10:32pm MST
Picture Of The Day
*Air Assault Training*
Soldiers conduct air assault operations on the deck of the 8th Theater
Sustainment Command's Logistical Support Vessel-2, the Harold C. Clinger
off the coast of Honolulu, Jan. 11, 2016. The soldiers are assigned to the
25th Infantry Division. Army photo by Sgt. Jon Heinrich
25 Years Ago The Gulf War Started
*Jeffrey D. McCausland, War On The Rocks*: *The Gulf War's Anniversary:
Reflections on the 25 Years Of U.S. Military Involvement In the Middle East*
The field telephone alongside my cot rang at 0230 on January 17, 1991. I
was a U.S. Army battalion commander in the desert of northern Saudi Arabia.
My battalion had arrived from Germany in mid-December and deployed swiftly
to within a few miles of the Iraqi border. The call was from my brigade
commander summoning me to a meeting where I would learn that the long
anticipated air campaign had commenced. Operation Desert Shield was over.... more »
Iowa Trolling-- Karl Rove Style
There's nothing especially *false* in the American Crossroads ad Rove's
group-- largely financed by Wall Street banksters and oil billionaires--
has just started running against Hillary in Iowa. It's an effective,
thought-provoking ad about a politician who takes money from Wall Street
banksters and then works to carry out their agenda. It certainly fits
Hillary Clinton almost as strongly as it fits Jeb Bush, Chris Christie,
Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and the rest of the sorrowful "deep bench." The
messenger, however, defines the definition of mere hypocrisy. Among the
Rove backers wh... more »
Ode to Gray Cat
One day at least ten years ago I heard a cat mewing in my garage. She was
gray and fluffy and very hungry. She was also mostly feral. I took her to
the vet and they said she was healthy but would be difficult to find a home
for because she was so feral.
I knew we couldn’t keep her because my husband and I had rescued two stray
cats previously and had to find other homes for them because we both have
severe allergic reactions to cats, including asthma, hives, etc. Our kids
inherited those allergies, especially my oldest son.
I told my sons we couldn’t keep her and we had to find... more »
Three American Contractors Are Missing In Iraq
*CNN*: *3 American contractors missing in Iraq*
(CNN)Three American contractors went missing in Iraq two days ago, said a
senior security official in Baghdad.
"A company filed a report Sunday about three of its staff going missing two
days ago. They are American contractors. We are looking into this report,"
the official told CNN.
Separately, an Iraqi security official with knowledge of the case said that
two of three missing contractors are dual Iraqi-American citizens, and that
the third is an American national.
The men were grabbed by a group of gunmen from an apartment in Bag... more »
Britain's Labour Leader: 'U.K. Trident Submarines Could Sail Without Nuclear Warheads'
*Daily Mail*: *Britain's submarines could sail without any Trident
warheads, claims Jeremy Corbyn *
* Labour leader said the idea was one which his party review would consider
* Corbyn supports Britain unilaterally giving up nuclear weapons altogether
* But Government said remarks show Labour is a national security 'threat'
Britain could put nuclear submarines to sea without them carrying any
Trident warheads, Jeremy Corbyn has suggested.
The Labour leader - who wants Britain to scrap its nuclear weapons - said
it was one of the options which would be reviewed by shadow defence
se... more »
Why Is The CIA Director In Egypt?
Egypt Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Eisi meets CIA director Chief John
Brennan. April 20, 2015. Photo Credit: Egyptian President's office
*Al Bawaba*: *Sisi meets with CIA head to discuss security, regional
affairs*
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi met Sunday with the US director of
the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) John Brennan in Cairo, discussing
topics of interest including combating extremism.
El-Sisi and Brennan praised the strategic and military relationships
between Egypt and the US, expressing their hopes that this relationship be
expanded into other aspect... more »
Yes Trumpf And Cruz Are Dangerous-- But Hardly More So Than Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan, who still hopes, perhaps at this point unrealistically, to be
the compromise candidate of a deadlocked GOP convention, has been tweeting
all weekend that "We will put forward a bold, pro-growth agenda. It will
show where we stand." Except Paul Ryan didn't just pop onto the scene when
he managed to "Awww... shucks, fellas, not me" his way into the Speaker's
chair. We already know exactly where he stands, unless we've been
politically asleep for the past decade or so.
When he was 16 his father died and young Paul received Social Security
survivors benefits which put him... more »
NSA Insists That Its New Phone Surveillance Program Meets Privacy Safeguards
How the NSA’s domestic metadata program works now:
pic.twitter.com/NnOYb9PEs4
— Dan Froomkin (@froomkin) January 15, 2016
*Reuters*: *NSA says new phone spying program meets privacy safeguards*
A new system for collecting domestic telephone records meets several
privacy and civil liberties benchmarks, the U.S. National Security Agency
said on Friday.
The program, which some Republican presidential hopefuls have criticized
because they say it puts Americans at greater risk of attack by Islamic
State and other violent groups, has satisfactorily complied with eight
privacy safeguard... more »
Scientists Admit Everything They Know About Physics Is Likely Wrong
Scientists at CERN have announced that everything scientists thought they
knew about physics may be entirely false, following the discovery of two
new baryon subatomic particles. “The next few years may tell us whether
we’ll be able to continue to increase our understanding of nature or
whether maybe, for the first time in the history of science, we could be
facing questions that we cannot answer,” Harry Cliff, a particle physicist
at CERN said in a recent TED talk. Yahoo News reports: Equally frightening
is the reason for this approaching limit, which Cliff says is because “the
la... more »
Navy Told To Treat U.S. Public As Enemies Amid January War Games
U.S. Navy SEALs have been told to regard members of the American public as
potential “enemies” amid war games planned for the state of Washing this
month. The war games will be conducted in residential areas, state parks,
and national parks without public consent. The war games are to treat U.S.
citizens as pawns due to orders to the SEALS to treat citizens as
“potential terrorists”. Shadowproof.com reports: One of the most alarming
aspects of the war games, which were reported on by Truthout journalist
Dahr Jamail, is how it normalizes the idea that U.S. citizens can be
enemies. T... more »
Netanyahu Threatens Military Force If Iran Obtain Nuclear Weapons
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened Iran on Sunday saying that
Israel would not hesitate in using military force if the country attempt to
obtain nuclear weapons. Netanyahu’s comments come after sanctions were
lifted on the Islamic Republic under Tehran’s historic nuclear deal with
world powers. Yahoo News reports: “Israel’s policy has been and will remain
exactly what has been followed: to not allow Iran to acquire nuclear
weapons,” Netanyahu said during a cabinet meeting, according to his office.
Netanyahu strongly opposed the nuclear deal with Israel’s arch-foe Iran and
... more »
Musical Interlude: Liquid Mind, "Moment of Grace Part 1"
Liquid Mind, "Moment of Grace Part 1"
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I61vm_nLNYg
Untitled
*From* *Jenna Orkin*
Wells Fargo's Problem Emerges: $17 Billion In Junk Energy Exposure
Exclusive: Dallas Fed Quietly Suspends Energy Mark-To-Market On Default
Contagion Fears
SHERIFF OF WALL STREET: We're no longer able to bring certain insider
trading cases
The US prisoner swap with Iran shows that the landmark nuclear deal 'wasn't
a nuclear deal at all'
Bombshell Oxfam report reveals just 62 people control same wealth as half
world's population
First flower born in space shows there is 'other life' out there
Russia to vote on anti-gay bill that would jail people for kissing
*Euro... more »
Iranian President: “Zionists, Warmongers Oppose Iran Peace Deal”
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has said that anybody who opposes the
nuclear deal with world powers are “zionists and warmongers … American
hardliners and extremists”, on Sunday. Rouhani hailed the nuclear deal as
a “golden page” in Iran’s history, and he said that he looks forward to an
economic future less dependant on oil. Jpost.com reports: The Islamic
Republic emerged from years of economic isolation on Saturday when world
powers lifted crippling sanctions after confirming that Tehran had curbed
its nuclear program as part of a deal agreed last year. “The nuclear deal
is an o... more »
Jason Mraz, “I Won't Give Up”
Jason Mraz, “I Won't Give Up”
- https://www.youtube.com/
Looking Back at 2015
The year 2015 will be a pretty important year for me in numerous respects.
A lot happened and I learned a lot along the way. 2015 was the first year I
lived as myself full time. My legal paperwork was done in September 2014
and I was full time thereafter, no looking back. In January […]
in which the death of a rock legend makes me think about how our world has changed
When this came out, I hung the cover on my bedroom wall. Sharing memories
of David Bowie, as so many of us were after his too-early death this week,
led me to think a lot about the world I lived in when I was a big Bowie fan.
*My world then*
I saw Bowie in concert in 1976, after the "Station to Station" album came
out. I was a few months shy of my 15th birthday.
I had a picture of him on my wall, a magazine cover with a green
background. I had assumed it was the cover of *Time*, but a Google image
search quickly revealed it was *People*. No one in my family read *People*,
which mea... more »
The Poet: Emile Bronte, “Life”
* “Life”*
“Life, believe, is not a dream
So dark as sages say;
Oft a little morning rain
Foretells a pleasant day.
Sometimes there are clouds of gloom,
But these are transient all;
If the shower will make the roses bloom,
O why lament its fall?
Rapidly, merrily,
Life's sunny hours flit by,
Gratefully, cheerily,
Enjoy them as they fly!
What though Death at times steps in
And calls our Best away?
What though sorrow seems to win,
O'er hope, a heavy sway?
Yet hope again elastic springs,
Unconquered, though she fell;
Still buoyant are her golden wings,
Still strong to bear us well.
Manfull... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“The center of our Galaxy is a busy place. In visible light, much of the
Galactic Center is obscured by opaque dust. In infrared light, however,
dust glows more and obscures less, allowing nearly one million stars to be
recorded in the featured photograph.
*Click image for larger size.*
The Galactic Center itself appears on the left and is located about 30,000
light years away towards the constellation of the Archer (Sagittarius). The
Galactic Plane of our Milky Way Galaxy, the plane in which the Sun orbits,
is identifiable by the dark diagonal dust lane. The absorbing dust grains
a... more »
Chet Raymo, “Speaking of Water…”
* “Speaking of Water…”*
by Chet Raymo
“How many water molecules- H2O- are there in the world's oceans? This is
the kind of time-wasting calculation I love doing, but I will leave it as
an exercise for one of you. Look up the mass of a proton in grams. A water
molecule has essentially the mass of 18 protons (hydrogen=1, oxygen=8
protons + 8 neutrons; remember, this is an order of magnitude calculation).
A cubic centimeter of water has (by definition) a mass of one gram. Divide
for the number of water molecules in a cubic centimeter of water. How many
cubic centimeters in the oceans... more »
The Tomahawk Has Just Been Made More 'Deadlier'
*Popular Mechanics:* *Tomahawk Missiles Will Get Twice As Deadly By Blowing
Up Their Own Fuel*
*When leftover jet fuel becomes a warhead.*
A new project could supercharge cruise missiles with several times more
bang, and all without changing the warhead.
The Tomahawk cruise missile, launched from subs, ships, or aircraft, is the
tip of the spear against opponents with air defenses. More than a hundred
were fired in the opening round against Libya in 2011. While the basic
design has been around for decades—they were used as far back as the 1991
Gulf War—the Tomahawk has seen num... more »
"Otherness..."
“Every day things happen in the world that cannot be explained by any law
of things we know. Every day they're mentioned and forgotten, and the same
mystery that brought them takes them away, transforming their secret into
oblivion. Such is the law by which things that can't be explained must be
forgotten. The visible world goes on as usual in the broad daylight.
Otherness watches us from the shadows.”
“We have conquered the whole world before leaving our beds.
But we were awakened and it was dark,
We rose and all was strange to us.”
- Fernando Pessoa
Paulo Coelho, "Time Shifting- Slow Down For A Better Life"
*"Time Shifting- Slow Down For A Better Life"*
by Paulo Coelho
"Time is not a measure: but rather a quality. When we look at the past we
are not rewinding a tape but remembering a gift of our passage on Earth.
Time is not measured like a road is measured, since we take gigantic leaps
backwards (memories) and forwards (projects). Consider the following:
Managing is not living: “Time is money” is nonsense. We have to be aware of
each moment and know how to take advantage of each single moment in what we
are doing (with love) or in just contemplating life. A day has 24 hours and
an i... more »
"The Rise of the Stupids"
"The Rise of the Stupids"
by Les Visible
"I saw where someone referred to Kanye West as a genius. This sort of half
excused him for his public embarrassment of saying that certain musical
judges had picked the wrong bimbo to be awarded one of those Cracker Jack
prizes in the tits and ass ensemble of modern culture. We know all about
‘cultures’ here at the Petri Dish. We’ve got thousands of glass slides with
things growing on them and as much dry ice as you’ll find at any of the
major concerts. I tried to listen to some Kanye West so that I could catch
some of his genius but I was c... more »
The Juarez Workers' Fight Crosses the Border in 2016
January
17, 2016
Special Report
The Juarez Workers' Fight Crosses the Border in 2016
By Frontera NorteSur
Beginning in the summer and fall of 2015, a wave of worker protests over
low wages, sexual harassment and other adverse working conditions broke
out in four foreign-owned factories, or maquiladoras, in the northern
Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez. In a city where genuine union
Robert Levinson: The American, Former FBI Agent, ‘Left Behind’ in Iranian Prisoner Release
[image: Robert Levinson]
As American families cautiously celebrated the reported release of their
loved ones from Iran, one has been “devastated” by the news that a former
FBI agent was apparently “left behind.” “We are happy for the other
families. But once again,...
Continue reading *“Robert Levinson: The American, Former FBI Agent, ‘Left
Behind’ in Iranian Prisoner Release”* at *abcnews.go.com*.
Jerusalem Church Defaced With Anti-Christian Graffiti
[image: DormitionAbbeyGraffiti]
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israeli police discovered Hebrew graffiti Sunday on the
walls of a famous Jerusalem church, in what appears to be the latest
vandalism attack by extremist Jews. Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said
anti-Christian slogans were found on the... more »
Iran Says Top ISIS Leader Was Aboard Captured US Navy Boats
A leaked Ministry of Defense report reveals that the Obama administration
is “completely destroyed” after their top-secret mission in transporting a
top ISIS leader was uncovered and thwarted by Iran. Following the Iranian
capture of two U.S. Navy Riverine Command Boats last week, intelligence
officials in Tehran discovered a plot to transport a “top level” ISIS
commander into Syria from Saudi Arabia in order to replace the toppled
terrorist leader Zahran Alloush. Whatdoesitmean.com reports: Once this
Islamic State terror leader was in route to Kuwait aboard one of the US
Navy’s RCB... more »
Thousands Of Dead Squid Mysteriously Wash Up In Chile
Over the past week, thousands of dead squid have washed up on the shores of
the Santa Maria Island in Chile. The decomposing bodies of around 10,000
large cephalopods have invaded one of the beaches on the small island and
locals are worried that they may pose a health risk. Experts have not yet
been able to determine the cause of the mass die out. RT reports:
Technicians from the Chilean National Service for Fisheries and Aquaculture
(Sernapesca) have collected samples of the dead squid and water for
analysis in specialized centers. Experts say the phenomenon may have been
caused b... more »
Russia Develop Nuclear Warheads To Destroy Incoming Asteroids
Russia have announced plans to develop nuclear weapons that will be capable
of saving humanity in the event of asteroids hitting the Earth. Russian
scientists are developing nuclear warheads to deal with the ever-increasing
threat of armageddon poised by the giant pieces of space rock. A team of
scientists have been asked by an EU-sponsored program, NEOShield, to
develop weapons to protect the planet. Sputniknews.com reports: According
to a press release by the Russian Central Scientific Research Institute
of Machine Building (TsNIIMash) — a part of Russia’s Roscosmos space agency
... more »
Israel Routinely Execute Palestinians Without Trial
Israel routinely executes Palestinians every day, without a trial and
without any criminal repercussions. Anyone deemed suspicious by Israeli
authorities are killed without questioning. Their policy is clear: shoot
first, ask questions later. Haaretz.com reports: Public Security Minister
Gilad Erdan outlined the situation clearly when he said, “Every terrorist
should know he will not survive the attack he is about to commit” – and
almost every politician joined him in nauseating unison, from Yair Lapid on
up. Never have so many licenses to kill been handed out here, nor has the
fin... more »
Middle East Stock Markets Crash As Iran Enters Oil War
Stock markets across the Middle East have collapsed following Iran’s
addition of 500,000 barrels of oil, sending markets in Dubai and Saudi
Arabia into freefall. As economic sanctions were lifted from the Islamic
Republic, Iran threatened to unleash a huge wave of oil onto global
markets, saturating a market that is already drowning in excess supply
Yahoo Finance reports: All seven stock markets in Gulf states tumbled as
panic gripped traders. Dubai’s DFM General Index slumped 4.8pc to 2,682.56,
while Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index collapsed by 7pc to 5,409.35,
its lowest l... more »
Jan.17: No newspaper today. Hurray!
Beautiful day. Sunny, and not a copy of the Irving press in sight. Even
better, there are some good news sources to catch up on.
There are these photos of a refugee camp at Dunkirk, France.
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2016/01/dunkirk-refugee-camp-life-muddy-uncertainty-160114065617259.html
While we slap ourselves on the back for our incredible generosity in
helping refugees, the reality is we help very few, and those not very much.
As for the U.S., it had no trouble supplying 23,000 tons of bombs to Saudi
Arabia to be dropped on an almost helpless Yemen, no trouble bu... more »
Labour and Unilateral Nuclear Disarmament
In the spirit of honest politics, here's a confession: the issue of nuclear
weapons doesn't greatly exercise me. They are hideous, obscene things to be
sure. I've seen *Threads*, read *Brother in the Land*, and digested old
academic studies about the consequences for Britain of a full nuclear
exchange with the USSR. They're unremittingly grim, one and all. Yet, at
the same time, the threat had an intangible quality to it. In the 70 years
since Little Boy and Fat Man destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, no nation
has deployed nuclear weapons in anger. The prospect of mutually assured
d... more »
Conservative MPs in UK Warn that Sunday Schools Could Be Banned from Teaching Biblical Marriage
[image: sunday schools may be banned]
Sunday schools may be banned for teaching the biblical view of marriage,
under proposals to subject them to Ofsted inspection, Conservative MPs have
warned. The government has outlined proposals that would force many
“out-of-school” settings to undergo registration and inspection....
Continue reading *“Conservative MPs in UK Warn that Sunday Schools Could Be
Banned from Teaching Biblical Marriage”* at *charismanews.com*.
Cosmic Particles Could Reveal Secrets Of The Pyramids
Cosmic particles gathered inside Egypt’s famed pyramids could help experts
learn about the structure of the ancient monuments. Cosmic ray muon
radiography imaging, is one of the methods used by scientists searching
for hidden chambers within the pyramids. News.com reports: For the past
three months a team of researchers from Egypt, France, Canada and Japan
have been scanning four pyramids with thermal cameras to see if they
contain unknown structures or cavities. Operation Scan Pyramids began on
October 25 to search for hidden rooms inside Khufu — also known as the
Great Pyramid — a... more »
The CIA Is Not Happy With The Movie '13 Hours'
*Variety*: *CIA Spokesman Slams ‘13 Hours’ as ‘Distortion’ of Benghazi
Events*
A spokesman for the CIA is criticizing the Michael Bay movie “13 Hours: The
Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” as a “distortion of the events and people who
served in Benghazi that night.”
The spokesman, Ryan Trapani, was quoted in an exclusive Washington Post
story, which also features an interview with the CIA chief in Benghazi on
Sept. 11, 2012, when Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others were killed
in a siege of the diplomatic compound and attack on the CIA annex.
“No one will mistake this movie for ... more »
U.S. Admiral: U.S. Navy Will be Short 10 Subs To Fulfill Current Missions By The 2020s
The Virginia-class attack submarine USS New Mexico (SSN 779) transits the
Thames River to her new homeport at Naval Submarine Base New London. New
Mexico joins Submarine Squadron (SUBRON) 4. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Patrick
Evans/Released)
*Seapower:* *NAVSEA Commander: Navy is 10 Subs Below its Needs*
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy’s submarine force is not large enough to meet the
needs of the nation, according to the Navy’s top ship acquisition admiral.
Moderating a panel on shipbuilding Jan. 14 at the Surface Navy Association
National Symposium, Vice Adm. William H. Hilarides, command... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
New Castle, Indiana, USA. Thanks for stopping by!
"Useless..."
"It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favor of
vegetarianism while the wolf remains of a different opinion."
- Dean Inge
"What Will It Take to Break Our Trance?"
*"What Will It Take to Break Our Trance?"*
by Doug Page
“We become sphynxes, though fake,
up to the point we no longer know who we are.”
- Fernando Pessoa
"We are rapidly returning to the uncivilized Law of the Jungle. We will
soon live in a world where brute force rules. It is not only the disabled,
widows, children and orphans who are vulnerable to the cruelties of this
jungle. We all are. We have been brainwashed with incessant slogans like
"Get the government off your back," and "Keep more of your own money...
oppose all tax increases." Our dominant, false ideology tells us th... more »
Trumpf Wants To Know: "What Are Calgary Values?" He's About To Find Out
As you can see from the video above, which Cruz has been sending around to
justify his "New York values" comment, he's not going to curl up in a ball
and whine the way the other Republican commander-in-chief wannabes have
when Herr Trumpf looked at them crosseyed. As Fox's Chad Pergram pointed
out on twitter yesterday, when Cruz was rescued from a stalled elevator in
South Carolina Saturday morning, he emerged asking "Who put Donald Trump in
charge of the elevators?" That may have been a comment on Trump trying to
harm him or a comment on the shoddy workmanship Trump projects are ... more »
Man Who Awoke From 12-Year Coma ‘Was Aware of Everything,’ But We Still Call Them ‘Vegetables’
[image: Martin Pistorius]
(LiveActionNews) -- When Martin Pistorius was 12 years old, he became very
ill. After two years of illness, spending most of his time sleeping, he
became so sick that he lost his ability to move. Then he lost his ability...
Continue reading *“Man Who Awoke From 12-Year Coma ‘Was Aware of
Everything,’ But We Still Call Them ‘Vegetables’”* at *lifenews.com*.
Ron Paul Says Neocons Are Warmongers
Libertarian Ron Paul from the Voice of Liberty believes that the Neocons
are warmongers. The former presidential nominee and two-time Republican
presidential candidate is very impressed with the way the U.S.
administration dealt with the Iran/US sailors crisis, and gives Iran credit
for releasing the captured US sailors in just one day. Dr. Paul shows signs
of sympathy for the Iranian predicament of finding itself besieged by
terror and future threats of war and terror. In the latest Liberty report,
Ron Paul and Daniel McAdams discuss the neoconservative collective outrage
surroundi... more »
Linda Tripp: ‘Bill Clinton Had Affairs with Thousands of Women’
[image: Linda Tripp]
In a rare interview, Linda Tripp, a pivotal figure in the Monica Lewinsky
scandal, revealed on Sunday it was common knowledge while she worked in the
West Wing that Bill Clinton had affairs with "thousands of women." Speaking
on Aaron Klein Investigative...
Continue reading *“Linda Tripp: ‘Bill Clinton Had Affairs with Thousands of
Women’”* at *breitbart.com*.
What Does the Pope’s Synagogue Visit Mean for Jews and Christians?
[image: synagogue visit]
Pope Francis visited the Great Synagogue of Rome Sunday, becoming only the
third Catholic leader in modern times to visit the Jewish house of prayer.
Francis spoke at the synagogue in an effort to demonstrate interfaith
solidarity in the wake of...
Continue reading *“What Does the Pope’s Synagogue Visit Mean for Jews and
Christians?”* at *csmonitor.com*.
Marine Corps Releases Names of 12 Missing Marines From Helicopter Crash Near Hawaii
[image: Marine Corps Releases Names of 12 Missing Marines From Helicopter
Crash Near Hawaii]
HONOLULU (AP) -- The latest in the crash of two Marine helicopters off
Hawaii (all times local): 6 p.m. The U.S. Marine Corps has released the
names of the 12 Marines missing after two helicopters crashed off Hawaii.
They are:... more »
Three Americans ‘Kidnapped By Militia’ In Baghdad
Three Americans have reportedly been kidnapped by ‘militias’ in the Iraqi
capital of Baghdad. The U.S. government is aware of reports and is working
with Iraqi authorities to find them, a U.S. State Department official said
on Sunday. Their disappearance was first reported by the a pan-Arab news
channel Al- Arabiya. RT reports: While their identities have not yet been
confirmed, Iraqi independent news agency Akad News said a US serviceman and
a translator are among those who were captured in the south of Baghdad. The
reports are yet to be verified, but Arab news channel Al-Arabiya sa... more »
Colorado City Uses Human Waste To Power Vehicles
The city of Grand Junction in Colorado is turning its human waste into
renewable natural gas (RNG) to power its vehicles. Eight million gallons of
human waste is processed at the Persigo Wastewater Treatment Plant that
turns the sludge into RNG or Biomethane. Alternative Energies reports: The
RNG becomes the fuel used by 40 fleet vehicles like garbage trucks, dump
trucks, street sweepers and even transit buses. The human waste is turned
into raw biogas due to a process called anaerobic digestion, and to become
RNG is collected and suffers a little upgrade in order to meet the quality... more »
President Obama Credits His 'Smart' Diplomacy For Breakthroughs In The U.S. Relationship With Iran
Daily Mail: *'It has been a good day': Obama applauds his own 'smart'
diplomacy with Iran claiming the country will NEVER get a nuclear bomb as
plane carrying released prisoners heads home*
* The president spoke on Sunday to outline and defend three deals with Iran
* Insisted settlement of $400m plus $1.3bn interest is 'lower' than Iran
sought
* And said his 'smart' diplomacy means Iran will never get a nuclear bomb
* Three of the five released US citizens reached Switzerland on Sunday
* One of the five has already landed in Texas, the fifth is still in Iran
President Barack Obama ... more »
“How Corporations and Politicians Use Numbers to Lie- and How Not to Be Fooled”
*“How Corporations and Politicians Use Numbers*
* to Lie- **and How Not to Be Fooled”*
By Larry Schwartz
“Americans, as P.T. Barnum once noted, are not all that difficult to fool,
and our nation’s somewhat weak math skills don’t help. A Pew Research
Center report issued last year, which studied test results of 15-year-olds,
ranked the United States 35th in the world in math. Not only has this
weakness in understanding numbers created opportunities for mass
exploitation by Big Pharma and other industries, it has led to needless and
mostly unwarranted fear. While Americans don’t under... more »
"How It Really Is"
I live in Arizonastan. Here's a hint:
Arizona State Senator Sylvia Allen (R) says Earth is 6,000 years old.
MENA Report - ( January 17 , 2016 ) 1. Iran achieves Implementation Day - Outcome For Oil In Near Term Cloudy. 2. Iraq/ Syria Updates Of Note. 3. Libya Battlefield & Political Items. 4. ISIS / Al Qaeda / Taliban / Extremist Jihadists Updates. 5. Yemen In Focus. 6. Refugee Related Items.
Links .....
*Iran Sanctions Lifted: IAEA Affirms Full Compliance *
*Pentagon Admits Killing More Iraq, Syria Civilians*
*29 Killed as al-Qaeda Attacks Burkina Faso Hotel*
*Al-Shabaab Overruns Somalia Base, 63 Kenya Troops Killed*
Iraq's Top Shi'ite Cleric Urges End to Militancy After Diyala Attacks
Pentagon Releases Video of US Bombing 'Millions' in ISIS Cash
Norway Tells 5,500 Migrants Who Arrived on Bikes to Ride Back Across the
Border to Russia
German Town Bans Male Refugees From Swimming Pool
Facing Partial Eviction, Migrants... more »
Weisberg
*Jim Garrison's Harshest Critics*
Dave Reitzes
"As an investigator, Jim Garrison could not find
a pubic hair in a whorehouse at rush hour."
-- Harold Weisberg
Jim Garrison liked to promote the view that anyone who criticized him was
simply opposed to the idea that a conspiracy took the life of President
John F. Kennedy. But how then does one account for the fact that some of
Garrison's toughest critics have always been conspiracy theorists?
Anthony Summers, author of *Conspiracy,* writes that the Garrison
investigation "has long been recognized by virtually everyone -- including
s... more »
Cyprus
*"The Embassy does not believe that the loss of Cyprus-owned physical
infrastructure, nor the interruption of key resource exports from the
island, would immediately affect the security, national economic security,
and/or public health or safety of the United States. A Connecticut-sized
Mediterranean island some 5000 miles from the East Coast of the United
States, Cyprus simply is too small, too distant, and too lacking in natural
resources to affect U.S. interests in that fashion.*
*Under the terms of the 1960 independence treaties, Great Britain was
allowed to retain two "Sove... more »
Zionism in the Age of the Dictators - by Lenni Brenner
*Contradiction, Collusion and Controversy *
*by Edward Mortimer *
*The Times (London), February 11, 1984: *
*Zionism in the Age of the Dictators *
*by Lenni Brenner (Croom Helm, £9.95) *
Who told a Berlin audience in March 1912 that* each country can absorb only
a limited** number of Jews, if she doesn't want disorders in her stomach.
Germany already has too many **Jews*?
No, not Adolf Hitler but *Chaim Weizmann*, later president of the *World
Zionist Organization* and later still the first *President of the State of
Israel.*
And where might you find the following assertion,... more »
As Sanctions Are Lifted, Iranian Foes Fear the Worst
[image: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a weekly cabinet
meeting in Jerusalem. Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016.]
JERUSALEM (AP) -- As the nuclear deal with Tehran goes into effect, many
Middle Eastern countries fear a newly emboldened Iran, flush with cash and
international recognition, will grow more aggressive with what they see as
meddling in conflicts across... more »
US Imposes New Sanctions On Iran Over Missile Test
Just one day after international sanctions against Iran were lifted, the
United States has imposed fresh sanctions on Iranian companies and
individuals over a recent ballistic missile test. U.S. officials said that
the Treasury planned to announce the penalties in late December, but held
off after the Iranian foreign minister said they could have derailed the
prisoner exchange that took place over weekend. The BBC reports: The new
sanctions prevent 11 entities and individuals linked to the missile
programme from using the US banking system. The move came after
international nuclear ... more »
White House Admits Fake Vaccine Programs Used To Gather Public DNA
The White House has officially admitted that fake vaccine programs have
been used on the public in order to gather public DNA intelligence for use
in the ‘war on terror’. The government have said that the scheme, carried
out in the Middle East, uses DNA to identify potential terrorist suspects
who would then be targeted to be assassinated by the United States.
Wearechange.org reports: The White House has officially admitted that fake
vaccination programs have been used by the United States as a cover for
covertly stealing DNA samples from the public as part of the so-called “war
on... more »
Climate Change Scientists Call For Geoengineering
Climate change scientists are now publicly pushing forward the
‘geoengineering’ agenda following the “failed” Paris Climate Change
Conference last year. The worlds’ leading climate change scientists are
now saying that following the conference, radical technology aimed
controlling and manipulating the world’s weather must be employed in order
to deal with the problem of climate change. Activistpost.com reports:
According to a 2013 congressional report: The term ‘geoengineering’
describes this array of technologies that aim, through large-scale and
deliberate modifications of the Ea... more »
Mysterious Bulgaria Skull May Belong To An Alien Say Scientists
A mysterious skull has been discovered in the Rhodope Mountains in
Bulgaria, which scientists say is of alien origins. The skull, nickname the
‘Rhodope alien skull’, was found by a local man (who wishes to remain
anonymous) from Plovdiv, during a dig. He says he found the skull buried
near a small oval-shaped metallic object. 7tales.net reports: The man told
a fascinating story about how he was guided in his dream by five mysterious
humanoids dressed in yellow metallic clothing. These beings showed the man
a spot in the Rhodope Mountains, near the border between Bulgaria and
Greece,... more »
End Of The EU? Austria Ends ‘Open Border’ Policy With Europe
Vienna has cancelled the Schengen agreement with Europe (which allows for
the free movement of European’s within the borderless Schengen Area) amid
an escalating migrant and refugee crisis. Austrian Chancellor Werner
Faymann has said that the whole notion of Europe “is in question” and
announced that the country would be taking immigration matters into its own
hands after Europe’s failure to deal with the crisis. “All refugees must be
controlled, economic migrants must be sent to the countries of their
origin,” Faymann said in an interview with Austria’s Oesterreich newspaper.
RT.c... more »
Palestinian Peace Negotiation Aide Arrested For Spying
An aide to the office of chief Palestinian Authority peace negotiator Saeb
Erekat has been arrested by Palestinian security officials and accused of
spying for Israel. NPR reports: The arrest occurred two weeks ago, and the
precise nature of the allegations aren’t yet clear, NPR’s Emily Harris
reports: “The man is suspected of passing information to the Israelis. The
head of the Palestinian negotiating office, Saeb Erekat, confirmed that the
arrest happened a couple weeks ago but wouldn’t detail the man’s job or
assess how much damage may have been done. “Another Palestinian official... more »
Angela Merkel May Face Criminal Charges
Angela Merkel could find herself in a Federal Constitutional Court, after
one of her allies has threatened to take her government to court over its
unconstitutional open door refugee policy. Bavarian state premier Horst
Seehofer has said he will send the government a request within the next 2
weeks to restore “orderly conditions” at Germany’s borders, before taking
the matter to court. Reuters.com reports: “If it doesn’t follow, the state
government will have no other choice but to file a suit at the Federal
Constitutional Court,” Seehofer told Der Spiegel magazine on Saturday.
See... more »
Islamic State Takes 400 hostages During Horror Siege In Syria
Islamic State jihadi fighters have taken 400 civilians hostage in eastern
Syria, during an attack on a government held district in Deir al Zor. The
hostages include women and children. It comes just a day after around 300
people were brutally murdered in Deir al Zor. The Sunday Express reports:
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said those abducted were all Sunnis
and included families of pro-government fighters. They were taken to other
areas under IS control in northwest Syria, it said. “There is genuine fear
for their lives, there is a fear that the group might execute them a... more »
Benghazi Investigation Implicates President Obama
U.S. Representative Trey Gowdy has confirmed that orders were given to
military aid in Benghazi to “stand down”, implicating President Obama in
the scandal. The U.S. had rescue teams ready during the 2012 Benghazi
attacks, but the President prevented them from acting. PJ Media reports:
This week on her show, “Full Measure,” Attkisson looked into the aborted
rescue mission in an in-depth two-part report, “Rescue Interrupted,” which
you can watch here and here. She spoke with a Green Beret commander who
told her that there were actually Special Forces on their way to Benghazi
who wer... more »
Bill O’Reilly Promises To Flee To Ireland If Bernie Sanders Wins
Fox TV host Bill O’Reilly has promised the American public that he will
leave America permanently and flee to Ireland if Presidential candidate
Bernie Sanders is elected President of the United States. On his Thursday
show O’Reilly warned that Sanders wanted to secretly “dismantle” Medicare
and the “Affordable Care Act” in order to impose his own socialist scheme –
Berniecare. Presstv.com reports: “If Bernie Sanders gets elected president,
I’m fleeing … I’m going to Ireland. And they already know it. … I shouldn’t
say it publicly because that will get Sanders more votes,” O’Reilly s... more »
Hurricane Alex, 1938, And All That
By Paul Homewood Apparently Hurricane Alex is being blamed for the half
an inch of snow we had here last night! I kid you not. There was actually
an interesting comment from the Telegraph’s Peter Stanford today (sorry
Peter, I did not mean it, honest!). He says that the sea surface
temperatures where Alex […]
Rightwing Nuthouse: 5 Looniest Right-Wing Moments This Week: Bill O'Reilly Comes out With a Doozy”
*“5 Looniest Right-Wing Moments This Week: *
*Bill O'Reilly Comes out With a Doozy”*
By Janet Allon
"It is almost impossible to enumerate the bellicosity, paranoia and
flat-out lying that emerged from the rightward flank this week. But that’s
what happens when you have a Republican debate and President Obama's State
of the Union speech within days of each other.
"Respectable" Marco Rubio hysterically asserts that the president is
fiendishly plotting to take away everyone’s guns. Virtually every GOP
candidate expresses the desire to go to war immediately with Iran. Donald
Trump and ... more »
Possible Implications of Faulty US Technical Intelligence in the Damascus Nerve Agent Attack of August 21, 2013 - by Ted Postol
*Possible Implications of Faulty US Technical Intelligence in the Damascus
Nerve Agent Attack of August 21, 2013*
What is the main policy issue?
- The Syrian Improvised Chemical Munitions that Were Used in the August
21, Nerve Agent Attack in Damascus Have a Range of About 2 Kilometers
- The UN Independent Assessment of the Range of the Chemical Munition Is
in Exact Agreement with Our Findings
- This Indicates That These Munitions Could Not Possibly Have Been Fired
at East Ghouta from the “Heart”, or from the Eastern Edge, of the Syrian
Government Control... more »
Some interesting observations about the toasted cars at WTC 2
The "Directed Energy Weapons" Hypothesis vs. Real ScienceA Scientific
evaluation of the theories and evidence presented on
http://www.drjudywood.com/ and in her book "Where Did the Towers Go? - The
Evidence of Directed Free-Energy Technology on 9/11" by Dr. Judy Wood.
Alien ScientistDirected Energy Weapons are "Directed" and also
"Directional", that is, they travel in a straight line and destroy anything
in their path. So if these cars were toasted via a DEW (Directed Energy
Weapon) then how is there is concrete parking garage roof still over them?
These cars were clearly not ... more »
Taiwan Is China's Number 1 Security Issue
*Reuters: South China Sea?* *For Beijing, Taiwan is the No. 1 security
issue*
For China, whose President Xi Jinping is already taking an increasingly
muscular approach to claims in the East and South China Sea, the question
of Taiwan trumps any other of its territorial assertions in terms of
sensitivity and importance.
After eight years of calm in what had been one of Asia's powder kegs, the
landslide election of an independence-leaning opposition leader,
President-elect Tsai Ing-wen, has thrust Taiwan back into the spotlight as
one of the region's most sensitive security issues.... more »
Hillary Clinton Hungry For New Iran Sanctions
Hillary Clinton has called for fresh new sanctions on Iran just hours after
the U.S. announced it had dropped sanctions on Iran as part of the nuclear
deal. The Presidential candidate called for new sanctions due to the
countries ballistic missile program, warning Americans that Iran is still
violating UN rules. “Iran is still violating UN Security Council
resolutions with its ballistic missile program, which should be met with
new sanctions designations and firm resolve,” she said. Thehill.com
reports: “These prisoners were held unjustly by a regime that continues to
threaten the ... more »
Paper claiming GMO dangers retracted amid allegations of data manipulation
A nutrition journal is retracting a paper about potential dangers of eating
food containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for duplicating a
figure, as news stories from Italy are reporting accusations that the last
author falsified some of his research. In the paper, Federico Infascelli,
an animal nutrition researcher at the University of Naples, and his
colleagues showed modified genes […]
The post Paper claiming GMO dangers retracted amid allegations of data
manipulation appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Journalists: The Gift of Being Present
For
journalists, the gift of being present is the greatest gift
By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
Photo: On the road to Zapatista Stronghold by Brenda Norrell
It is often the simplest memory, the simplest truth, that is the most
profound: Riding in the back of a cargo truck through Zapatista country
in Chiapas, wearing our red bandanas; driving into Pine Ridge from the
south, with the sky as
Suicide Bomber In Afghanistan Targets Pro-Government Politicians Celebrating The Release Of A Relative Held Captive By The Taliban
*Daily Mail:* *Suicide bomber in Afghanistan kills 14 people after
attacking a gathering of pro-government politicians celebrating a
relative's release from Taliban captors*
* A suicide bomber in Afghanistan has killed 14 people at a public gathering
* The attacker detonated explosives that he had hidden inside his clothes
* It is thought the Afghan family was targeted for its pro-government stance
* They were gathering to celebrate a relative's release from Taliban captors
* He was injured in the blast, which occurred in Jalalabad, Afghanistan
A suicide bomber in Afghanistan has kill... more »
When Artists And Public Intellectuals Sell Out
American neo-liberalism has become a juggernaut, Chris Hedges writes,
because it has successfully convinced citizens to forget their intellectual
heritage:
America’s refusal to fund and sustain its intellectual and cultural
heritage means it has lost touch with its past, obliterated its
understanding of the present, crushed its capacity to transform itself
through self-reflection and self-criticism, and descended into a deadening
provincialism. Ignorance and illiteracy come with a cost. The obsequious
worship of technology, hedonism and power comes with a cost. The primacy of
em... more »
Pentagon Now Targeting Islamic State Hackers For Air-Strikes
*The Hill:* *Pentagon takes aim at ISIS hackers*
The killing of two Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) hackers is
raising new questions about whether the Pentagon is targeting the group's
tech-savvy members.
Focusing on digital leaders in ISIS could be an effective way to counteract
the extremist group's online recruitment — an area where the U.S. has
struggled — military and cyber experts say.
“You might impact the propaganda which is getting them a lot of attention,
a lot of young members in Western countries who are being radicalized,”
said Robert Lee, a former cyber offi... more »
Poll: There Is A Huge Middle Eastern Sectarian Divide On Views Of Saudi Arabia, Iran
*PEW Research:* *The Middle East’s sectarian divide on views of Saudi
Arabia, Iran*
The recent execution of Shia leader Nimr al-Nimr, along with dozens of
other prisoners, by the Saudi Arabian government has sparked a furor in the
Middle East. The storming of the Saudi Embassy amid protests in Iran, a
predominantly Shia Muslim nation with long-standing animosity toward
predominantly Sunni Saudi Arabia, has led to the cutting of diplomatic ties
between the two powers. Saudi allies in the region, such as Bahrain, have
followed suit.
The tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran are oft... more »
Energy 54, Need for cheaper, reliable energy sources
These are sections 5 and 6 of my presentation, *Climate change and the need
for cheaper and stable energy sources *during the EPDP Conference 2016 last
week, January 12-13 at the New World Hotel in Makati.
*VI. Summary and recommendations*
*1. Climate change (CC) is natural (nature-made, not “man-made”), it is
cyclical (warming-cooling-warming-cooling), and has precedents (not
“unprecedented”). CC happened in the past, happening now, will happen in
the future. CC is as natural as day-night or wet-dry seasonal cycle.*
*2. Extreme weather, severe flooding and drought have precedents... more »
U.S. To Pay Iran $400 Million Debt And $1.3 Billion In Interest Dating From The Islamic Revolution
US Secretary of State John Kerry pictured during a press conference at the
E3/EU+3 and Iran talks at the International Atomic Energy Agency
headquarters in Vienna on January 16, 2016 (AFP Photo/Joe Klamar)
*AFP*: *US to pay Iran $1.7 bn in debt and interest: Kerry*
Washington (AFP) - The United States is to repay Iran a $400 million debt
and $1.3 billion in interest dating to the Islamic revolution, Secretary of
State John Kerry said Sunday.
The repayment, which settles a suit brought under an international legal
tribunal, is separate from the tens of billions of dollars in frozen ... more »
ON TURNING 82 AND OWNING A GREAT TRUTH
*Turning 82 in good health is a major achievement in these troubled times
but without a doubt my greatest achievement, as well as gift to mankind,
has been to find and identify a great truth that I once profoundly felt and
knew as a very young child. It was then finding the determination and
courage to live and demonstrate in my work that a **Unified Field of love
and soul consciousness lay not only beyond time and space but also beneath
our deepest fears and that its principle property is the universal urge to
unite ~ which we continue to resist at our collective per... more »
An Unspeakable Crime Has Been Committed In Flint-- But It Should Not Be Unpunishable
*MURDERER*
The outrage has been building in me since I first started reading and
hearing about how Michigan Governor Rick Snyder abrogated democracy in
Flint and set about poisoning their water system. People are dead; people
are sick; people will suffer for their entire lives; and Michigan
taxpayers-- probably U.S. taxpayers as well-- are on the hook for untold
tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars. One man-- one, repulsive,
greed-driven, ideological slob: Rick Snyder. If we were primitive his
battered carcass would be hanging from a lamp post and being eaten by
vultures. B... more »
President Obama Announces New Sanctions Against Iran (Video)
"We have now cut off every single path that Iran could have used to build a
bomb." —@POTUS #IranDeal https://t.co/LM2W9ZqH7E
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 17, 2016
This Has Been A Big Week In U.S. - Iranian Relations
Image: Flickr/U.S. Department of State.
*Daniel R. DePetris, National Interest:* *Iran and the United States Had a
Very Big Week*
We will certainly not hear this from the ten Republican candidates running
for president of the United States, but this past week proved to be an
incredibly productive time for U.S.-Iran diplomacy. Indeed, the last seven
days has not only resulted in several positive outcomes for the United
States, but has exhibited just how markedly different interactions between
American and Iranian officials have become since the JCPOA negotiating
process first began... more »
Musings On Iraq In The News
I was cited in “An Unhappy Marriage: Civil-Military Relations in
Post-Saddam Iraq” by Florence Gaub for the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace.
U.S. Announces New Sanctions Against Iran On Their Ballistic Missile Program
Screen capture of the last launch of an Iranian missile, October 10, 2015.
(YouTube/PressTV News Videos)
*New York Times*: *U.S. Imposes New Sanctions on Iran After Prisoner
Exchange*
TEHRAN — Less than 24 hours after lifting sanctions against Iran for its
nuclear program, the Obama administration announced Sunday that it was
imposing new sanctions on Iran for violating United Nations resolutions
against ballistic missile tests.
The announcement, which was prepared several weeks ago but delayed by the
Treasury Department, was made shortly after a Swiss plane carrying
Americans fr... more »
Iranian Reaction To The Lifting Of International Sanctions
*The Guardian*: *Iranians jubilant as country wakes up to first day without
sanctions*
President Hassan Rouhani hails ‘golden page’ in country’s history and
‘turning point’ in economy as sanctions lifted
Iranians have greeted with jubilation the end to a decade of financial
stringency under sanctions after western officials formally lifted a
complex network of punitive measure as the landmark nuclear deal was
implemented.
President Hassan Rouhani hailed a “golden page” in the country’s history
and a “turning point” in its economy as he delivered his budget before the
Iranian par... more »
IPR and Innovation 29, Civil society enforcement of patents, copyrights
Property rights, physical or intellectual, are good only if they are
enforced. While the means of property rights protection is via government,
national and local, there are other non-governmental, professional and
civil society way of enforcing IPR. Some news reports here last year.
*(1) "The benefits of a strong regime of property rights apply just as much
to intangibles as to land and goods. We long ago worked out how to make the
ownership of cars and houses and factories work, but we are not always as
effective at protecting the interests of the originators of an idea, the
crea... more »
Sunday Song - Bonus Shot
"Take Back America" Darlene McBride MadTV"Take Back America To 1955..."
sing along with Darlene McBride, the favorite artist of Redneck Republicans
everywhere!
Posted by Redneck Republicans on Friday, January 15, 2016
Three Of The Four Americans Freed By Iran As Part Of A Prisoner Swap Have Left Iran
*CNN*: *Plane carrying Americans in Iran prisoner swap has taken off*
(CNN)A plane carrying at least three of the four Americans freed by Iran as
part of a prisoner swap has taken off, three of the men's families said in
Sunday statements.
White House officials said earlier Sunday that recently detained student
Matthew Trevithick, who was released -- but not as part of the prisoner
swap -- had left Iran. There were no additional details.
The situation of the fifth prisoner, identified by U.S. officials as
Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari, was not immediately known. A statement from
... more »
Mass Killings And Abductions by ISIS Militants Being Reported From The Besieged Syrian City Of Deir al-Zor (Updated)
*Reuters*:* Islamic State kidnaps 400 civilians in Syrian city of Deir
al-Zor: monitor*
Islamic State militants kidnapped at least 400 civilians when they attacked
government-held areas in the eastern Syrian city of Deir al-Zor on
Saturday, a monitoring group said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday families of
pro-government fighters were among those abducted.
"There is genuine fear for their lives, there is a fear that the group
might execute them as it has done before in other areas," said the
Observatory's head Rami Abdulrahamn.
Deir al-Zor is the main to... more »
The Fate of Humanity.....
Don't lose the Internet......
AT list of remarkable POLITICIANS
These
politicians stand for justice, in the face of a majority of their
colleagues who stand for self-interest, exploitation, plunder,
occupation, apartheid, war, and genocide...
WORK IN PROGRESS -- PLEASE MAKE SUGGESTIONS IN COMMENT
George Galloway, UK (video)
Malalai Joya, Afghanistan (video)
Ralph Nader, USA (video)
Richard Boyd Barrett, Ireland (video)
From the recent past:
Tommy
Stock Markets Across The Middle East Crashed Today (They Are Open On Sundays)
*The Telegraph:* *Iran sanctions: Middle East stock markets crash as Tehran
enters oil war*
Prospect of the Islamic Republic pumping an additional 500,000 barrels a
day sends stock markets in Dubai and Saudi Arabia into tailspin
Stock markets across the Middle East collapsed as the lifting of economic
sanctions against Iran threatened to unleash a fresh wave of oil onto
global markets that are already drowning in excess supply.
All seven stock markets in Gulf states tumbled as panic gripped traders.
Dubai's DFM General Index slumped 4.8pc to 2,682.56, while Saudi Arabia's
Tadawul... more »
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio Favors Legalization Of Undocumented Immigrants In The U.S.
*Politico*: *Rubio: Law-abiding undocumented immigrants could stay*
Sen. Marco Rubio says people who immigrated to the U.S. illegally but
haven't committed any major crimes could be allowed to stay.
In an interview airing Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," the Florida
Republican contender for the presidency said felons shouldn't be allowed to
stay, but those who commit lesser crimes could still qualify. He didn't
specify if the people allowed to stay would ever be able to become citizens.
"If you're a criminal alien, no, you can't stay. If you're someone that
hasn't been here for a... more »
Why Don't Voters Trust Hillary Any More Than They Trust Rubio, Cruz, Trumpf Or Christie?
The Democratic Party Establishment, worried that too much democracy could
upset their profitable little racket, instituted the idea of
"super-delegates" in 1982 to gives themselves some control over the
nomination process. Originally the party bosses demanded 30% of all the
delegates but today the super-delegates-- current and former Democratic
Party officials-- comprise 20% of the convention delegates. Last November
NPR dealt with how the super-delegate system was good for an establishment
hack like Clinton and toxic for the candidacy of an outsider or insurgent.
"Front-runner" ... more »
Northerntruthseeker Rant For Sunday, January 17th, 2016
[image: rant-jpeg-b]
Sunday... Mid January, and time again for my weekly rant...
Well, it appears that the term the frozen wasteland for this part of Canada
is finally living up to its billing with temperatures this last week
plunging down into the -30C range....That is of course -25 for you crazy
Americans still on the old Fahrenheit scale.... Yes, this was expected, and
shows again that the idea that the planet is "overheating" is a fraud.... I
personally am sick and tired of the clowns that push the Global Warming
agenda and continue to claim that 2015 was the 'warmest year on r... more »
Is President Obama Correct When He Says That Groups Like 'al-Qaeda And Islamic State But Threaten Our National Existence?
Military.com: Obama: Al-Qaeda and ISIS Don't Threaten 'Our National
Existence'
In his final State of the Union address, President Barack Obama said the
terrorist groups al-Qaeda and Islamic State pose a "direct threat" to
Americans but don't threaten "our national existence."
"Both al-Qaeda and now ISIL pose a direct threat to our people, because in
today's world, even a handful of terrorists who place no value on human
life, including their own, can do a lot of damage," he said, referring to
the Islamic State in Iraq or Syria, or ISIS, also known as ISIL. "They use
the Internet ... more »
Open Thread
Life has been interfering with blogging. So if anybody is out there, please
feel free to contribute.
The Search Continues For 12 US Marines Missing After Thursday's Helicopter Collision Off The Coast Of Hawaii
*Reuters*: *Marine Corps lists identities of 12 missing in Hawaii chopper
collision*
The U.S. Marines Corps released the identities of 12 Marines missing at sea
after two helicopters collided near the island of Oahu in Hawaii on
Thursday night.
The search for the missing Marines continued off the North Shore of Oahu
for a second day, with the Coast Guard and partner agencies expanding their
search from Waianae to Kahuku off Oahu, and extending out to sea eight
miles, the Coast Guard said.
"We'd like to reiterate to the public to use caution along the north and
west shores of Oah... more »
Why a Global Approach Is Needed to Defeat ISIS
[image: June 16, 2014 file photo, demonstrators chant pro-Islamic State
group, slogans as they carry the group's flags in front of the provincial
government headquarters in Mosul, 225 miles (360 kilometers) northwest of
Baghdad.]
During his final State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday, U.S.
President Barack Obama attempted to downplay the threat to U.S. national
security posed by the rise of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL).
But a special... more »
What the [Bleep] Has Happened to Our Speech?
[image: speak no evil - 900]
Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks, and America needs her
mouth washed out with soap. For the love of everything decent, people,
please stop it already. The assault on our ears and our sensibilities has
just... more »
Sanders Says He Supports Repealing Gun Manufacture Immunity
[image: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.,
speaks during the First in the South Dinner at the Charleston Mariott
Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, in Charleston, S.C.]
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- On the eve of the next Democratic debate, Vermont
Sen. Bernie Sanders announced his support for legislation that would
reverse a 2005 law granting gun manufacturers legal immunity that he once
supported. Sanders’ changed position came... more »
Somalia's al Shabaab Islamist Group Claims To Have Captured Scores Of Kenyan Soldiers In Last Weeks Attack On A Major AU Base
*Reuters:* *Somali Islamist rebels say they have captured Kenyan troops*
Somalia's al Shabaab Islamist group said on Sunday it had captured some
Kenyan soldiers during an attack last week on military bases in western
Somalia near the Kenyan border.
The group, which did not say how many soldiers were held after Friday's
assault in Ceel Cadde, also said in a statement that more than 100 Kenyan
soldiers were killed, revising up the number from the more than the 63 dead
it had previously claimed.
Kenya has not given casualty figures beyond saying both sides sustained
casualties. But ... more »
Russia's Deployment Of S-400 Missile Batteries In Kaliningrad Will Make The Baltics A No-Go Zone In The Event Of War
*Foxtrot-Alpha*: *Russia's Buildup Of S-400 Missile Batteries In
Kaliningrad Is Freaking Out NATO*
The same air defense system that has seemingly kept coalition fighters out
of western Syria is now being installed in the heart of Europe, at Russia’s
Baltic Sea enclave of Kaliningrad. Russia’s setting up surface-to-air
missile systems in their territory is nothing new, but the S-400's
long-range and effectiveness is.
The S-400 (NATO code name SA-21 Growler) is very much a wide-area,
anti-access, area-denial (A2/AD) system. It has the ability threaten enemy
aircraft within a 250 mi... more »
How The Collapse In The Price Of Oil May Precipitate A Debt Crisis And War
*Raúl Ilargi Meijer, The Automatic Earth*: *(Re-)Covering Oil and War*
The first thing that popped into our minds on Tuesday when WTI oil briefly
broached $30 for its first $20 handle in many years, was that this should
be triggering a Gawdawful amount of bets, $30 being such an obvious number.
Which in turn would of necessity lead to a -brief- rise in prices.
Apparently even that is not so easy to see, since when prices did indeed go
up after, some 3% at the ‘top’, ‘analysts’ fell over each other talking up
‘bottom’, ‘rebound’ and even ‘recovery’. We’re really addicted to that
re... more »
Will The Use Of Artillery Change The Battlefield Dynamics In the Syrian War?
*James T. Quinlivan, War On The Rocks*: *Artillery Returns To The
Battlefield In the War Against The Islamic State*
Amid Russian air and cruise missile strikes, civilian casualties, proposed
no-fly zones, air-to-air shoot-downs, and new surface-to-air missiles in
Syria, relatively few news stories have discussed the introduction of
Russian artillery into the theater. Though the introduction of artillery
may seem less significant than aerial attacks, remember that Napoleon
observed: “With artillery, war is made.” By reintroducing artillery to
Syria to support combined arms operatio... more »
Author of Benghazi Book Stands by Pivotal ‘Stand Down’ Scene
[image: This photo provided by Paramount Pictures shows Pablo Schreiber,
from left, as Kris "Tanto" Paronto, John Krasinski as Jack Silva, David
Denman as Dave "Boon" Benton and Dominic Fumusa as John "Tig" Tiegen, in
the film, "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi" from Paramount
Pictures and 3 Arts Entertainment/Bay Films.]
“Stand down,” says the actor playing the CIA station chief in Michael Bay’s
new film, 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. He’s speaking to the
security team that wants to go help Americans under siege less than a mile
away... more »
Once-Homeless Man with Smooth Voice Is Back on the Airwaves
[image: In this December 2010 file photo, Ted Williams holds a sign
advertising his smooth radio voice near a highway ramp in Columbus, Ohio.
Five years after Williams' silky voice won him Internet fame, he’s on the
air again at the same Ohio radio station where he began his career before
addiction pushed him to the streets. The Columbus Dispatch reports the new
weekday radio program on WVKO-AM is the first steady employment Williams
has had since 1993.]
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- The once-homeless man whose silky voice turned him
into an Internet sensation five years ago is back on the ... more »
Media Mmatters Sins aginst the Truth
Media Matters sins against truth. Every time Mark Z. Jacobson publishes
another study his careful readers become critics. The most vociferous, of
Jacobson's critics are not as Media Matters would suggest, right-wing
climate change deniers. Most of Jacobson's critics are Political
progressives, who are deeply concerned about preventing CO2 emissions and
their accompning potentially catistrophic changes to the global climate.
Thus the primary criticism of Professor Jacobson comes from the political
left, not from the political right, and the criticism is coming from
scientists and ... more »
Pronouns and the March of ‘Gender Diversity’
[image: transgender]
For all its difficulty in other ways, the English language is wonderfully
simple in the matter of gender. People may feminize objects and roles,
calling ships "her" and female flight attendants (in one brief, perhaps
benighted era) hostesses, but these... more »
Newt Gingrich: America Needs to Get Ready for a ‘100-Year War’ with Radical Islam
[image: Iraqi Shiite tribesmen brandish their weapons as they gather to
show their willingness to join Iraqi security forces in the fight against
Jihadist militants who have taken over several northern Iraqi cities, on
June 17 2014, in the southern Shiite Muslim shrine city of Najaf. Fighting
erupted at the northern approaches to Baghdad Tuesday as Iraq accused Saudi
Arabia of backing militants who have seized swathes of territory in an
offensive the UN says threatens its very existence.]
The war against radical Islamic terrorism could go on much longer than
anyone is expecting, and ... more »
UN Panel Calls for ‘Voluntary’ Global Taxation to Ease Refugee Suffering
[image: UN_Geneva]
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- An estimated $40 billion is needed annually to help
the rapidly growing number of people needing humanitarian aid as a result
of conflicts and natural disasters -- and one possibility to help fill the
$15 billion... more »
Untitled
*Most Oxford students want to keep Cecil Rhodes statue: Survey finds 54%
want monument to remain despite controversial campaign to remove it*
Oxford students want a statue of Cecil Rhodes to remain at Oriel College
despite a controversial campaign to tear it down over claims it is 'racist'.
The majority oppose calls to remove the memorial to the 19th Century
politician, who left vast sums to the university on his death.
A survey of almost 1,000 students by university newspaper Cherwell found 54
per cent want the statue to remain, compared with just 37 per cent who want
it removed ... more »
Who Are the Seven Iranians Released In Exchange For U.S. Prisoners?
[image: 1iran]
Four U.S.-Iranian dual citizens held by Iran were freed in exchange for
seven Iranian nationals held in the U.S. for violating sanctions against
Iran. Iranian media lists those freed as: Nader Modanlou, Bahram Mechanic,
Khosrow Afqahi, Arash Ghahreman, Touraj Faridi, Nima... more »
We Need a Christian Version of Black Lives Matter
[image: Black Lives Matter]
I did a recent interview where the topic of Black Lives Matter came up. I
discussed the movement as one that is addressing the important issue of
disparate criminal justice. There are extreme opinions at both ends of the
spectrum... more »
Taiwan Elects President Favoring Independence from Communist China
[image: Tsai_und_Su_(cropped,_Tsai_Ing-wen)]
Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has become the
fourth popularly elected president of the Republic of China since the
return of presidential elections in 1996 -- joining Lee Teng-hui, Chen
Shui-bian, and Ma Ying-jeou. Early reports indicate that she... more »
Are Conservatives Really More Simple-Minded Than Liberals? A New Study Will Surprise Some
[image: conservative or liberal]
It is almost a truism among psychological researchers that conservatives
are simple-minded and dogmatic. Liberals, meanwhile, are supposed to be
more complex and open-minded thinkers. But a new paper is calling those
conclusions into question. Writing in the journal Political...
Continue reading *“Are Conservatives Really More Simple-Minded Than
Liberals? A New Study Will Surprise Some”* at *reason.com*.
Untitled
*How reliable are satellite temperature measurements?*
*Phil Plait"Bad astronomer" Phil Plait is on another of his deceptive rants
below. He thinks the heavily manipulated and unevenly located thermometer
data is accurate and the satellite readings are not. So just a few
observations:He says that accounts of the "pause" show a flat trend line
only because the starting point of the graphs concerned is in the El Nino
year of 1998. But that is not so. I trot out my favorite graph below.The
graph in fact starts from 1997. And think what would have happened if
there... more »
Liberal Professors Outnumber Conservative Faculty 5 to 1. Academics Explain Why This Matters
[image: Muscle]
Professors in higher education have become notably more liberal during the
past 25 years, according to a recent study, and academics predict that the
trend isn't likely to slow any time soon. During the past quarter-century,
academia has seen a nearly... more »
Andrea Bocelli - Macchine da Guerra (Machine of War)
One of the Italians noticed a variation of the phrase "pre-authorized,
pre-paid, pre-deposited" turn up in the Andrea Bocelli song *Macchine da
Guerra* (Machine of War) from 1997, and war has always been because people
didn't understand where value came from...
Italian
Macchine Da Guerra
1997
Se fosse una cosa semplice
io te la direi,
ma c’è una confusione dentro
e quì, attorno a me.
Tu preferisci evitare
e forse la colpa non è tua;
potrei tentare un’altra volta,
ma non sono io che devi sentire.
A piedi nudi camminiamo
sui vetri rotti e poi
con mani sporche ci tocchiamo
ci feriamo ... more »
As Oregon Wildlife Refuge Standoff Drags On, Residents Aim for Calm
[image: In this Monday, Jan. 4, 2016 file photo, Members of the group
occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters stand guard
near Burns, Ore. Thousands of archeological artifacts and maps detailing
where more can be found are stored at a national wildlife refuge currently
being held by a group of armed protestors.]
BURNS, Ore. (AP) -- Authorities arrested a man they said was driving a
government vehicle stolen from a wildlife refuge being occupied by an armed
group protesting federal land policies as the standoff in Oregon’s high
desert hit the two-week... more »
Liberal Professors Outnumber Conservative Faculty 5 to 1.
By
Paul Homewood
http://dailysignal.com/2016/01/14/liberal-professors-outnumber-conservative-faculty-5-to-1-academics-explain-why-this-matters/?utm_source=heritagefoundation&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=saturday&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRovvqvBZKXonjHpfsX56uorUaKxlMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4ASMdhM6%2BTFAwTG5toziV8R7jHKM1t0sEQWBHm
Universities have for a number of years been hotbeds of left wing
agitation, but a survey finds that left wing bias has grown even worse
in
recent years, as the Daily Signal reveals: Professors in higher
education
have become notably more liberal during the pa... more »
Elle King - Ex's & Oh's - something for the ladies...
https://youtu.be/0uLI6BnVh6w
Being Human: "Watch This Boy's Reunion With His Lost Dog And Try Not To Cry"
*"Watch This Boy's Reunion With His Lost Dog And Try Not To Cry"*
by Hilary Hanson
"This is second only to the ending of "Homeward Bound" as the most
heartwarming video reunion between a child and a pet we’ve seen. And this
one isn’t a movie, folks. Paula Williams, a mother in Lubbock, Texas, posted
a video on the city's “Lost and Found Pets” page on Jan. 8, showing her
6-year-old son, Kahne, reuniting with their dog, Kase, who had missing for
more than a month. They had let the pup outside to use the bathroom on Dec.
4, but he was gone when they went to bring him in, Williams told T... more »
Week 3 - The Gaian Dragon I Ching Calendar : Week of Increase by James Clair Lewis
The Gaian Dragon I Ching Calendar : Week of Increase
*The Gaian Dragon I Ching Calendar*
*#35 : Increase*
*The effort to create generates increase*
*Split complex projects up into simple tasks. Prepare to do a lot of work.
Seek to balance what isn't. Keep the Happiness of all in mind. Focus upon
what is Enduring. *
*Meditate upon how things get done.*
*Think before you act. Work for Truth. Stick with your Family. Be honest
and remain free of real blame. Provide for the future. Start on the next
project as you complete the current one.*
*True Increase benefits everyone, yourself ... more »
NDP In British Columbia, Time For New Faces, Time For Guts
__________
January 17-2016
I wrote this post shortly after Adrian Dix's monumental election failure in
2013....The reason why I`m reposting is twofold...Firstly, the last Robin
Mathews article is very important....
http://powellriverpersuader.blogspot.ca/2016/01/canada-colonial-curse-part-ii-british.html
The legislature does not have to be open for the BC NDP opposition to make
noise, a whole lot of noise..Scream, holler and get articles aired, even if
you have to pay to get them posted.....Secondly...There is no doubt the
majority of BC`s legislative reporters and writers are w... more »
(High Frequency Traders Only Have GOOD Days) No Matter How Many Times the Wall Street Fraud Gets Reported, It Never Gets Resolved to Benefit the Whole Country (And There's No Secret About Why)
From our trusted reporters at "Wall Street on Parade:" Just as "The Big
Short" movie, based on the Michael Lewis book by the same name, is drawing
crowds at theatres and explaining in layman’s terms how the subprime
mortgage fraud was perpetrated on Wall Street, a movie trailer for a new
film, "Money Monster," coming in the first half of this year, has been
released. "Money Monster" stars
Military Photo of the Day: January 17, 2015
[image: Michigan infantry - 900]
The 21st Michigan Infantry, a company of William Tecumseh Sherman‘s army -
Wikimedia Commons
Beautiful Churches: Armenian Genocide Memorial Church
[image: Armenian Genocide Memorial Church Composite - 900]
This Armenian Apostolic church was build in dedication to the victims of
the Armenian Genocide in 1915. The church was built between 1989 and 1990
and was located in the Dier ez Zor region of Syria. On 21 September 2014,... more »
When religious beliefs trump one's life
*A heartbreaking opinion piece by a climate alarmist*
This opinion piece is perhaps the first essay by a climate alarmist that I
have ever read and that I would label as "heartbreaking". Adjectives like
"cynical", "self-serving", and "hypocritical" come to us much more
frequently.
[Only this paragraph that you're reading was added in the evening. I think
that the previous paragraph written in the morning of European time makes
it clear that Sellers is *not* one of the widespread alarmist people who
deserve, according to my opinions, the adjectives like "cynical" etc. On
the contrar... more »
Musical Interlude: Jardin de Brocéliande, “Nouvelle Naissance”
Jardin de Brocéliande, “Nouvelle Naissance”
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RQGJ9oyPs4
The U.S. Navy's New Plan To Conduct Major Combat Operations
*Dave Majumdar, War Is Boring:* *Everything the U.S. Navy Wants Its Laser
Warships to Do*
*New details about next-gen ships*
A new U.S. Navy large surface combatant might feature futuristic weapons
that, until now, have been the province of science fiction.
According to a recent interview with a top naval official, the Navy
envisions that its next-generation large surface combatant — or
destroyer-cruise-size — ships might be armed with host of lasers, railguns
and even particle beam weapons, in addition to regular missile tubes. The
new design is intended as a replacement for bot... more »
How A Slumping Stock Market Can Be Used To Predict A U.S. Presidential Election
*Zero Hedge*: *Why Donald Trump Is Praying For A Market Crash*
When it comes to Trump's relentless surge in the polls, one thing is
certain: the so-called "pundits", biased from day one, were, are, and will
continue to be completely wrong. But as the day approaches when Trump
appears set to win the GOP presidential nomination and face off against
Hillary, who should one listen to? Well, according to InvesTech's James
Stack, with a track record of 86.4%, the market may be an almost flawless
arbiter of the election outcome long before November.
Here's why:
*Read more* ....
*WNU Edi... more »
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