12:30pm MDST
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
Koi 56x84, oil on linen, 2010 a few years back, I did an art feature on then-photorealist painter Alyssa Monks. Koi (above) is a lagter example of the kind of painting from that 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 Florence.* [source Alyssa Monks] So, I visi... more »
Untitled
*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 - 14 hours 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 - 15 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 - 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 - 18 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
Iraq-- A Religious Civil War That Started In 680
Democratic House leadership has basically joined Republican House leadership in back Obama's plans for "limited" military involvement in Iraq's religious civil war-- which started on October 10, 680, not 1680, *680* at the Battle of Karbala, when the Sunnis and the Shia began exterminating each other. Obama can't possible think he's going to heal that breach-- even if silly-dillies like Lindsey Graham, Kelly Ayotte and John McCain do. How sad it is to see Democratic House leaders-- many of whom would be flying into fits of rage if Obama's plans were the plans of a Republican-- ba... more »
“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 »
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*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 »
Funny How People Who Live In Beautiful Places, Like Hawaii, Don't Want To See Them Polluted By Rapacious Businessmen And The Politicians They Own
This week former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright asked people who care about Climate Change and environmental policies to help Hawaii senior Senator Brian Schatz beat back a challenge from conservative corporate shill. "I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again," she wrote, "we are not doing enough to counter climate change deniers in Congress. The EPA just announced the biggest step forward our country has ever taken to fight climate change, but deniers like Speaker of the House John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are out in full force spreading lies to d... 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 - 1 day 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 »
AMS-02: no cutoff in positron fraction up to \(400^+\GeV\)
Fer137 has pointed out that the AMS-02 collaboration has published some new data a few days ago. In contradiction with my previous sociological speculations 14 months ago, they still don't show any cutoff after 11 million electron-positron events have been taken into account. See AMS-02's Twitter account or this NASA page for some more images and links to documents about their incomplete 2014 release (it's really this PDF file that is new) that hasn't taken the form of a paper yet. Discovery News published a short article, too. There's of course still some room for cutoff b... 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 »
Feynman was right: easily explainable theories can't be worth physics Nobel prize
Out of many quotes by Richard Feynman, Tommaso Dorigo picked a 1965 statement printed in the July 22nd 1985 issue of People Magazine: Hell, if I could explain it to the average person, it wouldn't have been worth the Nobel prize. Dorigo himself adds: "I sure cannot disagree more with Dick than on the above sentence!" It is not quite clear to me whether Dorigo "only" disagrees with the general idea that Feynman wanted to convey or whether he even disagrees with the statement that Quantum Electrodynamics cannot be explained to the average person. I am eagerly waiting for Dorigo's text... 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 »
Worst Electoral Targeting Award For 2014 Goes To... Steve Israel
Texans Mac Thornberry (Amarillo), Mike Conaway (Midland/Odessa) and Kevin Brady (the north Houston 'burbs of Montgomery County) don't have to worry about Democrats; their districts barely have any. In 2012, Thornberry didn't have a Democratic opponent while Conaway beat his with 79% and Brady beat his with 77%. These are red hellholes that national Democrats don't even think about. All three have PVIs hovering around R+30. Obama only got 19% of the vote against Romney in Thornberry's district… and 20% in Conaway's and 22% in Brady's. Democrats have seats that are as Blue as these ... 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 »
Gaia Portal: Interwoven timelines currently inhabit near Earth energetics
*Interwoven timelines currently inhabit near Earth energetics* by ÉirePort Interwoven timelines currently inhabit near Earth energetics. *Requirements for Hue-manity birthing include exposure, recognition, separation, and transmutation of such, by individual Hue-Beings.* hu-manity follows the leadings of the Hue-Beings. Treading of prior time paths proves fruitless. All is in process for grand Hue-manity and hu-manity mass awakening. ÉirePort | June 16, 2014 at 07:47 | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/p2sFUY-rK
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 »
The Satanic Music Industry (R$E) - Massive Battle For Your (child's)Soul
*(this music video includes blood-drinking & soul snatching as normal & desirable - find ways to prepare your children/grandchildren's hearts & souls . . .)* [image: Round SaturnsEye] Round SaturnsEye
April Bender: The Rebirth
*Another interesting message from April Bender....the timing of this is very interesting. I've gone through a pretty tough couple of weeks with stomach issues/body changes. After the huge x-class flares last week about a half dozen of us here felt like our bodies suddenly didn't know what to do with food... The timing of the words "purging" in this message is quite descriptive. Ugh...don't care to go through that again. Thankfully D., our resident ex-Canadian Army medic lives next door to me and had a cache of probiotics... My body has been quite energetic since coming here, ... 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*'?"
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