English: MV Seacor Lee is serving as the command and control center for the off shore Deepwater Horizon oil spill response. IMO Number: 9464297 MMSI Number: 367362000 Callsign: WDE4932 Length: 81 m Beam: 16 m (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Adm. Thad Allen provides a briefing to the Unified Area Command in New Orleans Monday, June 28, 2010. Allen is the National Incident Commander for the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Deepwater Horizon oil spill at Chandeleur Islands LA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: A C-130 Hercules from the Air Force Reserve Command's 910th Airlift Wing at Youngstown-Warren Air Reserve Station, Ohio, drops an oil-dispersing chemical into the Gulf of Mexico May 5, 2010, as part of the Deepwater Horizon Response effort. The 910th AW specializes in aerial spray and is the Department of Defense's only large-area, fixed-wing aerial spray unit. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: GULF OF MEXICO (May 16, 2010) An oil containment boom deployed by U.S. Navy Supervisor of Salvage and Diving personnel surrounds New Harbor Island, La. to mitigate environmental damage from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Deepwater Horizon was an ultra-deepwater oil rig that sank April 22, causing a massive oil spill threatening the U.S. Gulf Coast. (U.S. Navy photo/Released) 100519-N-6141B-001 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Spill Children
Gulf Leak Watch
NOAA study links Deepwater Horizon leak to spike in dolphin deaths
Study assessed impacts of Deepwater Horizon oil spill on sea turtles
Researchers suggests oil spill's impact reached beyond Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico beaches 5 years after the 'spill'( Fine understatement about oil flow under pressures so high, it's a wonder the crap didn't go into orbit )
The Gulf of Mexico is Dying
10:30pm MST
Jon Swift Memorial Roundup 2015
(The Best Posts of the Year, Chosen by the Bloggers Themselves) (A 2008 Jon Swift picture, relevant every presidential election season.) Welcome to a tradition started by the late Jon Swift/Al Weisel, who left behind some excellent satire, but was also a nice guy and a strong supporter of small blogs. As Lance Mannion put it in 2010: Our late and much missed comrade in blogging, journalist
Unicef Shows The Impact On Children Of The Conflicts Of The Last 70 Years (Photo Gallery)
Tears: A young boy holds a crying child in a camp for displaced persons in Kavaja, Albania circa 1945. In 2015 in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, a crying child is comforted near Gevgelija. Unicef says long and uncertain journeys leave children frightened and vulnerable *Daily Mail:* *Young lives torn apart by seven decades of war: Heartbreaking images released by Unicef show the impact on children of the conflicts of the last 70 years * * Nearly 1 in 4 migrants, refugees arriving in Europe are children * Founded in 1946, Unicef first helped refugee children after WWII *... more »
Kurdish Militias "Win" Strategic Dam from ISIS- Syria's Territorial Integrity..
and infrastructure further compromised by the NATO backed Kurdish militias. * In a repeat, repeat, repeat of that same special relationship between KurdIShIS*- I've covered this symbiosis on too many occasions to count! ISIS shock troops come in first- Kurds 'win' stolen land back from ISIS and claim it as theirs- *Wash, rinse, repeat. *This time it's a dam. It supplies Northern Syria with electricity and aids in joining and enlarging Greater Israel. Ooops I mean Kurdistan aka Greater Israel. The second Israel. This group of fighers- rebranded "Syrian Democratic Forces" are the YPG... more »
AP Poll: Americans Believe 2015 Was Worse Than 2014
*WNU Editor*: The AP-Times Square poll *is here*. My prediction ... this time next year that sentiment will be even more pessimistic.
Poor Jeb And Marco Are Being Taken To The Cleaners By Self-Serving Professional Campaign Operatives
On Friday, we noted that the more poor Jeb spends on his mundane TV ads, the lower his support is driven. He doesn't read *DWT* and it certainly not what the 15% rake-off crew is telling him. Because the poor fella has the most conventional and stultified mind of anyone running this cycle, he's decided that what his failing campaign needs is to spend more of his idiot-donors' money on *more* ineffectual ads... and in New Hampshire, where the barrage he's already run has worked least. Boston's Republican newspaper reports that the Jebster SuperPAC plans to dump another $14 million ... more »
Musical Interlude: Vangelis, “Message”
Vangelis, “Message” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZpTTokiCrE
Are Islamic State Fighters Being Trained In Turkey?
*Photo*: Fighter from the al-Qaida linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). © SPUTNIK/ HIKMET DURGUN *Sputnik*: *Captured Daesh Fighter Reveals Details of Turkey’s Ties With Terror Group* Mahmut Ghazi Tatar, a captured member of the Daesh terrorist organization, spoke to Sputnik Turkey, revealing details about being in the ranks of Daesh and Turkey’s ties with the terror group. A Sputnik Türkiye correspondent managed to record an interview with a member of Daesh (Islamic State) who was captured by Kurdish troops in Syria. The 24-year-old Mahmut Ghazi Tatar who joined Da... more »
Fall of the Arab Spring: From Revolution to Destruction
*December 27, 2015* (Christopher Brennan - Global Research) From Libya and Egypt to Syria and Yemen, the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region is undergoing unprecedented tumult and chaos. To understand the current breakdown of states and society, examining the so-called Arab Spring of 2011 that laid the groundwork for this ongoing regional anarchy is indispensable. Global Research brings to the attention of its readers the newly released book by Christopher L. Brennan. Fall of the Arab Spring: From Revolution to Destruction (available here), propounds an incisive and timely analy... more »
Russian Air-Strikes Are Now Targeting Syrian Civilian Areas In Rebel Held Territories
*Michael Weiss, Daily Beast*: *What It’s Like to Have Russian Jets Bomb the Crap Out of Your Town* *Putin’s military says its only going after terrorists in Syria. But the view from Aleppo City is very different. Residents are wondering why their marketplaces are being bombed.* “When I’m sitting here and we hear a plane, which is a lot now, I know from the sound. If the plane is above us—you can tell if it’s above you, because that’s when it’s the loudest—and if it’s a Russian plane, then it doesn’t attack where we are. It attacks two or three kilometers away.” Rami Jarrah is tel... more »
"The Detailed Universe: This Will Blow Your Mind"
"The Detailed Universe: This Will Blow Your Mind" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IVqMXPFYwI
"A Look to the Solar System"
Want to build a scale model Solar System? A blue marble 1.4 centimeters (about half an inch) across would be a good choice for a scale model Earth. Since the Sun is 109 times the diameter of Earth, a 1.5 meter diameter balloon could represent the Sun. But the distance between the Earth and Sun, 150 million kilometers, would translate to just under 180 meters (590 feet) at the same scale. That would mean the completed project, including the orbits of the outer planets, is probably not going to fit in your backyard. Still, you might find enough room on a dry lakebed. Check out this vi... more »
Chet Raymo, “We Are The Consciousness of the Universe”
*“We Are The Consciousness of the Universe”* by Chet Raymo "The leaves are raked and bagged. The grass is mowed for the last time. The geraniums smile weak goodbyes. Now, as if by some law of compensation, the curtain opens on the sky. The great starless spaces of autumn fall like a black velvet drape into the west. The show opens. The sky begins. As the Sun sinks beneath the horizon, the Pleiades rise in the east, heralding the arrival of the spectacular winter stars. Aldebaran, the red eye of the Bull. Sirius, the Dog Star. Rigel and Betelgeuse in Orion. Castor and Pollux, the T... more »
"Amid The Thorns..."
"The world is not respectable; it is mortal, tormented, confused, deluded forever; but it is shot through with beauty, with love, with glints of courage and laughter; and in these, the spirit blooms timidly, and struggles to the light amid the thorns." - George Santayana
"What Causes Chest Pain When Feelings Are Hurt?"
"What Causes Chest Pain When Feelings Are Hurt?" by Robert Emery and Jim Coan "When people have their feelings hurt, what is actually happening inside the body to cause the physical pain in the chest?" - Josh Ceddia, Melbourne, Australia "Robert Emery and Jim Coan, professors of psychology at the University of Virginia, reply: Terms such as “heartache” and “gut wrenching” are more than mere metaphors: they describe the experience of both physical and emotional pain. When we feel heartache, for example, we are experiencing a blend of emotional stress and the stress-induced sensation... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Charlotte, N. Carolina, USA. Thanks for stopping by!
Russian Ministry Of Defence Briefing On Russian Air Operations Over Syria (December 25, 2015)
*WNU Editor:* What is revealing in this video briefing are the oil trucks present on both sides of the border. In short .... that is a lot of oil trucks on the Syrian/Iraqi/Turkish border. It should be noted that this is a Russian Ministry of Defense briefing, and there is yet no independent confirmation of this report. *Hat Tip *to Jay for this link.
Demographic Change... And A New Word: Schumercrat
Schumer + schumercrat Patrick Murphy The Establishment Democrats-- primarily DC insiders-- either can't or won't do anything to save the party of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. The positions of power within the establishment are almost entirely captive of a self-serving clique of utterly corrupt, right-of-center political hacks with either no vision or a vision hostile to the values and principles the Democratic grassroots have fought for. As the Republican Party has moved further and further to the right, the establishment Democrats have followed them and now basically occupy the g... more »
Free Download: J. Krishnamurti, "The Book Of Life"
*"Justifying Evil"* "Obviously the present crisis throughout the world is exceptional, without precedent. There have been crises of varying types at different periods throughout history - social, national, political. Crises come and go; economic recessions, depressions, come, get modified, and continue in a different form. We know that; we are familiar with that process. Surely the present crisis is different, is it not? It is different first because we are dealing not with money nor with tangible things but with ideas. The crisis is exceptional because it is in the field of ideati... more »
"The Object Of Life..."
"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." - Marcus Aurelius
The Poet: Mary Oliver, “The Leaf and the Cloud: A Poem”
* "Flare, Part 12"* "When loneliness comes stalking, go into the fields, consider the orderliness of the world. Notice something you have never noticed before, like the tambourine sound of the snow-cricket whose pale green body is no longer than your thumb. Stare hard at the hummingbird, in the summer rain, shaking the water-sparks from its wings. Let grief be your sister, she will whether or no. Rise up from the stump of sorrow, and be green also, like the diligent leaves. A lifetime isn't long enough for the beauty of this world and the responsibilities of your life. Scatter you... more »
"How It Really Is"
"Warm Weather In December Sets East Coast Records” - http://fox6now.com/
“Life Is Too Short To Waste”
*“Life Is Too Short To Waste”* by Meanings Of Life "We can’t avoid thinking of our existential condition, of the shortness of our lives, of the transitory nature of everything. We do it all the time we exist, in all societies. The brevity of life torments the human spirit. The proximity of death is "a source of grief during all our life", Edgar Morin said. “I remember my youth and the feeling that will never come back any more– the feeling that I could last for ever, outlast the sea, the earth, and all men; the deceitful feeling that lures us on to joys, to perils, to love, to vai... more »
Putin Vows To Protect Kurds In Turkey As War Of The Century Looms
Russian President Vladimir Putin has authorised the Russian military and intelligence community to protect Kurdish people against the threat of Turkey – who have threatened to “cleanse” all Kurds. Putin issued the order to protect the Kurds under the authority of Article 87 of the Russian Constitution – which states that Putin is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Whatdoesitmean.com reports: With Turkey now being named as a “belligerent hostile threat” to the Federation in this conflict, this report further explains, President Putin in iss... more »
EU Furious As Obama Violates His Own Sanctions Against Russia
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reported that EU leaders have been left furious after the Obama administration violated its own sanctions against Russia by placing a $750 million order for rocket engines. European leaders are said to be baffled as to why the U.S. are going against sanctions they had forced the rest of Europe to adhere to, and which many criticized the U.S. government of being akin to a coup. Whatdoesitmean.com reports: While leaving their European allies with no choice but to live with these sanctions, however, this report notes, the Obama regime, meanw... more »
Mainstream Media Admit That Fluoride In Water ‘Causes Cancer’
The mainstream media and prominent health experts have spoken out against the dangers of adding fluoride to drinking water, claiming that it causes bone cancer. The Daily Mail reported that fluoride added to the UK drinking supply causes serious consequences such as bone and bladder cancers, as well as lower IQs in the general population. Dailymail.co.uk reports: Stephen Peckham, professor of health policy at the centre for health service studies at Kent University, said the process was introduced before there was enough research to demonstrate its safety and effectiveness. He told... more »
Study: Children Exposed To Pesticides Suffer Breathing Problems
A new UC Berkeley paper reveals that children exposed to pesticides may have breathing problems later in life. The study linked the levels of organophosphate pesticide metabolites in the urine of 279 children living in California with decreased lung function. Berkeley.edu reports: Each tenfold increase in concentrations of organophosphate metabolites was associated with a 159-milliliter decrease in lung function, or about 8 percent less air, on average, when blowing out a candle. The magnitude of this decrease is similar to a child’s secondhand smoke exposure from his or her mother... more »
Prince Charles Allowed To Legally Launch Nuclear Weapons
A new academic study conducted by Plymouth University has revealed that Prince Charles can legally set off nuclear explosions and be immune from prosecution. John Kirkhope, a research fellow at Plymouth University, led the study and found that UK legislation and government archives revealed the extent of legal privileges afforded to Charles. Indianexpress.com reports: He discovered that the Prince of Wales is exempt from sanction over a range of laws, including the UK’s Data Protection Act, and enjoys significant protection for his property compared with other landowners. “It is su...more »
European Cities On High Alert For New Year Terror Attacks
The police in Vienna have warned that European cities face the very real possibility of a terrorist attack during the New Year celebrations. As a result of credible intelligence, police forces across Europe are ramping up their security measures for the New Year. “Several possible names of potential attackers were mentioned, which were checked, and the investigation based on (these checks) has so far yielded no concrete results,” Vienna police said in a statement. Smh.com.au reports: “In the days before Christmas a warning was sent out by a friendly (intelligence) service to numero... more »
Alternative Canadian Doctor Murdered, Found In Makeshift Grave
Another alternative doctor has been found dead after her body was found in a makeshift grave in Canada. Dr. Linnea Veinotte, who researched cancer, was described as very smart with a “big heart” and had a husband and two children. Asheepnomore.net reports: Her body, partially decomposed, was found just days ago and buried in a makeshift grave near a small dirt road on the south end of the island. Last seen on Sunday, Dec. 6., Dr. Veinotte, “left the house at 8 a.m., wearing green running shorts, a purple tank top and her Adidas, with the family dog, Nico, in tow.” She was to go for a...more »
War, Terrorism and the Global Economic Crisis in 2015: Ninety-nine Interrelated Concepts
War, Terrorism and the Global Economic Crisis in 2015: Ninety-nine Interrelated Concepts original article at globalresearch.ca By Prof Michel Chossudovsky Global Research, December 25, 2015 Theme: 9/11 & 'War on Terrorism', Global Economy, Media Disinformation, US NATO War Agenda [image: worldeconomy] *Everything is interrelated: war, terrorism, the police state, the global economy, economic austerity, financial fraud, corrupt governments, poverty and social inequality, police violence, Al Qaeda, ISIS, media disinformation, racism, war propaganda weapons of mass destruction, the der... more »
ISIS Sanctions Human Organ Harvesting
ISIS have begun harvesting human organs after a group of scholars ruled that the taking of organs from captives was allowed. The January 31st document says that taking organs from a living captive in order to save a fellow Muslim’s life is permissible. The Times Of India reports: Reuters couldn’t independently confirm the authenticity of the document. US officials say it was among a trove of data and other information obtained by US special forces in a raid in eastern Syria in May. “The apostate’s life and organs don’t have to be respected and may be taken with impunity,” says the ... more »
Islamic State leader Al-Baghdadi Threatens To Strike Israel
ISIL ‘chief’ Al-Baghdadi warns Israel: “We did not forget Palestine.” The leader of the Islamic Caliphate in Iraq and Syria has made a new audio announcement, warning the “crusaders” of the West, telling them to keep away from his turf. In his first public message in seven months Al-Baghdadi stated that: “soon you shall hear from us in Palestine.” The ISIL leader has not forgotten Palestine: “With the help of Allah, we will not forget it.” The Telegraph reports: In a rare public statement – his first in seven months – Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi said Western countries had “learned from” pr... more »
Untitled
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MOTHER JONES Charles H Kerr Publishing Company, Chicago, 1974 This is one of those 'should read' books that I should probably have read decades ago. Better late than never I guess. Mother (Mary) Harris Jones was one of the greats of the 'golden age' of American labor. It's a select company, Lucy Parsons, Big Bill Haywood, Joe Hill, Eugene Debs. Elizabeth Gurly Flynn, Ralph Chaplin, etc.: It's a bright galaxy to which she belongs. She may or may not belong to yet another exclusive club. She as born in Cork Ireland sometime in the 1830s. Today a monument to he... more »
The Islamic State Is Focused On President Obama And Not On Donald Trump
An ISIS propaganda video shows President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and Secretary of State John Kerry. *Business Insider*: *ISIS propaganda expert: The group 'talks about Obama more' than Donald Trump* During the Saturday-night debate on ABC News, Democratic front-runner frontrunner Hillary Clinton claimed that ISIS is showing people videos of Donald Trump "in order to recruit more radical jihadists." She then dubbed Trump, the Republican presidential frontrunner, "ISIS' best recruiter." Pundits debated the claim all weekend, and several fact-checkers ruled that ther... more »
Late Show Host Stephen Colbert Explains Trump’s Populist Appeal
[image: Stephen Colbert at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York City, New York (Photo by Jamie McCarthy)] NEW YORK (AP) -- Stephen Colbert may not respect much of what Donald Trump says, but he does admire the Republican’s ability to craft a message that many voters are responding to. “There is a populism to Trump that I... more »
Dec. 26:This is very long but,.....
...blessedly, only a tiny bit is about the Irving press. The Dec. 24 and 26 issues of the Irving press have only one item, whether news or commentary, worth reading. It's a commentary on our economic situation by Geoff Martin, a professor at Mount Allison. It's in the issue for Dec. 26, and it's on A 13. Professor Martin is the only person I've seen in the Irving press who is familiar with any economic thinking later than 1920. He's also a member of NB Prosperity Not Austerity Committee. Austerity makes recessions worse, far worse, not better. That was the great lesson of the 1930s.... more »
Two People Shot Dead In Latest Chicago Police Shooting
A 19-year-old was fatally shot in the early hours of Saturday morning when a Chicago police officer discharged his weapon at the scene of a disturbance in West Garfield Park on Chicago’s West Side. abc7 reports: The shooting happened at about 4:30 a.m. Saturday near West Erie Street and North Kilpatrick Avenue, officials said. One of the victims was 19-year-old Quintonio LeGrier, who she said was in college studying engineering, but had a mental illness, said his mother, Janet Cooksey. Police responded to the scene after the 19-year-old’s father called 911 saying that his son was ho... more »
Israeli Couple Arrested Trying To Sell Baby To Pay Gambling Debts
An Israeli couple have been arrested for trying to sell their three month old daughter to pay gambling debts. The couple from Jerusalem were detained after trying to sell the baby for 100,000 shekels ($26,000) The father “advertised” the child as healthy, but a physical exam showed that she was suffering from severe neglect. RT reports: “Meet your new daddy,” the father, 30, told his daughter giving her to an undercover police officer just a moment before he was arrested, Israeli media reported. His wife, 27, was also detained upon suspicion of helping and abetting her husband. Jeru... more »
Walmart is a Holy Land
[image: Holy Land] Rather than buy ourselves and our young adult children gifts this Christmas, we decided to walk the walk. You know. That walk where you stop indulging yourself with increasingly frivolous items and actually reach out to help others not as... Continue reading *“Walmart is a Holy Land”* at *wordcook.net*.
Jim Webb Hopes to Decide on Independent Bid by New Year’s
[image: Jim Webb] Former 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Jim Webb says he will announce by year’s end whether he will launch an independent bid. The former Virginia senator withdrew from the race in October following the first Democratic presidential debate, saying at the... Continue reading *“Jim Webb Hopes to Decide on Independent Bid by New Year’s”* at *washingtonexaminer.com*.
European Cities Warned of Possible Terror Attack, Say Vienna Police
[image: possible terror attack] An unnamed “friendly” intelligence service has warned several European cities of possible terror attacks, according to a statement released Saturday by police in Vienna, Austria. The attacks would involve explosives or guns and occur sometime between Christmas and New Year’s... Continue reading *“European Cities Warned of Possible Terror Attack, Say Vienna Police”* at *edition.cnn.com*.
California Wildfire Burns 1,200 Acres Northwest of Los Angeles, Closes Highway
[image: California wildfire] A wildfire northwest of Los Angeles burned about 1,200 acres of land, forced the closure of parts of a major highway and led to evacuations on Saturday, fire officials said. More than 600 firefighters battled the blaze in the Solimar... Continue reading *“California Wildfire Burns 1,200 Acres Northwest of Los Angeles, Closes Highway”* at *reuters.com*.
European Capitals Have Been Warned Of Possible Terror Attack Before The New Year
*Reuters*: *Austrian police say European capitals have been warned of possible attack* Vienna police said on Saturday a "friendly" intelligence service had warned European capitals of the possibility of a shooting or bomb attack before New Year, prompting police across the continent to increase security measures. "Several possible names of potential attackers were mentioned, which were checked, and the investigation based on (these checks) has so far yielded no concrete results," Vienna police said in a statement, some six weeks after 130 people were killed in Islamist bombing an... more »
What is Boxing Day and How Did it Get its Name?
[image: Boxing Day at the Toronto Eaton Center] LONDON (AP) -- In Britain and other countries like Australia and Canada, the day after Christmas is a secular national holiday known as Boxing Day. Here’s a brief look at some theories about how the holiday got its name and... more »
'Armed' Chinese Coast Guard Vessel Enters Japanese Waters
China Coast Guard vessel No. 31239 sails in the East China Sea near the disputed isles known as Senkaku isles in Japan and Diaoyu islands in China, in this handout photo taken and released by the 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters-Japan Coast Guard December 22, 2015. REUTERS/11TH REGIONAL COAST GUARD HEADQUARTERS-JAPAN COAST GUARD/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS *Reuters*:* Japan says armed Chinese vessel enters Japan waters* A Chinese coastguard vessel with what appeared to be gun turrets entered territorial waters claimed by Japan in the East China Sea, Japan's coastguard said on Saturda... more »
Your Rights And Quality Of Life When Republicans Rule: It’s Republican World! 2015 In Review-- Chapter Nine
*-by Noah* As the old saying goes, elections do have consequences. One need only compare two side by side states, Minnesota, rebounding under Democratic Governor Mark Dayton’s administration, and, Wisconsin, being run into the ground by the Koch brothers-backed Governor Scott Walker, who runs Wisconsin as if it was Bolivia or Uganda. Unfortunately, Wisconsin is, by far, not the only state whose citizens are at risk under Republican rule. Here’s a quick look at just a few of the 33 states that have a Republican governor and a matching state legislature. Next time you’re thinking ... more »
Is it over yet? Star Wars: The Force Awakens - A Movie Review
*Separated at birth?* *Star Wars Supreme Leader of The First Order - "Snoke"* *AND:* *Lord Jacob Rothschild* *a British investment banker and a member of the prominent Rothschild family* *Lord Rothschild has warned about the dark cloud on the horizon for the global economy, characterizing the geopolitical situation as the most dangerous since the end of World War II.**"We are confronted by a geopolitical situation perhaps as dangerous as any we have faced since World War II: chaos and extremism in the Middle East, Russian aggression and expansion, and a weakened Europe threatened ... more »
"Yes, you can stay in this stable because Islam welcomes all faiths"
A proud moment Given the recent *Eastenders *plot line involving Nancy and her nice Muslim boyfriend Tamwar storyline - where (so far) Tam has got to deliver a nice-if-somewhat-truncated verse from the Koran on one episode and Nancy has praised Islam for giving Tam "simplicity, peace and answers" on another episode - let's engage in a little Boxing Day fun and imagine a Christmas Eve *Eastenders *episode showing a Nativity play, involving the children of Albert Square. How would *that *turn out? Something like *this* maybe?: *Mary*: I'm tired. I need to sleep. *Joseph*: Don't worry... more »
Massive Landslide Goes Unnoticed In North America
Record breaking landslides could be taking place right now that are not being registered. One of the largest landslides in over 30 years went unnoticed in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness. Motherboard reports: One such event occurred last October, when 200 million metric tons of rock—the equivalent to the weight of 1,104,972 blue whales—slid off the side of a remote mountain in Southeast Alaska, sending debris flying and launching a tsunami large enough to be measured by a tidal gauge nearly 100 miles away. Only after the fact, with the aid of scientific equipment, have researche... more »
Animal Rights Groups Slam Queen For Wearing Fur Coat
The Queen ignored previous criticism from animal rights groups after arriving for a Christmas day church service in Sandringham, wearing a fur coat. The 89-year-old British monarch was pictured wearing an old fur coat before changing into a red coat and scarf by the time she made it to the church. The Daily Mirror reports: In the latest appearance she was seen sporting a brown fur coat as she arrived with members of the Royal Family for the private Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Norfolk. She wore the same coat to the event two years ago and came under fire fro... more »
MENA Report ( December 26 - 27 ) Iraq / Syria Regional War ( ISIS losing ground in both Iraq and Syria even as ISIS Leader al- Baghdadi releases audiotape lashing out at Israel / Russia / Syria / Iraq / The West and anyone else he could think of , battlefield and political updates of note ) Libya Updates ( Battlefield , political and ISIS updates of note )
Links ...... *Key Syrian Islamist Leader Killed in Airstrike* *Iraq PM: Mosul Is Next Target After Ramadi* *Corruption Fuels Afghan Losses in Helmand* *2,000 Islamist Fighters to Be Relocated From Metro Damascus* *ISIS Claims Counterattacks, Ambushes in Ramadi* *ISIS Claims Counterattacks, Ambushes in Ramadi* *German FM Defends ISIS War, Insists 'No Boots on the Ground'* Ramadi Battles Continue: 240 Killed Across Iraq US Reports 31 Strikes Against ISIS in Iraq and Syria Syrian Minister Says World Powers Must Stop Fighters Entering From Turkey and Jordan ... more »
Islamic State Leader Al-Baghdadi Says 'Caliphate' Well Despite Air-Strikes
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-proclaimed caliph of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. (File photo: Reuters) *The Telegraph*: *Islamic State leader Baghdadi goads West in rare audio statement* *In what is believed to be his first public message in seven months, Isil chief warns Israel attacks are imminent * The leader of the self-declared Islamic State issued a defiant message to the West last night, saying that “Crusader” did not dare fight on his turf. In a rare public statement - his first in seven months - Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi said Western countries had "learned from" previ... more »
Iraqi Army Spokesman: Iraqi Soldiers Close To Retaking Ramadi
*VOA*: *Spokesman: Iraqi Soldiers Close to Retaking Ramadi* An Iraqi army spokesman says Iraqi troops have pushed deeper into the heart of Ramadi, where they have been engaged in a weeklong offensive to take back a government complex from Islamic State militants after losing control of the city seven months ago. Recapturing the complex would tip the balance in Ramadi, once again giving the army control of the key city, which is the capital of Anbar province. But the neighborhood surrounding the complex is dotted with landmines. *More News On The Battle For The City Of Ramadi* Ira...more »
Thankfully Islamic State Sanctions Organ Trafficking... In the English language
*Ah ya. * This document is* not proof* that ISIS has harvested organs. Or trafficked human organs. This document just demonstrates, that a so called bunch of devout Islamists, who allegedly hate the infidels, *actually took the time to put paper to pen*, *in English,* *for everyone to read.* *Bullocks! * *Nice for perception management purposes, though.* [JURIST] U.S. special forces *obtained* a document [PDF] during a raid in eastern Syria sanctioning the harvesting of human organs. *Thank goodness the US special forces "obtained" this document. * *And the Jurist decided to associ... more »
Midday Musical Interlude: E.S. Posthumus, “Unearthed - Nara” (Theme to Cold Case)
E.S. Posthumus, “Unearthed - Nara” (Theme to "Cold Case") *Please click away the annoyingly rude advert.* “E.S. Posthumus is an acronym for "Experimental Sounds" while Posthumus is a Latin word that is meant to represent "all things past". E.S. Posthumus was formed in 2000 by brothers Helmut and Franz Vonlichten. They studied piano with their mother and produced cinematic, classical style music that intertwined popular style drum rhythms with orchestral and electronic sounds. After graduating from high school, Franz worked in recording studios while Helmut attended and graduated fro...more »
Fukushima Update: "Your Radiation This Week, Dec 19 to Dec 26, 2015"
*"Your Radiation This Week, Dec 19 to Dec 26, 2015"* By Bob Nichols * "I didn't say it would be easy. I just said it would be the truth."* - Morpheus (San Francisco) December 26, 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. *Thirty-two (32) American cities topped 1,000 CPM this week. There wer... more »
Local Council By-Election Results 2015
Party Number of candidates Total vote % +/- 2014 Average/ contest +/- 2014 +/- Seats Conservative 236 202,496 31.0% +1.9% 838 +358 +19 Labour 225 197,453 30.2% +1.1% 878 +308 -6 LibDem 165 63,550 9.7% -1.7% 385 +75 +1 UKIP 164 53,067 8.1% -6.9% 324 -64 -11 Green 134 31,936 4.9% +0.2% 238 +37 -2 SNP* 32 59,095 9.0% +6.3% 1,847 +862 +4 Plaid Cymru** 22 7,657 1.2% -0.7% 348 +147 0 TUSC 15 878 0.1% ... more »
The Man That Could Save Ramadi & Fallujah From ISIL & Sectarianism
Defeating ISIL in Iraq requires coordination between the Sunni tribes and the Shiite dominated Iraqi government. Rudaw reports: There might be a man who could save Ramadi The city of Ramadi could actually be free by the end of the year. The offensive for Ramadi started almost immediately after the city fell to the Islamic State (ISIS). It has been in progress since May but without any progress. At times it went so slowly and so many soldiers had amassed in the outskirts of the city without doing anything that even the Pentagon became frustrated and said it would withdraw support for... more »
“A New Washington Spending Spree Is About to Begin: The Drums Of War”
*“A New Washington Spending Spree Is About to Begin:* * The Drums Of War”* by Jim Rickards "War has existed as long as civilization (perhaps longer) and shows no signs of disappearing soon. Veterans and affected populations know the horrors of war firsthand. Even the casual student of history is acquainted with the trauma and tragedy of war. The great irony of armed conflict is that few welcome war but it happens anyway through a complex mix of accident, ambition, revenge, and escalation. The world has been a mostly peaceful place since the end of the Cold War in 1991. Yet peace is ... more »
Dyson vs 8 Aryan MIT scholars and Lindzen's comments on the exchange
*The unbearably low standards in "basics of science" at MIT* The Boston Globe recently published an exchange between legendary physicist Freeman Dyson and eight of his opponents who are employed by MIT, including a quark expert and a string theorist: Misunderstandings, questionable beliefs mar Paris climate talks ------------------------------ So much more is understood about climate change than skeptic admits The second, anti-Dyson text was written by the hurricane opportunist Kerry Emanuel and by Robert Jaffe, a veteran of quark theory, and it was signed by 6 more MIT employees. In... more »
Kurdish Soldiers And American Special Forces Have Conducted A Raid On An Islamic State Base In Iraq Near Hawija
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *Rudaw*: *Kurdish-American commandos raid ISIS base near Hawija* Erbil, Kurdistan Region—Kurdish and American commandos raided an Islamic State (ISIS) base near Hawija Friday night, killing a number of militants and capturing others, Kirkuk police said. Brigadier Sarhad Qadir of the Kirkuk police told Rudaw that at 11:00 pm Friday night Kurdish commandos backed by American special forces stormed an ISIS court in the town of Riyadh east of Hawija where they killed a number of militants in the ensuing firefight. Brig. Qadir said some militants were capt... more »
Severe Flood Warnings Prompt Evacuations In Parts Of UK
Heavy rain has caused more flooding in northern England, with hundred of people evacuated from their homes in Lancashire and Yorkshire. The British Army has been mobilized in some areas and rivers are overflowing in Manchester and Leeds. Damage has included the destruction of a former pub in Greater Manchester, and a large hole has appeared in the M62. Roads across North Wales have also been closed and the police have urged residents to refrain from traveling. According to the BBC there are now more than 300 flood warnings in place across England, Scotland and Wales – 22 of them s... more »
Okinawa Sue Japanese Gov’t Over Plans For New US Military Base
The governor of Okinawa has filed a lawsuit to block the central government’s plan to relocate a key U.S. military air base within the southern island prefecture. The Okinawa government plans to bring the case to the Naha District Court in early January. RT reports: A relatively small island, Okinawa hosts more than half the US troops in Japan “We will resort to every possible measure and will not allow the new base to be built in Henoko,” Governor of Okinawa Takeshi Onaga told a press conference on Friday, as quoted by Japan Today. Onaga’s lawsuit adds to an ongoing legal war with ... more »
Racist Woman Mistakens Brazilian Born US Veteran For A Terrorist
A disturbed repugnant racist woman in Florida mistakes two Brazilian Americans for terrorists and goes on to attack them and the Middle East in an obscene way. According to the video description by UH-OH MONKEY: While filming a YouTube comedy skit in front of a local airport, a racist woman stopped her vehicle on the side of the road and started calling my friend and I terrorists. Being that I’m an aspiring filmmaker, I pulled out my camera and started recording the incident. I served the U.S Air Force and I honestly never thought this would happen to me. WARNING: Strong language It... more »
What the authorities won’t tell you about the floods
Guest Post by Philip Walling Author of Counting Sheep, Philip Walling This article was originally published in the Newcastle Journal earlier this month: Amid all the devastation and recrimination over the floods in Cumbria hardly anybody mentions one factor that may not be the sole cause, but certainly […]
Evacuation of Militants From Yarmouk Refugee Camp On Hold After Rebel Leader Killed
*DW:* *Damascus: Plan to evacuate militants from Yarmouk put on hold* *A plan to evacuate thousands of militants and civilians from rebel-held districts of Syria's capital has been put on hold. It comes a day after an airstrike killed a Syrian rebel leader in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta.* Lebanon-based Hezbollah's Manar TV reported that as part of the UN-sponsored plan, vehicles were supposed to give the fighters safe passage to Raqqa - the de facto capital of the 'Islamic State' group in northern Syria. But the deal was suspended after Zahran Allouch's death, as the convoy was ... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And editorials -- December 26, 2015
*Daniel Schearf, VOA*:* Putin’s Policy Expands Russia’s Influence, But at a Cost* MOSCOW - Russia’s airstrikes in Syria thrust it to the center of global efforts to tackle terrorism, refugees and a peace deal with Damascus. "In the beginning of the year, Russia had no say in world affairs, with exception of the point where it was completely necessary, absolutely necessary to resolve the crisis created with its participation,” said Alexander Baunov with the Carnegie Moscow Center. "By the end of the year, we see that Russia’s place in the world is pretty much different." Russia sa... more »
Grassroots Support For Bernie Keeps Pushing Hillary To Take More Progressive Stands On Issues
Hillary's kitchen cabinet wants her to stop talking about all those Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren "left-wing" issues and start pivoting towards the center-right where they believe the presidential election will be won. They're not comfortable that Bernie's campaign has been forcing her hand on issue after issue after issue, from Wall Street reform, campaign finance reform, Global Warming and college financing to the TPP, medical marijuana and, most recently, deportations, a subject her brain trust doesn't want her talking about in the primary, so she'll sound more credible in... more »
Iraq & Syria Could Be Permanently Broken Up As Failed States
Next month’s peace talks in Geneva to resolve the Syrian conflict could fail because the U.S. has no coherent policy in putting back together the broken nation’s of Iraq and Syria. Voice of America reports: One major problem, according to current and former intelligence and military officials, is that U.S. policy has simply not adjusted to the complex realities on the ground. “I haven’t seen any indication that the U.S. has a coherent plan for dealing with failed states,” former CIA Director James Woolsey told VOA. “I don’t think the Obama administration has developed one.” Woolsey ... more »
Protomartyr St. Stephen and Boxing Day...
*two very different observations. * And that's all I have to say about that. If you celebrate Boxing Day, have a happy. If you observe St. Stephen, set aside some special prayers for the millions of Christians being persecuted across the world. They are legion. Question: Do people really spend today returning gifts and shopping for after Christmas bargains? How odd.
Important Health News: United Kingdom Researchers Claim Fluoride Can Cause Bone Cancer, Call For Halt In Putting It Into Drinking Water
Yes, Christmas is now over.. And now back to writing articles here.... I do periodically bring forward important health news at this blog for everyone to see for themselves... In this war against our minds, it is important to understand that the criminals involved are also poisoning and destroying our bodies as well..... I have been researching the dangers of Fluoride to our bodies for years now... I have previously shown clear evidence here in many articles about how Fluoride is indeed a neuro-toxin that has been damaging our brains and causing our children in this generation to ha... more »
NYU's Online Teacher Prep for the Poor
NYU announced last week that the university will begin selling an online teacher prep Masters program that is aimed at the poor and brown school children of America. Not to worry, though, NYU's Steinhardt School will continue to provide real professional teacher undergrad degrees to those students who have plans to teach in Westchester County or some other white enclave within America's leafiest suburbs. No doubt NYU plans to make a lot of money on this internship-based online program, and no doubt some of the millions of non-profit dollars that the University rakes in will be used... more »
Guatemala: A UFO Crash at Mataquescuintla?
*Guatemala: A UFO Crash at Mataquescuintla?* *By I.I.E.E. (Instituto de Investigaciones Exobiológicas)* Within the UFO phenomenon, saucer crashes have a special halo. The best one of these is the one that took place in 1947 in Roswell, New Mexico, but as time goes by, new cases emerge which still amaze us, and this is the episode which we shall analyze in this section. It occurred in the small country of Guatemala and is confirmed by the information in our possession. The main witness – Mrs. Maria Candelaria Hernández – was around 74 years old at the time, leading us to believe tha... more »
Always Remember This Man
Boxer Muhammad Ali went to jail rather than be drafted in the US Army to fight in Vietnam: "My conscious won't let me go shoot my brother, or some darker people, or some poor hungry people in the mud for big powerful America. And shoot them for what? They never called me nigger, they never lynched me, they didn't put no dogs on me, they didn't rob me of my nationality, rape and kill my mother and father... Shoot them for what? ...How can I shoot them poor people, Just take me to jail." What Muhammad Ali said about the Vietnam war could be applied just as much to the wars Barack Ob... more »
The Whole Thing is a Facade
They cover the US electoral dog-and-poney-show with truth and spirit. This discussion should be held over every table in the nation.
World News Briefs -- December 26, 2015
*Reuters:* *Skirting booby traps, Iraqi troops close in on Islamic State redoubt in Ramadi* Iraqi troops have pushed deeper into the heart of the last remaining district held by Islamic State in the city of Ramadi, despite being slowed by bombs and booby traps, army spokesmen said on Saturday. Recapturing Ramadi, which fell to the militants in May, would be one of the most important victories achieved by Iraq's armed forces since Islamic State swept across a third of the country in 2014. Soldiers advanced overnight in the Hoz neighborhood that houses the provincial government com... more »
Box Office: Star Wars Makes Christmas History; Daddy’s Home, Joy Strong
[image: Star Wars] The continuing might of Star Wars: The Force Awakens is making for a very merry Christmas at the North American box office. According to early returns, Force Awakens could earn $35 million-$47 million from 4,134 theaters on Friday, blasting past... Continue reading *“Box Office: Star Wars Makes Christmas History; Daddy’s Home, Joy Strong”* at *hollywoodreporter.com*.
Can a Dry Country Like Israel Quench the World’s Thirst?
[image: Israeli desert] Water: the sign of salvation, the portal to purity, the source of simcha. It is an inescapable part of Jewish practice, a recurring motif throughout the religious life of a Jew. Jews beseech God daily to make the winds blow... Continue reading *“Can a Dry Country Like Israel Quench the World’s Thirst?”* at *forward.com*.
What, We Worry?
http://crosswordcorner.blogspot.jp/ After consuming Christmas turkey and stuffing, we turn to making New Year's resolutions. Keeping the resolutions is always a problem. But at least we make them. After their defeat in October, the Conservatives have had no trouble keeping new resolutions -- because they haven't made any. Michael Harris writes: The Harper era is over. The surest way to take up permanent residence in the political wilderness is to pretend otherwise. And that is exactly what the party is doing by continuing to shirk its res... more »
Cloning Giant CEO: ‘We Won’t Make Frankensteins,’ for Now
[image: China cloning] BEIJING -- The head of a Chinese firm that is building the world’s biggest animal cloning factory has vowed not to use the technology on people -- for now, at least. Biotech company Boyalife Group’s $30 million facility in the... Continue reading *“Cloning Giant CEO: ‘We Won’t Make Frankensteins,’ for Now”* at *nbcnews.com*.
Day 11 Future Generations Ride
Thank you to Ken Marchionno and Future Generations Riders for sharing photos with Censored News. On the trail from the site where Chief Big Foot was killed to Wounded Knee. Photo 4 Peace Walkers 300 Miles Future Generations website http://300-miles.org/OT/index.html
Couple Seeking to Undo Their Divorce Get Turned Down
[image: divorce un-divorce] CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- Should those irreconcilable differences suddenly become reconcilable, don’t go looking to get un-divorced in New Hampshire. The state’s Supreme Court this month upheld a lower court ruling refusing to vacate a New Castle couple’s 2014 divorce... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- December 26, 2015
A Su-34 multifunctional strike bomber of the Russian Aerospace Force takes off from the Hemeimeem Air Base in the Syrian province of Latakia. © Dmitriy Vinogradov / Reuters *RT*:* Pentagon refuses to share intel on ISIS until Moscow’s stance on Assad changes* Washington will not share intelligence data on Islamic State positions in Syria and will not accept Moscow’s offer to cooperate on rooting out terrorism until Moscow changes its position on Syrian President Bashar Assad’s future, the Pentagon said. Ever since the start of the Russian campaign in Syria in late September, Mosc... more »
Weekend reads: NFL, NIH butt heads on concussion research; should all papers be anonymous?
The week at Retraction Watch featured our annual roundup of the year’s top retractions for The Scientist, a retraction from Science, and claims about a book Aristotle never wrote. Here’s what was happening elsewhere: The NFL won’t fund a much-vaunted research project into concussions as planned, says ESPN. “In this paper I argue that by […] The post Weekend reads: NFL, NIH butt heads on concussion research; should all papers be anonymous? appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Emissions Pulse at Fukushima Daiichi
At 23:41 December 26 we see an emissions pulse at Fukushima Daiichi: The screenshot above is during the pulse. 10 minutes later the pulse is over: Some sort of truck has been parked at the Futaba intersection for the 20 minutes I've been watching: Where's the nitrogen TEPCO?
Former Anglican Leader Hits Donald Trump-Style Anti-Muslim Scaremongering
[image: Dr. Rowan Willams] Former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams has hit out at Donald Trump-style politics for ramping up terrorism fears in a New Year message from Cambridge. Now Master of Magdalene College at Cambridge, the former leader of the Anglican Church... Continue reading *“Former Anglican Leader Hits Donald Trump-Style Anti-Muslim Scaremongering”* at *cambridge-news.co.uk*.
Lockerbie, Libya & Bloody Human History
[image: Gaddafi - 900] A Libyan bomb blew up New York-bound Pan Am Flight 103 out of the sky over Lockerbie, Scotland 27 years ago this week, killing all 259 aboard. Many of them were traveling with wrapped Christmas gifts for their families in... more »
Retired Jewish Businessman Saves Atlantic City Church at Christmas
[image: Jewish businessmans gift] A retired Jewish businessman from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, has given away a parcel of land valued at up to a quarter of a million dollars to an Atlantic City church. James Horowitz, 82, was planning to sell the vacant parcel... Continue reading *“Retired Jewish Businessman Saves Atlantic City Church at Christmas”* at *forward.com*.
Floods In The North West
By Paul Homewood http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/weather/12068981/UK-weather-severe-flood-warnings-as-rivers-burst-banks-live.html More bad weather for the North West, although this time just slightly south of Cumbria, which has been worst hit this month. It is tragic for anybody whose homes have been flooded, so it is particularly insensitive and insulting when the Floods Minister, Rory Stewart, tries to link it […]
Islamic State Ranks Are Being Filled By Young Followers From The West
*Wall Street Journal:* *French Children Add to ISIS Ranks* *Some young men and women leave France to start families in Syria, according to those who study the radicalization of French residents* NICE, France—Valérie Aubry-Dumont got the news in a WhatsApp message from deep inside Islamic State territory. “Mom, you’re going to be a grandmother,” wrote her teenage daughter, Cléa. When Ms. Aubry-Dumont last saw her daughter, Cléa was a 16-year-old girl attending Catholic school in a Paris suburb. After a breakup, Cléa met a young man online and within months the couple fled France to... more »
Economic News , Data & Views ( December 26 , 2015 ) Boxing Days Items To consider ( Refugee and European Border Control Items Of Note , Data Splash For the Day , Essay From French Journalist Expelled By China , Turkish Sarin Transfer Items , Daimler Threatens Group Regarding Emissions Tests , Spain In Focus - Election Aftermath / Wave Of Forest Fires / El Corte Ingles Takes On Amazon , G8 's Changing Face - The Future Portends Interesting Changes for G8 , Odds & Ends )
Europe...... *fred walton* @fredwalton216 17s 18 seconds ago Muslim prayer hall damaged, copies of Koran burnt in overnight rampage in Corsica — RT News https://www.rt.com/news/327126-co rsica-anti-muslim-violence/#.Vn81If_MlTQ.twitter … *fred walton* @fredwalton216 2m 2 minutes ago Dozens take part in fresh anti-Muslim protest in Corsica after attack on prayer hall (VIDEO) — RT News https://www.rt.com/news/327164-an ti-muslim-corsica-protest/#.Vn80eZgUk9U.twitter … *RT* @RT_com 1m 1 minute ago Refugee center in Germany hit with Molotov Cocktails http:... more »
Another *grassroots* industry-funded Con tank
Canadian Cynic wonders how the astroturf/fundraiser actiontank *Conservative Voice*, according to their own website, can manage to juggle : "Conservative Voice believes that Canada needs an organized, non-profit voice *financed by industry* to ensure that the Canadian political landscape remains in balance" with : "*Funded and supported by citizens* who cherish individual freedom, free markets, and smaller government." Good question. They also declare : "Conservative Voice is independent of all political parties." The sole director for Conservative Voice listed at Industry Canad... more »
Cruz Has Top Surrogate Brent Bozell Tell Right Wing Extremists Herr Trumpf Will Soon Be Roadkill
That's how Trumpf sees it... but Trumpf's an idiot Herr Trumpf spent Christmas Eve tweeting about Bill Clinton's *schlong* and about how he's going to beat Hillary in November, probably unaware of how forces inside the Republican Party are aligning to deny him the opportunity to win a GOP nomination he assumes is "in the bag." And I'm not even talking about the weak establishment hacks like Jeb, Kasich, Rubio, Christie and their media and billionaire-backers who apparently don't even collectively have the strength to fight their way out of an already-shredded paper bag. But, as we've... more »
Religion and Republicans
[image: people in church - 900] About 15 years ago, on Christmas Eve, our family departed from the traditional American Jewish observance of the holiday (ordering Chinese takeout) and elected to find an open restaurant. We drove to the local city center (or what passes for...more »
Bowe Bergdahl: Taliban Captors Asked Me How Troops Get Prostitutes, Whether Obama’s Gay
[image: bergdahl2] The current season of the popular podcast Serial is tackling the Bowe Bergdahl case, and in the newest episode this week, Bergdahl shared some of what his Talbian captors did to him and asked him. Bergdahl has been charged with... Continue reading *“Bowe Bergdahl: Taliban Captors Asked Me How Troops Get Prostitutes, Whether Obama’s Gay”* at *mediaite.com*.
No Chance to Celebrate Christmas in Sudan, Crackdown on Christians Continues
[image: Sudan Christians Christmas mass-400] Few Christians in Sudan will enjoy Christmas this year as government authorities continue to crackdown on churches and parishioners alike. Just a week before Christmas, security forces arrested Reverend Kowa Shamaal and Reverend Hassan Abdelraheem from the Sudan Church of... Continue reading *“No Chance to Celebrate Christmas in Sudan, Crackdown on Christians Continues”* at *allafrica.com*.
Obama Expresses Gratitude to U.S. Soldiers, Says He Feels ‘Small’ Working Out Beside Marines
[image: US President Barack Obama speaks to members of the US Marines, their loved ones and others to celebrate the holidays during Christmas Day at Marine Corps Base Hawaii December 25, 2015 in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Obama and the First Family are in Hawaii for vacation.] KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii (AP) -- President Barack Obama is one of the most powerful men in the world. He’s commander in chief of one of its mightiest militaries, too. Yet in spite of all that, Obama feels inadequate from time... more »
Late-Night Earthquake Hits Afghanistan
[image: Pakistani relatives tend to an earthquake survivor as he is treated at a hospital in Peshawar on December 26, 2015. A 6.2 magnitude earthquake rocked northeast Afghanistan late December 25 close to the country's borders with Pakistan and Tajikistan, leaving at least 30 people injured, according to the US Geological Survey.] KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- At least 12 people were injured in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province after an earthquake jolted the country just before midnight Friday, officials said on Saturday. A number of Nangarhar University students in the provinci... more »
Dave Barry’s 2015 Year in Review
[image: 2015] Sometimes we are accused -- believe it or not -- of being overly negative in our annual Year in Review. Critics say we ignore the many positive events in a given year and focus instead on the stupid, the tragic,... Continue reading *“Dave Barry’s 2015 Year in Review”* at *miamiherald.com*.
This Rep Wants to Make Sure That Christians and Yazidis Massacred by ISIS Get Priority Refugee Status
[image: Rep. Dana Rohrabacher] This Christmas season, GOP Rep. Dana Rohrabacher is promoting a bill he introduced in November granting priority refugee status to Christians and Yazidis -- two minorities targeted for genocide by the Islamic State. Rohrabacher, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe,... more »
This Christmas, take heart: Capitalism is saving the world
By Paul Homewood http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/greenpolitics/developingworld/12068973/This-Christmas-take-heart-Capitalism-is-saving-the-world.html Slightly off topic, but this piece in the Telegraph from Fraser Nelson does have wider implications: Did you know that someone dies of malaria every 60 seconds? You may do, if you’ve seen one of the latest Christian Aid posters picturing an African girl staring fearfully at the […]
"Of course it is not as simple as that"
From this morning's *Today *programme on BBC Radio 4: *Katya Adler** (BBC Europe editor)*: It feels at the end of this year like a Europe closing in on itself. Also emotionally and politically, because the effect of this chaotic manner that refugees and others have flooded across Europe, the feeling that millions more are coming, the terrorist attacks, it has led a lot of people to look at migrants with suspicion - especially since at least two of the gunmen in Paris appear to have come back into Europe by pretending to be refugees. Also an awareness that most of these attackers a... more »
Islamic State Lost 14% Of Its Territory In Iraq And Syria In 2015
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *New York Times*: *ISIS’ Territory Shrank in Syria and Iraq This Year* The Islamic State has lost 14 percent of the territory it held in January, according to an analysis by IHS, a defense research firm. Airstrikes and ground offensives have forced the group to withdraw from some areas, but it has also made new gains. *Kurds Advance in the North* Islamic State had some of its most significant losses in northern Syria. Kurdish forces, backed by air support from the American-led coalition, regained control of some areas near the Turkish border. But the ... more »
Maybe They Don't Want to Hear.....
Latest film by Regis Tremblay about the US occupation of Okinawa. Please watch and share. The Pentagon has more than 30 bases on Okinawa today making it an unsinkable aircraft carrier and obviously a key target as Washington moves to militarily encircle China and Russia. The people's resistance (since 1953) to US bases in Okinawa is an inspiring story about determination and love. You can help them win this fight!
Untitled
*Can a good teacher be bad for you?* In asking the above question, I am suggesting a paradox. And I think the answer is mostly No. But I want to give a small story about when good teachers were bad for someone I know. He went to a private school and private schools usually have the best teachers. Why? Because private schools are more orderly and have brighter students, two things which are not unconnected. Why are the students brighter? Because you need a fair bit of money to send a kid there and people with more money generally have more brains too -- as the much execrate... more »
Unseasonably Warm Weather Continues to Cause Storms — Tornadoes and Flooding in Alabama
[image: tornado storm clouds b&w] BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- Residents in northern Alabama were warned to be alert for moderate to severe flooding Saturday, a day after a tornado briefly touched down in the state’s most populous city but caused only a hint of damage.... more »
China Expels French Reporter Who Questioned Official Line on Ethnic Unrest
[image: French journalist Ursula Gauthier, a reporter for the French news magazine L'Obs, holds a statement criticizing her from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs as she sits at her desk in her apartment in Beijing, Saturday, Dec. 26, 2015. China said Saturday it will not renew press credentials for Gauthier, effectively expelling her following a harsh media campaign against her for questioning the official line equating ethnic violence in the western Muslim region with global terrorism. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)] BEIJING (AP) -- China said Saturday that it will not renew ... more »
Booming Britain to become world's fourth largest economy as France and Italy face G8 exclusion per The Telegraph
The Telegraph reports http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/12068319/Booming-Britain-to-become-worlds-fourth-largest-economy-as-France-and-Italy-face-G8-exclusion.html that 'Britain will reach the "giddy" heights of the fourth largest economy in the world, leapfrogging Germany and Japan over the next two decades, new analysis shows. The UK is set to become the best performing economy in the western world over the next 15 years, boosted by its leading position in global software and IT sectors, according to a report by the Centre for Economics Business and Research.' Oddl... more »
Untitled
*Another brain-dead food shortage scare* *Greenies have been making false prophecies of food shortages for years now. Even Hitler did it. And I have often rebutted them. In brief: The world's internationally-traded food problem has for a long time been glut; Warming would open up new agricultural land in Canada and Russia; Warming should cause more evaporation from the oceans, thus giving MORE rainfall, not less. A prediction of flood might make some sense but a prediction of water shortage makes no sense at all* Widespread water shortages caused by rising global temperatures c... more »
Top Syrian Rebel Military Commander Killed In Air-Strike In Damascus Suburb
*VOA:* *Top Syrian Opposition Leader Killed in Airstrike* The head of one of Syria's most powerful rebel groups has been killed in an airstrike east of Damascus. Syrian rebels and the government said Friday that Zahran Alloush, founder of the Army of Islam, was killed in a raid that targeted the group's headquarters in Eastern Ghouta, a suburb of Damascus. Alloush's death is a significant blow to the armed opposition, bolstering President Bashar al-Assad ahead of new peace talks scheduled for early 2016. *More News On the Death Of Syrian Rebel Commander Zahran Alloush* Powerful S... more »
Nigella talks dirty
I know that I've posted this video before but it's surely worth a repeat at Christmas time!
A Review of Newsnight's 2015
Oh! *Newsnight*'s final edition of the year was a look-back at 2015. Its choice of panel says a good deal about the programme under former *Guardian *deputy editor Ian Katz, being strikingly left-leaning and having a pronounced arts bias. It consisted of Germaine Greer, Gary Younge of the *Guardian*, Labour-supporting Josie Rourke of the Donmar Warehouse, and Conservative peer and *Times *columnist Lord Finkelstein. With three of the guests holding views that ranged across pretty similar parts of the contemporary Left and just one representing the Right (and doing so from a fi... more »
And there were BBC journalists abiding in the fields...
Some Christmas traditions - decking the halls with boughs of holly; singing old carols; eating, drinking and being merry; complaining that Christmas has become too commercialised; watching The Queen and Morecambe and Wise, etc - have been around for many a long year now. Others are more recent, such as BBC Middle East correspondent Yolande Knell's pre-Christmas piece from Bethlehem where she uses the Christmas story to paint Israel as the modern-day Herod. It first got going four years ago when she did a heart-tugging piece called *Bethlehem's modern-day nativity characters* feat... more »
Mark Mardell surpasses himself
Thank you to the commenter who pointed out on an earlier thread a staggering example of sustained pro-immigration bias on *The World at One *last week, courtesy of Mark Mardell and George Alagiah. They were discussing economic migration. I agree with the commenter's criticisms completely and would urge you to read the comment in full (if you haven't already done so). In summary, however, George Alagiah presented a thoroughly one-sided report on the issue, using nothing but pro-mass immigration advocates: - Leonard Doyle from the International Organisation for Migration - UN ... more »
"We are diamonds taking shape...."
turn your magic on Umi she’d say everything you want’s a dream away and we are legends every day that’s what she told me turn your magic on, to me she’d say everything you want’s a dream away under this pressure under this weight we are diamonds now I feel my heart beating I feel my heart underneath my skin and I feel my heart beating oh you make me feel like I’m alive again alive again oh you make me feel like I’m alive again said I can’t go on, not in this way I’m a dream that died by light of day gonna hold up half the sky and say *only I own me* and I feel my heart beating ... more »
Fully God, Fully Human
[image: iStockJesusInManger] TOM GILSON -- Christmas endures as the celebration of God coming to be one of us: fully God yet also fully human. When Jesus came He entered a world like today’s in many ways: brutality was common, injustice was routine, idolatry was rampant,... more »
Ex-Burundi Military Officer Declares A Rebel Movement Has Been Formed To Oust President Nkurunziza
*DW*: *New rebel group vows to overthrow Burundian president* A former senior officer in Burundi's army said that he and other army officers have formed a rebel movement known as the Republican Forces of Burundi to remove President Nkurunziza from power. The new rebel group's main objective is to protect Burundians who are being killed because they are protesting the violation of the country's constitution by President Pierre Nkurunziza who extended his time in power, said Lieutenant Colonel Edouard Nshimirimana, who was in charge of military transmissions and communications befor... more »
Met Office Warn Cold Weather Could Return In February
By Paul Homewood The Met Office 3-month outlooks more often than not tend to be pretty bland affairs, as of course our weather is most of the time. One of my criticisms in the past has been that they usually fail to spot the more extreme events that come our way, such as the […]
GAIA PORTAL: Pathways of abundance are now inlaid to Gaia energetics
*Pathways of abundance are now inlaid to Gaia energetics* by ÉirePort Pathways of abundance are now inlaid to Gaia energetics. Mental pathways for hu-manity are cleared and prepared for higher discoveries. Somatics are eliminated in due process. Flairs of possibilities present to all. Combinings are approved. ÉirePort | December 26, 2015 at 09:09 | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/p2sFUY-wM
China's Goal Of Resurrecting The Old Silk Road Trade Routes Is Facing Obstacles From Numerous Countries
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *New York Times:* *China Plans a New Silk Road, but Trade Partners Are Wary* *Beijing’s effort to revive ancient trade routes is causing geopolitical strains, with countries like Turkey increasingly worried about becoming too dependent on China.* ANKARA, Turkey — As tensions in the Mideast and Ukraine rose in recent years, Turkey moved to jointly manufacture a sophisticated missile defense system. The $3.4 billion plan would have given Turkey’s military more firepower and laid the foundation to start exporting missiles. But Turkey abruptly abandoned t... more »
ZEAD great circles connecting USS San Francisco fake crash location to 2004 Tsunami, MH370 & other mega disasters.
Editor: Repost on the 11th anniversary of the 2004 Tsunami. USS San Francisco was involved in the black ops 2004 Tsunami, offshore Sumatra (by BK Lim 2011). Worth reading to unravel the truth of other ZM2H disasters like the Malaysian MH370 and the Australian Montara Oil Spill disasters. BK Lim's findings were made prior to the compilation of the ZEAD great circles in 2014. More to come from several analyses made by several other writers. This serves as a preliminary introduction. Look at the ZEAD (great circles) lines connecting all these disasters. While it is understandable for ... more »
Studies On How Other Countries Employ Women In Combat Raises Questions On US Policy And Direction
US Military: 'Women Are Very Much In Combat' -- The Guardian *Rowan Scarborough, The Washington Times:* *Marine Corps study finds few women in combat in other nations’ militaries* As the Obama administration pressed the military to end all sex segregation, the Marine Corps decided to see for itself how other countries employ women in direct combat — and it has amassed some surprising results over the past two years. In Canada, where a ban was lifted in 1989, the number of women in combat arms remains low and there are no specific physical requirements for any jobs in the Canadian ... more »
New Scientists Rediscover Planet X
This confirms that there is plenty of junk out there and that a planet is a possibility once you are far enough out. We simply do not know how serious such an object may be. Imagine a debris ring shaped like Saturn's rings out beyond the Kuiper belt. Just how would we detect that? All this makes a planet sized object a possibility and throws open many possibilities. . *New Scientists Rediscover Planet X* *by Ancient Code* *http://humansarefree.com/2015/12/new-scientists-rediscover-planet-x.html#more* *According to reports from two separate teams of researchers from Sweden... more »
Consuming Milk and Dairy Linked to the Development of Parkinson’s Disease
This is a nonsense headline as the work described hardly shows any form of causality. It does somewhat support a much broader argument that infers chemical exposure as a core risk factor but even that is wishful. Recall that milk consumption has actually been declining while the disease has been rising. We really do not have a good answer at all and the disease is likely to be cured long before we do.. . *Consuming Milk and Dairy Linked to the Development of Parkinson’s Disease* * By WakingTimes December 11, 2015* *Alex Pietrowski, Staff* *Time magazine just published t... more »
Study Finds Cannabis is Much Safer Than Alcohol or Tobacco
We have known as much for years, but now science has the green light to confirm the real stats around Maijuana once and for all. It still needs to be regulated but we also know that its impact is way less than alcohol and established regulation for alcohol and cigarettes should work very well. Let us not make it difficult now. * Study Finds Cannabis is Much Safer Than Alcohol or Tobacco* *Steven Maxwell, Contributor* *December 11, 2015* *Waking Times* * http://www.wakingtimes.com/2015/12/11/study-finds-marijuana-is-much-safer-than-alcohol-or-tobacco/* * With the battl... more »
San Bernardino Attackers’ Friend Spoke of ‘Sleeper Cells’ Before Rampage
Tactics 101 suggests that you apply the protocol as often as you can and if possible coordinate attacks. These attacks are sponsored and that means that we have so called sleeper cells. except all that means is that they are preparing attacks. Otherwise they will go stale as life catches up to them. These folks must be financed and supplied with weapons in such a way as to not arouse suspicion. That takes decent support not least in order to reinforce the necessary mindset. I really do not believe these folks can be described as shoot and forget. Our best real defense is t... more »
World Poverty Index (1820 - 2015)
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *WNU Editor*: Mankind has certainly progressed a long way in 200 years .... I can only imagine what the world will look like 200 years from now. *Hat Tip *to *Rantburg* for this link.
Military Photo of the Day: December 26, 2015
[image: Operation Linebacker II - 900] United States Air Force B-52 bombing crews at Andersen Air Base in Guam being briefed on the U.S.’s final major aerial bombing campaign in North Vietnam, Operation Linebacker II. – Wikimedia Commons On December 13, North Vietnamese negotiators walked out... more »
11 Chilling Predictions For What The World Will Look Like In 10 Years
*Business Insider*: *Stratfor has 11 chilling predictions for what the world will look like in 10 years* Earlier this year, private intelligence firm Strategic Forecasting, or Stratfor, recently published its Decade Forecast in which it projects the next 10 years of global political and economic developments. While international analysts often try their hand at predicting the major events of the coming year, Stratfor believes that it's identified the major trends of the next 10. In many ways, Stratfor thinks the world a decade from now will be more dangerous place, with US power w... more »
Picture Of The Day
U.S. service members cheer as they prepare to view the first showing of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Dec. 22, 2015. The Army and Air Force Exchange Service partnered with Walt Disney Studios to give troops a chance to see the movie from a deployed location. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Robert Cloys
Aside From The Legalistic Bribes, What Makes Politicians Tick?
Not long ago a NBC News/*Wall Street Journal* poll asked respondents about their own incumbent Member of Congress: "In the next election for U.S. Congress, do you feel that your representative deserves to be reelected, or do you think that it is time to give a new person a chance?" Only 35% thought their Member had earned reelection. 57% said it is time for a new person. (So far, Blue America has only endorsed 10 House incumbents for reelection, the ones who *do* merit reelection.) We've never endorsed a Republican, although we came close in 2012 when Grand Rapids and Battle Creek... more »
These Major Military Events Occurred On Christmas Day
British and German troops meet in no man's land on Christmas Day, 1914. *Business Insider*: *5 momentous military events that took place on Christmas Day* Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays on earth. But that doesn't mean that conflicts simply freeze every December 25th. Here's a look at some of the major military events that have fallen on Christmas, a date with a surprisingly rich history. *WNU Editor:* For me it is a political even that I will always remember....a day after Christmas (December 26, 1991) .... in Moscow .... in Red Square .... with my father .... s... more »
US Gun Company To Make Pistols Using A 4.5-Billion-Year-Old Meteorite
Cabot Guns will fasion a pair of pistols, like the ones pictured here, from a 35-kilogram chunk of meteorite. *CNN*: *Gunmaker to forge $1 million pistols from a meteorite* High-end handgun maker Cabot Guns is making a pair of pistols from a meteorite. Cabot Guns announced that its "extra-terrestrial pistols" will be forged from a meteorite as old as the Earth itself, and could sell for as much as $1 million at auction next year. "It hasn't been done before and that's the kind of thing that drives me," said Cabot founder and president Rob BiaNchin in an email to CNNMoney. "I thin... more »
The Best & Worst Gifts (And Gift-Givers) Of Christmas
*Zero Hedge*: *Pets Suck But Jewelry Rocks - The Best & Worst Gifts (And Gift-Givers) Of Christmas* "Anyone who has studied microeconomics knows... that an income transfer, as opposed to a gift in-kind, gets you to a higher level of utility," but as WSJ reports, putting theory under the tree is another matter. After years of studying the economics of gift-giving, economists have found that some gifts are valued more highly than others, and that some gift-givers seem to be better than others... *WNU Editor*: The "Hot" item for this Christmas was to get a gun .... *Guns top Christm... more »
UK Report: Muslim Brotherhood Members Must Be Considered Potential Extremists
*The Independent*: *David Cameron: Muslim Brotherhood members must be considered potential extremists but group should not be banned* Prime Minister finally publishes conclusions from long-awaited report into Muslim Brotherhood David Cameron has said members of Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as potential extremists but stopped short of banning the group as he set out the conclusions of the long-awaited government report on the organisation. The group, which played a central role in Egypt’s 2011 revolution, is considered a terrorist organisation by a number of countries... more »
Polls and other comments
@FormosaNation tweeted some TVBS polls showing Tsai with a strong lead over Chu and most importantly, with leads among independent voters (center image) and in the north (second from bottom), the traditional geographic stronghold of the KMT. Chu's poll numbers are not significantly better than former reactionary KMT candidate Hung Hsiu-chu. Things are so bad that shockingly even Kinmen, long a KMT fief, is in play this election. Solidarity has a great piece on the China Policy Institute blog that discusses the legislative election. Speaking of Hung, I've been chatting with my stude... more »
Musical Interlude: Leonard Cohen, “Hallelujah”
Leonard Cohen, “Hallelujah” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIuCwnnDq8k "Now I've heard there was a secret chord That David played, and it pleased the Lord. But you don't really care for music, do you? It goes like this The fourth, the fifth The minor fall, the major lift, The baffled king composing Hallelujah... Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Your faith was strong but you needed proof. You saw her bathing on the roof. Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you. She tied you to a kitchen chair She broke your throne, and she cut your hair. And from your lips she drew the H... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
"This helmet-shaped cosmic cloud with wing-like appendages is popularly called Thor's Helmet. Heroically sized even for a Norse god, Thor's Helmet is about 30 light-years across. In fact, the helmet is actually more like an interstellar bubble, blown as a fast wind from the bright, massive star near the bubble's center sweeps through a surrounding molecular cloud. Click image for larger size. Known as a Wolf-Rayet star, the central star is an extremely hot giant thought to be in a brief, pre-supernova stage of evolution. Cataloged as NGC 2359, the nebula is located about 15,000 light... more »
Chet Raymo, "Shaving Close"
*"Shaving Close"* by Chet Raymo "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life," wrote Thoreau famously in Walden. The trick, of course, is knowing what is essential. What was essential for Thoreau - the pond, the bean patch, the sounds of night - might not be essential for, say, the ballerina, or the contemplative monk, or the doctor in Darfur. It is what Thoreau said next that unites them all: "I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not li... more »
“Loving Each Other”
*“Loving Each Other”* by Leo Buscaglia “Emotional detachment, maintaining our distance from others, is being prescribed as a solution for avoiding pain. Neglect and abuse of children and the aged is a growing problem. Social and religious institutions, which in the past helped to set standards of behavior and brought people together in companionship, are actively downgraded. Individualism, independence, and personal freedom are valued above love, commitment, and cooperation. Examining the complex nature involved in loving each other (the dynamic and everchanging nature of two or mo... more »
"The True Dream..."
“Maybe we accept the dream has become a nightmare. We tell ourselves that reality is better. We convince ourselves it’s better that we never dream at all. But, the strongest of us, the most determined of us, holds on to the dream or we find ourselves faced with a fresh dream we never considered. We wake to find ourselves, against all odds, feeling hopeful. And, if we’re lucky, we realize in the face of everything, in the face of life the true dream is being able to dream at all.” - Dr. Meredith Grey, "Grey's Anatomy"
Free Download: Hermann Hesse, "Siddhartha"
"Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse "Siddhartha" is a novel by Hermann Hesse that deals with the spiritual journey of a boy known as Siddhartha from the Indian Subcontinent during the time of the Buddha. The book, Hesse's ninth novel, was written in German, in a simple yet powerful and lyrical style. It was first published in 1922, after Hesse had spent some time in India in the 1910s. It was published in the U.S. in 1951 and became influential during the 1960s. Hesse dedicated "Siddhartha" to Romain Rolland, "my dear friend". The word Siddhartha is made up of two words in the Sanskrit ... more »
"Promise Me..."
“Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” - Christopher Robin to
The Daily "Near You?"
Van Buren, Arkansas, USA. Thanks for stopping by!
The Poet: Carl Sandburg, "What Shall He Tell That Son?"
*"What Shall He Tell That Son?"* "A father sees a son nearing manhood. What shall he tell that son? 'Life is hard; be steel; be a rock.' And this might stand him for the storms and serve him for humdrum and monotony and guide him amid sudden betrayals and tighten him for slack moments. 'Life is a soft loam; be gentle; go easy.' And this too might serve him. Brutes have been gentled where lashes failed. The growth of a frail flower in a path up has sometimes shattered and split a rock. A tough will counts. So does desire. So does a rich soft wanting. Without rich wanting nothing arrives. ... more »
Poor Jeb... $38 Million In Mediocre TV Ads And He Now Has Less Support Than Christie And Rand Paul!
Blue America stopped making TV ads a couple of cycles ago when we found that they're a tremendous waste of money and don't move the needle much-- if the deceitful networks even run them in their entirety (which they rarely do.) TV ads are a tremendous rip off but the political operative class makes all their money from them-- especially corrupt operations like EMILY's List and the DCCC, which force (literally *force*) their candidates to sit on the phone begging for money all day and then turn it over to DCCC and EMILY's List-related consultants and companies which take gigantic r... more »
Luke’s Story of Jesus’ Birth: A Story Subverting Kings
[image: Francis kissing image of Jesus] Luke’s Christmas story provides the interpretive key for reading the entire Gospel narrative. The life and ministry of Jesus unfold as a tale of rival kings and rival visions of the good life. From the beginning of his public work,... Continue reading *“Luke’s Story of Jesus’ Birth: A Story Subverting Kings”* at *latimes.com*.
Child Vaccine Mandate, Minimum Wage Hikes and More Taking Effect in New Year
[image: 2016 new laws pic] New sex ed and child vaccine mandates, higher minimum wages and relaxed pot penalties are among the new state and local laws sweeping into effect next week when the new year arrives. . . . The most immediate and noticeable... Continue reading *“Child Vaccine Mandate, Minimum Wage Hikes and More Taking Effect in New Year”* at *foxnews.com*.
Justice Department Postpones Asset Forfeiture Program Payments
[image: gun money mob mafia] WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Justice Department said this week it is putting off payments “for the time being” to local law enforcement agencies that participate in the federal asset forfeiture program. The move comes after Congress recently took $1.2 billion... more »
How ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’ Was Made
[image: Kermit as Bob Crachit] Then we stopped and reconsidered. Nobody had ever captured Dickens's prose - the wonderful way he described the scenes. So we had to put Charles Dickens in the movie. Who's the least likely character to be Charles Dickens? Gonzo! So... Continue reading *“How ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’ Was Made”* at *theguardian.com*.
Daesh Fighters Turn In Heavy Weapons Near Palestinian Camp
Daesh and al-Nusra fighters have started surrendering their heavy weapons in the southern Damascus district of Yarmouk. According to a military source, UN representatives and Syrian army engineers have begun accepting heavy weapons from Islamic militants at the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee Camp on Thursday. Sputnik reports: “The militants who have given up their weapons will be taken toward Beer al-Qasab, an eastern suburb of Damascus, with their families,” the military source told RIA Novosti. A total of over 3,500 fighters and their family members have so far agreed to leave the su... more »
US Shopping Mall Gunman Identified As Rapper ‘Donkey Cartel’
The gunman who was killed by an off duty police officer after opening fire at a US shopping mall on Christmas Eve, has been identified. He was convicted criminal and rapper, Daquan Antonio Westbrook, aka ‘Donkey Cartel.’ The Daily Mail reports: Westbrook, 18, reportedly got into an argument with a group of men at a Journey’s store inside the Northlake Mall in Charlotte, and stormed after them while pulling out a gun from inside his pants – a moment one shopper managed to get a photo of in the middle of the terrifying incident. Once he left the store at least one off-duty officer, Th... more »
Should Israel Go To War Against Lebanon If Hezbollah Attacks?
Former national security adviser Maj. Gen. (ret.) Giora Eiland. (Flash90) *Times of Israel:* *If Hezbollah attacks, go to war with Lebanon, ex-national security adviser urges* ‘In addition to Hezbollah targets, we should also attack Lebanon’s army, airports, seaports and other strategic assets,’ argues former IDF operations chief Giora Eiland If Hezbollah attacks Israel in retaliation for the alleged Israeli assassination of terror chief Samir Kuntar, Israel should direct its own response not at Hezbollah alone, but at the state of Lebanon in which it operates, former National Sec... more »
Merry Xmas From Our House to Yours
This is our Charlie Brown Xmas tree, with all the presents beneath it. Although I'm extremely critical of Amazon, I have to admit their Gift Wish List is a godsend. This is Popeye in his usual homicidal frenzy, for which he didn't need cat nip this year. He'd been in my grill since yesterday when I was wrapping presents. If you don't think dogs and cats have the minds of three year-olds, try wrapping presents around this one some Xmas. One of the few times Popeye was able to contain himself and sit still for a picture today. He is more into Xmas than any cat I've eve... more »
FFWN: “Boozing, pot-smoking Islamic fundamentalists wreak havoc”
Article: “Boozing, pot-smoking Islamic fundamentalists wreak havoc” TODAY’S NEWS STORIES AND THEIR SOURCE LINKS *PSAs* 1) Introducing Tony Hall: Constitutional lawyer Rocco Galati: Canada is a Quiet Dictatorship, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcSCLYBQqRw 2) ANOTHER French False Flag nearing publication http://anotherfrenchfalseflag.blogpsot.com *Paris & San Bernadino False Flags* 3) Police stopped Europe’s most wanted terrorist THREE times in the hours immediately after the Paris attacks but he was released every time according to his getaway driver http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar... more »
Ousted Russian Orthodox Church Cleric Assails Russian Elites
[image: OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA] MOSCOW (AP) -- A conservative priest who lost his high-level job at the Russian Orthodox Church assailed Russia’s “immoral elites” Friday and predicted a national catastrophe if the country fails to allow free public discussion. Father Vsevolod Chaplin, who headed... more »
6.2-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Northern Afghanistan and Pakistan
[image: 6.2-magnitude earthquake] KABUL -- A 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit northern Afghanistan and Pakistan late on Friday, two months after more than 300 people were killed by a quake in the same mountainous region. Strong shocks were felt in the Afghan capital Kabul at... Continue reading *“6.2-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Northern Afghanistan and Pakistan”* at *nbcnews.com*.
Grim Life for Christians in Muslim Pakistan
[image: Pakistan on map] According to many human rights activists, this list is far from complete: “the State Department has seemed unwilling to recognize the grave unspeakable abuses of religious freedom in a number of Muslim-dominated countries that the USCIRF [U.S. Commission on International... Continue reading *“Grim Life for Christians in Muslim Pakistan”* at *gatestoneinstitute.org*.
ISS Astronaut Dials Wrong Phone Number From Space
Dialing the wrong phone number is not just an earthly occurrence. A British astronaut confined to the boundaries of outer space managed it on Christmas. Canoe News reports: British astronaut Tim Peake tweeted an apology on Christmas Day from the International Space Station after calling a wrong number. He wrote “I’d like to apologize to the lady I just called by mistake saying ‘Hello, is this planet Earth?’ — not a prank call — just a wrong number!” I’d like to apologise to the lady I just called by mistake saying ‘Hello, is this planet Earth?’ – not a prank call…just a wrong number... more »
Israeli Defense Official: Hezbollah Has 100,000 Rockets And Is Developing A Naval Warfare Capacity
Smuggled Iranian missiles (illustration)Yehuda Ben Itach/Flash 90 *Algemeiner:* *Hezbollah Developing Naval Warfare Capacity, Arsenal Has 100,000 Rockets, Says Senior Israeli Defense Official* Hezbollah has more than 100,000 rockets in its arsenal, Israeli Maj. Gen. (res.) Amos Gilad told Israeli news website nrg in an exclusive interview on Friday. Gilad, who is director of the Political-Military Affairs Bureau at the Israeli Defense Ministry, also told nrg that the Lebanese-based terrorist group and archenemy of Israel’s has been building up its capacities for naval warfare, inc... more »
BREAKING NEWS: Santa Shot Down After Violating Turkish Airspace
*Hat Tip*: Theospark
Untitled
*Opec faces a mortal threat from electric cars (!)* *I don't believe it but the Business Editor of the Telegraph has drawn together below a great range of optimistic prophecies which claim that electric cars will become the normal car in the near future. But prophecies are a dime a dozen in economics and are mostly wrong. The key of course is a big leap in battery capacity but that is only a promise so far.The author below could easily have quoted problems which puncture his balloon but he prefers to talk only of do-gooder prophecies. Just off the top of my head:T... more »
Imprisoned Washington Post Journalist Celebrates Part of Christmas with Family
[image: Washington Post journalist] (CNN) -- Imprisoned Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian got a surprise Christmas gift Friday while being held in an Iranian prison. The Washington Post journalist, who has been held captive for more than 500 days by the Iranian government, was able to... Continue reading *“Imprisoned Washington Post Journalist Celebrates Part of Christmas with Family”* at *cnn.com*.
Islamic State Releases New Video Showing Extreme Acts Of Violence In Afghansitan
VOA Screengrab *VOA:* *IS Video Shows Group's Extreme Violent Acts in Afghanistan* ISLAMABAD - Loyalists of Islamic State (IS) in Afghanistan released a new video Friday showing a massive suicide car bombing of an Afghan security outpost and several other violent acts elsewhere, including some carried out in neighboring Pakistan. The purported IS video released to reporters, titled “Khurasan, The Graveyard of Murtadeen (apostates),” shows footage of militants ambushing a convoy of Pakistani security forces traveling through a mountainous terrain, firefights with security forces el... more »
"The Last Good Time..."
"It doesn't have to be the last good time. But sooner or later the last good time would come around. It does for all of us." - Stephen King *Remember now... remember.* 2002, “Remember Now”
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 25, 2015
*Inside Story/Al Jazeera*: *The fight for Ramadi: A turning point against ISIL?* Iraqi forces continue their offensive to take back key city in Anbar Province. For months, the Iraqi government has promised a major offensive to retake cities held by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group. And in the last week it has begun to deliver on that pledge by moving to win back the city of Ramadi. As the capital of Iraq's Anbar province, Ramadi lies in the heartland of the country's Sunni population. It is less than 100km west of Baghdad. *Commentaries, Analysis, And Edito... more »
Rafael “Ted” Cruz In his Own Words: It’s Republican World! 2015 In Review-- Chapter Eight
*- by Noah* With so much media attention being focused on the grotesque megalomania and downright dementia of current Republican poll leader Herr Donald Trumpf, Rafael “Ted” Cruz of Texas by way of Canada has somewhat flown under the radar. But, that is changing. With “Ted” rapidly ascending the polls in the party’s contest of nutcases running for their presidential nomination, it’s time to take a close look at Cruz. Harvard educated “Ted” Cruz is not stupid. Do not make that mistake. He has argued cases in front of the Supreme Court. He also has put together a very good ground ... more »
World News Briefs -- December 25, 2015
*Daily Mail:* *Pope Francis calls for the world to unite against 'brutal acts of terrorism' in Christmas message which offered thanks to those countries who have come to the aid of migrants* * Francis, 73, spoke to thousands inside the grand St Peter's Basilica during his only public mass over Christmas * Argentina born Pontiff urged Christians to abandon their superficial desires and embrace the 'essential ways of life' * Children from countries that Francis has visited as pontiff were invited to watch him speak at 16th Century church * As the bells of the basilica rang out, Franci... more »
“The Sun Is Always Shining: Remember the Sun”
*“The Sun Is Always Shining: Remember the Sun”* by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM “If darkness has fallen, we know that the sun is still shining at this very moment somewhere not too far away. There are times when gloom or darkness causes us to momentarily lose sight of the light. Although it is at these times when the thought of the sun can help us. Its warm, glowing rays brighten even our thoughts, and it’s good to remember that despite appearances the sun is shining right now. We may not be able to see it at this very moment, but if clouds block our view, they are only filtering the... more »
"Just Think..."
“Remember when your curiosity inspired your investigative mind to explore and learn? You weren't bogged down with resentment, cynicism, and emotional baggage. Just think about how great it would be to return to that mindset of unencumbered learning and adventurous living. You are just one choice away from that life. Choose to let go of the infertile past... go live your adventure!” - Steve Maraboli
There’s No Entry Fee: Pope Francis on Christmas
[image: Pope Francis child sex abuse] The feast of Christmas is a resounding reminder of the history and revelation of God who came to tell us that he is here, as it says so beautifully in the book of Revelation: He “stand[s] at the door and... more »
The GMO Issue: False Claims, Pseudo Analysis And A Politically Motivated Agenda
Global Research, RINF, CounterPunch, Countercurrents Request for support - click here Critics of GM promote pseudo-science, make false claims based on ignorance and are driven by politically motivated ideology. The actions of these affluent elitists effectively deny food to the hungry. They are therefore committing crimes against humanity. If you follow the GM issue, no doubt you’ve heard this kind of simplistic, tired and predictable diatribe before. A good deal of the debate surrounding GMOs involves attacking critics of the technology who voice genuine concerns and put forward ... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- December 25, 2015
*CNN*:* Russia, Taliban share intelligence in fight against ISIS* Washington (CNN)Russian President Vladimir Putin is turning to an old enemy -- the Taliban -- to share intelligence as the number of ISIS fighters grow in regional neighbor Afghanistan. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the contact between Moscow and the Afghan Taliban only involves intelligence-sharing and information exchange regarding the fight against ISIS. Why would Putin put himself in a risky spot by working with the Taliban? He's aligning himself with the enemy of his enemy. A U.S. c... more »
Brutal Ugliness of Militarism
Here are some words from another member of the Veterans For Peace delegation that went to Jeju Island. Russell did not travel with us to Okinawa but stayed in Gangjeong village for five more days after our group left. Russell is an Associate member of VFP. (Pictured above are some of the UNESCO-recognized soft coral forests just off the coast of Gangjeong village. As the sea-bed is dredged to allow US warships to port there the sediment is killing the coral. Who is willing to speak out to defend the coral? Russell Wray did.) *Our visit to Gangjeong village made very real for... more »
The Battle For The Afghan Town Of Sangin Is Intensifying
*Al Jazeera*: *Afghan and Taliban forces trade blows in Sangin battle* *At least 20 civilians killed in past 24 hours, officials say, as Afghan special forces re-take police headquarters.* Afghan special forces troops are locked in an intense battle with Taliban fighters in Afghanistan's strategic Sangin district, after re-taking some government buildings from the armed group, officials said. At least 20 civilians have been killed during the past 24 hours of fighting, local council officials told Al Jazeera on Friday morning. The fight for control of the town in southern Afghanist... more »
The Grasshopper Shall Be a Burden
*"...And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, who come of the giants. And we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.”* *Numbers 13:33* *“Am I the only one who knows? I'll bet I am; nobody else really understands Grasshopper but me - they just imagine they do.”* *― Philip K. Dick, * *The Man in the High Castle* *"They..!! THEY!!* *I remember... It started.... With THEM!! But I couldn't see anything but them... Like you took out of that hole... With the eyes, and the horns - creatures!! But they were alive - hopping, and running! Hundreds o... more »
December 24th 1979
Soviet troops, in Afghanistan by invitation, were not engaged in any military action, insisted the deputy chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and president of the Tadzhik Republic. They were assisting the Afghan Army in forming its units and helping to deal with "*bandits*" entering Afghan territory. Radio Kabul was officially telling it, meanwhile, *"subversive and foreign elements and spies working under the command of their foreign masters" were killing, burning, blowing up, and terrorizing peaceful Afghans.* *Christian Science Monitor* " Before Ponomarev made an unof... more »
White House Continues To Resist Changes To Its Rules Of Engagement Against The Islamic State
A pair of U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles fly over northern Iraq after conducting airstrikes in Syria, in this U.S. Air Force handout photo taken early in the morning of September 23, 2014. (Reuters/U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Matthew) Washington Post:* As bombing in *Syria intensifies, a debate about the rules of engagement President Obama’s order to intensify air attacks in Syria has led to new internal debate over whether to loosen tight restrictions on strikes against Islamic State targets that risk civilian casualties, according to senior administration officials. But so... more »
Russia Intensifies Its Bombing Campaign Against The Islamic State's Oil Facilities And Transport Trucks
*RT*: *Russian intel spots 12,000 oil tankers & trucks on Turkey-Iraq border - General Staff* Russian intelligence has spotted up to 12,000 tankers and trucks on the Turkish-Iraqi border, the General Staff of Russia’s armed forces has reported. “The [aerial] imagery was made in the vicinity of Zakho (a city in Iraqi Kurdistan), there were 11,775 tankers and trucks on both sides of the Turkish-Iraqi border,” Lieutenant-General Sergey Rudskoy told journalists on Friday. *WNU Editor:* 12,000 oil tankers on the Turkish-Iraqi border?!?!?!?! I do not know if that number is correct, bu... more »
Report: Islamic State Sanctioned Organ Harvesting Document Taken in US Raid
[image: organ harvesting] Islamic State has sanctioned the harvesting of human organs in a previously undisclosed ruling by the group's Islamic scholars, raising concerns that the violent extremist group may be trafficking in body parts. The ruling, contained in a January 31, 2015... Continue reading *“Report: Islamic State Sanctioned Organ Harvesting Document Taken in US Raid”* at *reuters.com*.
T. S. Eliot’s The Journey of the Magi
[image: magi] It starts out in the cold, at the “worst time of year,” and ends with a stab into the heart of life lived “at ease here, in the old dispensation.” Nevertheless -- or perhaps precisely because of that cold beginning and... more »
2016 Dems Turn on Obama Admin over Reported Deportation Raid Plans
[image: 694940094001_4674700656001_122415-sr-rosen-1280] The Obama administration already is facing a backlash from the Democratic presidential candidates over reported plans to launch deportation raids as early as next month. The Washington Post first reported that the Department of Homeland Security is preparing to launch... Continue reading *“2016 Dems Turn on Obama Admin over Reported Deportation Raid Plans”* at *foxnews.com*.
Pro-Assad Forces Declare Victory as Islamists Surrender Position in Damascus
[image: Damascus] Two thousand Syrian Islamist fighters are expected to be evacuated soon from besieged, rebel-held areas of southern Damascus in a deal brokered by the United Nations, a Hezbollah TV station said on Friday. The deal marks a success for the... Continue reading *“Pro-Assad Forces Declare Victory as Islamists Surrender Position in Damascus”* at *jpost.com*.
Suspected Arson at Bill Clinton’s Birthplace
[image: Bill Clinton's birthplace] Arson is suspected in a blaze that heavily damaged the birthplace of Bill Clinton early Christmas morning, reports CBS Shreveport, Louisiana affiliate KSLA-TV. Continue reading *“Suspected Arson at Bill Clinton’s Birthplace”* at *cbsnews.com*.
Syria War News Updates -- December 25, 2015
*Daily Mail:* *Hundreds of wounded ISIS fighters and their families are allowed to leave rebel-held areas of Damascus for treatment after negotiating deal with Assad’s government* * ISIS fighters and families given safe passage from areas near Damascus * The groups, including injured fighters, are currently in rebel-held areas * The aim is believed to be to end ISIS's presence near the Syrian capital Hundreds of families of ISIS fighters, as well as some injured jihadis are expected to leave rebel-held areas in Damascus, Syria under a UN-brokered deal, a monitoring group said on Thu... more »
Has Ted Cruz Already Joined Speaker Ryan's War Against Evangelical Christians?
Early Wednesday Sarah Palin tweeted a Neil Munro post at Breitbart about the Republicans (Paul Ryan) giving away the store in the Omnibus. Paul Ryan has been trying to cover his ass for compromising and not shutting down the government in his first month as Speaker, primarily by serially tweeting about how the repeal of the Oil Export ban is "like having 100 Keystone pipelines" and how there will be no "new funding" for Obamacare. What a message! And still not good enough for the right-wing extremists who feel they didn't just lose their country but have now lost their party. In f... more »
Iraq Prime Minister: After The Recapture Of Ramadi The Iraqi Army Will Retake Mosul
*Reuters:* *Iraqi forces to retake Mosul from Islamic State after Ramadi secured: PM* BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's armed forces will move to retake the major northern city of Mosul from Islamic State once they capture the western city of Ramadi, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Friday. Capturing Mosul would deprive the militant group of its biggest population center in both Iraq and Syria, effectively abolishing the state structure of IS in Iraq, depriving it of a major source of funding and dealing a blow to its influence. The capture of Ramadi would give the army a major psy... more »
The Battle For The Iraqi City Of Ramadi Continues - News Updates December 25, 2015
*Reuters*: *Iraqi forces consolidate position in Ramadi ahead of final push against Islamic State* Iraqi troops who have fought their way deep into the Islamic State stronghold of Ramadi were consolidating their positions on Friday ahead of a planned final assault to capture the city.Soldiers were clearing bombs from roads and homes in districts of Ramadi they had already taken since launching their assault on the city on Tuesday, state TV said. Successfully recapturing Ramadi, a provincial capital in the fertile Euphrates River valley just two hours drive from Baghdad, would be o... more »
Yemen Is The World's Worst Humanitarian Crisis
This is the main road in the city of Sadaa. Saudi-led airstrikes have destroyed every building on the southern part of the road. Many of those buildings were once shops. Rawan Shaif/GlobalPost *Sharif Abdel Kouddous, Global Post:* *Yemen is now the world’s worst humanitarian crisis* HUDEIDAH, Yemen — The second floor of the dialysis clinic here looks more like a refugee camp than a kidney treatment center. A few dozen patients have been living here for days, sleeping on either plastic chairs or the grime-covered floor. They are waiting for treatment but the clinic's machines are n... more »
The Scandal of Cadbury's Heroes
Ravi has captured the imagination of all progressive humanity and rendered a huge service with his Fair Celebrations campaign, an exposure of the shifty practices of the Mars Corporation. Well, below is irrefutable proof of *shared shiftiness* across corporate lines. Cadbury, the diminishing subsidiary of Kraft Foods, are also at it. Terrible. As it happens, I'm a fan of Eclairs and glad to see the Caramels diminish in number. But c'mon, 16 Dairy Milks versus *three* Twirls. Words do not exist. It's time this nonsense ended. I urge all readers to repeat this exercise with whatev... more »
Watch US Troops Sing ’12 Days of Christmas’
[image: 12 Days of Christmas] Defense Secretary Ash Carter and his wife Stephanie are celebrating the holidays by singing "The 12 Days of Christmas" with service members stationed abroad. Continue reading *“Watch US Troops Sing ’12 Days of Christmas’”* at *thehill.com*.
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