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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.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

9 December - Blogs I'm Following

Beethoven House (Beethoven's birthplace) in Bo...Beethoven House (Beethoven's birthplace) in Bonn, Germany. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Ludwig van Beethoven in 1803Ludwig van Beethoven in 1803 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Beethoven's grave site, Vienna ZentralfriedhofBeethoven's grave site, Vienna Zentralfriedhof (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
11:13 am MST

Are We Becoming Subdued?

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 11 minutes ago
The *Occupy Movement* came and went. Yet it was never truly confrontational. It was vocal, a revolving protest, that, in retrospect, seems more of a whiney lament than a drive to compel change. Today's Gen X'ers and Millennials seem unaware that the change they're going to need is rarely achieved without a fight especially when plutocracy has displaced democracy as the operating system of the state. The oligarchs will not willingly yield the political power they have truly "captured" these days. They know what's coming and they know they will need that power more than ever in... more »

Sunday Classics: In which Beethoven's violin sonatas turn out to be OK after all

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 13 minutes ago
*David Oistrakh and Sviatoslav Richter play Beethoven's First Violin Sonata, in 1970.* * * *by Ken* As I mentioned in Friday night's preview, I came away from a recent three-recital series presenting the complete Beethoven violin sonatas, well, impressed but unenchanted. The violinist and pianist seemed earnest and competent, and from their performances as well as their spoken comments there didn't seem any doubt about their appreciation for the music. And yet I came away thinking my longtime fondness for this music had maybe been outgrown. Now the Beethoven violin sonatas aren't ... more »

For no raisin

Roobin at THROUGH THE SCARY DOOR - 19 minutes ago
For no raisin, Wikipedia’s list of known English-language portmanteaus: anacronym Amerithrax backronym bicurious blaccent blaxploitation bodacious Bootylicious breathalyzer bromance brunch camcorder carjack celesbian cheeseburger chuggers Chunnel Chinglish chortle cocacolonization cyberdelic cyborg Diamat digerati digipeater ebonics edutainment fantabulous femdom feminazi foon flavorite Franglais Frappuccino fratire gaydar Gerrymander greenwash guyliner hasbian homoerotic irregardless jazzercise jeggings linner lupper mangina manscaping mathlete mechatronics metrosexual mizzle mobeload m... more »

For no raisin

Roobin at THROUGH THE SCARY DOOR - 28 minutes ago
For no raisin, Wikipedia's collation of known English-language portmanteaus: anacronym anecdata Amerind peoples Amerithrax backronym bicurious blaccent blaxploitation bodacious Bootylicious breathalyzer bromance brunch camcorder carjack celesbian cheeseburger chuggers Chunnel Chinglish chortle cocacolonization cyberdelic cyborg Diamat digerati digipeater ebonics edutainment fantabulous femdom feminazi foon flavorite Franglais Frappuccino fratire gaydar Gerrymander greenwash guyliner hasbian homoerotic irregardless jazzercise jeggings linner lupper mangina manscaping mathlete mechatronics m... more »

Why the Secrecy About Fukushima?

Majia's Blog at Majia's Blog - 30 minutes ago
There are of course many reasons for the secrecy surrounding Fukushima. It is my opinion that rising militaristic tensions in the region are one important factor. See Michael Klare's "A New Cold War in Asia?" http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=28080 Countries like the US and Japan are run by people who see the world as a chessboard. Their goals are to acquire resources and achieve strategic positions in geopolitically sensitive regions. Japan is relatively closely aligned with the US, which has emerged as an overt imperialist over the last twenty years. An examp... more »

Don't Believe Harper's Post-Nexen Tough Line on Foreign Ownership of Canada's Resources

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 31 minutes ago
Steve Harper says he's stopped foreign takeovers of Canada's resource industries but experts from the business sector say that foreign money and ownership will continue. *CBC News* reports that foreign money will continue to flood in, only "Harper style." Steve Harper is the master of incremental change, little baby steps that, over time, add up to big change. *In announcing the long-awaited approvals of a Chinese takeover of Nexen Inc. and a Malaysian takeover of Progress Energy Resources Corp., Harper said there are limits to how much foreign state-owned influence is acceptab... more »

Internet governance talks in jeopardy as Arab states, Russia ally

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 37 minutes ago
A landmark attempt to set global rules for overseeing the Internet threatened to fall apart on Friday as a rift pitting the United States and some Western countries against the rest of the world widened, participants in the talks said. A 12-day conference of the International Telecommunications Union, taking place in Dubai, is supposed to result in the adoption of a new international treaty governing trans-border communications. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/08/us-un-internet-treaty-idUSBRE8B704420121208

German Finance minister doesn't rule out Eurogroup candidacy: paper

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 39 minutes ago
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble declined to rule himself out as a candidate to replace Jean-Claude Juncker as chairman of euro zone finance ministers, in an interview published on Sunday. Juncker, Luxembourg's prime minister, said he would step down as Eurogroup chief at the end of this year or early next, leaving policymakers just four weeks to find a successor to fill a potential power vacuum. He has headed the group since 2005. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/09/us-eurozone-eurogroup-idUSBRE8B803R20121209

Germany's SPD names former finance minister as Merkel challenger

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 46 minutes ago
Germany's opposition Social Democrats (SPD) formally nominated former Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck on Sunday as their candidate to run for chancellor against Angela Merkel in next September's election. Steinbrueck promised a more just society and called for a united fight against Merkel's centre-right coalition in a speech aimed at winning over the hearts of the oft-divided centre-left SPD at a special party congress. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/09/us-germany-politics-spd-idUSBRE8B807T20121209

Tulare County Indian reservation Shooting: 3 dead, 4 wounded

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 46 minutes ago
Authorities say three people are dead and four others—including two young girls—are wounded after a shooting Saturday night on a Tulare County Indian reservation. Sheriff's officials say when deputies were called to trailer on the Tule Indian Reservation at 7:47 p.m. they found the body of a man and a woman in the trailer and a third body— that of a another man—nearby. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_22157373/3-dead-4-wounded-reservation-shooting

Nigel Farage An Enemy of Brussels, and Not Afraid to Say So

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 46 minutes ago
THE floor of the European Union’s cavernous and mostly vacant parliamentary chamber here is hardly known for its lively debates. At least not until Nigel Farage, the Brussels-bashing leader of Britain’s fastest growing political party, gets up to speak. The vast majority of the European Parliament’s 754 members, as they process the torrent of rules and regulations that Europe bestows upon them, are not inclined to question why they are here. The pay and perks are generous for those elected to five-year terms in low-turnout elections throughout the European Union’s 27 member countrie... more »

Out of My League

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 48 minutes ago
How about this? Floor seats. Centre stage. Row 5. Yours for only $24,950 per ticket. And they're going fast. That's for next Saturday night's *Rolling Stones* concert in Newark, New Jersey. Those seem to be the best seats remaining. The cheapest seats, behind some pillar up in the Gods, will still set you back $350. And parking? That's another $82. To me it's obvious that the last time I saw the Stones in concert will probably be the last time I saw the Rolling Stones.

True danger from Syrian chemical weapons is if militants acquire them – Russian FM

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 59 minutes ago
The Syrian government does not intend, and has never planned, to use chemical weapons against rebel forces, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said, addressing rumors the that the Assad regime is preparing to use its chemical weapons arsenal. The biggest threat surrounding Syria's chemical weapons is their “probable acquisition by militants,” Lavrov said. “According to our information, and this information we pass to our US colleagues, and European colleagues, [the Syrian] government does not have such intentions and cannot have, because this is all very serious,” the minis... more »

Dealing with politically sensitive topics in the classroom

Peter Cresswell at Not PC - 1 hour ago
*Guest post by education writer Jillian Terry* *Dealing with politically sensitive topics in the classroom* Presidential campaigns, political scandals, the world economy, healthcare,and controversial social issues: topics like these can incite some pretty vitriolic arguments among even the most civilized adults.I know I've seen my fair share of arguments about the issues both on and offline, the majority of which are far from polite and even further removed from substance. I'm sure you can think of any number of incidents of such explosive arguments. It's that kind of occurrence ... more »

We'll All Be Singing This Tune Before Long

The Mound of Sound at The Disaffected Lib - 1 hour ago
It goes like this: "*If we had had more ambition [on emissions cuts from rich countries], we would not have to ask for so much [money] for adaptation. If there had been more money for adaptation [to climate change], we would not be looking for money for loss and damage. What's next? Loss of our islands?*" That retort was delivered by Ronald Jumeau, representing the Seychelles, to the U.S. negotiator at the now concluded Doha climate summit. The developing countries actually reached an agreement - to throw more money (supposedly) at the poor and vulnerable countries most heavily ... more »

thinking out loud

Oberon at GlobaLove Think Tank - 1 hour ago

Egypt's Mursi scraps decree, fails to appease opponents

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 1 hour ago
A concession offered by President Mohamed Mursi failed to placate opponents who accused him on Sunday of plunging Egypt deeper into crisis by refusing to postpone a vote on a constitution shaped by Islamists. Islamists say they see the referendum as sealing a democratic transition that began when a popular uprising toppled Hosni Mubarak 22 months ago after three decades of military-backed one-man rule. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/12/09/uk-egypt-politics-idUKBRE8B706S20121209

Typhoon Bopha: Fears for Philippines missing

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 1 hour ago
The number of people missing after Typhoon Bopha struck the southern Philippines has risen to more than 800, with 620 confirmed dead. The number of missing had risen dramatically because contact was lost with 300 fishermen at sea, Civil Defence chief Benito Ramos said. Rescuers are continuing to search parts of Mindanao island devastated by the typhoon on Tuesday. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20656846

Jihadist-backed rebels take Syrian army command post

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 1 hour ago
Syrian rebels backed by radical Islamists captured a northern regimental command center of President Bashar al-Assad's army, activists said on Sunday, as Russia dismissed speculation that it is preparing for its ally's possible exit from power. Assad's forces hammered rebel units on the outskirts of Damascus as they tried to drive back opposition fighters rebels seeking to advance toward the embattled leader's seat of power. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/09/us-syria-crisis-idUSBRE8AJ1FK20121209

5.0 Magnitude Earthquake BOUVET ISLAND REGION - 9th December 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 1 hour ago
Magnitude 5.0 Date-Time Sunday, December 09, 2012 at 12:38:40 UTC Sunday, December 09, 2012 at 12:38:40 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 54.038°S, 1.941°W Depth 9.9 km (6.2 miles) Region BOUVET ISLAND REGION Distances 348 km (216 miles) W of Bouvet Island, Bouvet Island

A Smoking Gun in harper's hands?

thwap at thwap's schoolyard - 1 hour ago
Commenter "The Salamander" has passed along some links about a story wherein the harpercons are deliberately suppressing scientists studying diseases in salmon farms. This is all out of my balliwick, but as I understand it, the story is as follows: 1. Canada is legally obligated to inform the relevant international authority about the appearance of a new disease among Canadian fisheries as well as to inform that same international authority as to the spread of a disease from another part of the world to Canadian fisheries. 2. In the short-term, reports of diseases among the fish... more »

Even Right Wingers should be able to understand . . .

Eric Whitney at Reality Pimp - 1 hour ago
. . . this message, if they'll just watch it all the way through: Thanks to the *California Federation of Teachers* and to Ed Asner.

Fiscal Cliff Fact of the Day

Greg Mankiw at Greg Mankiw's Blog - 2 hours ago
As reported in the *NY Times*: Even if Republicans were to agree to Mr. Obama’s core demand — that the top marginal income rates return to the Clinton-era levels of 36 percent and 39.6 percent after Dec. 31, rather than stay at the Bush-era rates of 33 percent and 35 percent — the additional revenue would be only about a quarter of the $1.6 trillion that Mr. Obama wants to collect over 10 years.

What comes first – a Syrian chemical attack or a US-led military showdown?

Matt at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
For the past week, US officials have kept up a flow of leaks to the media suggesting that Syrian President Bashar Assad was on the verge of ordering his army to unleash chemical weapons. The details built up as the week went by, starting with the detection of “unusual movements” of Syrian chemical weapons units, advancing to reports that the Syrians were “mixing precursor chemicals” for the nerve gas sarin and on Thursday, Dec. 6, that bombs had been made ready with sarin gas for loading onto Syrian Air Force fighter-bombers when Assad gave the word. http://www.debka.com/article/225... more »

Walker ( ALEC - WI) Stinking Thinking On Higher Ed

2old2care at Because I Can - 2 hours ago
I have to believe that these talking points were given to Scottie either by ALEC, or the Heritage Foundation or the Mackinac Center. Scottie is just not the brightest bulb on the Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Christmas tree. Definitely not bright enough to come up with all by himself without a Masters Degree in Political Science, with a Minor in How to be a Governor and a sub-specialization in ALEC Copy & Paste Legislation Cause he doesn’t have one! (Well, maybe he did complete the ALEC Copy & Paste Legislation certificate program.) A little educational something, something from a couple of ... more »

US Navy sends 2 more warships for N. Korean missile launch

Matt at The Coming Crisis - 2 hours ago
The Navy has positioned two more warships in the Pacific to monitor North Korea’s upcoming long-range missile launch. The guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain and the guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh have joined the USS Benfold and the USS Fitzgerald, both guided-missile destroyers, to monitor the launch, a Navy official said Saturday. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/dec/8/navy-sends-2-more-warships-for-n-korean-missile-la/#ixzz2EZOI1cpx

Mohawk John Kane 'My Sovereignty is not the American Dream'

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 2 hours ago
John KaneMy Sovereignty is not the American Dream *By John Kane, Mohawk* *Let's Talk Native Pride* http://www.letstalknativepride.blogspot.com/2012/12/my-sovereignty-is-not-american-dream.html?m=1 I often hear people say that standing on your birthright is too idealistic, to defend our sovereignty sounds good but we can't defend ourselves with sovereignty; it won't hold up in court. I don't even know how to respond to this but let me say this: Sovereignty, our birthright, is not our defense; it is WHAT we defend! I don't fight for money or cigarettes or casinos. I fight for our right ... more »

Reaching

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 2 hours ago

in toronto: noah richler, u.s. war resisters, and the militarization of canadian culture

laura k at wmtc - 2 hours ago
Something else I resumed after quitting my crappy day-job: attending events with friends, or, socializing through activism. Few things make me happier. I have four events to blog about. * * * * Last Friday night at Innis Hall, the War Resisters Support Campaign put on "Telling Our Story: A Fundraiser for U.S. War Resisters and Their Ongoing Struggle". The evening began with songs of hope and struggle sung by Common Thread Chorus. Common Thread's music is beautiful, but their orientation to the world is what's really impressive. They sing songs of peace, social justice, and struggle... more »

Happy Hanukkah!

Daniel Nexon at Duck of Minerva - 2 hours ago
I am a very bad Jew: the kind who not only married a shiksa, but pretty much only does Hanukkah and Passover. Well, the wife’s out of the country for the entire holiday this year, but Lyra and I managed to have a nice little first night before rushing off to her tumbling-and-trampoline clinic. I always find Chrismukkah Continue reading

IF SODOMY, WHY NOT NECROPHILIA?

NO ONE TO VOTE FOR at NO ONE TO VOTE FOR - 3 hours ago
. If Sodomy is as culturally acceptable as it seems to be, then why not necrophilia? After all, an individual gets to exercise their human right of sexual self-expression and, if the other party is as entirely passive as it inevitably must be, we can state with certainty that no feelings have been abused and, therefore, no suffering was inflicted. Thus, according to enlightened 21st century moral sensibilities, all criteria for acceptable sexual behaviour are met. There seems to be no possible moral objection that can arise that might impede the dedicated necrophiliac from marryi... more »

Ulster burns yet again, all at the will of the Internationalists

Rufus News From Atlantis at News From Atlantis. - 3 hours ago
The relationship between Great Britain and Ireland is a complicated one. The people of Ireland, for example, are strongly related to the people of southern Scotland. The term Scotland itself is derived from the ancient Celtic tribe known as the Scotti, who ironically came from Ireland. The Picts and the other indigenous peoples of Scotland are distinct from the Scotti, yet the nation is referred to by the name of a related but different group, who were not originally from Caledonia. The inter-ethnic confusion which exists in the north of Ireland is exacerbated by the fact that ... more »

'Justin Trudeau' ... the musical

leftdog at Buckdog - 4 hours ago
* * * Featuring "Justin ... get yer gun" !* *This is going to be the 'feel good' production of 2013. I can hardly wait! .....*

Independent Candidates Cost The Republicans 5 House Seats Last Month

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 4 hours ago
I've always bitten the bullet in the past and voted for the lesser of two evils, even pulling the lever for the much-hated Joe Lieberman when he ran for Vice President with Al Gore. Even voting for the very compromised Gore was a stretch for me. He was never the kind of populist, like his father, I prefer. But last month-- first time ever-- I came out of the voting booth feeling somehow clean. I didn't vote for Obama, absolutely the far lesser of two evils compared to Romney. Of course, I live in California, where Obama would be getting over 60% of the vote anyway, regardless of wh... more »

Murphy's Conundrum

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 4 hours ago
Pity poor Rex Murphy. He doesn't understand what he calls the "unbalanced and disproportionate" antipathy Canadians feel for Stephen Harper: For, step back a little, make a little space, and you will see that in his personal and domestic conduct, Harper is almost stereotypically Canadian. He’s a mild, unobnoxious, hockey-mad fellow. He doesn’t boast.He shuns the spotlight he could be commanding every day. He keeps his privacy and doesn’t insist, like many public figures, in conducting a soap opera around his position or his family. He’d be the ideal neighbour — he wouldn’t just d... more »

Untitled

New Orleans Ladder at New Orleans Ladder - 4 hours ago
*The Levee Podcast, Episode 4: Levees.org* Harry Shearer (center between founder Sandy Rosenthal and engineer H.J. Bosworth) will talk about Levees.org's latest campaign on his radio show called "Le Show." Harry will talk about our demand that the Army Corps of Engineers reveal the whereabouts of 50-80 deficient levees as described on Page 1 of this Engineering Letter. When: Sunday, Dec 9 at 12 noon CST on KCRW also at 8pm on WWNO *Corps of Engineers rejects request for more water from Missouri River* *Video: Spud reads the ''Cajun Night Before Christmas'' on the air * *Today: New G... more »

Patrick Moore, 1923 - 2012

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist - 4 hours ago
Very sorry to hear about Patrick Moore. He may have been an old xenophobe and UKIP botherer, but Patrick will be missed by millions of science fans. *The Sky at Night* will never be the same again. Nor xylophony.

U.S. drone strike kills another al Qaeda commander in Pakistan

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 6 hours ago
A U.S. drone attack killed a senior al Qaeda commander in Pakistan's northwest on Sunday, military intelligence officials said, the second militant leader to be killed in strikes by the unmanned aircraft in three days. The attack killed Mohammad Ahmed Almansoor and three others in a village close to Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan, near the Afghan border. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/09/us-pakistan-drone-qaeda-idUSBRE8B802620121209

Pesticide-Chemical in Tap Water Linked to Increase in Food Allergies by Mike Barrett

Stranger in a Strange Land at Stranger in a Strange Land - 7 hours ago
Pesticide-Chemical in Tap Water Linked to Increase in Food Allergies By Mike Barrett Natural Society, 6 December 2012 There is no question that pesticides are fueling numerous health complications; the research shows it time and time again. It's also interesting that many health conditions such as obesity and cancer are simultaneously escalating with pesticide use, revealing a very serious connection. New research has just shown that yet another health problem is also *increasing along with pesticide use - food allergies*. Using government data, researchers at the American Co... more »

Ready To Kiss The Social Contract Bye-Bye?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 8 hours ago
By the time Obama and Boehner present their Grand Bargain to the public, it will be too late to stop it. They're both hell-bent on "structural reform" to Medicare, which means, among other things, raising the eligibility age. If they could get away with it, they'd raise the Social Security retirement age as well. Both really want to badly, though neither wants the blame. In return for an inconsequentially small hike in tax rates for the richest in America-- almost all of whom, at least among the billionaire class, have gotten so rich through criminal enterprise-- Obama has an excus... more »

NYT Series Illuminates -- And Confuses -- The State of the Subsidy Wars

Kenneth Thomas at Middle Class Political Economist - 8 hours ago
Louise Story's series in the *New York Times *this week has created a substantial buzz about the issue of economic development subsidies.This is a welcome development, because it's an issue that doesn't get nearly enough attention in the highest profile media. Story has, in addition, appeared on shows such as MSNBC's "Morning Joe" and NPR's "Fresh Air," bringing subsidies to an even wider audience. She crafted a number of stories that highlighted the big picture issues: imbalance in bargaining power between city governments and giant multinational corporations, the blatant conflicts... more »

U.S. fights Russia against regimes' attempt to bring Internet under MORE government control at worldwide talks

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
A comprehensive telecommunications treaty involving nearly 200 nations has hit a roadblock, as questions about increased government control of the Internet have pitted two former adversaries against each other. At the World Conference on International Telecommunication held in the United Arab Emirates, the United States has been butting heads with Russia and several Middle Eastern states, which have offered proposals that would give governments more control over the Internet. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2245237/U-S-fights-autocratic-regimes-attempt-bring-Internet-MORE-gov... more »

Britain's new heart of darkness: Are we kick-starting another bloody war amid Africa's latest gold rush?

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
For the best part of a decade, beginning in 1996, the Democratic Republic of Congo was ravaged by the deadliest conflict since World War II - a civil war that left over five million dead. Now the country is set to become Africa's new El Dorado. There are vast gold reserves worth an estimated $20billion in the country's Orientale province, an area twice the size of the UK. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-2243965/Britains-new-heart-darkness-Are-kick-starting-bloody-war-amid-Africas-latest-gold-rush.html

Britain gives millions in 'climate aid' to tackle flatulent Colombian cows... plus £31m to Turkish wind farms and funding for talks with Kenyan 'rain-makers'

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
Millions of pounds of British taxpayers’ money is to be spent on a scheme aimed at reducing the flatulence of Colombian cattle, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. A £15 million grant to ranchers and other organisations in the South American country is part of a £2.9 billion package of ‘climate aid’ to developing countries which critics have called ‘ludicrous’. The initiative aims to improve animal diets by cultivating trees and plants on their grazing lands – in doing so reducing the amount of methane escaping through belching and flatulence. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-224... more »

Prime Minister hires plane for £700,000 trade mission jaunt from London to New York, Brazil and back again

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
The nation may be braced for many more years of austerity but it appears that the Prime Minister doesn’t always share his Chancellor’s love of financial prudence. Despite the country’s economic woes, David Cameron spent more than £700,000 hiring a plane to fly at less than a quarter capacity for five days. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2245303/Thats-nuts-Prime-Minister-hires-plane-700-000-trade-mission-jaunt-London-New-York-Brazil-again.html

Radio station behind prank Kate hospital call pulls ALL advertising from its shows following global outrage at hoax

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
The radio network Austereo announced it had suspended all advertising on the controversial radio show following a number oh high-profile advertiser boycotts. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2245271/Radio-station-prank-Kate-hospital-pulls-ALL-advertising-shows-following-global-outrage-hoax.html

The Nexen deal: ‘Friends with benefits’ may not be nearly as good as it sounds!

david at Alberta Diary - 9 hours ago
Thanks to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Canada’s oilpatch will soon take a Great Leap Forward. Below: CNOOC’s logo. “When we say that Canada is open for business, we do not mean that Canada is for sale to foreign governments,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper intoned at a news conference in Ottawa Friday – except, he didn’t ... more »

Mel Greig and Michael Christian in intense counselling

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
THE Sydney radio presenters behind the prank call that has been linked to a British nurse's death are said to be "fragile" and undergoing intensive psychological counselling. Southern Cross Austereo has expressed concerns about the mental health of 2Day FM presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian following global condemnation after Jacintha Saldanha's death on Friday. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/media/broadcast/fragile-2day-fm-djs-mel-greig-and-michael-christian-in-intense-counselling/story-fna045gd-1226533071130

Japan authorises N. Korea rocket interception

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
Japan on Friday ordered its military to shoot down a North Korean rocket if it threatens the nation's territory as Washington put anti-missile destroyers into position, ramping up pressure on Pyongyang. The moves came as a US think tank said recent heavy snow could hamper the hermit nation's launch effort. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i0wklmd6hXh9uflPQnlT-UrU0UTw?docId=CNG.599152554ef73f7999b483d40c673303.5e1

Israel tracking Syria's WMD arsenal

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
Sunday Times says Israeli special forces engaged in 'secret war' meant to thwart any chemical weapons use by Assad regime Israel is engaged in a "secret" war meant to stop Syrian President Bashar Assad from using chemical weapons, the Sunday Times reported. According to the British paper, the "cross-border operation is part of a secret war to trail Syria’s non-conventional armaments and sabotage their development." http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4317278,00.html

Kate hoax call: Scotland Yard contacts Australian police

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
Scotland Yard has been in touch with Australian police over the death of a nurse from the hospital where the Duchess of Cambridge was being treated for morning sickness. Jacintha Saldanha, 46, died on Friday, days after she answered a prank phone call from Australian DJs pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles. An inquest into the apparent suicide is due to be opened this week. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20656911

6 killed as small planes collide in Germany

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
Police say two small planes have collided in midair over central Germany, killing at least six people. Police in Friedberg, north of Frankfurt, said the collision happened Saturday afternoon near the small town of Woelfersheim. It wasn't immediately clear where the aircraft came from, where they were headed, how many people were on board or what caused the crash. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4317180,00.html

Penghu reports high pathologic H5N2 avian flu; chickens culled, Taiwan

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
Outlying Penghu Island has reported the first highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak and all chickens on the affected farm have been destroyed, an official from the Council of Agriculture (COA) said Friday. Huang Kuo-ching, deputy director of the COA’s Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, said the owner of the chicken farm first detected a massive die-off of 150 chickens Nov. 19 and alerted the health authorities. Another 50 chickens died the next day and test results obtained Nov. 22 showed that H5N2 was to blame, prompting the Penghu county government t... more »

North Sulawesi's Mount Lokon Enters Second Day of Eruption

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 9 hours ago
Mount Lokon, near the North Sulawesi town of Tomohon, entered its second day of eruption on Friday, belching heaps of ash and smoke into the atmosphere. “People are asked to remain alert and not conduct any activities within a 2.5 kilometer radius around the Tompuluan crater of Mount Lokon,” said Farid Bima, who heads the volcano monitoring outpost near the mountain. The 1,579-meter-high volcano first erupted at around 5:18 p.m. on Thursday, sending a column of ash and smoke that reached some 3,500 meters high. http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/north-sulawesis-mount-lokon-ente... more »

Tornado in Yogyakarta Injures Dozen, Damages Hundreds of Houses, Indonesia

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
Sleman, Yogyakarta. More than a dozen people have been injured and hundreds of houses left damaged after a tornado swept through the Yogyakarta district of Sleman on Friday. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman said on Saturday that the tornado — which had a radius of two kilometers at a speed of 60 kilometers per hour — lasted for 10 minutes and hit 10 villages in Sleman, with the Bromonila village in the subdistrict of Purwomartani reporting the most damages. http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/nvironment/tornado-in-yogyakarta-injures-dozen-damages-hundreds-of-hou... more »

U.S., China turned EU powers against airline pollution law

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
The European Union's landmark effort to charge foreign airlines for carbon emitted on flights in and out of Europe was already failing by the time French President Francois Hollande shared his deep concerns with the European Commission chief in October. The U.S. aviation industry had mustered fierce political opposition, China was threatening to withhold aircraft orders from Airbus and the most influential European nations feared retaliation against their national carriers. Chinese and Indian airlines refused to submit emissions data; U.S. lawmakers were readying a law that could ma... more »

Joseph V. Loughrey fatally shoots 7 year old son outside Pennsylvania gun store

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
A seven-year-old boy was shot to death by his father on Saturday in the parking lot of a gun store in western Pennsylvania in an apparent accident, state police told Reuters. Craig Allen Loughrey was shot in the chest by a handgun his father, Joseph V. Loughrey, 44, was holding as they were getting into the family vehicle at Twig's Reloading Den in Mercer, about 60 miles north of Pittsburgh, a Pennsylvania State Police spokesman said. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/09/us-usa-pennsylvania-shooting-idUSBRE8B800S20121209

NI Police On Alert Amid Union Flag Tensions

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
Police are on alert in Belfast after a week of protests over new restrictions on flying the Union flag at City Hall. Up to 2,000 people took part in a loyalist protest in the city centre on Saturday, which passed off peacefully. http://news.sky.com/story/1022670/ni-police-on-alert-amid-union-flag-tensions

Josh Brent Charged with drink-driving manslaughter

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
An American football player with the Dallas Cowboys has been charged with intoxication manslaughter after his teammate was killed in a car accident. Defensive linesman Josh Brent was arrested in the early hours of Saturday following the death of Jerry Brown, a linebacker with the team's reserve squad. http://news.sky.com/story/1022789/dallas-cowboys-star-charged-over-fatal-crash

Egypt's President Backs Down On New Powers

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has annulled a decree he issued last month expanding his powers, an official has said. But a referendum on a draft constitution would still go ahead as planned on December 15, Islamist politician Selim al Awa added. He explained that constitutionally President Morsi was unable to change the date, as Mr al Awa spoke to reporters after talks between the President and political leaders. http://news.sky.com/story/1022778/egypt-president-morsi-backs-down-on-powers

MASSACRES IN EUROPE

Anon at aangirfan - 10 hours ago
*Children preparing for evacuation from Spain, during the Spanish Civil War. From the estate of Olga Brocca Smith* Europe has known a number of massacres of civilians. In Spain, in the 1930s, the *Republican* government passed a law giving poor farmers the right to become land owners. In 1936, the* Nationalists*, led by the fascist General Francisco Franco, began a revolution to topple the government. After the Nationalists had captured the town of Badajoz, around 4,000 civilians and others were rounded up and murdered by the Nationalists. The Nationalist's General Yagüe ordered t... more »

5.3 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 9th December 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
Magnitude 5.3 Date-Time Sunday, December 09, 2012 at 02:34:19 UTC Sunday, December 09, 2012 at 12:34:19 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 37.791°N, 143.590°E Depth 30 km (18.6 miles) Region OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN Distances 212 km (131 miles) ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan

5.1 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR SOUTH COAST OF NEW GUINEA, PAPUA NEW GUINEA - 8th December 2012

Lynsey at The Coming Crisis - 10 hours ago
Magnitude 5.1 Date-Time Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 19:00:11 UTC Sunday, December 09, 2012 at 05:00:11 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 7.192°S, 144.001°E Depth 32.8 km (20.4 miles) Region NEAR SOUTH COAST OF NEW GUINEA, P.N.G. Distances 104 km (64 miles) S of I

The Master Shift 12-12-12

Obi-Wan Kabuki at American Kabuki - 11 hours ago

David Wilcock: Back in Action!

Obi-Wan Kabuki at American Kabuki - 12 hours ago
http://divinecosmos.com/start-here/davids-blog/1095-backinaction Saturday, 8-Dec-2012 *Back in Action!* Just a brief update to let you know that David is bouncing back from the nastiest flu he's had in over three years. We plan to release more detailed material soon! GLAD TO BE BACK! Many of you have asked me to write shorter updates and keep you in the loop, even if I don't have the time or the energy to do something more substantial. So here it is! I am obviously very interested in what will actually happen as we go through the Mayan Calendar end-date. This has been my total... more »

December 8, 1972

Jonathan Bernstein at A plain blog about politics - 12 hours ago
There are, it turns out, two plane crashes which make a great deal of difference in how the Watergate story played out. The first one actually had happened back on October 16, a month before the election. The plane carrying Democratic House Majority Leader Hale Boggs (and Member of the House Nick Begich disappeared over Alaska. The plane, and those aboard, were never found. The tragedy elevated Tip O'Neill to the number two spot among House Democrats; O'Neill saw, perhaps sooner than anyone else or at least anyone else in a position to do anything about it, that Watergate could cut ... more »

John Friend on Star Theory Radio

John Friend at John Friend's Blog - 12 hours ago
I was on *Star Theory Radio* with Kyle Hunt earlier this evening. We discussed my post *Organized Jewry: destroyers of Western civilization*, WWII, Adolf Hitler, international Jewry, and issues relating to religion and race. You can download the entire program *here*.

Are The House Democrats Already Doomed For 2014?

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 13 hours ago
[Before we get started this evening, let me just mention that the last congressional race of 2012 was a run-off today in Louisiana's 3rd congressional district pitting two conservative Republicans, "Lord" Charles Boustany, the Establishment candidate, and teabagger Jeff Landry. Democrats were allowed to vote but both Republicans were so busy claiming that they were more right-wing than the other one, that I suspect most Democrats were turned off. Turnout was light. A.P. called the race pretty fast for Boustany, who is best known for having once bought a fake British title of nobi... more »

Apocalyptic Hysteria: Obama's Creative Imagination Trumps Facts In His Narrative About Syria

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 13 hours ago
*When speaking on Syria, President Obaaama sounds more like a crazy Mayan priest than a rational, 21st century, post-Enlightenment American statesman. * Numerous experts have poured cold water on the Obama administration's wild claim that the Syrian government is getting ready to use chemical weapons on its own people. McClatchy *reports*: With concern over the Syrian regime’s chemical weapons stockpile reaching a fever pitch this week, international experts are cautioning against alarmism, saying there’s no confirmation that the Syrians are mixing weapons components or loading ... more »

Arizona Election Fraud: Is Arizona's Secretary of State Feigning Ignorance Over Terry Goddard's RTA Investigation?

Intercept at The Intercept - 14 hours ago
J.T. Waldron Arizona's Secretary of State's office has issued a surprising answer to Supervisor Ramon Valadez's request for ballot scanning. Contrary to what has been publicly revealed and analyzed in Arizona Attorney General's public recount of the 2006 RTA election, Arizona's Secretary of State's office issued a memo citing the "accuracy" of Goddard's recount as a reason to forego graphic scanning of ballots. The key quote in the document is as follows: "The Secretary of State's office has viewed the idea of ballot scanning as a way to further audit our elections process. Howe... more »

Stop Imperialism - Episode 51

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 14 hours ago
US workers on strike, Syria, Egypt, Iran, and more. *December 8, 2012* (Stop Imperialism) [image: ep51_533x309.jpg] Podcast Powered By Podbean In this episode: - *1. U.S. Labor Struggle - Port-strike talks continue even on Sunday, but stalemate goes on* - *2. Syria - Turkey scrambles jets as Syrian warplanes bomb border region* - *3. Egypt - Opposition marches to presidential palace against new charter* - *4. Iran - US boosts number of spy drone flights over Iran* - *5. Under the Radar - US set to establish new spy network as big as CI... more »

Retiring Dictator Finally Obeys The Will of Egyptians, Ends Dictatorial Decree

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 14 hours ago
*Photo: During his historic visit to America, the former aspiring dictator Mohamed Morsi paraded through the streets of New York on the same camels that his predecessor Mubarak used to crackdown on anti-regime protests in Tahrir Square in his reign as Pharaoh.* An excerpt from *"Egypt president scraps decree that sparked protests"*(Reuters): Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi has cancelled a decree that gave him sweeping powers and sparked deadly violence, but did not delay this month's referendum on a new constitution as his opponents had demanded. The announcement that Mursi had... more »

Mohamed Morsi approves martial law in Egypt, state media reports

Matt at The Coming Crisis - 14 hours ago
CAIRO: Struggling to subdue continuing street protests, the government of President Mohamed Morsi has approved legislation reimposing martial law by calling on the armed forces to keep order and authorizing soldiers to arrest civilians, Egypt's state media reported on Saturday. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Mohamed-Morsi-approves-martial-law-in-Egypt-state-media-reports/articleshow/17535688.cms

Sharing is Not a Crime: A Battle Plan to Fight Back

Land Destroyer at Land Destroyer - 14 hours ago
*December 7, 2012 *(LocalOrg) -* The Battlefield*: Christopher Dodd was at one point an alleged elected representative of the people. As a US Senator he was charged with upholding the Constitution and laws of the people, and representing the interests of voters in his state of Connecticut - for 30 years. In reality, Dodd didn't represent the people, and instead, represents corporate special-interests - and unfortunately, Dodd is not the exception. In early 2011, it was announced that Dodd - after retiring from 30 years in the Senate - would take up a leading role at the Motion Pict... more »

RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER CLAIMS EXTRATERRESTRIALS LIVE AMONG US

Obi-Wan Kabuki at American Kabuki - 15 hours ago
http://exopolitics.org/?p=732 *RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER CLAIMS EXTRATERRESTRIALS LIVE AMONG US* DECEMBER 8, 2012. *Russian Prime Minister claims that Men In Black movies depict a real life secret organization that monitors extraterrestrials living among us* On Friday, December 7, the current Russian Prime Minister and former President, Dmitry Medvedev, made some startling off-air comments to reporters while his microphone was still switched on. He was asked whether the President is given any secret files on extraterrestrials while in office. In his responses, Medvedev not o... more »

Typhoon Bopha makes U-turn, threatens Philippines again

Jim at Desdemona Despair - 15 hours ago
[image: A rare cloud formation is seen amidst destroyed banana plantation four days after Typhoon Bopha left hundreds of people killed and rendered extensive damage to agriculture at Montevista township, Compostela Valley in southern Philippines Saturday, 8 December 2012. Search and rescue operations following the typhoon that killed at least 600 people and left several hundred more missing and tens of thousands homeless have been hampered in part because many residents of this ravaged farming community are too stunned to assist recovery efforts, an official said Saturday. Bullit ... more »

Gila River Youths stand against Pangea and Loop 202

brendanorrell@gmail.com at CENSORED NEWS - 16 hours ago
Gila River Youths stand against Pangea and the Loop 202 in Ahwatukee *By Gila River Youths against 202* *Censored News* http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com AHWATUKEE, Ariz. -- On Friday, December 7, a group of 17 people from the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) and from the Phoenix area held an anti Loop 202/anti-Pangea rally at the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce Public Policy meeting. Pangea was in attendance to present its “City Concept” which centers on developing almost 6000 acres of Gila River land south of Pecos Road. Protesters came to challenge the merit of the pla... more »

Dog team, Iqaluit

James C Morton at Morton's Musings - 16 hours ago

Urban Gadabout: Stalking owls in Inwood Hill Park

KenInNY at DownWithTyranny! - 16 hours ago
*No, as far as I know this isn't the great horned owl we (supposedly) made voice contact with this evening in way-Northern Manhattan's Inwood Hill Park. But I can't say for sure it isn't. Or it could be a relative.* *FINAL TALLY FOR "OWL PROWL"* Total number of owls made visual contact with: 0 Total number of owls made voice contact with: 1 (alleged) Total amount of fun had during Owl Prowl: tons * **by Ken* Now you're going to tell me you could resist an offer like this? *Owl Prowl with Mike Feller**Saturday, December 8, 2012* * 4:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.* Whoooo goes there? Bring the w... more »

ALEC Alumni & Friends - Embarrassment to USA

2old2care at Because I Can - 16 hours ago
You find the strangest things sometimes. This time an article at Think Progress. Please take the time to read the snips below – cause it is ridiculously absurd at the same time that it is so very sad for all bright, above-average Americans. Climate Progress *U.S. Senator Protests Climate TalksWith Activist Who Believes The UN Is The Anti-Christ* By Zack Beauchamp posted from Climate Progress on Dec 8, 2012 at 5:00 pm Senator *James Inhofe* (R-OK), the lead Republican on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, held a climate-denial press conference at the UN Framewo... more »

LOL @ These Drugged Out Apes

Saman Mohammadi at The Excavator - 16 hours ago

Mining 5: Benefits of Mining Even Without Taxes

Nonoy Oplas at Government and Taxes - 16 hours ago
Last Thursday, December 06, I recommended this article in my facebook account and two friends, Jayant Bhandari and Citos Buenaventura, commented on my fb wall. It was a nice, civil discourse and debate. Portions of the article say: *"Funny though, the government does not seem to know its own anti-mining proclivities. This seems to be the case as the agency in charge of the sector had to backpedal on its target of $2 billion in mining investments this year after the latest figures showed a 50 percent plunge to $160 million in the first half. The government agency admitted that “uncer... more »

Bernie Sanders/Elizabeth Warren 2016

Libby Spencer at The Impolitic - 16 hours ago
I want to shoot myself for mentioning 2016 but I was only half joking when I tweeted that last night. I mean how fun would it be, after years of the fake "Obama is a socialist" spin, to have a *real* Socialist run? And what's not to love about the way Bernie Sanders talks? “In a time of disfunctionality in the Senate, and all kinds of absurdity, this probably takes the cake when you filibuster your own” bill, the self-described "democratic socialist" lawmaker told MSNBC's Ed Schultz Friday evening. “The American people want action and it is undemocratic, it is unAmerican when a sma... more »
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