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| Tibet (Everest Region) (Photo credit: gromanuk) |
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| English: Merdeka Day in Kuala Lumpur (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Check opitslinkfest.blogspot.ca for the late list
MH Flight Shot Down over Ukraine
My deepest sympathies for the famines of the lost. It is likely the Donesk
rebels thought it was a Ukraine troop transport and blasted away. The big
question is what was a commercial plane doing flying over such a hot spot?
I hope this results in cooler heads prevailing all round.
Amazon Goes Unlimited
Today, the market is talking about the Amazon offer, Kindle Unlimited,
which certainly is a smart name as it aims to do exactly what it says on
the tin. It should come as no surprise and it was only a matter of time
until Amazon entered the ‘all you can read’ ebook subscription arena that
services such as Oyster and Scribd have started to open up.
We have long argued that the subscription model is coming and that it
starts to change how we relate to books that now can be effectively
‘borrowed on demand’, without having to worry about collecting them on
virtual shelves, kidding you... more »
ARISTOTLE’S ERROR: The smell of war in this morning’s Post!
*THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2014*
*Part 3—Rucker’s return:* In his second inaugural address, Franklin
Roosevelt described what he saw when he looked out at the nation:
ROOSEVELT (1/20/37): I see a great nation, upon a great continent, blessed
with a great wealth of natural resources...
*But here is the challenge to our democracy*: In this nation I see tens of
millions of its citizens—a substantial part of its whole population—who at
this very moment are denied the greater part of what the very lowest
standards of today call the necessities of life.
[...]
I see millions lacking the means t... more »
Breaking! Malaysian Passenger Plane crashed (shotdown) in Eastern Ukraine
*Holy smokes! If Russia won't take the Ukrainian bait would a false flag be
the next move? *
*This is exactly, I kid you not, exactly something mentioned as a distinct
possibility just yesterday during a real life conversation*
*So, that freaks me out quite a bit!*
*And, a Malaysian passenger plane? Another Malaysian plane?*
What would be the odds? It's certainly memorable. As in the memories are
already embedded in the mass consciousness.- Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
unofficial disappearance theories
My other thought is Malaysian Airlines are not so good and this tragedy is
being sp... more »
It's suicidal to fly over New Russia these days
The mysteriously lost MH370 flight of the Malaysian Airlines hasn't been
found and there's another tragedy for the company: MH17 from Amsterdam to
Kuala Lumpur was shot down near Shakhtar in the Donetsk People's Republic,
about 30 miles from the Russian border. The 295 people on board (280
passengers + 15 crew members) died.
I was saddened and shocked at the same moment. People get harassed with all
kinds of security regulations but when it comes to the actual trajectories
of airplanes, they continue to fly right above the de facto warzone as if
nothing were happening over there.
... more »
BBC News - Malaysia airliner crashes in Ukraine - reports
The BBC report that:
'Malaysian airliner with 295 people on board has crashed in Ukraine near
the border with Russia, on a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, reports
say.'
Two things come to mind: first that I'm not going to ever fly Air Malaysia
again and second how will Jeremy Bowen manage to blame Israel for this
incident?
More here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-28354856
Jews most popular religious group in U.S., despite criminality, subversion
Despite their outrageously brazen criminality and subversion of America,
Jews are the most popular religious group in the United States, according
to a recent Pew survey. The *Jewish Telegraph Agency* reports:
*Jews are the most warmly regarded religious group in America*, according
to a new survey by the Pew Research Center.
The *survey* of 3,217 adults conducted in June asked respondents to rate
their feelings toward various religious groups on a scale of 1 to 100, with
1 being coldest, 100 warmest and 50 meaning they have neither positive nor
negative feelings.
Jews rated 63, sl... more »
reality busting devices failing like farabochi Fibonacci dominoes.
reality busting devices failing like Farabochi Fibonacci dominoes.
the masters of the universe creating their own black holes
the fall that started so cleverly acceleratingly
sinister as the event horizon looms
muppets stripped in a feeding burlesque
to supply the drones
commanded to Marshall the resources
to feed the flickering reality distortion field
exhausting the participants
until the physics dictates
they all fly into the singularity
When all the gravity defying souls
are sucked away
fall off the end of the flat earth
in an ironic scientific way
it should leave lots of room
for... more »
Meanwhile in Cambodia: The Detention of Mu Sochua
Mu Sochua a leading member of the opposition Cambodian National Rescue
Party (CNRP) was arrested on Tuesday along with five others after a
demonstration to gain access to Phnom Penh’s Freedom Park turned violent in
clashes between police and some of the protesters. Sochua was elected to
the Cambodian parliament in 2013 and is a leading human rights
Continue reading
Islamic State Carries Out Intimidation Campaign Destroying Homes And Kidnapping And Murdering People In Northern Iraq
Since the Islamic State (IS) swept through northern Iraq in early June 2014
it has started a two-pronged strategy to govern the millions of people that
have come under its control. While carrying out a hearts and mind campaign
in large cities like Mosul it has also set about threatening and
intimidating the population especially in the rural areas. This has led to
the destruction of hundreds of homes, over one hundred kidnappings, and
dozens of reported executions.
The Islamic State (IS) has used violence to maintain and expand its hold
over northern Iraq. In contested areas alon... more »
How Cooking Can Change Your Life by Michael Pollan
*4 September 2013*
Renowned activist and author Michael Pollan argues that cooking is one of
the simplest and most important steps people can take to improve their
family's health, build communities, fix our broken food system, and break
our growing dependence on corporations. The event was chaired by Tim Lang,
professor of Food Policy at City University London.
To find out more about this talk, visit the event page on the RSA website:
*http://www.thersa.org/events/audio-an...*
Listen to the podcast of the full event including audience Q&A:
*http://www.thersa.org/__data/a... more »
Energy Econ 23: Death of Australia's Carbon Tax
Today, Australia officially killed the onerous and climate alarmism law,
carbon tax. I am posting below portions of selected news reports on the
subject.
From The Australian today,
*The Prime Minister, while claiming victory after a five-year campaign
against carbon pricing, also launched a new campaign against the Labor
Party’s promise to take a replacement emissions trading scheme to the next
election.*
And from the WSJ today,
*"He said the carbon price was acting as a A$9 billion a year handbrake on
the economy, which was adjusting to the end of a record mining investment
... more »
WHY ISN’T THIS INDOCTRINATION CRIMINAL?
WHY ISN’T THIS INDOCTRINATION CRIMINAL?.Filed under: SHAUN JOHNSON, PHD:
Musings from the Chalk Face
SOUTH KOREAN 'KILL CHAIN'
South Korea's Defense Minister nominee Han Min-koo says he has no plans to
adopt a U.S.-designed missile defense system. At his confirmation hearing
Sunday, Han said South Korea currently deploys the US Patriot-3 system as a
high-altitude defense shield over the peninsula. The nominee also vowed to
install the country's indigenous missile defense system as soon as possible
to counter any North Korean threats.
He said the defense ministry will push for early establishment of the Korea
Air and Missile Defense system -- or KAMD -- and the so-called 'Kill
Chain', a pre-emptive missile... more »
This is not the first time that Paul Craig Roberts and his colleagues have exposed flagrant rigging of the Comex (paper) gold market downward by market insiders. One possible motive for such manipulation "...is to operate and control Comex trading in a manner that helps the Fed contain the price of gold, thereby preventing its rise from signaling to the markets that problems festering in the U.S. financial system are growing worse by the day. This is an act of financial terrorism supported by federal regulatory authorities. Another motive is to help support the relative trading level of the U.S. dollar..." Blogger's recommendation: Buy real gold metal (not paper) now, because sometime in the not too distant future such rigging will no longer work, whereupon the value of gold metal will double or triple over night...
------------------------------
*Insider Trading and Financial Terrorism on Comex*
------------------------------
July 16, 2014 | Original Here Go
here to sign up to receive email notice of this news letter
*Paul Craig Roberts and Dave Kranzler*
July 16, 2014. The first two days this week gold was subjected to a series
of computer HFT-driven “flash crashes” that were aimed at cooling off the
big move higher gold has made since the beginning of June. During this move
higher, the hedge funds, who typically “chase” the momentum of gold up or
... more »
People Are Not Illegal
Here's a snippet from Tuesday's regular White House briefing, in which
press flack Josh Earnest was confronted about the gut-churning televised
spectacle of a planeload of mothers and children being deported from the US
and dumped into the most dangerous city on the planet.
MR. EARNEST: Well, Jeff, the flight that you’re referring to was a flight
that was operated by the Department of Homeland Security in their capacity
as a law enforcement agency, that they were enforcing the law. So that is
a decision that was made by that law enforcement agency.
I would point out, though, t... more »
Londonistan
The subject of “the BBC’s bias towards Israel” was brought to us on the
Today programme yesterday because it was thought very odd that the BBC
failed to report the noisy protest outside its own building the previous
day. (2:38 mins in.)
In the parallel world that Craig alluded to in his recent post, that
omission could be yet another indication of the BBC’s bias towards Israel.
The real reason is probably because the BBC doesn’t think it has any kind
of bias, so its nonexistent bias is not a subject it would wish to include
in news bulletins.
However, they might mention it if one o... more »
Sen. Ted Cruz: “Mr. President, when did the Democratic Party declare war on the Catholic Church?”...
*and the outcome is?*
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) criticized Senate Democrats and their
legislation to circumvent the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision by
explaining that their bill would impose “faith fines” on groups like the
Little Sisters of the Poor, who refuse to subsidize abortion-inducing
drugs, and asked, “Mr. President, when did the Democratic Party declare war
on the Catholic Church?”
“The bill that is being voted on this floor, if it were adopted, would fine
the Little Sisters of the Poor millions of dollars unless these Catholic
nuns are willing to pay for abortion-... more »
Is time going slowly near the equator?
John Rennie – who is going to jump above me at Physics Stack Exchange in a
few months unless I will find motivation to prevent him from doing so – has
asked a very nice question:
Does time move slower at the equator?
The Earth is spinning so all people living at the equator are apparently
moving at 464 m/s relatively to what seems like a "better inertial frame".
By the special relativistic time dilation, this should slow their time by
one part per trillion. That would be a 100 larger relative effect than the
accuracy you may achieve with state-of-the-art atomic clocks.
Has someone ... more »
Are Self-Entitled Politicians With Too Much Money Endangering The Rest Of Us?
Monday we did two posts about the problem climate deniers pose for normal
people-- the first one here and the other one here. In both posts, we
looked specifically at the Florida congressmembers whose districts are
likely to sink under the waves and who are still denying climate change
science to please the Cheney types and their donors (while betraying their
constituents). Most of them are Republicans, of course-- crooks and idiots
like Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Mario Diaz-Balart, Dennis Ross, Vern Buchanan,
Bill Posey-- but there are two Democrats from the Republican wing of the
Dem... more »
On The Dogmatic Jihad of Radiative Transfer Theory Believers
Steven Goddard has a post "categorizing idiot clans" and listing them, to
which one commenter added, "I see a missing category, the geran category:
Populated by mean, vicious little SOBs (a technical term, I assure you) who
limit their knowledge of thermal energy transfer to simple concepts of
gaseous convection and the ideal gas law and nothing whatsoever involving
radiative energy transfer …". My response follows:
*That's probably because the only globally effective (i.e., not localized
and transient) radiative energy transfer is from direct solar to atmosphere
and to ground (yes,... more »
UK Foreign Minister William Hague Fired - But Why ? ???? Implication as to why set forth ......
July 15, 2014
UK Foreign Minister William Hague Fired - But Why?
Reshuffle Surprise As William Hague Quits As Foreign Secretary , July 15
William Hague surprised Westminster on Monday evening by announcing he
would quit as foreign secretary, as David Cameron culled male ministers of
all ranks as part of a wide-ranging reshuffle expected to see the promotion
of several women to top jobs.
Hmm ...
There is currently another inquiry into pedophile rings in the UK which,
allegedly, included major British politicians since the 1960s and several,
some seemingly still ongoing, cover-ups by t... more »
Kiev authors latest fable concerning Russia while bombing South East Ukraine and trying to provoke Russia .... ( July 17 , 2014 ) -- Kiev Reports Ukraine Warplane Was Shot Down By A Russian Fighter Jet
Zero Hedge .....
Kiev Reports Ukraine Warplane Was Shot Down By A Russian Fighter Jet
[image: Tyler Durden's picture]
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 07/17/2014 07:47 -0400
- Germany
- Reuters
- Ukraine
inShare
While most news coming out of Ukraine regarding the ongoing civil war are
merely propaganda designed to make Russia look bad, and hence irrelevant
(and vice versa from Russia of course - the only news that matters re:
Ukraine is i) what happens with gas deliveries to Europe via Ukraine and
ii) the fate of the South Stream pipeline; the rest is mostly noise), it ... more »
Untitled
*Schools Dispense With History in Favor of Political Correctness*
Former Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin once said, “Give me four years to teach
the children and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted.” Lenin
understood how important education is to a young person’s worldview, and
how intractable ideas can become. Lenin used education to the fullest, as
do his heirs in the West.
The cultural revolution of the 1960s remains very much with us. In the last
50 years it has chipped away at the foundations of our nation, little by
little, relentlessly, with an agenda of fundamentally c... more »
They're Really Not Very Smart
After several rebukes from the Supreme Court, the Harperites are feeling
mean. Earlier this week, Conservative MP Larry Miller complained that the
"courts are making laws." Andrew Coyne writes:
People who supposedly stand for limited government get surprisingly antsy,
once in office, about having their own discretion circumscribed. That they
profess to do so in the name of Parliament only compounds the incoherence.
Who do they think passed the Charter?
And, of course, as always for these folks, Pierre Trudeau is the villain:
Mr. Miller does not disappoint. “Pierre Trudeau,” he sa... more »
7 Tips for a Summer Trip The Kids Will Always Remember
It's summer and with the warmer weather, surely the kids will want to get
outdoors and play, right? Wrong. Left to their own devices, kids these days
will waste away and entire summer playing on a mobile device or watching
endless episodes on Netflix.
I don't know about you, but when I think back on my summers growing up,
they're full of adventure and family time. Don't get me wrong, these aren't
necessarily all happy memories (though most are), but they are definitely
memorable and contributed to who I am today.
RVing is one of the best ways to get kids to unplug, because, let's f... more »
20 Facts You’re Not Being Told About Israel and Gaza on TV
The Pontiac Tribune
1) 4 Palestinian boys playing soccer on a beach were killed yesterday when
an Israeli airstrike suddenly took their lives. Dozens of international
journalists were stationed at the Al-Deira Hotel as they watched in horror while
Israeli airstrikes fired upon the Palestinian civilians for a second time,
chasing the children across the beach as they screamed for someone to help.
Since July 7th the death toll in Gaza has swelled to well over 200
Palestinians. A whopping 80% of the victims have been confirmed as civilians,
including several dozen Palestinian child... more »
Charter Cap in Massachusetts Will Not Be Lifted
It is gratifying to know that the legislature of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, where public schools were born, took a significant step this
week to support Horace Mann's notion of quality public schools for all
children. As Mann said some 160 years ago, "agitate, agitate, agitate, but
always for a good cause."
The good cause that MA citizens agitated for most recently was to keep the
charter school cap in place so that citizens might study the effects of a
two-tiered separate and unequal system of schooling in Massachusetts that
has resulted from the birth and expansion of co... more »
Iraq Updates ( July 17 , 2014 ) -- State of play in Sectarian War , Political Front , Kurdistan ......
Anti War.....
Offensive Fails, Iraqi Military Retreats From ISIS-Held TikritWeeks of
Fighting Ends With Military Defeat
by Jason Ditz, July 16, 2014
Print This | Share This
Nearly three solid weeks of reports of Iraq’s Army either defeating the
rebels to reclaim Tikrit or being on the cusp of defeating the rebels and
regaining control over Tikrit, the military has withdrawn outright, leaving
the city in ISIS hands.
Tikrit is one of several “contested” cities in the area due north of
Baghdad, but after weeks of fighting there was a remarkable sense of calm
today, as daily sorties from... more »
Haughty Obama Hits Russia With More Sanctions
Late Wednesday the pathetic Obama administration fired yet another salvo at
the Russian bear showing that they are as determined as ever to provoke a
new cold war or maybe even a hot one with a nuclear armed power. Despite
warnings from American business groups such as the US Chamber of Commerce
and National Association of Manufacturers that the months running
dick-measuring contest between El Presidente and Russian leader Vladimir
Putin would be harmful to American business the sanctions were leveled
anyway. It is obvious that Obama has a huge inferiority complex and his
thin-ski... more »
Guest Post: Kerry Emanuel Clarifies a Recent Quote in the NYT
The comment below is by Kerry Emanuel, at MIT, who is clarifying a recent
quote of his in the *New York Times*.
I would like first to thank Roger for allowing me to post this response to the
article about John Christy by Michael Wines in Tuesday's New York Times.
Although I was quoted accurately, the context in which the quotation was
phrased distorted its intended meaning.
Several weeks ago, I had several phone conversations with Mr. Wines about
the work of John Christy. In those conversations, I emphasized the value of
skepticism in science and also said that I agreed with some e... more »
Musical Interlude: Kevin Kern, “Another Realm”
Kevin Kern, “Another Realm”
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a2JtNQublQ
F-15E takes first flight with new radar system
[image: F-15E Strike Eagle]The first 389th Fighter Squadron F-15E Strike
Eagle received a Radar Modernization Program upgrade here in June.
The inaugural flight with the new radar system was flown by Capt. Matthew
Riley, 389th Fighter Squadron pilot, and Maj. Jacob Lindaman, 389th FS
weapon systems officer.
"The new radar system does everything faster, is extremely precise and
requires less maintenance," Riley said. "It can designate air-to-air and
air-to-ground simultaneously, allowing us to track enemy aircraft and
identify ground targets at the same time."
Read more
Russia Deliveres Last Batch of Mi-171E Helicopters to China
[image: Mi-171 Hip]The Russian Helicopters holding delivered the last batch
of Mi-171E transport helicopters built at the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant to
Chinese company Poly Technologies, a company spokesperson stated Tuesday.
It's the last batch under a contract for 48 helicopters signed in 2012 by
the Chinese company and Russia's arms exporter Rosoboronexport. In total,
with additional contracts, 52 helicopters were delivered, the statement
said.
Mi-171E helicopters are successfully operated in China, in particular in
regions with challenging terrain and severe climate conditions. Hel... more »
Donbas terrorists now have Strela-10 AA missile complex
[image: 9K35 Strela 10 SA-13 Gopher Self-Propelled Air Defense System]Donbas
terrorists are now armed with self-propelled Strela-10 AA missile complex,
NDSC spokesman Andry Lysenko said, LigaBiznesInform reports July 16.
“This weapon could have been made available to the terrorists only by the
Russian army,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, the terrorists continue to seize buildings in Donas cities and
place AA missiles and artillery in schools and residential houses.
Read more
Royal Air Force Upgrades Tornado in Shadow of F-35
[image: Tornado F3]The British Royal Air Force plans to finish
technological upgrades of as many as 59 Tornado aircraft by 2016 as part of
a modernization plan to keep the plane relevant as the F-35 and Typhoon
come on line, officials said at the Farnborough International Airshow.
The upgrades included outfitting the planes with precision weapons,
improved information exchange and secure communication technology, said
Dave Waddington, Tornado Force Commander, RAF.
Although at least eight upgraded Tornado aircraft have recently served in
Afghanistan, the RAF plans to fully phase out ... more »
MBDA’S Brimstone missile demonstrates its maritime capability
MBDA has successfully demonstrated its Dual Mode BRIMSTONE missile against
fast moving and manoeuvring Fast Inshore Attack Craft even in a cluttered
environment with multiple neutral vessels in very close proximity.
Conducted in March and April 2014 at the QinetiQ managed Aberporth range in
west Wales, UK, an RAF Tornado GR4 aircraft fired two Dual Mode BRIMSTONE
missiles (one telemetry and one operational), each fitted with MBDA’s
latest Anti-FIAC software upgrades, at remotely controlled, 40ft ASV C13
Fast Inshore Attack Craft targets powered by twin 350hp engines.
The telemetry ... more »
Norway, Australia collaboration could reduce Joint Strike Missile costs
[image: Joint Strike Missile]A potential collaboration between Australia
and Norway could reduce the costs of integrating Kongsberg Gruppen's Joint
Strike Missile into Lockheed Martin's new F-35 fighter jet, the Norwegian
Air Force said on Wednesday.
"Australia has signalled interest in a collaborative effort on the
integration portion (of the missile's development)," Lieutenant Colonel
Sigurd Fongen told reporters at the Farnborough Airshow.
"That would potentially save money, however that remains to be seen. We
have to keep the discussions going with the Australians," he said.
Re... more »
Retirement date for HMS Illustrious
[image: HMS Illustrious]The Royal Navy's helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious
is to be retired next month after 32 years of service.
The Portsmouth-based warship is to be replaced by HMS Ocean, which has just
received a £65 million refit.
A decommissioning ceremony will be held later in the year and Illustrious's
final return to base could be as early as next Tuesday.
Read more
Canada to supply decommissioned fighter aircraft to Ukraine
[image: CF-18 Hornet]The Ukrainian combat aviation received reinforcements
from Canada. The Canadian government proposes to deliver nearly 20 combat
aircraft CF-18A to the Ukrainian military.
The information appeared on social networks. Russian English-language
television channel Russia Today reported the same.
These 20 aircraft can be delivered to the Ukrainian side for free, as they
had been written off from service at the Air Forces of Canada in connection
with the purchase of new aircraft. In addition, Canada offers to send a
dozen experts to Ukraine to train Ukrainian pilots a... more »
Raytheon to provide torpedo integration on Alenia Aermacchi aircraft for Turkish Navy
[image: ATR72-600TMUA]Raytheon Company will serve as weapons integrator for
Italian aircraft manufacturer Alenia Aermacchi, providing 31 months of
engineering services support for integration of MK 54 and MK 46 torpedoes
onto the Alenia Aermacchi ATR-72-600ASW maritime patrol aircraft.
Raytheon received a $5.7 million contract to support Alenia Aermacchi's
test, integration and qualification for the external carriage and tactical
employment of the lightweight torpedoes.
Alenia Aermacchi is the prime contractor on the Meltem III contract under
which it is obligated to provide ATR-7... more »
Navy Selects Ships for Out-Year Retirements
[image: USS Ponce]In addition to the 14 ships identified for
decommissioning or removed from active service in fiscal 2015, the Navy has
selected 17 the ships to be removed from service from 2016 through 2019.
In the “Report to Congress on the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction
for Naval Vessels for FY2015,” prepared and submitted to Congress by the
deputy chief of naval operations for integration of capabilities and
resources, the Navy lists 11 Los Angeles-class attack submarines (SSNs),
one Ticonderoga-class cruiser (CG), two Powhatan-class fleet ocean tugs
(T-ATFs), two Safe... more »
Navy launches second review of HMCS Whitehorse events
[image: HMCS Whitehorse]A navy ship ordered home over allegations of
misconduct has prompted a second review – this one focused specifically on
HMCS Whitehorse’s crew and senior officers.
The review will look at everything from the actions of the senior leaders
on board to the overall situation on the vessel, and comes just days after
Whitehorse returned to Canada.
In a rare move, the head of the Royal Canadian Navy ordered the ship to
return home after crew were involved in three separate incidents of
misconduct in San Diego, Calif. HMCS Whitehorse, a maritime coastal defence
vess... more »
Russia Set to Reopen Soviet-Era Spy Post in Cuba
Russia has quietly reached a provisional agreement with Cuba on reopening a
big Soviet-era base on the Caribbean island from which it spied on the
U.S., a Russian security source said Wednesday.
The proposed move comes as U.S.-Russian relations have reached a post-Cold
War low in a dispute over policy towards Ukraine.
Confirming a report in the daily Kommersant newspaper which said the deal
was agreed in principle during a visit to Cuba last week by President
Vladimir Putin, the source said: "A framework agreement has been agreed."
Read more
Truong Sa submarine to undergo tests in Rammasun typhoon
[image: Truong Sa submarine]In May, Hoa said the submarine was ready for a
test. The Rammasun typhoon is expected to hit northern provinces of Quang
Ninh and Hai Phong on July 19.
“I will go the sea to test the sub when the hurricane rushes in,” Hoa said.
Explaining his decision, Hoa said one of his purposes in designing the sub
was to make it capable of joining rescue activities under extreme weather
conditions.
Read more
Christy in NYT, little girl, and school bus
The New York Times have published a relatively friendly story by Michael
Wines about John Christy, a well-known climate skeptic:
Though Scorned by Colleagues, a Climate-Change Skeptic Is Unbowed
I say that the article is "relatively friendly" because it pictures Christy
as a decent human being and an achieved enough expert while his opponents,
the climate alarmists who have contaminated the community of atmospheric
scientists, were shown as what they are, a cruel, fanatical, inhumane,
Gestapo-like sect that won't even shake Christy's hand.
From an emotional viewpoint, they treat Chr... more »
Jack A. Smith : Israel bombs Gaza civilians. Again.
In 2008-2009, Israel virtually crushed the tiny territory and its 1.7
million inhabitants, killing 1,400 Palestinians, while losing only 10
Israeli soldiers. By Jack A. Smith | The Rag Blog | July 16, 2014 Once
again, Israel has found a … finish reading Jack A. Smith :
Israel bombs Gaza civilians. Again.
The People of Iraq Are Stuck Between Jihadist Madmen And Shia Maniacs
* Iraq, who do you want to be ruled by? The madmen on the left or the
maniacs on the right?*
"That is when you start looking to the core of what the Prophet Mohammad
reveals in these revelations, especially during that initial decade in
Mecca. *And the core of that message is as clear as it gets: it is a
message of social justice for the weak, for the poor, for the dispossessed,
the orphans, the widows, and those without protection.* It is a message of
condemnation and judgement for those who accumulated power and wealth." -
Reza Aslan, from, *"The Sociology of Islam"* interview... more »
Tristan and Isolde: Coitus Interruptus
*Wagner’s thrilling *Tristan and Isolde* is **being performed in Auckland
on Saturday**, the first time ever in New Zealand! This is the third post
getting ready for the great event! (Part One; Part Two.)*
What happens on stage in opera is mostly not as important as what happens
in the music. The music is telling you the real story.
On stage, characters might only be having a bit of a cuddle, but the music
reveals much more is going on under the covers.
The music of Act II is the emotional core of Tristan and Isolde. It grows
organically from the Tristan chord right at the very st... more »
Thursday, July 16: Another busy day for President "Ribbon Cutter" raising money and talking jive...
*never mind the border, Benghazi, an out of control IRS, and Fast and
Furious - to name a few.*
He's really going to ready for that long vacation in Martha's Vineyard in
that big ol' house with 8 bedrooms and a gazillion bathrooms.
He has to fly to Delaware to deliver remarks on infrastructure?? What the
hell would he know about infrastructure?
*11:20 am ||* Departs White House
*12:15 pm ||* Arrives Delaware
*2:10 pm ||* Delivers remarks on Infrastructure; Port of Wilmington,
Wilmington, Delaware
*3:15 pm ||* Departs Delaware
*4:00 pm ||* Arrives New York City
*5:45 pm ||* At... more »
Hawaii-- A Simple 6-Minute Video Shows The Difference Between Progressives And New Dems On Social Security And Other Issues
There may not be a more important Democratic primary this summer than the
August 9th election in Hawaii as incumbent progressive Senator Brian Schatz
faces a challenge from Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, a leader of the Wall
Street-owned New Democrat Coalition, the predominant component of the
Beltway's Republican wing of the Democratic Party.
They differ on a range of important issues, including the environment, war
and peace and LGBT equality.
But it’s on Social Security where their differences-- and the differences
between progressives and New Dems generally-- are perhaps most stark, ... more »
Untitled
*STOP PRESS!*
Australia has just abolished its carbon tax. It has now passed both houses
and awaits only the formality of Royal Assent
*Australia's conservative Prime Minister, Tony Abbott today*
*Details*
"A Look to the Heavens"
"A gorgeous spiral galaxy some 100 million light-years distant, NGC 1309
lies on the banks of the constellation of the River (Eridanus). NGC 1309
spans about 30,000 light-years, making it about one third the size of our
larger Milky Way galaxy. Bluish clusters of young stars and dust lanes are
seen to trace out NGC 1309's spiral arms as they wind around an older
yellowish star population at its core.
*Click image for larger size.*
Not just another pretty face-on spiral galaxy, observations of NGC 1309's
recent supernova and Cepheid variable stars contribute to the calibration
of the... more »
The Poet: Walt Whitman, “Song of the Open Road”
*“Song of the Open Road” *
by Walt Whitman, “Leaves of Grass”
“Afoot and light-hearted, I take to the open road,
Healthy, free, the world before me,
The long brown path before me, leading wherever I choose.
Henceforth I ask not good fortune- I myself am good fortune;
Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing,
Strong and content, I travel the open road.
The earth- that is sufficient;
I do not want the constellations any nearer;
I know they are very well where they are;
I know they suffice for those who belong to them.
(Still here I carry m... more »
"Our Destiny..."
"Our destiny can be examined, but it cannot be justified
or totally explained. We are simply here."
- Iris Murdoch
Chet Raymo, “Half Sick Of Shadows”
*“Half Sick Of Shadows”*
by Chet Raymo
"Who is this woman? Her name is on the prow of her boat: The Lady of
Shalott.
*Click image for larger size.*
Yes, it's Tennyson's "Lady of Shalott," from the poem of 1842, here
illustrated by John William Waterhouse in 1888. By some unspecified curse
this lovely maiden was confined to a tower…
"Willows whiten, aspens quiver,
Little breezes dusk and shiver
Through the wave that runs for ever
By the island in the river"
…near Camelot, where, forbidden to look out the window, she observed the
world in a mirror and wove what she ... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Santa Rosa, California, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
Paulo Coelho, “The Neighbor And The Trees”
*“The Neighbor And The Trees”*
by Paulo Coelho
"My old mill in the little Pyrenees village has a line of trees separating
it from the farm next door. The other day the neighbor appeared: he must be
about seventy years old. Now and again I have seen him working with his
wife on the farm and thought it was high time for them to retire and have a
rest. In a very nice manner, the neighbor complained that the leaves from
my trees were falling on his roof and that I had to cut them down. I was
most shocked: how could a person who has spent his entire life in contact
with nature want me t... more »
"What Is the Piri Reis Map?"
* "What Is the Piri Reis Map?"*
by World-mysteries.com
.
"In 1929, a group of historians found an amazing map drawn on a gazelle
skin. Research showed that it was a genuine document drawn in 1513 by Piri
Reis, a famous admiral of the Turkish fleet in the sixteenth century, whose
passion was cartography. His high rank within the Turkish navy allowed him
privileged access to the Imperial Library of Constantinople. The Turkish
admiral admits in a series of notes on the map that he compiled and copied
the data from a large number of source maps, some of which dated back to
the fourth ce... more »
"Shifting the Mood: Attitude Follows Perspective"
*"Shifting the Mood: Attitude Follows Perspective"*
by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM
We all have to do things in our life that we don't want to and the easiest
solution is to change our attitude. We all have days when we are faced with
chores, errands, or responsibilities that we don’t want to do. At times
like these, it’s easy to get into a bad mood and stay in one as we tackle
these tasks. However, given the fact that our bad mood will not change the
fact that we have to do these things, and will most likely make things
worse, we could also try to shift our attitude. Many wise peopl... more »
Debategate
By Morton Kondracke
It seems virtually certain that a crime was committed when Carter campaign
briefing documents were transferred to the Reagan campaign prior to the
1980 Presidential debate. What’s not at all certain is whether the crime
constitutes grand theft of petit larceny. Just how seriously “Debategate”
should be taken depends on answers not yet available. Did these documents
include vital strategy memos as well as routine position papers? Were they
sent to the Reaganites unsolicited, or were they procured? Was the transfer
part of some continuing espionage operation? ... more »
The New York Times Blames The Victims In Their Coverage of An Israeli Strike On A Gaza Beach That Killed 4 Kids
*A photo of the father whose four children were killed by the Israeli army
in a vicious strike on a beach in Gaza. The New York Times says the kids'
deaths was their own fault because they defied their parents' orders and
went out to the beach to play.*
An excerpt from, *"Boys Drawn to Gaza Beach, and Into Center of Mideast
Strife"* by Anne Barnard, The New York Times, July 16:
The four Bakr boys were young cousins, the children of Gaza fishermen who
had ordered them to stay indoors — and especially away from the beach. *But
cooped up for nine days during Israeli bombardments, the ... more »
Labour/National–relevance/reform?
Hugh Pavletich asks if Labour has the capacity to reform and become
relevant – which prompted me to wonder if National will ever have the balls
to become meaningful, and enact reform.
Hugh reckons New Zealand Labour has massive problems, but the issues are
much deeper than New Zealand Labour and David Cunliffe …
Voters everywhere have had enough of bloated and dysfunctional governments,
says Britain’s *Daily Telegraph. *In the US, a recent Gallup Poll reveals
that the number one US problem for those polled is the US Government,)
And here in New Zealand, the New Zealand Productivi... more »
Kathleen Carroll Soars on the Wings of Research Blunder; Jim Horn Hitches a Ride
On July 15, 2014, California attorney Kathleen Carroll posted a piece on
the City Watch LA blog entitled, When Did Teacher Unions Decide to “Turn”…
Against Collective Bargaining Rights? Based upon emails I have received
referencing this same piece, it appears that Carroll first publicized this
piece on July 12, 2012 (though possibly before). Also on July 15, 2014, the
Carroll […]
Ken Derstine Commentary
From Defending Public Education:
*Which Side Are You On?*
by Ken Derstine
July 14, 2014
The union movement of today has been transformed from what the unions were
when most started in the 1930’s, increasingly taking on the characteristics
of company unions. Ever since the PATCO strike in 1981, when air traffic
controllers who refused an order from the Reagan administration to return
to work or be fired for going on strike, unions have been in decline due to
globalization of the world economy with companies searching the globe for
the cheapest workforce possible combined with a un... more »
Martin Lawrence
With a pistol in his pocket, comedian Martin Lawrence ran into traffic on
busy Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks on Tuesday, cursing and screaming at
oncoming cars until he was taken away by police and hospitalized,
authorities and witnesses said.
Lawrence, star of the television sitcom "Martin" and the films "Bad Boys"
and "A Thin Line Between Love & Hate," was found in the middle of Ventura
Boulevard at Tyrone Avenue about 12:30 p.m., said Sgt. Bert Mora of the Los
Angeles Police Department.
After police restrained Lawrence, he was taken to Sherman Oaks Hospital and
Health Ce... more »
“Cultures aren’t museum pieces.”
Suzuki Samurai’s post on Australian aboriginal culture was picked up and
linked to by Kate at popular Canadian blog Small Dead Animals (thanks
Kate), prompting some mostly interesting comments there.
The most interesting, I thought, was essentially about division-of-labour.
Said Steve:
The aborigines didn't have much of a chance to advance culturally. Isolated
with a small population doesn't lend itself to rapid advancement. Eurasia
was huge teaming with peoples trading and exchanging knowledge. Each
culture in Eurasia learned from the other.
The point being that cultures enjoyin... more »
Satire: “Fleeing Iraqis Relieved That Cheney Has No Regrets About War”
*“Fleeing Iraqis Relieved That Cheney Has No Regrets About War”*
by Andy Borowitz
BAGHDAD (The Borowitz Report)— “Just days after former Vice-President Dick
Cheney said that he had no regrets about the invasion of Iraq, people
fleeing their homes across that war-torn nation expressed tremendous relief
that he was at peace with his decision.
As news spread that Cheney would not change a thing about the 2003
invasion, Iraqis driven out of their villages and towns by marauding
terrorists called the former Vice-President’s words well-timed and
soothing. Sabah al-Alousi, who fled Mosul ... more »
Maliki Is Challenging The IDF For Most Civilians Killed This Week By Government
Maliki to Israel Defense Forces: You will not kill more civilians than
Maliki the Magnificent while I'm still in power. I'll show you how it's
done.
*Video Title: Iraq civilians tell of indiscriminate killing. Source: Al
Jazeera. Date Published: July 16, 2014.*
"The politicians don't care about the people. This will go on. They're just
fighting for seats while civilians are being killed and displaced." -
Displaced Iraqi Shaker Khalil.
Re. the Great CIA Grape Scandal: What would "Big Dick" Cheney have done about those "grapes"?
*The Great CIA Grape Scandal: *
* A Typographical Reenactment*
*How long do you suppose it took President Putin to find out about the
CiA's grape scandal?*
*by Ken*
Say, you remember the good old days at the CIA, when Vice President "Big
Dick" Cheney, the man who put the "vice" in "vice president," used to hang
out running roughshod over the boys and girls, knocking heads and breaking
arms to make sure that all the "intelligence" and analyses incorporated
"Big Dick's Favorite Fables," especially about Iraq? Man, those were the
days, when lies were lies, and intelligence came out o... more »
"War..."; "Human Nature"
"War does not determine who is right, only who is *left*."
- Bertrand Russell
"The more one analyzes people, the more all reasons for analysis disappear.
Sooner of later one comes to that dreadful universal thing called human
nature."
- Oscar Wilde
The Big Cheese stands alone- US expands sanctions against Russia- Unilaterally
*WP *
*How much harm is the US attempting to inflict on the EU with this move? *
*It is Europe that get's it's energy from Russia.*
The United States on Wednesday increased sanctions against Russia over its
actions in Ukraine, despite ongoing European reluctance to take similar
action so far.
*The administration took the measures against a series of banks, energy and
defense companies *as European leaders, meeting in Brussels, discussed
possible sanctions against a new list of individuals and a handful of
companies tied to Russia’s annexation in the Ukrainian region of Crimea, as
we... more »
International Law = Taiwan's friend
*The Zhoufu Industry Road in the Rift Valley.*
My friend and fellow member of the Ohio Diaspora Brian Benedictus (his
excellent blog) and I spanked Julian Ku hard in The Diplomat today: US
Policy and International Law: Taiwan's Friend. Enjoy...
_______________________
[Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its
sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, and scores
of links to other Taiwan blogs and forums!
As Russia leads revolt against US foreign policy and the USD , US and EU levy more sanctions against Russia ( July 16 , 2014 ) -- US Kicks The Growling Bear, Issues More Russian Sanctions; Restricts Debt Market Access ....... EU summit confirms sanctions expansion against Russia ....... Putin: US sanctions contradict its national interests, will backfire.....
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-07-16/us-kicks-growling-bear-issues-more-rassian-sanctions-restricts-debt-market-access
US Kicks The Growling Bear, Issues More Russian Sanctions; Restricts Debt
Market Access
[image: Tyler Durden's picture]
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 07/16/2014 16:36 -0400
- Bond
- Fitch
- Kalashnikov
- President Obama
- ratings
- Ukraine
- White House
inShare3
Just as they promised (and acting unilaterally as *Europe declined to go
along* with The White House), President Obama has unleashed a set of
'sectoral' sanctions to wr... more »
Gaza's Killers
"A United States congressional committee on Tuesday approved a spending
bill that would double the funding for Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile
system, Fox News reported.
The defense spending bill approved by the Senate Appropriations defense
subcommittee would provide $621.6 million for Israeli missile defense,
including $351 million for the Iron Dome system." - *Source*.
Why we shouldn't cry for Gaza in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
On the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, the tiny coastal sliver of Gaza
has been bombarded by Israel for over a week. Interestingly, in Europe the
controlled media and the alternative (also controlled) media, have taken
the position that we should have sympathy for the people of Gaza, and
should be outraged by the actions of Israel. Those of us who fight against
globalisation and the over-representation of Jews amongst those who are
driving us to cultural and ethnic genocide, tend to be happy to jump on the
anti-Israel bandwagon. Although it is against all instincts to say
any... more »
Neocon Propagandist Jennifer Rubin Absolutely Explodes Today
For not the first time in her illustrious career as the yappy, prolific
neocon water-carrier at the Washington Post and high priestess of bullshit
Jennifer Rubin cites the work of arch Iran-Contra criminal Elliot Abrams in
making the case for a Middle Eastern war to end all wars. In a piece today
- one of a whopping *SIX* that bear Rubin's byline as of suppertime this
evening - the felon and spouse of an insane racist Elliot Abrams is cited
in a piece entitled "Leading from the front is . . . Israel?!". I don't
know if Rubin and Abrams consider the shelling and murder of four young... more »
Gaza Is A Shooting Gallery
The kids who were killed in an Israeli airstrike were playing soccer on
the beach. Unfortunately for them, the IDF is not a fan of the beautiful
game.
On the ground in Gaza: Doctor seeing Gazans with DIME-related injuries.
Source: Middle East Eye. Date Published: July 16, 2014. Description:
At Gaza City's Al-Shifa Hospital, Dr Mads Gilbert tells MEE that patients
are showing up with injuries related to DIME, an experimental munition
Israeli forces used against Gazans in 2009. Medical supplies are also
running low.
Unwelcome headlines from New Zealand [updated]
In contemplating changing the centuries-old legal protection of presumption
of innocence,New Zealand’s two biggest political parties are making
unwelcome headlines around the world.
Charles Oliver from *Reason* magazine writes, in his Brickbat column:
*It Is Better That 10 Innocent Persons Suffer Than One Guilty One Escape*
New Zealand's two major political parties, concerned that not enough men
are being convicted of rape, are considering changes to centuries-old legal
protections enjoyed by criminal defendants. The Labour Party wants to
remove the assumption of innocence, shif... more »
Footy
I forgot to mention, I did a post at the Footy Almanac that’s mostly
autobiographical, and only somewhat embroidered.
According to reviews, if you like that sort of thing then it’s the sort of
thing you would like:
- Rules? What rules? – THE FOOTY ALMANAC
Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission
to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
Trickle Down Civil War
originally published on CounterPunch
For those who haven't heard, a major offensive is being planned in the
ongoing war between the classes. While the poor, and what remains of the
middle and the working classes, suffer defeat after defeat, the wealthy are
hammering out yet another "free trade agreement." Memorably described by
Global Trade Watch Director Lori Wallach as "NAFTA on steroids," the
Trans-Pacific Partnership - or TPP - is the largest such agreement to come
along since the creation of the WTO in 1995.
Negotiated in secret between the US and 11 other Pacific nation-sta... more »
I dont care if they spy on me I got nothing to hide
And that the NSA talking point. Right up there with I don't vote because
all politicians are same/evil. George Washington explains it in terms even
a political zombie can understand. Its not about you, its about controlling
you by controlling the political process.
"I don't write about the future to predict it, I write to prevent it"
Ray Bradbury
“No, Germany Didn’t Start World War I”
*“No, Germany Didn’t Start World War I” *
by Bill Bonner
“Among all the discussion, on the 100th anniversary year of World War I,
appeared a new booklet by French economist and journalist Philippe
Simonnot. It's called "No, Germany Was Not Guilty." In the first instance,
Simonnot reveals that war guilt, forced onto Germany like a noose at a
lynching, was a bum rap. Germany did not want war. Nor did she start it.
At the start of the war, it was widely reported that German soldiers in
Belgium were acting like monsters – bayonetting babies, cutting off
thousands of hands, raping nuns... more »
How Republicans Use Gerrymandering To Undermine Democracy And Subvert The Will Of The American People
.tif.png)
NC-12, which snakes through the state looking for African-Americans, has a
D+26 PVI
Last week, the whole country got a chance to look in behind the walls of
the political sausage-making machine known as gerrymandering-- at least for
Florida. A judge threw out the Republican Party gerrymander of
congressional seats that was in direct violation of an amendment passed by
63% of Florida voters. "They were successful in their efforts to influence
the redistricting process and the congressional plan under review here," he
wrote. "And they might have successfully concealed their scheme and ... more »
Untitled
*Graham, Saints deal a win for both ~Scott Rabalais, New Orleans Advocate*
*Jimmy Graham's new contract breakdown ~Lyons Yellin *
*Road Home repayment demands to be addressed at meeting ~WVUE*
*Orleans deputy sues sheriff over alleged toxic mold exposure at jail,
courthouse ~Jim Mustian*
*New Orleans lawyer charged with cyberstalking in French Quarter noise
ordinance feud ~Helen Freund*
*The State of Transit in New Orleans ~Ride New Orleans *
*New images captured of WWII Nazi U-boat in Gulf of Mexico ~WWL *
Supplemental: Maureen Dowd (publicly) speaks!
*WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2014*
*Student IQs pay the price:* Maureen Dowd doesn’t like the idea that
Hillary Clinton accepts speaking fees for speeches delivered at colleges.
She voiced her disgust with the troubling practice in Sunday’s fiery
column. After critiquing the rapacious Chelsea Clinton, the columnist
offered these thoughts:
DOWD (7/13/14): *Hillary doesn’t see the disconnect between expressing
grave concern about mounting student loan debt while scarfing six-figure
sums from at least eight colleges,* and counting. She says now that she’s
passing the university money to the ... more »
A Little Hump Day Humor: Dear Kitten...
*the vah-cuuum cooom is my favorite part.*
I no longer vacuum the house - I vah-cuuum. *cooom*
Medical Mutiny: The Power of One
A Navy nurse refused early this month to force-feed Guantanamo
hunger-striking detainees on grounds of conscientious objection, and has
since been "reassigned" to other duties. From Carol Rosenberg of the *Miami
Herald*:
*A prison camp spokesman, Navy Capt. Tom Gresback, would not provide
precise details but said Monday night that the episode had “no impact to
medical support operations at the base.”*
*“There was a recent instance of a medical provider not willing to carry
out the enteral feeding of a detainee,” he said in an email. “The matter is
in the hands of the individual’s l... more »
Cui Bono from Next (and Last) Wall Street Drop (Stock-man To Rescue?) Rahmbo In Voters' Sights? (Rich Keep the Game Rigged While Americans Cling To Hope of Winning Lottery) Oliver Calls Dim Tune (All Old White Men: Jaysus! Are We Gonna Get NO Respite Any Time Soon? Russia and China Say No)
BREAKING! Andrew Ross Sorkin helps awful company’s CEO justify skipping out
on taxes . . . Wall Street's favorite NYT reporter helps a tax-dodging
company's CEO somehow come across as the victim I was poor, but a GOP
die-hard: How I finally left the politics of shame . . . I hated government
- even as it was the only thing trying to save me. Here's how, one day, I
finally saw the light . . .
Untitled
*Climate Change Quackery*
“He who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to
be deceived.” – Niccolo Machiavelli, “The Prince,” 1532
A truly scientific case for man-made “climate change” has yet to be made,
but never underestimate the ability of the “climate changers” to hide that
reality – and nowhere does that lack show up more tellingly than in their
“Appeal to Authority” campaign to convince lay-people that it’s all
“settled science.”
NASA itself, for example, has been stating for years that “97 percent of
climate scientists agree that climate-warming ... more »
Contribution and indemnity or claim in negligence?
Addison & Leyen Ltd v Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP, 2014 ABCA 230:
[22] The leading authority on the common law of contribution and
indemnity is *Birmingham and District Land Co* *v London and Northwestern
Railway Co*(1886), 34 Ch D 261 (CA). In that early decision, the English
Court of Appeal broadly defined the right to indemnity under the common law
as a direct right to reimbursement which may arise: (1) by express
contract, if provided in the terms of a contract between the parties; (2)
by implied contract, if the parties intended such indemnity; or (3) by
implication,... more »
Fire, Walk with Me
* "When this kind of fire starts, it is very hard to put out.*
*The tender boughs of innocence burn first, and the wind rises, and then
all goodness is in jeopardy."*
Agent Provocateur: The Season Of The Witch from Mademoiselle Eugénie on
Vimeo.
A good old-fashioned romp for AP's* 'The Season of the Witch'* campaign
film.
Our witches include Daisy Lowe, *Peaches Geldof* & Paz De La Heurta.
*Peaches Geldof*, best known as the daughter of rock legend/humanitarian
Bob Geldof, has received the pink slip from lingerie line, *Miss Ultimo*.
The UK brand’s decision to drop Peach... more »
Officer Involved Domestic Violence: Little Rock Cop Arrested for Assaulting His Own Son
[image: Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...]Mark Daniels
Donald Woods, 51 Arkansas Police Accountability Project
(Little Rock, AR) As reported by local news affiliates, a fistfight with
his 16 year old son led to the arrest of Little Rock Police Officer, Donald
Woods. According to the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office, Woods was
arrested after deputies witnessed his son with a ripped t-shirt, an
abrasion on his elbow that was bleeding, a cut on his finger, and a red
mark on the side of his neck. Details were released this morning about the
incident that happened at the ... more »
New Jersey May Be Very Democratic, But The Political Machines Make That Pretty Irrelevant
Norcross and Christie, the two grotesque crooks who run New Jersey
Earlier today we mentioned, in passing, an insurance-related dust-up in the
South Jersey congressional race for the open NJ-03 swing seat being vacated
by Jon Runyan. It pits multimillionaire insurance executive Tom MacArthur
against Burlington County Freeholder Aimee Belgard, a Democratic. Belgard,
who studied Environmental Science before getting a law degree, has been
endorsed by both the progressive, grassroots Sierra Club and the more
transactional, less trustworthy and more Beltway-oriented League of
Conservation... more »
Another Take On the Do-Nothing (English-Canadian) Left
A somewhat different take on the pathetic lack of ability of progressive
Canadians by rabble.ca's Mike Laxer:
"Limiting the Possible: English Canada's invisible left"
Laxer starts off by telling us that good things are happening elsewhere:
In virtually every single developed, nominally democratic capitalist
country in the world, interesting anti-capitalist or left social democratic
movements are being formed, winning seats and threatening the established
do-nothing centrist "left" that has become a collaborator with the
austerity agenda.
In Quebec, Quebec Solidaire, which is the vic... more »
Defence of Canada under Harper
Canada's
political, social and physical geography define its defence priorities.
Unless there is a massive shift in US politics, it has no land
connection to any existing or potential military adversary. Our small
population density and massive geography compared to the US means that
even if that were a hostile relationship, the 49th parallel is too long
to manually defend anyway.
Even without
Meanwhile, in a parallel universe nearby...
There's been a demo against BBC bias.
The *Graun*, the *Indie* and the *Indie*-owned *Evening Standard *have all
reported it, though no one beyond these left-wing/local papers seems to
have bothered with it.
It was staged by a few hundred noisy anti-Israeli activists (or, if you're
credulous enough to believe the figures posted on social media, a few
hundreds more).
This morning's *Today *(about a quarter of an hour before the end) dealt
with the protests by inviting on one of the protest's supporters -
Glasgow-based far-left media activist/academic, Greg Philo - and putting
... more »
Russian/Ukrainian News- Moscow shows damage/Ukraine kills civilians and more
*WSJ*
Russia's Ministry of Defense brought 11 foreign military attachés,
including one from the U.S., to a neighborhood on the Russian side of the
border where Moscow accused Kiev's forces of shelling a residential house
on Sunday, killing a 47-year-old Russian man and wounding two others.
The delegation inspected a neighborhood in the Rostov region that Russian
officials said was hit by six 120-mm artillery shells from the Ukrainian
side, where Kiev's forces and pro-Russia separatists have been facing off
for months.
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said he invited ... more »
ARISTOTLE’S ERROR: Digby seems to embellish a tad!
*WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2014*
*Part 2—The liberal world and its values:* Are we so-called human beings
really “the rational animal?”
No exactly, no. Consider what happened in Atlanta.
As has been widely reported, a major cheating scandal occurred within the
Atlanta Public Schools during the past decade. In the current New Yorker,
Rachel Aviv offers a harrowing, detailed look at the way this massive fraud
went down in Atlanta’s Parks Middle School.
Aviv’s report is detailed, harrowing. That said, you almost have to laugh
at the way it starts:
AVIV (7/21/14): One afternoon in the sprin... more »
WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?
Years ago while living in Orlando I was approached by some leaders from the
Palestinian community in Central Florida. I was working for the Florida
Coalition for Peace & Justice and they asked me to help them organize a
pro-Palestinian march through the city. There had never been such a thing
done in Orlando before. I said I would be happy to help.
We began by having small meetings at the home of an older Palestinian man.
I had previously not worked on the Israel/Palestine issue very much and was
grateful for the chance to meet so many wonderful people of Arab origin.
The mar... more »
City Summer Swimming
originally published on CounterPunch
New York City’s municipal swimming pools will open their gates, and their
blue, chlorinated depths to the public in a few weeks. And while local and
even national papers will report the advent of the city’s swimming season,
the conduct of the crowds, the (overwhelmingly petty) crimes that tend to
arise when so many people are concentrated into such tight confines, and
(to a lesser degree) the ongoing privatization of the public realm that is
limiting these spaces ever further, as so often happens the real issue will
hardly be discussed at all ... more »
Andre Carson's Wife and the Mind Trust/Indy Chamber
By Doug Martin
In an attempt to privatize more schools and train students for future jobs
that don't exist, the Indy Chamber of Commerce wrapped up its Pancakes and
Politics education panel event yesterday in Indianapolis with the Mind
Trust and Teach Plus.
US neoliberal Democrat Andre Carson's wife highlighted the event. Andre,
as I mention in *Hoosier School Heist*, is friends with school privatizers
and Gulenists, regardless of what the *Indy Star* claims and despite the
many standing ovations he gets at Indiana Party conventions.
Carson's wife, Mariama, not surprisingly, wa... more »
Updated: Global Weather Disasters and Global GDP
Munich Re has just released their tabulation of disaster losses for the
first half of 2014. I thought I'd use the occasion to update the dataset
shown above. The graph above shows global weather disasters as a proportion
of global GDP. Note that 2014 represents January-June. I assume that the
first half of 2014 global GDP is 2.5% higher than 2013. I also assume that
total 2014 losses to date are all due to weather. Both assumptions err on
the conservative side of things. Enjoy!
Data: Munich Re and UN
Do Dead Bodies In The Street’s Of Iraq’s Capital Point Towards A Renewed Civil War?
Talk of a new civil war emerging in Iraq has already begun to be discussed
by some media outlets. The Islamic State (IS) has been working for at least
a year if not more to infiltrate its people into Baghdad to restart street
fighting there. It already has extensive networks in and out of the capital
city, which have allowed it to carry out several attacks a day in the
province from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to sticky bombs to drive
by shootings to larger car bomb operations. The Baathist Naqsibandi is
active in northern Baghdad province as well. At the same time the Shi... more »
Musical Interlude: Melanie, “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)”
Melanie, “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)”
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgrCtZKkgqI
Taipei Mayoral Election polls
FormosaNation sent around these two images. He's bullish about the
prospects of Ko Wen-je in Taipei against Lien Chan's son Lien Sheng-wen
(Sean Lien) and has been twitting Ben Goren at Letters from Taiwan and I
about our pessimism. The top image shows the China Times poll that has Ko
at 38%, Lien at 30%, and Shen Fu-hsiung, a former DPPer, at 10% with the
remainder at no opinion/undecided. The bottom poll is even more terrifying
if you are a KMTer: Ko is on the left and even or winning in traditional
KMT districts. FormosaNation pointed out to me that KMTers are wailing and
gnash... more »
Corrupting Civil Society
http://buzznigeria.com/
The government has always had the power to revoke an organization's
charitable status. But it didn't happen very often; and, Carol Goar writes,
the rules were clear:
They siphoned donations into their founders’ own pockets, they provided a
front for shadowy groups or they used most of their funds for
administration.
But things changed with the advent of Stephen Harper:
The Conservative government, angered that environmentalists were tying up
pipeline projects in the West, ... more »
A Candidate With Conviction-- Ready For Warren
Bob Costa's headline in the *Washington Post* the other day, "Progressives
turn from Obama to embrace Warren"-- which an editor probably wrote--
missed a key point. Obama isn't running for president, or anything else,
again. Perhaps "Progressives turn from Hillary to embrace Warren" would
have been more to the point.
"Citibank and Goldman Sachs and all those other guys on Wall Street,
they’ve got plenty of folks in the U.S. Senate willing to work on their
side," Warren told the partisan Democratic crowd in Shepherdstown, West
Virginia. "We need some more people willing to work on... more »
Untitled
*Common Core Becomes Touchy Subject for Governors Group*
*Organization Leaves Education Standards Off Its Meeting's Official Agenda*
The National Governors Association was one of the founders of Common Core,
a set of academic standards aimed at raising student achievement. But as
Democratic and Republican governors gathered here for summer meetings,
Common Core wasn't on the official agenda, a sign of how the bipartisan
idea has become a political minefield.
Three Republican-led states recently abandoned Common Core, concerned that
national standards would allow President Barack Ob... more »
Reality Check - Controlling Energy resources for Global Domination
This is a bit of an older article Dec 2013. Seemed timely since *Palestinian
oil, and it's theft by Israel, is on the present day agenda. *The title is
"Putin's Mediterranean Move" but that's just typical NATO media arrogance.
How dare anyone else compete or vie for energy rights. When it all belongs
to the US or the UK.
*The subtitle presents the "problem" Moscow crashing the party of oil
exploitation by other interested parties -** "The race is on to exploit
off-shore energy around Israel, Syria, Lebanon, and Cyprus -- and Moscow is
crashing the party"*
Russia's eroding hold over ... more »
Buying and selling a house
Generally you buy (or sell) a house "as is" so let the buyer beware.
The courts have decided that a strict application of this doctrine would be
oppressive and unfair to purchasers so the law provides relief in certain
circumstances. The courts have made a distinction between a patent defect
and a latent defect. Patent defects are defects that are discoverable on a
superficial inspection of the property by an ordinary purchaser. A vendor
does not have a duty to draw the purchaser's attention to patent defects.
An example of this might be a large crack in the side of the house.
If th... more »
TURNcoat, Mary Ricker, to Serve as Exec VP for Weingarten
With Ricker's election, Weingarten, Gates, and Broad are building the next
generation of misleaders. Google "TURNcoats" and "AFT" and you will get
the links to understand what I'm talking about.
You might start here.
Principal Members are the primary liaisons & spokespersons
for each local in matters related to the Teacher Union Reform Network.
Name Title Organization Kevin Ahern President Syracuse Teachers
Association Tom Alves Executive Director San Juan Teachers Association
Karen Aronowitz President United Teachers of Dade Ellen Bernstein President
Albuquerque Tea... more »
Argentina: Lights and Mystery in the Valley of the Dinosaurs
*Argentina: Lights and Mystery in the Valley of the Dinosaurs*
From *Gaceta OVNI*
The Ezequiel Ramos Mexía reservoir is Argentina’s largest artificial lake,
created to supply power to the largest hydroelectric undertaking in the
history of Patagonia, the Chocón Complex. The waters of the Limay River,
which separate the Andean lacustrine region from the provinces of Neuquén
and Río Negro, arrive with great turbulence, following a basin that crosses
the vast Patagonian desert like a blue line, giving its sky-hued color to
the landscape it traverses. The monumental earthen dam, stand... more »
Obama's Willing Executioners
With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu once again bombing Gaza back
to the stone age and the ongoing ISIS related fighting in Iraq the
situation in Ukraine has slipped through the cracks. Not that the US
state-corporate media has bothered to tell the truth about the Obama backed
coup government in Kiev and it's neo-Nazi muscle anyway but Americans are
being hoodwinked into lining up behind what is increasingly becoming a
campaign of the use of the military against civilians as well as ethnic
cleansing operations. In the myriad of foreign policy disasters under the
Obama re... more »
Piketty on the minimum wage
A lot going on with the minimum wage lately, but I will contextualize it
first with Thomas Piketty's analysis in *Capital in the Twenty-First
Century*, pp. 308-313. I'll have more to say about other parts of the book
later, but for now it's important to remember that one of the keys to the
book's success is that it is built on a gigantic trove of long-term data.
His French wealth data, for example, goes all the way back to the immediate
aftermath of the French Revolution! (Speaking of which, it's Bastille Day
as I write this.)
Piketty writes in this section about increasing labor in... more »
Iraq Updates ( July 16 , 2014 ) -- ISIS resembling a small army these days ( ISIS Captured 52 US-Made Howitzers, Could Shell Iraq Cities Also Believed to Have Captured 1,500 Armored Humvees. ) ....... Political tension betraying efforts of miitary commanders ( Former Mosul Commander Blames Internal Tensions for City’s Fall Kurdish Brigadier Says Govt Undermined His Command , Iraq Lawmakers Select Speaker, But Carnage Continues: 233 Killed, 185 Wounded ) ........
News from Kurdistan....
New Iraqi parliament speaker calls for new president
16.07.2014
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*BasNews, Baghdad*
Iraq’s new Speaker Salim al-Juburi called on all eligible Iraqis to run for
president within three days, and the Iraqi parliament session will be held
on 23 July to discuss the state budget and presidency.
In a joint press conference with his two deputies, Al-Juburi called on all
Iraqis to apply for the presidency before the parliament session takes
place.
A parliamentary session will then be held to choose the president, he said.
According to... more »
Golden Rice: GMO "Super Gruel" for the Masses
You don't need big-ag's Golden Rice, you just need a garden.
*July 16, 2014* (LocalOrg) - Corporate biotechnology monopolies like
Monsanto, Syngenta, Bayer, and others have met increasing resistance to
their attempts to patent and control global agriculture. They have spent
untold fortunes attempting to sway the public but to no avail. Local,
organic agriculture is growing in popularity and proliferating across all
social-strata. The introduction of technology to automate and augment
organic farming is making it as competitive and accessible or more so than
the capital-intensive mo... more »
John Baird, international man of something or other
Why?
Canada is adding a further 14 individuals to the list of those
sanctioned over Russia's ongoing involvement in the situation in
Ukraine...
"Peace will only be achieved if Russia and the gunmen it continues to
support start showing good faith in talks with Kyiv," he said, calling
on Russia to stop arming insurgents and draw down its forces on the
Ukrainian border.
Baird called news
Identifying with Gaza
There’s a powerful article by Brendan O’Neill in "Spiked".
Everyone at the BBC should read it and ask themselves some important
questions. In particular "why are WE doing this?"
They very well know that their influence over millions of listeners is akin
to WMD in the wrong hands.
*“Why are Western liberals always more offended by Israeli militarism than
by any other kind of militarism?* *It’s extraordinary.”* begins O’Neil.
He goes on to cite examples of Western and European militarism which the
people accept with little more than a shrug and a sigh. Libya, Pakistan....
“Anyone ... more »
Chicago blacks pile on Obama: "Do something for our children."
*do these people have any idea of how much they sound like the slaves the
Democrats have turned them into?*
I don't have very much sympathy for grown people who stand around decrying
the fact that their "free" piece of the pie is being given to someone else.
These people all voted for Obama. He was going to be their savior. Obama
would reverse the flow of the rivers, keep the oceans from rising, and the
sun from exploding...or something.
Chicago is the most violent city in America. It is mostly blacks killing
blacks. Drugs and gangs are rampant.
"Do something for our children,... more »
Jon Donnison is back
He may have been the BBC's Sydney correspondent for over a year now, but
the BBC's former Gaza correspondent continues to make his biased views of
the Israel-Palestinian situation very clear on Twitter. He has been highly
active over the past few weeks, tweeting almost entirely from a
pro-Palestinian perspective.
A selection of his tweets follows, but you would be better reading them as
a whole to get the full biased effect.
Note how the killing of the three Israeli teens doesn't seem to touch him
much. He even re-tweets a dismissive comment from a Human Rights Watch
spokesman abo... more »
Bangladesh Air Force Orders Two AW139 Helicopters
[image: AW139 SAR]AgustaWestland is pleased to announce that the Ministry
of Defence (MoD) of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh has signed a
contract for two AW139 intermediate twin-engine helicopters.
These helicopters, which will be delivered by the end of 2015, will be
operated by the Bangladesh Air Force to perform maritime search and rescue
(SAR) and other utility missions.
This contract, which also includes a comprehensive support and training
package, marks the establishment of the first dedicated maritime SAR
helicopter fleet in the country.
Read more
Boeing may face higher than expected costs on KC-46 tanker
[image: KC-46]Boeing Co may face significantly higher than expected costs
in the development phase for a new tanker for the U.S. Air Force, although
the fixed-price contract with the government means the company will absorb
those overruns, the Pentagon's chief arms buyer said.
Defense Undersecretary Frank Kendall told reporters late on Sunday that
Boeing was performing "satisfactorily" on the KC-46 tanker program, but
several events - including water damage caused by a sprinkler malfunction
at the company's Everett, Washington plant - meant costs were higher than
expected.
Boeing a... more »
AgustaWestland Successfully Completes Unmanned/Optionally Piloted Helicopter Demonstration for the Italian Ministry of Defence
[image: PZL SW-4]AgustaWestland is pleased to announce the completion of a
demonstration of its Rotorcraft Unmanned Aerial System / Optionally Piloted
Helicopter (RUAS/OPH) to the Italian Ministry of Defence.
The trials were conducted to evaluate modern remote controlled rotorcraft
technology and its potential to provide enhanced capabilities for the
Italian armed forces in the future.
Under the Research and Development contract, that is included in in the
National Military Research Plan, signed with the Italian Ministry of
Defence (MoD) Directorate for Air Armaments the company su... more »
Boeing Awarded New Contract to Provide Warhead Arming Devices to U.S. Air Force
[image: AGM-86 ALCM]The U.S. Air Force has extended Boeing’s work
remanufacturing warhead arming devices for the nation’s air-launched cruise
missile (ALCM), helping to ensure the readiness of the system.
Under a new two-year contract, valued at $7.3 million, Boeing will
remanufacture warhead arming devices for the air-launched cruise missile.
The contract includes an option for six additional years at an estimated
value of $50 million.
"Providing these production systems to the Air Force fleet on schedule is
our number one goal,” said Peggy Morse, vice president, Boeing Directed
E... more »
Russia plans to sign Yak-130 aircraft supply contracts by 2017
[image: YAK-130]Russian defense export intermediary agency,
Rosoboronexport, plans to sign several agreements for supplies of jet
training/light attack aircraft Yak-130 to foreign partners over the
following two or three years, head of Rosoboronexport department on exports
of special property and services, Sergey Kornev, told journalists ahead of
Farnborough airshow opening in Britain.
Yak-130 promotion to export markets was enabled by active production and
use of the aircraft, Kornev said adding emergence of the new aerobatic
display team, Wings of Taurida, would help increase fore... more »
Eurofighter Typhoon to get advanced radar contract by year-end
[image: Airborne Solutions E-CAPTOR Eurofighter E-Scan Radar]A contract to
develop an advanced form of radar for the four nation-backed Eurofighter
Typhoon jet should be signed later this year, Eurofighter’s CEO said,
raising hopes that the fighter could secure further orders.
Radar issues contributed to the Eurofighter consortium losing out on a $20
billion deal to sell 126 jets to India in 2012 and experts have said that
equipping the new radar system to the fighters would help sell more of them.
The consortium of Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain, have funded the
initial developm... more »
US lifts fleet-wide grounding of F-35 fighter jet
[image: F-35 Lightning II]The F-35 could still make its UK debut this week
at the Farnborough International Airshow after US military officials lifted
the fleet-wide grounding and said the fighter jet could make limited
flights.
The fighter jet was grounded last month after a fire at a Florida airbase
saw the Pratt & Whitney engine break apart, before pushing through the top
of the aeroplane and catching fire while a pilot was preparing to take off.
Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby told Reuters that the US air
force and navy officials had granted the stealth jet a limited ... more »
China tells US to stay out of South China Seas dispute
[image: Admiral Jonathan Greenert]China yesterday told the US to stay out
of disputes over the South China Sea and leave countries in the region to
resolve problems themselves, after Washington said it wanted a freeze on
stoking tension.
Michael Fuchs, US deputy assistant secretary of state for Strategy and
Multilateral Affairs, said no country was solely responsible for escalating
tension in the region.
But he reiterated the US view that “provocative and unilateral” behaviour
by China had raised questions about its willingness to abide by
international law.
Read more
Untitled
*Tainted Legacy: Heirs to ill-gotten fortune back in court seeking more
~WWLTV *
Senate panel doubles money for Israel’s Iron Dome
[image: Iron Dome]Congress is showing tangible support for longtime ally
Israel as Gaza militants fire rockets, backing a measure that would double
the amount of money for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.
The Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee approved a defense spending
bill on Tuesday that would provide $621.6 million for Israeli missile
defense, including $351 million for the Iron Dome system that intercepts
short-range rockets and mortars. In the latest hostilities between Israel
and Hamas, Iron Dome has been successful in shooting down rockets and
preventing I... more »
S. Korea, U.S. kick off joint naval exercise
[image: USS George Washington]South Korea launched its five-day joint naval
exercise with the United States in the country's southwestern sea on
Wednesday amid North Korea's continued calls to withdraw from what it calls
provocative action.
The five-day exercise will involve two South Korean Navy Aegis ships as
well as the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, two American cruisers
and one U.S. Aegis ship, a Seoul military official said, adding that the
areas of the training are north of Jeju Island as well as waters southwest
of Mokpo.
During the exercise, South Korean and U.S. ... more »
Money coming through for carrier George Washington
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