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Thomas Paine

To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

26 July - What's New - Feedly

    While the rest of the country focuses on the looming deadline to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, House Republicans are taking advantage of their distraction to repeal environmental regulations and pass the most severe environmental budget cuts in 35 years. Republicans are pushing a bill that cuts 7 percent from the Department of Interior budget [...]/p via With Default Seven Days Away, House
Suzie-Q 12 hours ago
This went out in an email to previous supporters of Alan Grayson this morning.  Dear Linus, I know why House Speaker John Boehner walked out of debt ceiling talks with President Obama on Friday. It’s because Boehner can’t deliver. It doesn’t matter what terms the President offers. It’s that simple. Boehner can’t deliver the votes. The President might as well be negotiatin
Suzie-Q 1 day ago
By David Fiderer, a lawyer who covers the energy industry for several global banks in New York.  This is an OpEdNews.com repost. If you wondered whether Murdoch’s various news outlets operate in sync when they misrepresent the facts about climate change, consider the deceitful reporting done by Ben Webster, the Environmental Editor for The Times [...]/p via How Murdoch’s Times of London and Fox N
Suzie-Q 2 days ago
 

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Featured

    While the rest of the country focuses on the looming deadline to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, House Republicans are taking advantage of their distraction to repeal environmental regulations and pass the most severe environmental budget cuts in 35 years. Republicans are pushing a bill that cuts 7 percent from the Department of Interior budget [...]/p via With Default Seven Days Away, House
Suzie-Q 12 hours ago
This went out in an email to previous supporters of Alan Grayson this morning.  Dear Linus, I know why House Speaker John Boehner walked out of debt ceiling talks with President Obama on Friday. It’s because Boehner can’t deliver. It doesn’t matter what terms the President offers. It’s that simple. Boehner can’t deliver the votes. The President might as well be negotiatin
Suzie-Q 1 day ago
By David Fiderer, a lawyer who covers the energy industry for several global banks in New York.  This is an OpEdNews.com repost. If you wondered whether Murdoch’s various news outlets operate in sync when they misrepresent the facts about climate change, consider the deceitful reporting done by Ben Webster, the Environmental Editor for The Times [...]/p via How Murdoch’s Times of London and Fox N
Suzie-Q 2 days ago
 

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Suzie-Q 35

Social Security & The Deficit: Keeping the Promise
Pushing Crisis: GOP Cries Wolf on Debt Ceiling in Order to Impose Radical Pro-Rich Agenda DEMOCRACY NOW  July 22. 2011 President Obama and Republican House Speaker John Boehner are allegedly close to a $3 trillion deficit-reduction package as part of a deal to raise the federal debt ceiling before an Aug. 2 deadline. But the deal is coming under fire from both congressional Democrats and Republi
Norway youth camp attack kills 84
He first shot people on the island – afterward he started shooting people in the water” BBC, 23 July 2011 At least 84 people died when a gunman opened fire at an island youth camp in Norway, hours after a deadly bombing in the capital, Oslo, police say. Police have charged a 32-year-old Norwegian man over both attacks. The man dressed as a police officer was arrested on tiny Utoeya island af
Republican House Speaker John Boehner quits debt talks
BBC, 23 July 2011 Obama: It’s hard to understand Watch Boehner: White House like Jell-O Watch Republican House Speaker John Boehner has walked away from crunch debt ceiling talks at the White House with US President Barack Obama. Mr Obama said Mr Boehner had rejected an “extraordinarily fair deal” that would have included $650bn (£400bn) of cuts to entitlement programmes. The president said he h
Morning Briefing: July 22, 2011
  The New York Times reports that President Obama and Speaker Boehner (R-OH) are nearing a deal on a sweeping deficit reduction package they both may have a difficult time selling to their respective parties. The deal to avert a government shutdown in less than two weeks calls for $3 trillion in savings from substantial spending [...]/p via Morning Briefing: July 22, 2011.

Afro-Netizen 1

Invisible Capital and Why We Need to Democratize Entrepreneurial Opportunity
By Chris Rabb Republished courtesy of The European Business Review Invisible capital is the toolkit of our skills, knowledge, networks, experiences and other resources, along with the set of assets we were born with. Invisible capital is the toolkit of our skills, knowledge, networks, experiences and other resources, along with the set of assets we were born with: our race and gender, our fam

Prospects for Peace 1

America's attempted Quartet sophistry
   This piece was originally published at the Middle East Channel.    As more information seeps out from the Quartet principals meeting held in Washington on July 11, it becomes harder not to reach the conclusion that American policy on Israel-Palestine is now being driven almost exclusively by a desire to prevent any possible U.N. vote on the matter in the Autumn. Reading the draft text propos

altmuslim 9

ISNA convention: A living faith needs critical voices
The dark fantasy novel "Kraken" by China Mieville starts off in a museum of natural history and describes in great detail how a giant squid preserved in formalin can appear alive in the large glass tank. The story weaves various aspects of faith, worship and mythology into the story of a mysterious theft of this giant squid that is glorified and worshipped by a group of believers in the city of L
British Muslims: Contributing more than you might think
2 Many young British Muslims – who comprise over 50 per cent of the Muslim population in the UK – feel confronted by a world that objectifies and stereotypes them as anti-social or troublemakers who do not contribute to a productive society. In recent years, these youth have felt the need to rise up in response to these misjudgements and make their voices heard through engagement with others. In 200
Islamic finance: Tunisian fruit sellers and financial democracy
The Arab Spring opens an interesting window of opportunity for financial inclusion of the devout. Islamic finance was implicitly linked to the Muslim Brotherhood - much like ‘creeping Shari’ah in selected G-20 countries - by ex-dictators in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to keep themselves entrenched and the populace ignorant, on edge and suppressed. Could it be said that in denyi
Compassion towards another: One man fights for his shooter’s life
How would you respond if someone tried to kill you because of who you are? I know what my own responses would be: anger, fear, rage. For Rais Bhuiyan, the answer was different: forgiveness. When I first heard Rais' story, I could hardly believe it. A Muslim victim of a post-9/11 hate crime was fighting to save the life of his attacker. And one of the reasons that Bhuiyan was targeted – his faith
Islamic inheritance criteria: Investigating Qur’anic inheritance laws
One of the common perceptions about Islam is that it dictates a traditional system of Islamic Law ("sharia") which discriminates against women by allowing them to inherit only half as much as men. In fact, the Qur'anic position on these traditional laws is quite debatable; examination of the Qur'anic verses in question will allow us to decide whether or not the inferior position of women's inherit
Civil liberties: Muslim states must support LGBT rights
Last month, in an historic and long-overdue move, the United Nations passed a resolution recognizing the rights of gay, lesbian and transgender people around the world. With South Africa leading the charge, the U.N. Human Rights Council voted in favor of the resolution by a narrow margin of 23 to 19, with three abstentions. The new declaration holds that no one should be subject to discrimination

American Leftist 6

The Second Reagan Revolution
Despite ongoing squabbling, I anticipate that, within the next few days, the President and the Republicans in Congress will agree to a grand bargain that results in significant cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, so much so with Medicaid that it will reduce it to an illusory program of medical care for the poor. Better to preserve a shell of a program, and the appearance of social sup
Las Vegas and the Simulacrum of Desire
Preliminary, I appreciate the kind remarks that many of you have posted about my mother's decision to enter hospice. It is something that is emotionally difficult to deal with in unanticipated ways. Besides the frequent travel between Sacramento and Kingman, Arizona, where my mother lives, there are all those thorny emotional issues that come to the surface when we have to accept that one of par
A Program Note
For the last three weeks, I have spent most of my time with my mother, who is in a hospice facility after being diagnosed with advanced bladder cancer. She bravely decided to enter hospice instead of undergoing surgery and chemotherapy with little likelihood of recovery. Between trips to visit her, I will attempt to post some blog entries. Sadly, I believe that I will be able to return to a mor
The Gaza Flotilla Has Set Sail
You can follow its progress at these websites: GENERAL GAZA/FLOTILLA WEBSITES: http://witnessgaza.com Possible live streaming. http://ustogaza.org http://ustogazawest.org http://www.freegaza.org http://twitter.com/huwaidaarraf http://www.freedomflotilla.eu Possible live streaming. INDIVIDUAL BOATS: http://ustogaza.org/ (US boat) http://twitter.com/usboattogaza http://twitter.com/ibnezra (journa

Green & White 6

Mixit acquired by Patsystems for around $20 Million.
2 Mixit Technologies Karachi based firm lead by Yousuf Jan , which deals in software for Stock Market and Trading platforms, Have been acquired by Patsystems. The amount of acquisition will depend on Mixit’s continued performance till March next year according to this News Site Patsystems, a developer of high-end trading and risk management systems, said it would pay $20.2 million in cash and stock
Online tour planning for Pakistan – Hugely underserved
2 I had a chance to go sight seeing and trekking this month. I went out once towards Kashmir second time to a more reachable destination of Murree. It was eye opening to see what beauty is offered by this country we live in (was my first trip to Azad Kashmir), and at the same time I was surprised to see extreme lack of information available for tourists and adventure seekers online. There are hardly
Job board back.
This has been bending for too long. Finally got time to fix it. As last time, the area is reserved for startups only (companies with below 100 employees and less than 5 years in being ). So if you are an entrepreneur and want to post vacancies in your organization, send me an email at submit [at] greenwhite [dot] org I will make sure the appear in the job section. It might not get you as many eye
Rozee launches Facebook Application for pages
In a bid to expand its reach and viewer ship. Rozee.pk has launched Facebook application. This would be helpful as an employer if you advertise on Rozee.pk and have your own facebook page, and I think it would be far more productive than sending potential employees to rozee.pk landing page, where they might be wooed away by other opportunities. That said however I think currently the job search ou

(title unknown) 3

Real Niggazz are Wannaa-bee Gangstazz
Football is a violent sport. No doubt it plays into the gladiator blood sport mythos of days gone by. It’s also BIG business. I’ve heard that the current labour dispute between the owners and players is at the root, really about how to divvy up $9 billion is yearly revenue… basically the owners want a larger share of that pie! Anywayzz, I like many others, mainly watch the NFL on Sundays to see th
“Ralph Nader Is Tired of Running for President” by Chris Hedges
Click on image for article
the Lupe Fiasco fiasco
“My fight against terrorism, to me, the biggest terrorist is Obama in the United States of America. I’m trying to fight the terrorism that’s actually causing the other forms of terrorism. You know, the root cause of terrorism is the stuff the U.S. government allows to happen. The foreign policies that we have in place in different countries that inspire people to become terrorists.” A few weeks ag

NewsPirates/From the Quarterdeck 3

Violence in Afghanistan 06/28/2011
KUNDUZ – A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and two other militants. S. AFGHANISTAN – A soldier serving with the ISAF was killed in an insurgent attack. NATO spokesmen provided no further details. S. AFGHANISTAN – A soldier, nationality unknown at this time, was killed by in an IED attack. No other information was provided. KHA
Violence in Afghanistan 06/27/2011
GHAZNI – Seven Afghans were killed by roadside bombs in two separate incidents in central Ghazni province. Four civilians, including two children, were killed when their car hit a roadside bomb in the Qara Bagh district. Later, another three Afghans were killed when their vehicle also hit a roadside bomb in the city. S. AFGHANISTAN – A service member from the ISAF was killed in an attack by insurg
Violence in Iraq 6/26/2011
BAGHDAD – Two U.S. service members were killed while conducting operations in northern Iraq, the U.S. military said, without giving further details. MOSUL – Gunmen attacked an Iraqi army checkpoint and killing one soldier and wounding another. TAL AFAR – A militant was killed while planting a roadside. JIBLA – One person was killed when a parked car bomb exploded. TARMIYA – 2 people were killed an

ArmsControlWonk 20

I Still Call It The JAEC
A couple of months ago, Mark Hibbs wrote a nice little post here about China’s interest in commercial-scale reprocessing for its spent nuclear fuel. If you recall, a few reporters got unnecessarily excited about China’s announcement of initial operations at its pilot reprocessing facility in the Gobi Desert.  Mark reminded everyone that the facility was small, used the old PUREX method and was woe
Trident
2 In the 1970s, it was insufficient to offer state and local authorities a massive new military base. The Federal Government also needed to provide sweeteners like new schools to handle the influx of military personnel, government workers, and defense contractors. Those were the days when rainmakers truly reigned on Capitol Hill. No Congressional delegation had bigger rainmakers at that time than
Aftac
The Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC) is the intelligence entity that looks for nuclear explosions, although if you are a regular reader you probably know that already.  You probably also know that, even by the standards of the US intelligence community, AFTAC keeps a pretty low profile. So, imagine my surprise to see the Department of Defense release a pair of long articles based
Deterrence and Escalation Control
2 One theme in the Stimson Center’s Escalation Control and the Nuclear Option in South Asia (2004) is that deterrence is an abstract notion that sometimes fails real world tests. Crisis management and escalation control then become paramount, as was the case during the limited war in 1999 between Pakistan and India after Northern Light Infantry troops crossed the Kashmir divide in the heights above
Advanced Issues in Arms Control
On occasion, I offer a public service announcement. My friend, Bruce MacDonald, is teaching a week-long class along with Mike Lekson at USIP.  I sent one of my research assistants to a previous iteration of the class and he had nothing but good things to say about Bruce as an instructor and the experience in general. Bruce tells me the fee is only $195, which basically covers breakfast and lunch f
Condi Rice & FRG on Sino-Pak deal
The German federal government has published in its journal of record its answer to questions submitted a month ago by lawmakers concerning the then-upcoming 2011 plenary meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Particularly interesting is what Germany had to say about China’s plans to export two power reactors to Pakistan as Chashma-3 and -4. As many blog readers know, I have focused a certai

Obsolete 28

Still running on fumes.
It's a gentle, fragile thing the new British economy. The old cliché used to be that when America sneezed, the rest of the world caught a cold. We do things differently now. Unexpected, truly world-shattering events like the sun deciding to beat down in April meant that instead of 0.7% growth between April and June, we instead got 0.2%. Just in case the Office of National Statistics, which is
Anders Breivik and "cultural Marxism".
When it comes to terrible, immediately unattributable terrorist attacks like the ones in Oslo on Friday, the best approach would be to take a step back before jumping to conclusions. The impossibility of doing so in the era of 24-hour-news, Twatter and everything else means that criticising those who are (mostly) being asked to do so knowing only what everyone else does, i.e. very little, isn't a
Rolling with the punches.
Lucian Freud, 1922 - 2011.
Undeveloped vetting.
I know, I know, yet another post on phone hacking. It does though seem absolutely remarkable, to say the least, that Andy Coulson we now learn didn't undergo "developed vetting", the highest level of security clearance, which would have given him full access to material deemed to be "top secret". It also looks incredibly damaging that both Coulson's deputy and his successor have indeed undergone
Can't we talk about something else? Oh.
Well, that's that then. Time to move on. The public are tired of the phone hacking scandal. There are far more important things to be discussing or ruminating over than the resignation of the two most senior policemen in the land due to their associations with former News International employees and their failure the first time round to properly investigate suspected wrongdoing. Now that the M

IPS Inter Press Service Earth Alert: Confronting Climate Change 39

BANGLADESH: Tribal Women Take on Forest Ranger Roles
Jasinta Nokrek loves nothing better than to range through the dense Modhupur forest, the way her Garo tribal ancestors have always done.
EAST AFRICA: Massive Aid Needed to Stave off Disaster
International donors have given more than one billion dollars to ease the famine in Somalia and elsewhere in the Horn of Africa, but U.N. officials say another billion will be needed to prevent the situation from deteriorating in other areas.
INDIA: Kashmir Pays for Environmental Neglect
Years of poor policies and neglect are taking a toll on Kashmir's unmatched ecological assets, that also happen to be international tourist attractions.
‘Participatory Map Vital for Indonesia's Environment Plans'
Indonesia's ambitious forest conservation and emission reduction plans depend crucially on how soon it can develop a 'participatory map' in which all stakeholders figure.
Europe Headed for Water Crisis
Future glacier retreat in the Alps could affect the hydrology of large streams more strongly than previously assumed, a new study shows. Water shortages in summer could become more frequent.
Trekking Trails Lead Nepal Women to Empowerment
Dawa Gyalmo Sherpa's three sons went to look for blue-collar jobs in Malaysia, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, saying Mulkharka, their tiny village in Kathmandu valley, had no livelihood prospects.

Syria Comment 31

New Party Law Preserves Baath Power; Saudi – Iran – Turkey Vie For Syria
video A BBC Documentary: Sue Lloyd Roberts goes among the Activists: What Does the Opposition Want? Who are they? Syrian to Allow Organized OppositionWall Street Journal Christian Science Monitory: Nicholas Blanford Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s cabinet yesterday approved a bill to allow independent political parties other than the Baath Party, which has ruled the country since 1963. The draft l
Economic News Roundup
Trade Government Reduces Import Tariffs on Food Items, Manufacturing Inputs – (Syria Report) The Syrian government has reduced import tariffs on a wide range of consumer products and manufacturing inputs in a bid to reduce costs, as the month of Ramadan, a period of the year when demand peaks and prices rise, is set to begin. Telecoms & IT Facebook, Twitter, Gmail Blocked by Syrian Gover
Haithem al-Maleh, Landis, Fred Reed on Prism TV
video Prizm TV:  interviews Fred Reed Haithem al-Malah Joshua Landis The show is hosted by Salah Basalamah and produced by Maher Arar The guests begin talking around the 8 minute mark. That is a good place to begin. The order of speakers is: Prof. Fred Reed – 8:00 What is Syria? What is the Baath Party? Are Alawites Muslims? Haytham al-Malah – 17:30 The history and reasons for the uprising Joshua
Activists Attack Army Cadets, Derail Train, and Kill 20 Soldiers in Homs as Opposition Uses Force
2 Opposition supporters launch attack on Homs army college – Telegraph By Adrian Blomfield President Bashar al-Assad’s once unshakable grip over Syria appears to have slipped further after suspected opposition sympathisers attacked an army college in Homs. Residents in the city, Syria’s third largest, said two loud explosions at the compound were followed by the sound of sustained gunfire. A number
Rastan Rebels Kill 20 Syrian Soldiers in Homs, according to Wall Street Journal
Hama Protests Swell in Syria By NOUR MALAS in Dubai and A WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTER in Damascus Tens of thousands of people protested undeterred in Hama on Friday as a government crackdown in Homs, where sectarian violence and defected military conscripts pose a new threat to the government, drew a stark contrast between the two epicenters of Syria’s uprising. President Bashar al-Assad’s sec
Shara Spells out “Road Map” to Reform; Compares it to Corrective Movement Led by Hafiz al-Assad
Hamidi Ibrahim Hamidi, bureau chief of al-Hayat in Damascus, and three other journalists met with vice president Farouq Shara. Here is what he said about article 8 of the constitution, which states that the Baath Party is the leader of Syria’s state and society. It explains President Assad’s “road map” of reforms that should be finalized by the end of year. [The following is a very loose transla

Pickled Politics 28

EDL member attacks ‘Pakis’ on the tube and films it
A reader just sent me this link which I’d missed earlier. The EverythingEDL twitter account posted this video of an EDL member filming himself attacking random Asians on the tube. The video has violence – it is NOT safe for work [Flash 10 is required to watch video] If the video doesn’t work for you, see it here. Everything EDL say it was the EDL member ‘Cobz Smith’. If you know more, get in touc
Further exposure of mass murderer’s links to British far-right
The BNP and EDL were under greater pressure last night after their connections with the Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik were laid bare: The Norwegian fanatic has been in close contact with hundreds of British right-wing extremists for two years, it emerged last night. He chatted about ‘tactics’ on social networking sites with hundreds of members of the English Defence League (EDL) and the Briti
EDL founder convicted after hooligan brawl
This should do wonders for the EDL’s image: Stephen Lennon, 28, led Luton Town supporters and chanted “EDL till I die”" as they clashed with Newport County fans in Luton, a court heard. He was charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour during the clash on 24 August last year. He denied the charges but was convicted after a trial on Monday at Luton and South Bedfordshire Ma
The unbelievable Tom Harris MP
The Labour MP Tom Harris writes: I got it wrong and I apologise. I should not have jumped to conclusions, especially not so early on in such a terrible sequence of events. But (and of course there’s a “but” or I wouldn’t be writing this), the palpable relief that swept through the left when the identity of the terrorist was made known – a 32-year-old Norwegian christian fundamentalist – was reveal
Practical environmentalism
Environmental campaigners often struggle to convince the wider public about the need to combat climate change. Whilst most people agree with the principle of protecting the environment in the abstract, they are suspicious of many of the suggestions that environmentalists put forward to tackle the problem of climate change. This is partly due to the hypocrisy of large numbers of political leaders a
A ‘Bad Man’ With Good Looks… and serious religious messages
This is a guest post by Sarah. She blogs here. Going through the BBC News website yesterday, I discovered Muslim comedian Humza Arshad, AKA ‘Badman’ for the first time. What I didn’t know then was that he has already had literally millions of Youtube hits, been on BBC Asian Network and will soon be starting his first comedy tour, joined by several well known British Asian comedians including Jeff

WORLD TRUTH TODAY 36

Gunman Conspired With “Business and Political Leaders” Before Massacre
This picture reminds me of a highly sophisticated blow-up “dummy”.     Paul Joseph Watson Infowars.com Tuesday, July 26, 2011 Anders Behring Breivik said he conspired with “business and political leaders” in London years before he set about planning last week’s massacre, an intruiging connection given the fact that the gunman’s manifesto is datelined “London 2011, suggesting a clear connection
Inside LSD
video
Norway Terror Attacks a False Flag: More Than One Shooter on Island; Oslo Police Drilled Bomb Blasts; Was It NATO’s Revenge for Norway’s Decision to Stop Bombing Libya?
by Webster G. Tarpley, Ph.D. TARPLEY.net Washington DC, July 24, 2011 – The tragic terror attacks in Norway display a number of the telltale signs of a false flag provocation. It is reported that, although the world media are attempting to focus on Anders Behring Breivik as a lone assassin in the tradition of Lee Harvey Oswald, many eyewitnesses agree that a second shooter was active in the massac
Crazy People – We Are ONE
video It is the crazy people who change the world for the better – it is the ‘sane’ ones that destroy it. ‘Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in a square hole; the ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you c
OKA— Kulcha
This album is a collection of live tracks from 2 different gigs, one in Australia and one Canada, no overdubs, just raw Oka tracks as they went down. If you have heard Oka live and enjoyed it this is definitely worth a listen. credits released 09 February 2011 Dub, Edits & The Jamaican Mule by OKA okamusic.bandcamp.com
Oka— Pandanus
Dub, Edits & The Jamaican Mule by OKA okamusic.bandcamp.com

INFRASTRUCTURIST 37

The Daily Dig: U.S. Trucking Money Linked to Afghan Taliban
• A military-led investigation has found that parts of a $2.16 billion U.S. government contract for transportation in Afghanistan is being funneled to the Taliban. (WashPost) • Congress doesn’t seem to be in the mood for compromising to resolve the Read more ›
Two Alternatives to the Gas Tax
New reports keep telling us to fix America’s crumbling infrastructure, but they don’t tell us how. The most obvious solution is to increase revenue by raising the gas tax, but public officials refuse to consider that response, even as the Highway Read more ›
The Giant Drill Underneath Park Avenue
Here’s a modern engineering question: What do you do with a 200-ton drill that’s spent the last 4 years burrowing out subway tunnels 14 stories below Park Avenue? Do you spend the money to pull it out, transport it, and Read more ›
The Daily Dig: China’s Rail System Reels After Deadly Crash
• After a high-speed train collision on the outskirts of Wenzhou killed 36 people and wounded another 192, several officials have been sacked and the government is under pressure to ensure that these types of crashes don’t occur in the Read more ›
High-Speed Rail Trains Collide in China, Killing Dozens
On Saturday night two high-speed rail trains collided in China. According to Xinhua, the country’s official news agency, train D3115, heading for a city called Fuzhou, lost power on the tracks after being struck by lightening. Train D301, also heading for Fuzhou, slammed Read more ›
If the World Lived Like New Yorkers, We’d All Fit Into Texas
The wonderful density blog Per Square Mile gives us a graphic rendering of how much space the world’s population of 6.9 billion would need if it were as dense as certain cities. If everyone on earth were packed together like Read more ›

WWF - Latest News 44

WWF response to Global Witness report
In response Global Witness’ report Pandering to the Loggers released on Monday 25 July, WWF issues the following statement: For 20 years, the Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN) has worked successfully to create a global marketplace for sustainably sourced forest products. The programme now includes approximately 300 companies, communities, NGOs in more than 30 countries around the world. G
Kirsty Bertarelli's 'Green' anthem to inspire and support harmony with nature
Gland, Switzerland: WWF International says it is “grateful and elated” that proceeds from Kirsty Bertarelli’s new single, a remix of conservation anthem Green, will go to supporting WWF conservation projects around the world. “Kirsty's anthem is a powerful plea for us to renew our relationship with nature,” said WWF International Director General Jim Leape. “The anthem will contribute directly
Melting ice linked to polar bear cub mortality as moms swim farther
2 Study represents the first empirical research to find a significant, increasing trend in polar bear long-distance swimming Sea ice loss from climate change is causing polar bears to swim longer distances to find stable ice or to reach land, resulting in greater risk to their cubs, according to a new paper co-authored by a WWF expert. “Climate change is pulling the sea ice out from under polar b
AfDB and WWF team up for the environment in Africa
The African Development Bank (AfDB) and global conservation group WWF have come together to work closely on green economy and development issues in Africa. Both organizations signed a cooperative framework to this effect in Geneva on 20 July. The heads of the two organizations agreed to highlight the growing links between environmental protection and sustainable development and the need to work o
Seized ivory burned in Kenya
Nearly five tonnes of African elephant ivory confiscated in Singapore is being destroyed in Nairobi on Wednesday. The tusks are being burned to ensure that they do not again enter international trade, which is illegal. Destroying the stockpile is one step toward curbing the long-running elephant poaching problem in Africa, but there is also an urgent need to strengthen law enforcement efforts. Wh
Guyana approves new bill to safeguard its natural heritage
2 Guyana: After years of lobbying, a new bill has been approved which will improve protection of Guyana’s biodiversity. On July 7 the Protected Areas (PAs) Bill was debated upon and approved by all parties sitting in the national assembly. With the passage of the legislation an announcement for new protected areas in Guyana is now anticipated. These new PAs would bring the country closer to the re

Obsidian Wings 17

Scientific information wants to be free: Updated
4 by Doctor Science Last Tuesday, information activist Aaron Swartz was arrested for downloading almost the entire contents of JSTOR. This arrest is prompting a lot of discussion about the massive fail that is current academic publishing. JSTOR is a non-profit academic archive, holding journals for both non-profit and for-profit publishers in a one-stop shop. Libraries and other institutions pay a
raise my damn taxes
6 by russell OK, so not enough politics here lately.  Allow me to jump in. As of close of business today we are, as a nation, what, seven days away from default?  And no deal.  No significant movement toward a deal.  Nada.  I'd say the odds are something like even that we'll get to August 2 either with no deal at all, or with some half-baked, contrived, obviously bogus fiscal contraption tha
Making sense of the senseless
2 by liberal japonicus It might be better to have put this as a comment, especially since this is a growing theme in the comments, but I think this is sufficiently different from what Dr Science has posted to call for a separate post and I've put it below the fold Making sense of the senseless is a human preoccupation and Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, can be a part that stands for the whole
Norwegian Gothic
by Doctor Science When I saw the pictures of today's Oslo bombing, I was immediately reminded of an American terrorist attack -- not 9/11, but Oklahoma City. The first reports were that the bombing -- and the related massacre at a Youth Labor Camp -- were due to Al-Qaeda or other "jihadi" organizations. But just as in OKC, this was homegrown terrorism -- and by as Aryan a specimen
Your ni3 hao3 Friday open thread
by liberal japonicus In the post on Michael Irvin and bravery, Slart let slip that he studied a little Mandarin and several other folks popped up. Chinese is a wall I have taken a run at three times and am starting on a 4th and I am starting to feel like Pvt. Pyle, Vincent D'Onofrio character in Full Metal Jacket. This is your open thread for how you study Chinese or any other language or any
Kiwiana or L'Étranger meets Tom Clancy
by liberal japonicus This floated across the twitter feed of the Guardian reporters and I thought it might be of interest. If there are any ObWi faithfull hailing from the land of the long white cloud, feel free to chime in.    A 1994 Kiwi stamp set celebrating Kiwiana from stamps.nzpost.co.nz This article has the rundown (go to the bottom) Just to hit the hilites, a van with 6 Israeli national

Texas Liberal 39

Should Abe Lincoln Have Given Jefferson Davis Everything He Wanted?—The Work Of Freedom Is Up To Us
Should Abe Lincoln have given into everything that Jefferson Davis and the South wanted in order to solve a great national problem? President Obama has likely compromised more than he should on the debt ceiling debate. And yet still it is not enough for Republicans. Mr. Obama may not be another Lincoln, but today’s Republican Party of States Rights and mindless government bashing would have fit in
July 25th, 2011 marked five years since I began regular posting on Texas Libera...
July 25th, 2011 marked five years since I began regular posting on Texas Liberal. I did not write aboput this on the 25th because I wrote something else on the blog instead. I write this blog with the assistance of the Texas Liberal Panel of Experts. Above you see the TLPOE—Samuel Slater Bobblehead, Cactus, Extinct and Hamburger Wearing An Astros’ Hat. They have busted out a bottle of Champaign t
Debt Ceiling Standoff Reminiscent Of Cuban Missile Crisis—An Interesting View Of The Cuban Missile Crisis
The debt ceiling talks have begun to remind me of the Cuban Missile  Crisis. (Above–Soviet missiles in Cuba. Big trouble back in 1962.) Which side will blink first? (Here are facts about the Cuban Missile Crisis.) As for the debt ceiling negotiations, I hope President Obama does not sell us out with benefit cuts and domestic spending cuts that make life tougher than it is already. The wealthy hav
Right Wing Religious Extremist Anders Breivik Is Charged With The Terrorism In Oslo
I heard a brief Fox News radio report a few hours ago about the Oslo terrorist bombing and shooting. The update did not mention that this crime was an act of right-wing Christian extremism. I felt if this terrorism had been conducted by Muslims, that Fox would have reported this fact on the radio. I want to be certain that people understand who committed the terrorist acts we saw in Oslo this past
Texas Progressive Alliance Round-Up—The Mess That Is Democracy
Here is the weekly round-up of the Texas Progressive Alliance. The TPA is a confederation of the best political bloggers in Texas. TPA members are citizen-bloggers who are working hard for a better Texas. Every Texan has the ability has the ability to attend a public meeting, attend or organize a protest, write or call an elected official, talk to friends and family, start a blog, donate money, w
Stay The Course No Matter How High The River May Be
As I’ve been saying for the past few days–I’m a bit underwater. Picture is of the Ohio River at flood stage in Cincinnati, Ohio. I took this picture last March when I was in Cincinnati as my father was dying. There is very much to be hopeful about in our everyday lives. Everything we need to be hopeful and creative is around us if we apply effort and self-discipline to what we hope to accomplish.

The Angry Black Woman 38

An Idiosyncratic Review of The Revolution Starts at Home: Confronting Intimate Violence in Activist Communities Part One
2 So I have come to grips with the fact that I am not going to read this book all the way through in one sitting, as is my wont. In fact, starting from the front and reading it story by poem by article by interview to the end is not going to work, either. So I decided to stop fighting my brain’s agenda and read and review it, one article at a time; any article that my brain finds interesting this d
Why The Argument That People Using “Real Names” Are Better Behaved Online Rings False
2 I got two words for you: Will Shetterly. Yes, yes, yes, I know, using his full name will bring him down on this blog faster than saying Beetlejuice three times. If he shows up, ignore him. The larger point I’m trying to make is this: Will Shetterly behaves abominably on the Internet and has been doing so for some time. He harasses people; he shows up where he’s not wanted and, in some cases, has
I Don’t Read Comics Much, And Here’s The Reason Why
4 Just started reading a new Tumblr called Boobs Don’t Work That Way (thanks Amal!), which is just image after image of badly drawn female anatomy, mostly from comics. Looking at the way male artists depict women, particularly in the breast area, gives the impression that they’re drawing with one hand and playing with their dicks with the other. That’s really the only explanation for this type of
Check Out The Global Women in SF Round Table On The WorldSF Blog
2 Check Out The Global Women in SF Round Table On The WorldSF Blog: wildunicornherd: Following Singaporean author Joyce Chng’s post “We Don’t Even Factor At All”, she, Aliette de Bodard (France), Csilla Kleinheincz (Hungary), Kate Elliott (US), Karen Lord (Barbados), and Ekaterina Sedia (Russia/US) discuss the state of the genre for women. Some highlights: Csilla Kleinheincz: “Many of the women who
Fantasy, Reality, & ‘Ism’s
4 In the wake of the Fuck You Jim Butcher post a lot of the “It’s fantasy, don’t get offended” rhetoric is circulating again. Nothing new, but I’m a little perplexed by the argument that using real racial slurs (like Injun or Tar Baby) for fictional characters means that those real slurs are somehow neutered. That using real cities as backdrops and rewriting them to erase millions of people of
Baratunde: Michelle Bachmann is running for president on a pro-slavery, anti-porn platform?
This pledge is titled, “THE MARRIAGE VOW: A Declaration of Dependence Upon MARRIAGE and FAMiLY.” … To their partial credit, their pledge opens by acknowledging that one cannot claim to defend marriage without focusing on the high divorce rate, broken families, infidelity and other challenges (besides THE GAYS) “threatening” traditional marriage. … To their discredit, the first bullet point is: Sl

The Arabist 45

Roadmap to apartheid
I just backed this project, to produce a documentary on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, on Kickstarter. Please help if you can.
UAE Activists on trial
The piece below has been contributed by Jenifer Fenton, a freelance journalist based in the UAE, formerly with CNN. Five activists charged with opposing the government and insulting the country’s leadership returned to court on Monday in the United Arab Emirates. Ahmed Mansoor, a prominent Emirati human rights activist and blogger, and four others - who face up to five years in prison if convicted
Bringing Tahrir to Upper Egypt
I've written down some notes from my brief trip last week to the Akhmim district of Sohag governorate in Upper Egypt, also referenced in this week's Arabist podcast. I accompanied a Cairo-based party activist back to his family village to see how revolutionaries from the capital were reaching out to the 50+ percent of Egypt's voters who live in rural areas, in advance of parliamentary elections te
The Arabist Podcast #8: What's up in Sohag?
In this week's podcast, we give an update on the Tahrir Square sit-in, wonder if the never-ending cabinet shuffle will ever happen, talk about the politics in Upper Egypt with our guest Steve Negus, remember the movies that defined the late Mubarak era, and review the new Arabic comic Tok-Tok. Sorry for the exclusive focus on Egypt lately — we want to talk about things we can bring added value to,
The big picture for Egypt's future
Maria Golia's latest al-Masri al-Youm column, on developmental choices Egypt faces, makes a case for prioritizing environmental considerations. It's a sobering reminder that there are so much more important things at stake that the micro-debates over elections or constitution first and how much Sharia law there should be in the constitution: Egypt’s scientific community has finally jump-started t
Libya Dispatch: The Cage
The lobby of the Rixos.Our intrepid correspondent Abu Ray, once covering Libya's East, is now covering the West. This week he makes it to Tripoli's Rixos hotel. (See past dispatches.)  The billboard in the lobby shows a smiling child waving pictures of other cute smiling children, topped by the slogan, "Stop the Bleeding!" Bleeding? What bleeding? What now? Welcome to the Rixos Hotel, Tripoli's fi
Unknown The Arabist 9 days ago

finance

AAPL 403.41 4.91
The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Bank of America, Apple, Google, Intel and Kimberly-Clark Corporation The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Bank of America, Apple, Google, Intel and Kimberly-Clark Corporation • 16 hours ago
GOOG 622.52 3.54
The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Baker Hughes, eBay, Amazon.com, Google and Mastercard The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Baker Hughes, eBay, Amazon.com, Google and Mastercard • 16 hours ago
CRM 151.75 2.12
The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Intel, BMC, Cisco, Accenture and Salesforce.com The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Intel, BMC, Cisco, Accenture and Salesforce.com • 5 days ago
F 12.94 -0.23
Ford Beats, but Down from Prior Year Ford Beats, but Down from Prior Year • 10 hours ago
ORCL 32.145 -0.065
Concur Invests in Yapta Concur Invests in Yapta • 5 days ago
MSFT 28.08 0.17
Polycom Misses, Tough Times Ahead Polycom Misses, Tough Times Ahead • 4 days ago
GHDX 27.09 -0.48
Genomic Stays Neutral Genomic Stays Neutral • 55 days ago
 
 

finance

AAPL 403.41 4.91
The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Bank of America, Apple, Google, Intel and Kimberly-Clark Corporation The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Bank of America, Apple, Google, Intel and Kimberly-Clark Corporation • 16 hours ago
GOOG 622.52 3.54
The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Baker Hughes, eBay, Amazon.com, Google and Mastercard The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Baker Hughes, eBay, Amazon.com, Google and Mastercard • 16 hours ago
CRM 151.75 2.12
The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Intel, BMC, Cisco, Accenture and Salesforce.com The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Intel, BMC, Cisco, Accenture and Salesforce.com • 5 days ago
F 12.94 -0.23
Ford Beats, but Down from Prior Year Ford Beats, but Down from Prior Year • 10 hours ago
ORCL 32.145 -0.065
Concur Invests in Yapta Concur Invests in Yapta • 5 days ago
MSFT 28.08 0.17
Polycom Misses, Tough Times Ahead Polycom Misses, Tough Times Ahead • 4 days ago
GHDX 27.09 -0.48
Genomic Stays Neutral Genomic Stays Neutral • 55 days ago

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