Joint team helps build Afghan air corps - An Afghan national army air corps AN-32 cargo plane takes off Oct. 18 at Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan. The plane's mission is to fly winter supplies to ANA troops in Kandahar. The ANA air corps has been able to fly more cargo to support their own troops due to the recent introduction and training of aircraft loadmasters. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
US Special Forces help Northern Alliance troops away from a CIA-operated MI-17 Hip helicopter at Bagram Airbase, Afghanistan, during Operation Anaconda, March 2002. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The CIA prepared a series of leaflets for use in Afghanistan Original caption: :"AL Qaeda do you think that you are safe..." (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Ban Ki-moon, South Korean Foreign Minister and UN Secretary General, with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Français : Ban Ki-moon, ancien ministre sud coréen des Affaires étrangères et Secrétaire de l'ONU, avec la Secrétaire d'Etat Condoleezza Rice. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)10:20pm MST
How The U.S. Waste $17 Billion In Afghanistan
Chairs at a school built, but never occupied, were stripped for firewood. Credit: SIGAR/Flickr *ProPublica:* *Behold: How the US blew $17 billion in Afghanistan* In 2008, the Pentagon bought 20 refurbished cargo planes for the Afghan Air Force, but as one top US officer put it, “just about everything you can think of was wrong.” No spare parts, for example. The planes were also “a death trap,” according to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. So $486 million was spent on worthless planes that no one could fly. We did recoup some of the investment. Sixteen o... more »
CIA Admit To Using Weather Modification As A Military Weapon
The CIA have admitted that various nations possess the ability to use weather modification, or geoengineering, as a weapon in war. Rutgers University climatologist Alan Robock claims that his department at the New Jersey-based university were hired by the CIA to control other nations’ climates. Naturalnews.com reports: The climatologist also says the callers asked, “If we control someone else’s climate, would they then know about it?” Robock told the consultants that any large-scale weather manipulation would be detectable. Obviously, the CIA seems to have a very keen interest in t... more »
UN Secretary Accuses Israel Of Breeding Palestinian Terrorism
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has told a conference on the “Rights of the Palestinian people” that Israel have deliberately provoked and bred Palestinian terrorism due to five decades of Israeli occupation. “It is the result of fear, humiliation, frustration and mistrust,” Ki-moon said. “It has been fed by the wounds of decades of bloody conflict, which will take a long time to heal. Palestinian youth in particular are tired of broken promises and they see no light at the end of the tunnel.” Jpost.com reports: In his message, which was delivered on Tuesday, Ban also blamed the “s... more »
China Accuse US of ‘Serious Military Provocation’
China have accused the United States of committing “a serious military provocation” after the U.S. flew two B-52 strategic bombers over artificial Chinese islands in the South China Sea. “The actions by the US side constitute a serious military provocation and are rendering more complex and even militarizing conditions in the South China Sea,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Presstv.com reports: The Defense Ministry said the United States is deliberately raising tensions in the region and demanded Washington take immediate steps to avoid similar incidents in t... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Gorgeous spiral galaxy NGC 3521 is a mere 35 million light-years away, toward the constellation Leo. Relatively bright in planet Earth's sky, NGC 3521 is easily visible in small telescopes but often overlooked by amateur imagers in favor of other Leo spiral galaxies, like M66 and M65. It's hard to overlook in this colorful cosmic portrait, though. *Click image for larger size.* Spanning some 50,000 light-years the galaxy sports characteristic patchy, irregular spiral arms laced with dust, pink star forming regions, and clusters of young, blue stars. Remarkably, this deep image also ... more »
Chet Raymo, “Moments of Being”
*“Moments of Being”* by Chet Raymo “A passage from the "Pensees" of Teilhard de Chardin: "Though the phenomena of the lower world remain the same- the material determinisms, the vicissitudes of chance, the laws of labor, the agitations of men, the footfalls of death- he who dares to believe reaches a sphere of created reality in which things, while retaining their habitual texture, seem to be made out of a different substance. Everything remains the same so far as phenomena are concerned, but at the same time everything become luminous, animated, loving..." Whatever we think of Te... more »
Putin: Russia Will Ramp Up Military Presence In Syria
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia is willing to use more military means in Syria if necessary, as Russian armed forces have not employed all of their capability. His comments came one day after the United Nations Security Council approved a resolution that supports an international effort to find a peaceful solution to the Syria crisis. Putin said in a speech: “We see how efficiently our pilots and intelligence agents coordinate their efforts with various kinds of forces – the army, navy and aviation, how they use the most modern weapons”. Yahoo News reports: “I... more »
U.S. Secretary of Defense Carter Issues A Warning On The Growing Instability In Afghanistan
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, center, walks with Afghan Defense Minister Masoom Stanekzai, front left, and U.S. Army Gen. John F. Campbell, right, commander of NATO’s Resolute Support mission and U.S. Forces – Afghanistan, while visiting Forward Operating Base Fenty in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Dec. 18, 2015. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tony Coronado *L.A. Times*:* Pentagon chief warns of rising danger in Afghanistan* Defense Secretary Ashton Carter warned Friday of the threat of deteriorating security in Afghanistan from a resurgent Taliban and a growing number of Islami... more »
Dec.19: Hysteria and a drowning nation.
This is very late because the Christmas season has come crashing down on me. It is 11 pm as a finish this. It was many years ago that the editor of a major, Canadian newspaper told me that the Irving press was a disgrace to Canadian journalism. Over the years, I met many journalists who shared that opinion. But it has become much worse over the last several months. It looks as though it's being done to some plan. The only real story in section A did, admittedly, make it to the first page – but it's at the bottom of the page, and brief. Twin River Paper Co. was fined 320,000 dollars... more »
Blogiversary X: 10 Posts That Shook the World
(or Slightly Amused a Dozen People) (Gentlemen of great erudition and culture. GIF version of the bottom one here.) Earlier this year, this blog turned 10. I haven't had much time to write this year (or the past few years), but I'm still keeping the blog lights on as a repository for my infrequent posts. As usual, I'll be recapping major posts and categories since the last blogiversary,
Democratic Debate Summed Up...
*succinctly.* *The live stream from ABC is so bad, I'm sure I missed some important points. On the other hand, maybe not. * *Lather, rinse, repeat. * - Take away everyone's guns. - Close the gun show "loophole" that doesn't exist. - Establish a "hug a Muslim" day. Apparently if we're really, really nice to them they won't cut off our heads. - Raise the minimum wage because if people have more money they'll spend more. Golly gee - that will be so great for the economy. A copy of Economics 101 is being sent to all three of them. - Free health care, ex... more »
Falling Oil Prices Is Raising Fears About The Global Economy
*USA Today*: *Falling oil prices raise fears about economy* While most Americans are sure to celebrate oil prices hitting six-year lows, investors and those working in the oil industry were sulking Friday. The Dow tumbled a whopping 367 points to 17,129 Friday and capped off its worst two-day slide since August, largely because oil fell below the critical $35-a-barrel threshold this week and investors are worried what that weakness may say about the global economy. The price of U.S. benchmark crude dipped to close at $35.73 in trading in New York, the lowest in six years and a far... more »
The Latest: Updates from the Democratic Presidential Debate
[image: Dem Debate cmprs-502021090__1450577362_108.225.71.5] MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) -- The Latest on the Democratic presidential debate (all times local): ___ 9:31 p.m. Bernie Sanders says he wants to make “secondary” the fight against Syrian leader Bashar Assad and focus exclusively on defeating the Islamic State.... more »
Modern-Day Nostradamus Predicts World War III To Begin June 2016
A modern-day Nostradamus named Ricardo Salazar has predicted that China and Russia will spark World War III in June 2016 after Europe closes its borders due to the migrant crisis. Pastor Ricardo Salazar claims that the world needs to brace itself for a very unsettling future from 2016 onwards. He says that around the same time as the outbreak of World War III, the world will experience a devastating asteroid strike, followed by tsunami’s, earthquakes, and super volcano’s. According to Salazar, all of these events will continue to unfold for some 7 years before the second coming of C... more »
Half the same way
every time I seee you I need some of that medical attention my heart stops beating for the moment and in Zen I carry on without beating a beat forever then I come back again and your the first thing I see and it starts all over again there must be some way we can communicate without me seeing you at all like in the dark with no lights in a room full of barrier and kick boxing gloves to prevent dangerous contact so I can breath once and while cause you on this earth will forever give me shortness of breath and gasps of astomishment every day I wake up kowing you feel half the same way or m... more »
Legal Drugs Are Killing America
NBC *MSN/Business Insider*:* One type of legal drug is killing far more people than heroin — and deaths just hit record numbers* In just a year, overdose deaths from opioid painkillers and heroin jumped 14%, hitting record levels in 2014, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released Friday. Between 2000 and 2014, nearly half a million Americans died from overdoses involving these drugs, which research suggests act similarly in the brain. The most commonly prescribed opioid painkillers — like oxycodone and hydrocodone — were involved in more overdos... more »
Right, Herr Trumpf Has No SuperPAC; Nonetheless Herr Trumpf's SuperPAC Is Preparing Scorched Earth Attacks On Rubio
I can't imagine Trumpf wants to help Cruz, but that's exactly who he will be helping if he goes after Rubio. Cruz is the most hated man in the Senate but he's been tying Rubio to another extremely hated senator, Little Chuck Schmucky (AKA- Chuck Schumer). At the crackpot debate on CNN Tuesday, Cruz called Rubio's immigration bill "the Rubio-Schumer Gang of Eight bill" and mentioned "When there was a battle over amnesty and some chose, like Senator Rubio, to stand with Barack Obama and Chuck Schumer and support a massive amnesty plan." Roger Stone, a sleazy GOP operative who was in... more »
Su-24 Jet Black Box Proves Russia Did Not Violate Turkish Airspace
Russia has said that the Su-24 warplane shot down by the Turkish Air Force posed no threat to Turkey, as proof has emerged from the jets black box that the plane was over Syrian airspace at the time of the incident. Sergei Dronov, deputy head of Russian Aerospace Forces, has confirmed that Russia has conclusive evidence that it did not violate Turkish airspace. Russia is now demanding compensation from Turkey over its illegal actions, and have requested that the country guarantee that a similar incident will not occur in the future. Ibtimes.com reports: “At present we can say that ... more »
A 9/11 Debunker Just Unwittingly Proved Controlled Demolition Theory
A recent 9/11 debunking video made by a blacksmith named Trenton Tye, has received an unprecedented amount of mainstream media attention, in which Tye attempts to debunk the theory that the twin towers were destroyed by controlled demolition. Tye’s attempt to rubbish claims made by “9/11 truthers” that the towers were brought down by a controlled demolition has backfired, as the group Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth (AE911Truth) debunked the debunker in an excellent Facebook post: Tye’s attempt to disprove controlled demolition by heating a half-inch piece of steel to 1,800°F ... more »
India Building Top-Secret Nuclear City To Produce Hydrogen Bomb
India is building a top-secret nuclear city in Karnataka in order to produce thermonuclear weapons, including a hydrogen bomb, according to a US report. The city will be completed in 2017, and will house the subcontinents largest military-run complex of nuclear centrifuges. Indianexpress.com reports: Commenting on the report, Ministry of External Affairs sources said on Friday, “It appears to be a clearly motivated piece which seeks to paint a picture of India’s nuclear programme, which does not tally with facts at all.” In an investigative report by Adrian Levy, author of widely-a... more »
1979 Nostradamus Film Examines Predictions Leading To World War 3
The following 1979 documentary examines Nostradamus’s predictions in the lead-up to World War 3. Nostradamus predicted a devastating nuclear war, starting soon, and predicted with amazing accuracy events which have passed in the last few decades. [SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO] We will look at various quatrains included in the documentary and connect them to modern day events. Quatrain: The kingdom of fear shall come to those in Europe, fire and sword shall destroy their cities. The great one of Asia by land and sea with a great Army so that blues greens crosses, to death he shall drive. T...more »
U.S. Told Turkey To Shoot Down Russian Su-24
The US put pressure on Turkey to shoot down the Russian Su-24 bomber over Syrian airspace and promised to cover up any Turkish foul play, according to political analyst Mikhail Smolin. “It could have been a hint or an unspoken agreement for Turkey to carry out some type of provocation. Of course, it could not have been a direct order when someone picks up a phone and says where and when to attack some particular plane,” he told Russian media. “You simply give an acknowledgement for the Turks to act inadequately and then the Americans cover up for them saying that they are right,” h...more »
Another U.S. Computer Network Handling Encrypted Government Communications Has Been Compromised
*CNN*: *First on CNN: Newly discovered hack has U.S. fearing foreign infiltration* Washington (CNN)A major breach at computer network company Juniper Networks has U.S. officials worried that hackers working for a foreign government were able to spy on the encrypted communications of the U.S. government and private companies for the past three years. The FBI is investigating the breach, which involved hackers installing a back door on computer equipment, U.S. officials told CNN. Juniper disclosed the issue Thursday along with an emergency security patch that it urged customers to ... more »
Iran Ships 9,000 Tons Of Enriched Uranium To Russia
Iran is set to export 9,000 tons of enriched uranium to Russia in the next few days as part of a nuclear deal between the two countries. “In the next few days around 9 tons of Iran’s enriched uranium will be exported to Russia,” Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI) said. Rt.com reports: Under the nuclear deal, Tehran has to limit its stockpile of enriched uranium to around 300 kilograms (660 lbs), mothball most of its centrifuges as well as remove the core of a heavy water reactor at Arak to ensure it cannot produce plutonium. The enriched uranium stoc... more »
Ayahuasca Ceremony In Peru Goes Horribly Wrong, Ending In Murder
An ayahuasca ceremony in Peru has gone horribly wrong, after a British tourist stabbed his friend to death whilst tripping on the hallucinogenic drug. Unais Gomes attacked Goldman Sachs employee Joshua Stevens shortly after drinking the Ayahuasca tea at a spiritual retreat in Peru. Dailymail.co.uk reports: It was reported that the Cambridge graduate suffered fatal wounds from a kitchen knife after Canadian Mr Stevens experienced a ‘bad trip’. However there were conflicting reports that Mr Stevens used the knife in self-defence. The pair had been taking part in a traditional ayahuas... more »
‘Christmas’ Unwelcome in Bethlehem, N.Y.
[image: ‘Christmas’ Unwelcome in Bethlehem] BETHLEHEM, N.Y. - Alliance Defending Freedom sent a letter Thursday to the town of Bethlehem after it removed a "Merry Christmas" sign from town property based on unfounded fears that it violates the U.S. Constitution. The letter explains that allowing... Continue reading *“‘Christmas’ Unwelcome in Bethlehem, N.Y.”* at *adfmedia.org*.
Star Wars-Style Laser Cannons For U.S. Troops?
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *FOX News*: *Can the US military build Star Wars-style laser cannons for its troops?* It seems everyone is getting inspired by the latest “Star Wars” movie and that includes the military. American companies are developing laser systems for the aircraft, drones, vehicles and even boats for U.S. troops. And while they may not match the cool beams of light seen from those “Star Wars” laser cannons, they can do plenty of damage. Here is a look at a few of the systems under development: *WNU Editor:* When you live long enough .... you will be able to see ... more »
"What Is the 'Avoidance of Suffering'?"
"What Is the 'Avoidance of Suffering'?" by Carolyn Baker "There is no coming to consciousness without pain." - Carl Jung "In the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, Sigmund Freud cultivated a very dark perception of humanity as he assessed the baser instincts largely repressed in the human unconscious. His pupil, who became the famous Swiss psychologist, Carl Jung, acknowledged the dark side of humanity which drove Freud to utter despair but unlike Freud, Jung came to believe that the dark side was a necessary ally in transforming human consciousness. He spent decades st... more »
“Too Much Rain Will Kill Ya”
*“Too Much Rain Will Kill Ya”* by Bruce Krasting "My first week on Wall Street was in August of 1973. I was newbie to NYC. My office was on the south side of 100 Wall, on the second floor, looking out over Front Street. There was a tremendous thunderstorm one afternoon. I looked out the window as the street filled with water. The flood poured into a street gutter and overwhelmed it. With the gutter flooded, the rats were drowning. They came out of every hole. In twenty minutes, 500 came out of the one gutter I was watching. The rain stopped and the flooding abated. The rats on the ... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Manitowoc, Wisconsin, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
“The Wit and Wisdom of Will Rogers”
*“The Wit and Wisdom of Will Rogers”* by Tom Purcell "Things are mighty heated these days. Tempers are flaring and minds are closed. Here’s the solution: the wit and wisdom of Will Rogers. “The short memory of voters is what keeps our politicians in office.” “We’ve got the best politicians that money can buy.” “A fool and his money are soon elected.” Rogers spoke these words during the Great Depression, but they’re just as true today. With 24-hour news channels, our memories are shorter than ever. And in the mass-media age, the politician who can afford the most airtime frequently w... more »
“How to Keep Your Focus Razor Sharp”
*“How to Keep Your Focus Razor Sharp”* by Jan Bruce “There's a woman I know, a writer and consultant, who says she's more stressed out by what she's not doing than what she is doing. When she's in the flow of work, she's consumed by it, productive, engaged. But when she's not and instead worrying about what she has to get done, she says she "hovers like a gnat around her work, not landing on anything, not getting anything done, and completely stressed out about it." This isn't a workload problem. This is a focus problem. And it's something you're struggling with, too. Challenge you... more »
Bush Has a Moment of ‘Self-Therapy,’ Calls Trump ‘a Jerk’
[image: Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush speaks during a campaign stop, Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015, in Exeter, N.H. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)] CONTOOCOOK, N.H. (AP) -- Days after going toe-to-toe with Donald Trump on the debate stage, Jeb Bush seemed to relish his new role as the Republican front-runner’s chief critic while campaigning on Saturday in New Hampshire. “I’ve got to get... more »
The Universe
"Everyone's scared. Few carry on. I mean really carry on, as if it were your reason for being." "Keep calm," The Universe "Thoughts become things... choose the good ones!" - www.tut.com
Untitled
*Pedestrian Brennan's leads push to close Royal Street pedestrian mall ~Richard A. Webster*
Derrick Jensen, “Love Does Not Imply Pacifism.”
*“Love Does Not Imply Pacifism.”* by Derrick Jensen “The people in power will not disappear voluntarily; giving flowers to the cops just isn’t going to work. This thinking is fostered by the establishment; they like nothing better than love and nonviolence." - William S. Burroughs “Many hundreds of pages ago, and now for me many years ago, I wrote that this book was originally going to be an exploration of when counterviolence is an appropriate response to the violence of the system. In fact what has become this book was supposed to be nothing more than a pamphlet in which I took t... more »
"If My Answers Frighten you..."
*"If my answers frighten you then you should cease asking scary questions."* - Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield, "Pulp Fiction"
Gunfire Erupts Inside Wisconsin Mall on Busy Shopping Day
[image: Authorities respond to reports of shots fired at East Towne Mall in Madison, Wis., Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015. Madison police said one person was shot in the leg during a "disturbance" inside the mall but his injuries are not life threatening. (Amber Arnold/Wisconsin State Journal via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT] MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Gunfire erupted Saturday inside a large Wisconsin shopping mall on one of the busiest shopping days before Christmas, leaving a man wounded in the leg, police said. The East Towne Mall in Madison was shut down... more »
Heroic High School Football Player Killed Shielding Teenage Girls from Gunmen
[image: Shooting - 400] When the shooting began Thursday night in Knoxville, Tenn., Zaevion Dobson faced a split-second choice: run away and save himself or use his body as a shield to protect those around him. Nobody would've have blamed the 15-year-old Fulton High... Continue reading *“Heroic High School Football Player Killed Shielding Teenage Girls from Gunmen”* at *washingtonpost.com*.
Libya Seeks Help From Russia To Battle Terrorism
The Libyan Armed Forces’ Commander has said Libya is ready to cooperate with Russia in fighting terrorism. According to the Fars news agency Brigadier General Khalifa Hafte said that if Russia proposes a plan for fighting terrorism in Libya, Tripoli will cooperate with Moscow. It is probably unlikely that Russia would become involved in Libya while there is no formal government in place. Sputnik news reports: “We welcome support from Russia in fighting terrorism,” the agency quotes Hafter as telling reporters after his meeting with United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Ch... more »
A Look At The USS Kearsarge
The USS Kearsarge is home to 1100 @USNavy sailors and 2000 @USMC on a nine--month deployment from #Norfolk. pic.twitter.com/hl61SjOstX — U.S. Dept of Defense (@DeptofDefense) December 19, 2015 *WNU Editor*: The bottom video is a "walk through" the USS Kearsarge.
Can Ted Cruz Actually Win?
[image: 5 Reasons Ted Cruz Lost His Mojo] Ted Cruz has as good a chance of winning the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 as Donald Trump or Marco Rubio. But there are serious doubts whether he can win the general election. To capture the White House, Cruz would... Continue reading *“Can Ted Cruz Actually Win?”* at *weeklystandard.com*.
Human Rights Campaign Calls on Christian Colleges to Repent of Their Christianity
[image: LGBT event - 400] On Friday, the nation's largest gay-rights organization, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), released a chilling report that investigates a "disturbing trend" of religious colleges' taking legal measures to exercise their religious liberty, using waivers available to them under Title IX.... Continue reading *“Human Rights Campaign Calls on Christian Colleges to Repent of Their Christianity”* at *nationalreview.com*.
The Real Reason The Republican Establishment Doesn’t Like Donald Trump. It's Republican World: 2015 In Review- Chapter Two
*-by Noah* To put it most simply, what the Republican establishment and their corporate media lackies don’t like about Herr Donald Trump the most is that he has so blatantly, so clearly, revealed the Republican Party for exactly what it is. At the start of 2015, the media folks were all excited about the 2016 Presidential election being a Clinton vs. a Bush race. How’s that for imagination? But then, along comes Donald Trump with his campaign based in racism and bigotry, and it’s a big hit with the Republican Party base and more. For the Republican voters, not even a Bush is extr... more »
Wasserman Schultz, Dutifully At Work Depressing Debate Audiences, Sabotaging Bernie
With the voters from the stupid party busy looking for Agrabah on their maps, tonight's debate will be viewed by... not many people. And that, of course, is how Wasserman Schultz and the Democratic establishment had it all planned out from the beginning-- no other explanation for the Saturday night before Christmas. (Wasserman Schultz has no primary opponent yet. But if one shows up will you pledge to help him or her drive this monstrosity out of politics?) Frank Bruni's OpEd in Thursday's *NY Times* shed some light on what the horrid Wasserman Schultz has been up to in her efforts... more »
Mena Report ( December 19-20 , 2015 ) Iraq- Syria Regional War in focus - battlefield reports , domestic and international political updates for both extremely complicated situations , Turkey in focus , Saudi Arabia items of note , Afghanistan / ISIS influence in focus , Libya in focus - all of the present information on the developing political situations ! )
Links....... *US Airstrike Kills 10 Iraqi Troops in 'Friendly Fire'* *UNSC Endorses Syria Peace Plan, Split on Assad* *SecDef Warns of Hard Year Ahead in Afghanistan* *Ceasefire in Tatters as Pro-Saudi Forces Seize Yemen Cities* *Opposition Party Calls for 'Resistance' as Turkey Kills 62* *Kurdish-Dominated Group Seeks Role in Syria Peace Talks* *Germany Resumes Intelligence Sharing With Syria* Friendly Fire Victims Among 77 Killed in Iraq At UN, Turkey Accuses Iraq of Undermining ISIS Fight Commander: Peshmerga Don't Have Enough Arms in ISIS Fig... more »
Iran Is Turning Into A Desert
A dried-up salt lake near Sirjan, Iran. A seven-year drought in the country shows no sign of ending. Credit Newsha Tavakolian for The New York Times *New York Times:* *Scarred Riverbeds and Dead Pistachio Trees in a Parched Iran* POUZE KHOON, Iran — The early-morning sun meagerly brightened the gloom of this sad township, a collection of empty, crumbling houses along a highway through the dusty desert landscape in southeastern Iran. Until a decade or so ago, Amin Shoul would come here every year to help his father harvest pistachios, the nuts that are as much a symbol of Iran as c... more »
Do Muslims, Mormons, and Christians Worship the Same God?
[image: prayer - 400] Since 9-11 it has been common to hear that Jews, Christians, and Muslims worship the same God, especially given that these three religions are commonly called "Abrahamic religions." And some would add in Mormons, since Mormonism also resides in what... Continue reading *“Do Muslims, Mormons, and Christians Worship the Same God?”* at *kevinbywater.com*.
Turkey Blames Miscommunication For Troop Deployment In Iraq
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said that it was “miscommunication”with Iraq that caused its recent troops deployment in the northern Nineveh province. President Barack Obama urged Turkey’s leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan to pull troops out of Iraq Friday, while reiterating the need for Turkey to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq. Press TV reports: The announcement was made via a statement released on Saturday, which added that Ankara will continue to recall some of the troops from the Bashiqa military base. Tensions have been running high between Baghdad and Ankara ... more »
Happy Birthday Maurice White - Earth, Wind & Fire - Boogie Wonderland
https://youtu.be/god7hAPv8f0
Untitled
RELIGION LOVES WAR THE WAY BOMBS LOVE A CROWD
Lord Janner Dies At 87
Lord Janner, who was recently ruled unfit to stand trial on child sexual abuse charge, has died. The former labour peer had been suffering from dementia and his family said he died peacefully at his home on Saturday aged 87. The peer had been accused of 22 counts of historical sex offences against boys dating back to the 1960s against nine alleged victims, the majority of whom were 16 or younger at the time. A “trial of the facts“, which had been scheduled for April will no longer take place. A lawyer representing alleged victims said they had been denied justice. The BBC reports: ... more »
The Paris climate fiasco leaves UK alone in the dark per The Telegraph
Christopher Booker nails it in this article http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/12060003/The-Paris-climate-fiasco-leaves-UK-alone-in-the-dark.html Here's an extract: 'It really is time for us all to grasp just what a charade all that wishful thinking in Paris turned out to be. Lost in their self-deluding group-think, the 40,000 delegates may have been happy to cheer the idea that we must abolish fossil fuels. But not one pointed out that the world currently depends on fossil fuels to provide nearly 87 per cent of all the energy it uses. Those useless "renewables" they want us all to... more »
Not feeling too bright this morning? Worry not.
[Hat tip Sayburn Miller] Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot.Com © Please contact author for permission to republish: (organon at ihug.co.nz)
Limits on Neuroplasticity - and the infamous BSTc layer
I found a wonderfully informative site I wasn't aware of, by an author whose talents at conveying complex concepts to a lay audience exceed my own. Even though I'm the one who's supposed to have a Grad Cert in Science Communication from the ANU. It's Liz - Day by Day, a blog that apparently started as a record of Transition, but has since become an excellent resource on the science of Sex and Gender. A bit like this blog, though I started it many years before my own atypical and non-volitional transition. (Zoe kicks herself again for not doing it earlier, not having the courage to)... more »
Can American Power Be Preserved After Obama?
Image: Wikimedia Commons/U.S. Navy *Gideon Rachman, National Interest/Financial Times*:* Preserving American Power After Obama* *How long can a country with less than 5 percent of the world’s population continue to be the dominant power in every region of the world?* Ever since the end of the Cold War, the overwhelming power of the U.S. military has been the central fact of international politics. However, in three crucial regions—Europe, the Middle East and East Asia—America’s rivals have begun to test its resolve to use this power. Faced with serious security challenges in all t... more »
Tens of Thousands Protest Against Government Across Poland
Ten of thousands joined demonstrations in cities across Poland for the second week in a row, to protest against the new conservative government’s attempts to take control of the country’s Constitutional Court. Demonstrations took place in Warsaw and around 20 other Polish cities. The Law and Justice party who won elections in October, have been trying to appoint judges of its choice to the Constitutional Court. MPs have accused the party, which now controls both houses of parliament and the presidency, of carrying out a “creeping coup d’etat”. Critics are concerned that the governme... more »
Don't Call It 'Defense'...Call It What It Is...Offense
Abby Martin interviews retired U.S. Army Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, former national security advisor to the Reagan administration, who spent years as an assistant to Secretary of State Colin Powell during both Bush administrations. Today, he is honest about the unfixable corruption inside the establishment and the corporate interests driving foreign policy. Hear a rare insider's view of what interests are behind U.S. wars, the manipulation of intelligence, the intertwining of the military and corporate world, and why the U.S. Empire is doomed.
The Pentagon Has A Survival Plan If The Electrical Grid Collapses
Darpa has launched a new program to target security threats to critical infrastructures in the US. It wants to focus on infrastructure that is vital to the Department of Defense's missions *Daily Mail*: *The DOOMSDAY plan: Military bosses reveal survival system that is in place if America's power systems are wiped out by cyber attacks* * Plan is dubbed Rapid Attack Detection, Isolation and Characterization * It will include automated systems that will help restore power within 7 days * Follows a warning by General Keith Alexander that the US is at a growing risk of cyber attacks, w... more »
Putin Has Proof Princess Diana Was Killed By British Royal Family
Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a call-to-action to the people of Britain, saying that following the murder of their beloved Princess Diana 18 years ago, the country must prosecute the Royal family after conclusive proof has emerged that they were responsible for her assassination. During a solemn Christmas luncheon at the Kremlin, Putin accused Queen Elizabeth, the late Queen Mother, Prince Philip, and Prince Charles of arranging the murder of Princess Diana via MI6 agents in Paris. He says that after speaking with Elton John on the telephone last month, he was privy to... more »
Say Goodbye To Gas
By Paul Homewood We looked yesterday at Bob Ward’s suggestion that gas heating and cooking would need to be rapidly phased out by the 2030’s, if carbon targets were to be met. How close is he to the truth? Let’s have a look at the GHG numbers from DECC, which are only available […]
Is Testing Weapons And Military Strategies The Primary Goal For Why Russia is In Syria?
A picture shows two Russian S-400 Triumf S-400 Triumf missile systems at the Russian Hmeimim military base in Latakia province, in the northwest of Syria, on December 16, 2015 (AFP Photo/Paul Gypteau) *Business Insider:* *Putin just made a major admission about one of Russia's primary goals in Syria* In his annual marathon news conference Thursday morning, Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to Russia's intervention in the Syrian civil war as a military "exercise" for Russia's "air forces, air defense," and "intelligence." "We did not start the war" in Syria, Putin told repo... more »
Russian President Putin: 'Russia Ready To Expand Its Military Involvement In Syria'
Vladimir Putin and members of Russian Security Council© Mikhail Klimentyev/Russian presidential press service/TASS *The Guardian*: *Putin says Russia ready to increase military role in Syria* Vladimir Putin’s warning that Moscow will use ‘more military means’ in Syria conflict comes just hours after UN roadmap to peace was agreed Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia is ready to to scale up its military intervention in Syria, less than a day after Moscow signed off on an ambitious UN plan to end the war. The peace roadmap lays out a two-year path to elections for a new government,... more »
Democratic "Debate": To watch or not to watch...
*that is the question.* I could even watch it on my TV except I'm not sure I could handle a big huge Hillary. It *would* be sort of fun to see Bernie go after Hillary. And who can deny that O'Malley is amusing? I'm going to take a nap and ponder the question. Sanders Campaign Manager: “Using discovery we will prove there are some in the DNC propping Clinton up.” Wait, what? They're just figuring this out?
8 Tips for Holiday Travel with Kids
[image: family holiday travel] 'Tis the holiday season, and with it some of the busiest travel days of the year. The global economy means families are increasingly widespread. The miles that keep us apart much of the year also can mean that reuniting involves... Continue reading *“8 Tips for Holiday Travel with Kids”* at *thefederalist.com*.
SCHOOL LIVES MATTER: Bigots under quite a few beds!
*SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015Conclusion—Justice Scalia and others:* Did Justice Scalia make bigoted comments at the recent Supreme Court hearing concerning admission procedures at the University of Texas? That's what some have said! Before we look at Scalia's remarks, let's review some ugly comments by Justice Alito at that very same hearing. Alito was speaking with Gregory Garre, lead counsel for the University of Texas. When Reverend Sharpton spoke with Chris Hayes that night, he spilled with praise for Garre, a former solicitor general under President Bush: SHARPTON (12/9/15): Y... more »
Musings On Iraq In The News
Business Insider republished my article on the war between the Islamic State and the Baathist Naqshibanid.
U.S. Sec. of Defense: US Air-Strike On Iraqi Soldiers A 'Mistake'
*Reuters:* *Air strike that killed Iraqi soldiers appears to have been by U.S. plane: Carter* A U.S. aircraft appears to have mistakenly carried out an air strike that killed Iraqi security forces near the city of Fallujah, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Saturday. The Iraqi Minister of Defence Khaled al-Obeidi said earlier that nine soldiers died in the strike on Friday. The U.S. military is leading an international coalition that is waging an air offensive on Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, where the militant group control large swaths of territory. *More News On Th... more »
Russia's FSB Is Targeting Businesses And Banks Doing Business With Turkey
A general view shows the headquarters of the Federal Security Service (FSB) in central Moscow. A.Savin / Wikicommons *Moscow Times*:* FSB Raids Turkish Bank Branches in Russia* Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) raided four Turkish bank branches in Russia on Thursday, on suspicion of money laundering, Turkey's Hurriyet Daily News newspaper reported Friday citing anonymous sources. The inspectors did not find anything illegal during the investigations, sources told the newspaper. “The aim is to disturb Turkish banks and businessmen,” said one banking source. “By using money la... more »
The Trump-Putin Lovefest Continues
*The Hill:* *Trump flaunts mutual fandom with Putin* Repubican presidential front-runner Donald Trump on Friday continued to flaunt his endorsement from Russian President Vladimir Putin, pointing to the oligarch's popularity in his home nation. "He's a strong leader, he's a powerful leader. He's represented his country," Trump said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe,” though he conceded that Putin might run his own polling. *Update:* The disgraceful bromance between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin (Jonathan Capehart, Washington Post). *WNU Editor:* Poor "Morning Joe" .... like much of the A... more »
Debate Unknown: How Will Clinton Handle Data Breach Dust-Up?
[image: BC News coverage of the Democratic Presidential debate from St. Anselm College in Manchester, NH, airing Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015 on the ABC Television Network and all ABC News platforms. David Muir anchors WORLD NEWS TONIGHT from the site of the debate.] WASHINGTON (AP) -- In the first debate of the Democratic presidential campaign, Bernie Sanders dismissed concerns about Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email account and server while she was secretary of state. Americans, he said, were tired of talking... more »
Interview with Eric Metaxas: The Death of God Is Greatly Exaggerated
[image: Eric Metaxas] The happy warrior for a muscular Christianity on why faith and science are not opposed, and why the public square benefits from expressions of belief. If religion in America is dying, then someone will have to explain Eric Metaxas. The... Continue reading *“Interview with Eric Metaxas: The Death of God Is Greatly Exaggerated”* at *google.com*.
Fukushima Update: "Your Radiation This Week, Dec 12 to Dec 19, 2015"
*"Your Radiation This Week, Dec 12 to Dec 19, 2015"* By Bob Nichols * "I didn't say it would be easy. I just said it would be the truth."* - Morpheus (San Francisco) December 19, 2015 – "Good Day, this is “Your Radiation This Week.” These are the recorded Radiation Highs that affected some people this week around the United States. You should compare the Rad numbers directly with the Rad numbers in with my articles listed on the VT Author’s Page here. These are the American cities that exceeded 1,000 CPM this week. *Only thirty-one American cities topped 1,000 CPM this week; that is p... more »
The Deep Freeze
The NYT is running a very interesting article about how humans and other mammals respond to threats, particularly predatory threats, by “freezing,” which is represented as interfering with rational assessment of the best response to the threat at hand. The author suggests that humanity could perhaps deploy the power of social media to allow us to thaw: JOSEPH LEDOUX DEC. 18, 2015 ‘Run, Hide, Fight’ Is Not How Our Brains Work http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/20/opinion/sunday/run-hide-fight-is-not-how-our-brains-work.html?emc=edit_th_20151219&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=32962000 Perhaps w... more »
Harvard placemats and banned house masters
*Some pre-Christmas insanity at a university I've worked for* Gordon has sent me links to two stories that are rather incredible. First, after some 400 years or so when students living in the dormitories had house masters, house masters will be banned. The word sounds like slaveowners so *it must be prohibited*. Don't these people feel shameful and concerned while eliminating traditions and terminology that has worked flawlessly throughout the post-enlightenment epoch? Aren't they worried about the hard-to-overlook similarities between their movement and the "reforms" that the Nazis... more »
Plant Your Ass in the Ground
*This is a photo from last year at the Advent vigils at BIW. Today is the last one for this season. We have no snow yet - climate change has come to Maine. * Years ago I read a book called 'The Game Player: Confessions of the CIA's original political operative' by Miles Copeland. If memory serves me right he didn't confess much (as in atone for your sins) - he mostly bragged about his vile operations. The thing I remember most was that Copeland quit the CIA (he was assigned to the Middle East following WW II) and went to work spying and destabilizing that region on behalf of co... more »
The AP’s Viewers’ Guide to Democratic Debate
[image: A student poses with a sign advertising the upcoming Democratic debate on the campus of Saint Anselm College on December 18, 2015 in Manchester, New Hampshire.] WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Democratic presidential candidates are meeting for their third debate Saturday, with tensions suddenly boiling between Hillary Clinton and her chief rival, Bernie Sanders. Revelations that campaign workers for Sanders improperly accessed voter data compiled by the... more »
Holiday Joy: Fresno Waiter Returns Family’s Lost $32,000
[image: Holiday money] A family's holiday season went from despair to joy Thursday after it learned that $32,000 in cash that it thought it had lost was returned by a good Samaritan. "Our hearts dropped," said Erika Gonzalez, of the moment that she... Continue reading *“Holiday Joy: Fresno Waiter Returns Family’s Lost $32,000”* at *fresnobee.com*.
Ukraine Defaults On $3.5 Billion Loan To Russia
*New York Times*: *Ukraine Halts Repayments on $3.5 Billion It Owes Russia* MOSCOW — The Ukrainian government declared a moratorium Friday on repaying about $3.5 billion in debt to Russia, introducing new strains to an already poisonous relationship. Ukraine’s cabinet prohibited further payments to Russia unless Moscow agrees to join a restructuring program that has been accepted by commercial creditors — a step President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has rejected — or a court orders Ukraine to pay up. Ukrainian officials said that paying the Russians in full now, after commercial ... more »
Star Wars: The Force Awakens — 3 Conservative Truths
[image: Star Wars - 900] I'm grateful to the makers of Star Wars: The Force Awakens twice over. The galaxy far, far away is once again home to deftly scripted heroes you want to root for rather than spank and send to their rooms for... more »
Pentagon Chief: Iraqi Strike May Be ‘Mistake’ by 2 Sides
[image: An Iraqi man cries during the funeral of some of the 10 soldiers who were killed the previous day in a so-called friendly fire from a U.S.-led coalition aircraft west of Baghdad, on December 19, 2015 in the Shiite holy city of Najaf. Iraq has opened an investigation into the circumstances that led to the death of 10 Iraqi soldiers in a coalition air strike west of Baghdad, the defense minister said. According to the joint command, the incident occurred when two coalition strikes allowed Iraqi ground forces to advance rapidly towards positions held by fighters of the Islamic ... more »
BBC Trending
There was quite a strong Twitter reaction to one particular scene in this Thursday's *Eastenders. *During a Carter family meal, tensions erupted over Nancy's relationship with quiet, geeky Muslim Tamwar: *Nancy*: I'm not reading the Koran because I'm thinking of converting or getting married. I just want to understand why Tam sees the world a bit better. Like, he's a good man and he's got good morals... *Babe*: What? And we 'aven't? *Linda*: Mum! *Nancy*: All right, look, Islam brings Tam simplicity and peace and answers, and looking into the way the person I'm with sees the world f... more »
Weekend reads: 179 researchers indicted; how to reject a rejection; breaking the law on clinical trial data
The week at Retraction Watch featured more installments in the seemingly never-ending story of fake peer reviews. Here’s what was happening elsewhere: 179 researchers have been indicted in a plagiarism scandal in South Korea, University World News reports. “Thank you for your rejection of the above manuscript. Unfortunately, we cannot accept it at this time.” […] The post Weekend reads: 179 researchers indicted; how to reject a rejection; breaking the law on clinical trial data appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Only in My Dreams
This is the organization that Mary Beth works for - she loves the homeless and loves working at Preble Street.
An instrument of Israel’s enemies
Further to my previous piece about the depressingly ill-informed attitudes of some of our MPs, including Justine Greening, Col Richard Kemp has written a piece on the subject in the Jewish Chronicle. If you’ve read the HLMG report, you might like this, as Amazon would say. *We put our reputations on the line. This is why.* 1.) UNHRC and human rights groups who have been commissioned to evaluate the Israel Palestine conflict lack credible military expertise. 2.) Bodies who have taken it upon themselves to pass judgment on “Gaza wars” need to understand that human rights law is n... more »
ISIS Expands Afghan Footprint with Terror Campaign
[image: Members of jihadist group Al-Nusra Front take part in a parade calling for the establishment of an Islamic state in Syria, at the Bustan al-Qasr neighborhood of Aleppo, on October 25, 2013.] JALALABAD, Afghanistan (AP) -- Rahman Wali’s younger brother was one of 10 Afghan men forced by Islamic State militants to kneel over bombs buried in the soil in a lush green valley in eastern Nangarhar province. The extremists then detonated... more »
Untitled
*UK: Head of student Islamic Society that heckled 'intolerant' speaker quits over a series of anti-gay tweets * The head of a university Islamic Society that accused an Iranian speaker of bigotry has quit – over a series of homophobic tweets. Muhammed Patel, 20, is alleged to have called someone ‘fag’ on Twitter and to have written that ‘homosexuality is a disease of the heart and mind’. Last month, members of the Islamic Society (ISOC) at Goldsmiths, University of London, disrupted a lecture by Maryam Namazie, a human rights campaigner and critic of Islam. Men stood up and shou... more »
It's Alive!
http://giphy.com/ If you think neo-liberalism is dead, consider what happened this week to Finance Minister Bill Morneau. Faced with a less robust economy than he anticipated, he'll have to consider new sources of revenue. He mused that those new sources might include the GST. Alan Freeman writes: That appeared to be what Finance Minister Bill Morneau was doing earlier this week when he gave a convoluted response to a journalist that was interpreted as opening the possibility to a GST hike sometime in the future. Within hour...more »
Radion at \(750\GeV\), a messenger from extra dimensions?
On Thursday, I picked the sgoldstino, the superpartner of graviton's superpartner which is not a graviton, however, as the representative of the second phenomenologists' bump day. On Friday, we enjoyed the third day of preprints when about 20 new papers about the intriguing CERN resonance were posted to arxiv.org (a new record for one day), bringing the total to 40 or so. *A scheme of the Randall-Sundrum spacetime.* *As Numcracker pointed out, the most revolutionary paper in this third wave claims that the \(750\GeV\) resonance is a Higgs-radion, a particle signaling an extra dim... more »
Update: Anger over Islamic Calligraphy Lessons Forces Closure of All Schools In Virginia School District
[image: student writing] VERONA, Va. (AP) -- With the nation already on edge after the attacks in California, a teacher’s lesson on Islam in Virginia’s Bible Belt sparked an angry meeting of outraged parents that mushroomed into a national denunciation of the educator...more »
Cocaine, Other Drugs Named Cause of Death for Grunge Rock Frontman Scott Weiland
[image: Scott Weiland] MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Former Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland died of a toxic mix of drugs that included cocaine, according to a medical examiner’s office in Minnesota where he was found dead on his tour bus in early December.... more »
Conspiracy theorists
I see the *Guardian *is giving several dozen nudges and a whole batch of hints that nasty old Rupert Murdoch and his Tory puppet George Osborne jointly cooked up the deal that did for the poor old BBC earlier this year: 'There's no smoke without fire' seems to be the message behind this less-than-entirely-convincing piece of *Guardian *journalism which lists various dates and various contacts with various media types, including Ol' Rupert, and allows its readers to join the dots Now, any science or statistics fans will know that correlation does not imply causation. So the fact th... more »
How Business Is Done In Russia
PRESIDENTIAL VISIT: Russian leader Vladimir Putin inspects a Sibur plant in Voronezh, Russia, in May 2013. On the far right is Kirill Shamalov, a major shareholder in Sibur and son-in-law of Putin. REUTERS/Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/Kremlin *Jack Stubbs, Andrey Kuzmin, Stephen Grey and Roman Anin, Reuters:* *How Russia does business in the Putin era: Comrade Capitalism* *The story of Kirill Shamalov, the celebration of his wedding to the Russian president’s younger daughter, and the loan from a politically well-connected bank that helped make him a billionaire.* IGORA, Russia - Th... more »
The Omnibus Could Have Been Worse, But That's Not A Reason To Celebrate It
Paul Ryan sold the Omnibus by promising the radicals in his conference a much harsher attitude-- complete with much harsher actions against working families-- next year, which is-- buried beneath the silken, inspiring tones-- trumpeted in the very slick video he released yesterday (above). It looks like every member of the Freedom Caucus voted NO anyway, even if it was just a carefully choreographed little dance that was done for the sake of whomever is taken in by this kind of bullshit. Interestingly, of the last 2 omnibus bills, Boehner actually got more Republicans on board tha... more »
NATO Agrees To Boost Turkey’s Air Defense
The council of the NATO military alliance approved a package of additional planes, ships, and surveillance equipment for Turkey on Friday. Diplomats said the package is partly designed to avoid more shoot-downs of Russian planes after Ankara shot down a Russian fighter jet on the Syrian border in November. RT reports: “We have agreed on a package of assurance measures for Turkey in view of the volatile situation in the region,” NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg told Reuters. “This will give us a better situational awareness – more transparency, more predictability and that wil... more »
Self-censorship?
Commenters at *Biased BBC* have observed that yesterday's news of the conviction of 11 members of yet another paedophile gang in West Yorkshire for the prolonged sexual abuse and rape of a 13 year old white girl *hasn't *received prominent coverage from the BBC. The names of those found guilty are: Sufyan Ziarab, Bilal Ziarab, Yasser Kabir, Hussain Sardar, Nasir Khan, Saqib Younis, Israr Ali, Faisal Khan, Zain Ali, Tanqueer Hussain and Mohammed Akram. A twelfth man, Khalid Raja Mahmood, had already pleaded guilty to five charges of rape. A second under-aged girl was also abused b... more »
UN Endorses Peace Process for Syria; No Mention of Assad
[image: Remarks and response to media questions by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and UN Secretary General's special envoy on Syria in New York on December 18, 2015.] UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The U.N. Security Council’s unanimous support of a peace process for Syria that is set to begin next month with government-opposition talks and a cease-fire represents its strongest gesture yet in support of a solution to... more »
Candidate Falsehoods and False Alarms
[image: LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 15: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump smiles (C) as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (L), Jeb Bush (2ndL), Ohio Gov. John Kasich (2nd R) and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) walk onstage afterthe CNN Republican presidential debate on December 15, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is the last GOP debate of the year, with U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) gaining in the polls in Iowa and other early voting states and Donald Trump rising in national polls.] Why does Donald Trump repeat talking points that he knows are untrue? During Tuesday night’s debate, Th... more »
Faith, Persecution and Christmas
[image: Angelo_Visconti - The_Massacre_of_the_Innocents-900] ROME -- Are you a turtle or a chameleon? That’s the question that came to my mind as Hugh Hewitt declared during the recent Republican debate that families and friends might be sitting around on Christmas day still talking about... more »
Lawsuit Filed In New Orleans to Preserve Confederate Symbols
[image: The large equestrian statue of P.G.T. Beauregard, a Louisiana-born Confederate general, is one of the four Confederate monuments to be removed in New Orleans, La.] NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- A federal lawsuit is challenging a city plan to remove prominent Confederate monuments by charging that the city doesn’t own the land under three of the monuments and they are protected from removal by state and... Continue reading *“Lawsuit Filed In New Orleans to Preserve Confederate Symbols”* at *apnewsarchive.com*.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Track for Record $215M-Plus Weekend
[image: Star Wars] NEW YORK (AP) -- Star Wars fever has spread through movie theaters around the globe, even reaching the White House, as the franchise yet again began toppling box-office records with waves of lightsaber-wielding fans. Following a record $57 million from Thursday... more »
The Stream’s John Zmirak Joins Eric Metaxas to Talk GOP Foreign Policy: Is America Magic?
[image: Salem Network] The Stream’s senior editor John Zmirak joined his old friend Eric Metaxas on Friday to talk about the GOP debate, and what it reveals about the split in the GOP over foreign policy. Should the U.S. confront Putin’s Russia, or... more »
Belgian Professor Calls COP21 “A Resounding Failure”
By Paul Homewood http://notrickszone.com/2015/12/18/stinging-criticism-belgian-prof-calls-cop21-a-resounding-failure-a-grand-illusion-based-on-delirium/#sthash.LAbefJ99.C1sJQ5uO.dpbs From No Tricks Zone: The Belgian online Le Peuple here interviewed István Marko, Professor of Chemistry at the UCL, and a so-called climate non-alarmist, on what he thought of the results of the highly ballyhooed Paris COP21 climate summit and agreement. Unrealistic and laughable His assessment […]
The High Cost of Higher Ed
Click here to read my column in Sunday's *New York Times*.
Martin Shkreli Resigns As CEO Of Turing Pharmaceuticals
Martin Shkreli has resigned his position as CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals Pharma bro Shkreli, the entrepreneur who sparked outrage for hiking up the prices of a life-saving drugs, was arrested by the FBI at his Manhattan apartment early Thursday morning and charged with securities fraud. CBC News reports: The company said board chairman Ron Tilles has been named interim CEO. Shkreli was arrested in New York City and charged with securities fraud related to his former hedge fund and a drug company he once ran. A seven-count indictment unsealed in Brooklyn Federal Court charged Shkrel... more »
Establishment Republicans Must be Careful Not to Go Too Far
[image: Elephants Fighting - 900] I’ve long said that the differences between so-called establishment Republicans and grassroots conservatives are about more than tactics in budgetary battles with President Obama and congressional Democrats. The current Cruz-Rubio flap validates my position. Establishment Republicans have been enormously frustrated... more »
Syrian Crisis Simplified: Who’s Fighting Whom, and Why?
[image: A Syrian man mourns a loved one following a reported airstrike by Syrian government forces on the rebel-held town of Douma, on the eastern edges of the capital Damascus, on October 30, 2015. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 40 people were killed and about a 100 wounded when rockets fired by Syrian government forces crashed in the morning into a market in Douma which lies in the Eastern Ghouta district, the largest opposition stronghold in Damascus province.] WASHINGTON (AP) -- One nation, two wars, a quarter-million lives lost, millions forced fr... more »
Britain Has No Clue Where 10,000 of Its Refugees Are
[image: This photo taken in London during September 2015 is of a support rally calling for British authorities to allow Syrian and Iraqi refugees into the country.] The British Home Office has lost track of 10,000 asylum seekers' whereabouts and will not bother tracking them down due to "a drain in resources." An internal inspection of the agency released Thursday found that a significant number of refugees... Continue reading *“Britain Has No Clue Where 10,000 of Its Refugees Are”* at *dailycaller.com*.
Does The Russian Public Support The War In Syria?
Russian subway *Maria Snegovaya, Huffington Post:* *Here's What Russians Really Think About the War in Syria* *MOSCOW -- Do Russians really support the bombings in Syria? Depends on when you ask them.* They do, if you look at the latest polls. The Public Opinion Foundation reported on Dec. 3 that 70 percent of Russians support the Syria bombings (as opposed to 64 percent in early November). The Russian Public Opinion Research Center reported on Dec. 4 that a majority (62 percent) supported the current intensity or even more active engagement in Syria. On Oct. 29, the Levada Cente... more »
Pentagon Orders Navy To Only Buy 40 LCS Ships And To Use Only One Shipbuilder
USS Freedom (LCS-1), left, and USS Independence (LCS-2) in 2012. US Navy Photo *Defense News:* *Pentagon Cuts LCS to 40 Ships, 1 Shipbuilder* WASHINGTON — The US Navy's fight to buy 52 variants of its littoral combat ship (LCS) from two shipbuilders may have taken a fatal blow this week after the secretary of defense directed the service to cap its buy at 40 ships and pick only one supplier. The directive also orders the Navy to buy only one ship annually over the next four years, down from three per year. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, in a Dec. 14 memo to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus... more »
Dafyddd Fell of SOAS in Taipei on Monday
Dr Fell of SOAS will give a talk comparing US and European Taiwan studies. 2:00 pm, Dec 21, Bainien Building, room 330412, Political University Taiwan Studies Grad Institute *專題演講* *Dr. Dafydd Fell**（英國倫敦大學亞非學院台灣研究中心主任）* 講題：*歐洲與美國的台灣研究教學比較* 時間：*104**年**12**月**21**日（一）下午**2:00* 地點：*百年樓330412**室* 主持人：范銘如所長（政治大學台灣文學研究所） 主辦單位：政治大學台灣文學研究所 _______________________ [Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, and scores of links to other Taiwan blogs and forums!
Untitled
*What happens when you use only quality data to measure warming?* *I generally don't comment on reports that appear on the site of Anthony Watts, because I assume that anybody reading this blog will already be reading that one. He has a much bigger readership than I do. This time I think I need to say something however.The background is that Anthony is a skeptical meteorologist who has long bent over backwards to achieve some respectability among climate scientists. That is not my style at all -- I never give an inch for the sake of popularity -- but maybe Anth... more »
TV Viewers Don’t Want Katie Hopkins To Rule The World
Katie Hopkins’ TV chat show, ‘If Katie Hopkins Ruled the World,’ is to be axed. Hopkins, a known ‘controversial media person’ managed to draw in an average of only 69,000 viewers to the debut episode of her TV chat show on TLC; that is despite having a large social media following of some 600,000 Twitter followers. Discovery has decided not to recommission ‘If Katie Hopkins Ruled the World’ for a second season. The Independent reports: The Discovery-owned channel were clearly hoping Hopkins’ polemic The Sun column and sizeable Twitter following would drive interest to the show, which...more »
Iran Agrees With Russia, Assad Must Stay In Push For Deal On Syria
Reports indicate that the Islamic Republic of Iran has softened its stance on President Assad of Syria staying in power, no matter what. An Iranian official in an exclusive interview with Reuters has said that Tehran is willing to match Russia’s stance for a political deal in ending Syria’s civil war. Iran could end its opposition to the departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad if a viable diplomatic solution is found, according to the report. Reuters UK reports: While maintaining its firm backing for Assad in public, Russia has recently made clear to Western nations that it ha... more »
"D'You have anything that's written, like, from the VAMPIRE's point of view...?"
Bitchy, self-aggrandising attempts at revisionist spin, and plain old fraudulent spasms of undiluted outright lying notwithstanding, for those that had really been there to see it happening first-hand, up close at the time, they all are in unanimous opinion when it comes to why it was the band ultimately had to break up completely and for the whole thing to just suddenly come to a complete end of everything they had done together for all of those years, in that they are all of one mind, resolved in complete, unequivocal in their conviction that Yoko had absolutely nothing to do ... more »
African Union Preparing To Send 5,000 Peacekeepers To Burundi
*Reuters:* *African Union readies 5,000 peacekeepers for Burundi crisis* The African Union said on Friday it was preparing to send 5,000 peacekeepers to Burundi to protect civilians caught up in a growing crisis, for the first time using powers to deploy troops to a member country against its will. Burundi dismissed the announcement, saying no foreign force would get in without permission. But its neighbours have grown increasingly alarmed about the violence in the central African state which the United Nations says is on the brink of civil war. Tensions have been running particu... more »
Economic News & Views ( December 19 , 2015 ) Overview ( Markets Woozy - After Effects Of Fed Reserve Interest Rate " Spiked " Punch ) ......Europe In Focus - Around The Horn ( Spain's General Election Set For December 20th - Items Of Note ....... Refugee Items Of Note ....... Russia - Ukraine In Focus ....... Greece Items Of Note....... UK Negotiation With EU Items Of Note ..... Odds & Ends ) ....... Asia / Emerging Nations ( China / Brazil / Argentina / Saudia Arabia / Japan / Emerging Markets Grab Bag )
Market Moving ....... *Holger Zschaepitz* @Schuldensuehner 42 minutes ago Good morning. Mr Mkts mood has become gloomy, demonstrated in 2 charts: 10y UST ylds plunged in sync Baltic Dry Idx. [image: Embedded image permalink] [image: Embedded image permalink] *Holger Zschaepitz* @Schuldensuehner 10 hours ago Fed hikes, but bond mkts had other ideas. In the longer term that could be cause of concern. http://on.wsj.com/1ObVoml [image: Embedded image permalink] *Bloomberg Business* @business 2 minutes ago Prospect of negligence trial may complicate Christin... more »
Nuclear weapons good, chemical weapons bad
As Jeremy Corbyn recently discovered, you cannot expect to be taken seriously in British politics if you are not prepared to use nuclear weapons. The hail of abuse and incredulity, and his own senior colleagues scramble to distance themselves, drum-home the principle: A responsible leader must rule out *nothing *in the defence of their people, their homeland. When it comes to defence of the nation, all rules are off. The odd thing, however, is that they don’t and can’t really mean this. There exist plenty of weapons which they themselves would rule out, at least if they don’t want t... more »
World Trade Center demolitions - the missing evidence - no seismic footprint
*comparison of 'controlled demolition events' to show the WTC weirdness* WAS 9/11 A PRE-APOCLAYPSE EVENT? this random thought comes from the realisation that 'something very strange' happened on the fateful day of September 11th 2001. It's like* PHYSICS WAS IN DENIAL* with tops of buildings flowing through path of greatest resistance i.e the majority of lower floors. And the debris pile, expected to be 12% or so for a 'traditional controlled demolition' just didn't exist. Where did the millions of tonnes of steel and concrete go as WTC1 and WTC 2 (and WTC3thru7) fell into their own ... more »
GAIA PORTAL: Heralds of ionics bring voices of new life
*Heralds of ionics bring voices of new life* by ÉirePort Heralds of ionics bring voices of new life. Guardians are alit with passion. Masterfuls are recognized. Masteries are accepted and utilized. ÉirePort | December 19, 2015 at 09:09 | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/p2sFUY-wE
Why is the BBC receiving funding for R&D from the EU?
The *Daily Telegraph* had an overnight 'exclusive' about the BBC: Now, I have to say that I find these kinds of story very hard to fathom at times. Pinning down *exactly *what's what when it comes to EU funding for the BBC keeps proving a little bit tricky, especially as the BBC is never exactly forthcoming about it. Plus it would also help the reader's understanding if the *Telegraph *were to link to the source of its latest 'scoop' - namely the relevant pages of the EU's transparency register. Anyhow, from what I can make of it, "The BBC has admitted taking more than £2 million... more »
New U.S. Missile Defense Site In Romania Now Operational
© U.S. Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System Romania *Reuters*: *U.S. missile defense site in Romania becomes operational* A new U.S. missile defense site south of Bucharest that will defend against potential attacks from Iran has been completed, the United States and Romania announced on Friday. The Aegis Ashore site includes a powerful radar, missile interceptors and communications equipment. The system has been handed over to military commanders, who are expected to declare it operational, or ready for initial combat use, in early 2016 as they integrate the site with NATO's broad... more »
Russia Calls For NATO To Be Dissolved
Russia have called for NATO to be completely dissolved, saying that they are very concerned about the ongoing expansion of the agency. State Duma Speaker Sergey Naryshkin said that global security would benefit in NATO’s dissolution. “My attitude to this organization is special – I see it as a cancerous tumor on the whole European continent. It would only be for the better if this organization is dissolved,” Naryshkin told Serbian lawmakers on Thursday. Rt.com reports: This dissolution could be conducted in several stages, the Duma speaker suggested. “First of all, the USA should be... more »
Illuminati Whistleblower Reveals “They All Worship Lucifer”
A former Illuminati insider, Carolyn Hamlett, exposes the shocking truth that the Illuminati is a satanist organization who answers to Lucifer. Carolyn reveals how the elite are setting the stage for the antichrist to take control of the New World Order. [SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO] She discusses mind control, child abuse, satanic rituals and reveals how the illuminati really feel about Jesus Christ. She says that the ultimate goal is the enslavement of humanity and eventual the destruction of the human race. According to Carolyn, the fallen angels are the masters of this conspiracy, an... more »
Putin Is Winning The War On Terrorism, Putting U.S. To Shame
The U.S. have reluctantly agreed with Russian demands that the Syrian people should be allowed to decide on Assad’s political fate, prompting a mass retreat by the U.S. and NATO-allied countries from the region now that the “regime change” option is no longer available. As has long been suspected, NATO and its allies used the excuse of fighting ISIS in order to manoeuvre themselves into a position where they could topple Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. However, Russia’s successful anti-ISIS campaign in Syria has exposed the phoney war on terror being conducted by the West, and the... more »
Department of Health consultation shows public strongly negative to government objectives for NHS England (even when they ignore responses from lefty campaigners)
Between 29/10/2015 (9.30am) and 23/11/2015 (11.45pm) the UK Government ran a consultation that “Seeks views on the government’s proposals to set the new mandate to NHS England for this Parliament.” The conclusions of the consultation were published on the 17th December, the day Parliament started its Christmas Holiday, presumably for avoidance of debate.Complaints that this important
DHS: Watch Out For The ISIS Trojan Horse Coming To U.S.
The Obama administration and the Department for Homeland Security admitted this week that ISIS militants may try to infiltrate the Syrian refugee program to enter America. “We do have to be concerned about the possibility that a terrorist organization may seek to exploit our refugee resettlement process,” Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told reporters. “This is true of this country, that’s true of every other country that accepts refugees.” Wnd.com reports: Johnson’s comments came just prior to a Fox News’ report that more than 102,000 Syrians have become legal-permanent U.... more »
Did Turkey Enter Iraq To Protect Illegal ISIS Oil Trade?
Just weeks after shooting down the Russian Su-24 military jet, Turkey sent a heavily armed battalion into Iraq, in a move that some have criticised as compensating for the weakening of ISIS’ oil smuggling infrastructure in Syria amid Russia’s anti-ISIS campaign. The Turkish government sent twenty-five M-60 Patton tanks to the Mosul District of Iraq’s Ninawa Governorate. Globalresearch.ca reports: The Turkish press even announced that Ankara had declared that it was establishing a permanent military base inside Iraq’s Mosul District. The Iraqi federal government reacted immediately ...more »
US F-15 Fighters Leave Turkish Airbase For Unknown Reason
All twelve US F-15 fighters are set to leave Turkey on Wednesday, returning to their permanent deployment in the UK, the European Command of US forces has announced. The reason for leaving the Incirlik Air Base has not been stated, but the US Air Force has confirmed that it will continue to strike positions belonging to ISIS in the Middle East. Pravdareport.com reports: F15 Eagle and F15 Strike Eagle will return to Lakenheath base of the Royal Air Force in Britain. The process will start on Wednesday, December 16. US President Obama ordered to deploy 12 F15 aircraft at Incirlik base... more »
State Of Emergency Declared In San Bernardino
California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in San Bernardino on Friday, just ahead of President Obama’s visit, to enable state agencies to help County officials deal with the aftermath of the mass shooting. The shooting was the second-deadliest mass shooting in California, and the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since the 9/11 attacks. Latimes.com reports: Obama’s visit to Southern California was added to his previously scheduled trip to Hawaii, where he and the first family will celebrate Christmas, as has been their tradition during his presidency. Duri... more »
Beautiful Churches: The Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia
[image: 1Sagrada_Família.t] Better known as Sagrada Familia, this massive Catholic church can be found in Barcelona, Spain. The land for this church was bought in 1877, but construction didn’t start until 1882. Work on Sagrada Familia has been progressing since then and plans... more »
Independence Day: Resurgence
*Daily Mail:* *FIRST LOOK: The aliens are back in trailer for long-anticipated sequel Independence Day: Resurgence* He helped the world fight off an alien invasion in 1996 blockbuster Independence Day. And on Sunday 20th Century Fox revealed the first action-packed trailer for the sequel, Resurgence, during Fox’s broadcast of the NFL’s Chicago Bears-Washington Redskins game. Jeff Goldblum is back as the scientist among the team tasked to find a way to beat back the hoards who have penetrated the world's defence systems. Scroll down for video... *WNU Editor:* Guess what I will be...more »
Military Photo of the Day: December 19, 2015
[image: Battle of Mount Austen - 900] An injured American soldier from the 35th Infantry Regiment is prepared for evacuation from the battle area during the Guadalcanal Campaign of World War II. (Wikimedia Commons) The Battle of Gifu began December 15, 1942 and lasted until January 23,... more »
The RAND Corporation's Strategic Guide On How To Contend With A New Global Order
Our strategic guide to preserving international order in a turbulent world: https://t.co/VVWxHYPicg #RANDRethink pic.twitter.com/cPw5IYnp3o — RAND Corporation (@RANDCorporation) December 17, 2015 *WNU Editor*: The RAND Corp. report/study* is here.*
Huge Trove of Dinosaur Footprints Discovered in Scotland
i suspect that the sauropods where water lovers who mostly went after crocodiles. Those jaws had to be good for something and crushing a croc is a pretty effective killing method. In fact i have posted that there is a good chance that they are still in Northern Australia and are simply mistaken for crocs in the water. The brackish swamp is similar to Northern Australia's environment. Fossilization is a tricky method of sampling the past and it is far too easy for one descriptive sample to lock in a set of erroneous assumptions. So far my best example is the Giant Sloth which ... more »
Male and Female Brains Are Basically the Same
This question has attracted attention in the past and at least now we know that there is no physical difference. All good. However, it is also clear that hormonal development has plenty to say regarding development which does produce distinct characteristics. What is important though is that it is never physical at all unlike a white or brown skin which signifies little else yet remains a purely physical difference.. . *Male and Female Brains Are Basically the Same * *Released: 1-Dec-2015 * * http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/644023/?sc=dwhn* *According to a study publ... more »
Cancer Cells Can Poison Normal Cells
This was long suspected but simply unproven. We have that now and a clear pathway analysis. This all leads to better research options. Hopefully this leads to better suppression as well. All Good. . *Cancer Cells Can Poison Normal Cells * *Like bacteria and viruses, cancer cells have the potential to infect normal cells and promote cancer progression.* *Released: 30-Nov-2015* * http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/643967/?sc=dwhn* *Newswise — Cancer cells are continuously produced in our bodies, where most of them are recognized by our immune systems and destroyed. Some... more »
The Dehumanization of Native Americans . . . Getting to the Roots
*[image: Despite numerous eyewitness descriptions by European explorers and several drawings by William Bartram, Southeastern archaeologists continue to stubbornly call Creek rotundas, "earth lodges." It seems the more they are scolded about this, the more they make a show of misinterpreting Native architecture.]* It is poorly understood that the southern tribes worked hard to integrate their world with the new European world impacting them. Yet it was not to be. This explains well the underlying dynamics involved. Quite simply the planters using slaves had to shut off escape ... more »
Ayahuasca’s Medical Power Is Well Known. Now Science Can Back it Up
What is abundently clear is that the protocol is highly effective but also difficult to administer correctly. More properly it should be administered in incremental doses through a series of sessions allowing the body and the mind to adjust and the shaman to observe the response. This is super careful but we also know of no cumulative effects so this is safe enough. It is also likely to produce optimal results as well. It takes time for the conscious mind to assimilate an experience like this. . *Ayahuasca’s Medical Power Is Well Known. Now Science Can Back it Up* *Writ... more »
Astronomers Watch Black Hole Burp After Eating a Star
[image: black hole jet] Here we go again with the hypothetical Black Hole. At least we do know that a star succumbed. My problem right now is the apparent speed of the interaction and the apparent emission. It takes years for light to cross a Galaxy. It should still take years for a star to reach an event horizon after initial observation. What is true is that this complex of events provides us a measurement test that my surprise us. I hope someone picks up of that. I am getting tired at images that really look lit up and truly huge when they could well be close by. We stil... more »
Harvard Cracks DNA Storage
[image: DNA strand, over a page of TGAC base pairs] This nicely solves the whole long term data storage problem. Everything else was just too readily degraded. Now it is not. It allows archiving of material that needs to be accessed decades apart if ever. Better yet this media is likely to be retained as such for a long time. Obvious alternatives do not appear or are much more costly as well. Does beg the question of what information is stored in our own DNA. It is anomalous enough. . *Harvard cracks DNA storage, crams 700 terabytes of data into a single gram * * By Sebas... more »
DNA Sequence found in Human Gut with Significant Difference to any Known Life Form
In the end it is something new and we simply do not know. It is just unexpected. It also means that we never quite searching. Far too many biota are specific to an exact niche and unless someone goes many extra miles it will never get discovered. I recall checking off all plant species on my farm. A couple of plants remained undiscovered. Reading the description carefully i discovered that they liked cool rocks and rock piles. I went immediately to our rock pile and discovered a specimen. That alone shows us just how a rare plant may not be rare at all but its preferred... more »
Russian Navy UFO Records Say Aliens Love Oceans
*\*Not the first item posted on Russian disclosure regarding UFOs. What appears to be claimed is that the numbers are far larger than anyone has admitted. It is made clear that the craft prefer water likely to advoid observation. However, they did pursue one submarine and made their presence obvious. Up to now, such observations were made out to be quite rare and unusual. This may not be the case at all. The craft must be able to completely control an envelop around their craft that likely harnesses gravity that also acts as a propulsion system as well. The lack of distu... more »
How Monsanto Destroyed Rural Argentina
[image: Camila Veron, 2, born with multiple organ problems and severely disabled, stands outside her home in Avia Terai, in Chaco province, Argentina, March 31, 2013. Her mother was told, "the water made this happen because they spray a lot of poison here." CREDIT: Natacha Pisarenko/AP] This is how the EPA describes Glyphosate. *the EPA states, “Glyphosate has low toxicity for humans. Protective eye wear is recommended for the few products that may cause eye irritation. Entry into agricultural fields is allowed 12-hours after application of these products.” * Just what d... more »
At Least 15,000 people Killed Every Year by Cancer Treatments
It is long overdue for someone to throw up a real number that spells out just how many are in fact sped to their grave by the attempted treatments. We also need to understand that merely postponing death briefly while ensuring it is not a good plan. Life is precious but only if you are healthy. If you are suffering and death is inevitable, acceptance becomes possible and an excellent choice. Frantically taking your doctor's distorted guidance is a lousy choice and needs to be rethought. We need to address healing. The first step may be meditation and spiritual counseling. ... more »
Scientists Invent Revolutionary Material To Clean Up Oil Spills
I am very skeptical about this as that story is often a default for the class of any highly absorbent material. The kicker of course is always price and inventory costs. Just in time is demanded and never practical. A lot of materials have proven to work well enough or even better. The economic model has not been made to work, not least because the default cost of a spill is to allow it to sink out of sight or crash onto a beach and to call in volunteers. Recovery has to happen before all that happens and the reality is that you have a few days at best. The supply side i... more »
The Workplace Will Be Radically Different By 2025; Are You Ready?
What this all means is that the labor force is adapting to take advantage of both changing and expanding opportunities. It is possible to have a full time job and to also take on additional responsibilities such as been an uber driver. More and more folks will adjust their lives to this. Certainly I am seeing more and more of this. Real full time employment comes from the communications sharp edge which is human to human selling. That simply demands the biological component to properly establish. In the long term, doctors need to become healers as well as technicians. . ... more »
Truck Driver Describes Bigfoot Sightings
We have two excellent sightings of Bigfoot here from a truly skilled woodsman. Even better, I have now read hundreds of individual reports most actually double checked to ensure the existence of the witness and although i expected to get a white Bigfoot, this is the first one. I want to note that true woodsmen will typically have one or two sightings over a long career. So there is plenty of luck involved. This recent sighting included the creature obviously devouring likely road kill which is again expected. What is not so expected is the animals calm behavior. It kne... more »
We Do Not Really Know What is Happening
This is not necessarily true but what is true is that almost all early information is way too raw to trust at all. Thus i discipline myself to usually not respond to recent news stories and wait for other viewpoints to be heard. It is also true that the majority of news is irrelevant. By this i mean that a man dying is important to him and his family but otherwise serves as sick entertainment dished out to us by the media. Trying to make more of it all strains every talking head. Far worse today is that every angle of interpretation now has its proponents often with serious a... more »
EU - appendixes
This is meant as a handy refresher only and may help to check out notation. This is not meant to help those unfamiliar with the topics. We also lost a couple of paragraphs due to format forces brought about by attempts to convert to code. Otherwise this is meant for the record. *Appendix I – Vector Algebra* *Posted on May 2, 2012 by Bob Johnson - Jim Johnson* *Vector algebra is formulated to handle vectors; i.e., quantities with both magnitude and direction. Normal algebra, geometry and trigonometry are efficient at dealing with scalar quantities, that is, those with only ... more »
Spiritual Doctrine of Aspect
This represents a discovery in the understanding of the spiritual universe although we have received no direct confirmation of the validity of what i am about to describe. It is very important. It is that the spirit which is separated from what we understand as Godhead, for want of a better name, is a second tier finite being containing vastly more information than is slightly possible in terms of a third tier incarnation. This naturally opens the door for multiple incarnations occurring at approximately the same time and even throughout time as well but generally concurrent w... more »
Did a Comet Cause the Great Flood?
[image: fenambosy_escarpment] More speculation on impacts and no data confirming dates that i know of. However this could be a simple asteroid impact sufficient to send out a tsunami. That would be felt globally but not necessarily impacted globally. It is also a reminder that these things do occur and that swift removal from exposed shores is mandatory. All the evidence noted conforms to present sea levels which also conforms to the past 5000 years. A hundred feet would make little difference. Yet that was the extent of the damage. Any other effects may have lasted ... more »
A Dome on Mars?
There have been plenty of Martian objects yapped about but they all are surely natural. This is not so easy. It looks like a partially buried sphere and it appears to have been encased in a layer of rock as well that has been partially lost. It is also seriously robust. In the meantime do look at that rounded stone in the foreground. Why is that possible? That might be a molten meteorite nodule that hardened before impact. Neither can be blamed on water action easily. This is truly interesting and needs a look see if possible. Even without the oddities it is also geologi... more »
Guide to the EU – Chapter 11 Radiation
[image: desert sunrise] The most important form of radiation in the universe is a single line in the ultraviolet. It is the natural wavelength associated with Dark Matter. The rest of the radiation in the universe is produced by decay and that includes natural light. After all that is produced by an electron decaying to a lower orbit There are then three dominant tiers of radiation production. we understnad the third tier which is all physical matter as we know it. The second tier is produced by the decay process that produces electrons and its associated complex ... more »
Striking new Geological Evidence for the Worldwide Flood Roughly 12,800 Years Ago
For starters, I do not think that much if any water came in with the comet impact of 12,900 BP. So far i am satisfied that there was one impact and that that impact ended the Northern Ice Age by directly shifting the crust itself in just the right way. This then released as much Ice as we have today in Antarctica. The whole Arctic Basin was a natural ice trap and could easily have held all that ice as well as what was clearly on land. Current numbers suggest that the ocean rose by three hundred feet or one hundred meters. I would be happier to discover that the rise was a fu... more »
EPA Turnaround on Toxic Herbicide
You cannot pay them all off. The EPA truly had no choice as far as the science went, but that has not stopped them before either. Usually though they have erred on the side of caution and anti development biases. Industrial agriculture is not going to be chemically based industrial farming. It will be industrialized organic methods. After all we really do not wish to return to back breaking labor for nominal wages. It was not even particularly smart farming either. Slowly the claw back against Roundup is getting underway. It will likely take decades to fully implement but it... more »
NASA: Earth’s Magnetic Poles are ‘Switching’ with Catastrophic Consequences for Humanity
They never quit. No prior negative effects have ever shown up in the geological record and all fears are completely ungrounded. Even our real exposure to EMP pulses from the sun which is a real plausible risk is constrained to the present time and it is actually waning also. Grid power may only have a couple of decades left and all electronics are actually easily protected. With the disappearance of the grid, we will have a massively distributed power system that is readily rebooted and replaced as well. Thus serious risk has been an exposure starting around ... more »
Guide to the EU – Chapter 10 Rotational Effects
As I have posted before. we have produced Dark Matter in a vacuum tube in a lab. It really does exists and it is the dominant source of gravity in the Galaxy. However, it forms a non compressible fluid and regular matter gives us all the local variation. Thus the Faraday Motor aspect should also be significant. Dark matter on its own is sufficient to provide the magnitude of apparent gravitational potential but must not be mistaken for mass. Great Stuff. . *Essential Guide to the EU – Chapter 10 Rotational Effects* *Posted on February 29, 2012 by Bob Johnson - Jim Johnso... more »
The Search for Queen Nefertiti Enters a New Phase
Yes folks, i suspect that it will turn out that this tomb is several times larger gthan presently known. Better since the original was intact, the rest should be as well. It will take a while yet but we are likely on the cusp of a huge and immensely rich tomb that will jump start Egyptian Archeology once again. There is so much to discover and even the thieves who front run as much as possible are practically trained archeologists as well in today's world. They want to preserve value as well. A crushed papyrus is of no value. Archeology has ... more »
U.S. Office Of Naval Intelligence Releases An Unclassified Report On The Russian Navy
Link fixed: For 1st time since 1991, ONI releases unclassified report on #Russia's navy https://t.co/u1yTAwCeTT pic.twitter.com/AKhSZEqKHF — NATOSource (@NATOSource) December 16, 2015 *WNU Editor*: For the 1st time since 1991, ONI has released an unclassified report on the Russian Navy. That report *is here.*
Will The U.S. Arms Deal To Taiwan Dissuade China's Ambitions In The Region?
Soldiers fire M115 203mm howitzers during the annual Han Kuang military exercise in Kinmen, Taiwan, September 8, 2015. REUTERS/PICHI CHUANG/FILES *Reuters:* *Taiwan arms deal enough to give China bloody nose, but no more* A new U.S. arms package for Taiwan will help boost the self-ruled island's ability to inflict a bloody nose on China in the attempt of an attack, enough to make Beijing think twice before any military adventure. But Taiwan, which is expected to vote in a new government next month less friendly to China, needs advanced weapons such as the latest fighter jets or sub... more »
A User’s Guide to Godless Liberalism, Part II
[image: abortion rally - 900] In Part One, we exposed how incoherent is the world view held by secular progressives (“godless liberals”). This time we’ll show how they arrived at it, how rejecting faith leads inexorably to the abandonment of reason. Then we’ll offer helpful... more »
Picture Of The Day
U.S. service members engage in target practice at a range near Kabul, Afghanistan, Dec. 8, 2015. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Corey Hook
Probably one of the most important video interviews you'll watch this year
*Probably one of the most important* *video interviews you'll watch this year* *US Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson* being interviewed by Abby Martin. Retired Col. Wilkerson speaks out about the decline of the American Empire and the runaway military industrial complex that is behind this decline. Thanks to Aangirfan for this link.
Japan Beefing Up Its Island Defenses To Counter China's Growing Naval Power
Military personnel stand on deck of the Izumo helicopter carrier of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) during its fleet review at Sagami Bay, off Yokosuka, south of Tokyo in this October 15, 2015 file photo. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/Files *Reuters:* *Exclusive: Japan's far-flung island defense plan seeks to turn tables on China* Japan is fortifying its far-flung island chain in the East China Sea under an evolving strategy that aims to turn the tables on China's navy and keep it from ever dominating the Western Pacific Ocean, Japanese military and government sources said... more »
Conservative Al Lawson Wants The New Tallahassee-Jacksonville Seat
Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and family Florida's new east/west 5th congressional district takes in most of Tallahassee and Jacksonville and was thought to be a decent district for Corrine Brown, who currently represents one of the most egregiously gerrymandered districts in the U.S.-- still-named FL-05, which snakes along Route 17 from the African-American neighborhoods of Jacksonville to Palatka, then turns due west to the African-America neighborhoods of Gainesville before heading south again into the African-American neighborhoods in and around Orlando. The new district is 45%... more »
Musical Interlude: Deuter, "Earth Blue"
Deuter, "Earth Blue" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcy1J6aNAIw
"A Look to the Heavens"
“This beautiful, bright, spiral galaxy is Messier 64, often called the Black Eye Galaxy or the Sleeping Beauty Galaxy for its heavy-lidded appearance in telescopic views. M64 is about 17 million light-years distant in the otherwise well-groomed northern constellation Coma Berenices. In fact, the Red Eye Galaxy might also be an appropriate moniker in this colorful composition of narrow and wideband images. *Click image for larger size.* The enormous dust clouds obscuring the near-side of M64's central region are laced with the telltale reddish glow of hydrogen associated with star fo... more »
"It Would Be So Much Easier..."
"It would be so much easier just to fold our hands and not make this fight... to say, I, one man, I can do nothing. I grow afraid only when I see people thinking and acting like this. We all know the story about the man who sat beside the trail too long, and then it grew over and he could never find his way again. We can never forget what has happened, but we cannot go back nor can we just sit beside the trail". - Poundmaker, Plains Cree Chief, 1842-1886. His dying words.
B-52 Bomber Accidentally Flies Within 2 Miles Of A Chinese Reclaimed Island And Military Base In The South China Sea
B-52 Stratofortress. Boeing *Business Insider:* *The US accidentally flew a B-52 bomber over territory claimed by China* Last week, a US B-52 bomber accidentally flew over Chinese-claimed territory in the South China Sea, The Wall Street Journal reports. During the fly over, which was part of routine US missions in the region, one of the bombers accidentally flew within 2 nautical miles of the Cuarteron Reef, which China has been artificially expanding. The incident led the Chinese to file a formal complaint with the US through the US Embassy. *Update #1:* U.S. Bomber Flies Ove... more »
Mohawk Nation News 'The Last War'
http://mohawknationnews.com/blog/2015/12/18/the-last-war/
US Special Forces Are Thrown Out Of Libya (Update)
*The Guardian:* *Secret US mission in Libya revealed after air force posted pictures* *Facebook post, accompanied by four pictures, said 20 armed soldiers arrived wearing bulletproof jackets.* A secret US commando mission to Libya has been revealed after photographs of a special forces unit were posted on the Facebook page of the country’s air force. Libya’s air force said 20 US soldiers arrived at Libya’s Wattiya airbase on Monday, but left soon after local commanders asked them to go because they had no permission to be at the base. It was unclear if another branch of the Liby... more »
U.S. Promises To Arm The Kurds
Kurdish Peshmerga fighters are seen during the battle with Islamic State militants on the outskirts of Mosul January 21, 2015. Kurdish forces in northern Iraq said on Wednesday they had cleared Islamic State insurgents from nearly 500 square kilometres of territory and broken a key IS supply line between the city of Mosul and strongholds to the west near Syria. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari *Radio Free Europe*: *U.S. To Provide Arms Soon To Iraqi Kurds To Fight IS* U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter visited Irbil, the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, December 17 as part of a we... more »
And The Real Paul Ryan Has Now Stood Up-- Freedom Caucus Impotent To Do A Thing
The new Gallup poll that asks how satisfied respondents are with Congress found that just 17% of Democrats and 15% of Republicans approved the job Congress is doing. It's been a long slide since 2001 when a narrow majority of Americans actually thought Congress was doing a decent job. "In the past, " writes Gallup's Jeff Jones, "partisans may have been happy just to have their party in control of Congress, but now it appears Republicans take little solace in their party's majority status if it does not produce results in the form of passing legislation they favor. Republicans' poor... more »
Dec. 18: The Irving press hits a new low.
On A1 of the Irving press, the headline is that the New Brunswick Liberals are 'scaling back' on their promises of spending. Of course. Now, tell me. What have the provincial Liberals done that the provincial Conservatives would not have done? And when are New Brunswickers going to learn that their Liberals and Conservatives are the same party? On A5, a coalition of industry groups warns the provincial government that if it raises business taxes, they “..will negatively impact on our ability to create the best possible conditions for job creation...” (We'll pass lightly over the pre... more »
Democratic Presidential Race Explodes After Data Breach
[image: Sanders-Clinton - 900] WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Democratic race for president unexpectedly exploded with rancor Friday, as Hillary Clinton’s campaign accused rival Bernie Sanders of stealing millions of dollars worth of information about potential voters. Sanders’ team, meanwhile, accused the Democratic Party of... more »
Rupert Hammond Chambers excellently responds to criticisms of the Taiwan Arms Deal
*Interior of a Buddhist temple near my house.* This is from The Nelson Report of 12/18. Note the last paragraph, which makes the same argument that I always do: "tension" is how Beijing manages the Washington-Taipei relationship and the Washington-Beijing relationship. The international media, which reports constantly on "tension" but never describes its political function, serves Beijing in that way. This form of soft power, in which Beijing's claims about its own history or tension or its behavior are presented without analysis or comment in the international media -- sometimes e... more »
Tonight's Movie Is 'The Last Escape' (1970)
From *Wikipedia*: During the Second World War, Captain Lee Mitchell (Stuart Whitman) and a group of British commandos attempt to locate and kidnap the leading German rocket scientist Dr. Von Heinken (Pinkas Braun). Along the way they are chased by SS and Soviet forces who were also after him.
Ravitch's Blinding Insight
Diane Ravitch was a staunch supporter of the rewrite of ESEA until it was passed. Ever since last April, Ravitch and various neoliberal groups that she fronts for have maintained a steady stream of enthused propaganda about the ESEA rewrite. Now that the status quo of testing, privatization, and segregation has been guaranteed for another few years with the rewrite that she supported, Ravitch seems to have suddenly seen the light: The Every Student Succeeds Act shifts much–though not all–of the responsibity [*sic*] for testing and accountability to the states. States have more f... more »
Mosul: A Strategic Prize in the New Middle East- Destabilizing Turkey Continues
I've had Paul Davis Op-ed's here previously. Below is another one. *Is there a coming fight for Mosul?* *The answer is: Yes* *While the Iranian backed Shia militias are working with the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) to push ISIS out of Ramadi* ..*..( Coincidentally the US "inadvertently" killed Iraqi soldiers" )** little has been said about the liberation of Mosul. * Kurdish presidential Chief of Staff Fuad Hussein recently announced an* upcoming meeting between the Kurdistan Regional government, Turkey and the United States to discuss strategy in the fight against ISIS. It is inter... more »
US airstrikes "Inadvertently" Kill Iraq Soldiers
*Inadvertently. Of course.* Varying reports- As many as 30 killed. Some reports of 20. Below claims 10. What is interesting is these Iraqi soldiers were making targeting *ISIS*... The U.S. military said it is investigating an American airstrike that may have inadvertently killed Iraqi soldiers near the city of Fallujah. *It said the airstrikes were done in coordination with Iraqi forces.* It said the U.S. will investigate what happened and has invited the Iraqis to participate. When asked how many Iraqis may have been killed, the U.S. military command known as Combined Joint Task Fo... more »
Richard Bush on the Sunflowers
[image: ddscho07.JPG] *A teacher prepares an elementary school class for an outing.* Longtime US government Taiwan expert Richard Bush's latest paper from Brookings is insightful, informed, knowledgeable and well written: perfect for 2007. I'm not going to bother to fisk the whole thing, since it constructs understandings and assumptions about the future and the strategic situation that are out of date, but one claim in this paper caught my eye: The public has apparently preferred the KMT’s approach to China (economic engagement) over that of the DPP, about 55 percent to 45 percent ... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 18, 2015
*Ehsan M. Ahrari, Small Wars Journal:* *The Coming Anarchy in the Levant* With the passage of each day, the Levant increasingly appears a place where anarchy might be the only order of the day unless a number of anti-ISIS actors come up with some plan to destroy that entity and save the region. President Barack Obama’s pragmatism and his fetish for not repeating the ‘mistake’ of ousting Muammar Qaddafi brutal regime in Libya has not only guaranteed Russia’s presence in Syria, but also its influential participation in the future stability of Syria and Iraq. An important side-payoff... more »
Bad News for Religious Liberty: Court Rules Christian School Has to Hire Man in Gay “Marriage”
[image: persecution] A state court in Massachusetts has ruled that a Catholic preparatory school violated the state's antidiscrimination law when it rescinded a job offer to a man because he was married to another man. Matthew Barrett had accepted a job as... Continue reading *“Bad News for Religious Liberty: Court Rules Christian School Has to Hire Man in Gay “Marriage””* at *nationalreview.com*.
The Alpha Dog of the GOP
[image: WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 09: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses a rally against the Iran nuclear deal on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol September 9, 2015 in Washington, DC. Thousands of people gathered for the rally, organized by the Tea Party Patriots, which featured conservative pundits and politicians.] If there’s any lesson from Tuesday’s debate, it’s that six months after his entry into the Republican presidential race, no one has any better idea of how to handle Donald Trump than when he first got in. Las Vegas highlighted... more »
Orthodox Rabbis Issue Groundbreaking Declaration Affirming ‘Partnership’ with Christianity
[image: Rabbis - 400] A group of prominent Orthodox rabbis in Israel, the United States and Europe have issued a historic public statement affirming that Christianity is "the willed divine outcome and gift to the nations" and urging Jews and Christians to "work together... Continue reading *“Orthodox Rabbis Issue Groundbreaking Declaration Affirming ‘Partnership’ with Christianity”* at *breitbart.com*.
Harrisburg Teen Charged with Aiding ISIS
[image: FBI Agents terrorism ISIS Aziz - 400] A Harrisburg man arrested in an FBI raid Thursday afternoon is accused of aiding the ISIS terrorist group, federal court filings show. Those just unsealed filings charge 19-year-old Jalil Ibn Ameer Aziz of spreading propaganda for the terrorist organization via the... Continue reading *“Harrisburg Teen Charged with Aiding ISIS”* at *pennlive.com*.
The Orbo PowerCube ‘Free Energy’ Charger is Available for Pre-Order
*Pao L. Chang* - The Orbo PowerCube can supposedly generate energy without using any fuel or conventional electricity. The post The Orbo PowerCube ‘Free Energy’ Charger is Available for Pre-Order appeared first on Waking Times.
US Special Forces On A Secret Mission Arrive Unannounced At Libyan Airbase
A group of US special forces on a secret mission against the Islamic State (ISIS) arrived at Libya’s Wattiya airbase on Monday, startling the local commanders who were not expecting them. Twenty commandos, armed with assault rifles and bullet proof vests had their top secret mission compromised when their unit’s photo appeared on Facebook. The special forces unit dispersed out of the Libyan airbase, after local commanders questioned their presence in the war torn country, and the Libyan air force posted their pictures on Facebook. The Daily Express reports: Wattiya’s proximity to Sa... more »
World News Briefs -- December 18, 2015 (Evening Edition)
*New York Times*: *U.N. Security Council Approves Resolution on Syria Talks* UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations Security Council unanimously approved on Friday a resolution calling for a cease-fire and political talks to help end the civil war in Syria. The measure, adopted 15-0, is the first time that Russia and the United States, who have been at loggerheads over the future of Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, agreed on a road map for a political process. The resolution makes no mention of whether or not Mr. Assad would be able to run for office in new elections, which it say... more »
Stocks End the Week with a Skid
[image: stock market - 400] U.S. stocks dropped sharply on Friday, sending the Dow industrials to their lowest close since October, as a rally spurred by the Federal Reserve's decision to raise interest rates faded and oil prices tumbled anew. The blue-chip index dropped 367.39... Continue reading *“Stocks End the Week with a Skid”* at *wsj.com*.
U.S. Air Strike Accidentally Kills Scores Of Iraqi Soldiers (Updated)
*RT:* *VIDEO emerges purporting to show deadly US airstrike against Iraqi forces* An unverified video, which allegedly shows a deadly air-strike by the US Air Force against Iraqi government troops, has emerged. The unconfirmed footage was obtained from a local source in Iraq by RT’s Ruptly video agency. A high-ranking Iraqi MP told Sputnik news agency earlier that over 30 Iraqi soldiers had been killed and 20 injured in an air-strike carried out by the US military. *Previous Post:* Iraq Government Claim: 30 Iraqi Soldiers Killed In US Air Force Strike, 20 Others Injured *More N... more »
Chet Raymo, “Not Known, Because Not Looked For”
*“Not Known, Because Not Looked For”* by Chet Raymo Tony shared with us the other day these well-known lines of T. S. Eliot (“Little Gidding”): "We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time." It is not quite what Eliot is up to, but I was reminded of some lines of Pascal that I shared here several years ago: “Scientific learning is composed of two opposites which nonetheless meet each other. The first is the natural ignorance that is man's lot at birth. The second is repr... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Raeford, North Carolina, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
Kahlil Gibran, "The Prophet- On Pain"
"Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart may stand in the sun, so must you know pain. And could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your life, your pain would not seem less wondrous than your joy; And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted the seasons that pass over your fields. And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief. Pain is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self. Therefore trust ... more »
"The People In Their Weeping..."
"The way in which a man accepts his fate and all the suffering it entails, the way in which he takes up his cross, gives him ample opportunity — even under the most difficult circumstances — to add a deeper meaning to his life. It may remain brave, dignified and unselfish. Or in the bitter fight for self-preservation he may forget his human dignity and become no more than an animal. Here lies the chance for a man either to make use of or to forgo the opportunities of attaining the moral values that a difficult situation may afford him. And this decides whether he is worthy of his s... more »
The Economy: "The Episcopalian's Guide to Airport Security"
*"The Episcopalian's Guide to Airport Security"* by Bill Bonner "It is warm in Paris. But rainy and dark. We have come into the Café Poussin for coffee… And for a little morning cheer. *Inside Café Poussin…* We watch the people come and go… we listen to the friendly banter with the bartender… we read the news. Yesterday, the U.S. stock market wiped out Wednesday’s gains. The Dow dropped 253 points – or about 1.5%. Thinking it over, investors must have decided that Janet Yellen’s rate hike was not such good news after all. “New era starts as reverse repurchase drains $105 billion ... more »
Kuwait Airways cancels NY-to-London flight rather than allow Israeli passengers
Interesting news re Kuwait Airways 'Kuwait hates Jews so much that its national airline has ditched a popular and lucrative New York-to-London flight rather than allow Israelis on its planes, authorities said Thursday. Kuwait Airways killed the flight to spite American officials, who threatened to pull the airline's permit to fly to the United States if they continued discriminating against Israeli passengers.' You can read more here http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/12/kuwait-airways-cancels-ny-to-london-flight-rather-than-allow-israeli-passengers but not on the institutionally an... more »
Syrian Regime Change Attempt to Frame al Assad Blows up in NATO's face
*Syrian Regime Change Attempt to Frame* *al Assad Blows up in NATO's face* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ETQFsKwJzw#t=13 Someone is trying to rewrite history. They're trying to *cover up the effort of the US/NATO to frame Assad in 2013...* and thus cause regime change in Syria...so the cabal could put their Muslim Brotherhood puppet in place. The BBC was spearheading the frame-up but now.... *Someone is Scrubbing the Internet* There was an excellent *RT report on the BBC's effort to frame Assad *with false allegations of gassing his own people (a standard method of getting ri...more »
Canadian Forces Involved In Repelling Recent Major Attack By The Islamic State
*CBC:* *Canadian forces strike back against ISIS offensive in northern Iraq* No Canadian casualties reported after involvement in responding to lengthy ISIS offensive A contingent of Canada's elite commandos were thrown into a day-long battle alongside Kurdish Peshmerga fighters as the Islamic State launched its biggest offensive in Iraq since western troops arrived in the region 18 months ago. A three-pronged assault, involving hundreds of extremists, took place along a wide front in the sector, northwest of the Kurdish capital of Irbil, where Canadian special forces have been t... more »
Burning Questions: Who Took Tainted Shkreli Money? Why Did DFA and CWA Endorse Bernie? Why Is Putin Backing Herr Trumpf?
As we've reported before, when low-life price gouger and hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli tried to contribute to Bernie's campaign, Bernie very publicly rejected his contribution and turned it over to charity. Chuck Schumer and Jon Tester on the other hand, couldn't wait to get their clammy paws on some of Shkreli's blood money. Now that America's most hated twerp has been arrested by the FBI-- and faces as much as 20 years in prison-- will the DSCC give back the $33,400 he gave them in July? In fact, when he was arrested yesterday, it was for exactly what the was looking to pay ... more »
UN Security Council Unanimously Adopts Resolution On Syria Peace Plan
The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution endorsing a Syria peace roadmap on Friday. The resolution calls for a ceasefire and political settlement in Syria and envisions the formation of a unity government and calls to immediately cease any attacks on civilian targets. RT reports: The four-page draft demanded that all parties to the Syrian conflict “immediately cease any attacks against civilians,” Reuters reports. A mechanism to monitor, verify and report the truce is to be worked out within a month. The draft resolution would also ask the UN to convene f... more »
Anne Robbins and Roswell
In the course of investigating many UFO cases, there are witnesses who come forward to tell their stories. Depending on the nature of the story or the investigator who hears it, that story might be added to the case file or might be rejected. Anne Robbins, widow of T/SGT Ernest Robbins, told her story, or rather her husband’s story after he died in January 2000. It related to Roswell and had all the necessary elements including the late night telephone call, a mysterious trip into the desert and a secret that was reluctantly shared. The story was told at the Odessa Meteor Crater Mus... more »
Islamic State Routed In Recent Battle In Northern Iraq
*Wall Street Journal:* *Islamic State Routed in Iraq Battle, U.S. Officials Say* *Kurdish Peshmerga fighters with coalition air support foil a major offensive by the extremist group* ERBIL, Iraq—Islamic State mounted a major offensive Wednesday, striking multiple sites in northern Iraq, but Kurdish Peshmerga forces backed by U.S. and coalition air support were able to rout the group in a counterattack that left more than 200 Islamic State militants dead, U.S. defense officials said. Using car bombs, suicide bombers, small arms and even bulldozers, Islamic State conducted a surpri... more »
Saudi Arabia's New Anti-Terror Coalition Is Already Starting to Fall Apart (Update)
*John Dyer, VICE News:* *Saudi Arabia's New Anti-Terror Coalition Is Already Starting to Fall Apart* Saudi Arabia's coalition of Islamic countries against terrorism is starting to look like a paper tiger. A day after the kingdom announced with great fanfare that it would lead the 34-member alliance, a few of those so-called members announced that they weren't necessarily part of it. "I think it's a blunder on their part," said William Hartung, director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy. "They assumed that if they called the tune other countri... more »
Yemen Rebels Fire Two Ballistic Missiles At Saudi Arabia
*Gulf News:* *Two ballistic missiles fired at Saudi Arabia from Yemen* Government forces capture second militia-held town in 24 hours. Riyadh, Aden: Two ballistic missiles were fired from Yemen at Saudi Arabia, one of which was intercepted by the kingdom’s air defences, the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemeni rebels said Friday. The other missile struck an area of desert east of the Saudi city of Najran, the coalition said in a statement carried by the kingdom’s SPA state news agency, without reporting any casualties. “The leadership of the coalition asserts that while it is commi... more »
Judge: No Evidence of Crimes in Recordings of Abortion Group
[image: One time Use Only - Outbound] SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A federal judge in San Francisco says he saw no evidence of criminal activity in recordings an anti-abortion group secretly gathered at annual meetings of an abortion providers’ association. U.S. District Judge William Orrick made the... more »
Separating Fact from Fiction in Stories about an Ocean of Plastic
[image: trash - 400] Images such as this appear on the Internet and in the Main Stream Media, alongside of almost every article or report about the pollution of the Earth's oceans with plastics of all kinds. The image is usually associated with the... Continue reading *“Separating Fact from Fiction in Stories about an Ocean of Plastic”* at *wattsupwiththat.com*.
Fraud
R. *v.* Riesberry, 2015 SCC 65: [23] We should first be clear about what Mr. Riesberry's fraudulent conduct was before turning to the question of whether it caused a risk of deprivation. Fraudulent conduct for the purposes of a fraud prosecution is not limited to deception, such as deception by misrepresentations of fact. Rather, fraud requires proof of "deceit, falsehood or *other fraudulent means*": s. 380(1). The term "other fraudulent means" encompasses "all other means which can properly be stigmatized as dishonest:" *R. v. Olan*, [1978] 2 S.C.R. 1175, ... more »
Some Ridiculous Quotes From George W. Bush
From the ‘Yes, ICantSeeYou‘ blog comes some of the most funny and profound quotes from the former Republican President George Bush Jr. The Top 50 Most Stupid Bush Quotes •A man lost in his geography: 1-“We have a firm commitment to NATO, we are a part of NATO. We have a firm commitment to Europe. We are a part of Europe.” George W. Bush 2-“It’s time for the human race to enter the solar system.” George W. Bush 3-“The vast majority of our imports come from outside the country.” George W. Bush •A man lost in his logic: 4-” It isn’t pollution that’s harming the environment. It’s the... more »
‘Aloha!” Obama Holds Upbeat Press Conference Before Heading to Hawaii
[image: President Barack Obama speaks during a news conference in the White House Brady Press Briefing Room in Washington, Friday, Dec. 18, 2015. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)] WASHINGTON (AP) Closing out a tumultuous year, President Barack Obama sought to lay the groundwork Friday for his last year in office by vowing not to fade in the background but instead use his remaining months to push longstanding goals... more »
Cartoon: ‘Reindeer Love’
[image: Payne - 121815 - Reindeer Love]
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