"People's Bank of China Ten Yuan" written in 5 different languages. From top to bottom and left to right: Mandarin pinyin, Mongolian, Tibetan, Uyghur, and Zhuang languages. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
United States (Photo credit: Moyan_Brenn (back soon, sorry for not commenting))Video Indigenous Youths Collective Resistance 'Reject and Protect' from Keystone!
Published on Apr 29, 2014 Indigenous youth and leaders from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, the Ponca Nation, and the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation speak to their visions and their work. From connecting with the land, to replanting sacred corn, to building energy sovereignty. Their collective resistance to the Keystone XL Pipeline and the Tarsands brought them all together at the Reject
Koch Brothers War Against America Suffers A Set Back In The Supreme Court
Clean air-- clearly a Marxist plot against the esteemed Koch borthers The *NY Times* called it "a major victory for the Obama administration" but the 6-2 ruling by the Supreme Court yesterday to allow the EPA to regulate the smog from coal plants that drifts across state lines from 28 Midwestern and Appalachian states to the East Coast was a victory for the American people first and foremost. And no one is more incensed than the Koch brothers! "Republicans and the coal industry," asserted the *Times*, "have criticized the regulations, which use the Clean Air Act as their legal author... more »
2013 Film Roundup, Part 2: The Top Six
(The annual post-Oscar film roundup is a pre-blog tradition, but was greatly delayed this round. It comes in four parts. In addition to this section, there's "The Oscars and the Year in Review,""Noteworthy Films" and "The Rest (The Good, the Bad and the Godawful)."12 Years a Slave: A powerful, moving piece, 12 Years a Slave is a relatively faithful adaptation of Solomon Northup's memoir
While Ukraine , Donald Sterling , Malaysia Flight 370 glom headlines , quietly Asia is sending out distress signals ........chinese currency falls to 18 month lows , China PMI and Aussie PMI data very disappointing !
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-04-30/chinese-currency-collapses-18-month-lows-nears-pboc-limits Chinese Currency Collapses To 18-Month Lows; Nears PBOC Limits [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 04/30/2014 22:32 -0400 - China - Morgan Stanley - Volatility - Yuan inShare1 After widening its tolerance for real world volatility mid-March, the PBOC has faced a daily battering of USD buyers and CNY sellers which have driven the *Chinese currency to its weakest level in over 18 months*. However, things are starting to become problematic.... more »
What if the standardized tests were wrong? (A thought experiment)
Prologue: What if, following the end of slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation, formerly enslaved black and brown people created an amazing resurgence of economic, educational and political successes? (They did). Would the elite in power squelch that budding success with New Jim Crow laws? And, what if to counter the gross systemic and violent inequities created […]
John Kane, Mohawk: 'No Honor Among Chiefs or Thieves'
No Honor Among Chiefs or Thieves By John Karhiio Kane, Mohawk Censored News I have to begin my column this week by stating up front that I am Haudenosaunee. I support traditional governance based on the Kaianerehkowa and a culture grounded with the Ohenton Karihwatehkwen (Words Before All Else) and the Tiohateh (the Two Row Wampum). I must emphasize that it is traditional governance I
Putin brushes off US and EU's latest sanction on April 29 - 30 , 2014 -- Putin Questions US Motivation Over Sanctions; Reconsiders Western Company Energy Deals ...... apart from brushing of the latest brushback pitches from the West , Russia tightens ties with China , Iran , Qatar and Bahrain !
Catharsis Ours - 1 hour ago
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-04-29/putin-questions-us-motivation-over-sanctions-reconsiders-western-company-energy-deal Putin Questions US Motivation Over Sanctions; Reconsiders Western Company Energy Deals [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 04/29/2014 15:23 -0400 - Eastern Europe - European Union - Ukraine - Vladimir Putin inShare1 Having been quiet all day, Vladimir Putin chose just before 330 on a Tuesday to respond to US and EU sanctions: - **PUTIN: U.S., EU SEEKING TO BLAME RUSSIA FOR UKRAINE CRISIS* - **PUTIN SAYS HE C... more »
Mike's Story, Part 10: Burundanga
*By **Jenna** Orkin* Mike had burned his bridges in haste; now he was repenting in sorrow. With the exception of phone-calls to FTW colleagues, he was reduced to approximately one conversation a week in English. To save money and avoid explaining his status as asylum-seeker to inquiring strangers, he cooked his meals on an electric burner in his hotel room. At night, the car horns honked incessantly. Not only that, but he'd learned that Chavez had made statements implying he wasn't sure that an actual plane had hit the Pentagon. Mike had tried to warn the government against a... more »
Satire: “Millionaires Unite To Defeat Minimum Wage”
*“Millionaires Unite To Defeat Minimum Wage”* by Andy Borowitz WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)- "A broad-based coalition of millionaires converged on Washington today to defeat a bill that would have increased the minimum wage for American workers to $10.10 an hour. Leaving behind their mansions and yachts, the millionaires were motivated by what they saw as an existential threat to the country, Mitch McConnell, a spokesman for the millionaires, said. “This was an extremely diverse coalition,” McConnell said, noting that everyone from the rich to the very rich to the super-rich un... more »
“17 Facts To Show To Anyone That Still Believes That The U.S. Economy Is Just Fine”
*“17 Facts To Show To Anyone That Still Believes * *That The U.S. Economy Is Just Fine”* by Michael Snyder of The Economic Collapse blog “No, the economy is most definitely not "recovering". Despite what you may hear from the politicians and from the mainstream media (shrugging off today's terrible GDP print), the truth is that the U.S. economy is in far worse shape than it was prior to the last recession. In fact, we are still pretty much where we were at when the last recession finally ended. When the financial crisis of 2008 struck, it took us down to a much lower level econom... more »
War watch April 29 , 2014 - Debka reports on Secret US-Hizballah talks. Washington plans to include Lebanon, Syria deals in Iran nuclear pact ....... War-Torn Iraq Prepares for Bloody Wednesday Election Much of Anbar Won't Be Participating in Vote ...... Egypt Sentences Brotherhood Chief, 682 Other Protesters to Death ....... AIPAC Livid Over ‘Offensive’ Kerry Warning on Israeli Apartheid ADL: 'Unfair' to Suggest Israel Could Become Apartheid State ( and Kerry quickly apologized ... )
Catharsis Ours - 2 hours ago
http://www.debka.com/article/23876/Secret-US-Hizballah-talks-Washington-plans-to-include-Lebanon-Syria-deals-in-Iran-nuclear-pact- Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' initiation of a unity pact with the Hamas extremists last week did not come out of the blue. It was prompted by the direct contacts the Obama administration has secretly established with the Lebanese Hizballah. Abbas reasoned that if Washington can start a dialogue with a terrorist organization, so too can his own PLO and Fatah. DEBKAfile’s Washington sources report that the Obama administration appears to have carried ov... more »
Electromagnetic Beam Weapon
Taking the opportunity to again mention my latest book, *The Government UFO Files*, (for those who want to know about such things) I can use it to add something more to the discussion of EM effects and an Earth-based technology that is of interest to us. Please note, so that I’m not forced to explain this time and again, I am not offering this as a solution to those UFO reports that mention EM effects and stalled car engines, only that this is a somewhat interesting side discussion. During World War II, as the allies attempted to learn something about the Foo Fighters, they sent a ... more »
"You can say what you like, but he was a good man to us" (a maid of Adolf Hitler in the '30s, in 2008)
*A view of the Berghof, near Berchtesgaden, in the Bavarian Alps* *"At no point in her interview with the Salzburger Nachrichten does [Elisabeth Kalhammer] criticize the German dictator or mention his atrocities. . . . In fact, she remembers life as being pretty good at the Berghof."* *-- the *Washington Post*'s Gail Sullivan, in* "Hitler’s former maid remembers the good life at Der Fuhrer’s mountain retreat" *by Ken* When it comes to all matters Hitler-related, I can count on my friend Leo to keep my up to date, which is a nearly full-time preoccupation, since as he notes frequent... more »
The Temporary Foreign Workers Pipeline
For some time now we have had a government in the business of preventing people from working within their own country, as Boris from the Beav once put it. This is the Cons' other pet pipeline - their TFW Pipeline. In 2007 they raised the length of a temporary foreign worker permit from one year to two; in 2011 they raised it again to four years. And today we add Canadian helicopter pilots to the growing list of occupations that are filled by cheaper temporary foreign workers - some pilots working at half the going wage according to one of them. The Cons are shocked, shocked I tell... more »
AIG having a bit of Internet trouble?
Got this from an anonymous source.... -AK
Labor Econ 14: Labor Day and Government-Mandated Minimum Wages
It is International Labor Day today. Many labor unions and allied groups will be marching in Manila and many other cities worldwide to demand higher government-mandated minimum wage, higher bonuses, other issues. Before further discussion, here are some basic data. Table 1. Minimum Wages in Metro Manila. Source: National Wages and Productivity Commission, http://www.nwpc.dole.gov.ph/index.html So it is P429/day for SMEs and P466 for large corporations. Next high wages would be in Region 3 or Central Luzon provinces, as well as in Region 4A or the Calabarzon provinces. Wages ther... more »
Fed Open Market Committee Day - April 30 , 2014 ( but wondering what was discussed during the Fed's apparent " expedited emergency meeting between 4 Fed Governors ) and various manipulations ( apart from FOMC Day ) Fed Reverse Repo ( window dressing manipulation ) rises to 208 billion ( when will it hit a trillion ) ........ Fed Cuts May POMO To Only $24 Billion From $30 Billion ( money for nothing Fed manipulation ) ........ ......
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-04-30/month-end-window-dressing-sends-fed-reverse-repo-usage-208-billion-second-highest-ev Month-End Window Dressing Sends Fed Reverse Repo Usage To $208 Billion: Second Highest Ever [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 04/30/2014 15:50 -0400 - Reverse Repo inShare3 We can finally close the book on the "mystery" (if there ever was one) behind the Fed's fixed-rate reverse repo operation. Yesterday, when we noted that the total notional of the most recent 1 Day reverse repo operation was a whopping $183.3 billion, we ... more »
More Good News From National!
The great news is, National MPs are still leaving in droves! [image: image]Minister of Signage Maurice Williamson is the latest to fall on his sword For The Sake Of The Party– resigning as minister, if not (yet) as MP.1 The loss to the country from the resignation is incalculable – mostly because there is not a single lasting achievement from a lifetime in politics to add up. So this makes, by some counts 15 National MPs about to leave the building for good. Grounds for celebration, almost. The bad news, however, and one reason not to celebrate yet, is that there are still peop... more »
Bank of America , JP Morgan , Citigroup and Deutsche Bank - Can you say Derivativ-nados ?
Catharsis Ours - 4 hours ago
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-04-28/re-bank-america-remember-lessons-cyprus Re: Bank Of America. Remember The Lessons From Cyprus [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 04/28/2014 19:47 -0400 - Bank of America - Bank of America - Citigroup - Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation - Federal Reserve - Reality inShare3 *Submitted by Simon Black of Sovereign Man blog,* And another one bites the dust. Now it’s Bank of America, one of the largest banks in the Land of the Free, that is inadequately capitalized. *Last month, Bank of Ame... more »
Peter King's Terrorist Pal Arrested in Murder Investigation
Congressman Peter King has long represented the institutionalized moral rottenness of the American political class in the current foul incarnation that exists today. A trusty regular on the Sunday morning propaganda circuit, King can always be counted on for loudly advocating for the disembowelment of the US Constitution and the imposition of every single tool in the fascist box upon Americans but most particularly Muslims. Congressman King you see is one of the most bigoted racists in the US Congress which when taking into account the collection of the dregs of society that is th... more »
Steyn on Sterling on the Right to Be a Bigot in Your Own Home
No doubt you’ve heard about the owner of the LA Clippers basketball team, who’s had his wings clipped by the NBA’s Commissioner and his team stripped from him for being “recorded saying that he didn’t want black people at his basketball games.” Mark Steyn wonders (writing under the best headline of the whole schmeer) if that’s the whole story. And why it’s really news. Russia has seized the Crimea, China is threatening to seize Japanese islands, Iran is going nuclear, and, at President Obama's Sunday press conference on his Asian tour, the accompanying reporters took time out fro... more »
Cura de la Diabetis?
Este articulo no esta terminado. Cuando se termine se le hara un vinculo donde puedan localizar los articulas necesarios para correjir la condicion.... Pero que pasa cuando El ESTOMAGO pierde la abilidad de absorber las vitaminas y minerales que el HIGADO necesita para funcionar correctamente? El CAOS.... De las 500 funciones el higado el higado hace ni la mitad se haran. Incluyendo el filtrar y re-balancear la sangre. *El estomago no es un sencillo organo, El estomago de la Humanidad tiene 3 diferentes colonias bacteriales que viven dentro en el*. *(A) Bacteriodes. (B)Prevotell... more »
Tony Blair on Terrorism
A good conversation, here, over the weekend, on fighting an ideology. *Meet the Press* Sunday, host David Gregory suggested to former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair that the US, Britain and others made a mistake when they went after Saddam Hussein, which Gregory said only led to more terrorism. Watch Blair’s response. It makes you wonder whether his incredible unpopularity might just be because he still has the ability to concisely state uncomfortable truths. Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
Canada takes over military leadership of military OSCE mission- Poland
Military is being stressed for the simple fact the NATO media lied about what the OSCE observers were really about... And the real reason why eastern Ukrainians (anti-coup) did not want them in their neck of the woods. Canada is stepping into the increasingly tense showdown between Kyiv and Moscow over the future of eastern Ukraine by taking over leadership of an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s* military observer mission* in the central European country. Three Canadians from the Directorate of Arms Control Verification are to lead a nine-member team, Defense M... more »
Congressman Trey Gowdy (R-SC): E-mails link White House to Benghazi...(video)
*why is he not Speaker of the House???*
CA-31-- Will Eloise Reyes Be Congress' First Ever Onion Topper? That's Way Better Than Another Crooked Bank Lobbyist
Speaking about her inspiring life story in her first TV ad, Eloise Reyes talks about the hard work and perseverance it took to go from topping onions as a small child and working her way through school and law school to the middle class and now running for Congress. "I made the journey," she says, "but for people these days, that journey has become so much harder." Eloise isn't a Republican or a corporate tool like her opponent, Pete Aguilar. Republicans and corporate tools want to pull the ladder up behind them and kick the people in the face who are trying to climb out over dis... more »
The Dirt on Bob Behning’s Reelection Money
by Doug Martin In my book *Hoosier School Heist*, I detail the corporate/theocratic billionaires who are out to destroy Indiana public education, and the same people in my book are behind Bob Behning’s reelection campaign. In fact, the Hoosiers for Economic Growth PAC, founded by an Amway/Besty Devos/Walmart/Overstock.com/hedge fund front group, just gave Behning $45,000, two days ago. Hoosiers for Economic Growth slid him $25,000 at the beginning of this month, too (page 4). Back in 2013, the super PAC handed Behning $2,000 (page 5). This PAC is where Walmart and DeVos' Amer... more »
The Self-Inflicted Palestinian Victimhood | FrontPage Magazine
' American and European aid money has bought brand new SUV's for PA officialdom, the best in (with cheap labor) construction and luxuries, but nothing has changed for the Palestinian refugees, who are being kept in deliberate misery by their fellow Palestinians. Yet, western (American and European) charity is meant to ameliorate the condition of the refugees. Instead, the camps are administered by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, better known as UNRWA, whose primary aim is self-perpetuation of the camp bureaucracy, paid for primarily by the West. UNRWA has fostered and ... more »
Gerry Adams Questioned By Police Over Murder
It's fascinating how stories 'break'. Sky News is just reporting *Gerry Adams Questioned By Police Over Murder*. BBC News beat them to it by about five minutes, with *Adams held over McConville murder*. Yet, between the BBC's very brief first take and their sketchy second take, the* Daily Mail* had published a very detailed article *Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams arrested over murder of widowed mother abducted from her home in 1972*, providing the full background to the story. We're only a few minutes in but the much-derided *Daily Mail *is leading the way.
"What You NEED To Know About The Wealth Inequality Debate"
*"What You NEED To Know About The Wealth Inequality Debate" * by Bill Bonner Gualfin, Argentina. “Dow up another 86 points. Can anything stop it? Yes. We're just waiting to find out what. We began this series with a question: Isn't it possible the same savants who now presume to address the problem of wealth inequality were those most responsible for causing it? The question arose as we discussed a publishing sensation: Thomas Piketty's “Capital in the Twenty-First Century.” As you will recall, the book – all 700 pages – was recently number one on the Amazon.com bestseller list. W... more »
"Withering test prep regimens" Continue in New York Despite New Law
With absolute fealty to Wall Street and the vulture philanthropists who pay for the Governor's allegiance to New York's 21st Century segregated cultural sterilization testing camps, Cuomo dares not touch the urban sprawl of charter school programs for the poor, which are based, of course, on round the clock test prep. After all, how else, without test scores, could these dehumanizing hellholes produce the numbers that are used to justify the rampant human rights abuses and behavioral neutering that occur, Orwellian-like, in the name of educational equality. As a bone thrown to par... more »
Racial separation in Tuscaloosa’s schools!
*WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2014* *How pernicious is it:* Taken at a glance, Nikole Hannah-Jones paints an unappealing picture in her lengthy report about the Tuscaloosa City public schools. The lengthy piece was written for ProPublica. It also appears in The Atlantic. Hannah-Jones is largely concerned with the alleged “resegregation” of the Tuscaloosa schools. Early on, she paints a rather gloomy picture of this “resegregation:” HANNAH-JONES (4/16/14): Tuscaloosa’s schools today are not as starkly segregated as they were in 1954, the year the Supreme Court declared an end to separate ... more »
make trouble
Civil disobedience becomes a sacred duty when the State becomes lawless or corrupt. Mahatma Gandhi
April 30: We're a world leader...
....The CBC has the story. Most of the world has it, I suspect. But you won't find it anywhere in the Irving press, not even in that bowl of intellectual pabulum it calls a Business page. Recent figures show the US leads the world in the income gap between 1% and everybody else. 47% of all wealth generated in the last twenty years has gone to the top 1%. Result? In addition to high unemployment, average income in the US has slipped back to where it was 40 years ago. But (sing a chorus of O Canada.) we're number two at 37%. So much for the crapola we hear about how shale gas will mak... more »
THE LATEST FROM CHIEF BLOVIATOR
Washington is spinning the wheel of blame in regard to the Ukrainian stand-off. This time it is pointing at the EU. The criticism came in comments made by US Secretary of State, John Kerry. For more on this RT is joined by Gayane Chichakyan.
"Changing everything"
A year ago, two bombs left near the finish line of the Boston Marathon killed 3 people and injured 264. As a result, this year in Boston (and, I expect, all future years) was completely different in many ways, all designed ostensibly to ensure security. But this wasn't the first time a large group of people watching an event had been bombed. Back in 1916 (see p. 3 of the link), a "Preparedness Day" parade in San Francisco was being held, the largest parade ever held in the city, with more than 50,000 marchers (!) and who knows how many people watching. A suitcase bomb, most likely ... more »
OPERATION STREAMLINE AND SALAZAR: MAN IN THE MIDDLE
OPERATION STREAMLINE AND SALAZAR: MAN IN THE MIDDLE: Last night's event at the University of Arizona showcasing a student video "Exposing Operation Streamline" and the showing of the Ruben Salazar: Man in the Middle documentary was very successful. Both included student research and presentations. The Salazar presentation included a panel of former journalists, professors and a student. Here are a few photos and the link for the Streamline video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gabxf9ArwfU
Deep tweets
Really just too barbaric for words. Details of OK's botched double execution are horrible. Lockett had "vein failure." After 40 minutes, he sat up and said "something's wrong"— allisonkilkenny (@allisonkilkenny) April 30, 2014 Bayley Elise McBride reporting from the scene.
Arthur Darvill is not just Rory from Doctor Who and he wants to sing about it
Arthur Darvill (Rory from Dr Who) performs 'The Ballad Of Arthur Darvill', sung to the tune of Let It Go from Frozen for the Matt Edmondson Show on BBC Radio 1.
Classroom Activity: Shared Threat and Delayed Elections
This activity comes after students are to have listened to a lecture (slides) about domestic politics helps us understand variation in the likelihood of international conflict. I focused particularly on whether the spread of democracy explains Europe’s transformation from one of the most violent parts of the world to one of the most peaceful and how the Continue reading
New Research on Issue Selection in Global Policy Networks
At long last, the journal article version* of the research my team conducted on the human security network is published (complete with color-coded tag clouds and network graphs)! International Organization has very kindly agreed to temporary un-gate the article until May 30, so check out the TUG.pdf here! My co-authors Sirin Duygulu, Alexander Montgomery, Anna Continue reading
josh lueke is a rapist and why we should continue to say so
Stacey May Fowles has written a incisive, biting, and definitive piece about shaming men who rape. I can scarcely quote from it (although I will), because every word is not only necessary but perfect. Please join me in reading this stellar essay, and in cheering for Fowles and every survivor of sexual assault, and in calling out every Josh Lueke we can find. May I add, too, that this essay explains exactly why I will *never* stop saying *animal torturer* and *dog murderer* every time I hear or read the name Michael Vick. A blog reader recently told me I should give it up because Vic... more »
dark times in canada, part 2: marci mcdonald on jason kenney: "and you thought harper was right-wing?"
You won't catch me implying that Stephen Harper and his corrupt, anti-democratic, anti-human government is moderate. But there's always room to move even further to the right, and that space is called Jason Kenney. Marci McDonald, author of *The Armageddon Factor: The Rise of Christian Nationalism in Canada*, has written a lengthy exposé of Kenney in *The Walrus*. (I've had the print edition for a couple of weeks, and have been waiting for it to post online so I could share it. The "and you thought Harper was right-wing?" tagline is from the print edition.) It's very long, but if yo... more »
dark times in canada, part 1: the lancet: the case against canada as a world citizen
I want to share two articles from well-respected venues reflecting on what's happening to Canada now - where it is and where it may be going. In *The Lancet Global Health*, one of the foremost medical journals in the world, there's "A rising tide: the case against Canada as a world citizen", Chris David Simms. It begins: A generation ago, Canada was perceived to be an exemplary global citizen by the rest of the world: it took the lead on a host of international issues, including the Convention of Child Rights, freedom of information, acid rain, world peacekeeping, sanctions against ... more »
200+ Reasons to be in KC to Protest ALEC
*ALEC Protest* *Kansas City, MO* *Friday, May 1* *11:30 - 1pm* *Kansas City Marriott Downtown (200 W 12th Street)* *Barney Allis Plaza * Any one who has followed me for awhile knows that ALEC identified me as a "radical opponent" in a *March 2010* newsletter to their State Chairs. Why? Because I was the first person ever to compile and publish names of past and present ALEC members. Being that they have a meeting coming up - guess it's time to take a look at part of the list again. *How do people get on an ALEC list?* That question comes up all the time. The most common are: They... more »
If You Are Going to KIPP's Free Happy Hour Recruiting Sessions, Read This First
Excerpt of interview with former KIPP teacher: *INT: Let me ask you this question: if I were a friend of yours interested in teaching at a KIPP school and I asked you what was it like there, what would you tell me?* *R: I would say honestly, I’ve had that question before. I would never ever – I told them I wouldn’t wish that experience on my worst enemy. That’s exactly what I say every time--I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. And I have no enemies but I wouldn’t wish it if I had an enemy. I wouldn’t put anyone through that. Anyone. It was probably – you give up you... more »
The Republican Party Is Making Itself Over As The Party Of Anti-American Sedition
Many Republican Party leaders, always sensitive to their hate-fueled, paranoid base, are still clinging to their racism and bigotry. Its reflected in their policy agenda, the Ryan budget, their refusal to pass the bipartisan Senate comprehensive immigration plan (which even Boehner admits is being held back by the hate mongers in his caucus). Take this GOP thought-leader and political boss: *LIMBAUGH:* You just gotta be who you are, and I think it's time to get rid of this whole National Basketball Association. Call it the TBA, the Thug Basketball Association, and stop calling th... more »
Progressives now say the darnedest things!
*WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2014* *48 minutes a slave:* We progressives! Amidst all the current excitement, William Rhoden appeared on Hardball last night to discuss his new book. Improbably enough, the book is called “Forty Million Dollar Slaves.” Chris Matthews started like this: MATTHEWS (4/29/14): In his book, Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall and Redemption of the Black Athlete, William Rhoden, who’s right here, argued that while African-Americans may have achieved wealth from the [NBA], they haven’t necessarily gained or exercised real power within it. And with us now is... more »
Untitled
*John Barry keeps sending me emails. Oil & Gas Industry wants to settle with Louisiana!* [image: https://twitter.com/Editilla] Always watching, never wavering. *Dear Editilla, * *Two important pieces of news:First, last week Louisiana’s Attorney General Buddy Caldwell made public something I've hinted at in my talks: there are on-going conversations about a statewide settlement. On the Jim Engster radio show last week (listen here), Caldwell announced that because of the SLFPAE lawsuit, major oil companies have come to him seeking a statewide settlement. We've al... more »
MARINA'S STORY
*Marina after meeting child in session four* *Born in Ireland, 46 years old, catholic, breech birth who suffered emotionally, sexual and physical abuse from father ~ Marina voluntarily became my last private practice Skype client and in the process of reading my Kindle book on Radical Therapy and doing its seven heart centered self-healing sessions, Marina not only found the emotionally lost 5 year old child within herself but also gave that child a voice. Marina's story represents a universal lifelong quest for many to find that same precious c... more »
National Day of Prayer, Political Science Edition 2014
It’s almost that time again: National Day of Prayer is tomorrow. It’s a day for us to come together and pray for those who need praying for.[1] Like last year, I have some political science related prayer requests: Fixed effects and people who ask for them to be included in revisions.[2] Campus parking, any institution Continue reading
Poetry Month's Last Day Fragment
*Poetry Month’s Last Day Fragment* Of days marked by verses sung across clocks and rulers songs to celebrate all our gold variously graded, finely ground against boot marked hardwood desks for eons of crumpled yellow tablets and shavings of graphite hissing anti-insouciant intensities coded and set loose on verbal metronomes calibrated to cross one another without ever touching, ticks and tocks bending past to future, out to in: Per tons of crocus blossoms dried by a million days of salty sun wet sanding moonlit nights held in dewdrops magnifying dark and light within, withou... more »
May Your Life Be Narrated by Sarah Palin
There's a bumper sticker slogan that made the rounds a few years ago: "I want my life to be narrated by Morgan Freeman." There's something that's comforting about having one's mundane life functions chronicled by Mr. Freeman's smooth Southern baritone. "He wearily rises from his bed and begins the latest of countless treks to the bathroom. And he's going to make water regardless of what the Miss Daisys of the world say..." To me, the most vicious imprecation one can bestow upon any gun clutcher, homphobe, Teabagger and garden variety right wing nut job is to have Sara... more »
EYES OFF THE PRIZE: Punish them all!
*WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2014Part 2—Roxane Gay and the soul of Salon:* This site exists to critique our press corps, not our NBA owners. That said, we’ll have to admit that we’re glad to see Donald Sterling getting the boot. How absurd a figure is Sterling? This 2009 profile from ESPN makes him sound like he’s next in line to rule North Korea, so weird does his long-time conduct and thinking seem to have been. (Are you sure there are no organic brain problems? We *wouldn’t* feel real sure of that.) For ourselves, we always favor “pitying the poor immigrant.” Would *you*want to be t... more »
More on Two Americas
More on Two Americas. via More on Two Americas.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical
Beruit
On September 26, 1983,* "the National Security Agency (NSA) intercepted an Iranian diplomatic communications message from the Iranian intelligence agency, the Ministry of Information and Security (MOIS),"* to its ambassador, Ali Akbar Mohtashemi, in Damascus. The message directed the ambassador to *"take spectacular action against the American Marines."* The intercepted message, dated September 26, would not be passed to the Marines until October 26: *three days after the bombing.* *The explosion of the Marine Corps building in Beirut, Lebanon on October 23, 1983 created a la... more »
Untitled
Canadian citizens with no criminal record surveilled on purpose. I go no problem if you thought I was going to plant a bomb. The fact is that your more likely to win the lottery than to find a Canadian Citizen that would do a fellow citizen indiscriminate harm. The terrorist threat is an an invention because we have some kind of peace between nations. Why do we need so many cops when the crime rate is dropping? Same for the military. Who you going to fight with $200 million dollars fighters that aerodynamically would have been grounded in Vietnamm? We already with first past the pos... more »
Evidence on a voir dire forms no part of trial proper
*Sadikov* [2014] OJ No. 376: 30 A voir dire is held to determine the admissibility of evidence proposed for admission by a party to a criminal proceeding: R. v. Parsons (1977), 17 O.R. (2d) 465 (C.A.), at p. 469, aff'd [1980] 1 S.C.R. 785. On the voir dire, it is for the trial judge to determine whether the conditions precedent to the admissibility of the proposed evidence have been met. The voir dire is a separate proceeding from the trial proper and the evidence taken on a voir dire forms no part of the evidence at trial unless the parties expressly agree to its incorpora... more »
Never Mind the Ethics - Get Children Reading
Today we are alarmed at the report in The Bookseller that Kobo and Fast food chain McDonald’s are teaming with, Hodder Children’s Books and National Literacy Trust (NLT) to give away ebooks to children when they buy a Happy Meal Box at the fast food chain. Every Happy Meal box will come with an e-book voucher, which will allow customers to download a Famous Five book by Enid Blyton from Hodder Children’s Books. This new promotion is in addition to the existing one, where boxes contain one of six of Blyton’s Secret Seven stories and a £1 voucher that is redeemable to buy a Secret ... more »
Another Election Surprise For Iraq?
April 30, 2014 Iraqis head to the polls in the general election. Iraq’s last few elections have all provided surprises, and this one looks to be no different. In 2009, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s new State of Law (SOL) party swept the south and Baghdad in the provincial elections building upon his success against Moqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army in Basra, Maysan, and Baghdad, his military campaign against insurgents in Mosul, and challenging the Kurds over the disputed territories the year before. The Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) was the big loser as the voters punished... more »
Bob Hoskins R.I.P.
I was shocked to learn that Bob Hoskins has died at the age of just 71. It was only a few days ago that Mrs NotaSheep and I were watching him in Mermaids, a much underrated performance of his. I'm sure most of the reports will centre upon his role in the mediocre (in my view) Who Framed Roger Rabbit but I prefer to remember him in that great 1980 London film The Long Good Friday. Hopefully one of the TV channels will show this film in its entirety, and if they do you MUST watch it, but in the meantime here's the ending of that marvellous film with one of the great Londoner speeches... more »
Every breath you take
I wonder if anyone cares that the Federal Government of Canada asked the telecoms 11 million times to see the activity of Canadians. I am not doing anything wrong. Thats not the truth I have done a lot of things wrong. The end point is the goverment sells the ruined lives of the people they prosecute for profit. Watch now while that job he is ten times overqualified is denied because the database said he was a liberal. Think it will not happen, Jebus people in the last century saw this so clear and made some money writing books about it.
Teachers at International HS at Prospect Heights Refuse to Give NYC ELA Test
From Monty Neill: **Media Advisory** 26 Teachers and Staff of International High School at Prospect Heights refuse to give NYC ELA Performance Assessment Test WHEN: Thursday, May 1, 2014, 7:45-8:20am, WHERE: International High School at Prospect Heights, 883 Classon Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11225 WHAT: Teachers will hold a press conference to announce their refusal to administer the NYC ELA Performance Assessment. 26 teachers and staff at Prospect Heights International High School are refusing to administer a new assessment that is part of the new teacher evaluation system ... more »
Untitled
*Still Parading: Second-line shooting survivor returns to the route ~Nancy Parker, WVUE* *Inmate advocates want Gusman held in contempt over fire safety shortfalls at OPP ~Jim Mustian, New Orleans Advocate* *Mayor Mitchmo seeks special riverfront tax district to pay for decrees and pensions ~Tyler Bridges, The Lens* *French Quarter bar cited for having crime cameras, flood lights ~Paul Murphy, WWLTV * *Fair Grounds pledges upgrades for license renewal ~Ted Lewis* *West Bank levee authority to get new director ~Jeff Adelson, New Orleans Advocate* *May is American Wetlands Month!*... more »
Someone Else Will Pick Up The Tab
The Harperites promised Canada's Afghan Veterans a National Day of Honour. But they're not going to pay for it. Tim Harper writes: Corporate Canada and True Patriot Love, the charitable foundation that is raising the money to get families to the capital to be properly honoured, deserve credit. They have stepped in to allow the Harper government to do this on the cheap. The highlight for families arriving in Ottawa will be a private breakfast with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other VIPs, with corporate donations of $10,000 or more guaranteeing your company prime signage and r... more »
Ukraine Updates April 28 , 2014 --Kharkiv mayor Gennady Kernes has suffered an attempt on his life on Monday ( shot in the back , in surgery fighting for his life ) ...... Anti - russian sanctions to hit German economy hard ........ Appointed governor of Donetsk region calls for holding all-Ukraine referendum May 25 ........ US to roll out additional sanctions against Russian individuals and companies Monday ( Putin not on list .) ........ Federalists have now taken approximately a dozen town in south - eastern ukraine .......... EU also set to unroll its additional sanctions today ( 15 individuals added to blacklist ) .......British Official william Hague say he' willing to accept economic damage to the British economy to hurt Russia , Austria leads skeptical EU nations regarding blowing up their economies in an attempt to harm Putin....
Catharsis Ours - 15 hours ago
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-04-28/mayor-east-ukraine-city-kharkiv-shot-back Pro-Russian Mayor Of East Ukraine City Of Kharkiv Shot In The Back [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 04/28/2014 05:55 -0400 - Barack Obama - Reuters - Twitter - Twitter - Ukraine inShare On the day in which Barack Obama announced earlier he would unveil another round of sanctions against Russia (most likely involving the heads of both Gazprom and Rosneft), moments ago the already tense situation took another turn for the worse when Interfax blaste... more »
People Want To Know Why We Endorsed Bonnie Watson Coleman In NJ-12 Instead of Linda Greenstein. OK, Here's Why
Bonnie knows what team she's playing for-- New Jersey's working families When Blue America decided to endorse Bonnie Watson Coleman one thing that weighed heavily on our decision was how-- when the climate was tough-- Bonnie stuck with Barbara Buono while the Linda Greenstein was running ads touting her fealty to Christie. It drove many of us at Blue America up the wall at the time and it made our endorsement of Bonnie pretty much inevitable. There have been a lot of people telling us that either would be a good replacement for Rush Holt and that both are "progressive Democrats." Tha... more »
A guilty plea does not ALWAYS reflect an agreement to actually committing the offence
*{But note it is unethical for counsel to assist in the making of a guilty plea where an accused does not accept actual guilt - RPC 5.1-8(c))* *Kumar*, 2011 ONCA 120: [34] As this court explained in *R. v. Hanemaayer*, (2008), 234 C.C.C. (3d) 3 and *R. v. T. (R.)* (1992), 10 O.R. (3d) 514, even though an appellant’s plea of guilty appears to meet all the traditional tests for a valid guilty plea, the court retains a discretion, to be exercised in the interests of justice, to receive fresh evidence to explain the circumstances that led to the guilty plea and that demonstrate... more »
US Economic Data April 30 , 2014 -- US GDP falls to 0.1 percent ( consensus number / estimate was 1.2 percent ! ) ...... ADP 220K Print Beats Expectations, Continues To Goal-Seek Historical Revisions To Ape BLS Data , we shall see what BLS numbers are on Friday !
GDP Shocker: US Economic Growth Crashes To Just 0.1% In Q1 [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 04/30/2014 08:38 -0400 - Gross Domestic Product - Obamacare - Steve Liesman inShare Despite consensus at 1.2% growth QoQ, the "weather" destroyed the fragile stimulus-led economy of the US which managed only a *de minimus +0.1% QoQ growth (the lowest since Q1 2011)*. However, as Steve Liesman noted on the heels of Mark Zandi's comments "basically ignore this number" - ok then. *Spending on Services, however, surged by the most since 2000* - herald... more »
Untitled
*Want to Start a Private Postsecondary School in California? Good Luck* Not everyone wants to attend a traditional four-year college. A lot of people want to learn a trade and start a career immediately out of high school. Vocational schools have served these people in the past and helped them learn a trade in fields such as automotive repair, cosmetology, or nursing. Other people want more flexibility than a traditional college typically provides and opt for small for-profit colleges, many with evening classes. But government bureaucrats are stifling entrepreneurs who want to star... more »
China's view of Obama's Asian Trip: Failure, Possibly damaged U.S and China relationship. China, Russia taking over Commodities (metals) pricing.
So how much did the U.S. taxpayers spend to send Obama over to Asia? It was a trip that was suppose to strengthen trade agreements and be a friendly one. China does not see it as accomplishing any strength in trade agreements and it was anything but friendly from China's eyes. The People's Daily Chinese news site is the voice of the government there. They have an article out about how
Ukraine Updates - April 30 , 2014 -- Eastern Regions out of control ( as per Ukraine's Acting President ) ....... Kiev's Maidan protesters brawl - shots fired , explosives and Far Right in the middle of things ......
Russia Today ...... Ukrainian army ‘on full alert’, president admits east is beyond control Published time: April 30, 2014 09:01 Edited time: April 30, 2014 10:31 Get short URL [image: A Ukrainian soldier stands guard in front of an armoured personnel carrier on a road at a check point near the village of Malinivka, southeast of Slaviansk, in eastern Ukraine April 29, 2014. (Reuters/Baz Ratner)] A Ukrainian soldier stands guard in front of an armoured personnel carrier on a road at a check point near the village of Malinivka, southeast of Slaviansk, in eastern Ukraine April 29, 2014.... more »
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Mystery April 28 , 2014 - Day 50 ------ SYDNEY: The chance of finding floating debris from a missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner has become highly unlikely, and a new phase of the search will focus on a far larger area of the Indian Ocean floor, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on today ( shift away from planes and ships , new focus to be led by underwater vehicles ) , PM Abbott suggests it is possible the airliner will never be found .......... Just one look at the new search region ( consider the term region rather than area for a minute ) reveals this is one gigantic fishing expedition and they have absolutely no idea where to search to find the plane if indeed it's in the indian Ocean !
Catharsis Ours - 15 hours ago
New Straits Times ..... 28 April 2014| last updated at 02:59PM MH370 Tragedy: Undersea search expanded, may take 6-8 months 0 0 <span class="chicklets googleplus" style="background-image: url(http://w.sharethis.com/images/googleplus_16.png); background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-wid
Wednesday Links
*Nothing like a trip to Little Burma to make your stomach happy. This is all veg, the samosas were divine. Vendor is in the market off Huaxin Street.* Longtime activist and veteran of the democracy movement Lin I-hsiung ended his hunger strike today, his statement is two posts below this post..... - J Michael in Diplomat on five executions and the political crisis in Taiwan - Taiwan Thinktank (pro-pan-Green) says most want nuke plant halted before referendum on plant - Jack Healy in Huffington Post on the Sunflower Movement. Bonus: rips TECO employee for commentin... more »
War Watch April 30 , 2014 -- Iraqis vote amid looming threat of violence . Voters head to polling stations amid tight security and reports of at least four attacks outside the capital, Baghdad ....... Major Rebel Car Bombings Kill 54, Wound Over 200 in Syria Bombings Targeted Crowded Neighborhoods ....... Afghan Panel: US, UK Still Running Illegal Detention Sites on Bases Discovers 23 Detainees Held at British Bases ....... DNA Test: US Ambush in Yemen Didn’t Kill al-Qaeda Bombmaker Unclear Who the Slain Actually Were , death dealing results from government assault that backfires when Al Qaeda ambushes forces......
Iraq...... Iraqis vote amid looming threat of violence Voters head to polling stations amid tight security and reports of at least four attacks outside the capital, Baghdad. Barry Malone Last updated: 30 Apr 2014 11:43 [image: Listen to this page using ReadSpeaker] [image: Email Article] [image: Print Article] [image: Share article] [image: Send Feedback] *Baghdad, Iraq* - Iraqis have begun voting in parliamentary elections that are expected to result in a period of difficult coalition-building, as violence across the country soars close to its worst levels seen in several years... more »
The Oil of the Caspian Sea
*Iran cautions against extra-regional military presence in Caspian Sea * On Line: 22 April 2014 15:34 In Print: Wednesday 23 April 2014 *(They mean NATO)* *TEHRAN* – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has cautioned against the military presence of any non-littoral states in the Caspian Sea. Zarif made the remarks during a meeting of the foreign ministers of Caspian Sea littoral states -- Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan -- in Moscow on Tuesday. “Maintaining the Caspian Sea as a body of water of peace, friendship, and stability; refraining from... more »
The Black Water Ditch and the Chinese Claim to the Senkakus
[image: DSC_0016] *Another great trip out to Little Burma in Taipei, on Huaxin Street near the Nanshijiao MRT station (Exit 4, head past the KFC and McDonald's).* Work! What's that? I'm blogging! I've long wanted to take a moment and review a very specific and bogus claim that Chinese expansionist scholars typically use to argue that the Senkakus are Chinese: that a black ditch/trough formed the boundary between China and the Rykyus (Okinawa) which would put the boundary north of the Senkakus, which would thus have been Chinese in the 17th century. Han-yi Shaw's thesis on how China ... more »
Lord of the Drones
Perhaps one of the more insidious developments of the Barack Obama presidency has been the normalization as well as public acceptance of the murder by drone policy of the Empire. The man who gets his daily kill list delivered to him along with his orange juice in the morning has not only refined the Bush-Cheney "war on terror" by expanding the use of the killer drones, juicing the surveillance state and further presiding over the looting of the average American in order to finance Wall Street and their foreign wars of profit but institutionalized it. With the mounting toll of civ... more »
U.S. nuclear missile silos still use floppy disks, but have Battlestar Galactica-style cyber security
[image: Minuteman III ICBM]You’d probably expect to encounter all sorts of crazy technology in a U.S. Air Force nuclear silo. One you might not expect: floppy disks. Leslie Stahl of CBS’s 60 Minutes reported from a Wyoming nuclear control center for a segment that aired on Sunday, and the Cold War-era tech she found is pretty amazing. But it also makes sense. The government built facilities for the Minuteman missiles in the 1960s and 1970s, and though the missiles have been upgraded numerous times to make them safer and more reliable, the bases themselves haven’t changed much. Re... more »
My Whittier Blvd. Connection: Salazar: Man in the Middle
4th entry (5th coming up... actual review of the documentary) April 29, 2014 http://rubensalazarpbs.org/blog/ My Whittier Blvd. Connection By Roberto Dr. Cintli Rodriguez In my first entry, I mentioned that I have always felt a connection with Ruben Salazar because I was nearly killed by Sheriff’s deputies on Whittier Blvd., a few streets down from where he was killed. To me, I always considered the Silver Dollar Café a place of pilgrimage. It was located across the street from Sounds of Music record store, which itself had its own fame among the lowrider scene. For years, the Silver... more »
Don't Forget How the harpercons Treated Veterans
The anti-democratic harpercon base had one day to bray like jackasses about how Elections Canada threw in the towel on the 2011 election fraud scandal before they had to regroup and spew the talking points defending Jason Kenney's Cheap Foreign Worker Program scandal. I'm sure it's not easy being so loathsome and revolting. But keep up the pressure. When the next election comes, don't forget to make the harpercons' abysmal, appalling and screechingly hypocritical abuse of veterans a major issue.
America: A Pacific power?
*April 30, 2014* (Nile Bowie - RT) - As Washington pursues its rebalancing strategy, Obama’s historic four-nation tour of the Asia-Pacific has subtly altered the region’s security dynamics. *"The United States is a Pacific power, and we are here to stay,"* declared President Obama during his speech to the Australian parliament in 2011, following his announcement to deploy 2,500 marines to northern Australia to help protect American interests across Asia. [image: Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Ministerial meeting in Singapore February (Reuters / Edgar Su)] Trans-Pacific Partnership (... more »
Musical Interlude: Vangelis, “Hymn”
Vangelis, “Hymn” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB7fnZ-AQNE
Why Farage Bottled Newark
Patrick Mercer resigning from Parliament because he's *ashamed* of his wrongdoing? Now there's a welcome change. Perhaps a few more MPs should take note. In the normal course of things Mercer's career might have had a footnote on the news, but as it passes into the night it was immediately overshadowed by one question. Will Nigel Farage stand in the resulting by-election? Well, now we know the answer. While dithering has become a thing on the right of late, what with Dave paralysed in the face of winter flooding, getting pulled from pillar to post by competing pressures and now dra... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Grand spiral galaxies often seem to get all the glory. Their young, blue star clusters and pink star forming regions along sweeping spiral arms are guaranteed to attract attention. But small irregular galaxies form stars too, like NGC 4449, about 12 million light-years distant. Less than 20,000 light-years across, the small island universe is similar in size, and often compared to our Milky Way's satellite galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). *Click image for larger size.* This remarkable Hubble Space Telescope close-up of the well-studied galaxy was reprocessed to highlight ... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
Langston Hughes,"Dreams"
*"Dreams"* "Hold fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird That cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow." - Langston Hughes
Carl Friedrich Gauss: a birthday
Johann Carl Friedrich Gauß – one of the history's best mathematicians – was born on April 30th, 1777 (thanks, Moinak), to a poor working-class family in Northwestern Germany. If you are intrigued by the high number of "sevens" in his birthday, let me mention that he died when he was 77, too. *Gauß on the ten-deutsche-mark banknote became an early victim of the euro (the banknote was worth 5.113 euros).* His contributions are huge: you may spend an hour just by enumerating things named after him – including things used by physicists every hour. The Gaussian distribution, Gauss-Bonn... more »
"When You Were Born..."
"When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice." - Cherokee Expression
Paulo Coelho, “Dreams and Obsessions”
“Dreams and Obsessions” by Paulo Coelho “Your theory about every person could reach everything in life is really optimistic. But if the person tried once and was despaired and disappointed what is he going to do?” - Antoine Rigal, Lyon, France “There is sometimes a bit of confusion in regards to a passage in my book "The Alchemist": “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” Some people sometimes want things that in the end won’t truly help them. Life is strange: the happier people can be, the unhappier they are. I have some friends that thi... more »
"Life..."
"Life is without meaning. You bring the meaning to it. The meaning of life is whatever you ascribe it to be. Being alive is the meaning." - Joseph Campbell
Chet Raymo, “Seeking Order In The Natural Order”
*“Seeking Order In The Natural Order”* by Chet Raymo “It is a popular misconception that evolution is “just a theory.” On the contrary, the evidence for the development of life over billions of years by common descent from simple ancestors is overwhelming. So overwhelming that most biologists and geologists would call evolution a “fact.” The influential geneticist Theodosius Dobzhansky said “Nothing makes sense except in the light of evolution.” Nobel prize-winning biologist Peter Medewar said, “The alternative to thinking in evolutionary terms is not to think at all.” What these t... more »
Sign The Petition To Stop The Outrageous Power Grab To Destroy Organics
Stop Obama's Corporate Coup of Organics! Right now one of the biggest assaults on the integrity of organic foods is taking place at the USDA that has ever been conceived, with *high-level Obama political appointees working behind the scenes with giant corporate organic to gut 20 years of precedent *in the congressionally-mandated National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). Even worse, USDA representative Miles McEvoy has illegally taken over the meeting by appointing himself as meeting “co-chair” in an effort to erode the authority of, and control the decisions made by allegedly ... more »
The Gates Foundation's Teach Plus once again trying to undermine United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA)
*"Bill Gates's foundation pays educators to pose alternatives to union orthodoxies regarding seniority and test scores.""Two other Gates-financed groups, Educators for Excellence and Teach Plus, have helped amplify the voices of newer teachers as an alternative to the official views of the unions. Last summer, members of several such groups had a meeting at the foundation’s offices in Washington."— New York Times* Although it's being debated vigorously in United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), let's leave the discussion about UTLA online voting aside momentarily. Let's even ignore... more »
Russia vs. NATO: Containment 2.0
*April 30, 2014* (Cross Talk - RT) What does Washington's "containment" policy mean? What threats does it pose? Will it work against today's Russia? And does this mean Washington has declared a new Cold War? CrossTalking with Stephen Cohen and John Mearsheimer.
Wednesday Linkage
Editor’s note: this post originally appeared on my personal blog. It contains some links to posts that appeared here at the Duck. 1. An interview with Jim Fearon about Ukraine. Lots of good stuff here, both about Ukraine and in general. As you’d expect. 2b. Some thoughts from Branislav Slantchev about Russia’s Cold War Syndrome. c. Anna Pechenkina reacts. Continue reading
Did Nigel Farage 'bottle it' or was his decision a sensible one?
The accusation that Nigel Farage 'bottled it' by deciding not to stand in the Newark by-election is a meme that is gaining ground but I'm not sure (to mix my metaphors) if this meme holds water. First, the EU elections are UKIP's priority, they are a party founded to oppose the UK's continued membership of the European Union and as such the EU elections provide the best platform for gathering votes from those sympathetic to that view. To stand in the Newark by-election would mean a dilution of the, comparatively, meagre UKIP resources. Second, whilst standing in the Newark by-electi... more »
Seoul to upgrade missile defense
[image: Patriot PAC-3]South Korea on Monday approved a plan to purchase scores of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles from the U.S. for deployment from 2016-2020, the state defense acquisition agency said. During a top defense decision-making meeting presided over by Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, Seoul endorsed the plan that also includes upgrading the current missile interception system from 2014 through 2020. The upgrading work includes enhancing radars, launchers and control programs. Read more
Raytheon developing the world's most advanced digital radar
[image: Office of Naval Research (ONR)]The Office of Naval Research (ONR) has awarded Raytheon Company an $8.5 million base contract to design the Flexible Distributed Array Radar (FlexDAR), enabling dynamic multi-mission radars capable of executing a variety of functions including surveillance, communications and electronic warfare. "Raytheon is a pioneer in radar development, pushing the limits of technology to achieve the best possible solutions for our customers," said Paul Ferraro, vice president of Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems Advanced Technology Programs. "Migrating ... more »
Saudis parade nuclear missiles for the first time in defiance of US-Iranian nuclear accord
Saudi Arabia became the first Middle East nation to publicly exhibit its nuclear-capable missiles. The long-range, liquid propellant DF-3 ballistic missile (NATO designated CSS-2), purchased from China 27 years ago, was displayed for the first time at a Saudi military parade Tuesday, April 29, in the eastern military town of Hafar Al-Batin, at the junction of the Saudi-Kuwaiti-Iraqi borders. The DF-3 has a range of 2,650 km and carries a payload of 2,150 kg. It is equipped with a single nuclear warhead with a 1-3 MT yield. Read more
The F-35 JSF: what is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft?
[image: F-35 Lightning II]Any conversation about Australia’s commitment to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter refers to it as a fifth-generation fighter aircraft. But what exactly is a fifth-generation aircraft, and why is it important? Both the Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Defence Minister David Johnston spoke of the JSF’s “fifth-generation” capability as Australia now plans to buy a further 58 aircraft. The political mantra of the importance of a fifth-generation aircraft begs the question: What does it mean? Read more
Star Wars news
The main cast of the new Star Wars film Episode VII has been leaked, apparently it will include original series stars Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels, as well as Peter Mayhew, Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley. I believe Andy Serkis will also be involved so expect some motion capture acting as is all but compulsory in today's blockbusters.
Lin I-hsiung ends hunger strike
Longtime activist and pro-democracy stalwart Lin I-hsiung has ended his hunger strike to stop the fourth nuclear plant. His statement in Chinese is below (click READ MORE): 感謝你！台灣人！──為停止禁食敬告親友 敬愛的親友.... 感謝你！台灣人！──為停止禁食敬告親友 敬愛的親友， 義雄自四月十五日宣布禁食、懇請台灣人民「採取各種積極有力的方法，共同來敦促權責機關『停建核四』」以來，半個月中，全國各地成千上萬、識與不識的親 友，都熱烈地給予關懷和聲援，甚至為我的健康而憂心。廢核團體、公民社團更竭盡全力舉辦各種活動，也獲得許許多多新一代公民積極參與，甚至堅毅地承受國家 暴力的兇殘對待，只為了展示強烈的停建核四意願。政治團體也不落人後，民進黨蘇主席四處奔波，尋求停建核四方案的共識；國民黨內的良知之士，也以言詞或行 動呼應反核四的訴求。這一切愛護鄉土的熱忱以及對我的關愛，使義雄深深感動和感激。 面對這廣大、前所未見的「停建核四」的呼聲，當今的掌權者首度在民意壓力下宣佈「核四全面停工」作為回應，這可以說是反核運動的一個階段性成果。但掌權者 卻又心不甘、情不願地大玩「停工」不是「停建」的文字遊戲，企圖迴避... more »
Boeing continues efforts to keep Chinook, V-22 production humming
[image: V-22 Osprey]Boeing continues to search for new buyers of its CH-47 Chinook tandem-rotor helicopter as it seeks to keep production at its factory near Philadelphia active beyond the end of this decade. The company is also seeking overseas customers for the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, and is pursuing a plan under which the US Navy would use the type as resupply aircraft for its carrier battle groups. “With the way the US defence budget is, international sales [will] help stabilise the production line and suppliers,” Mark Ballew, Boeing’s director of vertical lift business develop... more »
China to bring 4 ships to RIMPAC naval exercise
[image: Peace Ark]China plans to bring four ships to Hawaii this summer as its vessels participate in the world’s largest naval exercises for the first time. China is expected to bring the Peace Ark, a navy hospital ship, as well as an oiler, a frigate and a destroyer, said Lt. Lenaya Rotklein, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Third Fleet, which is organizing the Rim of the Pacific exercises. The drills are scheduled to begin on June 26 and last through Aug. 1. Read more
F-35 is Liaoning's worst nightmare, says Global Times
[image: Joint Strike Missile]The US F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is capable of combating China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, reports Huanqiu, the website of China's nationalistic Global Times tabloid. In a hypothetical aircraft carrier battle between China and the United States, the main fighter jets would include the United States' F-35C fifth-generation multirole fighter developed by Lockheed Martin and China's J-15 carrier-based jet developed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation. The F-35 is equipped with extremely powerful offensive capabilities for both land and sea combat, ... more »
EU Firms Help Power China's Military Rise
[image: Z-9EC Maritime Helicopter]As China boosts its military spending, rattling neighbors over territorial disputes at sea, an Agence France Presse investigation shows that European countries have approved billions in transfers of weapons and military-ready technology to the Asian giant. China's air force relies on French-designed helicopters, while submarines and frigates involved in Beijing's physical assertion of its claim to vast swathes of the South China Sea are powered by German and French engines -- part of a separate trade in "dual use" technology to Beijing's armed forces... more »
House markup cuts one LCS, supports 11 carriers
[image: USS Freedom]The House Seapower subcommittee markup that was revealed on Tuesday offered at least one surprise — cutting the Navy’s request for three littoral combat ships to only two — but the bill supports the other new ship requests, including two destroyers and two submarines. As expected, the mark supports a full 11-carrier fleet and opposes the Navy’s desire to decommission the aircraft carrier George Washington if there is no change in the mandated sequestration budget cuts. The Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee would provide full funding for the carrier’s r... more »
Untitled
*Comment from tornado-hit Arkansas* by Doug L. Hoffman The state of Arkansas, in the south central portion of the United States, was struck last night by a number of storms that spawned deadly and destructive tornadoes. One of these tornadoes was a half mile wide at its base and reportedly stayed on the ground for eighty miles. The towns of Mayflower and Vilonia were particularly hard hit and the death toll currently stands at 16. Emergency officials and rescue crews are still searching for survivors. In the face of such a natural calamity people ask questions such as “could we h... more »
How To Set Up A GMO Free Zone In Your Community
[image: Foto: How to set up a GE Free zone in your community and more! MORE INFO HERE: http://gefreebc.wordpress.com/resources-for-ge-free-bc/ #GEFreeZones #GEFreeBC #GMOFreeCanada] How to set up a GE Free zone in your community and more! MORE INFO HERE: *http://gefreebc.wordpress.com/resources-for-ge-free-bc/* #GEFreeZones #GEFreeBC #GMOFreeCanada *Source:* *GMO Free Canada*
Lecture on Liberalism, German Politics and the FNF
This coming Tuesday, May 06, our club and the RC of Makati Pio del Pilar will have a joint meeting with a distinguished speaker, the Country Director of the FNF, and a former Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Jules Maaten. There is good feedback about this "interesting topic" and hence, we hope many people, rotarians and non-rotarians, will come and listen to Jules. A short background. All political foundations (Friedrich Naumann Foundation/FNF, Friedrich Ebert Foundation/FEF, Konrad Adenauer Foundation/KAF, Hans Seidel Foundation/HSF,...) are affiliated with German politic... more »
Neoliberalism's War On Democracy (By Both Parties) Revealed As Attack On Future USA Way of Life (Not To Mention the World's Response)
"How about a Zombie kit?""We're way beyond that, kid. Don't know what good a Zombie kit will do now." - Fargo . . . the Republican Party’s social Darwinist budget plans that reward the rich and cut aid for those who need it the most. For instance, the 2012 Romney/Ryan budget plan “proposed to cut the taxes of households earning over $1 million by an average of $295,874 a year,”8 at a
Marilyn Katz : Sipping lattes on the edge of a Volcano
What do Palestinians, human rights workers, progressive Israelis, and Israeli settlers have to say about daily life in an occupied land? By Marilyn Katz | The Rag Blog | April 29, 2014 Part two of two. The international news coverage … finish reading Marilyn Katz : Sipping lattes on the edge of a Volcano
Hinduism for physicists
*Or why non-Abrahamic Eastern religions do not have any conflict with science* *Guest blog by Kashyap Vasavada, professor emeritus of physics, Purdue/Indianapolis universities* First of all, I thank Luboš for giving me an opportunity to express my views on this guest blog. I think, most of you, like me, read his blog to understand recent developments in physics. Luboš does an outstanding job in explaining these matters from a technical point of view and fills the gap between popular articles and original papers admirably. Social and political issues are also discussed here often, b... more »
Change The World Wednesday - No Circling
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 »
Will Aaron Schock Be Collateral Damage As The Michael "Mikey Suits" Grimm Scandal Unfolds?
Aaron has always been a sucker for psychotic blue eyes on tough guys Yesterday, just as the news was breaking that Michael "Mikey Suits" Grimm, the Mafia-connected (Gambino Crime Family) Staten Island Republican was in federal custody and had been indicted on *twenty* counts, one of his colleagues in the House of Representatives, a prominent attorney who knows how to read indictments, e-mailed me: *Tax fraud-- just like Al Capone* The New York papers are, predictably, having a field day. But the *Times*, which has been on the Grimm case for as many years as the FBI, is reporting cal... more »
Anti-Choice: Voice in the Wilderness
Further to my most recent post, there are more indications that the fetus fetishists are increasingly nervous, especially over renewed resolve and activism in New Brunswick. From the recent NB Liberal policy meeting: The most significant shift from the weekend came on abortion rights as two resolutions were overwhelmingly approved by grassroots members. The resolutions broke from the policy first established by former Liberal premier Frank McKenna. The two policies refer to family planning services and reproductive health but the meaning was clear: with the pending closure of the M... more »
In Fear of Vaccines?
*Since there’s been much debate and misunderstanding about an alleged link between vaccines and autism, I asked Linda from the fabulously rational **Autism and Oughtisms** blog to write this Guest Post* *for any parents worried about making a vaccination decision in the face of so many anti-vaccine stories.* [image: Girl and doctor with injection]Fear of the unknown drives people to do crazy things. They’ll cling desperately to proposed answers -- however poorly supported those answers are -- merely because they *are* answers; any explanation is considered better than no explanati... more »
So, @theNation questions the “whiteness” of the Left, and…
… and brings up the recent Network for Public Education conference in Austin, TX, many of whom in attendance I know and I consider friends. The lede: At a panel titled “Grassroots Organizing” at the Network for Public Education conference in Austin in March, an audience member asked the all-white panel for its definition of […]
The Table of Contents to My Book
On April 27, 2014, I announced publication of my book, A Chronicle of Echoes: Who’s Who in the Implosion of American Public Education. I realize that the Amazon.com listing of my book currently lacks the interactive component allowing shoppers the opportunity to “look inside” the book. So, I have decided to offer some “peeks.” In my post entitled, Bush […]
Food Watch: Aren't you just dying to know what the World's Best Dumpling is?
*And the World's Best Dumpling is . . .* *Oh wait, we probably shouldn't spoil the suspense. Hey, just keep yer pants on. (For the record, these [REDACTED]s are made with crab paste, which apparently is okay but isn't necessarily part of the [REDACTED].) * *by Ken* You'd be hard put to find someone who loves dumplings more than I do. I always say that I've never met a dumpling I didn't like, though every time I say it, I realize this is not -- as I often say -- the sort of thing you really want to put in the form of a challenge. It doesn't take any time at all to start thinking of... more »
Bilateral Climate Cooperation between China and the United States: What Should We Expect?
One of this weeks big news items in international relations was the progress that China and the United States had made in their bilateral climate talks (gated but free registration available). While it is too early to say if the talks result in concrete action, this is the first time since forever that the two Continue reading
Twenty-Five Ways To Suppress TruthThe Rules of Disinformation (Includes The 8 Traits of A Disinformationalist) by H. Michael Sweeney
*25 Rules of Disinformation: How to Fight Back* *8 Traits of The Disinformationalist: * *What to Look For* *The Short Version: 25 Rules and 8 Traits* ------------------------------ *Twenty-Five Ways To Suppress Truth: * *The Rules of Disinformation* (Includes The 8 Traits of A Disinformationalist) by H. Michael Sweeney copyright (c) 1997, 2000, 2001 All rights reserved (Edited June 2001) Permission to reprint/distribute hereby granted for any non commercial use provided information reproduced in its entirety and with author information in tact. For more ... more »
This is What Political Science Looks Like
[image: image] Students of Political Science might care to look at how science is done in the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, whose recently released “scientific report” is filled with predictions of gloom and doom put there by … whom? Read on to see how, and by whom, those all important “summaries of the scientific consensus” are written. It might surprise you: *Understanding The 97% Consensus* It turns out that 97% of IPCC scientists are actually government officials. * Prof Stavins, Harvard’s Professor of Business and Government, was one of two ‘coordi... more »
NYSED, @EngageNY, and the Module Money Pit.
As part of its rushed implementation of the Common Core, the New York State Education department contracted with three entities to create scripted module lessons for schools across the Empire State at a cost of $12.9 million. Some schools trusted their educators to create their own lessons that would best suit their classrooms. Other schools, possibly out of […]
QUOTE OF THE DAY, 2: On Redistribution
[image: -- "The more one considers the matter, the clearer it becomes that redistribution is in effect far less a redistribution of income from the richer to the poorer, as we imagined, than a redistribution of power from the individual to the State" -- Bertrand de Jouvenel, economist, philosopher and co-founder of the Mont Pelerin Society in 1947.] *"The more one considers the matter, the clearer it becomes that redistribution is in effect far less a redistribution of income from the richer to the poorer, as we imagined, than a redistribution of power from the individual to t... more »
Here We Go Again: Another Syria Chemical Weapons Tale
MORE WAR PORN TO PUSH FOR US ATTACK ON SYRIA It is hard not to be completely distracted by the endless torrent of war propaganda over Ukraine and getting Americans whipped up into a bloody frenzy of hatred towards Russia and Vladimir Putin but there is another lurid tale of Syrian gas attacks on civilians making the rounds this week. While it is nowhere near as intense an effort to promote lies upon which to base the long-desired apple of the neocon's eye that is regime change in Damascus as we saw back last summer when Obama and his incredible shrinking Secretary of State John Ker... more »
QUOTE OF THE DAY, 1: Still the most serious symptom of our times…
"Straightforwardness is a foolish old-fashioned habit, a custom we have outgrown. 'We have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves.' We repeat, this is the most serious symptom of our times. The newspapers which have been speculating as to the disasters which are to flow, after a thousand years, from England's future want of coal, would do better to inquire into the far greater disasters which threaten at our door through England's present lack of supreme reverence for truth." - John Ruskin, from *Fors clavigera: Letters to the Workmen and Labourers of Gre... more »
Satire: “Sterling Says He’ll Miss Being Around People He Hates”
*“Sterling Says He’ll Miss Being Around People He Hates”* by Andy Borowitz LOS ANGELES (The Borowitz Report) — “After being banned by the N.B.A. Tuesday afternoon, the Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling told reporters that he would miss being around people he hates. “Sure, I’m saddened by this,” Sterling said. “Sitting in the stands night after night, a boiling cauldron of hatred bubbling inside me—it doesn’t get better than that. Those were good times.Knowing that I’ll never be able to sit in that arena again and look down on the people I despise—that hurts the most,” he s... more »
"The Destructive Effects of Modern Technology As Seen by Thomas Merton"
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