English: Fictional character or literary device? (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: The Ohio Union at The Ohio State University (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Whitehorse on the Yukon river (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Trolley in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Chet Raymo, "Second Law"
*"Second Law"* by Chet Raymo "Cartoon in last week's New Yorker: Kid in his incredibly messy bedroom says to his frowning mother at the door, "I blame entropy." Well, yes. The universe is a mess, and destined to get messier all the time. That's what happens in isolated systems. Like a universe. Like a kid's room. But here and there we buck the trend. We take advantage of not being in an isolated system. We take advantage of the fact that the Sun is getting messy big time to build pockets of order here on Earth. Sistine Chapels. Sewage systems. School houses. Sun: debit. Earth: cre... more »
"Don't Look At Me..."
“I apologize because of the terrible mess the planet is in. But it has always been a mess. There have never been any ‘Good Old Days,’ there have just been days. And as I say to my grandchildren, ‘Don’t look at me. I just got here myself.’” - Kurt Vonnegut, Syracuse University Commencement speech, 1994
"Positive Dissociation, And Its Importance: "Losing Yourself" in a Fictional Character Can Affect Your Real Life"
*"Positive Dissociation, And Its Importance:* * "Losing Yourself" in a Fictional Character Can Affect Your Real Life"* by The Ohio State University "When you "lose yourself" inside the world of a fictional character while reading a story, you may actually end up changing your own behavior and thoughts to match that of the character, a new study suggests. Researchers at Ohio State University examined what happened to people who, while reading a fictional story, found themselves feeling the emotions, thoughts, beliefs and internal responses of one of the characters as if they were the...more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada. Thanks for stopping by.
The Poet: Wendell Berry, "Circles of Our Lives"
*"Circles of Our Lives"* "Within the circles of our lives we dance the circles of the years, the circles of the seasons within the circles of the years, the cycles of the moon within the circles of the seasons, the circles of our reasons within the cycles of the moon. Again, again we come and go, changed, changing. Hands join, unjoin in love and fear, grief and joy. The circles turn, each giving into each, into all. Only music keeps us here, each by all the others held. In the hold of hands and eyes we turn in pairs, that joining joining each to all again. And then we turn aside, alone,... more »
Why are Interest Rates so Low?
That is the question that Ben Bernanke, former US Fed Chairman, tackled in his blog at Brookings. Here are the papers: Why are interest rates so low? March 30, 2015 Why are interest rates so low, Part 2: Secular stagnation, March 31, 2015 Why are interest rates so low, Part 3: The Global savings glut, April 1, 2015 Why are interest rates so low, Part 4: Term premiums, April 13, 2015. To summarize his points, the following are among his concluding statements and charts or table presented. Part 1: *The state of the economy, not the Fed, is the ultimate determinant of the sustainable le... more »
The Universe
"Sometimes, lifetimes are chosen to be with friends. And sometimes one friend agrees to be off balance and the other balanced. One teaches stability, the other teaches spontaneity. Win-win, cool-cool. Gets kind of wonky though, if either starts thinking they're more important to the other, than the other is to them. Every nut needs a cracker and every cracker needs a nut, metaphorically." "You know?" The Universe "Thoughts become things... choose the good ones!" www.tut.com
"Trying to Please Others, Living for Ourselves"
*"Trying to Please Others, Living for Ourselves"* by "We may not realize until we are adults that we are living our life to make our parents happy. Most of us come to a point in our lives when we question why we are doing what we are doing, and many of us come to realize that we may be living our lives in an effort to make our parents happy. This realization can dawn when we are in our 20s, our 40s, or even later, depending upon how tight a hold our family of origin has on our psyche. We may feel shocked or depressed by this information, but we can trust that it is coming to us at... more »
"Grave Faults..."
“Only the following items should be considered to be grave faults: not respecting another's rights; allowing oneself to be paralyzed by fear; feeling guilty; believing that one does not deserve the good or ill that happens in one's life; being a coward. We will love our enemies, but not make alliances with them. They were placed in our path in order to test our sword, and we should, out of respect for them, struggle against them. We will choose our enemies.” ― Paulo Coelho, "Like the Flowing River"
Is Boko Haram Falling Apart?
Nigerien soldiers hold up a Boko Haram flag that they had seized in the recently retaken town of Damasak, Nigeria, March 18, 2015. Reuters/Emmanuel Braun *Reuters: **Nigeria’s Boko Haram in disarray as government forces advance* *(Reuters) - Boko Haram is fracturing as shortages of weapons and fuel foment tensions between its foot soldiers and leaders, women rescued from the Islamist jihadi fighters by Nigerian troops told Reuters.* *The group abducted an estimated 2,000 women and girls last year as it sought to carve out an Islamic state in the northeast of Africa’s biggest econ... more »
Texas cartoon shooting: Another Charlie Hebdo-style false flag?
Pam Geller without her make-up Was Sunday’s shooting at an anti-Islam event in Texas a false flag attack? We know that Pam Geller, organizer of the Texas event, works for the corrupt criminal wing of the intelligence services responsible for 9/11, Bali, Madrid, Mumbai, 7/7/, Paris, Copenhagen, and more. That in itself is a big red flag. The Texas shooting, like the Copenhagen cartoon shooting of February 14th, appears to be a follow-up incident designed to reinforce the memory of the Paris shootings in the popular mind. Read *We Are NOT Charlie Hebdo: Free Thinkers Question the French... more »
USA Preet Bharara takes aim at his second target among NYS's legendary "Three Men in a Room"
*Might as well be mugshots*: *Reuters photog Eduardo Munoz snapped this shot of Dean and Mini-Dean, aka NYS Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his boy Adam, approaching FBI HQ this morning, before they were indicted on assorted federal corruption charges.* *"It's like [expletive] Preet Bharara is listening to every [expletive] phone call."* *-- Adam Skelos, in a phone call with his father(recorded by the feds, of course)* *by Ken* Here I was, thinking of doing a follow-up to my Friday post "New Jersey USA kicks up the heat on Bridgegate Krispykronies, and we learn some nast... more »
Remembering The Odessa Massacre
*Anna Nemtsova, Daily Beast:* *A Year After the Odessa Massacre, Burning Hatred Divides the City* *This beautiful city on the Black Sea has become a symbol of the complex suspicions and conspiracies that plague Ukraine.* *ODESSA, Ukraine—Several women surrounded a man taking a cell phone video of people laying flowers around photographs of victims killed in the horrific fire at Odessa's Trade Unions House last year.* *The women were hostile, even menacing. The man looked suspicious to them, could be “a provocateur,” they said, maybe even a pro-Euromaidan activist, a category of p... more »
Dani and Duncan on "Shoot from the Hip": Video Archive
Last Friday night, May 1, 2015, I joined Duncan O'Finioan on his show "Shoot from the Hip". .... .... and OHhhhhhhh, what rabbit holes we dove into!! Duncan and I definitely went deep into several "woo woo" topics- way deeper than I usually go on shows, lol. The conversation was amazing and I can guarantee that it's just the first of many- Duncan and I have a LOT to talk about!! Friday night Duncan and I discussed several different aspects of CERN and the opening of portals into "astral/demonic/higher/lower" realms or dimensions- depending on your personal terminology. We dug... more »
Another Silver-Spoon Parasite Slithers Forth
I do not watch the brain-washing instrument known as television. I flick through the radio when I am driving, in order to avoid the nauseous propaganda and sickening Americanisation which is spewed across the airwaves. I do not read Establishment 'news' papers, as they are just another aspect of the lying manipulative machine which laughingly calls itself the free press. In spite of a concerted effort to avoid all news of the Windsor mafia's latest creation, I have failed and I have become aware that another parasite has been born. It seems avoiding the transmissions of the enem... more »
Very Important Video: Hellstorm - Exposing The Real Genocide Of Nazi Germany
As a student of real history, and not that complete and utter bullshit that we see from the Jew spew media and the lies in our so called "history" books, I have been working hard in exposing the real truths about our past, and especially exactly what has happened in the last century when it comes to the World Wars... People do deserve the truth.... I want to present a fabulous new video that absolutely shows the truth about what Germany was subjected to in the closing days of the second World War, and especially the massive genocide of the German people shortly after the conflict en... more »
Sen. Sanders Running Against Hillary
Vermont senator and self-described democratic socialist Bernie Sanders has declared a run for president and the Democratic Party nomination against corporate captive Hillary Clinton. Should be an interesting race as he appears to be carrying the Occupy movement message about the 99% into the corporate dominated electoral fray. See more *here* I've long maintained that when the black community surges, as they are now doing after the cop killings in Ferguson, New York City and Baltimore, they help open the door for other progressive movements to slip into the light. I can hear pe... more »
Russia Showcases Its New Armata Tank (And Other Hardware)
Armata main battle tank, courtesy Russian Defense Ministry *RT*: *Armata unveiled: First ever full high-def photos of Russia's newest hardware* *The Russian Defense Ministry has for the first time fully revealed the new Armata tank in a series of photographs published on its website in the run-up to the Victory Day parade in Moscow.* *All the previous images obtained by the media showed T-14 Armata with its turret draped in protective canvas. Now, the Defense Ministry has published images of the tank, as well as several other new armored vehicles, in high definition, accompanied w... more »
Military Activity In The Baltics Is Approaching Cold War Levels
Anti-submarine depth charges are seen on the deck of Swedish Koster-class naval mine-hunter HMS Ulvon at Karlskrona naval base, Sweden, on April 29, 2015. Reuters/Tim Hepher *Tim Hepher, Reuters:* *Baltic military shadow-boxing said to reach Cold War levels* *A daily game of Cold War cat-and-mouse is ratcheting up tensions in the Baltic and drawing the biggest military presence into the region for over 20 years, Swedish military officials say.* *Eye-to-eye encounters with Russian combat jets and reports of suspected submarines in Swedish and Finnish waters are fuelling regional co... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 4, 2015
Josh Rogin, Bloomberg: Obama's New Answers on Iran Fall Flat Top Obama administration officials have released new details about how they would lift most sanctions against Iran. Those are unnerving some experts, who doubt the administration’s claims about the sanctions will hold up. In speeches last week to a conference at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and Vice President Joe Biden revealed new details about the end of most sanctions against Iran if a nuclear deal is reached. The officials also claimed that most of the sanctions, including... more »
Transpicuous News Weekend Report- Video Archive May 3, 2015
Good evening everyone! Here is the Archive Video of the Transpicuous News Weekend Report for May 3, 2015. Below are the links for this weekend's show. On Sunday night, we took a little look at who's been visiting Iraq recently (and secretly), at the Michigan Mirage, the ultimate "Who dunit" in the Golan Heights, and several other interesting bits and pieces from the Middle East. I also talked about CERN and the Earth quakes that are currently rattling our planet. Be prepared my friends. d News Links for the Weekend Report: May 2 2015 Sadr urges government & parliamen...more »
Organic Farming Can Save Us from Global Warming, Climate Change
*Heather Callaghan* - Organic farming can reverse the agriculture ecosystem from a carbon source to a carbon sink. The post Organic Farming Can Save Us from Global Warming, Climate Change appeared first on Waking Times.
Does Jay Z Have The Solution To The Decline Of The Music Business? Well, Maybe For Himself And A Few Pals
I'm not good with remembering dates things happened in my life-- beyond my birthday and the day I stopped wanting to use drugs forever. But I do remember that, although the music business was on an unhealthy trajectory when I retired a year or two after Bush stole the 2000 election, non-superstar artists could still scrape together a living and aspire to a career within the bounds of the music business. Since then, struggling artists have struggled a lot more-- and it's getting worse... *much, much* worse. Recently, Jay Z, very much a non-struggling superstar, got some of his no... more »
Occupying Oak Flat May 4, 2015
OCCUPY CONTINUES AT APACHE HOLY LAND AT OAK FLAT IN ARIZONA By Sandra Rambler Censored News On May 4, Apache youth are joined by other youth from Indigenous Peoples including Oklahoma, Canada, New Mexico, California and others while occupying Chi'Chil'Bilda'Gotee (Oak Flat) in southeastern Arizona, on holy ancestral Apache land where the San Carlos Apache Tribal Council recently
Whats the diffreance between Mike Duffy and Steve Harper?
Duffy has natural hair.
Turkish Military Puts Brakes on Syrian Intervention to Focus on Mosul?
This post does require your commitment of just a bit of time, in order to go back and read some previously posted info- Hey, I never said being informed was passive. Nope, being informed is involved and requires time and energy- But, if I can do it, then you can too! *Before you read the latest news story linked below-* I want to remind readers that previously, in order to secure Turkish involvement in an attack on Iraq, Paul Wolfowitz visited Turkey & Turkey set down some conditions for involvement- This bit of history was mention in a two part post written late 2014: - *Kurd/ ... more »
"He had been going down a bad path and then he found Islam" [updated]
Cartoonists are still in the front line in the War Begun By Islam. As you’ve probably heard, two Muslim shooters trying to murder people at a Draw Mohammed competition in Garland, Texas, were shot dead by a police officer before they began. If only it had happened that way at the Charlie Hebdo offices. The difference between Paris and Texas? Guns. “People are alive today because Garland not only allows guns, but was prepared.” The would-be murders had assault rifles. The officer used his duty pistol. He was wounded, but okay. They were not. Apparently the shooting has begun... more »
Common Employer
*Downtown Eatery (1993) Ltd. v. Ontario* (2001), 54 O.R. (3d) 161 (C.A.) held: "although an employer is entitled to establish complex corporate structures and relationships, the law should be vigilant to ensure that permissible complexity in corporate arrangements does not work an injustice in the realm of employment law. ....[t]he definition of 'employer' is this simple and common scenario should be one that recognizes the complexity of modern corporate structures, but does not permit that complexity to defeat the legitimate entitlements of wrongfully dismissed employees." This... more »
World News Briefs -- May 4, 2015 (Evening Edition)
A member of the Iraqi security forces carries his weapon as he watches smoke rise from a scene of clashes between the Iraqi army and Islamic State militants in Tikrit March 30, 2015. Reuters/Alaa Al-Marjani *Reuters:* *Iraqi forces plead for help as Islamic State closes in on refinery* *Iraqi forces besieged inside the country's largest oil refinery are running low on food and pleading for reinforcements to save them from Islamic State militants who have advanced deep into the compound in the past week.The insurgents now hold large sections of the sprawling Baiji refinery com... more »
Sex Education used as a wedge issue
Do conservative never thing about the outcomes? If you want to prevent, teenage pregnacy, transmission of STD and predjuce against the LGBTQ sex education is the front line weapon. Its another case of science against superstition. People are animails and children often see dogs fucking. To the untrained eye it may look anal. How petty of the Conservatives to us bioliogy as a wedge issue. In this matter the Taliban or ISIS are in lock step with the people wedging Canadians against common sense. Kids need to know the facts about life. When is to early? Well we have spent billions ... more »
NATO Anti-Submarine And Ground Exercises Underway
A Canadian warship and a German submarine participate in NATO's Dynamic Mongoose anti-submarine exercise in the North Sea off the coast of Norway May 4, 2015. Reuters/Balazs Koranyi *Reuters:* *NATO starts anti submarine exercise in North Sea as tension with Russia rise* *(Reuters) - NATO launched one of its biggest-ever anti-submarine exercises in the North Sea on Monday, inviting non-member Sweden for the first time, amid increasing tensions between Russia and its northern neighbors.* *More than a dozen vessels from 11 countries are participating in the "Dynamic Mongoose" exerc... more »
May 4: An amazingly week edition.
The lead story, reasonably enough, is about the government cut to daycare subsidies. But we see it only as a financial problem. In fact, it is a much deeper issue about the meaning of education, and when it starts. The daycare operators don't understand that. The government doesn't understand that. And, in particular, the minister of education doesn't understand that. At the bottom of the page, there's a story that looked worth reading. "Battle of Atlantic remembered 70 years later". Alas! After a brief opening about the ceremony, the story is pretty much the same one that appeared i... more »
We’re done for!
Yes, it’s true. Yesterday was *the last day left to stop catastrophic global warming*, and as every warmist would tell you, we failed! That's right! OMG! On May 4, 2007, the UN warned that we had only 8 years left to stop global warming. And we didn’t listen!! Governments are running out of time to address climate change and to avoid the worst effects of rising temperatures, an influential UN panel warned yesterday [4 May, 2007]. Greater energy efficiency, renewable electricity sources and new technology to dump carbon dioxide underground can all help to reduce greenhouse... more »
Nuclear Experimentation Year 70 – Playing With Madness
*Ethan Indigo Smith* - Nuclear arms cannot bring peace, and nuclear energy cannot bring sustainability. With the M.A.D.ness of nuclear experimentation constantly looming, there can be no peace. The post Nuclear Experimentation Year 70 – Playing With Madness appeared first on Waking Times.
Analysis And Commentaries On The Assad Regime Now Showing Signs That They Are Losing The Syrian Civil War
Ammar Abdullah/Reuters *Nick Paton Walsh, CNN:* *Analysis: Syria's al-Assad regime in trouble* *(CNN) A series of victories by Islamist rebels against the Syrian regime is raising the prospect of a sea change in the momentum of a war in which the endurance of Bashar al-Assad has for years seemed to many as a given.* *Substantial territorial losses by the regime in the northern city of Jisr-el-Shugur and beyond, after the city of Idlib also fell to rebels, coupled with a relatively successful series of advances around the southwest of Damascus, are the result of new levels of coope... more »
45 Years ago today: Kent State massacre
The Kent State shootings (also known as the May 4 massacre or the Kent State massacre) occurred at Kent State University in the US city of Kent, Ohio, and involved the shooting of unarmed college students by the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4, 1970. The guardsmen fired 67 rounds over a period of 13 seconds, killing four students and wounding nine others, one of whom suffered permanent paralysis. Some of the students who were shot had been protesting the Cambodian Campaign, which President Richard Nixon announced during a television address on April 30. Other students who wer... more »
"I get offended by a lot of things the @BBC says, but I'm not going to shoot them up."
Even the BBC's Hugh Sykes, of all people, thinks this is worth quoting from Pamela Geller, *#ringingendorsement*: #texasattack "I get offended by a lot of things the @BBC says, but I'm not going to shoot them up." - @PamelaGeller to @eddiemair on @bbcpm — HughSykes (@HughSykes) May 4, 2015
This Man Took Selfies During His 5 Month Hike on the Pacific Crest Trail
*Video - *See the selfies taken by Andy Davidhazy during his 5 month hike along the Pacific Crest Trail, during which Andy lost 50 pounds. The post This Man Took Selfies During His 5 Month Hike on the Pacific Crest Trail appeared first on Waking Times.
Yet more Groupthink
Oh, for Betsy Murgatroyd's sake, is there no end to the BBC groupthink displayed by BBC WS journalist Steph Hegarty? She can block whoever she likes on Twitter, but still... Here's her latest tweet (in screen grab form, just in case): And who's this Ben Norton she's re-tweeting? Well, according to his Mondoweiss profile (yes, *that* extreme, Israel-bashing Mondoweiss!): Ben is a freelance writer and journalist. His work has been published in CounterPunch, Electronic Intifada, Common Dreams, ThinkProgress, and ZNet, among other publications. His website can be found at BenNorton.... more »
Video: Dineh Walkers in Smith Lake Chapter, Nihigaal Bee Iina
. Nihígaal bee Iiná Short film about one of the days we walked on this most recent leg. https://vimeo.com/125492944
Obama Using Nike to Sell TPP; Does Nike Have Access to TPP Drafts?
*In this video, "Gap" is a proxy for the whole industry, including Nike. To learn about the problem with subcontractors, start watching at 10:30.* *by Gaius Publius* Nike is the ground zero for "made in Asia" shoe apparel. President Obama is ground zero for "let's send more jobs to Asia" and claim the opposite. I'm not sure it benefits either to put the two together. Nevertheless, Obama will travel to Nike headquarters in Oregon to put the case to the nation that TPP is somehow good for *American* workers. Reuters: *Obama to push case for trade deal at Nike headquarters in Oregon*... more »
News Reports From Saudi Arabia Are Stating That Alawite Families Are Being Told To Abandon Damascus
Ahrar al-Sham Islamic rebel fighters stand beside tanks left behind by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad, in Idlib.. (photo credit:KHALIL ASHAWI / REUTERS) *Jerusalem Post:* *Assad hanging on, suspicion surrounds report he told Alawites to flee capital * *Assad hanging on, suspicion surrounds report he told Alawites to flee capital Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime appears to be holding on amid contradictory Saudi reports over whether it told elite Alawite families to abandon Damascus.A report in the Saudi newspaper Okaz on Sunday quoted Lebanese Social Aff... more »
Listen: Tiokasin Ghosthorse hosts First Voices Indigenous Radio
Tiokasin Ghosthorse, Lakota, Cheyenne River in South Dakota FVIR Program Archives http://www.firstvoicesindigenousradio.org/program_archives LISTEN TO THE PROGRAMApril 30, 2015 STEPHANY SEAY is the Media Coordinator of the Montana-based Buffalo Field Campaign, the only group working in the field, the courts, and the policy arena to protect America's last wild, migratory buffalo. (
Space Radiation Exposure Causes Damaged Neurons and Synapses in Areas Associated with Memory and Decision-Making
Hotz, Robert Lee. (2015, May 1) Study: Deep-Space Radiation Could Damage Astronauts’ Brains Cosmic rays could leave travelers to Mars confused, forgetful and slow to react. The Wall Street Journal, http:// www.wsj.com/articles/study-deep-space-radiation-could-damage-astronauts-brains-1430503356 As NASA develops plans for a manned mission to Mars, scientists said Friday that cosmic rays during an interplanetary voyage could cause subtle brain damage, leaving astronauts confused, forgetful and slow to react to the unexpected. In a NASA-funded study of radiation-exposed mice publish... more »
Supplemental: Professor plays the Finland card!
*MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015Kristof is hailed again:* Last Sunday, Nicholas Kristof authored the biggest cherry-pick in the history of such endeavors. For our previous report, click this. Who knows? Maybe Kristof plowed through those eighty-eight different test items to do the deed himself. Maybe the cherry-pick came from a 19-year-old research assistant, whose work he didn’t bother to check. Maybe Kristof got the cherry-pick from some advocate of “education reform” and he just typed it up! Wherever it came from, the cherry-pick was amazingly egregious. And Kristof tied it to an ugly in... more »
Report, report, report
Hamish and Dougal, not looking happy about the BBC's reporting of today's goings-on in Glasgow Though this is a blog that tries as hard as it can - or at least as hard as one man and one woman with families and busy lives can possibly do - to monitor as much of the BBC's output as possible.....and, given how colossal the BBC's output is, that's nowhere near as much as we'd like - to put it mildly!.....we probably miss a heck of a lot of (potential) bias. Thankfully, plenty of other eyes are out there. Some of those eyes, however (like us perhaps), see things through their own filte... more »
MOHAWK NATION NEWS 'ONGWE’HON:WEH RISE'
ONGWE’HON:WEH RISE Posted on May 4, 2015 Mohawk Nation News Please post & distribute. Nia:wen. MNN. May 3, 2015. “Sewatehonsiot”. Listen well. Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council Inc. HCCC at Six Nations dismantled the Haudenosaunee Development Institute inc. HDI. Dismissed were non-ongwe’hon:weh lawyer Aaron Detlor, Director Hazel Hill, their signatory who has no clan, and
Zapatistas Capitalism Seminar May 3 -- 9, 2015 Schedule
PROGRAM AND OTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE HOMAGE AND THE SEMINAR ZAPATISTA ARMY FOR NATIONAL LIBERATION MEXICO. By SupGaleano PROGRAM AND OTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE HOMAGE AND THE SEMINAR. April 29, 2015 Spanish, German, French and Italian Compas: Here is the latest information about the May 2, 2015 celebration in Homage to compañeros Luis Villoro Toranzo and Zapatista Teacher
Report: Islamic State Have Captured Half Of Iraq's Largest Oil Refinery
*Threat Matrix:* *Islamic State releases new video from the Baiji oil refinery* *In a newly released video from the Islamic State (embedded above), the jihadist group shows more fighting at the Baiji oil refinery. It is unclear when some of this footage was recorded, however, as some scenes were previously featured in other photo releases.The video, which is the second part of the series from the refinery, shows fierce fighting between Islamic State militants and the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF). Several scenes show the Islamic State using mortars, rockets, and rocket-propelled g... more »
Supplemental: Seven years later, a few facts emerge!
*MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015The boys on the plane and the sumptuous banquet:* In this morning’s Washington Post, three scribes pen a front-page report about Bill Clinton’s deeply disturbing trip to Kazakhstan in 2005. This new report may help us see the way our “press corps” works. Ever so slowly, many years later, basic facts may emerge, or may seem to emerge, as the scribblers in our press corps keep telling their stories and tales. In this morning's report, this is the way the Post describes that famous ride on Frank Giustra’s jet—the famously luxurious jet Bill Clinton was supposed to... more »
“Why The Powers That Be Are Pushing A Cashless Society”
*“Why The Powers That Be Are Pushing A Cashless Society”* by Martin Armstrong "The central banks are planning drastic restrictions on cash itself. They see moving to electronic money will first eliminate the underground economy, but secondly, they believe it will even prevent a banking crisis.This idea of eliminating cash was first floated as the normal trial balloon to see how the people take it. It was first launched by Kenneth Rogoff of Harvard University and Willem Buiter, the chief economist at Citigroup. Their claims have been widely hailed and their papers are now the found... more »
Garland Shooting: Gladio - Texas-Style
Garland shooting involved troupe of practiced war propagandists and patsies long on the FBI's watch list. *May 4, 2015* (Tony Cartalucci - LD) - ABC News confirms that one of the suspects of the Garland Texas shooting incident, featuring professional war propagandists of the so-called "American Freedom Defense Intitiative" (AFDI), has been under FBI surveillance and investigation since at least as early as 2007. Their report, "Garland Shooting Suspect Elton Simpson's Father: ‘My Son Made a Bad Choice’," states: *Followers of ISIS had been sending messages about the event in Texa... more »
"The Zombie Capital of the US"
*"The Zombie Capital of the US"* by Bill Bonner Gualfin (“End of the Road”), Argentina - "What went wrong in Baltimore? The media took two views of last week’s violence – both wrong. In one, “society” was held to be at fault. President Obama took this line when he spoke of the incidents, saying – in words worn smooth from overuse – that we need more education, more jobs, more opportunities, and so forth. In the other major view, the fault was laid on the zombies themselves. While not legally or morally incorrect – after all, even zombies are supposed to have free will – this view l... more »
Divide and Conquer: The Philadelphia Story
Leading Philadelphia mayoral candidates Anthony Williams and James Kenney Everyone concerned about corporate education reform and the influence of various venture “philanthropists” in their drive to privatize public schools should be following the Democratic primary on May 19th for the next mayor of Philadelphia. Neoliberal and conservative financiers, in a drive to make Philadelphia public schools like the New Orleans school system, are investing millions of dollars in the mayoral race. Most prominent is the Susquehanna Investment Group (SIG) that is funding state Senator Anthony... more »
The Academe Enigma
OK, now that the pleasantries are out of the way... What's the deal with 20th century post-secondary educational institutions? How likely is it the masters of the universe who brought us the 2008 global financial crisis were all uneducated? Or that they were ignorant of the possible consequences of their deceitful machinations? Or that they had been required to attend and pass courses on ethics
CNN’s Alisyn Camerota attacks Pamela Geller for being "provocative" and inciting violence...
*or something.* No love lost between these two. According to Wiki, when Camerota joined CNN, Pamela Geller referred to her as "clueless Camerota." Hmmmmmm. Guys tend to get over these sorts of insults. Women? Not so much. *Disclosure:* Until this morning I had never heard of Alisyn Camerota. I guess she used to be with Fox News. Contrary to the opinions of many libtards, not all conservatives rely on Fox News for their information. I rarely access Fox News. While being very aware of Pamela Geller and her work, this is the first time I've ever heard her speak. I was im... more »
EDC’s, Diabetes & Transgenerational Disease: Chemical Manipulation of Humanity
I'm always on the look out for new information on EDC's but, it's hard to come by.. *Why post excerpts from and older Pediatric Research study? That's correct- Pediatric Research* For one thing the age of this research really caught my attention. It’s 9 years old. Recall in an earlier CMH post, I mentioned epigenetics and the necessity of understanding this concept as necessary background for fully comprehending the affect of EDC’s on humans &other living beings? It’s amazing to me how far back the mutational effects of EDC’s has been well known and documented.- 9 years, in this in... more »
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry Warns South Sudan That Their Future Is At Grave Risk
Secretary of State John Kerry speaks to employees at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Monday, May 4, 2015, in Nairobi, Kenya. Kerry is visiting Sri Lanka, Kenya, and Djibouti on his trip. Reuters/Andrew Harnik/Pool *Reuters:* *South Sudan's future at grave risk - Kerry* *NAIROBI May 4 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday that South Sudan's government and rebels had failed to make compromises needed to end a civil conflict and that this was putting the future of the world's youngest nation at "grave risk".* *South Sudan split from Sudan as an independent nation... more »
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry In Kenya To Repair Relations
*L.A. Times:* *Kerry visits Kenya in bid to fix ties strained by rights charges* *Secretary of State John F. Kerry on Monday sought to rebuild America’s frayed relationship with Kenya, which went into decline after the 2013 election of a president who had been charged with crimes against humanity in the International Criminal Court.Kerry met with President Uhuru Kenyatta to discuss counterterrorism efforts and security cooperation. The secretary also met with opposition leaders and laid a wreath at a memorial to those who died in the Al Qaeda bombing of the 1998 U.S. Embas... more »
The “Future” of “Global” “Security” “Studies”
Last Friday, I had the great pleasure to attend a workshop on “The Future of Global Security Studies” at University of Denver’s Sie Center for International Security and Diplomacy. The event brought together authors for the inaugral special issue of ISA’s new journal, the Journal of Global Security Studies, which promises to showcase new research and new […]
The Sociology of Social Movement Traditions
Last Tuesday took me back to my old stomping ground at Keele University. The occasion was the inaugural professorial lecture for Brian Doherty, who was my supervisor during the trials and tribulations of the jolly old PhD. Our shared interests were the sociology of social movements, and in particular the process of activist commitment. To most normal people, activism seems so much like work but without the compensation of cash. It can be tiring, tedious, stressful, and very occasionally, dangerous. So why do people stick with it, and what is the effect of activists who've been arou... more »
On the increasing legal suppression of freedom of thought and expression in so-called free and democratic societies
(As evidence for increasing totalitarianism) By Denis G. Rancourt Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties. --John Milton, Areopagitica, 1644 My main overriding message is far from new: that freedom of thought, opinion, and expression is the very basis of a fair society. That freedom of speech is the foundational individual
Report Questions Conduct Of Israeli Soldiers During Last Years Gaza War
Israeli forces return to base after an operation in the Gaza Strip in July 2014. Photograph: Amir Cohen/Reuters *The Guardian:* *Israeli soldiers cast doubt on legality of Gaza military tactics* *Testimonies of Israeli combatants about last year’s war show apparent disregard for safety of civilians* *Testimonies provided by more than 60 Israeli soldiers who fought in last summer’s war in Gaza have raised serious questions over whether Israel’s tactics breached its obligations under international law to distinguish and protect civilians.* *The claims – collected by the human ri... more »
Protests Resume In The African Nation Of Burundi
*Reuters*: *Two reported killed in unrest over Burundi president's vote bid* *BUJUMBURA (Reuters) - Two protesters were killed on Monday, a leading rights activist said, as demonstrations against a decision by President Pierre Nkurunziza's to seek a third term in office ran into a second week.* *Police in the Musaga district of Bujumbura fired shots towards lines of protesters who were hurling stones, a Reuters witness said. An explosion also wounded at least two officers who were taken away in ambulances.* *Police spokesman Liboire Bakunduwukize denied two protesters were killed, ... more »
Planning for War with China
US “Grand Strategy” for war against China laid outBy Nick Beams The advanced stage of discussions in US foreign policy circles over the pursuit of an ever-more aggressive policy toward China has been revealed by the recent release of a chilling report under the auspices of the influential Council on Foreign Relations.Entitled “Revising US Grand Strategy Toward China,” the report is nothing less than an agenda for war. It is authored by Robert D. Blackwill and Ashley J. Tellis, both of whom have close connections to the US State Department and various American foreign policy think ... more »
THE POWER OF THE SOUL AND THE POWER OF THE MIND: BRINGING BACK BALANCE
*THE POWER OF THE SOUL AND THE POWER OF THE MIND: BRINGING BACK BALANCE* 1 May 2015 Beloved Family of Light, in this past period of your Ascension Journey you have experienced an intense time of change, with Eclipses and Equinox shifts creating much tumult in your lives. Many of you may feel that you are adrift in your own lives, and not sure of where to turn. You may well be awakened and on your spiritual journey in a conscious and enlightened way, and yet still feel that you do not really understand why the Earth is in so much chaos and why things could not be easier. Indeed, ... more »
Yemen War News Updates -- May 4, 2105
*Reuters*: *Saudi-led alliance mulls partial truces in Yemen: statement* *(Reuters) - A Saudi-led Arab alliance conducting air strikes against Houthi fighters in Yemen is considering calling truces in specific areas in Yemen to allow humanitarian supplies to reach the country, the Saudi foreign minister said on Monday.* *Adel al-Jubeir also said Saudi Arabia might host a center to coordinate delivery of humanitarian supplies.* *The United Nations says the humanitarian situation in Yemen has grown desperate after weeks of air strikes.* *"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is holding cons... more »
World News Briefs -- May 4, 2015
*New York Times:* *Official Identifies One Suspect in Attack at Texas Anti-Islam Event* *Law enforcement officials on Monday identified one of two gunmen who opened fire Sunday at an event in Garland, Tex., where people were invited to present cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, before they were shot and killed by police officers. The man was identified as Elton Simpson of Phoenix.The police and F.B.I. agents in that city searched an apartment believed to be connected to him, with much of the Autumn Ridge apartment complex cordoned off through the night . At the same time, the F.B... more »
Might have been better worded
Further to Craig’s ‘Not upheld’ post, here’s one way of conceding a point without admitting they’d done anything wrong. (People always seem to be saying they haven’t done anything wrong these days.) The BBC Trust has reviewed viewers' complaints and come up with their verdict. Honest Reporting: “Might have been better worded.” Orla Geurin said there had been “no evidence that Hamas had been using human shields”. But of course there was plenty. Instead of apologising for airing a factually incorrect statement about a highly sensitive topic, the BBC claimed only that it might have... more »
10 Hopeful Signs That the New World Order is Dying
*Bernie Suarez* - Humanity is not designed to live in false government paradigms of slavery and statism. Here are 10 signs the New World Order is failing. The post 10 Hopeful Signs That the New World Order is Dying appeared first on Waking Times.
Focus of Attention in 10 Years of Charlie Hebdo Covers
The graph above and accompanying analysis comes from Jean-François Mignot and Céline Goffette writing the Le Monde last February. The graph shows a content analysis of more than 10 years of Charlie Hebdo covers from 2005 to 2015. Of 523 covers, religion was the subject of 38, and of those 38, Islam was the subject of just 7. Charlie Hebdo is in the news this week because its staff has been given Toni and James C. Goodale Freedom of Expression Courage Award by the PEN American Center, which supports free expression. The award prompted a backlash by some PEN members and others, who... more »
The Foreskin: Why Is It Such A Secret In North America?
*Spoony Quine* - Why do Americans go out of their way to remove this part of human anatomy, when the rest of the world does not? The post The Foreskin: Why Is It Such A Secret In North America? appeared first on Waking Times.
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- May 4, 2015
Afghan security forces arrive at the Kunduz airport, April 30, 2015. Reuters/Omar Sobhani *Bloomberg*: *Afghan Forces Suffer Heavy Toll in First Taliban Battles* *Afghan security forces are suffering record casualties in their first battles against the Taliban since the U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan ended in December after more than 13 years.* *The number of killed and wounded so far this year is about 70 percent higher than during the same period last year, said Colonel Brian Tribus, director of public affairs for NATO’s Afghanistan mission.* *Last year’s casualty rates, w... more »
Five Of Britain's Six Nuclear Subs Are Being Repaired
HMS Astute *Daily Mail:* *Revealed, Royal Navy has just ONE nuclear submarine on active duty* ** The HMS Astute is the only new hunter-killer submarine on active patrol * ** Four of the other submarines are still in production after numerous delays* ** HMS Ambush is yet to complete a maiden voyage after 57 defects found * ** Royal Navy is bolstering its resources by using older ships for defences * *The Royal Navy has just one nuclear powered submarine in operation after the rest of the fleet has been left out of action due to defects and damage. * *Four of the Royal Navy's new mu... more »
Islamic State Releases Video Showcasing Their Own 'Navy SEALS'
*Vocativ:* *ISIS’ Navy SEALs “Made Me Laugh” Says USMC Veteran* *ISIS is playing at Navy SEAL, but their lack of real proficiency may be less important than the video's utility as a recruitment tool The Islamic State is now touting an elite, Navy SEAL-like group of swashbuckling, amphibious-style commandos who are able to spring from the water in a blink of an eye to take out enemies in broad daylight.In a new video obtained by Vocativ, ISIS is shown unveiling its newest band of special forces, a black-clad brigade that purportedly uses the Tigris River in Iraq to stage a se... more »
Rise Of The Islamic State And the Fading Away of the Rest of the Iraqi Insurgency Interview With Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi
From 2013-2014 it seemed like there was a broad rebirth of the Iraqi insurgency. The protest movement against Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government revived a number of groups, which had gone dormant by the time of the U.S. withdrawal in 2011. The Islamic State (IS) and the Jaish Rijal al-Tariqa al-Naqshibandi (JRTN), two organizations, which never ceased operating were regrouping as well. A rough agreement was made between these different factions to work together during the summer of 2014 to seize territory from the government, which resulted in the fall of Mosul, Tikrit, a...more »
"Thanks again for getting in touch"
Here's another complaint I sent to the BBC recently: I would like to complain about Emily Maitlis misrepresenting something Nigel Farage said to Evan Davis on the 22/4 edition of 'Newsnight'. Nigel Farage said: "Sometimes you have to say things in a way to get noticed, of that there's no question. In order to get the public aware of some of these issues perhaps at time that tone had to be used. But you are not you are not hearing, and you're interviewing me now as we approach a general election, you are not hearing that tone from me." Emily Maitlis skewed his words as if to make... more »
More Mileage from Your Blog Post: 6 Ways to Promote and Share Content
Hello again, friends! It’s Lorene, Debra’s occasional bloggy sidekick and partner in crime. And this post goes out to all you bloggers and other social media-ites. When I’m not here on Housewife Eclectic sharing crafty geeky whatevers, I’m a virtual assistant (VA) slash content manager over at Remodelaholic. (And, shameless plug, if you’re into DIYing, you should really check it out… but beware, it may increase your project to-do list ;)) Now let’s get real. It takes a few hours (at least!) to create one blog post and get it just right, and then you still need to promote it (because... more »
ALLEGEDLY LIBERAL PUNDITS REACT: Hayes and Goldberg hear loud train comin'!
*MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015Part 1—The roar of the Clinton rules:* Do you believe in a journalistic phenomenon known as “the Clinton rules?” On April 24, Paul Krugman discussed the alleged “Clinton rules” in a New York Times blog post. A few days later, Gene Lyons discussed the same topic in his nationally syndicated column. Do you believe in the Clinton rules? Do you believe this alleged *journalistic* phenomenon really exists in the world? Rather plainly, it’s long past time for the liberal world to form a decision about this. Let’s recall the way Krugman described the *journalistic* ... more »
Did An Anti-Union Billionaire Hijack The Inquirer's Endorsement Process On Behalf Of Anthony Williams?
Technically, the election for mayor of Philadelphia isn't until November 3. In a more practical sense, the city's Democratic voters will select the next mayor on May 19-- 2 weeks from tomorrow-- in the 6-way primary. You may be aware that Blue America has already endorsed the progressive in the race, Jim Kenney. Yesterday, the Philadelphia *Inquirer* inexplicably endorsed the Establishment hack that the machine and the anti-public education forces are backing, Anthony Williams. They acknowledge that the race is between Kenney and Williams and, in their headline, declared their ba... more »
Report: Germany's BND-NSA Collaboration Deeper Than Thought
*Deutsche Welle:** Report: BND-NSA collaboration deeper than thought* *The German news magazine Der Spiegel first outlined the extent of the BND's partnership with the NSA last week. But details are continuing to emerge, suggesting that more than metadata was shared. Germany's federal intelligence agency, the BND, provided the US National Security Agency (NSA) with complete audio and text records of telephone calls and emails of people it had spied on, the Bild newspaper reported on Saturday.Citing sources on the German parliament's NSA inquiry committee, the records, includi... more »
More Groupthink
Following on from the last post... DB reminds me that Steph Hegarty isn't new to him. Here's a *Biased BBC *post from a couple of years back: An emetic… By DB | September 26, 2013 | BBC bias …courtesy of BBC World Service journalist Stephanie Hegarty: There is something cuddly and teddy bear-ish about @drRouhani #Iran — Steph Hegarty (@stephhegarty) September 26, 2013 The leader of a terrorist-exporting theocracy is one thing, but Fox News is something else entirely: The world according to @FoxNews Gross. "Christians Under Attack in Kenya & Pakistan – Greg Gutfeld & Bob Beckel ht... more »
Griftopolis
Why isn't this getting more play? *The leader of the Federal Election Commission, the agency charged with regulating the way political money is raised and spent, says she has largely given up hope of reining in abuses in the 2016 presidential campaign, which could generate a record $10 billion in spending.* *“The likelihood of the laws being enforced is slim,” Ann M. Ravel, the chairwoman, said in an interview. “I never want to give up, but I’m not under any illusions. People think the F.E.C. is dysfunctional. It’s worse than dysfunctional.”* Politicians like Jeb Bush and Martin O'... more »
Shooting At A Texas Exhibit of Prophet Mohammad Cartoons Raises Islamic State Fears
*Daily Mail*: *Former terror suspect well known to the FBI is named as one of two gunmen shot dead by cops after attack on anti-Islam 'draw Muhammad' art contest near Dallas* ** Two suspects were gunned down after shooting a guard in the leg outside the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland* ** The FBI has named one of the gunmen as Elton Simpson, who was convicted of lying to federal agents about traveling to Africa five years ago - but a judge ruled it could not be proved that he was going to join a terror group* ** Simpson's Phoenix, Arizona home has been surrounded and a bomb squad i... more »
Another Chinese Naval Incursion In Disputed Japanese Waters In East China Sea
*Sputnik: **Three Chinese Vessels Enter Disputed Japanese Waters in East China Sea* *Three Chinese coast guard vessels entered the waters of the Senkaku Islands, also known as the Diaoyu Islands and subject to a territorial dispute between Japan and China, local media reported Monday.MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Japan Times cited the headquarters of the regional coast guard in Okinawa as saying that three of China's coast guard ships had crossed into territorial waters claimed by Japan in the East China Sea off the northern coast of Taiwan early on Sunday.The newspaper said this was ... more »
What Consumers Should Know About Smart Meters
*Catherine J. Frompovich* - One informed activist in Pennsylvania, Tom McCarey, was interviewed and categorically laid out what’s going on with Smart Meters. The post What Consumers Should Know About Smart Meters appeared first on Waking Times.
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*A third of British primary pupils 'will fail new tests'* One in three 11-year-olds are expected to fail rigorous new tests being introduced next year, it was claimed yesterday. Almost 200,000 primary pupils will be told they are not properly prepared for secondary school after the exams next summer. The tests in maths, English and science will be made harder from 2016 in a bid to raise standards for those in the last year of primary school. It is hoped the tougher tests will help pupils gain a better grasp of basic skills before they start the next phase of their education. Bu... more »
Former CIA Deputy Director In New Book: CIA Failed To See Al-Qaeda "Rebound'. Benghazi Attack Has Been politicized
Former Deputy CIA Director Michael Morell leaves a meeting in Capitol Hill in Washington November 15, 2012. Morell said the Republicans and the White House had both distorted the events surrounding the Benghazi attack in 2012 Reuters/Jose Luis Magana *Washington Post*: *Former CIA official cites agency’s failure to see al-Qaeda’s rebound* *U.S. intelligence agencies badly misjudged al-Qaeda’s ability to take advantage of political turmoil in the Middle East and regain strength across the region after Osama bin Laden was killed, according to a new book by the CIA’s former deputy... more »
Guess who?
Well, at least someone at the BBC brought it up: Labour candidate @lucianaberger asked about segregated audience at Labour #GE2015 event by @afneil in #bbcdp clip https://t.co/vHL4yWZdN9 — DailySunday Politics (@daily_politics) May 4, 2015
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*You knew it! Nepal earthquake caused by global warming* *The basic story below is that tectonic instability is caused by rainfall variations and that global warming has caused rainfall instability. The first assertion is most implausible but, be that as it may, the theory -- and it is only a theory -- runs up against the fact that there has been no global warming for 18 years. So global warming did not cause the rainfall variations. Something that does not exist cannot cause anything. Rainfall is highly variable naturally so Occams Razor tells us that there was no need to inv... more »
He Doesn't Do Well In A Court Of Law
http://www.pressprogress.ca/ The Harper government is rushing to prevent Omar Khadr's release from jail. The *National Post* reports: Federal lawyers have signalled to Khadr’s defence team that they will seek a rushed hearing with the Alberta Court of Appeal on Tuesday morning, just hours ahead of an afternoon hearing that was scheduled to set conditions on Khadr’s release on bail. “The federal government is defying legal tradition” by heading directly to the appeal court and proceeding without providing the generally accepted practi... more »
The Westminster Bubble and the BBC
Talking about politicians and opinion polls... According to *PR Week*, The BBC is the most popular media outlet for MPs, with 65 per cent of politicians revealing that it is their preferred source for news, according to research carried out by Populus. Surprisingly, the survey finds that 67% of Conservatives named the BBC as one of their preferred news sources (specifically Radio 4, followed by the BBC News website) while only 55% of Labour MPs named the BBC. To those frustrated at the Conservatives for failing to take part in a sustained charge against BBC bias, this may help ... more »
Finnish Trawler In International Waters Takes Picture Of An Unknown Sub
Merimies kuvasi sukellusveneen Suomenlahdella – katso kuvat #uutisvahti http://t.co/dEMmQXyBeA pic.twitter.com/lT0ITtDRU1 — J-P Heiskanen (@jphei) May 4, 2015 *Sputnik:* Mystery Sub Snapped Off Finnish Coast *An unknown submarine was captured on camera, sailing off the coast of Finland, local media reported Monday.The picture was taken by a fisherman on board a Finnish trawler in international waters southwest of the capital Helsinki. The fisherman, who asked not to be named, said the sub was 800 meters away and heading east.“Submarines use certain types of signals when they ... more »
How the Kaggle restaurant contest was hacked
Kaggle.com is a server that organized the ATLAS Higgs machine learning contest but it is organizing many others. One of them is the Turkish restaurant revenue prediction that is ending tonight. You may download the information about 137 restaurants including the revenue – along with the values of 37 real-number parameters describing each "training" restaurant (plus some "discrete information" about each) as well as the revenue. And you should guess the revenue of 100,000 restaurants for which you are only told the 37 real-valued parameters (plus the "discrete information"). You ... more »
8 Health Benefits of Dandelions
*Meme - *Dandelions are more than weeds; they are a gift from nature loaded with fiber, vitamins and minerals essential for the body. Here are 8 ways that consuming dandelions will benefit your health. The post 8 Health Benefits of Dandelions appeared first on Waking Times.
Are Protests Against The NSA Surveillance Program Becoming A 'Thing Of The Past'
*WSJ*: *A Top-Secret NSA Site Draws Swipes, Shrugs* *Utah’s reaction to data center mirrors wider ambivalence over surveillance programs.* *As a defiant statement against what it sees as government overreach, a group of Utahans “adopted” the desert highway that leads to the National Security Agency’s secretive and sprawling new facility in Bluffdale.* *Their novel plan: While collecting trash along their stretch of road, they would simultaneously protest outside the NSA building, spreading the “Restore the Fourth” message in favor of Fourth Amendment protections against illegal... more »
The U.S. Military Has A Sexual Assault Problem
Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter, left, outlined on Friday the steps that the military was taking to reduce the thousands of sexual assaults that occur each year. Credit Stephen Crowley/The New York Times *New York Times:* *Women in Military Cite Retaliation After Assault Complaints* *WASHINGTON — Nearly two-thirds of women in the military who filed sexual assault complaints last year said they faced retaliation, according to a Pentagon report released on Friday.* *The study found that the number of sexual assaults in the military declined last year, echoing the conclusion of a... more »
Groupthink
DB at *Biased BBC* has highlighted a tweet from BBC World Service journalist Steph Hegarty on the Texas terror attack which probably reflects a common view at the BBC: I suppose this was the intended consequence of a stunt like this.. #Texas http://t.co/JvUheQpYbt — Steph Hegarty (@stephhegarty) May 4, 2015 Looking further into her Twitter output, Steph (who proudly displays her BBC credentials and uses Twitter as part of her reporting - see her coverage of the Nigerian elections) seems to hold quite a few of the expected views. (Very few BBC reporters have ever been found by DB... more »
Hilarion May 3, 2015
May 3-10, 2015 Beloved Ones, As you walk the ways of the world you live in, you are daily changing yourselves and those around you. Meeting self in all of its aspects and nuances requires the utmost courage and sincerity of purpose but the rewards for your persistence are becoming self evident. When you look back in a time not too distant, you can see in hindsight that all of your experiences have brought you to this moment of clarity and inner strength. Every experience you have ever had, has brought you greater insight, wisdom and spiritual growth. As you move forward on your ... more »
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*N.O. voters approve new tax for public library system ~WWLTV* *Ways and Means approving many revenue-raising measures - even if they conflict with each other ~Tyler Bridges * *Cajun Berled Peanuts ~WVUE*
Economic News , Data and Views ( May 4. 2015 ) - Greece Updates ( State of play regarding Greece and Creditor talks , Greece positions , economic data ) .... Broader Europe and Asia in focus !
Tweets.... *The Greek Analyst* @GreekAnalyst · 5m 5 minutes ago #Greece govt spox Sakellaridis: "The red lines were red lines since February and will continue to be so in the future." *The Greek Analyst* @GreekAnalyst · 6m6 minutes ago #Greece govt spox Sakellaridis: "The Memorandum comprises of a political framework, different from the loan agreement." *The Greek Analyst* @GreekAnalyst · 5m5 minutes ago #Greece govt spox Sakellaridis: "The GR govt is waiting NOT simply until the end of May for the liquidity to be released, but ASAP." *The Greek Analyst* @GreekAnalys... more »
Half the story?
Further to the previous post... The BBC, as we've noted before, often only seems to give half the story - or, if we're being charitable, treads more carefully than most other news organisations. As it stands now, that BBC article about the Texas attack says: But Garland Police Department spokesman Joe Harn said there had been no credible threats in advance, and it was not immediately clear if the shootings were related to the event. The *Daily Telegraph* article says pretty much the same but adds something straight after: Police said they had not immediately determined the ident... more »
Sagem to Provide Optronic Masts for Swedish Navy Gotland class Overhaul & Future A26 Submarine
[image: Sagem's Series 30 masts]*Navy Recognition* learned that French defense company Sagem will supply its latest periscope system for the Swedish Navy Gotland class (A19) diesel-electric submarines (SSK) overhaul as well as for the future A26 SSKs. According to Sagem, The Series 30 is the most modern and complete optronic surveillance mast on the market. Its four simultaneously operational sensors, image processing and operating modes make it perfect for advanced detection of airborne or surface threats. It can equip both classic and nuclear submarines, whether new or retrofit ... more »
Kim nixed Russia trip after failed missile buy: report
[image: S-300 Favorit]North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s recent revocation of his anticipated visit to Russia may have resulted from Moscow’s lukewarm response to Pyongyang’s plans to purchase its air defense missile systems, a news report said Saturday. Hong Kong’s Phoenix TV cited a Russian defense expert, reporting that the North floated a proposal to purchase four sets of Russia’s S-300 long-range surface-to-air missile systems during a visit by Hyon Yong-chol, minister of the People’s Armed Forces, to Moscow last month to take part in an international security conference. The... more »
F-0180 Aerial Test of Torpedo
The second US cruise missile - though the first was a close contemporary. Yes, this was Rocket Science, 1919 style. Had the Great War continued, development wouldn't have been delayed, and it would have been in service by late 1919 in the strategic bombardment role - probably at night and in cloudy conditions, as it was a fairly easy target. May I present - the "Kettering Bug"
US aid planes arrive in Kathmandu
Troops and emergency aircraft from the United States have arrived in Nepal to help deliver aid to remote areas hit by last week’s devastating earthquake. Relief efforts near the epicentre have been hampered by a lack of aircraft. About 100 US marines, two helicopters and four Ospreys capable of vertical take-off are now in Kathmandu. Read more
India tops list of drone-importing nations
[image: Heron TP MALE UAV]A decision by India’s National Disaster Response Force to use drones to help Nepal map the scale of devastation caused by last week’s earthquake—more than 7,000 people have died—indicates how India has enthusiastically taken to these pilotless aircraft. With 22.5% of the world’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imports, between 1985 and 2014, India ranks first among drone-importing nations, followed by United Kingdom and France. UAVs, or drones as they are commonly known, are pilotless aerial vehicles used for reconnaissance, surveillance, intelligence gatheri... more »
U.S. keeps watchful eye as China builds 'Great Wall of Sand'
[image: P-8A Poseidon]The crew of Pelican One keeps a watchful eye as the U.S. Navy patrol plane swoops low to identify a ship operating near waters off southwestern Japan that China now claims as its territory. After a radio check and a close look confirms the ship is a harmless Panama-flagged commercial tanker, Pelican One veers off and resumes a patrol that can last up to 12 hours and takes the plane thousands of miles from its base in Okinawa, Japan. These missions have taken on new urgency as the U.S. military keeps a closer eye on China's increasingly assertive territorial cla... more »
The Superior Rationality of the Rational Party
[image: DSC06526] *Longshanks: If we can't get them out, we'll breed them out.* The Rational Party was displaying its rationality at a gathering for KMT Chairperson Eric Chu and the Taiwanese business community in China. The video is here, it's been making the rounds in Taiwan. A Taiwan scholar summarized on Facebook: I must say not all Taiwanese business owners in China are like this woman... She said the most important political agenda right now is "KMT-CCP cooperation," and if the government pays attention to the desire of the 23 million people in Taiwan, then cross-strait inter... more »
Carrier Lincoln hits half-way mark of shortened overhaul
[image: USS Abraham Lincoln]Officials at Newport News Shipbuilding intend to finish George Washington's refueling and complex overhaul here by early 2021, as scheduled, despite an 11-month delay caused by a budget battle between Congress and Navy leaders. They also plan to keep the carrier John C. Stennis' overhaul on schedule. That is good news for sailors. Getting those flattops back to the fleet on time is crucial to shortening deployments and making ship schedules predictable again. Read more
Key developments continue in Germany's F 125 frigate programme
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[image: FGS Baden-Wuerttemberg (F222)]The German Navy has christened its second F 125 frigate, the next phase in a number of key recent developments in the frigate programme. Nordrhein-Westfalen (F 223) was christened by TKMS on 16 April at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg. In June 2007 under a EUR2 billion (USD2.25 billion) contract, Germany ordered four F 125 frigates from the ARGE F 125 industry consortium, consisting of TKMS and Lürssen Werft Shipyard. Under TKMS leadership on the programme, Lürssen is responsible for constructing and fitting out the fore sections of each s... more »
Vietnam People’s Navy marks 60th founding anniversary with parade at military port
The Vietnam People’s Navy on Saturday held a ceremony, accompanied by a military parade, at the Cam Ranh military port in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa to commemorate its 60th anniversary. The event was joined by Truong Tan Sang, Politburo member and State President; Nguyen Thien Nhan, Politburo member and chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front; Phung Quang Thanh, Politburo member and Defense Minister; Tran Dai Quang, Politburo member and Minister of Public Security; and many other senior leaders, both current and former, of Vietnam. Speaking a... more »
Iran’s Disingenuous Approach To Maritime Law
[image: MV Maersk Tigris]Iran’s seizure of the MV Maersk Tigris underscores the importance of a stable rule of law in the oceans, and the dangers of allowing one state to attempt to alter them for its own benefit. The ship, boarded and taken by force to Bandar Abbas on April 28, was turned over to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to fulfill a court judgment in favor of Iran Ports Authority. It should surprise no one that this vacuous legal rationale is incompatible with the the rules set forth in the customary international law of the sea, and reflected in the Law of the Sea Convent... more »
India's Next Warships and Submarines Will Have to be Built at Home
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[image: Project 75 (Scorpene) class SSK]India’s Defense Ministry has decided that its orders for future ships, including submarines, will be exclusively available for domestic shipyards, according to a Defense News report. The Indian Navy could potentially have in excess of $50 billion in contracts over the next 10 years for new ships and submarines. India’s navy is embarking on a major indigenous modernization effort. As The Diplomat reported recently, the Indian government cleared plans for an $8 billion indigenous development program for important naval assets. This included six ... more »
Also for the sake of completeness...
So what did BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith get up to in his final *Norman's Wisdom* on yesterday's *Broadcasting House *on Radio 4? Well, he talked about how dull this election has been, with no stand-out moments whatsoever. He said that politicians had bored the pants off everyone with the sanitised staged events and terror of engaging with the general public. Only too late have they realised that the public want to be engaged with - and that they, the politicians, might actually enjoy rising to the challenge if they reciprocated. The event that marked the light bul... more »
The True Alien Encounter Story Behind “Fire in the Sky”
This is one of the best encounter reports and has received ample publicity. It is genuine, but then so are many other similar reports. What makes this important is the bevy of eye witnesses, the multi day disappearance during which the eye witnesses stirred up the countryside and brought maximum attention to the case and the sudden reappearance of an addled Travis who then did not know what had happened. What we have is a clear encounter that cannot be obfuscated by allegations against the witnesses. that is a blessing because we can now review other similar reports to disco... more »
Teacher’s Resignation Letter: ‘My Profession … No Longer Exists’
Meddling with the conduct and content of education has been going on from the very beginning and what has always been clearly lacking is anything approaching empirical science been applied. Instead we have the ideological fashion of the day often been applied blindly in a top down fashion with blind faith in the consequences. Does it not occur to even our educators that we can do way better. It is not even about rewriting history every generation that is much of a problem unless of course it is suddenly hijacked to support pro Muslim antisemitism which is so utte... more »
Scientists Have Warned for Years that Monsanto’s Roundup Causes Cancer
* [image: Pesticide Spraying]* I understood that they were lying when i was sixteen merely by careful reading of their labeling. The claim that it was completely safe for human consumption or at least exposure was never there although their salesmen all made the claim. In short, all lies were verbal and legalese did the tap dance to avoid actual support of those claims. How we see more and more scientist truly in the know coming forward to confirm that Round Up is cancer producing. I personally also think that circumstantial evidence supports two other global pandemics. One ... more »
How to Say ‘Epic Fail’ in Chinese
It is easy to see how such a phrase could become invested with ample meaning. Yet the description of the rooky's plan looks simple to start with. Enough to question just why he was ever allowed to proceed. Throwing yourself onto a prepared enemy can only maximize your losses with the lowest possibility of success. Yet it appears the first option of every failed general in history. Someone needs to do a history on frontal assaults on well prepared positions. They only work in the case of cavalry who can maneuver to attain tactical surprise. Custer was a master of this tact... more »
Govt says it took Defence submarine advice
[image: HMAS Waller(SSG 75)]The government says it took Defence Department advice on board when it opted for the competitive evaluation process to select new submarines. A spokesman for Defence Minister Kevin Andrews said Defence, in its advice to former minister David Johnston, noted that government shipbuilder ASC lacked some skills and capital to undertake this large task alone. Defence advice to Senator Johnston, obtained by Fairfax Media under freedom of information, indicates that it preferred for most of the job of constructing the 12 advanced new submarines to be done at the... more »
The ever-pious BBC
The *Daily Telegraph*'s account of the latest terrorist attack in the US (which, thankfully, it seems, only resulted in the deaths of the terrorists involved) is carefully balanced in the way it describes the Muslim prophet Mohammad (though it doesn't stick to a single spelling of his names). The *Telegraph*'s headline begins with "Mohammed", then the article moves through "the Prophet Mohammed", "the Prophet", "Muhammad", "the Prophet Muhammad", "Muhammad" and "Muhammad". The BBC News website's account is, typically, much more 'pious' from start to finish. Their headline begins wi... more »
KEELTY, HOWARD AND RUDDOCK AND THE SECRET DEAL TO EXECUTE AUSTRALIANS
I suspect that Mick Keelty, John Howard and Philip Ruddock are pleased that the two Bali Nine boys were shot to death in the early hours of Wednesday morning of the 29 April 2015 as it finalises a plan first hatched back in April 2005. It was then that Lee Rush, the father of Scott Rush, one of the gang members of a drug smuggling operation, realising that his son was about to fly to Bali in order to bring drugs back to Australia, contacted the Australian Federal Police via a lawyer friend to inform them of what was about to happen with a view of getting the AFP to stop Scott Rush ... more »
Afghan Forces Are Suffering From Record Losses
Afghan recruits shortly before graduation from the Kabul Military Training Center. Yochi Dreazen/The Wall Street Journal *UPI*: *Afghan forces suffer record losses amid U.S., coalition drawdown* *U.S. and Afghan officials told USA Today that Afghan security forces are averaging more than 300 casualties per week. * *KABUL, Afghanistan, May 3 (UPI) -- Casualties among Afghan security forces have spiked this year as the United States and its coalition partners draw down their presence in Afghanistan, officials say.* *About 330 Afghan soldiers and police are killed or wounded each wee... more »
Development and Security
For a range of reasons, I have been thinking lately about the relationship between development and security. At one level, the relationship is obvious, if somewhat banal: resources allocated for security (e.g. guns) cannot be used for development purposes (butter). I suspect that for many American IR scholars, and certainly most Americans in security studies, […]
The 1st PRPX, May 2007 in Hawaii, Photos
I just discovered these photos in my old emails, during the 1st Pacific Rim Policy Exchange (PRPX) held in Sheraton Waikiki, Hawaii, May 2007. It was mainly sponsored by the Americans for Tax Reforms (ATR), and co-sponsored by the Property Rights Alliance (PRA, USA), Grassroot Institute Hawaii (GIH), International Policy Network (IPN, UK), Lion Rock Institute (LRI, HK) and another Tokyo-based Institute. The original photos and folders I lost when my USB was damaged. I was one of the panel speakers there, I talked about privatization. See my presentation there. Below with Martin K... more »
Review - Good Earth Beauty
I love Eco-friendly beauty and body-care products! While I take it as my personal responsibility to research both products and companies, I will admit that completing "due diligence" takes a considerable amount of time and effort. So I was thrilled when I was introduced to *Good Earth Beauty*, a company which does all the "leg work" for us. Karen Ostrach, the founder of *Good Earth Beauty*, became concerned about body care products when her daughter, at age 10, suffered an especially bad case of eczema. As Karen researched, she was shocked at the ingredients in most commercial items... more »
The most exciting UK election in ages? But who on earth to vote FOR???
In this most confusing of exciting UK elections (or vice versa), Liberty Scott does his now-patented running-the-rule over who you might want to vote for in the UK elections, if you were in the UK and wanted to leave the house to vote for liberty and freedom. (And unlike me, Scott is someone who *likes* to vote.) It looks like your chances in that regard are not good. But how about even trying to *understand* the whole bugger’s muddle … - *Most exciting UK election in ages? In one sense... (Part One)* That's the line being taken by the UK media, of course every election is ... more »
After Two Days Of Talks, Taliban And Afghan Officials Have Failed To Agree To A Ceasefire
*Reuters*: *Taliban, Afghan figures talk ceasefire but fail to agree* *(Reuters) - Taliban representatives met with Afghan political figures for a second day in Qatar on Sunday, and one participant said the two sides discussed a possible ceasefire but ultimately disagreed over the continued presence of U.S. troops in the country.* *The closed-door talks hosted by Qatar's foreign ministry represent a tentative sign of life in the effort to end the devastating 13-year-old war in Afghanistan.* *The informal talks came as fighting escalated after the withdrawal of most U.S. and all... more »
Is Kazakhstan's Russian Minority About To Revolt?
*Washington Post:* *In Kazakhstan, fears of becoming the next Ukraine* *ASTANA, Kazakhstan —A volatile mix building in Kazakhstan contains the same ingredients that ignited in Ukraine: a Russian minority that says it fears being under siege, rising anti-Russian nationalist sentiment and pressure on the Russian language.* *Last year, Russia used that explosive combination as a pretext to annex Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. Now, many here in this city on the steppe fear that Kazakhstan’s presidential election last Sunday may have been the last peaceful one the former Soviet republic... more »
Ukraine Sues Russian Gas Giant Gazprom For $16 Billion
*Reuters:* *Ukraine seeks more than $16 bln from Gazprom in pricing dispute* *Ukraine is seeking more than $16 billion from Russia's Gazprom in its appeal to an arbitration court in Stockholm over a long-running gas pricing dispute between Kiev and Moscow, Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said on Friday.Ukraine's state gas business Naftogaz and Russia's Gazprom are bound by a 10-year gas agreement signed in 2009. Kiev is challenging the price of Russian gas, and billions of dollars in debts which Russia says have accrued, and appealing to international arbitrators for a definiti... more »
Ukraine War News Updates -- May 3, 2015
*Deutsche Welle:** Fighting intensifies in eastern Ukraine despite ceasefire* *Eastern Ukraine has witnessed the worst clashes since the Minsk ceasefire deal was brokered in February. European observers continue to call for peace amid ceasefire violations by both parties. A Ukrainian soldier was killed and six others wounded over the last 24 hours," Andy Lysinko, Ukraine's military spokesman, said at a news briefing on Sunday.Lysneko added that the rebels used large-caliber artillery in violation of the Minsk protocol.The shelling of Donetsk, considered the separatists' ce... more »
Guest Post: Coach Randy Explains How The New Jersey Anti-Bullying Bill Of Rights Failed His Son
*Coach Randy is Randy Nathan, president of Project NextGen and author of Bullying In Sports: A Guide To Identifying The Injuries We Don't See. Randy agreed to write a guest post for us today that gets right down into the roots of what bullying is all about. And he doesn't stop there.* The “Garden” State of New Jersey is known for many wonderful things. Whether it’s the famous beach communities, an exceptional public educational system, or the home to famous athletes, entertainers, business leaders, and politicians, New Jersey has something for every walk of life. However, a littl... more »
Mexico's Drug Cartel War Is Heating Up
*Wall Street Journal:* *Rise of Drug Cartel Brings Wave of Mexican Violence* *Army hunts for three missing soldiers in Jalisco since helicopter was shot down on FridayMEXICO CITY—A weekend of coordinated violence convulsed Mexico’s second-largest city and a famed beach resort town in the latest sign of the emergence of a powerful and aggressive drug cartel.Soldiers and police in Jalisco state searched on Sunday for three soldiers who have been missing since gunmen presumed to belong to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel shot down a Mexican army helicopter on Friday, killing... more »
Economy Crapped Out? (Already In Recession?) Buzzed by Bernie! (Killed by Police - Six Baltimore Police Officers Criminally Charged) Judy Miller Tells More Tales
As indicated by (April 30)’s ghastly GDP data, Obama not only shot himself in the foot, he might have blown off his whole leg. Aside from the colossal growth in private inventories – which will be a drag on future growth – todays report was nothing short of a disaster. First off: The economy is in the shitter. Consumers aren’t spending because the crap-ass jobs they landed after the crisis
Russian President Putin Discusses His Parents' World War II Experience
Vladimir Putin and his parents. © Photo: putin.kremlin.ru *Moscow Times:* *Putin Opens Up About Parents' World War II Experience* *Russia's President Vladimir Putin has written a magazine column about his parents' struggles and hardships during World War II, but said they did not hate Nazi Germans — unlike his own generation that did.* *"There wasn't a family who didn't lose someone [during the war]. But they was no hatred toward the enemy, and that's what was amazing" Putin said of his parents in a column published Thursday in Russian Pioneer magazine.* *The Russian leader singled... more »
Russia signs up to $100 bn BRICS fund to rival IMF
[image: AFP] May 2, 2015 [image: Russian President Vladimir Putin, pictured in Moscow on May 1, 2015, ratified an accord to set up a $100-billion reserve fund for the so-called BRICS] . Moscow (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin ratified an accord Saturday to set up a $100-billion reserve fund for the so-called BRICS -- the five leading emerging economies that include Russia, China, Brazil, India and South Africa. Moscow is expected to contribute $18 billion to the reserve, well behind the $41 billion China has promised to pour into the fund that was set up after an agree... more »
Is The New World Order Dying? 10 Recent Headlines Offer Hope
Activist PostSunday, May 3, 2015 By Bernie Suarez We know the saying, you either see a glass half empty or half full. Your attitude, mindset and expectations guide your perceptions which in turn will guide your stated views and opinions of the world you live in. That said, depending on how you view the world one might make an argument for why the new world order is slowly dying out. Perhaps I'm being overly optimistic or perhaps my intuition is correct on this one. One thing I strongly believe: humanity is not designed to live in false government paradigms of slavery and statism. ... more »
Dachau Concentration Camp Was Liberated 70 Years Ago
*Reuters*: *Merkel says Germans can never forget death camp horrors* *DACHAU, Germany (Reuters) - Germans will never forget the "unfathomable horrors" that the Nazis inflicted at the death camps, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday at a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp near Munich.* *In a moving speech to 120 elderly survivors from 20 nations and six U.S. soldiers who helped liberate the camp, Merkel said Dachau and other death camps freed near the end of World War Two stand as eternal reminders of the Nazi regime's brut...more »
Abolish Income Tax 10: Presentation in March 2007
This is the paper I presented in forum on “In Search of a National Consensus”, sponsored by the Barangay San Lorenzo Business Association (BSLBA) Makati, at My Cinema, Greenbelt 3, Makati City, March 30, 2007. The six other speakers that day were (1) Bjorn Tarras-Wahlberg, Sec. Gen. of the World Taxpayers Association (WTA), (2) Dr. Dennis Gonzales of Ateneo de Manila University, (3) Dr. Rolando Dy of the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P), (4) Dr. Rene Azurin of the University of the Philippines (UP), (5) Mr. Billy Esposo, columnist at the Philippine Star, and (6) Mr. Berni... more »
George Orwell on the *real* political spectrum
[Pic by Jim Rose. Quote from a letter to Malcolm Muggeridge (4 December 1948), quoted in *Malcolm Muggeridge: A Life* (1980) by Ian Hunter. Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
Seeing your mail service getting worse? It's probably going to get worse still
*by Ken* Maybe there's one of you out there who hasn't been part of the dramatic exodus from the U.S. Postal Service which has wrought havoc on its already-precarious finances. But I know I just don't send out very much mail. The major part of my outgoing mail in years gone past was bills being paid, and nowadays I pay most of my bills online. It's just easier. But every now and then I do have to mail something -- usually locally, as I think about it, which kind of surprises me. And every then I depend on receiving something, again usually locally, from someplace else in Manhatta... more »
Taking it to the Streets in Kiev
Thousands rally in Kiev, Ukraine commemorating victims of Odessa massacre last year and those recently 'eliminated' by the corrupt 'government' in Kiev. The US-NATO backed Kiev regime reported arrested the organizers of this event after it was over.
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Recognized since antiquity and depicted on the shield of Achilles according to Homer, stars of the Hyades cluster form the head of the constellation Taurus the Bull. Their general V-shape is anchored by Aldebaran, the eye of the Bull and by far the constellation's brightest star. *Click image for larger size.* Yellowish in appearance, red giant Aldebaran is not a Hyades cluster member, though. Modern astronomy puts the Hyades cluster 151 light-years away making it the nearest established open star cluster, while Aldebaran lies at less than half that distance, along the same line-of... more »
Chet Raymo, "Tenderness and Silence"
*"Tenderness and Silence"* by Chet Raymo “It's been a long, long time since I read “Justine”, the first volume in Lawrence Durrell's “Alexandrian Quartet”, but one phrase sticks in my mind. As I recall, Justine, the woman with whom the narrator is having an affair, is questioning him as to why he doesn't take seriously their friends' philosophical conversations. You always sit there smiling, she chides, or something to that effect. He tells her that *anyone who takes really seriously the inextricable tangle of human thought can only respond with "ironic tenderness and silence."* ... more »
Of all the members of the European Union, Germany may be suffering the most due to Washington's demand to sanction Russia, even though there is no evidence that Russia has subverted Ukraine or even has a military presence there. Yet German Chancellor Merkel chooses illogically to castigate Russia. Why would she do such a thing? Well, it is begining to appear that Merkel has become a bought off operative of the US Government.
------------------------------ *Is Merkel a CIA Asset?* *By Finian Cunningham * April 30, 2015 "Information Clearing House" - "Sputnik" -* The claims that Merkel’s government knew about German state intelligence spying on behalf of the Americans against the country's own industrial interests raise disturbing questions about the integrity of German government leaders.* The apparent betrayal of German national interests by Chancellor Angela Merkel is not only evident over the recent industrial spying scandal on behalf of America. The slavish pursuit by Merkel of Washington's anti-Ru... more »
“Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience. Our problem is that people all over the world have obeyed the dictates of the leaders of their government and have gone to war, and millions have been killed because of this obedience.” Howard Zinn
------------------------------ *WASHINGTON IS A GREAT DANGER TO THE WORLD * ------------------------------ May 2, 2015 | Original Here Go here to sign up to receive email notice of this news letter WASHINGTON IS A GREAT DANGER TO THE WORLD Guest column by Dana Visalli “Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience. Our problem is that people all over the world have obeyed the dictates of the leaders of their government and have gone to war, and millions have been killed because of this obedience.” Howard Zinn “If ... more »
Bill English: Oh lord, give me surplus. But not yet.
Being a good Catholic, Bill English should be familiar with St Augustine’s famous prayer as a young man: “Oh Lord … give me chastity and continence, but not yet.” In fact, he may not just be familiar with it: he may have adopted it as his own prayer regarding the ever-disappearing surplus – ever-receding in a manner akin to Augustine’s elusive chastity. They both have excuses but -- like the young hedonistic Augustine -- English is none too resistant to temptation. In his case, the temptation to spend and for that spending to continue to grow*. And, like Augustine, English cont... more »
Untitled
*Resident pros: Saints are not rebuilding - they are reloading! ~WWL*
The Poet: Rainer Maria Rilke, "Ninth Duino Elegy"
*"Ninth Duino Elegy"* "Praise the world to the angel: leave the unsayable aside. Your exalted feelings do not move him. In the universe, where he feels feelings, you are a beginner. Therefore show him what is ordinary, what has been shaped from generation to generation, shaped by hand and eye. Tell him of things. He will stand still in astonishment, the way you stood by the ropemaker in Rome or beside the potter on the Nile. Show him how happy a thing can be, how innocent and ours, how even a lament takes pure form, serves as a thing, dies as a thing, while the violin, blessing it, fade... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Lawton, Oklahoma, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
“What Will the Universe Look Like In A Trillion Years?”
*“What Will the Universe Look Like In A Trillion Years?*” by Ray Villard "A trillion years from now the universe will be a much simpler place for far-future astronomers to ponder. One trillion years? Yes, when the universe is 100 times its presents age the only stars left will be the ones that are the longest burning: red dwarfs. New star formation will have died out eons earlier, so there will be no iridescent nebulae, supernova blasts, or blue giant stars like Rigel in the constellation Orion. Our Milky Way will have lost its identity long ago through merging with the Andromeda g... more »
"As Fragile As A Thought..."
"The unreal is more powerful than the real. Because nothing is as perfect as you can imagine it. Because its only intangible ideas, concepts, beliefs, fantasies that last. Stone crumbles. Wood rots. People, well, they die. But things as fragile as a thought, a dream, a legend, they can go on and on. If you can change the way people think, the way they see themselves, the way they see the world, you can change the way people live their lives. That's the only lasting thing you can create." - Chuck Palahniuk
Quote of the day: On producing the antibodies that ward off socialism
“[Classical] liberalism is not a simple political choice. It is a way of life. Businesses are the lifeblood of a [classical] liberal economy, but they are much more than that. They also produce the antibodies that help entrepreneurs ward off socialism and other forms of political predation. CEOs who abandon that role — by, for example, promoting their environmental awareness rather than their role in providing jobs and the goods and services that people want and need — have fallen into a trap where their actual economic function is seen as secondary to whatever external costs the... more »
How Britain’s papers should have looked this morning
[Hat tip Andrew Bates] Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
For the sake of completeness...
Back to election matters.... So how did today's *Andrew Marr Show *pan out? Well, there were no celebs and no musicians this week, only politicians and political pundits. The pundits reviewing the papers were Gaby Hinsliff of *The Guardian *and Matthew Parris of *The Times. *Andrew Marr made a point of pointing out that Matthew is a former Conservative MP. (I suspect that was because there was no Conservative politician up for interview on this final pre-election edition of the programme.) The three interviewees were Yvette Cooper for Labour, Nigel Farage for UKIP and Nick ... more »
15 Years Of Stimulus—–Nothing To Show
David Stockman summarises the results of 15 years of Keynesian stimulus in the U.S. … At this point 15 years ought to count for something. After all, we have now used up one-seventh of this century. So you can’t say its too early to tell what’s going on or to identify the underlying trends. Indeed, during that span we have encompassed several business cycles, two financial crises/meltdowns and nearly a non-stop blitz of “extraordinary” policy interventions. To wit, a $700 billion TARP, an $800 billion fiscal stimulus, upwards of $4.0 trillion of money printing and 165 months out o... more »
California Parent Shares Excellent Opt Out Information
Link Liberty is the freedom to exercise our constitutional rights and not be bullied. State assessments are voluntary. In California, the right to opt out of standardized testing is a parental right guaranteed by Ed. Code 60615 which says, “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a parent’s or guardian’s written request to school officials to excuse his or her child from any or all part of the assessments administered pursuant to this chapter shall be granted.” State tests are mandatory for districts to administer but optional for students to take (with a parent opt-out). Why .
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