Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Tuesday 28 May 2013


 Daily Headlines
The story of how Canada's beloved astronaut Chris Hadfield made the world's first music video in space - a glorious cover of David Bowie's 'Space Oddity'

At a time when college education in the United States is increasingly unaffordable and the average college graduate leaves school more than $25,000 in debt, virtually all higher education in Denmark is free. That includes not just college but graduate schools as well, including medical school. The Danish people rank among the happiest in the world among some 40 countries that were studied. America did not crack the top 10.
US Authorities have for decades prosecuted leakers of alleged classified data. Yet it seems seldom does the government actually define and substantiate specifically in detail why that information should be classified in the first place.

By Tom Engelhardt
Andrew Bacevich: The Eternal War?
Twelve and a half years after Congress didn't declare war on an organization of hundreds or, at most, thousands of jihadis scattered mainly across the backlands of the planet, and instead let President George W. Bush and his cohort loose to do whatever they wanted.
By Dave Lefcourt
Just What Country Initiated a Cyberattack?
This morning there was a corp. media acc't on a critical issue that exclusively focused on our enemies but excluded any mention of U.S. engagement on the same issue. The issue concerned potential cyberattacks on the U.S. power grid. What was missing from the corp. media acc't was the U.S. initiating cyberwarfare on the Iranian nuclear program. It seems others will not sit idly by especially when we're initiating cyberwarfare.
Lies mixed with indisputable truth -- that's been the Obama Method since day one. It's worked so far: we'll see how long it works this time. The President's rhetorical talent is formidable, and it's earned him some time to make good on his promises -- but the hour is late. 2016 approaches. The future of his party, and the country, hangs in the balance, as does his legacy.

I have never killed anyone, but I have certainly wanted to. I may have a disorder, but I am not crazy. In a world filled with gloomy, mediocre nothings populating a go-nowhere rat race, people are attracted to my exceptionalism like moths to a flame. This is my story.
In lieu of substance, the speech was heavy on feel-good rhetoric, mostly designed to signal that unlike the mean and simplistic George Bush -- who presumably pursued these policies thoughtlessly and simplistically -- Obama experiences inner turmoil and deep moral and intellectual conflict as he embraces them.
By Robert De Filippis
The Power of Language
We forget how powerful language is to create and change our circumstances.

By Daniel Geery
A Summer with Freeman (novel review)
Synopsis of humorous coming-of-age novel, Long Island, New York, 1959. Action packed, adventurous, underlying themes of religious questioning, early environmentalism. A "modern day" Huck Finn novel, including first loves, bullying, encounters with authorities, and crazy escapades, guaranteed to bring smiles and laughter on every page.
Resistance to studying often is produced by unconscious dynamics in the psyche. When we understand these dynamics, the resistance can disappear.

3 authors have begun a federal class action suit against Penguin & its self-publishing services provider, Author Solutions, seeking damages of more than $5 mn. Says Publishers Weekly:
The extent of the fraud astonished me. The company manipulated, and outright invented, testing data to win approval from regulators throughout the world. It ended up selling largely untested and unstable drugs in more than 40 countries. This was not simply cutting corners or engaging in lax manufacturing practices. It was outright fraud. The company knowingly sold substandard drugs while working to deceive regulators.
An important lesson for any country: don't give away your economic sovereignty, on the most important macroeconomic policies that most of your nation's livelihood depends upon -- unless it is transferred to a set of institutions that you can really trust.

By Franklin Lamb
Will the EU again Target the Civilian Population of Syria?
The practice of targeting a civilian population by outsiders in order to achieve political objectives such as regime change is fast heading for the dustbin of history given its blatant violation of all norms of international humanitarian law and common decency reflected in the values most societies.
By Fred Gohlke
Whither Democracy, Part 1
This article seeks to understand how our nation, which Abraham Lincoln said was, "conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal" can have allowed the growth of the kind of exploitive monstrosities that dominate our commerce and our people.
Designs for many of the nation's most sensitive advanced weapons systems have been compromised by Chinese hackers, according to a report prepared for the Pentagon and to officials from government and the defense industry.

E.W. Jackson has been nominated by the Republicans for the lieutenant governorship of Virginia. That should make us all go "EEEW!"
Sen. John McCain sneaked into Syria Monday, becoming the highest-ranking U.S. elected official to visit the country since it descended into civil war more than two years ago. McCain entered Syria through the Turkish border with Gen. Salem Idris, the leader of the Supreme Military Council of the Free Syrian Army. McCain then spent several hours in Syria and met with numerous rebel leaders who allegedly traveled from across the country to meet the man who has been one of the strongest advocates for stronger U.S. intervention in the civil war. The rebel leaders allegedly called on the United States to increase support to Syrian rebels and provide them with heavy weapons. They also called for no-fly zones and airstrikes against the forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.
By Kurt F. Stone
Sanford & Sin
William F. Buckley once noted "The only two sins which should disqualify a person for public office are pederasty and virginity." I wonder whether the sins of Sanford, Weiner, Vitter, Ensign et al would have changed his mind . . .
By Kathy Malloy
Memorial Day
Many news organizations today are paying little attention to the true meaning of this holiday -- honoring the fallen who made the ultimate sacrifice in our many, many wars over the decades. Instead, they focus on the big box office blockbusters debuting in theaters this weekend, or boating safety reminders, or they offer frozen drink recipes and tips to grill the perfect bratwurst.
The twitter campaign against misogynistic images on Facebook, has revealed the limits of the "corporate feminism" that COO Sheryl Sandberg represents, for all women.
By Elayne Clift
Mastectomies, Movie Stars, Media and Medicine
What impact will Angelina Jolie's decision to have a prophylactic double mastectomy have on other women?
The Right's hostility to "guv-mint" is not new. It traces back to the South's fears that any activism by the national government, whether building roads or providing disaster relief, would risk federal intervention against slavery and later against segregation, perhaps even the end of white supremacy.

A plan to set up a pilot center for running drones in Afghanistan is making a suburb of Philadelphia a front line battle zone in the Afghanistan War, writes TCBH! journalist Dave LIndorff

 Latest Articles
Is it possible to learn three languages at the same time? Yes, if you have the motivation and reason for doing so.
I have had to learn or tried to learn many languages as an adult working & living abroad. However, my primary and secondary school experiences in Kansas, Missouri and Illinois did not prepare me to do so. In fact, my high school offered no foreign language class at all. Is it possible to learn three languages at the same time? Yes, if you have the motivation and reason for doing so.
Lessons From Abroad: Ten Tips in Ten Days
What can we learn from "the old country"? Plenty when it comes to culinary pleasures, transportation and sustainable living.
The "I"-Word, the Media, and Health Care Reform
The media pander to the Right-Wingers by their use of the "I"-word, and the Democrats by their planned denial of health care coverage for "redeemed" immigrants. Both forms of pandering have got to stop.
An improved and expanded Medicare for all for life system would put an immediate end to the rising death toll related to lack of access to needed care, and it would also end bankruptcies driven by medical crisis and debt. We need to do whatever is required to make that change in our system.

Six women Nobel Peace Laureates and 80 women from around the world are gathering at the Nobel Women's Initiative, "Moving Beyond Militarism and War," May 28-30, 2013 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, to discuss the weighty and seeming insolvable problem of getting past the militarism of our world and the financial need of politicians and corporations to wage war.
Thoughts on Memorial Day that end with an answer, not a question, for a change.
Internet and News Censorship
Let's face it: in the American political culture of our day, all grief is not created equal. Not even close.
This is my Memorial Day reflection. Today, finds Tour de Peace, and me, in Greenville, Il...we are on a figurative downhill ride to WashedUp, DeCeit now. It's been a wonderful experience, so far, and I am including a recap in this newsletter. I won't ever say, "Happy Memorial Day," because war is nothing to celebrate, ever. Have a great day, and week. Love & Peace Cindy
The March Against Monsanto was held in hundreds of cities around the world. Here is a video showing the highlights of the one in Philadelphia.
An Endless "Peace Process" for Palestine
The United States balances its endless war of terrorism with the institution of an endless "peace process" for Palestine, a process valuable for its peaceyness and interminability.
Global companies are not interested in raising living standards in a particular country or improving any nation's competitiveness. Their singular goal is to maximize returns to their investors. Not only does money move immediately to wherever it can summon the highest return and be subject to the least tax, but jobs can be dispatched almost as quickly to wherever workers get the lowest wages for the most output.

The "Drone Wars" are Western terrorism inflicted on civilian populations from Yemen to Pakistan's tribal areas. The sanctions packages imposed for years on Iraq and later on Iran are slow-motion Western terrorism inflicted on civilian populations to "prepare" them for regime change.
The entire population of 23 million people is under tremendous threat of continued infiltration by foreign terrorists. Many are still stunned by the horrors and suddenness of all this violence and worried their country will be attacked and divided by outside forces, and are all too aware that geopolitical forces are at work to destabilize Syria for political control, oil and resources.
Fascism is here. I have the proof.
This article was sparked by a conversation my wife and I had with Alia Chandler regarding the shift of December 21, 2012 into a new and promising age that could be beginnings to a more evolved species.
While 64 countries around the world require labeling of foods with genetically engineered ingredients, while the American Public Health Association and the American Nurses Association have passed resolutions supporting this sort of labeling in the United States, the Senate voted 71-27 to keep Americans in the dark.
Who in a sane state of mind would expect any change of policy when the president gives a speech about counter-terrorism at the National Defense University?
The Israeli media has been discussing the advisability of establishing a new buffer zone on the Syrian side of the 43-mile cease-fire line established in 1973, following an attack on an Israeli military vehicle that had crossed the line in the disputed Golan Heights. To do so would require a full-scale invasion.
"Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's is far less creative and far more boring than even the tony emporium's worst clothing designer.
Donna Smith has worked tirelessly to gain healthcare for every American. Please help her now.
Hundreds of thousands across the US joined the worldwide rally against biotech giant Monsanto and genetically engineered crops. It comes shortly after the Senate turned down a bill that would allow states to require the labeling of GM foods.

 Best News Links from the Web
Armed men killed three Lebanese soldiers at an army checkpoint in the eastern Bekaa Valley then fled towards the Syrian border, Lebanese officials say. Lebanon is sharply divided over the war in Syria and violence and the majority Sunni Muslim village of Arsal is a particular flashpoint as refugees from the uprising and fighters hostile to the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad traverse the border.

Spring Poem, "Hope" - YouTube
Short video, great natural beauty with poem script, posted by Gary in the Midwest, whose site,kitchenbounty.com, has many recipes as well.
President Barack Obama will join New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on Tuesday for a tour of the Jersey Shore damaged by Superstorm Sandy, replaying a scene from last year that some observers believe helped Obama win re-election. Christie, a Republican, gave Obama, a Democrat, blunt praise for his response to the devastating storm that hit the U.S. East Coast just days before the November 6 election.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said Israel, which is the sole supplier of nitrous oxide gas to Gaza hospitals, gave them carbon dioxide gas posing as nitrous oxide. Four patients have died after inhaling carbon dioxide instead of nitrous oxide during surgical operations. Gaza Health Minister Ashraf al-Qudra described the Tel Aviv regime's move an "unethical crime," saying, "We hold the Israeli regime fully responsible for endangering the lives of our patients."
Republicans simply want to see the entire law go away and will not take part in adjusting it. Democrats are petrified of reopening a politically charged law that threatens to derail careers as the Republicans once again seize on it before an election year. As a result, a landmark law that almost everyone agrees has flaws is likely to take effect unchanged.
The USBIG NewsFlash is both the newsletter of the U.S. Basic Income Guarantee (USBIG) Network and the U.S. edition of the Basic Income Earth Network's NewsFlash. The USBIG Network promotes the discussion of the basic income guarantee (BIG) in the United States. BIG is a policy that would unconditionally guarantee at least a subsistence-level income for everyone.
The Affordable Care Act, a k a Obamacare, goes fully into effect at the beginning of next year, and predictions of disaster are being heard far and wide. There will be an administrative "train wreck," we're told; consumers will face a terrible shock. Republicans, one hears, are already counting on the law's troubles to give them a big electoral advantage. Many Republican governors and legislators are doing all they can to sabotage reform. Yet important new evidence -- especially from California, the law's most important test case -- suggests that the real Obamacare shock will be one of unexpected success.
Gov. Jan Brewer (R-AZ) has a message for her party: expand Medicaid -- or else. The combative GOP governor is sticking by a threat she made to veto all legislation until lawmakers resolve the 2014 state budget and pass Obamacare's Medicaid expansion. On Thursday, Brewer proved that wasn't just talk, vetoing five bills sent to her desk in quick succession.
A rocket was fired from south Lebanon towards Israel on Sunday, Lebanese security sources said, and residents of a northern Israeli town reported hearing a blast. The incident came amid heightened tensions in the region over Syria's civil war. Damascus has said it will respond to Israeli air strikes earlier this month against suspected Iranian missiles in Syria destined for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
President Barack Obama visited tornado-devastated Moore, Okla., Sunday, consoling people staggered by the loss of life and property and promising that the government will be behind them "every step of the way. I'm just a messenger here," the president said, saying "folks are behind you" across America. He offered moral and monetary support in the wake of the monstrous EF5 tornado that killed 24 people, including 10 children, last Monday afternoon.
This report reviews the most recently available data from a range of national and international sources on statutory requirements for paid vacations and paid holidays in 21 rich countries (16 European countries, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States). In addition to our finding that the United States is the only country in the group that does not require employers to provide paid vacation time, we also note that several foreign countries offer additional time off for younger and older workers, shift workers, and those engaged in community service including jury duty. Five countries even mandate that employers pay vacationing workers a small premium above their standard pay in order to help with vacation-related expenses. Most other rich countries have also established legal rights to paid holidays over and above paid vacation days.
California now has a budget surplus. Depending on whose numbers one uses, it is anywhere from $1.2 billion according to the Governor or $4.4 billion according to the Legislature's independent financial analyst. How did California do it and what should they do about the surplus? Democrats President Bill Clinton, President Barack Obama, and Governor Jerry Brown did not attempt an ideological game with blinders to the actual results. They tried basic arithmetic. They raised taxes. Interesting enough, the results were the same.
Posted by Roberto Abraham Scaruffi at 20:35