... more »
Iraq Updates June 20 , 2015 --As Prime Minister Maliki struggles to maintain primacy in Iraq , state of play of various Iraq area set forth ( and rivals position themselves as his successor ) , Food prices spike in Baghdad ...... Kurds denounce attempt by Shiites to blame them for Iraq's troubles ( meanwhile the Kurds continue to defy the Baghdad Government by selling their oil outside of the Government directives , note the troubles with gasoline supplies in Kurd territory ) ...
Rudaw..... Food Prices Spike in BaghdadBy Adel Fakhir 7 hours ago [image: Shiite militias driving through Baghdad's Sadr City. Photo: AP] Shiite militias driving through Baghdad's Sadr City. Photo: AP BAGHDAD — The seizure of key Iraqi cities by Islamic militants coupled with the approaching holy month of Ramadan is driving up food prices in Baghdad. Economist Makki al-Shammari, an expert in consumer goods, confirmed what Baghdad residents have seen in the markets: the price of food has spiked this week amid an Islamist march toward Baghdad and unprecedented uncertainty about Iraq’s ... more »
"In The Time Of Your Life..."
"In the time of your life, live — so that in good time there shall be no ugliness or death for yourself or for any life your life touches. Seek goodness everywhere, and when it is found, bring it out of its hiding-place and let it be free and unashamed. Place in matter and in flesh the least of the values, for these are things that hold death and must pass away. Discover in all things that which shines and is beyond corruption. Encourage virtue in whatever heart it may have been driven into secrecy and sorrow by the shame and terror of the world. Ignore the obvious, for it is unwor... more »
Taichung AmCham 2014 American Day
_______________________ [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!
What's the Significance of Life? Who Are We?"
*"What's the Significance of Life? Who Are We?" * by MeaningS of Life "Is human life just a dream, from which we never really awake, as some great thinkers claim? Are we submerged by our feelings, by our loves and hates, by our ideas of good, bad, beautiful, awful? Are we incapable of knowing beyond those ideas and feelings? Listen to Shakespeare and Joseph Conrad: ‧ "We are such stuff As dreams are made on, and our little life Is rounded with a sleep…" William Shakespeare, "The Tempest" *"*A man that is born falls into a dream like a man who falls into the sea. *"* Joseph Conrad, ... more »
"Life..."
"Life is without meaning. You bring the meaning to it. The meaning of life is whatever you ascribe it to be. Being alive is the meaning." - Joseph Campbell
"The White Room: A True Story"
*"The White Room: A True Story"* by CP While sleeping one night, it suddenly felt that I was no longer asleep, but awake and alert to being somewhere else. I stood just inside the door of a fairly large white room, though like nothing on this earth. The entire surface area- floors, walls, ceiling, all had a warm “glow” of soft white light. I sensed a number of people all around the room, but focused my attention on what appeared to be a hospital bed of some type, again white and glowing. Seated upon the bed was my mother, dead 11 years, wearing a long white gown of some sort, and a... more »
Project 03160 Patrol Boat “Raptor” Launched
[image: Project-03160 Raptor]The first serial high speed patrol boat of project 03160 “Raptor” of Manufacturing programme of 2014 built under the Contract with Russian Navy launched for passing its yard sea trials. Before the end of this year it is planned to deliver 4 boats of this project to the State Customer – RF Navy. The boat is intended to perform the following operations at day-time and at night: - the transportation of group of at least 20 persons providing the highest possible embarkation and debarkation; - duties in assigned areas; - intercept and arrest of... more »
UK Study Contract Awarded to integrate Brimstone 2 onto Typhoon
[image: Dual-mode Brimstone under Tornado]We have been awarded an initial study contract, valued at £5 million by the UK Ministry of Defence to evaluate the integration of the MBDA Brimstone 2 air-to-ground precision weapon with the Typhoon aircraft. Work underway Work is currently underway at our Warton site in Lancashire to assess the aerodynamic properties of carrying the weapon through a series of wind tunnel tests. Alongside delivering an effective route to Brimstone 2 integration for the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) by 2018, the study is also set to deliver wider benefits through... more »
BICEP2 gets published in PRL
*Discovery upheld, paper nearly unchanged* Lots of sourballs and jealous experimenters (and theorists) have been trying to sling mud on the March 2014 discovery of the primordial gravitational waves by BICEP2. Some of them have been suggesting that it wasn't even kosher to write or talk about the discovery before it gets through the "peer review". Well, those people associating the process of "peer review" with supernatural abilities have yet another reason to shut their mouth because the work was just published in the appropriately prestigious Physical Review Letters: Detection o... more »
PLAN inducts two Type 056 corvettes into South China Sea fleet
[image: Jiangdao-class (Type 056) guided-missile corvette]China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has commissioned two Jiangdao-class (Type 056) guided-missile corvettes into its South China Sea fleet, according to PLA-sponsored news outlets. Luzhou (592) and Qinyuan (589) were commissioned on 7 June and 11 June respectively. Luzhou was manufactured at Wuhan Shipyard in Hubei province while Qinyuan was built at the Huangpu Shipyard in Guangzhou. The 1,500 tonne full-load displacement vessels have a length of 90 m and a beam of 11 m. They can reach a top speed of 25 kt and attai... more »
Sunday’s Test Will Define Future of Homeland Missile Defenses, says Riki Ellison
[image: Ground Based Interceptor]Riki Ellison, Chairman and Founder of The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA), www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org, issued a statement today concerning the upcoming CE-II Ground Based Interceptor test on Sunday, June 22, 2014. Mr. Ellison countered recent claims that CE-II two test failures in 2010 were caused by rushed deployment in 2004, saying “The responsibility of the failures and lack of annual testing of the CE-IIs is not due to the rush to deployment in 2004. It is directly related to misguided leadership by the previous MDA director and the ... more »
UK’s Wildcat helicopter makes debut landing aboard HMS Illustrious
[image: AW159 Wildcat]The UK Royal Navy's new Agusta Westland AW159 Wildcat maritime attack helicopter has made its debut landing aboard the Invincible-class aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious during an anti-submarine exercise, Exercise Deep Blue, off Cornwall in the Atlantic. HMS Illustrious Air Commander Mike Ryan said: "As someone who was closely involved with bringing Wildcat into service, it was both a great pleasure and privilege to welcome this highly impressive new helicopter on to Illustrious for the very first time." Set to replace the aging Westland Super Lynx on the front ... more »
Ukraine's army using Su-25 fighter bombers as heavy fighting in Artemovsk underway - Donetsk militia
[image: Su-25 Frogfoot]An intense military operation is underway in the town of Artemovsk in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, a local militia headquarters spokesman told Interfax on Thursday. "The village of Zakatnoye, the town of Seversk and the outskirts of Artemovsk have come under fire. Militiamen are firing in response. Fierce fighting is underway using heavy military hardware on the part of Ukrainian government forces," the spokesman said. Read more
U.S. to send 300 troops to Iraq, but hold off on air strikes
[image: F/A-18 Hornet]President Obama authorized additional military assistance for Iraq's fight against advancing Islamist militants Thursday, but made clear that he will continue to hold back more substantive support, including U.S. air strikes, until he sees a direct threat to U.S. personnel or a more inclusive and capable Iraqi government. Obama said he would send up to 300 additional Special Operations troops to better assess the situation on the ground, where forces of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have moved ever nearer to Baghdad, and to determine "how we can be... more »
UN: Unmanned drones to be deployed in Mali
[image: United Nations flag]The UN peacekeeping force in Mali will be getting unmanned drones to help protect civilians and the UN troops in the volatile north, the peacekeeping chief said on Wednesday. Herve Ladsous told the UN Security Council that the unmanned aerial vehicles will provide critical information for peacekeepers. The UN is already using unmanned drones in its peacekeeping operation in Congo, and Ladsous said last month that he would like to deploy drones in countries like Mali, Central African Republic and South Sudan. Read more
New Zealand Plans to Grow Combat Capabilities by 2020
[image: NH90 helicopter]On Tuesday, New Zealand released its new Defense Capability Plan (DCP). The document outlines the country’s broad strategic priorities on defense matters. New Zealand Defense Minister Jonathan Coleman notes that the 2014 DCP reflects well on the New Zealand Defense Force’s (NZDF) capabilities. The 2014 DCP is a follow up to the 2011 document. “The 2014 Defence Capability Plan describes the new equipment and assets that the NZDF will purchase over the next decade. It resets capability and investment priorities, and focuses on the NZDF’s ability to deliver joi... more »
This is where Russia will build its Arctic vessels
[image: Zvezda yard]Billions are invested in the Zvezda yard outside Vladivostok to make it capable of meeting Russia’s growing demand for ice-protected ships and platforms. It is the Far East which is the country’s top priority oil and gas region. This is where the quickest growing markeds are and where the raw material prices are the best. New fields, processing plants and pipelines are under planning and both Rosneft and Gazprom have signed major cooperation deals with China and several other Asian powers. Read more
Greg Hunter, "Weekly News Wrap-Up 6.20.14"
*"Weekly News Wrap-Up 6.20.14"* By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com "President Obama is sending 300 military advisors to Iraq. This is the ultimate lose-lose scenario. Remember I told you Iran was already there, and the U.S. would be helping Iran defend Iraq. Well, it’s happening. Obama does not want to attack the ISIS or ISIL forces that have come down from Syria, and he does not want the Iranians to defend Iraq and gain influence. The Obama Administration has armed the Syrian rebels that are in part al-Qaeda related. If he starts bombing them, the campaign to oust Assad in Syria will... more »
Saft Wins Major Contract From DCNS For Electrochemical Stacks For PB-61 Powering F21 Torpedoes
[image: F21 torpedo]Saft, the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of advanced technology batteries for industry, has been awarded a multi-million Euro torpedo electrochemical stacks contract by DCNS, a world leader in naval defense and an innovative player in energy. Under this long-term contract, Saft will supply silver oxide-aluminium (AgO-Al) electrochemical stacks for PB-61 powering heavyweight F21 torpedoes. DCNS has designed the F21 to be the most advanced torpedo on the world market, and the high energy density AgO-Al seawater activated primary electrochemical stack s... more »
Local company's anti-torpedo gear on deployed carrier
[image: USS John C. Stennis]A local company's award-winning anti-torpedo gear is aboard the carrier deployed to the Persian Gulf last week as the Iraqi crisis escalated. Pacific Engineering Inc., which has offices at 1074 Saltillo Road, was one of 25 high-tech small businesses presented with a 2014 Tibbetts Award from the Small Business Administration this week. The Tibbetts Awards are given annually to small businesses and individuals who participate in the SBA's Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs. They are named after Roland Tibbet... more »
USN considering alternative propellants for SLBM rocket motors
[image: UGM-133 Trident II]The US Navy's (USN) strategic systems programme (SSP), which oversees and maintains submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM), is facing a potential shortage of solid rocket motors. "Right now there is a decline in demand for solid rocket motors," Vice Admiral Terry Benedict, director, SSP, said during a Capitol Hill briefing on 13 June. "Sustainment of the industrial base remains an issue that must be addressed at the national level," he added. Read more
INS Arihant: A 'Giant Stride' For India? – Analysis
[image: INS Arihant]When the INS Arihant’s nuclear reactor went critical in August 2013, India not only joined the blue-water navy club of countries with the capability to build nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, but also picked on a major doctrinal headache. This, apart from the specification concerns and limited intended utility, puts the Indian Advanced Technological Vessel (ATV) programme in a quagmire. With the Indian Navy expecting to acquire and deploy the vessel in the first quarter of 2015, certain aspects of this project must be discussed to gauge New Delhi’s... more »
Navy holds firing drill against N. Korean subs in East Sea
[image: Red Shark torpedo]The South Korean Navy carried out a firing exercise off the country's east coast Friday to strengthen its capability against a possible invasion by North Korean submarines, officers here said. Flatly rejecting Japan's call a day earlier to cancel the drill, the Navy held the one-day exercise in the East Sea, some 50 kilometers away from the country's eastern port of Jukbyeon, North Gyeongsang Province, as scheduled. On Wednesday, Tokyo urged Seoul to cancel the exercise, claiming that the venue includes part of its territorial waters near Dokdo. It was the l... more »
US Propaganda Accidentally Exposes Nazi Crimes in Ukraine
US State Department propaganda witlessly confirms Right Sector Nazis are operating in eastern Ukraine, kidnapping journalists, and working directly for the regime in Kiev. *Image: Media won't report the narrative Kiev wants to hear? Just send Right Sector Nazis to kidnap them and coerce the talking points you want reported at gunpoint.Pictured above is one of two Russian journalists takenhostage by Right Sector Nazis and made to "confess." **June 20, 2014* (Tony Cartalucci - LD) - The Interpreter Magazine is a "special project" of the Institute of Modern Russia. By "Modern Ru... more »
Will millions of girls start to code for $50 million?
*I don't think so but I wish Google good luck* These folks at Google must really believe the cause. *What you said was nice, girls, except that I would bet that these words were written by a man.* Google along with Chelsea Clinton and others are paying $50 million to an initiative (madewithcode.com) that should attract girls to coding, programming, and reduce the gender gap in information technologies. There are some female programmers in various companies – see e.g. this list of 5 female programmers: I have never heard about any of them – but their number and their overall im... more »
Art - Alyssa Monks - photorealism gone painterly
Laughing Girl 40x60, oil on linen, 2009 Koi 56x84, oil on linen, 2010 a few years back, I did an art feature on then-photorealist painter Alyssa Monks. Above are a couple of examples of the kind of painting from pre-2011 period. And it was an idle thought. I just wondered, "What has Alyssa Monks been up to recently?" *Born 1977 in Ridgewood, New Jersey, Alyssa Monks began oil painting as a child. She studied at The New School in New York and Montclair State University and earned her B.A. from Boston College in 1999. During this time she studied painting at Lorenzo de’Medici in Flo... more »
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*Kerry: 'At Least 98, 99% of All Scientists in Our Country’ Believe in Climate Change* *At this stage, Kerry is speaking deliberate lies. Nothing new about that for him. He's still got the hat, remember* At a time when debate is swirling over the assertion that 97 percent of scientists endorse man-made global warming, Secretary of State John Kerry – a frequent citer of the 97 percent figure – in a speech Wednesday nudged the figure up to “at least 98, 99 percent.” “When it comes to climate change, when it comes to food security, we are literally facing a moment of adversity – per... more »
Deep Tweets
Didn't think I'd live to see the day... The Presbyterian Church (USA) just approved gay marriage, effective Sunday. So. http://t.co/vGAmlC6TKf pic.twitter.com/juY4gsRrUL — Peter Weber (@PJWeber) June 20, 2014
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, […]
Will Debbie Wasserman Schultz Resign As DNC Chair?
This morning, Debbie Wasserman Schultz sent out an e-mail begging for more money, despite not having a serious opponent for November in her gerrymandered D+9 district. "A new group is running attack ads against me," she shrieked ominously. I was hoping she would name them so I could contribute. But she didn't, implying, instead that it's the Tea Party. Republicans, though, couldn't be happier to have such a conflicted and incompetent Democrat like Wasserman Schultz ascending the ladder of power within the party. I immediately suspected that the group she's worried about attacking... more »
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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - font size [image: decrease font size] [image: increase font size] - Cetak - E-mel - Komentar (5) Rate this item - - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 (3 votes) [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
A timeout from the usual raving about the degenerate Village menagerie, except for a Borowitz Report on another Obama fail
*The House Republican Menagerie gathered behind closed doors today and apparently with a bare minimum of opposition chose Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy to be the new majority leader, their No. 2 guy to Speaker "Sunny John" Boehner, then chose LA Rep. Steve Scalise to fill McCarthy's spot.* *"All we ask of this President is that he do one thing: settle a religious conflict that has been going on for a millennium and a half. What did he offer today? Nothing."* *-- Senate Minority Leader "Miss Mitch" McConnell,as quoted by* The Borowitz Report *by Ken* I know I should be writing abou... more »
3 Articles On The Crisis In Iraq
"Some local veterans were right there when U.S. troops left. Josh Anderson was one of the last to leave Iraq after witnessing the training of its soldiers. "We got glimpses of the Iraqi Army and they didn't look too trained honestly to tell you the truth," he said." - Hannah Tran, *"Local Veterans Weigh in on The Crisis in Iraq"* KAALtv, June 13, 2014. 1. An excerpt from, *"Iraq's Maliki: I won't quit as condition of US strikes against Isis militants"* by Martin Chulov and Spencer Ackerman, The Guardian, June 19, 2014: *A spokesman for the Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, h... more »
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 »
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*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 - 1 day 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
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