Protests in Russia over the weekend, after a rigged Parliamentary election that still saw Vladimir Putin’s party lose ground, has led to an additional challenge for Putin in next year’s Presidential race. The near-term ramifications for this open dissent is that it offers an opportunity to potentially challenge Putin in the elections, and one Russian billionaire will take up that effort.

globalrevolution on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free Mass mobilizations are in progress at ports on the West Coast. Occupy Oakland, which first put out the call to “occupy” or target ports, and other occupations on the West Coast are marching to picket and hopefully shutdown these ports, which are a part of “the economic apparatus of [...]

Get a grip, people; it’s just football. Or the end of the world as we know it. Also.

The Eurozone deal laid bare the fact that national sovereignty in Europe is a thing of the past.

But if that was that price paid for a stronger Europe, a safe currency union and a stronger economy, maybe we could have a reasonable argument about the costs and benefits. But the countries on the periphery, like Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece, who gave up the ability for their governments to make decisions in the interests of the people they represent, in favor of unelected bureaucrats led by the nose of the markets, don’t even get the exchange of greater economic opportunity.

A variety of links to articles/interviews on current topics that may, or may not, be of interest.

our up-to-date list of what the Republican base is for, judged by audience response.

Bob Dylan – Man of Constant Sorrow

Evangelical preachers and leaders who want to herd their flocks to support converted Catholic Newt Gingrich have a tough sell: Newt’s thrice-married, with nasty well-publicized divorces — and his current marriage began as an adulterous affair.

What is the leadership, who appear to badly need to avoid having their faith-Occupied party anoint scary cultist Mitt Romney or anti-Israel extremist Ron Paul, to do?

The NY Times continues its policy of affirmative action for people ignorant of the world by allowing Thomas Friedman to write two columns a week on whatever he chooses. Today he talks about the job crisis.

This Republican presidential primary campaign has been a wonderful, circus-like event that keeps delivering. Rick Santorum<, who is one of the only Clown Car occupants to miss a brief bit of the spotlight at the top of the polls, is so desperate to remain relevant (after all, he has the corner on the anti-Muslim, anti-gay schtick at the debates) that he is asking political sage Sarah Palin (!) to help him out.