Marshall Islands: if seas swallow island state, is it still a nation?

Climate talks include that issue; Columbia University will gather scholars

Story here.

PHOTO -This cemetery on the Majuro Atoll, part of the Marshall Islands, is among the areas being overtaken by slowly rising seas.

Giff Johnson  /  AFP - Getty Images

Problem with new $100 bills causes Feds to shut down production

As the Feds were printing their latest installment of funny money there was a production glitch.

So what happened? The bills were unusable because of a creasing problem in which paper folds over during production, revealing a blank unlinked portion of the bill face.

“A significant production problem with new high-tech $100 bills has caused government printers to shut down production of the new notes and to quarantine more than one billion of the bills in huge vaults in Fort Worth, Texas and Washington, CNBC has learned.”

And now…

“Officials don’t know how many of the 1.1 billion bills include the flaw, they have to hold them in the massive vaults until they are able to develop a mechanized system that can sort out the usable bills from the defects.”

Jimmy Stewart Museum needs a George Bailey miracle

'We need a cash influx to help us get through this challenging time,' museum director says

“The Jimmy Stewart Museum needs a George Bailey moment.

It needs a community of good-hearted people who revere all that’s good about Hollywood to dance in with baskets of cash to save it from a dreary Pottersville of a future with shuttered windows and sidewalks of scowling strangers.

It needs a Sam Wainwright to wire it a line of credit to ensure future generations of Americans won’t forget about a Yankee Doodle Dandy whose charm and patriotism still resonate.”

As It Stands: American shame: Hungry, under-educated children with uncertain futures

By Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard

Posted: 12/05/2010 01:26:55 AM PST

“If our American way of life fails the child, it fails us all.” -- Pearl S. Buck

Something's wrong. Feeding America reports that nearly 14 million children are estimated to be eligible for free food programs. Over three million of them are under 5 years old.

Twenty percent or more of the child population in 16 states and D.C. are living in food insecure households. Arkansas (24.4 percent) and Texas (24.3) have the highest rates of children in households without consistent access to food (John, Cook, Child Food insecurity in the United States: 2006-2008).

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that in 2008:

“Of the 49.1 million people living in food insecure households (up from 36.2 million in 2007), 32.4 million are adults (14.4 percent of all adults) and 16.7 million are children (22.5 percent of all children).”

“Our children are our only hope for the future, but we are their only hope for their present and their future.” -- Zig Ziglar

So, how can we explain 16.7 million, or approximately 22.5 percent, of children in the U.S. living in poverty? Research shows that for young children even mild under-nutrition during critical periods of growth impacts their behavior, their school performance and their overall cognitive development.

“We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.” -- Stacia Tauscher.

Childhood hunger is more than moral issue. Scientific evidence suggests hungry children are less likely to become productive citizens. How can this be happening in America?

We pride ourselves on giving billions in food relief to countries across the world, and we can't properly feed our own. That's just shameful. There's nothing else to call it. Our priorities need to be reevaluated.

“Upon our children -- how they are taught -- rests the fate -- or fortune -- of tomorrow's world.” B.C. Forbes

California's education system is crippled. A record 174 districts may not be able to meet their financial obligations over the next two years, according to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell. That's a 38 percent increase over last year.

After announcing this news in June, O'Connell told The Associated Press, “The economic picture for our schools regrettably is bleak. The lack of funding is hurting our children, our schools, our neighborhoods and our future.”

“We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.” -- Franklin D. Roosevelt

It's been hard to watch public education in California get $17 billion less than expected over the past two years, because of the ramifications. Teachers are laid off, we're seeing bigger classes and shortened school years. Extracurricular activities, like music and sports, are slashed for lack of funds. The same situation faces most of the other states.

Garrison Keillor wrote, “Nothing you do for your children is ever wasted. They seem not to notice us hovering, averting our eyes, and they seldom offer thanks, but what we do for them is never wasted.”

I heartily agree with this wry evaluation. We need to take a long, hard look at what's happening with children in America. Our state and federal government should support them, not political agendas and partisan politics that prioritize everything but their welfare, education, and future.

As It Stands, Walt Disney summed it up nicely, “Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children.”

UPDATE

This column was picked up by:

 Examiner.com

Some children sold by their families - cops bust ring of girl pickpockets in Paris

This story is straight from a Charles Dickens novel, but with a twist. Let’s hope that the SOBs running this ring get their just rewards.

Children were beaten, burned with cigarettes and raped, officials say

“The leaders of a Bosnian ring of girl pickpockets in Paris ordered their charges to steal $400 a day or be beaten, burned with cigarettes and sometimes raped, French officials said Friday.”

image source

Prevalent problem in prisons: Charles Manson had cell phone under his mattress, and he’s not the only one

Up until last week, I’d never heard of a problem with prisoners getting cell phones in prison. Now these reports are coming out and I’m wondering how is this possible?

No one’s safe if these murderers have direct access to the outside world:

“The infamous convicted murderer had an LG flip phone hidden under his mattress which was found by prison officials. Manson used the phone to make calls and send text messages to people in California, New Jersey, Florida and British Columbia, Terry Thornton, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections, told the Los Angeles Times.

"Contraband cell phones are becoming so prevalent in California prisons that guards can't keep them out of the hands of the most notorious and violent inmates: Even Charles Manson, orchestrator of one of the most notorious killing rampages in U.S. history," said the Times' report, referring to the 1969 murders of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six other people.

Justin Walker, another convicted murderer, was recently discovered using a BlackBerry to post preening photos of himself from his prison cell on Facebook. That state does make it a felony to have a cell phone in a correctional facility, and authorities are investigating the case.

Spy Platform? Secretive X-37B robot space plane returns to Earth

Unmanned Air Force craft was on mission for seven months

The robotic X-37B space plane landed at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to end its maiden voyage. The space plane, also known as Orbital Test Vehicle 1, glided back to Earth over the Pacific Ocean before landing at the revamped Vandenberg runway at about 1:16 a.m. PST (0916 GMT) Dec. 3.

Inspiration for a Friday: 106-year-old man quits smoking — for love

If this guy can quit smoking at his age anyone can! At least that’s my take on this interesting news item.

German actor Johannes Heesters says his wife 'should have me as long as possible'

“Dutch-born Heesters, who will turn 107 on Sunday, has been married to German actress Simone Rethel, 61, since 1992. Heesters said he quit smoking three weeks ago.”

Edgar Jimenez aka ‘El Ponchis’: U.S. teen arrested as cartel hitman in Mexico

'El Ponchis' Edgar Jimenez admitted to killing at least 7 people, army says

“Soldiers in Mexico have captured a 14-year-old U.S. citizen suspected of being a drug gang hitman as he attempted to travel to the United States.

Edgar Jimenez, known as "El Ponchis (seen here in photo)," is believed to work for the South Pacific drug cartel in Morelos state, outside Mexico City, the army said on Friday. Media reports last month on the search for a boy with the same nom de guerre said he could be as young as 12.”

AND…

“Murders committed by minors, ranging from shoplifting to murder for the cartels, have risen across Mexico this year, state officials say. Parents in the violent cities of Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana on the U.S. border say children as young as eight want to grow up to be drug lords, as the thrills and wealth of the trafficking world touches their lives.”

As It Stands features five candidates for December Scum of the Month award

5 Right-Wing Scumbags Bankrolling Dangerous (and Plain Weird) Conservative Causes

Right-Wing Sugar Daddy #1: Sheldon Adelson

Right-Wing Sugar Daddy #2: Richard Mellon Scaife

Right-Wing Sugar Daddies #3 and #4: The Wyly Brothers

Right-Wing Sugar Daddy #5: Peter Thiel

Now read all about them HERE.

image source

In case you were wondering: best U.S. places to survive the apocalypse

Here’s a list of the top 10 places to escape to:

#5    Silohome

During the 1950s and 1960s, the U.S. government built hundreds of Atlas-F missile silos in preparation for a nuclear attack that never came. Most of these silos were abandoned, but Bruce Francisco and Gregory Gibbons acquired one in New York’s Adirondack State Park and transformed it into an underground haven.

Silohome sits atop a 1,350-foot mountain overlooking the Saranac River Valley and is surrounded by acres of untouched wilderness, which means it’s ideal for many of your post-apocalyptic duties: farming, hunting and fishing. On the surface it features a hangar, living room with fireplace and a wraparound porch, but the best stuff is below ground. In what was once the 2,300-square-foot launch control center there are now three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, a living area and a kitchen.

Don’t feel safe enough? Well, there’s always the 20,000-square-foot silo that’s connected to the underground living quarters via a tunnel complete with “Star Wars doors.” It’s the perfect place to stockpile canned goods and ammunition, or you can give it a home makeover so you and the family can kick back and enjoy the nuclear winter in comfort. Buy it now for just $2.3 million — cash only. GO HERE TO SEE THE REST

Nigeria to charge Cheney in pipeline bribery scandal

Look whose back in the news; our ex-VP who set the bar on corruption with his company Halliburton for the past two decades. Cheney, aka Darth Vader, has resurfaced with some of his old tricks. 

$180 million case involves former unit of oil services firm Halliburton

“Nigeria's anti-corruption police said on Thursday they planned to file charges against former Vice President Dick Cheney in a $180 million bribery case involving a former unit of oil services firm Halliburton.”

Degenerate Phone Prankster Receives Severe Dose Of Texas Justice

In what should serve as a warning to telephone terrorists everywhere, a former Pranknet member has been sentenced to five years in prison for a hoax call that resulted in significant damage to a McDonald’s in Texas.

James Tyler Markle, 20, received the stiff sentence Tuesday during a sentencing hearing before Judge Barry Bryan in Angelina County District Court, according to a court judgment

As a teary Markle was led from the courthouse in handcuffs, his aunt told a TV reporter that he was a “very nice, respectful young man," adding that she had “never known him to be in trouble before.”

She apparently forgot the small matter of her nephew raping a five-year-old girl in the bathroom of a Baptist church. He spent about 30 months in a youth detention facility for that felony conviction. Markle is pictured in the above mug shot.

Why? Four decades and $1 trillion after Richard Nixon declared war on drugs — the U.S. and Mexico continue to fight a losing battle

Isn’t it about time this madness ends? How long will the American people allow this “War on Drugs” to continue? It’s done more harm than good. So why do authorities persist in draining taxpayer’s money to pursue this wasteful war? That’s the question. A lot of people are making money off of it or it wouldn’t continue. Do you think that’s their angle?   

Excerpt:

“Standing with Holder that day in 2009 was acting Drug Enforcement Administration chief Michele Leonhart, who declared: "Today we have dealt the Sinaloa drug cartel a crushing blow."

But just how crushing was it? An Associated Press investigation casts doubt on whether the crackdown caused any significant setback for the cartel. It still ranks near the top of Mexico's drug gangs, and most of those arrested were underlings who had little connection to the cartel and were swiftly replaced. The cartel leader remains free, along with his top commanders.

The findings confirm what many critics of the drug war have said for years: The government is quick to boast about large arrests or drug seizures, but many of its most-publicized efforts result in little, if any, slowdown in the drug trade

related: opinion

Bragging About Futile Seizures, Invoking God, and Arresting Willie Nelson Does Not Weaken Drug Cartels

Holiday Hints: Awesome toys for guys who never grew up

Because you're never too old for Star Wars, Voltron and R/C hover choppers

If we're talking about Peter Pan's Lost Boys, then a sackful of marbles should do the trick. For every other man who spends more time playing with his son's or nephew's Christmas presents than his own, consider the following...

Playsam's Saab Roadster, $435

Being a design classic and all, even if the giftee doesn't have children who can ride around on this wooden Roadster, the Scandi-design will still look great parked in a hallway or corner.[ Playsam]

Parrot's AR.Drone, $300

R/C helicopters have matured. Your man-child will need an iPhone or iPod Touch to control the newest coolest one. Once it's Bluetooth-ed up he can then compete against another AR.Drone-owning friend using the upcoming Pursuit app. [ Parrot]

There’s more here.

Must Watch Video: Sam Richards - A Radical Experiment in Empathy

Sam Richards allows us to explore other people’s world’s through a simple method called “Walking in someone else’s shoes.” We’ve all heard the expression before, but when you take a moment and apply what he’s saying there comes a deeper understanding of others. With understanding comes peace.

Sam Richards is a sociologist and award-winning teacher who has been inspiring undergraduate students at Penn State since 1990. Every semester, 725 students register for his Race and Ethnic Relations course, one of the most popular classes at Penn State and the largest of its kind in the country. Through his natural ability of seeing a subject from many angles, Richards encourages students to engage more fully with the world and to think for themselves — something he did not do until his third year in college. Because of his passion for challenging students to open their minds, an interviewer recently referred to him as "an alarm clock for eighteen-year-olds." He’s also an alarm clock for the rest of us too.

Must Watch Video

Sit back and relax for 19 minutes while this great teacher helps you be more understanding of others.

150th Anniversary: South celebrates Civil War, largely without slaves

That many are honoring secession with barely a nod to slavery underscores how divisive conflict remains

“The Civil War, the most wrenching and bloody episode in American history, may not seem like much of a cause for celebration, especially in the South.

And yet, as the 150th anniversary of the four-year conflict gets under way, some groups in the old Confederacy are planning at least a certain amount of hoopla, chiefly around the glory days of secession, when 11 states declared their sovereignty under a banner of states’ rights and broke from the union.”

PHOTO - Camille Love, left, Atlanta's director of cultural affairs, and Yakingma Robinson, a public relations manager at the Cyclorama, at the Civil War museum in Atlanta, in Nov. The Cyclorama, a giant painting-in-the-round that depicts the first day of the Battle of Atlanta, is being "refreshed and rebranded" as part of an overall marketing plan, said Love

Meet 5 People Who Rode The Crazy Train To Fame and Fortune

“Lord” Timothy Dexter, an early American Forrest Gump

The Crazy

Timothy Dexter was an uneducated laborer in colonial Massachusetts. From age 8 he was a mere laborer, but at the age of 16 he scored an apprenticeship with a leather dresser. He did well enough to attract the attention of a rich widow. Unfortunately, as a commoner, he was hated by the upper class. They decided to play off his ignorance, lack of sophistication and predisposition to whacky investments. They convinced the dolt to ship coal to Newcastle, England (the major center of coal mining in England), to send warming pans and mittens to the tropical West Indies and got him to hoard useless whalebone.

The Success

Those idiotic investments made him a richer man. His coal arrived in Newscastle during a major labor strike, causing desperate coal merchants to buy his stock at a greatly inflated price. The warming pans made a great ladling device for the molasses industry and Asian merchants bought the mittens for export to Siberia. Even the whalebone was immensely profitable when found useful for making women’s corsets.

To celebrate his fortune, he did what all fashionable rich men did: self publish a vanity book. His misspelled and unpunctuated “A Pickle for the Knowing Ones or Plain Truth in a Homespun Dress” was published in 1802 and much panned by critics. Despite being nearly impossible to comprehend, the originals are now collectors’ items, naturally.

If you enjoyed this story then go here for four more.

Christian woman faces death for allegedly insulting prophet

Meet Asia Bibi (right), an illiterate Christian woman and mother of five, who was sentenced to death by hanging under the country’s blasphemy laws. Is she a victim of a personal vendetta? 

Here’s what happened:

“She was picking berries with other women, when she was sent to get water,” her husband said. “One of the women refused to drink the water after my wife dipped her cup into the bucket. This woman said it was contaminated because it was touched by a Christian.” According to Masih, all the women then started taunting his wife, and shouting insults against her mother and their children. Bibi just repeated the same insults back at them. “The name of the holy prophet never came up.”

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

All you have to is be accused of blasphemy in Pakistan to be in trouble. And these are our allies?

At the time, Masih said he thought that was the end of it. It wasn’t.

“Five days later, the local cleric came to our house, followed by an angry mob, and dragged my wife away,” he said, recalling the incident that took place in June 2009. They beat her, ripped off her clothes and accused her of insulting the prophet. Then they locked her up in a house until the police came to take her away.”

Couple produces hidden stash: staggering Picasso trove turns up in France

A retired French electrician and his wife have come forward with 271 undocumented, never-before-seen works by Pablo Picasso estimated to be worth at least $79.35 million, according to an administrator of the artist's estate.

This photo (right) provided by the Succession Picasso shows a drawing "Nu Assis" (Sitting nude) by Picasso. (Succession Picasso via AP)

The couple for years squirreled away the staggering trove — which is believed to be authentic, but whose origin is unclear — in their garage on the French Riviera, said Picasso Administration lawyer Jean-Jacques Neuer.

The cache, dating from the artist's most creative period from 1900 to 1932, includes lithographs, portraits, watercolors, and sketches — plus nine Cubist collages said to be worth €40 million alone, according to French daily Liberation, which first reported Monday on the discovery.

Pierre Le Guennec, a 71-year-old former electrician who once worked for Picasso, and his wife showed many of the works to Picasso's son Claude and other estate administrators in Paris in September seeking to have the works certified as authentic, the lawyer said.

Pictured left is Picasso's "Still life glass sand."