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| Panorama of Moscow, Borodinsky Bridge near right, Smolensky Metro Bridge far right (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| Xinjiang (West China) Tour Memory (Photo credit: Nickel Xie) |
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| The HDR Street (Photo credit: LordFerguson) |
White Island aviation alerts upgraded
Shifting magma within the White Island crater has prompted scientists to
upgrade aviation alerts for pilots flying near the active volcano.
GNS Science vulcanologist Gill Jolly said while volcanic tremors within the
crater had decreased, "hybrid volcanic earthquakes" have started to appear.
Hybrid earthquakes were associated with moving, molten magma and heightened
unrest.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/science/8219088/White-Island-aviation-alerts-upgraded
Nine Die in Moscow Garage Fire
Nine people died and at least 14 were injured on Saturday after a fire at
an underground car park in a building in southwest Moscow, local police
said.
Seven of them died while on the way to hospital, Emergencies Ministry
spokesman Viktor Bryukov said. Another ten people were rescued unharmed, he
added.
All those who died were thought to be construction workers who were
carrying out work on the site, and were from the "near-abroad," a term
officials in Russia often use for those from former Soviet republics. Many
people from the former USSR republics work in construction in Russia,... more »
27 people killed in clashes after 21 men were sentenced to death for their part in a football riot in Egypt
Two football players are among 30 people killed in riots in the Egypt city
of Port Said following the sentencing to death of 21 fans.
Violence erupted in the city after judge sentenced the 21 people to death
over a post-match riot in February last year that killed 74 fans of the
Cairo-based Al Ahly team.
All of the people sentenced to death were fans of Port Said's main team, Al
Masry.
http://news.sky.com/story/1043203/egypt-death-sentences-spark-deadly-riots
4.8 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINA - 26th January 2013
Magnitude
4.8
Date-Time
Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 15:41:16 UTC
Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 11:41:16 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
39.749°N, 77.303°E
Depth
35.3 km (21.9 miles)
Region
SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINA
Distances
101 km (62 miles) E of Arzak, China
Some Perspective in the 'Recovery' of Homes Sales
Housing is being heralded as 'in recovery,' unless you look carefully at
the data. See how the headline frames a recovery despite not very promising
data:
"Home Sales Recovery Holds Place" by Alan Zibel The Wall Street Journal Jan
26-27 p. A3
"New home sales rose by 20% last year . . .
...last year was the third-worst on record for new-home sales, highlighting
the long road to recovery for the industry. . . . December's results were
down 7.3% on a monthly basis to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of
369,000, but figures for Sep through Nov were revised upwards."
Majia here: Now... more »
Insecticide ‘unacceptable’ danger to bees, European Food Safety Authority finds
[image: Bees in a beehive. Neonicotinoid insecticides have for the first
time been officially labelled an 'unacceptable' danger to bees feeding on
flowering crops. Environmental campaigners say the conclusion, by Europe’s
leading food safety authority, sounds the 'death knell' for the insect
nerve agents. Photo: Alamy]
By Damian Carrington
16 January 2013
(The Guardian) – The world's most widely used insecticide has for the first
time been officially labelled an "unacceptable" danger to bees feeding on
flowering crops. Environmental campaigners say the conclusion, by Europe's
l... more »
A Sharp Tool With a Smooth Handle
The Inaugural bullshit is over. Long live the eternal campaign bullshit.
It's time to forget about Selma and Seneca Falls and Stonewall. It's
time, once again, to dust off the whips and chains and scolds'
bridles for the little people, and call them *gifts*. In this week's radio
address, your President signals whose side he is really on. (Hint: it ain't
yours.) Just pretend you're a fly on the wall in the boardroom of Goldman
Sachs, and that he's talking directly to the annual convention of the
Plutocratic Mafia.
*Hi, everybody. Here in America, we know the free market is the greate... more »
Blaming the wrong person!
Michele Mandel's column today blames the Justice of the Peace who sat on
Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah's bail hearing for a brutal murder apparently
committed by Owusu-Ansah. She suggests that no one charged with assault
and threatening should get bail.
I'm sorry -- a lot of innocent people, especially during a bad divorce, get
charged. Remember people charged are not necessarily guilty and people make
false allegations.
Should everyone accused of a crime have to spend months or years in jail
waiting to be acquitted? No, that's why we have bail.
What's more we don't know what the Justice... more »
4.8 Magnitude Earthquake NORTHWESTERN IRAN - 26th January 2013
Magnitude
4.8
Date-Time
Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 15:10:51 UTC
Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 06:40:51 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
38.295°N, 46.814°E
Depth
18.4 km (11.4 miles)
Region
NORTHWESTERN IRAN
Distances
30 km (18 miles) SW of Ahar, Iran
4.5 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTH OF JAVA, INDONESIA - 26th January 2013
Magnitude M 4.5
Region SOUTH OF JAVA, INDONESIA
Date time 2013-01-26 14:13:23.5 UTC
Location 9.34 S ; 113.15 E
Depth 10 km
Distances 121 km S Kencong, Indonesia
Breaking: Carrico just the latest of many!
*SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013*
*In Virginia, our side did it first:* In Virginia, the drive to give the
most electoral votes to the loser seems to be losing steam.
As Laura Vozzella reports in the Washington Post, Virginia’s Republican
governor came out against the scheme yesterday. So did “two GOP senators
who sit on the committee that will decide the bill’s fate next week.”
In the end, Virginia may not be for fixers! But uh-oh! As Vozzella
described the apparent death of the coup, we were struck by this piece of
Virginia history:
VOZZELLA (1/25/13): In Virginia, as in most states,... more »
National Putrid Radio, and the Dolphin Slayers
I was listening to All Things Considered on NPR yesterday when one of their
fatuous announcers, I forget which one, announced in a perky aside that
apparently, a confused dolphin that was trapped in Brooklyn's Gawanus Canal
"didn't get the memo" that the waterway, long contaminated with dumping
from manufacturing, has been designated a toxic superfund site, haha.
Isn't that funny?? The dolphin didn't get the memo. Bwahahah, silly
silly dolphin! This enraged me and I thought immediately, you stupid
bitch, don't you know that poor dolphin is going to die??
Sure enough, lo and behol... more »
CZECH REPUBLIC; ISRAEL; CHILD ABUSE; ZEMAN
*Zeman in Israel*
In the *Czech Republic: the pro-Israel Milos Zeman has been elected
President.*
(Powers of the President of the Czech Republic )
In June 2011, Zeman, referring to Islam, said "The enemy is the
anti-civilisation spreading from North Africa to Indonesia. Two billion
people live in it."
He likened Muslims who believe in the Qur'an to antisemitic and racist Nazis
.
A complaint was lodged against him following the comments.[3]
*Zeman in Israel*
"In 2012, the Czech Republic proved to be Israel's key ally in Europe and
in the world.
"Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyah... more »
They've Named It - "Afrighanistan"
The Domino Theory is back. It played a fundamental role in drawing
America into a hopeless, protracted war in Viet Nam. If the Communists
weren't repulsed from South Vietnam, all of Southeast Asia would fall to
the Red horde and so America wasn't fighting for Viet Nam but for the
future of an entire region.
Now *The Economist* is playing the same refrain only this time for North
Africa.
*...all wars are different. The lessons from one campaign need not map
neatly onto the next. Looking at the arc of instability, stretching from
Somalia and Sudan in the east through Chad to Mali ... more »
Saturday Morning Linkage
The Mali campaign continues. As does the Syrian civil war. And the UN is
seeking an expanded mandate in the Congo. Anonymous hacks the United States
Sentencing Commission’s website in retaliation for aggressive prosecution
of Swartz. Jennifer Lind argues that Japanese politicians must confront
their country’s past. Anton Stezhnev isn’t so sure about Chris Fair et al.’s
Continue reading
Iranian-Hizballah convoy blown up on Syrian Golan, Border tensions shoot up
At least eight officers were killed in a mysterious twin-car bomb explosion
Friday, Jan. 25 at Syrian regional intelligence headquarters in Quneitra on
the Syrian side of the Golan Heights. Some of the fatalities were Syrian,
but Western intelligence sources disclosed to debkafile that most were
high-ranking Iranian Al Qods Brigades and Hizballah officers. The blasts
sent tensions shooting up on the Israeli and Jordanian borders with Syria.
Israeli, Jordanian and US Special Forces posted in the kingdom went on high
alert. Heavy Syrian reinforcements were seen streaming toward the t... more »
Don't Feed the Trolls!!!
I notice with considerable consternation, that the troll has returned to
Saskboy's comments section. The individual in question will obnoxiously
guffaw over the slightest errors (either real or the product of a
deliberate misreading of what someone says) but lapses into cowardly
silence when its own inconsistencies or contradictions or stupid mistakes
are pointed out to it in no uncertain terms.
Purple Library Guy (who is one smart cookie) typed an extended lesson in
politics to said troll who dismissed it with the most laughable grabbing at
straws imaginable.
Don't feed the trolls... more »
Untitled
*Advocate newspaper in talks to sell*
*More #Pelicanfacts ~Library Chronicles*
*New TV reality show focuses on bayou folk*
*Parades SATURDAY! *
*Krewe of Pontchartrain** Uptown 1:00 p.m.*
*Krewe of Choctaw** Uptown follows Pontchartrain*
*Knights of Sparta** Uptown 6:00 p.m.*
*Krewe of Pygmalion** Uptown 6:45 p.m.*
*Chewbacchus* *Faubourg Marginy 8:00 *
*Motley Krewes ’tit Rx and Chewbacchus roll Saturday** *
*
**Mystic Knights of Adonis** Westbank 12:00 *
*Krewe of Bilge** Slidell 12:00 p.m*. *Mona Lisa & Moon Pie **Slidell 7:00
p.m*.
* *
*
*
*SUNDAY!*
*Krewe of Carrollton** Upt... more »
Toronto Has Been Forded
Christie Blatchford is ecstatic that Rob Ford won his appeal and will
remain in the mayor's chair. She has nothing but contempt for Clayton Ruby,
who took on the case against Ford *pro bono*. She has been inspired by:
The sight of lawyer Clay Ruby turning his back on a television camera, a
feat that previously would have been considered a physical impossibility
for the un-shy and, let me be frank, unctuous defender of correct thinking
and all proper causes.
For Blatchford, the case against Ford was always an improper cause. It was
always a tempest in a teapot, which boiled down ... more »
Human Freedom, 2013 Report
* This is my article today in thelobbyist.biz,
----------
The freedom from summary execution or abduction, or being imprisoned or
physically attacked for expressing one’s view, is often absent in the
consideration many global economic freedom or competitiveness annual
reports. In these reports, the Philippines never ranked high worldwide.
This week, an important report was released, Towards a Worldwide Index of
Human Freedom, January 08, 2013. It is a joint project of three big think
tanks advocating more individual freedom and limited government – Fraser
Institute in Canada, ... more »
USC-CSIS Conference on Korean Unification (3): DPRK ‘Sovereignty’ is a Sino-Russian Fig-Leaf to Slow Unification and Check US power
Here are part one and part two of this post. I spoke last Tuesday at a
USC-CSIS conference on Korean unification. I learned a lot, and it was very
good. If you’re interested in unification, start here with the primary
report on which the conference was based. The principal investigators said
a final wrap-up report
Continue reading
4.2 Magnitude Earthquake STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR - 26th January 2013
Magnitude mb 4.2
Region STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR
Date time 2013-01-26 11:36:43.0 UTC
Location 35.07 N ; 4.75 W
Depth 55 km
Distances 49 km E Chefchaouen
Paedophile Adil Rashid who said that his Islamic education 'didn't teach him' that sex with a girl of 13 was illegal is spared jail
Adil Rashid (pictured) admitted travelling to Nottingham in July last
year
and having sex with the teenager who can't be named for legal reasons.
In
interviews with psychologists Rashid claimed he had been taught by his
madrassa that 'women are no more worthy than a lollipop that has been
dropped on the ground.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2268395/Adil-Rashid-Paedophile-claimed-Muslim-upbringing-meant-didnt-know-illegal-sex-girl-13.html
Is "GMST" Only an Unrecognized Proxy for SST?
I first articulated, in this 2010 post, what I have since maintained as the
only real effect of added carbon dioxide in the atmosphere--that such
addition only increases the radiative pathway available for heat transfer
within the atmosphere, and thus can only increase the speed of said heat
transfer (over the much slower processes of convection and conduction); it
cannot trap or slow down heat, as climate scientists claim as the "settled
science". Soon after, I performed the first and only proper comparison of
the temperatures in the tropospheres of Venus and Earth--in this landmar... more »
The GOP Is Attempting To Rig Presidential Elections Via The Electoral College, By Introducing Legislation To Split Electoral Votes In States Where They Now Control The State Legislatures & Governor, But Who Consistently Vote For The Democratic Presidential Candidate: Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Michigan, & Wisconsin
(that's a long title for a post!)
The GOP is quickly becoming the extreme minority party, and they know they
have to cheat to win the presidency. One of their top tactics is to
suppress the vote with un-Constitutional Voter ID (photo ID) laws. Another
is to create long lines in precincts that don't vote Republican. Now we
have the ultimate cheating, which renders all their other cheating
unnecessary: SPLIT ELECTORAL VOTES ONLY IN STATES THEY NEVER WIN. For
example, the Republican Party will NOT introduce legislation to split
electoral votes in TEXAS, because they always win Texas.... more »
Klaus' successor: Miloš Zeman elected Czech president
I have "more positive than negative" opinions about both candidates but I
voted for Miloš Zeman (*1944) in both rounds of the first direct
presidential elections because he seemed like a decent enough successor to
Klaus to me. As the de facto founder of a non-communist, major, left-wing
party (in Czechoslovakia and later Czechia) that other nations know, this
guy who has lived as a pensioner in the last 10 years is one of the last
active "founding fathers" of the post-revolutionary political system.
Whether or not the politicians – and the society – preserve the continuity
and the r... more »
Japan's ANA cancels more Dreamliner flights; no quick fix in sight
All Nippon Airways Co, which has the biggest fleet of Boeing Co's troubled
Dreamliner jets, on Saturday cancelled hundreds of flights until February
18, signaling a quick fix to the plane's safety problems was unlikely.
ANA, Asia's biggest airline by revenue and an important launch customer for
Boeing's newest plane, said another 379 flights scheduled for February 1-18
had been scrapped, bringing to 838 the number of cancellations since one of
its Dreamliners made an emergency landing in western Japan on January 16.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/26/us-boeing-dreamliner-ana-c... more »
French forces in Mali seize airport, bridge at rebel-held Gao
French forces in Mali have seized the airport and the bridge over the Niger
River at the Islamist rebel-held stronghold of Gao, the French Defence
Ministry said on Saturday.
French and Malian troops have advanced rapidly against al Qaeda-allied
Islamist militant fighters holding the Saharan north of the West African
state after France intervened earlier this month at the request of the
Malian government.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/26/us-mali-rebels-idUSBRE90O0C720130126
Chris Christie Weighs Nearly 400 Pounds... And Lies
You probably heard that billionaire Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is hosting
a political fundraiser for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at his home in
Palo Alto, California on February 13. But that wasn't the only thing that
Christie was in the news for this week. Hammered by far right-wing fanatic,
Chris Chocola, fuehrer of Club for Growth, for fighting for federal aid to
help New Jersey residents pulverized by Hurricane Sandy, Christie decided
to try to win back some right-wing cred by denouncing President Obama's
Inaugural Speech. He joined a chorus of partisan right-wing hack... more »
Bankers, policymakers say Europe's crisis not over
International bankers and finance ministers warned on Saturday that
Europe's crisis was not over even though the euro currency is now
stabilized, it will take years to overcome economic malaise and mass
unemployment in Europe.
After a private meeting of leading commercial bankers, government
officials, central bankers and trade union officials, Swedish Finance
Minister Anders Borg told Reuters: "There is a clear divide between the
financial markets, who think a lot of this is fixed, and the people in the
real economy and particularly from our side as the governments."
http://www.re... more »
Anti-Doping Chief: Armstrong Lied On Oprah
The head of the US Anti-Doping Agency has claimed shamed cyclist Lance
Armstrong lied during a TV interview with Oprah Winfrey.
In an interview with CBS show 60 Minutes, which will air on Sunday, Mr
Tygart said Armstrong was not telling the truth when he claimed he was
clean of performance enhancing drugs when he made his comeback in 2009.
http://news.sky.com/story/1043148/anti-doping-chief-armstrong-lied-on-oprah
Egypt: Many Dead After Rioters Sentenced
Troops are being sent to Port Said after violent clashes erupted following
the sentencing to death of football fans who rioted during a game in 2012.
As the sentence was read out in court and broadcast live on Egyptian
television, families of those who died during the match wailed in disbelief
and relief and shouted "God is great!" from the public gallery.
Defendants' lawyers said all those sentenced were fans of the Port Said
team, Al-Masry.
Meanwhile, relatives of those sentenced attempted to storm the prison where
the defendants are being held, leading to fierce clashes with po... more »
3.5 Magnitude Earthquake NORTHERN CALIFORNIA - 26th January 2013
Magnitude
3.5
Date-Time
Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 13:10:38 UTC
Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 05:10:38 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
39.818°N, 123.630°W
Depth
7.3 km (4.5 miles)
Region
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Distances
18 km (11 miles) ENE (61°) from Rockport, CA
4.9 Magnitude Earthquake NEW BRITAIN REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA - 26th January 2013
Magnitude
4.9
Date-Time
Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 11:01:41 UTC
Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 09:01:41 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
6.133°S, 149.811°E
Depth
41.3 km (25.7 miles)
Region
NEW BRITAIN REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Distances
30 km (18 miles) ENE of Kandrian, Papua New Guinea
The 'Fiscally Conservative' Harper Government Ran A $1.85 Billion Deficit In The Month Of November 2012
*"The federal government ran a deficit of $1.85-billion in November but
eight months into the fiscal year, the size of the federal deficit is
coming in smaller than last year.*
*From April through November, the federal deficit for the 2012-13 fiscal
year now stands at $12.4-billion, compared to a deficit of $15.5-billion
over the same eight month period a year earlier.*
*However November’s $1.9-billion deficit was larger than the $1.6-billion
deficit posted in November 2011. Private sector economists and the Bank of
Canada have all pointed out that 2012 ended with slower than expec... more »
Stop the War on Mother Earth
St. Louis police use "pain compliance", including pressure points, arm and
neck twising, on protesters peacefully demonstrating yesterday against
Peabody Coal's destructive mining practices and pollution. Read More.
Saturday NoPP in a New Format
*I thought I'd give you a treat today, readers, and take you along for what
would have been my daily routine and ritual. *
*
**NoPP stands for no printed paper purchase. **Normally I would have
purchased a Globe with my one luxury, a morning cup of coffee; however, due
to the cold weather, snow on the ground, and other factors I am skipping
the printed paper. *
*
**Had I purchased one, I would have placed it on the table with my pens and
notepads; however, I am no longer hungry for the Boston Globe, and don't
care about Senate speculation, nor that Robert Parish is broke (I have my... more »
Mourning Moran
"Eileen Moran, 60, visual effects whiz for ‘Lord of the Rings’" by Douglas
Martin | New York Times, December 08, 2012
NEW YORK — Eileen Moran — a *visual effects producer who helped create* the
look of a bevy of blockbuster movies, from the ethereal world of ‘‘Avatar’’
down to King Kong’s 460 billion strands of wind-rustled specially lighted
fur — died Sunday in Wellington, New Zealand. She was 60.
The cause was cancer, her sister Janet Hamill said.
Ms. Moran worked closely with the director James Cameron on ‘‘Avatar’’ and
with the director Peter Jackson on the ‘‘Lord of the Rings... more »
Alan Pardew hypocrite?
http://twitter.com/BeardedGenius/status/294771585469014017/photo/1
Why 80 Percent of People Worldwide Will Soon Stop Eating Wheat by Natasha Longo
Source:
http://www.cban.ca/Resources/Topics/GE-Crops-and-Foods-Not-on-the-Market/Wheat
Why 80 Percent of People Worldwide Will Soon Stop Eating Wheat
By Natasha Longo
Prevent Disease.Com, 20 March 2012
The future of wheat is certain, and it's toxic. There are as many health
risks associated with the consumption of wheat as there are nutritional
benefits claimed by the wheat industry. Why is there such a strong emphasis
on the development of wheat products all over the world when there are so
many adverse and crippling effects such as neurological impairment,
dementia, heart ... more »
The McGovern MacGuffin
"George McGovern’s indelible mark on Massachusetts politics" by Joseph P.
Kahn | Globe Staff, October 23, 2012
“Don’t Blame Me, I’m From Massachusetts.”
Tucked away in old barns and auto graveyards are reminders of what the
1973-74 Watergate scandal felt like here in Massachusetts, where voters
chose Democratic candidate George McGovern over Republican Richard Nixon in
the 1972 presidential campaign: vindication, spelled out on fading bumper
stickers.
*
**I used to feel proud about that. *
Since 1928, Massachusetts has backed only two Republican presidential
candidates: Dwight E... more »
EU cybersecurity plans slammed by Dutch MEP
The European Commission's promised cybersecurity strategy is "incoherent
and lacking in focus," a member of the European Parliament who has read a
draft of the proposal charged yesterday.
The Cybersecurity Strategy is due to be published in the coming weeks, but
leaked draft copies have been circulating in Brussels, prompting Sophie
in't Veld, a Dutch member of the European Parliament, to comment that,
based on what she has read of it, "there doesn't seem to be any real
strategy".
http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/security/3422478/eu-cybersecurity-plans-slammed-by-dutch-mep/
4.5 Magnitude Earthquake OFFSHORE EL SALVADOR - 26th January 2013
Magnitude
4.5
Date-Time
Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 09:36:41 UTC
Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 03:36:41 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
13.106°N, 89.224°W
Depth
76.5 km (47.5 miles)
Region
OFFSHORE EL SALVADOR
Distances
43 km (26 miles) SSE of La Libertad, El Salvador
IFA: Disjointed EU regulation damages investor interests
Tax and pensions legislation must be harmonised across Europe to ensure
investors are treated fairly as they are not in the current European
regulatory environment, an IFA has warned in a letter sent to Michel
Barnier, European commissioner for internal market and services at the
European Commission.
The letter, seen by FTAdviser, warned that investors’ interests are damaged
by the way in which regulation is enforced.
The IFA cited several examples which he has personally encountered over the
last few years. In one example he says a 38 year old British expat living
in Belgium but p... more »
EU considered freezing Britain out of budget deal
The European Commission confirmed on Friday that it had looked at ways of
getting a deal on the European Union's next long-term budget without
British consent so as to prevent Prime Minister David Cameron from vetoing
the package.
Ahead of a summit in November, diplomats said EU officials had examined
legal options to side-step a British veto, with Cameron considered the most
likely to follow through with a threat to block a budget deal.
"There was some speculation, and even preparatory work done in the
Commission, (on) whether it was feasible to have a budget ... without the
UK," ... more »
Globe Says Goodbye to 2012
*I'm about ready to say goodbye to the Globe for various reasons. *
*
*
*Exhibit A*:
"Many revelers are intent on leaving 2012 behind; Start of new year revives
hopes around globe" by Jennifer Peltz and Verena Dobnik | Associated
Press, January 01, 2013
NEW YORK —Security in Times Square was tight, with a *mass of uniformed
police and plainclothes officers assigned to blend into the crowd*.
Officers used barriers to prevent overcrowding and checkpoints to inspect
vehicles, enforce a ban on alcohol, and check handbags.
*
*
*What, no **false-flag, patsy plot** terror attack this tim... more »
Osborne to ignore IMF warning and press on with austerity
The Chancellor, George Osborne has rejected a call from the IMF’s Chief
Economist Olivier Blanchard to ease up on austerity measures in his next
budget in March.
Mr Osborne said that the the benefits and credibility with the financial
markets that Britain has built up as a result of the coalitions spending
cuts and tax rises were "hard won and easily lost and that it would be "a
huge mistake to put that at risk".
"From the beginning we have always emphasised that fiscal consolidation
should be slow and steady," he added.
http://www.myfinances.co.uk/loans-and-credit/2013/01/26/osbor... more »
Ice Storm Brewing for Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis
Prior to the return of warmer weather, an ice storm will affect areas from
northern and eastern Missouri to Michigan, southern Ontario and the
mid-Atlantic spanning this weekend into the start of next week.
A storm bringing rain to Southern California to end this week will roll
into a zone of departing Arctic air and cold ground over the Midwest.
http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/new-ice-storm-brewing-for-the/4847232
Satellite images reveal North Korea ready for nuclear test
North Korea could be almost ready to carry out its threat to conduct a
nuclear test, a U.S. research institute said, pointing to recent satellite
photos.
The images of the Punggye-ri site where nuclear tests were conducted in
2006 and 2009 reveal that over the past month roads have been kept clear of
snow and that North Koreans may have been sealing the tunnel into a
mountainside where a nuclear device would be detonated.
But it remains difficult to discern North Korea's true intentions as a test
would be conducted underground.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/01/26/satellite-ima... more »
US Weighing How Much Help to Give France's Military Operation in Mali
The Obama administration is debating how much more aid it can give the
French military forces who are battling Islamic militants in Mali, weighing
the benefit of striking a major blow to Qaeda-linked fighters in Africa
against concern about being drawn into a lengthy conflict there.
The immediate issue is whether and how to supply American aerial refueling
planes that would allow French jets to provide close-air support to ground
forces moving north into territory held by the extremists. French and
American officials have been in discussions for days, according to American
and Europ... more »
Armed Robber Pinned Down During Ladbrokes Raid Dies
An armed man has died after being restrained by customers during an
attempted robbery at a bookmakers, police said.
The man, in his 50s, was believed to be wearing a gas mask and holding a
gun when he entered a Ladbrokes branch on Crownhill Road in Plymouth
shortly before 7pm.
Customers managed to disarm him and held him on the floor while others
raised the alarm, Devon and Cornwall Police said.
http://news.sky.com/story/1043125/armed-robber-pinned-down-during-raid-dies
Big freeze continues to blow across the U.S. as blistering air creates 25-foot ice shoves in Wisconsin and covers iconic Michigan lighthouse in icicles
The deep freeze that continues to spread across most of the U.S. has
given
some regions in the north the appearance of a 2013 ice age. High,
freezing
cold winds forced big chunks of ice onto the shore of Lake Winnebago,
Wisconsin, creating 25-foot high ice shoves, right, while snow and ice
covered the North Pier Outer Lighthouse in St. Joseph, Michigan, upper
left, and ice formed on a jetty at the beach in Coney Island, New York,
lower left.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2268212/Animated-map-shows-chilling-Arctic-air-invasion-U-S-temperatures-continue-plummet.html
Beware the ghost of slippery Harold: David Cameron's European referendum speech was hailed as a masterstroke, but we've been here before, remember
For years, David Cameron's activists have been badgering him to call a
referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union. On Wednesday, at
long last, they got what they wanted, with Mr Cameron pledging to call an
in-out referendum by 2017 after renegotiating the terms of British
membership. But, as DOMINIC SANDBROOK explains, in 1975, Harold Wilson
conned voters with his own referendum that simply left us in hock to
Brussels. It couldn't happen again... could it?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2268426/Beware-ghost-slippery-Harold-David-Camerons-European-referendum-sp... more »
British soldiers jailed for 50 years after smuggling drugs and guns into the UK in the back of BMWs
Lemar Loveless (pictured top left) led the gang of four soldiers from the
Queen's Royal Hussars, the most senior light cavalry regiment, and the
Royal Logistics Corps who brought five guns and £70,000 worth of cocaine
through the Channel Tunnel. They had buried the stash in the back of BMWs
and tried to foil sniffer dogs by covering it in tape lined with chilli
powder. But immigration officials found the lethal cache which was to be
sold into the criminal underworld via a fifth defendant Romone Marshelleck,
from south London. A judge at Woolwich Crown Court jailed the five
defendan... more »
George Osborne Continues living the High Life....Despite Threat of Triple Dip Recession
George Osborne was accused of living the high life while the economy
plunged into the red yesterday – flying back from the World Economic Forum
in business class.
A banker on the same plane revealed that the Chancellor sat at the front of
the aircraft while even City financiers were saving money in economy class.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2268193/George-Osborne-flies-business-class-pizza-fondue-PM.html
U.S. Navy must lift warship off reef
The U.S Navy minesweeper that grounded on a Philippine reef last week has
taken on water and sustained too much damage to be towed off, the Navy says.
"It's got hull penetrations in several places, and there is a significant
amount of water inside the ship," Rear Adm. Tom Carney said at a briefing
Thursday.
The Navy said it will use ship-borne cranes and heavy-lift vessels to lift
the minesweeper, the USS Guardian, off the Tubbataha Reef.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/25/world/asia/us-navy-ship-aground/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
U.S. links Mali al Qaeda to Algeria attack
The Obama Administration now believes the attack and hostage-taking at a
natural gas plant in Algeria last week is the work of al Qaeda operatives
based out of northern Mali.
U.S. officials say al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) was behind the
attack and may also have operated a communications network from northern
Mali. Despite the recent French intervention, large areas of Mali remain in
the hands of jihadist groups.
http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2013/01/25/more-signs-al-qaeda-in-mali-orchestrated-algeria-attack/?hpt=hp_t3
Burt Reynolds in Florida ICU after flu
Actor Burt Reynolds is in intensive care in a Florida hospital, where he
went for treatment of flu symptoms, one of his representatives said Friday.
Reynolds was dehydrated when he went to the hospital, and was eventually
transferred to its intensive care unit, his representative Erik Kritzer
told CNN.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/25/showbiz/florida-burt-reynolds-hospitalized/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
Iraqi soldiers fire on anti-government protesters
Iraqi soldiers fired Friday on Sunni anti-government protesters demanding
the Shiite prime minister step down, health officials said.
Provincial health officials said that at least four people were killed and
42 wounded in the shootings in Falluja in western Anbar province, a Sunni
stronghold where protesters have been denouncing what they call
second-class treatment by the government.
The officials backed off earlier reports that at least five people were
killed, citing the chaos of scene.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/25/world/meast/iraq-protests/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
Attackers blow up main oil pipeline in Yemen: officials
Unidentified attackers blew up Yemen's main oil pipeline, forcing the
country to shut down one of its most lucrative sources of income,
government and tribal sources said on Saturday.
Yemen's oil and gas pipelines have been repeatedly sabotaged by insurgents
and tribesmen since anti-government protests created a power vacuum in
2011, causing fuel shortages and slashing export earnings for the
impoverished country.
Witnesses said the pipeline linking production fields in the central Maarib
province to the Red Sea was attacked on Friday night.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/2... more »
Britain lists Israel next to Iran as nation with human rights record 'of concern'
The criticism will unsettle the Jewish State, which proudly boasts it is
the only democracy in the Middle East, and considers the UK an ally amid an
increasingly critical Europe.
In the quarterly report published on Thursday, which considers the period
between October and December 2012, Israel sits in the company of
Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Zimbabwe – countries the foreign office
considers to have a human rights record 'of particular concern'. The
Palestinian Authority is also included, although it is noted that Israel's
refusal to deliver Palestinian customs revenue has under... more »
Egypt court sentences 21 people to death for stadium disaster
An Egyptian court sentenced to death on Saturday 21 people accused of
involvement in the Port Said soccer stadium disaster in which 74 people
were killed last year, the judge said.
The judge read out a list of 21 names who had been "referred to the Mufti",
a phrase used to denote a death verdict as all such sentences must reviewed
by the Egypt's top religious authority.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/26/us-egypt-court-idUSBRE90P06920130126
Mali crisis: Troops 'take northern town of Hombori'
Malian and French troops have retaken the town of Hombori, officials say,
as they continue their campaign to regain control of northern Mali from
rebels.
Hombori lies about 160km (100 miles) from the Islamist stronghold of Gao.
Earlier, French warplanes reportedly bombed rebel positions, fuel stores
and ammunition dumps near Gao.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21203731
Egypt deploys troops to Suez to quell 'out of control' clashes
Egypt deployed troops Saturday to the coastal city of Suez after a security
chief declared the area "out of control" following deadly clashes on the
second anniversary of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak.
The announcement on state-run EGYNews followed reports that at least seven
people were killed Friday, six in Suez when gunfire erupted during clashes
between anti-government protesters and those loyal to President Mohamed
Morsy.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/26/world/africa/egypt-unrest/
Judge lets ricin plot terrorist stay in UK as he's 'suicide risk'
A SOFT judge who allowed an al-Qaeda terrorist to stay in Britain over
fears he might kill himself faced calls to quit last night.
Mr Justice Mitting — who recently upheld hate preacher Abu Qatada’s appeal
to stay here — ruled the Algerian zealot’s human rights would be breached
if he was booted out.
Incredibly the fanatic, who was part of a plot to poison Tube passengers
with highly toxic ricin in 2003, is out on BAIL — despite admitting he is a
threat to the UK.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4764035/Judge-lets-ricin-plot-terrorist-stay-in-UK-as-hes-suicide-risk.html
Police and protesters clash in Egypt, army sent to Suez
Egyptian protesters scuffled with police in Cairo on Saturday and troops
were deployed in Suez after nine people were shot dead in nationwide
protests against President Mohamed Mursi, exposing deep rifts two years
after Hosni Mubarak was ousted.
After a day of clashes on Friday, tension remained high with a court
expected to rule later on Saturday in a case against suspects accused of
involvement in a stadium disaster that killed 74 people. Fans have
threatened violence if the court does not deliver the justice they seek.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/01/26/uk-egypt-anniversar... more »
Did an underground explosion destroy Fordow nuclear facility in Iran on Monday? (NOTE: NOT CONFIRMED)
An explosion deep within Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility has destroyed much
of the installation and trapped about 240 personnel deep underground,
according to a former intelligence officer of the Islamic regime.
The previously secret nuclear site has become a center for Iran’s nuclear
activity because of the 2,700 centrifuges enriching uranium to the
20-percent level. A further enrichment to weapons grade would take only
weeks, experts say.
The level of enrichment has been a major concern to Israeli officials, and
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly has warned about the
20-... more »
Heavy rains kill two in Lampung, one dead in Papuan landslide, Indonesia
Heavy rain and strong winds in Bandar Lampung, on Thursday afternoon caused
a wall to collapse, crushing two children, while a landslide in Jayapura,
Papua, killed one.
The wall of a futsal court owned by the Lampung Prosecutors’ Office
collapsed at around 5:45 p.m. as several elementary school children were
returning home after playing soccer in the rain.
Imam Almastada, 11, and Bisma Aldian, 9, of the SD Talang state elementary
school, were killed outright.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/01/26/heavy-rains-kill-two-lampung-one-dead-papuan-landslide.html
Three new human cases of avian influenza H5N1 in Cambodia
The Ministry of Health (MoH) of the Kingdom of Cambodia wishes to advise
members of the public that three new human cases of avian influenza have
been confirmed positive for the H5N1 virus.
The first case, an 8-month old infant boy from Chrey Korng Village, Sangkat
Chorm Chao, Khan Por Sen Chey, Phnom Penh has been diagnosed with H5N1
influenza. He developed symptoms on 08th January 2013 then was brought to
the National Paediatric Hospital for consultation on 9th January with
fever, cough, runny nose, and vomiting. The boy was registered in the
Influenza-Like Illness Sentinel Survei... more »
Dolphin Trapped In Filthy New York Brooklyn Canal Dies
A wayward dolphin has died after becoming trapped in a polluted New York
City canal and before a rescue attempt could be put in action.
The marine animal had swum on Friday into the Gowanus Canal, which runs 1.5
miles through a narrow industrial zone near some of Brooklyn's wealthiest
neighbourhoods.
The cause of death is still unknown, according to the Riverhead Foundation
for Marine Research and Preservation. The dolphin died on Friday evening.
http://news.sky.com/story/1043105/dolphin-trapped-in-filthy-new-york-canal-dies
Venezuela Prison Riot Kills Dozens Of Inmates
Up to 50 people have been killed and scores more injured in clashes at a
prison in Venezuela, according to hospital officials and local media.
Television footage showed National Guard troops surrounding the Uribana
prison as inmates in bloody clothes were taken out of the building.
Relatives of the prisoners, most of them women in tears, waited outside.
http://news.sky.com/story/1043166/venezuela-prison-riot-kills-dozens-of-inmates
Irish Police Detective Adrian Donohoe Shot Dead In Hold-Up
A Garda detective has been shot dead in Ireland during a botched hold-up.
Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was with a colleague escorting a cash
delivery to a credit union in Dundalk, County Louth.
http://news.sky.com/story/1043114/irish-garda-police-detective-shot-dead-in-dundalk
Snow Storm Brings M6 To Standstill
Hundreds of drivers have spent hours trapped in their vehicles on the M6 in
Lancashire after heavy snow brought the motorway to a standstill.
The motorway became blocked in both directions between junctions 25 and 27,
near Wigan, last night after vehicles became stuck in more than a foot of
snow and some drivers abandoned their cars.
http://news.sky.com/story/1043086/weather-snow-storm-brings-m6-to-standstill
4.2 Magnitude Earthquake CRETE, GREECE - 26th January 2013
Magnitude M 4.2
Region CRETE, GREECE
Date time 2013-01-26 05:16:04.0 UTC
Location 34.61 N ; 24.26 E
Depth 20 km
Distances 67 km SW Ayía galíni, Greece
5.3 Magnitude Earthquake MADAGASCAR - 25th January 2013
Magnitude
5.3
Date-Time
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 23:37:01 UTC
Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 02:37:01 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
23.654°S, 43.553°E
Depth
14 km (8.7 miles)
Region
MADAGASCAR
Distances
10 km (6 miles) W of Anakao, Madagascar
4.7 Magnitude Earthquake MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES - 25th January 2013
Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 22:40:56 UTC
Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 06:40:56 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
9.438°N, 126.100°E
Depth
83.7 km (52.0 miles)
Region
MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES
Distances
17 km (10 miles) NE of Cantilan, Philippines
4.2 Magnitude Earthquake TAJIKISTAN - 25th January 2013
Magnitude
4.2
Date-Time
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 21:08:43 UTC
Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 02:08:43 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
38.426°N, 73.357°E
Depth
118.5 km (73.6 miles)
Region
TAJIKISTAN
Distances
60 km (37 miles) WNW of Murghob, Tajikistan
making a market or adding liquidity...
here Mad Max (he's gonna run them over) Keiser discusses how 'making a
market' or 'adding liquidity' might be nothing more than cynical legalese
codewords to retrospectively protect one's (banker) back; let's watch.
Quantum Gas Temperature Drops Below Absolute Zero
Quite reasonably, we will have different quantum states around the average
we call absolute zero. The point here is that we are successfully working
at this and seeing interesting results.
It also reminds us that absolute zero is arbitrarily attached to atoms and
not elementary particles who all like to beat about at a fraction of light
speed. There is a whole new concept of temperatures in these realms that
is surely lower that absolute zero so we certainly have not seen the last
of this or possibly even the beginning.
*CONJECTURE: Absolute zero for elementary pa... more »
The Second Amendment was Ratified to Preserve Slavery
Without this material I have always found the whole provision regarding
the bearing of arms rather odd. It failed to ring true as something that
actually needed to be there in the first instance. It certainly exists no
where else.
Now we can fully understand this amendment for the original travesty it
was and for the ongoing travesty that it has become. Of course the South
needed to protect its natural condition as a de facto police state and that
meant local militias.
The second amendment was an instrument to sustain and preserve slavery and
absolutely nothing else. It ... more »
True Face of Sportsmanship
Yes it is time to recall the models of great sportsmanship and Stan Musial
is up there. We have endured at least forty years of endemic doping
throughout the sports industry. From 1970 onward we have had the rise of
sports 'science' which once you get past the physically possible and
associated training protocols is all about how to recover from training so
as to repeat the process. Dope and other protocols solved that problem.
It was always possible in theory for Lance Armstrong to win seven Tour de
France Races. It just was never possible in practice without rapid and
p... more »
China Pollution Anger Spills into State Media
This is significant. It is the one target that challenges authority
indirectly and every reporter can sink his teeth into real reporting and
obvious outrage when he does. It is an avenue for a free media to hone
their talents and outright emerge.
The need for open debate and disclosure is clear to anyone but the focus
has been diffuse. This can focus the natural outrage.
Morally the leadership is unable to stand up against this movement.
*China pollution anger spills into state media*
*
*
*by Staff Writers*
*
Beijing (AFP) Jan 14, 2013 *
*
http://www.terradaily... more »
LIONEL CURTIS; CFR; NEW WORLD ORDER
*Lionel Curtis (1872-1955)*
Lionel Curtis supported the idea of a Federal World Government.
Curtis may have been a well meaning but naive romantic.
In 1910, Curtis founded the Round Table groups, which sought a closer union
between Britain and its self-governing colonies.
In 1919 Curtis, aided by British and American friends, set up the Royal
Institute of International Affairs during the Peace Conference of Paris.[2]
A year later its sister organisation, the *Council on Foreign Relations*,
was set up in America.
*Lionel George Curtis - Wikipedia,/ Round Table movement*
Profe... more »
snow jaguar... spirit guide or dream guardian?
now this is gonna sound weird AND stupid, but I have to continue.
SNOW JAGUAR
I know there's no such thing (today) so it must be something from ancient
times, or even mythology; I still haven't REALLY come to terms with this
realisation, but here I go; neck on the astral/reputation line.
SNOW JAGUAR, that's the only creature I can come up with that fits the size
and physique of a dream animal I've not only dreamt/blog'd about (see talking
with big white cat in living room post) but featured (unwittingly) in a
painting I did more than twenty years ago - and I don't do animals. I don... more »
Postponing the Day of Reckoning, Alberta-style
Alberta Premier Alison Redford beseeches the Almighty for higher petroleum
prices as Wildrose Finance Critic Rob Anderson looks on. Actual Alberta
politicians may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: Social democratic men
of God J.S. Woodsworth (Methodist), Tommy Douglas (Baptist) and Stanley
Knowles (United). So what’s with the Redford Government’s receding horizon
on tough decisions, ... more »
80,000-Year-Old Quaking Aspen Grove
Photo courtesy: scottks1
The oldest living organism in the world is 80,000 years old and clones
itself. Known as Pando, and nicknamed The Trembling Giant, this organism is
a single grove of Quaking Aspen trees in Utah. Aspens trees are so glorious
particularly on windy nights. Before the aspen grove across the street was
sacrificed for even more condos, I would sit on my balcony on windy nights
enjoying the sight and sound of the aspens. My neighbours don't make the
same viewing as my aspens did.
Photo courtesy: Will Scullin
The grove is aptly-named Pando, which is Latin for "I sp... more »
Dr. Martin Lings: Human Origins and Destinies According to the Great Religions of the World
Shakespeare's Spirituality: A Perspective. An Interview With Dr. Martin
Lings.
*Wikipedia:*
Martin Lings (January 24, 1909 – May 12, 2005), also known as "Abu Bakr
Siraj Ad-Din", was an English writer and scholar, a student and follower of
Frithjof Schuon, and Shakespearean scholar. He is best known as the author
of a very popular and positively reviewed biography, Muhammad: His Life
Based on the Earliest Sources, first published in 1983 and still in print.
.
.
In addition to his writings on Sufism, Lings was a Shakespeare scholar.
His contribution to Shakespeare scholarship ... more »
BEN FELLOWS
*Ben Fellows with his wife Julia*
Ben Fellows, a former child actor, is from Birmingham, in the UK.
He claims that a top politician called Ken Clarke groped his penis.
*
*
*Ken Clarke - formerly in charge of MI5. Former Home Secretary. Former Lord
chancellor. Member of Bilderberg.*
Ben was aged 13 when he arrived in London.
He feasted "on a nightly cocktail of champagne and cocaine, unwittingly
being paraded like a glittering
under-age trophy."
*My hell with Britain's biggest stars says Ben Fellows - 27 October 2012 -
Daily Express*
*Ben Fellows. "I ran a gauntlet of pedophiles... more »
Musical Interlude: Brule', “Stomp Dance”
Brule', “Stomp Dance”
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_l2Zt_um6M
Iraq Protests Explained - Hawazen
Iraq Protests Explained - Hawazen, Source: 108morris108.
Two calls for papers
*Handing out parking fees in Kaohsiung.*
H-Asia passed these around, one on Taiwan in Dynamic Transition, the other
on the Kennedy period and East Asia, click on read more:
The Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Alberta will host
the inaugural Alberta International Conference on Taiwan Studies (AICTS) in
Edmonton, Alberta from May 24-26, 2013. The theme of this interdisciplinary
conference is "Taiwan in Dynamic Transition."
The organizers seek papers concerning the following topics: Constitutional
reform, rule of law, and party politics; cross-strait relations a... more »
Friday Baseball Post
I said last week I had nothing particular to say about Stan Musial, but
that's not quite true; I just wanted to wait a week out of respect. But now
that I've done that, it's time to consider how his passing affects...the
All-Time All-Alive Team and the All-Time All-Dead Team. Hey, I've done the
All-Alives before, but I'll start from scratch this time; I didn't look
back at the old post until I was done.
I'll start with the All-Dead Team. Talk about a hard OF to crack! We'll
certainly carry five OFers on the 25-man roster, and I'd think that the
selections have been easy: Williams st... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
"What powers are being wielded in the Wizard Nebula? Gravitation strong
enough to form stars, and stellar winds and radiations powerful enough to
create and dissolve towers of gas. Located only 8,000 light years away, the
Wizard nebula, pictured below, surrounds developing open star cluster NGC
7380.
*Click image for larger size.*
Visually, the interplay of stars, gas, and dust has created a shape that
appears to some like a fictional medieval sorcerer. The active star forming
region spans 100 about light years, making it appear larger than the
angular extent of the Moon. The ... more »
Sunday Classics preview: "I still see her looking in silence at my white hair" -- King Philip in "Don Carlos"
*Ferruccio Furlanetto as King Philip in his study
in Don Carlos at the Met*
*Io la rivedo ancor, contemplar triste in volto
il mio crin bianco il dì che qui di Francia venne.
No, amor per me non ha, amor per me non ha.*
I still see her again, contemplating with a sad look
my white mane the day that she came here from France.
No, she doesn't love me, she doesn't love me.
*Jerome Hines (bs), King Philip II; Orchestra of the Teatro Colón (Buenos
Aires), Fernando Previtali, cond. Live performance, Sept. 2, 1962*
*Ferruccio Furlanetto (bs), King Philip II; Metropolitan Opera Orchestra,
J... more »
Paulo Coelho, "Do You Feel Useful?"
*"Do You Feel Useful?"*
by Paulo Coelho
"Ask a flower in the field: ‘Do you feel useful? After all, you do nothing
but produce the same flowers over and over?’ And the flower will answer: ‘I
am beautiful, and beauty is my reason for living.’
Ask the river: ‘Do you feel useful, given that all you do is to keep
flowing in the same direction?’ And the river will answer: ‘I’m not trying
to be useful, I’m trying to be a river.’
Nothing in this world is useless in the eyes of God. Not a leaf from a
tree falls, not a hair from your head, not even an insect dies because it
was of... more »
US ends cell phone unlocking reprieve
Americans will have to get permission to unlock their Smartphone from
Saturday. *In October 2012, a change was made to the US Digital Millennium
Copyright Act that provisionally allowed owners to unlock their smart
phones without the need to ask their network beforehand. *Previous to the
change, owners were classically charged a fee when they asked their
operator to unlock a telephone. Alternatively, users could buy unlocked
versions of smart phones from manufacturers, but these handsets were
typically more expensive than those locked to one network.
Many online services have sp... more »
Journey of Nishiyuu: Into the Harsh Wind
Journey of Nishiyuu walked 22km today in harsh wind but with determination.
Podcast No. 19: Interview with Daniel Drezner
The nineteenth Duck of Minerva podcast features Daniel Drezner of Tufts
University. Professor Drezner ruminates on, among other things his
intellectual and educational background, his experiences as an academic
blogger. As was the case with last week’s episode, this podcast is a bit
more “bare bones” than usual. I didn’t put in introductory remarks; I have
not
Continue reading
Zapatistas Marcos IV 'The Pains from Below'
Friday, January 25, 2013
Them and Us Part 4: The Pains from Below by Subcomandante Marcos
Espanol
THEM AND US
IV.- The Pains From Below
January 2013.
How many times have the cops stopped us on the street for the crime
of "having a suspicious face" or a mohawk, and then after a beating and
extortion they let us go?
"Repression and Criminalizatoin," Anarchist Black
This is What RWNJ's Really Sound Like
Boy if this conversation doesn't epitomize what is happening in the US
right now.
Force yourself to watch the whole interview with Peterson*
*
You will have to force yourself - Peterson is obnoxious
AND LISTEN - LISTEN.
ALEC High Risk Free-Market Experiment - FAILS AGAIN!!!
*The first rule of human experimentation*
*DO NO HARM!!!*
*ALEC free-market philosophy in education FAILS again.*
*Replacing public education with for-profit schools - FAILS again.*
The school children in Pennsylvania were the human subjects of this ALEC
experimentation - the ALEC legislators of Pennsylvania are complicit in
this experiment on American children - an experiment that harmed a
vulnerable population - Pennsylvania's children.
(My emphasis)
Results in Pennsylvania ShowCharter Schools Fail Their Own Hype
- Jon Queally, staff writer
The nationwide push for privatization of ... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Greenwood, California, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
“The Club of Liberals, Transhumanism, Depopulation”
*“The Club of Liberals, Transhumanism, Depopulation”*
by Jon Rappoport
“By liberals, I simply mean those people who accept big government as a
given, regardless of their political affiliation. And yes, at certain key
levels, they are a club. They come from major media, large corporations,
banks, the military, well-funded foundations, investment houses, do-good
non-profits, legal and medical societies, academic factories, think tanks,
and of course the huge pool of government employees. For them, big, bigger,
and biggest government is a rock-bottom assumption that requires no
... more »
Mohawk Nation News 'Interpol to Investigate Trust Fund Fraud'
MNN: INTERPOL to Investigate Trust Fund Fraud
Posted on January 25, 2013
Mohawk Nation News
http://www.mohawknationnews.com
INTERPOL TO INVESTIGATE TRUST FUND FRAUD
MNN: JUNE 25, 2013. Following Iceland’s lead, we launched a
INTERPOL investigation into the fraud and theft of our Indian Trust
Fund. Iceland successfully jailed the bankers, eliminated
“Molecular Moods”
*“Molecular Moods” *
By Françoise Tibika
“Close your eyes and imagine your body, immersed in a huge network of
traveling information. Imagine your five senses- sight, hearing, smell,
taste, and touch- interfering with the information crossing this network.
And imagine your brain as a device that sorts them and translates some of
them in a language you know: colors, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures.
So far this sounds quite easy to imagine. But does this translation signed
by your brain end there? Do you receive information other than colors,
shapes, sounds, tastes, smells... more »
Can VA's Senate GOP terrorists get away with perhaps the most corrupt power grab since the Confederate secession?
*Virginia House of Delegates Speaker William J. Howell is the man on the
spot now, as grown-up state Republicans try to figure out how to deal with
the mess created by the party's terrorist faction in the Senate.*
*by Ken*
I've been trying to write a piece like this most of the week -- a piece
about the astonishing, flagrantly illegal and even more flagrantly indecent
power grab by the 20 senators who make up the Republican half of the
Virginia State Senate's 20-20 split.
That 20-20 Senate split, you'll recall, has put Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling in
the position of tie-breaker, a role h... more »
News of Note: Job Piracy, Tax Havens, Filibuster Reform
A lot has happened during my busy first week of classes, so I want to flag
a couple of the most important pieces of news from the week.
1. Good Jobs First has a blockbuster report on relocation subsidies. I
will have a full post on this report as soon as I have time to digest it.
2. Tax Justice Network's January Taxcast is out, with reports on Dell in
Spain, an EU threat to blacklist Switzerland, and a look at "Google
Capitalism."
Hear it here.
3. Filibuster reform was less than hoped. Recall how overrepresented rural
states are in the Senate in the first place. Here are Ezra Kle... more »
How SNC-Lavalin Used Some Of The Corporate Tax Cut That Harper And The Conservatives Gave Them ....
*"In the sworn statement unsealed by a Quebec court Friday, former
officials with the Montreal-based company (SNC-Lavalin) are accused of
paying the son of the dictator Moammar Gadhafi $160 million in kickbacks to
obtain major contracts in Libya, some of which police say paid for luxury
yachts."*
CTV News
GOP judges rule in favor of Republican wish list
Ignoring precedent, mitigating circumstance and even common sense, in a
breathtaking display of judicial hackery, GOP appointees ruled in favor of
GOP obstructionism:
The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
said Obama did not have the power to make three recess appointments to the
National Labor Relations Board because the Senate was officially in session
- and not in recess - at the time. If the decision stands, it could
invalidate hundreds of board decisions made over the past year. [...]
The three-judge panel, all appointed by Republican presiden... more »
The Identity of Drake Bailey?
This guy is a Vietnam Veteran????? Hahahaha......
Drake Bailey's Linked-In Profile by
The Black Panther Party’s Living Legacy --Touring Oakland and Berkeley with Billy X Jennings (part one)
*(Watch the full-screen, high definition format here.)*
*The Black Panther Party’s Living Legacy*
* *
*--Touring Oakland and Berkeley with Billy X Jennings*
* *
*(Part One)*
*By Angola 3 News*
This month, over twenty students enrolled in the “Dismantling Racism” class
offered by St. Catherine University in Minnesotatraveled to the San
Francisco Bay Area. The class focused primarily on California’s prisons and
what anti-prison activists are doing to challenge the human rights
violations and racism endemic to California’s infamous prison system.
Last week, the class was taken arou... more »
Singapore Film Company Looks for Haunted Places in Taiwan and Elsewhere
H-ASIA
January 25, 2013
Seeking input on relationship between famous hauntings and Asian culture
and history for documentary
*****************************
From; Christopher Laursen , (continue by clicking READ MORE)
Singapore-based InFocus Asia is producing a documentary television series
that sounds quite promising; they are looking at locations that are reputed
to be haunted, and putting them into social, cultural and historical
context. Perhaps there are some colleagues who would like to offer input.
all the best,
Christopher Laursen
PhD candidate
University of British Columbi... more »
The Connecticut Elementary School Shooting: Sandy Hook Fully Exposed Part II
It definitely does appear that I can not get away from the Sandy Hook
operation, and my own, and others in what I do call the real truth
movement, assertions that it was indeed a criminal operation for the
ultimate goal of disarming America.... Therefore again, I will be covering
more information right here that again calls into question the so called
"official report" on this operation.....
A while back, I presented a great video that summarized the entire Sandy
Hook Shooting exposure to that point... It contains the important video:
"Sandy Hook Fully Exposed", and I have the link... more »
Sufjan Stevens - All For Myself
Sufjan Stevens - All For Myself. Video made by "tigerinajar."
A couple of interview Links
*Blossom of a sensitive plant.*
Michael Richardson interviewed several people on a recent trip to Taiwan,
including....
- Interview with Jerome Keating on the subject of Chen Shui-bian and his
unfair trial.
- Judge Hong Yin-hua interview on why trial of Chen Shui-bian was unfair.
Meanwhile, my post from last month: Free Chen Shui-bian? Think about it...
_______________________
[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! Delenda est... more »
Navajos and Appalachians protest Peabody Coal, protesters arrested
Fern Benally, Dine' from Black Mesa
BREAKING NEWS
By Derek Minnow Bloom, Black Mesa Indigenous Support
Zach Chasnoff, Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment
Censored News
Fern Benally, Navajo, center. St Louis Post Dispatch photo.
ST. LOUIS,
MO — About one hundred protesters gathered in downtown St. Louis
today outside of the Peabody Coal corporate headquarters. St. Louis
"The Vanishing Days..."
“The sunset on which we gaze is a sunrise on the other side of the world,
and the vanishing days can take from us nothing that may not be restored
by some day yet unborn.”
- E.C. Hall
Mr. Obaaama, Save America From This Extremist Fearmonger
*Source: Infowars.com*
Alex interrupts a crew meeting with his latest toy, a bubble gun. At the
sight of this weapon, the crew transforms into a group of jibbering
ninnies. While this dark satire appears silly on the surface it is
incredibly frightening that it is based on real events that have recently
taken place. See the link below and you will realize the joke is on us as
we let nanny state take over.
See: *School Will Not Back Down Over Five-Year-Old Girl’s Bubble Gun
“Terroristic Threat”*
“From Wounded Knee to Idle No More”
*“From Wounded Knee to Idle No More”*
by Ron Jacobs
“The American Indian Movement’s (AIM) best known and most controversial
protest began in February 1973 in Wounded Knee, South Dakota, a small town
on the Pine Ridge reservation. Wounded Knee Two began as a conflict within
the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) tribe between the supporters of the tribal
Chairman Richard Wilson and other tribal members who considered him to be a
corrupt puppet of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Like many other such
conflicts, it had simmered for a while. In 1973, the disagreements between
the two segme... more »
Untitled
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Two years ago it was a record-snowfall around here, so WTF is with the
blatant agenda-pushing?
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Snow brings good news for N.H. skiing, snowmobiling
*
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*You were saying, Glob?*
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Climate change threatens ski industry
As global temperatures continue to rise — nine of the 10 warmest years on
record have occurred since 2000 — the threat of a milder climate looms over
the ski industry.
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Antarctic warming greater than expected
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Global Warming Snow Job
*It started in the fall*:
"Scientists struggled for an explanation other than a simple lack of rain."
*
**That's what a drought is, duh.*
"A new normal of intense rain, historic floods, and record heat waves"
*
**Beware any time you see new normal in the paper. *
"The issue had been virtually absent in the presidential campaign until
Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast."
*
**Yup, and then **climate-change** chit-chat began.*
2012 among 10 hottest years
*
**It must be the heat generating by my anger. *
Ice sheets melting at poles faster than before
*Actually, they are not, but.... *
... more »
Hey, Conservative Hacks: An Opportunity
Thinking about two of today's major stories, the court decision to
eliminate the recess appointment power and the plot to rig the electoral
college...
It strikes me that there's a major unexploited market out there in Crazy
Land: an argument for why only the House of Representatives, and not the
president or the Senate, is really a legitimate democratic institution.
It's really not even that hard to make, although it needs to dive far off
the deep end when you get to the part about consequences (which presumably
entail everyone having to do whatever it is the House wants). After all... more »
Piers Morgan... I Have Some Questions To Ask You!
One person who I find absolutely revolting in the Mainstream media these
days is Piers Morgan, a British nationalist who appears on the Jewish
controlled CNN talmud-vision network. His attacks on those who question
the "official record" of the Sandy Hook operation, are bad enough.. But his
recent fraudulent and laughable show with another shill, Alex Jones, was a
disgusting display of total lunacy! This man has been a strong advocate of
the repeal of the second Amendment of the US Constitution and the right of
every American citizen to bear arms for their own defense against an ev... more »
Syria: No sign Assad will be overthrown says France
*France said on Thursday there were no signs that Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad is about to be overthrown, something Paris has been saying for
months was just over the horizon*
France, a former colonial ruler of Syria, has been one of the most vocal
backers of the rebels trying to topple Mr. al-Assad and was* the first to
recognize the opposition coalition.*
“Things are not moving. The solution that we had hoped for, and by that I
mean the fall of Bashar and the arrival of the [opposition] coalition to
power, has not happened,” says Laurent Fabius
Mr. Fabius told RFI radio i... more »
Untitled
*It started in the fall*:
"Scientists struggled for an explanation other than a simple lack of rain."
*
**That's what a drought is, duh.*
"A new normal of intense rain, historic floods, and record heat waves"
*
**Beware any time you see new normal in the paper. *
"The issue had been virtually absent in the presidential campaign until
Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast."
*
**Yup, and then **climate-change** chit-chat began.*
2012 among 10 hottest years
*
**It must be the heat generating by my anger. *
Ice sheets melting at poles faster than before
*Actually, they are not, but.... *
... more »
Paedophile who groomed victim on Facebook claimed his Muslim upbringing meant 'he didn't know it was illegal to have sex with 13-year-old girl' | Mail Online
Hmm
where did he get those ideas?
'He was educated in a madrassa and 'had little experience of women'
Said he had been taught 'women are no more worthy than a lollipop
that
has been dropped on the ground'
Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2268395/Paedophile-groomed-victim-Facebook-claimed-Muslim-upbringing-meant-didnt-know-illegal-sex-13-year-old-girl.html'
John Friend's Realist Report For Monday, January 21st, 2013
With all the hectic work that I have been doing over the last few days, I
have had to let this blog slide a bit, and unable to keep up with what has
really been happening around the world... Now that I have most of that
cleared up, I can finally do some catching up.....
I did miss John Friend's (www.johnfriendsblog.blogspot.com) Realist Report
Show on Truth Militia Radio (www.truthmilitia.com) for last Monday, January
21st, due to family needs... At least now I have been able to listen to it
in the archives.... John had Jim Conduit as his guest to discuss World War
II history, espe... more »
To the Fates (Friedrich Hölderlin)
To the Fates (Friedrich Hölderlin). YouTube Video Description - [Channel:
Gottfried Leibniz]:
This poem was published by Hölderlin in 1799.
"Grant me only one summer, you mighty ones!
And one autumn for ripened song,
So that my heart, sated with the sweet
Music, may then die more willingly!
The soul that in life did not receive
Its divine due does not rest even below in Orcus;
But if I once accomplish the sacred thing that
My heart is set on—the poem—
Welcome, then, O silence of the world of shades!
I am satisfied even if my lyre Does not accompany me below; once
I lived like gods,... more »
David Mamet: Gun Laws and the Fools of Chelm (Perhaps the greatest pro-gun article ever written in the history of mankind, and hence, a must-read)
Karl Marx summed up Communism as “from each according to his ability, to
each according to his needs.” This is a good, pithy saying, which, in
practice, has succeeded in bringing, upon those under its sway, misery,
poverty, rape, torture, slavery, and death.
‘In announcing his gun control proposals, President Obama said that he was
not restricting Second Amendment rights, but allowing other constitutional
rights to flourish.’
For the saying implies but does not name the effective agency of its
supposed utopia. The agency is called “The State,” and the motto, fleshed
out, for the be... more »
First Nation Terrance Nelson: Rail Blockades and the Future
Rail
Blockade Jan. 16, 2013
By Terrance Nelson
Roseau River Ojibway
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com
Jan. 25, 2013
Jim Edmond,
As legal counsel for CN, you were involved in the undertakings that took
place in 2007. There was absolutely no need for a train blockade in
2013 in Treaty One territory if the federal Conservative Government of
Canada had honored the
UNSEEN FOOTAGE OF FRANCE'S MASSACRE IN IVORY COAST OF UNARMED CIVILIAN PROTESTORS IN 2007 (WARNING: GRAPHIC)
*Is this footage really unseen?*
Some may have seen it, but due to general media blackouts of European
military excursions into Africa (as well as American ones), it was
downplayed and in many cases simply not shown. The only reason we even know
about this happening is because someone in the crowd filmed it with their
camera.
*What are we seeing?*
You are seeing French troops, perhaps even Foreign Legion, fire upon
unarmed civilian protestors, massacring many. You can tell they're French
from two signs: first, the trademark turreted armoured vehicle the French
use, which looks lik... more »
UNSEEN FOOTAGE OF FRANCE'S MASSACRE UPON UNAMRED PROTESTORS IN IVORY COAST, 2007 (WARNING: GRAPHIC)
*Is this footage really unseen?*
Some may have seen it, but due to general media blackouts of European
military excursions into Africa (as well as American ones), it was
downplayed and in many cases simply not shown. The only reason we even know
about this happening is because someone in the crowd filmed it with their
camera.
*What are we seeing?*
You are seeing French troops, perhaps even Foreign Legion, fire upon
unarmed civilian protestors, massacring many. You can tell they're French
from two signs: first, the trademark turreted armoured vehicle the French
use, which looks lik... more »
Rigging the Electoral College -- Get It Right
I was going to let this go, but I just saw Andrew Gelman's post about what
a terrible idea electoral-votes-by-congressional-district would be, and
that makes the third one (here's one of the others; I've lost the other
one) I've seen that gets this wrong in the last 24 hours.
Hey, everyone writing about this: the Republican plan isn't
electoral-votes-by-congressional-district. It's electoral votes by
congressional district *in the states where it would help Republicans* (see,
for example, here). In fact, it's probably better to just say that their
plan is that electoral votes in eve... more »
Democratic Efforts In Texas Won't Make Up For The GOP's Plans For A Sweeping Effort To Steal The Electoral College
Were you giggling Wednesday when he said "If I was president...?" It's not
a laughing matter
One of Blue America's biggest victories in the 2012 cycle was seeing Beto
O'Rourke oust corrupt, conservative Democratic barnacle Silvestre Reyes in
the Democratic primary in Texas and then go on to win a landslide (65.5%)
victory in November to become a new congressman from El Paso. There are 5
Democratic freshmen from Texas this year. Besides Beto's big win, Charlie
Gonzalez retired and was replaced by New Dem Joaquin Castro, another
landslide (64%); Blue Dog Pete Gallego edged Republican i... more »
Is a 'Left UKIP' Possible?
One of the welcome outcomes of the SWP's self-immolation has been a
resumption of strategic debate among the 'inside' and 'outside' left. Andy
Newman has written about a socialist campaign for Labour victory, Owen
Jones has discussed a new movement of the left, and this in turn has
spurred responses from Alex Snowden and the inimitable Luke Akehurst.
One of the things to come out of the exchange of polemic is the idea of a
'left UKIP'. This isn't literally a left wing europhobic organisation, but
rather a small left populist party outside Labour that could pose just
enough of a thr... more »
Tools
With one more shift left to go before I head "into the field" at work, I
had to take part of my morning off to outfit myself. A tool belt is
something I've never worn before....ever. The closest I've ever come to
having anything like this around my waist was the web belt I wore with my
combats back when I was in the Reserves. So I wasn't sure how I'd make out
but in the end I didn't do too badly.
10" crescent wrench. Check. 16 oz hammer. Check. Tape measure. Check.
Level. Check.
The only challenging part was trying the thing on and making sure I could
get all my tools I wa... more »
Race watch: Now they’ve even got Kevin Drum!
*FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013*
*Why can’t our favorite simply come out and say whatever he’s saying:* Now
they’ve even got Kevin Drum, sanest guy on the planet or even on the
plantation!
In this post, Drum discusses the ludicrous complaint from Virginia—the
complaint about smaller communities in the state getting outvoted by larger
communities. Refusing to say what he has on his mind, Kevin instead offers
this:
DRUM (1/25/13): Ah, yes. All of Virginia's "more densely populated areas"
are outvoting them. *I wonder who they could possibly be talking about?
That's a real chin scratcher.... more »
What's it called when you lend money to a bison?
A BUFFA-LOAN!
OOPTHs Again
In the past we have talked about Out of Place Artifacts or as I like to
call them, Out of Place Things aka OOPTHs (and no, I didn’t invent either
term, that honor goes to Ivan T. Sanderson, I believe). Now we have a
report, from Russia, that a piece of a gear has been pulled from a lump of
coal that is dated at 300 million years… before the dinosaurs were around
and before much of anything was around, to have made it.
This story, which comes from the far reaches of Russia, near the borders of
China and North Korea, features a man named Dmitry who was throwing coal
into his furnace... more »
Muslim Brotherhood Is Failing In Egypt (Videos)
Anti-Morsi Egyptians celebrate 2013 in anger. Source: Al Qarra English.
Neverending Protest: Egypt marks 2 yrs of revolution with fresh clashes.
Source: RT.
Egyptian opposition calls for anniversary protests. Source: Al Qatar.
Wave of protests hit Egypt. Source: Telegraph.
West's fears over Syria Islamists mount as coalition flounders....Bit late for that, isn't it?
Western concern over the growing strength of jihadist rebels in Syria is
mounting, hindering aid to the moderate Syrian National Coalition
opposition and possibly pushing it into the arms of religiously
conservative backers, diplomatic sources said.
The widely recognised coalition has failed to gain traction on the ground
in Syria since being formed in November, its credibility undermined by its
failure to secure arms and cash in the battle to oust Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/01/25/uk-syria-crisis-coalition-france-idUKBRE90O10Y20130125
4.9 Magnitude Earthquake JUJUY, ARGENTINA - 25th January 2013
Magnitude
4.9
Date-Time
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 19:53:29 UTC
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 04:53:29 PM at epicenter
Location
24.172°S, 65.315°W
Depth
43.6 km (27.1 miles)
Region
JUJUY, ARGENTINA
Distances
49 km (31 miles) E (91°) from San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina
5.0 Magnitude Earthquake KURIL ISLANDS - 25th January 2013
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