Friday, January 31, 2014

31 Jan - Blogs I'm Following II

English: Photo of Stephan's Quintet by the Hub...English: Photo of Stephan's Quintet by the Hubble Space Telescope, a mosaic of two shots from 1998 and 1999. News Release at ESA/Hubble (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
10:37pm MST

Crash! Boom! Thud! Is that the the sound of the earth opening as NJ Fats's other massive clodhopper falls to the ground?

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 34 minutes ago
*by Ken* I had it in mind this evening to do a quick progress report on the unraveling of the idiotic lies of NJ Gov. Kris KrispyKreme, ex-VA Gov. "Handsome Bob" MicDonnell, and our newest celebrity thug-liar, NY Rep. "Mikey Suits' Grimm, but I decided to go instead with my latest Super Bowl City update. And now it appears that the sky may be falling down around the carcass of the World's Largest Lying Tub of Shit, NJ Fats, aka the Krispyman. The development concerning the Krispyman's Reign of Terror and Lies had to do with the apparent backup gathering for Hoboken Mayor Kim Zimm... more »

“Amazing Photos Of The Universe By Hubble Space Telescope”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 hour ago
*“Amazing Photos Of The Universe By Hubble Space Telescope”* by N. Morgan “A wonderful collection of photos from the Hubble Space Telescope. This collection is just breathtaking and the video maker included history,along with the photos, so you get a real in depth look into the universe and all of its natural wonders! Most of these photos were taken from NASA’s official website, spacetelescope.org and National Geographic.” - http://beforeitsnews.com/

Southern Chiefs respond to release of Hughes' Phoenix Sinclair Inquiry Report

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 2 hours ago
Southern Chiefs’ Organization responds to release of Hughes Inquiry 'Phoenix Sinclair Inquiry Report' Grand Chief Terrance Nelson By Southern Chiefs Organization Censored News WINNIPEG MB -- Grand Chief Terrance Nelson of the Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) responds to the release of the Hughes Inquiry Report on the tragic murder of 5 year old Phoenix Sinclair. “The 1000 page

Ed Steer's Gold and Silver Report - January 30 , 2014 - Data , News and Views for the precious metals ........Three things to ponder - Ed opines JP Morgan , CitiBank and HSBC USA heading for gold derivative exits..... Ted Butler wonders whether JP Morgan is working for the benefit of China in moving gold from the West to the East .... Renewed Calls From China For a Global Super-Currency To Replace "Bretton Woods II"

Catharsis Ours - 2 hours ago
http://www.caseyresearch.com/gsd/edition/john-embry-gold-and-silver-at-historic-undervaluation ¤ YESTERDAY IN GOLD & SILVER Except for the quick sell-off at the New York open at 6 p.m. on Tuesday evening, the gold price didn't do much of anything until before the low tick was in shortly before 9 a.m. in London on their Wednesday morning. The subsequent rally got capped just before 9 a.m. in New York, just as it about to get out of hand to the upside---and after that the price didn't do much until the FOMC news came out at 2 p.m. EST. At that point the price jumped around a littl... more »

Obamacare Roundup: Great enrollments for Wellpoint; "Bette from Spokane" debunked

Kenneth Thomas at Middle Class Political Economist - 2 hours ago
Via Joan McCarter, we learn that Wellpoint, which runs a number of for-profit Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance plans, reported on an investor's conference call that it expects to add over one million new policyholders this year and that its enrollments are much better than expectations. Of 500,000 enrolled so far, fully 80% of them came to the company via the exchanges. Of that amount, 2/3 were eligible to receive subsidies for their insurance premiums. Of course, for those of us who support single payer, giving money to private insurers is a mixed blessing. We'd be better off witho... more »

Family Food Rally Day In BC, Canada - 10 February 2014

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 2 hours ago
Food for the Future! Family Day Rally to Save the Agricultural Land Reserve – Monday February 10 READ MORE HERE: http://farmlandprotection.ca/ TAKE ACTION OF THE WEEK: http://farmlandprotection.ca/action-of-the-week/ ... Help spread the word for the Rally! http://farmlandprotection.ca/organizing-materials/ Join the event on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/FarmlandProtection Endorse the Rally! Stay informed! #ProtectingourALR #Foodforthefuture #Familydayrally #SavethegLandReserve #gmofreecanada #ALR *Source:* *GMO Free Canada*

Musical Interlude: Era, “Divano”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 2 hours ago
Era, “Divano” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnaL2_oCr9s

Indigenous fighting tarsands get boost from Neil Young

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 2 hours ago
. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N90GlG4dOW0&list=UUrmm_7RDZJeQzq2-wvmjueg&feature=share Published on Jan 30, 2014 First Nations Chief Allan Adam discusses the Tar Sands awareness tour with Canadian musician Neil Young and the health issues that communities face Read transcript at Truth-out: TRANSCRIPT: JESSICA DESVARIEUX, TRNN PRODUCER: Welcome to The Real News Network. I'm

Rob Ford's proposed budget cuts unrealistic and voted down

CM at LILITH NEWS - 2 hours ago
For the last month Rob Ford has been boasting that he had found at least $50 million in waste in the city budget, but in the end they were deemed too ridiculous and unrealistic. Instead only $726,000 worth of cuts went through council yesterday. Ford's 18 motions for Toronto's 2014 Budget included: - eliminating $7 million to plant 97,000 trees - trees that clean up Toronto's air quality, reduce smog, beautify the city, and indirectly boost tourism to Toronto. (Because nobody wants to visit a smoggy city.) - $2.5 million in savings by charging $14 for to register for the Welcome... more »

Rob Ford had his brother-in-law beaten in prison

CM at LILITH NEWS - 2 hours ago
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is being sued by his sister's ex-husband who alleges the mayor conspired to have him attacked in jail to prevent Rob Ford's illicit behaviours from becoming known to the public. Scott MacIntyre, the former common law husband of Rob Ford's sister, says in the statement of claim filed Wednesday that he has known about Rob Ford's crack smoking activities for some time. MacIntyre was in prison in March 2013 after being charged with threatening Ford, when he was deliberately and brutally attacked by a football player who had been coached by Rob Ford during high sch... more »

Archery and Bowhunting booming in popularity

CM at LILITH NEWS - 2 hours ago
By Charles Moffat Archery and bowhunting are booming in popularity in North America - largely due to all the buzz about archery in movies like *The Hunger Games*, *Catching Fire*, *Brave*, *The Avengers*, *Hanna* and also TV shows like *The Walking Dead*, *Game of Thrones* and *Arrow*. This newfound popularity of archery - and by extension, bowhunting - has boosted the number of people doing archery dramatically. Bows are flying off the shelves of archery equipment stores. Waiting lists for hard-to-find bows are getting longer and longer. One young woman reportedly waited 6 months... more »

Barack Obama's State of the Union 2014

CM at LILITH NEWS - 2 hours ago
The big emphasis this year in Barack Obama's State of the Union address was economics and raising the minimum wage of Americans - effectively giving every American a raise.

The Daily "Near You?"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 3 hours ago
Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada. Thanks for stopping by.

Gold In 2014: Scramble For Physical Gold As Price Manipulation Unravels ? As we head into the Feb Contract delivery for gold , some news , data and views to ponder ( h/t GATA )

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 3 hours ago
Gold In 2014: Scramble For Physical Gold As Price Manipulation Unravels? [image: GoldCore's picture] Submitted by GoldCore on 01/31/2014 16:44 -0500 - Bond - British Pound - China - Federal Reserve - India - Turkey inShare1 Today’s AM fix was USD 1246.50, EUR 920.538 and GBP 757.336 per ounce. Yesterday’s AM fix was USD 1,254.00, EUR 922.20 and GBP 761.89 per ounce. Gold fell $26.80 or nearly 2% yesterday to $1,243.00/oz. Silver fell $0.58 or nearly 3% to $19.20/oz. Gold in USD - This Week Gold is marginally higher in all currencies this morning but is tr... more »

Today's Update from Super Bowl City: What to do if if turns out your Super Bowl tickets are fake

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 3 hours ago
*What, you thought you could just walk into MetLife Stadium for the Super Bowl on Sunday? You sad dreamer! If you're already in East Rutherford, NJ (and we won't ask why you're in East Rutherford, NJ), you have to make the long march to Secaucus, NJ (by the time you're making the schlepp from East Rutherford to Secaucus, you should have a strong hint that your life hasn't turned out quite the way you hoped), and then take the NJ Transit train. But you'll have to show your game ticket to board the stadium train.* *"New York, New York, it's a hell of a town.The Bronx is up, and the ... more »

Thailand: Wall Street's Thaksin Shinawatra Prepares War Against 99%

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 3 hours ago
In Pol Pot-esque threat, Wall Street-backed billionaire prepares war of terror against Thai population in the name of purging the "elite." *January 31, 2014* (ATN) - The London Telegraph published a disturbing admission taken directly from deposed dictator Thaksin Shinawatra's "red shirt" leader Wuttipong Kochthammakul, also known as "Ko Tee." The Telegraph admitted: "This is already a war, but so far it is an unarmed war," said Ko Tee. "If there is a coup, or the election doesn't happen, then it definitely becomes an armed war." If anyone doubted the abyss into which Thailand c... more »

SAVE THE CHILDREN OF NORTH EAST JAPAN

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 4 hours ago
I found a troubling article at *The Mainichi *about 'problem behaviors' in preschool children, including dizziness, nausea, headaches. The behaviors were identified by a survey using the internationally recognized Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). The survey was conducted in Miyako, Rikuzentakata and Otsuchi in Iwate Prefecture; Kesennuma in Miyagi Prefecture; and Fukushima, Iwaki, Minamisoma and Tomioka in Fukushima Prefecture: 1 in 4 disaster-hit children needs mental care for problem behavior: study http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20140127p2a00m0na013000c.html ... more »

“It’s Later Than Men Think”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 4 hours ago
*“It’s Later Than Men Think”* by Tom Purcell “The illusion was good while it lasted. I speak of the male biological clock. Yet another study, reported at PsychCentral.com, finds that children of older fathers are more likely to suffer “from mental health issues, including schizophrenia, mood disorders, neurotic disorders, eating disorders, personality disorders and other developmental and childhood disorders such as autism and mental retardation.” And this news is a real bummer for middle-aged fellows. Oh, how glorious things used to be before these male biological constraints wer... more »

Detroit Bankruptcy proceedings updates January 31 , 2014 -Bankruptcy In The USSA: Detroit Bondholders About To Be GM'ed In Favor Of Pensioners ...... Detroit wins retiree health care concessions ; barriers to water deal remain

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 4 hours ago
Bankruptcy In The USSA: Detroit Bondholders About To Be GM'ed In Favor Of Pensioners [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 01/31/2014 14:24 -0500 - CDS - Chrysler - Creditors - Detroit - Eurozone - Goldman Sachs - goldman sachs - Obama Administration - recovery - Wall Street Journal inShare4 First, the Obama administration showed during the course of the GM and Chrysler bankruptcy proceedings, that when it comes to Most Preferred Voter classes, some unsecured creditors - namely labor unions, and the millions o... more »

Why This Former Harvard Economist ( Terry Burnham ) Is Pulling All His Money From Bank Of America - except 10,000 bucks ! Read his missive , decide whether it makes sense and decide what you should do if you bank at Bank of America ( or JP Morgan or Citibank for that matter ! )

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 4 hours ago
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-01-31/why-harvard-economist-pulling-all-his-money-bank-america Why This Harvard Economist Is Pulling All His Money From Bank Of America [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 01/31/2014 19:25 -0500 - AIG - Alan Greenspan - American International Group - Bank of America - Bank of America - Bear Stearns - Ben Bernanke - Ben Bernanke - China - default - Dow Jones Industrial Average - Fail - Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation - Federal Reserve - Gallup - Germ... more »

Former ally burns his bridges with Christie

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 5 hours ago
I've said all along that Christie would survive the bridge closing unless and until proof positive emerged tying him directly to Fort Lee's traffic problem. Well, today David Wildstein delivered the smoking gun. Thus does Wildstein exact his revenge after Christie threw him to the wolves in order to save his own prodigious ass. Now that Port Authority has refused to pay Wildstein's legal bills, it's every man for himself. Wildstein's lawyers released this bombshell statementtoday. One might think Gov. Blowhard was expecting this turn of events. Christie responded shortly thereaf... more »

Why Is The Fed Tapering? What will unravel? The financial system or American power? Roberts and Kranzler team up again to provide an answer.

David L Griscom at Cherchez la Verite - 5 hours ago
------------------------------ *Why is the Fed tapering?* ------------------------------ January 30, 2014 | Original Here Go here to sign up to receive email notice of this news letter Why is the Fed tapering? Paul Craig Roberts and Dave Kranzler On January 17, 2014, we explained “The Hows and Whys of Gold Price Manipulation.” http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2014/01/17/hows-whys-gold-price-manipulation/ In former times, the rise in the gold price was held down by central banks selling gold or leasing gold to bullion dealers who sold th... more »

How the Blogosphere Helps Junior Scholars?

Burcu Bayram at Duck of Minerva - 6 hours ago
Dear Readers, In this post, I would like to focus on the few ways in which the blogosphere and social media more generally help junior scholars. I will use myself as an example. It is not easy for me to reach out to senior colleagues and start a dialogue. I find it much easier to Continue reading

Bully for him!

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 6 hours ago
Sticking with Thursday night's *Newsnight*, there was an extended section based on Ed Miliband's admiration for U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt: A report from the BBC's Allan Little, an interview with one of Teddy's biographers and a studio discussion between a Tory and a Labourite. Unconsciously, I suspect, the Labourite - Rafael Behr of *The New Statesman* - gave us right-leaning bias-sniffers a big hint as to why *Newsnight *might have been covering this story. His opening words to Kirsty Wark were: Well, it's certainly clear that Ed Miliband would like us to be having th... more »

“Your Comfort Zone Refuge: Create a Soft Place to Land”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 6 hours ago
*“Your Comfort Zone Refuge: Create a Soft Place to Land”* by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM “Create a soft place to land in your home, a refuge from the stress of the day. Our day-to-day demands can quickly take their toll on our well-being if we are not vigilant about caring for ourselves as best we can. One way we can ensure that we have an opportunity to relax and recuperate each day is to create a soft place to land when we arrive home. This landing pad, whether it is an entire room or merely a small corner of a larger area, can provide us with a safe and comforting refuge in which... more »

QEG : Quantum Energy Generator

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 6 hours ago
For more details see this article http://xi4.com/2014/01/31/qeg-quantum-energy-generator-released/ PS: I'd like to see this thing in operation and the voltage readings on the device in the video...unfortunately that's missing from the video.

Of lesbians, lyric poetry and Kirsty Wark

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 7 hours ago
As I'm somewhat demob happy, having excused myself from having to pay attention to *Newsnight* ever again - and also because it's Friday night and there's no more work till Monday - the following posts may seem a wee bit 'off topic'. That said, both Sue and I love going 'off topic' and they do all relate to this week's editions of *Newsnight. *So that's all right then. Last night's edition of *Newsnight *ended with the news of the discovery of parts of two poems by the ancient Greek poetess Sappho. Sappho appeals to both *Newsnight *types and feminist classics professors as she'... more »

Forget "Getting To Know A District"-- Bill Maher Wants To Flip One!

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 7 hours ago
*The Colbert Report* Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Video Archive Back in 2006, Stephen Colbert was regularly skewering Members of Congress. His Lynn Westmoreland episode (above), for example, is probably better known, certainly nationally, than anything else about the reactionary Westmoreland. But the hilarious show was comedy for the sake of comedy. No one in their right mind could have possibly thought the Colbert appearance would have wrecked Westmoreland's career, even to the extent that the video went viral. GA-08 had a PVI of R+21 at the time. Today, after another r... more »

D.'s New Blog: Transpicuous News

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 7 hours ago
Dani from Removing the Shackles blog has a new blog devoted to breaking news articles. Take a look at http://transpicuousnews.blogspot.com and bookmark it in your browser. The RTS blog is not being abandoned, this is new effort by her using her excellent research staff. -AK

Coyote, his little brother!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 8 hours ago
*FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 2014* *Pete Seeger lived a long life:* In an odd fact, Pete Seeger and John F. Kennedy were classmates at Harvard, class of 1940. (According to cable logic, that means they were “best friends in college,” perhaps even “childhood friends.”) As it turns out, Seeger and Kennedy *weren’t* best friends in college. Seeger dropped out in his sophomore year. He was soon doing things like this: BARNES (1/29/14): He worked briefly in the folklore archives of the Library of Congress, and *for a time he traveled through the state of New York, painting watercolors of house... more »

Milton: A Master of Run-On Sentences

mollymew at Molly'sBlog - 8 hours ago
MILTON: A MASTER OF RUN-ON SENTENCES: I'm about halfway through the collected works of John Milton. It's a project that's taking some time. Mercifully the poetry is at the front of the volume. That's good because most of Milton's prose writings have little intrinsic interest. Aside from a few exceptions they are religious polemics against the high church prelates of his day. Reading such things tends to lower one's estimate of the author. Especially as their tone is beneath even the usual level of political polemics. I'll see if the tone improves with the more political pieces ... more »

Raw: Brahimi Says No Progress in Syria Talks (Source: AP)

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 8 hours ago
Brahimi is a demonstration of the bankruptcy of the United Nations as a vehicle for solving conflicts in the world. The young fanatical Jihadists in Syria who have been recruited, indoctrinated, and armed by world and regional powers for a victory-or-death war against Assad will never listen to the United Nations. So there is really nothing that the UN and Brahimi can do to stop the war in Syria. They are actually standing in the way of peace. They are prolonging the war by talking up a storm instead of committing to a definitive, honest, and realistic plan to end hostilities. The o... more »

what am i ?

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 9 hours ago
what am i to you ?

Affidavit of John Anthony Hill: The Fraudulent Coronation of Queen Elizabeth

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 9 hours ago
The Fraudulent Coronation of Queen Elizabeth

7/7 Ripple Effect

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 10 hours ago
Interesting videos on the British false flag terrorist event of July 7, 2005 that was not seen on American TV....

The Times bears down on the Christie machine!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 10 hours ago
*FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 2014* *A look at that recent report:* In Wednesday morning’s New York Times, Kate Zernike reported on the way the Christie political team— In truth, we aren’t entirely sure what she *did* report. To read her report, click here. In an earlier post, we chuckled at the way Zernike included detailed floor plans for the New Jersey State House. Beyond that, we’ll have to admit that her piece struck us a mouse that hadn’t roared. Others saw it differently. Chris Matthews frothed on Hardball that night. In a much more serious vein, Kevin Drum saw more than we did in Ze... more »

Disney on Ice is back in Salt Lake City March 5-9 2014

Debra Hawkins at Housewife Eclectic - 10 hours ago
I have been given tickets to Disney on Ice in exchange this post and subsequent giveaway. All opinions are 100% my own. I just got word that Disney on Ice is headed back to Salt Lake City in March with a brand new show. We are so excited to get to see Merida on ice skates, something my 5-year-old has been waiting for since Brave came out. The show, Rockin' Ever After will feature some of our favorite princess adventure stories. We have watch the Rockin' Ever After Video over and over again this morning. Jam to a Scottish jig as a group of royal contenders from the latest Disney•P... more »

"How It Really Is"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 10 hours ago

Local Council By-Elections January 2014

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 10 hours ago
Party Number of candidates Total vote % +/- Dec Average/ contest +/- Dec +/- Seats Conservative 9 3,812 25.2% +8.4% 423 +178 -4 Labour 8 4,935 32.6% +1.1% 617 +7 +1 LibDem 8 1,139 7.6% -1.6% 142 -49 +1 UKIP 7 1,960 12.9% -1.6% 280 +59 +1 SNP* 2 1,190 7.9% +2.1% 595 -245 0 Plaid Cymru** 0 -5.8% -393 Green 3 331 2.2% -0.7% 36 -71 0 BNP 0 -0.3% -41 TUSC 1 43 0.3% -0.9% 43 -6 0 Independent*** 3 1,679 11.1% -0.7% 560 -249 +1 O... more »

Classroom Video Camera Project Spending Millions to Extend Teacher and Student Surveillance, Part 2

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 10 hours ago
In Part 1 of this story, we shared how a little-known Gates Foundation grant pumped over $3 million into the Tennessee Department of Education to create a classroom video collection and sharing project, with video data and notes stored on a server owned by the camera company, *thereNow.net*. From talking with the camera project director, Courtney Seiler, the TDOE never had a plan for how children’s images would be protected. In fact, the TDOE left data security to each system to manage on its own, with varying results. For instance, Putnam County officials indicated that letters w... more »

The Economy: Gerald Celente: “We Are In A Global Depression”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 10 hours ago
*Gerald Celente: “We Are In A Global Depression”* By Live Free or Die “Gerald Celente comes right out and says it how it is; we are now in a global depression. While countless Americans believe that we are somehow still in a ‘recovery’, followers of alternative news understand that we are anything but ‘recovering’. This is a jam packed 11 minute video with Alex Jones and Gerald Celente that sugar coats nothing.” - http://beforeitsnews.com/

Piercing the Corporate Veil

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 11 hours ago
Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. v. 6470360 Canada Inc. (Energyshop Consulting Inc./Powerhouse Energy Management Inc.), 2014 ONCA 85: [43] I agree with Shoppers that the motions judge did not refer to *Fleischer*. *Fleischer* is the appropriate test to apply to piercing the corporate veil in Ontario. In*Fleischer*, Laskin J.A. stated that only exceptional cases that result in flagrant injustice warrant going behind the corporate veil. It can be pierced if those in control expressly direct a wrongful act to be done. At para. 68, he stated: Typically, the corporate veil is pierced w... more »

Income Inequity

Southern Man at Southern Man - 11 hours ago
There has been much wailing and moaning and gnashing of teeth of late about "income inequity" or the idea that some people having more money than others is a Very Bad Thing. Southern Man will now explain why income inequity is inevitable and why you shouldn't worry about it and why it is actually a Good Thing. Capitalism and free enterprise are the greatest engines of wealth that the world has ever seen. They are engines of wealth because they enable people to provide goods and services that other people want. And even in their highly regulated and overly taxed form here in the goo... more »

Online Media Caucus at the ISA: The Time Is Now-ish

Steve Saideman at Duck of Minerva - 11 hours ago
The events of the last week within the International Studies Association indicate that there is much ignorance about social media and its role in 21st century IR scholarship and teaching. On the bright side, the reactions to the ISA’s misguided proposal demonstrated that there is a vibrant community of scholars who rely on “web 2.0″ Continue reading

Russell Investments' chief economist found dead in Tacoma

        AMERICAN KABUKI at AMERICAN KABUKI - 11 hours ago
Mike Dueker - Chief Economist Russell Investments *Russell Investments' chief economist found dead in Tacoma* The Associated Press January 30, 2014 Updated 19 hours ago Russell Investments chief economist Mike Dueker was found dead Thursday, and police said it appeared he had taken his own life by jumping from a ramp near the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. An officer who knew Dueker was missing in the area spotted the body about 8:30 a.m. at the base of a 40- to 50-foot embankment for a state Route 16 ramp, Pierce County sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said. Dueker’s car was parked at nearb... more »

Arctic Bay Promo

Way Way Up at Fort McMurray Adventures - 11 hours ago
This post actually has nothing to do with Fort McMurray or even Alberta, but I felt compelled to do it anyway after seeing an amazing video promo of one of the communities in Nunavut where I was privileged to live prior to moving out here. It was created by InMotion, based out of Ottawa and posted on Facebook by Clare Kines, current Economic Development Officer in Arctic Bay. Truly a magical place. For me it was definitely a treat to see a professionally-done video about a place I woke up in almost every morning for 4 years. I instantly recognized the mountain I climbed a handf... more »

Guest Post From A Steve Israel Constituent

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 11 hours ago
There are no words to describe the contempt I feel after reading an op-ed by my Congressman, Steve Israel, entitled *The State of Our Middle Class*. How pretentious that the same man whose mortgage obligation was forgiven by "friendly" banksters would opine on the struggles of the middle class. People all across Long Island are struggling under the weight of upside down mortgages, and most could never get the sweetheart deal that Congressman Israel obtained. It is therefore rather shocking that Steve Israel is the current Congressman in our district. He and his second former wife ... more »

YANG'S LONG JAIL SENTENCE

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 12 hours ago
Professor Yang Yoon-Mo hits his 365th day in prison today (January 31). Tomorrow is his birthday. It is Yang's 4th imprisonment for trying to block Navy base destruction vehicles on Jeju Island. He still has about six more months on this jail sentence. During his previous times in jail Yang has undertaken hunger strikes that nearly killed him. He was a renowned professor and movie critic in South Korea and came back to his native Jeju to fight against the Navy base. An earlier interview with Yang, filmed before the Gangjeong villagers were removed from their sacred rocky coast,... more »

A STONES THROW FROM HELL

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 12 hours ago
Footage of what appears to be a group of cheering Afghans stoning a wreck of a Predator drone. The MQ-1 Predator drone is used extensively by the NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan for surveillance and to deliver airstrikes which frequently kill innocent civilians. Drone crashes are normally not reported by the Pentagon or the CIA, which operate them in countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen. Some transparency campaigners say the DoD is stonewalling their Freedom of Information requests for drone crash records. Yet such incidents happen fairly often, especially with the fl... more »

Sorry, not sorry kids, there's no free lunch

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 12 hours ago
There are some conservatives who would call this a teaching moment. One wonders what lesson they think they're teaching these children. Up to 40 kids at Uintah Elementary in Salt Lake City picked up their lunches Tuesday, then watched as the meals were taken and thrown away because of outstanding balances on their accounts — a move that shocked and angered parents. ason Olsen, a Salt Lake City District spokesman, said the district’s child-nutrition department became aware that Uintah had a large number of students who owed money for lunches. [...] As a result, the child-nutritio... more »

THE STATE OF THE UNION IS: Fatuous, sad!

bob somerby at the daily howler - 12 hours ago
*FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 2014* *Part 4—A celebrified Planet Bullshit:* “My fellow Americans, the state of the union is fatuous—celebrified, sad!” The president didn’t say it. It certainly would have been true if he had! Consider a rarely discussed historical fact: As many others have reported, John Kennedy was elected president in November 1960. In his iconic book about that campaign, Theodore White described the scene as Kennedy announced that he would be running. You can read the description on page 58. Senator Kennedy announced he was running on January 2—January 2 of 1960, the s... more »

Brooks Whigs Out

Karen Garcia at Sardonicky - 13 hours ago
(graphic by Kat Garcia) David Brooks, concerned that the president he frequently canoodles with is in "stately decline," has a solution. Barack Obama can battle Lame Duck Syndrome by appointing commissions made up of the Davos/Aspen Ideas Festival crowd to lay out the framework for his successor's agenda! Obama can become a Whig, and follow in the pragmatic footsteps of Lincoln! Never mind that Abe forsook Whiggery because of its regional factionalism and became a Republican. Brooks is counting on readers not to have boned up on any actual history. In the world of David Brooks, Ob... more »

Definition of irony - A Friday night Rule 5 lipstick lesbian post

Not a sheep at Not a sheep - 13 hours ago
I hear that one of the bands chosen to open the Winter Olympics in Sochi on February 7 may be t.A.T.u. Back in 2003 tATu and especially the video for their single 'All The Things She Said' were accused of promoting homosexuality among teenagers. This would seem to be somewhat contrary to Vladimir Putin's stance on homosexuality. Actually it seems that neither of the singers in t.A.T.u, Lena Katina (the red-head) or Yulia Volkova (the brunette), were in fact lesbians and that the video was just to garner them some attention, a tactic that really worked. Just in case you are too yo... more »

From all viewpoints, string theory is "just right" to go beyond QFT

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 13 hours ago
*From QM to QFT to ST* Tomorrow, the Physics Stack Exchange should experience a silent completion of a Holy Trinity. Users are given a golden "tag" badge when the answers by a single user to questions with a particular tag reach the score 1,000. I have just learned it has to be from at least 200 questions now. A third "tag" is waiting to join the elite club; it had the score 998 and 195 questions today. After the daily update, it should break through both thresholds, unless I am overlooking some other condition in which case I apologize for the wrong rumors in advance. ;-) For th... more »

Obama's Suicide Pact with the Death Worshippers of Capitalism

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 13 hours ago
It's time to drink your kool-aid or turn over the tub. We can't wait for our grandchildren to act, as they are being cognitively disabled to make resistance impossible. From Alternet: Are there any self-respecting environmental organizations out there that are still behind President Obama? After his State of the Union on Tuesday it's hard to imagine there could be. In his address, Obama proudly declared, "The 'all the above' energy strategy I announced a few years ago is working, and today America is closer to energy independence than we have been in decades." Based what we kno... more »

KIPP Teacher's Nude Photos Shared by Students

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 14 hours ago
Something that is not in the Doug Lemov miracle book of behaviors to make you a great teacher is the admonition to leave your phone home, at least the one with your nude pics. Perhaps this KIPP high school teacher did not have time to download her nudies to a personal phone after another evening of being on call to 10 PM. Anyway, the phone was on the desk, she was not in the room, and some KIPPster was not as KIPPnotized as he should have been. The results:

Of War and Murder

Len Hart at The Existentialist Cowboy - 14 hours ago
*by Len Hart, The Existentialist Cowboy* The following joke is attributed to Hermann Göring who was at the time on trial in Nuremberg, charged with conspiracy to commit crimes against peace; planning, initiating and waging wars of aggression; war-crimes; and crimes against humanity: One Englishman --an idiot; Two Englishmen --a club; Three Englishmen --an empire! One German --a scholar; Two Germans --an army; Three Germans --a war! A mere joke, in bad taste! But consider the source. It is also a simple, if simple-minded, analysis of data. It even hints at the science of emergent ... more »

VETERANS SPEAK ON PALESTINIAN ISSUE

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 14 hours ago
I went to our Veterans for Peace monthly meeting last night in Augusta. We made final plans for this exciting event tomorrow evening in nearby Brunswick. Two of my favorite activists in the US are coming to speak about their recent trip to Palestine. Tarak Kauff and Ellen Davidson (both from New York) are active members of Veterans for Peace and are really dedicated and fun people. They've been up to Maine before and we are glad to have them coming back again. Yonatan Shipira will be with us via Skype to report on his experiences in the Israeli occupation forces. If you can ma... more »

State of disunion for working "folks " - Obama offers the sheeple MyRA - just recall the Poland example "folks " ..... Most food stamp payments issued to working Americans for first time ....... speaking of food stamp programs , note another attempt to block transparency shot down by Federal Courts - -- A federal appeals court has ruled that the U.S. Department of Agriculture can’t use an exemption in the Freedom of Information Act to keep secret how much businesses receive annually for participating in the food stamp program.

Catharsis Ours - 15 hours ago
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-01-28/obama-introduces-myra-no-risk-guaranteed-return-retirement-savings-bond ( Does MyRA stand for " My Ripped Arse " ? Which would be the case if the Poland example comes into play ... ) [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Obama Introduces MyRA: The "No Risk, Guaranteed Return" Retirement Savings BondSubmitted by Tyler Durden on 01/28/2014 - 22:32 *"Today, most workers don’t have a pension. A Social Security check often isn’t enough on its own. And while the stock market has doubled over the last five years, that doesn’t help folks who don’t have 401... more »

The Prime Directive: Do Nothing

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 15 hours ago
When it comes to managing the Canadian economy, Tom Walkom writes, the Harper government's prime directive is do nothing and let the American economy drag us along. The strategy is nothing new: It is, in fact, a classic Canadian strategy. The Liberal government of Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin used it to great political effect during the downturn of the ’90s. But it requires the U.S. to play ball. The Americans, somehow, have to goose their own economy. The problem this time is that Barack Obama faces a House of Representatives who believe in the same mythology which infects the ... more »

Screaming Headlines, Old News: The Media Hype Over Iran Continues

Nima Shirazi at Wide Asleep in America - 15 hours ago
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014, before the Senate Intelligence Committee. (Photo Credit: AP Photo / Pablo Martinez Monsivais) On January 29, 2014, the Times of Israel published what seemed to be some truly alarming news. “Iran now has all the technical infrastructure to produce nuclear weapons should it make

Reduce GHGs or Increase Energy Access?

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Pielke, Jr.) at Roger Pielke Jr.'s Blog - 15 hours ago
At the Center for Global Development Todd Moss and Ben Leo have a provocative analysis up about an obscure but consequential decision facing the US Congress. It has to do with a little-known US government agency called the Overseas Private Investment Corporation. Moss and Leo explain: President Obama’s Power Africa initiative, launched in June 2013, aims to increase electricity generation and access to modern energy services in six low-income countries. The success or failure of this effort will be determined in large part by the investment decisions of a dozen or so US government ... more »

Racism Takes A Pivotal Role In Determining Republican Party Immigration Agenda, According To Lindsey Graham

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 15 hours ago
Matt Hildreth works for America's Voice and his tweet (above) about the GOP immigration dilemma went right to the point: are they the Party of Abe Lincoln, the Great Emancipator or the Party of Jeff Sessions, a KKK sympathizer. Yesterday, Ted Cruz (R-TX) warned House Republicans not to support the Republican leadership's plan for comprehensive immigration reform. He called their plan to give legal status to immigrants "amnesty," code among Republicans that the world is coming to an end. “I think it would be a mistake if House Republicans were to support amnesty for those here ille... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 15 hours ago
*Vitter likely to leer over state Legislature as he preps for 2015 governor’s race ~Tyler Bridges, The Lens* *Atlas Shrugging ~Library Chronicles * *Battle of the brands: A newspaper war in New Orleans ~Roger Yu, USA Today* *U.S. Catfish Farmers Emerge As Big Winners in 2014 Farm Bill ~Dan Flynn, Food Safety News *

Friday Nerd Blogging

Charli Carpenter at Duck of Minerva - 15 hours ago
May the bard be with you. See also “The Empire Striketh Back.”

Reason For Outrage On Sunday: Unpaid Super Bowl "Volunteers" Are Illegal

Donna Ballman at Screw You Guys, I'm Going Home - 16 hours ago
The NFL will have an estimated 13,500 "volunteers" working at the Super Bowl. The NFL just announced that 1500 of these "volunteers" will now be paid. The rest will have to sign waivers agreeing not to sue, not to participate in a class action suit, and to arbitrate if they do sue. Since when is the NFL a not-for-profit agency? Am I missing something? There's no such thing as an unpaid volunteer working for a for-profit company. Period. Ask Major League Baseball, which is now defending against a class action suit for all the "volunteers" it had working without pay at for profit eve... more »

War Watch January 31 , 2014 - US trying to push every button to get Karzai to sign that BSA ( Hagel blasts Karzai , meanwhile Afghanistan not trustworthy with US Aid audit made public ) ...... Iraq daily death dealing not a shocker , Justice Department allegations that US and Kuwaiti contractors gave US soldiers unsanitized ice from temporary morgue trailers is shocking ..... Syria sees foreeign fighters getting on the ground training in Syria - and then they will go home , US grouses over slow speed of Syria chemical weapon disposal - how could syria security concerns being unfounded as shipping of the chemical weapons has to occur from the port of Latakia - deep within rebel held territory ( and note the Rbels have already hit Syria chemical arms sites twice since the disposal program commenced ) ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 16 hours ago
Afghanistan...... Hagel: Afghans Must Stop ‘Foot-Dragging’ on Troop DealClaims Karzai's Position 'Changes Constantly' by Jason Ditz, January 30, 2014 Print This | Share This Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel expressed growing frustration about the Karzai government’s refusal to sign the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), saying they “can’t just keep deferring and deferring” because it’s screwing up Pentagon plans. The BSA would keep US troops in Afghanistan “through 2024 and beyond,” and US officials have repeatedly demanded President Hamid Karzai sign the pact, though he has insi... more »

War watch January 29 , 2014 - Obama's " State Of Disunion " rambler certainly reflects US Foreign Policy ..... US secret funding of Syria Rebels threats to derail Geneva 2 Talks , Homs remains under siege as humanitarian aid isn't worked out , Aleppo coming into play for Syria government forces - taking Aleppo would be the end of the War as presently constructed ........ Blowback for Saudi Arabia's intrusions against Syria and Iran could be coming - Iran, Iraq Plan Challenge to Saudi Control Over Oil Market Nations Plan to 'Flood the Market' With Increased Oil Production , Iran plays ball with Un inspectors while looking to improve ties with the UK , Iran sanction Bill stalled in Senate..........Senators: US Should ‘Drop’ Karzai Hope His Successor More Amenable to Occupation ....... Talks Now an Afterthought, Pakistan Taliban Clash Looms ....... Iraq sees another day of countrywide death dealing , Kurds playing hardball against PM Maliki , Syria War impacting Iraqi oilfields and pipelines.....

Catharsis Ours - 16 hours ago
State Of Disunion - Foreign Policy Version ..... http://news.antiwar.com/2014/01/28/obamas-muddled-foreign-policy-message-buried-in-state-of-the-union/ Obama’s Muddled Foreign Policy Message Buried in State of the UnionLittle Content and a Lot of Recycled Rhetoric by Jason Ditz, January 28, 2014 Print This | Share This A rambling, 80+ minute State of the Union Address tonight gave President Obama an opportunity to lay out his foreign policy positions, but 60 minutes into the talk he hadn’t touched the matter at all. When he finally did, what followed was a confusing muddle of claims o... more »

Don't want to see more snow

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 17 hours ago

Bad Egg

sue at Is the BBC biased? - 17 hours ago
Isn’t it odd that the BBC lags behind events in oh so many ways? When something they find distasteful comes along they drag their feet until they simply can’t ignore the elephant pounding on the door. This time it was the black egg over on Channel 4. I rarely watch Channel 4 news because of the obvious political bias of Jon Snow. He really can be a disgrace, as Richard Millett will testify. But via Harry’s Place (I know) I was urged to watch the episode of Channel Four News that was aired on the 28th. It was broadcast before the Newsnight edition I mentioned here. That probably exp... more »

Non Partisan Senators

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 17 hours ago
The dramatic announcement of Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader that Senators formerly sitting as Liberals will no longer be a formal caucus has shaken up Canada's political landscape. Some ask how can the Senate function without political parties. What about the concept of the Government and the Opposition? Surely this is essential to a Westminster style legislative body? Well, no - a parliamentary system can work without political parties. Indeed one of Canada's legislatures is explicitly not party based. And more, historically the Canadian Senate is probably better structured wi... more »

An Econ Conference for Undergrads

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 17 hours ago
In April in Washington, DC.

Meditation Alters Genes: Mind over Matter

D ... Breaking The Silence at Removing The Shackles - 17 hours ago
Mind over Matter? It does work- I have practiced this myself many many times in the past. As conscious BEings, we are the creators of ourselves. More and more studies have shown that sound, thoughts and emotions are all frequencies and vibrations. If you apply this simple understanding to your own health, you can positively effect your body. Where you pay your energy is where you are directing your energy. Do you wake up in the morning and complain? Do you worry about your sore knee? Your headache? Your teeth? Or do you say to yourself "I am happy and healthy!" Both options ... more »

Why Are Banking Executives In London Killing Themselves?

urupiper at Yesterday 's Lies - 17 hours ago
[image: The Economic Collapse] The Economic Collapse By Michael Snyder, on January 28th, 2014 [image: JPMorgan Tower In London - Photo by Danesman1]Bankers committing suicide by jumping from the rooftops of their own banks is something that we think of when we think of the Great Depression. Well, it just happened in London, England. A vice president at JPMorgan's European headquarters in London plunged to his death after jumping from the top of the 33rd floor. He fell more than 500 feet, and it is being reported by an eyewitness that "there was quite a lot of blood". This comes on... more »

Busy with the fizzy

sue at Is the BBC biased? - 18 hours ago
As this is a blog (primarily) about the BBC, I’d better stick to the way the BBC has been reporting the Scarlett Johansson business. Naturally I think she’s fantastic. A celebrity role model who is sticking to a principle, and a good one. But the way the BBC is reporting it is odd. In some ways it’s balanced because for once they have aired the Israeli argument, but - as if they were afraid of being criticised for doing so - they’ve sought out the opposition in an almost gratuitous way. I would argue that it’s gratuitous because that particular position has been adequately covered ... more »

Where the Hell is Matt? Dance Around The World Video

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 18 hours ago
*Published on Jun 20, 2012* Put # and then your city and country/state in your comment so I know where you're from. #Seattle, Washington Download the video to your computer/tablet/phone: http://store.wherethehellismatt.com/ Wanna dance with me in in your town? Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/9h7qzss Twitter: https://twitter.com/WhereTheHIsMatt "Trip the Light" on iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/772ot8k Vocals by Alicia Lemke of Alice and the Glass Lake www.aliceandtheglasslake.com *Lyrics:* www.wherethehellismatt.com/about/faq#tri­plyrics The dancers in Syria are blurred for their s... more »

Co-Imagineering our ONEderful New FREEality

D ... Breaking The Silence at Removing The Shackles - 18 hours ago
A question asked. It is one that each person must weigh and evaluate and decide for themselves. | For the greater good? or for the GREATER Good. It's a tough one.... Thank you Pete. http://peoplestrustsaskatoon.blogspot.ca/2014/01/lets-co-imagineer-our-onedeful-new.html LET"S CO-IMAGINEER our ONEdeful New FREEality * There are many many distractions thrown at us. Why is this? Maybe it is known that these distractions can delay change indefinitely? I doubt that very much as the positive vibrational frequency just keeps building and is not going to stop! Or will it?* * Are we... more »

The Wisdom Of Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov - Light

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 18 hours ago
*Daily Meditation: Friday, January 31, 2014 * *Light - springs to mind when we meet a true sage "In certain people’s presence, when you see the expression on their face, how they look at you, and feel everything they radiate, the word that immediately springs to mind is ‘light’. As if they were able to distil an imponderable substance in their heart and soul and then project it out in the form of light. Or as if they had captured something of the light diffused in space and had condensed it within them. Their whole body seems made of a translucent substance within which a flam... more »

Belated Cheers For the Demise of "Free Dominion"

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 18 hours ago
Internet discussion boards appear to be dying. But the rumours of "Free Dominion's" death* have nothing to do with sociological trends. Like many a right-wing boor, some person or persons on the site slandered and libeled an actual person and thought it was protected free speech. Here's a (too late) legal tip: If you actually believe what you're writing about someone, then it's libel. To whit: If you really think someone is a terrorist sympathizer, and you say that someone is a terrorist sympathizer on a public forum, you can't turn around later and say you were exaggerating for eff... more »

Greg Hunter, “Weekly News Wrap-Up 1.31.14”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 20 hours ago
*“Weekly News Wrap-Up 1.31.14”* By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com “Let’s go back to the Middle East for the top stories. The Syrian peace talks have gone nowhere. Absolutely nothing has been accomplished from the U.S. perspective. They have failed and the best thing you can hope for is another round of talks. The Syrians and the Assad regime, on the other hand, look to be the big winners. They claimed to be destroying their chemical weapon stockpile but are way behind schedule and have only come up with a little more than 4% of their stockpile. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel is c... more »

HOT SEX IN SWEDEN

Anon at aangirfan - 20 hours ago
* King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden (top left).* The Danish tabloid *Se og Hør* posted an article on its website speculating that Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf was a suspect in the investigation of the 23 January 2014 murder of reputed Stockholm underworld kingpin Mille Markovic. Danish tabloid fingers Sweden's king as a murder suspect *Markovic* *Milo 'Mille' Markovic* was a Serbian-Swedish gangster and 'porn club king'. Markovic claimed he had photos of *Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf* in compromising sexual situations with naked strippers. On 23 January 2014, Markovic was shot de... more »

Leader of the Free World

Paul Coker at News Spike - 20 hours ago
*Like a good, hardworking Southern Baptist, President Carter apparently didn't have time for something so silly as turkey pardoning, and so staffed it out to Roselyn, thereby completing her hat-trick of dubious photo-ops, alongside Jim Jones and John Wayne Gacy.* *Arguably, this is an impeachable abuse of power - but only if you believe that turkeys are subject to the Man's Law, and can be indicted for anything other than having been born naturally tasty and delicious.* *Baptists, it seems, are not big on Original Sin.*

Ukraine and How the West Treats Comparable Events in Satellite and Non-Satellite Countries Differently - by Stephen Gowan

Paul Coker at News Spike - 21 hours ago
The uprising in Ukraine represents a struggle between the West and Russia to integrate Ukraine economically, and, ultimately, militarily, into their respective orbits. I take no side in the struggle. All the same, each side wants me, and you, to take sides. Since I live in the West, and have greater exposure to the pronouncements of people of state in the West, and to the Western mass media than I do to their Russian counterparts, I’ll concentrate herein on analyzing Western efforts to shape public opinion to support the Western side of the struggle. *First, a few points by way of... more »

Untitled

JR at GREENIE WATCH - 21 hours ago
*Tropical cyclone frequency falls to centuries-low in Australia * *In America big wind events have been unusually rare in recent years. Warmists call them "extreme weather" and pretend that they are MORE frequent and also in some way "proof" of global warming. Skeptics simply point to the statistics. So it is interesting that in far-away Australia we have exactly the same situation -- including a proclamation that the unusual rarity of these rare events "proves" global warming. Hurricanes and cyclones prove global warming and the absence of hurricanes and cyclones also proves ... more »

Supporting "Green" Through Our Purchases

Small Footprints at Reduce Footprints - 23 hours ago
[image: Supporting "Green" Through Our Purchases] The most Eco-friendly purchase is, of course, no purchase at all. But sometimes we need stuff and when we do, it's important to research products and buy from companies who make an effort to minimize their impact on the environment. Supporting such companies sends a clear message that we insist on products which don't harm the earth through their manufacture, use, or disposal. Sounds easy enough, right? Unfortunately, it's not. Living green has become a trend; consequently, advertisers want to capitalize on our desire to live a more... more »

Cornered Rat and Pathological Liar Clapper Cries Wolf

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
Coming on the heels of the all hype and little substance State of the Union Address in which President Barack Obama once again established himself as the nation’s preeminent bullshit artist we were all today offered up the theater of the absurd of a seasoned liar engaged in standard fear-mongering. Obama may have been devoid of shame when he cynically trotted out wounded Army Ranger Cory Remsburg to a thunderous roar of bipartisan support for the perpetual warfare state but as has always been the case for our fine Director of National Intelligence James Clapper he is in a league of... more »

Shameless: NSA Data Mining Includes Angry Birds

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
Nothing is sacred to the NSA Stasi and their Norsefire partners across the pond at GCHQ. In yet another of those very embarrassing revelations that have generated perverse fantasies among the guilty of the murder of former government contractor turned NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden the ravenous security state monster is also conducting data-mining operations on cell phone apps including the extremely popular Angry Birds game series. In a collaborative effort by *The Guardian,* The *New York Times* and *Pro Publica *it was revealed that the Anglo-American surveillance machine ha... more »

Bush Era Goons Issue Open Letter to Decry RNC's NSA Resolution

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
Remember, remember the eleventh of September. That is the message being delivered by Bush era thugs in an open letter to RNC Chairman Reince Preibus over Friday’s daring “Resolution To Renounce The National Security Agency’s Surveillance Program”. The letter invokes nearly every bullshit talking point that Americans were fed after the September 11, 2001 attacks that were then seized upon by corrupt politicians and bureaucrats (including the signatories) and used to launch two ruinous Middle East wars and redistribute billions of dollars of taxpayer money into the national securi... more »

Fanatical Peter King Explodes over Republican NSA Resolution

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
Predictably the RNC’s resolution to restrain the unconstitutional activities of the NSA has already met with fierce resistance from one of the more deranged defenders of the fascist security state. Representative Peter King of Long Island (as well as the terrorist Irish Republican Army) exploded over the brand new “Resolution To Renounce The National Security Agency’s Surveillance Program” before the ink had even had time to dry. For a very brief time the first step upward out of the gigantic hole that has been dug for the Republican party by the likes of George W. Bush, Karl Rove... more »

If Serious, Republican Interest in Curtailing NSA is a Winner

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
Let us assume just for the sake of argument that the Republican party’s sudden interest in protecting the privacy of Americans isn’t just a political gimmick. This is after all a political party that has time and again showed that they would be willing to sell their own grandmothers and any serious proposal that comes from this entity should be viewed with extreme skepticism. But the demographics are rapidly changing and the pandering to racists, religious fanatics, cranks and outright idiots is increasingly becoming not only a recipe for losing elections but for becoming a shrink... more »

Coming to America? Ukraine Burns as Crackdown Looms

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
In an ominous sign of what will soon be coming to America the Ukranian government has begun targeting protesters through the tracking of cellphone metadata. The ongoing unrest that was sparked by President Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to reject overtures by the European Union to enter into a trade pact in favor of a rapprochement with mother Russia continues to rage in the streets of Kiev with no end in sight. The pictures and video that are put out show a surreal and twisted winter wonderland scene of fire, paramilitary riot police forces in the traditional Darth Vader regalia i... more »

Return of “the Decider” - Obama Disagrees With Privacy Board Report

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
Former U.S. President George W. Bush was widely mocked for his now infamous utterance in the course of defending Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld - *"I'm the decider, and I decide what's best"*. Bush passed into history as one of the least popular and disastrous leaders in American history but now his once immensely popular successor, Barack Obama is giving the man a run for his money. Obviously more than a bit miffed over Thursday’s bombshell report by the report released by the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board rebutting Obama’s ongoing defense of the indefensible... more »

After Obama’s Big Speech NSA Programs are Still Illegal

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
The latest blow to the ongoing national disgrace of unconstitutional mass surveillance that is being conducted with zero oversight by the NSA came Thursday morning. The government’s own Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board released a report that confirms what any rational, thinking American who is not in the bag for big surveillance already knew: that the NSA programs to collect phone metadata are illegal. Not that this is a big deal to President Barack Obama who is still riding high after basically telling everyone to go to hell in his overly hyped speech last Friday at th... more »

Blowhard Mike Rogers Can’t Back Up Russian Spy Charges

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
With the Sunday morning appearance of the two members of Congress that are the most derelict of their official duties to uphold and protect the Constitution Mike Rogers and Dianne Feinstein both accusing Edward Snowden of essentially being a Russian spy the system continues to fail. Despite these serious allegations, more likely than anything the part of a rapidly growing narrative to paint the former government contractor turned NSA whistleblower as an enemy of the state there has been absolutely no effort from the state-corporate media to confront either of the two NSA toadies f... more »

Obama's Dilemma: How to Best Kill Snowden

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
Barack Obama has a problem, with his heralded Friday announcement of NSA "reforms" being just the latest bill of goods foisted off on a doomed public by a professional con artist it should now be crystal clear that there will be no attempts to reign in the American Stasi. What Obama now has to do is to find an acceptable way to eliminate the source of the surveillance state's problems which is of course former government contractor turned whistleblower Edward Snowden from the equation. Barry's dilemma is that with Snowden continuing to receive public support - including what is li... more »

Princeton Snob Sean Wilentz's Epic Snowden-Greenwald-Assange Hit Piece

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
The establishment is bringing in the big guns to escalate the propaganda war on former government contractor turned NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. In a massive hit piece just published by liberal establishment magazine The New Republic Princeton historian and writer Sean Wilentz empties the dirty trick bag in a deranged and rambling knee-capping. In addition to Snowden - who is likely rising to the top of Obama’s kill list after El Presidente nixed NSA reforms on Friday –the author also delivers shots to journalist Glenn Greenwald as well as Wikileaks’ Julian Assange. I must a... more »

Obama Will Reform NSA Just Like He Closed Gitmo

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
The fix has always been in on any meaningful accountability or reform for the NSA under the Obama regime and Sunday morning’s state media propaganda forums indicate just how powerless that the American people truly are. Appearing on NBC’s Press the Meat were the NSA Stasi’s two biggest cheerleaders, apple pie authoritarian House Intelligence Committee capo Mike Rogers and Senate Intelligence Committee boss Dianne Feinstein. Both of whom are an ongoing disgrace to any concept of a free country as well as two serial violators of their oaths to uphold the Constitution and they gushed... more »

Chump Change: Obama’s NSA “Reforms”

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
Not that this is exactly earth-shattering news but El Presidente of *The Homeland*, commander of the U.S. killer drone fleet and overlord of the U.S. Stasi unconstitutional surveillance programs just pissed down the backs of all Americans today and told them that it was raining. The much hyped speech today on the NSA gathering of metadata on the phone calls of millions of law-abiding American citizens was delivered in the grand hall of the Department of Injustice and the bullshit artist in chief delivered a masterpiece of spin, obfuscation and long stale talking points as he doubl... more »

DISHFIRE Revelations are Opening Act to Obama’s Big NSA "Reforms" Announcement

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
In the ballyhooed lead up to dear leader’s Friday speech in which he will outline NSA “reforms” in an effort to begin to put a coat of fresh whitewash on the rampant unconstitutionality of surveillance programs run amok the latest revelation of snooping broke today. Not that anyone should be the least bit surprised given what has already been exposed in terms of the American Stasi’s frenzied spree of collecting the metadata, emails, browsing habits, purchasing histories, political views and everything outside of what Orwell referred to as those *“few cubic centimetres inside your ... more »

The Al Qaeda Switchboard: Did CIA Obstruction of Justice Enable 9/11 Attacks?

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
The arguments being presented by the defenders of the NSA Stasi’s metadata harvesting efforts, in particular federal judge William Pauley whose post-Christmas ruling erected a firewall for the activities of the unconstitutional fascist surveillance state should be carefully scrutinized. A recent article in *The New Yorker *entitled “The Al Qaeda Switchboard” poses some critical questions for arguments made to justify the intrusions on the telephone data of tens of millions of law abiding Americans. The story which was written by the Pulitzer Prize winning Lawrence Wright who wrote... more »

Financial Times Predicts Bright Future for Libertarians

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
An article in the online version of the Financial Times, “The tide is rising for America’s libertarians” by Edward Luce provides some valuable insight in that younger Americans, coming of age in the era of the abject failure of big government to do anything but subsidize Wall Street casinos, wage war and spy on everyone are turning away from the corrupt two party system. The system, now past any reasonable expectation of ever being fixed and getting worse by the minute cannot be fixed and while things are bleak for those of us who are currently entrapped by it the future belongs to... more »

Forked-Tongue McCain Calls for Congressional Investigation of NSA

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
Surfacing again on the Sunday morning state propaganda circuit, blood-thirsty Arizona Senator John McCain, the politician best loved by the corrupt media made an appearance where he routinely calls for U.S. military action. On CNN's State of the Union with Candy Crowley 'flipper' shockingly commented that there has been "overreach" by the NSA and suggested that a select committee be formed for Congress to investigate the agency. It was a rare moment of rationality for *"bomb, bomb Iran"* McCain and should be taken with the necessary grain of salt. Firstly, any sort of select commi... more »

Citing Secret Report Fascist Rogers Claims Snowden Aided Terrorists

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
In the manner befitting the defenders of the NSA mass surveillance programs House Intelligence Committee head Mike Rogers has now accused former government contractor turned NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden of putting our blessed troops in danger. Rogers and his crony Congressman Dutch Reppersberger (D-Md) whose district just happens to contain Fort Meade where the the American Stasi headquarters are located used a secret Pentagon report to back their latest media crusade against reforming the fascist spying colossus. Not only are they accusing Snowden of putting our heroic imper... more »

Chris Christie's Colossal Abuse of Power

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
Watching the presidential hopes of anointed Republican savior Chris Christie go up in flames like the Hindenburg, another gas giant that met an untimely demise in New Jersey is a well needed bit of comic relief along the daily path to the great collapse. The New Jersey Governor, long a favorite of the corrupt GOP establishment of the Karl Rove wing of the party has been brought low by the very trait that so endeared him to so many, his arrogant, sarcastic, bullying way of doing business. He enraged the so-called tea party wing with his appearances with Barack Obama last fall prior... more »

Back to Fallujah

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
The famous warning by George Santayana that *"those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it"* is like pearls cast before swine in the land of the permanent war that is the Homeland circa 2014. With the reverberations from former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ sucker punch to the solar plexus of former boss Barack Obama now in their second full day the dogs of war are howling and their keening pitch is that of Fallujah. This is the Iraqi city that was descended upon by American forces in spring of 2004 after the brutal ambush, murder and hanging of the mutilated... more »

Media Hypes Pissing Contest Between War Criminals

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
Like the vast majority of well known former government officials Robert Gates, the Secretary of Defense for both Bush Jr. and Obama has capitalized on his gig to write a tell all book and the early excerpts have elicited a near orgasmic response from the punditry. Gates book, "Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War" firmly embeds the hatchet between the shoulder blades of the narcissist in chief and the knives are out in a media attracted to sensationalist sleaze, tabloid tales and best of all political back biting. Not that Obama doesn't have it coming, his administration's contempt ... more »

The Hypocrisy of Obama's MSNBC Water Carriers

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
Seldom discussed as a propaganda organ that is in its own right every bit the equal of Fox News MSNBC plumbs the depths of political discourse in providing a constant forum of dishonesty and hypocrisy. The network, which is owned by GE, one of the largest defense contractors of the U.S. military industrial complex regularly shills for more war albeit wrapped up in the bright shining lie of a package of humanitarian interventions. The resulting dead from the collateral damage of wars of aggression or missions of ‘mercy’ are no different and the profits reaped by GE remain constant.... more »

Insane Demagogue Peter King Goes the Full McCarthy

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
*"**"If we listened to Rand Paul hundreds of New Yorkers would be dead today"* *- Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King (R-IRA)* When it comes to screwing America there are few more guilty than New York’s 2nd Congressional District that continues to return the psychotic bigot Peter King (R-IRA) to his overly prominent position as the craziest bastard in the U.S. Congress. The one thing with King is that he never ceases to amaze with his uncanny ability to one up his latest asinine proclamation with yet another that is even more batshit crazy than the one befor. After an ... more »

Big Sister Napolitano is the Latest Ghoul to Defend NSA Stasi

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
With the massive establishment counteroffensive against efforts to bring the American Stasi under control it was a virtual certainty that this week's Sunday morning state media propaganda shows would feature a veritable parade of Nazis to smear the New York Times, the ACLU, federal Judge Richard Leon and of course former government contractor turned NSA leaker Edward Snowden. You know that it is all hands on deck when none other than Big Sister herself, former Department of Homeland Security head Janet Napolitano appeared on Meet the Press very appropriately via telescreen. Napoli... more »

A Monolithic and Ruthless Conspiracy: Main Core and PROMIS

Donn Marten at Carrying a Flag - 23 hours ago
*“Over the last two weeks I have encountered just such an apocalyptic situation, where I and the Department of Justice have been asked to be part of something that is fundamentally wrong.”(Excerpt from Deputy Attorney General James Comey’s draft letter of resignation to President Bush, dated March 16, 2004, which Comey did not in the end send.)"Nothing was your own except the few cubic centimetres inside your skull"(George Orwell: 1984)* *I: Main Core and PROMIS* Suppose that the United States Government, or more likely an unaccountable privatized intelligence colossus empowe... more »

India's Corrupt, Dysfunctional Politics Comes To California

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
The first time I got to India, in 1969, I went the hard way-- overland in a VW van from Europe. What a trip, and I stayed in India, Nepal, Ceylon and Pakistan for two years. Over the years, I've been back many times, most recently over the Christmas holidays in 2012. And in the last decade, every time I went, there was some kind of election involving a fascist Indian politician, Narendra Modi, head of India's far right Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which, in the right-wing constellation, is as more akin to the Nazi Party than the Republican Party. Imagine Paul Ryan's economic agend... more »

Kaya Henderson Implicated in Rhee Cheating Scandal that Will Not Die

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
*From CBS WASHINGTON* — An elementary school principal’s claim that she saw teachers erasing answers on students’ test sheets had reached District of Columbia Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson’s desk within 24 hours of the alleged incident in late 2010, according to emails obtained by The Associated Press through a public records request. Henderson was notified about the alleged cheating by two officials with the Washington Teachers’ Union, the emails show. However, school system officials did little to investigate the specific claims and never interviewed the principal about them, ... more »

After Supporting Al-Qaeda Terrorism Against The Egyptian State, Al Jazeera Gets A Strong Response

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 1 day ago
Al Jazeera Journalists Face Egypt Terror Charges: Cairo charges journalists with aiding 'terrorists'. Source: JewishNewsOne. Date Published: January 30. Guess who is not in favoring of Al Jazeera facing strict justice for their support for Al-Qaeda terrorism and their crimes against the Egyptian people, nation, and state? None other than John Insane McCain, *the nutjob who posed with Al-Qaeda terrorists in Syria last year*. Whatever John Insane McCain is against, it means it is good. Whatever he is for, it means it is bad. So it is a good thing that the Egyptian people and state... more »

Fukushima Daiichi is Steaming Pink Today

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 1 day ago
I was too busy today to watch the cams much but at 5:15 p.m. US west coast time I saw what looked like an earthquake on the TEPCO cam, followed by a pink haze surrounding the plant, which was then followed by the cam going down. TEPCO cam remained down even when I tried a new browser. I had to leave and just got back to my computer 2 hours later. The site still looks very strange, pink, and pixilated. The TEPCO cam looks like it is failing, but the TBS cam has the same quality of shimmering waves of pixilation as visible on the TEPCO cam. Something at the site itself may be produci... more »

Friday Afternoon Ramble: The State of Disunion Edition

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 1 day ago
America, and half of what was once the free world, shut down last night to listen to a bloke talk nonsense. “… I used to fume and fume about our latter-day Speech from the Throne, but lately I’m no longer sure it’s worth the bother. For the speech to be worth getting worked up about, somebody would have to be listening.” *The State of the Union Is…Irrelevant* – Gene Healy, CATO AT LIBERTY “President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday wasn’t what I wanted to hear. This is what the president should have said.” *Re-state of the Union: What Obama Should Have Said* – Jo... more »

Natural Gas Prices

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 1 day ago
They can no longer be natural. Put on the tinfoil if you must, but those safe behind the waves of reality distortion see what was once an option now has become a must.

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 1 day ago
*Louisiana-Army Corps agreement to provide new money for coastal restoration projects ~Mark Schleifstein*

Hey, sports fans, it's raining phony 100s in Super Bowl City!

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
*Plus: "Mullah John Smith" update* *No, this isn't the alert for the current wave of phony $100 bills flooding Super Bowl City. Still, I think it conveys the general spirit of the current excitement in the Big Apple.* *by Ken* Here in the Big Apple some of us are in the grip of Super Bowl XLVIII Mania. Or I should probably say "here in the Greater NY-NJ Metropolitan Area," since the NJ folk are touchy about being preempted by the Big Apple, what with the game being played in their state -- in East Rutherford's MetLife Stadium, the home of the, er, New York Giants and New York Jets... more »

How Do You Change a Policy That Doesn’t Exist?: the combat exclusion one year later

Megan MacKenzie at Duck of Minerva - 1 day ago
Despite numerous calls to ‘Let Women Fight’, internal reviews of the policy, and growing evidence of women’s contributions to operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the January 2013 announcement that the combat exclusion would be removed was not entirely expected. For years leading up to the announcement, Congress and the Department of Defense had justified the Continue reading

WATCH VIDEO: EMPLOYEES EXPERIENCE OBAMACARE STICKER SHOCK

Mark Daniels at Global Political Awakening - 1 day ago
[image: Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...] A news station visited a local Pennsylvania small business which showed the devastating impact of Obamacare. One employee said, “they call it the affordable health plan? There is nothing affordable about it … wake up America. This is not acceptable.” Watch below: Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter: Delivered by FeedBurner Be the Change! Share this using the tools below.

False Flag alert ! Intelligence reports say there is a threat of a terrorist attack on US soil by an Al-Qaida-linked group based in Syria. But despite the Mideast country increasingly resembling a haven for terrorists, the US is still not convinced it wants to deal with the government. James Clapper should have been fired for perjury before our spineless Congress - anyone who trust him or believes a word from his lips is a fool ! But assume the intel has merit - why did Congress just secretly approve providing more weapons to Rebels who will promptly have them seized by the much stronger and aggressive Al Qaeda elements in Syria ?

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
US intel fear attack on American soil, while Syria spirals out of control Published time: January 30, 2014 14:45 Edited time: January 30, 2014 16:30 Get short URL [image: U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)] U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst) Share on tumblr Tags Arms, Conflict, Opposition, Politics, War Intelligence reports say there is a threat of a terrorist attack on US soil by an Al-Qaida-linked group based in Syria. But despite the Mideast country increasingly resembling a haven for terrorists, t... more »

330 US drone strikes in Pakistan recorded in Leaked official document - simply amazing ! Key takeaways -- The Bureau is today publishing a leaked official document that records details of over 300 drone strikes, including their locations and an assessment of how many people died in each incident. The document is the fullest official record of drone strikes in Pakistan to have yet been published. It provides rare insight into what the government understands about the campaign. It also provides details about exactly when and where strikes took place, often including the names of homeowners. These details can be valuable to researchers attempting to verify eyewitness reports – and are often not reported elsewhere. But interestingly, the document stops recording civilian casualties after 2008, even omitting details of well-documented civilian deaths and those that have been acknowledged by the government.

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
330 US drone strikes in Pakistan recorded in Leaked official document By Juan Cole | Jan. 30, 2014 | 2 - 0 - Retweet4 - 22 - Google +10 (By Alice K. Ross) The Bureau is today publishing a leaked official document that records details of over 300 drone strikes, including their locations and an assessment of how many people died in each incident. The document is the fullest official record of drone strikes in Pakistan to have yet been published. It provides rare insight into what the government understands about the campaign. It also provides details about exactly when a... more »

Mohawk Nation News 'Just-In Time'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 day ago
JUST-IN TIME Mohawk Nation News Posted on January 30, 2014 MNN. Jan. 31, 2014. It was May 1979 when a silver limousine pulled up beside my daughters and I on Wellington Street in, Ottawa, by the Parliament Buildings. A man in the back seat motioned me to roll down my window. It was Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. He told me he would call me the next day. I thought nothing more of it. I 

Mohawk Nation News 'Steering the Revolution'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 1 day ago
STEERING THE REVOLUTION Posted on January 29, 2014 Mohawk Nation News MNN. Jan. 29, 2014. Canada and the true globalists are trying to steal the agenda through “Idle No More Inc.” When Idle No More incorporated, it became registered as a sub-corporation within the rules of the Corporation of Canada. Idle No More Inc. is not grassroots, grassroots don’t have millions of dollars to set up

The only education policy consideration that matters.

Chris Cerrone at @ THE CHALK FACE - 1 day ago
Every decision in education, whether it be made by: A classroom teacher, a principal, a district administrator, state or federal officials, corporate leaders or philanthropists, should apply the following consideration: “Would you want your own child to learn under this policy?” Connect with Chris Cerrone on twitter: @Stoptesting15 Filed under: CHRIS CERRONE: The "Parentucator"

MyRA hyping begins......Treasury Secretary follows up with speech to hype President Obama's State of the Union Executive Action MyRa scheme ..... short answer as to what's in this for the average Joe and Jane - not much !

Fred Walton at Catharsis Ours - 1 day ago
The MyRA Propaganda Begins: "A Start To A Secure Retirement" Promises Treasury Secretary [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 01/30/2014 13:38 -0500 - Barack Obama - Federal Deficit - None - Obama Administration - Recession - recovery - Student Loans - Treasury Department inShare2 You didn't think the US could at first slowly, and then all of a sudden, expropriate retirement accounts and invest them in the "*no risk, guaranteed return*" MyRA Ponzi scheme introduced by Obama during the State of the Union address without... more »

Sex: What Our Genes Have to Say

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 1 day ago
*Guest post by Doug Hornig, from the **Casey Daily Dispatch* Human sexuality. It's complex and the subject of never-ending debate within our society. Could genetics help shed some light on the issue? Turns out, yes. Specifically, it has something to say about what our "natural" pattern of mating behaviour might be. Yes, I put "natural" in quotes because there probably is no such thing. Given human cultural variability, any kind of generalizing is about as useful as classifying flowers by stalk length. But there are a few things of which we are certain. First of all, humans are ... more »

"How It Really Is, And Always Will Be"

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago

First Step: Republicans Win Food Stamp War - Nation Dies (Your Representatives Just Gave Your Winter Food Money To 'Thugs - Diaper Dave Vitter At the Helm) Thug Rule In NC Deepens? (SOTU Farce Called)

I will organize and vote against any politician who votes to hurt those at the bottom of the wealth pyramid, and especially against those who vote to cut food stamps, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. And you should too. After all, that's the only way to counter the malicious damage being done to our country by the TeaThugs. BREAKING: Conservative Dems Work With Republicans To Cut

Al Qaeda groups in Syria want to attack US ?

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 1 day ago
*As I read this headline- the first thought that comes to mind is ‘wow the US just never gives up” on pushing the ‘terror’ meme!But then it serves them so dam well?Recall I had mentioned so many months back about that changing narrative? From arab spring to fighting terrorIf AQ is in Syria and it want’s to attack the US... does this mean the US with it’s NATO subordinates will just have to intervene?* *If AQ is in Syria, why is it the US just keeps sending arms that way?* *Clapper is ‘flapping his lips’ for some reason. * Syrian al-Qaeda-linked groups want to attack the United Stat... more »

“A Glimpse into the Coming Economic Collapse”

noreply@blogger.com (CoyotePrime) at Running 'Cause I Can't Fly - 1 day ago
*“A Glimpse into the Coming Economic Collapse”* By Jeff Thomas “Beginning in 1999, we predicted a systemic economic collapse that would take place in the First World and would impact all other economies. We began to list some of the "dominoes" that would fall as the collapse evolved and described that the "Great Unravelling," as we termed it, would take roughly ten years. At that time, we guesstimated that the first two of the dominoes, a real estate crash and subsequent stock market crash in the US, would begin in about 2005. We were premature in this prediction, as the first of t... more »

American Addict- Gregory Smith and John Rappaport

Penny at Penny for your thoughts - 1 day ago
*Excellent Interview!* *With much thanks to Lana @ Radio3-14 * The film American Addict unveils how America has gone from the land of the free to the land of the addicted. America represents 5% of the world's population but consumes 50% of the world's prescription pills and over 80% of the world's prescription narcotics; this is not a coincidence. We'll discuss the relationships between the FDA, big Pharma, physicians and the media that are in place to ensure that medical problems are treated primarily with pills. We'll talk about the horrific consequences that result from this. G... more »

Is Howard Hughes Dead and Buried Off a Greek Island? - BY MAE BRUSSELL AND STEPHANIE CARUANA (From Playgirl magazine, December 1974)

Paul Coker at News Spike - 1 day ago
*Is Howard Hughes Dead and Buried Off a Greek Island?* *A noted theorist on conspiracies, a contributing editor, and an informer named Tiger Eye bring us an unlikely tale. Or is it?* BY MAE BRUSSELL AND STEPHANIE CARUANA *(From Playgirl magazine, December 1974)* ------------------------------ Howard Hughes is dead," said Tiger Eye. "He died on Tenos, a Greek island, on April 16, 1971. His coffin was lowered into the sea the next day, off the coast of Tenos. "Lots of people know, they just don't talk about it. It's called the Golden Silence -- *omerta*." Reference: a fr... more »

Thursday Linkage (I’m not even going to pretend it’s morning…)

Josh Busby at Duck of Minerva - 1 day ago
Your humble blogger (I like saying that. Now that Dan Drezner no longer has a blog [sniff], I will say it for him)…Your humble blogger is in London, and after a red eye flight, a noon presentation, ten hours of a sleep coma, another presentation, I’m ready to provide you with your latest in belated Continue reading

My Proposed (but not accepted) Bet with Paul Krugman on the Obama Forecast

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 1 day ago
Scott Sumner declares that I would have been the winner.

Glory Road

Steve at Thinking Aboot - 1 day ago
There is so much money invested every day in entertainment trash. The key to making profits is a good story. You can put great actors into a bad place and lose a lot of money. You can put unknown actors into a great story and make superstars. If I had a million dollars this is the story I would tell.

What worries Americans?

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 1 day ago
When Gallup recently asked Americans what the biggest problem facing the United States is, the four most common answers were dissatisfaction with government, the economy in general, unemployment, and healthcare. Each was mentioned by more than 15 percent of those polled. The gap between rich and poor was mentioned by only 4 percent. If President Obama wants to make the 2014 electoral debate about income inequality, as he seems to, he has an uphill climb ahead of him.

Easiest Question Of The Day: Why Is Henry Waxman REALLY Retiring?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 1 day ago
When Henry Waxman retires next year, he will be 75 years old. He will have served in Congress for 4 decades… 40 years! Even before being elected to Congress he had been a member of the state legislature. The man has served his country for a long time. He has 5 grandchildren. This morning he announced his retirement. People are reading much more into it-- as they did when George Miller announced his retirement-- than they should. The lesson? Democrats aren't really counting on re-taking the House in 2014. Waxman is the fourth top Democrat on a House committee who has either calle... more »

Why This Connecticut Teacher Wants to Give Up Teaching

freetoteach at Schools Matter - 1 day ago
*"My value as a teacher is now reduced to how successful I am in getting a student who has eaten no breakfast and is a pawn in her parents' divorce to score well enough to meet my teacher evaluation goals."* Why This Connecticut teacher wants to give up teaching. Unfortunately, government attempts to improve education are stripping the joy out of teaching and doing nothing to help children. The Common Core standards require teachers to march lockstep in arming students with "21st-century skills." In English, emphasis on technology and nonfiction reading makes it more important for ... more »
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