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Thomas Paine

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

Monday, December 3, 2012

3 December - Blogs I'm Following II

Assembled Chemical Weapons Altermatives Gen. D...
Assembled Chemical Weapons Altermatives Gen. Dunwoody Visit (Photo credit: PEO, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives)
UK Government urges business to boost vaccines...
UK Government urges business to boost vaccines effort (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: The Decumanus Maximus on the site of ...
English: The Decumanus Maximus on the site of Palmyra, Syria Français : La Grande Colonnade sur le site de Palmyre en Syrie (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Pallets of 155 mm artillery shells containing ...
Pallets of 155 mm artillery shells containing "HD" http://www.cbwinfo.com/Chemical/Blister/HD.shtml mustard gas at Pueblo chemical weapons storage facility in Colorado state, USA. Note the highly distinctive color coding scheme. The USA has been steadily destroying its entire stockpile of chemical weapons and will continue to do so until none remain. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Soviet chemical weapons canister from an Alban...
Soviet chemical weapons canister from an Albanian stockpile. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Polis is This: Charles Olson and the Persisten...
Polis is This: Charles Olson and the Persistence of Place (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

War on Britain's Roads?

10:52 pm MST

Mr Osborne Stand Up Against Tax Abusers

Martyn Daniels at Brave New World - 25 minutes ago
This week, George Osborne stands in front of the UK parliament and delivers his Autumn Report. As the UK economy continues to ‘flat line’ some will say this is his most important report. It is his opportunity to make a tremendous bold moral statement on tax avoidance that will do much more for UK moral and business than tweeking the odd penny on personal taxes and duty. It will also send a clear message to those who avoid UK tax and play EU registration games, that enough is enough. We may be split over Leverson and the press solution but we are as one on the morals of some of the... more »

Charles Olson reads 'Maximus to Gloucester, Letter 27 [withheld]' (Mar 1966)

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 31 minutes ago
Charles Olson was an American poet who lived from December 27, 1910 to January 10, 1970. During WWII he was the Assistant Chief in the Foreign Language Division of the Office of War Information. Charles Olson reads 'Maximus to Gloucester, Letter 27 [withheld]' (Mar 1966)

Sunday Globe Special: A Moment For Meditation

Rocker at MSM Monitor - 35 minutes ago
*I'll save mine for the end. * "Study suggests meditation may help prevent PTSD" by Bryan Bender | Globe Staff, December 02, 2012 The first-of-its-kind training is part of a *long-term study* to determine whether regular *brief periods of silent, peaceful consciousness* can improve troops’ performance. * **So they aren't really interested in peace of mind, they are interested in more efficient soldiers. Ooooo-kay.* Ultimately, researchers hope the *transcendental meditation* training might be made available across all branches of the military to help *inoculate troops against acu... more »

Bill Moyers Grapples With An American Religion Of Inequality

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 52 minutes ago
A couple of weeks ago, Bill Moyers gave a talk , The Religion of Inequalityat the Union Theological Seminary in memory of Forrest Church. You can-- and you should-- read the whole thing at the link in the last sentence. Here are a few excerpts worth pondering this evening as our political elites-- our ever so distant political elites-- decide how they're going to break the bad news to us. [The song above is by an Australian band we signed to Reprise, Not Drowning, Waving, whose name is based on a poem by Stevie Smith, that is much beloved of Bill Moyers. Few in America ever heard ... more »

Sunday Globe Specials: Fish Dinner

Rocker at MSM Monitor - 54 minutes ago
*Enjoy, readers! * "Accountability lost in murky fish supply chain; Restaurants blame Boston supplier for delivering wrong fish" by Beth Daley and Jenn Abelson | Globe Staff, December 02, 2012 The $22.95 serving of cod brought to tables, and supplied by Boston-based North Coast Seafoods, is not always the local product restaurant executives say they pay for. DNA testing commissioned by the Globe this summer showed it to be, on that occasion, Pacific cod, which is usually much cheaper — and to many palates, not as tasty.... The pattern of problems at businesses that buy from Nort... more »

US Repeats Syrian Chemical Weapons "Warnings"

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 1 hour ago
US repeats same tired, desperate accusations that the Syrian army is preparing to use "chemical weapons." *December 4, 2012* (LD) - Once again, the US has issued a warning against Syria deploying "chemical weapons" citing "intelligence reports that the Damascus government is preparing such munitions for possible use." No evidence was provided, nor any reasonable explanation as to why the Syrian government would deploy such weapons when, after over 2 years, the majority of the Syrian people still stand behind the government while terrorist forces flooding over Syria's borders have b... more »

When The Worlds of Politics And Entertainment Collide

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 1 hour ago
People in the fields of entertainment and sports who play politics with tragedy can influence public opinion about a controversial issue in ways that public officials cannot. The National Gun Confiscation League, formerly known as the National Football League, is using tragedy to advance the anti-democratic agenda of the rogue Obama regime. Alex Jones speaks about Obama's sinister plan to seize the guns of American dissidents and patriots.

Truth Militia Radio with John Friend

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 1 hour ago
I just finished the seventh edition of Truth Militia Radio with John Friend. My guest William Finck and I discussed international Jewry, Adolf Hitler, *Mein Kampf*, and the differences between international capitalism and international Marxism on the one hand, and National Socialism and fascism on the other. Be sure to check out *Christogenea.org* and *The Mein Kampf Project*, two of William's websites that I frequent. You can download the entire program *here* or subscribe to Truth Militia Radio via iTunes *here*. Thanks for tuning in!

Before I Impart This Information To You

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 2 hours ago
I am always under fire for the articles that I present. There are so many out there that ask me for my evidence and my facts that I present in my articles. I have long asked those who have their doubts to check the information out thoroughly and to research for themselves about anything that is presented in this blog, and all other blogs and internet sites as well. It is important that people get all the facts first before they decide if the information presented is truthful. I came across a great article today, from a fellow real truth seeker, called "Digger" who writes the grea... more »

The Toy Cop Comes to CreateSpace

jurassicpork at Welcome Back to Pottersville - 2 hours ago
For some reason, maybe it was the larger trim size I'd chosen, formatting and proofing *American Zen* was a breeze compared to *The Toy Cop *. It took a dozen uploads before the margins all around were just right and even after I'd uploaded the final manuscript to Create Space, they still screwed up the chapter breaks. They're higher up than they should be (The Chicago Manual of Style dictates chapter breaks be a third of the page down), which resulted in quite a few blank pages. A panicked call to the help desk proved fruitless. So I just said, Fuck it and went with the pr... more »

SM Welcomes John Thompson

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 2 hours ago
We are pleased to welcome our newest contributor, John Thompson. John has been a teacher for 20 years in the Oklahoma City Public Schools, and he is an award-winning educator and historian. John holds a PhD in History from Rutgers, and he a former lobbyist and guerilla gardener. He has published books, journal articles, and many commentaries in the blogosphere. As John, himself, said in an email, "Six years ago, as my school collapsed into The Wire, I kept my sanity by ingratiating myself into the blogosphere. My manuscript on that experience, and what I have learned through res... more »

This Is An Insult: Fraudulent Mars Curiosity Rover Is A Candidate For Time Magazine's "Man Of The Year"!

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 2 hours ago
I have been under attack by some real shill commentators over my assertions with clear scientific evidence that the so called Mars Curiosity Rover is a massive fraud, and that this rover is absolutely NOT on the the planet Mars. I stand behind the evidence that I have presented so far of the Mars Curiosity Rover being a scam, primarily from the fact that the landing method was highly suspect, and that the Martian sky cannot be any other colour other than black due to the lack of enough Martian air molecules to scatter incoming light from the Sun! To top it all off, I am still aski... more »

Beyond Zenith

What Is Sustainable at What Is Sustainable - 2 hours ago
From the zenith of the Upper Paleolithic, things began a downhill drift. A number of species went extinct from climate change (ice ages) and/or over-hunting. Every type of animal had effective survival strategies, like flying, fleeing, swimming, climbing trees, injecting venom, or counterattack. These strategies were very old, and programmed into genes and instincts. They worked. They permitted a survival rate high enough to enable the continued existence of the species. Clever humans invented ways of outwitting these defense mechanisms, and killing more and more animals. Part... more »

About ALEC - on the Radio - Good Show!

2old2care at Because I Can - 3 hours ago
*Conservative Group ALEC Goes on Defensive After a Year of Public Scrutiny* Published 3 Dec 2012, 12:20 pm After a year of national scrutiny and controversy, the American Legislative Exchange Council or ALEC, convened for its annual three day meeting in Washington DC last week. ALEC is considered one of the most important conservative organizations today bringing together state law makers with corporate and special interest representatives to further a right wing agenda on the state level. There is a 17 minute radio clip that is very well done on that page Just click >>>L*I*STEN TO... more »

Patrick Henningsen: Syrian Internet Shutdown Could Have Been American-Influenced

Intercept at The Intercept - 3 hours ago
Gruesome footage has emerged apparently showing Syrian rebels executing loyalists while their victims pleaded for their lives. One of the gunmen is heard referencing an al-Qaeda-linked group behind several terrorist attacks in Syria. News analyst Patrick Henningsen says the nationwide internet shutdown, that's now ended, could have been American-influenced. RT LIVE http://rt.com/on-air Help Us Transmit This Story Add to Your Blogger Account Put it On Facebook Tweet this post Print it from your printer Email and a collection of other outlets Try even more services

Super funnyman Lee Camp makes an offer you can hardly refuse

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 3 hours ago
*BULLETIN:* *-- a message from Lee this evening on the website* *"We're scared of change. We're frightened by the idea that we could wake up tomorrow and things might be different. . . ."* *-- the start of Lee's Moment of Clarity #190, "How To Make Your Life Better . . . And Other Trivial Matters" (see below)* *by Ken* This just in by e-mail from the world's most trenchant and side-splitting political mayhem-maker: *My Live Comedy Album FOR FREE!!!*I am giving away my award-winning comedy album *Chaos for the Weary* for free for a limited time only. *To grab a copy just go here:*... more »

These ALEC-ers Aren't In Kansas Anymore

2old2care at Because I Can - 4 hours ago
From the us.gov webpage of US Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas Welcoming Kansas Legislators to Washington On Thursday I welcomed a group of Kansas state legislators visiting Washington to attend the Kansas American Legislative Exchange Council annual conference. I met with the group on the steps of the United States Capitol and enjoyed visiting with some of our state’s long serving public officials. I was also glad to have the opportunity to introduce myself to some of Kansas’ newly elected legislators. The group included Senators Ray Merrick, Julia Lynn, Garrett Love, Mary Pilcher ... more »

Syrian government not to use chemical weapons

Intercept at The Intercept - 4 hours ago
Times of India DAMASCUS: The Syrian government on Monday said it would never use chemical weapons "even if they existed" against its people under any circumstance, Xinhua reported. The Syrian foreign ministry's statement came in response to recent remarksmade by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who Monday warned President Bashar al-Assad against using chemical weapons and said the Washington was prepared to act if he ignored the warning. "Syria has repeatedly stressed to the American side directly, or through the Russian friends, that it will not use such weapons, even if t... more »

Cop that, caucus

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 4 hours ago
Former Labour Party MP John Tamihere says he will say what he thinks despite concerns from his party colleagues. Should he ever find himself short of an epithet, Cactus Kate has boiled up all his favourites for him and distributed them around his future caucus to see how they fit. Which, for the most part, is quite well. Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)

New URLs

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 5 hours ago
*The Disaffected Lib* can now be accessed at two new sites - www.thedisaffectedlib.com or www.disaffectedlib.com. Don't ask me why, my kids did this. Well, they're not really kids any more - except to me. Why did they do this twice? I'm not entirely sure. They did it. There it is. MoS out

Syria squeeze

Boris at The Galloping Beaver - 5 hours ago
NATO SAM batteries in Turkey, near enough to the border to knock down Syrian aircraft operating there, US talk about chemical weapon redlines, hints of troop deployments mean something is shifting in the West's approach to the Syrian government. No, I don't think it will be full on Iraq-type invasion but or a Libya-style air campaign. Syria is bigger and badder and actually has chemical and

Canada 'Worst Developed Nation" on Climate Change

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 5 hours ago
*We're Number Last, We're Number Last*. Canada, our very home and native land, has won last place as the worst developed nation when it comes to climate change. Dead last, that's us. Yet when placed in an even bigger basket of 61-countries, Canada was only fourth worst, trailed by Kazakhstan, Iran and Saudi Arabia. *“At a time when institutions such as the World Bank and the International Energy Agency are calling for more climate action it is disappointing to have so many countries still being reluctant to move forward. Canada is a strong example of this lack of willingness to i... more »

Drug Innovation 7: IFPMA, Superbugs and Tropical Diseases

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 5 hours ago
People's lifestyle and communities evolve and continuously change. Their expectations, patience or impatience for more modern lifestyle, including more modern treatment in case they get sick, also evolve and changes. That is how modern medical science, pharmaceutical R&D, diagnostic tests and other aspects of the healthcare industry evolve. I am reposting below three nice articles by the Executive Director of the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP), Mr. Reiner Gloor. These are about the role of drug innovation and how to better encourage it, not demon... more »

Ask Matt: A reader inquires about Ezekiel and the End Times

Matt at The Coming Crisis - 6 hours ago
*A reader from Australia asks: * Question Matt...started reading Ezekiel (Old Testament) last night...(mainly 'cos Shirley Maclane says in her book that it describes UFO's).....got a shock, seems to be about End Times, and that Israel gets destroyed by God.... in other other parts of the bible the 'sign' to look for is when Israel is surrounded by armies....but I didn't realise that it is then that Israel gets destroyed by God. 1. Have you read Ezekiel?....and if so, in your opinion, is it about End Times? When I read about Babylon in Revelations I thought "this has GOT to be the U... more »

(updated)Ben Chin, Christy Clark`s Newest Spinner, Where the Streets have No Name

Grant G at The Straight Goods - 6 hours ago
Well, meet Mr. Ben Chin, a real mover and shaker, this man has not only moved from places of employment more often than most people move chess pieces but his specialty is in shaking Ontario taxpayers for every last penny in their pockets. Welcome aboard Mr. Chin, you will definitely help Christy Clark`s chances by campaigning side-by-side with her in those Chinese dominated ridings in Burnaby and Richmond. Oh, I can hear the skeptics doubting my sincerity as I write this provocative piece praising this mover and shaker,.... :Oh how dare the left leaning Straight Goods promote anyt... more »

Goldilocks and the failed Ginga

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 6 hours ago
All around the world failed banks have been bailed out by taxpayers to the tune of billions and billions (and billions)of dollars. In New Zealand and Australia, mercifully so far in this ongoing crisis, this hasn’t happened. (Not yet, but don’t bet against it.) Instead, Australasia’s trading banks are showing healthy profits—profits in line with the return on capital enjoyed by other Australasian businesses—profits earned on lending that has paid off, rather than failed. Profits that have made savers and the banks’ shareholders richer. Only to the likes of the Greens’s Russel No... more »

High fibre

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 6 hours ago
Yet another flagship National government project is going down the toilet, and *you* are going to made to pick up the slack. There is huge demand for high-speed fibre broadband, said the government in its election platform, such demand that only a government fibre network can satisfy it. Yet when the government price-fixer in chief, the Communist Commission, declares it intends to cut the price that Telecom Chorus can charge customers on its existing copper network by one dollar a month, a panicky Prime Minister declareS he’s ready to legislate to make sure that wouldn’t happen! ... more »

Ann Summers - Christmas for grownups

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 7 hours ago
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?feature=youtube_gdata_player&v=NPXnDbuOOAg&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DNPXnDbuOOAg%26feature%3Dyoutube_gdata_player&gl=GB

GOP in panic over fiscal bluff

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 7 hours ago
This is just not working out as the GOP expected. Their clever plan to bluff their way into getting everything they want for free -- again-- is falling apart now that mean ole President Obama called their bet. And they don't have the political capital to cover their markers. So, instead of showing their hand, Republicans are threatening to deploy the Doomsday Plan! Under one variation of this Doomsday Plan, House Republicans would allow a vote on extending only the middle class tax cuts and Republicans, to express disapproval at the failure to extend all tax cuts, would vote “pre... more »

U.S. Sees Syria Prepping Chemical Weapons for Possible Attack

Matt at The Coming Crisis - 7 hours ago
*More here:* http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/12/syria-chemical-weapons-3/?ww

Elsewhere: Cliff, EC Edge, More

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 7 hours ago
One of my policies as I've been writing for others has been not to argue about headlines. Of course, I write my own here (who else would?), and sometimes I write my own at Post Partisan; sometimes not. I've suggested headlines at other places, but you should usually assume that it ain't me. Which is usually fine...that's part of how this stuff works, and even if I argued I wouldn't necessarily win. And usually whatever is wrong with it isn't a big deal; it's not as if I'm running for president and the NYT has me shutting down the auto industry. At any rate: I had a nice little column... more »

Who's Worse, Fernando Wood Or Joe Crowley-- 2 Of The Worst NYC Democrats In History? Or Grover Norquist?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 7 hours ago
I'll never know, of course, but I doubt history will contradict me when I say there hasn't been an authentically "great" president in my lifetime. (I haven't given up hope, though, and I'm counting on Elizabeth Warren.) Since I was born, there have just been a series of mediocrities, some worse than others, like the two incredibly awful Bushes, not to mention the utterly clueless Ronald Reagan, all three happy to serve the breathtakingly selfish financial interests of the plutocracy. In retrospect-- severe retrospect-- I'd have to guess the best president we had since I was born wa... more »

is it safe ?

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 7 hours ago
"Will we ever be safe? No. Death stalks you."

Didn't see that coming...

Boris at The Galloping Beaver - 8 hours ago
Watching events around the new Observer status granted to Palestine at the UN it struck that only real international ally the Israeli rightwing has is the Canadian government. Sure the US continues to provide the Israel material support, but the Obama administration is also frustrated by the petulence of the current Israeli government. Peace between Palestine and Israel is ultimately in the US

Samuelson: put Social Security on the table

Rich Rifkin at Lexicon Daily - 8 hours ago
In an op-ed on realclearpolitics.com, the Washington Post's mustachioed columnist, Robert Samuelson, argues compellingly that Social Security benefits need to be included as part of the fiscal cliff discussions. Protecting retiree benefits is the left's political equivalent of the right's "no new taxes" pledge. Congressional Republicans are abandoning their untenable position. Now it is time for President Obama and congressional Democrats to do the same. As long as they don't, they aren't bargaining in good faith, or in the national interest. ... He lays out the dollar amounts:... more »

Bain compo

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 8 hours ago
Like it or not—and many of us don’t—but David Bain was found not guilty of murder in his long-delayed retrial. Not guilty. Not innocent, no, because courts can’t determine that, but not guilty. That was the jury’s verdict: not guilty of murder. And imperfect as it is, the court system we have is still the best we have to determine guilt in criminal cases—and the jury on the case heard far more of the evidence than we did, who had to rely on a headline-hunting media for our soundbites. So given his years in prison, given the verdict, given what seems to be the verdict of an indepe... more »

Can’t remember

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 9 hours ago
When a Prime Minister’s memory and grasp of affairs disappears, isn’t it time to turn him in? Sure, like a befuddled oldster he has a long history of losing his memory. Unlike every other adult in the country at the time, he couldn’t remember where he was during the Springbok tour. When he was promising “significant” tax cuts during the 2008 election, forgetting there’d just been a global financial crash, he couldn’t remember that his former employer Merrill Lynch—where he’d earned his fortune—had been swept away in the destructive tide. He couldn’t remember when he first heard ... more »

Clark's new staff, and the hiring freeze that wasn't

paul at Paying attention - 9 hours ago
When Finance Minister Mike de Jong announced a hiring freeze in September, because the government's budget projections were faulty and the deficit was rising, most people thought he meant, well, a hiring freeze. Certainly in my past life as a corporate guy, a hiring freeze meant you couldn’t hire people. (Not always a smart policy.) But according to an unnamed spokesperson for Premier Christy Clark, what de Jong really meant was that no new positions would be created. So when Clark added three new people to the premier's office Monday - taking her staff from 31 to 34 - that was consist... more »

MORSI IN TROUBLE

Anon at aangirfan - 9 hours ago
The USA and Europe are not well pleased with their man, Mr Morsi. *"The slogans used by Muslim Brotherhood activists suggest that the final word is held not by Morsi but by the Muslim Brotherhood’s Supreme Guide Mohammed Badie..."* Egypt's Morsi is losing control over the crisis - *Haaretz* * * MORSI MAY HAVE TO BE REPLACED?* * "Nowhere in the post-Arab Spring Middle East has Europe banked more diplomatic chips than on its relationship with Egypt. "For once, its ambition – to become Cairo’s *number one* partner in the international community – has had real sweep. Equally rare, its ... more »

More beneficiaries’ babies

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 9 hours ago
Astonishing news this morning that the world’s highest-paid beneficiaries just keep pumping out the babies, despite a history of scandal and abuse and abundant evidence that the offspring never stop snivelling at the trough. Yes, turns out the royal family are pumping out another sprog. Just another mouth for the taxpayer to feed. Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)

More Evidence of Financial Manipulation

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 9 hours ago
Morgan Stanley Trader Faces Inquiry on Possible Manipulation by Susanne Craig The New York Times Deal Book http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/morgan-stanley-trader-faces-inquiry-on-possible-manipulation/?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20121203 ** [Excerpted] Specifically, regulators at the CME Group, which runs commodity and futures exchanges, are investigating whether Mr. Hadden’s purchases or sales of Treasury futures late in the trading day manipulated closing prices in the market and, in turn, made other of his trades more profitable, according to people briefed on the matte... more »

A Reading for the Pigou Club

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 9 hours ago
From *The New Yorker*. One disappointing quotation: "We would never propose a carbon tax, and have no intention of proposing one," [White House spokesman Jay] Carney told reporters.

Alex Jones - The Engineered Fiscal Cliff

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 10 hours ago

"All Options Are On the Table" Making Israel Pay

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 10 hours ago
Decades of experience shows that Western rebukes of Israel are like so much water on a duck's back. Israel simply ignores them, mutters the usual garbage about self-defence, and continues to do as it damn well pleases. The West goes on with its business, Israel goes on with its business and nothing changes except to get worse. Israel's groundless and brutal retaliation against the Palestinians to punish them for the U.N. General Assembly's vote giving Palestine nominal recognition may finally have crossed the line. The patience of Israel's traditional allies may have run out. ... more »

The See-Through Maya: Well-Paid Business Flacks/Frauds Hit the Bi-Partisan Circuit!

Remember when boy Bush was questioned as to his having any regrets about his two-terms as President and he said that it was that he hadn't been able to privatize Social Security? (Try not to think of the millions dead and wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.) Aside from all the Bush boy and Chenegang vignettes what I've really enjoyed most these last two decades is how clever women don't actually

Today in Filibuster Debate 2

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 10 hours ago
One more from the NYT "Room for Debate" feature. Richard Arenberg doesn't mind the relatively mild reforms that Democratic Senators are talking about, but strongly objects to the process: "The crux of the problem is that once the precedent is established that a simple majority can change the rules, it can be done at any time. It is inevitable that within a short period of time, the majority will do what majorities do: take control." I sympathize with the sentiment, but I think he's dead wrong on this. Basically, all that prevents the majority from doing what reforming Democrats are... more »

VENGEROV AND REINCARNATION

Anon at aangirfan - 10 hours ago
Why do a few exceptional young musicians play Mozart with the beauty and wisdom of an older person? "Some day it will be explained," says Maxim Vengerov. "Just like reincarnation – I think in our lifetime it will be scientifically proven. "A lot of things will be explained, and when they are, humanity will take a more spiritual direction. "Music can help: it's the highest expression of the human soul. "When people come to the temple of music, all political, religious and ethnic disagreements fall away." *Lunch with the FT: Maxim Vengerov* *Mozart* "An argument which the Ve... more »

Rotary Notes 6: Andres Bonifacio and Philippine History

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 10 hours ago
Today is another Philippine holiday to commemorate the death of Andres Bonifacio, one of the pillars of the Philippine revolution against Spain in the late 1890s. Last June this year, our rotary club sponsored a talk from a UP historian about Andres Bonifacio. I posted it last June 12, 2012, Independence Day, Andres Bonifacio and Liberty. Portions of that short paper, below. ---------- *Prof. Michael Charlestone "Xiao" Chua* of De La Salle University (DLSU) History Department gave a talk to our club on "Undress Bonifacio: Paghubad sa Mito ng Bobong Supremo" (Undress Bonifacio: Expo... more »

Maybe Europe Needs a Rooseveltian Response

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 10 hours ago
For all of its other problems, there's one the European countries have to deal with and soon, youth unemployment.* *They even have a term for them, "Neets" (not in education, employment or training). The official figure has fourteen million European young people who are neither in school or employed. The real figure may be much worse. *"The figures on increasing youth unemployment are shocking. But in the calculations, we generally only count the young people who are ready to work and who want to work. There is also an enormous group which is so demotivated that they are turni... more »

Drug Innovation 6: Dealing with Drug-Resistant TB

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 10 hours ago
Diseases evolve. These are living micro-organisms -- bacteria, virus, etc. -- that feed on certain organs of the human body. They are part of human and natural evolution, sadly. That is why treatment and cure of old and re-emerging diseases must evolve too, endlessly. That is why drug innovation, medical science and diagnostics innovation, must continue to evolve and modernize. Below are some stories of drug-resistant tuberculosis, as well as challenges to deal with malaria, an old disease that continues to kill hundreds of thousands of people every year until now. Estimated global ... more »

Try to Wrap Your Mind Around This

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 11 hours ago
Imagine 2.4-million pounds of something, anything. Now imagine 2.4-million pounds of that something each and every second, 60 times a minute, 36-hundred times every hour; 604,800 times every week. That's a lot of something, isn't it? Sure it is. It also happens to be the amount of climate changing, carbon dioxide we're unleashing into the atmosphere every second, minute, hour, week and it's steadily increasing. A report from the *Associated Press *warns that the heralded 2 degree Celsius target limit has become a fantasy. *The amount of heat-trapping pollution the world spewed ... more »

Has Probe Detected Active Volcanoes On Venus?

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
Image: Rise and fall of sulphur emissions Scientists who have been monitoring the European Space Agency's Venus Express probe for the last six years might have found evidence of active volcanoes on the second planet from the Sun. Data sent back by the unmanned probe has shown large changes in the sulphur dioxide content of the planet’s atmosphere, and one intriguing possible explanation is volcanic eruptions. A new report from the ESA says: "The thick atmosphere of Venus contains over a million times as much sulphur dioxide as Earth’s, where almost all of the pungent, toxic gas is... more »

Kim's Christmas Greetings

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
This holiday season, Kim Jong Eun wants to remind everyone that he's armed and dangerous. That's one message of North Korea's long-range missile test scheduled for the middle of this month. But he also seems to be doing a creditable job of inspiring hope in Beijing and Washington. First Beijing. We're learning more about the depth of China's support for the fresh-faced North Korean dictator. After an initial drop-off in contacts between Pyongyang and Beijing following his father's death, Kim Jong Eun seems to have won Beijing's backing. On Friday, he hosted a Chinese delegation led... more »

Migrants in Greece held in shocking conditions: U.N.

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
Migrants in Greece face shocking conditions in detention centers and deepening hostility on the streets as the country goes through its worst economic crisis since World War Two, a top U.N. official said on Monday. Many of the 130,000 mostly African and Asian migrants trying to enter Europe via Greece each year go short of food, heating and hot water, including children, said the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Francois Crepeau. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/03/us-greece-immigrants-rights-idUSBRE8B210620121203

Privatizing vice

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 11 hours ago
I remember when the Conservative position was to ban gambling and booze -- times change: Story Tory Leader Tim Hudak is calling for the province to get out of the day-to-day gaming business and, Tuesday, he is expected to call for it to also get out of the booze trade. According to a Progressive Conservative insider, his announcement is one of several this week pointing to a hard-right turn by the Tories to emphasize the difference between the PCs and the Liberals. “I am having a press conference tomorrow (Tuesday) around the future of retailing alcohol in our province,” Hudak to... more »

Drone Crashes Mount, Raise Concerns for Civilians

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 11 hours ago
Majia here: I reported recently on escalating use of drones (see below). Here is a new report on a danger posed by these drones: Drone crashes mount at civilian airports Craig Whitlock *The Washington Post * Nov 30 http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/drone-crashes-mount-at-civilian-airports-overseas/2012/11/30/e75a13e4-3a39-11e2-83f9-fb7ac9b29fad_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines[Excerpted] The April wreck was the latest in a rash of U.S. military drone crashes at overseas civilian airports in the past two years. The accidents reinforce concerns about the risks of flyin... more »

World Government pushing to silence on-line dissidents

Rufus News From Atlantis at News From Atlantis. - 11 hours ago
Today, the International Telecommunications Union conference on Internet Censorship is in full flow. The so-called World Congress on Internet Technology, has as its agenda, the control of the Internet, no matter what its apologists say.. The ITU is a branch of the United Nations, and as such it speaks with the same forked tongue as its parent body. Resolution 69 demands that: "Member States.. refrain from taking any unilateral and/or discriminatory actions that could impede another Member State from accessing public Internet sites". All well and good? Not really. The ITU is a... more »

Israel Out of Control: Britain Considers Recalling Ambassador

Intercept at The Intercept - 11 hours ago
WideShut Britain and other allies are considering recalling diplomats from Tel Aviv, after Israel announced defiant plans to build 3,000 new settler homes on occupied Palestinian land. Like a spoiled child, mad-man Netanyahu made the decision in retaliation for Palestine being granted a measly non-member status at the UN last week. Daniel Taub, Israel’s ambassador to Britain, was “formally summoned” to the Foreign Office this morning to discuss the best way to proceed with Alistair Burt, the minister for the Middle East. If Britain’s envoy is pulled out of Israel it will b... more »

What I Did Not Know About the Prof Business

Steve Saideman at Duck of Minerva - 11 hours ago
In the recent conversations about Policy PhDs and such, one of the frequent assertions was that people going into PhD programs had no idea what they were getting into. Why do we assert such things? All I can say is that I had no clue not just about what was involved in a PhD program, Continue reading

Budget deal: Ashleigh Banfield goes batshit nuts!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 11 hours ago
*MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012* *CNN actually put this lunacy on the air: *Republicans have been complaining about the budget deal Obama offered last week. Guest hosting for Anderson Cooper last Friday, Ashleigh Banfield conducted a long and crazy discussion of Obama's proposal. Since she never really explained what Obama has proposed, we’ll give you Paul Krugman’s description: “As his opening bid in negotiations, Mr. Obama has proposed raising about $1.6 trillion in additional revenue over the next decade, with the majority coming from letting the high-end Bush tax cuts expire and the ... more »

11/30/2012 -- Sinkholes

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago

Obama's Guantánamo Problemo

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 11 hours ago
What does someone like this have to do to get reelected in... South Carolina? In this CBS News video, mentally ill South Carolina Republican closet case conflates fellow warmongers John McCain and Joe Lieberman with "the American people" and ridicules the prisoners held at Guantánamo Bay-- some having done nothing wrong whatsoever except accidentally wandering into the wrong place at the wrong time-- as "crazy bastards." A report released by the Defense Department recommends closing it down and absorbing the detainees into the military prison system. “This report demonstrates that ... more »

Germany Shines a Light on the Harp of Darkness

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 11 hours ago
When it came right down to it, Germany balked at voting "no" on Palestinian recognition in the UN General Assembly and, instead, merely abstained. Netanyahu was not amused. What transpired between Angie Merkel and Benny Netanyahu may shed some useful light on how Israel interacts with allies, like Canada, expecting them to do its bidding. *It was one of the most unpleasant conversations that Christoph Heusgen had ever been required to have with Jaakov Amidror. On Wednesday evening, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's foreign policy adviser told his Israeli counterpart that Germany... more »

When is an agreement to be void for uncertainty?

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 11 hours ago
*Hanif v. TJM Management Consultants Ltd.,* 2012 BCCA 485 deals with uncertainty in contract and specifically holds a purchase and sale agreement is not void merely because it does not set out the date for transfer of title: [36] Although there is no completion date under an agreement for sale, the question remains as to the timing of the transfer of title from the vendor to the purchaser. From the above description and definition of an agreement for sale, it is apparent that title is to be transferred when the purchase price is fully paid. In my opinion, there need ... more »

Navajos' Hot Blues Man Stanlie Kee with Gary Farmer

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 12 hours ago
** *Navajos' Hot Blues Man Stanlie Kee with Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers* ** *By Brenda Norrell* *Censored News* http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com TUCSON -- Stanlie Kee, Navajo, who was born and raised in Gallup, N.M., on vocals and guitar with Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers, is one of the hottest blues guitar players on the music scene. “For as long as I’ve known I’ve always wanted to play music,” Stanlie told Censored News during the Native Eyes Film Showcase at the Loft Cinema on Dec. 1, 2012. For Stanlie, it began with a dream, and since then he has always wanted to pl... more »

Carretera por el bosque tenebroso

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

Peluche vestido de Santa claus - Feliz navidad

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

Israel to stick with settlement plan despite criticism

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 12 hours ago
Israel rejected concerted criticism from Europe over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to erect 3,000 more homes in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem after the U.N.'s de facto recognition of Palestinian statehood. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/03/us-palestinians-israel-ambassadors-idUSBRE8B20DN20121203

Human rights NGOs: Just Hot Air?

amurdie at Duck of Minerva - 12 hours ago
Charli’s posts on Human Rights Watch and Autonomous Weapons got me thinking: should we really expect human rights international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to influence weapons systems? On the whole, human rights NGOs are a pretty powerless lot: NGOs don’t control military resources like states do and they are typically not at the decision-making table. Why Continue reading

Christmas Thread Trees (Easy Christmas Craft)

Debra at Housewife Eclectic - 12 hours ago
Christmas is coming and I am in full craft mode. I always seem to think I can make a million things for Christmas and then end up late every night until the big day. These little thread trees are my new obsession. Easy to make and an affordable way to spruce up your Christmas decor. You will need: crochet thread (think green or white) Elmer's glue or spray starch plastic wrap old cereal boxes scissors stapler First thing you are going to want to do is dissect your cereal box. Draw a half circle on your cereal box and cut out. Roll the half circle together to look like a cone. th... more »

La. town evacuates; police relocate explosives

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 12 hours ago
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — State police resumed moving millions of pounds of explosives Monday that had been haphazardly stashed in warehouses in Louisiana, prompting hundreds to evacuate from harm's way in case any of it exploded. The transfer of 6 million pounds of artillery propellant began again at daybreak at Camp Minden, which is in north Louisiana's Webster Parish. It started Saturday. A state police spokesman said the work is suspended at night. http://news.yahoo.com/la-town-evacuates-police-relocate-explosives-052337453.html

Can't We Turn This Into a Drinking Game of Some Sort?

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 12 hours ago
Holy Crap, we've only got 18-shopping days left until the End of Earth. I haven't even drawn up a Christmas list. How did this slip my mind? And why did I shell out so much last week to have my driveway powerwashed? The Russians, it seems, are already showing the first signs of End of Earth syndrome. *Inmates in a women's prison near the Chinese border are said to have experienced a ''collective mass psychosis'' so intense that their wardens summoned a priest to calm them. In a factory town east of Moscow, panicked citizens stripped shelves of matches, kerosene, sugar and cand... more »

Mujer en el jardin rodeada de flores de colores

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

Whether You Excavate It or Pump It or Frack It Out of the Ground, It's All Fossil Fuel

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 12 hours ago
We get all sorts of stuff out of the ground and it's all lethal, every BTU of it. Some of it, for example natural gas, is less lethal. Some of it, heavy crude and coal, is especially lethal. But, still, burn enough of any of it and you consign civilization as we have known it for 3,000 years to extinction. We're discovering new reserves of Civilization Eradicator all the time. China, heavily dependent on imported oil and coal, is about to get into fracking Big Time. The United States and Canada are already heavily into fracking. You could even say we're "*Mother Frackers... more »

Esferas de colores en arbol de navidad

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

Catalogue Box Christmas tree!

Martyn Daniels at Brave New World - 12 hours ago
Great 2012 Christmas tree from the library folks at The University Library in Olsztyn (Poland).

Today in Filibuster Debate 1

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 12 hours ago
The NYT's "Room for Debate" feature today is about the filibuster. Especially good are the pieces by Senate scholars Greg Koger and Barbara Sinclair. The main thing that Koger, Sinclair, and (in another piece) filibuster defender Richard Arenberg all have in common, and in common with most or all of the reformers inside the Senate, is that they're looking for a middle ground. Sinclair has a strong call for reform, and supports the elimination of filibusters on the motion to proceed to a bill and on the motions to go to conference along with "Some version of a proposal..." to "requi... more »

Carbon pollution up to 2 million pounds a second

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 12 hours ago
[image: Organizers on stage at the opening ceremony of the 18th United Nations climate change conference in Doha, Qatar, 26 November 2012. Osama Faisal / AP Photo] By SETH BORENSTEIN AP Science Writer 2 December 2012 WASHINGTON (AP) – The amount of heat-trapping pollution the world spewed rose again last year by 3 percent. So scientists say it's now unlikely that global warming can be limited to a couple degrees, which is an international goal. The overwhelming majority of the increase was from China, the world's biggest carbon dioxide polluter. Of the planet's top 10 polluters, ... more »

Hermosa rosa sobre una plataforma de color blanco

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 13 hours ago
[image: Rosa Roja] *CODIGO HTML PARA PONER ESTA IMAGEN EN SU BLOG* (Un click para seleccionar, Control C para copiar y Control V para pegar) [image: Imagenes Gratis para Navidad y Año Nuevo 2013] *Nota:* Haga usted click aquí para ver más *Flores de colores* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN - 3rd December 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 13 hours ago
Magnitude 4.6 Date-Time Monday, December 03, 2012 at 14:29:33 UTC Monday, December 03, 2012 at 11:29:33 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 28.077°N, 129.456°E Depth 47 km (29.2 miles) Region RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN Distances 31 km (19 miles) S of Naze, Japan

PubIt Score An Own Goal?

Martyn Daniels at Brave New World - 13 hours ago
We welcomed the news, which was well broadcast and received, about Barnes and Noble finally breaking out of the US with PubIt. PubIt is their publishing response to Amazon’s KDP and Kobo’s publishing and self upload service. Until today, or should that be ‘still’, PubIt required all publishers to have a US address and bank account and was very US centric. It basically asked all to submit the same vendor details as if you were supplying physical books, but they are a bookseller so understandable to a point. We rushed to sign up and load up our ebooks, but our initial enthusiasm so... more »

Pacific nations alarmed by tuna overfishing – ‘The deployment of tens of thousands of drifting fish aggregating devices is extremely worrisome’

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 13 hours ago
[image: Environmental activists hold slogans as others depict a school of tuna during a rally outside the Japanese Embassy in suburban Pasay, south of Manila, Philippines, on 29 November 2012. Aaron Favila / AP Photo] By JIM GOMEZ Associated Press 2 December 2012 MANILA, Philippines (AP) – Pacific island nations and environmentalists raised an alarm Sunday over destructive fishing methods and overfishing that they say are threatening bigeye tuna - the fish popular among sushi lovers worldwide. Palau fisheries official Nanette Malsol, who leads a bloc of Pacific island nations,... more »

Muñecos de nieve coleccionables

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 13 hours ago
[image: Muñecos de nieve] *CODIGO HTML PARA PONER ESTA IMAGEN EN SU BLOG* (Un click para seleccionar, Control C para copiar y Control V para pegar) [image: Imagenes Gratis para Navidad y Año Nuevo 2013] *Nota:* Haga usted click aquí para ver más *Muñecos de nieve* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

World Outrage at Israel's Destruction of Palestinian Homeland. Harper, Naturally, Mute.

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 13 hours ago
*Two Rotten Peas in a Pod* Even the United States is condemning Israeli perfidy in retaliating against the Palestinians by stealing more of their land, enough to sever the West Bank and end Palestinian hopes for their homeland, and now seizing $120-million of Palestinian funds. The Americans, the Brits, the French, the Germans, pretty much you name it, have been quick to protest the Israeli outrages. Britain may recall its ambassador over this. Others may follow suit. Israel is both a rogue and an apartheid state that flouts international law at will on the strength of nothing ... more »

Racist America Kills More of Its Black Children.

Eric Whitney at Reality Pimp - 13 hours ago
Read this post; it's a rundown of the senseless racist murders of young black men that seem to be epidemic these days. If it doesn't make you furious, nothing will. When will these crimes stop? When we, white Americans, make it stop, that's when. We whites of good will and love toward our fellow human beings of all races must find a way to put an end to this racist murdering of our black brothers and sisters. Each individual among us must DO something to stop it. That's the only way the carnage of innocents will end.

Gato montes sobre las rocas

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 13 hours ago
[image: Gato montes] *CODIGO HTML PARA PONER ESTA IMAGEN EN SU BLOG* (Un click para seleccionar, Control C para copiar y Control V para pegar) [image: Imagenes Gratis para Navidad y Año Nuevo 2013] *Nota:* Haga usted click aquí para ver más *imágenes de Animales Salvajes* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

The Mojo is the Message

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 13 hours ago
I read the news today, oh boy, and found how badly we are being screwed. Ironies and paradoxes and incest abound in today's *New York Times*. The government is close to calling some of those bad Libor miscreants to account at the very same time one of the chief Libor enablers (Timmy Geithner) is negotiating with Congress on our supposed budgetary behalf. A former Goldman Sachs trader is close to being indicted at the same his unindicted boss is negotiating with Timmy Geithner on his own budgetary behalf: how deeply to cut the social safety net and further enrich himself and his fell... more »

Bernie unmasks Lloyd.

Eric Whitney at Reality Pimp - 14 hours ago
Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein came to Capitol Hill this week to call for cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. As Congress and the White House are negotiating a year-end deficit deal, Blankfein sought to “lower people’s expectations” about their retirement and health care. He spoke with all the sympathy for someone struggling to get by on $14,000-a-year retirement that you’d expect from a Wall Street banker paid $16 million last year. “Think about the arrogance of these guys on Wall Street who were bailed out by the middle class of this country when their greed and re... more »

Even Brad Wall's Supporters Question His Phony Claim That Saskatchewan Has The 'Only' Balanced Budget In Canada

leftdog at Buckdog - 14 hours ago
* The following post was published at 'Saskatoonhousingbubble' blog on November 27, 2012. It is written by a supporter of the Saskatchewan Party and challenges Premier Wall's claim (repeated by every mindless MSM outletin the province)that the Sask Budget is 'balanced' :*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=* **Is the Provincial Budget Really Balanced? * *Today we heard the "Provincial budget is balanced" but in reality The Province of Saskatchewan Statement of Debt has increased by $1 Billion in 6 months. What is going on here? Huh? What? I thought they said "balanced budget?" Before we g... more »

Just Say NO To Fiscal Extortion By UltraWealthy Crybaby Thieves

I just love calling it what it is: fiscal extortion (not any type of fiscal cliff - unless you support the idea of Rethugs constantly holding the country hostage to their cutting-all-federal-taxes-for-the-wealthy-to-zero wet dream)! My last hope before we go over this austerity cliff is that the Rethugs have pushed their luck over the line this time and finally overreached to such an extent

Hamas child abuse?

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 14 hours ago
'In a special broadcast of a Hamas TV children's program, the two young children of female suicide terrorist Reem Riyashi were invited to the TV studio to watch a video re-enactment of their mother's suicide bombing in 2004, which killed four Israelis. [Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas), July 3, 2009]' Can you judge a people by their heroes?

Jeb Bush and Randy Best Team to Promote College Caste System

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 14 hours ago
Randy Best and the Bush Family have a long and profitable history to celebrate during this Holiday Season. Best has been a longtime supporter of the Bush political dynasty in Texas, and the Bushes have been generous in sharing insider knowledge with Randy on education initiatives that Best then exploited to get fabulously wealthy. In turn, Best became a Bush Pioneer (the $100,000 Club), connections became even more solidified, and today Randy appears poised to become Jeb Bush's enabler in the rush to push college for the non-privileged online. In an extravagant display of chutz... more »

Record US Intense Hurricane Drought Continues

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Pielke, Jr.) at Roger Pielke Jr.'s Blog - 14 hours ago
The graph above provides an update to data on the remarkable ongoing US "intense hurricane drought." When the Atlantic hurricane season starts next June 1, it will have been 2,777 days since the last time an intense (that is a Category 3, 4 or 5) hurricane made landfall along the US coast (Wilma in 2005). Such a prolonged period without an intense hurricane landfall has not been observed since 1900. Some thoughts: Even with hurricane Sandy and its wide impacts, things will indeed get worse. The US coastlines as a whole have actually been very lucky with respect to hurricanes sinc... more »

Dispersant made oil 50 times more toxic to Gulf of Mexico microorganisms

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 14 hours ago
[image: A quad-engine plane applies dispersant on the oil slick at the BP Deepwater Horizon spill site. In spite of an EPA directive to cease the application of dispersants, BP continued to spray aerially and inject them at the well. J. Henry Fair / industrialscars.com] By Bob Berwyn 3 December 2012 The massive amounts of oil that spilled into the Gulf of Mexico after BP’s *Deepwater Horizon* drill rig exploded was devastating to marine life, but the dispersant used in the aftermath to try and break down the oil slicks may have been even worse for some species, according to new re... more »

Mohawk Nation News 'Palest'Indians, Indigenous Victory'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 14 hours ago
MNN: THE PALEST’INDIANS, INDIGENOUS VICTORY *THE PALEST’INDIANS: INDIGENOUS VICTORY** * *MNN. DEC. 1, 1012. * *Mohawk Nation News* http://www.mohawknationnews.com ** *On November 22, 2012, 138 countries voted for Palestine to be recognized as a UN state. They can now use UN International Agencies, sign treaties and bring charges against war criminals. They ended the corporate bankers’ imperial war against Indigenous peoples. Colonizers Canada, US and Israel voted against the bid. They warned there will be repercussions. Boycotts, no aid, shunning us, crossing the street when they s... more »

Climate change: Africa is most affected

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 14 hours ago
[image: A family in Kenya treks across desert, 2 April 2012. Executive Briefing Book] By Catherine Mwesigwa Kizza 30 November 2012 Meeting after meeting, 18 times later, the world’s climate experts are at it once again in Doha, Qatar, to discuss climate change, but the problem continues unabated. “Climate change is the biggest challenge to humanity this century,” says Fanuel Tolo, the director of programmes of Climate Network Africa. He observes that African countries, who contribute least to emissions that cause global warming, are most hit. Global warming, a result of increase... more »

Concerning Rice, the best the Dems can do!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 15 hours ago
*MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012* *One scapegoat gets swapped for another:* On yesterday’s Meet the Press, Claire McCaskill was asked if she would support Susan Rice for secretary of state. We thought her answer was sad. In this answer, you see a newly re-elected Dem advancing the basic GOP line, even as she *defends* Susan Rice: MCCASKILL (12/2/12): I think it’s terribly unfair what has happened to Susan Rice. I do not understand for the life of me—*the talking points came from the intelligence community, yet you don’t hear one criticism of David Petraeus.* *It was his shop that produc... more »

Luxury cars sold for a song after bubble bursts in ‘China’s Dubai’

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 15 hours ago
[image: Two men walk down a deserted street in front of the unopened Ordos Museum on 11 May 2011. In the wake of a coal boom, Ordos was built to house up to 1 million people but only 30,000 live there today. David Gray / Reuters] By Johanna Armstrong 1 December 2012 BEIJING (NBC News) – With miles of freshly paved roads, little traffic and some seriously avant-garde architecture, the Chinese city of Ordos provides a driving environment most car enthusiasts can only dream of. Yet rich Chinese who have invested in the resource-rich city are now frantically rushing to sell off their... more »

UN climate boss: No support for tough climate deal

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 15 hours ago
[image: A stretch of the California State Route 99 corridor in the San Joaquin Valley is shown busy with traffic in Fresno, Calif., 23 August 2011. Approaching the half-way point of two-week climate talks in Doha, Christiana Figueres, the head of the U.N.'s climate change secretariat, said Friday, 30 November 2012 that she didn't see 'much public interest, support, for governments to take on more ambitious and more courageous decisions.' Gary Kazanjian / AP Photo] By By KARL RITTER 30 Nov 2012 DOHA, Qatar (AP) – The United Nations climate chief is urging people not to look solely... more »

Monday Morning Linkage

PM at Duck of Minerva - 15 hours ago
Dan’s sick, so he’s asked me to put together three to five links … of doom! Unfortunately, I’ve been writing a lot recently and so I’ve missed out on great posts. So here’s what I found in a burst of searching; please suggest additional links in the comments. At Foreign Policy, Jack Carlson argues Continue reading

EPISTEMIC CLOSURE WATCH: Was Romney convinced he was going to win?

bob somerby at the daily howler - 15 hours ago
*MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012* *Our tribe becomes more like their tribe:* A few weeks ago, Thomas Ricks said MSNBC was almost as bad as Fox. The Pulitzer winner went on Fox and aggressively said they were full of old shoes. But uh-oh! Even as our tribe’s cheering began, Ricks turned around and smacked The One True Channel: HENNEBERGER (11/28/12): When I talked to [Ricks] Tuesday, he said yeah, actually, he had had some other TV invites, but we shouldn’t waste too much time clicking around looking for his next appearance: *“MSNBC invited me, but I said, ‘You’re just like Fox, but not a... more »

greenwald on "both sides are wrong", hedges on the world as gaza

laura k at wmtc - 15 hours ago
There are always at least two sides to every story. Long ago, in the American West, some pioneers and cowboys were killed by "Indians". More recently, Iraqi "insurgents" have killed US soldiers. When I was growing up, Vietnamese "guerillas" - I believe the technical term was *gooks* - were killing American soldiers, too. Those deaths were not trivial. Death is never trivial to the victims and the people who love them. But we understand that, had the US not invaded Iraq, Vietnam, (etc. etc.) - and had Europeans and their descendants not believed it was their divine right to own an ... more »

Tories Admit Ed Balls Was Right

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 15 hours ago
How many times have you heard Tories say "you can't spend your way out of recession" or "you can't decrease the debt by raising public spending"? A fair few times I would wager. But ahead of this Wednesday's autumn statement, there is a sign of a welcome change from Gideon's incompetent orthodoxy from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of all places. Announcing extra funding for Britain's flood defences after yet another wet November, it says: £60 million of the funding will be targeted at areas where flood defences can unlock new opportunities for development a... more »

Are dogs racist?

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 15 hours ago
Racist Dogs from Peter Atencio on Vimeo.

Gang War On Capitol Hill

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 15 hours ago
Usually when we hear about congressional "gangs" that are going to solve some intractable problem, it signals a bunch of corporate whores from both sides of the aisle getting together to cut out the give and take of politics and negate the expressed will of the voters-- senators from conservative states. But now the Congressional Progressive Caucus has its own gang, the Gang of Six doing the exact opposite-- working to make sure the expressed will of the voters is exactly what *doesn't* get ignored in the lame duck debate when it comes to the Obama-Boehner Grand Bargain, a Grand ... more »

Progressives, Dutifully Taking Your Children to Be Genetically Engineered by Andrew Baker

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 15 hours ago
 Source: http://www.anh-usa.org/a-look-back/ Progressives, Dutifully Taking Your Children to Be Genetically Engineered by Andrew Baker Food Freedom News, 30 November 2012 In this time of exposure of endless corporate crimes, progressives have carved out a unique exception around health. And into this zone of corporate trust, they bring their small children to be injected with corporate-owned GMOs. Progressives perceive corporations as working beneficently and diligently to find cures for diseases and seeking the health of the world’s population through modern medicine – new... more »

Read Stuff, You Should

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 16 hours ago
Happy Birthday to Damon Berryhill, 49. For those of us from my age cohort, the (apparent?) demise of Jamie Moyer is a very big deal; for me in particular, and well before Moyer became significant, there was this guy, who made it all the way to 1997. Ah well; could have been worse, I suppose. From there to the good stuff: 1. David Roberts interviews filibuster reformer Jeff Merkley. 2. How parties are stuck with the coalition that brung 'em, explained by John Sides. 3. No, winning a statehouse doesn't give a party an edge in the next presidential election; Eric Ostermeier on governo... more »

Joyce's Modest Proposal

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 16 hours ago
While the press follows Justin Trudeau everywhere, both Paul Adams and Andrew Coyne have chosen to give Joyce Murray some attention. Adams writes that what she proposes deserves serious consideration. Like her fellow British Columbian, Nathan Cullen, she urges opposition party cooperation. Adams writes: For Joyce Murray, the experience of the Cullen campaign for the NDP leadership is instructive. Cullen’s advocacy of joint nomination of candidates was met at first with derision. Many commentators, inside the party and out, felt it hobbled his candidacy. But after a while, the id... more »

this is what jason kenney's canada looks like: family deported to libya, father is tortured, court cites bias and lies

laura k at wmtc - 16 hours ago
A family that was ordered to leave Canada by Jason Kenney's IRB was - as they predicted - separated and detained, and the father was tortured by Libyan authorities. The Benhmuda family lived in Canada for eight years, and included two children born in this country. As horrific as this is, the implications are even more important: the Federal Court of Canada has ordered Immigration Canada to review the Benhmuda family's case, because the case was not heard and decided fairly. In a scathing decision late last month, Judge Mary Gleason ruled that visa officials at Canada's embassy in ... more »

Bicester Murder: Janee Parsons Found Dead, Husband in Custody

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 16 hours ago
A man is being questioned after his American beauty therapist wife was stabbed to death in the family home. Janee Parsons, 31, was found by police who were called to her detached home on Saturday after neighbours reported hearing a heated argument and screams. Despite attempts by officers and ambulance staff to resuscitate her, she was declared dead at hospital. http://news.sky.com/story/1019948/bicester-murder-janee-parsons-found-dead

walmart workers, marvin miller, rob ford: important stuff that happened while i wasn't blogging

laura k at wmtc - 16 hours ago
As the title says, here are some things I thought about while I was taking a blogging break. ● Marvin Miller died. Miller should be a hero of both the labour movement and baseball history. He should also be in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Anyone interested in the intersection of sports and politics should read his terrific book, *A Whole New Ball Game*. Dave Zirin interviews Miller here; Joy of Sox muses on his passing here. During the 1994 baseball strike, I wrote to Miller via the players' union. Within two weeks, I received a reply: a typewritten letter, which included hi... more »

 

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