7 May - Blogs I'm Following

*R. v. Cunsolo,* 2014 ONCA 364: [42] Defence counsel at trial was aware that the trial judge intended to conduct his own handwriting comparison and made lengthy submissions on the matter. The trial judge reviewed the applicable legal principles before engaging in his analysis and properly instructed himself to be cautious. His reasons make it clear that he understood the law and approached his task properly. There is no merit to the submission that he misapprehended the evidence.

Lakotas keeping it real in South Dakota, building resistance to protect Mother Earth for future generations Article by Brenda Norrell Photos by Kent Lebsock, Owe Aku Lakotas in South Dakota are fighting the modern day monsters -- Keystone XL pipeline, tar sands, megaloads and uranium mining. On Pine Ridge, Lakotas are building, and on Cheyenne River, tipis are going up. On Rosebud,

Talking of Jeremy Bowen, here he is on Twitter a couple of weeks ago answering questions. He get a bit confused, blurts out something that seems a little too heartfelt, then peddles back furiously when he realises his mistake: Q. @Elliotmiller94: why does the BBC only portray a one-sided anti-Israel agenda when covering the Middle East peace process? #AskBBCJeremy — Jeremy Bowen (@BowenBBC) April 25, 2014 A: I don't think we do. You should see the complaints I get from the pro Israel lobby! #AskBBCJeremy — Jeremy Bowen (@BowenBBC) April 25, 2014 A: I meant to say you should see t... more »

*WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014* *Kevin Drum swings and misses:* Everybody gets to be wrong once in a while. In our view, Kevin Drum exercised his option today. We refer to his post about the new NAEP scores for twelfth-graders: DRUM (5/7/14): *I periodically try to remind everyone that test scores for American students have not, in fact, plummeted over the past few decades. In fact, they're up.* To the extent that standardized tests can measure learning, American kids simply aren't doing any worse than kids in the past. They're doing better. *But there's always been a caveat: this is only... more »

After Georgia’s new gun law, euphemistically called the ‘Safe Carry Protection Act,’ takes effect July 1, all bets are off. By James McEnteer | The Rag Blog | May 7, 2014 “Some say the world will end in fire, some … finish reading James McEnteer : The devil went down to Georgia

Sometimes Building Community, Means Building By Kent Lebsock Owe Aku International Justice Project Censored News Since it's inception over 20 years ago Owe Aku (Bring Back the Way, founded by the White Plume tiyospaye) has worked for the Lakota culture and landbase in forums from the living rooms of Pine Ridge elders to the Human Rights Council at the

ARIZONA ON FIRE: Found this little gem while I was going through my academic publications. Don't think it's been read in this country: This is an analysis of Arizona media during the battles re SB 1070 and HB 2281. The book, published in the Canary Islands, is titled: Reshaping Publishing in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Century. My piece is Chapter 3: http://cuadernosartesanos.org/2014/cac58.pdf#page=61

*By **Jenna** Orkin* *As so often happens with people who live dramatically as Mike did, his initial enthusiasm for the Cuban-style medical system of Venezuela quickly gave way to a realization of its limitations:* *Email from Mike, undated:* *Major difficulties with doctors today. No urologist available until january. we´ll talk tonight. It feels like all is closing in.* *Email from Mike, c. 10-30-2006* *Aside from other symptoms I have paresthesia or tingling which is not good. [A friend in the US] hit some nails for me.* * We´re closing in on a diagnosis of adul... more »

Lucky 13 for the UNPFII By John Karhiio Kane, Mohawk Censored News On May 12, the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) will begin its 13th session at the United Nations in New York City. The session will run for two weeks and cover a broad range of topics. The event is not open to the public. Only confirmed and registered NGO and IPO representatives are allowed

Video captures the legendary newsman and the pioneering Austin environmentalist in their first father-daughter interview. Video by Alan Pogue and William Michael Hanks. By Thorne Dreyer | | The Rag Blog | May 7, 2014 Alan Pogue and Mike Hanks … finish reading Alan Pogue and William Michael Hanks : *VIDEO* | Dan Rather and Robin Rather in lively, far-ranging, and funny Rag Radio interview

On this edition of *The Realist Report*, we'll be joined once again by John de Nugent. In the first hour, John and I will be discussing a variety of topics including the controversy surrounding Clippers owner Donald Sterling. I will be discussing *my recent trip to New York City and the 9/11 Memorial* during hour two. Phone lines will be open and callers are encouraged! You can download the mp3 for this program *here*, or visit the *AFP Radio Network* on BlogTalkRadio to subscribe via iTunes and view past programs. Below are relevant links for this program: - *Donald Sterling... more »

Navajo Generating Station on Navajo Nation near Page, Ariz. Peabody coal in top 10 list of carbon emitters poisoning planet globally By Brenda Norrell Censored News BLACK MESA, Arizona -- The top global carbon emitters have been identified. It comes as no surprise that Peabody Energy is number 10 on the global list, poisoning the planet. Peabody continues to poison the Navajo and Hopi

*“Climate Change Is Already Here, Says Massive Government Report”* by Kate Sheppard “Climate change is no longer a distant threat, but a real and present danger in the United States, according to a government report issued Tuesday. The report is the latest update from the U.S. Global Change Research Program, and details ways that climate change- caused predominantly by the emission of heat-trapping greenhouse gases- is already being felt across the country. "Climate change, once considered an issue for a distant future, has moved firmly into the present," the report says in its in... more »

Simon & Garfunkel, “The Boxer” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3LFML_pxlY

Brent Mazerolle must have been in a state of high excitement as he got his big assignment of the day - for a front page story. Should he wear his hat with the big PRESS card stuck on to it? No, too showy. He settled for the corduroy suit that would stand up to the strain of chasing down a big story. It was a good choice. Dogged, enterprising, chasing down leads, he chased down the scoop of the year. And it appears right there on page 1 where a big story belongs. "Is it time to change how we handle spring cleaning?" All the big questions are there. Should we just put unwanted items a... more »

*WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014* *Except she pretty much wasn’t:* By today, Maureen Dowd actually had an *excuse* for writing about Miss Lewinsky. Inevitably, she devotes her whole column to the subject, recalling the time she herself was wronged: DOWD (5/7/14): *The last time I encountered Monica was at the Bombay Club, a restaurant nestled between my office and the White House. It was at the height of the impeachment madness* and she was drinking a Cosmo at a table with her family. After requesting that the piano player play “Send in the Clowns,” *she leaned in with me, demanding to know... more »

Joye Braun: Proud to be Lakota in the KXL fight at Bridger Joye Braun halting a megaload recently By Joye Braun, Chyenne River Lakota Censored News CHEYENNE RIVER, South Dakota -- Had a FANTASTIC visit on the way home last night with Joseph White Eyes. He has some IDEAS peeps! You should listen to him.  I love it when I get to visit with people like this. I do believe we need to be

*“How the Economy Has Been Twisted and Distorted” * by Bill Bonner Boca Raton, Florida. "You were grumpy and aggressive," said our better half. "No... I was just confused.""You're not that dumb.""Oh, yes I am." Yes, we are back in civilization, with all its constraints and discontents. To be more precise, we are in Boca Raton, Florida. Yesterday, my wife Elizabeth needed to get her computer fixed. So, we went to the Apple store in the mall. That led to a number of insights about modern materialism in the United States of America. First, we decided to have a quick lunch at The Ca... more »

Capitalism is neither moral nor immoral; it is amoral. There is no room at the bottom line for pious judgments of right or wrong that might affect the balance sheet. Capitalism is about the accumulation of capital to make more capital and nothing else. There was a time in our not-so-distant past when capitalists chose to make money in ways that supported some of the humane individual and group values of an aspiring democratic republic, rather than being focused principally on developing and selling us crap we don't need or really want and that, in the end, makes us less healthy.... more »

David may have been ahead of his time, but he was late to pick up Muriel Lester. By David McReynolds | The Rag Blog | May 7, 2014 NEW YORK — This past Friday I went up to a Unitarian … finish reading David McReynolds : On becoming a living fossil

*WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014* *Part 3—How this predicament happened:* How did a superlative kid like D’Leisha Dent get into this situation? D’Leisha Dent’s mother, Melissa Dent, is a university graduate (University of Alabama, 1995). Today, D’Leisha Dent is a senior at Tuscaloosa’s Central High School. She’s president of her senior class. She’s a three-time individual state champion in track. Last fall, she was voted homecoming queen. She’s an honors student who is enrolled in Central High’s Advanced Placement English class. It also seems that she may not be able to get into a four-ye... more »

I'm Jun Ashikari, Japanese contrabass player. I'm traveling with my contrabass from Japan to Iceland. And I make short movies about the places where I visited. Here is Jeju Island, South Korea where a Navy base is being built for US warships to surround China. The 450 year old Gangjeong village struggles tostop the baseand preserve nature.

Their latest Party Election Broadcast film suggests otherwise 'Ever wondered what really goes on around the Cabinet table? The sorry story of Nick Clegg - the un-credible shrinking man!' Juvenile, pathetic, desperate - three words that sum up this PEB and indeed the Labour Party

*Mayor Mitch Landrieu voices support for Holy Cross development, opposition faces long odds ~Robert McClendon* *Live blog: Lawmakers to vote on two Landrieu-backed taxes ~Tyler Bridges, The Lens* *Flood Law Fixes Existing Insurance Rates ~Stephen Babcock, NOLA DEFENDER* *Gymnastics... The sport that lives in my heart ~Karla's Chronicles* *Heart of Louisiana: Atchafalaya Basin Keeper*

PISA Brainwashing: Measure, Rank, Repeat. via PISA Brainwashing: Measure, Rank, Repeat.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical

Odessa police were complicit in the horrific killings the port city saw last week. That's according to Kiev's interim prosecutor general, speaking to Ukrainian media about an on-going investigation. Last Friday, dozens of anti-government activists died in a building, besieged and set ablaze by extremists. But as an eyewitness told RT, those who weren't killed by the smoke and fire were soon finished off by the mob.

*Dedicated student* *'I think I'll just do some swotting while I wait for the ambulance': Chinese student learns 107 English words after she is knocked off her scooter* When it comes to being determined, one particular Chinese student takes some beating. Despite suffering painful injuries in a road accident in China's capital Beijing, Wang Dafan wasted no precious time while waiting for medics to arrive. ‘We couldn't believe it when we got there,’ said a police spokesman. ‘She was obviously in pain but she was using an electronic dictionary to memorise English words for her unive... more »

Polling Data

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Black Child *May 7, 2014* Wow. Just when you think these devil-worshippers can't get anymore blatant, they outdo themselves. Special Thanks Yash Qaraah @https://www.youtube.com/user/wobsymph...

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Top 10 Re-Used Doctor Who Actors Top 10 Shocking Doctor Who Cameos Not my idea of Top 10's but interesting nonetheless.

Apparently: 'Agencies should ensure people recruited as carers can speak English before placing them in vulnerable people's homes, a government adviser has said.'"No shit, Sherlock" More here http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/health-27295554

[image: JAS-39 Gripen]Saab appears to have a better chance of winning backing from Swiss voters for one of its most important fighter jet export contracts after the Swedish defence company agreed to hand SFr405m ($461m) worth of business to Swiss companies. The contracts are contingent on the Swiss public voting in favour of buying Saab’s Gripen jet fighter in a May 18 general referendum. Many of the 546 contracts are for Swiss companies to produce parts of the Gripen. Read more

An Indian company has been invited to compete in an international tender to supply frigate for the Philippines Navy. India's state-owned Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Ltd. and STX France, SA from Europe joined the P18-billion project to boost the country's maritime forces with new warships, Navy technical working group head Commodore Roland Mercado said in a state news report on Thursday. The Philippines Department of National Defense (DND) has accepted the motions for reconsideration of two foreign shipbuilding firms that seek to join the bidding for Philippine Navy's fr... more »

Great news, old-school horror fiction fans! According to Fangoria, Clive Barker's short story *Jacqueline Ess: Her Will And Testament* from the BOOKS OF BLOOD #2 short stories collection, originally published by Sphere in 1984, is about to be made into a feature film starring Lena Heady (photo). *gratuitous? you bet* ORIGINAL SYNOPSIS :  *Jacqueline Ess is a housewife who attempts suicide after becoming bored with her life. She recovers only to find that she has an ability to change people's body shapes simply with her mind. She accidentally kills her therapist and then – somewhat... more »

Yesterday, Owen at Northern Reflections riffed off of this Michael Harris editorial wherein Mr. Harris put harper's idiotic attack on Chief Justice MacLachin into context. Together with all his other brazen assaults on Canada's institutions and values, it's just another indication that stephen harper hates democracy and he hates Canada. (Harris uses more words and argument obviously, but that's the gist of it.) In the comments section, I noticed a couple of harpercon trolls doing what they do best: *Ad hominem* attacks on Harris and argument-free cheerleading for their lord and mast... more »

So many lies, where to begin? We at DJ! predicted it the day after the story broke in January 2011. Kermit Gosnell would become the Fetus Fetishist Anti-Hero. And the myth just keeps growing. First, some facts. It is a gruesome story of greed, exploitation, desperation, poverty, drug abuse, gross regulatory incompetence, and not a little insanity. You can read the grisly details at the Wiki link but here's the upshot. In 2011, Gosnell, alongside various co-defendant employees, was charged with eight counts of murder resulting in part from gross medical malpractice in treatment o... more »

Corporate reformers love tests. It seems that now, the test is on them. Is the federal government usurping state authority over public education? Consider the protestations that the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are not a federal mandate, as noted on the corestandards.org website: Fact: The Common Core is a state‐led effort that is not part of […]

*"Some things transcend politics, like the murder of four of our fellow citizens and whether you can trust government. That's not a red or blue issue."*

Desmond Tutu to speak at Fort McMurray oilsands conference Conference will address treaty relationships in oilsands context The Canadian Press Posted: May 01, 2014 6:33 PM MT Last Updated: May 01, 2014 6:39 PM MT South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu is scheduled to appear at a conference in northern Alberta to discuss aboriginal treaties and theoilsands.  The Nobel laureate, who has

OUR INDIAN TOBACCO Posted on May 6, 2014  Our Indian Tobacco Mohawk Nation News Please post and distribute. MNN. May 6, 2014. We own Indian tobacco! “Organized Crime” is the courts, police and all of the corporations masquerading as sovereigns in our territory. They are cracking down on a business essential to our economy in this matrix they have created. This attack is a declaration of

*Drone bill dies in House committee ~Michelle Millhollon, The Advocate*

*“My advice to your government -- go ahead and crack down on the people who are getting the imports from China. And then go ahead and make cannabis legal. I'm convinced that that's the only way that you will deter people from using these dangerous synthetic compounds, which were never, ever designed for human use."* - Professor John W. Huffman, who synthesised the first synthetic cannabinoids, in Russell Brown’s post ‘A law gone awry’ Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)

*"The Monetary Policy Dilemma"* by Karl Denninger "There are times you just scratch your head at the sort of idiocy displayed in both the media and so-called "economists" who claim to be both formally trained and have reasonable intellect in their field. This is one of them. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and her colleagues have lowered their sights on how fast the economy needs to expand to meet their goal of cutting unemployment. No longer are they saying growth must accelerate from the 2 percent to 2.5 percent pace it has generally averaged since the recession ended. Instead... more »

“'Look Up' is a lesson taught to us through a love story, in a world where we continue to find ways to make it easier for us to connect with one another, but always results in us spending more time alone.” Written, performed and directed by Gary Turk. www.garyturk.com - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7dLU6fk9QY#t=128

New Straits Times...... 04 May 2014| last updated at 11:48AM S. Korea Ferry Incident: Divers struggle to open blocked cabins 0 <span class="stArrow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://w.sharethis.com/share4x/images/Twitter_bubble_arrow.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 3px 8px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial;

Energy News..... 11:24 AM EST on May 4th, 2014 | 24 comments NBC Right Now: Explosion at U.S. nuclear site — Kept secret from public — Happened in plant where plutonium was manufactured — “One of the most hazardous buildings” in America — Workers: “Flames shot out… big, loud bang like a shot gun” (VIDEO) 11:44 PM EST on May 3rd, 2014 | 47 comments Gov’t Investigator: Acute hemorrhaging found in dead owls along west coast — Mortality event began 8 months after Fukushima explosions — “In very poor condition… badly emaciated” when arriving in Pacific Northwest from Arctic 01:17 PM EST ... more »

A meeting of the Albuquerque (New Mexico) City Council was disrupted and was ultimately canceled Monday night, prompting the police chief and council members to walk out. Protesters took over the meeting, still furious over a series of incidents involving the city's police department in which people were killed or excessive force was used. The Albuquerque Police Department has faced intense criticism for 37 shootings by officers since 2010 -- more than 20 of them deadly. Critics say that's far too many for a department serving a city of about 555,000. Complaints from local advocac... more »

*Federal National Climate Assessment Says Louisiana Is Vulnerable ~AP, via WWNO*

It’s that time of year again: the magical time when my 10 page undergraduate research proposal deadline is enough to cause a health scare among the geriatric population of mid-Missouri. As the semester comes to a close, my office is typically filled with both undergrads and grads coming to tell me a plethora of problems Continue reading

I have been thinking for a long while about relinking this interview. It seems now is the right time. Background I first put this up over a year ago. It was well received then. Hopefully new readers will find it informative, enlightening and intriguing. I know, I did. As I said back then and it still applies now- *" Where to begin? WOW! Does wow work for you?I first listened to the audio only, which is included below the video.Then I watched the video and that made all the difference in taking away the ideas being presented and also understanding how deep the mind control progr... more »

Seven teachers, union suing HISD over evaluations When Bill Sanders, the agricultural statistician and adjunct professor who developed TVAAS and EVAAS and became a multimillionaire as a result, is asked about how he derives his estimates of teacher effects on test scores, he flashes his algorithm, which is supposed to satisfy those who wonder how the Wiz does his thing: Statisticians may be impressed, but even if they are, there is still the critical problem of unshared data used to get results in the teacher evaluation roulette game that teachers must play if their systems use ... more »

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*TUESDAY, MAY 6, 2014* *We recommend what Drum said:* With Benghazi bubbling again, we strongly recommend this new post by Kevin Drum. He summarizes “the latest Benghazi freak-out in 10 sentences.” Quite a few basics are there. We’ll quickly add a few more points. We’ll state our first three screeds in the form of questions: *The professors:* Have you seen a single professor or logician intervene in this endlessly bungled matter? Have you seen a single professor adopt a platform within the press to challenge the reams of nonsense surrounding this discussion? To clarify the facts o... more »

*TUESDAY, MAY 6, 2014* *Carol Leifer’s joke:* Demonically, Mary Elizabeth Williams seems to agree with something Tal Fortgang said! For the record, the aforementioned Fortgang is a college freshman. For that reason, there’s no obvious reason to care about the things he says, or to expect great insight from him. We *don’t* mean that as a criticism. Tal Fortgang is still a teenager. Like most teenagers, like all adults, he has a lot to learn. Young Fortgang’s views don’t exactly matter. But over at the new Salon, they’re staging their latest group nervous breakdown about something th... more »

May 6, 2014 *The Open Wound Called Salazar* *http://rubensalazarpbs.org/blog/roberto-dr-cintli-rodriguez/**By Roberto Dr. Cintli Rodriguez* May 6, 2014 *The Open Wound Called Salazar* *By Roberto Dr. Cintli Rodriguez* Forty four years ago, a journalist by the name of Ruben Salazar was killed by an LA County Sheriff’s deputy, Thomas Wilson. Seems like a long time to look back, yet, his death in 1970 will forever remain an open wound. The recently aired PBS documentary, *Ruben Salazar: Man in the Middle*, while educational for those who were not around in 1970, does little to heal that ... more »

I always knew there was a very underhanded and diabolical reason for the criminal US, and sinister Rothschild controlled EU, push for the conquest of Ukraine.... We have all been lied to by the frauds, trolls, and liars in our controlled media saying that the Ukrainian people would be better off thanks to the US led coup in March... But now with Ukraine falling into turmoil and facing collapse, we all know differently, and there must have been another sinister reason for the US led coup in the first place. For this article, I want to present a very important report from the Blacklis... more »

I hear that BBC Trust Chairman Lord Patten to stand down following major heart surgery. Here is my prediction, as Chris Patten was 'a Conservative' the next Chairman of the BBC Trust will be a former Labour Minister, MP or at the very least supporter. What perfect timing with a General Election to win for Labour/BBC in 2015.

*By **Jenna** Orkin* After leaving the US in rage, sealing the deal by writing his Burning Bridge article, Mike was forced to face the possibility that he'd made a mistake. Owning up to mistakes was not new to him. AA had taught him that to do so was honorable so he apologized more frequently and fully than most people, whether for an editorial inaccuracy or an explosion of temper. But Venezuela was different. He couldn't just slink back home with his tail between his legs, as anyone else might who was doing so out of public view. He needed a "valid" reason that his followers wo... more »

*Endicott v. Ontario (Independent Police Review Office),* 2014 ONCA 363: [43] I view the extent of the material ordered by the Divisional Court and the list proposed by the respondent to be overly broad and unnecessarily detailed. It is well settled that the starting point for defining what a record of proceeding is to contain when no statutory definition is provided is the decision of Denning L.J. in *R*.* v. Northumberland Compensation Appeal Tribunal ex parte Shaw *(1951), [1952] 1 K.B. 338 (Eng. C.A.), at pp. 351-52. There Denning L.J. stated that: …throughout all the case... more »

More than One Million Birds Died During Deepwater Horizon Disaster | Audubon Magazine

*"this committee will draw out all the facts"* Gowdy: "Evidence of intentional withholding of documents." Eric Cantor and John McCain follow Gowdy.

The big news for today is the banner headline on page 1 of the Times and Transcript. "Roads are a priority for Dieppe: Mayor" That's right up there with keeping a full supply of toilet paper in city hall washrooms. Big story on A4, A local cat has been inducted into the Purina Hall of Fame for alerting its owners to a house fire. Well, we've had worse. There is, for example, our philanthropic hall of fame. On A6, we learn that wine-lovers will be poured into the casino tomorrow. Well, that's better than filling the place up with wine. But let's go back a bit on the shale gas repor... more »

The saddest part of Randi Weingarten’s rainy day trip to Lake Placid to get some press press photos of her protesting at the DFER ed deform meeting is that the Misleaders of the AFT and NEA have endorsed most of the agenda of the hedge funders inside the meeting, whether it is bonus pay for test scores, teacher eval based on test scores, segregated corporate charter reform schools, and the Common Core. It’s all good with Randi and Dennis. Joe Williams, head of DFER, has everything he needs from Randi and Dennis already. Why would he make them uncomfortable by putting down placemats fo... more »

*Russophobia has never been a duty of the Westerner* On Friday, dozens of pro-Russian citizens of Ukraine were burned alive in the building of the trade unions in Odessa – a previously peaceful, highly cultural city in Southwestern Ukraine founded by Catherine the Great in 1794 – where they had to hide from aggressive pro-Maidan soccer rowdies whom they previously confronted on the street. The rowdies did everything they could to burn and kill as many people as possible. *Off-topic: this is how the Maidan regime plans to negotiate with the ethnic Russians who are citizens of Ukrai... more »

*TUESDAY, MAY 6, 2014* *Part 2—Hannah-Jones softens the blow:* We the people should thank the gods for kids like D’Leisha Dent. Dent is a student at Central High, one of Tuscaloosa, Alabama’s three public high schools. She’s president of her senior class. Last fall, she was homecoming queen. Dent is a highly accomplished athlete, a three-time individual state champion in track. Most important: Based on the recent profile of Dent by Nikole Hannah-Jones, D’Leisha Dent wants to do good and do well in the world. It sounds like she’s a superb young person, like many others in Tuscaloos... more »

By Capt. Fogg Lots of things are happening in the world that Cable News disciples don't seem to notice or know about. Lots of crazy stuff is swept under the racist team owner, missing airplane, sunken ferry rug every day. It's a revelation. I read today about another one of those wonderful preachers who seem to have a handle on our real problems -- the kind of stuff we need to read more of. I'm talking about Brother Dean Samuel who showed up a a screening of a film about 1998 Miss World Pageant winner and rape survivor Linor Abargil last month, wearing a T-shirt saying "You Who... more »

Words of wisdom from the NYU macroeconomist.

the Israeli military does "more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare". http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jakewallissimons/100270057/why-it-is-hypocritical-to-boycott-israel/

If This Is Teacher Appreciation, I’m Glad It Is Only a Week. via If This Is Teacher Appreciation, I’m Glad It Is Only a Week.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical

*Children as young as four made to study BAREFOOT at British primary school which banned shoes because it 'improves the learning environment'* Primary school children have been told to wear only socks for lessons after shoes were banned in an attempt to improve children's results. Holmbush Primary School in Shoreham, West Sussex, declared that children should study barefoot after the school's 'Learning Council', made up of Year Six pupils, found that 'shoeless classrooms' could help pupils learn. After a trial, which was deemed successful by children and staff, the 240-pupil school... more »

*City Council prepared to vote Thursday on riverfront condo towers in Holy Cross ~Jaquetta White, N.O. Advocate* *Use our calculator to see how much property tax increase would cost you ~Tyler Bridges, The Lens* *Jindal to use Coastal Restoration funds for budget? ~C.B. Forgotston* *Still Counting Gulf Spill’s Dead Birds ~Mark Schrope, NYT* *Sterling Farms to close flagship store in Marrero ~WDSU* *UNO Announces Partnership with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers* *Iconic New Orleans Snoball Stand Honored With A James Beard Award ~WWNO*

There exists one idea that I have believed for 18 years to eventually become critical for the most general definition of a theory of everything, or string/M-theory, and that hasn't played an important role yet. No, I don't mean the idea of feminist biology (thanks, Honzo). Instead, the most relevant papers underlying the idea that I want to discuss only have around 100 citations at this moment which is far from the citation count appropriate for the papers sparking a new string revolution. It's the idea that the worldsheets and worldvolumes of all sorts that appear in string theory... more »

I have been troubled for the last few years by what I see on a daily basis... People no longer communicating with people directly or actually making eye contact with others..... I recently went into a local coffee shop which I do on a semi-daily basis, and what I saw was astounding... All young people with their heads buried in smart phones.. No eye contact... No verbal communication at all... It troubles me and has me thinking that this "social media" which I have been dead set against from day one has been nothing more than a diabolical plot to turn us all into non-social beings..... more »

The Queensland, Australia Attorney General has introduced a trial period where select Justices of the Peace will conduct certain civil hearings. Justices of the Peace selected had applied for the trial and underwent particular training. The hearings will essentially consist of civil small claims where the amount claimed in less than $5000. The purpose of this trial is to ascertain whether using Justices of the Peace can alleviate the backlog and delays of small claims no longer heard by Magistrates. The Queensland Civil Administration Tribunal (QCAT) is the new authority now hearing... more »

From the Three Little Pigs we learn that it does not make a lot of sense, in a dangerous and scary world, to build a house out of straw or sticks. The wise piggy builds a home out of solid brick so no one can break down the walls. Unfortunately that simple lesson was forgotten when Baffin Correctional Centre in Iqaluit Nunavut was built in 1986. Although currently holding some genuinely violent and dangerous individuals, the ranges at Baffin Correctional Centre are constructed of plasterboard and plywood. Inmates there can, and do, kick and punch holes in the walls of the prison.... more »

Russian military planes and ships have been stepping up patrols in the Pacific in response to tensions in Ukraine, according to the commander of Pacific Air Forces. “[There’s been] a significant... increase in the amount of activity from Russia in the Asia-Pacific,” PACAF commander Gen. Herbert Carlisle said Monday. “And we relate a lot of that to what’s going on in the Ukraine.” Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington, D.C., Carlisle said Russia has been demonstrating its capabilities and gathering intelligence on U.S. military exerc... more »