Tuesday, December 17, 2013

17 Dec - Blogs I'm Following II

The Rhodes Colossus: Caricature of Cecil John ...The Rhodes Colossus: Caricature of Cecil John Rhodes, after he announced plans for a telegraph line and railroad from Cape Town to Cairo. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
10:25pm MST
Freaking ads have almost disabled Zemanta by overwriting its controls...again.

Alan Grayson-- The Essential Member of Congress

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 15 minutes ago
Blue America doesn't do many live events. But on November 12, 2011 we were very excited to offer all of our Southern California members an opportunity to meet Orlando Congressman Alan Grayson at the Brave New Films studios in Culver City. John Amato, Digby and I had worked with Robert Greenwald to host the free event featuring Grayson. I blogged about it that day and again last July on the occasion of Britain granting one of World War II's greatest heroes, Alan Turing, a posthumous pardon for the crime of being gay. That day at the Brave New Films studios was a wonderful day for... more »

The Anglo American Establishment

Paul Coker at News Spike - 1 hour ago
"The Rhodes Scholarships, established by the terms of Cecil Rhodes's seventh will, are known to everyone. What is not so widely known is that Rhodes in five previous wills left his fortune to form a secret society, which was to devote itself to the preservation and expansion of the British Empire. And what does not seem to be known to anyone is that this secret society was created by Rhodes and his principal trustee, Lord Milner, and continues to exist to this day. To be sure, this secret society is not a childish thing like the Ku Klux Klan, and it does not have any secret robes... more »

Censored News Year in Photos 2013: Ten Indelible Images

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 hour ago
Censored News Photos of the Year 2013 Jan. 25, 2013: Police in St Louis today use compliance pressure on protesters, as Navajos demanded to talk with Peabody Coal http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2013/01/navajos-and-appalachians-protest.html Jan. 27, 2013: Debra White Plume, Lakota, "Do they think we are not fighting anymore because we are not at Wounded Knee with ak47's? During winter

One Third of NJ Urban Students in Unfit, Dilapidated Buildings

freetoteach at Schools Matter - 2 hours ago
As Chris Christie's hopes for a presidential run diminish day by day, his record on education in New Jersey is enough to disqualify him as presidential material and should actually get him impeached. Another four years of gridlock on the George Washington Bridge, no infrastructure improvements on the rails to NYC or the tunnels but lots of empty photo ops isn't going to cut it. His education policies have been devastating for public schools in the state as he touts higher standards, accountability for teachers, and vouchers. Christie refused to raise taxes on millionaires and billio... more »

A tenured sociologist gets a bit of the #teacherprep treatment, more like #teacherperp @scottjaschik

Shaun Johnson at @ THE CHALK FACE - 2 hours ago
In a nutshell, a tenured professor at UC-Boulder is leaving the university because the administration is no longer allowing her to implement a lecture on prostitution that includes a role-play, whereby teaching assistants for the course play dress up as various kinds of “whores” and get interviewed by the class. You know, you’re just going […]

Sandy Hook Exposed: The Realist Report Discusses The Latest On The Sandy Hook Fraud, And Updated Video By Sofia Smallstorm

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 2 hours ago
To this day, I am still shocked that people do NOT see the obvious... That is of course the fact that the "shooting" that occurred over one year ago at Sandy Hook "Elementary" School in Newtown Connecticut was a complete hoax. I have long said that it was a preplanned and well orchestrated simulated shooting operation that the criminals decided to go "live". I am also stating again that I am fully convinced more than ever that absolutely NOBODY died in this operation. I want to present the following important link to John Friend's "Realist Report" for today, December 17th, 2013... more »

"Surely a country that honors the devotion of family members to each other should want to make it at least a little easier for them to do their jobs" (E. J. Dionne Jr.)

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 3 hours ago
*"At a time when the political news is dominated by a debate between do-little conservatism and do-nothing conservatism -- which is to say, between a right-tilting Republican establishment and the radical tea party -- [Senator] Gillibrand's package includes building blocks for a broader counter-vision inspired by the idea of an Empowering Government."* -- *E. J. Dionne Jr., in his* Washington Post *column* "Family values hypocrisy" *by Ken* We talk a lot about families here -- but actual families and their actual hopes and needs, not the crap blithered about the phony-baloney avata... more »

Quote of the Day: On Women

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 3 hours ago
*“If women ran the world we'd still live in caves, but with **really fancy curtains.**”* - Kate at Small Dead Animals Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)

Syria and Afghanistan updates - December 15 , 2013 - Syria item of note....With FSA Supreme Military Commander Idris literally run out of Syria by the islamist / jihadist / Al Qaeda forces - looks like the US is preparing to get in bed with terrorists - these same fighters will without questions use any US weapons provided to them against either Israel and / or the US interests down the road... Regarding Afghanistan - we need to stay there because of Al Qaeda - that would be the same franchise islamist tyep fighters we are meeting with on Syria ? What is our foreign policy regarding aiding terrorists again ?

Catharsis Ours - 3 hours ago
Syria....... Print This | Share This The brief rebel-offensive against the Damascus suburb of Adra, and the Syrian military is once again in control. As usual, it was the civilians that bore the brunt of the clash, with reports of mass kidnappings and 80 civilians executed by the rebels before they were ousted. The rebels, identified as al-Qaeda’s Jabhat al-Nusra faction by locals, began targeting Druze, Alawite and Christian residents early on in the siege of the city, kidnapping them en masse. The military insisted that the rebels were using the kidnapped as human shields, but ... more »

Panda in Blizzard

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

Stay of civil proceedings on Court's own motion to be granted rarely

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 3 hours ago
Yaiguaje v. Chevron Corporation, 2013 ONCA 758: [54] While s. 106 of the *CJA* entitles the court to grant a stay on its own motion, the circumstances under which it may appropriately do so are rare. As stated by Epstein J. in*Gruner v. McCormack* (2000), 45 C.P.C. (4th) 273 (Ont. S.C.J.), at para. 30, To justify a stay, the defendant must satisfy the court that a continuance of the action would work as injustice because it would be oppressive or vexatious or an abuse of the process of the court and that the stay would not cause an injustice to the plaintiff. [55] In my vie... more »

Lots of Ravens

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

Useful rubes

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 3 hours ago
[Ed Stein cartoon]

George Zimmerman, rip off artist

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 3 hours ago
Apparently, when the hero of the gun crazy crowd isn't busy murdering unarmed teenagers for inciting his personal terror of Skittles, or threatening women, he's taken up more artistic pursuits. Zimmerman's first painting fetched a cool 100K when he put up for auction at EBay this week. And if that's not enough to gag you, he has fans: A well-wisher expressed love and support for Zimmerman in a question posted on the eBay auction, telling him there were many people on his side, and the artist replied. “Thank you so much for the words of kindness and support. I do know how many gr... more »

Libya Updates - December 17 , 2013 .....Security or the lack thereof items of interest , petrol shortage in Tripoli finally resolving , economic and political matters of note .......

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 4 hours ago
Police officer killed while securing Tripoli petrol station *By Houda Mzioudet.* *Tripoli 17 December 2013*: A police officer was shot and killed early on Monday morning while securing one of Tripoli’s petrol stations. The officer, Ahmed Hussein Ismail, he was shot at a petrol station near Bab Ben Ghashir as car owners clashed with police after drivers began trying to force their way into the petrol station. Mohamed Swesi, a official for Tripoli Security Directorate, told the *Libya Herald* that Ismail was rushed to Tripoli Central Hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after a... more »

Western Governors University's Path to Becoming a Teacher in NJ

freetoteach at Schools Matter - 4 hours ago
The Christmas gift that keeps on giving. Teaching jobs abound in New Jersey. Western Governors University is recruiting heavily for part time adjuncts in New Jersey to stay in their pajamas and conduct on line courses for NCATE approved "evaluations." If you are looking for a job as a data evaluator, with no benefits, no job security and no office, then this is for you. Now that they are dismantling teacher unions and public schools, it's a free for all. Just sign up, pay some money, take some on line courses and you are sure to be an "effective" teacher. Just follow the script. Y... more »

The reason for the season?

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 5 hours ago
It’s the Christmas season. Yuletide. The festive season. And the reason for the season is …. not what you think it is. Let’s start with a Christmas joke: Q: "What's the difference between God and Santa Claus?" A: "There is no God." Ha ha ha. The fact is, dear readers, at least Santa—well, Saint Nicholas at least—was a real figure, if not a real bloke, even if the other inspirations for the Santa Claus character were not. And the harsh fact is, I’m sorry to have to tell you, Christ himself was never even *in* Christmas --except in fiction and by order of the firs Popes. [The ... more »

Will you print your next house.

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 5 hours ago
You can do it today, thanks to Wikihouse.

A Teacher’s 12 Days of Christmas

Angel Cintron Jr. at @ THE CHALK FACE - 5 hours ago
On the first day of Christmas my students gave to me: A Well Deserved Day Alone On the second day of Christmas my students gave to me: Two Misplaced Gloves and a Well Deserved Day Alone On the third day of Christmas my students gave to me: Three Broken Pens Two Misplaced Gloves and a […]

West's Support For Sunni Extremism In Syria Is Triggering Chaos In The Region

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 5 hours ago
An excerpt from, *"Extremist Syrian faction touts training camp for boys"*by Joby Warrick, Washington Post, December 16: At first glance, the training camp appears no different from the many others shown in propaganda videos posted by al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria. Hooded recruits in camouflage shoot at targets or march in formation under the black flag of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. But look closer and the “fighters” appear quite small. The tallest are barely chest-high to their instructors, and the shorter ones wear ill-fitting uniforms and appear to struggle under the wei... more »

Fukushima: The Sailors of the USS Ronald Reagan

Spike EP at News Spike - 6 hours ago
In 2011, the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan assisted with rescue operations after the Fukushima earthquake and nuclear disaster. At least 51 members of the crew of the USS Ronald Reagan have now developed radiation-related illnesses. It is thought that the ship's desalinization systems took in radioactive water which the crew drank, cooked with and bathed-in. Charles Bonner, attorney representing sailors from the USS Ronald Reagan said "They have testicular cancer, they have thyroid cancers, they have leukemias, they have rectal and gynecological bleeding, a host of problems ... more »

Doug Martin on Justin Oakley's Radio Show Wednesday, December 18

Doug Martin at Schools Matter - 6 hours ago
By Doug Martin I will be joining Justin Oakley on his Just Let Me Teach radio show on Wednesday, December 18 from around 9:15 to 10:00 pm. I will be launching the pre-order phrase of my book, *Hoosier School Heist*, which is scheduled to be released in February and details the Walton Family, Jeb Bush, New York hedge fund managers, the DeVos family of Amway fame, plagiarists, and Republican campaign donors who run charter schools in Indiana, just to name a few. People interested can pre-order the book on an ad on the Indiana Talks website pages (scroll down on the right hand side), ... more »

The Elephant in the Room

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 6 hours ago
*The Elephant in the Room* By American Kabuki December 17, 2013 We are in an amazing time of transition. Nothing is staying static, not you, your relationships, your interests. Even your very body is changing and in transition. The old ways of being, class, "knowing your place", acceptance of abuse as just part of life, is rapidly becoming clear as the mental programming that separated your mind from your heart. You were taught to distrust your heart. The awakening journey is a highly personal one. How it begins is different for all of us. So is the ending, its all tailored ... more »

FOX surrenders in the War on Christmas

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 6 hours ago
This is hilarious. Apparently FOX has defected to our side in the War on Christmas. Wonder if anyone has told Megyn or Bill O yet? [Media Matters screen capture via Oliver Willis]

Jack Monroe and the Sociology of Selling Out

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 6 hours ago
Selling out. Been there, done that. So has cookery blogger and *Graun*regular Jack Monroe, apparently. Not a household name by any means, but someone who was catapulted to Twitter fame after attracting the attention of *The Mail*'s Richard Littlejohn following a party political broadcast for Labour. You can read her reply here. Now, I'd be lying if I said I followed Jack's work. Food columns and cookery writing just ain't my thing. Food is something to nom on and that's it for me. It's fodder, not a petit bourgeois distraction from the class struggle on a plate. I also gathered fro... more »

Monsanto Marijuana Initiative Grows in Uruguay?

Breaking The Silence at Removing The Shackles - 6 hours ago
Well, well well...... THAT certainly explains a lot, doesn't it? Monsanto Marijuana Initiative Grows in Uruguay? By Staff Report - December 13, 2013 *Uruguay becomes first nation to legalise marijuana trade ... T* - See more at: http://www.thedailybell.com/news-analysis/34833/Monsanto-Marijuana-Initiative-Grows-in-Uruguay/#sthash.uz9pI0mj.dpuf Monsanto Marijuana Initiative Grows in Uruguay? By Staff Report - December 13, 2013 *Uruguay becomes first nation to legalise marijuana trade ... The Uruguayan government hopes legalising the sale of marijuana will tackle drug cartels ... Uruguay... more »

Bad Bear's Photos Longest Walk 4 Dec. 17, 2013

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 6 hours ago
. . Thanks to Bad Bear (photo above) for the photos each day! Longest Walk 4 Return to Alcatraz taking those final steps toward Alcatraz, with arrival on Dec. 21. A Sovereignty Gathering will be held on Dec. 22 at Oakland Friendship House. Thanks to Carl Bad Bear Sampson, Western Shoshone long walker, for sharing his photos each day! Longest Walk will be at Sogorea

When Facebook friends fall out

Jody Paterson at A Closer Look: Jody Paterson - 6 hours ago
I just did my first "unfriend" on Facebook. I never would have thought that anybody could get my back up enough to want to unfriend them, because I'm one laid-back person when it comes to allowing people their say. But it turns out that even I have limits. In my six years on Facebook I've accepted almost anyone as a friend as long as they seemed like a real person. I spent so many years as a "public figure" writing for the Times Colonist that Facebook just seems like an extension of that part of me rather than a fenced-in place that only my genuine friends can access. I'... more »

The Total Compliance Charter Model Has Come to Your Neighborhood

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 7 hours ago
From Alternet: KIPP Forces 5th Graders to 'Earn' Desks By Sitting On the Floor For a Week James Horn One hundred 10-year-olds spent the first week of school sitting on the floor. What was it they were supposed to have learned? *December 17, 2013 * | The Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) is the largest corporate charter school chain in the U. S, with 141 schools and 50,000 students in 20 states. KIPP was launched in 1994 by David Levin and Michael Feinberg, two former Ivy Leaguers and Teach for America (TFA) corps members assigned to teach in Houston, where the first KIPP school wa... more »

Is Economic Justice The Ticket For Democrats-- Or Should They Compete With The GOP For The Economic Inequality Vote?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 7 hours ago
The Republican civil war is pretty front and center and getting quite a lot of media attention. There is also something of a Democratic civil war brewing, a more ideological/less careerist based one. You may have seen sparks of it last week when the Wall Street owned ConservaDem group, Third Way, went on the attack against Elizabeth Warren and the progressive populism she espouses. Third Way, the Blue Dogs and the New Dems are the Republican wing of the Democratic Party. A virtual whore house of corruption and opportunism, it's the ugly side of the Democratic Party that has nothi... more »

Christy Clark`s Most Excellent Families First Drunken Adventure

Grant G at The Straight Goods - 7 hours ago
*Christy Clark`s Most Excellent Families First Drunken Adventure* *Written by Grant G* By now many of you have heard that Christy Clark thinks it is okay for parents to bring their children of all ages in to Alcohol only establishments, into bars, nightclubs and legions.. http://www.vancouversun.com/news/metro/Happy+hour+coming/9296994/story.html My gawd, Christy proves once again that she missed the brain train at youth and rode the braindead one way ride to densecity.. First off, restaurants that serve liquor have always allowed children to come in and eat with or without pa... more »

High Stakes Standardized Tests Help Fuel Drug Company Profits

freetoteach at Schools Matter - 7 hours ago
Don't you just love how the entire education industrial complex is intertwined with corporations like pharmaceutical companies? Just think of all the stress, physical ailments and behavioral problems that will result from the continuous test and punish, value added, and merit pay for high test scores education deform can yield. Even the rich kids of the 1% find drugs can help them compete and perform better in high pressure environments. In a society that values competition over collaboration, privilege over justice and test scores over children's health and well being, what do you... more »

When Megyn Kelly was good!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 8 hours ago
*TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2013* *Her interview with Bill Burton:* Is Santa Claus white? On occasion, he has been. At other times, plainly not. We were watching in real time when Megyn Kelly made her now-famous remarks on this controversial topic. We thought her remarks were odd at the time, though we’ll have to admit we hadn’t noticed that she was addressin herself to the “kids” when she made them. Last night, watching CNN, we saw Don Lemon insist, several times, that no one is “demonizing” Kelly. For the most part, we’ve been active fans of Lemon down through the years. At this ti... more »

Rethinking John Lennon’s Assassination The FBI’s War on Rock Stars By Salvador Astucia - Chapter 2: The Motive

Paul Coker at News Spike - 8 hours ago
*DISCLAIMER: * *THE POSTING OF STORIES, COMMENTARIES, REPORTS, DOCUMENTS AND LINKS (EMBEDDED OR OTHERWISE) ON THIS SPIKE1138 DOES NOT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM, IMPLIED OR OTHERWISE, NECESSARILY EXPRESS OR SUGGEST ENDORSEMENT OR SUPPORT OF ANY OF SUCH POSTED MATERIAL OR PARTS THEREIN.* *I do not endorse everything Astucia had to say about the Jewish experience under Nazism - but I do feel that the following is worth knowing and bearing in mind about Glenn Close and her family: * *http://spikethenews.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/mobutu-sese-seko-glenn-close-and-aids.html* *The role also ... more »

Rethinking John Lennon’s Assassination The FBI’s War on Rock Stars By Salvador Astucia Chapter 1: The Crime Scene

Paul Coker at News Spike - 8 hours ago
*DISCLAIMER: * *THE POSTING OF STORIES, COMMENTARIES, REPORTS, DOCUMENTS AND LINKS (EMBEDDED OR OTHERWISE) ON THIS SPIKE1138 DOES NOT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM, IMPLIED OR OTHERWISE, NECESSARILY EXPRESS OR SUGGEST ENDORSEMENT OR SUPPORT OF ANY OF SUCH POSTED MATERIAL OR PARTS THEREIN.* *Contents* *Lennon Home Page* *Main Home Page* *Rethinking John Lennon’s Assassination* *The FBI’s War on Rock Stars* By Salvador Astucia *PART I: LENNON’S MURDER* *Chapter 1: The Crime Scene* *The Dakota* John Lennon was shot and killed on December 8, 1980, at about 10:50 pm, as he and h... more »

Thailand: Mass Mobilization Sunday December 22, 2013

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 8 hours ago
The Who, What, and Why's of Thailand's Ongoing Protests. *December 18, 2013* (Tony Cartalucci) - This coming Sunday (December 22, 2013) will be the third and potentially largest mass mobilization yet by the anti-regime movement in Thailand. The counter-color revolution against Wall Street-backed Thaksin Shinawatra and his regime's attempt to transform Thailand into yet another vassal of Western influence has gained immense traction - already forcing the proxy prime minister, dictator Thaksin Shianwatra's sister, Yingluck, to dissolve parliament and call for new elections. However,... more »

“Australia’s Stonehenge,”: the basis of all knowledge

Breaking The Silence at Removing The Shackles - 9 hours ago
My highlights in blue as usual. http://thewatchers.adorraeli.com/2013/12/14/australia-s-stonehenge-and-so-much-more/ “Australia’s Stonehenge,” and so much more! Posted by The Watcher on December 14, 2013 in categories Archeology, Featured stories What follows is the “Conclusion/Hypothesis” taken from our archaeological paper written on the Standing Stones found within 40 kilometers of Mullumbimby, Australia. During the brief period this site was first investigated before it was reluctantly destroyed, Frederic Slater (President of the Australian Archaeological and Educational ... more »

RUSSELL BRAND, WOOLWICH TRIAL, JOHN LENNON

Anon at aangirfan - 9 hours ago
*Russell Brand * *According to Russell Brand:* *1.* Michael Adebolajo, the alleged killer of soldier Lee Rigby, "is severely mentally ill". *2.* Michael Adebolajo is like Mark Chapman, the alleged killer of John Lennon. *3.* Mark Chapman's mental condition was related to the book 'The Catcher In The Rye'. *Woolwich | Russell Brand - Huffington Post* *Mark Chapman and John Lennon* Reportedly, Mark Chapman was brainwashed by the CIA. Reportedly, the book *Catcher In The Rye* was part of the brainwashing of Chapman. *Catcher In The Rye* is used in the CIA’s MK-Ultra mind-con... more »

Tuesday Afternoon Linkage: A Dish Best Served Cold

Steve Saideman at Duck of Minerva - 10 hours ago
I hope cold links are good as the temperature up in Ottawa is now just at 0F (known as the temperature where dogs whine and snot freezes in one’s nose). Anyhow, here are my last links of 2013: Lots of stuff out there on the Chinese Air Defense ID Zone, so here is one that Continue reading

What is This "War on Women" of Which You Speak, Stranger?

jurassicpork at Welcome Back to Pottersville - 10 hours ago
The National Socialist Party Republican Party of Michigan became thelatest stateto pass a rape insurance bill into law. And it doesn't even make exemptions for rape victims, one of the reasons why Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed a similar, earlier bill. And Republicans still laughably try to claim there's no war on women, which was sort of the rationale we used to kill two million Vietnamese in the 60's and 70's. "War? What war? We didn't *officially *declare war on Vietnam." The GOP has advanced women's rights about as much as Jack the Ripper. And even Jack had the sense to s... more »

New York Time, September 4th 2001: "U.S. Germ Warfare Research Pushes Treaty Limits" by Judith Miller

Paul Coker at News Spike - 10 hours ago
Over the past several years, the United States has embarked on a program of secret research on biological weapons that, some officials say, tests the limits of the global treaty banning such weapons. The 1972 treaty forbids nations from developing or acquiring weapons that spread disease, but it allows work on vaccines and other protective measures. Government officials said the secret research, which mimicked the major steps a state or terrorist would take to create a biological arsenal, was aimed at better understanding the threat. The projects, which have not been previously d... more »

Glaxo Says It Will Stop Paying Doctors to Promote Drugs

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 10 hours ago
December 16, 2013 *Glaxo Says It Will Stop Paying Doctors to Promote Drugs* http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/17/business/glaxo-says-it-will-stop-paying-doctors-to-promote-drugs.html By KATIE THOMAS The British drug maker GlaxoSmithKline will no longer pay doctors t promote its products and will stop tying compensation of sales representatives to the number of prescriptions doctors write, its chief executive said Monday, effectively ending two common industry practices that critics have long assailed as troublesome conflicts of interest. The announcement appears to be a first for a... more »

Russia commits to Ukraine bonds and slashes gas prices and more......

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 10 hours ago
*Definitely a beneficial agreement for the Ukrainian people* *Russia will invest $15 billion from one of its sovereign wealth funds in Ukrainian government securities and cut the price of natural gas it charges its neighbour by about a third, President Vladimir Putin said.* *Economic relief for Ukraine ... Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovych, left, react after signing an agreement in Moscow on Tuesday. * "Considering the problems of the Ukrainian economy linked to the world financial crisis, and to support the budget of the Ukra... more »

My December 2013 Michigan Board of Education Testimony

deutsch29 at @ THE CHALK FACE - 10 hours ago
In November 2013, I was asked if I would testify at the December 17, 2013, Michigan State Board of Education meeting. Michigan is considering emulating the New Orleans so-called model Recovery School District (RSD) (including the supposed “parental choice” afforded by open enrollment) as well as using letter grades for schools. Since I could not be in […]

Vitamins are a waste of money? Really?

Abraham Ben Judea at Abraham says - 10 hours ago
Really, now. let us look at the study below. *FLAW # 1* The study and the university say that they studied *Healthy well nourished individuals.* *That is the major, major flaw in the study* If we are going to study a fix on something we don't do it on something that needs NO fixing, period. *FLAW # 2* The form of Vitamins taken, *they used defective vitamins in the form of uni-pills *such as the pink ones pictured below. Why does this author say defective vitamins? What are Uni-pills? Uni-pills are those pills that have all the multi-vitamins and minerals ALL packed into a single pil... more »

Playing the Dream

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 11 hours ago
I do not consider myself a gambler when it comes to structured games. I have lost a few hundred at the Casino and a few more over a lifetime of poker games. I am rational enough to realize that such purists odds on will end in tears. If the morons want to gamble to pay the stupid tax so they can get a better meal than soylent green then that is that. There was a time in this fine line we live where getting ahead meant hard work saving and storing for tough times ahead. More or less the clever gentleman have ripped economic safety from what was considered the golden rule. How did thi... more »

The Realist Report - Kelley from Tulsa & Sofia Smallstorm

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 11 hours ago
On this edition of *The Realist Report*, we'll be joined by Kelley from Tulsa and Sofia Smallstorm, two independent investigators of the alleged shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School last December. Kelley, Sofia, and I will be discussing their investigation and conclusions regarding the Sandy Hook "shooting," and the political and cultural agenda which has been and continues to be advanced in its aftermath. 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 link... more »

Time for a panda

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 11 hours ago

Stay of civil proceedings on Court's own motion to be granted rarely

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 11 hours ago
Yaiguaje v. Chevron Corporation, 2013 ONCA 758: [54] While s. 106 of the *CJA* entitles the court to grant a stay on its own motion, the circumstances under which it may appropriately do so are rare. As stated by Epstein J. in*Gruner v. McCormack* (2000), 45 C.P.C. (4th) 273 (Ont. S.C.J.), at para. 30, To justify a stay, the defendant must satisfy the court that a continuance of the action would work as injustice because it would be oppressive or vexatious or an abuse of the process of the court and that the stay would not cause an injustice to the plaintiff. [55] In my vie... more »

Kate Braun : Winter Solstice Falls on Saturn's Day

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 11 hours ago
Saturnalia by Ernesto Biondi, 1909. Io Saturnalia! Winter Solstice 2013 This seasonal celebration takes from many traditions, including the Roman Saturnalia, Druid customs, the German 'Yule,' and the birth of Jesus; and Queen Victoria popularized the lighted Christmas tree. By Kate Braun / The Rag Blog / December 17, 2013 Saturday, December 21, 2013, marks Yule, the Winter Solstice, also

Satan's Key Operative In The Vatican Loses A Major Post-- Bye Bye Burke?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 11 hours ago
Pope sends GOP's fanatic, hate-filled cardinal, Ray Burke, a message If you're not from La Crosse or St. Louis, it's possible you first heard about the curia's most anti-Jesus cardinal, right-wing hack Ray Burke, here at DWT. As soon as it was clear that the new Pope was an actual follower of Jesus' message, we started urging him to get rid of Satan's man in the Vatican. Burke was a partisan extremist in America, a GOP operative in a cardinal's gown and he;s been a nightmare in Rome. Burke has worked hand-in-glove with right-wing Republicans in trying to defeat Democrats electorally.... more »

A Big Money Cabal of Bench-Slappers

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 11 hours ago
Vindication is sweet today for fans of the Fourth Amendment. But let's be realistic. With billions and billions, even trillions, of dollars at stake, the NSA and the private contractors enriched by the fascistic Deep State will not be going gently into that good night. I imagine that the Obama administration is busily judge-shopping even as we speak, and will find some compliant fellow or lady to knock down the somewhat passive-aggressive (delayed, pending Obama judge-shopping) ruling yesterday against the mass collection of phone records of United States persons. Because, let's ... more »

Saturday Meanderings

Southern Man at Southern Man - 11 hours ago
After a few hours in the office to get some grading done Southern Man went to the monthly geocachers luncheon-slash-Christmas party... Mr. Gator. The Gift Table. A Festive Gathering. Look what I won! Manly men thinking manly thoughts. After a few more hours at the office Southern Man cut by the mall for a little last-minute Christmas shopping. It looked like Black Friday! But there was an all-male choir and Southern Man listened to good Christmas music for a good long while. *God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay...* And then much to his surprise he stumble... more »

Dine' CARE urges federal probe of BHP Navajo Mine transaction

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 11 hours ago
Federal Investigation Urged over BHP Navajo Mine Transaction to Navajo Nation By Dine' CARE Censored News DILKON, Arizona – On behalf of all Diné people, Diné Citizens Against Ruining our Environment (Diné C.A.R.E.) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior's Deputy Inspector General, Mary Kendall on December 12, 2013, requesting an investigation into the Bureau of Indian

Gildan, maquillas, model cities and simplistic responses to complex problems

paul at Paying attention - 12 hours ago
It’s amazing how simple the problems of Honduras seem to some people a few thousand kilometres away. A handful of slogans, some recycled rhetoric and unsupported claims, and presto, a theory. A fine example has been the blind libertarian enthusiasm for a plan to create “model cities” in Honduras, effectively independent fiefdoms, run, at least initially, by the investors. Another was offered in a recent Internet opinion piece on Canadian textile company Gildan’s manufacturing centres in Honduras. The 20,000 employees, the piece said, “are basically slaves, and their status will likely... more »

1978: Milton Friedman on Socialized Medicine...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 12 hours ago
*how was he able to predict the future?* Because it has to do with economics which is math. Math doesn't lie. Some things are very easy to predict for those of us that can add, subtract, and study history.

Breaking: Rachel has a bridge to sell you!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 12 hours ago
*TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2013* *Three teases, two full segments:* Remember when Camus wrote the following, if only in translation? “Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know.” For some reason, we thought of that as we tried to summarize last evening’s Maddow program. Our reinvention would go like this: “Rachel did two teases and three segments tonight. Or three teases and two segments maybe, we don’t know.” We refer to the way Maddow devoted the second half of last night’s program to the Christie Bridgegate outrage and scandal. The teases started early, with the first one g... more »

Technical Announcement

jurassicpork at Welcome Back to Pottersville - 12 hours ago
(From the man behind the curtain to whom nobody, indeed, pays any attention.) The comment settings have been set back to where they were before so that now anyone can comment, which should make Constant Reader Comrade Rutherford happy. Hopefully, the spambots will have learned their lesson and have moved on to other pastures.

Resurgence Of Iraq’s Insurgency In Ninewa Province

MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 13 hours ago
Iraq’s Ninewa province and its capital city of Mosul have returned as a central hub for the country’s insurgency. After the Surge in 2007 many militant groups fled north to places like Mosul where they were then reduced by American and Iraqi forces. Now insurgents are making a comeback. They are attempting to assert their will over the governorate’s population and economy, and targeting the local security forces. (*Wikimedia*) It now appears that insurgents have free reign in Mosul and southern areas of Ninewa. One provincial politician said militants controlled an areastretching... more »

Anti-Capitalist Santas deliver coal to Port of Metro Vancouver

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 13 hours ago
Photos credit: MURRAY BUSH - FLUX PHOTO Flood the Port By Rising Tide Vancouver Censored News VANCOUVER, COAST SALISH TERRITORIES – This morning Port of Metro Vancouver staff and security responded with physical force when 6 Santa Clauses arrived at their offices to deliver sacks of coal to the offices of the Port of Metro Vancouver, along with thousands of peoples’ wishes

MIT Researchers: Higher Test Scores Do Not Translate into Higher Levels of Thinking

Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene at Schools Matter - 13 hours ago
MIT Researchers: Higher Test Scores Do Not Translate into Higher Levels of Thinking http://t.co/edCbAClW1g — Diane Ravitch (@DianeRavitch) December 17, 2013 MIT Researchers: Higher Test Scores Do Not Translate into Higher Levels of Thinking via Professor Diane Ravitch

Algonquin land protectors force Quebec logging protection

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 13 hours ago
Tuesday, December 17, 2013Algonquin’s land protection camps forces Quebec to Agree to a Process to Protect Sensitive Zones from Logging: Next Step Implementation of Landmark Co-Management/Revenue Sharing Agreements By Community members of Barriere Lake Censored NewsKitiganik, Algonquin Territory (Dec. 17, 2013) – After community members of the Barriere Lake First Nation established a land

AMY GOODMAN: "A bipartisan budget deal to avert another government shutdown comes before the Senate this week. The House approved the two-year budget agreement last week in a 332-to-94 vote. The bill eases across-the-board spending cuts, replacing them with new airline fees and cuts to federal pensions. In a concession by Democrats, it does not extend unemployment benefits for 1.3 million people, which is set to expire this month." DAVID CAY JOHNSTON: "Well, this deal is actually a big win for the Paul Ryan Republicans. They will avoid the embarrassment, shame, and political damage of shutting down the government, and they obtained this from the Democrats without touching at all the major issues. The corporate loopholes aren’t being closed. The tax-avoidance techniques of billionaires, who can legally live tax-free if they choose to, are not being shut down. The hedge fund and private equity managers will continue to be advantaged. And we’re going to kick 57,000 poor children out of Head Start, which means we’re going to narrow their economic futures and make all of us worse off in the future. We’re cutting a billion-and-a-half dollars from medical research to save lives. Why? Because the very richest people in America, those who have benefited most from being in this market, don’t want to pay for that kind of services. And the Pentagon is getting an extra $20 billion out of this deal. We already spend 42 percent of all the money in the world on our military." DAVID L GRISCOM: "If this is what the Democrats in Congress believe is a good deal, I'm going to join a party that believes its representatives should put the stuggling 99% above the filthy rich 1%."

David L Griscom at Cherchez la Verite - 13 hours ago
------------------------------ *MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2013 .* "Makes Absolutely No Sense": David Cay Johnston on Budget Deal That Helps Billionaires, Not the Poor http://www.democracynow.org/2013/12/16/makes_absolutely_no_sense_david_cay A bipartisan budget deal to avert another government shutdown comes before the Senate this week. The vast majority of House members from both parties approved the two-year budget agreement last week in a 332-to-94 vote. It is being hailed as a breakthrough c... more »

Blogging Awards Nomination Update

Jon Western at Duck of Minerva - 13 hours ago
The nominations are trickling in, but there’s more work to be done. We had some major IR blogging events this year — Snowden, Egypt, Syria, Russia, etc…. and we’re looking for nominations for the best work out there in 2013. We’re still taking nominations through the end of the month. Sage is co-sponsoring the Awards Continue reading

FIVE KEY POINTS AND ELEVEN SOLUTIONS: Joe Nocera’s ride back in time!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 13 hours ago
*TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2013* *Part 2—In the footsteps of Ravitch and Ripley:* Joe Nocera’s new column is highly instructive, in that it’s woefully clueless. Nocera writes about a topic he manifestly knows nothing about: what constitutes good teaching in an “inner-city school?” What constitutes good teaching in low-income schools? With respect to this very important question, Nocera has watched a documentary. He has also read, or read about, a new report by a national policy group On the basis of these inputs, he ends up saying what follows. Within the *journalistic* context, the ... more »

Attacks On Iraqi Forces And Infrastructure Dominate Anbar Violence November 2013

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 14 hours ago
The number of attacks remained high in Iraq’s Anbar for November 2013. As usual most of those were concentrated in the province’s cities especially Fallujah and Ramadi. Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), the power system and transportation were the main targets. Despite that the number of fatalities was dramatically lower than the previous two months. Levels of violence in Anbar remained the same in November, but the overall number of casualties was down. There were a total of 75 reported security incidents in the press. That was roughly in line with previous months such as October wh... more »

The manuscript of survival – part 380

Obi-Wan Kabuki at AMERICAN KABUKI - 14 hours ago
*The manuscript of survival – part 380* *Aisha North* *December 16, 2013* As you have noticed, the frequencies that are buffeting you now are indeed a far cry from the ones you have been bathing in for quite a long time now, and rightly so, as these last few days a whole new set of energetic encodings have transformed the very atmosphere around you. And, as usual, with these new encodings comes a whole host of energetic reactions, both on the physical but also on the mental levels. And for many of you, these new currents have literally dislodged the very deepest residue that your ... more »

VAMboozled by Empty-Suit Leadership in SC

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE - 14 hours ago
VAMboozled by Empty-Suit Leadership in SC. via VAMboozled by Empty-Suit Leadership in SC.

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 14 hours ago
*Rush to oppose coastal reclamation suit exposes weakness of Jindal’s case ~Sandy Rosenthal, The Lens* *Oil and gas association challenges AG’s approval of contract for coastal lawsuit ~Jeff Adelson, New Orleans Advocate* *AGL, SOL still at odds? ~Heather Miller, The Daily Iberian* *Fasten Your Seat Belts ~Brian P. Moore* *Music Video: Beau Jocque, "Beau Jocque Boogie" ~David Stafford, WWOZ*

NO MONEY FOR WHAT?

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 14 hours ago

AVB on Dragons Den?

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 14 hours ago
A vaguely amusing video from TalkSport

Tenure and Due Process at the University of Colorado

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Pielke, Jr.) at Roger Pielke Jr.'s Blog - 14 hours ago
The Boulder Daily Camera reports: University of Colorado officials acknowledged Monday that sociology professor Patti Adler's lecture on prostitution led them to suspend her from teaching her popular "Deviance in U.S. Society" course next spring -- but they denied firing her or forcing her into retirement. The issue here involves a skit that Professor Patricia Adler put on in her class back in November in which students dress up as different types of prostitutes and engage in a roll play before the class. Adler is a full professor here at CU in the Department of Sociology, and whil... more »

Battered Woman Syndrome

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 14 hours ago
Battered woman syndrome is a model that was developed by Dr. Lenore E. Walker to describe the mindset and emotional state of a battered woman. A battered woman is a woman who has experienced at least two complete battering cycles as described in dating and domestic violence. According to Walker's The Battered Woman Syndrome (pp. 95-97), there are four general characteristics of the syndrome (which have been further developed into a series of symptoms not included here): 1. The woman believes that the violence was or is her fault. 2. The woman has an inability to place responsi... more »

In A Dark Place

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 14 hours ago
The Harper Party has changed its name three times. First it was the Reform Party. Then it was the Canadian Alliance. And, finally, it called itself the Conservative Party. The last label is entirely disingenuous. Both Rob Ford and Stephen Harper claim they are Conservatives. Those claims are as fatuous as the name which the present federal government proclaims. Andrew Coyne writes: So no, Ford is neither a product of conservatism, as such, nor a particularly sterling example of it; nor should Conservatives be tainted by association, except in so far as they associate themselves wi... more »

Do Cruz, Rubio, Paul And Senate Right-Wingers Have what It Takes To Crash The Budget Deal Today?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 15 hours ago
The do-nothing House is on vacation already, again. But the Senate is still working. It still haven't approved the awful Paul Ryan-Patty Murray "compromise," in which the plutocrats compromise nothing (as usual) and all the compromise is on the backs of working people. Amazingly, though, it's Senate Republicans threatening to kill the whole thing. There are probably only 3 progressive Democrats in the Senate willing to vote no today. (32 voted no in the House last week.) NBC's Chuck Todd says the budget will pass with little fanfare, even though Reid has to cobble together a clotur... more »

Zions Bancorp issues stunner -Under the published Volcker rule, the Company would no longer have the ability to hold disallowed securities until the anticipated recovery of their amortized cost. Therefore, as of December 15, 2013, Zions anticipates that in the fourth quarter of 2013 it will reclassify all covered CDOs that currently are classified as “Held to Maturity” into “Available for Sale,” and that all covered CDOs, regardless of the accounting classification, will be adjusted to Fair Value through an Other Than Temporary Impairment non-cash charge to earnings. The net result would eliminate substantially all of the accumulated other comprehensive income adjustment to equity related to the covered securities. As First Volcker Rule Victim Emerges, Implications Could "Roil The Market"

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 15 hours ago
As First Volcker Rule Victim Emerges, Implications Could "Roil The Market" [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 12/17/2013 08:13 -0500 - Barclays - Bond - CDO - Collateralized Debt Obligations - Federal Reserve - Mortgage Loans - NASDAQ - recovery inShare Yesterday afternoon, Zions Bancorp, Utah's biggest lender, stunned the financial community with a regulatory filing in which it announced that as a result of the final Volcker Rule implementation, it will need to make some very dramatic changes to its balance sheet, wh... more »

Read Stuff, You Should

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 15 hours ago
Happy Birthday to Bob Ojeda, 56. Mainly because he always reminds me of Blue Sox hero Steve Olin, who would have been 48 now. Sad. Also, because in the 30+ years I've known her, my wife really cared about baseball for about a two week stretch: Mets vs. Astros, Mets vs. Red Sox. The good stuff: Jon Krasno and Gregory Robinson make the case for shifting the filibuster burden from the majority (needing 60) to the minority (needing 41). I'm okay with this, but I've never really believed that it would make much difference. Nor do I think it's a likely compromise position and more. So n... more »

Can My Employer Make Me Socialize With Co-Workers? Whether you say yes or no to office events, here are your legal rights

Donna Ballman at Screw You Guys, I'm Going Home - 15 hours ago
It's holiday party time, so this question I received from a reader is timely: *I just read your article about social media passwords, and I have a question for you that my HR person cannot seem to answer for me. My boss told me that I am not relating to the other employees (I didn't realize that I wasn't) and wants me to go to lunch with them or go shopping with them on the weekend. They are mean and spiteful people who look for any way to manipulate people. She asked me about my personal life and made me feel like I had to answer so I did tell her some things. (I won't make that ... more »

Fukushima updates December 17 , 2013 - contamination from radioactive materials continues ( in fact the water contamination problems really picking up ) as Japan is slowly turning into a wasteland..... no wonder the secrecy law was passed posthaste , no wonder the change the subject antics with China and military bravado chest thumping !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 15 hours ago
Energy News....... 05:39 PM EST on December 17th, 2013 | 11 comments Tokyo Press Conference: Cancer is clearly increasing in Fukushima children, many experts starting to get concerned — Tepco has committed a crime; We’re going to the police tomorrow (VIDEO) 01:54 PM EST on December 17th, 2013 | 35 comments AP: ‘Tritium rain’ to result from disposal of Fukushima contaminated water? Expert: You may be interested to know radioactive rainfall occurs around nuclear plants during normal operations (VIDEO) 10:18 AM EST on December 17th, 2013 | 63 comments Official: Fukushima fuel melted “on... more »

War watch December 17 , 2013 - Marginalization of FSA continues in Syria ........Afghan Military Cedes Checkpoints to Taliban in Helmand ........ Iran FM Complains to Kerry About Latest Sanctions EU Prepares to Ease Sanctions on Iran ...... Death dealing in Iraq continues unabated

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 15 hours ago
Syria...... West Tells Syria Rebels: Assad Must StaySNC Member: West Open to Assad Running for Reelection by Jason Ditz, December 17, 2013 Print This | Share This Members of the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) report that they have been told by Western officials that they believe President Bashar Assad must remain in power to prevent an al-Qaeda takeover of the country. “Some do not even seem to mind if he runs again next year,” noted one SNC member. That’s not sitting well with the SNC, but it may not matter. Western diplomats confirmed the shift, saying that the rebels have been w... more »

Sweden SÄPO Puts Pressure on Internet Providers For Data Access

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 16 hours ago
[image: Puffbild Säpo Möte] SÄPO puts pressure on internet providers for data access Sweden Radio News, 17 November 2013 The Swedish Intelligence Service, SÄPO, is continuing to put pressure on telecom and internet operators to join a system which would automatically send customer's phone-call and internet-surfing details to the secret service, Swedish Radio News reports. The operators are currently obliged to hand over the information by law if there is a request by a prosecutor, but do it manually to make sure there is an official request by a prosecutor first. Many of them ... more »

A Citrus Immune Boosting Smoothie by Diana Glasser

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 16 hours ago
*For the recipe, please click on the link provided below:* *The Kitchen Rag*

SPOT THE ODD ONE OUT

Anon at aangirfan - 16 hours ago
*Kevin Terry* of *Kevin Terry and Predestined* is a popular gospel singer. A video leaked to the internet shows Kevin Terry having sex with a young man. Gospel Singer Kevin Terry *Jim Swilley* is the pastor of a Georgia megachurch with thousands of followers. He is the father of four children. He decided to publicly declare that he is gay. "I know a lot of straight people think orientation is a choice. I want to tell you that it is not," Jim Swilley said. Swilley has recently reached his 5,000-friend limit on Facebook and his wall is adorned with praise for his decision to co... more »

Third World America

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 16 hours ago
What the heck is wrong?

Amazon Warehouse Workers Strike in Germany Over Pay, Sweatshop Conditions ....... Amazon earning a black eye for abusive warehouse practices , in particular in Germany. At least the Germans workers are standing up to the abuse by striking !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 16 hours ago
Amazon Warehouse Workers Strike in Germany Over Pay, Sweatshop ConditionsPosted on December 17, 2013 by Yves Smith Amazon is rapidly becoming the poster child for what is wrong with the so-called new economy. Critical to the online retailer’s success is its warehouse operation, which have been repeatedly found to demand unreasonable work output from its “pickers” as well as often being physically demanding, which is compounded by the warehouses too often being uncomfortably hot or cold. From a post last July: Amazon has been repeatedly cited here and abroad for abusive conditions ... more »

Enoch/Matthew and the Tares

urupiper at Yesterday 's Lies - 18 hours ago
[image: BPEarthWatch] BPEarthWatch * Dec 16, 2013* A Parallel. Free Bible Software http://www.e-sword.net The Book of Enoch Online http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/boe/b... Solar and Quake Links.. http://www.bpearthwatch.com

NORTH KOREA!!!!!

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 18 hours ago
Last summer, North Korea's mad ambitions to attack the United States [actually desperate blustering in the face of USA/South Korean provocations] were all over the news until a bomb exploded at the Boston Marathon. "Poof!" North Korea's inscrutable threat vanished into the thin air from whence it came. But now North Korea is back in the news. Supposedly the boy-dictator is killing family members and stuff. It's either the tonic for a slow news day or North Korea is being targeted. (Not that I have any respect for that regime.)

Message From The Hopi Nation About Japan

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 18 hours ago
*March 17, 2011* This is a historic moment for our planet to hear them speak. The Hopi Elder have come forward with a message to the world in response to the tsunami and earthquake disaster in Japan. They give humanity a simple message for our future and how to overcome these difficult times. *Hopi original letter:* The Hopi are praying the people of Japan and for the people around the world as we face crisis in our world out of balance. We are all in a time of great change upon mother earth and these events have been foretold by our Elders. Through our Prophecies and our Ce... more »

BBC Drops Propaganda Hammer on Thailand

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 19 hours ago
Jonathan Head of BBC does disingenuous hit piece on Thai conflict. Exposing the BBC's lies - point by point. *December 17, 2013* (Tony Cartalucci) - When the BBC isn't taking cash to fix the news, as exposed by the Independent, or deceiving viewers with fake footage posted in documentaries, or posting pictures from atrocities committed by the West in Iraq on news articles for Syria, it is meddling in every other corner of the world, manipulating public perception for the benefit of the corporate-financier interests it gladly shares the Chatham House's corporate membership with. In... more »

Mining 38: Canada's $7.8 B a year tax revenues vs PH's $0.3 B

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 19 hours ago
* This is my article today in Mining Week. ---------- Two weeks ago, this report from Resource Clips bannered a bold story, *Mining industry has paid Canada $71 billion in last 10 years*. Excerpts: *“The Mining Association of Canada released its annual report on December 3 about mining industry payments to Canadian governments, prepared by ENTRANS Policy Research Group. Now in its tenth year of publication, the report found mining payments to federal and provincial government coffers total an estimated $71 billion from 2003 to 2012 in aggregate mining taxes and royalties, corporate ... more »

Useless or harmful: hand soap, vitamin pills, raw milk

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 19 hours ago
Today, the news outlets are full of reports that some "common supplements" of the modern life that are believed to aid our health are claimed to be useless if not harmful. I will mention three independent major stories: FDA against anti-bacterial soaps Papers against vitamin pills Paper counting illnesses caused by raw milk The common theme is that it seem incredible to me that after so many years and after the sale of tens of billions of these products for hundreds of billions of dollars, the question whether these things are helpful seems completely open. *A typical Czech raw mi... more »

Updates On Syria [12.17]: Hezbollah Comes Under Attack, Kurds In Syria Agree To Form New Union Ahead of Geneva II, Jihadist Terrorist Groups Execute 80 Civilians Because Of Their Religion

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 22 hours ago
*1. An excerpt from, "Car Bomb Hits Hezbollah Stronghold in East Lebanon" AP, December 17:* The National News Agency said in its report that the explosion occurred about two kilometers (mile) away from a Hezbollah center on the road between Sbouba and Wadi Abu Mousa. The car bomb was "intercepted" at a Hezbollah checkpoint and exploded after members of the checkpoint fired on it, the report said. It was unclear if the car detonated from the gunshots or if the driver set off the explosion. The NNN said there were multiple casualties and that ambulances were rushing to the area, whi... more »

USA'S SICK SAILORS

Anon at aangirfan - 22 hours ago
In 2011, the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan assisted with rescue operations after the Fukushima earthquake and nuclear disaster. At least 51 members of the crew of the USS Ronald Reagan have now developed radiation-related illnesses. It is thought that the ship's desalinization systems took in radioactive water which the crew drank, cooked with and bathed-in. *51 Sailors from USS Ronald Reagan Suffering Thyroid Cancer, Leukemia, Brain Tumors After Participating in Fukushima Nuclear Rescue Efforts * Charles Bonner, attorney representing sailors from the USS Ronald Reagan said ... more »

Tutorial: Thumbprint Ornament

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 22 hours ago
Every year, I like to involve my daughter as much in the gift making process as possible. It gives us something to do together and gifts always seem to mean a little more when she is involved in making them. This year we decided to take the Thumbprint Necklace from Rae Gun Ramblings and turn it into a simple ornament. These ornaments were easy to pull together and look even better in person. You will need: Clay Parchment Paper Plastic knife disposable straw Ribbon Metal Stamps Non-food rolling pin Start by taking a small section of clay and warming it up it your hands. Work with ... more »

For the Last Generation, the Range of Permissible Opinion with Respect to the Program - Which Most Americans Depend On for Nearly All of Their Income in Old Age - Ranged from Conservatives Who Wanted to Abolish Social Security Altogether, to Press-Anointed "Progressives" and Token Democrats Who Merely Wanted to Cut Social Security Benefits

Elizabeth Warren has changed the calculus of the much-feared Social Security insoluable conundrum. Believe it or not, people are now actually talking about increasing what Social Security pays out instead of increasing what people must pay in to get less of a payout. Imagine! (Peak behind the curtain, kiddies!) Dean Baker explains the whole situation even better (at the end of this essay).

Will Utah Revert To Polygamy Again?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
Religion is a weird thing and I'm not comfortable with government getting involved in even recognizing it as legitimate. If people want to worship a sky god or a rock or ancestors or whatever, they should be free to do that-- unless they harm others and commit crimes. Mormonism is obviously nonsense from start to finish but is it any more ridiculous and any more of a hustler tradition than any other religion? Maybe. Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Clark Waddoups, a right-wing Mormon freak who George W. Bush appointed to the judiciary (and confirmed by the Senate by unanimous co... more »

Allen Young : Ralph Dungan, the 'Good Liberal'

thorne dreyer at The Rag Blog - 1 day ago
Ralph Dungan in Chile, 1966. Photo from The Washington Post. Discretion, valor,  and the 'good liberal' In the most patronizing tone, Mr. Dungan said if we opposed U.S. policy, we should 'return to the U.S. and run for Congress.' By Allen Young / The Rag Blog / December 16, 2013 The October obituary of Ralph Dungan, one of President John F. Kennedy’s top aides who later served as ambassador

Haitian Child-Slave Becomes Miracle

John Carroll at Dying in Haiti - 1 day ago
[image: (Photo by John Carroll--December, 2013)] (Photo by John Carroll--December, 2013) During the last two decades I have had the opportunity to meet hundreds of people who have cared for Haitian Hearts children in their homes before and after the children have had heart surgery. These host families from all over the United States have been wonderful. In 2003 Haitian Hearts brought six Haitian children on the same flight from Port-au-Prince to the Tampa International Airport. All were sick and needed heart surgery soon. Three of the children would be operated at All Children’s... more »
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