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Thomas Paine

To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

11 December - My Feedly

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Al Jazeera English
US vacates Pakistan base amid drone debate
Departure comes after ultimatum from Islamabad prompted by the death of 24 of its soldiers in NATO air raid.
Five Best Mobile Price Comparison Apps
2 If you're headed to your local big box store to shop for holiday gifts or anything else you need, don't leave your smartphone behind—with the right apps, you can check the products you're looking at in the store to see if you're getting the best price there, whether you should head to the store next door, or wait until you get home


General Dempsey: Silence on Military Strategy Not Bad for Now
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Martin Dempsey said yesterday at a meeting hosted by the Atlantic Council that the absence of a public discussion about shifts and changes in US military strategy amidst certain significant budget goods is a 'good thing' for now. Dempsey acknowledged that behind the scenes and in "the tank" -- a place where military commanders can meet "withou
Britain Hesitates
European leaders went one better this time. Not content with failing to resolve the debt crisis tearing through the Eurozone and threatening a global recession, they have now managed to create a new source of instability: The rift between Britain and the rest of the European Union, whose consequences may prove to be momentous indeed. It was a long time coming. The tension between the Eurozone “ins
Newt Gingrich: Palestinians Are an "Invented" People
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich is courting the Republican Jewish vote with a series of statements showing his unwavering support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and pro-Israel American conservatives. On Wednesday, he declared that he would appoint former U.N. ambassador — and outspoken über-hawk — John Bolton to be Secretary of State if elected president. In an interview r
It's Official! OH's GOP Voter Suppression Law Now On Hold, Will Face Referendum on 2012 Ballot
Congrats to all voters of Ohio for successfully pushing back against the GOP's efforts to keep you from voting in next year's Presidential election! It's another win for democracy, and another loss for the Buckeye State's Republican Gov. John Kasich (following on the recent landslide loss of his anti-union bill at the polls last month.) Today, Secretary of State John Husted (R), officially certifi

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In which I go all poetical on your ass V
I’m not a poet, but from time to time, I like to drop a poetry bomb on ya’ll just to keep you on your toes.  Hell, if I string some words together about pretty much anything and I don’t have somewhere else to put them, then they’re going up on the old bloggy-wog.  I’m not a blogging machine like Chuck Wendig, so I gotta use any chunk of word buffalo I find lying around just to keep the engine turn
The Gulf of Mexico is Dying
A Special Report on the BP Gulf Oil Spill By Dr. Tom Termotto It is with deep regret that we publish this report.  We do not take this responsibility lightly, as the consequences of the following observations are of such great import and have such far-reaching ramifications for the entire planet.  Truly, the fate of the oceans of the world hangs in the balance, as does the future of humankind. The
Funny pants, breaking par and having a little fun: A cautionary tale for tortured writers
You know what we need? Writing pants. I golf a bit. Not as much as a few years back, but it’s still a good time when I get out.  Golf courses are pretty places – flora, fauna, quiet usually.  And you walk around or ride around and tell dirty jokes, drink a little beer, hit the occasional good shot.  Four hours or so of camaraderie in funny pants.  It’s relaxing. Or it is for me.  But I know some g
A plagiarism parable
I read all this plagiarism stuff lately, and I think of this kid I used to know. In fourth grade, the nuns assigned our class our first real paper.  Sister Margaret Mary wrote the names of a mess of countries on slips of scrap and dropped them in a box.  You owed her five hundred words on whatever country you pulled.  I got the Congo.  This paper, it was a big deal, maybe half of our Social Studie

Suzie-Q
 

Grayson on the Fed bailout: “If you’re not a Wall Street bank, you’re screwed”
Bloomberg: Secret Fed Loans Gave Banks $13 Billion By Bob Ivry, Bradley Keoun and Phil Kuntz – Nov 27, 2011 4:01 PM PT Bloomberg Markets Magazine Nov. 28 (Bloomberg) — The Federal Reserve and the big banks fought for more than two years to keep details of the largest bailout in U.S. history a secret. No one calculated until now that banks reaped an estimated $13 billion of income by taking advant
Close call for NY City as Muslim Sympathasizer is arrested
by G: Nov. 21, 2011 Here’s the latest news on terrorism in NY. It’s sharing the headlines with the recent demonstrations in Egypt, where, according to the NY Times   at least 23 people had been killed and more than 1,500 people had been wounded. It concerns a Muslim sympathizer  that the NYPD has had under surveillance for 2 1/2 years. They followed him and an informant to the dollar store and a
Republican Party Platform in 2012
Republican Party Platform in 2012: Tax-cuts for the rich Tax hikes for the middle class Deregulate wall street … Unlimited corporate money in elections War with Iran War with Pakistan Trade war with China Stay in Iraq Patriot Act End Social Security End Medicare Increase military spending Defund Planned Parenthood End abortion End birth-control Outlaw gay marriages End EPA End Public School Defun

African Soil in the Blood and Dust of COP17
Last hours of Durban Climate Negotiations Indicate Kyoto Protocol is Set to Lose Its Heart
An Eco Conscious Holiday Guide
Make It Yourself, And If That Doesn’t Work, Check Out These Presents
Who’s Greener? Who Cares?
To be Sustainable, Green Movement Must Embrace Hypocrisy and Halfway Solutions
“We’re Not Very Excited About Kyoto,” the US Says
Neither Are People’s Movements in the South – But for Different Reasons
With Keystone XL Delayed, Tar Sands Fight Turns to Enbridge Pipeline
Indigenous Groups Organizing to Halt Pipeline through British Columbia
What Will Save Our Forests?
Critical Insights from Indigenous Peoples in and around UNCOP17

Episode 212 – Remembering Mae Brussell
Incensed by the lies told to the American public about the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Mae Brussell transformed from an ordinary Beverly Hills housewife to a voracious researcher and tenacious broadcaster. Overcoming the incredulity of the public, the prejudices of her peers, and death threats from the establishment, Mae took to the Santa Cruz airwaves in 1971 to inform the public about the
Corbett Report Radio 029 – Talking History with Bob Chapman
On tonight’s “Friday Night Highlights” edition of the broadcast we dip into the archives for highlights of previous Corbett Report conversations with Bob Chapman of TheInternationalForecaster.com. From the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor to the sordid history of Soros and the Rothschilds to reflections on the big picture of world government, Bob Chapman draws on his 50+ years of experience fighti
Interview 430 – Paul Hellyer
Former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Paul Hellyer joins us to discuss the recently announced Canada-US border agreement. We discuss the potential dangers of such moves toward economic globalization, and the international banking infrastructure that propels the globalization agenda. We also discuss the Bank of Canada’s role in this international framework.
Engineering the Eurozone Collapse – F. William Engdahl on GRTV
The leaders of the EU prepare for a summit this week as the Eurozone continues to spin out of control. But how did the collapse begin, and who will profit from it? Find out more in this week’s GRTV Feature Interview with F. William Engdahl.
Interview 429 – Michael Goodbaum
Today we talk to Michael Goodbaum of RockTheNation.org about the influence of the organizers on Occupy Toronto and its activities. We discuss the OTPOR training of the facilitators and how dissenting voices have been kept from participating in the assembly.
Corbett Report Radio 028 – Food World Order with James Evan Pilato
We go through a lightning-fast news blitz of the most important stories from around the world in the first half of tonight’s program. Then in a new Thursday night routine we welcome James Evan Pilato of FoodWorldOrder.com to go over all the latest stories from the world of food, environment and health. Works Cited: NewWorldNextWeek.com You’re the Wrong One, Mr. Gingrich Virginia Tech police office

Tradekey.com
TradeKey.com is the world’s leading and fastest growing online business-to-business (B2B) marketplace that connects small and medium businesses across the globe for international trade.“We want to be one of the world’s biggest companies,” says Junaid Mansoor, the founder and CEO of Tradekey. According to Mansoor, an analysis conducted by a third-party expert valued the company at around $700 milli
Nokia Care Protect
Karachi -23rd November, 2011: Nokia Care Protect, extended warranty offer was launched at a local hotel today. Adding to consumer convenience, Nokia Care Protect is an extended warranty that can be purchased for nominal charges and offers mobile phone warranty service for additional 12-months after the original Nokia warranty expires. Based on our research, average phone life for a consumer in P
Stay for the work not the perks
This is a revelation that came to me when I recently quit my comfy corporate job for the second time. If you are below 40 and some one asks you about how is your job going and your answer is not in tune of “I like my job because I love the work”.  You need to pause and asses your career, last time I answered this question my answer was “I like the job, because the benefits are good”, and that made
Bloodline wins second runners up at Global Innovation through science & technology
Bloodline, which was a winner of first round of P@SHA Social Fund has also won globally. In the Global Innovation of Science and Technology (GIST) recently being held in Istanbul, Turkey Bloodline has been awarded a 2nd Consolation Prize of USD 5000. Bloodline aims to connect blood donors and people in need of blood through different mediums which include a central call center, mobile apps and fac
TiE announces all Asia business plan competition
TiE has announced the launch of All-Asia Business Plan Competition (AABPC). For people participating from Pakistan you have to go through the TiE Islamabad Chapter. Important dates to remember are Registration Deadline : 05-Dec-2011 at Midnight PKT Local Results Judged : 09-Dec-2011 Midnight PKT. If you clear the first level (i.e Selected by the local chapter which would be Islamabad Chapter for

This is a Facebook message I just found hidden in my inbox (sometimes Facebook...
This is a Facebook message I just found hidden in my inbox (sometimes Facebook’s habit of hiding messages works out in a person’ favor), from someone named Cameron Baird. I know people usually blot out the names of people who say ignorant things on Facebook. But, so much of my life went on display after Salon picked up my post about my medical abortion that I don’t feel like letting people like
What Happens When Class Warriors Ignore Race?
One of the things I think progressives who ignore history don’t understand is that just like racism is taught, so is distrust. Especially in Af-Am households where our parents & grandparents who have lived through Jim Crow, Cointelpro, Reaganomics, & the War on Drugs (better titled the War on Inner City Communities) talk to us early & often about how to stay out of trouble. My
On Police Brutality, Living While Of Color, & Why Brutality At OWS isn’t Shocking
I’ve seen a lot of posts talking about OWS, police brutality, race, gender, & intersectionality. Many of those posts include links to the famous stories of police brutality. And those stories are important & should be told. But, by only talking about those stories I worry that we’re giving the impression that police brutality is relatively rare in communities of color. I’ve posted in the
Help Increase Nuanced Racial Representation in The Media
If you can  spare a few bucks (every dollar helps) please consider kickstarting this great film project!   Synopsis Cedric and Tiffany, two college friends, realize their feelings for each other and after an illicit night together, decide to make a pact. They vow to end their respective relationships in order to build one together. When one of them cannot follow through on their promise, the oth

“Why Kenya’s doing Bashir’s laundry?” by Nkwazi Mhango‏
Wrangles evidenced recently between Kenyan Judiciary and the executive over the ruling that Sudanese strong man, Omar Bashir, be apprehended shall he visit Kenya, left many analysts flabbergasted. One judge, Ncholas Ombija, made a historical ruling when ordered the Minister for Internal Security to see to it that when Bashir sets foot on Kenyan soil, he be apprehended and handed over to The Hague
sat’day riddymz
“Os tambores de Minas, by Milton Nascimento. This song roughly means, the drums of Minas Gerais, Milton Nascimento’s home state, will never be quiet.” Sis Ana. Saludos…
Eduardo Galeano Chronicles the History of Human Adventure
“I believe this reading by Eduardo Galeano is very interesting.  Eduardo Galeano, the Uruguayan intellectual, writer and novelist, describes himself as being obsessed with remembering and committed to humanity and just causes. I agree with him.” Sis. Ana.  Saludos… Click here.


Documentary "The Light In Her Eyes": The spiritual roots of a revolution
Women have been the heart and backbone of Islam from its beginnings. From the courage of Khadija, Prophet Muhammad's first wife and first convert, to the scholarship and fiery independence of his later wife Aisha; from the political genius of Muslim queens such as Egypt's Shajarat al-Dur and India's Nur Jahan to the spiritual wisdom of female saints such as Rabia of Basra, Islam has been shaped an
Change in Pakistan: Coping with the so-called jihad
“What do you see in your dreams, chacha?” my four-year-old niece asked, with her face resting on her hands and her eyes lit with joy in anticipation of hearing a delightful story, knowing that I take pleasure in satisfying her curiosity. She recently inquired about a souvenir of Tutankhamen’s casket with a wooden mummy wrapped in Egyptian linen inside it that led to I explaining the process of mum
Thanksgiving 2011: How Muslims have come celebrate this day
Every November 24th, the Thanksgiving turkey dinner is the experimental guinea pig that reminds me that America is the multicultural cooking pot of the world. It’s only fitting this annual holiday primarily takes place in America’s cathedral: the kitchen. This is the universal, sacred, holy place honored by all communities around the world regardless of ethnicity, race, creed or religion. This Th
TV show "All-American Muslim": An all-American reality show
A new unscripted show about a handful of Muslim families from Dearborn premiered on TLC this weekend. Like many other American Muslims, I waited anxiously for the show “All American Muslim,” hoping it would put a more human face on our community through a mainstream media outlet. I watched patiently as one Arab family after another introduced themselves and tried to highlight how their multiple id

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Priorities. They Can Has.
by matttbastard Noted w/o comment: Time Magazine covers – December 5, 2011 h/t
The Troubling Truth About Naomi Wolf’s DHS/OWS Hype UPDATE: Original Source Walks Back teh BS
by matttbastard It’s total bullshit (not to mention batshit). AlterNet’s Josh Holland for teh Fisk: Wolf …offers a classic example of trying to shoe-horn reality into a theory with no factual basis. She set out to write a column indicting Congress for a nationwide crack-down that hasn’t actually been unearthed and, in order to do so, she needs to hopelessly muddle the chain of command… For the te

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Nebraska Sued Over 420 Plate
It always may be 4:20 somewhere, but not on a Nebraska car tag. The director of the state’s department of motor vehicles refused to issue a tag reading “NE 420” to the attorney sponsoring a petition in the Cornhusker state to get marijuana out of the corn rows and into the open with a legalization drive. The director, Beverly Neth, says “420” has lots of evil connotations, there’s the evil weed t
Special Din-Din For Scalia and Thomas Will Influence Health Care Decision?
Justice, as represented by right-wing members of the Supreme Court of the United States, may be blind, deaf nor mute; but Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas are always up for a free meal and some good ole boy butt slapping. When the Crows went behind closed doors to decide if they would hear the challenges to health care reform, these two champions of the far right were busy anticipating
Prescription medication That Is Utilized In Dealing With Nominal To Extreme Suffering
Tramadol, also bought under brands Ultram and Ultram Emergeny room, is usually a narcotic suffering crusher utilized in dealing with reasonable to intense suffering. The extensive-put out (Ser) version is required to relieve continual ache that really needs 24-hr servicing. Furthermore, there might be other functions for medicines.Before you take Tramadol, you will need to consult with your medica
Searching For On-line Insurance Quotes
Whatever perform in your everyday living, insurance policy is generally needed, and probably the most essential insurance coverage we maintain is car insurance policy. Strangely about automobile insurance is that you can effortlessly shop and review for the best insurance cover out there devoid of leaving behind your office or home. The reason behind this is that On-line Insurance Quotes really ar


Citizens hate copyright, admits EU Commissioner
The EU’s Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes, recently gave a speech admitting copyright doesn’t work and citizens hate it: legal enforceability is becoming increasingly difficult; the millions of dollars invested trying to enforce copyright have not stemmed piracy. Meanwhile citizens increasingly hear the word copyright and hate what is behind it. Sadly, many see the current system
Why I’m not a Labour supporter
I recently said why I’m not a Tory. In the interests of balance, I’ll say why I’m not a Labour supporter. On Liberal Conspiracy I recently posted that: Public spending went up from 36% of GDP in 2000 to 48% of GDP in 2010. If the UK economy grew at an average rate of 2% over those years, that’s an increase of 63%. This is a vast sum of money, and if public services did improve by 63%, I certainly
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


Seawall Santa—Texas Progressive Alliance Round-Up
Here is the weekly posting of the  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. (Above–A patriotic Galveston Seawall Santa. I took this picture last year right before Christmas. It was 83 degrees that day so he must have been very hot.)  Every Texan and every American has the
Who Are The Democrats In Houston Council Runoffs?—Vote Out Of Respect For Yourself And Respect For The Man In The Picture
Today is Election Day for the final four unresolved Houston City Council spots on the 2011 ballot. Please consider voting. Turnout in this election is likely to be  3% or 4%. I’m not going to tell you that these are Earth-shattering elections on the ballot today or that anybody running is a consistent champion of progressive values. Vote today out of your best conception of yourself. The Democrats
Houston’s Beer Can House
I don’t live so far from the famous Beer Can House here in Houston. Here is the website of the Beer Can House. You can take a tour of the house on weekends. A busy day ahead today so not much time for blogging. Thanks for reading Texas Liberal.
Amy Price Reports On Day 2 Of Occupy Houston & Good Jobs Great Houston Actions In Washington
My friend Amy Price has traveled to Washington with Occupy Houston and Good Jobs Great Houston to take the fight for economic fair play and the 99% to our elected officials and to the offices of the big lobbyists. Amy was a recent candidate for Houston City Council. With that race over, she is remaining involved in the fight for a better Houston and a better nation. Below is an account from Amy o
Bill White Says Jolanda Jones Only Represents Certain People—I Wonder What He Might Be Implying With This Assertion?
Democrat Bill White’s offensive letter endorsing Republican Jack Christie in the runoff for Houston Council At-Large #5  says “As an At-Large member of City Council Jack will represent all his constituents…he will listen to every point of view.” (Above–Councilwoman Jones with citizens she’ll be representing to your detriment.)  When you are publicly and brazenly ditching one of the core constitue
Occupy Wall Street Making An Impact Across Our Great Nation—New York State To Raise Tax Rates On The Most Wealthy
Occupy Houston, Occupy Wall Street and Occupy efforts across the nation are working hard, changing the debate, and making progress. This  is why top Republican pollster Frank Luntz is afraid of the Occupy movement. Occupy Houston spoke up yesterday against arctic drilling and will tomorrow demonstrate to protect women’s health. Occupy Wall Street has been addressing the foreclosure crisis. On Dec


Home Thoughts
I am off to Ghana today, and it leads me to think about how very much I have come to love Ramsgate. Walks along the cliffs and beach and across Pegwell Bay with my family are a major part of my life. The sea has always been important to reviving my spirits. Ramsgate’s magnificent Edwardian esplanades stretch for miles, and the Ramsgate Society is now putting a commendable effort into their rest
Something for the Weekend
I spent last night as a guest at Selwyn College’s Cripps Feast, which was simply splendid. I would never have thought of a well-aged Rioja with the venison, but it worked extremely well. As it’s the weekend, here’s a BBC interview with Nadira – in Uzbek. It reminds me that I am a remarkably fortunate individual.
The Gould Werritty Investigation Continues
An MP has been refused by the Commons Table Office when they tried to table a question asking how many meetings Gould had held with Werritty and/or Fox. The Table Office say the question has already been answered – even though we know for certain that the answer given was untrue. This was the untrue – or at the very least radically unfull – answer cited by the Table Office: Adam Werritty Jere
Ten Per Cent for Freedom
From now until the referendum, I shall give ten per cent of my income to the campaign for Scottish Independence. My income is both meagre and unreliable, and I can’t really afford it, but people have died for freedom willingly, and this is a much smaller sacrifice by comparison. I urge all my fellow Scots to do the same. The media is viciously anti-independence and the massive resources of the B
Update – Cameron’s Patriotism
UPDATE Exactly as predicted, the broadcast media this morning are hailing Cameron’s patriotism in opposing a financial transaction tax and “Protecting the City of London”, as though this were the Blitz. Both the BBC and Sky News have featured economists “explaining” what a bad thing a financial transaction tax would be for the City of London. Both were employed by institutions which would have
Independent Coup
I don’t buy newspapers any more, but I strongly recommend that today everyone puts their hand in their pocket to support the Independent’s tremendous work exposing the immoral – no, evil – work of political lobbyists and the way our politicians are bought and paid for. You can work your way through all the articles online beginning with this one, where I get a kind mention. This all follows on

NolanChart.comRon Paul Lands Punches in ABC Debate
by Jake Morphonios:    Vaulting above the fray, Congressman Ron Paul emerges as the clear winner on substance.

I am sorry, But I can no longer defend the Republican Party
by Patrick Adkins:    My dismissing of the Republican Party of today.
Ron Paul Warns of Coming Global Meltdown
by Jake Morphonios:    Ron Paul: "I personally believe [this crisis] is worse than anything that's ever existed in the world before.
Ann Coulter's Liberal Love Affair
by tom davis:    Ann Coulter, the so-called conservative firebrand, is now actively writing on behalf of a liberal to be elected President of the United States. For good measure, she is trashing a conservative who threatens to get the Republican nomination.
Ron Paul vs Newt Gingrich on Fidelity - A Matter of Consideration Before the Iowa Caucuses
by Jake Morphonios:    A shocking expose on the former Speaker's history of adultery - and what it means to Iowans as they prepare to make their choice between Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich.
Sheriff in Hood's Clothing
by Van Bryant, II:    The "Robin Hood" tax: don't be fooled.

WWF - Latest News
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WWF: Governments fail on ambition, courage at UN climate change talks
Durban, South Africa -- After two weeks of sparring and a day-long extension, governments once again failed today to provide the inspiration and ambition to tackle climate change and provide hope for hundreds of millions around the world who suffer and will continue to suffer from climate-related impacts. Governments reached a weak agreement that established a Green Climate Fund with little mone
Indian environmental trailblazer gets top WWF honours
Dr. Ashok Khosla OBE, one of the world’s leading experts on the environment and sustainable development, has been awarded the 2011 WWF Duke of Edinburgh Conservation Medal. A former director in the United Nations Environment Programme, Dr Khosla was also the founding director of the Indian government’s Office of Environmental Planning and Coordination – the first such agency in a developing count
WWF: Climate talks helping create a 4° world
Durban, South Africa: Government leaders are still not seeing the big picture—we are here to address catastrophic climate change, WWF said today ahead of the closing of the climate negotiations in Durban, South Africa. Samantha Smith, leader of WWF’s global climate and energy initiative issued the following statement: “There is still time to make some incremental progress on a few key issues her
Inspirational filmmakers connect with nature
Today WWF announced the two winners of its short film competition-Life. Nature. You. Make the Connection. which was launched in the context of  WWF’s 50th anniversary celebrations.   The competition, aimed at emerging talent, asked filmmakers to produce original films, up to a maximum of 2 minutes, on the theme “Life. Nature. You make the Connection”. WWF was looking for films that would inspire
Xayaburi dam delay pending further studies is a positive step
Siem Reap, Cambodia – The ministerial-level meeting of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) has agreed to delay a decision on building the Xayaburi dam in northern Laos pending further studies on the impacts of the controversial project. Ministers from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam reached the consensus decision at a meeting of the MRC - an inter-governmental agency made up of representative
WWF warns on looming Amazon deforestation disaster as Brazil senate votes to dismantle protections
Brasilia, Brazil: Brazil’s Senate has decided to pursue short term gain over long term security in a vote to do away with long standing protections for the Amazon and other key forested areas, WWF warned today. Jim Leape on the Brazil Forest Law from WWF on Vimeo. The new law, promoted by some rural and agribusiness interests, opens vast new areas of forest to agriculture and cattle ranching

Well, the UK _is_ an island
by liberal japonicus From the Guardian During the UK's 38-year membership of the European Community, and latterly Union, the true believers had, too often in their eyes, to make special exceptions for the "awkward Anglo-Saxons". The "Brits" wielded handbags and threatened vetoes, insisting all the time on remaining at the top table of discussions despite opting out of Euro
Your 7/8 Sleigh Ride friday open thread
by liberal japonicus Your thread about odd time signatures, holiday music and the War on Christmas, with a video and some meaningless reminiscing below the fold. I'm not sure if this is completely common, but I think that the original song is probably responsible for more people going into music than anything else. Well, maybe not, but when you are in elementary school band and you get to p
Books of the year
by Doctor Science It's that time of year again -- the one where I need to figure out gifts for various friends and relatives. Fortunately, it's also the time of year when critics and reviewers put together "N Best Xs of the Year" lists. Even more fortunately, almost everyone on my list *loves* books. So: I'm going to put up a list of "best or at least most interesting books I've read this year"
welcome to the occupation
by russell I'd been wanting to head down to the Occupy Boston site, just to see what was what as much as anything else.  Last Friday, I took the day-after-Thanksgiving holiday as my opportunity. I checked the website to see what they were asking for that day.  Shopping list in hand, I headed over to my local Dollar Store and loaded up on stuff like snacks, juice, Band-Aids, and baby wipes, hop
Your Leveson inquiry friday open thread
by liberal japonicus Just recently, one of the keys to my morning net surfing has been to go to the Guardian's Leveson inquiry page and catch the live blog for the previous day's session. Because of the time difference, I'm getting it after it has finished, so I can read thru the whole thing. Just in case you don't know, the Leveson inquiry is the one that is exploring phone hackin
First. Second.
by von (retired) First, read Dr. Science's post about SOPA/PIPA, and act!  I ain't saying that piracy's good, but these bills take a sledgehammer to a porcelain doll.  And the doll's worth saving. Called your Rep and Senator?  Good.  This second one is even more important. They've made a Star Blazers live action film.  Behold the trailer:   I realize that I'm speaking to a

red


What Child Is This
It is now Known that extraterrestrials are messing with people, having bred and/or assembled a motley crew of pseudo-humans, beings who are even now rolling and raving across the land as if they are Real candidates for the presidency of the United States. As we enter this Christmas season, we must now additionally ask whether that deity who claims to be the dove-form father of Jesus—and, earlier,
Welcome To Walmart
So it seems that today’s Walmarts are so vast and cavernous that denizens of Oklahoma have taken to cooking methamphetamine there, bubbling speedy brew in the friendly Waltonian confines, until their public chemistry experiments are belatedly noted and aborted by party-pooping badge-and-gun people. On Thursday, one Elizabeth Alisha Greta Halfmoon entered a Tulsa Walmart about noon. Six hours later
Stone Stupe
Extreme and complete stupification today paralyzes the planet’s archeological community, as strange and unusual stone carvings have recently surfaced deep in the bowels of Jerusalem, and no human seems to have the slightest clue as to what they mean. The v-shaped markings are on the floor of a recently uncovered room at the dig site. They are about two inches deep and twenty inches long. Nothing e
Stone Soup
Her apartment was illuminated by the airless glow of a television set. All the old people in the building seemed to have gathered on chairs and stools around the screen to watch, or rather to listen with their eyes closed to, the image of a gray, professorial face with a deep, reassuring voice that carried like a wave to the open door. “You may be tired. Everyone is tired. You may be confused. Eve
The Cain Scrutiny
I never really got the Herman Cain thing. From what I could tell, he was a guy who looked up one day while making a pizza, and decided he wanted to be president. That part I could sorta understand. For I’ve made pizzas. And I wanted to be president . . . when I was 16. But why he was ever taken seriously as a presidential candidate: that was the puzzlement. Now, it is true that Cain was not as dum
New Digs
No bed, bedding, chairs or bureau. Dry walls angled seamlessly into hardwood floors. The bathroom was all tiles gleaming like teeth. The kitchen had a stove but no utensils. If he’d had food, he could have held meat in his hands above the flame. —Martin Cruz Smith, Red Square Filed under: Wyrds
Slimming
Slimming

Eclipsed Moon Setting Over Jemez Mountains
The lights at the lower right are Los Alamos.
Bits and Pieces - December 9, 2011
Medical students that reject evolution.This is very cool. Looks like irrefutable evidence of water on Mars at one time. That's the only way this kind of mineral forms.Have we come to the end of history in popular culture? Some good comments on Kevin Drum's post on the subject.When Does Public Disclosure Make Secrecy Moot?Here are a couple more of my posts on the cost of nuclear weapons. The discus
Salak
Photo: Menheer Ihsan, Flickr
Bits and Pieces - December 6, 2011
I guess President Obama has been getting some good things done.This seems to be the drone that Iran took down. Whether it was shot down or control intercepted is not clear, nor is its mission when it went down. This is the kind of thing that militaries really, really don't like to lose to the enemy.Speaking of what we don't know about Iran, I've been working on a post about last week's explosion a
Bits and Pieces - December 5, 2011
Racial discrimination hasn't gone away, at the local and federal levels.What's under the ice in Antarctica.Less than the Tehran demonstrators might have hoped to find at the British Embassy.Both these articles on Iran are worth reading. At first, they seem opposed, but after I thought about it a while, they look like the same thing from different viewpoints. They are quite different from most of w
How Much Do Nuclear Weapons Cost?
When I was a student, I worked in a laboratory that separated plant pigments, like chlorophyll, from algae that had been grown in heavy water, so the hydrogens in those pigments had been substituted by deuterium. The amounts of pigment were small and carefully handled. One slow afternoon, some of us tried to calculate what they were worth, sitting green and yellow in their shiny glass vacuum ampou

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