Thatcher state funeral to be privatised

Responsible department: Cabinet Office

In keeping with the great lady's legacy, Margaret Thatcher's state funeral should be funded and managed by the private sector to offer the best value and choice for end users and other stakeholders.

The undersigned believe that the legacy of the former PM deserves nothing less and that offering this unique opportunity is an ideal way to cut government expense and further prove the merits of liberalised economics Baroness Thatcher spearheaded.



http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/18914

Macomber: That is illegal.

Kissinger: Before the Freedom of Information Act, I used to say at
meetings, "The illegal we do immediately; the unconstitutional takes a
little longer." [laughter] But since the Freedom of Information Act,
I'm afraid to say things like that.

We'll make a major effort.






From the wikileaks cables:

http://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/P860114-1573_MC_b.html#efmCS3CUB

other quotes from the book

http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/252618-the-demon-haunted-world-science-as-a-candle-in-the-dark

You are closer in age to Stonehedge than stonehege is to Gobekli Tepe.
Stonehege is also much more primitive as compared to Gobekli Tepe which is 7000 years older.

Jeffrey K. Skilling, the former Enron chief executive serving a 24-year sentence for his role in the energy company’s collapse, could be released from prison early under a possible agreement with the government, according to a notice on the Justice Department’s Web site.

Since his 2006 conviction on charges of securities fraud, conspiracy and insider trading, Mr. Skilling has served jail time in federal prisons in Minnesota and now Colorado. He and his legal team have waged an aggressive appeal, repeatedly seeking to overturn his conviction on various grounds.

The notice, posted early Thursday, was made to notify victims of Mr. Skilling’s crimes — thousands of former Enron employees and shareholders — of any changes related to a defendant’s sentence.

“The Department of Justice is considering entering into a sentencing agreement with the defendant in this matter,” reads the notice, which was earlier reported on by CNBC. “Such a sentencing agreement could restrict the parties and the Court from recommending, arguing for, or imposing certain sentences or conditions of confinement.”

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/04/04/enrons-skilling-could-get-early-prison-release/

Wednesday night on “The Colbert Report,” host Stephen Colbert took umbrage at former U.S. Rep. Joe Scarborough (R-FL)’s decision to air a pro-Mark Sanford “infomercial” during Wednesday’s edition of Scarborough’s MSNBC show “Morning Joe.”

Former Gov. Sanford (R), who left office in disgrace after admitting to an extramarital affair, is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in South Carolina’s 1st District. Sanford’s opponent? None other than Stephen Colbert’s sister, Elizabeth Colbert Busch.

Colbert said that he hadn’t planned to bring the power of his show to bear on the race, “But then I watched this morning’s ‘Coffee Joe and the Funky Bunch’” and saw Scarborough’s wholehearted endorsement of his friend Sanford, in which Scarborough said, “It’s going to be ‘Morning Joe’ versus ‘Colbert Report.’”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/04/04/colbert-joe-scarborough-leaves-me-no-choice-but-to-declare-war-on-his-show/

A renowned Alberta water scientist is urging the federal government to take action after he discovered deformities in fish in the Athabasca River downriver from oil sands developments bear a striking resemblance to ones found in fish after spills in U.S. waters.

University of Alberta ecologist Dr. David Schindler said the only way to know for sure which petrochemicals — and in what concentrations — cause the deformities is to conduct whole ecosystem experiments at the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) in Northern Ontario.

"I propose that the ELA site and laboratory should be kept open to conduct these important experiments, which have implications for future effects of oil extraction and transport in or near both marine and freshwater ecosystems," Schindler wrote in a letter to Environment Minister Peter Kent and Fisheries Minister Keith Ashfield.

The ELA was shuttered on March 31 after its funding was cut in last year's budget. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) says it is in negotiations with other parties to take over the operation of the one-of-a-kind facility. The government will save $2-million a year by off-loading the outdoor laboratory made up of 58 small pristine lakes.

Schindler cited a number of studies that looked into the effects of oil and chemical contamination on fish fish after the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska and the Deepwater Horizon accident in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as in the lower Athabasca River. He included photos of fish from the Athabasca with two tails, bulging eyeballs and gaping sores.

A Walleye with an enlarged eye caught near Ft. McKay, Alberta, on the Athabasca River in 2010.David Schindler/University of Alberta
"In both the Gulf of Mexico and the Athabasca River, the high incidence of malformations and the grotesque appearance of some of the fish make consumers reluctant to eat them," wrote Schindler. He added that was a threat to the Gulf of Mexico's commercial fishery and the Athabasca's subsistence fishery.............


More: http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/news/story/2013/04/03/pol-schindler-letter-to-ministers-sees-pollution-effect-similarities.html

By the way the CBC is the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.... Its like PBS but better.

Disney has laid off the staff of LucasArts and cancelled all current projects.


Leaked Star Wars Game Is 'Predecessor' To Battlefront III, Source Says
Last October, we saw a listing for Star Wars: First Assault, an unannounced Xbox Live Arcade game… Read…
RQ
Staff were informed of the shutdown this morning, according to a reliable Kotaku source. Some 150 people were laid off, and both of the studio's current projects—Star Wars: First Assault and Star Wars 1313—were cancelled. Disney will still use the LucasArts name to license games, but the studio is no more.

Staff were informed of the shutdown this morning, according to a reliable Kotaku source. Some 150 people were laid off, and both of the studio's current projects—Star Wars: First Assault and Star Wars 1313—were cancelled. Disney will still use the LucasArts name to license games, but the studio is no more.

Publicly, Disney is saying their current games could be licensed out to a different publisher or developer, but according to our source, that's unlikely. Our source says Lucas has pursued the option for "one or both games," but nothing happened. "With the teams now basically being dispersed I think both games are effectively dead forever," our source said.

“After evaluating our position in the games market, we’ve decided to shift LucasArts from an internal development to a licensing model, minimizing the company’s risk while achieving a broader portfolio of quality Star Wars games," LucasArts parent company LucasFilm said in a statement. "As a result of this change, we’ve had layoffs across the organization. We are incredibly appreciative and proud of the talented teams who have been developing our new titles.

http://kotaku.com/disney-shuts-down-lucasarts-468473749?utm_campaign=Socialflow_Kotaku_Twitter&utm_source=Kotaku_Twitter&utm_medium=Socialflow


Never bought a Disney game for myself or my kids but we sure played a lot of Lucas Arts games.


Did I tell you I really don't like Disney?

Nuclear power? His birthday cake, .....