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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.

Monday, December 10, 2012

10 December - Blogs I'm Following II

Fair & Balanced graphic used in 2005Fair & Balanced graphic used in 2005 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
No Mans Land, Flanders Field, France, 1919 (LOC)No Mans Land, Flanders Field, France, 1919 (LOC) (Photo credit: The Library of Congress)
The new supplementary ionizing radiation warni...The new supplementary ionizing radiation warning symbol launched on 15 February 2007 by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Contains radiating waves, a skull and crossbones and a running person. Note: Will only replace the standard yellow radiation trefoil symbol in certain specific limited circumstances. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: U.S. Assistant Secretary Esther Brimm...English: U.S. Assistant Secretary Esther Brimmer Greets Director General Yukiya Amano of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Flag of the International Atomic Ener...English: Flag of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), an organization of the United Nations Deutsch: Flagge der Internationalen Atomenergieorganisation (IAEO), eine Organisation der Vereinten Nationen (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
10:22 pm MST

Abu Qatada moves to new home-and guess who's paying?

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 seconds ago
A few weeks ago the hate preacher returned to his £400,000 family home with a big smirk on his face. Yesterday the taxpayer funded a move to a new home. Removal men were seen outside the radical cleric's North-West London home, loading possessions - including a large satellite dish and what looked like a personal cross-trainer - into a van. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2246124/Abu-Qatada-moves-new-home--guess-s-paying-Removal-men-seen-loading-van-satellite-dish-cross-trainer.html

EU's 'crazy' pension rules would spell end for final salary pensions and cost 180,000 British workers their jobs

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 3 minutes ago
‘Crazy’ pensions rules from Brussels could spell disaster for millions of savers and the economy, the CBI warns today. In a hard-hitting report, the business lobby group said the proposed changes would land British firms with a £350billion bill and cost 180,000 workers their jobs by the middle of the next decade. Campaigners warned that the European diktat could seal the demise of rapidly disappearing final salary pensions. It comes as the funding black hole in final salary schemes swelled to £61billion, its highest point this year. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2246171... more »

We risk being like Norway if we quit EU, says Cameron: PM warns Britain will be 'unable to influence laws'.....We can't even Influence our own Laws as Part of the EU

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 5 minutes ago
At a lunch in Westminster David Cameron insisted he did not want Britain to leave the EU. And he warned the 'Norway option' of simply having access to the single market would lead to 'government by fax'. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2246192/We-risk-like-Norway-quit-EU-says-Cameron--PM-warns-Britain-unable-influence-laws.html

U.S., France weigh approach to "explosive" Mali

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 16 minutes ago
Northern Mali, plagued by Islamist extremists and gripped by an aid disaster, is "one of the potentially most explosive corners of the world," the United Nations warned on Monday, as the United States and France differed over how to tackle the crisis. Almost 350,000 Malians have fled their homes, with about 40 percent of those sheltering in neighboring countries, said the United Nations. This has exacerbated a humanitarian crisis in the Sahel - a belt of drought-stricken land spanning nearly a dozen impoverished countries on the southern rim of the Sahara from the Atlantic Ocean to ... more »

Israel behind bogus Iran nuclear data leak - reports

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 20 minutes ago
Israel may be behind a series of leaks implicating Iran in nuclear weapons experiments, Western diplomats say, stressing that in doing so Tel Aviv could have compromised the ongoing UN investigation into Tehran's nuclear activities and ambitions. In its efforts to raise international pressure on Tehran, Israel supposedly carried out leaks of several documents from an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) investigation, The Guardian reported on Monday citing Western diplomats. The latest leak, published by the Associated Press last month, showed a diagram representing the result... more »

Why Do Republicans Seem So Stupid? Well... Because They Are

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 23 minutes ago
In fact, a more productive question might be to ask why stupid people are attracted to conservatism and to the Republican Party. Digital Journal released the results of a four year study of the Republican base-- Fox News viewers-- and they found exactly what anyone who has spent any time talking to one of them would expect: they're really stupid. Not just ignorant-- which, of course, they are-- not, far worse, incapable of processing abstract thought. The results of a 4 year study show that Americans who obtain their news from Fox News channel have an average IQ of 80, which rep... more »

Egypt crisis: Cairo braced for rival protests

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 31 minutes ago
Egypt's capital Cairo is steeling itself for rival rallies sparked by a referendum on a new constitution ordered by President Mohamed Morsi. Tuesday's demonstrations have been called by largely secular opposition groups and Islamists backing Mr Morsi. He had earlier called in the army to maintain security and protect state institutions ahead of Saturday's vote, granting it powers to arrest civilians. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20671270

Syria: from revolution to all-out war

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 32 minutes ago
Syria's uprising has shifted from popular street protests against President Bashar al-Assad to a full-fledged war, increasingly influenced by armed Islamists, in a far cry from the idealism of the Arab Spring. The fervour born in March 2011 for democratic reforms still runs high, but the initial peaceful protests against Assad's regime have been overtaken by the government forces' brutal crackdown. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iycPAcPwBagOwV-rb7kLp2Un7HRg?docId=CNG.5d7bef3582e3845c17c0ed86402ea1d0.411

Draft Communications Data Bill cannot proceed, says Clegg

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 34 minutes ago
Government plans to give police and intelligence services new powers to monitor email and internet use need a "fundamental rethink", Nick Clegg says. The deputy PM said he would block the draft Communications Data Bill and push for plans that got "the balance between security and liberty right". http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20668953

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHERN PERU - 11th December 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 36 minutes ago
Magnitude ML 4.4 Region SOUTHERN PERU Date time 2012-12-11 02:13:28.0 UTC Location 17.81 S ; 69.84 W Depth 158 km Distances 27 km SE Tarata, Peru

Tornado damages homes in Birmingham, Ala.

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 39 minutes ago
The National Weather Service has confirmed that storm damage in Birmingham, Ala., was caused by a tornado with maximum winds estimated at 90 mph. Forecasters say the tornado hit at about 4:45 a.m. Monday near the Birmingham farmer's market. Mayor William Bell says there are no reports of injuries. However, the storm damaged roofs and broke windows. He says the city provided tarps to residents whose roofs were damaged. http://www.cbs6albany.com/template/inews_wire/wires.national/35c30f48-www.cbs6albany.com.shtml

Power unit shut down at Rivne nuclear power plant, Ukraine

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 41 minutes ago
Reactor 3 of the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant automatically shut down due to the fall of the water level in the steam generators and the shutdown of the main circulation pumps. The shutdown occurred at 7:54 a.m., the press service for the state enterprise National Nuclear Generating Company Energoatom has reported. The radiation, fire safety, and environmental situation at the plant and the adjacent territories did not change and remains within the norm. http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/power-unit-shut-down-at-rivne-nuclear-power-plant-317404.html

Explosion at American Samoa power plant

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 42 minutes ago
There was an explosion at the Satala power plant of the American Samoa Power Authority this afternoon. Authority staff say one of the generators at the plant caught fire and exploded, knocking off power in the Pago Pago bay area, including the LBJ Hospital , the Starkist Samoa cannery and all of the eastern side of Tutuila island. http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=72775

Brandon Lincoln Woodard Shot In Back Of Head whilst walking near New York's Central Park.

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 44 minutes ago
A man has been fatally shot in the back of the head while walking outside a school near New York's Central Park. The killer was sped off in a getaway car as the victim, Brandon Lincoln Woodard, 31, lay in a pool of blood with a single gunshot wound. Police said Mr Woodard, from Los Angeles, was walking close to busy tourist areas when the gunman approached from behind and fired what looked like a silver semi-automatic pistol. http://news.sky.com/story/1023594/new-york-gun-attack-man-shot-in-back-of-head

12/12/12 Master Shift World Wide Meditation Times

        AMERICAN KABUKI at American Kabuki - 46 minutes ago
*Looks like I am going to be a half-hour late on this one. Unless the interview gets rescheduled. -AK*

Belfast Officer Attack Was 'Attempted Murder'

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 48 minutes ago
A petrol bomb attack on a police officer by suspected loyalists in Belfast is being treated as attempted murder. A gang of 15 men targeted the unmarked vehicle on Monday night after surrounding and smashing it outside the offices of Alliance Party MP Naomi Long. It was the worst incident in another night of sporadic violence in parts of east and south Belfast involving loyalists who took to the streets again in protest against a decision by Belfast City Council to restrict the flying of the Union flag at Belfast City Hall. http://news.sky.com/story/1023570/belfast-officer-attack-wa... more »

4.2 Magnitude Earthquake OFFSHORE GUATEMALA - 10th December 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 54 minutes ago
Magnitude 4.2 Date-Time Monday, December 10, 2012 at 23:56:20 UTC Monday, December 10, 2012 at 05:56:20 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 13.970°N, 91.499°W Depth 35.5 km (22.1 miles) Region OFFSHORE GUATEMALA Distances 33 km (20 miles) SW of Nueva Concepcion, Guatemala

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 10th December 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 56 minutes ago
Magnitude 4.8 Date-Time Monday, December 10, 2012 at 22:08:06 UTC Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 08:08:06 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 37.756°N, 143.750°E Depth 44.3 km (27.5 miles) Region OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN Distances 226 km (140 miles) ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan

Truth Militia Radio with John Friend

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 58 minutes ago
I just finished the eighth edition of Truth Militia Radio with John Friend. My guest Pastor Eli James and I discussed Christian Identity, ancient history, the history of the Bible and the peoples being discussed, and related matters. Be sure to check out Pastor James' website * Anglo-SaxonIsrael.com* and tune in to his radio programs on *Republic Broadcasting Network* Sunday mornings from 8am-10am CST. You can download tonight's program *here* or subscribe to Truth Militia Radio via iTunes * here*. Thanks for tuning in!

Evidence-Driven versus Evidence-Influenced Education Policy

John Thompson at Schools Matter - 1 hour ago
Conservative "reformer" Rick Hess demonstrated the best short-term tactic for dealing with amateurs who feel free to editorialize about public schools without having a clue about what they are pontificating about. Yes, the *New York Times' *Tom Friedman's "man crush" on Arne Duncan is illustrative of way Op Ed writers feel free to pass on educational policy analyses that are the equivalent of cocktail party talk. On the other hand, we must do more than ridicule journalists who are not on the education beat. To help them understand school improvement issues, we must devise a fair d... more »

OMG! We will Cease to Be!!!

2old2care at Because I Can - 1 hour ago
Thank god for gay marriage!!! Found a great page tonight with a very young Bill Moyers. In this clip from a 1980 episode of Bill Moyers Journal, Moyers speaks to televangelist Jerry Falwell at a gathering of fundamentalist Christians in Dallas, Texas. The group, most of them ministers, had convened to discuss how to mobilize their congregations for political action. Moyers asks Falwell and some members of his audience how they feel about the Equal Rights Amendment, the proposed amendment to the Constitution which would have guaranteed equal rights for women, had it passed. I'm not... more »

Decentralize Big-Retail

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 1 hour ago
How to Uproot Walmart & Bring Jobs Back Home. * * *December 11, 2012* (LocalOrg) - In many towns across America, Walmart, or a similar mega-retailer, is the only option you have when you need (almost) anything. Big-retail is a monopoly in its truest form and it has become so, not through "free market" economics, technological innovation, supply and demand, or healthy competition, but rather through a combination of pro-monopoly rules and regulations, human exploitation, outsourcing labor overseas, while preventing labor domestically from unionizing for better wages, job security, a... more »

It's Nature's Way of Telling You...Dying Trees

Gail at Wit's End - 1 hour ago
In honor of Ed "Cass" Cassidy, who died of cancer on December 6.

Minnesota Needs to RE-Address ALEC

2old2care at Because I Can - 2 hours ago
*S.F. No. 2249,* as introduced - 87th Legislative Session (2011-2012) [12-5598] Authors: Dibble ; Higgins ; Marty ; McGuire ; Dziedzic House Companion: HF2657; Authors: Winkler ; Murphy, E. ; Hornstein ; Greene ; Gauthier ; Hortman Little known to many in Minnesota, last year Minnesota Senator Dribble offered the following amendments to the Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 10A.01, subdivision 21. The amendments included: Subd. 21. Lobbyist. (a) "Lobbyist" means an individual: *(3) who attempts to influence legislative adoption ... more »

The Truth About The So Called British "Royal Family": They are ALL Jews!

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 2 hours ago
For the last few years, I have been telling people that the British "Royal Family" are absolutely not as they seem. I have already put up several articles in this blog that reveals how the "Queen" herself has been involved in both pedophilia rings and in murdering those who she sees as a threat to her reign. I have said that these people are absolutely not British in any aspect, but are criminals, frauds, and have absolutely no rights to the British throne at all.. Now, I want to reveal through an article from my friend, Whitewraithe, who writes the blog: Pragmatic Witness, at ww... more »

Seen in Iqaluit? Errh, no...

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 2 hours ago

What did the limestone say to the geologist?

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 2 hours ago
Stop taking me for granite.

Video: Plastic debris is being ingested by Hawaii wildlife at an alarming rate

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 3 hours ago
[As always, sorry about the ad. –Des] 11 December 2012 (NBC Nightly News) – On Kamilo Beach on Hawaii’s Big Island, disturbing research demonstrates plastic debris is being ingested by wildlife at an alarming rate. NBC’s Miguel Almaguer reports. Troubling signs in paradise Technorati Tags: plastic,pollution,Oceania,ecosystem disruption,bird decline ,mammal decline,marine mammal

SD ALEC Wine & Cheese Party

2old2care at Because I Can - 3 hours ago
Couldn't help myself when I found this. Had to share *OF COURSE THE LOBBYISTS WOULD BE THERE* * I thought ALEC referred to them as "Corporate Representatives"* * But it appears the "Corporate REpresentatives" aren't invited to this* * shin-dig - just the lobbyists. * *Better make sure those nasty employees, pages and interns don't show up! *

The president and Michigan's Dem congresspeople give MI Gov. Rick Snyder a crash course on the nefarious true purpose of "right to work" laws

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 3 hours ago
*Michigan State Rep. Tim Greimel (D-Auburn Hills) explains what Gov. Rick Snyder apparently doesn't understand: how dreadful "right to work" laws like the one headed for the governor's desk actually work. (Hat tip to Marcy Wheeler via Greg Sargent.)* *"These so-called right to work laws -- they don't have anything to do with economics. They have everything to do with politics. What they’re really talking about is, giving you the right to work for less money. . . . "We don't want a race to the bottom. We want a race to the top. America's not going to compete based on low skills, lo... more »

Should loser pay civil costs if Court to blame? Yes, says the New Zealand Supreme Court

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 3 hours ago
*Manukau Golf Club Inc v Shoye Venture Ltd* [2012] NZSC 109 raises an interesting legal point - why should a losing civil party have to pay costs for an error of the Court (as opposed to the party opposite)? The Supreme Court had little difficulty dismissing this argument and holding that the "loser pays" rule applies regardless of whether the Court is at fault: [13] If Mr Long's surmise was the Court of Appeal's reasoning, then the Court erred. In virtually every case where an appeal succeeds, the appellate court has formed the view that the Judge below went wrong in some way or oth... more »

ICH BIN EIN BEIJINGER !!!

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 3 hours ago
Too soon? Thought so, sorry.

a sacred duty

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 4 hours ago
Civil disobedience becomes a sacred duty when the State becomes lawless or corrupt. Mahatma Gandhi

Navajo President meeting with Israeli Apartheid government

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 4 hours ago
Navajo President meeting with Israeli Apartheid Government By Brenda Norrell Censored News http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com Dec. 10, 2012   Navajos reacted swiftly today to the news that Navajo President Ben Shelly is meeting with the Apartheid government of Israel today. The news comes the same day that Native American musician and poet Joy Harjo rejected a petition from Native Americans

Lindsey Graham gets his macho on

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 4 hours ago
If it wasn't so morally corrupt, it would be hilarious. Lindsey Graham finds his inner Ted Nugent and issues the GOP's hostage demand: Either you severely slash aid to the olds and the poors or we're going to burn the whole damn country down. Of course, Lindsey's excuses for the GOP's extortion of America were total hogswaddle. I feel certain the Fox News blonde did not challenge him on it. In the interests of my health, didn't watch the vid, but guessing she nodded gravely in agreement.

Woodshed Series with Ryan Dawson Continues for Pat Condell

Intercept at The Intercept - 4 hours ago
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Let’s nationalise the children

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 4 hours ago
Liberty Scott picks apart the power-groups’ report on poverty, a Trojan Horse issue to get more nanny into your children: If ever there was a reason to close down the Office of the Children's Commissioner, it should be this report on child poverty (pdf). It is the classic socialist/statist treatise on taking more money from some people to spend money on others. Philosophically it takes the view that the people primarily responsible for children are not those who created them or have taken responsibility (typically by default) to care for them, but the state. It's hardly surpris... more »

'Vulture spying for Israel' caught in Sudan

Matt at The Coming Crisis - 4 hours ago
Officials in Sudan say they have captured an electronically-tagged vulture suspected of being dispatched by Israel on a spying mission. The avian discovery was made in Kereinek, a town in the Darfur region of western Sudan, Israeli media have reported. Sudanese officials are said to have concluded that the bird was a secret agent after discovering it was fitted with GPS and solar-powered equipment capable of broadcasting images via satellite, according to Haaretz newspaper, which cited an Egyptian website, El Balad. The vulture also had a tag attached to its leg with "Israel Nature... more »

Meanwhile, in Doha, nothing happened

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 5 hours ago
[image: cartoon-400.png] The Doha Round of climate chinwags ended with Christopher Monckton expelled for telling the truth, the gravy train riders telling themselves they’d live to trough another day, and green activists “close to despair” over the non-results of the non-agreements of yet another non-event. Benny Peiserrounds up some of the coverage: A couple of weeks ago the great global warming bandwagon coughed and spluttered to a halt in Doha, the latest stop on its never-ending world tour. The annual UN climate conference COP18 is no small affair. This is a bandwa... more »

Sacred sightings - an ongoing series

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 5 hours ago
You all know how much I love these holy manifestations. A Colombian sailor sees Virgin Mary in his empy coffee cup: Rafael Barrios saw the heavenly markings as he finished off his early-morning drink in Cartagena’s appropriately named The Divine Child workshop. The business has since become a make-shift shrine, with worshipers visiting in their droves to leave lit candles outside its entrance. And Barrios believes last Tuesday’s ‘message’ is directed specifically to him – as it marked 18 years since his motorboat capsized and he started praying to the Virgin. Sadly, there doesn... more »

Frobisher Bay at dusk

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 5 hours ago

Iqaluit courthouse

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 5 hours ago

Test Your 2012 Digital Knowledge?

Martyn Daniels at Brave New World - 6 hours ago
Looking back at 2012 we thought a Quiz would be the best to unwind the year and test your memory and that of your collegues. 1. Name the service launched to capture them young, lock in the parents and build on their Prime service? 2. Which two technology giants traded patent court victories around the world and dominated the mobile wars? 3. Which famous source of authoritative information stopped physical publication after 244 years and went digital? 4. Who launch their online streaming service in the UK and achieved a million subscriptions in just seven mon... more »

Southbound Amtrak rider returns to banana republic!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 6 hours ago
*MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2012* *Wall Street Journal latest to bungle the NAEP:* How bad is education reporting within the establishment press corps? It tends to be *very* bad. Last Thursday, Kevin Drum cited a bungled news report which illustrated this point. “Sometimes I just want to cry,” Drum was willing to acknowledge. As we return to our sprawling campus and prepare to resume our normal functions, we thought we'd review what Drum said—and we thought we’d tack on a few points. The report was written by Stephanie Banchero of the Wall Street Journal. The National Assessment of Educ... more »

The wilfull ignorance of the mainstream media

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 6 hours ago
When last we saw long time DC wise men Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein, they were being blackballed by the bobblehead circuit for their book blasting the establishment media's addiction to false equivalency. Now Dan Froomkin brings them back to discuss how our media elites missed the single biggest story of the race: "Namely, the radical right-wing, off-the-rails lurch of the Republican Party, both in terms of its agenda and its relationship to the truth. ...It also exposed how fabulists and liars can exploit the elite media's fear of being seen as taking sides." "If voters are goi... more »

Now that's an odd date and time

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 6 hours ago
At 12 seconds after noon on Wednesday the time and date will be 12:12:12 12/12/12 - rather pleasing. The next time this happens will be on New Years Day 2101, I am unlikely to see that happen!

Why Labour Must Oppose Benefit Cuts

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 6 hours ago
Controversial. Ed Miliband has indicated he will be taking this LibDem-supported Tory government on over real term cuts to benefits. It's a risky move, but a necessary one for the long-term future of Labour politics. It's got some folks in a flap. Paid-for right-wing dissenter Dan Hodges says the move typifies EdM's "political immaturity". An immaturity, it has to be said, that has seen consistent healthy poll leads and three recent difficult by-elections in which Labour increased its total vote share. None too shabby. While it's easy to write off Hodges' concerns (let's face it, ... more »

The Unemployment Figure Lies and Liars (Pay No Attention to the U6 Number - No One Else Does Anymore and It's A Good-Times Killer)

The U.6 rate does not include long-term discouraged workers, those who have been discouraged for more than one year. John Williams estimates this rate and reports the actual rate of unemployment (known as SGS) in November to be 22.9%. In other words, the headline rate of unemployment is one-third the actual rate. Those phony U.S. employment numbers have been bothering me for decades. I

RoboCon lawyers : It's all about Steve and money

Alison at Creekside - 7 hours ago
... argued Con lawyer Arthur Hamilton today as he attempted to have the robo/live fraud calls case thrown out of Federal Court before it even begins. Eight voters in 6 ridings, backed by the Council of Canadians, are asking the judge to overturn the election results in their ridings. Shorter Arthur : 1) Council of Canadians doesn't like Steve. 2) The applicants' lawyer Steve Shrybman doesn't like Steve. Therefore ... um ... I'm losing the legal argument here ... Oh here we go : Pogge : You're only allowed to challenge an election result if you voted for the winner. Back in Septembe... more »

Politicians, Change, and the GOP

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 7 hours ago
How do parties change? Over the weekend, my Salon column was about the GOP candidate rollouts last week, and how unimpressive they were on policy. I mean, not that they promoted foolish policies, but that they mostly don't really do policy at all. Which follows on the Romney campaign, which also gave up early on policy. I contrast it with George W. Bush, who actually did campaign on public policy ideas. It's really worse than that; the current GOP not only isn't very good at devising public policy solutions, but has mostly given up on recognizing problems. Yes, they did figure out ... more »

Why Won't Boehner And Cantor Allow House Republicans An Up Or Down Vote On Keeping Tax Rates Low?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 7 hours ago
GOP chief House whip and right-wing zealot Kevin McCarthy, who had no Democratic opponent in the election a few weeks ago, only a free pass, like *every* member of the Republican leadership team, was on *Meet the Press*yesterday muddying the waters again. Extending tax breaks for the middle class-- and giving a tax break for the first $250,000 of income for * everyone*-- is something McCarthy and the rest of the free pass boys equate with raising tax rates. But on December 31, the tax breaks McCarthy and his cronies voted for expire-- for everyone, rich, poor and in between. Obama ... more »

Saudi Arabia says cyber attack aimed to disrupt oil, gas flow

Matt at The Coming Crisis - 7 hours ago
Saudi Arabia's national oil company, Aramco, said on Sunday a cyber attack against it in August which damaged some 30,000 computers was aimed at stopping oil and gas production at the biggest OPEC exporter. The attack on Saudi Aramco — which supplies a tenth of the world's oil — failed to disrupt production, but was one of the most destructive cyber strikes conducted against a single business. http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/saudi-arabia-says-cyber-attack-aimed-disrupt-oil-gas-flow-1C7511555

1 day Reuters Saudi Arabia says cyber attack aimed to disrupt oil, gas flow

Matt at The Coming Crisis - 7 hours ago
Saudi Arabia's national oil company, Aramco, said on Sunday a cyber attack against it in August which damaged some 30,000 computers was aimed at stopping oil and gas production at the biggest OPEC exporter. The attack on Saudi Aramco — which supplies a tenth of the world's oil — failed to disrupt production, but was one of the most destructive cyber strikes conducted against a single business. http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/saudi-arabia-says-cyber-attack-aimed-disrupt-oil-gas-flow-1C7511555

Men are born free but are everywhere in zones. Nearly everywhere.

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 7 hours ago
Most of the English-speaking world’s planners have embraced the strangulation of cities by planning—and virtually all the English-speaking world’s politicians have let them. Men are born free but are everywhere in zones—zones drawn up by planners to fit us into their dreams. Everywhere, that is, but Houston. The good citizens of Houston have resisted zoning, voting it down every time it has been offered to them. Consequently, while housing in much of the western world has become seriously unaffordable, the city of Houston remains unzoned, and its housing among the most affordable... more »

Let's start wrapping this shit up...

Roobin at THROUGH THE SCARY DOOR - 8 hours ago
*Sie Liebt Dich* Ooh, leftfield. While on tour in January 1964 The Beatles carried out the first of only two recording sessions abroad1. They recorded German language versions of I Want to Hold Your Hand and She Loves You, as well as the basic track for Can’t Buy Me Love. They were reluctant to do this, despite it being then music industry standard practice. There were no more lyric translations. In their own way The Beatles probably did as much to promote English around the world as Hollywood and the British empire. *Twist and Shout* This is another of The Beatles master-covers... more »

Is Beef a Danger to Human Health?

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 8 hours ago
This is going to be hard to get your head around but it's claimed that 80% of the antibiotics used in the United States is used in meat animals. And experts now worry that medicated meat now poses a very serious health risk to humans. *As in humans, bacteria growing inside animals that are given antibiotics can develop a resistance to the medicines, Newland explained. That resistant bacteria can then be transferred to the soil through animal waste. * *During severe storms, such as the EF5 tornado which killed 161 people in Joplin, that contaminated soil can end up in open wounds, ... more »

GENERAL AQUINO, PAUL BONACCI, DUTROUX, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL...

Anon at aangirfan - 8 hours ago
In Belgium, Member of Parliament *Laurent Louis* publicised a list of names that an '*anonymous*' group sent to all parliamentarians in Belgium. The list was of all the people ALLEGEDLY involved in the Dutroux affair. Among the names listed: *US General Michael Aquino** , who has had an important role in military psychological warfare; involved in** "Monarch" brainwashing; **Councillor for Western Europe Chiefs of Staff ...* * * *Bonacci Paul ,** victim of Monarch brainwashing* * * *Willy Claes** ** Secretary General of NATO in 1994 and 95* * * *Elio di Rupo* *currently Belgian Pri... more »

Kabul Willing to Hand Taliban Control of South and East Afghanistan

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 8 hours ago
There's apparently a deal afoot to have Pakistan negotiate an odd peace treaty/capitulation deal between Kabul and the Taliban that is said to include giving the Talibs effective control of their southern and eastern strongholds in Afghanistan. *The plan envisions ending the war by 2015 through a ceasefire and negotiations in the second half of next year, most likely in Saudi Arabia. Pakistan would help select the leaders of the Taliban and other rebel groups who would take part in the negotiations with the Afghan government. The effort, the plan says, should be conducted “through ... more »

Israel rejects EU outcry over new settlements

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday scoffed at international criticism of his plans to build settler housing on occupied land east of Jerusalem. Speaking to foreign journalists, he compared the E1 plan to build between largely Arab east Jerusalem and the West Bank settlement of Maaleh Adumin, to the accepted goal of a Palestinian state embracing the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. http://dawn.com/2012/12/10/israel-rejects-eu-outcry-over-new-settlements/

Brad Wall Puts Iconic SGI Building Up For Sale In Regina

leftdog at Buckdog - 9 hours ago
*SGI building up for sale: Sask. Party’s fire sale continues* *The Sask. Party government has put the iconic SGI building in Regina up for sale. “The potential sale of SGI’s headquarters is yet another Sask. Party surprise, yet another public asset sell-off,” said John Nilson, NDP leader. “Putting SGI on the market raises a lot of questions for taxpayers. People are wondering if this is a sign that the Sask. Party needs another cash injection to prop up the bank accounts. The Sask. Party government owes it to Saskatchewan people to present a business case for selling a valuable as... more »

Exxon Hates Your Children

Eric Whitney at Reality Pimp - 9 hours ago
Exxon Hates Your Children

She's German. He's Greek. It's Christmas.

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 9 hours ago
Click here for the previous installment.

Caution urged over Syria chemical weapons

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
When over the past 10 days President Barack Obama and senior US figures have warned Bashar al-Assad’s regime not to use chemical weapons against Syrian rebels, the comments have prompted two main questions among analysts. What exactly is the intelligence that the US is seeing that makes it believe chemical weapons (or CW) might be used? And if chemical weapons are deployed by the regime, or fall into the hands of militants fighting Mr Assad, what can the US do about it? http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/3bc8e04a-42eb-11e2-aa8f-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2EgFEoxFa

99% of Syrian Rebels Are Islamic Extremists And Jihadist Terrorists

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 9 hours ago
"The lone Syrian rebel group with an explicit stamp of approval from Al Qaeda has become one of the uprising’s most effective fighting forces, posing a stark challenge to the United States and other countries that want to support the rebels but not Islamic extremists." - The CIA Times, *"Syrian Rebels Tied to Al Qaeda Play Key Role in War,"* December 8, 2012. "Americans are learning more about the latest piece of major folly the United States has stumbled into in the Middle East, providing arms indirectly to Islamic extremists, considered to be our most important foe, in Libya a... more »

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Rocker at MSM Monitor - 9 hours ago
*I'm listening to it right now. * "Ships’ noise hinders whale communication" by Beth Daley | Globe Staff, August 16, 2012 Anyone who lives near a busy highway can sympathize with the North Atlantic right whale: Research released Wednesday shows the leviathans off New England’s coast are subject to such a constant undersea din it is difficult for them to hear each other most of the time. It is a hazard that could be hindering the critically endangered species’ ability to navigate, avoid predators, and care for calves. Global trade and the cruise industry have brought more, larger,... more »

Spoonfeeding America's Children

Rocker at MSM Monitor - 9 hours ago
*Literally.... * "Food coaches push nutrition in US schools; Workers try new strategy for better health" by Kristen Wyatt | Associated Press, August 22, 2012 DENVER — Barb Mechura, head of nutrition services at schools in Hopkins, Minn., [and her] school district recruited parent volunteers to be elementary-school *food coaches*, touring cafeterias and handing out fruits and vegetable samples. The food coaches also *demonstrate eating* them. Food coaching may seem *silly, but* children who have had chicken only as nuggets or patties may not know how to eat bone-in chicken and *nee... more »

Boris Johnson: EU Terms Must Be Renegotiated, And Referendum Held

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
Boris Johnson upped the pressure on David Cameron by demanding he negotiate a far looser relationship with Europe - and hold a referendum on the new deal. The London Mayor said Britain should exploit the eurozone crisis to free itself from key areas of the European Union (EU), including fisheries policy, social policy and farming subsidies. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/12/09/boris-johnson-eu-referendum_n_2266575.html?utm_hp_ref=uk

Argentina: Another "Time Slip" Reported in La Pampa

Inexplicata (IHU) at Inexplicata-The Journal of Hispanic Ufology - 9 hours ago
*Argentina: Another Time Slip Reported in La Pampa* [*Argentinean Oscar “Quique” Mario, founder of the Centro de Estudios OVNI – CEUFO – is among his country’s most respected researchers. Quietly effective, Quique has managed to accumulate a staggering amount of material that we hope to see in book form someday. The latest update to his blog is another “time slip” incident in 2012. Argentina has been prone to incidents of this sort since the 1960s, and almost certainly earlier. – SC*] *Date: November 27, 2012 Source: CEUFO Blog (www.ceufo.blogspot.com)* Two young men ... more »

Monti says still in charge as markets fear Italy crisis

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
Prime Minister Mario Monti tried to reassure rattled financial markets on Monday that Italy would not be left adrift following his surprise decision to resign and Silvio Berlusconi's return to frontline politics. Monti's weekend announcement that he would quit soon because Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PDL) party had withdrawn its support for his technocrat government pushed up Italy's borrowing costs and prompted a stock market sell-off on Monday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/12/10/uk-italy-vote-idUKBRE8B90NA20121210

American Kabuki Interview on Hamilton College Radio Station WHCL 12-12-12

        AMERICAN KABUKI at American Kabuki - 9 hours ago
I have an interview scheduled on 12-12-12 with Pete from the radio show "The Wringer" at Hamilton College Radio Station WHCL in Clinton, New York. I had a very gentle introduction to being interviewed by Stephen Cook of the Light Agenda. Now I will be in "The Wringer" with Pete. I hope Pete's as gentle as Stephen Cook was. It seems 'Allendale's prediction about being on radio and TV is coming true. I do not enjoy interviews, but I am rising to the occasion. I express myself better in writing. Hamilton College was founded by Missionary Samuel Kirkland who presented a proposal... more »

Op-Ed: Proposition 37 — possible that election fraud made it fail

Intercept at The Intercept - 9 hours ago
Digital Journal Anne Sewell It seems there were significant “irregularities” in the vote totals for Proposition 37, the ballot initiative to label genetically engineered foods, that could not be explained by random coincidence. On election day, November 6, Proposition 37 - the ballot initiative for mandatory labeling of food with GMO content - failed by a narrow margin. With 4,277,985 people voting "yes" (47.9%) and 4,835,045 people voting "no" (53.1%), it was very close. Since then, some rumors have been going around about possible election fraud. Food Democracy Now!, one of the g... more »

The New Outlets in Utah (Outlets at Traverse Mountain)

Debra at Housewife Eclectic - 10 hours ago
Have you ever felt the need to photograph a bathroom. Yeah... not usually me either. I could help myself with this one. It is gorgeous. The beautiful room is part of the new Outlets at Traverse Mountain in Lehi, UT. I found myself up there for the opening and I absolutely love them. (Becky from Utah Sweet Savings, Vanessa from Our Thrifty Ideas and me, being crazy) I was never an outlet shopper as a teenager, there was something about having to drive so far away that made the outlets seem not worth it. These outlets are close, just off the freeway in Lehi and it features outlet... more »

4.9 Magnitude Earthquake BANDA SEA - 10th December 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
Magnitude M 4.9 Region BANDA SEA Date time 2012-12-10 18:55:05.0 UTC Location 6.58 S ; 129.97 E Depth 160 km Distances 324 km W Tual, Indonesia

4.9 Magnitude Earthquake KEPULAUAN TALAUD, INDONESIA - 10th December 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
Magnitude M 4.9 Region KEPULAUAN TALAUD, INDONESIA Date time 2012-12-10 17:34:36.1 UTC Location 4.23 N ; 126.39 E Depth 10 km Distances 204 km SE Caburan, Indonesia

When Native Americans Created Utopia

Len Hart at The Existentialist Cowboy - 10 hours ago
*by Len Hart, The Existentialist Cowboy* St. Thomas More's 'Utopia' was, interestingly, set in the New World. What More may not have known, however, is that many Native American tribes may have created a real utopia. The Arawaks, for example. The Arawaks --wiped out entirely in an act of genocide perpetrated by Christopher Columbus --were notable for their crime free society, the equality accorded women, the utter lack of 'private property'. 'Private property' was a concept unknown to them. Arawak men and women, naked, tawny, and full of wonder, emerged from their villages onto t... more »

Maravillosos arboles de navidad

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 10 hours ago
[image: Arboles de Navidad] *CODIGO HTML PARA PONER ESTA IMAGEN EN SU BLOG* (Un click para seleccionar, Control C para copiar y Control V para pegar) [image: Imagenes Gratis para Navidad y Año Nuevo 2013] *Nota:* Haga usted click aquí para ver más *Arboles de navidad* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

Beware the Anti-Anti-War Left: Why “Humanitarian Interventionism” is a Dead End

Intercept at The Intercept - 10 hours ago
Global Research Jean Bricmont [image: Jean Bricmont : Guerre en Syrie ? « On va vers une espèce de folie » (Vidéos)]*Ever since the 1990s, and especially since the Kosovo war in 1999, anyone who opposes armed interventions by Western powers and NATO has to confront what may be called an anti-anti-war left (including its far left segment). In Europe, and notably in France, this anti-anti-war left is made up of the mainstream of social democracy, the Green parties and most of the radical left. The anti-anti-war left does not come out openly in favor of Western military intervention... more »

I, For One, Welcome our New Slavery Overlords

Gail at Wit's End - 10 hours ago
It's not that I have nothing to add about trees dying from air pollution. I have way, way too much and no idea when I'll have any of it ready for publication. Meanwhile, I have borrowed another superb and heartrending video created by XRayMike, from his blog, Collapse of Industrial Civilization. Following is part of a statement by Jose Antonio Zamora Gutierrez, Minister of Environment and Water for the Plurinational State of Bolivia, at the UN Conference on Climate Change (COP18) in Doha. * **The planet and humanity are in serious danger of extinction. The forests are in dang... more »

Ask the Guy Who Never Inhaled - the War on Drugs is For Losers

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 10 hours ago
Wild Bill Clinton, America's favourite bad boy ex-pres, says his country's war on drugs is not working. Quelle surprise! "As the legal limbo surrounding the Washington and Colorado laws continues, a documentary entitled "Breaking the Taboo" premiered on Friday. The film focuses on The Global Commission on Drug Policy's attempt to break the "political taboo" surrounding the U.S. led *War on Drugs*, as well as showing how it and global policies have failed over the last 40 years. "Narrated by Morgan Freeman, the film includes interviews of former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and J... more »

Montañas verdes donde el cielo esta mas cerca

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 10 hours ago
[image: Paisajes Naturales] *CODIGO HTML PARA PONER ESTA IMAGEN EN SU BLOG* (Un click para seleccionar, Control C para copiar y Control V para pegar) [image: Imagenes Gratis para Navidad y Año Nuevo 2013] *Nota:* Haga usted click aquí para ver más *imágenes de Cielos* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

NATO Appears to be Rushing for Syria Conclusion

Intercept at The Intercept - 10 hours ago
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Taking the Globe Dog For a Walk

Rocker at MSM Monitor - 10 hours ago
*The funny thing is they both leave the same thing behind....* "Fat dogs and cats are getting professional help" by Karen Weintraub | Globe Correspondent, September 01, 2012 The nation’s two obesity epidemics — pet and human — are tightly entwined.... For cats, “if there’s a fat pad in the abdomen between the back legs, that cat is overweight,” said Dr. Kathryn E. Michel, medical director and nutrition professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.... As with people, weight loss for pets is complicated, takes time, and requires lifestyle changes — mai... more »

The Eternal Failure of a NAEP Mind

P. L. Thomas at Schools Matter - 10 hours ago
After Sandy Banks in the *Los Angeles Times* stated, "We see what we are looking for—and that sends a message to students at schools like Jordan. They know we don't expect much of them," David B. Cohen replied: "Do you think that the same lesson applies to the public, or journalists, or legislators, and the messages they send to the faculty and staff at struggling schools? I don’t mean to make excuses for anyone, but is it possible that an honest assessment of the challenges they face should include the burden of social apathy, distrust, even hostility? I know a lot of teachers and ... more »

Joy Harjo rejects calls for boycott, entertains in Israel

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 11 hours ago
  Rejecting Palestinian calls, Native American poet Joy Harjo entertains apartheid at Tel Aviv University Submitted by Ali Abunimah on Mon, 12/10/2012 - 18:06 http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/rejecting-palestinian-calls-native-american-poet-joy-harjo-entertains-apartheid   Despite appeals from thousands of people all over the world, Native American peers, and

I come not to praise Churchill but to bury him

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 11 hours ago
[image: image] *Posterity will ne’er survey A nobler grave than this: Here lie the bones of Castlereagh: Stop, traveller, and piss* - Byron Author Paul Reid has just finished the third and final part of William Manchester’s magisterial Churchill biography [interview here with RadionNZ’s Jim Mora], which has helped make Churchill relevant yet again. Churchill is everywhere. In poll after poll he is voted as Britain’s Greatest Briton, the Greatest Man of the Greatest Generation, the Man of the Century. In the words of the Reid/Manchester biography he’s “a lion,” “the defender of... more »

Stray Dog Blues

What Is Sustainable at What Is Sustainable - 11 hours ago
There are many glossy magazines on the rack devoted to promoting pet ownership. Most are marketing organs of the multi-billion dollar pet industry. Estimates of the world population of dogs are usually in the neighborhood of 400 to 500 million. In regions that live within temporary bubbles of affluence, pets are four-legged engines of robust profits. In regions of decline, they can turn into dangerous problems. PETA’s statement on pets begins with this line: “We at PETA very much love the animal companions who share our homes, but we believe that it would have been in the animals... more »

Poisoned dog's toxic vomit sends four people to hospital with breathing problems

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
A dying dog’s vomit put four people in hospital after the animal ate what vets believe was rat poison. The pet threw up at the Vail Valley Animal Hospital in Edwards, Colorado, after having apparently ingested zinc phosphate, a toxic substance found in rat bait. Three people at the clinic began showing signs of respiratory distress shortly afterwards and were taken to Vail Valley Medical Center. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2245919/Poisoned-dogs-vomit-sends-people-hospital-breathing-problems.html

Deadly hospital super-bug came from North America, say DNA detectives

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
A deadly bug that has claimed thousands of lives around the world began in North America, a study has found. Scientists traced the origins of Clostridium difficile (C.diff) to two separate drug-resistant strains that emerged in the US and Canada. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2245709/Deadly-hospital-super-bug-came-North-America-say-DNA-detectives.html

Gwynne Dyer - Netanyahu is a Fraud and So, Therefore, Is Harper's Middle-East Policy

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 11 hours ago
In a recent column (that I somehow overlooked) Gwynne Dyer exposes the Israeli prime minister as an absolute fraud propped up by Canadian and American collaborators. That's your government, by the way, on both sides of the floor of the House of Commons.

Tomato Cage Christmas Trees

Debra at Housewife Eclectic - 11 hours ago
I love lighted Christmas decorations. I think a couple of darling lighted Christmas trees in a yard are perfect for December. As much as I love fun things like that, I don't love how much storage space they need for 11 months of the year. This year I set out to make outdoor decorations that I could dissemble for easy storage. My little girl loves them and they add the perfect touch of festivity to our porch. You will need: tomato cages a strand of light for each Turn the tomato cage upside down. Starting up at the top of the cage and with the end that doesn't have the plug that c... more »

Swedish children banned from dressing up as gingerbread men... because school says costumes are racist

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
Schoolchildren in Sweden have been banned from dressing up as gingerbread men for a Christmas parade because their teachers fear the costumes could be considered racist. Youngsters from a primary school in Laxa told their parents they had been ordered not to wear the outfits for the St Lucia celebrations on Thursday. Traditionally, children dress as either St Lucia, or gnomes, stars, or gingerbread men for the candle-lit parade. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2245849/Children-banned-dressing-gingerbread-men.html

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake CAUCASUS REGION, RUSSIA - 10th December 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
Magnitude 4.8 Date-Time Monday, December 10, 2012 at 16:56:54 UTC Monday, December 10, 2012 at 07:56:54 PM at epicenter Location 44.953°N, 37.533°E Depth 10.1 km (6.3 miles) Region CAUCASUS REGION, RUSSIA Distances 31 km (19 miles) NW (323°) from Novorossiysk, Russia

Gratuitious cleavage shot

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 11 hours ago
A gratuitious cleavage shot from 0:15 in this video of Vicki Butler Henderson...

Crack Whips?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 11 hours ago
Yesterday someone asked me if Blue America is cracking the whip on the candidates we raised money for during the election cycle to make them oppose cuts to Medicare and Social Security. Cracking the whip? On who? Bernie Sanders? Tammy Baldwin? Elizabeth Warren? Alan Grayson? We didn't back candidates who need whips cracked to get them to fight to protect working families. We backed candidates who were running so they could protect working families. Let me start with our old friend, Matt Cartwright, who ran against corrupt corporate shill and Blue Dog Tim Holden and whipped his as... more »

It Is As Bad As It Seems - Ask Gwynne Dyer

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 11 hours ago
When he wrote *Climate Wars*, military affairs oracle Gwynne Dyer accepted the Pentagon and Brit MoD take on global warming, namely that it meant war, an awful lot of war, throughout this century. A couple of years later Dyer wrote another book in which he said he had it wrong. His gut instinct was that we'd somehow find our way out of the global warming death pit. Now it seems Dyer has concluded he was probably right the first time as he explains in his latest column, *Coasting toward Climate Change Disaster*. *In the first phase of these [U.N. summit] talks, which concluded wit... more »

Arctic Wolf

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 11 hours ago

The Sunni Middle East and the Korean Peninsula, both artificially divided by the cabal, to be reunified

        AMERICAN KABUKI at American Kabuki - 11 hours ago
* * * * *The Sunni Middle East and the Korean Peninsula, both artificially divided by the cabal, to be reunified* Posted by Benjamin Fulford December 11, 2012 As the center of world economic gravity continues to shift towards Asia, changing old Western political constructs aimed to *“divide and conquer”*have become a key topic of secret debate. The machinations and fighting in Syria are aimed at *“destroying artificial borders created by Western powers on the backs of envelopes after World War I,”* according to Nazis connected to the Muslim Brotherhood. In Asia as well, there i... more »

Urging by the Court

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 11 hours ago
It is common for Judges to urge government to take steps to alleviate problems seen by the Courts. Indeed, this very day I saw a judge urging certain steps to be taken by correctional authorities. Unfortunately, these urgent recommendations are often ignored. Last week Justice Kilpatrick urged an investment in treatment of sexual offenders in R. v. O.P., 2012 NUCJ 23. The case got some attention in the media and can be found at http://www.canlii.org/en/nu/nucj/doc/2012/2012nucj23/2012nucj23.html . His Honour wrote: [20] The Nunavut Territory has one of the highest per capita rate... more »

Brillantes esferas para arboles de navidad

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 11 hours ago
[image: Esferas de Navidad] *CODIGO HTML PARA PONER ESTA IMAGEN EN SU BLOG* (Un click para seleccionar, Control C para copiar y Control V para pegar) [image: Imagenes Gratis para Navidad y Año Nuevo 2013] *Nota:* Haga usted click aquí para ver más *imágenes de esferas* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

Dos rosas rojas con los petalos caidos

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 11 hours ago
[image: Rosas Rojas] *CODIGO HTML PARA PONER ESTA IMAGEN EN SU BLOG* (Un click para seleccionar, Control C para copiar y Control V para pegar) [image: Imagenes Gratis para Navidad y Año Nuevo 2013] *Nota:* Haga usted click aquí para ver más *imágenes de Rosas* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

US troops secretly return to Iraq

Intercept at The Intercept - 11 hours ago
PressTV Over 3,000 U.S. troops have secretly returned to Iraq via Kuwait for operations pertaining to the recent developments in Syria and northern Iraq, Press TV reports. According to our correspondent, the U.S. troops have secretly entered Iraq in multiple stages and are mostly stationed at Balad military garrison in Salahuddin province and al-Asad air base in al-Anbar province. Reports say the troops include U.S. Army officers and almost 17,000 more are set to secretly return to Iraq via the same route. All U.S. troops left Iraq by the end of 2011, after nine years of occupatio... more »

Hamas Leader Khaled Mash'al: We Will Not Relinquish Palestine from the River to the Sea

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 11 hours ago
"Palestine belongs to us and to nobody else." - Hamas leader. This is what Israel wants to hear. Source: MEMRI.

"I promise you the President has a big stick"

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 12 hours ago
Vice Vice President Jow Biden back in April with a comment that seemed to pass by the British topical news programmes. If it's a Biden gaffe, it's just not newsworthy. In fact I only found this clip after watching this 'Innuendo Bingo' clip with Rachel Riley...

Christmas Party (Geocachers)

Southern Man at Southern Man - 12 hours ago
Once a month the local geocachers get together to eat and drink and be merry. It's usually small and casual but December is special and there's a fairly large gathering complete with door prizes and a gift exchange and such so Southern Man grabbed the gift he got stuck with at last night's church singles party and headed to the south side of Southern City. The event was at a fine BBQ place near the big Air Force base. In line for food! Geocaching is a kid-friendly activity. This young lady handled the mike for the door prizes and gift exchange. Geocachers are great people and i... more »

7.2 Magnitude Earthquake BANDA SEA - 10th December 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 12 hours ago
Magnitude 7.2 (Preliminary magnitude — update expected within 15 minutes) Date-Time Monday, December 10, 2012 at 16:53:09 UTC Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 01:53:09 AM at epicenter Location 6.770°S, 129.848°E Depth 155.2 km (96.4 miles) set by location program Region BANDA SEA Distances 215 km (134 miles) NW (309°) from Saumlaki, Tanimbar Islands, Indonesia

Salad for Ethiopia: How Climate Policy Keeps Poor People Poor

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Pielke, Jr.) at Roger Pielke Jr.'s Blog - 12 hours ago
The dirty secret of climate policy is that it works against the interests of poor people around the world who want to become rich like you and me. I have discussed how this works in terms of the definitions that we use in international assessments -- One way to create scenarios which have both carbon dioxide stabilized at 450 ppm and a dramatic expansion of energy access around the world is to define "energy access" at a very low level -- such as 2% of the amount that Americans consume in their households every year. In this manner, international officials can make statements like... more »

Monday Memory Hole

Rocker at MSM Monitor - 12 hours ago
*Ah, just another manic Monday here at the MSM Monitor!* "Markets also find Monday a downer; Least-loved day of week is also worst for stocks" by Christina Rexrode | Associated Press, August 20, 2012 NEW YORK — It’s not just in your head. Mondays really are the worst. Monday is the only day the stock market is more likely to fall than to rise. The Dow Jones industrial average has been down 10 of the past 11 Mondays. And the two worst days in market history are both known as Black Monday. * **I haven't checked the DJ in quite sometime because it is nothing but corporately-manipulat... more »

anti-choice group advertises on... hangers. yes, hangers.

laura k at wmtc - 12 hours ago
Apparently this is not a story from The Onion. From Reproductive Health Reality Check: There is a branch of anti-choice activists that will use pretty much anything as a medium for their message: newspaper ads, graphic signs displayed in front of schools, bus stop benches. You would think they would know well enough to leave one place untouched, though. Wire coat hangers. You would be wrong. Springdale Drycleaners of Cincinnati, Ohio, has been etching "Choose Life" ads on wire coat hangers used to hang dry-cleaning. What's worse is that this seems to be an ongoing effort. Reports ... more »

M6 Crash: One Killed In Cheshire Pile-Up

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 12 hours ago
One person has been killed and 10 people injured in a nine-vehicle pile-up on the M6 in Cheshire. The crash on the southbound carriageway between junctions 17 and 16 involved two lorries, five cars and two vans. A spokesman for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said five people had to be cut from the wreckage. http://news.sky.com/story/1023373/m6-crash-one-killed-in-cheshire-pile-up

First Defection from Harper Inner Cabinet

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 12 hours ago
An unidentified member of Steve Harper's inner cabinet has apparently defected. The partly trained monkey was found wandering aimlessly around a Toronto IKEA store on the weekend. Authorities were able to confirm it was a senior cabinet minister on the run by the standard winter coat issued to Harper ministers and its heavily soiled diaper. The identity of which cabinet minister this might be remains unknown. On the rare occasions when these ministers have been known to speak, they all sound exactly like Steve Harper. Investigators are now trying to discern which minister the... more »

Muñeco de nieve con regalos de navidad

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 12 hours ago
[image: Navidad] *CODIGO HTML PARA PONER ESTA IMAGEN EN SU BLOG* (Un click para seleccionar, Control C para copiar y Control V para pegar) [image: Imagenes Gratis para Navidad y Año Nuevo 2013] *Nota:* Haga usted click aquí para ver más *Muñecos de navidad* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

Sapped By the Boston Globe Business Section

Rocker at MSM Monitor - 12 hours ago
*Must explain why I'm not reading any of it and have not for a long time.* With Ch. 7 filing, NFL retiree Sapp became latest victim of entrepreneur syndrome * **Look, I'm sure he is a nice guy and I feel sorry for him; however, I have my own $inking $hip to deal with and never came close to having millions in assets, 'kay?*

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake ARAUCANIA, CHILE - 10th December 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 12 hours ago
Magnitude 4.8 Date-Time Monday, December 10, 2012 at 15:25:46 UTC Monday, December 10, 2012 at 12:25:46 PM at epicenter Location 38.943°S, 72.913°W Depth 29.7 km (18.5 miles) Region ARAUCANIA, CHILE Distances 23 km (14 miles) S of Nueva Imperial, Chile

Syria to UN: 'Serious fear' it will be framed for the use of chemical weapons

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 12 hours ago
The newly elected head of Syria's opposition will brief European foreign ministers Monday on the worsening crisis there, European Union foreign affairs representative Catherine Ashton said. Ashton met Monday with Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib and pledged European support ahead of the monthly meeting of European Union foreign ministers. "We want to help, but it's their country," she said. http://edition.cnn.com/2012/12/10/world/meast/syria-civil-war/

Egypt's Mursi gives troops security role in referendum

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 12 hours ago
Egypt's Islamist president has asked the army to help secure a constitutional referendum he is determined to push through despite the risk of more deadly violence between his supporters and opponents accusing him of a power grab. Seven people were killed and hundreds wounded last week in clashes between the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood and their critics besieging Mohamed Mursi's graffiti-daubed presidential palace. Both sides plan mass rallies on Tuesday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/12/10/uk-egypt-politics-idUKBRE8B90HH20121210

Yemen says 17 soldiers killed in ambush

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 12 hours ago
Yemeni military planes on Monday struck at al Qaeda insurgents suspected of carrying out an ambush in which 17 army officers and soldiers were killed, tribal sources said. The ambush, which took place on Saturday while an army patrol inspected a pipeline in Wadi Obaida area of oil-producing Maarib province, was one of the deadliest attacks by al Qaeda in recent months. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/10/us-yemen-violence-army-idUSBRE8B90ML20121210

Nuevo puente visto desde el interior de la garganta de Ronda

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 12 hours ago
[image: Puentes] *CODIGO HTML PARA PONER ESTA IMAGEN EN SU BLOG* (Un click para seleccionar, Control C para copiar y Control V para pegar) [image: Imagenes Gratis para Navidad y Año Nuevo 2013] *Nota:* Haga usted click aquí para ver más *imágenes de Paisajes* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

Tight-Lipped on Louisiana

Rocker at MSM Monitor - 12 hours ago
*I must be caught in a Louisiana liplock. * "Weather imperils explosive stockpile in Louisiana" by Holbrook Mohr | Associated Press, December 04, 2012 DOYLINE, La. — Weather could complicate the transfer of roughly *6 million pounds of explosives* that were *haphazardly stored* at an industrial site in northwestern Louisiana and led to the *evacuation* of a small town, a State Police spokeswoman said Monday.... Officials estimate that more than half of Doyline’s 800 residents heeded police advice to evacuate in advance of the cleanup at the Explo Systems Inc. site. Colonel Mike E... more »

"Harper's Nexen Decision Puts the Ball in Premier Brad Wall’s Court" - Erin Weir

leftdog at Buckdog - 12 hours ago
* Sask NDP leadership candidate Erin Weir is calling for the provincial government to prepare for Chinese ownership of Nexen, which has 1,300 producing natural gas wells in Saskatchewan according to its last annual report. “The federal Conservative decision to approve the Nexen takeover means that provincial governments must manage Chinese-state ownership of our natural resources,” said Weir. “Prime Minister Harper has put the ball in Premier Wall’s court.” Harper’s statement approving the takeover acknowledged, “The larger purposes of state-owned enterprises may go well beyond th... more »

Velas decorativas para la cena de navidad

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 12 hours ago
[image: Velas Decorativas] *CODIGO HTML PARA PONER ESTA IMAGEN EN SU BLOG* (Un click para seleccionar, Control C para copiar y Control V para pegar) [image: Imagenes Gratis para Navidad y Año Nuevo 2013] *Nota:* Haga usted click aquí para ver más *imágenes para navidad* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

Leonard Susskind: black hole wars

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 12 hours ago
If you have 51 minutes, you may want to watch this July 2012 (and possibly much older) talk. Leonard Susskind is offering a verbal version of the amusing story about black hole wars in which he and Gerard 't Hooft were defending the conservative side against the progressive chap named Stephen Hawking or Evil Karn Evil for short, while chatting in a house owned by a guy obsessed by self-promotion. Of course, the conservatives were right but even though you know the ultimate spoiler, you may find some cool stuff in the talk. He starts with the personality description of the hero... more »

Russia hits back at U.S. over rights legislation

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 13 hours ago
Russia's parliament moved on Monday to bar entry to the country for Americans who violate the rights of Russians, retaliating against U.S. legislation passed last week to punish Russian human rights abusers. The bill approved by the U.S. Senate on Thursday would deny entry to Russians allegedly involved in the 2009 prison death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who became a symbol of the abuse of Russians who challenge the state, and others accused of rights violations. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/10/us-russia-usa-idUSBRE8B90NN20121210

Europe backs Monti reforms as Italy crisis hits markets

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 13 hours ago
European partners urged the next Italian government on Monday to stick to Prime Minister Mario Monti's reform agenda, after his decision to resign early and Silvio Berlusconi's return to frontline politics rattled financial markets. Monti's surprise weekend announcement that he would quit because Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PDL) party had withdrawn its support for his technocrat government pushed up Italy's borrowing costs and prompted a stock market sell-off. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/10/us-italy-vote-idUSBRE8B907420121210

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake OFFSHORE CHIAPAS, MEXICO - 10th December 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 13 hours ago
Magnitude 4.3 Date-Time Monday, December 10, 2012 at 12:52:23 UTC Monday, December 10, 2012 at 06:52:23 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 14.764°N, 92.538°W Depth 78.4 km (48.7 miles) Region OFFSHORE CHIAPAS, MEXICO Distances 13 km (8 miles) WNW of Puerto Madero, Mexico

Catch of the Day

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 13 hours ago
The Catch goes to Steve Kornacki, who points out that Newt Gingrich and Republicans in general have never owned up to being dead wrong about the Clinton tax increases: The refusal of Gingrich and most other Republicans to grapple with what actually happened in the 1990s is a major reason the GOP has maintained its absolutist anti-tax posture for the past two decades. They’ve alternately credited the 1994 elections, the ’97 capital gains tax cut, and the dot-com bubble with the surpluses of the late ‘90s – anything, it seems, to avoid acknowledging the reality that taxes went up on t... more »

The Mobira Cityman 1320

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 13 hours ago
Before Nokia was Nokia, there was the Mobira Cityman 1320. Nice Joy Division soundtrack, albeit Isolation was a 1980 track.

Doctor Who?

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 13 hours ago
I found this rather good homemade trailer on YouTube, nice use of all the incarnations of The Doctor... It was created as a trailer for The First Question episode. The first question, the oldest question, hidden in plain sight being 'Doctor Who?'

TPP: Stop this Monster!

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 13 hours ago
The TPP and the Slow-Motion Corporate Coup By Lori Wallach, Yes! Magazine 09 December 12*. http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/14942-the-tpp-and-the-slow-motion-corporate-coup * ***What Would the TPP Do?* *[Excerpted] *Eleven countries are now involved-Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, and the United States-and there is an open invitation for more to join. Think of the TPP as a NAFTA on steroids, which could encompass half of the world. This is the largest, most potentially damaging agreement since the ... more »

THE FIRST TRIAL OF BRADLEY MANNING, AMERICAN HERO. ALL AMERICANS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THIS BUT WILL NEVER FIND IT IN THE SOCALLED "MAINSTREAM" MEDIA

éminence grise at Cherchez la Verite - 13 hours ago
------------------------------ * the**REALnews Permalink* December 1, 2012 *Manning Testifies About His Torture; Was it Aimed at Turning Him on Assange? * Michael Ratner: Manning describes cruel and unusual punishment; offers to plea to lesser charges *Watch full multipart Wikileaks, Assange, Manning* More at The Real News *Bio * Michael Ratner is President Emeritus of the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) in New York and Chair of the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights in Berli... more »

Hostess Payed Out Bonuses While Shorting Employee Pension Payments

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 13 hours ago
Today the Wall Street Journal reports "Hostess Maneuver Deprived Pension" 12/10/2012 p. C1 by J. Jargon, R. Feintzeig and M. Spector [Excerpted] Hostess Brands Inc said it used wages that were supposed to help fund employee pensions for the company's operations as it sank toward bankruptcy.... Gregory Rayburn, Hostess' chief executive officer, said in an interview it is 'terrible' that employee wages earmarked for the pension were steered elsewhere..." Majia here: However, in November CNN reported that a bankrupcy judge had approved BONUSES for executives: Judge OKs bonuses for ex... more »

Untitled

éminence grise at Cherchez la Verite - 13 hours ago
*Bradley Manning: A Window Into The American Soul* ------------------------------ December 3, 2012 | *Original Here* Liberty consists of government being ruled by law and citizens having control over law. This was the way our founding fathers set up the US Constitution. It is the Constitution that defines the United States. Every member of the government and the armed forces swears allegiance to the Constitution–not to the government or to the president or to a political party or to an ideology–to defend the Constitution against enemies foreign and domestic. Today the emphasis n... more »

Protecting New Jersey from future storms will cost billions

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 14 hours ago
[image: This aerial photo shows the destroyed homes left in the wake of superstorm Sandy on Wednesday, 31 October 2012, in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. New Jersey got the brunt of Sandy, which made landfall in the state and killed six people. A peak of 2.7 million customers were without power. Mike Groll / AP Photo] By James M. O'Neill, staff writer 9 December 2012 (The Record) – The price of protecting New Jersey from rising sea levels and the devastation of future storms is breathtaking, making it seem at times that the problem is insurmountable. Some options that have been flo... more »

Climate skeptics swayed by consensus, not evidence

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 14 hours ago
[image: A billboard in Chicago, paid for by The Heartland Institute, along the inbound Eisenhower Expressway in Maywood, Illinois. The billboards compare supporters of climate science to Ted Kaczynski, Charles Manson, and Fidel Castro. Photograph: The Heartland Institute] By Tia Ghose, LiveScience Staff Writer 7 December 2012 (LiveScience.com) – Conservatives are less likely to accept the reality of human-caused climate science when presented with supporting scientific evidence. But tell them that 99 out of 100 climate scientists agree on the subject, and conservatives will be m... more »

5 Strange (but True) Health Tips by Lisa Garber

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 14 hours ago
5 Strange (but True) Health Tipsby Lisa Garber Natural Society, 10 December 2012 *Big Pharma and conventional medicine have made us accustomed to reaching for an over-the-counter drug when we experience an itch or ache. Nature’s medicine cabinet, however, is bursting with healthier and less expensive remedies. Here are 5 strange but true health tips you might not know about.* ** ** *1. Stop Bleeding with this Spice* Nearly every kitchen is equipped with this humble hero. Black pepper is naturally analgesic, antibacterial, and antiseptic, and it won’t sting when you sprinkle it ont... more »

Study finds the costs of climate change can be mitigated if economic activity moves in response

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 14 hours ago
[image: A new study find that economic effects of global warming can be mitigated if humans move northward. Jac Depczyk / The Economist] [This is a very interesting bit of research, but it strikes Desdemona as a case of the broken window fallacy, writ large.] 8 December 2012 (The Economist) – When Superstorm Sandy roared ashore in late October and the lights of lower Manhattan went out, New Yorkers were given a stark vision of a possible future. Climate-change science is still a realm of great uncertainty but there is consensus that the planet is warming dangerously and that peopl... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 14 hours ago
*Fuck You, Pelicans Are Awesome* *~Oh, it splashes around in the water and gulps down fish that are just swimming by, that's not hunting*, is a thing that fools say. While it's true that the White Pelican dips its head underwater and scoops out the fish, that's not the pelican we're talking about here. The Brown Pelican is the state bird of Louisiana, and it's the only species of pelican that dives to catch its prey. The Brown Pelican is a raptor, without the stupid purple dinosaur logo. It cruises above the water, its eyesight so good that it can see fish beneath the surface from 60... more »

international human rights day: write a letter, save a life

laura k at wmtc - 15 hours ago
Join the biggest human rights event of the year. Write a letter. Save a life. Write For Rights FAQ People you can write for. Don't: - be intimidated by the numbers of cases. - be overwhelmed, thinking you have to write 10 or 20 letters. - be cynical, thinking a letter does nothing. - be too busy. You can find 15 minutes. Do: - resolve to write one letter, or maybe two. - plan a time to write, today or tomorrow. - pick a case that resonates with you. - know that public pressure helps - that's why Amnesty has developed this program. - offer someone comfort to someone in extreme... more »

Nahuatl Classes and Tucson Update

Roberto Rodriguez at Dr Cintli - 15 hours ago
Teaching Nahuatl without writing This week, on December 14, the court-appointed special master is slated to turn in the unitary desegregation plan for Tucson Unified School District. While subject to interpretation, most of the draft plan was favorable towards the work of the former Mexican American Studies department. The draft plan called for the expansion of culturally relevant Latino and African American classes, virtually into all levels of K-12 within TUSD. It also calls for transparency of the Federal desegregation monies, allotted to remedy the historically serenaded dis... more »

Syria: US "designating" terrorists to use down the road...

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 15 hours ago
Spin from Washington.. Creating the next MEK? I* would definitely call this prepping the story line for future narrative creation. Ready when needed* The Rise of Al Qaeda in Syria- *Which nations aided the rise of NATO's Al Qaeda in Syria?* President Barack Obama's administration is* **reportedly** * (*when and if necessary)* planning to designate the Syrian jihadist group *Jabhat al-Nusra * ("the Support Front") as a terrorist organization. The group, which was first announced in late January 2012, has become a growing part of the armed opposition due to its fighting prowess -- pe... more »

Read Stuff, You Should

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 15 hours ago
Happy Birthday to Kenneth Branagh, 52. I believe I'm one of maybe half a dozen people who liked his Love's Labour's Lost. Good stuff? Right here: 1. For better inside-game reporting on Congress, by Brendan Nyhan. 2. Jared Bernstein on spending, revenues, and deficits. 3. Senate trivia! Also Senate history in general. Molly Redden talks to official Senate historian Donald Ritchie. 4. And I could just link to everything Ta-Nehisi Coates writes. No one can touch him. Here's one.

ten years too many: stop secret trials in canada

laura k at wmtc - 15 hours ago
Today, International Human Rights Day, marks ten years since Mohamed Harkat was arrested under a so-called Security Certificate. Security Certificates allow for arrests, prosecutions, and imprisonments *outside the rule of law*. Those people caught in the Security Certificate trap can be detained for indefinite periods of time, including years in solitary confinement (an internationally recognized form of torture), without being charged or granted access to the information used against them. They can be deported to face imprisonment, torture or death after being labelled terrorists.... more »

Daily Links, December 10, 2012

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 15 hours ago
*The flower of a sensitive plant.* *BLOGS*: - Eyedoc strikes gold: the first appearance of the language term *Hoklo *in the West*.* - Global Voices on the Student Protests against Next Media - Far Eastern Sweet Potato shows once again how China manages US policy makers through the deployment of "anger" which is not a visceral reaction, but calculated policy used to manage relations with foreign nations. Taiwanese F-16 pilots had a chance to participate in realistic military exercises with the US, but it was canceled by Washington policymakers because --... more »

Is Rick Snyder Preparing For A Great Blue Resurgence In Michigan?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 15 hours ago
The speaker in the clip above is a Michigan state Rep from Grand Rapids, Brandon Dillon and, as you can see, Rep. Dillon is fuming about the House Republicans jamming through Right to Work for Less legislation in the lame duck session with no public input, no hearings, and no opportunity for amendments. Republicans will lose 5 seats in the House in January-- and this bill passed by 4. "That’s shameful," he told his Republican colleagues. "That’s not democracy. This is where democracy goes to die today. Because the majority in this state who lost 52% of the vote in state House rac... more »

Health Benefits of Thyme: Medicinal Uses of a Favorite Herb by Susan Patterson

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 15 hours ago
Health Benefits of Thyme: Medicinal Uses of a Favorite Herb by Susan Patterson Natural Society, 9 December 2012 *The aromatic thyme (Thymus Vulgaris) plant is a perennial and woody shrub harnessing square stems and attractive flowers. A member of the mint family, thyme is an herb that originates in the Mediterranean basin and has a number of varieties, each with its own distinctive oil composition. Thyme is a powerful herb, popular in aromatherapy – so it must be used with caution and care. Do know, though, that the health benefits of thyme are very real.* ** Thymus vularis ct. li... more »

Things Fall Apart

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 15 hours ago
Not all Conservative MP's agreed with Stephen Harper on the Nexan Energy deal. James Bazan wrote to one of his constituents in Manitoba: “I would like to note that I am strongly opposed to this deal, and I have raised my concerns directly with cabinet as well as with the prime minister. As I have stated to my colleagues in cabinet, due to China’s dismal record on human rights and freedoms, I take particular exception to allowing a state-owned company from China to purchase a Canadian company. The Communist Chinese government continues to fail to grant even the most basic of human... more »

in memoriam 832F

laura k at wmtc - 15 hours ago
Tragic. Criminal. Completely unnecessary. The alpha female known as 832F is dead. She was murdered. Yellowstone National Park’s best-known wolf, beloved by many tourists and valued by scientists who tracked its movements, was shot and killed on Thursday outside the park’s boundaries, Wyoming wildlife officials reported. The wolf, known as 832F to researchers, was the alpha female of the park’s highly visible Lamar Canyon pack and had become so well known that some wildlife watchers referred to her as a “rock star.” The animal had been a tourist favorite for most of the past six yea... more »

The EU's "peace prize" sparks protest

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 15 hours ago
I find myself a bit short of time. Bare with me, please? The EU's "peace prize" sparks protest, for the obvious reason that it is as much a farce as Obomba's peace prize Around 1,000 people have marched through Oslo to protest against the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union. Fifty organisations held the torch-lit march on the eve of the award. *They say the EU is "undemocratic" and maintains a large military even during an economic downturn.* A similar protest was also held outside the offices of the European Parliament in Dublin this evening. Of course it is ... more »

That Whole F-35 Thing

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 15 hours ago
Okay, help me out here people. What's going on? It looks like the KPMG audit is forcing the harpercon regime to "rethink" its commitment to the F-35 fighter. Seems, just like everybody said, that this was really a $40 billion (plus) expenditure and not the $15 billion it was first touted as. So what? So what if it's $40 billion? Why is that supposed to matter to the harpercons? (This is where I need your help in explaining things to me.) If bloggers and the Parliamentary Budget Officer and others, knew this, presumably the government and its advisers knew this. Right? And, aren't t... more »

Armed Robbery: Boys Aged 7 And 11 Detained

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 16 hours ago
Image: The older of the two boys turns up after being freed by police, as the stunned victim is interviewed by a TV reporter in Oregon. Two boys, aged just seven and 11, have been accused of trying to rob a woman at gunpoint, police in Oregon have revealed. The older boy had a loaded handgun in his pocket when officers found him outside a church in Portland on Saturday. Amy Garrett, 22, claimed the pair had threatened her as she waited for her parents in the family's truck in the church car park. http://news.sky.com/story/1023262/armed-robbery-boys-aged-7-and-11-detained
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