Winston Churchill in Downing Street giving his famous 'V' sign. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: One of the uninhabited islands of Lakshadweep (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Performance Artist Matthew Silver: The Dancing Trickster of Love in NYC
One of the things that has always fascinated me was the ability of art, artists, music, musicians, satirists, comedians, and other performers to shatter programming, illusions, and habitual patterns in people. Its also the reason they are often the first to persecuted by religions, dictators, and another control freaks who have no sense of humor or art in their soul. We have been programmed to expect wisdom and truth to come from men in pin striped grey suits.. Yet the trickster archetype endures throughout the eons the cosmic joke that laughs at the illusion and seriousness.. ... more »
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*Survey finds more than half of Britain's 18 to 25-year-olds do not know what VE day celebrates* It marked the end of years of blood, sweat and tears – but most young people have no idea what VE Day is. With two days until the 70th anniversary, a survey found 54 per cent of Britons aged 18 to 25 did not know that Friday's VE Day celebrates the end of the Second World War in Europe. And 38 per cent could not identify Winston Churchill as the prime minister who declared victory in Europe on May 8, 1945. Seven per cent believed it was former US president John F Kennedy, another 7 p... more »
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*Murdered by climate change deniers (?) * *I suppose I should join a lot of my fellow skeptics by having a laugh at dear little "Schatzie" (Yiddish for little treasure) who wrote the hymn below. It passionately celebrates faith -- faith in global warming. No knowledge of actual climate facts or interest in climate data is evident. Her logic is a bit hard to follow but she seems to be saying that Arctic explorers would not have to explore so hard if everybody accepted the global warming gospel. So when Arctic explorers die, that is the responsibility of climate skept... more »
Stefan Verstappen- Psychopathy & Societal Conditions creating that Pathology
SOTT Radio interviews Stefan Verstappen This week we're talking once again to Canadian author, artist, and martial arts expert, Stefan Verstappen. Stefan has a professional background in communications and business management and has travelled extensively throughout East Asia, where he has studied oriental art, culture and Kung Fu. Stefan is the author of '*The art of urban survival*' from which the viral YouTube video documentary 'Defense Against the Psychopath' was taken. We previously spoke to Stefan about the video he produced on the topic of historical cycles of human civiliza... more »
15 Amazing No Churn Ice Cream Recipes
I love making homemade ice cream, but since I don't have an ice cream maker I always assumed I had to stick with boring recipes. Not true! I have pulled together 15 amazing No Churn Ice Cream recipes that are both delicious and easy! No Churn Cake Batter Ice Cream from Housewife Eclectic. No Churn Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream from Like Mother Like Daughter. No Churn Bubble Gum Ice Cream from The Tip Toe Fairy. No Churn Crispy M&M Ice Cream From Just Us Four. Fresh Cherry and Buttered Almond No Churn Ice Cream from Anyonita's Nibbles. Homemade Coconut Ice Cream from Our Thrifty ... more »
Economic News , Data and Views ( May 7th , 2015 ) - UK Elections head the list of market moving news ( updates at the blog tweet feed during the day ) ..... Global bond rout truly the story off the day - especially rout in Europe ....... Latest on Greece - snail's pace Creditor talks continue , state of play detailed overall !
Tweets.... UK Election items .... Derek Gatopoulos retweeted *Theodora Tongas* @theodoratongas · 5h5 hours ago Polls open in one of the closest races in British history #London # elections2015 #ge2015 [image: Embedded image permalink] MineForNothing retweeted *Telegraph News* @TelegraphNews · 23m23 minutes ago The 22 swing seats and key battlegrounds in the race for Number 10 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general-e lection-2015/11588376/22-swing-seats-and-key-battlegrounds-in-the-race-for-10-Downing-Street.html … #GE2015 [image: Embedded image permalink] *Mi... more »
The BBC - no opportunity missed to push the Vote Labour message
The BBC have a handy Election 2015: How To Vote page, very public spirited of them? Not so much, see how they illustrate how to mark the ballot paper... Note the pencil poised over the Labour candidate's box. Subtle? Insidious? Biased? On election day of all days, when the media are meant to be scrupulously unbiased, the BBC put that online. They know they are more powerful than any politician, they control the political agenda more than any other media company or politician. The BBC's pro Labour bias has been disgusting for years and nobody dares take them on. Well nobody to ... more »
The Philosophy of Hate Crime: Special Section Edited by Myself And David Brax Published By The Journal of Interpersonal Violence
I have been posting a few times over the last couple of years about themes, events and media linked to my engagement in research on philosophical and ethical aspects of hate crimes, hate crime law, and policy relating to this. The engagement originates from my participation in the European Commission funded project *When Law and Hate Collide*, and I'm now happy to be able to announce the final publication of one of the main academic outputs of this project: A special section of the *Journal of Interpersonal Violence* on the theme of the philosophy of hate crime, guest-edited by Davi... more »
The 'Grexit' Issue and the Problem of Free Trade
The real question is what do we do to replace tariffs as a policy tool when free trade is still weak or actually suppressed? I return to my central argument that it is critical that fiat credit expansion occurs with the bottom third of society first. Put another way, a mega power plant with few consumers is a white elephant while a million small funded businesses create financial demand and the power plant gets built to provide efficiency. Government has typically held onto this capacity and this natural greed leads to citizen resistance and tax avoidance. Greek is merely a... more »
Canadian house prices 35% overvalued, Economist magazine says
Perhaps but 35% is no bubble. Folks are qualifying and a serious down stroke embeds a cushion. Add real market stability and an actual broadening into the small towns as well and we see a large deep market that has adjusted to low rates and million dollar mortgages. The real risk is a decline in high paying jobs. Yet that sector merely participated rather than drove the market. It still takes a combined family income of several thousands of dollars to qualify and that is common enough. The real surprise is that we got here and stayed here allowing the entire market to generall... more »
Keep That Iranian Genii Bottled Up!
The perceived Iranian threat will collapse economically with the developing collapse in the demand for oil. It is already been felt. At the same time, it is possible to eliminate the propaganda threat to Israel by actually resolving the Palestinian question anytime using methods we suggested. My point is that the world will soon be looking very different no matter what anyone does. The Iranian leadership is aging out as a regime after almost forty years and promises made then no longer have force now. The loss of oil revenues may soon bring all to an accomadation. *Keep That... more »
An Army of Lions, Led by Asses
In the end, the plan was bungled from top to bottom. The worst of it was simply lousy intelligence and appreciation of enemy's capability. Yet an ounce of conservatism might have saved the day. The important aspect was clearing the Darnelles to shipping. They learned almost immediately that this was not going to happen. That made landing on the northern shore no longer critical. It also made landing on the south shore viable. That allowed defenses, easy supply as they brought vast tracts of land under control and easy bombardment across the strait to reduce fortresses and mi... more »
Meanwhile, in Ottawa
Geez, I disappear for a few days, Alberta elects a Dipper majority and Dana returns to blogging at the Beaver. I need to go away more often. Meanwhile, in the Iraq bunker where dearest leader hid while Alberta painted itself orange... more »
SPECTRE - Jaguar C-X75 vs Aston Martin DB10 - Rome car chase
copyright *Business Insider*. In the following teaser clip, SPECTRE henchman Mr. Hinx (Dave Bautista) in an orange Jaguar C-X75 chases Bond's silver Aston Martin DB10 at night through the streets of Rome. Love it!
SIGINT Technology to Help Expand Gray Eagle's Eye View
[image: MQ-1C Gray Eagle]With advances in technological capabilities, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) have taken on crucial tasks in the military. Although this progression keeps our troops safer, adapting to smaller platforms like a UAS comes with its challenges. Among these challenges is developing updated hardware to fit within the size, weight, and power (SWaP) constraints of a UAS. At BAE Systems, our sensors team rose to the occasion by developing a tool that will allow warfighters to see the big picture with intel from a U.S. Army UAS known as the MQ-1C Gray Eagle. Read more
Raytheon Surveillance Technologies, Analytics Proven Aboard Navy Stiletto Experimental Vessel
[image: M-80 Stiletto]The U.S. Navy's experimental vessel, Stiletto, was underway during a recent successful test of a Raytheon advanced intelligence solution during operations at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Va. The combined technology was created by combining two, proven Raytheon technologies: the Persistent Surveillance System Cross Domain Solution (PSS CDS) and Intersect™ Sentry. The successful test was conducted as part of the Stiletto Maritime Technology Demonstration Program. Read more
Malaysia purchases US missiles worth US21 million
[image: AIM-120C7 AMRAAM]The Malaysian government is reported to have acquired missiles from the United States at an estimated cost of US$21 million, according to Asia-Pacific news portal The Diplomat. The purchase is said to be part of a comprehensive partnership between the two nations inked between President Barrack Obama and Prime Minister Najib Razak last year as part of US efforts to ‘rebalance’ its presence in the Asia-Pacific. The purchase involves AIM-120C7 AMRAAM missiles and associated equipment, parts, and logistical support. Read more
Tanzanian navy commissions new vessels
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[image: TNS Mwitongo (P77)]Tanzanian president Jakaya Kikwete has commissioned into service two new warships supplied by China’s Poly Technologies. The vessels, TNS Mwitongo (P77) and TNS Msoga (P78), were commissioned on April 28 at Kigamboni Command’s base in Dar es Salaam. Kikwete said strengthening the navy’s capabilities was important in light of maritime crime such as illegal fishing and piracy. “Commissioning of these two patrol ships has come at the right time following the increase of crimes like illegal fishing and piracy. We need to strengthen our forces to safeguard o... more »
Raptor test force enters new phase of AIM-9X testing
[image: F-22 Raptor]The 411th Flight Test Squadron and F-22 Combined Test Force successfully test fired two guided AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles this year as part of the latest phase in getting the Raptor closer to using the missile operationally. The AIM-9X is an advanced infrared missile and the newest of the Sidewinder family of short-range air-to-air missiles carried on a wide range of fighter jets. The first guided launch of the AIM-9X from an F-22 Raptor was Feb. 26 by Maj. Christopher Guarente, 411th FLTS assistant director of operations and F-22 test pilot. The missile success... more »
Parliamentary panel concerned that Sukhoi-30 fighters have no protective shelters
[image: Su-30MKI Flanker]The Parliamentary Committee on Defence has noted with concern that the frontline combat aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Sukhoi-30MKI, do not have protection of hardened shelters in air bases which would save them from direct hits of bombs in the event of a war. The report, which was submitted in parliament recently, says that “the Committee are concerned to find that our air force is already short of planes and worse than that hardened shelters are not available for even the limited numbers of aircraft that is available with the Service”. The IAF inf... more »
Christine Mau Becomes First U.S. Female Pilot to Fly F-35 Lightning II Jet
Meet the first female F-35 fighter jet pilot. The U.S. Air Force said that Lt. Col. Christine Mau on Tuesday piloted the F-35 Lightning II — a state-of-the-art fighter jet often described as one of the most technologically complex planes ever built. It said that Mau, 33rd Fighter Wing Operations Group deputy commander, had completed 14 virtual training missions in a flight simulator before taking to the skies from Florida's Elgin Air Force Base on Tuesday and joining the ranks of 87 other F-35 pilots who've trained there. Read more
NASAs Ten-Engine Electric Plane
NASA has been grabbing headlines recently with their potentially game-changing emDrive propulsion system. The emDrive has generated a lot of discussion, and a lot of controversy too. But NASA has a lot more going on than futuristic space travel designs, and one recent test flight showed that the minds at NASA are still working on innovative designs for flight systems that operate in Earth’s atmosphere. Read more
AUVSI: Lockheed urges more X-47B testing
[image: X-47B UCLASS]Lockheed Martin wants to see the continuation of the X-47B demonstrator programme led by Northrop Grumman as the US Navy’s unmanned carrier-launched airborne surveillance and strike (UCLASS) competition enters a “waiting period” with no firm requirements so far revealed. Bob Ruszkowski, Lockheed’s director of advanced air dominance and unmanned systems strategy, says that industry and the navy still have much to learn about unmanned operations within a battle carrier group that is swarming with manned aircraft. “It’s still very important for the navy to continu... more »
16 Finnish jets join NATO-dominated exercise over Lapland
[image: Arctic Challenge 2015]Sixteen Hornet fighter jets from the Finnish Air Force will take part in a multi-national aviation exercise in the northern Nordic region beginning May 25. Planes from 10 countries will fly over northern parts of Finland, Sweden and Norway during the 12-day Arctic Challenge Exercise. The Finnish Air Force announced details of its involvement in the manoeuvres on Wednesday. The Finnish Air Force has 62 Boeing F/A-18 C/D Hornet jets. Dubbed Cross Border Training North, the exercise is one of the most important events of the year for the Air Force. Read more
Refurbished Russian Ka-31 helicopters delivered to India
[image: Ka-31 Helix]The Russian Helicopters Holding Company, part of the Rostec State Corporation, has delivered the first batch of refurbished Ka-31 helicopters to India, manufactured by the Kumertauskoye Aviation Production Enterprise (KumAPP). In 2004, KumAPP delivered nine Ka-31 helicopters to India. Six of these machines required refurbishing before their first scheduled overhaul, for which they were sent back to Kumertau for capital repairs. The first two of these have now been returned to India for further use. The remaining machines will be sent shortly. Read more
Airbus, Turkish Air Force to cooperate on CN235 aircraft maintenance
[image: TAF CN-235-100M]Airbus and the Turkish Air Force signed a letter of intent on Wednesday to start the certification of the Air Supply and Maintenance center in Kayseri, Turkey as a regional maintenance hub for CN-235 aircraft. CN-235 is a medium-range twin-engine transport plane used for military roles, including maritime patrol, surveillance and air transport. “The agreement capitalizes on those proven capabilities to provide support for aircraft of the Turkish Air Force, Coast Guard and Navy, as well as those of other operators in the region,” Airbus said in a statement Re... more »
U.S. Navy no longer escorting ships in Strait of Hormuz
[image: MV Maersk Tigris]The Pentagon says that U.S. Navy warships are no longer accompanying American and British-flagged commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. Army Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, says the order to accompany the vessels through the narrow strait along Iranian territorial waters expired Tuesday. Warships began accompanying the commercial ships last Thursday, two days after Iranian naval vessels detained a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship and its crew. Read more
Raytheon's SM-6 moves from low-rate to full-rate production
Raytheon Company's Standard Missile-6 program has moved from low-rate to full-rate production, clearing the path for significantly increased production numbers and focus on further cost-reduction opportunities. SM-6 is a surface-to-air supersonic missile capable of successfully engaging manned and unmanned aerial vehicles and fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. It also defends against land-attack and anti-ship cruise missiles in flight. "SM-6 is proven against a broad range of advanced threats, which makes it very valuable to Combatant Commanders who need and want that flexibility," ... more »
Construction of Russian Next-Generation Warship Delayed by Ukraine Export Ban
[image: Project 22350 (Gorshkov) class FFG]Russian military shipbuilding is being stalled by Ukraine's refusal to deliver engine turbines to drive a new class of Russian naval frigates, a senior official at one of Russia's shipbuilders said in an interview published Wednesday by industry news site FlotProm.ru. The first of the new Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates was delivered to the Russian navy last year, but construction on the second ship stalled for lack of an engine to power its propellers. "Ukraine refused to supply the turbines … even though the money has already been paid,"... more »
Undersea Electricity Cable Generates Friction Between Russia and Baltics
An undersea power cable aimed at reducing the Baltic states’ energy dependence on Russia has emerged as the latest point of friction in a region increasingly enveloped in a Cold War atmosphere. Sweden and Lithuania, which are at either end of the proposed 280-mile electricity line, have complained that Russian warships have repeatedly interrupted the installation. The latest such incident, the third in two months, occurred last week when the Russian Navy ordered a vessel involved in the cable-laying work to leave the area, according to Sweden and Lithuania. Although the vessel was ... more »
Navy’s wish list: 6 nuke subs, N-powered carrier
[image: INS Vikrant]The Navy has asked the government to allow a fleet of six nuclear-powered submarines and is also looking at nuclear power as an option for the next sea-borne aircraft carrier, which will be the follow-on to the INS Vikrant currently being built in Kochi. “We have proposed to the government that in lieu of the conventional submarines we would like to have more nuclear-powered submarines,” Navy Chief Admiral Robin Dhowan told The Tribune today. The decision is pending at the level of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), the Admiral said, adding that the number... more »
China's nuclear submarine fleet vulnerable due to idleness: report
[image: Type 094 (Jin) class SSBN]Nuclear-powered submarines in China's navy are vulnerable to precision missile attacks because of the significant amount of time they spend at their bases, according to an article in the May edition of the Chinese-language Kanwa Defense Review (漢和防務評論). The report by the Toronto-based publication said the Chinese navy's three main nuclear-powered submarines, the 11,500 tonne Type 094 with ballistic missile launching capabilities, and the 5,500 tonne Type 091 and 7,000 tonne Type 93 spent much of 2014 at their bases. China's most advanced Type 094 su... more »
Details of China's new AIP submarine technology revealed
[image: Type 039 (Song) class SSK]In recent years several different air-independent propulsion (AIP) submarines have entered service in China and are said to be leading the world in standards, according to Duowei News, a media outlet run by overseas Chinese. Due to the highly classified nature of submarine technology, however, the parameters of China's AIP systems have not been fully revealed to the public, the website stated. A May 1 report in Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily, however, mentioned that China's "new Stirling engine" was 117% more efficient than its internat... more »
S. Korea launches new attack submarine
[image: Yu Gwan-sun (Type 214 class) SSK]South Korea unveiled its sixth 1,800-ton-class attack submarine Thursday aimed at boosting its underwater warfare capabilities against North Korea. The launching ceremony for the 214-class submarine, manufactured by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co. and named after revered independence fighter Yu Gwan-sun (1902-1920), will take place in the southern coastal city of Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, according to the Navy. The Navy plans to commission the submarine in November 2016, it said. Read more
Musical Interlude: Kevin Kern, “Another Realm”
Kevin Kern, “Another Realm” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqex_8q0AlM
Australia Asks Japan To Join Submarine Tender
[image: Soryu class SSK]Australian Defence Minister Kevin Andrews on Wednesday asked Japan to participate in procedures to become Australia's partner in a project to jointly develop next-generation submarines. Andrews made the request in a telephone conversation with Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani who responded positively, Japan's Jiji Press news agency reported. In February, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said his country will team up with either Japan, France or Germany to develop next-generation submarines for Australia. Read more
A Look At The Aircraft Carrier USS John C. Stennis (Bu The Numbers)
Foxtrot Alpha: The USS Stennis Is A Fortress At Sea: By The Numbers This shot of the USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) exemplifies the idea that nuclear super carriers are really fortresses at sea. Not to mention that they are some of mankind’s largest and definitely most complex inventions. Here are some “by the numbers” eye opening facts about the USS John C. Stennis: *WNU Editor:* Point made .... its a big ship.
A critical look at Pamela Geller's well-funded, subversive agenda
*The Jewish Daily Forward* recently published an article about the controversial and well-funded Jewish neocon propagandist Pamela Geller, who is at the center of the alleged "shooting" over the weekend by "radical Islamic extremists" with *purported ties to ISIS* in Garland, Texas. Geller, a hysterical and quite vitriolic critic of Islam and the alleged "threat" it poses to Western "Judeo-Christian" civilization, was one of the main organizers and promoters of a cartoon contest that revolved around caricaturing the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The Islam-bashing event was reportedly at... more »
Career in Free Market Think Tanks
Yesterday, I was of four UP ETC alumni-speakers in the student organization's "Career Workshop". The purpose of the forum was to give the members who are undergrad students, additional ideas how alumni found jobs or change jobs after they graduated from UP. I spoke about my current professional engagements. ETC gave about eight guide questions for the alumni talk or presentation. I answered them but first I gave some definition of terms with these two background info. The free market think tanks are more prominent in the US, Canada, UK and other developed economies. A few exist... more »
This Is One Soldier Who Refuses To Give Up
*Washington Post*: *Viral video: This U.S. soldier refused to give up on an Army road march* *In the closing moments of a grueling 12-mile road march, Army Capt. Sarah Cudd fell to her knees. She was exhausted, bowed over by the heavy pack on her back and seemingly unable to continue.* *The soldier pressed on, however. Using her rifle to prop herself up, she stumbled to her feet and made it another nine steps before falling again. Other soldiers gathered around her, cheering her on. She rose again, and gritted it out another 50 feet or so until she made it across the finish line... more »
Is The Iranian Nuclear Deal A Backdoor Channel To Sell Weapons To Saudi Arabia?
A Saudi air force jet flies in formation during a graduation ceremony for air force officers at King Faisal military college in Riyadh December 27, 2009. Reuters/Fahad Shadeed *Tyler Durden, Zero Hedge*: *Obama's Real Motive Behind The Iran Deal: A Backdoor Channel To Sell Weapons To Saudi Arabia* *For a long time there was confusion about the "quo" to the Saudi Arabian "quid" over its agreement to side with the US on the Iranian "nuclear deal" (which incidentally looks like it will never happen simply due to the Russian and Chinese UN vetoes).* *Then over the weekend we finally g... more »
Pam Geller and the Garland Texas "Shooting": They Just Won't Stop The FALSE FLAGS
*Enemies within the gates ruining America (rightwing media calls her a "patriot"): Jewish Zionist Mossad Agent Pam Geller* There are so many FALSE FLAGS in this country that it seems like I can't get onto another subject when another one comes up to write about. This time Jewish anti-Islam hatemonger Pam Geller was involved. How can someone have a "job" that solely involves putting anti-Muslim signs on buses around the U.S. and having "contests" of writing caricatures of the Islamic prophet Muhammad? Who is financing her? How can this be someone's job? How can we live in a country ... more »
50 Submarine Classes In Service From 35 Countries (To Scale In A Single Infographic)
(*Click on Image to Enlarge*) Naval Graphics *Business Insider:* *This chart shows every model of military submarine in service around the world* *Submarines give navies around the world a huge strategic and tactical advantage.* *Ballistic-missile submarines can serve as nuclear deterrents if a country's land-based launch systems have been destroyed. Meanwhile, nuclear-powered attack submarines can effectively hunt enemy subs and can sink enemy naval targets. During war games in March, a French Rubis-class sub even "sunk" a US aircraft carrier.* *Smaller non-nuclear attack subma... more »
This comma miscue hardly seems worth making a federal case of, but it does make a point about current political rhetoric
*From a tweet by Christopher Mendoza (@CMendoz_a), which reads (links onsite): "What a welcome from Rancho HS! Can't believe they made this @HillaryClinton sign. They're excited! #Hillary2016"* *everyday* *adj.* (ca. 1623): encountered or used routinely or typically: ORDINARY (~ clothes) *-- Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th Edition* *everyday* *adj.* *1.* Suitable for ordinary days or routine occasions: *an everyday suit*. *2.* Commonplace; ordinary: *everyday worries* *--The American Heritage Dictionary, 2nd College Edition* *by Ken* It's not hard to draw me into a co... more »
Rip-off News round-up. Our pick of the last week's media (Thu 7th May)
One in four MPs now a landlord The data has been seized upon by housing campaigners who claim it shows that Britain’s political class has a vested interest in maintaining the status quo instead of strengthening the rights of tenants. The private rental sector has grown rapidly to 4.8m renters, driven by a fall in social housing and increasing house prices. The landlord MPs include nine
Drone War Body Count
*Tom Engelhardt, Tom Dispatch/Real Clear Defense:* *Who Counts the Bodies in the Drone Wars?* In the twenty-first-century world of drone warfare, one question with two aspects reigns supreme: Who counts? In Washington, the answers are the same: We don't count and they don't count. The Obama administration has adamantly refused to count. Not a body. In fact, for a long time, American officials associated with Washington's drone assassination campaigns and "signature strikes" in the backlands of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Yemen claimed that there were no bodies to count, that the ... more »
U.S. Refuses To Send Arms To Nigeria To Wage War Against Boko Haram
Afolabi Sotunde/Reuters *Philip Obaji Jr., Daily Beast*:* U.S. to Nigeria: No Guns to Fight Boko Haram* *There are many reasons the U.S. doesn’t trust Nigeria’s military: human rights, corruption, losing weapons to the enemy. But while D.C. dithers, the insurgents thrive.* *LAGOS — As the fight against Boko Haram intensifies, President Barack Obama is supporting Nigeria’s neighboring countries with $35 million worth of military and defense support services to Chad, Niger and Mali channeled through France. A press statement from the White House last week said the U.S. leader gave ... more »
Six thoughts on that Alberta election
Six thoughts on the Alberta election. First, this is not that wild a swing. Rachel Notley is a moderate. That’s how she got elected. And, with occasional exceptions like Ralph Klein in his first years, the province’s Conservative governments haven’t been extreme either, with a populist willingness to spend on health and education, and even arts, when it’s politically useful. That’s how they kept getting elected. (Even Klein wasn’t really that extreme. He cut health spending by 15 per cent in his first three years in office, but then put the money back. From 1992 to 2001, Alberta's he... more »
Science at MIT: From the Cold War to Climate Change
Noam Chomsky and Subrata Ghosroy who are both with MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Their topic is the Pentagon funding of university research. Noam needs no introduction and Subrata is an expert on space technology issues. Subrata used to work for the US Congress as a staffer but left after studying the corruption inside the 'missile defense' testing program which he was commissioned to investigate and report on but the government was unwilling to do anything about his important findings. Subrata will be speaking at the Global Network's 23rd annual space organizing conference in ... more »
Six thoughts on that Alberta election
Six thoughts on the Alberta election. First, this is not that wild a swing. Rachel Notley is a moderate. That’s how she got elected. And, with occasional exceptions like Ralph Klein in his first years, the province’s Conservative governments haven’t been extreme either, with a populist willingness to spend on health and education, and even arts, when it’s politically useful. That’s how they kept getting elected. (Even Klein wasn’t really that extreme. He cut health spending by 15 per cent in his first three years in office, but then put the money back. From 1992 to 2001, Alberta's he... more »
Costs against the Crown
R. v. Munkonda, 2015 ONCA 309: [140] Historically, it was very rare for court costs to be awarded against the Crown in criminal cases, and such awards were used to call attention to bad faith on the part of the Crown or intentional misconduct by the prosecution (*R. v. C.A.M.*, [1996] 1 S.C.R. 500, at para. 97). As explained in *R. v. 974649 Ontario Inc.*, 2001 SCC 81, [2001] 3 S.C.R. 575, the Supreme Court made that approach more flexible if costs are awarded as a remedy under s. 24(1) of the *Charter*. There, the Supreme Court held that the courts may require that the Crown rei... more »
Stacking Wood
I was gone from home all day getting the car serviced, going to my chiropractor, and then attended our local PeaceWorks planning meeting in Brunswick til 5:00 pm. Then when I got home I worked for two hours on my round woodpile. It's a real challenge - the wood is supposed to lean toward the middle but as I go higher up it wants to lean outward. Not a good sign. The idea is to fill the center with odd shaped pieces that help hold it up as it gets taller. I like stacking wood - its one thing I can work on and see some real progress unlike much of my political work. Tonight I'm ... more »
Musical Interlude: Walter Murphy, “A Fifth of Beethoven”
Walter Murphy, “A Fifth of Beethoven” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ouMaLRth-s
"A Look to the Heavens"
“The bright clusters and nebulae of planet Earth's night sky are often named for flowers or insects. Though its wingspan covers over 3 light-years, NGC 6302 is no exception. With an estimated surface temperature of about 250,000 degrees C, the dying central star of this particular planetary nebula has become exceptionally hot, shining brightly in ultraviolet light but hidden from direct view by a dense torus of dust. *Click image for larger size.* This sharp and colorful close-up of the dying star's nebula was recorded in 2009 by the Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field Camera 3, ins... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 6, 2015
*New York Times editorial:* *An Opening for Afghan Peace Talks* *The talks between representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban in Qatar over the weekend were a breakthrough of sorts. It has long been apparent, including to American generals who have spent more than a decade leading the fight in Afghanistan, that political reconciliation presents the only possibility of a solution to the conflict. While the two days of meetings produced modest progress and a productive tone, they were just a new and tentative start of what is likely to be a long and risky process.* *T... more »
A Personal Experience with Ayahuasca
*Phil Watt* - We initiated the ceremony with a tobacco cleansing and then drank the brew. It wasn’t as bad as I’d expected... The post A Personal Experience with Ayahuasca appeared first on Waking Times .
Can McCain Win The Republican Senatorial Primary In Arizona Next Year?
The DSCC isn't counting on Arizona in the 2016 battle to regain the Senate majority for the Democrats. John McCain, age 78 and first elected to Congress in 1982, is running again and a new poll from PPP shows him beating any of the potential Democratic nominees. The Republicans *could*, however, snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. McCain might be defeated in an ideologically driven primary from the extreme right. Right-wing extremists David Schweikert and Matt Salmon are both within striking distance. McCain only leads Schweikert 40-39 and Matt Salmon 42-40-- and each has a lo... more »
I'm Voting Labour, Because Reasons
Of course I'm voting Labour. I am an active party member of five years standing. I've spent the bulk of my activism this year working in marginal seats (mainly Stafford). And there's the small matter of 261 posts on this here blog that have obsessed over the party's twists and turns since back before I hung up my paper selling boots. Whether I need committing I'll leave others to judge, but I'm committed, certainly. Yet drilling down, like everyone else voting Labour tomorrow, I have my reasons. Labour's manifesto doesn't tick all my boxes. Far from it. I don't like the capitulatio... more »
World News Briefs -- May 6, 2015
*VOA*: *Report: 38 Million Internally Displaced Worldwide* *GENEVA — More people than ever before have been forced to flee their homes because of violence and conflict according to a new report by the Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Center.* *A record-breaking 38 million people worldwide were internally displaced in 2014, including 11 million who were newly displaced, the group said. It is the third consecutive year that internal displacement figures have reached record highs.* *MIDDLE EAST* U.S. Navy ends escorts *through Strait of Hormuz.* Report: 2.2 million I... more »
Triumph of 21st Century: Corruption at the Top? (The Exceptionally Banal Country) This Couldn't Be True - Inglorious Goobers: Progressives Line Up to Defend Clintons (Corrupt Cops Have Better Bill of Rights Than Citizens)
BREAKING: The World Reached a Scary Emissions Milestone in March — and It’s Only Going to Get Worse North Carolina Finds Water Contamination in 93 Percent of Tested Homes Near Coal Ash Ponds Dukeville residents have been grappling with contamination concerns for more than a year, since hearing of the dangers of the Dan River spill in 2014. Many residents there claim the community has an
Dancing with the Hologram
*Zen Gardner* - Some cycles are meant to be broken. Just because they repeat doesn’t make them right. The post Dancing with the Hologram appeared first on Waking Times.
Untitled
*The Music Box Roving Village, By New Orleans Airlift, Takes Flights Of Fancy In City Park ~Eve Troeh, WWNO * *Free and easy in New Orleans ~Shandy Pockets*
Chet Raymo, “The Dark Angel”
* “The Dark Angel”* by Chet Raymo “The American Civil War claimed an estimated 620,000 lives, approximately the same number as in all of the nation's other wars put together. Compared to the size of the country's population, six times as many young men died between 1861 and 1865 as in World War II. Few American families, north or south, were unaffected. Lincoln insisted at Gettysburg "that these dead shall not have died in vain." Drew Gilpin Faust, historian and President of Harvard University, has written a book that tries to measure the effect on the American psyche of the apoc... more »
"What Is Life?"
"What is life? An illusion, a dream, a fiction, and the biggest well is small, because all life is a dream, and the dreams, themselves are only dreams.' -
"A Home Beyond What This World Knows..."
*"A Home Beyond What This World Knows..." * Author Unknown "You can chain my body But you cannot chain my soul. You can enslave my body But you’ll never own my soul. You can whip my body, But you cannot touch my soul. For my soul is mightier than your chains, My soul endures all your blows, My soul is eternal, eternally remains, My soul has a home beyond what this world knows. You can imprison my body, but you cannot jail my soul. You can break my body, But you’ll never break my soul. My soul is free as the eagle flying so high, Vast like a dark, starry sky, Deep as the ocean, wider than... more »
"Being Human: A Personal Credo"
"Being Human: A Personal Credo" by John Robbins "There is so much pain and death in our times. This is not an easy time to be a person of conscience and feeling. It can be terribly hard today to stay in touch with your deep soul. It can seem all but impossible to keep your love alive. The world has a way of blowing relentless hurricane winds at our little flickering candles of faith. This is what I have to say at this time in history. I stand here in the face of the anguish of our time, and I affirm that it is possible to see it all, to gaze fully into the abyss, and yet not becom... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Torino, Piemonte, Italy. Thanks for stopping by.
Paulo Coelho, "The Art of Dancing"
*"The Art of Dancing"* by Paulo Coelho "When I was an adolescent I envied the great “ballerinos” among the kids on the block, and pretended I had other things to do at parties – like having a conversation. But in fact I was terrified of looking ridiculous, and because of that I would not risk a single step. Until one day a girl called Marcia called out to me in front of everybody: “Come on!” I said I did not like to dance, but she insisted. Everyone in the group was looking, and because I was in love (love is capable of so many things!), I could refuse no further. I did not know ho... more »
"My Privilege..."
"This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and, as I live, it is my privilege – my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me; it is a sort of splendid torch w... more »
The Poet: Wendell Berry, "The Country Of Marriage"
*"The Country Of Marriage"* *I.* "I dream of you walking at night along the streams of the country of my birth, warm blooms and the nightsongs of birds opening around you as you walk. You are holding in your body the dark seed of my sleep. *II.* This comes after silence. Was it something I said that bound me to you, some mere promise or, worse, the fear of loneliness and death? A man lost in the woods in the dark, I stood still and said nothing. And then there rose in me, like the earth’s empowering brew rising in root and branch, the words of a dream of you I did not know I had dre... more »
Liar Len’s dirty rotten trick [updated]
*Guest post by Stephen Berry* Many of us were surprised yesterday when we saw the 9.5% rates increase figure splashed across the front of the newspapers, but in hindsight it is easy to see the path of Len Brown’s dirty rotten trick. The voters of Auckland have been cynically played by Mayor Brown, from the 2013 election up until today. The first trick occurred before Brown was re-elected as Mayor, when he promised voters that the average rates increase would not exceed 2.5%. The Mayor made that promise with absolutely no intention of sticking to it. In November 2014 the Mayor cha... more »
Unrest Continues To Grow In The African Nation Of Burundi
*Reuters: **Almost 40,000 flee Burundi amid political crisis* *(Reuters) - Nearly 40,000 refugees have fled Burundi to neighboring Rwanda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the last month, amid protests against President Pierre Nkurunziza's bid for a third term, the United Nations said on Wednesday.* *A total of 16 people were injured in protests held in different parts of the capital on Wednesday, the Burundi Red Cross said.* *More than a week of demonstrations have plunged the African nation into its worst crisis since an ethnically charged civil war ended in ... more »
Waking Up In Vegas With A Stranger
Well wasn't that quite the election? When things change here, they have a history of changing in a big way and last night was no exception. No doubt a few long-time PC'ers feel like they've woken up in Vegas with a hangover next to a crack whore. And while I expected the government to take a hit, I certainly wasn't expecting an implosion. In many ways, we have wiped the slate here and are starting fresh as the majority of cabinet ministers lost their seats. Mandel, Dirks, Johnson, Campbell, Scott, Lukaszuk and others.....all gone. Change is a good thing. I'm not sure that this... more »
Publish and Perish
OK, so the Kindle version of *Tatterdemalion *went live two weeks ago and after the first day bump, what's known as the curiosity factor, it sold seven copies. Since that day, it's gone downhill. I partly blame myself for that since I have a better instinct for publicity and marketing than an actual talent for it. But after endless delays and endless typos I've had to iron out since I'm a shitty proofreader, I can finally say the 100% typo-free print version of *Tatterdemalion *will go live as of tomorrow (when I'll post the link at the bottom of this post so stay tuned ... more »
Mohawk Nation News 'Prisoners of War Psychosis'
PRISONERS OF WAR PSYCHOSIS Posted on May 6, 2015 Mohawk Nation News Please post & distribute. Nia:wen. MNN. MAY 6, 2015. First Canada passed the Indian Act 1876 to declare us as non-persons and wards of the state. This was to take control of our Indian Trust Funds. On October 25th 1924 the Indian Advancement Act was implemented by the colony of Canada as the 100-year plan to be rid
The U.S. Navy Has Ended Its Strait of Hormuz Escort Mission
Reuters/U.S. Navy *Wall Street Journal:** U.S. Navy Ends Strait of Hormuz Escort Mission* *Navy vessels will remain on patrol in the areaThe U.S. Navy will no longer accompany American and British flagged cargo vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, officials said.The Navy began the program last week after Iranian naval vessels ordered the Maersk Tigris, a Marshall Island-flagged cargo vessel, out of a shipping lane and then boarded the ship.Col. Steve Warren, the chief Pentagon spokesman, announced the shift but said it was a relatively minor change, adding that Nav... more »
May 6: Forget the Irving press...
----at best, and for all its reporters, editors, commentators, it's a five minute read. And most of that five minutes is just annoying for its evidence of laziness, incompetence, and propaganda. Luckily, my copy of The Brief arrived today from NBmediacoop.org. It's just one page with just three stories. And it has more in it than he whole TandT for today. The lead story is about Annie Clair, a Mi'kmaq woman who faces six charges as a result of the confrontation with RCMP at Rexton. There are some surprises in her statement. According to her claims, her people had filed an injunction... more »
The Roswell Slides After the Big Reveal
Well, the great reveal has happened and it was… not great. In fact, opinion seems to be running against the idea that this was an alien creature and with many inside the UFO community saying that they were underwhelmed. Even those who are solidly inside the extraterrestrial camp have expressed disappointment in the program and the slides with some suggesting this was all promotion for another Don Schmitt and Tom Carey Roswell book. Tony Bragalia, who has worked with Schmitt and Carey for months if not years on this, is still convinced that it is nothing earthly and there are scienti... more »
Yemen War News Updates -- May 6, 2015
Southern Popular Resistance fighters gather on a road during fighting against Houthi fighters in Yemen's southern city of Aden May 3, 2015. Reuters/Stringer *Reuters:* *Over 120 die in Yemen as Houthis take key Aden district* *(Reuters) - Yemen's Houthi militia battled its way into Aden's Tawahi district on Wednesday despite Saudi-led air strikes, strengthening its hold on the city whose fate is seen as crucial to determining the country's civil war.* *The fighting across Yemen killed 120 people on Wednesday, mostly civilians, including at least 40 who were trying to flee the sout... more »
Election Promises Meet Decision Desk( The Rachel Notley Era Begins)
Written by Grant G *Election promises meet decision desk* "*Hope and Change*"......I remember when Barack Obama inspired a nation to believe, inspired the world too, feels like a longtime ago.... Mr. Obama achieved only the easy part, changing from George Bush the lessor to someone with functioning brain cells put the world at ease, for about 90 days before the signs were apparent, "Hope and Change" turned into meet, negotiate and stagnate. Hope was left high and dry, any change was thin veneer, window dressings now shrouded the same backrooms, financial string pullers relinqui... more »
Iran's Mock U.S. Aircraf Carrier (Destroyed In An Exercise) Is Spotted At A Naval Base
*Belling Cat:** Iran’s Mock-up Aircraft Carrier Returns to Bandar Abbas* *New satellite imagery shows that Iran’s mock-up aircraft carrier was not destroyed during naval exercises but was towed back to Bandar Abbas.Imagery captured in mid-March shows what Western sources have called a “barge” berthed at the naval base with extensive damage visible to the deck. The 16 mock aircraft previously visible on handhelds and satellite imagery were nowhere to be found. The mock-up returned to its previous position at 27.141731 56.201896 where it was observed in late January during mobil... more »
Untitled
*Trigger warning: College kids are human veal* *Abetted by idiot administrators, today’s students seem incapable of living in the real world* Every time we seem to have reached peak insanity when it comes to the intellectually constipated and socially stultifying atmosphere on today’s college campuses, some new story manages to reveal vast new and untapped reservoirs of ridiculousness. In a world of trigger warnings, microaggressions, and official apologies featuring misgendered pronouns that start a whole new round of accusations, wonders never cease. So when ’60s-radical-turned... more »
Tactical and defensive
Some of us are forced to vote defensively. No one party has sounded convincing. They’ve all wasted too much energy making far-fetched accusations against their opponent and making vague unrealistic promises about what they’ll do if elected without revealing too many secrets as to how they’re going to go about it. We can’t vote because we truly admire any party, only out of fear of another one gaining power. We have to vote tactically, plumping for the least bad in the hope of keeping out the badest. I’m beginning to sound like Nicola Sturgeon now. She wants to ‘lock the Tories out ... more »
Iran Media: US, Iranian Warships Nearly Collide in Gulf of Aden
*Sputnik:* *US, Iranian Warships Nearly Collide in Gulf of Aden – Iranian Media* *A US warship and military planes almost collided with the Iranian Navy while patrolling waters in the Gulf of Aden.A couple of US planes and a navy destroyer approached several Iranian warships in the Gulf of Aden on Monday, Iranian Fars News Agency reported, citing a report released by an Iranian TV channel.Fars called the incident "a provocation," citing the fact that the US warship and planes ignored the internationally set 5-mile distance that navy fleets of different countries have to keep ... more »
If enough NATO nations decide to reject Washington's push for a war with Russia, there may be no war!
------------------------------ *The Choice Before Europe — Paul Craig Roberts * ------------------------------ May 5, 2015 | Original Here Go here to sign up to receive email notice of this news letter The Choice Before EuropePaul Craig Roberts Washington continues to drive Europe toward one or the other of the two most likely outcomes of the orchestrated conflict with Russia. Either Europe or some European Union member government will break from Washington over the issue of Russian sanctions, thereby forcing the EU off of the path of confli... more »
If enough NATO nations decide to reject Washington's push for a war with Russia, there may be no war!
------------------------------ Polish General Waldemar Skrzypczak: “I retract everything I said about Ukraine” Posted on *Fort Russ* April 16. 2015 General Skrzypczak: “I retract everything I said about Ukraine” By J.Hawk Poland’s retired Land Forces commander and Deputy Defense Minister Waldemar Skrzypczak used to be in favor of arming and training the Ukrainian military. That was before the Rada passed the law glorifying the UPA–the same UPA that killed Skrzypczak’s uncle by pinning him to the door of a barn with a pitchfork. Now that Ukraine has shown its true colors, Skrzypc... more »
Hezbollah Leader Nasrallah: 'If Assad Falls Hezbollah Will Fall Next'
Hassan Nasrallah gives an interview to Syrian television (Photo: AFP/AL-IKHBARIYA) *Jerusalem Post*: *Nasrallah: Downfall of Assad would mean fall of Hezbollah * *Both Assad and Hezbollah have been fighting against a Sunni Islamist dominated opposition, which includes various jihadi groups such as al-Qaida’s Nusra Front and Islamic State. Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime must be preserved, as its collapse would mean the end of Hezbollah and the “axis of resistance,” the Lebanese movement’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has said, according to a Lebanese paper close to the Isl... more »
Syrian President Assad Admits To Recent Military Defeats
Syrian President Assad *The Telegraph*:* Bashar al-Assad accepts Syrian regime suffering military defeats* *The Syrian president gave a more sober assessment of the war which has seen more than 200,000 people killed and millions forced to flee Syria * *The Syrian president has acknowledged that his regime is suffering military defeats, amid reports of splits and defections within his core supporters.* *In a speech in Damascus on Wednesday, Bashar al-Assad for the first time replaced his "victory" rhetoric with a more sober assessment of the five-year war that has claimed more tha... more »
Report: 38 Million People Have Been Displaced Worldwide By Conflict
*Norwegian Refugee Council*: *A record 38 million internally displaced worldwide* *A record-breaking 38 million people have been displaced within their own country by conflict or violence. This is the equivalent of the total populations of London, New York and Beijing combined.* *“These are the worst figures for forced displacement in a generation, signalling our complete failure to protect innocent civilians” said Secretary General Jan Egeland.* *Today, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), part of NRC, launched its Global Overview 2015: People internally displaced... more »
Supplemental: Prosecutors can sometimes be wrong!
*WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015We examine a range of examples:* Like everyone else on the planet, prosecutors can sometimes be wrong. In his column in Monday’s New York Times, Charles Blow offered a painful example: BLOW (5/4/15): *Last year Glenn Ford, Louisiana’s longest-serving death row prisoner, was also set free after nearly 30 years facing execution for a murder that he also did not commit.* According to The New York Daily News: “A judge freed Ford from the Louisiana State Penitentiary a year ago when evidence, believed to have been suppressed during the trial, surfaced exonerati... more »
The Clinton Cash Story from the Left
*Someone who thinks voters want a candidate "prepared take on the billionaire class" (you can help him here)* *by Gaius Publius* I want to do a "just the facts, ma'am" piece with this information, because there are so many angles to it. But first an introduction, for context. We all know that there's a book out on Clinton cash (no link, but the google will show it to you) that looks for all the world like a right-wing hit job, and a clumsy one at that. According to many reviewers, the writer doesn't have his facts straight, doesn't document his assertions, and by his own admissio... more »
If enough NATO nations decide to reject Washington's push for a war with Russia, there may be no war!
------------------------------ Czech and Slovak reservists’ memorandum against NATO. “We reject fighting in NATO ranks against Russia” From *Russia Insider*, April 6, 2015 *Group of Czech and Slovak reservists will not support NATO in a war against Russia* *Czechoslovak reserve forces against the war planned by NATO commanders* *On January 19th 2015 the facebook group, which combines all members of the CSLA, PS, VMV, SNB in reserve or decommissioned, issued an important memorandum, which has become even more urgent in light of the situation today. A defensive back up location ... more »
World News Briefs -- May 6, 2015
Armed pro-Russian rebels take part in a Victory day parade rehearsal in Donetsk in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic on May 5. © AFP *Bloomberg*: *Rebels Hail Talks Breakthrough on Deadly Day for Ukraine Troops* *The pro-Russian rebels fighting government forces in eastern Ukraine said they’d scored a “breakthrough” in talks after the country suffered its deadliest day since mid-April.* *Ukraine agreed with Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to establish four groups to hammer out a diplomatic solution to the war that has killed more th... more »
Australia Is Warming up to Medical Cannabis
*Wes Annac* - Australia has become the latest country to put medical marijuana to the test, and while they aren’t looking to legalize it quite yet, they’ve taken a significant step in that direction. The post Australia Is Warming up to Medical Cannabis appeared first on Waking Times.
The Economy: “Take Warning: The Next 94 Days Could Be Bad for Your Wallet”
*“Take Warning: * *The Next 94 Days Could Be Bad for Your Wallet”* by Bill Bonner Gualfin (“End of the Road”), Argentina - “First, this flash update. The Dow lost 142 points yesterday, which, in today’s volatile market, is no big deal. Nevertheless, our proprietary short-term stock market indicator has turned starkly negative, as shown below: Yes, the near-term outlook is darkening. Our model suggests a MINUS 6.4% return from the stock market over the next 94 days. Take warning. As to the long-term outlook… *The Longest, Deepest Depression in US History: *Yesterday’s good news wa... more »
Bank of Canada Proposes Changes for Market Ops and Emergency Lending
Can anyone help me better understand this? It's the mortgage part of the article that set me wondering? And the repo? Any help would be so appreciated- thanks in advance! WSJ *Monetary authorities seek to minimize risk and protect taxpayers* When the bank says they want to protect taxpayers, I know that's a LIE Canada’s central bank is proposing changes to how it manages financial-market operations and deploys emergency lending as it seeks to minimize risk and protect taxpayers. Change is needed to ensure the smooth functioning of the country’s financial system in normal times and to...more »
What Happens When These People Realize Their World is Not Real?
*Waking Times* - Watch this brilliant short film about people awakening to the reality that their world is falling apart. The post What Happens When These People Realize Their World is Not Real? appeared first on Waking Times.
Errol Brown R.I.P.
Errol Brown, the lead singer of Hot Chocolate, has died. Another part of my youth goes with him. Errol Brown died at the age of only 71, another victim of the evil that is cancer. He died at his home in the Bahamas. You Sexy Thing - 1976 (live version) Everyone's A Winner - 1978 Come on - "Never could believe the things you do to me..." So You Win Again - 1977 Not the greatest or funkiest band but I remember them and Errol Brown especially fondly.
EM drive, warp drive, gullibility without limits
In recent 7 days, about 100 news outlets have informed their readers about "progress" in the construction of EM drive, and sometimes warp drive, that will allow NASA and everyone else to get everywhere (L.A., Moon, Mars, other galaxies) very quickly, perhaps faster than the speed of light. *Off-topic, legit technology:* GPS with sub-inch accuracy (100 times better) will come to your smartphone soon Almost all the writers indicate that the information is trustworthy. Exceptions are rare. Ethan Siegel at Forbes is an example. The Skeptics Guide. Katie Palmer of Wired must also be prai... more »
“Water Crisis: Lake Mead, Largest US Reservoir, Faces Federal “Water Emergency,” Forced Rationing”
*“Water Crisis: Lake Mead Largest US Reservoir, * *Faces Federal “Water Emergency,” Forced Rationing”* by Wolf Richter “Leak Mead – on your left, when you drive from Las Vegas across the Hoover Dam – is the largest reservoir in the country when at capacity. It’s fed by the Colorado River which provides water for agriculture, industry, and 40 million people in Nevada, Arizona, California, and Mexico, including Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, and Las Vegas. Now after 15 years of drought, the “lake” – a mud puddle surrounded by a huge chalky bathtub ring – is threatening to run dry. ... more »
Michelle Obama can't even speak at the opening of museum without bringing up race...
*and in the process, insult every museum official there.* From *Bizpac*: First lady *Michelle Obama* used a speech Monday that was supposed to be celebrating the opening of a new *museum* to instead dig deeper the *racial divide* that’s been growing ever wider during her husband’s presidency. “Museums and concert halls,” she said, just don’t welcome non-white visitors – especially children – the way they welcome whites. Speaking at the new Whitney museum in New York City’s meat packing district last week, Obama said she grew up thinking that museums were not places “for someone who... more »
Musical Interlude: Jeff Wayne, “War Of The Worlds”; Justin Hayward, "Forever Autumn"
*Jeff Wayne, “War Of The Worlds”* “This is the full album “War Of The Worlds” by Jeff Wayne. It was released in 1978 and it retells the story of "The War of the Worlds" by H. G. Wells. Its format is progressive rock and string orchestra, using narration and leitmotifs to carry the story via rhyming melodic lyrics that express the feelings of the various characters. Narrative by Richard Burton.” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mlpl-RzsCck ◆ *Justin Hayward, "Forever Autumn"*, from “War Of The Worlds”
What Does ‘Being Spiritual’ Really Mean in Such a Cruel World?
*Linda George* - We are all worshipping an invisible God – while nature, God’s handiwork, is being devastated. The post What Does ‘Being Spiritual’ Really Mean in Such a Cruel World? appeared first on Waking Times.
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- May 6, 2015
President Barack Obama delivers remarks announcing Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. as the nominee for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Gen. Paul J. Selva, far right, as the nominee for Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in the Rose Garden of the White House, May 5, 2015. National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Vice President Joe Biden participate. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) *White House:* *President Obama Nominates New Military Leadership: Generals Joe Dunford and Paul Selva* *This afternoon, President Obama nomina... more »
A Challenge to The Guardian and New York Times
A Challenge to The Guardian and New York Times From the publisher of Censored News, Here's my challenge to the UK Guardian and New York Times. For the Guardian: Expose how the wealth and pomp of the so-called royal family is the result of the genocide of Indigenous Peoples globally, and examine what has been the result of the loss of land and natural resources for Indigenous Peoples in
Let the Whining Begin
"Left turn in Canada's oil-rich Alberta leaves investors reeling" This is an actual Reuters headline this morning. And what does this "reeling" look like. Less than 1.5 percentage points. Normal fluctuation in other words. There will be lots of this kind of fear mongering in the coming days. Get used to it. The corporate media will do it's level best to have you believe that the NDP
The Alberta NDP's Victory
The forty-year rule of the Alberta Progressive Conservatives was ended by a stunning majority government victory of the Alberta New Democratic Party. This *National Post* editorial provides a very serviceable summary of the reasons behind this historic event My advice to the Alberta NDP is to just do exactly what you want to do. Don't be like the Ontario NDP under Bob Rae, and decide that the criticisms of the right-wing dullards, liars and con-men are genuine, and that it's best if you sabotage yourselves and betray your political base to try to build some broader political base ... more »
ALLEGEDLY LIBERAL PUNDITS REACT: Uncle Boehlert against the world!
*WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015Part 3—Hayes makes a remarkable turn:* Good lord! On Thursday evening, April 23, Michelle Goldberg seemed to make some very strong claims on Chris Hayes’ cable news program. Goldberg was there to discuss a lengthy new report about some scary, slightly treasonous conduct by the Clintons—conduct involving the approval of a scary, Cold War-flavored uranium deal. That morning, the lengthy report had appeared on line at the New York Times, a well-known American newspaper. Already, the sprawling report was shaping the nation’s political discussion. That morning,... more »
Zapatistas Words of Subcomandante Moises May 2, 2015
Words of Subcomandante Insurgente Moises Zapatista compañeras and compañeros from the bases of support of the Zapatista Army for National Liberation. Italian, Spanish and French Compañeras, compañeroas, and compañeros from the National and International Sixth. Sisters and brothers from Mexico and the world. We greet the family of compañero Luis Villoro. Welcome to the rebel lands that
Conflicting Reports Of An Israeli Air Strike On A Military Installation In Sudan
Potential path of an IAF strike package to Sudan; GraphicMaps.com map *Times of Israel:* *Sudan denies attack after ‘foreign’ planes said to hit military site* *Witnesses claim jets hitting area near Khartoum may have been Israeli, but army spokesman says no strike, though anti-aircraft fire used on object in sky* *Officials and residents of the Sudanese city of Omdurman said foreign warplanes struck a military installation nearby late Tuesday night, a London-based Arabic news outlet reported early Wednesday. * *However, a Sudanese army spokesperson denied that any Sudanese facili... more »
There Is Only One Solution To GMO Labeling – All Else Is Futile
*Natasha Longo* - Here's why labeling GMO foods is an exercise in futility and why there's only one way to ensure the public is informed about what's in their food. The post There Is Only One Solution To GMO Labeling – All Else Is Futile appeared first on Waking Times.
Moscow Prepares For Saturday's Victory Day Parade
*Financial Times*: *Moscow shows its military mettle in run-up to Victory Day parade* *Russia paraded some of its most modern military gear, including the world’s most advanced tank, through the streets of Moscow on Monday in a rehearsal for a massed parade to mark the 70th anniversary of victory in the second world war on Saturday.* *The decision by President Vladimir Putin to stage a display of cutting-edge weapons sends a powerful message about Moscow’s determination to project its power in its neighbourhood and globally.* *During the hour-long rehearsal on Red Square on Mon... more »
Comparing Russia's Military Firepower To The West
*The Telegraph: How Putin's military firepower compares to the West* *As Vladimir Putin prepares to unveil his new tanks at Saturday's Victory Day parade, here is a look at how Russian forces measure up to those of Britain and the US Fifteen years after Vladimir Putin first walked into the Kremlin, Russia’s army is bigger, stronger, and better equipped than at any time since the end of the Cold War.Able to call on three quarters of a million frontline troops, more tanks than another country on the planet, and the world’s third largest airforce, Russia retains much of the brute ... more »
CBS Exposes Border Patrol Agents as Sexual Predators
By ANNA WERNER AND LAURA STRICKLERCBS NEWSMay 4, 2015, 7:03 PM "Disturbing" sex abuse within agency that patrols U.S. border, says former top official WASHINGTON - A CBS News investigation has found sexual misconduct in the ranks of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is "significantly" higher than other federal law enforcement agencies, according to the agency's former head of
Who Is The Prime Suspect In Recent High-Profile Ukraine Murders
Gleb Garanich/Reuters *Will Cathcart, Daily Beast/Georgian Journal:* *As Ukraine Murders Multiply, Who’s The Lead Suspect?* *In the muddle of insurgency, assassinations, false flags, and military confusion, the right-wing Pravy Sektor’s Dmitry Yarosh is a key player.* *The recent high-profile murders in Kiev of opposition politician Oleh Kalashnikov and, the next day, of Ukrainian writer Oles Buzyna have made the scene in an already complicated and fractious Ukraine murkier than ever.* *Both Kalashnikov and Buzyan were overtly and, for many in Kiev and western Ukraine, disgracefu... more »
Ukrainian Army Suffers Numeorus Casualties In A Fresh Blow To Truce
A Ukrainian soldier from the volunteer Donbas Battalion takes a break at the war’s frontline and rides a bicycle in the village of Shyrokyne near Mariupol in Donetsk Oblast on April 15. © Anastasia Vlasova, Kyiv Post *Reuters*: *Five Ukrainian soldiers killed ahead of Minsk talks: Ukraine military* *(Reuters) - Five Ukrainian servicemen have been killed and 12 injured over the past 24 hours despite a ceasefire deal, Ukraine's military said on Wednesday, describing a worsening situation in separatist eastern territories.* *The deaths came ahead of a meeting later on Wednesday of en... more »
Mr. Noland Goes to Washington: To Fight for the Middle Class
Last month we met Elgin-based Illinois state Senator Mike Noland as he weighed the notion of running for the IL-08 congressional seat that Tammy Duckworth is giving up to run for the U.S. Senate. Nolan is far more progressive, not just than anyone the GOP would ever put up, but than the professional class of political hack the DCCC is likely to rally around. This is every reason to believe that in Congress Mike would continue working on the issues that have moved him in the state legislature: economic recovery, ethics reform, and fighting for universal health care. Mike's bio *sou... more »
Alberta Liberation
Congratulations must be offered to Alberta's new Premier Designate Rachel Notley and her NDP colleagues for their astonishing landslide victory in my birth province. For the first time in over 4 decades someone other than an Alberta Progressive Conservative politician is going to be able to see the books. Hhhhmmmmmmm.... Call me cynical but it wouldn't surprise me in the least if there aren't
The Growth Of Private Armies In Ukraine
Ukraine’s voluntary militia called the Azov Battalion holds artillery training in east Ukraine, west of the port city of Mariupol on the Azov Sea, March 19, 2015. REUTERS/Marko Djurica *Josh Cohen, Reuters:* *In the battle between Ukraine and Russian separatists, shady private armies take the field* *While the ceasefire agreement between the Ukrainian government and separatist rebels in the eastern part of the country seems largely to be holding, a recent showdown in Kiev between a Ukrainian oligarch and the government revealed one of the country’s ongoing challenges: private mi... more »
China Is Becoming Increasingly Worried About North Korea
North Korea has denied hacking Sony Pictures email to avenge the studio's not-yet-released movie The Interview, about a plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. (KCNA/Reuters) *Emily Rauhala, Time:* *China Has Reason to Be Worried About North Korea’s Nukes* *The two countries were once as close as lips and teeth, but Beijing is increasingly wary of Pyongyang and Kim Jong UnIn the U.S., North Korea often feels more like of a punchline than a political threat. Coverage of the country skews heavily toward humor, whether it’s news stories about Kim Jong Un’s gravity-d... more »
Chu goes there?
*To some, those red polka dot balls are "art." I must be getting old...* Well well. The meeting of Eric Chu, KMT Chairman, and Xi Jin-ping, President of China was on May 4th, a day fraught with symbolism in Chinese history. Yeah, remember when Chu denied May 4 was the meeting day? Since nothing important happened or was agreed on (Cole at Thinking Taiwan) at this utterly routine meeting, one more in roughly two decades of contact between the two longtime anti-democracy foes, the big news was the spat between Eric Chu, the KMT, and the CCP on one side, and poor AP on the other. Chu ... more »
Marine General Joseph Dunford and Air Force General Paul Selva Have Been Nominated To Serve As Chairman And Vice-Chairman Of The Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Jonathan Ernst / Reuters *Politico*: *The Pentagon Gets Two New Top Generals* *Marine General Joseph Dunford and Air Force General Paul Selva have been tapped to serve as chairman and vice-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.* *On Tuesday, President Obama nominated Marine General Joseph Dunford and Air Force General Paul Selva to the Pentagon's top two posts.* *Dunford, known as "Fightin' Joe," served as the top American officer and coalition commander in Afghanistan during the 2013-2014 transition period when Afghan forces took over operations from American troops, and is curre... more »
Untitled
*New paper on Antarctic sea ice melt misses the mark* *I have been pointing to subsurface polar vulcanism for years -- nice to see others taking it up lately -- JR* According to a new paper in the journal 'Science Magazine,' the Antarctic Ice Sheet is melting at an accelerated rate, which the authors attribute to a warming climate. There's only one problem: According to the National Space Science & Technology Center at the University of Alabama, Huntsville (UAH), atmospheric temperatures across Antarctica haven't moved up or down since 1979 (See graph 1). uah temp anomaly Paul Ho... more »
What's The Difference?
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/ Tom Walkom writes that, if a Martian landed in North America's Attic, with the express purpose of studying Canada's three major political parties, he might very well be befuddled. They seem very much alike: Tom Mulcair’s New Democrats, Stephen Harper’s Conservatives and Justin Trudeau’s Liberals support balanced budgets, tax cuts for small business and subsidies for families. They support building pipelines to move oil and gas to market, although they differ on which ones should get the nod. All three p... more »
Marine Le Pen in Prague
Shannon was the first source that told me that Marine Le Pen is just visiting Prague. However, hours later, all the Czech media (surprisingly?) dedicated lots of attention to the guest. Her Twitter account provides you with many pictures from her visit. On the Charles Bridge, she didn't wear plastic bags – but she carried them which is almost the same thing (and it's exactly the same word in Czech). She has made a wish while she touched the statue of John Nepomucký and this wish will come true, unless superstitions are piles of šit that fail to work, of course. ;-) Well, then ... more »
Untitled
*Library donations to Mayfield jazz project questioned ~David Hammer* *You did it! Locals give back generously on ‘Give Nola Day’ ~WGNO*
CERN and the Solar Tango- May 6th 2015
After a rather quiet period, Sol blasted into action again yesterday. After 4 M Class Flares, Mr. Sunshine blasted off with an X 2.7 late last night around 22:00 UTC. All very interesting needless to say, yet it became much more interesting this morning when I looked into CERN and what they were up to yesterday..... http://home.web.cern.ch/about/updates/2015/05/low-energy-collisions-tune-lhc-experiments Low-energy collisions tune LHC experiments Two beams of protons at 450 GeV collide in the the CMS detector for a total collision energy of 900 GeV. The LHC experiments are ... more »
General Election 2015 - "How should I vote"
It's almost time to vote in the UK General Election so I'm going to advise you as to how you should vote. I am not a member of any political party and have voted for more than one political party over the last 30+ years that I have been on the electoral roll. I am, I suppose, a natural Conservative but unfortunately the Conservative party under David Cameron seems to have stopped being naturally Conservative itself. So maybe UKIP? The trouble is that in many seats a vote for UKIP is a wasted vote. I certainly want to maximise the number of right of centre MPs and minimise the nu... more »
Economic News , Data and Views ( May 6 , 2015 ) -- Greece Updates ( Greece may have enough cash to fulfill financial obligations until end of June , updates on Creditor Talks ( including important dates for May / June ) that will probably last until the end of June , Greece economic data , latest political drama in Greece ) ........ Broader Europe ( bonds , currencies and oil are the key focal points , retail sales and service sector PMIs data from Europe , ECB and QE related items ,
Tweets ..... Greece.... *fred walton* @fredwalton216 · 37s38 seconds ago fred walton retweeted Yannis Koutsomitis Red lines update... fred walton added, *Yannis Koutsomitis* @YanniKouts #Greece & the creditors do not agree yet on: - 2015 budget figs - Pension system viability - labor mrkt deregulation… *Yannis Koutsomitis* @YanniKouts · 26m26 minutes ago #Greece & creditors are close to agrmnt on: -VAT & tax collection -Privatizations list -Banking sector stability & NPLs ~EU srce to @Real_gr *fred walton* @fredwalton216 now fred walton retweeted Fabrizio Goria ... more »
Least self aware tweet of the day - Alastair Campbell
The least self aware tweet of the day comes from Al 'dodgy dossier' Campbell I suppose that you have to admire his chutzpah if nothing else. Fortunately the replies to his tweet are pretty scathing, take a look here.
Future Italian Navy PPA and Logistic Support Ship programmes integrated into OCCAR
The Multipurpose Combat Ship Programme PPA (Pattugliatori Polivalenti d’Altura) and the Logistic Support Ship Programme LSS (Logistic Support Ship) have been formally integrated into OCCAR on 4 May 2015 with the confirmation of the PPA and LSS Programme Decisions and the respective contracts by the Italian authorities. Both programmes are currently managed on behalf of Italy as the Programme Participating State. The successful integration into OCCAR of these two modern ship programmes means a major expansion of the OCCAR Programme portfolio. OCCAR now manages 11 European Armament... more »
Labour telling Orthodox Jews I’m gay, claims Tory candidate Mike Freer per The Jewish Chronicle
This claim of dirty tricks from the Labour Party in London... 'A Conservative election candidate has claimed Labour campaigners attempted to discourage Orthodox Jews from voting for him by telling them he is gay. Mike Freer is standing for re-election in Finchley and Golders Green – the constituency with the highest number of Jewish voters in Britain. He has suggested that supporters of Labour candidate Sarah Sackman's campaign attempted to damage his chances by revealing his homosexuality to religious Jews in the belief that it would stop them voting for the Tory politician.' Mor... more »
RQ-4 Global Hawk Achieves Milestone C
[image: RQ-4 Global Hawk]The U.S. Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk high altitude, long endurance autonomous unmanned aircraft system (UAS) successfully completed Milestone C approval from the Defense Acquisition Executive. For the Northrop Grumman Corporation-built Global Hawk program, Milestone C is a key incremental step in the Department of Defense's acquisition process that enables the program to move forward with modernization activity. The UAS achieved a predetermined level of software maturity and the ability to demonstrate operational interoperability with other relevant systems ... more »
European Tanker Program Close To Issuing RFP
The Netherlands, Norway and Poland will issue a request for proposals “in days” to Airbus Defense and Space, paving the way for a joint purchase of A330 multi-role tanker transport aircraft. In a program facilitated by the European Defense Agency (EDA) and fronted by European armaments agency Occar and NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency, the three countries hope to reach an agreement and contract signing by the end of this year for up to four A330s to be operated as a single fleet, providing aerial refueling and strategic transport for all three countries toward the end of the d... more »
KC-390 or A400M could lift Swedish air force capability
[image: A400M]The Swedish air force is likely to field a replacement for its aged Lockheed Martin C-130H tactical transports at some point during the next decade, with potential candidates including the Embraer KC-390 and Airbus A400M. Later this year, the air force will mark the 50th anniversary of its introduction of the Hercules, with its active fleet now including five transports and one KC-130H tanker. Two other aircraft have already been retired and are in storage in the UK, and the service could in time decide to reduce its operational fleet to only four examples, says chief... more »
Rosoboronexport hopes for more arms deals with Turkey
[image: Mi-28NE Havoc]Rosoboronexport has announced that it has sent a delegation to the current International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) in Istanbul that is going to hold talks with Turkey and other countries in that region on potential weapons deals. "Currently, in the interests of Turkey, we provide after-sales support for [Mil] Mi-17 military transport helicopters and supply spares and accessories for Russian-made military products. At the moment this is our main form of cooperation, but we are also working actively to increase our armaments exports to Turkey. There is another... more »
Saudi Arabia used to bark – now it bites
[image: Saudi Eurofighter Typhoon]In the 30 years since Britain first negotiated the al-Yamamah arms deal with Saudia Arabia, the general assumption has been that this country was by far the main beneficiary of the multi-billion-pound agreement. Once called “the biggest British sale ever of anything to anyone”, the complex negotiations originally undertaken by the Thatcher government in the mid-Eighties committed Britain to equip the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) with more than 100 Tornado fighter aircraft, as well as 50 Hawk trainers. The scale of the deal, which also included spe... more »
All You Need is Su-35: China Should Buy Russian Fighter Jets – Media
[image: Su-35 Flanker-E]China will have to purchase Sukhoi Su-35 (Flanker-E) supermaneuverable multirole fighter jets despite the fact that Beijing is developing its own fourth generation aircraft, according to the Want China Times website. The latest modification of the Chinese fighter jet, the Shenyang J-11D, conducted its maiden flight last week. The J-11D, manufactured by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, is based on the Russian Sukhoi Su-27 jet. The Su-35 is also an upgraded version of the Su-27. "The Su-35 has an internal fuel capacity of 11.5 tons compared to the J-11D's ni... more »
Unmanned sea systems market entering turbulent waters
[image: Seehecht DM-2-A4]Unmanned naval surface and underwater system production is slated to be mixed during the next 10 years, with Forecast International expecting manufacturers to produce some 29 550 units through 2024. The value of this market over the next decade is $15.4 billion. Among the major segments of this market are torpedoes, unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and unmanned surface vessels (USVs). The latter two system types may be used as naval targets, or to perform offshore patrol duties and mineclearing. "Sales of torpedoes will account for more than half of this ... more »
Australia Accepts New Boeing CH-47F Chinook Aircraft
[image: CH-47F Chinook]At a ceremony yesterday at Royal Australian Air Force Base Townsville in northern Queensland, Australia commissioned their first two Boeing CH-47F Chinook advanced configuration aircraft. It’s a major milestone in the updating of the Australian Army’s cargo helicopter fleet. The acquisition is part of an ongoing transformation that’s allowing Australia to build one of the world’s newest and most technologically advanced armed forces. Five additional new Chinooks will be delivered this year, eventually replacing an existing fleet of six older CH-47D Chinooks.... more »
US has given Pakistan arms worth $5.4 bn since 2001: Report
[image: P-3C Orion]Since the September 11, 2001 terror attack, the US has given Pakistan arms worth about $5.4 billion for counter-terrorism operations, along with many "big ticket" platforms more suited to conventional warfare. Sales of F-16 combat aircraft and related equipment account for nearly half of these Foreign Military Sales agreements with Pakistan, according to a report by Congressional Research Service for lawmakers. India has time and again opposed the sale of such equipment to Pakistan as it apprehends that Islamabad may eventually use them against India. Read more
Liaoning's limitations rule out J-15 ground attacks
[image: J-15 Flying Shark]The Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, lacks the ability to launch attacks against ground targets with the J-15 fighters it currently deploys, according to the Sina Military Network based in Beijing on May. 5. The PLA Navy has begun the deployment of J-15 fighters aboard the Liaoning, according to a report by state broadcaster China Central Television on May 2. A total of 24 of the fighters can be deployed by the carrier in the future, the article estimated. Read more
Gaia Portal: Denouement of old paradigm patterns accelerate
denouement deɪˈnuːmɒ̃/ *noun* 1. the final part of a play, film, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved. "the film's denouement was unsatisfying and ambiguous" synonyms:finale, final scene, final act, last act, epilogue, coda, end, ending, finish,close; - the outcome of a situation, when something is decided or made clear. "I waited by the eighteenth green to see the denouement" synonyms:outcome, upshot, consequence, result, end result, end, ending ,termination, culmination, climax; ... more »
Brazil taps Zentech for aircraft carrier hull inspection
[image: BNS São Paulo (A12)]The Brazilian Navy has contracted Zentech Incorporated to conduct a comprehensive inspection and evaluation of the hull of the aircraft carrier São Paulo. The Texas-headquartered engineering company said the work is part of the Brazilian Navy's upgrade of the carrier and that it will use its asset integrity management solution, ZAIMS, to help in the assessment of hull's seaworthiness. "The initial work involves corrosion inspection, condition evaluation and detailed analysis of the carrier's hull integrity, including the creation of 3D models, to accurat... more »
Navy Needs New Servers for Aegis Cruisers and Destroyers After Chinese Purchase of IBM Line
[image: SM-2 launch]The Navy needs new servers for its upgraded Aegis Combat System after the current IBM line was sold to Chinese computer maker Lenovo. The $2.1 billion sale closed in October and made Lenovo the number three server maker in the world. IBM shedding its server business creates a security concern for the U.S. Navy, which included the company’s x86 BladeCenter HT server in its Aegis Technical Insertion (TI) 12. Read more
GE Gas Turbines to Power Turkish Corvettes
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[image: TCG Heybeliada (F 511)]GE Marine announced it has signed a contract with Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik Ve Ticaret A.Ş. (STM), Ankara, Turkey, whereby GE will provide STM with LM2500 gas turbines. The engines will power the Turkish Navy’s third and fourth MILGEM multi-purpose corvettes, GE reported today during the IDEF ’15 industry trade show. STM is the program manager for these new two ships, and will provide platform systems, construction materials, design services and the main propulsion systems, as well as integration of the propulsion system. Read more
Two Chinese Warships Enter Black Sea, Reports Link Visit to Possible Chinese Frigate Sale to Russia
[image: Chinese frigate 547 Linyi]Two People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) guided missile frigates entered the Black Sea on Monday in a first for the PLAN, according to photos of the ships crossing the Bosporus Strait obtained by USNI News. The pair is bound for the Russian naval base at Novorossiysk ahead of a planned visit from Chinese president Xi Jinping to Moscow to commemorate the end of World War II in Europe , according to Russian state media reports. The ships will arrive at Novorossiysk by May 9, according to press reports. Read more
Sindhurakshak accident cannot be blamed on anyone: Govt
[image: INS Sindhurakshak]The government today said the explosion onboard submarine INS Sindhurakshak in 2013 that led to the death of 18 personnel was "probably induced" during the process of arming of the torpedoes and cannot be blamed on anyone. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, in a written reply to a question, told Rajya Sabha that the accident cannot be blamed on anyone since none of the officers or sailors present inside the submarines survived. However, he said that disciplinary action against two officers in the chain of command has been initiated for individual lapses. ... more »
North Korea Conducts Ejection Test of New Submarine Missile
[image: North Korean 66 meter Submarine]North Korea recently conducted a third test of a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) that is part of Pyongyang’s expanding nuclear arsenal, according to American defense officials. The underwater ejection test of what the Pentagon is calling the KN-11 missile took place April 22 from an underwater test platform near the North Korean coastal city of Sinpo, located on the southeastern coast of the country about 100 miles from the Demilitarized Zone separating it from South Korea. Doevelpment of the new missile, first disclosed by th... more »
Asians bullied into postal vote fraud per The Times
The Times (£) reports the unsurprising news that: 'Asian voters are being intimidated into handing over their postal votes on a scale larger than the few arrests so far suggest, a former prosecutor has warned. Nazir Afzal said that a form of feudal blackmail had been imported from south Asia with families facing retribution unless they voted for bullying candidates. Women and girls were being disenfranchised as households were being persuaded to hand over their ballot forms.' What's most surprising about this news is that anyone is at all surprised. Still as this will benefit the... more »
Ginkgo Biloba Extract Improves ADHD Symptoms in Children
This is a surprise. The tree is often grown and it is no trick to acquire some. Yet to date it has been used to facilitate cognition as individuals become older. Obviously an extract will be a superior method of using the leaf. It is difficult to consume on its own. This work does not provide an indication of the level of improvement which tells us it is not an actual cure. It also does not inform us regarding the level of sugar in the diet and whether that had been normalized before the application. many victims are actually dealing with a sugar reaction whose simple remov... more »
New Device Combines Complimentary Advantages of Batteries and Supercapacitors
This was sort of inevitable. Their strengths do compliment each other and the combination and miniaturization may provide a viable product. Both technologies on their own have struggled to move forward. It is still all about size and this is a clear strategy to get there. Sooner that later it will happen. We are already most of the way home with a wide range of protocols. In the meantime we wait and make do.. *New device combines the advantages of batteries and supercapacitors* *By Dario Borghino* *April 19, 20151 CommentPictures* *http://www.gizmag.com/high-energy-... more »
There's a Place That's Nearly Perfect for Growing Food. It's Not California with Tom Philpott
First off, California's dominance is an artifact of history and interstate highways in particular and marketing were bigger is best. It could easily have been anywhere else in the South were ample rainfall does exist. However the attraction of California was also that no rain and dependance on irrigation provided reliable quality control. With that option ending it becomes a matter of developing systems that can deal with wetter conditions which are already well developed. We have actually barely scratched the surface in terms of growing these crops... . *There's... more »
'A Ski Accident left me with Savant Abilities':
The savant problem has been around for a log time and it appears associated with brain trauma. Since we now understand that the brain is a physical window to our consciousness. it is no trick to conjecture that such damage opens a direct portal to the consciousness. This is sometimes successful and useful but normally not so. This case looks to be a possible success provided she gets a gifted teacher who allows her to channel her new talent and shows her how to also discipline it. I would love to have such a person to work with to create imagery for both my cosmology and other... more »
This chart shows every model of military submarine in service around the world
[image: Submarines of the world 2015]Submarines give navies around the world a huge strategic and tactical advantage. Ballistic missile submarines can serve as nuclear deterrents in case a country’s land-based launch systems have been destroyed. Meanwhile, nuclear-powered attack submarines can effectively hunt enemy subs and can sink enemy naval targets. During war games in March, a French Rubis-class sub even “sunk” a US aircraft carrier. Smaller non-nuclear attack submarines, although incapable of operating underwater for as long as nuclear vessels, can be even more difficult to ... more »
So, is it okay to shoot people when they offend you?
Jon Stewart says no. It’s not okay. Got that? Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
Breaking News: NDP wins Alberta Provincial election in Canada
*Rachel Notley wins Alberta Election and becomes first NDP Premier of Alberta* Folks, this election result is a shocker on so many levels. *First *of all, nobody outside of Alberta even heard of Rachel Notley prior to this evening. *Secondly,* The NDP has always been a joke in Capitalistic Big Oil Alberta! *Thirdly,* this is the home province of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the provincial conservative party...which used to "own" Alberta...ended up with only ten seats in the provincial legislature. *This is a political sea change not only for Alberta but for Cana... more »
LA Progressive: Ref Rodriguez—What the PUC Is Going on Here?
*“The L.A. County district attorney’s office indicated Monday that it expected another, separate probe to be conducted by L.A. Unified’s inspector general.” — LA Times* *Ref Rodriguez: What the PUC Is Going on Here?* In the *LA Progressive* piece What the PUC Is Going on Here? Hans Johnson and Hector Huezo of the East Area Progressive Democrats take a look at Refugio "Ref" Rodriguez's myriad financial "mishaps." These include: the fishy max campaign contributions from employees paid minimum wage; the eye-opening audit of PUC's Lakeview finances; and passing mention of the FoodGate ... more »
Correcting Rachel Maddow on Her Analysis of the New Iran Deal Framework
Most people are neither interested in nor informed about the minutiae and technical details of Iran's nuclear program, or any nuclear program for that matter. That's perfectly understandable. When MSNBC host Rachel Maddow opened her show tonight with a lengthy segment on nuclear technology, bomb-making, and the amazing news from Lausanne, Switzerland today, she revealed how one can be
Coeur d'Alene Police Sargeant Greg Moore has died...
*my heart is heavy and my eyes are dripping tears... * Dear God in Heaven, please look kindly on your servant, Greg Moore, and keep his family in your heart. COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho—The Coeur d'Alene Police Department officer who was shot Tuesday morning died around 6:00 p.m. Sergeant Greg Moore was a 16-year law enforcement veteran, husband and father. He leaves behind a wife and two beautiful children. "Words cannot adequately express the level of mourning we feel for Sergeant Moore's family," wrote the Coeur d'Alene Police Dept. in their release Tuesday night. "We appreciate... more »
Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW) - No Smoking
Welcome to Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)! Wondering how to live greener? You've come to the right place. Each week we challenge ourselves to try a new task ... or "amp up" something we're already doing. We raise our awareness, learn from each other and develop Eco-friendly skills which will improve our lives and protect our planet. Doing so together gives us power ... the power to Change The World! If this is your first visit, please click *HERE* for information and a complete list of all the challenges we've taken on so far. This post contains great information and I encourag... more »
A Rare Look Inside North Korea's DMZ
*CNN:* *Threats, tension and a history lesson: Rare look inside North Korea's DMZ* Pyongyang, North Korea (CNN)A barren road takes us to the heavily fortified border between North and South Korea. *Most visitors see it from the South Korean side, however we're on the North Korean side looking south.Our guide, Junior Lt. Colonel Nam Dong Ho, calls it "the most tense place on the planet."He's one of North Korea's standing army of more than one million soldiers. Nearly three-quarters of them are stationed close to the Demilitarized Zone, also known as the DMZ.* *WNU Editor*: I v... more »
May 5: The meaning of ethics in journalism.
"Events centre needed, council told" "He spoke as an ordinary citizen,..." But, we learn, he was not an ordinary citizen. He was a (drumroll) real estate salesman. And we are told he said simply "...this is good for the province." That word 'simply' is an opinion, and the reporter's opinion should not be part of a story. Much worse is that use of that word to set the tone - a simply, ordinary citizen." And so it goes on, all just as good. This, with its banner headline, is the lead story under a banner headline for this day in Moncton. And the story goes referring to "this citizen"... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“NGC 660 is featured in this cosmic snapshot, a sharp composite of broad and narrow band filter image data from the Gemini North telescope on Mauna Kea. Over 20 million light-years away and swimming within the boundaries of the constellation Pisces, NGC 660's peculiar appearance marks it as a polar ring galaxy. *Click image for larger size.* A rare galaxy type, polar ring galaxies have a substantial population of stars, gas, and dust orbiting in rings nearly perpendicular to the plane of the galactic disk. The bizarre-looking configuration could have been caused by the chance captur... more »
Chet Raymo, “Quiet Desperation”
*“Quiet Desperation”* by Chet Raymo "As I type this, I am sipping a cup of Green Mountain Vermont Country Blend Decaf and nibbling an Entenmann's Ultimate Cinnamon Pastry Twister. Just thought you'd want to know. Do you also want know where I am? What I'm wearing? I would tell you, but by the time you read this I will surely be somewhere else, and wearing something different. And you want to know the circumstances of my life in real time, don't you? Of course you do. What I need is a wi-fi enabled coffee cup that will post what I'm drinking on Twitter or Facebook, even as I drink. ... more »
New Awareness for a New Earth: Paradigms and Culture Minds
*Brendan D. Murphy* - New paradigms are in the making—culture is being civilized (transformed) in a way that few generations on this Earth have ever had the opportunity to witness. The post New Awareness for a New Earth: Paradigms and Culture Minds appeared first on Waking Times.
How Austrian was Frank Knight?
[image: 276464_137539366339987_1226509_n] Here’s your update on tomorrow evening’s seminar from our friends at the Auckland Uni Economics Group. This week they’re talking Frank Knight and asking … *Was Frank Knight an Austrian Economist?* On uncertainty, entrepreneurship and the firm --- not to mention his rejection of positivism and populism -- Knight was on the same page as the Austrians; but on capital,productivity and time preference he was anything but. Frank Knight was among the most important economists of the interwar period. As a theorist he was best known for his d... more »
The Pentagon Has Finally Admited That Civilians Were Killed During U.S. Led Air Strikes Against Islamic State Targets
A pair of U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles fly over northern Iraq after conducting airstrikes in Syria, in this U.S. Air Force handout photo taken early in the morning of September 23, 2014. (Reuters/U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Matthew) *Nancy A. Youssef, Daily Beast:* *Exclusive: Pentagon Admits Anti-ISIS Strikes Killed Civilians* *For months, officials have said a relentless bombing campaign in Iraq and Syria isn’t killing innocents. But now an internal military investigation concludes otherwise.An internal military investigation has concluded that two civilians were kill... more »
"Things That Matter..."
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." “Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” - Martin Luther King Jr.
Nanoparticles In Food and Water Found to Alter Gut Microbiome
*Heather Callaghan* - Nanotechnology - that is, metal oxide particles* such as titanium dioxide - are increasingly used in the commercial food supply... The post Nanoparticles In Food and Water Found to Alter Gut Microbiome appeared first on Waking Times.
Did Israel Give A 'Secret Thumbs-Up' To Russia In Its Missile Sale To Iran?
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (right) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet in Moscow Tuesday. Alexei Nikolsky/RIA Novosti/Reuters *Bloomberg:* Russian Missile Sale to Iran Involves Unseen Deals With Israel *Last month, when President Vladimir Putin of Russia announced plans to sell a powerful anti-missile system to Iran before the lifting of international sanctions, Israel was quick to join the U.S. in expressing shock and anger.* *But behind the public announcements is a little-known web of arms negotiations and secret diplomacy. In recent years, Israel and R... more »
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