Sunday, July 20, 2014

20 July - Blogs I'm Following

Skradinski Buk - Waterfall in Krka National Pa...
Skradinski Buk - Waterfall in Krka National Park, Croatia (Photo credit: Sergiu Bacioiu)
 Water is the topic of a YouTube video series link : more than just a slice of California history - a cautionary tale in progress.

12:08pm MDST

'Free Palestine!' World marches to protest Gaza victims

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 41 seconds ago
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John Kerry's Sunday Morning Orgy of Bullshit

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 36 minutes ago
The last time that Secretary of Skull and Bones John Kerry hit for the cycle on the Sunday morning “news” shows he was pushing a war on Syria that was based on shaky evidence that to this day has not been substantiated. Whirlwind John and his incurable case of diarrhea of the mouth appeared on all five of the Sabbath day feasts of bullshit that far too many Americans believe are credible discussion forums rather than the interlocked propaganda dispersal systems that they are in reality. Kerry was seeking to exploit the shooting down of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over a war zone... more »

METRO EVENT | Beverly Baker Moore: Thorne’s 69th Birthday Bash to be social event of the year!

Thorne Dreyer at The Rag Blog - 48 minutes ago
So let’s raise a margarita to the old guy… and party like it’s 1969! By Beverly Baker Moore | The Rag Blog | July 20, 2014 Event: Thorne’s 69th Birthday Bash Place: Maria’s Taco Xpress Address: 2529 S. Lamar Blvd. … finish reading *METRO EVENT* | Beverly Baker Moore: Thorne’s 69th Birthday Bash to be social event of the year!

Retired Border Control Officer tells the truth about asymmetric warfare...a must see video

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 50 minutes ago
*I don't believe he says anything a thinking person has not already figured out, but it's nice to be validated.* This really is a "need to see" video. It was posted on July 19th and already has over 31K views. H/T Clash Daily *Asymmetric warfare* is war between belligerents whose relative military power differs significantly, or whose strategy or tactics differs significantly. *Asymmetric warfare* can describe a conflict in which the resources of two belligerents differ in essence and in the struggle, interact and attempt to exploit each other's characteristic weaknesses. Such... more »

What Happened to the Malaysian Airliner?

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 1 hour ago
Anthony Freda Art Paul Craig Roberts Washington’s propaganda machine is in such high gear that we are in danger of losing the facts that we do have. One fact is that the separatists *do not* have the expensive Buk anti-aircraft missile system or the trained personnel to operate it. Another fact is that the separatists have no incentive to shoot down an airliner and neither does Russia. Anyone can tell the difference between low-flying attack aircraft and an airliner at 33,000 feet. The Ukrainians do have Buk anti-aircraft missile systems, and a Buk battery was operational ... more »

Ghost of Sunday Classics: When the night wind howls in chimney cowls

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 1 hour ago
*Carole Round in the 1999 SavoyNet Performing Group Ruddigore* *DAME HANNAH* [*quoting the burning witch*]: "Each lord of Ruddigore, despite his best endeavour, shall do one crime, or more, once every day forever. This doom he can't defy, however he may try. For should he stay his hand, that day in torture he shall die!" [*We heard the story in full in this week's preview, "The Witch's Curse."*] *Gillian Knight (ms), Dame Hannah; Orchestra or the Royal Opera House, Covent Gardn, Isidore Godfrey, cond. Decca, recorded July 1962* *SIR DESPARD SOLILOQUIZES ABOUT HIS PICTURE GALLERY* *R... more »

Palestine vs. Israel: An Immoral Conflict Devoid of Balance

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 1 hour ago
Steven MacMillan *Activist Post* The recent Israeli bombardment of Gaza is the latest example of the lack of equilibrium in a conflict that has been intermittently fought since the establishment of Israel in 1948. Following the killing of 3 Israeli teenagers last month, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the 4th largest military on the planet to conduct air, land and sea attacks on the densely populated Gaza Strip, which has left over 340 Palestinians dead – 75% of which are civilians, compared to 5 Israelis killed. Netanyahu was quick to blame Hamas for th... more »

NSA Employees Get Off on Nude Pics Per New Snowden Interview

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 1 hour ago
Not that it is any great surprise considering the level of corruption and abuse of power that permeates the entire American system these days but one of the fringe benefits of the NSA snooping programs is the ability to gather and drool over amateur pornography and naked pictures to take the edge off of a boring day at work. In a new exclusive interview conducted by The Guardian with former government contractor turned NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden the perusing of such personal and intimate material for fun is but one of the many bits of information discussed with the American ... more »

Masters of War and Hypocrisy

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 1 hour ago
What a difference a body count makes. Over the weekend, a numerical tie was reached between the corpses littering a field of Ukrainian sunflowers and the corpses spread out within the Gaza outdoor prison. The temporary parity achieved was 298 people in each locale. The Ukrainian crash death toll is static, while the Gazan casualties keep piling up. Today alone, an additional 87 Palestinians and 13 Israeli soldiers died. The plane crash victims have engendered the usual official outrage from government officials pretending to be capable of such a normal human emotion. Photos and lif... more »

(Zombie Country? At Least the Consensus) Bombshell Study:   America's Wealthy Even More Obscenely Rich Than Anybody Thought

Happy Midsummer's Nightmare! Or at least a Zombie Jamboree? In approaching this subject, let us first address the historical situation of the Obama administration. The task of museums, like that of history generally, is to document periods of great change. The task facing the makers of the Obama museum, however, will be pretty much exactly the opposite: How to document a time when

Livesay [Haiti] Weblog: Our eyes are open, but do we see?

John Carroll at Dying in Haiti - 2 hours ago
Livesay [Haiti] Weblog: Our eyes are open, but do we see?: I learned a while back that kids that grow up abroad can grow up with an entirely different experience than their parents. Th... more »

Asymmetric Warfare in Gaza: "The Gate of Hell has Opened"

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 2 hours ago
"The gate of hell has opened" Mass runaways from Shijaia toward UNRWA centers of #Gaza! Courtesy: @Mohammed Y. Ismail Is the Israel/Palestine conflict a classic case of *Asymmetric warfare?* In his recent article, Asymmetric Warfare in Gaza, Paul R. Pillar, provides significant insights about the use of the term in relationship to the ongoing conflict and recent attacks: Perhaps the usual use of the term *asymmetric warfare* has contributed to warping our ability to evaluate what has been going on in this conflict...In major, glaring respects, however, this conflict is... more »

John Holdren: The Energy/Climate-Change Challenge & the Role of Nuclear ...

Charles Barton at The Nuclear Green Revolution - 2 hours ago
John Holdren is President Obama's science advisor. ROD adams blog, ATOMIC insights, has recently carried a couple of posts, regarding nuclear proliferation avoidance. There are questions that can be raised about Holdren's account. For example a family of reactors that do not require enriched fuel exists. Holdren undoubtedly knows this. Such reactors, called CANDUs, would appear exempt from Holdrens proliferation concerns. Various methods of desposinf of so called nuclear waste, have been tested by scientists, and found viable. The choice of which method to use is a politics rather... more »

RIP James Garner

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 2 hours ago
Jimmy was one of my best friends growing up. Not that I ever met him or even came within a thousand miles of his physical presence. He had a unique screen power that made us friends for life. Rockford files on the pavement, twisting the Firebird 180 degrees to escape the goverment. The Rockford Files is my all time favorite show. James Rockford is one of my greatest life coaches. Once again a giant has left the set, never to be replaced, a insoluble loss to our culture.

New Aftermath Video of Gentle Giant, Eric Garner, Murdered by NYPD

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 2 hours ago
Daily Mail *Despite Garner's dire medical condition being apparent to the still-building crowd, many cops stand around casually talking with each other, some can even be heard laughing.* Be the Change! Donate Today! Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurner

CNN: Death comes early in Gaza

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 3 hours ago
CNN *Children and youth are often the victims of the violence in Gaza. CNN's Ben Wedeman reports.* Be the Change! Donate Today! Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurner

It's Sunday: You know what that means...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 3 hours ago
*Reaganite's SUNDAY FUNNIES* and *Silly Sunday at Woodsterman's place*

Prostitution Again

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 3 hours ago
There seems to be a lot of rhetoric on both sides of the abolition/de-criminalization/legalization debate. Very often this rhetoric backs up some valuable insights. Personally, I can't see that I'd ever use the services of a prostitute. There's too much of coercion and desperation in that line of work. I can't even see myself getting a high-price "escort" (assuming I could afford it) because of the continuities between the exploited victims of human traffickers and the drug addicts and the confident, highly remunerated "lady of the evening." (Pornography; now THAT's a different mat... more »

Prepping As a Form of Personal Activism

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 3 hours ago
Gaye Levy Backdoor Survival There are some days when I feel as though I am out there in the world alone, fighting a battle that can not be seen or heard. The battle is one of preparedness and is one I endure day in and day out in spite of my best effort to step away and live a normal, middle class, mainstream life. I have given a lot of thought to this and even though I tell strangers that I am a “crazy old prepper lady”, in my heart of hearts I know that I am doing both myself and every other prepper-type a disservice by minimizing the importance of embracing preparedness a... more »

Police Play NSA: Warrantless Data Collection the New Normal?

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 3 hours ago
*ReasonTV* Sacramento sheriff's deputies have been playing NSA. They tool around town with suitcase-sized StingRay surveillance devices in their squad cars, scooping up cellphone data from whomever happens to be within a one-mile radius. The deputies have reportedly been doing their shady business without warrants, and dozens of law enforcement agencies nationwide may be doing likewise. But hey, what's the big deal? After all, the feds say it's OK. Visit Reason.com Be the Change! Donate Today! Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by Feed... more »

Netanyahu and Rahm Emmanuel Agree: Never Let a Crisis Go To Waste

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 3 hours ago
Brandon Turbeville While the world is focused on the questions surrounding the Malaysian flight that crashed in Ukraine on July 17 and the aftermath that will result from it, another campaign of genocide in a long list of campaigns of genocide is taking place in Gaza. After days of both air and sea-based military strikes against Palestinians living Gaza, Israeli tanks have crossed the border and are now pushing even deeper into the tiny sliver of land. According to Israeli military statements, Israel has called up 48,000 reserve troops as well as 18,000 additional soldiers... more »

Two Ways Bird Declines Are Linked to Chemical Pesticides

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 3 hours ago
Heather Callaghan *Activist Post* *Netherlands researchers fear the second coming of Silent Spring* "Neonicotinoids were always regarded as selective toxins. But our results suggest that they may affect the entire ecosystem," says Hans de Kroon of Radboud University and co-author of a study recently published in *Nature* journal. It's not just the bees. There are at least two ways that neonicotinoid pesticides dramatically affect the bird population. Neonicotinoids are growing in the world market to become the most widely used pesticides and are often used to treat seeds - ... more »

MCGOVERN SHARES CONTEXT ON PLANE SHOOTDOWN

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 3 hours ago
Barack Obama claims the US has firm evidence that the plane was shot down by a missile, fired from an area controlled by anti-Kiev fighters. He also accuses Russia of supporting them. Nevertheless US president agrees to Putin's calls to conduct transparent investigation and says it's too early to say who and why shot down the plane. Ex-CIA analyst Ray McGovern see the situation as isolation for President Poroshenko.

John Holdren: The Energy/Climate-Change Challenge & the Role of Nuclear ...

Charles Barton at The Nuclear Green Revolution - 3 hours ago
John Holdren is President Obama's science advisor. ROD adams blog, ATOMIC insights, has recently carried a couple of posts, regarding nuclear proliferation avoidance. There are questions that can be raised about Holdren's account. For example a family of reactors that do not require enriched fuel exists. Holdren undoubtedly knows this. Such reactors, called CANDUs, would appear exempt from Holdrens proliferation concerns. Various methods of desposinf of so called nuclear waste, have been tested by scientists, and found viable. The choice of which method to use is a politics rather... more »

Former State Department Exec Calls E.O. 12333 a “Legal Loophole” for Spying on Americans

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 3 hours ago
e-mail your rep *here* Rainey Reitman *Electronic Frontier Foundation* “What kind of data is the NSA collecting on millions, or hundreds of millions, of Americans?" That’s the question John Napier Tye, a former State Department section chief for Internet freedom, calls on the government to answer in his powerful op-ed published today by the *Washington** Post*. In it, Tye calls the NSA's surveillance operations abroad, conducted under Executive Order 12333, a threat to American democracy, stating that this power “authorizes collection of the content of communications, not ju... more »

The Purge: Anarchy PARODY

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 4 hours ago
*Julie Borowski* Be the Change! Donate Today! Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurner

MH17: Weathering the Propaganda Firestorm

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 4 hours ago
Tony Cartalucci The level of unsubstantiated propaganda being directed against Russia regarding the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 has reached unprecedented lows. There is tangible desperation across Western media establishments, their political spheres, and within their corporate-financier funded policy think-tanks as they attempt to reassert their agenda and narrative not only upon the crisis in Ukraine, but upon the entire world as their weakening grip becomes apparent to all. The dangerous desperation emanating from the West follows the latest in a series of ... more »

NEA, SEIU, and Eli Broad

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 4 hours ago
At the recent AFT and NEA coronations, there was news about new linkages with SEIU, whose former president, Andy Stern, had close ties with Broad, Gates, and Obama (Stern had a choice seat in the Obama box at the Inauguration Parade). Below is part of a post I did in 2007, a day or so after a big fund-raiser in Los Angles for charter chain, Green Dot Public [sic] Schools, Inc. To the left of Broad in the pic is Green Dot CEO and reliable attack dog, Steve Barr. To the right of Broad is his equally reliable poodle, Andy Stern. Broad coughed up $10 million that evening. *Green Do... more »

Hillary Tells EU to Use MH17 Tragedy to Find Alternatives to Gazprom (dollar dumping gas giant)

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 4 hours ago
Activist Post Ah, now the agenda is starting to make a bit more sense. Hillary Clinton doesn't want a good crisis to go to waste. She told Charlie Rose that her recommendation to the European Union is to take advantage of the shot-down MH17 tragedy to "Immediately accelerate efforts to find alternatives to Gazprom." Moscow-based Gazprom is the largest producer of natural gas in the world and one of the globe's largest companies. A few weeks back on June 26th they announced that they would settle contracts with China using yuan or rubles instead of dollars. This move came a... more »

DID ANYBODY HAVE A MOTIVE?

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 4 hours ago
Professor of Russian Studies Stephen Cohen (Princeton & New York University) on what this incident could mean for the region. His most recent article for *The Nation* magazine is "The Silence of American Hawks About Kiev’s Atrocities."

We Need Duffy's Emails

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 5 hours ago
There has been a lot of public befuddlement -- including from Mike Duffy's lawyer -- as to why the senator has been charged with accepting a bribe, while Nigel Wright has been given a free ride. The official explanation seems to be that everything hangs on one word --"corruptly." To be convicted, Wright would have to have acted in a corrupt manner. It's a difficult standard of proof, because it assumes corrupt intention -- something which runs against the grain of Wright's public persona. He is seen as a man who sees, hears and does no evil. Michael Spratt writes that the decisio... more »

Peter King (R-NY) Knows More About Terrorism Than The Media Acknowledges

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 5 hours ago
Last night I came across a Newsmax article entitled Peter King: Harry Reid's Denial of 'Broken' Border Hampers Reform. We're not regular Newsmax readers around here, but... well, we're here to do it, so you don't have to. As you might expect, it was your typical, hypocritical Peter King diatribe. The first two-thirds of the piece focused on immigration, and it was funny to see King attempt to straddle the fence, so to speak. Before 2010, King was a hardliner on immigration who opposed any form of amnesty; now he’s taken a more conciliatory tone without appearing too accommodating, ... more »

SUNDAY SONG

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 5 hours ago

Untitled

jonjayray at EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL - 5 hours ago
*Court Rules Against Woman Challenging University’s Race-Based Admissions Standards* On Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled against Abigail Fisher in her ongoing battle against the University of Texas at Austin for discriminating against her based on race. The court upheld the university’s admissions policy which uses racial and ethnic preferences to achieve “diversity” on campus. Texas adopted a plan in the mid-1990s that automatically admitted Texas students in the top 10 percent of their high school class to all state-funded universities. Following a ... more »

"Priorities of "human rights" protesters"

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 5 hours ago
Priorities of "human rights" protesters: http://youtu.be/SaLjLfT6Pl8

The Onion - Deadly Super Rainbow Tears Through West Coast - a rainbow looking for its stolen gold?

Mike Philbin at Mike Philbin's free planet blog - 9 hours ago
in this neck of the woods i.e. Free Planet, is a big fan of 'the ability to tell it like it is' through SATIRE. Here's a new one (and destined to be a classic) from The Onion News Network: *Dozens in California are killed after a powerful Super Rainbow burns a trail of destruction across the state.* "Or is this merely a rainbow looking for its stolen gold?" Jesus Christ AD 12.

Long live the power pyramid - death to Free Planet - War World rules you scurvy dogs

Mike Philbin at Mike Philbin's free planet blog - 9 hours ago
| It seems that nothing is able to bring *HUMANITY* (the slave race of a ruling hierarchy) back from the brink. You've proven, time and time again, that a FREE PLANET of Creativity, Passion and Kinship just doesn't interest you. At all. Long live the power pyramid that crushes you because of your own ignorance. You won't be remembered when you're *ERASED IN THE NAME OF **PROFIT*. This will most likely be a WAR WORLD until the end of time. "You know, you're dead for a lot longer than you're alive."

Navy says farewell to the C-9 Skytrain II aircraft

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 9 hours ago
[image: C-9B Skytrain II]Ending its 41-year commitment to a workhorse aircraft, the U.S. Navy retired the last C-9B Skytrain II on June 28 to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group based in Tucson, Arizona. As of January, the Navy had four C-9B aircraft remaining in its inventory — one was retired in February and two were transferred to Marine Transport Squadron (VMR) 1 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, where they will continue service until replacement aircraft are purchased. In 2001, C-40A aircraft began replacing the C-9... more »

MC-27J ITAF test results

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 9 hours ago
[image: MC-27J Spartan]ATK announced that the ATK and Finmeccanica-Alenia Aermacchi have successfully completed the first phase of ground and flight testing of the fully configured multi-mission MC-27J tactical transport aircraft with the support of the Italian Air Force (ITAF). The series of tests exceeded all test objectives and demonstrated the accuracy of ATK’s side-mounted GAU-23 30mm cannon. The ITAF MC-27J aircraft was modified with an L-3 Wescam MX-15Di Electro-Optical and Infrared Turret mounted under the nose of the aircraft to support multi-mission applications such as a... more »

DPRK blasts Security Council's criticism of missile launches

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 9 hours ago
[image: Skud tactical ballistic missile]The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will further build up its strength to protect itself if the UN Security Council fails to perform its duty in a fair and just manner, the Foreign Ministry said on Saturday. All military measures taken by the Korean People's Army, including firing tactical rockets, are the exercise of its right to protect the sovereignty and security of the country against the U.S. nuclear threat, the ministry said in a statement, which slammed a note released to the press by the UN Security Council that called th... more »

Untitled

JR at GREENIE WATCH - 9 hours ago
*Climate data from air, land, sea and ice in 2013 reflect trends of a warming planet; Increases in temperature, sea level and CO2 observed* *The Warmists at NOAA are clutching at straws here. 1). They say that just three countries in the Southern hemisphere had record high temperatures. But if it's GLOBAL warming, shouldn't the high temperatures have happened in more countries than that? Nothing in the Northern hemisphere? If a phenomenon is not global it is local and of no use in upholding Warmist dogma. There are plenty of local weather influences.2). And it's a wonder... more »

Greece To Spend EUR 1B on Army Modernization

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 10 hours ago
[image: HS Kanaris (Elli class frigate)]Greek Defense Ministry is planning a large-scale modernization of the army which will cost a minimum of EUR 1B. Currently, the modernization program is up for consideration in the parliamentary defense committee. If approved, the plan will be launched by the end of July, according to local media, cited by Bulgarian private TV station BTV. A total of 36 M270 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems will be modernized. Another part of the funds will go for the transportation of American Oshkosh HEMTT (Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck) from the US to... more »

Missile that downed MH17 is Indian Navy's primary defensive weapon

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 10 hours ago
[image: The 3S-90 missile launcher fires one of her 9M317 (SA-N-11, navalised SA-17) surface to air missiles during her sea trials]The missile that downed Malaysian Airlines' Flight MH 17 over Ukraine is also the Indian Navy's principal protective missile, defending its warships including the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, far out at sea. The Buk missile's naval variant the "Shtil", dubbed the SA-17 "Grizzly" by NATO, was inducted on board the three Russian-built Talwar class frigates beginning in 2003 and their follow-on class, the three Teg class frigates, beginning 2012. An... more »

USS Elrod back in Norfolk having completed its final deployment

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 10 hours ago
[image: USS Elrod (FFG-55)]The frigate Elrod made her last homecoming Saturday morning having completed a final six-month deployment to 6th Fleet. The 29-year-old ship is to be decommissioned Jan. 30 and sold to a foreign military. The frigate shed its historic role of anti-submarine warfare and brought a Fire Scout detachment to provide unmanned surveillance to Africa Partnership Station off that continent’s western coast. The crew also teamed with the amphibious assault ship Bataan on June 6 to rescue 282 mariners from a small ship sinking near Malta in the Mediterranean Sea. It... more »

France secures $1.7b deal in Egypt to sell four naval frigates

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 10 hours ago
[image: Gowind class corvette]France has secured its first major military contract in Egypt in about 20 years with a 1 billion euros (S$1.7 billion) deal to sell four naval frigates, a French diplomatic source said on Saturday. Paris and Cairo have enjoyed close economic ties in the past but turmoil in the north African state since former president Hosni Mubarak was ousted has left Western governments wary of signing contracts, especially in the defence sector. "We have good bilateral relations," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in Cairo after meeting Egyptian President... more »

CAG pulls up IAF for grounding AN-32 transport planes

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 10 hours ago
[image: An-32 Cline]The Air Force was on Friday chided by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for an ‘avoidable expenditure’ of Rs 227 crore modernization programme of its 105 Soviet-origin An-32 transport aircraft and the grounding of over 50 percent of the fleet due to delay in creating upgrade facilities. The CAG in its report tabled in Lok Sabha said IAF procured 17 engines in 2007 and 100 engines in 2009 for the Antonv-32 transport fleet. "IAF had paid USD 719,500 (Rs 3.16 crore) per engine against the contract of June 2007, whereas, it had to pay USD 10,90,000 (Rs 5.43 c... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 10 hours ago
*Compassion and the Damage Done: Maximizing The Hurt of A Very Tragic Death ~Varg Vargus, The Chicory*

Rigged BBC audiences?

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 10 hours ago
Another group who have a habit of gathering outside BBC buildings to noisily protest against what they see as BBC bias are Scottish nationalists. They have held many a demonstration outside the BBC's headquarters in Scotland at Pacific Quay, Glasgow over the past year. Another protest will probably be on the way then if today's *Sunday Times* is anything to go by: *Better Together ‘tipped off’ on BBC debates* SCOTTISH nationalists have voiced fresh concerns about the BBC’s approach to the independence referendum, suggesting a production company organising debates for the corporat... more »

"How It Really Is"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 13 hours ago

"Grave Faults..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 13 hours ago
“Only the following items should be considered to be grave faults: not respecting another's rights; allowing oneself to be paralyzed by fear; feeling guilty; believing that one does not deserve the good or ill that happens in one's life; being a coward. We will love our enemies, but not make alliances with them. They were placed in our path in order to test our sword, and we should, out of respect for them, struggle against them. We will choose our enemies.” ― Paulo Coelho, "Like the Flowing River"

Aristotle, Virtue And Elizabeth Warren

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 14 hours ago
The other day I visited my old campus-- Stony Brook-- for the first time in exactly 45 years. I was there to begin a relationship with a program that assists high school kids from financially strapped backgrounds envision themselves going to college and the succeeding in college. Great program! It's called EOP/AIM-- Educational Opportunity Program/Advancement on Individual Merit. The kids in the program have a significantly higher rate of graduation than the general college population does. While I was talking to the students about my experiences at Stony Brook and how those exper... more »

"Toads..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 16 hours ago
“A man who has blown all his options can't afford the luxury of changing his ways. He has to capitalize on whatever he has left, and he can't afford to admit — no matter how often he's reminded of it — that every day of his life takes him farther and farther down a blind alley... Very few toads in this world are Prince Charmings in disguise. Most are simply toads... and they are going to stay that way... Toads don't make laws or change any basic structures, but one or two rooty insights can work powerful changes in the way they get through life. A toad who believes he got a raw deal... more »

"U.S. Complicity Brought Up to Date" in Israel's War Against Gaza

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 16 hours ago
Title: "U.S. Complicity Brought Up to Date" in Israel's War Against Gaza. Source: The Real News. Date Published: July 19, 2014. Description: Phyllis Bennis says the calls in Israeli for genocide against Gaza are not only coming from fringe elements in the political establishment

Special Report: Malaysian Flight False Flag Evidence Revealed.

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 16 hours ago
Less than 24 hours after the devastating attack that downed Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17, Neocons and their state-run media would have us believe the case is closed...before an investigation has even been launched. We break down the repetitive false-flag narrative. *You can visit our MH17 article archive here. **Poll: Who do you think shot down Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17?* Be the Change! Donate Today! Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurner

Ghost of Sunday Classics preview: The Witch's Curse

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 16 hours ago
*Dame Hannah (Maya Stroshane) tells the impressionable young village bridesmaids the story of the Witch's Curse in Brown University Gilbert and Sullivan's 2010 Ruddigore.* *by Ken* We first pondered "The Witch's Curse," though at the time I wasn't able to enable you to *hear* it, in a June 2007 post called "'Laws? I don't obey no stinkin' laws!' Are Chimpy the Prez and his partner in crime 'Big Dick' Cheney blood brothers of the Bad Baronets of Ruddigore?," in response to a *Washington Post* report, "'Signing Statements' Study Finds Administration Has Ignored Laws." Right-wing scu... more »

I've Never Seen the Israel / Palestine Conflict Illustrated More Uniquely Than This

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 17 hours ago
Films for Action Be the Change! Donate Today! Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurner

“The Nightmare of Gaza Continues”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago
*“The Nightmare of Gaza Continues” * by James Zogby “I can only imagine the horror in Gaza today as Israel intensifies its assault of that overcrowded, impoverished strip. It is a continuing nightmare story of pain and loss, of trauma and devastation. The heartbreaking numbers by themselves tell part of the story - with hundreds killed, thousands wounded, tens of thousands without homes, and now 600,000 without water. But the story of Gaza is more than these numbers and this current assault. Even in earlier times, Gaza could be a nightmare. In the early 1990's, I spent time in Ja... more »

David McReynolds : In opposition to Israeli actions, and to anti-Semitism

Thorne Dreyer at The Rag Blog - 19 hours ago
It is a grave error to attack Jews anywhere based on the actions of the Israeli government. By David McReynolds | The Rag Blog | July 19, 2014 In recent days there has been a flurry of anti-Semitic outbursts in … finish reading David McReynolds : In opposition to Israeli actions, and to anti-Semitism

Part Five. (A rational idea from Abu Marzouk?)

sue at Is the BBC biased? - 19 hours ago
Over at H/P, something that Mehdi and his supporters ought to consider, and reflect upon. Something I’ve wondered myself has allegedly been articulated by one member of Hamas, no less. Given that the conflict is becoming more intractable than ever, owing to the incitement instilled from cradle to grave through the Hamas/UNWRA education system - (I sometimes idly wonder whether Mahmoud Abbas is *really* a genuine partner for peace after all, and when he assures his people in Arabic that his peacemaking strategy is for the Western world only and all part of the ‘slow Jihad’, he’s on... more »

Part four. (Headache)

sue at Is the BBC biased? - 19 hours ago
I saw an episode of Head to Head, Al Jazeera’s answer to .... I don’t know what, a kind of debate or something. The person in charge is Mehdi Hasan posing as Islam’s answer to Stephen Sackur. He must think of himself as a thoughtful interlocutor whose penetrating questions and mental agility will slay his opponent with one or two crushing blows. He is wrong. He comes across as a bully, a hypocrite; lazy of thought and shallow. The production gathers together an anti-Zionist mob - their version of our very own baying, smirking Question Time audience - well they would, wouldn’t t... more »

Part three (Incitement)

sue at Is the BBC biased? - 20 hours ago
Further to that horrendous demo outside the BBC against the BBC’s perceived pro-Israel bias, Douglas Murray has a serious piece on the Gatestone Institute blog. Behind their smiles and the increasingly competent public relations that the pro-Hamas faction is managing in Britain, it is possible for some people to forget that what brings these people out is one simple thing: a hatred of the Jewish state and a desire to see it annihilated by the terrorists of Hamas or anyone else at hand. There are those who will say this is a not-sufficiently-nuanced observation, that the motives of... more »

Breaking: Dan Markel, Florida State Law Professor and founder of the PrawfsBlawg, has died from a gunshot wound...w/Upate

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 20 hours ago
*TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL)--* The Florida State University community is mourning the loss of a law professor who was shot and killed. According to an email sent out by the school to students, Dan Markel was taken to the hospital after being shot Friday. He died from his injuries Saturday morning. According to the Florida State University Law School website, Markel primarily taught criminal law. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 2001. Funeral arrangements will be made by his family in his hometown of Toronto. A memorial service is planned in Tallahassee for Sunday, July 20 at ... more »

Part two. (The one about Lyse Doucet)

sue at Is the BBC biased? - 20 hours ago
Another bit of footage we’ve been shown repeatedly on the BBC is Lyse Doucet’s response to the evacuation of families moving out of the way of potential bombardment or a possible IDF ground invasion. The IDF give out warnings against a background of heavy criticism from the sages in the media. Damned if you do damned if you don’t. The bit of film is on a loop, with Lyse’s voice-over telling us that people are fleeing, “but where are they supposed to go.... (what about the designated UNWRA camps?).... taking with them “as much as they can carry.” “True Too” has commented on it here... more »

Part one (of five short observations)

sue at Is the BBC biased? - 20 hours ago
My BBC personal viewing pattern has dwindled away to practically nil. Usually small bursts of news and current affairs, and at the weekend, for a bit of masochistic morbid curiosity, Marr; if an interesting topic is on the agenda, I might take in the religious-based Sunday morning fiasco (TBQ or SML) that goes out next, and maybe a bit of Andrew Neil. During the current Israel/Gaza flare-up there’s Channel 4(!!) ITV., Sky, BBC4 news, Al Jazeera, and even RT. But this week I have mostly been --- online, getting nicely radicalised with, e.g., the Brendan O”Neill article, which has rig... more »

Wild Bill: The War on Babies...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 20 hours ago
*continues.* *I saw the following graphic somewhere or another. * *This is what passes for "thinking" for libtards.* *Do I need to point out how stunningly illogical it is? * *I didn't think so... * * Notice that abortion is referred to as "family planning." Ummm - I think that's more like lack of planning. * *Time for my favorite kitteh:*

July 19: Funny how us people think (part 2)

Graeme Decarie at The Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad - 20 hours ago
Sorry to be late. I was within a sentence of finishing it when the cat cleverly stepped on my keyboard, and I got a blank screen. _____________________________________________________________________ Firday's banner headline on page 1 bothered me. "Holocaust survivor shares emotional story". It's really an excellent story about a survivor of the death camps who gave a talk in Moncton. I knew many death camp survivors in Montreal. Some were very close friends who I loved dearly, and miss profoundly. For others, the experience had made them racist, self-centred, and time bombs of hatr... more »

'Weird Al' Yankovic tackles conspiracy theories in 'Royals' parody 'Foil'

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 20 hours ago
*“Weird Al” Yankovic is back with another parody video — and this one features a fun twist.* COLLEGEHUMOR VIA YOUTUBE‘Weird Al’ Yankovic praises aluminum foil for keeping his ‘sandwich nice and fresh’ in ‘Foil.’ *The funnyman’s latest song “Foil,” a parody of Lorde’s Grammy-winning hit “Royals,” starts out as an ode to aluminum foil. And then the song takes an unexpected turn, because Yankovic has another use for foil.* Be the Change! Donate Today! Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurner

Narcs Tried Busting Me In 1968-- One, Now A Chauffeur, Picked Me Up At The Airport This Week

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 21 hours ago
Not my limo driver-- but he might as well have been When I was in college I was probably best known for 3 things-- all intimately tied together back in the '60s, if not now: progressive politics, drugs and rock'n'roll. The first concert I ever booked, as freshman class president, was the Freshman Dance. The campus squares were eager to put on a suit and tie, ask their gals on a date, give them a corsage and do a slow dance. I brought them The Fugs. It was very polarizing. The next year I was chairman of the student activities board and started bringing cutting edge bands to the campu... more »

Finally there appears to be an irresistible force bearing down on the immovable objects that we know as the too-big-to-fail, too-big-to-jail criminal banks. May The Force be with us!

David L Griscom at Cherchez la Verite - 21 hours ago
------------------------------ Did the Other Shoe Just Drop? Big Banks Hit with Monster $250 Billion Lawsuit in Housing Crisis Posted on July 16, 2014 by Ellen Brown For years, homeowners have been battling Wall Street in an attempt to recover some portion of their massive losses from the housing Ponzi scheme. But progress has been slow, as they have been outgunned and out-spent by the banking titans. In June, however, the banks may have met their match, as some equally powerful titans strode onto the stage. Investors led by BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, and PIMCO... more »

Taboo

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 21 hours ago
You tell those Electronic Intifada types, Shash! (as re-tweeted by the BBC's Quentin Somerville). As if the BBC *wouldn't* mention "the occupation"!!!... Apparently, the occupation is "taboo" on the BBC http://t.co/K3lsCHEKIK Yet mentioned in BBC articles on 1, 2, 3, 6, 11, 14, 17, 18 July. — Shashank Joshi (@shashj) July 19, 2014

MH17: Weathering the Propaganda Firestorm

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 21 hours ago
*Image: A torrent of obscene propaganda hasfollowed the downing of MH17.* *July 20, 2014* (Tony Cartalucci - LD) - The level of unsubstantiated propaganda being directed against Russia regarding the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 has reached unprecedented lows. There is tangible desperation across Western media establishments, their political spheres, and within their corporate-financier funded policy think-tanks as they attempt to reassert their agenda and narrative not only upon the crisis in Ukraine, but upon the entire world as their weakening grip becomes apparent t... more »

Germany: Beyond Its History, Again

Jeffrey Stacey at Duck of Minerva - 22 hours ago
Germany won the World Cup in soccer, demonstrating to all that its team truly is the best in the world. The German players and coaches were dominant, dispatching a succession of opponents with near masterly strategy and skill—including a historic drubbing of the overwhelming local favorite Brazil, expected by many to emerge with a symbolic Continue reading

Generations of Presidential Voting

Tim Luecke at Duck of Minerva - 22 hours ago
As we all know, the social sciences are a messy business. People change their minds, don’t always follow law-like rules, and often have the guts to defy our theories by reflecting on their past behavior. For these reasons, it is always nice to see when our work receives support from other scholars, especially when these Continue reading

Malasian Air Flight 17

theozarker at The Conflicted Doomer - 22 hours ago
July 19, 2014 The terrible crash of Malaysian Air Flight 17, last Thursday, has been made worse by the increasingly obscene behavior of some in our own government and press – from the President’s almost non-stop comments that this … Continue reading →

Technical problems for BBC services including iPlayer

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 22 hours ago
Were you wondering... *Technical problems for BBC services including iPlayer* BBC services including iPlayer and some online material have been affected by technical problems pn *{sic} *Saturday. Some online users have seen error messages when trying to access material on web pages including SpringWatch and World Cup 2014. The issues have affected publication of videos on the BBC website. The BBC press office said it was "aware of an issue which means some people cannot access certain parts of BBC online". "We are working hard to fix this as soon as possible," a spokeswoman added.

Nihal down the line

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 22 hours ago
I've rather liked Nihal ever since I saw him on some rather silly but engaging reality show on BBC Two some years back. He appeared alongside the likes of Ulrika Jonsson, Keith Allen, Clarissa Dickson Wright, and John Humphrys...yes, John Humphrys...learning to doing art at a modern art school. [John H played the part of 'The Grumpy Old Man Who Hates Modern Art']. He was full of charm, and talent. That said it's only blogging about the BBC that has ever brought me into contact with his radio programmes. An *Is the BBC biased? *post (from last June) featured Nihal and compared th... more »

Local Police Stockpile Weapons Of War

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 22 hours ago
*Arkansas Police Accountability Project* All across the country, heavily armed SWAT teams are raiding people’s homes in the middle of the night, often just to search for drugs. It should enrage us that people have needlessly died during these raids, that pets have been shot, and that homes have been ravaged. Our neighborhoods are not war zones, and police officers should not be treating us like wartime enemies. And yet, every year, billions of dollars’ worth of military equipment flows from the federal government to state and local police departments. Departments use these ... more »

Ukraine State News Broadcast of MH17 is Naked Propaganda

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 22 hours ago
*Activist Post* Ukraine's state sponsored news broadcast of the alleged shoot down of flight MH17 should win the award for best propaganda of the year. Watch how the presenter repeatedly refers to the video of the perpetrators supposedly taking credit for the attack. The problem is that video is proven to have been produced before the event took place, thus implicating the creators in foreknowledge of the attack. The creator of that video, by the way, is the Ukrainian government in Kiev. Next, as she says "region controlled by terrorists" with a straight face, there's a y... more »

A joke to make Marcus Brigstocke faint

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 22 hours ago
Here's a joke I heard the other day. I think I heard it on the *News Quiz, *though I could be wrong. I have a vague memory of Jeremy Hardy telling it, Marcus Brigstocke fainting, Sandi Toksvig being carried out on a stretcher and Mark Steel spontaneously combusting. Poor Jeremy had lost the room (well, it was a BBC studio audience, and you know what they're like!) Of course, I could have dreamed all that. Still here's the joke: The wife and I decided to take an organised trip to Afghanistan to see for ourselves what the place was like. It didn't start well when the train we we... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 22 hours ago
*Victim in Marigny fatal bicycle crash with 18-wheeler identified ~Andrew Canulette, New Orleans Advocate* *Sheriff Gusman continues to hand out extra pay to deputies who may not qualify ~Charles Maldonado, The Lens* *Questions arise to Sheriff Gusman's response to video of OPP inmates ~WWL * *From Urban Farms To Oyster Reefs: How The LSU AgCenter Improves Lives In Louisiana ~Poppy Tooker* *The last residential home on upper Bourbon St. likely to go commercial ~WVUE* *Lionel Ferbos, Centennrian Jazz Trumpeter, Passes ~NOLA DEFENDER*

BRUNSWICK PEACE FAIR

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 22 hours ago

Dark Globe - Break My World

Phil at All That Is Solid ... - 22 hours ago
The disco's ringing out with melancholy beats tonight. *Break My World* is 10 years old, but its video has that haunting, contemporary quality that presents as timeless whenever thousands are perishing under a hail of bombs and shells.

How Stephen Harper AND The Conservative Party LIE To You Every Day And The MSM Backs Up Their Bullshit ....

leftdog at Buckdog - 23 hours ago
*REGINA — So much of what many Canadians consider conventional wisdom is what Henry Ford used to call 'history': mostly bunk.* *I’m talking about statements like the Harper Conservatives are the best party to manage the economy, or that internal trade barriers are costing the Canadian economy $50 billion a year, or that carbon taxes are killers of investment, economic activity and jobs.* *Each of these statements has been widely circulated in the media recently, so much so that they appear to be self-evident truths. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.* *Let’s look a... more »

INSIDE STORY ABOUT UKRAINE

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago
The Ukranian (Ukie) Army shells civilian targets near Lugansk in eastern Ukraine. What crime did these targeted people commit? They speak Russian and request to have their language honored and they be allowed to elect their own officials to represent them rather than have them appointed by Kiev and their US-EU sponsors. Also, because they live so close to Russia and have traded with them for a long time they wish to continue a positive trade relationship with their fellow 'Moskols' as the Kiev-based oligarchs and neo-Nazi's seem to call anyone of Russian origin. Then a plane... more »

Why Cuomo Will Lose: Her Name is Zephyr Teachout

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
Hey--another smart, female, progressive professor running to replace the seedy, corrupt neoliberal good ole boy! Wonder if Warren will come campaign for her. In 2008 Microsoft founder Bill Gates, one of the world's richest men, decided that he should take charge of education policy. He promoted a single set of standards to measure our children's achievements in school. Since then Gates has spent more than $200 million to advance this idea, called the "Common Core." Gov. Andrew Cuomo, since taking office in early 2011, has supported the use of Common Core in New York schools. The i... more »

BBC Breaking News: Is the BBC biased? (A Study)

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 1 day ago
If *Is the BBC biased?* has a purpose it's to ask, "Is the BBC biased?" One way to answer that question is to gather data and present it for public inspection. Analysis can then be carried out by anyone who wants to carry it out and conclusions drawn. As you may have noticed, we have been focusing on the present Gaza conflict, and I've tried a few ways to monitor the BBC's coverage (so far). One way I struck on was to record every tweet about the story on the BBC's widely-followed Breaking News Twitter feed (10.5 million followers). Here they are, each and every one of them from t... more »

GOP Passes Bill To Make It Easier For Rich Tax Cheats To Get Away With It

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
Sometimes we forget that right-wing political parties generally are not really organized around racism, bigotry and societal divisiveness just for the sake of those values. Racism, bigotry and that kind of purposeful divisiveness are not really core values for most legitimate right wing political parties. Greed and selfishness are. The rest is a means to an end, an appeal to base right-wing populism and a system of stoking primitive fears for much narrower ends. The bill the financial services bill the House passed on Wednesday-- by an almost entirely partyline vote, 228-195-- goe... more »

Why I'm So Intolerant

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 1 day ago
There's something about me that rubs some people the wrong way. I do NOT believe that anyone who disagrees with me is stupid. I think it's more the case that when I write about people I disagree with, I make damn sure that I'm confident that I'm right on the subject of our disagreement and that what my adversary thinks is clearly wrong. On top of that, there ARE a lot of stupid people in the world and you can't blame me for disagreeing with some of them. One example of this is my disagreement with the majority of the Supreme Court of Canada in their asinine (and possibly treasonous)... more »

Has Lord Lawson been banned by the BBC?

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 1 day ago
For those of you following the story about the 'banning' of Lord Lawson from the BBC's airwaves, here's a letter you may have missed from this week's *Spectator*. Make of it what you will: Sir: You write that the BBC ‘has effectively banned’ Lord Lawson from items on climate change unless introduced with ‘a statement discrediting his views’ (Leading article, 12 July). There’s a lot of muddled reporting of this story. Lord Lawson hasn’t been in any sense ‘banned’, and the Editorial Complaints Unit finding didn’t suggest that he shouldn’t take part in future items. It found fault wi... more »

Read Sean Crowley

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
The following was posted at SM as a comment to the Attacking Diane Ravitch? . . . post. It is by teacher, Sean Crowley, who blogs at B-LoEdScene: *I think to take on St. Diane one must truly be uninvested in the business of advancing one's career outside of the classroom as a blogger, union hanger on, teacher book writer or any of the various forms of Celebucators we now see in this desperate scramble to cash in on the time spent as a classroom teacher. We have Teachers Speaking, we have Diontes Infernoing, we have BATS flapping and Schneider Schneidering her own with the best of ... more »

Was Putin’s Presidential Airplane the Real Target of Missile that Brought Down MH17? (VIDEO)

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 1 day ago
Eric Odom Liberty News Most media outlets are refusing to ask tough questions to figure out what happened in Ukraine that brought MH 17 down. The story is all about whether Ukraine or Russian brought the plane down, but very little talk exists about why. Could it be a ploy for Russia to provoke the world to turn against Ukraine? Or the other way around, perhaps? The following YouTube video report is going viral in response to the Interfax reporter’s statement. Read More *You can visit our MH17 article archive here. **Poll: Who do you think shot down Malaysian ... more »

ANOTHER PARADE

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago
- MB and I made the hour long drive to Hallowell, Maine today for their annual parade where we carried this banner. There was a small peace delegation (about 10) that we joined in the parade that passes through the heart of the riverside community. Like always there was a huge crowd of people lining both sides of the downtown portion of the parade route and we got a good reception. Many people took photos of the banner. - Obama announced yesterday that he wants to privatize more of the public commons. Due to the fact that Republicans and Democrats can'... more »

The Bernaysian Manipulation of the Human Psyche

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 1 day ago
Steven MacMillan Edward Bernays was the master of influencing and shaping public opinion who developed upon the ideas of earlier social psychologists and the work of his uncle, Sigmund Freud, in order to create techniques to manipulate the subconscious desires of the masses. Throughout his 103-year lifespan, the “father of public relations” was at the pinnacle of his field advising US Presidents Coolidge, Eisenhower, Hoover and Wilson, as well as inventor Thomas Edison, US industrialist Henry Ford and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. He also reportedly refused invitations by Hi... more »

Run Liz Run...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 1 day ago
*is this song a joke?* I only made it to 1:19 before my barf meter hit the danger area. I only watched to be polite to my buddy *Bunkerville* who posted in my combox. I still love ya, Bunk! My musician's soul is weeping. We laugh to keep from crying... *It sounds a bit like Phoebe...*

I'm Not Taking Sides on Slaughter

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 1 day ago
*Nicholas Goroff* Be the Change! Donate Today! Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurner

US Sentencing Commission Votes Unanimously to Reduce Drug Sentences Retroactively

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 1 day ago
Phillip Smith The US Sentencing Commission Friday voted unanimously to make previously agreed upon federal drug sentencing reductions retroactive. That means tens of thousands of federal drug prisoners could see sentence cuts beginning in November 2015. The move comes after the Commission's April decision to amend federal sentencing guidelines by lowering base offense levels in the guidelines' Drug Quantity Table across all drug types, which should lead to lower sentences for most federal drug offenders. Today's vote means that sentencing judges can extend that reduction to ... more »

Russia Asks Kiev 10 Simple Questions About MH17

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 1 day ago
Anthony Freda Art *Activist Post* Russia has denied involvement in the downing of flight MH17. Now they're demanding answers to some very basic questions about Kiev's actions related to the crash and their immediate, unsubstantiated claims that Russia was to blame. Russia's Deputy Defense Minister was interviewed by RT who made these questions public. Yes, RT is clearly biased, but who wouldn't like to know the answers to these questions? *1.* Immediately after the tragedy, the Ukrainian authorities, naturally, blamed it on the self-defense forces. What are these accusatio... more »

Play it down again, Chris

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 1 day ago
The *Guardian*'s Political Editor, Patrick Wintour, broke the story of the leaked report from the former Met counterterrorism chief Peter Clarke into the Birmingham 'Trojan Horse' affair this week: Trojan horse inquiry: 'A coordinated agenda to impose hardline Sunni Islam' Investigation finds Islamist plan would have confined pupils in Birmingham schools to 'intolerant monoculture' if left unchecked. The report's findings are alarming, and the *Guardian *article goes into considerable detail about them. Once you've read Patrick Wintour's piece, you might like to compare it with ... more »

MH17: World Sees Tragedy, US Sees “Game Changer”

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 1 day ago
Tony Cartalucci United States Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power made a series of baseless, contradictory accusations aimed at politically exploiting the tragic loss of Malaysia Boeing 777 flight MH17 with nearly 300 civilians on board. Power asserted that the most likely culprits behind the downing of MH17 were eastern Ukrainian separatists. Because of the high altitude MH17 was traveling at – approximately 33,000 feet – Power conceded that the weapons separatists have been using to down Ukrainian military aircraft would have been inadequate to down MH17. Af... more »

Beware of Youth Entrepreneurs (YE) Right Wing Indoctrination System

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
If the Education Writers Association ever gives an award for REAL education reporting, this piece at Huffington Post by Christie Wilkie and Joy Resmovits has to be the winner! Wilkie and Resmovits do a terrific job exposing the Bircher-inspired and Koch funded Youth Entrepreneurs (YE) indoctrination system that is worming its way into public school curriculum around the country. This is a *must read* and a *must share*. Here is a clip: YE's course materials reflect some of the initial thinking by the Koch associates charged with designing the course. In late 2009, the Koch group ... more »

Police must facilitate access to counsel promptly on detention

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 1 day ago
R. *v.* Taylor, 2014 SCC 50: [24] The duty to inform a detained person of his or her right to counsel arises "immediately" upon arrest or detention ( *Suberu*, at paras. 41-42), and the duty to facilitate access to a lawyer, in turn, arises immediately upon the detainee's request to speak to counsel. The arresting officer is therefore under a constitutional obligation to facilitate the requested access to a lawyer at the first reasonably available opportunity. The burden is on the Crown to show that a given delay was reasonable in the circumstances (*R. v... more »

John Boehner vs Justin Amash-- This Time A Fight To The Death

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
Back last November we asked if Boehner would be able to defeat independent-minded Republican Justin Amash in a primary. Despite the tea party wing brutally taking out Boehner's main henchman, Eric Cantor, the Chamber of Commerce wing of the GOP is still aiming to assert complete dominance over the Michigan Republican Party-- and Amash is absolutely their top target. The Establishment Republicans recruited multimillionaire self-funders to bury libertarian and tea Party Republicans across Michigan. Their pathetic Senante candidate, Terri Lynn Land, has already put $1,700,000 of her ... more »

Depraved Policy

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 1 day ago
http://www.ctpost.com/ Israeli tanks rolled into Gaza this week -- a move that is loudly supported by the Harper government. And it illustrates, Linda McQuaig writes, the moral disconnect at the heart of Harper's policy towards Israel: Certain minimal standards are expected of a national leader in what is known as the ‘civilized world’. One of those standards would seem to be that, when massive numbers of defenceless civilians are being killed, a national leader should call for the killing to *stop*... more »

Staten Island Gentle Giant, Eric Garner, Killed by NYPD (Video)

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 1 day ago
Image Source: The Daily News Arkansas Police Accountability Project New York City police officers killed a man Thursday after he broke up a fight between two other men. The cops suspected him of selling untaxed cigarettes, so they will likely claim that the violent escalation and killing of this man, who has been described by family and friends as a "gentle giant' was justified. The New York Daily News obtained exclusive video of the incident, which shows Staten Island man Eric Garner, 43, begging officers to let him breathe as he lies on the ground helpless. Now, his fami... more »

Untitled

jonjayray at EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL - 1 day ago
*What does FFUC stand for?* Fossil Free UC is a group that wants UC to divest its endowment fund of fossil fuel investments. Ophir Bruck from the group sent me this article to explain his group’s thinking. The author explains that fossil fuel investments aren’t really money makers in the long haul, so there’s no real sacrifice from staying out of that market. Nice try, but the real reason that students are pushing UC to divest in fossil fuels is apparent: UC is an easy target. UC will not fight back. The worst thing that could happen to these activists is that administrators will ... more »

Iraq Updates (July 19 , 2014 ) - Iraq Army suffers major defeat at Tikrit ( as per various media accounts ) ...... After victory in parts of Syria and Iraq - ISIS begins the transition to governing its new territories ...... Tweets of the morning to consider .....

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/07/18/4243140/islamic-state-overwhelms-iraqi.html IRBIL, Iraq -- Islamic State gunmen overran a former U.S. military base early Friday and killed or captured hundreds of Iraqi government troops who’d been trying to retake Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit, the worst military reversal Iraqi troops have suffered since the Islamist forces captured nearly half the country last month. The defeat brought to an end a three-week campaign by the government in Baghdad to recapture Tikrit, which fell to the Islamic State on June 11. Military spokesmen earlier t... more »

US Foreign Policy Overview ( July 14 , 2014 ) - Shambolic foreign policy isn't merely the Regional debacles of the Middle East / MENA , but also consider the damage to German relations as well as those with France by way of various foreign policy and US Intel misadventures ?

Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
Zero Hedge ...... US Foreign Policy In Shambles: Global Crises Worst Since 1970 As Obama Golfs [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 07/14/2014 08:02 -0400 - ABC News - Afghanistan - Bob Corker - Capital Markets - China - Iran - Iraq - Israel - Japan - John McCain - Middle East - None - Obama Administration - Ukraine - White House inShare If one were so inclined, one could imagine that the relentless barrage of domestic scandals plaguing Obama have been orchestrated with a simple reason:... more »

Bye, bye 'Newsnight'

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 1 day ago
Incidentally, if you're a regular *Is the BBC biased? *reader and were wondering where the weekly *Newsnight* reviews had gone, well, they have been discontinued. With over six months of data gathered, that's more than enough data to form the basis of a study of bias at *Newsnight* - and answer the question that started the ball rolling at the start of 2014: 'Is Newsnight biased?'. That analysis will take some time but will be published in due course. I can now *not* watch *Newsnight* again. Like Jeremy Paxman.

And now for something completely different...

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 1 day ago
When the BBC iPlayer starts working again (it seems to have been down for a couple of hours now), you might like to listen to a delightful Radio 4 mini-series that's been running all week called *A Guide to Garden Wildlife. *It was presented by Brett Westwood and featured naturalist Phil Gates. (As it's radio we don't know if they kept their clothes on....oh, sorry, that 'naturalist' not 'naturist'.) Hedgehogs, song thrushes, pond skaters, etc, all put in an appearance. As did woodlice. Fascinating creatures, woodlice - crustaceans, related to crabs, lobsters and prawns. (Huge F... more »

So, Be At Peace.......by M.N. Hopkins

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 1 day ago
*So, be at peace and know deep within yourselves that you are in truth already free.*

Though...

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 1 day ago
There was an amusing exchange on this morning's *Dateline London.* Guest presenter Maxine Mawhinney made a surprising use of the word "though" in her question to Janet Daley, suggesting an anti-Eurosceptic bias on her part. That didn't pass Janet Daley's notice:*Maxine Mawhinney*: The big news here, of course, was David Cameron extensively re-shuffling his cabinet this week. Now, some say he now has his dream team for next May's general election. Others though say the line-up is now more Eurosceptic and may herald another step on the road for Britain to withdraw from the Europe... more »

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