5:43pm MDST
the secret art of inviting happiness
The secret art of inviting happiness, The miraculous medicine for all diseases. At least for today: Do not be angry, Do not worry, Be grateful, Work with diligence, Be kind to people.
Lily Gives Arne a Big Hug
From MicroSoftNBC: Despite the education secretary’s outwardly nonchalant reaction to the NEA vote [calling for his resignation], García says he seemed “hurt” and “surprisingly confused.” In her estimation, he didn’t realize the level of anger he had conjured up. “Arne Duncan is not a bad man,” she said. “I think he sincerely believes this stuff.” Despite their differences, says García, they ended the meeting with a hug. By Lily's measure, Hitler and Stalin were not bad men, either. After all, they believed the "stuff" they were doing.
Glad to be Gay
My Gaydaryradar is totally unreliable. I thought Christopher Alexander was Gay but apparently he is not. We wait for the child. Oh so cynical but when it come to politics beware the beard. I allege that many key people in the current Conservative Government are Gay. If you had to question people like Jason Kenny you would be left with only supposition to inform your basic instincts. Whats wrong with this picture is not what some people might say is a high percentage of Gay cabinet ministers, or even as the extreme who I do not believe say child molesters. No what is wrong that t... more »
NATO False Flag- Norway from mercs in Syria? Think- Arctic Resources & Circling Russia!
*So, whaddya think?* The new head of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, from Norway is set to take the reins of 'power' at NATO. * Norway’s Jens Stoltenberg appointed as new NATO chief* NATO’s next leader was announced Friday: former *Norwegian Premier Jens Stoltenberg will lead the military alliance starting in October.* [image: ** FILE ** In this June 25, 2013, file photo, Norway's Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a news conference at the Presidential palace in Vilnius, Lithuania. NATO announced on Friday, March 28, 2014, that former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg w... more »
Shoots leaves and tweets
Disproportionality. Fashionably attired Rushanara Ali, M.P. (female, Muslim, Labour) debating with Douglas Murray on Daily Politics 22nd July. Jo Coburn in the chair, Trevor Phillips was also there. “Israel has shown complete disregard for humanitarian issues, [...] its reaction is *disproportionate* and we need the European Union and the British government to speak up and work towards resuming peace negotiations, which seem to have been completely elusive over recent years. “*Israel* needs to respect international and humanitarian law......... That cavalier misuse of the wor... more »
Musical Interlude: Chuck Wild, "Liquid Mind VIII: Sleep - Adagio for Sleep"
Chuck Wild, "Liquid Mind VIII: Sleep - Adagio for Sleep" Images courtesy of NASA and the Goddard Space Flight Center. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quFgHlfQAuo&feature=related
Paulo Coelho, “The Black Man (A True Story)”
*“The Black Man (A True Story)”* by Paulo Coelho "We are at the restaurant of a German University. A red haired student, and undeniably German, takes her tray and sits down at her table. She then realizes she has forgotten her cutlery and gets up again to pick it up. Coming back, she sees with astonishment that a black man, possibly sub-Saharan by his appearance, is sitting there and is eating from her tray. Straight away, the young woman feels lost and stressed, but immediately changes her thought and presumes that the African is not familiar with European customs concerning priva...more »
Jon Donnison returns
He's back, along with his own special brand of BBC impartiality [sic]: Back in the holyland. Not feeling too holy right now. — Jon Donnison (@JonDonnison) July 25, 2014 More than 700 lives now been lost in latest #israel #gaza war. 700 greaving families. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters. Pointless. — Jon Donnison (@JonDonnison) July 23, 2014 700 plus dead in #gaza #israel war. And when it eventually ends nothing will have been achieved but the status quo. — Jon Donnison (@JonDonnison) July 23, 2014
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble - maybe Macbeth should have consulted the Witch Head Nebula. This suggestively shaped reflection nebula is associated with the bright star Rigel in the constellation Orion. More formally known as IC 2118, the Witch Head Nebula glows primarily by light reflected from bright star Rigel, located just below the lower edge of the below image. *Click image for larger size.* Fine dust in the nebula reflects the light. The blue color is caused not only by Rigel's blue color but because the dust grains reflect blue light more e... more »
Rollo May, "Courage"
*"Courage"* by Rollo May "We are living at a time when one age is dying and the new age is not yet born. We cannot doubt this as we look about us to see the radical changes in sexual mores, in marriage styles, in family structures, in education, in religion, technology, and almost every other aspect of modern life. And behind it all is the threat of the atom bomb, which recedes into the distance but never disappears. To live with sensitivity in this age of limbo indeed requires courage. A choice confronts us. Shall we, as we feel our foundations shaking, withdraw in anxiety and... more »
"The Door In The Wall..."
"The man who comes back through the Door in the Wall will never be quite the same as the man who went out. He will be wiser but less sure, happier but less self-satisfied, humbler in acknowledging his ignorance yet better equipped to understand the relationship of words to things, of systematic reasoning to the unfathomable mystery which it tries, forever vainly, to comprehend.” – Aldous Huxley
The Poet: Wendell Berry, “Leavings”
“In time a man disappears from his lifelong fields, from the streams he has walked beside, from the woods where he sat and waited. Thinking of this, he seems to miss himself in those places as if always he has been there. But first he must disappear, and this he foresees with hope, with thanks. Let others come.” - Wendell Berry, “Leavings”
Chet Raymo, “What Not to Believe”
*“What Not to Believe”* by Chet Raymo “In Stacy Schiff's biography of Cleopatra, I came across this epigraph from Euripides: "Man's most valuable trait is a judicious sense of what not to believe." I have no idea which of Euripides' plays the quote is from, but it strikes me as a suitable source for reflection. Credulity is the default state of a human life. Children are born to believe, to accept as true what they are told by adults. An innate credulity has survival value in a dangerous world. If a grown-up says "There are crocodiles in the river," it is probably best to stay out ... more »
"The Illusion of Truth"
*"The Illusion of Truth"* by PsyBlog "We see ads for the same products over and over again. Politicians repeat the same messages endlessly (even when it has nothing to do with the question they've been asked). Journalists repeat the same opinions day after day. Can all this repetition really be persuasive? ‧ It seems too simplistic that just repeating a persuasive message should increase its effect, but that's exactly what psychological research finds (again and again). Repetition is one of the easiest and most widespread methods of persuasion. In fact it's so obvious that we someti... more »
"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 stuffAs dreams are made on, and our little lifeIs 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 »
The Daily "Near You?"
Bamfield, British Columbia, Canada. Thanks for stopping by.
"In The Long Run..."
"In the long run my observations have convinced me that some men, reasoning preposterously, first establish some conclusion in their minds which, either because of its being their own or because of their having received it from some person who has their entire confidence, impresses them so deeply that one finds it impossible ever to get it out of their heads. Such arguments in support of their fixed idea... gain their instant acceptance and applause. On the other hand whatever is brought forward against it, however ingenious and conclusive, they receive with disdain or with hot rag... more »
“A Universe Stranger Than We Can’t Imagine”
*“A Universe Stranger Than We Can’t Imagine”* By Mark Thompson "Ever looked up at the night sky and wondered: What *is* up there? Like your ancestors before you, you would be mistaken if you thought that it's just the Earth down here and the stars up there. Instead, the night sky encompasses everything that is, or ever was, in the Universe. You see, the really wacky thing about looking up at the sky is that you are not just looking into the depths of space, but also into the depths of time. Let me explain. Light travels at about 300,000 kilometers per second (186,000 miles per seco... more »
"A Day Spent..."
"A day spent without the sight or sound of beauty, the contemplation of mystery, or the search of truth or perfection is a poverty-stricken day; and a succession of such days is fatal to human life." - Lewis Mumford
“Tiahuanaco: Gateway to the Gods”
“Tiahuanaco: Gateway to the Gods” by Dan Eden . "Ask most people who are the oldest civilization or where the oldest civilization lived and you'll hear answers like Mesopotamia (Iraq), Egypt or Iran. While these cultures can be traced back to 4000 B.C., the mysterious ruins of Tiahuanaco, in Bolivia, could be 14,000 years old! If you think the Great Pyramid in Egypt is a technological marvel, wait until you see what artists and engineers were doing in Tiahuanaco. This culture thrived at the breathless, oxygen deprived elevation of 13,000 feet. They managed to somehow move stones weig... more »
The Curious Incidents of the Passenger Airliners in the Night-Time
You notice no-one is jumping to the conclusion that the Malinese or Red China shot down the other two planes, even though they have more cause to do so. This is what we call The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. *"Gregory, let me recommend to your attention this singular epidemic among the sheep. Drive on, coachman!"* * Colonel Ross still wore an expression which showed the poor opinion which he had formed of my companion's ability, but I saw by the Inspector's face that his attention had been keenly aroused.* * "You consider that to be important?" he asked.* ... more »
Only 7 Republican Extremists Filibustered The Latest American Jobs Bill-- And They Failed
Will the real Ron Johnson please stand up, please stand up When the worst of the Republican crackpot extremists in the Senate tried to filibuster John Walsh's Bring Jobs Home Act (S.2569) even Ted Cruz looked at them like they were crazy. The bill "amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) grant business taxpayers a tax credit for up to 20% of insourcing expenses incurred for eliminating a business located outside the United States and relocating it within the United States, and (2) deny a tax deduction for outsourcing expenses incurred in relocating a U.S. business outside the United... more »
Dear USAISC
...aka the insatiably curious folks at IP Address 150.226.95.18: I know you've been to my place today, specifically at 1:09 EST. I know that you are located not at the USAISC headquarters of Little Rock, Arkanas but at Fort Benning, Georgia, the home of the 101st Airborne (The Screaming Eagles). And, if I so chose, I could track your GPS coordinates with such frightening exactitude I could pinpoint your position to within a few inches or at least to the work station you use to spy on me and other bloggers of, apparently, all political stripes. I know: I did it to my ... more »
First Vet Visit in Costa Rica--Bugsy's Adventures
Generally, we keep our gate closed, but it blows open once in a while when not locked. Two of these times, Bugsy has taken the opportunity to leave the yard and get lost. Yes, I have such a high maintenance cat that he cannot get home once lost in a field of weeds and trees. We have two lots located on each side of us that are empty. One is for sale, and overgrown as the owner does not have it cleared very often. The other one is more cleared. The first time Bugsy got lost, it was on the cleared field and near the edge. I heard him meowing, and found him. I think he got stuck... more »
Canadian judge goes bonkers on a thought crime: Case of Mohamed Hersi defended by lawyer Paul Slansky
... Or the link between domestic Islamophobia in the courts and Israel You could not make this stuff up. Government passes a law (link) that makes it a criminal offense for a Canadian citizen to even attempt to help any group that is labelled by the Government (in its objective and infinite wisdom) as a terrorist group. Thus the Government makes it a criminal offense for a Canadian citizen
No Comment Dick
Read so Dick, the world is now a Dick novel. 40 years ago I read alot of Dick works, however the one that sticks in my mind is Dr. Bloodmoney and I fear it may be his most accurate. Our leaders would rather destroy the planet than get along. *(Ed note I also believe we are on at least the second tech civilization)* Thats the world today. If it was ISIS trying to circumcise me and my wife I might squeal but to keep the world spinning not such a great sacrifice. Fortunately that's not a likely scenario. If you think the people in the middle east or people from anyplace are much dif... more »
Prophecy and Creation
We have arrived, or better said, noticed now, a spot that is constantly adjusting – seemingly to our every thought. This is the beginning stage of consciousness; *awareness*. Until now, terms such as “the law of attraction” seemed like magic – only distant, occasional possibilities. This perspective has changed as we today see evidence of our thoughts and words appear before our eyes as a matter of course. This, as a function and effect of the vibratory changes on the planet and within. There is everyday evidence of creation and no doubt as to who is doing the creating. It is ... more »
“No Road Map For Avoiding The Future”
*“No Road Map For Avoiding The Future”* by Andrew McKillop “*The Future Beckons – The Future Threatens:* Talk about “road maps”, for example the decades-long roadmap for solving the Israel-Palestine conflict reveals several things. These roadmaps lead to nowhere and have lost all credibility. However, one important hidden role of these roadmaps is likely their proven ability to do nothing, waste time, and delay – but not avoid - the future. Therefore and inevitably we get pent-up frustrated change. When it happens we get a “break in series” and one analogy is as follows. Stack up e... more »
“The Internet of Things: You're Idiots”
*“The Internet of Things: You're Idiots”* by Karl Denninger "There are all sorts of articles flying around talking about *The Internet of Things (IOT)*, usually in reference to devices like "smart" thermostats, refrigerators and other devices around your home, office, car and similar. It all sounds very dreamy, but before you buy into the hype machine surrounding this nonsense please do sit back and think a bit. Consider the recent security issues disclosed with IOS devices and the Chromecast dongle. Then consider that today, your Internet connectivity "risks" are mostly associate... more »
Luc Besson - Scarlett Johansson - LUCY
I like Luc Besson. I like Scarlett Johansson. I like the idea of using 100% of the Human Brain. *TRAILER LOADED:* *PRESS PLAY*.
This would make smokers quit...
[Hat tip Casey Daily Despatch] [image: Posted with Blogsy]Posted with Blogsy Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
Supplemental: Digby does Dealey Plaza!
*FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014* *The work of the new Salon:* Should progressive and liberal news orgs ape the conduct of Fox? In our view, the answer is no. In our view, you can’t create a progressive politics by misleading progressive voters. Beyond that, we can’t imagine a good outcome from teaching liberals to hate. More and more, though, the methods of Fox seem to pop up at Salon. That brings us to Digby’s new posts. Doggone it! The analysts burst into tears when they read her post about Rick Perry. That’s because they had already read the news report to which Digby linked right at t... more »
Drawing Upon Paul Tough to Nurture Soft Skills Not “Grit”
It is always reassuring to read about pedagogies developed in the classroom being later determined to be based on scientific principles documented by academic researchers. That is one reason why I was so impressed with Paul Tough’s New York Times Magazine article, “Who Gets to Graduate?” Tough’s article was published this spring and I immediately […]
NEW KIDS ON THE LAWN: Rachel Maddow’s dream!
*FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014* *Part 4—A trio of self-appraisals:* Is Bryce Covert being a bit disingenuous when she discusses the gender wage gap? We don’t know how to answer that question. But the question helps us ponder the work of the highly credentialed young journalists now working for partisan news orgs. An older generation of Sam-and-Cokies are shuffling off the stage. As this so-called “worst generation” exits, they are often being replaced by highly credentialed young journalists who went to the very best schools. Covert, still 29, is Brown 2006. Her jumbled writing about the w... more »
Anti-Semitism in Germany: A Comment
“Mutti,” aka Angela Merkel, is not amused. Neither is the rest of the German political establishment, the German media, or the vast majority of German people. Three days ago, some of the protesters against the Israeli campaign in Gaza yelled anti-Semitic hate paroles, a man wearing a kippah was chased through Berlin, and the police Continue reading
Mark Takai Proposed Testing Homeless Veterans For Drugs
*"I am proud to support Stanley Chang for Congress. Stanley knows what needs to be done to fix Wall Street and protect the rights of consumers. He has declared his support for the Better Off Budget, which would create 8.8 million jobs by 2017 and reduce our deficit by $4 trillion over the next ten years. Stanley is a champion for civil rights for all and will work toward a more secure and peaceful world. The Progressive Caucus and its members will work hard to support Stanley to see that he joins us in the 114th Congress."* - Keith Ellison, co-chair, Congressional Progressive Caucu... more »
Gordon Duff on Red Ice Radio. What in the hell?
I just spent two hours listening to this interview. Two hours of my life I can't get back. Aargh! Brought to us all by Henrik @ Red Ice Radio Gordon Duff is a Marine combat veteran of the Vietnam War. He is a disabled veteran and has worked on veterans and POW issues for decades. He manages the world's largest private intelligence organization and regularly consults with governments challenged by security issues. His business experience and interests are in energy and defense technology. We’ll begin discussing flight MH17 that went down in the Ukraine. *To each their own. *I ... more »
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Important preface by Paul Craig Roberts (received yesterday): "Government of Ukraine Collapses" "Today the Ukrainian government resigned. The prime minister Yatsenyuk, or 'Yat' as affectionately called by Victoria Nuland who put Yat into office, resigned along with the entire Cabinet. The parliament refused to vote the harsh conditions demanded by the IMF. I am not sure what this means. Perhaps it is just a tactic to force the parliament to do as the IMF says. Or perhaps Yat, Washington’s stooge, has realized that IMF or no IMF, Ukraine’s economy is imploding and wants to get out of the blame. The point for now is that I checked the BBC, the New York Times, and CNN and there is not one word about the collapse of the government of Ukraine. I did notice that the BBC, now a reliable element of Washington’s Ministry of Propaganda, reported, as if it were true, State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf’s claim that the Russian military is shelling Ukrainian forces. When Harf tried this out today on a roomful of journalists, they laughed her out of the room. Evidence, evidence! they demanded. 'Why,' Harf was asked, 'do you think something is made true by your saying it!?' So, as usual, real news is missing from the Western press, but fake news is reported. Professor Michael Chossudovsky has provided an account of the collapse of the Ukrainian government on Global Research." (reproduced below)
------------------------------ *Collapse of Ukraine Government: Prime Minister Yatsenyuk Resigns amidst Pressures Exerted by the IMF* By Prof Michel Chossudovsky Region: Russia and FSUGlobal Research, July 24, 2014 Theme: Global Economy, Poverty & Social Inequality Global Research, July 24, 2014 Original Here *Ukraine’s Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk announced his resignation in the Rada (Parliament) and that of the entire Cabinet on Thursday, July 24. T... more »
Harry Potter Baby Pictures Ideas
When I met Marissa from Rae Gun Ramblings a couple of years ago and we bonded over our love of Young Adult Literature, Crafting and all things Harry Potter. I mean, anybody who has a Moaning Myrtle picture in her bathroom has to be pretty awesome, right? Ever since she told me she was pregnant, I knew there had to be a Harry Potter baby photo shoot in this little boy's future. This shoot is absolutely one of my favorites I have ever taken and I can't wait to share it with you. In this post I will share where I got all of the props and we posed this little man to capture these phot... more »
Nick Griffin on Question Time
Not that it really matters any more, but the BNP deposed Nazi Nick this week and replaced him with an idiot who goes round in an army uniform "in solidarity" with British troops. As Griffin bows out of the limelight to spend more time with his money worries, here's the seminal *Question Time* moment of 'peak BNP' from 2009. You can watch the rest here, here, here, here, and here.
Bloomberg Lies as Ukrainian Rebels Allegedly Down 2 Warplanes
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More deception by West as Ukrainian rebels down two more SU-25 warplanes. *Image: Are Ukrainian separatists foolish enough to continue using Bukmissile systems implicated in the downing of MH17? Or have they beenusing highly capable man-portable missile launchers like those picturedabove all along? **July 25, 2014* (Tony Cartalucci - LD) - In Bloomberg's article, "Two Ukrainian Jets Shot Down, Three Dangerous Explanations," it claims two Ukrainian SU-25 ground attack warplanes were shot down by rebels over Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, stating: *Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesm... more »
Here is yet another piece of evidence that Malaysia Airlines Fight 17 was brought down by the Ukraine government and not the beleagered Russian speakers of the east and south.
------------------------------ *Pilots Heard Ukrainian Air Traffic Control Order MH17 to Change Route* *Russia accuses Kiev of tampering with ATC recordings * *by* Paul Joseph Watson | July 23, 2014 ------------------------------ Pilots on board an Air India Dreamliner which was flying just 90 seconds behind Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 say they heard Ukrainian air traffic control give the order for the doomed plane to change route minutes before MH17 was shot down by a missile. According to a report in the Times of India, “Minutes before the crash caused by a missile strike, the AI... more »
He Would If He Could
http://theinternetpost.net/ Stephen Harper and his minions have been complaining loudly about the power of "special interests." But, Steve Sullivan writes: When Stephen Harper headed up the National Citizens Coalition, he filed a constitutional challenge against the Elections Act. He claimed the law’s spending limits on third-party advertising during elections was an infringement on his freedom of expression rights as guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. According to the logic offered up b... more »
Vaunted Garfield High School has a problem with sexual assault
From Al-Jazeera America. According to the article, mishandling sexual assault cases is pretty common in public schools and in higher education. There’s certainly an abundance of evidence out there for that. But I was surprised to hear that the venerable catalysts of nationwide test boycotts, Garfield High School, bungled this one. That’s a shame. The […]
Sack the Science Advisor
So you don't like the advice that your expert advisor is giving? So then how about sacking the advisor? Even better yet, how about getting rid of the entire advisory mechanism? That is the advice that Greenpeace and other NGOs are giving to European Commission president-elect Jean-Claude Junker. If it sounds a bit like something out of the Richard Nixon playbook, well, it is. I defend the EU science advisor and the broader structure over at the Guardian. Read it here. For a deeper dive into science advice in government, see this volume by James Wilsdon and Rob Doubleday. My chapte... more »
RIP Bernard Etkin
No he did not make the movie, probably not even in the first draft of the Apollo 13 script. But in real life when NASA needed to know with life on the line Bernard Etkin and his team had the answer. A solution worked with slide rulers not computers. In typical Canadian fashion at the time the team thought they were just a double check of the real teams work.
Not Your Father's Republican Party-- Meet Jody Hice, Who Wants A Bazooka In Every Home
John Birch Society stalwart and former drug addict Paul Broun has widely been considered Congress' most extreme Member. He ran in the May Georgia Republican primary for the open U.S. Senate nomination and lost miserably, failing to even crack 10%. But in his own north central Georgia district, GA-10-- stretching from just east of Atlanta to just west of August and from Athens in the north and Milledgeville in the south-- he's pretty popular. The Democrats didn't bother running anyone against him in 2012. The district has a PVI of R+14 and Obama only managed 36%. When Broun last f... more »
Behning's Corporate School Money Still Flowing
by Doug Martin *(See the important note at the end of this article. * *Patrick Lockhart is running against Behning, and needs your support. Here is his facebook page. Spread it wide. It is time to take this to a truly grassroots level. Pass this article on to your neighbors, your community members and leaders and to the people in Lockhart’s district, many of them in Indianapolis. It is time to stop preaching to the choir and to get the word out. Doug Martin)* No sooner than I posted my article on Bob Behning’s corporate school money at the end of April, more handouts from th... more »
Haslam's Secret Meeting at Ground Zero of Secret Classroom Camera Project
Last year we were able to uncover details of a Gates-funded student and teacher surveillance plan that gathered classroom video data and dumped it into a corporate Cloud for sharing among, who knows? Now it seems Governor Haslam is meeting undercover with a group of "educators" in Washington County to find out "what works and what's not." Wonder if the Gov plans to keep it all to himself once he finds out. Apparently, the real educators of Washington County want to know when the Governor learns it: *What organizers are calling an outdoor gathering Friday in the parking lot of the... more »
Now That Florida Has Gay Marriage, How Does That Affect Employee Rights?
Okay, okay. I know we don't have gay marriage in Florida quite yet. The July 17 Florida ruling on gay marriage only applies to the Keys, and it's stayed pending appeal. Still, there are multiple cases pending around the state, and it's only a matter of time before someone starts issuing licenses and performing marriages. How does that affect employee rights? There are several ways Florida employees and employers will be impacted once gay marriage starts happening in Florida, so start preparing now: *Family and Medical Leave*: Because FMLA applies to leave for care of spouses, Flori... more »
Getting to Know KnowledgeWorks, Part 1
Soon after Ted Strickland (D) was elected Governor of Ohio in 2006, he announced that he would rely on the expertise of the KnowledgeWorks foundation to "help shape his administration's education agenda." Really not surprising, since the CEO for KnowledgeWorks, Chad Wick, served as transition team leader following Strickland's election. What does Wick, an investment banker, know about education? Nothing, but his patron, Bill Gates has a whole stable of Princeton and Yale grads who pretend to know everything. Dr. Chad P. Wick is a General Partner at MAYWIC Select Investments. Dr. ...more »
Untitled
*Sean Payton discusses efforts to touch base with TE Jimmy Graham during contract dispute ~Ramon Antonio Vargas* *New Orleans, Ole Miss great McAllister pushed to stay as running back ~Riley Blevins* *You’re invited: Join us to talk about the cost of restoring our coast and who will pay ~The Lens* *Review of NOLA.com Hurricane Hotel Tracker ~Chris Boudy, New Orleans Tech* *Catching a cab in New Orleans is anything but ~John Kartch* *'Mow to Own' program is city's newest proposal to combat blight ~Leigh Isaacson* *Pact forged to train La.’s offshore oil, gas workforce ~Bill Lodge* ...more »
A Thank You For Blessings From Above
[image: Prayer to the Divine]Source: http://notesalongthepath.com/2014/07/24/thank-you-for-all-the-blessings-of-our-lives/#respond
State Department Runs Amok as Obama Plays Golf
The presidential reality television show, as the Obama administration was once dubbed by trends forecaster Gerald Celente continues to descend into theater of the absurd territory as American foreign policy - or the lack of one that is sane - sets the world ablaze and the narcissist in chief goes golfing and raises money for the Democrats. Like George W. Bush retreating to Chickenhawk Ranch, that phony cowboy movie set in Crawford, Texas to chop brush and ride his dirt bike and letting Cheney run things, dear leader is content to do likewise with the crazed State Department engages... more »
BBC REPORT TAKEN DOWN - WITNESS SAW UKIE MILITARY PLANE NEAR MALAYSIAN AIRLINER
*Preamble*: The original BBC Video Report was published by BBC Russian Service on July 23, 2014. Why did BBC delete this report by Olga Ivshina? Is it because the BBC team was unable to find any evidence that a rocket was launched in the area that the Ukrainian Security Service (“SBU”) alleges to be the place from which the Novorossiya Militia launched a “BUK” missile? Or is it because every eyewitness interviewed by the BBC team specifically indicated the presence of Ukrainian military aircraft right beside the Malaysian Airlines Boeing MH17 at the time that it was shot down? O... more »
Brainwashed sheep's obsession with "villain" Vladimir Putin
Several people who largely share my appraisal of the events in Ukraine and around Ukraine have sent me lots of incredible photographs and articles showing that the "mainstream" Western media got completely obsessed with Vladimir Putin. *This 29-year-old lady was threatened by a mayor to be deported from Holland and finally she fled the country by herself – taking BF Jorrit Faasen, 34, with her. In the current hysteria, the sufficient reason is the following: she is Maria Putin, Putin's daughter.* It's enough to search Google News for Putin if you want to obtain a rather incredibl... more »
Greg Hunter, "Weekly News Wrap-Up 7.25.14"
*"Weekly News Wrap-Up 7.25.14"* By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com "With all the wars and rumors of wars in the world, are we headed for some massive East versus West confrontation? Let’s tie it all together and start in Ukraine. There are new allegations from the U.S. State Department about Russia actually shooting into Ukraine from the Russian side of the border. The State Department says Russian artillery is shooting at Ukraine army positions, and they have been doing so for weeks. Add this to the recent downing of the Malaysian jet, and you clearly get a picture of the situation i... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
"Two galaxies are squaring off in Virgo and here are the latest pictures. When two galaxies collide, the stars that compose them usually do not. This is because galaxies are mostly empty space and, however bright, stars only take up only a small fraction of that space. But during the collision, one galaxy can rip the other apart gravitationally, and dust and gas common to both galaxies does collide. If the two galaxies merge, black holes that likely resided in each galaxy center may eventually merge. Because the distances are so large, the whole thing takes place in slow motion - ov... more »
LCS to conduct test of Norwegian missile
[image: USS Coronado (LCS-4)]The littoral combat ship USS Coronado will get a chance at an historic LCS first this fall when it launches a surface-to-surface missile in tests off Southern California. The Navy confirmed this week that the Coronado is scheduled to test-launch the Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile (NSM) off Point Mugu, California, where the Naval Air Warfare Center maintains an extensively-instrumented missile range. The test will follow a successful NSM launch July 10 from the Norwegian frigate Fridtjof Nansen during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercises near Hawaii. ... more »
U.S. dismisses Russia's concerns about deployment of missile defense system to S. Korea
The U.S. will press ahead with plans to deploy a high-altitude anti-ballistic missile defense system in South Korea to defend against North Korea's continuous missile threats. The U.S. government on Thursday dismissed Russia's concerns that the deployment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery or THAAD could trigger an arms race in Northeast Asia and make it more difficult to resolve issues. Russia's foreign ministry said the plan will inevitably have a negative impact on the region. Read more
Russia's best warplanes to be shown at Aviamix air show
[image: Su T-50 PAK-FA]The welcome day will be held on Saturday, July 26, at the firing range Pogonovo in the Voronezh region, where air show Aviamix will be held within an international stage of the piloting contest at military show Aviadarts 2014 currenly under way. “Crews of modern and promising aircraft systems T-50, Sukhoi Su-35, Su-34, Su-30, helicopter gunships Kamov Ka-52 and Mil Mi-28N, fighters, bombers and attack planes of different modifications will take part in air show Aviamix,” spokesman of Russian Air Force Colonel Igor Klimov told reporters on Thursday. At the air... more »
Japan needs to close 'bargain' F-35 deal soon: report
[image: F-35B Lightning II]With US F-35s grounded over potential oil leaks and potential buyers retreating and cutting their intended orders, it is crucial for Lockheed Martin to persuade Japan to complete its purchase of the the stealth fighters as soon as possible, says the China Youth Daily. Dave Scott, Lockheed Martin's director of international customer engagement for F-35s, in an interview with Fuji Television Network dismissed claims that the Russian T-50 and Chinese J-20 qualify as fifth-generation fighters. The US F-35 is the only fifth-generation fighter aircraft that des... more »
Russia delivering weapons to Iraq
[image: Iraqi Su-25 Frogfoot]Russia has begun supplying military helicopters and fighters jets to Iraq, a report said Thursday, as Iraq's defense minister visited Moscow to press for equipment to thwart a jihadist offensive. "A number of contracts with Iraq have entered into force and are being fulfilled," the Interfax news agency quoted a source in Russia's defense export establishment as saying. Deliveries of Mi-35 helicopter gunships and Su-25 fighters that provide close air support for ground troops have begun, added the source. Read more
Japan to Showcase Seaplane to Navy
[image: ShinMaywa US-2]The Japanese Navy will showcase before the Indian Navy a seaplane and its operations during the ongoing trilateral Malabar maritime exercise, also involving the US Navy, off Nagasaki’s Port Sasebo in western Pacific Ocean. The seaplane, which the Navy wants to procure and deploy in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for maritime patrol, is built by Japanese firm ShinMaywa. US-2, as the amphibious plane is called, can take off from and land on water and is a suitable platform for operations between island territories. The Japanese Navy would operate the US-2 sea-p... more »
Free Planet - world population clock - seven point two four nine billion as of today...
that is *TODAY'S SNAPSHOT* from the World Population Clock - we are now well over the seven billion living humans mark. This is a snapshot. Tomorrow, there'll be net 80,000 more. And the day after tomorrow another 80,000. This is taking into account those people who will die over those two days. How many more do we need? I mean, even The (for profit) Industry'll have done the calculation, "What is the maximum number of workers a global bottomline structure can support?" and by this I mean, "Sure, you can have ten twenty thirty billion workers all working for free making cathedral... more »
Because Israel is different
'... the massive population displacements in Europe at the end of the Second World War are forever, but those in Palestine a mere three years later must be corrected and reversed. On the Continent, losing wars comes with a territorial price: The Germans aren't going to be back in Danzig any time soon. But, in the Middle East, no matter how often the Arabs attack Israel and lose, their claims to their lost territory manage to be both inviolable but endlessly transferable.' Mark Steyn making perfect sense in a piece that should be compulsory reading for the anti Israel brigade inclu... more »
Why Rafale is a Big Mistake
[image: Dassault Rafale]Why would India buy the Rafale combat aircraft rejected by every other interested country—Brazil, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Singapore, and even the cash-rich but not particularly discriminating Saudi Arabia and Morocco? The French foreign minister Laurent Fabius’s one-point agenda when he visited New Delhi was to seal the deal for Rafale, a warplane apparently fitting IAF’s idea of a Medium Multi-role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) in the service’s unique typology, which includes “light” and “heavy” fighter planes as well, used by no other air fo... more »
China's aircraft carrier puts naval ambitions on show
[image: Liaoning CV]At a northern quayside China's first aircraft carrier dwarfs nearby vessels, its take-off ramp rising higher than the top deck of the cruise ship at the next berth, symbolising the country's naval ambitions. Dalian, where the Liaoning was refitted and undergoes regular maintenance, looks out over the Bohai strait, gateway to the Yellow Sea, and beyond it, Japan and the Pacific Ocean. Beijing proclaims that China's rise is entirely peaceful and it has no interest in hegemony, but analysts say its goal is to surpass the naval capability of Japan's Self-Defense F... more »
New fighter rolls out to loud rock music
With a rumble of loud rock music, a flashing light show, the curtain fell and Australia's first new Lightning jet fighter stood revealed. This Hollywood style event, featuring didgeridoo music and delivery of an Aboriginal message stick to the RAAF, marked the official rollout of aircraft AU-1, a grey-painted shark of an aircraft - the RAAF's first Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning. As many as 99 more will follow, though Australia has so far committed to buying 72. Read more
Third-World USA USA USA Strikes!!! Austerity Zombie Still Mild-Mannered Response from Rich to Poor: Name Is Being Changed To Protect the Malevolent (Are the Authoritarians Winning?)
Actually, the third world came to the USA USA USA just about the same time that chant did. Remember after 9/11 when the America-first (and not-guilty) propagandists went into overdrive? Remember this story every time you read about political representatives voting to get rid of environmental protections (and workers' rights). It's back to feudalism time, baby! Last year, at age 36, I
USS Bremerton will head to namesake to end its service
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[image: USS Bremerton (SSN 698)]The USS Bremerton will return to its namesake city to be inactivated. The Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine will arrive in fall 2017 at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, said shipyard spokeswoman Mary Anne Mascianica. It’ll be moored until employees become available to perform the work. The Bremerton facility, which is busy with several other jobs, is the only place in the country where Navy submarines are recycled. Read more
The Bullshit That Civilly Dare Not Speak Its Name
(If Mark Halperin spouts bullshit in the forest and there's no one there to hear it, is it still the fault of the Dirty Fucking Hippies?) There's a saying that, as scant as the truth is, the supply always exceeds the demand. When it comes to Beltway pundits – the chattering class, the Villagers, the Very Serious People – the truth is more like a strange, exotic alien speaking a foreign and
A vote for Scotland's independence could reverberate through NATO
[image: Vanguard class SSBN]Novelist and longtime Scotland resident J.K. Rowling did not mention national security issues when she recently donated 1 million pounds ($1.71 million) to the Better Together Campaign, which wants Scottish voters to reject the independence option in the Sept. 18 referendum. Rowling — creator of Harry Potter and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft — did emphasize the economic downsides of a divorce from the rest of the United Kingdom. But if her funds and celebrity status help "no" voters carry the day, she will share the credit for a real-life geo-strategic... more »
Realistic heterotic non-supersymmetric models
Michael Blaszczyk (we will ultimately teach them to write it as "Blaščik" as any other decent non-Eastern Slavic nation) and three co-authors from German, Greek, and Mexican institutions wrote an interesting paper Non-supersymmetric heterotic model building where they show how naturally the \(SO(16)\times SO(16)\) heterotic string theory without supersymmetry is able to produce unifying models with one Higgs doublet, three generations, some logic inherited from non-supersymmetric \(SO(10)\) grand unified theories, and (almost?) nothing beyond the Standard Model at low energies. ...more »
Ian's Voice Link. Death by Vaccination
Source: *http://www.iansvoice.org/*
Untitled
*Invertebrate populations have dropped by 45 percent in the last four decades* *"Invertebrate" means "no backbone". At that rate America has an ample supply of invertebrates -- in Congress. Seriously, though, how can anybody know how many beetles, wasps etc there are? It's a fantasy. They might as well have just made the number up -- which they probably did* Much has been said about the loss of bird, mammal, reptile, and amphibian species around the world. By current estimates, at least 322 species have gone extinct in the last 500 years. And researchers estimate that 16 to 33 ... more »
Arab Spring Reaches The West Bank; Sisi Regime Gives US Officials A Taste of TSA's Abuses; Gaza's Nightmare Should Not Take Our Attention Off of Other Crises
[image: A Palestinian protester behind a barricade of burning tyres uses a slingshot to throw stones at Israeli troops near the West Bank city of Ramallah] * Source of photo: Mohamad Torokman/Reuters. * *1. An excerpt from, "Protests over Gaza bloodshed roil West Bank" Al Jazeera, July 25: * Israeli police have shot dead at least two Palestinians just north of Jerusalem during massive protests in support of those under siege in Gaza in several areas of the occupied West Bank. Palestinian security and medical officials named one of the men as Mohammed al-Aaraj, 25, who was among th... more »
Quote of the day: On growing up
“That's one of the hard things about growing up that I'm starting to see all too often: life isn't just a matter of crossing off a neverending list of accomplishments, it's more a case of watching on helplessly as yet another thing is added to the list of things you'll never do.” - Bob Murphy, Western Bulldogs utility, ‘Father Time ... slam dunked’ Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
When will Canadian MPs show this kind of guts?
Over 20 strong statements from members of the Conservative, Labour, and Liberal Democrat parties in UK 10 days ago, even before the most recent Israeli shelling of UN schools and hospitals with one child now being killed in Gaza every hour. Note how these British MPs have vaulted right over the despicable cowardly practice, apparently obligatory among politicians in Canada and the US, of "fair and balanced" mealy-mouthed equating of the occupied and occupier - as if the blockaded and collectively punished people of Gaza (600 dead civilians) are somehow responsible for the security... more »
Right Wing Nuts Welcome Their New Majority Leader With An Embarrassing Defeat-- For Him And America
I was in New York Tuesday and could concentrate on the votes that were going down in the House and I'm afraid people may have missed a vote on Eric Swalwell's H.R. 1022, the Securing Energy Critical Elements and American Jobs Act. The Boehner/McCarthy/Ryan clique that's still fighting to control the House Republican Caucus, felt it had the votes to suspend the rules and pass the bill with a 2/3 majority and no amendments. They should have asked their own chief vote-counter, Republican Whip Steve Scalise, the Louisiana extremist, who was opposed to it. Although every Democrat but ... more »
Stratbase Forum on ASEAN Competitiveness
Last Wednesday, I attended a Citizen Watch round table discussion on "An Economic Reform Agenda for ASEAN Competitiveness" organized by the Stratbase Research Institute (SRI), a Makati-based think tank. It was held at the Tower Club, 33rd floor of Philam Life building. I think it was my first time to see that place. Nice. Only 10 of us were invited, nine came.Photo below, from left: Dr. Epictetus "Lingling" Patalinghug of the UP College of Business Administration and Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF) fellow; Calixto "Toti" Chikiamco, President of the FEF; Dr. Dindo Manhit, Presi... more »
Israel's Nazis To Gaza's Refugees: No Shelter For You!
"According to Gunness, 141,338 Palestinians have been driven out of their homes into 83 UNRWA shelters while reports state at least 745 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's ongoing attacks which started on July 8." [*Source of photo and quote: Daily Sabah*]. *UN: Israeli forces knew about the Gaza shelter before attack. Source: The Telegraph. Date Published: July 24, 2014. Description:* UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunnes says "the Israelis were given the precise GPS coordinates" of the shelled UN school where Palestinians were seeking shelter "and in spite of that, this has happe... more »
Obama: MH17 incident may 'stiffen the spine' of European partners on sanctions
Cui Bono? *You can visit our MH17 article archive here. * *Poll: Who do you think shot down Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17?* Be the Change! Donate Today! Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurner
"Alas..."
"Time goes, you say? Ah, no! Alas, time stays, we go." - Henry Austin Dobson
Leo Buscaglia, "'Loving"' Excerpt
*"'Loving"' Excerpt* by Leo Buscaglia "Emotional detachment, maintaining our distance from others, is being prescribed as a solution for avoiding pain. Neglect and abuse of children and the aged is a growing problem. Social and religious institutions, which in the past helped to set standards of behavior and brought people together in companionship, are actively downgraded. Individualism, independence, and personal freedom are valued above love, commitment, and cooperation. Examining the complex nature involved in loving each other (the dynamic and ever changing nature of two or ...more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Steamboat Springs, Colorado, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
Chet Raymo, "Matters of Life and Death"
*"Matters of Life and Death"* by Chet Raymo "For the past few days I've have passed this poor bedraggled creature on the sidewalk. I cannot help but think of that essay in Lewis Thomas' "The Lives of a Cell" called "Death In the Open." How rare it is, he writes, to see a dead wild animal. He mentions squirrels in particular. They teem in his backyard, he says, all year long, but he has never seen, anywhere, a dead squirrel. It is always a queer shock, part a sudden upwelling of grief, part unaccountable amazement. It is simply astounding to see a dead animal on the highway. The ou... more »
They Tracked the MH17 Missile from Space but Just Can't Seem to Find a Whole Boeing 777 Anywhere
Truthstream Media *You can visit our MH17 article archive here. * *Poll: Who do you think shot down Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17?* Be the Change! Donate Today! Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurner
"Never, Never, Never..."
“Defeat is a state of mind; No one is ever defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality.” - Bruce Lee
“Israel Has the Right to Defend Itself” – How Much do They Pay you to Say That?
Global Research Chris Wrinn created these cartoons with an aim to have activists and the media stop heckling. Here is a more productive approach: ask U.S. Congressional representatives and Canadian Members of Parliament one question: “How much do they pay you to say that?” every time they repeat the pro-Israeli talking points at their press conferences. Repeated often enough it might start to sink into a few minds. Please distribute to your friends, enemies, groups, lists, Facebook, Twitter etc., as you find appropriate. *You can visit our Gaza article archive here. * ... more »
How Israel Uses Twitter, Facebook & Tinder to Legitimize Murder | Brainwash Update
Public diplomacy in Israel (also hasbara) (Hebrew: הַסְבָּרָה hasbará, "explaining") refers to public relations efforts to disseminate abroad positive information about Israel. The term is used by the Israeli government and its supporters to describe efforts to explain government policies and promote Israel in the face of negative press, and to counter what they see as delegitimisation of Israel around the world. Hasbara means "explanation", and is also a euphemism for propaganda. *You can visit our Gaza article archive here. **Poll: Does the United States' support of ... more »
Angry People In Gaza Attack The International Red Cross For Their Complicit Role In Israeli Massacres
*Israel has unleashed hell in Gaza.* An excerpt from, *"Gaza: International Red Cross abandons residents during al-Shujayeh massacre" *by Orouba Othman, July 21, 2014: The Shujayeh massacre, which took the lives of over 70 martyrs, showed that the mottos of the International Committee of the Red Cross are nothing but empty rhetoric. *This organization that has been tasked with protecting and assisting victims of armed conflict based on the Four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and its Two Additional Protocols of 1977, has exposed itself for what it is after showing “clear bias towards t... more »
Stanford biologist warns of early stages of Earth's 6th mass extinction event
Bjorn Carey James Temple image The planet's current biodiversity, the product of 3.5 billion years of evolutionary trial and error, is the highest in the history of life. But it may be reaching a tipping point. In a new review of scientific literature and analysis of data published in Science, an international team of scientists cautions that the loss and decline of animals is contributing to what appears to be the early days of the planet's sixth mass biological extinction event. Since 1500, more than 320 terrestrial vertebrates have become extinct. Populations of the rema... more »
Nothing Says 'Free Society' Like Secret Gov't Pre-Crime Watch Lists
*Youtube* See leaked government rule book on what might land you on the terror watch list here. Be the Change! Donate Today! Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurner
TRNN Gaza Reporter’s Family Killed in Israeli Assault
TRNN Gaza Reporter’s Family Killed in Israeli Assault. Source: The Real News. Date Published: July 23, 2014. Description: Middle East correspondent Yousef Al-Helou shares his story of how his home was targeted by an Israeli airstrike.
"The Most Harrowing, Heart-Breaking Dispatches from Palestinians in Gaza"
*"The Most Harrowing, Heart-Breaking Dispatches from Palestinians in Gaza"* By Graham Liddell "As Israeli forces bombard the Gaza Strip by air, land, and sea, some 1.8 million Palestinians are largely stuck inside their homes, shaken by relentless explosions, wondering if and when their turn to die will come. When death does strike, international media will recalculate the tally of the dead, dropping names if those in question are old or children, but otherwise leave untold the stories of their time alive on the crowded sliver of land they called home. Isolated and with nowhere to f... more »
AP Reporter Clashes Again with State Dept "Is there a YouTube video you can back that up with?"
*Youtube* Be the Change! Donate Today! Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurner
BESE President Roemer Might Have to Sue for the Right to Sue Jindal
So, I thought that there might be more lawsuits to add to the two that were filed on July 21 and 22, one against the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) by 17 lawmakers regarding the slighting of proper procedure for Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in July 2010, and one against […]
You're des-THPIC-able, Miss Mitch! (You tell it, Daffy!)
*Isn't this a better look for Senate Minority Leader "Miss Mitch" McConnell? Even with the still-clenched body language, doesn't he seem worlds kinder and gentler?* *by Ken* So this morning on the radio they were playing clips from the Senate dialogue on a bill that I gather is intended to increase transparency in political contributions. So there was Maine's Independent senator, Angus King, saying that you couldn't get up and speak at a town meeting, perhaps our truest form of democracy, with a bag over your head. After all, he went on, who you are is an important part of the p... more »
"How It Really Is"
*Click image for larger size.*
Satire: “Rick Perry Orders Dallas Cowboys to Mexican Border”
*“Rick Perry Orders Dallas Cowboys to Mexican Border”* by Andy Borowitz DALLAS (The Borowitz Report)— “In his boldest move yet to address the immigration crisis, on Thursday Texas Governor Rick Perry dispatched the Dallas Cowboys to the United States’ border with Mexico. In a photo opportunity with the Cowboys and several of the team’s cheerleaders, Perry explained the rationale behind his latest decision. “Those who would cross our borders illegally will have to contend with the power and fury of America’s Team,” he said. Critics of the move dismissed it as political theatre, noti...more »
GAIA PORTAL: Gaia energetics prepares for “Restart” at Higher Vibrational and Higher Dimensional leve
*Gaia energetics prepares for “Restart” at Higher Vibrational and Higher Dimensional leve*ls by ÉirePort Gaia energetics prepares for "Restart" at Higher Vibrational and Higher Dimensional levels. Current hu-manity consciousness is collectively now ready for receiving such. Break-offs from old paradigm systems now occurs rapidly and with solid movement. Such continues until all are dissolved. Spontaneous combustions are now viewable via all available viewing channels. Participation of Hue-manity has reach sufficient stage for completion of the process. Gaia welcomes such occurr... more »
ALEC - Cronyism, Corruption, Perversion
But - no - that's not what they are writing about. Ever heard the old adage Poking at a Hornets nest Ever been told *Don’t do that?* Well - - - - As the Right-wing reports it Report: Rampant Tax Favoritism And Lack Of Transparency In State Governments A new report released by the American Legislative Exchange Council looks at widespread state government favoritism through the tax code, in which specific individuals and businesses are treated unequally and given tax carve-outs. , which according to ALEC, distorts the market and should be replaced with a simpler and more competit... more »
Israhell Is Asking For A Beat Down
Most of the Palestinians in this pic are civilians. Stripped naked and humiliated by IDF pic.twitter.com/G1aXe43Tkl — Jenan Moussa (@jenanmoussa) July 24, 2014 If these men are Hamas fighters rather than civilians, and if the IDF did this for safety reasons, to check for suicide bombs, that's one thing, and that's fine. But if they did this to humiliate these men then it has transgressed normal boundaries and must be taught a lesson. Jordanian TV Hosts Burns Israeli Flag Live on Air, Demands Shutting Down US Embassy. Source: MEMRI TV. Date Published: July 23, 2014.
Jews crassly exploiting genocidal slaughter of Palestinians to solicit donations
The organized Jewish community, through its various cultural and religious organizations and political lobbies, is *constantly* engaging in fundraising campaigns. In fact, Jews seem perfectly incapable of actually producing a product or engaging in some sort of productive economic activity. For example, rather than farming or manufacturing a useful product, Jews solicit donations for their non-profit organizations and charities, engage in usury and financial fraud, and spread their subversive, degenerate, and destructive (for everyone other than Jews that is) ideas in the media, Ho... more »
this year's mini garden and a mini pupdate
This year's garden-ette is completely out of control! In a very good way. Here's June. And here's today. No idea what I'm going to do with all the zucchini. Neither of us bakes, so zucchini bread and muffins are not an option. Guess I'd better start Googling... This eggplant is tiny right now, but I suppose soon I'll need those recipes, too. Random Diego pic. And because you're never too old to be a puppy, Tala recently fell in love with an empty peanut butter jar. No idea why.
happy blogiversary to wmtc
This month - July 11, 2014 - I have been blogging for 10 years. Ten years! I clearly remember telling Allan I was considering beginning a blog about emigrating to Canada. He thought it was a great idea. July 11, 2004. I was working weekends at my (incredibly easy, wildly overpaid) job at Most Evil Corporate Law Firm. Our applications had been submitted, and we were waiting. August 30, 2015 will be the 10-year anniversary of our move to Canada, but I felt the 10-year anniversary of wmtc was worth a mention. Thanks for being part of what I love* about blogging. * Or hate, in some cases
Forsaken Places
Wit's End is primarily about the subject of trees dying prematurely from air pollution, and so most of the images on the blog are of damaged foliage and trees falling on houses and so forth. At the same time, I am very fond of taking photos of abandoned farms, cemeteries and other scenes of evocative loss, which I love for their atmosphere of decay. This collection of pictures - of deteriorating buildings and cars, where nature is reclaiming the ephemeral detritus of human civilization - is taken from earlier posts at Wit's End (for another project in the works). To jump to the l... more »
"He Who Makes The Rules Never Goes To Jail For Breaking Them"
*"He Who Makes The Rules Never Goes To Jail For Breaking Them"* by Martin Armstrong "Working for the government was always pitched as somehow being better guaranteed than risky corporations. However, he who makes the laws never goes to jail for breaking them - a plain fact of life. The problem with government pensions has been they promised whatever sounded nice, with zero accountability. The presumption that tax revenue was an endless pit is one of those fallacies that nobody ever investigates. It was the city of Mainz where the Gutenberg printing press was invented. This created... more »
Rockets from Gaza are morally justified and are not contrary to international law
By Dr. Denis G. Rancourt Many well-meaning observers who indiscriminately oppose violence and who support Palestine against its ruthless oppressor Israel have condemned the Hamas rockets launched towards Israel. To condemn the rockets is misguided at best. To condemn the rockets supports Israel in its war crimes against Gaza. To condemn the rockets is also pompous, paternalistic, and
Fifty Shades of Grey
The trailer for the much anticipated *Fifty Shades of Grey* adaptation touched down today. Looks stylish. Due for release on Valentine's Day next year, it's getting billed as a "romantic drama". That's like describing Ron Jeremy as "an actor". Whatever. *Fifty Shades* is a proven literary juggernaut, with some 60 million books sold. Not bad for a trilogy that began life as *Twilight* fan fiction. And as I was busy doing anything but blogging when the books came out, the trailer's release is the perfect opportunity to throw down some words. First off, snooty reviews like Salman Rush... more »
Far out MH17 theory Man!
I still think it most likely that the Russian Rebels by accident took down MH17. However the finger pointing has a certain Macbeth entertainment value. The coldest Dick Cheney like post of the day. *"According to the colonel, at 16:19:45, a Ukrainian jet fighter targeted the Boeing with an air-to-air missile R-60. The missile damaged the right engine of the Boeing. The Boeing was hit, but still managed to stay in the air. However, in doing so, the Boeing turned 180 degrees to the left. It was at this moment that the false flag attack started falling apart. According to Zhilin, par... more »
Hawaii: A Bastion Of Progressivism-- Let's Keep It That Way
Hawaii's primary is August 9, a week from Saturday. Saturday? Sure, that's how to encourage voter participation in a democracy-- have the elections when people aren't working. Conservatives are generally terrified at the prospect of more people voting-- especially working class people-- so they tend to block legislation like Hawaii's. Hawaii is a pretty progressive state, first to mass a $10.10 minimum wage, first to start the process of marriage equality. The Republican Party is pretty moribund there and the Democratic Party has been in charge since 1962. In recent times Bill Cl... more »
[Random number] things to know about _Words And Pictures_
So on $2.50 Tuesday at a local second-run movie theatre, since I was in the vicinity to dispatch some banking business, I decided to go watch something. _Words And Pictures_ seemed moderately interesting: Australian director Fred Schepisi; Juliette Binoche and Clive Owen in lead roles. Unfortunately it is set in the USA, yet shot in British Columbia passing for New England. Thus it gets the Vegas treatment rather than a quieter, gentler interpretation of an intriguing narrative. Consequently Owen reprises the Hemingway bombast he perfected in an earlier role. He plays Jack Marcus:... more »
Ukraine's Government Crumbles- Yatsenyuik resigns- US hurls new accusations
**Updated with new accusations and additional information- scroll down, please* *Interesting timing for the rats to jump ship?* Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, a *"pro-Western technocrat" *who has guided the Ukrainian government through the tumultuous months since the ouster of President Viktor F. Yanukovyvch, resigned abruptly on Thursday, after the governing coalition of Parliament collapsed. “I declare my resignation in connection with the collapse of the coalition and blocking of government initiatives,” Mr. Yatsenyuk said from the rostrum of Parliament, according to Ukrainian news servi... more »
McDonald's Stands By Meat Supplier Amid Shanghai Food Scandal
Heather Callaghan One of the latest food scares has rocked Shanghai, China and the restaurant chains serving patrons there. Recent revelations have also rocked trust in the processed food system. A TV report on Sunday showed workers at a branch of Shanghai Husi Food Co Ltd, owned by Illinois-based OSI Group, using expired meats and those that had fallen on the floor. Yesterday, five people connected to the company were arrested and detained by Shanghai police. Yum Brands Inc which owns KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut have cut ties with the company. Starbucks pulled away too, af... more »
University of Texas Student Arrested for Terrorism Felt Austin was Safest Place for Muslims
*UT student suspected of terrorism believed in “balance”* Julie Wilson In mid-June, two Austin men were arrested on charges related to terrorism, one of them being University of Texas student, Rahat Khan, and the other, Michael Wolfe, also known as Faruq. Both men, 23, were charged with “conspiring to provide material support to terrorists,” according to the Department of Justice. The criminal complaint against Khan alleges that he conspired to “recruit people to travel overseas to support terrorist activities including committing violent jihad,” and that he used the Authenti... more »
Missouri Voters to Consider State Privacy Amendment With National Implications
In a referendum that could ultimately have national implications, Missouri voters will go to the polls Aug. 5 with the opportunity to add protection for electronic data and communications to their state constitution. Amendment 9 would give “electronic data and communications” the same state constitutional protections as “persons, homes, papers and effects.” This would eliminate any constitutional ambiguity surrounding electronic data and specifically bar state agencies from accessing it without a warrant in most cases. By prohibiting state agents from “accessing” warrantles... more »
FAIR Act Introduced to Stop Policing for Profit
Sen. Rand Paul yesterday introduced S. 2644, the FAIR (Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration) Act, which would protect the rights of citizens and restore the Fifth Amendment's role in seizing property without due process of law. Under current law, law enforcement agencies may take property suspected of involvement in crime without ever charging, let alone convicting, the property owner. In addition, state agencies routinely use federal asset forfeiture laws; ignoring state regulations to confiscate and receive financial proceeds from forfeited property. The FAIR Act would ... more »
Internet Sales Tax Quietly Moving Through Congress
Image source Eric Blair *Activist Post* Big retailers, including Amazon, have been lobbying long and hard for it, and now the Internet sales tax is back after being quietly reintroduced in the US Senate last week. The Marketplace and Internet Tax Fairness Act would force customers to pay sales taxes for online purchases from out-of-state online merchants, and it forces online retailers to collect and remit separately sales taxes to all US territories. Washington Post says "Currently, officials can only levy sales taxes on retailers who have a physical presence, be it a st... more »
Government Confiscation of Dormant Assets
Ted Bauman From my father Bob Bauman, I inherited an affinity for the great American vaudeville and film comic, W.C. Fields. For those who remember him, W.C. is best known for his drinking habits and his creative partnership with another great star of his era, Mae West — she of “come up and see me some time” fame. W.C.’s unique brand of humor — like that of the Marx Brothers, my appreciation for which signifies another Bauman idiosyncrasy — is rooted in a healthy disdain for convention and distrust of authority. But W.C. was like many of us in another way: he practiced a soun... more »
The significance of a forgotten CIA document: MKULTRA
image source Jon Rappoport This June 27, 1994, document is stored at the National Security Archive at The George Washington University. It was written by a CIA advisory committee, and forwarded to the Presidential Committee on Human Radiation Experiments, which was preparing public hearings at the time. The document has many interesting implications. In this article, I want to focus on two. The first point concerns the CIA mind control program, MKULTRA. Here is a key quote: “In the 1950s and 60s, the CIA engaged in an extensive program of human experimentation [MKULT... more »
Supplemental: Scholar addresses Baltimore club!
*THURSDAY, JULY 24, 2014* *Baltimoreans unveil their concerns:* We’ve returned from a chic luncheon address to the ladies of The Hamilton Street Club, one of Baltimore’s great institutions. In the group’s former stable turned salon, Baltimoreans unveiled their concerns. We were pleased to see that a number of ladies were willing to volunteer the thought that Maureen Dowd is perhaps just a bit overwrought. Yesterday, the New York Times expressed that thought in a slightly different way. The paper announced, at the bottom of page A25, that Maureen Dowd is “off.” We were even mor... more »
DIRTY MONEY WEAPONS GAME
The US just sold $11 billion worth of Patriot missile parts and Apache attack helicopters to Qatar. Although the US considers Qatar an ally in the Middle East, the State Department recently accused the country of funding al-Qaeda in Syria as well as the organization best known as ISIS in Iraq. And according to the Washington Institute, David Cohen, the Treasury Department's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Qatar is a "permissive terrorist financing environment." So...are they a friend or foe, and should the US be arming them? The Resident discusses.
The Coming Calamity, The Coming Resistance
Dees Illustration Devon Douglas-Bowers Currently, the world is facing a number of problems, politically, socially and economically. While we may be paying attention to important stories such as the Islamic State’s movements in Iraq and the ongoing fighting in the Gaza Strip which are extremely important, there are dealings being made behind our backs of which we know virtually nothing about. There are major international trade deals in the works and the government seems to be getting prepared for the fallout. *The Trans-Pacific Partnership* The Trans-Pacific Partnership (T... more »
“We lost contact with the plane.” Really?
Jon Rappoport Today—Air Algerie Flight 5017, from Burkina Faso to Algiers crashed, according to “officials.” Some of these officials state contact with the plane was lost an hour after takeoff. You can probably remember similar statements about other doomed flights: lost contact. Wasn’t that the case on 9/11? “Lost contact” appears to cover all available means of communication. Nothing on radar screens. Radio inoperative. No transponder signals picked up. In this day and age, with a blizzard of technology available to track and surveil, what is going on? Commercial jets h... more »
Police Militarization: The New Search and Seizure
Ted Bauman As World War I drew to a close in November 1918, over 2.5 million soldiers of the Imperial German Army remained in the field. They brought training, experience and battle-hardened attitudes with them as they streamed back across Germany’s borders. These *soldaten* soon found ways to deploy their skills at home. Supported by Minister of Defense Gustav Noske, right-wingers — including one Corporal Adolf Hitler — organized ex-soldiers into *Freikorps*, and armed them with surplus military weaponry. These militia brutally crushed Germany’s nascent post-war democratic ... more »
If you think that Israel is justified to carry out their murderous attacks on hundreds of un-armed men, women, and children, it is certainly due to a bias forced upon an all-to-happy-to-comply "mainstream media" so long as they can keep their despicable jobs. The woman in the picture below believes that anyone with moral principals would seek to stop a genocide before worrying about his/her job. Please watch this inspiring video. However, this is now the third DemocracyNow! interview that I've come across to have been censored by way of blocking the function of the embed code. Accordingly, you will need to watch the original by clicking the link below the picture.
------------------------------ *WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 2014 * *MSNBC’s Sole Palestinian Voice Rula Jebreal Takes on Pro-Israeli Gov’t Bias at Network & in US Media* *http://www.democracynow.org/2014/7/23/msnbcs_sole_palestinian_voice_rula_jebreal* *Topics* *Gaza**, Media Analysis, Israel & Palestine* *Guests* *Rula Jebreal*, Palestinian author and political analyst who frequently appears on MSNBC. She worked for many years as a broadcast journalist in Italy, where she also covered the Middle East. She is the author of Miral, which was made into a film by J... more »
Thursday Linkage: Gaza, Russia, Rhinos
This past week has been a doozy for awful international news, and I’ve been thinking about a post on Gaza, another on Russia, possibly a third on immigration, or staying in my lane of expertise by commenting on wildlife conservation, the environment, and public health. Well, Thursday is upon us, and I’ve taken the path Continue reading
Seriousness of charge and 11(b) balancing
R. v. Stilwell, 2014 ONCA 563: [61] Lastly, in my view, while the trial judge did not err in finding some prejudice, she significantly under-emphasized the seriousness of the charges against the respondent and society's interest in having them tried on their merits. At p. 787 of Morin, Sopinka J. stated that as the seriousness of the offence increases, so does the societal demand that the accused be brought to trial. Further, as McLachlin J. (as she then was) stated in her concurring reasons in Morin, at p. 812: "Where the accused suffers little or no prejudice, it is ... more »
Fake Democrat Gavin Newsom Is Only Lt. Governor Now, But He Can Do A Lot Of Damage In The Future
Like Rick Perry, Gavin Newsom is certain new glasses make him look serious Gavin Newsom presents well. When he still thought he was running for governor, he called a meeting of L.A. political bloggers in some sleek West Hollywood hotel and did a free-flowing Q and A. He was as sleek as the hotel and everyone swooned. Except me. Having recently exited the corporate world, Newsom's glitz and studied expertise in everything didn't impress me. Good hair, yes... but I could sense that guy at the head of the table was a quintessential Republican no matter what party label he worse and no m... more »
July 24:"Metro's first Tim's to be rebuilt"
Yes. it's on the front page. I mean, this is big. After all, the site is the same one as the first Tim's ever built outside Ontario. A couple of days ago, there was a first page story on how the restaurant just got closed. And there was a picture so you could see it was closed. And there is a picture in the new story, too, for those who still don't know what a Tim's looks like. There's an interesting story on A4, "Francophone women's group sets out demands before vote." But it goes downhill from there. P. A3, for example, has a story on provincial liquor sales. This is the only news... more »
FROM THE HORSE'S... MOUTH
Note the disregard Netanyahu has for the US....which gives him $3.1 billion a year. This video reminds me of a story that old friend Nat Kaplan told me years ago in Delray Beach, Florida. Nat had been an early union activist in the CIO when it was merged with the AFL. I would annually, for close to 20 years, be invited to speak to the predominately Jewish peace group in Nat's community. Each time, before my talk, someone would pull me aside and tell me not to mention Israel or else there would be a big fight in the group. At the end of my talk the tall and handsome Nat would st... more »
Hamas Al Qassam offices are next to the emergency room at Shifa Hospital
'... the Palestinian journalist was summoned by the security services of Hamas on Sunday. "I received a call from a private number. They summoned me to Al-Shifa Hospital in the Gaza City center, " explains Radjaa. He carried with him his two phones, his press card and a small camera. A few meters from the emergency room where the injured from bombings are constantly flowing, in the outpatient department, he was received in "a small section of the hospital used as administration" by a band of young fighters. They were all well dressed, which surprised Radjaa, "in civilian clothing... more »
Why do they keep saying Dan Markel must have known his killer because he opened the door...
*don't most people open their door when someone knocks on it?* From ABC news: A criminal law professor at Florida State University gunned down at his home was shot in the side of the head at relatively close range, ABC News has exclusively learned. Professor Dan Markel, 41, was fatally shot Saturday in the Betton Hills section of Tallassee, Florida, a neighborhood marked by Spanish moss and ranch-style homes. Investigators believe Markel knew his killer and may have literally opened his door to his own death. “He was the intended target in this situation,” Tallahassee Police D... more »
Indiscriminate Air Strikes By Iraq’s Army On Civilian Targets
When the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) surrounded Fallujah in January 2014 it quickly turned to indiscriminate shelling of the city. Some of the strikes were targeted against insurgents, but the vast majority appeared to be simply lobbing mortar and artillery shells into Fallujah in the apparent belief that it was all enemy territory and therefore legitimate. Now that most of northern Iraq has fallen to insurgents the ISF has began using air strikes more and more against civilian targets with no apparent concern for casualties. The Iraqi Army’s air arm has hit cities and towns in N... more »
Just.
To all the educators out there: did you ever catch yourself saying you’re “just” a teacher? As I contemplate my future participation in any and all public conversations on education reform and activism, the one thing that gives me pause is that, without the activism and public commentary, I’m just a Kindergarten teacher. I seriously […]
The Austerity Diaries: How Long Can You Go Without Spending Money?
Daisy Luther Most people spend money every single day. I’m not talking about your day-to-day necessities like house payments and fuel for the vehicle. I’m talking about those little impulse buys that most of us make without thinking twice about them. We spend more money on silly things than we realize. If you spend money on the following, you could go a lot longer than you think without spending. - Drive-thru coffee - Delivery or takeout pizza - Lunches out with friends from work - Buying a drink while you are out - Buying magazines - Going for manicur... more »
CATS IN GAZA
Israel calls them feral wild uncontrollable unwilling to surrender savages terrorists the wild cats Palestinians want warm milk and a safe place to sleep respect and fair treatment love if possible dignity is a must
MORE ARRESTED AT HANCOCK DRONE BASE
*Syed Wali Shah 7 years old, killed by an American Drone strike. Momina Bibi, mother and midwife, killed by an American drone strike. Tairk Aziz, 16, killed by an American drone strike… This Must Stop!* We, members of the Atlantic Life Community, come to Hancock Air Force Base [Syracuse, NY], the national maintenance and control center of the MQ9 Reaper Drone, to protest these lethal drones, the latest weapon being used in endless war. We are a community of peacemakers who resist war, racism and greed. We stand here today in solidarity with the men, women and children being terr... more »
Jeremy Bowen's Gaza notebook: "I saw no evidence of Hamas using Palestinians as human shields"
The BBC's Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen has written a 'Gaza notebook' for the *New Statesman*. (Well, did you *really* think it would be for the *Spectator *or the *Jewish Chronicle*?). It is strikingly opinionated, even by his standards. He uses it to dispute Benjamin Netanhayu's claims that Hamas uses civilians as human shields; indeed, even going so far as to paint Hamas in a rather protective-sounding light: I saw Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, giving an interview to the BBC after Israel had killed more than 60 people in the Gaza district of Shejaiya. He said ... more »
Bill Whittle: The Case for Israel...
*Civilization vs Barbarity *
FAA Lifts Ban on U.S. Flights to Israel
[image: Mideast Israel Palestinians] Dan Balilty/AP *A departure flight board displays canceled and delayed flights at Ben Gurion International Airport a day after the FAA imposed a ban on flights.* The Associated Press Jul 24th 2014 6:00AM WASHINGTON -- The Federal Aviation Administration lifted its ban Wednesday on U.S. flights in and out of Israel, which the agency had imposed out of concern for the risk of planes being hit by Hamas rockets. The decision was effective at 11:45 p.m. Eastern time. "Before making this decision, the FAA worked with its U.S. government counter... more »
The Problems of Bioaccumulation and Synergy
I've written extensively about the problem of bio-accumulation that occurs as toxins in the environment are stored within the body. Please see this post for details http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2014/06/unbelievable-us-government-promotes.html The combined effects of "low-levels" of stored toxins are never studied in the tests conducted for FDA and EPA approval processes. Yet, chemical synergies can threaten health and reproduction. Add radioactive decay to the mix and you have a recipe for species collapse. We see this process occurring with bees, as this insightful edito... more »
NEW KIDS ON THE LAWN: Their technical work!
*THURSDAY, JULY 24, 2014* *Part 3—What ever happened to standards:* As the so-called “worst generation” of journalists exits the stage, they are often being replaced by eager young Ivy League kids. These replacements come from the finest schools, though you wouldn’t necessarily discern this fact from their frequently horrible work. In some settings, these bright young kids are simply accepting the broken norms of their establishment news orgs. At the Washington Post, Philip Rucker (Yale 2006) recently became head spear-chucker in his newspaper’s never-ending jihad against the Clint...more »
The Safety of Prostitutes
It was decided a long time ago not to criminalize prostitutes. For thousands of years (it is "the world's oldest profession" after all), prostitutes were treated like thieves, or at least like public nuisances. Gradually, our legal system discovered that many prostitutes were victims of circumstances (or of patriarchy, or of gangsters) and couldn't bring itself to punish them for their own bad luck, But we still didn't want it as a society. We didn't want women on street corners propositioning men in front of families. We didn't want men driving cars slowly down streets where prosti... more »
Politics as Usual
*The 193 north of Ruisui.* Ah, the KMT, still the world's richest political party. Ma had promised to sell off the Party's assets and put everything in trusts. LOL. For weeks I've been wondering when the lack of professionalism of Ko Wen-je, the pan-Green candidate for Taipei mayor, would show itself. This week it was the Ko campaign's hiring of an alternative service military conscript as the campaign office's technical advisor that gave us a double whammy -- first, hiring in-service military people for political campaigns is probably technically legal, but not a bright thing to d... more »
Did You Miss The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau Anniversary Monday?
Elizabeth Warren's new book, A Fighting Chance, makes it pretty clear that I'm not the only one who thinks Capital One is one big scam and nothing-- at least up on top-- but a nest of crooks and thieves. In the book she talks about how they cheated their own clients and how the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's first action was to order them to pay $150 million to two million consumers for selling them credit card products they could not use or did not want. So anyone think I would ever in a million years do business with these *gonifs*? Sure, the same day I do business with... more »
Pointing out the obvious of initial reports between Algerie Flight losing contact and MH17 losing contact.
It appears a horrible crash may have happened with another commercial airline today. An Air Algerie flight has had no contact with Air Traffic Control and it is feared it crashed and is labeled missing at this time. There is a search for the Algerie plane as they are not sure where it is. (update, they have found it crashed in Mali) I am seeing the headlines every where about the missing
Untitled
*Be your own boss, British employment minister tells pupils* Middle-class children should believe that setting up their own business is every bit as good as going to university and working for a big company, the employment minister has said. Esther McVey told The Daily Telegraph that self-employment should be given the same social status and respect as the more conventional university route into employment. The Conservative Party should be championing those who have the “spark” to create their own businesses and become “little engines” of wealth creation in their communities, she ... more »
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