English: American comic Paula Poundstone. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
US Treasury Department official, surrounded by packages of newly printed currency, counting and wrapping dollar bills. Washington, D.C., 1907. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Australia pinnacle (Photo credit: Kenny Teo (zoompict))Vancouver Islanders Have Spoken
Vancouver Island's round of faux public hearings into the proposed Northern Gateway bitumen pipeline have wrapped up. The panel heard 253 presentations. When they were done, the tally was 253 opposed edging out 0 in support of the supertanker initiative. That's 253 to nil. Sort of gives you an idea of what awaits the island's Conservative MPs in the next federal election. Liberals need take no comfort in the Tories' plight. It's a safe bet that ridings on the island and coastal mainland will be divvied up between the Greens and the NDP. Then again, maybe that's just what ... more »
50 Degrees Celsius, Australia Burns
Moomba, a gas exploration town in South Australia, reached a record, 49.6 degrees Celsius in the noonday sun. Meanwhile the country is being swept with brush fires and grass fires that have already consumed 350,000 hectares of land. The first nine days of 2013 have all exceeded average maximum temperatures in excess of 39 degrees C. And the savage heat is making a bit dent in climate change skepticism down under. '*'There's a powerful climate change signal in extreme weather events in Australia,'' said Joseph Reser, an adjunct professor at Griffith University's school of applie... more »
Electric planets - a shocking truth?
Link: http://youtu.be/5DEvb6yEQ_0 We do live in an *electrical* universe - that is (also) my opinion...! John
DAYS OF THE COIN: Apparently, we can’t have nice things!
*SUNDAY, JANUARY 13, 2013* *Trillion-dollar platinum coin rolls under a million-pound couch:*Apparently, we can’t have nice things! As Paula Poundstone once said! Just when we in the liberal world solve the impending debt limit crisis, the Treasury Department comes along and puts the squadoosh on the deal. In this morning’s New York Times, Annie Lowrey explains what Treasury—and the White House—have said: LOWREY (1/13/13): *Treasury Won’t Mint Coin to Defy Debt Ceiling* *The Treasury Department said Saturday that it will not mint a trillion-dollar platinum coin* to head off an immi... more »
7 Fotografías con efecto HDR by Iván Maigua - Hermosas
Haga usted click sobre las imágenes para ampliar su tamaño El día de hoy lunes 14 de enero de 2013, tenemos como invitado especial al *fotógrafo y artista digital Iván Maigua*. Es un honor para nosotros contar con la aportación al arte de personajes tan distinguidos en el mundo de la * fotografía* como él. Al ver estas *imágenes con efecto HDR*, nos transporta directamente al lugar donde hizo las *fotos*. Se puede sentir el viento suave de los paisajes de Holanda y el olor a heno de las caballerizas. El agua luce transparente y pura que se antoja estar ahí para disfrutar de esa ... more »
The Observer Screws Up
There are things one does not do in a national newspaper. One does not call Blacks "uppity niggers". One does not state as fact that Yids drink the blood of Christian children. And one does not publish articles like this one. Starting with a quote illustrating a complete lack of anything redolent of white feminist privilege "Sod that, we're having lobster and champagne at Frederick's and I'm paying," I told her. Half a bottle of Bolly later, she looked at me with faraway eyes: "Ooo, I could get to like this…" And so she did. No privilege there. I nevertheless felt indignant that ... more »
On Liberty: More Relevant Than Ever
*by Len Hart, The Existentialist Cowboy* John Stuart Mill's classic essay "On Liberty" deals with the issue of "civil liberties" not the metaphysical issue of "free will". In context, it would appear that most attacks on civil liberties originate from within the right wing and, more specifically, tyrannical police states and/or aristocratic rule. Mill addresses threats against liberty from within the institutions of democracy. The issue is especially relevant when widespread domestic wiretapping and Government ordered surveillance violates the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constituti... more »
The Same Story With A New Twist
In his book, *Hegemony Or Survival,* Noam Chomsky argued that George W. Bush's invasion of Iraq was merely the next step in an imperial grand strategy which was drawn up in Washington at the end of World War II: The imperial grand strategy asserts the right of the United States to undertake "preventative war" at will: *Preventative* not preemptive. Preemptive war might fall within the framework of international law. Ross Douhat, in this morning's *New York Times*, argues that President Obama's nomination of Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense and John Brennan as Director of the ...more »
A new jail in Nunavut
Another jail opened in Nunavut last week. It is long overdue - the existing facility in Iqaluit, Baffin Correctional Centre is, as Justice Mahar of the Nunavut Court of Justice recently said, "notoriously over crowded and under resourced". BCC, as Baffin Correctional Centre is usually called, is far from the worst jail in Canada. Apart from the grotesque overcrowding it is reasonably good - the guards are approachable and try to treat the prisoners with respect. The prisoner themselves are (usually but not always) compliant and respectful of the guards and each other. Cultural issu... more »
it's time we all starved the trolls: stop reading comments on mainstream news stories
Robert Fisk has a good piece in *The Independent* about the incivility (to put it mildly!) that is endemic in the comment sections of online news stories: "Anonymous trolls are as pathetic as the anonymous "sources" that contaminate the gutless journalism of the New York Times, BBC, and CNN". Fisk wonders why newspapers that will not publish an anonymous letter to the editor will allow anonymous lies and hateful screed in comments. Surely he knows the simple answer: money. Advertisers are paying for clicks, and the idiots in the comments section are increasing the clickage. Why sho... more »
How Essential Oils Changed My Life and a Plant Therapy Essential Oil Giveaway
I never imagined myself using essential oils. I am a skeptic by nature and essential oils seemed really out there, so they weren't something I considered for my family, until last May. Last May I was in a car accident, and while I was lucky enough to walk away, my life changed forever that day. I spent a week in a haze of pain killers that the ER doctors had prescribed, expecting the pain to go away. A week after I ran out of pain killers I was still hoping the pain would subside soon. A month later I was begging it to leave. I told my husband I felt like I was living in "the... more »
GOP Doctors Caucus-- A Roomful Of Crackpots
If you never heard of the GOP Doctors Caucus before, you probably did on Friday, thanks to the deranged ravings of it's crazy co-chairman, right-wing Georgia psychopath Phil Gingrey, an obstetrician. Rep. Phil Gingrey, an ob-gyn and chairman of the GOP Doctors Caucus, explained to the audience at the Cobb Chamber of Commerce breakfast Thursday in Smyrna, Ga., that Akin wasn’t far off on the science when he said rape victims rarely get pregnant because their bodies have “ways of shutting that whole thing down.” “I’ve delivered lots of babies, and I know about these things. It is t... more »
Apple Daily says 100K at the DPP protest today
Apple Daily says 100K at the protest.... 民進黨「人民火大、一路嗆馬」遊行今天下午登場，民進黨預估有*10萬人上街嗆嗎* ，表達換內閣救經濟、召開國是會議、駁回壹傳媒交易案三大訴求；遊行從國父紀念館旁的仁愛路，一路往西走向總統府前的凱達格蘭大道。 At present UDN merely repeats the DPP claim that there were 150,000 (yeah, right). 100K would be an excellent turnout, if true, especially with the ugly weather today. Comments from people at the protest? *UPDATE*: Video from Yahoo. *UPDATE*: My friend Richard Z has pics on Facebook. _______________________ [Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, an... more »
An Insane and Degenerate Political Culture
This country is sick. The Canadian body-politic is sick. I still believe that most of the racist trolls denigrating "Idle No More" and Chief Spence are a minority of from 20-30% of the population. But I now think that the majority of Canadians sympathizes more with them than with progressives on the First Nations. I think, for the most part, that Canada's intellectual culture is too childish, ignorant, and, yes, racist, to process the reality of the condition of the First Nations in this country. The majority of Canadians are so self-centered and ignorant that they're unable to pr... more »
Untitled
*City prepares for parades to roll* *From: The Office of the Commissioner, the National Football League To: The New Orleans Saints Franchise and Fan Base* *FEMA to pay $19M for sewage pump stations inNew Orleans* *Why the Public Uses Social Media During Disasters (and Why Some Don’t) ~iRevolution* *Focus turns from saving to documenting sinking cemeteries* *Middendorf’s holds its own against Mother Nature *
How Flimsy, Manipulated Research Leads to more Harmful Pharmaceuticals by Lisa Graber
* Source: http://cogpsy.info/methods/scientific-fraud/ * *How Flimsy, Manipulated Research Leads to more Harmful Pharmaceuticals* by Lisa Graber Natural Society, 13 January 2013 *From headaches to heartburn, anxiety to cancer, there’s a pharmaceutical for everything these days. Few of us really bother reading the long list of side effects before popping a few pills, and we don’t question our doctors or the so-called medicine for which they make us break the bank. We assume that they all mean well. Maybe they do. Even if that were true, it’ not working.* Big Pharma Does...more »
4.7 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHERN ALASKA - 13th January 2013
Magnitude 4.7 Date-Time Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 12:44:08 UTC Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 03:44:08 AM at epicenter Location 60.534°N, 152.879°W Depth 131.3 km (81.6 miles) Region SOUTHERN ALASKA Distances 86 km (53 miles) W (266°) from Salamatof, AK Note Eartquake was downgraded from a 5.5 Magnitude to 4.7 Magnitude
Homes in danger from blaze in northern New South Wales
Authorities are warning lives and property are under immediate threat as a large bushfire burns out of control near communities in northern New South Wales. The Rural Fire Service has issued an emergency warning for the large, fast moving blaze near Coonabarabran, which has already destroyed two properties. Authorities have downgraded the alert for a bushfire near Bundabarina to watch and act, after the blaze earlier jumped containment lines and threatened the town of Collarenabri. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-01-13/homes-under-threat-in-northern-nsw/4462930
Ed Miliband rules out referendum
Ed Miliband has described an EU referendum as an incredibly dangerous gamble as he made clear that Labour would not include any such plebiscite in its 2015 manifesto. http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/6f22da18-5d71-11e2-a54d-00144feab49a.html
ARMED VIGILANTE GROUPS POLICING 2 MEXICAN TOWNS
Several hundred civilians have taken up arms in two towns in a southwestern Mexico state and are arresting people suspected of crimes and imposing a curfew, leading authorities to promise to reinforce security forces in the area. People wearing ski masks or bandanas and carrying small arms this week began manning checkpoints on roads into the municipalities of Ayutla de los Libres and Teconoapa in Guerrero state's Costa Chica area about 75 miles (120 kilometers) southeast of the Pacific resort of Acapulco. Leaders said they were acting against crime and insecurity. http://hosted.ap... more »
Sheriff's Office wants to fly drones over Orange County skies
The Orange County Sheriff's Office is experimenting with two surveillance drones that it hopes to turn loose over Metro Orlando skies this summer. Sheriff's spokesman Jeff Williamson would not reveal specific uses for the drones, larger versions of which are known for flying over tribal regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan to drop bombs on suspected terrorists. But Williamson did say Orange's remote-controlled planes would not be armed. The agency still needs approval from county leaders and the Federal Aviation Administration to use them. The FAA said it does not comment on drone ap... more »
California cold snap threatens citrus crop, strands motorists
An Arctic air mass sent temperatures plunging across California, forcing the 17-hour closure of a key interstate highway through the mountains north of Los Angeles and threatening citrus crops in the state's vast central valleys, authorities said on Friday. Temperatures throughout the state fell by as much as 20 degrees Fahrenheit (11 degrees Celsius) below normal, allowing snow to accumulate at elevations as low as 1,500 feet, the National Weather Service reported. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/11/us-usa-weather-california-idUSBRE90A13C20130111
Jackie Chan calls USA 'most corrupt' country in world
He may enjoy a Hollywood payday now and then, but that doesn't stop Jackie Chan from criticizing America. The martial arts star called the U..S the 'most corrupt' country in the world during a recent interview on a Hong Kong television show. 'If you talk about corruption, the entire world, the United States has no corruption?' Chan asked the host. Chan then referred to America as 'the most corrupt in the world.' http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2261567/Jackie-Chan-calls-America-corrupt-country-world.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Patriotic Group To Build Armed 'Defensible' Neighborhood Fortress
A group of like-minded patriots, bound together by pride in American exceptionalism, plan on building an armed community to protect their liberty. The group, named Citadel, intends to purchase 2,000 to 3,000 acres for the project in western Idaho. The community will comprise of 3,500 to 7,000 families of patriotic Americans who "voluntarily choose to live together in accordance with Thomas Jefferson's ideal of Rightful Liberty." According to the Citadel website, Rightful Liberty means that "neighbors keep their noses out of other neighbors' business, that neighbors live and let liv... more »
Mali: British Military Plane 'Leaving Today'
The first British military plane destined to assist the French operation in Mali will leave this afternoon, Sky sources say. The RAF C17 will stop off in Paris to load before a 10-hour flight to the West African country and will not arrive before tomorrow, the sources added. It comes after Downing Street confirmed the Prime Minister had agreed to provide "logistical military assistance" to the French. http://news.sky.com/story/1037037/mali-british-military-plane-leaving-today
OBAMA, JUNG, STRAUSS, SANDY HOOK, BATMAN
*Image from How Philosophy Overcomes Tyranny* Richard Nixon, like all US presidents, appears to have had more than one 'self' or personality. There is the 'noble Quaker' Nixon and the 'lying murderous' Nixon. Carl Jung wrote about 'archetypes' or personalities. "Jung believed that universal, mythic characters - archetypes - reside within the collective unconscious of people the world over. "Archetypes represent fundamental human motifs of our experience as we evolved; consequentially, they evoke deep emotions." The 12 Common Archetypes Jung called the dark side of a person the '... more »
Once more on bourgeois culture...
The role of any socialist approaching modern culture is as a critic. There is no such thing as socialist culture and trying to create such a thing is at best misguided. Just because something is said in the bourgeois press does not make it untrue let alone something that can simply be written off. Modern mainstream culture is bourgeois. The prevailing ideas in any epoch are the ideas of the ruling class; this includes ideas about law, justice and so on. Most people we want to reach are, to this extent, 'bourgeois'. If mainstream press attacks a part of the socialist you deal with i... more »
Obama's gun control plan set to feature universal background checks for all buyers
With days to go before he presents his recommendations on gun control to President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden is reportedly centering his plan around universal background checks that would required of all gun buyers. Mr Biden, who is leading a White House task force putting together the new legislation, told reporters Thursday he had found a 'surprising recurrence of suggestions' for "universal background checks" in meetings with interest groups. The White House Friday addressed reports that it was backing away from a assault rifle ban -- another key component to the l... more »
Sic
What do you do when you want to quote something because it's important for what you have to say, but there is a mistake in the text you want to quote? You can stick a "[sic]" in there. That's what I was gonna do. Somebody misspelled the word "ideological". It came out as "idealogical" which was kinda funny and quite distracting. But does sticking a *sic* in there make it less distracting? Not really. Just the opposite, I think. It draws attention to the error and distracts the reader from your important message. But I wasn't thinking that way. I just looked up how to use *sic* prop... more »
The invisible drive-through driver - "Instagram dat joint"
MagicofRahat is good. Love the girl who closes and opens the window a few times!
Now teachers in Florida are given free lessons on how to disarm a gunman and fire weapons 'to protect students' after Sandy Hook massacre
A group of teachers in Sarasota, Florida, put their markers and lesson plans aside on Friday to learn how to take down an armed gunman in hopes of preventing another tragic school shooting. Under the tutelage of weapons instructor Michael Magowan, local public school teachers practiced drills on disarming an attacker holding a rubber gun to their head during a free class at the Veritas Training Academy. During the class, teachers set behind desks, clutching fake handguns and intently watched Magowan as he demonstrated how to properly handle a firearm. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/n... more »
Warship, troops and war plane could be sent to Falklands to 'show Britain's force' to Argentina
Britain is prepared to send additional military backup to the South Atlantic as a 'show of force' to Argentina over the Falkland Islands. It is understood an extra warship, another RAF Tycoon combat aircraft and further troops could be dispatched to the region ahead of the March referendum over whether the islands remain part of the UK. According to the Sunday Telegraph, the options being proposed by planners at the Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood, London, include conducting naval exercises in the region. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2261616/Britain-set-military... more »
The Nazi nurses behind the 'Super Race Children': Inside the Aryan breeding wards where boys and girls were given UV treatment if their hair turned brown
Like other wartime nurses, those in Nazi Germany selflessly tended to wounded soldiers in some of the toughest conditions imaginable. But they also had a more sinister side to their job, including assisting in the controversial Lebensborn program. Under the initiative, nurses, pictured centre and bottom right, performed such tasks as treating children's hair with UV light to make it fairer. A collection of harrowing photographs has captured these women, probably in the nursing profession's darkest hour as they assisted with some truly disturbing 'experiments.' http://www.dailymail....more »
BBC bunker: News studios built in bomb proof room to protect it from suicide attacks
The BBC's new multi-million pound television news studio has been built to be bomb proof to protect journalists from suicide attacks. The news room sits in a bunker under the main reception at the £1billion New Broadcasting House. Staff have been assured they would be protected from a blast should a suicide bomber walk through the front door at the central London facility. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2261615/BBC-bunker-News-studios-built-bomb-proof-room-protect-suicide-attacks.html
Cameron is secretly backing a move by Tory MPs warning against Britain leaving Brussels.
David Cameron thinks it would be ‘mad’ for Britain to leave the EU and is secretly backing a move by Tory MPs to warn of the perils of cutting all our ties with Brussels. The Prime Minister was also ‘pleased’ at US President Barack Obama sending a clear signal that the White House is opposed to the UK leaving the European Union. The disclosures signal a key softening in tone in Mr Cameron’s rhetoric on Europe, and come a week ahead of his keynote speech on plans for an EU referendum after the next Election. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2261450/Wed-MAD-leave-Europe-David... more »
Weird weather: Temperature extremes coast to coast
Residents of large swaths of central and Southern California and Arizona shivered Saturday as plummeting temperatures prompted freeze warnings. In Atlanta, meanwhile, shorts-wearing residents basked in the balmy weather as it and two other major Georgia cities set record highs for this date. The weird weekend weather had temperatures as much as 30 degrees below normal in parts of the West and 30 degrees above normal in the East, said CNN meteorologist Jenny Harrison. "We definitely have a temperature dichotomy across the U.S.," the National Weather Service said. http://edition.cnn.... more »
Tax pain ahead for Greeks as parliament approves increase
Greece's parliament approved a tax increase Saturday that should add to the government's revenue, but is likely to anger citizens opposed to the country's austerity measures. The new tax bill, passed in the early hours, is needed to help the debt-stricken country meet its commitments to international creditors, state-run ANA news agency reported Saturday. The legislation makes it compulsory for all taxpayers to lodge an income tax declaration while raising property and corporate taxes, the news agency said. http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/12/world/europe/greece-crisis/index.html?hpt...more »
Security Camera Captures Tornado Touchdown In Plaquemine, Louisiana
Security cameras at a Louisiana industrial plant catch a glimpse of a tornado that tore through plaque mine. The video captures commercial area just before the tornado came through. The tornado was just a part of the widespread severe weather that prompted Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal to declare a state of emergency. http://www.kveo.com/security-camera-captures-tornado-touchdown-plaquemine
Fuel explosion kills 30 in Nigeria: police
Nigeria's police in southwest Lagos State on Saturday said up to 30 persons, suspected to be fuel vandals, died in a pipeline fire at Arepo village in neighboring Ogun State, APA reports. Friday Ibadin, the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in- charge of the Special Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism, told reporters in Lagos, the country's commercial hub that an explosion was heard at about 2 a.m. local time. http://en.apa.az/news/185892
8 Home Remedies for An Upset Stomach
Home Remedies for Upset Stomach Common Sense Homesteading, 24 November 2012 The holiday season seems to leave many of us with upset stomach, indigestion, heart burn, diarrhea and other tummy troubles. If you’re coping with stomach flu symptoms, you should take a look at *this post* to find out why the BRAT diet is probably not your best option. For extra protection against food-borne illness, check out “*Protect Yourself from Salmonella and E Coli Naturally*“. For general indigestion, I’ve compiled this home remedies for upset stomach that may help sooth your aching belly, plu... more »
South Korea: Acid leak prompts evacuation
hydrochloric acid leak at a polysilicon plant in northwest South Korea Saturday prompted the evacuation of hundreds of nearby residents, police said. The acid leaked from a 200-ton tank of the Woongjin Polysilicon plant located in Sangju, Yonhap News Agency reported. http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2013/01/12/Acid-leak-prompts-evacuation/UPI-87481358005624/
16 more contract anthrax in Rusape, Zimbabwe
SIXTEEN more people in Rusape are at the risk of contracting anthrax after consuming infected meat following the outbreak of the hemorrhagic infection in the Masvosva area. So far 20 cases have been confirmed and 16 others are said to be at risk of the infection according to records at Rusape General Hospital - bringing nearly to 40 the number of people likely to be affected by the consumption of meat infected by the killer disease. Outgoing Rusape District Medical Superintendent, Dr Mohammed Khaled, confirmed the findings, but said the situation was under control. http://www.manic... more »
4.0 Magnitude Earthquake OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA - 13th January 2013
Magnitude 4.0 Date-Time Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 10:28:18 UTC Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 02:28:18 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 40.419°N, 125.075°W Depth 0.3 km (~0.2 mile) (poorly constrained) Region OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Distances 68 km (42 miles) W (279°) from Petrolia, CA
Fire threatens top Australian telescope site
Australia's top research observatory home to several telescopes used by scientists from around the world was under threat from wildfires on Sunday as hot weather and lightning storms stoked scores of new blazes. The Rural Fire Service (RFS) of New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, issued an emergency warning for an out-of-control fire raging towards the Siding Spring Observatory, a remote global research facility. "About a dozen isolated properties at Mt Woorut, including Siding Spring Observatory, may come under threat," the RFS said. http://www.google.com/hostednews/a... more »
In case you didn't know (but do care)...
Both Keith and I are in full agreement with this and this.
Israeli PM says he’ll move ahead with Jewish settlement seen as blow to Palestinian statehood
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to move ahead with building a Jewish settlement in a strategic area of the West Bank, speaking just hours after Israeli troops dragged anti-settlement protesters from the site marked for construction. The planned settlement, known as E-1, would deepen east Jerusalem’s separation from the West Bank, both war-won areas the Palestinians want for their state. On Friday, Palestinian and foreign activists pitched some 30 tents in the E-1 area to lay claim to the land. Protester Abdullah Abu Rahma says hundreds of soldiers evicted doze... more »
Astronomers Find The Largest Known Spiral Galaxy
200 million light years from Earth is the galaxy NGC 6872, which astronomers have now confirmed as being the largest known spiral galaxy in the Universe. Tip to tip, the galaxy spans over 522,000 light years, making it five times bigger than the Milky Way. Part of the reason for the galaxy’s size is its interaction with nearby galaxy, IC 4970 which interacted with NGC 6872 hundreds of millions of years ago. That interaction increased the size of NGC 6872, and also produced new star forming regions where stars much younger than the other stars in the two galaxies are now being born....more »
Bankers, Bradburys, Carnage And Slaughter On The Western Front
*Bankers, Bradburys, Carnage And Slaughter On The Western Front* http://www.ukcolumn.org/article/bankers-bradburys-carnage-and-slaughter-western-front A little known historical fact that will collapse even further the reputation of the City of London. ARTICLE | NOVEMBER 19, 2012 - 8:27AM | BY JUSTIN WALKER As I start to write this article, today is Remembrance Sunday and I’m listening live to the sombre but magnificent strains of Elgar’s Nimrod as the parade at The Cenotaph assembles for the nation’s annual act of remembrance to the fallen. Like almost everyone else, I’m always ...more »
Simon Read: Complaints are soaring, but the banks still aren't listening
Have we become a nation of moaners? News this week that the Financial Ombudsman Service is being forced to recruit an extra 1,000 staff to cope with its increasing workload of complaints, could lead some to believe that we have. But I reckon the opposite is still the case, and we still don't complain enough about shoddy service and being sold rubbish products. The Ombudsman is anticipating a massive rise in complaints this year. The service says it expects to answer 2.2 million consumer enquiries in 2013-14 compared with 1.3 million last year. http://www.independent.co.uk/money/sp... more »
Spirit of Serbdom returns
After a brief break, the voice of the Resistance in Serbia is back. The website Spirit of Serbdom (http://spirit-of-serbdom.blogspot.co.uk) has been down for a short while, but is now back up and running. As the global enemy attacks us on every front, it is encouraging to see that the Resistance is growing globally also. The Serbian nation has been libelled by the the internationalists throughout recent history. The Great War, which was started by the Royal Families of Europe, was blamed on the Serbs. Serbia itself was occupied by NATO following the propaganda story of the mas... more »
Economy heading for triple-dip recession, NIESR warns
Pressure mounted on the chancellor to moderate his austerity programme after analysis by a leading thinktank showed the UK economy heading for a triple-dip recession and high profile employers Honda and Jessops cut hundreds of jobs The National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR) said in its monthly health check that the economy shrank by 0.3% in the three months to December. Against a backdrop of weak consumer spending and a drop in manufacturing output, the estimates from NIESR may add fuel to campaigns for George Osborne to adopt a more radical approach to generati... more »
Ed Miliband accused of a 'cover-up' claim over £10k donation from Lloyds banker blamed for £21billion fiasco
Ed Miliband was last night accused of trying to cover up a donation from a controversial banker who has faced calls to be stripped of his knighthood. Sir Victor Blank – the former Lloyds TSB chairman blamed by shareholders for the bank’s humiliating £21 billion taxpayer bailout – gave £10,000 to Labour just days after Mr Miliband made a major speech attacking bankers’ behaviour. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2261542/Ed-Miliband-accused-cover-claim-10k-donation-Lloyds-banker-blamed-21billion-fiasco.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Cleric leads thousands in Pakistan protest march
AP: Pakistani cleric Tahir-ul Qadri, center, surrounded by guards, is greeted by supporters after attending a press conference, in Lahore, Pakistan, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013. An influential Pakistani religious leader was to lead thousands of supporters out of Lahore on Sunday, kicking off a protest march on the capital to demand key reforms before looming elections. Tahir-ul Qadri accuses the government of being corrupt and incompetent, and argues that Pakistan must enact “meaningful” reforms before general elections, which are scheduled to be held within eight weeks after parliame... more »
Denis Allex: Hunt for missing soldier after failed hostage rescue
Helicopter-borne commandoes launched a raid on a hideout in a remote Somali bush village to free the agent from the clutches of al-Shabaab, the al-Qaeda-linked Somali militant group. But in the “intense” firefight that followed, one French soldier was shot dead and a second ended up missing in action, while the hostage himself was also thought to have been killed. Last night, however, al-Shabaab claimed that it had abducted the soldier from the scene and was now holding him as well as the original hostage, who it said had been held in a different location all along. http://www.tel...more »
Egypt Court Orders Hosni Mubarak Retrial
An Egyptian court has granted ousted former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak an appeal over his life sentence. The 84-year-old was convicted and jailed for life in June last year for failing to prevent the killing of some 900 protestors during the 2011 uprising that ended his 29-year rule. http://news.sky.com/story/1037360/egypt-court-orders-hosni-mubarak-retrial
4.6 Magnitude Earthquake AEGEAN SEA - 13th January 2013
Magnitude 4.6 Date-Time Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 08:55:15 UTC Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 10:55:15 AM at epicenter Location 39.612°N, 25.545°E Depth 10 km (6.2 miles) Region AEGEAN SEA Distances 50 km (31 miles) SE of Myrina, Greece
OBAMA BEHIND BENGHAZI ATTACK?
The Benghazi attack gives Obama an excuse to put more troops into Africa. 'Benghazi attack was 'convenient' for the US' – security expert Retired Four-Star Admiral James Lyons has suggested the attack on the American Consulate in Benghazi was the result of a bungled kidnapping attempt. Sources suggest the Benghazi attack was a bungled abduction ... Admiral James Lyons suggests the Obama administration deliberately lessened the levels of security at the consulate. In October 2012, the Western Center for Journalism suggested the killing of Ambassador Chris Stevens was the result ... more »
Israel evacuates Palestinians from tent outpost in West Bank
Israeli security forces evacuated about 100 Palestinians early on Sunday from an outpost of tents pitched in an area of the occupied West Bank that Israel has earmarked for a new settlement. Israel's Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the Palestinian outpost, built in the geographically sensitive area known as E1, could remain for six days while the issue of the removal of the tents was being discussed. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/13/us-palestinians-israel-tents-idUSBRE90B0FD20130113
4.9 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION - 13th January 2013
Magnitude 4.9 Date-Time Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 07:24:48 UTC Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 05:24:48 AM at epicenter Location 56.080°S, 27.691°W Depth 99.3 km (61.7 miles) Region SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION Distances 75 km (46 miles) NNW of Visokoi Island,
4.6 Magnitude Earthquake OFF COAST OF LIBERTADOR O'HIGGINS, CHILE - 13th January 2013
Magnitude 4.6 Date-Time Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 05:50:39 UTC Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 12:50:39 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 34.874°S, 74.035°W Depth 13.7 km (8.5 miles) Region OFF COAST OF LIBERTADOR O'HIGGINS, CHILE Distances 155 km (96 miles) WNW of Constitucion, Chile
5.0 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 13th January 2013
Magnitude 5.0 Date-Time Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 03:17:43 UTC Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 12:17:43 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 39.288°N, 142.297°E Depth 45.5 km (28.3 miles) Region NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN Distances 35 km (21 miles) ESE of Yamada, Japan
4.4 Magnitude Earthquake PAPUA, INDONESIA - 13th January 2013
Magnitude 4.4 Date-Time Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 00:44:58 UTC Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 09:44:58 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 4.663°S, 137.735°E Depth 35 km (21.7 miles) Region PAPUA, INDONESIA Distances 174 km (108 miles) ESE of Enarotali, Indonesia
Pollution: Beijing's Levels 'Beyond Hazardous'
Severe pollution is affecting large areas of northern China for a third consecutive day. In the capital Beijing, a layer of smog blanketing the city remains at a level considered hazardous. On Saturday the pollution was 'off the scale' at a figure well beyond those considered dangerous to human health. http://news.sky.com/story/1037219/pollution-beijings-levels-beyond-hazardous
NYC Flu Outbreak Is Public Health Emergency
A public health emergency has been declared in New York after nearly 20,000 flu cases have been reported this season. Officials are tackling the worst influenza outbreak in several years and an immunisation programme has been expanded to reduce the spread of the illness. Pharmacists are not usually authorised to vaccinate children under 18 but New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has suspended this order to increase the number of people being protected. http://news.sky.com/story/1037278/nyc-flu-outbreak-is-public-health-emergency
Aaron Swartz Family Blame Prosecutors For Death
The family of internet activist and programming whizz-kid Aaron Swartz who committed suicide aged 26 have said they blame prosecutors for his death. Mr Swartz killed himself in his Brooklyn apartment weeks before he was to go on trial on accusations that he stole millions of journal articles from an electronic archive in an attempt to make them freely available. If convicted, he faced decades in prison and a fortune in fines. http://news.sky.com/story/1037210/aaron-swartz-family-blame-prosecutors-for-death
David Cameron Faces Party Battle Over Europe
David Cameron is facing a challenge to hold his party together as battle lines are drawn over Europe. With just over a week until the Prime Minister's key speech on Britain's relationship with the EU, Tory Europhiles have launched a fight-back against demands for an in-out referendum. Cabinet minister Ken Clarke will share a platform with Labour peer Lord Mandelson later this month to stress the benefits of remaining in the union. http://news.sky.com/story/1037297/david-cameron-faces-party-battle-over-europe
Imani Green Killed: British Girl, 8, Shot Dead In Shop in Jamaica
An eight-year-old British girl has died after a gunman opened fire on a shop in Jamaica, according to reports. Local media on the Caribbean island said three other people were injured in the shooting which happened in the northwestern town of Duncans, in Trelawny. It is understood the girl is from Balham, south London, and was visiting relatives in the country with her mother. http://news.sky.com/story/1037317/jamaica-british-girl-8-shot-dead-in-shop
India: Six Held Over New Gang Rape On A Bus
Six men have been arrested over the rape of a woman who was travelling on a bus in Punjab province in northern India. The victim had boarded the service to visit her in-laws when she was abducted and driven to a house in the Gurdaspur district bordering the city of Amritsar on Friday evening. Five men, including the driver and conductor, took it in turns to rape the woman before dropping her off near the village where her in-laws lived. http://news.sky.com/story/1037351/india-six-held-over-new-gang-rape-on-a-bus
A projection of future drought one can't believe
Rob Wile of Business Insider discussed a climate survey prepared by the U.S. Commerce Department (with some well-known alarmists in the team of authors). Among other things, he reprinted Figure 2.21 from that draft paper: It shows that the percentage of the territory of the United States and Mexico that will experience drought will suddenly take off and reach something like 0.3 if not more than 0.5 by 2100 even though the recent values are close to 0.01-0.02 or so. Just look at the picture and think about it. Is it a plausible outcome of viable models of the climate? I have pi... more »
Japan Wants to Renege on Promise to Phase Out Nuclear Reactors
The Fukushima accident sent radioactive materials into the ocean and atmosphere, contaminated the food and water supply, and forced the evacuation of 160,000 residents. Photograph: KeystoneUSA-ZUMA / Rex Features via guardian.co.uk Almost two years after the triple meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi power plant sent shockwaves around the world, Japan's government is attempting to resell the nuclear dream to a traumatised public. Japan appeared to have ended its addiction to nuclear power when the previous centre-left government pledged last year to phase out all of the country's 50 wor... more »
Scientists Give New Alerts Regarding Global Warming
Clearing up in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy. Photograph: John Moore/Getty via guardian.co.uk Global warming is already having a major impact on life in America, a report by US government scientists has warned. The draft version of the US National Climate Assessment reveals that increasing storm surges, floods, melting glaciers and permafrost, and intensifying droughts are having a profound effect on the lives of Americans. "Corn producers in Iowa, oyster growers in Washington state and maple syrup producers have observed changes in their local climate that are outside of thei... more »
Getting Up to Change Baby
*And look what we found in the diaper*: "Troopers find heroin stash in diaper State Police arrested a man driving eastbound on Interstate 84 in Sturbridge Sunday after troopers found 100 grams of heroin hidden inside a diaper, State Police said. Yefri Guerrero-Ramirez, 25, of Boston was originally stopped for excessive window tint, State Police said. A trooper determined that the driver “was not being truthful” and called for a narcotics-odor-detection dog, State Police said. The dog alerted officers to the front passenger side of the car. Officers searched the vehicle and found a... more »
The Real News - Krugman and Obama's Dangerous Austerity Myths
*Source of photo*. Source - The Real News: Bill Black: Obama nominates a Wall St. loyalist to help negotiate the "Grand Betrayal"
The Bourne Bust
*It's the next sequel in line and they finally got him, folks.* "Man gets life for hiding drugs on jets" by Tom Hays | Associated Press, October 17, 2012 NEW YORK — The testimony at a federal drug-trafficking trial was chilling: Jurors heard how bribed baggage handlers at John F. Kennedy International Airport concealed cocaine on commercial jets inside sensitive wing-assembly compartments. Saying the tactic risked the lives of passengers, a federal judge sentenced the convicted leader of the drug ring on Tuesday to life in prison. Victor Bourne, a former American Airlines baggage... more »
OMG, I have a chance to win tix to the Inaugural Ball with what's-their-names!
*No, nothing will happen if you try to click on the above button. But here's where the button would take you.* *by Ken* You know that post title -- I'm just kidding there. My first response is like with all those breathless e-mail announcements that I have a chance to win some presumed treasure: No, I don't. More than that, though, I don't have any interest in going to the Inaugural Ball. Besides, I'm going to be busy then. (When was it again? Oh, of course, Inauguration Day -- January 21. No, I'm going to be busy then. Doing what exactly, I forget, but definitely busy. I'm thinki... more »
Segregated Schools, Upper West Side Style
U. S. schools have been using standardized tests now for a hundred years to sort and segregate by race and class. How long can it continue? Big story from the New York Times. Chart below from NYTimes: Published: January 12, 2013A Major Gap in Gifted Programs The city started using tests as the main determinant of entry to gifted programs in 2008. Since 2009, the number of schools offering such classes has fallen, especially in minority areas of the city like central Brooklyn, southeast Queens and the Bronx. Related Article » 315 309 302 322 320 313 318 311 304 306 222 204 207 305 ... more »
'Idle No More' Tucson Mall in Chuk-shon Arizona
Published on Jan 11, 2013 Showing support for Idle No More, our sisters and brothers of Canada. http://idlenomore.ca/
Sandy Hook fake fundraisers galore: Yet *another* same-day-as-the-shooting fundraiser shows up, and even gets the actual date of the shooting wrong, places it as December 15th
Generosity is a Gift That Keeps Giving *(-1 point for lack of originality: Matt)* * * For the families in Newtown CT, this holiday season has been one that will be forever engrained with the tragedies that took place on December 15th, 2012. To help, many very generous people have gone well out of their way to express their care and support. Today we want to feature one of these generous and inspiring people, who is giving their best to support their fellow Americans. Meet Cathy Canfield, Cathy is a child therapist from Alexandria, VA who is doing everything in her ability to help ... more »
FLASH MOB ATTACKED BY CHEEKTOWAGA POLICE!
FLASH MOB ATTACKED BY CHEEKTOWAGA POLICE! Mall Cop Starts to Lose his Mind, Calls in the Police at the Galleria Mall in Buffalo More at Let's Talk Native Pride by John Kane, Mohawk http://www.letstalknativepride.blogspot.com
Adolfo Esquivel on Justice
*Wikipedia:* "Adolfo Pérez Esquivel (born November 26, 1931) is an Argentine pacifist, art painter and sculptor. He was the recipient of the 1980 Nobel Peace Prize." . . He disapproved of the European intervention in the Libyan civil war and warned against an intervention in Syria.[9] In the aftermath of the Death of Osama bin Laden, he sent a letter to President Barack Obama suggesting the United States killed rather than tried bin Laden because he may have revealed unsettling information about 9/11.[9] He argued, "You know that there are people who have investigated the tragic eve... more »
Mohawk Nation News 'Indigenous Proclamation 2013'
MNN: INDIGENOUS PROCLAMATION 2013 INDIGENOUS PROCLAMATION 2013 Mohawk Nation News http://www.mohawknationnews.com MNN. Jan. 12, 2013. This Indigenous proclamation supercedes every Royal Proclamation because this is all our land. Natural law will be the legal way of Onowaregeh, Great Turtle Island, and our peoples. Great Turtle Island, Our great
"Violence and Homosexuality": Why no matter how many times a piece of "diversity propaganda" is hammered into our skulls, the truth will always manage to escape
In 1992 two Jeffersonville, Indiana lesbians, aged 17 and 16, abducted a 12-year-old girl whom they accused of trying to “steal a girlfriend.” The little girl was pushed into the trunk of a car, stabbed repeatedly, and beaten with a heavy metal bar. While still struggling, they poured gasoline on her and set her ablaze. Later that year a Fort Lauderdale, Florida 14-year-old was convicted of first-degree murder for helping to kill his 40-year-old father. The father “was stabbed 45 times and beaten so badly with an iron skillet that the skillet shattered.” The boy confessed that he he... more »
Oh Christoph, I Feel For You
I've discovered some new music tonight and decided to soak it up. Now, I had come across the name Christoph Graupner through my music studies but for the most part, it was just a name. Its rather unfortunate that his music isn't as well-known as Bach, Telemann or Vivaldi (he was a contemporary) but due to the circumstances of history, that's just the way it goes. I've just finished listening to a short choral piece that Graupner wrote as an audition piece. He wrote it in hopes of securing a position as cantor of St. Thomas Church in Leipzig when the post became vacant about 17... more »
I'm Disillusioned With The 9/11 Truth Movement
I just thought I'd put that out there. Don't expect to read more 9/11 truth articles on this site. I won't be writing anything new on the subject. The strict, literal, and factual view of the event, falsely called the "conspiracy theory" version, is by now well known on the Internet. Don't get me wrong, I haven't changed my opinion about the facts-of-the-matter. The official story is BS. It doesn't pass the smell test. But, I'm coming around to the belief that it was a necessary and noble lie. It wasn't the first of its kind, and it won't be the last. This is how history has alway...more »
Everything About Newly Minted "Democrat" Charlie Crist... Even His Life In The Closet
The Florida Democratic Party has been a mess for a long time-- a losing mess. It's one of the country's most pathetic and least successful statewide Democratic parties, has been for a very long time, and looks like it will get considerably worse as Debbie Wasserman Schultz tries throwing her weight around. She's decided lifelong Republican and opportunist Charlie Crist should be the party's next gubernatorial nominee and she's threatening anyone who tries to oppose him. This week Miami's *New Times*did an in-depth look at Wasserman Schultz's candidate for governor. Wasserman Schu... more »
History teaches us that the biggest guns are always taken first, then dictators chip away until all means of self-defense are possessed
When the Supreme Court, or any other court for that matter, makes a ruling in a case they first look for precedent, in other words to see if there has been a court decision rendered on the same subject in the past and usually defer to the old decision in ruling on the case. The greatest teacher in life is experience; it only takes one time of burning your fingers on a hot stove to know that you never want to touch another one. The next greatest teacher is observation, paying attention to someone else's experiences and profiting from their wins and losses, trials and errors. In my ... more »
Sick and 2012 Netflix Review
Just as I was saying I almost never get sick, yep, I get sick. I even knocked on wood, but it did not help, boo. Bad sinus infection. Everyone at the office has been sick on and off so it as bound to happen. I was sick Thursday, almost had no voice. Friday, i woke up and said to Kurt, "I think I am going to stay in bed and come into work later." I woke up at 2:00 p.m. and could have slept more. Got up, checked my voice mail, called the office to answer some questions, and laid back down on the couch for the rest of the day. Luckily, I felt a ton better when I got up today. ... more »
SUMMER SNIPPETS: ‘The Origins of the Common Law’
[image: Origins of the Common Law]*More interesting snippets from another of the books on my summer reading list—this time from **The Origins of the Common Law** by Arthur Hogue, one of the few books on what, to me, is a fascinating story on the origins of our modern civiilisation.* “[Common law in the Middle Ages was] simply the body of rules prescribing social conduct and justiciable in the royal courts of England … in competition with concurrent rules enforced in other courts. Save when a matter of freehold was at issue, Englishmen were not compelled to present their causes bef... more »
In Defense of Melting the Platinum Coin Option
Some prominent liberal commentators are upset that Treasury and the Fed have ruled out the “$1 trillion coin” option. The basic reasoning: the declaration weakens the President’s bargaining position and forecloses a way that it could have ameliorated the consequences of a failure to extend the debt limit. I suspect that the reason for the Continue reading
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