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| Walt Whitman Bridge. Delaware River. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| Waterhouse's The Lady of Shalott Looking at Lancelot (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Thursday, July 16: Another busy day for President "Ribbon Cutter" raising money and talking jive...
*never mind the border, Benghazi, an out of control IRS, and Fast and
Furious - to name a few.*
He's really going to ready for that long vacation in Martha's Vineyard in
that big ol' house with 8 bedrooms and a gazillion bathrooms.
He has to fly to Delaware to deliver remarks on infrastructure?? What the
hell would he know about infrastructure?
*11:20 am ||* Departs White House
*12:15 pm ||* Arrives Delaware
*2:10 pm ||* Delivers remarks on Infrastructure; Port of Wilmington,
Wilmington, Delaware
*3:15 pm ||* Departs Delaware
*4:00 pm ||* Arrives New York City
*5:45 pm ||* At... more »
Hawaii-- A Simple 6-Minute Video Shows The Difference Between Progressives And New Dems On Social Security And Other Issues
There may not be a more important Democratic primary this summer than the
August 9th election in Hawaii as incumbent progressive Senator Brian Schatz
faces a challenge from Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, a leader of the Wall
Street-owned New Democrat Coalition, the predominant component of the
Beltway's Republican wing of the Democratic Party.
They differ on a range of important issues, including the environment, war
and peace and LGBT equality.
But it’s on Social Security where their differences-- and the differences
between progressives and New Dems generally-- are perhaps most stark, ... more »
Untitled
*STOP PRESS!*
Australia has just abolished its carbon tax. It has now passed both houses
and awaits only the formality of Royal Assent
"A Look to the Heavens"
"A gorgeous spiral galaxy some 100 million light-years distant, NGC 1309
lies on the banks of the constellation of the River (Eridanus). NGC 1309
spans about 30,000 light-years, making it about one third the size of our
larger Milky Way galaxy. Bluish clusters of young stars and dust lanes are
seen to trace out NGC 1309's spiral arms as they wind around an older
yellowish star population at its core.
*Click image for larger size.*
Not just another pretty face-on spiral galaxy, observations of NGC 1309's
recent supernova and Cepheid variable stars contribute to the calibration
of the... more »
The Poet: Walt Whitman, “Song of the Open Road”
*“Song of the Open Road” *
by Walt Whitman, “Leaves of Grass”
“Afoot and light-hearted, I take to the open road,
Healthy, free, the world before me,
The long brown path before me, leading wherever I choose.
Henceforth I ask not good fortune- I myself am good fortune;
Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing,
Strong and content, I travel the open road.
The earth- that is sufficient;
I do not want the constellations any nearer;
I know they are very well where they are;
I know they suffice for those who belong to them.
(Still here I carry m... more »
"Our Destiny..."
"Our destiny can be examined, but it cannot be justified
or totally explained. We are simply here."
- Iris Murdoch
Chet Raymo, “Half Sick Of Shadows”
*“Half Sick Of Shadows”*
by Chet Raymo
"Who is this woman? Her name is on the prow of her boat: The Lady of
Shalott.
*Click image for larger size.*
Yes, it's Tennyson's "Lady of Shalott," from the poem of 1842, here
illustrated by John William Waterhouse in 1888. By some unspecified curse
this lovely maiden was confined to a tower…
"Willows whiten, aspens quiver,
Little breezes dusk and shiver
Through the wave that runs for ever
By the island in the river"
…near Camelot, where, forbidden to look out the window, she observed the
world in a mirror and wove what she ... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Santa Rosa, California, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
Paulo Coelho, “The Neighbor And The Trees”
*“The Neighbor And The Trees”*
by Paulo Coelho
"My old mill in the little Pyrenees village has a line of trees separating
it from the farm next door. The other day the neighbor appeared: he must be
about seventy years old. Now and again I have seen him working with his
wife on the farm and thought it was high time for them to retire and have a
rest. In a very nice manner, the neighbor complained that the leaves from
my trees were falling on his roof and that I had to cut them down. I was
most shocked: how could a person who has spent his entire life in contact
with nature want me t... more »
"What Is the Piri Reis Map?"
* "What Is the Piri Reis Map?"*
by World-mysteries.com
.
"In 1929, a group of historians found an amazing map drawn on a gazelle
skin. Research showed that it was a genuine document drawn in 1513 by Piri
Reis, a famous admiral of the Turkish fleet in the sixteenth century, whose
passion was cartography. His high rank within the Turkish navy allowed him
privileged access to the Imperial Library of Constantinople. The Turkish
admiral admits in a series of notes on the map that he compiled and copied
the data from a large number of source maps, some of which dated back to
the fourth ce... more »
"Shifting the Mood: Attitude Follows Perspective"
*"Shifting the Mood: Attitude Follows Perspective"*
by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM
We all have to do things in our life that we don't want to and the easiest
solution is to change our attitude. We all have days when we are faced with
chores, errands, or responsibilities that we don’t want to do. At times
like these, it’s easy to get into a bad mood and stay in one as we tackle
these tasks. However, given the fact that our bad mood will not change the
fact that we have to do these things, and will most likely make things
worse, we could also try to shift our attitude. Many wise peopl... more »
Debategate
By Morton Kondracke
It seems virtually certain that a crime was committed when Carter campaign
briefing documents were transferred to the Reagan campaign prior to the
1980 Presidential debate. What’s not at all certain is whether the crime
constitutes grand theft of petit larceny. Just how seriously “Debategate”
should be taken depends on answers not yet available. Did these documents
include vital strategy memos as well as routine position papers? Were they
sent to the Reaganites unsolicited, or were they procured? Was the transfer
part of some continuing espionage operation? ... more »
The New York Times Blames The Victims In Their Coverage of An Israeli Strike On A Gaza Beach That Killed 4 Kids
*A photo of the father whose four children were killed by the Israeli army
in a vicious strike on a beach in Gaza. The New York Times says the kids'
deaths was their own fault because they defied their parents' orders and
went out to the beach to play.*
An excerpt from, *"Boys Drawn to Gaza Beach, and Into Center of Mideast
Strife"* by Anne Barnard, The New York Times, July 16:
The four Bakr boys were young cousins, the children of Gaza fishermen who
had ordered them to stay indoors — and especially away from the beach. *But
cooped up for nine days during Israeli bombardments, the ... more »
Labour/National–relevance/reform?
Hugh Pavletich asks if Labour has the capacity to reform and become
relevant – which prompted me to wonder if National will ever have the balls
to become meaningful, and enact reform.
Hugh reckons New Zealand Labour has massive problems, but the issues are
much deeper than New Zealand Labour and David Cunliffe …
Voters everywhere have had enough of bloated and dysfunctional governments,
says Britain’s *Daily Telegraph. *In the US, a recent Gallup Poll reveals
that the number one US problem for those polled is the US Government,)
And here in New Zealand, the New Zealand Productivi... more »
Kathleen Carroll Soars on the Wings of Research Blunder; Jim Horn Hitches a Ride
On July 15, 2014, California attorney Kathleen Carroll posted a piece on
the City Watch LA blog entitled, When Did Teacher Unions Decide to “Turn”…
Against Collective Bargaining Rights? Based upon emails I have received
referencing this same piece, it appears that Carroll first publicized this
piece on July 12, 2012 (though possibly before). Also on July 15, 2014, the
Carroll […]
Ken Derstine Commentary
From Defending Public Education:
*Which Side Are You On?*
by Ken Derstine
July 14, 2014
The union movement of today has been transformed from what the unions were
when most started in the 1930’s, increasingly taking on the characteristics
of company unions. Ever since the PATCO strike in 1981, when air traffic
controllers who refused an order from the Reagan administration to return
to work or be fired for going on strike, unions have been in decline due to
globalization of the world economy with companies searching the globe for
the cheapest workforce possible combined with a un... more »
Martin Lawrence
With a pistol in his pocket, comedian Martin Lawrence ran into traffic on
busy Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks on Tuesday, cursing and screaming at
oncoming cars until he was taken away by police and hospitalized,
authorities and witnesses said.
Lawrence, star of the television sitcom "Martin" and the films "Bad Boys"
and "A Thin Line Between Love & Hate," was found in the middle of Ventura
Boulevard at Tyrone Avenue about 12:30 p.m., said Sgt. Bert Mora of the Los
Angeles Police Department.
After police restrained Lawrence, he was taken to Sherman Oaks Hospital and
Health Ce... more »
“Cultures aren’t museum pieces.”
Suzuki Samurai’s post on Australian aboriginal culture was picked up and
linked to by Kate at popular Canadian blog Small Dead Animals (thanks
Kate), prompting some mostly interesting comments there.
The most interesting, I thought, was essentially about division-of-labour.
Said Steve:
The aborigines didn't have much of a chance to advance culturally. Isolated
with a small population doesn't lend itself to rapid advancement. Eurasia
was huge teaming with peoples trading and exchanging knowledge. Each
culture in Eurasia learned from the other.
The point being that cultures enjoyin... more »
Satire: “Fleeing Iraqis Relieved That Cheney Has No Regrets About War”
*“Fleeing Iraqis Relieved That Cheney Has No Regrets About War”*
by Andy Borowitz
BAGHDAD (The Borowitz Report)— “Just days after former Vice-President Dick
Cheney said that he had no regrets about the invasion of Iraq, people
fleeing their homes across that war-torn nation expressed tremendous relief
that he was at peace with his decision.
As news spread that Cheney would not change a thing about the 2003
invasion, Iraqis driven out of their villages and towns by marauding
terrorists called the former Vice-President’s words well-timed and
soothing. Sabah al-Alousi, who fled Mosul ... more »
Maliki Is Challenging The IDF For Most Civilians Killed This Week By Government
Maliki to Israel Defense Forces: You will not kill more civilians than
Maliki the Magnificent while I'm still in power. I'll show you how it's
done.
*Video Title: Iraq civilians tell of indiscriminate killing. Source: Al
Jazeera. Date Published: July 16, 2014.*
"The politicians don't care about the people. This will go on. They're just
fighting for seats while civilians are being killed and displaced." -
Displaced Iraqi Shaker Khalil.
Re. the Great CIA Grape Scandal: What would "Big Dick" Cheney have done about those "grapes"?
*The Great CIA Grape Scandal: *
* A Typographical Reenactment*
*How long do you suppose it took President Putin to find out about the
CiA's grape scandal?*
*by Ken*
Say, you remember the good old days at the CIA, when Vice President "Big
Dick" Cheney, the man who put the "vice" in "vice president," used to hang
out running roughshod over the boys and girls, knocking heads and breaking
arms to make sure that all the "intelligence" and analyses incorporated
"Big Dick's Favorite Fables," especially about Iraq? Man, those were the
days, when lies were lies, and intelligence came out o... more »
"War..."; "Human Nature"
"War does not determine who is right, only who is *left*."
- Bertrand Russell
"The more one analyzes people, the more all reasons for analysis disappear.
Sooner of later one comes to that dreadful universal thing called human
nature."
- Oscar Wilde
The Big Cheese stands alone- US expands sanctions against Russia- Unilaterally
*WP *
*How much harm is the US attempting to inflict on the EU with this move? *
*It is Europe that get's it's energy from Russia.*
The United States on Wednesday increased sanctions against Russia over its
actions in Ukraine, despite ongoing European reluctance to take similar
action so far.
*The administration took the measures against a series of banks, energy and
defense companies *as European leaders, meeting in Brussels, discussed
possible sanctions against a new list of individuals and a handful of
companies tied to Russia’s annexation in the Ukrainian region of Crimea, as
w... more »
International Law = Taiwan's friend
*The Zhoufu Industry Road in the Rift Valley.*
My friend and fellow member of the Ohio Diaspora Brian Benedictus (his
excellent blog) and I spanked Julian Ku hard in The Diplomat today: US
Policy and International Law: Taiwan's Friend. Enjoy...
_______________________
[Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its
sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, and scores
of links to other Taiwan blogs and forums!
As Russia leads revolt against US foreign policy and the USD , US and EU levy more sanctions against Russia ( July 16 , 2014 ) -- US Kicks The Growling Bear, Issues More Russian Sanctions; Restricts Debt Market Access ....... EU summit confirms sanctions expansion against Russia ....... Putin: US sanctions contradict its national interests, will backfire.....
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-07-16/us-kicks-growling-bear-issues-more-rassian-sanctions-restricts-debt-market-access
US Kicks The Growling Bear, Issues More Russian Sanctions; Restricts Debt
Market Access
[image: Tyler Durden's picture]
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 07/16/2014 16:36 -0400
- Bond
- Fitch
- Kalashnikov
- President Obama
- ratings
- Ukraine
- White House
inShare3
Just as they promised (and acting unilaterally as *Europe declined to go
along* with The White House), President Obama has unleashed a set of
'sectoral' sanctions to wr... more »
Gaza's Killers
"A United States congressional committee on Tuesday approved a spending
bill that would double the funding for Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile
system, Fox News reported.
The defense spending bill approved by the Senate Appropriations defense
subcommittee would provide $621.6 million for Israeli missile defense,
including $351 million for the Iron Dome system." - *Source*.
Why we shouldn't cry for Gaza in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
On the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, the tiny coastal sliver of Gaza
has been bombarded by Israel for over a week. Interestingly, in Europe the
controlled media and the alternative (also controlled) media, have taken
the position that we should have sympathy for the people of Gaza, and
should be outraged by the actions of Israel. Those of us who fight against
globalisation and the over-representation of Jews amongst those who are
driving us to cultural and ethnic genocide, tend to be happy to jump on the
anti-Israel bandwagon. Although it is against all instincts to say
any... more »
Neocon Propagandist Jennifer Rubin Absolutely Explodes Today
For not the first time in her illustrious career as the yappy, prolific
neocon water-carrier at the Washington Post and high priestess of bullshit
Jennifer Rubin cites the work of arch Iran-Contra criminal Elliot Abrams in
making the case for a Middle Eastern war to end all wars. In a piece today
- one of a whopping *SIX* that bear Rubin's byline as of suppertime this
evening - the felon and spouse of an insane racist Elliot Abrams is cited
in a piece entitled "Leading from the front is . . . Israel?!". I don't
know if Rubin and Abrams consider the shelling and murder of four young... more »
Gaza Is A Shooting Gallery
The kids who were killed in an Israeli airstrike were playing soccer on
the beach. Unfortunately for them, the IDF is not a fan of the beautiful
game.
On the ground in Gaza: Doctor seeing Gazans with DIME-related injuries.
Source: Middle East Eye. Date Published: July 16, 2014. Description:
At Gaza City's Al-Shifa Hospital, Dr Mads Gilbert tells MEE that patients
are showing up with injuries related to DIME, an experimental munition
Israeli forces used against Gazans in 2009. Medical supplies are also
running low.
Unwelcome headlines from New Zealand [updated]
In contemplating changing the centuries-old legal protection of presumption
of innocence,New Zealand’s two biggest political parties are making
unwelcome headlines around the world.
Charles Oliver from *Reason* magazine writes, in his Brickbat column:
*It Is Better That 10 Innocent Persons Suffer Than One Guilty One Escape*
New Zealand's two major political parties, concerned that not enough men
are being convicted of rape, are considering changes to centuries-old legal
protections enjoyed by criminal defendants. The Labour Party wants to
remove the assumption of innocence, shif... more »
Footy
I forgot to mention, I did a post at the Footy Almanac that’s mostly
autobiographical, and only somewhat embroidered.
According to reviews, if you like that sort of thing then it’s the sort of
thing you would like:
- Rules? What rules? – THE FOOTY ALMANAC
Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission
to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
Trickle Down Civil War
originally published on CounterPunch
For those who haven't heard, a major offensive is being planned in the
ongoing war between the classes. While the poor, and what remains of the
middle and the working classes, suffer defeat after defeat, the wealthy are
hammering out yet another "free trade agreement." Memorably described by
Global Trade Watch Director Lori Wallach as "NAFTA on steroids," the
Trans-Pacific Partnership - or TPP - is the largest such agreement to come
along since the creation of the WTO in 1995.
Negotiated in secret between the US and 11 other Pacific nation-sta... more »
I dont care if they spy on me I got nothing to hide
And that the NSA talking point. Right up there with I don't vote because
all politicians are same/evil. George Washington explains it in terms even
a political zombie can understand. Its not about you, its about controlling
you by controlling the political process.
"I don't write about the future to predict it, I write to prevent it"
Ray Bradbury
“No, Germany Didn’t Start World War I”
*“No, Germany Didn’t Start World War I” *
by Bill Bonner
“Among all the discussion, on the 100th anniversary year of World War I,
appeared a new booklet by French economist and journalist Philippe
Simonnot. It's called "No, Germany Was Not Guilty." In the first instance,
Simonnot reveals that war guilt, forced onto Germany like a noose at a
lynching, was a bum rap. Germany did not want war. Nor did she start it.
At the start of the war, it was widely reported that German soldiers in
Belgium were acting like monsters – bayonetting babies, cutting off
thousands of hands, raping nuns... more »
How Republicans Use Gerrymandering To Undermine Democracy And Subvert The Will Of The American People
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NC-12, which snakes through the state looking for African-Americans, has a
D+26 PVI
Last week, the whole country got a chance to look in behind the walls of
the political sausage-making machine known as gerrymandering-- at least for
Florida. A judge threw out the Republican Party gerrymander of
congressional seats that was in direct violation of an amendment passed by
63% of Florida voters. "They were successful in their efforts to influence
the redistricting process and the congressional plan under review here," he
wrote. "And they might have successfully concealed their scheme and ... more »
Untitled
*Graham, Saints deal a win for both ~Scott Rabalais, New Orleans Advocate*
*Road Home repayment demands to be addressed at meeting ~WVUE*
*Orleans deputy sues sheriff over alleged toxic mold exposure at jail,
courthouse ~Jim Mustian*
*The State of Transit in New Orleans ~Ride New Orleans *
*New images captured of WWII Nazi U-boat in Gulf of Mexico ~WWL *
Supplemental: Maureen Dowd (publicly) speaks!
*WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2014*
*Student IQs pay the price:* Maureen Dowd doesn’t like the idea that
Hillary Clinton accepts speaking fees for speeches delivered at colleges.
She voiced her disgust with the troubling practice in Sunday’s fiery
column. After critiquing the rapacious Chelsea Clinton, the columnist
offered these thoughts:
DOWD (7/13/14): *Hillary doesn’t see the disconnect between expressing
grave concern about mounting student loan debt while scarfing six-figure
sums from at least eight colleges,* and counting. She says now that she’s
passing the university money to the ... more »
A Little Hump Day Humor: Dear Kitten...
*the vah-cuuum cooom is my favorite part.*
I no longer vacuum the house - I vah-cuuum. *cooom*
Medical Mutiny: The Power of One
A Navy nurse refused early this month to force-feed Guantanamo
hunger-striking detainees on grounds of conscientious objection, and has
since been "reassigned" to other duties. From Carol Rosenberg of the *Miami
Herald*:
*A prison camp spokesman, Navy Capt. Tom Gresback, would not provide
precise details but said Monday night that the episode had “no impact to
medical support operations at the base.”*
*“There was a recent instance of a medical provider not willing to carry
out the enteral feeding of a detainee,” he said in an email. “The matter is
in the hands of the individual’s l... more »
Cui Bono from Next (and Last) Wall Street Drop (Stock-man To Rescue?) Rahmbo In Voters' Sights? (Rich Keep the Game Rigged While Americans Cling To Hope of Winning Lottery) Oliver Calls Dim Tune (All Old White Men: Jaysus! Are We Gonna Get NO Respite Any Time Soon? Russia and China Say No)
BREAKING! Andrew Ross Sorkin helps awful company’s CEO justify skipping out
on taxes . . . Wall Street's favorite NYT reporter helps a tax-dodging
company's CEO somehow come across as the victim I was poor, but a GOP
die-hard: How I finally left the politics of shame . . . I hated government
- even as it was the only thing trying to save me. Here's how, one day, I
finally saw the light . . .
Untitled
*Climate Change Quackery*
“He who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to
be deceived.” – Niccolo Machiavelli, “The Prince,” 1532
A truly scientific case for man-made “climate change” has yet to be made,
but never underestimate the ability of the “climate changers” to hide that
reality – and nowhere does that lack show up more tellingly than in their
“Appeal to Authority” campaign to convince lay-people that it’s all
“settled science.”
NASA itself, for example, has been stating for years that “97 percent of
climate scientists agree that climate-warming ... more »
Contribution and indemnity or claim in negligence?
Addison & Leyen Ltd v Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP, 2014 ABCA 230:
[22] The leading authority on the common law of contribution and
indemnity is *Birmingham and District Land Co* *v London and Northwestern
Railway Co*(1886), 34 Ch D 261 (CA). In that early decision, the English
Court of Appeal broadly defined the right to indemnity under the common law
as a direct right to reimbursement which may arise: (1) by express
contract, if provided in the terms of a contract between the parties; (2)
by implied contract, if the parties intended such indemnity; or (3) by
implication,... more »
Fire, Walk with Me
* "When this kind of fire starts, it is very hard to put out.*
*The tender boughs of innocence burn first, and the wind rises, and then
all goodness is in jeopardy."*
Agent Provocateur: The Season Of The Witch from Mademoiselle Eugénie on
Vimeo.
A good old-fashioned romp for AP's* 'The Season of the Witch'* campaign
film.
Our witches include Daisy Lowe, *Peaches Geldof* & Paz De La Heurta.
*Peaches Geldof*, best known as the daughter of rock legend/humanitarian
Bob Geldof, has received the pink slip from lingerie line, *Miss Ultimo*.
The UK brand’s decision to drop Peach... more »
Officer Involved Domestic Violence: Little Rock Cop Arrested for Assaulting His Own Son
[image: Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...]Mark Daniels
Donald Woods, 51 Arkansas Police Accountability Project
(Little Rock, AR) As reported by local news affiliates, a fistfight with
his 16 year old son led to the arrest of Little Rock Police Officer, Donald
Woods. According to the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office, Woods was
arrested after deputies witnessed his son with a ripped t-shirt, an
abrasion on his elbow that was bleeding, a cut on his finger, and a red
mark on the side of his neck. Details were released this morning about the
incident that happened at the ... more »
New Jersey May Be Very Democratic, But The Political Machines Make That Pretty Irrelevant
Norcross and Christie, the two grotesque crooks who run New Jersey
Earlier today we mentioned, in passing, an insurance-related dust-up in the
South Jersey congressional race for the open NJ-03 swing seat being vacated
by Jon Runyan. It pits multimillionaire insurance executive Tom MacArthur
against Burlington County Freeholder Aimee Belgard, a Democratic. Belgard,
who studied Environmental Science before getting a law degree, has been
endorsed by both the progressive, grassroots Sierra Club and the more
transactional, less trustworthy and more Beltway-oriented League of
Conservation... more »
Another Take On the Do-Nothing (English-Canadian) Left
A somewhat different take on the pathetic lack of ability of progressive
Canadians by rabble.ca's Mike Laxer:
"Limiting the Possible: English Canada's invisible left"
Laxer starts off by telling us that good things are happening elsewhere:
In virtually every single developed, nominally democratic capitalist
country in the world, interesting anti-capitalist or left social democratic
movements are being formed, winning seats and threatening the established
do-nothing centrist "left" that has become a collaborator with the
austerity agenda.
In Quebec, Quebec Solidaire, which is the vic... more »
Defence of Canada under Harper
Canada's
political, social and physical geography define its defence priorities.
Unless there is a massive shift in US politics, it has no land
connection to any existing or potential military adversary. Our small
population density and massive geography compared to the US means that
even if that were a hostile relationship, the 49th parallel is too long
to manually defend anyway.
Even without
Meanwhile, in a parallel universe nearby...
There's been a demo against BBC bias.
The *Graun*, the *Indie* and the *Indie*-owned *Evening Standard *have all
reported it, though no one beyond these left-wing/local papers seems to
have bothered with it.
It was staged by a few hundred noisy anti-Israeli activists (or, if you're
credulous enough to believe the figures posted on social media, a few
hundreds more).
This morning's *Today *(about a quarter of an hour before the end) dealt
with the protests by inviting on one of the protest's supporters -
Glasgow-based far-left media activist/academic, Greg Philo - and putting
... more »
Russian/Ukrainian News- Moscow shows damage/Ukraine kills civilians and more
*WSJ*
Russia's Ministry of Defense brought 11 foreign military attachés,
including one from the U.S., to a neighborhood on the Russian side of the
border where Moscow accused Kiev's forces of shelling a residential house
on Sunday, killing a 47-year-old Russian man and wounding two others.
The delegation inspected a neighborhood in the Rostov region that Russian
officials said was hit by six 120-mm artillery shells from the Ukrainian
side, where Kiev's forces and pro-Russia separatists have been facing off
for months.
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said he invited ... more »
ARISTOTLE’S ERROR: Digby seems to embellish a tad!
*WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2014*
*Part 2—The liberal world and its values:* Are we so-called human beings
really “the rational animal?”
No exactly, no. Consider what happened in Atlanta.
As has been widely reported, a major cheating scandal occurred within the
Atlanta Public Schools during the past decade. In the current New Yorker,
Rachel Aviv offers a harrowing, detailed look at the way this massive fraud
went down in Atlanta’s Parks Middle School.
Aviv’s report is detailed, harrowing. That said, you almost have to laugh
at the way it starts:
AVIV (7/21/14): One afternoon in the sprin... more »
WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?
Years ago while living in Orlando I was approached by some leaders from the
Palestinian community in Central Florida. I was working for the Florida
Coalition for Peace & Justice and they asked me to help them organize a
pro-Palestinian march through the city. There had never been such a thing
done in Orlando before. I said I would be happy to help.
We began by having small meetings at the home of an older Palestinian man.
I had previously not worked on the Israel/Palestine issue very much and was
grateful for the chance to meet so many wonderful people of Arab origin.
The mar... more »
City Summer Swimming
originally published on CounterPunch
New York City’s municipal swimming pools will open their gates, and their
blue, chlorinated depths to the public in a few weeks. And while local and
even national papers will report the advent of the city’s swimming season,
the conduct of the crowds, the (overwhelmingly petty) crimes that tend to
arise when so many people are concentrated into such tight confines, and
(to a lesser degree) the ongoing privatization of the public realm that is
limiting these spaces ever further, as so often happens the real issue will
hardly be discussed at all ... more »
Andre Carson's Wife and the Mind Trust/Indy Chamber
By Doug Martin
In an attempt to privatize more schools and train students for future jobs
that don't exist, the Indy Chamber of Commerce wrapped up its Pancakes and
Politics education panel event yesterday in Indianapolis with the Mind
Trust and Teach Plus.
US neoliberal Democrat Andre Carson's wife highlighted the event. Andre,
as I mention in *Hoosier School Heist*, is friends with school privatizers
and Gulenists, regardless of what the *Indy Star* claims and despite the
many standing ovations he gets at Indiana Party conventions.
Carson's wife, Mariama, not surprisingly, wa... more »
Updated: Global Weather Disasters and Global GDP
Munich Re has just released their tabulation of disaster losses for the
first half of 2014. I thought I'd use the occasion to update the dataset
shown above. The graph above shows global weather disasters as a proportion
of global GDP. Note that 2014 represents January-June. I assume that the
first half of 2014 global GDP is 2.5% higher than 2013. I also assume that
total 2014 losses to date are all due to weather. Both assumptions err on
the conservative side of things. Enjoy!
Data: Munich Re and UN
Do Dead Bodies In The Street’s Of Iraq’s Capital Point Towards A Renewed Civil War?
Talk of a new civil war emerging in Iraq has already begun to be discussed
by some media outlets. The Islamic State (IS) has been working for at least
a year if not more to infiltrate its people into Baghdad to restart street
fighting there. It already has extensive networks in and out of the capital
city, which have allowed it to carry out several attacks a day in the
province from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to sticky bombs to drive
by shootings to larger car bomb operations. The Baathist Naqsibandi is
active in northern Baghdad province as well. At the same time the Shi... more »
Musical Interlude: Melanie, “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)”
Melanie, “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)”
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgrCtZKkgqI
Taipei Mayoral Election polls
FormosaNation sent around these two images. He's bullish about the
prospects of Ko Wen-je in Taipei against Lien Chan's son Lien Sheng-wen
(Sean Lien) and has been twitting Ben Goren at Letters from Taiwan and I
about our pessimism. The top image shows the China Times poll that has Ko
at 38%, Lien at 30%, and Shen Fu-hsiung, a former DPPer, at 10% with the
remainder at no opinion/undecided. The bottom poll is even more terrifying
if you are a KMTer: Ko is on the left and even or winning in traditional
KMT districts. FormosaNation pointed out to me that KMTers are wailing and
gnash... more »
Corrupting Civil Society
http://buzznigeria.com/
The government has always had the power to revoke an organization's
charitable status. But it didn't happen very often; and, Carol Goar writes,
the rules were clear:
They siphoned donations into their founders’ own pockets, they provided a
front for shadowy groups or they used most of their funds for
administration.
But things changed with the advent of Stephen Harper:
The Conservative government, angered that environmentalists were tying up
pipeline projects in the West, ... more »
A Candidate With Conviction-- Ready For Warren
Bob Costa's headline in the *Washington Post* the other day, "Progressives
turn from Obama to embrace Warren"-- which an editor probably wrote--
missed a key point. Obama isn't running for president, or anything else,
again. Perhaps "Progressives turn from Hillary to embrace Warren" would
have been more to the point.
"Citibank and Goldman Sachs and all those other guys on Wall Street,
they’ve got plenty of folks in the U.S. Senate willing to work on their
side," Warren told the partisan Democratic crowd in Shepherdstown, West
Virginia. "We need some more people willing to work on... more »
Untitled
*Common Core Becomes Touchy Subject for Governors Group*
*Organization Leaves Education Standards Off Its Meeting's Official Agenda*
The National Governors Association was one of the founders of Common Core,
a set of academic standards aimed at raising student achievement. But as
Democratic and Republican governors gathered here for summer meetings,
Common Core wasn't on the official agenda, a sign of how the bipartisan
idea has become a political minefield.
Three Republican-led states recently abandoned Common Core, concerned that
national standards would allow President Barack Ob... more »
Reality Check - Controlling Energy resources for Global Domination
This is a bit of an older article Dec 2013. Seemed timely since *Palestinian
oil, and it's theft by Israel, is on the present day agenda. *The title is
"Putin's Mediterranean Move" but that's just typical NATO media arrogance.
How dare anyone else compete or vie for energy rights. When it all belongs
to the US or the UK.
*The subtitle presents the "problem" Moscow crashing the party of oil
exploitation by other interested parties -** "The race is on to exploit
off-shore energy around Israel, Syria, Lebanon, and Cyprus -- and Moscow is
crashing the party"*
Russia's eroding hold over ... more »
Buying and selling a house
Generally you buy (or sell) a house "as is" so let the buyer beware.
The courts have decided that a strict application of this doctrine would be
oppressive and unfair to purchasers so the law provides relief in certain
circumstances. The courts have made a distinction between a patent defect
and a latent defect. Patent defects are defects that are discoverable on a
superficial inspection of the property by an ordinary purchaser. A vendor
does not have a duty to draw the purchaser's attention to patent defects.
An example of this might be a large crack in the side of the house.
If th... more »
TURNcoat, Mary Ricker, to Serve as Exec VP for Weingarten
With Ricker's election, Weingarten, Gates, and Broad are building the next
generation of misleaders. Google "TURNcoats" and "AFT" and you will get
the links to understand what I'm talking about.
You might start here.
Principal Members are the primary liaisons & spokespersons
for each local in matters related to the Teacher Union Reform Network.
Name Title Organization Kevin Ahern President Syracuse Teachers
Association Tom Alves Executive Director San Juan Teachers Association
Karen Aronowitz President United Teachers of Dade Ellen Bernstein President
Albuquerque Tea... more »
Argentina: Lights and Mystery in the Valley of the Dinosaurs
*Argentina: Lights and Mystery in the Valley of the Dinosaurs*
From *Gaceta OVNI*
The Ezequiel Ramos MexÃa reservoir is Argentina’s largest artificial lake,
created to supply power to the largest hydroelectric undertaking in the
history of Patagonia, the Chocón Complex. The waters of the Limay River,
which separate the Andean lacustrine region from the provinces of Neuquén
and RÃo Negro, arrive with great turbulence, following a basin that crosses
the vast Patagonian desert like a blue line, giving its sky-hued color to
the landscape it traverses. The monumental earthen dam, stand... more »
Obama's Willing Executioners
With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu once again bombing Gaza back
to the stone age and the ongoing ISIS related fighting in Iraq the
situation in Ukraine has slipped through the cracks. Not that the US
state-corporate media has bothered to tell the truth about the Obama backed
coup government in Kiev and it's neo-Nazi muscle anyway but Americans are
being hoodwinked into lining up behind what is increasingly becoming a
campaign of the use of the military against civilians as well as ethnic
cleansing operations. In the myriad of foreign policy disasters under the
Obama re... more »
Piketty on the minimum wage
A lot going on with the minimum wage lately, but I will contextualize it
first with Thomas Piketty's analysis in *Capital in the Twenty-First
Century*, pp. 308-313. I'll have more to say about other parts of the book
later, but for now it's important to remember that one of the keys to the
book's success is that it is built on a gigantic trove of long-term data.
His French wealth data, for example, goes all the way back to the immediate
aftermath of the French Revolution! (Speaking of which, it's Bastille Day
as I write this.)
Piketty writes in this section about increasing labor in... more »
Iraq Updates ( July 16 , 2014 ) -- ISIS resembling a small army these days ( ISIS Captured 52 US-Made Howitzers, Could Shell Iraq Cities Also Believed to Have Captured 1,500 Armored Humvees. ) ....... Political tension betraying efforts of miitary commanders ( Former Mosul Commander Blames Internal Tensions for City’s Fall Kurdish Brigadier Says Govt Undermined His Command , Iraq Lawmakers Select Speaker, But Carnage Continues: 233 Killed, 185 Wounded ) ........
News from Kurdistan....
New Iraqi parliament speaker calls for new president
16.07.2014
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-
-
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*BasNews, Baghdad*
Iraq’s new Speaker Salim al-Juburi called on all eligible Iraqis to run for
president within three days, and the Iraqi parliament session will be held
on 23 July to discuss the state budget and presidency.
In a joint press conference with his two deputies, Al-Juburi called on all
Iraqis to apply for the presidency before the parliament session takes
place.
A parliamentary session will then be held to choose the president, he said.
According to... more »
Golden Rice: GMO "Super Gruel" for the Masses
You don't need big-ag's Golden Rice, you just need a garden.
*July 16, 2014* (LocalOrg) - Corporate biotechnology monopolies like
Monsanto, Syngenta, Bayer, and others have met increasing resistance to
their attempts to patent and control global agriculture. They have spent
untold fortunes attempting to sway the public but to no avail. Local,
organic agriculture is growing in popularity and proliferating across all
social-strata. The introduction of technology to automate and augment
organic farming is making it as competitive and accessible or more so than
the capital-intensive mo... more »
John Baird, international man of something or other
Why?
Canada is adding a further 14 individuals to the list of those
sanctioned over Russia's ongoing involvement in the situation in
Ukraine...
"Peace will only be achieved if Russia and the gunmen it continues to
support start showing good faith in talks with Kyiv," he said, calling
on Russia to stop arming insurgents and draw down its forces on the
Ukrainian border.
Baird called news
Identifying with Gaza
There’s a powerful article by Brendan O’Neill in "Spiked".
Everyone at the BBC should read it and ask themselves some important
questions. In particular "why are WE doing this?"
They very well know that their influence over millions of listeners is akin
to WMD in the wrong hands.
*“Why are Western liberals always more offended by Israeli militarism than
by any other kind of militarism?* *It’s extraordinary.”* begins O’Neil.
He goes on to cite examples of Western and European militarism which the
people accept with little more than a shrug and a sigh. Libya, Pakistan....
“Anyone ... more »
Chicago blacks pile on Obama: "Do something for our children."
*do these people have any idea of how much they sound like the slaves the
Democrats have turned them into?*
I don't have very much sympathy for grown people who stand around decrying
the fact that their "free" piece of the pie is being given to someone else.
These people all voted for Obama. He was going to be their savior. Obama
would reverse the flow of the rivers, keep the oceans from rising, and the
sun from exploding...or something.
Chicago is the most violent city in America. It is mostly blacks killing
blacks. Drugs and gangs are rampant.
"Do something for our children,... more »
Jon Donnison is back
He may have been the BBC's Sydney correspondent for over a year now, but
the BBC's former Gaza correspondent continues to make his biased views of
the Israel-Palestinian situation very clear on Twitter. He has been highly
active over the past few weeks, tweeting almost entirely from a
pro-Palestinian perspective.
A selection of his tweets follows, but you would be better reading them as
a whole to get the full biased effect.
Note how the killing of the three Israeli teens doesn't seem to touch him
much. He even re-tweets a dismissive comment from a Human Rights Watch
spokesman abo... more »
Bangladesh Air Force Orders Two AW139 Helicopters
[image: AW139 SAR]AgustaWestland is pleased to announce that the Ministry
of Defence (MoD) of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh has signed a
contract for two AW139 intermediate twin-engine helicopters.
These helicopters, which will be delivered by the end of 2015, will be
operated by the Bangladesh Air Force to perform maritime search and rescue
(SAR) and other utility missions.
This contract, which also includes a comprehensive support and training
package, marks the establishment of the first dedicated maritime SAR
helicopter fleet in the country.
Read more
Boeing may face higher than expected costs on KC-46 tanker
[image: KC-46]Boeing Co may face significantly higher than expected costs
in the development phase for a new tanker for the U.S. Air Force, although
the fixed-price contract with the government means the company will absorb
those overruns, the Pentagon's chief arms buyer said.
Defense Undersecretary Frank Kendall told reporters late on Sunday that
Boeing was performing "satisfactorily" on the KC-46 tanker program, but
several events - including water damage caused by a sprinkler malfunction
at the company's Everett, Washington plant - meant costs were higher than
expected.
Boeing a... more »
AgustaWestland Successfully Completes Unmanned/Optionally Piloted Helicopter Demonstration for the Italian Ministry of Defence
[image: PZL SW-4]AgustaWestland is pleased to announce the completion of a
demonstration of its Rotorcraft Unmanned Aerial System / Optionally Piloted
Helicopter (RUAS/OPH) to the Italian Ministry of Defence.
The trials were conducted to evaluate modern remote controlled rotorcraft
technology and its potential to provide enhanced capabilities for the
Italian armed forces in the future.
Under the Research and Development contract, that is included in in the
National Military Research Plan, signed with the Italian Ministry of
Defence (MoD) Directorate for Air Armaments the company su... more »
Boeing Awarded New Contract to Provide Warhead Arming Devices to U.S. Air Force
[image: AGM-86 ALCM]The U.S. Air Force has extended Boeing’s work
remanufacturing warhead arming devices for the nation’s air-launched cruise
missile (ALCM), helping to ensure the readiness of the system.
Under a new two-year contract, valued at $7.3 million, Boeing will
remanufacture warhead arming devices for the air-launched cruise missile.
The contract includes an option for six additional years at an estimated
value of $50 million.
"Providing these production systems to the Air Force fleet on schedule is
our number one goal,” said Peggy Morse, vice president, Boeing Directed
E... more »
Russia plans to sign Yak-130 aircraft supply contracts by 2017
[image: YAK-130]Russian defense export intermediary agency,
Rosoboronexport, plans to sign several agreements for supplies of jet
training/light attack aircraft Yak-130 to foreign partners over the
following two or three years, head of Rosoboronexport department on exports
of special property and services, Sergey Kornev, told journalists ahead of
Farnborough airshow opening in Britain.
Yak-130 promotion to export markets was enabled by active production and
use of the aircraft, Kornev said adding emergence of the new aerobatic
display team, Wings of Taurida, would help increase fore... more »
Eurofighter Typhoon to get advanced radar contract by year-end
[image: Airborne Solutions E-CAPTOR Eurofighter E-Scan Radar]A contract to
develop an advanced form of radar for the four nation-backed Eurofighter
Typhoon jet should be signed later this year, Eurofighter’s CEO said,
raising hopes that the fighter could secure further orders.
Radar issues contributed to the Eurofighter consortium losing out on a $20
billion deal to sell 126 jets to India in 2012 and experts have said that
equipping the new radar system to the fighters would help sell more of them.
The consortium of Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain, have funded the
initial developm... more »
US lifts fleet-wide grounding of F-35 fighter jet
[image: F-35 Lightning II]The F-35 could still make its UK debut this week
at the Farnborough International Airshow after US military officials lifted
the fleet-wide grounding and said the fighter jet could make limited
flights.
The fighter jet was grounded last month after a fire at a Florida airbase
saw the Pratt & Whitney engine break apart, before pushing through the top
of the aeroplane and catching fire while a pilot was preparing to take off.
Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby told Reuters that the US air
force and navy officials had granted the stealth jet a limited ... more »
China tells US to stay out of South China Seas dispute
[image: Admiral Jonathan Greenert]China yesterday told the US to stay out
of disputes over the South China Sea and leave countries in the region to
resolve problems themselves, after Washington said it wanted a freeze on
stoking tension.
Michael Fuchs, US deputy assistant secretary of state for Strategy and
Multilateral Affairs, said no country was solely responsible for escalating
tension in the region.
But he reiterated the US view that “provocative and unilateral” behaviour
by China had raised questions about its willingness to abide by
international law.
Read more
Untitled
*Tainted Legacy: Heirs to ill-gotten fortune back in court seeking more
~WWLTV *
Senate panel doubles money for Israel’s Iron Dome
[image: Iron Dome]Congress is showing tangible support for longtime ally
Israel as Gaza militants fire rockets, backing a measure that would double
the amount of money for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.
The Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee approved a defense spending
bill on Tuesday that would provide $621.6 million for Israeli missile
defense, including $351 million for the Iron Dome system that intercepts
short-range rockets and mortars. In the latest hostilities between Israel
and Hamas, Iron Dome has been successful in shooting down rockets and
preventing I... more »
S. Korea, U.S. kick off joint naval exercise
[image: USS George Washington]South Korea launched its five-day joint naval
exercise with the United States in the country's southwestern sea on
Wednesday amid North Korea's continued calls to withdraw from what it calls
provocative action.
The five-day exercise will involve two South Korean Navy Aegis ships as
well as the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, two American cruisers
and one U.S. Aegis ship, a Seoul military official said, adding that the
areas of the training are north of Jeju Island as well as waters southwest
of Mokpo.
During the exercise, South Korean and U.S. ... more »
Money coming through for carrier George Washington
[image: USS George Washington]Fears that the aircraft carrier George
Washington's overhaul at Newport News Shipbuilding might be called off
because of sequestration were laid to rest Tuesday with a key Senate
panel's endorsement of $848 million for the project, according to Virginia
lawmakers.
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat, said credit for securing the funding
goes to the state's 13-member congressional delegation.
"It shows there's still a Virginia way in terms of the delegation working
together," he said.
Read more
Nato puts brakes on enlargement
[image: NATO flag]Nato announced earlier this July that it is shelving
plans to welcome any new members during its forthcoming Wales summit.
The hopes of four countries - Bosnia, Macedonia, Georgia and Montenegro –
which were expecting to deepen their co-operation with Nato, are now all
but dashed, as senior Nato officials have hit the pause button on future
enlargement.
Just like the European Union, it seems that Nato is also suffering from
enlargement fatigue.
Read more
New Australian warship has 14,000 defects: media
[image: HMAS Canberra]Australia's newest and largest warship is riddled
with more than 14,000 minor defects forcing a seven-month delay in its
completion, local media reported on Tuesday.
Problems with the 1.5 billion AU dollars (1.4 billion U.S. dollars)
amphibious assault ship HMAS Canberra are blamed on low productivity, poor
skills and a shortage of trained supervisors, the Defense Department said.
The Australian newspaper reported that more than 14,000 so- called
"defects" were discovered about two years ago and are mostly minor. The
most serious problems, including electrical ... more »
India, Russia begin naval drills in Sea of Japan
[image: INS Shivalik]India and Russia have commenced naval manoeuvres in
the Sea of Japan which coincide with their growing energy ties that could,
in the future, include transit of oil through the Arctic route.
A Defence Ministry statement has said the two countries, which are fielding
an impressive array of warships and aircraft during the Indra-14 exercise,
will work together to check piracy, render assistance to ships in distress
and counter the threat from submarines. They will also coordinate missile
strikes on land targets.
Russia’s guided missile cruiser Varyag and destroyer... more »
Lyse Doucet update
Yesterday I posted this piece about Lyse Doucet's reporting (or rather
non-reporting) of rockets being fired from Gaza at Israel. This Twitter
conversation ended with this tweet of mine
I don't believe that I received an answer to that tweet, so when I saw this
tweet
I just had to respond
To give Lyse Doucet some credit, she did have the courtesy to respond to me
So I reminded her that she hadn't answered my question re her not tweeting
about rockets fired from Gaza prior to the Israeli response
Lyse Doucet came back with a reasonable excuse
So I responded with the obvious follow-... more »
Navy ship ordered back to Canada after misconduct by sailors
[image: HMCS Whitehorse]The head of the Royal Canadian Navy has taken the
rare step of ordering one of its ships to return from an international
exercise because of misconduct by its sailors.
Vice Admiral Mark Norman issued the message Monday, citing three incidents
involving the crew of HMCS Whitehorse that took place during Exercise
RIMPAC 2014.
The message, leaked to the Ottawa Citizen, also noted that Norman was
appointing a senior officer to look at what is behind recent incidents
involving the breakdown of professional and personal conduct in the navy.
Read more
Michael and The Mob
music
Michael Jackson Shocks Al Sharpton By Calling Tommy Mottola A Racist
Singer accuses Sony Music chairman of conspiring against black artists.
by jennifer vineyard 7/8/2002
Michael Jackson took on Sony Music chairman Tommy Mottola this past
weekend, accusing the head of his record company of being a racist and part
of a racist conspiracy against black artists.
Though it was anticipated that Jackson would challenge standard practices
of the music industry and champion artists’ rights when he spoke at the
Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network in New York’s Harlem
neighborhoo... more »
Non-empirical confirmation of theories
*In science, confirmations are always ultimately empirical in character but
science has always been more than just naive empiricism*
A year ago, philosopher (and trained theoretical physicist) Richard Dawid
wrote a book named String Theory and the Scientific Method where he
essentially argued that science is becoming less dependent on empirical
observations.
*Off-topic: a huge black hole (diameter 80 meters) was discovered at the
Yamal Peninsula, Siberia.*
Two amazon.com reviewers admitted that they haven't read the book but as
homeless losers, they don't like the price of the bo... more »
Is Gaza a Modern Masada? Lieberman Announces Its Abolition
*Avigdor Lieberman, Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel, threw a bomb on
Gaza while speaking in the Knesset on July 15, 2014. "The operation* must
end with the IDF controlling the entire Gaza Strip," he said after calling
for the obliteration of the Palestinian government.*
*A Good Roman Pension*
*H*iding under broken pottery, the two women were gossiping quietly. Their
five children were half-buried under a giant half-pot, and were asleep.
Earlier that evening, commander of the fortress Eleazar ben Ya'ir gave his
final speech, announcing that the Romans were about to enter and that ... more »
Untitled
*Big Green’s lethal agenda*
The outstanding presentations at this Ninth International Conference on
Climate Change clearly demonstrate that activist climate science is
increasingly devoid of evidence … increasingly removed from the scientific
method – and yet is increasingly being used to devise, justify and impose
policies, laws, and regulations that govern our lives.
Indeed, rules formulated on the basis of “dangerous manmade climate change”
allegations control the hydrocarbons that power America and the world,
improve and safeguard our lives, lift billions out of abject poverty,... more »
Owning Freedom
We sense now a freedom because there is this energy of release that is
blowing, a pre-cursor to this letting go of the iron grip held by the
“controllers”.
Freedom is not a state we fully comprehend. It is an absence of debt in
any sense – emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual.
The process of liberation is gradual and will be accomplished with
persistence as well as tenacious, relentless focus. You cannot be
partially free.
To act from a self determined point of view means that each moment is
approached and conducted by choice. We have been asleep for a lifetime. ... more »
Erdogan Should Be The Last Head of State to Accuse Another State of "State Terrorism"
Video Title: Turkey PM accuses Israel of 'state terrorism' over Gaza.
Source: AFP. Date Published: July 15, 2014.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday stepped up his
rhetoric against Israel over its deadly air offensive on Gaza, accusing the
Jewish state of committing "state terrorism" against the Palestinians.
Erdogan is not a good spokesman for Palestinians since Turkey is not
exactly innocent when it comes to killing civilians with airstrikes, and
committing acts of genocide.
The Turkish government has backed ISIS terrorists against the Kurds in
northern Syri... more »
Tristan & Isolde’s Prelude
*Wagner’s thrilling *Tristan and Isolde* is **being performed in Auckland
on Saturday**. This is the second post getting ready for the great event!*
So Wagner takes his Tristan Chord, that *single* chord that changed music
forever, and then in the opera’s prelude – the twelve minutes or so of
music before the drama starts – *he tells the opera’s story in music alone*.
True story.
The chord is built on the tension between two impossibly star-crossed
lovers – excuse me, between two chords that shouldn’t go together that,
when they do are themselves transformed – a tension and releas... more »
Alice Embree : VERSE | Beyond Borders
By Alice Embree | The Rag Blog | July 15, 2014 On the edge of memory The
slogan echoes “El Salvador is Spanish for Vietnam” U.S. weapons for
Right-wing death squads Yield peasant massacres And refugees In recent
memory President … finish reading Alice Embree :
*VERSE* | Beyond Borders
Gazans Are Reaching The Point of "Nothing Left To Lose"
Only Israel benefits from these one-month wars, and ten-day dust-ups that
leave thousands of Palestinians dead and wounded, and zero Israeli
casualties. What is happening in Gaza does not deserve to be called a war.
Bill Hicks's *famous line about the first Iraq War*, that there never was a
war, is applicable here.
Palestinians know deep down that any genuine, long-standing, and worthwhile
gains must be borne from sacrifice. And the Israeli government understands
that there is a limit to their aggression. The last thing the cowardly
Israeli government wants is an all-out, face-to-fa... more »
Time To Go Back To Vietnam-- But Only As Tourists And Trading Partners
I'm planning a trip to Vietnam. I haven't been there in a long time and
I've never been to the northern part of the country. So when someone on
twitter recommended a *NY Times* piece, I grabbed it and saved it for when
I'd have some free time to read it. What I eventually started reading was
Tuong Lai's OpEd from last week, Vietnam's Overdue Alliance With America,
and man, did he sound like a warlike dick! Within two paragraphs I said to
myself, "self, if this guy is gay, he's the Vietnamese Lindsey Graham and
if he's straight and senile, he's the Vietnamese John McCain. Oh, yeah…... more »
Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW) - Ban Plastic Bags
Welcome to Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)!
Wondering how to live greener? You've come to the right place. Each week we
challenge ourselves to try a new task ... or "amp up" something we're
already doing. We raise our awareness, learn from each other and develop
Eco-friendly skills which will improve our lives and protect our planet.
Doing so together gives us power ... the power to Change The World!
If this is your first visit, please click HERE for information and a
complete list of all the challenges we've taken on so far.
This post contains great information and I encourage ... more »
A libertarian joins the Australian Senate
Australia now has its first member of parliament from a libertarian party: David
Leyonhjelm, from the Liberal Democrats.
Here’s his maiden speech:
[Hat tip Catallaxy Files]
Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission
to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
Ravitch Lashes Out at Union Misleadership Critique
*"Hope. It is the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is
effective. A lot of hope is dangerous. Spark is fine, as long as it's
contained."*--President Snow, *The Hunger Games*
When Diane Ravitch spoke at the National Association of School
Psychologists in February 2012, her hefty speaking fee was paid for by none
other than Pearson*. *Yes, that Pearson. When challenged on one of the
listservs by California whistle blower, Kathleen Carroll, Ravitch admitted
she had been paid by Pearson without getting specific about the amount, and
then she accused Carroll of smearing he... more »
July 15: The news is bad, really bad...
I'm doing it again. I'm starting this late on a Saturday night when I
should be doing something recreational like washing pigeon poo off my
balcony. The trouble is that so many things are happening - and almost all
of them ignored by our news media.
It all got ne to thinking of the meeting of Churchill and Roosevelt on a
warship anchored at Newfoundland in 1941, just months before the US would
enter World War Two. That's when they drafted a statement of our purpose in
the war. It was very noble. We were fighting to bring peace to the world so
that all peoples could live in freedom ... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“How and why are all these stars forming? Found among the Small Magellanic
Cloud's (SMC's) clusters and nebulae NGC 346 is a star forming region about
200 light-years across, pictured above by the Hubble Space Telescope. A
satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is a
wonder of the southern sky, a mere 210,000 light-years distant in the
constellation of the Toucan (Tucana).
* Click image for larger size.*
Exploring NGC 346, astronomers have identified a population of embryonic
stars strung along the dark, intersecting dust lanes visible here on the
right. ... more »
SUZUKI RECOMMENDS, #1: The Mystery of Capital
*Our regular Asian/Australian correspondent Suzuki Samurai wanted to tell
you about three brilliant books about progress and economic development.
So, naturally, I said yes. Here’s the first.*
*The Mystery of Capital – Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails
Everywhere Else *by Hernando De Soto
*Review by Suzuki Samurai*
Unlike fiction, when reading a non-fiction book I have to create the voice
of the narrator myself. I mean really, how many of you had a clear voice in
mind when reading Adam Smiths' *An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of
the Wealth of Nations*? Was its ... more »
Paulo Coelho, “Frogs Being Boiled”
*“Frogs Being Boiled”*
by Paulo Coelho
“A lawyer friend of mine, Renato Pacca, sent me an interesting text:
Several biological studies have shown that a frog placed in a container
along with water from his pond, he will remain alive while you heat the
water. The toad does not react to the gradual increase of temperature
(change of environment) and only dies when the water boils, swollen and
happy. On the other hand, if a toad is thrown into that same container when
the water is already boiling, he will immediately jump out. He will be a
little singed, but alive!
Sometimes we can b... more »
The Poet: Mary Oliver, “Evidence”
*“Evidence”*
“Where do I live? If I had no address, as many people
do not, I could nevertheless say that I lived in the
same town as the lilies of the field, and the still waters.
Spring, and all through the neighborhood now there are
strong men tending flowers.
Beauty without purpose is beauty without virtue.
But all beautiful things, inherently, have this function -
to excite the viewers toward sublime thought.
Glory to the world, that good teacher.
Among the swans there is none called the least,
or the greatest.
I believe in kindness. Also in mischief. Also in singing,
especially w... more »
Judith beheading Holofernes
Caravaggio 1598-1599 Oil on canvas
Archaelogy: "Göbekli Tepe- 12,000 Year Old Temple?"
*"Göbekli Tepe- 12,000 Year Old Temple?"*
by Patrick Symmes
"Six miles from Urfa, an ancient city in southeastern Turkey, Klaus Schmidt
has made one of the most startling archaeological discoveries of our time:
massive carved stones about 12,000 years old, crafted and arranged by
prehistoric people who had not yet developed metal tools or even pottery.
The megaliths predate Stonehenge by some 7,000 years. The place is called
Gobekli Tepe, and Schmidt, a German archaeologist who has been working here
more than a decade, is convinced it's the site of the world's oldest temple.
They c... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Athens, Attiki, Greece. Thanks for stopping by.
Derrick Jensen, “Love Does Not Imply Pacifism.”
*“Love Does Not Imply Pacifism.”*
by Derrick Jensen
“Many hundreds of pages ago, and now for me many years ago, I wrote that
this book was originally going to be an exploration of when counterviolence
is an appropriate response to the violence of the system. In fact what has
become this book was supposed to be nothing more than a pamphlet in which I
took the main arguments normally presented by pacifists and examined them
to see if they make any sense. Here now is that pamphlet.
Here are some standard lines thrown out by pacifists. I’m sure you, too,
have heard them enough that if ... more »
HAVING A BLAST
Watching the bombs fall and enjoying the show in Israel....."just clear off
all the city" one says.... "yes I'm a little bit fascist."
Quite an interesting thing - a Jewish fascist.
On Bullshit and the Air Force
In the last posting about “Lies and More Lies” Larry suggested that it
wasn’t actual lies the Air Force was spreading, but bullshit as defined by
Harry G. Frankfurt. Larry wrote:
Back in 2005 there was a little (and I do mean little) book published by a
retired Princeton Philosophy professor—Harry Frankfurt. The book was titled
“On Bullshit” (which I will hereafter abbreviate as “BS”). It purported to
be the first scholarly treatment of the subject of BS, even though the term
BS is commonly utilized by everyone speaking the English language. If you
haven't read it already, I would ... more »
Airplane seat of the future? Just think how many more fellow travelers you'll be sharing your space with
*SEATING DEVICE COMPRISING A FORWARD-FOLDABLE BACKREST Original document:
US2014159444 (A1) ― 2014-06-12*
ABSTRACT: *A seating device with reduced bulk, for example for an aircraft.
This seating device comprises a backrest which describes a circular
translational movement towards the front and upwards of the devide when the
seating device is brought to the retracted configuration. A seating
structure is provided comprising a bearing piece on which are fixed, side
by side, a plurality of seating devices with reduced bulk. An aircraft is
provided comprising a seating device with redu... more »
Soccer: He’s right, you know
Sinclair Davidson has been watching soccer, or trying to.
Don’t you just love the term “scoreless action”. That describes the average
soccer match. One of my colleagues suggested to me that the game would be a
lot quicker if they went straight to the penalty shoot-out.
He makes a fair point. And another one, here, about incentives.
Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission
to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
“Israel Is Captive to Its ‘Destructive Process’”; "Israelis Watch Gaza Bombing For Just Good Fun"
*“Israel Is Captive to Its ‘Destructive Process’”*
by Chris Hedges
“Raul Hilberg in his monumental work “The Destruction of the European Jews”
chronicled a process of repression that at first was “relatively mild” but
led, step by step, to the Holocaust. It started with legal discrimination
and ended with mass murder. “The destructive process was a development that
was begun with caution and ended without restraint,” Hilberg wrote.
The Palestinians over the past few decades have endured a similar
“destructive process.” They have gradually been stripped of basic civil
liberties, rob... more »
The Psychology Behind A Minority of Israelis Cheering On The Bombing of Gaza on Hilltops
*Israelis enjoying the entertainment of war on a hot summer night. They
might as well be living on Mars, because none of the shitty rockets from
Hamas will ever reach their precious neighbourhoods, settlements, and
towns. *
"Last Wednesday night, as he stood on a hilltop outside the Israeli town of
Sderot and watched the bombardment of Gaza on the plain below, a Danish
newspaper reporter snapped an iPhone photo of about a dozen locals who
cheered on their military from plastic chairs while eating popcorn.
Allan Sørensen, a veteran Middle East correspondent for Denmark’s
Kristelig... more »
Heavenletter #4981 - God Is Shaking a Tree of Silver Apples
*Heavenletter #4981 God Is Shaking a Tree of Silver Apples *
July 15, 2014
God said:
You have one surprise after another arriving at your door. Of course, I am
speaking of surprises that delight. This is the trend visiting upon you,
beloveds. You will see how easy life is and how it blesses you. I am
shaking a tree of silver apples for you. You are going to be inundated with
snowballs of delight. You will anticipate surprises, yet you will not know
what the surprises are until they appear. You don’t have to know ahead of
time. It is enough – it is plenty – to simply receive the s... more »
RIVAL TO WESTERN CAPITAL - AN ALTERNATIVE TO IMF
New Development Bank will provide money for infrastructure and development
projects in BRICS countries, and unlike the IMF or World Bank, each nation
has equal say, regardless of GDP size. "BRICS Bank will be one of the major
multilateral development finance institutions in this world," Russian
President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday at the 6th BRICS summit in
Fortaleza, Brazil.
BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Do Not Forget That You Are All Mirrors to One Another.
*Do Not Forget That You Are All Mirrors to One Another*
channeled by John Smallman
July 13, 2014
www.johnsmallman.wordpress.com
All are One. You have all heard this many, many times already, but as
humans, as apparently separate unconnected individuals, it is very
difficult for you to really comprehend this absolute Truth. In the illusion
separation seems intensely real, especially if you become suddenly and
unexpectedly parted from a loved one.
Individuality is an intensely felt sensation when you dwell on it, and
apart from moments when you are physically embracing someone you d... more »
QUOTE OF THE DAY: Advice on voting
*“If you’re drunk, don’t drive. If you’re ignorant, don’t vote. Both drunk
driving and ignorant voting are threats to life and property.”*
- George Reisman
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to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
Aisha North:A short update on the energies
*A short update on the energies*
by Aisha North
July 15, 2014
Let us begin this missive by saying that you have now entered a phase that
is like no other you have experienced, and it will probably not be one that
you will experience ever again. For now, so much is shifting and reshaping
on all sides, both within and without, and so, this will indeed be a season
of change on every level. You have by now grown accustomed to not being
able to predict just what the next day or even the next hour will bring,
and even if you mentally or physically may not have grown quite as
accustome... more »
Guess what is 50 years new today?
Can you guess what is 50 years new today?
If your answer was “the Japanese bullet train,” then you get the chocolate
fish.
[image: image]
Japan’s network of super-fast trains, capable of regular in-service speeds
of 320km/h (that’s 200mph to those with old British cars) changed travel,
and not just in Japan.
The Tokaido Shinkansen (-New Trunk Line’) … made every other main line
railway seem old-fashioned when the first line opened on 1 October 1964, at
the height of Beatlemania and when the fastest British trains could manage
100mph (160km/h) over short sections of upgraded Vic... more »
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Wealth Gap”
*Strong language alert!*
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Wealth Gap”
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfgSEwjAeno#t=19
(Exceptional Country's Exceptional Decline) Who Wants A Depression? (The Answer Will Not Surprise Those Paying Attention) The Age of Impunity
As we continue heading into either another dip or an all-out, bad-times,
depressionary spiral, it surprises almost no one anymore that some people
might be looking forward to a (or another) depression. Who Wants a
Depression? Paul Krugman July 10, 2014 One unhappy lesson we’ve learned in
recent years is that economics is a far more political subject than we
liked to imagine. Well, duh,
Picket the Koch Heads Education Privatization Meeting in Nashville July 22
The Badass Teacher of Tennessee need to saddle up, along with any other
folks in Tennessee that care about public education. 6 PM at the
Renaissance Hotel July 22. If you need pamphlet ideas or one page
handouts, let me know. Can't be there--teaching that week. Be sure to
contact the TV stations for coverage.
From Joey Garrison:
A group led by one of the conservative Koch brothers, increasingly scorned
by liberals nationally as they extend their influence, is hosting an
education forum in Nashville next week focused on school choice and
opportunities for parents.
The Charles K... more »
Stone Cold Justice: Australian Documentary Reveals Israeli Torture of Palestinian Youth
Stone Cold Justice
Australian film 'Stone Cold Justice' on Israel's torture of Palestinian
children from cherie22579 on Vimeo.
A film which has been produced by a group of Australian journalists has
sparked an international outcry against Israel after it explicitly detailed
Tel Aviv's use of torture against Palestinian children.
The film, titled ‘Stone Cold Justice’ documents how Palestinian children,
who have been arrested and detained by Israeli forces, are subjected to
physical abuse, torture and forced into false confessions and pushed into
gathering intelligence on Palestinia... more »
Ramzy Baroud discusses the attempted ceasefire in Gaza
Video Title: Ramzy Baroud discusses the attempted ceasefire in Gaza.
Source: Middle East Eye. Date Published: July 15, 2014.
Ramzy Baroud, managing editor of Middle East Eye, discusses the validity of
the Egypt-proposed ceasefire in Gaza, the long term strategy for all the
interested parties, and what the fallout is likely to be in the Israeli
political scene.
Shuffling Toward Defeat
"What a weird cabinet reshuffle", muses Dan Hodges. "Massacre of the
moderates!" shouts Labour. Yes, really. "Brutal ministerial cull" says *The
Mirror*. On and on it goes. Yes, some Tory careers have limped unlamented
into the night, including some big hitters. But the story is of
ruthlessness and verve, of Dave slicing through his government and leaving
behind him a pile of quivering limbs. Dan can barely hide his admiration.
This is the audacity of a PM at the top of his game. Au contraire, this
reshuffle is symptomatic of weakness and a belief that the Tories are
looking down t... more »
Doug Martin's Letter to Gordon Hendry and the Indiana State Board of Ed
By Doug Martin
Once again the *Indy Star* has given space to complete unreality, this time
by you, Gordon Hendry, the new state board of education member all goo-goo
eyed over your neoliberal heroes Bill Clinton and Bart Peterson.
In fact, your piece, in many ways, is an attempt for Mike Pence and the
state board to do damage control over a recent *Journal and Courier* guest
editorial by Dr. Lynn Nelson and his wife Trudy (a retired public school
teacher), who both attended the last state board fiasco.
In an accurate take on that last board meeting, the Nelsons say this:
“With ... more »
There’s no excuse for being unlearned (updated)
“All education is self-education,” writes the Mind Unleashed blog It
doesn’t matter if you’re sitting in a college classroom or a coffee shop.
We don’t learn anything we don’t want to learn.
“Those people who take the time and initiative to pursue knowledge on
their own are the only ones who earn a real education in this world.”
As Mark Twain advised, never let school get in the way of your learning.
And even you refuse to read, it’s still easier than ever to self-learn,
with more and more educational opportunities online than ever before. Their
post lists 12 dozen – in subj... more »
Satire: “How To Look Smarter”
*“How To Look Smarter”*
by Andy BorowitzNEW YORK (The Borowitz Report) – “A new study released Tuesday indicates
that wearing glasses does not make a person look smarter, but standing next
to Texas Governor Rick Perry does. In the study, when participants were
shown photos of a person with and without glasses, they registered little
or no change in their view of the person’s intelligence. However, when the
photo of the same person was juxtaposed with a photo of Governor Perry,
participants suddenly said that the person looked “much smarter” or
“brilliant,” with some participants e... more »
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