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Thomas Paine

To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

20 December - Blogs I`m Following II

The Sandy Hook lighthouse, part of the Gateway...
The Sandy Hook lighthouse, part of the Gateway National Recreation Area. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
It only lasts a few minutes, but it's gorgeous.
It only lasts a few minutes, but it's gorgeous. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
World of White - winter snow
World of White - winter snow (Photo credit: blmiers2)
10:30 pm MST

Texas Photos Dec 12

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 55 seconds ago

Concerns about day workers

skrashen at Schools Matter - 9 minutes ago
Some background: A few weeks ago, a letter was published in the Malibu Surfside News about a Thanksgiving dinner for day workers who use the Malibu Labor Exchange. About 300 people showed up. The next week, a letter appeared in the Surfside News accusing the organizers of the dinner of aiding and abetting “criminal misconduct. Illegal aliens break our laws by virtue of their presence here. When they work, they break more laws, to say nothing of committing identity theft with forged and stolen documents.” He called the organizers “a political cancer” and said that “This group of nit... more »

Sandy Hook massacre: Official story spins out of control -- Puppet Masters -- Sott.net

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Daniels) at Global Political Awakening - 18 minutes ago
Sandy Hook massacre: Official story spins out of control -- Puppet Masters -- Sott.net: http://www.sott.net/article/254873-Sandy-Hook-massacre-Official-story-spins-out-of-control Enjoy this article? Vote it up the 'Vine! You can support this information by voting on Reddit, AllVoices and Current. [image: Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...] Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurnerBe the Change! Share this using the tools below. Sharing on Reddit and Newsvine will help the most.

If we stamp out ambiguity, Bob Mankoff wonders (while setting fire to his own straw man), is there room left for humor?

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 30 minutes ago
*by Ken* I've started reading it, and have every expectation, or at least hope. of someday finishing it, or anyways reading more of it, but as *New Yorker*cartoon editor Bob Mankoff explains in his newsletter-blogpost this week, "ÇA ÜŠLÁ," in this week's issue Joshua Foer has a piece, "Utopian for Beginners," about a language called Ithkuil, which was "created from scratch" (as Bob puts it) by amateur linguish John Quijada. I've read far enough to know that to the considerable puzzlement of Mr. Quijada, interest in Ithkuil is off the charts in Russia and other parts of the former S... more »

The Great Terence McKenna: Final Thoughts On 2012

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 35 minutes ago
"John Hazard: We have 14 years until this event, measured on the calendar—and a really common, ordinary way to describe the times that we're living in is that they're very, very chaotic, filled with acts of unspeakable evil, um, and at the same time there's this sort buzz and thrust of optimism: everything from a guy like Peter Swartz talking about the long wave, the big booming economy, breakthroughs in educational levels and qualities of life but it's definitely a dynamic where you've got extremes of good and evil in that way. Would you talk a little bit about the relationship ... more »

World will not Going to be End: NASA

Megaan at Current news updates, World current news - 52 minutes ago
*Dec. 21, 2012, is the threatening day in everyone’s mind, but the thing is it won't be the end of the world as we know; however, it will be another winter solstice.* Dissimilar to some of the common beliefs out there, the claims behind the end of the world quickly unravel when pinned down to the 2012 timeline. But NASA gives correct answer to everyone thoughts. The world will not end in 2012. Our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, and credible scientists universal know of no threat connected with 2012. Nibiru and other stories about naughty plan... more »

The Ayatollah-In-Chief: Obama Plays Role of Wise Priest In Aftermath of Sandy Hook False Flag

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 1 hour ago
*Read: 5 Reasons Why The White House Is A Faith-Based Institution.* "All the world’s religions — so many of them represented here today — start with a simple question: Why are we here? What gives our life meaning? What gives our acts purpose? We know our time on this Earth is fleeting. We know that we will each have our share of pleasure and pain; that even after we chase after some earthly goal, whether it’s wealth or power or fame, or just simple comfort, we will, in some fashion, fall short of what we had hoped. We know that no matter how good our intentions, we will ... more »

Shiprock: Navajos Flash Mob Round Dance 'Idle No More'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 hour ago
IDLE NO MORE: Flash Mob Round Dance - Shiprock, NM 'Idle No More' flash mob dance in Edmonton, Canada by Denette Chee-Chief and Shiela Chee-Chief Friday, December 21, 2012 6:00 pm Nizhoni Park (at da river bridge) Navajo Nation 110 percent supports IDLE NO MORE. Come on down to Shiprock to show your support for our Canadian brothers and sisters! Nizhoni Park is located next to

"A Look to the Heavens"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 2 hours ago
“Why is this nebula so complex? When a star like our Sun is dying, it will cast off its outer layers, usually into a simple overall shape. Sometimes this shape is a sphere, sometimes a double lobe, and sometimes a ring or a helix. In the case of planetary nebula NGC 5189, however, no such simple structure has emerged. To help find out why, the Earth-orbiting Hubble Space Telescope recently observed NGC 5189 in great detail. *Click image for larger size. * Previous findings indicated the existence of multiple epochs of material outflow, including a recent one that created a bright... more »

The Daily "Near You?"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 2 hours ago
Turtle Lake, Wisconsin, USA. Thanks for stopping by.

Chet Raymo, "It"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 3 hours ago
*"It"* by Chet Raymo "A Howard Nemerov poem might be twelve pages long or twelve words long. He was equally adept at the epic and the aphorism. He could be serious or fun. Sometimes both at the same time. Consider the following poem, called "A Life," which I quote in its entirety. (How does "fair use" apply to something so short?) "Innocence? In a sense. In no sense! Was that *it?* Was *that* it? *Was* that it? That was it." Now I hear my spouse's voice whispering in my ear: *What's all this musing about death lately? Why all this late-life pessimi... more »

The Poet: Arlene Gay Levine, "The Road"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 3 hours ago
*"The Road"* "Here is the road: the light comes and goes then returns again. Be gentle with your fellow travelers as they move through the world of stone and stars whirling with you yet every one alone. The road waits. Do not ask questions but when it invites you to dance at daybreak, say yes. Each step is the journey; a single note the song." ~ Arlene Gay Levine

SO, WHO’S APPEASING WHO IN THE MIDDLE EAST?

Neocons are often apt to use the analogy of Chamberlain’s appeasement of Hitler prior to World War Two to highlight the so-called danger they think the West puts itself in when trying to avoid a confrontation between the West and Iran. But, at the end of the day, the reality is that it is the neocons that are trying, in a somewhat perverse sense and twist to the notion of appeasement, appease the Zionists of Israel inasmuch that it’s the Israelis and their neocon supporters who want to attack Iran – just as Hitler and the Nazis wanted to attack East Europe. Prior to the Second World... more »

Alan Grayson Explains Why He Opposes A Conservative Plan To Unravel Social Security That Starts With A Chained CPI

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 3 hours ago
Betrayal Voting on the rule to permit a vote on Boehner's cynical Plan B gave some clues to how the real vote would come down. It passed 219-197, every Democrat voting NO and 13 Republicans joining them: Justin Amash (MI), Paul Broun (GA), Trent Franks (AZ), Louie Gohmert (TX), Andy Harris (MD), Tim Huelskamp (KS), Walter Jones (NC), Jim Jordan (OH), Jeff Landry (LA), Thomas Massie (KY), Ron Paul (TX), Mean Jean Schmidt (OH) and Joe Walsh (IL). Unless more 11 Republicans were to join the revolt-- and the Democrats held 100% united, Plan B will pass the House and instantly die, as th... more »

Tyranny of Talking Heads: The Establishment Media Declares War On Quiet Introverts

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 4 hours ago
All the evidence points to the reality that the tragic mass shooting in Newtown was a black op and magic ritual, which begs the question: Why is the patsy being described as quiet, lonely, shy, and depressed? Is there a reason? What is it about these personality characteristics and psychological traits that the establishment hates? Do the talking heads in the media have something against quiet and shy people? Why hype these characteristics of the patsy? Do they want to demonize quiet youth? Do they want every young person to be a crazy party animal? Maybe I'm exaggerating, but I t... more »

Did you hear the one about the two Mayan's?

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 4 hours ago

UK Protests Gun Ban - Who will ban guns next?

Intercept at The Intercept - 5 hours ago
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Gerard van der Ree on The Hydrogen Sonata: “Learning From Utopia”

Patrick Thaddeus Jackson at Duck of Minerva - 5 hours ago
General Warning: this is emphatically not a spoiler-free Forum! Hence all of the text all of the contributions will be safely below the fold, and only the identifying information for the author of the contribution will be here for even causal browsers to see. Gerard van der Ree is Assistant Professor at University College Utrecht. Continue reading

Syria: Putin Talks, Israeli reporters in Syria, Benghazi and more

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 5 hours ago
Syria: Always on my mind. What has been happening? *Vladimir Putin call for non-military solution for Syria* *Video available at link above* Reminds listeners of the mess in Benghazi, Libya. Including the death of an “Ambassador” More on Benghazi shortly Russia's President Putin says he is concerned that the push to unseat Syrian President Bashar Assad could plunge the country even deeper into violence. Speaking during his annual news conference, Mr Putin said mistakes from Libya should not be repeated in Syria. He stressed that Russia was not interested in the survival of Assad's... more »

Thanks, NRA Cowards, For The Connecticut Bloodbath

Marc McDonald at BeggarsCanBeChoosers.com - 5 hours ago
*BY MARC McDONALD* [image: victimssandyhook] Thanks, NRA, for fighting any meaningful regulations that could help keep guns out of the hands of the violent and mentally ill. Thanks to you, guns can be bought in America as easily as a loaf of bread. We also appreciate your work on ferociously opposing the Brady Bill (which Ronald Reagan, by the way, supported). Rest assured, though, despite your crazy, paranoid fantasies, NO meaningful action will be taken on guns in the aftermath of this latest horrible bloodbath. Thanks to you, dozens, if not hundreds of more children will be brut... more »

Roswell Dome of Silence

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 5 hours ago
It has long been clear that a craft did crash and that bodies were recovered. Now that the last key witnesses have effectively left us, it is noteworthy that a number have provided confirmation. The quality is such here that it goes beyond plausible denial and they are deathbed reports. I do not expect to see any more. This does provide full credence to additional reports in which the bodies were observed by a privileged few. It is also far too easy to speculate on what took place thereafter, but my first guess is that not much in terms of science itself. Way more plaus... more »

"Batchwiper": New computer virus hitting Iran could be more potent than it looks

Matt at The Coming Crisis - 6 hours ago
A new apparently simple computer virus targeting Iran may be more potent than it appears, according to an Israeli security expert. The Iranian Maher computer security center said earlier this week it had identified a new malware that creates files on desktop and laptop Windows computers that completely wipe out the data on disk drives. The malware is “simple in design,” the Iranian group said, but it is “efficient and can wipe disk partitions and user profile directories without being recognized by anti-virus software,” and thus constitutes a major threat to computers in Iran. The ... more »

"How It Really Is"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 6 hours ago

Mother of 'I Am Bomb, Jihad' T-Shirt Boy Appears in French Court - Israel National News

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 7 hours ago
Followers of the religion of peace in action again... http://www.israelnationalnews.com/wap/Item.aspx?type=0&item=163353

False Flag Fiscal Cliff: Time to Call Their Bluff (End of the World As We Understand It?)

So, they've almost been totally exposed for the craven "leaders" they are. Almost. Considering this "fiscal cliff" event as a false flag operation by the wealthy against the rest of us puts it into very clear perspective. And with so many easy solutions (taxpayer-enriching solutions, that is) to choose from. Funny how the wealthy never mention any of these, isn't it? You gotta just love that

The Two Dumbest Animals In The Human Kingdom

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 7 hours ago
The two dumbest animals in the human kingdom are Christian Zionists and Sunni Jihadist terrorists. In a *recent interview on Tunisian TV*, a Jihadist from Tunisia said he regrets fighting in Syria and that he and his pals were treated like cannon fodder by his commanders in a cause without righteousness. The problem is they listened to their imams. And Christian Zionists have the same problem. They've been brainwashed by mega church preachers and fake Christian broadcasters.

The Big Republican Menu of Fear: It's What's for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 7 hours ago
*They long to bathe in fear forever and ever, don't they? For Republicans, it's "so much to fear, so little time."* *by Noah* Reality can be a scary place for anyone, but if you have chosen to be a Republican, you have chosen a lifestyle that comes with its own bonus fears. Are you addicted to fear? If you are a Republican, fear is the only time you look ahead. If you are a Republican, it's bad enough that you live in a world -- * where your child might learn about sex sometime before their 25th birthday * where so many people eat "strange" food and don't look "like you" * where s... more »

Western Marxism

Roobin at THROUGH THE SCARY DOOR - 7 hours ago
Western Marxism (both the train of thought called Western Marxism and Marxism in the West) is cultural. The eponymous founder of Marxism concentrated most of his effort on a critique of political economy. He showed that capitalism not only leads to cyclical crisis but that these cyclical crises over time lead to an existential one. In the Communist Manifesto this existential crises is described as having one of two results, either revolutionary reconstitution or common ruin. He showed that there is a class capable of positively resolving this crisis. Despite many valiant attempts ... more »

The end is in sight - at least for 2012

Jody Paterson at A Closer Look: Jody Paterson - 7 hours ago
Parque Central decked out for Christmas and the end of the Mayan calendar*Feliz Navidad a todos *as the festive season closes in. And if the world must end, may it be as sunny and as pleasant as it is right now in Copan. We'll be out at the Copan Ruinas archaeological site tomorrow night with the rest of the crowds just in case there's something to this end-of-the-world business. Might as well have ringside seats. But I'm counting on the experts and the Mayan people to be right about the whole thing being a trumped-up myth. We're leaving on Saturday for two weeks of enjoying the Cari... more »

“Going After Guns: 'You Can't Have Police State And Armed Population'”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 7 hours ago
*“Going After Guns:* * 'You Can't Have Police State And Armed Population'”* by Paul Craig Roberts "I have known for a long time that US news is agenda-driven. Tonight (December 18) I was made aware of the extent to which agenda-driven US news drives the news of the rest of the world. For reasons unbeknownst to me, Russia Today Moscow requested a live TV interview via Skype about the Newtown, Connecticut, school shootings that killed 20 young children and several adults. I was interested to know what was Moscow’s interest in the shootings, and I agreed to the interview. I wa... more »

"The One Percent's Titanic Self-Delusion"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 8 hours ago
*"The One Percent's Titanic Self-Delusion"* By Terrance Heath "Last summer I compared the GOP to a mutinous first-mate on the Titanic, steering the economy into an iceberg in hopes of taking over when the captain goes with the ship, while forgetting that they’re “in the same boat.” If our economy was the RMS Titanic, Republicans would be like an ambitious first mate, so eager to seize power from the captain that he steers the ship of state into an iceberg, thinking he’ll take over when the captain goes down with the ship. Republicans have forgotten- or no longer care- they’re on... more »

Grim stuff...

Roobin at THROUGH THE SCARY DOOR - 8 hours ago
The obvious first thing to say is no one at this stage can say whether Ian Watkins, lead singer of the Lostprophets is guilty or innocent. It wouldn’t be right. Nevertheless given the current awareness of the extent of sexual abuse and exploitation in public life it is no surprise a rock musician has been caught up. Long ago I used to work in significant regional live music venue. Part of the rota there meant there were nights working in the cloakroom, which in this particular venue adjoined the dressing rooms. Musicians would often come and go in the background. Sometimes people w... more »

How to eliminate the deficit and live happily every after

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 8 hours ago
I didn't play the fiscal cliff game myself because, hate numbers. But I bet it's fun if you like this sort of calculating: Your job, should you choose to accept it, is to figure out a path forward using this calculator. First, identify which aspects of the fiscal cliff’s tax increases and spending cuts you would allow to go forward, and which you would cancel. Then, pair it with other deficit-reduction policies you want to enact to start bringing deficits down even without the pain of an immediate austerity crisis. Then, add in any stimulus measures you might want to cushion the bl... more »

Guns in Israel

Boris at The Galloping Beaver - 8 hours ago
Balloon Juice from Forbes. Israel’s gun control laws are the opposite of America’s, say Israeli officials. “Only those who have a license can bear arms and not everyone can get a license,” the head of the firearms licensing department told the Jerusalem Post. To qualify for a license, Israelis must be at least age 21, pass a physical and psychological examination, undergo a background

UFO lovers and mystics await Maya new era

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 8 hours ago
As pockets of anxiety crop up ahead of the day billed as the Maya apocalypse, a motley crew of New Age thrill-seekers, mystics and tourists have gathered at ancient holy sites in Mexico hoping to witness the birth of a new era. In the Maya Long Calendar, December 21 marks the end of the 13th bak'tun, an epoch lasting roughly 400 years. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/20/us-maya-calendar-idUSBRE8BJ16320121220

Troops gone, U.S. increasingly sidelined in Iraq

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 8 hours ago
When a group of Americans and their heavily armed guards arrived at the Turkish embassy for a party in September, Iraqi police outside blocked their path. Unless they surrendered the weapons held by their security detail in accordance with embassy policy, the Iraqis said, the delegation of U.S. diplomats would not be allowed in. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/20/us-iraq-usa-idUSBRE8BJ0JN20121220

Republicans push own "fiscal cliff" plan; talks frozen

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 8 hours ago
Republicans in the Congress pushed ahead on Thursday with a "fiscal cliff" plan that stands no chance of becoming law as time runs short to reach a deal with President Barack Obama to avert a Washington-induced economic recession. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner's "Plan B" to limit income-tax increases to the wealthiest sliver of the population appeared likely to pass the House on Thursday evening after it narrowly cleared a procedural hurdle in the afternoon. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/20/us-usa-fiscal-idUSBRE8A80WV20121220

Indiana legalizes shooting cops for unlawful intrusion (Something the news back in July failed to let us know about)

Matt at The Coming Crisis - 8 hours ago
Hold onto your holsters, folks: shooting a cop dead is now legal in the state of Indiana. Governor Mitch Daniels, a Republican, has authorized changes to a 2006 legislation that legalizes the use of deadly force on a public servant — including an officer of the law — in cases of “unlawful intrusion.” Proponents of both the Second and Fourth Amendments — those that allow for the ownership of firearms and the security against unlawful searches, respectively — are celebrating the update by saying it ensures that residents are protected from authorities that abuse the powers of the badg... more »

5.0 Magnitude Earthquake TONGA - 20th December 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 8 hours ago
Magnitude 5.0 Date-Time Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 19:38:46 UTC Friday, December 21, 2012 at 09:38:46 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 20.773°S, 174.089°W Depth 45.1 km (28.0 miles) Region TONGA Distances 108 km (67 miles) NE of `Ohonua, Tonga

Female US cop caught on tape giving two women body cavity search during routine traffic stop... and 'using the SAME gloves on both'

Intercept at The Intercept - 8 hours ago
Daily Mail - Angel Dobbs, 38, and niece Ashley Dobbs, 24, were pulled over on State Highway 161 near Irving, Texas - Trooper searched car for marijuana before requesting invasive cavity search - Older woman claims search by trooper Kellie Helleson irritated an anal cyst she was suffering causing 'severe pain and discomfort' - Also suing the Texas Department of Public Safety for failing to act on previous complaints about 'violating' searches Two Texas women are suing after state troopers subjected them to a humiliating and invasive 'roadside body cavity sea... more »

"Evil" declareth he, the gunlobbyist

Boris at The Galloping Beaver - 8 hours ago
This is quite amazing. Most of the attention naturally seems focussed on the vapours inducing fact that Piers Morgan factually called Larry Pratt a "stupid man".  But pay attention at the 7:30 mark where Morgan calls the Newtown mass murderer Adam Lanza "derranged" and Pratt interjects and corrects him by judging Lanza an "evil son" then goes on to justify himself by saying that "if you believe

"PEDOPHILE RINGS IN CONNECTICUT..."

Anon at aangirfan - 8 hours ago
Dan Lynch remembers Adam Lanza at Sandy Hook school in *Connecticut.* Lynch says he remembers watching a sex-education movie, and Lanza saying he was about to throw up and needed to leave the room. Was Lanza nervous because he was being sexually abused? Classmate remembers Adam Lanza attending Sandy Hook In *Connecticut*, Linda Wiegand reportedly came up against a "Satanic cult of pedophiles consisting of judges, attorneys, social workers and ... her ex-husband, Tom Wilkinson, who now has custody of the children." An article by Kris Millegan, dated 1 November 2001 and entitled THE... more »

Communist Chinese Government Calls For Americans to be Disarmed

Matt at The Coming Crisis - 8 hours ago
The Communist Chinese government, via its state-run media front Xinhua, has called for Americans to be disarmed, arguing that the Sandy Hook school massacre demands “no delay for U.S. gun control.” Xinhua is virtually the press agency for the Communist Chinese government. The organization, “is subordinate to the State Council and reports to the Communist Party of China’s Propaganda and Public Information Departments.” In other words, Xinhua represents the pinnacle of Chinese state-run media. Whatever is printed in its editorial pages represents the opinion of the ruling Communist P... more »

Somalia: 55 Refugees Drown In Boat Tragedy

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 8 hours ago
Fifty-five people are dead or presumed drowned after an overcrowded refugee boat capsized off the Somali coast. Five survivors said that the boat capsized just 15 minutes into its journey from the port of Bosasso in northern Somalia, tipping all those on board into the sea. The youngest victim was a boy less than four years old. http://news.sky.com/story/1028313/somalia-55-refugees-drown-in-boat-tragedy

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 20th December 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 8 hours ago
Magnitude 4.8 Date-Time Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 15:31:15 UTC Friday, December 21, 2012 at 12:31:15 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 37.087°N, 141.147°E Depth 58.6 km (36.4 miles) Region NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN Distances 24 km (14 miles) E of Iwaki, Japan

Alien skull found in the state of Sonora, Mexico

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 8 hours ago
See also: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/12/19/alien-skulls-deformed-craniums-mexican-cemetery-_n_2328404.html?utm_hp_ref=uk

Tea time

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 8 hours ago

Wearing a Niqab

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 8 hours ago
As a child I remember a class of women who always covered their hair, were deeply devout and whose dress and deportment set them apart from the rest of society. Nuns. Despite their unusual dress and their life of devotion they participated fully in Canadian life - indeed, some of them were my teachers as a child and they deal with the broader culture on a daily basis. While the number of nuns in Canada has dramatically fallen since I was a child there is no question that they are fully accepted as part of Canadian society. It is inconceivable that anyone would consider a nun les... more »

Jack A. Smith : What's Behind America's Gun Violence?

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 8 hours ago
Image from Black Youth Project. Remember the children... What's behind America's gun violence? In recent decades -- despite the fact that last year there were over 11,000 murders by firearms in the U.S. and another 20,000 gun deaths from accidents and suicide -- the great majority of American politicians have been too gutless to fight for tougher laws. By Jack A. Smith / The Rag Blog /

3.1 Magnitude Earthquake WESTERN MONTANA - 20th December 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
Magnitude 3.1 Date-Time Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 15:06:19 UTC Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 08:06:19 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 48.206°N, 115.850°W Depth 1 km (~0.6 mile) (poorly constrained) Region WESTERN MONTANA Distances 18 km (12 miles) NNE (26°) from Heron, MT

Chris Brown on The Hydrogen Sonata: “A Triumphant Return to Form”

Patrick Thaddeus Jackson at Duck of Minerva - 9 hours ago
General Warning: this is emphatically not a spoiler-free Forum! Hence all of the text all of the contributions will be safely below the fold, and only the identifying information for the author of the contribution will be here for even causal browsers to see. Chris Brown is Professor of International Relations at the London School Continue reading

A Holiday Photo Booth

Debra at Housewife Eclectic - 9 hours ago
I love pictures. It always seems to me that no party is complete without a photo booth. We usually do photo booths with silly hats and costumes, but with my four-year-old's birthday being so close to Christmas, this year we decided to do a Christmas themed one. With Christmas and the four-tiered birthday cake my little begged me to make, I wanted the photo booth to be as simple as possible. I went to the dollar store and a variety of Christmas hats, they had a great selection of Santa hats and some reindeer antlers. The cute elf hats were one I had on hand in my prop box, but I t... more »

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake SALTA, ARGENTINA - 20th December 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
Magnitude 4.7 Date-Time Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 15:00:18 UTC Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 12:00:18 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 22.805°S, 63.706°W Depth 525.2 km (326.4 miles) Region SALTA, ARGENTINA Distances 25 km (15 miles) SSE of General Enrique Mosconi, Argentina

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake KEPULAUAN BABAR, INDONESIA - 20th December 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
Magnitude 4.8 Date-Time Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 13:38:05 UTC Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 10:38:05 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 7.103°S, 129.238°E Depth 162.1 km (100.7 miles) Region KEPULAUAN BABAR, INDONESIA Distances 247 km (153 miles) WNW of Saumlaki, Indonesia

4.0 Magnitude Earthquake RAJASTHAN, INDIA - 20th December 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
Magnitude 4.0 Date-Time Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 13:00:42 UTC Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 06:30:42 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 26.726°N, 76.303°E Depth 10 km (6.2 miles) Region RAJASTHAN, INDIA Distances 17 km (10 miles) S of Dausa, India

3.1 Magnitude Earthquake WESTERN MONTANA - 20th December 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
Magnitude 3.1 Date-Time Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 12:57:16 UTC Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 05:57:16 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 48.257°N, 115.901°W Depth 1 km (~0.6 mile) (poorly constrained) Region WESTERN MONTANA Distances 23 km (14 miles) N (11°) from Heron, MT

Another magic date and time

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 9 hours ago
20:12 20.12.2012

Sadist in Chief

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 9 hours ago
Poor Barack. He is all upset because the Slaughter of the Innocents has failed to achieve its disaster capitalism purpose -- inspiring his fellow politicians to bargain away the social safety net just when the national attention is conveniently focused on marathon funeral processions in Connecticut. Those selfish Republicans have disobeyed a cardinal rule of the Shock Doctrine, which is that you never let a good crisis go to waste.The optimal time to pounce and ram through programs that hurt people is when people are already hurting too much to notice or care. Barack Obama actual... more »

It always happens with Maddow, part 1 and then part 2!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 9 hours ago
*THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2012* *Demise of a national treasure:* We tend to think that Rachel Maddow is a bit on the dishonest side. Which is strange. Because yesterday, Alex “Kid” Pareene called her a national treasure! He did this at Salon. There’s nothing new about that, of course. On December 4, David Atkins also called Maddow a national treasure. Three weeks earlier, dude called Chris Hayes the same thing! For ourselves, we can’t think of anyone we would call a national treasure. To our ear, the phrase is so monumentally hackneyed that it’s hard to imagine using it. That said... more »

Massive Psy-op? Obama Can Ban Guns By Himself – And He Will

Intercept at The Intercept - 9 hours ago
The Daily Bell *Even without Congress, Obama could act to restrict guns ... Unburdened by re-election worries and empowered by law to act without Congress, U.S. President Barack Obama could take action to improve background checks on gun buyers, ban certain gun imports and bolster oversight of dealers. Prospects for gun control legislation intensified in the wake of the school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, as more pro-gun rights lawmakers said on Monday they were open to the possibility while Obama and three cabinet members met at the White House to discuss the subject. – Reute... more »

talking radical: a history of canada through the eyes of activists

laura k at wmtc - 9 hours ago
This the third of the four talks I attended semi-recently. Other recent talks: noah richler, u.s. war resisters, and the militarization of canadian culture, and from greece to chicago to toronto, workers fighting back against austerity. * * * * Scott Neigh, who writes the blog A Canadian Lefty in Occupied Land, has published a pair of books that "enter Canadian history-from-below through the words of long-time activists." You can learn more about these books and who is featured in them at Scott's Talking Radical website. I attended a book-launch event for Neigh's books because my f... more »

Incompetent Climate Science Defenders

Harry Dale Huffman at The Earth and Man: Setting the Stage - 9 hours ago
The incompetent climate debate shows no sign of improving, with climate scientists and their defenders showing total disdain for "deniers" like me. The following is my response to David Whitehouse, whose latest article, on the climaterealists site, pretends to make short work of those who most disdain the "consensus": *"Let's get one thing over quickly. ..." You have just lost all credibility with that paragraph. It should have been absolutely clear, to any competent physical scientist, for two years now (ever since my Venus/Earth temperatures comparison, which is definitive), that ... more »

RAG RADIO / Thorne Dreyer : Interviews with Author John H. Slate & Singer-Songwriter Barbara K

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 10 hours ago
Author-archivist John H. Slate on Rag Radio, Friday, Dec. 14, 2012, in the studios of KOOP-FM in Austin, Texas. Photo by Carlos Lowry / The Rag Blog. Rag Radio podcasts: Lost Austin author John H. Slate and singer-songwriter/activist Barbara K By Rag Radio / The Rag Blog / December 20, 2012 Dalas City Archivist John H. Slate, the author of Lost Austin, was our guest on Rag Radio, Friday,

No, Boehner Isn't Nuts

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 10 hours ago
Speaker John Boehner is getting pretty bad reviews pretty much everywhere for his gambit of submitting a Plan B for a House vote, with Plan B made up of a set of tax policies which can't possibly become law. Democrats and some centrist types are upset with him because Plan B meant walking away from budget talks with the president just as they were apparently getting close to a deal. Conservatives, meanwhile, are against Plan B because it involves voting for what they consider a tax increase, with rates going up for a tiny group of highest-income filers (up compared with where they ar... more »

RT uncovers plans for US False Flag against IRAN

Intercept at The Intercept - 10 hours ago
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'V For Vendetta' Airs In China, Stunning TV Viewers

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 10 hours ago
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/20/v-for-vendetta-china-tv_n_2335144.html *'V For Vendetta' Airs In China, Stunning TV Viewers* AP | By By LOUISE WATT Posted: 12/20/2012 1:26 am EST | Updated: 12/20/2012 4:55 am EST BEIJING (AP) — Television audiences across China watched an anarchist antihero rebel against a totalitarian government and persuade the people to rule themselves. Soon the Internet was crackling with quotes of "V for Vendetta's" famous line: "People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people." The airing of the m... more »

Sex is Better Thursday Afternoon Linkages

Megan MacKenzie at Duck of Minerva - 10 hours ago
Here’s your daily roundup of sex/gender links. First, NPR has reported that sexual assaults have spiked at military academies (a 23% increase with continued evidence that victims are resisting litigation). Yikes. A well-known anti-gay Ugandan (the land of the new and terrible anti-homosexuality bill) pastor used vegetables to graphically demonstrate his interpretation of gay sex Continue reading

Scandal Alert: Congress Is Quietly Abandoning the 5th Amendment

Intercept at The Intercept - 10 hours ago
The Atlantic Conor Friedersdorf *Meet the prominent legislators who think it's okay to throw Americans in jail forever without charges or trial. * [image: gitmo full r.jpg] Reuters What everyone must understand is that American politics doesn't work the way you'd think it would. Most people *presume* that government officials would never willfully withhold penicillin from men with syphilis just to see what would happen if the disease went untreated. It *seems* unlikely that officers would coerce enlisted men into exposing themselves to debilitating nerve gas. Few *expected* that Pr... more »

The Connecticut Elementary School Shooting: Calling Bullshit On The Sandy Hook Hoax!

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 11 hours ago
The more I look at this Sandy Hook shooting, the more I have come to realize that it is nothing but a massive con job by the criminals in the US Government and the Jewish controlled media. ALL of the so called "facts" presented by both officials and the liars in the media have now been shown to be complete and utter bull crap! We are not even sure now if there are even "victims" from this shooting, because the so called "Police" are not allowing any thorough investigation, and there is talk about all the caskets for the upcoming funeral will be "closed". Closed caskets are an o... more »

Manhood

Boris at The Galloping Beaver - 11 hours ago
What Michael Kimmel says: In the coming weeks, we’ll learn more about Adam Lanza, his motives, his particular madness. We’ll hear how he “snapped” or that he was seriously mentally ill. We’ll try to explain it by setting him apart, by distancing him from the rest of us. And we’ll continue to miss the point. Not only are those children at Sandy Hook Elementary School our children. Adam

Hermoso bosque nevado

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 11 hours ago
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Cloture Votes Do Not Equal Filibusters

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 11 hours ago
I don't really agree with filibuster abolitionist Tim Noah about the solution to the dysfunctional Senate, but I need to correct him anyway when he makes his case weaker than it is. Noah: The New Yorker's Hendrik Hertzberg recently calculated that during the past three years Republicans achieved "very nearly *one filibuster for every single goddam day the Senate is in session*" [italics and impiety his, though I endorse both]. Meanwhile, I've calculated that during the current Congress the Senate's ratio of cloture votes (roughly speaking, filibusters) to bills passed doubled. Loo... more »

Hawaii Looking For Senatorial Seniority... Fast

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 11 hours ago
Hanabusa beat Case in the 2010 House special election Politicians from Hawaii understand how congressional seniority works and the state plays up to it. When Daniel Inouye died last week he was the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the longest serving member of the Senate, first elected in 1963. Before that he was a Congressman since Hawaii achieved statehood (1959). At the time of his death his seniority had landed him the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, a post that served Hawaii very , very well. It's likely that Gov. Neil Abercrombie will be eager to choose a r... more »

Niño vestido de duende con adornos de navidad

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 11 hours ago
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Muñeco de nieve con su escoba

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 11 hours ago
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Lindas esferas doradas de navidad

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 11 hours ago
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Adornitos para arbol de navidad

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 11 hours ago
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Perrito con su gorrito de navidad

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 11 hours ago
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Bebe jugando con las luces de navidad

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 11 hours ago
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Why is NOAA Acting Like it has Something to Hide?

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Pielke, Jr.) at Roger Pielke Jr.'s Blog - 12 hours ago
NOAA -- the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and parent agency to the cooperative institute where I am a Fellow here at the University of Colorado -- is acting like an agency with something to hide. Last week I described the problematic nature of the so-called 'hurricane deductible" and how it placed NOAA, and its National Hurricane Center in particular, in a very difficult situation. Specifically, the NHC's preliminary (and not yet final) characterization of the meteorological characteristics of Sandy at landfall implicated tens of billions of dollars in winners a... more »

Arbole de navidad con una gran estrella en la punta

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 12 hours ago
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When Beijing Comes Calling

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 12 hours ago
The people of Morococha situated on a Peruvian hill called Toromocho aren't much to speak of. Morococha is a shanty town for its 5,000 inhabitants or at least it was until Chinalco, the Aluminum Corporation of China, got a 35-year deal to mine the hell out of their mountain. Chinalco, a "SOE" or state owned enterprise of the Communist Chinese government, figures it can get $50-billion worth of copper, silver and molybdenum out of Toromocho but the people of Morococha have to scram. *Despite a huge effort by the Chinese to build a new town six miles down the road, locals are sceptic... more »

Muñecos de peluche para navidad

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 12 hours ago
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The End of A Different Perspective

KRandle at A Different Perspective - 12 hours ago
As you all know, tomorrow the world ends. I don't know if it will come in a collision with an invisible, undetected planet that will smash the Earth into dust, in a Cosmic Ray Burst that will strip the Ozone from the atmosphere allowing the sun to kill us slowly with radiation, in a swarm of meteors and asteroids, or if the Earth will respond with volcanoes, earthquakes and storms that will kill billions... the power grids will be down and the Internet gone. With that, this blog will fade away like everything else... Or, if the world does not end tomorrow, well, then, we'll all be ... more »

Esferas de colores con moños dorados

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 12 hours ago
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Can someone who wears niqab for religious reasons can be required to remove it while testifying? It depends

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 12 hours ago
R v NS 2012 SCC 72 deals with the issue of a witness covering the face for religious reasons. A summary follows: The issue is when, if ever, a witness who wears a niqab for religious reasons can be required to remove it while testifying. Two sets of * Charter *rights are potentially engaged — the witness's freedom of religion and the accused's fair trial rights, including the right to make full answer and defence. An extreme approach that would always require the witness to remove her niqab while testifying, or one that would never do so, is untenable. The answer lies in a just ... more »

Muñecos de nieve con regalos y bastones de dulce

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 12 hours ago
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America's War on Basra and Fallujah Grinds On

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 12 hours ago
And you thought America's war on Iraq was over. Remember Basra? Remember Fallujah? They were two Iraqi cities that endured extensive fighting when American and Coalition forces moved in. The guns fell silent years ago but the casualties continue to mount only now, instead of shrapnel wounds, the killers are cancers and birth defects and the finger is being pointed at the Americans love for "DU" or depleted uranium munitions. US Tanks Rolling Into Fallujah *Though they are small, the graves are crowded so tightly together that they are almost on top of one another. They look as if... more »

Victoria Soto and Wendy Kopp!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 12 hours ago
*THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2012* *As enabled by Charlie Rose:* Victoria Soto, 27, was a first-grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary. This morning, Joseph Berger describes her funeral in the New York Times. The whole piece is well worth reading: BERGER (12/20/12): *Remembering the Passion of a Teacher Who Died Protecting Students* [...] *Ms. Soto’s aunt, Debbie Cronk, a teacher who was her professional inspiration, remembered how exuberant Ms. Soto was when she called five years ago to say she had secured a job at Sandy Hook Elementary.* But Ms. Cronk also remembered her mischievou... more »

Gun Facts, Myths, and Information

Matt at The Coming Crisis - 12 hours ago
Download the full info-pack, with charts and so on, here. A few samples from the download which should peak your interest. *Myth: Assault weapons are a serious problem in the U.S.* Fact: In 1994, before the Federal “assault weapons ban,” you were eleven (11) times more likely to be beaten to death than to be killed by an “assault weapon.” *Myth: Guns are not a good deterrent to crime* Fact: Guns prevent an estimated 2.5 million crimes a year or 6,849 every day. Often the gun is never fired and no blood (including the criminal’s) is shed. *Myth: Private ownership of guns is not effe... more »

Thousands expected at Ottawa protest Friday Dec. 21, 2012

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 12 hours ago
  Mohawks march on Montreal Bridge http://www.globalnews.ca/idle+no+more+protest+on+mercier+bridge+in+montreal+to+draw+attention+to+bill+c-45/6442776204/story.html Thousands expected at Ottawa protest News release Posted at Censored News http//www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com First Nations people and their supporters are uniting under the banner Idle No More against the federal government’s

Minister Attacked, Robbed In Philadelphia, Center City

Matt at The Coming Crisis - 12 hours ago
Philadelphia police are looking for a man who robbed and attacked a minister Wednesday in broad daylight. The attack happened at about 3:30 p.m. near 11th and Walnut Streets in Center City. Investigators say the thief used pepper spray on the victim and then stole a money clip containing $125. The suspect then ran away on foot. Police are asking anyone with information to contact the authorities. http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/12/19/minister-attacked-robbed-in-center-city/

FAKERY AT SANDY HOOK

Anon at aangirfan - 12 hours ago
Jack Rosen, a psychologist, heard what he thought was shots being fired by a hunter in the woods. Jack Rosen then had four little girls and two little boys staying in his home for a few hours. These small children had escaped from the 'Sandy Hook shootings'. "The two boys described seeing their teacher being shot," according to Rosen. Sandy-Hook-shooting-The-moment-neighbor-surviving-graders Are you suspicious? *The first victims of the shooter were Moslems.* *What Professor George J. Stein wrote in his 1995 essay "Information Warfare":* *"Today, the techniques of combining ... more »

Pinos de navidad de fantasia

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 12 hours ago
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A Christmas present: a Forum on Iain M. Banks’ new novel

Patrick Thaddeus Jackson at Duck of Minerva - 13 hours ago
Iain M. Banks, an especial favorite author of mine and someone on whom I‘ve written before, published a new novel earlier this Fall: The Hydrogen Sonata, the latest installment in his ongoing series of novels about The Culture, a post-scarcity pan-human civilization largely controlled by hyper-advanced artificial intelligences called Minds. I invited four other scholars Continue reading

The story of how you will be assassinated by the Federal Government. Factual and Verifiable.

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 13 hours ago
David Andrew Christenson David Andrew Christenson Everything that I state is documented, factual and verifiable (see www.persimmonpublishingus.com and Federal and State Court records). I have never been charged with a crime (See the docket). Look at what they did to me for writing and doing research, for being a Federal Whistleblower. The Federal Government murdered Coast Guard Commander William Goetzee for being a Federal Whistleblower on the BP Oil Spill. The following should provide clear and concise evidence that the Federal Government is the enemy and that all Americans shoul... more »

Does stephen harper want Chief Theresa Spence to die???

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 13 hours ago
She is on DAY TEN of a hunger-strike to try to get that racist piece-of-shit to agree to a substantive meeting between Native leaders the Crown's representative and himself. Does the asshole want to see her suffer permanent organ damage? To die??? I wouldn't be surprised if the turd has some delusions of grandeur, thinking that he's the goddamned prime minister and he won't have his hand forced by some publicity-seeking hunger-striker. This wouldn't surprise me because harper is an idiot who has no genuine idea about what his policies of racist imperialism really mean. The fool has ... more »

FOOLED ABOUT SCHOOLS: Black kids beat Finland!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 13 hours ago
*THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2012* *Part 4—Disaggregation and more:* American students did surprisingly well on last year’s international tests. That is especially true in reading, where American fourth-graders, the only grade tested, pretty much kicked the ass of the world. See THE DAILY HOWLER, 12/19/12. Why was this performance “surprising?” Let us count two ways: In part, the performance may seem surprising because so much effort has been made, in recent years, to denigrate American teachers, students and schools. Everybody knows this script—and this script was extended in last we... more »

In Mexico, New Agers say end of Mayan calendar will herald 'cosmic dawn,' not end of world

Matt at The Coming Crisis - 13 hours ago
The celebration of the cosmic dawn began with a fumbling of the sacred fire meant to honour Friday's end of the Mayan long count calendar. Gabriel Lemus, the white-haired guardian of the flame, burned his finger on the kindling and later somebody knocked a burning log out of the ceremonial brazier onto the wooden stage, before he quickly scooped it up. Still, the white-clad Lemus, like about 1,000 other shamans, seers, stargazers, crystal enthusiasts, yogis, sufis and swamis in a Merida convention centre about an hour and a half from the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza, was convinced th... more »

China airs "V for Vendetta" on national television in shocking move away from censorship

Matt at The Coming Crisis - 13 hours ago
Television audiences across China watched an anarchist antihero rebel against a totalitarian government and persuade the people to rule themselves. Soon the Internet was crackling with quotes of "V for Vendetta's" famous line: "People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people." The airing of the movie Friday night on China Central Television stunned viewers and raised hopes that China is loosening censorship. "V for Vendetta" never appeared in Chinese theaters, but it is unclear whether it was ever banned. An article on the Communist Par... more »

Hampshire village Evacuation As Flood Alerts Spread

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 13 hours ago
Residents of a Hampshire village have been urged to evacuate their homes as heavy rainfall continues to spread across the UK - with more than 270 flood alerts and warnings in place. The Environment Agency (EA) said a severe flood warning for Wallington prompted the need for an evacuation notice. http://news.sky.com/story/1028153/village-evacuation-as-flood-alerts-spread

Marco Rubio on Hannity: The $16 Trillion U.S. Debt is the "real fiscal cliff"...(video 12/19)

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 13 hours ago
*Hannity: "The Republicans must make the moral case against generational theft."* * **Rubio: "Raising taxes doesn't solve anything."*

Qi Makes Smartphones Even Smarter

Martyn Daniels at Brave New World - 13 hours ago
How many times have you been out on the road and found that your phone was running short of battery life? It’s a problem we have all encountered and apart from always charging your phone, there are two obvious remedies, suppliers investing in better battery technology, or providing portable top up solutions. Toyota is leading the way to make charging more available and easier whilst on the move. Next year they will introduce Qi (not the Stephen Fry game show) pronounced ‘chee’. Qi works via magnetic induction that transmits energy over a magnetic field and was used on the, no forg... more »

How Nuclear Energy in Japan Got Linked to National Security

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 14 hours ago
In 1955 Japan passed its Atomic Energy Basic Law, which allowed peaceful development of nuclear energy in a nation that had suffered two atomic bomb attacks. Public acceptance of nuclear power in Japan was remarkable given the time period. After World War II, Japan’s citizens were not enthralled with nuclear. Irradiation of Japanese fishermen in the Bikini Atoll in 1954 solidified strong anti-nuclear sentiments. However, one man played a vital role in shaping a strategic shift toward nuclear and the U.S. He also shaped Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party, which is now back in pow... more »

Hypocrisy?

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 14 hours ago

UN leaders to condemn Palestinians for incitement to terrorism | CiF Watch

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 14 hours ago
United Nations do something useful, I am in shock... http://cifwatch.com/2012/12/20/un-leaders-to-condemn-palestinians-for-incitement-to-terrorism/ The four European members of the United Nations security council are drawing up a strong joint condemnation of recent Palestinian acts of terrorist incitement amid growing international censure. The unusual statement, expected this week from the UK, France, Germany and Portugal, follows blunt criticism from the US of official PA radio broadcast of songs explicitly encouraging Palestinians to engage in deadly suicide bombings against Isr... more »

NCC to stand firm against WantWant Media Maw?

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 14 hours ago
*Pandemonium in the cafeteria today as dozens of groups competed in the annual gingerbread house building contest on campus.* The Taipei Times reports: National Communications Commission (NCC) Chairman Howard Shyr (石世豪) yesterday said the commission’s ruling on Want Want China Times Group’s purchase of cable TV services owned by China Network Systems (CNS) remain unchanged and that the transaction would not take effect until the group fulfilled each and every requirement issued by the commission. .... The preconditions include that group chairman Tsai Eng-meng (蔡衍明) and his famil... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 14 hours ago
*Louisiana delegates mostly oppose president’s budget compromise* *New $1.1 billion hurricane levee proposed for New Orleans East Land Bridge* *La. fails to clear disaster preparedness checklist* *Potential strike would shut down ports across East, Gulf coasts * *La. hospice cuts worse than previously announced* *Ian McNulty on the New Orleans restaurant scene in 2012: a boom year ~Gambit* *"Liquid Land" film explores New Orleans' improvisational jazz scene, post-Katrina ~Allison Fensterstock *

Some Thoughts on the Korean Election: Left Blew a Good Chance to Win

Robert Kelly at Duck of Minerva - 14 hours ago
This pic is from the TV election coverage on the Korean version of CNN. That would be the two main candidates (the liberal Moon Jae-In on the left, and conservative Park Geun-Hye, who won, on the right) as dancing electronic cartoon avatars. Yes, they do look like boogying Nintendo Miis, and yes, they are the Continue reading

The Un-COLA Nuts

jurassicpork at Welcome Back to Pottersville - 14 hours ago
I don't feel sorry for liberals now any more than I did four years ago. It wasn't as if they weren't warned They should've known what they were getting during the campaign trail when Obama joined virtually every American politician since Truman by pledging support for Israel at a video conference with AIPAC in which he tried to out-Lieberman Lieberman while paying barely more than lip service to Palestine that, in the balance, has less of a right to exist than Israel that kills people all over the Middle East with impunity because Hamas kills less people all over the Middl... more »

Calling bullshit on the Sandy Hook hoax!

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 14 hours ago
At this point, it is safe to say that the official narrative of the Sandy Hook school shooting is fraudulent, and a major coverup and PSYOP is underway. On Monday, the *Huffington Post* reported that the Connecticut State Police have "indefinitely seized" all crime scenes connected to the shooting, namely the Sandy Hook Elementary School and the Newton, CT home of the Lazna's. How convenient for the perps and PSYOP experts. Connecticut State Police announced Monday they will be *holding all crimes scenes connected to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting for the foreseeable f... more »

Author-selected contents of the article: "US news is agenda-driven. As the media simply goes along with the official story and does not investigate, it is impossible to know what really happened. People just accept the official story. Children lost their lives, families lost their children, and the tragedy is being used to disarm Americans faced with a police state growing in power and menace."

David L Griscom at Cherchez la Verite - 14 hours ago
------------------------------ *Agenda Driven News* ------------------------------ December 19, 2012 | *Original Here* I have known for a long time that US news is agenda-driven. Tonight (December 18) I was made aware of the extent to which agenda-driven US news drives the news of the rest of the world. For reasons unbeknownst to me, Russia Today Moscow requested a live TV interview via Skype about the Newtown, Connecticut, school shootings that killed 20 young children and several adults. I was interested to know what was Moscow’s interest in the shootings, and I agreed to the int... more »

Scandal Alert: Congress Is Quietly Abandoning the 5th Amendment

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 14 hours ago
CONOR FRIEDERSDORF *Meet the prominent legislators who think it's okay to throw Americans in jail forever without charges or trial. * [image: gitmo full r.jpg] Reuters What everyone must understand is that American politics doesn't work the way you'd think it would. Most people *presume* that government officials would never willfully withhold penicillinfrom men with syphilis just to see what would happen if the disease went untreated. It *seems*unlikely that officers would coerce enlisted men into exposing themselves to debilitating nerve gas. Few *expected* that President Oba... more »

Ho-ho-ho! Peace on earth, good will toward . . . BARF!!!

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 15 hours ago
* * *"People turning St. Patrick's Day into a drunken festival is one thing. Now, Christmas is a time for drunks to ruin another holiday."* *-- Steve Belida, co-chairman of the Hell's Kitchen 50th-51st Street Block Association* *by Ken* Ho-ho-ho! Talk about leading a sheltered life, about being way, way out of it. For a couple of years now I've been dimly aware of a phenomenon during the holiday season: of people, more specifically youngish people, wandering the sidewalks of Manhattan dressed as Santa (sort of), traveling in packs, and in a state of jollity that transcends that tra... more »

Wow and I thought Chris Patten was arrogant, he's got nothing on Piers Morgan

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 15 hours ago
Great interviewing style Piers... Piers Morgan on his CNN show 'interviewing' Larry Pratt, the Executive Director of Gun Owners of America, calling him "an unbelievably stupid man" who's "dangerous," - Thank heavens Piers Morgan is no longer on British TV, I hope CNN see sense soon.

$180 Million Spent And We're Right Back To Square One

Way Way Up at Fort McMurray Adventures - 15 hours ago
I apologize ahead of time if you're reading this and are unfamiliar with the layout of Fort McMurray but for anyone who's ever been stuck in traffic during the morning commute I'm sure you will be able to relate. Back in early November, the 7th if I recall correctly, the Confederation overpass linking highway 63 to the Timberlea subdivision. It was actually slated to open October 16 but the date was pushed back due to construction delays. In hindsight, they probably should have just kept it closed. Traffic flow on 63 northbound seemed pure ambrosia when just the Thickwood overp... more »

Read Stuff, You Should

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 15 hours ago
Happy Birthday to Aubrey Huff, 36. A bit of good stuff: 1. A DC Statehood bill is introduced. I'm sort of thinking it won't quite pass this year...Mike DeBonis is not amused. 2. Brian Beutler on Plan B, which he sees as a Boehner misfire. Could be. 3. Dan Drezner isn't particularly upset about the Kagans. 4. And what's up with TSA, by Amy Zegart.

The War On Wages Continues

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 15 hours ago
On the subject of rotating teacher strikes in Ontario, Tom Walkom offers a little historical perspective: When Bob Rae’s New Democratic Party government overrode collective agreements in 1993, many private sector unions — including the Steelworkers and my union, the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers — broke with their public sector counterparts to support the NDP regime. The essence of their argument would be familiar today: private sector workers had already suffered from what was, at the time, the biggest recession since the 1930s; therefore, public sector workers had ... more »

Why did the Gingerbread man go to see the doctor?

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 16 hours ago
Because he felt crummy!

Hess Concerned about "Commercialization of Tragedy"?

P. L. Thomas at Schools Matter - 16 hours ago
Staunch and relentless advocate for free market reform—enamored with terms such as "innovative"—Rick Hess at his *EdWeek* blog has offered a concern about coverage and reactions to the horror at Sandy Hook Elementary: "But I've also been disheartened, once again, by the commercialization of tragedy. I've been appalled by news coverage that quickly bleeds from respectful to rapacious, as reporters and cable bookers find ever more angles to keep the story alive. I'm horrified by advocates and education pundits who seize upon Newtown as a 'hook' to place an op-ed or push their favorite... more »

The World Will Not End Tomorrow by M.N.Hopkins

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 16 hours ago
The Morning Dream. http://www.deviantart.com/#/d5kw70y *The world will not end tomorrow.* *Ask me how I know?* *Because Love yet lives in our world of Man.* *As long as Love lives.* *Life will continue.* *As long as Light lives.* *The darkness is kept at bay.* *Fear not.* *For tomorrow, comes with the dawn.* *M.N. Hopkins*

Gangsters, collect 'em while they're hot!

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 17 hours ago
Taichung AmCham alerted me to this tale of gangsters raiding the local post office (here and here). Earlier this week at the Fengyuan Post Office here in the Kingdom of Chung, people started lining up as early as 3 AM according to media reports to purchase the Year of the Snake stamp sets. However, just as the Post Office was about to open to eager collectors, a group of 70 lads clad identically in black pushed their way to the head of the line and started threatening postal workers and intimidating innocent stamp collectors. Women with children were almost knocked down, according t... more »

Sandy Hook: Multiple Shooters and audio

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 17 hours ago
The media is clearly doing damage control regarding the Sandy Hook shootings: When the incident began there were numerous media *reports (take note that is more then one report)* of multiple shooters at the school.The media is using the 'confusion' meme. Frankly, I do not buy it. There is no reason to assume anyone, let alone more then one individual, would be "confused" about seeing two shooters. *From Here* Authorities expected to encounter a second shooter as they converged on the building, according to a recording of a 911 tape that was independently verified by Hearst Connecti... more »

Fear keeps Egypt's Christians away from polls

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 17 hours ago
A campaign of intimidation by Islamists left most Christians in this southern Egyptian province too afraid to participate in last week's referendum on an Islamist-drafted constitution they deeply oppose, residents say. The disenfranchisement is hiking Christians' worries over their future under empowered Muslim conservatives. Around a week before the vote, some 50,000 Islamists marched through the provincial capital, Assiut, chanting that Egypt will be "Islamic, Islamic, despite the Christians." At their head rode several bearded men on horseback with swords in scabbards on their hi... more »

NASA denies world's end as queries skyrocket

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 17 hours ago
If there's one US government body really looking forward to December 22, it's NASA. The space agency said it had been flooded with calls and emails from people asking about the purported end of the world - which, as the doomsday myth goes, is apparently set to take place on December 21. The myth may have originated with the Mayan calendar, but in the age of the internet and social media it proliferated online, raising questions and concerns among people around the world who turned to NASA for answers. An agency spokesman, Dwayne Brown, said NASA usually received about 90 calls or em... more »

Free Music?

Martyn Daniels at Brave New World - 17 hours ago
The music industry continues to grapple with streaming and new subscription models and is generally shrinking and what is a volatile market. The pirates are still here, but so are a growing number of services whose legitimacy is often hard to determine. Free music and file sharing can be traced back to Napster and those that followed such as Kazaa and The Pirate Bay. Free music is not going away and making sense of where we will end up and balance the market is often hard to determine. This week we were introduced to a new Android app ‘Music Download Pro’. It looked and behaved... more »

Torrential rain leaves south-west England flooded

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 17 hours ago
Several people have been rescued from their vehicles and trains have been cancelled after torrential rain. Trains between Liskeard and Looe in Cornwall and between Bournemouth and Brockenhurst in Hampshire are affected. The Cornish villages of Polbathic, Altarnun, St Keverne, Gunwalloe, Gorran Haven and Mevagissey are also flooded. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-20786462

Israeli attacks on journalists in Gaza 'violated the laws of war'...So why is nothing being done about it?

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 17 hours ago
Four Israeli attacks on journalists and media facilities in Gaza during the November 2012 conflict violated the laws of war by targeting civilians and civilian objects, says a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW). It has made a detailed investigation into the incidents. In the attacks, two Palestinian cameramen were killed, at least 10 media workers were wounded and four media offices were badly damaged. A two-year-old boy was killed in one shelling. HRW says it found no evidence to support the contention by the Israeli government that each of the four attacks was on a legitimate mili... more »

GLOBAL MARKETS-Stalled US budget talks send shares lower, BoJ eases

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 17 hours ago
World shares held near 17-month highs on Thursday, ending a week-long rally, while oil fell as the latest setback in talks to avert a U.S. fiscal crisis kept buyers away. In the currency market, the Bank of Japan's widely expected decision to ease policy for a third time in four months encouraged traders who had sold the yen ahead of the move to take profits, sending the dollar and euro up. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/20/markets-global-idUSL5E8NK30Q20121220

China Knife Attacks: Pupils Taught To Combat Threat

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 17 hours ago
Chinese schools are teaching young students how to fight off knife-wielding attackers following a string of stabbings aimed at children. Twenty-seven people have been killed and more than 80 injured since March in a spate of knife attacks that have alarmed the public. The most recent school attack, on Friday, saw Min Yongjun stab and slash 22 students at a primary school in the central Chinese province of Henan. http://news.sky.com/story/1027992/knife-attacks-pupils-taught-to-combat-threat

Eagle Prank Video: Students Admit Trickery

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 17 hours ago
Three students from Canada have admitted creating a fake video that appears to show an eagle snatching a child. In the first 24 hours it was online, the clip of the eagle swooping and lifting the toddler off the ground was watched more than five million times. But a university in Montreal has since confirmed the video was made as part of a 3D animation course and that both the eagle and the child are fake. http://news.sky.com/story/1028056/eagle-prank-video-students-admit-trickery

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake HOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION - 20th December 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 17 hours ago
Magnitude 4.7 Date-Time Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 10:54:27 UTC Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 07:54:27 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 42.179°N, 142.622°E Depth 9.8 km (6.1 miles) Region HOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION Distances 26 km (16 miles) SE of Shizunai, Japan
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