Friday, June 06, 2014

6 June - Blogs I'm Following

English: Actress Jennifer Aniston at the Londo...English: Actress Jennifer Aniston at the London premiere of movie Horrible Bosses. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
1:29pm MDST

One Ton Gold Shipment Into Hong Kong Revealed To Contain Just Worthless Metal via Zero Hedge

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 16 minutes ago
This article on Zero Hedge http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-06-06/one-ton-gold-shipment-hong-kong-revealed-contain-just-worthless-metal is worrisome if you aren't 100% that your gold is actually gold. I think mine is...

Supplemental: A 7-year-old reader in Gotham!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 33 minutes ago
*FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014* *She goes unloved at Salon:* This morning, in the New York Times, we read about a 7-year-old in New York City who already has two literary heroes. Delightfully, her name is Mikayla Capers; she lives in East New York, Brooklyn. Vivien Lee profiled her budding literary engagement, which we hope will turn out to be lasting, helpful and real: YEE (6/6/14): *Mikayla’s heroes are Harry Potter and the characters in the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series.* After reading that she was a fan of the series, Abrams Books, the series’ publisher, arranged to send her a trove of ... more »

Reflections on Oklahoma’s Repeal of Common Core

John Thompson at @ THE CHALK FACE - 59 minutes ago
The first key reaction to Oklahoma’s defeat of Common Core is best described by a football metaphor. We’re celebrating like we’ve been in the End Zone before – no gloating or trash talk about the touchdown. This is true even though many of us, especially liberal Common Core opponents, haven’t had many political victories in […]

11(b) analysis

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 2 hours ago
R. v. Florence, 2014 ONCA 443: [29] In *Morin*, the Supreme Court of Canada set out the factors a court must consider when assessing the reasonableness of delay for purposes of s. 11(b). Writing for the majority, Sopinka J. stated, at pp. 787-88: While the Court has at times indicated otherwise, it is now accepted that the factors to be considered in analyzing how long is too long may be listed as follows: 1. the length of the delay; 2. waiver of time periods; 3. the reasons for the delay, including (a) inherent time requirements of the case, (b) actions of the accused, ... more »

D-Day: 70 years ago

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 2 hours ago
world at war

Who Will Be The Next President?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 2 hours ago
Conventional wisdom is so weird. Right now, it's telling us that November will see the Republicans will increase their margin in the House and probably take over the Senate as well. Tools of conventional wisdom, Steve Israel and Guy Cecil-- respectively-- are fulfilling destiny for the House and Senate. At the same time, conventional wisdom can see down the road and around some twists and turns to tell us that by 2016, voters will be more than ready to reward the Democrats with big wins in both Houses-- especially the Senate-- on the coattails of President Hillary's gigantic lands... more »

Jennifer Aniston strips - NSFW - A Rule 5 Friday post

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 2 hours ago
href='http://www.youporn.com/watch/9270820/jennifer-aniston -hot-striptease/'>jennifer aniston hot striptease powered by href='http:// www.youporn.com'>YouPorn. Jennifer Aniston strips in a scene from the reasonably funny We Are The Millers, she's still got it!

Blame it All On Amazon

Martyn Daniels at Brave New World - 2 hours ago
The papers are full of anti-Amazon rhetoric which some may suggest is being whipped up into a feeding frenzy within the publishing marketplace. Amazon is being portrayed as the biggest bully ever to have stepped into the publishing arena. But is this the case or is it another attempt by the publishing majors to wrestle back some of the control they happily gave the Seattle company, or a genuine grievance? How do consumers feel about the latest public spat, do they really care and how do they actually perceive Amazon? Do authors side with the retailer who has more than any single e... more »

ATTACKING HOSPITALS?

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 2 hours ago
The village of Krasny Liman near Slavyansk in the Donetsk region was heavily shelled by the Ukrainian army during Kiev's military operation Tuesday. Then the day after the shelling the Vineyard of the Saker reported: National guard/right sector [fascists] entered Railroad Hospital Krasni Liman and shot dead 37 wounded Donbas Army soldiers and civilians and at least 1 hospital worker. Confirmed. Both of these actions by the Ukrainian military have to be breaking international law. Bombing and then entering hospitals and killing the wounded? This is sick shit. Who is directing... more »

Mike's Story Part 42 - Boys' Night Out

Jenna Orkin at From the Wilderness' Peak Oil Blog - 3 hours ago
*By **Jenna** Orkin* *January 25 2007* * He is in deep shit. Not with the government but with me.* * Ever since Marian suggested that he see Sandor Hicks, it’s been on the agenda. That’s been fine with me. A "boys’ night out," as he described it. Mike flexing his independence muscles in NYC.* * This morning Sandor called to arrange to meet tonight. I heard Mike’s end of the conversation which concluded: “Great. So you and your wife’ll be by here with the car at seven.”* * “That’s an odd configuration,” I said when he got off.* * No more, "boys’ night out." Now... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 3 hours ago
*Lawyers: BP claims at risk if Jindal signs levee lawsuit bill ~Richard Thompson* *St. Tammany leaders approve court fight against fracking ~Ashley Rodrigue, WWLTV * *Sheriff Gusman eyes plan to move mentally ill inmates to St. Gabriel, nearly 50 miles away ~Jim Mustian, New Orleans Advocate* *2014 hurricane season message: Despite upgraded levees, don't let your guard down ~Mark Schleifstein* *DEQ sends hurricane resource manual to parishes ~AP*

Another opinion on Ann Barnhardt's "Why I'm Considering Quitting" post...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 3 hours ago
*which gives us more to ponder.* Yesterday *I posted a link* to Ann Barnhardt's post which reflects much of what I've been thinking lately. For me the question is whether Ann is mired in despair, a sin against the virtue of Hope, or is she just being realistic. There is a definite difference between facing facts and unicorn farts and rainbows, referred to as *normalcy bias**.* Facing facts means you take appropriate action. The Grunt of Monte Cristo, over at *For God, Family, and Country*, leans more toward the despair angle. I've never been a giggling aficionado of Ann. I t... more »

Politics After Newark

Phil at All That Is Solid ... - 3 hours ago
The morning after the night before. Across the land, the hundreds who made their by-election pilgrimage to Newark blinked at the results with bleary eyes. Tory vote down, but proportion up. UKIP up but not a contender. Labour down into third place and, for the second time in a space of a week, the LibDems slip behind the Greens. Hangovers all round, right? Wrong. Politics is an art, not a science. Yet it has rhythms sufficient enough to venture predictions. And one forecast you could have made yesterday about the result coverage was that a) the Tory win shows they're on course for ... more »

Torches of Freedom- Women manipulated massively.

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 3 hours ago
*ht to John for bringing this to mind* Following up on the thought-line of psychological operations that manipulate you into *believing *or participating in activities that are not really beneficial to you as an individual. These very same activities are not only harmful and/or damaging to your well being & health, but also damaging to the health, well being and stability of your family/community and the global community at large. As mentioned in the earlier post from today- *FEMEN- War whore psyop- "stabs" wax Putin* A psychological operation undertaken to demonize a targeted worl... more »

Pope to Muslim Audiences: People Have 'Fundamental Right' to Choose Their Faith via CNS News

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 3 hours ago
This article does report the Pope's words http://m.cnsnews.com/news/article/barbara-hollingsworth/pope-muslim-audiences-people-have-fundamental-right-choose-their but not that Islam mandates the death penalty for apostasy and I can't see any chance of that changing.

THE SIZE OF THE GAPS: In Alabama!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 3 hours ago
*FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014* *Part 5—A tale of at least two cities:* On balance, we weren’t enthralled by The Atlantic’s performance. Last month, the famous American publication featured a 10,000-word report called “Segregation Now...” Pseudo-liberal hearts were moved. For several major reasons, we were less than enthralled. Don’t get us wrong! In her lengthy report, Nikole Hannah-Jones told a fascinating story about the historical treatment of race within the Tuscaloosa City Schools. She focused on the city’s high schools. She took us all the way back to pre-Brown days, when Tuscaloo... more »

One year of Snowden revelations

noreply@blogger.com (Say No To Corporate America!) at Say No To Corporate America - 4 hours ago

Sex Kittens

Spike EP at News Spike - 4 hours ago
*Sex kitten programming*, aka referred to as "*BETA*" programming utilizes incest and sexual abuse to program a woman or man as a willing sexual slave. Often the handler is referred to in this context as "*Daddy*" or "*Auntie*". Monarch programming is applied when a drone is needed to carry out commands which are of a morally questionable nature. Monarch victims are used for assassinations and murders which must be carried out for political purposes. It is used heavily within the entertainment industry to create easily manipulated music stars. One variation of the process, kno... more »

Rolling Stones in Israel

sue at Is the BBC biased? - 4 hours ago
"Hag Shavuot Sameah Israel! (Happy holiday Israel!" I quite like the Rolling Stones. Well, if I didn’t before, I do now. It’s not that I don’t like the thumping beat and gratifyingly raucous guitar backing. I am pretty rock’n’roll. It’s just that Mick’s voice sounds small and reedy compared to ... who shall I say... Freddy Mercury - or perhaps a more apt comparison would be any of the original black American guitar players he emulates, for instance Huddie Ledbetter whose voice seems to lift the heart. Well, it does mine. Anyway, here I go again, banging on about Israel, whose tribu... more »

Tyler

Spike EP at News Spike - 4 hours ago
*"Davies explained in length his writing process to Cook in The Writer's Tale. When he creates characters, he initially assigns a character a name and fits attributes around it. In the case of Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) in his inaugural series of Doctor Who, he chose the name because he considered it a "good luck charm" after he used it for Lesley Sharp's character in Bob & Rose. "* *Vince Tyler* *Johnny Tyler (aka Satan)* *Pete Tyler* *The Other Pete TylerJackie TylerThe Other Jackie TylerJackie Tyler's Knickers* A Tyler’s Toast *by Iain Macdonald* --------... more »

I Now Have a Facebook Page

deutsch29 at @ THE CHALK FACE - 4 hours ago
I now have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bymercedeskschneider The page features my book, A Chronicle of Echoes, and my blog, . As of this writing, my page has 91 likes. I even have my first hashtag: #chronicleofechoes I still have no Twitter account. Twitter moves so fast with its little messages, and I haven’t time to keep up […]

The Sarcasm Dragnet

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 4 hours ago
The folks of the Surveillance State are shocked, shocked that snark or symbolism or smoldering emotions might be going on in the chat-o-sphere. They just can't keep up with the jokes, the irony, the pissed-offiness, the double-entendres, the parodies, the satire that are running rampant in cyberspace. It's jamming up their poor brains as they constantly troll, in real time, the communications of every man, woman, child, boojum, bandersnatch and jubjub with an internet connection. Is that a terrorist sicko they're monitoring, or just a sicko with a terrific sense of humor? It... more »

From the Harvard Class of 2009

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 4 hours ago
A video for their 5th year reunion, featuring a couple of econ profs.

Islamic State of Iraq And The Levant Storm Samarra In Salahaddin

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 5 hours ago
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) is ramping up its operations. It has established itself in Anbar, northern Babil around Jurf al-Sakhr, Mosul in Ninewa, and parts of Diyala. In Salahaddin the organization has been able to operate in all eight of its districts consistently making that province one of the most violent in the country. On June 5 the insurgents took it a step further when it stormed the city of Samarra. This is part of the Islamic State’s larger plan to move from rural areas to urban centers. (*US Business Council in Iraq*) Destroyed Humvee in Samarra ... more »

Shelby County to Launch Classroom Camera Project to Collect and Share Video of Kindergarten Students

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 5 hours ago
The Gates Foundation reporter of record, Jane Roberts, has a celebratory piece on how video capture will be used to evaluate kindergarten teachers in 26 Shelby County Schools. Will they call this ill-advised excuse for more surveillance, "Cameras for Kindergartners?" The State Department of Education should have learned by now that parents and teachers will not allow this kind of third party collection of data on children. There is nothing in the story that describes who will collect or store the data, only that it will be uploaded. Who will have access? See this link for the a f... more »

Knapman

Spike EP at News Spike - 5 hours ago
In 2008, Paul Knapman was made the *Queen’s Deputy-Lieutenant for Greater London.* *" The television presenter Paula Yates died of a heroin overdose in a **"foolish and incautious" **binge after having apparently overcome her drug problem, an inquest found yesterday.* *The coroner, **Paul Knapman**, said **the amount she snorted would not have killed an addict,** but as "**an unsophisticated taker of heroin" Miss Yates had no tolerance to the drug.* *Recording a verdict of death by non-dependent abuse of drugs, he told the court: "The evidence does not point to this being a delibe... more »

RMP in DNA testing

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 5 hours ago
RMP is the probability that an individual randomly selected from a larger population would have the same DNA profile. This means a DNA match is relevant ONLY where the appropriate larger population is used as a base and the individual is randomly selected. Hence, if a Caucasian population base is used for an aboriginal suspect and the aboriginal suspect is not randomly selected (say coming from a hamlet with many people related by blood) a DNA analysis may give a false result.

Montreal Simon, Dr Dawg, .... Now What?

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 5 hours ago
Montreal Simon, riffing off a post of Dr. Dawg's. The Doctor provides the following: And now we learn—surely this takes the mouldy cake—that all federal departments have been ordered to track and monitor *every single demonstration taking place anywhere in Canada*. This will be coordinated by a mysterious outfit called the Government Operations Centre, which will feed the information to its “partners,” whoever they happen to be. One shudders to guess. Obviously this further develops the politicization of the public service, which has been proceeding for some time. It violates, as on... more »

Princess Diana Murder Cover-Up Turns Deadly - by Jeff Steinberg

Spike EP at News Spike - 5 hours ago
*Diana* *Hypatia* *This article appears in the July 7, 2000 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.* *Princess Diana Murder Cover-Up Turns Deadly* by Jeffrey SteinbergNearly three years after the Paris car crash that claimed the lives of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed, the cover-up of that tragedy has taken a deadly turn, prompting some experts to recall the pileup of corpses that followed the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Over the course of four years, after President Kennedy was shot on Nov. 22, 1963, at least 37 eyewitnesses and other sources of evidence about the... more »

Opt Out Guidance for NY Parents and Pearson Field Tests

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 5 hours ago
from We Love Montessori at GW: [image: Unknown] The GW Elementary School was selected to participate in the NYS Field Test program in Math on *WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11th. *GW Elementary School 3rd graders will be given this test that is to be administered over the course of 40 minutes. A field test is an exam that the company PEARSON (READ this article from WNYC’s blog) and other test developers give to “try out” new questions for future exams. These guys make a bundle selling their tests back to the State. What do our children receive in return? Time away from important studies. “Reputa... more »

10 Fourth of July Crafts for Kids

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 5 hours ago
I can't believe that it is June already! We are gearing up for the 4th of July in our house with lots of barbecues and of course red, white and blue crafting. Every morning, my 5-year-old asks me what craft we are going to do that day, so I went through and complied so fantastic crafts for us to make this month before the 4th. Here are my favorites. Easiest Ever 4th of July Wreath by No Time for Flashcards. Patriotic Bean Toss by Better Homes and Gardens. Crepe Paper Windsock for the 4th of July by The Mother Huddle. Firework Paintings by Juggling with Kids. DIY 4th of July Parad... more »

Inequality Of Opportunity Will Lead Inexorably To The Demise Of Democracy… Just As Its Meant To

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 6 hours ago
*"When People Cheat, You Cannot As A Regulator Continue Business As Usual"* You probably know by now that a great deal of Elizabeth Warren's new book, A Fighting Chance, deals with creating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. "I had no doubt-- zero-- that the banks should be held accountable for breaking the law," she wrote. "Would the banks ever be held accountable, and would they ever be forced to repair the damage they had done to so many families." At one point she was recounting how, in the process of setting up the bureau, she asked her team to keep in mind who they w... more »

Schrödinger's Shooter

noreply@blogger.com (deBeauxOs) at DAMMIT JANET! - 6 hours ago
Dear firearm owner. Thank you for reading. First off, we will assume that you have good intentions. You own a firearm or many firearms because: 1) you hunt animals to provide your family with animal protein, 2) you are skilled and proficient with the use of these weapons and you go to firing ranges in the same way that golfers go to driving ranges, 3) you inherited these firearms from family members and you treasure the memories associated with these objects, 4) you are steeped in an ethnic and historical tradition of owning firearms to protect yourself and your family, 5) you are a U... more »

Abdullah Abdullah survives assassination attempt in Afghanistan on June 6 , 2014 , as Runoff vote looms on June 14 , 2014 --- A suicide car bomber and an attacker with a suicide vest detonated their explosives near a convoy carrying both Abdullah and Zalmai Rassoul — a former presidential candidate who trailed in the first round of voting but threw his support to Abdullah for the runoff — as they were leaving the event just after noon, campaign and security officials said. Six people were killed and more than 20 wounded, including several bodyguards and civilians, Afghan Ministry of Interior spokesman Najib Danish said.

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 6 hours ago
Al Jazeera.... Afghan presidential candidate survives blast Abdullah Abdullah unhurt by attack in Kabul but at least four civilians are killed, interior ministry says. Last updated: 06 Jun 2014 12:38 [image: Listen to this page using ReadSpeaker] [image: Email Article] [image: Print Article] [image: Share article] [image: Send Feedback] Abdullah said he had not been harmed but that his security guards had been wounded [AP] A suicide bomber and a roadside bomb have struck the convoy of Afghanistan's presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah as it left a campaign event in the capital K... more »

FEMEN- War whore psyop- "stabs" wax Putin

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 6 hours ago
*FEMEN is not a group that benefits women*. The NATO media calls them a 'protest' group. They are not. Sometimes the media calls them a* feminist* group. I can go along with that if we agree the 'feminist' movement which had it's origin with Gloria Steinam & the CIA, was created to weaken/destabilize our society. I can agree with the term 'feminist' in that context. Any other distortion of reality- empowering women or freeing women is pure delusion You can read about Ms Steinam's involvement with the CIA in any number of books. The Mighty Wurlitzer for one Of course Ms Steinam, s... more »

Kincora and The Wilson Coup

Spike EP at News Spike - 6 hours ago
Kincora and the Wilson Coup - Merlyn Rees Doesn't Know Anything (and Doesn't Want to Know...) from Spike EP on Vimeo. *He's wrong - the Privy Council is in fact 799 years old...* Kincora - Merlyn Rees, Mountbatten and the Cause of the Long War in the North of Ireland from Spike EP on Vimeo. *"What was the state of the IRA at the beginning of 1974?"* *"They were on their knees." - Former MI5 Officer* *"Could the War have been won then?""Yes." - Former MI5 Officer"The Good Friday Agreement is Sunningdale for Slow Learners"* *The Sunningdale Agreement* *(December 1973)* *Trip... more »

A Living, Breathing Dinosaur

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 7 hours ago
Stephen Harper has always suffered from delusions of grandeur. Linda McQuaig writes: Relatively little has been said about his grandiosity. Only months after becoming prime minister in 2006, he showed it off in an overseas speech that attracted surprisingly little attention in Canada. Outlining his plan to turn Canada into an “energy superpower,” he told the Canada-UK Chamber of Commerce in London that developing the “ocean of oil-soaked sand” in northern Alberta would be “an enterprise of epic proportions, akin to the building of the Pyramids or China’s Great Wall. Only bigger.... more »

Gold , Silver and Precious Mets News , Data and Views on Non Farm Payroll Report Friday ( June 6 , 2014 ) ...... As this post is submitted , the Payroll Data has not yet been released ( this generally impacts the price and movements of PMs , so stay tuned for 8:30 EST )

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 7 hours ago
http://www.caseyresearch.com/gsd/edition/ecuador-to-goldman-sachs-we-win-you-lose ¤ YESTERDAY IN GOLD & SILVER All was calm---and volume was microscope---up until 8:45 a.m. EDT on Thursday. Then the gold price blasted higher, most likely on the ECB interest rate news. But within minutes, the sellers of last resort were there with a tsunami of Comex paper to kill the rally stone cold dead---and actually sold it down about eight bucks off its high tick. It's unknown whether it was new long buying, or short covering by the technical funds, but it doesn't matter. All that mattered wa... more »

Broken markets update June , 2014 -- Algos Waiting For Today's Flashing Red NFP Headline To Launch The BTFATH Programs

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 7 hours ago
217K Jobs Added In May, In Line With 215K Expected; Unemployment Rate 6.3% [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 06/06/2014 08:34 -0400 - Unemployment inShare In a report that was a complete snoozer, largely as many had expected, in May the US Economy is said to have added 217K seasonally adjusted jobs, virtually in line with the 215K expected, while the unemployment rate remained at 6.3%. According to the household survey the number of jobs added was 145K, not a huge deviation from the Establishment survey. The number of people not in the labor force d... more »

Obama demands the world follow his directives ! ( June 6 , 2014 hubris edition ) ...... Obama Tells Scotland Not to Secede From Britain Also Warns Britain Not to Exit the European Union ........ White House Demands China "Account For" Tiananmen Square Victims .........Obama, Cameron Issue Demands, Give Russia One Month Ultimatum US Insists on End to Eastern Ukraine Protests

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 7 hours ago
Obama Tells Scotland Not to Secede From BritainAlso Warns Britain Not to Exit the European Union by Jason Ditz, June 05, 2014 Print This | Share This Speaking at a press conference at the end of the G7 summit, President Obama has urged Scottish voters to reject independence, saying that it is not in America’s interestto see Scotland independent from Britain. The comments mark the first direct US intervention in the upcoming referendum, and were quickly criticized by Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, saying Scotland only wanted the same independence the US got hundreds of years ago... more »

Tickles

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 7 hours ago

Ukraine Updates - Obama, Cameron Issue Demands, Give Russia One Month Ultimatum US Insists on End to Eastern Ukraine Protests ....... Ukraine Govt Ready to Declare Martial Law in East Outgoing Interim President Endorses Declaration .... Gas Talks resume this weekend .......... Updates on military action in South East Ukraine ...... Ukraine stiffs Russia regarding Russian Defense orders - neither delivering products or returning deposits paid in advance

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 8 hours ago
Ukraine Govt Ready to Declare Martial Law in EastOutgoing Interim President Endorses Declaration by Jason Ditz, June 05, 2014 Print This | Share This The loss of several key military/national guard bases in the northeastern Luhansk Oblast has Ukraine’s interim government on edge about their ongoing military invasion of the east of the country, and has several leaders pushing for an immediate declaration of martial law throughout the region. Outgoing Interim President Oleksandr Turchinov, who will be replaced on Saturday with the inauguration of President Petro Porchenko, urged the lea... more »

Euthanasia Law Approved in Quebec

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 8 hours ago
"It is also unclear how Ottawa will react to Quebec's initiative. Euthanasia is considered homicide under the Criminal Code, which is federal law, but Quebec has said its attorney general will instruct prosecutors not to press charges against physicians who respect Bill 52. Quebec is claiming jurisdiction over euthanasia on the grounds that it is a medical act, and health is a provincial jurisdiction." From Today's National Post The difficulty with Quebec's position, legally, is that there is no limitation on murder charges in Canada. So today's government may well instruct no ch... more »

Robert Peston in unbiased reporting shock...

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 8 hours ago
Thus BBC report http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-27722971 contains some shockingly unbiased reporting, how out of character... 'It was just over a year ago that the IMF's chief economist, Olivier Blanchard, warned George Osborne that he was "playing with fire" if he did not ease off on his austerity policy, because economic recovery in the UK seemed so elusive. Just a few days later, Mr Blanchard's criticism of the cuts implemented by the chancellor was more gently repeated by Christine Lagarde, the IMF's head: "We have said that should growth abate, should growth be particular... more »

London Live add another great show to their roster

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 8 hours ago
London Live TV (Sky 117) has been getting a lot of stick since its launch and apparently has very low viewing figures. For a lot of the time I can understand why, just look at the schedules. However it does also show *four* really great shows: 1. Coupling - Steven Moffat's master-work of three series from 2000 to 2004 and a dodgy series four. A genius comedy series with some great acting, some poor acting but always very very funny, and sometimes toe-curlingly embarrassing. You must watch this series, if not on London Live then buy the DVD. I have previously blogged about Series 1, ... more »

D-Day Plus Seventy Years

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 9 hours ago
Canadian soldiers landing at Juno on the outskirts of Bernières

No Victims and the Soul's Choice

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 9 hours ago
This insight is a very powerful one. I stumbled into it recently by way of a horse whisperer who also had stumbled into this utterly clear idea. All souls have choices. They make their core choice before going in. Free will and specifics will play out but even the deer made its choice. We cannot have an afterlife and the soul without accepting the rest either. Of course, if you simply reject all such teaching as a matter of course, then none of this matters. However acceptance of the premise of the soul in particular does cast our logic in front of us and we are way beyond ... more »

Hessdalen Lights

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 9 hours ago
This appears to be a natural event and I suspect that we are dealing with a stable rotating air mass that developed a charge from the surrounding electrified environment. This effect succeeds in increasing the stability in the same way that ball lightening is produced. A vortex could induce an electron flow that forces the mass of air to reshape as a globe. The surface of the globe develops an electron deficit that induces a glow. So far this is all guess work but it is at least a start toward a theoretical model. This phenomena may well occur worldwide and needs to be consid... more »

JapanFocus, forwarding Chinese propaganda again...

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 10 hours ago
*Wetlands in Changhua.* The other day JapanFocus posted another in the seemingly endless examples of Lefties forwarding the claims, language, and ideology of imperialism and expansionism -- apparently, so long as it is non-western imperialism, it is ok. This is Lin Man-houng's awful Taiwan and the Ryukyus (Okinawa) in Asia-Pacific Multilateral Relations – a Long-term Historical Perspective on Territorial Claims and Conflicts ( アジア太平洋地域の多国間関係における台湾と琉球諸島(沖縄)領土権主張や紛争を長期的視野でとらえる), a turd so vast that, properly composted, it could fertilize California for a year. Ordinarily I'd just giv... more »

MORE MONEY FOR ON-LINE TESTING?

skrashen at Schools Matter - 10 hours ago
Posted as a comment on "Ed. Groups Urge More Federal Spending for Common-Core Tests," at: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2014/06/more_federal_funds_for_common-.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS3 More money to support the biggest boondoggle in the history of education? There is zero research supporting the value of on-line testing, and no plans to do even small scale studies. The amount of money on-line testing will cost will be staggering and will increase dramatically. Every student has to have access to an modern computer with up-to-date capacity, and just to keep up with cha... more »

Germany backs France on Russia warship contract

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 11 hours ago
[image: Vladivostok LHD]Germany has defended France’s plan to deliver a warship to Russia in October despite US criticism of the move. Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday (4 June) in Brussels that interruption of delivery might only come if the EU adopts “stage three” sanctions - economic sanctions - against Russia. But she said the EU is not launching stage three because Russia did not stop Ukraine’s 25 May presidential elections from going ahead. Read more

D-Day landings

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 11 hours ago
This is an interesting map tweeted by the *Today *programme:

F-35 purchase decision expected next week in report

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 11 hours ago
[image: F-35 Lightning II]Senior sources inside the Canadian defence and aerospace industry are girding themselves for a government decision next week that they believe is almost sure to favour the controversial F-35. CBC News has learned the Conservative government is expected to make a final decision as soon as next Tuesday, followed soon after by an announcement that will put an end to the debate about whether to hold a competition to buy new fighter planes or to renew the $45-billion plan to sole-source the purchase of F-35s. After a storm of controversy before the 2011 election... more »

Switzerland selects Hermes 900 as Ranger replacement

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 11 hours ago
[image: Hermes 900 UAS]Switzerland’s Armasuisse procurement agency has selected Elbit Systems’ Hermes 900 to meet the nation’s future unmanned air system requirement. The design had been in competition with Israel Aerospace Industries’ Super Heron TP to replace Ruag Ranger unmanned air vehicles currently in service with the Swiss armed forces. “The Hermes 900 HFE has been favoured because it delivered the better overall result in all assessed criteria,” Armasuisse said in a 5 June notification, valuing the procurement at an estimated Swfr250 million ($279 million). Read more

Akash Test Held up, PTA under Scanner

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 11 hours ago
[image: Banshee target drones]Defence experts have raised doubt over the efficiency of UK-made unmanned aircraft Banshee which was to be used as a target against surface-to-air medium range missile Akash, but failed to perform twice in the last couple of days. While on Tuesday the aerial target fell down in the sea nearly three minutes after taking off from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur off the Odisha coast, on Wednesday the pilot-less target aircraft (PTA) failed to take off due to technical glitches in its lifting support system. The mission team of Akash had to pos... more »

Factbox - The 11 countries expected to buy F-35 fighter jet

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 11 hours ago
[image: Dutch F-35A Lightning II]Canada is poised to buy 65 F-35 fighter jets built by Lockheed Martin Corp, sources familiar with the process told Reuters, which would make it the 11th country to join the program. The United States and its allies plan to buy more than 3,100 F-35s in coming years to replace ageing F-16s, F/A-18s and other warplanes. Following is a list of the expected purchases, according to data provided by Lockheed, the prime contractor for the $398.6 billion weapons program, and defence officials in the United States and other purchasing countries. Read more

I think my Alsation would sniff out this robo-impostor

Mike Philbin at FREE PLANET BLOG - 11 hours ago
the latest creation from Darpa-Dyne, *Petman* became *Atlas*: fire up the counter robo-drones and let's survive against this insane Propagandist future. NOTICE how Atlas isn't burdened with the research cost of Asimo's sexy-sensitive robotic gripping hands and fingers, when HIS ENTIRE FOREARMS will be fore-armed. That's why you don't see it here, it would be TOO HORRIFIC for the vast majority of the viewing public. Guns, flame throwers, robo-to-personnel missiles. All to keep You The People trembling in your over-expensive homes watching useless telly and fearfully indulging in all ... more »

'No impact' on construction after fire onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier at Rosyth

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 12 hours ago
[image: HMS Queen Elizabeth]Twenty-seven firefighters were called to a fire onboard the Royal Navy’s largest ever warship in Fife this morning. Initially there were fears that 21 workers who are assembling the HMS Queen Elizabeth at Rosyth were unaccounted for. However, that situation quickly changed and all personnel were located safely. Read more

Navy jet crashes into Pacific on approach to carrier

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 12 hours ago
A U.S. Navy fighter jet crashed into the water off Southern California while approaching an aircraft carrier Wednesday night, the Navy said. The pilot of the F/A-18E Super Hornet ejected, was recovered and is in stable condition aboard the USS Carl Vinson, the Navy said Thursday. The aviator is expected to make a full recovery. The crash happened hours after a separate military plane went down in California: the nonfatal crash of one of the Marines' AV-8B Harriers into a neighborhood in Imperial. Read more

Local shipbuilding firms locked out of navy project

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 12 hours ago
[image: Australian Defence Minister David Johnston]A political row has erupted over manufacturing after the Coalition said two new navy supply ships will be built overseas. Defence Minister David Johnston today announced the tender process for the urgently needed replacements of replenishment vessels HMAS Success and HMAS Sirius. But Australian shipbuilders won’t be able to bid. Instead, the battle will be between Spain’s Navantia and South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering. Read more

S. Korea to donate warship to Philippines

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 12 hours ago
[image: Pohang-class FS]South Korea will be donating a lightly armed warship to the Philippines after its decommission by the end of this year, the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department said Thursday. In a statement, the department said that South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwang Jin announced the donation of one of its Pohang-class corvettes to the Philippine Navy when he met with Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin in Seoul last Friday. "Minister Kim said South Korea's gesture is a small token compared with the great contribution of Filipino troops during the Korean War,... more »

Strawberry Desserts and Free Printables- You're Invited Link Up

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 12 hours ago
It's finally summer! Can you believe it? The weeks are just flying by! It's time to show you some of our favorite links from last weeks party. This weeks features are from Holly at Bits of Everything. [image: You're-Invited] The Party girls: Jesseca from One Sweet Appetite, Holly from Bits of Everything, Jonie from Just Between Friends, and Debra from Housewife Eclectic. They all have such great ideas, be sure to go see what they’ve been up to. Here are a few things that have been happening on Bits of Everything: [image: Features2] Father's Day Candy Bar Letter Freezer Organization ... more »

Earthquake Prediction Insight

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 12 hours ago
Quake This is actually quite useful. He has identified a very small time zone in which the combined tidal deformation maximizes and allows large quakes to be triggered.. This becomes important in serious Earthquake country simply be cause it can be almanaced and even properly prepared for even if we merely establish these as days for training drills. Everyone wants at least this much warning. For the citizen it becomes a good time to spend in the park. That is a small price to pay for the many false alarms for every actual event. What this is telling us though is that surv... more »

Templars and Assassins

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 12 hours ago
The historical association and mutual influence on each other of these two essentially secret associations was never particularly clear and this article pulls it together as a plausible thesis. What killed them both of course was their need for secrecy. Sheer ignorance is a poor defense against fear and natural paranoia. Yet it is clear also that the inherent organizational strands reassembled and continued on while losing its obvious symbolism. The Masons are a powerful echo of all that. Secret societies were a clearing house for information and protecting reputations when o... more »

China Report: Carriers, Drones and Stealth Fighters Advancing

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 12 hours ago
[image: J-20 Powerful Dragon]China’s military will likely have multiple aircraft carriers, thousands of guided cruise and ballistic missiles, next-generation cyber-attack capabilities and fifth-generation stealth fighters by the end of this decade – according to a newly released Pentagon report on China. The report characterizes the U.S.-China relationship as one containing both cooperation and competition or points of friction between the two countries. Successful instances of progress with military to military cooperation between the U.S. and China are specified in the annual repo... more »

China May Begin Naval Nuclear-Deterrence Patrols in 2014: Pentagon

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 12 hours ago
[image: Type 094 (Jin) class SSBN]China will probably begin conducting naval nuclear-deterrence patrols this year, the U.S. Defense Department said on Thursday. Beijing has never before had a credible submarine force that would give it the capability to launch submerged long-range nuclear missiles. The Asian power last year was officially assessed to be fielding three Type 094 Jin-class strategic submarines. However, a fleet comprising at least four nuclear-armed submarines is generally understood to be the minimum quantity necessary for a country to be able to maintain around-the... more »

Greg Hunter, “Weekly News Wrap-Up 6.6.14”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 12 hours ago
*“Weekly News Wrap-Up 6.6.14”* By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com “The top story is the global economy. It’s not fixed and there is no real recovery. Yes, I know the stock market hit all-time highs again, but that’s because the market believes the Fed; and now the European Central Bank will continue the easy money policies. The ECB just announced it will go to negative interest rates of -.1% on deposits. That’s right. In, Europe you have to pay a bank to hold your money! If Europe was really in a so-called “recovery” as we have been told constantly for several years, would it need t... more »

Moving Forward is Lemmingspeak for Neocorporate Leadership

Geezer Power at GEEZERPOWER - 12 hours ago
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” ~Albert Einstein~ ZZZZZzzzzzz.....

Tom Steyer's donations are crippling and corrupting America

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 13 hours ago
*His events have nothing to do with "climate change"* Tom Steyer is worth $1.6 billion or so. He made his fortune through hedge funds 25+ years ago when it was still possible to extract lots of money from the inefficiencies of the markets. These days, the hedge fund industry belongs to the sector of lotteries – and the investors pay hefty service fees to be sure that in average, they will underperform the stock market. At any rate, he is not only a billionaire but also a moron. The word "moron" understates what he is. He is not just a moron; he is – and I was afraid to say the E-wor... more »

Untitled

JR at GREENIE WATCH - 14 hours ago
*As Peanuts might say...* *New paper shows anthropogenic emissions have had a net cooling effect since beginning of industrial revolution* *Note that the authors show that clouds have a COOLING effect. Global warming theory assumes that they have a WARMING effect. So in more ways than one this article strikes at the heart of global warming theory* A paper published today in Science claims the transition from "pristine" to "slightly polluted" atmosphere at the beginning of the industrial revolution in the 18th century had a "dramatic aerosol effect [of increasing] clouds" ov... more »

Scooters, Trees, and More!

Lori Anne Haskell at Adventures with Kurt and Lori - 14 hours ago
Scooters delivered today! Of course, they forgot the temp plates, so we cannot really drive them yet, but that did not stop us from test driving them in the yard and the private streets of our little neighborhood. They are not as easy as they look. I am great at driving in a straight line, but turns kinda scare me. I am getting better though. Wore helmets and did all the right safety things. :). I think we are really going to like them. Temp plates getting delivered tomorrow. More trees have been going into the yard. We went to a nursery yesterday and got some fan palms... more »

Is There A Reasonable Democratic Strategy For Mississippi?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 15 hours ago
Democrats regularly win statewide races in Maine and South Dakota, though DSCC executive director Guy Cecil, some kind of a self-loathing Beltway creature, has written off both states to the Republicans in November. He's much more excited about spending DSCC millions down in Mississippi on behalf of homophobic, anti-Choice Blue Dog Travis Childers. Don't forget, the last two times Democrats won Senate seats in Mississippi were when John Stennis was reelected in 1982, having first become a senator in 1947, and when James Eastland was reelected in 1972, having first become a senator... more »

Very Important Article That Answers The Important Question: WHY Is There No Russian Intervention In Ukraine?

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 16 hours ago
Everyone has been watching all the lies coming from the Jewish run media these days about the Ukrainian puppet regime in Kiev turning their army on their own people in eastern Ukraine.... We have seen the lies coming from our jew spew news claiming that the people of eastern Ukraine, who rightfully have voted in referendums to decide their future, are suddenly "Russian rebels" and "terrorists".... The truth is of course that these are innocent people who have indeed decided that their future is not with the criminals in Kiev and enslavement to the IMF... And now we are watching as ... more »

Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 Mystery - June 5 , 2014 ..... With the pings being discounted but the Authorities determined to continue fruitlessly searching in the Indian Ocean anyway , funny we now see a new " witness account " surface ! SYDNEY: Australia is investigating an account from a sailor who said she may have seen Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 on fire, as officials said the hunt for the plane could dive much deeper............ SYDNEY: Emirates chief Tim Clark has reportedly questioned why fighter jets did not intercept Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 when it veered widely off course, but said he believed the missing plane will be found.........

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 17 hours ago
Email Facebook 22 SYDNEY: Australia is investigating an account from a sailor who said she may have seen Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 on fire, as officials said the hunt for the plane could dive much deeper. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which is leading the search at the request of the Malaysian government, is looking at the claim from a British yachtswoman made this week. "The ATSB received... a message from a member of the public, reporting that they had seen what they believed to be a burning aircraft in the sky above the Indian Ocean on the night of the di... more »

Tax Cut 19: Letter to Sen. Sonny Angara Re. SB 2149

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 17 hours ago
This is my letter to Sen. Sonny Angara today, sent to his sensonnyangara@yahoo.com. His other email ad, edgardo.sonny@gmail.com as indicated in the Senate website, is bouncing. Photo is from his facebook profile. I will post this letter in his fb and twitter accounts as well. ------------- 06 June 2014 *Sen. Sonny M. Angara* Senate of the Philippines Pasay City Dear Sen. Angara, We support your intention to simplify and reduce the number of tax brackets for personal income from seven to five, and reduce the top marginal tax rate from 32 percent to 25 percent by January 2017, as c... more »

WE WERE LIED TO.....

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 17 hours ago
Brock McIntosh interviewed from Washington, DC. He fought with Army National Guard in Afghanistan from November 2008 to August 2009. McIntosh was based near where Bowe Bergdahl was captured. McIntosh had later applied for conscientious objector status and joined Iraq Veterans Against the War.

Repeating the inconsequential

The Arthurian at The Rules of Exposition - 17 hours ago
From my email:

Waste and mysterious spending in Afghanistan after our alleged wind down of military forces - June 5 , 2014 ......... Why doesn't anyone question this ?? What Would Afghan Spending Buy At Home ? Trashed: U.S. Gear in Afghanistan to be Sold, Scrapped Billions worth of equipment will be left in a country with a legacy of foreign invasion. ........

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 17 hours ago
More taxpayer looting and to achieve what exactly ? http://whowhatwhy.com/2014/06/03/what-would-afghan-spending-buy-at-home/ What Would Afghan Spending Buy At Home? [image: Print This Post] Print This Post By Russ Baker< on Jun 3, 2014 [image: 1]Most of the stories headlining how President Obama plans to cut troops in Afghanistan as part of his planned exit from that country have not bothered to provide numbers on U.S. military spending there. A few have, but almost in passing. For example, CNN doesn’t indicate the current levels of spending, but notes that Tony Blinken, Obama’s de... more »

Chicago’s George Schmidt on Martin Koldyke, “Golden Apples,” and School “Turnaround”

deutsch29 at @ THE CHALK FACE - 18 hours ago
On June 4, 2014, I posted this piece by a guest writer, a Chicago area teacher, who has concerns about Martin Koldyke’s “Golden Apples” teacher recognition program. Her concern is that the “Golden Apples” program is a benevolently-disguised, self-serving effort for Koldyke to use teachers to staff his Academy for Urban Leadership “turnaround” schools (AULS). The […]

Greece getting set to explode back into the news - in a negative fashion ? June 5 , 2014 --- Haris Theocharis, the Troika-supported general secretary of Greece’s public revenues was forced to resign following press leaks about "government discontent" at his handling of tax issues - most notably the retroactive taxation of gains on Greek government bonds. AsKeepTalkingGreece notes, Theocharis was a hardliner, a devoted supporter of the loan agreements and their implementation and kept loading the Greek taxpayers with new burdens and exorbitant fines. However, the resignation of the country's top tax-collector is "a cause of serious concern," according to EU spokespersons ......... .... Greek Government unexpectedly closed the Parliament for summer break

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 18 hours ago
EU Warns Greece Is "A Cause Of Serious Concern" As Top Tax-Collector Resigns [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 06/05/2014 12:11 -0400 - Greece inShare1 Haris Theocharis, the Troika-supported general secretary of Greece’s public revenues was forced to resign following press leaks about "government discontent" at his handling of tax issues - most notably the retroactive taxation of gains on Greek government bonds. AsKeepTalkingGreece notes, Theocharis was a hardliner, a devoted supporter of the loan agreements and their implementation and kept loading... more »

If the rabid right-wing beast Dan Backer really wants a "thank you," it's not entirely outside the realm of possibility

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 18 hours ago
*The rabid right-wing beast behind "Stop Hillary PAC" and assorted other right-wing degradations wants his copycat nemesis to acknowledge his "legal brilliance."* *by Ken* It appears that the doody-sucking beast Dan Backer wants a thank you, specifically from Hillary Clinton. As reported by the Washington Post's "In the Loop" team ("Dan Backer has an anti-Hillary PAC -- and says Clinton owes him a heartfelt 'thank you'"), the Rabid Beast Backer, architect of the Stop Hillary PAC is tickled to note that his sworn enemy has had formed on her behalf a PAC called Ready for Hillary whi... more »

Musical Interlude: Leonard Cohen, "Anthem"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago
Leonard Cohen, "Anthem" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ma5tF6TJpA

"A Look to the Heavens"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago
"Big, beautiful spiral galaxy NGC 7331 is often touted as an analog to our own Milky Way. About 50 million light-years distant in the northern constellation Pegasus, NGC 7331 was recognized early on as a spiral nebula and is actually one of the brighter galaxies not included in Charles Messier's famous 18th century catalog. Since the galaxy's disk is inclined to our line-of-sight, long telescopic exposures often result in an image that evokes a strong sense of depth. The effect is further enhanced in this sharp image by galaxies that lie beyond the gorgeous island universe. *Click i... more »

Paulo Coelho, “Closing Cycles”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago
*“Closing Cycles”* by Paulo Coelho [Several times I've received via Internet some texts attributed to me, which I did not write, as the text below. I made several changes and decided to post it here. - Paulo Coelho] "One always has to know when a stage comes to an end. If we insist on staying longer than the necessary time, we lose the happiness and the meaning of the other stages we have to go through. Closing cycles, shutting doors, ending chapters – whatever name we give it, what matters is to leave in the past the moments of life that have finished. Did you lose your job? Has... more »

"Perspective..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago
"There are some oddities in the perspective with which we see the world. The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well, on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be." - Douglas Adams

Friday Morning Ramble: Bank That, and Walk Away

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 18 hours ago
Well, they always said ACT was a party with convictions. Boom, boom! So what about about a political party with three convicted criminals? Three strikes and they’re out? Boom boom. I freely confess to never having any respect for the Minister for Rhyming Slang, so I’m not really going to start talking about him now. So what else of more importance has been happening around the place? Here’s some things I spotted around the traps of more importance. Like remembering Tiananmen, 25 years on… [image: image] “Twenty-five years ago in Tiananmen Square, China’s Communist regime massacr... more »

Chet Raymo, “The Still Small Voice”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago
*“The Still Small Voice”* by Chet Raymo "There is a power in nature, restless and terrible- storm, wildfire, earthquake, tidal wave. There is a delicacy too, to which we attend with a more perceptive eye and ear- the woolly bear caterpillar in the grass, the red-tailed hawk circling high and silent above the meadow, the six-dotted shadow of the water strider on the bottom of the pond. I think of lines from a poem of Grace Schulman, a poem called “In Place of Belief”: “...I would eavesdrop, spy, and keep watch on the chance, however slight, that the unseen might dazzle into sight.” ... more »

"Life..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago
"Life... is not about how fast you run or even with what degree of grace. It's about perseverance, about staying on your feet and slogging forward no matter what." - Dean Koontz

The Poet: John Keats, "The Human Seasons"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago
*"The Human Seasons"* "Four Seasons fill the measure of the year; There are four seasons in the mind of man: He has his lusty Spring, when fancy clear Takes in all beauty with an easy span: He has his Summer, when luxuriously Spring's honied cud of youthful thought he loves To ruminate, and by such dreaming high Is nearest unto heaven: quiet coves His soul has in its Autumn, when his wings He furleth close; contented so to look On mists in idleness—to let fair things Pass by unheeded as a threshold brook. He has his Winter too of pale misfeature, Or else he would forego his mortal natur... more »

Limit the Amount of Times People Have the Power of Life or Death Over You (Plus Prostitution)

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 19 hours ago
Seems reasonable no? The power of employers over their workers in an increasingly neoliberal economic order is one such intolerable situation. "Workers as Citizens" is the most efficient way I know of for bringing that state of affairs to an end. Say! I know what else I can write about! The harper regime says that its new prostitution law mirrors the new "Nordic Model" of prostitution legislation. In the Nordic Model, prostitution is seen as institutionalized sexual violence, with the prostitutes as the victims. To combat it, the laws only target the users of the prostitutes' servi... more »

The Daily "Near You?"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 20 hours ago
Basseterre, Saint George Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis Thanks for stopping by.

“End of Economic Man Revisited”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 20 hours ago
*“End of Economic Man Revisited”* by Christopher Quigley “In 1939 Peter F. Drucker wrote "The End of Economic Man: The Origins of Totalitarianism". Its publication caused a sensation. When Winston Churchill became prime minister of Great Britain he gave the order to include the book in the kit issued to every graduate of a British Officer's Candidate School. A year previously Churchill had reviewed the publication. It impressed him because he realized that something fundamental had happened in the world with the rise of Fascisms and he wished his officers to understand what they we... more »

Lynch Mob Rule: Hailey Idaho Surrenders to the Terrorists

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 20 hours ago
This is a pretty dismal day to live in America or more accurately to live in *The Homeland*. The America that we knew has been gone for quite some time now although enough remains, at least in cosmetic terms to pretend that one day it may come back – it is never coming back. The vicious, sleazy and most of all cowardly attacks on Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, the man just released from five years as a prisoner of the Taliban in Afghanistan are evidence that any vestiges of a free and fair country are now gone. The haters have always been there but this disgusting display of venom is a p... more »

Ron Jacobs : BOOKS | A ‘Bohemian’ comic rhapsody

Thorne Dreyer at The Rag Blog - 20 hours ago
Paul Buhle and David Berger’s graphic history is a fascinating collection of personalities, their lives drawn in a manner equal to the stories they tell. By Ron Jacobs | The Rag Blog | June 5, 2014 [Bohemians: A Graphic History … finish reading Ron Jacobs : *BOOKS* | A ‘Bohemian’ comic rhapsody

“The Battle of Midway”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 20 hours ago
*“The Battle of Midway”* By Frederick Sheehan “The Battle of Midway was fought 72 years ago, from June 4, 1942 to June 7, 1942. Air strikes from U.S. aircraft carriers maimed beyond repair the four Japanese aircraft carriers. The Japanese fleet, and Japan, never recovered. Less than six months earlier, on December 7, 1941, the Japanese attack swept across the Pacific. Franklin Roosevelt, in his "Day of Infamy" speech, told the damage: "Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air fo... more »

An armed robber may rely on self defence against a home owner?

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 20 hours ago
*R. v. Mohamed*, 2014 ONCA 442 seems to hold an intruder may rely on self defence against a homeowner. Some might find such ruling odd. The Court holds: [49] I understand the concern raised by the Crown but do not agree that it provides a basis to restrict the interpretation of s. 35 in the manner suggested. At the outset, I note that s. 35 is not limited to cases where the accused kills or even seriously injures the victim. It also governs the use of lesser defensive force by a person to repel a victim who has been unjustifiably “assaulted” or “provoked” and responds viole... more »

Loser-Pays Costs Regime in Estate Litigation

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 20 hours ago
* Feinstein v. Freedman*, 2014 ONCA 446: [13] The loser-pays regime generally applies to estate litigation, such that successful parties are entitled to have their reasonable costs paid by the unsuccessful parties and that costs are usually only payable from an estate where the litigation arose out of the actions of the testator or was reasonably necessary to ensure the proper administration of the estate: *McDougald Estate v. Gooderham*, [2005] O.J. No. 2432 (C.A.), at paras. 78, 80, 85, 91; and *Vance Estate v. Vance Estate*, 2010 ONSC 4944, at para. 4.

Jon Stewart's Versus Oliver North's Expertise? (You Be the Judge)

It doesn't get much better for those end-of-your-rope times than this, does it? (Okay, they could reinstitute the progressive tax rates before Reagan (or even Clinton), but I'm not holding my breath on that one.) Daily Show host Jon Stewart sarcastically commended Fox News on Wednesday for inviting convicted felon and former Army Lt. Col. Oliver North to comment on the U.S. deal to free POW

Global Temperature Update: No global warming at all for 17 years 9 months

urupiper at Yesterday 's Lies - 21 hours ago
[image: Climate Depot] *'212 months without global warming represents more than half the 423-month satellite data record, which began in January 1979'* *'Recent extreme weather cannot be blamed on global warming, because there has not been any global warming'* By: Marc Morano - Climate Depot May 4, 2014 *Special to Climate Depot * *By Christopher Monckton of Brenchley,* According to the RSS satellite data, whose value for April 2014 is just in, the global warming trend in the 17 years 9 months since August 1996 is zero. The 212 months without global warming represents more than ha... more »

Austrian artist Wilhelm Bernatzik - Gate to Paradise, 1906

Mike Philbin at FREE PLANET BLOG - 21 hours ago
many thanks to Francisco Philipe Cruz for bringing to my attention this excellent oil on canvas - Gate To Paradise by Austrian artist Wilhelm Bernatzik.

"How It Really Is"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 21 hours ago

Free Download: Charles Dickens, "A Tale of Two Cities"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 21 hours ago
“Whereof what's past is prologue; what to come, In yours and my discharge.” - William Shakepeare, “The Tempest”, Act 2, scene 1, 245–254 "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way." - Charles Dickens, "A Tale of Two... more »

The Economy: "The Wealth Divide Never Wider"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 21 hours ago
*"The Wealth Divide Never Wider"* by James Hall "How many times do you have to be hit over the head before you realize who is hitting you?" - Harry S. Truman "The Robber Barons of the 19th and 20th century had nothing over the elites of today’s globalist transnational financial conglomerates. The Richest Americans, listed in Forbes conceals the real power that controls the economy. Net worth is deficient in gauging dominance in financial commercialism and monetary preeminence. The Top 50 Highest-Paid CEOs as reported by ABC News ties into Michael Hiltzik’s account that CEO-to-worke... more »

“This Will Set Off a Trigger Warning...”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 22 hours ago
*“This Will Set Off a Trigger Warning...” * by Bill Bonner "According to the Wall Street Journal, the latest buffoonery college students pay for are “trigger warnings.” The idea is that some books may contain passages or words that are offensive to some readers. Who determines what is offensive to whom has not been clarified. But apparently, even a popular and well-known novel, such as Huckleberry Finn, may have words that trigger a sense of outrage, indignation or humiliation. Delicate students need to be warned so they can avoid these things. Meanwhile, Washington is under press... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 22 hours ago
*AG recommends veto for levee board lawsuits bill ~New Orleans Advocate* *~ Caldwell wrote Jindal that the bill’s wording carries “the potential for an unintended effect on the state’s, or a local governmental entity’s, claims against BP related to the Deepwater Horizon incident.”** But Jindal’s top legal adviser disagreed, saying the views expressed during a Wednesday morning meeting were “the same as those offered by the opponents of the bill.” Thomas L. Enright Jr., the governor’s executive counsel, wrote Caldwell on Wednesday, “I must respectfully disagree that the proper course ... more »

China's Naked Officials

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 22 hours ago
-by Qiao Li As a young, aspired citizen, I try to fulfill my share of "American dream" by working to become a homeowner in Pasadena, California. It didn’t take long for us to realize that our meager savings limited what we can buy, but what surprised me more was the number of "cash-offer" deals that out-bided us everywhere! How did we get accustomed to cash-only offers? And how could our housing market possibly be affected by corruption in China? The outsourcing of China’s "naked officials" might help to explain why. "Naked officials" (裸体官员) are Chinese bureaucrats who send their ... more »

REFUGEE CRISIS BEGINS

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 22 hours ago
Heavy artillery strikes on Eastern Ukraine have left the area on the brink of a humanitarian crisis: activists say the water supply in several cities in the region has been cut off. Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes and crossed the border with Russia - where temporary refugee camps have been set up. And even more are expected to come, as Paula Slier has been finding out.

Tom Hayden : The negotiated release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl

Thorne Dreyer at The Rag Blog - 23 hours ago
Public opinion supports Bergdahl but Republicans and neocons are grumbling about his anti-war statements and rumors that he went AWOL. By Tom Hayden | The Rag Blog | June 5, 2014 After the negotiated release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, I … finish reading Tom Hayden : The negotiated release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl

Jonah Raskin : INTERVIEW | Howard Machtinger on the old-yet-never-forgotten American War in Vietnam

Thorne Dreyer at The Rag Blog - 23 hours ago
Anti-war activist Howie Machtinger, veteran of SDS and the Weather Underground, believes we should get the facts straight about Vietnam. By Jonah Raskin | The Rag Blog | June 5, 2014 Vietnam was near the heart of Howard Machtinger’s life … finish reading Jonah Raskin : *INTERVIEW* | Howard Machtinger on the old-yet-never-forgotten American War in Vietnam

RoboCon CREEPshow trial of Michael Sona

Alison at Creekside - 23 hours ago
At left is the draft statement robocall trial star witness and Guelph Con campaign worker Andrew Prescott sent to the accused, Michael Sona, in July 2013. Read it first. Really. Three freaking years later and three days into the CREEPshow trial charging Michael Sona with sending robocalls out to more than 6,000 Guelph voters in the May 2, 2011 federal election directing them to the wrong poll locations, a couple of new things stand out. It was indeed Andrew Prescott who logged out of his own account at RackNine on election day only to log back in again a few minutes later on the ... more »

Explore- Classical Trivium,Magic Mushrooms,CIA, Zionism and more

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 23 hours ago
*ht freethinker- who brought this video to my attention* I usually catch all of Jan Irvin's stuff, but, missed this one completely. Sigh...... Can't be everywhere at all times. Quite a thought provoking interview. Or not. Maybe, offensive? Or not. Guess that all depends on you, the individual. If information/knowledge, charges up brain cells and inspires rational discussion then we should at least consider that different or challenging information gained from exposure to a broad range of topics? Believe it or not this is the first I have ever heard of Joshua Blakeny! Though he is i... more »

KIPP Links, Including Research and Commentary

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
A reader in California asked for some links, and here is the result I will share with you, too. This is certainly not an exhaustive list, not even for SM. A start, nonetheless. One thing you should note from this first link below is that non-profit charters schools are a myth, thanks to some handiwork by Clinton before he left office. http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2014/04/americas-top-corporate-education.html Here is an essay review on Jay Mathews' book, Work Hard, Be Nice: http://www.edrev.info/essays/v12n3index.html Here are some links with interview data. I will share the rest ... more »

Thoughts On The Murder Of RCMP Officers In New Brunswick ...

leftdog at Buckdog - 1 day ago
I live within two blocks of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Academy in Regina, Saskatchewan. Every single member of the RCMP has received their training here at the RCMP Depot. The history of this facility and location dates back to the days of the old North West Mounted Police and the Riel Rebellion. Living in such close proximity to the training academy, it's a routine sight for me to see the raw, short haired recruits jogging their daily quota of kilometers as part of basic training. I own two dogs and we walk twice every day along the banks of Wascana Creek beside the RCMP... more »

Matthew Tisdale, who spat in train conductor's face, walks free from court | Mail Online

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 1 day ago
It's only at the end of this Daily Mail article that the punchline appears http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2648851/Thug-tried-board-train-without-paying-spat-female-ticket-collectors-face-threw-HER-train-walks-free-court.html The article concerns a young man who spat in a railway ticket inspector's face when asked for the valid train ticket that he did not have. Being modern post Labour Britain, there was no custodial sentence passed. You can read the whole story at the link above. But the punchline is here: 'He was formerly a successful young man who had achieved much in s... more »

Supplemental: The size of our gaps versus Korea’s!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 1 day ago
*THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2014* *A very large challenge for schools:* We just keep reprinting that striking passage from Eduardo Porter’s Economic Scene column. Our achievement gaps are large. The challenge this creates for schools is almost never discussed in our impoverished education discourse, which mainly involves reciting sound-bites from elite “education reformers.” In the passage shown below, Porter describes a deeply challenging state of affairs. Based on our dozen years in the classroom, this strikes us as the most significant portrait we’ve ever read of American schools: PORTE... more »

Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight On Fire Heading for Arabian Sea

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 1 day ago
This report has the ring of authenticity to it and it also conforms to the most plausible scenario. Thus we have two points created by actual eyeballs. This plane took a westerly heading after a major battery fire broke out in the cargo hold and overwhelmed the crew and the passengers. In the four minutes or so left to the crew to live, one of them took the plane up to extreme height to plausibly blow out a window to possibly clear the cockpit of smoke, then put the plane into a dive to take it down to 10,000 feet where it might be possible for passengers to survive. At the same ... more »

How Crop Rotation Can Replace GMO Poisons to Grow Better Food

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 1 day ago
[image: WIKI - Crops] This article reminds us that the use of Roundup is solely about stacking on the repetitions which is obviously a bad practice anyway. That is why it has become necessary for what are essentially factory farms that Stalin would have loved. There never was a cfompleeling bilogical reason and this ityem powerfully reinforces that argument. It is a sad state of affairs and really demands a full regulatory intervention. I suspect if a country like Canada decided to end all roundup based protocols and effectively forced the industry to which to rotation organic a... more »
Enhanced by Zemanta

No comments: