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| Prime Minister Shinzō Abe at Camp David. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Shinzo Abe and the Three Magic Arrows
*Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is in New Zealand this week. If there aren’t questions about his economic management, says Andy Sirkis in this guest post, there should be.* Despite claims to the contrary in the mass media, Japan’s economy is continuing to suffer mightily under the leadership of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Abe is from a famous family and he’s a convincing talker, so he was able to bamboozle people into believing that he could make Japan prosper with his three arrows. These metaphorical arrows stand for “monetary stimulus,” “fiscal stimulus,” and “structural refo... more »
Oniste
John A Carroll shared Oniste Honoré Guay's album: Oniste. 5 mins · It's been one year now since Oniste Honoré Guay was operated in Colorado. [image: Thank you God] [image: Thank you God] [image: Thank you God] [image: Thank you God] [image: Thank you God] Oniste Honoré Guay added 10 new photos to the album Oniste — at Vernet, Les Cayes, Haiti. 😊😊😊😊😊Thank you God LikeLike · · Share - John A Carroll Oniste (July 2013). [image: John A Carroll's photo.] 1 min · Like - [image: John A Carroll]
Margaret Hodge
*Margaret Openheimer - J'accuse!* Labour MP Margaret Hodge, who chairs the Public Accounts Committee, said there had been a *"veil of secrecy"* over the establishment for far too long. *Quite right, luv - and you're right in the middle of it (in every sense).* Appearing on the Sky News Murnaghan programme, she added: *"Thank God it is coming out into the open. I think the really interesting thing about it is there has been a veil of secrecy over the establishment for far too long.* *"Now the establishment who thought they were always protected...find actually they are subject to ... more »
John Friend on By Yahweh's Design w/ Pastor Dan
I was a guest this morning on Pastor Dan's radio program *By Yahweh's Design*. We discussed my background and journey through the alternative media, Christian Identity, the Jews, and related subjects. You can download the entire interview *here*.
Iraq Updates July 4 , 2014 -- Ironic that as the US celebrates Independence from Britain today , we discourage the Kurd from achieving their own independent Kurdistan ? Latest items of note on Iraqi politics ( their principal factions absolutely no closer to forming a Government as Maliki refuses to leave , the Kurds and Sunnis seem determined to have their own independent territories ) .... US " mission sprint in Iraq on full display - Advisors only quickly morphed into combat troops to guard the US Embassy , now we see combat troops in Irbil ....... Status of civil war - Shi'a rounding up Sunnis in Baghdad , security forces killing " militants " across Iraq , Iraq wants F-16's it can't even fly , US scared to provide the jets because Maliki just might use them against political foes / Kurds - but we are okay with supplying thousand of Hellfire missiles ? What a masquerade !
Catharsis Ours - 3 hours ago
Vineyard of the Saker..... 4th July Iraq SITREP by Mindfriedo "defendants will be safe in our hands; for as Imam Ali said, ‘If you have the ability to oppress people, then you should remember the power of god over you.’” ---Kurdish judge Ra'ouf Rashid Abdul-Raham who sentenced Saddam to death. 4th July: The Iraqi army has taken over the village of Awja, birth place of Saddam Hussain. The village lies 8 kilometres south of Tikrit. Fighting has left 50 rebels dead. The assault on the village involved Iraqi Security forces, Pro government militias and Air strikes. 4th July: Figh... more »
Ghost of Sunday Classics: It's a barely fathomable distance dramatically from the end of Act I to the end of Act II of Verdi's "Otello"
*Aa Act II ends, Otello (Jon Vickers, right) swears vengeance and Jago (Cornell MacNeil) swears his support (all with subtitles), one of the most thrilling and most appalling moments you'll encounter on a stage -- with James Levine conducting, at the Met in September 1978.* *by Ken* We've been dealing with the sisterly or at least cousinly kinship between Verdi's Luisa Miller and Desdemona, and in case it wasn't in obvious in last night's preview, this week we're back to Desdemona. In the preview we heard the very end of the conclusion of Act II of Verdi's *Otello*, the moor's oat... more »
Spanish Tech Company ( Let's Gowex ) Admits It Is A Fraud Following Short-Seller Report ....... And countless spanish shareholder voices suddenly go silent !
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-07-06/spanish-tech-company-admits-it-fraud-following-short-seller-report Spanish Tech Company Admits It Is A Fraud Following Short-Seller Report [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 07/06/2014 10:23 -0400 - Prison Time - Twitter - Twitter inShare2 There was a time when reports issued by short selling-focused research shops such as Muddy Waters would usually result in disparagement lawsuits by the targeted company (typically a reverse-merged Chinese fraudcap), seeking to shut said short-sellers and restore co...more »
Hillary: Snowden Should Return to USA for Trial
When it comes to repulsive characters of the type that are created by the failed American political system one of the worst of the dismal collection is Hillary Rodham Clinton. The former Secretary of State, US Senator and humiliated spouse of a philanderer in chief, Hillary has been a dominant and relentless performer in the political circus dating back to the waning days of the last century and after a failed run at the Democratic nomination in 2008 it was always a foregone conclusion that she would be running again. The Clintons are like genital herpes - they just won't go away.... more »
My Proposal For a New EU Commision
At least they would be tasty and soon gotten rid of.
EFFECTIVE MOTIVATION:
EFFECTIVE MOTIVATION:.Filed under: SHAUN JOHNSON, PHD: Musings from the Chalk Face
He's Not New and Improved
http://www.torontolife.com/ Rob Ford is a little thinner. But, in the interviews he did last week, you could be forgiven for thinking that rehab hasn't really had much effect. Jim Coyle writes in the *Toronto Star*: Experienced hands in recovery listen carefully for hints that newbies are harbouring old, self-destructive attitudes or aren't committed to new ways of living. There were lots of alarms in what Ford had to say before his team abruptly scrapped a planned series of one-on-ones with media outlets. To wha... more »
It's Sunday...
time for: *Reaganite's SUNDAY FUNNIES* * Best ever...*
Vietnamese landscape art - Phan Thu Trang - delightful palette and composition
Born in Hanoi, artist Phan Thu Trang paints decorative landscapes inspired by images of the city and Northern villages of Vietnam. In her colorful yet minimalistic paintings she works with limited colors and textures, focusing on only bare essentials to create each piece centered around billowing, pointillistic trees.
We condemn this murder
An open condemnation of the murder of Mohammed Abu Khdeir We unequivocally condemn the horrific murder of Mohammed Abu Khdeir. It was unjustifiable under any circumstances. The killing was reprehensible and we hope that the criminals who did this sickening act are found and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Israel is a country run by the rule of law. There are reports that Jews have been arrested for this crime. If a trial finds that Jews are indeed guilty of this unconscionable killing, our condemnation is redoubled. The idea that Jews could do such an act fills us with s...more »
Northerntruthseeker Rant For Sunday, July 6th, 2014
[image: rant-jpeg-b] Sunday, July 6th, 2014, and again time for my weekly rant.... I am giving everyone a "vacation alert" right now just as a warning that I will be taking a much needed vacation starting one week from today and will be basically MIA for about 12 days.... I am bringing one of my portable laptops with me, much to the chagrin of my family, and will do my damn best in trying to put out an occasional article, including my rants.... But it will be based on time available and when I actually feel like sitting down and writing them.... I have needed a vacation for quite s... more »
Extreme confusion
Did you see Michael Gove on the Andy Marr show? Yes of course you did. Before he was wheeled in, Norman Tebbit and Helena Kennedy took a look at the papers. A gentle disagreement over what is and isn’t acceptable with regard to Islam in the UK ensued. Norman was looking frail beside the larger-than-life Baroness Kennedy, who managed to introduce the commonly held but false equivalence when defending Sharia law in the UK by citing ‘Jewish law’ and metaphorically squashing Mr. Tebbit’s protests by sheer force of her comparatively overbearing personality. Michael Gove was introduced... more »
Iraq Updates ( July 6 , 2014 ) , including the political state of play and civil war updates .......Lead article to consider " ISIS Attack Planned In Amman " ----- While the US / Jordan / Turkey and other countries have voiced concerns over the ISIS campaign launched by the taking of Mosul , was the ISIS attack planned in Amman , Jordan ( with the full knowledge of the US , Israel , Jordan , Turkey and the Saudis ? And was the KDP in the know as well ? Was Chalabi sent to discourage Kurd support od ISIS - by Iran ? )
http://en.firatnews.com/news/news/ozgur-gundem-isis-attack-planned-in-amman.htm Özgür Gündem: ISIS attack planned in Amman ANF - ISTANBUL04.07.2014 12:48:04 It has emerged that the recent ISIS assault on Iraq was planned at a meeting in the Jordanian capital of Amman. According to the Özgür Gündem newspaper, the secret meeting was attended by the KDP and Ba'athists and took place with the knowledge of the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Turkey on 1 June, 8 days before the attack on Mosul began. The article in Özgür Gündem has exposed the forces behind the Iraq plans of ISIS. Acco... more »
Ravitch Waves Goodbye to Common Core and Throws Kisses to Dennis and Randi
I read both of Diane Ravitch's books that she wrote after her conversion experience and subsequent surrender of her honored chair with the boys at Hoover/Koret/Fordham, and I kept looking to find out the real history of American corporate education reform, the one that Diane had ignored in every one of her books prior to her conversion. What I found in her newer books was more or less a watered down version of Jerry Bracey's scorching critique that he had been offering for many of those years that Ravitch had remained an avid and loyal fan of privatization, testing accountability, ... more »
Cryptozoology: The Megatherium Theory - Lobizón, Chupacabras and Cattle Mutilations
*Cryptozoology: The Megatherium Theory – Lobizón, Chupacabras and Cattle Mutilations* *By Luis Jorge Salinas* With the best intentions of providing clarification for these matters, and in the hope that these words reach the authorities and citizens of the countries of the Americas regarding something that all of us should understand calmly and rationally, in order that people may become aware and take protective measures especially at night, I extend this warning mainly to the young: do not endanger your lives trying to capture these unknown animals, as they generally go about in ... more »
Untitled
*New Orleans Saints move training camp to The Greenbrier ~Lyons Yellin* *Vargas: Burden of proof tackles Jimmy Graham, but payday could still be coming * *GoNOLA Find: Popp’s Fountain in City Park ~Mallory Whitfield * *After years of making Spirit Pole, New Mexico artist tries hand at hieroglyphics ~Leslie Renken, Journal Star*
Mississippi Senate Debacle-- Who Will Have The Last Laugh?
Right-wing populists-- who are sometimes referred to as teabaggers-- have pretty much taken over the Republican social policy agenda. But have been largely unable to beat Chamber of Commerce Republicans in primaries this year, the way they did manage to do in 2010 and 2012 by replacing longtime Senate incumbents like Bob Bennett (R-UT), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Dick Lugar (R-IN) and beating Establishment candidates in Delaware (Mike Castle), Florida (Charlie Crist), Nevada (Sue Lowden), Colorado (Jane Norton), Texas (David Dewhurst) and Kentucky (Trey Grayson). Although the Tea... more »
Untitled
*LA Schools Realize Giving Every Kid an iPad Was a Costly Disaster, Will Give Every Kid a Laptop Instead* The Los Angeles Unified School District's plan to give every child an iPad—at a cost of $1 billion to taxpayers—drew universal criticism after numerous problems arose. For one thing, when the devices were broken, lost, or stolen, it wasn't clear whether parents, the schools, or the kids themselves were responsible. Tech-savy students easily broke through the firewalls administrators had installed to keep them from using the devices to visit social media websites. This prompted ... more »
Some ACA Readings
1. Kate Ho and Ariel Pakes 2. Chuck Blahaus 3. James Capretta
Sunday Morning Comin' Down.
Well, if two or three of *my* sacred cows haven't been tipped, of late. Since Friday. CNN. Bourdain. Who'd have thought I'd benefit from it? Me, of all people? Not being either a foodie (I like to eat, though), or well-travelled (been a few special places); I never thought I would learn much from that type of programme. (I have CNN for mid-terms, storms, and Presidential elections.) I've been re-thinking my ill-considered opinions on gun-carrying civillians. Never occured to me that I may need to do just that someday. Someday is today. Everyday in fact, I just realized.... more »
SMASHED PRESS
RT reports: A crowd of around 50 masked men with stones and flares has attacked and vandalized the office of Kiev's Vesti newspaper. The paper’s security guard was beaten as the mob shattered the windows and filled the building with tear gas. Ever since the beginning of Ukrainian crisis media in the country been facing pressure to paint a “consistent” image of events. Soon after the February coup, the head of Ukraine’s National TV was abused and forced to resign over his *“not patriotic enough”* angle. In the meantime, all Russian TV channels were banned and many journalists prev... more »
Roy Cohn
*HIV is not the cause of AIDS.* *(Or Karposi Sarcoma)* *LIFE MAGAZINE* THE SNARLING DEATH OF ROY M. COHN Elevated by Joe McCarthy, felled by AIDS, he went with no regrets March 1988 By Nicholas von Hoffman *207S-004-03A * *Four months before the end, a haggard Cohn posed willingly, just as he’d sought the spotlight with McCarthy 35 years earlier.* A the time of his death on August 2, 1986, Roy Cohn was 59 and a generation had come to adulthood knowing of no senator named Joe McCarthy. But people born in the 1940s or earlier remember Cohn and his master performing on televi... more »
Brutally hot day on the Miaoli 124
Today Drew of Taiwan in Cycles and I rode up the 3 through Miaoli and climbed the 124, then rolled down to Nanzhuang and followed the river to Zhunan where we hopped a train for home. With temps soaring near 100, and probably well over that in the heated areas on the road, the moderately difficult climb up the 124 became a brutal battle against the heat. Still, it was a gorgeous ride. Click on read more to read more! *Route Notes*: You pick up the 124 in Shitan town, just north of the big Family Mart where the road into Shitan splits from the 3. Pay attention! It's the second big r... more »
Sacha Stone - New Earth Project - zero point economics or just another bunch of Overlords?
here at Free Planet, you'll have noticed the editorial stance is something along the lines of ALL CITIES MUST DIE, and all funding of THE EMPIRE (that's the patent-protected for-profit war-world economy) must be stopped. You get that (so far) right? But it's also about who we are, as a race of Advanced Fore-brainers. And what we do to show THE REST OF THE UNIVERSE that we deserve to remain Custodians of this Free Planet (and any God would tell you that you shouldn't be a debt/wage-slave, but that's by the by) and then that we deserve to share in the wonders of multi-dimensional trav... more »
New Blogs June/July 2014
Want some new(ish) blogs? Of course you do. 1. A Liberal Life (Unaligned/anti-UKIP) 2. Dream Deferred (Unaligned/anti-fascist) (Twitter) 3. Feminists Unknown (Unaligned/feminist) 4. Gender Minefield (Unaligned/feminist) (Twitter) 5. Labour Central Devon (Labour) (Twitter) 6. New Narratives (Unaligned/feminist/trans) 7. Novara Wire (Unaligned) (Twitter) 8. The X-Ray Factor (Unaligned/health) (Twitter) 9. Twickenham Labour Party (Labour) (Twitter) 10. Vixens With Convictions (Unaligned) (Twitter) 11. Young Fabians (Labour) (Twitter) That's your lot for this month's round up. If you know of ... more »
The open source revolution is coming and it will conquer the 1% - says ex CIA spy
A businessman tries to break through a line of Occupy Wall Street protesters who had blocked access to the New York Stock Exchange area in November 2011. Photograph: Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images *Open Source is a powerful concept, its given us Wikipedia and the computer operating system Linux. Its not without flaws however. In my discussions with Caleb, we discussed how frequently open source software encryption and networking software has been compromised by intelligence agencies because while the source code can be inspected by anyone, in truth it often isn't, because that takes con... more »
Iran pilot killed fighting in Iraq
[image: Iraqi Su-25 Frogfoot]An Iranian pilot has been killed while fighting in Iraq, state media reported Saturday, in what is thought to be Tehran’s first military casualty during battles against Islamic State fighters. Iran’s official IRNA news agency did not say whether the pilot died while flying sorties or fighting on the ground. It said Col. Shoja’at Alamdari Mourjani was killed while “defending” Shiite holy sites in the city of Samarra, north of Baghdad. Read more
Iraq lacks ability to fly F-16s it seeks, US trainer says
[image: Iraqi F-16 Fighting Falcon]Despite complaints by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that the United States has been slow in its delivery of F-16 fighter jets, no Iraqi pilot team has qualified to fly the aircraft in combat and none will be ready before mid-August, according to an official at the U.S.-based program where the pilots are being trained. That problem is one of many the Obama administration is confronting as it tries to speed more equipment to the Iraqi air force to help it defeat the Islamic insurgency engulfing the country. There are also challenges in providing or... more »
Untitled
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has warned South Korea not to test his patience in the Yellow Sea, saying it might be made to "regret bitterly" its threatening actions near the two Koreas' de facto maritime boundary, Pyongyang's official media reported Saturday. Kim, who heads the National Defense Commission and commands the Korean People's Army, made the remarks as he "guided" a landing drill on a simulated enemy-held island involving ground, naval, air and anti-air forces, the Korean Central News Agency said. In the report, which did not specify when the drill took place, Kim was... more »
Ramadan problem
I don’t have a Twitter account. I’ve been told I should, but I already spend more than enough time making my arse fat with the blogging. I know you can Tweet whilst doing other things, say, jogging, playing tennis or tightrope walking but I like to concentrate on one thing at a time, monogamously. Anyway, to a stick in the mud like me “going viral” sounds alien and “trending” sounds transient and here-today-gone-tomorrow, and not in a good way. So I don’t warm to the concept of the BBC having a whole ‘Trending’ department, with web pages and broadcasts. It sounds as though it’s m... more »
The F-35 Strike Fighter. Technical Failures of the World’s Most Expensive Weapons System
[image: F-35 Engine Fire]Troubles never seem to end for the F-35 Strike Fighter. Not yet fully operational, the nuclear-capable fighter-bomber recently had different test versions either leak oil in flight or burst into flames on takeoff. The F-35 is the world’s most expensive weapons system – $400 billion and counting. The estimated lifetime cost of this military-industrial project is $1.5 trillion. The F-35 is already close to a decade behind schedule and its cost is already more than twice the original estimate. The Pentagon has lowered its performance specs and it’s still year... more »
Overhauling an aircraft carrier: a complex challenge
[image: USS Abraham Lincoln]When Edward Shields joined the Navy 10 months ago, the recruiter didn't mention jackhammer duty. But last week, the young Navy airman stood aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, bending his 6-foot-5-inch frame in a cramped passageway, blasting apart floor tiles and making a great deal of noise while doing it. He is part of a 35-sailor team that has pulverized 372,000 square feet of tile since the Lincoln arrived at Newport News Shipbuilding last March. These sailors normally work on the carrier flight deck. They launch, recover and refuel jet a... more »
China's torpedoes were born from Russia: Russian analyst
[image: Yu-6 heavyweight torpedo]Chinese torpedoes are mostly designed based on components introduced from Russia, according to a report written for the Moscow-based Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies as cited in the state run Global Times. According to Russian analyst Maksim Klimov, the Soviet Union began to provide torpedoes to its allies — including China, Indonesia, Egypt, Syria, North Korea and members of Warsaw Pact — in the 1950s. Even though the exact number still remains unclear, they were mostly 533mm Type 53-59 torpedoes. Beginning in the 1960s, India and ... more »
Strauss sorry for Pietersen remark - BBC Sport
Does anybody know what Strauss actually said about Kevin Pietersen? http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/28179086
Gay weddings, UK Muslims going to Syria, WWI, problems for the Catholic Church, Ramadan, the living wage and calls to scrap Christian assemblies in schools
This week's *Sunday *dwelt on many familiar themes - as you can see from the title of this post. First was an interview with Rev Roberta Rominger, former general secretary of the United Reform Church, which looks set to become the first mainstream church to allow gay weddings to be carried out in their churches. Rev Roberta supports the idea. William Crawley asked her if she hoped such a move would encourage other mainstream churches to follow their example. Then it was onto the story of the 100+ imams and their open letter urging British Muslims not to travel to Iraq or Syria to...more »
Free Online Grow Your Own Food Conference - July 7 to 14, 2014
[image: Foto: START THE FOOD REVOLUTION...IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD: http://tinyurl.com/lgypypp 34 reasons why growing your own food can save you…and the world! What one thing can you start TODAY that will change the world tomorrow? Grow your own food! It’s good for you, your family and your community. Learn every step you need to get started at the GROW YOUR OWN FOOD SUMMIT, ONLINE & FREE from July 7-14. REGISTER HERE: http://tinyurl.com/lgypypp The health of the world depends on growing our own food. Didn’t know this, did ya? It reduces toxicity, transportation and pollution, and gives... more »
What is the Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership (TTIP)?
*Published on July 2, 2014* The Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership is a trade deal between the EU and the US - and is anything but harmless. The deal boosts corporate power and endangers people and the planet. This video, made by international campaigning organisation Attac, sets out the problems with the deal in a really clear, informative way. *For More Information:* *http://blog.38degrees.org.uk/2014/05/...** ,* *http://www.attac.org/en/node/16244* .
Tomorrow begins a multi-part series from #DougCo Colorado. #talkchalk #CrazyinCO
Here’s the listing for tomorrow’s show at 6PM EST: SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAY! @the chalk face radio presents “Crazy in Colorado.” We begin a series of Sunday shows devoted to the Rocky Mountain state’s embrace of the failed reform movement and also talking to those marginalized voices that have and are fighting back and suffering tremendous casualties. Joins us at 6 […]
Mickey Gilley: Stand By Me...
*I remember Gilley's Club in Pasadena very well.* Fun times... *Word is Mickey is planning on reopening in Pasadena*
Don't Count On Seeing Poor Ole Bob Barr Back In Congress
Phil Gingrey represents Georgia's 11th congressional district, mostly Atlanta suburbs in Cobb, Bartow, Fulton and Cherokee counties. It includes all of Marietta, the east side of Smyrna, and part of Atlanta's upscale/uptown Buckhead neighborhood (the Beverly Hills of the South). The PVI is R+19 and the only part of the district even remotely competitive for Democrats-- and only remotely-- is the Cobb County section. The current congressman is far right extremist-- and crackpot-- Phil Gingrey and he won reelection last cycle 196,968 (68.6%) to 90,353 (31.4%), beating his unknown... more »
Corporate Conflation? ...More Like Corporations Confiscating Commoner`s Few Remaining Coins
*Written **by Mark Taliano* *The modern-day conflation of corporate and public interests forms the bedrock of what is likely the most dangerous ideology to afflict humanity.* Domestically, it creates a "predator" economic system which disembowels the public domain by creating “new” markets which unnecessarily imperil the public’s health, safety, freedom, and material well-being. Internationally, it manifests itself as corporate-driven imperial conquest which divides and ruins target countries as it destabilizes political economies globally. Corporate profit is the fo... more »
Welcome Ducklings!
Our periodic rotation of guest bloggers is underway. This season’s newcomers: 1) Jarrod Hayes is Assistant Professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs and is the author of Constructing National Security: US Relations With India and China. You may have seen his IO article on securitization, and his guest posts on nuclear policy, Crimea, the Arab Continue reading
Ukraine Updates ( July 5 , 2014 ) -- What is the deeper meaning of Russia and Putin retreat in South Est ukraine ( several excellent articles from Vineyard of the Saker , including - The Fall of Slaviansk, its meaning and implications ) ..... Pro-Russian Rebels Flee Slavyansk After "Massive Shelling", Demand Putin's Help To Avoid "Genocide"
Moon Of Alabama..... July 06, 2014 Ukraine: Retreat From Slaviansk Far From End Game The Saker is somewhat depressed that the insurgents in east Ukraine retreated from Slaviansk. But that retreat was in good order and with few losses despite being surrounded by enemy forces. As their commander Strelkov explains there was no way Slaviansk could be defended against superior artillery and air superiority with little means to counter those. Strelkov is now setting up defenses in Donetsk which is a much bigger city with more resources and likely easier to defend. As the Ukrainian army and... more »
Ghost of Sunday Classics preview: " 'Tis a dark hydra, malignant, blind"
*by Ken* We tried something a few weeks back, listening just to a tiny bit of music, which turned out to be the brief orchestral prelude to Act IV of Verdi's *Otello*, with the (hopefully) suggestive question of what mood or moods it suggested ("How would you describe the atmosphere? Austere? Melancholy? Solitary? Foreboding?"). I have no idea whether that served any purpose, except maybe to me, but is that any reason not to try it again? Tonight we have *two* brief orchestral excerpts, and we start with a very brief one, which I don't think one has to be a wizard to intuit is t... more »
The best darned explanation of our Bill of Rights, aka The First Ten Amendments to the Constitution, why our Founding Fathers wrote them in such great detail (to prevent our government from ever again taking our freedom), and how the current "powers that be" have essentially by nulified every one of them (so as to enslave us).
------------------------------ Commentary ------------------------------ 238 Years Later, Would Americans Still Choose Freedom Over Slavery?July 01, 2014 “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”—Patrick Henry Imagine living in a country where armed soldiers crash through doors to arrest and imprison citizens merely for criticizing government officials. Imagine that in this very same country, you’re watched all the time, and if you look even a... more »
Sex differences in the structural connectome of the human brain
Sex differences in the structural connectome of the human brain Ingalhalikar et al *PNAS* ; published ahead of print December 2, 2013 Sex differences in human behavior show adaptive complementarity: Males have better motor and spatial abilities, whereas females have superior memory and social cognition skills. Studies also show sex differences in human brains but do not explain this complementarity. In this work, we modeled the structural connectome using diffusion tensor imaging in a sample of 949 youths (aged 8–22 y, 428 males and 521 females) and discovered unique sex differences... more »
Updates On Iraq [7.5]: Need For Jihad - Washington's Half-Hearted Pursuit of Islamic State In Iraq; Washington's Man In Syria Is A Lying Rat; So-Called Caliph Underperforms In First Public Appearance
*The CIA and Jihadist terrorists: a generational partnership.* *1.* An excerpt from, *"YPG Commander: Kurds in Syria ‘Deserve’ US Support"* by Mutlu Civirogly, Rudaw, July 3, 2014: To understand the latest attacks by ISIS in Iraq, you have to understand the background as well. ISIS was shaped by some powers about a year and a half ago to carry out their plans in Syria. ISIS isn’t a random Al-Qaeda organization. We have intelligence on them. *There are documents that we acquired. There are also the statements taken from members we captured. When we put all these pieces together, we ... more »
No Iraq invasion unless US homeland threatened? A bit to telling?
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jul/3/pentagon-no-iraq-invasion-unless-us-homeland-is-th/ Original url above. However... the story title changed to -Pentagon draws red line on Iraqi attack Why? Did it make the false flag potential to obvious? We know the US and friends have been looking for any excuse to launch attacks on Syria, perhaps Iraq, and maybe Israel will finally go for a strike on Iran? Lots of scenarios to entertain. Relevant paragraph *The Defense Department’s top uniformed official said the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which has seized vast territory o... more »
I feel Good
I live in Canada and there is so much cold pain that makes me want to go to Costa Rica. Yep I can change the world with better coffee. I still think I can change the world. Old and somewhat fat, I think a treadmill is such and iconic symbol of where we are going, and who put you on that track? I want to rip your mind from what is considered reality and put you back in time yep your grandpa would agree with my scheme because he knew it overtime, We got to go back] and we got to go forward and no one is making sense I see the future its a socialist place like Germany is today. How fast we... more »
The Faces of War
July 5, 2014 Yesterday was Independence Day here in the United States – the day we celebrate our Declaration of Independence from England, 238 years ago. I didn’t celebrate it; I haven’t celebrated it for years; I can’t imagine that … Continue reading →
Breaking news (according to the IoS and the BBC's Nick Sutton): "Leon Brittan questioned by police over rape allegation"
Well, well, well...one of the things that was cautiously hinted at on Friday's *Newsnight* post (gleaned - along with even more shocking claims - from Twitter over the preceding few days) looks as if it might have some truth to it after all. If so, Twitter seems to have been leading the way here, well in advance of the UK newspapers and, above all, the BBC. In dissing the (seemingly) over-cautious BBC here, it's only fair to note that the *World at One's *editor Nick Sutton has already tweeted the front page of tomorrow's *Independent on Sunday*... [Update: Sky News' Paper Review ... more »
Stephenville and the Men in Black
There are times when there simply is no inspiration for writing this blog and other times when inspiration fills the air. I’ve been in something of a drought lately, but as I was looking at some of the information I had gathered on the Stephenville, Texas sightings of 2008, I found something interesting. Ricky Sorrells, who told the media including the Associated Press and CNN that he’d seen a huge, solid object during one of those sightings, also said that he had been intimidated by the military. According to newspaper reports, including one of those filed by Angelia Joiner that w... more »
Politics And Food Safety-- Is There A Connection?
An integral part of what it means to be a Republican in the 21st Century is starving regulatory agencies that protect consumers… that whole shrinking government and drowning it in a bath tub thing. Back in 2008 we were horrified by the deaths of 81 Americans from contaminated blood thinner, Heparin, made in China. At the time, we laid the blame, at least in part, at the feet of Mitch McConnell and his "wife," Elaine Chou who "have become multimillionaires by acting as unofficial lobbyists for Chinese industry and pushing 'free trade' with that country. The entire Republican Party a... more »
Climate Change as Crime against Humanity
originally published on CounterPunch Have you ever found yourself thinking about the fact that climate change is both caused by and benefits a certain class of people, and generally does not benefit – and actually harms – another, far larger, class of people? Have you? And have you ever thought that, just maybe, this is not just a moral or ethical problem but a criminal matter? Something like a reckless or negligent crime against humanity? Have you? Well, maybe you have. Maybe you’ve even thought, as I do now and then, that there’s no reason to hatch up yet another crime, another l... more »
Time to write a stiff letter to the Telegraph
The goddess Isis - now, thanks to Caliph Ibrahim, known as Is. I read a piece at *The Spectator *recently concerning "The bloody battle for the name Isis." The Pagan Federation, apparently, has written to the *Daily Telegraph *complaining that the acronym Isis "is likely to form an inadvertent association in the minds of hearers between Sunni jihadists and followers of the goddess Isis". How I chortled! The *Speccie*'s Dot added, Apart from the army of bloodthirsty Islamists, Isis is a centre for scientific research at Harwell, near Oxford; a group of schools teaching English; a...more »
Jumping Jack for the Sinclair Spectrum
I love me some nostalgia. Back in our final year at school, a 48K Sinclair Spectrum mysteriously turned up in our classroom. With it was a single tape and only one game that would agree to load. The title? 1983's *Jumping Jack* by the infamous Imagine Software. Like all software titles dating from that period, the graphics and sound were rudimentary but functional. The gameplay simple, bordering on the primitive. And yet, *horrendously addictive*. Us young hip things in the Class of '93 may have poured scorn on the Speccy's abilities. It couldn't hold a candle to our Amigas, our 3... more »
Untitled
*City Dismisses Taxicab Bureau Director Malachi Hull ~Stephen Babcock, NOLA DEFENDER* *New Orleans home and garden events, July 5-Aug. 4 ~Stephanie Bruno, New Orleans Advocate *
Social networking usage and @ the chalk face
Pew recently updated their facts and information on social media/networking usage. Twitter, as far as I’m concerned, is a cesspool. According to Pew, roughly 19% of all online adults are using it. May seem like a lot. Yeah, it is. Pretty powerful stuff. But it’s not even close to where we @ the Chalk Face, and […]
BBC Apologises: To those who think it is biased towards 'climate sceptics'
Despite the National Audit Office's denunciation of the BBC for hiding behind commercial secrecy to withhold embarrassing evidence, the BBC *does* publish the findings of the BBC's Trusts Editorial Standards Committee on its well-hidden Corrections and Clarifications page. The latest batch of Editorial Standards Committee findings (released on 1 July) covers April and May this year, and is typical of these publications. Regular readers of them - and there are three of us in total (me, Alan at B-BBC and Hadar at BBC Watch) - will know that they contain two catchphrases: Finding:... more »
Decommodifying Democracy
originally published on CounterPunch As the Fourth of July is celebrated across the US – in the glow of unprecedented economic polarization, a ballooning prison population, and a barrage of dire climatological studies, among other pieces of evidence leading ever more people to consider whether our collective way of life is in need of a fundamental transformation – an examination of the ostensible objects of our celebration (independence and democracy) seems in order. Aside from the concept of independence (and the question it implies: independence from what?) democracy, it should... more »
Bitcoin Regulatory Update ( July 5 , 2014 ) -- Bitcoin Faces Regulatory Backlash as EU Tells Banks to Stay Away .....
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-04/bitcoin-faces-regulatory-backlash-as-eu-tells-banks-to-stay-away.html Bitcoin Faces Regulatory Backlash as EU Tells Banks to Stay Away By Ben Moshinsky and Jim Brunsden Jul 4, 2014 9:37 AM ET 25 Comments Email Print - Facebook - Twitter - Google+ - LinkedIn Save Photographer: Jasper Juinen/Bloomberg EU Financial Services Commissioner Michel Barnier. Virtual currencies have come under... Read More The European Commission signaled it will try to impose rules on virtual currencies such as Bitcoin after the bloc’s banking regulator or... more »
Röyksopp ft Robyn - The Girl and the Robot
Many thanks to Sarah Ditum for reminding me about this brilliant tune in the week. It would be rude if the Solid Satday Night Disco cooked with anything else.
The secretive BBC
For those of us who have watched the BBC's relentless use of legal loopholes to weasel their way out of releasing the Balen Report, this would hardly have come as a great surprise: *BBC hides secrets under guise of privacy, complains watchdog* (*The Times*) *Alex Spence, Media Editor* The BBC is more prone to hiding behind commercial secrecy to withhold embarrassing evidence than almost any other organisation, according to public spending watchdogs investigating its costly failures. The BBC’s willingness to deploy commercial confidentiality and individual privacy as reasons to keep... more »
"Israel and the Palestinians - The Moral Divide" on YouTube
Israel and the Palestinians - The Moral Divide: http://youtu.be/eAk9-30eCb4
"WORST SYCOPHANTS IN THE WORLD"
Simon Heffer huffs in today's *Mail*: On Radio 4 this week, Dame Jenni Murray casually described Hillary Clinton as ‘the most famous woman in the world’. Oh really? What about our beloved Queen? Or William Hague’s big crush, Angelina Jolie? Or, for that matter, the singer Beyonce (and if I’ve heard of her, she must be distressingly famous)? I am sure Dame Jenni was not party to such a shoddy arrangement, but it is widely believed that the Lefties who run the BBC are lining up Mrs Clinton as their ‘approved’ candidate for the next U.S. presidential election and are keen to promote ... more »
Riot at Anti-Illegal Immigration Protest in Murrieta, CA
*A group of about a dozen self-described anarchistic communists started a minor riot at the Murrieta protest against Obama's illegal-alien trafficking on Independence Day, 2014. * *One of the communists reportedly crossed the street and slapped a woman on the anti-illegal immigration side. When the police arrest her, she resists and pandemonium breaks out. Five communists are eventually arrested in total.*
July 5: Bad taste? Ignorance?
Page G8 of Saturday's TandT has a full page titled "Five free things to see and do in Detroit".I'm sure that will attract the full attention of those many New Brunswickers who plan to go to Detroit for their summer vacations. At it's best, some twenty or more years ago, Detroit was not an attractive place. Just crossing the street from a white folks' district to a black ghetto was like crossing a border between heaven and hell. Now, much more of Detroit is hell as free trade has allowed billionaires to get away from all those auto workers and their unions who had the silly idea the... more »
'Dateline'
Sorry, I'm going to talk about *Dateline London* again. Were I on *Just a Minute, *Paul Merton would be forever buzzing me for 'repetition'. [The 'hesitation' I'll leave to President Obama and the 'deviation' I'll leave to any number of much-loved celebs and semi-retired politicians]. Today's edition had three topics: (a) the latest warnings from the U.S. government about potential Islamist terror attacks, (b) the week's event in the Israel-Palestinian conflict and (c) the burqa ban in France. [Spot a running theme there ?] The guests were a left-leaning, Muslim *Guardian *colum... more »
Mental health of detained immigrant children
The news of unaccompanied children and teens crossing the U.S. southern border circulated about two weeks ago, causing serious concern to many. The Obama administration announced that more family detention centers will be opened to detain the minors. Family detention centers have long been criticized on legal grounds, as Paul W. Schmidt’s excellent review outlines. Law Continue reading
Untitled
*This is what happens when you express global temperature in simple degrees Fahrenheit instead of as an "anomaly"* *Calibrated in whole degrees* And here it is in Celsius: *Odd that Warmists always use "anomalies", isn't it?* *The Trouble With Climate Change Denial (?)* *Bob Ward below must get tired talking about global warming. It's the same old story from him over and over: Appeal to authority, abuse, Appeal to authority, abuse, Appeal to authority, abuse. No room for the facts about global warming -- such as we see above. Odd that skeptics are always using graphs...more »
The Disintegration Of Iraq And The Birth Of An Independent Kurdistan
After World War I, as the British and French were divvying up the remnants of the Ottoman Empire, it looked, for a while, that the Kurds were finally about to get their own homeland. As we saw last week, Kamal Atatürk quickly dashed those hopes-- and the Kurds have been split up between Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria. Today, Iraqi Kurdistan is on the verge of an independence supported by Israel and acquiesced to by Turkey-- which has always been the stumbling block. The U.S. still seems committed to an unrealistic and incoherent urge to keep British-created Iraq together as one coun... more »
Giveaway: Jamberry Nails
I have always liked the look of having my nails done, but I am so hard on them. Usually within a day or two, my nails are chipped and terrible looking. I have been looking for something better, so when I got the chance to try Jamberry Nail Wraps, I was thrilled. My sister and I put the wraps on our toenails. It took a little bit of time, but they look fantastic and they have been holding up really well. I really wanted to put the wraps to the test, so I have been to the pool multiple times and have worn sandals almost exclusively and they still look fantastic. Here is some info on... more »
Skynet Updates ( July 5 , 2014 ) Terminator possibility not just a fictional hollyweird thriller - not just possible but already starting to play itself out ( note 2009 experiment where machines have learned how to lie for self preservation ) . Wake up folks !
Terminator scenario already coming into view ? By 2045 'The Top Species Will No Longer Be Humans,' And That Could Be A Problem - DYLAN LOVE - - JUL. 5, 2014, 8:33 AM - 74,516 - 61 - FACEBOOK - LINKEDIN - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - PRINT - EMAIL [image: terminator red eye rise of robots] Terminator "Today there's no legislation regarding how much intelligence a machine can have, how interconnected it can be. If that continues, look at the exponential trend. We will reach the singularity in the timeframe most experts predict. From that point on ... more »
Percy Bysshe Shelley
*"Can Man be free, if Woman be a slave...?"* * “The true difference between Byron and Shelley consists in this, that those who understand and love them consider it fortunate that Byron died in his thirty-sixth year, for he would have become a reactionary bourgeois had he lived longer; * *conversely, they regret Shelley’s death at the age of twenty-nine, because he was a revolutionary through and through and would consistently have stood with the vanguard of socialism.”* *- Karl Marx* Paul Foot on Percy Bysshe Shelley from Spike EP on Vimeo. *DECLARATION OF RIGHTS.* *1* GOVERNME... more »
Is There a Second NSA Leaker in Addition to Edward Snowden?
A very interesting question has come out regarding a story on the NSA's targeting of those who utilize internet privacy tools, specifically the browser Tor (The Onion Router) and portable Linux based operating system Tails (The Amnesic Incognito Live System) as potential "terrorists" and "extremists". The question being is that the copy of the XKeyscore code published by German website Das Erste apparently *was not* a part of the collection of NSA documents procured by whistleblower Edward Snowden but may actually have come from a second leaker. If true this would be a bombshell as... more »
Congressional Panel ( jump the shark news for July 5 , 2014 ) Accused Of Leaking Insider Information, Refuses To Comply With Probe ........ Must be a reference to that Constitutional provision wherein the 1 percenters have inalienable rights to loot ....... Or maybe it's just time to jump the shark over the almighty hubris and arrogance on display !
Congressional Panel Accused Of Leaking Insider Information, Refuses To Comply With Probe [image: Tyler Durden's picture] Submitted by Tyler Durden on 07/05/2014 10:57 -0400 - Insider Trading - Insurance Companies - Medicare - Obama Administration - Obamacare - Reuters - Securities and Exchange Commission - Testimony inShare It was back in April 2013, when the WSJ reported of a peculiar surge in various health insurance stocks that came moments after a report from Height Securities, a Washington-based investment-research firm that ferrets out poli... more »
Taliban provide Independence Day Surprise for the US ! ( July 5 , 2014 ) Note the Taliban torch hundred of Oil Tankers bound for US Forces - just outside Kabul ! An assault by militants at a large parking lot on the outskirts of Afghan capital, Kabul, Friday night left at least 200 fuel tankers incinerated. The Taliban said the privately-owned tankers were targeted because they supply foreign troops.
1. - - - - - - - - - 7 hours ago More images for *Taliban torch hundreds of oil tankers* Yeah...... FIRE http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/07/taliban-torches-hundreds-kabul-oil-trucks-201475131638243927.html An assault by militants at a large parking lot on the outskirts of Afghan capital, Kabul, Friday night left at least 200 fuel tankers incinerated. The Taliban said the privately-owned tankers were targeted because they supply foreign troops. *“The number of tankers on fire is not yet c... more »
Not helping
Four or five years ago, a BBC spokesperson with the ironic moniker ‘John Reith’ often contributed to the Biased-BBC blog, mainly to defend the BBC against accusations of bias against Israel and the BBC’s increasingly obvious, deliberate whitewashing of Islamic-related violence and the attempts, running through the BBC’s entire output, to ‘normalise’ Islam. One day a commenter reminded ‘John Reith’ of the existence of ‘holy Jihad’, which in those days the BBC appeared not to have heard of. Palpably sighing with exasperation, he wrote: “you’re not helping”. The idea appeared to be t... more »
Did You Smile Today?
If not, please do so. :)
ISRAELI VIOLENCE RARELY GETS CONDEMNED
The person in the video is 15-year-old Palestinian-American Tarek Abu Khdeir being brutally assaulted by Israeli police. Israeli police are refusing to look at a surveillance video showing Abu Khdeir’s assailants. Tarek Abu Khdeir is the cousin of Muhammad Abu Khdeir who was burned alive on Wednesday. *Tarek Abu Khdeir (Photo provided and published with consent from the Abu Khdeir family) *
Move toward the light
By Capt. Fogg Yes, it's easy to look on the dark side of the recent Supreme Court decisions allowing corporations to claim religious convictions and attendant relief from legal obligations. One can suspect that it's part of a progression toward full citizenship and voting rights for paper entities and perhaps even a superior status to the individual. If Subaru can claim that it builds cars with love, and a retail store chain to have religious scruples, then of course a corporation must be not only fully human in its own right, but an American citizen. More than an American citizen: ... more »
Child witnesses
R. v. O.M., 2014 ONCA 503: [51] As I have said, the trial judge was alert to the approach to the assessment of children's evidence mandated by the Supreme Court of Canada in *R. v.* *W.(R.)*. At p. 42 of his reasons, he noted the Supreme Court's direction in *R. v. W.(R.)*, at p. 134, that when the evidence of an adult witness concerns events that occurred in childhood, "the presence of inconsistencies, particularly as to peripheral matters such as time and location, should be considered in the context of the age of the witness at the time of the events to which she is test...more »
Untitled
*University should never be a ‘safe space’* *The obsession with safety has undermined academic freedom* When I began my undergraduate course in politics and sociology in September 2010, I was looking forward to getting stuck in to some serious ideas and discussions with my peers. The opening core module for the politics side of my degree dealt with ‘essentially contested concepts’. After a few weeks of discussing liberalism, Marxism, conservatism and power, we moved on to some more contemporary issues. Following a discussion on porn, the professor leading the module declared that... more »
Wynne's Two Headed Beast
http://community.businessfightspoverty.org Kathleen Wynne's budget is a two headed beast. One head talks about investing in infrastructure and training. The other head talks about spending restraint. As with all two headed beasts, when the heads quarrel, the animal is paralysed. Tom Walkom writes that the beast was born of a traditional Liberal strategy -- campaigning from the left, but governing from the right: [Jean] Chrétien was elected on a centre-left platform that made no mention of cuts to public services. Yet once in power, he... more »
Lawrence Lessig vs Mike Simpson (R-ID)-- What It Means To The Rest Of Us
It's almost a truism of today's politics that "one man, one vote" has been replaced with "one dollar, one vote." We'll know we've recaptured our democratic form of government when that changes, when we no longer have a Supreme Court-- not to mention the two other branches of government-- made up of corporate whores whose idea of "balance" involves balancing the rights and privileges of corporations and Big Business against the rights and privileges of American citizens. Hillary Clinton is no more a part of the solution than her husband was or than Chris Christie, Mitt Romney, Ted ... more »
Jordan also at risk from ISIS / ISIL ? ( July 5 , 2014 ) Anger boils over in the 'Fallujah of Jordan' Al-Qaeda flags have been raised in Maan, where residents say they are tired of police brutality and a lack of services........ ISIS: Iraq today and possibly Jordan tomorrow ....... Israel Vows Aid to Prevent ISIS Invasion of Jordan
Anger boils over in the 'Fallujah of Jordan' Al-Qaeda flags have been raised in Maan, where residents say they are tired of police brutality and a lack of services. Areej AbuqudairiLast updated: 05 Jul 2014 10:28 [image: Listen to this page using ReadSpeaker] [image: Email Article] [image: Print Article] [image: Share article] [image: Send Feedback] Angry residents have burnt shops and banks in Maan in protest of what they see as government neglect [Reuters] *Maan, Jordan -* This southern city - known for violence, riots, and clashes - received worldwide attention last week when ne... more »
James Bond - another civil servant spending too much money during the recesion
CasseetteBoy takes on James Bond
Iraq Updates ( July 5 , 2014 ) - ITEM OF NOTE - A Second report that Alleged ISIS / ISIL leader Al - Baghdadi was wounded in an air strike ( according to Iraqi Counter Terrorism Bureau ) ........ Why is US mission creep occurring in the face of divisive PM Maliki's complete refusal to step aside for the good of Iraq ? Examination of the state of play in Iraq , civil war item of note , Kurdistan updates , various points of view touching on Iraq ......
Anti War...... US Continues Iraq Buildup with Combat Troops, HelicoptersDenying 'Mission Creep,' US Escalation Creeps Along by Jason Ditz, July 04, 2014 Print This | Share This US officials continue to loudly protest against concerns of “mission creep” in Iraq, but with the rate of the military buildup in the nation it no longer appears at all credible to deny that the administration is moving toward direct involvement in the latest Iraqi War. Last week saw deployments of growing numbers of ground troops, with claims Obama’s promises of no boots on the ground only covered “combat tro... more »
New LHC diboson excesses point to light SUSY
*Guest blog by Tommaso Dorigo (CMS), a vocal SUSY denier who is starting to [verb] into his pants* Among the many more-or-less boring news from the ICHEP conference (International Conference on High Energy Physics), which is presently going on in Valencia (Spain), one bit today is sending good vibrations through the spine of many of the few phenomenologists who have chosen to remain faithful to the idea of Supersymmetry all the way to the bitter end. It is the excess of diboson events that ATLAS has just reported there. (See TRF on Thursday.) \(W^\pm\) bosons are the massive partic... more »
Cryptozoology: A “Yeti” in Cuba in 1962?
*Cryptozoology: A “Yeti” in Cuba in 1962?* [Author *Luis Jorge Salinas* posted the following account to his Facebook Page on 06.30.2014 regarding a case involving a “Yeti” or Bigfoot in Cuba. He writes: *“While looking for information on what I believe should have existed, given that Cuba is closer to the continent, and considering an ancient land-bridge that allowed the passage of Pleistocene fauna to the isles of the Antilles. [My current estimation] is that the current predator species (Chupacabras, etc.) is simply an evasive relict species.”*] *Danger: The Yeti* *By Manuel Itu... more »
Media advertorials
Hey kids, remember PostMedia's pitch for their tarsands promotion partnership with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers : "Postmedia is proud to present its 2013 media partnership with CAPP. We are a media company national in scope but community-focused. Canadians know our brands, trust our content, and welcome us as a vital member of their communities. CAPP's messaging will extend to our massive mobile and tablet network so that vital energy information is never more than a click away. Our print coverage will include weekly energy editorial across our entire newspaper c... more »
New Bloom First Issue Out
Lorand Laskai announces that the first issue of the new magazine New Bloom is out. From Facebook: *++++++++++++* Friends-It's with great excitement and minor apprehension that I share with you a project I've been working on the last few months.New Bloom is a politics and culture magazine that came out of Taiwan's Sunflower Movement, in collaboration with a number of the young activists and thinkers that made the movement possible in the first place. Our goal is to create a space for critical discourse on the problems facing Taiwan, turning its current crisis in democracy into an o... more »
Russia to upgrade missile attack warning system
[image: Voronezh-M radar]The Oko-1 ballistic missile early detection system, which formed part of Russia’s missile attack warning system (MAWS), is to be superseded by a new unified outer space system capable of tracking tactical missiles as well as ballistic ones. It came to light recently that the last geostationary satellite of the Oko-1 ballistic missile early detection system had gone out of commission. The 71H6 apparatus, put into orbit in March 2012, was operational for only a third of its expected working life. The loss of the satellite weakened the outer space segment of t... more »
Is this the US Army’s next generation 'superchopper'? Radical design has dual tilting blades and can travel at over 270mph
It could become the US Army's new 'superchopper' - able to transport troops, carry heavy goods and be fitted out as a flying gunship. This futuristic helicopter from Texas firm AVX is the frontrunner to win a $100bn contract from the Pentagon for the next generation of attack helicopter. It uses two rotors to create lift, while fans propel it forward to reach 230 knots. Read more
Will Cost Escalation Down-Size Rafale Jet Contract?
[image: Dassault Rafale]India many consider downsizing the Rafale fighter order from 126 to 80 following concerns over cost escalation, Indian media reports. The DNA newspaper quoted an unnamed IAF officer saying, “Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) has asked France to re-consider the price. Cost escalations and disagreements over production have delayed the contract.” The report speculated that in the absence of an agreement on price, India my cut down the order to 80 in order to save money and keep the purchase within the originally budgeted amount of US$ 12 billion. Read more
Russia launches Black Sea Exercises the same day as NATO
[image: Su-24 Fencer]Some 20 warships, over 20 airplanes and helicopters, as well as the marines and coast artillery are taking part in the Black Sea Fleet exercise, Russian Defense Ministry reported. The war games were launched the same day as NATO's military drill in the area. Starting from July 4, the scheduled training maneuvers are conducted in the whole of the Black Sea, the Ministry told journalists on Friday, adding the drill is being carried out according to international standards. "The exercise plan involves performance of a number of combat training missions, including ... more »
UK’s latest aircraft carrier is christened by Queen
The breaking of bottles as part of the “christening” of ships is a crucial part of a tradition thought to date back hundreds of years. A vessel’s naming marks its birth and asks for a blessing of good fortune and safety for her. In modern times the ritual has seen a bottle smashed against the hull. One theory is that the the practice of using a liquid was introduced to mirror the use of water in christening services in the church. Champagne has been the drink of choice for the majority of bottle smashes, though submarines often home brew beer. Source
India to Induct Indigenous Anti-sub Corvette Soon
[image: INS Kamorta]India is all set to induct its newest corvette later this month at Visakhapatnam to boost its anti-submarine warfare capabilities. The warship was built by Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited, one of India’s four defence public sector shipyards. To be commissioned as INS Kamorta, it is a super sophisticated frontline warship with stealth features and it will sail from GRSE to Visakhapatnam ahead of its induction into the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet. Read more
Collins-class submarine critic calls in AFP over navy ‘plot’
[image: Rex Patrick]A former submariner and a confidant of Defence Minister David Johnston has accused senior naval officers of trying to muzzle his public criticisms of the Collins-class submarine. Rex Patrick has asked the Australian Federal Police to examine the conduct of the navy, which he claims tried to coerce him into withdrawing from public debate by reviewing and ultimately terminating his contract to train submariners. A series of emails between naval officers reveals a high-level navy plot to silence Mr Patrick despite the fact that he was a civilian and not bound by... more »
Rising red tide: China’s Navy in frenzy to build new nuclear-powered attack subs
[image: Type 094 (Jin) class SSBN]China's military is investing heavily in advanced submarines, including both ballistic and cruise missile firing vessels and attack subs. Recently, Beijing showed off what appears to be a mock-up of its next-generation nuclear-powered attack submarine, according to veteran military analyst Rick Fisher. “A large outdoor model of a next generation nuclear attack submarine [SSN] has appeared at the People’s Liberation Army Navy [PLAN] submarine academy in Qingdao, China,” Mr. Fisher stated in a report published by the International Assessment and Stra...more »
Was MH370 Hijacked?
[image: cockpit tampering] This is an excellent workup of the hijacking scenario which I view as the minority solution to the ongoing puzzle. A developing fire works far better to deal with the data we have. It is also becoming plausible that the craft did not spend long hours in the air after such a catastrophic event began. Yet we still have a plausible scenario here that also fits our data or perhaps our lack of data. I do not see any obvious way to combine both scenarios easily either as a mere suicide makes this way to much effort and trouble fraught with difficulties. *Ne... more »
A Neuroscientist Explains What Happens To Your Brain When You Meditate
[image: bright-brain] This is an excellent review of what happens inside the brain during the application of medication at the levels most of us are cable to achieve easily. The more serious take home that comes out of thuis is that we all need to practice therapeutic meditation on a daily basis by carefully working it into our personal schedules. It is just too valuable not to. This gets our understanding of the science out of the anecdotal realm once and for all. *A Neuroscientist Explains What Happens To Your Brain When You Meditate* * June 16, 2014 | By WakingTimes | 1 Rep... more »
Retina Grown from Stem Cells
[image: Researchers were able to grow a light-sensitive retina by taking adult stem cells and re-programming them back to an embryonic state] *Retina grown from stem cells could allow blind to see again* This is another obvious target for stem cell work and one likely to do no further harm as well. It may well turn out to be easier than most as well. What is happening is that the low hanging targets are now been gobbled up. I also think now that all such problems will be deemed as solved in about twenty years. That is not a particularly long time. It is just that we have the res... more »
A 500,000-Year-Old Spark Plug?
This has been debunked as a real modern artifact. If that is true, then it demonstrates just how swiftly accretion can occur in the natural environment. Certainly all long dates must be treated carefully in this light. This also warns us about mine finds in particular. Just how long does it take for wood to become petrified? Or something to become fossilized? In this case fossils are quoted and that seems unreasonable in this case. Again a careful review of providence is demanded. In the end it appears unlikely that this is other than a recent artifact. ... more »
Quantum mechanics doesn't really imply solipsism
*The subjective character of certain processes doesn't mean that there aren't other subjects* Stubborn warriors against proper quantum mechanics often like to say that the theory, as it's stated, is incomplete, incorrect, or ludicrous because it leads to "solipsism" and that's why one of their "fixes" is needed. Wikipedia defines this meme as follows: Solipsism (/ˈsɒlɨpsɪzəm/ from Latin solus, meaning "alone", and ipse, meaning "self") is the philosophical idea that only one's own mind is sure to exist. As an epistemological position, solipsism holds that knowledge of anything outs... more »
Brian Hooker, PhD AutismOne Video: "How to Lie to a Generation of Families - Malfeasance in the CDC’s Vaccine Safety Program"
Brian Hooker, PhD AutismOne Video: "How to Lie to a Generation of Families - Malfeasance in the CDC’s Vaccine Safety Program" A Shot Of Truth Blog *Arm yourself with the studies. Parents must lead the charge to protect children’s health and the future of this country.* If you missed Dr. Brian Hooker’s talk at AutismOne, you can view every entertaining, infuriating, inspiring, informative moment by clicking on this link. The days of blindly accepting what is mandated by law or policy and initiated by doctors and public health officials are over. The conversation re... more »
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