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Brilliant economics student Mahima Khanna from Kolkata has been awarded the prestigious Stevenson Prize by the University of Cambridge University for her outstanding economics research work. She has become the third Indian to receive this award after Economics Nobel Laureate Professor Amartya Sena and Sir Partha Dasgupta. Frank Ramsey Professor of Economics at the University of Cambridge, UK.
The Times of India (see: ) quotes Mahima Khanna saying “Imagine sharing the roll of honour (…)

The New Statesman has reported that the US will not air the "On thin ice" seventh episode of David Attenborough’s "Frozen Planet" BBC TV series about wildlife in the Arctic and Antarctica (see: ).
Samira Shackle in the New Statesman: “Seven episodes of the multi-million-pound nature documentary series will be aired in Britain. However, the series has been sold to 30 world TV networks as a package of only six episodes. These networks then have the option of buying the seventh "companion" (…)

Since when did freedom of speech (and freedom of assembly, btw) become a matter of concern for Homeland Security?
Well, thanks to Lori Price (legitgov.com) and Rick Ellis (examiner.com) I have just learned that the Occupations of Denver, Oakland, Portland, Salt Lake City and about a dozen more were systematically evicted (within days of each other in an ongoing two month protest) with the tactical (yes, its a military term) input of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the FBI, (…)

It is obvious that nothing that the 99% does has any impact, whatsoever, on the bureaucracy known as the US government. (Or any other government for that matter).
Despite repeated calls for the US government to withdraw all troops abroad we learn that what is painted as a "response" to that call (and polished up as Obama’s compliance with his campaign promise) only means relocating troops to Kuwait, Libya, Yemen, and Nigeria.
And public demands that Wall Street NOT be bailed out went, (…)

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today expressed its concern for the editorial independence of France Soir newspaper after its owner, the Russian oligarch Alexander Pugachev publicly declared his support for the French Far Right Presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen.
"We are appalled by the fact that the owner of France Soir, after proposing to axe nearly 90 jobs, now undermines the professional independence of all journalists of the newspaper by publicly declaring that he (…)

A majority of Americans - 53 percent - say the United States should not be involved in Afghanistan. Only 36 percent say the U.S. is doing the right thing in fighting there. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to support the war, but even among that group, 43 percent say the United States should not be involved.
Still, more Americans say the war is going well - 48 percent - than say it is going badly - 42 percent.
Fifty-eight percent of Americans say troop levels should be (…)

In "The Art of War," Sun Tzu said "All war is based on deception."
What worked in ancient times more than ever applies now, given instant ways of communicating globally and super-weapons Washington and Israel threaten to use like hand grenades.
In "Doctor Faustus", Christopher Marlowe mentioned "the face that launched a thousand ships." He referred to Helen of Troy (formerly of Sparta).
To win her back, Greeks launched 1,000 warships. According to Greek mythology, the Trojan War (…)

This year, Remembrance Day for members of the armed forces killed in war since World War I is on the tenth anniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan. It is an opportunity to give voice to the majority opinion in Britain that want all the troops to come home from Afghanistan so that no more are made to risk their lives in a failing war in which Afghan civilians and invading soldiers are being killed at a higher rate that any time since the invasion in 2001.
Over the Remembrance Day (…)

The Anomaly: Amidst a pedophilia scandal, involving former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandunsky, head coach, Joe Paterno, has hired G. H. W. Bush’s criminal defense attorney (Bush’s council from the Iran Contra affair).
What’s that about?
Reports, although largely unsubstantiated at this point, are emerging that Sandunsky’s foundation, Second Mile, may have been something of a clearing house for wealthy supporters to engage in pedophilia. Since all boys involved were "at risk" (…)

After hearing and reading about all the different aspects of this problem and all the apparent difficulties that the American public has in determining what to do when observing child abuse in progress, I would like to report to the parents of small and defenseless children where these young people are safe from adult predators.
Ladies and Gentlemen, this your Captain speaking; welcome aboard Flight 338 to San Francisco…..
With over 30 years of flying for what was once, America’s largest (…)