This hurricane caused great damage. According to one estimate the damage is $50 billion and so far 47 confirmed dead in the area of impact in the US.
In the Maritimes, Canada, we have been lucky. We got a lot of rain but wind wasn't that severe. Shoreline areas had greater impact.
Recommend this post
Clarification: While the New York Times noted that "Einstein consistently characterized the idea of a personal God who answers prayers as naive, and life after death as wishful thinking," he also "described himself as an 'agnostic' and 'not an atheist.'" One ambiguous quote, from Einstein's response to a letter from a sixth-grade student named Phyllis Wright, reads "Everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the universe - a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble. In this way the pursuit of science leads to a religious feeling of a special sort, which is indeed quite different from the religiosity of someone more naive." --German physicist, created theory of general relativity.
Joss Whedon is an accomplished film-maker and producer. In 2008 he endorsed Obama but this time he has chosen to endorse Romney. It is a heartfelt endorsement but Romney may not like it. Watch the following video and you be the judge.
"Like a lot of liberal Americans, I was excited when Barack Obama took office four years ago. But it's a very different world now, and Mitt Romney is a very different candidate. One with the vision and determination to cut through business-as-usual politics and finally put this country back on the path to the zombie apocalypse." - Joss Whedon
Recommend this post
Mr. Wilkerson is a Former Colin Powell Aide. When Republicans like Wilkerson make such statements then apparently something is extremely wrong with the GOP.
“My party, unfortunately, is the bastion of those people -- not all of them, but most of them -- who are still basing their positions on race. Let me just be candid: My party is full of racists, and the real reason a considerable portion of my party wants President Obama out of the White House has nothing to do with the content of his character, nothing to do with his competence as commander-in-chief and president, and everything to do with the color of his skin, and that's despicable.”
Read the story here.
Recommend this post
President Romney and Vice President Joe Biden, an unlikely but not impossible scenario as this article highlights. Some commentators say the presidential race is a close one, if there is an electoral college tie or no one gets the required 271 majority number, then the House decides the president - Republican majority makes that likely to be Romney - while the Senate decides the vice president - Democratic majority means Joe Biden.
It was clear that Barack Obama won the foreign policy debate - Obama knew the issues, Romney did not. On military spending, Obama showed that Romney was stuck in a 1916 mentality focussing on buying more battleships, when modern warfare is much more complicated with new technologies.
On geography, Romney said Syria was Iran's access to the sea. Really? Iran is coastal and doesn't even border Syria. Can't Romney look at a map?
Republican spin doctors were saying Americans don't care about foreign policy that much, a clear admission that their guy lost the debate.
Recommend this post
Fracking is still a very unproven technology - there are threats of contamination of air and water supplies as well as rural landscapes becoming industrial wastelands. Now, there's the threat of earthquakes from the practices associated with fracking for shale gas.
These are serious issues, for the environment, for public health, and for quality of life. Is fracking worth it? In light of all this, the answer would be no, at least at the present time.
Newsweek will be ending its print edition and becoming an online only publication. Is this good news? A sign of moving forward in the digital age? A sign of a troubled print-media industry adapting? Or is this a retreat?
With no more printed Newsweeks, what am I going to do with my Newsweek binder?
Maybe I will donate it to Mitt Romney for his Binder of Women.
Finally, Obama decided to debate, and he was good. There seemed a general sense that Obama had the edge in this debate as he called out Romney's lies - on policies to increase military spending while slashing taxes for the rich, something that would dig America into an even bigger debt, the same Bush policies that got America into the fiscal mess it is in now.
On women, Romney's "binders full of women" statement is becoming emblematic of a Republican Party deaf to the voices of American women.
On Libya, Romney was fact-checked... by the moderator. Romney questioned Obama that he did not say the word "terrorist" on the occasion of the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Romney was persistent in this accusation. It was then that the moderator stepped in and said that Obama indeed used those words from the Whitehouse. This was a very embarrassing moment for Romney.
After a disasterous first debate, Obama has redeemed himself and exposed Romney's inconsistent statements, unrealistic policies, and his true interests in helping the rich get richer while ignoring the rest.
Recommend this post
This article is worth reading, whether you believe in God and heaven or not. I consider myself agnostic but certain experiences in my life have totally bewildered me and I could not find any scientific explanation for such experiences. I don’t claim any near-death experiences but real life experiences.
“As a neurosurgeon, I did not believe in the phenomenon of near-death experiences. I grew up in a scientific world, the son of a neurosurgeon. I followed my father’s path and became an academic neurosurgeon, teaching at Harvard Medical School and other universities. I understand what happens to the brain when people are near death, and I had always believed there were good scientific explanations for the heavenly out-of-body journeys described by those who narrowly escaped death.” Dr. Eben Alexander -Dr. Eben Alexander has been a neurosurgeon for the past 25 years
American culture is baffling. A particular spider, considered an endangered species, stops a $15 million road building project. Many oil drilling projects were stopped in the past for similar reasons.
NBC NATIONAL NEWS — A road project along Texas' Highway 151 was progressing on time until along came a spider that shut everything down. The $15 million road expansion plan to construct an underpass has been halted indefinitely as researchers learn more about the Braken Bat Cave Meshweaver.
However, Americans invade Iraq on false pretences, over one million innocent civilians killed, in order to control oil fields there. So a spider’s life is more valuable than Iraqi civilians? Where are the priorities?
It would look that both Iraqis and Afghanis are endangered species, Americans claim that they exported democracy to these countries. However, in reality, they have exported extreme violence. That is the legacy left behind.
Recommend this post
Once in a while Rex Murphy provides good commentary, as the following on the standard of conduct in Parliament – especially he talks about big-mouth Rob Andres.
"Mr. Rob Anders, Conservative MP, whose reckless mouth is hardly news (he once wanted Nelson Mandela to be labeled a terrorist) went to truly dark territory – both in the viciousness of his insinuation, and the reckless brutality of the thought behind it: he actually accused the Leader of the Opposition Tom Mulcair – of hastening Jack Layton’s death …for Mulcair’s advantage."Recommend this post
Catarina Migliorini, 20, claims she is auctioning off her virginity for charity, but experts are skeptical. Even the man behind the auction is surprised she made the claim because until recently she's been all business.
Early bidding quickly topped $190,000.
Just when you think that human follies have reached new heights, someone comes along and tops it.
Catarina Migliorini of Brazil claims that she is auctioning her virginity to raise money for impoverished families in her country. Her manager says that it is not true. She told him that money was for herself and now she finds herself in a box - keep the money or donate part of it to charity.
There seems a near consensus, Romney won the debate. Obama looked nervous, uncomfortable; Romney calm, on message. Romney may have been overtly flip-flopping on issues like Obamacare and tax cuts - sounding very different than he did in the Republican primary - but somehow Obama wasn't quite able to get the point across.
On the substance of it, Obama has the facts on his side: Romney is repeating the Bush policy of tax cuts that balloon deficits, his VP Paul Ryan authored a budget that would gut America's limited system of public healthcare. Romney's policies would be destructive to middle-class Americans.
But on the style, on the rhetoric, Romney won the day. Hopefully this isn't a sign of what's to happen on election day. Recommend this post
Mitt Romney said during last night’s debate ( October 3, 2012):
"I love Big Bird. I actually like you too," he said to PBS moderator Jim Lehrer, "but I'm going to stop borrowing money from China to pay for things we don't need."
Big Bird Tweeted: "Look what Mitt Romney has done to me... twitpic.com/b0syqt"
.... and Big Bird tweeted again:
"Every child who grew up with me is going to bed tonight with their middle finger pointing towards Cayman Islands. #debates #SupportBigBird"Recommend this post
I had a chance to watch Justin Trudeau's campaign launch speech last night. I was impressed. He hit on themes I have not heard from any Canadian politician in a long time. He emphasized the importance of multiculturalism and diversity, and talked about repatriation of the constitution, how Canada was no longer a colony or dominion (something which Harper's actions - such as joint embassies with the United Kingdom - are belying). He talked about national unity and a true vision for ALL of Canada, something lacking with the NDP and Conservatives.
Of course, Justin Trudeau will have to prove himself over the course of this leadership race. He is young and inexperienced and will have to show he can grapple with the issues. As well, this Toronto Star columnist has some good points on the dangers of political coronations, of prematurely anointing someone as successor.
Nonetheless, Justin Trudeau's campaign is off to a good start, he hit all the right themes in his speech. He has great potential and Liberals have good reason to be optimistic.
Recommend this post
Sometimes ago Harper was having problems to attend meetings in time or he was having difficulties arriving timely for photo-ops. Lately he has been doing well – must be diapers.
Nippon-Shokubai-factory-explosion - Japan
Japanese chemical plant which caught fire recently and was closed may result in a worldwide disposable diaper shortage. Reuters Tokyo reported that this company is responsible for close to 20 per cent of the world’s superabsorbent polymer (SAP) supply. SAPs make up the part of a diaper that absorbs liquid. Operations are likely to be halted at this particular plant “for a long time.”
Poor Harper! What is he going to do now? He must stock them up in a hurry.
The fallout from Romney’s remarks about ‘47%’ continues. Romney’s Garbage Man gives it to him.
“My name is Richard Hayes, and I pick up Mitt Romney's trash. We're kind of like the invisible people. He doesn't realize that the service we provide -- if it wasn't for us, it would be a big health issue, us not picking up trash. Residents do come out and shake our hands. Sometimes they give us hugs and thank us for the job we're doing, hand us water and Gatorades. Tell us we're doing a good job and keep up the good work. Picking up 15, 16 tons by hand, that takes a toll on your body. When I'm 55, 60 years old, I know my body's gonna be break down [sic]. Mitt Romney doesn't care about that.”
Would they get anymore absurd? It is derogatory to women and disgusting to display tushies, in public, in this manner. The pictures are too gross to post them on my blog. You can read the story and see the slide show at The Huff Post –slides are at the ‘bottom’ of the page.
To make this competition more legitimate they should have gone for ‘bum, bum' pageant and include, Stephen Harper, Jason Kenney and Chris Christie of New Jersey. I bet Chris Christie might have won. :)
Recommend this post
