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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.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

27 September - Blogs I'm Following

About 7:15 pm MDST
Last 13 hours of posts

14 Signs That The World Economy Is Getting Weaker

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Daniels) at Global Political Awakening - 2 minutes ago
Michael Snyder, *Contributor* The United States is not the only one with massive economic problems right now. The truth is that just about wherever you look around the globe things are getting even worse. China is experiencing a substantial economic slowdown, and Japan has resorted to yet another round of money printing in an effort to keep the Japanese economy moving. Unemployment in Europe continues to get even worse, and the riots this week in Spain and in Greece have been absolutely frightening at times. In the United States there are a whole host of signs that another reces... more »

Today in History for Sept. 27: Release of The Warren Report

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 9 minutes ago
*September 27, 1964: Release of The Warren Report.* "From the very beginning, the Powers that Be have treated the Warren Report as if it is the word of God, come down from on high, etched in stone. In the picture above, that big book almost looks like a stone tablet. Why, it might was well be Moses himself placing it in Lyndon Johnson’s awaiting hands. Later, he would tell Walter Cronkite that he never believed in the lone gunman theory." - George Bailey, "The Sum Of All Things." AP: Today in History for Sept. 27

Confirmed Again: Statin Drugs Calcify The Coronary Arteries

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 11 minutes ago
Sayer Ji, *Contributor* A new study published in the journal Atherosclerosis found that statin use is associated with a 52% increased prevalence and extent of coronary artery plaques possessing calcium.[i] This study, published on August 24th, was preceded only three weeks earlier by one in the journal Diabetes Care, which found that coronary artery calcification "was significantly higher in more frequent statin users than in less frequent users," among patients with type 2 diabetes and advanced atherosclerosis. Coronary artery disease is one of the primary risk factors for hear... more »

"Education Nation" might be a more inspiring rubric if it applied to a nation that actually had some respect for education

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 15 minutes ago
*"Education Nation is NBC News' year-round initiative to engage the country in a solutions-focused conversation about the state of education in America."* *-- from NBC News's Education Nation website* *by Ken* The phrase "Education Nation" has a nice ring, though the ring rings a tad hollow when you consider that the nation in question is supposed to be our own, which has never been an education nation ans in modern times has devolved into an anti-education or mis-education nation. Nevertheless, under that rubric NBC News and the New York Public Library have been cosponsoring a w... more »

These guys . . .

Edstock at The Galloping Beaver - 43 minutes ago
REMEMBER VALERIE PLAME? These guys sure do. The story ain't over, and it's gonna make a hell of a mini-series, working title, Washington Weasels. H/T — Helmut

“Life's Crossroads: How To Thrive in Times of Change”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 48 minutes ago
*“Life's Crossroads: * *How To Thrive in Times of Change”* by Linda Durnell “Life's crossroads create opportunity for us to choose between different options, and when we see someone embracing the moment when choices are decided upon, it can be awe-inspiring. A crossroads is about change. Choices must be made - not just when things are not working out as we had planned, but also during positive moments when we must choose to continue the course or veer off into something new. When we experience an ending in a marriage, a change in careers, political upheavals, the end of childre... more »

Friday Morning Ramble: Let’s get started

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 51 minutes ago
*The media are still talking about John Banks. And Kim Dotcom. I can’t be arsed. Let’s take a ramble…* More on China… - “The most frightening thing was not the violence, but the violence being called natural and just. The Cultural Revolution was just like this.” *Xian Japanese car owner beaten, video exposed then censored* – CHINA SMACK - $585 billion of “stimulus,” and just a crack-up boom to show for it? Even the Keynesian *NY Times*’s analysis is bearish. *China Politics Stall Overhaul for Economy* – NEW YORK TIMES - A summary of a turbulent week… ... more »

10 Simple Steps Toward Self-Sufficiency

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 54 minutes ago
Gaye Levy, *Contributor* In a utopian world, we would be 100% self-sufficient. We would have enough food, enough water, enough power, and enough fuel, and perhaps most important, enough money to live a well-rounded, healthy and comfortable life. We would have to work hard, yes, but at the end of the day we would have the satisfaction of being able to take care of ourselves without selling out to greedsters or taking a handout from the government. Alas, everywhere you look there are roadblocks to achieving this state. Not the least of these roadblocks is our dependency on transpor... more »

Gov. Gary Johnson at Duke University

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 54 minutes ago
This is what an American leader looks like. Presidential candidate Gary Johnson speaking on September 20, 2012, at Duke University:

The Nuns Story - Roswell Edition

KRandle at A Different Perspective - 58 minutes ago
It has been a matter of controversy, only on this blog, as one of the critics has demanded information about a footnote in *The Truth about the UFO Crash at Roswell*. I believe he suspected some deceit on my part, and I have refused to bow to his demand to answer his questions simply because I didn’t care for the tone of his comments on the blog, not to mention that I had supplied most of that information to him in the past. I had planned to hold off on this until we were ready to publish all our results, but that doesn’t seem to be close at hand, so, I decided to explain this here ... more »

FAIL: Merck's Statin Drug Found No Better Than Coconut Water

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 1 hour ago
Sayer Ji, *Contributor* In a 2008 study published in the journal *Food Chemistry & Toxicology* titled, "Comparative evaluation of the hypolipidemic effects of coconut water and lovastatin in rats fed fat-cholesterol enriched diet,"1 the beverage coconut water was found as effective as a popular cholesterol-lowering drug in positively modulating blood lipid levels in rats. The conclusion of the study was as follows: Coconut water has lipid lowering effect similar to the drug lovastatin in rats fed fat-cholesterol enriched diet. Studies like this, of course, will never make it to... more »

"For Nothing Is Fixed, Forever and Forever and Forever..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 hour ago
"For nothing is fixed, forever and forever and forever, it is not fixed; the earth is always shifting, the light is always changing, the sea does not cease to grind down rock. Generations do not cease to be born, and we are responsible to them because we are the only witnesses they have. The sea rises, the light fails, lovers cling to each other, and children cling to us. The moment we cease to hold each other, the sea engulfs us and the light goes out." - James Baldwin

Is the CDC's Mandated Vaccine Schedule a Health-Disguised Compulsory Sterilization Program?

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 1 hour ago
Dees Illustration William Davies Wikipedia mistakenly defines Compulsory Sterilization as "Compulsory sterilization (or sterilisation), also known as forced sterilization (or sterilisation), programs are government policies which attempt to force people to undergo surgical sterilization. But surgery is not necessary to sterilize. During WWII, the Nazis experimented on people at Auschwitz to develop vaccines that sterilize at routine doctor's appointments under the guise of medical treatment. In July 1942 Lieutenant General Rudolf Brandt, Himmler’s personal advisor (Strzelecka 1... more »

South African Banks Must Pay Out Big Time

Obi-Wan Kabuki at American Kabuki - 1 hour ago
SA Banks must pay out big time [image: newera-logo-small.jpg]**** Dear Citizen, Up to a trillion rand could be refunded to South African customers by the banks. This is precisely the kind of cash injection that will help bring our country out of debt slavery and into a new age of prosperity.**** Millions of South Africans who have loans or credit could see their monthly repayments reduced substantially. And tens of thousands of people who have had judgments against them over the past two decades may be eligible for compensation. Garnishee orders should be slashed and sm... more »

Voters - Wake the F#ck Up!!!

2old2care at Because I Can - 1 hour ago
I found this on think Progress tonight. Samuel Jackson in one of his best roles!!!!! I KNOW you KNOW at least one person you could send this to.

Julian Assange, International Intrigue and What’s Going On With Ecuador

Obi-Wan Kabuki at American Kabuki - 1 hour ago
2012 AUGUST 29 * * *Julian Assange, International Intrigue and What’s Going On With Ecuador* *This article was found by Jeannie, a member of The 2012 Scenario Discussion Group. It is from an Italian-language blog called ‘Free Thought: The Home of the Italian Exiles at Home’ by Sergio Di Cori Modigliani . The original is in Italian here: * * * * http://sergiodicorimodiglianji.blogspot.it/2012/08/lattacco-alla-repubblica-del-ecuador.html * * * *Sergio describes his blog’s philosophy thus: “the purpose of this blog is to contribute to the spread of free thought without ideological ti... more »

"American Militarism"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 hour ago
*"American Militarism"* by Dave Lindorff "There is a massive deception campaign in the US, and in its global propaganda, which seeks to portray the United States as a poor set-upon nation that would like world peace but just has to keep a military stationed around the globe to “police” all the world’s “trouble spots.” In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. That truth is that the US is the biggest war-monger the world has ever known. Let’s start with its budget. The US, in fiscal year 2012, budgeted a total of $673 billion for the military, plus another $166 billion fo... more »

The Daily "Near You?"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 hour ago
Waynesville, North Carolina, USA. Thanks for stopping by.

“Chronic Stress: The Hidden Health Risks”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 hour ago
*“Chronic Stress: The Hidden Health Risks” * By Meryl Davids Landau “According to a recent American Psychological Association poll, nearly a quarter of Americans confessed to currently feeling under "extreme stress." Respondents especially blamed money, work, and the economy—a feeling 50-year-old Sue Wasserman knows all too well. In February, the public relations manager left Atlanta after her job was eliminated by a corporate restructuring and took a new post in Asheville, N.C. When that proved a bad fit, she struck out on her own as a freelance writer and publicist. Though Was... more »

"Other People’s Agendas: Appreciating Suggestions"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 2 hours ago
*"Other People’s Agendas: Appreciating Suggestions"* by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM "When other people are always offering suggestions on how we should live our life, there is often a void in their own life. As children, our parents had dreams for us. They wanted us to do well in school, and to do whatever was necessary to reach our highest potential. Later in life, friends may try to set us up with their idea of the perfect partner or the perfect job. Spouses may have agendas for us, too. People close to us may have ideas about how we should live our lives, ideas that usually co... more » 
too. People close to us may have ideas about how we should live our lives, ideas that usually co... more »

You Might be A Conspiracy Theorist if.....

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 2 hours ago
A public service announcement:

In front of global audience, Netanyahu draws his red line (on his ridiculous bomb cartoon)

Intercept at The Intercept - 2 hours ago
MondoWiess Adam Horowitz Last year it was the "Insatiable Crocodile of Militant Islam", this year it was a bomb torn from the pages of Spy v.s. Spy. For the highlight of Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to the UN General Assembly today see the screenshot above. Here's a roundup of some of the immediate reaction on Twitter: Help Us Transmit This Story Add to Your Blogger Account Put it On Facebook Tweet this post Print it from your printer Email and a collection of other outlets Try even more services

I CAN HAS IR THEORY?

Dan Nexon at The Duck of Minerva - 2 hours ago
I'm presenting PTJ's and my "End of IR Theory" paper at Berkeley next week. Here's a sneak peak at some of the lecture slides. Unfortunately, my LOLspeak is rusty.

What did the snail say when he hitched a ride on the turtle’s back?

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 2 hours ago
*Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! *

Dear God: Save The Jews From This FUCKING MORON!

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 2 hours ago
*May God save the people of Israel from this FUCKING MORON!* Bush is an astronaut compared to Netanyahu. This imbecile brought out a magic marker on the stage of the United Nations! And the sad thing is that the brainwashed children in the United States and Israel who believe Netanyahu and listen to him are even bigger morons. "As Hitler created the first Holocaust of the Jews, Netanyahu will be responsible for the second Holocaust of the Jews in the 21st century. He will be the Hitler of the 21st century to the Jews. On this New Year’s eve this is what I say about Netanyahu: He ... more »

N.Korean Agent 'Ordered to Kill Kim Jong-nam', KIm Jong-Un's brother

Matt at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
A North Korea agent who came to South Korea posing as a defector told police he was on a mission to assassinate Kim Jong-nam, the eldest son of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. The North Korean agent, identified only by his surname Kim (50) was arrested on Sept. 12. Kim told police he was ordered by the North's State Security Department in July 2010 to kill Kim Jong-nam, who lives mostly in Macau. Intelligence officials are investigating whether the account is true. Kim had been an agent in Beijing and other parts of China for a decade ago and came to South Korea in June thi... more »

Tarpits, Honeypots and Venus Fly Traps

Obi-Wan Kabuki at American Kabuki - 3 hours ago
By American Kabuki, This is a very strange time. All around us the spring crispness of change is occuring. Structures, institutions and energies of oppression crumble and disappate. Amazing pieces of information are flooding into our consciousness from so many different sources about what lies ahead. We've come a long ways actually, we no longer puzzle of what, we pretty much know that. We are also learning the how. The when we do not know, nor do we know the pace of the change. We get frustrated because we know we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses. Galacti... more »

(Political) Scientists

Charli Carpenter at The Duck of Minerva - 4 hours ago
Fellow Duck Brian Rathbun has a new piece in *International Studies Quarterly* comparing international relations scholars' paradigmatic preferences to their political preferences, based on TRIP survey data: Are international relations scholars objective observers of political events, or do our political preferences influence the way in which we see the world? This article explores that question using data from a survey of international relations scholars. It develops and tests hypotheses about how we might expect adherents of particular paradigms to identify themselves politi... more »

Sex Selective Abortion: Latest SHRIEEEEK!

noreply@blogger.com (fern hill) at DAMMIT JANET! - 4 hours ago
People are all up in arms because Rona Ambrose, Cabinet Moron Responsible for the Status of Women, voted in favour of Woodworth's Wank, aka The Motion to Determine When the State Gets Up Into Our Hoo-haws. This should be no surprise. She has voted for fetal rights before. But here her 'worry' is simply ridiculous. The federal cabinet minister responsible for the status of women has offered at least a partial explanation for why she voted in support of a pro-life motion in the House of Commons. Rona Ambrose says on Twitter that she's long been worried about discrimination against g... more »

Are Democrats And Republicans Just The Same Establishment Crap?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 4 hours ago
I'm no fan of Obama's. He's been pretty good on some stuff and much less than any good on other stuff. He's an inspirational figure for obvious reasons but it hasn't gone much beyond the obvious reasons. I have feint hope-- self delusion at best, most likely-- that he'll be any better in his second term. Alas, though, there is not *one* issue on which Romney would be better. In fact, Romney would be far worse on *every* issue. So... as Chris Hedges opined for TruthDig earlier in the week, How Do You Take Your Poison? Before we get to Chris' very solid reasoning, Romney (or Newt o... more »

A Broken Heart in a Cholera Treatment Center

John Carroll at Dying in Haiti - 4 hours ago
Luckner In June of 2011 I was notified by a physician friend of mine, Dr. Jen in Port-au-Prince, that she had a young patient named Luckner with a serious heart problem. She wanted to know if I would examine him and evaluate him as a candidate for heart surgery through Haitian Hearts. I agreed to do this but I was located in central Haiti about three hours north of Port-au-Prince. I was working at a Cholera Treatment Center at Albert Schweitzer Hospital. I asked Dr. Jen if Luckner could come up to Schweitzer and I would examine him. She said he would make the trip. At the Cholera ... more »

#NZ Post, and a tale of three parcels [updated]

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 4 hours ago
As Ian Fleming almost said, once is happenstance, twice is coincidence and three times is rank incompetence. Speaking of rank incompetence, as we were yesterday morning, let me give you the performance of NZ Post. I don’t mean their performance in “returning a dividend” to the government, or in administering the Anderton Bank—I mean in doing the core job of a postal system: delivering the mail. Remember mail? Here’s the story of three parcels. About this time last year, I bought several books from overseas, of which one never arrived (William Hutt’s *Rehabilitation of Say’s Law*,... more »

Benjamin Netanyahu: Master of Show-and-Tell

Nima Shirazi at Wide Asleep in America - 5 hours ago
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu likes using visual aids. In laying out the perennial threat of an ever-imminent, terrible, horrible, no good, very bad Iranian nuclear bomb that will set the stage for a second Holocaust with the deftness and finesse of a third-grade show-and-tell artist, Netanyahu has brought to the podium Xeroxed copies of old letters, meeting minutes and, now, a

When liberals refuse to marry those people!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 5 hours ago
*THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2012* *As it turns out, our sons and our daughters are not beyond our command:*Yesterday, Kevin Drum ran an intriguing post about a possible trend. At one time, people said they wouldn’t want their children to marry someone of some other race. Or of some other religion! So vile! Today, the terms of blanket rejection have changed. Drum quoted Claude Fischer discussing a recent survey: FISCHER (9/24/12): From the late 1970s through the late 2000s, Americans rated their own political party pretty consistently, at about an average of 70 on the scale. However, Am... more »

Environics: National Voter Intention - New Democrats Lead

leftdog at Buckdog - 5 hours ago
*A slip in the polls by the Conservatives has left the New Democrats in the lead nationally. * * **Environics.ca*

Thank heavens, we are a little safer from cheese smugglers

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 5 hours ago
It seems I was wrong and the "tough on crime" program is working! Story here A Canadian police officer was among three people charged as the country's authorities announced they had busted a major cheese-smuggling ring. A joint US-Canadian investigation found C$200,000 of cheese and other products were illicitly brought over the border into southern Ontario. The smugglers sold large quantities of cheese, which is cheaper in the US, to restaurants.

Dollar Hegemony In The Empire Of The Damned

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 5 hours ago
One issue that I constantly cover in this blog is of course the world economy....Lets face it, readers, the world is presently teetering on the edge of total economic collapse, as we watch the situation in Europe become more of a mess every day with both Greece,and now Spain, coming apart due to the people rising up against criminal IMF imposed austerity measures. Europe may be bad enough, but what most Americans are unaware of is that the situation with the United States economy is beyond dire, and right now the entire American economy is compared to a person who is clinically brain... more »

"A Chime Of Words..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
"Yes there is a meaning; at least for me, there is one thing that matters- to set a chime of words tinkling in the minds of a few fastidious people." - Logan Pearsall Smith

What the Fuck?

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 5 hours ago
Except some concepts I'll get to in the unfinished piece here, I don't think Margaret Wente's sufferings are terribly important. It is a fun topic though, so that's why I'll write about this: The incidents of plagiarism uncovered by blogger Carol Wainio on her Media Culpa blog, while certainly a legitimate topic for reporting, do not seem to me to be particularly egregious examples of the cutting and pasting of other people's intellectual property. That said, Wente is an exceptionally bright woman, and it seems unlikely to me that she didn't know what she was doing when she borr... more »

Free Planet - END MY GAME - you can do better!

Mike Philbin at FREE PLANET - 5 hours ago
I had a very interesting talk with Sanri, in the Oxfork Cafe on Magdalene Road, Oxford, today. We talked about Agenda 21. We talked about chemtrails. We talked about hauntings and spiritual events. We talked and talked and talked. And it dawned on me... I can't tell you what FREE PLANET is. Woah, why the aggressive/dismissive attitude with us, *your loyal readers*, Philbs? It's neither necessarily aggressive nor dismissive. It's just a FACT. I can shoot my mouth off all I want, on this blog or on alternative radio/podcasts. I can say whatever I want in a supposed Free World. I c... more 

Moyers - US of ALEC - BEST Trailer on Democracy Now!

2old2care at Because I Can - 5 hours ago
Moyers was on Democracy Now promoting his upcoming documentary by Bill Moyers – airing this weekend. *The United States of ALEC: Bill Moyers on the Secretive Corporate-Legislative Body Writing Our Laws* Watch the Democracy Now piece – including a much better trailer than I have seen so far - for the documentary!! 20 minute preview of Moyers show!!! *Get ready for this weekend* *Get others interested to watch the whole thing by sending them this trailer!!!* Here’s the link to the Democracy Now segment *>>>>>>>>>>HERE<<<<<<<<<<<<<*

Give Charter Schools an "F"

2old2care at Because I Can - 6 hours ago
C. Charter Schools? They Flunk. Milton Friedman's 1955 article, "The Role of Government in Education," argued for a voucher system that would allow parents to purchase the school of their choice for their children. Just as Friedman's supply-side free-market beliefs have been proven wrong, so also the notion of privatizing education is doomed to failure. Read this on Common Dreams and thought of ALEC Also thought of that nasty new ALEC movie that is out promoting the parent-trigger (it can’t be linked to ALEC directly , but I’m sure the screenplay writers didn’t come up with that sto... more »

N. Korea sharply increases training flights of fighter jets

Matt at The Coming Crisis - 6 hours ago
North Korea’s air force has sharply increased training flights of its fighter jets since July, with the number of sorties reaching as many as 100 a day, a government source said Thursday. The move is uncommon because North Korean pilots usually focus on ground training in summer. The communist nation is also showing signs of large-scale artillery exercises along its west coast, and activity of small submarines has also increased, the source said. These moves could be part of the North’s attempt to raise tensions ahead of South Korea’s presidential election in December. On Wednesd... more »

A Return to Summer?

Steve Saideman at The Duck of Minerva - 6 hours ago
The meme of the summer meets the graphic du jour:

The Currency Experiment Has Failed

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 6 hours ago
*In 1971 President Nixon closed the window that allowed US Dollars to be sold for gold owned by the US. Just before that, the price of gold was $35 an ounce. Since then gold has been called a 'barbarous relic', a term used in an earlier era by Keynes, the famous economist. * From that time on, the world's currencies stood merely on the confidence their governments engendered and the control they exercised over international financial dealings of all kinds. That confidence lasted until 2007 when the credit crunch brought government financing on both sides of the Atlantic into questi... more »

Abbas accuses Israel of 'ethnic cleansing'

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 6 hours ago
*UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of ethnic cleansing Thursday for building settlements in east Jerusalem.* "It is a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people via the demolition of their homes," Abbas said in his speech to the U.N. General Assembly. Shortly after, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rebuked Abbas in his own address to the assembly. "We won't solve our conflict with libelous speeches at the U.N.," Netanyahu said. Israel conquered the eastern part of Jerusalem from Jordan during the 1967 Mideast War. It... more »

THE ROAD TO WORLD WAR III RUNS THROUGH CHICAGO

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 6 hours ago
*All wars require a definitive trigger event in order to come to fruition. Subsequently, at the beginning of all wars lies a governmental apparatus which seeks to justify the outbreak of hostilities. Due to horrific nature of war, all governments feel the need to convince, conscript and control its population in order fulfill its need for war.* Over 2500 years ago, Sun Tzu, renowned author of the Art of War, stated that war is only a means to an end. A false flag attack upon the inhabitants of Chicago will likely prove to be the means to commence World War III. and impose a draconi... more »

Mount Marapi: Volcano erupts in Sumatra, Indonesia, spews ash

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 6 hours ago
*The most active volcano in Sumatra island of Indonesia erupted on Wednesday, spewing volcanic ash by up to 1.5 kilometers to the west, Head of National Volcanology Agency Surono said here.* Mount Merapi locally known as Gunung Merapi located in West Sumatra erupted at 16:39 p.m. Jakarta time (0939 GMT), and the agency has warned the people to stay away from the radius of three kilometers from the crater, said Surono. "If rains come down, the people living in downstream of s river whose upstream is on the slope of Merapi must be cautious over the flood of lava," Surono told Xinhua... more »

Mexican Volcano Popocatépetl Eruptions Increase

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 6 hours ago
*Mexico, Sep 25 (Prensa Latina) At least 26 eruptions accompanied by steam and gas, as well as a volcano tectonic quake were registered as a consequence of the Mexican volcano Popocatépetl activity during the last hours, it was reported Tuesday.* The National Center of Disaster Prevention (Cenapred) said eruptions were of low and medium intensity with no ash expulsion in any of them. According to the institution, the volcano tectonic quake was registered at 11.54 local time (16:54 GMT). At this moment, the alert light of volcano activity remains yellow phase 2 and the surrounding ... more »

5.0 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS - 27th September 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 6 hours ago
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake has struck SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS at a depth of 515.1 km (320.1 miles), the quake hit at 16:54:44 UTC Thursday 27th September 2012 The epicenter was 473 km (293 miles) South of Ndoi Island, Fiji No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

It's only a harvest boom

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 6 hours ago
Not an earthshaking revelation, but another chip off the myth that private equity has anything to do with job creation. In this 1985 clip, where he's pitching investors Romney makes clear Bain was about harvesting profits. Unsaid, but understood, by harvesting he means, bleeding the company dry of assets and walking away with all the money. [More posts daily at the Detroit News.]

State Fair

Southern Man at Southern Man - 6 hours ago
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Bible Quiz Road Trip Day 1

Southern Man at Southern Man - 6 hours ago
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Bible Quiz Road Trip Day 0

Southern Man at Southern Man - 6 hours ago
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4.8 Magnitude Earthquake TARAPACA, CHILE - 27th September 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 6 hours ago
A magnitude 4.8 earthquake has struck TARAPACA, CHILE at a depth of 94.3 km (58.6 miles), the quake hit at 16:38:59 UTC Thursday 27th September 2012 The epicenter was 113 km (70 miles) East of Iquique, Chile No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Ecuador, Britain fail to reach deal on Assange

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 6 hours ago
*NEW YORK — Britain and Ecuador failed to reach agreement on the fate of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange Thursday at a meeting of their foreign ministers here, officials said.* "We see no immediate solution," Ecuadoran Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino told reporters after meeting with British Foreign Secretary William Hague on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Hague told Patino "that the UK was under an obligation to extradite Mr Assange to Sweden," a spokesman for the British foreign secretary said in a statement. "The concept of 'diplomatic asylum', while well-establishe... more »

About that Flip to Responsibility....

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 6 hours ago
So, it turns out that Mitt Romney may be walking back his shift to having a reality-based tax plan after all. At least, sort of. To recap, the Romney tax plan calls for a 20% cut in tax rates, protecting certain current tax treatments of investment, revenue neutrality, and no tax increases for middle-income filers. The numbers, however, don't work; something has to give -- it's what Matt Yglesias calls "Romney's trilemma." Earlier in the week, a Romney adviser said that the numbers do so work, but if they didn't then the fix would be to lower the rates by less. Now, however, we get... more »

Brazil plans 23 new dams for heart of Amazon rainforest – ‘Wreaking an incalculable human and environmental toll in the Amazon’

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 7 hours ago
[image: The Uru-eu-Wau-Wau are one of the tribes who are affected by the Madeira River dams in Brazil. © Fiona Watson / survivalinternational.org] By Ben Tavener, Senior Contributing Reporter 25 September 2012 RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Brazilian government is planning to build at least 23 new hydroelectric dams in the country’s Amazon region, of which seven are set to be installed in the heart of the region, in previously untouched areas of one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world, *O Globo* newspaper reports. After the long-running dispute over the Belo Montedam, envi... more »

Fifty years after Silent Spring

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 7 hours ago
Conservationism or environmentalism as an ideology has its roots in Nazi Germany and one could probably go even further. But the Western environmentalism in the form we are familiar with today was born exactly 50 years when Rachel Carson began to release her book Silent Spring. It's such an inconvenient anniversary that most of the articles about the anniversary listed by Google News have been written by the critics of environmentalism. --> Some good articles were penned by Ronald Bailey, Roger Meiners, Matt Ridley, John Tierney, and Charlie Stenholm with John Block. Links via ... more »

Conservatives don't like nice

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 7 hours ago
Thing about the GOP base, especially the 27%ers, is they see being polite as a weakness. They want to see their opponent in a bloody pulp on the floor. Not sure if this crowd reaction at a Romney rally was solely because of this line in Mittanic's speech: "Look, I know the president cares about America and the people of this country," he told the roughly 3,500 supporters gathered in a convention center here. "He just doesn't know how to help them. I do. I'll get this country going again." Maybe they look that way through the whole thing. Their expressions are an exquisite mix of s... more »

OBAMA'S LIES; AL QAEDA; SYRIA

Anon at aangirfan - 7 hours ago
*1.* The CIA, Mossad, MI6 and NATO are using al Qaeda against Assad in Syria. "In 1999, the French Parliament commissioned a thorough investigation of global money-laundering... "Their report concluded that up to 40 British banks, companies, and individuals were associated with bin Laden's network, including organizations in London, Oxford, Cheltenham, Cambridge, and Leeds..." The House of Saud: British-Programmed Killer of Muslims *2.* Turkish television has broadcast a tape recording of telephone calls made by Mossad agents in Syria. '*Mossad* Agents Active in Syria, near Turk... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 7 hours ago
*Army Corps of Engineers’ Suppresses Public Comments ~Levees.org*~*Today, we learned that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has banned the receipt of all public comments submitted through the widely used advocacy system called Convio.*

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 7 hours ago
*Entergy to raise rates in New Orleans * *Coal facility, Mississippi River diversion project planned for same site ~Zoe Sullivan, The Lens* *More land at sinkhole falls in~The Advocate BR* *Project could dwarf Nucor* *$37.5 million FEMA trailer settlement approved* *And they're worried about paddling in school? * *Running the Table: Pool in New Orleans ~He Said/She Said NOLA* *Alligator Festival! Luling, La*

Why should you vote for Obama?

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 7 hours ago
This Cleveland voter knows why she's going to vote for Barack Obama - Apparently for the free phones... "Everybody in Cleveland, low minorities, got Obama phone. Keep Obama in president, you know. He gave us a phone, he gonna do more... You sign up! If you on food stamps, you on social security, you got low income, you disability…" Is what this lady saying correct? Are phones being given away?

5 Foods NOT to Eat While Sick or Battling a Cold

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 7 hours ago
Elizabeth Renter It’s almost that time of year, where we start passing around colds like we pass around the holiday dishes. While there are numerous sources out there for natural cold remedies (garlic, ginger, hydration, etc.), it’s also good to know which foods to avoid while sick or battling a cold. By eliminating these foods, while hopefully consuming immune-boosting foods, you can recover more quickly and reduce the severity of your symptoms. *1. Alcohol* Alcohol weakens your immune system and dehydrates you. Both of these can make your colds more miserable and leave you wi... more »

is CBC pulling our leg?

leftdog at Buckdog - 7 hours ago
*I think CBC is having a bit of fun with this story .... I can't imagine it being true*. *However, a few years ago, Brad Wall ran into trouble with a misspelling of the word 'Saskatchewan' in one of his political TV ads (see above).* *Just Wow ... **except it's a joke!* *(Click to enlarge ...)* *On Twitter #renameSASK* *UPDATE:* *... yup! Nice try! ;)*

Think tank director: ‘we could get nastier’ with Iran, further promoting terrorist activity

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 7 hours ago
Madison Ruppert, *Contributor* Earlier this year former Mayor of New York City Rudolph Giuliani openly promoted using terrorism as a way to stop the non-existent Iranian nuclear weapons program (for more confirmation of this fact see statements from U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and the U.S. intelligence community). Similarly, Israel’s current Vice Prime Minister and Strategic Affairs Minister and former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Moshe Ya’alon, has made a thinly veiled statement promoting using terrorism against Iran. Given that a known terrorist org... more »

'Yeti' sightings on the rise in Russia

Matt at The Coming Crisis - 7 hours ago
A group of yetis are on the loose in Sibera, fishermen and a forestry worker have claimed. There were three reported sightings in recent weeks. One person who reported spying the beast said “We shouted, ‘Do you need help?’ They rushed away, all in fur, walking on two legs, making their way through the bushes and with two other limbs, straight up the hill. The person who made the report added: “It could not be bears, as the bear walks on all fours, and they ran on two. Then they were gone.” On a second sighting on the bank of the Mras-Su River several days later, an unnamed fisherm... more »

DISAGGREGATION NATION: Molly Ivins made a mistake!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 7 hours ago
*THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2012* *Part 2—Why Maine seemed so special:* Friend, do you want to use test scores in reading and math to judge a school or school district? To judge an entire state’s schools? To compare school performance in one state to school performance in another? If you have reliable test scores to use, that’s a sensible thing to do. But if you want to evaluate schools that way, you have to “disaggregate” test scores. You can’t compare the *overall* scores from some state to the overall scores from another. You have to break the test scores down to see how different... more »

Is US Economic Growth Over?

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Pielke, Jr.) at Roger Pielke Jr.'s Blog - 8 hours ago
My latest column is up at The Breakthrough Institute --Is Economic Growth Coming to an End? How Robert Gordon Misreads the Data and What It Tells Us About the Dismal Science. Here is how it starts: Over that past month there has been much discussion of a new paper by Robert Gordon, a prominent economist at Northwestern University, which carried the provocative title: Is US Economic Growth Over? Faltering Innovation Confronts the Six Headwinds.” (See for instance, Annie Lowrey here, the Economist here and David Keohane here). In what Tim Harford called “the summer’s most tal... more »

Surprise Fact of the Day

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 8 hours ago
"Economics undergraduates have been found to be the most promiscuous students on campus." Source.

Obama Voter Says Vote for Obama because he gives a free Phone

Matt at The Coming Crisis - 8 hours ago

Mohawk Nation News 'Mohawks v. the Queen. Kanekota.'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 8 hours ago
MNN: MOHAWKS V. THE QUEEN. KANEKOTA.September 27, 2012 ** *MOHAWKS V. HER MAJESTY. FEDERAL COURT, TORONTO: * *October 1, 2012. Re: Kanekota** * http://mohawknationnews.com/blog/?p=1433 *MNN. Sep. 27, 2012. The hearing is o**n Monday October 1 at 10 AM, 180 Queen Street West. Toronto. Thahoketoteh will be arguing Rule of Law with the Attorney General on the issue of Kanekota. ** All welcome.* *Kanekota, “where the water comes from the earth”, is a 525 sq. mi. tract in the northern portion of the Haldimand Tract. The Royal Proclamation of 1783 provides that Canada has the responsibili... more »

Pigou Club Alert

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 8 hours ago
Click here to vote for a carbon tax.

Syria: Besieged by Internationalists and Fanatics

Rufus News From Atlantis at News From Atlantis. - 8 hours ago
Syria is a nation under siege. The terrorists of the so-called Free Syria Army, are mercenaries in the pay of the International financial elite, and fundamentalist fanatics, literally hell-bent on imposing Wahhabi rule over the nation. These rats are motivated by greed and by religious insanity. The experience of Libya is now being repeated in Syria, and should the legitimate government be overturned by the enemies of humanity, the terrorists will simply be redeployed to continue their diabolical mission elsewhere. The Zionist media has lied to the people. According to the Zion... more »

Annual DFA Heroes And Villains Poll

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 8 hours ago
DFA is asking who are the biggest villains and the greatest heroes in Congress. You can vote-- you don't have to be a member-- right here. The top slots have been pretty stable but I want to look at who the voters are picking as the 15 greatest villains in a second. First, just a brief run-down of the other categories. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has been #1 in the Senate heroes section since the poll opened. He should be #1... he's the best Member of the Senate. Blue America is recommending 2 candidates this year who could wind up giving him a run for his money or-- putting it a differ... more »

It seems that being a sheep rather than a goat is 'normal'

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 8 hours ago
* 'This Japanese video shows 32 metronomes set rocking on a wobbly surface. They begin in a state of chaos, and as they feed motion into the table, they begin to influence one another, until, 4 minutes later, they attain synchrony.'* I see myself as the pink metronome front row on the right... But will I too eventually have to march to the same beat as everyone else? *Thanks to Boing Boing for the video spot.*

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake GUATEMALA - 27th September 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 8 hours ago
A magnitude 4.5 earthquake has struck GUATEMALA at a depth of 228.7 km (142.1 miles), the quake hit at 13:14:30 UTC Thursday 27th September 2012 The epicenter was 0 km (0 miles) NNE of San Juan Atitan, Guatemala No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake NORTHERN QINGHAI, CHINA - 27th September 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 8 hours ago
A magnitude 4.5 earthquake has struck NORTHERN QINGHAI, CHINA at a depth of 32.9 km (20.4 miles), the quake hit at 12:38:43 UTC Thursday 27th September 2012 The epicenter was 50 km (31 miles) Northeast of Xitieshan, China No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

TransCanada worker attempts to drop tree on peaceful blockader Day 4

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 8 hours ago
VIDEO: TransCanada Worker Attempts to Drop Tree on Peaceful Blockader (Day 4) http://tarsandsblockade.org/video-transcanada-worker-attempts-to-drop-tree-on-peaceful-blockader-day-4/ TransCanada has only continued to jeopardize the safety of our friends as we move forward on the fourth day of our sustained tree-sit. A worker operating a feller buncher, a heavy machinery used for clear-cutting forests, attempted to drop a felled tree on a peaceful blockader late Tuesday. After Tuesday’s incident in which blockader’s witnessed TransCanada supervisors actively encouraging the... more »

Link: The Invention of Political Consulting

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 8 hours ago
American Chronicles The Lie Factory How politics became a business. by Jill Lepore September 24, 2012. The New Yorker http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/09/24/120924fa_fact_lepore#ixzz27glFMw4Q [Excerpted] Political consulting is often thought of as an offshoot of the advertising industry, but closer to the truth is that the advertising industry began as a form of political consulting. As the political scientist Stanley Kelley once explained, when modern advertising began, the big clients were just as interested in advancing a political agenda as a commercial one. Monop... more »

Experimenters, SUSY, frustrations, and anthropic ideas

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 8 hours ago
High-energy phenomenologists and experimenters may be entering a psychological stage that was predictable – and that, in fact, many of us including your humble correspondent were predicting. The LHC is a great machine that works very well and pushes many frontiers but it's not a "miracle machine" that may answer all open questions about physics, at least not within two years. *Fashion for naturalness* So almost everyone who is building his or her interest in fundamental physics on accessible experiments seems to be frustrated these days. The discovery of the Higgs boson may have ... more »

A New Media Caucus at the ISA?

Dan Nexon at The Duck of Minerva - 8 hours ago
Should there be a blogging (or, perhaps, "New Media") caucus at the International Studies Association (ISA)? Despite being in the ISA-NE hierarchy and having served in various positions for the International Political Sociology (IPS) section, I've never paid that much attention to the internal structure of the ISA. But now I'm involved in the creation of the Historical International Relations (HIST) section and a bid for *International Studies Quarterly*, so I've been on a steep learning curve. It seems to me that there are good reasons to form a blogging caucus, but it also doesn... more »

Now hear this

risa bear at A Way to Live - 9 hours ago
I was given an outdated surround-sound system. Had no use for the big DVD changer, but was intrigued with the possibilities of the amplifier. I bought a new mid-range turntable from Sony, plugged it into the CD input, and εὕρηκα! it works. We held onto our LPs from days of yore, and now they are back in service. Beloved has musicals and artists like Judy Collins, Joan Baez, and Joni Mitchell, and I have operas and collections like Bach cantatas, Mozart concertos, Haydn quartets, and, umm, Joni Mitchell. We each have copies of "Blue" and "Ladies of the Canyon." Some of the artists ... more »

Inexplicable -- or Epistemic Closure?

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 9 hours ago
Kevin Drum is baffled by the GOP's willingness to follow Paul Ryan over a cliff on Medicare. Really, it's pretty amazing. Just two years ago, Republicans walloped Democrats in the midterm election, at least partly due to a tsunami of ads accusing them of taking money away from Medicare. And Republicans have been on the receiving end of Medicare attack ads too. So they know perfectly well just how sensitive this issue is and how much damage it can do. And yet, somehow they convinced themselves that Paul Ryan had some kind of magic fairy dust that would make the American public sit up... more »

Democracy Now! Has US designated Wikileaks Assange 'enemy of the state'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 9 hours ago
*By Democracy Now!* In the wake of a speech given by Julian Assange addressed to the United Nations, documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show Wikileaks founder Julian Assange may have been designated an "enemy of the state" by the United States. For more on the new developments Democracy Now! has Assange's speech as well as an interview with the president emeritus of the CCR and legal advisor to Julian Assange, Michael Ratner. watch: http://youtu.be/e-m8bV9KGVE Michael Ratner was on Democracy Now! this morning! to talk about the U.S. Air Force counter-intellig... more »

A Little Too Ironic

Storm at Schools Matter - 9 hours ago
Maybe you're not 44 and so are not conversant with the movie *Reality Bites*(its genesis and presentation 20 years past), but I am. The down-and-out 20-something "losers" (heed my punctuation, please) in that film did not exemplify me. I had a job as an English teacher in a parochial high school in St. Louis, MO and was raking in a massive 18k. The mise-en-scene of this movie with which I did not identify was the marketing juggernaut called "Seattle Grunge." In any event the protagonists have relationship issues, job issues, artistic issues, Pearl Jam shows up, maybe Alice in Chai... more »

There you are!

Sophia at American Kabuki - 9 hours ago
We are completing our Quest right now. Today is the last day of this journey and we can see our destination. Although it’s always been there, it may well have been invisible. Wrapped in blinders of shoulds and judgments, you could not see Agape. It is obvious to you now. Clear vision is available to us always, yet it sometimes shows up in surprising ways. “Hook” (2003) is a story of finding yourself again, after a long time of loss. The three clips here illustrate the journey. Peter Pan has forgotten how to fly. What he needs is simple; he must find his happy tho... more »

Weekend waterspouts across Great Lakes ‘shatter the old record of 94 waterspouts reported in 2003’

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 10 hours ago
[image: This waterspout formed over Lake Erie on Sunday, 23 September 2012. The photo was taken looking east towards Cleveland, Ohio, from Lorain, Ohio. ICWR.ca observer via usnews.nbcnews.com] By Miguel Llanos, NBC News 24 September 2012 The Cleveland Browns football team hosted a special pregame show on Sunday: a waterspout seen from the lakeside stadium before sputtering out harmlessly. It was one of 13 waterspouts reported over Lake Erie on Sunday and part of what's already a record year for sightings on the Great Lakes. "2012 has seen so far a total of 154 waterspouts," Wade ... more »

Job Available With 20 Weeks Vacation Per Year — Interested?

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 10 hours ago
After passing the healthcare reform bill that Obama is so proud of, Congress celebrated by granting itself an impromptu vacation. Because, you know, they decide stuff like that. When they go on vacation. Brandon Pierce, *Contributor* The average American who is fortunate enough to have a job gets 18 days paid vacation per year. On average, we said. That’s less than three weeks. But like we said, it’s an average. There are plenty of Americans, especially those new in their jobs, who get zero days vacation and plenty of loyal workers who have built up substantial vacation allotments, a... more »

Rona Ambrose .. Minster Responsible For The Repression Of Women.... SHAME!

leftdog at Buckdog - 10 hours ago
*"The Conservative Status of Women Minister who voted in favour of Wednesday night’s failed motion to study the legal rights of the fetus was hit with a torrent of criticism overnight from pro-choice Canadians. * * MPs voted overwhelmingly against the motion, but 10 Conservative ministers – representing more than a quarter of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s cabinet – supported it. Dozens more backbench Conservative MPs and four Liberals also voted in its favour."* Globe & Mail 

Bob Tuskin And The Building 7 Challenge

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 10 hours ago
*YouTube -- NotForSale2NWO* Bob Tuskin is at it again with “The Building 7 Challenge”. It only takes 6 seconds. Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurner Be the Change! Share this using the tools below. Sharing on Reddit and Newsvine will help the most.

Obama at the table - Updated

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 10 hours ago
Gratefully getting to the home stretch of this endless campaign. President Obama has a new ad in a format that favors him: The ad features Obama speaking directly to the camera for two minutes, beginning by telling viewers, "If I could sit down with you, in your living room or around the kitchen table, here's what I'd say." Obama ticks off four main policy points -- creating new manufacturing job, expanding American energy, strengthening education and balancing the budget by raising taxes on the wealthy -- before concluding: "It’s time for a new economic patriotism, rooted in the ... more »

A Culture of Delusion

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 10 hours ago
Anthony Freda Art Paul Craig Roberts, *Contributor* A writer’s greatest disappointments are readers who have knee-jerk responses. Not all readers, of course. Some readers are thoughtful and supportive. Others express thanks for opening their eyes. But the majority are happy when a writer tells them what they want to hear and are unhappy when he writes what they don’t want to hear. For the left-wing, Ronald Reagan is the great bogeyman. Those on the left don’t understand supply-side economics as a macroeconomic innovation that cured stagflation by utilizing the impact of fiscal pol... more »

Law Enforcement snooping on your Wi-Fi is now literally part of the training

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 10 hours ago
James Smith, *Contributor* The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will scan or grope your body at airports whether you like it or not. Cameras will scan your face and behavior in the streets. Your phone calls are being intercepted and fed into a major FBI database for threat analysis. And now the DHS’s Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) has requested something besides an ungodly amount of ammunition – The ability to locate and “read” the data or phone calls from your home. (1) *Agency and Contracting Activity*. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal L... more »

How rich!

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 10 hours ago
In all the fuss over Mitt Romney's tax returns and what percentage of earnings he paid in tax, including or excluding his charitable giving, a couiple of things caught my eye. First that the Democrats Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, the man who claimed Mitt Romney hasn't paid taxes for ten years on the Senate floor because "someone" told him that was the case, is refusing to release his own tax returns. The second is just how rich some of these members of the US Congress are. RollCall has a list of the richest 50 members of Congress: Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) $305.46 Million... more »

I Reject Your Reality and Substitute My Own: A Psychological Profile of Mitt Romney

jurassicpork at Welcome Back to Pottersville - 11 hours ago
In the 10th episode of Season 4 of *The Office*, Michael Scott, the self-centered, bumbling manager of Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch office, goes on a blind date set up by one of his subordinates. He'd just broken up with Jan, his boss, and wanted to start dating again. He goes to the coffee shop and he says out loud he needs to look for a brunette wearing blue jeans and a black top, sees a hot blonde wearing a skirt and instantly deludes himself into thinking they're the same woman. Scott tries to introduce himself to her and she completely ignores and brushes past him. When hi... more »

Publication ban proper to protect identity of bullied person however nonidentifying information to be made public

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 11 hours ago
*A.B. v. Bragg Communications Inc., *2012 SCC 46 was just released. The Supreme Court upholds publication bans insofar as they protect the identity of people subjected to bullying on the basis that the specific identity is but a “sliver” of information. Nonidentifying information however, is to be made public, as there is no harmful impact on the bullied person since the information cannot be connected to the bullied person. The public’s right to open courts –and press freedom – therefore prevail with respect to the nonidentifying content. The Court writes: * * [10] ... more »

Woodworth's Wank: A Personal Reaction

noreply@blogger.com (fern hill) at DAMMIT JANET! - 11 hours ago
I watched the vote on Woodworth's Wank yesterday online. People had been predicting/guessing how many yeas it would get. I said 58. Kady O'Malley, the CBC House reporter who had in effect told us not to worry our purty little heads about it, weighed in with her number: 30 to 50. (I think she refined it later to 50, but I'm not sure.) Of the ones I saw or that used the #M312bet tag, Aaron Wherry won the fruit basket with 90. (It was 203 to 91.) As MPs bobbed up and down for yeas and nays, my head was spinning and my gut was clenched. I quickly lost track of the count, but it was crys... more »

Episode 27 of The Disarming Grannies Of The UK Documentary Series: "Outer Mongolia"

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 11 hours ago
27 September 2012 Campaigning Life Resumes*EPISODE TWENTY SEVEN: “Outer Mongolia”* With the trial over, Helen and Sylvia re-focus their energies on campaigning and decide to surprise RAF Fylingdales by arriving under the cover of darkness to display banners outside the base. It seems, for now, that their humour, wit and cheeky banter has returned as they battle against the unforgiving conditions of the Yorkshire moors to try, once more, to promote their messages of peace. To find out more about Fylingdales please visit the official *RAF site* To find out more about Yorkshire CND... more »

MS-NPR Plays Softball with Arne

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 11 hours ago
Ever since NPR and PBS got serious about fund raising among the oligarchs--Gates and the Koch Bros.--their coverage has suffered and their objectivity has been thrown to the wind. Can we imagine a more inappropriate scenario than the ecology-killing Koch Boys sponsoring PBS's most prominent science program, NOVA? Straight out the imagination of Hunter S. Thompson, may he rest in peace. Well, yes, I can think of something as inappropriate, at least: The Gates-owned NPR interviewing Arne Duncan about the Chicago Teachers Strike last Sunday morning. Scott Simon asked not a single ... more »

Supreme Court to rule on Facebook privacy case today!

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 12 hours ago
A Nova Scotia teenager who wants to sue the people she alleges bullied her on Facebook will find out Thursday whether she’ll get to keep her name and details of the case private. The Supreme Court of Canada is set to rule on what’s called the “open court principle,” the right of the public to understand what's happening in the courts and to scrutinize its judgements. At stake is whether the teen’s desire to keep her identity and the details of what was allegedly said about her private should override the public’s right to an open court. Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/supr... more »

Ooops, slippy!!!

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 12 hours ago

Read Stuff, You Should

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 12 hours ago
Happy Birthday to Mike Schmidt, 63. There are four positions where "greatest ever" is contested, and four where it's uncontested. Of the uncontested, only two are recent: Barry Bonds in LF, and Michael Jack.Schmidt (I'm assuming that Alex Rodriguez counts as a worse SS than Wagner, and not as serious competition for Schmidt). How about top-ten in the NL in OPS+ almost every year beginning in 1974 and going through 1987, missing only once, and leading the league at one point five years running and six out of seven? And a great glove. Wonderful, wonderful, baseball player. The good s... more »

Rational Iran and the Great Power Games

Intercept at The Intercept - 12 hours ago
Steve Pieczenik Since the 1950’s when the CIA under the leadership of covert operatives F. Roosevelt Jr and Schwarzkopf Sr. initiated a coup against the Iranian Nationalist leader Mossadegh to install the Shah of Iran who was more "sympathetic" to our oil interest, the US has been playing games in Iran. Along with the US geopolitical partners - Britain, Russia, France, Russia, and Israel---Iran became a pawn as well as major power player in the Middle East for the next sixty five years. Not once in that period of time under Iran’s respective leaders—Shah Pahlavi, Ayatollah Khomeini... more »

Who Remembers When Boehner And Cantor Said They Would Crack Down On Corruption Inside Their Caucus?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 12 hours ago
When they took over Congress, Boehner and Cantor publicly crowed about how they would have a zero tolerance policy towards corruption among Republican Members of the House. Republican Members of the House have, by and large, ignored them-- some with a passion. Staten Island mobster Michael "Mikey Suits" Grimm has been on a crime spree since before he took office and California's most prominent crooked Mormon, John Boehner crony Buck McKeon, is drowning in so many corruption scandals that no one can keep track of them all. But it looks likely that the first of the batch Boehner a... more »

The Diffusion of Oil Income Transparency

Dan Nexon at The Duck of Minerva - 12 hours ago
* This is a guest post by Jeff Colgan, an assistant professor in the School of International Service at American University.* Policy responses to the resource curse are diffusing in the international community. In August, the U.S. enacted rules that could reduce corruption, promote political accountability, and maybe even reduce the probability of war. The decision was encouraged transnationally by actors from developing countries. Now the European Union and other countries are taking up the torch. All of this points to an intriguing transnational pattern of policy diffusion of whi... more »

Herbert Lom R.I.P.

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 12 hours ago
The great Herbert Lom has passed away. Here are some extracts from the Pink Panther films to remember him by. Herbert Lom will be greatly missed, he also starred in one of my favourite films of all time - The Ladykillers...

EU wants $12 billion annual trade sanctions on U.S. in Boeing row

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 12 hours ago
*(Reuters) - The European Union asked the World Trade Organization on Thursday for the right to impose annual trade sanctions worth up to $12 billion on the United States in retaliation for illegal subsidies to planemaker Boeing (BA.N).* The request is the latest legal move in the world's biggest trade dispute, over subsidies for Boeing and its European rival Airbus (EAD.PA), which has lasted more than seven years so far. "This follows the EU's assessment that the United States had not lived up to its obligation to remove its illegal subsidies in the aircraft sector, as required b... more »

Spanish magazine publishes Mohammad cartoon

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 12 hours ago
*Reuters) - Spanish political satire magazine El Jueves has published a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad on its cover, soon after violent protests rocked the Muslim world over a U.S. film and French caricatures deemed insulting to Islam.* El Jueves' latest edition, which hit Spanish newsstands on Wednesday, shows several Muslims in a police lineup under the title "But...does anyone know what Mohammad looks like?" Any depiction of the prophet is considered blasphemous by Muslims but the issue has also caused a debate in the West about censorship and freedom of speech. The magazine ... more » 

Netanyahu to set "clear red line" for Iran in U.N. speech

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 12 hours ago
* (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will set out, in his speech at the United Nations on Thursday, an ultimatum for Iran to halt its disputed nuclear drive or risk coming under military attack, an Israeli official said. * Netanyahu faces the world body after U.S. President Barack Obama disappointed some Israelis, in his own address to the annual assembly, by not calling for a deadline to be imposed on Tehran - though he did say time for diplomacy "is not unlimited". Israel sees a mortal threat in a nuclear-armed Iran and has long threatened to strike its arch-fo... more »

4.0 Magnitude Earthquake GULF OF CALIFORNIA - 27th September 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 12 hours ago
A magnitude 4.0 earthquake has struck the GULF OF CALIFORNIA at a depth of 10.2 km (6.3 miles), the quake hit at 11:24:11 UTC Thursday 27th September 2012 The epicenter was 32 km (19 miles) NNE of La Paz, Mexico No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

The China Japan Dispute Over Diaoyu Islands: Historical Analysis

Intercept at The Intercept - 12 hours ago
Global Research Chandra Muzaffar *Tensions are rising in the dispute between China and Japan over the Diaoyu Islands —- 5 tiny islands and 3 rocks covering a mere 7 square kilometres in the East China Sea. It is unfortunate that this is happening especially when Chinese-Japanese economic ties have reached a new level since the end of last year with the two countries agreeing to use their respective currencies in their bilateral trade, instead of the US dollar.* *To de-escalate tensions, Japan should make the first move. It was the Japanese government’s purchase of three of the isla... more »

Thursday Morning Linkage

Dan Nexon at The Duck of Minerva - 12 hours ago
Do a google image search for "nerd duck public domain"; Charli's image comes up pretty quickly. Not sure what that means. - Colin Kahl defends the Obama Administration's Middle-East foreign-policy record on CNN. - Juan Cole does something similar at his blog. - Han Xudong argues that trade ties will prevent current tensions in East Asia from escalating to war (via Taylor Fravel). - Emmanuel at *IPEZone*: "Meet China's Real Challenger, Mexico (No Kidding)." - Corey Wallace assesses developments in Australia-Japan cooperation. - A short note on podcasts:... more »

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake TIMOR REGION, INDONESIA - 27th September 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 12 hours ago
A magnitude 4.8 earthquake has struck the TIMOR REGION, INDONESIA at a depth of 98.1 km (61 miles), the quake hit at 10:28:40 UTC Thursday 27th September 2012 The epicenter was 32 km (19 miles) Northwest of Naisano Dua, Indonesia No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Alicia Williams and David Platt whose bodies were found in the swollen River Clywedog in North Wales may have drowned trying to rescue one of their pet dogs

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 12 hours ago
*The body of a 27-year-old woman, named locally as Alicia Williams, was found on a sand bank in a shallow part of the river near Erddig last night by someone walking their dog.* A search team found the body of a man, identified as David Platt, 25, in the early hours of this morning. Police said the two people were a couple and were with their five dogs when the accident took place. All five dogs have since been accounted for. Both are from the Wrexham area. Post-mortems will be carried out later. Chief Inspector Mark Pierce told a press conference the deaths were not being treated... more »

I'm sorry but words fail me

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 12 hours ago
The news that, as the BBC put it, 'Social services and police "missed opportunities" to stop the sexual abuse of young girls in Rochdale, a report into a grooming scandal has revealed.' has shocked but not surprised me. Political correctness has been made so important that the Police and other arms of the state are often too scared of causing offence to take action against certain 'minorities'. *The Times* has been printing much more detail than the BBC has been reporting and some of The Times' reports have left me lost for words. Here are some extracts from The Times courtesy of Ga... more »

Architectural Mini-Tutorial: Ceiling Decks

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 12 hours ago
[image: Hamilton Organic Architecture] Open plan living is a vast improvement on life in a box -- or in a series of boxes, which is what describes most traditional houses, unfortunately. But it’s not enough just to be “open plan.” The biggest open plan space is just a field, right? *Good* open-plan living still requires a delineation of spaces within the larger space – it’s just more difficult for the designer to ensure the right degree of separation between the sub-spaces, and the right amount of integration of each sub-space with the main space. In a well-designed open space, ... more »

Following In Nixon's Footsteps

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 12 hours ago
On the day Stephen Harper will receive the Statesman of the Year award from the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, Yves Engler writes a Swiftian op-ed, suggesting that Harper should really receive the first ever Richard Nixon Prize. "The decision to grant Harper the Richard Nixon Prize," Engler writes, "was made after a thorough review of his foreign policy:" The grantees cited Harper’s “consistent backing of the interests of North America’s top 1% of income earners, with a special emphasis on supporting those who make their billions from resource extraction, weaponry and banking.”... more »

Debate Questions for Paul Ryan From an Employment Lawyer

Donna at Screw You Guys, I'm Going Home - 12 hours ago
This is part of our series on what questions employment law practitioners would ask of the candidates in the debates. Today, I propose some questions I'd ask Paul Ryan. *During your acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, you talked about an automobile plant in your district. You said this, " Right there at that plant, candidate Obama said: 'I believe that if our government is there to support you … this plant will be here for another hundred years.' That’s what he said in 2008.Well, as it turned out, that plant didn’t last another year. It is locked up and empty to... more »

Leaked EU Cyber 'Terror' Proposal Would Erode Civil Liberties

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 12 hours ago
*EFF* A new project aimed at “countering illegal use of the Internet” is making headlines this week. The project, dubbed CleanIT, is funded by the European Commission (EC) to the tune of more than $400,000 and, it would appear, aims to eradicate the Internet of terrorism. European Digital Rights, a Brussels-based organization consisting of 32 NGOs throughout Europe (and of which EFF is a member), has recently published a leaked draft document from CleanIT. On the project’s website, its stated goal is to reduce the impact of the use of the Internet for “terrorist purposes” but “... more »

How to Identify a Psychopath

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 13 hours ago
*DTOM* The Mask Of Sanity: An Attempt To Clarify Some Issues About The So-Called Psychopathic Personality Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurner Be the Change! Share this using the tools below. Sharing on Reddit and Newsvine will help the most.

Calling U.S. Drone Strikes 'Surgical' Is Orwellian Propaganda

Intercept at The Intercept - 13 hours ago
The Atlantic Conor Friedersdorf *A moment's reflection is enough to understand why intellectually honest people should shun the loaded metaphor.* * * The Obama Administration deliberately uses the word "surgical" to describe its drone strikes. Official White House spokesman Jay Carney marshaled the medical metaphor here, saying that "a hallmark of our counterterrorism efforts has been our ability to be exceptionally precise, exceptionally surgical and exceptionally targeted." White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan attributed "surgical precision" and "laser-like focus" t... more »

Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department ‘on a routine basis has been using unreasonable force’ in jails

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 13 hours ago
Gabriel Carrillo - Credit: SoCal ACLU Madison Ruppert, *Contributor* A report from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California revealed that jailers with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department have routinely struck inmates in the head unnecessarily with various objects, fists and even against jail bars causing “horrific head injuries.” This is the same department looking at operating drones over Los Angeles, even though drones are already being operated domestically by the U.S. military in concert with law enforcement, and the same department whose deput... more »

Oh, the irony! ‘Smart grid’ control software maker gets hacked

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 13 hours ago
Image credit: Telvent Madison Ruppert, *Contributor* In an incredibly ironic piece of news, Telvent, the company behind a control system designed to be used in concert with the so-called “smart grid,” recently announced that their network had been breached by hackers who “accessed project files related to a control system used in portions of the electrical grid,” according to *Threat Level*. The smart grid system, which companies like Telvent (which is owned by Schneider Electric) are involved in, is currently being pushed by corporate-sponsored studies as well as major legislativ... more »

UN Seeks to Limit Free Speech After Muslim Protests

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 13 hours ago
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The War Stops Here

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 13 hours ago
*Gary Johnson* Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurner Be the Change! Share this using the tools below. Sharing on Reddit and Newsvine will help the most.

Assange slams Obama's claims of advocating freedom of speech

Intercept at The Intercept - 13 hours ago
PressTV The founder of the WikiLeaks website has ridiculed US President Barack Obama’s claim of supporting free speech in the Middle East while persecuting his group for publishing leaked US diplomatic cables. Speaking Wednesday in a New York event via a video feed from the Ecuadorean embassy in London, where he is holed up for fear of being extradited to the US by British officials, Julian Assange mocked President Barack Obama for defending free speech in Muslim nations during his Tuesday address to the UN General Assembly as he underlined his own case of being targeted by US a... more »

U.S. Attempts to Instigate World War III

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 13 hours ago
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Israeli leaders meet Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in NYC

Intercept at The Intercept - 13 hours ago
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