English: Cases of PTSD and Severe Depression Among U.S. Veterans Deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan Between Oct 2001 and Oct 2007 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Age-standardised disability-adjusted life year (DALY) rates from Post-traumatic stress disorder by country (per 100,000 inhabitants). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Regions of the brain affected by PTSD and stress. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Has A Cure For PTSD Been Found?
DEA *PsyPost*: *PTSD-related study finds a single dose of MDMA helps conditioned fear go extinct* Researchers have discovered that MDMA — commonly known as ecstasy or molly — speeds up the extinction of the conditioned fear response in mice. The findings help explain why the psychedelic drug is of benefit to people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Clinical studies have found that using MDMA as an aid during psychotherapy resulted in long-lasting improvements in PTSD symptoms. But Matthew Young of Emory University and his colleagues wanted to understand the psycholog... more »
U.S. Intelligence Raises A Warning On Russia's Newest Cruise Missiles
© Ministry of defence of the Russian Federation *IBTimes*: *Amid Russia Military Buildup, US Intelligence Report Warns Of New Russian Cruise Missiles* Russia is overhauling its navy by expanding deployment of non-nuclear cruise missiles that can hit targets at land and sea by employing supersonic speed and evasive maneuvers, a U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence analysis concluded. The military buildup could "present continuing challenges to U.S. and allied naval forces," the intelligence report noted. The KALIBR-class missiles that will be installed on vessels such as corvettes, or... more »
Obama Silent On Turkey’s Mass Genocide Of Kurds
The Ministry of Defense have accused tat the Obama administration of ignoring the systematic genocide of Kurds in Turkey by President Erdogan’s brutal regime. A report circulating the Kremlin warns that Turkey is close to breaking into a civil war, and that the Kurdish people are being slaughtered en masse in a style similar to Nazi Germany. Whatdoesitmean.com reports: With Turkey’s Kurdish population being the largest ethnic minority in that country numbering between 14-22.5 million [Note: Turkey forbids an exact census of these people.], this report continues, Turkey considers th... more »
New Advert Shows U.S. Army Preparing For Martial Law
The U.S. Army’s latest advertising campaign features soldiers using shields used for domestic riot control, suggesting that the U.S. military are preparing for martial law. With the economy looking set to collapse, urban riots are a very real possibility in the near future. Though the military are constitutionally barred from attacking U.S. citizens, their ad shows that they are preparing to take action against the American people. Worldwar0.com reports: Watch the ad; the riot shield appear from about :10-:13 seconds in: The overall surface message of the commercial is intended to ... more »
Erdogan Praises Hitler’s Germany For ‘Effective Government’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is pushing for constitutional reforms in Turkey, seeking greater executive powers for the President, citing Hitler’s Germany as an example of an effective government to critics of his plans. On Friday, after a return visit to Saudi Arabia, Erdogan answered a question posed by a reporter who asked whether Turkey could maintain an unitary structure whilst having an executive Presidential system. “There are already examples in the world. You can see it when you look at Hitler’s Germany. There are later examples in various other countries,” Erdoga... more »
Putin Announces Plans To Counteract NATO’s Threat To Russia
President Putin has signed a decree approving of a new national security strategy to deal with the ever-increasing threat NATO pose to Russia. The National Security Strategy of the Russian Federation says that it is concerned with the build up of NATO’s military. The document says “The buildup of the military potential of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and vesting it with global functions implemented in violations of norms of international law, boosting military activity of the bloc’s countries, further expansion of the alliance, the approach of its military infrastr... more »
China, Russia Join Forces In Fight Against ISIS
Russia and China have agreed to join forces militarily in the fight against ISIS and terrorism, as the Chinese National People’s Congress passed the “On Combating Terrorism” law on December 27. The Russian Foreign Ministry have announced, “We proceed from the fact that the Chinese partners have taken an important step towards the creation of a solid legal framework to effectively combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations“. Tass.ru reports: “The contents of the document, in our view, testify to the fact that China in its development relied on the basic norms and principles... more »
Obama Admits Most World Leaders Are Insane
President Barack Obama has revealed that world leaders are mostly all “out of their minds” in an interview with comedian Jerry Seinfeld. During the seventh season of Jerry Seinfeld’s online show ‘Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee’, the President took the comedian on a tour of the White House, talking candidly about his role as Commander-in-Chief. Seinfeld asked Obama the question, “how many world leaders do you think are just completely out of their mind?”. Surprisingly Obama answered bluntly, “A pretty sizable percentage“. Sputniknews.com reports: “Part of what happens is these guys... more »
Kim Jong-un Announces North Korea ‘Ready For War’ In New Speech
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has revealed that his country is ready for war if provoked by outsiders, in his annual New Year’s speech on Friday. In his address, Kim says that North Korea needs to increase its “political and military might in every way”, according to the Korean Central News Agency. Usatoday.com reports: “The year 2015 was a year of gigantic struggle recorded with significant events and eye-opening successes and a year of victory and glory that strikingly demonstrated the dignity and might of socialist Korea,” Kim said in the 30-minute televised speech. “We will c... more »
Wiretaps Reveal Netanyahu Bribed Republicans To Sabotage Iran Deal
NSA wiretaps have revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bribed American legislators in exchange for their support to sabotage Obama’s nuclear peace deal with Iran. A report by the Wall Street Journal reveals that the Israeli PM and other government officials in Israel bribed Republicans in exchange for their support against the peace deal. Occupydemocrats.com reports: “A U.S. intelligence official familiar with the intercepts said Israel’s pitch to undecided lawmakers often included such questions as: “How can we get your vote? What’s it going to take? Mr. Netanya... more »
Before Google Earth The CIA Had Their Own Version
EarthViewer images of Pine Valley, California circa 2004. *Tech Insider:* *The CIA had amazing mapping technology way before Google* Before we used Google Earth and Google Maps to find our way, the CIA used similar tools for spy missions in Iraq. The earliest version of the CIA's satellite imagery software, called EarthViewer, was actually invented at the turn of the millennium. Starting in the early 2000s, the CIA used it to pinpoint movement in Iraqi warehouses or camps, since it showed topography changes over time. EarthViewer looked pretty different from modern-day Google Earth... more »
Will there ever be a great white running back in the NFL again?
Watching the performance of Stanford's sophomore running back, Christian McCaffrey, in the Rose Bowl, it seems possible that for the first time in decades there might be a good white running back in the NFL. Unlike most great white college running backs of recent vintage, McCaffrey has NFL speed. He uses that on explosive runs from scrimmage, catching passes and returning kicks. In the Rose Bowl today, he stood out from all the others on the field, as ESPN reported: *"Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey, already the holder of the NCAA single-season all-purpose yardage rec... more »
Feds Double Down on Threats and Extortion
If you know any of those folks who bought the NPE, NEA, AFT, and FairTest propaganda about the end of federal mandates, test and punish, etc, please send this along to them. School districts where more than 10 percent of students miss required statewide exams for a second consecutive year will lose funding and may have their performance ratings downgraded. The state Department of Education decided on the penalties after the U.S. Department of Education directed Connecticut and 12 other states to come up with plans to deal with high numbers of students that missed the annual exams... more »
Welcoming the New Year with a Foot High Coil of Fresh Italian Sausage...
*ready to be twisted off into links, frozen, and vacuum sealed.* I'm hoping this will last the year. Is it lots of work? Kind of, but worth it to know exactly what's in your sausage and being able to use your very own spice blend. This was two pork butts from Costco. Including the casing and spices the total cost is still less than $2.00 per pound.
Great New Article By Gilad Atzmon: Chosen By God - Jewish Religions And The Prospect Of Dissent
In this fight against the enemy, one needs to fully understand that enemy and how they think... I do my best from time to time to bring forward important articles to help my own readers understand and try to rationalize the thinking processes of the so called "chosen ones", the tribal members that follow the sick and twisted religion called Judaism.... And right now, I have found a real good one! I have long been a follower of Gilad Atzmon, who of course is himself Jewish but has been working in trying to give us all an full understanding of the criminal nature of his "tribe".... Hi... more »
Here Is Some Cool Military Tech Coming In 2016
Photo: Network Integration Evaluation Katie Cain *We Are The Mighty:* *The Coolest Military Tech Coming In 2016* *America’s troops have cool gear coming their way in 2016. Here’s a look at some of it:* *1. The first Ford-Class supercarrier will take to the seas* The PCU Ford will join the fleet in 2016. It will be the largest and most expensive warship to ever float and features a number of technological improvements over its predecessors. Electromagnetic catapults allow it to more quickly launch aircraft and it has better generators for powering sensors, weapons, and other necess... more »
Rahm Emanuel: Dangerous Internal Enemy Of Our Country
I've been on Rahm-watch since 2005 and I can't imagine there's *any* chance he'd resign as mayor of Chicago unless it was part of a plea deal to keep him out of prison... and I don't see that happening either. As Michelle Hackman explained at *Vox* yesterday "[t]o the casual observer, it’s not totally clear how the furor surrounding a police video could possibly lead to the resignations of elected officials." The video is certainly hard to watch, and people are rightly revolted that a mayor may have stifled its release for personal political gain. But in other places where simila... more »
Musical Interlude: LOGOS, “Cheminement”
LOGOS, “Cheminement” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOuXP8aVWHU Magnificent...
One Person Shows Up to O’Malley Rally, Remains Undecided
[image: Martin_O'Malley] Democratic presidential candidate Martin O'Malley may have endured the lowest point of his long-shot presidential bid Monday night, when he held a campaign event in Iowa and only one person showed up. And that one person wasn't even an O'Malley... more »
14 States Hike Minimum Wage Entering 2016
[image: minimum wage] From major cities like Los Angeles to big businesses like McDonald’s, 2015 saw momentum for lifting pay above the federal level of $7.25 an hour. Effective Thursday and New Year’s Day, 14 states will implement higher minimum wages through legislative... Continue reading *“14 States Hike Minimum Wage Entering 2016”* at *nbcnews.com*.
Some Top U.S. Military Innovations Of 2015
The Polaris Defense Ultralight family of vehicles. (John Linn, Adventures Studios 2014) (© John Linn, Adventure Studios 2014) *FOX News:* *Top military innovations of 2015* It was a good year for innovations within the military, including the introduction of a gladiator vehicle a drone-slaying canon. Here are a few of the good ones: *Special Operations ATV* Who doesn’t love an all-terrain vehicle? U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is no exception. Polaris Defense announced that it is supplying the U.S. military with more all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in 2015. Related: Four n... more »
Even More Proof That ISIS Is A Fraud, And Run And Controlled By The US/Israel/NATO Cabal: Russian Video Proves ISIS Trains In And Is Supported By Turkey!
It is so shocking that I still encounter people in my every day conversations that simply do not get it... I have been telling these people for several YEARS now that the so called "terrorist" group called "ISIS" is absolutely nothing but a fraud and a sham... Heck, it also is so amazing to see the reaction from these same people when I tell them that the entire 'War on Terror" is a complete fraud and is only being conducted by the US and Israel for the purpose of not only 'regime change' to put in American and Israeli controlled puppets in peaceful nations, but to further the sick ... more »
10 Resolutions the International Media Should Make for 2016
*Checking the net.* 1. Stop calling politicians, protesters, and individuals in Taiwan "anti-China". They are pro-Taiwan. 2. Stop Using the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and similar polls to deprecate support for independence in Taiwan. For example and of course BBC: Officially, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) still favours eventual independence for Taiwan, while the KMT favours eventual re-unification. Opinion polls show only a small minority of Taiwanese support one or the other, with most preferring to stick with the current middle ground. Instead use a robust collecti... more »
AP EXPLAINS: How Much Money You Just Saved on Gas in 2015
[image: Gas Prices, Gasoline, Car, Saving Money, Currency, Finances] NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. drivers saved a bunch of money on gasoline this past year, as Saudi Arabia and other OPEC members kept the pumps going in the face of low oil prices. Massive stockpiles of crude globally turned... more »
Clinton Campaign Raised $37M in Past Three Months, $112M in 2015
[image: Hillary Clinton Holds Press Conference Over Email Controversy] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign said Friday it raised $37 million in the past three months and more than $112 million in all of 2015 to support her bid for the Democratic nomination. Clinton’s team also said she... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- January 1, 2016
*The Guardian:* *What will happen in 2016?* Space explorers, genetic scientists, US voters, terrorists and hackers look set to dominate our world next year – but don’t rule out the odd pleasant surprise Never make predictions, especially about the future. So said Mark Twain, Yogi Berra or Niels Bohr – or possibly all three. But if you must, there are really only two options: play safe and go for the obvious, or come up with forecasts so giddily optimistic that no one will take you seriously. Using the former approach, 2016 will produce more tragedy in Syria and Yemen, an uninter... more »
Establishment Figures Helped Bishop Avoid Prosecution For Sex Abuse
An investigation has revealed the establishment figures whose intervention helped a disgraced Bishop evade prosecution for sex abuse for decades. The former Bishop of Gloucester, Peter Ball, groomed and abused 18 aspiring young priests over a period spanning 15 years. He pleaded guilty to charges in September 2015 and was finally jailed in October. Ball had escaped justice over the same charges over 20 years earlier after he was given support by a member of the Royal family and establishment figures. The Telegraph reports: A Freedom of Information request by the Telegraph has led t... more »
Prolife Leader: “Today I Bought a Gun”
[image: Gun Concealed Weapon - 400] Today I picked up my Mossberg 500 Tactical 12-gauge shotgun with a pistol grip and a short barrel. It is not for game. I hate hunting. There is much blather about guns these days, and not just from the left.... Continue reading *“Prolife Leader: “Today I Bought a Gun””* at *crisismagazine.com*.
Following Secular Protest, Air Force Academy Lets Football Players Keep Praying on the Field
[image: Air Force Falcons, Air Force Academy] The United States Air Force Academy will allow football players to keep praying before games. The USAFA issued its response after a letter penned by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation claimed that the prayers were illegal and unconstitutional. Continue reading *“Following Secular Protest, Air Force Academy Lets Football Players Keep Praying on the Field”* at *theblaze.com*.
“Desiderata”
*“Desiderata”* by Max Ehrmann "Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own ca... more »
Musical Interlude: Hans Zimmer, "A Way of Life"
Hans Zimmer, "A Way of Life" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AC4ovCUs4Y
World News Briefs -- January 1, 2016
*The Telegraph:* *New Year's Eve 2015 celebrations - world celebrates start of 2016* *Spectacular firework displays as the world celebrates the arrival of the new year* *New Year News Summary* *And that's it. Welcome to 2016.* * If you are just getting up, perhaps feeling a bit groggy, and want to know what has happened over night here are the headlines: * New year celebrations ripple across the world * At least 16 people injured in a fire that engulfed a tower in Dubai near the site of its new year fireworks display * German authorities investigate alleged terror plot in Muni... more »
Happy New Year 2016 from Stranger In A Strange Land Blog
Wishing all my readers and visitors to this blog an as happy as humanly possible New Year 2016. My warmest and kindest regards to all, Mike
Musical Interlude: The Alan Parsons Project, “Prime Time”
The Alan Parsons Project, “Prime Time” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CM0KjM3Ens If not now, when? The "what" only you know...
"A Look to the Heavens"
"The glare of Alpha Centauri, one of the brightest stars in planet Earth's night sky, floods the left side of this southern skyscape. A mere 4.3 light-years distant, Alpha Centauri actually consists of two component stars similar in size to the Sun, locked in a mutual orbit. Much smaller and cooler, a third member of the same star system, Proxima Centauri, lies outside this field of view. * Click image for larger size.* Still, the telescopic scene does reveal often overlooked denizens of the Milky Way's crowded galactic plane that lie beyond the glare of Alpha Centauri, including a ... more »
"Butterflies..."
"We are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think its forever." - Carl Sagan
Turkey’s President Erdogan Denies Advocating Hitler-style Rule
[image: Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a meeting of the Russia High-Level Russian-Turkish Cooperation Council.] ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- The Turkish president’s office said Friday that Recep Tayyip Erdogan was not advocating a Hitler-style government when he called for a state system with a strong executive. A statement from Erdogan’s office said the Turkish president... more »
‘Unforgettable’ Soul Singer Natalie Cole Passes Away at 65
[image: Soul Singer Natalie Cole Passes Away at 65] LOS ANGELES (AP) -- She began as a 1970s soul singer hyped as the next Aretha Franklin and peaked in the 1990s as an old-fashioned stylist and time-defying duet partner to her late father, Nat “King” Cole. Natalie Cole, who... more »
Gunman Kills 2 at Bar in Tel Aviv; Manhunt Underway
[image: Gunman Kills 2 at Bar in Tel Aviv; Manhunt Underway] JERUSALEM (AP) -- A gunman opened fire outside a popular bar in the coastal Israeli city of Tel Aviv on Friday afternoon, killing two people and wounding at least three others before fleeing the scene, police said. The motive for... more »
Chet Raymo, "Angels and Devils"
*"Angels and Devils"* by Chet Raymo "I was reading a review by Max Hastings of two books on Hitler's "most terrible creatures," Heinrich Himmler and his chief deputy Reinhard Heydrich. Both men came from respectable middle-class Catholic backgrounds. Both men were by any objective standard mediocrities. The books under review raise the question: How could such banal personalities rise to such positions of awful power, organizing a system of mass murder spanning all of Europe? How indeed? And how too to explain the many thousands of otherwise ordinary people who Himmler and Heydric... more »
"Just Because..."
"Just because some of us can read and write and do a little math, that doesn’t mean we deserve to conquer the Universe." - Kurt Vonnegut
The Poet: David Whyte, "Sweet Darkness"
"Sweet Darkness" "When your eyes are tired the world is tired also. When your vision has gone no part of the world can find you. Time to go into the dark where the night has eyes to recognize its own. There you can be sure you are not beyond love. The dark will be your womb tonight. The night will give you a horizon further than you can see. You must learn one thing: the world was made to be free in. Give up all the other worlds except the one to which you belong. Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet confinement of your aloneness to learn anything or anyone that does not bring you ... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom. Thanks for stopping by!
Trump : ‘I Have a Very Big Lead and I Intend to Keep it”
[image: Donald Trump7 - 900] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump is serving notice on his GOP White House rivals that “I have a very big lead and I intend to keep it.” Trump, gathered with his family for a New Year’s Eve... more »
The White House Delays New Sanctions On Iran
The White House has delayed imposing new financial sanctions on Iran over its ballistic-missile program, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal on Thursday. The shift in thinking appears to come after the Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, ordered his defense minister to accelerate the country’s ballistic missile program and threatened to intensify its missile capacity as a reprisal to the impending sanctions. In response to new US #sanctions planned against Iran’s ballistic missile program, have ordered the Defense Minister to expedite the program — Hassan Rouhani (@Hassa... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 1, 2016
China's People's Liberation Army soldiers march with their weapons at Tiananmen Square during the military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two, in Beijing September 3, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj *Reuters:* *China creates three new military units in push to modernize army* China has created three new military units and will update equipment as well as modernizing its command structure, state media said on Friday, as part of a major overhaul of the armed forces announced by President Xi Jinping in November. Xi's push to reform the military coincides with ... more »
Is Marco Rubio The Least Suitable Candidate, Not Counting Cruz And Herr Trumpf?
I guess it was moderately embarrassing for all concerned on the last day of the year when it came out that the cynical soft-on-national-defense attacks Rubio has been using (unsuccessfully) against Ted Cruz, could scorch his establishment allies, who were as concerned as Cruz was about the anti-Constitution neocons like Rubio trying to permit unlimited domestic spying on American citizens-- and voted with Cruz and against Rubio. As Tim Mak put it bluntly at the *Daily Beast*, "Among Sen. Marco Rubio’s closest allies, he stands nearly alone on the issue of NSA spying." 21 of Rubio... more »
California Condor That Helped Save Species Returns to Wild
[image: In this Dec. 28, 2015 photo provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a California condor designated AC-4, whose captive breeding helped save the species, is re-branded as California condor 20 before its release at the Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge near Maricopa, Calif. AC-4 fathered the first condor chick born in captivity, and went on to sire 29 more chicks for reintroduction to the wild. (Jon Myatt/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service via AP)] SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Banking into the wind and then gliding out of sight, a male California condor flew back into the wild... more »
Man Survives Dubai Fire after Hanging from Balcony
[image: Dubai fire] Dubai (AFP) – Grasping the edge of a balcony 48 stories from the ground, just metres away from a raging fire, the photographer thought he may not live to see 2016. “One hour, then that’s it, I’m dead,” he thought... Continue reading *“Man Survives Dubai Fire after Hanging from Balcony”* at *news.yahoo.com*.
“America’s Unaddressed Problems Are Destroying Us”
*“America’s Unaddressed Problems Are Destroying Us”* By Paul Craig Roberts “One hundred years ago European civilization, as it had been known, was ending its life in the Great War, later renamed World War I. Millions of soldiers ordered by mindless generals into the hostile arms of barbed wire and machine gun fire had left the armies stalemated in trenches. A reasonable peace could have been reached, but US President Woodrow Wilson kept the carnage going by sending fresh American soldiers to try to turn the tide against Germany in favor of the English and French. The fresh American... more »
Islamic State Fighters Are Now Using Drones And GoPro Cameras To Fil Their Battles
*Mirror:* *Chilling footage shows ISIS terrorists using DRONES and GoPro cameras to film battles in Iraq* The footage comes from Islamic State fighters in a desperate bid to raise their profile as they continue to lose ground in Iraq. Islamic State terrorists have begun filming their atrocities using GoPro cameras and drones. Sickening footage, which has emerged online, was taken from the battle of Ramadi, which has been run by ISIS since May but was liberated last week by Iraqi government troops. The video shows terrorist fighters desperately trying to hold onto the city, givin... more »
The War Against The Islamic State In Iraq -- News Updates January 1, 2016
*DW:* *UN says almost 1,000 killed in Iraq violence in December* The United Nations has said that violence in Iraq had claimed the lives of 980 Iraqis in total in December 2015. The number was up from 888 in November. The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), announced that 506 of the 980 people killed in December were civilians, while the remaining were security forces, including Kurdish peshmerga and paramilitary troops fighting against the self-declared "Islamic State" (IS) in parts of Iraq. The worst-affected province mentioned in the report was Baghdad with 261 people kill... more »
Labour Party Suspends MP For ‘Sexting’ 17 Year Old Girl
MP Simon Danczuk has been suspended by the Labour party following allegations that he ‘sexted’ a 17-year-old girl in his constituency. The Sun newspaper alleges that Danczuk, exchanged explicit messages with teenager Sophena Houlihan after she contacted him to ask for a job as a case worker in his office. On Twitter, the Rochdale MP said the story was “not entirely accurate” but referred to “an extremely low point” in his life. RT reports: Danczuk has been a prominent campaigner against child sexual exploitation and played a role in exposing the late Sir Cyril Smith as a pedophile. ... more »
The Economy: “Our New Year’s Resolution”
*“Our New Year’s Resolution”* by Bill Bonner “We have been discussing how we could be wrong. Today, we reach into the archives for evidence. You will see how we were right... and wrong... in 2008. We were right: In the crisis of '08-'09, asset prices did continue to fall, millions of people did lose their homes, millions lost their jobs, businesses went broke, and it was the worst downturn since the Great Depression. We were wrong, too: We are still waiting for the post-1971 monetary system to collapse. And we wouldn't be surprised if we were still waiting... three, four, five ye... more »
The Science Is in: Liberals Won’t Hire Conservatives — and Vice Versa
[image: Liberal] If you were on a selection committee tasked with choosing someone to hire (or to admit to your university, or to receive a prize in your field), and it came down to two candidates who were equally qualified on objective... Continue reading *“The Science Is in: Liberals Won’t Hire Conservatives — and Vice Versa”* at *edge.org*.
Antonio Gramsci on New Year's Day
*Italian revolutionary Antonio Gramsci casts a long shadow over leftist thought. But few are likely to have read this, a 100 year old missive about New Year's Day. Needless to say, old Antonio wasn't a fan. Many thanks to * Viewpoint *for digging this out last year.* Every morning, when I wake again under the pall of the sky, I feel that for me it is New Year’s day. That’s why I hate these New Year’s that fall like fixed maturities, which turn life and human spirit into a commercial concern with its neat final balance, its outstanding amounts, its budget for the new management. They... more »
No Mercy
“I think we are just insects, we live a bit and then die and that’s the lot. There’s no mercy in things. There’s not even a Great Beyond. There’s nothing.” ~ John Fowles, *The Collector* Following is the transcript to my 19th Dispatch from the Endocene which aired on the Extinction Radio episode of Friday, January 1, 2016. Happy New Year! Thanks Gene and greetings listeners. Welcome to the 19th Dispatch from the Endocene, a new epoch in Earth’s history when life is on the verge of ending. We conscious wanderers find ourselves in a time of extreme cognitive dissonance ... more »
Is President Obama's Syrian Strategy The Right One, Or Are The Critics Wrong?
U.S. President Barack Obama. The Official White House Photostream / Wikicommons *Washington Post: **Obama thinks his Syria strategy is right — and folks just don’t get it* As President Obama flew home from Asia aboard Air Force One in late November, he scolded his aides about how poorly the administration was communicating the U.S.-led strategy against the Islamic State. Throughout the nine-day trip, which had begun less than 24 hours after the terrorist attacks in Paris, they had all heard critics at home and abroad charge that he had no coherent game plan, Obama said. There had ... more »
Many Displaced Syrians Are Now Living In Caves (Photo Gallery)
Displaced civilians walk out of an underground cave in Jabal al-Zawiya in the southern countryside of Idlib November 26, 2014. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi *WNU Editor:* This photo gallery reminds me of my mother and on how her family (my grandparents/uncles/aunts) survived the Second World War on the Russian front by living in a cave for one year. The link to this photo gallery* is here.*
Top 5 2015 EPA Power-Grabs Of Dubious Legality
[image: United States Environmental Protection Agency sign on the Clinton building] The EPA has made a lot of power grabs of dubious legality over the last year, from forcing unpopular regulations through over the objections of Congress to illegally using social media to promote Obama's policies. So without further ado, here are the top 5 EPA attempts to... more »
thwap's New Year's reflections ...
Just thought I'd take this special occasion to offer some of my thoughts on the year going in. I think that collectively, the human race is too stupid for civilization to survive, and that, furthermore, given enough time, we will eventually kill ourselves as a species. Thirty percent of any given population is so moronic and debased that they will support absolute degenerates like Rob Ford, Donald Trump and all sorts of other equally loathsome creatures. This will never change. The rest of us? Well, liberals see fit to align themselves with robotic con-artists and sleaze-balls like... more »
Pope Francis Rings in the New Year Extolling Oft-unseen ‘Ocean of Mercy’
[image: Pope Francis leads a mass for the opening of the synod on the family on October 4, 2015 at St Peter's basilica in Vatican. Pope Francis opened a gathering of bishops intended to review Catholic teaching on the family against a backdrop of controversy over homosexuality. The church's second synod on the family opened in a tense atmosphere the day after a senior priest announced he was gay and accused the Vatican of 'institutionalised homophobia'.] ROME -- Although Pope Francis at times can come off almost as an angry Old Testament prophet in his critique of injustices and abus... more »
Syrian War News Updates -- January 1, 2016
*The Telegraph*: *More than 55,000 died in Syria in 2015 as Isil claims twin attacks in Syrian Christian neighbourhood* *At least 13 of the people killed in Qamishli attack, claimed by Isil, were Christian, according to posters hung in a local church * More than 55,000 people were killed in Syria during 2015, a leading casualty monitor said on Thursday, as Isil claimed responsibility for twin bombings in a Christian neighbourhood in north Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had documented 55,219 deaths during 2015, the fifth year of Syria’s conflict, including m... more »
‘I Helped Create ISIS': Iraqi Veteran Claims US ‘Killing Innocent People’
A former US marine has made the revelation that he helped create ISIS. Vincent Emanuelle wrote the claim in an article recounting his tours in Iraq. RT reports: Saying he had “helped create ISIS,” an Iraq War veteran and US Marine is speaking out about the atrocities and criminal activities he and his fellow soldiers engaged in during the Iraq War, claiming he knew it would lead to “blowback” in the Middle East. Former Marine Vincent Emanuele’s acknowledgement of responsibility comes in an article that was posted on TeleSUR’s English website, in which he hoped to answer the often ra... more »
All Americans who have completed grades one-through-12 believe that they know American history. However, vertually no one truely understands the American history of the 21st Century. You think not? Well test your knowledge against what you will learn by watching this comprehensive intrview with Paul Craig Roberts. Nuclear war is on the horizon, and the first step to stave it off is for Americans to understand today's history.
------------------------------ US Stupid Enough to Cause Nuclear War-Paul Craig Roberts By Greg Hunter On December 27, 2015 *By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com *(Early Sunday Release) Former Assistant Treasury Secretary Dr. Paul Craig Roberts has a dim view of the so-called “economic recovery.” Dr. Roberts contends, “There has been no recovery whatsoever. . . . If you look at the economy realistically, and that means you don’t use their phony numbers, there has been no recovery whatsoever and, in fact, it continues to worsen. We see that the “Labor Force Participation Rate” contin... more »
18 Human Qualities Most Needed to Advance the Global Awakening
*Dylan Charles* - Opposing fear, scarcity and decay, we can exercise love, abundance and creativity. The post 18 Human Qualities Most Needed to Advance the Global Awakening appeared first on Waking Times.
What’s Up With WhatsApp? Millions Unable To Send Messages
Popular messaging app, WhatsApp, was down on the busiest day of the year. Fans trying to send New Year’s Eve messages were left speechless, isolated and frustrated as the popular app went into meltdown at around 4.30pm UK time on New years eve leaving millions unable to use the service Daily Star reports:. It’s currently unclear what is causing the problems although it seems some users are now able to send messages. Twitter is jammed full of users tweeting about the problems with one simply saying: “Whatsapp is down. Worst year ever!” “Thank you whatsapp for going down and providing ... more »
Fire Erupts At The Address In Dubai
A major fire broke out at a deluxe skyscraper hotel in Dubai on New years eve. The luxury Address Downtown Dubai hotel caught fire, just hours before a planned fireworks display. Crowds had gathered for the New Year’s Eve celebrations outside, when the fire broke out. Officials say that at least 16 people have been injured. mosalsalat hindiya YouTube video: Outlook India reports: Dubai’s government media office tweeted that a “fire has been reported in the Address Downtown hotel. Authorities are currently on-site to address the incident swiftly and safely”. The cause of the blaze wa... more »
Stream Editor Rachel Alexander Predicts the Biggest — and Wackiest — Political News of 2016
[image: Fortune Teller 2016 - 900] Covering politics for The Stream this past year, I’d like to think I’ve got a pretty good idea where things are going next year. However, with one more year left of Barack Obama as president, I’m afraid many of my... more »
Will 2016 Be the Year We Approach The Great and Terrible Singularity?
[image: Artificial Inteligence Machine Robot - 900] The chilling news is that killer robots are marching this way. Paypal founder Elon Musk and physicist Stephen Hawking assure us that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is more to be feared than a Hillary Clinton presidency. Google’s futurist Ray Kurzweil and Generational Dynamics’s... more »
Expert Advice on Living the New Year of Mercy: A Jubilee Symposium
[image: mercy_door_open] For an early Christmas present, friends gave me a calendar book with quotes from the Pope Francis’ opener to the Jubilee of Mercy. The journal started on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, when the year dedicated to mercy did.... Continue reading *“Expert Advice on Living the New Year of Mercy: A Jubilee Symposium”* at *catholicpulse.com*.
Tel Aviv shooting: Two dead, Israeli police say per BBC News
Typical BBC shite here http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35209917 'As of 23 December, at least 21 Israelis had been killed in the recent violence, most of them in stabbings and shooting attacks by Palestinians. At least 131 Palestinians have also been killed. More than half were said by Israel to be attackers. Others have been killed in clashes with Israeli forces.' My contempt for the BBC is beyond measure. They are institutionally anti Israel and have got worse since the Balen Report that they were so desperate to keep secret. I don't think vile scum is too strong a w... more »
Turkey's President Believes Adolph Hitler's Germany Is An Ideal Example Of An Efficient Presidential System
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan addresses the audience during a meeting in Ankara, Turkey, December 3, 2015. REUTERS/MURAT CETINMUHURDAR/PRESIDENTIAL PALACE PRESS OFFICE/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS *Reuters*: *Turkey's Erdogan cites Hitler's Germany as example of presidential system* Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who is pushing for executive powers, cites Hitler's Germany as an example of an effective presidential system, in comments broadcast by Turkish media on Friday. Erdogan wants to change the Turkish constitution to turn the ceremonial role of president into that of a chief ex... more »
How Big A Part Does Racism Play In The Rise Of Trumpism?
The story of Trumpf's 2015 campaign has been the story of a very successful and very slick carnival barker from the day he made his campaign announcement in front of an audience of paid actors last June right up until the last day of the year when his New Hampshire campaign released a substantial list of New Hampshire town chairs... some of whom aren't even voting for him and others who say they didn't know they were "chairs" until they read it in the newspaper. Could it really have been "news" to anyone when Bernie Sanders released a statement Wednesday saying that "It appears th... more »
Donald Trump’s Clinton Gambit
[image: bill-hillary-clinton - 400] Until this week, it seemingly was a settled question. Bill Clinton's soaring popularity suggested the public had come to terms with the messier aspects of his private conduct -- the Monica Lewinsky scandal and other personal peccadilloes -- and an... Continue reading *“Donald Trump’s Clinton Gambit”* at *politico.com*.
Pope: Now’s the Time to End Indifference, ‘False Neutrality’
[image: Pope Francis makes the sign of the cross as he celebrates a New Year mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Friday, Jan. 1, 2016.] VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Wishing for a year better than 2015, Pope Francis on Friday called for an end to the “arrogance of the powerful” that relegates the weak to the outskirts of society, and to the “false neutrality” toward... more »
GAIA PORTAL: Pathways of Gaia are illuminated with sparks of transcendence
*Pathways of Gaia are illuminated with sparks of transcendence* by ÉirePort Pathways of Gaia are illuminated with sparks of transcendence. Planetary transmutation nears completion. Strengths of Hue-Beings are acknowledged. Possibilities of hu-beings are recognized. Marvels of Light come to the fore. ÉirePort | December 31, 2015 at 23:45 | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/p2sFUY-wO
New Year review
I suppose it’s the time of year when it’s customary to look back over the past year and sum up what you’ve achieved. The good the bad and the embarrassing. I’m not as methodical at that kind of thing as Craig is, so come on Craig - if you think you’re clever enough, as that Bradley Walsh chap on ‘The Chaser’ always says. I did try to look back at something I spotted only yesterday - or was it the day before - on the BBC website - because I would have liked to mention (and link to) a couple of positive technological “heads ups” featured by the BBC recently, and one human interes... more »
Chris Christie to Reinstate Work Requirements, Pushing 11,000 off Food Stamps
[image: welfare] Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced Thursday that he plans to reinstate work requirements putting 11,000 food stamp recipients at risk of losing their benefits. The federal government has required work or job training to qualify for benefits since 1996.... more »
"Let The Day, and Year, Begin!"
The Call, “Let The Day Begin” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t5Zmet3x2k “Once more, into the fray...”
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*From* *Jenna Orkin* Federal Judge: Drinking Tea, Shopping at a Gardening Store Is Probable Cause for a SWAT Raid on Your Home Switzerland to Vote on Banning Banks from Creating Money Turks Warn "We're One Step Away From Civil War" On Erdogan Crackdown Turkish President Erdogan cites Hitler's Germany as example of an effective presidential system How ISIS Broadcasts Its Message To The World: Satellite Dishes Bought In Turkey "Seven Iraqis" With ISIS Ties Planned Coordinated Suicide Attacks In Germany Last Night Mysterious Mass Animal Deaths California Law Allowing Government To Seiz... more »
China Wants Okinawa
The Ryukyu Islands, as seen on a map at the Pacific Aviation Museum at Pearl Harbor. Samurai Wiki *Gordon G. Chang, Daily Beast*: *Now China Wants Okinawa, Site of U.S. Bases in Japan* *Beijing is pushing out in all directions, from the South China Sea to several Japanese islands, with an eye on the eastern Pacific that laps American shores.* On the day after Christmas, three Chinese boats, one modified to carry four cannons, entered Japan’s territorial waters surrounding the Senkaku Islands in the southern portion of the East China Sea. The move, a dangerous escalation, is the f... more »
Supplemental: Silliness never sleeps!
*FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016The New York Times kicks off the same old year:* At the nation's dumbest newspaper, the silliness never sleeps. Today, the nation starts its allegedly "new" year. But at the top of the New York Times front page, the silliness announces itself through these silly-bill, hard-copy headlines: *Punch Lines Versus Polish On Iowa Trail* An Informal Christie and a Lofty Rubio "Punch Lines Versus Polish?" Screaming, the analysts recalled Newsweek's headline from Campaign 1996: "Saxophone Vs. Sacrifice." Below that headline, Newsweek compared Candidate Dole's masterf...more »
Russian President Putin's New Security Strategy: NATO Is A Threat
Russian President Putin. TASS *CNN*:* Putin points to NATO threat in new security strategy* (CNN)Russian President Vladimir Putin has endorsed a new security strategy, which points to NATO expansion as a threat to the country. The document outlines the national interests and strategic priorities of the nation. Putin signed the executive order Thursday, establishing a new posture toward the NATO bloc, which has seen its relationship with Russia deteriorate since the crisis in Ukraine, which began in 2014. Russian news agency Tass quotes the strategy, which cites a NATO military bui... more »
Impregnable consensus
Have German officials been watching Homeland? I have and so has Melanie Phillips. Times (£) “The fifth series of the American TV show *Homeland *ended last month. The series dealt with the West’s Isis nightmare in startlingly pointed fashion. The plot involved an attempted sarin gas attack by Islamists on Berlin’s central train station, facilitated by the cynical Russians with the suggestion that they believe such an atrocity is the only way of opening the West’s eyes to the Islamist threat.Running through the series was the view that the West is refusing to take the draconian meas... more »
What a Year for Women, for Better and Worse
[image: man-woman - 900] Changes and trends of the old year now passing in review show women holding, as usual, a mixed bag. Some less sanguine women would call it a Pandora’s box. The Obama administration pressed the military to open up combat positions... more »
5 Truths about Fracking the Media Missed in 2015
[image: Process of mixing water with hydraulic fracturing fluids to be injected into the ground.] The United States benefited enormously from hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in 2015; but media outlets have mostly focused on headlines about earthquakes and aquifer pollution -- neither of which have sufficient evidence to draw conclusions. From foreign policy to cheap domestic... more »
White House Delays Imposing New Sanctions on Iran for Its Missile Program
[image: Hassan Rouhani] WASHINGTON--The White House has delayed its plan to impose new financial sanctions on Iran for its ballistic missile program, according to U.S. officials, amid growing tensions with Iran over the nuclear deal struck earlier this year. The officials said the Obama... Continue reading *“White House Delays Imposing New Sanctions on Iran for Its Missile Program”* at *google.com*.
It Wasn’t the Best Year for the Department of Veterans Affairs
[image: DVA] The Department of Veterans Affairs drew fire in 2014 for manipulating appointment waitlists while veterans died without care, but despite hopes that the agency would clean up its act, it hasn't fared any better in 2015. In fact, increased scrutiny has resulted... more »
Want to Do Something Good for Your Health? Try Being Generous. Your Blood Pressure Will Thank You.
[image: health] Every day, we are confronted with choices about how to spend our money. Whether it's thinking about picking up the tab at a group lunch or when a charity calls asking for a donation, we are faced with the decision... Continue reading *“Want to Do Something Good for Your Health? Try Being Generous. Your Blood Pressure Will Thank You.”* at *washingtonpost.com*.
Report: One Woman Defrauded $550K from Unemployment — And Its Just the Tip of the Iceberg
[image: unemployment claim] A federal grand jury has indicted a California woman for allegedly scamming the unemployment system for half a million dollars, U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced Wednesday. Deborah Hollimon was charged with unemployment fraud and aggravated identity theft. The scam... more »
Arctic Sea Ice Extent Remains Stable For Another Year
By Paul Homewood https://rclutz.wordpress.com/2016/01/01/happy-arctic-ice-year/ Ron Clutz has the Arctic sea ice extent averages for the year: This year end report shows there is no reason to worry about Arctic ice melting. Against the odds, 2015 recovered from: The blob melted Bering Sea a month early; it’s now well ahead of 2014. An […]
U.S. State Department Classifies 1,000+ Hillary Clinton Emails. Fails To Meet Court Order For Release
*Daily Mail:* *NOW more than 1,000 of Hillary Clinton's emails have been deemed classified - with two 'secret' emails found in the New Year's Eve State Department dump * * The State Department typically unloads a new batch of Clinton emails on the last weekday of each month – in this case, New Year's Eve * Agency has to comply with the order of a federal judge who oversees the process and demands steady progress toward the total by January * This month, however, only about 5,500 emails will hit the Internet instead of the 9,000 anticipated by the court order, and State will catch ... more »
White House Blinks. Will Delay New Sanctions Over Iran's Missile Program
U.S. President Barack Obama delivers remarks to reporters before signing a federal Highway Trust Fund bill into law in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington July 31, 2015. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst *Wall Street Journal:* *White House Delays Imposing New Sanctions on Iran for Missile Program* *No timeline for when new penalties may be imposed on Tehran* WASHINGTON—The White House has delayed its plan to impose new financial sanctions on Iran for its ballistic missile program, according to U.S. officials, amid growing tensions with Iran over the nuclear deal struck earlier t... more »
Iran General: Iran Has More Missiles Than It Can Hide
Brigadier General Hossein Salami, the second-in-command of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) *AFP*: *Iran has more missiles than it can hide: General* Tehran (AFP) - Iran's Revolutionary Guards have so many missiles they don't know where to hide them, a senior commander said at Friday prayers, after the United States threatened to impose fresh sanctions. "We lack enough space in our stockpiles to house our missiles," said General Hossein Salami, the Guards' deputy, as a row with the US over Iran's ballistic missile programme deepened. "Hundreds of long tunnels are full... more »
Editor's Note
Military And Intelligence News Briefs and World News Briefs will be posted later today.
Why Your New Year’s Resolutions Won’t Work, What Will, and What We Can Learn from Churches
[image: New Year’s Resolutions] Yesterday, I had the gym all to myself. Today, I'm not even going to attempt to go. I'll probably work out at home for the next two weeks as countless people crowd the treadmills in an attempt to start strong... Continue reading *“Why Your New Year’s Resolutions Won’t Work, What Will, and What We Can Learn from Churches”* at *forbes.com*.
Star Wars and Slavery: A Quandary Awakens
[image: Star Wars astromech droids, R2-D2] If you’re opposed to slavery, is it OK to still like Star Wars? It’s a question I’ve been wrestling with ever since Jonathan Last, a friend and writer at the Weekly Standard, pointed out to me that the “droids” in... more »
Ireland still isn't back
Ireland remains, in some circles, a poster child for austerity's success: It paid off its bailout loan early! It regained its 2007 Gross Nation Income per capita in 2014! Unemployment is only 8.9%! Don't believe the hype. Paul Krugman recently pointed out that Ireland's employment performance continues to be dismal, especially in comparison with currency-devaluing, banker-prosecuting Iceland. Iceland's employment now exceeds its pre-crisis peak by about 2.5% whereas Ireland is still, 8 years later, 8% below its peak. More specifically, Irish employment peaked in Q1 2008 at 2,160,681... more »
Exclusive on the Ground Data Shows China’s Economy Crashed in Q4
[image: Workers unload goods from a ship at the port in Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu province on February 12, 2014. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)] China's economy is really slowing and we are now relying on a real transition to a consumer driven economy. This must take time. Seven years of forced capital consumption did not produce a speedy expansion in the retail end. As said before, China economy is now consolidating and this is actually generational. the focus now should be on ending all forms of poverty. Otherwise the economy is still huge and significant. Wise use of c... more »
Karma: Not The “Mainstream” Version – The Real One
*[image: Think of it as evolution in action by R. Ayana]* The concept of karma is compelling but also odd. We are clearly spirit bodies massively greater than our physical existence. Better yet we can naturally calve our spirit into a number of aspects in order to inhabit a number of bodies as well in order to gather much more experience. This can then be reintegrated into the unique spirit body and re-balanced. Yet we then choose our experiences prior to arrival and tests are set. This makes karmic guilt or reward rather moot. Better we are simply maturing souls advancing t... more »
Ted Cruz Tells Supporters to ‘Strap on the Full Armor of God’ for Expected Campaign Attacks: ‘We Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet’
[image: Ted Cruz] Ted Cruz told presidential campaign supporters on a New Year's Eve phone call that the next 90 days could decide the election -- and he warned them to prepare for an onslaught of attacks due to his recent surge in... Continue reading *“Ted Cruz Tells Supporters to ‘Strap on the Full Armor of God’ for Expected Campaign Attacks: ‘We Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet’”* at *theblaze.com*.
Towns South of St. Louis Brace for Mississippi River Floods, 4 Missing
[image: Caption was in a foreign language. Image was in side bar of AP Mississippi river flooding story Jan. 1 2016.] ST. LOUIS (AP) -- As flood-weary towns near St. Louis began to regroup from record high water, Mississippi River communities farther south braced for the peak of flooding that has already damaged hundreds of homes and businesses and killed nearly... more »
Is Your State Busted Or Busting Loose?
[image: U.S. Household Debt Levels Held Back by Cautious Consumers] Congressmen, presidents and bureaucrats from both political parties have generated an $18 trillion national debt and the most sluggish economy since the 1930s, but state officials across the country are no slouches in running up huge debts and hobbling their... more »
2016-- The Year Of Decision... Getting Off To A Winning Start
I spent yesterday back in the hospital, not because of the cancer exactly. My weakened immune system was unable to fight off a damned cold and it turned into... double pneumonia. That means I'm back on stuff dripping into my body for a couple weeks. So... I couldn't do much blogging. I thought it would be a good time to create a handy guide to how you can find the progressive candidates you're interested in when you feel like making a campaign contribution through Blue America. Our main page is always the page for our House challengers. This year we're starting out with 13 candid... more »
What We Want in the New Year
Bad weather, in part due to most governments virtually ignoring climate change, is slapping us hard in the face. I wrote Global Network board convener Dave Webb yesterday who lives up in Yorkshire, England about the floods there and he commented: "Lots of problems with roads and rail blockages but we are out of the danger zone. Lots of horrible experiences for many people - usual problem of the government not funding proper flood defence even though they were warned about it all over and over. Seems like they preferred to spend the money on bombers and nuclear weapons!" And ther... more »
Despite Fears and Huge Dubai Fire, New Year Revelry Rolls On
[image: Germany New Year] On a New Year’s Eve haunted by fears of terrorism, a spectacular fire in one of Dubai’s tall towers captured the world’s attention. With few exceptions, the celebrations rolled on, and while fire still raged, the Dubai Media office declared... more »
Newly Released Clinton Email: Merkel Despised ‘Obama Phenomenon’
[image: Obama Merkel] A former top adviser to Hillary Clinton informed the former secretary of State in a 2009 email that German chancellor Angela Merkel despised the "Obama phenomenon." Sydney Blumenthal sent Clinton a memo on Sept. 30, 2009 with background information on... Continue reading *“Newly Released Clinton Email: Merkel Despised ‘Obama Phenomenon’”* at *thehill.com*.
Economic News , Data & Views ( January 1 , 2016 ) Happy New Years Day & Gander Around The Global Horn for 2016 ( 1. Global Debt . 2. Refugee Crisis . 3 Terrorism / Fear Of Terror Events Ongoing In Various Locales . 4. Turkey Will Be A Hot Button . 5. Greece Will Continue To Be A Vassal State . 6. Russia & Ukraine Will Squabble . 7. Cyber Attacks & Scams Will Become More Sophisticated . 8. Brexit . 9. China Will Be At Center Of Financial Concerns for 2016 . 10. Saudi Peg To Dollar Could Be a Concern. 11. Commodities Crush Will continue. 12. Emerging Markets Pain Set To Continue . 13. Syria/ Iraq/ Afghanistan / Yemen / Libya - Any Answers For these Quagmires in 2016 ? 14. Which Way Will The US Go - Rates , Economy Politics ? )
Around The Horn...... [image: Embedded image permalink] Sergei Rachmaninoff plays his Piano Concerto No. 2 *The Int'l Spectator* @intlspectator 1m1 minute ago World debt, by country. (Via Visual Capitalist) *dwnews* @dwnews 6m 6 minutes ago Death toll in #Syria tops 55,000 in 2015 http://dw.com/p/1HWgO [image: Embedded image permalink] *MineForNothing* @minefornothing 7m 7 minutes ago Greek local authority declares bankruptcy http://www. ekathimerini.com/204694/article /ekathimerini/news/municipalities-of-gortyna-sal... more »
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*Fewer students disciplined in Mass. schools* *Bad news for parents who want their kids to get an education. What about the kids who don't misbehave? Do they matter? Is it OK to have their classes constantly disrupted by a few? The fact alluded to below -- that charter schools use much more discipline and get better results -- just seems to be glided over. Is the lesson from that not obvious? This is just typical Leftist adoration of bad eggs* The number of students disciplined in schools across Massachusetts declined 20 percent last year, a dramatic drop that follows a change ... more »
New Gun Controls: Obama to Meet with Attorney General Monday to Take Executive Action
[image: Obama golf__1451651592_173.71.16.53] HONOLULU (AP) -- President Barack Obama will meet Monday with Attorney General Loretta Lynch to discuss executive actions he could take to make it harder for “a dangerous few” to get their hands on guns. Obama said on his weekly... more »
A Review On U.S. National Security This Past Year
President Barack Obama meets with his national security staff to discuss the situation in Syria, in the Situation Room of the White House, Friday, Aug. 30, 2013 (photo credit: Pete Souza/White House) *John R. Schindler, Observer News:* *The Highs and Lows of U.S. National Security in 2015: A Year-End Review* How “we suck at everything” became the mantra of D.C. As we come to the end of the year, it’s time to revisit some of the highlights, as well as some of the lowlights, of our national security in 2015. There have been ups, there have been downs. Make that a lot of downs. As Pr... more »
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*More non-global warming in the Arctic* *It always amuses me when Leftists seem to get erections over warming in the Arctic that is out of step with global temperatures. They seem to think that a non-global event is proof of a global event, even when there is demonstrably nothing global going on. It surely shows both a profound lack of logic and a need to believe. They mock Christians for their beliefs in the invisible but they too in fact believe in invisible events. They see warming that is not there. That graph again:Some VERY out-of-step Arctic events are reported below... more »
Cockpit Footage That Shows Fighter Jet Pilots Performing A Number Of Maneuvers
*Daily Mail*: *Breath-taking footage of real life Topgun pilots dog-fighting, skimming the sea and firing missiles* * Cockpit camera shows pilot taking off from aircraft carrier at high speed * Other pilots demonstrate extreme control flying upside over sea surface * Footage captures pilots dropping missiles and firing flares from their jets A breath-taking compilation video captured the sheer skill and bravery of fighter jet pilots - able to fly fast and low while performing a series of stunts. The footage was posted to the USA Military Channel on YouTube and shows the pilots dog... more »
Compiling a Week
*A traditional house in Miaoli.* So much out there this week, and me bogged down with work... *CHINA EXPERTS DON'T GET TAIWAN, CASE #39056*: Lyle Goldstein, the China expert whose work on China's military is unexcelled, had a piece this week in the always-good National Interest titled *How China Sees the Risky Path Ahead with Taiwan*. Michal Thim has already taken a good look at it on his blog. But the paragraph below shows that, like so many China experts, Goldstein's understanding of Taiwan is through China lenses... Taiwan has been an extraordinary issue in US-China relations si... more »
I Will Rise!
[image: Running up the Stairs - 900] SHEILA WALSH -- "Jesus didn't come to get you out of this life. He came to live in you through it." It was a simple statement, no radical new theology, and yet these words from a humble, godly counselor, Dr.... more »
The 10 Biggest Military Blunders In History
Battle of Agincourt, 25 October 1415. Image from the Chronicle of Enguerrand de Monstrelet. © The Art Archive/Alamy Stock Photo *History Extra:* *The top 10 military blunders in history* From ancient times to the present day, battles have been lost to dire weather, insufficient weaponry and bad luck. But what about those for which poor judgment and bad planning are to blame? Here, historian Rupert Matthews explores 10 of the worst military blunders in history. Any fool can lose a battle. All you need to have is a weaker army than your opponent. What takes a special talent is to lo... more »
Results, brilliance of practitioners keep string theory at the heart of science
*Bigots' medieval efforts to constrain what scientists are allowed to study and conclude are unacceptable* It has become literally fashionable for subpar minds to copy essays claiming that string theory is not science from each other. Two men, David Bailey, a pensioner at UC Davis, and Jonathan Borwein have joined this business when they published a rant titled Data vs Theory: The Mathematical Battle for the Soul of Physics in the Huffington Post. HuffPo is obviously just a very influential left-wing blog about politics but they often love to pretend that they have *something* to d... more »
Top 100 Independent Tweeting Bloggers 2015
Here's the other list you've waited 365 days for - the top 100 independent tweeting bloggers' list of 2015. Some definition issues first - how do you define "independent"? I play with a fairly loose definition. I.e. If a blog is maintained regularly (i.e. in the last month), *isn't* attached to an established media outlet, and is filled with political content, it's in. Party blogs like ConHome and LabourList are out as they're professional outfits with paid staff whereas similar for the LibDems and UKIP on this list are volunteer efforts. But, I hear you cry, can't you say the same ... more »
The Body Has The Ability To Heal Itself
*As Does The Mind....* *"Doctors have throughout time made fortunes on killing their patients with their cures. The difference in psychiatry is that it is the death of the soul."* *Dr. R.D. Laing, M.D.*
Stratfor's Annual Forecast 2016
*Stratfor:* *Annual Forecast 2016* *Introduction* With old geopolitical realities resurfacing across Eurasia and commodity prices stuck in a slump, 2016 is shaping up to be an unsettling year for much of the world. A logical place to begin is the country that bridges Europe and Asia: Turkey. This is the year when Turkey, nervous but more politically coherent than it was last year, will likely make a military move into northern Syria while trying to enlarge its footprint in northern Iraq. Turkey will not only confront the Islamic State but will also keep Kurdish expansion in check... more »
Five Most Popular Posts in December
The five most read last month were ... 1. Top 100 Tweeting Politics Commentators 2015 2. Hilary Benn's Appalling Speech 3. Advice for "Bullied" Labour MPs 4. The Anti-Imperialism of Fools 5. Farewell to Dan Hodges What a month and what a year. This was the best December for traffic ever, after the busiest ever year for the blog. In the end it clocked up 695,399 hits - just over 1,900 a day. Let's see if that can be smashed out the park in 2016! Anyway, back to the matter to hand. As is traditional, the tweeting commentators list is top of the pile, followed up by the brouhaha surr... more »
"Tomorrow..."
“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
8 Biggest U.S. Military Boondoggles of 2015
*CNN*: *The 8 biggest military boondoggles of 2015* (CNN)Pilot error? $115 million. An unfinished gas station in Afghanistan? $43 million. The public relations hit accompanying a rogue blimp's unsanctioned tour of Maryland and Pennsylvania? Absolutely priceless. The U.S. military budget for fiscal year 2015 was set at about $610 billion, more than China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the U.K. combined -- and that's after another round of congressionally mandated spending cuts. But whether it concerns new outlays or older, more costly projects gone awry, the past 12 months have seen a r...more »
Military Photo of the Day: New Year’s Day 2016
[image: Home for the Holidays-900] Members of the Louisiana National Guard arrive home to Monroe, La., on Dec. 24, 2015, after a ten-month deployment to Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq and Afghanistan. Welcome home, heroes. Happy New Year!
U.S. Department Of Defense: 2015 Year In Rreview
*U.S. Department Of Defense*: This special report highlights some of the Defense Department's most critical issues. While the department intensified its fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Defense Secretary Ash Carter, who took office in February, launched initiatives to build the force of the future, seek breakthrough technologies and open opportunities for women. The department also continued missions in the Asia-Pacific region, Eastern Europe and Afghanistan, and emerged from budget uncertainty with a multiyear deal.
U.S. Department Of Defense: 2015 Year in Photos (Photo Gallery)
U.S. sailors watch fireworks to celebrate the new year from the flight deck of the USS Ronald Reagan in Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, Jan. 1, 2016. The aircraft carrier and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing 5, provide a combat-ready force to protect and defend the maritime interests of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Paolo Bayas *WNU Editor*: The photo gallery *starts here.*
A History of Wahhabism and the Hijacking of the Muslim faith
We fought and won a huge war against Nazism which was very much an attack on Christianity itself. What this makes remarkably clear, once we step outside the history of barbarism is that we are dealing with another form of fascism that hides behind Islam and never had anything to do with traditional Islam although obviously that is changing because of Saudi money. The answer of course is arriving soon enough. The age of Oil will soon end and the Saudi will have to flee their palaces and give it all up. A hard push would be welcome but hardly necessary. Following suppression a... more »
'Red Deer Cave People' Bone Points to Mysterious Species of Pre-modern Human
The scant evidence that exists actually suggests that pre - modern humanity survived until recently and may well in specific cases still exist. What5 i am saying is simply htat we havev asuch evidence and this bone is one such. The error lies in not understanding just what happened. Humanities great leap forward was the capacity to form villages and in fact permanent ones at that. This always provided a massive manpower advantage in any contact situation and the results would be unpleasant for the smaller group. The natural survival strategy is as always to... more »
My Trip to the Edge of Sanity
This is a couple of reports on the Ayahausca experience and one is from one of the first facilities in North America providing the service. I have not experienced this drug nor have i experienced any drug nor particularly care. I am deeply interested in the developing beneficial results of targeted and carefully guided applications of psychoactive drugs like Cannibis and Ayahausca. The good news is that superior protocols are also evolving that are far less physically stressful. The remarkable take home is we have two individual reports of long term drug addiction been resolve... more »
When did the Mayas come to the North American Mainland?
This makes it clear that large scale migration from Mayaland took place beginning around 800 Ad through 1400 AD in response to varying tribal fortunes in war. This is a span of around six hundred years and ample to support the huge amounts of attapulgite found in Mayaland and the unexpectedly large population that made the move It says little however regarding the real antiquity of the mineral trade itself which could easily have started and in my view likely did, back during the Atlantean Bronze Age between 2400 BC through 1159BC when trade was hugely curtailed but not ended... more »
Origins of the South Atlantic Coastal Peoples . . . the Mayas With Robert Thorton
What becomes clear is that the south East was actively colonized by significant populations of migrants from the advanced portions of the Gulf Coast surely because of attractive agricultural conditions able to accept their corn culture. Add in the thousand year influx from the Atlantean world from 2400 BC through 1159 BC and we have clearly defined bookends between Atlantis and 1492 AD. This is an active span of no centralizing power that lasted 2500 years. We are now learning that significant intrusions took place by at least the Norse and here by the Maya and likely tribe... more »
The 50 Best US Military Pictures Of The Year (From Business Insider)
The USS George Washington transits the Strait of Magellan on November 1. It is deployed as a part of Southern Seas 2015. Flickr/Official US Navy Page *WNU Editor:* The photo gallery *starts here.*
White House 2015 Photo Gallery
*Pete Souza, Chief Official White House Photographer*: *Behind the Lens: My Year on Instagram 2015* Throughout the year, I post photographs of my White House work on a regular basis to my Instagram, @PeteSouza. Many followers have inquired about whether a certain photograph is taken with an iPhone or DSLR (digital single lens reflex camera). In choosing the photographs for my year on Instagram, I decided to select only iPhone photographs that were captured in the square format on an iPhone. For many purists, the square format was the original inspiration for Instagram. And I cert... more »
Reuters' Photo Gallery For 2015 (100 Pics)
A dinghy overcrowded with Syrian refugees drifts in the Aegean sea between Turkey and Greece after its motor broke down off the Greek island of Kos, August 11, 2015. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis *WNU Editor:* Reuters' photo gallery *begins here.*
The 50 Most Unforgettable Photos Of 2015 (From Business Insider)
Despite longstanding tensions over the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Barack Obama shared a perhaps-awkward toast during a luncheon at the opening of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 28. REUTERS/Mikhail Metzel *WNU Editor*: The photo gallery* starts here.*
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