Wednesday, October 29, 2008
U.S. Housing Market Boom and Crash Engineered by the Government
They Did It On Purpose: The Housing Bubble and Its Crash Were Engineered from the Highest Levels of the U.S. Government, the Federal Reserve, and the Financial Industry
During the Clinton administration, the government required the financial industry to start expanding the frequency of mortgage loans to consumers who might not have qualified in the past.
When George W. Bush was named president by the Supreme Court in December 2000, the stock market had begun to decline with the bursting of the dot.com bubble.
In 2001 the frequency of White House visits by Alan Greenspan increased.
Read more...
During the Clinton administration, the government required the financial industry to start expanding the frequency of mortgage loans to consumers who might not have qualified in the past.
When George W. Bush was named president by the Supreme Court in December 2000, the stock market had begun to decline with the bursting of the dot.com bubble.
In 2001 the frequency of White House visits by Alan Greenspan increased.
Read more...
Imprint Of Famine Seen In Genes Of Second World War Babies 60 Years On
Malnourishment in the womb causes genetic changes that can still be seen when people reach middle and old age, according to new research that shows how strongly environmental influences can interact with the human genome to shape health.
A study of children born during the Dutch “Hunger Winter”, a famine that struck at the end of the Second World War, has found that some still bear its lasting genetic legacy more than six decades on.
The results offer some of the best evidence yet for the importance of epigenetics, a process by which environmental factors can change the way genes are switched on and off in the body.
Epigenetics suggests that the genome can “remember” certain influences to which it is exposed, particularly early in life, which cause modifications to DNA that in turn alter the way it operates. On occasion, these changes may even be passed on from one generation to the next.
Read more...
A study of children born during the Dutch “Hunger Winter”, a famine that struck at the end of the Second World War, has found that some still bear its lasting genetic legacy more than six decades on.
The results offer some of the best evidence yet for the importance of epigenetics, a process by which environmental factors can change the way genes are switched on and off in the body.
Epigenetics suggests that the genome can “remember” certain influences to which it is exposed, particularly early in life, which cause modifications to DNA that in turn alter the way it operates. On occasion, these changes may even be passed on from one generation to the next.
Read more...
Emergency Declarations Smooth Way For Vaccine Makers
Sure, the economy is causing a crisis, but what about anthrax? How about smallpox?
In a little noticed move, federal officials this month have declared a series of public health emergencies relating to potential weapons of biological terror.
On Oct. 1, Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt declared an anthrax public health emergency. On Oct. 10, he declared health emergencies for smallpox, radiation sickness from the detonation of a nuclear device and poisoning from botulinum toxins, the active ingredient of Botox.
There’s no clear evidence that terrorists have managed to weaponize anthrax or stolen large caches of Botox from cosmetic surgeons in Beverly Hills.
But by declaring these public health emergencies, HHS has granted manufacturers of anti-terrorism drugs and vaccines and others involved with the products protection from lawsuits if the drugs were to cause unfortunate side effects.
Read more...
In a little noticed move, federal officials this month have declared a series of public health emergencies relating to potential weapons of biological terror.
On Oct. 1, Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt declared an anthrax public health emergency. On Oct. 10, he declared health emergencies for smallpox, radiation sickness from the detonation of a nuclear device and poisoning from botulinum toxins, the active ingredient of Botox.
There’s no clear evidence that terrorists have managed to weaponize anthrax or stolen large caches of Botox from cosmetic surgeons in Beverly Hills.
But by declaring these public health emergencies, HHS has granted manufacturers of anti-terrorism drugs and vaccines and others involved with the products protection from lawsuits if the drugs were to cause unfortunate side effects.
Read more...
Defence Of Free Speech Must Be Absolute
There's not much that seems to faze Alan Borovoy when it comes to his infallible belief in a person's right to free speech in Canada.
Groups that bash gays, women or religious organizations may be repugnant, but democracies must allow them to speak freely, insists Borovoy, the general counsel for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association who will give a speech in Edmonton on Wednesday.
But even for a 40-year veteran of the civil liberties movement, the ideals of free speech can occasionally clash with the realities of one's heart. For Borovoy, such a clash occurred when the CCLA defended Holocaust-denier Ernst Zundel's right not to be muzzled.
"I was bothered by the number of Holocaust survivors I knew who would be hurt by what I was saying," says Borovoy, 75.
"To know the things I was saying were so hurtful to people who had suffered so much already -- that bothered me."
But that's still no reason not to support Zundel's rights, he says, immediately afterwards.
Read more...
Groups that bash gays, women or religious organizations may be repugnant, but democracies must allow them to speak freely, insists Borovoy, the general counsel for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association who will give a speech in Edmonton on Wednesday.
But even for a 40-year veteran of the civil liberties movement, the ideals of free speech can occasionally clash with the realities of one's heart. For Borovoy, such a clash occurred when the CCLA defended Holocaust-denier Ernst Zundel's right not to be muzzled.
"I was bothered by the number of Holocaust survivors I knew who would be hurt by what I was saying," says Borovoy, 75.
"To know the things I was saying were so hurtful to people who had suffered so much already -- that bothered me."
But that's still no reason not to support Zundel's rights, he says, immediately afterwards.
Read more...
Tamihere Is Sick Of Hearing About The Holocaust
Labour MP John Tamihere says he is "sick and tired of hearing how many Jews got gassed".
The comments - branded yesterday by the Jewish Council as "sickening" and "deeply shocking for all Jews" - were made in the same interview in which Mr Tamihere referred to Cabinet minister Chris Carter as a "tosser" and "queer" and Cabinet minister Steve Maharey as "smarmy".
They were released yesterday by Investigate magazine editor Ian Wishart after a spat with Mr Tamihere about the recording of the interview.
Alerted yesterday to the remark, Prime Minister Helen Clark said through a spokesman that while the government understood the pain the comment caused the Jewish community, she was certain Mr Tamihere meant no offence.
In the interview, Mr Tamihere is asked by Mr Wishart about how a society can be focused on injustices of the past. Mr Tamihere responds: "The Weisenthal Institute is the same. I'm sick and tired of hearing how many Jews got gassed, not because I'm not revolted by it - I am - or I'm not violated by it - I am - but because I already know that.
"How many times do I have to be told and made to feel guilty?"
Read more...
The comments - branded yesterday by the Jewish Council as "sickening" and "deeply shocking for all Jews" - were made in the same interview in which Mr Tamihere referred to Cabinet minister Chris Carter as a "tosser" and "queer" and Cabinet minister Steve Maharey as "smarmy".
They were released yesterday by Investigate magazine editor Ian Wishart after a spat with Mr Tamihere about the recording of the interview.
Alerted yesterday to the remark, Prime Minister Helen Clark said through a spokesman that while the government understood the pain the comment caused the Jewish community, she was certain Mr Tamihere meant no offence.
In the interview, Mr Tamihere is asked by Mr Wishart about how a society can be focused on injustices of the past. Mr Tamihere responds: "The Weisenthal Institute is the same. I'm sick and tired of hearing how many Jews got gassed, not because I'm not revolted by it - I am - or I'm not violated by it - I am - but because I already know that.
"How many times do I have to be told and made to feel guilty?"
Read more...
Pakistan Quake Leaves At Least 40 Dead
A powerful earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale has struck western Pakistan, leaving at least 40 people dead. The temblor hit at 4:09 am early Wednesday local time (23:09 GMT Tuesday), according to the US Geological Survey. The epicenter was located about 70 kilometers (45 miles) north of the city of Quetta at a depth of 10 kilometers, AFP reported. At least 40 people were killed in the quake, according to government and hospital officials.
Read more...
Have a HAARPy Day!
Read more...
Have a HAARPy Day!
UK: We've Started Talks On Our Own SOFA
The UK is in talks with Iraq to sign a long-term security agreement with Baghdad similar to the controversial pact proposed by the US. "Negotiations [with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on the security pact] were practically started," the British ambassador to Iraq told Voices of Iraq news agency on Tuesday.
Read more...
Read more...
Officer In Fatal Accident Involved In Airport Taser Death
One of the four RCMP officers involved in the Tasering of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski is facing charges of impaired driving causing death after a collision in Delta Saturday night.
However, Delta police - who are investigating the crash - have refused to identify the officer until he makes his first court appearance on Jan. 15 and is formally charged.
Read more...
However, Delta police - who are investigating the crash - have refused to identify the officer until he makes his first court appearance on Jan. 15 and is formally charged.
Read more...
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Wall Street's Trojan Horse
Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has announced that Brazil, Russia, India and China will "coordinate efforts in overcoming the financial crisis".
The statement suggests that the four countries will confront the dominant US-UK-EU alliance, which personifies Western banking interests, at the forthcoming Summit in Washington.
“We are going to coordinate our moves with the leading emerging economies. We are in direct contact with India, China and Brazil; we are interacting in the BRIC and RIC [Russia-India-China] formats,” he added.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said earlier this month the crisis had shown the BRIC nations would be “the locomotive of the world economy in coming years.” (The Hindu, October 26, 2008)
The Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of G-20 countries will meet in Sao Paulo in November ahead of the Summit meetings in Washington.
The crucial question: Is there a policy alternative to that proposed by Wall Street and the US Treasury, which might emanate from the BRIC and/or G-20 Summit discussions.
Read more...
The statement suggests that the four countries will confront the dominant US-UK-EU alliance, which personifies Western banking interests, at the forthcoming Summit in Washington.
“We are going to coordinate our moves with the leading emerging economies. We are in direct contact with India, China and Brazil; we are interacting in the BRIC and RIC [Russia-India-China] formats,” he added.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said earlier this month the crisis had shown the BRIC nations would be “the locomotive of the world economy in coming years.” (The Hindu, October 26, 2008)
The Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of G-20 countries will meet in Sao Paulo in November ahead of the Summit meetings in Washington.
The crucial question: Is there a policy alternative to that proposed by Wall Street and the US Treasury, which might emanate from the BRIC and/or G-20 Summit discussions.
Read more...
The Latest GM Propoganda - The Cancer Fighting Tomato
PURPLE cancer-fighting tomatoes have been genetically engineered by British scientists.
The fruits, which resemble tomato-like plums, have already been shown to extend the lives of cancer-prone mice.Scientists say they could be on sale within three years – but probably not in the UK because of strict European rules about genetically modified food.
Read more...
The fruits, which resemble tomato-like plums, have already been shown to extend the lives of cancer-prone mice.Scientists say they could be on sale within three years – but probably not in the UK because of strict European rules about genetically modified food.
Read more...
.jpg)
U.S. Threatens To Halt Services To Iraq Without Troop Accord
The U.S. military has warned Iraq that it will shut down military operations and other vital services throughout the country on Jan. 1 if the Iraqi government doesn't agree to a new agreement on the status of U.S. forces or a renewed United Nations mandate for the American mission in Iraq.
Many Iraqi politicians view the move as akin to political blackmail, a top Iraqi official told McClatchy Sunday.
In addition to halting all military actions, U.S. forces would cease activities that support Iraq’s economy, educational sector and other areas _ "everything" _ said Tariq al Hashimi, the country’s Sunni Muslim vice president. "I didn’t know the Americans are rendering such wide-scale services."
Read more...
Many Iraqi politicians view the move as akin to political blackmail, a top Iraqi official told McClatchy Sunday.
In addition to halting all military actions, U.S. forces would cease activities that support Iraq’s economy, educational sector and other areas _ "everything" _ said Tariq al Hashimi, the country’s Sunni Muslim vice president. "I didn’t know the Americans are rendering such wide-scale services."
Read more...
An Occupation Government In Islamabad?
They invaded Iraq to set up an occupation government in Baghdad. But in Islamabad, they have done it without firing a bullet. Read this fascinating insight into what seems like an American-imposed proxy occupation administration with Pakistani faces.
Read more...
Read more...
Microsoft Patents Web Moderator Robots
The problem with the internet, as we all know, is that it gives free rein to loonies. Once upon a time, green inkers would rant away on writing paper, seal their 30-page global conspiracy theory into a recycled envelope and post it to a newspaper, which would drop it harmlessly into a wastepaper basket. Now they infiltrate chat rooms, scrawl anonymous abuse in web discussions and even have their own video blogs.
Sometimes this is entertaining; sometimes it can be offensive. So Microsoft has just been awarded a patent for technology designed to automatically detect and remove “undesired words or phrases” from all manner of digital communications, ranging from YouTube broadcasts to internet chat and songs.
The patent describes a system that listens out for phonemes (word fragments) likely to be part of a swearword. If it thinks it hears a forbidden phrase, the software either fades out the offending syllables or simply replaces the rude word with a similar-sounding but clean alternative lifted from earlier speech without a second’s delay.
Read more...
Sometimes this is entertaining; sometimes it can be offensive. So Microsoft has just been awarded a patent for technology designed to automatically detect and remove “undesired words or phrases” from all manner of digital communications, ranging from YouTube broadcasts to internet chat and songs.
The patent describes a system that listens out for phonemes (word fragments) likely to be part of a swearword. If it thinks it hears a forbidden phrase, the software either fades out the offending syllables or simply replaces the rude word with a similar-sounding but clean alternative lifted from earlier speech without a second’s delay.
Read more...
Global Cooling: Record Low Temperatures Hit America
Record low temperatures have hit dozens of areas across America as a natural period of global cooling accelerates, leaving man-made global warming advocates with egg on their face as the big chill sets in.
Data compiled by the IceAgeNow website shows that record lows are being matched and broken on an almost daily basis in states throughout the U.S. as the country prepares for a freezing cold winter.
Record lows have been matched or beaten in the following states over the course of the last two weeks.
Data compiled by the IceAgeNow website shows that record lows are being matched and broken on an almost daily basis in states throughout the U.S. as the country prepares for a freezing cold winter.
Record lows have been matched or beaten in the following states over the course of the last two weeks.
Obama: “Marxist” Front Man for the Banksters
Is Barack Obama a Marxist, will he redistribute the wealth to the middle class? This is the question a WFTV anchor posed to Joe Biden.
It was of course an absurd question, considering Obama is the bankster candidate of choice. Banksters do not “redistribute” the wealth downward, they direct it upward into their own coffers. In fact, the word is not even accurate. It is not “redistribution,” it is theft. The banksters are grand theft larcenists on a monumental scale.
Read more...
It was of course an absurd question, considering Obama is the bankster candidate of choice. Banksters do not “redistribute” the wealth downward, they direct it upward into their own coffers. In fact, the word is not even accurate. It is not “redistribution,” it is theft. The banksters are grand theft larcenists on a monumental scale.
Read more...
The EU Communitarian Agenda And The New Feudalists
The European Union is a major aspect of the `New World Order` and the so called `sustainable development` movement. The main objective of the Federal European State to be, is absolute social, personal and economic control in a collectivist and corporatist society. The philosophy behind the EU is a strange mixture of Capitalism and Communism - a form of Euro Marxism which owes much of its dogma to the Pre World War II Italian Marxist Philosopher, Antonio Gramsci.. The nearest ideology to that practiced by the EU is something called `Communitarianism`, or what Tony Blair called the 'Third Way'..
Read more...
Read more...
Maltese Freemasons Go Public On The Internet
After years of notoriety as a secret society, and a raging debate over the alleged membership of public officials, Malta’s freemasons have gone public with a fully-fledged website describing their activities, history and also their statute.
Malta’s freemasons now welcome the public to go beyond its portrayal “as a secret, self-serving, or sinister society”, to one whose motivation centres on “humility, tolerance, and charity”.
Read more...
Malta’s freemasons now welcome the public to go beyond its portrayal “as a secret, self-serving, or sinister society”, to one whose motivation centres on “humility, tolerance, and charity”.
Read more...
Hillary Backers Decry Massive Obama Vote Fraud
With accusations of voter registration fraud swirling as early voting begins in many states, some Hillary Clinton supporters are saying: “I told you so.”
Already in Iowa, the Obama campaign was breaking the rules, busing in supporters from neighboring states to vote illegally in the first contest in the primaries and physically intimidating Hillary supporters, they say.
Obama’s surprisingly strong win in Iowa, which defied all the polls, propelled his upstart candidacy to front-runner status. But Lynette Long, a Hillary supporter from Bethesda, Md., who has a long and respected academic career, believes Obama’s victory in Iowa and in 12 other caucus states was no miracle. “It was fraud,” she told Newsmax.
Read more...
Already in Iowa, the Obama campaign was breaking the rules, busing in supporters from neighboring states to vote illegally in the first contest in the primaries and physically intimidating Hillary supporters, they say.
Obama’s surprisingly strong win in Iowa, which defied all the polls, propelled his upstart candidacy to front-runner status. But Lynette Long, a Hillary supporter from Bethesda, Md., who has a long and respected academic career, believes Obama’s victory in Iowa and in 12 other caucus states was no miracle. “It was fraud,” she told Newsmax.
Read more...
Monday, October 27, 2008
Generals Try to Stop Imminent World War III
A most stunning report is circulating in the Kremlin stating that some of the most Senior Generals in the United States Military are ‘pleading’ for ‘immediate’ help from both Russian and European Military to prevent their current President from starting World War III in the coming weeks.
Even more shocking, this plea for help by the America Military Establishment came from their most senior military officer Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, and who in an unprecedented secret meeting, held this past weekend in the neutral country of Finland, met with General Nikolai Makarov, the head of Russia’s General Staff.
This meeting between the United States and Russia’s top Military Officials followed an equally unprecedented meeting held also this past week in the Adirondack Mountain Region of New York State between these US Generals and all of the top Military Officers and Staff of Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Japan, Canada, Denmark, The Netherlands and South Korea.
According to these reports the American Generals have stated their ‘firm belief’ that the United States and Europe are under an ‘imminent threat’ for large scale attacks by nuclear weapons prior to the US elections, due to be held on November 4th, that will completely destroy both America and the European Union in a bid to establish upon both these Nations a new ‘Fourth Reich’ modeled upon the former German Nazi Empire.
How Mossad Controls Our Political Parties
Politicians in the United States and Britain are made to pass under the yoke of the Zionist masters who control our leading political parties. By forcing our political leaders to accept the Zionist yoke our nations become subjugated and the pro-Israel agenda is forced upon the entire population. Zionist control of Britain's prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown is explained in this article.
Read more...
Read more...
National Trust Turns Eco Warrior To Save Britain's Green Spaces
The National Trust is to take up an aggressive eco-stance to protect green spaces and prevent desecration of the countryside.
The trust, one of the country’s biggest landowners, has decided to shift its focus to become the leading champion for the protection of green fields - a move that puts it on a collision course with the Government over housebuilding, development of eco-towns and the proposed expansions of Heathrow and Stansted airports.
The tough new position announced today by the trust, which is the biggest voluntary organisation in Europe with 3.5 million members, follows a year-long consultation of its membership and polling of the public. It signals a dramatic shift from the trust as genteel custodian of grand historic houses to warrior-like defender of green spaces that improve the lives of most citizens.
The approach is part of the legacy envisaged by Sir William Proby, chairman of the trust, who steps down at the annual general meeting next weekend. The vision also has the backing of Sir Simon Jenkins, a former Editor of The Times, who is to take over as chairman.
Read more...
Well maybe in light of this the National Trust would like to reconsider its proposals to sell off hundreds of acres of its green belt land at Erddig near Wrexham to make way for a 2,500 home development?
See here...
The trust, one of the country’s biggest landowners, has decided to shift its focus to become the leading champion for the protection of green fields - a move that puts it on a collision course with the Government over housebuilding, development of eco-towns and the proposed expansions of Heathrow and Stansted airports.
The tough new position announced today by the trust, which is the biggest voluntary organisation in Europe with 3.5 million members, follows a year-long consultation of its membership and polling of the public. It signals a dramatic shift from the trust as genteel custodian of grand historic houses to warrior-like defender of green spaces that improve the lives of most citizens.
The approach is part of the legacy envisaged by Sir William Proby, chairman of the trust, who steps down at the annual general meeting next weekend. The vision also has the backing of Sir Simon Jenkins, a former Editor of The Times, who is to take over as chairman.
Read more...
Well maybe in light of this the National Trust would like to reconsider its proposals to sell off hundreds of acres of its green belt land at Erddig near Wrexham to make way for a 2,500 home development?
See here...
British Firms 'Struggling Under £150billion Burden Of EU Laws'
British businesses are being tied up with record levels of Brussels red tape, a report warned yesterday.
The TaxPayers' Alliance says that UK firms are struggling under the 'severe burden' of EU regulation, which is estimated to cost £150billion a year.
The study found that there are currently 16,980 EU laws in force in this country and they are increasing at a rate of 2,000 a year.
It said that Whitehall had added to the regulatory burden by using EU directives as 'vehicles for their own policy agendas' and attaching numerous additional clauses and extending their scope - a practice known as 'gold-plating'.
Ben Farrugia from the alliance said: 'Regulations are an enormous burden to business, particularly in a time of financial hardship. The EU's addiction to regulating and Whitehall's compulsive gold-plating have added billions to business costs in recent years.
'Both the legislative process which has created this regulatory tangle and Britain's relationship with the EU needs a serious rethink.'
Read more...
We need to be OUT of the EU Completely!!!
The TaxPayers' Alliance says that UK firms are struggling under the 'severe burden' of EU regulation, which is estimated to cost £150billion a year.
The study found that there are currently 16,980 EU laws in force in this country and they are increasing at a rate of 2,000 a year.
It said that Whitehall had added to the regulatory burden by using EU directives as 'vehicles for their own policy agendas' and attaching numerous additional clauses and extending their scope - a practice known as 'gold-plating'.
Ben Farrugia from the alliance said: 'Regulations are an enormous burden to business, particularly in a time of financial hardship. The EU's addiction to regulating and Whitehall's compulsive gold-plating have added billions to business costs in recent years.
'Both the legislative process which has created this regulatory tangle and Britain's relationship with the EU needs a serious rethink.'
Read more...
We need to be OUT of the EU Completely!!!
Health And Safety Axe On 800-year-old Right To Collect Firewood
For the past 12 years, retired builder Mike Kamp has exercised his age-old right to collect firewood from the forest near his home.
But the health and safety axe has finally come down on an 800-year-old tradition which dates back to the Magna Carta.
Forestry chiefs say they have been forced to overrule the charter due to the 'increasing constraints' of modern legislation.
The Magna Carta of 1215 included a Forest Charter which recognised the rights of commoners to get subsistence from common land. They were granted 'estovers' - dead wood - for fuel, to repair their homes, fix tools or make charcoal.
Mr Kamp, 59, uses a wood-burning stove at his cottage near Betwys-y-Coed, North Wales, and enjoys walking through nearby Gwydir Forest. But now he has been told by Forestry Commission Wales that he can no longer buy a licence to forage.
Read more...
But the health and safety axe has finally come down on an 800-year-old tradition which dates back to the Magna Carta.
Forestry chiefs say they have been forced to overrule the charter due to the 'increasing constraints' of modern legislation.
The Magna Carta of 1215 included a Forest Charter which recognised the rights of commoners to get subsistence from common land. They were granted 'estovers' - dead wood - for fuel, to repair their homes, fix tools or make charcoal.
Mr Kamp, 59, uses a wood-burning stove at his cottage near Betwys-y-Coed, North Wales, and enjoys walking through nearby Gwydir Forest. But now he has been told by Forestry Commission Wales that he can no longer buy a licence to forage.
Read more...
'Wicked': The 227% Interest Rate Credit Card Designed To 'Help' Families This Christmas
Britain's most expensive credit card, which carries an interest rate of 227 per cent, is being promoted as a solution for hardpressed families this Christmas.
The Easy Shop card is linked to Argos and offers one possible solution to parents who do not have the cash to buy presents for the children.
However, MPs and debt experts last night condemned the extortionate charges as 'wicked' and warned struggling shoppers to reject the card.
Argos chiefs revealed last week that the company's sales are running around 9 per cent down on this time last year.
Read more...
The Easy Shop card is linked to Argos and offers one possible solution to parents who do not have the cash to buy presents for the children.
However, MPs and debt experts last night condemned the extortionate charges as 'wicked' and warned struggling shoppers to reject the card.
Argos chiefs revealed last week that the company's sales are running around 9 per cent down on this time last year.
Read more...
The Deliberate Dumbing Down Of Our Children
Bright teenagers are a disappearing breed, an alarming new study has revealed.
The intellectual ability of the country's cleverest youngsters has declined radically, almost certainly due to the rise of TV and computer games and over-testing in schools.
The 'high-level thinking' skills of 14-year-olds are now on a par with those of 12-year-olds in 1976.
The findings contradict national results which have shown a growth in top grades in SATs at 14, GCSEs and A-levels.
The intellectual ability of the country's cleverest youngsters has declined radically, almost certainly due to the rise of TV and computer games and over-testing in schools.
The 'high-level thinking' skills of 14-year-olds are now on a par with those of 12-year-olds in 1976.
The findings contradict national results which have shown a growth in top grades in SATs at 14, GCSEs and A-levels.
But Michael Shayer, the professor of applied psychology who led the study, believes that is the result of exam standards 'edging down'.
His team of researchers at London's King's College tested 800 13 and 14-year-olds and compared the results with a similar exercise in 1976.
His team of researchers at London's King's College tested 800 13 and 14-year-olds and compared the results with a similar exercise in 1976.
They forget to mention Mobile Phones, Fluoride, Drugs, vaccines, Alcohol, Aspartame, Cell Towers and i posted an article a few days ago about reductions in exam pass thresholds where to get a grade c pass you only had to score 20%
The European Union's Blind Eye
ON 1 SEPTEMBER 2008, the EU decided that meetings with Russia about a new partnership agreement would be postponed "until [Russian] troops have withdrawn to the positions held prior to 7 August", that is, until the Russian military occupation of Georgia (outside South Ossetia and Abkhazia, at least) had ended.
On 28 November 1995, the EU allowed Israel to become a partner, under Euro-Mediterranean Partnership arrangements with states bordering on the Mediterranean. At the time, Israeli troops were occupying parts of Lebanon and Syria and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (the West Bank and Gaza) and had been for many years – Lebanon since 1978, the rest since 1967.
Clearly, the EU has applied very different standards in its relations with Israel and Russia. Had the conditions applied to Russia in September 2008 been applied to Israel in November 1995, the EU would have refused to enter into negotiation with Israel about becoming a partner until all Israeli troops had been withdrawn from Lebanon, Syria and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Read more...
On 28 November 1995, the EU allowed Israel to become a partner, under Euro-Mediterranean Partnership arrangements with states bordering on the Mediterranean. At the time, Israeli troops were occupying parts of Lebanon and Syria and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (the West Bank and Gaza) and had been for many years – Lebanon since 1978, the rest since 1967.
Clearly, the EU has applied very different standards in its relations with Israel and Russia. Had the conditions applied to Russia in September 2008 been applied to Israel in November 1995, the EU would have refused to enter into negotiation with Israel about becoming a partner until all Israeli troops had been withdrawn from Lebanon, Syria and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Read more...
How to Live in Your Car
Living in a car isn't something that anyone would recommend. However, when you get laid off, your emergency fund runs out, your home is foreclosed (or you get an eviction notice) and there's nobody to help, living in your car might be the only choice, especially if you don't feel safe at a local shelter. Unfortunately, in many places, sleeping in your car is not only frowned upon, but also illegal. Here's how to get by until something better comes along.
Remember, you are not alone and you have a vehicle.
Read more...
Remember, you are not alone and you have a vehicle.
Read more...
Early E-voting Results In Vote Flipping In Three States So Far
I noted in passing last week that West Virginia has had the distinct honor of being the first state in the union to report problems (surprise! surprise!) with its electronic voting systems. There are now also reports that similar problems have been happening in Tennessee and Texas as well. No doubt these won't be the last.
So what exactly has happened? Largely, the problem has been what's been dubbed "vote flipping" or "vote switching" -- which is exactly what it sounds like.
Read more...
So what exactly has happened? Largely, the problem has been what's been dubbed "vote flipping" or "vote switching" -- which is exactly what it sounds like.
Read more...
Adverse Drug Reactions Is Fifth Biggest Killer In EU Hospitals
Adverse reactions to medication is the fifth most common cause of death in hospitals according to the European Commission, but EU agencies and national governments have until now kept secret pharmaceutical companies' reports on side-effects.
The notes - known in the business as Periodic Safety Update Reports (PSURs) - are submitted regularly to national authorities and the European Medicines Agency in London.
Read more...
The notes - known in the business as Periodic Safety Update Reports (PSURs) - are submitted regularly to national authorities and the European Medicines Agency in London.
Read more...
Massive Protest Rally Against Berlusconi
A huge rally has been held in the Italian capital, Rome, to protest against the government of prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Opponents accuse Mr Berlusconi of taking Italy too far to the right.
The leader of the centre-left opposition told the crowds that Mr Berlusconi was incapable of handling Italy's social and financial crises.
Read more...
Opponents accuse Mr Berlusconi of taking Italy too far to the right.
The leader of the centre-left opposition told the crowds that Mr Berlusconi was incapable of handling Italy's social and financial crises.
Read more...
U.S. Confirms Strike On Syria That Killed Eight
A U.S. military official confirmed late Sunday an American helicopter attack in an area along Syria's border with Iraq, which left 8 people dead and three people wounded. Syria condemned the attack, which it called "serious aggression." The raid indicated the desert frontier between the two countries remains a key battleground, more than five years into the Iraq war.
The U.S. official said the attack targeted elements of a robust foreign fighter logistics network and that due to Syrian inaction the U.S. was now "taking matters into our own hands."
Read more...
So where is Americas respect for a sovereign nations territorial integrity now! Once again Bush is pushing back the envelope and it is going to rebound on him big time!
The U.S. official said the attack targeted elements of a robust foreign fighter logistics network and that due to Syrian inaction the U.S. was now "taking matters into our own hands."
Read more...
So where is Americas respect for a sovereign nations territorial integrity now! Once again Bush is pushing back the envelope and it is going to rebound on him big time!
Police Will Use New Device To Take Fingerprints In Street
Every police force in the UK is to be equipped with mobile fingerprint scanners - handheld devices that allow police to carry out identity checks on people in the street.
The new technology, which ultimately may be able to receive pictures of suspects, is likely to be in widespread use within 18 months. Tens of thousands of sets - as compact as BlackBerry smartphones - are expected to be distributed.
Read more...
'As long as they aren't added to databases', yeah as if that isn't going to happen !
The new technology, which ultimately may be able to receive pictures of suspects, is likely to be in widespread use within 18 months. Tens of thousands of sets - as compact as BlackBerry smartphones - are expected to be distributed.
Read more...
'As long as they aren't added to databases', yeah as if that isn't going to happen !
Europe's Secret Plan To Boost GM Crop Production
Gordon Brown and other European leaders are secretly preparing an unprecedented campaign to spread GM crops and foods in Britain and throughout the continent, confidential documents obtained by The Independent on Sunday reveal.
The documents – minutes of a series of private meetings of representatives of 27 governments – disclose plans to "speed up" the introduction of the modified crops and foods and to "deal with" public resistance to them.
Read more...
The documents – minutes of a series of private meetings of representatives of 27 governments – disclose plans to "speed up" the introduction of the modified crops and foods and to "deal with" public resistance to them.
Read more...
Sunday, October 26, 2008
That Rothschild Clan In Full: Eccentricity, Money, Influence And Scandal
Nat Rothschild’s career path – from playboy to plutocrat – has to be seen against the backdrop of his family history, studded as it is with eccentrics who were torn between loyalty to an immense and powerful name and the urge to break away from the clan.
Read more...
Read more...
Defense Secretary John Hutton Backs European Army
John Hutton has become the first defence secretary to back a French plan for a European army, branding those who dismiss it as “pathetic”.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Sunday Times, he said: “I think we’ve got to be pragmatic about those things. Where it can help, we should be part of it.”
His support goes beyond the public position of Gordon Brown, the prime minister, and will antagonise those who believe that further European cooperation will undermine Nato by excluding the United States.
Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, has sought to develop Europe’s military structures with new headquarters and rapid reaction forces, each consisting of 1,500 troops from member countries.
Read more...
In a wide-ranging interview with The Sunday Times, he said: “I think we’ve got to be pragmatic about those things. Where it can help, we should be part of it.”
His support goes beyond the public position of Gordon Brown, the prime minister, and will antagonise those who believe that further European cooperation will undermine Nato by excluding the United States.
Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, has sought to develop Europe’s military structures with new headquarters and rapid reaction forces, each consisting of 1,500 troops from member countries.
Read more...
Banks Exploit Legal Loophole To Seize Homes
Banks and credit card companies are exploiting obscure legal powers to seize the homes of thousands of people who cannot pay their credit card bills.
In some cases, people owing as little as £1,000 have been served with charging orders – the legal instrument enabling a creditor to order the sale of a property.
The practice has emerged days after Yvette Cooper, chief secretary to the Treasury, called on banks to do more to allow people to keep their homes.
According to the Ministry of Justice, 97,026 charging orders were granted by courts in England and Wales last year, a tenfold increase since 2000.
They allow financial institutions to order the sale of a property to pay off unsecured debts on credit cards, personal loans, store cards and car finance. Some will have been used only to threaten the debtor, or to levy a surcharge on the mortgage to recoup the debts.
Nationwide, the building society, and Northern Rock, which was nationalised earlier this year, are among the most aggressive in using the court orders.
Read more...
In some cases, people owing as little as £1,000 have been served with charging orders – the legal instrument enabling a creditor to order the sale of a property.
The practice has emerged days after Yvette Cooper, chief secretary to the Treasury, called on banks to do more to allow people to keep their homes.
According to the Ministry of Justice, 97,026 charging orders were granted by courts in England and Wales last year, a tenfold increase since 2000.
They allow financial institutions to order the sale of a property to pay off unsecured debts on credit cards, personal loans, store cards and car finance. Some will have been used only to threaten the debtor, or to levy a surcharge on the mortgage to recoup the debts.
Nationwide, the building society, and Northern Rock, which was nationalised earlier this year, are among the most aggressive in using the court orders.
Read more...
Darling Knew About Potential Icelandic Bank Meltdown Weeks In Advance
Alistair Darling was alerted to the possibility of a meltdown of Icelandic banks 'weeks' before they collapsed, taking billions of pounds of British savers' cash invested in them.
A transcript of a private telephone conversation on October 7 between the Chancellor and an Icelandic government minister shows that Mr Darling had been 'very concerned' about the country's banks well before they failed.
Read more...
A transcript of a private telephone conversation on October 7 between the Chancellor and an Icelandic government minister shows that Mr Darling had been 'very concerned' about the country's banks well before they failed.
Read more...
Laser Beam Spy Camera Joins War On Terrorism
A laser that can scan a crowd and identify people who have been handling explosives is being secretly tested at British airports and railway stations.
The device - no bigger than a shoe box - could also be used by police and MI5 surveillance teams to identify Islamic terrorists outside mosques or community centres.
The laser can pick out suspects in large crowds and highlight explosive residue on their clothing and luggage.
Read more...
The device - no bigger than a shoe box - could also be used by police and MI5 surveillance teams to identify Islamic terrorists outside mosques or community centres.
The laser can pick out suspects in large crowds and highlight explosive residue on their clothing and luggage.
Read more...
Multi-millionaire Nat Rothschild 'Behind Osborne's £200,000 Gift'
Shadow Chancellor George Osborne was embroiled in a new row last night over claims that multi-millionaire playboy and financier Nat Rothschild was responsible for bankrolling him with nearly £200,000 of funding.
Authoritative sources close to Mr Rothschild, a friend and ally of Peter Mandelson, say a £190,000 donation to Mr Osborne's office last year - declared as coming from Lady Serena Rothschild - was paid because she was urged to do so by her son, Nat.
Read more...
Well he did say he would destroy Osborne !
Authoritative sources close to Mr Rothschild, a friend and ally of Peter Mandelson, say a £190,000 donation to Mr Osborne's office last year - declared as coming from Lady Serena Rothschild - was paid because she was urged to do so by her son, Nat.
Read more...
Well he did say he would destroy Osborne !
Scientists Erase Specific Memories in Mice
It sounds like science fiction, by scientists say it might one day be possible to erase undesirable memories from the brain, selectively and safely.
Using a complex genetic approach, U.S. and Chinese researchers believe they have done just that in mice, but the feat is far from being tested on humans.
Study co-author Joe Z. Tsien, co-director of the Brain & Behavior Discovery Institute at the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, says the "work reveals a molecular mechanism of how [memory deletion] can be done quickly and without doing damage to brain cells."
Read more...
Imagine being to erase peoples memories and then implant new ones. Very convenient.
Using a complex genetic approach, U.S. and Chinese researchers believe they have done just that in mice, but the feat is far from being tested on humans.
Study co-author Joe Z. Tsien, co-director of the Brain & Behavior Discovery Institute at the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, says the "work reveals a molecular mechanism of how [memory deletion] can be done quickly and without doing damage to brain cells."
Read more...
Imagine being to erase peoples memories and then implant new ones. Very convenient.
Obama And The Predicted World Crisis
It all began when former State Department chief, Colin Powell, endorsed Barack Obama for president on Meet The Press, October 19 2008. Obama responded by saying, “Powell will have a role as one of my advisers.”
Attached to his endorsement of Obama, Powell leaked an Obama-camp agenda about a coming crisis: “There’s going to be a crisis which will come along on the 21st, 22nd of January which we don’t even know about right now!”
Attached to his endorsement of Obama, Powell leaked an Obama-camp agenda about a coming crisis: “There’s going to be a crisis which will come along on the 21st, 22nd of January which we don’t even know about right now!”
On the very same day, (what a coincidence!), while at a Seattle fund raiser, Obama’s VP pick, Joe Biden, expanded on Powell’s prediction, by saying that the ‘crisis’ will be one of “international” proportions:
Congress: What Bernake And Paulson Aren't Telling You
Congress: Think.
Ben and Hank have both told you that the critical issue for the economy is for "lending to resume", stating that it has dramatically contracted.
If this was the truth, then Ben and Hank would have come to you for $700 billion in the TARP, but instead of TARPing the money, they would have asked for permission to use it to capitalize 10 new banks which would be immediately IPO'd off to the public with the stake being in the form of some kind of super-senior debt that held a coupon high enough to encourage immediate (or nearly-so) replacement with private capital.
This would have resulted in an aggregate of seven trillion worth of new lending capacity in the economy, an amount that, incidentally, would allow the full replacement of Fannie and Freddie as holders of housing debt with about $2 trillion left over for credit cards, auto and business loans.
That would have immediately solved the "credit freeze" problem.
So why wasn't this proposed?
This is the reason:
Read more...
Ben and Hank have both told you that the critical issue for the economy is for "lending to resume", stating that it has dramatically contracted.
If this was the truth, then Ben and Hank would have come to you for $700 billion in the TARP, but instead of TARPing the money, they would have asked for permission to use it to capitalize 10 new banks which would be immediately IPO'd off to the public with the stake being in the form of some kind of super-senior debt that held a coupon high enough to encourage immediate (or nearly-so) replacement with private capital.
This would have resulted in an aggregate of seven trillion worth of new lending capacity in the economy, an amount that, incidentally, would allow the full replacement of Fannie and Freddie as holders of housing debt with about $2 trillion left over for credit cards, auto and business loans.
That would have immediately solved the "credit freeze" problem.
So why wasn't this proposed?
This is the reason:
Read more...
Sarkozy Tries To Install Himself As European Union President
The French president, who holds the EU's rotating six month presidency until the end of December, has dominated the international stage following the Russian invasion of Georgia in August and the global financial crisis in recent weeks.
But he has dismayed Brussels diplomats and angered the Czech Republic, which takes over the EU presidency in January, by suggesting that countries belonging to the euro, with an invitation extended to Britain, should form an emergency "economic government" with President Sarkozy at its head.
Read more...
But he has dismayed Brussels diplomats and angered the Czech Republic, which takes over the EU presidency in January, by suggesting that countries belonging to the euro, with an invitation extended to Britain, should form an emergency "economic government" with President Sarkozy at its head.
Read more...
.jpg)
Berlusconi Erasing The Basic Principles Of Democracy
The Italian government is erasing the basic principles of democracy, ignoring all opposition and diminishing the importance of a whole country demonstrating against Berlusconi and his ministers.
Read more...
Read more...
Insanity Rules - Gates Funds 'Flying Syringe' Mosquitos
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded 100,000 dollars each on Wednesday to scientists in 22 countries including funding for a Japanese proposal to turn mosquitos into "flying syringes" delivering vaccines.
Read more...
Read more...
Maliki Won't Sign Divisive SOFA
Iraqi Premier Nouri al-Maliki 'will not sign' the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) over fears that it might create division in the country. A lawmaker from the United Iraqi Alliance, Iraq's most powerful parliamentary bloc, made the announcement, adding that a "national consensus" is required before any move, the McClatchy Newspaper reported on Saturday.
Read more...
Read more...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)