Friday, November 15, 2013

15 Nov - Blogs I'm Following II

MOUNT AN DO ME .. China Consolidates Grip on R...MOUNT AN DO ME .. China Consolidates Grip on Rare Earths -- forcing prices to rise eightfold to fortyfold (September 15, 2011) ...item 2.. Eatery employee charged with scam -- keep more than $5,300 in cash for himself. (Feb. 4, 2012) ... (Photo credit: marsmet523)
English: Bentonville, Arkansas: This is the fi...English: Bentonville, Arkansas: This is the first Wal Mart, now a visitor's center. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low PriceWal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
10:31pm  MST

Sunday Classics preview: The long-separated twin brother and sister Siegmund and Sieglinde recognize each other

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 20 minutes ago
*by Ken* This week I want to finish up with my contention that that extraordinary depth of pain we hear coming out of Wotan, first in Act II of *Die Walküre*and then, of course, in the his final farewell to his cherished daughter Brünnhhilde at the end of the opera, is tempered by our knowledge that most of this pain is self-inflicted. Last time we listened to the whole of Act I of the *Walküre*, the second opera (but properly speaking "First Day") of Wagner's *Ring of the Nibelung*tetralogy. In preparation for Sunday's installment, we're going to back to the end of Act I, and pick u... more »

Rob Ford resting

LeDaro at LeDaro - 43 minutes ago

Toronto isn't shamed by Rob Ford

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 1 hour ago
The situation has become somewhat absurd. The revelations and reactions seem to suggest the Mayor is suffering from a breakdown of some sort - and that is hardly surprising seeing as what has happened in the last few weeks. But none of this shames Toronto. The suggestion that business will avoid the city because of the Mayoral scandals is preposterous. It is obvious that the Mayor's issues are an aberration and the reaction of the Council shows that. There is no suggestion that drug use is widely accepted in the corridors of power -- and that's why there is a scandal.

Today in inane analogies

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 1 hour ago
For reasons unknown, BigMedia lapsed into the worn out "Obamacare is Obama's Katrina" mania today. With predictable results. News flash: comparing the rugged launch of a major social safety program to the bodies of Americans floating in a drowned city is always going to be really offensive. But I suspect that was the point. Trolling for outrage. It worked. I have nothing to add to this. It pretty much captures the day perfectly. .@DukeStJournal I do believe that Tea Pot Dome was known as "Harding's Obamacare" at the time. — Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) November 15, 2013

INTERVIEW / Jonah Raskin : Novelist Beverly Gologorsky Was Shaped by Sixties, Feminism, and The Bronx

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 1 hour ago
Novelist Beverly Gologorsky. Photo by Marion Ettlinger. An Interview with Beverly Gologorsky: Novelist and long-time activist's new book shouts its presence “Working people are as ubiquitous as Blue Jays. When they fly they’re beautiful." By Jonah Raskin / The Rag Blog / November 16, 2013 No one wants to be saddled with labels from the past, certainly not that ubiquitous species known as

Hitler loses his health insurance...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 2 hours ago
*and he's not happy. * H/T Conservative Hideout

Video: Lakotas Demand TransCanada Sellouts Leave Lakota Territory!

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 2 hours ago
Debra White Plume and other Lakotas demand that TransCanada representatives leave Lakota Territory immediately. White Plume says they are willing to go to jail to get them off their land. She also tells them to leave now or be escorted off. Watch and see what happens. Video by Lakota Media Project

WalMart ( FX , slow economic growth ) and Cisco ( NSA blamed for sales decline in China ) Miss Revenues and lower guidance ! Eurozone barly avoids ( for now ) returning to contraction ( France and Italy already contracting and how could Spain really have any actual growth with 30 percent unemployment ) , Abenomics failing as expected ......

Catharsis Ours - 2 hours ago
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-11-14/wal-mart-misses-revenue-guides-below-expectations-fx-slow-economic-growth-blamed Wal-Mart Misses Revenue, Guides Below Expectations: FX, Slow Economic Growth Blamed [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 11/14/2013 07:33 -0500 - Global Economy inShare It's deja vu time for Wal-Mart. Spot the trend: - Q1: Wal-Mart Misses Revenue, Guides Below Expectations: Weather Among Factors Blamed - Q2: Wal-Mart Misses, Guides Below Expectations; Blames Weak Consumer Spending, Payroll Tax, FX And Lack Of Inflation... more »

At the Edge of the Apocalypse

hygiecrat at hygiecracy - 3 hours ago
originally published on CounterPunch Though severely limited by the vast carnage Typhoon Haiyan spread throughout the region – destroying roads and reducing entire villages to fields of rubble – relief efforts are underway across the devastated islands of the Philippines. And as the Climate Change Conference (the COP 19) proceeds in Warsaw, Poland – and as the representative from the Philippines, Naderev Saño, continues the hunger strike he vowed to maintain “until a meaningful outcome [to the ongoing crisis] is in sight”, more and more people across the planet are beginning to rec... more »

Russell Brand and the Necessary Planetary Adjustment

hygiecrat at hygiecracy - 3 hours ago
originally published on CounterPunch Russell Brand's recent political essay, viral BBC interview, and ongoing comedy tour - The Messiah Complex - raise important political and philosophical questions concerning, among other issues, the nature of justice, the importance of voting, and the need for radical, revolutionary change. These deserve serious consideration. Since at least the time of the Athenian statesman Solon (c. 638 BC - 558 BC), whose reforms are credited with setting the historical stage for the emergence of democracy in ancient Athens, the concept of law has contained ... more »

Russell Brand and the Leader Question

hygiecrat at hygiecracy - 3 hours ago
originally published on CounterPunch Russell Brand’s recent calls for revolutionary change (in his BBC interview and in his article in the New Statesman) have raised a considerable degree of discussion and controversy. Predictably enough, those on the right have reacted by generally dismissing the message. Not only do they characterize its substance as unrealistic, they question the capacity of the messenger; that this is an *ad hominem* is neither discussed nor, apparently, comprehended. Although largely agreeing with the message, those on the left tend to either uncritically roo... more »

A message to Friday-morning getaway-ers from Friday-morning left-behind Ian Crouch: "EFF -> YOU"

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 3 hours ago
*by Ken* Or, to put it less succinctly: *"Godspeed, safe travels, and go to hell."* For the record *The New Yorker*'s Ian Crouch is talking in his blogpost "EFF -> YOU" about the institution of *the Friday-morning getaway* -- where you use a vacation day to fly out of town for a long weekend somewhere. Perhaps you are attending some tangential career event, a convention or a meeting or a conference that's an excuse to drink in another city. Or maybe you are just short-term travelling -- visiting old friends, going to a wedding, making a quick there-and-back to your childhood home... more »

At the Edge of the Apocalypse

hygiecrat at hygiecracy - 3 hours ago
originally published on CounterPunch Though severely limited by the vast carnage Typhoon Haiyan spread throughout the region – destroying roads and reducing entire villages to fields of rubble – relief efforts are underway across the devastated islands of the Philippines. And as the Climate Change Conference (the COP 19) proceeds in Warsaw, Poland – and as the representative from the Philippines, Naderev Saño, continues the hunger strike he vowed to maintain “until a meaningful outcome [to the ongoing crisis] is in sight”, more and more people across the planet are beginning to re... more »

Brief delays in launching appeal not necessarily fatal even where merits thin

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 3 hours ago
*Denomme v. McArthur,*2013 ONCA 694 is a useful case showing, as does the recent *Fitzpatrick* decision, that brief delays in launching an appeal will generally not block a delay even where the merits of the appeal seem thin: [7] The factors that a court considers in deciding whether to grant an extension of time to appeal are: 1) whether the appellant formed an intention to appeal within the relevant period; 2) the length of the delay and the explanation for it; 3) any prejudice to the respondent; 4) the merits of the appeal, and 5) whether the justice of the case requires... more »

Lunchtime

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 3 hours ago

R.S.V.P.

Sophia Love at AMERICAN KABUKI - 3 hours ago
Two years ago, a message was sent to our off world neighbors (here). The response came two ways. One was in the comments section of that video, a conversation that is ongoing (here). Another is a visit, described (here). Today, some thoughts emerge. The January 1, 2012 video describes us – brilliant beings of light. It invites interaction. Not government sanctioned interaction or contact when we are “worthy”. It is an invitation, period. It operates as any other invitation and can be accepted or refused. What’s happened since then? We’ve woken up on a grand scale. We ... more »

Libya sees Anti- Militia protest in Tripoli turn deadly - 37 killed in fighting , PM " asks " armed groups to leave Tripoli....Just another tragic example of the state of affairs in "liberated " Libya ! .

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 4 hours ago
Anti-militia protest turns deadly in Libya November 15, 2013 2:27PM ET Updated 4:40PM ET At least 27 people killed in fighting; Libyan PM calls for all armed groups to leave Tripoli Topics: Libya International [image: People assist a man who was injured Nov. 15, 2013 after Libyan militiamen opened fire on a crowd wanting them to move out of their headquarters in southern Tripoli] People assist a man who was injured Friday after Libyan militiamen opened fire on a crowd that wanted them to move out of the capital, Tripoli.Mahmud Turkia/AFP/Getty Images At least 27 people have been ki... more »

The Bill and Melinda Gates Fixers

Susan O at Schools Matter - 5 hours ago
*Gates money continues to drive projects to put its peculiar definition on texts schools must teach and to diminish all subjects except Language Arts and math.* *by Susan Ohanian* What Good News! Bill and Melinda Gates Fixers are critical of evaluation rubrics. What Bad News! Bill and Melinda Gates Fixers are designing new teacher evaluation rubrics. They're working with grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Student Achievement Partners: $6,803,348 The New Teacher Project (TNTP): $23,000,280 TNTP has issued an Issues Analysis Report titled Fixing Classroom ... more »

Stores opening on Thanksgiving?...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 5 hours ago
*frankly - I don't give a darn.* *And for those who do - spare me your phoney outrage. * It's interesting to witness the uproar from some people over retailers who are planning on opening on Thanksgiving. The people who are upset are wrapping it up in a nice package of concern for the poor employees who are being denied a family holiday. Really? I haven't noticed the same concern for emergency room doctors, nurses, firemen, or police officers. Want to know why? Because if their house catches on fire, they want someone to come and put it out. And if they have to avail themsel... more »

Another introspective post

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 5 hours ago
In a recent post, I mentioned the occasional famines that afflict *Is the BBC biased?*, due to our many (delightful) non-blogging commitments. Well, the last few days might well have got poor Sir Bob Geldof all agitated again. Blog Aid might be imminent and *I Don't Like Mondays *could be due another outing. I've not really got much to say beyond that. So goodnight, sweet ladies, goodnight... ...except to say that (and, thus, keeping the sweet ladies waiting by the door) there have been some telling posts and comments at *Biased BBC *in the last few days. This, again, proves the... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 5 hours ago
*Feds struggle to get smaller oil companies, contractors to follow new offshore safety rules ~David Hammer, WWLTV *

Friday Baseball Post

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 6 hours ago
Haven't done one of these for a while, and I know exactly why: I've really lost interest in the postseason awards. I'm not really sure why. I'm certainly not any less of a baseball fan than I used to be. I'm just as interested as ever in the HOF, which one would think would be similar. But the postseason awards? If one of the Giants has a shot at it, I'll root for him, and otherwise...well, I'll notice them. I might read a couple of items. That's about it. I used to vote at the Internet Baseball Awards (I used to vote back when they were conducted over USENET, actually). I don't, an... more »

Not In The West? (a reply to PLG)

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 6 hours ago
Yesterday I asked out of frustration just how the progressive "tactic" of isolated protests (which is the chosen form of activism by the people whose politics I mostly share) is supposed to provide any sort of real change to the world we all describe as veering towards some sort of apocalypse.The always worthwhile Purple Library Guy responded in a way I was not expecting: Thwap, if you want to make a difference, move to Latin America. If you want to win, go to Venezuela. If you want to struggle with a chance of winning, try one of the places where there's some progress but it's har... more »

Rob Ford Apologia

Alison at Creekside - 7 hours ago
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Joan Walley's Retirement Letter

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 7 hours ago
At the constituency meeting of Stoke North Labour Party this evening, Joan Walley, the well-respected and - yes - much-loved Stoke-on-Trent North MP announced her retirement at the 2015 general election. In a brief speech at the end of her monthly parliamentary report, Joan spoke movingly of her tough decision, her record, and her hopes for the local party's future. Below I've reproduced the text of her resignation note to the constituency chair, Tony Fradley. Dear Tony, I wanted you and the General Committee to be the first to know that I have decided not to seek re-election to... more »

GERMANY & DRONES

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 7 hours ago
RT reports that Berlin has suspended the purchase of armed drones on the grounds that it “categorically rejects illegal killings.” This follows a report by Amnesty International that accused Merkel’s government of aiding the US with drone strikes in Pakistan. A draft agreement between the Social Democrats and the Conservatives obtained by Der Spiegel condemns the use of drones for targeted attacks. *"We categorically reject illegal killings by drones. Germany will support the use of unmanned weapons systems for the purposes of international disarmament and arms control,"* said th... more »

House passes Protect Predatory Insurers Act

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 7 hours ago
John Boehner's House of Dysfunction passed a bill protecting junk health insurance with a convenient side effect of slow motion undermining the very core of health insurance reform. House GOPers rejected an amendment to protect consumers brought forward by the Democrats. They objected to this language as not being germane to their bill. The amendment proposed in the motion to recommit in pertinent part requires state insurance commissioners to examine notices of health insurance cancellations or conversions. It also addresses the regulation of health insurance rates, specifically t... more »

The Dirty Water on Mike Pence's Fascist CECI

Doug Martin at Schools Matter - 7 hours ago
by Doug Martin *More information is coming into me, as we speak, concerning the CECI detailed below. I will be following up with more writings concerning Pence's group, so please sign the petition to tell Pence to stop his educational power grab. And call Mike Pence at 1 (317) 232-4567). For an insightful take on fascism to apply to contemporary America, see political science scholar Lawrence Britt's "The 14 Characteristics of Fascism" here. DM)* When Glenda Ritz walked out on the recent state board of education fiasco in Indiana, the corporate *Indy Star* quickly branded the su... more »

Upton's Phony "Fix" Is Nothing But Another Try To Repeal Healthcare-- 39 Dems Voted For It

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 7 hours ago
A couple hours ago the Democratic Motion to Recommit-- their response to Upton's bill to gut the Affordable Care Act-- would have given State Commissioners authority to go after bad actor insurance companies. It didn't extend health plans permanently like bill offered by Mary Landrieu, only extending them through the end of 2014. The smart thing would have been to just offer an end to Obamacare altogether and allow anyone who wants to buy into Medicare that opportunity and anyone who wants to keep GOP junk health insurance do that. But expanding Medicare is, of course, the worst n... more »

Miss Universe is Like Other International Organizations…except the members are half naked

Megan MacKenzie at Duck of Minerva - 8 hours ago
Last week Dan Drezner asked What Does Miss Universe Tell us About World Politics in 2013? The post starts off on a positive note- that one can find politics anywhere- before it descends into one of the most classic examples of gender-avoidance/oblivion I’ve read in ages. Drezner swiftly calls on “the most qualified person on Continue reading

The sub-standard bare bones low quality lousy crappy no good health insurance meme...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 8 hours ago
*not to mention "you're too stupid to know what it is you bought."* Go to any leftie site and you'll hear this repeated over and over, because we all know what deep thinkers libtards are. Right? Since we are self-employed, we carried our own insurance for many years. We had no problem understanding exactly what our Blue Cross policy covered and what it didn't. There was no "small print" or surprises. None. It was affordable and it was what we wanted. So what makes these policies "sub-standard, bare-bones, low quality, lousy, crappy, and no good? For one thing, they don't cove... more »

McLatchy examines Lara’s song!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 8 hours ago
*FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2013* *Schieffer sang it too:* McLatchy, the last of America’s news orgs, has done a long analysis of Lara Logan’s horrific Benghazi report. For Kevin Drum’s summary, just click here. For McLatchy’s report, click this. We were very much struck by Drum’s summary of the McLatchy report. “McClatchy's Nancy Youssef takes a deep dive through Logan's story and finds problems with nearly everything she reported,” Drum writes. “In particular, Logan's repeated insistence that the attack was a well-planned Al-Qaeda assault is questionable at best.” Drum presented exce... more »

JFK MIND-CONTROLLED WITH DRUGS?

Anon at aangirfan - 8 hours ago
*Dr Max Jacobson* was a German-Jewish doctor who gave methamphetamine (Speed) mixed with other drugs to several top people, including President John F Kennedy. Jacobson's patients included *Elvis Presley, Nelson Rockefeller, Marilyn Monroe, Judith Exner, Frank Sinatra, Sam Giancana, Judy Garland, Bryan Jones and Andy Williams.* Some of these people are believed to have been victims of CIA mind-control. *Dr Max Jacobson* *According to the book: Dr Feelgood, by Richard A. Lertzman and William J. Birnes:* *1.* Jacobson, who was born in Germany, claimed that his drug concoction wa... more »

Bob Feldman : A People's History of Egypt, Part 11, Section 2

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 8 hours ago
Henri Curiel was the leading figure in the Egyptian communist movement in the 1940s. A people's history: The movement to democratize Egypt Part 11: 1945-1946 Period/Section 2 -- Egyptian communist groups grow and face government retaliation. By Bob Feldman / The Rag Blog / November 15, 2013 [With all the dramatic activity in Egypt, Bob Feldman's Rag Blog "people's history" series, "The

In Honduras and Canada, the strange political silence on inequality

paul at Paying attention - 9 hours ago
Ten days left until the Honduran national elections, and I’m thinking about inequality. It’s stunning in Honduras. There are the obvious signs - the contrast between the lavish malls in the cities and the squatters’ shacks along any stretch of highway where there is a precarious place to cobble together some sticks and tarps and corrugated tin. And there are the statistics. The UN does a useful Human Development Report each year. This year’s HDR report shows the top 20 per cent of the Honduran population have average incomes 29.7 times greater than the bottom 20 per cent. The only cou... more »

Flower positive gaming experience - PS4 improvements galore - retro goodness 9.5 score

Mike Philbin at PROGNOSIS II - 9 hours ago
IGN has decided to review FLOWER by 'that game company' featured on Free Planet in 2009. Listen to IGN'S reviewer gush passionately about wonderful, caring, positive gameplay features, and the stunning-sounding enhancements of the PS4 version. Oh, yes!

THE STORY BEHIND THE IRAN CONFLICT

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 9 hours ago
US, Israel, France and Saudi Arabia are working overtime to make sure that any deal with Iran is killed. Saudi Arabia is holding out huge arms sales to France in exchange for their agreement to help gum up the works with Iran. So much for the Socialist government in Paris - they've turned out as bad, if not worse, than the conservatives. The US and UK are likely to extract some big weapons contracts from the Saudi monarchy as well before all this is over. Israel is still itching for a chance to launch an attack on Iran. I read years ago that the primary reason Iran wants nuclea... more »

Plagiarism Wins Again (FIX THE DEBT Fraud Occurs Nationwide - Thank You, Pete Peterson!) Wonder What Dan Rather Is Thinking NOW?

I can get her with soup! I think we're just lucky that hoods (or thugs) are soooo lazy that they don't even want to take the time to change the templates (even slightly) before they submit the exact lying words everywhere (under different signer's names). Once again, it seems that these people are so thick that it never occurs to them that other people read more than one source. (Please

We See Some Evidence That The PMO Interfered With Elections Canada Investigation Of Robocalls .... (are you surprised?)

leftdog at Buckdog - 9 hours ago
*Former Ministerial staffer, Michael Sona insists that he was thrown under the bus by the PMO. A newly released email shows that the PMO interfered in the investigation of RoboCalls by Elections Canada:* *OTTAWA – One of Prime Minister Stephen Harper‘s top advisers instructed a potential key witness in the robocalls investigation to delay an interview with an Elections Canada investigator until she could obtain legal advice.* *Jenni Byrne, who was the Conservatives’ national campaign manager during the 2011 election, emailed Guelph campaign worker Andrew Prescott on Nov. 30, 2011... more »

David McReynolds : We Are All Wounded Veterans

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 9 hours ago
March to alternative Armistice ceremony in Regents Park in London, November 11, 1938. Until the guns fall silent: We are all wounded veterans In the bad wars -- which are the only wars we have fought for some time now -- there is the terrible knowledge that the enemy was never really the enemy. By David McReynolds / The Rag Blog / November 12, 2013 There was something infinitely sad and

Porta fotos de Navidad

José Luis Ávila Herrera at FOTOFRONTERA - 10 hours ago
[image: Imagenes Gratis para Navidad y Año Nuevo 2014]

Mint Hot Chocolate in a Slow Cooker and a Stephen's Hot Chocolate Giveaway

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 10 hours ago
I was given samples of Stephen's Gourmet to review in exchange for this post and giveaway. All opinions are 100% my own. Who doesn't love Hot Chocolate? My husband. Seriously. From the second I found out his dislike for all drinks that are hot, I have been trying to find the exception to his no hot chocolate rule, and I finally found it. Stephen's Gourmet Hot Chocolate. The Mint Truffle in particular won his vote. It is seriously the only brand he will drink. I have wanted to make Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate for awhile, but I wanted it to be something my husband would drink. I foun... more »

Continuing: Holland’s ongoing use of The Bomb!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 10 hours ago
*FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2013* *A tribally pleasing discussion:* These are highly tribal times. If you want to avoid being dumb in the oldest and dumbest ways, we would make two suggestions. First suggestion: If some study says the other tribe is more likely to think X, Y or Z, always ask yourself this: *How much* more likely are they? For background, see yesterday's post. It’s easy to read a statement like that and think The Others are *all* like that. That’s kind of the way the headlines worked when Salon reprinted the interview we’ve been discussing, the interview between Joshua H... more »

Fermilab Today on naturalness

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 10 hours ago
Today, Fermilab Today published a nice short article about naturalness written by Jim Pivarski of CMS. The article contains an unlikely arrangement of stones which seems to depend – much like the Higgs boson mass – on fine, unlikely cancellations. Pivarski also writes that it's unlikely for many parts of the same car to break at the same moment. I chose another example of an unnatural arrangement of matter – one that was being offered to me by several Czech discount servers today. ;-) While the "Wine Bottle Chain Holder – Holds Bottles In the Air" seems even more extreme than the... more »

I can't post comments like that...

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 10 hours ago
Somebody decided that it was worth commenting on this post but with such language! I have censored it...

Anniversaries

Roobin at THROUGH THE SCARY DOOR - 11 hours ago
We are headed toward a famous anniversary. Almost exactly fifty years ago three famous men, CS Lewis, Aldous Huxley and John Kennedy died simultaneously, albeit in rather different circumstances. Of the three CS Lewis probably has most social and cultural presence today, and he probably deserves this least. His modern revival is much to do with the success of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy. This was based upon the books written by Lewis’s friend JRR Tolkein. Both are similar characters, with similar styles, subjects and outlooks, literary falangists (although Tolkein was a cath... more »

what matters most ?

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 11 hours ago
Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most. -Buddha

Natives Protest EPA and Coast Guard Poisoning Alaskan Waters Nov. 15, 2013

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 11 hours ago
ALASKA ALLIANCE RALLYS AGAINST EPA AND COAST GUARD PUBLIC OUTREACH MEETINGs to authorize the ‘poisoning of Alaskan waters’. Where: ANCHORAGE, AK Federal Courthouse, 222 W. 7th Avenue Friday, Nov. 15, 2013 Time: 12 noon- 12:45 pm : By NIKOS PASTOS CARL WASSILE A DECEPTIVE ATTEMPT BY FEDERAL AGENCIES TO OBTAIN APPROVAL FOR THEIR CHEMICAL DISPERSANT USE PREAUTHORIZATION PLAN

New York GOP Heavy Donors-- Including Tom Reynolds-- Raising Major Bucks For… Democrat Brian Higgins

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 11 hours ago
Unless you're reading *DWT* for the first time, you're already aware that we don't care for conservatives or reactionaries here. We have a bias towards progressives. But we don't dislike moderates either. Nothing wrong with a moderate. Oh, not in the way the Inside-the-Beltway media terms every right-wing corporate whore and conservative a moderate… just *actual*moderates. Like Buffalo's Brian Higgins. He has the 132nd most progressive voting record in Congress (out of 200 Democrats). His lifetime Progressive Punch crucial vote score is 76.06. He's no Mark Pocan (98.39), Raul Grij... more »

Toronto city council is going to curb Rob Ford's powers

LeDaro at LeDaro - 11 hours ago
It is about time. He has proven beyond any reasonable doubt that he is an inebriated idiot.

Education Reform Guide

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE - 11 hours ago
Education Reform Guide. via Education Reform Guide.

Nashville Metro Puts Brakes on Charter Expansion--CorpEd Spews

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 12 hours ago
A clip from the Tennessean: The Metro school board approved a plan Tuesday night effectively restricting the authorization of new charter schools next year to South Nashville or to schools tagged for three straight years of poor performance. The resolution approved by the board requires all new charter schools to be located either within areas where schools are above 120 percent of capacity or in an existing school that spent three years under scrutiny as a “target” school. “The board is clearly interested with focusing on developing a more thoughtful and strategic approach to how th... more »

The War In Afghanistan: A Cold Hard Truth... This War Was ALWAYS About The Opium!

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 12 hours ago
Honestly, I have not done any articles on Afghanistan for a while, but why bother? I said again and again that this war was lost a very long time ago and was nothing more than a fraud from the very beginning... The US led invasion of that nation was for one purpose and one purpose only: To get the Opium poppy fields back into full production for the criminal Jewish drug lords to reap massive profits! All other excuses for attacking that nation have proven to be frauds pushed on gullible people..... I want to present a new video narrated by Russia Today reporter Abby Martin that a... more »

The Ghost Bill

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 13 hours ago
I'll give President Obama credit where it's due. By ordering the restorationof the cancelled health policies of a couple million Americans suffering from the sticker shock of, say, having to pay for somebody else's pregnancy when they themselves are post-menopausal, he's inadvertently displaying the deep sickness of the for-profit health care system itself. And I have to admit, watching Big Insurance Maven Karen Ignagnisquirming in the bind that the predatory insurers now find themselves in, over a law that they themselves dictated to Max Baucus for their own sole profit, does evoke ... more »

STALKING THE FAUX EDUCATION REPORTERS: Finland on $6 a day!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 13 hours ago
*FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2013* *Part 5—Who paid for Ripley’s trip:* Amanda Ripley prepped at Lawrenceville, like Malcom Forbes before her. In 1996, she graduated Phi Beta Kappa, whatever that means, from Cornell. Or so Wikipedia says! That pedigree may explain the way Ripley opens her ballyhooed book, The Smartest Kids in the World. Darlings! As she starts, Ripley explains that she used to sniff at the very *idea* of writing about public schools. To Ripley, it just wasn’t done! Below, you see the way Ripley opens her book. Whenever the analysts read the highlighted statements, they ... more »

Unexpected implications from SCC privacy decision

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 13 hours ago
Today's Supreme Court decision in *Alberta (Information and Privacy Commissioner) v. United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 401*, 2013 SCC 62 holds videotaping people crossing picket lines is protected by freedom of speech. That may have some unexpected implications. Presumably the analysis would apply to videotaping people going into, for example, abortion clinics, drug rehab centres or other places. The Court holds: [11] As the parties conceded, freedom of expression under s. 2(*b*) is clearly engaged by the Union's activities. The Union collected pe... more »

The ZAP Report 11-10-2013

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 13 hours ago
*I little late with this, I was enroute to Morocco.... Not a lot of new data, more delays in the purported RV and prosperity packages, etc.... As usual comments in red are mine. -Bill* *Greetings and salutations,* *So more Web sites to check out:* *www.nvisible.com - Solara’s updates are available monthly and weekly by subscription, but she does have some free material, and she does release her prior updates for free a few months later. I have been a paid subscriber for years. In honor of the 11:11 today.* *www.youtube.com/watch?v=u__ekrAxWdE - The Astrology of November 2013 –... more »

Under Jewish Rule (Goodbye America!)

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 13 hours ago
I have been so busy the last few days, and I am again playing catch up with this blog..... It has indeed been hard to juggle personal and family concerns and yet try to keep up on what has been happening around the world, and posting material here..... I came across the following very important article from Lasha Darkmoon (www.darkmoon.me), that I want everyone who follows this blog to read... It is entitled: "Under Jewish Rule" and paints a very grim picture of what America has turned into today thanks to the destruction brought about by Jewish interests.... The entire article is r... more »

Guardian columnist blames the persecution of Mid-East Christians on Israel’s creation

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 13 hours ago
'... the plight of religious and ethnic minorities in Muslim and Arab majority countries in the region is ignored due in part to political correctness, cultural relativism and a malign obsession with Israel.' Because for too many on the left of politics, Israel is always to blame and facts can be ignored in order to make this point. More here http://cifwatch.com/2013/11/14/guardian-columnist-blames-the-persecution-of-mid-east-christians-on-israels-creation

KILLING THE GOLDEN GOOSE

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 13 hours ago
*Vietnam-vet Bob Anderson standing outside Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The base is a major space technology development center* - I am heading today to Washington DC to participate in the Drones Around the Globe: Proliferation and Resistance conference being organized by Codepink. It is being held at the Georgetown Law Center and will include drone survivors and families of victims from Pakistan and Yemen. This evening I am lucky to arrive in time to attend a concert featuring folksingers Charlie King and Karen Brandow at a local church. I'll be ... more »

I've Seen This One Before

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 14 hours ago
Today the House is scheduled to vote for the Upton bill, at least unless conservatives decide at the last minute that it really is a fix, and therefore helping Obamacare. Some Democrats will vote for it. A quick hint: House Democratic votes for Upton, in a situation in which the bill won't be coming to the Senate floor, may be an indication that Republicans have successfully crafted a bill that puts pressure on Democrats to split their votes. But it's not an indication that Democrats are abandoning the ACA. This happened just a month ago, when Republicans during the shutdown broug... more »

Benjamin Fulford - November 11, 2013: The French, Saudi, Israeli and Japanese slave governments block new financial system

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 14 hours ago
Monday, November 11, 2013 *Benjamin Fulford - November 11, 2013: The French, Saudi, Israeli and Japanese slave governments block new financial system* The efforts to release vast amounts of funds and launch a new golden age for humanity and the planet are now being blocked by a small group of nations notably France, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Japan together with the Wall Street whore politicians in Washington D.C. However, the families that control these nations are negotiating with the White Dragon Society and its allies so good results are expected. We are also still hearing cre... more »

JFK explains the real purpose of the First Amendment

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 14 hours ago
*Amendment ICongress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.* In his admirable and quite remarkable speech at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in 1961 entitled *"The President and the Press,"* President John F. Kennedy explained the precise role of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution - the role the Founding Fathers had in mind when they added it to ... more »

Your moment of Zen

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 14 hours ago
Rice Terraces Of Northeast Vietnam. [Image Credit : Sarawut Intarob via Milky Way Scientists]

Read Stuff, You Should

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 15 hours ago
Happy Birthday to Jonny Lee Miller, 41. Some good stuff: 1. I didn't know the Brits had set up a US-like National Security Council, and that other nations were getting in on it. Gideon Rachman explains. I assume, of course, that the big problem in the UK is coordinating the efforts of the Ministry of Administrative Affairs with what's going on over at Silly Walks. 2. Larry Pressler is (sort of) back! Eric Ostermeier is all over the election, and the distinction he would hold if he (improbably) wins back a Senate seat. Pressler, last seen when defeated in 1996, would be, yes, a Bat... more »

South Sweden Police's Regstry of Roma is Illegal on Multiple Counts – and More Criticism May Well Be Coming!

noreply@blogger.com (Christian Munthe) at Philosophical Comment - 15 hours ago
So a while back I posted an admittedly rather annoyed and highly sarcastic piece regarding the revelations of a registry of more than 4 500 people, mostly of roma origin or related to roma people, some of them since long dead and over 1 000 of them small children, and the feeble and completely confused attempts of responsible police officials to deny any wrongdoing, responsibility or simply sweep the whole thing under the carpet. After that it has been revealed that the registry has contained a large number of people with no suspiscion of or connection whatsoever to criminal activi... more »

Guardian columnist blames the persecution of Mid-East Christians on Israel’s creation

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 15 hours ago
Because for too many on the left of politics, Israel is always to blame and facts can be ignored in order to make this point. More here http://cifwatch.com/2013/11/14/guardian-columnist-blames-the-persecution-of-mid-east-christians-on-israels-creation

Consecutive and concurrent sentences

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 15 hours ago
Cumulative punishments are known as consecutive sentences. This only applies to jail sentences, all other sentences run concurrently. All sentences are presumed to be served concurrently. Generally, sentences for offences that occur at separate occasions will be served consecutively.[1] While where the offences arise out of the same transaction, the sentences will be typically concurrent.[2] If the court does not indicate whether sentences are concurrent or consecutive it is presumed concurrent.[3] Nevertheless, the decision of consecutive sentences is one entitled to deference... more »

One Advantage Of Obama's Plummeting Approval: Maybe His Deceitful And Disastrous Trade Agenda Can Be Derailed

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 15 hours ago
Last week we took another look at Obama's latest benign-sounding "free" trade disaster-in-the-making, the Trans-Pacific Partnership. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't vote for *anyone* who backs these kinds of agreements, regardless of political party. At the time we mentioned how everything was being hidden from the public and totally shrouded in secrecy-- secrecy from the taxpayers and ordinary citizens, not from the predatory corporations who finance the political careers of America's ruling elites. Now wikileaks has heroically has begun releasing the documents. The TPP ... more »

Does My Employer Have To Pay Me Even If I'm Illegal?

Donna Ballman at Screw You Guys, I'm Going Home - 15 hours ago
I received this question from a reader: *I'm in the process to get my green card. I worked for a guy for few weeks. He knew that I didn't have my EAD by that time. He doesn't want to pay me. I have been trying to get my payment over 2 weeks. Yesterday he sent me a text saying "go f**k yourself. if you contact me again I will notify the authorities" What can I do?* The quick answer is that, yes, your employer has to pay you even if you worked without the proper permit or are in the country illegally. If you are a foreign worker in the U.S., you have some hoops to jump through to wor... more »

Long Island Advocates to Sue Suffolk Over Tapping Environmental Fund

Advocates to Sue Suffolk Over Tapping Environmental Fund

Why Banking, Corporate America And The Government Need Each Other

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 15 hours ago
http://investmentwatchblog.com/why-banking-corporate-america-and-the-government-need-each-other/ *Why Banking, Corporate America And The Government Need Each Other* November 14th, 2013 by Gold Silver Worlds It should not come as a surprise that banking, industry and government are closely connected. The recent draconian decisions of the US Fed or the US foreign policy towards the Middle East are obvious examples. In order to understand who is behind most of those decisions and who the beneficiaries are, one should go back in history to the end of the 19th century. Murray N. Roth... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 15 hours ago
*Lee Zurik Investigation: Are utilities the real power behind the PSC? ~WVUE* *After Katrina: Transnational Perspectives on the Futures of the Gulf South, a one day conference at Tulane * *La. to get $68 million in barrier island, diversion projects ~Amy Wold, The Advocate* *Bayou Bienvenue to teach about wetlands restoration ~WDSU* *Detonation, fire kills one at Chevron Pascagoula Refinery ~WLOX* *John Besh Launches "Besh Box": A Monthly Subscription Gourmet Kit ~Richard Martin, Food Republic* *Second line Sunday: Nine Times SA&PC parade ~Big Red Cotton, Gambit*

The Gambia Bolts

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 15 hours ago
*...and the bottom dropped out of the road.* I've been traveling in Sabah and was reminded of how wild things are down there by the sobering news of Taiwanese tourists killed on a small island off the lovely east coast. But that news was overshadowed by the big news that The Gambia has cut ties with the ROC. WSJ reports: Taiwan said Friday that it felt "shock and regret" from the announcement, and believed Gambia's president Yahya Jammeh made the decision unilaterally without pressure from China. "Right now it appears this was a personal decision made by Gambia's President Jammeh,... more »

Al Qaeda in Syria rebels mistakenly behead one of their rebel commanders - can we put these guys in charge of ObamaCare ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 15 hours ago
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-11-15/al-qaeda-apologizes-after-beheading-fellow-rebel-mistake Al-Qaeda Apologizes After Beheading A Fellow "Rebel" By Mistake [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 11/15/2013 08:05 -0500 - Iraq - Newspaper - Obamacare inShare They may be brutal, barbarian, CIA-funded cannibal savages, but at least they are brutal, barbarian, CIA-funded cannibal savages with manners. Case in point: after an Al-Qaeda linked rebel group chopped the head off a person it thought was a member of the government side, it has since ... more »

Making Accountability Real

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 15 hours ago
At the beginning of the last century, the heyday of Progressivism, a new tool was given to voters -- the recall election. The Rob Ford saga has many lessons. But one of them is that Ontario voters should be given the right to recall their politicians. Tasha Kheiriddin writes: If Ford had any sense of decency, he would step down of his own accord. But failing that, he is correct when he says that it is the people who voted for him — not the media, or the city’s councillors — who should decide whether he stays or goes. So why not give those same voters the power to strip him of off... more »

THE GERMAN FRANKFURT SCHOOL

Anon at aangirfan - 15 hours ago
The *German Frankfurt School* was set up by certain mainly Jewish gentlemen in the 1920s. In the 1920s, much of the world was ruled by a corrupt elite of dictators, Kings, lords and oligarchs. There was a lot of *extreme* inequality and exploitation, whether in communist Russia or capitalist America or wherever. *1920s communist Russia.* The *German Frankfurt School* can be seen as 'an ideas factory' and these ideas can be used by: (1) people who want to lessen the power of the corrupt elite, And (2) people who want to be part of the corrupt elite. *The German Frankfurt Schoo... more »

As US/Russia push talks, power shifts away from western mercs and a rebrand emerges

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 15 hours ago
* This post has been updated. It is becoming a work in progress.* *The main stream media headline actually states "Syria balance tilts toward Assad"* I cannot use that headline. The power balance is not tilting toward Assad, the person. That is manipulation of your perception, plain and simple. The power balance is tilting towards Syria, the nation, it's army of Syrian citizens, the leadership and the majority of resident citizens. Some may recall that a couple of years back* Assad was polling at a 55% approval rating.* An approval rating that President Obama could only dream of, e... more »

War watch November 14 , 2013 - Focus on Iran , Pakistan , Afghanistan and Iraq....

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 16 hours ago
Obama Administration all over the map again...... Obama warns against attacking Iran... Obama Warns Against Attacking IranAttacking Civilian Program Could Fuel Nuclear Drive by Jason Ditz, November 14, 2013 Print This | Share This It took him nearly five full years in office, but President Obama has finally come out mostly opposed to the idea of attacking Iran, saying he believes that the attack would be “messy” and would have costs associated with it. In particular, Obama echoed warnings from Pentagon officials in years past that a military strike on Iran would, instead of scaring ... more »

Friday Nerd Blogging: Lost in Furniture

Steve Saideman at Duck of Minerva - 16 hours ago
Given the low salaries many of us start out at, we probably overly identify with the crisis contained within this trailer (no significant spoilers):

Vaccines -The Truth Behind Vaccinations - A Documentary Collage

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 16 hours ago
January 14, 2013 A collection of many documentaries such as: Shots in the Dark- Silence on Vaccines. The Greater Good. Vaccination -The Hidden Truth. Vaccine and Overdose babies. and... many many more.

Healthy & Easy To Make Chocolate Mousse

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 16 hours ago
Source: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Living-with-Common-Sense/154468647938561

Irish Bank chief quits as results released

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 16 hours ago
http://www.irishexaminer.com/business/cweysnqlojgb/rss2/ *Bank chief quits as results released* Friday, November 15, 2013 KBC chief executive John Reynolds resigned on the same day as the bank announced it is significantly increasing bad loan provisions for the year. John Reynolds: 'Pursuing other opportunities' By John Walsh In a sign the Belgian-owned bank has accelerated its attempts to work through its troubled loans, it has significantly increased the amount of bad debt provisions it will incur this year. In its results presentation, it said it has reassessed its entire Irish... more »

Simple Sinus Infection Home Remedy

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 16 hours ago
Source: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Living-with-Common-Sense/154468647938561

Post Haiyan: A Very Brief Ethical Annotation Re. the Current Situation in the Philipines and Indonesia

noreply@blogger.com (Christian Munthe) at Philosophical Comment - 16 hours ago
In the aftermath of the monster typhoon Haiyan that hit especially hard in the Philipines and Indonesia recently, news have been continuing the past week of the tens of thousands of dead, many more injured and, of course long-term material and economic consequences which in turn will induce secondary and tertiary human harm, for instance through the social chaos emerging in the tracks of a destroyed civilisation. Reports are also coming, once again when catastrophes of this magnitude hit, of the willingness of nations and people all around the globe to help and assist in whatever wa... more »

EU FUTURE BREAKING: Berlin moves Germany out of the line of fire…and squarely into the driving seat

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 17 hours ago
*EU FUTURE BREAKING: Berlin moves Germany out of the line of fire…and squarely into the driving seat* BY JOHN WARD NOVEMBER 12, 2013 'BUSINESS-FRIENDLY' EU = VICTORY FOR BANKERS AND MULTINATIONALSS DANGER AHEAD FOR GREECE EC TO BE SIDELINED IN EZONE BANKING UNION HITLER WON AFTER ALL VICTORY FOR THE BANKFURTERS WOLFGANG SCHÄUBLE It is no longer possible to deny the Grossdeutschland “business friendly” agenda in Europe Although the process has gone largely (and very likely deliberately) ignored by the old Robber-Baron media, in a series of moves over the last few days, the Germa... more »

President Barack Hussein Obama lied again and again about Obamacare, so where's the outrage?

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 17 hours ago
President Barack Hussein Obama lied again and again about Obamacare, so where's the outrage? It's here... And here's Barack Obama lying over and over and over and over again...

Visas no longer needed for Canada: thank you

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 17 hours ago
After four years, Canada abolished the tourist visa requirements for Czechsagain. The visas have been introduced and canceled a few times in recent decades. *Judging by the sentiment in the face, this Czech woman probably got the visas back in 2009 when they were imposed again shortly before she was leaving the Canadian embassy.* The good news were announced by Otto Jelinek, the new Canada's ambassador to Czechia (born in Prague, Third Reich), a rich guy, and a former figure-skater. Incidentally, I do think that "binational" (yet loyal) folks are a good choice for the chairs of am... more »

The more things change....

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 17 hours ago
A friend of mine put this image of a tin of Formosa Oolong from John Andrews of Boston, probably from the 1880s, on Facebook (more info). It "commemorates" the Boston Tea Party. As I was searching for information on this brand, I stumbled across this droll Consular Report on the Amoy Tea Trade: THE TEA TRADE OF AMOY. I can report much more activity in the tea market at this port than prevailed in the trade one year ago. Prices in New York are much more satisfactory. Up to the 24th ultimo 1,314,286 pounds more of Formosa oolongs had been exported from Amoy to the United States th... more »

Andrew Huszar: Confessions of a Quantitative Easer

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 18 hours ago
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303763804579183680751473884 *Andrew Huszar: Confessions of a Quantitative Easer* *We went on a bond-buying spree that was supposed to help Main Street. Instead, it was a feast for Wall Street.* By ANDREW HUSZAR Nov. 11, 2013 7:00 p.m. ET I can only say: I'm sorry, America. As a former Federal Reserve official, I was responsible for executing the centerpiece program of the Fed's first plunge into the bond-buying experiment known as quantitative easing. The central bank continues to spin QE as a tool for helping Main Street. But I... more »

You Cannot Reform Education With One Eye Closed

Angel Cintron Jr. at @ THE CHALK FACE - 18 hours ago
You cannot reform education with one eye closed. The mantra of “teacher quality” reduces the profession to the traditional four walls of a classroom. Unfortunately, our students deserve more than just a teacher. Rather than place unnecessary burdens on teachers, education reformers must encourage teachers to maximize their influence in every child’s life. Placing too […]

Freedom of Speech in London 2013

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 18 hours ago
This video is from London's School of Oriental And African Studies (SOAS) aka School of Organised Anti-Semitism where a speaker, Mohamed El-Nabawy, had to be ushered off stage by security guards when around 30 demonstrators stormed a lecture theatre. Mr El-Nabawy has ties to the Tamarod group which opposed ex President Mohammed Morsi and played a key role in the ousting of the Muslim Brotherhood-backed Morsi in June this year.

Israel's 'Apartheid Wall' in context

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 18 hours ago
'97% of this "wall" is only a fence, and it was erected IN RESPONSE to terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians. More than a dozen other countries use the same thing to defend against terrorist attacks, prevent weapons trafficking, and curb illegal immigration, among other things. Israel is no different. Get more TRUTH at: - FuelForTruth - http://www.fuelfortruth.org - Twitter - https://twitter.com/fuelfortruth - Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/FuelForTruth' It's odd how only Israel's fence gets criticised by @lynnejones_exMP and others.

Watch ""Brotherly Love" - Arab Treatment of Palestinian Arabs"

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 18 hours ago
'See how the Arab world treats their "brothers," the Palestinian Arabs... The world focuses on Israel's "inhumane" treatment, while Arab nations hold them in horrid refugee camps, using them as political pawns. They were ethnically cleansed, they were massacred, all by Arabs. And the subjugation continues. But no one says a word. Now THAT is "brotherly love." Get more TRUTH at: - FuelForTruth - http://www.fuelfortruth.org - Twitter - https://twitter.com/fuelfortruth - Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/FuelForTruth '

TPP - UK Prime Minister David Cameron - the FACE OF COMMON PURPOSE?

Mike Philbin at PROGNOSIS II - 22 hours ago
couple of quick news items before such blogs as Free Planet are quashed, destroyed, annihilated by corporate legislation, 1) Is UK prime minister David Cameron now the public face of Common Purpose? *The Prime Minister officially declared in a newly published register of ministerial interests that he is patron of an initiative run by Common Purpose, a leadership organisation whose founders set up one of the most vocal lobbying groups for media regulation.* *The disclosure comes days after the approval of a controversial cross-party charter introducing a system of Press regulation u... more »

And Yet It Moves

Wit's End - 22 hours ago
Unless otherwise noted, the illustrations in this post are from one artist, named Pamela. Her site not only merits visits for her artwork, but for her thoughtful writing as well. Here she is, with one of her paintings: Benjamin the Donkey, Limericist unparalleled, reminded me of the quote that serves as the title, *And Yet it Moves - *which is attributed to Gallileo. “ ‘*And yet it moves*’ (Italian: *Eppur si muove*; [ep’pur si ‘mwɔːve]) is a phrase said to have been uttered before the Inquisition by the Italian mathematician, physicist and philosopher Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) i... more »

The Future Of The Republican Party: Short And Brutish

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
The latest Gallup poll shows that 76% of Americans favor raising the minimum wage-- including 58% of Republican voters. A bill doing so will pass the Senate and probably be blocked by Boehner and Cantor in the House where it won't even be voted on. Americans are noticing a pattern emerge-- the Senate passing popular bills and the GOP House refusing to take them up. Instead the House voted 44 Votes to Repeal #Obamacare, and voted on an equal number of anti-Choice bills, 99 other crazy religion bills… but zero bills to create new jobs or do anything to relieve the burdens of a weak ... more »

Anarchist Bookfair Schedule Taala Hooghan Flagstaff Arizona

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 day ago
What: A regional anti-colonial and anarchist bookfair featuring discussions, workshops, presentations, films, skillshares, art, & more. When: November Sat. 16 and Sun. 17, 2013 Where: Táala Hooghan Infoshop, Occupied territories Flagstaff, Arizona. Who: Indigenous and anarchist authors, speakers, radical book distributors, zine publishers, and more. Why: Fire at the Mountain

Philippines continue to deal with incredible aftermath of Super typhoon Haiyan , overwhelmed by the wipeout of housing , infrastructure , communications systems - the Filipino people are trying to find their way forward under incredible circumstances !

Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
Aftermath from Super typhoon Haiyan...... Tons of aid undelivered By Jaime Laude (The Philippine Star) | Updated November 14, 2013 - 1:00am <span class="stArrow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://w.sharethis.com/shar

Making Your Own Powdered Vegetable Bouillon

Small Footprints at Reduce Footprints - 1 day ago
Have you ever considered making your own bouillon powder (aka dehydrated bouillon)? It's not only easy to do, but it's a healthy alternative to commercial versions which often include things like hydrogenated oils, Monosodium Glutamate, Salt, Palm Oil, and preservatives with unpronounceable names. It's also economical and a great way to use up extra veggies in your bin. Here's my easy guide to making your own powdered vegetable bouillon: Gather a variety of vegetables. [image: Make your own powdered vegetable bouillon.] Choose an assortment of vegetables. The goal is to create a nic... more »

Quote of the Day: Truth speaks...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 1 day ago
"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the rich out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend is about the end of any nation. You cann... more »

Cheng’s Views on Chinese and American Education

deutsch29 at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
We live in a time in which the worship of test scores has bred an unprecedented, obsessive desire among corporate reformers to best other countries on international tests. I supposed such would somehow permanently etch into the world consciousness that the United States truly is ”the” world power to be reckoned with. Thus, any time international test results become available, […]

Mohawk Nation News 'Fat Cats'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 day ago
FAT CATS Mohawk Nation News MNN. Nov. 14, 2013. Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s “bunga bunga” antics are not democracy. It’s becoming obvious that the “Fat Cats” machine is in charge of city hall. Fat Cats: “Rob, we’ll tell you when to step down”. The corporate system is riddled with loopholes to keep a rich dabbler like Rob Ford in. His job is to ignore the will of the people. They can

Updates On Syria: CIA Dissent About Ghouta Chemical Attack Was Suppressed, Hezbollah Promises To Stay In Syria, Destruction of Syria's CW Is On Track

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 1 day ago
An excerpt from, *"Fixing Intel Around the Syria Policy"* by Robert Parry, Consortiumnews, November 14: After the Aug. 21 chemical weapons incident in Syria, a number of senior U.S. intelligence analysts disagreed with the Obama administration’s rush to judgment blaming the Syrian government, but their dissent on this question of war or peace was concealed from the American people. The administration kept the dissent secret by circumventing the normal intelligence process and issuing on Aug. 30 something called a “Government Assessment,” posted at the White House press office’s Web ... more »

Apocalypse now? Rural Hondurans can handle it

Jody Paterson at A Closer Look: Jody Paterson - 1 day ago
New biodigester in Aceituno, LempiraShould the apocalypse come one day, we'd all be well-advised to ride it out with a Honduran campesino. Picture a typical Canadian in the event of an apocalypse – electricity gone, supermarkets empty, no gas for the car, that sort of thing. We'd be hooped. Sure, some of us keep backyard gardens, maybe even a few chickens. But it’d be a rare Canadian who could feed themselves even through a short-lived apocalypse. Our country talks a good game about 100-mile diets, but almost a third of our food comes from outside the country and most of... more »

The Map and the Territory

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 1 day ago
Click here to read my review, coming out in Sunday's *NY Times Book Review*, of Alan Greenspan's new book.

Lesson plans: Something scripted, something borrowed, something new. #ShareMyLesson

Chris Cerrone at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
Today I was preparing a sub plans for next week and read Shaun Johnson’s piece about lesson plan books during my lunch period. I know I will be out for a morning next week for some dental work so I am getting my lesson plans set for the day I will be absent. Any teacher […]

Ooh, that Obama! (With thanks to E. J. Dionne Jr. and Ian Welsh)

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
*Is it really much consolation to the president to be linkable to this pack of born-and-bred nitwits and liars?* *"For Obama, there is no escaping health care. He needs to engage in an aggressive new defense that acknowledges problems in the individual market. . . . But he also has to grapple with the wider causes of discontent. . . . He can survive his enemies. He needs to win back the citizens who were once his friends."* *-- E. J. Dionne Jr., in his WaPo column today,* "Obama needs his friends back" *"When you are dealing with bad people, you must assume bad faith; bad behavior.... more »

Charter $chool CEOs of New York

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
The guy at the bottom--that's the Chancellor of 1,600 New York City Public Schools. Remember--it's all about the children. From the Daily News:

The Night of the Doctor

Zoe Brain at A.E.Brain - 1 day ago

Your move Big Insurance Republicans

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 1 day ago
Dizzy from trying to follow all the media spin on Obama's fix for Obamacare. It's bold. It's desperate. It's smart. It's incredibly stupid. It's a trap. It's a trick. It's dictatorial. It's weak. It's generational theft, dammit. Me, I think it was rather brilliant solution. Shorter Obama: You fools like getting ripped off for junk policies? Fine. You can keep 'em. Let the insurance gougers explain why they don't want to give them back to you. Shockingly, the insurers are unhappy with this fix. They can't blame Obamacare for cancelling insurance policies now. The idea isn’t to retr... more »

Saving Privatized Obamacare

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 1 day ago
I got this in the email today (my few little tweaks serving to reveal the whole subliminal message.) Dear MoveOn member, There's no sugar-coating it: *Obama(care) is in serious political trouble. And Obamabots progressives need to step up and start shelling out fighting to save him it right now.* Obviously, the man law itself is still really good at bullshitting. But it's clear to everyone that *rolling us* rollout has been badly botched—and now Republicans smell blood in the water. They think this is their chance to undo the whole thing. Worse yet, some Democrats in Congress are st... more »

City of Scranton unlikely to make required 6.3 million payment to its Pension fund ! Here is the situation Scranton faces - 195 million in outstanding debt. And another 100 million of unfunded pension debt. Another 28 millionis needed to pay off a Court ordered settlement with the Fire and Police Unions ( back pay but with pension implications as well - perhaps several million more on the Scranton tab ) and the above mentioned year end Pension fund Contribution. Add another half million required by law when the 6.3 million Pension contribution is not paid by December 31 , 2013......How long before we see a bankruptcy filing ? Might the recovery be 30 cents on the dollar - which is close to the value of the pension plan assets ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/scranton-unlikely-to-make-required-payment-to-pension-fund-1.1585710 Scranton unlikely to make required payment to pension fund BY TERRIE MORGAN-BESECKER (STAFF WRITER) Published: November 14, 2013 It's unlikely Scranton will make the required $6.3 million contribution to its pension plans by the end of the year, meaning city taxpayers will have to pay an additional $504,000 in interest into the composite pension fund. The city has until Dec. 31 to make the payment, but its failure to secure a $27 million loan that's earmarked to pay that debt and ... more »

LORI WALLACH: "The bottom line of all of this is we need a new procedure to replace fast track that gives the public the role and Congress the role to make sure what will be binding, permanent, global laws do not undermine either our democratic process of making policies at home—that we need—or that lock us into retrograde policies that the current 600 corporate trade advisers are writing to impose on us."

David L Griscom at Cherchez la Verite - 1 day ago
------------------------------ *TPP Exposed: **WikiLeaks Publishes Secret Trade Text to Rewrite Copyright Laws, Limit Internet Freedom* http://www.democracynow.org/2013/11/14/tpp_exposed_wikileaks_publishes_secret_trade WikiLeaks has published the secret text to part of the biggest U.S. trade deal in history, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). For the past several years, the United States and 12 Pacific Rim nations have been negotiating behind closed doors on the sweeping agreement. A 95-page draft of a TPP chapter released by WikiLeaks on Wednesday details agreements relating to... more »

Will A Battle For The Soul Of The Republican Party Pit Chris Christie Against Ted Cruz?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
In his attempt to fool low-info New Jersey independents and Democrats that he's a moderate and not really a conservative, Chris Christie may have inadvertently convinced conservatives across the country. He was reelected governor of New Jersey last week-- while voters rejected his agenda and specifically overturned his veto of a bill raising the minimum wage. New polls, though, indicate that he's alienated GOP primary voters outside of the Northeast, which still includes a good number of old fashioned mainstream conservatives and where teabaggers are less of a force. A new poll fr... more »

Regarding Goldhaber on VAM at AEI

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
My fellow blogger, John Thompson, just posted a piece that looks at the new Mathematica study on teacher transfer incentives, and he begins with this paragraph, to which I would like to respond: Maybe I’m naïve, but I found it hopeful when economist Dan Goldhaber told the conservative American Enterprise Institute that value-added models work at the elementary level, at least in comparison with other ways of evaluating teachers. But, he cited evidence that value-added might not work quite so well at the high school level. He concluded that less emphasis would have been placed on the... more »

This is bad @waldenu, very bad. Why would you do this? #phd

Shaun Johnson at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
Earn a #PhD in #Education online, on your own time. Find out how we can help you! http://t.co/oeh5Cy3Skg — Walden University (@WaldenU) October 10, 2013 Tagged: online, phd, walden
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