The Dysfunction of the 21st Century Crusades

Enzyme linked to longevity

Earth can generate summer out of winter
Geothermal energy

NQ must read for First Responders
NYT published a story about Saudi links to extremist groups
...prominent Saudi charity heavily supported by members of Saudi royal family showed support for terrorist organizations through at least 2006
( friend of US government ? )
Obama prickly with questioners when he knows he's wrong
White House pressers 'The Obama Show' - not press releases
"...what we have is a President overly dependent on himself as a personality, who desperately needs a teleprompter, doesn't like questions about himself personally and is quite content to use the policy templates left to him by his predecessor. The more things change..."

Definancialization, Deglobalisation, Relocalisation
We all have to prepare for a life without much money, where imported goods are scarce and where people will have to provide for their own needs and for those of their immediate neighbours. A few governments have already collapsed, others may be on their way, and before too long we may find our maps redrawn in dramatic ways.
Sustainability, What's in a word ?
In a word, unsustainable. What does that mean, exactly ? Chris Clugson has recently published a summary on The Oil Drum
All recent recessions were caused by price of oil
We have to prepare for a non-industrial future while we still have some resources with which to do it
Global Paradigms

Ignore the chickenhawks pushing for an Iran coup

Obama using political wealth for health reform
( Government can't compete with private insurers. Bureaucrats have no payola to buy off lawmakers. Business will massacre any attempt to do so. )

Mountain crisis, mouse reform - rhetoric without substance on fiscal reform

On Iran, etc. June 18
"...Obama's rejection of neoconservative grand designs of fighting Islamofascism and remaking the Middle East, like his commitment to renew the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, has helped reduce anti-Americanism while empowering those players that favor stronger ties with the United States and the West."
( The troops are still out there. What rejection he is seeing isn't universally obvious : which is to say 'change' is something yet to become evident. )

Spending like there's no tomorrow
Current debt $11 trillion, deficit this year $2 trillion

Tell your Senators F-22s are a waste of our money
'Funds to pay for the unneeded jets ( 22 ) would come from cutting funds for Energy Departments cleanups at nuclear weapons sites
( Radiation is good for you ! )
End these planes or Obama will

Airstrike report belies 'blame Taliban' line
Report carefully edited to save embarassment from having to admi earlier reports blaming Taliban were fraudulent

'There's no way I'm going to deploy to Afghanistan'
The wars in Iraq and ASfghanistan are not going to be ended by politicians or people at the top. They are not responsive to the people, they are responsive to corporate America.
The number of soldiers contacting 'Courage to Resist' has been escalating in recent months. Since May 2008, a 200 percent jump.

Nobody expects the Spanish Prosecution Gonzales, Yoo, etc.

Saving the Medical Industrial Complex
( Hm. The word Insurance isn't mentioned )
119 million Americans would bolt from their private insurers to the public option if they were given a chance ( poll from 'defenders' of private insurance ? With friends like that...it scarce needs more enemies. )
'When half-measures and half-baked compromises leave the American people disappointed or angry, the fault will be laid on the government's failure to do the job right.'

( So what to do : vote Republican ? From the frypan back to the fire. Ever read ClapSo at a view from the bridge at Clapsotronics ? He's beyond p.o.'d though.
'Which right wing copoRATe media fat cat would yield the most soylent green?"
It's a poll : and the characterizations should be seen at least once. )
laBAMAnostra and laBUSHanostra agree :
That the disaster of a war should continue indefinitely
That the waste,fraud,and abuse pork barrel spending on ever larger pentagon budgets should continue and money 'should be no object' when it comes to the funding of military death and destruction
That the thieving corpoRATe insurance companies should be able to pocket almost half of our health care dollars
That the wal-fare system started by the klinton klan should be able to poverty pimp we poor folks into ever deeper poverty!
That the inherently dishonest corpoRATe criminals should be allowed to continue to 'self police' as the idiots in washingtOOn chant the deregulation mantra.

Detainees were also murdered at Bagram in Afghanistan
Murders linked to interrogation tactics enacted by Bush Administration
( Absolute bumpf and false excuse : torture is not now and never was 'interrogation.' It is a means of procuring false confessions. End of story. Torture invariably - and reliably - produces Lies. )

MIDEAST : Prisoners shackled and hidden away Public Committee against Torture in Israel report

Our haunted planet