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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.

Friday, November 2, 2012

2 November - Blogs I'm Following

English: President Barack Obama and First Lady...
English: President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are welcomed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to Buckingham Palace in London, April 1, 2009. Français : Le Président des États-Unis Barack Obama et la première dame Michelle Obama sont reçus par sa majesté la Reine Elizabeth II à Buckingham Palace à Londres, le 1er avril 2009. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
First Lady Laura Bush and Mrs. Michelle Obama ...
First Lady Laura Bush and Mrs. Michelle Obama sit in the private residence of the White House Monday, Nov. 10, 2008, after the President-elect and Mrs. Obama arrived for a visit. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What Role Do Emissions Reductions Have in Reducing Future Hurricane Losses?

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Pielke, Jr.) at Roger Pielke Jr.'s Blog - 4 minutes ago
Not long ago I wrote a paper exploring the relative sensitivities of future hurricane (tropical cyclone) damage to changes in climate and changes in society, titled, "Future economic damage from tropical cyclones: sensitivities to societal and climate changes" (PDF). The paper was peer-reviewed and appeared in the *Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A*, as part of a special issue based on an earlier workshop. The damage that analyzes is comprehensive, inclusive of wind, flood, sea level rise and other factors that might increase losses in the future. Here is the abst... more »

Shove Your Yardstick and Your Calipers and Your ETS

Storm at Schools Matter - 7 minutes ago
Indiana has recently released its "report card" assessments of its public schools. I'm sure I don't need to go into the reasons the grades themselves are only political and have nothing to do with the welfare of our children but rather the welfare of our business managers. In fact Diane Ravitch had a brief post about it yesterday which reads in full: Two recent analyses show how convoluted and confusing Indiana’s school report cards are. Matthew DiCarlo has been reviewing state grading systems and concludes that the one concocted in Indiana is the “probably the most rudimentary sc... more »

Power to the Powerless

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 20 minutes ago
Much to the chagrin of the candidates and their spinmeisters, climate change and income disparity have reared their ugly heads to become defacto issues in the waning days of Eternal Presidential Campaign 2012. Superstorm Sandy has wedged out the wedge issues. Big Bird has flown the coop. Even corporate media giants like CNN are noticing the inequality. Side-by-side images of desperately hungry people in Brooklyn sifting through garbage in search for food, and VIPs bemoaning the closing of the Dumpling Bar at JP Morgan Chase would never have been possible without the cooperation of S... more »

Politics in Everything: Michelle Obama’s Face Makes Kids Choose Healthy Treats

PM at Duck of Minerva - 28 minutes ago
Via reader JW, an exceptional experiment from Yale: In a field experiment conducted during trick-or-treating at Halloween, we find that a visual cue of Michelle Obama prompts almost twice as many children age 9 and over to choose fruit over candy, compared to a visual cue of Ann Romney. This provides evidence that Michelle Obama’s Continue reading

Bloomberg '16? Of Course Not

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 29 minutes ago
Reihan Salam: Is it obvious that HRC would crush Bloomberg in a D primary? I don't think so. Of course, that assume that Bloomberg looks good in the long run as far as Sandy is concerned, which is hardly a sure thing. But even granting that: No way. No way! This particular Iron Law of Politics is strong: New York City Mayor is a dead-end job. Rudy Giuliani tried. Ed Koch tried (for governor). John Lindsay tried. It just doesn't work. The kinds of friends -- and the kinds of enemies -- you have to make to be a successful, or even plausibly successful, Mayor of New York City just do... more »

CCCP, Meet CPC3

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 46 minutes ago
For years I've been pointing out that Stephen Joseph Harper has certain instincts reminiscent of Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin. The way Comrade Steve "reformed" the Prime Minister's Office was a dead giveaway. His appointment of political commissars to disrupt public access to the civil and armed services was a masterful coup, entirely Stalinist. Henceforth his political minions would decide what communications from the public should be allowed to reach their government, what unwelcome communications would not. These same commissars would filter communications to the public, e... more »

The Fiscal Cliff: A Primer

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 49 minutes ago

Benghazi Attack "Scandal" Blows Up In the Face of Fox "News"

*By MARC McDONALD* If you ever frequent the likes of Fox News or the Drudge Report, you'll notice that these "news" outlets, along with the rest of the right-wing noise machine, have been going batsh*t crazy lately with their Benghazi "scandal" coverage. Fox "News" has devoted Watergate-level saturation coverage to this "scandal" daily. And Drudge has linked to every right-wing nutcase site that had a new Benghazi conspiracy "story." Well, it now turns out that (surprise, surprise!) this "scandal" is totally bogus and nothing more than a figment of the wingnuts' imagination. (Just ... more »

voting for obama because of the supreme court? please check your math

laura k at wmtc - 57 minutes ago
When making the case for the differences between US Democrats and Republicans, many people's first thought is the Supreme Court. High on their list of the importance of SCOTUS is usually *Roe v. Wade*, the case that established abortion rights for American women. There was a time when I would have wholeheartedly agreed with both of these assessments - but that time has long since passed. Yet so few USians seem to realize it. The current makeup of SCOTUS is already five Republican appointees who range from moderately conservative (in the US context) to far-right ideologues and four ... more »

Move Your Money Out Day of Action on November 5, 2012

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 1 hour ago
Move Your Money Out Day of Action on November 5, 2012 On November 5th, we invite everyone to come together and hold the banks accountable for their greedy display of democracy. They got billions in bailouts and get millions in tax subsidies and have done nothing to help the economy but make their shareholders and CEOs richer. They have foreclosed on millions of hard-working families and denied them refinancing on their loans. They have lost billions of the American people's money through risky gambling and illegal activities. We must stand up to them and say "NO MORE"!! So on this ... more »

The Hurricane Agenda is to Make Government Look Necessary!

Jay Allbritton at Jay Allbritton - 1 hour ago
Colbert fully supports Romney's plan to make disaster relief the responsibility of the states because "who better to respond to what’s going on inside its own borders than the state whose infrastructure has just been swept out to sea?" *The Colbert Report* Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

'Senior political figure' set to be outed as paedophile in Newsnight probe tonight

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 1 hour ago
The investigation about the unnamed man, who is alive and could be an MP or an advisor, is currently being legalled by the BBC, who refused to comment on the story today. It was revealed by the editor of the London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Iain Overton, in a mysterious tweet. He wrote: 'If all goes well we've got a Newsnight out tonight about a very senior political figure who is a paedophile.' http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2226833/BREAKING-NEWS-Senior-political-figure-outed-paedophile-Newsnight-investigation-tonight.html

Russia slams Clinton for Syria opposition remarks

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 1 hour ago
Russia on Friday blasted US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's call for an overhaul of the Syrian opposition and accused Washington of trying to solve the conflict on its own terms. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Nov-02/193660-russia-slams-clinton-for-syria-opposition-remarks.ashx#axzz2B4byOXqA

Europe's new car market slumps toward 1993 lows

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 1 hour ago
The western European auto market maintained its sharp descent towards levels last seen nearly 20 years ago as consumers worried about unemployment and euro zone austerity shunned car dealerships in October. Industry data published on Friday showed that France incurred its 12th straight monthly decline in new car registrations, while demand in Spain continued to plummet. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/02/us-europe-autos-idUSBRE8A10O120121102

Hate is in the blood, says Lyin' bill

Capt. Fogg at The Impolitic - 1 hour ago
By Capt. Fogg So lyin' Bill is still at it. I don't go looking for his wisdom any more than I go around opening manhole covers looking for a pleasant smell, but sometimes you just stumble into it - like you might step into some dog shit on the sidewalk. Anyway, here we have him again running his foul mouth for his foul audience hoping to promote evil and ugliness and hate wherever he can -- and get rich from doing it. So Barack Obama hates half the country, says O'Reilly -- the white half, of course, because even though the only family he ever knew was white, he must hate white ... more »

Like we didn't all know that?

Capt. Fogg at The Impolitic - 2 hours ago
By Capt. Fogg No shit! Now say that with as much condescending and snarky cynicism as you can manage and yet it won't be enough to fit the circumstance. You see, the central tenet of Republican politics has been the idea that cutting the tax rates for the very wealthy will spur the economy and yet, as far as I can tell the evidence for that has been the repetition of the formula in very stentorian and hortatory tones. In fact all the evidence I can see, and many economists agree, suggest that quite the opposite is true and reduced sufficiently, the economy will at first experienc... more »

Long-Term Unemployment Rises in October

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
The long-term unemployment rate rose to 40.6 percent in October, up from September’s level of 40.1 percent of the total unemployed, according to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Friday. Long-term unemployment is unemployment lasting for 27 consecutive weeks or longer, according to BLS. http://cnsnews.com/news/article/long-term-unemployment-rises-october

Unemployment Rate Drops Again for Government Workers—Hitting 4.2%

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
As recently as July, the unemployment rate for government workers was 5.7 percent. But in August that dropped to 5.1 percent, then in September to 4.3 percent, and then in October to 4.2 percent. The overall unemployment rate for October was 7.9 percent. http://cnsnews.com/news/article/unemployment-rate-drops-again-government-workers-hitting-42

October Jobs Report Shows Incomes Continuing to Decline

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
One of the negative features of the current economic recovery has been declining incomes of average Americans. This trend continued in October. The Labor Department reported Friday that despite 171,000 jobs being added to nonfarm payrolls in October, average hourly earnings for such employees edged down by 1 cent to $23.58. http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2012/11/02/october-jobs-report-shows-incomes-continuing-decline#ixzz2B4KKbbAW

POLL: 63% Want Obama 2nd Term............in China...

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
Citizens of China and Japan overwhelmingly support President Barack Obama to win a second term, according to an AFP-Ipsos poll which suggests Mitt Romney's tough talk on the Asian powers could have dented his image. The US elections may be a toss-up at home but the survey carried out by Ipsos Hong Kong found a whopping 86 percent of Japanese back the Democrat incumbent compared to only 12.3 percent for Republican party candidate Romney. http://www.france24.com/en/20121102-china-japan-citizens-back-obama-second-term-poll-shows

Nonunion Ala. crews turned away from Sandy recovery...No Red Tape?

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
WAFF-TV: News, Weather and Sports for Huntsville, AL The hurricane-ravaged east coast has been receiving north Alabama help, but crews learned they'll be doing work in Long Island, New York instead of in New Jersey. http://www.waff.com/story/19981857/some-nonunion-ala-crews-turned-away-from-sandy-recovery

Pre-Election Jobs Report Shows Some Gain; Rate 7.9%....Timing is Amazing!

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
American job creation improved in October with 171,000 new jobs but the unemployment rate moved higher to 7.9 percent, setting the stage for a final push to the finish line in the heated presidential campaign. http://www.cnbc.com/id/49657529

The Rockefeller's: ''The oligarchic family has exercised control over America’s foreign policy through their part-sponsorship of the Council on Foreign Relations, Trilateral Commission, and Bilderberg Group''

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
The Rockefeller global oil and banking empire has been the subject of much critical commentary on the Internet. However, the Rockefeller Octopus’s tentacles into every facet of America’s banking, oil (through their control of Standard Oil), military, educational, and foreign policy apparatus was exposed in a monograph prepared by the Soviet Union in 1959. An English translation of the Soviet article prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency’s Foreign Documents Division and dated December 16, 1959, was uncovered from the CIA’s archives. The paper is titled: “About Those Who Are Aga... more »

Why Are American Troops Still Stationed In Europe?

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
Washington has sharply reduced the number of American combat forces in Europe since the end of the Cold War, but a large U.S. military footprint remains. The Soviet “Evil Empire” has collapsed, Eastern Europe has switched sides, and America’s European allies now possess a collective GDP and population larger than the U.S. Why are American military personnel still stationed on the continent? http://www.forbes.com/sites/dougbandow/2012/10/29/why-are-american-troops-still-stationed-in-europe/

UK Parliament Votes Down Increased Funding to EU

Intercept at The Intercept - 2 hours ago
Funding for the European Union has sparked a rebellion in the British Parliament. Prime Minister David Cameron's own Conservative backbenchers dealt him the worst defeat since he took power in 2010. Eurosceptic Tories joined forces with the opposition and voted for cutting the UK's cash flow to Brussels. Mark Pritchard believes the EU is inefficient and that Britons should get the chance to vote on whether to stay part of it... RT LIVE http://rt.com/on-air Help Us Transmit This Story Add to Your Blogger Account Put it On Facebook Tweet this post Print it from your prin... more »

Who pocketed Gaddafi’s billions?

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
NATO’s military campaign in Libya is remarkable, among other things, for the following two reasons. First – the damage that the air raids by the Western anti-Gaddafi alliance caused to Libya is estimated to be 7 times bigger than the damage which bombing by the Nazis caused in Europe during WWII. Second – Muammar Gaddafi and his associates had, in total, $ 150 bln on bank accounts in various parts of the world. After the beginning of the Libyan revolution, the West froze these accounts. Now, this money has disappeared somewhere. http://www.phantomreport.com/who-pocketed-gaddafis-bi... more »

Newt Gingrich supporters bombarded with email declaring 'Obama's going to win' in election blunder

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
An email mistakenly sent out to Newt Gingrich's band of followers has embarrassingly declared that President Barack Obama is certain to win next week's election. The email, titled 'What's really at stake this Tuesday…', was fired out to people who had given their contact information to the Gingrich campaign when the former speaker of the House was still in the running to be his party's nominee. 'The truth is, the next election has already been decided. Obama is going to win. It's nearly impossible to beat an incumbent president,' the message read. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/a... more »

Cormier Twins 'beat journalist to death and encased his body in CONCRETE so they could steal his rare Magic game cards worth $100,000'

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
Christopher (bottom left) and his twin brother William Cormier, (top left) both 31, from Georgia, were arrested last month after the body of Sean Dugas, 30, (top right) was found stuffed in a plastic bag, encased in concrete and buried in their father's backyard. The Cormier brothers previously lived in Florida, where Dugas - who was a reporter at the Penasacola Journal News - was killed. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2226538/Twin-brothers-beat-journalist-death-encased-body-concrete-steal-rare-Magic-game-cards-worth-100k.html

Steve Shapin Reviews Michael Gordin’s The Pseudoscience Wars

Daniel Nexon at Duck of Minerva - 2 hours ago
As readers might have surmised, a number of the bloggers at the Duck are into the philosophy and history of science. PTJ has written an exceptional book on the philosophy of science in the context of international-relations scholarship. Others of us dabble, with varying degrees of commitment. When PTJ and I were working on “Paradigmatic Continue reading

Brooklyn residents fury as they say all the help following super storm is being directed at Manhattan

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
As they scrape round for food with no electricity, water or heating, Brooklyn residents fear they are being passed over while help is directed across the bridge in Manhattan. In a Coney Island apartment block, where tenants huddle together in one room and human waste spills out of the toilet, tenant Jeffery Francis despairs that help is not getting to Brooklyn faster. ‘We are scavenging for food like animals,’ he told the New York Daily News. 'We are in a crisis and no one will help us. Look at us. We are misery. Everyone cares about Manhattan. No one is looking out for us. Nothin... more »

Corporate Shill Steve Israel Blocks Progressive Democrats Aryanna Strader And Syed Taj

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 2 hours ago
In 2008 McCain beat Obama 51-48% in Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district. That district has been significantly altered by the Republican state legislature-- but they weren't looking out for longtime right-wing Congressman Joe Pitts. Under the new boundaries, which jettisoned some of the rural red areas and added solid blue Reading, Obama would have beat McCain 50-49%. What an opportunity for a House pick-up! But that isn't how DCCC boss Steve Israel sees it. Described-- admiringly-- by Nancy Pelosi as "reptilian," Israel decided to commit DCCC money to backing reactionary Bl... more »

Iowa Community Considers Trading Wells for Community Water

By: Duane Craig Hills, Iowa residents who are in the path of an expanding underground plume of perchlorate are bracing for the day when they might be told their wells are contaminated with the chemical, according to this article. Up to now, about 30 homes have been fitted with reverse osmosis water treatment systems to purify their well water, but the plume is on the move and is expected to affect even more homes, according to an official with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. But any new water well contamination will be met with two choices - drill a new well and hope it ... more »

Guns drawn at the gas pumps, massive lines in the middle of the night: Drivers turn violent in scramble for precious fuel

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
Law enforcement officers have been dispatched to stations along the New Jersey turnpike because of a lack of fuel after Superstorm Sandy. Long queues formed at the Thomas A. Edison service area near Woodbridge (main picture), and there were long tailbacks at a Sunoco gas station in Montvale, New Jersey http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2226354/Superstorm-Sandy-New-York-fuel-shortage-causes-frantic-scramble-pump.html

Read Stuff, You Should

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 2 hours ago
Happy Birthday to Willie McGee, 54. Quickly to the good stuff: 1. Mark Blumenthal on whether the polls could be wrong, and a good roundup. 2. E.J. Graff has been looking at the marriage ballot questions. 3. And: interested in undecided voters? Then you definitely want to read what Lynn Vavreck has to say about them.

US Sees Huge Spike In New Jobs

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
The United States economy has added 171,000 net new jobs in October, a figure much higher than expected by analysts. The new hiring figure was stronger than first thought over the previous two months. http://news.sky.com/story/1006104/us-sees-huge-spike-in-new-jobs

Stephen Farrow Found Guilty Of Double Murder Steph

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
The homeless drifter was found guilty of killing the Rev John Suddards, 59, and Betty Yates, 77, by a jury at Bristol Crown Court. Farrow, who was diagnosed as a psychopath, had denied the murders. http://news.sky.com/story/1006109/farrow-found-guilty-of-double-murder

Remembering the dead

Jody Paterson at A Closer Look: Jody Paterson - 2 hours ago
It’s not often you’d describe a graveyard as a beehive of activity, but the cemetery here in Copan has been these past couple of days as the locals mark *Dia de Los Difuntos*. Every Latin American country celebrates the Day of the Dead – or Day of the Deceased, as it’s known here – in their own way. In Honduras it’s a time for heading down to the cemetery to do a big cleanup of your loved one’s grave. There can’t be much budget in a poor country for maintenance staff at cemeteries, so it’s a chance for family members to spruce things up while honouring the memory of the mothers, f... more »

FIVE HUNDRED cats was stopped en route to restaurants in China

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
The neglected and hungry cats were piled together in cages in the truck as they made their way to food outlets in China. Fortunately they were rescued thanks to routine checks in Xuzhou in Jiangsu. Rescuers had to cut open bags stuffed with the animals to stop them being suffocated, before transferring them to a nearby rescue centre. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2226542/Truck-crammed-FIVE-HUNDRED-cats-stopped-en-route-restaurants-China.html

What happens when you can’t trust the state

Intercept at The Intercept - 2 hours ago
Le Monde Diplomatic Serge Halimi There would seem to be no chance that a man who made a fortune out of financial speculation might reach the White House just four years after private banks caused a crisis and had to be bailed out by taxpayers. The uncertainty to the very last minute about the outcome of the US election was probably due to worsening distrust of the state, and everything it does. The problem of public debt is now at the very heart of US political life, thanks to the dramatic increase in budget deficits caused by the cost of two simultaneous wars (Afghanistan and Iraq... more »

Sara Ege 'beat son, 7, to death then set fire to his body' because he struggled to learn the Koran off by heart

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
Sara Ege is accused of beating her seven-year-old son to death and setting fire to his body in Cardiff because he struggled to commit passages from the Koran to memory. Cardiff Crown Court was told that, after beating her son so badly he died from his injuries, the 32-year-old burned his body to destroy the evidence. Yaseen's death was initially treated as a tragic accident, until a post mortem examination revealed he had died before fire broke out at the family home in Pontcanna. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2226408/Mother-beat-son-7-death-set-body-struggled-learn-Koran-... more »

British tourists targeted in 'massacre plot' at Egypt beach resort - but police swoop on al-Qaeda terror suspects just in time

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
Five al-Qaeda jihadists were arrested by Egyptian counter terror police as they collected rock-propelled grenades, rifles and pistols to attack beachside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2226576/British-tourists-targeted-foiled-terror-plot-Egypt-beach-resort-Muslim-terrorists-arrested-police.html

Denis MacShane to be suspended from the Commons for ONE YEAR after claiming expenses on 19 fake invoices

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 3 hours ago
Former Europe Minister MacShane, MP for Rotherham, has been sensationally banned from the House of Commons for submitting false receipts for his trips abroad that were 'plainly intended to deceive' the parliamentary authorities. His career is in tatters after the Committee on Standards and Privileges said he submitted 19 fake invoices worth £12,900 and called for him to be suspended for 12 months, saying: 'This is so far from what would be acceptable in any walk of life that we recommend that [he] be suspended.' *Suspension for stealing? can't they Sack him? Why is he not being Char... more »

Court OKs warrantless use of hidden surveillance cameras

Intercept at The Intercept - 3 hours ago
CNET Declan McCullagh *In latest case to test how technological developments alter Americans' privacy, federal court sides with Justice Department on police use of concealed surveillance cameras on private property.* Police are allowed in some circumstances to install hidden surveillance cameras on private property without obtaining a search warrant, a federal judge said yesterday. CNET has learned that U.S. District Judge William Griesbach ruled that it was reasonable for Drug Enforcement Administration agents to enter rural property without permission -- and without a warrant -- ... more »

Nigerian 'youths executed' in Boko Haram stronghold

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 3 hours ago
Dozens of young men have been shot dead in Nigeria by the military in Maiduguri, residents in the north-eastern city have told the BBC. An imam told the BBC about 11 youths from his street alone were killed, including four of his own sons. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20178356

No Bathroom Breaks For You!

Donna at Screw You Guys, I'm Going Home - 3 hours ago
One of my most popular posts ever on this blog was the Top 10 Employment Laws You Think Exist - That Don't. In it, I talk about rights employees erroneously think they have, like the right to be fired for a good reason, free speech, the right to work in a place that isn't a hostile environment, and the right to privacy. In this post, I talk about breaks, which are frequently misunderstood. I said, "No federal law requires employers to offer any work breaks for anything, even meals. Some state laws do require work breaks, but it’s not a majority. No law requires bathroom breaks, but ... more »

Kuwait arrests opposition leader over emir comments

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 3 hours ago
Kuwaiti authorities arrested an opposition leader late on Monday after he made comments viewed as critical of the Gulf Arab state's ruler, a political activist said. Musallam al-Barrak, a former lawmaker and a prominent figure in the nationalist Popular Action Bloc, was arrested on Monday night following a news conference at his house where he called on the government to abide by the constitution. His arrest seems likely to fuel political tensions in the oil exporting state, which has seen some violent protests in recent weeks following changes to the country's electoral law that c... more »

Tempers Rise as Temps Fall and Sandy's Power Outages Persist

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 3 hours ago
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Secret Service agent dead of apparent suicide

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 3 hours ago
The source said Rafael Prieto, 48, was assigned to President Obama's protective detail. The Secret Service confirmed Thursday that Prieto's death last Saturday is currently being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, along with the medical examiner's office. No official determination of death has been made. Prieto's access to Secret Service facilities had been suspended while authorities were looking into his apparently unreported and long-term relationship with a foreign national, the law enforcement official said. http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/01/us/s... more »

Benghazi attacks: New timeline

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 3 hours ago
CIA officers working at an annex about a mile from the mission were told by officials in the CIA chain of command to "stand down" after receiving a call from the mission asking for help. "There were no orders to anybody to stand down in providing support," the senior intelligence official said, offering a passionate defense of the actions taken by the CIA officers on the ground during the September 11 attack that killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans. According to a detailed timeline provided by the official, there was a roughly 25-minute gap between the ti... more »

Cyclone Nilam: Thousands homeless after India storm, at least 8 killed

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 3 hours ago
At least eight people were killed and thousands displaced after powerful Cyclone Nilam roared into India's southeastern coast, authorities said Thursday. About 8,000 people in low-lying areas on the coast of Tamil Nadu state were moved to temporary shelters, said Jatindranath Swain, the province's disaster management commissioner. http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/31/world/asia/india/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

130 feared drowned off Bangladesh

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 3 hours ago
As many as 130 people may have drowned off the coast of southern Bangladesh after a boat carrying passengers trying to illegally get into Malaysia sank in the Bay of Bengal, Bangladeshi authorities said Thursday. The accident appears to be the tragic result of an annual migration of thousands of people along dangerous, clandestine routes operated by criminal gangs. http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/01/world/asia/bangladesh-boat-sinks/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Europe is 'main drag' on global recovery

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 3 hours ago
The world's two largest economies have been showing signs of improvement, but experts say the recession in Europe remains the biggest challenge to sustained global growth. In the United States, reports released Thursday showed gains in manufacturing, consumer confidence and private sector payrolls. Also on Thursday, U.S. automakers reported another month of improved car sales in October, even as Superstorm Sandy may have dampened month-end results. http://money.cnn.com/2012/11/01/investing/europe-global-economy/index.html?&hpt=hp_t3

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake NEW IRELAND REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA - 2nd November 201

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 3 hours ago
Magnitude 4.6 Date-Time Friday, November 02, 2012 at 11:38:57 UTC Friday, November 02, 2012 at 09:38:57 PM at epicenter Location 4.300°S, 153.671°E Depth 107.5 km (66.8 miles) Region NEW IRELAND REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA Distances 165 km (103 miles) E (93°) from Rabaul, New Britain, PNG

Elzbieta Plackowska accused of killing son, girl, showed No remorse

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 3 hours ago
Investigators said Plackowska offered several explanations, including that she believed an intruder killed the children, police said. Later, she told police that the children had evil inside them and she needed to drive the devil out, authorities said. "She ultimately admitted that she had lied to the police in her earlier statements and stated she was angry with her husband," Berlin said. Police said Justin was stabbed about 100 times, and Olivia about 50 times. "She did not express any remorse," Berlin said. http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/01/justice/illinois-children-killed/index.... more »

US defeat in Syria Would End US Hegemony in Middle East

Intercept at The Intercept - 3 hours ago
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SAVILE; DONCASTER; EDLINGTON; YORKSHIRE

Anon at aangirfan - 3 hours ago
*Evil in Edlington.* * * *Jimmy Savile Fixed it for Doncaster* Jimmy Savile was occasionally seen at Doncaster Corn Exchange with Yorkshire wrestler Les Kellett. Doncaster man Ray Nortrop knew Jimmy Savile. Savile fixed it for Ray, aged 20, to become a disc jockey One of Jimmy’s former Mecca management associates, Jack Allison, was responsible for employing a resident disc jockey for Doncaster's 2,000 capacity Top Rank Suite on Silver Street. Ray ended up with what was to become the top DJ job of that era in South Yorkshire. *Doncaster, near Savile's home in Leeds.* * * The Edli... more »

Japan deplores assault on boy by suspected U.S. serviceman

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 3 hours ago
A U.S. servicemen was suspected of breaking in to an apartment to assault the boy early on Friday, media said. The incident came shortly after the United States imposed a night-time curfew on military personnel after two U.S. servicemen were arrested on suspicion of raping a Japanese woman. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/02/us-japan-usa-idUSBRE8A10EY20121102

Germany's Schaeuble says debt reduction is global task

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 3 hours ago
The United States and Japan must share responsibility with Europe for ensuring global economic stability, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said, signaling that a G20 meeting this weekend should not focus solely on the euro zone crisis. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/02/us-g20-germany-schaeuble-idUSBRE8A10BN20121102

Sean Quinn jailed for nine weeks

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 3 hours ago
Sean Quinn is jailed for failing to comply with a court order to overturn a multimillion-euro asset-stripping plot. Dublin's High Court sentenced the former-tycoon to nine weeks in prison. He had been found guilty of contempt of court in June for blocking a state-owned bank from seizing property - but initially avoided jail. http://news.sky.com/story/1006083/bankrupt-irish-billionaire-sean-quinn-jailed

5.2 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTH OF FIJI ISLANDS - 2nd November 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 3 hours ago
Magnitude M 5.2 Region SOUTH OF FIJI ISLANDS Date time 2012-11-02 09:43:20.6 UTC Location 24.97 S ; 177.31 W Depth 50 km Distances 476 km SW Nuku'alofa

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake KEPULAUAN BARAT DAYA, INDONESIA - 2nd November 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 3 hours ago
Magnitude 4.7 Date-Time Friday, November 02, 2012 at 10:19:38 UTC Friday, November 02, 2012 at 07:19:38 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 7.343°S, 127.929°E Depth 35.2 km (21.9 miles) Region KEPULAUAN BARAT DAYA, INDONESIA Distances 292 km (181 miles) ENE of Dili, East Timor

Bachmann FLUNKS Debate #2

2old2care at Because I Can - 3 hours ago
Great write-up at Daily Kos on the latest Bachmann/Graves debate. Read it >>>HERE<<< Really - a great write-up Bachmann does her usual duck and weave LIE EVADE LIE EVADE LIE BTW: Her constant mentions to the Catholic church is because the RWNJ's (and some Dems) in her district will be listening to a "save the babies" sermon this Sunday at the local Catholic churches in the sixth - no lie - they do the "save the babies" sermon, the Sunday before every election. The sad part is Bachmann is a real top of the line nut job - did nothing for her district or the state this year - all sh... more »

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake OFFSHORE ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE - 2nd November 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 3 hours ago
Magnitude 4.4 Date-Time Friday, November 02, 2012 at 09:07:26 UTC Friday, November 02, 2012 at 06:07:26 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 21.267°S, 70.509°W Depth 51.1 km (31.8 miles) Region OFFSHORE ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE Distances 120 km (74 miles) SSW (199°) from Iquique, Chile

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake OFFSHORE GUATEMALA - 2nd November 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 3 hours ago
Magnitude 4.4 Date-Time Friday, November 02, 2012 at 08:57:13 UTC Friday, November 02, 2012 at 02:57:13 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 14.197°N, 92.014°W Depth 68.5 km (42.6 miles) Region OFFSHORE GUATEMALA Distances 45 km (28 miles) SSE (150°) from Suchiate, Chiapas, Mexico

4.0 Magnitude Earthquake QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS REGION - 2nd November 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 3 hours ago
Magnitude 4.0 Date-Time Friday, November 02, 2012 at 08:37:10 UTC Friday, November 02, 2012 at 01:37:10 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 52.186°N, 132.160°W Depth 10.4 km (6.5 miles) Region QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS REGION Distances 203 km (126 miles) S of Masset, Canada

4.1 Magnitude Earthquake VERACRUZ, MEXICO - 2nd November 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 3 hours ago
Magnitude 4.1 Date-Time Friday, November 02, 2012 at 08:25:21 UTC Friday, November 02, 2012 at 02:25:21 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 17.257°N, 94.598°W Depth 117.1 km (72.8 miles) Region VERACRUZ, MEXICO Distances 49 km (30 miles) ESE of Jesus Carranza, Mexico

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS REGION - 2nd November 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 3 hours ago
Magnitude 4.5 Date-Time Friday, November 02, 2012 at 08:19:59 UTC Friday, November 02, 2012 at 01:19:59 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 52.379°N, 132.025°W Depth 10.2 km (6.3 miles) Region QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS REGION Distances 182 km (113 miles) S of Masset, Canada

Iran vs the Empire: Fighting dollarization

Intercept at The Intercept - 3 hours ago
PressTV Eric Walberg *The West's attempts to destroy the Iranian economy through heightened sanctions-including most imports, oil exports and use of banks for trade operations-is having its affect.* According to Johns Hopkins University Professor Steve Hanke, Iran is facing hyperinflation, with a monthly inflation rate of nearly 70% per month and its national currency, the rial, plummeting in value against western currencies. Iran is the latest casualty to be placed on his Hanke-Krus Hyperinflation Index, which includes France (1795), Germany (1922), Chile (1973), Nicaragua (1986)... more »

Superstorm Sandy hits New York

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 4 hours ago
Two days in two minutes as Silas Maniatis placed a camera in Brooklyn and set it in time-lapse mode. This footage condenses 48 hours of chaos (from 1pm Sunday to 1pm Tuesday) into two wet, windy and wild minutes. The moment at 1:02 when Manhattan is plunged into darkness as the power cuts is particluarly chilling.

Are Canadians Conservatives?

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 4 hours ago
Stephen Harper likes to say that Conservative values are Canadian values. Lawrence Martin, however, calls that assertion into question. Recent polls which indicate that we would overwhelmingly vote for Barack Obama -- and that we'd seriously consider Justin Trudeau for the highest office in the land -- suggest that Canadians haven't moved as far to the right as Mr. Harper thinks they have: Obama’s progressive values strike a chord north of the border, whether they be on social issues, war and peace, health care or the economy. He speaks to a rational — as opposed to an ideologica... more »

Snakes on a Plane is nothing, now there's Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves, Orcs and more on a plane

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 5 hours ago
Air New Zealand have added some fun to their onboard safety briefing... Was that Peter Jackson at 1:40? *A question, if it's OK for Business Class passengers on Air New Zealand to choose their seat back position for takeoff and landing, why do British Airways insist that the seat back be in the upright position?* And whilst we are on matters Middle Earth, here's The Hobbit trailer

ANGELS

Anon at aangirfan - 5 hours ago
Website for this image... "Near-death experiences occur when the soul leaves the nervous system." This is according to two quantum physicists, Dr Stuart Hameroff, of the University of Arizona, and British physicist Sir Roger Penrose http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2225190/Can-quantum-physics-explain-bizarre-experiences-patients-brought-brink-death.html#ixzz2ArRURy5R And what about angels? *Liz Jones. "An anorexic since she was about 11, Jones was raised in Essex, the daughter of an army father and a former ballerina,[4]" Liz Jones - Wikipedia* In the Daily Mail, *... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 6 hours ago
*Magic 8-Ball Week 9 – Saints Eagles Preview ~Whodat Warriors* *New What for New Who? ~G Bitch Spot* *Size of NOPD forces has plummeted in recent years ~WWL* *Doctors talk sugar cane smoke, health effects* *Sandy’s Forgotten ~Alex Koppleman* *NYU Hospital’s Backup System Undone by Key Part in Flooded Basement ~Pro Publica* *Sandy catches many northeasterners without flood coverage* ** *NYC Flooded Tunnels to Take Many Days to Drain* *After Sandy: A New Orleans Artist Reflects on Katrina, Disasters, and Recovery ~Muffin Bernstein* *Author of new Ernie K-Doe biography hosts book sig... more »

All Souls' Day

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 6 hours ago
It's All Souls' Day today (yesterday, we had All Saints' Day). I am just learning that it's a mostly Catholic event – but one that pretty remarkably survived even in places such as the atheist Czech Republic. I am learning that the event expresses the people's belief in eternal life – it isn't the most accurate description of mine, what about you? – and that the prayers on this day are meant to help the dead to get to the Heaven because they're still not fully cleansed and they must continue the treatment in the Purgatory. It's a pretty complicated system of interrelated mec... more »

EU Flu Vaccine Bans Still Go Unreported

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 6 hours ago
Source of picture: http://livewholebefree.com/wordpress/letter-to-healthcare-professionals-love-frustration/EU Flu Vaccine Bans Still Go Unreported Child Health Safety, 1 November 2012 One weak news report of the UK flu vaccine ban has appeared in one mainstream UK national newspaper – the Telegraph by Health Editor Rebecca Smith. Smith’s report ignores the developments in the EU and in Canada [reported on CHS - links below]. Smith reports “the recall should not affect supplies” and seems not to have sought independent expert comment on the safety issues just accepting the offic... more »

'All white folks are going to hell': Explosive cry of civil rights icon Reverend Joseph Lowery at rally for Obama

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 6 hours ago
Lowery, 91, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009, told an audience in Georgia that he had returned to the belief he held as a young militant. An aide to Lowery, Helen Butler, told the Daily Caller: ‘He was saying [that] based on all of the hatred that’s going on (towards the president). He just felt that he should feel the way he used to feel.’ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2226525/All-white-folks-going-hell-Cry-Reverend-Joseph-Lowery-rally-Obama.html

Danny Baker says "Shame on you" to the BBC

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 6 hours ago
As I blogged yesterday: 'The BBC blurb for the Danny Baker Radio London afternoon show runs 'The radio genius with great guests, calls and music.' They're quite correct but then why have they cancelled his show?' Menawhile the pinheads at the BBC still have this on the Radio London schedules for today Pinheads and bean counters.

Humble payphones make a comeback as one FOURTH of mobile masts go down (let's just hope they've been cleaned in the past decade)

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 6 hours ago
Because of the complete lack of service in many areas of New York, the usually forlorn pay phones have been experiencing an unexpected surge in popularity in an era where wireless is king. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2226392/Hurricane-Sandy-One-FOURTH-mobile-transmission-sites-New-York-pay-phone-use-booms-let-s-just-hope-ve-cleaned-past-decade.html

'Single mom, sorry!': The 'tip' one woman left after enjoying a lavish $138 meal

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 6 hours ago
'I'm sure $140 could have gotten you and your kids a week worth of groceries, but instead you spend it one meal?!' Redditor PhoenixSongFawkes wrote. 'For shame!' http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2226631/Single-mom-sorry--The-tip-woman-left-enjoying-lavish-138-meal.html

Obama back on campaign trail after Sandy says now is not time for 'petty differences' ...........but then attacks Romney

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 6 hours ago
Obama, who is visiting three key swing states today, told the crowd at an airport rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin: 'All the petty differences that consume us in normal times seem to melt away. ‘There are no Democrats or Republicans during a storm, just fellow Americans.’ ‘In the end we're all in this together - that we rise and fall as one nation, one people.’ But Obama then contradicted his high-minded appeal for bipartisanship to attack Romney. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2226494/Obama-campaign-trail-Sandy-says-time-petty-differences--attacks-Romney.html

Robbers 'posing as Con Ed workers' break into buildings in Manhattan black-out zone

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 6 hours ago
Robbers have been posing as Con Edison workers to steal from homes inside the black-out zone of lower Manhattan, making residents increasingly worried for their safety as they enter the fifth day without power. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2226692/Robbers-posing-Con-Ed-workers-break-buildings-Manhattan-black-zone.html

Brace for round two! Powerful nor'easter bears down on East Coast still reeling from Sandy's devastation

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 6 hours ago
A powerful new storm system is preparing to batter the East Coast next week, even as millions are still reeling from the devastation left by Superstorm Sandy. The nor’easter storm will bring snow and strong winter winds beginning Tuesday, Election Day, until Thursday. Most of the severe weather will hit northern New England – hundreds of miles north of where Sandy made landfall. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2226618/Brace-round-Powerful-easter-winter-storm-bears-East-Coast-reeling-Sandy-s-devastation.html

Israel admits responsibility for 1988 assassination

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 6 hours ago
More than 24 years after Palestinian military leader Khalil Ibrahim Wazir was assassinated in Tunisia, Israel acknowledged for the first time that its spy agency Mossad carried out the killing. Wazir, one of the founders of the Fatah Party and a top aide to the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, was viewed by Israel as a terrorist and by Palestinians as a freedom fighter. After refusing for years to publicly confirm Israel's role in the April 16, 1988, assassination, the nation's military censors on Thursday permitted the Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot to publish an intervie... more »

Chinese ships enter Japan's territorial waters again

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 6 hours ago
Naha(Japan), Nov 2 (Kyodo) Four Chinese maritime surveillance ships entered Japan's territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea again today, the 14th straight day that Chinese ships have sailed near the islands, the Japan Coast Guard said. The same Chinese ships had intruded into the territorial waters near the Japanese-controlled, Chinese-claimed islands on Tuesday. http://www.ptinews.com/news/3100161_Chinese-ships-enter-Japan-s-territorial-waters-again-

Syrian opposition says it received $40 million in aid....Half came from Libya

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 6 hours ago
Libya contributed $20.4 million, followed by $15 million from Qatar and $5 million from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Syrian National Council (SNC)Claims that $29.7 million of the funds raised since it was founded in Oct 2011 had been spent, with 89 per cent used for rescue operations and aid for different parts of the conflict-torn country and refugees in neighbouring states. The remaining 11 per cent financed administrative services and communications http://dawn.com/2012/11/02/syrian-opposition-says-it-received-40-million-in-aid/ *So who has been paying for the Weapons, Ammuni... more »

Syria conflict: Amnesty condemns 'execution' by rebels

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 6 hours ago
The human rights group said that the killings on Thursday - if confirmed - constituted a "war crime". The alleged executions took place after the rebels overran army checkpoints between Damascus and Aleppo. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20177384 *There have been continues videos and reports of rebels executing unarmed civilians, soldiers, police, woman and children, which all went ignored by the Media and the West.* * **Even some our most recognized journalists have reported on the rebels committing war crimes, this also went ignored.* * **What makes this video sudden... more »

Labour 'repositioning' itself on Europe - David Miliband

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 7 hours ago
The former foreign secretary said his party had not become "anti-Europe" but was no longer "soft-headed" in equating extra spending with effectiveness. The Conservatives have accused Labour of hypocrisy after they supported budget rises while in government. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20175751

Greece: Tax cheat lists yield one suicide, no convictions

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 7 hours ago
Leonidas Tzanis, a Greek provincial lawyer and former government minister, went down to his basement garage in the city of Volos last month, tied a TV cable to a metal beam and hanged himself. Friends and family say Tzanis died because he was on a list... The government has not acknowledged the validity of any of the lists and nobody named has been charged with any wrong-doing. This has cemented Greeks' belief that a corrupt and incompetent ruling class has led the nation into crisis. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/01/us-greece-lists-idUSBRE8A01CD20121101

Jobless rate seen rising, offering Obama no relief

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 7 hours ago
Employers likely added 125,000 jobs to their payrolls last month, according to a Reuters survey of economists. That would be up from 114,000 in September, but would fall short of what is needed to quickly cut the jobless rate. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/02/us-usa-economy-jobs-idUSBRE8A106620121102

Rothschild forms group to counter Bakrie buyout

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 7 hours ago
Financier Nat Rothschild is forming a rival consortium, including a contender for Indonesia's presidency, to launch a counter-offer to the $1.4 billion Bumi Plc buyout proposal from the Bakrie family, in a deal that would pour fuel on an already smoldering relationship. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/02/us-bumi-indonesia-berau-idUSBRE8A107620121102

Superstorm Sandy Death Toll Continues To Rise

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 7 hours ago
The death toll from superstorm Sandy has reached more than 90 people as the US Coast Guard halted its search for the captain of a tall ship that sank off the North Carolina coast. The search for 63-year-old Robin Walbridge - which employed ships, helicopters and planes - was suspended after more than three days of around-the-clock effort. http://news.sky.com/story/1005934/superstorm-sandy-death-toll-continues-to-rise

Royal Cop Accidentally Fires Gun In Car

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 7 hours ago
An investigation is launched after a policeman guarding the home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge accidentally fires his gun. http://news.sky.com/story/1005963/royal-cop-accidentally-fires-gun-in-car

David Black Murder: Two Arrested Over NI Prison Officer Murder

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 7 hours ago
The men, aged 31 and 44, were arrested in the Lurgan area early this morning and have been taken to Antrim Serious Crime suite for questioning, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said. Mr Black, 52, was gunned down on the M1 motorway early on Thursday morning as he drove to work at the top security Maghaberry jail near Lisburn, County Antrim. http://news.sky.com/story/1005986/two-arrested-over-ni-prison-officer-murder

4.2 Magnitude Earthquake QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS REGION - 2nd November 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 7 hours ago
Magnitude 4.2 Date-Time Friday, November 02, 2012 at 07:15:45 UTC Friday, November 02, 2012 at 12:15:45 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 52.497°N, 131.758°W Depth 11 km (6.8 miles) Region QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS REGION Distances 170 km (105 miles) S of Masset, Canada

Welfarism 26: Leftism and Populism by Intellectuals, LRI Forum

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 7 hours ago
Tomorrow, I am going to Hong Kong to participate in the "Reading Club Salon"sponsored by theLion Rock Institute. It's a read-read-read thing before going to Hong Kong, then listen-analyze-speak at the venue, the Harbour Plaza Resort City, a big hotel in the Northern Territories. It is a small group round table discussion covering some of the "cream minds" of the free market network in Asia -- from China, India, Hong Kong, Thailand, Philippines, and a few friends from Germany, Canada and the US who are all Asia-based now. This is what I meant by "read-read-read before going to Hong K... more »

That's odd, I thought sciemtists knew differently

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 7 hours ago
The BBC in a piece by their 'Environment analyst' Roger Harrabin report that: 'Soaking Britain may be in for a new bout of flooding in coming months, the Environment Agency has warned. Rivers are full after the wettest April to June on record, followed by more rain in July, September and October. The earth is saturated and in many areas there is no more space left in aquifers to store water that seeps through from the surface. The agency warn that people should be ready for floods even with relatively small amounts of rain. They warn of increased risk of river flooding in November ... more »

Syrian Kurds Become New Victims of Washington's War on Syria

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 7 hours ago
"Insurgents are Washington proxies. Key NATO partners, rogue Arab League states, and Israel are very much involved. The same dirty game repeats. Independent states are targeted for regime change. All options are used. They include full-scale war, mass killing, and turning nations into charnel houses on the pretext of liberating them." - Stephen Lendman, *"Nothing Civil about Washington’s War on Syria. US-NATO Violate International Humanitarian Law,"* July 17, 2012. Last week, the *US-backed Islamist terrorists* in Syria, aka the FSA, attacked a Kurdish neighbourhood in Aleppo, an... more »

US defeat in Syria Would End US Hegemony in Middle East

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 8 hours ago
US & Allies Attempt "Rebel Revamp" in Syria. Eric Draitser RT - StopImperialism.com November 2, 2012 ....

Anonymous comments? Dean Del Mastro’s right: there oughtta be a law!

david at Alberta Diary - 8 hours ago
A young member of the Tory Online Rage Machine (TORM) composes a mean Tweet using talking points from Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office. TORM operatives may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: The unfortunate Dean Del Mastro. It’s hard not to feel a pang of sympathy for Dean Del Mastro, the Conservative MP for the ... more »

Wider Probe on GM Foods

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 8 hours ago
The startling claims regarding risk of long term exposure to GMO crops and round Up generally has certainly stirred up a reaction that will now generate plenty of science. My own thoughts on all this is that the proposed long term cause and effect is somewhat surprising and unexpected. That it had not been eliminated in the literature by the manufacturers says much to the validity of the claim as well. However, my expectation is that this will sort itself out and the danger will turn out to be below the error threshold. In the really long term, agriculture will go full... more »

Disney And Lucasfilms Unite in Heaven

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 8 hours ago
I waited a few days to comment on the acquisition of Lucasfilm by Disney. It is surely appropriate and it places Disney in an enviable position. But then Disney has always show the rest how to do it. My own experiences were hardly unique, but that during the sixties and seventies I was an avid reader of science fiction and was completely aware of the visual potential of the genre and particularly the material of Tolkein and EE Doc Smith. I had lost faith even that I would ever see it on screen. At the same time, Hollywood culture was decisively anti science fiction i... more »

Vitamin D Enriched Eggs

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 8 hours ago
Eggs are already a source of vitamin D and this innovation shows us that the amount can be readily upgraded through feeding. Combined with omega 3 fats and much of the historic concerns over eggs, largely misplaced at best, disappear. In fact is can be come a protein of choice which has been it real place in our diet long before we began to meddle. My mother told me a tale from her childhood in which she consumed a raw egg every day as a matter of course. This is circa 1910 to 1913. This was obviously an accepted tradition with plenty of present day support although I p... more »

Earth Moon Spin Theory

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 8 hours ago
We have understood for a long time that the earth moon system is the result of a massive collision that an accretion disk and two major bodies in orbit around each other. So far so good. What is critical is that center of mass was so far from the main body it allowed ample accretion around the moon without been drained off into the parent through collision. There should be ample solutions available with this constraint. The key point is that the bulk of the mass was captured in the resultant system and that the primary orbit kept the center of mass outside the parent fr... more »

Paul Frampton: from prison to house arrest

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 9 hours ago
For everyone who have been at least a bit worried about Paul Frampton who got fooled by a fake Czech Californian supermodel in Argentine whose gang inserted some drugs to his luggage, there is some semi-good news. Drugs suspect freed from jail, Google News The officials finally noticed that Paul coughs badly. Paul will stay with an old friend who lives in Buenos Aires. It's progress and let's hope it's not the final one. By the way, a few days ago, Paul recommended UNC to double his salary. *I spent 3 minutes by searching a picture at Google Images where Denise Milani, Paul's ... more »

Bob Dylan – "Not Dark Yet"

Batocchio at Vagabond Scholar - 9 hours ago
I saw Bob Dylan last week at the Hollywood Bowl. Mark Knopfler, who opened, delivered a fantastic, celtic-flavored set (I'll have to pick up his latest album). Dylan's voice, alas, was pretty much shot. It was never conventionally pretty, but it could quite expressive. Some of the arrangements were great, though, including a pretty one of "Desolation Row." (The set list was mostly old

Untitled

Geezer Power at Home Nature Report - 9 hours ago
Sterling Financial paying millions to new chairman Most board members have resigned The Spokesman-Review August 31, 2010 in Business Bert Caldwell The Spokesman-Review New Sterling Financial Corp. Chairman Les Biller was paid $1.5 million to accept the position, and will receive a total $4.5 million by Dec. 31, 2012, unless he resigns. Biller’s compensation was contained in a Monday filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The filing also disclosed the resignation of all but four members of the Sterling board of directors following completion Thursday of a $730 mil... more »

Criminals can stay in UK to avoid 'shame:' Malaysian criminal avoids deportation after claiming it breaches her human rights

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
*David Cameron Lied again: his original pledge was to automatically deport criminals from outside the EU* Ai Vee Ong, 34, was jailed for four years after 20 illegal immigrants were found working at two restaurants she managed. She was also caught laundering money and conspiring to sell counterfeit goods. Ong lodged an appeal against automatic deportation on her release, which was rejected. But she took her case to the Upper Tribunal [Immigration and Asylum Chamber] which overturned the decision. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2226580/Criminals-stay-UK-avoid-shame-Malaysi... more »

True Brits! The new breed of Tory MPs who defied their leader over the EU

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
Half of the 53 Tories who rebelled over the EU budget were from the 2010 intake. QUENTIN LETTS hails these 'newbies' for having worked in the real world before entering politics. The amendment which won the night was put by 2010 intaker Mark Reckless, from Kent. Bespectacled Mr Reckless, 41, who has a computer-geek’s voice, spoke with striking, controlled anger about how Europe wastes his constituents’ money. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2226601/True-Brits-Meet-new-breed-Tory-MPs-defied-leader-EU-jobs-real-world.html

Forget the storm. The real dangers facing America are hatred, division and a collapsing political system

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
The truth is that Americans have always taken pride in their system and its separation of powers between the Presidency, Congress and Supreme Court. Now, however, serious and thoughtful people argue that the constitution created in 1776 is cracking open at the seams. A conservative-dominated Supreme Court routinely delivers judgments which seem partisan and occasionally even whimsical. For example, few justices display sympathy for even the mildest gun controls — though domestic shootings are a plague. Indeed, recent massacres in Wisconsin and Colorado did not prompt restrictions on... more »

Judge's anger as he jails family of Ugandan fraudsters who stole £4m in benefits to buy luxury homes and restaurants in Africa

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
Ruth Nabuguzi, right, from Manor Park, east London, was the ringleader of a 'family firm' which fooled immigration officials and secured leave to remain in the UK under a string of identities. Nabuguzi, 49, even managed to claim more than £2million worth of HIV and AIDS drugs which it is believed were sent back to Uganda and sold for huge profits. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2226430/This-outrageous-abuse-hospitality-Judges-anger-jails-family-Ugandan-fraudsters-stole-4million-benefits-buy-luxury-homes-restaurants-Africa.html

Barclays traders are damned by their own emails: Messages reveal how they bragged about rigging energy prices to make profits

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
Critics yesterday said the expletive-ridden correspondence provides further evidence of the 'rotten culture of casino banking' that built up under disgraced former boss Bob Diamond. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2226592/Barclays-traders-damned-emails-reveal-bragged-rigging-energy-prices-make-profits.html

Bahrainis hold anti-regime demonstrations in Manama despite ban

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
The angry protesters took to the streets in support of political prisoners being held in jails, including opposition leader Hassan Mushaima. The family of Mushaima says he is gravely ill and needs immediate medical attention. http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/10/31/269702/bahrainis-hold-protests-despite-ban/

Superstorm Sandy deaths reach 157 overall, including at least 88 in the US

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
The death toll mounted Thursday as survivors struggled to regain a semblance of the normalcy that Superstorm Sandy swept away this week when it struck the Northeast. In some cases, tempers grew short. "We're gonna die down here!" wailed Donna Solli to Sen. Chuck Schumer as he toured her waterlogged neighborhood in New York's Staten Island with a group of reporters. "When is the government coming?" http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/01/us/tropical-weather-sandy/index.html

The State of U.S. Elections: Donna Branch-Gilby Talks About Why She Ran Against Supervisor Sharon Bronson

Intercept at The Intercept - 10 hours ago
Arizona: In light of Pima County Supervisor Sharon Bronson's campaign season shots at Republican rival Tanner Bell over money and politics, the public is slowly starting to learn that the real question should be "Who's your sugar daddy?" 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

Bahrain says it's banning rallies to prevent violence

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
DUBAI - Bahrain has banned all rallies and gatherings to ensure public safety and prevent violence, the state news agency reported, following more than a year of protests by opposition demonstrators. The Sunni-ruled island kingdom, where the US Navy's Fifth Fleet is based, has seen repeated protests since an uprising led by its Shi'ite majority for political reforms that began in February 2011 was crushed with help from Saudi troops last year. http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=289815

Steve Russell : Citizens United and 'Scandalgate'

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 10 hours ago
Richard Nixon: "I am not a crook!" Scandalgate The Citizens United case has put us in a situation where Watergate is such small potatoes that it's almost quaint. By Steve Russell / The Rag Blog / November 2, 2012 Luke Russert, son of the late and much admired journalist Tim Russert, recently referred to Watergate as "the mother of all political scandals." He’s right, given our predilection

Clinton's call reveals failings of West's tactics on Syria

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
"We've made it clear that the SNC can no longer be viewed as the visible leader of the opposition," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said during a visit to Croatia on Wednesday, demanding a reshuffle of Syria's opposition leadership. The proposed major shakeup, sidelining the Istanbul-based opposition Syrian National Council (SNC) that the U.S. has *previously* fully supported, shows the West's tactics on Syria are in disarray and it is now scrambling to find other proxies. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-11/01/c_131945524.htm

Another Video Is Said to Show Syrian Rebels Executing Prisoners

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
A new video from the Syria conflict that circulated via the Internet on Thursday showed antigovernment fighters armed with rifles kicking and summarily executing a group of prisoners, apparently soldiers or militiamen, in what human rights activists called evidence of a war crime and another indication that both sides were increasingly committing atrocities. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/02/world/middleeast/video-said-to-show-executions-by-syrian-rebels.html

Flood risk warning issued by Environment Agency

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
Soaking Britain may be in for a new bout of flooding in coming months, the Environment Agency has warned. Rivers are full after the wettest April to June on record, followed by more rain in July, September and October. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20171078

Greek journalist Costas Vaxevanis acquitted in Swiss accounts scandal

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
A Greek journalist who published the names of more than 2,000 of his compatriots who held Swiss bank accounts was acquitted on Thursday in a case that touched a nerve over the role of tax evasion in the country's debt crisis. The trial of Costas Vaxevanis, editor of the weekly Hot Doc magazine, had aroused international concern and intense interest among Greeks hit by the impact of the country's economic collapse and angry at the privileges of the elite. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/11/01/uk-greece-list-idUKBRE8A01D720121101

5.5 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR THE EAST COAST OF KAMCHATKA, RUSSIA - 2nd November 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
Magnitude 5.5 Date-Time Friday, November 02, 2012 at 01:52:03 UTC Friday, November 02, 2012 at 01:52:03 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 55.880°N, 162.791°E Depth 6.1 km (3.8 miles) Region NEAR THE EAST COAST OF KAMCHATKA, RUSSIA Distances 43 km (26 miles) SSE of Ust'-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia

3.3 Magnitude Earthquake NEVADA - 2nd November 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
Magnitude 3.3 Date-Time Friday, November 02, 2012 at 01:30:47 UTC Thursday, November 01, 2012 at 06:30:47 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 40.507°N, 115.326°W Depth 0 km (~0 mile) set by location program Region NEVADA Distances 19 km (12 miles) NNE (32°) from Ruby Valley, NV

5.3 Magnitude Earthquake FLORES SEA - 2nd November 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
Magnitude 5.3 Date-Time Friday, November 02, 2012 at 01:22:14 UTC Friday, November 02, 2012 at 09:22:14 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 7.743°S, 121.665°E Depth 272.8 km (169.5 miles) Region FLORES SEA Distances 86 km (53 miles) N of Detuwane, Indonesia

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake SAN JUAN, ARGENTINA - 1st November 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
Magnitude 4.3 Date-Time Thursday, November 01, 2012 at 23:43:39 UTC Thursday, November 01, 2012 at 08:43:39 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 31.780°S, 67.180°W Depth 85 km (52.8 miles) Region SAN JUAN, ARGENTINA Distances 72 km (44 miles) SW of Chepes, Argentina

5.3 Magnitude Earthquake MINAHASA, SULAWESI, INDONESIA - 1st November 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
Magnitude 5.3 Date-Time Thursday, November 01, 2012 at 23:37:18 UTC Friday, November 02, 2012 at 07:37:18 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 1.238°N, 122.065°E Depth 38.4 km (23.9 miles) Region MINAHASA, SULAWESI, INDONESIA Distances 55 km (34 miles) ENE of Bunobogu, Indonesia

Greg Hunter, "Weekly News Wrap-Up 11.2.12"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 11 hours ago
*"Weekly News Wrap-Up 11.2.12" * By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com "Hurricane Sandy couldn’t have come at a worse time. The U.S. economy appears to be contracting, and the fourth quarter holiday shopping season in the most populated area of the country has been interrupted. Now, folks are more worried about pumping sewage laced water out of their towns than buying a new Apple iPod. Money is going to be diverted to buy generators and paint, not electronics and clothing. New York and New Jersey are two of the most indebted states in the union. They have a combined $600 bi... more »

I'm Not A Psychiatrist But...

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 11 hours ago
Yesterday, as a Halloween treat over at Digby's place, David Atkins, the chairman of the Ventura County Democratic Party, posted a fascinating profile of a classic, clinically diagnosed sociopath-- once called, and treated as-- "moral insanity." Towards the end he asks his readers if the description fits "anyone prominent on the national political stage like, say, a certain someone running for President." Obviously, it does. But it also fits-- and to a T-- a certain someone running for Vice President. In fact, if you just look at the description without bias, it fits the entire Re... more »

Vegan Recipe - Chili (sin carne)

Small Footprints at Reduce Footprints - 11 hours ago
*Welcome to the first Friday of the month. Once a month we share a vegan recipe. Why? Because meatless meals are good for the planet (check out an early post on the subject HERE). This month I'm sharing one of my own creations ... Chili. It features dried beans which are very wallet-friendly, easy to cook, healthy and delicious. The recipe calls for stove-top cooking but would easily work in a crock-pot. I hope you and your family enjoy it! * *Cyndi's Chili (sin carne)* Servings: 2-3 adult portions *Ingredients* 1/2 cup dried black beans - sorted & rinsed 1/2 cup dried pinto bean... more »

Barclays To Be Penalized $435 by Federal Energy Market Regulator

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 11 hours ago
"More Probes Add to Barclays Woes: Energy Regulator Proposes $435 Million Fine as Justice and SEC Examine Bank's Efforts to Raise Cash" the WSJ by D. Enrich Nov 1, 2012 C1 Paraphrasing: The fine is in response to alleged manipulation of US electricity markets. Barclays is also facing an anti-corruption investigation. OTHER RECENT SCANDALS: LIBOR AND EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS IN COMMODITY MARKETS Majia's Blog: ETFs as Weapons of Mass Destruction Sep 22, 2012 The rise in popularity in a relatively new form of derivatives known as Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) amplifies risks for the globa... more »

[Graphic Video] FSA Terrorists Executing Civilians

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 12 hours ago
The FSA terrorists chanted "Allahu Akbar" before executing prisoners of war. Allahu Akbar my ass. What a bunch of savages. I put responsibility on the American, Turkish, Saudi Arabian, Israeli, and Qatari governments for the FSA atrocities. They are committing war crimes. Syria is not experiencing the Arab spring. This is Washington's reign of terror. They have opened the floodgates of terror and chaos in Syria. Shame on whoever supports the FSA. Update: I thought the people who were executed in the video below were prisoners of war. *But they were unarmed civilians*.

[Graphic Video] TSA Terrorists Executing Prisoners of War

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 12 hours ago
The FSA terrorists chanted "Allahu Akbar" before executing prisoners of war. Allahu Akbar my ass. What a bunch of savages. I put responsibility on the American, Turkish, Saudi Arabian, Israeli, and Qatari governments for the FSA atrocities. God damn the U.S. government to hell. God damn Obama to hell. Syria is not experiencing the Arab spring. This is Washington's reign of terror. They have opened the floodgates of terror and chaos in Syria.

Beautiful Fences That Serve an Environmental Function

All photos courtesy: © Benjamin Spöth We know that bees, birds and butterflies -- nature's pollinators -- play a huge role in health, self-sustaining ecosystems and genetic propagation in agriculture. There's no doubt that the decline in pollinator populations (like bees) have many worried about the future of food availability. One way to increase pollinator populations is to incorporate suitable habitats into our urban gardens, be it planting butterfly-friendly species like milkweed or, as German, Eindhoven-based designer Benjamin Spöth has done, installing some kind of habitable fr... more »

Baracka Apocalypse: Escape From New York 2012!

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 12 hours ago
*Democrats and Republicans: There is no escape from the two party system. Obama and Romney are modern day slave owners. Their voters are their slaves. The mainstream media is the plantation. *

Who in the Bible had no parents?

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 12 hours ago
Joshua, son of Nun.

The real lesson from Ashley Smith

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 13 hours ago
Ashley Smith's death and more the videos of her being brutalized while in custody have led to much handwringing among the chattering classes. The theme seems to be that people with mental problems are treated badly in jail. Well duh. But stepping back a moment, there isn't a lot of evidence that Ms Smith even had mental problems. Yes she did get into some minor criminal problems and she had trouble with authority - but that's hardly rare among teens. And yes she took steps that led to her death; but seeing her circumstances those steps do not reflect metal confusion but rather a... more »

I Would Be Happy to Talk About Climate Change With You

Jay Allbritton at Jay Allbritton - 13 hours ago
Was not what Mitt Romney said when a member of the crowd began addressing him regarding the subject. The individual held a sign that read "End Climate Silence". Romney waited a long time while the crowd chanted, oddly enough, "USA! USA!"

PORTAL 2012: A New Cobra Interview by Golden Rule

        AMERICAN KABUKI at American Kabuki - 13 hours ago
Thursday, November 1, 2012 *A New Cobra Interview by Golden Rule* You might want to listen to this new Cobra interview: http://golden-rule.org/2012/10/26/cobra-on-the-day-of-decision-the-master-plan-and-drake/ Or watch this video about the Masterplan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6mbZPLtKoQ&feature=share Enjoy! Posted by Cobra at 12:44 PM

Musical Interlude: David Arkenstone, “Across the Great Oceans”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 13 hours ago
David Arkenstone, “Across the Great Oceans” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i47GF93Aw-g&feature=related

"A Look to the Heavens"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 14 hours ago
“Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble- maybe Macbeth should have consulted the Witch Head Nebula. The suggestively shaped reflection nebula is associated with the bright star Rigel in the constellation Orion. *Click image for larger size. * More formally known as IC 2118, the Witch Head Nebula spans about 50 light-years and is composed of interstellar dust grains reflecting Rigel's starlight. In this cosmic portrait, the blue color of the Witch Head Nebula and of the dust surrounding Rigel is caused not only by Rigel's intense blue starlight but becaus... more »

The Poet: Joy Harjo, "Eagle Poem"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 14 hours ago
*"Eagle Poem" * "To pray you open your whole self To sky, to earth, to sun, to moon To one whole voice that is you. And know there is more That you can't see, can't hear Can't know except in moments Steadily growing, and in languages That aren't always sound but other Circles of motion. Like eagle that Sunday morning Over Salt River. Circles in blue sky In wind, swept our hearts clean With sacred wings. We see you, see ourselves and know That we must take the utmost care And kindness in all things. Breathe in, knowing we are made of All this, and breathe, knowing We are truly blessed b... more »

Chet Raymo, “Where We Came From”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 14 hours ago
*“Where We Came From” * by Chet Raymo "Author Doris Lessing began her sci-fi chronicle of space with this dedication: "For my father, who used to sit, hour after hour, night after night, outside our home in Africa, watching the stars. 'Well,' he would say, 'if we blow ourselves up, there's plenty more where we came from.'" Oh, there's plenty more, all right; stars spangle the sky in uncountable numbers. And they're blowing up all the time. Here's one that appeared on APOD, the remnant of a star that blew itself up in 1006 AD Earth-time. Since the star was 7000 light-years away, it... more »

China's Second Stealth Fighter Takes to the Skies

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 14 hours ago
China has flown its second stealth fighter, the J-31, the smaller cousin to its previous model, the J-20. A look at either of them reveals the classic, Lockheed-Martin, F-22 Raptor pedigree. Unlike the F-35 limited range, modest payload, marginally maneuverable light attack bomber, the Chinese 20's and 31's appear to be actual fighter aircraft. Stealth fighter aircraft, the sort that seem designed to give the F-35 fits. The F-35, of course, is designed to be able to defeat conventional, "4th-generation" fighters, not stealth fighters. Oopsie! There are plenty of reports th... more »

Luckner Doing Well after Heart Surgery in Naperville

John Carroll at Dying in Haiti - 14 hours ago
Luckner doing well after heart surgery. Please see this Chicago Tribune article.

The Daily "Near You?"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 14 hours ago
Palmetto, Florida, USA. Thanks for stopping by.

US-Backed Terrorists Mass Murder Unarmed Civilians in Syria

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 14 hours ago
Washington Post claims "soldiers" were executed - terrorists in video clearly refer to victims as civilian "shabih." Victims had no weapons, uniforms, or IDs indicating they were soldiers. Tony Cartalucci Land Destroyer November 2, 2012 An egregious war crime was reported on by the Washington Post, but deceitfully and purposefully spun and shrugged off. In the Post's article, "Syrian rebels execute unarmed government soldiers; dozens killed in fighting," it is first reported: Syrian rebels executed at least a half-dozen unarmed government soldiers Thursday after attacks on check... more »

“Can You Read This?”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 14 hours ago
*“Can You Read This?”* by Marc “Here’s a goodie for you: Cna yuo raed tihs? Suteids sohw taht olny aoubt 55 prcenet of plepoe can (atculley trheer is no scuh sudty). I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. Tihs sohws us the phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid. Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at an Elingsh Uinervtisy, it dseno’t mtaetr waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are in, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer are in the rghit pclae. The rset of the txet can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae ... more »

Why Do Our Generals Suck?

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 14 hours ago
Even Americans are beginning to grasp that their generals suck. The soldiers in the field and their unit commanders are first rate. The rot is at the top. And it's not just the Americans beset by this phenomenon. A new book, *The Generals*, by Tom Ricks of the Center for a New American Security, attempts to get to the bottom of the problem. Ricks' assessment is that we're back to a world of ticket-punchers in which bad commanders no longer get relieved, "fired." *Ricks points back to a system that the revered General George Marshall put into place during World War II: unsuccess... more »

President-in-Waiting Willard and his Boy Companion Paul sure have different styles of lying

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 14 hours ago
*The stuff Willard says is just, you know, stuff he says. Why would anyone want to try to hold him to it?* *by Ken* Here was my first reaction to the news that Willard and Mrs. Willard secretly made a bloody frigging fortune off the government auto-industry bailout: So maybe Willard wasn't kidding after all when he pretended that he hadn't opposed the bailout, even though we all know that he sure as hell did, at least publicly, as a matter of policy. There's more to life than policy, however. There's also mad, seemingly insatiable greed. It was just two weeks ago that Greg Palast ... more »

"Free of the Deadly Internet!"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 14 hours ago
*"Free of the Deadly Internet!"* by Christopher Ketcham "First off, this hypocrisy: publishing a piece on the Internet that decries the Internet. No allowance for it. It is straight-up hypocrisy. Best to shut up, crawl back in my cave, ass in hand, and utter not another word. Yet, and yet. For the thousand and thousand years that print and, later, books offered their plague and joy in our civilization, the same cries were raised. Much later, when vinyl went to 8-track, which went to cassette, which went to CD, ad nauseam, oh the crying – need we belabor it? When CDs first came ... more »

Chrysler Exec to Trump: "You're Full of SH_T!"

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 15 hours ago
Donald Trump doesn't know how to shut his big, fat, greasy mouth. Today Trump tweeted, "*Obama is a terrible negotiator. He bails out Chrysler and now Chrysler wants to send all Jeep manufacturing to China--and will!*” Chrysler vice-president of design and president of the Dodge division, Ralph Gilles, fired back: "*You are full of shit!"* Gilles later apologized for his choice of words but added, "*lies are just that, lies*."

Kindergarten Teacher’s Photos of Her Abusing Children Exposed: Probably the Least of What Goes On in China

Matt at The Coming Crisis - 15 hours ago
http://www.chinasmack.com/2012/pictures/kindergarten-teachers-photos-of-her-abusing-children-exposed.html

RAG RADIO / Thorne Dreyer : Historian Martin Duberman on 'Howard Zinn: A Life on the Left'

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 15 hours ago
Martin Duberman. Image from Lambda Literary. Rag Radio podcast: Historian Martin Duberman discusses his new biography of Howard Zinn By Rag Radio / The Rag Blog / November 1, 2012 Historian Martin Duberman discussed his new book, Howard Zinn: A Life on the Left, on Rag Radio, Friday, October 26. Rag Radio, a syndicated radio show, is produced in the studios of KOOP-FM, a cooperatively-run

Resources

Southern Man at Southern Man - 15 hours ago
During a casual conversation at work the other day a couple of Southern Man's colleagues were shocked and even a bit alarmed at learning that Southern Man doesn't watch television - indeed, that Southern Man doesn't even have any form of media service. Not even an antenna and converter box. And 3G over the air that varies from one bar to "no service." A puzzled friend asked "So just what *do* you do in the evenings without TV or the Internet?"' The Southern Children felt the same way; the girls in particular would have thought that their world had come to an end without cable TV an... more »

Fee-fi-fo-FIPA . . .

Edstock at The Galloping Beaver - 15 hours ago
STOP! STOP! STOP! Stop the Canada-China FIPA! E-mail or phone your MP TODAY!

Why the race is so close

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 16 hours ago
[photo via OKnox on twitter] On its face, it doesn't make sense. Certainly not to any one who's been paying attention right along. There's this overwhelming incredulity among the well informed that this could not possibly be real. No thinking person should be fooled by the blatant lies that have become Romney's stock in trade. But those who harbor the strongest disbelief don't live in Republican strongholds. This was brought home to me when I voted last week. I was as thrilled as a freshman going to the senior prom as the football hero's date to see a long line on just the third ... more »

Disaster Relief In Syria

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 16 hours ago
The storm is called the FSA and it was engineered by the governments in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Israel, England, France, Germany, Egypt, and the United States.

Wombs and Periods: the real threat to national security

Megan MacKenzie at Duck of Minerva - 16 hours ago
If you ever thought that emotion, mythology, and the uterus didn’t matter in foreign policy, reading debates about women in the military should change your mind. I expected some debate to ensue when Foreign Affairs agreed to publish an essay called Let Women Fight in their November/December issue (cough shamelessselfpromotion cough), but I was blown Continue reading

“Anxiety About Change: Anticipating the Good”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 16 hours ago
*“Anxiety About Change: Anticipating the Good”* by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM “Change will occur in almost every aspect of our lives, we can learn to embrace it while releasing the past with grace. When we find ourselves going through any kind of change in our lives, our natural response may be to tense up on the physical, mental, or emotional level. We may not even notice that we have braced ourselves against a shift until we recognize the anxiety, mood swings, or general worried feeling toward the unknown that usually results. There are positive ways to move through change wit... more »

Hezbollah’s latest muscle-flexing shows it is under duress and looking for a fight

Matt at The Coming Crisis - 16 hours ago
http://www.timesofisrael.com/hezbollahs-latest-muscle-flexing-shows-it-is-under-duress-and-looking-for-a-fight/

FRIDAY MORNING RAMBLE: In the wake of Poseidon

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 16 hours ago
I would give the greatest sunset in the world for one sight of New York's skyline… The sky over New York and the will of man made visible. What other religion do we need? … Is it beauty and genius [religious pilgrims] want to see? Do they seek a sense of the sublime? Let them come to New York, stand on the shore of the Hudson, look and kneel. When I see the city from my window - no, I don't feel how small I am - but I feel that if a war [or destruction] came to threaten this, I would throw myself into space, over the city, and protect these buildings with my body. - Ayn Rand [im... more »

Inuit Woman Using Knife (1968)

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 17 hours ago
Kathleen Pepper

"How It Really Is"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago

Satire: "Romney: “Seeing Him With Chris Christie is Tearing Me Apart”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago
*"Romney: “Seeing Him With Chris Christie is Tearing Me Apart”* by Andy Borowitz DES MOINES (The Borowitz Report)— "A new Mitt Romney is emerging in the closing days of the campaign, aides say: a man who is increasingly “being eaten alive with jealousy” by President Obama’s budding relationship with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. While Mr. Romney has told reporters that he is “totally fine” with Gov. Christie flying around in a helicopter with President Obama, privately he has told aides, “Seeing him with Chris Christie is tearing me apart.” The trouble began earlier this we... more »

"The Economics of Dracula"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago
*"The Economics of Dracula" * by Peter C. Earle "Another Halloween has passed, bringing its late autumnal burst of costumes, candy, and merriment. Ghosts, witches, mummies, zombies, Frankenstein's monster, film and television characters, and others will make appearances, as will the quintessential Halloween figure: Dracula. Most people are familiar with Count Dracula's first literary appearance in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel “Dracula”. And many are also aware that the undead villain was loosely based on a real historical figure, Vlad Tepes III - "Vlad the Impaler" (so... more »

Normalized US Hurricane Damage 1900-2012, Including Sandy

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Pielke, Jr.) at Roger Pielke Jr.'s Blog - 18 hours ago
The graph above shows normalized US hurricane damage, based on data from ICAT, which applies an extension to the methodology of Pielke et al. 2008. The 2012 estimate for Sandy comes from Moody's, and is an estimate. The red line represents a linear best fit to the data -- it is flat.

Why vote for Obama?

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 18 hours ago
Lot of big endorsements for President Obama today. Everyone all agog about The Economist endorsement, no matter how reluctant. Mike Bloomberg made a stronger case for re-election and gratefully tied it to concern about climate change. Maybe now that it was NYC that half drowned, the media will be more willing to push that issue into the narrative. But my favorite today was from Andrew Sullivan. The ninnyhammers at Bozell's madhouse are apoplectic over it. Don't click that link but do read Andrew's post. He runs down a decent list of sensible reasons but this one bit is the most im... more »

Wilful blindness at Penn State?

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 18 hours ago
Wilful blindness is very different from carelessness or negligence. To be wilfully blind an accused has to "know" what is going on but decide to ignore it -- it is intentional ignorance. Here I can imagine carelessness, negligence -- maybe recklessness -- but wilful blindness will be a stretch. Story here Former Penn State president Graham Spanier and two other former administrators were charged Thursday with perjury, obstruction of justice and endangering children in an alleged coverup of sexual abuse of children by assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. Prosecutors sai... more »

A new 'face' for the rebranded Syrian revolution: An inclusive terrorist government

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 18 hours ago
The sales campaign has failed. Syria's so called revolution is in desperate need of a *REBRAND**.* Hillary Clinton is going to make dam sure that happens. And, she has been busy. Very, very busy. One certainty when Hillary "get's busy". People will die. Lots of them. *The latest:* Ms. Clinton is “dismissing” the Syrian National Council Which was never Syrian or national or even a council. It was the Muslim Brotherhood/Western stooges dressed up by spin doctors sold as an "opposition' via the NATO media * Late for Halloween, but always fitting.The wicked witch of the West* *Clap your h... more »
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