English: Astronaut Photo of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia taken from the International Space Station (ISS) during Expedition 6 on March 1, 2003. (http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/photo.pl?mission=ISS006&roll=E&frame=31971&QueryResultsFile=131076060240282.tsv) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Tuwaiq Escarpment, South-West of Riyadh. Location (24.521847,46.372683)+646m (Photo credit: Wikipedia)10:21pm MDST
Ramadi Refugee: "Our Own Tribal Sheikhs And Religious Clerics Backstabbed Us. May God Never Bless Them."
*If left unchecked, forget Ramadi, ISIS will take Riyadh next, and the Saudis will embrace them as liberators.* The people of Ramadi know who they got screwed by. It wasn't the wolves of the central government in Baghdad, but the wolves closer to home who opened the doors to the ISIS/Daesh scum. Now they're homeless in their own country and the corrupt authorities are giving them no time of day. Washington can claim all it wants that what it did in Iraq was a "nation-building" exercise, but the reality is that it has pursued a nation-destroying mission from day one, and it has been... more »
John Horgan Makes Christy Clark Look and Sound Like A Bumbling Stumbling Lying Bubblehead!
John Horgan TROUNCES Christy Clark in estimate debates on the office of the premier.. Christy Clark, as John Horgan pointed out,.....Christy Clark blathered, blustered, and told so many lies I lost track.. If the legislature was a court of law Christy Clark would have been hauled away and jailed for habitual perjury.. Listen carefully to the debate....Clark blustered about the BC NDP piling up debt in the 90`s... As John Horgan and many bloggers have pointed out....BC`s total debt in 2001 ..counting contractual obligations stood at $31 billion dollars... The debt today after 14... more »
Condominium title held in trust for purchaser
Simcoe Vacant Land Condominium Corporation No. 272 v. Blue Shores Developments Ltd., 2015 ONCA 378: (ii) The principles of real estate law give rise to an equitable interest [46] The common law has long recognized that a valid contract for the purchase and sale of land gives rise to a trust relationship, with the purchaser acquiring a beneficial interest in the property: Jessel M.R. summarized this principle in *Lysaght v. Edwards* (1876), 2 Ch. D. 499 at p. 506: [I]t appears to me that the effect of a contract for sale has been settled for more than two centuries …... more »
Northerntruthseeker On A Short Break
Just to let everyone know that I am indeed on a short break. Personal and work business have taken their toll, and I am taking a few days to recuperate and recharge. I will be back very shortly. In the meantime, take a close look again at the great work put out by those I call 'The finest bloggers I know'. Their work and contributions to this battle is outstanding. I will be back shortly. Thanks for your patience. And as usual More to come NTS
Let's say you wouldn't be irresistibly drawn to a site called "New Tech City." Could there be a better name?
*Out with the old . . .* *. . . and in with the new* *by Ken* Not long ago I was pleased to call attention to an interesting project undertaken by the New Tech City podcast-and-blog of New York's WNYC called "Bored and Brilliant: The Lost Art of Spacing Out," which was designed to help smarphone addicts wean themselves from their addiction by embracing, you know, the lost art of spacing out. It's true that I didn't do a whole lot of follow-up to see how the project worked out. The idea was for listeners-readers to share their experiences with the series of six challenges present... more »
It was good
Providing partial shade to greens with broadbeans is all right, but eventually this gets to be too much of a good thing, so I'm walking up and down with a pair of scissors, basically deadheading the beans. it's chop-and drop; the tops will join the grass clippings and straw as mulch. Here we have some black-seeded Simpson lettuce, which seems to be thriving with the beans. You may also find Red Sails, Forellenschluss, and Cracoviensis lettuces, as well as arugula, radishes, turnips, beets, mangels, two kinds of kale, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, spinach, Fordhook Giant chard, sever... more »
Behind-the-Scenes Out-Takes from the First Mission to the Moon
*Film - *A controversial documentary showcasing newly discovered behind-the-scenes out-takes from the first mission to the moon. The post Behind-the-Scenes Out-Takes from the First Mission to the Moon appeared first on Waking Times.
our common doom
“The best that we can do is to be kindly and helpful toward our friends and fellow passengers who are clinging to the same speck of dirt while we are drifting side by side to our common doom” Clarence Darrow
Seminar: Economic Calculation Debate
[image: [276464_137539366339987_1226509_n%255B2%255D.jpg]] Here’s what’s on tonight at the Auckland University Economics Group. Why not get along? You’ve heard of the Keynes-Hayek debate. You may have heard of the Cambridge Capital debates. In tonight’s seminar we examine the Economic Calculation Debate, perhaps the greatest yet least-known economic controversies of the twentieth century: Often referred to as the Socialist Calculation Debate, this argument drew in great thinkers from Vienna to Moscow, and from Warsaw to Chicago—and included at its climax a joke whose punchline was... more »
Rip-off News round-up. Our pick of the last week's media (Thu 28th May)
David Cameron has dropped plans to block 10% (£7,000) rise in MPs' salaries The Prime Minister described the plan as ‘totally unacceptable’ when it was first put forward in 2013 by Ipsa. But government sources said yesterday that he had now abandoned plans to block the increase. Prime Minister's u-turn comes in the wake of protests from backbenchers. The decision means MPs will now almost
MENA Report ( May 27-28 , 2015 ) - Round Up Of Items On Nuclear Talks With Iran And P5 + ! , Syria - Iraq Regional War , Yemen Focus - Regional Proxy War , Libya In Focus
Links.... *Militias See Quick Victory as Iraq Attacks Ramadi* *US Under-Reports Civilian Deaths in Syria Strikes* *Israel Seeks Enormous Military Aid Hike Over Iran* *Iraq Army Held 10-to-1 Advantage During Ramadi Defeat, Sources Say* *Obama Touts Iraq Arms, Says War Strategy Needs Rethink* *Shi'ite Militia Battle for Ramadi; 223 Killed Across Iraq* Homs in Syria Is Likely to Be ISIS's Next Great Temptation Syria Says Carries Out Deadly Air Raid on ISIS Stronghold UK and Russia to Resume Syria Talks UN Chief Confirms Delay in Yemen Peace Talks Libya Prime Minister Abdullah Al-Thin... more »
Editor's Note
Finishing up on a project right now. Blogging will return tomorrow morning.
If you want to visit the museum on the site of Teddy Roosevelt's birth and boyhood, you'll have to wait a year
*Regardless of what the National Park Service says, Theodore Roosevelt's birthplace hasn't existed for nearly 200 years. For the next year, the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site -- on the site of TR's birthplace -- will be closed for renovation.* GRAMERCY -- Theodore Roosevelt's birthplace is getting a major renovation to upgrade its fire and electric systems and make the museum more ADA accessible, officials said. *-- the start of a DNAinfo NY report,* "Teddy Roosevelt's Birthplace Closing for $3.7M in Renovations" *by Ken* Since all things Roosevelt are hot now... more »
Another Hamas - Israel War This Summer?
*Marc Schulman, Newsweek:* *Tel Aviv Diary: A Rocket Lands and There Is Talk of Another War* *For the past few months, there have been discussions (primarily in jest), that since summer was nearing, we would soon be engaged in another war.* *For most of us, this banter seemed like a joke. Suddenly, a short time ago, that “joke” became much more real. This evening our smartphones (and my son’s Apple watch) were going off with notifications of “red alerts.”* *Red alert sirens were sounded throughout the south of the country—including a city 30 miles south of Tel Aviv, where there ... more »
Syrian Forces Are Preparing To Abandon Their Positions In The Eastern Part Of The Country To The Islamic State
*NOW Lebanon:* *It looks like the Syrian military could withdraw from another front* *Reports have emerged that the Syrian regime has been preparing a military evacuation from Deir Ezzor after ISIS’ victory in Palmyra cut ground routes to the besieged city.“The Syrian regime is preparing to withdraw its forces in batches from Deir Ezzor,” as ISIS continues its offensive to seize the city, Alaraby Aljadeed reported Monday. A local media activist, identifying himself as Mujahid al-Shami, told the London-based daily that Damascus had begun to move military supplies out of a key ba... more »
The Universe
"You can "dance" with the illusions of time and space, choosing your "steps" based upon things and events as they now are, or you can dance with your dreams, choosing your steps based upon things and events as they will be. And I bet you can guess which steps will perpetuate today's illusions, and which ones will change everything... Daily, in some small way, dance with your dreams." "Shall we?" The Universe "Thoughts become things... choose the good ones!" - www.tut.com
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Jets of streaming plasma expelled by the central black hole of a massive spiral galaxy light up this composite image of Centaurus A. The jets emanating from Cen A are over a million light years long. *Click image for larger size.* Exactly how the central black hole expels infalling matter is still unknown. After clearing the galaxy, however, the jets inflate large radio bubbles that likely glow for millions of years. If excited by a passing front, radio bubbles can even light up again after a billion years. X-ray light is depicted in the above composite image in blue, while microwav... more »
"Crabs in a Bucket"
"*Crabs in a Bucket"* by Sarah Robinson "When I was a little girl, I lived very close (and hour and fifteen minutes) to the Florida panhandle beaches. Which meant we spent a TON of time there. Early evening was one of my favorite times to walk the beach with my mom and my older brothers. We were all clean and fed and slightly sun weary but still desperate to be outside. So, we would grab flashlights, dip nets and a bucket and search the ocean’s edge for crabs. We would catch a bucket full in an evening and drag them back home where my mom or my grandmother would cook them up into s... more »
Industry delayed EU regulation of toxic chemicals- Chemical Manipulation of Humanity
The petrochemical industry - *big oil *- lobbied for the delay of the regulation of EDC's, the toxins that are chemical manipulating humanity and the entire planet. *EUobserver* A report out on Wednesday (20 May)* shows how industry lobbied EU institutions to kill regulation *on possible toxic chemicals used in everyday products. Drafted by Brussels-based Corporate Europe Observatory and by French journalist Stephane Horel, it shows how* big chemical trade associations and firms managed to prevent restrictions from being imposed on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs).* *EDCs, wh... more »
America's "Oh heck, lets commit genocide." in Laos: “One of the most shattering revelations about the bombing was discovering why it had so vastly increased in 1969, as described by the refugees. "[Antiwar activist Fred Branfman] learned that after President Lyndon Johnson had declared a bombing halt over North Vietnam in November 1968, he had simply diverted the planes into northern Laos. There was no military reason for doing so. It was simply because, as U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Monteagle Stearns testified to the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in October 1969, `Well, we had all those planes sitting around and couldn’t just let them stay there with nothing to do’.”
------------------------------ *Guest Column by Noam Chomsky * ------------------------------ May 25, 2015 | Original Here Go here to sign up to receive email notice of this news letter *Noam Chomsky Holds the New York Times to Account * Paul Craig Roberts I can remember when the New York Times was only partly a CIA asset using its ink in support of Washington’s lies. The other part of the paper was the upper class paternalistic liberalism of that time. The New York Times helped to destroy America. Washington has taken the place of America an... more »
More Signs That China's Artificial Islands In The South China Sea Are To Be Military Bases
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *Daily Mail:* *China 'HAS put weapons on its new artificial islands' despite army previously playing down controversial construction in middle of the sea as 'similar to building a road'* * China has set up weapons on its artificial islands in the South China Sea * The new development is seen as China trying to solidify its military power * It will see increased tensions and sparked concerns with military officials * Australian navy may start conducting more patrols in show of disapproval Tensions over the South China Sea are set to escalate after it was ... more »
Chet Raymo, “Strange”
*“Strange”* by Chet Raymo “In a review in the “New York Times” Book Review, Daniel Handler writes: “And strange? Well, let's get this straight: All great books are strange. Every lasting work of literature since the very weird "Beowulf" has been strange, not only because it grapples with the strangeness around us, but also because the effect of originality is startling, making even the oldest books feel like brand new stories.” Strange: Out-of-the-ordinary, unusual, curious. "The strangeness around us," says Handler. There is a paradox here. What could be less strange than the wo... more »
May 27:The best is the cartoon page...
Oh, no, I don't mean the cartoon page in the Irving press. The days of cartoons that were both funny and insightful ended years ago,and after only a brief life. There was Peanuts, Pogo, Doonesbury, Calvin and Hobbes, ad few others. But they're long gone. We're now in the age of one-joke strips designed for those who think slipping on a banana peel is funny. Andy Capp? He's a drunken lout. Ha-ha. But comics can be both funny - and have something useful to say. Try the site below. http://imgur.com/gallery/h82vC That short strip is a profound insight into how us humans think - and ... more »
Ridge Racer 6 for the Xbox 360
I love my racing games. Yet, as long-time readers know, I'm not so keen on modern games. By 'modern' I mean the era inaugurated from around 2000 onwards with the coming of the Playstation2, and it's "competition" from Microsoft and Nintendo. Yes, for readers under the age of 25 that is aeons ago. 15 years is a long bloody time, but I'm sticking with that definition because reasons, and that your humble scribe is, sadly, well over his mid-20s. But I'm well aware that I run the risk of being the video game equivalent of a too-cool-for-school dad who declares current music crap because... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Málaga, Andalucia, Spain. Thanks for stopping by.
"All The Days..."
"Whenever, in the course of a daily hunt, the hunter comes upon a scene that is strikingly beautiful, or sublime; a black thundercloud with the rainbow's glowing arch above the mountain, a white waterfall in the heart of a green gorge, a vast prairie tinged with the bood-red of the sunset; he pauses for an instant in the attitude of worship. He sees no need for setting apart one day in seven as a holy day, because to him all the days are God's days." - Ohiyesa, a/k/a Charles Alexander Eastman, Santee Sioux
"Maybe..."
“Maybe we like the pain. Maybe we're wired that way. Because without it, I don't know; maybe we just wouldn't feel real. What's that saying? Why do I keep hitting myself with a hammer? Because it feels so good when I stop...” - "Grey's Anatomy"
"A Tiny Ripple Of hope..."
“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation. It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of o... more »
"Intelligent People All Have One Thing In Common: They Stay Up Later Than The Rest"
*"Intelligent People All Have One Thing In Common: * *They Stay Up Later Than The Rest"* by Lauren Martin "There’s an electricity in the moon. A pulse, a magic, an energy. A bewitching entrancement unlike that of the sun. The moon is for things unseen, things done in the shadows and beneath the fog. Under bridges and beneath bed sheets — it’s for wild hearts and unconcerned minds. It’s where plans are made in dark alleyways and secrets revealed under the soft haze of light coming through the cracks of closed shutters. It’s when fugitives escape and kids run away. It’s when girls los... more »
NATO Chief: Russia's Nuclear Threats 'Deeply Troubling'
U.S. President Barack Obama meets with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington May 26, 2015. Reuters/Kevin Lamarque *AFP:* *Russia's nuclear threats 'deeply troubling': NATO chief* *Washington (AFP) - Russia's provocative rhetoric on nuclear weapons and its dramatic expansion of flights by nuclear bombers are "deeply troubling" and "dangerous," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday.* *Russia's plans to deploy nuclear-capable missiles in Kaliningrad -- near Poland's border -- and its threat to move nuclear forces ... more »
Talking Up World War III Nuclear Scenarios
Topol-M road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile.(RIA Novosti / Syisoev) *News.com.au:* *The ‘war’ word is being increasingly heard as Europe, Russia, China and the United States adopt provocative postures* *IS the world going mad? Military posturing is quietly reaching new extremes in Europe, the Mediterranean and the South China Sea. And the provocative bluster has just reached new heights.* *The source was anonymous. But the mouthpiece has a measure of credibility. High profile military analyst and former US Naval War College lecturer John Schindler tweeted last week: “... more »
Why So Many Military Drills Across The Globe?
U.S. Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships steam in formation during their military manoeuvre exercise known as Keen Sword 15 in the sea south of Japan, in this November 19, 2014 handout provided by the U.S. Navy. REUTERS/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Chris Cavagnaro/U.S. Navy/Handout *News24*: *Military Drills Increase Globally- War Preparations in Progress?* *Joint and individual military exercise drills have proliferated across the globe over the past couple of months with no sign of these occurrences abating, if anything it appears as full steam ahead.* *A... more »
Supplemental: Are we able to like or respect more than one thing at a time?
*WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2015Bernie Sanders’ politics:* Many liberals very much like Bernie Sanders’ politics. We like Sanders’ politics too. On the other hand, we were surprised to see him semi-endorse the notion of a 90 percent marginal tax rate. Has he advanced such a position before? To us, that seems more like a position you advance as a professor, as a journalist or as a member of Congress, rather than as a White House candidate. Just a guess. It could have the effect of “McGovernizing” a very good man—and we *loved* Candidate McGovern, who went on to lose 49 states. That sai... more »
Peg with Pen: My Comment on PBS NewsHour's Opt Out Coverage
Peg with Pen: My Comment on PBS NewsHour's Opt Out Coverage: William Brangham, Thank you for covering Opt Out tonight. I'd like to clarify a few things that I truly wish would be made known to t... more »
Ramadi to Palmyra: KurdISHIS/Israeli collusion- Stealing Assyrian history
Going Long! - Palmyra, Ramadi , *KurdISHIS*, Israel and the theft of human history. Talked a bit about Ramadi yesterday as it related back to Mosul. Pointing out the fact that Mosul and Ramadi fell in the same manner. The Fall of Ramadi Mirrors the Fall of Mosul: ISIS "bigger threat then ever" Almost immediately after Ramadi fell, Palmyra was taken by *KurdISHIS.* *Coincidence or a plan?* *Looks to be a plan* "The simultaneous fall of Palmyra (also known in Arabic as Tadmor) in Syria with that of Ramadi in Iraq in the presence of the anti-ISIL coalition shows that the US and the ISIL... more »
This is What the U.S. Pays For.....
Gorlovka is in a region controlled by eastern Ukrainian self-defense forces. The Kiev junta's military was behind the attack. Locals also say the mortars came from the direction of army positions. Kiev says self-defense forces shelled their own families and neighborhoods.
2015 campaign for Stephen Harper has started
Harper's main strategy to vilify the leaders of the opponent parties has begun.
Memorial Day War Machine Resistance
Video from Brunswick, Maine Memorial Day parade with PeaceWorks and Veterans for Peace delegation. We actually should have had more than 100 people with us during the parade but many supporters are afraid to show their face in public or they have given up hope that anying good will come from protesting any more. One thing we can be sure of is that when good people don't speak out, especially when their own government has become fascist (the wedding of corporations and the state), then you can count on for sure that things will indeed get worse. It's astounding to me how many peo... more »
Integral Salvation – The Message of Sacred Plants
*Jonathon Miller-Weisberger* - Will you seek the wisdom of the sacred plants in exchange for integral salvation? The post Integral Salvation – The Message of Sacred Plants appeared first on Waking Times.
"Rigging Soccer Is Good For Jail, But Banks/Health Care..."
*"Rigging Soccer Is Good For Jail, But Banks/Health Care..."* by Karl Denninger "The hypocrisy is amusing... and disturbing. "A 47-count indictment was unsealed early this morning in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, charging 14 defendants with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies, among other offenses, in connection with the defendants’ participation in a 24-year scheme to enrich themselves through the corruption of international soccer. The guilty pleas of four individual defendants and two corporate defendants were also unsealed today. The defendants c... more »
"Elizabeth Warren Gives Amazing Two-Minute Explanation of How Government Has Been Taken Over by the Rich"
*"Elizabeth Warren Gives Amazing Two-Minute Explanation * *of How Government Has Been Taken Over by the Rich"* By Zaid Jilani "Tuesday night, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) spoke at the Re/code conference, a confab of media and tech influencers. During a question and answer session, a voter asked why politicians aren't building infrastructure or implementing other policy that respects the will of the people. Warren explained that the government in Washington just isn't responsive to the people who elected it – and won't be unless their constituents revolt and demand accountability: ...more »
What's More Valuable For Democratic Candidates, Solid Ideas And Values Or Perceived Coattails?
Tuesday night Elizabeth Warren was at the Re/code convention in DC. The guy above asked her the right question. I'm as happy with Bernie Sanders running for president as I would have been with Warren running. Either would make an infinitely more useful president than anything Establishment politics is about to puke up at us. Will the Republican clown car/horror show frighten enough people to force them to overlook Hillary Clinton's shortcomings and pick *her* as the lesser evil? That said, Blue America is very eager to help elect a slate of solid, dedicated progressives running f... more »
Some truly dreadful information has reached me about Israel
I have learned that a new law is about to be implemented in Israel, so here's the scoop before the BBC report it: 'The new law, according to Article 4.5 of the Citizenship Act of Israel, will hold: that he [a potential citizen] be an original Jew by birth, or that he has converted to Judaism according to the prescribed rules and procedures and that a period of at least 5 years has passed since he embraced Judaism before the grant of naturalization. Nationality thus acquired is ipso facto lost and the Decree of naturalization rendered void ab initio if the naturalized person expres... more »
The Economy: "Why I’m Looking Forward to the Next Big Crash"
*"Why I’m Looking Forward to the Next Big Crash"* by Bill Bonner London, England - "Our beef with our own generation is not that it failed, but that it succeeded too well. It took control of government and used it like an ape uses a rock – to crack open a nut. But we’ll come back to that in a minute… *The Dow Takes a Dive: *First, the Dow dropped 190 points yesterday – or 1%. It is threatening to close below 18,000 for the first time in almost three weeks. We’ll wait to find out. Yesterday, a London-based magazine and a TV station interviewed us. Both asked if we were “pessimistic.... more »
An Inalienable Right of Man: No Religious Coercion
As the communicator of new scientific knowledge that must change current paradigms, both inside and outside of science, I want to focus solely on that scientific knowledge. However, the problems we face today are urgent and require acknowledgement wherever they arise. Warning Signs has a post on "Leaving the Church of Environmentalism", to which I have responded: *Radical environmentalism--which is now being preached as politically and morally correct by all of our authoritative institutions--is not just a church, or religion, but a religion on a jihad, a holy war as it were. And th... more »
Meet Author Julian Kunnie 'Cost of Globalization'
Meet the Author Julian E Kunnie at Barnes & Noble – Foothills Mall May 30th, 1-5pm TUCSON, ARIZONA . Dr. Julian Kunnie (on far right) at the Indigenous Peoples Border Summit on Tohono O'odham land, standing on the imaginary border line with Mohawks, Acoma Pueblo, Dineh, Oneida and Lakota. Photo Brenda Norrell Meet the author in Tucson: Dr. Julian Kunnie, who many
UPDATED: 2018 World Soccer Cup in Russia???
*UPDATE: May 27, 2015* - this story has some interesting twists and turns. Here blogger Richard Edmondson reports on the threat Israel faces re expulsion from FIFA (for violence against Palestinian footballers) and the theory that the US's is making a pre-emptive strike against FIFA on Israel's behalf. *Russia awarded 2018 World Soccer Championship* I've had this post in a holding pattern in my "Drafts" for some months now.... but today's the day I bring it out. Today's the day the US Department of "Justice" has reported on its investigation *(just think of the benefits if the ... more »
U.S. Elections May be in Violation of the 14th Amendment
*by Len Hart, The Existentialist Cowboy* The ideal of *one man, one vote* has NEVER been achieved. If your VOTE does not carry the same weight as does the vote of someone else, then your rights under the 14th Amendment have been violated! For example, it is possible that a Presidential candidate could get a greater number of popular votes but, by losing a few large states, gets fewer *electoral college* votes and, thus, lose the White House. On any given election, votes are *not* equal. Someone else's vote may be *worth* more than yours or your vote may be worth more than the vote c... more »
6 Doctors Talk About Vaccines and Show Not All MDs are Pro-Vaccine
*Video - *Not all doctors subscribe to the religious-like extreme pro-vaccine position that believes all vaccines are good all the time, for all people, by force if necessary. The post 6 Doctors Talk About Vaccines and Show Not All MDs are Pro-Vaccine appeared first on Waking Times.
Turning “Collaboration” Into a Bad Word
Author's Note: This post was originally posted April 12, 2015. It is being reposted in light of the leadership of the American Federation of Teachers and United Federation of Teachers supporting a corporate education reformer for New York State Education Commissioner. The president of the American Federation of Teachers Randi Weingarten, offered tempered praise, saying in a statement that while the union was “opposed to high-stakes testing” and grading teachers on students’ test performance, “even when MaryEllen applied it as required under Florida law, she made collaboration her... more »
What We Really Need is a Slice of Humble Pie
This is a guest post by former Duck of Minerva blogger Daniel Nexon. The views that he expresses here should not be construed as representing those of the International Studies Association, International Studies Quarterly, or anyone with an ounce of sanity. We now have a lot of different meta-narratives about alleged fraud in “When Contact Changes Minds: An Experiment […]
Untitled
*Gentrification in New Orleans: Panel to discuss the changing face of the city ~Robert McClendon* *Grant to fund new study that aims to reduce incarceration rates at Orleans jail ~Jeff Adelson, N.O. Advocate* *NOPD investigating City Park rape ~WWLTV*
Editor's Note
Stuck in meetings today. Blogging will return 17:00 EST.
World News Briefs -- May 27, 2015
*ABC News*: *FIFA Officials Arrested Over Alleged ‘Rampant, Systematic’ $150M Bribery Scheme* *In a series of overnight busts, authorities arrested high-ranking FIFA officials over allegations of vast racketeering and corruption involving more than $150 million in bribes and kickbacks spanning two decades in soccer’s controversial governing body, law enforcement officials said.* *In all, 14 people, which include a trio of sports marketing executives, have been charged by the Department of Justice for allegedly “foster[ing] a culture of corruption and greed that created an uneven p... more »
Elon Musk's SpaceX: Now we help do SURVEILLANCE for the SPOOKS
*Oh Goody- more spying, control & surveillance* After an extended spat between* Elon Musk and the US Air Force*, SpaceX has finally been certified for military space missions, muscling into what had been a cosy monopoly held by a Lockheed-Boeing joint venture. An Air Force press release notes that the first opportunity for SpaceX to compete to provide launch services will probably be in June, for the GPS III satellite launch. “This is a very important milestone for the Air Force and the Department of Defense," said the Secretary of the Air Force, Deborah Lee James, who added: Space...more »
Untitled
Turning “Collaboration” Into a Bad Word By Ken Derstine The disastrous budget that Governor Cuomo has achieved in New York deepens the attack on teachers and public education. Among its many regressive measures, the budget includes evaluating teachers based on standardized test scores. This is despite the American Statistical Association estimating that teachers affect test scores by a factor of 1% to 14% , and that evaluating teachers by scores may actually reduce quality. The development of a national teacher evaluation system based on standardized tests has been the ten-year ... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- May 27, 2015
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *Wall Street Journal:* *China’s Naval Abilities Test Asia’s Insecuritie*s *Beijing plans to expand naval operations at a time of rising regional tensionChina’s promise to beef up its naval capabilities to prevent further “meddling” and “provocative actions” by rivals in the South China Sea is a daunting prospect for most of its neighbors, which already view Beijing’s fast-improving armed forces with trepidation.The Philippines contests some of China’s claims in the South China Sea, but it has virtually no modern military equipment with which to def... more »
12 Homeopathic Remedies That Should Be in Every Survival Kit
*Bonnie Camo - *The medical industry is afraid of the competition that homeopathic remedies represent. Anyone who has ever tried them will know the truth. The post 12 Homeopathic Remedies That Should Be in Every Survival Kit appeared first on Waking Times.
President of Turkey: No U.S. - Turkish Agreement To Enforce A 'No Fly Zone' Over Syria
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. Photograph: Umit Bektas/Reuters *Hurriyet News*: *No Turkish-US agreement on no-fly zone, but Ankara in line with Gulf: ErdoÄŸan* *Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have agreed on the necessity to enforce a safe zone and a no-fly zone in Syria despite the absence of such an agreement with the US administration, Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan has said.* *However, Turkey and the United States “have not reached a mutual agreement on a no-fly zone and safe haven,” ErdoÄŸan said in a televised interview late on May 26, noting that steps should be tak... more »
Ecuador's Indigenous to confront Chevron in shareholder meeting for rainforest damage and lies
By 350 Bay Area Censored News Protest at Chevron Annual Shareholders Meeting, Wednesday 7:00 am With evidence mounting that Chevron falsified evidence to evade paying a $9.5 billion pollution liability in Ecuador, Chevron CEO John Watson faces an embarrassing public reprimand this week from an Ecuadorian indigenous leader who has traveled from the rainforest to the company's annual
Russia And NATO Stage Massive Rival War Games Over The Arctic
*CNN*: *In show of muscle, Russia conducts military exercise in country's northwest* *(CNN)You flex your muscles and I'll flex mine. Or so it seems to go in international relations these days.* *Russia has deployed 12,000 troops along with numerous aircraft and weapons in a surprise military exercise in the country's northwest -- a show of strength that may be a response to a long-planned European military exercise led by Norway.* *The Russian news agency Tass, quoting the country's defense ministry, reported Monday that the exercise involves as many as 250 combat planes and hel... more »
These 4 Ingredients in Most Processed Foods are Decimating Your Health
*Mae Chan - *It's not just the high fat, salt or sugar content of processed foods that is driving obesity and diet-related illnesses -- the lack of food diversity is killing our gut flora. The post These 4 Ingredients in Most Processed Foods are Decimating Your Health appeared first on Waking Times.
IQ, Psy Ops and the “Civilization” of the Scam
*Jay Dyer* - Mass media has been weaponized and turned into a psychological operation. The post IQ, Psy Ops and the “Civilization” of the Scam appeared first on Waking Times.
SpaceX Has Been Cleared For US Military Launches
The unmanned SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with Dragon lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida on April 14, 2015. Reuters/Scott Audette *The Verge*: *SpaceX can now launch military and spy satellites with its Falcon 9 rocket * *The US Air Force has certified SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket to launch military and spy satellites, according to Reuters. Currently, the control of those launches is dominated by the United Launch Alliance, a Boeing and Lockheed Martin consortium.* *Elon Musk and SpaceX spent two years and more than $60 million t... more »
This Interview With Nikola Tesla Reveals His Extraordinary Personality
*Waking Times* - An 1899 interview Nikola Tesla in which he says a great deal about his personal life. The post This Interview With Nikola Tesla Reveals His Extraordinary Personality appeared first on Waking Times.
Categorizing The Iraq Insurgency
Today, the Islamic State (IS) dominates the Iraqi insurgency. It has swallowed up opposing factions and forced others off the battlefield. Up to 2014 however there was a range of militant groups operating in the country. In 2005, Nicholas Haussler attempted to categorize the insurgency into three broad groups. Those were local level actors that were usually based upon kinship. The next were larger enterprises that had access to weapons, independent funding, and connections to international groups and markets. The last was the transnational Al Qaeda in Iraq that networked with Iraqi... more »
SAME OLD STORIES: Marcus and Bruni have money troubles!
*WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2015Part 3—These old story-lines never end:* With fans like the Washington Post’s Ruth Marcus, who needs an enemies list? In her column this Sunday, Marcus identified herself as “a fan of Hillary Clinton.” Within the upper-end insider press corps, this is the way such people have reasoned all through the Clinton/Gore years: MARCUS (5/24/15): *Hillary Clinton’s unseemly speechifyingAgain with the speeches. The gross excessiveness of it all,* vacuuming up six-figure checks well past the point of rational need or political seemliness. The ceaseless drip of infor...more »
Is A U.S. - China Conflict About To Eplode In The South China Sea?
Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands, among the many disputed specks of land in the South China Sea, in a shot taken by a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon surveillance jet. Photo: Reuters *The Independent editorial*: *An extremely dangerous conflict is brewing between the US and China in a tiny archipelago in the South China Sea* *Where lies the greatest potential for disaster in this ever more disordered world? In Russia’s efforts to rebuild its former empire? In the chaos of the Middle East, or the chronic instability of a nuclear-armed Pakistan? Conceivably, none of the above. A case c... more »
Who Would Pope Francis Vote For? A Jewish Socialist?
Probably not Ted Cruz; probably not any Republican or any conservative. His teachings indicate that the Pope is a progressive, especially on economic matters. He sounds a lot like Jesus in fact. He may not have the shekels to spread around that the Adelsons, Kochs and Rove are going to spend to help elect right-wing ideologues and handmaidens to the wealthy-- the demographic that popes have always backed-- but this Pope's teachings can have a tremendous impact on voters in 2016. The Pope and Bernie Sanders both see the economic issues being debated in society in moral terms. And B... more »
China's Military White Strategy Paper Outlines Their New Military Doctrine
*Washington Post:* *Chinese military sets course to expand global reach as ‘national interests’ grow* *BEIJING — China said Tuesday that it plans to extend its global military reach to safeguard its economic interests, while defending its territorial claims at sea against “provocative actions” by neighbors and “meddling” by the United States.A policy document setting out China’s military strategy, issued by the State Council, or cabinet, underlined the dramatic growth of the country’s defense ambitions — especially its naval ambitions — in tandem with its rapid economic rise.B... more »
Laeked Video Exposes Deep Divisions Among Iranian Lawmakers Over The Nuclear Talks
*The Telegraph*: *Video secretly filmed inside Iranian parliament exposes divisions over nuclear talks* *Hardliner claiming to speak from the Supreme Leader heard calling Foreign Minister Zarif a 'traitor' for agreeing a deal with the West * *Iranians have been captivated by a video circulating on social media that shows lawmakers arguing over the ongoing nuclear negotiations with world powers.* *The video, which surfaced Monday, shows Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who has led the nuclear talks, and hard-line lawmaker Mahdi Kouchakzadeh in a heated exchange, apparently... more »
Mini Lasagna Cups
Lasagna is a family favorite. But let's be honest: it can often be expensive to make, and can be time consuming to prepare. Plus, while I love lasagna, it can tend to be heavy and just sit in your stomach. How could it not with those giant noodles? That's where these mini lasagna cups come in. They are smaller and better portioned, which is great if you're watching your weight or trying to eat smarter. These mini lasagna cups also feature won ton wrappers instead of traditional noodles, which makes for a lighter meal and allows you to focus on all the other delicious flavors. Not... more »
Untitled
*No Suspension for Swearing – Punishment Unfair to Minorities* The Oakland Unified school board in California voted unanimously last week to eliminate willful defiance as a reason to suspend any student. Willful defiance is a broad category of misbehavior that includes offenses such as ignoring requests to stop texting and swearing at a teacher. KRON-TV reports the new policy is expected to be in full effect next July. Civil and child rights advocates have been lobbying for such changes based on statistics showing that minority students are disproportionately punished for disobedi... more »
Iranian Nuclear Talks Underway. There Is Now No expectation Of A Deal By The June 30 Deadline
Negotiators of Iran and six world powers face each other at a table in the historic basement of Palais Coburg hotel in Vienna April 24, 2015. Reuters/Heinz-Peter Bader *L.A. Times:* *Nuclear talks bogging down as Iran balks at key decisions, envoys say* *Talks over Iran’s nuclear program are bogging down because Tehran’s negotiators are reluctant to put in writing previous concessions that may be deeply unpopular at home, current and former diplomats said Tuesday.* *With the negotiations’ June 30 deadline about a month away, the Iranian team is balking at important decisions, sayi... more »
Saudi Arabia is a Medival Empire
So why is the Harper goverment selling it weapons. No country in the world is more responsible for jihad than Saudi. No principles left in Canada goverment.
Untitled
*An example of a false premise leading to a foolish conclusiuon* *More hayfever is coming! Caused by global warming, of course! The logic leading to that conclusion below is impeccable. But a basic premise is faulty. Global warming, feeble as it was, has now stopped completely. So unless something changes, there will be NO increase of hayfever due to climate events. Parthenium weed, another North American import, causes a lot of allergic reactions in Australia. No doubt its spread will be blamed on global warming too* Hay fever misery to increase with global warming: Invasive... more »
The Big Blue Propaganda Machine
Jeff Sallot offers some perspective on the Big Blue Propaganda Machine: How big is the propaganda machine? Well, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation reported last year the government employs no fewer than 3,300 communications staffers whose primary function is to make the government look good. The cost to taxpayers is $263 million *a year*. The total number of journalists in the press gallery — your independent watchdogs on government — is less than 300. And no newspaper, television network or other Canadian media outfit has anything like the funds the government has available to m... more »
Hard Workin' Steve - "It's hard work!"
It's attack ad season from now to Election 42! Steve isn't doing TeaPaw Pawlenty this time round, harkening back instead to earlier roots. Con Party ad - *not exactly as shown here.* Justin Ling on the whole batch : "... the Conservatives have another ad, featuring Sad Harper sitting at his desk, all alone, late at night. But it'll be the Trudeau attack ad that you see again, and again, and again. You know why? Because the Conservative Party has (and this is the proper accounting term) a fuckload of money. By the end of 2013, the party had $11 million in unrestricted cash in... more »
Is the Magic Straw the Next Revolution in Wind Energy?
*Video - *Here's a technological leap forward and a revolution in wind energy...a more efficient, cost-effective and environmental friendly way to produce energy. The post Is the Magic Straw the Next Revolution in Wind Energy? appeared first on Waking Times.
"War Is A Racket" - A speech delivered in 1933, by Major General Smedley Butler, USMC.
*[ a true patriot, when he/she realizes that a country's military are used only to enrich, serve and protect the Banksters and their interests, is willing to tell the Truth to whoever will listen. . ]* *Major General Smedley Butler, USMC.* He joined the Marine Corps when the Spanish American War broke out, earned the Brevette Medal during the Boxer Rebellion in China, saw action in Central America, and in France during World War I was promoted to Major General. Smedley Butler served his country for 34 years, yet he spoke against American armed intervention into the affairs of sov... more »
NEWS ALERT: Russia Launches Own JADE HELM as China Pushes Pentagon
*[ history shows that the Bankers steal the world economies, and then set up a World War to take the focus off of them and their crimes . . do enough people now see through the sham to put a wrench into things or make a difference? It still seems that many/most look around a see For Sale signs and empty businesses, but just think that it's just due to a mysterious economic downturn that came about starting in 2007-08 as a "normal" economic cycle, and trust the TV when it tells them for the 1000th time that things are getting better . . . What have you done lately to help others... more »
Economic News , Data and Views ( May 27 , 2015 ) - Greece Updates ( Rhetoric of the day from Jack Lew / Juncker / Regling / Syriza Hard Left , Varoufakis revives " Troika" term , Dombrovoskis / Schauble ....... State of Play For Ongoing Negotiations ..... Economic information ) .......Broader Europe ( Finland sets New Gov't , names Ministers to Finance and foreign Ministry Posts , Spain in focus , FIFA in shambles , Italian politics in focus , Failed German 30 year bund auction today and more items of note! )
Tweets.... More at tweet feed during day.... Greece.... *zerohedge* @zerohedge · 47m47 minutes ago GREECE SAID LIKELY TO MISS MAY DEAL DEADLINE AS TALKS STALL, GREECE SAID TO BE NOWHERE CLOSE TO AGREEMENT WITH CREDITORS... But, but... *Holger Zschaepitz* @Schuldensuehner · 31m31 minutes ago Are things coming to a head now, Berenberg asks as #ECB left ELA limit unch despite outflow acceleration to €300m/day [image: Embedded image permalink] *Holger Zschaepitz* @Schuldensuehner · 4h4 hours ago Meet One of the Most Hated Men in #Greece. http://bloom.bg/1dwbl6e ...more »
Difference Between “Discreet” and “Discrete”
The difference is significant and when confused can lead to hilarious results -- "I am very discrete" suggests "I am quite alienated" as opposed to "I can be trusted with secrets". "Discreet situations" is suggestive of a True Confessions situation as opposed to isolated incidents!!!! *discreet adj. Showing discernment or judgement in the guidance of one’s own speech and action; judicious, prudent, circumspect, cautious; often esp. that can be silent when speech would be inconvenient. * *discrete adj. Separate, detached from others, individually distinct. Opposed to continuous.*
Specific performance
*UBS Securities Canada, Inc. v. Sands Brothers Canada, Ltd*., 2009 ONCA 328 provides a nice summary of when specific performance is available: There is no dispute about the applicable legal principles. When fashioning a remedy for a breach of contract, the object is to place the injured party in the position that he or she would have been had the contract been performed. Typically, damages are ordered. However, where damages are inadequate to compensate an injured party for its losses, specific performance may be ordered. Accordingly, specific performance may be ordered where the s... more »
German ministers call for EU-wide ban on Monsanto's deadly glyphosate herbicide
Tuesday, May 26, 2015 by: Daniel Barker Monsanto may be expanding its operations in the United States, but elsewhere, lawmakers, scientists, activists and ordinary citizens are increasingly questioning (and in many cases banning) the introduction of GM crops, along with the use of the glyphosate herbicide (Monsanto's Roundup). State consumer protection ministers in Germany are advocating an EU-wide ban on glyphosate herbicides in response to the World Health Organization's (WHO) categorization of the chemical as "probably carcinogenic." On May 8, the German state ministers introd... more »
Automation and the Jobless Future
This week I’m attending ASU’s 3rd Annual Conference on Governance of Emerging Technologies: Law, Policy, and Ethics (here). The conference is extraordinarily interesting. The plenary session addressed Technological Unemployment. I found presentations by Martin Ford and James Hughes to be particularly interesting. You can read about Ford’s “Rise of the Machines” and the jobless future here: http://www.wired.com/2015/04/rise-machines-future-lots-robots-jobs-humans/ James Hughes’ warning that technology must be implemented democratically is found in, *Citizen Cyborg: Why Democrat... more »
FIFA news
Six FIFA executives have been arrested this morning in Switzerland. The FBI seem to be involved. For updates you should listen to Colin Murray's TalkSport show - he has been very strong on FIFA for quite some time now, he's not going to let this drop.
Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center Certifies SpaceX for National Security Space Missions
Lieutenant General Samuel Greaves, Commander of the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) and Air Force Program Executive Officer for Space, has announced the certification of Space Exploration Technologies Corporation’s (SpaceX) Falcon 9 Launch System for national security space missions. SpaceX is now eligible for award of qualified national security space launch missions as one of two currently certified launch providers. The first upcoming opportunity for SpaceX to compete to provide launch services is projected to be in June when the Air Force releases a Request f... more »
Boeing Will Begin Production of AH-6i 'Little Bird' This Year
[image: AH-6i Little Bird]Boeing Defense will begin production of the AH-6i Little Bird light attack and reconnaissance helicopter in Mesa, Ariz., by the end of the year. The manufacturer declined to name the first buyer, which the U.S. Army has previously identified as the Saudi Arabia National Guard. The latter agency will acquire 24 international Little Birds through a foreign military sale (FMS). Read more
HAL signs MoU with BAE Systems for Hawk Mk132 upgrade
[image: Hawk Mk132]HAL has signed an MoU with BAE Systems UK for upgradation of Hawk Mk132, development of combat Hawk for Indian and export markets and maintenance solutions for supporting Jaguar and Hawk fleet. According to HAL, Hawk Mk 132 is an Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) with tandem dual seats meant to provide basic, advanced flying and weapons training. "The cockpit provides excellent field of view and the aircraft is equipped with Inertial Navigation/Global Positioning System, Head-Up Display and Hands-On Throttle and Stick controls," the release said. Read more
Marine F-35B conducts first operational testing at sea
The Marine Corps' latest fighter jet has completed more than 80 successful sorties as part of its first operational testing at sea. Early Tuesday morning, F-35B joint strike fighters — the service's short-takeoff, vertical-landing variant of the aircraft — screeched across the deck of the amphibious assault ship Wasp in quick succession, racking up the tally further. Pilots in six aircraft are now conducting day and night operations off the mid-Atlantic seaboard as the first part of the final phase of real-world testing before the aircraft reaches its long-anticipated initial oper... more »
Brazilian Navy Receives Modernized AF-1B Jet Fighter
[image: Embraer AF-1B]Embraer Defense & Security announced Tuesday that it has delivered the first modernized AF-1B jet fighter to the Brazilian Navy at the ceremony held at its industrial plant in Sao Paulo. The AF-1 is an intercept and attack airplane operating from an aircraft carrier to provide air defense for the fleet. The AF-1 program revitalizes and modernizes 12 subsonic jets – nine AF-1 single-seaters and three AF-1A two-seaters. Embraer’s modernization program also includes supplying briefing and debriefing stations that are already being used for the training and profic... more »
Thai Navy to deploy 7 vessels to assist Rohingyas
[image: HTMS Saiburi (FF-458)]Vice-Admiral Sayan Prasongsamrej, Commander of the Royal Thai Navy’s Third Naval Area, explained today (May 26) how the Thai Navy will be used to find Rohingya refugee ships in Thai waters and help them. Seven ships will be deployed, he said, naming them as HTMS Angthong, a landing platform dock ship, which will act as a floating hospital; HTMS Saiburi, a guided missile frigate; HTMS Thayan Chon, an anti-submarine frigate; a large landing craft and three patrol boats. The Saiburi arrived in Phuket’s deep sea port today and the Angthong is expected on T... more »
Watch: Incredible time-lapse shows moment £3billion aircraft carrier is moved into place
The Royal Navy's latest £3billion aircraft carrier has taken step towards completion as this time lapse film reveals. The Aircraft Carrier Alliance footage shows the 680-tonne command tower being lifted into place on the deck of HMS Prince of Wales at the Rosyth shipyard near Edinburgh. And it also shows how the huge command centre was carried by a barge from the Govan shipyard on the Clyde, down through the Irish Sea, round Land's End, up the English Channel and the North Sea and on to Rosyth on the Firth of Forth. Read more
China constructs lighthouses in disputed sea
China's Ministry of Transport held a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday for the construction of two lighthouses in the disputed South China Sea area, a move that is likely to escalate tensions in the region. China's state-run news agency Xinhua reported that the two multi-functional lighthouses are being built on Huayang Reef and Chigua Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands to provide navigational service to passing ships. The reefs, also known as Cuateron Reef and Johnson South Reef, are located in an area that is claimed by several countries, including Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippin... more »
DPP pledges to develop Taiwan's own defense capabilities: party think tank
[image: ROCAF F-16 Fighting Falcon]Taiwan will focus on developing its own defense capabilities if the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) returns to power, according to a blue paper on national defense published by a DPP think tank Tuesday. DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who will represent the party in the 2016 presidential election, said in the preface of the 12th blue paper that boosting Taiwan's national defense industry will be at the center of national defense if the DPP returns to power. The DPP usually publishes a blue paper on national defense every six months, but its ... more »
HHI launches stealth minelayer for Korean Navy
[image: MLS-II Nampo]Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), the world's largest shipbuilder, has launched MLS-II Nampo, its second minelayer for the Korean Navy. The launching ceremony at HHI's Ulsan, South Korea, was attended by Mr. Baek Seung-joo, Vice Minister of National Defense of Republic of Korea; Mr. Kwon Oh-gap, President & CEO of HHI; and 100 other guests. The MLS-II Nampo is both HHI and Korea's second minelayer and follows MLS-560 Wonsan, delivered in 1997. Read more
Reviewing EPR, a "sleeping beauty" paper
Nature wrote an article with the list of top 15 "sleeping beauty" papers that were initially almost ignored but many decades later, they exploded and began to attract lots of followups. Almost all of them are about the physics of surfaces and closely related issues in solid state physics. One exception, ranking as the #14 sleeping beauty, is the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen 1935 paper Can quantum mechanical description of physical reality be considered complete? (4 pages, full text) that I will critically review below. The main author came to the U.S. 2 years earlier, he was probably t... more »
SA Libs flay PM Tony Abbott over release of damning figures on air warfare destroyers on launch eve
[image: HMAS Hobart (DDG-39)]South Australian Liberal MPs have challenged their boss, Prime Minister Tony Abbott, over the release of damning figures on the Air Warfare Destroyer on the eve of its launch. Last Friday, the day before luminaries gathered in Adelaide to celebrate the unveiling of the HMAS Hobart, reports emerged that the AWD project was running $2 billion over budget and three years over schedule. The Advertiser has been told that yesterday in the Coalition’s joint partyroom meeting, Boothby MP Andrew Southcott asked Mr Abbott why the figures had been leaked at that mo... more »
Essay: Changing the Anti-Ship Cruise Missile Paradigm
During the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis (1995–96), United States naval dominance was demonstrated through the deployment of two carrier battle groups as a show of force within 100 miles of the Chinese mainland. Then-Secretary of Defense William Perry could state that while the Chinese “are a great military power, the premier—the strongest—military power in the Western Pacific is the United States.” Since then, there has been a steady encroachment on the U.S. Navy’s maritime dominance through the development of technologically advanced and increasingly effective anti- ship cruise mis... more »
PLA Navy will have 415 warships in near future: US expert
[image: Liaoning Task Group]James Fanell, the former director of the US Pacific Fleet's intelligence and information, predicted China will eventually have about 415 warships including four aircraft carriers and 100 submarines in the near future while attending a two-day conference held by the US Naval War College's China Maritime Studies Institute in Newport, Rhode Island last week, reports the Defense News. The event was held to discuss the PLA Navy's shipbuilding progress and challenges. It concluded that the PLA Navy is making achievements and will continue to grow. Most expert... more »
L-3 Receives Award for U.S. Navy Photonics Mast Program
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[image: Virginia class SSN]L-3 Communications announced today that its electro-optics business, L-3 KEO, was awarded a $48.7 million, competitively bid contract from the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) to develop and build a new, slimmer version of its photonics mast for the Block 4 Low Profile Photonics Mast (LPPM) program for use on Virginia-class submarines. Under the terms of the contract, L-3 KEO will perform engineering and design work for the lower-profile mast during the first year, with options to produce up to 29 photonics masts over a subsequent four-year period, as ... more »
New Substantial Entry on Precautionary Reasoning and the Precautionary Principle in (Global) Bioethics Online – and Open Access for a While
I'm happy and proud to announce that a brand new invited 10 page entry by myself in the *Encyclopedia of Global Bioethics* (edited by Henk ten Have and published by Springer) on the topic of "Precautionary Principle" is now online. Moreover, for some time ahead (though I don't know how long) the entry is so-called open access – *that is, it can be freely read online and downloaded by anyone*! Of course, the entry builds on some of my previous work on the ethics of precaution and risk, not least my book *The Price of Precaution and the Ethics of Risk* and a more brief encyclopedia p...more »
Musical Interlude: Gov't Mule, "Soulshine"
Gov't Mule, "Soulshine" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijsritrkiAA
Submarine John Warner completes first sea trials
[image: Virginia class SSN]A big milestone in the construction of the submarine John Warner, being built at Newport News Shipyard. The Virginia-class submarine completed its first sea trials last Saturday. "Alpha sea trials represent the first underway test of the quality of the craftsmanship that went into the construction of this great vessel and the skill of the crew that operates her," said Jim Hughes, Newport News' vice president of submarines and fleet support. Read more
Indian company seeks Russian support to build ships
[image: INS Chakra]The Indian company Reliance Infrastructure is seeking a Russian partner to launch a joint venture for the construction of nuclear submarines and ships with stealth technology, the newspaper Economic Times reported on May 22. According to the newspaper, the company's top managers have already met with senior representatives of the Defence Ministry in Moscow. A source close to the negotiations said they would visit Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu and name a potential Russian partner with the necessary technological expertise. Read more
U.S. Navy selects Lockheed Martin Syracuse for sonar systems to hunt submarines
[image: Zumwalt (DDG 1000) class DDG]The U.S. Navy has placed a $27.2 million order with Lockheed Martin in Salina for seven towed-array sonar systems that enable surface ships to hunt and attack submarines. The Navy exercised it latest option on a September 2013 contract with Lockheed Martin that is worth up to $199 million. The previous contract option in May 2014 was for production of nine multi-function towed arrays valued at $31.7 million. Read more
Pentagon Is Critical On iraq's Decision To Choose A Shiite Code Name To Retake Ramadi
*Reuters*: *Pentagon slams 'unhelpful' Shi'ite code name for Ramadi offensive* *The Pentagon on Tuesday said it was "unhelpful" for Iraq's Shi'ite militia to have announced an openly sectarian code name for the operation to retake the Sunni city of Ramadi and added that, in the U.S. view, the full-on offensive had yet to begin.* *A spokesman for the Shi'ite militias, known as Hashid Shaabi, said the code name for the new operation would be "Labaik ya Hussein", a slogan in honor of a grandson of the Prophet Mohammed killed in the 7th Century battle that led to the schism between ... more »
Female Service Members Need Easier Access to Abortion, Not a Wider Range of Birth Control
Pregnancy has consistently been treated by the US military as a costly inconvenience, and proof of women’s weak, unreliable and unpredictable bodies. In particular, there are concerns about the exceptionally high rates of unplanned pregnancies amongst service members, and the logistics and costs associated with such pregnancies (research indicated service women may be 50% more […]
Arranged Marriages Is One Way The Islamic State Keeps The Loyalty (And Morale) Of Its Fighters
*Daily Mail:* *ISIS offers fighters up to £1,000 starter home bonus and honeymoon in their stronghold Syrian city of Raqqa* ** To encourage fighters to Raqqa Islamic State has set up 'welfare system'* ** Incentives for would-be jihadis include a marriage bonus of up to $1,500* ** ISIS also pays up to $400 bonus for each child as well as monthly stipend* ** U.N revealed today that ISIS is committing horrific sex crimes against girls* *Islamic State is offering its fighters a $1,500 bonus to go towards a starter home along with a free honeymoon in their stronghold city of Raqqa.* ... more »
Recruits For The Islamic State Are Coming In From All Over The World
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *The Guardian:* *Islamist fighters drawn from half the world's countries, says UN* *Report says there are more than 25,000 ‘foreign terrorist fighters’ from 100 countries in jihadi conflicts, who pose an ‘immediate and long-term threat’* *More than half the countries in the world are currently generating Islamist extremist fighters for groups such as al-Qaida and Islamic State, the UN has said.* *A report by the UN security council says there are more than 25,000 “foreign terrorist fighters” currently involved in jihadi conflicts and they are “trave... more »
Why is the best time to learn a language when you're young?
… the answer is neuroplasticity. And it’s the reason no-one can ride this bicycle. [Hat tip Michael Hurd] Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW) - Open Your Windows
Welcome to Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)! Wondering how to live greener? You've come to the right place. Each week we challenge ourselves to try a new task ... or "amp up" something we're already doing. We raise our awareness, learn from each other and develop Eco-friendly skills which will improve our lives and protect our planet. Doing so together gives us power ... the power to Change The World! If this is your first visit, please click *HERE* for information and a complete list of all the challenges we've taken on so far. This post contains great information and I encourag... more »
Degrade And Destroy? More Like Aid And Abet
*Mass exodus out of Ramadi, Iraq, after it fell to US-NATO-Saudi-Turkish-Qatari-Jordanian-Israeli backed troops otherwise known as "ISIS." Photo Source: Xinhua/Landov/Barcroft Media. * 8 months ago . . .
More US-NATO War Mongering
Barack Obama accuses Russia of adopting an “increasingly aggressive” stance on Ukraine, during a meeting with NATO's chief in the White House. RT's Gayane Chichakyan has the details. The hypocrisy of the US-NATO global war machine is over the top. They push, push, push against others and when anyone reacts to the bully they are accused of being the aggressor. It works though because so many people in the western world have been reduced to consumers and entertainment junkies - thus they fall prey to the lies constantly flowing out of the White House and from NATO HQ in Brussels. ... more »
Nailing the job interview, Zonker Harris-style
*by Ken* As last week's *Doonesbury Classic* reminded us, there was a moment there, back in 1982, when the core players were contemplating the leap from college to the real world, when it looked as if Zonk's future might lie in -- surely the least probable of the callings he's bumped up against -- um, *software*? *MONDAY -- "Maybe you can break the kiln"* *Doonesbury by G. B. Trudeau* *TUESDAY** -- "Careful, Zonk, you'll peak before the interviews"* *Doonesbury by G. B. Trudeau* *WEDNESDAY -- "Well, I'm off for my interviews"* *Doonesbury by G. B. Trudeau* *TH... more »
An Analysis On The Islamic State's Weapons And Tactics Used In Defeating The Iraqi Army In Ramadi
*Wall Street Journal*: *How Islamic State’s Win in Ramadi Reveals New Weapons, Tactical Sophistication and Prowess* *Examination of Ramadi’s downfall reflects complex plans and new weapons* *In late April, a commander for Islamic State said his forces were ready to launch an offensive to take Ramadi, and the group called for fighters to redeploy to Iraq from Syria.* *Three weeks later, the jihadist group seized the capital of Anbar province after relentless waves of suicide bombings.* *U.S. defense chief Ash Carter has blamed Ramadi’s fall mainly on Iraqi forces’ lack of will t... more »
Oppression Remedy and Derivative Actions
Rea v. Wildeboer, 2015 ONCA 373: [26] I accept that the derivative action and the oppression remedy are not mutually exclusive. Cases like *Malata* and *Jabalee* make it clear that there are circumstances where the factual underpinning will give rise to both types of redress and in which a complainant will nonetheless be entitled to proceed by way of oppression remedy. Other examples include: *Ontario (Securities Commission) v. McLaughlin*, [1987] O.J. No 1247 (H.C.J.); *Deluce Holdings Inc. v. Air Canada* (1992), 12 O.R. (3d) 131 (Gen. Div.); *C.I. Covington Fund Inc. v. White*... more »
Bridge
My latest book is one that I've been wanting to get hold of for quite some time now. It's probably the one book that I've been aware of for the longest but haven't had a chance to read. It will also be one of the first books I've read in translation in quite awhile as my knowledge of Serbo-Croatian is slim to none. I first became aware of "The Bridge on the Drina" back during my university days. The conflict in the former Yugoslavia was winding down and it was a part of the world I became intensely interested, partly because of a course I took on international relations and pa... more »
Russian Mobile Crematoriums In Ukraine?
A 'Cargo 200' truck, carrying the bodies of Russian 'volunteers' killed fighting in Ukraine, crosses the border into Russia. Maria Turchenkova/Echo Photo Agency *Josh Rogin, Bloomberg*: *Russia Is Using Mobile Crematoriums to Hide Ukraine's Dead* *Russia is so desperate to hide its military involvement in Ukraine that it has brought in mobile crematoriums to destroy the bodies of its war dead, say U.S. lawmakers who traveled to the war-torn country this spring.* *The U.S. and NATO have long maintained that thousands of Russian troops are fighting alongside separatists inside east... more »
When is Memorial Day for the Innocent Victims of War?
*Dylan Charles* - Our soldiers choose to put their life at risk... innocent people have no choice. The post When is Memorial Day for the Innocent Victims of War? appeared first on Waking Times.
The Role of Exponential Function in Population and Energy
*Video - *In this video, Albert Bartlett gives a lecture about how our inability to understand exponential function is the greatest shortcoming of the human race. The post The Role of Exponential Function in Population and Energy appeared first on Waking Times.
Bonilla's Comet
In the UFO literature, one of the older cases frequently quoted as the first ever UFO photographs (see Blum, Ralph and Judy, *Beyond Earth: Man’s Contact with UFOs*, page 45; Vallee, Jacques, *Anatomy of a Phenomenon*, page 30, for example) happened on August 12, 1883. Jose Bonilla, an astronomer at the Zacatecas Observatory, saw dozens of objects cross the disk of the sun and he photographed some of them. He reported that they seemed to be grouped in formations of fifteen to twenty and appeared at regular intervals. The Blums reported that the photographs showed circular or spindle... more »
Weapons And Men Are Now Flowing From Ukraine Into Russia
*Bloomberg: **Russia Digs Ditches to Slow Inflow of Arms and Men From Ukraine* *President Vladimir Putin is facing a new kind of blowback from the war in Ukraine: weapons and intruders flowing out of the conflict zone and into Russia.* *Accused by the U.S. and its allies of backing the rebels with arms and men, Russia is now digging ditches to halt munitions and smugglers moving east across its western frontier. Russia has so far dug about 100 kilometers (60 miles) of trenches 4 meters wide and 2 meters deep in the Rostov region, which borders both of Ukraine’s self-declared repu... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Gorgeous spiral galaxy NGC 3521 is a mere 35 million light-years away, toward the constellation Leo. Relatively bright in planet Earth's sky, NGC 3521 is easily visible in small telescopes but often overlooked by amateur imagers in favor of other Leo spiral galaxies, like M66 and M65. It's hard to overlook in this colorful cosmic portrait, though. *Click image for larger size.* Spanning some 50,000 light-years the galaxy sports characteristic patchy, irregular spiral arms laced with dust, pink star forming regions, and clusters of young, blue stars. Remarkably, this deep image also ... more »
IPR and Medicines 34, Another Forum on TPP and IP, Manila
On Monday, June 1, there will be a Discussion on "Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) to focus on Intellectual Property and Medicines" jointly sponsored by MAG, AGAP and IDEALS, 10am to 3pm at the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) office in Quezon City. Resource Speaker will be Dr. Burcu Kilic of Public Citizen, Global Access to Medicine Program. She is also a Legal Counsel at the American University, Washington College of Law. I will attend it. I also asked the organizers if I can be a panel reactor, I just need an advance copy of her presentation or previous papers, then I can react... more »
Six Decades After Brown
Charts follow the clip: Decades after the U.S. Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education ruling declared segregated schooling of black students unconstitutional, many American schools with high minority populations continue to receive fewer resources and provide an education that's inferior to schools with large white populations. For Sunday's 61st anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling, which proclaimed "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal," *The Huffington Pos*t takes a look at the state of education for black students in 2015. In many states,... more »
The Making of a Bavarian Candidate : The Götterdämmerung Myth
*This "Last Known Picture" of Adolf Hitler outside the Old Chancellory, April 28th 1945 would appear to be an obvious photographic forgery.* *"If the war is lost, then it is of no concern to me if the people perish in it. I still would not shed a single tear for them; Because they did not deserve any better."* *—"Adolf Hitler", Downfall* *This doesn't even sound like Hitler.* *Probably a more historically accurate account.* *Hitler's personal Junkers Ju-290 landed at Barcelona on 16 April 1945, four days after the assassination of President Roosevelt by White Russian Fascist netw... more »
Venice
Bertrand Russell : The Golem of Venice from Spike EP on Vimeo How the Dead Souls of Venice Corrupted Science Webster G. Tarpley, Ph.D. ICLC Conference, September, 1994 « Against Oligarchy – Table of Contents There is a cancer growing on world history – the cancer of oligarchism. Between 1200 A.D. and about 1600 A.D., the world center of gravity for the forces of oligarchism was the oligarchy of Venice. Toward the end of that time, the Venetian oligarchy decided for various reasons to transfer its families, fortunes, and characteristic outlook to a new base of operations, which turn... more »
Chet Raymo, “Moments of Being”
*“Moments of Being”* by Chet Raymo “A passage from the "Pensees" of Teilhard de Chardin: "Though the phenomena of the lower world remain the same- the material determinisms, the vicissitudes of chance, the laws of labor, the agitations of men, the footfalls of death- he who dares to believe reaches a sphere of created reality in which things, while retaining their habitual texture, seem to be made out of a different substance. Everything remains the same so far as phenomena are concerned, but at the same time everything become luminous, animated, loving..." Whatever we think of Te... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 26, 2015
*Justin Sink, Bloomberg*: *Iraq Regroups for Ramadi Fight as Carter Criticism Reverberates* *Iraq’s government began maneuvering to recapture the city of Ramadi from Islamic State, the Pentagon said, days after a top U.S. official questioned the Iraqi military’s will to fight.* *“What you’re seeing now is the beginning of shaping operations” that include securing lines of communications and terrain needed before a full offensive begins, Army Colonel Steve Warren told reporters Tuesday.* *Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 26, 2015* Rift looms in strategy as US blames ...more »
"A Chime Of Words..."
"Yes there is a meaning; at least for me, there is one thing that matters- to set a chime of words tinkling in the minds of a few fastidious people." - Logan Pearsall Smith
Paulo Coelho, “Dreams: The 12 Steps”
*“Dreams: The 12 Steps”* by Paulo Coelho "When Joseph Campbell created the expression “follow your blessing,” he was reflecting an idea that seems to be very appropriate right now. In “The Alchemist,” this same idea is called “Personal Legend.” Alan Cohen, a therapist who lives in Hawaii, is also working on this theme. He says that in his lectures he asks those who are dissatisfied with their work and seventy-five percent of the audience raise their hands. Cohen has created a system of twelve steps to help people to rediscover their “blessing” (he is a follower of Campbell): *1. T... more »
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