Friday, April 19, 2013

19 April - Blogs I'm Following

English: Courtyard of Adolphus Busch Hall, Har...English: Courtyard of Adolphus Busch Hall, Harvard University, at 29 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. I took this photograph. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Anheuser-Busch pioneered the use of refrigerat...Anheuser-Busch pioneered the use of refrigerated railroad cars for transporting beer to a national market. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The packaging plant at the Anheuser-Busch head...The packaging plant at the Anheuser-Busch headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: The Busch Mausoleum in Bellefontaine ...English: The Busch Mausoleum in Bellefontaine Cemetaries at St. Louis, Missouri. photo by Einar Einarsson Kvaran aka Carptrash 02:33, 21 December 2006 (UTC) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Anheuser-Busch plant, St. Louis, MO USAEnglish: Anheuser-Busch plant, St. Louis, MO USA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Lower Post, B.C. CanadaLower Post, B.C. Canada (Photo credit: Bruce McKay Yellow Snow Photography)
11:37am MDST

Monckton Down Under

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 5 minutes ago
*The Eyes Have It?*He holds an arts degree and a journalism diploma from the mid-70s. He fantasizes himself being a member of Britain's House of Lords even though being ordered by the House to "cease and desist" making the utterly untrue claim. Lately Britain's equivalent of a Thurlingian prince has descended upon New Zealand to expound on how international scientists and their professional bodies are absolutely wrong about, well, science, while he, the professional nutjob, is right. Lord Christopher Monckton is being invited to address the Marlborough Federated Farmers branch t... more »

Really Rich GOPer Rips up NRA Card

2old2care at Because I Can - 17 minutes ago
Not literally - but verbally. It would have been nice to see him do it literally - This got on my radar because: Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc.[14] Member of ALEC's Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force and ALEC's Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force[35] Even though it didn’t pan out for me – it’s an interesting read from HuffPo *Adolphus Busch IV Resigns From NRA After Gun Control Defeat In Senate* Posted: 04/18/2013 7:17 pm EDT | Updated: 04/19/2013 11:19 am EDT Quote snips only: WASHINGTON -- Adolphus Busch IV, heir to the Busch family brewing fortune, resign... more »

Greg Hunter, "Weekly News Wrap-Up 4.19.13"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 21 minutes ago
*"Weekly News Wrap-Up 4.19.13"* By Greg Hunter’s USAWatachdog.com “Video and photos are now released, and suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing case are being hunted down. They will be in custody soon, if not already. My prayers go out to family members who lost lives and limbs in the blast. This is being politicized to blame and demonize everything from the NRA to Republicans and even the sequester cuts. I hope this is not yet another excuse to take away more freedoms from Americans in the name of safety. North Korea, once again, made more threats against South Korea b... more »

Restitution orders

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 24 minutes ago
*R. v. Trac*, 2013 ONCA 246: [35] The trial judge’s error in law requires this court to determine whether, on a proper consideration of all of the relevant factors, the restitution order should be made. The inquiry begins with the purpose of restitution orders in the sentencing process. Restitution orders advance the goal of rehabilitation by promoting direct accountability by the wrongdoer to the victim. Restitution orders also promote public acceptance of and support for the criminal justice system by recognizing the specific harm done to victims and by providing a conve... more »

Kevin Drum explains the senate two-way!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 28 minutes ago
*FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2013* *Was that a filibuster we saw, or were they just happy to be there:* Was that a filibuster of gun bill proposals we saw in the senate this week? Before we read yesterday’s major newspapers, we thought we knew. After we read the Post and the Times, we were no longer sure. For background, see yesterday's post. Was that a filibuster we saw? We asked, and Kevin Drum answered. This is what he said: DRUM (4/18/13): Here's the answer: over the past few years, as the use of the filibuster has become routine, it's become common to speed things up a bit by adoptin... more »

CISPA... Who Betrayed Us Yesterday And What It Means Now

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 35 minutes ago
2 who spoke up against Big Brother yesterday: Amash (R) & Grayson (D) We tried explaining CISPA on Wednesday when the House voted on a few amendments to CISPA that were permitted by Pete Sessions' very fascistic Rules Committee. The serious amendments that were offered by champions of individual liberty-- opponents of CISPA-- like Justin Amash (R-MI) and Alan Grayson (D-FL) were not allowed to even be voted on, ruled inappropriate by Sessions (R-TX). Amash's disallowed amendment was meant to "permit a company to provide through contract that it won't share personally identifiable ... more »

Iceland Shills for Chinese Voice in Arctic Affairs

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 38 minutes ago
The timing must be entirely coincidental. Iceland just became the first European country to conclude a free trade agreement with China. *The China-Iceland FTA covers trade in goods and services, investments, and various other areas. Specific provisions on investment, movability of citizens, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical trade barriers, rules of origin, customs procedures, competition policies and intellectual property are also included in the FTA. The parties also made commitments in service trade that are stricter than the WTO commitments.* And, in a remarkable... more »

Avedon

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 43 minutes ago
Richard Avedon (May 15, 1923 – October 1, 2004) was an American fashion and portrait photographer. An obituary published in The New York Times said that "his fashion and portrait photographs helped define America's image of style, beauty and culture for the last half-century." Avedon was always interested in how portraiture captures the personality and soul of its subject. As his reputation as a photographer became widely known, he brought in many famous faces to his studio and photographed them with a large-format 8x10 view camera. His subjects include Buster Keaton, Marian And... more »

Extreme Weather Funnies - Chicago Sewer Geyser

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 1 hour ago
Chicago was hit by a deluge, some say of apocalyptic proportions. One of those "storm of the century" events that now seem to occur a couple of times a year to welcome us to our planet's new climate state. The Chicago downpour was so intense it overwhelmed the city's storm and sanitary sewer systems. A large volume of sanitary sewer overflow was jettisoned into Lake Michigan. That's liquid poop by the way. Elsewhere Chicagoans were greeted by free sewer geysers. The event got locals coining new terms such as "upspout", "sewerspew" and "road barf".

Once More on "Is It a Filibuster?" (Hint: It Is)

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 1 hour ago
This one might be a little redundant at this point, but everyone is pretty much focused on the manhunt in Boston right now, and I have nothing to say about that, so I might as well continue filibuster blogging. And besides, maybe this is still necessary -- because Kevin Drum is a smart guy, and if he's still a bit confused on this point, maybe lots of people are. So this comes from a post Drum wrote last night in which he said that the press should call what happened to Manchin-Toomey a filibuster, even though "Technically, however, it's not a filibuster, so reporting it as one isn't... more »

Reinforcing the Need for Martial Law and More More More Military Spending (Boston Attack Metaphor for Anywhere)

My buddy, Coyote Prime, at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly is one of the best amalgamators of excellent intelligence operating in blogtopia. Bookmark his site. You won't regret it. Tuesday, April 16, 2013 Martial Law... No Ways TiredBenito Mussolini defined Fascism as the "merger of government and corporatism." We've witnessed the financial rape of this country by the banksters and their

Canada's Carbon Black Eye - Bitumen Peddling

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 1 hour ago
Across Canada, provincial and local governments have achieved great things in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the Harper government has grabbed as much undeserved credit for that as possible. Yet Harper and his slackjawed EnviroShill, Peter Kent, can't hide the impacts of their bitumen-peddling policies, no matter how much credit they steal from others. *Canada's annual heat-trapping greenhouse gases continue to level off or decline in most sectors of the economy, outside of Alberta's oilpatch, says the latest annual inventory report submitted by the Harper government to the... more »

Your moment of Zen

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 1 hour ago
Chrysler Imperial rose from my friend Maeve's garden.

Mourning With America from Boston to Baghdad

Nima Shirazi at Wide Asleep in America - 1 hour ago
(America Loves Iraq/Facebook) “I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states…We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” - Martin Luther King, Jr., "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," April 16, 1963 Nearly 50 years to the day after Dr. King wrote his passionate plea

Howard Uhal: America and the 'Good People'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 hour ago
Please stop trying to punish America By Howard Uhal April 19, 2013 By now many of you have read Patton Oswalt’s heartfelt comments following the Boston Marathon bombing.[1] I agree with Mr. Oswalt that good will triumph over evil. I strongly disagree that this is happening in America. Would good people invade the New World, slaughter the native inhabitants while stealing their resources,

MEDIOCRITY ALL THE WAY UP: Reporting the gaps while hiding the gains!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 1 hour ago
*FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2013* *Part 5—The public will never be told:* For obvious reasons, we should state the obvious. Presumably, Harvard assistant professor Jal Mehta is a perfectly decent person—a person who is kind to his family, to his students, to his neighbors and friends. It’s also true that Mehta made some sensible points in his lengthy op-ed column in Saturday’s New York Times. How might we improve our public schools? Mehta noted that charter schools aren’t some sort of magic solution. Neither Michelle Rhee nor Diane Ravitch has a magic solution, he said. That said, much ... more »

A Little Bit About Dagestan

Jay Allbritton at Jay Allbritton - 1 hour ago
A lot of information is being thrown around about Chechnya and the Caucasus region in general in wake of the revelation this morning that the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings are from there. The best I can sort out is that they were born in Kyrgyzstan. At least one of them attended school in Dagestan, which neighbors Chechnya in the North Caucasus region. Dagestan, along with Chechnya, are part of Russia. This clip from Al Jazeera English covers the insurgency in Dagestan. UPDATE: Matt Yglesias adds context.

Stand Up For Yourself Without Getting Fired

Donna at Screw You Guys, I'm Going Home - 1 hour ago
I thought I'd share with you today an interview I did with TJ Walker, who is an excellent media trainer with a regular internet TV show. We talk about my book, employment contracts, noncompete agreements and how you can negotiate a better severance package with your employer. Ta da! My first video embed. I'm very excited that this worked. Maybe I'll actually figure out one of these days how to embed some videos I did where I actually appear on the video. . .

Unreasonable verdict of a jury

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 2 hours ago
*R. v. W.H.,* 2013 SCC 22 is an important case making clear that review for unreasonable verdict is very limited. In effect the only time a decision will be set aside as unreasonable is if “judicial fact-finding* **precludes* the conclusion reached by the jury”. The Court holds: [25] A person convicted of an indictable offence has broad avenues of appeal. There is a right of appeal on any question of law alone and an appeal by leave of the court on questions of fact or mixed law and fact or on “any ground of appeal . . . that appears to the court of appea... more »

Schools Matter and @thechalkface to Join Forces

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 2 hours ago
Schools Matter will be moving to a new home in a few days. We will be partnering with @thechalkface to begin a renewed and re-fortified effort to eradicate high stake testing and corporate control from our public schools. Stay tuned for details. [image: Screen Shot 2013-04-19 at 10.10.13 AM]

What are the 'Lights' on Unit 4's New Construction?

Majia's Blog - 2 hours ago
<img alt="" src="data:image/png;base64,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... more »

Where is the steam/smoke comming from at Fukushima Daiichi?

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 2 hours ago
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lq7jzH90a-M

TX Secessionist Rick Perry Begs for US Govmt Aid

2old2care at Because I Can - 2 hours ago
From last month *Texas takes step toward secession with Rick Perry’s plan to hoard gold* Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) and freshman state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione have a plan to create a “Fort Knox of Texas” so that the state can start hoarding gold. Giovanni has filed a bill to establish a Texas Bullion Depository to store the $1 billion worth of gold bars that are owned by University of Texas Investment Management Co. (UTIMCO), which are currently being housed by the U.S. Federal Reserve. In a 2009 interview, Perry had joked that Texas was “thinking about” becoming an independent ... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 3 hours ago
*Corps' levee risk studies already outdated; new studies could guide future improvements, says Levee Board engineering consultant* *Saints schedule is out!* *Super Bowl XLVII tax revenue impact in N.O.: $34.9 million ~Danny Monteverde * *Food Truck Reform Passes City Council ~William Dilella, NOLA DEFENDER* *TWO SECOND LINES SUNDAY (New Orleans problems…) ~New Orleans Good Good*

Pivot Divot

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 3 hours ago
*Two women assemble stacks of beer cans as temple offerings. Any country where they offer beer to the gods is all right with me.* *"For years we thought of ourselves as a production oriented company, meaning we put all our emphasis on designing and manufacturing the product. But now we understand that the most important thing we do is market the product. We've come around to saying that Nike is a marketing-oriented company, and the product is our most important marketing tool." -- Phil Knight, CEO of Nike.* John Pfeffer at FPIF scribes: The Obama administration has revived the ol... more »

Okay, Radical Islaam May Factor Into Boston Marathon Bombing

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 3 hours ago
One bomber is dead following a shootout with Boston police. The other is on the run with police in hot pursuit. Both men are implicated in an earlier shooting that left a M.I.T. police officer dead. Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, died in hospital, apparently of gunshot wounds. 19-year old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is being hunted down in the Boston Watertown neighbourhood. News reports claim police have him cornered. The suspects came to America with their families less than ten years ago from central Asia, having lived in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. The family is believed to be Chechen. L... more »

China represents 68 percent of increase in global CO2 emissions, India represents 8 percent

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 3 hours ago
[image: Cover of 'The Policy Climate' report from the Climate Policy Initiative, released on 15 April 2013. Graphic: CPI]By Jayashree Nandi 15 April 2013 NEW DELHI (TNN) – India represented 8% of the increase in global energy-related CO2 emissions between 2000 and 2010 according to a report by US based Climate Policy Initiative (CPI). In contrast, China represented a whopping 68% of the increase in global CO2 emissions. The study released on Monday at The Brookings Institution in Washington DC, claims to have analysed the impact of three decades of implementation of various kind... more »

Al Gore: ‘The world as a whole is putting 90 million tonnes of global warming pollution into the atmosphere every day as if it is an open sewer’

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 3 hours ago
[image: Al Gore spoke at a conference in Dublin looking at the links between hunger, nutrition, and climate change, 17 April 2013. Photo: Press Association] By Evelyn Ring 17 April 2013 (Irish Examiner) – We are using the atmosphere as if it is an open sewer, former US vice-president Al Gore, told a major international conference on hunger and climate change in Dublin yesterday. “The world as a whole is putting 90 million tonnes of global warming pollution into the atmosphere every day as if it is an open sewer,” Mr Gore said on the second and final day of the conference, co-host... more »

The Capitalist Reformation? Not Holding Breath, Not Holding Breath.

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 3 hours ago
Even dedicated capitalists are beginning to realize they're in a hole to nowhere and they have to stop digging. Just as classical economic models are being recognized as obsolete and of waning utility in a finite world heading toward a population of nine-billion, so too is capitalism coming under self-scrutiny. *Peter Bakker, president of the World Business Council on Sustainable Development, recently observed: "I am a capitalist … The mistake currently lies in only expecting (and managing) a return on financial capital. Capitalism requires a new operating system, and needs to be re... more »

Accord would regulate fishing in Arctic waters as sea ice melts away

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 3 hours ago
[image: Deep sea fishing trawler Shetland Challenger fishing for shrimp through the Arctic ice. Photo: Craig Taylor] By ANDREW E. KRAMER 16 April 2013 MOSCOW (The New York Times) – It was once protected by ice. Now regulation will have to do the work. The governments of the five countries with coastline on the Arctic have concluded that enough of the polar ice cap now melts regularly in the summertime that an agreement regulating commercial fishing near the North Pole is warranted. Talks are scheduled for later this month among diplomats and fisheries officials from Norway, D... more »

CHANGE THE WORDS

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 4 hours ago
Activists in Stockholm, Sweden recently changed the signs inside the metro - putting peace messages where bland adverts had been.

Brief Notes on 9/15

Daniel Nexon at Duck of Minerva - 4 hours ago
Boston on lockdown. One suspect dead. One –apparently a CRLS graduate –still at large. The fact is that we still don’t have adequate information for much in the way of meaningful speculation. But I do think it useful to call attention to three related issues: One of the major memes developing among the online national-security Continue reading

Read Stuff, You Should

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 4 hours ago
Happy Birthday to Tim Curry, 67. Hey, I did not realize that he was involved in "Clone Wars." Anyway, mainly because he was in the sadly underappreciated "Oscar." Not sure that anyone is interested right now with the Boston manhunt going on, but there's always good stuff: 1. More from Sarah Binder on the gun bill and the 60 vote threshold. Excellent, of course. 2. Matt Yglesias on low-skill immigrants and the principles involved in immigration policy. 3. And John Patty on the gun vote.

Aaron Schock, GOP Closet Twink, Defends Twinkies' Right To Poison You Without Government Interference

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 4 hours ago
Twinkies Aaron Schock is still whining he just hasn't met the right gal yet but he isn't fooling anyone in Peoria-- and especially not anyone who went to Richwoods High School or Illinois Central College. He likes Ding Dongs a lot more than he likes ladies. And he did an OpEd for *Politico* about it this week. The overly ambitious closet case-- second youngest Member of Congress after the equally conservative Patrick Murphy-- wants to run for governor of Illinois. So he's burnishing his credentials as a pro-Business, anti-regulations Ayn Rand fanboy. Perhaps he hopes it will get vote... more »

Vampire Government

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 4 hours ago
Claiming "We Can't Afford It," The Harper government has been killing all arms length entities whose job has been to hold the government to account. Its latest target is the Health Council of Canada. Michael Harris writes: HCC’s work has never been more important, as evidenced by the dour conclusions of the Mar. 27, 2012 Senate committee report on health care. Among other things, the committee found that after ten years of special government commitment and increased funding, real systemic transformation of the health system simply hadn’t happened. The HCC was one of the better t... more »

A Message from the SWP

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 4 hours ago
Remember the 'Lynch mob 500' list of SWP members who were quite happy to go along with their central committee's shameful handling of serious sexual assault allegations? Well, after a couple of months in the public domain the following comment was posted this morning. It has just been brought to my attention that you have published an internal Socialist Workers’ Party document including my and other signatories, on to a public blog without permission. I would like to make the following clear: a) The signatories who are members of this union continue to support the SWP’s handling of... more »

ALEC - Lining the Pockets of the Rich for 40 Years

2old2care at Because I Can - 4 hours ago
Excellent article on Alternet – please take the time to read the whole thing >>>>HERE<<<< *Poverty Expert Peter Edelman Explains How Low Wages and Racial Politics Line the Pockets of the Rich* A few snips from the article (out of order as were published) The minimum wage is what it is. It's not a living wage or a near-living wage. [The benefit of the proposal is] in terms of the effect that it has. It goes in the right direction, but it only gets part of the way to where we need to go. But we shouldn't disparage it, it's very important. At the margins, $9 an hour is a substantial ... more »

SEPARATE KILL LISTS

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 4 hours ago
*The Daily Show with Jon Stewart* Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Daily Show on Facebook Mark Mazzati tells Jon Stewart that there are two separate US kill lists for Yemen -- one for the CIA and one for the Pentagon. His new book on the CIA --* The Way of the Knife: The CIA, a Secret Army, and a War at the Ends of the Earth. ** *

Wow! Chechens in Boston. Framing Russia? Not a surprise.

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 5 hours ago
*As I said, right here, on this blog. If the fingers are pointed at Russia regarding the explosion in Boston...... Don’t be surprised.* *Tuesday April 16/13 in the post titled* :*Bombs at the Boston Marathon: Bomb sniffing dogs present pre-race*. If you had not read what I had suspected then, let me rehash here and now *“In all my years blogging, I recall a ball bearing attack taking place at a Moscow airport.* *Suspect in Moscow Airport bombing, reported dead months ago?!* *The suspect held extremist Wahhabi ideologies. So we are talking Chechen, most likely.* *His family claimed... more »

EFN Asia 18: Jeju Forum's Economic Panels

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 5 hours ago
* This is my guest post today in the EFN Asia website. --------- In less than six weeks, I will fly to Seoul, then Jeju, S. Korea, to attend the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity, May 29-31, 2013. The Economic Freedom Network (EFN) Asia will participate in one of the panel discussions on Day 2, and I will be the rapporteur for that panel. There will be plenty of panel discussions on those 2 1/2 days forum. To accommodate them all, there will be about five simultaneous discussions on each time block. See the list of topics here. Day 1, May 29, I plan to attend session 1-D, "*Cultur... more »

Yay! Friday!!!

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 5 hours ago

Ghosts, Dreams and Past Lives- Gift by Andrea J. Buchanan

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 5 hours ago
Daisy may go to an ordinary high school, but she is anything but ordinary. She has the ability to manipulate electronics of any kind. Unfortunately, this normally means frying them instead of something more useful. It has led her to live a chaotic life, moving from school to school after she creates problems and accidentally sets electronic fires. She is working to control her "gift" and fit it in her new school, but all of that changes when she befriends a fellow student who tries to commit suicide and starts have frighteningly real dreams about the murder of people who lived more... more »

Boston Bombings and Justin Trudeau

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 5 hours ago
You need to understand a cancer to treat it. Justin Trudeau’s comments about root causes and the Boston bombing are perfectly sensible. They show a politician who has something substantive to say. The comments are also consistent with sensible politicians of all political stripes. Defence Minister Peter MacKay, following the Oslo terror attacks, was widely quoted saying “we have to demonstrate and persevere and work together to try to find the root causes but also try to pre-empt and interrupt these types of attacks”. Both Trudeau and MacKay were correct.

Party List 6: Discourse with Luie Guia

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 5 hours ago
Today, the President announced the appointment of two new Comelec Commissioners, lawyers Luie Tito F. Guia and Al Parreño to replace retiring Commissioners Rene Sarmiento and Armando Velasco. Luie Guia is a friend way back in UP Diliman undergrad days in the 80s. He is also a friend in facebook, and we have exchanged ideas and debated several times, in a friendly and civil way. Congrats Luie. I am sure you will retain your objectivity and independence in doing your work. This photo, I got it in his facebook wall, made by his other friends. Ok, to the topic. About three weeks ago, b... more »

Ed Miliband's biggest donor and his Communist Party plea - The Commentator

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 6 hours ago
A fascinating article but not one that tells me anything surprising, the British Labour party has long contained Communist sympathisers. Many socialists are just light Communists. http://www.thecommentator.com/article/3285/ed_miliband_s_biggest_donor_and_his_communist_party_plea The hypocrisy is the key: ' But what would the media's response be if David Cameron's biggest financial backer propped up, and was on the management board of a major Fascist outlet, or some other antiquainted ideology that slaughtered millions? Yes, it'd be front page news. But Red Ed can carry on flying ... more »

Beware the uncomfortable chair ladies

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 6 hours ago

Mr Batsby defends freedom of speech

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 6 hours ago
' It appears to be hateful and loathsome and vile to drunkenly utter on social media a racist taunt which you then withdraw, but it is fine to loudly and widely revel in the death of an octogenarian and hurl abuse of the most extreme kind at any who defend her legacy. And now it turns out that being from Liverpool places you in a special class affording you protection from nasty words, presumably because you can't handle them when they're coming your way. Thus it was that Twitter stalwart @Old_Holborn was by all accounts arrested yesterday (although this is yet to be confirmed at... more »

FBI Was Searching for Boston Marathon Suspect BEFORE Bombing

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 6 hours ago
*Editor's Note: **The narrative is now shifting again, with new suspects announced. Between the Boston Police and the media outlets they have entrusted to carry their message to the public, immense distortion and conflicting reports have been made as "confirmed." Since it is clear the term "confirmed," no longer holds any relevance, Land Destroyer is suspending its coverage of Massachusetts until truly confirmed information is available. For continued analysis please instead follow @landdestroyer on Twitter. ** * *April **18, 2013 *(LD) - In late March 2013 CBS reported in their a... more »

Twitter launches -Music with artist recommendations

*Twitter has unveiled an innovative music app which will propose tracks based on who you follow on the social network.* Songs can be played indirectly in the app via services such as Radio, Spotify and iTunes. The software displays songs your friends are now listening to - as well as suggestions from artists. According to Twitter's Stephen Philips it uses Twitter activity, including tweets and engagement, to perceive and surface the most popular tracks and rising artists. Many companies have tried to hit into the probable of social suggestion for music. *At its launch, the late St... more »

Free Planet - genetic diversity FAR MORE IMPORTANT than family name - reduce the inbreeding

Mike Philbin at FREE PLANET - 7 hours ago
as Eugenics-theory would have it, it's better to KILL ONE RACE e.g. an enemy race, rather than DIMINISH ALL HUMANS in the following fashion: 30 YEAR BIRTH EMBARGO it's the only way to ensure a) continues Diversity of the genetic pool on Free Planet and b) the ability of this exhausted, raped and/or pillaged planet to successfully feed, clothe and/or shelter ALL its living inhabitants (that list includes plants, trees, fungus, fish, insect, mammal, bird - everything). Might seem harsh, and a little dictatorial, but (it's neither) hear me out. What's the point of a GO FORTH AND MULT... more »

"Contractors" at Boston Marathon Stood Near Bomb, Left Before Detonation

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 8 hours ago
(Photos) Seen across street after blasts talking with FBI bomb squad. Who were they? What were they and the FBI doing? *April 19, 2013* (LD) - What appear to be private contractors, wearing unmarked, matching uniforms and operating an unmarked SUV affixed with communication equipment near the finish line of the Boston Marathon shortly after the bomb blasts - can be seen beforehand, standing and waiting just meters away from where the first bomb was detonated. The contractor-types had moved away from the bomb's location before it detonated, and could be seen just across the street u... more »

Sasha Petrova - art dolls - elongated supermodel horror inspiration

Mike Philbin at FREE PLANET - 9 hours ago
those ceramic, china or porcelain vintage collectible dolls, right, there's something wrong about them; they're ugly, they're incestuous, they're real scary! Right? Well, (potentially-Polish ceramics artist) Sasha Petrova's dolls take that to the next level with elongated limbs like an anorexic supermodel cocaine eyes like an anorexic supermodel and champagne supping aplenty like an anorexic supermodel.

Overharvesting Our Future?

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 10 hours ago
We already know that eliminating an apex predator has a huge impact on diversity, at least in the near term. Thus our rapacious ways with the Oceans are having a similarly huge impact. It is also reasonable that every available tract is now been seriously overfished and been driven below the l9ine of sustainability as we have a rush to the bottom. The good news is that farmed fish is already half the market and will soon drive much of the wild catch from the market. Unfortunately, it will take another twenty years to exhaust this nonsense at least. I heave no confi... more »

Extreme Algal Blooms in Lake Erie

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 10 hours ago
Of course it is the new normal. So long as we use our present chemical dousing protocol, we will over load the ground water and cause excessive nutrification of the lakes and parts of the ocean. As we have posted many times the actual solution to all this is the establishment of biochar protocols. This naturally retains nutrients in the soil until a root arrives and frees it. Better, any nutrients re-released is reabsorbed. It is pretty neat and slowly been understood and implemented. Once that becomes the standard, all these blooms will disappear' so although these po... more »

Utility Industry Pending Solar Smack Down

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 10 hours ago
The take home here is that moderate penetration is smack down for the utilities industry. The focus today is on steadily cheapening solar, but this blog has covered a range of alternative energy solutions struggling to break into the market. What I had not understood before though was just how damaging the battery and solar combination promises to be. It will drive the utility industry completely out of the housing market as we know it. It only retainable niche will be night time refueling of electric cars and that will be easily matched by simple battery depots with an o... more »

Population Peak in 2050?

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 10 hours ago
Of course this all presumes that the established trends maintain themselves as all unique populations transition into modernism. The take home is that we will have an expanded population that sustains at close to ten billion people. My own opinion here is that we will actually transition into a sustainable lifeway that naturally demands and employs a high density steady state base population and that this could easily approach one hundred billion before we are finished. With extended life times typically approaching 300 years and global reproduction at maintenance,... more »

Three Emirati Men Ejected From Festival For Being Too Handsome

Three Emiratis have been forcibly removed from an annual culture festival in Saudi Arabia and sent back to the UAE (United Arab Emirates) after it was suggested that women might find them irresistible. (I am unable to find a picture of the actual three Emiratis removed. Photo courtesy: FAYEZ NURELDINE, AFP/Getty Images Three Emiratis have been forcibly removed from an annual culture festival in Saudi Arabia and sent back to the UAE after it was suggested that women might find them irresistible. The delegates from the UAE were at the Jenadrivah Heritage and Culture Festival in Riyad... more »

Beowulf's Descent Into The Underworld

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 11 hours ago
Related: *Mircea Eliade On Going Down Into The Belly of A Monster*. *C.S. Lewis On The Lord of the Rings*. An excerpt from C.S. Lewis's book, *"On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature."* 1966. C.S. Lewis Pte Ltd. Pg. 24-25. The final challenge and climax of *The Lord of the Rings* took place in the Chambers of Fire in Mount Doom. There Frodo faced both the baleful influence of the Enemy and the cataclysmic completion of his task. The quest was ultimately achieved, but through an unanticipated series of events. Descents of this type have an important role in myth, where they... more »

20-Years Later, Canada's Cod May Be Gone For Good

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 11 hours ago
We've waited two decades for east coast cod stocks to rebound. Now researchers say they haven't and they're not going to. *"Here we are more than 20 years after the cod was effectively depleted, and according to our analysis, the recovery of the cod stocks is highly improbable,” says fisheries scientist Jeffrey Hutchings at Dalhousie University, co-author of the study published in the journal Science on Thursday.* *He and his colleagues looked at 153 fish and invertebrate species around the world that have been so overfished their populations declined below their maximum sustain... more »

Phoenix – "Entertainment"

Batocchio at Vagabond Scholar - 11 hours ago
Here's their recent live session on KCRW.

"A Look to the Heavens"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 11 hours ago
“This skyscape finds an esthetic balance of interstellar dust and gas residing in the suburbs of the nebula rich constellation of Orion. Reflecting the light of bright star Rigel, Beta Orionis, the jutting, bluish chin of the Witch Head Nebula is at the upper left. *Click image for larger size.* Whiskers tracing the red glow of hydrogen gas ionized by ultraviolet starlight seem to connect that infamous visage with smaller nebulae, like dusty reflection nebula NGC 1788 at the right. Strong winds from Orion's bright stars have also shaped NGC 1788, and likely triggered the formatio... more »

April 16, 1973

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 11 hours ago
As Haldeman says, "Another all-Watergate day, as they generally tend to be now." Two things are going on, really. First is that the collapse of the cover-up is continuing. Haldeman and Ehrlichman are each still trying to save themselves, and Nixon too is still hoping that somehow the CRP backup coverup can be saved, presumably be keeping Dean and Magruder from reaching final deals with Justice. But at the same time, the president is putting together a new cover-up -- the cover-up of the cover-up. For that, Nixon is willing to sacrifice everyone in order to save himself and his pres... more »

BOSTON PATSIES? PRESSURE COOKER HOAX? NORWAY

Anon at aangirfan - 11 hours ago
The Boston suspects, the Tsarnaevs, are believed to have emigrated from Chechnya. Allegedly, the Beslan school massacre was carried out by Chechens working for the CIA. 'GLADIO B' / THE CIA'S MOSLEMS / RUSSIA / BEREZOVSKY; LITVINENKO; JEWISH MAFIA / OSAMA 'WAS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN' *Do they look suspicious?* The Islamist extremists in Chechnya were organised by the CIA. *Strange inconsistency "It would have been so easy to wear sunglasses, pull down their caps, and keep their heads down."* *Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (left), 19, "is at large". Tamerlan Tsarnaev (right), 26, "was run o... more »

Lisa Harrison Interviews OPPT Trustee Randall Hillner

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 12 hours ago

Excellent capture of 'steam' at Fukushima Daiichi

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 12 hours ago
Wotcha posted this link to a screenshot illustrating Fukushima steaming at Enenews here http://s1310.photobucket.com/user/Wotcha1/media/Fuku19thApr2013_zps5f08d85e.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

CHILD ABUSERS; CORONATION STREET; EASTENDERS; TOMORROW'S PEOPLE; DR WHO; GRANGE HILL

Anon at aangirfan - 12 hours ago
*Coronation Street kids* In the UK, the child abuse rings reportedly have links to TV. Michael Le Vell has appeared in a UK soap opera called Coronation Street. Le Vell has been charged with 19 child sex offences including rape, indecent assault and sexual activity with a child aged 6. BBC News - Coronation Street's Michael Le Vell in court on child sex ... *Child abusers and* TV *Coronation Street kid* Andrew Lancel has appeared in Coronation Street. He has been accused accused of two counts of indecent assault on a child under 14 and two counts of indecent assault on a child und... more »

A Hero’s Welcome Home

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 12 hours ago
* * *http://adaptingtograce.com/2013/04/18/a-heros-welcome-home/* *A Hero’s Welcome Home* 18 Apr 2013 Posted by 1Akabal The fullness of our being descends Where we are lifted once again Larger views Crash into All that we once knew Though beautiful pieces remain After the Messenger of pain Dances us To the dawn Of a Golden Day The other night there were three of us OPPT’ers having another marathon Skype phone chat. One of the many topics we covered was what it was like in our lives leading up to this now moment – where we are all meeting each other with grand enth... more »

Saskatchewan Becomes First Province To Mandate Compulsory Asbestos Registration ... 'Howard's Law'

leftdog at Buckdog - 13 hours ago
** [image: Progressive Bloggers] *MLAs on both sides of the aisle have voted unanimously to pass a groundbreaking asbestos registry law.*** * Howard’s Law was introduced by NDP Leader Cam Broten in the fall. It will create a mandatory registry of public buildings that contain asbestos and require that list to be available online – the first system of its kind in Canada.*** * “Passing Howard’s Law means that working people and families will have more information when making decisions about their health,” said Broten. “Whether you’re choosing a seniors care home for grandma or gettin... more »

It Would Be Great To Get Allyson Schwartz Out Of Congress, But Is She The Best Pennsylvania Democrats Can Come Up With For Governor?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 13 hours ago
John Hanger Allyson Schwartz is a champion of women's rights. Other than that, though, hers is a profile in cowardice. Right-wingers call her a liberal-- which her miserable voting record shows she isn't-- and she moves to the right. She's exactly what is *not* needed in the already dysfunctional political system. Pennsylvania would almost be better off with an outright conservative being pressured to move towards the center, than with Schwartz, who is already right-of-center and will always give in to pressure to move right. A vice chair of the corrupt, Big Business-owned New Dems,... more »

The Daily "Near You?"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 14 hours ago
Manitowoc, Wisconsin, USA. Thanks for stopping by.

Chet Raymo, “Navigating”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 14 hours ago
*“Navigating”* by Chet Raymo “My ignorance grows by leaps and bounds. I try to keep up. I read "Science" and "Nature" every week. I check the new-book shelves in the college library for anything of interest. I do a modest amount of surfing science sources on the internet. Yet I fall farther and farther behind. The store of reliable human knowledge accumulates exponentially faster than my ability to assimilate. So I mostly tend my bailiwick. My own little garden of verses. The wispy bits of universe that cling to my life like an aura of places been, things seen, syllables he... more »

This Is Just Sick: US Defense Secretary Says US "Can" (Will) Support Israel "If" (When) It Attacks Iran!

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 14 hours ago
Again, with much of the news still focused in on the false flag attack in Boston Massachusetts, there is plenty happening elsewhere in the world... There is the continuing economic mess in Europe, and even the threat of war against North Korea as prime examples... And of course we cannot forget about the criminal state of Israel and its continuing sabre rattling campaign against the innocent and peaceful nation of Iran. For this article, I want to present a very disturbing piece of news that comes from the Times Of Israel website, at www.timesofisrael.com, where the new US Defense S... more »

AMERICAN FOLLIES

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 14 hours ago
- It's a sad testimony about politics in the US these days when the simplest of gun control measures could not get approved in the Senate which is controlled by the Democrats. Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) announced Thursday that the Senate will “take a pause” and return to consideration of gun legislation at a later date. Don't hold your breath waiting. Polls show that 90% of the citizens wanted something - anything - done to stop the spread of gun violence across the nation but the influence of the corporate gun industry stood in the way.... more »

US Senate declares the entire USA to be a "Battleground"

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 15 hours ago
http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-711747 This is from 2011, but you should know about it... -AK *US Senate declares the entire USA to be a "Battleground".* By NikkiClark87 Posted December 2, 2011 A bill passed late last night (93-7 votes) that declares the entire United States of America a battleground. What this means is that the U.S. Military can now operate with impunity, and grant the U.S. Military the unchecked power to arrest, detain, interrogate, and even assassinate United States citizens with impunity. What this means is the United States is basically declaring war with ... more »

How does this, Fit into that?

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 15 hours ago

The Gordion Knot of Modern Industrialism - Pricing Natural Capital

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 15 hours ago
"Natural capital" comprises things from nature that belong to no one and to everyone - things like the atmosphere. Other types of natural capital are considered national assets, like a country's groundwater. Natural capital is what allows us to go for lovely walks through the forest or camping in national parks. It is also what sustains almost all life on the planet. Yet throughout the history of mankind and, particularly ever since the Industrial Revolution, industry has treated natural capital as its own and a freebie at that. In a world in which the demand for natural cap... more »

Questions About The Boston Marathon Bombing

Big Dan at Big Dan's Big Blog - 16 hours ago
Are the FBI/CIA/MOSSAD the #1 suspects? YES, as always. They have proven this to me since 911. *Boston Bombing Culprits Identified?* *Navy SEALs Spotted at Boston Marathon Wearing Suspicious Backpacks?* *FBI Ignores Men With Backpacks At Scene of Boston Bombings* *Photos: Private military operatives hired to 'work' the Boston marathon with black backpacks, radiation detectors, tactical gear* LISTEN CLOSELY TO HOW "DRILLS": ARE ALWAYS BEING DONE BY OUR GOVERNMENT WHENEVER THERE'S A "TERRORIST ATTACK" - Listen to Lieutenant Colonel Potter Please *NYTimes: Terrorist Plots, Hat... more »

Chris Hadfield's High School Science Experiment in Space

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 16 hours ago
The Canadian commanding the International Space Station, Chris Hadfield, took a science experiment request from two high school girls from Nova Scotia. It's a lot of fun.

Fed Discusses Ending Fractional Reserve Lending

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 16 hours ago
This is Professor Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University speaking at the "Fixing the Banking System for Good" conference on April 17, 2013. This audio is absolutely EXPLOSIVE! You can now Pre-Order the new documentary, "Jekyll Island" at: www.jekyllisland-themovie.com

Nuggets-- Mostly Gun Control

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 16 hours ago
Good news: Ken is out of the hospital and his operation was a complete success. Hopefully, he'll be back in this slot soon. Meanwhile: bit and pieces I missed the last couple of days *Arkansas ConservaDem Mike Ross Is Back* Corrupt Blue Dog Mike Ross is throwing his hat into the ring in Arkansas' gubernatorial race. The Republican in the race is right-wing fanatic Asa Hutchinson and the Democrat running is former Lt. Gov. Bill Halter. Ross hopes to position himself in between, just like his entire sordid career in Congress was, where he had the distinction of voting more frequentl... more »

AN IMMORAL MUGGING

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 16 hours ago

In Harper and CON universe, bullies rule.

noreply@blogger.com (deBeauxOs) at DAMMIT JANET! - 16 hours ago
Two recent news items regarding the regard PMSHithead has for certain types of people. First: Shirish Chotalia. [Public Service Integrity Commissioner Mario Dion] called Chotalia's behaviour "totally unacceptable" and said that in his nearly 2½ years on the job, he's never come across a worse case of behaviour towards employees that shows a "total lack of respect." He said Chotalia created a "poisoned atmosphere" in the workplace, and that her manner towards not just her staff but to appointed members of the tribunal was often "belittling and humiliating." Some of Chotalia's beh... more »

ALEC Policy Failure Costs Calif $700 Million Each Year

2old2care at Because I Can - 16 hours ago
From Bloomberg: Since 1986, California has used an “enterprise zone” program in an effort to spur investment and job creation* in specified areas*. The state awards tax credits, more than $700 million a year as of 2010, to businesses that hire designated kinds of workers within the zones. The program is popular with businesses and local officials. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear to create jobs. A 2009 study by the Public Policy Institute of California found no difference in job creation between zoned and comparable unzoned areas. Given this finding, Governor Jerry Brown wisely tr... more »

Twin Cities KTCN Rabid NRA Radio Host - Tells Newtown Parents to "Go to Hell"

2old2care at Because I Can - 17 hours ago
I have friends who come in from out of state and accidentally punch in the wrong radio station and end up listening to some really nasty right wing stuff. From Daily Kos – as taken from Crooks and Liars and as noted on the Thom Hartmann show this afternoon: A Minnesota radio host said he would like to tell the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims to "go to hell" for infringing on his gun rights. Bob Davis was discussing those affected by the Newtown, Conn., tragedy during a Friday segment of his show, "Davis & Emmer," on Twin Cities News Talk AM 1130, a... more »

Nick Stern's Carbon Bubble Warning

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 17 hours ago
Nick Stern is the latest voice to warn of the Carbon Bubble that threatens to plunge world markets into yet another financial crisis. The former World Bank chief economist, currently I.G. Patel professor of economics at the London School of Economics, has joined with the Carbon Tracker thinktank to release a report finding that two-thirds of known fossil fuel reserves will have to be left in the ground if the world is to avoid truly dangerous climate change impacts. *Stern said that far from reducing efforts to develop fossil fuels, the top 200 companies spent $674bn (£441bn) in 20... more »

What Were America's Founding Fathers Thinking?

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 17 hours ago
Why this, of course.

“The Wit and Wisdom of Will Rogers”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago
*“The Wit and Wisdom of Will Rogers”* by Tom Purcell "Things are mighty heated these days. Tempers are flaring and minds are closed. Here’s the solution: the wit and wisdom of Will Rogers. “The short memory of voters is what keeps our politicians in office.” “We’ve got the best politicians that money can buy.” “A fool and his money are soon elected.” Rogers spoke these words during the Great Depression, but they’re just as true today. With 24-hour news channels, our memories are shorter than ever. And in the mass-media age, the politician who can afford the most airtime f... more »

"How It Really Is"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago

Canadian creativity . . .

Edstock at The Galloping Beaver - 17 hours ago
CONSIDERING OUR CURRENT Stevie situation, this seems rather inspirational. According to a report from the CBC, we have "Canadian glow-in-the-dark toilet seats to light the way".

The Economy: "Before the Collapse, a Call to Action"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago
*"Before the Collapse, a Call to Action"* by Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers "Before we get to the impact of the Obama budget, let’s explode a critical myth: there is no recovery (at least for the 99%). Last month’s unemployment numbers revealed the fraud of the unemployment rate. Even though the country produced less than 90,000 new jobs, when over 120,000 are needed to keep up with growth, the unemployment rate declined. Why? Because hundreds of thousands are giving up on work each month and they don’t get counted. At present, over 100 million working age Americans do n... more »

Of Bombings and Tax Havens: Terrorizing the Economy"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago
"*Of Bombings and Tax Havens: Terrorizing the Economy"* by Laura Flanders "Two acts of cruelty claimed lives this tax day. One was criminal, bloody and shocked a nation. The other was routine, legal and potentially way more deadly. They both rely on secrecy. The bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon were planted by we don’t know whom. The tax haven: a killer at the heart of our world economy, was planted by the planet’s richest people, businesses and banks with the complicity of their governments. *Click image for larger sizes.* * * Compare tax evasion to terro... more »

The Path of Love

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 18 hours ago
*Received this from a reader:* *...they credit Sufi philosopher Ibn Arabi for this writing:* My heart holds within it every form, it contains a pasture for gazelles, a monastery for Christian monks. There is a temple for idol-worshippers, a holy shrine for pilgrims; There is the table of the Torah, and the Book of the Koran. I follow the religion of Love and go whichever way His camel leads me. This is the true faith; This is the true religion. - Ibn Arabi Follow that camel! ☺ Pilar

Despite its troubles, Libya flashes cash for Egypt and worse

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 19 hours ago
*I find it highly irregular that Libya is shoring up Egypt... with cash.* *Why?* A country still rebuilding from civil war and prowled by loosely-governed bands of idle and heavily armed youths, Libya might seem an unlikely donor to bail out its bigger neighbour Egypt. NATO bombs in Libya But by quietly finding $2 billion of its oil-derived wealth to deposit in the Egyptian central bank, Libya is stepping back into its old role as North Africa's answer to the Gulf petro-states, discreetly deploying its cash to secure its interests. Libya's central bank governor, Saddeq ... more »

Without the Filibuster?

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 19 hours ago
I mostly want to call everyone's attention to two excellent posts, by Brian Beutler and by Ryan Grim, which take seriously a key fact about the gun bill consideration: simple majority votes on amendments would have not only allowed Democratic amendments to pass, but would also have allowed Republican amendments to pass. In particular, the Grassley substitute, backed by the NRA, received 52 votes. But I'll do a little speculation and thinking about reform options from where they leave off. As they both point out, in a simple-majority environment, things might have been different. It'... more »

Brave Mark Warawa ^NOT

noreply@blogger.com (fern hill) at DAMMIT JANET! - 20 hours ago
Been away from the fray for a bit, so to catch up. Warawa's Wank is toast. Conservative MP Mark Warawa is dropping his bid for a vote on his motion to condemn sex-selective abortion, an issue that caused several MPs to split with the rest of the party's caucus in recent weeks. Warawa told reporters on his way into the House of Commons that he is tabling a bill tomorrow that deals with sex offenders who serve house arrest in the same neighbourhoods as their victims, revictimizing them when they encounter each other in the community. Another brave stand. Warawa demands: Do you stand ... more »

Whose Fault Was The Gun Control Vote In The Senate?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 20 hours ago
I don't know anything about Andrew Kaczynski or his politics. He writes for a website called BuzzFeed and he tweeted the above just after every Republican but 3 voted against a moderate, bipartisan background check amendment and after every Democrat except 4 voted for it... some of those Democrats voting against it being very much red state Dems, including Red state Dems facing difficult reelection battles. Many observers were shocked that Arizona freshman Jeff Flake voted NO and some say that had he or Portman signaled they would be YES votes, the 4 Democratic cowards would have ... more »

Mark Carney: Supports Canadian Bail in regime- NO GUARANTEES FOR DEPOSITORS

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 20 hours ago
[image: http://shawglobalnews.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/ajw108095742_high.jpg?w=335&h=251&crop=1] The Canadian Bank "bail in" news is making the rounds yet again... Central Banker Mark Carney is pushing the same lies I have already addressed in the two previous posts on this subject and yes, I am going to relink them! Canadian deposits safe under bail-in, but no guarantee: Carney *"Mark Carney says policy-makers are working diligently to devise an international “bail-in” regime to prevent big bank failures, but he offered no guarantee global depositors would be protected under all... more »

Federal Reserve Refuses to Submit to an Audit of Germany’s Gold Held in U.S. Vaults

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 21 hours ago
* http://nsnbc.me/2013/04/18/federal-reserve-refuses-to-submit-to-an-audit-of-germanys-gold-held-in-u-s-vaults-2/ * * * *Federal Reserve Refuses to Submit to an Audit of Germany’s Gold Held in U.S. Vaults* by nsnbc Dr. Long Xinming (4M),- The German government has been storing about half of its gold supply with the US FED, apparently in the NYC FED vaults. Germany decided to bring home all its gold, but the FED has said that isn’t possible to do, and it would need until 2020 to be able to accomplish the transfer. The German government then asked to visit the FED vaults to invento... more »

Dear FERC: We The People Do Not Approve!

Alex Lotorto at Stop The Tennessee Pipeline! - 21 hours ago
Many folks traveled down to Washington DC for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission meeting today who have been involved in the Tennessee and Millenium Pipeline fights, including the Minisink Compressor Station in Orange County, NY. FERC is the Obama-appointed commission that decides the fate of people and property owners who live in the path of Big Energy infrastructure like intrastate gas pipelines, including eminent domain condemnation. FERC did not order an Environmental Impact Study and allowed only a limited Environmental Assessment of the Tennessee Pipeline Northeast U... more »

Backbenchers Spring officially over

Alison at Creekside - 21 hours ago
Two weeks ago the Backbenchers Spring was full of hope as Langley Con MP Mark Warawa and his five brave Con backbenchers rose up to defend the very soul of democracy, and incidentally, Wawawa's right to independent Steve-free abortion speech in the House of Commons in the form of Motion 408. Sadly it was not to be. Yesterday ... Wawawa will drop bid for vote on sex-selective abortion : *"Over that last couple of weeks, I seriously considered my options and how best to move this issue forward.**I've decided to continue working on the sex selection, gendercide issue by speaking at u... more »

Does The Economist magazine portray the British economy in an intellectualy honest fashion? Not in my book! What do you think?

David L Griscom at Cherchez la Verite - 21 hours ago
------------------------------ Thatcherism: Good or Bad for Britain? by David L Griscom | April 17, 2012 The April 13th edition of The Economist magazine featured a picture of Margaret Thatcher on the cover together with the words "Freedom fighter." What did they mean by that? Well, they said "She thought nations could be great only if individuals were set free." They clarified this thought as "...the right of individuals to run their own lives, as free as possible from micromanagement from the states." The Economist goes on to say that when Tharcher took power "She privatized ... more »

Christy Clark, Will You Denounce Ezra Levant For Attacking Adrian Dix`s Wife?(updated at bottom)

Grant G at The Straight Goods - 21 hours ago
Watch the shocking video featuring Ezra Levant attacking Adrian Dix`s wife last night on Sun News Network, it was the most disgusting display of dirty lowbrow journalism I have ever seen in Canada....(At the 8:40 mark of the below linked video is where Ezra attacks Adrian`s wife) Video in the below link http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/battlegroundbc/archives/2013/04/20130417-183235.html Ezra Levant is not only a bald-faced liar, he`s a dirtbag, the lowest form of sleaze, there is no bigger liar, spinner, lowbrow pond dwelling slimer. Ezra Levant is free to whore for big... more »

Update: Why weren’t 54 votes enough?

bob somerby at the daily howler - 21 hours ago
*THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2013* *This just in from Fallows, with an acidic flahback:* In this post, James Fallows discusses the matter of yesterday's insufficient 54 votes. We weren’t being facetious in our earlier post. After reading Jonathan Weisman’s jumble of verbiage in today’s New York Times, we no longer felt we knew why 54 votes weren’t enough on the gun bill. After reading Fallows today, we’re *still* not completely sure we know. But let these points be clear: In this morning's Washington Post, one person after another failed to explain, in any way, why 54 votes weren’t enough... more »

When the Middle Class Finally Revolts

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 21 hours ago
Across the western world, our political classes are oblivious to the powder keg of revolt they're sitting on. So warns Polish philosopher, Marcin Krol . *Notwithstanding received ideas to the contrary, the poor and downtrodden have never been the driving force behind western revolutions. They have always been instigated by the middle class. * *In the classic case of the French Revolution, the revolutionary vanguard was composed of lawyers, entrepreneurs, civil servants of the time and sympathetic army officers. The economic factor was important, but not primary. Revolutionary move... more »

Exploding the myth of over-regulated industry

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 21 hours ago
By now you've heard about the horrible explosion at the fertilizer plant in Texas. We don't know what caused it yet, but deliberate sabotage is rarely the cause of these things. It's a pretty safe guess it had to do with shoddy plant maintenance and/or cheating on safety practices. Not that the company will ever admit to it. In fact, they assured the people of West, this couldn't possibly happen. The fertilizer plant that exploded Wednesday night in West, Texas, reported to the Environmental Protection Agency and local public safety officials that it presented no risk of fire or ... more »

The American Power Elite Should Read Confucius And Get Its Act In Order

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 21 hours ago
Trust in government across the world is at an all-time low, but it is especially low in America, where U.S. officials have consistently lied to the people about nearly everything for over half a century now. The unraveling of the official media and government response to the Boston marathon bombings is a sign that the criminally led government in America is unable to govern public perceptions and manage the public psyche. Watch *Alex Jones's interview with Dr. Steve Pieczenik* about the botched false flag in Boston. A society without a functioning and stable government is even... more »

Mohawk Nation News 'Indigenous Canaries'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 21 hours ago
INDIGENOUS CANARIES Posted on April 18, 2013 MNN. Apr. 17, 2013. Canary in the coal mine is about caged canaries that miners carry down into the tunnels. If dangerous gases leak into the mine, the canary dies, giving the miners time to escape to safety. The public turned away when they saw the Indigenous genocide program of rape, abuse, denial of

GAIA PORTAL: Energetics of Gaia are Staged for Stepping to Next Level

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 22 hours ago
* * * * *Energetics of Gaia are Staged for Stepping to Next Level* by ÉirePort Monitors of Gaia report that energetics of the Gaia planetary body are staged for stepping to the next level... Energetically, on Individual and Collective basis, as well as "Galactic-ally". Hue-manity has embraced that which resonates with this process. "humanity" (small h) has consented to the possibility of a "next level", and thus procedures for "up steps" of "humanity" (small h) have been analyzed, approved, and set in motion. As these are Higher-than-3-4D, many have sensed the results of the up st... more »

Michael James : Moving Right Along

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 22 hours ago
Rapid rolling wheels at U.S. Track and Field Championships, Haywood Field, Eugene, Oregon, 1993. Photo by Michael James from his forthcoming book, Michael Gaylord James'  Pictures from the Long Haul. Pictures from the Long Haul: Rapid rolling wheels and the momentum of Boston For me the Boston bombings have kindled memories, images, and observations of people who -- despite their challenges

Harvard School of Public Health Cites Negative Impact of Fluoride on Chidren's Neurological Development

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 22 hours ago
Hat Tip: Craig (thanks for this informative article) Harvard School of Public Health: Impact of fluoride on neurological development in children http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/fluoride-childrens-health-grandjean-choi/ July 25, 2012 — For years health experts have been unable to agree on whether fluoride in the drinking water may be toxic to the developing human brain. Extremely high levels of fluoride are known to cause neurotoxicity in adults, and negative impacts on memory and learning have been reported in rodent studies, but little is known about the substance’s im... more »

Expert evidence on the frailties of eyewitness evidence not admissible

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 22 hours ago
R. v. Frimpong, 2013 ONCA 243 holds: [23] The appellant has two submissions in respect of the expert's evidence, one broad and one more narrow. The broad submission asks this court to depart from its pronouncement in *R. v. McIntosh* (1997), 117 C.C.C. (3d) 385 and hold admissible expert evidence explaining in general the frailties and dangers inherent in eyewitness identification evidence. This record offers no basis for any departure from *McIntosh*. Dr. Lindsay's [the defence expert] brief commentary on the abilities of jurors to properly assess identification evidence... more »

Ed Felien : Komen and Cancer: Cause and Effect?

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 22 hours ago
These women are protesting the Komen Foundation's defunding of Planned Parenthod -- later retracted -- at headquarters in Dallas,  February 7, 2012. But there may be other reasons to say "Shame on Komen!" Photo by Rex C. Curry / AP. Image from PBS. Komen Foundation: Is the 'Race for the Cure' actually a 'Race to Obscure'? Even more troubling than the revelation of their right-wing

Satire: “Courageous Senators Stand Up to American People”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 22 hours ago
*“Courageous Senators Stand Up to American People”* by Andy Borowitz WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)— “In the halls of the United States Senate, dozens of Senators congratulated themselves today for having what one of them called “the courage and grit to stand up to the overwhelming wishes of the American people.” “We kept hearing, again and again, that ninety per cent of the American people wanted us to vote a certain way,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky). “Well, at the end of the day, we decided that we weren’t going to cave in to that kind of sp... more »

Clapper: Iran Still Not Building a Nuclear Weapon; Purpose of Sanctions is to Foster Unrest

Nima Shirazi at Wide Asleep in America - 22 hours ago
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, April 18, 2013 (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and director of the Defense Intelligence Agency Army Lieutenant General Michael Flynn testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee today and reiterated the same assessment regarding Iran as was delivered in March 2013. The exact same

"alec exposed is lies" - In Search of Truth

2old2care at Because I Can - 22 hours ago
"alec exposed is lies" - that was in my search terms. Someone out there is trying so hard to try to figure out what is truth and what is not. So - I figured I'd post this for anyone else that uses that search term again - to help them find the truth, - the whole truth and - nothing but the truth. So I repeat this entry - from just before the holidays - which will bring them immediately to the truth. As we get ready to spend time with friends and families over the holidays - we should consider that it would be a good time to educate them on ALEC. As we get ready to start a new po... more »

Who Is Actually Dividing Our Society?

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 22 hours ago
The United States and, to a lesser extent Canada, have fallen victim to wedge politics. We become victims when our society is fractured, made suspicious of and hostile to each other. This malevolence is Stephen Harper's weapon of choice. This isn't natural any more than it is accidental. Frequently our differences seem to be magnified in order to herd us into camps. Here, a co-founder of Tea Party Patriots, Mark Meckler, speaks of finding much common ground with MoveOn.Org's Joan Blades and asks why the political classes and their media minions stoke the fires of distrust.

Everything You Want To Know About the 60 Vote Threshold Agreement

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 22 hours ago
The votes on the gun bill amendments were held under a unanimous consent agreement requiring 60 yes votes for an amendment to be adopted. That seems to have confused some of the coverage, in particular about whether this was filibuster-related or not. The answer, as I said yesterday, is that it absolutely is filibuster-related: Manchin-Toomey and the other amendments which reached 51 votes but not 60 were in fact defeated by filibuster, and that's what reporters should be saying. See yesterday's post for the general discussion of the gun bill and filibusters, but here I want to sketc... more »

The useful idiots of Newtown threaten the rights of the majority...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 23 hours ago
*yes - that's right, I called them useful idiots. * *Some observations before I head off to work: * First we have Francine Wheeler giving the weekly radio address instead of the president. Then we have Mark Barden introducing Obama after the vote on gun control (in which Obama acted like a petulant child.) These people were flown to DC via Air Force One. Are they also having their accommodations paid for? One would think so. Your tax dollars at work. Here's a tidbit on Francine Wheeler you may not know: Francine Wheeler, the Newtown mom giving Obama's weekly radio address isn'... more »

It's only just begun

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 23 hours ago
Our broken Senate managed to prevent any reform of gun safety regulations yesterday. In a way it's almost a good thing because there were more amendments than just the watered down expansion of background checks that failed to break the perpetual filibuster requirement of 60 votes. In fact, the GOP's Cornyn amendment to further weaken interstate gun safety laws got more votes than Manchin-Toomey, though it also failed to reach the magic number. While many were angered and disappointed by this complete failure of good governance, few have more reason to be angry than Gabby Giffords ... more »

Age of conspiracies

Roobin at THROUGH THE SCARY DOOR - 23 hours ago
This picture has been buzzing round the internet immediately after the Boston bombings. Who is this man? The Boston bombings are compelling firstly because they are awful to contemplate but secondly because they are, as of yet, motiveless (if it was Al-Qaeda we would have been told straight away). The President initially did not even call the bombings and act of terrorism, then he did, but he still upset some people. For the time being there is room for myth-making and pareidolia. What was that man doing on the roof? What would anyone do on a roof? There are immediate psychologica... more »

White Girl Bleed a Lot: The Return of Racial Violence and How the Media Ignore It

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 1 day ago
You can order Colin Flaherty's book *"White Girl Bleed a Lot": The Return of Racial Violence to America* from Amazon.com *here*.

Gina McCarthy and the Failed Radnet System

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 1 day ago
Gina McCarthy is the new nominee to run the EPA. I'm wondering how she could have been nominated given the EPA Inspector General report that found Radnet to have been operating very poorly during the Fukushima events in March-April 2011. She failed in her responsibility for overseeing the private contractor that runs Radnet. Here are the recommendations for reform found in the EPA Inspector General report: http://www.epa.gov/oig/reports/2012/20120419-12-P-0417.pdf We recommend that the Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation establish and enforce expectations for RadNet ope... more »

Remember Afghanistan? It Was In All the Newspapers?

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 1 day ago
I wouldn't begrudge Canada's paying over one-billion dollars a year to free a country of 30 million people from tyranny. Seriously. But I do kinda resent Canada's having spent almost $20 billion since 2001 in Afghanistan to impose one brutal tyranny on that country, rather than another one. So how's Canada's largest foreign policy investment since WWII working out? Check it out! Faced with an impending withdrawal deadline and tightening budgets, U.S. planners created another security entity, the Afghan Local Police (ALP), which they have pitched as an affordable short-term fix to ... more »

Can Republican Closet Case Lindsey Graham Survive A Primary?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
*"I am running to replace Senator Lindsey Graham because I believe that after 20 years in Washington he is out of touch with South Carolina values and voters. Although Senator Graham might be hard-working and sincere, I cannot distinguish his core principles and can no longer trust his judgment. It is time for a new voice in Washington. We need a voice that represents Christian, conservative, and Republican principles instead of the latest bi-partisan 'deal' that simply makes matters worse."* -Richard Cash Cash is running against Lindsey Graham for the Republican nomination for t... more »

BEFORE THE BOSTON BOMBS

Anon at aangirfan - 1 day ago
*Triple Canopy, founded in Chicago in 2003 by U.S. Army Special Forces veterans.* * * Before Boston, there was Mumbai. US trained mercenaries may have been used in both attacks. Some of the Mumbai gunmen appear to have been beer-drinking white men, according to a BBC report. According to the BBC, 27 November 2008: (BBC NEWS Mumbai attackers create 'killing zone'): "The 'fair skinned' men, as Mr Mishra remembers them, simply carried on killing..."* * *Triple Canopy* have recent experience managing cases in India, Nigeria and Somalia. (Experience Triple Canopy ) In the Mumbai a... more »

How did a minority of senators kill an important bill?

bob somerby at the daily howler - 1 day ago
*THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2013* *The Washington Post and the New York Times can’t or won’t explain:* In this morning’s New York Times, the editors thundered about the gun vote. As they did, they created a bit of a puzzle. Since the senate has 100 members in all, how the heck did 45 senators manage to kill the bill? NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIAL (4/18/13): *For 45 senators, the carnage at Sandy Hook Elementary School is a forgotten tragedy.* The toll of 270 Americans who are shot every day is not a problem requiring action. The easy access to guns on the Internet, and the inevitability of the ... more »

INTERVIEW / Jonah Raskin : Documentary Filmmakers Doug Hecker and Christopher Oscar Dish on 'Junk Food News'

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 1 day ago
Documentary filmmakers Christopher Oscar, left, and Doug Hecker. Doug Hecker and Christopher Oscar: Documentary filmmakers on media, civil liberties, and 'Project Censored' “The corporate rules are simple: tell the news the way you're told to tell the news or ratings will decline and you'll be out of a job.” -- Doug Hecker, Co-Producer, Co-Director, Co-Writer, 'Project Censored: The Movie'

the greatest instrument for mass persuasion

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 1 day ago
Experiments conducted by researcher Herbert Krugman reveal that when a person watches television, brain activity switches from the left to the right hemisphere. The left hemisphere is the seat of logical thought. Here, information is broken down into its component parts and critically analyzed. The right brain, however, treats incoming data uncritically, processing information in wholes, leading to emotional, rather than logical responses. The shift from left to right brain activity also causes the release of endorphins, the body's own natural opiates--thus, it is possible to bec... more »

Revolutionary Thought

Sophia at AMERICAN KABUKI - 1 day ago
You have come now to a knowing. The things you are aware of today in this world would seem impossible or insane to some with eyes still shut. Seeing life as it is actually happening requires a willingness to change your perspective and in many things your entire belief system. It demands an examination of everything your eyes see and most of what this society has told you was real. Realize that all of life does not operate in this way. The earth has been part of what some would call an evil plot yet evil is not a concept I adhere to or consider. Life proceeds along its... more »

Thatcher on Society

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 1 day ago
*Of course, Thatcher's supporters have been right all along concerning her 'no such thing as society' declaration. "It's been taken out of context", they bleat. Be that as it may, it got traction that still resonates because it fit with the times she brought about. It was a more accurate summation of the dog-eat-dog economic her policies were generating than the standard Tory view of what society was about she actually subscribed to. Well, for the benefit of those who's never read the *Woman's Own* interview from which it was lifted, here is 'no such thing as society' *in context*... more »

Why US Fights? Tales of Reagan's Guatemala Genocide (Psychopaths Explained In Girl With Dragon Tattoo)

Democracy? Freedom? Hardly in the top ten. Tales of Reagan's Guatemala Genocide By Robert Parry, Consortium News 17 April 13 he first month of the genocide trial of former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt has elicited chilling testimony from Mayan survivors who - as children - watched their families slaughtered by a right-wing military that was supported and supplied by U.S.

The Still Islamophic States of America

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 1 day ago
The the greater scheme of things the Boston Marathon bombing was a fart in a hurricane. Except, of course, it happened in Boston during a notable footrace run mainly by white people. But the bombing was all it took to get America's Islamophobia stoked for all to see. *The New Yorker's* Amy Davidson wrote a telling account, "The Saudi Marathon Man." *A twenty-year-old man who had been watching the Boston Marathon had his body torn into by the force of a bomb. He wasn’t alone; a hundred and seventy-six people were injured and three were killed. But he was the only one who, while i... more »

Sentencing for criminal negligence causing death in alcohol-related circumstances

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 1 day ago
R v Smith 2013 BCCA 173 is a tragic case of death resulting from impaired driving. The trial judge gave a sentence of one day because of the circumstances and rehabilitation of the offender. The Court of Appeal imposed a much longer sentence holding: [34] The fundamental principle is proportionality: the punishment must be broadly commensurate with the gravity of the offence and the moral blameworthiness of the offender (*R. v. M. (C.A.) *at para. 40); s. 718.1. [35] In 1992, this Court, with a five-justice division, took the opportunity to review the range of sente... more »

The BBC's Baroness Thatcher funeral coverage: Who did they interview?

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 1 day ago
For those of you who are interested, here is a complete list of all the interviewees (excluding vox pops) featured on the BBC News Channel's coverage of Lady Thatcher's funeral between 6.45am and 10.00pm yesterday. I believe the list speaks for itself. 6.50 Andrew Pierce (*Daily Mail*) & Kevin Maguire (*Daily Mirror*) 7.15 Charles Moore, *Daily Telegraph, *biographer of Lady Thatcher 7.45 John Sergeant (ex BBC political correspondent) & Beatrix Campbell, writer (feminist & left-winger) 8.05 John Sergeant (ex BBC political correspondent) 8.14 Bob Broadhurst, former Met Police C... more »

New Orleans Shows the Limitations of "No Excuses" Schools

John Thompson at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
The debate over "No Excuses" schools has focused on their attrition rate and their potential for being scaled up. Schools such as New Orleans Sci Academy have produced great college acceptance rates for students who are dedicated enough to meet their goal of "100% of cultural expectations 100% of the time." It is too soon to tell, however, whether their culture prepares their graduates for life beyond the classroom. An important subtheme of Sarah Carr's *Hope Against Hope,* a narrative of a year in three New Orleans schools, includes a preliminary exploration of whether the "No Excu... more »

Dirac's 1975 lectures

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 1 day ago
Spiros found this remarkable 1-hour talk by Paul Dirac in New Zealand in 1975: Recall that Dirac was born in 1902 and died 1984; so he was 73 in the video above. He is a serious man but there's a lot of room for his memories as well as some jokes. There are actually four talks. The first one above is on quantum mechanics; the second one is on quantum electrodynamics; the third is on the magnetic monopoles; and the fourth one is on his largely incorrect large number hypothesis (variation of universal constants). Even if you focus on the first lecture on quantum mechanics, th... more »

Korean Unification

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 1 day ago
This does need to be considered. It is impossible to understand why this state is still standing. Present extreme noise could well be the sound of desperation as the regime attempts to extort a band-aid to last a little while longer. We all understand that the South Korean military is not going to be surprised. The risk is that the North sets of a nuclear device were it could cause real military damage. Yet that would barely slow the South down. From that starting point, there are a wide range of strategic options all of which lead to collapse and reunification. Let me ... more »

Dark Lightning

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 1 day ago
This is a continuation of work that uncovered the real complexity of the activity going on in a thunderstorm. That dark lightning produces a sharp dose of ionizing radiation is surprising. I also suspect that this dark lightning could even be in the form of positively charged ions. We have already understood ball lightning to be just that and it follows that the more uncommon dark lightning is just that also. This provides a much richer understanding of our oldest physical phenomena that long inspired human curiosity. This also suggests that passing through a storm will g... more »

Deep Photosynthesis

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 1 day ago
This is a long way from our usual facile understanding of photosynthesis. It turns out to be way more complicated than all that. This could lead to better strategies for even photovoltaic systems if only by the power of suggestion. Read the last paragraph to capture the sense of all this. We are now tuning our investigations in such a way as to establish high resolution and sort out the real high points. A lot of new data will flow from all this. *Study provides new insight into photosynthesis* * by Staff Writers* * Toronto, Canada (SPX) Apr 09, 2013* ... more »

David versus Monsanto

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 1 day ago
In the long term, I do not thing agribusiness as constituted is sustainable at all. The only problem is that it is creating a legacy cost base that we will end up paying for. This is continuing although this item is an example of the increasing push back. What are they thinking if they align their business with the large operators who are then encouraged to buy out the small operators? This problem has been going on for a long time and no one is particularly happy with the results. It all removes boots from the ground and that is exactly what needs to be properly re... more »

MEDIOCRITY ALL THE WAY UP: Slick disinformation about public schools!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 1 day ago
*THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2013* *Part 4—King of the cherry-pickers:* Like all public schools which ever existed, American public schools could do a better job. On the elementary level, they could do a better job transmitting the basic skills of reading and math. They could do a better job conveying the spirit and the enjoyment of inquiry—that so-called “love of learning.” With kids who are struggling to meet conventional norms, our schools could do a better job helping children “catch up.” They could do a better job challenging kids who may be especially “talented.” That said, how good... more »

Touching Tribute At Bruins Game

Jay Allbritton at Jay Allbritton - 1 day ago
Last night the Boston Bruins hosted the Buffalo Sabers. After a video tribute, singer Rene Rancourt began singing the National Anthem, but he quickly yielded to the passionate crowd. Incidentally, the 73 year old Rancourt has been performing the anthem at Bruins games for 35 years.

#46Cowards

jurassicpork at Welcome Back to Pottersville - 1 day ago
It hasn't been a good week for the United States. By Wednesday, twin bombs exploded near and at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three innocents and wounding nearly 180. A lightning bolt struck a fertilizer plant in West, Texas last night, killing at least one police officer and five firefighters and destroying 80 or more homes. And then just hours before the West, Texas disaster, the United States Senate, the higher chamber of our legislative branch, voted 54-46 for the Manchin-Toomey bill that would've strengthened background checks for wouldbe gun owners. ... more »

new zealand joins the world of marriage equality and their parliament breaks out in celebratory song

laura k at wmtc - 1 day ago
This is so beautiful! New Zealand, we thank you! We love you!

Coverage of Opt Out's Occupy DOE 2.0

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
From Education Opportunity Network: _______________________ Occupy The Department Of Education Ushers In America’s Angry Spring No offense, but the Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education building in Washington, DC is not a pretty sight. Crossing the National Mall on 4th street, you pass between the glisteningly modern National Air and Space Museum and the sculpted brown stone of the National Museum of the American Indian to come face to face with what can only be described as a monument to bland austerity. It was at the base of this concrete and glass slab that a band of public ... more »

Running Shoes

Southern Man at Southern Man - 1 day ago
This appeared in yesterday afternoon's university email: Southern Man understands the need to respond to an atrocity like this even if in an entirely symbolic manner so he is wearing running shoes today. Asics, of course. But for a born-again Bible-thumping evangelical, that's not enough. In James Chapter 2:14-16 we read that What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not gi... more »

Another Hollow Promise By Iraq’s Electricity Ministry, End To Power Shortages By October 2013

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 1 day ago
Iraq’s Electricity Ministry recently said that it would solve Iraq’s power problems later this year. This was not the first time that it had much such a bold announcement. That was also the reason why the remarks were met with widespread skepticism within the country. Questioning the Ministry’s statement is justified, because it has failed to reach its benchmarks before, and lacks the institutional capacity and support to deal with the daunting task it faces. In April 2013, the Electricity Ministry promised that Iraq’s electricity shortages would be ended by October. The Ministry ... more »

Your moment of Zen

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 1 day ago
Happy hibiscus. [source unknown]

In a voluntariness analysis the fact the statement was made by the accused must be demonstrated albeit to a minimal degree

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 1 day ago
*Montgomery,* 2011 ONSC 5331 (at para. 9): On a voir dire to determine whether a statement made to a person in authority is admissible, a trial judge is required to decide: (i) whether the statement was made; and (ii) if made, whether it was voluntary. To satisfy the first requirement, it is sufficient that the Crown introduce some evidence that the statement attributed to the accused was, in fact, made by the accused. The standard of proof is minimal. The Crown's onus with respect to voluntariness is proof beyond a reasonable doubt. (See *R. v. Gauthier,* [1977] 1 S.C.R. 441).

Twitter links

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 1 day ago
Readers may recall I once looked at who was followed by the PMO's Office -- you do have to at least try to avoid inappropriate links but I don't see that's a reason to quit twitter: Story Newfoundland and Labrador’s premier has shut down her Twitter account after it implied associations that her office says were inappropriate or vulgar. Kathy Dunderdale says she was upset when she found out her account was associated with the websites. How politicians use social media became an issue this week when a New Democrat was temporarily suspended from the legislature after the Progressive C... more »

Good morning!

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 1 day ago

A New Book on Science Advice

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Pielke, Jr.) at Roger Pielke Jr.'s Blog - 1 day ago
Good news: A new book is out today on science advice for government. Even better news: The book is rich with content. It gets even more better: It is free! The book has been put together by Robert Doubleday of Cambridge University and James Wilsdon of the University of Sussex on the occasion of Mark Walport taking over as the UK government's chief scientific adviser. The book has a UK focus but covers issues of much broader relevance. Here is the table of contents: 1. The science and art of effective advice - John Beddington 2. Experts and experimental government - Geoff Mulg... more »
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