20 Feb - Blogs I'm Following III

"*Director Watch: Putting an End to Blank Checks for CEOs"* *Erskine Bowles* *Martin Feldstein* *"Friends don't try to save money by cutting their friends' pay. And when [corporate board] directors themselves are pocketing hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for attending 4-10 meetings, there is little incentive to take their jobs seriously."* *-- Dean Baker, in* "Corportate Cronyism: The Secret to Overpaid CEOs" *by Ken* In "Corportate Cronyism: The Secret to Overpaid CEOs," Dean Baker of the Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) tackles the subject of out-of-control e... more »

On the day that we went vegan, I went through every item in my pantry, reading labels, and giving away anything which included animal products. There was an unopened jar of mayonnaise and, with just the slightest regret, I placed it into the box headed for a friend's kitchen. That was the last time that I tasted mayonnaise ... Until now! Sure, I tried the vegan substitutes on the market (hated them) and even made some versions, using tofu, that came close to the original. Still, they just didn't have that taste. I was invited to try Just Mayo. [image: Review of "Just Mayo"] It co... more »

Blogger and Melbourne cartoonist Gavin Aung Than, blogging at Zen Pencils, “turns inspirational quotes into comic strips.” In this strip, he illustrates life advice from Calvin & Hobbes’s cartoonist Bill Watterson. [image: image] Read on at Zen Pencils not to only to see what happens next – but for some great life advice. [Hat tip Jenn Casey and Slate] Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)

*Thanks for fowarding this Ed! -AK* *WE ARE THE ARCTURIAN GROUP* OCTOBER 13, 2013 Transcribed by: Marilyn http://disclosure-2012.com/page/474047943 Greetings dear people of the great planet Gaia, we rejoice with you as we observe the Light flowing forth from and to you at this time. Earth is moving quickly toward a new universal energy which increases with every person who opens their heart and mind to new and higher ways of seeing. We observe people the world over questioning and asking themselves if what they are being told by those in charge is actually true. This questioning... more »

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-02-20/obama-administration-embeds-government-researchers-monitor-media-organizations Obama Administration Embeds "Government Researchers" To Monitor Media Organizations [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/20/2014 20:59 -0500 - Bond - First Amendment - Fox News - MSNBC - national security - Obama Administration - Wall Street Journal inShare *Submitted by Mike Krieger of Liberty Blitzkrieg blog,* Last week, I highlighted the fact that the latest*Press Freedom Index *showcased a 13 poin... more »

*Guest post by Daniel Jepson and Chris Wood, writers for “Casey Extraordinary Technology”* In last week's article on epigenetics at Casey Research, we began with a brief discussion of the enormous expectations that were placed on the Human Genome Project such as, that its results would lead to the end of disease—and how those expectations ultimately went unfulfilled because of course, things are never that simple. More importantly, in this case, genes are only part of the story. To quote briefly from that article: Little did the community know at the time that the project [i.e., ... more »

There have been a number of political noise about the corporatization and modernization of the Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC). Many groups are opposing its “privatization” with lots of street rallies and the petitioners going to the Supreme Court opposing the said “privatization.” This is a typical disease of confusing and equating corporatization as privatization. The former means the government will just create a board relatively (but not fully) independent of Malacanang and Congress, with private sector presence in the board as they will inject their own money. The DOH Secre... more »

Ukraine........ 2/19/14..... Ukraine Government-Opposition Truce Announced [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/19/2014 16:17 -0500 - Ukraine <div class=" fb_reset" id="fb-root" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; bord

I know that after I've said a sad goodbye to the Comision de Accion Social Menonita and have returned to Canada, I will talk fondly to my friends about having had the amazing opportunity to travel around so much of Honduras through my work in all seven regions of CASM. But tonight I’m in a down-market hotel room in teeny La Campa, sitting under a hideous fluorescent doughnut light while dining on weird little coconut sticks I packed in my bag knowing that I’d be dead bored by Day 3 with the limited food selection here. There’s absolutely zilch on the 13-inch TV. I’m a very ... more »

*ROBERT KING IN THE NEWS:* *Morning News Montreal Televison Interview* *II* *La Presse: En croisade contre le milieu carcéral américain* II *Montreal Gazette Interview* *II* *Le Devoir: 29 ans d’isolement en prison* *II* *BBC News: Scientists call solitary confinement 'damaging and unnecessary'* *II* *Japan Times / AFP: In prisons, solitary takes toll on minds* II *VIDEO: Science Magazine Live Chat w/ Robert King; Is Solitary Confinement Torture?* *(PHOTO: Robert King w/ filmmaker Ron Harpelle at the Toronto Film Festival. View more photos below.)*As announced in our la... more »

Community Morocco: Update! Things are coming together very very quickly now and moving forward so fast it is becoming difficult to keep track of it all. Brian and Justin have written an excellent update that covers most of the updates of the Community in Morocco and how we are moving forward. As for my family's update, we picked up our passports yesterday! YAY!!! and it only took 2 attempts, 3 sets of couriered documents, a few hundred dollars, and just about 7 weeks ...... But that's behind us now, and NOW we move forward!!! We are packing to return to Morocco as soon as ... more »

I don’t know about you, but when I tune in to the infantile ‘debate’ about obesity – about who to blame when folk get fat and how ‘someone must do something” (for “someone” read “government,” and for “something” read coercion) – I find it disturbing that fatties and pollies alike find common cause in removing personal responsibility from their respective equations. If you're a fat bastard and you don't want to be, how about you stop blaming vending machines, your school, your parents, your genes and just try the 'don't-eat-so-frigging-much' diet. (Do you see many fat starving ... more »

Can't find employment and dread the fortnightly grilling down the job centre? Can't afford the bedroom tax so have to rely on food banks to get you and yours through the week? At the end of your tether because you're waiting an age for the appeal against your Work Capability Assessment decision, which found you fit for work when your doctor and consultant both have prescribed nothing but rest? Well, chin up. These humiliations all come from a compassionate place. You see, Dave's on a mission. A moral mission. Taking time out from dithering over the floods to rebut the soon-to-be Ca... more »

*You can, if you so chose to, watch the video... here* *I am not posting it, because it is a propaganda video. It's purpose is to draw you in emotionally which will cause you to think irrationally and uncritically* Appealing on an emotional level, most often sadness or fear. Instead of facts, persuasive language is used to develop the foundation of an appeal to emotion-based argument. The face and somewhat pleading voice of an attractive woman is being used to elicit feelings of sympathy from gullibe dupes *The video hits every meme button being pushed by the NATO media* As I... more »

From the *‘if you think we have it bad here department’* more tales of jolly old England’s stiff-upper lipped charge into a full blown fascist state have surfaced in the last day. First being that human rights attorney Jesselyn Radack who assists in the representation of former government contractor turned NSA whistleblower was detained and harassed by goons at London’s Heathrow Airport. While the Queen’s subjects aren’t subjected to the same sort of ritual humiliation that American travelers are by the government sanctioned bullies, petty power freaks, pedophiles and thieves that ... more »

*John Hinckley Letter to Radio StationNov. 1982* Copy of letter written by John Hinckley to the "Morning Zoo" radio DJs at KZEW in Dallas, TX. Dated Nov. 1982, John mentions his love of new wave music, especially DEVO. He says "I co-wrote a song on their new album. The song is *My Desire* and I want you to play it 58 times each day." DEVO used portions of a letter that John Hinckley wrote to Jodie Foster as lyrics to the song "I Desire" from the "Oh, No! It's DEVO" album. Warner Bros was not happy when they found out they'd have to pay Hinckley for his lyrics. From RollingSto... more »

We'll never know for sure how deeply involved Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX) was in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people and injured another 700. But we do know that the militia groups involved were in touch with his office about the bombing and that he has been highly sympathetic to their paranoid-- if not psychotic-- cause. And now he seems to be gaining traction on the far right fringes of the Texas Republican Party in his deranged primary run against John Cornyn. A former drug addict and derelict who dropped out of school for what he calls "partying syndrome," th... more »

http://www.prwatch.org/files/americas_highest_paid_government_workers.pdf

Li Junjie pictured before his suicide (SCMP). *Another JP Morgan Banker Leaps to His Death* *Hong Kong man becomes 7th banker to die under mysterious circumstances* Paul Joseph Watson Infowars.com February 18, 2014 Yet another banker has committed suicide, with a JP Morgan forex trader leaping to his death from the top of the firm’s Chater House headquarters in Hong Kong. Image: Over the past few weeks at least seven bankers have died under mysterious circumstances, including another JP Morgan senior manager who jumped off the top of a skyscraper in London last month. Speculation ... more »

*Essential peak moment for Planetary Awakening Process is encountered in short order* by ÉirePort Essential peak moment for Planetary Awakening Process is encountered in short order. Rapid expansion and portal blossoming comes with stationing of Galactic-aligneds over Planetary Surface and throughout Planetary Energy Grid system. Foundational belief systems of so-called "lower earth" dissolve into the Higher Cosmic Understanding. The Grand "severance plan" proceeds. ÉirePort | February 20, 2014 at 7:41 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/p2tSAX-S

I was going to post something yesterday about Tuesday night's *Newsnight *and its coverage of the latest upsurge of political violence in *Ukraine *but ran out of time. Still, an extra day's wait gives me the chance to add Wednesday night's coverage to the mix. I'll begin with what I wrote yesterday... We've noted before here at *Is?* the BBC's tendency to side with protesters during these kinds of uprising - and, indeed, specifically during the past few weeks of the Ukrainian protests. So it wasn't particularly surprising to note that *all* the programme's 'talking heads' (from ... more »

Accusations grow MB Khalid may have SOLD OUT TO DAIM ZAINUDDIN Written by Concerned Citizen Full article: http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=229771:accusations-grow-that-mb-khalid-may-have-sold-out-to-daim-zainuddin&Itemid=2#ixzz2ttCLwI6n Follow us: @MsiaChronicle on Twitter I am getting particularly concerned that Malaysiakini continues to highlight the speculation of a water deal behind the Kajang Move while turning a blind eye to the disquiet in the market of what will be the most controversial out of court settlement between Khalid Ibrahim and B... more »

From Tennessee Parents: . . . . This Resolution comes from the elected County Commission of Bradley County, who wanted to support their School Board, but also send a Resolution "with more teeth" to Nashville. Rumor has it that the Bills to repeal Common Core (HB2332/SB2405) are being blocked by the chairs of the House & Senate Education committees (Rep. Harry Brooks & Sen. Delores Gresham) from ever reaching the House and Senate floor for votes. However, the number of co-sponsors on the bill are growing, and pressure is coming from local districts to force these through. *So, T... more »

why should i care ?

*White House: No more information about drone killings will be released to public* 11:11 AM 02/07/2013 White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters Thursday that the Obama administration will not be releasing any more information about the controversial use of drones to kill American citizens. Carney’s remarks, via the White House’s transcript of the off-camera press gaggle: “This is not an open-ended process. This is a specific and unique accommodation in this circumstance. The fact is, when it comes to public disclosure, we have been — not with the kind of attention ... more »

Paul Ryan-- wrong on everything/protected by Steve Israel's DCCC Have you ever heard of Vote Them Out 2014? The organization has picked half a dozen crucial House roll calls and suggests voters use them to see if their incumbent is really who they want to represent them in Congress. They emphasize that they're a non-partisan outfit and back defeating both Democrats and Republicans with bad voting records. "Regardless of political party, we must vote the incumbent out of office to send a message to D.C., that the people are in charge of the government. Only 6% think Congress is doing ... more »

I have never bought High Definition Audio. However something I am sure to do in the future. At HD tracks you can sample most of the greatest Albums of all time. I am very impressed by the sound.

*"Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known." Luke 12* Avigdor Liberman, the Foreign Minister of the illegitimate, usurping Jewish regime occupying Palestine, recently addressed the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, which was visiting Jerusalem, to inform them of the pressing issues and top concerns of the Israeli government. It's not the Palestinians, the "Iranian threat", "al-Qaeda" or *rising "anti-Semitism"*, but rather "Jewish continuity," as *The ... more »

*Downton Abbey* Lawrence Summers, a former US Treasury secretary, thinks that America risks becoming a Downton Abbey economy. He worries about inequality. * http://www.ft.com/* *Streets of Liverpool.* According to Summers, the USA needs tax reform. This is because the rich currently have too many loopholes available to allow them to shield their wealth. * Readers of the Financial Times have made a number of comments:* * http://www.ft.com/* *Don Williams *points out that 1. Larry Summers, as Clinton's Secretary of the Treasury, bailed out the rich who had been hit by George H... more »

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-02-19/while-browsing-zero-hedge-certain-government-agencyWhile Browsing Zero Hedge From A Certain Government Agency... [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/19/2014 09:49 -0500 ... one gets the following most recently added "blocked" page. CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE Thanks to NSA/CSS Policy 6-6, and NSA/CSS Directive 130-1, Paragraph 21-E, US public servants' minds will remain uncorrupted by the truth.

In February 2014 Moqtada al-Sadr suddenly announced his retirement from politics. He claimed that he wanted to protect his family’s name, and was upset with the state of Iraq’s government. He then went on a blistering attack of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in a speech meant to elaborate on his reasons for bowing out. Like his previous retirement in August 2013, this appears to be a calculated move by Sadr to rally his forces. This is timed just before national elections scheduled for April where the Sadrists believe they can not only gain more seats, but pose a serious challenge... more »

- AP reports: Megan Rice, an 84-year-old nun, was sentenced Tuesday to nearly three years in prison for breaking into a nuclear weapons complex and defacing a bunker holding bomb-grade uranium, a demonstration that exposed serious security flaws at the Tennessee plant. Two other peace activists who broke into the facility with were sentenced to more than five years in prison, in part because they had much longer histories of non-violent civil disobedience. The Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee holds the nation's primary supply of bomb-grade uranium and w... more »

UPDATES: Carlsbad NM Radiation leak. Further to the articles I published in the past two weeks: http://removingtheshackles.blogspot.com/2014/02/radiation-leak-carlsbad-nm-nuclear.html http://removingtheshackles.blogspot.com/2014/02/us-tests-b61-atomic-bomb-fire-later.html http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/02/20/radiation-detected-near-new-mexico-nuke-site/ http://phys.org/news/2014-02-mexico-nuke-site.html *** URGENT *** PLUTONIUM DETECTED IN AIR NEAR NEW MEXICO NUKE WASTE SITE [image: Print] Wednesday, 19 February 2014 19:47 February 19, 2014 -- (TRN) -- CARLSBAD, NM -- Radi... more »

At Least 35 Protestors Killed in Clashes with Police near October Palace. kyiv post - News Paper Face Book Page For Updates

Stephen Harper has said that the Keystone XL pipeline is "inevitable." He bases his conclusion on a simplistic analysis: We've got the bitumen. You need it." The first part of that proposition is true. The second part isn't. But the most important truth is that, when it comes to selling Keystone, Harper has been his own enemy. The prime minister came to Mexico intent on selling Keystone to Barack Obama. The president reminded him, however, that he has kicked the tires and has doubts about what Harper is selling: "Stephen and I, during a break after lunch, discussed a shared inter... more »

Considering all that has been and is still ongoing in this nation, I gotta admire these people for their courage Truly amazing people Apparently there have been rallies across Syria in support of the current government. Supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad participate in a demonstration with government forces in the countryside of Damascus, Syria, Feb. 20, 2014. Several Syrian cities witnessed pro-government rallies over the past few days A supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad flash the victory sign during a demonstration with government forces in the countryside... more »

A little while ago, you may have noticed my linky party disappeared. No, I wasn't done with it, I just had something better in the works. Something that I am excited to finally share with you . As of today, I am hosting a linky party with these wonderful ladies. Jesseca from One Sweet Appetite, Holly from Bits of Everything and Jonie from Just Between Friends. We are so excited to start this project together and even more excited to see all of your amazing projects and recipes. Starting next week, we will be featuring some of our favorite and most viewed link ups for this party. S... more »

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-02-19/chinese-dominoes-are-about-fall-complete-list-upcoming-trust-defaults The Chinese Dominoes Are About To Fall: Complete List Of Upcoming Trust Defaults [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/19/2014 22:03 -0500 - Bank of America - Bank of America - Bond - China - default - Market Sentiment - Moral Hazard - Shadow Banking - Yuan inShare9 As has been widely reported on these pages in the past month, after a near-reality experience almost claimed the first material Chinese sha... more »

*Published on July 25, 2013* Nahko Bear with Leah Song of Rising Appalachia and Dustin Thomas playing "Wash It Away (Manifesto III)" Unplugged in the streets after a show in Portland, ME. Source of poster: http://nahko.com/ Mission Our Mission is to be the motivation and inspiration for all that has come to be Medicine for the People. Within our community we have everything we need to spread awareness and take action to make the Changes we know are healthy for all Earthlings and Mother Gaia herself. We are honored and humbled to be a force of attraction for positive and c... more »

Ashlie Gardasil: Ashlie’s Near-Death Experience by Shawna Synder Big Bear City, California Sane Vax, Inc, 17 February 2014 *I regret every day giving her this vaccine, but I am so glad she is such a fighter and has not given up. Both mom and daughter are in this together and we will never give up. We hope too that whatever we can achieve for Ashlie can benefit so many other girls and boys who have also been badly injured by the Gardasil vaccine.* Who would have ever thought a single injection of the HPV vaccine, Gardasil, could bring my precious daughter to the brink of death?... more »

Ashlie *GARDASIL : Ashlie a été jusqu’au seuil de la mort !* Par Shawna Snyder Initiative Citoyenne, 17 février 2014 Qui aurait jamais pu penser qu’une seule injection du vaccin contre le HPV, le Gardasil aurait pu conduire ma fille chérie au bord de la mort ? Mes deux filles Ashlie et Lyndsie ont toutes les deux reçu le vaccin Gardasil le même jour. Heureusement Lyndsie n’a pas connu d’effet secondaire. Ashlie n’a pas eu la même chance. Ashlie avait toujours été pleine de vie. Elle parvenait à gérer n’importe quoi. A quatre ans, Ashlie avait décidé qu’elle serait danseuse. Comme... more »

Monday, February 17, 2014 *Benjamin Fulford - February 17, 2014: Secretary of Skull and Bones Kerry’s begging bowl half-filled after China pays, Indonesia nays* The United States of America Corporation has managed to stave off bankruptcy once again last week after Secretary of Skull and Bones John Kerry showed up in China with begging bowl in hand last week and got a donation, according to Chinese government sources. The money came with many strings attached, notably getting the US to jerk Japanese slave Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s chain http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/indepth... more »

Maybe he should have joined another conservative felon, coke dealer and former South Carolina Treasurer Tom Ravenel, on his new BRAVO reality show, Southern Charm but, fresh out of prison, like Ravenel, ex-Governor Edwin Edwards-- who had his own reality show, *The Governor's Wife*, already anyway-- announced he's running for the open House seat that Bill Cassidy is giving up to run for the Senate seat Mary Landrieu holds. Now, I don't think Edwards *can* run until 15 years passes from the end of his sentence (at which time he'll be even older than Ralph Hall is now). Bush and Oba... more »

*I would like to introduce you to Danny and his fabulous site, The Gourmet Vegan. While living in Spain and Tenerife, he began experimenting with food, creating vegetarian essentials which he was used to getting in the UK but could no longer find. At the same time, he tried out new cooking techniques and flavor combinations. The result is a site full of diverse dishes from cultures around the world. There's more to The Gourmet Vegan than just delicious recipes, though. For those new to plant-based cooking, the Basic Recipes section will be of interest. It is like a course, teach... more »

*Guest post by Stephen Berry* Auckland resident Rick Splinter has had his request for speaking rights at the Governing Body meeting of 27 February 2014 declined. The request has been declined by Deputy Mayor and Len Brown toady Penny Hulse. What democracy do we really have in Auckland politics if a private individual cannot have a mere five minutes to address the Council and make his opinions known? The official reason for the application to speak being declined was delivered by Governance Support Manager Jason Marris. It reads: Your public input request for the 27FEB14 Governing... more »

A friend working at the House of Representatives posted yesterday photos of a forum on climate change, sponsored by the House Committee on Ecology, Senate Committee on Environment, British Embassy Manila, and Global Legistors Organization – Philippines. In this photo, crying climate negotiator Yeb Sano speaking. Yeb was a former WWF activist then migrated to become a government official, one of the commissioners at the Climate Change Commission (CCC) and does frequent global travels to “save the planet.” I commented that many if not all of the speakers may have argued that "CC is... more »

*by Ken* I hope it's not news to you that nobody has come anywhere close to figuring out a new working model for providing and paying for content on the Internet, or that the idea that content is and should be "free" has now spilled over into more and more print media. So in what I'm about to write, I want you to bear in mind at all times that "Dumb Davy" Brooks actually gets *paid* to write that infernal drivel he oozes ad nauseam over the NYT op-ed page. Regular readers know the esteem in which I hold Ian Welsh, whose blogposts have frequently illuminated this space. Considerin... more »

http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/1y8hr3/kerpeles_continues_to_blame_bitcoin_and_not_mtgox/ Kerpeles continues to blame bitcoin and not Mt.Gox for all their issues ( twitter.com) submitted 2 hours ago by Gobitcoin - 17 comments - share all 17 comments sorted by: best [–]davidshares 8 points 1 hour ago* TOKYO-The chief executive of Bitcoin trading platform Mt Gox shows remorse. He apologized "many times for any delay in our replies," Mark Karpeles said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. At the same time, he refused to give details for the protection of custo... more »

Venezuela.......Venezuelan Protesters Sum It All Up (In One Banner) [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/19/2014 18:46 -0500 inShare *Via Mike Krieger of Liberty Blitzkrieg blog,* The following quote written on a piece of cardboard from the ongoing protests in Venezuela basically summarizes how the oligarchs, or the 0.01%, and their political henchmen rule in all countries around the world at the moment. Then they* cry like little welfare babies* when people criticize their behavior. Powerful stuff: *They speak like Marx* *Rule like Stalin * *And live l... more »

The tense situation in Ukraine has just erupted into a mass orgy of violence, the pictures of which are set against the dark winter nights are surreal and astounding. This certainly is a distraction for Russian leader Vladimir Putin who has to this point managed to preside over a damned good show in Sochi - aside from the cheating of U.S. men's hockey team goalie Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings that is. In a fulfillment of the prediction of Texas yahoo Mike McCaul of the House Homeland Security Committee's prediction that *"...that something will detonate, something will go... more »

[image: Black Coke] *Sugar worshipping?* People Busybodies and stickybeaks obsessed with people enjoying themselves* have found a new target: what the All Blacks are wearing on their chest. The busybodies managed to get the Steinlager logo removed, concerned it might encourage folk to link sporting success with having a celebratory beer – leading inevitably to everyone but the wowsers themselves becoming alcoholics. And now they’re worried sponsorship from Coke might encourage youngsters to like tasty, fizzy drinks – leading to a generation suffering from diabetes, tooth decay a... more »