READING FOR THE WEEK (Aug. 19, 2013)

Five more frightening details about the National Security Agency (Truth Out).

Tar sands are leaking in Alberta, Canada and officials don't know where it's coming from, how to stop it, or how to clean it up (Truth Out).

Wall Street is furious that a city is using eminent domain to help people living in homes where they owe more than they're worth (Common Dreams).


AMUSING STUFF

Swedish men told to keep shorts on while swimming because of testicle eating fish (The Telegraph).

This is funny. Mature audiences only (Face Book).

Don't like what Monsanto and GMOs are doing to our diet? Need more information? Watch a 14 year old girl bulldoze right through a Canadian right wing talk show host on the issue (Indiancountry).


BY THE NUMBERS / DEMOGRAPHICS

Cool interactive graph ... U.S. population distribution, 1900 through 2060 (Calculated Risk).

Forty maps that explain the world (Washingtop Post).

Nine facts about child brides around the world (Washington Post).

The world's ten largest and most powerful destroyers & aircraft carriers (The Telegraph).


STUFF CONSERVATIVES REALLY NEED TO READ ... but won't

Another Fox News Success Story: Over half of Americans mistakenly believe annual deficit is rising (Occupy Democrats).

A short history that explains when and why the Tea Party was created ... and, yeah, the Tea Partiers are just political sheep (Occupy Democrats).

Of Benghazi and BJs - Why Republicans have to demagogue Democratic presidents (Political Garbage Chute).

Why a single-payer system would work (Public Citizen).

History shows that higher minimum wage does not lead to higher unemployment (Occupy Democrats).

Social security is a model, not a failure, for Washington budget making (Christian Science Monitor).

- Mark