On-Demand Taskers: Expanding the Ranks of the "Precariat"

Guy Standing Working-Class Perspectives
Revolutionary changes are taking place in the global labor process. Observers predict that within the next decade, one in every three labor transactions will be done online, carried out by “taskers” with no job security, low and fluctuating incomes, perpetual uncertainty, and no control over time. British social scientist Guy Standing describes the role of these taskers, who are expanding the ranks of the “precariat” in the so-called “sharing” economy.

Israel’s Peace Now: Illegal Settlements Designed to Make Two-State Solution Impossible

Al Akhbar English Mint Press
The number of homes under construction in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank rose last year by 40 percent, the Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now said Monday. Peace Now said the construction of 3,100 “residential units” began last year in illegal West Bank settlements, while 4,485 tenders for construction there and in annexed East Jerusalem settlement districts were launched in 2014 — “a record high for at least a decade.”

China’s Grand Vision of New Silk Roads Across Eurasia

Pepe Escobar TomDispatch
The extent and complexity of China’s myriad transformations barely filter into the American media. Stories in the U.S. tend to emphasize the country’s “shrinking” economy, or its role as a military “threat” to Washington and the world. The U.S. media has a China fever, which results in typically feverish reports that don’t take the pulse of the country or its leaders. In the process, so much is missed, including the vast scope of China’s plans for the future.

State Lawmakers Launch Concerted Assault on Women's Rights

Deirdre Fulton Common Dreams
As part of a clear national strategy, an array of anti-choice legislation is being rolled out in state houses around the country, putting women's health at risk. Already, 57 percent of American women of reproductive age live in states that are considered 'hostile' or 'extremely hostile' to abortion rights. That percentage could go up if recent proposals are enacted into law, and U.S. women’s constitutional rights may well differ depending on where they live.

Friday Nite Videos -- February 27, 2015

Portside
Jon Stewart challenges Fox to a lie-off. Beethoven and the epigenome. The evolution of religion. Men in skirts protest violence against women in Turkey. 'Chuy' Garcia for mayor of Chicago.

Beethoven and the Epigenome

How is a heart cell different from a brain cell? Just as orchestras can perform one piece of music in many different ways, different types of cells can express the same genes differently.
 

Baba Brinkman - Religion Evolves

Baba Brinkman, a Canadian hip-hop performer with an intellectual bent, sexy beats and sumptuous lyrics, tackles where religion comes from, what purpose it serves and how it evolves. NYT: "like attending the best Ted Talk ever." See him at the Soho Playhouse in NY, or get his album (pay what you want) here.

Men In Skirts Protest Violence Against Women In Turkey

Men in Istanbul put on skirts over the weekend to protest violence against women and the brutal murder recently of Özgecan Aslan. Hundreds of people turned out, chanting slogans and showing solidarity between the sexes.

'Chuy' Garcia for Mayor of Chicago

The Chicago Teachers Union says enough of closed schools, red light cameras, privatization, mandatory sentencing minimums, closed libraries and mental health clinics. Money does not vote. People do. And the people support Jesus 'Chuy' Garcia for mayor.