ComiIng Soon: #TheHobbit #Dec14 (Photo credit: bubbletea1)
English: UBS Investment Bank's Offices at 299 Park Avenue in New York City (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Dow Takes Giant Leap as Bailouts Snap Gloom (Photo credit: YoTuT)
English: Federal Avation Administration Joint Surveillance Site radar, near Geddes Road, Canton, Michigan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: The concert hall at the Royal Festival Hall The Philharmonia Orchestra on stage ready for a concert of music by Elgar. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Gerald Drucker, Principal of the Philharmonia Orchestra of London at rehearsals prior to an evening concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Cover of Rafael KubelíkSunday Classics preview: Three "K"s -- remembering three conductors who were great artists
*The gossamer "Ballet of the Sylphs" from Berlioz's Damnation de Faust is played by the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Rafael Kubelik in this 1950 EMI recording, from a four-CD Kubelik "Portrait," one of the treasures that came out of my nearly 17-pound Berkshire Record Outlet carton this week.* *by Ken* I'd been good for so long. Oh sure, I usually scanned the new classical overstock and cut-out listings on the Berkshire Record Outlet website most every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and sure, I dumped stuff in my shopping cart. But that didn't commit me to anything, and I...more »
Extreme UFO Activity, Pennsylvania, Parts 2/3, 11-29-12, Hovering by Level Green or Trafford woods (Mind-boggling)
*Here is a short, stabilized clip of one of the craft "pretending" to be a plane. That's right, pretending. It looks identical to a giant US military aircraft upon visual inspection, but hovers at tower-tree level, floats like a helicopter, is completely silent, doesn't show up on any FAA flight records, and uses safety lighting systems that mimic, but do not follow standard regulations. Essentially, whatever it is, it's pretending to be a human plane visually just enough to avoid detection by a common observer. The only other explanation is that the US has suddenly made all its ma... more »
UBS Bankers Face Criminal Charges Over LIBOR
surprise By Trippography on Flickr *UBS Is Nearing A Deal With Authorities Over LIBOR, And Wall Street Hasn't Seen Anything Like It In Over A Decade* Linette Lopez | Dec. 14, 2012, 8:31 AM | 1,494 | 3 The most salient criticism for the way maleficence at banks is handled — from the financial crisis to money laundering at HSBC — it's that bank's never face criminal charges. The New York Times reports that this may change as early as next Monday. Sources close to the matter say that UBS is nearing a deal with authorities, and that *it may include criminal charges as well as abo...more »
The Awesome Glenn Greenwald Critically Breaks Down "The CIA's Film"
*Zero Dark Thirty is the greatest product of the sick marriage between the CIA and Hollywood. * Should Zero Dark Thirty get an Oscar for Best Picture? Obaaama got a Nobel Prize for no reason, so why not? Hollywood is pro-war now that a Democrat is in office. They want to kill Syrians and Libyans and Pakistanis, and blow the whole place up because they are so "humanitarian." Michael Moore or any Hollywood leftist is not going to stand up on the Hollywood stage and declare Obaaama to be a warmonger for taking the nation to war. Times have changed. Blowing up people and lying... more »
Important Video Exposes The Truth About Talmudic Pedophilia And Incest!
Several articles ago, I brought forward some very revolting and disgusting news about how there is a push for the legalization of both Child Pornography and Pedophilia. As a father, I could not believe that we, as a civilized society, would ever allow such evils to ever be made legal. But the information presented showed that the criminals are pushing hard for this disgusting practice to be legalized, and to further disintegrate the morality of our very society. Since that article was published in this blog, I have received a multitude of comments and emails. In one email, I was ... more »
"What Can We Know? What Are We All?"
"What can we know? What are we all? Poor silly half-brained things peering out at the infinite, with the aspirations of angels and the instincts of beasts." - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Connecticut School Shooting: This Will Only Lead To Another Push For Gun Control In America!
I am as shocked as everyone in learning the facts that are now coming out about this senseless shooting of some 27 innocent people at an Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. It does appear now that as truthful information finally emerges, this was done by a "Lone Gunman" named Adam Lanza, who was said to be both autistic and on SSRI prescription anti-depressant drugs. It is another tragedy for a nation that has just gotten over the mass shooting in Colorado earlier this year. I have been looking for some of the best articles about this tragedy over the Internet, and not the... more »
Connecticut
The killings in Connecticut affected me deeply. And considering it I realize why. First, I am friends with a colleague who was directly affected. Her grief and that of her family is real. Second, I dealt with a young man who failed but (seemed?) tried to do something similar. And this young man was very ordinary. Just a typical young man who had access to high powered weapons and who one day started shooting people. One died but many more could have. Was he evil incarnate? Was this original sin or some possession by a demon? Was this ordinary young man in fact somehow extra... more »
Musical Interlude: Pet Shop Boys, “Numb”
Pet Shop Boys, “Numb” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adPRQyx7aU4
Right to work . . .
RIGHT TO WORK got its start in Texas in the early 1940's. It's the malignant creation of a particularly odious American, Vance Muse. According to Mark Ames at Not Safe For Work Corporation, in an article "You Hate "Right To Work" Laws More Than You Know. Here's Why", Vance Muse was quite a piece of work. Click on the link to get a fascinating explanation of the rise of the fascist Right in
Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting...
King's College Choir, Samuel Barber - “Agnus Dei”, “Adagio For Strings” A cappella, human voices only... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWgjwTc3PUw I don't have the words, folks, I just don't... only tears... - CP
MI RTWFL = corporate servitude
*From Common Dreams* * * *Michigan’s New 'Corporate Servitude Law' Takes Away Worker Rights* *by George Lakoff * *Michigan** has just passed a corporate servitude law. It is designed to take away many of the worker rights that unions have conferred throughout their history: The right to a living wage. The right to equal pay for women. The right to deferred payments in the form of pensions. The right to negotiate workplace standards and working conditions. The right to overtime pay.* *From this conservative perspective, businessmen should have the liberty to run their busi... more »
Did Obama wipe away fake tears over the killing of dozens of children in Connecticut?
His staged homage to the young victims rings especially hollow considering the fact the Obama administration shipped weapons to murderous drug cartels in Mexico under the Justice Department’s Fast & Furious operation and he has authorized the CIA to uses its killer drones to slaughter innocents in Pakistan. The cartel war bankrolled by transnational banks has so far resulted in 60,000 deaths with more than 10,000 people missing. In 2011, it was reported that nearly 170 children were killed in Obama’s illegal drone war in Pakistan. From June 2004 to mid-September 2012, drone strik... more »
TLC orders 'Best Funeral Ever' reality show
TLC is ready to put the “fun” back into funeral. The network has ordered a special/backdoor pilot, Best Funeral Ever, that goes behind-the-scenes of a unconventional funeral parlor. At the Golden Gate Funeral Home, Dallas-based funeral director John Beckwith, Jr.works with the families to create a central theme for a memorial and then throws a wild party. Examples include a Christmas-inspired funeral complete with reindeer, elves and snow, and a singer known for his famous rib sauce jingle remembered at a BBQ-themed funeral — including live pigs, praise dancers, and a BBQ sauce fo...more »
Thank God the subject of gun craziness was so thoroughly aired in the recent presidential and congressional elections
*"I think that day will come, but today's not that day, especially as we are awaiting more information about the situation."* *-- White House press secretary Jay Carney, about "that day" -- when a gun-control discussion may come* *"If now is not the time to have a serious discussion about gun control and the epidemic of gun violence plaguing our society, I don’t know when is. How many more Columbines and Newtowns must we live through? I am challenging President Obama, the Congress, and the American public to act on our outrage and, finally, do something about this."* *-- NY Rep. Jer...more »
Teabagger True Character Revealed
*When faced with* adversity your *true character* is revealed. True Character The content of these diaries at Daily Kos will make you madder than you’ve been all day But the truth hurts sometimes. >>>>>>HERE<<<<<< and >>>>>>>HERE<<<<<<<
Transcripts Expose Rate-Rigging at Libor, the Benchmark for Over $300 Trillion in Global Contracts
The Ledger Liam Vaughan Gavin Finch LONDON | Every morning, from his desk by the bathroom at the far end of Royal Bank of Scotland Group's trading floor overlooking London's Liverpool Street station, Paul White punched a series of numbers into his computer. White, who joined RBS in 1984, was one of the employees responsible for the firm's submissions to the London interbank offered rate, or Libor, the global benchmark for more than $300 trillion of contracts, from mortgages and student loans to interest-rate swaps. Behind him sat Neil Danziger, a derivatives trader at the bank sin... more »
Inflated Propaganda: The Dangers of A Black-And-White Discourse About Syria
Is reporting the facts and telling the truth equal to supporting a dictatorial government? Most level-headed people would say no and find the question confusing. It is the job of journalists to report the truth no matter who is strengthened by such coverage. But according to many propagandists who want to push Assad out of power at all costs the answer is yes, if telling the truth benefits a dictator then it is the same thing as giving your full support to him. To anti-Assad propagandists, the truth is unimportant and objectivity is old fashioned. Better to make up lies about Assad ... more »
Censored 2012: Thai activist says UN Rapporteur caused extensive harm to the people
Censored 2012: Thai activist says UN Rapporteur caused extensive harm to the people SR Anaya and Wasted Time The Akha of Hooh Yoh and Pah Nmm Akha vs. the Queen of Thailand By Matthew McDaniel Censored News http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com The following statement is in response to 'Censored 2012: Mohawk John Kane says the truth about UN Rapporteur James Anaya was the most censored
Delta Airlines humiliates double-amputee Marine, who was also sick with fever
On Dec. 13, 2011, Marine Lance Cpl. Christian Brown was leading his squad on a foot patrol in Afghanistan’s Helmand province when he stepped on an explosive device that blew off both his legs, one above the knee, the other below his hip. He also lost part of his right index finger. Last Sunday, almost exactly a year since those grievous injuries forced him to learn to walk on two successive pairs of prosthetic legs, Brown was “humiliated” to the point of tears on a Delta flight from Atlanta to Washington after being clumsily wheeled to the back row of the plane, according to a compl... more »
GAIA PORTAL: Rapidly Growing Momentum for the Light…
* * *Rapidly Growing Momentum for the Light…* *by ÉirePort* As a result of worldwide 12-12-12 12:12 activities, mediations, ceremonies, a rapidly growing momentum for multi-dimensional-level change has established throughout Gaia. Hue-manity is now aware of this, and yet-to-be-fully-awakened 3D humanity, soon will be. The transformation of energies of Gaia and the full grounding (establishment on the Inner Gaia) of these Higher D energies within Gaia, ensures vibrational uplift of all Gaia inhabitants. Sacred Gaia portals have returned to full function and effectiveness. All ... more »
INSANE MI Legislators - OK to Have Guns in Classrooms
*Day Before Connecticut Shooting Massacre, Michigan Legislature Passed Bill Allowing Guns In Classrooms* By Scott Keyes on Dec 14, 2012 at 1:58 pm On Thursday, one day before the tragedy in Connecticut where at least 29 people were killed at an elementary school, the Republican-controlled Michigan legislature passed a bill that would allow people to bring guns into schools. Amidst a lameduck session that has spawned a host of right-wing legislation, including a so-called “right-to-work” law and an extreme abortion ban, a “sweeping rewrite of Michigan’s concealed handgun law” was... more »
Atheism, alliances and truthiness...
Irreligion is the fastest growing religion in Britain. Polly Toynbee, the outgoing head of the British Humanist Association is pleased. I don’t think it’s a bad thing either. Consistently practiced atheism is a benefit to public life. Not that atheism is a key that unlocks great wisdom. If you are an atheist you can still be a fool, you’re just an atheist fool. Atheism subtracts belief in supernatural causes for natural events. It removes at least one barrier in public life to objective human experience being subjected to collective intellectual inquiry (in the broadest sense of t... more »
Former SAC Trader Busted With Biggest Insider Trading Profit In History
Mathew Martoma exits federal court in New York on Nov. 26, 2012 Former SAC Trader Busted With Biggest Insider Trading Profit In History Submitted by Tyler Durden on 11/20/2012 12:31 -0500 Cohen ETC Expert Networks FBI Florida Insider Trading Israel Israel Englander New York Stock Exchange SAC Steve Cohen Switzerland Over two years ago, on November 5, 2010, weeks before news broke out that the SEC had caught hedge funds in a massive insider trading scheme involving expert networks, and before the phrase expert network was even mentioned in places away from hedge funds, we wrote an a... more »
The Gulag Ameripelago: US Incarceration Surpasses Russia's
The Gulag Ameripelago: US Incarceration Surpasses Russia's December 13, 2012 Source: Zero Hedge Remember when Americans used to mock Russia (f/k/a the USSR) for being one big Gulag prison colony? Those were the good days. One thing is sure: they no longer "hate us for our freedom." On the other hand, if instead of prison, one were to write in "minimum security, free room and board, out early for good behavior" (especially if the world's most famous hedge fund will fund all your cash needs for the rest of your life on the 'other side' just as we predicted three weeks ago), then ... more »
Anonymous Announces Wikileaks Alternative (VIDEO)
Photo Credit: anonnews.org http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/12/10/anonymous-announces-wikileaks-alternative/ * * *Anonymous Announces Wikileaks Alternative (VIDEO)* 2012/12/10 By Nathaniel Downes Love it or hate it, Wikileaks has become entrenched in popular culture. By releasing what are otherwise secret documents, Wikileaks has changed the world. But the repeated attacks on the group has exposed weaknesses of its centralized operation and have driven a wedge between it and previously allied groups, such as the hactivist collective Anonymous. And with Wikileaks founder and spokesm... more »
What do You Get When You Cross a Christmas Tree With a Jellyfish?
Photo courtesy: Stephen Messenger/CC BY 2.0 Totally unbelievable!! All that money and all that talent spent on a project to make trees glow green by day and night...a Christmas tree that lights itself. I can't help but think there are projects that could have used the talent and funding far more...HIV, poverty, hunger, cancer... While 'tis supposedly the season of mirth and merry, nothing dampens a festive spirit quite like discovering an impossible tangle of Christmas lights your former self, in the midst of last year's post-holiday hangover, left for your future self to sort out.... more »
IDF mum on stolen F-16 engines
*I love how the galactics deal with these situations! :) * *Scrap metal thieves my foot.... like the Israelis don't keep their jets under guard? -AK* http://defensetech.org/2012/12/12/idf-remains-mum-on-stolen-f-16-engines/ *IDF mum on stolen F-16 engines* by BRYANT JORDAN on DECEMBER 12, 2012 An Israel Defense Forces spokesman says military police are investigating the theft of F-16 engines from an IDF base and will pass along their findings to military legal officials when finished “if deemed necessary. “The IDF prides itself on its level of professionalism, which obviousl... more »
Note on Podcast No. 16
I recorded an interview with Rob Farley yesterday on academic blogging and the academic blogsphere. I had planned to put it up this evening but, like, I suspect, a lot of Americans, I’ve been a bit distracted for the last few hours. The upshot is that I haven’t completed post-production and the podcast will likely Continue reading
Elsewhere: Politics and Tragedy, and Others
I'm not posting much today, but I did write something about tragedies and politics over at PP. I also have a new column up over at TAP arguing against Bobby Jindal's call last week for term limits. And yesterday I posted my first reactions to the Susan Rice news over at Greg's place, and talked filibuster potential deals at PP. I do plan, more or less, to be back later for a baseball post, but I think that's it for now.
Small Charity Largest Supplier of Solar Lights in Africa
Photo courtesy: © Solar-Aid Solar lights save lives in Africa. They improve school performance. They reduce respiratory diseases. And they provide a scalable model for micro-enterprises and economic stimulus. But who's the biggest seller of solar electric lights on the continent? Until recently, perhaps surprisingly, it was the French oil giant Total — which was selling portable lights through its gas station forecourts and other channels. That leadership position has now been overtaken by TreeHugger regulars Solar-Aid. In a blogpost over at Sunshine Is Free, Solar Aid CEO reveals... more »
Connecticut school shooting: 'Screams were coming over the intercom'
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy The first that some pupils heard of the mass shootings Friday at their Connecticut elementary school was when screams started coming over the intercom system, according to accounts from the scene. Eighteen children, all ages 5 to 10, and eight other people were killed when a masked gunman opened fire inside Sandy Hook elementary School in Newtown, Conn., authorities said. The gunman was later found dead, a federal law enforcement official told NBC News. The brother of a little girl who made it out of the sc... more »
Pot Shrinks Tumors; Government Knew in '74
Alternet Raymond Cushing In 1974 researchers learned that THC, the active chemical in marijuana, shrank or destroyed brain tumors in test mice. But the DEA quickly shut down the study and destroyed its results, which were never replicated -- until now. The term medical marijuana took on dramatic new meaning in February, 2000 when researchers in Madrid announced they had destroyed incurable brain tumors in rats by injecting them with THC, the active ingredient in cannabis. The Madrid study marks only the second time that THC has been administered to tumor-bearing animals; the firs... more »
The Syria Chemical Weapons Saga: The Staging of a US-NATO Sponsored Humanitarian Disaster?
Global Research Prof Michel Chossudovsky Modeled on the Saddam Hussein WMD narrative, the propaganda ploy concerning the alleged threat of Syria’s chemical weapons has been building up over several months. Iskander Mach 6-7The Western media suggests –in chorus and without evidence– that a “frustrated” and “desperate” president Bashar al Assad is planning to use deadly chemical weapons against his own people. Last week, U.S. officials revealed to NBC News that “Syria’s military has loaded nerve-gas chemicals into bombs and are awaiting final orders from al-Assad”. Western governmen... more »
All Hail Hagel
There are *reports* that President Obama is going to nominate former Senator Chuck Hagel for the Secretary of Defense position. Bloomberg says it is "likely." I don't like most U.S. officials, but Mr. Chuck Hagel is an exception. I am a fan. He opposed the Iraq War. He intervened in the Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006 and called for a ceasefire. These are the actions of a wise and brave man. And he fought in Vietnam so he knows the horrors of war from firsthand experience. Could Hagel lead the Pentagon? Is Washington starting to act sane? Is America beginning to divorce itself from ... more »
Blood Money From The NRA
How many children have to be murdered before the cowards in Congress stand up to the NRA and their militia allies? Would Congress act if it had been 1,000 dead people in Connecticut instead of just 28? What about 10,000? Would Congress have the balls to make a move if 20,000 children were murdered. How about if some of the dead were congressional grandchildren? This year the NRA paid out $16,147,440 in legalistic bribes in federal races through their PAC. Most of the bribes were paid to Republicans, of course, but they spread around a few bucks to certain Democrats as well. On th... more »
Pop pop pop, Psycho Killer, Run Run Run Away
*Second Amendment to the United States Constitution** **The Second Amendment (Amendment II) to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights.* *In 2008 and 2010, the Supreme Court issued two Second Amendment decisions. In District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008), the Court ruled that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to possess a firearm, unconnected to service in a militia[1][2] and to... more »
Ryan Lanza is in custody?, brother Adam is the shooter?
Too many conflicting reports, why?
How about another test?!
Comment posted on bloomberg.news Stephen Krashen Mark Bauerlein wants to add still another test to the already overwhelming load of tests the common core will inflict on American students: A literature test covering “best works of American civilization.” Bauerlein says it should feature questions “that will make students draw on Twain, Shakespeare, ancient myths, Edith Wharton and so on.” In other words, the test is designed for college English majors. Bauerlein’s suggestion is sure to stimulate lots of debate over what the best works of American civilization are (should Shakespeare... more »
Kate Upton SI Swimsuit 2011 - A Rule 5 Friday post - NSFW
Kate Upton in swimsuits, what's not to like?
Cyclone Evan rips through Samoan islands, at least 2 Dead
Tropical Cyclone Evan is battering Samoa and American Samoa in the South Pacific with wind gusts up to 130 mph, heavy rain and pounding surf. The National Weather Service in Pago Pago issued hurricane and high surf warnings for the islands as well as a flash flood watch. There were reports of two deaths from the storm in Samoa, an independent country with a population of 183,000. American Samoa is a U.S. territory with a population of about 55,000. http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/12/13/2-deaths-reported-as-cyclone-evan-rips-through-samoan-islands/
President Obama orders flags flown at half staff
President Obama orders flags at half staff following CT school shooting
Connecticut School Shooting
It's heartbreaking. At least 27 people, including 18 children between the ages of five and ten have fallen victim, yet again, to a lone gunman. Reportedly, the young survivors were told to keep their eyes shut as they were led from Sandy Hook Elementary School (pictured), in the quintessential suburban American community of Newtown, Connecticut. You do not want to imagine the grim vision visited upon its corridors and classrooms surviving children had to escape from. I'm sure everyone, everywhere with a decent, compassionate bone in their body stand in solidarity and sympathy with ... more »
Colville members outraged over millions in missing claims settlement
Students describe extreme hardship in getting their education. Justice for Colville members 2,606 signatures on a petition will be delivered by elders to the Colville Business Council asking them for over $96 Million By Yvonne L. SwanCensored News http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com Scroll down for Dec. 13, 2012 statement(Dec. 9, 2012) Tomorrow morning Colville tribal elders and members
Ambitions deflated as EU delays decisions
European leaders were at pains to insist at the end of a two-day EU summit that the long-promised transformation of the eurozone from a simple currency union into something resembling a centralised fiscal and economic bloc was still in the works. “No door was closed on steps towards deeper [integration] and we will keep moving forward,” said José Manuel Barroso, the European Commission president. http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/28e4ef14-45fc-11e2-b7ba-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2F3gRwOsf
Memphis Shooting, 1 officer dead, 1 officer injured
Memphis police say one officer has been killed and another wounded in a shooting. Police Chief Toney Armstrong said officers went to a home in east Memphis early Friday to serve a drug-related search warrant. He said a suspect opened fire, striking officers Martoiya Lang and William Vromah (VROH'-mah). Armstrong said officers returned fire, striking a suspect. http://www.cbs8.com/story/20346779/police-say-2-officers-shot-1-killed-in-memphis
MI Legislature is INSANE
From Daily Kos In another stunning legislative maneuver, Michigan Republicans passed a bill last night (attached as an amendment to an appropriations measure) that provides Michigan grocery store clerks may refuse to accept Food Stamps (under the Federal Government's Supplemental Nutritional Assistance program or SNAP as it is more commonly known) for payment of qualifying purchases if they have "moral objections" or believe that accepting food stamps as payment for food is a "matter of conscience." Furthermore, the clerks may not be fired by or otherwise penalized by their emplo... more »
NEWTOWN CONNECTICUT SHOOTINGS
*Newtown is home to the "Fairfield Hills" Hospital, used as the set of the Wilkinson Home for Boys in the film Sleepers in 1995. In the Wilkinson Home for Boys, children are systematically beaten, abused, and raped. * Some shooters are brainwashed Sleepers. The "sleeper" will live a normal life until required to perform the mission/s for which he was created. Americans love killing people. On 14 December 2012, it was reported that Ryan Lanza opened fire at a small rural school in the USA - Sandy Hook elementary school in *Newtown*, Connecticut. It was reported that the *masked* g...more »
Connecticut School Massacre: More Blood on the NRA's Hands
*By MARC McDONALD* In the aftermath of the deadly shooting that killed 27, including 18 children, at a Connecticut elementary school, there's one theme you can expect the mainstream media to repeat over and over in the coming days. That is: How could this tragedy possibly happen? Actually, there's no mystery at all. The problem is that America has practically zero meaningful regulations on guns, thanks to the assholes at the National Rifle Association, an organization that has had great success in pushing its extremist agenda on America over the past 30 years. The NRA's vast power... more »
5.1 Magnitude Earthquake NEW IRELAND REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA - 14th December 2012
Magnitude 5.1 Date-Time Friday, December 14, 2012 at 17:46:45 UTC Saturday, December 15, 2012 at 03:46:45 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 5.259°S, 153.413°E Depth 36.7 km (22.8 miles) Region NEW IRELAND REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA Distances 97 km (60 miles) SSE of Taron, PNG
unrelenting austerity and the promise of self-reliance: a blog from greece
A friend sent me a link to this blog, written by a man from the UK, a Socialist Workers Party activist, now retired and living on the Greek island of Samos. It's a picture from of life under extreme austerity - how people are suffering, but also how they are coming together. It's very scary. People are living under the harshest of conditions. Too often, the response is scapegoating and violence. Attacks on undocumented immigrants, Roma, and others read like European history repeating itself in the worst possible ways. Yet this blog also highlights the seeds of hope. Grassroots init... more »
Potential CCTV Footage of Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting, Newtown Connecticut (Still investigating)
*Added info:* We're unsure whether if this footage is authentic, and will continue looking into it. If you have any information, or video footage of the incident, please email us immediately.
Disarm
Nothing good ultimately comes from firearms. Millions of human beings in the global South slaughter each other and innocents because of ready access of weapons and ammunition. People, ill and 'sane' in the global North kill each other in smaller numbers and intellectualise the debate over the right to own and carry guns. As if a device designed to kill living things, most often people,
US Elementary School Shooting: '27 Killed' -- including 18 children.
A shooting at a US elementary school has reportedly killed at least 27 people - including 18 children. The death toll at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Newtown, Connecticut was reported by AP, which cited an unnamed official. It is also being reported that the shooter, the father of a pupil, was masked and heavily armed - and has been killed. http://news.sky.com/story/1025646/school-shooting-in-connecticut-27-killed
Connecticut, Newtown school shooting: One entire classroom of students unaccounted for
CBS News says suspect in police custody, possibly second shooter
27 Dead, 18 Children, in Connecticut School Shooting
When are Americans ever going to come to their senses about gun control? School shooting in Connecticut. 27 dead including 18-children. The shooter, the father of a student, was gunned down. You can almost turn this into a form story with blanks to be filled in for numbers, location and fate of shooter. It was a kids' school - kindergarten to 4th grade, ages 5 to 10. Christ on a Crutch! Now what? Will the NRA lash out in defence of mentally deranged gunmen as usual? Perhaps it will argue that if only those kids had been packing heat, this never would have happened. S... more »
AlJazeera Does Propaganda For Al-Qaeda
Quote from the video: "Jabhat al-Nusra, one of the rebel fighting forces, has gained popularity, especially in the villages and towns of Syria." What a lie. Jabhat al-Nusra is not popular in Syria. Most Syrians escape the areas that come under the control of this terrorist group. AlJazeera is spreading the propaganda of Al-Qaeda linked terrorists. Video: Syrians protest against US 'terrorist' label on al-Nusra Front. Source: AlJazeera.
27 Dead, Including 18 Children, At Sandy Hook School Shooting In Newtown
Twenty-seven people, including 18 children, have been killed in a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, according to the Associated Press. The report cites an official with knowledge of the situation. Sources told The Courant that there are at least 20 shooting victims. Many of the shootings took place in a kindergarten classroom, sources said. One entire classroom is unaccounted for, sources said. A person believed to be a shooter is dead. Earlier reports of a second shooter are unconfirmed. Three people were brought to Danbury Hospital, but their condition is unknown. The eme... more »
"Change in Behavior, Not a Change in Rules"
That's what Lamar Alexander said that the Senate needs. Truth is, he's right! The best possible solution to the currently dysfunctional Senate would be for the minority party to return to how things were before 1993 -- a Senate in which majorities regularly passed bills, and in which nominations were usually confirmed without a whole lot of trouble and almost always by majority vote. The problem? That's not going to happen. And Lamar Alexander isn't going to try to make it happen, as far as I can tell. Republicans, beginning in 1993 under Bob Dole and then in 2009 under Mitch McCon... more »
At Least It Won't Kill the Fish
In British Columbia, our provincial government has its own fondness for fossil fuel windfalls. The big difference is that it's not heavy bitumen but natural gas. Premier Cristy Clark is hellbent on flogging the province's gas resources to Asia just as fast as possible. Not surprisingly that means tankers running out of Kitimat, the same high-risk route being pursued by Enbridge and its concealed partners for bitumen trafficking. The idea is for a pipeline carrying LNG, liquified natural gas, from the gas fields in northeastern B.C. to Kitimat and then onward to Asia. Why As... more »
Aleppo Resident Explains What It's Like To Be "Liberated" By Jihadist Terrorists
An Aleppo resident says that Jihadist terrorists in the FSA who have captured an area of his city show no love to its inhabitants. They cut through bread lines and beat the people who complain. He says his quality of life has worsened since the thugs appeared. There are no jobs, no food aid, nothing. At the end of the video, he says, "We can't tell who's right and who's wrong." Most people are like this Aleppo resident. They want security, jobs, and food. A stable government provides that. The thugs and terrorists are destroying their future. Video: Syrian Man in Aleppo Describes ... more »
Connecticut Shooting (Live Stream)
An official with knowledge of a school shooting in Newtown, Conn. says 27 people were killed, including 18 children. The superintendent's office said the district had locked down schools in the city about 60 miles from New York City. - Live stream of local TV station foxct on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurner Be the Change! Share this using the tools below. Sharing on Reddit and Newsvine will help the most.
Latest installment of These Kids Today!
*FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2012* *Steven Spielberg, the TIMSS and the PIRLS:* It seems to be the world’s oldest story. We refer to the pleasing tale about the manifest dumbness of These Kids Today. In this morning’s New York Times, Timothy Egan offers a lightened version of this relentless old tale: EGAN (12/14/12): History is always utilitarian, and often entertaining. It stirs the blood of any lover of the past to see Steven Spielberg’s majestic “Lincoln”—at its core, a drama about politicians with ZZ Top beards writing legislation—crush the usual soulless, computer-generated distract... more »
Sun storm threat to GPS: Space agency plans global network to study effects of 'solar max' on satellite communications
Scientists are gearing up for fierce solar storms next year by setting up a worldwide chain of monitoring stations to study the so-called 'solar maximum'. Massive increases in the numbers of sunspots are expected to cause changes in the Earth's ionosphere, the shell of plasma at the top of our atmosphere. There are fears because the current generation of satellite navigation technology has never experience a 'solar max', and changes in the ionosphere could cause problems with GPS and other signals from space. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2248097/Sun-storm-threat-G... more »
Pelosi Draws A Line In The Sand-- Vows To Potect Seniors From Conservative Predators
Grimm & Garrett-- bad for their own constituents I'm so old, I'll believe it's a firm line in the sand rather than a negotiating ploy when I see the roll call being counted. But Thursday Pelosi did make the strongest statement yet about opposing the plutocrats' demands-- voiced by the politicians they own-- that Medicare's eligibility age be raised. “As I have said, don’t even think about raising Medicare age,” Pelosi said. “We are not throwing America’s seniors over the cliff to give a tax cuts to the wealthiest people in America.” Asked in a follow-up question whether she was wor... more »
Cornershop - Brimful of Asha - 2 versions
The original single version The Norman Cook mix Which do you prefer? I'm not sure, I loved the original but the remix is quite catchy too.
Puente cubierto de nieve - Postales de navidad
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Major health alert after 7,000 children's face painting sets containing poisonous lead sold to British shops imported from China
Parents are being warned not to buy face painting sets for their children without checking them after thousands were found to contain lead. More than 7,000 Tartan Collection paint pot sets have been imported from a factory in China by Chelford Ltd in Salford, Greater Manchester, and sold on to outlets throughout the UK. The sets could cause brain damage in very young children - and only 324 out of the 7,200 sets have been recovered. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2248144/Major-health-alert-7-000-childrens-face-painting-sets-containing-poisonous-lead-sold-British-shops.html
Perrito disfrutando de la magia de la navidad
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Enbridge Public Hearings Coming to Victoria. Public Told to Bugger Off Down the Road.
There won't be any public at the Enbridge public hearings when they reach Victoria in January. The hearings will be closed to the public. The hearing room will admit only registered speakers, one guest per, the media and the apparently terrified Joint Review Panel members. *Spectators will not be allowed to attend Victoria hearings into the Enbridge Northern Gateway project in January, to avoid the risk of demonstrations.* *** Instead, people interested in watching the proceedings will be sent about three kilometres away to the Ramada Hotel on Gorge Road, where they can watch... more »
Still obsessed with Hitler and attracted by the lure of the far right: News magazine Der Spiegel's astonishing condemnation of Germany
Germany's biggest news magazine has lambasted the rise of the 'ugly German' - racist, arrogant and in thrall of the nation's Nazi past. Der Spiegel says the heady days of patriotism and partying epitomised during the country's hosting of the soccer World Cup in 2006 are long gone. The editorial warns that '...at the end of 2012, it seems as if we were the gloomy Germans once again, the Germans who either cannot or don't want to shed their horrific past. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2248080/Is-Germany-grip-Nazi-past-News-magazine-Der-Spiegels-astonishing-condemnation-count... more »
Jesus en imagen para navidad
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Jingle Bells
Re-discovering the joy of the season through my 6 year old son.... more »
Lindos Muñecos de nieve sonriendo
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Another Labour activist not identified as such by BBC
Guido Fawkes has the story... http://order-order.com/2012/12/14/newsnight-parent-governor-actually-labour-activist/
Friday Afternoon Linkage
Friday is here. SEMESTER IS OVER. Fresh snow on the Vermont slopes. Three very good things. I’m surprising my wife with this news — I’ve already lined up the kids for summer camp. More fodder on Nixon and Kissinger’s support for a corrupt Shah. Kind of where we are in Syria. Not good. I guess Continue reading
Models, Maps, and Simplifying Assumptions
I don’t want to say too much about the Rathbun-Arena smackdown (smackduck?) taking place but I will say this: We often rely on maps that are not “true.” The Mercator projection is “wrong” if our criterion is “showing countries according to their relative size” but “useful” if our criterion is “helping to plot sea voyages.” Continue reading
Casas en la nieve entre los pinos de navidad
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Voice From Bani Walid Dec 12 2012
All the fake humanitarians who supported the war against Libya are silent now. Source: 108Morris108.
Hermoso reno con la nariz brillante
[image: Renos] *Nota:* Haga usted click aquí para ver más *imágenes de Animales* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
5.3 Magnitude Earthquake FIJI REGION - 14th December 2012
Magnitude 5.3 Date-Time Friday, December 14, 2012 at 16:52:38 UTC Saturday, December 15, 2012 at 04:52:38 AM at epicenter Location 15.368°S, 178.107°W Depth 10 km (6.2 miles) Region FIJI REGION Distances 706 km (439 miles) WSW (255°) from APIA, Samoa
Hospitals in lockdown amid worst norovirus outbreak in five years.....SO if you get it, ....you're on your own!
Hospitals are going into lockdown in a desperate bid to get the winter vomiting bug under control. Birmingham's City Hospital announced today that visitors are banned until further notice, after an outbreak of the bug forced the closure of four wards. Another major hospital has taken to Twitter, pleading with anyone who has recently had the bug - or suspects they may be infected - to stay away. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2248010/Visitors-banned-wards-closed-hospitals-battle-worst-norovirus-outbreak-years.html
Cabaña frente al lago en el bosque
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Susan Rice said she invented the Internet!
*FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2012* *Just as it ever was:* Would Susan Rice have been a good secretary of state? We have no idea. But we did recoil when our old friend, Chuck Todd, said this on last evening’s Hardball: TODD (12/13/12): *Look, I think that she’s a victim of an old-fashioned media feeding frenzy that we’re going to look back on and feel as if this is pretty unfair to her, the way this went down.* But those are the breaks in Washington, and she made this decision that she made. Here at THE HOWLER, we *love* Chuck Todd. But why is he saying this *now?* Todd could have confront... more »
Pinos cubiertos de nieve con bellas esferas
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Israel soldiers accused of assaulting journalists
The Israeli army has been accused of mistreating its journalists after soldiers allegedly assaulted two cameramen before forcing them to strip and kneel in the street, and exploding a tear-gas canister in their faces. One of the cameramen needed hospital treatment after the incident, which is said to have happened in the West Bank city of Hebron on Wednesday evening. The journalists, Yousri Al Jamal and Ma'amoun Wazwaz, who were both working for Reuters news agency, were driving to a check point where a Palestinian teenager had earlier been shot dead by an Israeli soldier when they w... more »
Movie Review: The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey
Southern Man had mixed feelings coming into this one. Yes, he and his friends found Tolkien in middle school and read the books together and picked the characters they would be (Southern Man *cried* when Gandalf died and rejoiced on his resurrection) and have loved the wonderful world of Middle-Earth ever since. And there's a special place in his heart for the Rankin-Bass animated films, particularly their charming adaptation of *The Hobbit*. And he's grateful that Peter Jackson and his crew put that world on film in such a marvelous fashion. And he's glad for midnight movies and pe... more »
Britain seeks new EU deal from euro zone crisis
Britain must use the upheaval created by the euro zone crisis to forge a new relationship with the European Union, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Friday as he fights a rising anti-EU mood at home that could threaten his chances of re-election. Speaking at the end of a summit of EU leaders that secured the first part of a banking union, Cameron played down fears Britain's future lies on the margins of a two-tier Europe, while euro zone members build an ever-stronger core. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/12/14/uk-eu-britain-idUKBRE8BD0SH20121214
Casita en el bosque en invierno
[image: Trineos con Caballos] *Nota:* Haga usted click aquí para ver más *Paisajes de navidad* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com
Brian and Phil Hug it Out
Many of you seem to have read my earlier post knocking the use of assumptions in theory-building, particularly rationalism, and Phil Arena’s defense of it. My earlier post was a little over the top and insulting, which led him to take umbrage. I called him a dick; he called me a dick. We were both Continue reading
France wants more "two-speed" Europe from 2014...Any States that Don't agree or tow the line will be left behind
French President Francois Hollande called on Friday for like-minded EU countries to push ahead with further, deeper integration, even if it means leaving behind more Eurosceptic states which insist on protecting sovereignty. Speaking after a two-day summit on the debt crisis where the 17 states that share the euro agreed on arrangements for a single supervisory system for their banks, Hollande indicated that a two-speed European Union was all but inevitable. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/14/us-eu-france-twospeed-idUSBRE8BD0RR20121214
Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman quits after indictment
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman resigned on Friday after being charged with fraud and breach of trust, in a move that could have repercussions on next month's election. "I have decided to resign my post as foreign minister and deputy prime minister and ... also to remove my (parliamentary) immunity forthwith so I can end this matter quickly, without delay and clear my name absolutely," Lieberman said in an emailed statement. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/14/us-israel-lieberman-urgent-idUSBRE8BD0QS20121214
Sword Fight Injures 19 In Egypt
At least 19 people have reportedly been hurt in Egypt, after supporters of the country's draft constitution attacked protesters with swords. The clashes in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria come on the eve of a referendum on the charter, which opponents claim does not guarantee basic rights to Egyptians and places emphasis on Islam and Sharia law. http://news.sky.com/story/1025676/sword-fight-injures-19-in-egypt
Hacker Gary McKinnon Faces No Further Action
Computer hacker Gary McKinnon will face no further criminal action, the Director of Public Prosecutions has announced. The decision follows a review of the case after the Government's decision to block his extradition to the US in October on health grounds. Mr McKinnon, 46, from Wood Green, north London, would have faced up to 60 years in prison if convicted in the US of alleged breaches of US military and Nasa networks. http://news.sky.com/story/1025629/hacker-gary-mckinnon-faces-no-further-action
Connecticut Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting Under Control
US State Police are responding to reports of a shooting at a school in Connecticut. A number of people are reported to be injured following the incident at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Newtown. Local media says there are unconfirmed reports of multiple victims and two shooters - one who is dead and another who is still at large. Police told local media that a shooter was in the main office of the school and that a person in one room had "numerous gunshot wounds". http://news.sky.com/story/1025646/school-shooting-in-connecticut-us-say-police
Why We Hate Them ...
I'm actually pretty damned busy these days but I just had to vent about this. Scum-bag harpercon lawyer, Arthur Hamilton, bloviates about how election results shouldn't be overturned by legal challenges: "Counting the votes on election night cannot simply mean that just decided who will be the applicant and who will be the respondents, because election night really means something," Hamilton said. "That's when electors get to see how the exercise of their franchise has turned out." Oh! But you might ask, what about the harpercon disrespect for the citizenry (especially those who...more »
Bosque cubierto de nieve
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4.8 Magnitude Earthquake JAVA, INDONESIA - 14th December 2012
Magnitude 4.8 Date-Time Friday, December 14, 2012 at 16:16:21 UTC Friday, December 14, 2012 at 11:16:21 PM at epicenter Location 7.797°S, 105.782°E Depth 31.6 km (19.6 miles) Region JAVA, INDONESIA Distances 152 km (94 miles) SW (230°) from Sukabumi, Java, Indonesia
4.9 Magnitude Earthquake MOZAMBIQUE CHANNEL - 14th December 2012
Magnitude M 4.9 Region MOZAMBIQUE CHANNEL Date time 2012-12-14 15:18:49.9 UTC Location 16.10 S ; 41.78 E Depth 10 km Distances 163 km SE Moçambique
4.0 Magnitude Earthquake OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE - 14th December 2012
Magnitude ML 4.0 Region OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE Date time 2012-12-14 12:26:40.0 UTC Location 36.44 S ; 73.60 W Depth 30 km Distances 54 km NW Talcahuano, Chile
Nearly 1 in 6 Student Loan Borrowers in Default
Martin, Andrew (2012, Dec 13) Building a Showcase Campus, Using an I.O.U. The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/14/business/colleges-debt-falls-on-students-after-construction-binges.html?_r=0&nl=todaysheadlines&adxnnl=1&emc=edit_th_20121214&adxnnlx=1355497305-twY9ewMbhIUSOcaohzESRw&pagewanted=all "Nearly one in every six borrowers with a student loan balance is in default." Majia here: I wonder how big the derivatives bubble based in student loans is?
Recent Iodine 131 Detections in Japan
Majia's Blog - 12 hours ago
Increasing nuclear chain reactions at Fukushima Posted on December 4, 2012 by Optimal Prediction http://optimalprediction.com/wp/increasing-nuclear-chain-reactions-at-fukushima/#comments *[Excerpted] I*odine-131 levels from sewage sludge have spiked in September and October in Zushi City and Chiba prefecture, Japan. Zushi is southwest of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, past Tokyo. Chiba is south of Daiichi. Fukushima Diary has a post about the elevation on iodine in Date, Japan in July. High levels of radioactive iodine are due to increasing criticalities in the underground coriums. ... more »
Regalos bajo el arbol de navidad en el hielo
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Shooting reported at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown
Connecticut State Police said they were responding to reports of a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Friday morning. The shooting was reported at a school on Dickinson Drive at 9:41 a.m., according to state police. The Newtown Bee is reporting multiple police, ambulance and emergency crews are at the scene, and there are multiple reports of injuries being reported. http://www.kltv.com/story/20345707/school-shooting-reported-in-newtown
Angelitos, esferas y pinos para navidad
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Outrunning Collapse: The alternative currency solution
*James Corbett* * *BoilingFrogsPost.com Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurner Be the Change! Share this using the tools below. Sharing on Reddit and Newsvine will help the most.
"I Built This [Lie]"
As the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) virus spreads throughout the United States like a pre-apocalyptic seed of *World War Z*, I recognize that it is no longer cool to recommend fiction and poetry, especially classic fiction and poetry, as texts we might cull some sense from. [1] While my literacy scholarship has strongly recommended creative nonfiction and multicultural works as well as nontraditional texts such as comics/graphic novels and film, I stand firmly beside my colleagues Susan Ohanian and Stephen Krashen who have worked tirelessly [2] to protect the sanctity of rich ... more »
Who Are The Klingons?
"Missing Peace" Anthony Freda Art Clint Ward When *I submitted an earlier post* I used the word Vulcan. I have always uses this as an analogy to friends because it best represents how I view things. If we could look into the future 100 maybe 200 years from now who from the fictional series *Star Trek* would we as a race most likely resemble? I would say at this juncture in time I would put my money on the Klingons. I was appalled at the idiocy I saw this last year on a commercial on T.V. It was for some type of reality show where the celebrities go through the rigors of combat. ... more »
Go Vulcan
image source Clint Ward I have come to several conclusions after years of following economic and political news. I believe only real tragedy will effect real change, that power trumps reason and “Truth”. Why, because the human brain is a computer whose output is affected by our unique perception of the world. We each produce our own conclusions which we own and defend. We also each occupy or wish to occupy a specific position in the world, which may require varied actions good or bad. What I believe we lack are the constructs of reason, conclusions that are produced in ways obs... more »
In Israel: Stringent Contraception for *Some*
A story that broke nearly three years ago is back in the news in Israel. The birthrate among Ethiopians in Israel decreased by a dramatic 50% in the last decade, and Israeli journalist Gal Gabai wanted to know why. She investigated the issue for “Vacuum,” her documentary series on Israeli Educational Television, and she discovered some things that left her very uncomfortable — and will surely leave others equally so. Let's go back to January 2010. Health officials in Israel are subjecting many female Ethiopian immigrants to a controversial long-term birth control drug in what Israel... more »
Israel Loses Its Bestest Senator
Congress just got a whole lot more exciting. Not just because of the return of Alan Grayson or the election of Elizabeth Warren or Tammy Duckworth or the nearly four dozen new Democrats that will be taking their places in both chambers but because Senator Droopy Joe Lieberman is finally out of the Senate. You remember Lieberman, don't you? He's the guy who in 2006 couldn't forgive businessman Ned Lamont for taking the Democratic primary victory away from him, saying that Lamont had the "audacity" to think he could represent Connecticut in the Senate better than he, as ... more »
War 2017: Next Generation Drones Ensure It
Nicholas West A debate has heated up about the future of unmanned weapons of war. International human rights groups have issued a *50-page cautionary report* about the potential for losing control over systems that are increasingly autonomous. Cambridge University issued their warning through a study officially known as the *Centre for the Study of Existential Risk*, where they warn that one of the greatest threats that humanity faces are "terminators." While the Pentagon has thus far insisted that automated systems will never supplant human decision making, and various military ... more »
BUDGET BABEL: Missing in action!
*FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2012* *Conclusion—In search of a liberal framework:* At this point, is Social Security adding to the federal deficit? A recent remark by Senator Durbin set off a renewed discussion of this somewhat irrelevant point. But as Krauthammer, Kessler and Drum talked it out, an important figure was missing in action. Missing in action as usual. Who or what was missing in action, away without leave, non-existent? Who or what else? The liberal perspective or framework was missing in action! But then, this has been the case for at least the past thirty years. The pl... more »
'Zero Dark Thirty' Falling on the World
John Galt Kathryn Bigelow is once again drawing attention; this time for the follow-up to her award-winning movie *The Hurt Locker*. The focus of her new movie is on the role torture has played in American foreign policy in a post-9/11 world. Namely, the hunting of Osama bin Laden and his subsequent death. America's torture doctrine is now enshrined, as *courts at all levels *have concluded that it is best for the military to decide American morality. The latest insult comes via Jose Padilla's family who have had to appeal to an *international human rights tribunal* for basic pro... more »
Untitled
*"Train of Hope" departs New Orleans for New York City* *Removal of dam on Bayou St. John will restore flow of water from Lake Pontchartrain*~Hat Tweet @LeveesOrg *Discovery of Human Remains Delays Iberville Redevelopment* *Bonfires of St. James Parish * *Evangeline the Oyster Girl at Bustout Burlesque ~Gambit*
Torture Continues to be Legitimized by U.S. Legal System
Dees Illustration Joe Wright In another blow to human rights, freedom, the law, and morality, the 7th Circuit Court has exonerated Donald Rumsfeld from prosecution for allegations of being a primary architect of U.S. torture policy. At issue are two Americans, Donald Vance and Nathan Ertel, who worked for a private Iraqi security firm named Shield Group Security. Courthouse News reports the harrowing experience the two men encountered after attempting to blow the whistle to the U.S. government about their employer potentially being involved in illegal arms trades and bribery: Shi...more »
Torture Memo Author, John Yoo, Immune from Prosecution: Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
Dees Illustration Joe Wright A federal judge who ruled that "enemy combatant" Jose Padilla could file suit against John Yoo who authored the torture memo that legitimized the horrific treatment of detainees, has had his decision reversed by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals today. Jose Padilla, a United States citizen, was incarcerated for four years without trial for an alleged 2002 "dirty bomb" plot and has been trying to sue Donald Rumsfeld as well as other U.S. officials for his mistreatment while detained in a military brig in South Carolina. Padilla asserts that the tortur... more »
Tennessee begins to push back against NDAA tyranny
Madison Ruppert, *Contributing Writer* Tennessee, the Volunteer State, has begun to push back against the tyranny that is the indefinite detention provisions contained in the National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2012, better known simply as the NDAA. The state bills currently being considered could be one of the most significant steps taken against the atrocious assault on our most essential liberties embodied by the indefinite detention provisions of the NDAA. The Tenth Amendment Center (TAC), a group promoting states' rights (something which I think is an honorabl...more »
post your slow-cooker recipes and tips here
I just bought a slow-cooker, the first one I've owned. Do you use one? If so, what are your favourite things to make with it? Any tips or suggestions? I know there a zillion slow-cooker recipes online, but I'd like to hear what friends and readers like. Thanks!
Syria: Russian position unchanged. Russian missiles and US anti- missiles
A mishmash of news reports: Russia regarding Syria. Russia's new missiles. US Patriots to Turkey (and troops) Hillary Clinton Benghazi testimony, Susan Rice fall out from Benghazi incident. The “big news” yesterday in the Western main stream media that Russia had “changed it’s position” regarding Syria. I read numerous reports and there was nothing in any of the statements made by the Russian diplomat that indicated this was even what was being implied. My take on the statements made fall in line with this..... *“The only conclusion we can make is that the Russian Foreign Ministr... more »
Do Fungicides Used on Produce Make Us Fat?
Potential Obesogen Identified: Fungicide Triflumizole Is Associated with Increased Adipogenesis in Mice. Valerie Brown Environmental Health Perspectives Dec 3, 2012 http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/2012/12/120-a474a/[Excerpted] Obesogens are chemicals that increase either the number of fat cells in an organism or the amount of fat stored in those cells. Obesogens may also act indirectly on obesity by modulating appetite, satiety, or metabolism. Now researchers have identified a common agricultural chemical that appears to qualify as an obesogen because it nudges gene expression and stem ce... more »
5 Fox News Myths about the Fiscal Cliff – and no more ‘Cliff’ Metaphors either… please! stop!
Does anyone else find Fox News strangely appealing to watch? For some reason I watch it all the time. As ideology that is inadvertently entertaining, interwoven with a veneer of ‘news,’ it’s a freaky, terrifying wonder to behold. It is vastly more interesting – maybe because it’s akin to experiencing an alternate reality - than Continue reading
workers rising: global day of action against walmart
In the US, on the biggest shopping day of the year, Walmart workers in 47 states took action against the abusive, illegal retaliatory practices of their behemoth employer. Today, workers in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, India, Nicaragua, Zambia and South Africa will show solidarity with those US workers with a Global Day of Action against Walmart. This will include a moment of silence for the 112 workers who died in a Bangladesh factory fire on November 24. To read about why this is necessary and long overdue, go here. Also: Wal-Mart's Killer Rollbacks: The Human Cost of Lower ...more »
US Torture Victim Takes Case to International Human Rights Tribunal
Dees Illustration *Activist Post* The American Civil Liberties Union and Yale Law School’s Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic today filed a petition against the United States with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IAHCR) for the unlawful detention and torture of José Padilla, a U.S. citizen, whom the United States detained and interrogated for four years. The petition was filed by Padilla’s mother, Estela Lebron, on her own and on her son’s behalf. Padilla and Lebron had previously filed federal lawsuits – since dismissed – against current and former governm... more »
Terrorism Offences
R. v. Khawaja 2012 SCC 69 upholds the terrorist sections of the Criminal Code. The Court holds that Section 83.18 does not violate s. 7 of the * Charter*. A purposive interpretation of the *actus reus *and *mens rea*requirements of s. 83.18 excludes convictions (i) for innocent or socially useful conduct that is undertaken absent any intent to enhance the abilities of a terrorist group to facilitate or carry out a terrorist activity, and (ii) conduct that a reasonable person would not view as capable of materially enhancing the abilities of a terrorist group to facilitate or carry... more »
2012 Documentary of an Uncertain Future
*Chris Greene* * *http://www.amtvmedia.com/ Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurner Be the Change! Share this using the tools below. Sharing on Reddit and Newsvine will help the most.
An Economic Fairy Tale
Anthony Freda Art Brandon Smith, *Contributor* Once upon a time there lived an independent and industrious people in a land called Ameristan deep in the realm of Middle Income. Their kingdom was unlike any other recorded in the ancient histories, primarily because they had no “king”. Instead, the Ameristanians had decided long ago that kings were much more trouble than they were worth, and, using cost/benefit ratio analysis, came to the conclusion that it was better to hang such ambitious power mongers by their necks and govern themselves instead. Unfortunately, many generations ... more »
Another Awards Update
Here’s where things stand: Nominees for Best Blog (Group): Abu Muqawama Arms Control Wonk Crooked Timber The Disorder of Things IPE at UNC Mideast Matrix Kings of War Nominees for Best Blog (Individual): Abu Aardvark’s Middle East Blog (Marc Lynch) Chris Blattman Dart-Throwing Chimp (Jay Ulfelder) Daniel Drezner International Political Economy Zone (Emmanuel Yujuico) iRevolution (Patrick Meier) M. Taylor Continue reading
Lawyers, Guns and Money
By Capt. Fogg Is the title of the song and as the song goes, the shit has hit the fan, at least for John Hammar, an ex-Marine from Ft. Pierce, Florida, a town just a few miles north of me. I'm sure you've heard that he's been jailed under one of Mexico's tough and comically ineffective gun control laws. Of course your sense of comedy may differ on this point. Seems Hammer and his friend had planned to drive across the Mexican border near Matamoros in a Winnebago filled with surfboards and camping gear -- and an old shotgun he'd inherited from his great grandfather which, as purch... more »
fighting for democracy in the courts and in the street: #idlenomore, democracy 24/7
I no longer see TV news, but I have it on good authority that if your primary news source is CBC's The National, you haven't been hearing about two important developing - and exciting - stories. Idle No More is a campaign led by First Nations peoples to fight back against Canada's destruction of natural resources and its continued profiting from Native lands. The movement, including a hunger strike by Chief Theresa Spence, is being framed as opposition to the Harper Government's latest omnibus budget bill (C-45). It is that, but it's also much more. In their own words: *MANIFESTO* ...more »
Our Favorite Elf on the Shelf Ideas
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We, like a lot of you, have a little elf that visits our house during the month of December. Our little Elf, Pixiedoodle, likes to do silly things during the night. She doesn't get into too much mischief, just enough to make our little girl giggle in the morning. Here are some of our favorite situations our little elf has found herself in. 1. All tangled up in thread in mom's sewing machine. 2. Taking a marshmallow bath in a mug. This one made my little girl laugh so hard our elf wants to do this again on a grander scale. 3. Dyeing the milk in the fridge. A friend suggested makin... more »
ALEC - A Primer Reminder
As we get ready to spend time with friends and families over the holidays - we should consider that it would be a good time to educate them on ALEC. As we get ready to start a new political year and we hopefully activating friends and family to help us with our on-going exposure of ALEC - let’s review a little bit of what we know so far. *What is ALEC?* The American Legislative Exchange Council is an organization that focuses on the promotion and nationwide distribution of specific political policies and issues. ALEC facilitates the writing of “model legislation” and holds meeting... more »
Eastern Seaboard Superfund Sites Spread Worries in Wake of Sandy
Rachel Rindfleisch at Contaminated Nation - Water Contamination, Land Pollution & Hazardous Waste locations - 15 hours ago
By: Duane Craig Wherever Hurricane Sandy traveled over land and along waterfronts, the risks of all types of contamination increased. From every minor little spill to major stockpiles of contaminated land waiting for shipment to disposal facilities, the possibility increased dramatically for their contaminated payloads to be dislodged and spread around. But perhaps the potential largest threats came from Superfund sites in New Jersey and New York. Residents in Brooklyn, N.Y. with properties near Newtown Creek and the Gowanus Canal take great precautions as they clean up their prope... more »
Mao: The Tall Stalk Gets Cut Down-- But Not In America... The Sad Saga Of The Estate Tax
2 out of 1,000 estates are paying estate taxes this year. But even those taxes expire December 31. Obama would like to replace the current legislation with a slightly fairer tax-- but *so* slightly that it's almost not worth mentioning. Obama's proposal would tax 3 estates out of 1,000. The Republicans, of course, want to abolish the estate tax altogether. I thought Chris Hayes put the estate tax into context very well in his book, Twilight of the Elites. The topic he's discussing is why it's so tough to move America more forthrightly towards genuine equality and how people who be... more »
IPCC AR5 not acknowledging cosmoclimatology
In a few years, the IPCC climate panel plans to release the fifth assessment report, AR5. Alec Rawls (firstname at lastname dot org) has leaked the current draft (he thinks it's 100% legal to do so) and he, much like other skeptics, seemed to be enthusiastic about the IPCC's finally admitting the existence of natural climate drivers, especially those related to the Sun. Dana Nuccitelli, a notorious climate demagogue and fearmonger writing for Skeptical Science.com, wrote a guest blog for the Guardian blogs where he claims that the IPCC isn't saying anything of the sort even though h... more »
MYSTERIOUS MALTA
Claire Marie Busuttil was crowned *Miss World Malta 2011* on July 16, 2011 at the Grand Master’s Suite of the Hilton Malta in St. Julian’s. Jimmy Savile became a Knight of Malta. *Other Knights of Malta include Edward Garnier, Franz von Papen, Francis Spellman, Prince Laurent of Belgium, William J. Casey...* * * "Beginning with the Aug. 23, 2010 unsolved murder of Russian strategic analyst, Alexander Pikayev, then spreading outward from there, there have been multiple unsolved deaths (mostly stabbings) on Malta's north shore..." Latest Malta Murder Again At St Paul’s Bay–Hungari...more »
Read Stuff, You Should
Happy Birthday to Jeff Robinson, 51. And one day late: Jeff Robinson, 52. The one whose birthday is today is, to me, the other Jeff Robinson; he's the one who came up with the Tigers and pitched from 1987-1992. The one whose birthday was yesterday is the one who came up with the Giants and pitched from 1984-1992. The other Jeff Robinson, the Tigers one, is a great case study. His ERA+ over his career was 79, 128, 82, 67, 72. What happened that year? He led the league in hits per 9, with a rate over 2 hits per 9 lower than his career rate, even though a large chunk of his career was ... more »
Job Loss Not Irreparable Harm? In What Universe?
Employers are using noncompete agreements to force employees to stay in lousy jobs with lousy working conditions more and more. The poor employee is put in a situation where, if they leave a crappy job, the employer sends a nastygram to their new employer and threatens to sue unless the employee is fired. Then the employee is left to defend themselves with no job and no money. What's an employee to do? Well, they can file a suit against an employer for something called declaratory relief, asking the court to determine their rights. The problem is, there's no quick way to get declar... more »
The Truth? What's That?
For those who wonder why Peter MacKay is stiill in cabinet, Michael Harris has a straightforward answer: Very simple; Peter MacKay has done no worse on this file than Stephen Harper. In fact, he has merely followed the core of Stephen Harper’s communications strategy: the Conservatives aren’t bound by the facts, they create them. What they say is fact becomes fact. Here are a few examples from the Boss himself on the subject of the F-35. “A lot of the developmental costs you’re reading in the United States, the contract we’ve signed shelters us from any increase in those kinds of... more »
Feldstein on the Fiscal Cliff
Marty offers his recommendation.
Activist Post Writing Contest: Solutions - Final Day to Enter and Win $750 in Total Cash and Prizes
*1st place receives a $250 cash prize & $250 gift certificate to Offgrid Outpost 2nd place receives a $250 gift certificate to Offgrid Outpost* It is no secret that we're living in incredibly challenging times. It appears that we have reached critical tipping points across the board; politically, economically, environmentally, socially, and spiritually. Many of the old systems are self destructing and causing great harm in doing so. Yet, this presents a fantastic opportunity to remake the world a more just and peaceful place. It's not enough anymore to identify and blame the ruling...more »
Peter Van Loan
I sometimes like to post my reflections of yesterday's news. Peter Van Loan made headlines recently for waddling across the floor of the House of Commons Chamber to wag his finger in the face of NDP House Leader Nate Cullen, chastising him for having raised a procedural challenge during voting on one of the harpercons' atrocious omnibus bills. While Van Loan was doing this, Speaker Scheer was looking the other way like a referee in a professional wrestling match instead of the referee in a chamber of democratic debate like he's supposed to be. A little later, both Van Loan and Sch... more »
2012 Documentary of an Uncertain Future
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China school knife attack in Henan injures 22 children
A man with a knife has wounded 22 children - at least two of them seriously - and an adult at a primary school in central China. The attack happened at the gate of a school in Chenpeng village in Henan province. Police arrested a 36-year-old local man at the scene. Security at China's schools has been increased in recent years following a spate of similar knife attacks in which nearly 20 children have been killed. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-20723910
Russia rejects blame in murder of ex-spy Litvinenko
Russia denied on Friday that it was involved in the murder of Kremlin critic and former spy Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006. A British lawyer on Thursday told a preliminary hearing into Litvinenko's poisoning that the Russian government was most likely involved in his death, which has soured relations between Moscow and London. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/12/14/uk-russia-uk-litvinenko-murder-idUKBRE8BD0H420121214
Journalist Anna Politkovskaya Murder: Ex-Policeman Jailed
A former policeman has been jailed for 11 years in a prison camp over the murder of the journalist Anna Politkovskaya. Dmitry Pavlyuchenkov admitted tracking Politkovskaya so that she could be assassinated in 2006. The established journalism was well known for her hard hitting reporting and her criticism of the Kremlin under Vladimir Putin. http://news.sky.com/story/1025496/russia-journalist-murder-ex-policeman-jailed
Poisonous Nocturnal Monkey Found In Borneo
A monkey that comes out at night and has a bite so poisonous it could kill a human has been discovered by scientists. The new species, which is a type of slow loris, releases poison from glands at its elbows which it then takes into its mouth. Their bite can prove deadly because it can cause anaphylactic shock in humans, killing them. http://news.sky.com/story/1025410/poisonous-nocturnal-monkey-found-in-borneo
'Plague Ship' Oriana Returns After Norovirus Bug
A luxury cruise liner described as a "plague ship" after an outbreak of the winter vomiting bug has returned to dock in Southampton. Around 300 passengers on P&O's Oriana are thought to have been struck down with norovirus during a 10-night Baltic cruise. The company's owners, Carnival, initially said there had been "an incidence of a mild gastrointestinal illness" among the 1,800 people on board. http://news.sky.com/story/1025425/norovirus-cruise-ship-oriana-docks-in-uk
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