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New in blogger-following
Jon Snow and Ygritte announce their engagement the old-fashioned way
It's official, guys. SEE ALSO: Dolce & Gabbana bends the knee for
House Targaryen with Kit Harington and Emilia Clarke ads After months of
speculation, rumours, and reports, we have confirmation that Game of
Thrones lovebirds Kit Harington (a.k.a. Jon Snow) and Rose Leslie
(a.k.a. Ygritte) are tying the knot. While People reported the news on
Tuesday, everybody took it with a pinch of salt as sev
'America's Team' kneeled before the national anthem on Monday Night Football
The Dallas Cowboys are about as American as American football gets, and
even they kneeled before their game Monday night against the Arizona
Cardinals. To be clear, "America's Team" — along with its famous
billionaire owner Jerry Jones — kneeled before the national anthem on
Monday Night Football. SEE ALSO: NFL players slam Donald Trump for rant
against protests #FootballIsFamily pic.twitter.com/
'Green News Report' - September 26, 2017
IN TODAY'S RADIO REPORT: Calls grow to accelerate aid for humanitarian
crisis in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria; Adding danger to
desperation, major Puerto Rican dam now at risk of total failure; Good
news and bad from toxic Superfund sites flooded by Hurricane Harvey in
Texas; PLUS: Unusually warm ocean fueling record Atlantic storm
season... All that and more in today's Green News Report! Li
Canberra man uses subsidies, “invests” $20,000, still pays $700pa in electricity. Hopes to break even in 14 years.
A fairly crappy investment in every sense — even as a “subsidy farmer”:
…renewable energy proponents say individual consumers like Mr Pulford
could play an increasingly important role as citizen investors. “I say
it is a little bit gold plated,” Mr Pulford says of his $20,000
investment. ‘The new system was installed last month and he is already
generating enough power to run all his home energy
Within 5 minutes a wave of hot water systems switch on in SA adding 250MW of demand to the grid
We are creatures of habit. Look at the spike caused at 11:32pm as
something like 27,000 hot water tanks in South Australia suddenly switch
on to use cheaper off-peak electricity. This spike is entirely due to
pricing plans. It’s entirely avoidable too, but at least it’s
predictable. “Scheduled”. This peak, allegedly, is only a problem if SA
is “islanded” — meaning if it can’t rely on the coal gen
Addicted to Chaos: Trump's War on the People of North Korea, the NFL, and the U.S.: 'BradCast' 9/25/2017
What had been insanely busy news weeks are now being compressed into
insanely busy news week ends , apparently. [ Audio link to the complete
show follows below. ] So, today on The BradCast , we do some serious
triage to try and highlight the news of recent days that folks need to
focus on, even as much of the corporate media is otherwise fixated on
Donald Trump's obnoxious comments about NFL owne
New in news
Game of Thrones stars Kit Harington and Rose Leslie to marry
Actors, who play on-screen lovers Jon Snow and Ygritte in HBO’s hit
fantasy series, announce engagement in the Times NOTE: contains spoilers
for those who have not seen or read Game of Thrones Fans of Game of
Thrones will know that a wedding in the hit show’s fantasy world does
not always ends well. Continue reading...
UK treatment of foreign nationals 'could colour' MEPs’ view on Brexit
Exclusive: Guy Verhofstadt writes to Amber Rudd about recent incidents
including threat to deport Japanese woman The European parliament’s
Brexit coordinator has warned the home secretary that Britain’s recent
treatment of foreign nationals could “colour” MEPs’ attitudes to whether
they approve a future Brexit deal. Guy Verhofstadt, a former Belgian
prime minister, has written to Amber Rudd to ex
Republicans To Unveil 'Middle Class' Tax Cut; Democrats See Windfall For The Rich
After months of private negotiation, President Trump and GOP
congressional leaders are set to reveal the outline of their tax plan.
It calls for cuts in both individual and corporate tax rates. (Image
credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Kaiser Permanente CEO Says A Bipartisan Health Bill Is The Best Way Forward
If Republicans and Democrats work together to solve a few critical
challenges in the health insurance market, it will stabilize, says
Kaiser Permanente Chairman and CEO Bernard Tyson. (Image credit: Misha
Friedman/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
September Is the Strongest Hurricane Month Ever Recorded—Probably
Harvey, Irma, Jose, Katia, and Maria. Over the past 30 days, some of
the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean have
prompted a diluvial flood, a mass migration, and an ongoing humanitarian
crisis in Puerto Rico. It can feel like there’s little precedent for so
many hurricanes in so short a time. In fact, there isn’t—at least
within living memory. According to early estimates, S
How World War III with China might be fought
(Credit: AP Photo/Charlie Riedel. File) [This piece has been adapted
and expanded from Alfred W. McCoy’s new book, In the Shadows of the
American Century: The Rise and Decline of U.S. Global Power .] For the
past 50 years, American leaders have been supremely confident that they
could suffer military setbacks in places like Cuba or Vietnam without
having their system of global hegemony, backed by
New in science
More Guns Do Not Stop More Crimes, Evidence Shows
More
firearms do not keep people safe, hard numbers show. Why do so many
Americans believe the opposite? -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
More Guns Do Not Stop More Crimes, Evidence Shows
More
firearms do not keep people safe, hard numbers show. Why do so many
Americans believe the opposite? -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Researchers change wavelengths of entangled photons to those used in telecommunications
The
potential for photon entanglement in quantum computing and
communications has been known for decades. One of the issues impeding
its immediate application is the fact that many photon entanglement
platforms do not operate within the range used by most forms of
telecommunication.
World's First Official Godzilla Store Opening In Tokyo Next Month
[Image: Moviche ] On October 30, the world’s first official Godzilla
retail shop will open in Japan. It’s called Godzilla Store Tokyo and
will be located in Shinjuku. According to Moviche , the store will
feature around 500 items for sale, some of them unique to the store.
[Image: Moviche ] The store will be located on the first floor of the
Shinjuku Toho Building. You know, the Tokyo building wi
Tree-dwelling, coconut-cracking giant rat discovered in Solomon Islands
Remember
the movie The Princess Bride, when the characters debate the existence
of R.O.U.S.es (Rodents of Unusual Size), only to be beset by enormous
rats? That's kind of what happened here.
New in youtube
SOLO NYC (Full Film)
SOLO NYC is an intimate look at the trials and triumphs of New York’s
rising class of creative freelancers. The 6:45 min documentary film,
directed by award-winning creative and independent filmmaker Daniel
Soares, is AND CO's first film exploring the future workforce.
Featuring: Helen Levi (Pottery Designer) Alex Trochut (Lettering Artist)
Adriana Urbina (Chef) Zipeng Zhu (Creative Director) See
Wildlife and the Wall | WILDxRED
Construction of a USA-Mexico border wall means huge impacts to
wildlife. Migratory corridors would be eliminated, dispersal events
would no longer occur, and access to the Rio Grande river, would be cut
off for both wildlife and humans. ➡ Subscribe:
http://bit.ly/NatGeoSubscribe About National Geographic: National
Geographic is the world's premium destination for science, exploration,
and adventu
The 'Fuller House' Cast’s Candid Confessions
Andrea Barber, Candace Cameron, and Jodie Sweetin spilled the beans on
their "Fuller House" castmates. Who has the biggest crush on John
Stamos? Who’s the cheapest? Who stole from set? From: TheEllenShow
Bleachers Perform 'Don't Take the Money'
Rock band Bleachers took the stage to perform their hit, "Don't Take the Money." From: TheEllenShow
Watch a Road 'Breathing' in Mexico After an Earthquake | National Geographic
The pulsing of pavement may be an echo of Mexico City's distant past,
as groundwater from a now-drained lake causes soil to flow. ➡ Subscribe:
http://bit.ly/NatGeoSubscribe About National Geographic: National
Geographic is the world's premium destination for science, exploration,
and adventure. Through their world-class scientists, photographers,
journalists, and filmmakers, Nat Geo gets you clos
WHEN YOU GET HOME (Short film)
Where does your job end as a police officer? WHEN YOU GET HOME is a
hybrid short film / commercial produced by production company 25FPS and
written & directed by Ben Brand. It's a project that wants to
stretch the boundaries between commercial & film to see if it can
create more depth and meaning in advertising. Link to the commercial:
vimeo.com/235310925 The film is based on true events. A year
New in The Corbett Report
“The News” is a Social Construct. It is Used to Program You.
If
all the "alternative" media ever does is report on "the news" (as
decided by the MSM), then aren't they just unwitting participants in the
mockingbird media system? Join James for this heady thought for the day
as he dissects the idea of "the news" and talks about the real value of
an outlet like The Corbett Report.
Episode 320 – Echoes of WWI: China, the US, and the Next “Great” War
[audio
mp3="https://www.corbettreport.com/mp3/episode320-lq.mp3"][/audio] In
the early 20th century, the world’s dominant superpower looked warily on
the rise of a competitor to its supremacy. The machinations of the
British to contain the rise of Germany led inexorably to the First World
War. Once again in the early 21st century, the world’s dominant
superpower is looking warily on the rise of a
Echoes of WWI: China, the US, and the Next “Great” War
In the early 20th century, the world’s dominant superpower looked
warily on the rise of a competitor to its supremacy. The machinations of
the British to contain the rise of Germany led inexorably to the First
World War. Once again in the early 21st century, the world’s dominant
superpower is looking warily on the rise of a competitor. Will the
American Empire’s machinations to contain the rise o
Questions in Copenhagen – Questions For Corbett #037
[audio mp3="http://www.corbettreport.com/mp3/qfc037-lq.mp3"][/audio]
James Corbett answers questions from the audience after delivering his
presentation, "Echoes of WWI: China, the US and the Next 'Great' War" to
the Open Mind Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark on September 16, 2017.
Interview 1301 – New World Next Week with James Evan Pilato
[audio
mp3="http://www.corbettreport.com/mp3/2017-09-21%20James%20Evan%20Pilato.mp3"][/audio]
This week on the New World Next Week: the government sues citizens for
asking for information; PM May recruits Big Tech in extremist content
purge; and yet another study finds fluoride linked to lower IQ in
children.
Suing Citizens, Tech Terror, Foolish Fluoride – New World Next Week
This week on the New World Next Week: the government sues citizens for
asking for information; PM May recruits Big Tech in extremist content
purge; and yet another study finds fluoride linked to lower IQ in
children.
New in The EnvironmentaList
Portuguese Kids to Sue 47 EU Governments Over Climate Change
Children from region hit by country's worst forest fires seek crowdfunding for lawsuit
The Snake Lover
A Virginia herpetologist fosters respect for reptiles
Long-Lost Congo Notebooks May Shed Light on How Trees React to Climate Change
Records found in abandoned research station contain a treasure trove of tree growth data dating back to 1930s
EPA Adds Prison Locations to its Environmental Justice Mapping Tool
EJ activists celebrate move as an advance in the struggle to recognize the environmental rights of prisoners
The Environmental Destruction Wrought by War
Transitioning from terracide to ecolibrium
Safeguarding Mexico’s Sierra Madre Cloud Forest against Logging
Recent trip to region uncovered survival of endemic salamander thought to be extinct
New in The Rules of Exposition
The pause after "but"
I
first noticed it while watching Star Trek: Next Generation. Every time
Mr. Worf used the word "but" in a sentence, the pause came after the
"but". These days, everybody says it that way. The pause after "but"
implies a comma after "but" in the writing. A pause before "but", where
it should be, implies a comma before "but" in the writing. THIS but THAT
That's how I see it. THIS but THAT That's ho
New in A.E.Brain
There's a pattern here...
Breitbart Editor: Trans Activism a Plot Against Dumb People Two of the
editors of Breitbart, Neil Munro and Alex Marlow, had a rather bizarre
conversation on the Breitbart Daily radio show about transgenderism.
They think that activism for trans equality is really about clever
people making society too difficult to navigate for dumb people. Munro
claimed the push for transgender rights is “a prep
New in Activist Teacher
Cause of USA Meltdown and Collapse of Civil Rights
By
Denis Rancourt, PhDPublished at Dissident Voice:
https://dissidentvoice.org/2017/09/cause-of-usa-meltdown-and-collapse-of-civil-rights/
SUMMARY: Societies of social animals, including humans, are dominance
hierarchies. Civil rights are codified in law to protect mechanisms of
essential counter measures against excessive exploitation of the
hierarchy by elite classes, which destabilizes the
New in Amused Cynicism
Can the USA survive tribalism?
Andrew Sullivan wonders whether the USA can survive tribalism : Over
the past couple of decades in America, the enduring, complicated divides
of ideology, geography, party, class, religion, and race have mutated
into something deeper, simpler to map, and therefore much more ominous. I
don’t just mean the rise of political polarization (although that’s how
it often expresses itself), nor the rise
How many female MPs and MSPs should there be?
I. A House of Commons committee proposes changes to increase the number
of women MPs : The government has rejected all six proposals to give
parliament more equal female representation, prepared by the Commons’
women and equalities committee, including fines for parties that do not
select enough women as candidates. The women and equalities committee
chair, Maria Miller, said the response showed
Explanation of workfare
Here’s a cartoon explaining the government’s policy on workfare (via Reddit ):
New in ArmsControlWonk
Nuclear Deterrence and the Revenge of Geography
With
the President overriding his advisers to deliver insulting remarks and
empty threats at the UN and Kim Jong Un responding personally and at
some length, one really wonders where all this ends. John Kelly, left,
reacts as he listens to President Trump’s U.N. speech. (Photo: Mary
Altaffer/AP) https://t.co/mPR68T7rJ4 pic.twitter.com/MGNQ2jVWVc — Colin
Campbell (@colincampbell) September 19, 2017
Two Fantasists, No Exit Strategy
Quotes
of the week: “This is a presidency whose defining feature isn’t
ideology, much less policy. It’s neurosis.” –Bret Stephens, New York
Times “If In a fit of pique he decides to do something about Kim Jong
Un, there’s actually very little to stop him. The whole system is built
to ensure rapid response if …
Deal Maker or Deal Breaker? Donald Trump’s Approach to Diplomacy
While
I get bogged down in the details of how and when North Korea makes
something go boom, the smart and much more diplomatic Sarah Bidgood
takes a crack at understanding what President Trump’s statement at the
UN General Assembly will do for multilateral negotiation. Author: Sarah
Bidgood I am assisting Dr. William Potter with …
The Hwasong that Never Ends
A
guest post from my colleague Matt Korda Here we go again: another guide
to North Korean missile designations. You might be asking yourself,
“Self, why do I need to learn all these pesky Hwasongs if I already know
all the KN numbers? Surely they’re just different names for the same
things?” Well, to quote the …
SAR Image of Punggye-ri
Last
week was pretty awesome — we had a huge “new tools” conference here at
Monterey with all kinds of cool space and tech companies like Airbus. We
have a great relationship with Airbus, which made available a pair of
images taken with synthetic aperture radar of North Korea’s nuclear test
site before and after …
A Third War in Sixteen Years?
Quote
of the week: “Go, my people, enter your chambers, And lock your doors
behind you. Hide but a little moment, Until the indignation passes.” —
Isaiah At times like these, Biblical prophecy is called for. Instead, we
get op-eds. Donald Trump spirals downward. He has no other place to go.
Due to circumstances comprehensible only …
New in Big Dan's Big Blog
Can
Rush Limbaugh And/Or Rightwing Channels Be Sued Who Broadcast Him For
Saying Hurricane Irma Was A "Liberal Hoax"? How Many Died Because Of
This?
Our local rightwing radio ENTERCOM EIB NETWORK 103.1 WILKKK the Ku Klux
Klan headquarters broadcasts Rush Limbaugh. Rush Limbaugh via WILKKK or
YOUR local rightwing KKK channel told his DITTOHEAD listeners HURRICANE
IRMA WAS A LIBERAL HOAX. Now how many DITTOHEADS didn't leave their
homes in Florida and DIED because of Rush Limbaugh AND THE CHANNEL THAT
BROADCASTED THIS??? I guarantee you at leas
New in Cherchez la Verite
Paul
Craig Roberts: “Trump’s UN speech makes it clear that Trump’s
presidency, in terms of his campaign promise to remove Washington from
the “policeman of the world” role, exit the Middle East, and repair the
damaged relations with Russia, is over." And “The CIA and the
military/security complex are in full control of the US government.”
Furthermore, “At the UN Trump actually threatened to wipe North Korea
off of the face of the earth.” He added to this threat threats against
Venezuela and Iran.” And he concludes that “It is only the US
government, which is not a government of the people, that has ever
threatened another country with total destruction as Trump did to North
Korea in the CIA’s UN speech.”
More Thoughts on Trump’s UN Declaration of War Against Iran and North
Korea September 19, 2017 | Categories: Articles & Columns | More
Thoughts on Trump’s UN Declaration of War Against Iran and North Korea
Paul Craig Roberts Trump’s UN speech makes it clear that Trump’s
presidency, in terms of his campaign promise to remove Washington from
the “policeman of the world” role, exit the Middle East,
Blogger’s
background: I am an American physicist with 200 frequently cited
publications who was a Democrat but who now eschews both major parties. I
am also a member of the Election Defense Alliance, which has studied
hacked elections in the US ever since George Bush’s supposed reelection
(it was rigged). And I can assure you that it is physically impossible
for someone in Russia to hack an American election without their
infiltration of many hackers into the US, all speaking perfect English,
and all finding ways to infiltrate hundreds of polling places without a
single one being noticed as an outsider. The only good thing I can say
about Trump is that he took the word of Vladimir Putin that the Russians
didn’t hack Hillary Clinton’s election (although he only did this
mainly to continue illegal businesses in Russia). Fortunately, “…thanks
to an exacting forensic examination of the available evidence by the
Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS), an organization
of…
Will special counsel Mueller examine the DNC server, source of the
great Russiagate caper? September 3, 2017 | Categories: Guest
Contributions | Former federal prosecutor George Parry read the report
by the association of Veteran Intelligence Professionals. which
conclusively proves that there was no hacking of the DNC computer and
that the information was downloaded from within the DNC and then
New in Dr Cintli
Enriqueta Vasquez: Eminent Historian for "The Women of La Raza"
I
am going to go out on an (academic) limb and call The Women of La Raza
by Enriqueta Vasquez both a treasure and a living codex. I will also say
this about Enriqueta herself: Vive en la sabiduri a -- she lives in
wisdom, wisdom of an elder, wisdom of the elders, an elder who also
leaves footprints and also walks in beauty. Her words and generational
knowledge are gifts to us, and I will say that
The National Council of La Raza's Name Change: A National Capitulation
The National Council of La Raza's Name Change: A National Capitulation
Thursday, September 07, 2017 By Roberto Rodriguez , Speakout | Op-Ed The
National Council of La Raza's (NCLR) recent name change to UnidosUS is
bizarre and incomprehensible and its rationale that their name was "
getting in the way of their mission " strains credulity, especially
because it was also purportedly trying to be mo
New in Greg Mankiw's Blog
More on the Economics of Healthcare
Back
in July, I wrote a NY Times column about the economics of healthcare.
Yesterday, my friend John Cochrane posted a lengthy response . I won't
take the time to reply to all of John's points, but like everything John
writes, his post is provocative and thoughtful. So I would encourage
people to read it and decide for themselves. John is certainly correct
when he speculates about my motivation in
A Reading List
Every
few years, I teach (in addition to ec 10) a freshman seminar for about a
dozen students. The seminar is essentially a book group for students
who are taking introductory economics concurrently or who have advanced
placement credit in economics. Here is a list of this year's books: The
Worldly Philosophers, by Robert Heilbroner On Liberty, by John Stuart
Mill Capitalism and Freedom, by Milton
What I did last night
Lady Gaga performed at Fenway Park yesterday (and the day before).
Apparently, she is the first woman ever to headline an event at Fenway.
It was a great concert. Good people watching before the concert started.
Ran into a few former ec 10 students.
Still #1
Harvard undergrads show their wisdom in course selection .
How to Get People to Get Along
Click here to read my column in Sunday's New York Times .
News from Amazon
Source . To users of my favorite textbooks: Thank you! Have a great semester.
New in Middle East Today
The Problem of Illiteracy in the Arab World
The UN has designated the month of September of each year to work
towards the elimination of world illiteracy. It calls for governments
that have a high rate of illiteracy to reexamine their educational
strategy and introduce new methods to help to lower the illiteracy
rates. Illiteracy in the Arab world is still very high. It is estimated
that half of the nearly 400 million people cannot read or
The UN Human Right Report
The UN Human Rights organization has recently issued its annual report.
It revealed that Turkey and Israel are the most abuser of human rights.
It also listed China, India, Pakistan, Minimar and Venezuela are also
abuser of human rights (Al Nahar Newspaper,9/22/2017). Andrew Gilmore,
Assistant Director of Human Rights organization, stated in the Report
that there are cases individual kidnapping,
New in New Orleans Ladder
Harvey Has Morphed into a Multi-Pronged Environmental Disaster ~Emily Atkin, New Republic Huge and mildly terrifying li...
Harvey Has Morphed into a Multi-Pronged Environmental Disaster ~Emily
Atkin, New Republic Huge and mildly terrifying list of issues so far
reported at petrochemical facilities after # Harvey , via @SierraClub *
Calculating Harvey’s Aftermath ~Leah Binkovitz, Urban Edge ~The disaster is shaping up to be one of the costliest yet, ...
Calculating Harvey’s Aftermath ~Leah Binkovitz, Urban Edge ~The
disaster is shaping up to be one of the costliest yet, after hitting the
fourth largest city with the second busiest port in the country. It
also hit the Coastal Bend area particularly hard, including Port
Aransas, caused flooding in Beaumont and Port Arthur and made landfall
again in Louisiana. Read more. Louisiana shelters hundreds
Harvey makes landfall again, Texas death toll mounts from record floods ~Reuters Why Ordinary Citizens Are Acting as Fi...
Harvey makes landfall again, Texas death toll mounts from record floods
~Reuters Why Ordinary Citizens Are Acting as First Responders in
Houston ~ The Atlantic Photo: Jon Bridgers, Houston Chronicle ~The ethos
behind these efforts is straightforward and admirable: Some people are
in trouble, and other people have the tools to help them. Why wouldn’t
they? Clyde Cain, who runs a Cajun Navy Faceboo
Harvey Moves Back Over Water; Historic Rainfall Will Continue ~Dr. Jeff Masters, Weather Underground ~When we first saw...
Harvey Moves Back Over Water; Historic Rainfall Will Continue ~Dr. Jeff
Masters, Weather Underground ~When we first saw the model predictions
last week of widespread rain amounts for Houston of 15 – 25 inches, with
some amounts as high as 40 inches, we issued the required “Catastrophic
rains coming” forecast, but our view of the forecast was tinged with a
sense of unreality. Could the models be w
Harvey's 2-day rain in Houston is 3 times floodwater pumped from New Orleans after Katrina ~ Nola.com ~For the 48 hours...
Harvey's 2-day rain in Houston is 3 times floodwater pumped from New
Orleans after Katrina ~ Nola.com ~For the 48 hours ending at 11 a.m.
Monday (Aug. 28), Harris County, Texas, which includes Houston, measured
an average 23.7 inches of rain, which represents 732 billion gallons of
water, said Jeff Lindner, a Harris County Flood Control District
official. While sort of an apples to oranges compar
Flood Calamity Continues In Houston and Beyond; Harvey Edges Toward Coast ~Bob Henson, Weather Underground ~The nation’...
Flood Calamity Continues In Houston and Beyond; Harvey Edges Toward
Coast ~Bob Henson, Weather Underground ~The nation’s worst flood
disaster since Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy continued to unfold late
Sunday across Houston and nearby parts of southeast Texas, as Tropical
Storm Harvey punished the area with record-shredding rainfall. As of
6:00 pm CDT Sunday, Harvey was centered about 10 miles nort
New in News Center PK
Integrated Border Management: Scope, Challenges and Framework for Pakistan
by Rashid Munir Siddiqui (2017) Table of Contents Abstract 3
Introduction: … Integrated Border Management: Scope, Challenges and
Framework for Pakistan is a post from News Center Pk .
New in Paying attention
Six Things to Know about the BC Liberal Leadership Race
Here are six things you need to know about the race to replace Christy
Clark, based on the rules the BC Liberal Party released Tuesday. First,
you better have money or some rich supporters if you even want to try
for the job. It will cost you $50,000, payable to the party, to become a
candidate. (Plus $10,000 that you’ll get back if the party doesn’t levy
any fines for bad behaviour during the ca
New in Pesticide Action Network
Celebrating Dolores
At age 87, political activist Dolores Huerta is getting some
long-overdue recognition for the central role she's played for years in
the farmworker movement. It's a role well worth celebrating. The
documentary film Dolores , produced by director Peter Bratt, is now in
theaters. The film puts Huerta's decades of organizing front and center
where it should be, rather than portraying her as a "sidek
PAN UK report shows schoolkids at risk
A report released earlier this month from Pesticide Action Network
(PAN) UK found that children across England are exposed to significant
pesticide residues in the government’s “School Fruit & Veg Scheme.”
Food for Thought documents more than 123 different pesticides on school
produce, and calls on officials to source more local, organic produce to
protect schoolchildren’s health. The report draw
Dicamba drift? This is on you, Monsanto.
Like a wildfire burning out of control, the epidemic of dicamba drift
blowing across 20 states this summer has already damaged over three
million acres of soybean cropland. Adding to the list of some 2,200
reported herbicide injuries are likely many more damaged acres of fruit
and vegetable farms, vineyards, trees, home gardens, hedgerows and plant
habitats critical to pollinators and other wildl
Science for Solutions: Save the brains
This post is part one in our “Science for Solutions” blog series that
amplifies scientist voices and underscores the importance of independent
science as the foundation for evidence-based policymaking and narrative
shifts. With pesticide drift sweeping across the South and Midwest this
summer, and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s recent decision to keep
the brain-harming pesticide chlorpyrifos on
Dicamba drift? This is on you, Monsanto.
Like a wildfire burning out of control, the epidemic of dicamba drift
blowing across 20 states this summer has already damaged over three
million acres of soybean cropland. Learn more Slideshow Category: Flex
Slider
Equity for farmers of color in California
If passed, California's "Farmer Equity Act" will recognize the
historic, systemic wrongs faced by farmers of color — those at the core
of building and sustaining our farming communities. Learn more Slideshow
Category: Flex Slider
New in Screw You Guys, I'm Going Home
If My Office Is Closed Due To A Hurricane Do I Get Paid?
With
Texas recovering from Harvey and Irma bearing down on Florida right
now, I thought I'd re-run this popular and necessary column. Whether
you’re entitled to be paid when the office is closed depends on whether
you are “exempt” salaried or not. Just being salaried doesn’t
necessarily mean you aren’t entitled to overtime. It’s possible to be
salaried and still non-exempt from the requirements of
OSHA Protects You From Dangerous Working Conditions Post-Hurricane
I'm
getting lots of calls and emails about employers making employees work
in conditions they deem unsafe. Here's what OSHA says about workplace
safety: You have the right to a safe workplace . The Occupational Safety
and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) was passed to prevent workers from
being killed or seriously harmed at work. The law requires that
employers provide their employees with working con
New in Syria Comment
Mahdi al-Harati: a Libyan Force Multiplier
By @tamhussein Mahdi al-Harati Sitting across Mahdi al-Harati in the
hotel lobby it is difficult to see why anyone would want this quiet
Libyan dead. His insulin rests on the low table alongside his sugarless
coffee and with him is his over-protective doctor and friend. But you
need to look closer, there is his trademark military cap worn even
inside the lobby, accompanied by wrap round shades; t
Iraqi Minorities Face a Dilemma in Kurdish Independence
By Saad Babir After gaining control of much of Iraq and Syria, the
Islamic State jihadist movement (IS) and other Sunni extremists
committed grave atrocities and international human rights violations
against non-Sunni minorities, including perhaps the most extreme crime
of all, the genocide that was perpetrated against Yazidis, Christians,
and Shia Muslims. As IS is gradually defeated on the batt
Kurdish Independence and the Unheard Yazidi Voice — by Murad Ismael
This article was originally published Sept. 22, 2017 on al-Arabiya and
can be accessed here . by Murad Ismael Yazidis have a population of
about a half million people in Iraq. Their voting power in the upcoming
independence referendum in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) marks
nearly ten percent of eligible voters, which would suggest that the
beleaguered minority group has an important politica
KRG Targets Minorities Ahead of Kurdistan Independence Referendum — Part One: Exploiting the Yazidi Genocide
Large signage placed in the Chamishko IDP camp near Zakho for displaced
Yazidis. The imagery includes Masoud Barzani’s face above the Yazidi
Sharfeddin Temple in Sinjar, scenes from the Yazidi Genocide, and
Peshmerga with the Kurdistan flag. The Kurdish text reads: “For the
commemoration of the Shingal Genocide—Shingal, through its tragedy, has
brought forth the spirit of humanity and proved its
Unwinnable: Britain’s war in Afghanistan 2001-2014- by Tam Hussein
The 9/11 attacks gave birth to a Manichean world which is, as I write
this, being played out in Syria and Iraq amongst other places. With this
world in mind and the upcoming 9/11 anniversary, Professor Theo
Farrel’s Unwinnable is a timely reminder of the consequences of the War
on Terror in terms of lives, treasure and more; thousands of Afghan
migrants clustered in Calais and Dunkirk hoping to c
New in The Ergosphere
Most people are idiots. Case in point:
I
bring you to this page at arguments.com. Direct quote: The 12 flywheels
employed by electricity users and utilities store about 77 MW of
energy.If a presumptive energy blogger does not know the difference
between MW and MWh, one should be removed directly from one's keyboard
and publicly flogged. I can find no putative author or contact address
on this blog. This is probably a good thing...
Pathetic performance of tidal power station lauded as "world record"
In
a "record month" at the MeyGen tidal power project in the Pentland
Firth... I'll just quote them: A tidal power station in the Pentland
Firth between mainland Scotland and Orkney has broken the world record
for electricity generation.... In an update on the progress of the
MeyGen project, by Atlantis Resources, the company said it had generated
700 megawatt-hours of electricity in August, a
New in The Straight Goods
Where is John Horgan?...Affordability in Canada, Seniors Living in Poverty, Provincial Clawbacks and Medical Necessities
Written by Grant G I received an email from a regular reader of The
Straight Goods.... The man, a senior in a residential government run
carehome emailed me...asking me to talk to John Horgan about an issue
that affects many low income seniors....The man's frustration was on two
fronts...the first being, clawbacks....there are many seniors in
British Columbia who are on, classified as disabled,..
Laurie Throness and Daryll Plecas-The Sickness and The Sanity and "A Political Masterstroke"
Written by Grant G What a fascinating last 6 months, a never ending
elections, missteps, bad political advice and toxic rot that infected
the entire BC Liberal Party Lots of nasty chatter in regards to Daryll
Plecas taking to position of Speaker of the House, Liberal party huffed
and puffed and tossed Daryll out of the party, constituents who voted
for Plecas under a Liberal banner are shouting r
New in thwap's schoolyard
Late September Heat Wave
To hear the global warming experts tell it; We're going to COOK man!
We're going to FRY! Methane is rising up from the bottom of the Arctic
Ocean. The permafrost will melt and more methane will explode out of the
earth. Shrinking polar ice will mean less white reflecting the Sun's
rays back into space and more dark ocean water absorbing heat. The
eco-systems of the oceans will be devastated and s
Instant Gratification
You can't get the things you want instantly. You can't have a big
protest and then expect that the powers that be will magically see the
light, act against their self-interest and grant you all your demands.
It takes sustained campaigns that inflict actual damage on elite
structures and power and etc., ... before anything important will
happen. You know, a BIG reason why politicians have been sla
Oh Lonesome Me
There was one part of Russell Brand's book that affected me. The human
need for community. He says that consumer capitalism destroys so many of
the opportunities for community. Brand himself mentions religions and
sport teams. I confess to sometimes casting wistful glances at the
church groups/ethnic communities/extended families/workplace friends
that I see cavorting merrily in Sunnybrook Park w
Belated Review of Russell Brand's "Revolution"
Back in 2013 a lot of people were excited by an interview on the BBC
between Jeremy Paxman and Russell Brand . There were demonstrations and
riots in Britain and Brand (a comedian) had recently co-edited a
magazine series about political change and BBC interviewer Paxman
brought Brand on the show to comment about what was going on. At one
point in the interview, Brand said he didn't vote because
Free Speech for Fascists?
Quick thoughts: Should people we disagree with have free speech and
other rights? More precisely: Should fascists have freedom of speech and
freedom of assembly and the right to hold their views and not be fired
for them? Some will argue that leftists would be chumps to stand up for
the free speech rights of fascists. First of all, they wouldn't do so
for us. (With the right-wing's perpetual amaz
New in Vagabond Scholar
Labor Day 2017
Happy
Labor Day! It’s too easy to take for granted the important victories of
the labor movement in the past, and also to overlook the attacks on
workers’ right in the present. Some good pieces for the day: The Nation,
"The Rollback of Pro-Worker Policies Since Trump Took Office Is
Staggering": Last week, as most of us in the United States were riveted
by Hurricane Harvey’s descent on Texas,
New in Welcome to Pottersville 2 (Blogging Against Fascism!)
(Happy
Un-Labor Day?) Liars Figuring Still (Stop Democracy Now!) Junior
Soprano Unleashed: As*hole Defined (Ignorant/Racist USA!) Empire of
Never-Ending Debt? (White Lashed) Vouchered Rahm? (After Liberalism?
When?) Watershed History Moment (New International Economics Needed)
Hillary Hype Resented?
Sorry
that this is a ridiculously long one, but I'm catching up as I've been
on long-term hiatus due to desperate economic circumstances . . . just
grab a tall, cold one; you may need a refill. Many of us do constantly
these days. A brief moment of clarity for the jobs-bereft (as well as
the life-bereft (h/t to D. Trump's "Have a good time!" to the desperate
refugees as he scrambled back to
New in What Is Sustainable
Against the Grain
James C. Scott teaches political science and anthropology at Yale. He’s
a smooth writer and a deep thinker. A while back, he decided to update
two lectures on agrarian societies that he had been giving for 20 years.
He began studying recent research and — gasp! — realized that
significant portions of traditional textbook history had the strong odor
of moldy cultural myths. So, a quick update proj
Surviving the 21st Century
In the old Three Stooges comedies, whenever Curly did something dumb,
angry Moe gave him a dope slap (SMACK!). With regard to humankind’s war
on the future, a number of thinkers have been inspired to write
passionate dope slap books, including Man and Nature (1864),
Conservation of Natural Resources (1910), Checking the Waste (1911), Our
Vanishing Wild Life (1913). Dope slap books are a two-step:
Safety Nets
Today, a few billion humans live in affluence. Their unsustainable
societies have social safety nets made possible by nonrenewable energy.
When they are disrupted by hurricanes, earthquakes, or famine, food
relief is usually shipped in from other regions, preventing mass
starvation. For most of the human saga, each clan or community was on
its own, far less likely to be rescued by outsiders. The
New in Wide Asleep in America
Alan Dershowitz Invented a Scary Quote to Fear-Monger About Iran
Alan
Dershowitz is a liar. This is not news, of course. His shoddy
scholarship and penchant for plagiarism is well-documented. His
relentless and tedious self-promotion, let alone his obsession with
celebrity - others', as well as his own - is crude, shameless, and
pathetic. His virulent Islamophobia has led him to advocate on behalf of
torture and in favor of the Muslim ban. He's defended
Citations Needed, Episode 09: Liberal Media Throws #J20 Activists Under the Bus
The
Hashtag Resistance warms up to rightwing ghouls David Frum and Evan
McMullin while ignoring anti-Trump protesters facing 80 years in federal
prison. In the wake of Trump’s unexpected win, the “Resistance” to
Trump displayed by many in liberal media has been a toxic combination of
gratuitous smears of left activists and ignoring their existence
altogether. As over 200 people — including
Citations Needed, Episode 08: The Human Rights Concern Troll Industrial Complex
Samantha
Power The concept of human rights has served as the underlying moral
foundation of the United States’s role in the world since the end of
World War II. The conceit that the U.S. has been a dedicated and earnest
promoter of “freedom”, “democracy,” and “human rights” throughout the
world — even if, at times, a “flawed” one — is a defining narrative,
largely taken for granted by major
Citations Needed, News Brief: Harvey, Climate Change and Snitch Reporters
On
this Citations Needed News Brief, we discuss the media's fear of
covering Harvey in the context of race, class, and the manifest threat
of climate change. We are joined by Katherine Krueger of Splinter News
to talk about journalist narcs and the criminalization of survival.
*****
Citations Needed, Episode 07: BDS & The Moral Narratives of Colonization
In
Episode 7 of Citations Needed, we explore how the media discusses the
issue of BDS and the broader topic of Palestinian liberation. What are
the stakes? Who are the smear artists? What are the similarities with
past apartheid boycotts? We discusses these topics and more using a
pro-apartheid 1989 Christian Science Monitor op-ed as our guide. The
Guest Steven Salaita previously held
Citations Needed, News Brief: Charlottesville, The ACLU, and the Moral Limits of 'Free Speech'
In
a new Citations Needed News Brief, Adam and I discuss Charlottesville,
the ACLU, and the moral limits of 'free speech' with George
Ciccariello-Maher, Associate Professor of Politics and Global Studies at
Drexel University. *****
New in WPB/NYC and Anything Else; A Green Rights Collection
New in WWF - Latest News
The Mediterranean Sea: incomparable wealth in steep decline
Rome, Italy – Along its 46,000km coastline, the Mediterranean Sea
supports around 150 million people living along its shores. The report
Reviving the Economy of the Mediterranean Sea: Actions for a sustainable
future , launched today, shows that the Mediterranean Sea plays a
fundamental role in the region's economy but that the sea's underlying
natural asset base – which supports much of the econ
French-led Global Pact for the Environment opportunity to strengthen momentum on climate action
NEW YORK (19 September 2017 ) – As climate change, biodiversity loss
and environmental degradation continue to impact the wellbeing of
millions worldwide, the Global Pact for the Environment, presented by
French President Emmanuel Macron at the UN General Assembly today,
should enjoy the support of all world leaders, urges WWF. The
initiative, first announced at a conference in Paris in June, off
New IPCC report to include science of attributing extreme events to climate change
BERLIN, Germany (11 September 2017 ) - The Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) has approved the outlines of its Sixth Assessment
Report (AR6) at a meeting in Montreal this week. Dr Stephen Cornelius,
Chief Adviser on Climate Change at WWF-UK said: "IPCC Assessment Reports
are the authoritative source of information on climate change. The
wide-ranging reports cover all aspects of clim
Mondi and WWF extend strategic partnership by three years
Mondi Group and WWF International announced today that they have
renewed their global partnership for a further three years. In 2014
Mondi entered into a three-year global partnership with WWF, focusing on
promoting environmental stewardship in the packaging and paper sector.
This global partnership has now been extended by another three years,
becoming the longest standing WWF International part
Judge suspends Brazil government's decision to open up a national reserve for mining
The substitute judge of the 21st Regional Federal Court of the Federal
District (TRF1), Rolando Valcir Spanholo, granted on Tuesday, Aug. 29,
an injunction that suspends the decree of the Brazilian government that
abolishes the National Reserve of Copper and Associates (Renca). The
request stemmed from a Public Civil Action that argues that the decree
signed by President Temer puts protected area
381 new species discovered in the Amazon
New report reveals that, between 2014-2015, a new plant or animal
species was discovered in the Amazon every 2 days - the fastest rate
this century; New species include a fire-tailed titi monkey, honeycomb
patterned stingray, pink river dolphin, a yellow-moustached lizard and a
bird named after former US president Barack Obama; WWF i
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