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Revolutionary thought of the day: Pick up Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front or James Jones’s From Here to Eternity . Read Henry IV . Turn to the Iliad . The allure of combat is a trap, a ploy, an old, dirty game of deception in which the powerful, who do not go to war, promise a mirage to those who do. Chris Hedges

Cheers for Bashir Mohamed! He interrupted a speech by Jason Kenney, trying to ask questions about refugee health care, was removed and arrested, and now he's challenging the illustrious Minister to a debate . Video here. An Edmonton teenager was arrested Saturday after grilling federal Immigration Minister Jason Kenney during his speech at a Conservative party barbecue. Bashir Mohamed, 17, said he bought tickets to legally attend the barbecue, which was held inside a hanger at the Alberta Aviation Museum for more than 400 Tories. Mohamed and two friends with video cameras arrived with a plan to question Kenney about the recent government cuts to health-care coverage for refugees arriving in Canada. The policy, announced in April and in effect as of Canada Day, prevents refugees from accessing prescription drug, dental and other extended health-care coverage unless they're covered by a federal program. The cuts were made to extended coverage that most Canadians pay for or alread...

I'm currently reading Zone One , by Colson Whitehead, a book I might never have picked up if it hadn't been written by one of my favourite authors. Fortunately for me, it was, because I'd hate to have missed this. Zone One is a zombie book - a literary zombie novel. The action takes place principally in New York City after a global, apocalyptic plague has swept the earth and subsided. Whitehead has total cred when it comes to horror, having spent his childhood obsessed with B movies (see his brilliant essay in the New Yorker, "A Psychotronic Childhood" ). He's taken that background and married it to his own literary sensibilities. Whitehead imagines the aftermath of the pandemic in minute detail, and these details become a showcase for his acute powers of observation, quirky, wry descriptions, and profound understanding of human motivation. The devastation and rebuilding form a vehicle for Whitehead to analyze and comment on every facet of society, reflecting...

From Beth Buczynski at Shareable.net: In recent years, there's been something of a grassroots backlash against Wal-Mart Inc., as people have started to realize the damage a single Walmart can do to the small businesses that make up a local economy. In a few cases, there's even been news of Walmart stores closing, effectively run out of town by citizens strongly opposed to its economic, environmental, and social practices. While this represents a win for the citizens who organized the ouster, it creates an equally big challenge. Namely, what does one do with the cavernous commercial space left behind by an abandoned Walmart? The citizens of McAllen, Texas, a city of about 130,000 located in the southernmost tip of the state, experienced just such a vaccum after Walmart closed and then abandoned a 124,500 sq. foot space. Instead of searching for another big box retailer to take it's [sic!] place, the City decided to reclaim the space as a public library. . . . The cavernous...

Revolutionary thought of the day: In 2005, the 25 hedge-fund managers averaged $363 million. Paul Krugman observes that these 25 were paid three times as much as New York City’s 80,000 public school teachers combined. And because their pay is taxed as capital gains rather than salary, the teachers paid a higher tax rate! From The Great Capitalist Heist: How Paris Hilton's Dogs Ended Up Better Off Than You by Gerald Friedman

Thank you, Woody Guthrie . Wish you were here.

The Yukon Yahoo pups are five weeks old . And they are beyond adorable. This is the first time I've ever seen puppies from birth (actually from conception!) and followed their progress as they grow up. I hope one day to meet them in real life. Also, 60 puppies were rescued in Labrador and flown to Nova Scotia. The video is raw but be patient, it's worth it!