Emperor Akihito Visits Soma, Fukushima (Photo credit: 路上写真家 [overworked and catching up!])
To All People Around the World Please send your prayers of love and gratitude to water at the nuclear plants in Fukushima, Japan! 31.03.2011 till April 10th 12h noon in your time zone every day (Photo credit: AlicePopkorn)The 2008 Common Core Sales Job: Part One
In 2008, the National Governors Association (NGA), the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), and Achieve, Inc., released a report, Benchmarking for Success: Ensuring U.S. Students Receive a World-class Education. The Gates and GE foundations funded the report. The content of this report begs for careful examination. Thus, I plan to examine it closely in […]
Peaches and Heroin
"Whenever anyone dies without a physician in attendance to certify the cause of death, it is the duty of the *local coroner *or *medical examiner*to investigate, to have an autopsy performed if indicated, and then formally *to determine and record the cause of death. * No coroner, of course, wants to be in a position of having to answer *"I don't know"* to such queries. A coroner is supposed to know--- and if he doesn't know, he is supposed to find out. At some point in the history of heroin addiction, probably in the early 1940s, the custom arose among coroners and medical examine... more »
Iraq Election Updates ... May 1 , 2014 -- Sunni discontent likely to rise ( Iraq Vote Sets Stage for Another Sectarian Battle Most of Anbar Polling Places Never Opened .... ) .........
Anti war ..... Iraq Vote Sets Stage for Another Sectarian BattleMost of Anbar Polling Places Never Opened by Jason Ditz, April 30, 2014 Print This | Share This Iraq went to vote today in its first post-occupation national election. The vote largelywent off smoothly, which officials attributed to security forces across the nation. From al-Qaeda’s perspective, there was really no need to attack the polling places, however, as the vote itself is liable to be more destabilizing for the country than anything they could’ve done. The 2010 election saw a Sunni-dominated secular bloc winning... more »
My own moment of Zen
I'm making a major life shift this month. The path is uncertain but too enticing to refuse. [Image via and via]
Fukushima Updates - April 30 , 2014 -- THREE WORD SUMMARY - " It's all lies " from government ( and Tepco ) .......Slow death of Japan reflected by steadily rising cancer occurrences ( when doctors and Hospitals will bother to do their jobs and actually test folks ) , slow admission that all hope is gone regarding stopping leaks at the Fukushima Reactors , slow walk admission that official data regarding radiation releases previously were way , way off ( so can you disregard any data presented now regarding radiation releases / leaks / contamination of land , sea and foods too ) .....
Catharsis Ours - 3 hours ago
Energy News....... 02:05 PM EST on April 30th, 2014 | 27 comments AP: “This town is dead”… Locals feel Fukushima plant could explode any minute; Yearly ‘safe’ radiation levels exceeded “in a matter of a few hours” — TV: “Fukushima evacuees complain of health problems”; Nearly 70% of households affected 11:43 AM EST on April 30th, 2014 | 36 comments NHK: Officials admit it may be impossible to stop leaking at Fukushima reactors — Will be investigating ‘bottom of containment vessels’ for holes — Gov’t asking engineers from outside Japan for help with melted fuel (VIDEOS) 09:51 AM EST... more »
Gold and Silver News and Views - May 1 , 2014 --- Ahead of Friday Non Farm Payroll Report ( a day for much mischief and manipulation of gold and silver ) , items of note from Jesse's Crossroads Cafe , Investment Dynamics and Gata ...... Overt manipulations , the sense something isn't just not right but rather seriously wrong , shrinkage at both COMEX and GLD ( 21 tons since mid- April ) ?
http://jessescrossroadscafe.blogspot.com/2014/05/gold-daily-and-silver-weekly-charts-non.html ( For all of the charts referenced , head to the link above ... ) 01 MAY 2014 Gold Daily and Silver Weekly Charts - Non-Farm Payrolls Tomorrow "Every century is like every other, and to those who live in it seems worse than all times before it... God alone knows the day and the hour when that will at length be, which He is ever threatening; meanwhile, thus much of comfort do we gain from what has been hitherto, not to despond, not to be dismayed, not to be anxious, at the troubles which ... more »
Bitcoin news April 30 , 2014 -- US Lawyer: Mt. Gox Settlement Proposal Could Make Former Users Whole ....... Why Banks Hate Bitcoin, What Banks Do And Why We No Longer Need Them ...... MasterCard pays lobbyists to focus on Bitcoin ........ New US Treasury FinCEN Ruling Clarifies , Money Transmission Status Of Renting Bitcoin , Miners And Hashing Power
Catharsis Ours - 3 hours ago
Coin Desk ...... US Lawyer: Mt. Gox Settlement Proposal Could Make Former Users Whole Pete Rizzo (@pete_rizzo_) | Published on April 30, 2014 at 21:30 BST | *Analysis, Law, Mt. Gox, News* inShare2 Share 16 [image: judge, mt. gox] The ongoing legal battle over the future of Mt. Gox took a sudden turnon 29th April, when it was announced that Sunlot Holdings, the investor group seeking to buy what remains of the business, and lawyers representing the company’s global consumer creditors had struck a settlement deal. Under that proposal, former exchange users would support Sunlot’s bid ... more »
Birdie Africa
An effort to rout a separatist group touched off a fire that killed 11 people, including 5 children. By MARGALIT FOX Published: September 27, 2013 When the boy ran from the house, he was burned over a fifth of his body and so malnourished that at 13 he looked like a child of 9. He had never been to school and could not read, write, use a toothbrush or tell time. His mother would die in the fire he had fled. Yet after years of rehabilitation from injuries physical and psychological, he graduated from high school, served in the Army, became a father and made a career as a long-h... more »
Self representation by non-lawyer for a one person corporation a norm
Darrell Waisberg v. J. Kirby Inwood, 2014 ONSC 2282: [89] As noted by J.W. Quinn J in *Lamond v. Smith* (2004), 11 C.P.C. (6 th) 104 (ON SC), the historical reluctance of superior courts to grant leave to a corporation to be represented by a non-lawyer has little merit in the case of a one-person company. Self-represented parties are a fact of daily life in the courts. Mr. Inwood will be before the court, representing himself, whether or not he is also allowed to represent his companies. While the plaintiff may have legitimate concerns about Mr. Inwood's ability to fulfill, on... more »
Always Clear You Browser Cache and History, Always Say "No" to Cookies
*From my last visit to The Daily Telegraph (MI6/Hollinger) website.* Bugger. They're onto me - bet they've even opened a new file, now.... *GCHQ: It looks like a great, big government arsehole.* *Funny, that.* Oh, well. In for a penny, in for a pound. Have this, ya buggers: *Professor Pritchard of Gonville and Cauis College Cambridge* is the leading recruiter for *MI6* agents. He identifies and recruits the most intellectual geniuses for *MI6*. The following three people are members of *MI6*, an organisation which forms this supposed great country's intelligence service. It... more »
Friday Morning Ramble, The ‘New Tool’ Edition
[image: image] David Parker has a new tool. Oddly enough, the tool invokes compulsion. *Parker’s Plan is Anti-Innovation & Prosperity: Why There Must Be No Compulsory Kiwisaver.* – Mark Hubbard, LIFE BEHIND THE IRON DRAPE Oh, and if you read the fine print:* “Labour may look at controlling immigration as a way to affect housing demand and general price inflation.” *And there are more signs that Labour is putting out the welcome mat to Peters… *Always read the fine print...* – KEEPING STOCK “Mr Cunliffe, cc Mr Parker, that mess of pottage you called a 'Big Tool' and all the cond... more »
German TV- Who were the Maidan Snipers?
Broadcast on german state television on the 10.4.2014 this investigative report presents evidence for their having been snipers from among the ranks of the opposition, shooting at their own people at Independence Square (Maidan) in Kiev. The show is called Monitor, and it was screened on WDR which is part of the state broadcaster
The common core: A bad solution aimed at the wrong problem
Sent to Newsweek Alexander Nazaryan ("Sorry, Louis C.K., but You’re Wrong About Common Core," May 1) says our schools need the increased "rigor" of the common core because they are so bad: "China, South Korea and Germany are leaving us in the chalk dust, most Americans can barely find America on the map ...". Not so. When researchers control for the effect of poverty, American students' international test scores are at the top of the world. Our overall scores are unspectacular (but not terrible) because we have so much child poverty, 24%, the second highest among all economica... more »
A memory card in a camera cannot be searched without a separate warrant
R v Brown 2014 BCSC 112
A N A M N E S I A ( a loss of forgetfulness )
ANAMNESIA : a loss of forgetfulness from StrangeLoop on Vimeo. A N A M N E S I A ( a loss of forgetfulness ) for the interactive net-narrative visit : www.anamnesia.net a TeachingMachine production in association with the Institute for Cinema Studies presented by Brainfeeder director / animator David Wexler ( Strangeloop ) assistant director Micah Nelson producer Jake Bloch executive producer Wai Trask story by Strangeloop and Darryl Cobb *with a special acknowledgement to Leigh J. McCloskey string compositions and arrangements Gavin Gamboa and Jake Bloch sound design MonoPo... more »
Ontario Budget
Would raise the income eligibility threshold for legal aid services to allow an additional one million low-income Ontarians to be able to find a lawyer
Why not visit Tuscaloosa?
*THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2014* *We find those photos pleasing:* Tomorrow, we plan to resume our series of posts about the Tuscaloosa schools. In the meantime, why not visit Tuscaloosa itself? In yesterday's installment, we linked you to photos of black and white kids together in the Tuscaloosa schools (city and surrounding county). We think those photos are pleasing. We’re glad those Alabama kids are getting that kind of experience. We’re grateful to the many people who are making those schools function. And of course, we believe in those kids. Do you have some other suggestion? Aside f... more »
Harper Conservatives REFUSE Inquiry Into Report Of 1000 Murdered And Missing Aboriginal Women In Canada
*Call it what you like. I call it what it is ..... racism.* *"OTTAWA - The Conservative government is resisting renewed calls for an inquiry into murdered and missing aboriginal women and girls despite a media report that suggests there may be hundreds more cases than previously thought.* *Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney was asked Thursday to finally call a inquiry in light of a report by the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network that Canada may be home to more than 1,000 cases of murdered and missing women.* *His answer, in short: no* Montreal Gazette
Natives get restless RE Hillary Clinton!
*THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2014* *Collins and Chozick start up:* We’ll admit it. We can’t quite believe that Hillary Clinton could win in 2016. We’re not saying she *can’t* win, since she certainly can. We’re saying we have our nagging doubts. If you watch MSNBC, you’re being propagandized differently. A few weeks ago, the children filled your heads with sugarplums about how far Clinton is ahead of leading Republicans. Joy Reid pleasured us rubes while guest hosting at Hardball. We were struck by how *small* Clinton’s margins were: REID (4/16/14): We’ve got new polling on possible preside... more »
Recommended reading
BBC Watch has posted a series of articles forensically deconstructing Jeremy Bowen’s recent series of reports about the expiration of the Middle East ‘peace deadline’, Mahmoud Abbas’s joint venture with Hamas and John Kerry’s clumsy remarks about Israel and apartheid. The latest post reveals some relevant background (which Bowen’s reporting conceals) surrounding the ‘man-in-a-cave’ broadcast, in which a Palestinian man is presented to us as a helpless victim of Israeli racism, when in fact Khaled al-Zeer is a known agitator with a criminal record. There’s a pattern here, the BBC tak... more »
More Competition
Steve Cecchetti and Kim Schoenholtz are blogging, mainly on issues related to money and banking. The blog seems meant to complement and promote their textbook. Who would ever think to use a blog for such a purpose?
BBC Trending
A new-to-me category of the online BBC website is titled “BBC Trending” This article looks like little more than a gratuitous attempt to garner and gloat over the Israel-bashing and holocaust-denigrating comments that are bound to follow barely hidden under a threadbare cloak of *innocent face* concerned ‘inquiry’. Creepy and mischievous. The comments below the line illustrate the inevitable. “ *Who is too young to learn about the horrors of the Holocaust? A new law in Israel means kindergarten children will be taught about the Nazi genocide for the first time, triggering an acer... more »
Ottawa's 1.2 million requests for private information from telecommunications companies
If this does not upset you then I don't know what will. Harper regime is watching you.
Ineffective assistance of counsel
*R. v. Zheng,* 2014 ONCA 345: [22] In *R v. Archer*, (2005) 293 O.A.C. 56, at paras. 119-21, this Court summarized the principles relating to an appellate court’s analysis of a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel. The appellant must demonstrate: (i) that the material facts in support of the claim have been established on a balance of probabilities, where those facts are contested; (ii) that counsel’s acts or omissions amounted to incompetence; and (iii) that counsel’s ineffective representation caused a miscarriage of justice. Trial counsel’s performance at trial is ... more »
Eighty activists intercepted Russian tanker carrying first Arctic oil
Early this morning, 80 activists intercepted a Russian oil tanker, delaying it from docking in Rotterdam harbour. The tanker was carrying the very first oil from icy Arctic waters.Among the activists were #Arctic30 members Sini, Faiza, Tomasz, Phil, Gizem, Pete and Anne Mie, who spent 2 months in a Russian prison last year following a peaceful protest at the very same platform this oil came
Ukrainian Crisis Was Always About Containing Russia
A secret no more, NATO's continued existence is hegemonic in nature - its meddling in Ukraine an act of war against Russia. *Image: NATO expands. Who is the aggressor? **May 1, 2014 *(Tony Cartalucci - LD) - To careful and honest observers of the events unfolding in Ukraine, it was clear from the beginning that the US and EU through NATO were creating unrest in an attempt to foster regime change in Kiev. They had done so already, admittedly according to the Guardian which would admit in its 2004 article, “US campaign behind the turmoil in Kiev,” that: *…while the gains of the oran... more »
Class Struggle as a Process of Production
I have just finished Michael Lebowitz's *Beyond 'Capital'*, which is a truly extraordinary book. In lieu of a proper post this evening, here's a small chunk. Just as every activity of the worker alters her as a subject who enters into all activities, similarly the process in which workers struggle for themselves is also a process of production, a process of purposeful activity in which they produce themselves in an altered way. They develop new needs in struggle, an altered hierarchy of needs. Even though the needs that they attempt to satisfy do not in themselves go beyond capital,... more »
MAY DAY: LET THE WORKERS BUILD RAIL
*Let the Workers Build Rail * Let the workers build rail and let their children have life We need to transform diversify convert swords into plowshares it says so in a holy book some call it the word of god others say it just makes good sense better use of our resources sitting on the train gazing out the window as the world passes by I want to go back to the way the good lord made us wise advice swords into plowshares In the present the swords rule the land is paved over car parks the earth cries out for breath we don't hear our minds occupied *$$$* and success our hearts hard... more »
The look of a racial pseudo-discussion!
*THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2014* *When experts pretend to discuss:* What do pseudo-discussions look like? Consider the pseudo-discussion of the term “Uncle Tom” on Don Lemon’s CNN program last night. Last weekend, Rep. Bennie Thompson dropped the UT-bomb on Clarence Thomas. He then defended his use of the term to CNN’s Dana Bash, who didn't seem to know how to question him about it. (Basic question: Are such insults OK? As always, opinions may differ.) Was it OK to drop that bomb? Last night, Professor Ogletree offered this analysis: OGLETREE (4/30/14): I'm a good friend of Bennie Thomps... more »
what i'm reading: what's a dog for by john homans
John Homans' *What's a Dog For? The Surprising History, Science, Philosophy, and Politics of Man's Best Friend* is my kind of dog book. I don't care for memoirs of heartwarming doggie hijinks or heartbreaking rescue odysseys. I've lived those stories myself, and books of that sort don't advance my knowledge of the species I've shared most of my life with. I am endlessly fascinated by canine behaviour - by what we know, and don't know, about dogs. So is John Homans. Homans is the executive editor of New York magazine, and before he adopted his lab-mix Stella, was a relative novice a... more »
Almost Half of Worcester Central School Students Refuse State Tests
from the Times Journal: Jim Poole *4/30/2014* Nearly half the students at Worcester Central School refused to take mandated tests in third through eighth grades. Thanks to a concerted social media effort, 45 percent of the students--maybe the highest percentage in the state--opted out of the English Language Arts and math tests. Repercussions for the school lie in the future and are unclear, according to Superintendent Bill Diamond. Fed up with mandates and standardized tests, Stacy Serdy, the mother of three elementary students, led the social media efforts. "It really has ... more »
The one hundred and eighty ninth weekly "No shit Sherlock" award
The Commentator reveals that 'Leaked documents reveal Tory spinners in intensive anti-UKIP media briefings - The Commentator. No shit, Sherlock.
May Day Mayday
The best part about May 1st is that the April 30th midnight deadline for more annoying-than-usual Democratic fund-raising has passed. Here's a typical example, titled "Crumbling Down" -- Karen: The FEC deadline at midnight is a big deal. If we don't meet our goal, we will fall behind.* If we fall behind, we risk our work crumbling down because the Koch brothers' chosen candidates will walk into office.* We can't afford to let these guys to win. We have to fight back. *If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:* *Expres... more »
The Art of Removing the Rotten Core
Coming on the heels of the rapacious profiteering and privatizing scheme of NCLB, and designed in the dark by a tiny team of technocrats led by the prissy Platonist, David Coleman, the Common Core was doomed from the start. Designed, without doubt, to be the testing delivery system to guarantee another generation of harder tests and more school meltdowns and subsequent takeovers, the arrogant education antiquarians in charge of CorpEd's strategies seriously under-estimated the wrath and power of parents, teachers, students, and the man on the street. The fight, for sure, is not o... more »
EYES OFF THE PRIZE: Where in the world was the so-called press?
*THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2014* *Part 3—Ostracizing the blowhard:* In this morning’s Washington Post, E. J. Dionne—a very careful person—offers some pleasing pabulum. Dionne offers some pleasing pap about the recent conduct of NBA players. As he closes, he ladles this spoonload of porridge: DIONNE (5/1/14): The NBA players showed how possessing real power can bring about change within a few media cycles. Their voices would be welcomed by those trying to stop efforts to rob rank-and-file African Americans and others with low incomes of democracy’s most fundamental right. *It’s nice that Oba... more »
May 1: Today, we have the comment of the century.
The only story in Section A worth reading - and even that only for a sort of bitter amusement - is "Tories set to tackle spending:: premier". Wow! The Flash in person. It took him four years to recognize there is a problem - and it's a problem New Brunswick has had for a very, very long time. And he's going to do something about it. Yep. He's going to order cabinet ministers to stay within their budgets. Well, that should wrap it up. The problem is that neither he nor Mr. Gallant has given the slightest indication of any understanding what has caused our economic problem in the fi... more »
You can get anything you want
By Capt. Fogg You hear a lot about "enlightened self-interest" and mostly from people who think Ayn Rand's fiction illustrates a paved path to a better world. Of course I can't argue against enlightenment in principle or against the fact that as living beings we must put self-interest on a high plane. My problem though, is with the slipperiness of the term. In general it resembles self-interest wearing a nice Sunday suit, but everyone has his own ideas, from the ascetic practicing Ahimsa, to the libertine, to the employer or Investor amassing wealth. It's hard to pin down, but you... more »
The Mystery Of Malaysian Flight MH370's Disappearance Continues: Jim Stone's Flight 370 Summary Report
Over 55 days now, and the trolls, liars, and misfits in our so called "mainstream media" are continuing their lies and deceptions about Malaysian flight MH370's "mysterious" disappearance... They continue to promote the LIES that this aircraft turned southward after definitely turning west towards the US military installation at Diego Garcia, and are still parroting the laughable fraud that the aircraft "crashed" in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Australia in very deep water.....I have long given up on these clowns and their lying BS, for we all know the truth now that this aircr... more »
To wax or not to wax, that is the question
The subject o body hair seems to becoming more and more of an issue as the relatively recent supremacy of the waxed female body is challenged. A film 'Secret Garden' examines the issue, here's a preview Meanwhile The Mirror is shocked by the display of female body hair, as the headline reveals: 'Madonna's not the only one to flaunt hairy armpits - here's more famous faces who forgot to shave' Here's that shocking Madonna image... Gosh! I'm lost for words. Don't The Mirror's 3AM team ever see real women? It's interesting that The Mirror believes that women must have forgotten to ... more »
Revisiting James Baldwin’s “Black English”
Revisiting James Baldwin’s “Black English”. via Revisiting James Baldwin’s “Black English”.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical
Very Important Video: The (US) Federal Reserve Explained In 7 Minutes
The United States of America is entering its final stages before it collapses... It can no longer project the power it once did across the globe, and the nation is now one of destitution, ruination, and poverty... That sadly is fact.... The other fact is that most of the American people, who I have always admired for decades, are totally unaware of their upcoming demise... I have said it before that many will wake up one day with their economy collapsed and their nation in ruins, and only then will they be asking: "What the HELL just happened"... At that point it will be too late to... more »
The Global Warming Fraud: The Deadly Diesel Deception
The Global Warming scare is a massive hoax and swindle..... Right now we are watching as our planet is going through a natural cooling phase due to diminished solar radiation output from our Yellow Dwarf star, Sol.... This is a natural cycle that has gone on for billions of years..... But the fraudsters and hucksters behind the Global Warming fraud are still pushing their criminal agenda forward and are right now trying to convince our governments to fleece their own citizens with more taxation through the scam of "carbon taxes" to "curb Carbon Dioxide emissions"... For this artic... more »
Untitled
*Deal would derail coastal lawsuit ~Mark Ballard, New Orleans Advocate* *Prospective St. Roch Market tenants say city too slow to act ~WWLTV * *I-Team: Perricone, Mann surrender federal licenses ~WDSU* *Lee Zurik Investigation: Questions abound in Alario's campaign spending reports ~WVUE* *Art at the intersection ~Sharon Litwin, NolaVie* *Fruit-based drink gives entertaining, healthy alternative ~Keyle Peveto*
British Healthcare Fact of the Day
"In Britain, even though they're already paying for the National Health Service, six million Brits—two-thirds of citizens earning more than $78,700—now buy private health insurance. Meanwhile, more than 50,000 travel out of the U.K. annually, spending more than $250 million, to receive treatment more readily than they can at home." Source.
Discussing Research Methodology with the Gates Foundation
Rick Hess, in “A Small Request for My Friends at Gates,” was kind enough to urge the Gates Foundation to consider three of my research proposals. Rick Cantrell, the Senior Program Officer for Research and Data, responded to Rick’s post. Dr. Cantrell and I talked for nearly 1-1/2 hours. I would again like to thank […]
Bring back firing squads?
From The Plague, by Albert Camus: "Have you ever seen a man shot by a firing squad? No, of course not; the spectators are hand-picked and it's like a private party, you need an invitation. The result is that you've gleaned your ideas about it from books and pictures. A post, a blindfolded man, some soldiers in the offing. But the real isn't a bit like that. Do you know that the firing-squad stands only a yard and a half from the condemned man? Do you know that if the victim took two steps forward his chest would touch the rifles? Do you know that, at this short range, the soldiers... more »
Untitled
*GOP's Common Core Re-brand Hustle* By Michelle Malkin This weekend on "Fox News Sunday," anchor Chris Wallace credited his guest, Republican Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, with leading the nation as the "first state to fall out of the Common Core national education standards." If only it were true. Wallace didn't do his homework. And presidential aspirant Pence was too busy daydreaming about 2016 to correct him. Reality check: Last week, Pence faced the anger of hundreds of Indiana parents, educators and activists at a public Indiana Business Roundtable meeting to discuss his phony ch... more »
Labour Racketeering
There has been a lot of sound and fury of late about the Temporary Foreign Workers Program. Terry Glavin writes that the program was set up in 1974 to ease bottlenecks in the labour markets. But, in 2002, the Chretien government instituted the "Pilot Project for Hiring Foreign Workers in Occupations that Require Lower Levels of Formal Training." That is when the train went off the rails. And, under Stephen Harper, the Pilot Project became official government policy: Just how many guest workers are we talking about anyway? The numbers appear to be far, far larger than is generally... more »
We need to vote out NC ALEC Legislators
Saw this tweet last night and thought - well... ask and you shall receive More garbage for public schools in North Carolina. We need to vote out all of the #ALEC legislators http://t.co/JbHkUOxopV #ncpol — Eric Bracke (@EricCBracke) April 30, 2014 But remember - this is only a partial list because ALECers hide their membership - because they know what they are doing is wrong and they are ashamed. Really - get rid of these slimeballs that belong to the extremist, pro-corporate American Legislative Exchange Council. *North Carolina - Past and Present* Austin Allran NC Tom Apodaca... more »
Syria Updates May 1 , 2014 --- Various updates regarding the ongoing Syria Wars , One pitting the Government vs against insurgents / jihadists / mercenaries - and their funding sources and freedom fighters , the other ongoing War is internal among the various insurgents / jihadists / mercenaries and their funding sources and freedom fighters ...... news on the political fronts - domestic and international ......
Syria ...... http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/05/al_qaeda_in_kurdista.php 'Al Qaeda in Kurdistan' breaks ranks with ISIS over Syria By BILL ROGGIOMay 1, 2014 A group calling itself "al Qaeda in Kurdistan" sided with al Qaeda's emir against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham in the ongoing dispute over control of the jihad in Syria. In doing so, the group also renewed its pledge of "allegiance" to Ayman al Zawahiri and Mullah Mohammad Omar, the leader of the Afghan Taliban, and said it would fight the ISIS if needed. Al Qaeda in Kurdistan released its statement on ... more »
Notes from the Road: Some Observations about What is Wrong with the Good Fight
by Doug Martin During my talk recently to the Southeast Education Task Force in Indianapolis, a member of the Indiana Department of Education said there wasn’t a manufactured crisis in education, that our kids were indeed, many of them, failing. She quoted some Ph.D who appeared with Condi Rice recently, the former Bush official who has a Exxon tankernamed after her and helped the profiteers handsomely by sending our kids off to a war in Iraq to die along the side of the road. Luckily, John Harris Loflin, a social justice activist in Indy, responded, pointing out that measuring ... more »
Musical Interlude: Era, “Avetino”
Era, “Avetino” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGSek7n9kS8
Five Most Popular Posts for April
The five most popular posts of the month were: 1. A Defence of the SWP 2. UKIP's Turn to the Workers 3. What is Len McCluskey Trying to Achieve? 4. Peaches Geldof and Celebrity 5. UKIP, Politics and Populism That hundreds and hundreds and hundreds flock to read stuff about the SWP never ceases to amaze me. What is it about our movement that causes disproportionate numbers of fine activists, socialists and not a few keyboard class warriors to pour over what is a diminutive and rapidly diminishing political party? It would take me a while with my finest sociology hat on to come up wit... more »
Turkey's Whirling Dervishes - Why did modern dance lose its spin?
everything in this universe spins, or has spin, and I was wondering when the act of dancing lost its spin factor. Look at kids when they do the happy dance, what do they do? Spin, on the spot or in groups. Spinning (and laughing) is a natural part of what Nature is. But apart from the recent break-dancing (back-spinning craze), these days, dancing is a one-plane stepping ritual, usually guarding a hand bag on the dance floor. You move from one side to the other, stepping with your left foot, then stepping with your right foot. Sometimes there's a flip, a hand clap or a turn. Bu... more »
KC-390 Prototype Final Assembly Underway At Embraer
[image: KC-390]Embraer will begin final assembly of the first KC-390 multirole tanker transport at the end of April, marking a major milestone in the Brazilian company’s ambitious plans to diversify into the military airlifter market. The fuselage, empennage and wing sections of the first aircraft are being completed prior to assembly at a specially built production site at Gaviao Peixoto, Embraer’s extensive test facility near Araraquara in south-central Brazil. The final body join, expected to take around three weeks, starts the clock ticking on a fast-paced development-and-test... more »
Two new missile corvettes to join Russia's Caspian flotilla
[image: Buyan class FS]Russia's two newest missile corvettes, the Grad Sviyazhsk and the Uglich, have successfully undergone navy sea trials and will be assigned to the Caspian flotilla by July, a spokesman for the Southern Military District said Wednesday. "The two ships are due to join the Russian navy at the end of the first half of 2014. Most likely, they will be assigned to the Caspian flotilla by July 1," the spokesman said. He added the pair will be the first Buyan-M-class corvettes to join the Caspian flotilla. Read more
Russia Starts Combat Helicopter Training Flights on Baltic Border
[image: Mi-28NE Havoc]A newly formed Russian army helicopter brigade has begun training flights in the northwest of the country near the borders with the Baltic states of Estonia and Latvia, a spokesman for the Western Military District said Wednesday. “Helicopters of the army aviation brigade of the Western Military District, based in the Pskov region, have begun regular training flights in the skies over northwestern Russia,” Col. Oleg Kochetkov said. Kochetkov said the flights involve dozens of Mi-28N Night Hunter and Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters as well as Mi-8MTV-5 and Mi... more »
Push for Growler jets points to military growth despite spending cap
[image: EA-18G Growler]It wasn't looking good for the Growlers. The Boeing-made fighter jets, used to jam enemy radar, were left out of the Pentagon's budget for next year. And with spending strictly limited by a budget cap, the plane seemed headed for extinction. But in reality, the Growlers aren't dead yet. Like dozens of other programs, the EA-18G Airborne Electric Attack Aircraft, as they're officially known, have ended up on something called the "unfunded priorities list," an inventory of what the Pentagon would like to buy if it had several extra billion dollars to spend. Sec... more »
Sweden appoints new Swiss ambassador amid fighter jet scandal
[image: JAS-39 Gripen]Sweden appointed a new ambassador to Switzerland Wednesday, a day after a media report that the current envoy lobbied Swiss parliamentarians to promote the sale of Swedish fighter jets. The Swedish government denied any links between the replacement of Per Thoeresson and the planned sale of 22 Gripen aircraft -- approved by the Swiss parliament last year, but still pending a May 18 referendum on financing. "Everyone working at the (Swedish) foreign ministry is part of a rotation system," foreign ministry spokeswoman Catalina Axelsson told AFP. Read more
Nimitz sets sail for flight deck qualification
[image: USS Nimitz (CVN 68)]The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) got underway April 28 for the first time since returning from a nine-month deployment in December 2013. Nimitz set sail for a routine flight deck certification. Completing flight deck certification is essential in preserving the ship’s warfighting capabilities. “We are excited to get back to sea,” said Capt. Jeff Ruth, commanding officer of Nimitz. “The crew has worked hard to maintain the ship since we returned from deployment. We are motivated to get back out and make sure our ability to launch and recover aircr... more »
Defence officials scramble to figure out details of military force heading to Europe
[image: HMCS Regina]Although Canada’s CF-18s are joining NATO units in what the Conservative government says is a show of force over the crisis in Ukraine, defence officials can’t yet say whether the warplanes are going to be armed. Clarity on Canada’s role in the crisis didn’t improve Wednesday with the announcement by Prime Minister Stephen Harper that a Canadian frigate in the Arabian Sea will join NATO maritime forces responding to the situation in eastern Europe. Department of National Defence officials couldn’t provide details such as where the ship is headed and when it migh... more »
Frigate combat systems to be upgraded
[image: HMNZS Te Kaha]A Canadian company has won a large contract to upgrade the combat systems on two New Zealand navy frigates. The contract is worth $446,000 and will involve work on the radar, missile and sonar systems on the HMNZS Te Kaha and HMNZS Te Mana. The work will be carried out by Lockheed Martin Canada, and is due to begin in 2016. Read more
Philippine Navy eyes French frigates
[image: FS Prairial]Amid territorial disputes in the South China Sea, the government is looking at French frigates for the Philippine Navy’s use. Naval officials were given a tour yesterday of the French Navy’s surveillance frigate Prairial – a 93.5-meter ship with both military and civilian characteristics, making it ideal for multiple purposes including disaster relief and other humanitarian missions, operations against piracy and international drug trafficking, and territorial patrol. The Prairial is one of two French warships deployed in the Pacific – one in Tahiti and the other... more »
B&W Announces $195 Million in Naval Reactors Contracts and Orders
[image: USS George H.W. Bush]The Babcock & Wilcox Company (B&W) announced today that its subsidiary B&W Nuclear Operations Group, Inc. (B&W NOG) has received contracts and orders from the U.S. Naval Reactors Program worth approximately $195 million. Four new incrementally funded contracts totaling $76.8 million were awarded for engineering design, fabrication and further development work on the Ohio-class submarine replacement program. A new contract valued at $18.8 million was also awarded for disassembly and recovery of highly enriched uranium materials in FY2014. Read more
Western Military “Monitors” Turn Up in Eastern Ukraine
*May 1, 2014 *(Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - Bloomberg reported in their article, “Russia Faces More Sanctions as Monitors Held in Ukraine,” that: *In Ukraine, pro-Russian militants yesterday captured a bus carrying observers sent by member states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a 57-nation group that includes Russia and the U.S. focusing on conflict prevention and preserving human rights, Ukraine’s Interior Ministry said in a statement on its website. They were holding 13 people hostage in Slovyansk, it said. * *The observers — who include four Germans and c... more »
Funding to Replace Nuclear Subs Up in the Air
[image: USS Main]A key U.S. House panel leader says Congress won’t create a special funding stream for nuclear-armed submarines this year, but he thinks the idea of bankrolling the vessels outside of the Navy’s strained shipbuilding budget is almost certain in the long term. Representative Randy Forbes (R-Va.) told reporters on Tuesday morning that replacing today’s Ohio-class ballistic-missile vessels “is a national strategic concern” that cannot be allowed to fall victim to an already underfunded naval ship-procurement plan in coming decades. That plan, by his estimates, is $4 bil... more »
Dhowan sharpens focus on undersea capabilities
[image: Scorpene class SSK]The navy appears to be focusing on efforts to strengthen its undersea warfare capabilities to counter the rapid expansion of China’s submarine fleet. The main thrust of Admiral Robin Dhowan’s maiden visit to Vizag as navy chief is expected to be the refit of an attack submarine leased from Russia and deterrent patrols to be launched by India’s first nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine. Dhowan’s two-day visit to the Vizag-based Eastern Naval Command (ENC) is seen as significant as the nuclear-powered submarine, INS Chakra, is set for a three-month... more »
Untitled
*Did global warming cause the tragedy on Everest?* *This is so brain-dead as not really to deserve reply but maybe I should nonetheless point out the obvious. Since there has been no global warming for 17 years, any recent warming in the Himalayas can only be due to local changes, not global ones. At any one time glaciers across the world are both retreating and advancing due to local effects -- mostly changes in precipitation. Geoffrey Lean is an old Greenie propagandist from way back so the fact that he felt the need to write the tosh below shows how desperate the Warmists n... more »
Drift Away
"*Day after day I`m more confused, yet I look for the light through the pouring rain"....* Don`t have much to say as of late, shaking my head wondering why, wondering why our media has turned into simple minded repeat after Simon, 200 plus members of the BC Liberal spin/ communications gang, also known as Simons, well, at least as far as our cowardly media is concerned they are Simons, ....Simon says... And like trained seals they flap their flippers, begging for Simon to handfeed them herring, doesn`t anger me anymore it saddens me..Keith Baldrey is the epitome of a social and ... more »
Musical Interlude: Constance Demby, "Ocean Without Shores"
Constance Demby, "Ocean Without Shores" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dl1Pn-KrvGA&html5=1
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Ten thousand years ago, before the dawn of recorded human history, a new light would have suddenly have appeared in the night sky and faded after a few weeks. Today we know this light was from a supernova, or exploding star, and record the expanding debris cloud as the Veil Nebula, a supernova remnant. This sharp telescopic view is centered on a western segment of the Veil Nebula cataloged as NGC 6960 but less formally known as the Witch's Broom Nebula. Blasted out in the cataclysmic explosion, the interstellar shock wave plows through space sweeping up and exciting interstellar ma... more »
"After A Time..."
“After a time, you may find that *having* is not so pleasing a thing, after all, as wanting. It is not logical, but it is often true.” - Mr. Spock, “Star Trek”, "Amok Time"
Chet Raymo, “The Sadist Next Door”
* “The Sadist Next Door”* by Chet Raymo “The current TLS (“Times Literary Supplement”) has an absorbing review of American Historian Joel Harrington's book on the manuscript diary of a 16th-century German executioner, Franz Schmidt of Nuremberg. Remarkably, Schmidt kept a full record of the criminals he executed, the crimes they perpetrated, and the gruesome ways they met their fate. It is a tale that would chill most 21st-century readers. Hangings, beheadings, burnings at the stake, and breakings with the wheel. In the latter custom, a heavy cartwheel is dropped onto the person to... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Hulu Langat, Selangor, Malaysia. Thanks for stopping by.
"Never Alone..."
"On this earth as beyond this earth you never are alone, But are in constant company of things and beings That take a share in your life as you take a share in theirs. As you seek them, so they seek you. As you partake of them, so they partake of you." - Rumi, “The Book of Mirdad”
“Creationists Hit the Panic Button After Neil DeGrasse Tyson Demolishes Their Myth That the Universe Is 6,000 Years Old”
*“Creationists Hit the Panic Button After Neil DeGrasse Tyson* * Demolishes Their Myth That the Universe Is 6,000 Years Old”* By Dan Arel "Creationists find evolution so offensive that this week they attacked Neil deGrasse Tyson and his show "Cosmos" over the claim that stars evolved and created life as we know it. In episode 8 titled, "Sisters of the Sun," Tyson highlighted the stellar evolution and explained in detail the life and death of stars. Of course creationists take issue with stars that are scientifically proven to be billions of years old. The creationist website that's... more »
Beignets and Growth Charts
So many great projects and recipes have been linked up and we really can’t wait to see what you’ve got to share today. This party is being hosted by Debra from Housewife Eclectic. [image: You're invited header 2]This last month has been a crazy one for me. I am actually cuddling a five day old baby as I write this. My favorite posts this last month included tulle fairy wands and absolutely delicious beignets. You can find the links for them below. Getting To Know You Questions with Apothecary Jars // Man Catching Beignets// Tulle Fairy Wands I loved everything that was linked up last... more »
2013 Film Roundup, Part 3: Noteworthy Films
(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,""The Top Six" and "The Rest (The Good, the Bad and the Godawful)." Gravity: The best spectacle-popcorn movie of the year boasts innovative, dizzyingly kinetic camerawork for a story of survival
2013 Film Roundup, Part 4: The Rest (The Good, the Bad and the Godawful)
(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,""The Top Six" and "Noteworthy Films.") Monsters University: Pixar's prequel to Monsters, Inc. isn't as good as the studio's masterpieces, but that's a high bar, and it's certainly an enjoyable flick.
Hours
I didn't really need Stats Canada to tell me about this but it was still interesting to see actual numbers. Yes, on average, Albertans work more hours per week than anywhere else in Canada. What did surprise me was the figure of 32.1 hours per week as I thought it would be higher. No doubt this is because living where I do, long hours by Canadian standards are just par for the course. It would be interesting to see what the Alberta average is with Fort McMurray taken out of the equation. I recall one of my foremen telling me just a few weeks back about a fellow he knew who w... more »
Mayday, Mayday!
*“When, at the age of twelve, at the time of the Russian revolution, I first heard the Communist principle that Man must exist for the sake of the State, I perceived that this was the essential issue, that this principle was evil, and that it could lead to nothing but evil, regardless of any methods, details, decrees, policies, promises and pious platitudes. This was the reason for my opposition to Communism then— and it is my reason now. I am still a little astonished, at times, that too many [adults] do not understand the nature of the fight against Communism as clearly... more »
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
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 day 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 - 1 day 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 »
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 »
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 ) ........ ......
Related articles
![]()
Beautiful photos show how Iraq's army see the country's most dangerous province(washingtonpost.com)![]()
Fukushima Updates - April 30 , 2014 -- THREE WORD SUMMARY - " It's all lies " from government ( and Tepco ) .......Slow death of Japan reflected by steadily rising cancer occurrences ( when doctors and Hospitals will bother to do their jobs and actually(fredw-catharsisours.blogspot.com)![]()
Radiation From Fukushima Nuclear Meltdown Found in Albacore Tuna(guardianlv.com)![]()
16 ISIL elements killed, injured in Anbar(iraqinews.com)![]()
KTFA's Aggiedad77 Thurs AM News Summaries(dinarrecaps.com)![]()
Iraq: Al-Maliki Says Vote 'Slap' to Terrorism(abcnews.go.com)![]()
Thousands of Fukushima cows culled in decontamination program(voiceofrussia.com)
