Saturday, October 01, 2016

1 October - My Feedly! 2


Greg Mankiw's Blog   

Trumponomics
Regular readers of this blog know that I often disagree with Paul Krugman. But I come here today to agree with a recent post of his on the analysis put out by two Trump economic advisers. The Trump advisers' analysis is truly disappointing (though perhaps not surprisingly so, given what the candidate has said over the course of the campaign). Their analysis of trade deficits, starting on page 18,
Economics Teaching Conference
Economics educators may be interested in this upcoming conference . Frank Conway, founder of the Economic Rockstar , will interview me at the conference.
Bank stocks are just as risky now as they were before the financial crisis
That is the most interesting thing I learned at the recent BPEA meeting. Click here to learn more .

Inexplicata-The Journal of Hispanic Ufology   

"If the Military Admitted the Existence of UFOs, Their Scam Would Collapse"
Source: PLANETA UFO and La Vanguardia (Spain) Date: 09.13.2016 "If the Military Admitted the Existence of UFOs, Their Scam Would Collapse" An interview with Juan Jose Benitez by Andres Guerra Juan Jose Benitez (Born in Pamplona, Spain, 1946) found it necessary to quit his newspaper job due to the stubbornness of the UFO phenomenon. He has never regretted it, although he went through hard times at
Argentina: Cattle Mutilations in the Patagones District
Source: VISION OVNI & Comarca Hoy.com.ar Date: 09.08.2016 Argentina: Cattle Mutilations in the Patagones District Is the Chupacabras on the loose? Questions arise over the discovery of dead cows and sheep. The discovery of mutilated animals in various fields caused alarm in the rural community, which is unable to explain the reason for these events. A cattleman describes the situation experienced
Argentina: Woman Claims Finding ET in Gualeguay 48 years Ago
Source: Facebook Date: 09.12.16 An article by Sebastián Aranguren Argentina: Woman Claims Finding ET in Gualeguay 48 years Ago Forty eight years ago, a girl playing with a friend on a property locating the Tiro Federal football club of Gualeguay, Province of Entre Rios, was a direct witness to a case that would be a sort of Roswell-type event, should it be confirmed, as the child spoke to a small
Ten Thousand Views and Thanks
There was a particular reverence for the ten thousand mark in ancient Greece - the "myriad", the unit employed to designate the largest amount conceivable. A small number by modern reckoning, in an age where a cat video on YouTube can rack up a million views. Nevertheless, INEXPLICATA is pleased to have reached its ten thousandth read on Scribd.com this week, and we would like to extend our thank

LILITH NEWS   

The Toronto Air Show, a poignant reminder of what an invasion sounds like
Every year the sounds of military jet engines breaking the sound barrier while flying over the city of Toronto serve as advertising that the Toronto Air Show is once again upon us. As Toronto's oldest annual air show, it isn't going to disappear any time soon. The base tickets bring in thousands of people, but they also offer VIP tickets which have staggering prices of upward to $1519 per ticket,

Manifesto Joe's Texas Blues   

Donald Trump's Amerika: Love It Or Eat It
By Manifesto Joe My sense of fairness compelled me to hold off on attacking Donald Trump. I actually thought he might change as the nominee of a major political party. Might as well wait for the next glacier to move through Texas. The latest Trump travesty was him lamenting about how well the Manhattan bomb suspect was being treated in the hospital, that he will be represented in court by a good l

Middle Class Political Economist   

That's what I'm talkin' about! (Ireland)
I have argued many times (most directly here ) that, contrary to the claims of nearly all Irish policymakers, low taxes are not what makes the Irish economy tick. The country experienced 30 years of low taxes with no gain on average European income; it was only after 1987 that other policy changes (education, EU-funded infrastructure, and Social Partnership) led to gains on the EU average. Thanks
 

Middle East Today   

The 8 th of September- International Literacy Day The United Nations (UN) and the United Nations Educational, Scientifi...
The 8 th of September- International Literacy Day The United Nations (UN) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), designated September 8 th of each year to celebrate and remind people around the world to eliminate illiteracy. Many countries worldwide have succeeded in doing so, while other countries have a long way to go. Unfortunately, the Arab world, w

Morton's Musings   

Calculation of unreasonable delay for 11(b)
R. v. Coulter, 2016 ONCA 704: A. THE NEW FRAMEWORK SUMMARIZED [34] Calculate the total delay , which is the period from the charge to the actual or anticipated end of trial ( Jordan , at para. 47). [35] Subtract defence delay from the total delay, which results in the " Net Delay " ( Jordan , at para. 66). [36] Compare the Net Delay to the presumptive ceiling ( Jordan , at para. 66). [37] If the
Improper to ask accused to provide theory of case
A witness is to testify as to facts - not to explain their theory of a case. R. v. Dhaliwal, 2016 ONCA 652: [11] This line of questioning was improper. It put an onus on the appellant to explain the allegations against him: R. v. S.(W.) (1994), 18 O.R. (3d) 509, 90 C.C.C. (3d) 242 (C.A.) at 252; R. v. Vandenberghe (1995), 96 C.C.C. (3d) 371 (C.A.) at 373. [12] The point was made by the Alberta Co
Dance with Me??
Failure to comply with Rules can lead to personal liability for costs
Adlair v Nunavut 2016 NUCJ 23: Lawyers have an ethical and professional duty to ensure that the advice they give a client, and the actions they take, are proper. In other words, every lawyer has a duty to present the case for their client in good faith, according to the Rules of Court and the applicable law; in this case the laws of evidence. An affidavit may be the sworn evidence of the client,

Obsidian Wings   

Humans never migrated out of Africa
by Doctor Science Carl Zimmer is a great science writer I've been following for years. It's not really his fault that his latest NY Times article on human evolution was the last straw for me, finally breaking my ability to quietly tolerate a particular turn of phrase. The headline for Zimmer's article is: "A Single Migration From Africa Populated the World, Studies Find". No. Homo sapiens never "
I weep for the future - your debate open thread
by Ugh Fnck this is really happening isn't it? Trump is going to drop out and say it's all a joke, no? No? Is it good that I went under contract for a house today? We lost out the last two times to people with more money than sense. And here I thought nobody had more money and less sense than I, maybe the Kardashians bought those two houses. Please try to keep your lunch and dinner down tonight.
Summer's end book round-up
by Doctor Science Between preparing for, going to, and recovering from Worldcon, it's been a while since I wrote about what I've been reading. This round-up covers several weeks, and includes novels by Genevieve Cogman, Laura Anne Gilman, Jo Walton, N.K. Jemisin, and Mary Robinette Kowal. huh. I didn't plan to read only books by woman, it just happened. The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman.
Your Skittles and Blitz Open Thread
by Ugh Well. Great week America, great week. Is it really too much to ask that police body cam footage in shootings be released as a matter of course? You're not inspiring a lot of confidence there Charlotte. Also , too . And three . Separately, I'm beginning to wonder if we will have a permanent 8 member SCOTUS, as I don't see a GOP controlled senate confirming an HRC nominee. I'm sure this is t

Our Manmade Disasters 

God's answers to prayers, hasten by high speed internet?
God's answers to our prayers, hasten by high speed internet? Gforce. Dear God, I know our prayers to you, used to take a very long time to be answered. For instance, o ur prayers for the evil dictator Marcos (Philippines), to be disposed took 21 bloody long years. He was disposed on Feb 25 (225), 1986 (6) following the evil Kabal_orchestrated 1986 Oil Crash. By the way, Marcos was a 911 child. Bo

Pesticide Action Network   

Farm to family, McDonald's can do better
Families across the country are worried about McDonald’s, for more reasons than one. Because McDonald’s is such a huge player in our food system, the decisions the company makes — from marketing, to sourcing, to wages — have a ripple effect. This year, families who are affected by McDonald’s practices are speaking up together as part of a Toxic Taters week of action . The core message? Families d
Iowa farmers win progress on drift
A farmer-led coalition in Iowa is celebrating a recent announcement from state officials signaling significant improvements in how agencies respond to crop damage from pesticide drift. Late last month, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) revealed their commitment to speed up drift damage testing from over nine months to just under 12 days. This dramatic shift is in res
Get this carcinogen out of California water
This summer, the State Water Resources Control Board announced their plans to get a cancer-causing chemical out of California's water. This is very big news. According to state monitoring data , more than one million Californians may have unknowingly been exposed to the carcinogenic "garbage pesticide" 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP) in their drinking water. Officials found 1,2,3-TCP in about 100 pu
Way to bee, Minnesota!
Last Friday, a small crowd gathered in the agriculture building at the Minnesota State Fair. Beekeepers, entomologists, reporters, farmers and pollinator advocates circled around a small podium, waiting for Commissioner of Agriculture Dave Frederickson and Governor Mark Dayton to speak. The crowd wasn't disappointed. In a short press conference, Frederickson and Gov. Dayton announced new rules to

Philosophical Comment   

Four Positions in Financial Ethics open at my University
A quick repost of this splendid opportunity for any early carreer philosophy/ethics/economics student or academic with an interest in the ethics and philosophy of finance and economic systems. 4 positions (research fellow, postdoc and PhD's) and a chance to work with my former PhD student, now stellar researcher in his own right, Joakim Sandberg . Joakim has landed a bunch of grants to suppot his

Screw You Guys, I'm Going Home   

Can You Be Fired For Your Facebook Posts? Yes (With Exceptions)
Do I really have to tell you to watch what you say on social media? Apparently I really do because I run into people all too often who were fired for inappropriate postings, emails, texts, or other comments. My best advice is this: don't put anything in writing that you don’t want posted on the front page of the company newsletter. Examples of social media firings I've heard of that stand out are
Trump Campaign Noncompete Agreements May Break Multiple Laws
You may have seen that the Trump campaign is imposing confidentiality and noncompete agreements on its staffers that are quite broad. Here's the agreement, posted online . It's a great example of what not to do. Let's take a look at what they did wrong for a moment. Election law : The agreement is with The Trump Organization. If Wikipedia has it right, “The Trump Organization (formerly Elizabeth T
Is Retaliation Illegal? Sometimes
Lots of people approach me every week and say they feel they were retaliated against. I usually have to ask, "Retaliation for what?" I think there's a basic misunderstanding of what retaliation is, and when it's illegal. The first part of the problem is understanding retaliation itself. Webster's defines retaliation as: To do something bad to someone who has hurt you or treated you badly : to get

Syria Comment   

“Remember Syria’s Adib Shishakli,” by Christopher Solomon
Remember Syria’s Adib Shishakli Christopher Solomon – @Solomon_Chris For Syria Comment Sept 27, 2016 Nearly 52 years ago, a Syrian political leader hiding in exile was killed in the heart of Brazil. As Syria watchers continue to monitor and understand the country’s grinding civil war, the era of the former Syrian political figure Adib Al-Shishakli could yield some clues. The flag of the Syrian op
The Druze in the Syrian Conflict – By Talal El Atrache
The Druze in the Syrian Conflict By Talal El Atrache* @ TalalElAtrache For Syria Comment – Sept 5, 2016 Five years after the beginning of the Syrian conflict, the Druze show no signs of joining the rebellion. Even calls made by the Saudi-financed opposition, asking the Druze to rise up against the Syrian army, have fallen on deaf ears. Israel’s two-fold psychological campaign – consisting of supp
“Why the UN’s Excuses For its Aid Fiasco in Syria Fail to Convince,” By Reinoud Leenders
Why the UN’s Excuses For its Aid Fiasco in Syria Fail to Convince By Reinoud Leenders* @ ReinoudLeenders for Syria Comment – Sept. 3, 2016 Judging from the UN’s comments on its aid agencies’ conduct in Syria, business will go on as usual –too bad if it throws a lifeline to the Syrian regime. Two UN spokespersons, one for Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and the other for the UN’s Office for the Coor
Lens on Syria, by Daniel Demeter
Back in January 2015, I introduced the readers of Syria Comment to my website, Syria Photo Guide , where I have documented the historic and cultural sites of the country. I also posted a small collection of my photography of Syria taken between 2006 and 2009. Since that time, I have been privileged to work with Just World Books to publish Lens on Syria , a photography book to be released this upc

The Duck of Minerva   

I Broke Up With Michel Foucault*
I broke up with Michel Foucault. Well, that’s not entirely accurate. I sort of ghosted him. Let me explain. When I was in grad school I fell in love with Foucault. He was just exactly what I was looking for- he made me see gender differently, and he helped me to finally piece together what I thought I was trying to say in my thesis. It was magical. He just really ‘got me.’ You know? But then thin
Global Environmental Governance Syllabi – Open Thread
As I blogged earlier today, climate change has not gotten sufficient attention from political scientists. Part of the problem is that few people teach graduate classes on the environment. I didn’t take one in graduate school and basically had to teach myself the topic. This past spring, I taught a full 15 week graduate class for MA students on global environmental governance, expanding a previous
Remembering 9/11: Open Thread
What were you doing 15 years ago on 9/11? What do you remember? How should we remember that day, given the momentous impact the event had on the direction of U.S. foreign policy and global politics? I woke up in my Adams Morgan basement room in the house where I was living to the sound on the radio of a hip hop station. Suddenly, they broke into news about the attack of the first plane on the Wor
Unsolicited Job Talk Advice
Seems to be the time of year when folks post their advice for aspiring professors on how to succe ed at the job talk. While there are other parts of the process–being interviewed one on one by various members of the department or getting grilled by a committee (something that happens far more in Canada than in the US), the most important (and probably not deservedly so )* part of the “fly-out” is

The Earth and Man: Setting the Stage   

Planetary Rotation and Temperature: "Let go, Luke. Use the Force."
The Dr. Roy Spencer site has a post on "The Faster a Planet Rotates, the Warmer Its Average Temperature". My response: As I have pointed out many times, for example here : The Venus/Earth temperature ratio, at points of equal pressure in the two atmospheres, over the full range of Earth tropospheric pressures, is essentially explained by the ratio of their solar distances alone (and precisely so
Nikolov and Zeller Again
The tallbloke site has another post on Nikolov and Zeller's "Unified Climate Theory", about a Washington Post interview with Nikolov. Their latest paper was withdrawn (by "common agreenment with the authors and editors") because they used pseudonyms to get past the consensus guardians that have long made a mockery of peer review (I gave up on peer review years ago--the defense of scientific dogma
Undirected Evolution: The False Religious Dogma Strangling True Science
The wuwt site has a post on news of research suggesting that "a Mercury-sized planet" collided with Earth relatively soon after the Earth was first formed, and this supposedly accounts for the amount of carbon in and on the Earth. My response: Both this post and most of the comments following it (the uncritical ones) are all incompetent, dogmatic speculation (i.e., speculation within the limits o

The High-fat Hep C Diet   

Animal Protein vs Plant Protein - the illusion of scale in diet epidemiology.
This graph appeared in Jason Fung's excellent Intensive Dietary Management blog here . I don't really want to disagree with Jason's statement that animal protein raises insulin more than plant protein, as I haven't looked into the evidence for that or what it means - I merely want to point out that this graph, and the paper it comes from, do not by themselves provide evidence that eating animal p
Court of last appeal - the early history of the high-fat diet for diabetes
It's a long story, and not a proud one. Seeing an email in my inbox from the Journal of Diabetes & Metabolism, which seemed like the title of a journal I'd investigated earlier, I impulsively sent off a draft of my history of Louis "Harry" Newburgh and the Michigan diet. I just emailed the unformatted pdf to them, and never engaged any portal or website. The journal replied, in terrible English,

The Straight Goods   

Why is Rich Coleman planning to “restart our discussions in and around our project development agreement.”
What am I talking about? Rich Coleman in an exclusive with BIV(Business in Vancouver Magazine) on September 21st/2016 said this, and I quote.. ______________ https://www.biv.com/article/2016/9/exclusive-coleman-reveals-housing-lng-and-campaign/ Exclusive: Coleman reveals housing, LNG and campaign secrets to party faithful Coleman, who is also the Minister of Natural Gas Development, said he expec
Two Hours of Blog Talk Radio, Everything LNG, Including All the Lies and Distortions
My first podcast....there was a few technical issues, lack of bandwidth... However, we covered the LNG in great detail... I would like to thank http://www.blogtalkradio.com/canadianglen Thank Canadian Glen for hosting me...You can find him on Twitter here.. https://twitter.com/canadianglen Below is a link to tonight's episode(September 28th/2016).. http://blogtalk.vo.llnwd.net/o23/show/9/495/show
Justin Trudeau, Christy Clark, We Are Idiot!
Flowery words, gentle tone, grandiose optimistic future visions opined by Justin Trudeau.... But on the ground policy, regulation, captured regulators and cowtowing to industrial giants continue as if Stephen Harper was still running the show.... I had such great expectations for Justin Trudeau, he talked of a "new relationship" with First Nations, Justin talked of "regulatory reforms" and a new
Soot
Written by Grant G Originally posted February 2/2012 I'm reposting this for a reason....... Goodbye Kleo The Cat SOOT With a big disposal bin placed out back I finally found courage to remove the charred embers of my past life...... For months now we waited patiently for a promised clean up by our insurance company, weather and excuses dominated and day after day I would drive by my scorched home

thwap's schoolyard 

The Obama Fan
So on FaceBook there was a meme with all the leading figures of the bush II regime pictured besides a list of their several crimes including torture and illegal wars of aggression. It was posted in a group someone had hooked me up to so I didn't know many of the people posting. Three comments about the evil, perfidious Repugnicans and how they should be forced to pay for what they did. I posted "
The Rob Ford Fan
At work it's mostly all immigrants. West Indians and South Asians mainly. But lots of Jamaicans, Arabs, Africans too. Whites are definitely in the minority on the shop floor. It's a lot of fun. Young women from India innocently flirting with young Jamaican men. Chinese and Indian people speaking Hindi to each other. Comments about one another's cultures that have none of the venom of majority pop
Jason Kenney
So, Jason Kenney had the luxury afforded by a six-figure income, to ponder at his leisure about a move to Alberta provincial politics. Ostensibly he was going to "unite the right" against the upstart Alberta NDP government of Rachael Notley. Only things haven't turned out that way. Jason Kenney is a Catholic social conservative whose views are, perhaps informed by his being (perhaps) a self-hatin

 
quote MAD magazine's Alfred Neumann on the topic. "What. Me Worry ?" What a waste of resources chasing one's tail.
 

Vaccine Awakening   

CDC Wants to Expand Power to Eliminate Measles What You Need To Know and Do Now
Published 9/13/2016 By Barbara Loe Fisher To activate and view hyperlinked references, please click here once and then click any superscripted number below to access a hyperlinked reference, or scroll down to the bottom of the article to view all hyperlinked references. I remember the day in 2007, when I was standing in front of a Maryland country courthouse videotaping interviews with mothers and

Vagabond Scholar   

Talk Like a Pirate Day 2016
Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day! I like to celebrate by using one of the English-to-Pirate translators out there to translate a scurvy dog. This year, there's no competition. Follow the links to see the original words of looter and pillager Donald J. Trump, but here are some of his greatest hits in pirate: When Mexico sends its swabbies, they’re nay sendin' the'r best. They’re nay sendin' ye.
Labor Day 2016
Happy Labor Day! As uusal, I'll include some videos. (They're repeats, but good.) Let's kick it off with Billy Bragg: Here's Robert Reich from 2013, about celebrating labor on Labor Day: This one's funny but not safe for work. The YouTube poster explains that "This was a PSA that the voice-over person decided to record an "alternate" version of for fun." Over at Lawyers, Guns & Money

 Related to Viva Bolivia

Viva Bolivia   

Facts about War on Drugs: Bolivia is winning, Colombia, thanks to the US, is losing
The United States constantly berates Evo Morales and insinuates that he is dealing drugs. However, the facts speak for themselves, and in the New York Times , 14 September, 2016, (editorial pages) we can read about how it is Colombia, where the US agencies are actives allegedly fighting drugs, that drugs are up 40% - while they are being eradicated in Bolivia. Obama needs to read the papers! And h

 Welcome to Pottersville 2 (Blogging Against F...   

USA! Usa! usa! Health Care Equals World's Doo-Doo? (People's Issues Absent from Debate) Trump Will Win Because Worse Than But Different From Clinton? USA=Trump's New Piggy Bank (Job Instability Rules US)
Yeah. I do think that. I have a $1000 bill for a blood test ordered by my doctor - one tube of blood (from a 100% healthy patient who tried to refuse but was told it was mandatory for her exam) - from UNC Hospital. Because I am uninsured due to being unemployed and poor in non-Medicaided North Carolina. Yeah. Ain't health care in America grand? If you think there is something hinky in this
Presidential Debates Commission Secret History (Dark Money Explosion Cries for Clean Money Campaign) Deutsche Bank in Free Fall/CoCo Bonds Plunge (Wells Fargo Employees File $2.6B Class Action) Top Bank Fraud Expert: ALL of the Big Banks’ Profits Come from FRAUD - Bill Black's in the House! (Adjunct Profs Treatment Heralds End of Higher Education in USA Usa usa)
The Secret History of the Commission on Presidential Debates With the two major party nominees - and no one else - about to square off once again before a nationwide audience, it's time to revisit the thrilling misadventures that guaranteed voters would never learn about alternative candidates or ideas in presidential debates. Return with us now to... Lee Camp is our current expert (no,
MS to Triumph Again? Neil Nails Indian Givers (They LOL'ed! Bernie BERN MUST Restart Soon Or Else) Cenk's Secret (Jeffrey Sterling Suffers Heart Attack) Losing Whole Middle Class? Almost As Rich As In 1998! (Banking Has Become a Criminal Enterprise) Scott Walker Leaks Dark Money (GMO Crops Study Show Massive Environmental Damage) Arms-Dealing Democratic Frauds Strike Again (Living In Vans - Middle Class Losing Ground)
Did you hear the latest? Microsoft Corporation, which can't make a stable operating system after 40 years of effort, is going to cure cancer. So, please stop yer whining about their low taxes and clever market-capturing legal manipulations. Just hush up! They are your friends. And also stop your mindless yammering about the rich and powerful controlling the national dialogue. NO ONE IS
(Election a Tie?) Russia Did It (5-Alarm Monsanto-Bayer Merger Threat? ITT Frauds) 9/11 Truth (Syriza Fake Reforms) Mass Murder Megaphone (Contract Ensured Bush Beat Kerry?) Rubin Criminal Probe (Wall St. Fakes) Co-ops Vs. Capitalism (NYT Obituary) FOIA Lawsuits Grow 42% (Deutsche Bank Like Trump Says NO!) Warren Opens Pandora's Box (BDS NOT) Son of a Bitch? (Delusional Democracy) Living 15 Years In a Lie
All politicians, like all human beings, shade the truth, use evidence selectively, recast the emphasis of events to cast themselves in a more favorable light.But what we are seeing here is a campaign that, with not one iota of moral conscience, has reached into the playbooks of Big Brother, Joseph Goebbels, and Soviet Russia and simply fabricated an entire false narrative. This is not a case of

What Is Sustainable 

The Hidden Life of Trees
 As a young lad in Germany, Peter Wohlleben loved nature. He went to forestry school, and became a wood ranger. At this job, he was expected to produce as many high quality saw logs as possible, with maximum efficiency, by any means necessary. His tool kit included heavy machinery and pesticides. This was forest mining, an enterprise that ravaged the forest ecosystem and had no long-term future.
The Call of Distant Mammoths
 I’ve long been interested in the megafauna extinctions of Pleistocene North America. A number of books endorse Paul Martin’s “Pleistocene Overkill Hypothesis,” which asserts that the early humans on the continent were “super predators” who launched a blitzkrieg of overhunting. Hunting began in northwest Canada, and spread south and east like a wild fire. Within 2,000 years, at least 33 genera (

Wit's End   

The Waste Land
What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow Out of this stony rubbish? Son of man, You cannot say, or guess, for you know only A heap of broken images, where the sun beats, And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief, And the dry stone no sound of water. Only There is shadow under this red rock, (Come in under the shadow of this red rock), And I will show you something differ

wmtc   

what i'm reading: your heart is a muscle the size of a fist, by sunil yapa
If only Your Heart Is a Muscle the Size of a Fist could be required reading. Everyone who has ever scoffed cynically at protesters. Everyone who has ever seen a mainstream news report showing a burning car, over and over and over, but not showing tens of thousands of peaceful protesters, and looked no deeper. Everyone who has ever denied police violence against peaceful, law-abiding citizens, or
labour day readers' advisory: books and movies that celebrate labour
I spoke to a customer yesterday who was visiting from Denmark. He described himself as a trade-unionist, and he came to the library, looking for me, to learn about our strike! He also said he had read a book he loved, and was looking for more like it. He described the book: "by a Canadian author, takes place in Toronto, about the struggles of workers building a viaduct". It is some measure of my C
what i'm reading: the evil hours, a biography of post-traumatic stress disorder
The Evil Hours: A Biography of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is an outstanding book -- meticulously researched, but written in a compelling, accessible style, and with great humanity and compassion. Author David J. Morris unearths the social and cultural history of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the fourth most common psychiatric disorder in the US. He surveys the potential treatments. H
fun with bag signs: in which i am photographed removing garbage from my neighbourhood
Are there bag signs where you live? In Mississauga and perhaps most suburban places, people put up bag signs advertising services. The signs are cheap to buy and easy to post. They are also illegal. To me, they are the nexus of evil: advertising meets visual pollution meets polyethylene waste. I have called 311 to complain about these signs in my neighbourhood, and if the City has someone availab

A Different Perspective   

The Socorro Symbols - Redux
A couple of weeks ago I interviewed Ben Moss and Tony Angiola on the radio version of this blog. At the time they said a couple of things that I attempted to follow up on while we were on the air but didn’t get good answers. In the weeks that followed, I again tried to get more information and now have some of that. Ben Moss sent me a DVD copy of their presentation at the recent MUFON Symposium i
Rob McConnell Interviews Tom Carey
Rob McConnell, on the X-Zone Broadcast Network interviewed Tom Carey about the Roswell Slides, and Carey said some very interesting things. You can hear the interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ0V-Xuzzp0 Tom Carey We learn from Carey (at about 04:15 into the interview) that it was Joe Beason who contacted him after Beason had attempted to interest Stan Friedman in the slides. Friedma
Brad Steiger and Real Visitors, Voices from Beyond and Parallel Dimensions
Back more years than I care to admit, I read a book, Allende Letters: New UFO Breakthrough (the title seems to be part of the advertising on the cover) written by Brad Steiger and Joan Whritenour. It was much more than just the story of the Allende Letters but it did spark an interest in me. It also raised some questions about all this sort of thing. Although only one chapter actually discussed t
X-Zone Broadcast Network - Ben Moss/Tony Angiola (Zamora Sighting)
This week’s show concerned the Socorro, New Mexico UFO landing and occupant sighting of April 24, 1964. My guests were Ben Moss and Tony Angiola of MUFON Virginia and their website can be found at www.mufonva.com . The interview can be found here: https://youtu.be/xd5ToD13dlE True Symbol What was interesting in this interview, or what caught my attention was the discussion of the symbol that Lonn
 
 

A Very Public Sociologist   

Jeremy Corbyn's Prime Ministerial Speech
Interviewed in the wake of this year's Labour leadership contest, Progress director Richard Angell conceded that not only were they out-organised, they had lost the battle of ideas because, well, they didn't got any. Witness poor Owen Smith, who offered only Corbynism minus Corbyn but with nuclear weapons and immigration controls, and last year's candidates whose managerial, vision-free politics
Local Council By-Elections September 2016
Party Number of Candidates Total Vote % +/- Aug Average/ contest +/- Aug +/- Seats Conservative 31 13,829 29.7% +0.9% 446 -65 -5 Labour 30 12,512 26.9% -3.0% 417 -281 -1 LibDem 25 10,142 21.8% +13.1% 406 +202 +8 UKIP 25 5,276 11.3% +1.0% 211 -95 -1 Green 14 1,242 2.7% +0.5% 89 -13 0 SNP* 1 1,261 2.7% -6.8% 1,261 +77 -1 PC** 2 378 0.8% +0.8% 189 +189 +1 TUSC 0 0 Ind*** 6 1,610 3.5% -1.9% 268 +16 -
Saturday Interview: Jacqui Berry
Jacqui Berry is a nurse, Unison, and Socialist Party activist from Medway. Jacqui's vlog, Austerity Blows went viral after her message to Jeremy Hunt was featured by Cosmopolitan magazine. When not vlogging, campaigning, or working Jacqui can be found tweeting her thoughts and opinions here . After the leadership contest, what do you think is next for Jeremy and his support? Can he reach the part
Five Most Popular Posts in September
The five most read posts this last month were: 1. Why I Voted for Jeremy Corbyn 2. Jeremy Corbyn's Prime Ministerial Speech 3. Jeremy Corbyn in Stoke-on-Trent 4. Now What for the Labour Establishment? 5. Some Critical Advice for Jeremy Corbyn Critical Corbyn studies absolutely dominated the blog last month, with my piece explaining why I voted this time for Jezza cleaning up and going semi-viral