tagged w/ News and Politics
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Another week, and yet another collection of irresponsibly oversimplified news stories from the past seven days. Feel free to click all those news links I hid amongst the poems. It'll be like an easter egg hunt, except the easter eggs are Japanese poetry and the stuff inside is knowledge. Tasty, delicious knowledge...
Link: http://itslonelyuphere.blogspot.com/2012/02/haiku-news-24-210.htmlAnother week, and yet another collection of irresponsibly oversimplified news stories... more
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KevJ
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1 day ago
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Iceland is free. And it will remain so, so long as her people wish to remain autonomous of the foreign domination of her would-be masters — in this case, international bankers.
On April 9, the fiercely independent people of island-nation defeated a referendum that would have bailed out the UK and the Netherlands who had covered the deposits of British and Dutch investors who had lost funds in Icesave bank in 2008.
At the time of the bank’s failure, Iceland refused to cover the losses. But the UK and Netherlands nonetheless have demanded that Iceland repay them for the “loan” as a condition for admission into the European Union.
In response, the Icelandic people have told Europe to go pound sand. The final vote was 103,207 to 69,462, or 58.9 percent to 39.7 percent. “Taxpayers should not be responsible for paying the debts of a private institution,” said Sigriur Andersen, a spokeswoman for the Advice group that opposed the bailout.
A similar referendum in 2009 on the issue, although with harsher terms, found 93.2 percent of the Icelandic electorate rejecting a proposal to guarantee the deposits of foreign investors who had funds in the Icelandic bank. The referendum was invoked when President Olafur Ragnur Grimmson vetoed legislation the Althingi, Iceland’s parliament, had passed to pay back the British and Dutch.
Under the terms of the agreement, Iceland would have had to pay £2.35 billion to the UK, and €1.32 billion to the Netherlands by 2046 at a 3 percent interest rate. Its rejection for the second time by Iceland is a testament to its people, who feel they should bear no responsibility for the losses of foreigners endured in the financial crisis.
That opposition to bailouts led to Iceland’s decision to allow the bank to fail in 2008. Not that the taxpayers there could have afforded to. As noted by Bloomberg News, at the time the crisis hit in 2008, “the banks had debts equal to 10 times Iceland’s $12 billion GDP.”
“These were private banks and we didn’t pump money into them in order to keep them going; the state did not shoulder the responsibility of the failed private banks,” Iceland President Olafur Grimsson told Bloomberg Television.
The voters’ rejection came despite threats to isolate Iceland from funding in international financial institutions. Iceland’s national debt has already been downgraded by credit rating agencies, and now those same agencies have promised to do so once again as punishment for defying the will of international bankers.
This is just the latest in the long drama since 2008 of global institutions refusing to take losses in the financial crisis. Threats of a global economic depression and claims of being “too big to fail” have equated to a loaded gun to the heads of representative governments in the U.S. and Europe. Iceland is of particular interest because it did not bail out its banks like Ireland did, or foreign ones like the U.S. did.
If that fervor catches on amongst taxpayers worldwide, as it has in Iceland and with the tea party movement in America, the banks would have something to fear; that is, the inability to draw from limitless amounts of funding from gullible government officials and central banks. It appears that the root cause is government guarantees, whether explicit or implicit, on risk-taking by the banks.
Ultimately, such guarantees are not necessary to maintain full employment or even prop up an economy with growth, they are simply designed to allow these international institutions to overleverage and increase their profit margins in good times — and to avoid catastrophic losses in bad times.
The lesson here is instructive across the pond, but it is a chilling one. If the U.S. — or any sovereign for that matter — attempts to restructure their debts, or to force private investors to take a haircut on their own foolish gambles, these international institutions have promised the equivalent of economic war in response. However, the alternative is for representative governments to sacrifice their independence to a cadre of faceless bankers who share no allegiance to any nation.
It is the conflict that has already defined the beginning of the 21st Century. The question is whether free peoples will choose to remain free, as Iceland has, or to submit.
Read more at NetRightDaily.com: http://netrightdaily.com/2011/04/iceland-declares-independence-from-international-banks/#ixzz1kEPvGBazIceland is free. And it will remain so, so long as her people wish to remain... more
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Jon Huntsman is dropping out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination, according to campaign officials.
An aide to Huntsman confirmed the news to The Huffington Post and said the former governor of Utah would endorse Mitt Romney on Monday. The aide added that Huntsman "didn't want to stand in the way of the candidate most prepared to beat Obama and turn around the economy."
Huntsman placed third in New Hampshire's primary election last week after investing significant time and resources in the Granite State.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/15/jon-huntsman-concedes_n_1207994.htmlJon Huntsman is dropping out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination,... more
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Still waiting for the Current Shopping Network Debut-
Regular viewers of Current TV’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann may have noticed that the progressive newshour has gone dark this week. I don’t mean that host Keith Olbermann has taken to quoting Sylvia Plath and wearing out the grooves on his My Chemical Romance records, I mean he has literally been broadcasting from a dark place. Early on in Monday’s show, technical problems beset the program, and since then, Olbermann has been hosting his show from what appears to be an endless black void. Mediaite has confirmed that Olbermann has not been confined to an interdimensional limbo, nor is he broadcasting from inside Rush Limbaugh‘s head.
I missed Monday’s episode, so when I tuned in Tuesday to see Olbermann lighting a candle at the top of the show, gaping black maw of eternity behind him, I figured it was some in-joke that I had missed the setup to. As it turns out, an on-air technical mishap the night before had forced the host to change locations. Here’s where the problem started, and Olbermann’s candle-lighting gag:
Since then, Olbermann has continued to host the show with that black background, and has taken to cracking wise about the low-tech milieu, making copious references to the DuMont Network. Although born of necessity, the look is oddly, enigmatically compelling, like a living black-velvet Elvis painting, or a newscast from some alienated sci-fi dystopia.
Even more mysterious is the fact that no one seems to have noticed. There was no mention of the change on Olbermann’s Twitter feed, so apparently, his fans took it in stride as well as he did. Maybe it’s my fascination with behind-the-scenes minutiae, but not knowing what could possibly force a 21st century television personality to broadcast from the inside of a sensory deprivation tank was just driving me nuts.
Well, mystery solved. According to Current TV President David Bohrman, “The facility we lease for the production of Countdown has had a series of technical problems. Monday a dimmer rack overheated and blew out the lights, forcing the crew to move to a different part of the set.”
It probably is just me, but I find it amazing that it looks like Olbermann is at the very edge of the universe, when he’s really just a few feet away from his usual set. I’m also fascinated by the fact that the desk Martin Bashir teases his show from looks like it’s a picture on the wall of Tamron Hall‘s studio. No, that’s actually Martin Bashir in there!Still waiting for the Current Shopping Network Debut-
Regular viewers of Current... more
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punman
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2 months ago
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If You Are Anti War Please Share This!
If you are Anti War, if you believe that the U.S., Great Britain and France should stay out of Iran, that there should be NO Sanctions NO War! Please Share this! Think of all the children that we WILL save by ENDING WARS!
http://freedividual.com/2012/02/06/if-you-are-anti-war-please-share-this/If You Are Anti War Please Share This!
If you are Anti War, if you believe that the... more
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critic
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5 days ago
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The organization of Green shoots independent filmmakers group.
Direction
The beginning direction of green shoots is to create, organize, promote and film
Community enriching activities and promote those films.
(We are aiming for the Sun dance film festival,TED,ect.)
Navigation
Group navigation will be simple.
when Ideas are presented by the members of the group,we vote on the idea each of us believes will be the most effective and achievable.
we reduce the ideas down to ten ideas and re-vote down to the final two, then vote again for the winning project.( the forming of teams and decision making will be made in the same way, by majority vote/choice)
formation
I will search for group members by advertising on Craigs list near Redding CA.
using this post and a link to Green shoots independent filmmakers group.
http://gsifmg.blogspot.com , and
a link to SeTH GEzz SoUP ScoOP,
http://sethgezzsoupscoop.blogspot.com
as well as my phone number 000-000-0000
i have a Redding or Anderson Starbucks in mind for a meeting place.
Eventually we will find a theater space to collaborate in.
More to come of the future, FOLLOW ME at SeTH GEzz SoUP ScoOP, http://sethgezzsoupscoop.blogspot.com
Be mindful of what you share on the internet,the more Noble the content you share, the more noble the environment becomes everywhere, If you share it,it will come to pass,
thank you. Seth GThe organization of Green shoots independent filmmakers group.
Direction
The... more
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Hi All
This is a journal of my ideas my observations and my dreams, including the steps i am taking to achieve those dreams.
My intent is to change the world or rather to influence the future vision of the world.
This is a list of the blogs i am publishing:
#1)The list of universal human needs, i believe this list holds self evident paths to happiness,clarity and world change, our relationship with these human needs, our understanding and practice of those needs fulfills the balance each of us seeks. think of an activity and hold it up to the list of universal human needs and see how many needs are being met by that activity. Try to practice all human needs evenly for balance.
http://theideamanworldchangecomingtoyou.blogspot.com/2012/02/conversation-about-universal-human.html
#2)I am developing games to satisfy universal human needs and change the world.
My first project will be getting ''GREEN SHOOTS INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS GROUP'' off the ground. some of the ideas for green shoots are in the link below.
http://gsifmg.blogspot.com/
I would like any comments or sharing you would like to do, rely, if you have time look at "the list".Hi All
This is a journal of my ideas my observations and my dreams, including the... more
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KevJ
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7 days ago
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This week in OWS Week Program 2 - Chris Ernesto from Occupy Arrests is interviewed about the 6,000 PLUS arrests that have happened here to people that are asserting their First Amendment Right! The Right to Peacefully Assemble and Freedom of Speech! - The Video shows the brutal arrests around the United States and shows the police state for what it is.
http://freedividual.com/2012/02/02/ows-week-program-2-aired-live-2112-on-presstv/This week in OWS Week Program 2 - Chris Ernesto from Occupy Arrests is interviewed... more
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critic
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9 days ago
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The other day when researching facts about hemp for energy, I turned to the site http://www.jackherer.com/thebook/chapter-nine/ . Chapter Nine of Jack Herer's book, "The Emperor Wears No Clothes", made the lightbulb in my head go off.
Read it and see if it does the same thing for you.
In the 1920s, the early oil barons such as Rockefeller of Standard Oil, Rothschild of Shell, etc., became paranoically aware of the possibilities of Henry Ford’s vision of cheap methanol fuel, * and they kept oil prices incredibly low – between $1 and $4 per barrel (there are 42 gallons in an oil barrel) until 1970 – almost 50 years! Then, once they were finally sure of the lack of competition, the price of oil jumped to almost $60+ per barrel over the next 30 years.
'1970'? What happened in the early 70's? Richard Nixon declared war on cannabis. He changed the classification of cannabis and virtually declared war on the plant. Hemp is part of the cannabis family and became an instant casualty. People couldn't even speak of the use of hemp for oil. They even ended up creating a Czar, to silence the voices of reason.
How's that worked out for us? Our economy spins on the whims of the oil companies. IMHO, Richard Nixon could have had more than cannabis on his mind when he eliminated, the oil companies natural competitor. Hemp is a renewable resource, which could be used to replace the plastic now polluting our planet.
The war on cannabis has come at a high price. Maybe even higher than I could have imagined? 'What if' hemp had been available and our dependence and reliance on oil, had not lead us on such a destructive path? 'What if" a plant could have been the answer all along, had we not been moved along to their wrongs, with the invention of a war.The other day when researching facts about hemp for energy, I turned to the site... more
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I will let her ustream bio speak for it’s self.
Nicole Sandler hosted The Nicole Sandler Show on Air America radio until the network called it quits. She’s now taken her show online, and welcomes listeners into her home studio! With the camera rolling, she’s free to say, do and play anything… Radio or Not! Listen live Monday through Thursday mornings 10-noon ET, or any time via the archives!I will let her ustream bio speak for it’s self.
Nicole Sandler hosted The... more
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Our government conducts business in secret. The First Amendment is gone...there are MAYBE nine amendments left in the Bill of Rights.
"WASHINGTON -- In a stunning break with First Amendment policy on Capitol Hill, House Republicans directed Capitol Hill police to detain a highly regarded documentary crew that was attempting to film a Wednesday hearing on a controversial natural gas procurement practice. Republicans also denied the entrance of a credentialed ABC News news team that was attempting to film the event."Our government conducts business in secret. The First Amendment is gone...there are... more
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Can we say, Brainwashed? This is really upsetting.
My mom didn't tell me she was gay untill I was 13 because she was afraid I wouldn't love her. I'd like to help Sara learn something about what she is missing; a heart. The average 14 year old wants an iPod, iPhone, etc... what 14 year old actually cares about what government dictates about marriage? Makes me wonder what the parents have "homeschooled" her about different races. Clearly they are cowards to coach their child and hide behind her! WOW!Can we say, Brainwashed? This is really upsetting.
My mom didn't tell me she... more
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PressTV Now Has A Show Called #OWS Week http://bit.ly/y55rLZ #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyWallSt #OccupyBoston #AdBusters #FF #News #NoIranWar - Spread The Word!PressTV Now Has A Show Called #OWS Week http://bit.ly/y55rLZ #OccupyWallStreet... more
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critic
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11 days ago
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one thing leads to the next and its terribly sad.
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Summary: Twitter said today that it will begin censoring tweets, if required by law, on a country-by-country basis. Europeans and Americans, however, will most likely be affected.Summary: Twitter said today that it will begin censoring tweets, if required by law,... more
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WASHINGTON -- A Senate bill banning the trading of corporate stocks by members of Congress based on nonpublic political information will see a vote next week, according to Democratic sources working on the bill.
"It'll be on the floor next week, either hotlined or an actual vote," one source said of the bill, known as the STOCK Act. Hotlining refers to the process of moving a bill through by unanimous consent.
A separate Democratic aide said that negotiations over amendments were still ongoing, which would make hotlining more difficult. A Democratic leadership aide, meanwhile, would only say that a vote was "possible."
The STOCK Act, authored by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Scott Brown (R-Mass.), would ban trading by members of Congress guided by nonpublic economic or political information. It would also improve disclosures of all stock trades and other financial maneuvers by members of Congress, by requiring them to publicly detail each transaction within 30 days. Lawmakers are currently granted a full year of secrecy before disclosing such financial activities.
The bill received a big boost on Tuesday when President Barack Obama called for its enactment during the State of the Union address.
"Send me a bill that bans insider trading by members of Congress; I will sign it tomorrow," Obama said.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/26/stock-act-insider-trading-bill-senate_n_1234067.htmlWASHINGTON -- A Senate bill banning the trading of corporate stocks by members of... more
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