(Image from Electronic Intifada)
PALESTINIANS ARE PAYING A HIGH PRICE, LEVIED BY U.S. AND ISRAEL, FOR THEIR “VICTORY” IN APPROVAL AS A MEMBER OF UNESCO.
The U.S., in retaliation, is threatening to cut off funding to the Palestinian Authority, especially if it persists in its bid for full UN membership. Israel is planning to escalate its already-heavy construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and to appropriate more and more WB land to Jewish “heritage tours” and other assaults on Palestinian institutions.
IMPROPER INFLUENCE ON POLICY MAKERS AND POSSIBLE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.
This possibility is being investigated by the Inspector General of the State Department with regard to State’s involvement in the impending decision on the Keystone XL pipe line from Canada’s tar sands to oil refineries in Texas and Oklahoma. “Conflict of interest” may have come from the fact that an official of the pipe line company, TransCanada, was a former campaign manager for Hillary Clinton. “Improper influence” may have arisen from the fact that TransCanada was allowed by State to select a company which gave a thumbs-up on “environmental impact” to a company which had TC as a “client.”
NO “MANIFESTATION” IS ALLOWED BUT OCCUPY CHICAGO AND OCCUPY THE HOOD GO FORWARD IN THE WINDY CITY.
The protest suppressive tactics of Mayor Rahm Emanuel have prevented the manifestation in public places of huge numbers of people demonstrating their existence as “99%” of the people. One gathering symbolizes opposition to corporate greed as it is forced into a narrow space between the Chicago Board of Trade (agricultural commodities) and the Chicago Federal Reserve. Elsewhere in the city, in its black ghetto areas, protests against the dire condition of African Americans is giving a manifestation of sorts to Jesse Jackson’s message to blacks: “occupy, occupy, occupy!”
HEY AMERICAN TEACHER: SAY YOU GRADUATED WITH EDUCATION MAJOR AND NEAR 4.0 GPA? THIS MEANS YOU ARE LACKING IN “COGNITIVE ABILITY.”
This is part of the “reasoning” of reports by conservative think tanks that examine what they believe is a common myth that teachers are notoriously “under-paid.” Actually, says the report, when you compare teachers with workers in other fields with similar levels of “cognitive ability,” they are over-paid by 52%. Professional educators, of course, denounce these spurious comparisons.
RASH OF TEEN SUICIDES IN SARASOTA COUNTY FL HAS TEACHERS AND PARENTS THINKING AND WORKSHOPPING ABOUT SUICIDE PREVENTION.
Several recent suicides put a highlight on survey last year showing that 18% of middle school children said they had sometimes had “thoughts” of suicide, and 11% said they had actually made specific plans for killing themselves. County school system is holding numerous workshops in which mental health counselors are offering advice to parents on ways of dealing with their suicide-prone children.
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Quote of the day…
I’m going to ask the Legislature to allow us to do what every truck driver in the United States of America has to do, take a random test. I think if we’re going to take our own limited resources, we ought to be able to test ‘em on occasion.
Republican Governor Paul LePage of Maine, on idea of requiring drug testing for welfare recipients.
In the long run I hope… (5+ / 0-)
…that more international entities just refuse to take any monetary support from the USA altogether. Our country has cornered and controlled too much of the world power through blatant bribery and the threat of impoverishment. We’ve used our financial tentacles to strangle the sovereignty in most places worldwide. Other nations and organizations should all understand that the conditions, strings attached and undue influence that come with the filthy American funds are NEVER in the best interest of the accepting party. Find new ways to be self-sufficient, create systems that don’t depend on a malignant form of outside control, free yourselves from the default empire. If anyone needs to know what will eventually happen to a government and society that allows American’s patriarchal “investment”, look no further than Haiti.