Around the Blogosphere

The main purpose our blogging is to communicate our ideas, opinions, and stories both fact and fiction. The best part about the the blogs is information that we might not find in our local news, even if we read it online. Sharing that information is important, especially if it educates, sparks conversation and new ideas. We have all found places that are our favorites that we read everyday, not everyone’s are the same. The Internet is a vast place. Unlike “Punting the Pundits which focuses on opinion pieces mostly from the mainstream media and the larger news web sites, “Around the Blogosphere” will focus more on the medium to smaller blogs and articles written by some of the anonymous and not so anonymous writers and links to some of the smaller pieces that don’t make it to “Pundits” by Krugman, Baker, etc.

We encourage you to share your finds with us. It is important that we all stay as well informed as we can.

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This is an Open Thread.

While most of the traditional MSM is focused the Obama administration’s use of Stasi tactics to fight the never ending was on terror, the internet bloggers provide us with other distractions. I usual have some pearls of wisdom from Paul Krugman but his blogging day ended early with the evacuation of the entire Princeton campus because of a bomb threat that turned out to be false. Someone upset with their grades?

There was this great article in the New York Times’ Opinionator by Nobel Economist Joseph E. Stiglitz:

• Japan Is a Model, Not a Cautionary Tale

Apparently, the TSA has no respect for Wookies when they confiscated Chewbacca’s lightsaber, John Aravosis at Americablog has the scoop

Over at Corrente, lambert, Rainbow Girl and Hippicaria are starting a new series with facts about “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (PPACA), better known as Obamacare:

• PPACA FAQ: Call for questions

At Dependable Renegade, watertiger has game she’d like to play called “”Who Said This?”

“I can assure you, this is not about spying on the American people…There are certain things that are appropriate for me to know that is not appropriate for the bad guys to know.”

You might find the answer a bit of a surprise.

You can catch up with the Bradley Manning trial with Kevin Gosztola at FDL’s The Dissenter:

• Bradley Manning’s Trial-Day 4 (Live Updates)
• Bradley Manning’s Defense Supports Crowd-Funded Stenographers’ Presence at Trial
• The Judicial Lynching of Bradley Manning
• Bradley Manning’s Trial-Day 5 (Live Updates)

There are a couple of good posts by Jon Walker at FDL Action on the negotiations over the immigration reform bill:

• The Most Important Decision for Immigration Reform Rests With Boehner
• Immigration Reform Clears Procedural Hurdle to Get to Senate Floor

Also at MyFDL:

• What If Richard Nixon Had Had Your E-Mail Password?
  
  by Allan Grayson
• Who Are We and Why Don’t We Have Any Sense of Proportion About Terrorism?
  
  by letsgetitdone
• Surveillance of Banksters Please
  
  by masaccio

At the FDL News Desk, DSWright keeps us informed:

• Rahm Emanuel Tied To Firm Astroturfing Protests Against Chicago Teachers Union
• Obama Administration Drops Opposition To Over-The-Counter Morning After Pill

At Yves Smith‘s place, naked capitalism:

• China to Build Panama Canal Bypass Through Nicaragua
  
  by John Daly
• Social Security Numbers – Close Enough for a Drone Strike?
  
  by Patrick Durusau
• Mary Jo White Institutionalizes Deutsche Bank Protection Racket at the SEC
  
  by Yves Smith

Atrios at Eschaton and Charles Pierce at Esquire’s Poitics Blog think that the blatant lying by DNI James Clapper is a good reason to fire the guy

A “joke” from our friend Ecchidne of the Snakes:

Click on image to enlarge