10:41pm MST
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A U.S.-Iran Nuclear Deal? Don't Get Your Hopes Up Lovers of Peace
"On Iraq, they may find a deal, the nuclear issue may be tranquillized or
it may not, I have no way of knowing. On Afghanistan they might try to do
something, but I stress the Iranians don't have much leeway. Lebanon, it
would seem that this new coalition, arrived at in a very odd way, may last. *But
it leaves the question of Palestine, which I don't see them being able to
find a common ground on, because the Iranians would not be able to deliver
Hamas, and the Americans cannot deliver the Israelis. So they would have to
accept that, and not to raise hopes too high. I think that's... more »
A Good Day For Canada
The schoolyard isn't a news site. It's a blog. So, I'm not always fast to
get on top of the latest. The execrable "SUN News" has gone off the air and
the day it happened was a good day for Canada. Some people from the
journalism profession are mourning the loss of employment of their
colleagues, but I can't bring myself to feel bad. If the company formerly
known as "Blackwater" shut down, people would be out of work, but it would
be a good thing for the world. Any hateful business or industry being shut
down would be a good thing, even though it meant some people were
unemployed. ... more »
Mink De Ville: Slick Fur Fury
In 1977 I wrote a story about Mink DeVille for *Creem*. It isn't easy to
access online so I figured I'd post it here at *DWT*... no special reason,
except so that more people should be able to acquaint themselves with this
largely unknown American band. Enjoy:
"MINK PIE, how's that!" challenged Willie, whose darkly silent, sinewy
presence dominated the dimly-lit cold-water flat in Oakland. The band had
been up speeding for four days; it was 5 a.m. and they wanted a change.
Why not start with a new name? The San Francisco Bay Area hadn't treated
them all that well-- not as the Laz... more »
TV Watch: On the special pleasure of reencountering an old compadre from "Breaking Bad"
*It's kind of a shame that we already knew that Jimmy McGill going to
tangle with this familiar-to-us face, but the producers had to give us
something in the name of -- gasp -- publicity, if only to guard the
important secrets.*
*"You also realize that it wasn’t the drug that made him that way. Deep
down inside, he just has anger issues."*
*-- Raymond Cruz, on playing Tuco Salamanca again,but now six years before
Breaking Bad*
*by Ken*
You know how I always say I'd like to know as little as possible about a TV
show or movie I'm going to watch? Case in point: the premier episode o... more »
North Carolina's Bonehead Testing "Reforms"
If you were to ever wonder what state testing might look like when ESEA
turns states loose with Testing Gone Wild, look no further than North
Carolina.
Want to get rid of all those end of year tests? How about adding 4 more
each year.
Hey, Alexander supporters!! Are you listening?
From the News-Observer:
. . . .A State Board of Education task force on testing is recommending
replacing the end-of-year tests given to third- through eighth-graders with
three or four shorter tests given during the year. The task force is also
recommending an additional test given once during the e... more »
Things can only get rounder
Commercial broadcasters have nothing on the BBC when it comes to seeking to
boost ratings by using star names.
The wonderful news that the BBC is planning a landmark series on BBC One
answering big, simple-sounding-yet-complex scientific questions, such as
'Why is the sky blue?' and 'Why is the earth round?', might well be
tempered (for some people) by a slight sinking feeling.
If you're familiar with the BBC's recent science coverage, I bet you can
guess who (out of the many thousands of UK scientists) the BBC has chosen
to present this new, high-profile series.
Go on, have a g... more »
Musical Interlude: 2002, “Challenge from Heaven”
2002, “Challenge from Heaven”
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99dbIpstPpA
Musical Interlude: 2002, “The Dreaming Tree
2002, “The Dreaming Tree”
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_hOphl_fsg
"A Look to the Heavens"
"Is this what will become of our Milky Way Galaxy? Perhaps if we collide
with the Andromeda Galaxy in a few billion years, it might. Pictured below
is NGC 7252, a jumble of stars created by a huge collision between two
large galaxies. The collision will take hundreds of millions of years and
so is effectively caught frozen in time in the above image. The resulting
pandemonium has been dubbed the Atoms-for-Peace galaxy because of its
similarity to a cartoon of a large atom.
*Click image for larger size.*
The above image was taken recently by the MPG/ESO 2.2 meter telescope in
Chile. ... more »
The Poet: Rainer Maria Rilke, "Sunset"
*"Sunset"*
"Slowly the west reaches for clothes of new colors
which it passes to a row of ancient trees.
You look, and soon these two worlds both leave you,
one part climbs toward heaven, one sinks to earth,
leaving you, not really belonging to either,
not so helplessly dark as that house that is silent,
not so unswervingly given to the eternal as that thing
that turns to a star each night and climbs –
leaving you (it is impossible to untangle the threads)
your own life, timid and standing high and growing,
so that, sometimes blocked in, sometimes reaching out,
one moment your life is a s... more »
eJeb
Politicians are widely seen as legitimate-- even healthy-- targets of
skepticism, derision and raucous humor. Rachel Maddow's opening piece on
one of her MSNBC shows this week-- a look at Jeb Bush's tech campaign-- was
nothing short of hilarious. I have two broken ribs and I was in pain from
laughing so hard while I watched it. (If you didn't see it, it's embedded
above and I recommend you give yourself a treat.) I'm sure it would be even
funnier to have heard the dinner chit-chat at Chez Kravis if new-found
Republican concern for economic inequality had come up at the
$100,000/p... more »
History: "Afghanistan: Last Stand at Gandamak"
*"Afghanistan: Last Stand at Gandamak"*
by Britishbattles.com
“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."
- George Santayana
The last stand of the survivors of Her Majesty's 44th Foot at Gandamak.
"The fate of the British and Indian forces in Afghanistan in the winter of
1840 to 1841 provides a striking illustration of the collapse of morale and
military efficiency where the officers in command are indecisive and wholly
lacking in initiative and self-confidence. The only senior officer left in
Afghanistan with any ability was Brigadier Nott, the garrison commander a... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Goodland, Kansas, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
"The Questions..."
“I don't pretend we have all the answers.
But the questions are certainly worth thinking about.”
- Arthur C. Clarke
Chet Raymo, “We Are Such Stuff...”
*“We Are Such Stuff...”*
by Chet Raymo
“Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometimes voices,
That, if I then had wak'd after long sleep,
Will make me sleep again.”
"Caliban is talking to Stephano and Trinculo in Shakespeare's “Tempest”,
telling them not to be "afeard" of the mysterious place they find
themselves, an island seemingly beset with magic, strangeness, ineffable
presences. And you and I, and, yes, all of us, find ourselves inexplicably
th... more »
Speak for your Self
Will Self is a mock-profound peacock. Every obscure word flaunted is an eye
on his fantastical, extravagant tail.
Despite that, BBC Radio 4 intended to set him up as their “writer in
residence” - before someone got cold feet. (A shy BBC peahen perhaps).
In some ways it's a shame the channel didn't have the courage of its
convictions. Will Self *is* the embodiment of so much of the underlying
spirit of BBC Radio 4 that he would have represented its 'official point of
view' splendidly.
And as proof of that...
His latest 'A Point of View', reacting to the attack on *Charlie Hebdo*,... more »
"Effort and Understanding: Having It Easy"
*"Effort and Understanding: Having It Easy"*
by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM
"When we view the lives of others and think they have it easy, we are not
seeing the whole of their life or the story they are presenting. Our lives
are an exercise in facing challenges. We dream the grandest of dreams as
youngsters only to discover that we must cultivate copious inner strength
and determination in order to meet our goals. Our hard work does not always
yield the results we expect. And it is when we find ourselves frustrated by
the trials we face or unable to meet our own expectations that we... more »
Hollywood: Pushing Programmed Propaganda in Preparation of the Plan?
Hollywood has been used to spread propaganda for as long as it's been in
existence. Old movies from the 40s and 50s and 60s are so full of, what we
now see as, clear propaganda that to pretend it doesn't still exist now, is
beyond ludicrous. Todays propaganda is different. Some of it is extremely
blatant, but much of it is very subtle, so subtle that you almost have to
back up and look at entire years of films to see the message they are
pushing.
We've all watched Independence Day, Aliens, Transformers, Avengers, Battle
over Los Angeles, etc... all spreading the fear of aliens pr... more »
Sacred Geometry: The Math of God
*Video - *Spirit Science dives into the topic of Sacred Geometry to talk
about spirals and sequences that all life strives towards, and at the end
the video looks at the second informational unraveling of the Fruit of Life
and God.
The post Sacred Geometry: The Math of God appeared first on Waking Times.
TV Reruns: Saturday Night at the Funnies
German satire about double standards in international law and democracy as
it relates to media coverage of Ukraine story .... more »
Editor's Note
Spoiling the GF tonight (and vice versa .... I hope). Blogging will return
tomorrow morning.
Removal of a Post
Blogger's Note: I will confess that I didn't read this as closely as I
should have and then spending something more than an hour attempting to be
able to post to this blog, I believe this is more trouble than it is worth.
Yes, I believe that we should learn all we can about the Roswell Slides and
I also understand the attempts by some to protect the witnesses. I know
that most of us would merely attempt to verify the information, especially
when it has the potential to be explosive. But we are also dealing with
private citizens who don't deserve an onslaught of telephone calls, some ... more »
More on Corporate Media Deception
Patrick Lancaster, a freelance journalist on the front line in Ukraine,
talks to Going Underground host Afshin Rattansi about the truth of what is
happening there.
Footage he took of government forces shelling a soup kitchen was
misrepresented by On Demand news, affiliated with ITN, as being rebel
forces attacking. Even in the original video, he points out that one of the
women in it is cursing Poroshenko, and it was clear that it was government
forces making the attack, and it was 'definitely an attempt to twist the
truth or outright lie.'
The Guardian Media Group picked up and ... more »
Assimilation, Bundism or Zionism? Which is best for Jews and non-Jews alike?
The 'Jewish Question' is one which has plagued humanity for centuries, if
not millennia. The cause of the friction between Jews and non-Jews is
multifaceted. The main points of contention can be summarised thus:
- Politico-economic Issues
- Racio-Religious Issues
The issues are not particularly easy to view in isolation from one
another. This makes it harder to define what exactly is the 'problem'
between Jews ad non-Jews. Without a clear definition of what exactly we
are up against, it is that much harder to work out how to find a workable
solution. The Jewish Question ... more »
Feb. 14: Iimpressive quotations to suck us in.
The TandT edition of Friday, Feb. 13, has a big story about the ranking of
New Brunswick's health care system. Front page stuff. And it comes straight
from the expensive offices of The Conference Board of Canada in Ottawa. So
we have to take this seriously. Funny thing, though.
The story never tells us what and who The Conference Board of Canada is. It
certainly sounds very official, possibly even government, and very
authoritative - just as a fish might think a worm on a hook looks like
gourmet food.
In fact, the Board is a private, not-for-profit organization. (Which really
means... more »
Ukraine President Poroshenko: Martial Law Will Be Imposed Throughout The Country If The Ceasefire Fails
*IBTimes*: *Martial law to be imposed throughout Ukraine if the ceasefire
fails*
*President Poroshenko confirms martial law will be imposed if fighting
continues*
*Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko confirmed today that martial law will
be imposed throughout Ukraine if the latest ceasefire fails. The president
has vowed to introduce the necessary legislation if the peace initiative
does not succeed, according to the Ukrainian news agency*
*The president has vowed to introduce the necessary legislation if the
peace initiative does not succeed, according to the Ukrainian news age... more »
The Poet: Marianne Williamson, "Our Deepest Fear"
*"Our Deepest Fear"*
By Marianne Williamson
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.
We ask ourselves
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you *not* to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small
Does not serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking
So that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine,
As children do.
We were born to make manifest
The glory of God that is wit... more »
Controversial
Just watching the BBC News Channel. They are leading with the terrorist
attack on the free speech seminar in Copenhagen.
Neither the BBC presenter nor the reporter (Rob Broomby) are speculating as
to who might have carried out the attack. They are saying it's about
"intimidation" and "intolerance" though.
The BBC are being very clear about one thing though: that the likely target
of the attack, Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks, is controversial. The word
"controversial" was used about him four times within the space of three
minutes.
The Sociology of Tory Stupidity
It's been a bad week for the Tories. This is supposed to be the month they
pull ahead and seal the general election deal. *Fat chance*. The HSBC tax
dodging scandal, the £15,000/head black and white Tory fundraiser, the
facing down of Lord Fink by Ed Miliband after initial threats to sue, then
Fink handing over another victory by admitting that "everyone" (i.e. his
well monied mates) avoided tax, the Conservatives have got to be praying
that the political fates won't send them another week like this. Right on
cue, in the desperate scramble for anything to change the record here come... more »
“This isn’t divine revelation, it’s a conman fleecing the gullible.”
[image: image]
Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission
to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
Ukraine War News Updates -- February 14, 2015
*BBC*: *Ukraine crisis: Fighting rages as ceasefire nears*
*Fierce fighting is continuing in eastern Ukraine, hours before a ceasefire
is due to come into force at midnight (22:00 GMT).*
*A police chief said the strategic town of Debaltseve was suffering a
ferocious bombardment by pro-Russian rebels.*
*Renewed fighting is also reported near the southern port city of
Mariupol.*
*Ukraine War News Updates -- February 14, 2015*
Bitter last gasp battle for control of key strategic points in eastern
Ukraine leaves trail of death and destruction in the lead up to Sunday's
ceasefire -... more »
Caretaking: "I Am Here On This Earth..."
*"I Am Here On This Earth For My Own Soul’s Evolution-*
* Not To Take Care Of You"*
Author Unknown
"Love is not about taking care of someone else. Even though taking care of
someone else could be rewarding, it usually becomes a burden sooner or
later. Some people learned to do this because they had to in order to
survive. Some children grew up too fast - having to take care of their
siblings or emotionally unbalanced parents.
Caretaking can become a disease. Most caretakers become martyrs and
eventually become sick or addicted to something to take away the pain. When
I care-take so... more »
My Valitine
The whole world
celebrates Valinties Day
But its a totally false
global objective
Invented 50 years ago
by Madison Avenue
as marketing spam
For me its true
but way more personal
love at first sight
that's my Valentine
Just having you in my
vison most days
In any world
or any black hole
I might travel through in
the future
you will always \
give pause to the
theory of relativity
reaming timeless
in my concessions
as the most
beautiful sight
in an infinite
universe over all.
Happy Valentine
my long term
reliable
incredible love
I love you like oxygen
XXXXOOOO
Steve
GOP political theater comes up empty in the hostage-taking of DHS
*What a brain trust!* *Standing behind Miss Mitch are three of modern
legislating's great GOP johns: Senators Barrasso (WY), Thune (SD), and
Cornyn (TX).*
*"The bottom line is they could probably clean this up very quickly."*
*-- Sen. Joe "If They Don’t Have Me, Where Do They Go?" Manchin("D"-WV),
quoted by the Washington Post's Paul Kane*
*by Ken*
And Senator Joe (who, according to the *Washington Post*'s Paul Kane, "said
[Senate Majority Leader Mitch] McConnell needs to convince [House Speaker
John] Boehner that they have to pass the funding bill without any of the
policy condi... more »
Yemen On The Verge Of A Civil War
*Reuters*: *Yemeni Houthi fighters fire on protesters after clashes kill 26*
*(Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Yemenis demonstrated in several cities on
Saturday against the rule of the Shi'ite Muslim Houthi movement whose
gunmen fired on protesters in the central town of Ibb and wounded four,
medics said.It was the second day of nationwide demonstrations against the
Iranian-backed Houthis in less then a week after its dissolution of
parliament this month unraveled security and sent Western and Arab
embassies packing.*
*More News On The Growing Crisis In Yemen*
Fighting in Yeme... more »
Peru: UFO Witnessed on the Hottest Day in Lima
*Source: El Popular (Peru)Date: 11 February 2015*
*Perú: UFO Witnessed on the Hottest Day in Lima*
Minutes of mystery elapsed during the recording of a television show, after
a group of people witnessed a flying object- in bold daylight- in the skies
over Miraflores.
The images shared by YouTuber *Eduardo Chavez* indicate that this occurred
when congressman *Renzo Reggiardo* was recording his "Alto al Crimen"
program around 10:30 a.m.. "A strange object suspended in mid-air could be
seen in the heavens," reads the video description.
The congressman interrupts his presentation - ... more »
Just when the Minsk peace deal was looking like a disaster for the beleaguered separatists of Donetsk and Lugansk, the analyses of two independent observers conclude the contrary. "Saker sees the conflict ending this year with the economic, military, and political collapse of Ukraine." Certainly Ukraine is broke and its conscripted army does not wish to be slaughtered fighting under incompetent generals against the far more motivated and better-led separatists (see link just below). NB The acronym NAF stands for the separatist Armed Forces while UAF is the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
http://freeukrainenow.org/tag/naf/
------------------------------
*Update of Minsk Peace Deal — Paul Craig Roberts*
------------------------------
February 13, 2015 | Original Here
Go here to sign up to receive email notice of this news letter
Update of Minsk Peace Deal
Paul Craig Roberts
In my last column I provided reasons for believing that the deal will fail.
I saw a larger downside for Russia and the Donetsk and Luhansk republics
because Putin and the break-away provinces will be blamed. English is the
world language, and this enables W... more »
Peru: UFO Spotted and Videotaped in Lima
*Source: Que! and Planeta UFODate: 12 February 2015*
*Peru: A UFO is Spotted and Videotaped in Lima*
*By the staff of Que!*
This isn't the first video recording of an unidentifid object, but
documents of this sort are always impressive. On February 10, 2015, user
Eduardo Chavez Guerra uploaded this video to YouTube showing a strange
even. He was taping a television show in a district of Lima, Perú, when a
strange object appeared in the recording.
The show host, who was speaking at the time, interrupts his speech upon
becoming aware of the presence of the strange saucer-shaped o... more »
First Nations and other stuf
Without using DNA i know our indguois people are beggotn chinese.
A few thosand years ago some people moved for reasons unknown
maybe the men did not want to be eunuchs
or maybe the Emperour banished them
could be it was a colonization gone wrong
Whatever the reason we in Canada are left right now
with the consequenses of thousands of years of history
The controlling force in recent times has not covered itself
with glory.
All we can say in our own defence
is that we did not do ethnic cleansing
like the USA
So now we have these thousand year old hippies
occupying what were for a long ti... more »
Ted Cruz: The government is poised to steal your internet...
*and it's going to cost you big!*
Like I said in* my last post:*
I don't trust the "man" in the White House. He is a proven liar. I
certainly don't trust the people who pull his strings and make his mouth
move. I don't trust most of the elected officials. I also know that if
you control communication, people's ability to travel, their food and, most
importantly, their access to health care, you are in control of the
populace.
*It seems Ted Cruz agrees with me. *
*More:*
* Here's something else to tick you off. Think about this as you gaze at
you paycheck and the amoun... more »
Gallop Poll: Americans Are More Worried About The Islamic State And Terrorism Than Russia And Ukraine
*Gallop*: *ISIS, Terrorism Seen as Graver Threats Than Russia, Ukraine*
*WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Despite the intensifying fighting between Ukraine and
Russian-backed separatists before the cease-fire agreement Thursday,
Americans place the conflict low on the list of critical threats to U.S.
interests in the next decade. Islamic extremists, commonly known as the
Islamic State or ISIS, along with international terrorism in general, loom
much larger in Americans' minds as a critical threat.*
*Update*: 84% of Americans see Islamic State as 'critical threat' - poll --
RT
*WNU editor:* Am... more »
Trident Juncture '15
*Joint Force Command Brunssum Operational Liaison and Reconnaissance Team
(OLRT) *
*- Photo courtesy of JFC Brunssum Public Affairs Office*
*Exercise Trident Juncture 2015 will take place from 28 September to 06
November 2015 in multiple locations across the Alliance including Italy,
Portugal and Spain. Over 25,000 troops are expected to participate in the
exercise.The purpose of TRJE15 is to train and test the NRF, a high
readiness and technologically advanced force comprising of land, air,
maritime and special forces units capable of being deployed quickly on
operations wherev... more »
TEPCO Cam 4 Problems
The TEPCO cam 4 at Fukushima has been having odd black-out problems. What
is odd is the way that some pixels remain active while others go dark, as
illustrated by these 3 screenshots taken February 12 2015, around 7:40 AM
(TEPCO time stamp)
Can you see there are some active pixels (I don't know the jargon sorry) in
the dark screenshot above? In addition to the blue spot in the right
corner, there are hints of pixels of color in the location of the large
white crane.
The image resolved and then it blacked out again partially, as illustrated
in this third screenshot:
Either the ... more »
Confused About US Policy in Iraq?
Washington is working to install a new air base in Iraq’s Kurdistan to be
used in a campaign against Islamic State (ISIS). This comes as the White
House speaks of a ground operation in Iraq against the militants.
I thought Obama said the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were over?
The 3 Lies That Block The Flow of Love
*David James Lees* - Love is your natural state of being. Love is the
energy that is all around you. It is the vibration and essence of every
part of the Cosmos and every living thing.
The post The 3 Lies That Block The Flow of Love appeared first on Waking
Times.
Fmr U.S. Intelligence Chief: President Obama's Islamic State Strategy Has Failed
*Bloomberg*: *Former Intelligence Chief Says Obama's ISIS Strategy Failed*
*Congress hears testimony from a retired Lieutenant General who led the
Defense Intelligence Agency. *
*The U.S. "failed to understand the threats that we face" from Islamic
extremism, retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, the former head of the
Defense Intelligence Agency said during a U.S. House Armed Services
Committee hearing today.*
*More News On Former Intelligence Chief General Michael Flynn's Testimony
At Congress*
‘Struggling to Define the Threat’: Fmr DIA Chief Destroys Obama's Talking
P... more »
Musings On Iraq In The News
I was cited in “What Islamic State got out of burning a man alive” by Peter
Van Buren for Reuters. My article on another loss for the Iranian
Revolutionary Guard was reprinted in Business Insider and listed on Real
Clear Defense.
Twentieth 9/11 Hijacker Claims Saudi Royals Funded Al Qaeda
In news that should not surprise anyone who has believed that factions of
the House of Saud have long funded terrorists, the alleged “20th hijacker” from
the September 11, 2001 attacks has launched a bombshell. Zacarias Moussaoui,
who was arrested by federal agents in August of 2001 thereby missing
his rendezvous date with those 72 virgins, has dropped the dime on members
of the Saudi royal family for aiding and abetting al Qaeda. Moussaoui
accused several high profile Saudi princes of working with the terrorist
organization since the 1990’s. He went so far as finger an "official"... more »
7.2 Earthquake on Russia Ukraine Border..... opps, it's gone
I haven't had the time to keep up with all of the earth quakes and solar
events, but this one seriously jumped out at me. Take NOTE.
d
Published on Feb 13, 2015
In a wild twist of events, here in the twilight zone of bizzaro world, the
USGS has come out and acknowledged the Ukraine 6.8 Magnitude earthquake
which showed on the feeds -- but then says it was an "error".
I've got the full post here, with the data, screenshots and links:
http://dutchsinse.com/2132015-two-6-8-magnitude-earthquakes-strike-mid-atlantic-ridge-and-at-the-border-of-ukraine-and-russia/
______
The earthqua... more »
Lunatic Senator John McCain Goes Batshit Over Ukraine Peace Talks
A last ditch effort by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President
Francois Hollande to try to negotiate a cease fire in civil war torn
Ukraine has sent Senator John McCain into orbit. After he and his
butt-buddy, South Carolina Senator and possible presidential candidate Lindsey
Graham had practically sealed the deal for a massive transfer of U.S.
military weaponry to Kiev, Frau Merkel has dared to throw a monkey wrench
into things. The two European leaders traveled to Moscow to meet with the
hated Russian President Vladimir Putin in order to try to prevent what
could be... more »
Love From the Great Beyond
*Ida Lawrence* - So why do we say that our loved ones aren’t really gone?
It is because we know we are more than physical: we know because we are the
observer of ourselves.
The post Love From the Great Beyond appeared first on Waking Times.
Chopper Whopper: NBC Anchor Brian Williams Exposed as Professional Liar
According to Greek mythology Icarus plunged to his death after his waxen
wings melted when he flew too close to the sun. It is a fitting metaphor
for millionaire celebrity NBC News anchor Brian Williams who had to retract and
publicly apologize for a career burnishing fib that he told. Williams had
regaled people with the tale that he had been on a helicopter that was
forced down under fire in Iraq back when battle raged in 2003. But the
pride of NBC Nightly News repeated his fairy tale one time too many and was
called out for it.
As reported by Reuters in the story “NBC's Brian W... more »
Another Phony: Liberal Hero Elizabeth Warren Opposes Fed Audit
Liberals and progressives are the type that come to mind when considering
P.T. Barnum’s famous quote that there is *"a sucker born every minute"* and
they never stop trying to live up to being chumps. In 2008 they bought into
the Barack Obama snake oil and after having ample evidence that it was a
defective product, came back to buy another batch in 2012. The O-Bots are
still living in a constant state of denial about the reality that their
illustrious leader is one of history’s greatest bullshit artists and are
still waiting for *Obama to be Obama*. But he is doing exactly that an... more »
Obama Signs "Advisory" Executive Order On Cybersecurity
The push for the total surveillance society continues with El Presidente
just signing another one of his decrees Friday to push for corporations to
“share” data with the federal government. Obama paid a visit to Silicon
Valley for a public relations exercise called the “White House summit on
Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection” at Stanford University to sell the
latest attack on civil liberties. This has been coming ever since the
alleged North Korean involvement in the Sony hack that to this day has
never been backed up by evidence. The allegations accompanied the holiday
media... more »
The War Against The Islamic State Is Intensifying
*CNN*: *Tribal leader: Iraq's Anbar province could 'collapse within hours'*
*An Iraqi tribal leader said Saturday that ISIS militants are gaining
ground in Anbar province, and he predicted a "collapse within hours" of
that province's cities and towns if Iraqi forces withdraw.*
*Sheikh Naim al-Gaoud, the Sunni leader of the Albu Mimr tribe, which was
a U.S. ally in the mid-2000s, called for more U.S. intervention --
including ground troops, arming tribes directly and pressuring the Iraqi
government to give the tribes more firepower.*
*More News On The War Against The Islamic State... more »
Fukushima Nuclear Disaster Updates - February 14 , 2015 - As Brando once explained ( in context of War ) " The Horror " of Fukushima does abate by being ignored ....
Tweets and Links.........
Latest Headlines:
03:59 PM EST on February 13th, 2015 | 107 comments
Magazine: ‘Fukushima catastrophe changed the world’; Worst nuclear accident
in history, like two Chernobyls; ‘Poisoned entire landscapes for centuries’
— Study: Fukushima ‘overwhelms’ the peak radioactivity from nuclear bomb
testing in ice core samples; ‘Affected the global environment’
09:28 AM EST on February 12th, 2015 | 322 comments
Doctor “removed 6 thyroids in recent months” from USS Reagan crew exposed
to Fukushima fallout — “Over 500 sailors ill after mission in Japan” —
Of... more »
Corporate Watch: Privatize Education
This Republican Congressman from Virginia is the perfect example of the
kind of challenge we face these days. He wants to privatize education
which means that the rich kids will have good foundational learning and the
poor kids could be "trained on a rock" like Plato was.
Privatization of education, Social Security, health care, sewer and water
systems, public transit, roads, bridges, etc are attempts to corporatize
all aspects of our lives - turning every public service into a profit
generator. This is what the big *$$$* is doing to politics today in the
US. The Congress is bo... more »
You don't say!
Courtesy of the *Independent*, here are two recent screengrabs from the BBC
News Channel:
Obama Works to Cram Cybersecurity Bill Down the Throats of Americans
The sly devil that is Emperor Barack Obama has drawn criticism over his
proposed $4 trillion budget that has more shit in it than a Chinese
manufactured sausage. While establishment Republicans thump their chests
and wail about tax hikes on the wealthy and liberals laud his denouncing of
more “mindless austerity” the thing is a Trojan horse containing something
much more odious. As has already been predicted by many who are onto the
big con game, Dear Leader’s budget also includes within it the funding for
even more of the Big Brother type of warrantless government snooping that
... more »
Dataline
We've tracked for several years the fact that Palestinian extremist Abdel
Bari Atwan has been the *Dateline London'*s most-invited panelist by some
margin.
Well, it may be a new year but nothing seems to have changed. We may be
only seven editions into 2015 but Bari has already appeared on three of
them - more than anyone else. (Michael Goldfarb, Greg Katz and Thomas
Kielinger have each appeared twice).
No Israeli guests have appeared yet in 2015.
*Intervention* (rude) by Sue
As the Memri video on the Asbo thread is playing up or has expired, I’m
treating you to the YouTube ve... more »
Islamic State Releases Video Claiming To Show 17 Kurdish Fighters In Cages Who Are To Be Burned In Public
*Daily Mail:* *Paraded in cages 'to be burned alive' like Jordanian pilot:
ISIS releases video claiming to show 17 Kurdish fighters in humiliating
procession through Iraqi city*
* Orange clad Peshmerga are driven through crowds of jeering militants
* Grim echo of Lieutenant Muath al-Kaseasbeh's public burning on camera
* Procession reportedly took place in northwestern Iraqi city of Kirkuk
* Reports claim ISIS now has a presence in the oil rich Kurdish stronghold
*More News On The Islamic State ISIS Releasing A Video Claiming To Show 17
Kurdish Fighters In Cages Who Are To Be Burne... more »
All-Party Parliamentary inquiry into Antisemitism
(h/t BBC Watch)
The results of an All-Party Parliamentary inquiry into Antisemitism,
commissioned by Labour MP John Mann, were published last week. Parts of it
pertain to the media, including the BBC.
Here are some extracts:
*On the particular role of the BBC in whipping up anger against Israel:*
Despite only two articles [one in* The Daily Mirror *and one in *The Lancet*]
having been highlighted as problematic, there was an overwhelming
consensus amongst those that submitted evidence or gave personal testimony
at the regional meetings we held, that the media, and in particular... more »
Ready To Start Wasting Your Money On DCCC Candidates Who Back Boehner?
Steve Israel sock puppet, Ben Ray Luján, announced the names of the first
14 incumbents who will be eligible for massive amounts reelection money
through the DCCC's Frontline program. 13 of them are from the Republican
wing of the Democratic Party and almost all are either Blue Dogs and/or New
Dems. They all vote with Republicans against core Democratic principles and
values and have a rough time getting voters to bother coming to the polls.
This is the whole list, although at least another dozen are likely to be
added in the coming months:
*•* Ann Kirkpatrick (New Dem-AZ)
*•* Ky... more »
Deflation, austerity: good news for Germany
*German GDP jumped as twin surpluses, deflation don't hurt at all*
Without much ado, the German economy is behaving in the way that may serve
as a role model for everyone else. Half a year ago, we would be bombarded
by stories about the bad shape of the Germany economy when its GDP growth
happened to be negative in a quarter.
However, the situation looks different these days even though none of the
media publish any errata. In the fourth quarter, Germany's GDP added 0.7%
(quarter-on-quarter, not annualized) which contributed to the 1.6% annual
growth in 2014.
Germany's unemployme... more »
Russia's Intelligence Ship Is Back
*Bill Gertz, Washington Free Beacon:** Russian Intel Ship Spying on US
Missile Submarines*
*AGI Viktor Leonov recently spotted in Cuba.A Russian
intelligence-gathering ship is again plying the waters off the southern
United States in operations aimed at spying on U.S. ballistic missile
submarines based in the area, defense officials said.The intelligence
collection ship, Viktor Leonov, has been closely watched by U.S. Navy ships
and aircraft for the past several days near Jacksonville, Fla., close to
the Naval Submarine Base at Kings Bay, Ga. The ship also conducted
operation... more »
With Allies Like This Who Needs Enemies
*Doug Bandow, National Interest*:* Broken Hearts Club: 6 Allies America
Needs to Divorce*
*It’s hard to get out of a bad relationship. The good times may be over and
the once vibrant connection may be dead, but people just can’t admit that
it’s time to say goodbye.Countries have the same problem, especially the
U.S. Washington has spent decades collecting allies like many people
accumulate Facebook “Friends.” Virtually never, irrespective of the changed
circumstances, does America drop an ally. Indeed, the less relevant the
ties the more insistent U.S. officials become in demand... more »
Canada’s Flag is 50 on Sunday
In 1964, Liberal Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson formed a committee to
resolve the issue, sparking a serious debate about a flag change. Out of
three choices, the maple leaf design by George Stanley,[4] based on the
flag of the Royal Military College of Canada, was selected. The flag made
its first official appearance on *February 15, 1965*; the date is now
celebrated annually as *National Flag of Canada Day*.
National Flag of Canada Day was instituted in 1996 by an Order in Council
from Governor General Roméo LeBlanc, on the initiative of Liberal Prime
Minister Jean Chrétien.... more »
Per Petersin's reactor
Per Peterson is not included among the potential builders of Molten Salt
technology reactors. Yet as this video reveals, Peterson is engaged in
Research for a Molten Salt cooled Pebble bed reactor. This concept is not
as attractive to chemists, as the conventional MSR. but it does offer
significant protection from proliferation risks entailed by the LFTR and
Uranium Fueled MSRs. Thus the PB-MSR offers low cost, very efficient and
highly safe energy with low proliferation risk. This form of reactor would
lessened the risk involved in increasing the energy input into politically
we... more »
Israeli Intelligence Minister: Iran Is Not Compromising On 7 Key Nuclear Issues
The Iran nuclear program’s heavy-water reactor at Arak, one of the sticking
points in nuclear talks with world powers. Photo: Nanking2012 via Wikimedia
Commons.
*JNS*: *Israel’s Steinitz says Iran not compromising on 7 of 8 nuclear
issues *
*(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Iran is refusing to compromise on
seven out of the eight key points in its nuclear negotiations with the P5+1
powers, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz said Thursday.*
*Steinitz said that if the two sides are indeed close to reaching a deal,
it means the West will be conceding on a number of ... more »
Israel’s Intelligence Minister: Warns Of Nuclear Arms Race In Middle East
*Euronews*: *Exclusive: Israeli intelligence minister warns of nuclear arms
race in Middle East*
*A nuclear deal with Iran will spark an atomic arms race in the Middle
East, Israel’s intelligence minister has warned.*
*Speaking in an interview with euronews, Yuval Steinitz sets out his case
for ensuring Iran cannot remain in a position to develop nuclear weapons.*
*WNU Editor*: Nuclear arms proliferation has (and will be) always a concern
.... unfortunately .... it appears that we are now entering an age where
limiting/preventing it is becoming next to impossible.
The Ascension Of Pierre Poilievre
http://quietmike.org/
Among all the sound and fury over Eve Adams this week, many Canadians
probably missed the fact that Pierre Poilivere was promoted to Minister of
Labour. Tim Harper writes that Poilievre bears watching:
Poilievre, 35, believes if you keep repeating the same, pithy, bumper
sticker message, it will eventually come true. He will beat us into
submission with repetition.
He tried that in his first big test as a minister with his Fair Elections
Act and finally backed down, accepting amendments he tried to spin as ... more »
Untitled
*Leftist insanity masquerading as education*
A long-cherished belief held by Americans for decades is on the verge of
being upended. A quartet of stories is the latest indication that a college
"education" has become the most-overrated commodity on the planet, save for
the elitist institutions whose primary mission is to keep our ruling class
populated with like-minded Masters of the Universe. For the rest? A
stupendous waste of time and (taxpayer-backed) money.
We begin at the epicenter of institutional quackery, more familiarly known
as the University of California. The UC Stude... more »
MENA and ISIS Weekend Update - February 14 - 15 , 2015 - Iraq/ Syria Regional War in focus , Yemen in focus , ISIS Impacts in focus ......Bahrain and Libya in focus ...... News and Views Reflecting the Turbulent times We Live In !
Links.....
*Escalation: US Sending Ground Troops to Kuwait*
*Talk of Push Against ISIS, But Iraqi Troops Likely Not Ready*
*Collapse of Yemen Took US by Surprise*
*Pentagon: ISIS Afghan Expansion 'Of Great Concern'*
Fighting Continues in Anbar; 179 Killed in Iraq
US Moving to Resupply Jordan's Military With Munitions
Iranian Leader Ayatollah Khamenei Sent Obama Secret Letter: *WSJ*
Egypt Ready for Libya Evacuations as ISIS Hostage Photos Emerge
Al-Qaeda Freed 6 Inmates in Yemen Prison Attack, Officials Say
Yemen Unrest: Saudi Arabia Closes Embassy
Germany, Italy Close Embassies ... more »
Untitled
*Another silly prophecy*
*"US faces mega-drought future: Global warming will cause the worst dry
spells in more than 1,000 years". You wonder why anybody takes any notice
of such Warmist prophecies now that none have so far succeeded and many
have clearly failed. And this prophecy ignores basic science anyway.
Warmer oceans would give off more evaporation, which falls as rain. So a
warmer world would be WETTER, not drier*
The western US will face increasingly severe mega-droughts later this
century if no action is taken to curb climate change, researchers have
warned.
They sa... more »
Over 100 artists announce a cultural boycott of Israel per Letters in The Guardian
This Guardian letter
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/13/cultural-boycott-israel-starts-tomorrow
raises an interesting question but first the letter and a record of the
signatories:
'Israel
Letter: Over 100 artists announce a cultural boycott of Israel
Friday 13 February 2015 16.51 GMT
Along with more than 600 other fellow artists, we are announcing today that
we will not engage in business-as-usual cultural relations with Israel. We
will accept neither professional invitations to Israel, nor funding, from
any institutions linked to its government. Since the summer war on... more »
Caught on camera, the day smoking Ed Balls triumphed over the Bank of England per The Telegraph (part 2)
The Telegraph article
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/labour/11411593/Caught-on-camera-the-day-smoking-Ed-Balls-triumphed-over-the-Bank-of-England.html
also includes this key paragraph:
'After Mr Sergeant repeated Mr Balls' argument that the regulatory
change
was "automatically" linked to independence over interest rates on the
BBC
news that night, Mr Balls tells Mr Brown: "Sergeant bought the whole
bloody
lot. It was great."'
Willingly?
Magic Mushrooms and the Healing Trip
*Video - *Watch Eddie Marritz, a cinematographer and photographer in
remission from small-cell carcinoma, talk about his experience with
psychedelic mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms.
The post Magic Mushrooms and the Healing Trip appeared first on Waking Times
.
Greece Update - February 14 , 2015 - Ahead of Monday's Importany EuroGroup Meeting , Items of note on Greece !
Tweets......
*Marcus Walker* @MMQWalker · 22h22 hours ago
Your debt keeps on growing But you'll be OK For I'll keep you going With
ELA #GreekValentines
*fred walton* @fredwalton216 17s
18 seconds ago
http://ekathimerini.com | Tsipras gauges ministers before talks resume
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_13/02/2015_547261 …
via @ekathimerini Deal Monday seems unlikely
*Yves Smith* @yvessmith · 20m20 minutes ago
Links 2/14/15: http://bit.ly/19hq82j
Κυβέρνηση: Υπήρξαν απειλές ότι χωρίς παράταση δεν θα υπήρχε συνέχεια in.gr.
The Greek goverment lea... more »
India Successfully Test-Fires BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile, Developed With Russian Help
[image: INS Kolkata]India successfully test-fired its new BrahMos
supersonic cruise missile on Saturday from the Navy's newest destroyer INS
Kolkata. According to a statement from BrahMos Aerospace, a Russian-Indian
joint venture, the launch was flawless as the missile met all its designed
parameters.
The BrahMos missile has a range of 290 kilometers (about 180 miles) and is
capable of carrying a warhead weighing up to 300 kilograms (about 661
pounds).
The missile has a top speed of Mach 2.8, which makes it about three times
faster than the U.S. subsonic Tomahawk cruise missile, I... more »
India must seal $2 billion US chopper deals soon to avoid price hike
[image: AH-64E Apache]India will have to fast-track the long-pending
approvals for 22 Apache attack and 15 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters if it
does not want a major cost escalation in the two deals currently worth
around $2.5 billion.
US aviation major Boeing on Friday obliquely warned of a price hike if
India did not close the two deals for its two iconic helicopters soon. "We
are awaiting the Indian government's decision. We have extended the
validity of our commercial bids when asked (in the past).
But there is a point beyond which we cannot (hold the price line) due to
infla... more »
New delivery of Ilyushin-73 cargo transporter to LNA: report
[image: Su-27 Flanker]The Libyan Air Force part of the Libyan National Army
(LNA), the army representing the House of Representatives and Prime
Minister Abdullah Thinni’s government, the only internationally recognized
legislature and government in Libya, has announced that it has received a
new Ilyushin cargo transporter.
There is no independent confirmation of this report.
Saqr Geroushi, head of the Libyan Air Force, was reported by LANA as saying
that the Ilyushin-73 had arrived in Tobruk Thursday.
Read more
Boeing wins $403 million upgrade deal for Japan government
[image: Boeing E-767 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS)]Boeing Co
has won a contract valued at $403 million to upgrade four 767-based
airborne warning and control aircraft for the government of Japan, the
Pentagon said in its daily list of major contract awards on Friday.
The contract is a modification of an earlier award, and includes upgrades
of four E-767 Japan Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft,
and three ground support facilities, according to the Pentagon
announcement.
The work will be done in Oklahoma, and will run through June 30, 2020.
Source
Caught on camera, the day smoking Ed Balls triumphed over the Bank of England per The Telegraph
This Telegraph article
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/labour/11411593/Caught-on-camera-the-day-smoking-Ed-Balls-triumphed-over-the-Bank-of-England.html
is interesting for both the repetition of that which many of us have
known
and repeated for years but also for the supine BBC reporter aspect.
' 1997 documentary reveals how Ed Balls and Ed Miliband helped Brown
redraw
banking regulations, despite Treasury fears and Bank of England protests
Ed Balls boasted of over-ruling the Bank of England as Gordon Brown
stripped it of the power to regulate the City, a newly-uncovered ... more »
A question for Ed Miliband, one that the pro Labour BBC won't ask
Mr Miliband if the deed of variation applied to your father's will wasn't
used to (legally) avoid tax, what was the reason?
Valentine's morning confusion
Choosing romantic music, I played the beginning of this track and said that
it was one of the most romantic songs ever. I asked Mrs Notasheep to guess
what it was. From the bit of Professor Higgins speaking she recognised it
was My Fair Lady and asked if it was Why Can't A Woman Be More Like A Man!
Here's what it was: On The Street Where You Live
http://youtu.be/YtbFwWkB4b8
Does this story reveal too much about the psyche of Mrs Notasheep and
myself?
Japan's re-emergence and South-east Asia
[image: Kawasaki P-1 ASW Aircraft]Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe kicked
off the year with a bang, endorsing a US$42 billion (S$56 billion) defence
budget, which is set to cover state-of-the-art military acquisitions,
featuring F-35 stealth fighter jets, P-1 maritime patrol aircraft as well
as components of Northrop Grumman RQ-4 drones and Aegis combat systems,
among others.
The newly endorsed budget marks a 2 per cent year-on-year increase,
bringing Japan's defence spending closer to 1 per cent of its gross
domestic product (GDP).
Despite the landmark increase in the Japanese S... more »
Could the UK's New Aircraft Carriers be Compromised by Cyber Attacks?
The security of Britain's new £6 billion aircraft carriers could be
compromised by cyber attacks because of their reliance on ageing software,
according to a research team at Lancaster University.
It says computer software will have a dramatically shorter life than the
ships themselves and enemies could try to exploit social media to undermine
the security of personnel on board.
One of the authors of the paper, Dr Dan Prince, spoke to BFBS Radio about
the potential threat.
Source
New US secretary of defense will help Taiwan improve undersea combat capabilities
[image: US secretary of defense Ashton Carter]Ashton Carter, the newly
confirmed US secretary of defense has stated that he is looking forward to
assisting the Republic of China Navy in improving its asymmetric combat
capabilities under the sea according to our Chinese-language sister
newspaper Want Daily.
Carter was confirmed as the secretary of defense on Feb. 14. He told the US
congress that the Pentagon will push to help Taiwan to improve its
underwater combat capability, as China builds up its fleet of ballistic
missile submarines for a potential confrontation with the United S... more »
Discarded Russian submarines could cause a nuclear disaster in the Arctic
[image: Sunken nuclear rectors]The Arctic could become a site of future
turmoil, and not just because of the emerging geopolitical tensions and
militarization in the region.
Beyond concerns of a frozen conflict in the icy north, there is the
additional fear that the Barents and Kara Seas could become the location of
a slow-motion nuclear disaster. Until 1991 the Soviet Union used the seas
as a junkyard where it would dispose of its nuclear waste.
Accordingto the Bellona Foundation, citing theNorwegian Radiation
Protection Authorities (NRPA), the Soviet Union dumped “19 ships contain... more »
Russian Intel Ship Spying on US Missile Submarines
[image: RFS Viktor Leonov]A Russian intelligence-gathering ship is again
plying the waters off the southern United States in operations aimed at
spying on U.S. ballistic missile submarines based in the area, defense
officials said.
The intelligence collection ship, Viktor Leonov, has been closely watched
by U.S. Navy ships and aircraft for the past several days near
Jacksonville, Fla., close to the Naval Submarine Base at Kings Bay, Ga. The
ship also conducted operations there in April.
The spying comes amid heightened U.S.-Russia tensions over the crisis in
Ukraine, where Russian ... more »
Russia's planning on upgraded nuclear submarines
[image: RFS Aleksandr Nevsky]12 Project 955 "Borei" submaines. Eight 955s
have been ordered under the SAP 2020. Four more are planned after 2020.
The Borei has a compact and integrated hydrodynamically efficient hull for
reduced broadband noise and the first ever use of pump-jet propulsion on a
Russian nuclear submarine. The Borei submarines are approximately 170
metres (560 ft) long.
They have a maximum submerged speed of at least 46 kilometres per hour (25
kn; 29 mph). They are equipped with a floating rescue chamber designed to
fit in the whole crew.
Read more
Eastern Naval Command to induct 3 vessels and anti-submarine ship
[image: Vice Admiral Satish Soni]The Eastern Naval Command is inducting
three more immediate support vessels. They will be deployed along the east
coast. The ENC inducted three ISVs into its 83rd ISV squadron based at
Vizag in June 2014.
“The ISVs will be inducted in the next 10 days,” ENC, Commander-in-Chief
vice admiral Satish Soni said. ISVs are armed with machine guns and also
carry modern navigational and communication equipment.
A INS Kamorta class anti-submarine ship will also be commissioned next
year. The ENC also has plans to expand its ammunition depot at INS Kalinga
in ... more »
Genetics: 150 years
*One of the 3 greatest pure scientific results born in the Czech lands*
What do I mean by these three results?
1. Kepler's laws (Prague 1609)
2. Mendel's laws of genetics (Brno 1855)
3. First derivation of the gravitational red shift from the equivalence
principle (Prague 1911)
Well, the three guys were ethnic German (let's ignore the Jewish blood of
the last one) but some of my ancestors would work as maids for similar
folks so I am eager to take the credit.
*Pulihrášek [The Pintopea], one of the modern applications of Mendel's
research. This species created by Ms Nat... more »
Let's not worry about "turning around" school districts. Let's work on protecting children from the effects of poverty.
Sent to the Los Angeles Times, Feb. 13, 2015
Richard Whitmire agrees that no school district this year deserved the
Broad Foundation Prize because none showed sufficient improvement ("Loosing
the Prize," Feb. 13). Whitmire thinks the answer to "turning around"
school districts is more "gutsy leadership," a closer relationship to
charter schools, and pushing students to take more demanding courses.
All this macho talk ignores the big problem: poverty. The level of child
poverty in the US is at an astonishing 25%, the second highest among
industrialized countries, and in some urba... more »
Free Planet series - thanks guys - you did the right thing
kinda cynical and sarcastic view of the post-covert war world you once
lived in, as seen from the future of a Free Planet
it's also the opening credit sequence of the forthcoming novel REAPER (free
planet #3) here's the relevant transcript:
*Without country, you became a ruthless global populace who suffered no
fools. Protected no clandestine secrets. Decided to make this home world
the most amazing place in the universe. You wouldn't believe how unworthy
this endless war planet used to be. Well done, my free planet friends, I
love living in a world based on creativity, passion a... more »
Secretive TPP threatens health, regulation, and democracy
I'm pleased today to have a guest post from Professor Susan K. Sell, one of
the leading authorities on the incorporation of intellectual property
rights into trade negotiations.
The Obama administration currently is pressing Congress for Trade Promotion
Authority (“Fast Track”) to help it conclude the Trans-Pacific Partnership
(TPP) negotiations. The President sees TPP as a central pillar in his
“pivot to Asia”. However, both the process and the substance of TPP are
badly flawed and the office of the United States Trade Representative
(USTR) needs to be more accountable to the Ame... more »
Third Way trade agreements study leaves out a lot
Third Way (h/t TPM), a Democratic pro-trade think tank, has released a new
study, "Are Modern Trade Deals Working?" It examines the various "free
trade" deals the U.S. has signed since 2000 to conclude that 13 of 17 have
led to an improvement in our goods (not including services; see more below)
trade balance with the countries involved, giving a net improvement over
the 17 agreements studied of $30.2 billion per year.
Long-time readers of this blog may remember that I did a similar analysis
(though in less detail than the Third Way study) in 2012. Unlike the Third
Way report, my po... more »
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei Has Been Secretly Communicating With President Obama
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks live on television
after casting his ballot in the Iranian presidential election in Tehran
June 12, 2009. Caren Firouz/Reuters
*FOX News/Wall Street Journal:** Iranian Ayatollah Sends Secret
Communications to White House*
*WASHINGTON—Iran’s paramount political figure, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, has responded to overtures from President Barack Obama seeking
better relations by sending secret communications of his own to the White
House.*
*The Iranian cleric wrote to Mr. Obama in recent weeks in response to an
October... more »
Islam - Whose Story?
*Title: Islam - Whose Story? Source: The Coexistence Trust. Date Published:
December 13, 2012. Description: *
Many stories now get told about Islam's origins today by believers and
sceptics alike. How might Muslims best respond to a revisionist account of
their faith's origins? And how do we all debate such issues in a measured
fashioned when the global response can often be beyond anyone's control?
The panelists looked at these big issues by discussing Tom Holland's book
on early Islam, and the response to his Channel 4 film, 'Islam: The Untold
Story'.
About the panel:
Tom Hol... more »
Editor's Note
Wow .... I rarely do this but I checked the traffic stats for this blog.
According to Google I have had over 12,000,000 page visits to this blog in
the past few years. I am truly humbled by this recognition. Thank you.
Untitled
*Federal judge tosses coastal damage suit against permit-breaking oil
companies ~Kevin McGill, AP *
Anti-Choice "Culture": Numismatics and Philately Divisions
A frequent lament from fetus freaks like SUZY ALLCAPS is "We have [sic]
pro-lifers have no culture."
http://www.bigbluewave.ca/2009/01/sorry-republicans-pro-lifers-there-is.html
By "culture," I assume they mean music and films and television shows that
don't actually suck. Celebs other than D-stringers standing up for forced
pregnancy and merciless end-of-life misery. That sort of thing.
While the "culture" thing continues to elude them, there's movement on a
couple of other fronts.
On January 19, I saw this on Twitter.
I'll ask again, what is the international anti-abortion logo... more »
A Look At What Happens When The U.S. Closes An Embassy
Peter Van Buren, Reuters:* Who gets out when a U.S. embassy closes, and who
gets left behind?*
*The American Embassy in Yemen closed its doors and evacuated its American
staff on Tuesday. U.S officials say security concerns brought on by the
advancing Houthi rebel group caused the closure. The Houthis say the
evacuation was unnecessary, a political act seeking to undermine their
legitimacy, and grabbed embassy vehicles on Wednesday. Closing an embassy
can often be as much about strategic political aims, as it is about
security concerns, but how hard is it to execute?*
*WNU Editor... more »
Can You Find Yemen On A Map?
I started traveling when I was still a teenager and I write about my travel
adventures on another blog. I'm even a member of the (informal) century club--
meaning I've been to 100 countries. Yemen isn't one of them. In fact, aide
Rep. Alan Grayson, a member of the House Foreign Relations Committee, I
don't know *anyone* who's been to Yemen. Working at Sire Records, I got to
know Ofra Haza, an Israeli-born Yemenite many of whose songs derived from
that country's traditional music. Ofra and her music got me interested in
visiting Yemen, although I never did and when I've written abo... more »
Nazi Crimes in Ukraine
Published today in Times Record:
Just a few miles outside of Kiev there is a ravine called Babi Yar where,
between Sept. 29-30, 1941, 33,771 Jews were slaughtered by the Nazis and
their Ukrainian fascist collaborators during the Nazi campaign against the
Soviet Union. By the summer of 1943, the ravine held as many as 100,000
corpses — Jews, Roma, prisoners of war and others.
How ironic. Recently, American General Ben Hodges, chief of the U.S. Army
in Europe, awarded medals to a current group of Ukrainian fascists in Kiev’s
Central Military Hospital. The medal, he said, is a symbol ... more »
Dresden Was Firebombed 70 Years Ago Tonight
*Daily Mail*:
*Out of the ashes: Seventy years after the Allies dropped 3,900 tonnes of
explosives on Dresden, then-and-now pictures reveal how the city recovered
from near-obliteration*
** Allied Forces dropped 3,900 tonnes of explosives over Dresden during
four raids on 13th-15th February 1945*
** The bombings on the east German city destroyed 1,600 acres of its
centre, killing an estimated 25,000 people*
** The resulting firestorm that engulfed the city centre is said to have
reached temperatures of over 1,500C*
*WNU Editor*: We have a tradition in our family of lighting a cand... more »
Shirt-sleeve weather
It's time (early this year, I know, but the ladybugs have hatched and the
peach trees are budding) to close out the ducks for a bit and spread the
compost. First I open the bins and fork out the contents into the
wheelbarrow and dump around the garden.
Then, knock down the heaps with the potato fork ...
... and spread them around even further with the leaf rake.
A quick look with the thermometer tells me it's 43F in the lower garden and
44F in the upper one. Iffy for peas, so I think I will put them in flats
for now and set them out later.
The Young Man is visiting and after ... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
"The Cheeseburger Nebula (NGC 7026) is a very bright bipolar planetary
nebula of a little over one light-year across at its longest dimension,
located about 6,000 light-years away in the constellation of Cygnus (The
Swan). It is approaching us at approximately 40.6 kilometers per second.
Despite their name, planetary nebulae have nothing to do with planets. The
name of planetary nebulae arose because of the visual similarity between
some round planetary nebulae and the planets Uranus and Neptune when viewed
through early telescopes.
*Click image for larger size.*
A planetary nebula r... more »
Paulo Coelho, “Discovering The Real Fear”
*“Discovering The Real Fear”*
by Paulo Coelho
“A Sultan decided to make a voyage with some of his best courtiers. They
embarked at the port of Dubai and set out across the open seas. As the ship
sailed away from the land, one of his subjects, who had never seen the sea
and had spent much of his life in the mountains, had a panic attack.
Sitting in the hold of the ship, he wept and wailed and refused to eat or
sleep. Everyone tried to calm him down, saying that the journey really
wasn’t all that dangerous, but although their words reached his ears, they
did not touch his heart. The ... more »
Chet Raymo, "Rules for Believing And Rational Thinking""
*"Seven Rules for Believing"*
by Chet Raymo
"I was reading again recently Richard Dawkins' letter to his daughter Juliet on
her tenth birthday, urging her to avoid tradition, authority and revelation
as reasons for believing. Ask for evidence, he writes - evidence that is at
least potentially available to all. Good advice, and I wouldn't mind
passing on Dawkins' letter to my own children or grandchildren. But there
is further advice I would add.
A week or so ago I proposed here Four Rules of Rational Thinking, and had
some savvy comments by readers. Let me now propose Seven Rules o... more »
Tonight's Movie Is 'The Trench' (1999)
*Form YouTube:* A story about a group of soldiers last days before the
battle of the Somme in 1916 it shows the conditions in the trenches during
world war 1 and takes you into the minds of the soldiers.
Untitled
*Fracking fight - Abita Springs sues the Corps of Engineers for denying
public hearing ~Robert Rhoden*
*Rita LeBlanc loses seats on two Saints / NFL committees as feud with
grandfather continues ~Ramon Antonio Vargas, N.O. Advocate*
World News Briefs -- February 13, 2015 (Evening Edition)
*Euronews*:* Argentina president Cristina Fernandez faces cover-up probe*
*The president of Argentina Cristina Fernandez is to be questioned over
accusations that she tried to cover up Iran’s alleged involvement in a 1994
bombing.*
*MIDDLE EAST*
U.S. says 15 more airstrikes launched* against Islamic State*. Air strikes
in Syria kill at least *20 Islamic State fighters: monitor*.
Islamic State militants* attack Iraqi town near US base*. ISIL fighters
close in *on major Iraqi airbase*. Iraqi army repels attack on base *hosting
U.S. Marines: officials*.
Al Qaeda seizes Yemen Army b... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- February 13, 2015
*Al Pessin, VOA:* *Analysis: Can Ukraine Accord End Conflict?*
*LONDON — When the leaders of four major countries convene at a neutral
location for high-profile talks aimed at ending a war, results are
expected.It took all night – 16 hours in all – but they got results. The
questions now are whether they can implement their agreement, and whether
it will be enough to end the conflict. There is a good chance that they
can’t, and it’s not.*
*Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- February 13, 2015*
The Ukraine cease-fire does little to restrain Mr. Putin -- Washington Post
e... more »
Is this why many citizens don't trust cops? (Not entirely, perhaps, but it does make a point)
*by Ken*
I should say straightaway that my friend Jon is not entirely without, er,
*opinions* about cops. This is because he is by profession a public
defender, and so the role in which he most frequently encounters them is as
witnesses against clients of his. And in this role, apart from other
character defects that often become hard to ignore, he holds it against
them that -- notwithstanding that oath they always take to tell the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help them God -- their
actual testimony tends to be, um, conspicuously untruthful.
I should prob... more »
The New Dumbness Bred by Compulsory Schooling
*Video - *Part four in a series of short videos based on John Taylor
Gatto's book, The Underground History of American Education.
The post The New Dumbness Bred by Compulsory Schooling appeared first on Waking
Times.
What Might A More Serious Conflict In Ukraine Look Like?
*Jonathan Eya, CNN*: *Never-ending war: What might a more serious conflict
in Ukraine look like?*
*A deal aimed at imposing a ceasefire in Ukraine from this Sunday was
concluded following talks between the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France
and Germany. Yet despite 17 hours of talks in the Belarus capital of Minsk,
during which President Vladimir Putin was seen breaking pencils on his desk
in frustration, some of the agreement's most important provisions have yet
to be clarified.*
*And although German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois
Hollande proclaimed them... more »
Global Central Banks open 24/7. Currency Wars, Deflation and Instability
*This is the second of two financial news stories-*
Both containing interesting, insightful and important information-
Both are related to each other-
*First news story- Oil Jumps on Weak US dollar- Deflationary tendencies &
currency wars?*
The Bloomberg news item directly below is *highly suggestive* of a *great
deal of global instability *requiring* massive global money manipulation
to create inflation and prevent deflation. Inflation benefiting the
bankster, moneyed classes. Inflation is equivalent to a hidden tax on all
of us.* Of course, I will highlight the bits I find interest... more »
Oil Jumps on Weak US dollar- Deflationary tendencies & currency wars?
- Oil prices rallied sharply on Thursday after two days of losses as news
of deeper industry spending cuts and a sinking U.S. dollar revived buying.
*The US dollar sinking despite the global prop up attempted a couple of
weeks back signals the deflationary tendencies at play- So, will interest
rates have to increase to hit the desired inflation target of 2% mentioned
in this post- *
U.S. crude closed above $51 a barrel, shaking off a morning dip tied to
data showing a potentially record rise in stockpiles at the Cushing,
Oklahoma, delivery hub.
Its discount versus Brent crude expa... more »
Ukrainian Prime Minister: 'We Had Two Options – Bad, Or Worse'
Daily Mail: *'We had two options – bad, or worse': Ukrainian prime minister
reveals the extent of how one-sided peace deal was… and how they do not
believe Putin will stick to it*
* Thirteen civilians killed during heavy clashes in past 24 hours
* Eleven soldiers killed and 40 wounded, Ukraine's military said in
statement
* Deaths come as Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany broker ceasefire
* It is due to come into force on Sunday at one minute past midnight
* At least 5,486 people have been killed in 10 months of fighting
* Ukraine PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk has spoken of his mistrust of ... more »
U.S. 'Missile Offense' Bases in Romania & Poland
The U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) headquarted in Stuttgart, Germany
announces a second new "missile defense" (MD) base under construction.
These bases in Romania and Poland, and their interceptor missiles, will be
aimed at Russia as part of the Pentagon-NATO military encirclement of that
nation.
MD systems are key elements in US first-strike attack planning. Their job
is to pick off any remaining retaliatory nuclear response after the
Pentagon unleashes its sword. MD thus become the shield that the US seeks
in order to deliver a 'successful' first-strike attack.
Each year th... more »
Ukraine War News Updates -- February 13, 2015
*Wall Street Journal:* *Fighting Rages in Eastern Ukraine as Cease-Fire
Deadline Approaches*
*Doubts Grow Over Implementation of Peace Deal Agreed to in MinskUkraine
descended into further violence on Friday as Kiev and Russia-backed
separatists tried to expand and defend their territory before a cease-fire
brokered by European leaders was due to come into effect.*
*Ukraine War News Updates -- February 13, 2015*
Ukraine battles persist before cease-fire deadline; 25 dead -- AP
Fighting rages in run-up to Ukraine ceasefire -- Reuters
Ukraine says 11 troops killed and 40 wounded, f... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
The Poet: Sheenagh Pugh, “What If This Road”
*“What If This Road”*
“What if this road, that has held no surprises
these many years, decided not to go
home after all; what if it could turn
left or right with no more ado
than a kite-tail? What if its tarry skin
were like a long, supple bolt of cloth,
that is shaken and rolled out, and takes
a new shape from the contours beneath?
And if it chose to lay itself down
in a new way; around a blind corner,
across hills you must climb without knowing
what's on the other side; who would not hanker
to be going, at all risks? Who wants to know
a story's end, or where a road will go?”
~ Sheenagh... more »
"Would We Lose Anything Important?"
“What would our world be like if we ceased to worry about "right" and
"wrong,"
or "good" and "evil," and simply acted so as to maximize well-being,
our own and that of others? Would we lose anything important?”
- Sam Harris
"Remember..."
“Remember, we all stumble, every one of us.
That’s why it’s a comfort to go hand in hand.”
- Emily Kimbrough
"As Americans..."
''As Americans, we must ask ourselves: Are we really so different? Must we
stereotype those who disagree with us? Do we truly believe that ALL
red-state residents are ignorant racist fascist knuckle-dragging
NASCAR-obsessed cousin-marrying roadkill-eating tobacco juice-dribbling
gun-fondling religious fanatic rednecks; or that ALL blue-state residents
are godless unpatriotic pierced-nose Volvo-driving France-loving left-wing
communist latte-sucking tofu-chomping holistic-wacko neurotic vegan weenie
perverts?''
- Dave Barry
Visage - Fade to Grey
I've had a video game-related blog post brewing in my brain for a wee while
now. It's a tricky one because you would think it's pretty difficult to
write about, being as it has no plot, no levels as such, no lives, no
ending. Can you guess what it is? Unfortunately, you're going to have to
wait until the morrow as Friday night finds me with an annoying sleepyhead.
Staying up too late to shout at *Question Time* and *This Week* on Twitter
is the culprit. Was it worth it? *Is it ever?*
Here then is a musical interlude while I convalesce. Given the sad news
about Steve Strange, it coul... more »
most people
Most people don't really want the truth.
They just want constant reassurance
that what they believe is the truth.
Islamic State Attack Against Iraqi Base With U.S. Forces Repelled. Heavy Fighting Still Ongoing In Neighboring Towns
*Reuters:* *Iraqi army repels attack on base hosting U.S. Marines -
officials*
*(Reuters) - Iraqi security forces on Friday repelled an attack by Islamic
State insurgents against an air base in Anbar province where U.S. Marines
are training Iraqi troops, Iraqi and U.S. military officials said.Militants
from the jihadist group had attacked the Ain al-Asad base and the nearby
town of al-Baghdadi a day earlier, leading to sporadic clashes in the town
overnight.*
*More News On The Islamic State Attack Against An Iraqi Base Housing U.S.
Forces*
ISIS Fighters Sneak Into Iraqi Base W... more »
More Nations Rush To Close Their Embassies In Yemen
Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com
*Globe and Mail/Reuters:* *More Western nations, Saudis pull embassy staff
from Yemen after rebel takeover *
*Saudi Arabia has joined Western states in evacuating staff from Yemen
after a power grab by Shia Muslim Houthi militia there, a move reflecting
the hostility of majority Sunni Muslim neighbours toward the Iranian-backed
Houthis.*
*More News On The Crisis In Yemen*
U.N. says Yemen collapsing, on brink of civil war -- Reuters
Yemen on the Verge of Chaos -- AP
U.N. Chief Warns Yemen ‘Collapsing’ as al-Qaeda Group Makes Gains -- Time
A... more »
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