English: Downtown Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA. Looking north northeast up Phillips Avenue from West 10th Street. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Yankton, South Dakota, from the Nebraska Side - 1 (Photo credit: WELFL)Obsessed With Google, Copyright Holders Ignore The Actual Pirated Content
11:29am MDST
Saw this from Jose Vilson the other day, wanted to comment.
Educator Jose Vilson is a passionate supporter of public education. I think
my first encounter with him was watching poetry of his at the Save Our
Schools rally in the summer of 2011. He’s also a frequent contributor to
GOOD Magazine. Here’s one of his latest on the superficiality of Teacher
Appreciation Week. I’ve had […]
Honest but mistaken belief in consent not available where complainant incapable and accused aware of that
R. v. Colbourne, 2013 ONCA 308 holds:[14] On the basis that the case
was argued at trial, the sole issue was whether the complainant consented
to have sex with the appellant. Section 273.1(2)(b) provides that no
consent is obtained where the complainant is incapable of consenting to the
activity.
[15] Before us, the appellant submits that the trial judge was also
obliged to consider whether the appellant had an honest belief in the
appellant's consent. Inasmuch as we see no error in the trial judge's
finding that the complainant was incapable of consenting to sexual act... more »
Will Michael Bennet Be As Bad At The DSCC As Steve Israel Has Been At The DCCC? Take South Dakota...
US Attorney Brendan Johnson-- Michael Bennet hopes to force him out of the
race
Anna Madsen is a progressive theologian from Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
She's also a trusted Daily Kos blogger who understands the difference
between a real Democrat and a side of bacon. In March we talked about why
reactionary Blue Dog Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, would be a disaster for the
Democrats if she runs for the South Dakota Senate Seat Tim Johnson is
giving up next year-- a disaster whether she wins or, more likely, loses.
This week, Anna explained it from the perspective of a Democrat living in ... more »
Arab and Muslim anti-semitism
' The Arab goal isn't human rights. They want to destroy the Jewish state
and have Jews revert to the second-class status (at best) that they held in
the Middle East for the past 1400 years. The idea that Jews aren't meekly
submissive to their more numerous cousins is what causes this pure hate,
not land disputes or "settlements."'
More here
http://elderofziyon.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/why-are-human-rights-organizations.html
New Report SLAMS ALEC Educ Report Card
SNIP
From the executive summary
*Read the whole report*
* *
*>>>>HERE<<<<<*
Overall, ALEC’s Report Card is grounded less in research than in
ideological tenets, as reflected in the high grades it assigns to states
with unproven and even disproven market-based policies. The report’s
purpose appears to be more about shifting control of education to private
interests than in improving education.
YOUR state legislators being indoctrinated with extremist ideology, "junk
science" from the American Legislative Exchange.
MUST READ - OpEd on ALEC
http://theadvocateonline.com/archives/4425
EXCELLENT Op-Ed today
A few snips to get your interest
Read the whole thing
*>>>>HERE<<<<<*
Posted by Ken Schauer | Contributing Editor | Comments Off
*Op-Ed – There is Power in a Band of Workin’ Folk** *
May 9, 2013
The single biggest threat to our Democracy is the American Legislative
Exchange Council. A group of so called liberty nuts are gung-ho to
exchange the tyranny of the people to the tyranny of the corporations. The
massive shift away from our workers rights to the rights of the employers
is insidious, branding m... more »
REPORT / Mariann G. Wizard : 'La Vida Coca' in Bolivia and Peru
Pre-Incan metal vessels in the Larco Museum, Lima, for storing coca
leaves. Human-faced pots from some early Andean cultures (not shown)
have distended cheek pouches, where coca leaves are held during use. The
central figure above is using coca in the Amazonian/Caribbean way.
There the Kogi, Arhuaco, and Wiwa people use a hollow gourd (poporo)
associated with virility to consume coca.
Keeping Population In Perspective
Mankind now numbers well in excess of 7-billion and we're expected to reach
9-billion before long. Here are a few stats to help you keep that in
perspective.
When Columbus "sailed the ocean blue" and in American myth discovered the
New World, 1492, the world population stood at around 500-million people.
Somewhere in the early 1800's that doubled to a billion people.
In the 1920's we hit the two billion mark for the first time.
By 1959 we upped that to three billion. Less than one lifetime later
we're well past seven billion.
Now let's go back to the death and resurrection of C... more »
Yellowstone Fears
Although there is no evidence that Yellowstone will massively erupt, it has
in the past and we have certainly satisfied ourselves that it will do it
again. We have every encouragement to thing that the treat is distant.
At the present, our civilization will have difficulty handling such an
event, yet we are far less vulnerable than even a century ago. We do have
the real capacity to move people, even if that meant evacuating North
America.
However, it is certain that actual surface evacuation is a plausible future
contingency during the next million years and the easiest response ... more »
Sea Stalactites Provide Clues to Origin of Life
I do not see that there is actual evidence here for this speculation.
However we also know that another researcher froze some organic precursors
for twenty years and did get encouragement. The fact remains that we are
just breaking into slow cold chemistry to see where it all takes us and
right now we can expect surprises.
Thus brinicles become interesting if we can set up a stable experimental
system that uses them. They are the cold water analog of the volcanic hot
spring.
It is all suggestive for now.
*Sea stalactites provide clues to origin of life*
*
by St... more »
US Home Prices up 9.3 Percent
In fairness, what this means to us is that we have switched from a
buyer's market to a sellers market and most transactions are taking place
without discounting. It still has to expand somewhat before we see forward
momentum in the market. It is clearly good news and we can hope to see
rapid growth in the new homes market to absorb this burgeoning demand. Yes
it is time to get aboard if it works for you.
What it also means is that a lot of demand stranded by the banks while
they sorted themselves out is now coming back into the banking system. They
have really sorted thi... more »
Inconceivable Complexity
This is a worthy article that powerfully reminds readers that looking for
a clear decision point from market driven data is impossible an d naturally
risky. Worse, we can organize and classify all that data to produce trends
that are briefly real. Yet that same trend swiftly brings about a dynamic
response from other decision makers.
Thus naturally analysis of the data produces counter trends that mitigate
the analysis and we are forced back to tossing coins.
What needs to be understood though, is that alterations in the
foundational structures will produce alteratio... more »
i-Spy With My Little FBI
When I compared President Obama to James Bond and their two
beloved Moneypennies in a recent post, I was half-kidding. But isn't it a
coincidence that the title of his latest *West Wing Week *propaganda video is called
"Nobody Does It Better" -- the theme song of *The Spy Who Loved Me?* Check
it out. It's just as overblown and satiric as the typical 007 movie. Every
time the camera pans to the White House press corps, for example they're
frantically transcribing every golden Obamian word on their *steno pads*.
There are multiple shots of Obama in such an exalted state of being tha... more »
PHOTO ESSAY / Otis Ike : The NRA War Party in Houston
Undercover
at the NRA: Otis Ike with new friend at the National Rifle
Association's annual convention in Houston, May 3-5, 2013. All photos by
Otis Ike / The Rag Blog.
A Klan rally without hoods:
The NRA War Party in Houston
There were children salivating over automatic weapons in an environment
where showboating adults were calling for the overthrow of the President
of the United States.
FBI thinks they don’t need warrants to spy on email, Facebook and other electronic communication
image: cliff1066/Flickr Madison Ruppert
New documents reveal that the Department of Justice takes a similar stance
to that of the IRS in claiming that they do not necessarily need warrants
to spy on emails, Twitter direct messages, Facebook chats and other private
communications of Americans.
In the case of the IRS, the head of the agency said last month that they
would abandon their policy that claimed the authority to read the emails of
Americans without a warrant. However, the agency did not say that they
would extend the new policy to all private electronic communications.
Th... more »
On Irony, Hubris, and Insanity
IRONY: Advocates promoting Common Core State Standards as a mechanism for
teaching critical thinking skills are themselves not using critical
thinking to make that claim. HUBRIS: “All the standards and tests that have
come before have failed, but I am the person who will make standards and
tests work!” [Recommended literary interlude] INSANITY: “All the […]
Obama Supports Expansion of Wiretap Laws
*U.S. Government to fine companies that do not comply with wiretap orders
that violate user's privacy.*
*Activist Post*
Spying without a warrant in America is a crime, a violation of privacy
rights protected by the U.S. Constitution. Yet, the government is asking
technology companies to commit this crime or be fined for insubordination.
The New York Times is reporting that the Obama administration is "on the
verge of backing a Federal Bureau of Investigation plan for a sweeping
overhaul of surveillance laws that would make it easier to wiretap people."According
to the *New York ... more »
No, Campaign Money Isn't the Root of All Evil
The Brennan Center's Jonathan Backer gets upset with Ezra Klein's recent
(excellent) post in which he concluded that money in the 2012 elections
turned out to be rather less of a threat to democracy than many had feared
in the post-Citizens United world. Backer's point: well, maybe Super PACs
didn't change the election results, but surely they changed the politicians
who received all that money.
I doubt it. And Backer's examples certainly don't convince me.
First example?
The National Rifle Association spent nearly $20 million in the 2012
election on outside spending, making it the... more »
New "Connected Universe" Theory Offers Potential New Source Of Energy
PRNewswire -- A groundbreaking paper published last week sheds new light on
the theory of gravity and the potential to significantly impact global
issues facing the human race, including alternative energy sources.
Nassim Haramein, Director of Research at the Hawaii Institute for Unified
Physics (HIUP), has authored a paper titled "Quantum Gravity and the
Holographic Mass," which has been validated and published in the peer
review journal, Physical Review and Research International. This paper
discusses Haramein's "Connected Universe" theory, which offers a new and
alternative ... more »
GAIA PORTAL: Energetics of Gaia Set for Impressive Changes…
*
* *
* *Energetics of Gaia Set for Impressive Changes…*
by ÉirePort
Steadiness amidst chaotic moments is key to Gaia progression through coming
days. Energetics of Gaia, in particular, humanity-general of Gaia, is set
for impressive changes. Also may be stated as "changes which impress", or
"changes which create an impression", upon each individual human
consciousness. These changes cannot be avoided or swept aside, as they
encompass all of Gaia, all inhabitants, of all kinds.
Each Hue-man has prepared for these moments, and will embody the changes,
and rise above the chaos of th... more »
Adoring the Luv Guv, reviving a witch!
*THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013*
*Hello once again to all that:* It’s great to see Gail Collins settling
back into the nation’s policy wars.
Last Thursday, Collins returned to the New York Times after a three-week
break. These are the topics she has selected for her last two Thursday
columns:
*Thursday, May 2:* South Carolina Luv Guv Mark Sanford
*Thursday, May 9:* South Carolina Luv Guv Mark Sanford
Remember how we all swore, after September 11, that we would never do this
again? People like Collins walk one way. It’s dumb stupid piddle or bust!
That said, we’ve been struck by the way some... more »
Strange Bedfellows Indeed
The British government's energy and climate change secretary, Ed Davey, is
fighting back against climate change skeptics within the ranks of his own
coalition government. Davey is a Liberal Democrat. His party wants
action on climate change. The LibDems, however, prop up the Cameron
Conservatives where, true to course, the rightwing climate change skeptics
lurk.
*Ed Davey, the energy and climate change secretary, is to use a major
speech at Clarence House on Wednesday afternoon to fight back against the
increasingly vocal climate change scepticism of other sections of the
coali... more »
Got Hemp Milk? The Benefits of Hemp Milk
Wiki image Joe Martino
Hemp milk is an incredibly nutritious and tasty alternative to cow's milk
as it supplies the body with essential nutrients without the harm that
dairy causes to the body. For some, it is an ethical choice to not drink
animal milk, for others it is an intolerance. Others choose to avoid it for
reasons of making healthier choices while others drink it as they want the
nutritional benefits and like the taste. Whatever the circumstance, is it
possible that we are not making the most healthy choice by drinking animal
milk? For those who are looking for an alterna... more »
Santa Ana Police Department: taking payoffs to jail the innocent
Ruth Hull
In Santa Ana, real criminals never need fear arrest as police get $ to
arrest law-abiding fathers, brothers, sisters, and children who have
committed no crime except for failing to have their proof of citizenship.
Do you have yours?
In Santa Ana, crime victims are rarely able to obtain assistance from the
police when it's needed. Police routinely ignore bruises, broken windows,
and evidence of extreme violence. Policemen laugh as girls report child
sexual abuse. Officers watch as elderly victims of torture are carried into
ambulances. After the victims are removed, these... more »
Every television newscast is a staged event
Dees Illustration Jon Rappoport
Focus on the network evening news. This is where the staging is done well.
First, we have the image itself, the colors in foreground and background,
the blend of restful and charged hues. The anchor and his/her smooth style.
Then we have the shifting of venue from the studio to reporters in the
field, demonstrating the reach of coverage: the planet. As if this equals
authenticity.
The managing editor, usually the elite anchor, chooses the stories to cover
and their sequence.
The anchor goes on the air: “Our top story tonight, more signs of gridlock ... more »
Decline in snow cover spells trouble for many plants, animals – ‘Snow cover is becoming shorter, thinner, and less predictable. We’re seeing a trend. The subnivium is in retreat.’
[image: UW–Madison scientists say reptiles and amphibians such as this wood
frog, which can survive being frozen solid over the winter, are put at risk
by disruption of the microenvironment beneath the snow known as the
subnivium. Photo: Thomas Kitchin and Victoria Hurst / leesonphoto]
By Terry Devitt
6 May 2013
(UW–Madison) – For plants and animals forced to tough out harsh winter
weather, the coverlet of snow that blankets the north country is a refuge,
a stable beneath-the-snow habitat that gives essential respite from biting
winds and subzero temperatures.
But in a warming ... more »
CHILD SACRIFICE AND ROYALTY
*Toos Nijenhuis points out child sacrifice site, near Zwolle, Holland*
Child Sacrifice and Trafficking in Holland, and Abroad
May 8, 2013: Zwolle, Holland:
"A survivor of a high-level ring involving child sacrifice, torture and
trafficking went public today...
"*Toos Nijenhuis, a fifty four year old physiotherapist and mother of five
from Holland, was tortured, raped and used experimentally from the age of
four years old by wealthy and powerful men around the world, including top
officials of churches and governments.*
"And, Nijenhuis claims, these crimes are continuing today, i... more »
Announcing New Transparency Bill to Disclose Vaccine Ingredients to Parents
Parents should have the right to know
everything that is injected into their child Christina England
VacTruth has been informed that Representative Andrea Boland of Sanford,
Maine, has gained enough votes in committee to go to the state legislative
floor with a bill allowing greater transparency in the disclosure of
vaccine ingredients. This is the third time that Representative Boland has
recommended this bill, which has the potential to empower parents.
The bill was scheduled to be presented on May 8 at 9:00 am until May 10 at
12:00 pm EDT.
If passed, this will be the first time... more »
Happy Fibonacci Day!
Leonardo Pisano Bigollo (1170-1250), known today as Fibonacci, was one of
the most talented mathematicians of the Middle Ages. He was instrumental in
introducing the Hindu-Arabic number system to Europe through his book, *Liber
Abaci* or the Book of Calculations. One example in this book is the
sequence that today bears his name and begins 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 ...
in which each term is the sum of its two predecessors. Thus 5/8/13 has been
dubbed "Fibonacci Day."
The Fibonacci Sequence and the Fibonacci Spiral appear throughout nature.
The Fibonacci Sequence was first used to m... more »
THE PROFESSORIATE FAILS US AGAIN: The New York Times [HEART] the nation’s professors!
*THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013*
*Epilogue—How well do professors read:* The New York Times is conducting a
long love affair with the nation’s professors.
Constant reliance on the professors helps establish a basic part of Times
Culture. That’s the impression, served to Times readers, that the Times is
a very *smart* paper.
Of course, if the New York Times is a very smart paper, then its readers
must be smart too! Relentlessly, the New York Times flatters subscribers
with this pleasing idea.
This idea may not be accurate. Again and again, the New York Times
publishes bungled work by the n... more »
China Taiwan Data Discrepancies
And hilarity ensued (source of quote and chart above).
"Head-scratching discrepancies in bilateral data comparison persisted on
both sides of the ledger," she wrote. "Compared with the data from Taiwan –
the only economy besides China that has published the complete set of April
data – growth of mainland exports to Taiwan was 57.7 ppt faster based on
China’s data (+49.2% yoy vs. -2.7% yoy) and that of mainland’s imports from
Taiwan was 58.6ppt faster (+55.7% yoy vs. -2.9% yoy)! The gaps narrowed
only marginally from March."
Is the data reliable? You tell me....
____________________... more »
Hegemonic Warfare Watch: China wants Okinawa too
*Onion harvest near Checheng in Pingtung.*
In the People's Daily, two "scholars" argue that Okinawa is Chinese, a
pattern that has been emerging more and more in the last few years. The
Chinese government coyly refused to take a position (bloomberg)....
China refused to confirm that Okinawa belongs to Japan after *two Chinese
scholars suggested re-examining the ownership of the archipelago that
includes the island, adding to tensions over a separate territorial dispute.
*
Agreements between allied forces during World War II mean the ownership of
the Ryukyu Islands may be in questi... more »
Did Israel Nuke Syria? "Nuclear Rogue" By Jim Stone
Anyone with 1/2 a measure of intelligence knows that Israel indeed is a
nuclear weapons nation, and that it would use these weapons in an instant
according to its INSANE Samson Option against most nations on planet Earth
in a true holocaust where they clearly state that "If We are ever in danger
of going down... We will take 1/2 the world with us!".... Such is the
insanity and immorality of this dangerous terrorist nation...
Recently I came across several videos that were sent to me, asking for my
honest opinion, and I was truly shocked... The evidence presented in these
videos sho... more »
MN Teamsters 120 - Was in OKC for the anti-ALEC Rally
Found this - this morning
and it made my heart proud.
On May 2 - a HUGE union presence was at the ALEC meeting in OKC made the
news across the nation telling America
ALEC is NOT OK for Oklahoma - ALEC is NOT OK for America
I watched the rally on livestream - not knowing that Minnesota was there in
OKC.
From the Oklahoma Teamsters webpage
Teamsters Local Union No. 174
*Oklahomans against ALEC*
Posted: May 3, 2013
Source: Teamster Nation
Oklahoma may be America’s reddest state, but that doesn’t mean its
residents want to hand the keys of the legislature over to ALEC. That’s why
y... more »
For Syria: A beginning for talks but to what ends?
After you have read the news stories linked in the previous post:* Kerry
Sees Transitional Syrian Government Without Assad Read this one. A
beginning for Syria talks*
*Let's call this wondering, thinking, contemplating via the blog.. my
thinking is all italicized *
Excerpt and additional links below:
It shouldn’t have been this hard, but Secretary of State John Kerry has
finally gotten Russia to back the peace plan on Syria that it endorsed in
principle last June.*(? Russia endorsed the Geneva Plan last year) *This
isn’t a breakthrough, but at least it’s a beginning.
The U.S.-Russi... more »
Canada's Criminal Government Backs Israeli Terrorism In Syria!
I have long said that this government in Ottawa is not my own, and
absolutely does not listen to the Canadian people at all... Instead, it
bends over and constantly grovels to the will of Jewish interests, and will
do anything to please both their Jewish masters, and the wants and wishes
of the criminal and diabolical state of Israel....It is so sad to watch
these sick freaks do anything to support the Jewish state, above the needs
of their own nation!
I came across a very important video that absolutely stunned me... It is a
must see by everyone, and is entitled: "Harper Government... more »
Read Stuff, You Should
Happy Birthday to Candice Bergen, 67.
Some good stuff:
1. If you care about turnout, you obviously don't want to miss Michael
McDonald on the demographics of the 2012 electorate.
2. Much more on 2012 and campaign effects from John Sides and Lynn
Vavreck.
3. And Marc Ambinder on Benghazi.
Unprecedented Contamination of the Ocean
Today is Convocation, which constitutes the graduation ceremony at my
university campus.
I will not be able to post today as I'll be on campus all day.
I've decided to simply update my reports of ocean contamination. Thanks to
Enenews for highlighting this article here
TEPCO to dump groundwater to ease crisis at Fukushima nuclear plant May 08,
2013http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201305080062
[Excerpted] about 400 tons of groundwater flow into the reactor buildings
on a daily basis and mixes with the radioactive water. According to
calculations, 300 tons of ... more »
Dust-Up In Orlando-- Alan Grayson vs John Mica vs Nick Ruiz
video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player
The Orlando Metro has 4 congressmen, Corrine Brown (D-FL-05), John Mica
(R-FL-07), Alan Grayson (D-FL-09) and Daniel Webster (R-FL-10). These were
the election results last November:
*•* Corrine Brown- 71%
*•* Alan Grayson- 63%
*•* Daniel Webster- 52%
*•* John Mica- 59%
Monday, Lauren Rowe, a feisty, albeit simpleminded, reporter from WKMG,
Local 6, invited two of them, Orlando's dynamic duo, Grayson and Mica, on
to *Flashpoint* to discuss the Sequester, which Mica voted for and which
Grayson strenuously opposes. "Anybody,"... more »
Initial Claims for the US drop to 324 thousand , allegedly the lowest since January 2008 .....QE will still last forever or until it is forcibly stopped by US creditor strikes ....
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-05-09/initial-claims-drop-324k-lowest-january-2008
Initial Claims Drop To 324K, Lowest Since January 2008
[image: Tyler Durden's picture]
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 05/09/2013 08:44 -0400
- Continuing Claims
There was no surprise in today's Initial Claims data, which continued the
downward trend seen in recent months (despite the data seen in the most
recent JOLTS survey which was hardly as optimistic on recent labor trends
as the NFP number of the weekly claims data), with the headline number
dropping to 323K, down from an upward revised ... more »
Greek unemployment crosses 27 percent overall but a staggering 64 percent for youths ! Despite at least three bailouts and receiving various tranches of welfare , what good news are Greek citizens receiving ?
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-05-09/greek-unemployment-hits-new-record-high-youth-jobless-rises-5-one-month-642
Greek Unemployment Hits New Record High, Youth Jobless Rises By 5% In One
Month To 64.2%
[image: Tyler Durden's picture]
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 05/09/2013 07:50 -0400
- BLS
- Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Reality
- Unemployment
The Greek economic depressionary catastrophe continues to merrily chug
along. Hours ago, Greek Elstat reported that February unemployment rose to
a new record high of 27.0%, with the January number revised from 27.2% to... more »
Expanded, NOT Restricted, Abortion Options
Canada's lawless abortion regime rightfully stands as a beacon to
progressive countries struggling to escape patriarchal attitudes to women's
health and reproductive freedom.
But as we've noted recently (here and here), Australia has grabbed the
patriarchal bull by the RU486 (aka 'home abortion pill') horns.
Pioneered by Dr Caroline de Costa, the medication is set to be added to
Australia's Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory list, which would lower the
cost from $300-400 to $36 for woman who can pay and $12 for women on
benefits.
(For those interested, there is -- of course -- a poli... more »
london, day two
*Links to be added later*
We had breakfast in a little cafe (what New Yorkers call a coffee shop, a
real working-person's breakfast spot) in R's neighbourhood. This was my
only opportunity to have a full English breakfast on this trip, and it was
yummy.
We got a bit of a late start, but that was probably best in the long run. I
either did poor research or didn't fully take in what I was reading,
because we didn't realize the British Library was no longer part of the
British Museum. Last time we were in London, the British Library was closed
for its massive renovation. I had really... more »
Untitled
*U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran introduces amendments to protect South Mississippi
from Louisiana levee project*
*Sewerage and Water Board asks firm to research new fee to fund drainage
projects ~Charles Maldonado*~ Editilla the Pun~ Great piece. Charles, can
you do follow-up on how all of this relates to the reality of the Outfall
Canal Pumps Maintenance Costs @ $10,000,000/year for (1st) 10 years after
the Corps of Engineers hands the system --No Warranty No Return-- over to S
and WB? Feilkow addressed this in a council meeting with the Corps in
2008-2009 and the Corps' answer was "we'll ... more »
You Can't Believe A Word
Andrew Coyne has an interesting take on the National Research Council's new
mandate. The NRC was originally established to do the kind of research
which business could not and should not do:
Hence it is well-established economic principle that basic research is the
sort of thing governments should fund. By the same token, however,
government should not be in the business of funding applied research, that
is research directed to commercial uses. Not only is this unnecessary —
business can perfectly well fund this sort of thing on its own — but it
inevitably tilts the pitch in favou... more »
Show Mom Some Love this Mother's Day and More
Mother's Day is almost here. It is a time of reflection for me each year. I
reflect on how much I love my little girl and especially how grateful I am
to have my mom in my life. I can't imagine how I would live my life without
her guidance and love. She truly is the perfect mom for me. My mom isn't
one for huge displays of love and affection, the simple things have always
been her favorite. This year, although I will be able to spend the days
before Mother's Day with my mom, I won't actually be able to be with her on
the day. I want her to know that I am thinking of her, even though ... more »
Breaking: Kerry Sees Transitional Syrian Government Without Assad
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says a transitional government in Syria
would not include president Bashar al-Assad.
Kerry said Thursday in Rome, where he was meeting with Jordanian Foreign
Minister Nasser Judeh, that the goal is a political solution agreed to by
the Syrian government and those opposed to Mr. Assad.
Kerry says that "clearly means" the Syrian president will not be part of
the transitional government.
Syria's main opposition coalition has long demanded that any peace process
begin with Mr. Assad and top security officials leaving power.
Earlier this week, Kerry ... more »
NEWSPAPER TYCOON; UNDERAGE TEEN GIRL; CIA
*Newspaper tycoon Eddy Shah with Margaret Thatcher, who was reportedly a
friend of a number of child abusers, including Sir Jimmy Savile.*
*
*Eddy Shah has written books about an agent of the CIA.
*BOOK ONE.**THE START OF THE JOURNEY*
*The mid 1990s*
*Central Intelligence Agency *
*Langley **Virginia.*
*
*
*Eddy Shah* : Works
A court has been told that the UK newspaper tycoon Eddy Shah had a 14
year-old girl as a sex slave.
The court was told that the girl was sold to Shah by Susan Davies.
*dailymail.co.uk/*
*Susan Davies*
The girl has told a jury that she was forced to perform... more »
Police confirm Bilderberg 2013 to take place in Watford. UK.
it turns out the next Bilderberg meeting will take place in UK.
* *
*Hertfordshire Police have confirmed that the 2013 Bilderberg Group meeting
will take place at the Grove luxury hotel in Watford, United Kingdom early
next month as over 100 of the world's most influential power brokers will
meet clandestinely to discuss global policy behind closed doors. *
*"A Hertfordshire Police spokesman confirmed the event was taking place but
declined to comment on operational policing details," reports the Watford
Observer.*
Bilderberg 2013
The Grove Hotel, Hertfordshire, June 6th-9th
... more »
Snordster - Does Obama Really Exist?
Snordster asks, "Someone must remember whoever President Barack Hussein
Obama aka Barry Soetero aka... was: at school, during his youth, while he
was at Uni?"
Anyone?
*ADDITIONAL SNORDSTER:* I kinda like this guy's mind, *a lot!*
Adama: Ice Cream Reality (Vanilla or Chocoate?)
*Thanks to Lisa for finding this! -AK*
http://dreamwalkerdiaries.blogspot.com/2013/05/adama-ice-cream-reality-vanilla-or.html
*Monday, May 6, 2013*
*Adama: Ice Cream Reality (Vanilla or Chocoate?)*
*>Adama*
yes
*>Quiet today?*
yes
*>You too?*
yes - evolution in the balance, we are at a tipping point as they say. So
everyone here is waiting with "baited breath", it is a bit like watching
those coin games, where the coins build up and build up. You add another
coin to the pile, but it doesn't fall. You add another, and another... the
time leading to the point where the coins ti... more »
The BBC just can't help themselves
This morning there's an article on the BBC website entitled 'Cleveland
abductions: Do white victims get more attention?'. Here's an extract:
'Charlton McIlwain, a professor at New York University and the author of
Race Appeal: How Candidates Invoke Race in US Political Campaigns, defines
the syndrome: "White women occupy a privileged role as violent crime
victims in news media reporting."
In other words, the victim is white and middle class. Ideally, she is saved
- by a white guy.
"Our victims are colour-coded," says McIlwain. A proper victim is one who
looks like a journalist, he ... more »
US "Pivot" Toward Asia Trips in Malaysia
*Image: Despite the US mobilizing the summation of its media power and
pouring millions of dollars into the opposition party, including the
creation and perpetuation of fake-NGOs such as Bersih and the Merdeka
Center, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak sailed to a comfortable
victory in this year's general elections. The cheap veneer has begun
peeling away from America's "democracy promotion" racket, leaving its
proxies exposed and frantic, and America's hegemonic ambitions across Asia
in serious question. *
....
*May 8, 2013* (LD) - Wall Street and London's hegemonic ambitions i... more »
U.N.C.L.E. - Corbett Report vs Graham Fuller
James Corbett (owner/presenter of Corbett Report) CLEARLY delivers better *real
journalism* than all those 'supposedly real corporate journalism venues'
we're all selectively brainwashed by - day in, day out.
*SIBEL EDMONDS & THE BOSTON BOMBINGS:* if you want more insight into Sibel
Edmonds' claims against the rigging of the Boston Marathon Bombings, check
out her earlier appearance in front of the camera dated 27th April 2013: *OPERATION
GLADIO-relevant*.
"Our foreign policy ... *changes*, based on what is taking place." Edmonds
summarises.
If we're to believe these inside vi... more »
May 8, 1973
A busy day for Nixon, with several Watergate-related briefings with his new
staff. Unlike his conversations with Haldeman and Ehrlichman, Nixon is here
the only one who really knows anything -- and the version of events he
tells is consistent with the new cover-up of the cover-up, not with the
truth.
Nixon prepares Ron Ziegler for his press briefing on the Plumbers:
--
President Nixon: [...] [D]on't you think we had better check with
Ehrlichman to say, to say that our position here is that I did not learn of
this -- I mean, I did not learn of the [Fielding] burglary -- you know wh... more »
Nassim Haramein: science as religion
It is the second time when I was contacted by someone who seems to be a fan
of Nassim Haramein. Who is that? Another surfer dude in Hawaii, a
self-taught supergenius, we are told, who will give us unlimited free
energy according to the green optimists (no, there has never been anything
remotely rational about the environmentalists), who has an impressive
website called The Resonance Project, who will unify the mankind, and do
tons of other wonderful things.
In fact, when you search for YouTube videos with him, you seem to get over
75,000 hits, videos that cover not only his unifie... more »
Your moment of Zen
A secret garden in Portland, Oregon. Photo by architect41 via this site.
[click to embiggen.]
Leading the way in education – instead of following the failing neo liberal agenda
Activism in paradise - Voices from down under at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 12 hours ago
by Bruce Hammonds Reposted from Leading-Learning. ‘Education in America is
at a crossroads’, writes American educator Yong-Zhao Ironically while China
is busy trying to transform its test orientated education into a talent
orientated system, writes Chinese born but now a respected American
educator Yong- Zhao, America ( and now New Zealand) is moving towards a
standardized test driven […]
Thursday Morning Linkage
Here is your Thursday Morning Linkage, starting with some energy and
environment links: Illegal fish trade costs $10 billion to $23 billion in
global losses each eyar China’s coal mining companies and coal burning
power plants accounted for 15% of the country’s total freshwater
withdrawals China leading the United States on climate change? Charles Mann
Continue reading
Musical Interlude: Vangelis, “Ask The Mountains”
Vangelis, “Ask The Mountains”
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EBYf3lYSEg
"A Look to the Heavens"
“To see a vista like this takes patience, hiking, and a camera. Patience
was needed in searching out just the right place and waiting for just the
right time. A short hike was needed to reach this rugged perch above a
secluded cove in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park in California, USA. And a
camera was needed for the long exposure required to bring out the faint
light from stars and nebulae in the background Milky Way galaxy.
*Click image for larger size.*
Moonlight and a brief artificial flash illuminated the hidden beach and
inlet behind nearby trees in the above composite imag... more »
The Radicalizing of the Smokey the Bear Meme (Fracking Fires Kill) In the Country of Zombies
Remember, kids, only you can prevent fracking fires! It's a fracking Zombie
country these days, isn't it? Because only Zombies would cause these fires.
And they must be everywhere. Forest Service Seeks To Silence Smokey the
Bear Over Fracking Peter Rugh May 7, 2013 Modified Smokey the Bear meme.
Smokey the Bear thought he smelled a fire in the woods. But as he
approached the clearing
Chet Raymo, “The Silence”
*“The Silence”*
by Chet Raymo
“The hiding places of my power
Seem open; I approach, and then they close;
I see by glimpses now; when age comes on,
May scarcely see at all, and I would give,
While yet we may, as far as words can give,
A substance and a life to what I feel...”
"These few lines from Wordsworth's "The Prelude" leapt off the page at me
this morning. They capture well enough what my life has become. All those
years of teaching, of writing in the Boston Globe, were years of sharing
public knowledge, knowledge that had been vetted by the scientific
community. The... more »
Al Kamen offers a returning congressman a "hiker's guide" to Our Nation's Capital
*View of the Potomac River from Weverton Cliffs*
Over forty miles of the Appalachian Trail travel across Maryland, with most
of the AT following the ridgeline of South Mountain. Many call this
stretch of the AT easy compared to other areas, however there are some
steep climbs. The low point in the state along the trail is 261 feet at
the Potomac River and the highest point is near High Rock with an elevation
of 1905 feet.
This section of the Appalachian Trail takes hikers to its closest point to
the nations capital, Washington, DC. While the AT in Maryland is called
easy by some... more »
The Heart is the Throne of the All-Merciful
*"Paths to the Heart: Sufism and the Christian East"* by James Cutsinger.
*Title: The Heart is the Throne of the All-Merciful. YouTube Video
Description - [Channel: RecoveringtheSacred. Published on March 24, 2012]:*
Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Paths to the Heart Conference, University of South
Carolina.
Also, check out *"The Power of the Heart"* by Catherine Jane Larkin, and *"Opening
the Heart Through Ecstatic Poetry: Coleman Barks at TED."*
ProWomanProForcedPregnancy Is a Total Stand-Alone (Astroturf) Organization
In a recent blogpost about March for Lies being such a good teachable
moment for young women to learn slut-shaming and sanctimonious judgement,
we mentioned that the original article by Amanda Watson seems to have
struck a nerve with those professional female slut-shamers over at
ProWomanProForcedPregnancy.
They responded with their lie protest that they are NOT affiliated with
other organizations.
You be the judge. The principal is Andrea Mrozek. Here's her day job.
Andrea currently works at the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada as
Manager of Research and Communications.
B... more »
Untitled
*U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran introduces amendments to protect South Mississippi
from Louisiana levee project*
RAG RADIO / Thorne Dreyer : 'Radio Unnameable' Legend Bob Fass and Filmmaker Paul Lovelace
Late-night radio revolutionary Bob Fass, left, and filmmaker Paul Lovelace.
Rag Radio podcast:
Free-form radio legend Bob Fass and
'Radio Unnameable' filmmaker Paul Lovelace
“I wanna be a neuron -- I don’t wanna be the brain. We’re all the brain.” -- Bob Fass to his radio audience in the 1960s.
By Thorne Dreyer / The Rag Blog / May 9, 2013
Bob Fass is an American broadcast legend who
Gold and Silver news and views , Harvey Organ report for May 6 , 2013.... Gold and silver continues to leave Comex and GLD ETF .... but SLV continues to be essentially .....
Catharsis Ours - 15 hours ago
http://beforeitsnews.com/gold-and-precious-metals/2013/05/world-bank-whistle-blower-precious-metals-to-serve-as-an-underpinning-for-paper-currencies-2499792.html
(
2013 - year of the whistle blower ? )
World Bank Whistle-Blower: “Precious Metals To Serve As An Underpinning
For
Paper Currencies”
Monday, May 6, 2013 4:11
(Before It's News)
I had the opportunity yesterday to speak with one of the western world’s
most courageous and astute women, *Karen Hudes*, *Former Senior Council*
to
the *World Bank—**now turned whistle-blower.*
It was a powerful conversation, as Karen spent 20 years... more »
W. Joseph Campbell - Getting It Wrong: Misreported Stories in American Journalism
W. Joseph Campbell - *Getting It Wrong: Ten of the Greatest Misreported
Stories in American Journalism*.
The U.S. mainstream media can get things wrong? No way! Since when? How is
that even possible? It can't be! CONSPIRACY THEORY! CONSPIRACY THEORY!
*Title: Getting It Wrong: Misreported Stories in American Journalism.
YouTube Video Description - [Channel: LibraryOfCongress. Uploaded on
September 8, 2011]:*
W. Joseph Campbell discusses his new book on the ten greatest misreported
stories in American journalism.
W. Joseph Campbell is a tenured professor in the School of Communic... more »
Fed's Fisher plays bad Fed Cop while sounding like a repentant drunk at the same time .... money quote " somewhere we have to have practical limits as to where we can build the balance sheet. We're moving in the direction of a $4 trillion balance sheet. We know we can't go on forever."
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-05-08/feds-fisher-santelli-cant-go-forever
Fed's Fisher To Santelli: "This Can't Go On Forever"
[image: Tyler Durden's picture]
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 05/08/2013 19:46 -0400
- Ben Bernanke
- Dallas Fed
- Fisher
- Monetary Policy
- Richard Fisher
- Rick Santelli
While notably 'not' the Fed's opinion, Dallas Fed head Richard Fisher
provided more than a few compellingly truthy comments in this excellent
discussion with CNBC's Rick Santelli. *It is fiscal policy that is holding
us back*, he warns, "we have a massive fo... more »
Listen up
It used to be that if you wanted to talk to the government you had to send
a letter.
Then you were able to send a fax.
Nowadays, if you want to say “listen up” you can send them your thoughts by
email, tweet or instant message.
But as of last night’s first reading of the bill to legalise the GCSB’s
inability to read the law by which the department of buggers is empowered,
we can now look forward to a new way of letting the government listen up:
by having them listening in directly. By having the buggers intercept our
emails, tap our phones, and bug our houses.
In short, by havi... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Sweet Briar, Virginia, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
“I Have Learned”
*“I Have Learned”*
Posted by Paulo Coelho
(This text, which I found on the Internet, is attributed to me. I did not
write it, but I think worth reproducing here. - PC)
"I’ve learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be
someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them;
I’ve learned that no matter how much I care, some people just don’t care
back;
I’ve learned that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to
destroy it.
I’ve learned that you can get by on charm, for about fifteen minutes.
After that, you’d better know something;
I’ve learned... more »
17 Air Force Officers have nuclear launch keys revoked ? WTF , is there another mishap brewing at Minot ?
This is odd.....
http://deepbluehorizon.blogspot.com/2013/05/stratcom-commander-strips-missileers-of.html
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/05/17-air-force-officers-have-nuke-launch-keys-revoked/
17 Air Force Officers Have Nuke
Launch Keys Revoked
Email2Smaller FontTextLarger Text|Print
[image: Luis Martinez]
By Luis Martinez
@LMartinezABC
Follow on Twitter
May 8, 2013 4:23pm
An Air Force commander has temporarily stripped 17 officers of their
authority to control and launch nuclear-armed Minuteman III missiles after
he found their performance lacking during a recent inspe... more »
Cyber Attack Tuesday ( take some cash out tonight , never know when the plug could be pulled for real ! ) Timing for this cyber attack interesting - right before the big Benghazi Hearing on Wednesday ! Wag The Dog anyone ?
Catharsis Ours - 16 hours ago
http://lasinkhole.wordpress.com/2013/05/07/sites-down/
Many Websites Down This Afternoon, including ALL MSN sites.
<a href="http://lasinkhole.wordpress.com/20
Being A Leader Is Not The Same As Being Led Around By A Ring In Your Nose
Tuesday at a House Financial Services Committee meeting, Arizona
freshman
Kyrsten Sinema, who's racked up one of the most reactionary voting
records
of any Democrat in Congress, might have thought no one was looking when
she
sold out her own constituents in favor of Wall Street banksters. She
backed all
the GOP's deregulation proposals and then touted it in the Democratic
caucus. She wasn't who I was talking about here... but she certainly
could
have been.
Adam Pase, the corporate-oriented Executive Director of the corrupt New
Demssent around a "dear colleague" letter Tuesday, shil... more »
ON TRIAL IN TENNESSEE
Downtown Knoxville, Tennessee was buzzing Monday with some unusual sights,
all in advance of a federal trial for three people charged with vandalizing
[pouring blood and painting anti-nuclear slogans] the Y-12 National
Security Complex in Oak Ridge.
Last July Michael Walli, 64, Greg Boertje-Obed, 57, and Sister Megan Rice,
an 82-year-old nun, cut through fences at Y-12 in a protest against nuclear
weapons at the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility.
Jury selection for their federal trial began Monday afternoon. Seventy five
potential jurors were vetted extensively by a spec... more »
6 year olds of America, we need to talk #commoncore
You’ve been hopped up on paste, stickers, finger paint, and the overall
ignorance of your ego-centricity for far too long. We need to have a
“Kintervention,” followed by some KIDBELS, and a little Response to
Kintervention time, just to see if the Kintervention was successful. Thank
you Education Week. Thank you for all that you […]
The Truth About Economic Forecasting
*Guest post by Graeme B. Littler*
Astrologers, palmists, and crystal-ball gazers are scorned while
professional economists are heralded for their scientific achievements. Yet
the academics are no less mystical in trying to predict the direction of
interest rates, economic growth, and the stock market.
Sixty-five years ago, Thomas Dewey was defeated by Harry Truman in the US
presidential race, stunning the political experts and journalists who were
certain Dewey was going to win. While questions about “scientific” polling
techniques naturally arose, one journalist focused on the he... more »
“Sow Chaos, Reap Chaos”
*“Sow Chaos, Reap Chaos”*
by Missy Beattie
"Marine Capt. Cameron West said, “We are all in this together.” He and
other troops, Iraq or Afghanistan war amputees, traveled to Boston to
offer encouragement to those who lost limbs on April 15 at the Boston
Marathon. Their message: “Life’s not over.” While this was a generous
gesture, I can’t help but think that they’re not just missing a leg or an
arm, but the point. And an opportunity.
When son H was in grade school, one of his teachers taught conflict
resolution. I reinforced this and emphasized looking beneath the surface o... more »
When the chips are down
BDS is all wrong.
Palestinians and many of their gullible followers campaign against
“collective punishment”. In their opinion, the Israeli blockade of Gaza is
wrong in principle. While they simultaneously campaign for BDS that looks
extremely hypocritical.
Despite their appalling record of suicide bombings and terrorism,
Palestinians demand that Israel caters for their every need. In addition to
supplying their utilities, they insist that Israel should let them in and
out of Gaza willy nilly; back and forth, to mingle freely with the Israelis
they despise, no matter how many of... more »
Minn House - Still Has It's Moments
This is courtesy of citizen journalists - The Uptake.
Please consider donating to The Uptake - to help them continue giving us
coverage - that we won't see anywhere else.
The first guy speaking is a republiCON.
It automatically moves to other clips after this next clip.
You can quit watching after the license plate vote
I don't remember front license plates being at the top of any voter polls.
Evidently RepubliCONS still don't understand what the word "jobs" means.
Saves $500,000 a year - how many people does it put out of work?
What happens after the tests are over?
Apparently, “Spirit Week!” Wait, isn’t learning supposed to be fun ALL YEAR
ROUND? I guess not. Can we also think of new things to do in schools on
these Spirit Days? I remember them as a teacher and an entire grade level
wearing the same color really isn’t all that fun. Maybe I’m being too […]
Malcolm London doing his thing at PBS TED talk event
The cult of TED is kind of strange. In any event, Chicago student poet and
activist Malcolm London was invited to speak and perform. You heard him
here At the Chalk Face recently with Israel Munoz. Here’s Malcolm’s
performance. But I’m told that his work was edited. We’re not sure how or
why. We’ll find […]
MR. 109
The poor and working class, marginalized people of a profit driven culture,
filled the room at the Dewitt Court just outside of Syracuse, New York. There
were 109 cases to be heard and the “night court” began at 6:00 pm.
When one man appeared before the judge I heard the court say he was accused
of grand larceny. My mind immediately flashed back to Richard Connor, the
former CEO of the Portland Press Herald (Maine) who took over the paper a
few years ago and immediately reduced the news staff, sold off assets,
changed the paper’s political orientation to a right-wing rag, and ... more »
Stupidification of British Columbia/The BC Rail Corruption Scandal Stall Game
*Written by Grant G*
Classic baiting and switching performed like a Russian ballet, spins twirls
and tosses, a stage busy with dancers, design and artists adorned in tutus
and tight pants, eyes easily strained following all the moving parts, I
don`t know if we should turn the BC Rail Saga into a ballet or tragic
Shakespearian play, although the thought of Gordon Campbell and David
Mclean prancing in tight pants is less than appetizing.
More like a movie titled "*The Stupidification of British Columbia*"
I won`t dwell on John Van Dongen`s concerns for too long, some people h... more »
Benghazi blowout fizzles
Darrell Issa's folly has been billed for days as the hearing that would
blow the top off the alleged Benghazi cover-up. Or something. The leaks of
the expected testimony of the *very important whistleblowers* were
breathlessly touted as the bombshell that was going to drive Obama from
office. The crackpot con echo chamber could hardly contain its excitement.
And then the hearing happened. As you can see the committee was riveted.
[Luke Johnson photo via]
Appears this didn't go exactly as planned. To begin with their star witness
with the very important title, Deputy chief of miss... more »
Saiyad Nizamuddin Ahmad - Magic and the Occult in Islam
**
*Title: Magic and the Occult in Islam: Ahmad al-Buni (622H/1225CE?) and his
Shams Al-Ma'arif. YouTube Video Description - [Channel: SchAdvStudy.
Published on May 8, 2013]:*
A lecture by Saiyad Nizamuddin Ahmad (Department of Arabic and Islamic
Civilizations, American University in Cairo) delivered at the Warburg
Institute, University of London, School of Advanced Study, on 1 May 2013.
Israel Blesses Jihad
*Israel is supporting the savage against the civilized man in Syria,
putting its military weight behind the Jihadist terrorists in their
struggle against Assad.*
Who is the biggest supporter of Jihadist terrorism? None other than. . .
Israel.
Justin Raimondo writes in his article, *"The Israeli-Jihadist Alliance"*:
It’s seems counterintuitive, to say the least. Indeed, it seems quite mad.
And yet we now have all the evidence we need to point to a de facto Israeli
alliance with Al Qaeda. The bombing of Damascus suburbs by Israeli jets –
purportedly in order to prevent the Syria... more »
TRIAD TSUNAMI IN MALAYSIA?
*In Malaysia, the mask favoured by protesters working for the CIA.*
*
*The CIA's National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and Open Society
Institute (OSI) have been trying to bring about regime change in Malaysia,
reportedly.
US attempting regime change in Malaysia
*Malaysia is one of the world's economic success stories.*
"It was Malaysia's historic ability to combine the best of the Malays,
Chinese and Indian populations in an uneasy but ultimately workable
compromise that turned it into southeast Asia’s second-largest economy."
http://www.ft.
*But, some of the Chinese Malaysi... more »
We’re Going on a “DIG”!
It’s time to do some “digging for artifacts”! In order for my District to
evaluate my performance on Domain 4 of the Danielson Rubric. I must produce
2 pieces of EVIDENCE of each of the following: 1. Reflection on Teaching
2. Maintaining Accurate Records 3. Communicating with Families 4.
Participating in a Professional Community 5. […]
Capitalism? Moral! What the hell are you talking about?
Capitalism? *Moral! *What the hell are you talking about?
Yaron Brook talks on the morality of capitalism on prime time Canadian TV.
Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission
to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
30 Imágenes para el Día de las Madres (10 de mayo)
Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
GOP Figures Out A New Way To Screw Working Families-- H.R. 1406
Remember when the GOP used to name bills that were meant to pollute the
air, the Clean Skies Act? Today Eric Cantor is introducing his Working
Families Flexibility Act (H.R. 1406), through Alabama puppet Martha Roby.
It is meant to deny working men and women overtime pay. There are 168
cosponsors, not one of whom is a Democrat. In fact most of them are from
Confederate districts that have been safely gerrymandered and where
anti-union and anti-working family sentiment is part of the political
culture. Most... but not all. Among the cosponsors of this bill who could
suffer from th... more »
Catch of the Day
Okay, it's just as much trivia as CotD, but Reid Wilson deserves something
for noticing one thing -- really two things -- about the newly elected Mark
Sanford:
Mark Sanford will join 10 other members of the class of 1994 in Congress
when he's sworn in
Weirdly, Sanford will be the 3rd member of the class of '94 to return this
Congress after taking time off (Stockman and Salmon, too)
I've written about Newt babies vs. Watergate babies before (and also
sparked by a Reid Wilson item; I guess we share an interest). I don't think
this late-in-the-day revival for the '94ers will really d... more »
When happened when people got Medicaid coverage!
*WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 2013*
*The New York Times fails to explain:* Out in Oregon, low-income people who
lacked Medicaid coverage got thrown into a lottery.
The state had enough extra money to extend coverage to some, not to all. On
this basis, some people from the lottery pool received Medicaid coverage.
Other people just like them did not.
This created the opportunity for the Oregon Medicaid study, whose results
are now being used to convince the world that Medicaid coverage is
worthless, just no damn good. In her news report in the New York Times, this
is the way Annie Lowrey descr... more »
Who is profiting from government-payed, low-income jobs?
An article in yesterday's Washington Post addressed the role of the
federal
government in subsidizing low-wage, private employment:
Jim Tankersley and Marjorie Censer (May 7, 2013) Study: U.S. taxpayers
employ more low-wage workers than Wal-Mart, McDonald’s combined. The
Washington Post,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/study-us-taxpayers-employ-more-low-wage-workers-than-wal-mart-mcdonalds-combined/2013/05/07/91a061d2-b726-11e2-92f3-f291801936b8_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines
[Excerpted]
Federal taxpayers employ more low-wage workers than Wal-Martand
McDonald’s combi... more »
ALERT for Fukushima Daiichi
Majia's Blog - 21 hours ago
I don't think this is fog. It is moving very, very quickly. I
grew up on
the coast of California and I've never seen fog move like this.
Tepco
timestamp is May 2 00:34
<img alt=""
src="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAASwAAACsCAIAAABO2AZOAAAgAElEQVR4nOy6WbPkOHI12G8zsvk+qaszKzPvEhEksbs79pVLRNx7c6nqkloam///Y+Yhq6rVLb1rbKyPwWhhBODn4ABOMkj8obU2/v+L9g/8A/+fxx9SSuUf+Af+gf85/EFKqf+Bf+Af+J/DH5Zl4f/AP/AP/M/hD4wxIYRSSgjBOeOCM8743xbBufj+Q3DOORffzy9C/NZGMC6YkEIIwYUQQn4vnAshmJD8e8vfgwjOBOdSSCmUFIpzLgQXggvJhRRCSMGFkJILwQUXgn/vJaUQQnLOvzP+2kVw/p1Ccv6dXPyukEuhBP9eJOe/yf9OINlvdN8F/50GwcX3x... more »
Real News Report on Rhee and the Epidemic of Test Cheating
From a couple weeks back, but excellent reporting (if Merrow spoke such
honesty on PBS, he would be much more credible). Filed under: CHALK FACE:
General News & Commentary Tagged: john merrow, michelle rhee, test cheating
Russia/US Accord Offers no easy resolution
While I may be feeling unwell, I just can't pull myself away from the
situation in Syria
A *fairly decent ,, though still lacking, *article from BBC?
Who would have thought?
*
**Negotiations *
That sets one of the parameters that are essential for successful movement
towards a settlement of the Syrian conflict, which has embroiled many
outside players
Arresting and reversing that process of disintegration is a massive task
*Lakhdar Brahimi, stressed that, vital and hopeful as the apparent
US-Russian understanding is, it is only a first step. *
In practice, sufficient ambiguities were ... more »
Voucher system wastes another generation of learners
Milton Friedman talked about the four ways of spending money:
There are four ways in which you can spend money.
1. You can spend your own money on yourself. When you do that, why then you
really watch out what you’re doing, and you try to get the most for your
money.
2. Then you can spend your own money on somebody else. For example, I buy a
birthday present for someone. Well, then I’m not so careful about the
content of the present, but I’m very careful about the cost.
3. Then, I can spend somebody else’s money on myself. And if I spend
somebody else’s money on myself, then I’m ... more »
The Harper Conservatives have no choice but to table all related documents to find where the 'missing' $3.1Billion tax dollars went
**
[image: Progressive Bloggers]
*Today, the New Democrats are upping the ante with a motion that, if
passed, would force the government to show its work by delivering to the
House all related annual reports, internal evaluations, Treasury Board
submissions and related material by June 17th, at which point the speaker
would make arrangements to post the entire collection online. *
***The NDP proposal would also provide the AG with "all necessary resources
to perform an in-depth forensic audit" of the material, which would
continue "until the missing $3.1 billion is found and acco... more »
Peggy Atwood: "Wake Up!"
http://www.peggyatwood.com/
http://www.northerncountrymusic.com/
http://www.catskillmountaindomes.com/
Guide to Marc Maron's Publicty Tour 2013
On today's episode of *WTF with Marc Maron*, Maron (@MarcMaron) disclosed
that for the time being he has a publicist. This makes me a little bit
jealous because for a handful of friends *I* act as Maron's publicist. It's
an easy role for me because I listen to a ton of comedy podcasts--I even
wrote a now completely out of date e-book about them two years ago. So when
Maron would show up on a show like *Jordan, Jesse Go!* or *The Majority
Report* or *You Made it Weird* or a myriad of others I would spread the
word to my friends who have followed Maron since the Air America days via
e... more »
Mining 18: Nickel, Copper, Gold Production
To analyze the country's mining industry and propose certain government
regulations and taxation policy, it is important to compare the local
industry with those at the international level. So that there will be more
solid basis for such regulations, like how much taxes to impose given
certain costs of operation for different metallic products. And if
government is over-taxing or under-taxing the industry.
I saw this informative 27-slides presentation on Philippines and global
mining made in September 2012 by Intiera RMG. The data are useful and cool,
posting some of them here.
The... more »
GOP Hypocrisy on Wages
*Raise The Minimum Wage To More Than $10 Per Hour?*
*NO – we can’t do that!!*
*raising the minimum wage is bad for business because *
the increase doesn't help the poor, most of whom aren't working;
costs jobs;
cuts job opportunities for the young;
raises the price of goods produced with a lot of labor services;
and
reduces the purchasing power of consumers, when owners raise prices to
cover increased costs.
* *
*But this is is not bad for business:*
The *CEO* and chairman of General Motors saw his compensation for 2012 rise
to $11.1 million, up from $7.7 million in the previou... more »
Indigenous occupation of Belo Monte dam site enters sixth day – Government refuses to negotiate, ejects journalists from site on World Press Freedom Day
[image: On 2 May 2013, some two hundred native Indians from eight ethnic
groups entered the building site of the Belo Monte dam, on the Xingu River
in Pará state, demanding government-held consultations, the suspension of
construction on the Xingu, Tapajos, and Teles Pires rivers, and the
withdrawal of troops from their land. The Belo Monte Construction
Consortium (CCBM) said 3,000 of the 22,000 workers at the site were
currently prevented from working. Photo: Ruy Sposati / Agência Raízes]
By Lucy Jordan
7 May 2013
BRASÍLIA, BRAZIL (The Rio Times) – The federal government said Mo... more »
Cleveland Abductions
It's a heart-warming story. Three young women, long since given up for dead
by the authorities are found alive and well 10 years after their
disappearance. It's a horrific story. Three young women are abducted and
subjected to a decade of imprisonment, degradation, sexual abuse and forced
pregnancy.
Guess which bits the media have focused on.
Sweet 16: What Matters v. What Should Matter in Teacher Qualities
My colleague and social studies educator, George Lipscomb, is offering a
May Experience course addressing “What Makes a Great Teacher.” He started
the course today with a Sweet 16 of teacher values so I thought this idea
may be a great way to ask people to confront priorities regarding what our
current high-stakes test-based accountability […]
"Top Secret!"
*"Top Secret!"*
by Bill Bonner
"US stocks continue to climb. The Dow has passed the 15,000 milestone.
Gold, meanwhile, got smacked yesterday. It sank back to $1,448 per ounce.
What's ahead? A mood of prophecy, perhaps brought on by a large helping of
osso bucco from our local Italian restaurant, came over us last night. We
looked into the future. And there we saw a grim world.
As we reported last week, public life bumbles along under a combination of
false pretenses and self-imposed delusions. Monday's news told us that the
worst enemy Americans now face is themselves. For e... more »
Gerald Celente: “Middle East Out of Control”
*Gerald Celente: “Middle East Out of Control”*
By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com
"Trends researcher Gerald Celente predicts war in the Middle East. He
says, “It is out of control. What are people waiting for–an Archduke
Ferdinand moment?” Celente thinks Israel bombing Syria means World War 3 is
on its way. The cycle leading to war started with the crash of 2008.
Celente says, “Crash, depression, currency wars... trade wars and then real
wars. That’s what we’re seeing again.” Celente charges, “This is a proxy
war against Iran because when Syria is choked off, then Iran is left ... more »
Mark Sanford's win is GOP's loss
Despite the optimistic polling, it's not that shocking South Carolina's own
Appalachian Trail hiker won the special election yesterday. What's more
surprising is how close the votes were. Sure 54% to 45% ordinarily sounds
like a big win but if you look at the actual totals Sanford only won by
12,838 votes. Granted a special election draws a lot fewer voters but
compared to the guy he's replacing, who won by 62% to 35% just last year,
it doesn't look as impressive.
As satisfying as watching the cons deal with an upset would have been been,
on a practical level, this was the best o... more »
Toby Lester - Da Vinci's Ghost: Genius, Obsession, and How Leonardo Created the World in His Own Image
*"Da Vinci's Ghost: Genius, Obsession, and How Leonardo Created the World
in His Own Image"* by Toby Lester.
YouTube Video Description - [Channel: MsAllisonBreen. Uploaded on February
13, 2012]:
Everybody knows Leonardo's iconic picture of a man standing in a circle and
a square. It's everywhere, deployed on everything from coffee cups and
T-shirts to corporate logos and international spacecraft, celebrating
subjects as various as the grandeur of art, the beauty of the human form,
and the universality of the human spirit. It's the world's most famous
cultural icon—yet nobody know... more »
Downton Billy
Since Bill Gates and other billionaire boys and girls club members are
dictating education policy and coming up with new and brilliant ideas such
as, “the teacher is the most important” indicator of whether students
learn, perhaps he can give us some more lessons on teaching. We can start
lesson one on conspicuous consumption, […]
Creature Feature
Truthfully, I had no idea who Ray Harryhausen was until he died this week,
but I've enjoyed his work my whole life. I've watched every one of these
movies more than once. When I was kid this kind of special effect was scary
as hell. In many ways I still like this obviously fake, hand done stop
action much better than today's computer generated realism.
RIP Mr. Harryhausen. You may have lived in relative obscurity but your
creatures will live forever on the screen.
Ray Harryhausen - thanks for all the thrills
Raymond Frederick "Ray" Harryhausen (June 29, 1920 – May 7, 2013) was an
American visual effects creator, writer, and producer who lived in London,
England, from 1960 until his death in 2013. He created a brand of
stop-motion model animation known as "Dynamation."
His most memorable works include the animation on Mighty Joe Young, with
pioneer Willis H. O'Brien, which won the Academy Award for special effects
(1949); The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, his first color film; and Jason and the
Argonauts, featuring a famous sword fight against seven skeleton warriors.
Before the advent of comp... more »
Benghazi hearings: I'm supposed to be mowing the lawn...
*except the hearings are riveting...*
Watch live at:
*C-Span *
Cassava disease spreading across Africa at alarming rate – ‘The new strain looks to us to be much more aggressive’
By MICHELLE FAUL
7 May 2013
JOHANNESBURG (AP) – Scientists say a disease destroying entire crops of
cassava has spread out of East Africa into the heart of the continent, is
attacking plants as far south as Angola and now threatens to move west into
Nigeria, the world's biggest producer of the potato-like root that helps
feed 500 million Africans.
"The extremely devastating results are already dramatic today but could be
catastrophic tomorrow" if nothing is done to halt the Cassava Brown Streak
Disease, or CBSD, scientist Claude Fauquet, co-founder of the Global
Cassava Partners... more »
ALEC Travels to the Tar Sands - AGAIN
BTW: Someone should tell the "ALEC" blog that - "ALEC" is still showing
up on their blog. Come on guys - get with the program I thought you folks
#Dumped"ALEC".
Back to business
Not one write-up about ALECers traveling to the Alberta tar sands.
Not two write-ups about ALECers traveling to the Alberta tar sands.
But three write-ups from ALEC members about traveling to the Alberta tar
sands..
Wonder if it was three trips with ten or twelve ALEC members going each
time?
Wonder if it was one trip - three separate write-ups by ALEC members.
Now they call the trip to the Alberta t... more »
No, the Creation of the 60 Vote Senate Isn't Harry Reid's Fault
I really dislike this Republican talking point, repeated by former
Republican Senator Olympia Snowe at an appearance at the University of
Denver:
- The majority has increasingly "filled up the amendment tree," making
it harder for minority members to have any influence on legislation.
- Minority members increasingly respond to this by filibustering.
It's probably a nice thing for Snowe to believe; it makes her choice to go
along with "filibuster everything" seem like a reaction to Democratic
overreach rather than going along with a radical, norm-destroying group of
Rep... more »
Robert Jensen : The Universe Is an Undifferentiated Whole
In
his new "primer on critical thinking," Arguing for Our Lives, Robert
Jensen "connects abstract ideas with the everyday political and
spiritual struggles of ordinary people."
Arguing for our lives:
The universe is an undifferentiated whole
The knowledge we humans can acquire -- while impressive in what it
allows us to build -- is not adequate to manage the complexity of the
world.
By
Yet another fine fact-checking mess!
*WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 2013*
*Glenn Kessler returns to Benghazi:* In our previous post, we discussed
Rachel Maddow’s reaction to PolitiFact’s latest strange rating.
Maddow said PolitiFact is ruining fact-checking all by itself. Yesterday,
we thought Glenn Kessler tried to do his part at his Washington Post Fact
Checker site.
As you know, Benghazi is back in the news. Yesterday, Kessler linked to his
original post on this topic, in which he awarded Susan Rice two Pinocchios
for statements she made on the September 16 Sunday programs.
He said he thinks that, “over time,” his original pos... more »
Sleazy New Dem Colleen Hanabusa Challenges Progressive Hawai'i Senator Brian Schatz
Lately I've been bombarded with e-mails from sleazy New Dem Colleen
Hanabusa, who's giving up her House seat to challenge progressive Senate
incumbent Brian Schatz. Thursday it was "Today, Colleen will make a very
important announcement about the future of Hawaii and we wanted you to be
the first to know." Yesterday it was "After months of careful
consideration, meeting with my friends and family to talk story and
listening to people from across Hawai'i, I was proud to share with you a
few days ago that I am beginning my campaign for the United States
Senate... But before I can ha... more »
Rising seas in southern Caribbean offer dark preview of future amid climate change – ‘The sea will take this whole place down’
[image: In this 22 April 2013 photo, the stump of an unrooted palm tree
sits on the shore of the fishing village in Telegraph, Grenada. The people
along this vulnerable stretch of eastern Grenada have been watching the sea
eat away at their shoreline in recent decades, a result of destructive
practices such as sand mining and a ferocious storm surge made worse by
climate change, according to researchers with the U.S.-based Nature
Conservancy, who have helped locals map the extent of coastal erosion.
Photo: David McFadden/ Associated Press]
TELESCOPE, Grenada (AP) – The old coastal... more »
Maddow lowers the boom on PolitiFact!
*WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 2013*
*Sadly, she was largely right:* Rachel Maddow’s jihad against Politifact
began in a compromised fashion.
As we all eventually do, Maddow had made a mistake. Politifact corrected
her on her mistake. In the process, PolitiFact made a mistake of its own.
Maddow reacted in an extremely unbalanced way, and a war was born. She went
on and on and on and on, lambasting PolitiFact for its mistake, without
ever noting the fact that the site had been right about her own mistake.
We’d have to call that old reaction mostly dishonest. If you want to review
this unbalan... more »
Untitled
*Pulitzer winners leave Times-Picayune for Advocate *
*John Georges, New Owner of The Advocate: 'New Orleans Wants a Daily Paper'
~WWNO*
*Advocate owner says he ‘tried to buy’ Times-Picayune ~Andrewe Beaujon*
Carver High Community Stands Against School Closure
Corporate ed reformers in Memphis are planning to close a dozen schools in
order to backfill the current 57-million dollar hole created by the planned
opening of more corporate charter schools. Citizens, however, have a
different view on the matter. Join the fight in Memphis to improve
community schools, rather than shutting them down to [...]
london, day one
It's wonderful to be here! Wonderful to see R again, to meet her partner,
to spend time with her family, to be in their home. And to see London
again! I love this city.
So to backtrack... Our flight was uneventful. Flying overnight is never
fun, since I don't sleep *at all*, but everything went smoothly. A few days
ago, we had read some horror stories online about US Airways' transatlantic
flights through Philadelphia, and were a bit concerned. But either US
Airways has upgraded their planes and their service, or those complaining
people had unreasonable expectations. The flight was... more »
Is the School “Reform” Drought Breaking?
Wasn’t Sir Ken Robinson’s Education TED talk wonderful? His PBS TED
presentation followed some outstanding students, teachers, and scholars who
stressed the power of relationship-building and fostering students’
creativity. He also followed “reformers” like Bill Gates, Geoffrey Canada,
and host John Legend. Perhaps because they were on public television,
these accountability hawks were on their […]
Giant swamp rats are literally eating Louisiana – ‘I just don’t know how these people who love their home so much are going to go on living here’
[image: A litter of young nutria. Nutria are an invasive species in
Louisiana. Photo: John Eastcott and Yva Momatiuk / National Geographic]
By Joanna M. Foster
7 May 2013
(Takepart.com) – On the southern edge of Louisiana, there is almost as much
water as land. You can't drive to anyone's house, you have to travel by
boat, and sometimes there are hours of water between neighbors. It takes a
special breed to make a home here, in the swamp, amongst the mosquitos and almost
annual hurricanes. But those who do call it home, love it. They see a
magical space of strange stillness and s... more »
A third year of drought threatens southwestern Oklahoma – ‘You either adapt or you sell out and move on’
[image: Members of a drought committee at a farm near Guymon, Oklahoma in
1936, during the extended drought that caused the 'Dust Bowl'. Photo:
Arthur Rothstein / Library of Congress]By Joe Wertz
6 May 2013
(NPR) – “Extreme” and “exceptional” drought persists throughout much of
the state, especially in southwestern Oklahoma. Low reservoir levels have
forced city officials in Altus to issue emergency water restrictions, and
Oklahomans throughout the region are worried about the future.
Associated Press reporter Sharon Cohen interviewed Kent Walker, a farmer
and rancher who lives ... more »
Chile: Startling Photos of a UFO over Mining Operation
*Source: Panorama Diario (Chile)
Date: 8 May 2013*
Startling photos of an alleged UFO over a mining operation in Copiapó were
published recently. These are photos taken last Tuesday afternoon (30 April
2013) by heavy equipment operators. The workers were carrying out
dismantling operations in the Cerro Negro works of the CAP company, only a
few kilometers distant from the Atacama Region, when they noticed the
unidentified flying object.
When interviewed by Radio Nostálgica FM, which made the visual material
property of Juan Avalos Fajardo available on its website (*PHOTOS AT:
htt... more »
Argentina: Impressive UFO Sighting in San Clemente
*Source: Diario Popular
http://www.diariopopular.com.ar/notas/155823-impresionante-avistaje-ovni-san-clemente
Date: 05/08/2013*
*Argentina: Impressive UFO Sighting in San Clemente*
Photos were taken fortuitously by a couple enjoying a day out in the resort
city in Buenos Aires.
A tourist couple, enjoying a variety show in Mundo Marino , took several
photos with their camera that show the outline of a UFO flying over the
city fo San Clemente del Tuyú, Province of Buenos Aires.
The chance photos could show what is popularly known as a "flying saucer",
which thoroughly startled the ... more »
Muck & Meir: Prolific Analyst Botches Facts to Vindicate Failed Iran Sanctions Policy
Tehran
Research Reactor
(Photo Credit: AFP Photo / Iranian Presidency)
“Comment is free, but facts are sacred.”
- C.P. Scott, editor of the Guardian, 1921
Israeli commentator Meir Javedanfar has made a very successful career of
trafficking conventional wisdom and mainstream narratives about Iran’s
nuclear program.
In a recent op-ed for the Guardian newspaper he has insisted – as he has
Attitudes
Photo by Maria King Carroll
"Attitudes are more important than abilities. Motives are more important
than methods. Character is more important than cleverness. And the heart
takes precedence over the head."
Denis Parsons Burkitt, 1911-1993
(Dr. Burkitt was an Irishman who drove across sub-Saharan Africa in his
beat up Ford pick up truck. He found many African kids between the ages of
5 and 8 years who had deadly facial tumors. He biopsied the tumor and it
was found to be caused by a virus. Who would have thought that a virus
could cause a cancer now called Burkitt's lymphoma?)
THE PROFESSORIATE FAILS US AGAIN: Proposing the theme of Malick’s next film!
*WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 2013*
*Part 5—The absence of the professors:* Did Professors Reinhart and Rogoff
do what Krugman says they did?
According to Krugman, the famous professors made an unfortunate claim in
early 2010, in a paper which became influential on a world-wide basis.
According to Krugman, the professors “purported to identify a critical
‘threshold,’ a tipping point, for government indebtedness. Once debt
exceeds 90 percent of gross domestic product, they claimed, economic growth
drops off sharply.” For more detail, see yesterday’s report.
Did the famous Harvard professors ... more »
Rampant Rape in the Military: Who Knew?
He is shocked, shocked that raping is going on in this establishment.
Commander in Chief Obama, along with the Congress, Army, Navy, Air Force
and Marines and all the ships at sea are floundering. How in the name of
almighty empire could this be happening to the greatest military force the
world has ever known?
Let the annual bromides begin.
He wants it rooted out, pronto. Same as he wanted it rooted out last year,
and the year before that. And just to show how much he cares, he's punted
the scandal of a 37% increase in military sexual assaults in one year over
to yet another wishy... more »
Syrian troops push down strategic highway towards Jordan
Following up on the previous Syrian Internet has gone down again
Came across this: Syria’s Internet goes dark as troops push into strategic
town on highway to Jordan
BEIRUT—Syrian troops pushed Wednesday into a strategic town along the
highway leading to the Jordanian border as a massive Internet outage
engulfed most of the country for a second day.
The regime’s advance into Khirbet Ghazaleh, a town south of Damascus along
a key artery to the border, came after weeks of fighting and government
attempts to secure the highway.
Also looks to be fighting in the north near the Turk... more »
Graph of the Day: Snow water content in Southern Sierras of California, 2 May 2013
[image: The water content of the snowpack in the Southern Sierra Mountains
of California, from San Joaquin through Kern and Owens, was 9% of average
for the date on 2 May 2013 (and 7% of the average for April 1.) The
snowpack is usually not this thin until early July. Statewide, the snowpack
was 17% of average for the date. Graphic: California Department of Water
Resources]
By Dr. Jeff Masters
3 May 2013
(wunderground.com) – The water content of the snowpack in the Southern
Sierra Mountains of California, from San Joaquin through Kern and Owens,
was 9% of average for the date on ... more »
Conviction Of Fake Bomb Detector Maker In England Changes Nothing On The Ground In Iraq
British businessman Jim McCormick was recently sentenced to ten years in
prison for selling fake bomb detectors around the world. The ADE 651
devices were said to be able to find anything from explosives to people to
ivory several hundred meters away. Those bold claims along with the
instructions on how to use them should have warned any country or
organization about their effectiveness, but Iraq ended up being the largest
purchaser of the devices in the world. Several groups in Iraq had been
investigating the detectors since 2009, and a general in the Interior
Ministry was eventu... more »
Your Assignment, Should You Choose to Accept
Loyal DAMMIT JANET! readers, I have an assignment for you today.
I want you to send these two links to your cranky Uncle Bob and your
tax-hating Cousin Laura and ask them if they are OK with this spending by
the CONtempt Party government.
Item 1: Secret spending on consultants.
A Star investigation has found 90 per cent of the $2.4 billion paid out in
the past decade comes with no description of the work done — and more than
a dozen departments refuse to provide details when pressed.
Item 2: Economic Action Scam.
Those TV ads are still airing more than six weeks after the budge... more »
Why Reading Scott Sagan Scares Me.
Over the years I’ve taught Scott Sagan and Charles Perrow for a range of
different courses. Based on those two books, I’m pretty sure that I’d
rather not read these two terms in the same sentence: “nuclear weapons” and
“rot.” From this morning’s Washington Post: The Air Force stripped an
unprecedented 17 officers of their
Continue reading
Midweek Mélange
I don’t know whether to feel horribly manipulated, simply appreciate the
nerd-fest humor, or both. Andrew Philips on the new Australian Defense
White Paper. Dan Trombly on the efficacy of US intervention in Syria. Jay
Ulfelder wants to restrict our use of the term “state” to, as best as I can
tell, sovereign-territorial entities. His
Continue reading
ALEC Ramps Up the Secrecy Quotient
This article is truer today – than it was last Wednesday – before the ALEC
meeting.
*This "Partnership" is the Gun Pointed at the Heart of Democracy*
By Greg Madison, Associate Editor --- May 8, 2013
*There's a gun pointed at the heart of representative democracy, and your
Congressperson has their finger on the trigger*.
It's called the American Legislative Exchange Council- or ALEC for short.
And while its name may sound perfectly harmless, it's the single reason why
your vote no longer matters.
You see, due to the influence wielded by this mysterious group, elected
officials ha... more »
Cons : "Well you didn't ask us."
In response to NDP questions on Monday regarding the missing $3.1 billion
in public security and anti-terrorism spending and why even the words "public
security and anti-terrorism" hadn't shown up in nine years of public
accounts, Tony Gazebo of the Treasury Board blamed the opposition for not
guessing the right question :
“If NDP caucus members from the years from 2001 to 2009 did not ask the
right questions then that is their problem, not the problem on this side of
the House.”
In February, Public SafetyMin Vic Toews used the same tactic. When
questioned as to how the Cons manage... more »
The Way Forward on Guantánamo-- Guest Post By Michelle Ringuette Of Amnesty International
President Obama and prominent members of Congress, including House Armed
Services Committee Chairman Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-CA), have rather
conveniently started blaming each other for the lack of progress toward
closing the Guantánamo Bay detention facility. But their arguments are
self-serving and political: Congress has done little to help, and President
Obama doesn’t need their help anyway.
The *Fresno Bee*, in a May 4 editorial, saw McKeon’s words for what they
were, noting that Congress was continuing to put up roadblocks to
transferring detainees out of the facility and... more »
Read Stuff, You Should
Happy Birthday to Philip Bailey, 62.
Fortunately, there's good stuff:
1. With the caveat that I haven't read it, I suspect this new paper, "Preventing
Youth Violence and Dropout: A Randomized Field Experiment," is something
people should know about. Sara Heller, Harold Pollack, Roseanna Ander, Jens
Ludwig.
2. Ezra Klein on the Senate.
3. Greg Koger, cranky about third-rate think tank research. Not about the
Senate, although Greg is mentioned in the previous linked item.
4. And Noah Smith praises getting a Ph.D. in economics.
IOWA ACTION: Petition for ALEC Transparency
I am assuming it is meant for Iowans - but it does not say only Iowans can
sign the petition on the webpage.
PLEASE consider signing this.
*Sign it*
*>>>HERE<<<*
Part of the petition from Progress Iowa:
Please release the following information to the public:
1. Any "35-Day Mailing" from the American Legislative Exchange Council that
you have received
2. The roster of ALEC members in Iowa
3. The roster of your Task Force's Membership
4. Financial records detailing payments from the State of Iowa to the
American Legislative Council for the payment of membership dues, and any
oth... more »
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