January 24th

Jan 24, 2014 12:51

4F this morning. The wind chill is not nice at all and I know I have to go out in it today. Eew!

For the past few days the robins have been flocking - they are fluffed up looking fat - gathering at food sources around the property. It drives the cats bonkers. The upstairs cats run from window to window following their flight path.

I finally did a bit of knitting last night. Didn’t make much headway since dinner was about ready to be served. Maybe after the weekend chores I can get some done this weekend. It is getting longer at least. :)

I have a list to accomplish so I’d best get this posted. Have a good one!

Recommended Reading

Developer finds Chrome eavesdropping bug
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25859360

The orginal blog post about this:
http://talater.com/chrome-is-listening/

Easter egg hunt: Seven secrets of the world wide web
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25826678

Canada 'orders Briton to stop selling Marmite and Irn Bru'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-25867613

This Incredible Map Shows All The Infections That Vaccines Could Have Prevented
http://www.businessinsider.com/map-of-vaccine-preventable-infections-2014-1

THE PROBLEM ISN'T WEALTH ADDICTION. IT'S LETTING THE ADDICTS WRITE THE LAWS.
http://nomoremister.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-problem-isnt-wealth-addiction.html

This New World Order Conspiracy Theorist Is Advising Republicans on Environmental Policy
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/01/doyel-shamley-veritas-research-illuminati

Wellcome Trust walks the walk on open access with images release
http://www.teleread.com/public-domain/wellcome-trust-walks-the-walk-on-open-access-with-images-release/

As the West Dries Up, This Hedge Fund Pioneer Stands to Make a Killing - be forewarned
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/01/summit-water-hedge-fund-mckenzie-funk-windfall-excerpt

Japan's new island grows in size after volcanic eruption -cool.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25875071

Storms spark fossil frenzy on Dorset's Jurassic Coast
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25883374

International space station training lab on Earth
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25868128

Nasa marks Mars rover, Opportunity's 10 year mission - Click review of websites. catacademy.com is fun, as isHidden Journeys on the Royal Geographic Society’s website
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01qfycy

Where Would the Tea Party Be Without Feminism?
http://coreyrobin.com/2014/01/24/where-would-this-tea-party-candidate-be-without-feminism/

The way you sleep says more about you than you might think.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/celestinomark/what-your-sleeping-position-says-about-you

Festival of Quilts 2013 - Birmingham UK - Art Quilts - Part 2
http://www.thequiltshow.com/os/blog.php/blog_id/6254

In Celebration of the Doll - IQF 2013
http://secure.smilebox.com/ecom/openTheBox?sendevent=4d7a6b314d7a63324e6a513d0d0a&blogview=true&campaign=blog_playback_link&partner=neverblue

A Very Good Idea!

image Click to view



Go sign the petition:
http://climatenamechange.org/

The Commerce Dept's Internet Policy Task Force proposed making it a felony to stream copyrighted content (aka SOPA Section 201).

Interpreted broadly, this proposal would apply to anyone who uploads a YouTube video of themselves covering a song without permission, a video with copyrighted music playing in the background, even your friend's embarassing karoke performance or your family singing "Happy Birthday To You."

The federal government wants to make streaming -- including material which falls under the "public performance" category -- punishable by years in prison.

As was pointed out last time they tried this, many artists depend on uploading YouTube covers to jumpstart their careers (including the young Justin Beiber...), and many others enjoy streaming creative interpretations of existing songs on their own websites or blogs. This proposal would make both subject to felony prosecution.

Click here to tell Obama NO to making streaming a felony, and NO new SOPA-style censorship: http://act.demandprogress.org/sign/streaming/?referring_akid=2268.655732.bYRpA8&source=taf

It is best that you watch this:

'We're building a domestic army' -Marine Corps colonel speaks out
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/08/15/1231397/--We-re-building-a-domestic-army-Marine-Corps-Colonel-speaks-out?detail=email

***How Government Cover-Up on Fish Farming Affects Your Health - Canada has a problem. It’s lengthy but worth the watch.


Petitions

I am getting tired of reading that things like the below three examples are coming out of Washington. There are three petitions below that need your signature. Please go sign them.

Yesterday during the debate over women’s healthcare, Republican Chairman Bob Goodlatte said that the GOP should support restricting women’s healthcare because it "promotes job creation."

And not even hours later, GOPer Bob Goodlatte gives one of the most offensive statements - that women shouldn’t be allowed abortions because it will ultimately benefit the economy if women have more children.

This is down-right offensive and we can’t sit idly by as Republican men try to dictate healthcare decisions for women.

http://act.votelouise.com/page/s/tell-republicans-hands-off-our-healthcarelms

====
A federal appeals court just killed critically important government protections against discrimination online; the giant Internet service providers (ISPs) - Verizon, AT&T, Comcast, and Time Warner Cable - now have total control over what information we can access on the web.

It's a nightmare scenario, and one the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has long seen coming. A self-imposed, Bush-era rule restricting the agency's ability to regulate broadband foreshadowed the court's finding this week that ISPs no longer have to treat all web users equally1 - they can block websites, slow down services, and double- and triple-dip in charging extra fees to restore access.

But we have the power to stop this. By raising our voices together, we can ensure the FCC has the political will to act on its authority to reverse a decade of failed Internet policy - and the courage to stand up to an industry that has pushed it around for too FCC chair Tom Wheeler says he supports a free and open Internet, but actions speak louder than words.
https://act.colorofchange.org/sign/FCC_reclassify/?rd=1&t=3&referring_akid=undefined
===
Mother Jones magazine just published a major exposé: A candidate for Congress in Virginia thinks that spousal rape should not be a crime. Yes, really.
His name is Richard Black, and he's currently a state senator. When Virginia voted to allow spouses to be prosecuted for rape, Black opposed it and questioned whether marital rape is even possible, saying "when they're living together, sleeping in the same bed, she's in a nightie, and so forth."

This is outrageous and unacceptable, and these revelations need a loud response right away. It's about more than one extremist candidate--we have a problem with rape in our politics. No one can forget Todd "Legitimate Rape" Akin, but the fact is that Congress is debating a bill right now that would force women who sought abortions after a rape to report it to the IRS. And extreme conservatives in Congress tried to redefine rape to make it harder for women to receive health care services two years ago.

When candidates for public office aren't met with the outrage they deserve for their offensive and incredibly dangerous comments, it only emboldens them to push radical anti-woman policies once they are in office. We can change that cycle by speaking out today.

Women are not property. Marital rape is a crime and a very serious instance of domestic violence. And it is a shame that we have to make these things clear in 2014. Can you sign the petition to the National Republican Campaign Committee asking them to denounce Richard Black?
http://act.weareultraviolet.org/sign/richardblack/?rd=1&t=3&referring_akid=754.94953.QyeuZ5

Petitions that need your signature


Subject: Here we go again…

The Monsanto protection act is back and may be included in the new 3-month spending bill!

Though wrapped in a “farmer-friendly” package, the Monsanto-driven rider remains simply a biotech industry ploy to continue to plant GE crops even when a court of law has found they were approved illegally.

Will you join me in telling Congress to exclude this dangerous rider in the upcoming spending bill?
http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=11974&sp_ref=10142675.65.579.e.2444.2

The USDA is about to slash regulations for poultry plants, saving big corporations millions at the expense of public health and workers’ safety.

If new rules are allowed to go into effect, poultry plants will be able to follow less stringent health and safety rules, speed up their production lines, and police themselves for any violations. That means that chicken will come doused with feces and bleach and that workers will be at greater risk of serious injury.

Now the only person who can reverse these regulations is President Obama. Will you join me in saying that these that these disgusting rules are unacceptable?
http://action.sumofus.org/a/usda-chicken/2/?sub=taf

Rep. Darrell Issa is trying to pass a bill that would not only end Saturday delivery by the postal service, but also door-to-door mail service for millions. We must stop this outrageous attempt to kill the USPS and hand its business to FedEx and UPS. Go sign the petition:
http://act.credoaction.com/sign/issa_usps?akid=8606.952925.D3Dc4S&rd=1&t=2

They are at it again
The Texas Taliban - also known as the rightwing majority on the Texas State Board of Education - want to revise the state's standards for science textbooks to require the addition of religious pseudoscience when teaching subjects like biology. And this isn't just bad news for Texas school children because the Texas standards will impact the textbooks used by millions of students nationwide.

Texas may want to dumb-down their children by teaching them pseudoscience but I don’t want the children of my state to be taught this way. Tell textbook publishers to stand up to the Texas Taliban and only publish books that are based on sound, peer-reviewed science scholarship. Click the link below to sign the petition automatically:
http://act.credoaction.com/sign/texas_taliban/?sp_ref=7570952.4.422.e.0.2&referring_akid=8622.952925.lJjLf7&source=mailto_sp

The Mind Your Own Business Act
http://mindyourownbusinessact.com/?source=Jun13Email

America's top grocers are selling fake honey containing carcinogens, heavy metals, and banned antibiotics.
Get grocers to make sure they're selling us the real thing.
http://action.sumofus.org/a/honey-fake-walgreens/4/2/?akid=1806.65932.QE7P4I&rd=1&sub=fwd&t=3

The Wounded Knee site has been held sacred by the Lakota Sioux since the horrific massacre that happened there in 1890. Now, it's in danger of being sold to the highest bidder, including someone who would build a horse slaughterhouse on the plot.

The current owner has offered to sell the site to its rightful owners, the nearby Oglala tribe, for the cool price of $3.9 million. But The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, just a few miles from where Wounded Knee is located, is one of the poorest places in the country. To build a horse slaughterhouse on their sacred site after everything the tribe has already suffered would be unthinkable.
http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/AhnMh/zNI6/3R2f

And now a word about Monsanto and others like them. These profit-hungry biotech companies have found a way to exclusively ‘own’ something that freely belongs to us all -- our food! They’re trying to patent away our everyday vegetables and fruits like cucumber, broccoli and melons, forcing growers to pay them and risk being sued if they don’t.

Companies like Monsanto have found loopholes in European law to get away with this, so we just need to close them shut before they set a dangerous global precedent. And to do that, we need key countries like Germany, France and the Netherlands -- where opposition is already growing -- to call for a vote to stop Monsanto’s plans. Go sign the petition.
http://www.avaaz.org/en/monsanto_vs_mother_earth_loc/?bjeIjab&v=23911

Tell Nestlé: Stop trying to patent a natural cure
In a paper published last year, Nestlé scientists claimed to “discover” what much of the world has known for millennia: that nigella sativa extract could be used for “nutritional interventions in humans with food allergy”.
But instead of creating an artificial substitute, or fighting to make sure the remedy was widely available, Nestlé is attempting to create a nigella sativa monopoly and gain the ability to sue anyone using it without Nestlé’s permission. Nestlé has filed patent applications -- which are currently pending -- around the world.

Sing the petition:
http://action.sumofus.org/a/nestle-nigella-sativa/11/2/?akid=1601.65932.w0DNPx&rd=1&sub=fwd3&t=4

Maddow features PCCC activism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7LANHts78c

Tell Congress Social Security is non-negotiable.
http://act.couragecampaign.org/sign/standwithbernie

Amazon is at it again! Please go sign this petition. It is not fair for those of us who make our living by writing. Authors are not libraries and while most of us enjoy the social side of writing we do this to pay our bills. If some one returns an ebook after reading it our royalties get reduced.

I just signed the pe
etition "Amazon Kindle e-Book Return Policy: Stop allowing refunds on e-Books after e-Books have been read." on
http://Change.org/

It's important. Here's the link:
http://www.change.org/petitions/amazon-kindle-e-book-return-policy-stop-allowing-refunds-on-e-books-after-e-books-have-been-read

North Dakota just passed the most extreme abortion ban in the country. It's just one of some 300 bills across the country designed to take away women's rights and access to health care -- and ultimately to overturn Roe vs. Wade. Don't let lawmakers get away with it, take action today:
http://ppaction.org/WakeUpCall

Click here to tell Obama to veto CISPA:
http://act.demandprogress.org/letter/veto_cispa/?referring_akid=a8234599.655732.Af5Ve3&source=auto-taf

AT&T, Cablevision, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Verizon have all agreed to start spying on their users.
The US's largest Internet Service Providers are implementing a new "online infringement" plan to identify and punish, with virtually no due process, users suspected of downloading copyrighted content.
https://act.demandprogress.org/letter/six_strikes_2013/?rd=1&t=1&referring_akid=undefined

Remember CISPA? Well, it’s back - sign the petition
http://www.cispaisback.com/

Oppose Seismic Surveys in the Atlantic - sign it please
http://action.surfrider.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=6937

Tell Congress to Dump Monsanto's Riders!
http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/50865/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=8644

Bury Power Lines in Cities and Towns, Prevent Long-Lasting Outages, Improve National Security
http://signon.org/sign/bury-power-lines-in-cities?mailing_id=7341&source=s.icn.em.cr&r_by=913515

Protect Global Internet Freedom - go sign the petition
http://protectinternetfreedom.net/

The Sierra Club has a variety of actions to be taken. Just follow the link.
Send the congress a letter here:
http://action.sierraclub.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&id=9962




Do you really own the smartphone or computer you’re using to read this email?

If you sold your computer, would you be breaking the law? A federal court in New York says you would be.

It's unbelievable, but trademark and copyright holders really are trying to take away your right to sell things that you own. Please click here to fight back:
http://www.youvebeenowned.org/

The First-Sale Doctrine gives us the right to sell most property we own. But if the Supreme Court supports the lower court’s decision, we won't really “own” anything if it's from a different country. We expect them to issue a ruling later this year.

The President can urge the Court to side with consumers; then Congress will probably weigh in on the issue, no matter how the Court rules.

If we lose this fight, anybody who wants to resell foreign products, from Macbooks and iPhones to our clothing and textbooks, will have to ask copyright holders for permission first. And they'll have the right to deny it!

Just click here to email your lawmakers right away:
http://www.youvebeenowned.org/

There are two very bad internet bills that you need to be aware of. The first concerns making streaming content a felony. Read about it here:
http://act.demandprogress.org/letter/ten_strikes?akid=700.450896.5hVZPC&rd=1&t=1

and the second is the Protect-IP Act that gives the government power to censor search engines and browsers. Read more about it here:
http://act.demandprogress.org/sign/protectip_docs

Both of the above pages have a petition to sign so please do so.

The non-existent tags
weather, knitting, gardening, global warming, environment, politics, Repugs, scumbags, quilting, petitions, CISPA, health, Exxon, oil spills, Monsanto, evil, people, tar sands, harassment, privacy, GMOs, fish, fracking, food, animals, WTF?, silliness, people, media, morons, police, technology, fun stuff, collections, volcanoes, fossils, astronauts, NASA, Mars

Change the world one loan at a time - visit
http://www.Kiva.org

gardening, quilting, fossils, food, privacy, monsanto, weather, gmos, technology, wtf?, politics, evil, global warming, environment, morons, astronauts, fun stuff, health, nasa, mars, exxon, animals, knitting, volcanoes, silliness, petitions

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