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Saturday, January 26, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Homes cut off by power firms treble in two years
From The Guardian:
Power companies are cutting off heat and light to more than 176 homes
every week, with evidence that disconnections have trebled in two
years.
Power companies are cutting off heat and light to more than 176 homes
every week, with evidence that disconnections have trebled in two
years.
Millions of householders have been stretched to breaking point after average annual bills rose above £1,000.
As a result, the number disconnections and power bill debts is spiralling out of control, according to figures published today.
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Couldn't Put It Better Meself
This from The Tyee:
The tar sands have quickly grown to become the most destructive
project on Earth. Their greenhouse gas emissions are the main reason
Canada's emissions keep rising, the main reason we cannot live up to
international agreements, the main reason we are becoming an
international pariah on the most important issue facing humanity.
By refusing to act aggressively on global warming, Stephen Harper
has ceded the field to the provinces. Some, like B.C. and Quebec have
stepped into this vacuum and given Canadians the action they want. But
Alberta has taken advantage of the vacuum to stomp on the gas pedal,
with exploding emissions from the tar sands being the result.
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Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Going After the Real Power
There is also credible evidence that policies set in Cheney's office
authorized the torture of prisoners in U.S. custody, in violation of
three treaties the United States has ratified, as well as the U.S.
Torture Statute and War Crimes Act. The policies on the treatment of
prisoners emanating from Cheney's office triggered the abuse and
torture, according to Lawrence Wilkerson, former Secretary of State
Colin Powell's chief of staff.
Yup, Cheny's getting closer to being impeached. An international war crimes trial would be better, but there you go....
There's more here.
authorized the torture of prisoners in U.S. custody, in violation of
three treaties the United States has ratified, as well as the U.S.
Torture Statute and War Crimes Act. The policies on the treatment of
prisoners emanating from Cheney's office triggered the abuse and
torture, according to Lawrence Wilkerson, former Secretary of State
Colin Powell's chief of staff.
Yup, Cheny's getting closer to being impeached. An international war crimes trial would be better, but there you go....
There's more here.
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Three From the Guardian
The Myths of Fruit
Fresh fruit is good for us, we believe - so much so that sales of prepared fruit have almost doubled in the UK in the past two years. But are all those ready-sliced apples, mango medleys and 'superfood' smoothies really such a healthy choice? Aida Edemariam investigates
The Farce of Sovereignty
The coalition made
much of bringing democracy to the 'liberated' country by handing the
reins to the Iraqi government. But, as Jonathan Steele relates in this
final extract from his new book, it also ensured that it retained
complete control
Pre-emptive Nuclear Strike a Key Option, NATO told
The west must be ready to resort to a pre-emptive nuclear attack to try
to halt the "imminent" spread of nuclear and other weapons of mass
destruction, according to a radical manifesto for a new Nato by five of
the west's most senior military officers and strategists.
Fresh fruit is good for us, we believe - so much so that sales of prepared fruit have almost doubled in the UK in the past two years. But are all those ready-sliced apples, mango medleys and 'superfood' smoothies really such a healthy choice? Aida Edemariam investigates
The Farce of Sovereignty
The coalition made
much of bringing democracy to the 'liberated' country by handing the
reins to the Iraqi government. But, as Jonathan Steele relates in this
final extract from his new book, it also ensured that it retained
complete control
Pre-emptive Nuclear Strike a Key Option, NATO told
The west must be ready to resort to a pre-emptive nuclear attack to try
to halt the "imminent" spread of nuclear and other weapons of mass
destruction, according to a radical manifesto for a new Nato by five of
the west's most senior military officers and strategists.
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Tuesday, January 22, 2008
The Good Kind of Globalization
Serious worldbeat. You really need to watch this.
This really is globalization at its best. Ideas are thrown up, race around the world, and are re-made into something new and exciting before coming home to blow preconceived notions apart. Sometimes the world has to kick your ass.
This really is globalization at its best. Ideas are thrown up, race around the world, and are re-made into something new and exciting before coming home to blow preconceived notions apart. Sometimes the world has to kick your ass.
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Sunday, January 20, 2008
So I'm having trouble with this...
Okay, so between two and three men AND women out of ten still can't locate the clitoris with both hands, a flashlight and a road map. WTF? And funny, but it's three in ten women who can't locate it and 2.5 men who can't. But the numbers flip and get worse for questions like "[Is] the clitoris ...directly stimulated by (penis-vagina) intercourse [?]"
It would appear that the educational strides made in the seventies and eighties are being rolled (slowly!) back in the nineties and noughts. This information is available, but just having it available doesn't seem to be getting through to three in ten people. Yes, the talk is difficult to have with your kids--that's why publicly-funded sex education works. Professionals aren't as awkward or embarrassed to have The Talk. It becomes just another math lesson.
I remember attending the sex-ed talk at my elementary school with my Dad. We sat there, not talking, while an educator ran through the basics on sex at the front of the gym (lot of parents/kids there that night). The most memorable image was of the man picking up his suit coat from the back of his chair and saying that "the man's penis slips into the woman's vagina like my arm slips into the sleeve of my jacket." 38 years later, that image is as fresh as the day I heard it. A week or so later, I came home from school to find a paperback sitting on my desk--Answers to Teen's Questions about Sex or some damn thing. I read it cover to cover a couple of times (I was a reader after all). So when I saw the "split beaver" shots a friend had sneaked out of his Dad's collection, there wasn't the overwhelming sense of mystery that there might otherwise have been. More like "Oh, so that's what it looks like."
This sort of thing works. Teen pregnancy goes down, sexual health goes up, and with a little work, people talk about things like "where's the clit anyway?" and "you know, that's really not working for me". I love/hate reading about the studies that show time and again that "abstinence only" sex-ed increases the numbers of teens indulging in oral sex (usually female on male) and anal sex, because neither of those violates the basic premise of preserving virginity. Is that really what you want to have happen? I really want to smack some of these parents upside the head and say "sure you have the right to teach your kid about sex--but if you're going to do it, make sure you do it well! Dumb-ass! Otherwise you're making problems for all of our kids!"
In a world of AIDS and with the increasing failure rate of antibiotics, proper sex education is essential for public health. Better training for teachers so they can communicate better with our kids is the only sensible thing to do. Yes, parents need to talk about it, but they need solid, clear education from professionals to back them up and to fill in the blanks they inadvertently leave. More and better sex education is one of the best things we as a society, a community, can do for our children.
It would appear that the educational strides made in the seventies and eighties are being rolled (slowly!) back in the nineties and noughts. This information is available, but just having it available doesn't seem to be getting through to three in ten people. Yes, the talk is difficult to have with your kids--that's why publicly-funded sex education works. Professionals aren't as awkward or embarrassed to have The Talk. It becomes just another math lesson.
I remember attending the sex-ed talk at my elementary school with my Dad. We sat there, not talking, while an educator ran through the basics on sex at the front of the gym (lot of parents/kids there that night). The most memorable image was of the man picking up his suit coat from the back of his chair and saying that "the man's penis slips into the woman's vagina like my arm slips into the sleeve of my jacket." 38 years later, that image is as fresh as the day I heard it. A week or so later, I came home from school to find a paperback sitting on my desk--Answers to Teen's Questions about Sex or some damn thing. I read it cover to cover a couple of times (I was a reader after all). So when I saw the "split beaver" shots a friend had sneaked out of his Dad's collection, there wasn't the overwhelming sense of mystery that there might otherwise have been. More like "Oh, so that's what it looks like."
This sort of thing works. Teen pregnancy goes down, sexual health goes up, and with a little work, people talk about things like "where's the clit anyway?" and "you know, that's really not working for me". I love/hate reading about the studies that show time and again that "abstinence only" sex-ed increases the numbers of teens indulging in oral sex (usually female on male) and anal sex, because neither of those violates the basic premise of preserving virginity. Is that really what you want to have happen? I really want to smack some of these parents upside the head and say "sure you have the right to teach your kid about sex--but if you're going to do it, make sure you do it well! Dumb-ass! Otherwise you're making problems for all of our kids!"
In a world of AIDS and with the increasing failure rate of antibiotics, proper sex education is essential for public health. Better training for teachers so they can communicate better with our kids is the only sensible thing to do. Yes, parents need to talk about it, but they need solid, clear education from professionals to back them up and to fill in the blanks they inadvertently leave. More and better sex education is one of the best things we as a society, a community, can do for our children.
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Friday, January 18, 2008
Are you ready?
One of Britain's biggest property funds was forced to shut its doors
to withdrawals yesterday after the slump in commercial prices triggered
panic selling by small investors.
The move prompted fears of a
Northern Rock-style run on billions of pounds invested in once
high-flying funds which many savers have seen as a safe haven for their
pensions.This is from the Guardian.
So the US, it is suggested, is already in a recession, the TSX has lost--in three days--all the gains it made in 2007, one investment house in the US has already written down over 25 billion in sub-prime mortgage losses. We all assume that tomorrow will be like yesterday, only more so. But it's not always the case, is it? Regardless of all the talk, I expect us to be visited by one hell of a recession. Figure five years before any real recovery starts and you won't be too far off. Gonna be a mess.
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Thursday, January 17, 2008
I Don't Do Facebook
Just never struck me as a good idea.
Facebook has 59 million users - and 2 million new ones join each week.
But you won't catch Tom Hodgkinson volunteering his personal
information - not now that he knows the politics of the people behind
the social networking site.
I despise Facebook. This enormously successful American business
describes itself as "a social utility that connects you with the people
around you". But hang on. Why on God's earth would I need a computer to
connect with the people around me? Why should my relationships be
mediated through the imagination of a bunch of supergeeks in
California? What was wrong with the pub?
Another article from The Guardian Online.
Facebook has 59 million users - and 2 million new ones join each week.
But you won't catch Tom Hodgkinson volunteering his personal
information - not now that he knows the politics of the people behind
the social networking site.
I despise Facebook. This enormously successful American business
describes itself as "a social utility that connects you with the people
around you". But hang on. Why on God's earth would I need a computer to
connect with the people around me? Why should my relationships be
mediated through the imagination of a bunch of supergeeks in
California? What was wrong with the pub?
Another article from The Guardian Online.
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Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Popcorn Lung?
Check out this AP report of a guy who's become sick apparently from the artificial butter in microwave popcorn. I wasn't even aware that the factory workers were suffering because of the artificial butter. We have to expect more and more of this from our industrial foods...
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Thursday, January 10, 2008
Don't get me started
Ooops, I already am....
In the most recent issue of Health Affairs: The Policy Journal of the Health Sphere,Ellen Nolte and C.Martin McKee have written an article titled "Measuring the Health of Nations: Updating an Earlier Analysis". The abstract of the article reads:
"We compared trends in deaths considered amenable to health care before age seventy-five between 1997–98 and 2002–03 in the United States and in eighteen other industrialized countries. Such deaths account, on average, for 23 percent of total mortality under age seventy-five among males and 32 percent among females. The decline in amenable mortality in all countries averaged 16 percent over this period. The United States was an outlier, with a decline of only 4 percent. If the United States could reduce amenable mortality to the average rate achieved in the three top-performing countries, there would have been 101,000 fewer deaths per year by the end of the study period."
So one person dies every five minutes in the Amerika because of an unreasoning commitment to a failed health care delivery model.
Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee claims:
"Sometimes we talk about why we're importing so many people in our
workforce," the former Arkansas governor said. "It might be for the
last 35 years, we have aborted more than a million people who would
have been in our workforce had we not had the holocaust of liberalized
abortion under a flawed Supreme Court ruling in 1973."
WTF? 101,000 people under age 75 dying every year and Huckabee claims immigration is powered by abortion? And this screaming loon is a credible candidate for president?
Here, we've had the Romanow report (a pdf of which is available here and info about is available here) which encourages an extension of a health care system that is proven to work better than the American model and it can't get traction. And our current government--as well as the Alberta government--wants to move us more towards the American model. [insert Bernie's basic spittle-flying rant about money, empire, and a massive democratic deficit here. Don't forget the links between Brian "Why was my approval rating 13%?" Mulroney and Stephen "Fascism would be so much easier" Harper and the criminality of the "Chicago School" economists.]
As an aside, has anyone else noticed that Bush's approval ratings haven't yet fallen as low as Brian's did before he slunk away to lick his wounds? And of the two, Bush is probably the worse? WTF?
In the most recent issue of Health Affairs: The Policy Journal of the Health Sphere,Ellen Nolte and C.Martin McKee have written an article titled "Measuring the Health of Nations: Updating an Earlier Analysis". The abstract of the article reads:
"We compared trends in deaths considered amenable to health care before age seventy-five between 1997–98 and 2002–03 in the United States and in eighteen other industrialized countries. Such deaths account, on average, for 23 percent of total mortality under age seventy-five among males and 32 percent among females. The decline in amenable mortality in all countries averaged 16 percent over this period. The United States was an outlier, with a decline of only 4 percent. If the United States could reduce amenable mortality to the average rate achieved in the three top-performing countries, there would have been 101,000 fewer deaths per year by the end of the study period."
So one person dies every five minutes in the Amerika because of an unreasoning commitment to a failed health care delivery model.
Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee claims:
"Sometimes we talk about why we're importing so many people in our
workforce," the former Arkansas governor said. "It might be for the
last 35 years, we have aborted more than a million people who would
have been in our workforce had we not had the holocaust of liberalized
abortion under a flawed Supreme Court ruling in 1973."
WTF? 101,000 people under age 75 dying every year and Huckabee claims immigration is powered by abortion? And this screaming loon is a credible candidate for president?
Here, we've had the Romanow report (a pdf of which is available here and info about is available here) which encourages an extension of a health care system that is proven to work better than the American model and it can't get traction. And our current government--as well as the Alberta government--wants to move us more towards the American model. [insert Bernie's basic spittle-flying rant about money, empire, and a massive democratic deficit here. Don't forget the links between Brian "Why was my approval rating 13%?" Mulroney and Stephen "Fascism would be so much easier" Harper and the criminality of the "Chicago School" economists.]
As an aside, has anyone else noticed that Bush's approval ratings haven't yet fallen as low as Brian's did before he slunk away to lick his wounds? And of the two, Bush is probably the worse? WTF?
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Monday, January 07, 2008
Plain talk
Found a link to a video billed as the most terrifying video you'll ever see. Hey, I found it like any of dozens of conversations held over the last few years with my friends at Central Ganglion. If you're scared by it, don't come by for dinner and a chat! But this vid is clean, plain talk in an attempt to sidestep bafflegab and hysteria. I like how the narrator cuts to the heart of his idea: the naming of parts.
13 shots?
From The Guardian:
What is the most expensive drink at Starbucks?
A New York software engineer, Billy Chasen, decided to find out when he was given a voucher for a free drink of any variety. A venti white mocha is the priciest on the menu. He asked a barista at a Manhattan branch to squeeze as many extra shots and syrups into the cup as possible. The result? A 13-shot venti soy hazelnut vanilla cinnamon white mocha with extra white mocha and caramel. The cost was $13.76 (£6.97). His verdict? "It was very sweet and I'm still shaking a bit," he reported on his blog. "I didn't attempt to drink the entire thing, since I'd like to sleep tonight."
More on Starbucks and their current business model.
What is the most expensive drink at Starbucks?
A New York software engineer, Billy Chasen, decided to find out when he was given a voucher for a free drink of any variety. A venti white mocha is the priciest on the menu. He asked a barista at a Manhattan branch to squeeze as many extra shots and syrups into the cup as possible. The result? A 13-shot venti soy hazelnut vanilla cinnamon white mocha with extra white mocha and caramel. The cost was $13.76 (£6.97). His verdict? "It was very sweet and I'm still shaking a bit," he reported on his blog. "I didn't attempt to drink the entire thing, since I'd like to sleep tonight."
More on Starbucks and their current business model.
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Thursday, January 03, 2008
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose
Yeah, we all knew the modified Fish Cheer, but later, when I heard the song, man I fell in love. It's appalling that it's still relevant.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
New Year's Day 2008
It's always something... Roseanne Roseannadanna
So New Year's Day is overcast, +7C, and there's a bit of wind. So at 10:00am Paula and I hit the Bay--me for a proper (brief!) swim, and Paula up to her waist . This is the second year that I've started the new year like this, and I'd already spent a couple of hours hitting the books planning a four day kayaking trip for May, but Paula (who was out without me last night until all hours of this morning) had only been up for a short while. But regardless, a swim in Cadboro Bay is a heck of a way to remind yourself that this a new year starting.
So New Year's Day is overcast, +7C, and there's a bit of wind. So at 10:00am Paula and I hit the Bay--me for a proper (brief!) swim, and Paula up to her waist . This is the second year that I've started the new year like this, and I'd already spent a couple of hours hitting the books planning a four day kayaking trip for May, but Paula (who was out without me last night until all hours of this morning) had only been up for a short while. But regardless, a swim in Cadboro Bay is a heck of a way to remind yourself that this a new year starting.
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In a queer twist of history...
Britian/the United Kingdom doesn't actually have a written constitution. It has instead a "gentleman's agreement" under which Parliament operates. George Monbiot, writing in The Guardian Online, explains how this quirk allowed Blair to go into Iraq with Bush--thus implicating British troops in the largest series of war crimes since the Nazis.
"If you doubt Britain needs a written constitution, listen to the
strangely unbalanced discussion broadcast by the BBC last Friday. The
Today programme asked Lord Guthrie, formerly chief of the defence
staff, and Sir Kevin Tebbit, until recently the senior civil servant at
the Ministry of Defence, if parliament should decide whether or not the
country goes to war. The discussion was a terrifying exposure of the
privileges of unaccountable power. It explained as well as anything I
have heard how Britain became party to a crime that may have killed a
million people.
"If you doubt Britain needs a written constitution, listen to the
strangely unbalanced discussion broadcast by the BBC last Friday. The
Today programme asked Lord Guthrie, formerly chief of the defence
staff, and Sir Kevin Tebbit, until recently the senior civil servant at
the Ministry of Defence, if parliament should decide whether or not the
country goes to war. The discussion was a terrifying exposure of the
privileges of unaccountable power. It explained as well as anything I
have heard how Britain became party to a crime that may have killed a
million people.
Guthrie argued that parliamentary approval would
mean intelligence had to be shared with MPs; that the other side could
not be taken by surprise ("do you want to warn the enemy you are going
to do it?"), and that commanders should have "a choice about when to
attack and when not to attack". Tebbit maintained that "no prime
minister would be able to deploy forces without being able to command a
parliamentary majority. In that sense, the executive is already
accountable to parliament". Once the prime minister has his majority,
in other words, MPs become redundant."
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Sunday, December 30, 2007
Where Did the Ice Go?
Environment Canada has chosen the Vanishing Ice at the Top of the World as its biggest weather story of 2007.
This Radarsat-1 image shows that in September Parry Channel was free of ice from almost one end to the other for the first time in recorded history.
Enviroment Canada say that there was "23 per cent less sea ice than the previous record of 5.3 million square km in 2005. It was as if an ice chunk the size of Ontario had disappeared in one year. Since 1971, and particularly since 1990, sea ice in the Arctic Ocean has been decreasing significantly on a hemispherical scale. But this year’s “big melt” was a shocker."
Until recently, climate scientists were not envisaging this sort of ice loss for another 30 years.
This Radarsat-1 image shows that in September Parry Channel was free of ice from almost one end to the other for the first time in recorded history.
Enviroment Canada say that there was "23 per cent less sea ice than the previous record of 5.3 million square km in 2005. It was as if an ice chunk the size of Ontario had disappeared in one year. Since 1971, and particularly since 1990, sea ice in the Arctic Ocean has been decreasing significantly on a hemispherical scale. But this year’s “big melt” was a shocker."
Until recently, climate scientists were not envisaging this sort of ice loss for another 30 years.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Greenest?
Depends on your definition, but Geist magazine has compiled this list of the 15 greenest cities in the world. And yes, there is a Canadian city on the list! But check out Barcelona, Spain, where 37% --check that! 37%-- of all trips are taken ON FOOT! That blows my mind!
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James Howard Kunstler
I'm not his biggest fan, but I have to say he gets climate change and oil dependence. I also like his intense hatred of suburbs and what they imply. Here are his Ten Ways to Prepare for a Post-Oil Society. If you haven't been thinking much about it, this is a good place to start.
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Alternet's Environmental Top Ten
Yup, just follow the link to the top ten environmental stories according to Alternet this year.
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Friday, December 14, 2007
Viral Advertising
Love 'em or hate 'em, you have to admit, PETA really understands viral media.They really are a textbook in how brains and tech savvy can put some serious hurt on massive international corporations. They've released a funny and very twisted video starring a detourned Full House cast in an attack on the fashion taste and production of the Olsen Twins. I suspect it was done on about $20 and a borrowed computer, but it is pretty effective. Certainly worth a look for many reasons.
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Thursday, December 13, 2007
Known Knowns and Unknown Knowns
So, listening to testimony and the coverage thereof today, I began to wonder "what do we really know about this relationship?" As far as I can tell, what we know--even after all the testimony-- is that:
And honestly, Brian is known to talk regularly with Stephen Harper. So is it reasonable to believe that he never mentioned Schrieber to him? Really? Not saying the current PM had anything to do with anything, just saying that it really sounds like Brian is up to his old lyin' ways again.
So will we ever find out where the truth lies? i mean, I have plenty of reasons to despise the former Prime Minister of Canada, I really don't need a false one too. But if it is true, it will really confirm much of what I already suspected about the man, and I wouldn't want to miss out on that. And seeing brian behind bars? Priceless.....
- Karlheinz Schrieber said he knew Brian Mulroney
- KS said he'd paid Brian $300,000 and that Brian hadn't done what he was supposed to do for it
- The RCMP were looking into any relationship between the two, leading up to the infamous letter to the Swiss authorities asking to take a look at banking records
- Brian freaked out and denied any relationship--denied KS three times or more-- and decided to sue the Canadian government of the day for allowing the RCMP investigation of the relationship between himself and KS
- The government folded and ended up paying out $2.1 million to Lyin' Brian
- Some time later, Lyin' Brian declared the money he had received from KS to Revenue Canada--fearing them more than the RCMP it would seem...
- and really, that's about it
And honestly, Brian is known to talk regularly with Stephen Harper. So is it reasonable to believe that he never mentioned Schrieber to him? Really? Not saying the current PM had anything to do with anything, just saying that it really sounds like Brian is up to his old lyin' ways again.
So will we ever find out where the truth lies? i mean, I have plenty of reasons to despise the former Prime Minister of Canada, I really don't need a false one too. But if it is true, it will really confirm much of what I already suspected about the man, and I wouldn't want to miss out on that. And seeing brian behind bars? Priceless.....
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Folly and Madness
It is madness, absolute folly and madness.
Strictly economically speaking, it makes no sense for Canada to continue to support a fossil-fuel economy and not embrace a so-called "green" economy irregardless of what the Bush junta in America does. Canada will transform to a green economy because we have no other choice. We will either embrace and welcome it, or fight it kicking and screaming, but it will happen. The economic benefits of making that transition sooner rather than later far outweigh what the Bush approach of denial will benefit the United States. If Bush wants to speed up the fall of the American Empire with his Neanderthal antics, that's his choice; our choice should be to get on with the business of reducing our footprint on the planet. If we don't, there won't be any economy to worry about.
But this idiotic notion that our Environment Minister is spewing in Bali that we can't do anything without the United Stated signing on is vile sputum. Why the government is tying its fortunes to the policies of an increasingly irresponsible and reprehensible fool with delusions of demagoguery is unfathomable to me. It didn't work so well for John Howard or Tony Blair. Why does Harper think it will work for him?
Of course, it would be best for the United States and other major polluters to be on side. But we can't wait for these pig-heaed obstructionists to get their way. The latest estimates are that summer polar sea ice will completely melt in five years and new estimates of sea-level rise are two to three times what they used to be. We don't have a lot of time.
The irony is of course that America will have to transition to a green economy too -- they won't have a choice if they wish to stay competitive in the future global reality.
Canada used to have its own voice in the international arena. It grieves and saddens me that we are now perceived as Bush's boot lickers.
Strictly economically speaking, it makes no sense for Canada to continue to support a fossil-fuel economy and not embrace a so-called "green" economy irregardless of what the Bush junta in America does. Canada will transform to a green economy because we have no other choice. We will either embrace and welcome it, or fight it kicking and screaming, but it will happen. The economic benefits of making that transition sooner rather than later far outweigh what the Bush approach of denial will benefit the United States. If Bush wants to speed up the fall of the American Empire with his Neanderthal antics, that's his choice; our choice should be to get on with the business of reducing our footprint on the planet. If we don't, there won't be any economy to worry about.
But this idiotic notion that our Environment Minister is spewing in Bali that we can't do anything without the United Stated signing on is vile sputum. Why the government is tying its fortunes to the policies of an increasingly irresponsible and reprehensible fool with delusions of demagoguery is unfathomable to me. It didn't work so well for John Howard or Tony Blair. Why does Harper think it will work for him?
Of course, it would be best for the United States and other major polluters to be on side. But we can't wait for these pig-heaed obstructionists to get their way. The latest estimates are that summer polar sea ice will completely melt in five years and new estimates of sea-level rise are two to three times what they used to be. We don't have a lot of time.
The irony is of course that America will have to transition to a green economy too -- they won't have a choice if they wish to stay competitive in the future global reality.
Canada used to have its own voice in the international arena. It grieves and saddens me that we are now perceived as Bush's boot lickers.
Another Warm Year
According to this BBC report, 2007 is the seventh-warmest year on record, and the second-warmest year on record in the Northern Hemisphere.
The eleven warmest years ever have all occurred within the last thirteen years.
The Top Ten:
1998 - 0.52C (above the 1961-1990 average)
2005 - 0.48C
2003 - 0.46C
2002 - 0.46C
2004 - 0.43C
2006 - 0.42C
2007 (provisional) - 0.41C
2001 - 0.40C
1997 - 0.36C
1995 - 0.28C
The eleven warmest years ever have all occurred within the last thirteen years.
The Top Ten:
1998 - 0.52C (above the 1961-1990 average)
2005 - 0.48C
2003 - 0.46C
2002 - 0.46C
2004 - 0.43C
2006 - 0.42C
2007 (provisional) - 0.41C
2001 - 0.40C
1997 - 0.36C
1995 - 0.28C
This Was Pretty Clear
but the current meeting in Bali has shown just how complicit our current PM is in the battle to encourage global warming.
Representative Henry Waxman has chaired a committee that's just released their report. From the intro:
"This report presents the findings of the Committee’s investigation. The evidence before the Committee leads to one inescapable conclusion: the Bush Administration has engaged in a systematic effort to manipulate climate change science and mislead policymakers and the public about the dangers of global warming."
The EU is pretty pissed at the heel-dragging going on in North America. So is Al Gore:
"Gore said the U.S. is "principally responsible" for the stalemate at the Bali talks over emission controls. He also heaped scorn on the idea that the world can only have an effective climate treaty if the U.S. signs on — the exact position articulated by Canada"(from The Guardian Online). John Baird, our environment minister, is also taking some heat in Bali. Not just Canada:
"There is a wrecking crew here in Bali led by the Bush administration and its minions," [Jennifer Morgan of the Climate Action Network ] told CBC News. "Those minions continue to be the governments of Canada, Japan, Saudi Arabia and others." (cbc.ca)
But yes, we're a "minion" now. But why? Well, look at Harper's home riding, and where the Reform Party started and drew so much of it's strength--Amerikan owned and operated Alberta. From the CBC:
"Canada is already the top exporter of oil to the American market, exporting the equivalent of one million barrels a day — the exact amount that the oilsands industry in Alberta currently produces."
Considering that there isn't really much other oil left in Alberta--according to this report (pdf) from the Alberta government there is only about 1.6 billion barrels of conventional oil left in the province, but 173.7 billion in the oil sands--is it any wonder that the Alberta government is doing anything possible to speed production in the tarsands? It's not doing the rest of us any good though--all that production is headed to the US (and under NAFTA, that's pretty much a guarantee for life). Oil production from the sands costs about $36/barrel and is currently fetching close to $100 per, leaving a daily net profit of some 50+ million dollars each and every day of the year. That kind of money makes people insane. And pays for more lobbying than all the environmental groups in the world can afford.
But the real costs are much higher. The oilsands use enough natural gas to heat 300,000 homes to free the bitumen trapped in the sand and clay. And while it may be better than coal, burning natural gas releases plenty of CO2 --as much or more CO2 is released in Fort MacMurray as is released by all the cars in Canada, making it the biggest source of new greenhouse gas emissions in Canada.
That million barrels a day in conventional oil is then shipped south of the border to be burned--releasing the rest of the sequestered CO2. And production is slated to ramp up five-fold--to five million barrels a day. This really is nuts--but 250 million dollars per day in profits means that the Harper government will do nothing to stop this. in fact, this government will go out of its way to help--like gutting their own legislation to ensure it won't impact the sands.
There's a lot more at the CBC alone--none of this is being hidden. Just not discussed openly by our ruling "elite" (one of whom is answering questions today about the three one hundred thousand dollar cash payments he took from Karlheinz Schrieber).
Representative Henry Waxman has chaired a committee that's just released their report. From the intro:
"This report presents the findings of the Committee’s investigation. The evidence before the Committee leads to one inescapable conclusion: the Bush Administration has engaged in a systematic effort to manipulate climate change science and mislead policymakers and the public about the dangers of global warming."
The EU is pretty pissed at the heel-dragging going on in North America. So is Al Gore:
"Gore said the U.S. is "principally responsible" for the stalemate at the Bali talks over emission controls. He also heaped scorn on the idea that the world can only have an effective climate treaty if the U.S. signs on — the exact position articulated by Canada"(from The Guardian Online). John Baird, our environment minister, is also taking some heat in Bali. Not just Canada:
"There is a wrecking crew here in Bali led by the Bush administration and its minions," [Jennifer Morgan of the Climate Action Network ] told CBC News. "Those minions continue to be the governments of Canada, Japan, Saudi Arabia and others." (cbc.ca)
But yes, we're a "minion" now. But why? Well, look at Harper's home riding, and where the Reform Party started and drew so much of it's strength--Amerikan owned and operated Alberta. From the CBC:
"Canada is already the top exporter of oil to the American market, exporting the equivalent of one million barrels a day — the exact amount that the oilsands industry in Alberta currently produces."
Considering that there isn't really much other oil left in Alberta--according to this report (pdf) from the Alberta government there is only about 1.6 billion barrels of conventional oil left in the province, but 173.7 billion in the oil sands--is it any wonder that the Alberta government is doing anything possible to speed production in the tarsands? It's not doing the rest of us any good though--all that production is headed to the US (and under NAFTA, that's pretty much a guarantee for life). Oil production from the sands costs about $36/barrel and is currently fetching close to $100 per, leaving a daily net profit of some 50+ million dollars each and every day of the year. That kind of money makes people insane. And pays for more lobbying than all the environmental groups in the world can afford.
But the real costs are much higher. The oilsands use enough natural gas to heat 300,000 homes to free the bitumen trapped in the sand and clay. And while it may be better than coal, burning natural gas releases plenty of CO2 --as much or more CO2 is released in Fort MacMurray as is released by all the cars in Canada, making it the biggest source of new greenhouse gas emissions in Canada.
That million barrels a day in conventional oil is then shipped south of the border to be burned--releasing the rest of the sequestered CO2. And production is slated to ramp up five-fold--to five million barrels a day. This really is nuts--but 250 million dollars per day in profits means that the Harper government will do nothing to stop this. in fact, this government will go out of its way to help--like gutting their own legislation to ensure it won't impact the sands.
There's a lot more at the CBC alone--none of this is being hidden. Just not discussed openly by our ruling "elite" (one of whom is answering questions today about the three one hundred thousand dollar cash payments he took from Karlheinz Schrieber).
What I Believe
Well, not me, you understand. But current GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney does. This little video explores the Mormon faith.
Humans are still evolving - and it's happening faster than ever
According to the Guardian:
"Humans are evolving more quickly than at any time in history, researchers say. In the past 5,000 years, humans have evolved up to 100 times more quickly than any time since the split with the ancestors of modern chimpanzees 6m years ago, a team from the University of Wisconsin found."
"Humans are evolving more quickly than at any time in history, researchers say. In the past 5,000 years, humans have evolved up to 100 times more quickly than any time since the split with the ancestors of modern chimpanzees 6m years ago, a team from the University of Wisconsin found."
Monday, December 10, 2007
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
A Good Canadian Girl, Eh?
Check out Naomi Klein (the good Klein, not that Ralph one...) being interviewed by Keith Olberman on Countdown. Yeah, you could call a "corporate takeover with guns" "looting".
Amerika Flies Against the Rotation of the Earth
...in order to turn back time (thanks, Superman!).
As this post from GottaLaff points out, Amerika is headed backwards in time as fast as possible. Pre-Enlightenment if possible.
A senior lawyer for the American government has told the Court of Appeal in London that kidnapping foreign citizens is permissible under American law because the US Supreme Court has sanctioned it.
You know, unity in the face of lunacy just might work....
As this post from GottaLaff points out, Amerika is headed backwards in time as fast as possible. Pre-Enlightenment if possible.
A senior lawyer for the American government has told the Court of Appeal in London that kidnapping foreign citizens is permissible under American law because the US Supreme Court has sanctioned it.
You know, unity in the face of lunacy just might work....
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Robert Dziekanski: Shock Treatment
So the RCMP have killed another person for no good reason (and so soon after Ian Bush) and are using an "investigation" to avoid having to charge their own officers with manslaughter or worse.
But why was Robert Dziekanski even in Canada? Well, the other Naomi, Naomi Klein, helps with a little background.
But why was Robert Dziekanski even in Canada? Well, the other Naomi, Naomi Klein, helps with a little background.
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Nothing new here
You know that those profiting from the destruction of the planet are not goin gto go gently into that good night. Here's one more example from last night's CNN/Youtube Republican debate.
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Tired of me saying this yet?
We need to pay attention to Naomi Wolf. Amy Goodman interviewed her yesterday on Democracy Now. You can read the rush transcript or download the segment or whole show.
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Tuesday, November 27, 2007
So much food...
...just walking around undigested. Check out the latest MRSA strain that's being contracted by people outside of hospital. And a new superbug causing cystitis. So much food....
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Oooooo.....
Check out this Australian greenhouse calculator. Answer the questions as honestly as you can, and check out the final step. I can't imagine anyone else putting this final step into a greenhouse calculator--it's truly astonishing!
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Beds Are Burning
John Howard's right-wing Bush-supporting government has apparently gone down quite decisively in the recent federal election in Australia. Howard himself faces defeat in his own riding.
Part of the reason for the defeat appears to be the Howard government's continued denial of the science behind global climate change. The citizens, facing unprecedented drought and bush-fires, seemed to consider the science differently, electing a party who have said they will immediately sign on to the Kyoto Protocol and will also begin pulling Australian soldiers out of Iraq.
Other good news? Former Midnight Oil front man Peter Garrett was elected. You can read more about the election here.
Update: Garrett has been Labour's Shadow Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Heritage, and the Arts. It is widely expected that he will be the new Minister for the Environment in the Rudd government.
Part of the reason for the defeat appears to be the Howard government's continued denial of the science behind global climate change. The citizens, facing unprecedented drought and bush-fires, seemed to consider the science differently, electing a party who have said they will immediately sign on to the Kyoto Protocol and will also begin pulling Australian soldiers out of Iraq.
Other good news? Former Midnight Oil front man Peter Garrett was elected. You can read more about the election here.
Update: Garrett has been Labour's Shadow Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Heritage, and the Arts. It is widely expected that he will be the new Minister for the Environment in the Rudd government.
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Saturday, November 24, 2007
How it's done pt. 1
This quick 55 seconds out of Australia should be required viewing in media literacy classes.
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Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Can't say it enough
...you really HAVE to read Naomi Wolf. This interview with her is scary in the extreme. And don't think for one second that this couldn't happen here. We have a ruling elite that wants it to happen here. It's that simple.
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There's a lot of things we have to change
...and this is just one of them. WARNING-- the footage is NOT for the faint of heart or for anyone who cares how their food is treated. Undercover footage from a Butterball slaughterhouse, and footage from a generic slaughterhouse. There has got to be a better way.
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Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Asper Nation
The Tyee is publishing excerpts from an important new book by Marc Edge called Asper Nation: Canada's Most Dangerous Media Company. If you hadn't noticed that CanWest Global is actually functioning like Fox does in the U.S., maybe it's time to put down the remote and have a read.
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Monday, November 05, 2007
We'll Keep Trying Until We Get It Right part II
The following is a partial list of U.S. military interventions from 1890 to 2003 compiled by Zoltan Grossman. Things like the DEA overflights of southern BC are not counted. Those of us outside of Amerika remember that Iraq is not unique--it's just part of the same old same old of the Amerikan Empire.
Zoltan Grossman is an Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire (Box 4004, Eau Claire, WI 54701 USA). His peace writings can be seen at http://www.uwec.edu/grossmzc/peace.html
Zoltan Grossman's 'A Century of American Military Interventions from Wounded Knee to Afghanistan'
Zoltan Grossman is an Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire (Box 4004, Eau Claire, WI 54701 USA). His peace writings can be seen at http://www.uwec.edu/grossmzc/peace.html
Zoltan Grossman's 'A Century of American Military Interventions from Wounded Knee to Afghanistan'
South Dacota, 1890-?
Troops: 300 Lakota Indians massacred at Wounded Knee
Argentina, 1890
Troops: Buenos Aires interests protected
Chile, 1891
Troops: Marines clash with nationalist rebels
Haiti, 1891
Troops: Black workers' revolt on US-claimed Navassa Island defeated
Idaho, 1892
Troops: Army supresses silver miners' strike
Hawaii, 1893-?
Naval, troops: Independent kingdom overthrown, annexed
Chicago, 1894
Troops: breaking of rail strike, 34 killed
Nicaragua, 1894
Troops: Month-long occupation of Bluesfields
China, 1894-5
Naval, troops: Marines land in Sino-Japanese War
Korea, 1894-6
Troops: Marines kept in Seoul during war
Panama, 1895
Troops, naval: Marines land in Colombian province
Nicaragua, 1896
Troops: Marines land in port of Corinto
China, 1898-1900
Troops: Boxer Rebellion fought by foreign armies
Phillipines, 1898-1910(-?)
Naval, troops: Siezed from Spain, killed 600,000 Filipinos
Cuba, 1898-1902(-?)
Naval, troops: Siezed from Spain, still hold navy base
Puerto Rico, 1898-?
Naval, troops: Siezed from Spain, occupation continues
Guam, 1898-?
Naval, troops: Siezed from Spain, still used as base
Minnesota, 1898-?
Troops: Army battlers Chippewa at Leech Lake
Nicaragua, 1898
Troops: Marines land at port of San Juan del Sur
Samoa, 1899-?
Troops: Battle over succession to throne
Nicaragua, 1899
Troops: Marines land at port of Bluefields
Idaho, 1899-1901
Troops: Army occupies Couer d'Alene mining region
Oklahoma, 1901
Troops: Army battles Creek Indian revolt
Panama, 1901-14
Naval, troops: Broke off from Colombia 1903, annexed Canal Zone 1914-1999
Honduras, 1903
Troops: Marines intervene in revolution
Dominican Republic, 1903-04
Troops: US interests protected in Revolution
Korea, 1904-05
Troops: Marines land in Russo-Japanese War
Cuba, 1906-09
Troops: marines land in democratic election
Nicaragua, 1907
Troops: 'Dollar Diplomacy' protectorate set up
Honduras, 1907
Troops: Marines land during war with Nicaragua
Panama, 1908
Troops: Marines intervene in election contest
Nicaragua, 1910
Troops: Marines land in Bluefields and Corinto
Honduras, 1911
Troops: US interests protected in civil war
China, 1911-41
Naval, troops: Continuous occupation with flare-ups
Cuba, 1912
Troops: US interests protected in Havana
Panama, 1912
Troops: Marines land during heated election
Honduras, 1912
Troops: Marines protect US economic interests
Nicaragua, 1912-33
Troops, bombing: 20-year occupation , fought with guerrillas
Mexico, 1913
Naval: Americans evacuated during revolution
Dominican Republic, 1914
Naval: Fight with rebels over Santo Domingo
Colorado, 1914
Troops: Breaking of miners' strike by Army
Mexico, 1914-18
Naval, troops: Series of interventions against nationalists
Haiti, 1914-34
Troops, bombing: 19-year occupation after revolts
Dominican Republic, 1916-24
Troops: 8-year marine occupation
Cuba, 1917-33
Troops: Military occupation, economic protectorate
World War I, 1917-1918
Naval, troops: Ships sunk, fought Germany
Russia, 1918-22
Naval, troops: five landings to fight Bolsheviks
Panama, 1918-20
Troops: 'Police duty' during unrest after elections
Yugoslavia, 1919
Troops: Marines intervene for Italy against Serbs in Dalmatia
Honduras, 1919
Troops: Marines land during election campaign
Guatemala, 1920
Troops: 2-week intervention against unionists
West Virginia, 1920-21
Troops, bombing: Army intervenes against mineworkers
Turkey, 1922
Troops: fought nationalists in Smyrna (Izmir)
China, 1922-7
Naval, troops: Deployment during nationalist revolt
Honduras, 1924-5
Troops: Landed twice during election strife
Panama, 1925
Troops: Marines supress general strike
China, 1927-34
Troops: Marines stationed throughout the country
El Salvador, 1932
Naval: Warships sent during Faribundo Marti revolt
Washington, DC, 1932
Troops: Army stops WWI vet bonus protest
World War II, 1941-5
Naval, troops, bombing, nuclear: Fought Axis for 3 years; first nuclear war
Detroit, 1943
Troops: Army puts down Black rebellion
Iran, 1946
Nuclear threat: Soviet troops told to leave north (Iranian Azerbaijan)
Yugoslavia, 1946
Naval: Response to shooting-down of US plane
Uruguay, 1947
Nuclear threat: Bombers deployed as a show of strength
Greece, 1947-9
Command operation: US directs extreme right in civil war
China, 1948-9
Troops: Marines evacuate Americans before Communist victory
Germany, 1948
Nuclear threat: Nuclear-capable bombers guard Berlin airlift
Phillipines, 1948-54
Command operation: CIA directs war against Huk Rebellion
Puerto Rico, 1950
Command operation: Indepentence rebellion crushed in Ponce
Korea, 1950-53
Troops, naval, bombing, nuclear threats: US and South Korea fight China and North Korea to stalemate; A-bomb threat in 1950, and vs. China in 1953. Still have bases
Iran, 1953
Command operation: CIA overthrows democracy, installs Shah
Vietnam, 1954
Nuclear threat: Bombs offered to French to use against siege
Guatemala, 1954
Command operation, bombing, nuclear threat: CIA directs exile invasion after new government nationalizes US company lands; bombers based in Nicaragua
Egypt, 1956
Nuclear threat, troops: Soviets told to keep out of Suez crisis; Marines evacuate foreigners
Lebanon, 1958
Troops, naval: marine occupation against rebels
Iraq, 1958
Nuclear threat: Iraq warned against invading Kuwait
China, 1958
Nuclear threat: China told not to move on Taiwan isles
Panama, 1958
troops: Flag protests erupt into confrontation
Vietnam, 1960-75
Troops, naval, bombing, nuclear threats: Fought South Vietnam revolt and North Vietnam; 1-2 million killed in longest US war; atomic bomb threats in 1968 and 1969
Cuba, 1961
Command operation: CIA-directed exile invasion fails
Germany, 1961
Nuclear threat: Alert during Berlin Wall crisis
Cuba, 1962
Nuclear threat: Naval blockade during missile crisis; near-war with USSR
Laos, 1962
Command operation: Military build-up during guerrilla war
Panama, 1964
Troops: Panamanians shot for urging canal's return
Indonesia, 1965
Command operation: Million killed in CIA-assisted army coup
Dominican Republic, 1965-6
Troops, bombing: Marines land during election campaign
Guatemala, 1966-7
Command operation: Green Berets intervene against rebels
Detroit 1967
Troops: Army battles Blacks, 43 killed
United States 1968
Troops: After King is shot; over 21,000 soldiers in cities
Cambodia, 1969-75
Bombing, troops, naval: Up to 2 million killed in decade of bombing, starvation, and political chaos
Oman, 1970
Command operation: US directs Iranian marine invasion
Laos, 1971-3
Command operation, bombing: US directs South Vietnamese invasion, 'carpet-bombs' countryside
South Dakota 1973
Command operation: Army directs Wounded Knee siege of Lakotas
Middle East, 1973
Nuclear threat: World-wide alert during Middle East War
Chile, 1973
Command operation: CIA-backed coup ousts elected Marxist president
Cambodia, 1975
Troops, bombing, gas: Captured ship, 28 die in helicopter crash
Angola, 1976-92
Command operation: CIA assists South African-backed rebels
Iran, 1980
Troops, nuclear threat, aborted bombing: Raid to rescue Embassy hostages; 8 troops die in helicopter-plane crash. Soviets warned not to get involved in revolution
Libya, 1981
naval jets: Two Libyan jets shot down in manoeuvers
El Salvador, 1981-92
Command operation, troops: Advisors, overflights aid anti-rebel war, soldiers briefly involved in hostage clash
Nicaragua, 1981-90
Command operation, naval: CIA directs exile (Contra) invasions, plants harbour mines against revolution
Lebanon, 1982-4
Naval, bombing, troops: Marines expel PLO and back Phalangists, Navy bombs and shells Muslim and Syrian positions
Hondura, 1983-9
Troops: Manoeuvres help build bases near borders
Grenada, 1983-4
Troops, bombing: Invasion four years after revolution
Iran, 1984
Jets: Two Iranian jets shot down over Persian Gulf
Libya, 1986
Bombing, naval: Air strikes to topple nationalist government
Bolivia, 1986
Troops: Army assists raids on cocaine region
Iran, 1987-8
Naval, bombing: US intervenes on side of Iraq during war
Libya, 1989
Naval jets: Two Libyan jets shot down
Virgin Islands, 1989
Troops: St. Croix Black unrest after storm
Phillipines, 1989
Jets: Air cover provided for government against coup
Panama, 1989-90
Troops, bombing: Nationalist government ousted by 27,000 soldiers, leaders arrested, 2000+ killed
Liberia, 1990
Troops: Foreigners evacuated during civil war
Saudi Arabia. 1990-1
Troops, jets: Iraq countered after invading Kuwait; 540,000 troops also stationed in Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Israel
Iraq, 1990-?
Bombing, troops, naval: Blockade of Iraqi and Jordanian ports, air strikes; 200,000+ killed in invasion of Iraq and Kuwait; no-fly zone over Kurdish north, shiite south, large-scale destruction of Iraqi military
Kuwait, 1991
Naval, bombing, troops: Kuwait royal family returned to throne
Los Angeles, 1992
Troops: Army, Marines deployed against anti-police uprising
Somalia, 1992-4
Troops, naval, bombing: US-led United Nations occupation during civil war; raids against one Mogadishu faction
Yugoslavia, 1992-4
naval: NATO blockade of Serbia and Montenegro
Bosnia, 1993-5
Jets, bombing: No-fly zone patrolled in civil war; downed jets, bombed Serbs
Haiti, 1994-6
Troops, naval: Blockade against military government, troops restore President Aristide to office three years after coup
Croatia, 1995
Bombing: Krajina Serb airfields attacked before Croatian offensive
Zaire (Congo), 1996-7
troops: Marines at Rwandan Hutu refugee camps, in area where Congo revolution begins
Liberia, 1997
Troops: Soldiers under fire during evacuation of foreigners
Sudan, 1998
Missiles: Attack on pharmaceutical pland alleged to be 'terrorist' nerve gas plant
Afghanistan, 1998
Milliles: Attack on former CIA training camps used by Islamic fundamentalist groups alleged to have attacked embassies
Iraq, 1998-?
Bombing, missiles: Four days of intensive air strikes after weapons inspectors allege Iraqi obstructions
Yugoslavia, 1999-?
Bombing, missiles: heavy NATO air strikes after Serbia declines to withdraw from Kosovo
Yemen, 2000
Naval: Suicide attack on the USS Cole
Macedonia, 2001
Troops: NATO troops shift and partially disarm Albanian rebels
United States, 2001
Jets, naval: Response to hijacking attacks
Afghanistan, 2001
Massive us mobilization to attack Taliban, bin Laden. War could expand to Iraq, Sudan, and beyond.
Source: http://www.zmag.org/CrisesCurEvts/Interventions.htm
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Left Behind? Apparently Not...
Is there nothing old that cannot be made "new" again? Or rather, any bullshit that can't be used to fleece the sheep one more time? If you've ever wondered who Tim LaHaye was before he authored the Left Behind series, this article from Katherine Yurica (excerpted from her book The New Messiahs) might help.
Katherine Yurica is a news intelligence analyst. She was educated at East
Los Angeles College, the University of Southern California and
the USC school of law. She worked as a consultant for Los Angeles
County and as a news correspondent for Christianity Today
plus as a freelance investigative reporter. She
is the author of Bloodguilty Churches and The Despoiling
of America as well as the unpublished book, The New Messiahs,
which is presently represented by her literary agent, Ken Sherman
(of Ken Sherman Associates). Katherine is also the publisher
of the Yurica Report.
Katherine Yurica is a news intelligence analyst. She was educated at East
Los Angeles College, the University of Southern California and
the USC school of law. She worked as a consultant for Los Angeles
County and as a news correspondent for Christianity Today
plus as a freelance investigative reporter. She
is the author of Bloodguilty Churches and The Despoiling
of America as well as the unpublished book, The New Messiahs,
which is presently represented by her literary agent, Ken Sherman
(of Ken Sherman Associates). Katherine is also the publisher
of the Yurica Report.
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