Ireland taxes plastic bags

Their new plastic bag tax, coupled with an massive ad campaign to bolster public support, resulted in a 94% drop in plastic bag usage in just a few weeks.

Free the Cuban Five. Hollywood billboard

Lefti on the News video’ed PSL Presidential Candidate Gloria La Riva last week in Hollywood speaking at the unveiling of the Free the Cuban Five billboard and at the protest outside the Democratic debate.

Republican lawmaker gets it on global warming

Rep. Bob Inglis (R-SC) speaks to Focus The Nation on] how we can turn the potential hard hit of climate change into the “triple play of another American century” by cleaning the air, creating jobs, and reducing oil dependency for national security. The real surprise was his likening of EPA regulations to biblical law [...]

Who cut the cables?

Four have been cut so far. Two near Egypt, another off Dubai, and a fourth cable between the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Conspiracy?

One particularly imaginative theory is that a US submarine severed the cables in order to cut off internet service to Iran. Another is that it’s all a ruse to distract attention [...]

Venuezuela, the Farc, and cocaine

The Guardian reports on collusion between Colombia’s Farc and the Venezuela military, saying Venezuela is being used as the primary shipping point of Columbian cocaine out of South America. Given the amounts of money involved, it would seem naive or deliberately evasive to pretend such corruption couldn’t exist.

No source I spoke to accused [...]

50% of San Diego real estate sales are distressed

It’s a staggering number. Over 50% of current real estate sales now in San Diego are short sales or REO. The distressed properties are no doubt selling faster because their price is so low. But that will drive all prices down, forcing even more homeowners underwater on their mortgage, and the downward spiral will continue.

[...]

Grateful Dead reunite for Obama concert

Today. At the Warfield Theatre in S.F.

Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh, and Bob Weir, joined by Jackie Greene, John Molo, and Steve Molitz, will play show together in support of Barack Obama.

10,000 car backup on Chinese highway

The blizzards and ice have caused a 45 mile backup of stopped cars on one highway. The Army is driving tanks on the road to break up the ice.

Tanks? Do they not have snow plows? Guess not. And tanks could well break up the road as well as the ice. Plus, breaking up the [...]

WaPo: Neocon movement began with Leon Trotsky

Here’s the WaPo chart: The Neocons: An illustrated progression. It starts with Leon Trotsky. Yes, that Leon Trotsky. But not for the reasons one might assume.

Lenin’s Tomb is not amused.

But [the chart] does so all to the purpose of linking it all back to a dead revolutionary, who in all likelihood would [...]