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Feynman on silly "philosophical implications" of quantum mechanics
*He criticized the flawed idea that good scientific theories should only work with experimentally accessible concepts* I was sent this 14-minute audio recorded during the original "Feynman lectures in physics". With a somewhat combative common-sense voice, Feynman talked about the generalized "philosophical lessons" that people extract from quantum mechanics, or at least they claim to do so. Well, almost all this stuff is just junk. The actual physical content is almost always distorted beyond recognition and the resulting essence is just silly. Feynman mentioned several exam... more »
MENA Report ( April 2 , 2015 ) Iran Nuclear Talks ( After 8 days in Switzerland , both sides appear closer to being able to make a Joint Statement ) ...... Yemen reeling under Saudi Coalition Attacks ( Houthis targets , but civilians paying huge toll ) ....... Iraq / Syria Regional War Updates.... Gunmen storm Kenya College in Garissa today ......
Tweets.... *Battered Yemenis Turn Against Saudi-Led War* *Iran Nuclear Talks Extended Into Thursday* *Over 6,000 Killed During March in Iraq* *Houthis Seize Much of Southern Yemen's Aden* *Yemen Refugee Camp: People Burned Beyond Recognition* *Saudi Strike Kills at Least 40 Civilians at Yemen Dairy* *ISIS Storms Refugee Camp in Damascus* *US-Backed Rebels Seize Syria-Jordan Border Crossing* *UN Report: Over 20,000 Foreign Fighters in Iraq, Syria* GCC Countries in Tough UN Talks With Russia on Yemen Over 6,000 Killed During March in Iraq; 94 More Killed on Wednesday Yemenis Seek... more »
HAL undertakes successful flight of upgraded Jaguar strike aircraft
[image: Jaguar DARIN III]Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) successfully carried out the first flight of a Jaguar DARIN III upgraded ‘strike' aircraft at its facilities in Bengaluru recently. HAL officials confirmed to OneIndia that the first flight of the upgraded Jaguar ‘strike' aircraft lasted for about 15 minutes. The maiden flight was followed by another flight of the upgraded Jaguar that lasted for an hour on March 25 for an hour. Read more
Economic News , Data and Views ( April 2 , 2015 ) -- Greece Updates ( Gov't Spending Data , Creditor Talks and Greek political front items ) .... Data splash ( Italy 2014 Primary surplus / GDP falls - 1.6 % vs 1.9 % 2013 ) ...... Goggle in Anti-Trust Crosshairs in Europe ....... Russia continues to benefit from rising oil price , ruble rally and falling default probability ...... Portugal at risk if Grexit occurs
Tweets..... *Yannis Koutsomitis* @YanniKouts 19m 19 minutes ago Varoufakis blames the 'Institutions' for leaks of reform proposals. "Citizens' trust is undermined by such actions" http://www. kathimerini.gr/809829/article /epikairothta/politikh/varoyfakhs-aparadekth-h-diarroh-ths-listas … *Fabrizio Goria* @FGoria · 9s10 seconds ago Greece’s government spending, 2000-2015 (EUR Million, Constant Prices, SA) [image: Embedded image permalink] *Fabrizio Goria* @FGoria · 3m3 minutes ago Greece must do more on reforms: France's Sapin http:// feeds.reuters.com/~r/re... more »
Watch: David's Sling shoots down mock missile in successful trial
Following recent assessments on the significant rocket threat posed by Hezbollah to the Israeli home front, the Defense Ministry said Wednesday that it carried out a successful test of the US-Israel developed David’s Sling anti-missile system, which is designed to shoot down shortto medium-range missiles. During the trial, carried out this week in central Israel by the Defense Ministry and the Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency, David’s Sling radar identified an unarmed Sparrow missile heading into its air space, and fired an interceptor that struck and destroyed the target. The s... more »
Raytheon wins Stinger contract for South Korea's Apaches
[image: AH-64E Apache Longbow]Raytheon has been awarded a USD35 million contract to supply the air-to-air variant of its FIM-92 Stinger missile to South Korea for its new fleet of Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, the company announced on 31 March. Processed through the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route, deliveries of the Stinger systems will begin in 2017, Raytheon said. The number of missiles to be delivered was not disclosed. The South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration announced plans to buy 36 Apaches to fulfil its AH-X heavy attack helicopter requirem... more »
Pakistan first to China's table for HQ-9, HQ-16 missile systems
[image: HQ-9 (FD-2000)]Pakistan was the first country to start negotiations with China on the import of the HQ-9 medium to long-range active radar homing surface-to-air missile and the HQ-16 truck-based vertically launched surface-to-air missile, according to the April 2015 edition of Kanwa Defense Review. It's not surprising that Pakistan is choosing the HQ-9 to arm its air force given that its early warning aircraft and the majority of its fighters are Chinese, according to the journal. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are also among potential customers for China's anti-aircraft missi... more »
Defence ministry ignores Russia's requests to discuss fighter project
[image: Su T-50 PAK-FA]The programme for India and Russia to jointly develop a Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA), long touted as the flagship of a time-tested defence relationship, has run into a stone wall. Documents available with Business Standard indicate India's defence ministry is cold-shouldering Russian requests to continue the negotiations on a "R&D Draft Contract", which will govern the partnership to develop a futuristic, fifth-generation fighter. A letter from Russia's powerful export agency, Roso-boronexport, points India's defence ministry has not responded to R...more »
Made in Britain? The Saudi-led attack on a Yemeni refugee camp
[image: Saudi Erofighter Typhoon]On Monday, a Saudi-led coalition apparently dropped bombs on a refugee camp in northern Yemen. It’s perfectly likely that, as they have admitted before, the Saudis may have used jet fighters that were made in the UK. After all, Saudi Arabia is the UK defence industry’s largest export market. More than 40 innocent people died. Around 200 were injured, many seriously. The Yemeni state news agency showed pictures of dead children laid out on the floor. Apparently, the Saudis were trying to hit a nearby Houthi rebel position. Read more
Heron-based UAV to be made in Brazil
[image: Heron UAV]Israel Aerospace Industries' Brazilian partner is moving toward production of a long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle using IAI technology. The medium-altitude, long-endurance UAV is called the Cacador and is designed to meet specific Brazilian needs and requirements. IAI said its Brazilian partner, Avionics Services, has started the process of production, maintenance and operation for the manufacture of the aircraft, which is based on IAI's Heron UAV. Read more
ANALYSIS: KC-390 lifts expectations in Brazil
[image: KC-390]Embraer has a long tradition of identifying – and succeeding in – unattended market niches. Over the years, they have done this with regional turboprops and jets, turboprop trainers and counter-insurgency aircraft, airborne early warning aircraft, light business jets and now the mid-range military transport segment, where the Lockheed C-130 Hercules has reigned supreme for more than 60 years. The Brazilian transport programme started off in 2007 as the C-390, a simpler, low-tailed Embraer E-190 derivative with a new transport fuselage. Significantly transformed, the... more »
Cost of Rafale per unit can lower with French government support
[image: Dassault Rafale]France’s Dassault Aviation may be about to enjoy government financial support of the type that would enable its Rafale fighter to push into export markets. Both the contract announced earlier this year for 24 aircraft to be sold to Egypt, as well as a proposal made in mid-March for what is anticipated to be a request for proposals for a 16-18 aircraft buy from Malaysia, feature loans backed by French government guarantees as the financing mechanism for the sales. The twin-engine French fighter has a number of attractive features from the perspective of the ... more »
F-35 Lightning II fighter jet pilots will wear $400,000 helmets
[image: F-35 helmet]The F-35 Lightning II is one of the most complicated weapons systems ever developed, a sleek and stealthy fighter jet years in the making that is often called a flying computer because of its more than 8 million lines of code. The Joint Strike Fighter comes in three versions, including one that is designed to take off and land on an aircraft carrier and another that lands vertically, as if it were a helicopter. But to truly understand the most expensive weapons program in the history of the Pentagon, forget the plane for a minute. Consider the helmet. It's design... more »
China Seeks Unsinkable Aircraft Carrier With South China Sea Construction
[image: Yongshu Island]China's 'great wall of sand' in the South China Sea is a bid to strengthen its air superiority in the hotly contested region with an unsinkable aircraft carrier for its military planes, analysts said. China has so far created more than four square kilometers (1.5 square miles) of artificial landmass using sand and concrete on top of coral reefs on disputed island chains in the South China Sea, U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Harry Harris said in a speech this week. Harris said China's "great wall of sand" raised suspicions about Beijing's intentions in th... more »
Navy funds one LCS in Marinette
[image: USS Freedom (LCS-1)]The prime contractor for a new class of warships being built in Marinette was awarded money to build one of the ships as part of the 2015 budget. The Navy announced Wednesday it awarded $362 million to Lockheed Martin on Tuesday, along with $79 million in "advanced procurement funding" for another ship. Lockheed Martin is building its ships at Marinette Marine Corp. A different design of the ship is being built by Austal USA in Mobile, Ala. Under the allocation, that company was awarded $691 million to build two ships. Read more
Russia completes design of underground radwaste research laboratory
[image: Scrapped submarine]Russia's national operator for radioactive waste management (NO RAO) has completed the design documents for an underground research laboratory to study the feasibility of final disposal of solid high-level radioactive waste (HLW) and solid medium-level long-lived wastes in the Nizhnekansky granitoid rock massif in Zheleznogorsk. The waste would be stored at a depth of 450-525 m. NO RAO is a federal-state unitary enterprise set up in March 2012 for handling all nuclear waste materials and final disposal of radioactive waste. Its functions and tariffs are ... more »
Norway Reverts to Cold War Mode as Russian Air Patrols Spike
[image: Bunker in Bodo]From his command post burrowed deep into a mountain of quartz and slate north of the Arctic Circle, the 54-year-old commander of the Norwegian military’s operations headquarters watches time flowing backward, pushed into reverse by surging Russian military activity redolent of East-West sparring during the Cold War. “I am what you could call a seasoned Cold Warrior,” the commander, Lt. Gen. Morten Haga Lunde, said, speaking in an underground complex built to withstand a nuclear blast. As a result, he added, he is not too alarmed by increased Russian military a... more »
Manohar Parrikar to review progress of Scorpene submarine project
[image: Scorpene class SSK]Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will review the progress of the much-delayed Scorpene submarine project during his visit to the Western Naval Command early next week. Parrikar is set to travel to Mumbai on April 6 on his first official visit to the city as Defence Minister. Defence sources said he will visit the Western Naval Command and undertake a detailed briefing by top officials there. The key takeaway will be his visit to Mazagon Docks Limited (MDL), where six Scorpene submarines are being built, with the help of French firm DCNS. Read more
More Russian nuclear submarines deployed in the Pacific
[image: RFS Yuri Dolgorukiy SSBN]Deployment of Russian ballistic and multipurpose nuclear submarines on operational duty in the Pacific Ocean has increased almost 50% over last year, according to Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Viktor Chirkov, indicating a much higher state of alert as compared with the same period last year. “The operational deployment of ballistic missiles and multipurpose nuclear submarines in the Pacific Ocean is maintained at a level that guarantees our nation's safety. Moreover, between January 2014 and March 2015, deployment of submarines for operational duty... more »
Washington's regional ambitions centre stage in Australian submarine tender
[image: Soryu class SSK]Washington's strategic ambitions in Asia are looming large over Australia's multi-billion dollar tender for new submarines, giving Japan a possible edge over competitors from Germany and France, defence and industry sources said. Although the United States had little presence at a conference last week in Adelaide convened to discuss the project, the enthusiasm U.S. commanders have shown for Canberra buying Japanese submarines was one of the hottest topics behind the scenes. Such a purchase would bind the U.S., Japanese and Australian navies more tightly toge... more »
KMTitanic 5: Struggling for the Northern Lifeboats Round Up Edition
*Alley in Shiziwan, Kaohsiung.* *Ruth: Will the lifeboats be seated according to class? I hope they're not too crowded.* *Rose: Oh mother, shut up! Don't you understand? The water is freezing and there aren't enough boats. Not enough by half. Half the people on this ship are going to die.* *Cal Hockley: Not the better half.* So much going on. Time to catch up. First, Solidarity.tw supplies a pile of stuff. He summarizes a new poll from the staidly Establishment TISR that shows how awful the KMT's current situation is. Looking at heavyweights Wang Jin-pyng, current legislator at-la... more »
Checkmate
The Mosaic Pavement The black and white checkered floor has existed in temples since the times of ancient Egypt. More than simply decorative, the mosaic pavement bears a profound esoteric (special) meaning. Today it is one of Freemasonry’s most recognizable symbols and is the ritualistic floor of all Masonic lodges. The pavement is the area on which initiations occur and is “emblematic of human life, checkered with good and evil.” “The mosaic pavement in an old symbol of the Order. It is met with in the earliest rituals of the last century. It is classed among the ornaments of the lodg... more »
Barbie
"*According to the wording of the Statute of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, persecutions are crimes against humanity where they are directed against non-combatants and committed in application of a deliberate State policy for racial, religious or political motives. * *Acts perpetrated against Resistance fighters are excluded as war crimes, which are extinct due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. "* *The French internment camp at Drancy, outside Paris, where Jews were confined until they were deported to the Reich.* The Trial Of Klaus Barbie Finall... more »
On w/ Mr. Crazz & Garth of THE CRAZZ FILES
Last night, I was a guest on *THE CRAZZ FILES*, an independent podcast program based in Australia. We discussed a variety of issues, including Israel's central role in 9/11, the fraudulent "Holocaust" narrative of WWII, psychological warfare, media fakery, and the systematic Jewish assault on Western civilization. This was an excellent discussion, and I hope to be back on *THE CRAZZ FILES* in the near future. You can download the entire program *here*. *________________________________________* If you appreciate this website and the information presented, please consider supporti... more »
Guest Post - Taking the Ecofriendly Ecommerce Store to Crowdfunding by Frank Molina
We don’t make anything. We haven’t come up with the latest video game or the next hottest electronic widget, but we have something many crowdfunders don’t. Not just one great product, but many great products made by some of the hottest brand names in solar and portable energy from around the world. For us, it’s more about selling our customer experience; things like offering a wider selection of sustainable products, faster shipping, ease of doing business, and so on. [image: Guest Post - Taking the Ecofriendly Ecommerce Store to Crowdfunding by Frank Molina] *Shop Akari* is an eco... more »
Easter Week, Part 4: Surely There Are Better Stories to Tell?
*Today’s final reflection on the celebrations of Easter Week, and their source…* Let’s summarise. In Pagan times, Easter was the time in the Northern calendar when the coming of spring was celebrated -- the celebration of new life, of coming fecundity. Hence the eggs and rabbits and celebrations of fertility. Indeed, the very word "Easter" comes from Eos, the Greek goddess of the dawn, and means, symbolically, the festival celebrating the rebirth of light after the darkness of winter. But with the coming of Christianity, the celebration was hijacked to become this veneration of... more »
China Showcases Their New Long Range Bombers In Latest Military Drills
Chinese bombers lined up on an undisclosed airfield China MOD *Newsweek:* *China Reveals New Long-Range Bombers* *China has released pictures of an unnamed “new-type of bomber”, along with an announcement that it has carried out its first military drills in the airspace above the Western Pacific Ocean.* *According to a statement on the Chinese Ministry of Defence website, the drills took place over the Bashi Canal, which is between a Taiwanese island and a Philippines island.* *The release of the pictures of the warplanes suggests the exercise was a test of China’s long-range b... more »
"New shit has come to light, man"
is Glen McGregor's Big Lebowski summation of the latest Jason Kenney follies regarding Canada smart bombing Syria. Last week DefMin Kenney justified why Canada was about to start bombing Syria at all : "There are only five coalition partners doing airstrikes against ISIL terror targets in eastern Syria. The United States is the only one of those five that has precision guided munitions. That is a capability the Royal Canadian Air Force has so one of the reasons our allies have requested we expand our air sorties into eastern Syria is because with those precision-guided munitions... more »
Israel Successfully Tests U.S.-Backed Missile Shield 'David's Sling'
*Reuters*: *Israel tests U.S.-backed missile shield as Iran nuclear talks churn* ** "David's Sling" due to be deployed next year* ** Israel sees threat from Iran-backed Hezbollah* ** Tests completed on deadline for Iran nuclear talks* *A new Israeli air defense system being developed in partnership with the United States met all its objectives in a series of recent live interception tests, U.S. and Israeli officials said Wednesday, putting it on course for deployment by next year.* *The system, David's Sling, shot down targets simulating longer-range missiles like Scuds that could... more »
A "scathing, exuberant indictment of the many misdeeds of the nation's highest court" -- that's Jeffrey Toobin on Ian Millhiser's new book, "Injustices"
*"Injustices tells the history of the Supreme Court through the eyes of the people that it has hurt the most -- the young people stripped of their childhoods, the freedmen forced into peonage, the men and women who will die needlessly if the Supreme Court guts Obamacare."* *-- Ian Millhiser, about his new book, Injustices: The Supreme Court'sHistory of Comforting the Comfortable and Afflicting the Afflicted* *by Ken* This is going to be an unusual sort of book plug -- it comes from the author. The only less impartial source of information about a book I can imagine than an author... more »
Why Do Bakers Hate Gays So Much?
*DISCLAIMER: THIS CAKE IS HETEROSEXUAL! IT'S NOT GAY! THERE'S A PENIS AND A VAGINA IN THE CAKE! NOT TWO DICKS!* Apparently I missed this, but there's an epidemic of gay-hating bakers in America. Every time I hear someone defending Indiana's new "religious freedom" law, they all bring up the same exact example: a baker doesn't want to bake a cake for a gay wedding. I heard this example on TV, radio, and newspapers. I heard this gay-hating baker story the second I got in my car on the way to work this morning. I was flicking around the channels and got onto our local 94.3 radio show... more »
in which i remember a difference between the u.s. and canada or maybe between new york and everywhere else
I'm in New York for a few days, visiting my mom and some friends. Today at a Whole Foods, my mother said to the cashier, "Don't make the packages too heavy." And cashier said, "OK." I was a bit surprised. My mother is a very polite, friendly person. Yet I thought she sounded somewhat rude. And then I thought, no, this is what people sound like here. In Canada - even in Mississauga, where supposedly we're *practically American* - this same conversation "at the cash" sounds like this: "Hi, how are you today?" "Fine thanks, and you?" "I'm doing fine. If you don't mind, could you plea... more »
Barney Frank Drops a Financial Crisis Bombshell; The Press Responds With Silence
*by Gaius Publius* I can't take credit for this, though I wish I could. David Dayen, who writes at Salon, has been reading Barney Frank's new book *Frank *and also its reviews. Dayen is one of the most knowledgeable writers on the mortgage and financial crises — both. (Note to readers: It's not a financial crisis if there's no mortgage crisis. It's the inability to pay mortgage debt that started the avalanche of derivative-caused banking losses.) Dayen noticed that in his book Frank makes a startling revelation, but since it involves (a) mortgage borrowers, not bankers, and (b) t... more »
How Do Rogue Countries Get Their Weapons
*Business Insider:* *This map shows how the world's most dangerous regimes got their weapons in 2014* Several countries have managed to build massive arsenals despite being under various forms of international sanction. China has anti-satellite weapons, advanced fighter jets, and ballistic missiles, despite the US banning all weapons-related trade with Beijing after the 1989 Tienanmen Square massacre. The Arab League maintains an official boycott on Israel — which nevertheless has the strongest military in the Middle East. And EU and US sanctions haven't wiped out Russia's ongoin... more »
Top 10 Most Dangerous Countries
YouTube *IntelCenter: **Top 10 Most Dangerous Countries* *IntelCenter's Country Threat Index (CTI) examines the volume of terrorist and rebel alerts, messaging traffic, videos, photos, incidents and the number killed and injured in a country over the past 30 days and runs it through an algorithm to assign the country its CTI. The higher the CTI the greater the risk.* *The top 10 most dangerous countries in the world based on terrorist and rebel activity over the past 30 days as of 1 Apr. 2015 are shown below with their CTI rankings and score. The map above shows the CTI scores fo... more »
Rounding up Taiwan and the AIIB
*Selfie sticks. The end is nigh.* China's proposed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) created quite a stir in the world news, with Washington totally losing its grip, and Taiwan... jumping on board? Shannon Tiezzi summarizes at The Diplomat: Perhaps the most surprising late application to the AIIB is Taiwan.* The Taiwanese government had previously expressed interest in joining, with Finance Minister Chang Sheng-ford telling legislators that Taiwan was willing to join “upon invitation.”* Its official application wasn’t sent in until the evening of March 30, South China Mor... more »
Understanding the Saudi Attack on Yemen
*George W. Bush kissing up to Saudi leaders* *Obama bowing to Saudi leaders* I'm starting to get a handle on the Yemen story. Other than U.S. drone attacks in the country, that have killed many innocents, I had not paid alot of attention to politics in Yemen. But now all that has changed. I've turned down a couple of media interviews about Yemen because I felt I didn't know enough to make any comments. So I've been reading many articles and watching some videos so I can get my head around the issue. I have a world map on my office door which frequently helps me understand what i... more »
We'd Already Paid - And They Stole It from US In Plain Sight (Dissent Manufactured?) Presidents, Bankers, the Neo-Cold War and the World Bank
Americans have no idea, in general, about how rich the rich have actually gotten to be on their dime. Tax breaks, enormous tax cuts, writeoffs on all their expenses (with commensurate increases for the lower classes to make up that difference), and fraud have immeasureably enriched those who were already rich. And flowed down to those scoundrels making them richer. It's a proper tale for
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Have you ever seen the Pleiades star cluster? Even if you have, you probably have never seen it like this: all dusty. Perhaps the most famous star cluster on the sky, the bright stars of the Pleiades can be seen without binoculars from even the depths of a light-polluted city. With a long exposure from a dark location, though, the dust cloud surrounding the Pleiades star cluster becomes very evident. The below exposure took about 30 hours and covers a sky area several times the size of the full moon. *Click image for larger size.* Also known as the Seven Sisters and M45, the Pleiade... more »
The Poet: Mary Oliver, “I Worried”
*“I Worried”* by Mary Oliver “ I worried a lot. Will the garden grow, will the rivers flow in the right direction, will the earth turn as it was taught, and if not how shall I correct it? Was I right, was I wrong, will I be forgiven, can I do better? Will I ever be able to sing, even the sparrows can do it and I am, well, hopeless. Is my eyesight fading or am I just imagining it, am I going to get rheumatism, lockjaw, dementia? Finally I saw that worrying had come to nothing. And gave it up. And took my old body and went out into the morning, and sang.”
Chet Raymo, “Reaching For The Stars”
*“Reaching For The Stars”* by Chet Raymo “Here is a spectacular detail of the Eagle Nebula, a gassy star-forming region of the Milky Way Galaxy, about 7,000 light-years away (click to enlarge). This particular spire of gas and dust was recently featured on APOD (Astronomy Picture of the Day). The Eagle lies in the equatorial constellation Serpens. If you went out tonight and looked at this part of the sky - more or less midway between Arcturus and Antares - you might see nothing at all. The brightest star in Serpens is of the third magnitude, perhaps invisible in an urban environme... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Elizabethton, Tennessee, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
"Twilight of the Psychopaths"
*"Twilight of the Psychopaths"* by Dr. Kevin Barrett "Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That's what's insane about it." - John Lennon "When Gandhi was asked his opinion of Western civilization he said it would be a good idea. But that oft-cited quote is misleading, assuming as it does that civilization is an unmitigated blessing. Civilized people, we are told, live peacefully and cooperatively with their fellows, sharing the necessary ... more »
Howard Zinn, "The Optimism of Uncertainty"
*"The Optimism of Uncertainty"* by Howard Zinn "In this awful world where the efforts of caring people often pale in comparison to what is done by those who have power, how do I manage to stay involved and seemingly happy? I am totally confident not that the world will get better, but that we should not give up the game before all the cards have been played. The metaphor is deliberate; life is a gamble. Not to play is to foreclose any chance of winning. To play, to act, is to create at least a possibility of changing the world. There is a tendency to think that what we see in the ... more »
Bashing in the Bashi?
*Waiting for pole dancers who will never come.* Well well. On 30 March the Chinese air force conducted exercises in the Bashi Channel between Philippines and Taiwan. On Monday, China’s air force held its first exercise in western Pacific Ocean airspace. As reported by the South China Morning Post, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) carried out drills in the air over the Bashi Channel, the body of water between Taiwan and the Philippines archipelago, considered the rim of the first island chain. The purpose of the exercise was to boost the PLAAF’s capability to carry out... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- April 1, 2015
*Ian Black, The Guardian:* *Crisis in Yemen – the Guardian briefing* *Proxy war in country between Saudi Arabia and Iran will fuel wider instability unless power-sharing can be agreed upon* *The Arab world’s poorest and most misunderstood country has been facing multiple crises for years: a shortage of oil and water, a rapidly growing population, hunger, dictatorship, corruption, an international terrorist presence and deep internal regional and political differences. Now escalating regional rivalry between neighbouring Saudi Arabia and Iran has sparked a wider war that threatens ... more »
World News Briefs -- April 1, 2015 (Evening Edition)
Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday in Lausanne, Switzerland. Credit Ruben Sprich/Reuters *New York Times:* *Iran Nuclear Talks Are Extended for Another Day* *LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Secretary of State John Kerry met with his Iranian counterpart on Wednesday night for what diplomats said could be a series of pivotal sessions as the United States and its negotiating partners sought to secure a preliminary accord to limit Iran’s nuclear program.* *Germany’s foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said before the meetings that the Iranians were expected to present “new reco... more »
The Islamic State Wants A Truce
Photo from Islamic State Media’s twitter profile, 7/2/14 *Jamie Dettmer, Daily Beast*:* ISIS Wants a Truce* *In the new edition of its magazine, ISIS floats the idea of a truce. Is the group flagging—or is this just another trick?* *After months of being targeted by U.S.-led airstrikes, losing ground in Iraq and suffering defeat in a weeks-long assault to capture the Syrian border town of Kobani, is the Islamic State flagging and putting out feelers to see if a truce might be possible? Or is it just seeking to sow confusion in the ranks of its opponents and to undermine their uni... more »
Relief from forfeiture
Varajao v. Azish, 2015 ONCA 218: [11] The trial judge correctly noted that in order to obtain relief from forfeiture the appellants were required to establish that i) the forfeited sum was out of proportion to the damages suffered; and ii) it would be unconscionable for the vendor to retain the money. Although the respondent did not suffer damages, the trial judge determined that it was not unconscionable for him to retain the deposit. She considered and rejected the submission that the respondent's counsel used sharp practice. We would not interfere with this exercise of... more »
Every little piece of Art we accumulate is a Treasue]
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Now what hits the threshold is pretty clear it will take one or two centuries to make clear so lets just love the cheap art all around us and do not waste time collecting two hundred years forward thoughts in our heads
Honestly, Who Labels a Label Maker?!
Initially, I hadn't planned on writing on this topic but I decided to go ahead anyway now that a few days have passed and calm has been restored. I don't often write about being a landlord here, primarily because its just a part of my life that I'm used to and I didn't really think it would make for interesting reading. I will preface this by saying that overall, it has been a very positive experience. Aside from the obvious financial benefit I get toward paying the mortgage and expenses, I've met people from many parts of the country. One fellow proved extremely helpful when I ... more »
Saudi Defense Minister: ‘Iran Can’t Be Trusted’
Saudi defense minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman is supervising the campaign against Houthi militias in Yemen. (Al Arabiya) *Washington Free Beacon:* *Saudi Defense Minister to Congress: ‘Iran Can’t Be Trusted*’ *Concerns mounting on Capitol HillLAUSANNE, Switzerland—Saudi Arabia’s newly installed defense minister told members of Congress on a recent trip to the oil-rich nation that “Iran can’t be trusted,” according to a readout of the meeting provided by Rep. Vern Buchanan (R., Fla.).Buchanan, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, participated in a meeting with S... more »
How To Master the Invisible Counselors Visualization Technique
*Video - *This video focuses on the Invisible Counselors Technique, a visualization technique to help one find inspiration for new ideas, creations and achievements. The post How To Master the Invisible Counselors Visualization Technique appeared first on Waking Times.
Philly Inquirer Says: Strong-Arming Of Boss Norcross's Guy Onto NJ Pinelands Commission Is "Political Pollution" That May Prove "Toxic"
The following editorial critical of New Jersey State Senate President Steve Sweeney appeared in Monday’s *Philadelphia Inquirer*, something that would have been unimaginable a year ago, before South Jersey Democratic Party boss George Norcross lost his ownership stake in that newspaper. *Pipeline power play* Monday, March 30, 2015 When the Pinelands Commission holds its monthly meeting on April 10, it won't be the same panel that deadlocked in trying to decide whether to disregard its own rules so a natural-gas pipeline could be buried within the Pinelands National Reserve. Gov.... more »
April 1: Justin Trudeau is Harper's secret love-child!
Well, it IS April Fools' Day. Actually, Justin is pretty drab compared to either Stephen or Pierre. Unlike Pierre, he has no intellect to speak of. Unlike Stephen, he's not crazed with a desire for personal power. ________________________________________________________________ On page 1, the Gallant government brings down its budget for 2015. It is exactly what we could have expected - no sense of priorities, no sense of a fundamental purpose for government, destructive of the education system, kind to the very rich, very tough on those seniors who are living too long anyway, and ... more »
Iranian Nuclear Talks To Continue For One More Day
*VOA:* *Iran Nuclear Talks Head Into Another Day * *LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will stay in Switzerland at least one more day to keep talking with Iran on a nuclear deal.* *"We continue to make progress," State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said late Wednesday in Lausanne, Switzerland, "but have not reached a political understanding."* *Negotiators from Iran and major six world powers missed their self-imposed midnight Tuesday deadline to close the remaining gaps in a framework deal to curb Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relie...more »
DEFINITION: Climatard
[Hat tip Doug Tozzoli] Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
Threats that can amount to extortion
R. v. Alexander (2005), 206 C.C.C. (3d) 233 (Ont. C.A.) the accused was convicted of extortion for a threat that was not otherwise criminal. In that case the accused’s wife was owed $7,000 by another women, M.M. The accused sent M.M. a draft of a letter explaining that M.M. was involved in “highly questionable ethical and moral conduct”. The accused explained to M.M. that if she did not pay the debt, the accused would send the letter to M.M.’s employer and M.M. would likely be fired. Sending such a letter would not, in the absence of a threat, be a criminal offence (although it may ... more »
Mohawk Nation News 'Iroquois Confederacy Statement'
IROQUOIS CONFEDERACY STATEMENT Posted on March 31, 2015 Mohawk Nation News Please post & distribute. Nia:wen. Mar. 31, 2015. On March 29 the Haudenosaunee came together in Akwesasne to discuss land issues. The clans passed a resolution regarding the Kanion’ke:haka/Mohawk territory known as the Seigneury of Sault Louis. Also discussed were Kanehsatake, Akwesasne, Owego and
The Saudi Arabian Military Is Showcasing Their War In Yemen
*Brian Murphy, Washington Post*: *Saudi generals use Yemen war to showcase their new swagger* *RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- There’s no fog of war here. It’s more like a high-gloss, stage-crafted showcase of Saudi Arabia’s new military swagger.* *Every evening since the Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen began last week, the fortress-like grounds of the defense ministry in Riyadh has opened to journalists. They listen to a briefing on the latest battlefield events, see some black-and-white warplane video clips of missiles destroying suspected rebel buildings and convoys, and pose a few ques... more »
Yemen War News Updates -- April 1, 2015
*Washington Post:* *Rebel forces push farther into key Yemeni port city of Aden* *Rebel forces push farther into key Yemeni port city of Aden* *SANAA, Yemen — Shiite rebel forces backed by tanks and heavy machine guns pushed deeper into Yemen’s second-largest city on Wednesday in a bid to strengthen their hold even as Saudi-led airstrikes attempt to cut off their supply lines and cripple their capabilities.* *The showdown over Aden, a key port and gateway to Yemen’s south, underscores the imperatives on both sides in the widening conflict — in which Saudi Arabia and its Arab al... more »
Sen. Bob Menendez Indicted On Public Corruption Charges
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/01/menendez-fbi-corruption_n_6926202.html *Sen. Bob Menendez Indicted On Public Corruption Charges * Posted: 04/01/2015 3:58 pm EDT Updated: 12 minutes ago WASHINGTON -- Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) on Wednesday was indicted on public corruption charges for allegedly accepting bribes from a Florida ophthalmologist in exchange for using his position to push the doctor's interests, according to a Justice Department official. Menendez was indicted on a total of 14 charges: one count of conspiracy, one count of violating the Travel Act, eight c... more »
Ranking beauty and thought
You can not rank either because its so nebulous and while we can draw a substantive conclusion about the mean when it come to the bell curve there are no explanations The worst high school aspect of the life we now lead is apperance no it should be inner beauty On the same vien what passes fro intelligence these days is discusting Look at ancient Rome and they had a good two millinium run and there was no makeup and knowleged they treasured over everything and the death of the roman empire in my estimation was engineered by the Tea Party who found it far easier to burn down the ho... more »
Supplemental: Police shootings are an important topic!
*WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015A widely bruited statistic:* Have police been shooting young black men more frequently in recent years, or does it just seem that way? Do police “target” young black men? If so, to what extent? According to the New York Times’ Matt Apuzzo, the Justice Department found that Philadelphia police have *not* been “targeting” blacks when they engage in shootings. This is said to be true in spite of some striking statistics: Philadelphia was roughly 44 percent black during the period in question. But 80 percent of police shootings during that period involved bla... more »
When capitalism worked
Its pretty clear that it does not anymore not just one time but many
Easter Week, Part 3: The Holy Art of Sacrifice
*“My favourite definition of mythology: other people’s religion. My favourite definition of religion: misunderstanding of mythology. The misunderstanding consist in the reading of the mythological symbols as though they were primarily references to historical events…” *- Joseph Campbell AND MAN MADE GODS in his own image, and that of the animals he saw around him, and he saw these stories were sometimes helpful psychologically in a a pre-philosophical age. But one of these gods was a jealous god. For this god was so angry at the world he sent one-third of himself to die to exp... more »
Zero Hour Contracts: An Anecdote
I'm glad Labour is making some good noises about zero hour contracts. It's even better that they've met the stupid and entirely predictable letter from Tory supporting business chums that, shock horror, support the Tories with a signed letter of their own featuring people on zero hour contracts. For all their money advantage, so far Labour's campaign is proving much cannier and smarter than the blue party's scaremongering. Though it would be quite helpful if Labour MPs, Labour-run councils, and the Labour Party apparatus itself didn't use them. Anyway, zero hour contracts. As peopl... more »
The Pro-GMO Lobby In Retreat
RINF, Global Research, Countercurrents It has been such a tough period for the pro-GMO lobby that it’s difficult to know where to begin. But let us start by looking at two pieces of recent research that strike at the very heart of the pro-GMO argument, namely: 1) GM crops are needed to feed the world. 2) The GMO agritech industry is based on sound science and reasoned argument. *GM crops are not needed to feed the world* A new report just released by Environmental Working Group has delivered a stinging rebuke to the argument that GM crops are the answer to future glob... more »
“The Coming War with China”
*“The Coming War with China”* by Bill Bonner It would indeed be a tragedy if the history of the human race proved to be nothing more than the story of an ape playing with a box of matches on a petrol dump." - David Ormsby Gore “Somehow, like it or not, the world turns. Today’s hegemon becomes tomorrow’s also-ran. Today’s reserve currency becomes tomorrow’s toilet paper. Today’s cock o’ the walk becomes tomorrow’s dinner. Hey, we didn’t create this system. We don’t even especially like it. But that’s just the way it is. Whether you already have made a fortune, or are trying to bui... more »
So there's an election on? (2)
Continuing with our election coverage (comparing the BBC, Sky and ITV news websites at the same time every day)... Sky News is, again, *not* leading with election, preferring to go instead with those "nine Britons" who've been "arrested 'trying to enter Syria'". Their two election stories (ranked #2 and #3) are evenly spread between the two largest parties: (1) *Tories Continue To Chase Down Business Support*: The Conservative co-chairman is emailing business leaders asking them to add their names to a 100-signature support letter. (2) *Miliband: Epidemic Of Zero-Hours Contracts*:... more »
How do we escape this prison planet?
*"This has been called a “prison planet”. How can we escape from the system, the slavery system, as it has been this way for many, many generations?”* An interesting question. I believe it is not so much a question of escape but of mindset. We have been engineered with a pre-disposition for worship. If you consider the numerous ancient ruins discovered, many thousands of years old, that were clearly made by someone with advanced technologies, an obvious question is “who made them and why?”. There are no clear answers. Yet mankind still today holds reverence for these beings;... more »
Klamath Tribal Members Refuse to Support Water Settlement
Klamath Tribal Members Refuse to Support Water Settlement Censored News Upper Klamath Basin, Oregon -- All across the United States, on the west coast in particular, Indian water settlements are taking place at a rampant rate. The Bureau of Reclamation, a branch of the Department of the Interior, is securing water reserves for the best interest of the United States, predominately the
After the Shift - Walking on New Ground
We’ve shifted and this alters the course of everything. This may not be recognized today as pivotal, yet from this month on things have irrevocably changed. If you’ve been waiting for the day, well, wait no longer. This is not the only shift we’ll go through, but it was a substantial one. Your experience of this will be one crafted by you alone. When you chose to participate, it was with full knowledge of the shift upon us now. The change that just occurred will reverberate out and when and how you feel it very much hinges on choices made by you thus far. What is always true i... more »
Federal Court Victory for South Dakota Native Children and Families
Lakota People's Law Project Sign the petition: lakotalaw.org/action Today marks a huge legal victory for the Native American children of South Dakota. A summary judgement was issued in the case of Oglala Sioux Tribe vs. Van Hunnick in favor of the plaintiffs! Federal Court Judge Viken has ordered that South Dakota offficials have violated due process as stated by the 14th
"This programme has been edited since broadcast"
We were discussing on a previous thread the BBC's use of the phrase, "This programme has been edited to correct a factual inaccuracy." One of the striking things about that phrase is that it doesn't actually spell out which "factual inaccuracy" has been "corrected". Viewers (or listeners) might well be left completely nonplussed by it. It doesn't seem as helpful as it should be, and doesn't quite make amends as it should. By coincidence... This morning's *Today *has been unavailable to 'listen again' to for most of the day. Usually it's available to re-hear within an hour of br... more »
Yemen: It's a U.S. Operation
Amazingly the Obama administration still calls Yemen a "template" of success when it comes to its counterterrorism efforts. Closer to the truth is probably still another poorly thought out foreign policy adventure. And double standards abound – what is deemed legitimate for Yemen is denied in the case of Ukraine.
Nigeria's President-Elect Buhari Vows To 'Spare No Effort' In Squashing Boko Haram
Nigerian President-elect Muhammadu Buhari. AFP Photo *Al Jazeera*: *Buhari vows to ‘spare no effort’ to rid Nigeria of Boko Haram* *President-elect Muhammadu Buhari also extends ‘hand of fellowship’ to Goodluck Jonathan after winning historic election* *Nigeria President-elect Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to “spare no effort” to defeat Boko Haram — the brutal armed group that has plagued the oil-rich country with violence in recent years.* *In his first address to the nation since a landmark vote saw him elected to power, Buhari said that Nigeria had a “tough and urgent” job ahead, ... more »
Islamic State Seizes Parts Of The Yarmouk Palestinian Refugee Camp In Damascus
*The Guardian*: * Clashes in Damascus refugee camp after reported arrival of Isis* *Palestinian officials says Islamic State fighters have entered Yarmouk refugee camp in Syrian capital and are under attack from anti-government rebels* *Fighting has erupted throughout Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus, with observers claiming Islamic State has entered the area, less than 10 miles from the Syrian capital’s most secure hub.* *Yarmouk, the largest Palestinian camp in Syria, has been a frequent battle zone pitting regime forces against mainstream and Islamist rebels during more than ... more »
Carafem: Just Another Day at the Abortion-Spa
Big props to the new abortion clinic Carafem in Washington, DC. It's got ALL the fetus freaks' knickers knotted. With its natural wood floors and plush upholstery, Carafem aims to feel more like a spa than a medical clinic. But the slick ads set to go up in Metro stations across the Washington region leave nothing to doubt: “Abortion. Yeah, we do that.” The Maryland clinic, opening this week in Montgomery County’s tony Friendship Heights area, specializes in the abortion pill. The advertising reflects its unabashed approach — and a new push to de-stigmatize the nation’s most con... more »
Iraq Claims Final Victory In The Battle For Tikrit
*Reuters*:* Iraq claims victory over Islamic State in Tikrit * *(Reuters) - The Iraqi government claimed victory over Islamic State insurgents in Tikrit on Wednesday after a month-long battle for the city supported by Shi'ite militiamen and U.S.-led air strikes, saying that only small pockets of resistance remained.State television showed Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi, accompanied by leaders of the army and police, the provincial governor and Shi'ite paramilitary leaders, parading through Tikrit and raising an Iraqi flag.The militants captured the city, about 140 km (90 miles... more »
World News Briefs -- April 1, 2015
*CNN:* *President-elect Buhari: 'A new day and a new Nigeria are upon us'* *Lagos, Nigeria (CNN)For the first time in Nigeria's history, the opposition has defeated the ruling party in democratic elections.* *Muhammadu Buhari has won Nigeria's presidential election, the country's Independent National Electoral Commission said. He defeated incumbent Goodluck Jonathan by about 2 million votes.* *The win comes after a long history of military rule, coups and botched attempts at democracy in Africa's most populous nation.* *MIDDLE EAST* Despite progress, Iran nuclear talks* hit imp...more »
U.S. Policy in Yemen Backs Saudi Monarchy Interests
Patrick Cockburn is an Irish journalist who has been a Middle East correspondent since 1979 for the *Financial Times* and, presently, *The Independent*. Among the most experienced commentators on Iraq, he has written four books on the country's recent history. Cockburn's latest book is *The Jihadis Return: ISIS and the New Sunni Uprising*.
Having worked in the highest levels of the US government for a long time, Paul Craig Roberts has experienced more than most. And with that background he views the current situation as "the most dangerous time of all for humanity." "Nuclear weapons are no longer restrained by the Cold War [Mutually Assured Destruction] doctrine. Washington has released them into pre-emptive first strike form." "The result is to maximize the chance of nuclear war."
------------------------------ *A Middle East Holocaust — Paul Craig Roberts * ------------------------------ March 30, 2015 | Original Here Go here to sign up to receive email notice of this news letter *A Middle East Holocaust* — Paul Craig Roberts Dear Friends: We have had a satisfactory response to our request for your support. As long as you support this site, I will as well. Without your support the website would not exist. Foundations and corporations do not support truth-tellers. American foundations underwrite war and US imperialism... more »
NO STATISTICS NEED APPLY: Who gets shot by Philly police?
*WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015Part 3—Narrative conquers all:* Last Wednesday, the New York Times did a horrible terrible job with a full-length report on the gender wage/income gap. The analysts were gnashing their teeth by the time they finished their reading. “Can’t anyone at the Times handle statistics?” one youngster even asked. We felt the analysts’ pain. One day earlier, the Times had presented a full-length, front-page report about police shootings in Philadelphia. The topic is very important and also very current. There too, we thought the Times struggled with some basic, imp... more »
Vijay Prashad On Saudi Arabia's Operation Light Drizzle In Yemen
*An excerpt from, "The Sultans of Arabia intervene in Yemen's domestic conflict" al-Araby, April 1, 2015: * Threatened by the Arab Spring’s promise, the Saudi regime fought back in its Peninsula, across North Africa and in West Asia to snuff out republican tendencies. Bahrain’s uprising was crushed without much adverse comment in the Arab world, or indeed in the West. In Syria, the Saudi backed Islamic Front has done its utmost to smother any independent democratic sensibility in the rebellion. Matters took longer to handle in Egypt and Libya, where the Muslim Brotherhood posed a p... more »
The "Holocaust" in a nutshell
On my article *How the "Holocaust" was faked*, which has been viewed well over 120,000 times now, *a recent commenter* explained everything White people need to know about this weaponized, anti-White, and entirely false historical narrative (with minor edits and links added): *The "Holocaust" is a mammoth lie, unequaled in its deception. How is it even possible that, by 1944, the Germans, fighting to defend their fatherland against several enemies who were numerically superior, would have the resources to carry out a genocide of several million?* *We have bombastic, ridiculous numb...more »
Military And intelligence News Briefs -- April 1, 2015
Members of the armed forces of the separatist self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic drive a tank on the outskirts of Donetsk on January 22. (Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters) *Military.com:* *US Army Eyes Ukraine Conflict for Intel on Russian Military Technology* *The U.S. Army is working to glean intelligence on Russian military technology from the conflict between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces, American generals said.* *The Moscow-backed rebels are waging a hybrid war that includes the use of soft power such as disinformation and cyberattacks to hard power such ... more »
New Report Outlines How Blackwater Made Money In The Losing War To Stop Afghanistan Drug Production
American troops patrolled poppy fields in southern Afghanistan on Monday minutes before being ambushed by the Taliban. Lynsey Addario for The New York Times *The Guardian:* *Former Blackwater gets rich as Afghan drug production hits record high* *Opium poppy cultivation is up in Afghanistan despite the infamous mercenary firm formerly known as Blackwater being paid $569m by the Pentagon to stop it* *In a war full of failures, the US counternarcotics mission in Afghanistan stands out: opiate production has climbed steadily over recent years to reach record-high levels last year.* ... more »
Where Did All The Money Disappear In Afghanistan?
*Matthew Gault, War Is Boring*: *How the Pentagon Lost Track of $45 Billion* *It’s almost impossible to audit what taxpayers have spent to rebuild Afghanistan* *Since 2002, Congress has set aside $104 billion specifically to rebuild Afghanistan. Of that, $66 billion went to the Pentagon.* *Recently, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction asked the military to account for all that spending. It couldn’t. According to a new report from SIGAR, the Pentagon only knows how it spent a third of its reconstruction budget.* *It didn’t break any rules when it did this, ... more »
A Half-Cocked Coup Against Obama, Mindwar, Pedophilia, and Satanism
Source Brandon Turbeville The United States is increasingly becoming a tossup between being a land of inertia and unimaginable apathy versus a powder keg of hatred, violence, and civil war. With this bizarre cultural crossroads – every bit created and initiated by an oligarchical government, corporate and banking superstructure, and a totally controlled media – it is no wonder why the news coming from America gets more and more peculiar with each passing day. While the rest of the world may have no right to throw stones, the truth is that the United States has become, in essenc... more »
15 Limiting Beliefs That Aren’t Serving You or Anyone Else
*Andrea Schulman - *Maybe it’s time to start peeling back the layers of limiting beliefs keeping you from attaining your goals and escape from this mental prison so many of us are caught in. The post 15 Limiting Beliefs That Aren’t Serving You or Anyone Else appeared first on Waking Times.
New England Cop Harasses Guy Walking Home, Gets Schooled
Amanda Warren *I defend this country...I defend those rights for you. *-Cop, before arresting guy walking home. It's October 2013 and a man is walking home down a picturesque road. He is being watched. He is being followed. This is evidenced by the police dashcam video that was finally released. When he gets stopped by an officer for "suspicious activity" he doesn't just shrug and leave it at that. He morphs into assertive overdrive. He knows the law and his rights, even though the officer claims otherwise. WATCH The officer demands the pedestrian's identification on the claim o... more »
Federal Report: The College Debt Bubble Is Collapsing
Mac Slavo With all of that job creation being claimed by the Obama administration and disseminated by mainstream media outlets as signs of a sustained recovery you’d think most college graduates would have no trouble keeping up with their bills. But new data released by the Department of Education tell a different story. According to the report as many as 33% of American college grads with student loan debt are now in delinquent status on their repayments. About one-third of borrowers with federal student loans owned by the U.S. Department of Education are late on their payments,... more »
President Obama Approves Program That Allows Sanctions On Individuals Or Groups Engaged In Cyber Attacks Or Cyber Spying
*Washington Post*: *U.S. establishes sanctions program to combat cyberattacks, cyberspying* *President Obama on Wednesday signed an executive order establishing the first sanctions program to allow the administration to impose penalties on individuals overseas who engage in destructive attacks or commercial espionage in cyberspace.* *In the works for two years, the order declares “significant malicious cyber-enabled activities” a “national emergency” and enables the treasury secretary to target foreign individuals and entities that take part in the illicit cyberactivity for sanct... more »
Why We’re All Deficient In Magnesium, The Many Signs & What To Do
*Organic Olivia* - Signs of magnesium deficiency are everywhere in the United States, if you know what to look for. The post Why We’re All Deficient In Magnesium, The Many Signs & What To Do appeared first on Waking Times.
Exclusive Interview: Congressman Walter Jones Discusses The Battle To Declassify 28-Page 9/11 Report
*Ben Swann* *On the victims of the 9/11’s dead certificates, the causes of death are homicide. And those homicide victims’ families are demanding answers and the declassification of 28 pages of a 9/11 congressional investigation report.* *Visit Ben Swann's website for the full story* *Get truth delivered to your inbox every week.* Subscribe to GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING by Email
Congressmen Speak Out On Obama's 911 Cover-up, Declassify The 28 Pages
By Luke Rudkowski In this video Luke Rudkowski interviews Congressman Walter Jones and Congressman Thomas Massie on releasing the 28 pages from the *9/11 Report* that prove who actually sponsored the terrorist attack. Obama has promised 9/11 victims family members that he would release this report but due to what's happening with the U.S and Saudi Arabia the report is still kept secret from the general public. Visit WeAreChange.org Visit 28pages.org *Get truth delivered to your inbox every week.* Subscribe to GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING by Email
April foolishness
Poor Gazan family tricked into selling their Banksy for only $175 (£118) (which is about its intrinsic value) Banksy’s cartoons started off as graphic design in the form of the graffiti mural. Then he started incorporating enigmatic political overtones from the infantile school of pseudo political activism. The inflated ‘art world’ monetary value of a ‘Banksy’ is a product of media-created mystique built around a sort of night raider persona. Your hooded graffiti artist stealthily posting his messages with the audacity of the man in the Milk Tray ad . If anyone’s stupid enough to pa... more »
Transpicuous News Sunday and Today!
Hey everyone! Here is the video archive of Transpicuous News Sunday Report from March 29, 2015- along with all the usual links for last weeks news. Tonights Transpicuous News Midweek Report is going to be a bit different than my usual News rundown. Mostly because I'm bored of the news and don't wanna talk about it, lol. Ok that's not exactly true. I have a few things I want to talk about tonight, so, after my regular (if somewhat shortened) Transpicuous News Update, we will have a little musical interlude to introduce the topics I want to talk about, then I'll kick back with my ... more »
UN: Iraq’s Courts Accept Torture & Abuse of Due Process
Iraq has long been known for having a flawed justice system. The 2005 constitution and other legislation ensure due process and protections against torture, but those are rarely followed. Due to the fact that the Iraqi courts rely so heavily upon confessions to decide cases and the history of abuse within the system dating back decades there is a built in bias to force detainees to admit to crimes. Other issues routinely occur as well such as the denial of lawyers and the ability to form a defense, and misapplying terrorism charges. The United Nations released a reportin February ... more »
Good Match Between Jet Stream and Rising Rads in US
http://www.wund.com/US/Region/US/JetStream.html Japan continues to have elevated radiation levels. I think something may have happened at Daiichi with unit 3 because of the heavy emissions, rising radiation levels, significant reduction in traffic on the Futaba cam, and TEPCO admission of problems with the gate of the spent fuel pool at unit 3.
No Fooling
The president does not give a crap about you. In order for millions of mortgagors to save their underwater homes, all the newly-elected Barack Obama had to do in 2008 was give the O.K. to then-Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson. Obama could have made a moratorium on foreclosures a pre-condition of the $700 billion Wall Street bailout. But like Bartleby the Scrivener, he preferred not to. We already knew, from former TARP inspector Neil Barofsky's *Bailout*, that Obama and his own treasury secretary, Tim Geithner, had made relief for the banking cartel their top priority. They used T... more »
Does Israel Have An Effective Military Option To Stop Iran's Nuclear Program?
Israeli F-16 fighter. Getting ready to visit Iran? *Dan Arbell, CNN:* *Does Israel have a military option vs. Iran nuclear program?* *(CNN)The Iran nuclear negotiations in Lausanne, Switzerland, reportedly have made substantive progress, inching closer toward a provisional agreement between the P5+1 and Iran. While the talks continued to unfold this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu restated his concern about an agreement with Iran, vowing "to continue to act against any threat."If an agreement is reached, the international spotlight will turn to Israel, in antici... more »
NY Times Exposes The Garbage Candidates The DCCC Spends All Their Money On
The root of the House Democrats' problem California freshman Democrat Mark DeSaulnier is the only Member of the House left with a ProgressivePunch crucial vote score of 100. He's never backed any of Boehner's right-wing agenda. Aside from DeSaulnier, the 10 Members who have, over the course of their careers, been the least likely to vote for Republican efforts to undermine America's working families are Mark Pocan (D-WI), Katherine Clark (D-MA), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Judy Chu (D-CA), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Donna Edwards (D-MD), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Keith Elliso... more »
APRIL 1, DAY 2 OF NACCS ELECTION - PLEASE SHARE
UNA LLAMADA A TODO INSURGENTE APRIL 1, DAY 2 OF NACCS ELECTION - PLEASE SHARE OPEN LETTER TO STUDENTS, SCHOLARS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS RE INSURGENT NACCS CHAIR-ELECT CANDIDACY Saludos I am writing to you to ask for a letter of support re my insurgent candidacy for Chair Elect for the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies (NACCS). I have been nominated for chair-elect 3 years in a row, and each time, I have been passed over or ruled ineligible by the board. The reason given to me this year was one having to do with geography… that because there’s a representative on... more »
Geoengineered Climate Disasters in Latin America
*Zen Gardner - *There’s nothing natural about the recent climate disasters in Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. Seven years’ worth of rain just fell in Chile in 12 hours... The post Geoengineered Climate Disasters in Latin America appeared first on Waking Times.
Common Sense In The New York Times Regarding Yemen
*An excerpt from, "Saudi Arabia’s Ominous Reach Into Yemen" The New York Times, March 31, 2015:* Unlike that Qaeda affiliate, the Houthis are indigenous to Yemen and won’t be defeated militarily, or at least not without destroying the country. The Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, on Tuesday foreshadowed an open-ended commitment, saying the Saudi-led offensive would continue until Yemen was “returned to security, stability and unity.” Yet airstrikes alone won’t do the job. Saudi Arabia has not ruled out a ground invasion, even though its troops are inexperienced in such... more »
No Excuses, the Sequel
I had 90 seconds last evening in Memphis to share my views on the corporate school segregation plan in Memphis. I almost rushed through this before I was escorted from the podium by one of Memphis' finest: Like many others, I am here tonight to question the corporate education plan to replace community schools in Memphis with corporate welfare ASD schools or the homegrown equivalents in the IZone. As noted by Yes Prep officials in a rare acknowledgement of reality, the "political climate" in Memphis has, indeed, changed. Sadly, SCS remains dominated by non-educators *and* corpo...more »
This U.S. Navy SEAL Was Shot 27 Times And Is Now Training To Run A Half-Ironman To Raise Money For Fellow Veterans
*The Telegraph:* *Meet the Navy SEAL who was shot 27 times and lived to tell the story* *Eight years ago, Mike Day took multiple bullets to the legs, arms and abdomen while serving in Iraq. Now, he is training to run a half-Ironman to raise money for fellow veterans * *A US Navy SEAL who was shot 27 times during one incident while on tour in Iraq has made such an exceptional recovery that he his now preparing to compete in a half-Ironman to raise money for his fellow veterans.* *In 2007, Mike Day was caught in a brutal firefight with three al-Qaeda insurgents after he was the fir... more »
The Amazing Transparent Man
http://en.wikipedia.org/ Stephen Poloz, the Governor of the Bank of Canada, says that the economic numbers in the first quarter of this year will be "atrocious" -- something that Stephen Harper knows full well. Therefore, Crawford Killian writes: Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a guy who reportedly cowered in a closet while the guns roared in the hallway, has collected his wits and mapped out a whole new course to a new majority with admirable speed. By parlaying one mentally ill drug addict into a terrorist threat, he created ... more »
AEI's Self-Analysis of Why CorpEd Is a Loser
Great post below by Philadelphia patriot, Ken Derstine: I have stumbled onto this amazing video from a panel at the American Enterprise Institute (look at this link) on February 5, 2015. This is a spawning center of neoliberalism! This is the corporate education reformers talking to the choir. It is amazing to watch. This confirms everything I said in Who’s Is Eli Broad and Why Is He Trying to Destroy Public Education? from their goals, to their deep collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education, to Randi Weingarten’s collaboration with them. Also, they might present a fron... more »
The U.S Grows Wary As China Continues To Expand Its Navy
China’s navy chief, Adm. Wu Shengli, left, speaks with U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert during a ceremony last summer in Beijing. Photo: Stephen Shaver/Press Pool *Wall Street Journal:* *As China Expands Its Navy, the U.S. Grows Wary* *Washington is divided over whether Beijing should be viewed as naval partner or potential adversary.* *China’s navy chief, Adm. Wu Shengli, strolled the Harvard University campus in a tweed blazer and slacks during a visit to the U.S. last fall, joking with students and quizzing school officials about enrolling some of his off... more »
Tap Your Way to Better Emotional Health
*Meme - *Energy Tapping is an alternative method used to improve overall emotional health. Here are the main tapping points on the human body. The post Tap Your Way to Better Emotional Health appeared first on Waking Times.
US Pacific Fleet Commander: China Building 'Great Wall Of Sand' In South China Sea
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *Business Insider:* *Top US admiral: China is building a 'great wall of sand' in the South China Sea* *China's rapid pace of artificial island construction throughout the South China Sea is like the building of a "great wall of sand," the US's Pacific Fleet Commander said at a naval security conference in Canberra, Australia, according to The Wall Street Journal.* *Admiral Harry Harris Jr said that China's unabated construction of artificial islands throughout the disputed body of water is provocative. Beijing's dredging of the islands, which all exi... more »
Untitled
*PA Students Needed Permission Slip to Eat One Oreo Cookie* Sixth-grade students in one public school in Narberth, Pennsylvania had to obtain a signed parental permission slip before being allowed to eat a single Oreo cookie. In a March 23rd letter sent home with Welsh Valley Middle School students by teacher Darlene Porter, parents were warned that students would each be given one Double Stuf Oreo cookie in order to illustrate the movement of the earth’s tectonic plates. “The students may eat the OREO after the investigation if this is okay with you,” the letter said. “The stude... more »
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*Re: "The Earth is getting GREENER: Researchers reveal huge expansion in world's trees"* *A comment from Hans Schreuder* A quote from the Daily Mail: "The 4-billion-tonne increase is minuscule compared to the 60 billion tonnes of carbon released into the atmosphere by fossil fuel burning and cement production over the same period, said Yi Liu, the study's lead author and a scientist at the University of New South Wales." Just wanted to point out that the atmosphere holds about 3,000 billion tonnes of CO2 in it, so the 60-odd billion from human activities might sound impressive, ... more »
Organize Your Busy Life Fast with Workflowy
It's no secret I'm a sucker for productivity apps. I've tried almost all of them. While each one has features I like, there's nearly always something missing. And when it comes right down to it, there is something incredibly satisfying and simple about writing a simple bulleted list and crossing items off. But what happens if you lose that paper? And what do you do when you have page after page of notes? Thankfully there's a great app/web tool out there that can solve this dilemma. It's called Workflowy and it's hands down my new favorite tool. Where most productivity apps thrive... more »
Ex Parte trial fairness
*R. v. Irving,* [2012] O.J. No. 1789: 14 The test for determining whether a trial justice's interventions have compromised the appearance of fairness is an objective one. It is whether a reasonably minded person, who had been present throughout the trial, would consider that the Appellant had not had a fair trial. The record must be assessed in its totality and the interventions evaluated cumulatively, not as isolated occurrences, from the perspective of a reasonable observer present throughout the trial. Questioning that conveys an impression that a trial justice has placed the... more »
India, France to jointly develop 'Maitri' Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (SR-SAM)
[image: VL MICA SAM]The indigenous surface-to-air missile Akash failing to inspire enough confidence for deployment on Indian Navy ships, the government has asked the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to engage with the French firm MBDA missile systems for development of short-range surface-to-air missile system (SRSAM). "DRDO will engage for development of nine SRSAMs which have 40 missiles each," a Navy source said. This comes as a result of the decision taken to revive the $5 billion SRSAM programme 'Maitri' at the latest defence acquisition council (DAC) meeti... more »
Economic News , Data and Views ( April 1 , 2015 ) -QE impacts ( Look at German Bunds today ! ) ..... Greece updates ( Greece can pay its bills and other obligations through April - runs out of cash May 15th , items on Greek economy , potential measures to increase revenues ) ..... Data from Europe ( March PMIs for EZ / UK / Greece / Italy / Germany / Spain/ Ireland , Unemployment data for France ) ..... Weak PMIs for Russia , China , Japan - Abenomics faltering and poor Tankan survey to boot !
Tweets.... Edward Hugh retweeted *Yannis Koutsomitis* @YanniKouts · 2h2 hours ago New record low for #Germany 5-year note auction yield. investors pay the German gov't -10bp to lend to it for 5 years. /via @TradeDesk_Steve *zerohedge* @zerohedge 8s 8 seconds ago GERMAN 10-YEAR BUND YIELD DROPS TO RECORD-LOW 0.167%. ECB in the house again Edward Hugh retweeted *Michael McDonough* @M_McDonough · 25m25 minutes ago German 10Y & 30Y Yields Continue Hitting New Lows: [image: Embedded image permalink] *Edward Harrison* @edwardnh · 43m43 minutes ago April Fool's?:...more »
The Left Case for Voting Conservative
Bugger it. If a third of the population are stubbornly sticking with the Conservatives *in spite of all that they have done*, surely it's time for the labour movement to have a rethink? Here's the deal. Regardless of the character your lefty politics assumes, you want a better society. You want to live in a world that's not dog-eat-dog, where the poor don't go hungry because the poor do not exist, and where life is about the things that really matter. Yet sometimes things have got to get worse before they get better. And here is where we arrive at the Conservative Party and why the ... more »
Five Most Read Posts in March
The most popular posts last month were: 1. Why Dave Has Ruled Out a Third Term 2. The Great UFO Conspiracy 3. Is Labour Doomed? 4. Top 100 Tweeting MPs 2014-15 5. The Meaning of Jeremy Clarkson Politics dominates proceedings again with Dave's silly announcement of his impending retirement. In this piece I go for an exotic slice of triangulation to explain his actions when in fact - self-criticism time - I overlooked the obvious: that Dave banked on his announcement to making him look normal and ever-so-slightly self-deprecating. Still, can't get it all right all the time. My look a... more »
Cro-Magnons
*"What the White whale was to Ahab, has been hinted; what, at dies, he was to me, as yet remains unsaid. Aside from those more obvious considerations touching Moby Dick, which could not but occasionally awaken in any man's soul some alarm, there was another thought, or ether vague, nameless honor concerning him, which at times by its intensity completely overpowered all the rest; and yet so mystical and well nigh ineffable was it, that I almost despair of putting it in a comprehensible foci. It was the whiteness of the whale that above all things appdled me. But how can I h... more »
ER=EPR derived from PR state dependence
It's a special day of the year. You may expect some pranks from some people; on the contrary, other people who are wrong 364 days a year may happen to be right today. Concerning the first category, Adam Falkowski has calculated which muppets are identical to which physics bloggers. TRF readers may be interested in the identity of your humble correspondent; well, you must first divide your humble correspondent to his or its even-day and odd-day portions. *Armchair physicist Matt Leifer should send this appropriate T-shirt to his fellow anti-quantum zealots including Gerard 't Hoo... more »
France to sell Mistral warships to EU
[image: Vladivostok LHD]France is to supply its Mistral warships to the EU foreign service instead of to Russia in a move designed to forge a “genuine European defence policy”. The landmark deal comes after EU sanctions over Ukraine, last year, stopped France from transferring the first of the two vessels to Russia. It also indicates deep EU scepticism on Moscow’s promises to make peace. Read more
How: embed calculator into blog post or sidebar
It is easy to embed a working calculator into a blog post or the sidebar. Just copy the calculator gadget/widget code below into the post editor in the HTML mode or log into www.blogger.com Dashboard > Layout > Add a gadget > HTML/Javascript gadget and paste the following code into the HTML/Javascript gadget field making sure to change the width and height values (highlighted in red) to values suitable for your blog main column width or the sidebar width, publish or save and it is done: <iframe width="590" height="390" src="http://web2.0calc.com/widgets/horizontal/" scrolling="no" s... more »
US Air Force awards Raytheon $91.5 million for MALD-J
Raytheon Company received a $91.5 million U.S. Air Force contract modification award for the Miniature Air Launched Decoy Jammer (MALD-J) missile. The contract modification is for Lot 8. Work will be performed in Tucson and is expected to be complete by June 2017. This award was booked in the first quarter 2015. About MALD and MALD-J MALD® is a state-of-the-art, low-cost expendable flight vehicle that is modular, air-launched and programmable. It weighs fewer than 300 pounds and has a range of approximately 500 nautical miles. MALD-J adds radar-jamming capability to the basic MALD ... more »
A short update on the upcoming lunar eclipse
https://aishanorth.wordpress.com/2015/03/31/a-short-update-on-the-upcoming-lunar-eclipse-3/ *A short update on the upcoming lunar eclipse * Aisha North March 31, 2015 For now, much has been set into motion that will take more than a few of you by surprise, as the incoming crescendo of light that will accompany the darkening of the moon will be such, it will literally blow the lid off the deepest of reservoirs within. And when this treasure trove opens, much will be put into action in ways that will be apt to take more than a few of you by storm. For as the moon darkens, you will a... more »
Finmeccanica-Alenia Aermacchi delivered the first C-27J Spartan aircraft to the Peruvian Air Force
[image: Peruvian C-27J Spartan]The official ceremony for the delivery of the first C-27J Spartan to Peru’s Air Force has taken place today, in Lima, at Las Palmas base. The event has seen the participation of the Peruvian Defence Minister, Pedro Cateriano Bellido, the Commander in Chief of the Peruvian Air Force - General Dante Arévalo Abate, the Italian Defence Minister, Roberta Pinotti, the Italian Ambassador in Lima, Mauro Marsili, and the Alenia Aermacchi’s Vice General Manager, Massimo Ghione. This aircraft is part of the contract signed between Alenia Aermacchi and the FAP in... more »
RAF Leuchars marches into the history books
Over a century of aviation history ended at Leuchars today when the base was formally handed over from the RAF to the army. A poignant and militarily precise ceremony marked the end of 95 years of the RAF at the base. A flight of RAF and army personnel was led on to parade by the RAF Leuchars Pipes and Drums, led by Pipe Major Ian Hughes and Drum Major Alastair Pether. Read more
Taiwan’s largest missile ship goes into service
[image: Tuo Chiang FS]Taiwan’s largest-ever missile ship went into service yesterday after a ceremony presided over by President Ma Ying-jeou as the island strives to modernise its military in response to a perceived threat from China. Ma praised the corvette’s “stealth and speed” at the ceremony involving hundreds of naval officers and said it “reflects the determination by the military to defend national security”. Armed with 16 missiles, the ship will strengthen Taiwan’s defence capabilities. Read more
Marine Corps Identifies $2.1B in Unfunded Priorities, Mostly in Aviation
[image: AV-8B Harrier]The Marine Corps would purchase 10 new aircraft, improve the digital interoperability of existing aircraft and boost connectivity through additional communications systems and unmanned aerial vehicles if Congress provided additional funding. Commandant Gen. Joseph Dunford wrote to the four defense-related congressional committees to explain his Fiscal Year 2016 Unfunded Priorities List, with items he said would “further enhance our combat readiness and effectiveness should additional funds above those already requested … be made available.” Dunford requested s... more »
Obama Administration Releases Military Aid to Egypt
[image: F-16 Fighting Falcon]President Barack Obama agreed to release to Egypt a dozen F-16 attack aircraft and other military equipment which his administration froze in response to a 2013 military coup, seeking to shore up a longtime alliance with Cairo at a time of growing regional turmoil. The move by Mr. Obama comes as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi appears to be seeking to play a more hands-on role in responding to instability in the Middle East. He intervened against militants in neighboring Libya and is now providing military support to a Saudi-led coalition in Yem... more »
Russia May Slow T-50 Production for Economic Reasons
[image: Su T-50 PAK-FA]Russian deputy defense minister General Yuri Borisov told Russian media that production of the Sukhoi PAKFA fifth generation fighter aircraft (manufacturer’s designation T-50) might be slowed, compared with previous plans. Since the PAKFA first flew in January 2010, six prototypes have been built and flown. Another four prototypes are due to be completed this year. During a visit to Sukhoi’s KnAAPO plant at Irkut, where PAKFA production is being set up, Borisov suggested that the Russian Government’s Armament Program 2020 (GPV2020) might be revised to reflect... more »
US To Get Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles, Signs $529M Deal With Raytheon
[image: AIM-120 AMRAAM]The U.S. Air Force has signed a $529 million deal with Raytheon, a Waltham, Massachusetts-based defense contractor, for Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM), the company announced Tuesday. The AMRAAM is a guided missile, which can hit targets that are out of sight of firing aircraft or ground-based launchers, Sputnik reported. The missile is currently used by 36 countries on many fighter jets, including the F-16, F-15, F/A-18, F-22, Typhoon, Gripen, Tornado, Harrier, F-4 and the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. Read more
DARPA wants an army of drones to overwhelm the enemy
US air warfare superiority has always been a constant, but the nation's pricey, complex new fighter jets can't dominate the air if they can't get there. Even the military's science arm, DARPA, said that "US military systems today are often too expensive... (and) are obsolete by the time they become operational." Ouch. But DARPA is at least doing something about the problem. It's developed a project called the System of Systems Integration Technology and Experimentation (SoSITE) with the aim of nothing less than completely overhauling US military air power. To do that, it wants... more »
Inappropriate Truth : The Frankfurt School and the Campaign for Real History
*"One has to "leave philosophy aside" (Wigand, p. 187, cf. Hess, Die letzten Philosophen, p. 8), one has to leap out of it and devote oneself like an ordinary man to the study of actuality, for which there exists also an enormous amount of literary material, unknown, of course, to the philosophers.... Philosophy and the study of the actual world have the same relation to one another as masturbation and sexual love." * *Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, * *The German Ideology, * *International Publishers, ed. Chris Arthur, p. 103* historiography noun his·to·ri·og·ra·phy \-fē\ Def... more »
NATO aircraft fly into Moray
RAF Lossiemouth is preparing to host aircraft for the tri-service NATO exercise Joint Warrior. The operation will take place from Monday, April 13 until Friday 24. Joint Warrior will involve more than 22 warships and submarines, 52 fixed wing aircraft and around 3,500 personnel from Canada, Germany, French and the USA. Read more
A-10 Thunderbolt Warplane Deployed To Romania As Congressional Supporters Attempt To Save It For Years To Come
[image: A-10 Thunderbolt II]After surviving numerous attempts to scrap it from the U.S. defense budget over the last few years, the 40-year-old A-10, a warplane built during the Cold War to destroy Soviet tanks, is back on the front lines of what could become a confrontation between NATO and the Russian army. The plane is about to take part in long-term exercises in Romania designed to counter Russian moves in the region. The exercise is just one of many over the last five months in which the plane, popular with airmen but not with top generals focused on saving money, has been in... more »
DCNS offers modified Mistral Helicopter Carrier to India
[image: Mistral class LPH]We have offered the Mistral-class. But because of the very specific requirements of the Indian Navy we have been obliged to propose significant changes to the Mistral-class design – original design. And initially, very frankly, we thought that the best value for money for India would be to acquire the Mistral as it is – maybe with some modifications, as we did for the Russians, for instance. But it appears that they wanted to have very big modifications in order to comply with the depth and standard which are applicable to this particular ship. So most of i... more »
First China air force drills in 'far offshore' Pacific Ocean
[image: J-15 Flying Shark]China's air force has carried out its first ever military drill over the western Pacific Ocean, state media said, highlighting Beijing's growing military reach. Several aircraft from China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) yesterday flew over the ocean via the Bashi Channel, which runs between Taiwan and the Philippines, the official Xinhua news agency said. "This is the first time that the PLA Air Force conducted such drills in an airspace far offshore from Chinese coastlines .. Read more
Iranian aircraft buzzed Navy helicopter in Persian Gulf
[image: MH-60R Seahawk]An Iranian military observation aircraft flew within 50 yards of an armed U.S. Navy helicopter over the Persian Gulf this month, sparking concern that top Iranian commanders might not be in full control of local forces, CNN has learned. The incident, which has not been publicly disclosed, troubled U.S. military officials because the unsafe maneuver could have triggered a serious incident. It also surprised U.S. commanders because in recent months Iranian forces have conducted exercises and operations in the region in a professional manner, one U.S. military o... more »
Navy Builds New Radar for Carriers, Amphibs
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[image: USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79)]The Navy plans to put a new ship radar system on both next-generation carriers and amphibious assault ships as a way to reduce costs and increase commonality, service officials said. The new radar, called the Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar, or EASR, is slated to go on the Navy’s second Ford-class aircraft carrier, the USS Kennedy, as well as the services’ third big-deck America-class amphib, called LHA 8. Engineering the new EASR for the USS Kennedy, or CVN 79, will save the Navy $180 million in the cost of the ship, said Rear Adm. Thomas Moor... more »
Editorial: 'Challenging' NH90 helicopters sorry look for Govt
[image: NZAF NH90]Nine years ago, the decision to buy eight NH90 helicopters for the air force was accompanied by considerable fanfare. The French-made multi-purpose choppers would, said the Defence Minister, Phil Goff, be bigger, faster, more versatile and have a far greater lift capability than the ageing Iroquois they were replacing. Such acclaim was only to be expected given that they represented the biggest single defence purchase since the navy's two Anzac frigates in the 1980s. The NH90s cost $771 million, a sum which demanded everything should be done to ensure they met De... more »
Russia Again Flight Tests New ICBM to Treaty-Violating Range
[image: RS-26 Rubezh ICBM]Russia conducted a flight test of a new intercontinental ballistic missile earlier this month that some U.S. officials and security analysts say is a new violation of Moscow’s arms control treaty commitments. The March 18 flight test of a new RS-26 missile is part of a large-scale nuclear arms buildup by Russia and is raising concerns about treaty compliance, said U.S. officials familiar with details of the missile test. The RS-26 missile carried a dummy warhead from Russia’s Kapustin Yar missile facility, located about 80 miles south of Volgograd in southe... more »
Borey-Class Nuclear Submarines to Serve Russian Fleet Until 2050
[image: Borey-Class SSBN]Eight Borey-class nuclear submarines will join the Russian Navy by 2020 and will be the backbone of Russia’s marine nuclear forces. "The Borey can serve up to 30 years with planned upkeep and modernization," Igor Vilnit told RIA Novosti in an interview. The submarines are equipped with Bulava ballistic missiles, which can carry a nuclear warhead with an operational range of up to 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles). Read more
Govt approves purchase of 8 Chinese submarines, six ATRs aircraft for Pakistan Navy
[image: Type 039B SSK]National Assembly Standing Committee on Defence was told on Tuesday that the army would follow the policy of the government relating to Saudi–Yemen conflict. The meeting was also told that the government has approved the purchase of eight submarines from China while negotiations are also being held with different countries including Germany, Britain and France for the purchase of second hand submarines. Meeting of the standing committee was held here on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Shaikh Rohail Asghar. It was attended by the secretary defence, the addit... more »
The Biggest Loser of The Saudi Airstrikes Against Yemen: The Yemeni Army
*Photo Source*. *An excerpt from, "Saudi Arabia Risks Quagmire in Yemen Campaign" by Peter Salisbury, World Politics Review, March 31, 2015:* With the Houthis unlikely to capitulate in the near future, Riyadh and Cairo—also a key player in the coalition—have publicly mulled putting boots on the ground in the Arab world’s poorest country in order to reinstate the beleaguered Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi as president. Doing so could well mean that the Saudis and their partners find themselves facing the same kind of challenges the U.S. faced in 2003 after invading Iraq, disbanding the nat... more »
Is that the case Ed Balls?
The BBC faithfully report Ed Balls as saying that: 'Conservatives were "telling people you have never had it so good" despite it being the "slowest recovery for 100 years".' Maybe Ed Balls or one of his allies at the BBC could point me to whichever Conservatives have been saying this, I can't think of any.
Citing National Security President Obama Removes Weapons Embargo Against Egypt
President Obama has assured Egypt that he will support the $1.3 billion in annual military assistance the country usually receives. Credit Zach Gibson/The New York Times *New York Times:* *Obama Removes Weapons Freeze Against Egypt* *WASHINGTON — Seeking to repair relations with a longtime ally at a time of spreading war in the Middle East, President Obama on Tuesday lifted an arms freeze against Egypt that he had first imposed after the military overthrow of the country’s democratically elected government nearly two years ago.* *Mr. Obama cleared the way for the delivery of F-16... more »
Russian Foreign Minister: Nuclear Deal With Iran ‘Reached On All Key Aspects’
*RT:* *Nuclear deal with Iran ‘reached on all key aspects’ – Lavrov* *Iran and six major world powers have managed to reach a preliminary agreement on ‘all the key aspects’ of a deal over Tehran’s controversial nuclear program, Russia’s FM has announced, adding that the sides have begun drafting the text.* *Experts from Iran and P5+1 have started drafting a preliminary deal and the document could be expected either within the next few hours or later on Wednesday, Sergey Lavrov hopes. However, clearing the “technical details” of a final deal may take until June, he added. * *Updat... more »
Only Two World War II Doolittle Raiders Are Alive Today
Prisoner: Hite, shown here being led blindfolded by his captors, was was taken captive by the Japanese for 40 months after the Doolittle Raid *Daily Mail*:* One of last three remaining World War II Doolittle Raiders who flew daring mission over Japan just four months after Pearl Harbor dies, aged 95* ** Lt. Col. Robert Hite died in Nashville after a battle with Alzheimer's disease* ** He was a co-pilot of a crew that flew one of the 16 B-25 bombers that raided Tokyo in 1942 * ** The air raid gave Americans hope in the wake of Pearl Harbor* ** Two of the original 80 Doolittle's Raide... more »
Book review: "Earth Unaware"
After reading "Ender's Game" and so many of his other works, I thought that it was mighty hard to go wrong with Orson Scott Card. I can now say that it is a sinking feeling to find out just how wrong I was. At least, when he affixes his name to something as a co-author. I read "Earth Unaware", and shouldn't have bothered finishing it. Is OSC phoning it in, or what? Based on what's in the book
Vijay Prashad - The Geopolitics of Iran's Nuclear Program
*Source of photo: (Brian Snyder/AP).* *An excerpt from, "Voices: “The Power of Wisdom” – His Highness the Aga Khan’s Interview with Politique Internationale" Simerg.com, August 18, 2010:* *Lafaye:* Which brings us to the nuclear issue, always so worrying. Should all nations be allowed access to nuclear power for civilian purposes? *Aga Khan:* It seems to me that rules of non-proliferation are now applied to all nuclear technology for both civilian and military purposes. In fact, the conditions for the sale of civilian nuclear energy is like some kind of technological colonization... more »
Thailand, International Oil, and the Future of Energy
*April 1, 2015* (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - The Southeast Asian nation of Thailand is currently wrestling with a particularly contentious issue involving international oil concessions. In essence, foreign oil monopolies, particularly Western corporations including Exxon, Chevron, and British Petroleum (BP) have been given access to Thailand's oil and natural gas supplies, to explore, develop, and exploit for billions in profits year to year. Much of this money, it is alleged, ends up leaving the country. What remains is often divided up amongst a handful of special interests leaving ... more »
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Common Sense In The New York Times Regarding Yemen
An excerpt from, "Saudi Arabia’s Ominous Reach Into Yemen"The New York Times, March 31, 2015:
Unlike that Qaeda affiliate, the Houthis are indigenous to Yemen and won’t be defeated militarily, or at least not not without destroying the country.
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Declaring their war against the Houthis of Yemen last week, Saudi Arabia has presented the conflict as a sort of noble intervention, aiming to displace an Iranian proxy from power in favor of the internationally accepted, if not legitimately elected, President Hadi. Yet the history of the Houthis shows that, far ...
Last week Saudi Arabia entered the civil war in Yemen after Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels conquered the outskirts of the southern city of Aden. This was the first time the monarchy directly intervened in the bloody Sunni-Shia struggle that has devastated Syria, Iraq and Yemen. Until now Saudi Arabia limited ...
In the last 48 or so hours, U.S. warplanes began bombing Islamic State (ISIS or IS) targets in and around Tikrit in support of the Iran-backed and Shi'a-led Iraqi government. At the same time, Washington provided unspecified intelligence and logistical support to a Saudi-led attack (if not invasion) against Houthi ...
Saudi Arabia is bombing Shiite rebels who have been sweeping through Yemen. The airstrikes are targeting Houthi military positions, and some hit Yemen's capital of Sanaa. 
Painting your political opponents as agents of foreigners to delegitimize their grievances is a classic trick used by dictatorships, and governments in general, especially during wartime. The Shiites in Iran and Iraq have long painted the Kurds as agents of Zionism and the United States to delegitimize their struggle for ...
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