9:59am MST
Inside The Surge An Interview With Prof Peter Mansoor Former Executive Officer To Gen Petraeus
The Surge in Iraq created a huge controversy in American politics when it
started in 2007. There were arguments about whether the U.S. should send in
more troops or withdraw its forces to solve Iraq’s increasing chaos. Since
then there has been a lively discussion about how much of a factor the
Surge was in combination with other events such as the sectarian cleansing
of Baghdad, the Anbar Awakening, the Sons of Iraq, Moqtada al-Sadr’s cease
fire, and more in reducing the violence in the country. To provide an
inside view of the Surge is Professor Peter Mansoor the General Raymon... more »
Iraq Vs Bahrain Ends In Draw In 8th West Asia Football Federation Championship In Doha Dec 28, 2013
Photos by AFP's Karim Jaafar
#Commoncore opponents, a word please.
In recent weeks, I’ve seen a surge in Common Core opposition that is
focused on the micro-examination of individual classroom assignments. Let
me be clear at the outset: I oppose the Common Core State Standards. We’re
clear on that, correct? All right. I’ve observed some interactions on a
Facebook page called “Inappropriate Common Core Lessons.” the […]
BACK TO THE REAL STORY
Native News Online reports:
One hundred and twenty-three winters ago, on December 29, 1890, some 150
Lakota men, women and children were massacred by the US 7th Calvary
Regiment near Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Some
estimate the actual number closer to 300.
Snowfall was heavy that December week. The Lakota ancestors killed that day
were left in brutal frigid wintry plains of the reservation before a burial
party came to bury them in one mass grave. The photograph of Big Foot’s
frozen and contorted body is a symbol for all American Indians of what
happ... more »
Zionism, White Supremacy and the House of Bush
*UN General Assembly Resolution 3379: *
*Determines* that Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination.
*"As vice president, he personally spearheaded Operation Joshua, the 1985
rescue of Ethiopian Jewry, and was involved in every step of the U.S.
military's manning and execution of that mission."*
United Nations General Assembly Resolution 46/86
"The General Assembly Decides to revoke the determination contained in its
resolution 3379 (XXX) of 10 November 1975."
*3379 (XXX). Elimination of all forms of racial discrimination*
*The General Assembly,*
*Recalling* its re... more »
Why Is Maryland taking Florida’s Place as PARCC Henchman?
By Morna McDermott http://www.educationalchemy Set out runnin’ but I take
my time, a friend of the devil is a friend of mine -Grateful Dead- Is this
any way to start off a new year? Are you scratching you head
wondering…wondering why it is that Maryland has decided to become the PARCC
fiscal agent? First of all, what […]
@johnkuhntx guest post: Five New Years Resolutions for Public Education Supporters
By: John Kuhn 2013 was a pivotal year for parents, teachers and students
who support a free public education for American children. In California,
Governor Jerry Brown refused to over-test the state’s students to satisfy
bureaucratic demands for data, even in the face of federal threats to
withhold Title 1 education funding. In Seattle, Jesse Hagopian and […]
New Unexplained Crop Circle Discovered In California (Videos)
California Crop Circle... This looks an awful like an
INTEL Pentium III chip in the middle....*I don't know if this a real crop
circle, they are not common in California, and given the level of high tech
in California and GPS steered farm equipment, producing such things with a
tractor is not out of the question, and this is an INTEL Pentium CPU chip
inside the circle... and then there's the 2nd video which shows some plasma
like activity which has been seen in Wiltshire UK at crop circles there -
but it has a "Blair Witch Project" movie vibe to it... hard to know... my
reaction to ... more »
LAND OF SCRIPT: The Times reports!
*TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2013*
*Part 2—The script about Benghazi:* In our view, Paul Krugman has been the
nation’s Most Valuable Journalist over the past many years.
Nine years ago, he was on a productive path, directed by an incomparable
guide who only had at heart his not getting lost.
For the Frost reference, just click this. Here’s what Krugman said:
KRUGMAN (8/3/04): *Reading the Script*
A message to my fellow journalists: check out media watch sites like
campaigndesk.org, mediamatters.org and dailyhowler.com. It's good to see
ourselves as others see us. *I've been finding The D... more »
Rep. Trey Gowdy: New York Times Doing PR Work For Hillary...
*"I want to congratulate the New York Times. It only took 15 months for
them to figure out how to spell Benghazi. So in another 15 months maybe
their reporting will actually catch up with the truth."*
The LFTR/Thorium Paradigm
*This post was written for the lamented Oil Drum, a blog that focused on
resources, or the lack there of. This essay should be considered an homage
to Kirk Sorensen. At the time I was working closely with Kirk. I felt it
important to make his ideas known. TheLiquid Floride Thorium Reactor
(LFTR) is Kirks Brand. It is the name kirk chose for the Molten Salt
thorium breeder, inown in Oak Ridge as the MSBR, and elsewhere as the TMSR.
Kirk asked me to make the brand name better known, and while I was being
supportive of him, I wrote mainly about the LFTR/thorium paradigm.*
*The LF... more »
New Year’s Resolutions from the State of Arizona
A new sunrise
New Year’s Resolutions from the State
of Arizona:
#1 Force President Obama and Attorney General Holder to come to Arizona to
visit Operation Streamline…. so that we can permanently shut it down, with
or without the assistance or actions of the above: *End this
criminalization, dehumanization and for-profit scam!*
#2 Force President Obama and Attorney General Holder to come to the border
itself, including both, the killing fields and the militarized border
walls. He needs to witness the effect of his own policies. *Bring the Wall... more »
Maryland Takes Florida’s Place-Why?
Post by Morna McDermott- http://www.educationalchemy.com Set out runnin’
but I take my time, a friend of the devil is a friend of mine -Grateful
Dead- Is this any way to start off a new year? Are you scratching you head
wondering…wondering why it is that Maryland has decided to become the PARCC
fiscal agent? First of all, […]
Tristram Hunt on Education and Immigration
"Just as broken clocks are right twice a day, even the *Daily
Telegraph*occasionally prints the truth." I can't remember who coined
it, but it's a
cliche so commonplace that to cite it is to patronise one's audience.
Unfortunately, that is what I'm going to do about the reception this
ridiculous
article received among people who really should know better. First
things
first, I have a current and former interest to declare. Tristram is my
Member of Parliament. He's also my former employer.
Right, that's out the way. On Saturday the *Telegraph* published
snippets
of an interview with ... more »
New Year's Eve Mix
For the last hour of 2013. Note - play bottom to top... or top to bottom,
or in any order, what do I care?
Knowledge Is Their Enemy
Since they came to power, the Harperites have insisted that there are all
kinds of things we can't afford. Their latest claim is that six Department
of Fisheries and Oceans libraries no longer serve a purpose. In the digital
age, they argue, the libraries simply take up space. But Andrew Nikiforuk
writes that a secret government memo reveals that the government's claim
has nothing to do with digitizing books:
In fact, the document, a compendium of cuts to the Department of Fisheries
and Oceans that can be read in its entirety at the bottom of this story,
mentions only the "cullin... more »
2014: Will the Left Pull Their Heads Out of Their Asses?
Will leftists finally figure out that an afternoon's protest isn't worth
the energy that goes into organizing it?
Will leftists finally figure out that if they believe that the government
is comprised of psychopathic, inhuman murderers, then peaceful protest is
useless?
Will leftists finally figure out that if the state is a conglomeration of
power-mad psychotic, inhuman, selfish murderers, armed to the teeth with
the latest weaponry and forewarned by a massive surveillance network, ...
that smashing a few windows isn't going to do shit against it?
Will leftists finally clue in to ... more »
Egypt's Counter Revolution: As the Army solidifies power
*Op-ed from NYT's*
CAIRO — Egyptians who frequently take the Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road have
lately noticed tha*t the fee they usually pay to toll collectors now goes
to the Ministry of Defense.*
In a press conference in November*, the Minister of Transportation
announced one of the armed forces’ companies had been granted legal rights,
for 50 years, to develop the Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road.*
*The army, a state within a state that used to protect its interests from
the shadows, is now taking bolder steps to cement its power and asserting,
increasingly overtly, that it is accoun... more »
Tears Of Blood
I didn't know when I would be able to write about this. It feels too raw in
my system right now-- raw and not fully digested. When the standard
Foder/Frommer/Lonely Planet guide books tell you what to do if you only
have two days in Quito, they all mention Oswaldo Guayasamín's Capilla del
Hombre (Chapel of Man). Maybe it was just the circumstances of the day but
it was one of the most spiritually moving museums I've ever visited, beyond
even Jesus' reputed birthplace in Bethlehem. A tribute to all the people of
Latin America, Guayasamín's incredible art-- reminiscent of
Picasso-m... more »
Gary Rubinstein on TFA and CC: Plus Predictions for 2014 and 2024!
In his Open Letters To ‘B-List’ Reformers I Know. Part 2: Elisa
Villanueva-Beard and Matt Kramer, Gary Rubinstein is primarily confronting
the new leadership at Teach for America—and I recommend your reading the
entire post—but I want to highlight what I think is a very succinct and
accurate challenge to supporting Common Core: [click to enlarge] Rubinstein
[…]
Just Because Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson Survived Doesn't Mean You Have Free Speech At Work
Unless you've been out of the country for the holidays, you probably heard
about the brouhaha over *Duck Dynasty* patriarch Phil Robertson's anti-gay
and racist comments. He was interviewed by GQ and made comments that got
him suspended indefinitely by A&E Television Networks, LLC. That caused an
uproar, with petitions from Robertson supporters flying and claims that A&E
violated his First Amendment rights. He was then reinstated.
Does this mean that you should let loose with your beliefs about race,
women, gays, or religion at work or in your public social media? Heck no.
You proba... more »
Untitled
*Saints embracing anything can happen attitude ~Bradley Handwringer, WWLTV *
*Ani DiFranco's plantation retreat canceled after online protests ~Alison
Fensterstock*
~Editilla Hotellas~ I can't stand most of Mz DiFranco's bitchy angst'filled
creepola fans. Hence, I got 2 tickets to see her perform at House of Blues,
Jan 4th. because I've been enjoying her music since she was relentlessly
driving around the country, selling her hand-made vinyl records (large
round disks with small holes) out of the trunk of her beat-up little car.
She is one of the most absolutely motherfucking badass ... more »
I'm switching to Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines have banned under12s from the upper deck of their Airbus
380s.
Please British Airways do the same for the upper deck of 747s and one cabin
of each class.
Meanwhile WestJet almost got my vote to, but it was an April's Fool
Strand Hit Record Sales in the Forest of Words
DC News FOX 5 DC WTTG
The Strand Bookstore in New York announces record sales over the Christmas
period with the Monday before Christmas registering the biggest sales in
its 86 year history.
The Strand is The New York Bookstore and is run by the legendary and good
friend Fred Bass and his daughter Nancy. They sell books; used, new,
remaindered, high ticket and antiquarian and low priced bargains. It is an
emporium of bookselling which has often featured in films, TV and been
cited by many.
Today with the well reported troubles of its neighbours at Barnes and
Nobles and the often ... more »
Thieves target ATMs - news way to rob the bank..... Not just here in the US but apparently a global criminal agenda !
Thieves In Europe Are Using USB Sticks To Clean Out ATMs
[image: The Telegraph]
Matthew Sparkes, THE TELEGRAPH
54 MINUTES AGO 0
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- inShare
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- EMAIL
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*[image: Thumb Drive Wide]bfishadow via Flickr*
*A gang of thieves targeted cash machines belonging to an unnamed European
bank by uploading malicious software that would spit out banknotes on
command*
Criminals targeted a string of cash machines by cutting holes in the fascia
to reach a USB port and upload malicious code that would spit out banknotes
on command.
Speakers at the Chaos Computing Congress... more »
Hamas in their own words
The ultimate goal of the Hamas movement is to establish Islam worldwide,
Hamas minister Fathi Hammad declared during a recent public address in
Gaza.
“We shall liberate our land, Allah willing. We shall liberate our Al-Aqsa
Mosque, and our cities and villages, as a prelude to the establishment of
the future Islamic Caliphate. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are at
the threshold of a global Islamic civilization era,” Hammad proclaimed.
“The fuel and spearhead of this era will be Gaza, and its mujahideen and
leaders will be from Gaza, Allah willing,” he added.
He then appealed to... more »
Thailand: Protest Leaders Demand Justice for Fallen Protesters and Policeman
*December 31, 2013* (Tony Cartalucci) - On December 26, 2013, in Din Daeng
district, Bangkok where protesters clashed with police in an attempt to
disrupt the regime's sham elections in which only Thaksin Shinawatra's
illegitimate political party will run unopposed, there were two deaths and
scores injured. The moment Police Sergeant Major Narong Pitisit was
injured, the regime's propagandists began exploiting his and his family's
tragedy by immediately blaming protesters battling police in the streets.
He would later die, and immediately, the regime made a political spectacle
out ... more »
Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline And Stephen \harper`s Con Party, Both Going Down Hard!
The reckoning of reality merges with delusional future forecasts to create
a modern day tragic Shakespearian play, politicos promising a smorgasbord
of prosperity, wealth for all, health for all, education, world travel, a
lifestyle made for kings and queens, for the rich and famous, for you, for
average Dick and Jane, for everyone and all one has to do to receive these
heavenly gifts is to accept, allow and endorse unabated resource
extraction, to allow pipelines, drilling, water exploitation and the
inevitable poisoned environments...
A mere 100,000 people in Canada work in re... more »
Thailand: Protest Leaders Demand Justice for Fallen Protesters and Policeman
*December 31, 2013* (Tony Cartalucci) - On December 26, 2013, in Din Daeng
district, Bangkok where protesters clashed with police in an attempt to
disrupt the regime's sham elections in which only Thaksin Shinawatra's
illegitimate political party will run unopposed, there were two deaths and
scores injured. The moment Police Sergeant Major Narong Pitisit was
injured, the regime's propagandists began exploiting his and his family's
tragedy by immediately blaming protesters battling police in the streets.
He would later die, and immediately, the regime made a political spectacle
out ... more »
The 10 Best Dance Tunes of 2013
Tradition time.
10. *As We Collide (Orjan Nilsen Remix)* by Christian Burns, Paul Oakenfold
and Jes
9. *Need U (100%)* by Duke Dumont feat. A*M*E
8. *Axis* by Pet Shop Boys
7. *Magenta* by Giuseppe Ottaviani with Ferry Corsten
6. *Try to be a Headliner (DoubleV Mashup)* by Jorn van Deynhoven vs
Sunlounger feat. Zara Taylor
5. *When a Fire Starts to Burn* by Disclosure
4. *Cheops (Original Mix)* by Matt Bukovski, Andy Elliass and Abys
3. *Ramelia (Tribute to Amelia)* by Ram and Susana
2. *Count On Me* by Chase and Status feat. Moko
Just wow. It has been a vintage year all-round... more »
WORKING FOR THE SPOOKS
Above we see Richard Dart, who is white and middle-class.
Allegedly Richard Dart became a Moslem and plotted to attack soldiers in
Royal Wootton Bassett in the UK.
It is assumed, by some, that he was mind-controlled by MI5, and that his
role was to make Moslems look bad.
RICHARD DART
Above we see David Shayler who worked for MI5 and who then became a
whistleblower.
It is assumed that he has been mind-controlled by MI5.
David Shayler has claimed that he is the messiah.
Renegade MI5 officer
*Khalid Yasin*
Khalid Yasin was raised as a Christian in Harlem, New York.
He lived ... more »
Farewell To 2013 - You've Served Us Well
*I wish you all a lovely new year in 2014. I would *
*think that it will be a fast moving year full of even more changes than
2013. *
*The poem below is more of a proposal than a prediction. A nice dream to
be formed into a reality by the individual dreamers if and when we so
please. In my world view, we are the ones who form human community
together. Mother Earth takes care of Herself and the Divine is an eternal
source of inspiration.*
*Note: The poem below was written over a year ago for the new year of 2013
but is still a good proposal for perhaps the rest of the 21s... more »
"The Daily Mail, it's shit, isn't it?" Ha, ha, ha, ha.
Radio 4 comedians are a notoriously political lot.
It's not that surprising then that a whole clutch of them - Mark Steel,
"the renowned Jeremy Hardy" and *15 Minute Musical*'s Dave Cohen - is
taking part in that dispiriting stunt, 'Bethlehem Unwrapped' (as Sue notes
in her previous post.) Not surprising, but still depressing.
The majority of Radio 4 comedians are on the Left politically and they
aren't shy of expressing their political opinions on BBC programme after
BBC programme - from *The News Quiz *to *The Infinite Monkey Cage, *from *The
Brig Society *to *The Mark Steel L... more »
Einstein's equations from first law of thermodynamics in AdS
First, Nima Arkani-Hamed (IAS) and Jaroslav Trnka (Caltech) have released
another amplituhedron preprint, Into the Amplituhedron, in which they
expose the amplituhedron origin of various QFT rules applied to cuts – the
unitarity double cut, the multicollinear limit (which explains why the
amplitude is sometimes the exponential of something simpler), and other
cuts (whose properties emerge from the shape of \(d\)-dimensional faces of
the amplituhedron).
But there's another intriguing hep-th paper published on the last day of
2013 (even if we overlook the remaining dozens of papers): ... more »
Musical Interlude: Leonard Cohen, "Hallelujah"
Leonard Cohen, "Hallelujah"
"I did my best, it wasn't much,
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch.
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you.
And even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah"
Updates On Syria [12.31]: Syrian Interim Government Seeks To Establish A Presence In Syria, Info About Chemical Weapons Transport Sites Has Been Leaked To Al-Qaeda, Geneva II Conference Is Three Weeks Away
*1. An excerpt from, "Syrian interim government hopes to open offices in
Syria" by Mohammad al-Makki Ahmad, Al Monitor, December 30:*
*The deputy prime minister of the Syrian interim government, Iyad Qudsi,
said that the priority of the government lies in “establishing offices [in
Syria] and communicating with our people so as to embrace them.”* He
refused to consider the interim government as “a government in exile or a
temporary government.” He also talked about “a detailed work program that
will be presented before all supporters and the world’s nations, *confirming
that this gov... more »
"Fukushima Radiation Hits San Francisco"
*"Fukushima Radiation Hits San Francisco"*
"This shocking video was taken December 23rd 2013 with a quality Geiger
Counter at Pacifica State Beach (Surfers Beach), California.
Location:http://bit.ly/1g26Zjm
Geiger Counter used:
-http://www.geigercounters.com/Inspector.htm
Background radiation is 30 CPM. Near the ocean it’s 150 CPM. The fine mist
coming from the ocean waves seems to be what makes the Geiger Counter jump".
- http://topinfopost.com/2013/12/26/fukushima-radiation-hits-san-francisco
◆
Update, 12/2013:
- http://coyoteprime-runningcauseicantfly.blogspot.com/
Fukushima r... more »
With a new year bearing down, braving a bold look into the future
XXXX, in the Dec. 23 & 30 *New Yorker*
*By some measures, 2014 is already looking like tough times.*
*by Ken*
Probably you were aware, but we're *just this close* to starting a whole
new year. I know it happened last year just about this same time, but
that's no help. (Look how *that* turned out!) Naturally it would be nice to
have some sort of advance information as to what the new year has in store,
so when I stumbled across an invitation -- as I was riffling through my
e-mail -- to check out my astrological forecast, I thought I'd click
through.
What I found was at once more sp... more »
Paul Wellstone More Prescient on Education in 2014
Nine years ago, New Year's Eve 2005, the year I started blogging at
SchoolsMatter, I was a graduate student in education and I posted Paul
Wellstone's speech from Teacher's College Columbia University in 2000.
At the time, before No Child Left Behind became law, Wellstone was a lone
voice in Congress, a lone voice in the wilderness in a sea of corruption
and ignorance about education policy. Wellstone was also one of a few
senators who voted against the War in Iraq.
Pass his message on to teachers, parents and students. Pass it on to your
local, state and national representatives... more »
SAVE THE ARCTIC FROM DIRTY OIL
The video Shell doesn't want you to see from Greenpeace on Vimeo.
Walmart's Walton Foundation Doubling Efforts to Privatize K-12 Education
The Walton Foundation remains the leader in the support of school voucher
programs, which have consistently demonstrated their failure to provide
quality education. What they do provide is consistent with Walmart's plan
to offer cheap and shoddy products to the poor. If you have any option of
buy anywhere else in 2014, exercise your option.
From the Washington Post, a clip:
The Walton Family Foundation is pumping $6 million into a Washington-based
group that promotes private school vouchers in D.C. and around the country
— a donation that it hopes will double the number of student... more »
2013 in Review: A Prayer to the Janitor of Lunacy, Part 1 -- Take a bow, Repugs!
*No sooner do we finish rerunning Noah's 2012 "Year in Review" series than
he's ready, having apparently chained himself to his computer, to tackle
2013! Herewith the initial installment.* -- Ed.
*Carnival's "Cruise to the 13th century"*: *As the cruise ship Carnival
Triumph drifts helplessly, its engines kaput, in the vicinity of Mexico's
Yucatán peninsula on February 11, this boat dispatched by the Coast Guard
cutter Vigorous keeps an eye out.*
*by Noah*
*Janitor of lunacyParalyze my infancyPetrify the empty cradleBring hope to
them and meJanitor of tyrannyTe... more »
Untitled
*"It wasn't a blank slate" ~Megan Braden-Perry, Gambit *
Putin and the Saudis
*Bandar told Putin:** "I can give you a guarantee to protect the Winter
Olympics in the city of Sochi on the Black Sea next year. *
*The Chechen groups that threaten the security of the games are controlled
by us, and they will not move in the Syrian territory’s direction without
coordinating with us. *
*Putin: “We know that you have supported the Chechen terrorist groups for a
decade. *
*And that support, which you have frankly talked about just now, is
completely incompatible with the common objectives of fighting global
terrorism that you mentioned.*
Russian President,... more »
SANDY HOOK POLICE REPORT CONTAINS NO EVIDENCE THAT MASS SHOOTING TOOK PLACE AND STRENGTHENS NOTION THAT EVENT WAS A FABRICATED HOAX
http://www.blacklistednews.com/Sandy_Hook_Police_Report_Contains_No_Evidence_That_Mass_Shooting_Took_Place_And_Strengthens_Notion_That_Event_Was_A_Fabricated_Hoax/31582/0/5/5/Y/M.html
SANDY
HOOK POLICE REPORT CONTAINS NO EVIDENCE THAT MASS SHOOTING TOOK PLACE
AND STRENGTHENS NOTION THAT EVENT WAS A FABRICATED HOAX
SOURCE: LEE ROGERS, BLACKLISTED NEWS
The full police investigation into the alleged Sandy Hook mass shooting
has
finally been released to the public. The release contains thousands of
documents including hours of video footage and numerous photographs
pertaining to the in... more »
Your moment of Zen
Hoya cinnamomifolia is a vine that comes from the island of Java. This is
its flower.
Untitled
*Our New Orleans Saints Coach Payton's Monday Review and Looking head to
Eagles*
* Well if it gets the Saints a road playoff win... ~Library Chronicles*
Wave of Radiation from Fukushima Will Be 10 Times Bigger than All of the Radiation from Nuclear Tests Combined
December
22, 2013 by WashingtonsBlog
Putting Fukushima In PerspectiveThere was *no* background radioactive
cesiumbefore above-ground nuclear testing and nuclear accidents started.
Wikipedia provides some details on the distribution of cesium-137 due to
human activities:
Small amounts of caesium-134 and caesium-137 were released into the
environment during nearly all nuclear weapon tests and some nuclear
accidents, most notably the Chernobyl disaster.
***
*Caesium-137 is unique in that it is totally anthropogenic*. Unlike most
other radioisotopes, caesium-137 is not produced from its ... more »
Egypt's Generals Arrest Four Al Jazeera Journalists
A lot of journalists today are also spies, government contractors, and
members of political parties and cults. Journalists are not heroes. The
occupation of "journalist" has been stained in most countries, and this is
largely due to the actions of journalists themselves, with the exception of
a brave few, who almost always end up dead or work as pariahs.
Journalists are not pure actors on the civic stage who have a disinterested
outlook on political events and the forces that shape history, but
political voices who abuse their medium and craft and serve as propaganda
voices for a pa... more »
Jobs in the US Economy 1948-2011
The figure above shows data on employment in the US economy 1948 to 2011
across 10 sectors. The data comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
There is a discontinuity in the data in 1998, when category definitions
were changed. and we have not tried to standardize across that
discontinuity. In addition, the graph shows "full time equivalents" rather
than the frequently used full- and part-time employment series.
Some numbers:
- In 1948 the US had 48.0 million FTE jobs.
- In 2011 the US had 122.6 million FTE jobs.
- From 1948 to 2011 the US added 74.6 million FTE jobs, a... more »
Is Saudi Arabia's Prince Bandar Behind Volgograd Attacks?
There are pieces of shit in this universe, and then there's Prince Bandar
of Saudi Arabia.
Some emperors and heads of states like President Bush have their saving
graces and can be forgiven, but not so with Bandar, this fuckhead needs to
be six feet underground for humanity to move forward and prosper. What
positive thing does his stupid government contribute to the Middle East or
world civilization? Nothing but terror comes from his regime. Israel can
stand up and say "Hey, look, we have an ancient and biblical history, we
have contributed scientists and inventors to the human rac... more »
Slow Arc
It has taken some time to divine what God is responsible for and what is
humankind. The results have not been pretty despite the perpertrators
defense that they were just doing Gods work and against that will there is
no defence. So fucking little ladies at the age of fourteen was somehow
more noble than taking little boys who were years from being teens. I say
you are all fucked up and deserve to die, but why does my PM look at your
troubles and it brings a tear to his eye.
Ruled by Crazy
Look you all went to school with these guys. Tell us the truth if you are
not comprised.
Human Pussy no better than a goat
Well it depends upon which depends you wear. So many humans fail when it
comes to removing children s underwear. So if you want to keep a British
stiff uper lip you have to wonder how they have so many children who did not
serve for country and queen.
Why the fuck do so many Britions seem to want to fuck off. These crazy
motherfuckers used babies to jerk off.
Do not abuse your serfs
That is the lesson of history. The Chinese built a six thousand year empire
on that concept. And to give a tip to the dull edge of the sword, most of
the admin was done by eunuchs. Its a war between human dignigy and the man.
We are losing. Plan B is terrorism. Is that were the MAN wants us to be?
Overpopulation, using two times the earths resources every cycle, these are
all things the MAN understands naturally. He also understands better than
anyone the law of unintended consequences. Its a power struggle between
mass extinction and preserving the genome.
YOUR SURVEILLANCE $$$ AT WORK
The corporate oligarchy runs the US and significant parts of the world by
using agencies like the NSA and the CIA to guide the propaganda and war
machine.
Note the part near the end of the video about the NSA intercepting all
computers that are sold on the commercial market and implanting chips in
them so they can track all of us with every key stroke we make. Over the
top?
These guys inside the national security complex hate having the light of
truth shined on them. They are afraid at some point the public will turn
on them - thus their naming of Snowden as a treasonous trait... more »
Recopilación de Imágenes para Año Nuevo 2014
Las mejores Imágenes de Año Nuevo 2014 (15 ilustraciones)
Celebra este Año Nuevo con estas hermosas imágenes
Postales de Año Nuevo 2014 con mensajes bonitos
Las mejores Imágenes para fin de Año Gratis
Imágenes fantásticas de Año Nuevo 2014
Imágenes con mensajes de Año Nuevo realmente fabulosas
Imágenes de Año Nuevo con mensajes de felicitaciones muy hermosas
Imágenes de Navidad, Año Nuevo y postales con mensajes para compartir
If predators are scamming billions and billions via for-profit hospice "care," isn't this why we have the death penalty?
*Profits up in California*: *The average profit per patient has grown
steadily. The combination of more patients and far greater profit per
patient has pushed overall inflation-adjusted profit up more than tenfold.*(click to enlarge; from
washingtonpost.com)
*by Ken*
In a moment I'm going to back up a bit to try to enable you to understand
why I was so shocked, and found my gut so clenched, upon reading an online
teaser Thursday night for an investigative report in the *Washington Post*'s
"Cost of Healing" series which appeared on Friday's front page, "Medicare
rules create a boom... more »
Headlines adding up to a Sum we do not want to see
I wish I was the NSA then I could do an emperical measure. Like a sniper
making a mile long shot. But all I got is my degree in History. And I say
something is seriously off. We are in a bad , bad place with no relief.
"The Oyster and the Cormorant"
* "The Oyster and the Cormorant"*
by CoyotePrime
.
“Brandt's Cormorants feed either singly or in flocks, and are adaptable in
prey choice and undersea habitat. It feeds on small fish from the surface
to sea floor, obtaining them, like all cormorants, by pursuit diving using
its feet for propulsion. Prey is often what is most common: in central
California, rockfish from the genus Sebastes is the most commonly taken,
but off British Columbia, it is Pacific Herring. Brandt's Cormorant have
been observed foraging at depths of over 40 feet.”-WikiPedia
Westport is a small fishing town on... more »
Some actually existing politics
A small sample of 2013's most misleading statistics. The point about junk
stats as a form of debate is they are pumped into the news cycle every day.
By the time any of them are rebutted in any way (not usually on a front
page or top of a news bulletin) quite often they have settled in popular
consciousness, even if it's just as an impression, e.g. Britain is
'flooded' with immigrants, public sector workers have 'gold plated'
pensions, disabled people are 'skivers'.
This is truthiness in action. The lack of a functioning counter-hegemony
makes it very difficult to fight.
"Courage"
* "Courage"*
Summer in Washington state is an incredibly delightful time, bright warm
sun in a panorama of pure green unlike anywhere else. Winters are another
matter entirely, and it’s common for rain to fall daily for months on end,
a 24 hour a day onslaught of endless gray and gloom. Frequently animals
like raccoons, mice or squirrels will burrow into the walls and roofs of
homes, trying to find a warm and dry place to nest.
And so it was one afternoon that the house cat suddenly and frantically
charged across the living room into the corner, howling ferociously at
something w... more »
"Bravery: "The Killings Fields of Gaza""
*"The Killings Fields of Gaza"*
by Colin Green
"Revelations from Israeli sources such as ‘Breaking the Silence’ and
‘Physicians for Human Rights-Israel’ that the Israeli assaults on Gaza in
2008/9 (Cast Lead) and 2012 (Pillars of Defence) were planned many months
ahead pose many questions about the real motives for the seven year siege
and these massive attacks on a helpless concentration of impoverished and
imprisoned people. Let us then pose just some of those questions and seek
objective answers to:
*Why does the international community and UN allow Israel to blockade and
besie... more »
2013 / THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
*The tide is rapidly closing in on this year but there is still time to
reflect on the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of 2013 ~ which I summarize as
the Good with the political emergence of Elizabeth Warren, the Bad reality
of the growing poverty and social inequality of America and the persistent
Ugly eye sore and continuing injustice of Guantanamo: Allen L Roland*
*I'm glad 2014 is coming to a close* ~ I'm tired of living on the edge, of
watching the poor get poorer and the rich get richer, of witnessing the
seeming triumph of selfishness over altruism, of experiencing the sl... more »
In Cyber Security, it is the little things that matter…
I really like the point of this brief little article on a “cyber attack”
against a power plant. The money quote highlighted from the Foreign Policy
article, “A shooter could get 200 yards away with a .22 rifle and take the
whole thing out…A metal sheet that would block the transformer from
view…[is] a lot
Continue reading
what i'm reading: the immortal life of henrietta lacks, by rebecca skloot
I've just finished *The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks*, by Rebecca
Skloot. I’m sure many of you have read it, but if you have not, please run
to your local library or bookstore or website and borrow, purchase, or
download a copy immediately. This book is literary nonfiction of the
highest order, a melding of social, cultural, and science history, and a
triumph of research and writing.
Henrietta Lacks was an African-American woman, a poor tobacco farmer who
lived near and in Baltimore. Henrietta died of cancer in 1951, at the age
of 31. She left behind five children, destined for... more »
Penultimate Call for Blogging Awards Nominations
One week left for nominations. Please send us your nominations — you
can email us a nomination directly or post in the Comments thread below.
Here’s what we have so far for each category: Best Blog (Individual)
Deborah Brautigam at China in Africa Jay Ulfelder at Dart Throwing Chimp
Kan Opalo at An Africanist Perspective Tom Pepinsky Blog
Continue reading
LEAKED Confession: Cesspool Of Greek-German Corruption
*LEAKED Confession: Cesspool Of Greek-German Corruption*
December 30th, 2013
http://investmentwatchblog.com/leaked-confession-cesspool-of-greek-german-corruption/
Wolf Richter www.testosteronepit.com www.amazon.com/author/wolfrichter
Apparently, it has been impossible to sell Greece any weapons at all, not
even a water pistol, without bribing officials at the Defense Ministry.
Corruption is so pandemic that Transparency International awarded Greece
once again the dubious honor of being the most corrupt country in the EU.
For 2013, Greece ended up in 80th place of the 177 countri... more »
Margaret Spellings, propagandist!
*MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013*
*The Washington Post rides again:* Margaret Spellings was education
secretary under President George W. Bush.
She’s also a propagandist. The Washington Post doesn’t care.
Last Friday, the Post published this hapless column by Spellings. Because
the column is riddled with errors, it shouldn’t have gone into print.
That said, Spellings’ column followed a set of scripts the mainstream press
has long found quite congenial. This has especially been true at the Post,
which has a financial conflict of interest with respect to certain types of
education “reform.... more »
"Fukushima Update, 12/30/2013"
*"Fukushima Update, 12/30/2013"*
By Susan Duclos, et al
"Earlier I reported that Unit #3 of the Fukushima nuclear plants was
steaming, multiple times just this past week and in another report we found
out that dust, rain, fog, food and water are all ways that radiation can
enter the human body. Now Turner Radio Network has spoken to some experts
and are issuing a major urgent alert for the West Coast of the US about the
radiation that could possibly hit them, in a massive way, in the next three
to five days.
The area around #3 is so 'hot' and dangerous that people cannot even go
... more »
“Key Zeitgeist and Anthropology Trends 2014: What If The Unexpected Happens?”
*“Key Zeitgeist and Anthropology Trends 2014: What If The Unexpected
Happens?”*
By DK Matai
*"OPPOSITES:* 2014 is likely to be a year of Opposites:
*a) *Moving forwards in the digital world and moving backwards in the
analogue world;
*b)* Balancing business and personal life becomes a key challenge whilst
distinguishing between the increasingly blurred work and home-life
boundaries;
*c)* Emotional and social ups and downs and coping with roller-coaster
extreme mood swings within others and oneself;
*d) *Periods of fast moving complexity punctuated by periods of relative
calm – e... more »
Has The American Mass Media Turned Itself Into An Arm Of A Government Propaganda Machine?
One month ago, to the day, we looked at a fascinating bit of interaction,
billed as a *HARDtalk* interview, between Glenn Greenwald and a British
government stooge who broadcasts propaganda on the BBC, Stephen Sackur, the
voice of Establishment Group Think. You can hit that link above and watch
the interview if you'd like because Greenwald refrerred to it Friday in a
German computer conference, Hamburg's 30th annual Chaos Communication
Congress on Friday. Greenwald's keynote address accused the media
establishment of being "guilty of failing significantly with respect to
accomplis... more »
To Common Core Enablers: The Friend of My Enemy Is My Enemy
Common Corers talk of the need for internationally-benchmarked standards
and curriculum. By this they pretend to mean relinquishing the wafer-thin,
NCLB-inspired drive-by curriculums that demand that students ingest an
endless stream of subject matter infobits that are later excreted or
regurgitated on command, whereupon the remains are probed and dissected for
signs of meaning among the digitized acres of psychometric scat.
Common Corers talk of learning that is deep rather than broad, thick rather
than thin, learning that calls for less picking and more chewing.
Unfortunately, t... more »
Pamela Wallin keeping in shape
Sorry about the picture being shaky. Mike Duffy was handling the camera..:)
Best of Housewife Eclectic in 2013
Looking back over 2013, I can't believe that it has come and gone already.
So much has changed for me and Housewife Eclectic in 2013, and I can't wait
to carry those changes into 2014. I have plans for some fantastic projects
and some amazing recipes for the new year, a few that will debut later this
week. I can't thank Housewife Eclectic's 2013 sponsors enough. I worked
with some amazing people and companies this year! Here as decided by the
pages with the post views are the top projects and posts from 2013.
1. How to Make a Little Girl's Dress from an Adult T-shirt. I LOVE this
pr... more »
Granny Jan: Barack Obama Sucks...at Being a Macho Man (must see video)...
*from our very own Granny Jan (who has been mysteriously MIA) - and we
thank her.*
“Life in the Emerging American Police State: What’s in Store for Our Freedoms in 2014?”
*“Life in the Emerging American Police State:*
* What’s in Store for Our Freedoms in 2014?”*
By John W. Whitehead
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
—George Santayana, "The Life of Reason", Vol. 1
"In Harold Ramis’ classic 1993 comedy “Groundhog Day”, TV weatherman Phil
Connors (played by Bill Murray) is forced to live the same day over and
over again until he not only gains some insight into his life but changes
his priorities. Similarly, as I illustrate in my book “A Government of
Wolves: The Emerging American Police State”, we in the emerging Am... more »
Thailand: Violent, Homophobic Regime Supporters Plan "Secession"
*December 30, 2013* (Tony Cartalucci) - Singapore's "The Straits Times"
reports in their article, "Thai protests: 'Red shirts' plan to hit back
Leader warns of retaliation if Yingluck government is forced to cede power,"
that:
ANGRY "red shirts" in northern Thailand are preparing to hit back as
anti-government protests in Bangkok are set to enter their third month.
Having stayed largely in the background, the red shirts, who propelled the
Puea Thai party to power in 2011, are upset by what they see as a weak
government response to the protesters' attempts to paralyse the capital a... more »
Update and correction on NTS
*Just received more news from Brian a few minutes ago.*
*First, the correction - the cardiologist will be doing an Angiogram where
they insert a tube into the aorta to clear the minor blockage, instead of
and angioplasty which is a repair.*
*The procedure is scheduled for Friday, January 3rd. He'll be in hospital
at least until the following Monday for post-op observation. Lets hope
everything goes well.*
*Brian has his Blackberry with him but the hospital has no wi-fi internet
capability. If anyone would like to contact him please email me at
passionatepragmatist@gmail.com and ... more »
Iraq’s PM Maliki Goes From Offensive Against Al Qaeda To Crackdown On Anbar Protestors
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki just turned a military tragedy, which
rallied much of the country behind the government, into a campaign against
the Anbar protest movement. In the middle of December 2013 Al Qaeda in Iraq
(AQI) set up an elaborate trap, which resulted in the death of much of the
leadership of the Army’s 7thDivision. Baghdad then launched a massive
military campaign in Anbar that almost all parties and much of the public
supported. In the midst of this offensive however, the prime minister
decided to go after the Anbar demonstrators by claiming that they were
behind... more »
You (and Harper) already blew it!!
Harper
knob polisher, Michael Den Tandt offers up the results of gazing at the
Conservative crystal ball with a set of 2014 predictions on what to
expect from (missing in action) Harper. It's actually quite stunning.
Den Tandt pines away for the "Charm Offensive" he has oft predicted from
Harper but which has never happened. It seems to escape Den Tandt that
Harper doesn't have it in him and if
Wells Fargo in $591 million Fannie Mae settlement
Dec. 30, 2013, 9:14 a.m. EST
*Wells Fargo in $591 million Fannie Mae settlement*
By Saabira Chaudhuri
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/wells-fargo-pays-591-mln-in-fannie-mae-settlement-2013-12-30
Wells Fargo & Co. on Monday reached a $591 million deal with Fannie Mae to
settle claims that it sold defective mortgages to the government-controlled
home-loan financier.
Adjusted for credits related to previous repurchases, Wells Fargo will pay
$541 million. As of the end of its third quarter, the largest mortgage
lender in the U.S. had accrued for the cost of the settlement in full.
... more »
Out, Out, Damned Year
Stuff to make the coffee burble out of your nose on a gloomy Monday morn:
Americans named President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton as the world's most admired living man and woman in 2013,
according to a Gallup poll released on Monday.
OMG, you declare in disbelief? Be heartened, Sardonickists. Because they
only asked a thousand people out of a population of 300+ million. Because
despite winning this dubious popularity contest, Barack is fully 16
percentage points less popular with a thousand people than he was a year
ago. Even Hillary, who has been winn... more »
CIA BUSY IN RUSSIA?
*The December 2013 bus bombing in Volgograd.*
*Arthur Atayev*, of Russia’s *Institute of Strategic Research* says that *the
organisers of the attacks in VOLGOGRAD "are located outside Russia* (*presumably
the CIA and its friends*).
"And they have been launching destabilizing attacks in Russia for a long
time in order to reduce its foreign policy influence..."
*Volgograd attacks are attempt to open internal front, spread panic, chaos*...
RT
Saudi Arabia's spy chief Prince Bandar allegedly told the Russians: “I can
give you a guarantee to protect the Winter Olympics next year. The ... more »
SNOWED IN
We had more snow last night and are running out of places to put it. Next
Thursday and Friday the weather report says we will get up to 16 inches
more of snow. That will be a nightmare.
The last couple years we didn't get much snow at all. But climate change
experts predict that some places will get more drought and other places
will be wetter in the future. The predictions are that Maine will be a wet
place and this winter's snowfall could be a sign of the times.
We have five doors on our big house so we've got to keep them cleared with
paths open to each. In addition we need... more »
LAND OF SCRIPT: Krugman says one of the fevers has broken!
*MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013*
*Part 1—Land of many outbreaks:* In today’s column, Paul Krugman says that
one of the fevers has broken.
We’re not sure that Krugman is right, although he certainly may be. To us,
his evidence seems a bit thin.
Time will tell! But as he starts, Krugman describes one of the fevered
regimes under which this nation has labored. An obvious question comes to
mind:
How can this possibly happen?
KRUGMAN (12/30/13): In 2012 President Obama, ever hopeful that reason would
prevail, predicted that his re-election would finally break the G.O.P.’s
“fever.” It didn... more »
TFA/KIPP Teacher Talks of Shame, Isolation, Burnout
From Cloaking Inequity:
*Graduating from college, I was energized and ready to take my place on the
front line of education reform by becoming part of the Teach For America
Corps. Many entering corps members are captured by the convincing sales
pitch of TFA recruiters on campus. While I did meet with one of these
recruiters who reinforced my decision to join, I had also spent time in my
undergraduate coursework studying parts of education reform, including
charter schools and Teach For America. I knew the criticisms, but I thought
I knew what I was getting into. I was wrong about ... more »
Sol Flips it's Magnetic poles.... or not?
So after all the hype, it would seem that our lovely Sol has flipped it's
magnetic poles..... at least, that's what main stream news story is
saying. However, I can find not a single mention of it on NASA's
website.... then again, this is NASA that we are talking about, so the fact
that they haven't updated their news section since December 26th, 2013,
really isn't that much of an indicator. Below is a video from NASA, and
another video that discusses the news article. What I DO find interesting
is that neither Solarham, SuspiciousObservers, Watchers, nor any other
sites I usual... more »
“They ask only opportunity”: Helen Keller and Those Who Will Not See
\”They ask only opportunity\”: Helen Keller and Those Who Will Not See. via
“They ask only opportunity”: Helen Keller and Those Who Will Not See.