9 Feb - Blogs I'm Following

Just another bite-sized post about Paddy O'Connell's apparent propensity to panic when someone picks on the Labour Party... This morning's *Broadcasting House* saw our Paddy egging on one Conservative MP, Richard Benyon, to attack another Conservative MP Ian Liddell-Grainger (for attacking the Environment Agency's Lord Chris Smith). Paddy let Mr Benyon absolutely slate Mr Liddell-Grainger without demur or interruption, but the second Mr Benyon began criticising the actions of the last Labour government in came that firm yet nervous 'OK' from Paddy that always arrives the instant La... more »

Two years ago I wrote a review of a novel called "Mornings in Jenin" by Palestinian Susan Abulhawa. This past week I had the opportunity to read another novel, "The Almond Tree," by Jewish-American Michelle Cohen Corasanti. Remarkably, although the plots of the two novels are completely different, and of course the authors come from very different backgrounds, the review I wrote for "Mornings in Jenin" (reproduced below) is almost word-for-word applicable to "The Almond Tree." The time period covered by the two novels is slightly different ("The Almond Tree" starts in 1955 and conti... more »

”Never explain. Never apologize. Have it done and let them howl.” - Winston Churchill

Lowongan Kerja ASISTEN APOTEKER di Medan Februari 2014 Terbaru - Kami disini sebagai blogger akan memberkan satu informasi yang mungkin sedang anda cari dan anda butuhkan yaitu info lowongan kerja februari 2014, kota yang akan kita beri info lowongan adalah kota medan dan khusus bagi anda yang telah menempuh pendidikan minimal SMKF/D3 Farmasi, berikut ini info karir kerja dari CV MITRA PRIMA

http://www.debka.com/article/23664/Russian-anti-terror-drive-around-Sochi-leaves-10-dead-Female-suicide-suspects-detained-in-W-Europe- Russian special forces are engaged in a relentless offensive to pin down known Islamist terrorists on their home ground or hideouts in Dagestan, Chechnya, Kirgizstan and Kabardino Balkaria, casting a wide safety net around the Winter Olympic Games which opened in Sochi Friday, Feb. 7. DEBKA file’s counter-terror sources report this safety net has been spread across three European countries. In the last few days, seven armed jihadis were killed in Rus... more »

The civil war in Syria is an ongoing tragedy which the world needs to pay attention to. The killing and brutality continues, there are more Syrian refugees in Jordan than the entire population of Jordan. *An aid convoy has come under attack in the besieged Syrian city of Homs, threatening a UN-led operation to bring food and medicine to 2,500 people and evacuate civilians trapped by fighting between rebels and government forces.Saturday's violence threatens to unravel a humanitarian deal for Homs which was the first concrete result of talks launched two weeks ago in the Swiss ci... more »

This can happen anywhere. Very scary with all the fossil fuels being transported by rail, trucks and pipes.

Sunday.... The week after the great American diversion away from all the troubles that ail them called the Super Bowl, and time again for my usual rant... It is remarkable even here in Canada that everyone ignores all the troubles and real crisis facing the world, and all I heard all last week was..."So what do you think about the Super Bowl"? Honestly, for the longest time I have always seen professional sports as a terrible past time for our society, considering that most if not all of the professional teams are owned or the majority of the shares in the team are controlled by J... more »

I’ve attempted some very minimal coding. Some people are really geeking out over it, thinking that teaching young persons to code is going to heal the world, or something. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an interesting idea. The practical realities of these initiatives, however, seem to elude many advocates. Nevertheless, the Year of Code overseas […]

*State Democrats back levee board suits ~Mark Ballard, Advocate* *Social media helping Comic Con to grow ~Meg Gatto, WVUE * *King Cake Festival!!!* *Acadiana Mardi Gras means money spent and money earned ~Jessica Goff, Daily Advertiser* *Celebrating 'Uncle Lionel' Batiste's Birthday ~Big Red Cotton, Gambit*

It was a small, spur of the moment thing. The gutless coward stephen harper doesn't let people know his itinerary until the last minute, but CUPW keeps track and organizes protests wherever he is, just as a point of principle. You know what? We should do to the corporations what the harpercons do to the unions. Especially those greedy, selfish assholes smashing their freight trains all across the country. And the meat packers too cheap to worry about basic hygiene. And the banks stiffing us all and then forcing their own employees to train their overseas replacements. And the Bay St... more »

During the coming negotiation rounds between DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson and the Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) President, Elizabeth “Liz” Davis, the following issues need further elaboration: How has IMPACT 2.0 faired in the 40 lowest performing schools? What is the teacher turnover rate within these schools, especially for Group 1 teachers? Is the current classroom observations’ […]

Saturday, February 8, 2014 *Activist Post* Yesterday, the New Hampshire house approved a bill which deems federal indefinite detention powers unconstitutional, and bans “any activity that aids” the federal government in carrying out such powers. The approval was by a unanimous voice vote. The bill will now move on to the state senate for further consideration. Introduced by Rep. Tim O’Flaherty (D- Hillsborough), the bill quickly garnered co-sponsorship from two republicans and two democrats. Tenth Amendment Center communications director Mike Maharrey praised the bipartisan action... more »

I waited until December of 2013 to raise this question: Worst Education Op-Ed of 2013? So I don’t rush into this claim casually: Jonathan Chait’s Public Education’s Weird Ideological Divide is already the worst Op-Ed of 2014, and likely will not be surpassed (but may be tied often, I regret to say). Chait’s piece isn’t long (thankfully) but […]

*After the little blue pill for men... a pink one for women: Herbal supplement dubbed 'female Viagra' goes on sale on High Street* *Unlikely to help. No controlled trials against a placebo, apparently* Women can boost their sex lives with an over-the-counter herbal pill, scientists claim. They say Lady Prelox has been found to significantly raise a woman’s sexual pleasure. Dubbed the ‘female Viagra’ after the little blue pills that treat erectile dysfunction in men, Lady Prelox is on sale at high-street chain Holland & Barrett. But at £37.95 for a pack of 60 little pink tablets... more »

How do we grieve the loss of our beautiful, precious world, and us, *all*of us, with it? I don't know if there are words for that... I don't know them, anyway... “My heart broke on its shame and sorrow. I suddenly knew how much crying there was in me, and how little love. I knew, at last, how lonely I was. But I couldn’t respond. My culture had taught me all the wrong things well. So I lay completely still, and gave no reaction at all. But the soul has no culture. The soul has no nations. The soul has no color or accent or way of life. The soul is forever. The soul is one. And when ... more »

Verry clever...

The BBC's Republican sympathies are on display with the lead in to this article... ' Prince on hunt before wildlife plea Prince William has gone hunting deer and wild boar in Spain - only a day before he was due to make a public plea to end the illegal wildlife trade.' The article is here http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26105706 That lead in suggests to the casual reader that Prince William might have done something illegal by going hunting when he hadn't. The BBC do state this in the actual article but the seed has been planted. Hunting is not illegal, however much the BBC might wi... more »

Unification, led by Paul Helleyer in 1968 and permitted by Lester Pearson, was a wound most veterans still bear. Initially intended as a modernization to bring three separate services under one joint operational roof, it steam-rolled well beyond the original plan to create a single service which was purportecly able to share resources and personnel across the the three combat elements. It was

Every once in a while, a teacher is the one thing standing between kids and their world. Teachers stand up and are always ready to help in any way needed. Read this account from an elementary teacher in New Mexico, which took place during a relatively rare winter storm: This morning, I got to school […]

This post is the last in a series of three on the state of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) across the nation. Now that states have hastily Raced to the US Department of Education in chasing US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s dangled (albeit insufficient) millions, many have entered the phase I call Move to the Sidelines […]

*“Fukushima Equals 6,000 Hiroshima Bombs Today, More Tomorrow;* *There is No Place On Earth to Escape the Rad” * by Bob Nichols, “Veterans Today” “My opinion only, as requested by Alfred Webre, Dec 28, 2013, 1,024 Days from Mar 11, 2011. *First thing, grasp the difficult concept that this is an ELE or Extinction Level Event. There is no escaping our fate, there are no solutions. * We can extend our lives somewhat, though. These steps are personal. People can do them or not. You will die quicker, or later, your choice. 1. Take off your shoes and outer ware (coats) when you enter your ... more »

Reports from Portland, Oregon: Portland is gearing up for a teacher strike. Susan Neilson, *The Oregonian.* Sam Wheeler of the *Mail Tribune*]Medford Oregon: *Long said the school district has hired about 50 security guards through Action Security Inc. of Medford and San Diego-based Off Duty Officers Inc. of San Diego — costing the district about $35,000 per day.* *"We have 24-hour security, because we want to make sure we protect our property and mischief doesn't happen," Long said.*

I just want your extra time and... your kiss AFRAID TO LOOK & be blinded by the awesome RT @pourmecoffee: Every Prince hairstyle since 1978, drawn by @gary_card pic.twitter.com/M04sic9HB2 — Liza Sabater (@blogdiva) February 9, 2014

A screenshot of an error message that appears when attempting to access the Coursera website from Iran, Syria, Cuba or Sudan. (Nina Curley / Wamda) “Since its inception, Coursera, the education company that offers massive open online courses (MOOCs) to 6.3 million users in 190 different countries, has committed publicly — and repeatedly — to delivering free education to all,” Forbes reporter

Not a real surprise in incredibly deregulated North Carolina. Thank you, Republicans! And Dimocrats. (Not to mention those eco-empaths at Duke Energy.) After all, why did you think it so important for the Koch/Pope-funded 'thugs to take over both houses by hook or crook(s) last election day? They will not be giving it back readily. (Take a look at the radically gerrymandered districts!) Duke

*“Hawaii Now Uninhabitable Due To Fukushima Radiation”* By Zen Gardner “This is a “must listen” interview with Alfred Webre and Leuren Moret discussing how dangerous it is now to live in the Hawaiian Islands. Please listen to the whole interview.” - http://beforeitsnews.com/

Resolution prepared to suspend Tex Hall due to alleged oil field corruption James Henrikson and his wife Sarah Creveling with Tex Hall. The identity of fourth person in the photo has been concealed since the fourth person is not under investigation. By Brenda Norrell Censored News NEW TOWN, North Dakota -- A resolution has been prepared for the suspension of Chairman Tex Hall of the Mandan,

News as it happens from Censored News: Protest of Arizona Snowbowl, sewage water snow on sacred San Francisco Peaks, at today's DEW event in Flagstaff, Arizona. Thank you to Dawn Dyer for sharing photos with Censored News! Read more: Flagstaff police harass activists before Dew event: http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2014/02/

In the Chuskas/Photo Brenda Norrell Remembering friends: Dine' iconoclasts who ignited struggle By Brenda Norrell Censored News Today I'm remembering my friends on Navajoland, some of the forerunners of the modernday struggle to save the forests, land, water and air, from coal mining, uranium mining, clear-cut logging and corrupt politicians within and without. Some are still with us,

Early white settlers on the high plains of the western U.S. were always bummed out when colossal swarms of locusts dropped by for lunch. The sky would darken, and the land would be filled with the roaring buzz of millions of fluttering wings. Within an hour or so, everything was covered with them, including the settlers, who frantically tried to brush off the hundreds of hungry insects that were chewing apart their clothing. They were Rocky Mountain locusts, a North American species that lived west of the Mississippi — and the stars of Jeffrey Lockwood’s book, *Locust*. When swa... more »

I saw this circulate today through my circles on doling our better criticism. I like it. It applies to my discipline because I feel as if I am constantly scrutinized by individuals who do not know how to give critique without immediately establishing a dishonest, hostile, and overall unsatisfactory professional relationship. This part is most […]

pyramid_lake.jpeg The Emptying of Northern California Reservoirs  State and feds shipped massive amounts of water south during drought  by Dan Bacher  Photo of Pyramid Lake, now 96 percent of capacity and 102 percent of average, in Southern California. Photo by Gene Beley Censored News The dry bed of Folsom Lake has become an unlikely tourist attraction for

No child left without basic resources Published in the Washington Post, Feb. 7. 2014 Before we worry about no child left unconnected to the Internet [“Broadband in schools gets FCC push,” news, Feb. 3], how about no child left unfed, no child without adequate health care and no child without easy access to a good library? The rate of child poverty in the United States is 23 percent, the second-highest of all economically advanced countries. Stephen Krashen, Los Angeles Major hat-tip: Susan Ohanian: "When congress passes No Child Left Unfed, No Child Without Health Care and No Child ... more »

Life transpires so swimmingly so riven with current its a place e where to 'be an island is great but not nearly good enough some one always wants to invade and what's with that live me alone you fucking brutes but that's not the nature of humans we are like a wolf pack of opposable thumbs with a crow brain pumped through a lizard mother board with a failed memory Knowing what exists is not panacea nothing is certain and experts piss dust and ruin if you can find one that has not hitched his post to an intellectual flatulent. Over and over again the same stories are printed in the Newspa... more »

It is definitely getting close to testing season. My email and voice mail are flooded. Parents and concerned community members have questions about the opt out process. Opt out Facebook pages are buzzing with questions and of course continued stories of bullying from education professionals engaged in deception by telling interested opt outers that there […]

*"Fukushima Update, 2/8/14"* by Various Sources Kyodo, Feb. 7, 2014: "TEPCO to review “massive” radiation data due to improper measurement – [TEPCO] said Friday that it will review a “massive” amount of radiation data it has collected at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant because readings may be lower than actual figures due to improper measurement. “We are very sorry, but we found cases in which beta radiation readings turned out to be wrong when the radioactivity concentration of a sample was high,” TEPCO spokesman Masayuki Ono told a press conference. • Kyodo/J... more »

This is how EMILY's List lost Wendy Greuel her last race. What garbage will they throw at Ted Lieu? In 2008, Obama scored 64% against McCain in what is now CA-33. Last cycle he did pretty well too-- 61-37% against Romney. The PVI of the Los Angeles district is a solid D+11 and not even a DCCC led by Steve Israel could lose a district that blue, right? Well, that's what we're here to discuss today. Israel's bumbling won CA-31, southeast of here, for a radical right Republican from Arkansas who runs around dressed as a Confederate Civil War general, Gary Miller. But that's "just" a D+5... more »

we do not have some kind of facebook love or any kind of electronic hook up to which those with weak chemistry subscribe I knew the second i saw your face you were the one for me lets just take that in context I was not in a southern state bordello I was not lookng at some fishbool of attractive brides on a site that as a prospective Republian canditate you needed to proscripe I was not like half of them gay I was just me and you were you and there was no external force working upon us to proscribe We fell in love in an instant and it was real we are now both 55 and that is a certified war... more »

Cross examination is recognized as "being protected by ss. 7 and 11(d)" of the Charter. The right however is limited by the requirements of relevancy and materiality, with relevancy being the main criteria. Suggestions can be put to the witness as long as there is a "good faith" basis for the question. R v Lyttle 2004 SCC 4 1.

I admit to having only vaguely heard about this until Nox and Friendsbrought it to my attention. I suggest you start with this very easy to understand and well written article by Garnet92, who contributes to Nox and Friends. I know that posting something that requires a bit more focus on a Saturday is not the best idea. However, in my continuing efforts to declutter my house and my life, I've been trying to focus on one or two things at a time. Aimlessly clicking on article after article is turning my brain to mush and I suspect this is happening to others. Perhaps you could devo... more »

*SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2014* *Goofus and Gallant debate:* Ideally, people should try to avoid premature judgments when scandal culture breaks out. With that in mind, let’s examine an ongoing question: why were those access lanes in Fort Lee shut down last September? At present, that question hasn’t been answered. We’ll have to hope that ongoing investigations will be able to nail that point down. Some journalists don’t want to wait; they want their conclusions right now. Let’s compare two journalistic treatments from the past few days. On Thursday night’s All In, Chris Hayes and a ... more »

R. *v*. Regan, [2002] 1 S.C.R. 297, 2002 SCC 12: 60 This Court has adverted to the impropriety of trying to influence the outcome of a proceeding by trying to "select" the judge. Where it appeared that the Crown had abandoned a case before one judge to avoid an unfavourable ruling, and then reinstated charges at a new trial before a new judge, McLachlin J. was quick to point out the affront to the integrity of the system (*Scott*, *supra*, at pp. 1008-9): The concern with "judge-shopping" arises from the use of the stay to avoid the consequences ... more »

Abby Martin features an exclusive interview with Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Chris Hedges, concerning areas of extreme poverty that he refers to as 'sacrifice zones', as well as the reasons behind the collapse of complex societies. Part two here

Yes, you read that correctly. For three days in a row, the political horror show known as Doug and Rob Ford has been exploiting homophobia in all its multiple hate-mongering facets to further ingratiate themselves with their bigoted fans and followers. On Wednesday at the first mayoral candidates' forum of the 2014 Toronto municipal election, Mayor Mascot made a point of disclosing that his non-attendance at Toronto Pride is a personal and political boycott. “I’m not going to go to Pride Parade. I’ve never gone to a Pride Parade so I’m not going to change the way I am,” Ford said. ... more »

Washington Post reports today: On Thursday, a video was posted on YouTube in which Victoria Nuland, the top U.S. diplomat for Europe, disparagingly dismissed European Union efforts to mediate the ongoing crisis in the Ukraine by bluntly saying, “Fuck the E.U.” On Friday, Merkel, through press attache Christiane Wirtz, described the gaffe as “absolutely unacceptable,” and defended the efforts of Catherine Ashton, the E.U.’s foreign policy chief..... Nuland quickly apologized for the comments, with the United States pointing the finger Thursday at the Russians for recording and post... more »

The Nerves recorded it first, in 1976 Here's the somewhat better known Blondie version

You probably missed it, but a few days ago the *Washington Post* ran some hopeful polling numbers that show the corrupt dirt bag Steve Israel could be beaten. Although they neglected to update the new PVI-- even instead of D+2-- this is what they came up with: *Steve Israel, NY-03 (PVI, D+2)* *Generic Ballot* GOP: 43% Democrat: 42% *Steve Israel Job Approval* Approve: 37% Disapprove: 27% *Israel Reelect* Deserves re-election: 33% Someone else: 36% Israel's counterpart at the NRCC, Greg Walden (R-OR), was making threatening noises about targeting Israel the way they target eve... more »

*Levee-board reformers worry that Bobbly Jindal is bringing politics back into process ~Bob Marshall, The Lens*~Last month, Jay Lapeyre, the leader of the nominating committee for the local flood authority, received a letterfrom Garret Graves, head of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s coastal office. It said two previous nominees from the committee were ineligible, and it asked that Lapeyre reconvene the panel and send more names up. One of those rejected is the authority’s president and supporter of its controversial lawsuit against oil and gas companies the governor opposes. The letter concluded:... more »

Thanks Gallier gallier2February 8, 2014 at 1:34 AM Hi Penny, BBC interviewed Dieudonné https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmkrVNYfYwk you might be interested. I don't know the reporter but I'm certain that he's a kippa wearer, so loaded are his questions. Yup, gallier, loaded would be an understatement! Dieudonne handles the loaded questions very well and all common propaganda themes are at play Just when you think the BBC can't get any lower-They hit a new low

*Yoghurt slashes diabetes risk: Daily pot can reduce chance of developing Type 2 by a quarter, claims researchers* *This is another correlational study but it seems better controlled than most so there may be something in it. Yoghurt is easy to digest so may ease strain on the pancreas* Eating a pot of yoghurt a day may help keep diabetes at bay, claim researchers. Regular consumption of yoghurt cut the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by more than a quarter, according to a new study. Similar health benefits come from other low-fat fermented dairy foods, such as fromage frais... more »

Syria...... http://thehill.com/blogs/global-affairs/middle-east-north-africa/197768-syria-has-become-matter-of-homeland-security?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter Syria has become 'matter of homeland security,' DHS Secretary Johnson says By Rebecca Shabad Share on facebook16Share on twitter12Share on google_plusone_shareMore Sharing Services2Share on email 3 Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Friday that Syria has become an issue of homeland security for the United States. The new head of the Department of Homeland Security returned Thursday night after a two-day trip ... more »