Politics

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/02/16/us/eavesdropping-ensnared-american-law-firm.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2560323/NSA-spied-American-lawyers-got-governments-work-them.html

Reading Barry Eisler's latest novel, "Graveyard of Memories" I saw in the author's note a quote from Frank Church, a former United States Senator in charge of Intelligence matters: "I know the capacity that is there to make tyranny total in America, and we must see to it that this agency and all agencies that possess this technology operate within the law and under proper supervision, so that we never cross over that abyss. That is the abyss from which there is no return." So, I went to Wikipedia, which gives Daniel Ellsberg as the quoter of Frank Church. But Wikipedia goes on: More specifically on August 17, 1975 Senator Frank Church stated on NBC's "Meet the Press" w…

http://teamcoco.com/video/joe-biden-president-ad

http://touch.towleroad.com/tlrd/#!/entry/indiana-senate-prevents-voters-from-considering-gay-marriage-ban-until,52fd1c1fe56d0bb8534ff8c8

One more delightful frolic through the history of nuclear doctrine, and the many more than generally reported near misses with disaster from one cause or another over the decades. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/14/nuclear-weapons-accident-waiting-to-happen

Canada Fires Back At Russia’s Ban On Gay Propaganda With Hilarious Homoerotic Commercial by Pete Blackburn in Olympics · Sports — 5 Feb, 2014 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=effb2JYiKXM Much controversy has surrounded Russia’s anti-gay stance regarding the Sochi Olympics and, with the Opening Ceremonies ready to kick off the Games this week, the Canadian Institute of Diversity and Inclusion has released a hilarious commercial that pushes back. The ad features two luge sledders as they….well…just watch it. The Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me” is a nice touch as well. Well done, Canada. For all your need-to-know Sochi coverage, head he…

...in the White House, that is. Pineapple with cottage cheese. Being prepared by his longtime valet Manolo Sanchez (right) and a White House staff member. From this fascinating, if you grok such stuff, web site of floor plans and interior photos of the White House: http://www.whitehousemuseum.org/overview.htm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/10579899/Harvey-Weinstein-Meryl-Streep-movie-will-make-NRA-wish-they-werent-alive.html

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/02/06/national-republican-congressional-campaign-using-fake-democrat-websites-to-lure-voters/

No longer topical, but ever interesting. God bless Bloom! Will This Election Be the Mormon Breakthrough? LCDM Universal History Archive/Getty Images A postcard from around 1910, showing the first six presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who served from 1830 to 1918. By HAROLD BLOOM Published: November 12, 2011 The New York Times THIS fall, we behold omens that will darken a year hence in the final phase of President Obama’s campaign for a second term. His likely opponent, the Mormon Mitt Romney, will be a pioneer figure whatever the outcome, since no previous member of that very American church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day…

Riveting. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/01/edward-snowden-intelligence-leak-nsa-contractor-extract

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was asked how he would react if his child told him they were gay. Christie said “grab them and hug them and tell them I love them.” He then added that he would also say “that Dad believes that marriage is between one man and one woman.” I really don't believe he believes this for one moment. I think this is what he believes he needs to do in order to win a national primary in the Republican party. That sad part is that his behavior is not real leadership despite what he may really believe.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/queen-elizabeth-II/10600671/Queen-down-to-her-last-million-due-to-courtiers-overspending-report-finds.html

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/17/obama-nsa-reforms-bulk-surveillance-remains?

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/26/edward-snowden-nsa-industrial-sabotage

The DOJ's 'New York Times problem' with Assange By HADAS GOLD | politico.com 11/26/13 4:39 PM EST WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will likely not face charges in the United States for publishing classified documents, because the Justice Department would not be able to do so without also prosecuting media organizations who do the same, The Washington Post reports. Calling it a "New York Times problem," Justice officials told the Post that if they indicted Assange, they'd also have to prosecute the Times, The Washington Post, and The Guardian for publishing classified leaked material from people like Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden. A formal decision has yet to be iss…

Oh, well. Been nice knowing you all. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/01/17/science/earth/un-says-lag-in-confronting-climate-woes-will-be-costly.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/internet-security/10573573/NSA-can-eavesdrop-on-your-PC-even-if-it-is-not-on-internet.html

Putin to Gays: Leave Kids Alone and You'll Be Safe The Russian president contends LGBT people will be welcome in Sochi for the Winter Olympics, as long as they don't try to speak to children. BY Sunnivie Brydum January 17 2014 11:46 AM ET Advocate.com Just three weeks from the opening ceremonies for the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, President Vladimir Putin today warned LGBT Olympic visitors to "leave children in peace," according to a translation from Russian news outlet R-Sport. Speaking to a gathering of Olympic athletes at the Russian mountain Olympic village Friday, Putin said that gay and lesbian visitors — and presumably athletes — will be safe…

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/16/nsa-collects-millions-text-messages-daily-untargeted-global-sweep

Without comment.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/10572747/Francois-Hollande-conference-with-the-greatest-respect-there-was-un-elephant-dans-la-salle.html

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/14/republican-gay-rights-campaigner-announces-quitting-gop

Interesting argument: http://m.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/01/bridgegate-is-a-disaster-for-the-republican-party-too/283022/

Environmental Research Letters Volume 8 Number 2 Quantifying the consensus on anthropogenic global warming in the scientific literature John Cook1,2,3, Dana Nuccitelli2,4, Sarah A Green5, Mark Richardson6, Bärbel Winkler2, Rob Painting2, Robert Way7, Peter Jacobs8 and Andrew Skuce2,9 John Cook et al 2013 Environ. Res. Lett. 8 024024 doi:10.1088/1748-9326/8/2/024024 © 2013 IOP Publishing Ltd Received 18 January 2013, accepted for publication 22 April 2013 Published 15 May 2013 Abstract We analyze the evolution of the scientific consensus on anthropogenic global warming (AGW) in the peer-reviewed scientific literature, examining 11 944 climate abstracts from…