January 29, 2012
braiker:

Great pics from the Guardian: “On the eve of the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s death, 485 boys dressed up as Gandhi at a peace rally in Calcutta, in a bid to create a new Guinness World Record and promote non-violent protest”

braiker:

Great pics from the Guardian: “On the eve of the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s death, 485 boys dressed up as Gandhi at a peace rally in Calcutta, in a bid to create a new Guinness World Record and promote non-violent protest”

January 29, 2012
"Halfway through the rostrum posturing, having slipped one floor down to the “spin room,” I learned the real value of attending such a debate as a reporter. The spin room is a kind of after-party with B-list celebrity politicians and no liquor. You circulate to ask these politicians un-pointed questions about the candidates, and they give un-pointed answers. It was being held in a fried-burger joint called the Boathouse, which described itself as “Classic American Food.” In this spirit, cheese and corn were abundant."

The Florida Debate: There Is No Spoon | Mother Jones

January 29, 2012
Mirror, mirror on the wall: Who's got the biggest Reagan erection of them all?

January 29, 2012
"A close look at some of the clemency applications of the nearly 200 others who were pardoned reveals that a significant share contained appeals from members of prominent Mississippi families, major Republican donors or others from the higher social strata of Mississippi life."

Many Pardon Applicants Stressed Connection to Mississippi Governor - NYTimes.com

January 29, 2012
"Israel started building the barrier in 2002, in the midst of a Palestinian uprising that included scores of deadly attacks by Palestinian militants who crossed from the West Bank into Israel and blew themselves up among civilians. Israelis have generally credited the barrier - along with other punitive measures - with stopping the spate of incursions several years ago. However, it was routed in a way that raised questions about Israel’s claim that it was a temporary security measure - weaving through the West Bank, looping wide around some settlements to leave room for expansion, and looking very much like a border a future Israeli government might argue for. The Palestinians condemned it from the start as a land grab."

AP News: Israel proposes West Bank barrier as border

January 29, 2012
"Whenever journalists are arrested/detained for reporting the news, everyone’s freedom is at risk."

— KGO Radio reporter Kristin Hanes • Discussing her arrest late Saturday as the Occupy Oakland protests flared up. She and Gavin Aronson of Mother Jones were among the over 200 people placed into custody Saturday night, as the Oakland protests reached a new breaking point — including the burning of an American flag. Both mayor Jean Quan and the police were quick to pin negative attention on the protesters: “The Bay Area Occupy Movement has got to stop using Oakland as their playground,” Quan said in a statement. However, it’s important to keep in mind the nature of the police actions — including violence towards protesters and the use of tear gas grenades. An OpenSalon writer has a pretty informative first-person piece worth reading, which describes both the nature of the protesters (not as bad as reported) and why things flared up Saturday. source (viafollow)

January 29, 2012
Why We Chicken Out at the Last Minute

discoverynews:

Researchers say people may wrongly predict their behavior in embarrassing situations because of an “empathy gap” with their future selves.

January 28, 2012

thepoliticalnotebook:

Photos from the ongoing police-protester standoff in Oakland right now. All of the photos were taken by Intifada Tent, a Twitter user currently live-tweeting from Oakland. The tear gas canister pictured above is, according to @IntifadaTent, the same brand used by the Israeli military.

[via]

January 28, 2012
Gingrich's Space Colony May Run Afoul Of International Law

January 28, 2012
Life’s #1 lesson

Discovering your own worthlessness and learning to accept that worthlessness.