George Osborne visits Thessaly Community Project (Photo credit: conservativeparty)
Angola Three (Photo credit: Sheila Steele)
Claudio Scajola a Cogoleto (Genova) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Angola - Sobrevoando (Photo credit: mariag.)
English: San Quentin State Prison, located in Marin County, California, as seen by westbound traffic on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge (Interstate 580). Español: Prisión Estatal de San Quentin en el Condado de Marin, California. Vista del tráfico hacia el oeste del Puente Richmond-San Rafael (Interestatal 580) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: The room at , completed in 2010. Español: La cámara de ejecución de la Prisión Estatal de San Quentin, construido en 2010 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Aerial view of San Quentin State Prison, in Marin County, California. Español: Prisión Estatal de San Quentin en el Condado de Marin, California (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: San Quentin State Prison Español: Prisión Estatal de San Quentin (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Angola-1 (Photo credit: didkovskaya)Italian Arrest: Former economic development minister Claudio Scajola
AMERICAN KABUKI at American Kabuki - 58 minutes ago
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/italian-police-arrest-ex-finmeccanica-exec-investigate-former-minister-for-alleged-corruption-175397181.html
*Italian
police arrest ex-Finmeccanica exec, investigate former minister
for alleged corruption*
By: Colleen Barry, The Associated Press
Posted: 10/23/2012 8:14 AM
MILAN - Italian prosecutors are investigating a former Cabinet minister
and have ordered the arrest of a former sales manager for Finmeccanica
as
part of a corruption investigation into the state-controlled aerospace
and
engineering giant's international dealings.
Former... more »
San Quentin Six Declare Solidarity with CA Prisoners’ Agreement to End Hostilities
angola3news at Angola 3 News - 59 minutes ago
The authors dedicate their essay to Marilyn Buck (1947-2010).
*San Quentin 6 Declare Solidarity with CA Prisoners’ Agreement to End
Hostilities*
*by Sundiata Tate, Bato Talamantez and Giappa Johnson – three of the San
Quentin 6*
(Reprinted in full by Angola 3 News. Watch the video of our April 6, 2012
event, featuring Bato Talamantez at the end)
We strongly support the statement issued by the Pelican Bay prison Short
Corridor Collective calling for the end of racial and factional hostilities
inside California prisons and in county jails. We believe that this along
with our struggl... more »
Silicon wafers: Why we need to move religion online
PM at Duck of Minerva - 1 hour ago
As one of the two great still-extant medieval institutions, the church
confronts the digital age with a mixture of trepidation and hope. Hope,
because congregations and ministers with online presence can build up new
types of community and remain in contact through a variety of media;
trepidation, because the church, like any incumbent industry, looks
Continue reading
Labour to vote AGAINST 1% cap on rises in benefits, saying they should rise faster than wages
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 1 hour ago
Labour is to vote against a cap on rises in benefits, imposed after
handouts soared at twice the rate of wages.
Shadow chancellor Ed Balls today revealed his party would oppose the 1 per
cent rise planned by the government for each of the next three years.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2246516/Labour-vote-AGAINST-1-cap-rises-benefits-saying-rise-faster-wages.html
Revealed: How George Osborne's sneaky tricks will cost every family £738 a year
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 1 hour ago
Families will be left £738 a year worse off because of a cunning
sleight-of-hand in the way their benefits and tax bills are calculated.
They will find that their disposable income is slowly eaten away over the
years because of rises in the cost of living.
Chancellor George Osborne last week announced that many benefits claimed by
families, including child benefit, would rise by 1 per cent. He also gave a
1 per cent increase at the point at which workers pay higher rate tax of 40
per cent.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/news/article-2246726/REVEALED-How-George-Osbornes-sneaky-tri... more »
Decade that changed the face of the UK: 4million migrants settle here - and in London less than half of the population is white British
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 1 hour ago
he National census of 2011 show 7.5million people who were born abroad
were
living here last year – of whom more than half have arrived since 2001.
Census officials said more than 70 per cent of the record rise in the
overall population over the past decade is produced by people who
migrated
into Britain.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2246689/Census-data-Decade-changed-face-UK-4million-migrants-settle--London-half-population-white-British.html
RoboCon : Poutine made easy
Alison at Creekside - 1 hour ago
Text : Glen McGregor and Stephen Maher
Presentation : Robert Cross
Ottawa Citizen
This excellent interactive visual has been around for a while but with 6
other ridings in court this week challenging election fraud, perhaps we
could use a refresher on just how devious was the trail of deception from
the diabolical Mr Poutine in Guelph.
Not mentioned in it is how undetermined staffers from the Con election
campaign in Guelph came to share a Racknine browser session with Mr.
Poutine at 2am on Election Day.
h/t Toe at Bread 'n Roses
.
Panetta says a threatened Syrian regime could turn to chemicals
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 1 hour ago
Atlas 5 Rocket: Air Force's secret mini-shuttle blasts off
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 1 hour ago
Image: A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket carrying the U.S. military's
X-37B spacecraft lifts off from launch complex 41 in Cape Canaveral,
Florida December 11, 2012.
Credit: Reuters/Scott Audette
An unmanned Atlas 5 rocket carrying a small robotic space shuttle lifted
off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Tuesday for the
third flight in a classified military test program.
The 196-foot (60-meter) rocket blasted off at 1:03 p.m. ET (1603 GMT)
carrying the military's original X-37B experimental space plane, also known
as an Orbital Test Vehicle, or OTV.
http:/... more »
10 Steps to Finishing a PhD Thesis (or book) in 6 Months
Megan MacKenzie at Duck of Minerva - 1 hour ago
Most academics will admit to themselves and students that the majority of
dissertations and books are written in a 6 month block of time (the
remainder of the post focuses on a PhD process, but it can be easily
applied to book writing). I’m talking here about the WRITING process- not
the research, figuring out
Continue reading
Facebook Helps FBI Snare $850m Cyber Gang
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 1 hour ago
A criminal ring that infected 11 million computers around the world causing
more than $850m (£527m) in total losses has been snared by a team led by
the FBI and Facebook.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation worked alongside several international
agencies to arrest 10 people it claims infected computers with "Yahos"
malicious software, then stole credit card, bank and other personal
information.
Facebook's security team assisted the FBI after "Yahos" targeted its users
from 2010 to October 2012.
http://news.sky.com/story/1024203/facebook-helps-fbi-snare-850m-cyber-gang
UK gets set for battle to defend City from EU bank union
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 1 hour ago
David Cameron and George Osborne will today begin a rearguard action to
stop the City of London's status as the world's leading financial centre
being threatened by plans for banking union inside the eurozone.
Although Britain will not join the banking union, the 17 countries in the
euro will form a powerful bloc which could determine rules for the
financial sector under the EU's single market. There are growing fears that
the 17 will favour Paris and Frankfurt at London's expense.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/uk-gets-set-for-battle-to-defend-city-from-eu-bank-unio... more »
Will Progressive Congressmembers Stand Up To Obama And Boehner?
DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 hour ago
There are a lot of good, solid progressives whose voting records and public
statements indicate they're not going to get behind the Grand Sellout of
American working families that Obama and Boehner are going to present as a *fait
acompli* is a couple weeks and then demand everyone vote for it to save us
from catastrophe. The half dozen most solid progressive voting records are
held by Judy Chu (D-CA), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Jim
McGovern (D-MA), John Olver (D-MA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). Their
ProgressivePunch Crucial Vote scores go from 96.80 (Chu) to 95.75 ... more »
Multiple structures on fire after gas line explodes in West Virginia
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 1 hour ago
A major gas line has exploded in Sissonville, West Virginia, officials told
CNN.
Several structures in the area are on fire, Kanawha County Commission
President Kent Carper said.
Carper said it sounded “like a jet engine” as the fire raged. No injuries
were immediately reported.
The explosion has caused northbound I-77 at the Charleston split to be shut
down, West Virginia’s Department of Transportation reported on its Twitter
account.
http://fox43.com/2012/12/11/multiple-structures-on-fire-after-gas-line-explodes-in-west-virginia/#axzz2EoItQJZM
Mass Death of Livestock Keeps Sokoto Villagers Away From Meat, Nigeria
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 1 hour ago
Over a week after the mysterious death of about 1,600 sheep in Tungan
Madugu village of Gwadabawa local government area of Sokoto State,
residents of the community say they are still afraid of eating meat.
"We did not buy meat within those days that the animals were dying and even
now, we are afraid of buying meat," one local resident told Daily Trust.
The animals, which were said to belong to Fulani nomads from Niger
Republic, reportedly died after drinking from an open well at Gidan Jihadi
viallge in neighbouring Kware local government area.
http://allafrica.com/stories/2012121010... more »
14 dead after bridge collapses in Mpumalanga, South Africa
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
Fourteen people died after a bridge collapsed on the R65 between Lothair
and Ermelo due to heavy rains, the Mpumalanga community safety department
said on Tuesday.
Spokesman Joseph Mabuza said three vehicles, one of them a taxi, were
involved in the accident.
"The bridge goes over a dam and it collapsed. The cars drove over the
collapsed bridge and were swept away by high volumes of water."
http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2012/12/11/14-dead-after-bridge-collapses-in-mpumalanga
Tornado: Residents,firefighters pick up pieces after severe weather crushes community
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
ASCENSION PARISH, LA (FOX44)- The National Weather Service confirmed a EF1
tornado touched down in Ascension Parish.
Several homes and even a fire station were damaged. The area off Black
Bayou Road between LA 44 and Airline Highway got hit with strong winds
around 9 Monday morning.
Residents there are thankful no one was injured.
http://www.fox44.com/news/residentsfirefighters-pick-pieces-after-severe-weather-crushes-community
Man injured, workers evacuated after Prince Albert water treatment plan chemical spill, Canada
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
Several workers were evacuated and one man was taken to hospital Monday
following a chemical spill at the Prince Albert water treatment plant.
The spill happened around noon on Monday after an employee hit his head on
a pipe containing caustic soda. Caustic soda is used at the treatment plant
as a cleaning agent to change the pH level of water, said City Manager
Robert Cotterill.
http://www.leaderpost.com/news/Chemical+leak+contained+Prince+Albert+water+treatment/7677817/story.html
Landslide kills 1 gold miner, 21 missing in Sukabumi, Indonesia
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
Police say a landslide in Sukabumi, West Java, has killed at least one
miner collecting trace amounts of gold at the illegal mine.
West Java police spokesman Sr. Comr. Martinus Sitompul said Tuesday that
days of torrential rain triggered a landslide at the mountainous site in
Sukabumi late Monday.
Rescuers were searching for 21 others reported as missing. Four miners were
found alive.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/12/11/landslide-kills-1-gold-miner-21-missing-sukabumi.html
Belfast Protests: DUP MP Receives Death Threat
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
A second Northern Ireland MP has been told his life is in danger amid
increasing unrest over the decision to restrict the flying of the Union
flag on Belfast City Hall.
Jeffrey Donaldson, the Democratic Unionist MP for Lagan Valley, said the
police told him unnamed individuals had threatened to shoot him, his wife
and children.
http://news.sky.com/story/1023570/belfast-protests-dup-mp-receives-death-threat
Manuel Pardo Executed Over 1986 Killing Spree
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
A former police officer who murdered nine people during a 1986 crime spree
has been executed.
Manuel Pardo was pronounced dead at Florida State Prison about 16 minutes
after the lethal injection process began.
His lawyers had tried to block the execution by arguing that he was
mentally ill.
http://news.sky.com/story/1023599/vigilante-cop-executed-over-1986-killing-spree
Obama: US Recognises Syrian Opposition
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
President Barack Obama has said Syria's opposition is now the "legitimate
representative" of the country's people.
His comments in support of the newly formed Syrian Opposition Council mark
the most significant US intervention yet in the 20-month conflict.
"We have made a decision that the Syrian opposition is now inclusive
enough, is reflective and representative enough of the Syrian population
that we consider them the legitimate representative of the Syrian people,"
he said in an interview with American network ABC News.
http://news.sky.com/story/1024162/obama-us-recognises-syria... more »
Oregon Shopping Centre Shooting, 2 Killed
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
Two people have been killed by a gunman wearing body armour at a shopping
centre in Oregon.
Clackamas County Sheriff's spokesman James Rhodes, said: "I can confirm
that we believe at this point that there was one and only one shooter
involved and that shooter is deceased.
http://news.sky.com/story/1024168/two-killed-in-oregon-shopping-centre-shooting
"A Look to the Heavens"
noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 2 hours ago
“Stars are sometimes born in the midst of chaos. About 3 million years ago
in the nearby galaxy M33, a large cloud of gas spawned dense internal knots
which gravitationally collapsed to form stars. NGC 604 was so large,
however, it could form enough stars to make a globular cluster.
*Click image for larger size. *
Many young stars from this cloud are visible in the above image from the
Hubble Space Telescope, along with what is left of the initial gas cloud.
Some stars were so massive they have already evolved and exploded in a
supernova. The brightest stars that are left emit li... more »
North Korea's Long-Range Rocket 'A Success'
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
North Korea's defiant launch of a long-range rocket appears to have gone
according to plan, South Korea's military has said.
The blast-off, which had been anticipated, defies critics who have warned
the country wants to develop technology that would enable it to carry out a
nuclear strike.
The impoverished North has said it simply wanted to put a weather satellite
into space, rather than carry out suspected ballistic missile tests, and it
declared the mission a success.
http://news.sky.com/story/1024177/north-koreas-long-range-rocket-a-success
3.0 Magnitude Earthquake OKLAHOMA - 12th December 2012
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
Magnitude
3.0
Date-Time
Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 03:30:21 UTC
Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 09:30:21 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
35.539°N, 96.286°W
Depth
14.6 km (9.1 miles)
Region
OKLAHOMA
Distances
11 km (6 miles) N of Okemah, Oklahoma
5.0 Magnitude Earthquake FIJI REGION - 12th December 2012
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
Magnitude
5.0
Date-Time
Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 01:44:24 UTC
Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 01:44:24 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
19.603°S, 176.231°W
Depth
35 km (21.7 miles)
Region
FIJI REGION
Distances
198 km (123 miles) W of Pangai, Tonga
4.8 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 12th December 2012
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
Magnitude
4.8
Date-Time
Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 00:19:37 UTC
Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 09:19:37 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
37.004°N, 141.183°E
Depth
14.7 km (9.1 miles)
Region
NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances
26 km (16 miles) ESE of Iwaki, Japan
4.8 Magnitude Earthquake IZU ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION - 11th December 2012
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
Magnitude
4.8
Date-Time
Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 23:28:04 UTC
Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 08:28:04 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
30.672°N, 140.095°E
Depth
136 km (84.5 miles)
Region
IZU ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
Distances
269 km (167 miles) S of Hachijo-jima, Japan
5.1 Magnitude Earthquake VANUATU - 11th December 2012
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
Magnitude
5.1
Date-Time
Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 23:16:19 UTC
Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 10:16:19 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
18.990°S, 167.790°E
Depth
10 km (6.2 miles)
Region
VANUATU
Distances
149 km (92 miles) SSW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu
Signatures in support of raza Studies still needed
Roberto Rodriguez at Dr Cintli - 2 hours ago
The victories re Tucson's Raza Studies continue to pile on. Today, TUSD has
dropped opposition to the new desegregation plan which calls for the
expansion of Raza Studies into every school in the district. More updates
later but despite the victories, we still need signatures from educators
and scholars nationwide in support of Ethnic Studies in Arizona. Please
sign and circulate. Currently, there are over 4500 signatures. We need
5,000. Please go to: http://signon.org/sign/superintendent-huppenthal
Now, only Tom Horne, author of the anti-Ethnic Studies HB 2281, remains the
sole opp... more »
Astonishing Robot race to fix damaged Fukushima nuclear plant
Megaan at Current news updates, World current news - 2 hours ago
*An amazing radiation-resistant robot aimed at cleaning up the crippled
Fukushima nuclear power plant has unveiled by Japanese company Mitsubishi*.
In the same time other firms, among them Hitachi and Toshiba, have also
rolled out their own remote-controlled bots recently. Now there is a race
between the robots to fix damaged Fukushima nuclear plant.
In the 2011, the plant was damaged by the effect of earthquake and tsunami.
Robots are previouslyfunctioning inside the plant; however none has been
particularly designed for this kind of work. Toshiba says its robot has a
wireless ... more »
Bring Leonard Peltier Home in New York Dec. 14, 2012
brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 3 hours ago
Fallow Land Rehabilitation Program in the news
Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 3 hours ago
Various media outlets (example, example) have been reporting for months on
the government's plan to revitalize fallow land...
From RTI:
"Of Taiwan's 460,000 acres of farmland, more than 30,000 acres have been
fallow for five years; 46,000 acres have been fallow for two years; 50,000
acres have been fallow for a year," said Chen.
The current system offers stipends to encourage land to go fallow. It was
implemented when Taiwan was preparing to join the WTO in 2002. The country
wanted to cut its own grain production at the time to allow an influx of
imported staple foods.
In other ... more »
In Shocking Rhetorical Gesture To Reality, U.S. To Declare Earth Revolves Around The Sun
Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 4 hours ago
In what is being viewed as a shocking gesture to reality by scientists,
Washington is preparing to inform its population that the Earth revolves
around the sun. This announcement is part of a much larger policy shift,
one that will see the United States of America come back to reality.
This policy shift may explain Washington's new position on the Syrian
situation. Washington's deranged foreign policy establishment recently
admitted that an al-Qaeda linked terrorist group is leading the Syrian
rebellion, which Washington has backed covertly since its inception. Read
more in this art... more »
US Recognizes Unelected Terrorists as Syrian "Representatives"
Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 4 hours ago
US admits Al Qaeda "amongst" Syrian rebels, recognizes them as the
"legitimate representative of the Syrian people."
The Syrian Army is fighting Al Qaeda. *December 12, 2012 *(LD) - As
expected, after a long pause of feigned "consideration," the US has
recognized the militants it has been arming, funding, aiding logistically
and supporting diplomatically since as early as 2007, as the "legitimate
representatives of the Syrian people," with the added caveat, "in
opposition to the Assad regime." The Wall Street Journal would report that
US President Barack Obama's announcement actual... more »
More Houses of Horror in New Jersey
Rocker at MSM Monitor - 4 hours ago
*Related: **New Jersey Houses of Horror*
"2 children stabbed while sleeping in N.J. home" Associated
Press, September 03, 2012
TRENTON, N.J. — A *sleeping 6-year-old boy* was *stabbed to death* inside a
bedroom of his southern New Jersey home early Sunday in an *unprovoked
attack* that also critically wounded his 12-year-old *sister, who was also
asleep in the room*, prosecutors said.
Two other children in the home were unharmed.
Camden County prosecutors said Dominick Andujor was pronounced dead at the
scene. His sister, whose throat was cut, remains hospitalized.
The girl, whose... more »
Maryland Mischief Kills Kids
Rocker at MSM Monitor - 4 hours ago
"Coal train derails in Md., kills 2 college students" by Alex Dominguez |
Associated Press, August 22, 2012
ELLICOTT CITY, Md. — A *train hauling coal derailed* on a bridge in this
city’s historic district, *killing two college students* who had been *drinking
together and hanging out on the tracks*. Nearly two dozen railroad cars
flipped over, including some that fell onto vehicles in a parking lot below
the bridge, officials said.
The students, both 19-year-old women, had posted photos and comments from
what appeared to be the bridge shortly before the train derailed around
mid... more »
Albert O. Hirschman (1915-2012)
Daniel Nexon at Duck of Minerva - 4 hours ago
If you haven’t heard yet, Albert O. Hirschman passed away today. Some good
discussion at Crooked Timber, including a link to a terrific piece by Rajiv
Sethi. Hirschman’s stature in the social sciences was of such magnitude
that, while still alive, the Social Science Research Council named a
lifetime achievement award after him. I don’t
Continue reading
Progressive energy vs “sustainable” energy
Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 4 hours ago
[image: Ladies' I Love Fossil Fuels T-Shirt]We hear a lot from the likes of
Gareth Hughes—the energy spokesman opposed to energy—about so called
“sustainable energy.” As if one particular form of energy could be used and
generated perpetually, like the ancients’ dream of a perpetual motion
machine.
This is about as sensible as a belief in alchemy, but is one of two primary
reasons the likes of young Gareth is so violently opposed to oil. Alex
Epstein from the Center for Industrial Progress points out the very concept
of “sustainability”
is a relic of centuries when human beings ... more »
Media News....
Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 4 hours ago
The Committee to Protect Journalists has a blog post up on the Next Media
buyout:
A media buyout in Taiwan which would put independent news outlets critical
of China into the hands of a pro-Beijing media tycoon is cause for concern
for the island's press. Jimmy Lai, the outspoken mogul behind Hong
Kong-based Next Media and the Apple Daily tabloid, is selling his
unprofitable Taiwan holdings to a consortium including Tsai Eng-meng, whose
China Times Media group is supportive of China, according to local and
international news reports.
...showing how publicity about the effects of t... more »
"Christmas At War"
noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 4 hours ago
"Christmas at War" by Ava Lowery, done 6 years ago when she was 15 years
old.
This is what we, all of us, have done...and are still doing. - CP
"Ava Lowrey is a current student at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts
studying film and television production. Since 2005, at age 15, Ava has
been using multimedia to connect with a larger audience. As creator of
PeaceTakesCourage.com, Ava has been featured in The New York Times, Rolling
Stone Magazine, CNN, and more. Her work for the website has been viewed by
millions and in 2009 she completed her first feature-length documentary
"Fall... more »
Walter Pincus wonders how Americans lost the will to pay for our wars
KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 4 hours ago
*The unholy troika -- Rumsfeld, Bush, Cheney:* *No, if they were on Death
Row where they belong, that wouldn't solve the debt problem they did so
much to create. But what if they and all their war-profiteering friends,
relations, and cronies were to voluntarily make restitution for all their
ill-gotten gains derived from the troika's crimes?*
*"The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan represented the first time that a U.S.
president did not seek new taxes to cover the fighting. Supported by a
GOP-led House and Senate from 2001 through 2006, and then just the GOP-run
House, Bush raised the ... more »
Chet Raymo, “Dewy-eyed”
noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
*“Dewy-eyed”*
by Chet Raymo
“I believe I have mentioned before that many years ago, before I started
writing for the Boston Globe, I had a column in the college newspaper
called "Under a Skeptical Star." The phrase came from a line of the Scots
poet/scholar William MacNeile Dixon: "If there be a skeptical star I was
born under it, yet I have lived all my days in complete astonishment."
That was nearly half-a-century ago. I'm still astonished. Easily
astonished. I don't require magnificent vistas, frozen waterfalls,
spectacular sunsets. I don't need the Red Sea parted or Lazarus ... more »
Israel Seen Behind AP’s Iran ‘Nuclear Graph’ Hoax
Intercept at The Intercept - 5 hours ago
AntiWar
Jason Ditz
AP Refuses to Confirm, But Diplomats Suspect MossadA late November Associated
Press report by George Jahn revealed a “nuclear graph” allegedly from Iran
by way of an IAEA investigation, sparking a flurry of responses centering
on the graph’s incorrect math and leading experts to conclude it was an
amateurish hoax.
But who’s hoax? Western diplomats are pointing the finger squarely at
Israel’s Mossad spy agency, saying they believe that the leaks were part of
an effort to implicate an assassinated Iranian in a weapons program. The
diplomats also say Mossad is incr... more »
ALEC is To Blame!
2old2care at Because I Can - 5 hours ago
Everywhere we turn – we see the destruction and havoc that ALEC and ALEC
legislators are perpetrating on the USA. In every state – on every topic
–the fingerprint of ALEC is there - ALEC legislators armed with ALEC
“model legislation” can be directly related to the damage being done to our
society, to our people.
Below is a column written by the
former executive director of the Georgia Republican Party
worked for Paul Coverdell in the Georgia Senate
worked for state GOP
A former private school teac... more »
Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose
Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 5 hours ago
This was tweeted into my stream this afternoon:
One tough nerd: "I have signed the freedom to work bills into law." - Gov
Rick Snyder
And by freedom he means, the freedom to be worked to death for little pay,
few insufficient benefits and absolutely no job security in the name of
obscene corporate profits. And of course, the legislation is straight out
of the Koch-funded ALEC playbook. Practically verbatim.
So yes, as Teamster's president Jimmy Hoffa said on CNN, "This is just the
first round of a battle that's going to divide this state. We're going to
have a civil war."
As th... more »
12-12-12
Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 5 hours ago
Nice date today, 12-12-12, should be a once-in-a-century date.
Today, I composed this song, just for fun, to the tune of a famous
Christmas carol.
*12 days of Christmas*
On the ____ of Christmas, Government said to me:
1st – More taxes to pay public debts.
2nd – More borrowings, and
3rd – P2 trillion budget
4th – Health for the poor
5th – More sin taxes
6th – Fight climate change
7th – Cybercrime law
8th – More CCT
9th – More congress districts
10th – K-12 for students
11th – Condoms for the poor
12th – RH for mothers
Merry Christmas.
“Some Better Targets for the People Who Hate Government”
noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
*“Some Better Targets for the People Who Hate Government”*
by Paul Buchheit
"One of the pleasures of a weekend away from the city is visiting with
people who express points of view that are different from my own. A lot of
them hate government. Their comments are sprinkled with colorful references
to taxes, waste, and socialism. Countering with facts and statistics
doesn’t seem to work. Instead, listening to their rants can be educational
for a progressive, because the anti-government sentiment highlights the
masterful job done by conservatives and the wealthy over the years, as t... more »
"The Real Problem With America: Morality"
noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 6 hours ago
*"The Real Problem With America: Morality"*
by Karl Denninger
"When you get down to it, the fiscal cliff, along with most of the rest of
the political "problems" we face in this nation, come down to one thing:
willful and intentional misconduct. That's a morality problem folks.
Let's put the record on the table, shall we? In 1980 total Federal Health
Spending was $55.3 billion. In 1990 it was $155.8 billion. That's about an
11% annualized increase. At that rate what is US Federal Spending for a 65
year old 30 years hence when he dies? $3,567 billion, or three times the
size of... more »
Egypt's Unfinished Revolution | Interview with Adel Iskander
Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 6 hours ago
Source: Breaking The Set.
Sheldan Nidle - December 11, 2012
AMERICAN KABUKI at American Kabuki - 6 hours ago
*
* *Sheldan Nidle - December 11, 2012*
4 Oc, 18 Yaxk'in, 9 Eb
Selamat Balik! We return! Your world continues on toward the moment of the
dissolution of the dark and the beginning of your new epoch. We daily
receive encouraging reports from our liaisons advising us that a timetable
set up a short while ago is on schedule to be manifested. Those who run the
many sacred secret societies on your world are busy moving several projects
toward the designated point where they can be materialized. Your reality's
alternate timelines are collapsing at a rate that leaves you on the single
... more »
Alex Jones Confronts The Feds on Their Turf
Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 6 hours ago
No government wants to hear the truth. In the video below, Alex Jones is
confronting the hijacked U.S. government with the truth, using peaceful and
educational means.
Sterling Silver Hockey Skates, Hypocrisy and Platitude
Grant G at The Straight Goods - 6 hours ago
We know how it feels but unfortunately condolences sympathy and
understanding words are way back on our list of describers and nasty
expletives we use in venting against our hockey void..
When Wall Street guzzled the world a few years back they also introduced to
us a few new words, derivatives, credit default swaps, maybe they weren`t
new words but who knew those benign terms translated into*..."Weapons of
mass destruction.....Too big to fail...."* *...*As outraged as people were,
especially those who saw their rrsp`s and pensions shrink or near vanish
the message was sent, pay ... more »
The Real News: The Petraeus Myth
Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 7 hours ago
The real American hero was football star Pat Tillman who sacrificed his
career to serve his country. The fake hero is General Petraeus.
Conclusion: the reality is better than the myth. Tillman looked and acted
like a hero from a Disney film. Petraeus looks and acts like an evil troll
from the Lord of the Rings.
The Real News - "Gareth Porter: America needed a war hero but his
"achievements" riddled by half-truths and pure propaganda"
The Economy: "The Internet Is a Dud"
noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 7 hours ago
*"The Internet Is a Dud"*
by Bill Bonner
"The world today looks almost identical to the world of the 1960s because
there have been very few important innovations since then. But you will
leap to reply — the internet! Alas, electronic technology does not seem to
noticeably increase output of stuff. The Internet affects our quality of
life in many ways, but not our standard of living. The Internet was more or
less fully built out in the US in the year 2000. All of a sudden, knowledge
from all over the world…and from all of history…was available. Information
could be accessed and ... more »
No easy climb for Hillary in 2016
Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 7 hours ago
I want to shoot myself for even mentioning 2016 yet again, but there's been
so much buzz about Hillary taking another crack at it that it's worth
mentioning briefly. A lot of her former supporters who populate my social
nets have been chirping enthusiastically about another Hillary run
practically since election day ended. Nate Silver says Hillary has a shot
at it and would be a good candidate in many ways. Meanwhile, the usual
GOPers are allegedly quaking in fear at the mere prospect of her running.
Hard to believe anybody is buying the GOP line. As so often happens, I agree
with... more »
12.18 PACK THE PCS - 12.18 #StopPlantVogtle PACK THE PCS - No More Money For New Nukes in Georgia
rc at GlobaLove Think Tank - 8 hours ago
#StopPlantVogtle
NO NEW NUKES!
Part II | Stop Plant Vogtle
Open letter to David Welch, Eli Broad, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, and their Students Matter Astroturf
Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene at Schools Matter - 8 hours ago
*"And not merely pride of intellect, but dulness of intellect. And most of
all, the deceitfulness; yes, the deceitfulness of intellect" — Leo Tolstoy*
[image: David Welch, Eli Broad, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher propagate lies]To
David Welch, Eli Broad, Theodore J. Boutrous, Theane Evangelis Kapur,
Theodore B. Olson, Enrique A. Monagas, and Joshua S. Lipshutz:
Your Students Matter website explicitly states "When it comes to education
quality, numerous studies show that teachers have the greatest impact on
student achievement."
Can you please produce even one peer reviewed study from ... more »
The Globe is in the Mail
Rocker at MSM Monitor - 8 hours ago
*By
the time **it** gets here it's obsolete. *
"Postal service to default on $11.1b bill; Payments meant for retiree
benefit" by Hope Yen | Associated Press, July 31, 2012
WASHINGTON — The *US Postal Service* is bracing for a *first-ever
default*on billions in payments that are due to the Treasury, adding to
widening
uncertainty about the mail agency’s solvency as fewer and fewer people
mail
first-class letters and Congress deadlocks on ways to stem the red ink.
With *cash running perilously low*, two *legally required payments for
future postal retirees’ health benefits* — $5.5 b... more »
Scandalous Regulators
Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 8 hours ago
*Guest post by Mark Thornton*
*Business scandals often lead to calls for greater regulation. Yet, as
economist Mark Thornton discusses, and as we’ve discovered ourselves in so
many recent scandals—Enron, BP oil spill, Bernie Madoff—leaky homes, Pike
River, CTV Building, Ross Asset Management—regulators have been among the
chief culprits in providing for everyone an organised way of going wrong
with confidence. *
[image: Photo of Mark Thornton]*Scandalous Regulators*
*by Mark Thornton* on December 11, 2012
The Democratic Party had its message on the economy well-prepared for the ... more »
If You Were Just Elected To Congress, Would You Want To Go To 4 Days Of Harvard Seminars... Or A Heritage Brainwashing Session?
DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 8 hours ago
Several friends of mine in Congress have complained that the "bipartisan" Harvard
seminars for congressmembers-elect are part of the Conservative Consensus
regime that rules Washington. One Congressman who went several years ago
when he was elected told me this morning that the foreign policy part of it
was a cross between the worst neo-liberal adages and plain old right-wing
imperialism presented as conventional wisdom. "They have Condoleeza Rice
lecturing at this thing, if you want some idea of how clueless the program
has become," one progressive told me. "They present her as t... more »
Judith Collins is talking bullshit
Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 9 hours ago
It’s reported that former local tax lawyer Judith Collins reckons the
internationally-respected former Canadian Supreme Court judge’s report on
compensation for David Bain is wrong on law, contains assumptions based on
incorrect facts, and "lacked a robustness of reasoning used to justify its
conclusions.”
I say that’s bullshit.
I say the reason she won’t make Justice Binnie’s report public is because
it will be patently obvious everything she says about it is bullshit.
I say the reason she’s not taken the report's recommendation to grant
compensation—the *only* reason—is nothing... more »
Why Republicans Need Change
Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 9 hours ago
Jamelle Bouie argues today that Republicans may well win the presidency
without actually changing much or offering new ideas.
I think that's broadly correct: the out-party just doesn't matter all that
much. I'd put two caveats on it. One is that the GOP crazy has caused
problems in their efforts to find an appealing general election candidate.
It doesn't matter a lot, but it matters some, and they'll probably have to
find some way around it or suffer an electoral penalty (which, to be sure,
would be on the margins and probably wouldn't make much of a difference).
The other is that a... more »
This Is A MUST Read By Everyone: The Coming Legalization Of Child Pornography And Pedophilia!
Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 9 hours ago
Just the other night, I had my usual weekly conversation with my great
fellow writer, Whitewraithe, who does the blog: Pragmatic Witness, at
www.pragmaticwitness.com. She knows that my work load over the last few
days has been extremely exhausting. So, as a favor to me, she offered to
put up several articles in this blog. However, she encountered several
problems with Blogger, and was unable to post up one article in particular
that was imperative for everyone to see....
I have that important article right here for everyone to see for
themselves. It is entitled: "The Coming Leg... more »
More Evidence of CIA Mind Control Assassins
Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 9 hours ago
The evidence of a CIA assassination policy based around mind control
assassins is stacking up by the day.
Source: Infowars Nightly News.
We're All Still Here (Funny music video about Dec. 21st, 2012) by Laurell Eden
AMERICAN KABUKI at American Kabuki - 10 hours ago
We're All Still Here (Funny music video about Dec. 21st, 2012) by Laurell
Eden
*
*
*About Laurell:*
Billboard Magazine called Laurell, "an ethereal poet with a talent for
writing contagious hooks". She is a critically acclaimed, gold record
selling recording artist and songwriter whose songs have charted on 3
continents.
The dance song, "We're All Still Here" is a great example of Laurell
Eden's fabulous sense of humor and her "talent for writing contagious pop
songs" as Billboard Magazine put it. Laurell is a critically acclaimed
recording artist, songwriter and prod... more »
Procrastination, or Screwing Around with the Blogroll
noreply@blogger.com (fern hill) at DAMMIT JANET! - 10 hours ago
I just added two blogs to our Blogs We Read list over there on the right.
Quill to the Anvil/Friendly Satirist who today responded to the Toronto
Police's advice to pedestrians who don't want to become traffic statistics
with 'dress brightly'. The Toronto Police Safety Guide/Dress Code.
The next addition is to correct an unconscionable oversight. Our Twitter
pal Stephen Lautens hath a blog called Stephen Lautens' Parking Space.
There he publishes his wonderful De-Motivational posters like this most
recent one.
In other good news, we are delighted to report that Alison at Creeks... more »
Amelia Earhart's Hard Bargain
The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 10 hours ago
She'll always be an true American darling and her country's First Lady of
the Air. She may have been a mediocre pilot but she was as bold and
determined an aviatrix as there's ever been. Now it turns out she was
also something of a wild child. Here is a letter setting out her
prenuptial terms to publisher and eventual husband, George Palmer Putnam.
The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster: The Disastrous Status Of Fukushima Daiichi
Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 10 hours ago
I have been surfiing the Internet for a while now, and have been watching
for any important updates or information coming forward about the REAL
situation in regards to the still ongoing nuclear disaster at Fukushima
Japan. The fact is that in spite of the media "blackout" of ANY new
information, the disaster is absolutely NOT fixed, and in fact the damaged
facilities at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant are still pumping out
massive amounts of radiation into the atmosphere and into the nearby
Pacific Ocean!
I came across an interesting article that best summarizes the Fukushima... more »
Stupid spending priorities
Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 10 hours ago
I was surprised to learn we could eliminate homelessness for less than the
cost of what we spend on Christmas decorations. Which is not suggest people
shouldn't decorate for Christmas. I assume much of that money goes to small
U.S. businesses like tree growers and florists.
But I'm posting this infographic because it shows where our government's
spending priorities are focused. If the deficit alarmists were serious they
would be looking at big money corporate welfare instead of nickel and
diming social programs for working class Americans.
The corporate write offs for meals and e... more »
Take sugary drinks away from kids and they will lose weight
Rich Rifkin at Lexicon Daily - 10 hours ago
The New York Times is reporting today that the childhood obesity rate is
falling by a small amount in some cities--namely those which have actively
discouraged the consumption of sodas and other sugary drinks.
The drops are small, just 5 percent here in Philadelphia and 3 percent in
Los Angeles. But experts say they are significant because they offer the
first indication that the obesity epidemic, one of the nation’s most
intractable health problems, may actually be reversing course. ...
(The) researchers note that declines occurred in cities that have had
obesity reduction polic... more »
BOOKS / Ron Jacobs : 'We Are Many' Offers Thoughtful Analysis of Occupy Movement
thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 10 hours ago
From
occupation to liberation:
A review of 'We Are Many'
By Ron Jacobs / The Rag Blog / December 11, 2012
This aesthetically pleasing volume has the best overall take to date on
the meaning of Occupy, its shortcomings and strengths, and its potential
future.
[We Are Many: Reflections on Movement Strategy, edited by Kate Khatib,
Margaret Killjoy, and Mike McGuire; Afterword by David Graeber
You can prove anything with facts
Roobin at THROUGH THE SCARY DOOR - 10 hours ago
The future of Reality-Lite politics in Britainis the issue of
Multiculturalism/Immigration. The conservative demographic is declining in
so many ways. Only the power structure in Britaintruly upholds the hegemony
of bourgeois, white, Christian, heterosexual men any more. The ruling class
is always searching for a popular connection. With the right issue, a touch
of demagogy, a touch of mobilisation, soon the Sans Culottes will be
marching to restore the monarchy; that's the theory of right-wing populism.
The Multiculturalism/Immigration is of course a means of smuggling racism
into ... more »
Repeatedly, Brooks won’t tell us how much!
bob somerby at the daily howler - 10 hours ago
*TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012*
*Always look for this problem:* In this morning’s New York Times, David
Brooks does his annual column about social science research.
This column showcases a problem which often has us tearing our hair. The
problem appears in Brooks’ first example of top social science research
(italics by Brooks):
BROOKS (12/11/12): *Organic foods may make you less generous.* In a study
published in Social Psychology and Personality Science, Kendall J. Eskine
had people look at organic foods, comfort foods or a group of control
foods. Those who viewed organic foods subs... more »
Shift of Ages - A Film
AMERICAN KABUKI at American Kabuki - 10 hours ago
Good day friends of Common Passion,
1. Common Passion, in association with the Shift of the Ages film project,
is pleased to announce the release this week of the Shift of the Ages film:
an epoch tale...a Mayan journey through time.
People around the world will be able to view the film online in high
definition through the Shift of the Ages website starting Friday December
14th, 2012.
True to the Maya way of sharing wisdom and ceremony, there will be no
charge for viewing Shift of the Ages. It will be offered freely with
donations graciously and humbly accepted.
I will send an... more »
Cutting Throught the Biparticrap
Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 10 hours ago
Now that the gossip rag known as *Politico *no longer has the Contest
Between Two Evils to slobber over, they've taken to slobbering over
the imminent bipartisan gutting of the New Deal. Read between the lines of *Crafting
a Boom* *Economy* by Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen, and you will get a
frightful peek at the slimy greed creature lurking just beneath the surface
of the Beltway Black Lagoon.
Gimme Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Huddled Masses!
As Jonathan Chait* points out, the authors have actually written an exposé of
oligarchic-political incest without even realizing it, seeming ... more »
The Tories May Not Believe It But Canada's Third Largest City Knows Climate Change Is Real
The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 10 hours ago
There's been an interesting series of articles in *The Vancouver Sun *about
climate change threats to the Lower Mainland. The low-lying Fraser River
estuary is particularly vulnerable. It's a witches' brew of sea level
rise, storm surges and rivers in flood being backed up by the sea.
*“If you have a warmer atmosphere, you’re probably going to get more rain,
so in the mid-latitude you could get a sequence of big storms,” said Gordon
McBean, professor at Western University and director for research at the
centre for environment and sustainability.*
***“The first couple of them co... more »
Zero Dark Thirty A Fraud?
Suzan at Welcome to Pottersville 2 (Blogging Against Fascism!) - 10 hours ago
But what makes all of this so remarkable is that the film's glorifying
claims about torture are demonstrably, factually false. That waterboarding
and other torture techniques were effective in finding bin Laden is a
fabrication. When I first heard about this ridiculous concept for a
documentary-type movie, I laughed. Darkly. Now it seems that the whole Joe
Show is laughing heartily (but not
Too fat to fight
Rich Rifkin at Lexicon Daily - 11 hours ago
In a December 10 Washington Post story, "Rising number of soldiers being
dismissed for failing fitness tests," Ernesto Londoño reports that "the
Army is dismissing a rising number of soldiers who do not meet its fitness
standards, drawing from a growing pool of troops grappling with obesity."
Obesity is now the leading cause of ineligibility for people who want to
join the Army, according to military officials, who see expanding
waistlines in the warrior corps as a national security concern. Between
1998 and 2010, the number of active-duty military personnel deemed
overweight or ... more »
Malcolm Levesconte After Christmas Cash Goes Missing
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
British police are hunting for a pub landlord after £30,000 disappeared
from a Christmas fund.
Malcolm Levesconte, 59, was last seen on Sunday at the Royal Oak pub in
Shrewton, near Salisbury, Wiltshire Police said.
Later that evening, he boarded a ferry at Portsmouth to St Malo in France.
The spokesman said: "Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Mr
Levesconte is asked to contact Salisbury CID on 101 or Crimestoppers on
0800 555 111 where information can be left anonymously."
http://news.sky.com/story/1023989/manhunt-after-christmas-cash-goes-missing
Substantial indemnity costs
James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 11 hours ago
Laczko v. Alexander, 2012 ONCA 872 is a good source for the principle that,
absent some other Rule, substaintial indemnity costs are to be awarded only
in the rarest of cases:
[2] Laczko seeks costs on a substantial indemnity basis. The court's
discretion to award costs is governed by s. 131 of the Courts of Justice
Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.43, and by r. 57.01 of the Rules of Civil Procedure,
R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 194. It is well established that costs should be awarded
on a partial indemnity basis unless justice can only be done by complete or
substantial indemnification: see Foulis v. ... more »
Syrian rebels battle army near Damascus
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
Syrian rebels clashed with forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad near
Damascus airport on Tuesday, battling for the capital's outskirts after 20
months of conflict which the United Nations said has driven half a million
people from the country.
Fighting near the airport, 20 km (12 miles) south-east of Damascus city
center, is part of a broader confrontation between the army and rebels who
hold a near continuous arc of territory from the east to the southwest of
Assad's power base.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/11/us-syria-crisis-idUSBRE8AJ1FK20121211
Egypt army seeks national unity as crisis mounts
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
Egypt's army chief called for talks on national unity to end the country's
mounting political crisis after a vital loan from the IMF was delayed and
thousands of pro- and anti-government demonstrators took to the streets.
The meeting scheduled for Wednesday afternoon was called in response to an
increasingly destabilizing series of protests that has unfolded since
President Mohamed Mursi awarded himself sweeping powers on November 22 to
push through a new constitution shaped by his Islamist allies in a
referendum on Saturday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/11/us-egypt-politi... more »
Michigan passes public sector "right-to-work" law amid protests
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
The Republican-majority Michigan legislature gave final approval on Tuesday
to "right-to-work" restrictions on public sector unions in a state
considered a stronghold of organized labor, as protesters chanted in the
gallery and thousands rallied outside.
The House passed the measure making membership and payment of union dues
voluntary for public sector employees such as teachers by a 58-51 vote. The
Senate approved the same bill last week so it will now go to Republican
Governor Rick Snyder, who has promised to sign it into law.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/11/us-usa-unio... more »
'Storage Wars Fake' star Dave Hester Suing after being Fired
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
“Storage Wars” may have a real war brewing with one of its stars.
Dave Hester , one of the show’s cast members, has filed a multi-million
dollar lawsuit against the show, according to RadarOnline.
In his lawsuit, Hester is claiming the series is fake, and he says when he
made complaints to the network about the staged portions of the show he was
fired, Radar reported.
http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/12/11/torage-wars-star-dave-hester-says-show-is-fake-suing-report-says/
Breaking: Semi-coherent New York Times reports international test scores!
bob somerby at the daily howler - 11 hours ago
*TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012*
*Fumbling reporter works to Keep Script Alive:* It seems like only
yesterday! It seems like we were discussing the way mainstream journalists
knock American students for being so dumb—while engaging in incompetent
writing and analysis themselves!
In fact, it *was* only yesterday (click here). And sure enough:
A new batch of major international test scores has now been released. And
in this morning's New York Times, reporter Motoko Rich offered this
semi-puzzling account:
RICH (12/11/12): Fourth- and eighth-grade students in the United States
continue ... more »
Bad Faith
thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 11 hours ago
Kirby Cairo describes the impossibility of honest disagreement with
dishonest political hacks:
The problem is, however, that not all disagreements are rooted in honest
differences of opinion. This is where the rightwing ideology of a man like
Harper comes in. If Harper honestly believed that his political approach
would bring about a better and more prosperous society, then
our differences of opinion would be just that - differences of opinion. The
problem is that all the evidence (both contemporary and historical) suggest
that this is just not the case. In other words that are othe... more »
GYPSIES, JEWS AND JOBBIK
Anon at aangirfan - 11 hours ago
*“You are going to die, gypsies, you are going to die here!” Chants by
people in a group consisting of members of the political party called Jobbikand others.
**Website for this*
A Hungarian politician called Katalin Ertsey reportedly has an Israeli
passport.
On 29 November 2012, another Hungarian politician, *Elod Novak*, said that
Katalin Ertsey should resign.
Novak reportedly said that "Israel has more deputies in the Hungarian
parliament than they have in the Israeli Knesset," and this caused the
Hungarian parliament to make "favorable" decisions toward Israel.
Novak sent an ... more »
World's Best BBQ Pork Ribs (A Crock-Pot Meal)
Debra at Housewife Eclectic - 11 hours ago
We love BBQ in this house. BBQ that can be done in the crock-pot? Now that
is even better. We love these ribs because they are so easy to make and so
delicious. I don't say "World's Best" lightly. These are truly amazing. If
you love BBQ, you'll love these.
You will need:
- 7-8 Pork Ribs
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tsp. mustard
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce
- Dash of garlic salt and chili powder
1. Place the pork in the crock pot and sprinkle salt and pepper o... more »
Syrian rebels seize military base, kill 35 soldiers
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
Syrian rebels including Islamic extremists took full control of a sprawling
military base Tuesday after a bloody two-day battle that killed 35
soldiers, activists said. It was the latest gain by opposition forces
bolstered by an al-Qaida-linked group that has provided skilled fighters
but raised concerns in the West.
The Sheik Suleiman military base was the second major base captured in the
north by the rebels, who also are making inroads farther south toward the
capital, Damascus.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/syrian-rebels-seize-military-base-kill-35-soldiers-1.1074585
LIBOR SCANDAL ARRESTS
AMERICAN KABUKI at American Kabuki - 11 hours ago
Thomas Hayes, a former trader at UBS AG and Citigroup, was arrested by the Serious
Fraud Office and City of London Police today, said the people, who asked
not to be identified because the investigation is ongoing. The three men
arrested, ranging in age from 33 to 47, are all British nationals living in
the U.K., the SFO said in an e-mailed statement.
http://www.sfgate.com/business/bloomberg/article/Ex-Citigroup-Trader-Said-to-Be-Arrested-in-U-K-4107932.php
Breaking News Story: Three Men Arrested In Connection With Rigging
Interbank Lending Rate (Libor)
Read Libor S... more »
Hillary Clinton cancels Middle East trip over stomach virus the same day U.S. labels Syrian rebel group terrorists
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has pulled out of a weeklong
trip to the Arab world because of a stomach virus, officials said on
Monday,
Her scheduled absence comes the same day the Obama administration declared
a Syrian rebel group with alleged ties to al-Qaida a terrorist
organization, a labelling she was expected to formally announce during her
trip.
Mrs Clinton was to travel to North Africa and the Middle East as part of a
U.S. effort to enhance cooperation with moderates in the Syrian coalition
fighting President Bashar Assad's regime, as well as to isolate ext... more »
More Than 500 Savile Victims Come Forward
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
More than 500 people have told police they were victims of abuse by the
late DJ and television presenter Jimmy Savile.
More than 200 allegations of sexual assault have been recorded by officers
from Operation Yewtree, according to police.
http://news.sky.com/story/1024000/savile-more-than-500-victims-come-forward
John McAfee Expects Release From Jail 'Today' to return to the US
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
British-born computer software pioneer John McAfee has told Sky News he
expects to be released from detention in Central America today.
He told Jeff Randall that he is "100% certain" he will soon be heading for
America.
The 67-year-old is currently being held in a Guatemalan detention centre
after being arrested for making an illegal entry into the Central American
country on December 5.
http://news.sky.com/story/1024003/john-mcafee-expects-release-from-jail-today
Untitled
New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 11 hours ago
*Tagliabue vacates Saints players' suspensions*
Battlefield: Brain, Yours Quite Possibly
The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 12 hours ago
Military researchers are looking for ways to get inside their enemy's
brain. Get inside and stir things up *goooood*.
*This new battlespace is not just about influencing hearts and minds with
people seeking information. It’s about involuntarily penetrating, shaping,
and coercing the mind in the ultimate realization of Clausewitz’s
definition of war: compelling an adversary to submit to one’s will. And the
most powerful tool in this war is brain-computer interface (BCI)
technologies, which connect the human brain to devices.*
*Current BCI work ranges from researchers compiling a... more »
Nineteen unmarked graves found at Florida boys' reform school where students were 'beaten with leather straps, raped and murdered'
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 12 hours ago
A cemetery at Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Florida holds 31 white
crosses - many for children who died in a fire and influenza outbreak in
the early 1900s - yet researchers have found 50 shafts. And their
investigation is not complete, with scientists believing as many as 96 boys
died between 1911 and the 1973, including Thomas Varnadoe (right) who
school officials claim died of pneumonia 34 days after his arrival.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2246378/Dozier-School-Report-reveals-19-unmarked-graves-Florida-boys-reform-school.html
4.3 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTH OF THE KERMADEC ISLANDS - 11th December 2012
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 12 hours ago
Magnitude
4.3
Date-Time
Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 16:28:06 UTC
Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 04:28:06 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
33.964°S, 179.707°W
Depth
77.3 km (48.0 miles)
Region
SOUTH OF THE KERMADEC ISLANDS
Distances
290 km (180 miles) SSW of L'Esperance Rock, New Zealand
We Can't Pretend Any Longer
The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 12 hours ago
The tundra is burning. Coupled with retreating glaciers and loss of Arctic
sea ice, we now have three global warming feedback loop mechanisms that are
plainly visible to the naked eye from space.
This is not the face of man-made or anthropogenic global warming. No, we
pulled the trigger but the Earth did the rest. And now we're pretty much
powerless to stop any of it. We can't stop the tundra from burning,
releasing greenhouse gases, spreading soot to northern ice caps and
exposing the permafrost underneath, itself a rich source of massive
quantities of once safely stored gr... more »
'Syrian rebels' Filmed forcing boy to behead captive with sword
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 12 hours ago
It is perhaps the most disturbing piece of video footage to emerge out of
the Syrian crisis to date.
A young boy is egged on by a group of older men, believed to be rebel
fighters, and filmed hacking the head off a man who is lying on the ground.
An older man is then seen picking up the head before placing it on top of
the body like a macabre trophy.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2246382/Horrific-video-Syrian-rebels-forcing-boy-behead-captive-sword.html
*These are the People our Governments want to secure chemical weapon sites?*
Rogue geoengineering project: Can we stop modern-day mad scientists?
Jim at Desdemona Despair - 12 hours ago
[image: Satellite view of possible phytoplankton bloom caused by Russ
George's rogue iron fertilization experiment, 29 August 2012. NASA / MODIS
/ AQUA]
By Kathryn Doyle
28 November 2012
It's hard to stop a bad idea with enough money behind it—even rogue science
on the high seas.
Russ George, a wealthy American businessman with a history of big,
controversial ideas, launched his latest one this October: dumping 200,000
pounds of iron sulfate into the North Pacific. His aim was to spur a huge
plankton bloom, which would absorb carbon dioxide in photosynthesis and
then sink to th... more »
The Poverty Trap in France
Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 12 hours ago
From *Forbes*:
Let’s take an unemployed mother living alone with two children between six
and 10 years old. In 2010, there were 284,445 French families in this
situation that were on welfare.
This mother will be given the “Active Solidarity Income.” Since she has two
children, the amount will be $1,100. If she is renting an apartment with a
$650 rent, she will be given the “Housing Customized Aid,” amounting to
$620. Then she will receive “Family Allowances,” which amounts to another
$160. Finally, let’s add the payment known as “Allowance for the start of
the school year,” which i... more »
Lindo perrito con su gorrito de navidad
José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 12 hours ago
[image: Perritos]
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Maybe Obama Should Take Some Time Away From Dicking Around With Boehner And Deal With The Climate Cliff
DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 12 hours ago
I noticed a tweet the other day that pointed that that if December 31 sees
us fall off the phony "fiscal cliff," Congress can heroically "fix"
everything when it reconvenes in January. If we fall off a different kind
of manmade cliff, the Climate Cliff, we could be irrevocably doomed as a
species. The Oil and Gas barons don't care; they figure they'll die rich
and the partisan conservative base is too dumb (average IQ of a Fox viewer
is 80 so they are incapable of abstract thought and unable to comprehend a
Climate Cliff) to understand what they're backing or why. Eventually I
re... more »
Manzana roja con el diseño de una estrella
José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 12 hours ago
[image: Frutas y Navidad]
*Nota:* Haga usted click aquí para ver más *imágenes de navidad*
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Arbol de navidad junto a la chimenea
José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 13 hours ago
[image: Arboles de Navidad]
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Iran insists on nuclear "right" ahead of IAEA talks
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 13 hours ago
Iran voiced readiness on Tuesday to address concerns of U.N. nuclear
inspectors about its atomic activities in talks this week but said its
"right" to refine uranium should be part of any agreement.
The Islamic state's insistence that its uranium enrichment - work which can
have both military and civilian purposes - should be recognized may further
dampen expectations among Western diplomats of any major progress in
Thursday's talks.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/11/us-nuclear-iran-iaea-idUSBRE8BA0W920121211
Haitian Hearts/Peoria
John Carroll at Dying in Haiti - 14 hours ago
It's all the same.
Many good people on the ground that care.
Many good people who invoke Jesus's name all the time. Peoria version of
"Si Bon Dieu vle".
Way more good here than bad.
It's all the same.
Young men smoking cigarettes talking through second floor open window of
project housing to a woman that doesn't want to be bothered on sidewalk
below.
United Against Violence on blue strap hanging from her neck.
John 3:16 carved in cement.
It's all the same.
Cuyo comiendo entre los adornos de navidad
José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 14 hours ago
[image: Mascotas]
*Nota:* Haga usted click aquí para ver más *imágenes de mascotas*
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more signs of life in the labour movement: non-union workers rising
laura k at wmtc - 14 hours ago
Of all the reasons for hope that we've seen in recent times - Wisconsin,
the Occupy Movement, the Quebec students' actions, the Chicago teachers'
strike - this trend gives me the most joy and the most hope. Here are three
stories of *non-unionized* workers organizing themselves to change
conditions in their own workplaces.
In September, New York City restaurant workers walked off the job and won a
historic victory against their oppressive and vindictive employer.
The restaurant workers who were fired and locked out of their store for
organizing a union have won after a week of esca... more »
US on track to upgrade ties with Syrian opposition as international diplomacy intensifies
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 14 hours ago
The Obama administration is getting ready to tighten its ties to Syria's
main opposition group, a step in the intensifying diplomacy that officials
hope will craft an end to Syrian President Bashar Assad's embattled regime.
Officials say the administration is on track to recognize the new Syrian
opposition council as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian
people at an international conference on the crisis in Morocco this week.
The move will pave the way for greater U.S. support for those seeking to
oust Assad and follows the blacklisting of a militant Syrian rebel group
w... more »
Caja con esferas de colores para navidad
José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 14 hours ago
[image: Esferas de Navidad]
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US blacklists al Qaeda-linked Syrian rebel group
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 14 hours ago
The United States on Tuesday designated the radical Islamist Syrian rebel
group Jabhat al-Nusra, an important fighting force in the opposition
struggle, as a foreign terrorist organization and said it was trying to
hijack the rebellion on behalf of al Qaeda in Iraq.
U.S. officials said the al-Nusra group had claimed responsibility for
carrying out nearly 600 attacks in major cities that have *killed numerous
innocent Syrians* during the 20-month uprising against President Bashar
al-Assad.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/11/us-syria-usa-idUSBRE8BA0IB20121211
Gunmen kill civilians in southern Thailand Including a Baby Girl
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 14 hours ago
IMF loan to Egypt delayed as crisis deepens
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 14 hours ago
A vital $4.8 billion International Monetary Fund loan to Egypt will be
delayed until next month, its finance minister said on Tuesday,
intensifying the political crisis gripping the Arab world's most populous
nation.
As rival factions gathered in Cairo and Alexandria for a new round of
demonstrations, Finance Minister Mumtaz al-Said said the delay in the loan
agreement was intended to allow time to explain a heavily criticised
package of economic austerity measures to the Egyptian people.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/11/us-egypt-politics-idUSBRE8B90RO20121211
KATE NURSE MYSTERY
Anon at aangirfan - 14 hours ago
The police said that her death is "unexplained."
Police are treating the death as "unexplained." - CNN.com
Yet, Jacintha Saldanha reportedly hanged herself in the nurses' quarters at
King Edward VII Hospital in London, according to The Sun
And she left a suicide note, reportedly...
*.... writes:*
"The whole Suicide Nurse/Prank Call debacle stinks to high-heaven and NOT
ONE news outlet/journo has questioned the statistical fact that women,
never mind women who work in the medical field, rarely commit suicide by
hanging - it's men that hang themselves (excuse the explicit nature of... more »
Don't Worry About the PA Plan
Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 14 hours ago
If you want to know why the Pennsylvania plan of rigging the Electoral
College by having Republican majorities in the Keystone State change the
way that electoral votes are allocated there is a bad idea in general, see
John Putnam's excellent post on the topic. You remember -- this is the plan
to neutralize the state in presidential elections by switching from
winner-take-all apportionment of electoral votes to either a district plan
or, now, splitting them by vote share. He's pretty mild on it, overall,
concentrating on why the allocation is a poor one generally; he doesn't
really ... more »
Tuesday Morning Links
PM at Duck of Minerva - 14 hours ago
Let’s make like a blacksmith and forge some linkage: A detailed examination
of how China’s military-industrial complex is making surprising advances.
(The Diplomat) Chris Blattman reviews James C. Scott’s new Two Cheers For
Anarchism. With 30 pages left to go, I can say that it should have been on
my “best books read in 2012″
Continue reading
Cabaña entre el bosque nevado
José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 14 hours ago
[image: Paisajes de Navidad]
*Nota:* Haga usted click aquí para ver más *Arboles de navidad*
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Shale Gas Drilling 'Huge Boost' To UK Economy
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 14 hours ago
Drilling for shale gas could create "tens of thousands" of jobs in the UK
and generate vast sums of money for the Treasury, according to a UK-based
exploration company.
Cuadrilla chief executive Francis Egan has told the Commons Energy and
Climate Change Committee that the controversial process will also reduce
Britain's dependency on imported gas.
Opponents say the method of hydraulic fracturing - or 'fracking' - which
involves pumping water into rock to push out natural gas, carries numerous
environmental risks.
http://news.sky.com/story/1023903/shale-gas-drilling-huge-boost-to-u... more »
A Santa Claus se le perdio su trineo
José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 14 hours ago
[image: Santa Claus]
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from greece to chicago to toronto, workers fighting back against austerity
laura k at wmtc - 14 hours ago
Working my way backwards, this the second of four talks I attended that
I'll be reporting on.
* * * *
In November, I heard Nikos Loudos of the Socialist Workers Party in Greece
(by Skype) and Canadian activist and organizer Carolyn Egan speak about the
recent general strike in Europe, and the fight against austerity at home
and abroad.
It was after 1:00 a.m. in Greece, but Nikos was full of energy. He reminded
us, "I cannot complain, there are people who have bigger problems". In
Brussels, the Eurogroup was staying up all night discussing "the Greek
problem". Greece was supposed ... more »
For liberals only: Do we want to be serviced this way?
bob somerby at the daily howler - 14 hours ago
*TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012*
*What Rachel said about Rove:* Do we liberals want to be conned when we
turn on our TV machines? Do we want to be pleasured and serviced in silly
tribal ways?
That’s the way Fox treats conservative viewers. Do we liberals want that
treatment when we turn on The One True Channel?
That question popped into our heads as we watched cable last night. We were
back on our sprawling campus—and we were soon handed this:
MADDOW (12/10/12): As the Republican Party and the conservative movement
try to figure out who they are in the wake of this year’s elections an... more »
the global fight against austerity: from greece to chicago to toronto, workers fighting back
laura k at wmtc - 14 hours ago
Working my way backwards, this the second of four talks I attended that
I'll be reporting on.
* * * *
In November, I heard Nikos Loudos of the Socialist Workers Party in Greece
(by Skype) and Canadian activist and organizer Carolyn Egan speak about the
recent general strike in Europe, and the fight against austerity at home
and abroad.
It was after 1:00 a.m. in Greece, but Nikos was full of energy. He reminded
us, "I cannot complain, there are people who have bigger problems". In
Brussels, the Eurogroup was staying up all night discussing "the Greek
problem". Greece was supposed ... more »
Meet Mark Daniels and Dugan King of the Free & Equal Arkansas State Caucus
Mark Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 14 hours ago
Free & Equal will have a grass roots caucus group for each state. State
caucuses will monitor legislation push for positive electoral reform and
more. In this pocast syndicated radio host Josh Tolley along with Free &
Equal founder Christina Tobin sit down with two members of the newly formed
Arkansas caucus members Mark Daniels and Dugan King in a friendly meet and
greet.
Go to the Free & Equal website to subscribe to updates, donate and support
our commitment to more voices and choices.
Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter:
Delivered by FeedBurner Be the... more »
Sex texts epidemic: Experts warn sharing explicit photos is corrupting children
Matt at The Coming Crisis - 14 hours ago
Boys and girls as young as 13 routinely swap explicit pictures of
themselves, a disturbing investigation reveals today.
Children are now so sexualised the practice has become ‘mundane and
mainstream’. One girl told researchers: ‘I get asked for naked pictures at
least two or three times a week.’
A boy said: ‘You would have seen a girl’s breasts before you’ve seen their
face’ while another youngster referred to so-called sexting as ‘the new
flirting’.
Yesterday censors were forced to announce a crackdown on depraved films
amid fears they distort the way teenage boys view women.
htt... more »
Concern that Assad may have passed some chemical weapons to Hizballah
Matt at The Coming Crisis - 15 hours ago
There is growing concern that some of the chemical weapons the Assad regime
has been pushing out of the Damascus area in the last few days were sent
across the border to Hizballah strongholds in the Lebanese Beqaa Valley to
keep them out of rebel hands.
Syrian army officers who recently defected report that containers were last
week removed from Syrian bases at Jabal Kalamon and loaded on vehicles
camouflaged as commercial trucks. On the Lebanese side, the consignment is
thought to have been split up and hidden at different Hizballah bases to
make them harder to attack.
Israel’s U... more »
Syrian rebel to Ynet: Israel will benefit from backing us
Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 15 hours ago
Long time readers here will remember this woman allegedly from Canada
She just had to leave her family and go to Syria to join the rebels.......
She was pegged as an obvious psyop way back. And this article makes that
fact all the more obvious.
So, let us all share a laugh at the absurdity of this psyop...
*In special interview, (with Ynet) Syrian woman who left comfortable family
life in Canada to help rebel forces in Aleppo and Idlib says Israel making
'big mistake' by not supporting struggle against Assad. *
Thabia Qanfani, an engineer, was born in Damascus and settled with her
f... more »
No faith in GOD, Sin fe en DIOS
Abraham Ben Judea at Abraham says - 15 hours ago
"I'll allow the hand of man to protect me from harm."
*What would God say to a person who profess faith in God and faith that
when they die they will go to heaven? A person who shows more faith in the
hand of man than in the power of the lord to keep them safe to continue
doing his work?*
*How come the pope has less faith in the lord than an Agnostic?*
*What would Daniel or ST Peter say of the great leader placing his safety
in the things of man to protect him from harm? Daniel and the apostle Peter
would no doubt curse at him and cast him aside.*
Abraham Ben Judea
"I have no fa... more »
Nuclear Black Market Thrives
Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 15 hours ago
Another reason why nuclear makes no sense.
"Black Market Thrives in Georgia" by D. Butler (of the AP), The AZ Republic
(2012, Dec 11), p. A10
[Excerpted] The Georgian seller offered cesium, a byproduct of nuclear
reactors that terrorists can use to arm a dirty bomb. But one of the
Turkish men, wearing a suit and casually smoking a cigarette, made clear he
was after something even more dangerous: uranium, the material for a
nuclear bomb"
Majia here: The costs of producing nuclear plants, processing uranium,
storing spent nuclear fuel, and securitizing it from those who would use
t... more »
Neil Macdonald: The "right" to work for less
Matt at The Coming Crisis - 15 hours ago
The citizens of Michigan will soon be given the right to work. They must be
terribly grateful.
On his website, Gov. Rick Snyder declares that the "right to work"
legislation headed for his signature as early as today "will improve the
lives of countless Michigan families by restoring workplace fairness and
equality for all workers."
In fact, calling Michigan's new labour law "right to work" legislation is
like calling a bill that strips away hard-fought civil liberties "The
Patriot Act," or denying gay Americans the right to wed by passing the
"Defence of Marriage Act."
In the lat... more »
International Studies Blogging Awards Update
Daniel Nexon at Duck of Minerva - 15 hours ago
With less than a month left to nominate awards and guarantee voting rights,
here’s where we stand: Nominees for Best Blog (Group): Abu Muqawama Arms
Control Wonk Crooked Timber The Disorder of Things IPE at UNC Kings of War
Nominees for Best Blog (Individual): Abu Aardvark’s Middle East Blog (Marc
Lynch) Chris Blattman Dart-Throwing Chimp (Jay Ulfelder)
Continue reading
BUDGET BABEL: Where does all the confusion come from?
bob somerby at the daily howler - 15 hours ago
*TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012*
*Interlude—Krugman and Mann explain:* Before we were called away from our
desks, we were exploring the constant confusion surrounding our budget
discussions.
More specifically, we were discussing the difficulty journalists have
explaining how Social Security works. See THE DAILY HOWLER, 12/6/12.
Tomorrow, we'll return to Glenn Kessler’s recent attempt to explain the
workings of the venerable program. For today, let’s ask an obvious question:
Why in the world is it hard to explain the way this program works? Social
Security has been around since the 193... more »
Video: Philippine toll from typhoon above 700 and likely to rise, authorities say
Jim at Desdemona Despair - 15 hours ago
By Jethro Mullen
11 December 2012
(CNN) – The death toll from the destructive typhoon that savaged the
southern Philippines last week has climbed above 700, authorities said
Tuesday, warning that the final number may be much higher.
Nearly 900 people are still unaccounted for in the aftermath of Typhoon
Bopha, the strongest and deadliest storm to hit the Philippines this year,
according to the country's emergency management agency.
The numbers of dead and missing have risen drastically during the past
several days as government officials have gathered information from
isolated a... more »
Big nations block curbs on tuna overfishing
Jim at Desdemona Despair - 15 hours ago
[image: Skipjack tuna and bycatch caught in the net of the Ecuadorean purse
seiner 'Ingalapagos', which was documented fishing on a fish aggregation
device (FAD) by Greenpeace in the vicinity of the northern Galapagos
Islands. Bycatch included; juvenile bigeye tuna, juvenile yellowfin tuna,
black marlin, Spanish mackerel, wahoo, triggerfish, mahi mahi, Green
turtle, and Olive Ridley turtle. © Alex Hofford / Greenpeace]
Manila, 6 December 2012 (AFP) – Efforts to curb overfishing of tuna in the
Pacific were blocked by big countries that refused to cut their catch at a
meeting of tun... more »
TIMOTCA Kickstarter Campaign-Art Without Borders
BAL at WPB/NYC and Anything Else; A Green Rights Collection - 15 hours ago
Art Without Borders
Mortality of biggest and oldest trees around the world is increasing rapidly, study warns
Jim at Desdemona Despair - 16 hours ago
[image: Forester Anders Grube in a former ash forest in Denmark. The ash
trees were killed by the Chalara fraxinea fungus. A third of Britain's
woodland is feared to be at risk from ash dieback after experts said the
fungus appeared to be circulating in mature ash trees in the east of
England. HEATHCLIFF O'MALLEY]
By JIM ROBBINS
7 December 2012
The death rate of many of the biggest and oldest trees around the world is
increasing rapidly, scientists report in a new study in Friday’s issue of
the journal *Science*. They warned that research to understand and stem the
loss of the tr... more »
Conservative Carbon Tax Attack on Mulcair Based on one "Tweet" by Economist Jack Mintz
leftdog at Buckdog - 16 hours ago
*The following guest post was written by Kevin Grandia and was published on
DeSmog Blog on Dec 10/12.*
*Right now, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative party are
blaketing the airwaves with a US-style attack ad campaign against NDP
leader Thomas Mulcair.*
***In one of the ads the very serious voice-over tells us that "according
to experts Mulcair's carbon tax will raise gas by 10 cents a litre."*
***A little research finds that the "experts" in the ad, are in fact a
singular expert named Jack Mintz, who in a news release correcting a tweethe made in April of last y... more »
Proof Some Docs, Drug Companies, Politicians & Government Officials Work To Make Your Kids Sick, To Get Your Money
Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 16 hours ago
Proof Some Docs, Drug Companies, Politicians & Government Officials Work
To Make Your Kids Sick – To Get Your MONEY – News From NY USA Charity AHRPChild
health Safety, 11 December 2012
If you ever wanted the clearest of proof then the US statewide national
Federal TeenScreen programme is it. So when some docs and health officials
are trying to shove yet another vaccine into your child, remember that body
and mind, they are harming too many children with vaccines and mind and
body altering drugs whilst telling you they are all safe.
TeenScreen was a programme to screen all US tee... more »
THE UK IS PRIMARILY A RACIST SOCIETY
NO ONE TO VOTE FOR at NO ONE TO VOTE FOR - 16 hours ago
.
According to the 2011 Census only 45% of Londoners are now 'white British'.
The number of foreign nationals resident in Britain has risen by 3 million
over the last 10 years......etc., etc.
Culture devastation has been inflicted on the UK and the process is
irreversible.
Most Brits are angry. It has got to the point where it is probable that
even the immigrant community itself is losing patience with the mass
immigration being inflicted on us. There are few decent jobs out there and
young people cannot afford to even rent, never mind buy, a property in
which to live independentl... more »
Shame Old Story: Forced sterilization victims still seek justice in US
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 16 hours ago
Champerty and Maintenence
Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 16 hours ago
The Conservative Party of Canada appears to be incapable of embarrassment.
Consider their argument against the robocall case, which opened yesterday.
Arthur Hamilton, the party's lawyer, accused the Council of Canadians of
bringing the case forward for the purposes of "champerty and maintenance"
-- to push their political agenda and to fundraise on its behalf.
Tasha Kheiridden points out that there are all kinds of organizations which
do that, as a normal part of the political process. She then goes on to
list a number of such organizations on both the left and the right:
But the... more »
Home Mortgage Interest Deductions... On The Table?
DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 16 hours ago
The National Association of Home Builders didn't spend as much on elections
this year as they normally do. The $2,290,068 they did spend on federal
elections in 2012 was the smallest amount since 2000. This year their PAC
gave $1,398,500 to federal candidates, 75% of it to Republicans, 25% to
Democrats. A lot of the big dough they handed out went to other PACs--
$30,000 each to the DCCC, NRCC, DSCC, NRSC and the RNC-- and $10,000 pops
to shady operations like the Blue Dog PAC, the New Dem PAC and personal
leadership PACs operated by notoriously corrupt Members of Congress like
Jo... more »
Superfund Site, But No Cleanup Necessary
Rachel Rindfleisch at Contaminated Nation - Water Contamination, Land Pollution & Hazardous Waste locations - 16 hours ago
By: Duane Craig
Perhaps in a case of the federal government bending over a bit too far at a
state’s request, the Portland Harbor Oil Superfund site may not get a
cleanup with federal dollars, according to this article. The reason is
because after closer scrutiny, the pollution isn’t serious enough, and the
local fish aren’t plentiful or old enough to warrant a cleanup.
An oil spill from storage tanks owned by Harbor Oil in 1974 was the first
warning shot of a minor disaster unfolding. That incident killed the fish
in Force Lake. Then, just five years later, a massive fire melted fiv... more »
WAR WORLD as written by Actor Arrenay
Mike Philbin at FREE PLANET - 16 hours ago
*DEC 11TH 2012, NEWS HEADLINE:*
The Republik of New Afrika is still planning Global Domination.
..and yes, this does mean that Rap Music has been dictating which actions
to take and which people to murder since the destruction of the Black
Panther Party in 1982.
Seriously, this is why 9/11 and 7/7 were done and Mad Cow Disease and
Chernobyl; this is the reason for all the biochemist deaths and celebrity
children murders. Yes, you've guessed it - after a long break, I chanced
upon *Victor Rothschild's cousin and ex-US-military-in-Iraq contact* here
in Oxford aka Actor Arrenay.
He was... more »
An Interview With The Fugitive, Julian Assange
Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 16 hours ago
Julian Assange supporters protest at the British embassy in Quito.
Photograph: Edu Leon/CON/LatinContent/Getty Images
Interview | Julian Assange: The Fugitive
Reader Supported News via Guardian UK & by Decca Aitkenhead, 8 December
2012
*Julian Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy for six months.
In a rare interview, we ask the WikiLeaks founder about reports of illness,
paranoia – and if he'll ever come out*
The Ecuadorian embassy in Knightsbridge looks rather lavish from the
street, but inside it's not much bigger than a family apartment. The armed
police guar... more »
Best Cold and Flu Fighters + Home Remedies for Coughs and Congestion
Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 16 hours ago
Best Cold and Flu Fighters + Home Remedies for Coughs and Congestion
Common Sense Homesteading, 7 December 2012
*Cold and flu season is sweeping the country. It’s time to prepare
yourself with the best cold and flu fighters to help you stay healthy, or
to recover quickly if you get sick.*
*Here’s a round up of posts from the Common Sense Homesteading website that
are focused on colds and flus.*
Best Cold and Flu Fighters #1 – Probiotics*Preparing for Cold and Flu
Season with Probiotics* explains what probiotics (friendly bacteria) are
and how they work. We’ll share scientific... more »
Nostradamus 2012 - Mayan 2012 - The End of Cyclic patterns
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 17 hours ago
Read Stuff, You Should
Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 17 hours ago
Happy Birthday to Teri Garr, 65. Here's one for you: how much better are
Terri Garr, Cloris Leachman, and Madeline Kahn than Gene Wilder, Peter
Boyle, and Marty Feldman? I'm talking overall talent, not just that one
movie. And I like Boyle a lot, and I like Feldman for what he was...but
that's a pretty severe imbalance, no? Hey -- I knew she was in Elvis
movies, but I didn't realize that she was a dancer in The T.A.M.I. Show,
too.
Lots of good stuff today:
1. Spencer Ackerman on Zero Dark Thirty and torture: he argues that the
movie does not make a (false) case for the efficacy of... more »
MI Right to Mooch Act is ALEC Copy & Paste
2old2care at Because I Can - 17 hours ago
This morning a piece out of Michigan that has some information in it that I
have emphasized. I have not seen the legislation – so I can’t verify the
statement – but at this point why would we question it?
Just verified the statement:
from a trusted course – CMD’s Lisa Graves who put out a new op-ed this
morning entitled: *ALEC's So-Called "Right to Work" Bill as Political
Revenge in Michigan*
At issue is a bill spearheaded by ALEC legislators so beholden to their
corporate benefactors that they think it's legitimate to vote in secret as
equals with corporate lobbyists on model ... more »
Brandon Woodard Assassinated in Broad Daylight
Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 17 hours ago
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