Sunday, April 03, 2016

3 April - My Feedly!

TodayThe most popular stories in your feedly today

POPULAR IN BLOGGER-FOLLOWING

Peter Dinklage and Leslie Jones face off in 'Naked and Afraid'
The premise of Naked and Afraid sounds like a Saturday Night Live sketch already, right? Drop a pair of total strangers in the hostile wilderness, completely naked, and see if they can survive for 21 days. That very real Discovery Channel series was the subject of a very phony "Celebrity Edition" send-up on the latest episode of SNL. The celebrities? Leslie Jones and guest host Pete
#PanamaPapers breaks the Internet with revelations of global corruption
A year-long investigation by global journalists has revealed how a shady network of rich and powerful world leaders use offshore tax havens to hide their vast wealth, launder money, dodge sanctions and evade taxes despite legal requirements in place that should prevent exactly those things from occurring. Dubbed the Panama Papers, 11 million encrypted internal documents — 2.6 terabytes worth — fr
New Zealand: Hawaiki 30Tbps Trans-Pacific Subsea Cable Commences Construction
Finally. Via: ZDnet: The 14,000km subsea cable connecting Australia and New Zealand to Hawaii and the West Coast of the United States has finally commenced construction, almost three years after first being announced. The cable will be jointly constructed by Hawaiki Submarine Cable, based in Auckland, and TE SubCom, a company from Eatontown, New Jersey. […]
New Zealand: Hawaiki 30Tbps Trans-Pacific Subsea Cable Commences Construction
Finally. Via: ZDnet: The 14,000km subsea cable connecting Australia and New Zealand to Hawaii and the West Coast of the United States has finally commenced construction, almost three years after first being announced. The cable will be jointly constructed by Hawaiki Submarine Cable, based in Auckland, and TE SubCom, a company from Eatontown, New Jersey. […]
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POPULAR IN NEWS

Trump: Decision to Consider Women Humans Should Be Left to States
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Attempting to repair some of the fallout from his recent remarks about women, Donald Trump said on Sunday that the decision of whether women should be considered humans should be left to the states.See the rest of the story at newyorker.comRelated:I’m Finally Taking Responsibility and Blaming All My Problems on Processed FoodsDaily Cartoon: Friday, April 1stEvery I
The Panama Papers: how the world’s rich and famous hide their money offshore
Guardian analysis of leaked papers will show how influential people including heads of government have exploited tax havensThe hidden wealth of some of the world’s most prominent leaders, politicians and celebrities has been revealed by an unprecedented leak of millions of documents that show the myriad ways in which the rich can exploit secretive offshore tax regimes.The Guardian, working with gl
Revealed: the $2bn offshore trail that leads to Vladimir Putin
A massive leak of documents shines new light on the fabulous fortunes of the Russian president’s inner circlePutin’s best friend: the cellist who holds the key to his fortuneIceland’s PM faces snap election over revelationsWhat are the Panama Papers?A network of secret offshore deals and vast loans worth $2bn has laid a trail to Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin.An unprecedented leak of documents
White-nose syndrome spreads to West Coast: What to do to save the bats?
Did human recreational cave explorers carry a fungus from east to west, to Washington state for the first time? What's being done to help the bats? 
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POPULAR IN SCIENCE

Blue Origin rocket makes third successful vertical landing
American space firm Blue Origin successfully completed the third launch and vertical landing of its reusable New Shepard rocket on Saturday, company founder and Internet entrepreneur Jeff Bezos said.
Our First Ever Look at Bruce Timm's Animated Adaptation of The Killing Joke
It’s one of the most famous comic books of all time, and now we have our first look at the upcoming adaptation of Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke, starring Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill.Read more...
Eaten Fish Spotted Inside Of A Translucent Sea Creature
Plants and Animals Photo credit: Wayne MacWilliams/Cater News Agency The alien world of the deep sea has some very odd inhabitants. Photographer Wayne MacWilliams dove 150 meters (500 feet) into the waters off the coast of Singer Island in Palm Beach, Florida, to capture a particularly fascinating moment from the deep sea's black abyss. The images show a translucent sea creature, possibly a
Parrot species in US cities may rival that in native Mexico
U.S. researchers are launching studies on Mexico's red-crowned parrot—a species that has been adapting so well to living in cities in California and Texas after escaping from the pet trade that the population may now rival that in its native country.
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POPULAR IN YOUTUBE

Operator
operatorshortfilm.comCast: Yann Heckmann
Tesla Model 3 event in under 5 minutes
After ten years of waiting, Tesla has revealed the $35,000 Model 3, the vehicle that CEO Elon Musk hopes will take the electric car to the masses. Subscribe: http://goo.gl/G5RXGs Check out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/lfcGfq Visit our playlists: http://goo.gl/94XbKx Like The Verge on Facebook: http://goo.gl/2P1aGc Follow on Twitter: http://goo.gl/XTWX61 Follow on Instagram: http://goo.gl/
Colette Robbins
Presented by Distinct @distinctdaily ~ a doc series about inspiration to action Featured Artist: ColetteRobbins.com Directed by Alex Amoling Produced by AnchorLight.com Made in Association with distinctdaily.com Executive Producers: Kevin Hayden & Sydney Buchan Producer: David Brody Prod. Assistant: Adam Hemmert Director of Photography: Sharif El Neklawy Gaffer / AC: Jorge Arzac Key Grip: Neal
The Science of Meow: Study to Look at How Cats Talk
Do you know what your cat is saying when it meows at you? Researchers in Sweden are trying to give us a better idea by identifying melodic patterns in cat meows: Is your cat hungry or really hungry? Additionally, the way you talk to your cat may influence how your cat talks back. By comparing cat speech in two regions in Sweden where people speak separate dialects, researchers will determine wheth
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THE CORBETT REPORT27 unread articles  //  actions

Interview 1155 – Brandon Turbeville Explains the Plan to Break Up Syria
Brandon Turbeville of BrandonTurbeville.com joins us to discuss his recent article, "Kurdish Federalization Reminiscent Of Kerry's Plan B, Brzezinski, NATO's Plan A." We break down the Kurdish groups that are involved in the plan and the globalist institutions that have shaped it.
Interview 1153 – New World Next Week with James Evan Pilato
This week on the New World Next Week: A new investigation uncovers rampant criminality in massive oil bribe scandal; the feds are resuming payments to police for stealing your stuff; and a new study confirms that people self-censor when they know they're being surveilled.
Interview 1154 – Michael Krieger on Erik Prince’s Insane Post-Blackwater Career
Michael Krieger of LibertyBlitzkrieg.com joins us to discuss his recent article, "America’s Top Rogue Mercenary – Blackwater’s Erik Prince is Under Federal Investigation." We outline Prince's Blackwater history and his more recent shenangians in Abu Dhabi, China and elsewhere for Frontier Services Group and detail the federal investigation that is apparently ongoing into his latest deali
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THE ENVIRONMENTALIST27 unread articles  //  actions

Twin Tunnels Threaten San Francisco Bay
Massive infrastructure project would starve bay of fresh water, harm wildlife
North America’s Largest Coal-fired Power Plant Will Soon be a Solar Farm
Nanticoke Solar is a joint venture by First Nations business leaders and renewable energy companies
Money Wasted on Stranded Coal Assets Could End World Energy Poverty
Nearly a trillion dollars may be wasted on supporting the dying coal industry, says new report
Growing Connections to our Food
How gardening brings us closer to our food, homes, and communities
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THE ERGOSPHERE1 unread article  //  actions

The Energy Collective collapses due to gross incompetence and inability to accept criticism
The Energy Collective was recently taken over by Energy Post.  This didn't have any visible consequences until just a couple days ago, when Energy Post attempted a conversion of the site from Drupal 6 to Wordpress. I've been using Wordpress for years, and had no real complaints about it.  But this conversion... it was like having the Library of Congress edited and reprinted by Mad Magazine. 
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A.E.BRAIN2 unread articles  //  actions

Try this quick quiz...
“Allowing students to use restrooms, locker rooms and showers that are reserved for students of a different sex will create potential embarrassment, shame, and psychological injury to students,” - Kansas Bills SB 513 and HB 2737So... which of these two causes "psychological injury"?Like bills proposed in other states, these measures attempt to define “sex” in a narrow way — in this case,
In Summary
Too many times I've seen assertions in Op-Eds and comments that "there is no evidence for a biological origin for transsexuality". Sometimes it's "no evidence whatsover",  sometimes "no convincing evidence", "no peer-reviewed evidence". The impression is given that there's only one or two papers written by pay-for-comment idealogues in vanity press publicati
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ACTIVIST TEACHER3 unread articles  //  actions

Canada's Genocide Explained
A 5-minute video interview with Dr. Bruce Clark. "This video segment captures Dr. Bruce Clark’s riveting and historically correct account of Canada’s genocide of the Aboriginal Peoples. The state’s systematic and total destruction of peoples, food sources, economic base, family ties, and culture -- facilitated by a legal structure, technology, and institutionalized child theft -- may be
Civil liberties activism is a battle against pernicious totalitarianism
Rigorous freedom of expression advocacy, applied irrespective of societal taboos and dominant attitudes, is always political because it always has an effect towards leveling the playing field between powerful state-backed corporate and institutional forces and the individual.  Discourse, including the extremes, is the main democratic mechanism against spontaneous advances of totalitarianism.
A response by McGill Professors to Principal Suzanne Fortier’s condemnation of BDS
A response by McGill Professors to Principal Suzanne Fortier’s condemnation of BDS As McGill professors committed to justice and equity, we strongly disagree with Principal Suzanne Fortier’s official response on behalf of the university administration to the recent Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) motion in support of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel and
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WPB/NYC AND ANYTHING ELSE; A GREEN RIGHTS COL...3 unread articles  //  actions

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ALLEN L ROLAND'S WEBLOG4 unread articles  //  actions

Bernie Rises From The Ashes / Shows Up Big In The West
Like a Phoenix from the ashes, Bernie Sanders rises from mainstream media marginalization and Clinton's Arizona vote suppression trickery to score major victories in Washington, Alaska and Hawaii but the momentum and excitement is just beginning and even mother nature wants on the Bernie express: Allen L Roland, PhD It ain't over till it's over ~ Yogi Berra  As Robert McChesney says on The Read Ne
Approaching The Ultimate Event Horizon / Death
Black Hole in space and Point of singularity Black holes in space are in stark reality worm holes to another stage of consciousness deepest within ourselves as experienced in the near and after death experience. They are not meant to be feared but instead to be celebrated as the ultimate event horizon leading from the chaos of ego consciousness to the singularity of a Unified Field of love and sou
Clinton Fades,Trump Implodes And Bernie Shines
THE FABRICATOR * THE ARROGANT BULLY * THE REAL THING We're halfway through the Presidential Primaries and already a trend is becoming apparent; Hillary's credibility baggage is far too heavy and her light is fading; Trump's arrogance and bullying tactics are now a mirror of many of his followers as his campaign implodes while Bernie's tenacious empowering message wins the day in Michigan ~ and wi
China Meltdown Triggering Worldwide Recession
"China syndrome" is a fanciful term that describes a fictional worst-case result of a nuclear meltdown, where reactor components melt through their containment structures and into the underlying earth, all the way to China. In today's global economic climate it means that China's over built managed economic boom fueled by margin buying and excessive debt has exposed its global illusion o
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ANGOLA 3 NEWS3 unread articles  //  actions

London, April 21: Amnesty UK Preview Screening of 'Cruel and Unusual' by Vadim Jean
(Event info from Amnesty UK)When:  Thursday, 21 April 2016 from 18:30 to 21:30 (BST)Where:  Amnesty International UK - 25 New Inn Yard, London EC2A 3EA, United KingdomAmnesty International UK is delighted to announce a special UK preview screening of ‘Cruel and Unusual’, a new documentary feature film telling the story of the Angola 3's struggle for justice, fighting their unjust convictions and t
Albert Woodfox and Robert H King interviewed by CNN's Christine Amanpour
Watch the video interview here, or embedded above.
Poem by Tina Otito Tamsho-Thomas: Tribute to Albert Woodfox
Tribute to Albert WoodfoxAngola 3 Political PrisonerEach and all are waitingHeart, Spirit,Mind.Waiting for the justice day,Liberating Humankind.Years forty three imprisoned,conscious voice unarrested.Waiting for the justice day,Liberty attested.We will bring our warrior home, gifted to the world,Honouring his justice day,freedom flags unfurled.Copyright©Tina Otito Tamsho-Thomas
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ARMSCONTROLWONK6 unread articles  //  actions

South Korea and the Bomb
Would South Korea ever build the bomb? Probably not, but there is a constituency in the country that has thought about it. Aaron and Jeffrey discuss South Korea’s nuclear weapon history – and constraints on proliferation. Download this episode(20MB mp3) Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.
Why MIRV?
The Stimson Center will publish a collection of five essays in May titled, The Lure and Pitfalls of MIRVs: From the First to the Second Nuclear Age. Our authors look back at US and Soviet compulsions, and forward to how extensive MIRV programs might be in China, India, and Pakistan. The good news is that …
Yes, There’s a Legal Gap on Nuclear Weapons Use, But It Isn’t That Big
Dear wonks: I’ve asked Dan Joyner to weigh in on our conversation about the morality of nuclear weapons use. Dan is Professor of Law at the University of Alabama School of Law, and the founder of the Arms Control Law blog. He is the author of International Law and the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (2009), Interpreting …
Applying Jus in Bello to the Nuclear Deterrent
Dear readers: Here is another in a series of posts on the laws of war and the use of nuclear weapons. This contribution is from Dr. Justin Anderson, a Research Fellow at National Defense University’s Center for the Study of WMD. Justin previously worked at SAIC in support of the Air Force, STRATCOM, OSD General Counsel/International …
Kim Jong Un’s Bomb
In Defense of the Open Skies Treaty
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BECAUSE I CAN1 unread article  //  actions

If Hillary is the nominee and she loses, it is her fault.
I spend a lot of time lurking around the interwebGoing through Twitter feedsGoing through news articles on the MSM and alternative sitesGoing through public Facebook pagesAndListening to left-wing radioOne of the spurious themes I am seeing repeated over and over again is that non-Republican people must for Hillary if she wins the nomination.To that I respondBullshit!This is the United States of
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BEGGARSCANBECHOOSERS.COM1 unread article  //  actions

John Oliver Exposes Insanity of Trump's Border Wall
..By MARC McDONALDA lot of progressives despise and fear Donald Trump. I don't. While Ted Cruz does creep me out (and frightens the hell out of me), there are actually some things I admire about Trump.I mean, it took some big balls to stand on a GOP debate stage and repeatedly blast the decision to invade Iraq. We've been doing that at this blog for years. I've gotta tell ya, there's a certain sen
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BIG DAN'S BIG BLOG2 unread articles  //  actions

Israeli Company CELLEBRITE Is From Bergen, NJ: Same Place The 911 Five Dancing Israeli's And Urban Moving Was From
Remember the 5 Dancing Israeli's arrested on 911 celebrating the Twin Towers falling? Remember they worked for Urban Moving, and Israeli Company? Remember they were arrested in Bergen NJ? Recall the recent stories that the FBI hacked the San Bernardino (false flag) cellphones with the help of a company named CELLEBRITE. CELLEBRITE happens to be from - guess where? - Bergen NJCNBS talking head just
Did The GOP Establishment Just Enlist K-K-Karl Rove To Take Down Trump Starting With Planting The David Duke KKK Stories?
BUSH's BRAINI recently got in touch again with a political activist friend of mine, plunger, after about 10 or so years. I mentioned to him the David Duke endorsing Donald Trump stories in the "news" right before a primary sticking out like a sore thumb as far as some powerful people trying to take down Trump, and plunger said that tactic has Karl Rove written all over it. I would never
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WMTC8 unread articles  //  actions

precariously yours: notes from the 2016 cupe ontario library workers conference
Last week I attended the CUPE Ontario Library Workers Conference, my second year, and my first since being elected to the organizing committee. This year's theme was precarious work, and nothing could be more relevant to library work today.All three keynote speakers were excellent, with engaging, eye-opening presentations that brought our picture into sharp and disturbing focus.Count it and name i
library workers are precarious workers
Local 4948, Toronto Public Library Workers Union, a/k/a the most kickass library workers' union in North America, produced two videos about the state of library work today. Here's the short, humourous version.And here's the longer documentary version; it's about 19 minutes long. If you care about libraries, about the lives of working people, and about our communities - or, like me, if you are pass
best of wmtc, 2015 edition
I barely wrote at all last year, but my editor and partner managed to find a few (possibly) worthy of a best-of post. Thus, this page has been udpated.I miss blogging.I love my job and I love leading our union. I love having a steady paycheque, too! But I miss my old life. #CantHaveEverything #StopWhining #YesIKnowItsAFirstWorldProblem
a brief thought on ghomeshi (yoko ono was right)
Jian Ghomeshi: was known to be a sexual harasser and a sexual assailant; was employed by the CBC; remained employed by the CBC until public allegations and public outcry forced them to fire him.Jian Ghomeshi: is good-looking; was a popular radio personality; was immediately framed as a victim by media and members of the public who claimed not to understand why none of this had come to light earlie
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CHERCHEZ LA VERITE5 unread articles  //  actions

"The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave"? The later is surely true, but nothing is being done to care for our troops when the survivers return physically or mentally damaged. And if you believe the former is true, read below to learn about how our Constitution has now been virtually destroyed.
Does The United States Still Exist? — Paul Craig Roberts March 26, 2016 | Original Here | Use original if you wish to receive his newsletter via email Does The United States Still Exist? An address delivered to the Libertarian Party of Florida on March 23, 2016 in Destin, FloridaPaul Craig RobertsTo answer the question that is the title, we have to know of what the US consists. Is it an ethnic gr
Do you know that Janet Yellen has been guiding the Fed based on these faked data? It's like the enginer of a train being told the track ahead is clear when actually another train coming the other way. Moreover, many people who make their money on the stock market believe that the latest drops in the major markets are just minor glichs, whereas in truth the market is doomed to crash for the reasons Paul Craig Roberts explains below. So if you have positions in the stock markets, you should take your money out now and/or buy into quality gold and silver shares.
Another Phony Jobs Report March 6, 2016 | Original Here | Use original if you wish to receive his newsletter via email Another Phony Jobs Report  And if true it is damningThe monthly payroll jobs reports have become a bad joke.No growth in real retail sales, but 55,000 retail trade new jobs in February.No growth in real consumer income, but 40,000 more waitresses and bartenders.86,000 new jobs in
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CREEKSIDE2 unread articles  //  actions

Selling the doubleplusgood TTP to Canadians
When she signed the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal above a NZ casino two months ago, International Trade Minister Chrystia Freetrade was at pains to reassure us that signing it was not the same as ratifying it, and besides there would be conversations with Canadians about it first. "Signing does not equal ratifying. Signing is simply a technical step in the process, allowing the TPP text to b
Sunni Ways
G&M : Saudis defend human rights record over $15-billion arms deal with Canada  “The kingdom of Saudi Arabia believes that call[s] for universality of human rights does not mean imposition of principles and values that go against our Islamic values and religion.”Here in Canada, we don't believe calls for universality of human rights means imposition of principles and values that go against our
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DAMMIT JANET!6 unread articles  //  actions

Heal the RCMP or replace it.
Necrotic festering is bubbling up within the RCMP.  Its foul stench wafts from every part of the force. The infection is spreading: surgery and excision will be required.The affliction known as flesh-eating disease "..is a misnomer, as in truth, the bacteria do not 'eat' the tissue. They destroy the tissue that makes up the skin and muscle by releasing toxins.."RCMP Commissioner Paulson
HUGE win for pro-choice in PEI
Well, that didn't take much.Just three-plus decades. A horrifying story of a woman needing medical care turned away from a Prince Edward Island hospital. A clever guerrilla poster campaign featuring a likeness (maybe) of the Island's most famous fictional character.Bunch of rallies and demonstrations.A scathing video on abortion access in the Maritimes.Oh, yeah, and a constitutional challenge.Toda
When femicide is justified by men who feel their "honour" has been soiled.
The first post of an informal series, illustrating how and when all the elements of the legal system do work and justice is served.Dorothy Woods.Police officers meticulously collected evidence to document a complicated investigation in a rigorous, professional manner.Here's an interesting series of posts, following the release of her accused killer - presumed innocent as the legal system goes, and
Ghomeshi Lessons, part 1.
What to write about the trial of the decade? The banal evil of social media hyperbole + a depraved legal system can devour events and regurgitate a perfectly horrifying dawg's breakfast.The cathartic element in this case and trial is a histrionically skilled and malignant narcissist who has benefitted immeasurably from patriarchy AND feminism.Seasoned feminists observed that in the 1970s women acq
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DID YOU KNOW1 unread article  //  actions

CBC podcast investigates Adrien McNaughton cold case
  The story is about this child, who vanished in 1972 Adrien McNaughton In the summer of 1972, five-year-old Adrien McNaughton disappeared one night without a trace, over four decades ago. Today he would be 49 years old. The tragedy still haunts his family and the town of Arnprior, Ontario. David Ridgen grew up in the same area as little Adrien McNaughton and was a young boy at the time of the di
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WIT'S END2 unread articles  //  actions

Earth Embalmed
There are so many calamities - fish kills in Florida and birds falling out of the skies, epic floods and droughts, the slowing of the ocean currents - that when I prepared the 26th Dispatch From The Endocene I left out a major incident I had intended to include - the abrupt and near total coral bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.  The fact that it is just one item on the roster of gr
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DR CINTLI3 unread articles  //  actions

RELIVING THE TRAUMA OF POLICE VIOLENCE IN PURSUIT OF SACRED JUSTICEby Roberto Cintli RodriguezCephus Johnson, the uncle ...
RELIVING THE TRAUMA OF POLICE VIOLENCE IN PURSUIT OF SACRED JUSTICEby Roberto Cintli RodriguezCephus Johnson, the uncle of Oscar Grant, who was killed by a Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer in Oakland in 2009, speaking at an event in 2012. When a family loses someone to police violence, many times, "they are shocked into silence. Sometimes they are just shocked," says Johnson. (Photo
On the Path to Sacred Justice
Censored Storyhttp://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2016/03/rodriguez-uncensored-on-state-sponsored.html
Not Counting Mexicans and Indians
THE VIDEOhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G2ZAwKOCKA&feature=youtu.be
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FORT MCMURRAY ADVENTURES9 unread articles  //  actions

Elephant in the Room
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past year and change, its hard to ignore the fact that the price of oil tanked (no pun intended) and things are very different from the way the used to be.  Paradoxically, I've found work very busy the past few weeks due to plant outages and maintenance but I'm wary of the fact the despite the steady work it isn't all sunshine and roses.  November thr
"Inextinguishable"
I had the opportunity to see another amazing concert this past weekend courtesy of the Calgary Philharmonic. It will be the last one I will be able to get to for a few weeks now and as always, it was outstanding. Featured on the program was Sibelius's "Finlandia", the Grieg Piano Concerto and a Symphony by Danish composer Carl Nielsen.  The guest conductor, Rune Bergmann, hails from Norw
Fort Calgary
After finishing up my bird-watching stroll I mentioned in my previous post I found myself down at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers and Fort Calgary.  I had initially planned to check out Fort Calgary during a later trip but since I found myself here....The original rail line ran along this berm past the fort and paralleled 9th Avenue before reaching the train station.The Elbow River.The
Birding on the Bow
I hadn't initially planned to do any bird watching when I was in Calgary but hearing the mercury was going to reach the mid-teens and having a good chunk of free time before seeing the symphony, I decided I'd bring along my field guide and binoculars and have a go.  I wasn't really sure what I might see but on my two previous trips to Calgary I didn't get a chance to check out along the river this
Tour de Force
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WIDE ASLEEP IN AMERICA2 unread articles  //  actions

The Mistakes and Missing History of CFR's #ThisDayinHistory Tweet on Iran
As part of its "This Day in History" series on social media, the Twitter account for the Council on Foreign Relations posted the following this morning: #ThisDayinHistory, 1979: Iran is declared an Islamic republic after 55 years of rule under the Pahlavi dynasty. pic.twitter.com/KvnmSukZmP — CFR (@CFR_org) April 1, 2016 At first glance a couple things are off about this tweet, admittedl
Pandermonium! At AIPAC, Trump Makes Same Promise on Jerusalem We've Been Hearing Since 1972
Breaking news! The news media is abuzz today with reports that, speaking before the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference in Washington D.C. - the annual gathering of rabid right-wing Israel supporters - a presidential candidate vowed to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. So who was it this time? Donald Trump. "We will move the American
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GREG MANKIW'S BLOG8 unread articles  //  actions

Who are the free traders?
Paul Krugman has an odd column today, suggesting that if you are a free trader, the Democrats are historically a better bet for you.  He writes, When I say that Republicans have been more protectionist than Democrats, I’m not talking about the distant past, about the high-tariff policies of the Gilded Age; I’m talking about modern Republican presidents, like Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. Reaga
Almost everything you hear from POTUS candidates about trade deals is wrong
The new IGM Panel poll of prominent economists asks about this proposition:An important reason why many workers in Michigan and Ohio have lost jobs in recent years is because US presidential administrations over the past 30 years have not been tough enough in trade negotiations.Only 5 percent agree, while 64 percent disagree.  (The rest were uncertain or did not answer.)  A previous poll asked abo
Commentary on Trump's Economics
Alan BlinderJon Hartley and Glenn HubbardI don't know any mainstream economist--right, left, or center--who has good things to say about the economic policy views of Donald Trump.  But, somehow, I don't think this fact will deter his supporters.
The Latest from Merle Hazard
FYI: Both Merle and Alison Brown (the banjo player) are former Ec 10 students.
From My Inbox
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HOME NATURE REPORT2 unread articles  //  actions

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WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE1 unread article  //  actions

Understanding Sustainability
 Dearest Ladies and Gentlemen, it is a great honor to announce the release of my new book, Understanding Sustainability, a collection of seventy-four reviews of sustainability-related books.  It’s vital that humankind develops a competent understanding of ecological sustainability, and pursues it with all deliberate speed.  A sustainable way of life is one that can continue for millennia without
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THE RULES OF EXPOSITION2 unread articles  //  actions

"Literally"
From On the Mechanics of Economic Development by Robert E. Lucas, Jr:"The diversity across countries in measured per capita income levels is literally too great to be believed."So Lucas is saying: Yeah, we measure per capita income levels, and we get results, but our results must be no good because we cannot believe -- we literally cannot believe -- those results are right.I literally do
Le mot juste
"Simulation" maybe?So ... if the word comes from the late 20th century or the 1980s ... how come the "use over time" graph shows more use in the 19th century and less in the 20th?Screw it. I'll just use "sim" to mean "simulation".
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MANIFESTO JOE'S TEXAS BLUES2 unread articles  //  actions

From Joe's Vault, April 2011: Tax Time Again
By Manifesto JoeIn the five years since this post first appeared, I've gotten in trouble with the IRS. Looks like I may end up getting an attorney before this is over. Conservatives may laugh, but hey -- if not for your moronic Iraq War, and your giving zillionaires and big corporations a tax pass, perhaps I wouldn't owe so much.BTW, I didn't post for a few months, but I've been busy with a little
Republican Party Deserves Trump
By Manifesto JoeIt's hard for me to spell his name with the "T."For nearly 50 years, the Republican Party has leaned on a "Southern strategy," as it was called during Richard Nixon's successful run for the presidency in 1968. That year the choice for rednecks was between Tricky Dick and George Wallace, and a good many chose the latter. But the strategy was articulated, and it h
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MIDDLE EAST TODAY3 unread articles  //  actions

Political Influence of AIPAC
The American Israeli Political Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is the strongest and most influential political lobby in the USA. Some of its member, 18,000, met recently in Washington D.C.The Committee (AIPAC) extended its invitation to the five presidential candidates to attend their meeting and to express their political views towards Israel.The only candidate who did not attend the meeting was Sena
The Corrupt American Congress
The month of March will be always remembered as the month the US invaded Iraq 13 years ago.Unfortunately, only one American politician, senator Cruz, stated publicly that the invasion of Iraq destabilized the Middle East region. He furthermore said that the removal of Saddam Hussein was a mistake because under his rule Iraq was stable.Senator Cruz and do not support him made a correct statement.
The Corrupt American Congress
The month of March will be always remembered as the month the US invaded Iraq 13 years ago.Unfortunately, only one American politician, senator Cruz, stated publicly that the invasion of Iraq destabilized the Middle East region. He furthermore said that the removal of Saddam Hussein was a mistake because under his rule Iraq was stable.Senator Cruz and do not support him made a correct statement.
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NEWS FROM ATLANTIS.1 unread article  //  actions

Back to Basics. A Departure from Ethic/Spiritual Chauvinism
Since starting this blog, I have endeavoured to search for knowledge.  I have always had a healthy respect for people who are on a journey to increase their understanding of what we call reality. I have never had anything but pity for those who cling to a delusional belief that they have all the answers. Sadly, in my travels through the unknown, I lost my way and fell into the trap of proselytisin
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@ THE CHALK FACE9 unread articles  //  actions

I do remember those days… #optout2016
My how things change. I do remember those days around 2010 when opting out of standardized tests was considered the most radical thing one can do. Foolish, silly, self-destructive. And now, not so much. How much farther would the movement have been if support for the strategy came on day one? At this point, my […]
No Bernie at all costs for this educator
Charles Blow in a recent column for the NYT criticized the “Bernie or Bust” ethos as smacking of “petulance and privilege.” I was once feeling some kind of “Bern,” but now, not so much. After repeated debates, I’ve felt a sense of supreme hollowness to Mr. Sanders’ words. Or, once you scratch the surface, there’s […]
Still some misinformation out there about #optout2016
I’m not necessarily talking about whether or not parents have the right to opt their children out of standardized testing. Opt out of testing groups, of which the NPE is now involved, are doing a pretty good job of getting that bit out there, although it’s still not reaching, from where I stand, the real […]
Correct me on strikebreaking and scabbing
I’ve read what I can about the CTU Strike on April 1st, despite being on Spring Break and trying to forget some things for a while. This was an informative piece from Jacobin. I have many friends and acquaintances from Chicago who are participating in the day of action tomorrow. My entire family is from […]
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VAGABOND SCHOLAR2 unread articles  //  actions

Fool's Day 2016
Happy Fool's Day! This year, I thought I'd link Vulture's feature, "The 100 Jokes That Shaped Modern Comedy." It's got many classics, but the list is more impressive for its breadth and less obvious choices. Some supplemental pieces delve further into some of the gags, including Airplane's "Don't call me Shirley."
St. Patrick's Day 2016
Happy St. Patrick's Day! Glen Hansard likes to end his concerts with this, and have other musicians and guests (not all of them singers) sing a verse. It's a neat, rousing and inclusive way to end the evening. (Here's some background on the song. The lyrics can vary considerably, and it's not unusual for performers to write new verses.) I've featured some of my favorite Irish tunes in
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VACCINE AWAKENING1 unread article  //  actions

Pertussis Microbe Outsmarts the Vaccines As Experts Argue About Why
Posted: 3/29/2016 By Barbara Loe FisherTo activate and view hyperlinked references, please click here once and then click any superscripted number below to access a hyperlinked reference, or scroll down to the bottom of the article to view all hyperlinked references.For the past decade, Americans have been subjected to dire warnings that B. pertussis whooping cough cases are on the rise and it is
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OBSIDIAN WINGS8 unread articles  //  actions

an interesting article...
by russell Linked-In sent me this thought-provoking (to me, at least) piece. "Just learn to code" has been the modern-ish equivalent of "one word - plastics" for a little while now.  Find yourself on the downside of the new economy?  Get some technical skills together and Bob's your uncle! Except those are increasingly being (a) outsourced or (b) automated.  Unless you're doing
The Trump-Sanders Ticket
by wj In a press conference this morning, Donald Trump announced that, upon receiving te Republican party nomination, he will be joined on the ticket by Senator Bernie Sanders. Trump cited their common views on a variety of issues. Trump declined to specify just what those common views might be, his response being "Anyone who has given me a fair hearing will be well aware of them." Some
Infrastructure - Open Thread
by wj Time for another weekend open thread. But the best I can offer is this take on the poor state of our infrastructure: From a traffic report on KCBS yesterday: "Traffic on I-880, where fuel efficiency goes to die." It's a highway that hasn't expanded at all in decades. Dispite the huge growth of Silicon Valley at one end. We have essentially stopped expanding our infrastructure. In
Not ending any time soon
by Ugh By now I'm sure everyone has heard of the bombings in the Brussels subway and airport (an airport I spent several hours in last month).  There is much talk in the U.S. about how security wasn't ratcheted up high enough and perhaps there needs to be more border controls, etc. etc. etc.  But... I'm not sure any of that would help.  There is no end to this any time soon that I can see - and by
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TOWARD A BIOREGIONAL STATE1 unread article  //  actions

F*ck the Habermasian-Beckian Project of a Homogeneous World Culture: We Require a Bioregional Hellenization Instead of an Unrepresentative Globalist Elitism
Castells en Tarragona, EspaƱaPardon my French. Or Spanish. I was riled--riled like only one can be riled when you have much in common with a thinker though you differ on many small points. Only small points of disagreement between like minds seem to prickle sharper for their rarity. They go against what you thought was a common smooth grain shared between like minds. However, sometimes a tiny pain
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THWAP'S SCHOOLYARD3 unread articles  //  actions

Two More Books
I recently finished Mount Pleasant by Don Gilmor. Somebody was giving it away in a cardboard box outside their house. I live on Mount Pleasant Avenue, so I figured "what the hell." It's a decent look at a middle-aged man's midlife crisis. It's a nice portrayal of the vicissitudes of the Rosedale set. And "Occupy Toronto" makes a presence.I could identify with everything about t
"Room"
Two Books I'm Reading
A friend hepped me to The Devil in the White City by Eric Larson. It's about the building of the Chicago World's Fair in 1893; and Larson shows how it was a snap-shot of the times. For instance; the world's first Ferris Wheel was designed for it as US-American engineers' response to the Eiffel Tower that wowed the world at the Paris World's Fair of 1889. Also, while I've read fairly extensively ab
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PESTICIDE ACTION NETWORK8 unread articles  //  actions

On Autism Awareness Day
World Autism Awareness Day is on April 2 this year. It's a day to shine a light on this condition and reaffirm our support for adults and children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and for their families. It's also a day to learn more about what increases risks of autism — and to think about prevention. ASD and autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain devel
Yes! The DARK Act is done
Great news! Two days ago, the Senate voted to block a bill that would keep states from labeling genetically engineered (GE) food — or regulate GE crops at all. If passed, this bill — dubbed the “Denying America’s Right to Know” Act , or DARK Act —  would  have nullified existing labeling laws, like the one set to go into effect in Vermont this July. It would also prohibit existing state and
Whole Foods joins the Equitable Food Initiative
Can the marketplace help reform the food system and bring justice to farmworkers? Yes it can. And it just did! Yesterday, Whole Foods joined Costco, farmworkers, growers and consumer advocates to bring real, concrete improvements to the lives of hundreds of thousands of farmworkers across the Americas. By joining the Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) buyers of fresh produce promise to help com
Scientific integrity? Yes, please.
Late last year, a respected scientist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) filed a whistleblower compaint, claiming scientific suppression of his research on pesticides and pollinators. Today, PAN and our supporters helped deliver comments to USDA from more than 140,000 concerned individuals, calling on the agency to respect and support scientific integrity. As a recent article from
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PHILOSOPHICAL COMMENT2 unread articles  //  actions

Come and Work with Us on Moral and Legal Responsibility and Agency!
The practical philosophy group at my department has for many years been working on building a research environment focusing broadly on responsibility as a topical theme. This theme encompasses all aspects of moral and legal responsibility and agency, and ranges from the applied and practice oriented (related to different areas and institutions), to the most general and fundamental issues in philos
Personalised, Individualised or Precision Medicine: Three Unaddressed Socio-economic Hurdles
After the BRAIN initiative of 2013, in 2015 US president Obama announced another large scale government funding scheme for biomedical science, on so-called Precision Medicine. Just recently this initiative announced its first pilot study. Leaving the unfortunate terminological analogue of "precision bombing" (eventually known precisely for its lack of precision) to a side, precision medi
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THE WHITE HATS REPORT1 unread article  //  actions

March 7, 2016 – White Hats Report #52 – The Trump Factor – Bush crime family pulls out the Tramp in an attempt to discredit The Donald
The 2016 US Presidential election season has officially entered the Twilight Zone.Before we cue up the Rod Serling lead-in, a history lesson is in order. It’s always good to review the past in order to put the present into proper context.  In the US, from now until November, the Presidential election party primary circuses will take center stage.  The traveling road shows are in full swing with th
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REAL HISTORY BLOG1 unread article  //  actions

What it's like to phonebank for Bernie Sanders
I spent the afternoon phonebanking for Bernie. I have to tell you, the tools the Bernie Sanders campaign are using are much more sophisticated than what the Obama campaign had. Then, we were still working off of paper lists which volunteers had to type into computers. Bernie's team has built an incredible app you can do from a phone alone or from a phone and computer. This was the most
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THE STRAIGHT GOODS7 unread articles  //  actions

"Sunny Days”. Sleazy Sell-Out.
"Sunny Days”.  Sleazy Sell-Out.  ...........part I                                                          Written by Robin  Mathews  April  2016   Anthony Hall writes about “ballot-box colonialism”, “imperial globalization” and its “licence for lawlessness” – as well as the present “terror economy” - in Earth Into Property  (McGill-Queen’s, 2011). Hall focuses attention on the relentless an
Another Proposed Canadian LNG Terminal Scrapped, No Gas Buyers, No Market, World LNG Glut
Grant GUnfortunately there is a world glut of LNG, these energy companies and investors only have themselves to blame, these greedy entities swooped in like vultures on Asia(Japan) and figured they could make $billions providing natural gas..They created a massive glut...With new gas discoveries in nearly every country, with renewable energy leapfrogging fossil fuel investment, with a warming plan
Canada. The Colonial Curse. Part V...The Global Reach
Canada. The Colonial Curse...Part V.The Global Reach  Written By Robin Mathews, March 2016Symptoms of the diseased world disintegrating (by design) proliferate confusingly. (The present, apparently endless War in the Middle East and its gigantic refugee crisis is just one, huge symptom. Other symptoms reach from the centre of “international” organizations down to the smallest municipalities.)  All
Petronas is Out, Pacific NorthWest LNG In Prince Rupert Is Dead, Done, Kaput..PERIOD
Written by Grant GGood morning British Columbia, and the top of of the morning to all, including the pathetic Christy Clark led BC Liberal Government..Time for another Straight Goods LNG special report...I have covered the LNG scam for the last 3-4 years, every angle, nuance and development from far and wide..3 years ago there was LNG hype, brought on in part by the Fukushima nuclear disaster...LN
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SYRIA COMMENT2 unread articles  //  actions

Call for Submissions: Syrian Studies Association Prizes for Outstanding Dissertation and Article on Syria
Call for Submissions: Syrian Studies Association Prizes for Outstanding Dissertation and Article on Syria In order to promote and highlight excellence in research, the Syrian Studies Association each year awards prizes for the best writing on Bilad al-Sham until 1918 and on Syria in the period following. In 2016, the SSA seeks submissions for the most outstanding dissertation completed between Jul
Harakat al-Hawiya al-Arabiya al-Druziya: Defending Druze Identity in Suwayda’
By Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi Emblem of Harakat al-Hawiya al-Arabiya al-Druziya, using the familiar colours associated with the Druze sect. Although the Druze originate from a sect within Shi’i Islam, the religious movement evolved over time such that the Druze identity is deemed separate from that of the Shi’a. The same has been true of the Alawites, though as is well known, a number of efforts have
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LEXICON DAILY2 unread articles  //  actions

City of Davis Fire Department fleet costs and Chief's statement
Upon a public records request I was given the following information regarding the cost of fuel, repair and maintenance of the Davis Fire Department's five fire engines and how many miles each was driven in 2015:Vehicle Miles Gallons of fuel Cost of Fuel Repair/Maintenance Total fuel + repair 330-E31 10,0232,221$6,721.12$29,841.23$36,562.35330R-E231 2,908470.28$1,333.61$39,052.26$40,385.87320-E32 7
"What Everyone Should Know About Bicycles for Fun and Safety"
Below are the front and back cover and a few interior pages from a booklet I found among her books called, "About Bicycles." My mom likely brought this home from an S&L in Davis then called Central California Federal Savings and Loan Association. I think this is the same institution that became Heart Federal and today is a branch of US Bank.The copyright on this booklet is 1965, thou
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THE HIGH-FAT HEP C DIET3 unread articles  //  actions

Silymarin for type 2 diabetes - significant effects on glucose and lipids from a safe OTC herbal.
This study has an interesting backstory. Hepatitis C (mainly genotype 4) infects nearly a quarter of the Egyptian population. This is the highest rate of HCV infection I've heard of in any country; however the Nile Valley is probably the ancestral home of HCV's transmission to humans.Egypt is not a rich country and drug treatments for Hep C are expensive, not to mention dangerous and unreliably e
The Smoking Gun - the Role of PUFA in Non-Alcoholic Liver Disease
The smoking gun Public health experts are gradually accepting the idea that sucrose and fructose are, like alcohol, causes of fatty liver disease (non-alcoholic liver disease - NAFLD - and its inflammatory development, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis - NASH). After all, sugar is unnecessary and, like alcohol, the rogue macronutrient, associated with pleasure rather than nutrition. There’s
The state of nutritional science, 2016
Someone sent me a link to this paper the other day, it's not something I would have looked at otherwise. However, next time you read a "totality of the evidence" snowjob supporting guidelines on saturated fat consumption, this paper will probably have been thrown on the pile, weighting it a little bit further. Finucane OM, Lyons CL, Murphy AM et al (19 authors). Monounsaturated fatty ac
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THE GALLOPING BEAVER3 unread articles  //  actions

Blue Lives Matter?!?!@£$*%($)£)
What.the.fuck? Cops in the town of Port Hope, Ontario have launched a "Blue Lives Matter" campaign that critics argue is tone-deaf at best and an egregious form of appropriation at worst.
Cons can't help themselves
Yep, you just keep doing what you're doing, Conservatives.  Crass, insensitive, completely oblivious to context and lacking in basic decorum: they still haven't figured out this lost them the last election.  Perhaps they've forgotten how to do politics any other way?  Popcorn?
F-35, IT edition
The latest fun from the plane that just refuses to work is that the radar sometimes fails and needs to be rebooted. There are rumours that Lockheed Martin are proposing to install a direct line to their tech support in all production F-35s.
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THE DUCK OF MINERVA9 unread articles  //  actions

Friday Nerd Blogging: Does Cosplay at Conference Panels Render Pop-Culture Research Less Serious?
An argument broke out about this question after the “Star Wars and International Security” panel at ISA this month. A few people on Twitter and PSRM (or so rumors have it) say dressing up renders pop culture research more marginal than it already is. I suppose a TRIP survey could more conclusively answer the question about trends in the discipline. Personally, I’d love to see that survey, since m
Gender, Rank and IR: Missing Role Models
Last week, I asked a question online that was asked of me and then I asked at the ISA two weeks ago: Can you name women of color working in the US or Canada who do IR and are full professors? At the ISA, folks could only name one or two.  On twitter and facebook and my blog since then, the total has increased to eleven: ·  Neta Crawford of Boston University. ·  Condoleeza Rice, who was a full prof
On The Terror and Feeding of Trolls: Or, Why I Aim to be an Equal-Opportunity Non-Reporter of DAESH-Inspired Terrorist Incidents
I was among those last week, after hearing about the events in Brussels, who tweeted or Facebooked in solidarity with Belgium… but also in solidarity with civilians killed in Ankara, Baghdad, Yemen, later that week Cote d’Ivoire and (as of yesterday) in Lahore, Pakistan. I took some flak for this on Twitter and in my personal email. Why can’t we just focus on Belgium on a week like this? some peop
Building social science knowledge on public attitudes and autonomous weapons
This is a guest post from Michael C. Horowitz (@mchorowitz), Associate Professor of Political Science and Associate Director of Perry World House, University of Pennsylvania Last week, Charli Carpenter published an important piece advancing the conversation about public attitudes, public conscience, and autonomous weapons. Her post critiqued my recent article in Research & Politics on public o
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THE EARTH AND MAN: SETTING THE STAGE3 unread articles  //  actions

Why I Don't Believe In Milankovitch Theory I: The Earth's Obliquity
The wuwt site Wednesday had a post on "fractal patterns" purportedly seen, in "millions of years" of climate variations, by Peter Ditlevsen, Associate Professor of Climate Physics at the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen, and Zhi-Gang Shao from South China University, Guangzhou in Kina. Along the way, Prof. Ditlevsen wrote: "The astronomical factors that
The Bottom Line About "Climate Science" and "Global Warming"
The war of words over "climate change" and "global warming" continues to be a fragmented one, with a wide diversity of opinions and little focus overall. Most writers on the subject are set in their views now, as the consensus authorities--alarmist propagandists all--have been all along, in the interest of their own favored positions and of the political power these radical act
Ben Is Glory, Glory Is Ben
I read a comment on the jonova site that referred to "the gravitational warming theory". My response: There is no "gravitational warming", per se. There is instead gravitational distribution of atmospheric pressure (the pressure at any level is just the weight of the atmosphere above that level), which imposes a vertical temperature distribution (the "lapse rate" stru
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