Syria (Photo credit: ewixx)
Hamid Karzai the President of Afghanistan at Fort Campbell (Photo credit: The U.S. Army)10:20 pm MST Blogged in Chrome instead of Firefox. Links are not underlined but are in bold
Korean American tourist detained in North Korea
A Korean-American tourist who visited North Korea last month for what was to have been a five-day trip has been detained by police in the reclusive state, associates of his family and activists in Seoul said. Kenneth Bae, 44, was in a group of five tourists who visited the northeast city of Rajin, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said, citing a report by the Kookmin Ilbo newspaper. Bae entered North Korea on November 3 for a five-day visit. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/14/us-korea-north-tourist-idUSBRE8BD04020121214
Japan largely excludes foreign firms in Fukushima clean-up
Nearly two years after a massive earthquake and tsunami caused meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear plant, Japan is failing to keep a pledge to tap global expertise to decommission its crippled reactors, executives at nuclear contractors from the United States and Europe say. The result, they warn, is that a process expected to take more than 30 years and cost at least $15 billion could take longer and cost more as contracts are channeled through domestic heavyweights such as nuclear reactor makers Toshiba Corp and Hitachi Ltd, and general contractors such as Taisei Corp. http://www... more »
U.S. lawmaker says Syria's chemical weapons are ready to use
Syria's chemical weapons could be used at "a moment's notice" and the international community should not accept any assurances from Syrian officials that they will not be used, U.S. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers said on Wednesday. U.S. and other Western officials recently issued sharp warnings to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad not to deploy chemical weapons. Syria called those warnings a "pretext for intervention" in the civil war. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/13/us-syria-crisis-chemical-idUSBRE8BC17E20121213
Syrian opposition leader: Fighters no longer need foreign forces
The Syrian people no longer need the intervention of international forces as rebels push towards the heart of the capital of Damascus to topple President Bashar al-Assad, the new leader of Syria's opposition told Reuters. Mouaz al-Khatib, the scion of a Damascene Muslim religious dynasty, said the opposition would consider proposals from Assad to surrender power and leave the country, but would not give any assurances until it saw a firm proposal. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/13/us-syria-alkhatib-idUSBRE8BC0TR20121213
U.S., rebels urge gloomy Moscow to help oust Assad
Syria's rebel leadership and the United States seized on Russian pessimism over President Bashar al-Assad's future to urge Moscow to help push its ally into ceding power and end the battles closing in around his capital. "We want to commend the Russian government for finally waking up to the reality and acknowledging that the regime's days are numbered," the U.S. State Department spokeswoman said after a senior Kremlin envoy conceded publicly on Thursday that Assad's opponents could win the 20-month-old civil war. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/13/us-syria-crisis-idUSBRE8AJ1... more »
4.2 Magnitude Earthquake OFFSHORE EL SALVADOR - 14th December 2012
Magnitude 4.2 Date-Time Friday, December 14, 2012 at 04:21:43 UTC Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 10:21:43 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 13.393°N, 89.694°W Depth 69.1 km (42.9 miles) Region OFFSHORE EL SALVADOR Distances 26 km (16 miles) SSE of Acajutla, El Salvador
Merkel Says 2012 a Year of ‘Great Progress’ in Tackling Crisis
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said this year has been marked by “great progress” toward solving Europe’s sovereign debt crisis. “At the end of the year 2012 I want to say that we have achieved a lot,” Merkel told reporters in Brussels today before a meeting of European Union leaders. “It was a very laborious year, but it was also a year in which we made great progress,” she said, citing the establishment of the euro area’s permanent financial backstop and a pact on budgetary discipline. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-13/merkel-says-2012-a-year-of-great-progress-in-tackling-...more »
Philippine death toll rises to 902 after Typhoon Bopha; 80000 homeless
Typhoon Bopha killed more than 900 people and left almost 80,000 others homeless in the Philippines, the government said Thursday, a week and a half after the storm devastated large parts of the southeast Asian island nation. The death toll, which the government set Thursday at 902, is likely to rise significantly, as 934 other people remained unaccounted for. More than 2,600 people were injured. http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/13/15894035-philippine-death-toll-rises-to-902-after-typhoon-bopha-80000-homeless?lite
Geminid Meteor Shower Brings Shooting Stars
Stargazers have been looking up to the heavens for a glimpse of a meteor shower in the night sky. The spectacle was expected to peak at 11.30pm in the UK on Thursday night. Tens of "shooting stars" were expected to streak across the sky each hour but would only be seen if conditions were good, said Dr Robert Massey of the Royal Astronomical Society. http://news.sky.com/story/1025210/geminid-meteor-shower-brings-shooting-stars
Egypt needs to learn the art of compromise
The Egyptian opposition’s willingness to permit a referendum on the country’s constitution is a welcome and important course correction. The constitution is flawed, and President Mohamed Morsi’s tone-deaf decree placing him above judicial oversight — since repealed — was an enormous overreach. But the referendum scheduled for Saturday is a sign that Egyptians of varying views are finally playing politics, not just planning protests. Washington should embrace this in its newfound role of providing guidance without interfering. In other words, it should be coach, not captain. http://... more »
Israel Is Right To Distrust Chuck Hagel-- But For Entirely Different Reasons
Unless AIPAC can force Obama to change his mind-- or talk enough of the senators they control into defeating the nomination-- it looks like Chuck Hagel will be the next Secretary of Defense. Let's leave his long record of ugly homophobia out of the discussion for now, although "he consistently voted against legislation that would have expanded hate-crime protections to LGBT Americans [and], according to the Human Rights Campaign Congressional Scorecard, he earned a 0 percent for the 107th, 108th and 109th sessions of Congress." Many Democrats like him because he was the first Repu... more »
Western Intelligence on Syrian troops readying chemical weapons for use prompted Obama’s warning
Western intelligence agencies observed Syrian units making advanced preparations for the potential use of chemical weapons, including loading trucks with ready-to-use bombs and shells, prompting President Obama last week to warn Syria against using the banned munitions, according to Western and Middle Eastern officials. Soldiers at one Syrian base were monitored mixing precursors for chemical weapons and taking other steps to ready the lethal munitions for battlefield use, the officials said. It was the first hard evidence that Syria was moving toward possible activation of its vast... more »
4.4 Magnitude Earthquake OFFSHORE GUATEMALA - 14th December 2012
Magnitude 4.4 Date-Time Friday, December 14, 2012 at 04:15:23 UTC Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 10:15:23 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 13.958°N, 92.035°W Depth 45.6 km (28.3 miles) Region OFFSHORE GUATEMALA Distances 39 km (24 miles) SSW of Champerico, Guatemala
"A Look to the Heavens"
"The Cheeseburger Nebula (NGC 7026) is a very bright bipolar planetary nebula of a little over one light-year across at its longest dimension, located about 6,000 light-years away in the constellation of Cygnus (The Swan). It is approaching us at approximately 40.6 kilometers per second. Despite their name, planetary nebulae have nothing to do with planets. The name of planetary nebulae arose because of the visual similarity between some round planetary nebulae and the planets Uranus and Neptune when viewed through early telescopes. *Click image for larger size.* A planetary nebu... more »
Meteor hits Turkish City Ordu
Meteorite has fallen on the territory of Turkish city Ordu. According to Turkish media, the fall of the meteorite last night caused panic among the city's population. Ordu Mayor Orhan Duzgun said that he learned the fall of the meteorite only in the morning. "The fall of the meteorite was captured by an observation camera of one of the institutions of the city. Now its place is being specified. Thousands of meteorites fall every year on various parts of the earth. There is no reason to panic. According to preliminary data, the meteorite was small and fell to the coastal area of the ... more »
Chet Raymo, “Knowledge And Power”
*“Knowledge And Power” * by Chet Raymo “Two paintings by the French neo-classicist Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825). The first is of Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier, the chemist, sometimes called "the Father of Modern Chemistry", who I blogged about on Friday, and his wife Marie-Anne. It was painted in 1788, on the eve of the French Revolution. The second, of course, is Napoleon, pictured crossing the Alps with his army, painted in 1800, not long after Napoleon took power in France. The paintings bracket a dozen of the most tumultuous years in French history. Click to enlarge. They... more »
Plague on the Christmas cruise: Passengers 'angry and mutinous' after they are told to stay in their cabins as Norovirus strikes 400
It was billed as a luxurious cruise around the romantic and atmospheric traditional Christmas markets of northern Europe. Instead hundreds of passengers have been left quarantined in their cabins after a severe outbreak of norovirus – the winter vomiting bug – swept through the P&O cruise liner Oriana. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2247398/Plague-Christmas-cruise-Passengers-told-stay-cabins-winter-vomiting-strikes-400.html
Sally Bercow Sued By Lord McAlpine For £50k
Sally Bercow, the wife of the Commons Speaker, is being sued for libel over a tweet which allegedly linked a former Conservative politician to false child abuse allegations. Law firm Carter-Ruck confirmed it is representing the outspoken former Celebrity Big Brother contestant and ex-Labour council candidate against a £50,000 claim by Lord McAlpine. http://news.sky.com/story/1025227/sally-bercow-sued-by-lord-mcalpine-for-50k
5.2 Magnitude Earthquake OFFSHORE GUATEMALA - 14th December 2012
Magnitude 5.2 Date-Time Friday, December 14, 2012 at 04:04:08 UTC Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 10:04:08 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 13.956°N, 91.741°W Depth 45.6 km (28.3 miles) Region OFFSHORE GUATEMALA Distances 42 km (26 miles) SSE of Champerico, Guatemala
5.1 Magnitude Earthquake NEW BRITAIN REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA - 14th December 2012
Magnitude 5.1 Date-Time Friday, December 14, 2012 at 02:34:53 UTC Friday, December 14, 2012 at 12:34:53 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 5.018°S, 152.944°E Depth 52.5 km (32.6 miles) Region NEW BRITAIN REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA Distances 123 km (76 miles) SE (137°) from Rabaul, New Britain, PNG
4.7 Magnitude Earthquake MYANMAR - 14th December 2012
Magnitude 4.7 Date-Time Friday, December 14, 2012 at 02:17:33 UTC Friday, December 14, 2012 at 08:47:33 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 22.751°N, 95.903°E Depth 23.5 km (14.6 miles) Region MYANMAR Distances 86 km (53 miles) NNW (348°) from Mandalay, Myanmar
4.9 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 14th December 2012
Magnitude 4.9 Date-Time Friday, December 14, 2012 at 01:22:05 UTC Friday, December 14, 2012 at 11:22:05 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 37.429°N, 143.547°E Depth 39.8 km (24.7 miles) Region OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN Distances 225 km (139 miles) E of Namie, Japan
The Daily "Near You?"
Appleton, Wisconsin, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
5.7 Magnitude Earthquake EAST OF SEVERNAYA ZEMLYA - 13th December 2012
Magnitude 5.7 Date-Time Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 23:03:38 UTC Friday, December 14, 2012 at 07:03:38 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 80.795°N, 121.451°E Depth 9.9 km (6.2 miles) Region EAST OF SEVERNAYA ZEMLYA Distances 1542 km (958 miles) NNE (21°) from Noril'sk, Russia
4.5 Magnitude Earthquake ALBANIA - 13th December 2012
Magnitude 4.5 Date-Time Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 21:39:26 UTC Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 10:39:26 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 41.111°N, 19.793°E Depth 10.1 km (6.3 miles) Region ALBANIA Distances 7 km (4 miles) NNE of Peqin, Albania
5.5 Magnitude Earthquake OFFSHORE EL SALVADOR - 13th December 2012
Magnitude 5.5 Date-Time Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 21:26:40 UTC Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 03:26:40 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 13.140°N, 90.004°W Depth 13 km (8.1 miles) Region OFFSHORE EL SALVADOR Distances 49 km (30 miles) SSW of Acajutla, El Salvador
Paulo Coelho, “Discovering The Real Fear”
*“Discovering The Real Fear”* by Paulo Coelho “A Sultan decided to make a voyage with some of his best courtiers. They embarked at the port of Dubai and set out across the open seas. As the ship sailed away from the land, one of his subjects, who had never seen the sea and had spent much of his life in the mountains, had a panic attack. Sitting in the hold of the ship, he wept and wailed and refused to eat or sleep. Everyone tried to calm him down, saying that the journey really wasn’t all that dangerous, but although their words reached his ears, they did not touch his heart. Th... more »
Google Maps back on iPhone: Apple software debacle
*Google has introduced its Maps app for the iPhone, in the wake of complaints about Apple's software.*Apple controversially replaced the search giant's mapping service with its own when it released its most recent handset, the iPhone 5. Google's app introduces functions previously restricted to Android devices. The firms are forced in part by a desire to gather data routinely generated by handsets using their respective software, as well as users' own feedback. Google offers a similar facility via Google Earth which is promoted in its main maps app, but involves switching into a... more »
The Great Turning Inward: Why Paranoid Conspiracy Loons Became Domestic Terrorists
"It is always the case, not sometimes, not usually, but always the case that civil liberties abridgements, abuses of core rights, extend beyond their original application to all sorts of unanticipated groups. And you can look at the history of the Patriot Act over the last ten years, which has been applied overwhelmingly - eighty-five percent of the cases - to matters having nothing to do with terrorism. Or you look at the FBI's strategy of creating their own plots and financing their own plots and luring people into their own plots and at the last minute heroically breaking up th... more »
Why the world didn't end.... yesterday??!!
Link: http://youtu.be/QY_Gc1bF8ds NASA a week early? John
Pruning
Apparently when I write, I say the same thing in different ways. When I'm reviewing my work and it seems confusing, very often I can solve the problem by saving the best version of a duplicated thought, and pruning away the other.
Unions Should Defy Bullshit Law From Illegitimate Regime
Big deal. The election fraud party passed a hypocritical bill forcing unions to disclose everything about their spending, supposedly because union dues are tax exempt. It's harassment, pure and simple. It's also the work of a lawless bunch of thugs and thieves. To hell with 'em. The labour movement should just tell the harpercons to go fuck themselves. NOBODY is under any obligation to respect the works of this illegitimate regime.
The Role of Assumptions
Earlier today, Brian Rathbun criticized “rationalists” for making assumptions.* I have some thoughts on the matter, and I expressed many of them on Twitter. And in the language of Twitter — snark. That was not the best response, and I regret the tone of my reaction, if not the substance thereof. I’d like to try Continue reading
Suppression of Congressional Research Service Report Reversed
Just as quietly as it happened, the Republican suppression of a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report showing the lack of relationship between top tax rates and economic growth has apparently been overcome. Jared Bernstein reports today that the report is back up. You can find it on the CRS website here. What made this report so objectionable to Republicans was that it showed no relationship between the top tax rates and economic growth rates, and went beyond simple correlation analysis to more complex analysis that statistically controlled for other potential causes, known a... more »
By the new "Susan Rice standard," no Republican should ever be confirmable again for any post that doesn't lead to a lethal injection
*The not-future and the incumbent secretary of state* *by Ken* Sometimes I wonder what it must be like to see the world through Village eyes. Like today we have the *Washington Post*'s Dana Milbank weeping uncontrollably over "Joe Lieberman's sad send-off" -- not, as one might assume, because the world's largest pile of pus finally dragged his loathsome carcass out of a Senate chamber to which, even in its current degraded state, he became a disgrace. No, Dana weeps because Holy Joe, self-made hypocrite and crook, "was drummed out of his party because of his willingness to embrace... more »
The road to nowhere
http://straightfresh.net/editorial-racism-the-war-on-drugs-2/ A good read from the always engaging Richard Branson, this time on the senseless "war on drugs." Hope I live long enough to see us get real about that grand bit of foolishness, but I'm not counting on it. I come from British Columbia, a land where the marijuana grows so abundantly and well that the veteran growers driving that $6-billion-industry would be winning agricultural awards and international acclaim for their products were it any other crop. Now I live in Honduras, a country situated halfway between the world’s l... more »
Susan Rice: Israel's 'Gladiator' at the UN
Earlier this week, Glenn Greenwald posted an excellent article exploring the myriad reason why U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice is awful. It's not just her "long record of cheering for US wars, including being an outspoken and aggressive advocate of the attack on Iraq," as documented by former CIA analyst Ray McGovern. Or her apparent and well-documented "fondness for tyrants
Doomed Soldiers In Polish The "Smoleńsk Widow" Exposes the "Smoleńsk Lie" - An interview with Mrs. Beata Gosiewska
The Doomed Soldiers *“In the end, they finally eliminated the enemies they hated for so many years."* * * It is difficult to even find an analog in history to these events. Deaths that befall much of a nation's leadership aren't usually accidents, either legitimate or designed to look like such. [image: Beata Gosiewska - The Smolensk Widows]Above: Beata Gosiewska; her children. Of course, part of this is that any major accident wiping out a good measure of a nation's leadership is invariably assured of some investigation by disinterested parties - except in this case, where the R... more »
"5 Unbelievably Creepy Surveillance Tactics"
*"5 Unbelievably Creepy Surveillance Tactics"* by Tana Ganeva "Since the erosion of Americans' civil liberties depends on high levels of public apathy, some of the most dangerous privacy breaches take place incrementally and under the radar; if it invites comparisons to Blade Runner or Orwell, then someone in the PR department didn't do their job. Meanwhile, some of the biggest threats to privacy, like insecure online data or iPhone GPS tracking, are physically unobtrusive and therefore easily ignored. And it'll be at least a year or two until the sky is overrun by spy drones. S... more »
Walker (WI-ALEC) in Naples FL Feb 2012
In case you care about it - I don't. But I did find this interesting. In Naples, 1500 miles south of the Badger state, his fiscal policies were met with the ire of some 200 demonstrators, many of whom were union members and part of the “Occupy Naples” group.
Angels we have heard on high
Doing my part to build the Christmas spirits, just now found this on the facebook. First for real LOL I've had all week. [Joe Heller cartoon]
"You Can Go to Prison for Pot, While Big Banks Get Away With Laundering Drug Cartel Cash"
*"You Can Go to Prison for Pot, * *While Big Banks Get Away With Laundering Drug Cartel Cash"* By Matt Taibbi, Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzalez "The banking giant HSBC has escaped indictment for laundering billions of dollars for Mexican drug cartels and groups linked to al-Qaeda. Despite evidence of wrongdoing, the U.S. Department of Justice has allowed the bank to avoid prosecution and pay a $1.9 billion fine. No top HSBC officials will face charges, either. We’re joined by Rolling Stone contributing editor Matt Taibbi, author of "Griftopia: A Story of Bankers, Politicians, and the... more »
US Recognition of Opposition Syrian Coalition Contradicts Geneva Statement
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Project @DroneStream
[photo via The Guardian] As a project for an NYU graduate class, Josh Begley set out to tweet "a complete history of known U.S. drone strikes Tuesday with the goal of doing it all in ten minutes." The first one was: Nov 3, 2002: In the first known US targeted assassination using a drone, a CIA Predator struck a car, killing 6 (Yemen) Each tweet includes a link to the source news story reporting the strike. It's going to take a little longer than ten minutes to complete the project. When this was posted at Atlanic Wire, @DroneStream had been at it for five hours with no end in si... more »
For North Korea, next step is a nuclear test
North Korea's next step after rattling the world by putting a satellite into orbit for the first time will likely be a nuclear test, the third conducted by the reclusive and unpredictable state. A nuclear test would be the logical follow-up to Wednesday's successful rocket launch, analysts said. The North's 2009 test came on May 25, a month after a rocket launch. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/13/us-korea-north-rocket-idUSBRE8BB02K20121213
Right to Work - States in the Bullseye - PA, AK, MO, MT
“If Michigan can do it, then I think everybody ought to think about it,” said Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation. He said he thinks at least one more state will adopt such a law before the end of 2013, and listed Alaska, Missouri, Montana and Pennsylvania among the top contenders. “Very confident. It will happen. [But] I can’t tell you where the next one is.” Nothing else to say.
GAIA PORTAL: Immense Higher Dimension Energy Input into Gaia on the 12-12-12
* * *Immense Higher Dimension Energy Input into Gaia on the 12-12-12* 13 December 2012 Achievement of immense Higher Dimension Energy input into Gaia occurred on the 12-12-12. The planet-wide participation of Hue-mans, Light-workers, and Higher D elementals and other beings, caused an upsurge of integration of these new energies with the new Gaia grids. Corner was turned. Shadow elements and so-called dark entities fade to nothingness, as the veil has been removed. Much gratitude to all.
The country is “booming” for the upcoming Doomsdate
Unexplained booms were reported across the country last week. Most remain a mystery as to their source. They are reported at a time where people may be on edge regarding the upcoming Mayan Doomsdate. Mystery mongering sites have taken notice and associated them with a coming catastrophe. Monday night, in Rhode Island. House-rattling boom remains a mystery – Warwick Beacon. On Monday night at approximately 11:20 p.m., reports of a loud boom flooded police stations and social media sites alike. Sources from the Warwick Police Department said they received nearly 100 phone calls report... more »
The banking union is the first part of Herman Van Rompuy's 'road-map' to a European superstate. Why is David Cameron backing it?
David Cameron is in Brussels today listening to Herman Van Rompuy set out his "road-map" to a European superstate. Overnight, the first plank of that programme was agreed by European finance ministers. Banks with balance sheets stretching over €30bn will now be directly regulated by the European Central Bank rather than by their domestic authority. Around 200 of the 6,000 deposit banks in the eurozone will be affected from March 2014, almost all of them French. On one hand, this is another remarkable coup for France. The agreement effectively places responsibility for recapitalising... more »
WHILE MANY ORDINARY AMERICANS ARE SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR THE MOST TRIVIAL NON-VIOLENT CRIMES, TODAY'S TOO-BIG-TO-FAIL BANKS COMMONLY COMMIT MULTI-BILLION-DOLLAR CRIMES, YET ARE ALLOWED TO KEEP THEIR BOOTY AND LET OFF BY THE U.S. JUDICIAL SYSTEM WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A SLAP ON THE WRIST.
------------------------------ HSBC, too big to jail, is the new poster child for US two-tiered justice system DOJ officials unblinkingly insist that the banking giant is too powerful and important to subject to the rule of law ------------------------------ Glenn Greenwald guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 12 December 2012 10.14 GMT ------------------------------ Assistant attorney general Lanny Breuer said taking away HSBC's US banking licence could have cost thousands of jobs. Photograph: Richard Drew/AP *(updated below)* The US is the world's largest prison state, imprisoni...more »
FRIDAY MORNING RAMBLE: The ‘can’t the David Bain trial be made to go away’ edition
*It should have been over years ago, and if police hadn’t buggered it up so badly it’s impossible to know whodunnit, it could have been. It should have been over this year and, but for Judith Collins’s decision to promote competing reports, it would have been. Welcome to another year of discussing a case that started in 1994.* You want the idiot’s summary of the idiotic extra-judicial stoush about the Bain reports? Here it is. *Fisher Binnie Idiot’s Summary (I am the idiot)* – DIM POST Collins’s real problem with the Binnie report? Here’s a clue: “anger and simple upset over the ... more »
Refreezing The Artic? Is This a Viable Option?
Arctic sea ice running low? No problem, according to scientists – technology can refreeze it. Photo courtesy: Yahoo!News 2012 marked a new record low for the extent of Arctic sea ice, but apparently that's not a problem. We can just refreeze it! Reducing carbon dioxide emissions is the key to a lasting solution to 'human-enhanced' climate change, however since governments and industries aren't doing a very good job of meeting reduction goals, strategies to reduce the worst effects of climate change may be needed. Dr. David Keith, a Canadian physicist, climate scientist and public p...more »
Matt Lauer is creepy and overpaid
You've probably heard about Anne Hathaway's "wardrobe malfunction" the other day. She slid out of limo and her dress hiked up exposing her lady bits. Which the pack of feral paparazzi who lurk around star studded events duly photographed. So she subsequently does an interview with Matt Lauer who immediately went into "creepy guy at the hotel bar who's engaged in an endless and futile attempt to cheat on his wife" mode. “Seen a lot of you lately,” he said after welcoming the actress to the show. After the tasteless quip, he continued: “Let's just get it out of the way, you had a... more »
Pres. Obama's record on civil liberties, war, detention, drones: Glenn Greenwald
*How would a patriot act?* Like Glenn Greenwald. YouTube video description [Channel - maurice morales]: Columnist Glenn Greenwald addresses a Dec. 8, 2012, Connecticut conference ("An Injury to One Is an Injury to All") about abridgments of Americans' rights since 2001; the Obama administration's claimed right to arrest and imprison citizens, and to assassinate both citizens and "enemies" abroad; and other federal policies, including surveillance. The conference, sponsored by a range of groups concerned about preserving civil liberties and ending indefinite detention, also featured ... more »
Why Most Jews Don't Seriously Consider Voting For Republicans
Not many Jews vote for right-wing political parties. Jewish families usually put a huge premium on education and equality and, let's face it, right-wing political parties couldn't exist without ignorance and bigotry. All through history, however, there have always been a minority of Jews steeped in the same kind of ignorance and prejudice that afflicts other communities. Even if Obama isn't terribly popular among Jews, the vast majority of them voted against Romney and his crackpot, extremist Party of Hatred. Most Jews-- at least outside of Israel-- have learned, and learned the ... more »
Leaked Audio: Fox News Offers to Run Petraeus for President
PRWEb Mari Bottari [image: Kathleen T. McFarland]Kathleen T. McFarland*The Washington Post*'s Bob Woodward obtained an audio recording of a conversation between David Petraeus, the general turned CIA Director who recently resigned in the midst of a sex scandal, and Fox News contributor Kathleen T. McFarland. The conversation took place in spring 2011 in Kabul, during the time that Petraeus was the commander of U.S. and coalition forces there. McFarland is a national security analyst for Fox News and has a long resume working for GOP administrations going back to Reagan. McFarland ... more »
Slick Tricks
Photo courtesy: caloriecount.about.com Cooking liquids are one of the most valuable, wasted commodities in the modern kitchen. "Experienced" water contains a lot of taste and nutrition that many people just pour down the drain once the cooking process is finished. Stop wasting this resource and save some money replacing some OTC (over-the-counter) products as well. *Asparagus* - clear up blackheads, pimples, and other facial sores by dabbing them with asparagus water twice a day. Toothpaste dabbed on the blemish works well too. Put on at night, wash off in the morning. Good-bye e... more »
Why Sex is Best on Thursday Linkages
There are seriously multiple articles on why sex is best on Thursday (don’t ask how I got there). So let’s riff on that and go through some sex/gender inspired links for the day (a quickie, if you will): The Republican witch hunt of Susan Rice is over as she withdraws her name from consideration for Continue reading
Monti’s Exit: Predictable?
Some of the big news out of Europe this week surrounded Mario Monti’s upcoming resignation from his current post as Prime Minister of Italy. Recall that Monti became prime minister on November 11, 2011 as the leader of a technocratic government. Monti’s government was charged with beginning to dig Italy out from significant economic turmoil, Continue reading
Nausea watch: The selling of the new Kool Kidz!
*THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2012* *This is the way it’s done:* Sam and Cokie were finally done after a very long, fatuous run. Today, a new class of TV Kool Kidz is being assembled and sold. This is one of the ways its members con you into the deal: WALSH (12/13/12): There’s no real mystery about why House Speaker John Boehner and his allies keep screaming about wanting spending cuts, but never propose any: The kinds of cuts they are known to want, like raising the eligibility age and/or means testing Social Security and Medicare, are wildly unpopular. So on Thursday Boehner held a ran... more »
“Who Plans?”
This letter to the Washington Post by inveterate letter-writer Don Boudreaux, which he titles “Who Plans?” perfectly complements yesterday’s brilliant post by Bernard Darnton: Carter Eskew finds inspiration for our troubled times in Franklin Roosevelt’s 1932 call for “bold, persistent experimentation” (“A country where millions feel stuck, or worse,” Dec. 13). Mr. Eskew falls for rousing words used to peddle regrettable policies. Amity Shlaes argues persuasively in her 2007 book, *The Forgotten Man*, that “Roosevelt’s commitment to experimentation itself created fear”* – fea... more »
Treatment of 9/11 suspects won't be disclosed at trial
LATimes Richard A. Serrano *A military judge says details of the harsh interrogations of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four other terrorism defendants can't be mentioned in court. Human rights advocates object.* [image: Khalid Shaikh Mohammed pictured in July in detention at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.]Khalid Shaikh Mohammed pictured in July at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Details of his harsh treatment will not be permitted at his terrorism trial. WASHINGTON — The judge in the military commission case against Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four other suspected Sept. 11 plotters r... more »
GOP releases latest hostage demand
[Mike Luckovich cartoon] The GOP apparently now realizes they're going to have to cave on the tax rate hike for the wealthy 2 percenters. So the "new" GOP plan is to replay last year's debt ceiling fiasco: Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) introduced a bill Wednesday to trade nearly $1 trillion in entitlement savings for an equal hike in the debt ceiling. Corker said the Dollar For Dollar Act would include $937 billion in savings from Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, with an equivalent, dollar-for-dollar hike to the debt ceiling. [...] Corker said his bill would raise the age of ... more »
Great military men
“He is neither a strategist nor is he schooled in the operational arts, nor is he a tactician, nor is he a general. Other than that he's a great military man” said US [Apologies of the formatting on this post appears weird. Blogger seems to have having issues.] General Norman Schwarzkopf on Saddam Hussein during the 1991 war, but he might has well have been describing the US
On deliberately not living large
A repost that may be timely for some. The target audience for this post is that downwardly mobile demographic formerly known as "middle class Americans." Many people in other places or circumstances already know how to live, and might wonder what the fuss is about. I have written over 700 posts here, mostly about the joys of a simple life in the country. Occasionally I get preachy with my ruralism, largely because I strongly suspect that a complex civilization running on nonrenewables with a "just-in-time" approach to inventory puts its urban population at risk in the event of dis... more »
Fabricating WMD “Evidence”: Israeli Covert Operation inside Syria to “Track Chemical Arsenal”
Global Research Julie Levésque [image: Israel's Mossad Teams up with Terror Group to Kill Iran's Nuclear Scientists]*Israel is conducting a covert cross-border operation directed against Syria in liaison with NATO and the Pentagon.* *After looking for a “smoking gun” in Iran earlier this year, Israeli special forces are now “tracking” Syria’s “stocks of chemical and biological weapons”, according to The Sunday Times.* “The cross-border operation is part of a secret war to trail Syria’s non-conventional armaments and sabotage their development. ‘For years we’ve known the exact loca... more »
Russia admits Syria's Assad may lose civil war
Russia, Syria's most important international ally, said for the first time that President Bashar al-Assad is increasingly losing control and the opposition may win the civil war. The statement by Russia's deputy foreign minister comes as opposition groups make gains across the country and on the international stage. World powers have remained deadlocked on how to end Syria's crisis, with the U.S., Europe and many Arab nations calling on Assad to stand down, while Russia, China and Iran continue to back him. http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/12/13/syria-damascus-car-bomb.html
Seeds and seedlings
Spring planting at Stony Run Farm. We use our own saved seed and/or buy organic, non-GMO seeds from Fedco or Territorial and sometimes buy overrun plants from a friend who has an organic starts business. We have never used commercial pesticides or herbicides. We mix up plantings (polyculture), compost and mulch year round, plant enough for the bugs and ourselves and might make a nicotine-garlic spray if desperate. Running ducks through the garden from time to time helps.
Smile-a-while: Kristof believes some very good news!
*THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2012* *Scribe, take a good look around:* In this morning’s New York Times, Nicholas Kristof was proclaiming some *very* unlikely good news. Right from his puzzling headline on down, the scribe saw the glass very full: KRISTOF (12/13/12): *It’s a Smart, Smart, Smart World* Before I get to the dreary budget debates in Washington, *here’s a bright spot of good news: We’re getting smarter.* My readers are all above average. But if I ever had average readers, they would still be brilliant compared with Americans of a century ago. The average American in the yea... more »
Former Israeli Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, Admits To Murder And Prostitution (!) In Earlier Years
There are elections that are coming up in the criminal and terrorist state of Israel in January, 2013. It does seem that the criminal Israelis get to vote for psychotic mass murdering leader A or psychotic mass murdering leader B, for the office of Prime Minister. Either way, I can guarantee that their policies of murder, and terrorism, especially against the Palestinians, will definitely continue. Today, I came across a shocking article, from my friend, Noor's, website: Snippits And Snappits, at www.snippits-and-slappits.blogspot.com, that I definitely want to share here with m... more »
Assume Nothing!
I got some snippy responses, well one in particular, to my post on the future of international relations theory based on a reading of the tea leaves over the last year or so. And it made me realize that there is a fundamental divide between me (and I hope others) and rationalists on the issue Continue reading
Things that Made you Really, Really Stop and Think….
Last summer some readers suggested that we run open-ended posts designed to spark discussion. So consider this another attempt to do so. My challenge: (1) name the most thought provoking piece — or pieces — that you read this year dealing (in a broad sense) with international studies concerns and (2) justify its inclusion on Continue reading
Gila River Sacrifices Against Loop 202 on Two Day Run and March
Photo by GRIC against Loop 202 Gila River Sacrifices Against Loop 202 on Two Day Run and March By GRIC against Loop 202 Posted at Censored News http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com GILA RIVER INDIAN COMMUNITY, Ariz. -- On December 7th and 8th, members of the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) showed their opposition to the proposed 202 freeway by holding the Sacrificing Against the
A schizophrenic Higgs mass?
Some readers have asked me what I think about the updated ATLAS, CMS Higgs results that were released today. I would say that they are as un-new as possible. The details will be discussed momentarily. But at the beginning, let's say that it's not shocking that we don't get any game-changing data when the amount of collisions included into the analysis less than doubles. When the dataset is doubled, the relative errors of measured quantities should decrease \(\sqrt{2}\) times, the statistical significances in sigmas should increase by the same factor, the exclusion levels should stre... more »
Against Merkley's Talking Filibuster Proposal
Jeff Merkley yesterday put out a long memo to his colleagues describing his talking filibuster proposal. Note that this is not the entire Merkley/Udall proposal, and there are other reform proposals circulating among Democrats, too. But just looked at in isolation, and assuming that there are no additional details beyond what he's explaining, I would conclude two things. It probably won't do what he wants it to do. In the unlikely event it does do what he wants, it's still on balance a bad idea. Merkley's plan kicks in only in certain cases: when a cloture vote has been held, and c... more »
Dyson Allen Charged with the murders of 19-year-old Reece Smith, four-year-old twin girls Holly and Ella Smith, and Jordan Smith, aged two
Detectives investigating a house fire in which four young siblings died have charged a teenager with their murder. Dyson Allen, 19, of no fixed address, will appear before Blackpool Magistrates Court on Friday charged with four counts of murder. A major investigation was launched after the fire in the Lancashire town of Freckleton on January 7 this year. http://news.sky.com/story/1025232/teenager-charged-over-four-fire-deaths
Cable pratfalls: Cable host Matthews clueless again!
*THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2012!* *Big Ed answers Ezra's question:* Over the years, we’ve often been struck by Chris Matthews’ lack of preparation. Remember when he kept saying that Obama’s *mother* was “Islamic?” It happened in December 2007—after nine months of campaigning by Obama! For a surprising time, see THE DAILY HOWLER, 12/21/07. Last night, Chris was at it again. He played tape of something Mitch McConnell said in the Senate last Thursday. Then, he commenced to bungling: MATTHEWS (12/12/12): *Let’s listen to what he said last week on tape.* MCCONNELL (*videotape*): For month... more »
Too Big to Fail All But the Little Guys
Those of us who last October had followed the merger of Random House and Penguin's trade divisions, especially those of us who are pragmatic enough to know what mergers inevitably result in, the news wasn't good whether you were a reader/consumer, "real"/indie author or even a literary agent. By the same token, industry professionals, namely executives who directly had a stake in the merger, could be heard all the way from Avenue of the Americas licking their chops and rubbing their hands. It's not as if we haven't seen the same thing over and over again in Corporate Ameri...more »
KPMG corporate finance manager 'falls from Hong Kong apartment block'.
*Rugby Premiership - Former rugby star Tait dies in Hong Kong* *Former Sale Shark player David Tait has died at the age of 25, the Aviva Premiership club have confirmed. Tait is understood to have fallen from an apartment block in Hong Kong. His Premiership rugby career was cut short by injuries, and he became a corporate finance manager for multinational firm KPMG.* [source YAHOO NEWS Scant few journalistic details, as yet then, about this 'terrible accident abroad'. Just how much of this stuff happens in the name of War World? Full analysis expected after the edited highlights, m... more »
Corbett Report - Truth in the Academy?
YouTube video description [Channel - Corbett Report]: Corbett Report Radio #270 Tonight we talk to Dr. James F. Tracy of MemoryHoleBlog.com, Associate Professor of Media Studies at Florida Atlantic University about the academy. What part do academics play in the current slide into tyranny in the developed world? What is the responsibility of intellectuals? What happened to the social activism that was once an integral part of campus culture? Tune in tonight as we explore these important issues.
Geminid meteor shower: Tens Of Shooting Stars As Meteor Shower Peaks
Sky watchers will be looking up in the coming hours as a meteor shower reaches its peak, sprinkling the night sky with falling stars. The shower is expected to peak at 11.30pm in the UK on Thursday, in what could be one of the best sky events of the year. http://news.sky.com/story/1025210/tens-of-shooting-stars-as-meteor-shower-peaks
O'othham March against Pi Vehsig (Imbalance)
O'othham March against Pi Vehsig (Imbalance) Gila River Indian Community member Jiivik Siiki, speaks on the recent Sacrificing against the Freeway spiritual run and march on December 8th and 9th, 2012 By GRIC against Loop 202 Posted at Censored News http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com The primary reason why this action was called was to show everyone that our Himthag, our
Quick Note on ISSS Elections
If you are a member of the International Security Studies Section (ISSS) of the International Studies Association (ISA) please remember to vote in its governance elections. And you should, of course, cast one of your votes for the Duck of Minerva‘s own Jon Western. Jon is running for a seat on its Governing Council. As he will Continue reading
Democracy Now! Never before broadcast video Leonard Peltier
Democracy NOW! http://www.democracynow.org/2012/12/13/exclusive_native_american_activist_leonard_peltiers Hello,I am writing to share with you a 25-minute segment about the campaign to push President Obama to pardon Native American activist Leonard Peltier, who has spent 37 years in prison in controversial case.We air a never-before-broadcast video of Peltier from an interview by German
The Campaign to Rehabilitate the F-35 Has Begun
If you felt relieved that the Harper authority had given up on the F-35, think again. That the stealth light attack bomber is still very much alive in the bosom of the Harpies is obvious from the remarks of MacKay's parliamentary secretary on CBC's *The Current: * http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/episode/2012/12/13/fighting-words-over-f-35-fighter-jets/ The first thing to note, there's not going to be a real competition for a replacement for the CF-18. There's not going to be any competitive fly-off for the rivals to show their stuff. There won't be any Canadian pilots sitting in ... more »
Ernesto Duenez Jr. shot dead by officer James Moody
The video shows police officer James Moody shooting Ernesto Duenez Jr., 34, who he thought was armed, 13 times in 4.2 seconds - hitting him 11 times, including four times as he was on the ground. His family, including his wife who is seen weeping over her husband's body in the video, is fighting for Moody to be charged with murder. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2247514/Graphic-footage-police-officer-fatally-shooting-man-ELEVEN-times-outside-home-released-day-cop-cleared-wrongdoing.html
Hermanitos abrazados jalando su trineo en la nieve
[image: Paisajes de Invierno] *Nota:* Haga usted click aquí para ver más *imágenes para navidad* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
GAY MOLLIES
*Ricky Martin - Gay* Atlantic mollies show a huge amount of homosexual behaviour. Scientists think that this gay behaviour leads to fatherhood. Atlantic mollies are tropical fish, famous for their gayness. Researchers have found that when males go in for homosexual flirting and foreplay, this makes them attractive to the females. The females think these gay males will make good sexual partners. *Royal Society journal Biology Letters* / Female Atlantic mollies attracted to same-sex flirting *Rock Hudson - Gay* Woody Allen said, "Bisexuality immediately doubles your chances for a... more »
Titan's Nile: Nasa scientists spot 250 mile river valley flowing with liquid ethane on Saturn's largest moon
A 250 mile-long river valley flowing with liquid hydrocarbons has been spotted on Titan by scientists using Nasa's Cassini space probe. It is the first time a river system this vast has been seen anywhere other than Earth, and Nasa are saying it appears like a miniature, extraterrestrial likeness of the our own planet's Nile River. The river valley crosses Titan's north polar region and runs north into Ligeia Mare, one of the three great seas in the moon's high northern latitudes. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2247511/Titans-Nile-Nasa-scientists-spot-250-mile-river... more »
Lobos rodeando a una niña adornando con luces
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Spain is accused of committing 'act of war' after its naval ships repeatedly enter waters off Gibraltar
Spain was accused of an 'act of war' today after its naval ships repeatedly entered the territorial waters of Gibraltar. Bob Stewart, Tory MP for Beckenham, said the British Government needed to 'respond robustly to this aggravation' after Commons Leader Andrew Lansley said two Spanish naval vessels entered the waters of Gibraltar on Monday. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2247487/Spanish-accused-act-war-Gibraltar-naval-vessels-enter-waters-The-Rock.html
4.7 Magnitude Earthquake D'ENTRECASTEAUX ISLANDS REGION - 13th December 2012
Magnitude M 4.7 Region D'ENTRECASTEAUX ISLANDS REGION Date time 2012-12-13 18:15:55.4 UTC Location 9.81 S ; 154.76 E Depth 10 km Distances 408 km S Arawa
Casa frente al lago en navidad
[image: Cabañas] *Nota:* Haga usted click aquí para ver más *Paisajes de invierno* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
Muñeco de nieve con una galletita
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A Big Brother for the 21st Century: NCTC (a.k.a. New Coercive, Totalizing Compliance)
U.S. Terrorism Agency to Tap a Vast Database of Citizens by Julia Angwin by Dec 12, 2012 The Wall Street Journal http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324478304578171623040640006.html [Excerpted] Top U.S. intelligence officials gathered in the White House Situation Room in March to debate a controversial proposal. Counterterrorism officials wanted to create a government dragnet, sweeping up millions of records about U.S. citizens—even people suspected of no crime. Not everyone was on board. "This is a sea change in the way that the government interacts with the general p... more »
Arbol de navidad adornado en el bosque
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More Important Health News: The Secret History Of The War On Cancer
First, again I must inform my readers that with so much on the go with both personal and work issues these days, I may not be able to put up posts at this blog every day... Please bare with me, because once this hectic time is over, I will be back to putting up daily articles.... For this article, I want to present another great article for my continuing exposure of the truths about Cancer and the Cancer treatment industry. It comes from the website: Waking Times, at www.wakingtimes.com, and is entitled: "The Secret History Of The War On Cancer",, and as the title states, there is ... more »
CIA 'tortured and sodomised' terror suspect, European court rules
CIA agents tortured a German citizen, sodomising, shackling, and beating him, as Macedonian state police looked on, the European court of human rights said in a historic judgment released on Thursday. In a unanimous ruling, it also found Macedonia guilty of torturing, abusing, and secretly imprisoning Khaled el-Masri, a German of Lebanese origin allegedly linked to terrorist organisations. Masri was seized in Macedonia in December 2003 and handed over to a CIA "rendition team" at Skopje airport and secretly flown to Afghanistan. http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2012/dec/13/cia-tortured... more »
If approved, Egypt's new constitution would be a step back into the Mubarak era
THE choice looks simple. Over the coming week Egypt’s electorate of 51m will have the opportunity to vote yes or no to a new constitution. A healthy blast of political advertising floods airwaves, billboards and the internet. Yet this is no cheery exercise in democracy. Seldom has any nation confronted so momentous a question at a time of such polarisation. Rival marches of supporters and opponents of President Muhammad Morsi, vicious street battles and sectarian taunting suggest that any outcome of the referendum will leave many Egyptians deeply embittered. The political tension is... more »
Mohawk Nation News 'Idle No More' Editorial
MNN: IDLE NO MORE. Editorial MNN: IDLE NO MORE. Editorial Mohawk Nation News www.mohawknationnews.com MNN. Dec. 12, 2012. The Assembly of First Nations AFN and Iroquois Caucus IC merged their corporations on December 4th 2012. The Iroquois Caucus represents the band councils on the Mohawk communities in Canada, not the legitimate Mohawk people or Iroquois
Legislative intent enables interpretation but does not grant jurisdiction
Reference re Broadcasting Regulation 2012 SCC 68 dealt with CRTC jurisdiction. It holds that a declaration of legislative intent does not grant jurisdiction: [32] This interpretation is consistent with a reading of the Act in its entire context. The *Broadcasting Act* has a primarily cultural aim. The other powers enumerated in s. 10(1) deal with such matters as the allocation of broadcasting time and the setting of standards for programs. In addition, the objectives of the *Broadcasting Act*, declared in s. 3(1), when read together, target "the cultural... more »
Premier Brad Wall Strips SaskPower Bank Account Of $120 Million AND Then Immediately Raises Power Rates To Sask Families
*Here's how things work in Saskatchewan. Brad Wall is a right winger who does not like Crown corporations or public enterprise of any kind. But, because the Saskatchewan Party lost the 1999 and 2003 Elections over the matter of 'privatization' .. Wall has pledged to leave the Crown corps alone.* * **However ideology quite often trumps electoral promises for Premier Wall. As a result, Wall has the bad habit of stripping every nickel he can find from Saskatchewan's utility crowns in order to hand out even more tax breaks to the oil and potash industry. * *Wall's fiscal policy force... more »
Grand Bargain Passage Strategy
I know Obamabots aren't going to want to hear this, but I suspect that Obama and Boehner see pretty much eye to eye on the contours of their "Grand Bargain" and are more concerned with the strategy of getting it through Congress than they are about working out the fine points. According to Peter King (R-NY) and Doc Hastings (R-WA), two of Boehner's closest congressional cronies, the House Leadership is telling Members not to make any plans for the holidays. A convincing dramatization of the terrorism the elites are foisting on us under the guise of a "fiscal cliff" requires all ki... more »
You Know He's a Liar When...
This morning (Wed. Dec. 13th) host Anna Maria Tremonti was questioning Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Defense, Chris Alexander over the F35 procurement fiasco/Charlie-Fox. As Chris bobbed and weaved and spun his story his main claims were: 1) The Government's numbers have never changed and the KPMG report has confirmed what the Government has been open and honest about all along. 2)
4.9 Magnitude Earthquake COSTA RICA - 13th December 2012
Magnitude 4.9 Date-Time Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 17:20:27 UTC Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 11:20:27 AM at epicenter Location 9.097°N, 84.069°W Depth 34.5 km (21.4 miles) Region COSTA RICA Distances 99 km (61 miles) S (180°) from SAN JOSE, Costa Rica
Royal Hoax Radio Staff 'Moved Into Safehouses'
Staff at a radio station behind a hoax call that led to the apparent suicide of nurse Jacintha Saldanha have been moved to safehouses, according to reports. Managers at Sydney radio station 2Day FM have also recruited 24-hour bodyguards to protect employees. http://news.sky.com/story/1024873/royal-hoax-radio-staff-moved-into-safehouses
Niños jugando afuera de las casas cubiertas de nieve
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5.0 Magnitude Earthquake COSTA RICA - 13th December 2012
Magnitude 5.0 Date-Time Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 17:16:22 UTC Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 11:16:22 AM at epicenter Location 9.098°N, 84.066°W Depth 37.3 km (23.2 miles) Region COSTA RICA Distances 98 km (61 miles) S (180°) from SAN JOSE, Costa Rica
A Pipeline to be Built on Lies
A University of British Columbia study finds just one tanker spill from the Northern Gateway supertanker project could more than wipe out any financial benefits accruing to the province from the pipeline. Just one. Remember, local Coast Guard personnel have warned that, when it comes to a supertanker disaster on the northern coast, it's not "if" but "when and how often." Enbridge predictably argues the UBC report is deeply flawed. The company, with the spotty history of pipeline accidents and that refuses to reveal who will actually own the Northern Gateway pipeline, says the cha... more »
Hearsay still a good basis for an appeal
R. v. Edwards, 2012 ONCA 882 allows an appeal based on hearsay: [1] In our view, the appeal must be allowed. The trial judge relied on hearsay in reaching the conclusion that the appellant had knowledge of the contents of the package. The Crown concedes that she erred in doing so. This constituted an important part of her reasoning both at paras. 22 and 28 of her reasons. The proviso cannot therefore be applied to maintain this conviction.
Estilo de corona de navidad para la puerta de casa
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War on Budgeting Shows Up Again
Jonathan Chait has a nice one today in which he looks at GOP attempts to understand why Barack Obama is pushing tax increases on the rich. The gist of it is that it apparently doesn't occur to Republicans that Democrats might support higher taxes because it would reduce the deficit (or, to put it another way, because it would fund programs Democrats support). This, of course, is recognizable as the GOP war on budgeting. Under war on budgeting thinking, each tax and each expenditure is evaluated in isolation as good or bad; there's no sense that one needs to compare one expenditure t... more »
A santa claus y al muñeco de nieve se les antojo el cafe
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KIPP, Chemical Reactions, and Character: Mapping Out the New Eugenics Agenda
A slightly different version of this review was published yesterday at Substance News. *Paul Tough, KIPP, and the Character Con: A Review of **How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character* Jim Horn *When we look at these kids and their behavior, it can all seem so mysterious….But at some point, what you’re seeing is just a complex series of chemical reactions. It’s the folding of a protein or the activation of a neuron. And what’s exciting about that is that those things are treatable. When you get down to the molecules, you realize, that’s where th... more »
Why the Fiscal Cliff Must Be Sold Hard To Disbelieving Citizens (The Uber-Leaders Plans for Your Future Include Funding Theirs Even More)
If the U.S. could get private health-care costs down to the level of most other countries, that accomplishment alone, some economists and health care experts say, would send the federal budget from deficit to surplus. (Health-care policy could be too much for the curriculum to take on, Marri said.) Are we a great country or what? And now the wealthy tax avoider(s) can fastidiously and
Pequeña cabaña junto a las montañas nevadas
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Muñeco de nieve entre el bosque
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4.3 Magnitude Earthquake TARAPACA, CHILE - 13th December 2012
Magnitude 4.3 Date-Time Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 15:16:11 UTC Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 12:16:11 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 21.105°S, 68.858°W Depth 140.4 km (87.2 miles) Region TARAPACA, CHILE Distances 151 km (93 miles) N of Calama, Chile
Velas rojas y adornos de navidad
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Arbol de navidad con regalos en el bosque
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Unlawful Killing: The Murder of Diana Spencer by the Windsor Mafia
The following film is likely to be taken down very soon, so watch it whilst you can. Diana Spencer was murdered by the Windsor Mafia, after delivering an heir to the throne (William), and the illegitimate bastard child, Harry Windsor. The UK Monarchy is a family of pure evil, and not one of them deserves to escape the justice of the people. Diana herself was no angel, and indeed was an ardent multi-cultist who went so far as to become impregnated by an Arab. This was the final straw for the Jewish ruling family of the UK, and was the reason she was killed. I reproduce the film ... more »
An Essential Service for People Like Myself
Apropos my “Happy Hanukkah” post, this website (via Dani Nedal). But what I really need is a morning email alert… or for the site to provide an RSS feed.
BUDGET BABEL: Removing gorilla dust!
*THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2012* *Part 4—Transactions become more clear:* Is Social Security adding to the deficit this year? It all depends on who you ask within the Babel we describe as our “budget discourse!” In the past few weeks, three major voices have weighed in on that question: *Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post, 11/30/12:* “In 2012, Social Security adds $165 billion to the deficit.” *Glenn Kessler, Washington Post, 12/2/12:* “In 2012, the cash flow deficit was $58 billion.” *Senator Richard Durbin, 11/27/12:* "Social Security has not added one penny to the deficit." We... more »
Palestinians take to streets after teen killed by Israeli troops in West Bank
Thousands of Palestinians marched through the streets of Hebron on Thursday, chanting anti-Israel slogans and waving green Hamas flags during a funeral procession for a teenager killed by Israeli troops in this volatile West Bank city. Dozens of youths clashed with Israeli soldiers throughout the day, throwing stones and bottles while troops responded with volleys of tear gas and rubber bullets. No serious injuries were reported. http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/12/13/palestinians-take-to-streets-after-teen-killed-by-israeli-troops-in-west-bank/
Following indictment, opposition leaders call for Lieberman's resignation
Following Foreign Minister's Avigdor Lieberman's indictment of breach of trust, several political parties called for him to resign on Thursday. The Labor Party stated that Lieberman's conduct, both legally and morally, "endangered and still endangers Israeli democracy and the rule of law." Labor chairwoman Shelly Yacimovich announced Thursday she would demand Lieberman's resignation if an indictment were served, even if only in the ambassador case. "Even if a decision would be made not to indict [Lieberman] in the main affair… and only indict in the seemingly small ambassador affair... more »
Israeli foreign minister charged with breach of trust
Israel's powerful foreign minister was charged Thursday with breach of trust, but escaped more serious charges in a fraud and money-laundering case that could jeopardize his political career and upend the Israeli political system just a month before parliamentary elections. The decision by Israel's attorney general capped an investigation into Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman that stretched back more than a decade. Lieberman, a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is expected to come under heavy pressure to resign. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i78_... more »
It's 1984 and Steve Jobs wants to introduce the new Apple Mac
Hold on is that really Steve Jobs? Where's the black turtle neck?
Greece gets new EU aid, declares "Grexit" era dead
The euro zone agreed on Thursday to provide nearly 50 billion euros ($64 billion) in long-delayed aid to Athens, prompting its Prime Minister Antonis Samaras to declare an end to talk of a Greek exit from the single currency. The deal averts a catastrophic default and secures Greece's survival in the euro zone after months of doubt and political turmoil. Athens had repeatedly missed fiscal targets agreed with the EU and the International Monetary Fund, and stalled structural economic reforms. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/13/us-eurozone-greece-idUSBRE8BC0UR20121213
Bomber strikes near Afghan base after Panetta visit
A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden car near a NATO base in southern Afghanistan on Thursday soon after a visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, killing two people and wounding 16, Afghan and NATO officials said. His spokesman said there was no indication Panetta was the target. Panetta had visited Kandahar Air Base just hours before the attack, meeting U.S. troops before the Christmas holiday. "The attack occurred after the Secretary returned to Kabul," spokesman George Little said. Three foreign soldiers were among the wounded. http://www.reuters.com/article/20... more »
Town In Chile Struck By 170 Earthquakes in 5 Weeks
More than 170 tremors have been felt in the coastal town of Navidad in quake-prone Chile in just five weeks. The strongest - of 5.9 magnitude - struck during a funeral and sent panicked mourners fleeing into the street. The town, with a population of 5,500, has become one of the shakiest spots on Earth. http://news.sky.com/story/1024981/town-in-chile-struck-by-170-earthquakes
David Tait dies after falling from an apartment block in Hong Kong
Former international rugby player David Tait has died aged 25 after falling from an apartment block in Hong Kong. His rugby career was cut short by injuries, and he then became a corporate finance manager for multinational firm KPMG. It is the second tragedy to hit the family after his father Campbell Tait, a barrister and judge, was found hanged at his home in Sale in 2004. http://news.sky.com/story/1024994/david-tait-ex-rugby-star-in-deadly-fall
Fukushima Alert Update
Majia's Blog - 13 hours ago
Strange lights are visible on the Fukushima webcam still this morning, particularly over unit 4. There has been ongoing discussion of observations of the webcams here at Enenews. I don't know what is going on, but Chargedbarticle - relying on another webcam - noted increased amount of cement truck traffic headed in the direction of Fukushima. Nuckelchen posted a video here Japanese citizens should increase their citizen radiation monitoring to see if radiation levels are rising downwind of the plant. Citizen documentationof rising levels is probably the most reliable method of dete... more »
Litvinenko 'Triple Spy': Russia 'Was Involved' In Death
Alexander Litvinenko was a triple agent working for MI6 and the Spanish secret service when he died, a coroner has heard. Mr Litvinenko had been hired by MI6 for a number of years and was working with Spain to investigate the Russian mafia shortly before his death, a pre-inquest review was told. He would regularly meet with an MI6 handler, named only as Martin, in central London and was paid by both the British and Spanish secret services into a joint bank account he held with his wife, the hearing was told. http://news.sky.com/story/1025056/litvinenko-russia-was-involved-in-death
Syria fires Scuds to stop Al Qaeda arm seizing chemical arms at Al Safira
By the blacklisting Tuesday, Dec. 11, of the Jabhat al-Nusra group fighting in Syrian rebel ranks as “a foreign terrorist organization” and affiliate of al Qaeda in Iraq, Washington faces four quandaries: 1. The 10,000 fighters of this al Qaeda affiliate are the best-trained and most professional component of the Syrian rebel front;. 2. Jabhat al-Nusra fields 3,000 fighters out of the mostly Free Syrian Army’s 14,000 rebels fighting in and around Aleppo. They also constitute the assault force’s spearhead. http://www.debka.com/article/22608/Assad-fires-Scuds-to-stop-Al-Qaeda-arm-se... more »
Chinese airplane enters Japanese airspace over Senkakus for 1st time
*More info:* http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2012/12/199160.html
“A Conversation about Mind Control” & the Gentile Holocaust
*This is a two hour chat.* Do I think it is worth listening to? Hell ya! Or it wouldn't be here. On of the highlights for me is the concept of the Gentile Holocaust. Did such a thing happen? Yes. Like me, you probably did not even realize that! Why? Because this concept never enters our consciousness. The talk revolves around mind control. Social media gets a mention. A distraction and control mechanism. Of course there is more. So, give a listen and share your thoughts *The audio is embedded below * *You can also watch the video of the talk between the 3 individuals....* Prof. Jay F... more »
Majority Against Benefit Cuts Graph
Wow. Just the other day, I was writing about how Labour must oppose benefit cuts, despite it being unpopular. The party must always seek to lead public opinion rather than pander to it, in my humble opinion. However, I am very pleased to see the Ipsos-MORI poll (H/T LabourList) has turned political common sense on its head. Far from EdM being estranged from the public's thinking, it turns out our gilded chancellor is the one who is out of touch. This is very welcome news. It underlines the stand Labour has made on Gideon's real term cuts to benefits, and, once again, enhances EdM's... more »
Stocking Hangers Made From Frames
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In our house, we have always had the problem of where to hang our stockings. We have never had a fireplace or a mantel to speak of and using those cute stocking hangers you find at the store has always seemed a hazard with a little one about the house. I have always wanted something I could hang up, as a decoration for the holiday but out of the way of grabbing hands, when I saw these cute frames I knew they were the solution. These cute frames come from Poppyseed Projects, a fabulous store located in Sandy, UT. You can buy them at the store or order items from them online. You ... more »
Reset on F-35s
This has been coming for a long time -- Canada needs a strong and capable air wing -- the real question is whether the F-35s are the right plane for that capacity. What are the likely missions? Patroling the North? In which case stealth fighters are not really right? Anti-insurgency fighting? Again, stealth fighters are not it? Or trying to penetrate the air defences of a modern sophisticated adversary? In which case stealth fighters are perfect. Story OTTAWA—The federal Conservative government has formally pushed “reset” on its search for a new fighter jet after revealing th... more »
Peace Bonds
*Introduction* Peace Bonds are protection orders that a judge makes in court to help protect one person from another. Peace bonds are not a substitute for a charge. They are intended to prevent assault and harassment. *What is a peace bond?* A peace bond is a protection order under the Criminal Code of Canada. The formal legal name is an “810 recognizance”. You can get a peace bond if you are afraid that another person will harm you, your partner (spouse or your common-law), your child, or damage your property. The other person could be anyone - a neighbour, an acquainta... more »
Don't mention the Balen Report
I have received a response to my last email to BBC re Jeremy Bowen's choice of Rosh Hashanah for a Twitter q & a. I dared to mention the Balen Report and Stephanie Harris has sent me a fascinating response. I will fisk it properly when I have time. A complaint to the BBC Trust will be sent over the Christmas period anyway.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - What Were They Thinking?
And now the followup to yesterday's celebratory post about the induction of Rush and Heart into the R&R HoF - groups that ought to be in and aren't, and groups that are in that shouldn't be. We begin with a pair of questions that apply the KISS test: *How in the world did _______ get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame before KISS?* *Why in the world is _______ in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame while KISS is not?* They don't look much different today than they did thirty years ago. Disclaimer: Southern Man is not a KISS fan. Indeed, in his college days (Nazarene private college) ... more »
ALEC is The Problem
*ALEC is the problem!!!* *Will the media please start acknowledging this - PLEASE!!!!! * I am getting really sick and tired of left talk radio/TV hosts and the people they interview bringing up the Koch’s over and over and over again in reference to what just happened in Michigan. Yes, Americans for Prosperity was there. THEY WERE *OUTSIDE* THE STATE CAPITOL. AFP – was not passing out the Right to Mooch legislation to legislators. AFP – was not in the Michigan capitol voting on the legislation. AFP – did not distribute the legislation passed in the Michigan capit... more »
Underhanded Economists
The F-35 fiasco should serve as a cautionary tale: beware of politicians who claim to be economists. For, Andrew Coyne writes, -- even as the Harperites peg the cost of those jets at $45.8 billion -- they still can't bring themselves to tell the truth: Now, this increase in the reported price does not mean the cost of the planes has “skyrocketed” or “ballooned” or whatever other word you might have read. I mean, it has — from $75 million per plane to $88 million, with further increases likely to follow. But acquisition costs are only a fraction of the total: just $9 billion, a fi... more »
ALEC Legislative Priorities - R Not the USA's
When you voted last month did ANY – repeat ANY of the candidates on the ballot have ALEC listed as their political party? Nope didn’t think so. Then please tell me – how we can have this ALEC Unveils 2013 Legislative Priorities A headline yesterday across the US. That – in and of itself – is a major issue right now in the US. Show me *a poll - any poll - that shows that a* majority of citizens in the United States knowingly elected ALEC? We didn't! Cause US voters don't know which ballot candidates were members of the American Legislative Exchange Council political party. *NOT... more »
Can You Imagine Some Of The Very Best Democrats And Some Of The Absolutely Worst Republicans Working Together? Imagine It
Mick Mulvaney & Keith Ellison, the good kind of bipartisanship Last night we had an oportunity to look at President Dwight Eisenhower's most famous speech, the very prescient one he gave in 1961 about the imminent dangers posed by the Military-Industrial Complex. If you missed it, please be sure and take a look. Tuesday evening congressional freshman met at Harvard for a series of bipartisan seminars on governance. Right wing organizations have been discouraging Republicans from attending and, in recent years, most GOP freshmen have skipped it. Republican leaders don't want to see an... more »
Read Stuff, You Should
Happy Birthday to Wendie Malick, 62. Plus some good stuff: 1. Dan Larison argues that presidential candidates should actually know something about the world. Which, believe it or not, is sort of necessary pushback against the prevailing views among many Republicans. 2. Robert Kuttner on Obama and judges. 3. Ryan Cooper thinks I'm nuts about political rhetoric. 4. Sarah Binder on Congress and the "Evans Rule." 5. And David Frum on "doomsday conservatives."
U.N. vaguely votes to vaguely censor the Internet
ITU has made the first vote of the U.N. countries on whether or not the governments want to make the Internet more regulated and censored. If you click at the link, you will see that the answer is a worrisome "Yes". How was the outcome determined? It was determined according to the "temperature in the room": I kid you not. That's how Mohamed Nasser al-Ghanim, director general of the UAE’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, explained the outcome. Pretty much because of global warming, totalitarian opinions gained the upper hand in the U.N. In this way, the director breached se... more »
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