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Thomas Paine

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

Friday, January 4, 2013

4 January - Blogs I'm Following II

English: Denis Rancourt, Professor of Physics,...
English: Denis Rancourt, Professor of Physics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Christy Clark - CKNW Radio Station - Vancouver, BC
Christy Clark - CKNW Radio Station - Vancouver, BC (Photo credit: kk+)
City of David and the Kidron Valley
City of David and the Kidron Valley (Photo credit: Ian W Scott)
10:15 pm MST

For fans of inclusiveness and tolerance, it was a good night on the pizza line in Columbus

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 16 minutes ago
*You can hear Joel Diaz tell the story of what happened that night in the Columbus pizza line via HuffPost Live here.* *by Ken* Since this story went viral you may well already have heard it, but it's a pretty happy story, so I thought we'd just give it a run here. Joel Diaz is the chief development officer for Ohio's AIDS Resource Center, a Columbus resident, and last weekend he and his friend Ethan, "after a fun night out in the Short North . . . ventured down the street to a popular pizza truck called Mikey's Late Night Slice," accepting the harsh reality of "the requisite wait... more »

Christy Clark Going Mobile, John Slater Going To Have A Knife Removed From His Back

Grant G at The Straight Goods - 40 minutes ago
*MLA: John Slater* *Boundary-Similkameen* ------------------------------ *Elected:* 2009 *BRITISH COLUMBIA LIBERAL PARTY * *Yes indeed *folks, remember how the BC Liberals stabbed Moe Gill in the back, Moe Gill who signed up hundreds of new BC Liberal members and raised a-lot money for his anticipated election campaign*...Then Rich Coleman *brow beat Moe Gill with his stench and bellow, only to turn around and hand an uncontested nomination to fellow white trasher Bob Plecas...A crude rude move typical of this disgusting, lying, corrupt and inept BC Liberal Government... John Sla... more »

Australia: Pirates of the Suburbs - Destroying Communities

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 1 hour ago

David W. Scott on self-represented litigants

Here in the capital city Ottawa of the advanced nation that is Canada, a Co-Chair of the national law firm BLG, Mr. David W. Scott, was quoted in the following way in the city's Ottawa Citizen newspaper, on the topic of self-represented litigants in Canadian courts [1]: The jaundiced judicial attitude is a holdover from an earlier era, when many of those who appeared in court without a lawyer

TOPPT - Transcript: A Conversation with Heather Tucci-Jarraf, Trustee of The One People's Public Trust

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 1 hour ago
*NOTE: We are still reviewing this transcript, and it will change when we insert words that were difficult to hear due to the phone connection. I put it up in its raw draft state so the translators can get started on translating it to other languages. -AK* Hello everyone Brian here from the American Kabuki ground crew. I am so incredibly thrilled to be here celebrating this beautiful moment of now with all of the amazing beings who will be listening to this call over the course of the coming days and weeks. Words couldn’t possibly express the level of gratitude I feel for bein... more »

Japan’s Citizen Kane: A media mogul whose extraordinary life still shapes his country, for good and ill

Rich Rifkin at Lexicon Daily - 2 hours ago
In its year-end double issue, The Economist has an interesting short biography of Matsutaro Shoriki, the long-time owner of Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan's most popular newspaper, and the founder of a media empire, which includes Japan's largest private TV network. Mr. Shoriki also was a founder of Japan's leading conservative political party, the LDP, and the founder of its best professional baseball franchise, the Yomiuri Giants. Here is an excerpt regarding the time Shoriki brought Babe Ruth to Japan: The melding of commercial pragmatism with ideological dogma shaped much of Shorik... more »

The Pope vs Paul Ryan

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 3 hours ago
Ryan has long tried to fashion himself an image for Wisconsin voters as a sturdy conservative Catholic. He's certainly been fanatically anti-Choicebut Pope Benedict's New Year mass shows the basic divergence between the Catholicism of Ryan's anti-Choice/anti-gay zealotry and the Catholicism of one of the most conservative Popes in the last century. Ryan may try to pass himself off as a loyal son of the Catholic Church but he has always picked and chosen which parts of Catholicism he embraces and which parts he discards. And his stronger loyalty to Ayn Rand's reactionary social theo... more »

Loughareema, Ireland's Vanishing Lake

The lake when full and visible. Photo courtesy: flower76young Scotland has its vanishing village - Brigadoon - and Ireland has its disappearing lake. Magic just seems to shroud the British Isles. Loughareema. A sign posted along a roadside in far northeastern Ireland proclaims this lake's existence, but depending on when you visit, it may or may not be there. That's because Loughareema is Ireland's famous 'vanishing lake.' With phenomena like Loughareema, it's really no wonder that Ireland has such a rich mythology attached to it, but there is a very simple scientific reason for ... more »

Baked Canadian Bill Could Be Threat to National Security

A Kelowna bank teller has reported that she had heard of cases in which several new polymer banknotes had melted together inside a car. Photo courtesy: Nathan Denette, The Canadian Press Files , The Canadian Press via vancouversun.com The Canadian government has taken a lot of flack lately - on every level of government. I happen to believe they deserve it; but, that is only my humble opinion. After much ado about nothing it turns out, the Bank of Canada released their new banknotes - state of the art; harder to counterfeit; stronger; harder to destroy; and, a step into the future... more »

Gentlemen prefer platinum coins

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 3 hours ago
I don't know if the newly fabled One Trillion Dollar Platinum Coin, would work or not. Kevin Drum says it's illegal. But this fomer head of the US Mint says there's no reason not to mint a platinum coin and Josh Barro argues fiercely that we should. And though he never gets any credit, Atrioshas been pushing the One Trillion Dollar Platinum Coin solution for literally, years. If there's a chance it could shut down the GOP's hostage strategy, it's worth trying. Our government wasn't built to function well under extortion by a minority with the most money. I've seen a lot of calls t... more »

A Quick Note

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 4 hours ago
I just wanted to let you know I am little behind on collecting some of the comments. They have been received and will be forwarding them on. I apologize for the lack of posts on the sister blog Obi Wan Kabuki, but that will probably be lean for the coming week. Most of you know where you can get those postings directly. But make sure you visit Sophia Love's posts at O.K. We are moving quite rapidly bringing more information forward, tools, protocols, and whatever aid we can lend to understanding what has taken place on planet earth with the Trust fund. Its a complex subje... more »

Fantino's Foot-In-Mouthitis Flares Again

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 4 hours ago
Harper loose cannon Julian Fantino is at it again. Now safely distanced from the F-35 fiasco, Fantino has been unleashed on the International Cooperation portfolio. His diplomatic prowess was demonstrated in *La Presse* where Fantino announced Canadian aid to Haiti was being frozen. It turns out that nobody notified the Haitians or, for that matter, Canada's ambassador to Port-au-Prince either. *Haitian ambassador to Canada Frantz Liautaud said the first he heard of Mr. Fantino’s freeze on aid to Haiti was through this morning’s news. He’s already contacted the Canadian Internat... more »

Elsewhere: Filibuster, Silly Polls, More

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 5 hours ago
Sorry for the slow blogging today; we had a power outage here at Plain Blog World Headquarters this morning (on top of a messed up night last night, as those who noted the time stamp on the Watergate post might have noticed), and next thing you know I hadn't actually wound up with anything to put here. I'll try to get back later with a baseball post...we'll see. Meanwhile, I wrote an Ignore Those Polls! post about the House Republicans and issue polling on the debt limit over at Greg's place. That episode reminded me of Newt and Luntz in 1994/1995, but yesterday I suggested that per... more »

'US dollar will collapse in 2013'

Intercept at The Intercept - 5 hours ago
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"Before We are Made" by Rilke

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 5 hours ago
YouTube video description - [Channel: honkyoku] "Before We are Made" by Ranier Maria Rilke (1875 -- 1926) poem translated from the German and read by Dr. Richard Borofsky www.beingtogether.com shakuhachi flute & drums by Dr. Robert A. Jonas nature videos & video editing by Robert A. Jonas rbtjonas@aol.com www.emptybell.org Translations of this poem, from German to English, differ. One might translate the title as "Before our Beginning." In this particular translation, Rich speaks of "welken words," which might be translated as "numinous words." Before the Beginning by Rainer Mari... more »

4.9 Magnitude Earthquake EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG, PAPUA NEW GUINEA - 4th January 2013

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 6 hours ago
Magnitude 4.9 Date-Time Friday, January 04, 2013 at 20:24:37 UTC Saturday, January 05, 2013 at 06:24:37 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 5.427°S, 146.071°E Depth 36.3 km (22.6 miles) Region EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG, PAPUA NEW GUINEA Distances 37 km (22 miles) SE of Madang, Papua New Guinea

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake ECUADOR - 4th January 2013

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 6 hours ago
Magnitude 4.7 Date-Time Friday, January 04, 2013 at 19:46:24 UTC Friday, January 04, 2013 at 02:46:24 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 1.586°S, 77.702°W Depth 191.3 km (118.9 miles) Region ECUADOR Distances 28 km (17 miles) ENE of Palora, Ecuador

Washington's Global Reign of Terror

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 6 hours ago
*Source: Dees Illustration*. Alternative title: USrael's global reign of terror. Glenn Greenwald writes in his article, *"The 'war on terror' - by design - can never end"*: "There's no question that this "war" will continue indefinitely. There is no question that US actions are the cause of that, the gasoline that fuels the fire. The only question - and it's becoming less of a question for me all the time - is whether this endless war is the intended result of US actions or just an unwanted miscalculation. It's increasingly hard to make the case that it's the latter. The US h... more »

Republicans Using Debt Ceiling As ‘Legislative Terrorism’

Rep. Grayson: Republicans Using Debt Ceiling As ‘Legislative Terrorism’ By Eric W. Dolan Thursday, January 3, 2013 Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) blasted Republicans on Thursday night for planning to use the federal debt ceiling as leverage in the ongoing battle over government spending. He said Republicans saw the debt ceiling as “a device to extract concessions they

What next for Venezuela?

Jon Western at Duck of Minerva - 6 hours ago
My colleague, Javier Corrales, has an excellent summary of the internal political dynamics in Venezuela on the news yesterday of President Hugo Chavez’s deteriorating health condition. Corrales reports that the “Venezuelan government is busy preparing for the re-inauguration of the country’s beloved president, Hugo Chávez, and also for his funeral.” The timing of all of Continue reading

Video 'The People Round Danced' Idle No More

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 6 hours ago
Broadway train station

Akwesasne Border Blockade 'Idle No More' Jan 5, 2013

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 7 hours ago

How Corrupt Are Members Of Corgress? Short Answer: Very Corrupt

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 7 hours ago
*A uniquely American shame* The congressional ethics committees are pitiful jokes-- and the joke is on the American people. They are the center of congressional corruption, protecting incumbents who get caught with their paws in the cookie jar. Two weeks ago, one of Congress' most horrifying corrupt members, Buck McKeon, was quietly let off the hook for his latest infraction. He's the last Member of Congress standing who took big bribes from Countrywide, the only "Friend of Angelo" who hasn't been defeated for reelection or forced to retire. This kind of cover-up and white-wash is th... more »

Syrian Victims of USrael-AlQaeda Terror Are Starving To Death In The Cold

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 7 hours ago
Video: Syrian refugees scrape out a living [Al Jazeera] Video: Syrian Refugees in a Race Against Winter [AP] Video: Syrian refugees seek shelter in Jordan - no comment [no comment TV] Video: Global National : Syrian refugees struggle through winter [Global Toronto]

Podcast No. 17: Interview with Iver Neumann

Daniel Nexon at Duck of Minerva - 7 hours ago
The seventeenth Duck of Minerva podcast features Iver Neumann of the London School of Economics. Professor Neumann discusses his intellectual and educational background and a small part of his copious academic output. Topics incude post-structuralism, policy engagement, the practice turn, popular culture and politics, and the Mongols. I should reiterate important change to procedures. From now on, Continue reading

Dine' Arlene Bowman 'Salmoncrates' Magic of salmon

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 7 hours ago
/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in

In Canada, Pro-Choice Is Winning

noreply@blogger.com (fern hill) at DAMMIT JANET! - 7 hours ago

Club for Growth says jump, GOP replies -- how high

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 7 hours ago
The ultra-conservative moneybags at the Club for Growth issued their marching orders to the GOP, demanding Congress votes against relief aid for Hurricane Sandy survivors still struggling to deal with the devastation caused by the storm during the freezing cold of a New England winter. So 67 Republicans obediently voted against the first relief bill which was only for $9.1 billion to allow federal flood insurance to meet its obligations. Still to come, on a vote allegedly to be scheduled for January 15th, is the additional $57 billion necessary to cover the costs of rebuilding the ... more »

Short term Senator Barney Frank?

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 8 hours ago
Hell yes. At first he said he wasn't interested, but today Barney Frank wants to be interim Senator from MA until the special election. Frank said that the fiscal cliff deal that passed the House of Representatives earlier this week and set the stage for a return to the same legislative fight in a matter of months "means that February, March and April are going to be among the most important months" for the American economy. The outspoken Democrat indicated he would only hold the seat until the statewide special election and has no designs of carving out a career in the Senate, but... more »

I miss 'Episodes' - A Rule 5 Friday post - NSFW

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 8 hours ago
Great acting, intelligent humour and of course a topless Labia... Sophie Rundle Topless from Episodes - Follow... *by Badlandz* To explain, Labia was the name of Matt Le Blanc's stalker.

Grand Chief Clearsky's letter to Obama

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 8 hours ago
 Grand Chief Murray Clearsky's letter to President Obama President Barak ObamaUnited States of AmericaThe White House1600 Pennsylvania AvenueWashington, DC 20500Dear President Obama,RE:  Idle No More – Canadian Indian Democratic movementAs the Grand Chief of the Southern Chiefs Organization in Manitoba, Canada, it is my honor to extend to you our heartfelt congratulations on your successful

The Daily "Near You?"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 8 hours ago
Kazakhstan. Thanks for stopping by.

"Belief vs. Fantasy"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 8 hours ago
*"Belief vs. Fantasy"* Which one is real and why? by MYei5 "When we are looking at the way we view the world, it is important to know if that view is from belief or from fantasy. As we have previously spoken about the topic of beliefs, how many of you are even really living by genuine beliefs or are you actually living from fantasy? If you don’t know the entire scope it is possible that your world is a world of ideals. An ideal is a difficult thing to discuss sometimes because ideals are based on concepts and concepts do not always consider all factors. Once we consider all of w... more »

Southern Son Moves North

Southern Man at Southern Man - 8 hours ago
After a - well, let's say *tumultuous* - year Southern Son has elected to head north and live with his mother for a time. Southern Man and Southern Parents agree that this is a Good Thing. This also means that, as of today, none of Southern Man's children live in the same state as he. And that will be...different.

Judge denies Obama administration attempt to dismiss challenge to “no-fly” list

Intercept at The Intercept - 8 hours ago
World Socialist Web Site Eric London A federal district court judge in California last week denied a motion by Obama administration lawyers to dismiss a legal challenge to the “no-fly” list brought by a young Malaysian woman, Rahinah Ibrahim. Ibrahim, at the time a Stanford University Ph.D. candidate, was detained at San Francisco International Airport on January 2, 2005 when she and her daughter attempted to board a flight to her home country. She was intending to fly home to present her doctoral research at a conference sponsored by Stanford. Ibrahim was subjected to harsh treatm... more »

"Everything We Tell Ourselves About America and the World Is Wrong"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 8 hours ago
*"Everything We Tell Ourselves About * *America and the World Is Wrong"* By Charles Eisenstein "Every culture has a Story of the People to give meaning to the world. Part conscious and part unconscious, it consists of a matrix of agreements, narratives, and symbols that tell us why we are here, where we are headed, what is important, and even what is real. I think we are entering a new phase in the dissolution of our Story of the People, and therefore, with some lag time, of the edifice of civilization built on top of it. Sometimes I feel intense nostalgia for the cultural myth... more »

Workers making $30,000 will take a bigger hit on their pay than those earning $500,000 under new fiscal deal

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
Middle-class workers will take a bigger hit to their income proportionately than those earning between $200,000 and $500,000 under the new fiscal cliff deal, according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. Earners in the latter group will pay an average 1.3 percent more - or an additional $2,711 - in taxes this year, while workers making between $30,000 and $200,000 will see their paychecks shrink by as much as 1.7 percent - or up to $1,784 - the D.C.-based think tank reported. Overall, nearly 80 percent of households will pay more money to the federal government as a result of th... more »

Cpl. Joshua Boston: 'I am not your servant. I am the person whom you serve. I am not your peasant. I am the flesh and blood of America.'

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
*'YOU MA'AM HAVE OVERSTEPPED A LINE': JOSHUA BOSTON'S LETTER* Senator Dianne Feinstein, I will not register my weapons should this bill be passed, as I do not believe it is the government’s right to know what I own. Nor do I think it prudent to tell you what I own so that it may be taken from me by a group of people who enjoy armed protection yet decry me having the same a crime. You ma’am have overstepped a line that is not your domain. I am a Marine Corps Veteran of 8 years, and I will not have some woman who proclaims the evil of an inanimate object, yet carries one, tell me I ma... more »

Drunken plane passenger is TAPED to his seat during flight to New York after 'trying to choke one woman and ranting the plane was going to crash'

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
A drunken passenger on a New York-bound intercontinental flight was duct-taped to his seat by his fellow passengers after attacking one woman and screaming the plane was going to crash. Passenger Andy Ellwood, who took a photo of the man restrained, wrote an account of the incident on his Tumblr page. '(Passenger) drank all of his duty free liquor on the flight from Iceland to JFK yesterday,' Ellwood wrote. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2257281/The-moment-drunken-passenger-taped-seat-flight-New-York-trying-choke-woman-ranting-plane-going-crash.html

Phil space...

Roobin at THROUGH THE SCARY DOOR - 9 hours ago
There are half a dozen ongoing missions to the solar system. 2012 was a good year for space exploration. A number of interesting things have been discovered. The solar system is chock full of organic material. Curiosity is homing in on definitive evidence of native Martian organics. MESSENGER has found remote evidence of organic material like tar in the shady polar nooks of Mercury (see picture). We are coming to know more about the methane cycle on Titan. The other search is for water. People are a lot surer about the existence of water in the solar system. There is a mountain-s... more »

Nazis secretly developed plot to drop radioactive bomb on New York from supersonic space rocket

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
Nazi chief Hermann Goering plotted to attack New York in a bizarre plot involving a manned space rocket dropping a dirty bomb over the Manhattan skyline. Vying for Hitler's attention, the head of the German air-force, Hermann Goering, set up a lab and a team of leading scientists to explore the possibility of the radioactive attack on American soil. Goering read the work of maverick Austrian engineer, Eugen Saenger and particularly his belief that a space plane could be built. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2256953/Nazis-secretly-developed-plot-drop-radioactive-bomb-New-Y... more »

How Nikki and Sara Got Their Show

Jay Allbritton at Jay Allbritton - 9 hours ago
On January 29, Nikki Glaser and Sara Schaefer go from being two podcastersI like to being two podcasters I like who also have a late night TV show. MTV is launching *The Nikki & Sara Show*, a live comedy show airing Tuesdays. Here's a look at how these talented ladies got their shot at stardom. Get More: Nikki & Sara LIVE, Full Episodes

Could We Become Ungovernable?

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 10 hours ago
Is Canada's federal government losing its connection with the Canadian people? Are Canadians becoming estranged from those who govern them? Two reports from December, one by Environics, the other from Samara Canada, suggest that Harper no longer governs but merely rules an increasingly unruly and disdainful populace. *"Not only is voter turnout decreasing, but every year fewer Canadians are getting involved in other kinds of political activities, like joining or donating to political parties, signing petitions or attending protests. If nothing is done to reverse this disturbing t... more »

MILLOY: EPA’s illegal human experiments could break Nuremberg Code

Intercept at The Intercept - 10 hours ago
*Agency claims unfettered discretion in treatment of test subjects* Washington Times Steve Milloy [image: Illustration EPA Human Experiments by Alexander Hunter for The Washington Times] The Obama Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says no law empowers any judge to stop it from conducting illegal scientific experiments on seniors, children and the sick. That astounding assertion will be tested Friday, when a federal district court in Alexandria decides whether it has jurisdiction to hear claims made by the American Tradition Institute that EPA researchers are exposing unwary a... more »

"Non Nobis Solum..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 10 hours ago
“Non nobis solum nati sumus." (Not for ourselves alone are we born.) - Marcus Tullius Cicero

Harper announces meeting with First Nation leadership Jan. 11, 2013

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 10 hours ago
Prime Minister Stephen Harper announces meeting with First Nations leadership 4 January 2013 Ottawa, Ontario Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement on a planned meeting with a delegation of First Nations leaders coordinated by the Assembly of First Nations: "On January 24, 2012, I was pleased to participate in the historic Crown-First Nations Gathering. On that

4.9 Magnitude Earthquake HALMAHERA, INDONESIA - 4th January 2013

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
Magnitude 4.9 Date-Time Friday, January 04, 2013 at 17:59:14 UTC Saturday, January 05, 2013 at 02:59:14 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 1.336°N, 127.095°E Depth 129.3 km (80.3 miles) Region HALMAHERA, INDONESIA Distances 68 km (42 miles) NNW of Kota Ternate, Indonesia

"How It Really Is"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 10 hours ago

Impact on their families?

Boris at The Galloping Beaver - 10 hours ago
Corrupt cops sentenced to house arrest, not jail, because the ordeal of being investigated, tried, and convicted of corruption was difficult for them and their families? I don't know, perhaps if the convicted had owned-up to their crimes in the first place their families would not have been put through a "catastrophic" 12 year ordeal. I fail to see how the impact of long investigation and trial

Radical American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki booked flights for the 9/11 hijackers

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
Within days of the 9/11 terrorist attacks the FBI suspected American Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki had booked flights for the hijackers. The reason for the flights remains unclear, but 9/11 Commission report later noted that the hijackers had used flights in the run-up to the attacks to test security and surveillance. Awlaki, who was born in New Mexico, had become the lead figure for al-Qaeda and the offshoot al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in the years after Osama bin Laden went into hiding. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2257223/Radical-American-born-cleric-Anwar-al-Aw... more »

"Obedience To Authority: Should We Trust The Government?"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 10 hours ago
*"Obedience To Authority: Should We Trust The Government?" * By James Quinn "Mother, do you think they'll drop the bomb? Mother, do you think they'll like this song? Mother, do you think they'll try to break my balls? Ooh ah, Mother, should I build the wall? Mother, should I run for president? Mother, should I trust the government? Mother, will they put me in the firing line? Ooh ah, Is it just a waste of time?" Pink Floyd, "Mother" "The lyrics to "Mother" had both a literal and figurative meaning for Roger Waters. He was literally describing his overprotective single mother (his... more »

take my hand

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 10 hours ago

Broad Disciple with Checkered Past Becomes New MA Ed Chief

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 11 hours ago
Teachers scoring a 2.77 out of 5.0 on the new evaluation schemes proliferating across the U.S. would face some extra "professional development" to grind out some higher scores next year. If you are MA superintendent getting that score, however, and if you have been one of Eli Broad's "chosen" rock stars for the past decade, then you could find yourself selected by the governor to become the chief ed official in your state. Such is the fate of Matt Malone (Broad Class of 2003), who recently escaped the likelihood of being canned by the Brockton School Committee just in time to be ... more »

SENATOR Barney Frank?

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 11 hours ago
*"Coach, put me in!":* *"I'm not going to be coy, it's not anything I've ever been good at. I've told the governor that I would now like, frankly, to be a part of that." (I couldn't get the clip to embed, but you can view it here.)* *by Ken* I saw some online link that referred to this as a "comeback" for Barney, which seems pretty silly, since he doesn't have anything to come back from. He wasn't pushed out of public office; he leapt. And while it's just a caretaker role, until Massachusetts can organize a special election to replace State-bound Sen. John Kerry, the idea of Barne... more »

Award Ballot

Daniel Nexon at Duck of Minerva - 11 hours ago
As promised, this is my post announcing that we’ve sent an email out with the ballot for the 2013 OAIS awards.We believe that we sent one to everyone that requested one before the deadline, as well as to a list of people that we generated internally. If you did not receive one and requested one, Continue reading

"Congress Sells America Down the River to Avoid the Fiscal Cliff"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 11 hours ago
*"Congress Sells America Down the River to Avoid the Fiscal Cliff"* by Peter Schiff “In a disgraceful show of political expediency, Congress put its own political self-interest ahead of the national interest. They “saved” us from a contrived crisis of their own making, only to condem us to far more horrific fate when the real crisis arrives. This one will come not because we went over the fiscal cliff, but because we avoided doing so. Going over the fiscal cliff merely represented a small downpayment on the solution. By failing to make it, the ultimate price we will inevitably pay ... more »

Big Ed Schultz explains the debt limit!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 11 hours ago
*FRIDAY, JANUARY 4, 2013* *More competent leadership, please:* Without any question, liberals are facing a possible world of hurt as the debt limit approaches again. Somehow, liberals need to convince the public—and major elites—that the GOP's plan to hold the debt limit hostage must be rejected. Big Ed Schultz was worried about that topic last night. And he wanted our help: SCHULTZ (1/3/13): Get your cell phones out. I want to know what you think. *Tonight’s question: Will the American people fall for the Republican lies about the debt ceiling? * Text A for yes, text B for no, t... more »

How much are your taxes going up?

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 11 hours ago
The Tax Policy Center has a calculator to answer that question.

Middle class families face paying 65% tax rate under Osborne's 'incoherent' clawback of child benefit, IFS warns

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
George Osborne tax raid on child benefit was today torn apart by the respected Institute for Fiscal Studies. The think tank accused the Chancellor of ‘incoherence’ for linking state help with raising children to the salary of the highest earner in a family. Affected families stand to lose an average of about £1,300 per year, it warned with families with three or more children paying marginal tax rates of more than 65 per cent. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2257083/Middle-class-families-face-paying-65-tax-rate-Osbornes-incoherent-clawback-child-benefit-IFS-warns.html

Argentinians Burn Sun In Row Over Falklands

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
Argentinian protesters have burned The Sun and Union Jack in Buenos Aires as Falkland Islanders wrote an open letter to the country's president. Copies of the newspaper advert and the flag were torched at a cruise terminal in the capital after British Prime Minister David Cameron rejected calls for talks on the disputed territory. http://news.sky.com/story/1033203/argentinians-burn-sun-in-row-over-falklands

Protester stabs himself in stomach in South Korea - WARNING GRAPHIC VIDEO

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
A Japanese special envoy arrived in South Korea on Friday to continue talks aimed at improving diplomatic relations between the two countries. Shortly before the envoy's arrival at Gimpo International Airport a demonstration was held in which one man, Lim Chang-geun, mimicked hari-kiri by stabbing himself in the stomach. Relations between South Korea and Japan have been strained by a territorial dispute over rocky outcroppings that Korea calls Dokdo and Japan calls Takeshima and which both claim. "Before sending us an envoy, Japan should have apologized before the international com... more »

2013 Solar storms

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
NASA scientists expect to see increased solar activity in 2013 as the sun reaches a stage of its cycle which makes it more prone to eruptions.

An Interesting Story

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 11 hours ago
This story is filed November 27th, 2012. In rural areas, a common corruption allegation is that the relatives or friends of powerful militia commanders are thrown into classrooms to collect a teacher's salary -- despite being unqualified to teach. There's NATO "nation-building" for you! Hey! Schools and health centres built by the British in Afghanistan as part of the military's counter-insurgency strategy are being forced to close down because President Karzai's government cannot afford to pay for them, the Guardian has learned. Do you suppose some of those schools are the one... more »

Gatito en un sombrero con los ojos de diferente color

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 11 hours ago
[image: Gatito en un sombrero] *Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de Animales lindos* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

Fifth Generation, Maybe, But It's Still Gen 5.0

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 11 hours ago
Harper DefMin, Peter MacKay, like a trained seal smacking its flippers, constantly barks about the Lockheed F-35 being a "Fifth Generation" fighter and, hence, oh so much superior to all the Gen 4.5-fighters on today's market. As *The Fifth Estate* noted in its expose on the stealth light bomber, the "Fifth Generation" business was a term coined by Lockheed's marketing/PR branch. But if the F-35 is a 5th Gen warplane, it's very much a *Beta* issue. It's prototypical, a complicated, hyper-expensive, gremlin-riddled, aerial experiment that is still years away from its testing comp... more »

'Black Beauty' Meteorite Holds Water From Mars

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
Scientists are hailing the discovery of a fist-sized meteorite from Mars, as a way to possibly unlock vital clues about the evolution of the planet. Nasa says the rock, nicknamed Black Beauty, could tell them how Mars changed from the warm and wet place it once was to its current cold and dry state. Discovered in Morocco's Sahara Desert in 2011, the 320g (11oz) space rock contains 10 times more water than other Martian meteorites and could be the first to have originated on the planet's surface or crust. http://news.sky.com/story/1033365/mars-meteorite-is-water-rich-black-beauty

The Pinetrees Cattery Fire: Animals Killed As Fire Spreads Through Cattery

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 11 hours ago
At least four cats have died and up to 18 others are missing after a fire broke out at a cattery. Staffordshire Fire and Rescue service was called out in the early hours of the morning to Pinetrees Cattery in Huntington, near Cannock. Station manager Dermot Hogan said: "Firefighters arrived and found the building well alight. http://news.sky.com/story/1033401/animals-killed-as-fire-spreads-through-cattery

NEW WONKS ON THE BLOCK: New leadership needed!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 12 hours ago
*FRIDAY, JANUARY 4, 2013* *Part 4—Familiar hemming and hawing:* Progressives have a crying need for smart intellectual leaders. Has any movement ever had its brains beaten out in so many ways for so many years? Without its members so much as noticing—without its members even being *encouraged* to notice? Progressives and liberals have had their brains beaten on an array of policy matters. One example: Did anyone ever step up to challenge the decades of disinformation about the way Social Security works? Actually, no—no one did! Compounding the injury, major Democratic politicians... more »

Pajarillo comiendo frutitas

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 12 hours ago
[image: Pajarillos de colores] *Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de pajarillos* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

Victor for VA???

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 12 hours ago
In victory for Va., judge rules EPA can’t regulate storm water as pollutant By Corinne Reilly, Published: January 3 The Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/in-victory-for-va-judge-rules-epa-cant-regulate-storm-water-as-pollutant/2013/01/03/aee92fc2-5613-11e2-bf3e-76c0a789346f_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines[Excerpted] The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency exceeded its authority in trying to regulate storm water as it would a pollutant, a federal judge in Alexandria ruled Thursday. The decision, a victory for Fairfax County and Virginia Attorney General ... more »

EU says Iran not responded to nuclear talks proposal

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 12 hours ago
The European Union has proposed a time and place for further talks on Iran's nuclear program, but Iran has yet to respond, an EU spokesman said on Friday. Iran said earlier on Friday it had agreed to resume talks in January with six major powers - represented by the EU - but the EU spokesman said Tehran had not yet replied to proposals made on December 31. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/04/us-iran-nuclear-eu-idUSBRE9030DA20130104

White House says Congress must raise debt limit

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 12 hours ago
The White House said on Friday it is vital for Congress to quickly resolve future tax and spending feuds, and raise the U.S. borrowing authority to avoid economic uncertainty. "It is quite clear that the economy will be better if Congress does its job and does what it routinely has done historically which is raise the debt limit without problem," Alan Krueger, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, said in an interview on Bloomberg television. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/04/us-usa-economy-whitehouse-idUSBRE9030JM20130104

Rocas en la playa paradisiaca

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 12 hours ago
[image: Rocas en la playa] *Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de playas* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

Darkness Abides: A Tour of Haunted Structures

Inexplicata (IHU) at Inexplicata-The Journal of Hispanic Ufology - 12 hours ago
*DARKNESS ABIDES: A TOUR OF HAUNTED STRUCTURES* *By Scott Corrales* Haunted houses run the gamut from Great Britain's Borley Rectory, studied in the early days of paranormal research by the legendary Harry Price, to lesser known places like Madrid's Palacio de Linares. However, there are thousands of others that occupy the vast middle ground in between. The ones examined in this article belong in this category. Mexico's rich and varied paranormal history (see *"Ghosts of Old Mexico"*in the February 2000 issue of FATE) includes places in which the shadows of the past s... more »

Hundreds flee in Tasmania as wildfires spread across Australia – Hobart records highest temperature since 1881 – ‘This has been an extraordinary day’

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 12 hours ago
[image: The sun glows through smoke haze at Lake Repulse, 80km north-west of Hobart. Tasmania suffered its most severe fire day in years on 4 January 2013, with a record 41.8 degrees in Hobart, the highest temperature since 1881. Kim Foale / Sydney Morning Herald] By Andrew Darby and Nick Ralston 5 January 2013 (Sydney Morning Herald) – AT LEAST 80 homes have been lost and one man is feared killed by a bushfire that swept down onto the Tasmanian town of Dunalley, less than 60 kilometres from Hobart, in catastrophic conditions. The bushfire sent hundreds fleeing and was on Friday n... more »

Your memories held to ransom - we can remember it for you - at the right price

Mike Philbin at FREE PLANET - 12 hours ago
I don't know why this only struck me this morning, I did mention it in a post, in passing, but I think it really needs its own slot. WE CAN REMEMBER IT FOR YOU, WHOLESALE is a short story by Philip K. Dick first published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in April 1966 and adapted for the screen in both 1990 and 2012. In the short story and filsm, some random bloke goes to a 'virtual travel agent' where they implant 'memories' of his trip to mars or whereever without him needing to go there himself. A sort of cheaper version of doing a private James Bond. This post isn't... more »

Perrito jugando en el campo de flores

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 12 hours ago
[image: Perrito jugando en el campo] *Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de Animales domesticos* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

A Friend Who Would Eat Sushi

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 12 hours ago
A dear friend announced last night that she would eat sushi tonight. I told her, please do not eat sushi. So much of the seaweed on the market is from Japan and Thailand. Japan has no centralized testing for its food products. There is no evidence that the US has increased testing of Japanese imports; in fact, the opposite may be true (standards may have been loosened). Fukushima poses an immediate and deadly threat to flora and fauna in thePacific Ocean. See map of Fukushima radiation contamination at Woods Hole oceanographic institute https://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=67796&tid=... more »

Greg Hunter, "Weekly News Wrap-Up 1.4.13"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 12 hours ago
*"Weekly News Wrap-Up 1.4.13"* By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com "The Fiscal Cliff turned into a can kick on tax policy. Yes, they averted some nasty tax increases for many Americans, but there were zero spending cuts. In fact, the legislation added $4 trillion in debt!!! I’d say President Obama won round one, but not by much. I have to give a little credit to Democrats and Republicans for the compromise, but this is still the “blame game theater.” Now, Republicans are going to demand cuts and hold the debt ceiling over the President’s head. This is going to be much nastier tha... more »

Cabaña en la nieve con personas jugando

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 12 hours ago
[image: Cabaña en la nieve] *Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de Cabañas* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

Harper And The Conservative Party Seemed Determined To Tear Up And Totally Disregard Treaties Signed Between Canada And The First Nations

leftdog at Buckdog - 12 hours ago
*Stephen Harper has an extremely bullying approach towards issues. In his arrogance, he believed that he could merely change Treaties that exist between Canada and the First Nations by sweeping legislative changes hidden inside a massive Omnibus Bill.* * **He is wrong ... on all accounts.* * **Canada is a signatory to numerous Treaties with other nations. Not the least of which are the treaties that exist between Canada and the First Nations who originally owned the land that we now call The Dominion of Canada. * * **Canada signed treaties with First Nations peoples recognizing them... more »

Paisaje de un bosque oscuro

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 12 hours ago
[image: Bosque oscuro] *Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de Bosques* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

Salt Lake City Home Show and a chance for free or discounted tickets

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 12 hours ago
*My set of posts featuring all my new projects and organizations systems start on Monday. I am so excited. I have made some huge FREE changes. I just realized the other day that not a single piece of furniture in my living room is the same and I didn't pay for any of them! Until then please enjoy a post about one of my favorite places. * My husband and I LOVE home shows. There is something about walking among all the things that could be in our home that gets his brain working and makes me a little giddy. I had the opportunity to go up to Salt Lake City for a preview of the Salt L... more »

LEAH McGRATH GOODMAN PETITION

Anon at aangirfan - 12 hours ago
Police discover more bones inside chamber of horrors at Jersey ... "Seeing as this is a numbers game, please urge at least one other person (or many others) to sign this petition... It will make all the difference. So long as the UK bars me from entering the country, its free press is not guaranteed and the safety of its children remains in question. But as long as this group grows, it shows it cannot and will not be silenced. "With your help, I will see my visa restored in 2013. "All the best – and happy holidays." Leah *Restore the visa of banned journalist Leah McGrath Goodman... more »

Cabaña en el bosque frente al lago

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FotoFrontera - 13 hours ago
[image: Cabañas frente al lago] *Nota:* Click aquí para ver más *imágenes de Cabañas* Por favor visite nuestra página oficial: www.fotofrontera.com

DHS Buys 200,000 More Rounds of Ammunition

Matt at The Coming Crisis - 13 hours ago
While the Obama administration sets out to eviscerate the gun rights of American citizens in the aftermath of Sandy Hook, earlier this week it was announced that the Department of Homeland Security has awarded a company a contract worth over $45,000 dollars to provide the DHS with 200,000 more rounds of bullets. This new purchase adds to the staggering figure of 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition already secured by the DHS over the last 9 months alone. A solicitation originally posted on the FedBizOpps.gov website on December 17 on behalf of the DHS Federal Law Enforcement Training Ce... more »

CRISIS ACTORS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS: and the winner is.......

Big Dan at Big Dan's Big Blog - 13 hours ago
(first let's set up the mood with a little crowd awards ceremony applause, and picture maybe Alec Baldwin & Angelina Jolie & Matt Damon behind the podium opening the nominee envelopes) < ...and here we go! The nominees for *CRISIS ACTORS* Lifetime Achievement Awards are: *Nurse Nayirah* in: SADDAM INCUBATOR BABIES. Her *faked testimony* got us into the first Iraq Gulf War under GHW Bush (hat tip to the PR firm *Hill & Knowlton*): *The Harley Guy* in: *STRUCTURAL FAILURE DUE TO FIRE*. This "random guy on the street" had it all figured out, even though it took scientists ... more »

New Hope for Socio-Economic Integration

John Thompson at Schools Matter - 13 hours ago
Richard Kahlenberg’s “From All Walks of Life, New Hope for School Integration,” updates the evidence in favor of socio-economic integration as the best single way to improve outcomes for poor children. He also gives reason for measured hope that it can be expanded, perhaps replacing failed test-driven attempts to improve poor schools. I remain unconvinced, however, that Kahlenberg’s wisdom will be scaled up. Kahlenberg summarizes research explaining that socio-economic integration works because it involves all three of the essential factors of effective schools. Low-income studen... more »

We don't want to end up like Norway, Cameron warns as he refuses to give up Britain's seat at the EU's table.... We don't want end up with low unemployment and growing Economy?

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 13 hours ago
David Cameron today rejected the idea of Britain becoming a second class member of the European Union, insisting he would not give up his place at the Brussels ‘table’. The Prime Minister gave his biggest hint yet that he will use his imminent speech on Europe to rebuff calls from many in the Tory party for a radical change in the UK’s membership of the EU. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2257047/We-dont-want-end-like-Norway-Cameron-warns-refuses-Britains-seat-EUs-table.html Norway - *Norway’s strong, oil-fueled economy looks set to stay that way in 2013, according to the co... more »

Activists Gather In Washington, D.C. For The Dis-inauguration Of Barack Hussein Obama

Mark Daniels at GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING - 13 hours ago
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.

Thoughts on Peer-Review Standards from a Junior Reviewer

Daniel Nexon at Duck of Minerva - 14 hours ago
This is a guest post by Peter S. Henne. Peter is a doctoral candidate at Georgetown University. He formerly worked as a national security consultant. His research focuses on terrorism and religious conflict; he has also written on the role of faith in US foreign policy. During 2012-2013 he will be a fellow at the Miller Continue reading

Friday Morning Linkage: Austerity Edition

Jon Western at Duck of Minerva - 14 hours ago
Is the tide turning on the idea of austerity? Philip Pilkington takes issue with this week’s New York Times feature story on how well the Latvians are enduring austerity. The IMF thinks Latvia has gone too far. Last week, IMF Director Christine Legarde warned Germany to go slower in making cuts. And, yesterday, it (the Continue reading

The Connecticut Elementary School Shooting: Where The Hell Are The Sandy Hook Bodies?

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 14 hours ago
I came to the conclusion very shortly after the Sandy Hook shooting was reported over the Jewish controlled MSM that it was all a massive psy-ops. We all have watched as the Mainstream media brought out some very bad actors to play the parts of the victims' "parents", as well as officials that kept changing their stories. It does seem now that this was a contrived episode for the sole purpose of brainwashing the already dumbed down American public into accepting horrific gun control legislation and a repeal of the 2nd amendment to the US Constitution. I have received some very pu... more »

enbridge line 9: all pain and no gain for ontario, quebec, and new england

laura k at wmtc - 14 hours ago
Have you heard about Line 9? Enbridge has begun a process that would create a third option to get their dirty tarsands oil out of Alberta to sell to the rest of the world. The Keystone XL pipeline would stretch from Alberta to Nebraska. (Gee, what could go wrong?) The Northern Gateway pipeline would see, impossibly, huge supertankers threading through the rocky, island-dotted British Columbia coast. (Another no-brainer.) Under this third plan, Enbridge would reverse the flow in two existing pipelines - Line 9 and the Portland-Montreal Line. Oil would flow from Alberta through Sar... more »

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 4th January 2013

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 14 hours ago
Magnitude 4.6 Date-Time Friday, January 04, 2013 at 13:52:58 UTC Friday, January 04, 2013 at 10:52:58 PM at epicenter Location 36.910°N, 141.338°E Depth 63.5 km (39.5 miles) Region NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN Distances 43 km (26 miles) ESE (114°) from Iwaki, Honshu, Japan

Outrage over Hong Kong’s ‘shark fin rooftop’

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 14 hours ago
[image: Thousands of shark fins drying in the sun cover the roof of a factory building in Hong Kong on 2 January 2013. Shark poachers have moved the shark fins to secluded rooftops instead of sidewalks – as they have done in the past – to avoid public anger. Antony Dickson / AFP / Getty Images] Hong Kong, 3 January 2013 (AFP) – Hong Kong conservationists expressed outrage Thursday after images emerged of a factory rooftop covered in thousands of freshly sliced shark fins, as they called for curbs on the "barbaric" trade. The southern Chinese city is one of the world's biggest m... more »

Prosecution Orders Investigation Against the Muslim brotherhood: Did America Pay them 10 Billion Egyptian Pounds?

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 14 hours ago
Egypt's Chief Public Prosecutor Talaat Ibrahim has ordered an investigation in an accusation against the Muslim Brotherhood of receiving 10 billion Egyptian pounds from the United States, asking for the sources of the Brotherhood's money to be revealed. The prosecutor referred the complaint to the state security prosecution to investigate it. The two plaintiffs claimed that the United States granted the Brotherhood the money illegally to back its interests in the region. Mitt Romney, who lost to Obama in November, had made similar accusations during his campaign. http://allafrica.... more »

Read Stuff, You Should

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 14 hours ago
Happy Birthday to Dave Foley, 50. A bit of good stuff: 1. Kevin Drum, anti-platinum coin. 2.But there's a White House petition for one now. 3. Norm Ornstein talked to Greg Sargent about the Speaker vote. 4. But Politico's Jake Sherman and John Bresnahan have the prize photo from what really wasn't much of a revolt, much less a coup. 5. And I don't really agree with John Tabin's attempt to place DS9 on a liberal/conservative scale, but I'm always up for a good appreciation of that underappreciated series.

The Least Stressful Job of 2013: University Professor

Daniel Nexon at Duck of Minerva - 14 hours ago
That’s what Forbes claims in an article that’s generating much mirth in academic social-media circles. University professors have a lot less stress than most of us. Unless they teach summer school, they are off between May and September and they enjoy long breaks during the school year, including a month over Christmas and New Year’s and another chunk of Continue reading

Lebanon asks for $180 million to aid Syrian refugees

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 14 hours ago
Lebanon, now a haven for 170,000 Syrians fleeing civil war, has asked foreign donors for $180 million to help care for them and said it will register and recognize refugees after a year-long hiatus. The Beirut government has officially sought to "dissociate" itself from the 21-month-old struggle in Syria, nervous about the destabilizing impact of the increasingly sectarian conflict in its bigger neighbor on its own delicate communal balance. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/04/us-syria-crisis-lebanon-refugees-idUSBRE9030GO20130104

Zero Dark Thirty: CIA Questioned Over Bin Laden Film Torture Scenes

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 14 hours ago
US senators have demanded to know what the CIA told the makers of a controversial film about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden about the use of torture. Zero Dark Thirty shows an al Qaeda figure undergoing waterboarding, which simulates near-drowning, and other similar interrogation techniques before eventually providing information that helps ultimately track down Bin Laden. However, a Senate Intelligence Committee investigation into the CIA's detainee programme has previously concluded that such methods produced no useful intelligence. http://news.sky.com/story/1033244/zero-dark-thirt... more »

Bombs and Monsters

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 14 hours ago
Sorry about the lack of posts this week. The year may be new, but it's already getting old. I can't remember ever feeling so overwhelmed. At least the last Congress is history, the lame duck session particularly having been overrun by the one of the most bizarre bunch of political quacks in recent memory. Some of them are back, their feathers ruffled, for another paddle in the scummy Washington pond. F-bomb boy Boehner with cheek of tan is still around, though having barely squeaked through for a new stint as the Weeper Speaker. The new year promises more of the same old, same old w... more »

Tax Evaders Named In Crackdown

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 14 hours ago
The names and photographs of last year’s top tax cheats have been made public as part of the Government’s efforts to crack down on evasion. The 32 criminals have been sentenced to a combined 155 years and 10 months behind bars, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said. The move to publish their details is designed to shame tax cheats. http://news.sky.com/story/1033239/tax-cheats-hmrc-publishes-names-and-photos

Is Miss McConnell Leading Senate Republicans Down The Obstructionist Path In Return For Campaign Contributions?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 15 hours ago
Yesterday Kentucky activists and union leaders rallied in front of the Gene Snyder U.S. Courthouse & Customhouse building in downtown Louisville to bring to public attention the findings of a new Public Campaign Action Fund report that links McConnell’s unprecedented strategy of obstruction in the Senate and his campaign donations from corporations benefiting from such gridlock. The events was organized by the Kentucky AFL-CIO, Progress Kentucky, Communications Workers of America IUE-CWA Local 761, and Common Cause Kentucky. The Public Campaign report, which asserts that “Kentucki... more »

Want to buy an ex-Royal Navy Type 22 frigate?

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 15 hours ago
The British government are selling four... The four frigates are the HMS Chatham, HMS Campbeltown, HMS Cumberland and HMS Cornwall. All will be available for viewing from 25 February to 15 March 2013, Monday to Friday. I wonder how stringent the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) and other vetting process will be?
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