10:50am MST
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http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/index.php
The
One Health Initiative is a movement to forge co-equal, all inclusive
collaborations between physicians, osteopaths, veterinarians, dentists,
nurses and other scientific-health and environmentally related
disciplines, including the American Medical Association, American
Veterinary Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American
Nurses Association, American Association of Public Health Physicians,
the American ...
Audiences
watching the American Ballet Theater's 'The Nutcracker' this year are
seeing something that has never happened before, an African-American
ballerina is playing the role of Clara. Misty Copeland is a trailblazer
and speaks to Randi Kaye about her struggles to find acceptance in the
ballet world.
Thank you to STEPS ...
American
Express has released an official app for Windows Phone, allowing those
in the US with personal, small business or corporate cards to access
their account and membership benefits. The app also acts as a gateway to
AMEX services regardless as to which country you may be currently
situated in ...
India Rocked By Sectarian Killings In Assam State
*Assam Killings Take On Ethnic Hue: Over 70 Killed In Bodo Attacks, 250
Missing *
The violence in Assam took on an ethnic hue on Wednesday, a day after armed
Bodo rebels gunned down more than 70 Adivasis and injured 15 in
orchestrated attacks in different parts of the state.
Police officials said the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Songbijit)
— the anti-talk faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland —
carried out the attacks in Kokrajhar and Sonitpur districts lasting about
three hours on Tuesday evening. The militants killed 37 people in Sonitpur,
and 27 in Kok... more »
Sony to Release "The Interview" as Bizarre Tale Continues to Evolve
The ubiquitous and dyspeptic Senator John McCain is the proverbial gift
that keeps on giving. Despite being censured by the Republican party
leadership in his home state of Arizona for being too liberal the old war
horse continues to be trotted out as the GOP’s go-to guy in the mainstream
media. McCain, the shameless political con artist who succeeded "Mr.
Conservative" himself in the Senate took to the air to wail that the Sony
hacking was an “act of war”. McCain - a man who has never met a foreign
policy situation that he would not send Americans off to die for – talks
tough but... more »
World News Briefs -- December 24, 2014
*IS Captures Jordanian Pilot After Warplane Crashes In Syria -- BBC*
Islamic State (IS) militants have captured the pilot of a Jordanian
warplane that crashed in northern Syria, Jordan's military has confirmed.
The jihadist group claimed it had shot down the jet with a heat-seeking
missile near the city of Raqqa.
It published photographs showing the pilot, who has been named as Flight
Lieutenant Moaz Youssef al-Kasasbeh.
This is the first US-led coalition aircraft to be lost on IS territory
since air strikes began in September.
Jordan is one of four Arab states which have bombed ... more »
Thanatopolitics and Ongoing Atmospheric Contamination by Fukushima Daiichi
Majia's Blog - 1 hour ago
Thanatopolitics occur when sovereign powers allow their subjects to die
from causes other than ordinary aging processes, while holding the power of
prevention and/or mitigation.
The Fukushima Daiichi disaster illustrates that the liberal powers have
conspired to let their subjects die from the accelerated aging and toxic
action caused by exposure to radionuclides.
In November Tepco took the roof panel off of unit 1 (see here) and visible
emissions could be seen steaming from that unit
http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2014_11_01_archive.html and also from unit 3
http://majiasblog.blo... more »
A memory of Eddie Greenspan
I remember watching Edward Greenspan QC conducting a cross examination.
He was scattered confused and the examination made no sense.
And it was so obvious to everyone except the lawyer that the police officer
was lying.
And then it hit me.
Greenspan wasn't scattered or confused.
He was brilliant.
Abu Fadhl Al-Abbas Brigade From Fighting In Syria To Iraq
-->
In April 2013 there were reports of young Iraqis being recruited to fight
in Syria. Many were joining a new militia called Abu Fadhl Al-Abbas
Brigade. They would sign up in Iraq and then travel to Iran for training
before being shipped off to Syria. The reason given for the group’s
involvement in Syria was to protect the Shiite shrine of Sayid Zainab in
the Damascus suburbs, but it was really one of a number of armed groups
organized by Iran to defend the government of Bashar al-Assad. It is now
doing the same in Iraq defending the Baghdad government.
(*Syrian Revolution*)
T... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- December 24, 2014
*NORAD Santa tracker 2014: How To Watch Santa's Trip Around The World --
Aol.com*
Santa begins his Christmas voyage in just a few hours, and with NORAD's
help, you and your family can follow along as he brings toys to girls and
boys around the world!
On *NoradSanta.org* you can see where on the Earth Santa has visited and
where he's headed next. The site also features Christmas games, songs and
videos as well as facts about Santa, NORAD and holiday traditions from
around the world.
NORAD's Santa Tracking technology is also available as an app for your Apple,
Android and Windows ... more »
Passing of Edward Greenspan QC
The criminal defence bar lost a true leader last night.
Edward Greenspan has passed away. He was a giant.
Only temperatures, not temperature changes, may be dangerous
Gavin Schmidt wrote a RealClimate.ORG blog post about the difference
between the temperatures and temperature anomalies – or temperature changes
– and which of them is known, predicted, and important.
Absolute temperatures and relative anomalies
Just to be sure, the temperature anomaly is the difference between the
temperature and the "average" temperature recorded for the same place (or
region) and the same date or month or season (if applicable). The average
is computed (from the data at the same place and the same date[s]) over a
period, like 1951-1980 or 1980-1999 or something l... more »
Plants Cure Cancer, Not Chemicals
*Sayer Ji* - Today, the weight of evidence indicates that plants and not
chemicals are the solution for reversing the global cancer epidemic...
The post Plants Cure Cancer, Not Chemicals appeared first on Waking Times.
Transpicuous News: D with Mel Ve Dec 24 2014
This morning I interviewed Mel Ve from Freedom Central & the Conscious
Consumer Network about the upheaval that took place for Mel and her husband
yesterday.
Monday night The media crew for the Conscious Consumer Network got together
for an online meeting to go over the technical aspects of broadcasting on
CCN. The next morning Mel Ve was detained by the Dutch police and taken to
the station for "questioning". In our conversation this morning Mel Ve and
I discussed the incident, and the positive aspects of how to deal with the
perceived "authorities".
http://transpicuousnews.blog... more »
The Economic Argument For Peace On Earth
http://www.victorystore.com/
"Peace On Earth." We repeat the phrase often at this time of year. It's
standard boilerplate -- a postive suggestion, but not very likely. However,
Paul Krugman wrote this week that there are realistic reasons to support
the suggestion. Those reasons have been around for awhile:
More than a century has passed since Norman Angell, a British journalist
and politician, published “The Great Illusion,” a treatise arguing that the
age of conquest was or at least should be over. He didn’t predict an end to
wa... more »
Reading Piketty and Raulston Saul
*The Comeback *
So, I've been reading John Raulston Saul's *The Comeback*, about the rising
political importance of the First Nations of Canada. They are making a
comeback in demographics, in culture, in political power. I'd heard good
things about this book and I trusted Raulston Saul to summarize things for
me, having enjoyed his books *Voltaire's Bastards* and *Reflections of a
Siamese Twin*. I've done some research on the First Nations before and I
know that it is a deep and vast topic. Many non-Aboriginal authors come to
the topic with unintended, but very real prejudices, that... more »
"Twas The Night Before Christmas"... In Occupied Palestine
It is of course Christmas Eve, and I really want to wish everyone a most
Merry Christmas... I personally will probably be spending the next few days
with relatives and my own family celebrating this time of the year...
With everyone being in holiday cheer, I must remind everyone that we must
not forget those less fortunate and do our part to help and aid our fellow
man... With that in mind, I must also remind everyone of those innocent
people who are right now being brutalized and even outright murdered in the
occupied West Bank and of course the mess that is the Gaza Strip by the
m... more »
The future is bland
hey hey hey Vietnam protest cheer
there is nothing close to us
so near
today
We are missig in a big way a protest song
everthing is all right
just listen to Taylor
she is pop right
Protest has gone grass roots
if may be back in the
Guthrie days
when a single guitar
and voice
illuminate the world
in a way that changed
the day
Jordanian Pilot Captured After Islamic State Militants Shoot Down A U.S. Led Coalition Warplane In Syria
*ISIS Captures Jordanian Fighter Pilot In Syria -- New York Times*
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Militants from the Islamic State extremist group have
captured a Jordanian fighter pilot, Jordan’s state news service reported on
Wednesday after reports that the pilot’s plane was shot down over northern
Syria.
Shooting down a fighter jet from the United States-led coalition against
the Islamic State would be a first for the group. The pilot’s capture is
also a coup that could shake the resolve of the Arab countries in the
coalition, which began bombing Islamic State sites in Iraq and Syria this ... more »
The Battle For Chak Valley Is How The War Against The Taliban Is Going To Shape Up For The Afghan Military
An Afghan air force MD 530F Cayuse Warrior helicopter flies over Kabul,
Afghanistan, Dec. 6, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Perry Aston
*In A Strategic Valley, A Glimpse Of Afghan Troops’ Future After Most U.S.
Forces Leave -- Washington Post*
BABA, Afghanistan — Clutching M-16 rifles, the Afghan soldiers nervously
stood watch on a sand-colored ridge next to a mud house blown apart by
gunfire. A week earlier, their unit had pushed the Taliban from this
village. Now, the insurgents were only a mile away, determined to recapture
the territory.
Every day, the 15 soldiers ha... more »
A Badge Of Courage: "We Have Earned The Hatred Of Entrenched Greed"... But Not For Today's DC Dems
Early Monday morning we took a look at an inspiring address FDR made to
Congress in January, 1936, after his historic landslide win against the
Republican Party, a landslide that decimated the GOP in both Houses of
Congress as well, leaving them with just 16 Senate seats and 88 House
seats. There was no question in the minds of the voters who was on their
side and who was standing with Wall Street. Those were the glory days of
the Democratic Partry. It's been all downhill since then due, primarily, to
confusion over the degree of support the DC Democrats still offer working
famili... more »
Black Gay James Bond
No fucking way I say
first of all James Bond
must be in some way Scottish
are there black Scotts
even today?
If the world will accept a white actor
playing Nelson Mandela
I will be okay with a black
Bond.
A Gay James Bond is
not so hurtful
However I do not want
to watch it.
Whats next a black
Churchill, a black Patton
please people do not mess
with history to make
a product politically correct
or even a finacnial win.
Your fucking with peoples minds
if you take historical characters and make
them black.
The CIA didn't just torture- THEY EXPERIMENTED on HUMANS-
FINALLY!
A full week after I refreshed my own and readers memories about the human
experimentation being conducted by the CIA, as the main stream media
focused 24/7 on *torture*, *THE Nation *has decided to mention the human
experimentation-
What annoys me is the timing! This article was published on line little
more than a week before Christmas, when almost no one is paying attention.
The same piece will be in print January 2015, when next to no one will
bother to read the article. *The time to get this out was when the news was
fresh in the audiences mind.*
*Perhaps this is an a... more »
New Year's Eve destruction in France
Over New Year 2012/13 there were 1,193 vehicles torched across France.
Over New Year 2013/14 there were 1,067 vehicles torched across France.
What do we think for this New Year? Higher or lower? Or have a proportion
of the little tinkers moved on from vehicle burning to driving vehicles
into innocent shoppers?
Global Treaty Regulating The Arms Trade Enters Into Force
*Global Treaty Regulating Arms Industry Comes Into Force -- Irish Times*
New treaty ‘dawn of a new era’ for arms regulation, says lobby group
A global arms trade treaty that aims to regulate the $85 billion (€70
billion) industry and keep weapons out of the hands of human rights abusers
and criminals enters into force today.
However, the US Senate has not yet ratified the arms trade treaty.
Supporters of the treaty welcomed the development, saying it was long
overdue. They say the treaty, which the United States signed in 2013, would
require arms exporters around the world to meet ... more »
Stealthiness and the F-35, Harper style
Back
here, Dave asked:
Why is the coward bearing the title "prime minister" so hell-bent on
sole-sourcing the F-35? BECAUSE HE'S MADE A DEAL HE HASN'T TOLD YOU
ABOUT. He's hiding something - he always is!
Now Bill Sweetman at Aviation Week asks the same after some delicate
words regarding the results of the new fighter secretariat's review in
the context of the Harper government's handling of
Steve's year in review
Lots of ditto here. So I am only going to go with whats new. But there is
no reason not to thank for another great year: Moeman, Allen, Simon and
James for taking the Bullshit out of Blogging every day or so.
Person of the Year is John Tory
Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary thats Canada with one finger left
for the collective. These cities are where the boots meet the ground in
forging our future. Toronto is the most important and it has been
rudderless for four years. John Tory has the CV to do great things. I both
wish him well and pray he can do the improbable if not the im... more »
Untitled
*Ocean acidity is a snark -- but a snark supported by threats*
*The Feely-Sabine ocean acidification claim ignores 80 years of real-world
data that show NO acidification trend*
*The Feely fraud himself*
“Ocean acidification” (OA) is receiving growing attention. While someone
who doesn’t follow climate change science might think OA is a stomach
condition resulting from eating bad seafood, OA is claimed to be a
phenomenon that will destroy ocean life—all due to mankind’s use of fossil
fuels. It is a foundational theory upon which the global warming/climate
change narrative is buil... more »
Untitled
*How to Reform No Child Left Behind*
Lawmakers already are talking about reauthorizing No Child Left Behind —
the George W. Bush-era education initiative. “I’d like to have the
president’s signature on it before summer,” said Sen. Lamar Alexander, the
Tennessee Republican who will assume chairmanship of the Senate Health,
Education, Labor and Pensions Committee when Congress convenes in January.
But lawmakers should be pursuing bold education reforms, not searching out
weak legislative compromises that fail to limit federal overreach.
Congressional conservatives should take this o... more »
Chen Wei-ting lets the side down
*A local road in Miaoli.*
Chen Wei-ting, the Sunflower movement leader, made a stunning revelation
this week (Taipei Times):
In an interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’
sister newspaper) published yesterday, Chen, who is running for legislator
in the by-election in Miaoli County in February, was asked to discuss his
potential risk of falling victim to “attacks on his personal integrity,” to
which he responded by making the revelation, saying: “There are things that
I have kept to myself for a long time.”
“One day, during the summer vacation before my... more »
James Corbett interviews Ellen Brown: Bank Bail in Rules Explained
Interview 986 – Ellen Brown Explains the New G20 Bank Bail-in Rules
*Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed*
Today attorney, author and researcher Ellen Brown of EllenBrown.com joins
us to discuss her article on “The Global Bankers’ Coup: Bail-In and the
Shadowy Financial Stability Board.” We talk about the G20 and their
rubber-stamping of the FSB’s proposed bail-in rules, what this shadowy body
is and how it interlocks with the Bank for International Settlements, and
what this means for depositors in the wake of the next banking crisis.
*SHOW NOTES:*
- *New G20 Rules: ... more »
Be prepared
For the last few days I’ve been (mostly) thinking about Danny Cohen.
The BBC’s director of television senses an ominous whiff of antisemitism in
the air. The press has shown quite a bit of interest in Cohen’s interview
with Yonit Levi of Israel’s Channel 2, and a complaint by a prominent
Jewish media figure about rising antisemitism in the UK begs a fair few
questions.
I can’t decide how to approach this topic for “Is the BBC Biased?”
Heavily sarcastic seems somehow wrong; yet tempting.
*“As any fule kno, the Jews control the media, therefore a complaint by a
prominent Jewish ... more »
G3 or Global Gambling Game - I am not a game player - Free Planet's new mantra
I am not a game player.
Say it, say, "I am not a game player," and know what it means to make a
stand for your Free Planet.
Being a 'game player' means putting your head in the sand and hoping that
the evil monster will never trespass into your soft and comfortable dreams.
But it's already there.
Every day.
Haunting and Terrorising you.
You're there, right now. You can feel the sand in your ears. You're unable
to truly breath. You hate where you are but you think it's your only
option. It's what your mommy and your daddy told you was the right and
proper thing to do. It's what y... more »
NOSInt on a break
[image: Happy Holidays]
Wishing you all the joys of the season and happiness throughout the coming
year.
I'll be back monday, january 5th 2015,
Kobus
Crusades vs Jihad in European, Middle East and North African history
How many times Muslims invaded Europe vs Christians invading the Middle
East
Not quite the way that the BBC and other politically correct fools portray
this part of history, is it.
‘Stealth’ frigate handed over to Taiwan's Navy
[image: Tuo Jiang corvette]Taiwan's Navy yesterday took possession of the
island’s first self-developed missile-carrying “stealth” corvette.
The ship has been described by the Taiwanese media as an aircraft carrier
killer and the 500-tonne twin-hull vessel, Tuo Jiang, was built by the
Taiwanese shipbuilding company Lung Teh.
The handover to the navy took place at Suao, a fishing port in the eastern
part of Taiwan, and comes after the mainland has objected to the US sale of
four Perry-class frigates to the island.
Read more
Raytheon awarded $491 million contract for AMRAAM®
[image: AIM-120 AMRAAM]Raytheon Company is being awarded a fixed-price
contract $491,478,068 for the Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile.
The contract is for the production of the AMRAAM® missile and other AMRAAM
system items, including the captive air training missile, common munitions
bit/reprogramming equipment and non-developmental item airborne
instrumentation unit.
The contract includes foreign military sales to Korea, Oman, Singapore and
Thailand.
Read more
USMC receives first F-35C
[image: F-35C Lightning II]The US Marine Corps has received its first
carrier-based Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II, marking the 36th and
final delivery of a Joint Strike Fighter in 2014.
Lockheed Martin says the 22 December delivery of aircraft CF-19 meets the
36 aircraft delivery target for 2014, and marks the 109th overall delivery
of operational F-35s to the USA and partner operators.
The first USMC F-35C out of a planned 80 will be assigned to the US Navy’s
VFA-101 “Grim Reapers” squadron, 33rd Fighter Wing, based at Eglin AFB.
After delivery CF-19 will be used for F-35C pil... more »
A Very Merry Christmas To All Whom Visit My Blog This Holiday Season 2014
*A Very Merry Christmas To All Whom Visit My Blog *
Iraq / Syria Regional War ( December 24 , 2014 ) -ISIS claims to down jet piloted by Jordanian near Raqqa....... Battlefield and political reports for Iraq and Syria .....
Links....
*Pentagon Uses ISIS as Excuse to Hide Abuse Pics*
*Anonymous Tip to FBI Fuels Panic Over 'ISIS Threat' to Memphis Bridge*
Mass Grave Found Near Baghdad; 228 Killed Across Iraq
No Way Out for Iraqis Who Helped US in War
Search Is on for Diplomatic Solution to Syria War
Syrian Observatory: More Than 1,000 Jihadists Killed in US-Led Syria Strikes
Tweets....
The man is allegedly a Jordanian Air Force pilot, Muadh Yusuf. IS claims to
have shot his plane down with an anti-aircraft missile.
[image: View image on Twitter]
السلطان سنجر ✒ @Alsultansinjer2
Follow
طيار أردني لم ي... more »
The Hits And Misses On Predictions From The National Intelligence Council
*What The Intelligence Community Thought Would Happen In 2015 - In 2000 --
Kedar Pavgi, Defense One*
After a year filled with non-stop national security crises, the question
is: Can anyone predict chaos in the future? The answer is, sort of.
Every four years, the National Intelligence Council - the arm of the
Intelligence Community tasked with developing long-term outlooks - releases
its Global Trends report. It’s an unclassified publication that uses open
source information gathering techniques to plot out the world 15 to 20
years out.
In 2000, the NIC released the Global Trends... more »
Air force preps B3.5bn purchase of new fighter jets
[image: M-346 Master advanced jet trainer aircraft]Italian aerospace
company Alenia Aermacchi again has offered its M-346 Master advanced jet
trainer aircraft to Thailand as the air force looks at aircraft from as
many as six countries to replace its ageing fleet of Czech-made L-39
Albatros jets.
According to a report in HIS Jane's Defence Weekly, the offer was made
following last week's announcement by the air force it would purchase four
new fighter planes as part of its Advanced Jet Trainer/Light Attack
Aircraft programme.
The air force currently operates 36 L-39ZA/ART aircraft... more »
Russia Plans to Deliver New Aircraft to Belarus Air Base: Defense Minister
Russia will increase the number of airplanes and helicopters at its base to
be opened in Belarus, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday
during a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Andrei Ravkov.
“I’m ready to continue our discussion of cooperation on a practical basis
today. This is in regard to the S-300 [anti-aircraft missile system], as
well as the creation and basing of [our] aviation in Belarus by increasing
the number of airplanes and helicopters. This should provide for the
security of our common airspace,” Shoigu said.
The Russian airbase is to be opened ... more »
Parliamentary panel criticises delays, cost overruns in navy projects
[image: INS Vikrant]The price of indigenous aircraft carrier has shot up a
whopping six times and will now cost Rs 19,341 crore, a parliamentary panel
has said, criticising the "regular delays" and cost overruns in almost all
acquisition activities of the navy.
The Standing Committee on Defence also said it is "high time" that adequate
budgetary provisions are made to the force so that deficiencies are
mitigated and the country is capable of taking on two-front challenges.
The panel that it is "perturbed" to find a spurt in accidents involving
navy vessels in the recent past. In 201... more »
Fire Scout Drone’s First At-Sea Takeoff
In video released today (above), the MQ-8C helicopter takes off from the
destroyer Jason Dunham with its eyes closed — or rather with its cockpit
windows painted over, because there’s nobody inside.
Though derived from the widespread Bell 407, the Northrop Grumman MQ-8C is
a drone.
This month’s tests are the first time the unmanned helicopter has taken off
from a Navy ship at sea, and the first time any unmanned helicopter of any
kind has taken off from a destroyer.
Read more
New destroyer Ji'nan commissioned to East China Sea Fleet
[image: Ji'nan (Type-052C class) DDG]A simple and grand ceremony marking
the commissioning of the guided missile destroyer Ji'nan to the East China
Sea Fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) was held at a
naval port in Zhoushan of east China's Zhejiang province on the morning of
December 22, 2014.
The newly-commissioned guided missile destroyer Ji'nan, together with the
guided missile destroyer Changchun and Zhengzhou, are all new-generation
guided missile destroyers independently developed by China.
The guided missile destroyer Ji'nan (hull number 152), is equipp... more »
Vietnamese ambassador says Russia to remain top arms seller
[image: HQ-011 Dinh Tien Hoang]Vietnam's continued acquisition of Russian
weapons will depend on regional developments and Hanoi's financial
capacity, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Nguyen Thanh Son said in a recent
interview with Russian news agency Interfax.
The ambassador made the statement when asked about Hanoi's plans to
continue buying weapons from Russia following several orders for
submarines, frigates and warships.
He said Vietnam buys Russian weapons for defensive purposes.
Read more
How Do You Define Victory In Today's Wars?
U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Ty-Michael Maes, left, directs his fire team during
a live-fire assault exercise with the Saudi marines as part of exercise Red
Reef 15 in Ras Al Khair, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 16, 2014. Maes is a team leader
assigned to 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance detachment, Battalion Landing
Team, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. U.S.
Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. Rome M. Lazarus
*How Do You Successfully End Wars? Academics Seek An Answer -- Katie
Nguyen, Reuters*
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - What constitutes a military victory?
In... more »
Maritime spats 'stirring undersea arms race'
[image: Soryu-class SSK]Territorial disputes in the East China Sea and
South China Sea are fuelling a build-up in submarine fleets that can spark
more frequent armed clashes in the already volatile waters, according to a
US-based think-tank.
"The currency of naval power in the ESCS (East and South China seas) has
become the submarine," Wikistrat, a consultancy that relies on
"crowdsourced" analysts, said in its latest "simulation report".
With disputes in the region unlikely to be resolved soon via diplomacy,
China, Japan and Vietnam will keep sending submarines to the East and Sout... more »
Merry Christmas!
*Have a very merry Christmas everyone!*
Trans-Siberian Orchestra, “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo”
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHioIlbnS_A
7 Top Medical Procedures Whose Risks Far Exceed Their Benefit
This is actually very useful and should be revisited every decade. We are
already seriously skeptical of all these procedures just from the lousy PR
that they earn. After all, just how do you get good PR for something that
fails to cure or totally resolve?
Knowing this they should all be put on a last resort list at least. It is
still a surprise that a couple here really do not justify their support.
The worst however is chemotherapy which cannot be justified at all and is
pure exploitation of patient desperation. Anything else and a radically
improved diet is really th... more »
The Christmas Truce of 1914 - Pinhole of Light Among a Nightmare of Madness
*December 24, 2014* (Tony Cartalucci - LD) In the end, we have more in
common with the furthest flung foreign common man than the closest
corporate-fascist that presumes dominion over our lives.
During the early 1900's, Europe was locked in the first World War. Millions
would perish - tens of thousands in a single day. On one brief occasion, a
pinhole of light shined through this utter madness, revealing the truth of
this man-made nightmare. The men in the trenches were being driven toward
each other, not by some irreconcilable difference they had with one
another, but by the greed ... more »
Pentagon: Santa Claus Mission Will Be Successful
*Pentagon Details Military Efforts to Ensure Santa Claus Mission is Success
-- Washington Free Beacon*
Amid concerns of increased threats to the United States during the
holidays, Adm. John Kirby recently assured the public that all domains
(land, air, cyber, space, sea) have been secured by the North American
Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), and that Santa Claus should make all of
his deliveries on time.
“Is the Pentagon at all concerned that NORAD’s Santa radar may be in danger
of being cyber-attacked or hacked? And are you taking any I.A. (ph)
measures to prevent that?” a re... more »
Triangulation and the Pineal Gland
I wish to propose a conjecture. The pineal gland is a full member of our
visual sensory equipment that is placed deep inside the brain allowing much
of the spectrum to be blocked to enhance sensitivity to the blue end of the
spectrum.
One immediate result is that it provides the brain with a way to establish
a standard for the blue lines for both the pineal gland and the eyes
themselves. This then allows correction to be applied to the rest of the
spectrum as a form of natural triangulation.
Another natural result is the capability to then detect blues properly
which ap... more »
The 50 Latest Coconut Oil Benefits Backed by Science
The last sixty years has seen a huge amount of public manipulation of the
health profiles of all oils. this has been entered into by various
proponents and has inevitably sowed confusion and unending misinformation
if not downright lies. Coconut oil was attacked and has now recovered and
this is part of that story line.
What is needed is a truly independent body able to provide meaningful
guidance to overcome what is now an awful history of food fraud. We really
need an ABC schedule to work against and a renewal of trust.
In the meantime here is the dope on coconut oil.
*The ... more »
Putin Announces Massive Foreign Currency Bailout For Russia's Collapsing Banks
Russia is once again going to the wall with its currency. A lot of this is
been caused by the sharp drop in oil pricing along with Putin's bout of ill
timed adventurism in the Ukraine. The internal economy it far to fragile
to allow easy recovery from such shocks and ghere we have two back to back.
Take oil out of the economic equation and the top down system is completely
unfunded. That risk may seem remote today but that is going to be the big
story over the next decade as the public finds itself able to shed monopoly
pricing.
Putin himself is still okay, but the internal s... more »
Nazi Mice of the Third Reich
"Urwand said: *"Collaboration: it's not my word or invention. I got it from
materials from both sides. It's the word that's regularly used to describe
their relationship."* He said the German head of MGM spoke to the German
press of the* "satisfying collaboration on both sides".*
*"It's collaboration in the sense that Hollywood movie executives and Nazi
officials are actually collaborating and the Nazis are having the final
say," *said Urwand.* "They didn't want to lose their business. They didn't
want to have to go home and come back under different conditions. They also
felt Hi... more »
Every theory of quantum gravity is a part of string theory: a partial proof
*A successful test in \(AdS_3\)*
The first hep-th paper today is
String Universality for Permutation Orbifolds
by Alexandre Belin, Christoph A. Keller, and Alexander Maloney who are at
Rutgers University, my graduate Alma Mater (I know A.M. from Harvard). Note
that Christopher was terrified by the disagreement between the other two
authors when it comes to "-re" or "-er" in their first name, so he erased
it from his name altogether. ;-)
*Serin Hall, Rutgers University, NJ*
We sometimes say that string theory is the only consistent theory of
quantum gravity. It's the only game in... more »
Torture Wrong. Drone Strikes OK?
*Are Drone Strikes More Defensible Than Torture? -- Victor Davis Hanson,
NRO*
Democrats are hypocritically silent about Obama’s policy of targeted
assassinations.
There are lots of hypocrisies surrounding the recently released executive
summary of the Senate Intelligence Committee report on the CIA’s detention
and interrogation program. But they pale in comparison to the current
Democratic silence about President Barack Obama’s policy of targeted drone
assassinations.
Since 2004, drones have killed an estimated 2,400 to 3,888 individuals in
Pakistan alone, according to the Burea... more »
Christy Clark To Pay OFF BC`s Debt With Liquor Taxes And Funeral Fees
*Written By Grant G*
All through the house the only creature stirring was a drunken old louse,
abusing the children and beating his spouse.
On dancer and prancer who strip on the stage, where liquor is quicker to
incite his rage, come after work and spend your hard earned pay, drink is
aplenty, slurp a few more, gulp down some shooters then one for the road,
happy hour never turns sour so let off a load.
On Yap, On Coleman on Anton too, Christy Clark wants tax revenue from all
of you, booze in the barn, golf courses ski hills and flea markets too,
bring your children and babies... more »
Facebook: Colonialism 2.0
Putting the entire planet online... then controlling everything they see or
read.
*December 24, 2014* (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - The Western media has
attempted to portray Mark Zuckerberg's ambitious plan to get every human
being online as altruistic at first, but later revealed as simply what
could be called "profitable empathy." In reality however, the truth is much
more sinister, with Facebook already revealed to be much more than a mere
corporation run by Zuckerberg and his "ideas"
Facebook is the pinnacle of social engineering, an online operant
conditioning chamber - also kn... more »
Is Facebook Cooperating With The Kremlin To Shut Down Dissent?
Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny (left) and his brother, Oleg,
on a Facebook page calling for a January 15 demonstration near the Kremlin
in support of the embattled activist.
*Facebook Helps Putin Shut Down Dissidents -- Washington Free Beacon*
Social media company kowtows to Russian dictator, kisses up to Chinese
president
Facebook is facing heightened scrutiny of its conduct in countries with
authoritarian regimes amid reports that an events page for Russia’s most
prominent dissident was blocked by the company at the insistence of the
Russian government.
A page or... more »
Why Writing Off Russia Would Be Unwise
Putin's jingoism suggests détente is impossible but let's wait a few months
for things to cool. Photo: Kremlin Picture Office
*Russia’s Crisis Is Also A Huge Opportunity -- Steen Jakobsen, Trading
Floor *
* Russia's failure to reform made crisis inevitable
* Ukraine détente imperative for Russian revival
* Writing off Russia would be unwise
Russia’s years of neglecting to invest and reform pointed to an inevitable
crisis. In 2014, that crisis came on two fronts, first in the confrontation
over Ukraine from early this year and the resulting sanctions, and then
followed by the incred... more »
How This Murder Case Almost Directly Impacted Me .... But In A Way It Did
*Luka Magnotta Guilty Of 1st-Degree Murder In Jun Lin's Slaying -- CBC*
Jurors in 10-week trial in Montreal found 32-year-old guilty of killing
university student, other charges
Luka Magnotta has received an automatic life sentence for first-degree
murder, with no possibility of parole for 25 years. He was sentenced to
another 19 years for the four other charges he was convicted on.
Quebec Superior Court Justice Guy Cournoyer gave Magnotta the maximum
sentence on the four lesser charges, to be served concurrently with the
first-degree murder sentence.
Magnotta closed his eyes a... more »
Who Was Protected In Michael Grimm's Sweet Plea Bargain Deal?
The Michael Grimm saga has always been special for me-- not because my
sister lives on Staten Island or because his congressional district
includes a part of the Brooklyn neighborhood I grew up in-- but because, in
2005-06-- when I was looking into the "disappearance" of a $400,000 that
GOP serial criminal Tom Kontogiannis paid Duke Cunningham to get Bush to
pardon him-- a reader informed me that an otherwise unknown crooked FBI
agent who had gone over to the Gambino Crime Family, Michael "Mikey Suits"
Grimm, was involved in the "missing" Bush bribe. The media, of course, covered
... more »
Is President Bush To Blame For The Rise of The Islamic State?
*First Known Western Journalist To Embed With ISIS Blames Bush For Group’s
Existence -- CBS*
WASHINGTON (CBSDC/AP) — The first known Western journalist to have embedded
with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria terror group blames former
President George W. Bush for its existence.
German journalist Jürgen Todenhöfer, 74, spent ten days with the terror
group in Mosul. Speaking with the German website TZ, Todenhöfer said that
the U.S. air campaign against ISIS will have little effect on the group.
“With every bomb that is dropped and hits a civilian, the number of
terrorists increas... more »
Former President George H.W. Bush Taken To Hospital By Ambulance
Former United States President George H. W. Bush is brought into the
auditorium where his son Former United States President George W. Bush
speaks about his new book titled ''41: A Portrait of My Father'' at the
George Bush Presidential Library Center in College Station, Texas November
11, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Bob Daemmrich/Pool
*Former President George HW Bush Hospitalized -- ABC News*
Former President George H.W. Bush was taken by ambulance to the Houston
Methodist Hospital as a precaution after experiencing a shortness of breath
earlier this evening, his spokesman said tonight.... more »
James Cameron
*Cameron - On the Square*
*Cameron - On the Level*
*Cameron - Upright and True*
*Strange Days (1995)*
*The Titanic Deception : "There were rumors that the ships had been
switched and all sorts of things...." from Spike EP on Vimeo.*
*Cameron, James*
*THE JAMES CAMERON CONSPIRACY THEORY*
*(The Conspiracy Theorists Cut)*
Note: this copy of the James Cameron Conspiracy Theory contains never
before seen information that wasn't in the previous online version. This
HTML version is divided into three 6.5 page sections for easier reading.
WARNING: The information contained within the ... more »
U.S. Now Offering A $5 Million Bounty For An Al-Qaeda Terrorist It Had Released From Guantanamo
U.S. State Department
*Oops! U.S. Offers $5 Mil Reward for Al Qaeda Terrorist it Released From
Gitmo -- Judicial Watch*
Years after liberating an Al Qaeda operative from the military prison at
Guantanamo, the United States government has put him on a global terrorist
list and offered a $5 million reward for information on his whereabouts.
The unbelievable story comes as President Obama frees more and more
terrorists—including four to Afghanistan over the weekend— long held in the
military compound at the U.S. Naval base in southeastern Cuba. The
president’s goal is to close the pr... more »
Has Oil Become The Weapon Of Choice For The U.S. And Saudi Arabia?
*How Oil's Become The World's Most Potent Weapon: Forget Nuclear Arms. The
U.S. And Saudis Are Behind An Oil Price Crash That Could Topple Regimes In
Russia And Iran -- Daily Mail*
* Price of oil has fallen dramatically - down by nearly half in six months
* The collapse in price means it is cheaper to fill up your car at the
pumps
* But has sparked fiscal crisis that threatens to shift global power balance
* U.S. and Saudi Arabia are using market slump to wreak havoc on enemies
* While Russia - which depends on a bouyant price - is on the edge of crisis
* Most pressing issue for Brit... more »
Hypertime
"Hypertime is our name for the vast collective of parallel universes out
there, in which you can somewhere find every DC story ever published - but
it's also more than that. The standard model of parallel timelines is the
branches of a river, right? The main timeline is the main stream while
tributaries symbolize the alternate timelines? Well, imagine that sometimes
those tributaries feed back IN to the main stream, sometimes for a while,
sometimes forever. Other times, they cross OVER for only a MOMENT before
going in an altogether NEW direction - and for the most part, no one
n... more »
"A Look to the Heavens, With Chet Raymo"
*Click image for larger size.*
"These two mighty galaxies are pulling each other apart. Known as " The
Mice" because they have such long tails, each spiral galaxy has likely
already passed through the other. They will probably collide again and
again until they coalesce. The long tails are created by the relative
difference between gravitational pulls on the near and far parts of each
galaxy."
- http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080224.html
***
"The Heaven's Embroidered Cloths"
by Chet Raymo
"In his "Defense of Poetry," Percy Bysshe Shelley said that one of the
sacred tasks of the artist ... more »
"Ideals..."
"Ideals are like stars; you will not succeed in touching them with your
hands,
but like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you choose them as your
guides,
and following them, you reach your destiny."
- Carl Schurz
Lockerbie - The Flight From Justice by Paul Foot
Lockerbie - The Flight From Justice - Paul Foot - Private Eye Special Report
by stax68
Santa's had his crack at facilitating the kiddies -- why not give Satan a shot?
*You might think that the Prince of Darkness has more important things than
answer foolish letters from childen, but apparently not.*
*"[I]f you really want a job that allows you to make a great deal of money
in a fast and unethical way (a rather admirable goal in my opinion), you
can go ahead and send me your résumé. I have a number of very close friends
at Goldman Sachs."*
*-- from Satan's reply to a letter from David, who says he wants a computer
"so I can do better in school and get a good job and make lots and lots of
money"*
*by Ken*
Now this is an idea. Goodness knows Santa ... more »
How to Steal the Nuclear Football
You can see the Green Beret Special Forces guy with the nuclear football
hit the deck and bolt for freedom between frames 3 and 4.
*He Gone.*
Later in 1981, that would be Lt. Col. Oliver North's job.
Presumably after this guy was *FIRED*.
Jack Anderson : "US, Britain Downplayed Truth on [Lockerbie] Bomb" -January 11th 1990
*The Mormon Mafia Speaks :*
US Navy Investigating The Man Who Shot And Killed Osama Bin Laden For Leaking Secrets
Former US Navt SEAL Team Six member Robert O’Neill
*Exclusive: Bin Laden ‘Shooter’ Under Investigation for Leaking Secrets --
Shane Harris, Daily Beast*
The man who claims he killed the world’s most wanted terrorist is now being
probed for saying too much about the mission.
The former Navy SEAL who ignited a controversy when he publicly claimed
credit for killing Osama bin Laden is under investigation for possibly
leaking official secrets, The Daily Beast has learned.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service has received an allegation that
Robert O’Neill, who recounted his role in... more »
Mohawk Nation News 'DETROIT SIGN OF THE TIMES'
Detroit's
abandoned Silverdome is now just an empty shell left to rot
Detroit's abandoned Silverdome is now just an empty shel...
Photographer Johnny Joo visited the abandoned Pontiac Silverdome last
month after the roof finally collapsed and his photos offer an eerie,
empty look at...
View on www.dailymail.co.uk
Preview by Yahoo
Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- December 23, 2014
*Who Pulled The Plug On North Korea's Internet? -- Jo Biddle, AFP*
Washington (AFP) - North Korea's Internet was on the fritz for a second day
Tuesday. But the US is staying silent on whether it launched a cyber attack
as payback for the hacking of Sony Pictures.
And in the murky world of cyber security, experts say there are several
plausible scenarios for why North Korea suddenly went dark, stressing it's
impossible to know exactly what happened.
Did the US launch a cyber attack on North Korea?
*Read more* ....
*Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- December 23, 2014*
How ... more »
World News Briefs -- December 23, 2014 (Evening Edition)
*Sony Will Release 'The Interview' At Limited Number Of Theaters On
Christmas -- CNN*
"The Interview" is not over, after all.
Despite threats from hackers, Sony (SNE) Pictures is making the
controversial Seth Rogen comedy available at a limited number of theaters
starting on Christmas.
The movie studio's CEO, Michael Lynton, said Tuesday that "we're excited
our movie will be in a number of theaters on Christmas Day."
He did not specify an exact number because the plans were still being
worked out. As of 6 p.m. ET, 190 independently-owned theaters have agreed
to show the film, a... more »
Happy Holidays!
So, I loved sending out holiday cards in the States. However, it is not
very cost effective here in Costa Rica, and mail takes weeks to the States,
so I have decided to do a holiday blog post instead!
So, Kurt and I had a pretty crazy year! One filled with the most changes I
have ever had in a year in our lives, I would say.
Our nephew Kory passed the bar exam and I did his swearing in with the help
of Judge Connie Kelley before I left. Kory then opened Haskell Law
Offices, which allowed me to start making the move to get the heck out of
Michigan! Congrats Kory!
Biggest news, o... more »
Christmas Greetings 2014
*Greencrow wishes all my reader(s) a Very Merry Christmas and a Safe,
Healthy and Prosperous New Year!*
* Father Christmas - Wood Carving Souvenir from Russia*
As a special *stocking stuffer* for my reader(s) I am posting a *new page*
that I call The Spirit of Russia. It is a compilation of 61 iconic photos
I took while vacationing in Russia last summer, 2014. Out of more than 700
photos...it narrowed down to these ones...I hope they capture the spirit of
Russia and the Russian people.
So, click on the new Page called* The Spirit of Russia*...and Enjoy!
*See you in the NEW YEAR ... more »
"Regret: The Weight of the Past"
*"Regret: The Weight of the Past"*
by The DailyOM
"Holding onto regret is like dragging the weight of the past with us
everywhere we go. It drains our energy, leaving less available for life in
the present because we are constantly feeding an old issue. This attachment
can cause illness the same way watering a dead plant creates decay. We know
that something new and beautiful can grow in its place if we only prepare
the soil and plant the right seeds. We also know that we create our lives
from our thoughts, so dwelling on the past may actually recreate a
situation in our lives wher... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Poole, Dorset, United Kingdom. Thanks for stopping by.
The Poet: J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Road"
*"The Road"*
"The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.
The Road goes ever on and on
Out from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
Let others follow it who can!
Let them a journey new begin,
But I at last with weary feet
Will turn towards the lighted inn,
My evening-rest and sleep to meet."
- J.R.R. Tolkien
"Remarkable..."
"Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the
experience
of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so."
- Douglas Adams
Is There a Santa Claus?
[NOTE: To spice up the discussion started by Tenacity’s guest post, we
bring you this throw-back post. One of Patrick Thadeus Jackson’s greatest
hits (of which there were many) originally posted on December 25, 2007.]
Ever since the invention of the InterNet, not a December goes by without
some version of this making the rounds
Continue reading
"The View From the Center of the Universe"
"The View From the Center of the Universe"
by Joel Primack and Nancy Adams
"I stand here on the Cosmic Uroboros, midway between the largest and
smallest things in the universe. I can trace my lineage back fourteen
billion years through generations of stars. My atoms were created in stars,
blown out in stellar winds or massive explosions, and soared for millions
of years through space to become part of a newly forming solar system — my
solar system. And back before those creator stars, there was a time when
the particles that at this very moment make up my body and brain were
mixing ... more »
“The Price of Everything and the Value of Nothing”
*“The Price of Everything and the Value of Nothing”*
by Dr. Jeff Lewis
"Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing. "
- Oscar Wilde, "The Picture of Dorian Gray"
"There is a current set of delusions that is powerful and dangerous: that
monetary debasement can be infinitely pursued without consequences; that
the financial system is now solid and sound; that the low volatility and
high prices of stocks, high-end real estate and bonds are real; that bonds
are a safe haven; and that large financial institutions which get into
trouble in the future can be unw... more »
NOT PJ: By Golly, It's Christmas!
*This Christmas week, Bernard Darnton ventures into a fancy department
store, wondering what to buy for the Duke who has everything.*
Yesterday I got my first ever Santa photo. The children were also there,
reeling off a list of requests for iPads, Lego, Ninja Turtles, and
everything else except bikes, which is what we’ve bought them.
They probably thought they could go overboard because we went to see the
rich Santa at the fancy-pants central-city department store and not one of
his less kempt counterparts at a suburban mall. Rubbing shoulders with a
better class of tyke comes at... more »
Crackpot Utopia: The Year in Republican Crazy, Part 5
*• The GOP and the kiss heard 'round the world• Crazyspeak of the Year
nominee No. 5: Joe the Plumber*
*Michael and Vito*
*Crackpot Utopia:* *A dream world as envisioned by republicans; a
manifestation or expression of the deranged, warped alternate universe
inhabited by republicans, at least in their minds. See also: Bachmannism,
Boehneresque.*
*by Noah*
*1. The GOP and the kiss heard 'round the world*
*Michael (96) sacks Cleveland Browns QB Johnny Manziel in preseason.*
Well, you had to expect it. In April, Michael Sam, a football player who
happens to be a gay man, gets dr... more »
East-West Aerial Confrontations Are Heating Up To A Level Not Seen In 25 Years
In September 2006, a U.S. F-15 Eagle from Elmendorf Air Force Base
intercepted a Russian Tu-95 Bear bomber on a training exercise near the
west coast of Alaska.(Photo: U.S. Air Force)
*From Baltic To Asia, East-West Aerial Confrontations Heat Up -- Reuters*
(Reuters) - From the skies of the Baltic to the South China Sea, a new era
of confrontation with Russia and China is pitting U.S. and allied pilots
against their counterparts on a scale not seen since the Cold War era.
It is, current and former officials say, a major shift for air crews who by
and large have spent more than a de... more »
Books, books, books, BOOKS!
Since you asked…
[image: image]
Yes, I’m just getting my book sack ready for the break.
[image: image]
And once again, I need to either cull or carve out a longer holiday.
[image: image]
So what could I cut?
[image: image]
And what’s in *your *holiday book stack this year?
Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission
to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
in which my annual noncelebration of christmas causes my jewish cultural roots to reappear, a tiny bit
Two years ago, wmtc's annual "i hate christmas" post declared: "i hate
christmas is slightly less hateful this year".
Working in the library, as opposed to an office environment, I found
getting through the holiday season much less trying.
No more co-workers - at their computers, able to talk while they work -
going on (and on and on and on...) about what they are buying for whom,
reciting their shopping lists, a mind-numbing litany of consumption. My
co-workers now are too busy, and several magnitudes less self-absorbed, to
inflict that on anyone.
And it wasn't just the absence of... more »
North Korea Will Have Enough Nuclear Material For 79 Atomic Bombs By 2020
*North Korea's Nukes Are Scarier Than Its Hacks -- Eli Lake & Josh Rogin,
Bloomberg*
While the world’s attention focuses on North Korea’s cyberwar with Sony,
the Hermit Kingdom is rapidly increasing its stockpile of nuclear weapons
material, with little real pushback from the United States.
A new analysis of North Korea’s nuclear program by a group of top U.S.
experts, led by David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and
International Security, estimates that North Korea could have enough
material for 79 nuclear weapons by 2020. The analysis, part of a larger
project... more »
Israel Sees The Islamic State At Its Borders
A black flag belonging to the Islamic State is seen near the Syrian town of
Kobani, as pictured from the Turkish-Syrian border near the southeastern
town of Suruc in Sanliurfa province, October 6, 2014. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
*ISIS Closing In On Israel From The North And The South -- Riyadh Mohammed,
The Fiscal Times*
The war against ISIS is taking a dangerous, perhaps inevitable turn. The
terror organization has been keen to expand to southern Syria and the
Syrian capital of Damascus. Now it says it has recruited three Syrian rebel
groups operating in the south of the country in an a... more »
FIGHT OR PERISH: A Guest Blog by Harris Lirtzman
The other day, Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Director of State Operations, Jim
Malatras, sent this letter to Chancellor Merryl Tisch, demanding that the
Board of Regents answer twelve fundamental education-related questions by
the end of the month. In the letter, the Governor threatened to use his
control over the state budget to impose unilaterally his own education
policies to break “the monopoly of public education” at a special session
of the Legislature next month.
New York State United Teachers, the body that represents public school
teachers for legislative and political purposes i... more »
THE EMPATHY FILES: How far does our understanding extend?
*WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2014Part 4—Liberal lectures police:* Here at the
Howler, we’ve never worked as a police officer.
We think of it as a difficult job. We don’t know what we would do in every
situation a person confronts on that job.
In part for these reasons, we’re disinclined to judge the conduct of police
officers, especially in cases where the facts are unclear. We’re often
amazed at how easily others make judgments in such cases.
In the past few years, we’ve been struck by how easily many liberals make
such judgments, then start rearranging and inventing facts to drive... more »
“The Subtle Slavery of Obamacare: The Cattle Chute of Coerced Cooperation in the Collective Corruption”
*“The Subtle Slavery of Obamacare: *
*The Cattle Chute of Coerced Cooperation in the Collective Corruption”*
By Cognitive Dissonance
“The truth is that the State is a conspiracy designed not only to exploit,
but above all to corrupt its citizens.”
- Leo Tolstoy
What could possibly go wrong?
"Like millions of other individuals and families in the USA, Mrs. Cog and I
have reached a point this year where we must make decisions regarding Health
Sick Care Insurance for 2015. Before I begin I would like to point out we
are attempting to take back control of our health by eating better,
ex... more »
The Economy: "A Crash Course in Money (Part V)"
*"A Crash Course in Money (Part V)"*
by Bill Bonner
"Last Thursday, the Dow shot up 421 points, or 2.4%, following the Fed's
announcement that it would be "patient" about normalizing interest rates.
It was the biggest single-day gain for the Dow in three years. And the 13th
biggest single-day gain ever. No one knows what was in this package –
probably not even the Fed – but speculators thought it had a ribbon and bow
on it. On Friday, they drove the Dow up another 27 points for good measure.
We have our doubts about Santa. Does he really exist? Or is it just a myth
we tell childre... more »
Christianity - A Pagan Religion
I was raised Catholic. I went to Church regularly. I was what you could
call a 'Papist'. When the Church changed a series of 'set-in-stone' rituals
(such as penance for confession), that made me sit up and notice that what
I had been told was an institution created by God, was very much one ruled
by Men and subject to change as politics, fashion and other factors
dictated. The rapid shift of direction which made the policy-makers in the
Church of Rome almost indistinguishable from their counterparts in the
Windsor-mafia-loving Protestant sects - who I was taught were heretics
foll... more »
Trouble Loading the Blog?
I've been hearing from a few people that my blog has lately been difficult
to pull up. When we did some testing from various locations we found that
in fact Internet Explorer was extremely slow to load this blog - to the
point that a few folks gave up entirely, thinking it was not working at all.
People who used Firefox had no loading problems nor did those using Google
Chrome.
I appreciate your visits to this blog and hope you can get the full view of
it without troubles. I did reduce the numbers of posts on the homepage so
that it might not take so long to load.
First Strike Ammended Accidents
They happen evertday
and know one cares
execpt those struck
and for those people
no one gives a fuck
Dec. 23: Liar, liar, pants on fire....
Again, foreign news will be at the end of this blog -separated by
#################
Now, go to google - "The Atlantic, The alarming research behind New York's
fracking ban." This was sent to me by a reader - and it's stunning. It's
the report on WHY New York banned fracking. The Irving press has yet to
tell us even that there is a fracking ban.
Remember all those columns by Norbert and Alec Bruce on how fracking is
proven safe? You'll get the same message in the Dec. 22 issue of the Times
and Transcript in a column written by the impartial CEO of Corridor
Resources who wrote it al... more »
Ken Marchionno Photos '300 Miles Oomaka Tokatakiya'
Ken
Marchionno Photos '300 Miles Oomaka Tokatakiya'
The Oomaka Tokatakiya is a nearly 300-mile memorial horseback ride
across South Dakota in the United States. The ride starts on December
15th, at the site where the Lakota Indian Chief Sitting Bull was killed,
and traces the trail taken by some of his tribe to join Chief Big Foot.
It goes on to follow Big Foot's effort to reach
Putting Health Canada on Notice
At long fucking last, a decision is coming on mifepristone, originally
called RU486.
Health Canada has set an internal deadline of mid-January to finally make a
decision on the abortion pill, a drug that is already available in 60
countries but has been stuck in Canada’s drug-approval pipeline for more
than three years.
The pro-choice advocates and researchers who have been helping a small
European drug company with its Canadian application say they have
encountered an unusual amount of antipathy from the regulators who will
decide if Canadian women get access mifepristone, a pill ... more »
Merry Christmas!
I'd like to wish all readers a Merry Christmas! Enjoy the holidays! I will
have an end of year blog entry ready to post here next week. Until then,
Merry Christmas!
Wassailing the Wealthy
The Christmas season is traditionally the one time of year that we're
permitted, even encouraged, to burst forth from our hovels to guilt-trip
the rich while spreading joy and fellowship throughout the land.
Key word: traditionally. Because according to government studies, the
charity coffers are dwindling and fewer of us are reaching out to our
fellow human beings in these hard times. In sixteen out of the twenty
categories measured, the levels of social engagement by Americans have
plummeted this year. People are either too busy working multiple minimum
wage jobs, or too depresse... more »
Jordan is Palestinian - Mudar Zahran knows this to be tryetrue
Jordan is Palestinian per Palestinian Mudar Zahran interview
Maybe such as Jeremy Al Bowen, Lyse Doucet, Jon Donnison should watch that
video, they might learn something.
Russian Prime Minister Medvedev Warns That Russia Could Slide Into Deep Recession
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev speaks during a televised interview
with Russian media in Moscow, December 10, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Dmitry
Astakhov/RIA Novosti/Pool
*Medvedev: Russian Economy Needs Aggressive Approach to Avoid Deep
Recession -- Sputnik*
*Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday that Russia may need
to take on more aggressive approaches to the economic situation in Russia
in order to avoid falling into an even deeper recession.*
MOSCOW, December 23 (Sputnik) – The Russian economy risks falling into a
deep recession, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry ... more »
Christmas in Post-War Germany
*US occupation forces inside Germany on Christmas, 1945*
We got a nice holiday card today from our local PeaceWorks activist
Christine DeTroy. I was struck by the enclosed letter that I'd like to
share below:
Christmas Memories
Return with me to the past - to December, 1945, the first post-war
Christmas in Germany.
Picture yourself in a large room, part of the downstairs of a former
spacious art gallery that had been converted into several apartments, one
of which was my family's for a number of years. American officers had
occupied the downstairs and upstairs of the large house ... more »
Long term detention under Mental Health Act struck down
P.S. v. Ontario, 2014 ONCA 900:
[3] For the following reasons, I conclude that the provisions of
the MHA dealing with involuntary committal violate s. 7 of the *Charter* by
allowing for indeterminate detention without adequate procedural protection
of the liberty interests of long-term patients*. *I also conclude that the
appellant has not been provided with adequate interpretation services and
that his right to equality, guaranteed under s. 15(1) of the *Charter*, has
been violated.
The Ridiculous Sony "Hacking" Saga: 10 Reasons Why The FBI Are Wrong!
For the last week the Jew spew MSM has been going absolutely wild with all
the reports about this "Sony Hacking" that even has the US Government
involved... From the very start, I smelled a rat (as I always do when it
comes to these issues) and I knew that what we were being told was nothing
but pure lies... It should have raised red flags with everyone when the US
Government went as far as to blame North Korea, China, Russia, and even
Iran, as being behind the hacking!
I have been trying to make sense of this "hacking" and I have been checking
around the internet for some real inf... more »
A Light in the Middle of Darkness
About 200 people on Monday night marched along Preble Street to Monument
Square, where they lit candles in memory of the 35 homeless persons who
died this year in Portland, Maine.
Untitled
The Christmas season traditionally is the one special time of the year when
we are permitted, even encouraged, to venture forth from our hovels to
harass the rich and spread cheer and good will to one and all.
Key word: traditionally. Because according to a recent government study,
charity coffers are dwindling, and the level of American social engagement
in these hard times has plummeted in 16 of the 20 categories measured.
People are either too busy working multiple low-wage jobs, or too depressed
about worklessness to physically engage much with their fellow human
beings. Volunte... more »
UKIP and the Perils of Professionalism
UKIP have the opposite problem to the Conservatives. The Tories are a tuned
machine being tested to destruction by the clods in the control room. UKIP
on the other hand have a leadership who, in the main, know what they're
doing but are cursed with a jerry-rig thrown together from whatever rusty
parts they find lying around. And so we've had a kipper in a winnable seat
resign after "chinky/poofter" gate. Another expelled for "jaw-dropping
racism", and the purge of Neil Hamilton and the suspension of Winston
McKenzie's branch. So, belatedly, UKIP are trying to professionalise the
op... more »
Technical Difficulties
Something buggy going on with the blog... unexplained superimposed text,
etc.
Sorry for the inconvenience. Will be back when I can.
Wassailing the Wealthy
(credit: "Stressed Jenny")
The Christmas season traditionally is the one special time of the year when
we are permitted, even encouraged, to venture forth from our hovels to
harass the rich and spread cheer and good will to one and all.
Key word: *traditionally*. Because according to a recent government study,
charity coffers are dwindling, and the level of American social engagement
in these hard times has plummeted in 16 of the 20 categories measured.
People are either too busy working multiple low-wage jobs, or too depressed
about worklessness to physically engage much with the... more »
The Divided Caucus Meeting — Why Some Senators Voted Both Ways on CR-Omnibus
*by Gaius Publius*
I wrote here about the CR–Omnibus Spending bill that was recently approved
in both the House and Senate, and about how three groups of Democratic
senators voted:
1. Six senators — like Warren, Sanders, Franken and Brown — opposed the
bill during the cloture vote (the vote whether or not to bring it to the
floor) and also opposed it after it came to the floor.
2. Sixteen senators, many with "liberal" reputations — like Merkley,
Cantwell, Wyden, Whitehouse — *supported* the bill during the cloture
vote and opposed it only during the floor vo... more »
Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev: Russia-US Relations 'Poisoned' For Decades To Come
*Russia-US Relations 'Poisoned' For Decades To Come – Medvedev -- RT*
Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev thinks the recent unfriendly moves by Presidents
Poroshenko and Obama effectively turn Ukraine into Russia’s potential
enemy. It will also “poison” relations with the US for decades to come.
On Facebook, Medvedev commented on the Ukraine Freedom Act 2014 signed by
Barack Obama last week, and on the Ukrainian parliament’s intention to
cancel a national law forbidding them to join military blocs.
“As in the case with the Jackson-Vanik amendment, our relations with
America will be poisone... more »
Tommy Chong does Prison Time
Hiw === dc c=s safe
thats preety welkl
what I am thinking
it probably took
a several millon dollars
to incrate Tommy Chong
keeping america safe
by putting in prison
old men
WTF a
Ukraine Moves Away From Nonaligned Status. Wants To Join NATO
*Ukraine Takes Step Toward Joining NATO -- New York Times*
MOSCOW — With a Russian-backed separatist insurgency still gripping eastern
Ukraine, the Ukrainian Parliament voted on Tuesday to take steps toward
joining NATO. It was a pointed rebuke to Russia that immediately drew an
angry response.
The Parliament, firmly controlled by a pro-Western majority, voted
overwhelmingly 303 to 8, to repeal a 2010 law that codified a policy of
“nonalignment,” and to instead pursue closer military and strategic ties
with the West.
Former President Viktor F. Yanukovych, who was toppled in Febru... more »
Russian Reaction To Ukraine's Vote To Cancel its Non-Aligned Status
*Ukraine Angers Russia With Landmark Step Towards Nato -- The
Guardian/Reuters*
Russia’s foreign minister says vote to drop neutral status is
counterproductive and will only boost tensions
The Ukrainian parliament has renounced the country’s “non-aligned” status
with the aim of eventually joining Nato, angering Moscow, which views the
western alliance’s eastward expansion as a security threat.
Kiev first announced its intention of seeking the protection of Nato
membership in August, following what it deemed the open participation of
Russia’s military in a separatist war in Ukrain... more »
Just To Make Your XMAS Bright! (What's Happened Since The Response by Congress to the 2008 Crash Was to Allow Wall Street Banks to Grow Dramatically in Asset Size, Derivative Holdings and Systemic Risk)
Your votes have allowed your choice of "legislators" to let the banks run
wild (undoubtedly enriching all parties, except the public). Again.
Welcome to Pottersville 3. What was the Federal regulator of these very
same banks doing? It was bragging in a press release issued at the end of
the same week about the gargantuan risks these insured banks were taking
in derivatives. The press
North Korea's Internet Restored After Yesterday's Collapse
*North Korea's Internet Links Restored Amid U.S. Hacking Dispute -- Reuters*
(Reuters) - North Korea, at the center of a confrontation with the United
States over the hacking of Sony Pictures, experienced a complete Internet
outage for hours before links were restored on Tuesday, but U.S. officials
said Washington was not involved.
U.S.-based Dyn, a company that monitors Internet infrastructure, said the
reason for the outage was not known but could range from technological
glitches to a hacking attack. Several U.S. officials close to the
investigations of the attack on Sony Pictu... more »
Untitled
*Nearly $1 billion in Katrina, Rita aid under scrutiny ~Will Sentell, The
Advocate*
*Saints Offense Kept Up Its End of the Bargain ~JR Ella*
*What to expect for 'fair market rent' in New Orleans in 2015*
*Kayla's Restaurant now open on St. Claude Avenue ~Gambit *
There is danger in that commucincation
Yes if you do not come accross
as an asswipe
your a trarget
to make
your thnking shit
You think elections
have a thing to do
with democracy
then your a fool
Its a ruby game
of offworld sites
and scrums
and just like
the game when
it comes down
to gaining control
of the ball
hookers.
Anyone like me
who screaming
there is a four alarm
fire on the house
we bent
and burroued
to make safe
will be the first
targets of the
great hypocracy
The only thing
I want those
who hear the sieren
call of tea party
is that there was
a regime just like
they wanted
and it lasted thousands
of years... more »
The economics of the madhouse from Watts Up With That?
Watts Up With That have a wonderful piece by Christopher Monckton that you
should read in full, here's an extract...
'Typical gasoline-powered auto engines are approximately 27% efficient.
Typical fossil-fueled generating stations are 50% efficient, transmission
to end user is 67% efficient, battery charging is 90% efficient and the
auto's electric motor is 90% efficient, so that the fuel efficiency of an
electric car is also 27%. However, the electric car requires 30% more power
per mile traveled to move the mass of its batteries.CO2 emissions from
domestic transport account for 2... more »
Wassailing the Wealthy
(credit: "Stressed Jenny")
The Christmas season traditionally is the one special time of the year when
we are permitted, even encouraged, to venture forth from our hovels to
harass the rich and spread cheer and good will to one and all.
Key word: *traditionally*. Because according to a recent government study,
charity coffers are dwindling, and the level of American social engagement
in these hard times has plummeted in 16 of the 20 categories measured.
People are either too busy working multiple low-wage jobs, or too depressed
about worklessness to physically engage much with the... more »
If I could do something lightning
Yes you know
Supertramp is part of this show
and tell
you what
Socialism baby
its not a communist front
its a place to live
where the rich are rich
but the poor
do not pool anymore
A new Master of Alternative History
What is science fiction what is fantasy and what is alternative history?
Sure they are all in the same bag. John Birmingham writes novels like Tom
Clancy or Robert Ludlum, with the exception he is a liberal, and his
literally battlefield is clear of the blah blah blah by using a tool of
extant change to express his opinions. I have to mention the Harry
Turtledove who pushes out fiction like Oprah does good wishes.
I day ago I finished his second trilogy. This is false advertising because
it was really only one book split into three parts.
There are many problems in this world and... more »
Abnormal Prosecution
The St. Louis county prosecutor will not file charges against any witnesses
who lied to the the grand jury that was deciding whether to indict Ferguson
police officer Darren Wilson. With several individuals who took the stand
now being scrutinized for having potentially perjured themselves, outrage
is once again beginning to grow over the fairness of the proceedings.
Andrew Goldberg, managing editor of The Smoking Gun, details the situation
to RT’s Ben Swann.
The Roll Of Shame: Some Florida Clerks Of Court Refuse To Issue Gay Marriage Licenses Despite Ruling
Why, why, why is it always Florida? In an issue similar to the hanging
chads of yesteryear, Florida is in a state of confusion yet again, this
time over gay marriage licenses. In every Florida county where a court has
ruled on the issue, the courts have ruled that failure to marry gay couples
violates the Constitution. Our Republican Attorney General, Pam Bondi, has
thrown a tizzy of legal filings everywhere from counties that ruled to the
11th Circuit Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court.
Bottom line so far is that, while the 11th issued a temporary stay of the
ruling compelling g... more »
6 Powerful Ways to Balance the Ego with the Soul
*Gary 'Z' McGee* - In a world full of giant egos wanting more more more, it
is refreshing to find people with individuated egos who want more powerful
experiences and less stuff...
The post 6 Powerful Ways to Balance the Ego with the Soul appeared first on Waking
Times.
Did Vladislav Voloshin (UA) shoot down MH17?
A month ago, I mentioned a photograph purportedly showing a Ukrainian SU-27
or Mig-29 that is just shooting down the Malaysian aircraft in Donbas. The
picture could have been shown to be fake – too many details were wrong –
and some readers helpfully provided us with links to the relevant evidence.
I am hoping that a similar response may emerge now. The new accusations
don't come with any high-resolution photograph – it's just an eyewitness –
but they are more concrete because they name the boy who is claimed to have
shot the airplane by accident.
Komsomolskaya Pravda (in Russian, T... more »
World News Briefs -- December 23, 2014
An explosion following an air strike is seen in western Kobani
neighbourhood, November 23, 2014. Credit: REUTERS/Osman Orsal
*Over 1,000 Islamist Militants Killed In U.S. Strikes In Syria: Monitor --
Reuters*
(Reuters) - Three months of U.S.-led strikes in Syria have so far killed at
least 1,171 people, mostly Islamic State militants, a British-based Syrian
monitoring group said on Tuesday.
Rami Abdulrahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told
Reuters only 52 were civilians. But his network of activists, who
are based around Syria, said the death to... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- December 23, 2014
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un uses binoculars to inspect a live-fire
drill using self-propelled drones at an undisclosed location in North
Korea, March 20, 2013. Press TV
*North Korea: 1.2 Million Troops, Nukes -- And A 3,000-Strong Cyber-Elite
-- Bloomberg*
North Korea’s alleged ability to hack into Sony Pictures Entertainment is
extending Kim Jong Un’sreach far beyond the range of his missiles.
While North Korea has kept Western defense officials guessing for years
about a nuclear program that it may or may not ever use, the regime’s
ability to wage cyber war adds a new dimens... more »
Homeless Man Receives $100 and Blows it on Something Wonderful
*Video* - When a homeless man receives a gift of $100 a waiting camera crew
follows him to a liquor store to find out what he'll spend the money on.
The post Homeless Man Receives $100 and Blows it on Something Wonderful
appeared first on Waking Times.
Courting the Shadow with the Light
*Julie Henderson* - We are all comprised of shadows and radiance, of dense
vibrations and rarified frequencies of beauty which are moving so fast that
they are imperceptible...
The post Courting the Shadow with the Light appeared first on Waking Times.
Dictators Love To Pose As Democrats
The Harperites like to present themselves as advocates for law and order.
But, Errol Mendes writes in the *Globe and Mail*, they do their best to
undermine the rule of law. Consider their taxpayer funded propaganda
machine:
Governments are allowed to advertise about services and programs that they
are implementing, but when some of them are either untruthful, promote
partisan positions or are not even authorised by Parliament, it becomes a
vehicle to undermine the foundations of any democracy that values the
spirit and letter of the rule of law.
Dalton McGuinty was no Boy Scout... more »
Japan’s Answer to Radiation: Massive Natural Indoor Farms
*Christina Sarich* - Can earthquakes and tsunamis put the Japanese food
producer down? Apparently not...
The post Japan’s Answer to Radiation: Massive Natural Indoor Farms appeared
first on Waking Times.
Blue America's End Of The Year Message
This week, we sent our final letter out to the Blue America members. People
sometimes ask me how to become a member. That's easy: contribute--
anything, even just one dollar, to any Blue America candidate on any Blue
America page, and *voilà*!, you're a member. This week's letter was more
than just a thank you and Merry Christmas note-- although, yes, thank you
and Merry Christmas. It was also a note about how progressives can do well
even when the corrupt Beltway Democratic Establishment fails miserably, as
they did, completely predictably, in November.
You already know it's be... more »
Hemp: The World’s Most Versatile and Useful Plant
*Wes Annac* - What’s the first thing that comes to mind when someone says
the word ‘hemp’?
The post Hemp: The World’s Most Versatile and Useful Plant appeared first
on Waking Times.
Another Deadly Year For Journalists
Since the beginning of the conflict in Syria in 2011, CPJ has documented
the cases of 79 journalists killed in the country in relation to their
work. Reuters
*CPJ: Number of International Journalists Killed Rises in 2014 -- Voice of
America*
A press freedom group says at least 60 journalists have been killed this
year while doing their job, with members of the international press making
up a particularly high percentage of the dead.
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists issued its annual
report Tuesday documenting journalist deaths in 21 countries in 2014.
It says... more »
Untitled
*Photophobia again*
*British school orders parents to delete Facebook video of their
four-year-old daughter performing as an innkeeper in nativity play *
A couple were ordered to delete a video of their child performing in a
nativity play by her school because of concerns about the online safety of
pupils.
Douglas Holmes said his four-year-old daughter Emmi-Rai had played the role
of innkeeper in her nativity play at Ynysboeth Primary School in Abercynon.
His partner Lisa Evans filmed their daughter's performance and posted the
video on Facebook.
But the next day she was asked ... more »
Greece Updates - December 23 , 2014 - The Third Round Presidential vote set for December 29 , 2014 , as December 23 , 2014 vote tallies only 168 of 200 votes needed to elect Presidential Candidate Stavros Dimas !
Hat tips to Yannis , Holger , Kathirmereni
Can Samaras " pull it off " ?
stay tuned for the finale of Cliff Hanger - Grecian Style !
Tweets...
*Kathimerini English *@ekathimerini · 13h13 hours ago
PM to make final plea to MPs ahead of critical third vote on president
http://dlvr.it/7vqcTG
*Yannis Koutsomitis* @YanniKouts · 1h1 hour ago
RT @WSJeurope Greek parliament fails to back PM’s presidential candidate in
second vote http://on.wsj.com/1zeFvOF #PtD
[image: Embedded image permalink]
fred walton retweeted
*zerohedge* @zerohedge · 2h2 hours ago
GR... more »
Five Bombs Explode In Yemen's Capital
People gather at the site of a bomb explosion in Sanaa December 23, 2014.
Credit: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
*Five Explosions Rock Yemeni Capital -- Al Jazeera*
Sanaa's old quarter, largely inhabited by Houthi supporters, hit by bomb
blasts as sectarian unrest persists.
Five bombs have exploded in Sanaa's old quarter, where many supporters of
the Shia Muslim Houthi group live, killing at least one person and wounding
another, according to a Yemeni security official.
No one claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attacks, but the Houthis have
been fighting the Sunni Al-Qaeda in the Arabi... more »
Untitled
*Climate change will leave a sour taste in our mouths - literally: Study
shows ocean acidification affects the flavour of shellfish*
*This is a study of deliberately altered water in a tank, not of actual
shellfish in the ocean. Anything it tells us about the future is therefore
entirely speculative. Furthermore the entire prediction that acidity will
increase in the oceans is deliberately dishonest. If, as Warmists predict,
the world will warm, that will make the oceans warmer too. And as water
warms it OUTGASES CO2, as every drinker of coca cola can observe. Those
bubbles i... more »
The Real You (Video)
*Get truth delivered to your inbox every week.*
Subscribe to GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING by Email
Manhattan Institute extremists credit anti-racist activists with Marshall Tuck's defeat
*"Robert D. Skeels, writing in L.A. Progressive, rips Marshall Tuck for
closing down ethnic studies programs and heritage language studies programs
while running the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. He reviews Tuck’s
record at Green Dot charter schools and the Mayor’s Partnership and renders
a scathing judgment." — Professor Diane Ravitch*
[image: Manhattan Institute loved Marshall Tuck's support of right-wing
ideas including charter schools and public school choice]Right-wing
reactionary Ben Boychuk's profound disdain for public education is somewhat
legendary, and his tenure... more »
Raytheon awarded $2.4 billion contract to provide the State of Qatar with Patriot Air and Missile Defense System
[image: Patriot PAC-3]Raytheon Company has received a $2.4 billion Foreign
Military Sales contract for new-production fire units of the combat-proven
Patriot Air and Missile Defense System for the State of Qatar.
Qatar, a new Patriot customer, now brings the total number of global
Patriot customers to 13.
The acquisition is part of an Armed Services modernization and
recapitalization effort announced by Qatar in March of this year. The
contract includes the latest Patriot fire units featuring increased
computing power and radar processing efficiency, improved man-machine
interface... more »
Airbus Helicopters delivers aircraft to Spanish military
[image: Tiger HAD-E attack helicopter]The Spanish military has received the
first three of 46 Spanish-assembled utility and combat helicopters under
separate contracts given to Airbus Helicopters.
The aircraft officially delivered by the company were two Tiger attack
helicopters in the HAD-E version and one NH90 GSPA, a Spanish-version
tactical transport.
"The delivery of these three helicopters is a very important milestone for
our company, and we wish to thank the Spanish Ministry of Defense for
trusting in us," said Francisco Verge, chief executive officer of Airbus
Helicopters ... more »
China’s Military Plane Crashes In Weinan City, Kills 2 Pilots
[image: J-11 Flanker B]A Chinese military plane crashed Monday in
northwestern Shaanxi province claiming the lives of at least two people,
local media reports said. The plane reportedly crashed near the city of
Weinan, about 600 miles west of capital Beijing.
Local media reports suggest that the two people killed in the accident were
pilots. Initial investigation suggested that the pilots tried to steer the
jet to avoid crashing into a village, according to a local media report.
The debris of the plane’s main body had been reportedly recovered at an
uninhabited area. Local media rep... more »
Navy considers upgrading AV-8B jump jet with small-form-factor Link 16 MIDS terminals
[image: AV-8B Harrier II]The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II
jump jet has provided a substantial avionics engineering challenge since
the aircraft entered service in 1985. The small aircraft's tight spaces can
make avionics upgrades difficult.
One recent challenge has been equipping the AV-8B with U.S. military Link
16 tactical data exchange networking capability. The aircraft simply
doesn't have the room onboard to install Link 16 Multifunction Information
Distribution System (MIDS) terminals ... that is, until now.
Navy avionics experts have acknowledged that electroni... more »
PLA setting up new base on Zhejiang's Nanji islands
[image: Nanji islands]The People's Liberation Army plans to construct a new
naval base on the Nanji islands off the coast of east China's Zhejiang
province in readiness for potential conflict with Japan over disputed
islands in the East China Sea, according to the Tokyo-based Kyodo News on
Dec. 22.
Various sources from China told Kyodo that the PLA is constructing a new
radar station and airfield on Nanji, which is 300 kilometers from the
Diaoyu islands (Senkaku to Japan, Diaoyutai to Taiwan) currently under
Japanese administration.
China can use Nanji as a base for warships and m... more »
Navy Pays Texas Ship Breaker a Penny to Dismantle Carrier Ranger
[image: USS Ranger (CV-61)]The Navy has paid a Texas ship breaker $0.01 to
transport and dismantle the third American super carrier — Ranger (CV-61),
according to a Monday statement from Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA).
The letting of the contract follows an October decision from the Navy to
not donate the ship to the USS Ranger Foundation. The foundation had
planned to moor the ship in Oregon on the Columbia River near Portland and
create a museum.
“After eight years on donation hold, the USS Ranger Foundation was unable
to raise the necessary funds to convert the ship into a mu... more »
USS Zumwalt nearing completion
[image: USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000)]In life, Tulare native Elmo “Bud” Zumwalt
led a distinctive, storied career that included being the youngest-ever
chief of U.S. Naval Operations and the architect of Navy personnel policies
that eased racial tensions in the service.
Though he died in January 2000, Zumwalt’s name took a step closer this year
to becoming immortalized in a new way by the Navy.
The first of a new class of navy destroyers bearing his name was christened
in April at the General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. Five
months earlier, the future “USS Zumwalt,” was put in... more »
1990s-era Ingalls destroyers getting modernized before heading to Japan
[image: USS Benfold (DDG 65)]The Navy's DDG 51 modernization program has
met a key milestone on two Ingalls-built destroyers, the Naval Sea Systems
Command announced today.
The milestone involves the installation and testing of the new Aegis
baseline 9 combat system on USS Barry (DDG 52) and USS Benfold (DDG 65),
launched at Ingalls in 1991 and 1994 respectively.
The modernization program ensures Arleigh Burke-class ships keep pace with
evolving threats while meeting service life requirements and future
operational commitments.
Read more
Russia Upgrades Supersonic Bombers, ‘Blackjack’ Bomber Could Beat Out U.S. B1 ‘Lancer’ in Skies
[image: Tu-160 Blackjack]Russia has finished a $103 million upgrade to its
fleet of supersonic “Blackjack” bombers, bringing what was already
considered the world’s fastest nuclear bomber into the 21st century with
new electronic systems that could give the 33-year-old Soviet-era planes an
edge in the skies over the United States B1 “Lancer” bomber.
When the Tu-160, known to American military experts as “Blackjack,” was
introduced in 1981, the bomber was the crown jewel of the Soviet Union’s
Air Force.
Following the collapse of the communist empire a decade later, many of the
Blac... more »
A Distrubing Discussion On What Appears To Be The Fate Of Former Taliban Prisoner US. Soldier Bowe Berghdahl
*My Comment*: It appears that he gets to keep his money and a "general
discharge" .... wow .... if true .... expect a firestorm of protest.
The Morality and Legality of Debt Jubilee, Part III
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-12-22/%E2%80%93-jeff-nielson-%E2%80%93-sprott-money-news-share-button-email-print-inshare-december-15-2014
The
Morality and Legality of Debt Jubilee, Part III
[image: Sprott Money's picture]
Submitted by Sprott Money on 12/22/2014 09:19 -0500
*Jeff Nielson for Sprott Money*
*In Parts I and II (click Sprott News)*, readers saw how all of the
public
debts of our nations (past and present) were the direct result of fraud,
and thus legally unenforceable – on two bases. Firstly; the bankers of
these Big Banks proclaimed themselves the world’s foremost f... more »
General Dynamics Corp. (GD) Wins Contracts worth $605M
[image: USNS Montford Point]General Dynamics Corp. won several contracts
worth a total of about $605 million from the U.S. Department of Defense
("DoD") on Dec 19, 2014.
The largest of the contracts is worth $498.1 million. It is a
fixed-price-incentive, firm-target modification contract. Per the contract,
General Dynamics will construct the fourth Mobile Landing Platform Afloat
Forward Staging Base for the U.S. DoD.
The contract work will be done by General Dynamics National Steel and
Shipbuilding Co. ("NASSCO"), a unit of General Dynamics, and is expected to
be over by Mar 2018... more »
Navy ups surveillance in the Gulf of Finland
[image: Commodore Juha Vauhkonen]The Finnish Navy has increased its patrols
and surveillance tasks by nearly 70 percent in the Gulf of Finland due to
an upsurge in Russian naval activity.
Russia’s heightened military presence in the Baltic Sea can be seen in a
rise in the Finnish Navy’s tasks in the Gulf of Finland. Commodore Juha
Vauhkonen says the number of vessel identification assignments has risen
drastically.
”Compared with last year, we’ve had to increase our presence in the Gulf by
about 68 percent,” Vauhkonen says. “We primarily go out to identify
so-called government ship... more »
Ukraine Central Bank Conned Into Swapping Its Gold For Lead Bricks
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-12-22/ukraine-central-bank-conned-swapping-its-gold-lead-bricks
*We've been saying for two years there is no gold in the repositories. Its
been moved off world. -AK *
Ukraine Central Bank Conned Into Swapping Its Gold For Lead Bricks
[image: Tyler Durden's picture]
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 12/22/2014 17:26 -0500
inShare20
Just when one thought the story of Ukraine and its (now non-existant) gold
could not get any more surreal, it did.
As a reminder, it was about a month ago when we learned courtesy of an
interview on Ukraine TV with t... more »
The Islamic State Is Preparing The 'Largest Religious Cleansing In History'
This journalist met with ISIS for 10 days. Listened. Talked. And survived.
http://t.co/GjnKnBRvPQ pic.twitter.com/MiWwEREn4t
— Martin Gommel (@martingommel) December 21, 2014
*First Western Journalist Granted Access To 'Islamic State' Returns To
Germany -- Deutsche Welle*
Jürgen Todenhöfer has returned to Germany from "Islamic State" territories.
In an interview with German website TZ, he says IS is "much stronger and
much more dangerous" than the West realizes.
Following seven months of negotiations with leaders of IS, Todenhöfer was
the first western journalist allowed to trav... more »
How Government Killed the Medical Profession
What i find truly troubling is that the economic models described here all
ultimately fail. In fact the present assemblages is failing as we watch.
Yet we really do need a solution that provides universal service, yet
retains sufficient competition to promote real efficiency. Usually this
means regulating the physical and capital structure of the whole enterprise
to prevent unwanted alterations that run counter to that intent. What this
really means is that it cannot occur naturally any more than we can operate
any service wisely on either the basis of a sole monopoly or on th... more »
Afghanistan's Growing Heroin Addiction Epidemic
People observed from the Pul-i-Sokhta bridge in Kabul as men used heroin
below. Afghanistan has one of the world’s highest rates of opiate use.
Credit Bryan Denton for The New York Times
*Kabul Residents Watch As Heroin Addiction Grows -- New York Times*
KABUL, Afghanistan — Each afternoon, spectators line a bridge in west Kabul
and gaze down. They have not come to stare at the Kabul River — a dismal
trickle of muddy runoff this time of year — but at the figures huddled on
its garbage-strewn banks.
Some of the men below rock back and forth, or crawl on all fours. Others
sit perfe... more »
GAIA PORTAL: Productivities in New Gaia Paradigm have lost all meaning
*Productivities in New Gaia Paradigm have lost all meaning*
by ÉirePort
Productivities in New Gaia Paradigm have lost all meaning.
Relevance to schematics is high.
All recollections from past intentions are null.
Statisticians come to the fore as Nova Energetics come forth.
Primaries are enabled.
Alternatives have dissolved.
Processes are finished.
ÉirePort | December 23, 2014 at 07:28 | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:
http://wp.me/p2sFUY-tE
How Government Killed the Medical Profession
What i find truly troubling is that the economic models described here all
ultimately fail. In fact the present assemblages is failing as we watch.
Yet we really do need a solution that provides universal service, yet
retains sufficient competition to promote real efficiency. Usually this
means regulating the physical and capital structure of the whole enterprise
to prevent unwanted alterations that run counter to that intent. What this
really means is that it cannot occur naturally any more than we can operate
any service wisely on either the basis of a sole monopoly or on th... more »
2015: arXiv identifiers get a new digit
Paul Ginsparg began to maintain xxx.lanl.gov – the server later renamed as
arXiv.org – in Summer 1991. Since that time, the number of papers submitted
each month would be growing.
You can see that despite the mild acceleration in recent 5 years, the
increase was much closer to a simple linear increse from 0 in Fall 1991 to
almost 9,000 in recent months (the latter number may be translated to 400+
papers on an average "live" day). Because 9,000 is rather close to 10,000
which is 10 to the fourth power, you may be worried about the identifiers
of the papers.
Since April 2007, the u... more »
Independent Test Results on EEStor Technology
This is an important benchmark mainly because we are seeing a production
unit perform as advertised. As i posted a couple of years back, optimism
was misplaced in terms of time frames to deliverables. Yet that day has
now arrived and a sense of getting over the hump has to be read into this
pronouncement.
It is also clearly meeting expectations as a game changer.
I am no longer nearly as excited myself simply because i am past this
technology in terms of core commercial energy systems. Yet it will be
important as we need storage capacity to manage supply oscill... more »
Putin in a Dangerous Cash/Debt Spiral
The point is well made that sixty dollar oil and dropping demand is a
catastrophe for the Russian government which has not fostered a healthy
enough replacement economy. It is also fair to say that the Crimean
adventure has now been called off and that extracation is the order of the
day. There is scant to gain and runaway defense costs to incur.
The only good that may come out of this is that the looming crisis may well
focus the mind and we will see economic reform that we can respect and
support. Otherwise Putin will go down as another dabbler whose imagination
was seri... more »
World's Oldest Engravings Discovered on 500,000-Year-Old Shells
This is great news. This had to be true, but proving it was always be a
challenge. It is even from the place it should be.
I made the conjecture a decade ago that tribal humanity first arose as part
of a seaside culture in the Indonesian Islands. I had a lot of good
reasons not least that the seaside can support large populations here in
particular and still does by the way. I suspect this culture evolved there
over at least five millions of years and tool development evolved at the
same time. And yes, there would be a lot of shells, most of them deep
underwater.
This is... more »
The BBC come close to an epiphany over the French attacks on pedestrians
The BBC report report this morning on the third recent vehicular attack on
pedestrians in France includes this line:
'Also, even if it is established the car attacks were the work of
unbalanced individuals, might not Islamist propaganda have played some role
in pushing them to the act?'
The BBC get close to the truth but will not investigate what the source of
this Islamist propaganda might be...
U.S. Quietly Spending Billions On Cyber Weapons
West Point students, from left, Lieut. Colonel Robert Fanelli and cadets
Nathan Larsen, Mark Evinger (seated) and Marc Abbott participate in
National Security Agency cyberwar games. Michael Falco / The New York Times
/ Redux
*Cyber Command Investment Ensures Hackers Targeting U.S. Face Retribution
-- Washington Times*
Pentagon budget documents detail growing military commitment to cyberwarfare
In the shadows of the Sony hacking incident and North Korea’s massive
Internet outage, the Pentagon has quietly built a multibillion-dollar
cyberwarfare capability and trained its commanders ... more »
Iranian Cyber Warfare - Modern Threats and Modern Defenses
*December 23, 2014 *(Vladimir Platov - NEO) - Today US intelligence
services seem to finally have become aware of the potential damage a
cyber-attack can inflict, therefore Washington is placing particular stress
on enhancing its “combat capabilities” in virtual space. Therefore, not
only the CIA, but the NSA and Pentagon have started getting substantial
resources on an annual basis in order to be able to create the most
advanced cyber-weapons conceivable. In 2013 alone Washington has allocated
one billion dollars to the NSA and 685 million dollars for the CIA for them
to carry out... more »
Here uber economist Paul Craig Roberts is interviewed for his views of Washington’s pressure on Russia and where it all may end. PCR responded that western financial institutions, e.g., the World Bank, IMF, and SWIFT currency transfer bank have been exploitive of the rest of the world, which therefore may soon abandon them. Asked what may happen to Russia, PCR explains that the “stupid” people running Washington have unknowingly invited all manners of “black swans,” i.e., unexpected events of large magnitude and grave consequences. For example Russia could retaliate for pressure on the ruble by delaying payment of its debts to European banks in 2015, which would promptly crash virtually all of them. Alternately, Russia may buy gold on the paper-gold COMEX and demand payment in bullion, as is anyone’s right. And if they are ever refused, COMEX (representing 80 times more paper gold than its supposed bullion bank) it would crash, whereupon the demand for (and dollar price of) gold bullion would sky rocket. Another thing Russia could do would be to use its dollar holdings to buy up all the western world’s (greatly devalued) rubles and subsequently demand that any one dealing with Russia must either buy revalued-in-dollars rubles or be members of the BRICS countries, which would pay with their own currency at mutually agreed exchange rates. Finally, although PCR doesn’t think he would do it, Putin could announce that Russia will no longer sell energy to NATO, which would result in its instant disintegration as a military threat.
------------------------------
Original Here
*Today Dr. Paul Craig Roberts warned King World News that the Russians are
going to unleash what he called the "ultimate black swan" against the West.
Dr. Roberts also discussed how a terrifying series of events would then
bring the Western financial system to it knees as the banking system
completely collapses.*
*Dr. Roberts: “I was listening to the news today and there were all these
self-righteous people just happy as all get out that they had finally
stomped Russia into the ground and ‘Russia is now finished,’ and Russia was
bro... more »
2015 And 2028 Will Be The Best Years To Invade The U.S.
SUBMARINE RETURN
The ballistic-missile submarine USS West Virginia returns after routine
operations to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga., Dec 18, 2014. U.S. Navy
photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Rex Nelson
*The Best Years To Invade America Are 2015 And 2028 -- War Is Boing*
*That’s when the U.S. Navy will be weakest*
If you’re a major world power, a megalomaniacal trillionaire with a private
navy or some seagoing alien race, the best years to invade the United
States will be 2015 and 2028.
Because those are the years the U.S. Navy—the main protector of America’s
sovereignty—wil... more »
Assigning Blame
Never forget: conservatives tortured Jesus and then murdered him
Conservatives' infatuation with torture has a long sordid history. Sunday
when Kevin Drum wrote a column for *Mother Jones*, Let's Blame
Conservatives For All the Killings They're Responsible For, the first thing
I thought of was Jesus Christ. Conservatives didn't just murder Jesus, they
used "national security" as an excuse for first torturing him, in fact,
torturing him to death. How Christians can condone torture-- and many do--
has always been beyond my ken. Anyway, Drum was reacting to the divisive
and subversive p... more »
China's New Multi-Warhead Nuclear Missile Was Developed Using U.S. Technology
*Photo:* The Long March rocket, shown here carrying a spacecraft, has
proved a reliable launch vehicle for the Chinese — thanks to U.S.
technology.
*China Tests DF-41 Missile Using U.S. Technology -- Investors.com*
Defense: China has just tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile
that can deliver up to 10 independently targeted nuclear warheads, using
technology given to them on President Clinton's watch to launch
communications satellites.
The Dec. 13 test of the DF-41 was the third for the new weapon. But it
marked the first test of a multiple independently targetable re-e... more »
Perfect Example of How to Approach Life
*Video - *A short parable about life and nature narrated by Alan Watts.
The post Perfect Example of How to Approach Life appeared first on Waking
Times.
Hawaiian Mantra of the Kahuna Mystic Healers
*Meme - *The ancient Hawaiian mantra Ho'oponopono has been used by the
Kahuna, the mystic healers, for centuries.
The post Hawaiian Mantra of the Kahuna Mystic Healers appeared first on Waking
Times.
China Building Military Base Near Disputed Islands Claimed By Japan
Land development is underway for building a heliport in the Nanji Islands
in China's Zhejiang province in November. KYODO
*China Building Base Near Isles Disputed With Japan, Kyodo Says --
Bloomberg*
China’s military is building a large military base on islands about 300
kilometers (190 miles) from an islet chain at the center of a territorial
row with Japan, Kyodo News reported today, citing unidentified Chinese
sources.
The base on the Nanji islands in Zhejiang Province is designed to enhance
China’s readiness to respond to a potential military crisis and strengthen
surveillanc... more »
We Will Not Be Silenced
DECEMBER 22, 2014
*ACTIVISTS BLAST NYPD ATTEMPTS TO SILENCE MOVEMENT FOR CHANGE*
New York, NY — Activists issued a scathing statement this afternoon in
response to recent attempts by the NYPD to silence the efforts of citizens
seeking justice for victims of police violence. The letter, drafted by
Ferguson Action, and cosigned by over a dozen grassroots organizations
takes aim at PBA president Patrick Lynch and Commissioner Bratton for their
reckless attempts to conflate constitutionally protected protest activities
with the tragic murders of officers Ramos and Liu:
“The events o... more »
China Pledges To Help The Russian Economy
*China Pledges To Help Russia Overcome Economic Hardships -- RT*
China’s foreign minister has pledged support to Russia as it faces an
economic downturn due to sanctions and a drop in oil prices. Boosting trade
in yuan is a solution proposed by Beijing’s commerce minister.
“Russia has the capability and the wisdom to overcome the existing hardship
in the economic situation," Foreign Minister Wang Yi told journalists,
China Daily reported Monday. “If the Russian side needs it, we will provide
necessary assistance within our capacity."
The offer of help comes as Russians are still re... more »
Ravitch and Cody Announce the Imminent Demise of CorpEd With No Evidence to Back It Up
On December 16 Diane Ravitch reported, incorrectly as it turns out, that
Teach for America has closed its New York offices. The next day Anthony
Cody took that incorrect news to spin a tale about the impending collapse
of CorpEd's empire.
Apparently, Cody still believes the multi-billion CorpEd empire will
collapse as soon as he points out on his blog that none of the reforms do
what they said they would do. Really? Wonder if Bill Gates knows that.
Blog, blog, blog.
Is he serious, is he naive, is he stupid, or has he gotten a memo from
Randi Weingarten letting him know that th... more »
Amnesty International: Islamic State Has Forced 'Thousands' Of Kidnapped Girls Into Sexual Slavery
Horrific: Details of the barbarity with which IS treats its captives are
only now beginning to trickle out thanks to the bravery of a minority of
girls who escaped their captors and fled to safety to tell their stories
*ISIS Has Forced 'Thousands' Of Kidnapped Girls Into Sexual Slavery In The
Last Five Months… With Many Traded Openly At markets -- Daily Mail*
* Girls as young as 12 being dragged by hair onto cattle trucks to be slaves
* They are mostly from minority Yazidi tribe, snatched from homes in Sinjar
* They are divided up according to age, education and marital status
* Then... more »
The CIA Analyst Who Spent Years Tracking Down Osama Bin Laden Has Been Outed
*Photo:* Jessica Chastain as CIA officer Maya in Zero Dark Thirty. SMH
*CIA Analyst At The Center Of Torture Report Is Outed. She's Not 'Maya' --
CSM*
*In the film 'Zero Dark Thirty' she was known as 'Maya,' the CIA analyst
who spent years tracking down Osama bin Laden. Her story is more
complicated with its ties to rendition and torture, and now several news
outlets have revealed her identity.*
In the film ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ she was known as ‘Maya,’ the CIA analyst who
spent years doggedly tracking down Osama bin Laden, then identifying his
body when US Navy Seal Team Six killed ... more »
Thanks, Eric Idle! "Jesus Christ: A Lust for Glory" -- now there's a movie I would have paid to see
*Did you know that, "according to one study," "Always Look on the Bright
Side of Life" -- the weirdly infectious ditty Eric Idle concocted for the
climactic cluster crucifixion of Monty Python's Life of Brian, and which he
a-sings and a-whistles here in an attempt to cheer up the downhearted Brian
(Graham Chapman) -- is "the most requested song at British funerals, edging
out 'My Way' "?*
*by Ken*
If we must have our celebrities permanently in motion, on a rotating basis,
in an unstoppable international whirligig of media whoring, and apparently
we must, then we can at least cheri... more »
Then and Now: the old Japanese Coast Road
[image: taitocoast]
I was trawling around the East Asia Image Collection again today, the
Taiwan Photographic Monthly, and found this image of the old Japanese coast
road. I stopped for a moment, thinking... *I've seen this spot*.
Sure enough, back in March of this year I came down for a weekend of riding
on the rift valley and the coast and got a shot of my man Drew Kerslake
riding the old Japanese coast road. The old Japanese coast road is now the
Baonon bike path on the coast in Chenggong township (it is designated the Dong
19). It's a slightly different angle, and the rock has fa... more »
Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- December 22, 2014
Kim must be feeling pretty pleased with himself.(ReutersS/KCNA)
*In North Korea, Kids Don’t Even Know The Internet Exists. So How Did The
Country Pull Off The Sony Hack? -- John McDuling, Quartz*
So the FBI has now formally accused North Korea of being behind the
gigantic cyber-attack that has brought Sony Pictures to its knees over the
past month—culminating in Sony’s decision yesterday to pull The Interview,
which is about a fictional plot to assassinate Kim Jong-un, from theaters.
In other words, arguably the most damaging cyber-attack against a company
ever, was, astonishingly,... more »
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http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/index.php
The
One Health Initiative is a movement to forge co-equal, all inclusive
collaborations between physicians, osteopaths, veterinarians, dentists,
nurses and other scientific-health and environmentally related
disciplines, including the American Medical Association, American
Veterinary Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American
Nurses Association, American Association of Public Health Physicians,
the American ...Audiences
watching the American Ballet Theater's 'The Nutcracker' this year are
seeing something that has never happened before, an African-American
ballerina is playing the role of Clara. Misty Copeland is a trailblazer
and speaks to Randi Kaye about her struggles to find acceptance in the
ballet world.
Thank you to STEPS ...American
Express has released an official app for Windows Phone, allowing those
in the US with personal, small business or corporate cards to access
their account and membership benefits. The app also acts as a gateway to
AMEX services regardless as to which country you may be currently
situated in ...
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