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| Eddo Stern discusses Tekken Torture Tournament at Art Center Media Design Program Design Dialogues (Photo credit: G A R N E T) |
The Academic-Policy Nexus: a few more thoughts
Regarding my previous post and the very useful comments, first the matter of what do we do once we realize that a policy problem in search of a policy solution is the equivalent of a social scientific puzzle in search of an explanation, for both the solution and the explanation are outcomes. In other words, Continue reading
Hollywood studios employees caught pirating films
The US movie industry claims online piracy is costing it billions of dollars in lost revenues. However, data released by TorrentFreak shows “BitTorrent piracy is rampant in Hollywood” where studios employees are busy pirating films. “Hollywood isn’t without ‘sin’ when it comes to piracy. The MPAA and others lobby very hard for anti-piracy measures, but can’t even stop piracy in the offices of their own member studios,” Torrentfreak.com reported. The website dedicated to reporting the latest news and trends on the BitTorrent protocol and file sharing claims “BitTorrent piracy is r... more »
"Leverage" spoiler alert: The show goes out on a high note, imagining a lovely conspiracy of the world's overprivileged elites
*The Leverage team*: *Nate (Timothy Hutton), Sophie (Gina Bellman), Eliot (Christian Kane), Hardison (Aldis Hodge), and Parker (Beth Riesgraf)* *"The world's economy would never stabilize with endless parades of bankers being led around in chains. The system has to work. The guys who used to run it have to keep running it."* *-- Interpol agent James Sterling (Mark A. Sheppard), in last night's final episode of Leverage, "The Long Good-bye Job"* *"Leverage was one of the few shows that pointed out how outmatched individuals are by profit-obsessed corporations. In its last season the ... more »
Oh, Shoot! I Forgot Morning Linkage!
I’m now on my sixth day of the sick, so in lieu of a post that requires much thought: Yay for USB-powered microphones and pop filers. The first will make it much easier to record podcasts at conferences. The second will make it much easier to record podcasts. Lyra heartily endorses the following: Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Continue reading
Mohawk Nation News 'Indigenous Liberation'
MNN. INDIGENOUS LIBERATION By Mohawk Nation News http://www.mohawknationnews.com MNN. Dec. 25, 2012. Prime Minister Harper has declared war! Gear up for liberation! For hundreds of years we Indigenous People of the Western Hemisphere have seen the enormity of destruction of our land and lives by foreign occupiers. They placed us under
John Friend's Truth Militia Broadcast For Monday, December 24th, 2012, With Special Guest Darryl Bradford Smith
I just spent the last few days with family celebrating Christmas. It also was a time to unwind from a very brutal work schedule. It definitely is nice to take a break from blogging once in a while to recharge the batteries... I was again busy on Monday, December 24th, with some last minute shopping and some personal business. I therefore missed John Friend's ( www.johnfriendsblog.blogspot.com) Truth Militia (www.truthmilitia.com) broadcast for Monday (My apologies to John!). However, today, I finally spnet the last few hours listening to it in the archives, and it again was ab... more »
Aborting This Somalia Post
"Abortion rights part of Somalia draft debate" by Abdi Guled and Jason Straziuso | Associated Press, July 27, 2012 MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali leaders are debating a new constitution that *protects the right to have an abortion to save the life of the mother*, and an international law group says the draft guarantees *more fundamental rights than the US Constitution*. * **That last one is a shocker. * That is one reason some women are celebrating the document, and hard-line conservatives are protesting some of its more liberal promises. But some of the rights introduced, such as th... more »
Former President George H.W. Bush condition "worsening" while in hospital
A spokesman says the fever that kept former President George H.W. Bush in a Houston hospital over Christmas has worsened, and doctors have put him on a liquids-only diet. Jim McGrath had said earlier Wednesday that the fever had gone away. He later corrected himself and said the fever "elevated" in recent days. McGrath says doctors also put the 88-year-old former president on a liquid diet, though he could not say why. McGrath says doctors have been treating the "stubborn" fever with Tylenol but still haven't nailed down a cause. http://www.foxsanantonio.com/template/inews_wire/w... more »
Orange Julius' Merry Christmas To Jobless Americans: Your Emergency Benefits Will End
By Manifesto Joe The best Christmas gift I could have gotten from whatever gods may be came to me on Christmas Eve. I got a job offer, after just over five months of unemployment. I happily accepted. Not everyone out there is so fortunate, and there but for the grace of God go I. On Saturday, December 29, federal emergency unemployment benefits will end for some 2.1 million Americans, including those in my state who have been jobless for over six months. I'm certain that Republicans, being the smug types that they are, will try to somehow blame President Obama for this, since he re... more »
Ending the Sudan Post Famine
*I'm not sure **how long** it has been, but this is what the Globe has served up since:* "UN airdrops food to Sudan refugees" Associated Press, August 17, 2012 JUBA, South Sudan — Officials from a *United Nations food agency airdropped 32 metric tons of food* to refugees on the South Sudan-Sudan border, an *expensive, last-ditch way to get food to tens of thousands of people* who have been forced out of Sudan by fighting and hunger, an official said Thursday. The food was wrapped in rugged bags and pushed out of a cargo plane that flew low and slow, then pointed its nose upward so ... more »
Censored News Top Ten Most Censored 2012
Censored News Most Censored in 2012 By Brenda Norrell Censored News http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com 1. ‘The expendables’ Indigenous Peoples sacrificed by mining and war profiteers The most censored issue of 2012 is the disregard for the lives of Indigenous Peoples by gold, silver, copper, coal and other mining companies, energy corporations and the US war machine, as evidenced in
December UFO Activity "Off the Charts"
*The following videos display UFO activity in December from around the world. You'll notice that many of the objects, and their formations, look remarkably the same.*
6 of the Greatest Men on Earth and Their Stories of Peaceful Victory (If you read anything from our site, read this)
Here at Cracked, we take pride in our quest to chronicle the history of human badassery, from soldiers who make movie heroes look like cowards to people with the ability to survive pretty much whatever the world throws at them. But there's a special kind of badass that doesn't get as much attention, and that's the kind that overcomes horrific violence with nothing but willpower, skill, bravery, and (to be totally fair) a somewhat stupid disregard for personal safety. http://www.cracked.com/article_20157_the-6-most-aggressively-badass-things-done-by-pacifists.html#ixzz2GDRZqaqQ
District traffic cameras to more than double amid record revenues
Traffic camera fines are poised to dip in the District, but one aspect of the controversial program is set to surge in 2013: the number of the devices that generate tickets for common traffic offenses like speeding and running stoplights. Over the course of 2013, the District government will add 134 traffic cameras to its network, more than doubling the size of a system that generated $85 million in revenues for the city in its last fiscal year. Police spokeswoman Gwendolyn Crump told The Washington Examiner that the city will intensify its camera-based efforts to cite motorists for... more »
'Brighter than a full moon': The biggest star of 2013... could be the comet of the century
At the moment it is a faint object, visible only in sophisticated telescopes as a point of light moving slowly against the background stars. It doesn't seem much – a frozen chunk of rock and ice – one of many moving in the depths of space. But this one is being tracked with eager anticipation by astronomers from around the world, and in a year everyone could know its name. Comet Ison could draw millions out into the dark to witness what could be the brightest comet seen in many generations – brighter even than the full Moon. It was found as a blur on an electronic image of the nigh... more »
Brian Schatz-- Abercrombie Makes The Best Possible Appointment To The Senate
A new progressive U.S. senator When Daniel Inouye died last week, anyone would have predicted New Dem Colleen Hanabusa would have been appointed by Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie to succeed him. It's what Inouye is reported to have wanted. When we looked at the situation here at *DWT* a week ago, Lt. Governor Brian Schatz seemed like too good of an idea to even give serious consideration. It looked to me that it would be the *only* way to keep reactionary corporate whore Ed Case-- who was gearing up to run for Hanabusa's seat-- out of Congress. But I didn't give Governor Abercromb... more »
ALEC Exec Dir Caught LYING about NRA
WELL – ALEC is doing what they do best again - *LYING* And editorial by Executive Director Ron Scheberle included the following misleading statements (my emphasis): I wish that our critics would conduct themselves similarly. Instead, liberal activist groups like Color of Change have used this tragedy to falsely accuse ALEC of collaborating with the National Rifle Association on model legislation. *The truth is that ALEC has no affiliation with the NRA, which is not a member of ALEC.* ALEC is a partnership between state legislators, members of the nonprofit and private sectors, and ... more »
OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE ONE PEOPLE'S PUBLIC TRUST
* * *AK NOTE: I received this today. I have HTML-ized **the **official PDF* * document for readability online. More documents and **email* *background is ** **forthcoming. You can view the original* *PDF document as **it was written by clicking* * on the Scribd logo below:* * * *OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT * *UILO Doc. UCC No.'s* *201227914/2012128324/2012128325* **FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE* * *Trustees:* *Caleb Paul Skinner* *Heather Ann Tucci-Jarraf* *Hollis Randall Hillner* **FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** *Guarding, preserving, protecting and implementing* *the opportunit... more »
Social Security Ran $47.8B Deficit in FY 2012; Disabled Workers Hit New Record in December: 8,827,795
The Social Security program ran a $47.8 billion deficit in fiscal 2012 as the program brought in $725.429 billion in cash and paid $773.247 for benefits and overhead expenses, according to official data published by Social Security Administration. The Social Security Administration also released new data revealing that the number of workers collecting disability benefits hit a record 8,827,795 in December--up from 8,805,353 in November. The overall number of Social Security program beneficiaries—including retired workers, dependent family members and survivors and disabled workers ... more »
Is This Progress?
The graph above shows the number of people living on less than $2.00 per day, in apples to apples PPP dollars (see below for details), in 1820 and 2005. There are more than 250% more people today living at this very low level of income than almost 200 years ago. Is that progress? *The details:* The figure of 2.6 billion people worldwide living at less than $2.00 per day in 2005 comes from a 2008 World Bank paper by Chen and Ravallion (here in PDF) and specifically their Table 5. The $2.00 are expressed in 2005 international dollars (i.e., PPP adjusted). The figure for 1820 comes... more »
The internet is leaving children brain-dead: Inventor warns 'Google generation who spend life in front of screens are losing creativity and skills'
One of Britain's leading inventors has warned that a 'Google generation' who rely on the internet for everything are in danger of becoming 'brain-dead'. Trevor Baylis, who invented the wind-up radio, said children are losing creativity and practical skills because they spend too much time in front of screens. The 75-year-old said he fears that the next generation of inventors is being lost, with young people often unable to make anything with their hands. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2253170/Inventor-warns-Google-generation-spend-life-screens-losing-creativity-ski... more »
Untitled
*Hope for $andy bill* *Map Of Your Area, Predicted Disasters!* *Drew Brees Drawing Closer to NFL's Greatest Passing Record* *Jerry Jones Says No Thanks to Sean Payton ~Jason Calbos * *Work continues on Joe Brown Park * *Louisiana changing its student testing standards * *Legislators find rewards in raising, breeding horses * *Shrimp and Black-eyed Pea Cakes*
What really matters to the Chinese regime -- and the crucial concept of "face"
*Remember Bo Xilai, the People's Republic rising superstar-turned-dastardly criminal and his dastardly criminal-murderer wife Gu Kailai, who supposedly acted in cahoots with Bo's police chief, Wang Lijun? Now Jonathan Mirsky writes, "It is clear from the relative lightness of the sentences handed down on Gu and Wang that they were rewarded for voicing exactly what was expected of them when they read from their prepared scripts in the brief glimpses we had of their trials."* *by Ken* In April, I wrote a post called "When masters of corruption are also students -- the thrill of the ... more »
The consequences of excessive detail.
A reader of Diane Ravitch’s blog (http://dianeravitch.net), December 20, 2012, commented about the amount of detail in the standards: “ (The excessive) amount of detail reduces flexibility, ownership, and increases dependency on publishers and corporation produced curriculum and assessment. It leaves little room for education; to draw out and support the development of student’s unique talents. It leaves little time for teachers to realistically prepare thoughtful curriculum or accomodate developmental differences. Instead it promotes a highly prescribed training of children.” My ... more »
Unemployment Is Not Going Down: The Employment Rate Has Been Under 59 Percent For 39 Months In A Row
The mainstream media is heralding the decline of the official unemployment rate to 7.7 percent as evidence that the U.S. economy is improving. But it is a giant lie. The truth is that unemployment in America is not actually going down. The percentage of working age Americans with a job actually dropped slightly in November. During the last recession, the percentage of working age Americans with a job fell from about 63 percent to under 59 percent and it has stayed there for 39 months in a row. In September 2009, during the depths of the last economic crisis, 58.7 percent of all work... more »
15 Signs That The Economy Is Rapidly Getting Worse As We Head Into 2013
The following are 15 signs that the economy is rapidly getting worse as we head into 2013... #1 According to numbers that were just released, the number of Americans on food stamps has risen to a new all-time record of 47.71 million. That is a huge increase of more than 600,000 over the previous reading of 47.10 million. After about a year of slow growth, it looks like the number of Americans on food stamps is starting to skyrocket once again. Back in the 1970s, about one out of every 50 Americans was on food stamps. Today, about one out of every 6.5 Americans is on food stamps. #2... more »
"Cognitive Dissonance: Avoidance, Denial, And Rationalization"
* "Cognitive Dissonance: * *Avoidance, Denial, And Rationalization"* by TruthMove "Sometimes people hold a core belief that is very strong. When they are presented with evidence that works against that belief, the new evidence cannot be accepted. It would create a feeling that is extremely uncomfortable, called cognitive dissonance. And because it is so important to protect the core belief, they will rationalize, ignore and even deny anything that doesn't fit in with the core belief." - Frantz Fanon "Denial and avoidance are among the most important psychological concepts... more »
Doctor Who: Sexism and Audience
*Dr Who* at Christmas is now an established fixture, as festive for the folk of these islands as sausages wrapped in bacon and Noel Edmond's jumpers. And yesterday's annual fare, *Dr Who: The Snowmen* was alright. Like any good Steven Moffat episode, it made sinister the (wintery) accoutrements of childhood - snow, the eponymous snowmen, snow globes - and wrapped them around an absurd plot to conquer the world with ice people. The story arc for the 2013 season is set up nicely as the new companion, Clara Oswin Oswald (Jenna Louise Coleman - pictured), is seemingly reincarnated at d... more »
Odious and disgusting . . .
KUDOS TO MONTREAL SIMON: his post, "When the Cons Try to Cover Up Murder" is something you must read. Stevie will have much to answer for.
The Economy: “Say Goodbye To The Good Life”
*“Say Goodbye To The Good Life”* by Michael Synder "Will this be the last normal holiday season that Americans ever experience? To many Americans, such a notion would be absolutely inconceivable. After all, in the affluent areas of the country restaurants and malls are absolutely packed. Beautiful holiday decorations are seemingly everywhere this time of the year and children all over the United States are breathlessly awaiting the arrival of Santa Claus. Even though poverty is exploding to unprecedented levels, most families will still have mountains of presents under their Chr... more »
Obama Gives OK For Black Box Data Recorders to Be Installed in All Cars
With complete disregard for driver privacy, the Obama administration gave their consent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to mandate black box event data recorders (EDR) be installed in all new cars in the US. The NHTSA says that by September 2014 all car and light trucks will be equipped with EDRs that will silently “record the actions of drivers and the responses of their vehicles in a continuous information loop.” The information recorded by EDRs includes: • vehicle speed • whether the brake was activated in the moments before a crash • crash forces at... more »
More Phony Employment Numbers
Statistician John Williams (shadowstats.com) calls the government’s latest jobs and unemployment reports “nonsense numbers.” There are a number of ongoing problems with the released numbers. For example, the concurrent-seasonal factor adjustments are unstable. The birth-death model adds non-existent jobs each month that are then taken out in the annual downward benchmark revisions. Williams calculates that the job overstatement through November averages 45,000 monthly. In other words, employment gains during 2012 have been overstated by about 500,000 jobs. Another problem is that ea...more »
Jewish Anti Zionism is a Myth Not The Wisest Phil Around
God bless Philip Weiss, the progressive Jewish blogger brave enough to admit in public those things other Jewish ethnic activists prefer to shove under the carpet. A year ago, Weiss was brave enough to confess to me that it is ‘Jewish self interests’ that stands at the core of his pro Palestinian activism. Also, a few weeks ago, the same Weiss was honest enough to announce that his Jewish ‘progressive’ internet journal, Mondowiess, changed its comment policy and “will no longer serve as a forum to pillory Jewish culture and religion as the driving factors in Israeli and US policy.” ... more »
The American Worship of Empire
My dear activist friend Edward Dunphy likes to use the expression ‘The Christian Right is NEITHER” whenever he debates those folks. Amazing, how we are living in a time when, as with the Inquisition, God is placed on a pedestal of violence and terror…. all in the name of Peace! Let me also say that this type of mindset transcends politics. After all, we know about the one party that carries Jesus around in its pocket like some good luck charm. The Republicans who subscribe to Christianity actually think that the man called the Prince of Peace would condone all that they stand for. D... more »
Christmas 2012 Recap
It's Southern Man's favorite time of the year! As always, the clan gathered at the Ancestral Manor for Christmas Eve for long-held family traditions: reading from Matthew, a lovely *a capella*rendition of *Mary, Did You Know* by Teen Daughter the Younger, lots of good food, and the gift exchange and stockings. Three fine young Southern Nephews. Adopted Youngest Nephew and Teen Daughter The Younger dig through their stockings. From the expression on her face there's some good stuff on that dance game. Teen Daughter the Elder is marooned up north at Ft. Meade but she called and ... more »
Fracking Seen Robbing OPEC’s Power to Set U.S. Gasoline Prices
The success of American drillers in coaxing fossil fuels from shale rock has the potential to boost production so much that it may deny OPEC the power to set global oil and gasoline prices, an intelligence advisory panel concluded. Rising domestic production from hydraulic fracturing is expanding U.S. supplies, which would shift the balance of power in global energy markets, according to the report by the National Intelligence Council released today. The council, an adviser to the director of national intelligence, publishes a report every four years to aid policymakers’ long-term p... more »
Israel not concerned Assad will use chemical weapons against it, top minister says
Israel does not believe embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad will use chemical weapons against the Jewish state, a senior minister said Sunday, amid reports that the depots in the war-torn country are being readied for use. Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya’alon told Israel Radio that he saw no indication Assad was going to use the country’s large stores of weapons on Israel. http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-not-concerned-assad-will-use-chemical-weapons-against-it-top-official-says/
Grisly video allegedly shows Syrian rebels forcing child to behead unarmed prisoner
A graphic video recently posted to YouTube allegedly shows Syrian rebels forcing a child to behead an unarmed prisoner. A recent series of similarly brutal incidents has done little to dampen foreign calls to arm the Syrian opposition. The video shows a child hacking an alleged prisoner’s head off with a machete. Militants then hold up a severed head while chanting "Allahu Akbar," or “God is great.” It is the latest in a string of especially grisly incidents which have become more common in recent months. http://rt.com/news/syria-weapons-opposition-us-746/
The threat of drones ushering in ‘invisible wars’
Obama’s end to the war in Iraq and promises to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan have prevented him from seeming war-hungry. But the increased use of drone strikes during his presidency raises the question among critics that Obama has sidestepped congressional approval for declaration of war. This criticism also points to what some see as an overreliance on technology, which Obama has admitted is tempting. “There’s a remoteness to it that makes it tempting to think that somehow we can, without any mess on our hands, solve vexing security problems,” Obama has stated. http://www.w... more »
ProPublica: Uranium Mining Sacrifices Drinking water
On a Wyoming Ranch, Feds Sacrifice Tomorrow’s Water to Mine Uranium Today by Abrahm Lustgarten ProPublica, Dec. 26, 2012 http://www.propublica.org/article/on-a-wyoming-ranch-feds-sacrifice-tomorrows-water-to-mine-uranium-today[Excerpted] As dry as this land may be, underground, vast reservoirs hold billions of gallons of water suitable for drinking, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Yet every day injection wells pump more than 200,000 gallons of toxic and radioactive waste from uranium mining into Christensen's aquifers.... Twenty-five years ago, the EPA and Wyo... more »
Raiding Consciousness: Why the War on Drugs Is a War on Human Nature
The question that tempts mankind to the use of substances controlled and uncontrolled is next of kin to Hamlet’s: to be, or not to be, someone or somewhere else. Escape from a grievous circumstance or the shambles of an unwanted self, the hope of finding at a higher altitude a new beginning or a better deal. Fly me to the moon, and let me play among the stars; give me leave to drown my sorrow in a quart of gin; wine, dear boy, and truth. That the consummations of the wish to shuffle off the mortal coil are as old as the world itself was the message brought by Abraham Lincoln to an I... more »
Billionaires Warn Higher Taxes Could Prevent Them From Buying Politicians
Introducing a new wrinkle into the already fraught fiscal cliff showdown, a consortium of billionaires today warned that if their taxes are raised they will no longer have enough money to buy politicians. The group, led by casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson, commissioned a new study showing that the cost of an average politician has soared exponentially over the past decade. While the American family has seen increases in the cost of food, health care and education, Mr. Adelson says, “those costs don’t compare with the cost of buying a politician, which has gone through the roof.” ... more »
High-Ranking Syrian General Defects in New Blow to Assad
The New York Times is reporting today that a high-ranking Syrian general has defected, terming his departure "a new blow" to the dictatorship of Bashar Al-Assad. The defector, Maj. Gen. Abdul Azia Jassem al-Shallal, announced his move in a video broadcast by Al Arabiya, saying that he had taken the step because of what he called the Syrian military’s deviation from “its fundamental mission to protect the nation and transformation into gangs of killing and destruction.” An interesting question is how, once Assad falls, the new government of Syria deals with people like Gen. S... more »
46 Trillion Reasons To Evolve Society Right Now
Due to technological advancements, over the past 35 years there has been an explosion in production, distribution, profits and wealth creation. Most of that wealth increase has gone to only one-hundredth of one percent of the population, to the modern day aristocracy. In the United States, the 400 richest people now have as much wealth as 185 million people combined, nearly 60% of the entire population. US millionaire households have at least $46 trillion in wealth, yet only one-tenth of one percent of the population makes one million dollars a year. $46 trillion. Can you comprehend... more »
A Capitalist System Gone Awry
Creating wars to feed the blood-thirsty and greedy beast of the military industry complex has been a common practice in an allegedly democratic nation. Taxpayers’ have flipped this bill for decades under the guise of self-preservation and protection. As always government has used fear to fashion people’s consent and obedience. Meanwhile, corruption is prevalent, our national debt is skyrocketing, and our parasitic superpower is broke. Parasitic it is, because you can’t become super-rich or super-powerful unless you suck the blood and the life out of someone else. In this case, it is... more »
American Militarism Threatening To Set Off World War III
Historically this latest eruption of American militarism at the start of the 21st Century is akin to that of America opening the 20th Century by means of the U.S.-instigated Spanish-American War in 1898. Then the Republican administration of President William McKinley stole their colonial empire from Spain in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines; inflicted a near genocidal war against the Filipino people; while at the same time illegally annexing the Kingdom of Hawaii and subjecting the Native Hawaiian people (who call themselves the Kanaka Maoli) to near genocidal condition... more »
Fact or Propaganda? Russia Arms Syria With Powerful Ballistic Missiles
Hours after NATO agreed on Tuesday to send Patriot missiles to Turkey because of the crisis in Syria, Russia delivered its first shipment of Iskander missiles to Syria. The superior Iskander can travel at hypersonic speed of over 1.3 miles per second (Mach 6-7) and has a range of over 280 miles with pinpoint accuracy of destroying targets with its 1,500-pound warhead, a nightmare for any missile defense system. According to Mashregh, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard media outlet, Russia had warned Turkey not to escalate the situation, but with Turkey’s request for Patriot missiles, ... more »
US Seen as 'First Among Equals' in 2030: Intel Report
The United States will likely be the "first among equals" in 2030 in an increasingly chaotic world where China is the top economy and demand soars for resources, a US intelligence report said Monday. The National Intelligence Council, in its first assessment in four years aimed at shaping US strategic thinking, said that China will surpass the United States as the largest economy in the 2020s, in line with independent forecasts. But the study said that the United States, while weaker, will probably stay the top player in two decades thanks to its role in resolving global crises, it... more »
Iraq Deaths
The estimate that over a million Iraqis have died received independent confirmation from a prestigious British polling agency in January 2008. Opinion Research Business estimated that the death toll between March 2003 and August 2007 was 1,033,000. This devastating human toll demands greater recognition. It eclipses the Rwandan genocide and our leaders are directly responsible. Little wonder they do not publicly cite it. You can use the simple HTML code above to post the counter to your website to help spread the word. Add your name to the petition telling Congress that about a mil... more »
Sea Levels Rising Faster Than Projected
New satellite measurements suggest that global sea levels are rising faster than the most recent projections by the United Nations' climate change panel. The new report found that sea levels are rising at an annual rate of 0.12 inches (3.2 millimeters) — 60 percent faster than the best estimate of 0.08 inches (2 millimeters) per year, which the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) calculated in 2007. "This study shows once again that the IPCC is far from alarmist, but in fact has underestimated the problem of climate change," German oceanographer and climatologist Stefa... more »
Siberia's pesticide dumps may prove a bigger hazard than nuclear waste
At Tegul'det (population 3,000), a village in the south-east corner of Tomsk oblast, it takes a lot to upset the residents, busy hunting, fishing and preening their vegetable patches, except during the six long winter months, when their only distraction is cutting holes in the ice on the river and fishing. Nothing really bothers Alexei, a retired FSB (former KGB secret police) major. Not even the mound of earth that looms just next to his home. Yet 20 tonnes of DDT are buried there, between the settlement and the river Chulym. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/nov/27/siberi... more »
Judge orders tobacco companies to admit deception
Major tobacco companies that spent decades denying they lied to the U.S. public about the dangers of cigarettes must spend their own money on a public advertising campaign saying they did lie, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday. The ruling sets out what might be the harshest sanction to come out of a historic case that the Justice Department brought in 1999 accusing the tobacco companies of racketeering. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/27/us-usa-tobacco-idUSBRE8AQ18A20121127
The Daily "Near You?"
North Port, Florida, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
At the edge of disaster
THE world is on the cusp of a "tipping point" into dangerous climate change, according to new data gathered by scientists measuring methane leaking from the Arctic permafrost and a report presented to the United Nations on Tuesday. "The permafrost carbon feedback is irreversible on human time scales," says the report, Policy Implications of Warming Permafrost. "Overall, these observations indicate that large-scale thawing of permafrost may already have started." http://www.smh.com.au/national/at-the-edge-of-disaster-20121127-2a5xe.html
“The Three Truths”
*“The Three Truths”* "• The soul is immortal, and its future is the future of a thing whose growth and splendor has no limit. • The Principle which gives life dwells in us, and without us, is undying and beneficent, is not heard or seen, or smelt, but it is perceived by the one who desires perception. • Each of us is our own absolute lawgiver, the dispenser of glory or gloom to ourselves, the decreer of our life, our reward, our punishment. These truths which are as great as is life itself are as simple as the simplest mind of man. Feed the hungry with them." - “The Id... more »
Earthcycles and Censored News are broke!
Earthcycles bus at the end of the Long Walk in 2008, after the five month broadcast by Earthcycles and Censored News. Earthcycles and Censored News can't keep going without funds and equipment By Brenda Norrell Censored News http://www.earthcycles.net Earthcycles and Censored News are busted, broke, and would really like to keep going. Among the live broadcasts we have in our vision for
"Centering Ourselves: Gathering Our Straying Thoughts"
* "Centering Ourselves: * *Gathering Our Straying Thoughts"* by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM "All too often our lives can be spread too thin and it becomes important to gather our thoughts and center ourselves to become whole again. When our thoughts are scattered in several directions at once and we are no longer conscious of what we are doing or why, it is time to center ourselves. When we center ourselves, we begin by acknowledging that we have become spread too thin and we are no longer unified inside. Our thoughts might be out of sync with our feelings, and our actions may b... more »
Glen Ford on the Corporate Assault on Public Education and Black Progressivism
Essential history that everyone needs to examine to understand how corporate reform school policy bought legitimacy among minorities by buying politicians like Howard Fuller, Cory Booker, Kevin Chavous, Kevin Johnson, and Floyd Flake. From April 2012:
Obama's 2nd inauguration to draw smaller crowds: 4 more years of Dope and Pain?
Visitors coming to the nation's capital for President Barack Obama's second inauguration can't stay in the one place President Ronald Reagan's family once called an eight-star hotel. That spot is the White House, and it's booked for the next four years. Still, inauguration-goers have a range of lodging options - from crashing on a friend's couch to reasonably priced rooms to ones that cost thousands of dollars a night. With second inaugurations tending to draw fewer spectators, finding a place to stay in Washington won't be nearly as difficult as in 2009. City officials are expect... more »
Fathers disappear from households across America
Nicole Hawkins‘ three daughters have matching glittery boots, but none has the same father. Each has uniquely colored ties in her hair, but none has a dad present in her life. As another single mother on Sumner Road decked her row-house stoop with Christmas lights and a plastic Santa, Ms. Hawkins recalled that her middle child’s father has never spent a holiday or birthday with her. In her neighborhood in Southeast Washington, 1 in 10 children live with both parents, and 84 percent live with only their mother. In every state, the portion of families where children have two parents, ... more »
"How to Deal With A Victim Mentality"
*"How to Deal With A Victim Mentality"* by Dr. Judith Orloff "As a psychiatrist I teach my patients the importance of learning how to deal effectively with draining people. In “Emotional Freedom”, I discuss one of these types which I call “The Victim Mentality.” The victim grates on you with a poor-me attitude, and is allergic to taking responsibility for their actions. People are always against them, the reason for their unhappiness. They portray themselves as unfortunates who demand rescuing, and they will make you into their therapist. As a friend, you want to help, but y... more »
"No Holiday Cheer for Retailers"
The Arizona Republic by D. Wagner Dec 26, 2012 p. A1 "Holiday retail sales this year were the weakest since 2008, when the nation was in a deep recession. In 2012, the shopping season was disrupted by bad weather and consumers' rising uncertainty about the economy" Majia here: Household income continues to stagnate and is a lower level now, on average, than during the height of the recession. That is why holiday sales were weak. Majia's Blog: *Household Income* and the Great Recession Oct 10, 2011 "Between June 2009, when the recession officially ended, and June 2011, inflation-ad... more »
The original Harry Potter?
Terry Scotts' screen wife in Carry On Camping introduces herself as Harry Potter, actually Harriet Potter in the credits.
MARC RICH; JEWISH MAFIA
Marcell Reich, who calls himself Marc Rich, was born into a Jewish family in Belgium. Allegedly, Marc Rich is an asset of the CIA, Mossad and the Russian Jewish Mafia. According to Newsmax, Saturday, March 31, 2001: *"Mark Rich was a key figure in the .... creation of an underground government that survived the break-up of the Soviet Union and still rules Russia today behind the scenes."* Mark Rich Helped KGB Create Hidden Government Former Israel Prime Minister Ehud Barak mentioned Rich’s contributions to Israel’s "national security" in phone calls to Clinton, according to sta... more »
Disfruten lo ultimo que queda del 2012
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Newspaper publishes Gun owners list
News paper thinks all gun owners are fair game...Gun owners think publishers are cowards... Freedom is good.. M'kay? Reporter: Dwight R Worley, 23006 139 Ave, Springfield Gardens, NY 11413, Phone: (718) 527-0832 Journal News President: Janet Hasson, 3 Gate House Lane Mamaroneck, NY 10534, Phone: (914) 694-5204 Editor: Cyndee Royle, 1133 Westchester Ave., Suite N110, White Plains, NY 10604, Phone: (914) 694-9300 Editor: Nancy Cutler, 9 Woodwind Lane, Spring Valley, NY., 10977, Phone: (845) 354-3485 Parent company of The Journal News: Gannett Company Inc., CEO: Gracia C. Martore... more »
"There Will Be No Deal On The Fiscal Cliff"
*"There Will Be No Deal On The Fiscal Cliff"* By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com "Analyst Karl Denninger says, “The best thing we could do as an economy is go straight off the fiscal cliff and not come back because that would take about half of the deficit off the table immediately.” The reason why the U.S. deficit is so large, according to Denninger, “Both sides want to spend more than they take in in taxes.” Denninger says the Federal Reserve enables the U.S. to live well beyond its means. Denninger contends, “The $85 billion a month the Fed is putting into the system enables def... more »
Foam Gingerbread Man Decorating Kit
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I can't believe that Christmas has already come and gone. We had an amazing Christmas. My four-year-old had her fill of Squinkies, Play-doh and doll clothes. It was magical and so much fun. I wish I could have a child this age every Christmas. I completely reorganized and decorated my house these last couple of months and I am excited to show you everything starting next year, but today I am sharing one last gift/craft idea. This is the perfect craft or activity for a family with kids 3-10ish. Who doesn't love to decorate a gingerbread man? For this kit, you will need gingerbread... more »
Gatito con su gorrito de navidad
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Cabaña en la nieve con un muñeco de nieve
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Velas decorativas para una linda cena romantica
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"Obamacare Architect: Expect Steep Increase In Health Care Premiums"
*"Obamacare Architect: * *Expect Steep Increase In Health Care Premiums"* by The Daily Caller "Medical insurance premiums in the United States are on the rise, the chief architect of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul has told The Daily Caller. Massachusetts Institute of Technology economist Jonathan Gruber, who also devised former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s statewide health care reforms, is backtracking on an analysis he provided the White House in support of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, informing officials in three states that the price of insurance premiums ...more »
The NRA Has Asperger Syndrome
*Asperger syndrome (AS), also known as Asperger's syndrome or Asperger disorder, is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests - Wikipedia* Listening to the National Rifle Association's Wayne LaPierre blather on about more guns in the hands of teachers, armed guards in our elementary schools and how video games are to blame, I'm frankly amazed that no one's drawn the connection and accused the NRA of having Asperger Syndrome. After all, th... more »
Feliz año nuevo 2013 a todos
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Esferas de navidad color moradas y plata
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The Idiocracy Files, Part 3: Republicans Seek to Create a New Country. It's Called Crackpotopia!!!
[*On Monday Noah began chronicling a spate of 2012 "Idiocracy moments" that recalled for him Mike Judge's 2006 film Idiocracy, a look 500 years into the future at a world gone, well, you know. Yesterday he was back with more, and still his list of sightings overflowed. So today we have Part 3.* -- Ed.] *by Noah* All hail the new confederacy -- of dunces! For those about to secede, we salute you, with a finger raised high! We knew that, if President Obama were to be reelected, the Republicans would completely lose what tiny remnants of sanity they had left. The precedent was ther... more »
Howard Walowitz has some barmitzvah bonds he wasnts to spend
Another Big Bang Theory spoof, once again from Planet Suzy. The link is NSFW.
Ayudantes de Santa Claus - Postales de navidad
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"In 2013, Millions Of Americans Face Obamacare Tax Hikes"
*"In 2013, Millions Of Americans Face Obamacare Tax Hikes"* by Sally Pipes "As part of the negotiations over the fiscal cliff, Congress and President Obama are battling over whether to raise marginal tax rates at the very top of the income ladder. Regardless of how these talks turn out, millions of Americans are already facing tax hikes thanks to Obamacare. Obamacare’s authors chose to offset about half of the trillion-dollar cost of the law through higher taxes. Since the Supreme Court upheld the law’s individual mandate and allowed states to opt out of its Medicaid expansion, tho... more »
It's Wednesday... w/ Update
*the second day of Christmas, Feast of St. Stephen, and Boxing Day in the UK and Canada. * * **What's going on. * About those so-called "journalists" that published the names of gun owners in two counties in the New York area? What were they thinking? Oh, wait. They're libtards, which means they don't think - they *"feel."* Fine. Here's what I "feel." I feel you are putting people in danger to advance your Marxist cause. I particularity particularly like the fact that T.L. published the link to Zillow for one of the aforementioned "journalists." Lots and lots of interior sho... more »
"Understanding Obamacare"
*"Understanding Obamacare"* by Ilyce Glink "The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as its more politically charged name, Obamacare, has been in effect since 2010. But the cornerstone portion of the legislation, the individual mandate, was on shaky ground until the Supreme Court upheld its constitutionality this summer. So what does the Affordable Care Act (ACA) mean for you, outside of all the political posturing? It means different things for different people, but at its most basic level, it means that all Americans must have insurance. If you don’t ha... more »
Paisajes de Navidad con animalitos
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Falta poco para el año nuevo
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Togo Women Call For Time Out
"Togo women’s group urges sex strike" Associated Press, August 27, 2012 LOME, Togo — The female wing of a civil rights group is urging women in Togo to stage a *weeklong sex strike to demand the resignation* of the country’s president. Women are being asked to start *withholding sex* from their husbands or partners as of Monday, said Isabelle Ameganvi, leader of the women’s wing of the group Let’s Save Togo. She said the strike will put pressure on Togo’s men to take action against President Faure Gnassingbe. * **Believe it or not, it might actually work!* Ameganvi, a lawyer, said h... more »
Arbol de navidad con esferas de colores
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Outbreak of Ugandan Articles
"Officials confirm Ebola outbreak KAMPALA — The *Ebola virus* has *killed 14* people in western Uganda this month, Ugandan and UN health officials said on Saturday, ending weeks of speculation about the cause of a strange disease that had many people fleeing their homes. Ebola, which manifests itself as a hemorrhagic fever, is highly infectious and kills quickly. It was first reported in 1976 in Congo, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (AP)." "6 more Ugandans hospitalized with possible Ebola" Associated Press, July 31, 2012 KAMPALA, Uganda — Six more patie... more »
Is Our Children Learning?
If California Senator Barbara Boxer gets her wish, the definition of "military school" may be about to change. Her Keeping Schools Safelegislation will give governors the option of calling in the National Guard to their states' schools as they deem necessary. Right now, only local police departments are allowed to respond to incidents running the gamut from mass shootings to temper tantrums that are suddenly requiring that tots be placed in handcuffs. "Is it not part of the national defense to make sure that your children are safe?" Boxer said at Capitol Hill press conference. Thi... more »
Reloj indicando las 12 para celebrar
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Holding baby in lap on flight dangerous?
The trouble is then you have to pay for an extra seat. Not a huge deal in the south for middle class people flying from, say, Calgary to Montreal. But for most Inuit flying to Sanikiluaq the price is prohibitive. That is harsh to say, and there are some who can afford it, but the reality of higher costs and subsistence living has to be recognized: Here's the crash site - everyone except the baby survived. Very sad story: The mother of a baby boy who died in a plane crash in Nunavut on Saturday was doing what so many other mothers and fathers have done: she was holding her infant ... more »
There are a LOT of First Nations People in Canadian Prisons
It's a consequence of our racist justice system. All I'm saying is that in the months before the general amnesty for First Nations prisoners, that it'll be fun to think of how they'll respond to their new fellow prisoners from the Conservative Party of Canada.
Flushing a Post About Zimbabwe
*Which is where my Boston Globes will soon be going.... * "Mass flushing set to unblock sewers HARARE — City authorities in Zimbabwe’s second largest city appealed to homeowners to *flush their toilets at a specified time* as a way to *unblock sewers* after days of *severe water rationing*. Bulawayo City Council asked its more than 1 million residents to flush their toilets simultaneously at 7:30 p.m. Saturday when water supplies were restored. City officials said ‘‘synchronized flushing’’ was needed to clear waste that accumulated in sanitary facilities (AP)." "Zimbabwe conservati... more »
Curious decision inconsistent with W(D)?
*R. v. Bearfoot*, 2012 ONCA 917 was released Christmas Eve. It has a potentially concerning passage: [3] The trial judge did not reverse the burden of proof. It was appropriate in considering the appellant's evidence to look at it in the context of the other evidence. Reasoned acceptance of the prosecution's evidence beyond a reasonable doubt was a basis for rejecting the appellant's evidence. Now the decision is an endorsement and the full background facts are not set out. That said, it appears inconsistent with *W(D)* [1991] 1 S.C.R. 742. How can the fact the prosecut... more »
Which Cans To Kick?
Matt Yglesias has a good item this morning about the possibility of pushing back the fiscal cliff deadline. Good topic, and I'm surprised there hasn't been more talk about it. Congress certainly could extend deadlines on everything for two weeks, four weeks, whatever, to allow time for negotiations to get done. Of course, there's no reason that all the deadlines would have to be pushed back. Looking at the two big pieces of it: The issue with taxes is that not only do liberals believe that the expiration of Bush-era tax rates gives them a bargaining advantage, but many Republicans ... more »
Democracy Or Oligarchy
The American editor and essayist Lewis Lapham has delineated the three hallmarks of democracy. Michael Harris refers to them in a piece he wrote for *ipolitics*: Lewis Lapham, author and twice editor of Harper’s Magazine in the United States, made the same point. Democracy, he wrote, announces itself in three fundamental ways: an honest public discussion about issues; accountability of the governors to the governed; and equal protection under the law. By Lapham's yardstick, Canada is not a democracy -- "let alone a parliamentary democracy. It is an oligarchy with a few well cho... more »
The Republican Party And The Dangerous Cult Of Gun Worshippers
*Should this convicted murdered have had a gun to use against fire fighters? * By now you've probably read that the NRA's spokesloon, Wayne LaPierre, made an embarrassing and crazy statement about gun violence on *Meet the Press*that helped further turn the tide away from his group's advocacy of the gun manufacturers' agenda. Even before the senseless murder of firefighters in Rochester, New York, by another insane gun nut on Christmas Eve, libertarian icon Ron Paul turned against the NRA's demand that schools become armed camps, calling government security "just another kind of viole... more »
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