Quote of the day - 04-29-2012.

by Robert Freeman.

"If America wants better education, it needs to fix the greatest force undermining education, which is poverty. The single most powerful predictor of student performance is the average income of the zip code in which they live. But one out of four American students now live in poverty, and the numbers are growing. One out of two will live in poverty sometime during their lives. Forty-seven million Americans are on food stamps. Is it any wonder American school performance is faltering?"

Read it in its full context here - http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/04/29-0.

Speaking of music.

http://arxiv.org/pdf/1204.2677v1.pdf from here - http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2012/04/are-there-any-canadian-bands-you-discovered-before-they-got-famous.html

The Geographic Flow of Music

Genesis - The Brazillian live from 1986.

It's true - it does sound better live.

The double-standard of behind corporations being treated like people ...

... is that they don't seem to retain the same accountabilities for their actions.

Case in point -

http://www.politicususa.com/if-corporations-were-people-wal-mart-would-be-in-jail.html

Let us take a moment to examine what qualifies for bribery under the FCPA, before a conservative Wal-Mart shill comes along to justify violating federal law as “no big deal.” Bribery can result in prison time, and can also result in both criminal and civil charges. Greasing the wheels is not always bribery. In fact, the FCPA permits incentives paid to foreign officials to help expedite the completion of paperwork and to ensure the receipt of licenses or permits. So bribery has to be more serious than just greasing the wheels. Here are a few examples of bribery that violates the FCPA:




• Anytime a company, or its representatives, pays a government official with the expectation the payment will result in a contract, bribery is present.

• If payments are made expressly to obtain some government’s approval to do business in their country.

• Payments made to a government that will result in the government’s prohibiting a company’s competitor from doing business in its country.

Some other actions that are less apparent violations of the corrupt practices act, but offenses nonetheless.

• Payments made to seek preferential tax treatment in the foreign country.

• Payments made to reduce or eliminate foreign customs duties.

• Payments made in an attempt to secure a more favorable tariff rate.


It wasn’t just the bribery, it was the cover up.

Somehow I think they'll escape any consequences, legal or financial, don't you?

This is twisted, sad and funny all at the same time.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/well-well-well-look-whos-come-crawling-to-his-uncl,27979/

Well, Well, Well, Look Who’s Come Crawling To His Uncle To Hear His Fleetwood Mac Concert Stories


By Michael Fleischmann

April 21, 2012
ISSUE 48•16

The numbers don't fucking lie.

http://viableopposition.blogspot.com/2012/03/canadas-debt-and-deficit-history.html

The broken way of processing information.

"Some three million Americans have a security clearance. Most of what Manning released was “confidential,” six percent was “secret,” and none of it was “top secret.” In the world of whistleblowers, normal is abnormal. The common sense duty to “say something” is, you see, something that makes you a freak. And never more so than in the heroism and vilification of young Bradley Manning."

More here - http://consortiumnews.com/2012/04/24/the-value-of-bradley-manning/

This guy is a hero in every sense - he really exposed to the world the inner workings of the American Establishment and all its hypocrisies on display. And yet, he's in prison, treated like a criminal.

But what does it say about us as a society, as a culture? I believe what he did was right, as do many others, but why then is he in jail? What is being done about it? Is it just another cause along with the all the others that I put behind when I need to get up off my ass and go to work?

I guess at least I question myself and my motives. Unfortunately the vast majority of people in this country either don't really know, or worse don't really care. And it's that laissez-faire attitude that I think is why are society is a broken one today.

...

Some bottom-line facts to digest, the next time someone justifies invading a foreign country in the name of freedom, security, defending our way of life, etc...

"In fact there is no just war. There is no legal war. Every single war has been illegal since the Kellogg Briand Pact of 1928.


The U.N. Charter seeks to legalize wars that are either labeled “defensive” or authorized by the United Nations. The U.S. wars on Iraq and Afghanistan are neither defensive nor authorized by the United Nations. The U.S. Constitution forbids wars not declared by Congress. Congress has not declared a war since 1941."

Gee what a surprise.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/albertavotes2012/story/2012/04/23/albertavotes2012-election-results.html

"Albertans have elected another Progressive Conservative majority government..."

An open letter to Michael Getler

Mr. Getler,

Please explain to me and your PBS viewers why Dow Chemical Company is permitted to fund a series about issues closely linked to Dow's business.

In other words, why is PBS whoring out the public airwaves to large corporations and in-turn giving them free publicity and advertising?

From http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=4522 -

Under PBS's underwriting guidelines, this show should never have been allowed with this sponsor. Over the years, however, PBS has shown a remarkable willingness to allow certain funding arrangements--usually when the funders were large corporations (FAIR Press Release, 4/3/02). The network outlines three tests that "are applied to every proposed funding arrangement in order to determine its acceptability":

 

• Editorial Control Test: Has the underwriter exercised editorial control? Could it?
• Perception Test: Might the public perceive that the underwriter has exercised editorial control?
• Commercialism Test: Might the public conclude the program is on PBS principally because it promotes the underwriter’s prod­ucts, services or other business interests?

 Frankly alarm bells shoud've gone off the moment this came up -

As the program explained, the food industry "needed a game changer" in that fight. And it got one: The "genetically modified organism, better known as a GMO."


This positively portrayed "game changer" just happens to be the very type of product Dow sells.

 Monsanto could learn a thing or two from Dow.

 

 

We're getting there - it's just a matter of time.

For Monsanto that is (an oldie but a goodie) -

http://www.theonion.com/articles/genetically-modified-broccoli-shrieks-benefits-at,3365/

How much do you wanna bet ...

the Conservative Party in Alberta will pull a stunning come-from-behind surge in the polls, win the provincial election, and build on their 41 year grip on political power.

http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Shows/The_National/Politics/1275892585/ID=2225417019

Is there really something to celebrate?

I mean really?

Yes the earth is still here and we're all still alive.

But for how much longer? How much longer before we as humans make the earth and our lives so full of consumption and waste such that we push the earth's resources and existance to the point of permanent decline.

Everything I read about indicates we may already be at that point. It's frankly hard then to be optimistic and throw a party celebrating the day when you know tomorrow and thereafter our kids and subsquent generations will have a planet rendered unliveable by us and previous generations.

I'll say this for Elvis ....

While I'll always believe the Beatles were a superior act, you cannot deny this is one fucking awesome guitar. In fact it's two awesome guitars!

http://www.scottymoore.net/ep65EBS1250.html

John, Paul, George and Ringo couldn't top that!

Wonder how each would sound through a 100 Watt Marshall stack?

Can the establishment media please drop the pretense that Israel may have nuclear weapons already?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agni-V


"The BBC reported that the launch marked the moment India joined an "elite nuclear club" that also included China, Russia, France, the US, the UK and possibly Israel.[36]"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17765653

"With this, India joins an elite nuclear club of China, Russia, France, the US and UK which already have long-range missiles, although with a much greater range. Israel is also thought to possess them."

Pretty blatantly dishonest and misleading isn't it? Also a double-standard when you consider all the talk about beating up on Iran.

Think Monsanto doesn't control the world?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food

Soybeans, corn, cottonseed oil, and canola - all of which have a % modified of > 85% in the US.

Can you say - Fucked Up In The USA (FUITA!)?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_food_controversy

It's quite disturbing that Monsanto turns up 45 times in link 1, and 29 times in link 2 (as of this post).

Cheers to the success of Operation Mockingbird.

So says - WhoWhatWhy.

Bush III?

I've been saying it for a long time, now some finally comes up with a palpable scenario -

http://whowhatwhy.com/2012/02/29/the-jeb-scenario-can-you-say-president-bush-again/

Smart ALECs

http://whowhatwhy.com/2012/04/12/smart-alecs-get-their-due/

It certainly is a victory of sorts. But it’s clear that the corporations’ reaction is no more than a public relations move in the face of a scorching hot controversy. It’s too steamy in that particular kitchen. For now.


The reality is that many big corporations just looove ALEC. In fact, they are ALEC. ALEC is a front for corporate capital and its corrupting influence on the democratic process. And that fact won’t go away when the Martin case spotlight moves on. Proof is in the statements the companies made.

Overheard on a bus - 04-11-2012.

Overweight female employee from McDonalds comes bolting on to the bus, unaware or perhaps not paying attention to the fact that we're all packed in like sardines. Maybe it was because it was obvious to everyone that she was an idiot. I think what made it obvious was that she was on her phone bloviating to someone about how she couldn't give a shit about that fact that it was broken, some motherfucker needed to fix it.

She also was sick of waiting up till 11 for the call, as she had to be at work at 7 the next day.

Kicking ass.

Corporate stupidity not just in America!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2012/04/05/rogers-contracts-marketplace.html

I'm not a legal expert, but to me this calls into question whether signing a 'contract' for services at any given 'rate' is valid, given that one party can change the rate of charge for service, pretty much at will.

Or, to put it another way ...

"... the problem is that long-term contracts are supposed to provide certainty about the amount a customer has to pay, but that certainty is "destroyed" if Rogers can change its rates. Yet unhappy customers are unable to leave without paying hefty fees."

Climate Change Denial and ALEC and the failure of the US media.

As reported by Media Matters.

http://mediamatters.org/research/201204060006?lid=1192926&rid=65854112

Starting in 2008 seven states -- Louisiana, South Dakota, Kentucky, New Mexico, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Texas -- passed measures or promoted policies that would change the education curriculums in their states to begin teaching "different perspectives" in environmental science instruction. The major newspapers in each of these states gave varying coverage to the issue with some not even covering the issue at all. In addition a Media Matters investigation shows that, despite the appearance that these state proposals and model legislation by the conservative organization the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), not once did these newspapers mention ALEC or their model legislation in their coverage.

RIP - Jim Marshall. Rock Guitar falls silent

Leo Fender may have created the most famous guitar ever.

Les Paul may have created the best rock guitar ever.

Seth Lover may have define the rock guitar sound.

But it was Jim Marshall who made them all be heard to all of us.

(picture source: Digital Trends)

JIM MARSHALL

July 29, 1923 – April 5, 2012

Doesn't anybody know how to create a test plan for rolling out a web site?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2012/04/05/hospital-database-crash.html

I mean seriously - doesn't anyone think about load testing? Gathering requirements?

The new website was launched Wednesday and the owners expected about 200 people to check it out.


But more than 300,000 people swamped the site a few hours after it went live and the server hosting it crashed.

Very cool!

I always like this theme. The later versions were cool

What's wrong with this picture?

I know - they are a new form of sweet potatoes? Ones that look like mangoes, and don't come in the as-advertised 10 pound bag?

Pretty cool.

Anytime one gets to hear some part of the Abbey Road Medley.

When you can get Sir Paul, along with a few other 'folks', you usually get something magical -