When Truth Is Suppressed Countries Die

Paul Craig Roberts
March 15, 2013

Over a decade during which the US economy was decimated by jobs offshoring, economists and other PR shills for offshoring corporations said that the US did not need the millions of lost manufacturing jobs and should be glad that the “dirty fingernail” jobs were gone.

America, we were told, was moving upscale. Our new role in the world economy was to innovate and develop the new products that the dirty fingernail economies would produce. The money was in the innovation, they said, not in the simple task of production.

As I consistently warned, the “high-wage service economy based on imagination and ingenuity” that Harvard professor and offshoring advocate Michael Porter promised us as our reward for giving up dirty fingernail jobs was a figment of Porter’s imagination.

Over the decade I repeated myself many times: “Innovation takes place where things are made. Innovation will move abroad with the manufacturing.”

This is not what corporations or their shills such as Porter wanted to hear. Corporations were boosting their profits by getting rid of their American employees and replacing them with lowly paid foreigners. Porter’s job was to reassure the sheeple so that no outcry would materialize against the greed that was hollowing out the US economy.

Now comes a study conducted by 20 MIT professors and their graduate students that concludes on the basis of the facts that “the loss of companies that can make things will end up in the loss of research than can invent them.”

http://www.manufacturingnews.com/news/mit0305131.html

I am pleased to be vindicated by MIT. Of course, the professors are too late. The loss has already occurred. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the MIT professors can be heard through the orchestrated disinformation.

Two years ago in 2011 a Nobel prize-winning economist, Michael Spence, confirmed my decade-old conclusion that the US economy no longer had the capability to create any jobs except low-wage domestic service jobs that do not produce tradable goods and services that can be exported to reduce the massive US trade deficit. Spence validated my argument that the “new economy” was the offshored economy. Spence concluded that the outlook for the US economy and US employment is dire. The US faces “a long-term structural challenge with respect to the quantity and quality of employment opportunities in the United States. A related set of challenges concerns the income distribution; almost all incremental employment has occurred in the non-tradable sector, which has experienced much slower growth in value added per employee. Because that number is highly correlated with income, it goes a long way to explain the stagnation of wages across large segments of the workforce.”

http://www.cfr.org/industrial-policy/evolving-structure-american-economy-employment-challenge/p24366

There has been no more public policy response to Spence’s conclusion than to my identical conclusion.

We have heard all our lives that ideas are the most powerful force and prevail over material interests. Perhaps this was once true, but that would have been in previous times when material interests did not control the media, the universities, and the publishing companies along with the government. Voices such as mine, that of a high US Treasury official, and that of Spence, a Nobel prize winner, cannot compete with the voices paid by Big Money. Today the bulk of the population knows nothing except the propaganda fed to them by the oligarchic interests. They sit in front of Fox News or CNN and ingest it all. Those who fancy themselves more sophisticated get the same dose of lies from the New York Times.

If those who speak truth cannot be bought off or shut up, they are ignored or demonized. Almost everything Americans need to know is off limits in public discussion. Anyone who broaches the truth becomes an “anti-American,” a “terrorist sympathizer,” a “commie-socialist,” a “conspiracy theorist,” an “anti-semite,” a “kook,” or some other name designed to scare Americans away from the message of truth.

The corrupt corporations, the corrupt media, and the corrupt US government have insulated the country from truth. The result will be a massive crash. A country built on lies is like a house built on sand:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock [truth]. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand [lies].The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV)

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts is the father of Reaganomics and the former head of policy at the Department of Treasury. He is a columnist and was previously the editor of the Wall Street Journal. His latest book, “How the Economy Was Lost: The War of the Worlds,” details why America is disintegrating.

Holder admits megabanks are ‘too big to jail’

Holder admits megabanks are ‘too big to jail’
DARRELL DELAMAIDE
March 7, 2013
Full article:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/holder-admits-mega-banks-are-too-big-to-jail-2013-03-07

Attorney General Eric Holder, the top U.S. law-enforcement official, finally admitted this week that bank executives truly are above the law and may commit crimes with virtual impunity.

Appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Holder acknowledged under questioning by Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the ranking member, that the megabanks are too big to jail. “I am concerned that the size of some of these institutions becomes so large that it does become difficult for us to prosecute them,” Holder said.

He continued: “When we are hit with indications that if you do prosecute — if you do bring a criminal charge — it will have a negative impact on the national economy, perhaps even the world economy. I think that is a function of the fact that some of these institutions have become too large.”

Holder went on to suggest that, until Congress does something about it, the size of these banks will preclude bringing them to justice.

“I think it has an inhibiting influence, impact, on our ability to bring resolutions that I think would be more appropriate,” Holder said. “I think that’s something that we — you all — need to consider.”

Where are the civil libertarians?

America is shamed that only Rand Paul is talking about drone executions
Where are the civil libertarians in the president's party that we must rely on a Tea Party Republican to champion this issue?
Amy Goodman
Thursday 7 March 2013
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/mar/07/america-shamed-rand-paul-drone-executions

You could say that a filibuster occurs when a senator drones on and on. The problem with the US Senate was that there were too few senators speaking about drones this week.

President Barack Obama's controversial nomination of John Brennan as director of the Central Intelligence Agency was held up Wednesday afternoon by a Senate filibuster. The reason: Brennan's role in targeted killings by drones, and President Obama's presumed authority to kill US citizens, without any due process, if they pose an "imminent threat". The effort was led by Tea Party Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky, joined by several of his Republican colleagues. Among the Democrats, at the time of this writing, only Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon had joined in the genuine, old-fashioned "talking filibuster", wherein the activities of the Senate floor are held up by a senator's speech.

Members of Congress, tasked with oversight of intelligence and military matters, have repeatedly demanded the memoranda from the White House detailing the legal basis for the drone program, only to be repeatedly denied. The nomination of Brennan has opened up the debate, forcing the Obama administration to make nominal gestures of compliance. The answers so far have not satisfied Senator Paul. Nearing hour six of his filibuster, Senator Paul admitted:

"I can't ultimately stop the nomination, but what I can do is try to draw attention to this and try to get an answer … that would be something if we could get an answer from the president … if he would say explicitly that noncombatants in America won't be killed by drones. The reason it has to be answered is because our foreign drone strike program does kill noncombatants. They may argue that they are conspiring or they may someday be combatants, but if that is the same standard that we are going to use in the United States, it is a far different country than I know about."

The issue of extrajudicial execution of US citizens, whether on US soil or elsewhere, is clearly vital. But also important is the US government's now-seemingly routine killing of civilians around the world, whether by drone strikes, night raids conducted by special operations forces or other lethal means.

Rand Paul's filibuster followed a curious route, including references to Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, and quotes from noted progressive, constitutional attorney and Guardian columnist Glenn Greenwald and blogger Kevin Gosztala of Firedoglake.

US Attorney General Eric Holder sent a letter to Senator Paul, 4 March, writing:

"It is possible, I suppose, to imagine an extraordinary circumstance in which it would be necessary and appropriate under the Constitution and applicable laws of the United States for the president to authorize the military to use lethal force within the territory of the United States."

Holder noted that Paul's question was "entirely hypothetical". So, on the Senate floor, Paul brought up the case of two actual US citizens killed by drone strikes, Anwar al-Awlaki and his son, Abdulrahman. Anwar al-Awlaki was killed by a US drone strike in Yemen on 30 September 2011. Two weeks later, also in Yemen, his 16-year-old son Abdulrahman, a Denver native, was also killed by a drone strike. Paul asked during his filibuster:

"If you happen to be the son of a bad person, is that enough to kill you?"

As Senator Paul filibustered, Will Fitzgibbon wrote from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism in London:

"Last month, we launched a new drones project: Naming the Dead. The aim of this project is to identify as many of the more than 2,500 victims of US drone strikes in Pakistan as possible. Given we currently do not know the identities of 80% of those killed, we believe this is a crucial and missing step to having a more transparent drones debate …

"With all the attention being recently paid to American citizens killed by drones and with the drone debate growing, we thought it would be a good time to remind ourselves of the individual human stories of drone victims. Those we know about and those we don't."

Barack Obama and John Brennan direct the drone strikes that are killing thousands of civilians. It doesn't make us safer. It makes whole populations, from Yemen to Pakistan, hate us. Senator Paul's outrage with the president's claimed right to kill US citizens is entirely appropriate. That there is not more outrage at the thousands killed around the globe is shameful … and dangerous.

• Denis Moynihan contributed research to this column

Uncle Fats at the UFO Museum

Uncle Fats, the man who inspired "Stoner Cooking", took these photos at the UFO Museum in Roswell, New Mexico.  If you pay attention, you'll spot him in one of the pictures...

Fukushima: They Knew

An excerpt from Vultures' Picnic by Greg Palast
Monday, March 11, 2013
"Completely and Utterly Fail in an Earthquake"
Two years later, the Fukushima story you didn't hear on CNN
http://www.gregpalast.com/fukushima-they-knew-2

I've seen a lot of sick stuff in my career, but this was sick on a new level.

Here was the handwritten log kept by a senior engineer at the nuclear power plant:

Wiesel was very upset. He seemed very nervous. Very agitated. . . . In fact, the plant was riddled with problems that, no way on earth, could stand an earth- quake. The team of engineers sent in to inspect found that most of these components could "completely and utterly fail" during an earthquake.


"Utterly fail during an earthquake." And here in Japan was the quake and here is the utter failure.

The warning was in what the investigations team called The Notebook, which I'm not supposed to have.  Good thing I've kept a copy anyway, because the file cabinets went down with my office building ....

WORLD TRADE CENTER TOWER 1, FIFTY-SECOND FLOOR
NEW YORK, 1986

Two senior nuclear plant engineers were spilling out their souls and files on our huge conference table, blowing away my government investigations team with the inside stuff about the construction of the Shoreham, New York, power station.

The meeting was secret. Very secret. Their courage could destroy their careers: No engineering firm wants to hire a snitch, even one who has saved thousands of lives. They could lose their jobs; they could lose everything. They did. That’s what happens. Have a nice day.

On March 12 (2011), as I watched Fukushima melt, I knew:  the "SQ" had been faked.  Anderson Cooper said it would all be OK.  He'd flown to Japan, to suck up the radiation and official company bullshit.  The horror show was not the fault of Tokyo Electric, he said, because the plant was built to withstand only an 8.0 earthquake on the Richter scale, and this was 9.0.  Anderson must have been in the gym when they handed out the facts.  The 9.0 shake was in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, 90 miles away.  It was barely a tenth of that power at Fukushima.

I was ready to vomit.  Because I knew who had designed the plant, who had built it and whom Tokyo Electric Power was having rebuild it:  Shaw Construction.  The latest alias of Stone & Webster, the designated builder for every one of the four new nuclear plants that the Obama Administration has approved for billions in federal studies.

But I had The Notebook, the diaries of the earthquake inspector for the company.  I'd squirreled it out sometime before the Trade Center went down.  I shouldn't have done that.  Too bad.

All field engineers keep a diary. Gordon Dick, a supervisor, wasn’t sup- posed to show his to us. I asked him to show it to us and, reluctantly, he directed me to these notes about the “SQ” tests.

SQ is nuclear-speak for “Seismic Qualification.” A seismically qualified nuclear plant won’t melt down if you shake it. A “seismic event” can be an earthquake or a Christmas present from Al Qaeda. You can’t run a nuclear reactor in the USA or Europe or Japan without certified SQ.

This much is clear from his notebook: This nuclear plant will melt down in an earthquake. The plant dismally failed to meet the Seismic I (shaking) standards required by U.S. and international rules.

Here’s what we learned: Dick’s subordinate at the nuclear plant, Robert Wiesel, conducted the standard seismic review. Wiesel flunked his company. No good. Dick then ordered Wiesel to change his report to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, change it from failed to passed. Dick didn’t want to make Wiesel do it, but Dick was under the gun himself, acting on direct command from corporate chiefs. From The Notebook:

Wiesel was very upset. He seemed very nervous. Very agitated. [He said,] “I believe these are bad results and I believe it’s reportable,” and then he took the volume of federal regulations from the shelf and went to section 50.55(e), which describes reportable deficiencies at a nuclear plant and [they] read the section together, with Wiesel pointing to the appropriate paragraphs that federal law clearly required [them and the company] to report the Category II, Seismic I deficiencies.

Wiesel then expressed his concern that he was afraid that if he [Wiesel] reported the deficiencies, he would be fired, but that if he didn’t report the deficiencies, he would be breaking a federal law....


The law is clear. It is a crime not to report a safety failure. I could imagine Wiesel standing there with that big, thick rule book in his hands, The Law. It must have been heavy. So was his paycheck. He weighed the choices: Break the law, possibly a jail-time crime, or keep his job.

What did Wiesel do? What would you do?

Why the hell would his company make this man walk the line? Why did they put the gun to his head, to make him conceal mortal danger? It was the money. It’s always the money. Fixing the seismic problem would have cost the plant’s owner half a billion dollars easy. A guy from corporate told Dick, “Bob is a good man. He’ll do what’s right. Don’t worry about Bob.”

That is, they thought Bob would save his job and career rather than rat out the company to the feds.

But I think we should all worry about Bob. The company he worked for, Stone & Webster Engineering, built or designed about a third of the nuclear plants in the United States.

From the fifty-second floor we could look at the Statue of Liberty. She didn’t look back.

Palast is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Billionaires & Ballot Bandits: How to Steal an Election in 9 Easy Steps, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, Armed Madhouse and the highly acclaimed Vultures' Picnic, named Book of the Year 2012 on BBC Newsnight Review.

Visit the Palast Investigative Fund's store or simply make a contribution to keep our work alive!
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www.GregPalast.com

New Pope 2013

Now That There’s A New Pope, How Many Days Till Doomsday?
The 1.2 billion-strong Roman Catholic church now has a new spiritual leader, Pope Francis. His election proved to have many firsts for the secular faith. But along with the many firsts, could he also be the last pope highly associated with the doomsday prophecy by St Malachy?
Esther Tanquintic-Misa | March 14, 2013
http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/445870/20130314/roman-catholic-church-new-pope-2013-jorge.htm

The 2013 papal conclave may have escaped the precise election of a black-skinned pope, but conspiracy theorists among netizens remain adamant the selection of Pope Francis has indeed heralded the end of days for the people on planet Earth.

Forum members at godlikeproductions.com sorted and debated the affiliations of Pope Francis.

"We all mistook first black pope to mean skin color. Not true. In the Jesuit order, there is a Black Pope," member Sak posted.

The former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio is the leader of the Jesuits, who traditionally wear black cassocks. When he got elected to become spiritual leader of the Catholic church, he became the first Jesuit Pope.

"Therefore, the head of the Catholic church Pope Francis, who is now 'Peter,' is also the head of the Jesuit Order," the member said.

Simply put, Pope Francis is, at least according to conspiracy theorists at that forum, the black pope.

Some also picked on the new pope's chosen papal name, Francis, to represent St Francis of Assisi.

Francis of Assisi was one of 7 kids born to a man named Peter, whose real name is Pietro Di Bernardone.

"What more evidence do we need? This new pope is Italian which is part of Rome, he lives and works in the Vatican City of Rome, he is the first Jesuit Black pope, and he wears a Black Cross, and is now Peter of Rome."

But while doomsday pugs now bombard the world wide web with their deductions, there are others, as expected, who fight inference with an all-together different interpretation.

Over at gotquestions.org, "biblically speaking, there is absolutely no connection between a black Pope and the end times. The Bible does not even mention the papacy."

While there may be an end of times phophecy, everything has been wrongly interpreted.

"The Bible, particularly Revelation 17:9, does not say anything about Popes in general or an end-times Pope in particular."

But with all the hullaballoo over St Malachy's predictions and the apocalyptic list of prophecy of the 112 Popes, one question remains - just how many days are now left before doomsday?

Brewery will Use Beer to Power its Machines

Alaskan Brewery will Use Beer to Power its Machines
James Burgess | Wed, 06 February 2013
http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Alaskan-Brewery-will-Use-Beer-to-Power-its-Machines.html

Benefit From the Latest Energy Trends and Investment Opportunities before the mainstream media and investing public are aware they even exist. The Free Oilprice.com Energy Intelligence Report gives you this and much more.

The Alaskan Beer Company brews its award winning beer in Juneau, Alaska. In an attempt to reduce the cost of its brewing process it has decided to install a generator for producing energy from an alternative source.

Quite often for factories this alternative source would be in the form of solar panels or wind turbines; however the Alaskan Beer Co. have decided to use a source unique to them – waste beer.

The brewing process at the Juneau facility uses water, yeast, grain, and hops, amongst other ingredients, to produce its beer. The Alaskan Beer Company has bought a $1.8 million furnace that is able to burn the grain leftover after the brewing process has been completed. The burning grain is used to boil water and create steam, which can then power most of the brewery’s operations.

Normally breweries send their protein rich grain to local farms where it is used as animal feed for pigs, cattle, and chicken. Unfortunately there are only 37 farms in southeast Alaska where the brewery is situated and since its expansion in 1995 it has had trouble dealing with the excess waste grain.

Whilst this method of using grain to power its operations, works for the Alaskan Beer Company, I doubt it would be as enticing other brewers who have a plentiful supply of local farms demanding their used grain for animal feed. I imagine that the profit of selling the grain would be larger than using it to produce power and reduce the brewery’s energy bill.

Where Apple and Dick Tracy May Converge

NICK BILTON
Full Article:
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/disruptions-apple-is-said-to-be-developing-a-curved-glass-smart-watch/

Dick Tracy had one. As did Inspector Gadget and James Bond. A watch that doubled as a computer, two-way radio, mapping device or television.

Though such a device has been lost to science fiction comics and spy movies of the era before smartphones, the smart watch might soon become a reality, in the form of a curved glass device made by Apple.

In its headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., Apple is experimenting with wristwatch-like devices made of curved glass, according to people familiar with the company’s explorations, who spoke on the condition that they not be named because they are not allowed to publicly discuss unreleased products. Such a watch would operate on Apple’s iOS platform, two people said, and stand apart from competitors based on the company’s understanding of how such glass can curve around the human body.

Apple declined to comment on its plans. But the exploration of such a watch leaves open lots of exciting questions: If the company does release such a product, what would it look like? Would it include Siri, the voice assistant? Would it have a version of Apple’s map software, offering real-time directions to people walking down the street? Could it receive text messages? Could it monitor a user’s health or daily activity? How much will it cost? Could Timothy D. Cook, Apple’s chief executive, be wearing one right now, whispering sweet nothings to his wrist?

Walmart and Big Food pushing for GMO labeling?

Are Walmart and Big Food pushing for GMO labeling?
Tom Laskawy
25 Jan 2013
http://grist.org/food/are-walmart-and-big-food-pushing-for-gmo-labeling/

Since food companies collectively spent over $45 million to stop Prop 37, California’s GMO labeling law, it’s hard to believe that they — and Walmart in particular — would turn around and push for a federal GMO labeling standard. But a trickle of reports, aspects of which we’ve now confirmed, suggests just such a turnabout.

Playing a state-by-state game of whack-a-mole with grassroots groups trying to pass laws across the country (as is occurring in Washington state, Vermont, New Mexico, and Connecticut) may simply have become too exhausting and costly for these companies. If so, such an about-face would vindicate GMO opponents’ strategy of a direct appeal to consumers. GMO-labeling advocates may have succeeded in beginning to drive a wedge between biotechnology seed companies, like Monsanto and Syngenta, and the food companies that have to sell what’s produced with their wares.

That’s because GMOs, for all the claims made on their behalf, actually provide very little benefit to consumers — one of the strongest arguments against them. GMO innovations to date have simply allowed farmers to plant vast acreages of commodity crops like corn, soy, and cotton with less labor (but not, despite industry claims, with fewer chemicals). It’s on this basis, perhaps, that food companies felt like the fight wasn’t really theirs.

I first learned of this possible labeling sea change through an article by Ronnie Cummins, head of the Organic Consumers Association, who caught wind of news that a group of food companies went into the FDA earlier this month to “lobby for a mandatory federal GMO labeling law.”

Cummins went on to speculate the following:

Is it possible that the threat posed by the growing grassroots GMO labeling movement has prompted a number of Fortune 500 corporations to abandon Monsanto and the biotech industry, and rethink the PR and bottom-line costs of clinging to their anti-right-to-know positions? After all, it’s not as if these companies are incapable of making GMO-free products. Though many Americans don’t know it, Walmart, General Mills, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Nestle, Unilever, Kellogg’s, Starbucks — even McDonald’s — are GMO-free in Europe, thanks to strict GMO labeling laws.

I have been able to confirm through sources close to attendees that such a meeting did occur on Jan. 11. It did not take place at the FDA, however, though FDA representatives did reportedly attend. The meeting was “sponsored” by the AGree Foundation, which is a coalition of foundations active in agriculture and co-chaired by former Clinton Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman and Gary Hirshberg, CEO of Stonyfield Farm Organics.

I was also able to confirm that, as Cummins claimed, a Walmart vice president did announce that the company would no longer take a lead in opposing GMO labeling efforts. Other food company executives agreed, saying that the fight had become too expensive, especially given the prospect of more state-level initiatives. And if Walmart moves to support, or rather to no longer oppose, GMO labels, others will certainly follow. (Walmart did not respond to my requests for comment.)

Of course, supporters of GMOs will likely cluck disapprovingly at the idea that food companies might turn on Monsanto. They are, after all, forever pointing to the potential genetically modified crops have to solve the various problems we face. But to paraphrase Donald Rumsfeld, you plant with the GMOs you have, not the GMOs you might want or wish to have. And the ones we have don’t do any of the things proponents argue that we need, such as significantly boost yields, disease resistance, or nutrition.

In fact, existing GMO seeds do little more than enable chemical-based, fossil-fueled monocrops — the kind of farming that is least sustainable and most subject to climate shocks and resource limits. Nor do the products currently in the pipeline hold much promise. The much-heralded drought-tolerant seeds Monsanto released last year aren’t particularly drought tolerant. The big new GMO seed from DuPont currently awaiting USDA approval would simply allow farmers to douse it with a super-toxic Agent Orange ingredient.

The best you can say about GMOs’ consumer benefit is that by “simplifying” commodity agriculture, they keep commodity prices lower. But food companies will tell you that commodity costs are a small part of the retail price (most of which is actually marketing costs). So why on Earth should Walmart, Cargill, and General Mills keep spending hundreds of millions fighting Monsanto’s battles?

Still, it’s unknown whether anything will come of this “secret” meeting or if an industry-supported GMO label would be a weak, sheep-in-wolf’s-clothing version. For what it’s worth, Cummins did invoke the cautionary example of Japan, which enacted industry-sponsored GMO labeling that he considers chock full of loopholes.

But it may be that food companies realize that GMO labeling is an inevitability. After all, 61 countries already require it, and the World Health Organization’s food safety standards group has official, internationally approved guidelines for any country wishing to label GMOs. We’re the laggards on this issue, not the pioneers.

If I’m hopeful, it’s also because past history suggests the FDA will regulate upon request — if the right folks ask.

For example, in March 2012, the FDA rejected a petition from the Natural Resources Defense Council to ban the use of the endocrine-disrupting chemical bipshenol-A in plastic. The agency stated at the time that it didn’t have the scientific data to support a ban (despite calls for a ban from many experts, including leading endocrinologists). This decision wasn’t entirely a surprise, however. Two years earlier, the FDA claimed it didn’t have the authority to ban bisphenol-A, even if it wanted to. Which it didn’t.

But then a funny thing happened. It turned out that the industry group the American Chemistry Council, with support from food companies — all presumably sick of the bad publicity and boycotts related to BPA — had filed its own petition to ban BPA in baby bottles and other children’s products. And while the FDA rejected the NRDC petition, in July of 2012 it accepted the industry petition for a partial ban. It was a classic case of “You say, ‘jump,’ I say, ‘how high?’”

Of course, even if the FDA doesn’t immediately start a process to label GMOs, it’s good news that food companies are ready to opt out of the political battle. With battles over GMO labeling gearing up in states across the country, we’ll soon find out if food companies will make good on this threat to biotech interests.

Advocates, meanwhile, can clearly smell Monsanto’s fear. Dave Murphy, of Food Democracy Now and one of the main architects of the GMO labeling movement, promised in an email that “come hell or high water, we will have labeling by the end of 2014.”

Labeling may come even sooner than that, however. With the prospect of final FDA approval for the first genetically modified fish designed for human consumption, AquaBounty’s AquAdvantage salmon, some states are moving quickly. Missouri has introduced a bill that would require labels for any genetically engineered meat or fish. The FDA itself may feel compelled to require a label as the “price” for approving the salmon. And once one kind of GMO food is labeled, how long can it be before others are?

Tom Laskawy is a founder and executive director of the Food & Environment Reporting Network and a contributing writer at Grist covering food and agricultural policy. His writing has also appeared in The American Prospect, Slate, The New York Times, and The New Republic.

Debunking the GMO Talking Points with Ease

Nick Brannigan
NickBrannigan.com
http://farmwars.info/?p=10046

This article is an excerpt from The Health Conspiracy and How To End It that has been expanded upon.

#1 GMOs are needed to feed the world.

This is always a future based “goal” never to be obtained any time soon. GMOs have been on the market since 1996. When are they going to feed the world? The answer is never because that’s not what they are intended to do. I’ve heard an estimate of 80% of the GMOs grown in the US is used for force feeding factory farmed animals. USA today reported, “It takes about 15 pounds of feed to make 1 pound of beef, 6 pounds of feed for 1 pound of pork and 5 pounds of feed for 1 pound of chicken”. Do you think we could feed the world with those numbers?

#2 GMOs reduce the use of chemical pesticides.

This talking point is just a blatant lie. Well, sort of. Although, a variety of corn and cotton produces its own insecticide, most GMO crops are sprayed with heavy amounts of herbicide, which has more than doubled since the introduction of GMOs. Companies like Monsanto always use the words pesticide and insecticide when reporting a decrease in use, but never say herbicide when it comes to reduction. It’s a play on words. Monsanto and the other biotech companies know most people don’t know the difference.

#3 GMOs have been around for thousands of years.

This confuses hybridization with genetic modification. Hybridization cross breeds two closely related plant species. This occurs naturally in the wild. GMOs cross genes between two completely unrelated species, such as, inserting genes of bacteria or an animal into the DNA of a plant.  This process has never happened outside of a laboratory.

#4 GMOs can be contained and co-exist with non-GMO crops.

This is another blatant lie. It’s been well documented dozens of times that non-GMO crops have been contaminated with transgenic DNA due to cross pollination from GMO crops. Researchers in North Dakota sampled 406 wild canola plants and 86% contained transgenic DNA from GMO crops. In Mexico, transgenic DNA was found in wild cotton as far as 500 miles away. An Idaho farmer, named Phil Geertson, talked about how he lost his export market for alfalfa due to cross contamination shortly after GMO alfalfa was deregulated.  Farmers in Jackson County, Oregon have had some of their non-GMO crops contaminated due to the planting of GMO sugar beets in the county and are now seeking a ban.

#5 GMOs have been thoroughly tested and proven safe.

A study out of Japan revealed GM food likely interferes with the bodies ability to “transform most of the products of digestion, degrade and detoxify toxic substances and excrete them in the bile,” among other functions.

A study out of Russia says hamsters fed GMOs “growth rate was slower and reached their sexual maturity slowly.”  They also caused the hamsters to be completely sterile by the third generation.

A study published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences points out the “side effects” of eating GMOs:  “Effects were mostly associated with the kidney and liver, the dietary detoxifying organs… Other effects were also noticed in the heart, adrenal glands, spleen…We conclude that these data highlight signs of hepatorenal toxicity, possibly due to the new pesticides specific to each GM corn.”

A Danish pig farmer came out in 2012 to give his experience when switching his feed from GMO soy to non-GMO soy. He says that diarrhea in piglets disappeared in two days, death by bloat, which is when the stomach is overstretched by excessive gas, and stomach ulcers ended; pigs are milking better and have lower mortality rates and increased birth rates due to fewer still born piglets. He also said that the drugs he gives to his pigs has been cut in half, making up for the cost of switching to the more expensive non-GMO soy.

#6 If you are against GMOs you are unscientific

This is my favorite talking point because of its sheer stupidity.  Dictionary.com defines science as “a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws”.  How many different topics could we label as science or scientific?  Tens or hundreds of thousands?  Perhaps, more?  The fact is GMOs are a fraction of a fraction of a percent of what we would call science.  Calling one unscientific is a subconscious survival mechanism because the name calling proponent of GMOs has reached a point where they are unable to reasonably debate any further.

ON BEING SANE IN INSANE PLACES

From People's Almanac 1975

In an experiment later written up as “On Being Sane in Insane Places,” D. L. Rosenhan, of Stanford University, and 8 associates (3 women, 5 men) voluntarily entered 12 mental institutions. They complained to staff psychiatrists of hearing voices which said “hollow,” empty,” or “thud.” They reported no other symptoms.

The “patients” were chosen for the experiment on the basis of being normal every-day people and they represented a wide range of occupations, from housewife to artist to pediatrician. After being admitted to the hospitals, all pseudo-patients told the staff that their symptoms had disappeared, and all acted normally.

In trials in 12 different hospitals, it took pseudo-patients between 7 to 52 days to be released. In almost all cases, they were discharged with diagnoses of “schizophrenia in remission”; not once were they discharged as being sane.

Upon reading these astounding facts, one might assume that the experiments were conducted in hospitals chosen for inadequate or incompetent staff or overcrowding. This was not the case. Most of the hospitals tested were funded by the local. State, or Federal Government, and several were considered excellent. They varied as to newness and number of staff, though one well-staffed, expensive, and modern hospital was included in the test. Results were no different there.

Once the pseudo-patients were in the mental hospitals, they observed many enlightening facts about what happens to a person when people think he is crazy. They found that patients were considered less than human and were treated as though they were invisible. Often they would address staff with simple questions such as asking when a given doctor would be in, and they would be totally ignored, with the staff member walking straight past them, or would receive a curt non-reply like “Hello, how do you feel today?”

There was little privacy or activity allowed the patients, but when disorders arose from these stultifying conditions they were attributed to the patient’s “disease.” Many pseudo-patients took notes of their observations, first secretly and then openly when they found that nobody cared. One nurse, commenting on her patient’s “psychosis,” mentioned his “compulsive note-taking behavior.” Another pseudo-patient overheard a staff psychiatrist complaining about patients “oral acquisitiveness” in lining up in the cafeteria lounge a half hour before lunch. The good doctor overlooked the fact that in the hospital there was nothing else to do.

Treatment was minimal. Drugs replaced a doctor’s time. All pseudo-patients combined were given 2,100 pills, which they, like many real patients, discarded.

An interesting sidelight to the experiment was the fact that although not one psychiatrist, nurse, or attendant suspected the hoax, 35 patients of the 118 residing in admittance wards with the experimenters suspected they were faking. “You’re not crazy, you’re some journalist (or professor) checking up on conditions here,” was heard over and over again.

To verify these disturbing findings, the researchers notified a leading teaching hospital that in a given 5-month period, one or 2 pseudo-patients would attempt to gain admission to their hospital. The hospital staff was well acquainted with the experiment. Of 193 patients admitted during the 3-month period, 41 were alleged to be pseudo-patients by staff members, including 23 by psychiatrists with the greatest amount of training.

Actually, not one pseudo-patient presented himself during that period.

ETERNEA

http://eternea.org

ETERNEA's purpose is to help create an ideal future for Earth and all its inhabitants by advancing knowledge from frontier science that consciousness survives bodily death and some innate aspect of all life forms exists eternally.

We are dedicated to education, research, and innovative programs about Spiritually Transformative Experiences (STEs) and about the nature of Consciousness.

Inspired by Dr. Eben Alexander's extraordinary journey during a near-death experience, Eternea describes many types of transformative experiences, most of which report a common theme: the power of unconditional love.

Stoner Cooking 3-25-13

Best New Snack:
Chicken & Waffles Flavored Lay's

*

Strawberry Summer Protein Smoothie
http://www.allwhiteseggwhites.com/recipes/recipeView.cfm?RecipeID=0121

Preparation: 5 minutes  
Time-To-Table: 6 minutes  
Serves: 1

1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
1 cup ice cubes
2 teaspoons fresh basil or fresh mint, chopped
2/3 cup AllWhites® egg whites

Combine all ingredients in blender. Cover and blend on medium speed until smooth.

Serve immediately.

Tip: If berries aren’t quite sweet enough, add 1 to 2 teaspoons brown sugar to desired sweetness

1 serving (16 ounces)

*

Chickpea Tacos Recipe
http://www.livingnaturaler.com/chickpea-tacos-recipe

1 tbsp soy sauce
1 to 2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp chili powder
1.5 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp fine salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp granulated garlic powder
1/4 tsp granulated onion powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
blue corn taco shells (or whatever you prefer)
arugula or lettuce
salad tomato, diced

(we also eat it with guacamole which I highly recommend – this also keeps the ckickpeas from falling out of the taco)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Whisk soy sauce, juice, and spices together then combine with chickpeas in a bowl, stirring to combine.

Transfer to cookie sheet in a single layer.

Spray with cooking spray and bake for 20 to 40 minutes, until chickpeas are as crisp as desired.

Put the tacos together and enjoy. Oh and if you’re into the hot stuff, like I am, add some hot sauce to it.

*

HEINZ 57 PULLED PORK
http://www.heinz57.com/recipeDetail.aspx?recipeId=6263

Serves: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours

1/2 cup Heinz 57® Sauce
1/4 cup Lea & Perrins® Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbsp. yellow mustard
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 medium onion, chopped, or about 2 cups
3 1/2 lb. boneless pork shoulder blade roast, trimmed and cut into 4 pieces

In a 5-6 quart slow cooker, mix together 57 Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, mustard, sugar, tomato paste, and onion. Season with salt & pepper if desired. Add pork, turning until well coated. Cover and cook on low heat setting for about 8 hours, or until pork is cooked through (no longer pink or an internal temperature of 165°F) and tender, turning occasionally.

To serve, remove pork from slow cooker. Pull pork into shreds using two forks. Return pork to slow cooker and stir until well mixed with sauce. Serve onto your favorite sandwich buns and serve immediately.

TIP: If desired, cook on on high heat setting for 4 hours, or until pork is cooked through (no longer pink or an internal temperature of 165°F) and tender, turning occasionally.

*

Ainsley Harriott's SOS Chicken Curry
http://www.fageusa.com/recipes/ainsley-harriotts-sos-chicken-curry

Servings: 6

17.6 oz jar tomato sauce
1-2 tablespoons hot curry paste
14 oz cooked boneless tandoori or tikka chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 pint FAGE Total 0% Yogurt
1/2 teaspoon fine granulated sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the rice:
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced
1 ½ lb cooked white rice
1 tsp turmeric
1 oz seedless raisins
Chopped fresh cilantro, to garnish (optional)

Place the tomato sauce in a small pan, stir in the curry paste and heat gently.
Meanwhile, for the rice, heat the oil in a wok and stir-fry the onion for 4 minutes until nicely browned.
Stir in the rice, turmeric and raisins and heat gently for 3-4 minutes, adding a splash of water if the mixture is a little dry.
Add the chicken and yogurt to the tomato mixture, bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes until warmed through.
Stir in the sugar and season to taste.
Season the rice and divide between serving plates.
Spoon over the chicken mixture and garnish with cilantro, if using.

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Pasta with Tuscan Duck Sauce
http://lovethesecretingredient.net/2011/09/15/pasta-with-tuscan-duck-sauce

4 main-course servings

3 duck legs
1 large onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes, hand crushed
1 pound cut pasta, like penne or fusilli
Grated pecorino Romano cheese

Trim visible fat from duck legs, then lay them, skin side down, in a 10-inch skillet. Turn heat to medium; when duck begins to sizzle, turn heat to low and cover. Cook undisturbed about 60 – 65 minutes (check once to be sure legs aren’t burning); the skin should be golden brown. Turn and cook until duck is very tender, about 20 – 25 minutes.

Remove duck and set aside. (Or if cooking the night before, remove duck, cool and refrigerate. Scrape cooled duck fat into another container and refrigerate. Then melt duck fat in a skillet and continue. You need to cook the onions in the duck fat because that is what adds the huge flavor.) Add onion to skillet with the duck fat and turn heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 – 10 minutes. Set a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.

Add wine to skillet and raise heat to high; cook until liquid is reduced by about half. Add tomatoes that you’ve crushed by hand as you’re adding them, with their juice, and some salt and pepper, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is saucy, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. You will need some more salt and pepper. About 5 – 7 minutes after adding tomatoes, cook pasta. When it is al dente, (usually 1- 2 minutes less than the least amount of time they tell you on the package – taste it to be sure. It should be done but just done – no raw dry pasta in the middle but it should have some tension.) Drain it.

While pasta is cooking, shred duck from bone and add it to sauce near the end. You just need to heat it through now. and serve it with the pasta, along with cheese.

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Meatball and Gouda Pasta Bake
http://www.cellocheese.com/recipe/meatball-and-gouda-pasta-bake

4-6 servings Cook Time: 20 minutes Prep Time: 20 minutes

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 lb. lean ground beef
5 oz. Cello Cracker Cut Dutch Gouda slices, (approx. 20) cut into small strips
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 egg, beaten
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into thin strips
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into thin strips
2 – 14 oz. cans chopped tomatoes
1 tsp. sugar
1 lb. rigatoni or penne pasta
4 tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil
8 oz. of Cello Thick & Smooth Mascarpone

Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Heat the oil in a large pot and add the onion and garlic. Cover and sweat the onions over a medium heat for 4 minutes, until softened. Transfer half the onions to a large mixing bowl and allow to cool.
Add the ground beef, 2 oz. (about 8 slices) of the Cello Cracker Cut Dutch Gouda slices, cut into strips, oregano and egg to the onions in the bowl. Season well, mix together. Shape into 20 small meatballs.
Add the peppers and meatballs to the remaining onions in the pot and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the meatballs are lightly browned all over. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and sugar. Season and bring to a boil. Partially cover with a lid and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to pack instructions. Drain well and return to the pot to keep warm.
Stir 3 tbsp. of the basil into the tomato sauce, combine with pasta and blend together. Transfer to an ovenproof baking dish.
Mix together the remaining Cello Cracker Cut Dutch Gouda cheese strips and chopped basil with the Cello Thick & Smooth Mascarpone and spoon over the pasta and meatballs and stir well to combine.
Bake for 20 minutes until bubbling and hot.
Tip: Add other vegetables that you may on hand to the pasta like zucchini or eggplant.

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Cajun Spiced Barbecue Ribs
Joshua Bousel
JAN 25, 2013
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/01/cajun-spiced-barbecue-ribs-recipe.html

About the author: Joshua Bousel brings you new, tasty condiment each Wednesday and a recipe for weekend grilling every Friday. He also writes about grilling and barbecue on his blog The Meatwave whenever he can be pulled away from his grill.

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

YIELD:
serves 4
ACTIVE TIME:
1 hour
TOTAL TIME:
6 hours
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
Smoker or Grill

Ingredients

For the Rub:
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the Liquid Seasoning
1 (12 ounce) can beer, at room temperature
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter, melted
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon liquid crab boil
1 tablespoon Louisiana-style hot sauce

2 racks St. Louis-cut spareribs

Type of fire: Indirect
Grill heat: Low

To make the rub, in a small bowl, mix together paprika, salt, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano, cumin, black pepper, white pepper, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.

To make the liquid seasoning, in a medium bowl, whisk together beer, butter, Worcestershire sauce, liquid crab boil, and Louisiana-style hot sauce. Set aside.

Remove membrane from back of each rack of ribs and trim meat of excess fat. Season ribs liberally with rub all over.

Fire up smoker or grill to 225°F, adding chunks of smoking wood when at temperature. When wood is ignited and producing smoke, place ribs in smoker or grill, meat side up. Smoke until ribs darken to a deep rusty red color, about 3 hours.

Lay each rack of ribs on top of a sheet of extra-large heavy duty aluminum foil; tilt foil edges upward. Pour half of liquid seasoning over each rack of ribs, then seal ribs in foil and place back on smoker or grill for 1 hour.

Open one end of foil and pour liquid seasoning into a small bowl and reserve. Remove ribs from foil and place back in smoker and continue to cook until ribs have a slight bend when lifted from one end, 1-2 hours more.

Remove ribs from smoker, brush with reserved liquid seasoning. Serve immediately.

*

Kentucky Grilled Chicken
http://www.thechickenrecipes.net/chicken-breast-245/how-to-make-kentucky-grilled-chicken/

1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
5 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
4 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
2 teaspoons salt
10 bone-in chicken breast halves

In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients; mix well. Pour 1 cup marinade into a large resealable plastic bag; add the chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Cover and refrigerate the remaining marinade for basting.

Coat grill rack with nonstick cooking spray before starting the grill. Drain and discard marinade from chicken. Grill bone side down, covered, over indirect medium heat for 20 minutes. Turn; grill 20-30 minutes longer or until juices run clear, basting occasionally with reserved marinade.

*

Guacamole Burgers
http://www.avocadosfrommexico.com/recipe-Guacamole-Burgers.html

Serves: 4
Prep time: 25 min.
Cook time: 8 min.

Ingredients:

For the Guacamole
2 ripe avocados from Mexico, halved, pitted, peeled and mashed
1 small red, ripe tomato, diced
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
Juice of one lime
1 jalapeno, stem and seeds removed, finely diced (optional)

For the Burgers
2 pounds ground sirloin, formed into four patties
1 teaspoon steak seasoning
4 hamburger buns
4 1-ounce slices cheddar cheese
Green leaf lettuce
2 ripe, red tomatoes, sliced
1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced

Nutritional Info
Per serving: 759.43 calories, 53.55 g protein, 33.55 g carbs, 7.00 g fiber, 45.82 g fat (17.01 g saturated)

Prepare the guacamole: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the avocado, tomato, cilantro, lime juice, salt and jalapeno. Stir to combine and then set aside while preparing the burgers.

Prepare the burgers: Season each patty with steak seasoning on both sides before cooking. You can use a skillet, grill pan, or a grill over high heat to cook your burgers to desired degree of doneness. When the burgers are almost finished cooking, toast the buns in a toaster oven, a dry skillet, or on the grill.

Assemble the burgers by layering the bottom half of each bun with leaves of lettuce, a burger patty, a slice of cheese, slices of onion, and slices of tomato. Top with a generous scoop of guacamole, and cover with bun.

*

Cheddar Burgers with Chipotle Sauce
http://community.atkins.com/Recipes/F41FD273-0C24-E011-9663-001EC9B2B3C8/Cheddar%20Burgers%20with%20Chipotle%20Sauce%20/Default.aspx

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Net Carbs: 0.8 Fiber: 0 Protein: 35 Fat: 29 Calories: 413

2 Pounds ground beef
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 Tablespoon salt
1 Cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 Cup mayonnaise
1 Piece chipotle en adobo

Preheat a grill or broiler. In a large bowl, combine ground chuck, steak sauce and salt.
Form into six 4-inch patties. Grill patties, or broil 6-inches from heat source, 5 minutes per side for medium-rare doneness (cook longer, if desired).
Two minutes before the burgers are done, top with cheese.
Meanwhile, combine mayonnaise and chopped chipotle in a small bowl. Adjust the amount of chipotle pepper to your level of spicy. Serve burgers with chipotle mayonnaise, along with pickle slices, tomato and peppers, if desired.

*

Sunday Supper: Pork & Apple Pot Pie
http://www.bitchincamero.com/2009/01/sunday-supper-pork-apple-pot-pie

If you’re looking for a serious Sunday Supper, the kind of meal that takes all day to make, but isn’t very much work, then this dish is for you. The pork and apples and thyme simmer all day until meltingly tender to make the perfect base to a pot pie.

This pie is the ultimate comfort food, but the puff pastry adds that extra bit of fancy which makes it perfect for guests. You can also make it a day or two in advance, then add the puff pastry and pop it in the oven just before your guests arrive and the smell of apples, thyme, savory pork and puff pastry will make your house smell mouth-watering.

Winter is the perfect time for a pot pie. Though this may be a departure from the traditional chicken version, it’s a delicious dish that will warm you right up. How can you really go wrong with something covered in puff pastry?

1 tbsp. olive oil
3 lb. bone-in pork shoulder
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. freshly ground pepper
2 yellow onions, diced
2 cups chicken stock
3 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
salt to taste
7 oz puff pastry (I used Dafour brand frozen and it was amazing!)
1 egg
1 tbsp. water

Prep the pork shoulder by trimming any excess fat and sprinkling with salt and pepper on both sides.

Set a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, add the olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan and add your pork shoulder. Brown the pork shoulder until a nice char forms, about 8 minutes per side. Remove the pork to a plate.

Add the diced onions to the hot pot and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Place the pork shoulder back in the pot and add the stock. Once the stock comes to a rapid simmer, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 1 – 2 hours, turning occasionally, or until the pork is fork-tender.

Preheat the oven to 350° and prepare your egg wash by whisking together the water and egg.

Remove the shoulder to a plate. Using 2 forks, pull the meat apart into large chunks. Discard the bones and add the meat back to the pot. Add the apples and thyme to the pot and turn the heat up to medium-high. Cook until the liquid is almost completely reduced, about 10 minutes. Taste and add salt if needed.

Scoop the contents of pot into an oven-safe baking dish. Cover with the puff pastry, brush with egg wash, and bake for 25 – 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.

Serve with a big, green salad.

Makes 6 servings.

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Bloody Mary Meatloaf
Who said your loaf couldn't be boozy?
Claire Gallam on November 08, 2012
http://www.fabulousfoods.com/articles/955735/bloody-mary-meatloaf-recipe

During the chilly fall and winter months, you flock to food that makes you feel good — comfort food recipes that warm your cold bones and tired soul. When you start to feel nostalgic for good home cooking, whip up this decadent meatloaf recipe! Made with your favorite vodka and spicy Bloody Mary mix, this boozy meatloaf will instantly warm you!

It sounds crazy but trust us, this just works. The spice of the Bloody Mary mix, paired with the kick of the bacon vodka, really amp the flavor of this regular ol' meatloaf. Pair this with a heaping spoonful of mashed potatoes for the ultimate comfort food recipe!

Serves about 6

Recipe adapted from Food.com

Ingredients:

For the meatloaf:
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onions
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup spicy Bloody Mary mix
1 egg, beaten
1-1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons Bakon Vodka
1-1/2 teaspoons Sriracha
Salt and pepper

For the sauce:
1/2 cup spicy Bloody Mary mix
2 teaspoons Bakon Vodka
1 teaspoon hot sauce
Salt and pepper
Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a standard loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add the ground beef, onions, breadcrumbs, Bloody Mary mix, egg, Worcestershire sauce, vodka, Sriracha and salt and pepper. Mix until fully combined.

Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 40 - 50 minutes, or until browned.

While the meatloaf bakes, prepare the sauce by heating the Bloody Mary mix, vodka, hot sauce and salt and pepper in a small saucepan. Once the meatloaf is done, cover with sauce and enjoy!

Claire is an aspiring nutritionist (and soon to be culinary student) with a serious addiction to bacon, goat cheese and online shopping. She is recently married to a social media guru who loves *almost* everything she conjures up. In addition to writing for the Food section of SheKnows, she is a full-time recipe creator (and taste tester), a writer for FabulousFoods.com and a contributing writer for the Home and Gardening section of SheKnows. You can also follow her musings and find delicious healthy recipes on her food blog, The Realistic Nutritionist.

*

Zucchini Sausage & Peppers
http://www.thebipolarcook.com/2013/02/19/zucchini-sausage-peppers

PREP TIME: 15 min
COOK TIME: 40 min
TOTAL TIME: 55 min
YIELD: 4

1 LB Medium or Hot Italian Sausage
2 medium zucchini, sliced (halved, optional)
2 red bell pepper, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh parsley
1/2 tbsp dried oregano
1 pinch salt
1 pinch black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flake
1 can diced tomatoes, Italian style, 28 oz
3 tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 F, grease a cookie sheet or baking pan with 1 tsp of olive oil, lay out the Italian sausage on the sheet or in the pan, bake for 20-25 minutes.
While the sausage is cooking, heat 2 tsp of olive oil in a medium or large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add onions and saute for 3-4 minutes until soft, then add garlic and continue to saute for 2-3 minutes. Once garlic slightly changes color, add red bell pepper slices, mix well, cook for 2-3 minutes, then add zucchini slices and stir well, let cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add can of diced tomatoes, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, red pepper flake, stir well.
Remove the sausage from the oven, slice into bite size pieces, add to the skillet, stir, reduce heat to low and simmer for 25-30 minutes.
Serve over rice or pasta. Enjoy!

*

Shamrock Shake recipe
DIY ST. PADDY'S DAY TREAT
Joanie Segall
Feb 29, 2012
http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/952069/shamrock-shake-recipe

The elusive Shamrock Shake is back at McDonald's, and this year it's available nationwide. What used to be only at select restaurants (and has shockingly been around since the '70s) is now just a drive-thru away. But it's always more fun to make your own!

Try this milkshake recipe from McCormick® which, according to a McDonald's spokeswoman, is strikingly similar to what you'll get at the golden arches.

Makes 3 servings

Ingredients:

1 pint (2 cups) vanilla ice cream
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Peppermint Extract
1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Green Food Color
Whipped cream and green sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

Place ice cream, milk, peppermint extract and green food color in blender; cover. Blend on high speed until smooth.
Pour into glasses. Top with whipped cream and sprinkles, if desired. Serve immediately.

*

Double Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen for Food Network Magazine
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/double-chocolate-gooey-butter-cake-recipe2/index.html

Total Time:
1 hr 0 min
Prep
10 min
Cook
50 min
Yield:
20-24 servings

1 18.25-ounce package chocolate cake mix
3 large eggs
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus butter for the pan
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
3 to 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, to taste
1 16-ounce box confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped unsalted nuts
Whipped cream, for topping (optional)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 1 egg and 1/2 cup of the melted butter. Stir until well blended. Pat the mixture into the pan and set it aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the remaining 2 eggs and the cocoa powder and beat until well mixed. Reduce the speed to low and add the confectioners' sugar. Beat until well mixed. Slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup melted butter and the vanilla. Beat until smooth. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the nuts. Spread the filling over the batter in the pan.

Bake the cake for 40 to 50 minutes. Be careful not to overcook it: The center should still be a little gooey. Let partially cool on a wire rack before slicing. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

*

Red Velvet Swirl Brownies
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/red-velvet-swirl-brownies-recipe/index.html

Recipe courtesy Sunny Anderson, 2010
Show: Cooking for Real
Episode: After School Special

Total Time:
1 hr 25 min
Prep
25 min
Inactive
30 min
Cook
30 min
Yield:
8 servings

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for pan

Red Velvet Brownie Layer:
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup cocoa powder
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Cream Cheese Layer:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Special equipment: 8 by 8-inch baking pan

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter an 8 by 8-inch baking pan, and set aside.

Brownie layer: In a saucepan on medium heat melt the butter. Remove the butter to a large bowl and add the sugar, vanilla, cocoa powder, salt, food coloring, and vinegar, in that order, mixing between additions. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and stir it into the cocoa mix. Fold in the flour until lightly combined. Stir in the walnuts and pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, saving 1/4 cup of the batter for the top.

Cream cheese layer: Blend together the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Gently spread the cream cheese layer on top of the brownie batter in the pan. Dollop the remaining brownie batter over the cream cheese layer. Using a skewer or the tip of a knife, drag the tip through the cream cheese mixture to create a swirl pattern. Bake the brownies for 30 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before cutting.

Significa 3-25-13

2012 Robalini Gladiators

Sadly, the 2012 Robalini Gladiators did not repeat as the Cantina Football League champions.  (The league has as its headquarters the Paradise Cantina of Las Vegas, across the street from The Hard Rock Hotel.)  The team's number one draft pick, Tony Romo, just didn't work out, and he was traded with Frank Gore in a shrewd upgrade to RGIII, but the damage was done.  All told, the team went 7-6 in the regular season but lost in the first round of the playoffs, finishing fifth in the 12-team league.  Better luck next year...

QB: Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins
WR: Donnie Avery, Indianapolis Colts
WR: Davone Bess, Miami Dolphins
WR: Anquan Boldin, Baltimore Ravens
WR: Wes Welker, New England Patriots
RB: Reggie Bush, Miami Dolphins
RB: Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks
TE: Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons
K: Greg Zuerlein, St. Louis Rams
DEF: Arizona Cardinals

QB: Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
QB: Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers
WR: Jacoby Jones, Baltimore Ravens
WR: Randy Moss, San Francisco 49ers
RB: Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers
RB: Alex Green, Green Bay Packers
RB: Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints
RB: Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints
TE: Owen Daniels, Houston Texans
K: Rob Bironas, Tennessee Titans
K: Shayne Graham, Houston Texans
K: Shaun Suisham, Pittsburgh Steelers
DEF: Miami Dolphins
DEF: Pittsburgh Steelers

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Toy of the Month: Predator Drone Model

Maisto Fresh Metal Tailwinds 1:97 Scale Die Cast United States Military Aircraft
US Air Force Medium Altitude, Long Endurance, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) RQ-1 Predator with Display Stand
Dimension: 6" x 3-1/2" x 1"
Amazon URL:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004JFMOGK/thekonformist

Some reviews:

“This toy will give your son hours of fun and perhaps even inspire him to grow up and work in Washington so he too can play first-person-shooter games with real people! ”
James Layne

“Children will have endless fun pretending to kill innocent civilians and usurp rights to privacy. ”
Sammy Davis

"This is the best toy ever. Finally, I can pretend that I'm a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize! It's like I'm sitting right there in the White House with my very own kill list!"
Toni Bones

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Disinformation Rebrands Into TDC Entertainment
Chris Tribbey
28 Jan, 2013
http://www.homemediamagazine.com/studios/disinformation-rebrands-tdc-entertainment-29477

Independent distributor The Disinformation Company is rebranding into TDC Entertainment, with industry veteran Dan Gurlitz serving as president, reporting to CEO Gary Baddeley.

“As depicted in the Disinformation film 2012: Science or Superstition, the end of the Mayan calendar wasn’t really about the end of the world — it was about a new beginning,” Baddeley said. “2013 is our new beginning and Dan has already begun working with me to transform our business with not one but three label imprints to accommodate a wider variety of filmed entertainment.”

The three labels under TDC Entertainment include the company’s signature Disinformation brand, the health and environmental wellness True Mind brand and the company’s newest label, Shelter Island.

The True Mind brand has Shaman, Healer Sage slated for a March 12 release; Shelter Island has the documentary Into the Cold slated for an April 9 release; and Disinformation has We Are Egypt: The Story Behind the Revolution ready for release April 9.

“The TDC release schedule is so diverse and exciting, that the waters ahead promise wonderful sailing,” Gurlitz said. “I could not be more eager to rev the engines on a ship that has such a long and illustrious history.”

TDC Entertainment is based in New York City.

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"Of course gays are less stressed -- they don't have to deal with women!"
Stephen Colbert

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Microsoft Risks Strain to PC Partnerships With Dell Investment
Dina Bass
Jan 22, 2013
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-23/microsoft-risks-strain-to-pc-partnerships-with-dell-investment.html

Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), after straining ties with computer makers by releasing its own tablet computer last year, risks further fissures with partners by planning to make a strategic investment in Dell Inc.

Dell is close to clinching a leveraged buyout by Silver Lake Management LLC, and Microsoft is discussing providing part of the funding, people with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. Microsoft may contribute about $2 billion for the deal, which could be announced this week, one person said.

An investment would shore up a partner and help Microsoft gain influence in business computing as it loses ground with consumers gravitating toward competing tablets and smartphones. PC makers also may fret that the arrangement will give Dell an advantage, such as through an early look at new software, deeper insight into strategy or preference in product marketing and promotion. Microsoft became a competitor to hardware manufacturers with the release of the Surface tablet last year.

“If you’re a vendor that wasn’t happy with Surface, the idea of Microsoft owning part of Dell is not going to cheer you up,” said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at market-research firm Gartner Inc. “But if you’re Microsoft and you feel you need to do more devices, and that hardware and software need to be more integrated, the ability to have major influence on a big PC vendor opens some interesting opportunities.”

Frank Shaw, a spokesman for Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft, and David Frink, a spokesman for Round Rock, Texas- based Dell, declined to comment.

Surface Surprise

Microsoft, the world’s largest software maker, tested ties to the PC industry last year when it unexpectedly announced plans to start selling the Surface. The tablet has gotten off to a disappointing start, and it’s not yet clear how formidable a competitor Microsoft will be. Brent Thill, an analyst at UBS AG, halved his estimate for Surface sales, to 1 million units in the fiscal second quarter, which ended in December, citing “gloomy sentiment” after the holiday shopping season.

Still, it makes sense for cash-rich Microsoft to prop up a seller of PCs and tablets that feature its software. Both companies are struggling to mount a credible response to Apple Inc. and Google Inc. in the market for mobile computers.

Microsoft had $66.6 billion in cash and short-term investments at the end of September.

Dell, the third-largest PC maker, is just one of a handful of vendors selling a tablet with Windows RT, a version of Microsoft’s Windows for chips based on ARM Holdings Plc (ARM) technology. Dell will also begin shipping a separate tablet using the flagship operating system, Windows 8, this month.

‘World of Hurt’

Computer makers and Microsoft are facing a prolonged slump as PC shipments are forecast to drop for the second year in a row in 2013. They fell 4 percent in 2012 and will slide another 1.5 percent this year, according to estimates by JPMorgan Chase & Co. Tablet sales rose 72 percent last year and will surge 54 percent this year, JPMorgan forecast.

“The entire PC ecosystem is in a world of hurt right now, and it’s uncertain whether the PC market returns to a growth market,” said Israel Hernandez, a San Francisco-based managing director at MKM Partners LLC who has a neutral rating on Microsoft. “They both have a vested interest in making sure the PC market can once again survive.”

By becoming a private company, Dell could shift focus to its services business and away from PCs, said Wes Miller, an analyst at Directions on Microsoft, a Kirkland, Washington-based research firm. Microsoft may have decided it needs the investment to keep Dell firmly in the PC market, he said.

Google-Motorola

The strategy nevertheless may not sit well with other partners, particularly Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ), the top PC maker, he said.

Michael Thacker, a spokesman for Palo Alto, California- based Hewlett-Packard, declined to comment, as did Jeff Shafer, a spokesman for Lenovo Group Ltd., the No. 2 PC maker.

Microsoft’s possible Dell investment draws parallels with Google’s acquisition last year of handset maker Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. The deal was met with speculation that Google, backer of the Android operating system, would somehow favor hardware made by Motorola -- becoming a competitor to other Android users, Miller said.

“People said a lot of anticipatorily bad things when Google acquired Motorola, and none of the bad things people predicted have come to pass,” he said.

Microsoft went down a similar path in 2011, when it announced a strategic agreement with handset manufacturer and Windows Phone licensee Nokia Oyj. Still, Microsoft maintains a close relationship with other Windows Phone sellers, including HTC Corp.

Facebook, Barnes & Noble

Microsoft would add to a lengthening list of large strategic investments in technology companies. The software maker has a stake in Facebook Inc. and invested $300 million in a Barnes & Noble Inc. subsidiary to focus on e-readers. It also invested $5 billion in 1999 into what was then AT&T Corp.

This also isn’t the first time Microsoft has considered bolstering a potential Silver Lake deal. In 2011, the software maker offered to help fund an offer by Silver Lake and other firms to acquire a minority stake in Yahoo! Inc., people familiar with the matter said at the time. The deal never materialized.

Microsoft invested $150 million in then-foundering Apple in 1997. The investment contributed to the very survival of Apple and helped put the company on the long path toward becoming the world’s most valuable company.

An investment in Dell (DELL) would be distinct in many ways, Miller said.

‘Pity Infusion’

Apple was “a pity infusion in a near-bankrupt company,” he said.

Microsoft doesn’t own part of Nokia, and Google’s Android is free. That means Google owes less consideration to partners that use the software, whereas PC makers pay Microsoft to use Windows, Gartenberg said.

While PC makers might have a reason to feel aggrieved if Microsoft winds up owning part of Dell, they don’t have very many means of redress, he said. Apple doesn’t license its software to outside vendors. Google also competes with partners and its software isn’t popular on desktop computers.

Microsoft meanwhile needs to focus most on how to restore growth to its Windows business, which has fallen short of analysts’ estimates in six of the last eight quarters.

“Ultimately Microsoft is responsible to its shareholders, not for how well its partners do,” Gartenberg said. “Partners need an operating system, and the operating system of choice on personal computers is Windows. They may have to live with it.”

To contact the reporters on this story: Dina Bass in Seattle at dbass2@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Tom Giles at tgiles5@bloomberg.net

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Conspiratees
http://conspiratees.net/

Welcome to Conspiratees! I started this brand, honestly, because I couldn’t find any shirts I really wanted to wear. I found a few people with little cafe press sites selling “Stop the NWO!” iron on graphics on plain white shirts, but I want quality shirts that speak for my personal philosophy.

So my goals here are simple: High quality shirts/prints, appealing/fashionable artwork, bold/thought-provoking messages, and fair prices.  Boom. Pretty simple. I hope you look around and come to the conclusion that I’ve met a few of those goals.
It’s been a learning process, both in clothing production, and website design. Neither of which was I familiar with 6 months ago. It took a lot more work/consideration than I expected.

I also run a website/podcast called The Higherside Chats with similar conspiracy themes. My hope is also that, listeners will appreciate the free content, and buy a like-minded product in place of a donation or subscription, like so many other podcasts ask  for.  Either way, I have a whole new wardrobe, and hopefully soon, you will too.

Thanks for checking it out, please E-mail me if you have any questions/concerns/problems with the website. All orders are processed within 2 days, with the fairest possible $3.95 flat rate shipping, regardless how many you buy, so make it count people!  If you’re not happy with something in the process, or my products, I’ll fix it.

Promise.

-Greg Carlwood
TheHighersideChats@gmail.com

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Marie Osmond Performs The Dadaist Poem ‘Karawane’
JacobSloan
January 17, 2013
http://www.disinfo.com/2013/01/marie-osmond-performs-the-dadaist-poem-karawane

If only today’s country singers or daytime talk show hosts would do riveting renditions of 100-year-old Dadaist sound poems on occasion. In a lost moment of television greatness, Marie Osmond takes on Hugo Ball:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=USTQgu229Wc

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The Source Family, documentary about 1970s Los Angeles freak cult/commune
David Pescovitz
Tue, Feb 5 2013
http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/the-source-family-documentary.html

The Source Family, a magnificent documentary by my friend Jodi Wille and Maria Demopoulos, will see nationwide distribution this spring, starting with a May 1 premier at the IFC Center in New York City. The film tells the story of Father Yod and his Source Family, a radical, utopian social experiment that emerged from the Los Angeles freak scene in the 1970s. Boing Boing is delighted to premier the trailer. Far fucking out.

http://vimeo.com/58953915

The Source Family’s outlandish lifestyle, popular celebrity hangout restaurant, rock band, and beautiful women made them the darlings of Hollywood’s Sunset Strip; but their outsider ideals, controversial spiritual leader Father Yod, along with his 13 wives, instigated local authorities. They fled to Hawaii, leading to their dramatic demise. Years later, family members surface and the rock band reforms, revealing how their time with Father Yod shaped their lives in the most unexpected ways. These personal accounts, along with interviews with outsiders, make up the interviews in the film. However, the story is largely cinematic, expressed through the use of the group’s extensive film and audio archive maintained by Isis Aquarian, one of Father's wives, Family documentarian, and a central character in the documentary (as well as being associate producer). The film’s soundtrack is composed entirely of original Source Family music produced from 1971-1975.

The film was inspired by The Source: The Story of Father Yod, Ya Ho Wa 13 and the Source Family, a fantastic 2007 book written by family members Isis Aquarian and Electricity Aquarian, edited by Jodi Wille, and published by our pals Process Media.

The Source Family: A Documentary

David Pescovitz is Boing Boing's co-editor/managing partner. He's also a research director at Institute for the Future. On Instagram, he's @pesco.

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The Rock, Zanzibar
http://www.therockrestaurantzanzibar.com

It takes just one look understand that no pencil nor brush could draw such beauty – only Mother Nature could have reach such heights. We simply added the love for cooking, courtesy, our professional skills and the joy to share all of this splendour with you.Rock Restaurant rises on a rock not distant from the shore of the beautiful Michanwi Pingwe beach. Eating at Rock Restaurant is an experience you can’t miss: colours, relish and sensations blend together in unique magic.
For information and reservations please call:

+255 (0) 777 835515, Michamvi Pingue – info@therockrestaurantzanzibar.com

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Konformist Book Club

Raising Unicorns
Your Step-by-Step Guide to Starting and Running a Successful - and Magical! - Unicorn Farm
Jessica S. Marquis
Amazon URL:
http://www.amazon.com/Raising-Unicorns-Step-Step-Successful/dp/1440525900/thekonformist

List Price: $13.95
Price: $11.16 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $2.79 (20%)

Welcome to the whimsical and very lucrative world of unicorn farming! This is an industry like no other with potential limited only by your imagination. As a future unicorn farmer, you will experience the wide and unique array of opportunities, challenges, and joys of caring for these majestic creatures.

In this book, author Jessica S. Marquis provides everything you need to know to make a good living as a unicorn farmer. From choosing the right breed (Purebred; Twinkletoe; Karmic; Gigglerump; Horse with Horn) to picking the unicorn farm dream team (an alchemist; stable hands; groomers; The On-Call Virgin (OCV); lawyers), you are guaranteed to have a magical journey. The only reference of its kind, this book proves you can live in fantasyland—and still make money.

Jessica S. Marquis is a self-proclaimed Unicornomicist and a freelance writer who produces offbeat, satirical humor. Her work has appeared in Geek Monthly, Redbook, Flash, and Going Bonkers? She lives, writes, creates films, and raises unicorns in Phoenix, AZ with her husband and their colleague Farmer McGlitter. Visit her website at Unicornomics.com.

Product Details
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Adams Media (August 18, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1440525900
ISBN-13: 978-1440525902

TRUE GIANTS: Is Gigantopithecus Still Alive?
Mark A. Hall, Loren Coleman

Price: $15.95 & eligible for FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
Usually ships within 1 to 3 weeks.
Kindle Edition $9.99

Amazon URL
Paperback:
http://www.amazon.com/TRUE-GIANTS-Gigantopithecus-Still-Alive/dp/1933665491/thekonformist

Kindle Edition:
http://www.amazon.com/TRUE-GIANTS-Gigantopithecus-Still-ebook/dp/B005PZN21O/thekonformist

Publication Date: November 29, 2010

Do giant primates larger than gorillas, taller than Sasquatch and Yetis, still exist in the remotest corners of the globe? Famed cryptozoologists Mark A. Hall and Loren Coleman join forces to share their knowledge of this unexplored and neglected topic in cryptozoology. Bigfoot researchers have long been mystified, even embarrassed, by reports of giant hairy apes larger than Bigfoot, and as a result eyewitness reports of what Hall and Coleman call True Giants have never been fully considered in the broader zoological context. Reviewing the evidence found in traditions and footprints, folklore and sightings, the authors of this groundbreaking volume present for the first time in one place the wide-ranging argument for the possible survival of a giant species of primate that we know lived on Earth for millions of years. TRUE GIANTS breaks a cryptozoological taboo.

Paperback: 188 pages
Publisher: Anomalist Books (November 29, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1933665491
ISBN-13: 978-1933665498

The Kochs & the XL Pipeline

"I want my fair share – and that's ALL OF IT."
By Greg Palast for Vice Magazine
Thursday, February 14, 2013
http://www.gregpalast.com/i-want-my-fair-share-and-thats-all-of-it-the-kochs-the-xl-pipeline/

Bobby Kennedy, my partner in these investigations, is a contributor to Billionaires & Ballot Bandits: Greg Palast investigates Karl Rove, the Koch Gang & their Buck Buddies, the book on which this report is based.

According to the transcript of the secretly recorded tape, Charles Koch was chuckling like a six-year old. Koch was having a hell of a laugh over pilfering a few hundred dollars' worth of oil from a couple of dirt-poor Indians on the Osage Reservation.

Why did Koch, worth about $3 billion at the time (now $20 billion) need to boost a few bucks from some Indian in a trailer home? Koch answered:

"I want my fair share – and that's all of it."

Now "all of it" includes a pipeline, the Keystone XL, which would run the world's filthiest oil, crude made from tar sands, down from Canada to his family's refinery on the Gulf Coast of Texas.

This is Part 2 of "The Koch Brothers, Hugo Chavez and the XL Pipeline." Part 1 explains that the Koch Oil refinery can only "crack" heavy crude from Venezuela—which costs $33 a barrel more than tar sands heavy oil. But Canada's cheap crude cannot get to Texas without a new, giant pipe. XL would save the Kochs nearly $3 billion a year.

Problem: the Keystone XL tar-oil tube would endanger the largest US water sources, vastly increase pollution in the USA and measurably heat the planet.

Solution: Congressman Tim Griffin.

Congressman Griffin is sponsoring the bill to force the Obama Administration to approve the XL Pipeline without the environmental review now required by law.

What's odd is that Griffin represents Arkansas, a state with no stake in the Pipeline.

But the Kochs have a stake in Griffin. In his maiden run for Congress, Griffin was elected with an eye-popping $167,000 donation from the Kochs. For $167,000, any congressman will wash your car – with their tongue.

For the Kochs, $167K is peanuts. Their political action operation, Americans for Prosperity, built a quarter billion dollar fund this past year, a sum never seen even in the US politics cash swamp.

Global Warming Denial as a Profit Center

To answer the concerns about global warming raised by the XL and the Kochs' oil business, the billionaire brothers have bankrolled a gold-plated campaign of global warming denial.

For example, Americans for Prosperity funded "Hot Air Tour" rallies across the US with the slogan, "Global Warming Alarmism: Lost Jobs, Higher Taxes and Less Freedom." More rallies were held by the Koch-funded FreedomWorks, a foundation which has seized control of the Tea Party movement—and redirected populist rage against plutocrats. FreedomWorks transformed the Tea Party into a used tea bag, dangling from the Kochs' string.

Break the Law then Re-make the Law

States on the pipeline's route could block the Keystone XL, but the crucial extension will originate in Oklahoma where the Kochs have cowed all resistance to their needs.

The Kochs' power to terrorize politicians in Oklahoma and the West originates in that case of Osage tribe's missing oil.

FBI agents filmed Koch Oil men pilfering the crude, had witnesses to Koch's directives to siphon the oil, and more. The US Justice Department drafted a criminal indictment of Koch Industries and Defendant "67C" (reportedly Charles Koch himself) for "Crime on an Indian Reservation" and racketeering, big-time jail-time offenses.

That's when Koch Oil drilled down and struck Bob Dole, the nation's most powerful Senator, the Republican Majority Leader.

Dole (representing Kansas), joined by a Koch-funded Senator from Oklahoma, Don Nickles, had the federal prosecutor who brought the case fired. Case closed except for a few million paid to the Osage for some of their stolen oil.

Dole ran for President using Koch money given to Dole's not-for-profit foundation. It was a cheap buy for the Kochs because it was illegal – so Dole, when caught, had to give it back.

But one Senator wouldn't let the oil theft go: Dennis DeConcini, chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Investigations whose report concluded, "Koch Oil is the most dramatic example of an oil company stealing by deliberate mismeasurement and fraudulent reporting."

The Kochs didn't like that. And when the Kochs don't like something, or someone, it's notably more serious than a ‘thumbs down' on your Facebook page. In 1996 (yes, I've been investigating the Kochs for that long), DeConcini told me the Kochs warned him that if he published and stood by the Senate's and the FBI's findings, the Kochs would destroy the Senator's political career. They did.

Then there was the matter of the 97-count criminal indictment of Koch Oil for dumping poisonous crude sludge into rivers in six states. The Kochs didn't merely want to beat the rap—they wanted to continue dumping.

That would require buying a whole new Congress. No problemo, Pardner. In 1996, Koch Industries, through a fake front called Coalition for our Children's Future, secretly funded millions of dollars in vicious attack ads against vulnerable Democrats just days before the election.

As a result, Republican Newt Gingrich kept his post as Speaker of the House of Representatives. Gingrich pushed an agenda he called "The Contract with America", which would eliminate criminal sanctions for pollution and slash rules against polluting. The Center for Public Integrity said it "seems to have been drafted and designed for Koch interests."

Wrong. The Contract was drafted by the Kochs and crafted at the Heritage Foundation, a think-tank the Kochs founded.

Bill Clinton's Administration, though nominally Democratic, went easy on Koch interests. Vice-President Al Gore especially, head of the Reinventing Government Commission, attacked regulations with more verve than Ronald Reagan or Margaret Thatcher. Gore's anti-regulation guidebook was the "Mandate for Change" drafted by the Democratic Leadership Council. It was the DLC that had launched the career of the previously unknown Bill Clinton, its first chair, and Al Gore's career as well. The DLC was created with $100,000 of Koch money.

The Kochs use of fronts for corporate donations to politicians was plain illegal—until, in 2010, the US Supreme Court decriminalized this game in the Citizens United case. The lawyer for Citizens United is Ted Olson, whose day job is representing Koch Industries.

Note: The Kochs are bi-partisan employers. They also retain lawyer Bob Strauss, former Chairman of the Democratic Party.

The Themis Machine

As if their billions, their think tanks, lawyers, fronts and political action fund were not enough to scare the bejeezus out of politicians, there is Themis. Themis, created by the Kochs, is the nation's most sophisticated, detailed database on every American living, surpassing the most demonic dreams of the FBI.

Themis, for example, knows the last time you, Jack, downloaded porn.

Given their power and their Themis, is it really possible for a few greenies and some fact-afflicted scientists to stop the Kochs from jamming their pipeline right up our aquifers?

Absolutely. Indeed, that's the only way it will be stopped, because the Kochs have already put the politicians in their pipe and smoked them.

Palast is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Billionaires & Ballot Bandits: How to Steal an Election in 9 Easy Steps, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, Armed Madhouse and the highly acclaimed Vultures' Picnic, named Book of the Year 2012 on BBC Newsnight Review.

Visit the Palast Investigative Fund's store or simply make a contribution to keep our work alive!