English: vodaphone - Southgate (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Mount Sinai ("Gabal Musa") (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: The Sinai (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Sand dune on the Sinai Peninsula. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Cover of Stay TunedMicrosoft Capture Nokia On Transfer Deadline Day
Yesterday was the day of the big spenders. Gareth Bale became the world’s
most expensive footballer and joined Real Madrid for £85 million, Vodaphone
announced the selling off of its huge stake in Verizon for a mere £84bn and
Microsoft has agreed a deal to buy Nokia's mobile-phone business for 5.4bn
euro ($7.2bn; £4.6bn).
Tottenham have already spent the cash and replaced Bale with half a team of
international talent. Vodaphone are planning on giving their shareholders a
huge dividend of some £54bn to sweeten the windfall and true to their
nature will avoid paying any tax on the d... more »
Be Prepared- Emergency Food Giveaway
Welcome to the Be Prepared Giveaway sponsored by Rayven Perkins with Jerky
Direct, and Sandra Girouard with Shelf Reliance. Here's your chance to
stock your pantry with some excellent food storage items! Are you prepared
for a natural disaster? Most families aren't. And yet it doesn't take too
much effort to put a plan into place to make sure you are. Read this page
on how to budget for emergency food preparation. Get prepared with this
fantastic prize package worth more than $250! The winner will receive:
- (12) months of Jerky Direct "Jerky of the Month", two bags of je... more »
Muslim Brotherhood, Blair, Obama, Sinai Peninsula, Hamas, Israel, Arab Spring, 7/7, 9/11, Al Qaeda.
For some years, it seems that Western Governments have been SPREAD BETTING
among the global terror groups, trying to foment this civil unrest and that
country/regions destabilisation. And it's nothing new, what do you think
Lawrence Of Arabia was all about, ffs? A noble fight? A just insurrection?
Come on.
Anyway, here's the 'news' (with documentary evidence, they say) from THE
WESTERN CENTRE FOR JOURNALISM - let's see how long this association lasts
making bold news statements like this one:
Unfortunately, for the money-men and war-merchants of government, it's
NOTHING MORE THAN... more »
Senior Citizens Discount 5: Supreme Court Flip-Flopping on the Law
A fried from Mercury Drugstore, Atty. Edsel Manuel, gave a long reply to
the complaint of Mr. James Auste, head of the Cancer Warriors Foundation,
why his demand to get a 3-months supply of his medicines from Mercury was
denied. The email exchange was posted in our DOH Advisory Council for RA
9502 (Cheaper Medicines Law of 2008) email loop. Atty. Manuel's long reply
covered several topics, from the law on mandatory discounts to persons with
disabilities (PWDs) or RA 9442, to the expanded mandatory discounts to
senior citizens or RA 9527 (enacted February 2004) and RA 9994 (enacted
J... more »
When You Look At It This Way, Digging Dead Things Out of the Ground Only to Kill Live Things Above the Ground is Madness.
We have become a world obsessed with digging carbon out of the ground and
transporting it into our atmosphere just as fast as possible. We say
we're not, but the collieries, the refineries, the pipelines and
supertankers say otherwise. We take carbon from places and states where
it's harmless to us and then transform and transfer it into states and
places where it's devastating to us.
Welcome to my world, as it then was.
*The moon would appear six and a half feet closer to Earth, and the
continents of Europe and North America would be four feet closer together.
Zooming in, you... more »
RoboCall Scandal - Breakthrough Imminent? Stay Tuned.
"*Hard to imagine how they thought they could *
*manipulate this issue."*
*"Stay tuned."*
Word reaches the island to brace for some breakthrough on the robocall
scandal, possibly as soon as tomorrow (Tuesday). Veteran Tory insider
hints the fit might be about to hit the shan.
* *
*Stay Tuned.* What is that, the dissident Tory war cry?
Monday Movies Post
I need to talk McGinty. It's the first movie I ever wrote a Monday Movie
Post about, and although that was shorter than what I normally do (when I
do them...), I wouldn't feel the need to revisit a movie. Except that
someone else wrote about "The Great McGinty" this week, and I think got it
wrong.
(I'll link, but I'm also recycling key bits below, and expanding, so no
real need to click through).
If you don't know it...McGinty (1940) is the first movie directed by
Preston Sturges. As a movie, it's only fair...or, better, it's only
brilliant occasionally. He's still learning the cra... more »
Time For House Democrats To Find New Leadership
Enough of this crap
All the House Democratic leaders, from conservatives like Steny Hoyer,
Steve Israel, Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Joe Crowley to "liberals" like Nancy
Pelosi, Jim Clyburn and Xavier Becerra, are working to round up votes
inside the caucus to back Obama's plan to bomb Syria. Pelosi became leader
of the Democrats because she stood up to Bush and Democratic Leader Dick
Gephardt when they asked Congress to approve plans to attack Iraq. Most
Democrats joined Pelosi against that war-- and that ended Dick Gephardt's
political career. That was a very different Nancy Pelos... more »
To Some? Try To Many
Check out this absurd headline: *"To some, US case for Syrian gas attack
and need for strike has too many holes."* [Source: McClatchy, Hannah Allam
and Mark Seibel, September 2]. Excerpt:
The Obama administration’s public case for attacking Syria is riddled with
inconsistencies and hinges mainly on circumstantial evidence, undermining
U.S. efforts this week to build support at home and abroad for a punitive
strike against Bashar Assad’s regime.
The case Secretary of State John Kerry laid out last Friday contained
claims that were disputed by the United Nations, inconsistent in ... more »
Netanyahu To Ministers: Keep Quiet, Our Role In Syrian Crisis Should Be Invisible
*"Oh, stop it, Benji, you're making me blush." Photo Source: AP.*
Below is an excerpt from, *"Obama informed Netanyahu prior to speech of
plans to delay Syria strike" *by Barak Ravid, Haaretz, September 1, 2013:
According to reports in the American media, Obama decided to postpone the
strike and ask for Congressional approval on Friday night after a
tete-a-tete with White House chief of staff, Denis McDonough. Gen. Martin
Dempsey, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, also advised Obama
that the efficacy of a strike in Syria would not be compromised if it were
put off by a ... more »
Global Developments Regarding Syria: Russia Demands Proof, Egypt Won't Support An Attack, Turkey Is Divided
*The evidence is "classified," meaning, "We don't have any evidence that
Assad gassed his people, now shut the fuck up and go away, we about to do
some bombing, biatch!"*
An excerpt from, *"Russia not convinced by US evidence on Syria"* by AP,
September 2:
Speaking at Russia's top diplomatic school, Sergey Lavrov said the evidence
Washington presented was not detailed.
"Yes, they showed us some findings but there was nothing specific there:
no geographic coordinates, no names, no proof that the tests were carried
out by the professionals," Lavrov said. He did not say what test... more »
Hermosos gatitos sobre las rocas
Estimado suscriptor; Conoce nuestro nuevo diseño www.fotofrontera.com
Paisaje de río con aguas claras de la montaña
Estimado suscriptor; Conoce nuestro nuevo diseño www.fotofrontera.com
You don’t get to vote for these councillors
You’ve seen the hoardings around begging for your vote to put people on
council.
But while folk are out there campaigning hard to get a seat around the
council table, incumbents of two seats aren't bothering.
They’re not bothering, because the two seats are granted not on the basis
of votes gained, they are granted on the basis of racial preference.
The two seats are granted to the so-called Independent Maori Statutory Board,
which not only has the statutory power to “advise” Auckland Council—advice
which the Auckland Council is statutorily bound to follow—but also has *up
to two... more »
Motocicleta Harley Davidson Sporster XL
Estimado suscriptor; Conoce nuestro nuevo diseño www.fotofrontera.com
Hermosa playa paradisíaca con amahaca y palmeras
Estimado suscriptor; Conoce nuestro nuevo diseño www.fotofrontera.com
Heartless, uninformed conservatives, please read this:
"The Eight Most Dumped-On Americans" by Paul Buchheit.
Maybe after reading the information in the article you will develop some
empathy, compassion, and civic responsibility.
Drug Agents Use Vast Phone Trove, Eclipsing NSA’s
*
* *
* *Drug Agents Use Vast Phone Trove, Eclipsing NSA’s*
http://www.cryptogon.com/
September 2nd, 2013
Via: New York Times:
For at least six years, law enforcement officials working on a
counternarcotics program have had routine access, using subpoenas, to an
enormous AT&T database that contains the records of decades of Americans’
phone calls — parallel to but covering a far longer time than the National
Security Agency’s hotly disputed collection of phone call logs.
The Hemisphere Project, a partnership between federal and local drug
officials and AT&T that has not previously... more »
Happy Labor Day Weekend!
Had a nice weekend NOT working.
I have worked out a ton this weekend and am feeling it now. Friday night,
I biked 15.5 miles at the park. Saturday, Kurt and I biked 18 miles.
Sunday, I ran 5 miles in the morning, then this morning, I ran another 5!
The weather has been perfect for working out. I love working out when
temps are in the low/mid 70s, which it has been in the mornings here. And,
I just like being outside in general, so it makes it less of a workout and
more fun. I am def feeling those workouts tonight though. Sore.
Other fun things from this weekend:
- Dec... more »
Your moment of Zen
Another day in Maeve's magic garden.
The Upcoming War On Syria: Syria Is NO Pushover, And Will Give The US A Very Bloody Nose!
It does seem that by any means necessary, the criminal Jews will indeed
have the United States by the middle of next week involved in a war on
Syria. Everyone is under the false assumption that the US Congress will
somehow stop the criminal US President's lust for war in its tracks... No
Dice!... The US Congress is completely under control of the Jews and they
will OVERWHELMINGLY vote to wage war on the innocent nation of Syria... The
cruise missiles will be flying possibly as early as Tuesday, September
10th....
But I came across a very interesting article that I have the link to... more »
Al-Qaeda Praises Obama Reaching Out To Friends McCain And Graham
Related:
*Al-Qaeda Presents The Moral Case For U.S. Intervention In Syria*.
*Al-Qaeda Is Disappointed In British Parliament, Calls On British PM To
Attack Syria*.
*Al-Qaeda Applauds Secretary of State John Kerry's Latest Remarks On Syria*.
*Al-Qaeda Approves of Barack Obama's Glorious Declaration of War Against
Syria On August 31st*.
*Below is a statement by Jamal Ahmed al-Tahiri, the spokesman for Al-Qaeda
in Damascus (AQD), praising President Obama for reaching out to Senators
John McCain and Lindsey Graham, who are loyal friends of AQD.*
In the Name of Allah the Merciful, America ... more »
Microtel Inns, Dairy Queens, St. Sensible and Detroit Country Day: Realities and Myths of “Choice”
EDUCATION WEEK recently published “Calculator Use on Exams to Shift With
Common Core,” by Erik W. Robelen. In reply to some discussion about the
article on a private Facebook page, Wendy Hart wrote, “ I think the real
issue here isn’t what is the proper use of a calculator, but that it is
being dictated by […]
On The Advocacy of Teacher Unions and High Quality Public Schools: A Labor Day Post
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
-Martin Luther King, Jr. It’s funny how politics makes strange bedfellows.
Over the past decade I have watched as politicians and talking heads from
opposite sides of the political spectrum challenge and undermine each
others’ ideas about how to best create […]
White House peeved at Pentagon leaks
*
*
*
*
*White House peeved at Pentagon leaks*
http://www.politico.com/politico44/2013/08/white-house-peeved-at-pentagon-leaks-171520.html
By GLENN THRUSH | 8/30/13 5:10 PM EDT
Many of the leaks about U.S. strike plans for Syria, a copious flow of
surprisingly specific information on ship dispositions and possible
targets, have been authorized as a way for President Obama to signal the
limited scope of operations to friends and foes.
But a number of leaks have been decidedly unauthorized -- and, according
to Obama administration sources, likely emanating from a Pentagon
b... more »
Learning impairment . . .
UNIVERSITY
EDUCATION IN AMERICA is turning into an expensive, futile endeavour for
the consumer, the student. The rise of “academic capitalism” appears to
be the cause, in the opinion of Thomas Frank who has a splendid,
insightful essay on a site called The BAFFLER, “Academy Fight Song”.
It's a multi-faceted problem facing people who have no choice.
The coming of “academic capitalism” has
Gold and Silver = September 2 , 2013 - Comex data for registered and eligible gold . India's troubles and where gold fits into the equation...Manipulations start off Asia's trading day !
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2013/09/india-in-trouble-and-gold-at-heart-of-it.html
Monday, September 02, 2013 1:09 AM
India in Serious Trouble (and Gold at the Heart of It)
Last week India's trade minister, Anand Sharma, came out with a laughable
suggestion: RBI should consider monetizing gold.
India’s central bank should look into the possibility of monetizing gold
holdings, trade minister Anand Sharma said on Thursday, in the latest
proposal aimed at combating a yawning current account deficit that has
hammered the rupee.
It was not immediately clear whether Sharm... more »
‘REGIME CHANGE’ IN SYRIA BUT WHO WILL BE THE ‘NEW REGIME’?
Yesterday I wrote that any attack against Syria will not be about
‘punishing’ Syria’s president Bashir al-Assad over the use of chemical
weapons but about regime change. However, the question that’s been
neglected in the debate is; if there is regime change, who will the regime
change over to? Once al-Assad and his government have fallen, who and what
sort of government will replace him?
Western governments have made it clear that they do not want a theocratic
government to replace al-Assad and especially not a coalition of Islamic
extremists many of whom the West believes have affi... more »
The last Labor Day?
*Which Republican said this?
(For the answer, see E. J. Dionne Jr. below)*
"*Labor is prior to and independent of capital. Capital is only the fruit
of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed.
Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher
consideration."*
*by Ken*
I thought of starting this note by saying something like: "Allow me to be
the last person to remind you that Labor Day sure ain't what it used to
be." Then it occurred to me that the condition is so well settled that only
the die-hards even think to mention it anymore. "Labor... more »
US Targeted America's " Oldest Ally " France with NSA surveillance ? US by way of NSA also spied on communications of Brazil and Mexico ( cue the outrage from those countries ) ..... NSA spied on Aeroflot , Al Jazeera , it goes on and on !
NSA revelations continue....
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/nsa-targeted-french-foreign-ministry-a-919693.html
America's National Security Agency (NSA) targeted France's Foreign Ministry
for surveillance, according to an internal document seen by SPIEGEL.
ANZEIGE
Dated June 2010, the "top secret" NSA document reveals that the
intelligence agency was particularly interested in the diplomats' computer
network. All of the country's embassies and consulates are connected with
the Paris headquarters via a virtual private network (VPN), technology that
is generally considered ... more »
US foreign policy on Middle East , Egypt , Syria is totally incoherent - is that being too kind ?
Catharsis Ours - 5 hours ago
Off
- topic for a second - why isn't the Fukushima debacle even discussed
as a matter of US national security ?
http://enenews.com/experts-fukushima-literally-matter-national-security-becoming-rapidly-international-issue-be-failing-japan-govt-dealing-crisis
07:38
PM EST on August 30th, 2013 | 10 comments
Experts: Fukushima “literally a matter of national security” — “This is
becoming rapidly an international issue” — “Something must be failing”
as
Japan gov’t not dealing with crisis
Okay , back to the False Flag , wag the dog , limited kinetic action
with
no mocking allowed
ht... more »
BREAKING: Teachers cheer for students to fail.
As children head back to school this week in New York State* they may be
subjected to Student Learning Objective assessments in the first week or
two of the school year. An SLO pre-test is supposed to determine a
student’s prior knowledge of a subject to help calculate teacher growth for
an educator’s evaluation. Now […]
Do Not Go for the GOLD (Teaching Strategies GOLD) for Early Childhood Classrooms
I want to begin by giving everyone a quick background on GOLD. I am simply
scraping the tip of the iceberg – it has many additional components to it –
but the component that is most used and most touted is the assessment
component. Please bare with me, this blog is much longer than it […]
Dine' Keyboad for Android Users
Native
Innovation Inc. Dine' keyboard for android users
Free download:
http://www.nativeinnovation.us/
Jerome Tsosie, 36, president and founder of Native Innovations, Inc.,
created the free download of the Navajo language keyboard app.
Read the article at Navajo Times:
http://www.navajotimes.com/entertainment/2013/0613/061313roc.php#sthash.LkCi4Vi7.75fkYdah.dpuf
The luxury of turning on a tap and getting clear, cold water
Safely back in Copan Ruinas after two weeks in Canada and the northwest
U.S., and still thinking about differences between the countries.
Life is generally better in North America. Schools, health care,
government, income, equality - everything works better, I told anyone in
the north who asked.
But then I usually warned them, too loudly, that they had to fight to make
sure things stayed that way.
Practically, water figured in two of the best things about being back in
Canada. I could stick a glass under any tap and drink clean water,
impossible in Honduras.
And I could flush toile... more »
Marshall Islands: not drowning, just waving
The Marshall Islands is in the news.
It’s in the news, because Pacific politicians and press are heading there
for a week’s grandstanding with each other over things they know nothing
about.
The know-nothingism has started early this time:
The Marshall Islands Government has made climate change the theme of the
forum and has singled out New Zealand for its carbon pollution, pointing
out that it is the fifth-highest emitter per head in the world…
The Marshall Islands, a series of 29 coral atolls and islands halfway
between Australia and Hawaii, sit just 2m above sea level on a... more »
Refugee Returns Drop As Violence Increases In Iraq
The recent increase in violence is having widespread repercussions
throughout not only Iraq, but the region as well. One example is the number
of people returning to their homes who have been displaced either
domestically or to other nations. The United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) reported a large increase in Iraqis coming back from
2011-2012. Those numbers have seen a dramatic drop in the first quarter of
2013. Displaced Iraqis have only gone back when they feel safe. The current
security situation means that not only will that not happen, but more
people may b... more »
HISTORY / Bob Feldman : A People's History of Egypt, Part 8, 1922-1923
Sultan Ahmad Fuad became King Faud I in 1922. Image from Wikipedia Commons.
A people's history:
The movement to democratize Egypt
Part 8: 1922-1923 period -- Socialist and labor activism flourish despite foreign-dominated monarchy.
By Bob Feldman / The Rag Blog / September 2, 2013
[With all the dramatic activity in Egypt, Bob Feldman's Rag Blog "people's history" series, "The Movement to
Egyptian Media Says Obama Is A Muslim Brotherhood Member
Is Barack Hussein Obama a member of the Muslim Brotherhood as some
Egyptians claim? I doubt that he's a member but he certainly seems to be
acting like a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood, indeed he has since
first elected.
More here
http://patdollard.com/2013/09/egyptian-media-says-obama-is-a-muslim-brotherhood-member/
Untitled
*Frenchmen's Apple Barrel To Close Nov. 1 ~NOLA DEFENDER*
Gareth Morgan has found his spiritual home
[image: _GarethAdmiresSlaveState]
It’s clear from his recent comments that Gareth Morgan has now discovered
his spiritual home: the slave state of North Korea. Which fits with his
growing enthusiasm for meddling in everything.
[image: _Gaweth]The news he was there came first from the slave state
government’s own propaganda service, which knows how to make the most of a
propaganda opportunity. (Just ask Dennis Rodman.) But the mushy thinking is
all Gaweth’s. The West needs to "rethink" North Korea now, gushes Gareth.
The people are poor, he understates, “but wonderfully engaged.” ... more »
Alan Waldman: ‘Flight of the Conchords’ is Brilliantly Original Kiwi Musical Sitcom
Waldman's
film and TV
treasures you may have missed:
'Conchords' features inspired comedy and music parodies from gifted New
Zealand folk-rock duo Jemaine Clement and Oscar winner Bret McKenzie.
By Alan Waldman / The Rag Blog / September 2, 2013
[In his weekly column, Alan Waldman reviews some of his favorite films
and TV series that readers may have missed, including TV dramas,
mysteries,
Rep. Zoe Lofgren Has Some Questions About The Syrian Crisis
Same old same old
Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) has been a loyal Democrat who has backed Pelosi and
Obama in just about everything they've tried to accomplish. If I were still
a dj at San Jose's KSJO, she would be my congressmember. The district has a
PVI of D+19 and Obama beat Romney there last year 71-27%. She was reelected
in the Santa Clara county district with a stunning 73% of the votes and
she's been very active in trying to help progressive candidates in
California beat reactionary Republican incumbents, something few of her
colleagues are willing to do. She's been one of the most gener... more »
Today's news: The Good and the Ugly
By
Brenda Norrell
Censored News
In the news today, the long walkers for Native American sovereignty on
Longest Walk 4 left the arch in St Louis midday. The long walkers on
their five-month journey across America are bound for Kansas City en
route to Alcatraz.
Meanwhile, the Nobel Peace Prize winning US president and the anti-war
Secretary of State are busy making war -- while the media spins
Dwindling services for sex workers tells grim story in the post-Pickton years
It's very nearly nine years to the day since I jumped out of my comfortable
life as a journalist and took up a job heading a small grassroots
organization for sex workers. Many things have changed since then, but PEERS
Victoria is never far from my heart no matter what else is going on for me.
I could write a book about the things that astonished me, informed me
and bowled me over in those three years as executive director of PEERS.
There was so much to learn, not the least of which was how to live with an
unwieldy new performance-based contract with the province that had replaced... more »
WAY UP IN NORTHERN MAINE
I left Bath at 6:30 am this morning with Jeanne from Portsmouth, NH to make
the five hour drive to Limestone, Maine. We've come way up to what Mainers
call "the County", Aroosto*o*k County, the biggest county in the state.
It's potato farming territory and the place where many politicians in our
state want to put a "weaponized drone test area".
As we approached our destination in Limestone just after noon we saw a
couple Amish with horse and buggies along US Hwy 1A.
Limestone is where we will start our Maine Drone Peace Walk on October 10.
I've come up here, being driven by vol... more »
Don't 'Fight for Fifteen'
U Chicago's Allen Sanderson opines on the minimum wage.
*Addendum*: And here is an interesting new contribution to the empirical
literature on minimum wages.
Monday Linkage
Buzzfeed reports Internet memes about Obama’s Syrian policy are 10-1
negative. And some are pretty funny. Will Imboden on why professors don’t
make good presidents. The Arab League has endorsed international action on
Syria. Human Rights Watch points out that as norms go, the civilian
immunity norm is also worth “reinforcing.” The Economist has a write-up
about how chemical
Continue reading
SYRIA AND THE BATTLE FOR CYPRUS
*Cyprus's Makarios, who was toppled because he was not a friend of the CIA.*
Russia is to restructure the €2.5 billion loan it gave Cyprus in 2011.
The repayment period will be extended and the interest rate has been
decreased from 4.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent.
*Russia agrees to restructure €2.5bln loan to Cyprus*
*The main UK military bases are at Akrotiri and Dhekelia.*
Cyprus is "studying the possibility of providing in certain cases" the use
of the Andreas Papandreou (Paphos) Air Force Base for Russian military
aircraft.
Cyprus is considering allowing Russian warships to use ... more »
Respected independent geopolitical analyst: "The 'U.S. Government Assessment of the Syrian Government’s Use of Chemical Weapons on August 21, 2013' is a poorly constructed attempt to justify the politically, militarily, and morally unjustifiable war against Syria. It relies on lies, distortions, and obvious propaganda..."
------------------------------
*Washington Is Addicted To Lies — Guest Column*
------------------------------
September 2, 2013 | Original Here Go
here to sign up to receive email notice of this news letter
Washington Is Addicted To Lies — Guest Column
The document released by the Obama regime in hopes of providing “evidence”
for
Secretary of State John Kerry’s brazen string of lies admits that the Obama
regime
cannot confirm that the Syrian government is responsible for a chemical
weapons attack.
http://landdestroyer.blogspot.co.uk/201... more »
Ukrainian ex-porn star wins legal residence in Czechia
Anastázie [Pavlivna] Hagenová née Hryšajová (*1985), known as Wiska, is a
Ukrainian-born porn actress who stopped working in the field two years ago
and she no longer finds the job fulfilling.
I watched some Ukrainian officials who screamed that she was the only
source of porn that the country was producing and therefore she had to be
stopped. So she was at risk that they would arrest her or something like
that for her past work that is perfectly legal in much of the West.
In similar respects, Czechia is an indisputable part of the Western Europe
– the people's opinions about simil... more »
America And France: Your Tyranny Will Be Defeated In Syria
*Assad has more dignity in his right pinky than these two vile warmongers
have in their entire bodies. *
"In fact, analysts believe Hollande cares less about public opinion on
Syria than his own miserable ratings, which hover around 20%. Despite
widespread opposition to bombing Syria, some believe it could nonetheless
help Hollande, as it would present him as being in close alliance with
Obama in a crucial international conflict. “This operation is far less
interesting to France as a country, than it is to Hollande,” says Jean
Guisnel, who blogs about military issues for the Fren... more »
The Destruction of the So-Called Peaceful Demonstration
President Morsi was removed from office July 3, 2013, as a result of more
than 32 million Egyptian people calling for his resignation, as well as a
petition with 22 million signatures, due to his incompetency and abuse of
power. Since then, the Muslim Brotherhood and other supporters have failed
to accept this and called on their supporters to protest and demand the
return of Dr. Morsi to his position.
From day one and during the weeks following Morsi’s removal, his supporters
were not peaceful at all. More than a dozen murders were committed in Raba
al Adawiyah and Nahda Squares... more »
Upcoming War On Syria: How Do You Sell The War To Congress? Claim It Will "Protect Israel" (!)
I have said for years that the US Congress is completely under criminal
Jewish control. I have yet to see anything that shows otherwise.... We
constantly see the so called "elected" Congress critters grovel and bow to
their glorious Jewish masters at every chance they get. It is sickening
and should have every American citizen up in arms....
For this article,I want to present a most interesting report from Jason
Ditz, who writes the blog: "Anti War" at www.antiwar.com, that shows how
this rush to war on Syria will most probably pass through Congress on
September 9th..... It app... more »
It's the Left Liberals Who are The Problem...
I can't get over how all the Left Liberal critics of Obama masterfully
co-opted by Karl Rove in 2009 cannot distinguish between bombing someone
and the media all collaborating with the military to say that your going to
bomb someone you have absolutely no intention of bombing under any
circumstances.
Astonishing. Truly astonishing.
And then they wonder why they ALWAYS lose...
You people are also solely and completely responsible for utterly poisoning
the well of 9/11 Truth with the official CIA default fault-back excuse of
BLOWBACK.....
"It's our fault, but we didn't mean for... more »
Paul Craig Roberts is the greatest American truth teller of our times. He sees through today's America like a doctor studying an x-ray. And the cancer he sees is the exact opposite of what most Americans imagine to be "the greatest country in the world." Instead of "liberty and justice for all" today's American government is now a totally corrupt kleptocracy in possession of the power (and the stupidity) to destroy the human race. Obama's determination to attack Syria come hell or high water is just the latest step in that direction. Wake up America!
------------------------------
*Obama Has Decided That It Is Safer To Buy Congress Than To Go It Alone —
Paul Craig Roberts*
------------------------------
September 1, 2013 | Original Here
Go here to sign up to receive
email notice of this news letter
Obama Has Decided That It Is Safer To Buy Congress Than To Go It Alone
Paul Craig Roberts
While still claiming dictatorial powers to start a war on his own
authority, Obama put his unilateral attack on Syria on hold when he
received a letter from more than 160 members of the House of
Rep... more »
Blockading Gaza
From Ma'an
'Israel plans to impose a 500-meter buffer zone along its border with the
Gaza Strip, a senior Israeli military official said Sunday.
Israeli residents living in neighborhoods close to the Gaza border have
received eviction notices.
Homeowners who received eviction orders demonstrated against the decision
and burned tires in protest.
Army bulldozers have also uprooted trees in the border area.
The army has demolished 13 homes in the neighborhood where tunnel entrances
were found.
An Israeli military official told Ma'an that most cross-border tunnels with
entrance... more »
Syria: in Defense of a Broad Military Authorization
Editor’s Note: as per my earlier announcement, I am phasing out of the Duck
of Minerva. But my blogging won’t officially end for around another two
weeks. That means that, although administrative inquiries should be sent to
other team members, I have not gone cold turkey on the writing front. I
remain uncertain as to the wisdom
Continue reading
Will We Allow The Tea Party To Destroy The Planet?
A few days ago someone I follow tweeted something to the effect of the Tea
Party having had no impact on America. I started responding-- since I
vehemently disagree-- when I realized that 143 characters were just not
going to do the trick. The Tea Party, which has historical roots deep in
American history-- from the Tories who took up arms against the American
Patriots in the War of Independence to the Know Nothings who existed
entirely to stop the waves of European immigrants from Ireland, Italy,
Germany and Eastern Europe that built America and, more recently, to the
garden vari... more »
Thomas M. Cooley Law School Alma Mater Song
Thomas Cooley, Alma Mater, mighty temple of the law;
Where first we sought the face of justice full of wonder, full of awe.
Thomas Cooley, Alma Mater, reservoir of truth sublime;
Where first we tasted sweetest Reason, Learning wisdom grows with time. We
came to you in Michaelmas, different as the Autumn Trees.
And working grew in Friendships through quiet, snowbound Hilaries. We'll
say goodbye to Trinities, Treasuring our memories
of Thomas Cooley, Alma Mater,
as we wear your White and Blue, We proudly sing your highest Praises,
Thomas Cooley, Hail to You.
Written and composed b... more »
Jesse Marcel, Sr., Bob Pratt and the Interview
Okay, here’s the deal. In my interview with Paul Kimball, I suggested that
the Bob Pratt interview with Jesse Marcel, Sr. was not as cut and dried as
it seemed. I suggested that there were areas of interpretation that could
be altered by the insertion or deletion of a comma. I explained what I
meant by this, but apparently that explanation wasn’t good enough or wasn’t
completely understood. Seems that some thought I was attacking Pratt’s
ability as a journalist and everyone knew how careful he was.
The problem, I believe, is that many of those making such comments have not
seen the... more »
Broccoli and Bacon Salad
Labor Day in this house means a great BBQ with some of my favorite sides.
My mom has been making this salad since I was a kid and I absolutely love
it. Who doesn't love anything with bacon? Broccoli and Bacon salad is easy
to throw together and the perfect side for your get together.
Salad:
1/2 lb of bacon
8 C. broccoli florets
1 c. raisins
1/4 c. red onion, minced
1 c. unsalted sunflower seeds
Fry the bacon over high heat until the bacon is crisp, drain and remove
from heat. Chop the bacon. Combine all of the ingredients except the
sunflower seeds in a large bowl.
Dressing:
1 C.... more »
Syrian Chemical Weapons False Flag Attack: Buying A Ticket To War - No Moron Left Behind!
I decided to again turn on the Talmud-Vision this morning to see what the
liars and morons in our Jewish controlled media are spewing today about the
false flag chemical weapons attack in Syria that was most definitely done
by either CIA/Mossad or the so called mercenary "rebel" forces.....What I
saw made me quickly turn the idiot box off... Jew controlled CNN was going
on and on about how the criminal US Secretary of State, John Kohn, was
right and how the latest "intelligence" report shows "evidence" of Assad
"doing the chemical attack on his own people".... It does seem again that... more »
Labor Day in a Jobless Decade
*If any man tells you he loves America, yet hates labor, he is a liar. If
any man tells you he trusts America, yet fears labor, he is a fool.”*
― Abraham Lincoln
Fast forward a century and a half, and American leaders, foolish as
ever, have taken their fear of people to unprecedented levels by spitting
in labor's face and drum-beating for yet another war. In Abe's day, the
tycoons only had the Pinkerton Agency to crush the oppressed. Now we have
the N.S.A,, the C.I.A, the D.E.A., the T.S.A., the FISA Court, Homeland
Security fusion centers, militarized urban police forces and proba... more »
DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Five frameworks!
*MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2013*
*Part 1—The mystery:* Bill Keller is a major American journalist, one with
whom we almost share the old school system tie.
In June 1965, we graduated from Aragon High in San Mateo, California. One
mile down the Alameda, Keller was a student at Serra, a Catholic high
school which later gave us Barry Bonds *and* Tom Brady.
And Bill Keller! Despite his selection of high schools, Keller built a
career which took him to the top of the American press corps. In 1989, he
won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the breakup of the former Soviet
Union.
From 199... more »
No Progress for CLIMATEPROGRESS
I probably first encountered Joe Romm's "ClimateProgress" in 2006 when I
was debating with anthropogenic climate change sceptics. Romm was a useful
and reliable source of information about CO2 and global climate change. I
was at first very favorably disposed towards Joe's work at that time. I
largely ignored his attitude toward nuclear power, however I quickly came
to the conclusion that the argument about climate change had been won. by
spring of 2007 I was ready to move on to supporting a solution. Up until
that time I was favourably disposed towards renewables, but also thought
... more »
Why Jimmy Carter is Awesome
Jimmy Carter describing why he builds houses with *Habitat for Humanity*:
*"From my rural boyhood, when I often spent the night with black neighbors
who lived in unheated and dilapidated shacks, to my years in the White
House when I saw the plight of the homeless and those trapped in poverty
housing worldwide, I have known that shelter matters. And I know, as a
Christian, that I have a responsibility to serve where I can, that as I
treat "the least of these", I treat my Creator."*
Is this "*confused hysteria"*? No, it's common human decency. It's sad when
people have to twist the... more »
Just my two cents - since they monitor any site with this name
David Koch: Attacking Syria Would Be 'Dead Wrong' Who gives a damn what
David Koch thinks.He hasn't been elected by anyone.He even lost a
presidential bid with all his money.David Koch is a rich old megalomaniac
narcissistic anti-democracy jack@$$ and that's all.
Is this TFA and Reality Israel stuff Anti-Semitic? I’m torn.
There’s an article going around about a widow donating to TFA to provide
some kind of field trip experience to Israel called Reality Israel. Here’s
explanation of the trip via TFA’s website. It’s written by journalist Max
Blumenthal and is making the rounds in leftist media like Alternet. When I
first read Blumenthal’s original article, […]
Joe Lieberman Smells Blood
When Lieberman finally recognized Connecticut's electoral calculus and
retired last year, I was tempted to throw away my collection of Lieberman
art. But something told me not to, that Lieberman still wasn't through
polluting America's public spaces. And, sure enough, the sleazy K Street
lobbyist for Kasowitz Benson Torres & Friedman, who has always put the
demands of Israel's Likud extremists ahead of America's own interests, and
is now part of the right-wing think tank, the American Enterprise
Institute, was spouting his unique, dark vision of humanity for Fox viewers
yesterday.... more »
Brian Brake House, by Ron Sang
[image: Auckland Architect Brake House]
Nearly forty years ago, photographer Brian Brake asked a young architect to
design a home for him in the Titirangi bush, from which that young
architect, Ron Sang, produced one of his best works—and a model for the
Titirangi bush house.
[image: Auckland Architect Brake House]
Allan Wild, former Head of the School of Architecture at the University of
Auckland, describes the design process:
The site had been found for Brake by Wellington photographer Spencer Digby,
who had apprenticed him. Sculptor Guy Ngan introduced Brake to Auckland
archi... more »
labour day 2013: low-wage workers rising
This week, port truckers went on strike in California, and fast-food
workers in more than 60 cities walked off their jobs.
Today in the US, Labor Day is Walmart's last day to respond before Walmart
workers intensify their nationwide actions on September 5.
In Toronto, hotel workers won a huge victory through their union, the
United Steelworkers, ending their 13-week strike by winning a contract
without the huge concessions their employer was demanding.
Labour rights are *human* rights. And this is how change happens: enjoy
this pics from the fast-food workers' national campaign.
Memory Serves
A generation has passed since Sally Field won an Oscar for her performance
in *Norma Rae*. Most people have forgotten the film. They have forgotten
the battles auto workers waged against Henry Ford. The have forgotten the
Asbestos Strike of 1949, and the battles miners waged against the Quebec
Provincial Police and Maurice Duplessis.
The have forgotten the forty hour work week, vacation pay, child labour
laws and -- if Tim Hudak gets his way -- they will forget the Rand Formula.
In Stephen Harper's Canada, strikes are outlawed before they begin.
Our economy collapsed because we ... more »
EngageNY modules: “So random” is no way to teach.
The New York State Education Department has been pushing Common Core
implementation at a rapid pace, even forcing last spring’s new aligned
state assessments on schools even though teachers had little opportunity
for training and preparation. Giving teachers time to prepare and create
lessons on their own is the key to any quality classroom experience. […]
Morrissey Speaks to the Kids
“*How can you stay with a fat girl who'll say "Oh, would you like to marry
me, and if you like you can buy the ring?"/ She doesn't care about
anything...*”
— Morrissey in "William, It Was Really Nothing"
*What 'William It Was Really Nothing' is about is... it occurred to me that
within popular music if ever there were any records that discussed marriage
they were always from the female's standpoint - female singers singing to
women: whenever there were any songs saying 'do not marry, stay single,
self-preservation, etc'. I thought it was about time there was a male voice
speak... more »
The P&C, Here We Go Again; Or, Let’s Link Journos’ Pay to Doing the Research
The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC) has yet to see a bad education reform
idea it could reject. This time they are endorsing merit pay and linking
teacher pay to student test scores. I sent this letter to the editor: It is
careless and irresponsible journalism to continue to endorse education
reform that has no […]
Untitled
*Saints final 53-man roster!*
*Coal terminal gets green light for coastal use permit as residents remain
opposed to project ~WDSU*
*The good times roll for retirees in Louisiana ~WWL*
*La. tribes look to change in federal recognition rules ~Jordan Blum, New
Orleans Advocate*
*Saenger Theatre to host free community concert*
Developer of HPV Vaccines Blasts the Vaccines for Dangers, False Claims by Elizabeth Renter
Developer of HPV Vaccines Blasts the Vaccines for Dangers, False Claims
by Elizabeth Renter
Natural Society, 31 August 2013
The first-hand knowledge of one scientist, responsible for helping to
develop two vaccines for human papillomavirus (HPV), including Gardasil,
interestingly led her to vocally question the vaccines’ safety and
effectiveness before backtracking and denying she ever questioned them. *She
says that the vaccines are just as dangerous, if not more so, than the
disease they are meant to prevent, all while thousands of children as young
as 9 are being given the v... more »
Electricity price woes continue
*In case you forgot what lovely blue skies looked like...*
One of the many ways state subsidies shape Taiwan is the island's low
prices for electricity, in the news at the end of August.... (China Post):
Economics Minister Chang Chia-juch yesterday said Taiwan has the highest
average electricity consumption per person in Asia and electricity prices
are among the cheapest in the world.
Household electricity prices are the second lowest in the world, while
industrial electricity is the second cheapest in Asia and fourth in the
world, Chang said.
Such a price structure is hindering ... more »
Posting hiatus
I didn't post yesterday and quite enjoyed the freedom, I also didn't Tweet
from Friday night until this morning and that was very freeing.
I think that I need a rest from regular blogging as I am feeling quite
stale, I'll post as and and when I feel the urge, hopefully I'll regain my
enthusiasm sooner rather than later.
Syria: Three Questions for Vince Cable
And so, a pointless war against Syria has been averted - for now. Not that
you would think it as BBC News has been in overdrive since Thursday's vote.
Bulletins jammed with Syrian war porn - classy. But at least some of the
media have been doing a proper job at holding the government to account.
Step forward *The Daily Record* yesterday and *The Indy* this morning.
Unsurprisingly, given successive governments' predilection to sell weapons
and weaponisable components to any tinpot dictator that can stump up the
readies, so it appears our Conservative-led Coalition government - the
a... more »
An apologia for ideas from Hawking's BH bet concession
In Summer 2004, Stephen Hawking conceded his and Kip Thorne's bet against
John Preskill: Preskill was the only one among the three who said in 1974
that the information about the initial state was preserved after a black
hole evaporates. This blog is relatively ancient according to the
blogospherical standards so there was already a story about the concessionin late 2004.
*Off-topic:* Israel Gelfand would celebrate his 100th birthday today.
Kip Thorne hasn't conceded yet; I think that his position has become
indefensible over the years.
In July 2005, Hawking wrote a paper (TRF comme... more »
PRINCESS DIANA AND FACTIONS
*Dodi and Diana*
Princess Diana was threatening to move abroad with Dodi Al-Fayed and take
William and Harry with her.
This is according to *SUE-REID in the Daily Mail*
Dodi had bought an estate in Malibu, in California.
Dodi had told Diana the estate was where they would spend their married
life.
*SUE-REID in the Daily Mail*
Malibu has been home to such people as Steven Spielberg, Mel Brooks and Lawrence
Ellison founder of the Oracle Corporation.
Did a faction within MI6 fear that Diana and Prince William would become
assets of some rival faction within the elite?
Based in... more »
Artist Taxi Driver sums up why it's a WAR WORLD, blames the PROFIT game.
IT'S GOVERNMENT'S JOB TO SELL THE WAR WORLD, all wars are Corporate Wars *
for PROFIT*.
Artist Taxi Driver says the shocking shit the media are too afraid to say.
"Eat your roast beef!" man's a genius.
Al-Qaeda And America: Tag Team Terrorists
*Syria is a royal rumble, and Al-Qaeda just tagged America in by staging a
false flag chemical weapons attack and blaming it on Assad, courtesy of
Israel and Saudi Arabia. *
*This is better than world wrestling entertainment. This is world war
entertainment. *
As George Carlin said, enjoy the show.* *
I luv's me sum Michael Prince aka James Casbolt aka Controlled Opposition to Normality
here it is, the latest in a long line of Is he isn't he? or Did he didn't
he? Hopefully, when John Urwin puts Michael Prince aka James Casbolt aka
'Stargate' is a Military Codeword for Syria as it was for Yemen as it was
for Iraq in the Machine, it'll all become clear.
Hopefully.
World To Obama: Do Not Attack Syria, Do Not Cross This Red Line
*Punish Syria? For what? Imaginary crimes based on false evidence?
Washington has no case against Syria. Obama has no right to punish anyone.
And God has already punished America. Its crimes against humanity stink to
high heaven. Add an illegal war on Syria to the list of its war crimes. *
After threatening Syria with military strikes, Assad told Obama to *tread
lightly*.
And, so far, Obama has done just that. He has not yet crossed the red line
of aggressive war. But, that will change when Israel's lapdogs in Congress
vote on whether or not to attack Syria. They will obviously v... more »
Mining 32: Output Contraction in 1st Half 2013
* This is my article in Mining Week yesterday.
--------------
The continuing policy instability in the mining industry has one clear
result, the continued decline in mining output, both metallic and
non-metallic.
The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) released this week the 2
nd Quarter 2013 macroeconomic data. The economy’s gross domestic product
(GDP) was able to grow 7.7 percent in 2nd Qtr 2013 compared to its year ago
level. The main contributors to such high growth in the expenditures and
demand side were investments or capital formation, public and private,
followe... more »
Jedi Mind Tricks - When All Light Dies
Jedi Mind Tricks - When All Light Dies. Source: Babygrande Records.
Arab League wants action on Syria [CNN]
The Arab League can fuck off. It is illegitimate. It has swallowed the
USraeli propaganda that Assad used chemical weapons against his own people.
These idiots will let America and Israel destroy one Arab and Muslim
country after another. When the Arab League takes an interest in the
suffering and imprisonment of Palestinians under USrahell then it should be
listened to.
Arab League wants action on Syria. Source: CNN.
The ZAP Report 9-1-2013
*
* *
* *Greetings and Salutations*
*
* *The Syrian situation is a hotbed of horrid conflict. Once again the
drama is taking the focus away from where it needs to be. When things get
too hot to handle the good ol' guvferment folk create ways to take the
focus away from what needs to be stretched and reviewed as truth, as real
leading to more drama. We already know how to hold for higher outcomes, so
lets do it.*
*
* *Things are moving right along, steadily, as they have been for some
time. The pieces on the chess board are always being moved around and that
brings on more checks an... more »
Tavis Smiley: Barack Obama 'Dishonoring' Dr. King With Syria Strike
*America has rejected Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his values because
America is not a Christian nation. America is a Satanic nation, and that is
just the truth. America is still a great nation, but it is the Great Satan.
*
America conducts wars based on lies. America uses chemical weapons while
falsely accusing others of using them. America uses nuclear weapons while
pretending to be the moral judge that decides who is allowed to build
nukes. If America is the world police then the world is fucked. America is
the devil. America has killed more women and children then Saddam, ... more »
Friday Baseball Post
I was thinking for writing this on time (that is, Friday), but wound up
letting it go...until now, when I just looked at the pitching matchup for
tomorrow. And really: why is Zito starting?
No, really. Why is Zito starting? For that matter, why is Zito on this team?
Seriously. We're talking about a very, very, very, bad starting pitcher.
You want to see his ERA+ with the Giants? From 2007 through this week, in
order: 99, 85, 105, 94, 60, 85, 58. Yes: he's had 23 starts this year
despite zero expectation that he would be any good and then zero positive
results.
So it took them howe... more »
The Myth of Opting Out of Tests and Losing Money
Time to do a little research. Luckily, the hard-working folks at New York
State Allies for Public Education have done much of the groundwork for us!
And that groundwork is a solid foundation of information for all states
with NCLB Waivers. Did you know that No Child Left Behind originally called
for 95% participation since […]
TV Watch: I love AMC's "Talking Bad." Meanwhile, the new show, "Winter Low Heat" (or whatever it's called), isn't doing much for me
*Here's where you can submit your questions for Talking Bad.*
*by Ken*
I didn't think there would be a "TV Watch" this week. After all, though
I've been putting in mountains of tube time, most of my watching has been
pm DVD -- not just the amazing *Friday Night Lights*, which I wrote about
recently, but now also Aaron Sorkin's single-season *Studio 60 on the
Sunset Strip* and -- what else? -- *The Sopranos*. (I had Seasons 1-3 on
VHS, and those tapes got a fair amount of use, and I had Season 4 on DVD,
but I finally took the plunge and bought the complete-series DVDs.)
Whereas stu... more »
Meet & Greet Monday (#MtaGt) - CelloMom on Cars
Welcome
to Meet & Greet Monday, a regular series designed to grow our
green
community.
[image: A link-up for green blogs on Reduce Footprints Blog]
Banner by Art Ist
Grab our banner for your site:
*The
rules:*
1. Use the link-up tool below to share your green-living blog or
collection
of environment... more »
*The
rules:*
1. Use the link-up tool below to share your green-living blog or
collection
of environment... more » Syrian Chemical Weapons False Flag Attack: America Totally Discredited!
The insane push for war against the innocent nation of Syria has completely
unraveled now, and America and the criminal state of Israel have been
exposed as the insane war mongering nations they truly are. These
criminals can no longer even keep their lies straight, and the US
Government is desperately looking for any out to save face and to try to
keep its all powerful image alive around the world.... But this Syrian
fiasco has now fully exposed both the US and Israel as the truly criminal
and murderous nations they truly are, and the entire world is no longer
fooled by their lies... more »
Bomb bomb bomb Iran Syria
Three days ago Mint Press News out of Minneapolis published a story written
by MidEast AP reporter Dale Gavlak based on eyewitness accounts from
relatives of Syrian rebels killed in the Aug. 21 chemical 'attack'. They
contend that what actually occurred was an accident caused by the rebels
mishandling their Saudi-supplied chemical weapons cargo :
*EXCLUSIVE: Syrians In Ghouta Claim Saudi-Supplied Rebels Behind Chemical
Attack*
Rebels and local residents in Ghouta accuse Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan
of providing chemical weapons to an al-Qaida linked rebel group.
“We were very c... more »
So what did National do about Nanny State then?
You’ll remember back when the Nats were in opposition, they made a meal out
of Helen Clark’s Nanny State.
Looking back at the old poster we did for *The Free Radical* magazine back
in 2007, you can only thank goodness they’ve done so much since then to
remove all the nannying.[image:
[FREE_RADICAL-Nanny_State_Berserk_Poster.jpg]]
And they haven’t done any new nannying, have they. None at all. Well, apart
from siccing their spies onto us, and talking up fatty food bans, and
transforming cities with no-drinking zones, and trying to make legal highs
illegal, and trying to make alc... more »
Mohawk Nation News 'Birth and Death'
BIRTH
and DEATH
Posted on August 31, 2013
MNN. AUG. 31, 2013. Detroit’s funeral directors were informed that the
City “can’t process birth and death certificates because they have no
paper and don’t have money to buy any.” After the July 18, 2013
bankruptcy the creditors want cash! Dying is easy. Proving you’re dead
is getting impossible! Cities are corporations. Bankers are 51% of the
PUNITIVE ACTION OR REGIME CHANGE?
There should be no misunderstandings over what is about to happen in Syria.
When the US and their allies – and the UK may well be joining them yet –
attack Syria it will be for the purpose of regime change and not as a
‘punishment’ for using gas against civilians. The ‘punishment’ or
‘punitive’ rhetoric being used currently is purely for propaganda purposes
in an effort to swing public opinion to support an attack.
The court of public opinion in the West these days, especially when it
comes to the possibility of going to war in the Middle East, is
particularly important to politicia... more »
In 2012 Only Conservative Incumbents Lost Their House Seats
Leaving out redistricting's incumbent vs incumbent primaries, in 2012 only
22 incumbents lost their House seats. Not one of them was a progressive.
Every single one of them was a conservative. Only two Democrats were
challenged by non-incumbents in primaries, Blue Dog Tim Holden (PA) and
ConservaDem Silvestre Reyes (TX). Both were defeated by significantly more
progressive Democrats, respectively Matt Cartwright and Beto O'Rourke, each
of whom went on to win landslide victories in the general election. In
Republicanville, three conservatives lost reelection to non-incumbents in
pr... more »
happy labour day: thank a union, and thank the men and women who made unions possible
If you're enjoying a long weekend, take a moment to acknowledge the blood,
sweat, and tears of the women and men who made that possible. This page
from a regional AFL-CIO affiliate has a partial list of what we enjoy
thanks to organizing labour.
36 Reasons Why You Should Thank a Union
Weekends
All Breaks at Work, including your Lunch Breaks
Paid Vacation
FMLA
Sick Leave
Social Security
Minimum Wage
Civil Rights Act/Title VII (Prohibits Employer Discrimination)
8-Hour Work Day
Overtime Pay
Child Labor Laws
Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA)
40 Hour Work Week
Worker's Compensation (W... more »
Blessed are the Peacemakers
" and I cannot forget that the *Nobel Peace Prize* was also a *commission*,
a *commission* to work harder than I had ever worked before for *"the
brotherhood of man." *
This is a calling that takes me *beyond national allegiances*, but even if
it were not present I would yet have to live with the meaning of my
commitment to the ministry of Jesus Christ.
*Martin Luther King, Jr.*
*Beyond Vietnam -- A Time to Break Silence*
*Delivered 4 April 1967, Riverside Church, New York City*
To me the relationship of this ministry to the making of peace is so
obvious that I sometimes marvel... more »
PORTLAND PROTEST AGAINST SYRIA ATTACK
There was a protest yesterday in Portland, Maine where several groups
joined together to stand against a Syria attack. We marched a bit through
the city and concluded with a closing circle where folks were asked to do
something each day in the coming week to stop this coming attack.
Sadly the top columnist from the *Portland Press Herald* wrote a slam peace
that appeared in the Sunday edition of the paper. I believe the columnist
was trying to do a couple things with his piece. One was to provide cover
for Obama and our congressional delegation to support war by showing peace
mo... more »
I'm reposting here the stirring video featured in my post of August 30, 2013, just in case you missed it. See and HEAR! why Paul Craig Roberts declared British MP George Galloway to be "the only real leader in the entire Western world."
This video is taken from my original re-posting to Cherchez la Verite of an
important article in Veterans News Now.
------------------------------
George Galloway's HEATED Speech British Parliament Debate On Military
Action Against Syria. 8/29/2013
http://youtu.be/Han5fgzy4KU
We need Americans who can, and will, stand up and speak truth to power like
this!
Cherchez la Verite
More and more Americans are changing their beliefs regarding whether or not the U.S. should attack Syria, fueled by John Kerry's incessent lying. We must convinvce our Congress persons and Senators that we'll vote them out of office if they support Obama's intention to commence a war of aggression against Syria.
Blogger's Note: In this post I am putting up snippets from the Huff Post
having to do with John Kerry's assertions that the forces of Bashar
al-Assad were responsible for the murderous chemical weapons attack on
innocent civilians in a suburb of Damascus in the presence of UN observers
(who were ordered away by the UN before they could judge who was actually
responsible.) So where did Kerry get his information? Short answer, he
didn't need information because his intention appears to be to lie about
everything (see Paul Crag Roberts' assessments *here* and *here*). And for
some of t... more »
IN THE GATHERING DARKNESS, A LIGHT GOES OUT / SEAMUS HEANEY 1939-2013
**
**
*Dublin's Seamus Heaney in repose*
*Poetry is the bridge between the mind and the heart where feelings become
words and none was more accomplished at that gift than Dublin's Seamus
Heaney ~ the Irish poet, playwright, translator and lecturer, and the
recipient of the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature. His light will be missed
in the gathering darkness of our present times: Allen L Roland*
As a writer, columnist and amateur poet, I recognize and relish the power
of poetry and the emotional impact of putting feelings into words but it is
implicit in Seamus He... more »
Some Sunday night listening...
Here's a mild enigma. Early on in David Bowie's career, in his imperial
period, which I would count as from arriving in Haddon Hall in 1970 and
leaving Los Angeles in 1976, he is overflowing with songs. After that point
they dry up. The Berlin albums were a protracted battle against writers
block. They are his best in my opinion. Where did all the songs go? There's
few bootlegs after 1975, the reissues in 1990 and 1999 produced very few
new songs, and according to Pushing Ahead of the Dame there's even precious
little info on studio takes, who played what and so on.
This is the last... more »
Sunday Question for Liberals
Same question as the one for conservatives:
What Democratic politicians, if any, do you tend to trust on Syria?
Outside of politicians: which writers, analysts, or experts do you tend to
trust on Syria?
Willful Ignorance-- A Problem For Representative Democracy?
On Wednesday, Ken pointed out that more Louisiana Republicans blame
Obamafor the poor response to Hurricane Katrina than blame George W.
Bush,
29-28%-- with another 44% "unsure." Perhaps most Louisiana Republicans
didn't recall that they had never heard of Barack Obama in 2005 when
Katrina struck. At the time he had been a U.S. senator for a few months.
"Oh my God," I thought when I heard about this; "are these people
voting?
No wonder David Vitter was reelected!" But, it's hardly just Louisiana
Republicans-- even if Louisiana does have the worst education results of
any of the 50... more »
Sunday Question for Conservatives
I guess I'll have to do Syria this week, even though I've asked about it
recently...
How about this one: what Republican politicians, if any, do you tend to
trust on Syria?
Outside of politicians: which writers, analysts, or experts do you tend to
trust on Syria?
NO !
It is time to evolve from
a world in competition
to a world of cooperation
(paradise or oblivion)
There Must Be a BBC Reporter (Playing with My Heart)
Of course, it's not just the BBC's Phil Mercer who's engaged in what seem
like full-blown campaigning against the 'hardline' immigration policies of
Australia's politicians. His newly-arrived BBC colleague Jon Donnison is,
inevitably, singing from exactly the same biased hymn-sheet in his latest *From
Our Own Correspondent *piece, Australia election: Asylum debate cooks up
anger and uncertainty.
Please allow me to paraphrase this emotionally-charged tosh...
There's cheerful Syrian refugee Kobra and her nice friend Xanthe, a
journalist who welcomed poor Kobra with open arms. They ... more »
Causes of the continuing Great Recession? That Savings Glut vs. Those Low Interest Rates
*If you don’t know what caused the economic collapse, says guest poster David
Howden, what you do to repair it might be making things worse.*
Five years after the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression,
economists are still starkly divided as to its causes. Perhaps this is not
too surprising as we are now more than 80 years past the Great Depression
with little end in sight to the debate surrounding the causes of that
downturn.
Most economists fall into one of two camps when explaining where the
imbalances originated that led up to the current crisis. Austrian School
e... more »
Anthony Weiner for the mayor of New York City
Anthony Weiner campaigning on the streets of New York City. He believes in
transparency.
Tandem novel - 20,000 words 'typed in' - cover idea.
*original cover concept*on the day that journalist Glenn Greenwald's
boyfriend is detained for nine hours by border guards in UK and the
Guardian newspaper is forced to DESTROY one of its computers containing
whistleblower Edward Snowden's NSA material, I returned from four weeks
away, on vacation.
I brought back a novel, on three notebooks, written in long hand, which
went through several title changes but finally 'stuck' on *TANDEM*.
Kinda have a problem or three, i) I don't know how long it is, ii) I have
to type it up and iii) as it changed so much 'during' the writing, it's
g... more »
Obama And Syria: The Evolution From Covert War To Overt War
President Obama is criminally misleading his people and the world when he
says that America is planning "limited" and "narrow" strikes against Syria.
The attacks may begin that way on day one, but it won't be long before the
United States is dragged further into the war, along with regional allies
such as Turkey, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. So far, these nations have
prosecuted a covert war against the people and government of Syria. *The
Saudi despots even admit it*.
Since early 2011, they have trained, financed, and armed foreign Jihadist
terrorists to terrorize the Syr... more »
Syria: Don't Gloat, Don't Underestimate The Blind Wrath Of America
"Syria hailed an "historic American retreat" on Sunday, mockingly accusing
President Barack Obama of hesitation and confusion after he delayed a
military strike to consult Congress." - Yara Bayoumy and Thomas Ferraro, *"Scornful
Syria hails 'historic American retreat' as Obama hesitates,"* September 1,
2013.
"Don't gloat when your enemy falls, and don't let your heart rejoice when
he stumbles, or the Lord will see, be displeased, and turn His wrath away
from him." - *Proverbs 24:17-18*.
Are Syria's leaders wise? Their latest statement is an insult to America,
and it shows that t... more »
What's wrong with the media
Jake Tapper explains how he conducts an interview:
Most interviews that I do are not super aggressive. They can’t be, and they
shouldn’t be; that would get pretty tiresome. So when there’s an interview
that’s tough or a question that’s tough, it’s something that raises
eyebrows. It’s not easy to do that in the White House briefing room, at a
press conference. That’s never easy. It’s not fun. Because as humans we are
built to try to avoid conflict. Society constantly looks down its nose at
conflict, even if the media doesn’t. And it’s not a comfortable feeling.
It’s absolutely nerve... more »
Thank you for your comment, Satan
Ah, coincidences!
That's all they tend to be but (as Eddie Mair's hero Glenn Greenwald might
put it)...
...the wonderful Seamus Heaney died this week aged 74 and the towering UK
media figure that was Sir David Frost also passed through the keyhole of
mortality this week aged 74. Hardly a coincidence, eh?
Plus we here at *Is the BBC biased?* got 666 visitors from the
pro-Palestinian website Electronic Intifada yesterday - the number of The
Beast. A complaint from Satan himself at us being "a pro-Israeli blog"
perhaps?
Surely.
[For all passing visitors from Electronic Intifada ... more »
Sunday Classics: On our way to focusing on Nedda's scenes with the two baritones of Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci"
*Daniel Sutin as Tonio the clown in Austin, 2012*
*PROLOGUE (sung by the performance's Tonio) -- conclusion:*
And you, rather than our poor
actors' costumes, consider
our souls, because we are people,
of flesh and bone, and since in this orphan
world, just like you, we breathe the air!
I've told you the concept.
Now hear how it worked out.
Let's go -- begin!
*Leonard Warren (b), Tonio; RCA Victor Orchestra, Renato Cellini, cond.
RCA-EMI, recorded January 1953*
*Giuseppe Taddei (b), Tonio; Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala, Herbert
von Karajan, cond. DG, recorded Sept.-Oct. ... more »
'Pain in the Assad'
A ‘pain in the Assad?’ Syrian cartoonist speaks out from exile.
*“Things were starting to give [Assad] *
*a pain in the arse,” says Syrian cartoonist Ali Ferzat.*
* (Illustration: Ali Ferzat)*
Your moment of Zen
A treasure trove of sea glass. [photo via Mrs Cupid Stunt]
Saddam Was More Compliant With Inspectors
5 TX fertilizer plants carrying same shit that exploded & killed 15 people
last April have refused to be inspected. http://t.co/rajVbT92LV
— Robert Crawford (@jurassicpork59) August 31, 2013
Yeah, you read that right. Nearly a half dozen Texas fertilizer
plants housing ammonium nitrate, the extremely combustible substance that
blew up a West, Texas fertilizer plant that claimed 15 human lives and
injured over 200 others have refused to be inspected and, under Texas law,
or the lack of them, they have that right.
The article goes on to state that lawmakers were "intrigued"... more »
Inspirational . . .
MOTIVATIONAL
POSTERS from an age that seemed to be more simple than ours. SLATE has
an article by Rebecca Onion, “The Colorful Posters That Motivated
Jazz-Age Workers To Strive” that is a delight. Do follow the link in the
article to see a lot more of 'em.
But times change, and ninety years or so later, we arrive at
de-motivational posters that appeal to those who are more objective
about
Northerntruthseeker Rant For Sunday, September 1st, 2013
It is Sunday, the start of the month of September, and again time for my
weekly rant....
First, Many have again wondered why I do not do daily posts like I used
to.... I have been busy the last while with doing a course upgrade for my
job, as well as taking care of some family business.... It has been hard to
keep up with this blog at times, so bear with me.... I am still here, and
very much alive and kicking..
Of course, most of this week's rant will indeed be about Syria....And the
absolutely horrendous actions by the criminals in the United States and
Israel who care not about p... more »
New Left Blogs August/September 2013
Let's have it. Here are the new(ish) left blogs I've caught up with this
month:
1. Ben Robinson Graphic Design (Socialist Party) (Twitter)
2. Christine Quigley (Labour) (Twitter)
3. Cllr Darren Price (Labour) (Twitter)
4. Hollywood Hegemony (Unaligned)
5. Labour Women's Network (Labour) (Twitter)
6. Leemartin1234's Blog (Labour) (Twitter)
7. Left of the Left of the Left (Unaligned/Anarchist)
8. Lost but not Returning (TUSC)
9. Mary Wimbury (Labour) (Twitter)
10. Masters of Suspicion (Unaligned)
11. Mum v Austerity (Unaligned) (Twitter)
12. Oliver Hotham (Unaligned) (Twitter)
13. Organisin... more »
Five Most Popular Posts for August
The five most read posts last month were:
1. Splits and the Socialist Party
2. Top 100 Worst Blogs Poll
3. Review - Cybersexism by Laurie Penny
4. Working for a Member of Parliament
5. Conservative Bias at the BBC
It is an axiom of political blogging that discussing one or more
organisations of the far left will pull down the audience figures, and
further confirmation comes with last month's post about the Socialist
Party. I have something on the back burner about Ted Grant, so we shall see
if that trend continues.
My pick of the month deserving a few more readers is Marx and Dialec... more »
Pontius President
What a way for President Obama to display his contempt for both the
American people and for Congress. Saturday's pullback from an immediate
bomb-a-thon was one of the weirdest simultaneous acts
of ass-covering and imperial power-grabbing in the entire history of his
presidency.
The performance: Do a quickie Pontius Pilate, wash that blurred red line
of blood clean from your hands and punt the case for bombing Syria and its
environs right over to Congress. Be sure to double-signal your absolute
lack of concern over all the thousands of victims of Assad's alleged
chemical attacks b... more »
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