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Bare ruined choirs
I guess it’s the fall. I guess it’s the weather today. The harsh lead-and-pewter clouds, the promise of cold rain, the last of the leaves fading and ragged on the skeletal trees, their recent iridescent glory shrunk to this little measure of mottled brown. The ground poulticed thick with death and the wet smell of rot fogging the air. It’s a cycle. That’s what we say. That death has no dominion,
You want a tax on your fries with that? How to make taxes more fair
OK smarty pants, you say, you’ve been whining about economic inequality, and you’ve tossed out some ideas on Social Security and tax shelters, but let’s see you solve the whole freakin’ problem. OK, if you insist. For purposes of our discussion, you’ll need to refer to the accompanying chart. Before we get to the specifics of the proposal, let’s consider some interesting facts. With total US consu
All politics is local, and I think I need an anesthetic
Maybe it’s our neighborhood. Lots of old folks around, and they (I guess I’m getting to the age where I should say we) tend to vote. Plus, the area’s pretty white, pretty conservative, so I guess if I’m in charge of sending canvassers out to collect signatures to get Republicans on the ballot, I’d send them here, too. But they are starting to irk me. They must be running some kind of right-wing, c
Some thoughts on Occupy Wall Street and class warfare part three: Gimme Shelters
Everybody’s heard of tax shelters, but few U.S. citizens could tell you what they are, how they operate or what they cost the U.S. every year in lost tax revenue. Which is curious. Current U.S. Treasury Department estimates place lost tax revenue from individual tax payers due to foreign tax shelters at $70 billion a year. By comparison, the Department of Defense spent about $80 billion last ye
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Bare ruined choirs
I guess it’s the fall. I guess it’s the weather today. The harsh lead-and-pewter clouds, the promise of cold rain, the last of the leaves fading and ragged on the skeletal trees, their recent iridescent glory shrunk to this little measure of mottled brown. The ground poulticed thick with death and the wet smell of rot fogging the air. It’s a cycle. That’s what we say. That death has no dominion,
You want a tax on your fries with that? How to make taxes more fair
OK smarty pants, you say, you’ve been whining about economic inequality, and you’ve tossed out some ideas on Social Security and tax shelters, but let’s see you solve the whole freakin’ problem. OK, if you insist. For purposes of our discussion, you’ll need to refer to the accompanying chart. Before we get to the specifics of the proposal, let’s consider some interesting facts. With total US consu
All politics is local, and I think I need an anesthetic
Maybe it’s our neighborhood. Lots of old folks around, and they (I guess I’m getting to the age where I should say we) tend to vote. Plus, the area’s pretty white, pretty conservative, so I guess if I’m in charge of sending canvassers out to collect signatures to get Republicans on the ballot, I’d send them here, too. But they are starting to irk me. They must be running some kind of right-wing, c
Some thoughts on Occupy Wall Street and class warfare part three: Gimme Shelters
Everybody’s heard of tax shelters, but few U.S. citizens could tell you what they are, how they operate or what they cost the U.S. every year in lost tax revenue. Which is curious. Current U.S. Treasury Department estimates place lost tax revenue from individual tax payers due to foreign tax shelters at $70 billion a year. By comparison, the Department of Defense spent about $80 billion last ye
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Occupy Wall Street, with Graham Nash and David Crosby – Countdown with Keith Olbermann
This is a feel good movie
Reefer Madness in Obama’s White House
Ethan Nadelman of Drug Policy Alliance calls a spade a ‘f’ – ing Shovel. salem-news.com Nov-08-2011 Dr. Phil Leveque (MOLALLA, Ore.) – I am completely flummoxed by the complete u-turn made by our president regarding medical marijuana. Nadelman in the NY Times on 7 November points the artillery and fires, what’s going on? In October 2009 he defended the use of medical marijuana and he promised
Mr. President: An Iran Attack on Israel Is Attack on US
A devious bit of propaganda from a couple of new York rats. I’s not like we haven’t noticed all of the right wing hawks chanting the same mantra about Irans nuclear capabilities. Global Warfare: Targeting Iran: Preparing for World War III Global Research, November 3, 2011 by Michel Chossudovsky The military deployment of US-NATO forces is occurring in several regions of the World simultaneously.
UK and U.S. ‘draw up joint plan to attack Iran’: Evidence of nuclear programme raises tension in Middle East
Whitehall figures say Iran is ‘newly aggressive – and we are not sure why’ Iran ‘has enough enriched uranium for four nuclear weapons’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushing for invasion Tel Aviv test-fires rockets capable of carrying nuclear warheads into Iran Report reveals China continues to supply Tehran with missiles and other conventional weapons Obama says nuclear programme rema
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Interview 408 – Bob Chapman
In this week’s conversation with Bob Chapman of The International Forecaster, we discuss the ongoing Euro crisis, including the cultural differences that make any type of European Union a pipe dream. We also discuss what has been kept off the front page of the paper by the Eurozone news and where all of these dizzying events are headed.
The Bout Enigma
[NOTE: You can continue watching this video by CLICKING HERE] The Bout Enigma: Is the “Merchant of Death” a spy, a stooge, or a patsy? by James Corbett BoilingFrogsPost.com November 14, 2011 When alleged arms dealer and so-called “Merchant of Death” Viktor Bout was convicted in a Manhattan federal court room earlier this month on charges of conspiracy to kill US citizens, the verdict came as a su
Episode 208 – The Galton Institute Exposed
Although it formally changed its name from the British Eugenics Society to the Galton Institute in 1989, eugenics by any other name would smell as rotten. Join us this week as we peek behind the curtain of the birthplace of eugenics and interrogate the inbred line of British gentry who believe themselves to be of superior stock. For those with limited bandwidth, CLICK HERE to download a smaller, l
The G20 and Financial Globalization – GRTV Backgounder
James Corbett GRTV.ca November 12, 2011 Last week’s G20 Summit in Cannes, France is already being written off as a bust by the international financiers who were hoping to bolster the fledgling European Financial Stability Fund with international support and to implement a new global financial services tax which they claim will be the long-term solution to the ongoing global economic meltdown. The
Corbett Report Radio 010 – Case Studies in Predictive Programming
Following up from episode 006 of this broadcast, tonight on Corbett Report Radio we explore some examples of predictive programming in greater depth, including the extraordinary story of the real-life “Insider” and his struggles to get his story of Wall Street fraud told, and the many strange parallels between tv, movies, and the July 7th bombings in London. Works Cited: Film, Literature and t
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Libyan militias fight each other
CNN: The Libyan war may be over, but rivalries rage on among some regional militias, leading to a mutual distrust that poses a challenge to the new leadership. Earlier this week, the rivalry was evident when dozens of fighters clashed at a Tripoli hospital in what residents said was the biggest armed confrontation in the capital in weeks. The National Transitional Council needs to put a lid on thi
Occupiers, Pirates, and the Labour Party
Jon Worth sees similarities between the Occupy movement and the Pirate Party: The Occupy movements are about the values of the left [...] They have Mac laptops and use the free wifi at Starbucks, to the consternation of the right wing blogosphere. These are the very sorts of people who, from the late 1960s onwards, formed themselves into punk and green movements, creating the Green Party in German
Democracy is tolerated until it threatens the 1%
From Charles Hugh Smith (my emphasis): Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou’s call for a citizens’ referendum to decide the future of Greece is direct participatory democracy in action. Yet the European leadership and the Elites who need global markets to remain in nosebleed territory are outraged by this unscripted emergence of democracy. The absurdly hostile reaction to democracy in action rev
Why I’m not a Tory
The pay of directors of top companies rose by 50% last year, compared with averages rises in private sector pay of just 2.6%. Commenting on the injustice of this, Tim Montgomery says: Earlier today a report from Income Data Services noted that pay for the directors of Britain’s top businesses rose by 49% over the last year once salary, benefits and bonuses were counted. These increases were much g
Should Britain have a referendum on withdrawal from the EU?
So, should we? In the general case, the people should have a referendum on whatever policies they want to. These will typically be ones that the people conside important and where the government is perceived to be thwarting the will of the majority. The way to decide if that’s true of a particular question would be to use a revamped version of the government’s epetition websites. If the number of
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Conflict in Somalia: A message to Al Shabaab
An alarming call recently arrived from Somalia. The intended audience was Somali youth — like me — living in Canada. According to CBC News, the Al Qaeda-linked Somali militant group Al Shabaab has released an audiotape calling for terrorist attacks in a host of countries — including Canada. A suicide bomber, believed to be an American citizen, urges young people to rise up and murder non-Muslims.
Hajj 2011: A Democrat’s prayer in Mecca
O Lord, here I stand, in front of the house that Abraham built, to ask for Your mercy. Here I stand, together with millions of pilgrims from every corner of the earth, to ask for forgiveness, seek Your blessings and affirm Your majesty. At this most ancient of rituals, I circle the Ka'ba, walking softly upon the cool marble of this sacred house, as if I were but a drop of water in a sea of hum
Eid al-Adha: Some prayers last longer than others
There are millions of Muslims on the verge of concluding their pilgrimage (hajj) in Mecca; by the time you read this, they're already finished, exhausted and sharing the meat of a sacrificed animal with family, neighbors and the poor. Across the world, hundreds of millions more are putting on their Sunday finest -- thanks to God and the moon and the curvature of space-time for complying with the s
Afghan women: Pawns of war and peace
On November 18, 2001, in a radio address to the nation, then-First Lady Barbara Bush condemned the degrading treatment imposed on Afghan women by the Taliban regime. Thus the story of the US invasion of Afghanistan began with women: the promises of liberating them, the efforts to gain their trust and to feed their malnourished babies and bring security to their war-ravaged country. In the words of
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Qurtaba released “Urdu Writer App”
Qurtaba has launched a mobile app named “Urdu Writer”, the app allows you to write in Urdu language using your iPhone keyboard and you can send it as a SMS, email, share it on social media (Facebook, Twitter and on other social media sites). This app allows people to use urdu language for communication, it will specially be attractive to people who live abroad but want to some times feel the sw
Of People and a website; Pakistan’s Social Media scene
Social media needs to introduction; it is so intrinsically sewed into today’s marketing and technology DNA as furniture is to a home. For something so infant, it has grown rather rapidly. To say it has matured would perhaps be incorrect, as the innovation and evolution is still underway. Perhaps we can all agree that while internet provided the world with a connected global village, social media f
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P@SHA social innovation fund announces first round winners
P@SHA today announced winners of first round of Social innovation fund. Following are the winners of first round. There will be another round soon, details of which along with other information about the fund and how it operates can be found here 1. Alif Laila – Sabah Rehman A Program which plans to equip atleast 10 Government Schools with Laptops connected to internet through EvDO devices. It als
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“Let’s Call Bashar’s Bluff” by Reinoud Leenders
Let’s Call Bashar’s Bluff By Reinoud Leenders Guest Opinion Piece Those who say that the Arab League initiative on Syria is already dead and buried, as could have been expected from anything generated by this dysfunctional and toothless ‘talk shop’, can and should be proven wrong. True, nothing tangible was achieved after the Arab League on 2 November committed the Syrian regime to withdrawing its
Off the Wall on Ghalioun’s Eid Speech
Off the Wall, who has begun writing a key blog on Syria, wrote this about a friend’s comment on Burhan Ghalioun’s Eid speech. It is worth copying in full. OFF THE WALL | November 8, 2011 at 8:00 am Dear All, Here is my detailed response to Joshua’s Friend’s comments, which i think were very sympathetic to the revolution. I will get probably get some heat for this, but we are not here only t
Opposition Parties Fight in Cairo; Feltman Claims Sanctions Effective and Assad’s Days Numbered, Eyes on Turkey
Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing Daniel Glaser has been travelling to Russia, Lebanon and Jordan. Lebanese banks are being asked not to open any accounts in Lebanon to any Syrian even in euro…without Lebanese residency. Syrian troops have been withdrawing from Homs after a bloody confrontation with protesters there who have been demanding regime change and freedom. Over 100 people have
Ghalioun Addresses Syrians for `Eid Holiday in bid to Establish Authority
Two responses to Ghalioun Address The author of the Maysaloun blog liked the speech. He writes: Today I watched a man speak to the Syrian people, not at them, for the first time in my life. I like Bourhan Ghalioun and his speech today, on the eve of the Eid holidays, is an important statement and a media coup against the Syrian regime. In the speech he has promised reforms, honoured the martyrs a
Arab League Peace Plan? Syrian Opposition Shoots Back. Turkey Hardens Stand on Syria
Syria agrees to an Arab League peace plan set to be disclosed today, Foreign Policy writes: In reports released by Syrian state television, President Bashar al-Assad’s government has accepted a roadmap presented by the Arab League on Sunday to end violence. However, the Arab League has yet to receive an official response to the proposal, saying Syrian officials have claimed they are waiting for a
Arab League in Damas; Pro-Assad Demos, Strike in Homs, Killings, Ambassadorial tit for tat
Tens of thousands of Syrians rally in support of Assad ahead of Arab 2011-10-26 DAMASCUS, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) — Tens of thousands of Syrians rallied Wednesday in support for President Bashar al-Assad hours before the arrival of an Arab League (AL) ministerial delegation that aimed at finding ways to end the months-long crisis in the country. The Umayyad Square in the capital of Damascus and nearby s
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EDL leader continues to reveal his disturbing attitudes
English Defence League leader Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka “Tommy Robinson”) gave an interview to Adrian Goldberg at BBC Radio West Midlands on 22 October 2011. It’s available via Youtube here. Yaxley-Lennon made some particularly self-incriminating statements towards the end: “The black community and the white community in Birmingham are treated with iron fists. The Islamic community are treated wi
We’re planning to disrupt Anjem Choudhary’s Remembrance day demo
Extremist Muslim group Muslims Against Crusades are planning their annual Remembrance Day stunt again, on 11th November. The Daily Mail, which always reports on their actions in advance, says the demo, which will mock the charity for injured soldiers Help for Heroes, is due to take place outside the Royal Albert Hall, the same location where a poppy was burned last year. The Muslims Against Crusad
New report into the EDL shows most political overlap with the BNP
The think-tank Demos have published a report into the English Defence League. There report is here. They say: While leaders of the EDL claim they are a pluralistic, liberal movement that is fighting Islamic extremism, chants heard at demonstrations and the vitriol frequently posted on the EDL’s chat forums suggest otherwise. It is in this context that we have undertaken the first ever large-scale
Happy Diwali
Pickled Politics would like to wish our Sikh and Hindu readers a very Happy Diwali. Hindus around the world celebrate Diwali (the “festival of lights”) for a range of reasons, most popularly to commemorate the return of the victorious Hindu deity Rama to the city of Ayodhya, as described in the Ramayana. The inhabitants of the city decorated it with lamps to celebrate Rama’s return. The festival
Crowd-sourcing info-graphics on UK inequality – get involved!
Graphs like this from the New York Times and this from Business Insider have been circulating all over Facebook, along with lots of other charts and info on how bad inequality has gotten in the United States. I literally cannot log info Facebook without being hit with another graph that backs up the arguments made by the Occupy Wall Street movement. But 99% of these graphs relate to the United Sta
Faibian society elections: my choices
The Fabian Society election ballots have to be returned by post before 5pm on Friday 21 October. So today’s like the last chance you have, unless you deliver it by hand! And voting at Fabian exec ballots is usually quite low (colleagues tell me) so voting is VERY important! Anyway, here are the people I’m definitely voting for and would recommend (in alphabetical order) Asato, Jessica Ibrahim, Sar
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I Got Your Book: Signal Boosts
I’m still reading — and enjoying Moondancer Drake’s Ancestral Magic. Until I get the chance to do an actual review, here’s a couple of fabulous signal boosts. :) Ahem! Delux_Vivens linked to Inside the Favelas Linda Addison has a new collection out, entitled How to Recognize a Demon Has Become Your Friend Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop continues to wow Nisi Shawl gets interviewed Amal El-Mohtar ha
I GOT YOUR BOOK: Post the First
This here is a new series designed to boost the profile of SF authors of color. First up, we have a few signal boosts: Tobias Buckell is looking for help to fund Apocalypse Ocean, a Sly Mongoose novel. Ephemere is nearly done with Kandila An excerpt from the horror collection Let’s Play White A series of SF short films Lisa Suhair Majaj has been featured on Split This Rock Next time? We’ll
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Gingrich The Latest To Wade Into The Republican Far Right Tar Pit Of Oblivion
Newt Gingrich is currently the leading anybody-but-Romney choice of far-right Republican extremists. At first it was Donald Trump who held this position. Then Michelle Bachmann. Then Rick Perry. Then Herman Cain. And now, as mentioned above, it is Mr. Gingrich’s turn. This all reminds me of the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. At the La Brea Tar Pits back in Ice Age times, a creature would fall
I’ll Be Speaking About Occupy Houston At Meyerland Area Democrats Meeting On November 21
I’ll be speaking at the next meeting of the Meyerland Area Democrats. Here are details of this event— Occupy Wall St. and the 2012 Election at Nov. 21st Meyerland Area Democrats Meeting Nov. 7, 2011 –Activists Neil Aquino and Sarah Slamen to speak on Occupy Houston, and Dr. Bob Stein to review the 2012 election landscape on November 21 The regular monthly meeting of Meyerland Democrats is held at
How To Thaw Your Turkey—PETA Pilgrims Say Have A Veggie Thanksgiving
(Blogger’s Note–Time for the thaw a turkey post. It’s updated a bit, but is for the most part a rerun . Thawing a turkey does not change very much over the years. ) Thanksgiving Day is almost here and you need to know how to thaw your turkey. Thanksgiving Day in 2011 is Thursday, November 24. You do have the option of a vegetarian Thanksgiving. The folks at PETA would like you to consider a vegg
Texas Farm Bureau—Texas Progressive Alliance Blog Round-Up
Here is the most recent Texas Progressive Alliance round-up. The TPA is a confederation of the best political bloggers in Texas. TPA members are citizen-bloggers working for a better Texas. With the round-up this week is a picture from the Texas Farm Bureau page on Facebook. Here is how this picture is described— “A worn and rusted Texas Farm Bureau sign, posted outside the old Arthur Wurzbach h
B-52′s Are Cheery, Energetic & Professional—That’ll Get The Job Done
I saw the B 52′s last week here in Houston. The band was cheery, professional, creative and energetic. They struck the right line between being friendly, and yet a bit removed from the audience. They appreciate that you bought a ticket and that you would like to see them play, but they are not going to invite you up on stage or out for a drink after the show. That is just how it should be. I try
Today Is Veteran’s Day—Honor Our Veterans And All Who Suffer From War
Today is Veteran’s Day. Above is the Navy bugler who played taps at my father’s funeral service last July In Rhode Island. My father, a Korean War combat veteran, had his ashes scattered at sea. On Veteran’s Day, we should recall our veterans here in America, and all people who have suffered needlessly from war around the globe. I know my father said on a number of occasions he was not angry at t
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Ustreams of Occupy Oakland General Assembly at Frank Ogawa Plaza
UPDATE (6:23 PM): Participants in Occupy Oakland plan to meet tomorrow at 2:30 PM at 14th and Broadway to march to UC Berkeley in support the UC strike tomorrow. According to OccupyMills, there will be another attempt to establish an occupation on campus. Meanwhile, the UC Regents cancelled their planned Wednesday meeting in San Francisco. Occupy Oakland reporting that 2000 people are participat
Occupy Oakland Raided
Police cleared out the encampment at Frank Ogawa Square this morning, and, according to the Occupy Oakland Twitter feed, arrested 32 people. The morning sweep purportedly cost $300,000 to $500,000. Meanwhile, on the north coast, the Eureka police department arrested 31 people while closing Occupy Eureka. A conservative estimate of Occupy Together arrests within the US prior to the ones in Oakland
Denver Raided, Imminent Raid in Portland, Rumored AM Raid in Oakland
UPDATE 7 (November 13, 11:40 AM): Portland police dismantle Occupy Portland encampments at Chapman and Lownsdale Squares after a late night crowd in support of them goes home. In Oakland, some participants in Occupy Oakland forced their way back into Frank Ogawa Square and recovered it after being evicted and subjected to a police riot a couple of weeks ago. One wonders whether those involved i
Livestream Occupy Oakland General Assembly
UPDATE: The proposal concerning the Black Bloc, which apparently provided for a diversity of tactics, meaning property destruction outside of mass actions, was defeated as it only garnered 15% of the vote in a modified consensus process that requires 90%. For a more detailed presentation of what transpired during a discussion of this subject, as well as others addressed during the assembly, go he
Mass Occupy Action at UC Berkeley
UPDATE 6 (November 10, 12:34 PM): Ongoing discussions in Sproul Plaza in advance of a general assembly scheduled for 6pm.UPDATE 5: Photo of general assembly at UC Berkeley: UPDATE 4 (November 10, 1:10 AM): There are about 1500 people left in the plaza. About half of them participated in the vote on the strike proposal. It passed the 90% threshold with 95% support.UPDATE 3 (November 10, 12:36 AM)
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Mexican Women Demand Climate Justice
After two weeks without water, the taps finally started running again in the home of Araceli Salazar and her neighbours in the poor, crowded neighbourhood of Iztapalapa on the east side of the Mexican capital.
Q&A: "Grabbing of Drylands is a Serious Concern"
Designated Drylands Ambassador, United Nations Convention for Combating Desertification (UNCCD), at its 10th Conference of the Parties (COP10) in South Korea in October, Dennis Garrity is mandated to raise awareness of land degradation.
Time to Derail Fossil Fuel Train, Energy Agency Warns
Countries have chained themselves to a fossil fuel train that is headed straight off a cliff, warns the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Climate Change Arouses Scientific Curiosity in Mexico
Climate change has inspired dozens of scientists at Mexican public universities to conduct research on its effects and seek ways to confront them.
CLIMATE CHANGE: Bangladeshi Women on the Brink
Char Nongolia village is a basket case when it comes to climate change impacts such as increasing salinity, frequent cyclones, tidal surges, erratic rainfall and extended droughts.
CANADA: Harper Government Guts Environment Programmes
Canada's Stephen Harper government is spending more than 60 billion dollars on new military jets and warships while slashing more than 200 million dollars in funding for research and monitoring of the environment.
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In Search of ‘A Good Man’
Bill T. Jones: A Good Man, a documentary co-directed by Gordon Quinn of Chicago-based Kartemquin Films, follows the prominent, politically progressive African-American dancer and choreographer and his collaborators for a year as they create a major theatrical dance piece about Abraham Lincoln. It's a fascinating inside look into the world of dance and a vibrant portrait of Jones, who is both emoti
An Occupy Road Trip
Editor's note: In October, journalist Arun Gupta spent a few weeks traveling from New York City to Detroit to visit smaller Occupy sites like Youngstown, Ohio, and Allentown, Pa. What he found was "a mix of broad, even contradictory politics" united under the banner of the "99%." A trope about mass movements is that they spring up from nowhere. That appears to be the case with the Occupy Wall Stre
A ‘Care Socialist’ Speaks Out
In her work, Nancy Folbre, a University of Massachusetts economics professor, explores the intersection of feminist theory and political economy, with a special emphasis on what she calls "care work"--the labor, often outside the money economy, that goes into caring for children, the sick or the elderly. She is well known for her ability to explain these ideas in simple, accessible language, both
Why Income Inequality Suddenly Matters
A few weeks ago, as the Occupy Wall Street protests were first spreading, something amazing happened: For 10 whole seconds, the local reporter on my TV screen actually talked about the realities of the recession. He even uttered the phrase "economic inequality." My guess is that you've seen something similar on your local affiliate--and that's no minor event. When even the most local of television
How to Make Robin Hood Proud
"Tax Wall Street," read a simple, homemade placard high above the crowd of thousands of members of unions, community groups and Occupy activists protesting outside the mid-October convention of bankers and futures traders in downtown Chicago. Curtis Smith, president of the local affiliate of National People's Action, a network of community organizations focused on the mortgage crisis and financial
A Predictable Script: Cain, Thomas and Sexual Harassment
"With respect to the most recent..." Herman Cain shook his head. "Accusation." This was GOP presidential candidate's November 8 press conference: his formal response to the sexual assault allegations against him. It had been much anticipated. He'd been commenting in the press--once even laughing aloud about the allegations on Jimmy Kimmel--but he couldn't blow it off that easily. The front-running
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Panel finds EPA lowballing atrazine/cancer link
Atrazine is in the news yet again, as a panel of independent scientists call into question EPA's conclusion that the widely used herbicide is "not likely to be a human carcinogen." For several specific cancers — including ovarian, thyroid and non-Hodgkins lymphoma — there is clear "suggestive evidence" linking atrazine exposure to increased cancer risk, according to a r
Safer fields for farmworkers long overdue
Today, PAN and our partners at Earthjustice and Farmworker Justice filed a legal petition demanding that EPA act quickly to better protect farmworkers from hazardous pesticides. These much needed changes would be the first improvements in farmworker protection rules since 1995. The move is long overdue. read more
Simmering in strawberry country
Despite the cooler weather, things are simmering in California’s strawberry country this week. Santa Cruz County passed a unanimous resolution against methyl iodide on Tuesday, and other local governments are also stepping up in the effort to ban the cancer-causing pesticide. But pesticide manufacturers and fumigant applicators aren’t taking the news sitting down; they’re doing everything in t
Dangerous rat poison still on shelves
Back in 2008, EPA declared that certain pesticide products designed to kill rats pose an “unreasonable risk” to children, pets and wildlife. Agency officials recommended these products be pulled from the market immediately. So they should have disappeared from store shelves long ago, right? Wrong. Sadly, the national law governing pesticides (including rat poisons) is so old, weak and cumberso
Occupy Oakland, Occupy Food
On Wednesday, PAN joined the ever-growing Occupy movement in Oakland and the supermajority of Americans frustrated with corporate control of finances, homes and yes — food. PAN and partners — including Californians for Pesticide Reform and Food & Water Watch — carved out a space among the thousands of concerned people gathered in Downtown Oakland to discuss the challenges posed by our corp
Rivers & fish win policy battle — for now
As of this week, it looks like our rivers, streams and lakes — and the critters who live in them — will be a little more protected from pesticides. Unless, that is, Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) and others representing agribusiness interests manage to undo EPA’s court-ordered efforts to better protect the nation’s waterways from pesticide pollution. Roberts and company are pursuing every legislative
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Corrupt Lobbyist’s Tell-All Published by Conspiracy-Mongering WND
Given his reputation as a corrupt master of manipulation, disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff has been given a surprisingly credulous welcome by the media following the Nov. 1 release of his book Capitol Punishment: The Hard Truth about Washington Corruption from America’s Most Notorious Lobbyist. Described by its publisher as “an engrossing, informative work” that will [...]
FBI Reports Dramatic Spike in Anti-Muslim Hate Violence
Anti-Muslim hate crimes soared by an astounding 50% last year, skyrocketing over 2009 levels in a year marked by the vicious rhetoric of Islam-bashing politicians and activists, especially over the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque” in New York City. Although the national statistics compiled by the FBI each year are known to dramatically understate the real level [...]
Facing Controversy, Anti-Muslim Preacher Tones Down Criticism
DETROIT — The only thing more noticeable than Lou Engle saying he was going to pray that Muslims would have “dreams of Jesus” during his marathon 24-hour prayer gathering over the weekend in Detroit were the efforts he undertook to show that he was all about sensitivity to minorities. From the American Indians dancing in full-feathered [...]
Anti-Muslim Activists Gather In Tennessee to Warn of Shariah
A coalition of national security hawks, Christian activists from both here and abroad, lawyers and GOP activists gathered on Friday at a Nashville-area megachurch notorious for hosting spectacles to discuss strategies and tactics for combating the “threat” that Islamic Shariah law supposedly poses in the United States. Following an invocation and prayer, speakers at “The Constitution [...]
Pastor with a Past to Host Anti-Islam Conference
The anti-Shariah conference to be held tomorrow at an Assemblies of God megachurch in Madison, Tenn., was very nearly canceled. A few weeks ago, the Nashville hotel that was scheduled to host it abruptly canceled its contract. Maury Davis, flamboyant pastor of the Cornerstone Church, saved the day when he agreed to let the coalition [...]
Racist Idaho Attorney Gets 50 Years in Plot to Murder Wife
Edgar J. Steele, a self-described white separatist and “attorney for the politically incorrect,” was sentenced Wednesday to 50 years in federal prison for plotting the pipe bomb murder of his wife. “This was a very serious offense,” U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill said in sentencing the 66-year-old attorney who once represented the Aryan Nations and [...]
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Peace . . .
CALAMITY SONG, by the Decemberists, is a fine piece of rock n' roll — great twang on behalf of Peace.
Break of Day in the Trenches
The darkness crumbles away.It is the same old druid Time as ever,Only a live thing leaps my hand, A queer sardonic ratAs I pull the parapet's poppyTo stick behind my ear.Droll rat, they would shoot you if they knewYour cosmopolitan sympathies.Now you have touched this English handYou will do the same to a GermanSoon, no doubt, if it be your pleasureTo cross the sleeping green between.It seems you
"Never met a war like you before"
Oh, there they go! The Conservatives I mean (who else?) and their glorious plan to remember the dead from a war that happened 50 years before Confederation. A war that happened FIFTY years before Canada became a nation, when the 'dad's of confederation' were in diapers or not at all. A war, largely fought by British troops, who, given the average lifespans at the time, would have been mostly dead
Airshow's latest problem . . .
ACCORDING TO WIRED'S David Axe, the F-35 is a long way from service. "Stealth Jet Won’t Be Ready for Combat Until 2018" says it all.More bad news for the Pentagon’s next-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the most expensive weapons program in Defense Department history — and arguably the most important one in the Pentagon today. The Air Force has confirmed what observers long expected: that the
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An Asteroid Born Near the Earth
This morning we stick with the planetary migration theme begun on Friday, when the subject was a possible ice giant that was expelled from the Solar System some 600 million years after formation. We have a lot to learn about the mechanisms that could force such ejections, but it’s becoming clear that objects up to planet size do indeed migrate, as witness the latest findings on the asteroid Luteti
A Gas Giant Ejected from our System?
Free-floating planets — planets moving through interstellar space without stars — may not be unusual. If solar systems in their epoch of formation go through chaotic periods when the orbits of their giant planets are affected by dynamical instability, then ejecting a gas giant from the system entirely is a plausible outcome. David Nesvorny (SwRI) has been studying the possibilities for such ejecti
A Look at Methane-Based Life
Could life exist on a world with a methane rather than a water cycle? The nitrogen-rich atmosphere of Titan, laden with hydrocarbon smog, is a constant reminder of the question. Cassini has shown us the results of ultraviolet radiation from the Sun interacting with atmospheric methane, and we’ve had radar glimpses of lakes as well as the haunting imagery from the descending Huygens probe. Our noti
Pluto/Charon: A Dangerous Arrival?
We’ve often considered the effect of interstellar dust on a spacecraft moving at a substantial percentage of the speed of light. The matter becomes even more acute when we consider an interstellar probe arriving at the destination solar system. A flyby mission moving at ten percent of the speed of light is going to encounter a far more dangerous environment just as it sets about its critical obser
2005 YU55 Closest Approach Today
2005 YU55, an asteroid roughly the size of a city block, makes its closest pass today, approaching within 325,000 kilometers, closer than the distance between the Earth and the Moon. It will be another seventeen years before we get an asteroid as substantial as this in such proximity. That one is 2001 WN5, which will pass halfway between the Moon and the Earth in 2028. Today’s object of interest,
The Light of Alien Cities
If you’re looking for a new tactic for SETI, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, Avi Loeb (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics) and Princeton’s Edwin Turner may be able to supply it. The duo are studying how we might find other civilizations by spotting the lights of their cities. It’s an exotic concept and Loeb understates when he says looking for alien cities would be a long sh
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Illegal caviar trade poses major threat to Danube sturgeons
The highly endangered sturgeons of the Danube river basin are at risk because of the persistent illegal trade in their caviar involving Bulgaria and Romania, according to a newly published TRAFFIC report compiled for WWF. The two countries hold the only viable populations of wild sturgeons in the European Union (EU), but five of the six native sturgeon species in the Danube are critically endang
Forest gives rise to village bank
by John Kabubu, WWF Coastal East Africa Initiative The Kaya Kinondo forest of Kwale, Kenya, is awash with all the beauty and splendor a coastal forest should have. It is one of the oldest forests on Kenya’s south coast. Rare bird and plant species populate this awesome ecosystem, along with huge indigenous trees that are imposing in nature and magnificent in splendor. Forty-five butterfly spec
Sustainability certification works in the seas, study finds
Fisheries engaged in the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) programme show clear improvements in environmental performance throughout the whole certification process, according to an independent study released last week. The study, Researching the Environmental Impacts of the MSC Certification Programme, is the first ever to examine fishery performance through the MSC assessment process. It focused
WWF reveals huge overcapacity still in place in Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery
Istanbul, Turkey – As ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) opens tomorrow in Istanbul, WWF releases a new study showing current fishing capacity doubling bluefin tuna quotas in the East Atlantic and Mediterranean and points to the need to strengthen the current capacity reduction plan. In addition, WWF urges ICCAT this year to ban bluefin tuna farming. At this 2
Power the future, not the past
Paris, France – The World Energy Outlook 2011, released today by International Energy Agency (IEA) has shown the ever-growing impact of fossil fuels on the environment and the impact of high and volatile fossil fuel prices on economies, but fails to follow through with a strong emphasis on energy efficiency and renewable energy as the global escape route from these dilemmas, WWF said today. “WWF
Prince Charles honors communities in Tanzania for excellence in conservation
By John Kabubu, WWF-Coastal East Africa WWF-UK President, HRH The Prince of Wales, has presented community leaders in Tanzania with the ‘WWF Leaders for a Living Planet award’ for their significant contribution to the conservation of the natural world and sustainable development. His Royal Highness noted that he was happy to recognize communities that have worked hard for many years to achieve l
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Vyacheslav Danilenko, Nuclear Weapons Scientist?
Juan Cole questions the accuracy of the IAEA report on Iran. “A key allegation in the IAEA report on Iranian nuclear activities has fallen apart,” he says. He bases this claim on an article by Gareth Porter, which supposedly shows that “Vyacheslav Danilenko, a Russian scientist referred to without being identified in the report, is not a nuclear weapons expert.” Instead, Cole says, “His field is n
Bits and Pieces - November 13, 2011
CBS did a poll on the topics covered in Saturday night's Republican debate before the debate. The country doesn't agree with the candidates.Photos of a new volcanic island growing off El Hierro in the Canary Islands.A really good review by Henry Kissinger of a new biography of George Kennan by John Lewis Gaddis.Resources on Fukushima from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.How s
Dennis Ross Stepping Down
Dennis Ross has advised a number of presidential administrations on Middle East affairs. He is definitely of the neocon persuasion, and how to deal with Iran seems to have been mostly his baliwick. Something I've been thinking of posting on has been my puzzlement over what seems to be an unnecessarily rigid aproach to a number of issues in the Middle East. This won't be that post, and I'll stick t
Bits and Pieces - November 9, 2011
The Russian Mars spacecraft is stuck in earth orbit. They've got three days to get it unstuck.Do you want to hear more about Herman Cain? Yet another baseless accusation. And Ta-Nehisi Coates has the last word.The Sad Story of Central Asia's German Community May Be Ending.And I've been writing about the IAEA report on Iran over at Nuclear Diner. A short summary of what it says about Iran's weapons
Bits and Pieces - November 8, 2011
Do the Republicans want America to be like Greece? Compare this with the denigration of government (alternative to government: anarchy) and recommendation of "individual action" via guns and such: A few thousand years after Greeks invented Western civilization, the basic premise behind it has broken down: the Greek individual and the Greek state no longer work in concert. Over the past generation,
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