….well, not exactly. Here’s a map of nuclear power plants in the U.S. and the areas that would be affected if the worst happened:
modernsurvivalblog.com/nuclear/u-s-nuclear-power-plants-safe-distance/
Indiana is so screwed. So is the Midwest, with the exception of Kentucky and lower parts of West Virginia.
*yawn*
How ’bout those Dodgers…?
(trying to emphasize the lack of concern)
This will be coming our way if something isn’t done.
Center for Media and Democracy has this up on what the Koch Brothers and Pete Petersen and their toady Paul Ryan are really after–what they’ve been after all along—Social Security and other “entitlement” programs. I still hate that term”entitlement” as it alludes to a giveaway when folks pay into these programs all their lives.
Here’s the video by Mark Fiore:
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Also from CMD–
Profiting off the poor. With Indiana being All Republican, All the Time in the Legislature, I rather doubt that they have slayed this dragon. I suspect that privatization will be back…probably by backdoor deals.
Also, Indiana will be dropping ISTEP (Indiana Statewide Testing Educational Progress)next year BY FEDERAL REQUIREMENT.
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…and profiting off of our children-–and ultimately, our Democracy. (Just a refresher of the Charter school scams and hedge fund managers/Wall Street making a profit off of schools.)
From the report:
In recent years, there has been an explosion of full-time “virtual” charter schools paid for by the taxpayer. From 2008 to 2012, 157 bills passed in 39 states and territories (including the District of Columbia) that expand online schooling or modify existing regulations. Many of these bills are attributable to American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) politicians.
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I was thinking about this other day while teaching–online is such a ripoff in that you don’t get human interaction. Granted, the Wall St. types probably loathe human interaction…but I really wonder if they’re human to begin with….the rest of us,however, actually want to be around other humans.
Anyway, a teacher can often pick up on cues to help a student “get” a subject that a stupid computer could never do.
A teacher can give encouragement when a student wants to give up. This is especially important for students who are having difficulty–I thought of myself and my daughter being dyslexic. If I hadn’t tried to teach my daughter through Phonics and patiently sitting down with her every night to read, she most likely would not have reached her potential. Again–computers cannot help when there is a learning disability.
Lastly, a teacher is going to lay the hammer down if a student comes in without homework done or starts goofing off during class instead of doing the work they’re supposed to be doing…online courses cannot do that, either. And a teacher is also a sounding board for a student who may be dealing with issues at home…
As I’ve noted before, there is something lost when the classroom lacks discussion and interchange of ideas or more in-depth on the subject.
And, of course, a computer can’t teach art or music the way that it should be done.
The article makes note that the virtual schools enroll kids that never take courses, never answer emails, and so on, but still take tax dollars for them. One had to reimburse the state $800k for “ghost” students. This is a huge red flag in that while the neocons are so very worried about voter ID to “prove” who someone is so they don’t vote twice….well, I don’t see the same concern with these “ghost” students who may or may not even be real persons. Who is checking on them?
And this just made my heart sing:
Affidavits from former K12 Inc. teachers that were incorporated into the complaint paint a devastating picture of an enrollment-driven, profit-driven corporate culture that leaves kids in the dust. (Note to Wall Street: If you want to exploit children, don’t hire a bunch of teachers who actually care about kids.)
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Sadly, I think Wall St. will actually take that advice and will screen teachers who don’t give a rip. Or Wall Streeters will make a construct that they “can’t find any good teachers” so they will be “forced” to plead for the ability to hire non-teachers to….teach.
This mother in Saskatoon had apples stolen from her trees. She said in the story that her son cannot digest food easily, so she was planning on making applesauce with them, when someone came and cleaned her out. Luckily, there were some good hearted people who gave her not only apples, but other food, as well. …one could say that she was made whole.
That’s what Law was originally about–someone does something wrong to another and is made to do something for that person to make up for it–that’s what they called “making one whole” .
Now it seems the Law—looking at the person stealing as a corporation– is saying that the corporation had a right to take everything.
Or –she was at fault for not having a guard dog protect her assets.
Or –she should have had a hot fence up.
I’m thinking of corporate anti-union sentiment; of bankers/finance; of insurance (both health and home); of pretty much anything in this country where the less well-connected or less wealthy are not being treated in a just manner.
Our apples have been stolen and we haven’t enough folks with good hearts and enough resources themselves to come and make us whole again.
Edward Teller has one of the best posts up I’ve seen on the situation in Israel. There are ways of waging war that don’t require planes dropping bombs…
Max Blumenthal explains in the 2nd video how control of food is tantamount to control of people. A poignant point he makes was the destruction of the herds of Buffalo to starve out the Native Americans. They were forced to adopt the grain-based diet including fry bread, which we now know is very unhealthy, especially if one is gluten intolerant. As Blumenthal highlights, the Native Americans now have issues with diabetes. I would go a step further and say this also may be linked to alcoholism….as I believe there is a link with diet and alcoholism.
Henry Kissinger’s words flashed in my mind as Blumenthal spoke of the Israelis destroying chickens, and other livestock so that the Palestinians could not provide for themselves. More quotes of Henry Kissinger.
I skipped over the first video to see his take on the market. When I viewed it, I was stunned, to say the least. American rightwing talking points about President Obama not being a U.S. citizen, of being a Muslim, and calling him a n***er, etc. Wow. Just wow. And the gal who said she was “politically aware” but didn’t know who Benjamin Netanyahu was? For real?
Democracy Now had a couple of noteworthy segments up this morning–
Another *cough* fair trade deal that is characterized as NAFTA on steroids. Great. /snark
…because Clinton’s NAFTA didn’t do enough to destroy this country….one can only wonder at the forced GMO seeds upon these countries–forced vaccination–and other unconstitutional actions that will affect us, as well. We don’t live in a vacuum–what goes around comes around…
See previous post on how much influence corporations have on our government, and the ramifications of that influence. The public loses its representation….and yet, we’re still taxed.
Max Blumenthal has written an insider’s view of Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu asserts he has the U.S. where he wants us. He is still trying to drum up fear of the Iranians having a nuclear weapon…but methinks it’s more a fear that if the U.S. no longer sees Iran as a threat, they won’t be giving the bucks to Israel.
I’m glad he was on DN–because we get a picture of the rightwingers of Israel who are racist against not only the Palestinians, but Africans as well. It’s chilling how they think of the Africans as a cancer on their society. No wonder the rightwingers in America like Israel so much–they have so much in common.
Funny how we don’t hear that from the mainstream media, eh?
A picture flashed in my head when he said the youth march through the streets. It’s unnerving how much that is like the Nazis.
I’m also glad that Blumenthal makes the point that there are peacemakers amongst the warhawks, as well, who are against what is happening, but perhaps feel powerless to do anything about it. (sounds familiar, eh?) I think this is true of every nation–that there are many unheard voices that are against violence and war but never get to speak out.
Public Citizen has this up on a case before the U.S. Supreme court that could be as damaging as Citizens United, which made the inane ruling that corporations were people.
Good Grief, we already have the Kochs and Gates of the world whom are buying their kingdoms through crooks masquerading as politicians….and now we have another case of allowing mindboggling sums to campaigns:
In the case, the justices will consider whether to eliminate the limit on the total sum that people can give directly to candidates and political parties in a single election. The current overall limit for an individual making direct contributions to parties, political action committees (PACs) and federal candidates is $123,200 per two-year election cycle, but a win for the challengers in McCutcheon could allow total contributions above $7 million.
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A thought just popped in my mind–and this is in general, not just this lawsuit– what if we made it a rule that for every $7.50 (minimum wage) that a politician accepts in donations, they must work an hour in a soup kitchen/homeless shelter. This would serve two purposes: the politicians could no longer pretend they don’t know how bad things are for the poor, and they would see how low $7.50 an hour is…and perhaps raise it to $15.
Additionally, the politician would be less likely to accept the mega bucks in donations….they would think twice before allowing corporations to buy them.
Again, I’m wondering how far that money would go if given to more worthy causes–buying food for the hungry, putting up earthships, creating jobs, etc.
I posed that question towards my political science professor and he shrugged his shoulders and said “It’s really not that much…”
Tell that to someone who skips meals, has no home, no job. Their perspective might be a little different….but they’re poor and don’t have a voice if campaign contributions are the gauge.
This just made me crack up laughing:
A relatively small number of people use contributions to maximize their leverage over elected officials.
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…not where I come from….the whole point of giving to campaigns is to wield influence over politicians. I know of people who give to BOTH sides so they have an edge with whomever is elected.
It is really hard to read all the news on Education. It is depressing to no end.
Some of the bad news:
Disability scandal involving a charter school, with a scheme diverting $$$ towards their own pockets. What is really sad is these mentally challenged children are viewed by these people with $$ in their eyes–just like the medical profession. These children will receive the minimal of instruction to optimize the profit margin.
The moral and spiritual bankruptcy of corporate reformers.
The magical Michelle Rhee.
Arne Duncan blasts “armchair pundits”….just like John Kerry…a politician that thinks the public’s opinion doesn’t matter. Duncan degrades the public as no-nothings not worth his time. He ignores that educators are among the public who are speaking out against corporate profiteering of public schools.
Here’s a post disputing Bill Gates’ *cough* facts. (hat tip Diane Ravitch)
Does anybody else see the irony of Gates, a college dropout, deliberately being deceptive on the numbers of college graduates in the U.S.? Not only is he a hypocrite, but a lying one at that….
And again, it bears repeating over and over that a college degree is no guarantee of a job. And there are those who do not want a degree but still need to be paid a living wage.
Gates’ money torpedoing public education through devious means. $173 MILLION. What a creep.
Indianapolis schools ground zero. Yep.
This is just too, too ridiculous. We have no toilet paper, but gee whiz, we have a shiny new sports arena!!
…while the nooz is busy distracting the American public with “shutting down the government” nonsense….America is quietly being sold to the highest bidder while taxpayers foot the bill. Warning: probably not the thing to read while you’re eating.
Mark Fiore’s Cartoon of the nasty business:
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More dark money in government associated with the Kochs. More here. Further proof that the rich are not being taxed enough if they have this kind of money to throw around.
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Again, a person has a right to decide what goes into their body. Right to Privacy.
A dairy farmer in my area told me that he drank raw milk every morning. This was before my own education on it, and I was aghast that he would risk his health drinking unpasteurized milk. Haha. He was one wise man.
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…related to the previous blog on Department of Cattle. The poem is really powerful.
Eagle 
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