Thursday, December 12, 2013

12 Dec - Blogs I'm Following

Tren Urbano,Deportivo Stationat Bayamón (Puert...Tren Urbano,Deportivo Stationat Bayamón (Puerto Rico) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Corcho Beach in Vieques island, Puerto Rico.Corcho Beach in Vieques island, Puerto Rico. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: A Glass Bottom Ferry near Puerto Rico...English: A Glass Bottom Ferry near Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria. Deutsch: Ein Glasbodenboot nahe Puerto Rico (Gran Canaria). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
6:52pm MST

Obama Birth Certificate Verifier Is Lone Fatality In Small Plane Crash - amazing that things like this happen ? Wonder if she had started chirping ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 minute ago
Director Who Released Obama Birth Certificate Dies in Mystery Plane Crash - [image: The Alex Jones Channel][image: Alex Jones Show podcast][image: Prison Planet TV][image: Infowars.com Twitter][image: Alex Jones' Facebook][image: Infowars store] Long form document stoked suspicions of forgery *Paul Joseph Watson* Infowars.com December 12, 2013 The health director who approved the release of President Obama’s long form birth certificate, which some claim was a fraudulent document, has died in an unexplained plane crash in Hawaii, it was announced today. Was Loretta Fuddy’s p... more »

Puerto Rico sees its debt placed on review to junk downgrade by Moody's - with 70 billion in debt overall and 52 billion subject to the downgrade , this could make Detroit look like a walk in the park for Bond Land.....

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 8 minutes ago
Thursday, December 12, 2013 10:58 AM Moody's Puts Puerto Rico on Downgrade to Junk Review Citing Very High Debt, Pension Obligations, Chronic Deficits; Exodus Underway Deficit spending and untenable pension obligations frequently go together, and always cause problems when they do. Coupled with a buildup of debt, and a very bloated public sector (which also go hand-in-hand) Puerto Rico is about to fall to junk level. Please consider Moody's puts Puerto Rico on review for downgrade. Citing Puerto Rico's weak finances and economy, Moody's Investors Service put the comm... more »

East China Sea tensions rising December 8 , 2013 - different perspectives offered....

Catharsis Ours - 8 minutes ago
China.... http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1375702/china-confident-no-military-conflict-over-air-defence-zones China confident of no military conflict over air defence zones None of the governments involved want to risk instability in the region, analysts say, as Australia calls for a reduction in tensions PUBLISHED : Sunday, 08 December, 2013, 6:27am UPDATED : Sunday, 08 December, 2013, 6:27am Minnie Chan and Agence France-Presse Most Popular - VIEWED - SHARED - COMMENTED 1. Work and pay woes put Hong Kong residents in doldrums compared to China's cities 2... more »

LISTEN: Creepy AI Telemarketer Sounds Human, Denies Being a Robot

urupiper at Yesterday 's Lies - 11 minutes ago
Wednesday, December 11, 2013 *Activist Post* Time Magazine is investigating a healthcare telemarketing firm who has been using an amazingly realistic robot caller which seems to operate on advanced and a bit creepy artificial intelligence. The Florida firm Premier Health Plans Inc. is responsible for "employee" Samantha West heard in the exchanges below. After cleverly filibustering, she repeatedly insists she's a real person and not a robot. Listen to the newest recording below:

CLIMATE CHANGE UPDATE

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 24 minutes ago
Stop wasting global resources on militarization. These precious resources are urgently needed to deal with climate change Convert the global war machine now. Remember the seventh generation!

WHO IS WATCHING WHO?

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 51 minutes ago
Congress provided the legislative vehicles for the NSA’s massive spying programs—and it’s time to roll them back. The incredible abuse of government power demonstrated by the NSA spying programs shows the grave threat that secret and unchecked government surveillance programs present to democratic freedoms. Act now to back legislation that repeals the surveillance state sections of the Patriot Act and FISA.

Physical abuse of accused to obtain confession justifies stay of proceedings

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 56 minutes ago
R. v. Singh, 2013 ONCA 750: [46] Yet the police had provided no response to the testimony of the appellant and Maharaj on the stay hearing. Indeed, they have not done so to this day. The absence of any meaningful disciplinary measures is telling, in my view, because the inability or refusal of the police to muster a pointed response in the face of such unchallenged allegations of serious criminal conduct by state actors during a criminal investigation makes the case for a stay under the residual category all the more compelling. Just as the fabrication of evidence by the poli... more »

Only 32 Democrats Had The Guts To Vote No On The Ryan-Murray Budget

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 hour ago
What do you get if you cross Paul Ryan and Patty Murray? This is a budget that is profoundly against the interests of working families. It passed 332-94. 62 crazy right-wing fanatics voted against it because it wasn't harsh enough. These are the 32 Democrats who just said no: *•* Karen Bass (D-CA) *•* Judy Chu (D-CA) *•* David Cicilline (D-RI) *•* Yvette Clarke (D-NY) *•* John Conyers (D-MI) *•* Pete DeFazio (D-OR) *•* Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) *•* Keith Ellison (D-MN) *•* Lois Frankel (D-FL) *•* Marsha Fudge (D-OH) *•* Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) *•* Colleen Hanabusa (New Dem-HI) *•* Rush Holt (D-... more »

Afghanistan policy confusion involving the US hits new limbo lows - Top Officials perplexed when asked death count of Americans for 2013 and what is the cost of the War ? And then the big drop dead date of the end of December 2013 for President Karzai to sign the BSA or else --- now is not so drop dead after all ? January would be fine ( well , how about February , March or April 2014 ? ) How many times are we planning to show the world our foreign policy is toothless , incoherent and not serious ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 hour ago
http://www.businessinsider.com/why-afghanistan-is-such-a-mess-in-two-unanswered-questions-2013-12 Why Afghanistan Is Such A Mess, In Two Unanswered Questions GEOFFREY INGERSOLL 40 MINUTES AGO 12 - - inShare - - - EMAIL - MORE [image: Dana Rohrabacher] www.youtube.com "Holy Cow!" As part of the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Afghanistan, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R., Calif.) asked three top officials two simple questions: How many Americans have died in Afghanistan this year? And how much is the war costing the U.S.? Awkward excuses and befud... more »

Enough Already

Sophia Love at AMERICAN KABUKI - 1 hour ago
You hold the keys to the kingdom. They’ve been hidden beneath layers of subservience, until now. The reason for their hiding does not matter. You’ve found them. It is upon you to remember that you hold them in your hands. There are others showing up now, making demands, attempting to push you back down, to douse your light. They are saying “We hold the keys to your freedom. Do this as we command. We will grant your release if you comply.” As the key holder, you wonder… “Who are these others, making demands?” “Why do they not show themselves?” “How is it that they hold t... more »

NEOCON GODFATHER CALLS FOR STRIKE AGAINST IRAN

Norman Podhoretz, often regarded as one of the Godfathers of neoconservatism, has a piece in the *Wall Street Journal* calling for the bombing of Iran. In it he argues that the alternative is to accept that Iran will get a nuclear weapon and that it will be used against Israel despite the certainty of Israel launching a devastating retaliatory nuclear strike that would destroy Iran. He writes: *…that the prospect of being annihilated in a retaliatory nuclear strike, which had successfully deterred the Soviets and the Chinese from unleashing their own nuclear weapons during the Cold ... more »

Friday Morning Ramble: ‘’Twas the fortnight before Christmas, and all through the House…” edition

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 2 hours ago
“Parliament is full of whores … The Whore Index of New Zealand Politics simply looks at how much of a whore each party is, measured by how many dollars they spend per vote.” So which two parties are far and away the biggest whores? (Write your answer down before you click.) *The Whore Index of New Zealand Politics* – The Pitchman, WHORES & GANGSTERS “The parliamentary year ended yesterday, and so it is time for the school prizegiving.” *Of musical chairs and other absurd carryings-on* – Claire Trevett, NZ HERALD Submissions detailed in a report titled *A House Divided,* released ... more »

Best Little Drummer Boy, evah! Not to be missed!...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 2 hours ago
for your listening pleasure. *Behind the Scenes of Little Drummer Boy*

Seymour Hersh is a gritty investigative journalist of U.S. government, wars, and military intelegence who can and will explain all he has learned if asked. Amy Goodman: "In the end, President Obama chose not to strike Syria because the American people just overwhelmingly said no." Seymour Hersh responds: "He didn’t—I’m telling you, he didn’t do it because the American people said no. He knew it because he didn’t have a case. And there was incredible opposition that will be, one of these days, written about, maybe in history books. There was incredible operation from some very, very strong-minded, constitutionally minded people in the Pentagon. That’s the real story. I don’t have it; I could just tell you I know it."

David L Griscom at Cherchez la Verite - 2 hours ago
------------------------------ *MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2013* Original Here Seymour Hersh: Obama "Cherry-Picked" Intelligence on Syrian Chemical Attack to Justify U.S. Strike http://www.democracynow.org/2013/12/9/seymour_hersh_obama_cherry_picked_intelligence Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh joins us to discuss his new article casting doubt on the veracity of the Obama administration’s claims that only the Assad regime could have carried out the chemical attacks in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta earlie... more »

Mass Insight into Evansville: Gates, Broad, and Joyce in Indiana

Doug Martin at Schools Matter - 2 hours ago
By Doug Martin The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation is fighting to keep its recently hired Boston-based Mass Insight Education turnaround company. Mass Insight Education was hired last school year for $600,000 to help “turn around” Glenwood’s Leadership Academy and four other schools in the corporation which have received poor grades over the last few years. According to a recent *State Impact Indiana* story, Mass Insight Education isn't too happy about the state department of education looking too closely into its gig, calling another “lead partner” in the Evansville sc... more »

Teachers Fleeing New Mexico Districts

Kris Nielsen at @ THE CHALK FACE - 3 hours ago
This article will be updated as more formal reports are released. Thanks to an orchestrated drive to punish good teachers and reward those who follow the rules (yes, there is a big difference), the number of early retirements and resignations in districts throughout New Mexico are increasing rapidly. There is always turnover to be expected, […]

Guest Post By Ed Pawlowski, Candidate To Replace Tom Corbett As Governor Of Pennsylvania

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 3 hours ago
Earlier in the year, we started a series of guest posts by the candidates running for governor of Pennsylvania, hoping to find an alternative to New Dem Allyson Schwartz. With her recent exposure as a co-chair of the virulently anti-family, pro-Wall Street, conservative group Third Way, we thought it was time for another installment. This guest post is by Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski. Feel free to check out earlier guest posts by John Hanger and Tom Wolf at the links. *Guest Post* *by Ed Pawlowski* One of the things I enjoy most about being Mayor of Allentown is the fact that, wi... more »

Corporate War Veteran

Mike Philbin at PROGNOSIS II - 4 hours ago
*corporate war veteran*I suspect, and I don't like revealing this to you all, that I've just WASTED my whole entire life, frittered it away watching the world go by, hoping that it would one day have a revelatory moment and go, "Shit, this place truly sucks." I don't want you to pity me (that's not the point of this), I want you ALL also to realise, "We're in the same boat." All that great stuff, that Creativity, that Passion, that Kinship, we promised our younger selves we'd accomplish got SHAT ON by our own Complacency in a Society and an Economy that's rotten to the core, totall... more »

No Excuses for the Poor; Affluenza for the Privileged

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 4 hours ago
What happens when a white rich boy gets drunk, drives, and kills 4 people and paralyzes 1? No jail time--he is suffering from affluenza. Really--that's the defense that worked and now is recorded into case law. From Time: For most people, conviction for vehicular manslaughter due to drunk driving warrants a lengthy sentence, but not in the case of Ethan Couch, a wealthy young man from the state of Texas. The Keller, Tex., 16-year-old has a rare condition that a judge believes is best remedied with anything but dealing with the consequences for causing a DWI wreck that killed four ... more »

Hungry

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 4 hours ago
Some days I just despair for the future of my progeny. Are we so far gone as a society to find it acceptable to watch our elderly and disabled slide into abject poverty while casino capitalists on Wall Street are raking in billions of nearly tax free winnings and corporate CEOs make 475 times more than their workers, who have reached the human capacity for increased productivity while sharing none of the gains? With House Republicans hell-bent on cutting food stamps, some Congressional Democrats believe they can strike a "compromise" in the upcoming Farm Bill by "only" taking $90... more »

Dear God: What have we become? Obamacare ad linking to "Getcovered" featuring a rapping fake Obama...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 4 hours ago
*in which the libtards insult the intelligence of the American public and every decent black person.* I seriously cannot believe what I just saw. You won't either. H/T Weasel Zippers

There's war of conservative aggression in the House

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 5 hours ago
Thing about Tea Party cons, they will never back down. It's the prime rule of the crackpot credo. No compromise. No surrender. Never admit you're wrong. So now we're on day two of the BigCon Grifters versus John Boehner. Apparently John has found that mason jar with his balls in it that Charlie Pierce keeps talking about. Channeling his inner honey badger, Boehner don't care what the fuck they do anymore. Admit I'm admiring him just a little today for finally standing up to them. Wondering how long it's going to last though. This from a charter member of the House Crackpot Caucus o... more »

Michael Voris: "You can't dialogue with someone who hates you"...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 5 hours ago
*this is a message for all conservatives - not just Catholic conservatives. * *See also:* Newsbusters: *Five Years of H8 from NOH8* Matt Walsh: * Next up: force the churches to perform gay weddings*

The Importance of Angry Letters

Phil Arena at Duck of Minerva - 5 hours ago
Editor’s Note: this is an abbreviated version of a post that originally appeared on my personal blog. How can international institutions foster cooperation given that they lack enforcement capability? One view, quite simply, is that they can’t. This view is shared by realists and man outside the academy. Many would argue this critique is unfair. Continue reading

Former Israeli central banker offered top position at Fed

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 5 hours ago
Yesterday, *The Jewish Daily Forward* (citing *Reuters*) reported that Stanley Fischer, the former head of the Israeli central bank, has been offered a top position at *the Jewish-controlled Federal Reserve* by the Obama administration: *Former Israeli central bank governor Stanley Fischer has been offered the position of vice chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve*, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday. “He’s been offered the job” the source, who declined to be named, said. The source added that the process would still require approval by the U.S. Senate. Wor... more »

Senior Funeral Exploiter

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 5 hours ago
I don't really have anything to say about this, other than to say that it's not the first time. Or the second time. In fact, the evidence strongly suggests that there is, somewhere (at the RNC? Fox News?) a Senior Funeral Exploiter whose job it is to carefully monitor all funerals, memorial services, and other potentially solemn occasions in which Democratic politicians are expected to attend with the goal of finding some "inappropriate" behavior. And once it's identified, it spreads rapidly through the GOP-aligned press. The classics of the genre are the Paul Wellstone funeral, and... more »

The Wisdom of Dr. Seuss

Breaking The Silence at Removing The Shackles - 6 hours ago
The wisdom of Dr. Seuss...... You are never too young nor too old to learn a valuable lesson.

Newhouse's Tremonton, Utah Movie Revisited

KRandle at A Different Perspective - 6 hours ago
I hadn’t planned on doing this simply because it was more work at this point than I wanted to take on, but there seems to be a real interest in the film and there is a lot of misinformation floating around about it. These are distortions that I believe are lodged in the belief structures of the various commentators rather than in the facts of the case. I’m using as many of the original sources as possible, including the reports of others who interviewed the photographer after the event, sometimes years afterwards and will point out that when I interviewed him, I just wanted to conf... more »

Too fake and phony to be self-governing!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 6 hours ago
*THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2013* *Maddow debuts in the Post:* In our view, a whole lotta piddle’s been going on in the major op-ed columns. But good lord! This morning, the Washington Post debuted its new monthly columnist—and it’s Rachel Maddow! In our view, Maddow’s cable work has been tumbling down hill fast. This morning’s perfectly worthless column hastens our sense of descent. Wow! You get a spot in the Washington Post and *that’s* what you burn it on? Except as tribal snark, the piece is pointless in every way. It isn’t even written well, unless you like your cicadas in groves ... more »

Don't blame poverty for thoughtless animal cruelty

Jody Paterson at A Closer Look: Jody Paterson - 6 hours ago
Coquetta In the wake of the truly awful death of a little dog in our neighbourhood on Sunday, I've had a lot of conversations this week about animal cruelty in Honduras. The poor dog was scalded with boiling water by a restaurant worker trying to shoo her away, and died eight slow, suffering days later from her massive injuries. The news completely horrified me and virtually all of my Canadian friends, for whom that level of casual animal cruelty is incomprehensible. Were anyone to scald a dog to death in my hometown of Victoria, B.C., I am quite sure there would be somethi... more »

Haiti and it's Place within the New World Order

Paul Coker at News Spike - 6 hours ago
What do AIDS and the 2010 Haitian Earthquake have in common?

A humor format keeps murdering sleep!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 7 hours ago
*THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2013* *Too dumb to be self-governing:* Years ago, we used to do a humor segment two mornings a week on WBAL-AM, Baltimore’s “good guy” news station. Occasionally, we did a format called “The too dumb to be self-governing file.” In those days, we thought of this as a joke. We remember only one such offering: A gubernatorial candidate in Texas unveiled his ten-point education plan. When reporters counted its bullet points, they discovered that the ten-point education plan only had nine points. That sort of thing can happen! Today, though, we’re often struck—i... more »

The Obamacare Scam -Trifecta: The 20,000% Mark-Up!...(video)

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 7 hours ago
*in which Bill Whittle, Stephen Green, and Tammy Bruce explain just how badly the American people were fleeced of their money. *

Mandela and Other Oathtakers

Paul Coker at News Spike - 7 hours ago
"*The very word "secrecy" is repugnant in a free and open society; * *and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings." * *The President and the Press* *April 27, 1961* Don't ever take an Oathtaker at his word - he's not for you, he's sworn a higher loyalty to something else which you may not know and probably aren't a party to. Lawyers and police swear an oath to the Constitution (which says a Negro is 3/5ths of a human being). Doctors swear an oath to sell medicine rather than heel people or supply cures... more »

New DiCaprio Wall Street Movie Whitewashes Republican Corruption Out Of The Film

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 7 hours ago
My friend Michael took me to a press screening for the new Leonardo DiCaprio film, *The Wolf of Wall Street* last night. It was a really good movie-- so good in fact that when a song I published came on-- "Never Say Never" by RomeoVoid; thank you, Robbie Robertson-- that wasn't even the highlight of the film for me! The movie is based on the real life story of Wall Street fraud and depravity-- the Stratton Oakmont predatory brokerage firm and its founder and CEO, Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio). The Stratton Oakmont scandal had already inspired one film in 2000, Boiler Room starring Be... more »

What Are Tests Really Measuring?: When Achievement Isn’t Achievement

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE - 7 hours ago
What Are Tests Really Measuring?: When Achievement Isn\’t Achievement. via What Are Tests Really Measuring?: When Achievement Isn’t Achievement.

Does a snowfall mean more than that it is snowing?

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 7 hours ago
A climate fearmonger called Jared Huffman (D-Calif) who is ironically employed as the U.S. Congressman has said some "audacious" things in the U.S. Parliament: We've Reached The Point Where Climate Change Deniers Need To Be Reminded That It Snows Every Year (The Huffington Post) He tried to "remind" his colleagues that "a snowfall in December does not disprove climate change". Well, the only problem is that it does. I am not talking about the tautological climate change – the self-evident fact that the climate is changing and has been changing for 4.6 billion years, something... more »

Book Page Bracelet

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 7 hours ago
Certain books and quotes stick with you forever. As an avid reader, I actually keep a small book of quotes that really hit home for me. This quick and easy bracelet makes a wonderful gift for the reader in your life. You can use any book or make it really special by using a favorite quote from loved book. If you use a classic, you have a high chance of being able to find a copy at your local thrift store for a great price. You will need: An old book A smooth bangle, wider is better Mod Podge a foam brush Cut your book pages into strips anywhere from a quarter to a half inch wide. ... more »

The Good Old Days

Steve Saideman at Duck of Minerva - 8 hours ago
When people lament about how broken academia is now (for example Higgs of Higgs-Boson), I am so tempted to generalize about the olden days: Many, if not most, jobs were not advertised publicly and many job processes were really old boys networks at work. The job market may not be efficient and does induce heaps Continue reading

Mea Culpa

noreply@blogger.com (fern hill) at DAMMIT JANET! - 8 hours ago
Yesterday on Twitter, I was having a cozy gloomy shared among several buds, when this reply popped up. @fernhilldammit @canteach It's Never too late to Fight for your Rights & What is Right!! #IdleNoMore #ElsipogtogSolidarity — RedBrown-TWC-NA (@IamRedBrown) December 11, 2013 I was shamed. It struck me that the total disdain and disregard with which the CONtempt Party of Canada treats all of us -- well, except their rich, oily pals -- is much like the disdain and disregard that First Nations people have endured for centuries, when they weren't actively being murdered, starved, ... more »

Vellacott's Last Gasp

noreply@blogger.com (fern hill) at DAMMIT JANET! - 8 hours ago
In the other recent yawn story, Maurice Vellacott is taking his last kick at the abortion can. He's moving two motions to 'study' the abortion issue. Full text of both here. Both motions are almost certainly doomed to fail. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been consistent on having no desire to reopen the abortion debates in Canada, and his party has shut down numerous efforts by pro-life caucus members to do so. Vellacott expects the votes to take place within a couple of days of the House of Commons returning in January. This is the last chance Vellacott has to bring the matte... more »

Why we like the Clash, and the Who

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 8 hours ago
Is it possible that I will not be CEO I got so much stimulation could there be no chance I will not lead the nation if I can not be number one' what can i DO everyone else hates me for stepping over them so I could go to the press with an interview So I failed to lead I did not hold up when the best option was to fold. What we see today is that the royals can be brought down but with their demise is a great comprise Not for me to be the authority Janie Jones by the Clash

Pause, Then Politicize

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 8 hours ago
After Mandela died last week, Dave Weigel wrote an item telling people to "Go Ahead, Politicize Mandela"in response to some twitter requests to cut out the partisan sniping for a while. I'm sympathetic to that point of view...but I also think there's an etiquette issue here, too, as I also said a while ago. And I think that for at least a short while -- a pause -- the etiquette issue deserves precedence over the politics. Basically, it's polite to wait a short bit before jumping into partisan or other political point-scoring, and people should be polite. I want to emphasize: short ... more »

Going Past Fifty Percent

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 8 hours ago
This is not a good idea, no matter what cause you will stress out something and its bound to fail. Even in your personal lives where logic is not a big determiner like th2 mechanical I would say, do not push to hard over fifty percent will leave you at home alone and hard. If you ever build anything do a fifty percent o3v3r build. Cause standard is like eating from a dumpster.

MOAR cops more better NOT

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 8 hours ago
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-12-12/cops-capita-who-has-worlds-most-and-least-concentrated-police-force

Your moment of Zen

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 8 hours ago
Aurora over Maine farmhouse. [photo via]

Deep tweets

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 8 hours ago
Not sure of context. Assume presser. Actual question to a congressman just now: “ You keep saying this is a step forward. Is it really kicking the can down the road?” — daveweigel (@daveweigel) December 11, 2013

GOP infighting heats up the House

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 8 hours ago
Looks like the one lesson old guard Republicans learned from 2012 is the Tea Party's crackpot conservatism is toxic for the Republican brand. Showing a rare flash of public irritation, it's cear John Boehner has had enough of *those* people. The crackpot cons were not amused: Club For Growth issued a statement in response to Boehner's remarks, but didn't mention him by name, and instead lit into the budget agreement he and Ryan are vouching for. "We stand with Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Tom Coburn, Rand Paul, members of the Republican Study Committee and every other fiscal conservati... more »

cant hurt to watch

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 8 hours ago
http://libertyblitzkrieg.com/2013/12/10/video-of-the-day-pirate-party-founder-explains-swarm-intelligence/

Argentina: Unusual "Light Movement" Witnessed by Fishermen in Puerto Madryn

Inexplicata (IHU) at Inexplicata-The Journal of Hispanic Ufology - 9 hours ago
*Source: VISION OVNI (Andrea Pérez Simondini)http://www.visionovni.com.ar/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1208Date: 11.13.2013* Location: Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina Date: Saturday, 2 November 2013 Time: Between 0200 and 0500 hours Witnesses: Two (2) younger anonymous witnesses and an older one Vicky Zeigler, a researcher with the VISION OVNI team, has been closely following the events taking place in the city of Puerto Madryn, Chubut Province, due to the characteristics of these events: Lights are seen entering and departing from the water, remaining suspended over the oce... more »

Mexico: New Anomalous Lights Over Popocatepetl

Inexplicata (IHU) at Inexplicata-The Journal of Hispanic Ufology - 9 hours ago
Contributing Editor *Ana Luisa Cid* (Mexico) has shared some intriguing images of an anomalous light over the Popocatepetl Volcano. They were obtained by the TELEVISA monitoring camera at 05:44 hours on 5 December 2013. To watch the video in its entirety (1:13), please visit: http://youtu.be/qYsSbdUKqc8 Inexplicata Podcasts covering items from UFO / paranormal history in Spain, Latin America and the Caribbean

Former Federal Budget Director David Stockman: Budget deal a 'joke and betrayal'...(video included)

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 9 hours ago
*"It's the final surrender of the House Republican leadership to Beltway politics and kicking the can and ignoring the budget monster that's hurtling down the road." * Is there really anyone in this country that doesn't understand that the federal and state governments steal money from the producers and spend it on nonsensical programs, grants, and as a way to line their own pockets? Just this morning, I read where the feds are handing out a grant of over 200K dollars to "study how kids order food in restaurants" in order to prevent obesity. You may think 200K is a drop in the buc... more »

Anti-union, Nonprofit Shill Attacks AFT

deutsch29 at @ THE CHALK FACE - 9 hours ago
On December 10, 2013, the Center for Union Facts (CUF) (don’t believe the name) sponsored a full-page ad in the New York Times attributing the “high school slip in global rankings” to a single issue: The failure of American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten to promote merit pay for teachers. The ad reads, We have fallen […]

Jay Saper on TFA and Subsequent KIPP Recruiting Experience

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 9 hours ago
I talked with an amazing young man the other day about his getting booted out of TFA during the early fall of 2013. His name is Jay Saper, and, despite his recent experiences, he remains articulate, confident, and eager to become a real teacher with real teacher preparation and credentials. From our long conversation, it became apparent to me that he is much too empathetic to be successful in an organization like Teach for America, which values achievement scores and its corporate branding over the welfare of children and parents. This is not to deny that there are many well-intenti... more »

VISIONS OF PISA: Weingarten, Ravitch lose the NAEP!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 9 hours ago
*THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2013* *Part 4—The liberal world’s rolling incompetence:* The misstatements tend to be general when you read Diane Ravitch, who tends to be excessively partisan in support of whichever side she is currently on. We assume that Ravitch is well intentioned. In certain ways, her new book, Reign of Error, is very useful, at least theoretically. But Ravitch tends to overstate toward the goal of winning each partisan point. As an example, let’s consider something she said in a post this Tuesday. The post was aimed at the D.C. schools, one of her favorite targets. S... more »

ON THE INSIDE TRACK

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 10 hours ago
A very interesting look inside of North Korea from the seats of five New Zealanders on motor bikes. Some really strikingly beautiful nature scenes in the video and it is obvious that they encountered many wonderful people. It reminds me how much our view of North Korea is tainted by years of unrelenting US propaganda. Take a look and see for yourself.

Security Situation In Southern Iraq November 2013

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 10 hours ago
November 2013 saw southern Iraq return to its annual average in terms of attacks and casualties. There were two waves of car bombings during the month, but otherwise violence was scattered and low level across the region. That was different from the previous two months that saw a huge amount of fatalities. Compared to the rest of Iraq the south remains relatively peaceful despite the best laid plans of insurgents. November saw a decline in deaths from the previous two months. There were 29 incidents for the month. Almost half, 14 were in Babil, which is a militant hotbed. After ... more »

Opportunistic soundbite

sue at Is the BBC biased? - 10 hours ago
Interesting feature on Today with Justin and a defender of the London university ‘gender apartheid’ debacle. I’ve boiled down the item till it’s reduced to half its volume. Lady opens with famous burka manoeuvre - “who are *we* (UCL) to interfere with a woman’s right to wear/sit where she likes?” Justin counters with “Women are probably *coerced* into choosing segregation” Closing move: ”Libertarian universities can never ‘dictate’ *rules*.” Labour business secretary *Chuk**s* in “*Labour* government wouldn’t *allow*gender apartheid” (impliedly invoking *Umunni*ty from own responsib... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 11 hours ago
*With dear friends like Big Oil, are we our own worst enemies? ~Mark Moseley, The Lens* *Sand from Ship Shoal used to build barrier project south of Port Fourchon ~Amy Wold, Advocate* *Review: Federal Flood Drama Is Paul Walker's Finest Hour ~Joe Leydon, CBS* *James Andrews To Lead New Orleans Second Line For Nelson Mandela ~Jocelyn Ninneman, offBeat*

Third World Justice

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 11 hours ago
Come on, really. Do not mess with Texas because its hurtin freedom. http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/12/11/teen-who-killed-four-while-driving-three-times-over-the-limit-gets-off-because-his-rich-parents-papered-him/

Cruel And Unusual Punishment

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 11 hours ago
Jim Flaherty vows that the budget will be balanced by the next election. But at what cost? Daniel Tencer, of *The Huffington Post, *writes: Job creation in Canada this year has been the weakest in a non-recession year in more than a decade, and the low quality of the jobs being created is causing some economists to raise concerns about the country's economy. Looking at StatsCan’s latest job numbers, released last week, BMO economist Benjamin Reitzes notes that Canada created fewer than 175,000 net jobs in the year to date (meaning all of 2013 except December). It's not just abou... more »

The Top 10 Anti-Cancer Vegetables by Chris Wark - Cancer Survivor

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 11 hours ago
The Top 10 Anti-Cancer Vegetables by Chris Wark Chris Beat Cancer Blog If you haven’t noticed, we are constantly bombarded with pleas from charities for cancer research money. “Race for the Cure, Stand Up to Cancer, Buy Pink products, grow a Movember mustache….” This is often accompanied by the message that “we are running out of funding for cancer research”. And of course this is a problem, because “without funding for more research, we will never find a cure”. Cue the shots of bald women and children poisoned by chemo, accompanied by dramatic music. Then insert a hi... more »

Volcker Rule: Each Ending Is A New Beginning For Banksters And Their Lobbyists

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 11 hours ago
As we mentioned Monday, all but one Republican (Walter Jones) voted to exempt private equity fund investment advisers from regulatory registration and reporting requirements. They were joined by 36 Democrats led by Wall Street whores Steve Israel ("ex"-Blue Dog-$800,019) and Jim Himes (New Dem-$1,853,26). Ever since Boehner became Speaker, whittling away a Dodd-Frank has been top priority-- and he knows there are always a couple dozen corrupt Democrats to tag along for the goodies. Conservatives hate the Volcker Rule banning high-risk bank trades but it was something Boehner, th... more »

ECFA Successes Just Keep Rolling In

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 12 hours ago
*Resolutely thinking about the future of Taiwan. Via Motao. * One of the merriest, most penetrating minds I know collected a bunch of info on the recent trade stats and sent it around. Not pretty at all. For November, via the Taipei Times: Exports to ASEAN countries dropped to US$4.37 billion last month, down 9.3 percent from a year earlier and marking the lowest level since July last year. The weakness in shipments to ASEAN offset a 6.5 percent increase in exports to China and Hong Kong, which reached US$10.59 billion last month, the report said. Yeh said Taiwan’s full-year expor... more »

Read Stuff, You Should

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 12 hours ago
Happy Birthday to Mayim Bialik, 38. Good stuff: 1. Sarah Kliff on the people who may fall through the cracks. 2. Jamelle Bouie on demographics, the parties, and the future. Regular readers know I strongly agree with his argument. 3. See also Reihan Salam's response. 4. Ed Kilgore on Republicans, counterrevolutionary ideology, and internal party conflict. I'm not as convinced as Kilgore is that a substantial and influential group of Republicans sincerely believe in a "constitutional conservative" ideology...but I do think he's on very firm ground in thinking of (many within) the GO... more »

East-West Center Analysis of Taiwan the ripe melon gets plenty of buzz

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 12 hours ago
*East Coast Tableaux* An East-West Center analysis of Taiwan's situation is getting plenty of buzz. Taipei Times summarizes: Under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), the leadership in Beijing is well-positioned to exercise “strategic patience” over the Taiwan issue, he added. “Beijing’s patience is predicated on the belief that time is on Beijing’s side, for reasons of economics, military, and the perceived attention deficit of the US,” the academic wrote. “As more sectors of the Taiwanese society become reliant on cross-strait commerce, this economic dependency has the potentia... more »

A Harvard Victory

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 12 hours ago
Congratulations to the Harvard Fed Challenge Team, which recently won the national title. Here is a picture of the team, together with a soon-to-be-unemployed Harvard alum.

Test your US Taiwan policy knowledge

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 13 hours ago
*Love this spot. Past it is nothing but gorgeous views.* Noted political scientist John Mersheimer recently gave a talk on Taiwan's future in a world where China's growth has never stopped and China is now a hyper-power. The talk is a fantasy and entertaining as far as it goes, but it contains this statement... ...The “Anti-­‐Secession Law,” which China passed in 2005, says explicitly that “the state shall employ non-­‐peaceful means and other necessary measures” if Taiwan moves toward de jure independence. *It is also worth noting that the United States does not recognize Taiwan a... more »

Snow in Toronto?

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 13 hours ago

Is sunlight proving hazardous to the TPP ? Will Opposition in the US and Overseas Derail the Toxic TransPacific Partnership?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 13 hours ago
Will Opposition in the US and Overseas Derail the Toxic TransPacific Partnership?Posted on December 12, 2013 by Yves Smith Given the extreme measures the Obama Administration has gone to to keep the pending trade deal known as the TransPacific Partnership under wraps, it’s hard to be certain where things stand. Public Citizen has been relentless in publicizing leaks in combination with detailed analysis that show that this pact is not about trade, but about setting up a pro-corporate regime that would strengthen intellectual property laws (including drug patents) while allowing for ... more »

Rod Peterson Cured Cancer Using Dr. Simoncini's Baking Soda Method

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 13 hours ago
*Published on Jul 20, 2013* Cancer is cured with Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate) Rod Peterson was diagnosed with end stage cancer and was advised to see a psychologist, since the doctor basically told him he was going to die. Instead, Rod turned to Dr Simoncini's Baking Soda treatment. Cancer is cured with Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate) Mirror of a very helpful video showing cancer is not an incurable condition, but is actually a fungus that is cured with sodium bicarbonate (Baking Soda). JudeoChristian Dr Simoncini shows sodium bicarbonate cures colon cancer in 5 days 1- S... more »

Shotgun exit wounds

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 13 hours ago
"Unlike exit wounds created by rifled weapons, shotguns do not generally give rise to exit wounds unless there is a contact wound to the head, for example (where the exit wound is actually a reflection of the explosive effect of the gases expanding in the enclosed cranial vault), or where there is a 'through-and-through' wound to a limb at close range. Head wounds demonstrate ragged and irregular exit defects due to fragmentation of cranial contents with everted edges. ... Where the body is struck at increasing range, the shotgun pellets do not have enough energy to traverse the b... more »

Vile, disgusting animal cruelty in Gaza - Warning, extremely graphic video

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 13 hours ago
This piece of video from Gaza of extreme cruelty to animals is simply disgusting. I couldn't watch it all the way through. I wonder how many pro-Palestinian (which really means anti-Israel or often anti-Semitic) activists will decry this video and how many will somehow blame Israel/the Jews? *Thanks to Israelly Cool for the spot.*

Thomas: Charter schools not a smart investment for S.C. (The State, Columbia, SC)

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE - 13 hours ago
Thomas: Charter schools not a smart investment for S.C. (The State, Columbia, SC). via Thomas: Charter schools not a smart investment for S.C. (The State, Columbia, SC).

The one hundred and sixty-seventh weekly "No shit, Sherlock" award

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 14 hours ago
This week's award goes to Ruud Koopmans from the WZB Berlin Social Science Center for his research which reveals the simply amazing information that: 'Two thirds of the Muslims interviewed say that religious rules are more important to them than the laws of the country in which they live. *Three quarters of the respondents hold the opinion that there is only one legitimate interpretation of the Koran.'* 'No shit, Sherlock' More on this study soon...

Quadrillion-dollar finance house spams Reg reader with bankers' private data

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 15 hours ago
*What if... computers and routers also become sentient with the rising energies... and they realize that they too are Eternal Essence... part of the One... after all what is a brain, but a network of neurons? Just sayin'... -Bill* *Quadrillion-dollar finance house spams Reg reader with bankers' private data* Fat fingers dump network dumps in 20,000 emails By Iain Thomson, 11th December 2013 http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/12/11/quadrillionaire_finance_house_spams_iregi_reader_with_clients_data/ *Exclusive IT staff at the world's largest securities transaction clearing house are... more »

Prophets and prophecy-independent scientists

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 15 hours ago
Today, the winner of the $3 million 2014 Milner Prize (see candidates) will be announced in San Francisco along with five winners of the $3 million Milner-and-few-pals Award in Life Sciences (I hope that I remembered the official name of the honor exactly). One $3 million prize for a psychic (no kidding) will be decided in January. Watch the news. A week ago, Nima Arkani-Hamed gave a talk on a one-day symposium in Stony Brook; click here if the HTML5 video tag below doesn't work for you. Your browser does not support the video tag. His talk about the exotic methods to calculat... more »

21 Days to Go? Now only 20...

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 16 hours ago
Nigel Farage speaks the truth... and it's scary.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo – "Long Walk to Freedom"

Batocchio at Vagabond Scholar - 18 hours ago
RIP Nelson Mandela.

wired

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 18 hours ago
This is how it starts, people. First we get our chatbots to sound and act realistic and then we get them to convince everyone they're actually human. Listen to this crazy conversation between Time's Michael Scherer and a telemarketing robot who refuses to admit her true artificial nature. meet samantha west

the highway

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 18 hours ago

Ed Felien : A Good [Angry White] Man With a Gun

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 18 hours ago
Image from The L Magazine. Pissed-off patriot: ‘A good man with a gun’ These angry white men are doing their best to bring back an idealized past that never really existed By Ed Felien / The Rag Blog / December 12, 2013 “The only thing that stops a bad man with a gun is a good man with a gun.” -- Wayne LaPierre, National Rifle Association Paul Anthony Ciancia believed he was that good man.

Cape Dorset

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 18 hours ago

Never underestimate the resilience of the goat

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 19 hours ago
Un groupe de chamois se fait prendre dans une avalanche au dessus du refuge du Roc de la Pêche (www.rocdelapeche.com) - Pralognan la Vanoise. Vidéo réalisée par un de nos clients en avril 2013. Heureusement tout se termine très bien pour les chamois, ils n'ont pas d'ABS mais ils s'en sortent pas mal!!

RAINBOW UNIVERSE

Anon at aangirfan - 19 hours ago
Some scientists believe that with 'different energies' ( or wavelengths or frequencies) we can experience different worlds (or space-times). *"Rainbow" Universe* David Icke writes that the universe consists of an infinite number of frequencies or dimensions of life that share the same space, just as television and radio frequencies do. Icke believes that some people can tune their consciousness to other wavelengths, which is what psychic power consists of. *hubblesite.org The greater the energy, the shorter the wavelength (and the larger the frequency)* *According to the 'Rainb... more »

Pope Francis named Person of the Year by Time Magazine

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 20 hours ago
*Can you smell what The Pope is cooking?* Pope Francis is an excellent politician, and a great spiritual teacher. He became a good pope the moment he chose the name Francis. The fact that he is unnerving so many people means he is doing a good job at breaking ideological, social, political, and cultural barriers. Here is an excerpt from, *"Pope Francis Is Not Liberal Or Conservative: He is Prophetic"* by Tom Krattenmaker: Prophetic is probably the best word for the role the pope is playing -- not in the sense of predicting the future, but of standing outside of business and politi... more »

The Realist Report - Horus the Avenger

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 20 hours ago
On this edition of *The Realist Report*, we'll be joined by Horus the Avenger of *WhiteRabbitRadio.net*. Horus and I will be discussing the anti-White narrative found in the mainstream media and educational establishment, and the very real dangers facing the White race globally. You can download the mp3 for this program *here*, or visit *The Realist Report* on BlogTalkRadio to subscribe via iTunes and view past programs. Below are relevant links for this program: - *WhiteRabbitRadioTV* - YouTube - *Sullivan County, NY: Black Mayor Gordon Jenkins Arrested for DUI, Calls Wh... more »

To sleep not, perchance to view a slide show . . .

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 20 hours ago
*by Ken* Unable to sleep, *New Yorker* cartoon editor Bob Mankoff tells us in his most recent blogpost ("To Sleep, Perchance (Very Good Chance) to Wake"), he turned to Ian Parker's article "The Big Sleep" in the magazine, about efforts by our friends the drug-makers to produce a superior new nocturnal knockout concoction. "I'm pretty sure I got a lot out of Parker's account," Bob tells us, "though unfortunately I can remember very little of it due to Ambien-induced amnesia." I'll leave you to check out Bob's account of Ian's account (and for that matter Ian's account itself), an... more »

Tom Goldtooth: World Trade Org, Capitalism and Destruction of Mother Earth

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 21 hours ago
By Tom B.K. Goldtooth Executive Director, Indigenous Environmental Network Censored News French translation by Christine Prat http://www.chrisp.lautre.net/wpblog/?p=2090 On the Outcome of the World Trade Organization 9th Ministerial Conference that ended Saturday, December 07, 2013 TURTLE ISLAND -- Even though the WTO and its 159 member countries resurrected itself in its first

KIPP Using Padded Isolation Room for Disruptive Kindergarten Students

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 22 hours ago
The latest example of why children call it the Kids in Prison Program. Click below to begin CBS News video coverage. Text is below the video. *NEW YORK (CBSNewYork)* — A Manhattan mother says her 5-year-old son was locked in a padded room at school, leaving the kindergartner so traumatized he had to go to the hospital. Taneka Hall said the “safe-calm room” at KIPP Star Elementary School in Washington Heights is used while children are placed in “time-out.” But as CBS 2′s John Slattery reported, she believes the discipline is abusive. On Dec. 3, Hall’s son, Xavier, who has had behav... more »

BOOKS / Ron Jacobs : Matt Hern Writes With Bravado That Sports Do Matter

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 22 hours ago
Wait a minute people: Sports do have meaning Engagingly written, One Game at a Time is motivated by the belief that sports do matter as much as sports fans think they do. By Ron Jacobs / The Rag Blog / October 12, 2013 [One Game at a Time: Why Sports Matter by Matt Hern (2013: AK Press); Paperback; 176 pp; $10.63.] Earlier this fall the Boston Red Sox baseball team blew most preseason

Updates On Syria [12.11]: US Denies Syria's Offer To Fight Al-Qaeda, Saudi Arabia Seeks A Failed State In Damascus, Croatia May Volunteer To Be Part of The Destruction of Syria's CW

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 22 hours ago
*1. An excerpt from, "US rejects Assad offer to fight Al-Qaeda in return for staying in power" Middle East Monitor, December 9: * *America has rejected an offer by the Syrian regime to fight Al-Qaeda and jihadists in the country in return for staying in power in Damascus*, the prime minister of the Syrian National Coalition's opposition government has revealed. Speaking to Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Ahmed Touma said that the Americans told the coalition about the offer. *The US, he claimed, put the blame for the increase in Al-Qaeda activity in the country firmly on the Assad regime in Dam... more »

Longest Walk 4 near Folson, Calif., Wed., Dec. 11, 2013

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 23 hours ago
Longest Walk 4 Return to Alcatraz, on the last 10 days of the five month journey, approaching Folsom, California and heading to Sacramento. Photos by Jim Prigoff.

I'd Vote No, What About You?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 23 hours ago
There's a last minute, rush/rush-end-of-the-world vote scheduled for Thursday in the House, presumably Friday in the House of Lords, for the Frankenstein's monster of a "compromise" that Establishment shills Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Patty Murray (D-WA) reached Tuesday. The Budget Deal sucks. Can progressives stick to their values and principles and defeat it? Probably not. It's either this or the Republicans will shut down the government again. The discussion Tuesday night between Chris Hayes and Bernie Sanders about the deal was depressing. Bernie found solace in the fact that at le... more »

Colonizing Measures

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
by Doug Storm: *Colonizing Measures* *The UCR *[Uniform Crime Reports which originated in 1929] *reveals more about police behavior that it does about criminality.* Some law enforcement agencies falsify the reports they submit to the FBI. Once a citizen reports a crime, police must make an official record for the crime to be counted in the UCR. Sometimes, however, law enforcement officers do not complete a crime report. For example, in Atlanta, crimes that were reported to police were not recorded for a number of years to help the city land the 1996 Olympic Games and boost tourism.... more »

Death of Canada Post And Voter Suppression, The Connection

Grant G at The Straight Goods - 1 day ago
I think it`s disgraceful that Stephen Harper is assaulting home delivery mail service, assaulting workers.. 1 day after parliament closes in Ottawa Stephen Harper`s draconian Government announces the assault on Canada Post.. Let me be very clear, postal workers are part of the economy, they buy coffee and lunch, they also report suspicious activities.. The RCMP cost taxpayers money, Fire departments cost money, mowing public parks, guarding our coastlines, zooming around the Arctic on stealth snowmobiles cost money...This is the price we pay to have a civilized society.... Writ... more »

The Rule in Browne v. Dunn

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 1 day ago
R. v. Dexter, 2013 ONCA 744: *[17] *The rule in *Browne v. Dunn* is not merely a procedural rule; it is a rule of trial fairness. The rule was summarized by this court in *R. v. Henderson **(1999), 44 O.R. (3d) 628 (C.A.), at p. 636 as follows:* *This well-known rule stands for the proposition that if counsel is going to challenge the credibility of a witness by calling contradictory evidence, the witness must be given the chance to address the contradictory evidence in cross-examination while he or she is in the witness-box.* *The* cross-examiner gives notice by first ... more »

Who Killed Holden?

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 1 day ago
[image: 10072011270]With General Motors announcing the last Holden will roll off the line in Australia by 2016, there are a number of defendants who could be called to answer to the charge: Who Killed the Golden Goose That Used to Be Holden? I’ll answer your first question first: It wasn’t General Motors Australia, who would happily continue making Holdens if the stars were aligned differently—or General Motors America who in those benevolent starry-eyed circumstances would be more than happy to let them. So who’s responsible for shifting the stars? First in line are Australians... more »

The Politics of Envy

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 1 day ago
If you pretend to speak for all working class people, then you've either got a chip on your shoulder, are a bit of a wally, or have some theatrical identity politics you feel the need to manifest. I'm guessing no one's used the platform of the *Daily Telegraph* to do so before, so many congratulations to Lisa Ansell for being original in at least one respect. Her thesis is that "The Left" are responsible for grinding down working class people, the demonisation of the right-wing media's merry-go-round of favourite scapegoats, and choking off discussion about possible alternatives. S... more »

“Me, me, me” [updated]

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 1 day ago
“It’s all about me” every speaker at the Mandela memorial might have said, turning their tributes to the man supposed to be their hero into making it all about themselves. Selfies with each other. Self-actualisation revelations. And then there’s Barack Obama. If people were to have to take a drink every time Barack Obama used “I”, or “me”, “my” , or “mine” in a statement, entire nations would be passed out for years at a time. Has the word “me” been spoken so many times in one memorial? “The sign language interpreter at … Nelson Mandela's memorial has been called ‘inept.’Here's ... more »

More On Diets

Southern Man at Southern Man - 1 day ago
Southern Man stumbled across a post at Business Insider describing thirteen nutrition lies and was delighted to see that Southern Man's Plattercontinues to be vindicated by modern science. Or at least what passes for modern science at Business Insider. Their thirteen lies in a nutshell are: - Eggs are bad for you. - A Calorie is a Calorie. - Saturated fat is unhealthy. - Protein is bad for you. - Whole wheat is good for you. - Coffee is bad for you. - Meat is bad for you. - Low fat, high carb is the way to go. - Refined seed and vegatable oil is good for you. ... more »

David Alvarez Can Take San Diego For Good

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
/ *by Lucas O'Connor* San Diego is the largest border city in the country, and one of the last big cities where Republicans have been able to stay competitive. That's been changing in recent years thanks to a whole lot of hard work to organize emerging communities, and in a special election this February the city now has the chance to elect a strong progressive as San Diego's first Latino mayor. In the process, a rising progressive movement capitalizing on the region’s rapidly growing minority population can deliver a generational death blow to the local GOP, mirroring the shift t... more »

The Energetic Emotional Roller Coaster

Breaking The Silence at Removing The Shackles - 1 day ago
The energy is just pumping and jumping right now. Its seems that for the past few months the energetic roller coast ride has been getting longer and faster with fewer moments of calm and quiet in between. I have written a few times before about various symptoms of the newer energies that our bodies and minds are getting use to, but the past couple of months have far surpassed anything I could of imagined a year ago, lol! Beyond the physical experience of these energetic changes, the emotional experience has been rather exhausting at times. As our consciousness expands, our emotio... more »

What if the scumbags were our allies?

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 1 day ago
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/11/opinion/in-afghanistan-women-betrayed.html?_r=0

Dogs, Not Barking

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 1 day ago
Right to it: 1. Ross Douthat mentioned this one today: as far as we know, it turns out that employers are not dumping their employees on the exchanges. At least so far. I do think it's likely that over time the ACA will wind up pushing people out of employment-linked insurance, but it appears that a fast, destabilizing dump isn't happening. Good Douthat piece, by the way, especially in that he's absolutely right that the best way to think about the ACA now is in terms of potential outcomes and the future policy questions they will raise, not "success" or "failure." 2. I talked abou... more »

Where's Justin?

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 1 day ago
There's been a lot of talk about Michael Chong's Reform Act. But, curiously, neither Justin Trudeau nor Tom Mulcair is doing any talking. Lawrence Martin wrote yesterday that: For a long time, the Liberals and New Democrats have been questioned about the need to prepare grand reform and for a long time, they’ve hesitated. They say they already have some proposals in their party platforms. There are some worthwhile measures, yes, but not the type to draw attention like Mr. Chong’s. Nor is the public aware of them. They haven’t bothered to give them a big push. Justin's silence ... more »

REACTING TO THE BAD CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET DEAL

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago
Only hours before Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) announced yesterday that they reached a two-year budget agreement (The BiPartisan Budget Act of 2013), representatives from a broad coalition demanding a budget that would cut military expenditures in order to increase funding for a wide range of domestic programs called on Congressional leaders to craft a budget for people, peace and the planet. This deal is very likely to pass thru the House and Senate. The agreement will return some of the previous millions of dollars cut back to the Pentagon and continue cut... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 1 day ago
*Changing Course design competition picks world’s best brains on how to restore Louisiana coast ~Bob Marshall, The Lens*

Who really killed JFK and, if a conspiracy, who were they and what were their motives? The Assassination Records Review Board has kept secret 1,100 records that, according to the Associated Press, was claimed to be withheld from the American public because they contain “information about confidential sources or methods or have national security complications.” But 50 years after the fact those confidential sources are mostly dead, and the methods and “national security complications” of that period have nothing in common with today’s national security. Indeed, on April 27, 1961, JFK himself told the press corps that “…there is little value in insuring the survival of our nation if our traditions do not survive with it. And there is very grave danger that an announced need for increased security will be seized upon by those anxious to expand its meaning to the very limits of official censorship and concealment…”

David L Griscom at Cherchez la Verite - 1 day ago
------------------------------ JFK, Secrecy & the Unspeakable Forces of the National Security State By: Kevin Gosztola Friday November 22, 2013 1:07 pm Original Here. John F. Kennedy on September 2, 1963, being interviewed by Walter Cronkite From the National Archive & in the public domain. The establishment media, which has been commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination for the past week, will not take the time to appropriately present the dynamics in military and intelligence agencies leading up to when he was... more »

Dancing with my selfie

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 1 day ago
Nelson Mandela's memorial service was an important occasion of international import. Yet with all the possible news to cover, the media went wild over Obama's selfie with David Cameron and Denmark's very attractive (blonde) Prime Minister Helle Thorning Schmidt. Thus ensued a tidal wave of thinly veiled snark about "angry black woman" Michelle Obama who was pictured looking serious, or (if you're a pro journo looking for clickbait)a pissed off wife. Nearly everyone got it wrong and not just about Michelle Obama. Yes it said a lot about our bias, but no, taking the selfie was not di... more »

The bad housing news just keeps coming

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 1 day ago
Great news! New Zealand is *third* in an OECD chart of world economic performance. Bad news: the chart is A Worldwide Ranking of the Most Over- and Under-valued Housing. New Zealand is the third most over-valued. [image: image] This should make it clear that NZ house prices have not entered some kind of “new normal,” but as the regular Demographia studies have pointed out, really are history over-valued. So not a very comforting result for anyone in NZ not for home-buyers (who struggle to afford housing priced well over historical multiples), home investors (relying on pri... more »

Nuclear Hotseat #129: US Sailors Vs. TEPCO Attorney Charles Bonner | Nuclear Hotseat

rc at GlobaLove Think Tank - 1 day ago
Japanese citizens protest the newly-passed Secrecy Law INTERVIEW: Attorney Charles Bonner, one of the team representing sailors from the USS Ronald Reagan in their lawsuit against TEPCO for the health damages they sustained from Fukushima radiation during Operation Tomadachi, the humanitarian aid mission to Japan immediately after the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami. NUMNUTZ OF THE WEEK: Japanese government PR stunt feeds radioactive Fukushima rice to workers and executives in a Tokyo government office complex, while the farmer who grew it can only visit his fields, not liv... more »

AS MAINE GOES.......

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago
*In Maine six voters are required to sign the filing papers to begin the process to take an issue to statewide referendum. I was one of those six who today met at our capital in Augusta. Our next step is to gather 60,000 voter signatures to bring forward a citizens initiative calling for a constitutional amendment to get money out of politics - Move to Amend* We met today in Augusta at the state capital - Republicans, Democrats, Greens and Independent voters - all agreeing on the need to get big corporate money out of politics. Since the 2010 US Supreme Court ruling called "Citi... more »

Bad Bear's Photos Longest Walk 4 in Miwok Country California

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 day ago
. . . . Longest Walk on last 10 days of five month journey Photos and videos by Carl Bad Bear Sampson Censored News PLACERVILLE, Calif. -- Longest Walk 4 Return to Alcatraz is walking through Placerville, Calif., on Wednesday at noon, after walking through Miwok country and being hosted by Miwok at Shingle Springs. Kwassuh, Wesley Dick,

"Black shroud of secrecy" Walk of Shame

Alison at Creekside - 1 day ago
Yesterday, led by Harper's Parliamentary Secretary Paul Calandra, all seven Con MPs on the Ethics Committee voted to go in camera so the Canadian public wouldn't see them vote *against* conducting an investigation into what happened to those disappearing/reappearing emails of former PMO legal advisor Ben Perrin in the Senate scandal. This is the Ethics Committee, *the* *Ethics Committee, *and the Con members didn't want to be seen publicly covering up for the PMO. With a majority on committee, their motion to hide out in what committee chair Pat Martin called "the black s... more »
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