Wednesday, July 09, 2014

9 July - Blogs I'm Following

11:58am MDST

my religion

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 30 minutes ago
"My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness." H. H. the 14th Dalai Lama

Steve Israel's DCCC Has Thrown Away The Advantage Democrats Had With Gun Safety

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 57 minutes ago
In 2006, Blue America backed Kirsten Gillibrand for Congress when she ran against corrupt, drunken wife-beater John Sweeney. We helped her raise consciousness about what a crook Sweeney was and we helped her raise money and we even got the Squirrel Nut Zippers and Rickie Lee Jones to do a song for her campaign which got a ton of airplay on the local radio stations. So, of course, we were very disappointed when she joined the Blue Dogs after being elected-- pretending to be a progressive-- and we were mortified when she showed herself to be a total shill for the NRA. She seemed to... more »

World Cup Netherlands vs Argentina

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 59 minutes ago
I think it was Dennis Bergkamp who scored this goal in 1998. If there is goal half as good tonight we should consider ourselves lucky.

Witness President Ribbon Cutter as he laughs it up in a Denver bar when offered a hit of pot...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 1 hour ago
*but he doesn't have time to visit the border when he was in Texas?* He is by far one of the most repulsive individuals I've ever seen. And the people who voted for him are equally repulsive. Watch how cute he thinks he looks as he tosses his head and laughs like a little girl. from YouTube: President Barack Obama visited Denver, Colorado Tuesday evening and while he was there, some strange stuff happened. For one, this guy asked him, "Want a hit, man?" and posted the video of the president laughing in response on Instagram

Obama’s New Landmine Policy: Change I Can Believe In, Tentatively

Charli Carpenter at Duck of Minerva - 1 hour ago
This is a guest post by Matthew Bolton, Assistant professor of political science at Pace University and author of Foreign Aid and Landmine Clearance. He blogs at Political Minefields. Imagine never knowing whether your next step will be your last, whether your children are safe in the fields around your house, whether objects they find in Continue reading

TRANSFORM THE WAR ECONOMY

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 hour ago
The latest edition of *This Issue* features Miriam Pemberton from the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington DC. She was recently in Maine to speak at a public forum in Bath about conversion/diversification of the military production network across the nation. She particularly emphasizes the need for peace groups to work with unions, church groups, environmental groups and other interested parties to push for diversification planning councils to be established at the state levels.

TAKE BACK OUR SOUL

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 2 hours ago
This happened to me growing up behind barbed wire fences Air Force bases my mind was hollowed out and inside was poured nationalism and militarism I still see the old man in Wiesbaden with his fingers wrapped around the base fence staring right at me as we played American baseball in the middle of his city his eyes said go home The Lakota whose land was taken to eventually build Ellsworth AFB I learned to love their drums and the smells of sage I too enlisted and marched and saluted but found the truth and learned outrage inside the barracks as GI's helped me take back my own mind and... more »

Iraq’s Southern Front Babil Province Where The Islamic State Has Free Reign 

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 2 hours ago
Most of the attention on Iraq has been focused upon the deteriorating security situation in Anbar in the west, and Ninewa and Salahaddin in the north. In the south however in Babil province the insurgency has been growing in strength since late-2013. The government has launched six security operations in the northwest section of the governorate this year, deployed militias there, and claimed success every time, but the sheer number of offensives points to the failures of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF). More importantly the Islamic State (IS) has been able to use its bases in nor... more »

NATO's Syrian "opposition" annoints Hadi al Bahra- boo hiss boo hiss

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 2 hours ago
*I mentioned this impending selection the other day.* Syrian NATO backed 'oppositon" to "select new leader" *A choice that is always limited to Western intelligence linked stooge #1 or Western stooge #2, # 3 or perhaps # 4?* *The top candidate for the job is senior coalition members are Hadi Bahra * Of course it was Hadi al Bahra that was selected. Not by the Syrian people. The NATO backed 'opposition' simply picked one of their own. NATO can't lose when the game is rigged. *Of course he is Saudi backed. Which means he is US/UK and Israeli backed * Syria's Western-backed opposi... more »

ETHNIC CLEANSING

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 2 hours ago
Israel's massive attack on Gaza is really intended to make life impossible for the Palestinian people. It is ethnic cleansing - genocide. The people of the world must react now. The US sends Israel $3 billion each year to build the wall that puts Palestinian people into virtual prisons and for military hardware. I'm always reading about Pentagon advisers working with the Israeli military on installing and testing various new high-tech space technology weapons systems. The US military industrial complex makes huge profit from the Israeli program of endless war. This same $3 bi... more »

Bored scientists now just sticking random things into LHC

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 2 hours ago
What are the LHC physicists doing when they're not on vacations, guest blogging, or insulting members of the TRF community? ;-) Bored Scientists Now Just Sticking Random Things Into Large Hadron Collider It's posted here so that you may see it before you learn it from the BBC, MSNBC, the Wall Street Journal, or another mainstream source. I wouldn't be quite shocked if this were turned into a real news story with many journalists! The video above is a joke, if you didn't get it, but some people's anti-scientific sentiments are pretty much exactly and seriously equivalent to what ... more »

A Rogue By Any Other Name

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 2 hours ago
Barack Obama apparently is one embarrassed, pissed-off dude. So the *New York Times* is again obligingly acting as the White House farm tool which spreads the manure of blame on anybody and everybody who is not Barack Obama: *When President Obama placed a call to Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany last Thursday, he had a busy agenda: to consult with a close ally and to mobilize wavering Europeans to put more pressure on Russia to end its covert incursions in Ukraine. * *What Mr. Obama did not know was that a day earlier, a young German intelligence operative had been arrested and ... more »

Short shorts for Wednesday

Michael Turton at The View from Taiwan - 2 hours ago
*Parking as close as possible to the door. After all, no one else exists.* With the elections due in 4 months, the news is slowly trickling in and the KMT appears to be in fear... The KMT's candidate in Keelung, long a KMT fiefdom, was yanked from the election this week as corruption allegations swirl about him. Rather strange since Keelung has a long history of electing corrupt KMT candidates, but in this case he was also taking a beating in the polls. More serious, in what has now become a kind of traditional prelude to any election season, the special investigations division (SI... more »

Ignoring the Job Market (and How We Do Are Jobs) When Studying Teachers’ Job Satisfaction

John Thompson at @ THE CHALK FACE - 3 hours ago
“Estimating the Effects of No Child Left Behind on Teachers and Their Work Environments and Job Attitudes,” by Jason Grissom et. al., uses NCES polling data from 1993-94 to 1999-2000 to 2003-04 to 2007-08. It begins by reviewing and challenging “anecdotal” evidence from great journalists and education writers. As I explained previously, I believe the […]

The Collapse of the Status Quo in Israel.

Jon Western at Duck of Minerva - 3 hours ago
Just over a week ago – two days before the discovery of the bodies of the three abducted Israeli teenagers and four days before the abduction and revenge killing of Muhammed Abu Khdeir — I sat in the family quarters of a young Palestinian shop owner in Jersusalem’s Old City sipping mint tea with two colleagues. Continue reading

Untitled

jonjayray at EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL - 3 hours ago
* ACLU, ADF Call "Foul" Over University's Treatment Of The First Amendment* Idaho's Boise State University ("BSU") is world-famous for its telegenic "blue turf" football field and a roster of impressive bowl game appearances. But if current trends continue, the school might be on its way to fame of a different sort: on the same weekend that Americans celebrate their nation's founding and their liberties, BSU is simultaneously under fire from three separate legal defense groups all of which are alleging violations of students' free speech rights. The concerns have emerged from two ... more »

IN THE YEAR 2525: Krystal Ball explains gaffe culture!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 3 hours ago
*WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 2014Part 2—Why pundits are forced to “guess:”* During Campaign 2012, the Washington Post’s Philip Rucker was busy patrolling the gaffes. Candidate Romney was visiting a Polish war memorial. At Politico, Dylan Byers described the excitement which followed: BYERS (8/23/12): *Philip Rucker, the Washington Post reporter who famously shouted "What about your gaffes!?" at Mitt Romney*, arrived on the campaign's press plane yesterday with a homemade t-shirt that read, "What about your gaffes!?" Rucker then sought Romney's signature, which he obtained. The memorable... more »

Want to know how much a billion is?...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 3 hours ago
*sure you do. * *This is too true to be funny.*The next time you hear a politician use the word 'billion' in a casual manner, think about whether you want the 'politicians' spending YOUR tax money. A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, But one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of its releases. *A BILLION*

Freedom in the US vs Costa Rica

Lori Anne Haskell at Our Paradise--Life in Costa Rica - 4 hours ago
My husband posted this picture on his facebook wall today that he found online. This sign documents really well why we don't think the US is free. Everywhere you turn, there is a law, a rule, somebody telling you what to do, judgmental people. There is a car accident, and someone runs out and names a new law, naming it after the person who just died. LAW after LAW after LAW. It is never ending. And the US people seem to be fine with it, most thinking that the laws are there to protect them and keep them safe. It's pathetic. I have no desire to live someplace where my every ... more »

Supplement: Krystal Ball’s full text!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 4 hours ago
*WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 2014* *Every word, just as she said them:* On June 17, MSNBC’s Krystal Ball discussed the NEW jihad which had started to form around Hillary Clinton. In the year 2525, this will be regarded as an iconic text. To watch the videotape, you can just click this: BALL (6/17/14): What are we to make of the Hillary Clinton book tour that is so much more than a book tour? The down-to-the-second, precision interactions, perfectly calculated to make sure visitors don’t feel jilted while maximizing the number of signatures. The planned pop-ups of old friends who just happe... more »

End times for Isreal

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 4 hours ago
its end times for Israel the facts of history are comming home and it will not be swell Gaza is blowing up and the Hamas still suck But so does Lukid and both sides fail to remember the other side has kids If only the Russians loved their children was true the world is full of colours but humanity is all really grey Yet when the time comes for action its always black and white Who was wrong, who was right when the blades come out this is no longer a debatable part of the fight A fight to the death has no rules as long as your not suicidal This is my final solution an easier cure th... more »

A Teacher's Take on Common Core

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 4 hours ago
From Labor Notes: *. . . .There’s debate among teachers about the idea of replacing the status quo, state standards, with national ones. But the implementation has been roundly unpopular.* *Forty-five states and the District of Columbia have adopted the national standards, which cover English and math. Students will be tested on them every year, kindergarten through 12th grade.* *Lessons at all grade levels are supposed to advance college- and career-readiness. That’s a big change in how to approach teaching, say, kindergarten.* *The Chicago Teachers Union has denounced the standa... more »

Greenwald Reveals American Targets of NSA Snooping

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 4 hours ago
[image: Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...] Glenn Greenwald promised he had at least one more major story originating from the documents leaked by Edward Snowden. He has now provided what he had pretty much promised: the names of a handful of Americans who were under surveillance by the FBI and National Security Agency (NSA). He and Murtaza Hussain detail five targets at *The Intercept*: • Faisal Gill, a longtime Republican Party operative and one-time candidate for public office who held a top-secret security clearance and served in the Department of Homeland Securi... more »

Kansas-- A Laboratory For Ultra-Conservative Ideas Throughout The Entire Country-- Is A Bust

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 4 hours ago
Last month, Chris Hayes repeatedly brought up a state-- Kansas-- that few Democrats ever see as a realistic election target (above). Far right extremist Sam Brownback's gubernatorial reelection is not looking like a sure thing anymore. Unless you consider being down 47-41% against your Democratic opponent, Paul Davis, "a sure thing." Kansas, the Koch-owned state, has no Democrats in federal office and was one of the only states in the country where voters gave Obama less than 40% in 2012. The state has a lopsided Republican legislature-- 31 Republicans and 9 Democrats in the stat... more »

Wall Street teams up with intel / cyber spooks ( but did they decide in a secret meeting in upstate NY ? ) Wall Street Joins U.S. Intelligence Cronies To Form Fascist "Cyber War Council" What could go wrong with this one ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 4 hours ago
*George Mapp* @Dobroyeutro · 4m CIA Involved in US Spy Operation Against Germany http://buff.ly/1xRBOjp # CIA #BND #Snowden pic.twitter.com/IePlW0DBLf [image: Embedded image permalink] *George Mapp* @Dobroyeutro · Jul 7 Exclusive: CIA had role in #Germany #spy affair http://buff.ly/1jhGPP7 #CIA #BND #DoubleAgent pic.twitter.com/FBEQfLQStJ [image: Embedded image permalink] - Wall Street Joins U.S. Intelligence Cronies To Form Fascist "Cyber War Council" [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 07/08/2014 23:05 -0400 - Alan Grayson - Florida ... more »

photorealist artist - Zaria Forman - ultimate finger painting

Mike Philbin at Mike Philbin's free planet blog - 5 hours ago
Zaria Forman produces large-scale artworks that are moving and dramatic but the most impressive part...? They're not paintings, they're pastel *drawings* that she finesses with her *FINGERS*. There are plenty more of her astonishing pastel drawings on her website, especially The Maldives Set and the stunning Greenland Set (not featured above).

Aboriginal DNA provides human migration clues

Mike Philbin at Mike Philbin's free planet blog - 5 hours ago
Scientists have used DNA evidence from a lock of hair found in WA in the 1920s to map the early migration of humans from Africa to Australia. Here's a look at the Aboriginal Timeline not necessarily discussed in the following summarised i.e. dumbed down, mainstream media report on the research. *400,000Mitochondrial DNA puts the origin of Homo Sapiens much further back and indicates that the Australian Aborigines arose 400,000 years ago from two distinct lineages, far earlier than any other racial group.120,000Analysis of pollen and charcoa... more »

Germany finds a second spy working for the US and against Germany ! How many more will they find ? Key point - The daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported, without naming sources, that the man being investigated worked in "the military field" and is suspected of spying for the United States.......

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 5 hours ago
Never one cockroach in a cupboard...... Second US Spy Busted In Germany In One Week [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 07/09/2014 07:59 -0400 - B+ - Brazil - Deutsche Bank - Germany - national security - SPY inShare It just hasn't been a good week for the CIA. A year after Edward Snowden revealed that the US was bugging Angela Merkel's cell phone, first one then, moments ago, Suddeutsche Zeitung revealed that a second "spy case" involving the US (read CIA) have been revealed. According to SZ, an unidentified man working in mili... more »

The Circus May Soon Be Over.

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 5 hours ago
http://www.aol.com/ Since emerging from rehab, Rob Ford has worked very hard to control his message. At his first news conference, he spoke to a select group of reporters. But that tactic hasn't worked. Reports are now emerging of Ford's time in rehab. Kevin Donovan writes in the *Toronto Star* that: Mayor Rob Ford pushed and scuffled with fellow rehab residents and was so verbally abusive that he was kicked out of his group therapy program, according to people who have knowledge of his two month ... more »

The Universe

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 5 hours ago
“Life is a chance to do things your way; not the cheapest way, not the most popular way, and not how others think you should. And a very, very, very precious chance, at that.” “Got chills?” The Universe “Thoughts become things... choose the good ones!” - www.tut.com

SHAIRA: UNA MENSAJERA DE VIDA VICTIMA MORTAL DE LA VACUNA CONTRA EL PAPILOMA HUMANO por Pablo Emilio Obando Acosta

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 5 hours ago
Dulce Sahira SHAIRA: UNA MENSAJERA DE VIDA VICTIMA MORTAL DE LA VACUNA CONTRA EL PAPILOMA HUMANO por Pablo Emilio Obando Acosta AAVP Hay crónicas que nunca me gustaría escribir, esta es una de ellas. Y no porque carezca de interés periodístico, sino, simple y sencillamente, porque los ojos de esta niña me dicen que aún no era su tiempo de partir, porque he visto en ellos ese dolor irrefrenable que nos hace pensar que algo no está bien, que alguien se equivocó, ¡que no debió ser así!. Pero sucedió y justamente cuando sus alas empezaban a sentir que el viento las impulsaba, cuando e... more »

Syria Updates ( July 9 , 2014 ) .... Rapidly becoming a story of Syria's Government forces winning on the battlefield and ISIS dominating among the Opposition / Insurgent Forces......

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 5 hours ago
Syria...... ISIS drawing in new forces..... 1,000-Strong Syrian Rebel Brigade Defects to ISISFSA Rebels Demand US Arms, Threaten to Quit War by Jason Ditz, July 08, 2014 Print This | Share This The Syrian Dawud Brigade, a 1,000-strong group of fighters formerly allied to the Islamic Front umbrella, has left its position in the Idlib Province and gone to Raqqa to join ISIS. The brigade brought with it 100 vehicles, including 10 tanks seized from the Syrian Army during various battles, and is the largest defection so far to ISIS from any rival rebel faction. The Islamic Front’s “Sh... more »

Girls night with Kathryn Marshall and BC4P

Alison at Creekside - 6 hours ago
This past February, Kathryn Marshall, former spokesy for *Ethical Oil*, and Brittany Allison, Interim Executive Director of *British Columbians For Prosperity*, had a "girls night" at a West Vancouver restaurant. You'll recall Ethical Oil's Kathryn Marshall, formerly of the Koch-funded Fraser Institute : "Successfully recruited major prospects for donations and sponsorships and built and maintained relationships between the Fraser Institute and donors. May 2008 – July 2009 " ... and her hapless tv stints raving against "foreign special interests and their deep pockets" that ... more »

Iraq Updates ( July 9, 2014 ) -- Even as the Iraq Parliament now says it will meet July 13th , rather than August 12th , to try to form a new Government - there's absolutely no reason to believe any such Government will be formed ..... The latest news from Kurdistan , relating to the political and security situations , the latest state of play !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 6 hours ago
Rudaw.... President Barzani Blasts Accusations by Baghdad against KurdsBy RÛDAW 3 hours ago [image: Barzani said: ‘The Kurdish people will not relinquish their right to a referendum and they will make their decision.’ Photo: Rudaw] Barzani said: ‘The Kurdish people will not relinquish their right to a referendum and they will make their decision.’ Photo: Rudaw ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – In a letter to the people of Iraq on Tuesday, Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani denounced accusations by Baghdad against the Kurds and their alleged role in the current turmoil. “Some people tod... more »

Treacherous Senate Rolls Out New Cybersecurity Bill

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 6 hours ago
The number one enemy of the American people and enablers of the ongoing spree to gut the US Constitution is at it again with yet another attack on privacy. The Senate, led that the impenetrable firewall of cellulite that protects the NSA Stasi - California's Dianne Feinstein - has just passed out of committee a new cybersecurity bill that represents the institutionalized rottenness of the legislative body in all of it's resplendent putrescence. The onerous bill, the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) was voted on in secret to avoid that always pesky public scrutiny and w... more »

Untitled

JR at GREENIE WATCH - 8 hours ago
*Climate Science Paper Censored By American Meteorological Society Journal* Research that questioned the accuracy of computer models used to predict global warming was “censored” by climate scientists, it was alleged yesterday. One academic reviewer said that a section should not be published because it “would lead to unnecessary confusion in the climate science community”. Another wrote: “This entire discussion has to disappear.” The paper suggested that the computer models used by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) were flawed, resulting in human influence... more »

Russia Presents Unique Drone at Innoprom-2014 Exhibition

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 8 hours ago
[image: Chirok drone]Russia’s United Instrument-Making Corporation, a Rostec subsidiary, presented the unique and innovative Chirok drone at the Innoprom international technology exhibition, the press service of the state corporation reported. "The innovative technology, air-cushion landing system, allows the drone to take off without an air strip. This technology is absolutely unique. The drone is able to take off from soft soil, water, marshy terrain and loose snow. It can also land on these surfaces, whereas other aircraft can neither take off from nor land on them," the press se... more »

Musical Interlude: The Eagles, "The Last Resort"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 8 hours ago
Eagles the last resort *by legrenierdetontonfred* The Eagles, "The Last Resort" - http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9lvzs_eagles-the-last-resort_music

Aegis Combat System’s Newest Baseline Demonstrates Over the Horizon Capability in Series of Three Tests

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 8 hours ago
[image: SM-6 Launch]The Lockheed Martin and U.S. Navy team’s Baseline 9 Aegis Combat System recently completed multiple exercises including the longest-range engagement ever tested with a Standard Missile-6 (SM-6). This is the first major series of tests for the integrated air and missile defense (IAMD)-equipped USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53), and highlights the system’s accuracy in identifying and destroying threats from beyond the radar horizon. The first of three Naval Integrated Fire Control-Counter Air (NIFC-CA) exercises involved a long-range mission, known as AS-2A, which used... more »

Aging nuclear missiles a concern

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 8 hours ago
[image: LGM-30 Minuteman III Missile]The nuclear missiles hidden in plain view across the prairies of northwest North Dakota reveal one reason why trouble keeps finding the nuclear Air Force. The “Big Sticks,” as some call the 60-foot-tall Minuteman 3 missiles, are just plain old. The Air Force asserts with pride that the missile system, more than 40 years old and designed during the Cold War to counter the now-defunct Soviet Union, is safe and secure. None has ever been used in combat or launched accidentally. But it also admits to fraying at the edges: time-worn command posts, co... more »

Axing The F-35's Alternative Engine Was An Incredibly Stupid Move

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 8 hours ago
[image: F-35 Engine fire]The DoD painted the F-35's alternative jet engine as a huge unneeded expense, one that was more about congressional pork than necessity or logic. Now with the fleet grounded due a mystery engine fire, we are reminded of how stupid it was to cancel the jet's other engine. *A Tail Of Two Engines...* The Joint Strike Fighter was envisioned with having two engine options since early on in the program's history. These included the F135, based on the F-22's Pratt & Whitney F119 turbofan and the General Electric/Rolls Royce F136 turbofan based on the competitor of ... more »

Aerostar completes MiG-21 upgrade for Mozambique

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 8 hours ago
[image: Mozambic MiG-21 Fishbed]Romanian aerospace company Aerostar has completed the overhaul and modernisation of the Mozambique Air Force's eight MiG-21 Fishbed fighter aircraft. Under a contract signed in 2013, the company upgraded six single-seat and two double-seat MiG-21 trainer variants at its facility in Bacau. New equipment such as a GPS system and an advanced digital flight data recorder were installed on the aircraft. Each overhaul took 120 days. Read more

Croatia to take charge of fighter aircraft only after removal of all flaws

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 8 hours ago
[image: MiG-21bis Fishbed]The Croatian Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Tuesday it would take charge of the MiG-21 fighter planes recently overhauled in Ukraine only after the completion of all necessary tests and the removal of the observed faults on the aircraft. The ministry said it was displeased that the repair and upgrade process was not faster as expected. All the aircraft must be in good working order, and the ministry will not accept any compromises, as was the case with the previous overhaul of MiG-21 aircraft, the statement said. Read more

UK hopes to oust France from Indian fighter jet order

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 9 hours ago
[image: Eurofighter Typhoon]The UK still has hopes of ousting France's Rafale from a multi-billion-dollar combat jet order, with Foreign Secretary William Hague lobbying for the Eurofighter today. Hague and Chancellor George Osborne held intergovernmental talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new team, on a two-day visit to bolster trade and investment ties with Asia's third-largest economy. Britain is hoping that a stalled deal for India to buy 126 Rafale jets from France's Dassault Aviation may yet collapse, perhaps opening the door to a new deal involving the Eurofighter Typh... more »

IAI unveils BirdEye 650D, mini-UAV designed for 24 hour missions

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 9 hours ago
[image: BirdEye 650D]Israel Aerospace Industries has unveiled its BirdEye 650D mini unmanned air vehicle (UAV) at the recent IDAS-BMD symposium in Tel Aviv. The new version is a third variant of the BirdEye 650 mini-UAV. The 650D is extending the platform’s mission endurance from two and three hours to 24. Previous versions required committing two or three UAVs to achieve a 24 hour cycle. The BirdEye platform was launched with the BirdEye 400 electrically powered variant, carrying 1.2 kg (2.6lb) typically carrying the 1 kg (2.2lb) MicroPOP stabilized EO payload. Read more

RAAF Heron mission to Afghanistan extended

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 9 hours ago
[image: RAAF Heron UAV]The mission to Afghanistan of the RAAF 5 Flight’s IAI Heron unmanned aerial system will be extended by six months to the end of 2014 following a request from the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The three unmanned aircraft and the supporting detachment are based at Kandahar and are tasked to perform information, surveillance and reconnaissance capability in support of ISAF forces during the traditional northern summer fighting season. The aircraft and much of their in service support are leased from Canadian firm MDC. Source

Global Hawk Takes Part in NATO Exercise to Evaluate Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Capability

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 9 hours ago
[image: RQ-4 Global Hawk]Northrop Grumman Corporation has participated in Unified Vision 2014 (UV14), NATO's largest trial of Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (JISR) capability aimed at demonstrating and evaluating the Alliance's ability to coordinate and deploy crucial Allied ISR systems. During the 10-day trial, U.S. European Command, in close coordination with and in support of NATO flew the high altitude long endurance unmanned aerial system (UAS), Block 30 Global Hawk, in three successful full-day sorties from Ørland Main Air Station, Norway. The trial comp... more »

Centre set to approve Rs 19,000 crore for INS Vikrant

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 9 hours ago
[image: INS Vikrant]After Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself witnessed the raw combat power exuded by an aircraft carrier sailing on the high seas last month, his government is now all set to approve the much-delayed infusion of funds to finish the ongoing construction of INS Vikrant at Cochin Shipyard. Defence ministry sources say the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) is slated to meet this week, probably on Wednesday itself, to approve the allocation of around Rs 19,000 crore for the Phase-II and III building of the 40,000-tonne indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC). Current es... more »

GAO examines LCS program

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 9 hours ago
The U.S. government’s Government Accountability Office (GAO) says the U.S. Navy should take a closer look at the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program. Some of those ships are built at Austal USA in Mobile, which is the area’s largest manufacturer with 4,000 employees. The Government Accountability Office is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress, investigating how the federal government spends your tax dollars. Read more

Thales signs Adelaide-class frigate maintenance contract

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 9 hours ago
[image: Adelaide-class frigate]The Australian Ministry of Defence has awarded the Royal Australian Navy's Adelaide-class guided-missile frigate (FFG) group maintenance contract to Thales. The four-and-a-half-year agreement, which has extensions that could bring the value to $130m, is likely to provide both industry and navy with improved certainty and stability in the repair and maintenance of the frigates. Australia Minister for Defence Senator David Johnston said that this is the second of the grouped-asset, long-term, performance-based contracts for the repair and maintenance of... more »

Navy Finally Admits It Can’t Afford Fleet, Esp. New SSBNs

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 9 hours ago
[image: Ohio class SSBN]“Unsustainable.” That’s the Navy’s own official assessment of the spending rates required to keep the fleet large and modern enough to do its missions. For the service to state this in writing ratchets up not just the rhetoric but the likelihood of future budget battles in the Pentagon and on the Hill — especially over the immensely expensive program to replace aging Ohio-class nuclear missile submarines (SSBNs), which the Navy desperately wants someone else to pay for. Every year, the Navy publishes a 30-year shipbuilding plan. Every year, both partisan an... more »

Poland launches tender for assault helicopters

Ko Savonije at Naval Open Source INTelligence - 9 hours ago
[image: Mi-24 Hind]Poland on Tuesday launched a tender for assault helicopters as part of its 33.6 billion euro drive to upgrade its Soviet-era military equipment. Analysts estimate the tender, which is open until August 1, to be worth nearly a billion euros ($1.4 billions) and said Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine had helped to accelerate the purchase. The defence ministry did not specify the number of choppers it is planning to buy. Read more

“Sleep Deprivation Leads To Schizophrenia Symptoms”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 10 hours ago
*“Sleep Deprivation Leads To Schizophrenia Symptoms”* by University of Bonn “Psychologists at the University of Bonn are amazed by the severe deficits caused by a sleepless night. Twenty-four hours of sleep deprivation can lead to conditions in healthy persons similar to the symptoms of schizophrenia. This discovery was made by an international team of researchers under the guidance of the University of Bonn and King's College London. The scientists point out that this effect should be investigated more closely in persons who have to work at night. In addition, sleep deprivation ma... more »

Palin on the Hannity show re: Impeachment of Obama...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 10 hours ago
*I know lots of people don't like Hannity. * Heck - my own husband turns the radio off when his program starts. Unlike Rush, Hannity has hoards of great guests. I want to hear what Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Mike Lee, Trey Gowdy (sigh), and Sarah Palin have to say. So I listen to Hannity. Sarah Palin speaks truth... How much are you willing to put up with?

Germany vs. Brazil - The essential highlights

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 11 hours ago
Germany vs. Brazil - The essential highlights

BBC Media Action: Transforming lives through media around the world

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 11 hours ago
Does it surprise you that the BBC received 6,744,151 euros in funding from the European Union last year? (h/t Alan at Biased BBC) The information comes from the European Commission's own website - an easily checkable database. Just search for 'BBC' and up pop the results. So which BBC projects did the EU fund last year? 4,975,000 euros went to *Med Media: towards media sector reform in the Southern Mediterranean.* 1,125,987 euros went to* Consolidating Media Freedom in Iraq.* 643,164.16 euros went to *Shaping the future of Syria's Media by promoting independent voices and fosteri... more »

The input that matters most

skrashen at Schools Matter - 12 hours ago
Sent to the Wall Street Journal, July 8, 2014 Joshua Lipshutz ("The legal road map to better schools," July 8) points out that "...the easiest inputs to measure are not necessarily those that matter most to student learning." Vergara judge used one that doesn't matter: Teacher quality as measured by gains on standardized tests. A number of studies have shown that rating teachers using test score gains does not give consistent results. Different tests produce different ratings, and the same teacher’s ratings can vary from year to year, sometimes quite a bit. Also, using test score g... more »

Final Game for the Ticos

Lori Anne Haskell at Our Paradise--Life in Costa Rica - 12 hours ago
Saturday, Kurt and I headed into town to watch the Holland vs Costa Rica game. We ended up at Surf Dogs, and it was packed in downtown Jaco! Los Amigos' tables were all reserved almost 2 hours prior to the game. Crazy. Anyway, we had lunch (split from appetizers) and watched the game, which went down to the end and Costa Rica lost in penalty kicks. It was horrible. But, I was so impressed with the Costa Ricans watching. Everyone got up, post loss, and started cheering for their team. In the US, people would just be pissed they lost, look for excuses as to why, blame someone ... more »

New York Magazine Writer Thinks Ravitch Will “Make” Unions “Go Republican”

deutsch29 at @ THE CHALK FACE - 12 hours ago
I just finished writing a post about American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten’s allegiance to the Democratic Party above all else, and what link do I open up next? That of a New York Magazine article by Jonathan Chait, entitled, Teachers Unions Turn Against Democrats. Now that’s funny. Apparently Chait is upset that the two political parties are not […]

Federal hearings finally put a spotlight on empowered sex workers

Jody Paterson at A Closer Look: Jody Paterson - 12 hours ago
While I'm offended as a Canadian that the future of my country is in the hands of people as uninformed, close-minded and unworldly as Justice Minister Peter MacKay, it's a wonderful thing to see Canada's sex workers stepping up to speak their own truths to combat all the lies that are being told about them right now. I saw footage from the justice committee meetings in Ottawa this week as the debate around Bill C-36 gets underway. I totally love seeing empowered and passionate sex workers putting it all on the line to challenge the Conservatives' proposed new anti-prostitut... more »

Musical Interlude: The Moody Blues, “Tuesday Afternoon”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 12 hours ago
The Moody Blues, “Tuesday Afternoon” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odUxMlud0Xg

Organ Harvesting in Ukraine Goes Unreported

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 13 hours ago
*July 9, 2014* (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - Unlike the terrorist offenses in Libya, Syria, and now Iraq, backed by the United States, the UK, the EU, members of NATO as well as regional collaborators such as Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Qatar, where any attempts to stop extremists from seizing entire nations is met by the West's howling indignation and accusations of "human rights abuses," the unmitigated brutality executed by literal Nazis in Ukraine against breakaway provinces in the east are accompanied by a hypocritical silence from the West. Refugees streaming away from encircled an... more »

Poroshenko: we will move money from "useless" science to weapons

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 13 hours ago
Two days ago, the de facto president of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko offered us another explanation why I classify the current leaders of the country as an inhumane and counterproductive fascist junta that is making things worse. This July 7th press release on Poroshenko's website (EN) says: "There will be no more spending of billions of people's money, taxpayers' money on research programs that nobody needs and that have only served to the elements of theft. Today, the Ukrainian production will be occupied with precision weapons systems, Ukrainian drones, and everything that the Ukrain... more »

METRO EVENT | Alice Embree : Defending Palestinian rights

Thorne Dreyer at The Rag Blog - 13 hours ago
Interfaith group protests Israel’s ongoing ‘reign of terror’ in the West Bank and Gaza and the murder of Palestinian civilians. By Alice Embree | The Rag Blog | July 8, 2014 Event: Protest against Israeli Reign of Terror in Gaza … finish reading *METRO EVENT* | Alice Embree : Defending Palestinian rights

Christian Coalition vs. Progressive Caucus in Hawaii

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 13 hours ago
Yes, anti-equality Democrats in Congress are a dying breed. But they are perhaps about to get a boost from an unlikely source: a 70-percent Obama district in his home state of Hawaii. In Hawaii’s First Congressional District, State Senator Donna Kim is the frontrunner in the August 9th Democratic primary, despite a strident anti-LGBT record that has led the Christian Coalition to label her “fantastic.” She’s studiously courted the Religious Right throughout her three decades in various elected offices, even participating in February with evangelical pastors in a panel discussion t... more »

Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW) - Greening the kitchen

Small Footprints at Reduce Footprints - 13 hours ago
Welcome to Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)! Wondering how to live greener? You've come to the right place. Each week we challenge ourselves to try a new task ... or "amp up" something we're already doing. We raise our awareness, learn from each other and develop Eco-friendly skills which will improve our lives and protect our planet. Doing so together gives us power ... the power to Change The World! If this is your first visit, please click HERE for information and a complete list of all the challenges we've taken on so far. This post contains great information and I encourage ... more »

Cedar on Cedar

Grant G at The Straight Goods - 14 hours ago
________________ More to come folks... The Straight Goods

The Ukrainian Experience: Modern History of Ukraine

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 15 hours ago
Video Title: The Ukrainian Experience: Modern History of Ukraine. Source: UkeTube. Date Published: July 30, 2013. Description: The Ukrainian Experience: A Lecture by Roman Onufrijchuk. Part IV "Modern History of Ukraine" Produced by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, B.C. Provincial Council (1993)

DETROIT WATER DEBATE INTENSIFIES

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 15 hours ago
God bless Maureen Taylor, state chairwoman of the Michigan Welfare Rights Organization. We need more like her.

The Genocide Of The People Of Gaza Begins: When A Gag Order Becomes A Crime In Itself!

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 15 hours ago
Today, I am sickened by what I am watching happening right now to the innocent people living in the open air concentration camp known as the Gaza Strip... The criminal and most evil nation of Israel is now launching its long awaited and well planned strikes on the Gaza Strip for what they claim is "revenge" for the supposed "murder" of those three Israeli youths last month.... To this day, I am NOT convinced at all that these three were "murdered" by agents of Hamas, and I am sticking to my first thought that either these three were purposely killed by the Israelis to justify their ... more »

Randi Weingarten, Twitter, and “Secret Society” Membership

deutsch29 at @ THE CHALK FACE - 16 hours ago
Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy is a corporate reformer’s gift. He appointed Stefan Pryor, the co-founder of a major charter chain as state education commissioner. Even as traditional public education in Connecticut is underfunded, the number of charter schools grows. Malloy also believes in evaluating teachers using student test scores. He publicly stated that teachers “only have to show up for four years” in […]

Judaism Is NOT A Faith, But The Geopolitical Project Of A Hysterical, Incestuous, Master-Race Cult!

Northerntruthseeker at Northerntruthseeker - 16 hours ago
I have long been troubled by the mentality of the Jews as a whole for a very long time, and why they are hell bent on murder, destruction, and the enslavement of everyone else, thinking that they alone are the "chosen ones" of this planet.....But I have also long known that the problem seems to be inherent with these disgusting excuses for human beings, and their twisted religion called "Judaism"..... For this article, I want to present a very excellent article that was first sent to me about a week ago, and then forwarded to my friend, Whitewraithe, who writes the excellent website... more »

My favorite newscaster, Abby Martin, interviews my favorite civic activist, Mark Crispin Miller, on the subject of historical books made to disappear by the "powers that be" in order cover up some of the most heinous crimes of our government. Truth in advertising: I am the author of a chapter in one of MCM's many books "Loser Take All -- Election Fraud and the Subversion of Democracy, 2000-2008".

David L Griscom at Cherchez la Verite - 16 hours ago
------------------------------ http://youtu.be/RcHRaxN-u5U These 5 Censored Books Tell a History the Establishment Wants Hidden breakingtheset *Published on Jun 25, 2014* LIKE Breaking the Set @ http://fb.me/JournalistAbbyMartin FOLLOW Abby Martin @ http://twitter.com/AbbyMartin Abby Martin speaks with NYU media studies professor, Mark Crispin Miller, about five historical books that have been actively suppressed and hidden from the American public. Cherchez la Verite

Tom Hayden : BOOKS | Counterinsurgency architect Kilcullen on the ‘coming age of the urban guerrilla’

Thorne Dreyer at The Rag Blog - 16 hours ago
David Kilcullen leaves Iraq and Afghanistan behind to concentrate on how to keep malignant masses of desperate people at bay in a coming urban apocalypse. By Tom Hayden | The Rag Blog | July 8, 2014 [Out of the Mountains: … finish reading Tom Hayden : *BOOKS* | Counterinsurgency architect Kilcullen on the ‘coming age of the urban guerrilla’

Since Sammy "The Hammer" Alito is such an obvious liar, LGBT folk can't have employment-discrimination protection

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 16 hours ago
*Hobby Lobby Goal* Pat Begley [*click to enlarge*] *"If a private company can take its own religious beliefs and say you can't have access to certain health care, it's a hop, skip and a jump to an interpretation that a private company could have religious beliefs that LGBT people are not equal or somehow go against their beliefs and therefore fire them."* *-- National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) ExecutiveDirector Rea Carey, to the* Washington Post* (see below)* *"[A] coalition led by the American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights... more »

The Poet: Arlene Gay Levine, "The Road"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago
*"The Road"* "Here is the road: the light comes and goes then returns again. Be gentle with your fellow travelers as they move through the world of stone and stars whirling with you yet every one alone. The road waits. Do not ask questions but when it invites you to dance at daybreak, say yes. Each step is the journey; a single note the song." ~ Arlene Gay Levine

“I Have Learned”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago
*“I Have Learned”* Posted by Paulo Coelho (This text, which I found on the Internet, is attributed to me. I did not write it, but I think worth reproducing here. - PC) "I’ve learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them; I’ve learned that no matter how much I care, some people just don’t care back; I’ve learned that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it. I’ve learned that you can get by on charm, for about fifteen minutes. After that, you’d better know something; I’ve learned that eithe... more »

"A Look to the Heavens"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago
“Sharp telescopic views of magnificent edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 3628 show a puffy galactic disk divided by dark dust lanes. Of course, this deep galactic portrait puts some astronomers in mind of its popular moniker, The Hamburger Galaxy. *Click image for larger size.* The tantalizing island universe is about 100,000 light-years across and 35 million light-years away in the northern springtime constellation Leo. NGC 3628 shares its neighborhood in the local Universe with two other large spirals M65 and M66 in a grouping otherwise known as the Leo Triplet. Gravitational interaction... more »

"We Are All Alone..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago
"We are all alone, born alone, die alone, and - in spite of "True Romance" magazines - we shall all someday look back on our lives and see that, in spite of our company, we were alone the whole way. I do not say lonely- at least, not all the time- but essentially, and finally, alone. This is what makes your self-respect so important, and I don't see how you can respect yourself if you must look in the hearts and minds of others for your happiness." - Hunter S. Thompson, “The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman”

Kahlil Gibran, "The Prophet: Self-Knowledge"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago
*"Self-Knowledge"* "And a man said, Speak to us of Self-Knowledge. And he answered saying: Your hearts know in silence the secrets of the days and the nights. But your ears thirst for the sound of your heart's knowledge. You would know in words that which you have always known in thought. You would touch with your fingers the naked body of your dreams. And it is well you should. The hidden well-spring of your soul must needs rise and run murmuring to the sea; And the treasure of your infinite depths would be revealed to your eyes. But let there be no scales to weigh your unknown treasu... more »

"The Limits Of The World..."

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago
“Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world.” - Arthur Schopenhauer

More about Costco and Dinesh D'Souza's book otherwise known as the distracting shiny object...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 17 hours ago
*and I am ashamed at the comments I'm reading on conservative websites and on Costco's Facebook page.* Do you really believe that the CEO of Costco has nothing better to do than pull a Fahrenheit 451 on a book. One book? That's not even rational. Allow me to repeat: They are running a publicly traded company. As I said to one of my commenters (who has a* fine blog of his own*) on *my original post:* Sub - I know for a fact that Costco runs one of the tightest ships in retail. Everything is done by the numbers. It's why they count people coming in the door. That number is giv... more »

“How Do We Humans Ever Make Good Decisions?”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago
*“How Do We Humans Ever Make Good Decisions?”* by Jim Taylor, Ph.D. “It’s a wonder that good decisions are ever made by the species known as Homo Sapiens. The reality is that the cards are stacked against us whenever we are faced with choices, especially when the decisions are of consequence. Think about all of the horrendously bad decisions that have been made in recent history and how obviously bad they look in our rear-view mirrors. The Iraq war, securitizing mortgages, Congress not voting for background checks on gun purchases, another season of The Bachelor, the list goes on. ... more »

Chet Raymo, "Tenderness and Silence"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago
*"Tenderness and Silence"* by Chet Raymo “It's been a long, long time since I read “Justine”, the first volume in Lawrence Durrell's “Alexandrian Quartet”, but one phrase sticks in my mind. As I recall, Justine, the woman with whom the narrator is having an affair, is questioning him as to why he doesn't take seriously their friends' philosophical conversations. You always sit there smiling, she chides, or something to that effect. He tells her that anyone who takes really seriously the inextricable tangle of human thought can only respond with "ironic tenderness and silence." W... more »

The Daily "Near You?"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago
León, Castilla y Leon, Spain. Thanks for stopping by.

Washington Wants A Hundred Year War In The Middle East Between Sunnis And Shiites

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 17 hours ago
*"Covert action should not be confused with missionary work." - Henry Kissinger. Enjoy hellfire you son of a bitch. * An excerpt from, *"Over Easy: ISIS and the Hundred Year War"* by yellowsnapdragon, FDL, July 8, 2014: Over at the Saker’s place, Mindfriedo linked to a fascinating interview of Nabeel Naiem, former leader of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Naiem discusses some important background on ISIS, the relationship between Al Qaeda and ISIS, it’s funding, it’s leader Al Baghdadi, and it’s plans in Iraq and the Middle East. Below are some excerpts. Nabeel Naiem: *He (Zawahri) asked ... more »

“7 Vilest Right-Wing Statements This Week"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago
*“7 Vilest Right-Wing Statements This Week:* * Laura Ingraham Hates Immigrants More Than O'Reilly Does”* by Janet Allon *“1. Laura Ingraham: Mass deportation is the way and the light. *Laura Ingraham did the impossible this week. She managed to make Bill O’Reilly seem almost reasonable. Her anti-immigration fervor is surpassed by no one. She was right there in spirit with the anti-immigration protesters who turned up in Murrieta, California with hateful signs and slogans and spit to turn back busloads of undocumented women and children. For some reason, many of these people have no ... more »

The Economy: Greg Hunter, “Social Unrest Basically Guaranteed – John Rubino"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 17 hours ago
*Greg Hunter, “Social Unrest Basically Guaranteed – John Rubino"* By Susan Duclos “Greg Hunter is joined by John Rubino to discuss the financial crisis facing the US as Rubino calls the situation “uncharted territory,” and states that “social unrest is basically guaranteed. If you look around the rest of the world you are seeing it, and that will happen on some scale here.” Rubino, who has a Masters in Business and is a former Wall Street trader and analyst, also recommends avoiding dependence on fiat currencies, stating that is the “epicenter of this latest biggest bubble.” For t... more »

The Gild Is Already Off the Lily, But She is Golden for Gates

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 18 hours ago
No sooner was the NEA president's office cleared of the sickly sweet stench of corrupt corporate lackey, Dennis Van Roekel, than a new CorpEd chief enabler was enthroned as head of the nation's largest dress-up-and-go-to-lunch teachers' professional organization. Enter Stage Right, Lily Eskelson Garcia, with her guitar and plenty of cute protest songs to titillate teachers who prefer to dance to their deaths, rather than fight for their lives. Why is Lily the Oligarchs' choice for NEA chief, besides the fact that she thinks "tenure" is a dirty word? Here's why: . . . . Eskelsen G... more »

Dinesh D'Souza: America. Imagine the World Without Her...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 18 hours ago
*You need to see this!* From their website: Synopsis Someone once observed: "America is great because she is good; if she ever ceases to be good she will cease to be great." Today that notion of the essential goodness of America is under attack, replaced by another story in which theft and plunder are seen as the defining features of American history—from the theft of Native American and Mexican lands and the exploitation of African labor to a contemporary foreign policy said to be based on stealing oil and a capitalist system that robs people of their "fair share". Our foundin... more »

"How It Really Is"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 18 hours ago

Geldof - A Psychological Profile

Spike EP at News Spike - 18 hours ago
As noted previously in numerous earlier posts, Bob Geldof KBE presents as someone display a broad range of reliable indicators associate with those of a high-functioning psychopath with sociopathic and self-aggrandising overtones and signature tell-tale pathologies. His primary motivational driver in life is the furtherance and growth of his own personal stature and recognition, veiled behind a tissue-thin vineer of false modesty, to the extent of patronising and belittling those around him that offer to him either sincere (or misguided) praise and flattery - those who approach hi... more »

Crime And Punishment-- National Security Style… Forget Dostoevsky

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 19 hours ago
Over the long 4th of July weekend many of us turned to *The Guardian* for news. An Edward Snowden/Hillary Clinton article from that paper got picked up by dozens of U.S. outlets all during the weekend. The gist of it was that Hillary thinks Snowden, who has been charged with three separate violations of the Espionage Act (which doesn't distinguish between a spy and a whistleblower) should return to the U.S. if he is serious in engaging in the debate. Hill: "If he wishes to return knowing he would be held accountable and also able to present a defence, that is his decision to make... more »

Satire: “LeBron to Announce Decision at United Nations”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 19 hours ago
*“LeBron to Announce Decision at United Nations”* by Andy Borowitz NEW YORK (The Borowitz Report)— “N.B.A. superstar LeBron James said Tuesday morning that he would announce the name of the team that he is signing with on Thursday at a special session of the United Nations General Assembly to be convened especially for that purpose. “This decision affects everyone on the planet,” James said. “I want to let all the nations on Earth know at the same time.” An emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday was deadlocked on the issue, with seven members wanting James to rem... more »

The Secretary’s 50 State Plan for #teacherequity

Shaun Johnson at @ THE CHALK FACE - 19 hours ago
I’m reading the original letter sent to state school officers. Is that Times New Roman? This is the best the highest office in education in the US can do, am I correct? Wow. From Education Week: But addressing that problem won’t be easy. States have a limited authority and capacity to ensure that districts distribute […]

Doug Martin's Letter to the Indiana State Board of Education, July 8, 2014

Doug Martin at Schools Matter - 19 hours ago
Dear State Board of Education: As you seek to dismantle public education and democracy, I want to remind you of my book, *Hoosier School Heist*, which is becoming quite popular. Although it's hard to determine (since I don't have billionaires behind me to pay for someone to track the data), my educated guess is at least 250,000 people know about this book. The FBI even reads *Hoosier School Heist*. ABC *Nightline*is working with me and others on a possible show about a rightwing free-market Christian school highlighted in my book that Governor Pence's associate Mark Terrell ... more »

A study of the BBC's recent coverage of matters Israeli and Palestinian (Updated)

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 20 hours ago
So much news from Israel - and so many voices venting their opinions about it and about how it was reported by the BBC... I've read so much in the past week or so that, frankly, I've found myself becoming rather overwhelmed by it all. Some of it has tallied with my own experiences, some of it didn't. Some of it was judicious, some of it wasn't. So, what's needed is a classic *Is the BBC biased?* survey - a study of all the coverage of the murders of the four teenagers and what followed on a representative sample of the BBC's current affairs output - namely *Newsnight*, *Today, The... more »

Women and Children with AIDS

Spike EP at News Spike - 21 hours ago
Speech given by Diana, Princess of Wales on "Women and Children with Aids" Edinburgh 8th September 1993 Some sections of the media would have us believe that the dark shadow of AIDS is fading away. The predicted explosion has failed to happen and retreated back to those who've so often been condemned or ignored. Yet common sense and the testimonies of healthcare workers, worldwide, tell us a very different story. The truth is, that most people infected by HIV are heterosexual and the disease is spreading, throughout the world, at a staggering rate. By the year two thousa... more »

Does The Community Care..?

Spike EP at News Spike - 21 hours ago
*Speech given by Diana, Princess of Wales "Does the Community Care?"17th November 1993* For many people in our society, the idea of talking with someone who has been in care, whether it be a juvenile offender, a person who has suffered from mental illness or perhaps someone with learning difficulties is too awful to contemplate. I can assure them, it's not so bad! Not one of those I've met ever hurt me, was rude to me or treated me as though I was mad! We now recognise that many of those who were put into longstay institutions need never have been put there i... more »

Wild Bill: Troll Attacks...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 21 hours ago
*they know they are lying, but they don't care.* Its time to hit back against the lies of the left and Bill is fed up! I'm off viewing America at our local theater.

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 21 hours ago
*The New New Orleans, Part 2 ~Gambit* *Gas-Charged Earthquakes Linked to Mysterious Louisiana Sinkhole ~Charles Q. Choi, Live Science* *Louisiana Oil Train Details Kept Secret ~WWNO* *Property owners to discuss short-term rentals at Tuesday meeting ~WVUE* *Esplanade bar, neighbor Sidney Torres IV spar over volume of music ~Jeff Adelson, New Orleans Advocate*

“A Scary Admission by a Top Central Banker”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 21 hours ago
*“A Scary Admission by a Top Central Banker” * by Bill Bonner “Infidi maris insidis virisque dolumque ut vitare velint, neve ullo tempore credant subdola cum ridet placidi pellacia ponti. “ (Never trust her at any time, when the calm sea shows her false alluring smile.) – Lucretius, "De Rerum Natura" “We hardly know where to begin. There are so many people to laugh at... and so little time. We can't laugh at them all. So, we'll have to take our best laugh. And that must be a laugh at Janet Yellen. There are many reasons to laugh at poor Ms. Yellen. But time is limited, and so we wil... more »

Dick Cheney's Worst Fears Confirmed

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 21 hours ago
*At least Saddam was competent.* An excerpt from, *"Iraq tells U.N. 'terrorist groups' seized former chemical weapons depot"* Reuters, July 8: Iraq's government has lost control of a former chemical weapons facility to "armed terrorist groups" and is unable to fulfill its international obligations to destroy toxins kept there, the country's U.N. envoy told the United Nations. *In a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, made public on Tuesday, Ambassador Mohamed Ali Alhakim said the Muthanna facility north of Baghdad was seized on June 11. He said remnants of a former che... more »

Alex Clare - Too Close

Phil at All That Is Solid ... - 21 hours ago
I've got two heavy duty blog posts brewing, but I cannot for the life of me summon up the energy to begin writing them this evening. Besides, the footy's on, there's a new Mega Drive game dying to be tried, and I'm halfway through Richard Yates' *Revolutionary Road*. Bugger it. Let them eat dubstep.

CREATING THE NEW COLD WAR

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 21 hours ago
*Ukraine's Prime-Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk 'Yats' is doing the bidding of IMF, World Bank and NATO* The situation in Ukraine worsens as the US-NATO installed regime in Kiev continues to mount massive and unrelenting attack on their citizens in the eastern part of the country. After Kiev's shelling of Slavyansk for weeks the self-defense forces escaped from that city and headed toward the larger cities of Lugansk and Donetsk. Stories are numerous that as the Kiev military took control of Slavyansk they rounded up many people and shipped them out of town - to detention camps, cert... more »

When does a limitation start to run?

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 22 hours ago
Longo v. MacLaren Art Centre, 2014 ONCA 526: [40] The relevant provisions of the *Limitations Act**, 2002* are as follows: 5. (1) A claim is discovered on the earlier of, (a) the day on which the person with the claim first knew, (i) that the injury, loss or damage had occurred, (ii) that the injury, loss or damage was caused by or contributed to by an act or omission, (iii) that the act or omission was that of the person against whom the claim is made, and (iv) that, having regard to the nature of the injury, loss or damage, a proceeding would be an appropriate means t... more »

July 8: Wow! Big story! Nothing happened....

Graeme Decarie at The Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad - 22 hours ago
There's a big picture on the front page of police in bullet-proof vests, and one of the them carrying a rifle. The big story? Nothing. There had been a false alarm about a robbery in Moncton. Wow! Nothing happened. Get a reporter and a photographer on this fast. So page A 3 has a whole page of six, big colour photos and a news story about something that never happened. That's what's called sensationalism. A real newspaper would have given it one, brief paragraph with no pictures. But, to look on the good side, it's the most important story in all of Section A. NewsToday has more t... more »

Our “anthropology lessons” continue!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 22 hours ago
*TUESDAY, JULY 8, 2014* *Liberals defeating Democrats and the people they serve:* In a rational world, no one would be discussing Campaign 2016 at this point. We don’t live in a rational world. We live in a world where Hillary Clinton’s book tour—the book concerns her years at State—was turned into a referendum on the size of her speaking fees and on her deeply troubling comments about her deeply troubling homes, which are two in number. A code of silence kicked in at that point among our liberal heroes. With the exception of Gene Lyons, we’ve seen no one say a critical word about ... more »

O'odham honor Zapatistas Galeano August 2, 2014

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 day ago
O'odham Voice Against the Wall August 2, 2014 Tucson, Arizona Zapatista Solidarity Event in honor of Companero Galeano, murdered Zapatista teacher in La Realidad 1080 Contzen Ave. Tucson, Arizona 85705

Why APPR in NYS has to go.

David Greene at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
Why APPR in NYS has to go..Filed under: SHAUN JOHNSON, PHD: Musings from the Chalk Face

I hate Prostitution

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 1 day ago
I am not a lawyer. I am just someone who thinksaboot justice. Attacking the courts is a Tea Party Party favour. It will not work in Canada. We knew 200 years ago that electing Judges was making judgments based upon those that favored you. Its the idea of democracy being tea partied into a white orifice. It will not work in Canada. We do not want companies with religious exemptions. Does that not sound like Iran? I have to admit this prostitution bill is a tough nut. I am against prostitution and believe most people in this trade are not looking at a Pretty Women horizon. On the oth... more »

USA True Unemployment Is 23.1% - Almost Four Times the Official Rate (Includes Uncounted Unemployed Still Looking/Hoping)

What happened to the way the unemployment rate was calculated historically is a topic worth an essay to itself. I've even written a few myself previously dealing with this private tragedy, but the implications of what it did to the official unemployment number and why is what we have to deal with today in the USA as our government places all its focus on taking over the resources of foreign

About this Costco brouhaha over Dinesh D'Souza's book...

Adrienne at Adrienne's Corner - 1 day ago
*in which the echo chamber of the right sounds just as silly as the libtards.* I worked for Costco so allow me to enlighten you. Costco carries about 3500 SKU's *total* and has limited space. Their profit margin is incredibly small. They run by the numbers. They have to or they will go broke. Costco is not a bookstore. It simply sells some books along with all it's other offerings. It has a responsibility to its shareholders and their *very* highly paid employees. If Dinesh D'Souza's book is not meeting the numbers, it has to go. They carry (IMO) a higher number of conserva... more »

Who Would You Rather Follow-- Katy Perry Or Rick Perry?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
Followers of which of these two would you define as a moron? Democrats are worried that base voters aren't going to turn out in November-- and they should be worried. The collection of atrocious corporate shills and conservative shitheads Steve Israel recruited isn't going to inspire any base voters I ever heard of to go vote. Israel tells donors he plans to win the 17 seats the Democrats need to win back the House. It's more likely the net outcome will be a stinging loss. Elizabeth Warren beat a popular incumbent Republican senator in 2012, Scott Brown, the biggest recipient of Wall... more »

Saving a school: Predatory enrollment

Shaun Johnson at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
The Washington Post discussed recently the immense pressure administrators, and staff as well, are under to re-enroll students in their schools in order to keep and maintain resources. The move is a sign of the tremendous pressure on the District’s traditional public schools. Charter schools, which appeared less than two decades ago, now enroll nearly […]

Analyzing The Finances Of Al Qaeda In Iraq Interview With RAND’s Patrick Johnston

Joel Wing at MUSINGS ON IRAQ - 1 day ago
The United States has a huge amount of captured Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) documents that are archived at West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center’s Harmony Program. Patrick Johnston of the RAND Corporation has been going through these records studying the group’s finances from 2005-2010. They show that while AQI might have been started by the Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi it soon became a self-sufficient organization based upon fund raising within Iraq, and that this money played a crucial role in sustaining the group through its ups and downs. *1. Since 2003 the U.S. has captured ... more »

Ron Jacobs : BOOKS | The evil that was Phoenix

Thorne Dreyer at The Rag Blog - 1 day ago
Douglas Valentine’s ‘The Phoenix Program,’ gives lie to the ongoing attempts to turn the U.S. war in Vietnam into a noble effort. By Ron Jacobs | The Rag Blog | July 8, 2014 “Phoenix was far worse than the things … finish reading Ron Jacobs : *BOOKS* | The evil that was Phoenix

IMAGE OF AMERICA TAKES ANOTHER HIT: ROLLING SICK

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 1 day ago
Ring of Fire reports: It’s called “rollin’ coal.” And for several years, rural rednecks in America have been modifying their diesel trucks to turn their semi-adequately managed emissions into churning black smoke. Why? Just to see who has the worst fuel efficiency, who can dump the most carbon emissions into the atmosphere, and be the most obnoxious jerk. But “rollin’ coal” isn’t just a thing to do, they actually consider it a lifestyle, a way to conduct themselves, and a personal identity. “Your truck is not just something to get you from point A to point B,” said Robbie, a Sout... more »

Why No One Cares What Obama Says About the Economy Any More (Obama Ignored His Own Team of Economists and Increasingly Relied on Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner (Who Lacks Any Expertise in Economics) for His Economic Advice) Michael Hudson on The New Cold War's Ukraine Gambit (What They Have In Mind for the Ukraine - Jump On b

Obama's not as bad as he appears (as far as understanding anything abut Economics goes). But that's far enough for US already. Bill Black explains: Obama is not open to hearing the economic views of anyone who got the crisis correct or anyone his advisors consider to the left of Paul Krugman (who is mildly left in economic terms). James Galbraith captured the first point brilliantly in

Everything must start with a vision

Charles Barton at The Nuclear Green Revolution - 1 day ago
*Everything must start with a vision. Kirk Sorensen began to talk about the Thorium vision in 2006, and he documented the scientific story of what ORNL had discovered between 1950 and 1975.* *I already knew something about the story, because my father had played an important role in its scientific origins.* *I was the 33rd member of the energy from Thorium discussion group, the only open discussion group devoted to nuclear power in 2007, At that time Molten salt nuclear technology was virtually unknown, even in the small nuclear community. We started out as a grass roots effort, and... more »

IN THE YEAR 2525: Anthropologists deconstruct Ball!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 1 day ago
*TUESDAY, JULY 8, 2014* *Part 1—The role of the vassal liberal:* Exciting note: For one day only, we offer history which was channeled to us this weekend from a highly reliable source in the future. That channeled history is shown starting now: By the year 2525, anthropologists had begun to settle on an explanation of the failed American nation-state of five centuries before. At one point, they came to focus on a rune-like text from a young broadcaster named Krystal Ball. Ball was one of many “vassal liberals” in the employ of the priests as the rapid disintegration occurred. Acco... more »

Mis-Estimating the Effects of NCLB on Teachers’ Job Satisfaction

John Thompson at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
I expected to have mixed feelings when reading “Estimating the Effects of No Child Left Behind on Teachers and Their Work Environments and Job Attitudes,” by Jason Grissom et. al. On one hand, their finding as summarized in the press was so surprising that I knew a careful and skeptical reading would be required. On […]

Duncan's Latest Party Balloon Just Got Popped in Tennessee

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
When NAEP reported in May that Tennessee high school seniors finish next to last in NAEP proficieny in the latest testing derby (just behind West Virginia), it took some of the glory from the earlier report on NAEP scores for grades 4 & 8 that Kevin Huffman and his band of TFA lawyers plastered on every available wall space at the TN State Department of Education--even the elevators. But Huffman had an explanation for those lower high school scores: you see, high school students came through the system before his antiquarian style of 19th Century educational leadership and manageme... more »

Neoliberal Death Match, 2016?

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 1 day ago
There is no blue Wall Street. There is no red Wall Street. There's only the United States of Wall Street. And needless to say, it's not purple. It's a bilious shade of green. With the media-political complex incessantly announcing that the Democratic branch of the Money Party will anoint Hillary Clinton from a large field of potential progressive candidates, the Republicans find themselves facing an inverted predicament. Out of a field of countless right wing extremists, none could possibly match Hillary in loyalty to High Finance, bloodthirsty Neocon credibility, and out-of-touch... more »

channelling Hertzan Chimera - or piercing The Electromagnetic Veil - contact with the Ancients

Mike Philbin at Mike Philbin's free planet blog - 1 day ago
now, those who know me and/or know of the writing of this Free Planet blog KNOW with 100% accuracy that I am about the least psychic person writing on the internet right now. I don't have visions. I don't contact the dead. I have no spiritual convictions whatsoever. Okay, I've described a couple of weird dreams I've had, but who hasn't had weird dreams, right? And remembered them, right? And maybe thought they were dreaming for a Galactic Race who couldn't, right? Anyway, for the ten years of the 1990s (or maybe longer i.e. from earlier, like in the mid-80s) I'd been dreaming about ... more »

Ridley Scott's Prometheus - reboot the Giger franchise from orbit - it's the only way to be sure

Mike Philbin at Mike Philbin's free planet blog - 1 day ago
*this bitch ain't rollin'* having forced myself to rent out the film for £1 from the local library, I think I now understand (just a little more about) Ridley Scott's PROMETHEUS - as theatrically released. - The Opening Scene: that planet is not even Earth, it's just a Fecundity Rite performed by a Sacrifist on any old galactic rock within a star's Goldilocks Zone. - The LV-223 Military Base: that's the inter-galactic clean-up squad who go in before the Priests arrive to bless a cleansed world. - The Ritualistic Suicide: that's what makes a planet fertile with ... more »

Pie N Mash Films - Bill Maloney interviews Chris Fay - institutionalised 8 hour snuff paedo

Mike Philbin at Mike Philbin's free planet blog - 1 day ago
we've been disgusted by the recent legal revelations of serial child abusers like Gary Glitter, Jonathan King, Max Clifford, Rolf Harris, Jimmy Savile and others, here (the fearless) Bill Maloney of Pie N Mash Films *discusses with anti child abuse campaigner Chris Fay the current circumstances surrounding former Home Secretary Leon Brittan, Labour MP for Rochdale Simon Danzcuk's question to the House of Commons, Government cover-ups and other sensitive issues that are relevan*t. *DAY LATER UPDATE:* here's the update on the above video, hosted by the Lou Collins show via Critica... more »

Punitive Moral Absolutism

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 1 day ago
distractify.com I don't agree with Jonathan Kay very often. But in yesterday's *National Post* he wrote: The most shocking thing about the government’s 2012 changes to the Interim Federal Health Program is that, despite its Scrooge-like spirit, they haven’t actually saved any money: The cost for treating people simply was downloaded to charities, pro bono doctors, community healthcare organizations and the provinces. It’s hard to escape the conclusion that this move was made mostly for other... more »

Are “Teacher Professional Partnerships” a viable career ladder option?

Angel Cintron Jr. at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
Dear Teachers, During a school day, have you ever wondered, silently or aloud, any of the following statements: 1) There’s a more effective way of doing ____________________, 2) If we could only change ____________________. 3) I wish we could start doing ____________________. If you answered ‘yes’ to these statements, then this message is for you. Perhaps, there is a more effective way. Perhaps, […]

Stories from the NB abortion clinic

noreply@blogger.com (deBeauxOs) at DAMMIT JANET! - 1 day ago
At DAMMIT JANET! we have posted much about choice and abortion rights. FH and I started off at _Birth Pangs_ over 7 years ago, writing about the erosion of women's reproductive choices and our human right to control every aspect of our sexualities and procreation potential. Since founding DJ! we have expanded our feminist scrutiny to other current concerns, while offering our criticism, our support and our activism. But like salmon swimming against the current we are compelled to return to violence against women and reproductive choices; wife battering (as we called it then), rape... more »

The Meaningless Moratorium Has Ended Before Anyone Knew It Began

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
The union misleadership stooges of the NYSUT have signed on to a Gates-approved moratorium that just ended. Under a plan that Cuomo will sign into law, teachers, as the headline goes, get a "break" from teacher evaluations based on test scores. Or, rather, they got a break in 2012-2013 and 2013-2014. The moratorium is over before anyone could celebrate the big victory that Weingarten, surely, will shout about from the rooftops, along with her dwindling list of wishful thinkers. This represents the kind of dissembling and manipulation that only the stooges of the NYSUT could call ... more »

Trending Bad

sue at Is the BBC biased? - 1 day ago
The other day I wrote about an edition of BBC Trending, which I heard in the middle of the night on the BBC World Service. To recap: But the item that caught my ear was the one devoted to hashtag “GazaUnderAttack” , which they tell me has been trending, on and off, since one of the IDF’s previous incursions into Gaza, probably Operation Pillar of Cloud. The thing about the latest flurry of activity over at hashtaggazaunderattack is that people (mainly from Malaysia, somewhere else I've forgotten *and the UK) *have been furiously Tweeting images of ‘dead babies’ willy nilly, no m... more »

Book Review: The Here and Now &Second Star

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 1 day ago
In a word full of plagues, food shortages and death, Prenna James is part of an immigration not to another place, but another time. The immigrates arrive in New York in 2010, and must do everything they can to keep themselves inconspicuous as to not change the course of the future. Prenna struggles to fit in, and when she meets Ethan, the rule of forming no close relationships outside of the community seems impossible to keep. In the beginning I really liked the premise of The Here and Now. Usually when we think of the future, we liked to think of all the crazy new technologies we w... more »

Cuomo Digs Up ConservaDem Kathy Hochul-- Promptly Hides Her From The Democratic Base

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
When Republican Congressman Chris Lee was caught, shirtless, online trolling for younger women, he resigned and nominal Democrat Kathy Hochul, the County Clerk of Erie County won the special election to replace him, primarily because a wealthy, well-known teabagger, Jack Davis, pulled votes away from her GOP opponent. She immediately joined the corrupt, Wall Street-owned New Dems and began amassing a conservative, anti-family record, working hard, for example, to reduce Medicaid spending. New York Democrats hoped they had found another Kirsten Giillibrand, a pro-NRA conservaDem w... more »

Untitled

jonjayray at EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL - 1 day ago
*British watchdog says universities should take pupils 'on potential' to help poorer students* *But how do you judge potential? Any objective test will just end up measuring IQ -- and we can't have that. Or can we? We did once* A university watchdog has told campuses to help poorer pupils win more places by looking beyond would-be students’ qualifications when recruiting. Professor Les Ebdon said they should admit undergraduates according to ‘academic potential’ rather than simply totting up their GCSEs and A-levels. The head of the Office for Fair Access (Offa) also revealed ... more »

US doing everything in its power to tick off Germany ? ( July 8 , 2014 ) Following swiftly on the heels of the latst spy caper that unraveled involving Germany's Intel service , now German Banks are being targeted ? US Set To Alienate Angry Germany Next, As Crackdown Shifts From BNP To Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank ...... In what is certainly a coincidence , Germany's Merkel visits China for the seventh time since 2005 ! Takeaway -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel has arrived in China for her seventh visit since 2005, with economic ties topping the agenda and a high-powered business delegation in tow.

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-07-08/us-set-alienate-angry-germany-next-crackdown-shifts-bnp-commerzbank-deutsche-bank US Set To Alienate Angry Germany Next, As Crackdown Shifts From BNP To Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 07/08/2014 08:04 -0400 - China - Deutsche Bank - France - Germany - Iran - JPMorgan Chase - New York Fed - None - Obama Administration - Reserve Currency - Reuters inShare As we reported over the weekend in "By "Punishing" France, The US Just Accelerated T... more »

Ukraine Updates ( July 8 , 2014 ) - Status of Civil War in South East Ukraine , economic situation , odd item concerning Russia ...

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
Tweet.... *Steve Rosenberg* @BBCSteveR · 20h I sense that the journey from Sloviansk to Donetsk isn't going to be easy. Someone has blown up this railway bridge. pic.twitter.com/1ijhDIuCTi [image: Embedded image permalink] Anti War...... Bridges Destroyed as Ukraine Vows ‘Blockade’ of Rebel-Held CitiesBoth Sides Trade Blame for Bridge Blasts by Jason Ditz, July 07, 2014 Print This | Share This With the loss of Slovyansk, large numbers of east Ukrainian rebels are falling back to Donetsk, digging in at their

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