http://open.salon.com/blog/rickyb/2009/12/26/the_cult_of_auschwitz_is_saved-a_special_christmas_dispatch
A'ight, settle down, this is the Weekend Holyland Update, Boxing* Day Edition, where we will visit the lands of "victimization addiction", "political shennanigans", "let them have cake-ism", "that's mighty white of you", and finally a quick stopover in the region of "one more time... with feeling." along with a quick stop and the department of corrections and admissions. However, we will not be stopping in Ironicstan because irony is dead, doncha know. Please fasten your seatbelts, we're in for a snow-job.
Power of Consumption
http://www.metroactive.com/metro/11.25.09/news-0947.html
How we Americans spent ourselves into ruin—but saved the world
I FEEL IT IS past time that something must be said in defense of Pax Americana.
Sure, that phrase fell into disrepute during the era of neoconservative misrule, which left the United States far worse off by every clear metric of national health. While steering the American ship of state toward too many rocks to count, fellows like Richard Cheney, Richard Perle, Kenneth Adelman and their ilk kept proclaiming imperial triumphalism to the world, extolling an America invested with a perpetual right to planetwide dominance, based upon inherent qualities that were said to be unaffected by any objective-world considerations, like budgets or geography; world opinion or the end of the Cold War; science or technology; rationality or morality; or the physical well-being of our troops.
Indeed, the only factor that they felt might undermine America's manifestly destined and eternal pre-eminence might be a failure of will, should the wimpy liberals ever have their way. But if led with a firm-jawed will to overcome all obstacles, America could stay on top indefinitely, with all the privileges of governing world affairs and few of the responsibilities or cares.
Sure, it has been proper to oppose the policies of such deeply delusional men, who unambiguously brought ruin to the very things they claimed to hold dear. Capitalism, freedom, fiscal and national health, as well as U.S. influence in the world all plummeted under their rule.
Yet, something is very wrong with the unselective manner in which folks on the other side have allowed the neocons to define the argument. It is an unfortunate habit of the left to assume that any vocal and assertive appreciation of the American contribution to human civilization must be inherently fascist. This reflexive self-loathing has given (unnecessarily) a huge weapon to the right, allowing them to retain millions of supporters who might otherwise have abandoned them.
( And there is your rationale for positing the middle as 'left' in the USA : it gives a marvelous opportunity for Strawman Argumentation to those dedicated to hijacking both sides of a 'discussion' by misrepresenting alternative opinions...that's right. Plural. )
Democrats and Republicans -- two very different kinds of internal party struggle
There seem to be civil wars taking place within both of the major American parties. At least, that is how internal disputes among republicans, and among democrats, are portrayed in the media -- as bitter tiffs between political pragmatists and stubbornly intransigent (or else 'principled') idealists of either the far-right or far-left.
Certainly, you do hear some left-leaning democrats accusing President Obama of betraying his promises and beliefs, by accepting anything less than the full suite of liberal health care recommendations, or by continuing to put troops in the Middle-East. Meanwhile, the wrath of Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck crashes down upon any GOP office holder who so much as utters the word "compromise."
Certainly, you do hear some left-leaning democrats accusing President Obama of betraying his promises and beliefs, by accepting anything less than the full suite of liberal health care recommendations, or by continuing to put troops in the Middle-East. Meanwhile, the wrath of Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck crashes down upon any GOP office holder who so much as utters the word "compromise."
http://davidbrin.blogspot.com/2009/12/democrats-and-republicans-two-very.html
( 'Portrayed in the Media' : I suggested that 'Media' should be a Curse Word in another comment thread. Paid Liars would do as well. )
SUNfiltered
THE YOUNG VICTORIA
December 28th, 2009 by Perrin Drumm
http://www.sundancechannel.com/sunfiltered
The old Queen Victoria may have led the more eventful life, but it’s THE YOUNG VICTORIA audiences want to see. However, before we can get to the good stuff, we have to lay the groundwork and, like so many British period dramas, we are first run through a brief history lesson: Victoria (Emily Blunt) is sick (for reasons not included in the lesson) and her mother and her advisor are trying unsuccessfully to get her to sign a Regency. Victoria, however, is determined to be Queen, and as soon as she recovers the suitors come rolling in.
The Known Universe
December 28th, 2009 by Matthew Rodriguez
http://www.sundancechannel.com/sunfiltered
Watch this spectacular journey through the known universe created by the American Museum of Natural History with the Rubin Museum of Art, where this is being shown as part of an exhibit running through May 2010. Using data maintained by research astrophysicists, this mesmerizing video starting and expanding from the Himalayas, takes the viewer on a voyage into outer space that is mapped as accurately as possible using the latest data maintained by research astrophysicists at the AMNH. Boldly go where man has gone before…sort of…through the eyes of science! Yeah!
Green tech finds (12/24/09)
December 24th, 2009 by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg
Because green technology never takes a holiday… here are this week’s finds.
- Salting away solar power: Nevada Power has announced a 25-year deal to buy solar power from the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project, which will be “the nation’s first commercial solar power plant using salt storage to distribute energy after the sun sets…”
- Satellites tracking groundwater: NASA’s GRACE satellites beam back data on deep water stores… and the recent data isn’t encouraging… (via Blue Living Ideas)
- Interactive greenhouse gas emissions trends: The AP’s interactive map of global warming gas emissions by country is just one element of the stellar coverage they provided during and after the Copenhagen Climate Conference. (via EcoGeek)
- Water footprints: Carbon gets all the press, but producing energy, regardless of the source, takes a lot of water… (via GreenTech Pastures)
- Those speedy French: According to Cleantechies, France is about 30 years ahead of the US on high-speed rail development… c’est dommage!
- Data centers, waste heat, and cathedrals: Helsinki’s Upsenki Cathedral will host a server farm for tech company Academica, and the waste heat produced will be channeled into the city’s district heating system. (via MNN)
- Leak those leaks… via your iPhone: Seen waste, pollution, or inefficiency at a public space or business? The EcoSnoop iPhone app lets you report it to the world… (via Treehugger)
Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eisenbahner/ / CC BY 2.0
China introduces law to boost renewable energy
UK Government Report Shows That Digital Economy Bill Will Cost More Than Highest 'Piracy' Estimates, Drive 40,000 Offline
cost side of the equation makes it quite clear that this is the government asking consumers to artificially foot the bill for an entertainment industry that appears unwilling to adapt to a changing marketplace that requires new business models.
Film Review: The End of the Line
Called “the Inconvenient Truth” for the oceans, The End of the Lineasks viewers to imagine a world without fish and then proceeds to show them exactly how commercial fisheries are decimating hundreds of wild species that we take for granted as food.
This is the film for people who don’t respond to dry, measured environmental messaging focusing on intangible future effects of current fishing practices. This film uses powerful footage and dramatic music to punch the viewer where it hurts: in the stomach.
The film asks viewers: if you like that fish and chips dinner, or that succulent tuna sushi, or watching your children play in the surf without worrying that the water will cause open sores on their delicate skin, or perhaps enjoying a little snorkeling on your annual vacation, you better sit up and pay attention – now.
This is the film for people who don’t respond to dry, measured environmental messaging focusing on intangible future effects of current fishing practices. This film uses powerful footage and dramatic music to punch the viewer where it hurts: in the stomach.
The film asks viewers: if you like that fish and chips dinner, or that succulent tuna sushi, or watching your children play in the surf without worrying that the water will cause open sores on their delicate skin, or perhaps enjoying a little snorkeling on your annual vacation, you better sit up and pay attention – now.
Yield loss eyed as snow covers U.S. corn crop
As much as 100 million bushels of U.S. corn could be lost after heavy snowstorms in recent days likely delayed until spring the final stages of an already historically slow harvest, analysts and meteorologists said on Monday.
Bugs Inside: What Happens When the Microbes That Keep Us Healthy Disappear?
Having evolved along with the human species, most of the miniscule beasties that live in and on us are actually helping to keep us healthy, just as our well-being promotes theirs. In fact, some researchers think of our bodies as superorganisms, rather than one organism teeming with hordes of subordinate invertebrates.
With rapid changes in sanitation, medicine and lifestyle in the past century, some of these indigenous species are facing decline, displacement and possibly evenextinction. Each new generation in developed countries comes into the world with fewer of these native populations.
....Common side effects of antibiotic treatments, such as yeast infections, are a prime example of silent shifts. Even as it is being taken for an infection in another part of the body altogether, an antibiotic can kill the organisms that habitually keep yeast populations in check, allowing an unintended outbreak to occur.
How to Cure 1 Billion People?--Defeat Neglected Tropical Diseases
Key Concepts
A group of seven tropical diseases, mostly caused by parasitic worms, afflict a billion impoverished people worldwide. They seldom kill directly but cause lifelong misery that stunts children’s growth, leaves adults unable to function to their fullest, and heightens the risk of other diseases.
Fortunately, they can be easily treated, often with a single pill. Various agencies and foundations are collaborating to deliver these drugs, although they have reached only about 10 percent of the population so far.
The U.S. has its own neglected parasitic diseases that affect millions of rural and urban poor.
The scale and extent of the global NTD problem are hard to take in. Almost every destitute person living in sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America is infected with one or more of these diseases. The illnesses last years, decades and often even a lifetime. The seven most common NTDs have the most devastating impact.
Vitamin C Boosts the Induction of Pluripotent Stem Cells
“The Man Who Conned the Pentagon"
Only a tiny group knew of Dennis Montgomery, a very tiny group, perhaps a handful of people at the CIA. It’s all still classified. Even though they all know it’s false, it’s still classified.
France Finds Monsanto Guilty of Lying
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/11/21/France-Finds-Monsanto-Guilty-of-Lying.aspx
France's highest court has ruled that U.S. agrochemical giant Monsanto had not told the truth about the safety of its best-selling weed-killer, Roundup. The court confirmed an earlier judgment that Monsanto had falsely advertised its herbicide as "biodegradable" and claimed it "left the soil clean." Roundup is the world's best-selling herbicide.
French environmental groups had brought the case in 2001 on the basis that glyphosate, Roundup's main ingredient, is classed as "dangerous for the environment" by the European Union.
( Mercola has an eye opening and extensive commentary following the news item )
The World According to Monsanto - Part 1 of 8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hErvV5YEHkE
The Other Side of the 1979 Iranian Revolution
Populism helps explain not only the success of the revolution but also the continued survival of the Islamic Republic. The Republic’s constitution—with 175 clauses—transformed these general aspirations into specific inscribed promises. It pledged to eliminate poverty, illiteracy, slums and unemployment. It also vowed to provide the population with free education, accessible medical care, decent housing, pensions, disability pay and unemployment insurance. “The government,” the constitution declared, “has a legal obligation to provide the aforementioned services to every individual in the country.” In short, the Islamic Republic promised to create a full-fledged welfare state—in its proper European, rather than derogatory American, sense.
In the three decades since the revolution, the Islamic Republic—despite its poor image abroad—has taken significant steps toward fulfilling these promises. It has done so by giving priority to social rather than military expenditures, and thus dramatically expanding the Ministries of Education, Health, Agriculture, Labor, Housing, Welfare and Social Security. The military consumed as much as 18 percent of the gross domestic product in the last years of the shah. Now it takes up as little as 4 percent.
In the three decades since the revolution, the Islamic Republic—despite its poor image abroad—has taken significant steps toward fulfilling these promises. It has done so by giving priority to social rather than military expenditures, and thus dramatically expanding the Ministries of Education, Health, Agriculture, Labor, Housing, Welfare and Social Security. The military consumed as much as 18 percent of the gross domestic product in the last years of the shah. Now it takes up as little as 4 percent.
YouTube - Why the War with Iran is Emminent- What every Ron Paul Supporter should Know about Iran ( Imminent )
What's behind Iran's nuclear strategy?
( Sanctions are another lump of coal : they are an act of war.
Commentaries relating to Iran's 'lack of progress' can be related to little inconveniences like having their bank accounts frozen, free access outside the country interfered with, access to oil refining and pipeline equipment frozen off.
You can have all the 'resources' you like : but if equipment is not available to get at them they almost might as well not exist. Worse, if somebody else wants to take them on their terms. )
Commentaries relating to Iran's 'lack of progress' can be related to little inconveniences like having their bank accounts frozen, free access outside the country interfered with, access to oil refining and pipeline equipment frozen off.
You can have all the 'resources' you like : but if equipment is not available to get at them they almost might as well not exist. Worse, if somebody else wants to take them on their terms. )
Was the Iranian Election Stolen? Does It Matter?
It would appear that large scale fraud is extremely difficult, if not impossible, without creating an extensive trail of evidence. Indeed, if this election was stolen, there must be tens of thousands of witnesses -- or perhaps hundreds of thousands -- to the theft. Yet there are no media accounts of interviews with such witnesses.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_b.png?x-id=a5670bd2-2b3f-4d4e-8a37-c809459d00c4)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment