Dialectical Maneuvers

India state moves to ban black magic after anti-superstition activist gunned down

"An Indian state government Wednesday approved legislation banning superstition and black magic, an official said, a day after a prominent champion of the bill was shot dead. 'An ordinance will be promulgated in the next two days,' the official said, declining to be named. Details were not yet available but an earlier draft proposed bans on beating a person to exorcise ghosts and on raising money by claiming to work miracles. Dabholkar, who founded the Committee for the Eradication of Blind Faith two decades ago, encountered opposition over the bill from Hindu nationalists who feared it could be used to curb religious freedoms." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIndia state moves to ban black magic after anti-superstition activist gunned down

NYC goes Tokyo: Micro apartments proposed as solution to overcrowding

"Tiny — and affordable — modular living spaces could soon become the latest real estate craze in the highly crowded city of New York. Fifty-five micro apartments are being constructed in Manhattan to test whether New Yorkers are willing to follow the example of Tokyo and Mumbai. According to Bloomberg News, micro apartments at the new 'My Micro NY' building will be only 250 to 370 square feet. Rents will range from $939 to $1,873. Currently, the average monthly rent for a studio is more than $2,000." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNYC goes Tokyo: Micro apartments proposed as solution to overcrowding

NYPD: Largest-ever gun seizure by an undercover cop was thanks to ‘stop and frisk’

"The Commissioner was also quick to claim that, despite the undercover officers’ involvement and all other apparent evidence to the contrary, the seizure points to success of the 'stop and frisk' policy. Kelly’s claim rests on a wiretap of one of the accused, Eddie Campbell, who is heard to say that he prefers not to come to New York because of the stop-and-frisk policy: 'I’m in Brownsville,' Kelly quoted Campbell as saying. 'We got like, umm, uh, whatchamacallit, stop and frisk.' Campbell is accused of selling 90 guns during 24 meetings with the unnamed detective. Another alleged dealer, Walter Walker, is said to have sold him another 116 guns." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNYPD: Largest-ever gun seizure by an undercover cop was thanks to ‘stop and frisk’

British warships arrive in Gibraltar amid tension with Spain

"British warships arrived in Gibraltar on Monday for scheduled exercises amid tensions with Spain over fishing around the British Mediterranean enclave. Although British, Spanish and Gibraltarian authorities have said the navy’s arrival at the British overseas territory is long-scheduled, some in Spain see it as provocative. Spain claims the territory, population just 30,000, which it ceded to Britain by treaty 300 years ago. In Monday’s German Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo accused the Spanish government of creating conflict to distract attention from corruption allegations against the ruling People’s Party." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBritish warships arrive in Gibraltar amid tension with Spain

Ron Paul: Why The 2,776 NSA Violations Are No Big Deal

"Though it made for a sensational headline last week, the fact is these 2,776 'violations' over the course of one year are completely irrelevant. The millions and millions of 'authorized' intercepts of our communications are all illegal -- except for the very few carried out in pursuit of a validly-issued search warrant in accordance with the Fourth Amendment. That is the real story. Drawing our attention to the violations unfortunately sends the message that the 'authorized' spying on us is nothing to be concerned about." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRon Paul: Why The 2,776 NSA Violations Are No Big Deal

Nearly Every Major Federal Agency Has Reduced Projected Furloughs

"When sequestration was about to kick in, the Obama administration began a nearly across-the-board campaign to discuss the devastating impact the automatic cuts would have on agency operations. Furloughs, combined with hiring freezes, would disrupt the proper functioning of government, agency chiefs said, as fewer employees working fewer hours could not accomplish the same amount as a fully staffed workforce. While many federal agencies have in fact moved forward with furloughs, most major departments have reduced furlough days, or eliminated them altogether." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNearly Every Major Federal Agency Has Reduced Projected Furloughs

Michelle Obama: America ready for female president

"Asked if she thinks the country will see a female president in her lifetime, the wife of President Barack Obama said: 'Yes, I think the country is ready for it. It’s just a question of who’s the best person out there.' She added that she herself will not run for president. Obama also said she thinks her husband’s time in office has helped ease racial prejudice in the United States. 'Children born in the last eight years will only know an African-American man being president of the United States. That changes the bar for all of our children, regardless of their race, their sexual orientation, their gender,' Obama said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMichelle Obama: America ready for female president

Solar power to trump shale, helped by US military

"US marines go to war in Afghanistan with solar cells embedded in their rucksacks, efficient enough to recharge lithium-ion batteries for radios and greatly lighten loads. Field patrols will soon have almost weightless solar blankets as well. The US Naval Air Weapons Station already relies on a 14 megawatt array of solar panels in California's Mojave desert for a thrid of its power.The US Navy will derive half its energy supply from renewables by the end of this decade, according to a report. It may be a stretch to say that the US Naval Research Laboratory is the vanguard of the world's green revolution, but not a big stretch." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSolar power to trump shale, helped by US military

The Blow That Killed America 100 Years Ago

"'There is a lot of ruin in a nation,' wrote Adam Smith. His point was that it takes a long time for nations to fall, even when they’re dead on their feet. And he was certainly right. America took its fatal blow in 1913, one hundred years ago; it just hasn’t hit the ground yet. This is a slow process, but it’s actually fast compared to the Romans. It took them several centuries to collapse. For all the problems America had prior to 1913 (including the unnecessary and horrifying Civil War), nothing spelled the death of the nation like the horrors of 1913. Here are the key dates." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Blow That Killed America 100 Years Ago

Jesse Jackson Jr. sentenced to 30 months in federal prison

"Jackson and his wife, Sandra 'Sandi' Stevens Jackson, both entered guilty pleas in February to appropriating about $750,000 from campaign funds to pay for private school tuition for their children, trips to Costco, expensive clothes and a gold-plated Rolex watch. Jackson was emotional Wednesday morning as he addressed U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson (no relation)." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJesse Jackson Jr. sentenced to 30 months in federal prison