10:21pm MST
Next Week, Will Black Voters In South Carolina Pay Attention To Michelle Alexander-- Or Gregory Meeks?
Corey Robin, a political science professor at Brooklyn College, wrote a phenomenal book I read some years ago-- and talked a lot about here at *DWT*-- The Reactionary Mind. Musing aloud last month for *Salon*, Robin let his readers know what Bill and Hillary Clinton mean to him: "Sister Souljah, welfare reform, Ricky Ray Rector and the crime bill." Yeah, not a fan. If that video up top moved you at all, The Clintons’ sordid race game: No one will say it, but the Clintons’ rise was premised on repudiating black voters is a must-read. Especially if you're considering voting for Hill... more »
Only Half Of Americans Believe The US Has The World’s Strongest Military
*Gallup*: *Americans Less Likely to See U.S. as No. 1 Militarily* * 49% say U.S. is No. 1 military power in world, down from last year * Views that U.S. is spending too little on defense are edging up * Republicans much more likely to say military spending is too little PRINCETON, N.J. -- Americans are evenly split when asked if the U.S. is No. 1 in the world militarily, with 49% saying "yes" and 49% saying "no." The current percentage who view the U.S. as No. 1 is, by a small margin, the lowest Gallup has recorded in its 23-year trend. It also marks a significant downturn from last... more »
US Senator John McCain Threatens To Subpoena US Sailors Detained By Iran If The Pentagon's Investigation Findings Are Not Released
Detained: US sailors (pictured) were detained by Iran on Friday after entering Iranian waters due to what the US called a 'navigational problem.' They were freed the next day after intervention by US *Daily Mail*:* John McCain threatens to subpoena U.S. sailors held by Iran if Obama administration doesn't hand over investigation findings by end of month* * Republican senator John McCain made the announcement on Sunday * McCain says the administration is 'dragging their feet' with the report * The sailors were detained briefly by Iran on January 12 and freed the next day after US sec... more »
"I am the bearded cow-like sea beast."
CHUCK BURKS: Compadres. I teased out something very fabulous from your pottery there. (Recorded sound of a man speaking a foreign language.) CHUCK BURKS: Layered in under the ambience there. Guess what language that is. (MULDER is tired. He has had a bad day.) MULDER: Chuck, I've had a bad day. CHUCK BURKS: It's a dead language. I had a linguist in here to listen to the recording. It's Aramaic. SCULLY: That's the language that Christ spoke. (she looks up at MULDER) Did your linguist happen to translate it? CHUCK BURKS: Yes, he did. It's in two parts. The first part here roughly... more »
Trump, Cruz Continue Jousting Ahead of Saturday’s Primary in South Carolina
[image: trump_cruz3 - 900] AIKEN, South Carolina (AP) -- Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz continued to joust for primacy heading into the South Carolina primary next weekend, foregoing policy differences for name-calling and insults. Trump called Cruz “nuts,” “dishonest” and “an unstable... more »
Syrian Civil War: NATO General Admits Russia Will Bring Peace To Syria, Turkey Offers Catastrophe
The Syrian civil war is definitely entering a period of immense uncertainty and the next few weeks could see dire consequences for the entire planet.... Right now, Turkish and Saudi forces are amassing along the borders of Syria and Turkey has begun shelling both Kurdish controlled areas, and Syrian government forces that have the last vestiges of "rebel" forces bottled up in a pocket around Aleppo.... The Turks and the Saudis are about to attack Syria and that attack will bring Russian forces into direct conflict with both of those regimes... There is indeed fear of a massive escal... more »
Is Venezuela's Military Taking Control Of The Country's Oil Resources?
Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro gestures before his state of the nation address to the National Assembly in Caracas on Friday when declared a national economic emergency. Photograph: Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters *Oil Price:* *Is Venezuela Trying To Hide Oil Assets With This Bizarre Move?* Strange and unsettling developments emerging late last week — from one of the world’s key oil-producing countries. Venezuela. The Venezuelan government Friday issued a decree that, for the first time, allows the country’s military to take direct involvement in natural resources projects. ... more »
Saudi Arabia And Russia To Talk Oil Prices On Tuesday
Bloomberg:* Saudi, Russian Oil Ministers Plan Talks in Doha Tuesday* * Ministers al-Naimi, Novak to discuss market in private * OPEC member Venezuela will also join the talks Tuesday Saudi Arabia’s oil minister plans to meet with his Russian counterpart in Doha on Tuesday to discuss the oil market, according to a person familiar with the talks. Ali al-Naimi, the most senior oil official of the world’s biggest crude exporter, will speak with Russia’s Alexander Novak in the Qatari capital, according to the person, who asked not to be identified because the talks are private. The per... more »
If that funny-talking Limey John Oliver thinks he can embarrass "Miss Mitch" McConnell, he's got another think coming
*John Oliver tells us all about the "Thurmond Rule" -- andshows us Miss Mitch calling it "this rule that doesn't exist"* *"If the President has trouble doing nothing, we will be more than happy to show him how it is done."* *-- Senate Majority Leader "Miss Mitch" McConnell, asquoted this morning by the Borowitz Report (see below)* *by Ken* First, a confidential to whoever thought it was a good idea to have John Oliver's *Last Week Tonight* off HBO's airwaves for three months: *WTF???* I assume there were Reasons. There are always Reasons, aren't there?) I just trust that somewhe... more »
Musical Interlude: Marvin Gaye, “Inner City Blues”
Marvin Gaye, “Inner City Blues” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI9SKuCIMpc
"A Look to the Heavens"
“In this crowded starfield spanning some 3 degrees within the high flying constellation Cygnus, the eye is drawn to the Cocoon Nebula. A compact star forming region, the cosmic Cocoon punctuates a long trail of obscuring interstellar dust clouds. Cataloged as IC 5146, the nebula is nearly 15 light-years wide, located some 4,000 light years away. * Click image for larger size.* Like other star forming regions, it stands out in red, glowing, hydrogen gas excited by the young, hot stars and blue, dust-reflected starlight at the edge of an otherwise invisible molecular cloud. In fact, th... more »
Chet Raymo, "Thank God, It's Doomsday"
*"Thank God, It's Doomsday" * by Chet Raymo “OK, folks. Here's what's awaiting you. The End Times. The Apocalypse. The Rapture. The Final Reckoning. Oh, I could pick any one of a thousand representations of the Last Days from centuries of Western art. This one is Luca Signorelli's "The Damned Cast Into Hell," in the Capella Nuova chapel of Orvieto Cathedral, painted around the year 1500 (click to enlarge). Why were these scenes of souls in extremis so common? Exhortations to be good? A reminder of what awaits us if we don't contribute to the Sunday collection? A local bishop trying... more »
"Using Our Outside Voice: Freeing Our Inner Desires"
*"Using Our Outside Voice: **Freeing Our Inner Desires"* by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOm "Our best chance of getting what we need is to communicate by converting our inner voice to our outside voice. Each of us has developed an internal filtering process that helps us choose which parts of our constant inner monologues get voiced outside of our heads. Sometimes the choice is based on what we consider to be polite or appropriate, using subtlety instead of directness to try to get our point across. Other times the choice is made based on our expectations of the other person and what we... more »
“Get Enough Sleep – Or Else!”
*“Get Enough Sleep – Or Else!”* by Danny Tyree "Let’s face it: the only thing more pathetic than hosting a pity party is having to shoo the visitors away from your pity party by 7 p.m. Because of various commitments and interests, I am fortunate if I am in bed six hours a night. (Let’s not even talk about QUALITY of sleep.) I am made to feel like a masochistic idiot every time I see one of those ubiquitous “Stop skating by on minimal sleep” articles. To add insult to injury, AOL.com reports that one of the reasons millennials are so successful is that they average eight hours and 5... more »
The Voice of God
*A SUBLIMINAL DR. STRANGELOVE* When Branch Davidian sect members hunkered down in their Waco compound last year and threatened to commit suicide, the FBI turned to an unlikely source. Experts from the *FBI Counter-Terrorism Center *secretly met in Arlington, Va., with a long-haired Russian Dr. Strangelove called Igor Smirnov. His plan: piping subliminal messages from sect members' families through the phone lines during negotiations. *For David Koresh, the self-appointed prophet, the FBI had a special voice in mind: God, as played by Charlton Heston.* The FBI backed out of Smirn... more »
Trump Dumps On Dubya, Praises Saddam, Excoriates Rivals, Threatens to Go Third Party
[image: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event at the Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City, Iowa, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016.] Donald Trump found time Monday away from attacking Ted Cruz, threatening George W. Bush and complaining about the RNC to send some post-Valentine’s love Saddam Hussein’s way. During a press conference Monday in Hanahan, South Carolina, Trump said of the... more »
More Details Emerge on Justice Scalia’s Health and Death
[image: Supreme Court Half-Staff flag - 90000] WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Texas county judge who decided no autopsy was needed following the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has disclosed new details about Scalia’s health in the days before he died. Presidio County Judge Cinderela Guevara... more »
The Ed Wood Investigative Method.
(MULDER's apartment. Late evening. MULDER is lying on his couch watching "Plan Nine From Outer Space" on TV, one of the first cheesy sci-fi films made. He speaks the lines along with the actors. He obviously knows the movie very well.) *MULDER AND TV:* Well, as long as they can think we'll have our problems. But those whom we are using cannot think they are the dead brought to assimilated life by our electrode... (Someone knocks at the door.) *MULDER:* It's open. (SCULLY enters.) *MULDER AND TV:* You know, it's an interesting thing when you consider the earth people who can ...more »
Mohawk Nation News 'When the Whistle Blows'
http://mohawknationnews.com/blog/2016/02/15/when-the-whistle-blows/
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- February 15, 2016
*Marc Champion, Bloomberg:* *Syrian Truce Is Dead, and Russia's in Charge* Syria's cease-fire deal was born in Munich, in the early hours of Friday morning -- and pronounced dead in the same town within a day, a development that exposed just how little influence the U.S. now has over the conflict. U.K. Foreign Minister Philip Hammond probably had the smartest take on the deal, when he divided it into two parts during the annual Munich Security Conference, which began hours after the deal was signed. One part, to deliver humanitarian aid to besieged civilians, will probably happen t... more »
World News Briefs -- February 15, 2016 (Evening Edition)
*AFP*: *UN, US condemn Syria air strikes as 'almost 50 civilians' killed* Beirut (AFP) - The United Nations and United States on Monday condemned suspected Russian air strikes on medical facilities and schools in northern Syria that the world body said killed almost 50 civilians. Also ahead of a hoped-for ceasefire, Turkey shelled advancing Kurdish fighters in Syria for a third day, as Ankara and Moscow traded accusations over their military entanglement in the conflict. The United Nations said air strikes on at least five medical facilities and two schools in northern Syria's Ale... more »
Cindy Blackstock
Who knows about love and fairness? Children do. Racial discrimination against children must no longer be tolerated in Canada. First Nations Child & Family Caring Society of Canada filed their complaint in 2007. Tyee : Scared and Spied On Under Harper, Why Child Advocate Didn't Give Up Also, while we're at it ... Cindy Blackstock for Governor General of Canada .
Dinosaurs Could Be Back By 2050 Say Experts
One of the world’s leading think tanks claims that in the future people will be healthier and wealthier and living with dinosaurs. In the future teenagers will be living like millionaires in futuristic homes built for leisure-time and comfort with robots as servants. They would travel in driver-less cars and supersonic planes. Dinosaurs could also make a comeback around 2050 to join the euphoria, through DNA back-breeding. The Daily Star reports: As well as being wealthier, researchers believe we will have more leisure time and live healthier lives with killer diseases such as cance... more »
Syrian Kurdish Forces Liberate Aleppo City Of Tel Rifaat From ISIL
Syrian Kurds known as the YPG, backed by the Russian Air Force captured the strategic city of Tel Rifat in northern Aleppo from ISIL on Monday. The highly strategic city close to the Turkish border is a loss for the terrorists and lays the road open for an advance eastwards into Islamic State territory. Fars News English reports: The People’s Protection Units (YPG) who enjoyed the Russian air backup prevailed the terrorists’ positions from the Western direction and shook hand with other Kurdish troops who entered the town from the North. The YPG Kurds have recently bonded with the D... more »
Hillary And The Lobbyists, Part II
The newest Quinnipiac poll of Democratic primary voters nationally, shows a dead-heat between Bernie and the establishment candidate. They found Clinton's support had sunk to 44% (from 61% in December) and Bernie's had risen to 42% (from 30%). The hypothetical November match-ups with the 3 conceivable GOP nominees (though not Ryan; no one is polling him set) are more favorable to Bernie than to Clinton: The one recent poll in Nevada also shows a tie (45-45%), again, a gigantic surge for Bernie-- and the opposite for the increasingly mistrusted Clinton. Yesterday the big poll re... more »
The ISA Awakens
A short time from now, at a conference venue far, far away (at least from Amherst, MA…): The papers on this panel examine the relationship between the Star Wars franchise and socio-political dynamics in the area of international security, broadly defined. In other words, this panel focuses specifically on the inter-relationship between pop culture ideas and […]
Strategic Surprise? Or The Foreseeable Future
When the Soviets launched Sputnik in 1957, the US was taken off guard. Seriously off guard. While Eisenhower didn’t think the pointy satellite didn’t was a major strategic threat, the public perception was that it was. The Soviets could launch rockets into space, and if they could do that, they could easily launch nuclear missiles at […]
The Watson Family
[Lead Prosecutor Vincent] Bugliosi: During that period of time, primarily the summers of 1965 and ’66 and 1967, how would you describe Charles Tex Watson? Mallett: He was always very mannerly and happy..... Bugliosi: Would you characterize him as being somewhat carefree? Mallett: Yes.... Bugliosi: Now, after you last saw him in August of 1966 when is the next time you saw him? Mallett: In November of 1969....We just rode around, talked, went to the Dairy Queen and got a coke [recte: Coke]. Bugliosi: How did he look to you in November of 1969? Mallett: He looked great, you know... more »
Israeli Police Officer Kicks Palestinian Man Out Of Wheelchair
An Israeli police officer pushed a disabled Palestinian man out of his wheelchair on Sunday in the West Bank city of Hebron. Footage captured on a mobile phone shows the officer knocking 53 year old Majed al-Fakhouri backwards and sending him sprawling into the street as a crowd looks on. The incident happened after a 14 year old girl was shot, after she had allegedly tried to stab an Israeli policeman. Mr al-Fakhouri said he had been trying to reach the girl to attempt first aid. The officer told him to turn back and when he refused, the officer proceeded to tip his chair, forcing ... more »
Official: Syria Ready To Fight Turkey And Saudi Arabia
Syria is preparing to protect its sovereignty via military force in the event of an invasion by Turkey or Saudi Arabia, the Syrian Ambassador to Russia, Riad Haddad has said. “We will resist together with our allies against this aggression, we will bravely confront it in order to protect our sovereignty.” “Because we believe that any military intervention should occur in coordination with the Syrian government,” Haddad told RIA Novosti. Fort Russ reports: “Otherwise it would be a violation of our sovereignty, and we in no way find that acceptable”, — said the Ambassador, quoted b... more »
NWO Document Reveals Nightmare Government Plans To Control Your Family
A chilling document released by the US Department of Health and Human Services reveals a New World Order (NWO) plan to control every aspect of family life – completely transferring the rights of the parent over to the State. “To support ongoing relationship building with families, programs and schools should conduct periodic home visits so that teachers and families can get to know each other and communicate about children’s goals, strengths, challenges, and progress. If home visits are not possible for all families, schools or programs should require that teachers or providers and ... more »
Top Secret Files Reveal ‘Hungarian Roswell’ You Never Knew About
A Slovakian Ufologist has claimed to have leaked ‘top secret’ UFO files from the Hungarian Air Force to an American UFO organisation (MUFON) that purports to blow the lid on the ‘Hungarian Roswell’ incident in 1996. The top secret documents dated September 18th, 1996 detail a UFO crash between a Hungarian air force pilot and an alien spacecraft, interactions with the alien on board, and a plan to hide the information from the public in its aftermath. Texasufosightings.com reports: The original Hungarian documents have been leaked in a recent MUFON report and previously in 2013 by S... more »
Murder? Scalia Found Dead With ‘Pillow Over Head’
The death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is beginning to look suspicious, as new information reveals that the judge was found with a “pillow over his head”. Despite the suspicious circumstances around his death, Scalia’s family have bizarrely refused an autopsy on the body. Mysanantonio.com reports: “He was seated near me and I had a chance to observe him. He was very entertaining. But about 9 p.m. he said, ‘it’s been a long day and a long week, I want to get some sleep,” recalled Houston businessman John Poindexter, who owns the 30,000-acre luxury ranch. When Poindex... more »
Israel Admit To Providing Nukes To Gulf States For Use Against Iran
Israel are helping Persian Gulf states to acquire nuclear weapons in order to counter the ‘threat’ Iran poses, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon revealed at the Munich Security Conference on Sunday. “We see signs that countries in the Arab world are preparing to acquire nuclear weapons, that they are not willing to sit quietly with Iran on brink of a nuclear or atomic bomb,” Ya’alon told fellow defense ministers on the final day of the Munich Security Conference. RT.com reports: Ya’alon did not name specific countries who might be interested in developing nuclear weapons and gave no e... more »
Turkish Leader Caught Using ISIS Militants To Kill Kurds In Syria
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been caught funding ISIS militants in order to advance his Middle East agenda to kill Kurds in Syria, a Turkish MP has revealed. “Erdogan uses ISIS [Islamic State/IS, also known as ISIS/ISIL] against the Kurds. He can’t send the Turkish Army directly to Syrian Kurdistan, but he can use ISIS as an instrument against the Kurds. He has a greater Ottoman Empire in his mind, that’s his dream, while ISIS is one of the instruments [to achieve it],” Selma Irmak, a Turkish MP from the Peace and Democracy Party told the Russian media on Monday. . RT...more »
Feb. 15: And the headline is ...
Liberals think... That, alone, would be a great and important front page headline. But, alas, it is not quite the header in today's paper. Instead, it's 'Liberals toy ...." and it gets even more trivial, "Liberals toy with idea of February holiday." But we should be happy with what we get. That headline is the most gripping item in Section A news. _________________________________________________________________ Today's editorial is a gem. Some 95% of it rambles on about finding jobs for Moncton's six percent unemployed. (Though, as it says, any society has 5% of its people who are ... more »
Black Liberation Movement Lives
During Black History Month, as the U.S. pays homage to African Americans who have changed the course of history, the establishment shows us a revised version that omits a critical piece: the Black radical political tradition.
The Daily "Near You?"
Albufeira, Faro, Portugal. Thanks for stopping by!
"The Wit and Wisdom Of Will Rogers"
*"The Wit and Wisdom Of Will Rogers"* "Will Rogers, who died in a 1935 plane crash with Wylie Post, was probably the greatest political sage this country has ever known. Enjoy the following: *1.* Never slap a man who's chewing tobacco. *2.* Never kick a cow chip on a hot day. *3. *There are 2 theories to arguing with a woman... neither works. *4.* Never miss a good chance to shut up. *5.* Always drink upstream from the herd. *6. *If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. 7. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back in your pocket. *8.* There are three kin... more »
The Economy: “Deranged Central Bankers Are Blowing Up The World”
*“Deranged Central Bankers Are Blowing Up The World”* by Jim Quinn “It is now self-evident to any sentient being (excludes CNBC shills, Wall Street shyster economists, and Keynesian loving politicians) the mountainous level of unpayable global debt is about to crash down like an avalanche upon hundreds of millions of willfully ignorant citizens who trusted their politician leaders and the central bankers who created the debt out of thin air. McKinsey produced a report last year showing the world had added $57 trillion of debt between 2008 and the 2nd quarter of 2014, with global de... more »
Satire: “G.O.P. Warns Obama Against Doing Anything for Next Three Hundred and Forty Days”
*“G.O.P. Warns Obama Against Doing Anything * *for Next Three Hundred and Forty Days”* by Andy Borowitz WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)— "In a television appearance on Sunday, the leading Senate Republican warned President Obama “in no uncertain terms” against doing anything in his remaining three hundred and forty days in office. “The President should be aware that, for all intents and purposes, his term in office is already over,” Mitch McConnell said on Fox News. “It’s not the time to start doing things when you have a mere eight thousand one hundred and sixty hours left.” Whil... more »
Geopolitics: "Notice How Quiet Russia Has Been Over Syria? The Middle East Is About To Find Out 'No' Means 'No'"
*"Notice How Quiet Russia Has Been Over Syria? * *The Middle East Is About To Find Out 'No' Means 'No'"* by Editorial Board "Over the past few days, there has been a whirlwind of media attention over events in Syria and a likely Invasion of that country. Syria, as everyone knows, is an ally of Russia and Russia is operating inside that country, with the permission of its lawfully elected government. Despite a whirlwind of statements from several Arab nations, NATO and the UN, Russia has only said two things: *1) *If ground troops from any nation enter Syria without Damascus' permi... more »
The ‘Towering Intellect': Antonin Scalia’s Legacy for Conservatives
[image: The 'Towering Intellect:' Antonin Scalia's Legacy for Conservatives] Constitutional conservatives were dismayed to learn that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passed away at age 79 on Saturday, during a quail hunting trip in Texas. He had served on the Court since being appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986, and was... more »
Results in Key Cases Could Change with Scalia’s Death
[image: Supreme Court - 900] WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court abhors even numbers. But that’s just what the court will have to deal with, perhaps for many months, after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. Eight justices will decide what to do, creating the... more »
Russia Will Not Attack Turkish Military
The only action Turkey has taken, that I can verify to my satisfaction, is firing over the border at YPG. *Russia isn't going to fire back. * *Moscow, Feb 15 (Prensa Latina)* The head of Russiaâ�Ös upper parliamentâ�Ös *Defense and Security Committee Viktor Ozerov ruled out today a confrontation in Syria against military personnel from other countries that are not included as terrorists, referring to the Turkish troops.** Ozerov stated that Moscow would not make the tense relations with Ankara worse than they already are.* A statement issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry deplore... more »
New Unity Government For Libya (Maybe)
*BBC*: *New Libya cabinet proposed to replace dual governments* Libya's internationally-backed presidency council has proposed a new cabinet for the country which has had two competing governments since 2014. The proposed council will be put to a vote in parliament this week. The BBC's Rana Jawad says Western powers hope that this will be Libya's future unity government. The existence of two competing governments and the lack of stability has allowed militants and so-called Islamic State to operate. Our correspondent says one member of the presidency council, which includes Libya...more »
David Harvey on Reading Marx's Capital
Now I've done all my reading up for the semester for the new module I'm teaching, it's back to studying power and political economy, and we all know which bearded German chappie is the unavoidable horizon for both. As I've recently been studying Marx's crisis theory and (think!) I understand it, why not grace this lazy night on the blog with part one of David Harvey's lecture series on *Capital*? Sounds like a plan:
Israeli Boycott Could Become A Criminal Offence In Britain
The UK have announced plans to outlaw Israeli boycott campaigns by local councils, public bodies and student unions, in a controversial crackdown that many believe to be a severe infringement on free speech. The new law will make it a criminal offence for publicly funded institutions to refuse to buy goods and services from companies involved in arms trades, fossil fuels, tobacco products or Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Independent.co.uk reports: Any public bodies that continue to pursue boycotts will face “severe penalties”, ministers said. Senior government sour... more »
ISIS Claims Responsibility For Car Bomb In Russia’s Dagestan
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a suicide car bomb at a police checkpoint in the southern Russian Republic of Dagestan. The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) has announced that two policemen were killed and 17 injured by a local ISIS affiliated terrorist group near Derbent. Russia Today reports: Reports say a Lada Priora approached the checkpoint and the bomb was detonated. It was later determined that a police officer pulled the driver over to check their papers. Witnesses say this is when they heard a powerful blast. Two police officers were... more »
Emma Thompson Says ‘Kill All White People’ In Oscars Diversity Row
British actress Emma Thompson has voiced her views on the #OscarsSoWhite debate this week, suggesting that the diversity issues could be fixed by “killing off” the Academy’s older white members. The two-time Oscar-winning actress told the Belfast Telegraph that the Oscars not representing black actors is “hilarious” – noting that the Academy have always been institutionally racist. Breitbart.com reports: “It’s no change there. It’s not as if it’s ever been awash with people of color. Let’s face it, the Oscar membership is mainly old, white men,” Thompson noted of the issue of dive... more »
Music on a Monday: Disturbing the Sounds of Silence
Since I'm not saying much at the moment, here's a little musical interlude for a Monday. Some songs are legendary. Some songs are so legendary that they defy being re-recorded or copied by other musicians. They Stand Alone, on a pedestal. For me, one of those untouchable songs was always "The Sounds of Silence", By Simon & Garfunkel. Over the past few decades any attempt to try and recreate the magic has seen failure after failure. Until a few months ago, I would have denied that anyone could release any version worth it's weight in salt. ...... Then I heard this rendition, b... more »
Saudi Arabia And Turkey Willing To Give Peace A Chance In Syria
Saudi Arabia and Turkey are willing to wait for the peace process in Syria to unfold before committing to a ground invasion, with the help of a US-led coalition, according to officials. S The Independent reports: A Saudi diplomat said Sunday that Saudi Arabia was “very serious” about sending ground troops into Syria, but will first wait to see whether plans for a pause in hostilities agreed by the United States and Russia transpires. However, speaking in Riyadh, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir also said late Sunday that the decision whether to have a ground component on the gr... more »
US OKs First Factory in Cuba Since the Communist Revolution a Half Century Ago
[image: Cuba tractor factory - 900] HAVANA (AP) -- The Obama administration has approved the first U.S. factory in Cuba in more than half a century, allowing a two-man company from Alabama to build a plant assembling as many as 1,000 small tractors a year for... more »
Economic News & Views ( February 15 , 2016 - President's Day Edition ) MENA ( 1. Recent as well as updated items touching on Syria War - further complicated by Turkish shelling over the weekend , plus looming Saudi involvement. 2. Libya political updates - looks like Cabinet has been agreed ( not without controversy ) , now we shall see whether Tripoli and Tobruk Gov'ts approve of the Unity Gov't on the table . 3. Odds & Ends ) Europe In Focus ( 1. Sovereign bond bail-in plan roiling waters. 2 Greece in focus - protests , political developments of the day. 3. Refugee/ Border Security items of note. 4. Spanish political updates. 5. Brexit Items. 6.Germany in focus - Bundesbank sees inflation at 0.25 % vs 1.1 % previously , DB has further troubles looming. 7. Italian Banks item. 8. Draghi comments.. 9. Odds& Ends )
MENA News Of The Day...... *Al Arabiya English* @AlArabiya_Eng 12m 12 minutes ago Iraq PM offers cash-strapped Kurds salaries for oil http://ara.tv/2xngn *AFP news agency* @AFP 13m 13 minutes ago #UPDATE Syria's Assad says proposed ceasefire "difficult" http:// u.afp.com/ZeEe *Kovan Direj* @kovandire 59m 59 minutes ago Breaking #SDF liberate KAFIR NASIH, negotiations still on going to hand over Mare #tiwtterkurds #Syria *Hürriyet Daily News* @HDNER 1h 1 hour ago No Saudi Arabian aircrafts yet in Turkey, 4 F-16s to come, says Turkish mini... more »
Burundi's Political Crisis Continues
*VOA*: *Opposition Leader: Burundi Deflecting True Causes of Crisis* The exiled leader of the opposition Front for Democracy in Burundi (FRODEBU) said the allegation that Rwanda is involved in destabilizing Burundi is a pretext to turn the political crisis in Burundi into a Hutu versus Tutsi problem. FRODEBU leader Jean Minani said blaming Rwanda is a strategy by Burundian President Nkurunziza to deflect Burundi’s problems. “It is the new pretext of the Burundian government who doesn't want to go into talks, and now a new pretext to say I can’t go into negotiations because I hav...more »
Carlucci in the Congo
*"There's no substantiation to that charge in any of the reviews done on Lumumba's death by the United Nations or the recent Belgian book or Maddie Kalb's book. ... If you go through the Kalb book [which was based on declassified U.S. cables], you'll find no references to me."* *- Frank Carlucci's Lawyers* " "*Who is Carlucci*?" Kennedy inquired of Secretary of State Dean Rusk. " " On September 14, 1961, *Secretary of State Dean Rusk *called *Dag Hammarskjold*, who had returned to the Congo, to complain that President Kennedy was upset that *UN troops had been used to quell a r... more »
Major Case for Public Unions Already in Flux Post-Scalia
[image: SC teacher's union case - 900] The U.S. Supreme Court is now likely split on the question of whether to end mandatory union payments for public-sector workers after Justice Antonin Scalia passed away Saturday. Rebecca Friedrichs and nine other teachers argued Jan. 11 before the Supreme... more »
Ryan Reveals Obama is His Least Favorite President, But Here’s His Top Pick
[image: Paul Ryan - 900] House Speaker Paul Ryan said the fourth president of the United States, James Madison, is his favorite commander in chief during a video interview released Monday for Presidents Day. The Wisconsin Republican said that while he is a big fan of Abraham... more »
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Mourns ‘Best Buddy’ Scalia’s Death in Moving Statement
[image: Scalia - 900] Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg mourned the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in a moving statement Sunday, referring to him as her "best buddy" and praising his "captivating brilliance and wit." Scalia died unexpectedly Saturday at the age of... more »
Cruz Campaign Pushes Back Against Robocall Accusations
[image: Donald Trump Ted Cruz GOP debate - 90000] During Saturday night’s GOP debate slugfest, Donald Trump accused Ted Cruz and his campaign of making deceptive robocalls in South Carolina. According to Trump, automated messages from the Cruz campaign were telling voters, “Donald Trump is not going to run in South Carolina.” The Cruz... more »
Campaign watch: Kevin Drum wonders about Trump voters!
*MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016We notice a road not suggested:* Kevin Drum has a lengthy post today in which he wonders about the motivations and attitudes driving the many Trump voters. We think his post is interesting for what it says, and also for something it doesn't. Drum starts by saying the mighty scourge of offshoring ain't all it's cracked up to be. He then offers his basic nugget: DRUM (2/15/16): Just to be crystal clear: This isn't a matter of wondering why cool logic doesn't prevail among the electorate. What I'm wondering more about is this: *what are the lived, ground-l... more »
Islamic State Use Mustard Gas Against Iraqi Kurds
Sources from the global chemical watchdog say Islamic State (IS) militants used sulphur mustard (mustard gas) in an attack on Iraqi Kurdish forces last year. Lab tests came back positive for the substance after Kurdish soldiers fell ill on the battlefield. The BBC reports: The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was sent samples after 35 Peshmerga fighters became ill near Irbil in August. On Monday, the sources said the samples tested positive for sulphur mustard. If confirmed, it would be the first known use of chemical weapons in Iraq since the fall of Sadd... more »
Campaign watch: Bill Clinton was saying some very nice things!
*MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016Until Chris Hayes stepped in:* Last Thursday night, Bill Clinton was saying some very nice things about Barack Obama. Granted, some politics was maybe perhaps involved. For one thing, former president Clinton was speaking on behalf of Candidate Clinton, who, as you know, is his wife. That said, Bill Clinton, speaking in Memphis, was explaining a basic problem President Obama has faced. He said Obama deserved more credit than he sometimes gets because of this particular problem. As Clinton made these nice remarks, the crowd applauded--a lot. You can watc... more »
U.S. Navy Commander Of The Seventh Fleet Warns Against Chinese Fighter Flights From South China Sea Runways
Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin, the commander of the U.S. Seventh Fleet, speaks to the media on the USS Ronald Reagan, a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered super carrier, in the Pacific Ocean, south of Tokyo, Japan, November 24, 2015. REUTERS/TIM KELLY/FILES *Reuters:* *U.S. admiral warns against Chinese fighter flights from South China Sea runways* Any move by China to fly jet fighters from runways on its new man-made islands in the disputed South China Sea would be destablising and would not deter U.S. flights over the area, a senior U.S. naval officer said on Monday. Vice Admiral Joseph... more »
Journal temporarily removes paper linking HPV vaccine to behavioral issues
The editor in chief of Vaccine has removed a paper suggesting a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine can trigger behavioral changes in mice. The note doesn’t provide any reason for the withdrawal, although authors were told the editor asked for further review. Two co-authors on the paper — about Gardasil, a vaccine against HPV — have previously suggested […] The post Journal temporarily removes paper linking HPV vaccine to behavioral issues appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Lisa Gawlas : The POWER of KNOWING – Unequivocally
https://lisagawlas.wordpress.com/2016/02/15/the-power-of-knowing-unequivocally/ *The POWER of KNOWING – Unequivocally* by Lisa Gawlas Ya ever have day when the inability to see beyond a single thing became the most reverent thing you have ever seen. For all five people on my dance card, a stream of pure white light flowing down into their life, their bubble of creation was a constant. Pure Source energy, Love of the One Source... My first three readings really showed up to rearrange me, my thoughts, my knee jerk bitching, to fully realize how profound this moment is. And ... more »
Censorship Escalates in Japan
*Japan continues on slippery slope to fascism through censorship and intimidation:* Communications minister draws outrage over ‘threat’ to broadcasters, The Asahi Shimbun, February 09, 2016, http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201602090074 Amid complaints that she’s threatening freedom of speech, communications minister Sanae Takaichi repeated her assertion that the government can legally shut down broadcasters that continue to air “biased political reports.” The controversy started at the Lower House Budget Committee on Feb. 8, when Takaichi, a close associat... more »
More Remarks From Israel's Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon gestures while addressing a gathering during a lecture in New Delhi, Feb. 19, 2015. (photo by REUTERS/Adnan Abidi) *i24 News: **Israeli defense chief criticizes West's lack of 'grand strategy' in Syria* Security officials skeptical of ceasefire agreement; view 'sectarian enclaves' as only solution in Syria Israeli defense minister Moshe Ya'alon lauded Israel's back-channel ties with Gulf and North African states on Sunday, and criticized the West's lack of a "grand strategy" in Syria, which he says has left Sunni Arab states "frustrated and f... more »
Fukushima Daiichi Update Feb 16 2016
Its actually Feb 15 here in the US but Feb 16 on the Fukushima webcams, given Japan is ahead of the US in time zones. The heavy emissions over the weekend have lessened considerably. There is something strange however that I would like to document. TEPCO cam 1 (trained on the Unit 1 reactor at Fukushima Daiichi) has a new black-and-white coloration whereas previously the coloration of the lens tended toward yellow, as illustrated in these shots: Feb 13, 2016 yellow tinged (unrelated to the level of emissions) Compare the yellowing tinge (above) with the coloration today (below) ... more »
Ignore Chris Turney, Adelies Are Thriving
By Paul Homewood http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/giant-iceberg-could-wipe-out-adlie-penguin-colony-at-cape-denison-antarctica-20160212-gmslgx.html#ixzz407ivcBhA The latest scare story about penguins has been attracting headlines lately. It all stems from a study by Chris Turney, who readers may recall was the leader of the Ship of Fools expedition, which got stuck in the sea ice in Antarctica two years ago. Apparently before they got […]
Comedian Athlete Eddie Izzard To Run 27 Marathons In 27 Days
Eddie Izzard will take to the roads again attempting to run 27 marathons in just 27 days for charity. The brilliant 54-year-old bag of laughs will run the marathon event in South Africa in temperatures of up to 30C. He is planning to raise money for BBC’s Sport Relief without taking any days off in-between his runs. May god have mercy on him and his knees as he tries again. Comedy reports: The BBC, which will be covering his challenge, says: “This gruelling challenge will see Eddie aim to run over 700 miles in temperatures of up to 30°C.” The comedian himself explains: “I was inspire... more »
UPDATED: God Help America!
*UPDATED: February 15, 2016 Must Read analysis of the Trump Candidacy. What He Said!* *Ted Cruz booed off stage for demanding that audience* *agree with him that **"If you're not for Israel,* * you're not for the United States"* I have to admit I didn't know a lot about GOP Presidential candidate Ted Cruz right up until the last few days. In fact, I had never watched him give a speech. Above, is a seminal video of Ted Cruz attempting to speak to a group of Christian Americans. He makes it clear right out of the starting gate...that he's not there to listen or even dialogue with hi... more »
Israel Defense Minister: Arab States Are Seeking Nuclear Weapons To Counter Iran
Defense Minister Ya'alon speaks at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, February 14, 2016. Reuters *The Telegraph*: *Arab states are seeking nuclear weapons to counter Iran, Israel warns* Defence minister Moshe Ya'alon says his country is seeing signs of a much-feared nuclear arms race in the Middle East Israel has picked up signs of the beginning of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East as Arab states seek nuclear weapons to counter Iran, the Israeli defence minister has warned. Moshe Ya'alon said Sunni Arab nations were not reassured by last year's nuclear deal b... more »
Armed Forces Enter Syria from Turkish Territory?
But whose* armed forces *(meaning with weapons) were they? Don't assume this is Turkish military/ NATO affiliate or otherwise- It's not clear at all. *The quoted report does not say Turkish military.* The Syrian Foreign Ministry announced in a statement followed by IraqiNews.com, *“12 vehicles equipped with machine guns entered the Syrian territory coming from the Turkish territory across al-Salama border accompanied by about 100 armed fighters.”* The Syrian Foreign Ministry added, *“The supply of ammunition and weapons is ongoing through al-Salama border into Azaz area in Alepp... more »
Untitled
*From* *Jenna Orkin* Remarkable Floating Farms Could Help Feed Hungry People Around The World The War On Paper Currency Begins: ECB Votes To "Scrap" 500 Euro Bill Washington's Dismal Comedy Of Terrors - When In Doubt Bomb Syria Road To World War III: Turkish Army Enters Syria After Second Day Of Shelling As Saudi Warplanes Arrive How The Clintons Enabled The 2008 Economic Crisis And Financial Coup d'Etat Here's a shortlist for the Supreme Court seat Scalia's death just left vacant 4 American journalists reportedly detained by police amid riots in Bahrain India's biggest student protes... more »
Saudi Arabia Hosting ‘Largest’ Military Exercises In Region
Saudi Arabia is to host what has been described as the “the largest and most important” military drills in the region’s history. The drills will last for 18 days with contingents from 20 countries, including Pakistan the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said. The announcement which was made on Sunday said that participating troops were to begin arriving in “the next few hours” and follows Riyadh’s warning that Syrian President Bashar Assad would be toppled. RT reports: The so-called “Northern Thunder” exercise will take place in the north of the country and will include air, sea and... more »
A Syrian Officer's View Of The War Before He Was Executed By The Islamic State
A Syrian soldier at the ancient Temple of Baal in Palmyra, Syria, in March 2014, before the Islamic State overran the area. The group blew up the site last year. Credit Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times *New York Times*: *Syrian Officer Gave a View of War. ISIS Came, and Silence Followed* BEIRUT, Lebanon — Ours was an unusual, sometimes operatic, correspondence that unfolded over more than a year. Abu al-Majd, a Syrian police officer who was being deployed more and more often like a soldier, texted at all hours, sending news from the front lines and grumbling about boring, s... more »
How Do We Wind Up With "Democrats" Voting Against Workers' Rights? Have You Heard Of The DCCC?
Don't you just *hate it* when Democrats betray core progressive values and team up with Republicans to make the lives of working families tougher? That doesn't just happen suddenly, by chance. The Members of Congress who do that are almost *always* products of the corrupt, conservative DCCC. Last week, for example, 2 very right-wing Democrats, Blue Dogs Brad Ashford (NE) and Collin Peterson (MN), teamed up with 106 Republicans to demand that the Department of Labor not move forward with a new regulation expanding workers' access to overtime wages. Two especially heinous Republican... more »
El Nino Update
By Paul Homewood http://weather.unisys.com/surface/sfc_daily.php?plot=ssa&inv=0&t=cur At the risk of sticking my neck out! But there are signs that the current El Nino may just be starting to run out of steam. http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/enso/mei/ The MEI Index peaked in August/September last year. but had a small uptick again last month. However, the […]
Cognitive Dissonance and the Followers of Donald Trump
[image: Donald Trump South Carolina - 900] When the legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum was challenged about the veracity of one of his past statements, he famously replied, "Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." This leads to the obvious question, "But Mr. Arum,... more »
Cancer Patients Snagged in Obamacare’s Tangle of Paperwork
[image: Healthcare paperwork - 900] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Walt Whitlow was under treatment for cancer when he got an unwelcome surprise. His financial assistance under President Barack Obama’s health care law got slashed. That meant his premium quadrupled and his deductible went from $900 to $4,600.... more »
Leading Cancer Researcher Found Dead Hanging From Tree In Rubber Suit
A leading British cancer researcher was found dead in a rubber suit in woodland in a bizarre sex fetish, an inquest has heard. Professor Alan Clarke the 52 year old director of the European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute and Cancer Research UK, was reportedly found with a dog lead around his neck and was wearing a hooded mask, after taking his dog for a walk just after Christmas. The dog was found safe and unharmed in the nearby woods….what a shame dogs can’t talk. After so many doctors being found dead under suspicious circumstances in the US, one can’t help to wonder if there...more »
Syrian Army Planning To Advance On The Islamic State Stronghold At Raqqa
*The Independent*: *Assad's army setting its sights on Isis stronghold of Raqqa* *The Syrian army's advance towards Raqqa could be aimed at pre-empting any move by Saudi Arabia to send ground forces to Syria to fight Isis.* Syrian government forces backed by Russian air strikes have taken rebel ground near Aleppo and are now poised to advance on the Isis stronghold of Raqqa province. A Syrian military source said the army had captured positions at the provincial border between Hama and Raqqa in the last few days and intends to advance further. "It is an indication of the directi...more »
Video Records Moment Russian Helicopter Drops Deadly Barrel Bombs Just Yards Away
*Daily Mail:* *Terrifying video records moment Russian helicopter drops deadly barrel bombs just yards away in a Syrian city* * Undated strike is purported to be an attack on Darya, in south-west Syria * The helicopter unloading the bombs could be a Russian Mi-24 attack chopper * Footage released after major powers agree to a Syrian ceasefire A man coolly captures the moment an attack helicopter barrel bombs buildings which explode just metres from where he stands in terrifying footage. The airstrike is purported to be an attack on the city of Darya in south-west Syria, by the gove... more »
Turkey Continues To Bomb Kurdish Forces In Syria
*BBC*:* Turkey issues new threats to Kurdish forces in Syria* Turkey has promised the "harshest reaction" if Kurdish forces try to take the key town of Azaz in northern Syria. Over the weekend Turkey shelled the Kurdish YPG militia as it made advances in the area. Syria said the Turkish shelling was a violation of its sovereignty and called on the UN to act. Turkey views the YPG militia in Syria as allied to the outlawed PKK, which has carried out a decades-long campaign for autonomy in Turkey. *Read more* .... *WNU Editor: *This is not going to help U.S. - Turkish ties .... *Ob... more »
There's Harshness in the Air...
*as our lovely Sophie (RIP) would think.* We used to have a gentle and sweet rescue doggie named Sophie. No doubt abused in her previous life, she was a quivering wreck when we became her forever home. After much work, she became the most lovely of doggies and had a long and happy life with us. The one thing she never got over was her fear of loud or contentious voices. At the first sign of what we came to call "harshness in the air", she would scoot into the bedroom to remove herself from the unpleasantness. Smart doggie. After watching the Democratic debate a week or so ago, ... more »
Trump is a Mercantilist, and Mercantilism Will Weaken America
[image: NEW YORK - AUGUST 18: Entrepreneur Donald Trump attends a news conference to promote his new game titled "Trump" and to also offer New Yorkers the chance to live like "The Donald" August 18, 2004 in New York City. (Photo by Peter Kramer/Getty Images)] Consistency is not a virtue many associate with Donald Trump. He has cheerfully evolved his positions on many important issues, some just in time for his presidential run. But on his economic views, one label has consistently fit him: neo-mercantilist.... more »
Military Photo of the Day: Presidents’ Day 2016
[image: Ronald Reagan-900] “Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.” ~President Ronald Reagan. Happy Presidents’ Day!
Prophets to Profits: The Corporate Takeover of Spirituality
*Vida Norris* - The corporate takeover of 'mind, body, spirit' is nearly complete. The post Prophets to Profits: The Corporate Takeover of Spirituality appeared first on Waking Times.
8th retraction appears for researcher who faked patient records
An 8th paper has been retracted for Anna Ahimastos, a heart researcher who faked patient records. It’s the last in a chain of retractions that were the result of an investigation by her former workplace, Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute in Australia. As with the others, she did not agree to the retraction. The investigation found fabricated patients records in […] The post 8th retraction appears for researcher who faked patient records appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Scientists Want To Edit Your Memories
Scientists working on erasing traumatic memories that can sometimes trigger anxiety or other mental health conditions, have come up with ways to modify, delete, copy and paste other memories into the brain. Scientists assume memory to be transient and a function within the brain’s neurons that can be manipulated through drugs and suggestion therapies. Science Alert reports: In fact, researchers have now figured out how to delete, change, and even implant memories – not just in animals, but in human subjects. And drugs that rewire our brains to forget the bad parts are already on the... more »
Air-strikes Destroy 3 Hospitals In Northern Syria
*BBC*: *Syria conflict: Three hospitals hit in air strikes* Three hospitals have been hit in air strikes in northern Syria, medics and witnesses say, killing a number of people. Medecins Sans Frontieres said seven people died in an attack in Maarat al-Numan. Activists said another hospital in the town was also hit. Another strike in Azaz near the Turkish border killed 10, reports said. MSF blamed pro-Syrian government forces for the raid in on its hospital; Turkey blamed Russia for the Azaz strike. They come days after Russia and other world powers agreed to a limited cessation o... more »
World News Briefs -- February 15, 2016
*USA Today*: *As Syria cease-fire looms, fighting escalates* While a cease-fire in Syria is supposed to take place by week’s end, the fighting is escalating and new parties, such as Saudi Arabia, are preparing to enter the fray. The recent developments come after the United States and Russia brokered a truce agreement early Friday in Munich for a "cessation of hostilities" in Syria's long-running civil war that could begin in a week. *Read more* .... *MIDDLE EAST* Deadly air strikes hit hospitals *in northern Syria.* Air strike *destroys MSF clinic in Syria**. * Russia to conti... more »
Virgin Atlantic Flight Does U-Turn After Laser Shone In Co-Pilots Eyes
A New York bound Virgin Atlantic flight had to return to London when the co-pilot had a laser beam directed into his eyes during take off from Heathrow airport. The co-pilot began to feel unwell shortly into the flight. Laser attacks are becoming more frequent as imports of cheap lasers rise. They have the potential to blind or cause irreversible eye damage if aimed momentarily at the right spot. The Independent reports: Police said they were trying to find the source of the beam. A Virgin Atlantic spokeswoman said: “The VS025 travelling from London Heathrow to New York JFK flight h... more »
INTRODUCTION TO INCOMPREHENSION: What Liebniz believed!
*MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016Part 1—Brian Greene cues the search:* On the morning of Wednesday, February 3, we enjoyed a few brief moments of true amusement. We were thoughtfully sitting inside a local Starbucks. We were perusing Brian Greene's 2004 best-seller, The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time and the Texture of Reality. (According to the leading authority, the book in question "is the second book on theoretical physics, cosmology, and string theory written by Brian Greene, professor and co-director of Columbia's Institute for Strings, Cosmology, and Astroparticle Physics." It...more »
First ‘Silk Road’ Train Arrives In Iran After 2 Week Journey From China
The first train connecting China to Iran via the ancient Silk Road has arrived in the Iranian capital Tehran after traveling for 14 days in a journey of over 10,000 kilometers The train, which was launched in an effort to revive the ancient road, was carrying 32 containers of commercial products originating from China’s eastern province of Zhejiang, according to Iranian media Press TV reports: The trip from China to Iran has taken 14 days over 10,399 (about 6,500 miles), taking the cargo train through Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, Fars news agency reported.... more »
Will KIPP's Levin Be the New British Inspector of Schools?
The Independent reports that the British Secretary of Education, Nicky Morgan, is considering hiring Mr. Positivity, Dave Levin, to direct inspections of British schools. No, I am not kidding. As you might imagine, British educators are ready to move with torches and pitchforks. . . . .Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, suggested Ms Morgan should take her search to Finland. “[Finland] is universally agreed to have an excellent education system, characterised by co-operation, collaboration and trust,” she said. “A far cry from the charter schoo... more »
WHO Plans Zika Vaccine as Brazilian Doctors Blame Monsanto’s Pesticides
*Christina Sarich* - Are you ready to take a vaccine for the Zika virus? The post WHO Plans Zika Vaccine as Brazilian Doctors Blame Monsanto’s Pesticides appeared first on Waking Times.
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- February 15, 2016
The Pentagon is working on force structure plans for continuing to advice and assist Afghan forces well past the 2014 drawdown date previously set between NATO and the Kabul government. US Army. (US Army) *The Hill:* *In Afghanistan, things aren't getting better* The number of properly trained Afghan troops has been grossly overestimated. Afghan military and police leaders are collecting salaries for troops and police that don't exist. The government is doing the same for schools, teachers, clinics and doctors. Fraud and corruption are rampant. Contractors are being paid exorbitant... more »
Calls For Urgent Investigation Into Death Of Antonin Scalia
The news which drew seemingly quick conclusions that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia had died of “natural causes” this weekend, has prompted calls for an autopsy and toxicological reports. The president of the Americans for Legal Immigration political action committee William Gheen, noted the media’s “rush” to proclaim Scalia’s death in a rented room in a resort in Texas as either “natural causes” or heart attack just hours after the discovery of his body. Presidio County Judge Cinderela Guevara, who pronounced Scalia dead, said no autopsy was necessary. It has also been report... more »
NATO's Expanding Presence in "Fortress Persian Gulf"
What Are the Possible Consequences of Turkey-Qatar Military Cooperation? *February 15, 2016* (Martin Berger - NEO) - A short while ago Turkey and Qatar announced that they have an agreement in place to further deepen their military cooperation within the framework of the “struggle against common enemies“, which implies the construction of two new military bases: a Turkish one in Qatar and a Qatari base in Turkey. As it was made clear by the Turkish Ambassador to Qatar, Ahmet Demirok, Ankara is planning to construct a multi-purpose military installation that will become home to some... more »
Johns Hopkins investigation leads to retraction of two lung papers, one highly cited
An investigation at Johns Hopkins University has uncovered several issues with the figures in two papers on a lung disease linked to smoking, one of which is highly cited. The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine is retracting both papers, which examine the role of protein NRF2 in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. But both contain spliced […] The post Johns Hopkins investigation leads to retraction of two lung papers, one highly cited appeared first on Retraction Watch.
These Are The Weapons That The Pentagon Is Buying For Its Rebel-Allies In Syria
*Buzz Feed:* *The Pentagon’s Shopping List Of Weapons To Fight ISIS* The U.S. military’s Special Operations Command is buying enough foreign weapons to equip a battalion. The contract may go to a troubled, tiny firm that has used subcontractors linked to Bulgarian organized crime, securities fraud, and bribery charges, and that previously tried to sell the U.S. 30-year-old weapons. Late last month, the U.S. Special Operations Command, which oversees America’s elite commandos and their operations against ISIS in Syria, sent a lengthy shopping list to a small group of arms dealers. ... more »
Humans Could Soon Regrow Teeth The Way Sharks Do Scientists Say
A new study has found that humans possess the same genes that allow sharks to regrow their teeth, meaning that people could potentially do the same. Sharks and other fish can regrow their teeth repeatedly throughout their lives while humans have, at the moment, the capacity to regrow their teeth only once. Scientists have discovered that the same network of genes that allow sharks to regrow teeth is present in humans and it may be possible to ‘tweak’ those genes to grow new teeth. RT reports: The intimidating jaws of sharks are filled with razor-sharp teeth that are continuously re... more »
SAS Sniper Kills ISIS Executioner From 4,000 Feet Away
SAS snipers are targeting IS personnel in Iraq. (British Army sniper pictured). Sniper rifles available to British Special Forces include the L115a3 (.338 Lapua Magnum), the L82A1 (.50 BMG) and the L121A1 (.50 BMG). Image by Sgt Anthony Boocock, RLC © UK MOD / Crown Copyright 2008 used under open government licence *Daily Mail:* *ISIS executioner 'is beheaded by SAS sniper's special bullet as he demonstrated how to decapitate prisoners'* * A SAS sniper has shot an ISIS commander from 4,000ft away, it is claimed * The ISIS commander was teaching 20 other jihadis how to decapitate * B... more »
A Commentary On Russia's National Security Strategy
Military parade in Red Square. Wikipedia *Keith B. Payne & Mark B. Schneider, Real Clear Defense:* *Russia's New National Security Strategy* *Stark Realities Confronting the West* On December 31, 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a new Russian National Security Strategy (NSS). This action was preceded by adoption of a new naval strategy earlier in 2015 and a new military doctrine in December 2014. All of these documents reflect a manifest and growing hostility to the West. According to one of Britain’s foremost experts on Russia, Roger McDermott, this Russian NSS “ma... more »
Iran's Defense Policy
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani visited the Élysée Palace in Paris for a meeting with French President François Hollande on January 28. (Reuters/Stephane De Sakutin) *Abbas Qaidaari, Atlantic Council*: *President Hassan Rouhani’s Defense Policy* A study of the tensions between the United States and its allies in the region with Iran shows that both sides have misunderstood and miscalculated their defense policies and strategies in the Middle East. Many Western critics do not understand the basis and distinguishing features of the Rouhani government’s strategy. Based on general p... more »
These Countries Are Now Operating Armed Drones
U.S. Reaper drones at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan. One is armed with two 500-lb bombs. Source: GlobalPost *Forbes*: *All of These Countries Now Have Armed Drones* *And these are just the ones we know about.* Last week Nigeria joined a dubious international clique when it bombed a logistics base used by the militant group Boko Haram in the country’s northeast. Though the airstrike itself was unremarkable—the Nigerian Air Force has conducted hundreds of strikes against Boko Haram in recent months—it was the first Nigeria has delivered via an unmanned drone. For many, the news w... more »
The Push To Stop The Development And Deployment Of 'Killer Robots'
*Photo*: Rogue robots: Scientists fear machines capable of killing (as depicted by Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator) will soon become a reality unless there is a global treaty agreed to ban them *Daily Mail:* *Rogue 'Terminator' robots which can kill without human orders could become reality in just a few years* * Scientist Wendel Wallach calls for ethical committees to monitor research * Yale University ethicist believes the machines should not go uncontrolled * Need to keep technology 'a good servant, not a dangerous master' * Sentiments echo warnings last year from Stephen ... more »
Are The Chinese Losing Confidence In Their Currency?
New 100-yuan notes wheeled out in the factory of China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation, Oct 29. (Photo: Xinhua) *New York Times*: *Chinese Start to Lose Confidence in Their Currency* HONG KONG — As the Chinese economy stumbles, wealthy families are increasingly trying to move large sums of money out of the country, worried that the value of the currency will fall and their savings will be worth less. To get around the country’s cash controls, individuals are asking friends or family members to carry or transfer out $50,000 apiece, the annual legal limit in China. A group... more »
Are These People Capable?
https://www.rawstory.com/ The death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has given rise to yet another crisis in the United States. These days, when it comes to governing, America seems to be in a continual state of crisis. And, Paul Krugman writes, the reason can be laid squarely at the feet of the Republican Party: On the substantive divide between the parties: I still encounter people on the left (although never on the right) who claim that there’s no big difference between Republicans and Democrats, or at any rate “establish...more »
Senate in Turmoil Over Whether Obama Should Be Allowed to Determine Scalia’s Replacement
[image: Justice Antonin Scalia] Lawmakers from both parties exchanged salvos Sunday over who should fill the Supreme Court seat vacated Saturday by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. After news of Scalia's death, Senate Republicans quickly dug in, promising to block President Obama's nominee... more »
Godly Leadership: The Spiritual Role of the Father in His Family
[image: Father Daughter Barn Doorway Silhouette - 900] Church attendance strengthens relationships and makes couples happier, a new study finds. The Institute for Family Studies performed a study of 1,600 working-age adults aged 18-59 years in heterosexual relationships and found that regular church attendance impacts relationship quality for... more »
Congress May Fix VA Hospitals by Merging Them With Military
[image: A man walks through an atrium at the Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago.] Congress is exploring a dramatic transformation of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals that would merge them with Department of Defense (DOD) facilities and treat active duty soldiers and veterans side by side. Many veterans and lawmakers believe the VA... more »
Five Ways to Improve Our Primary Debates
[image: NORTH CHARLESTON, SC - JANUARY 14: Republican presidential candidates (L-R) Ohio Governor John Kasich, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Ben Carson and Jeb Bush participate in the Fox Business Network Republican presidential debate at the North Charleston Coliseum and Performing Arts Center on January 14, 2016 in North Charleston, South Carolina. The sixth Republican debate is held in two parts, one main debate for the top seven candidates, and another for three other candidates lower in the current polls. (Photo... more »
War And Peace and Bush/Cheney... And The 2016 Election
Sunday after the hate-filled GOP debate in South Carolina, establishment Republicans, led by neocon sad sack Bill Kristol were all over the Twitter Machine claiming that no "reasonable" or "responsible" Democrat had gone as far as Herr Trumpf in calling out Bush/Cheney for lying us into the catastrophic Iraq War. Well, that's totally false. Even Democratic neocons who supported the Bush Cheney wild Iraqi adventure use the excuse now that Bush and Cheney lied. No doubt Senate Democrats truly from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party-- your Joe Liebermen, Blanche Lincolns, E... more »
Rightwing Nuthouse: "5 Unhinged Right-Wing Moments This Week: Cruz Embraces His Truly Hateful Supporters"
*"5 Unhinged Right-Wing Moments This Week: * *Cruz Embraces His Truly Hateful Supporters"* by Janet Allon "While Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders spent the week meeting with black leaders in their heated contest for black voters, Republican candidates were also scrambling for high-profile endorsements. In the case of Ted Cruz, having a membership to that club is increasingly questionable. Here are Cruz's claims to dubious friends, and a few other lowlights from the right-wing loonisphere this week. *1. Ted Cruz brags about getting the support of some of the biggest haters in pub... more »
How Bush Can Win
[image: Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush speaks during a campaign stop, Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015, in Exeter, N.H. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)] For parts 1 and 2 (“How Kasich” and “How Carson Can Win”), see here and here. You know that the nomination is properly yours. You waited your turn, you checked all the boxes, you lined up all the billionaires and... more »
Russian Airstrikes Destroy Doctors Without Borders Hospital in Syria
[image: Civil defense members try to rescue victims from the wreckage after the Russian airstrikes targeted residential areas in opposition controlled Katranci neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria on February 14, 2016. (Photo by Mamun Ebu Omer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)] BEIRUT (AP) -- An airstrike in the northern Syrian province of Idlib destroyed a makeshift clinic supported by an international aid group on Monday, killing and wounding several people, activists and the group said. In the neighboring Aleppo province, a... more »
Muslim Colonists Destabilizing Europe — Turkey Threatens to Send 3 Million More
[image: Syrian refugees - iStock_000079223389_900] The current crisis of mass Muslim immigration into Europe, under the pretext that migrants are war refugees from Syria, has shaken the continent and its institutions to their core. It is tearing up regional treaties, such as the Schengen agreement... more »
Pope Condemns Drug Trade’s ‘Dealers of Death’ in Mexico
[image: In this photo taken on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016, Pope Francis waves to people as he arrives to the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico City, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016.] ECATEPEC, Mexico (AP) -- Pope Francis condemned the drug trade’s “dealers of death” and urged Mexicans to shun the devil’s lust for money as he led a huge open-air Mass for more than 300,000 people Sunday in this violence-riddled city.... more »
Too Many Environmentalists Have Forgotten that People are Beautiful Too
[image: Woman holding her newborn baby at hospital] When he founded Greenpeace in 1971, with several friends, ecologist Patrick Moore was still idealistic about the possibilities of the Green movement. As he gradually became aware of the misanthropic currents of modern environmentalism he quit in disgust. Moore said the movement is no... more »
Twitter Enlists ‘Gay’ Thought Police
[image: Twitter - 900] This cannot be good for free speech and the open exchange of ideas. Not for Christians and conservatives anyway. Twitter announced on Wednesday that it has assembled a new "Twitter Trust & Safety Council" to "ensure that people feel safe... more »
Israeli Officials Call For Sectarian Partition Of Syria
Senior Israeli officials have called for the partition of Syria along sectarian lines. As reports accuse Israel of supporting Takfiri militants wreaking havoc in the Arab counrty, the director general of Israel’s Intelligence Ministry Ram Ben-Barak, says the proposed breakup was “the only possible solution” to the conflict in Syria Press TV reports: “I think that ultimately Syria should be turned into regions, under the control of whoever is there – the Alawites where they are, the Sunnis where they are,” Ben-Barak told Israel’s Army Radio on Sunday. Israel’s Minister of Military Af... more »
When Is America Actually At War?
An F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to the Black Aces of Strike Fighter Squadron 41 launches from the flight deck of the USS John C. Stennis in the Pacific Ocean, Jan. 28, 2016. Navy photo by Seaman Tomas Compian *Scott Beauchamp, Al Jazeera: **When is America actually at war?* *With or without Congress, President Obama can authorize military force* During his final State of the Union address, President Barack Obama challenged members of Congress to “send a message to our troops and the world” by finally authorizing the use of military force against the Islamic State in Iraq and the L... more »
North Korea’s Kim Orders More Rocket Launches
[image: A man walks past portraits of the late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, at the Kim Il Sung Square on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016, in Pyongyang, North Korea.] SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has praised scientists involved in the country’s recent rocket launch that he said struck a “telling blow” to enemies and ordered them to press ahead with more launches, state... more »
Obama’s Southeast Asia Summit Dominated by ‘Democratically Challenged’ Nations
[image: In this Nov. 19, 2015 file photo, President Barack Obama shakes hands with Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha in Manila, Philippines. When President Barack Obama welcomes Southeast Asian leaders for a shirt-sleeves summit in California this week, he’ll have some interesting dining companions. There will be a coup leader with a penchant for song, a sultan with a taste for the high life and a ruthless prime minister with 31 years on the job. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)] WASHINGTON (AP) -- A coup leader with a penchant for song. A sultan with a taste for the high life.... more »
Snow, Sleet and Rain to Hit Mid-Atlantic, Northeast
[image: Ice begins to form on the banks of the Hudson River in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016, as temperatures dove to the single digits this weekend. (Jim Anness/The Record of Bergen County via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT] NEW YORK (AP) -- A grab bag of weather conditions -- including snow and sleet -- will descend on communities from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast, but with many people off for Presidents’ Day it may be just another day... more »
Tatars Step Up Resistance to Russian Rule Over Crimea
[image: In this photo taken Sunday Jan. 24, 2016, a billboard with a portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin is placed on the road outside Simferopol, Crimea. Two years after Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin touts the move as a historic achievement, looking on with a satisfied smile from countless billboards across the peninsula.] UROZHAYNE, Crimea (AP) -- Elnara Asanova lives alone with her four small children because her husband, an ethnic Tatar, is in jail. Last April, when she was seven months pregnant, police grabbed him from the streets of their ... more »
Arms, Agribusiness, Finance And Fossil Fuels: The Four Horsemen Of The Neoliberal Apocalypse
From the poster for the 1962 film 'Les Quatre Cavaliers de l'Acopalypse'. Photo: CartelesCine via Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA). This updated and amended piece (original version appeared in 2015) was published by The Ecologist and Global Research Do you value my work? *Please read this request* The US has about 5% of the world's population but consumes 24% of global energy. On average, one person in the US consumes as much energy as two Japanese, six Mexicans, 13 Chinese, 31 Indians, 128 Bangladeshis, 307 Tanzanians and 370 Ethiopians. It is able to consume at such a level because the dollar... more »
Untitled
*UK: Study looked into earnings of people getting different classes of degrees* Graduates who get a good degree will earn more money than their peers for more than a decade, a new study has found. It looked at a cohort born in 1970 and graduating in 1991, and found those with first of 2:1 degrees earned 7-9 per cent more five years after graduation. The study, published by the London School of Economics, also found that the gap between earnings according to university performance is also widening as more people opt for a university education. The academics wrote: 'As more young... more »
Untitled
*When global warming isn't global* *Warmists have cottoned on to the fact that their feared 2 degree temperature rise doesn't sound very fearsome to most people. Most of us experience a temperature range of around 10 degrees in any 24 hour period -- sometimes a lot more. So Warmists now want to say that 2 degrees is only an average and that some places on earth will experience a temperature rise of much more than 2 degrees even if the average is 2 degrees. That is reasonable enough. It's basic statistics. An average implies a range. Note firstly, however, that their s... more »
Justice Antonin Scalia Said to Have Died of ‘Natural Causes’
[image: The hearse which transported Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's body to the airport from Sunset Funeral Home departs the Atlantic Aviation hangar at El Paso International Airport in El Paso, Texas, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016. (VIctor Calzada/The El Paso Times via AP)] WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died of natural causes and no autopsy was necessary, a judge has told The Associated Press. Chris Lujan, a manager for Sunset Funeral Homes in Texas, said the 79-year-old jurist’s body...more »
Motorists could be charged to drive in city centres under EU plans to meet emissions targets
By Paul Homewood http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/eureferendum/12156747/Motorists-could-be-charged-to-drive-in-city-centres-under-EU-plans-to-meet-emissions-targets.html?WT.mc_id=e_DM88101&WT.tsrc=email&etype=Edi_FAM_New&utm_source=email&utm_medium=Edi_FAM_New_2016_02_15&utm_campaign=DM88101 From the Telegraph: Motorists could be charged for driving through British towns and cities and households could face a "bin tax" under EU plans to meet emissions targets. The European Commission has issued a new set of guidelines for councils on how to which sets how to meet […]
The 2015 Dishonest Reporter of the Year: Why the BBC Won per HonestReporting
That the institutionally anti Israel BBC won this award is no surprise... http://honestreporting.com/the-2015-dishonest-reporter-of-the-year-why-the-bbc-won '... the BBC's treatment of Israel is part of a wider institutional problem afflicting the news department, which is widely perceived to be biased when it comes to any number of issues that don't conform to a liberal or left-wing perspective that dominates the BBC's thinking.'
"A Prayer for the World"
"A Prayer for the World" "Let the rain come and wash away the ancient grudges, the bitter hatreds held and nurtured over generations. Let the rain wash away the memory of the hurt, the neglect. Then let the sun come out and fill the sky with rainbows. Let the warmth of the sun heal us wherever we are broken. Let it burn away the fog so that we can see each other clearly, So that we can see beyond labels, beyond accents, gender or skin color. Let the warmth and brightness of the sun melt our selfishness, So that we can share the joys and feel the sorrow of our neighbors. And let the light o... more »
Current Sea Ice Extent
As we both predicted in 2007, and reported on in 2012, the decadal trend line effectively bottomed dramatically in 2012. The progressive ice loss was simply that serious by 2007, although it had been unrecognized and ignored.. The remaining question was whether this local trend would be sustained beyond 2012 as the decadal effect would then diminish. It turns out that it did not and we are now into a net ice gain trend. This can be expected to accfelerate although sea access should remain good until 2020 after which a serious cold snap should load the Arctic with ample new ice... more »
Amplifying Power: Generating Electricity from (Almost) Nothing
*. * This work conforms to much that we are also doing and developing a somewhat different focus which is hardly surprising. His work more demonstrates that a number of capable researchers are working Tesla's ideas to serious profit. We are doing much better but the reason for that happens to be subtle. What we do welcome is an army of folks working with these ideas and producing a range of new technical solutions. We have long entered the realm of engineering art. That tkes inlimited free man hours. * .* *Amplifying Power: Generating Electricity from (Almost) Nothing * ... more »
Here's A Detailed Description Atlantis
This very much is a description of a Bronze Age palace based culture that essentially operated a sea based global civilization. It does not describe modernism or multi storied towers. That idea would have carried down. Again it is the culture we have been uncovering that existed in mature form from 2400 BC through 1159 BC. What subsided was the Mid Atlantic ridge and it's Orthogonal Cuban Ridge. Most likely this also dropped the Bahama Bank below sea level as well. The total subsidence included the Azores the size of Britain, Lyonese the size of Ireland, Cub... more »
Canada Human Rights Decision Is a Game Changer for First Nations
What this lays bear is that an internal culture of shortchanging natives established itself inside the actual ministry of Indian Affairs and that no champianship for natives was ever allowed or promoted. Correction was as easy as getting a champian involved because none of this behavior would have ever stood. White voters would never have accepted this behavior let alone Indian voters. So yes this spells out what happened and why we have had a serious lag in Native outcomes. Yet this same report effectively creates champians with the tools able to change it all. It is not h... more »
GridKeeper - Rothschilds were Vikings - fun on the south coast of England
now that self-confessed super-soldier i.e. space marine, James Casbolt aka Michael Prince aka Petrus Romanus aka some bloke from Bristol or was it Devon or was it... became a US citizen, somehow met and married a billionaire heiress of the Meijer family, joined the US military, did some assassinating for his handlers, you get the message... now that he's been convicted of crimes against decency and imprisoned for something like 17 years here in the UK with the more recent threat of indefinite detention in a mental institute of the state's choosing I've not watched any *tinfoilhatmat... more »
Tweet For Today
Photos @ForeignPolicy: A Syrian man clings to the bow of a sinking boat. Only 4 survived. https://t.co/g0mXfhkd9c pic.twitter.com/0bYmYm2ZCN — Henry Johnson (@HenryJohnsoon) February 12, 2016
Why is The U.S. Army 'Dumping' Hundreds Of Its War Dogs
*New York Post:* *Troops betrayed as Army dumps hundreds of heroic war dogs* By now, Daniel had been in Afghanistan two months. It was July 2012, his third tour of duty and his first with Oogie, his military working dog. They were leading their platoon on yet another patrol, clearing a no-name village with maybe 15 houses and one mosque, when they began taking fire. “The first thing that went though my mind,” he says, “was, ‘S- -t. My dog’s gonna get shot.’ ” It was a perfect L-shaped ambush, bullets coming from the front and the right, the platoon pinned down in a flat, open land... more »
Picture Of The Day
Navy Airman Tuan Hoang signals to an MH-60S Seahawk as it takes off from the flight deck of the USS John C. Stennis in the Pacific Ocean, Feb. 11, 2016. The Seahawk is assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 14. Navy photo by Seaman Cole C. Pielop
UPDATED: SOLAR IMAGE FROM LASCO C3 IMAGE FROM FEBRUARY 14, 2016
A somewhat 3D enhanced version below using a techinque on photoshop... Here's the image from 2009 I had been using for many of the Sphere Alliance messages... I thought at first maybe someone just changed the date on photoshop rotated it and then reposted it to Facebook, but it is indeed on the Lasco C3 web site. I got the above images from there... not the Facebook post I read.... I don't have an answer yet for what this Sphere on February 14 is, I will update this when i hear back from Denice. She was in transit yesterday. *UPDATED 2/15/2016 4:40 PM GMT* http://american... more »
A Hellfire Missile Mistakenly Sent To Cuba Has Been Returned To The U.S.
A Hellfire missile mistakenly sent to Cuba has been returned to the U.S. (Photo : Twitter Photo Section) *CNN*: *U.S. missile inadvertently shipped to Cuba has been returned* Washington (CNN)The Cuban government has returned a missing U.S. missile sent to Europe for training but inadvertently shipped to Cuba, a State Department official said. "We can say, without speaking to specifics, that the inert training missile has been returned with the cooperation of the Cuban government," Mark Toner, the State Department's deputy spokesperson, told CNN on Saturday. "The department is rest... more »
RNC Filled The Food Fight Auditorium With Rubio And Cruz Supporters
Last night the RNC seems to have limited the audience to Rubio and Cruz fans. Herr Trumpf was thoroughly boo-ed whenever he opened his mouth. I wonder if Priebus got his ideas about who to admit to the debate audience from Wasserman Schultz. The Rubio and Cruz fans also booed each other during the immigration cat fight. Trumpf kept calling Cruz a liar... in fact, eventually, they all started calling each other liars. I can't imagine any non-Republican could have watched this silly debate without noticing none of them is fit to be president. Did anyone think Herr Trumpf *wouldn'... more »
Turkey To Continue Military Strikes Against US-Allied Kurdish Fighters In Syria
*VOA*: *Turkey to Extend Strikes on US-Allied Kurdish Fighters in Syria* Turkey says it will continue to target U.S.-allied Kurdish fighters on the Syrian frontier near its border, despite mounting international pressure on the Ankara government to stop the artillery bombardments. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, in telephone talks Sunday, told German Chancellor Angela Merkel that Turkish forces will "not permit" the Kurdish People's Protection Units fighters (YPG), of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) "to carry out aggressive acts." Both France and the United States have ca... more »
The Population Rejoices (Scalia Dead!) So Many Conspiracies, So Little Time
I want to know name, rank and serial number of everyone at that gathering. Including all the delivery vehicles on the property. Don't you? Details in Flux in Death of Justice Nino ScaliaThe facts surrounding the death of Associate Supreme Court Justice, Antonin Scalia, are in a state of continual flux. The question is why?The highly controversial Justice is reported to have died sometime
The Crisis In Venezuela
*Wall Street Journal:* *Venezuela’s Collapse Brings ‘Savage Suffering’* Dying infants, chronic power outages and empty shelves mark the world’s worst-performing economy CARACAS, Venezuela—In a hospital in the far west of this beleaguered country, the economic crisis took a grim toll in the past week: Six infants died because there wasn’t enough medicine or functioning respirators. Here in the capital, the crisis has turned ordinary life into an ordeal for nearly everyone. Chronic power outages have prompted the government to begin rationing electricity, darkening shopping malls. H... more »
Birchwood Trail in Winter
I hadn't really planned to get out today for day 3 of the Great Backyard Bird Count partly because I had to get a jump on doing a few things in order to head back to work tomorrow. But given the mild weather we've been having lately, I couldn't help but take one more kick at the proverbially can. At this point I've seen most of what I can reasonably expect to see here for the time of year, but you never know. It's been some time before I walked the Birchwood Trail (a number of intertwining trails actually) and I had never done it winter before. I was also a little hesitant give... more »
FLASHBACK: In 2007, Schumer Called for Blocking All Bush Supreme Court Nominations
[image: Charles Schumer - 900] During a Sunday morning appearance on ABC's This Week, Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer decried the intent of many Senate Republicans to prevent President Barack Obama from appointing the successor to deceased Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. But less than a... more »
Does Your State Want to Replace Electoral College With Popular Vote for President?
[image: Voting Booths, Voters, Elections, America] An 11th state looks ready to join a national movement to sideline the Electoral College and decide presidential elections by popular vote. A bipartisan bill moving through the Arizona legislature aims to reallocate the state's 11 electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins... more »
Presidents Obama And Putin Discuss Syrian Ceasefire And Ukraine
*Washington Post:* *Kremlin: Obama called Putin to talk about Syrian cease-fire* TIRANA, Albania — President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to intensify diplomatic and military cooperation to implement a cease-fire and the delivery of aid in Syria, the Kremlin said early Sunday. A statement from Putin’s office said that Obama initiated a telephone conversation between the two. The White House, which said the call took place Saturday, did not mention increased U.S.-Russia cooperation but said that Obama stressed the importance “of rapidly implementing human... more »
Did Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Martha Lanning Come From The Same Egg As Wasserman Schultz? Why Was The Debate Audience Filled With Clintonites?
If you follow me on Twitter and *were* following me during the Democratic debate at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee on Thursday, you read what no mass media has covered, namely that the Hilary Cheat Machine had stacked the deck. It was easy, just 15 minutes after the debate began to see that on the particular liberal campus where in all likelihood not more than 20% of the Democrats can even stand the thought of Clinton, the auditorium was filled with Clinton shills who boisterously and enthusiastically applauded her every slimy attack on Bernie and her misleading statement. ... more »
Paul Craig Roberts: The Neoconservatives Are Brewing A Wider War In Syria
The Neoconservatives are brewing a wider war in Syria. Paul Craig Roberts: While you are enjoying your Sunday, the insane neoconservatives who control Western foreign policy and their Turkish and Saudi Arabian vassals might be preparing the end of the world. Any person who relies on Western media has no accurate idea of what is happening in Syria. I will provide a brief summary and then send you to two detailed accounts. The neoconservative Obama regime set-up the Syrian government headed by Assad for overthrow. A long propaganda campaign conducted in Washington’s behalf by the Weste... more »
The Stream’s John Zmirak Compares GOP Candidates to Past Presidents on The Joe Miller Show
[image: John Zmirak on The Joe Miller Show] John Zmirak, prolific writer and senior editor of The Stream, analyzes the top three presidential candidates on the GOP side and compares each of them to past presidents. Courtesy of the Joe Miller Show | Restoring Liberty.
Steve Russell : New Hampshire Berning: The Nationalist and the Socialist
To win the general election against The Donald, Bernie would run a positive hope campaign against a negative fear campaign. By Steve Russell | The Rag Blog | February 14, 2016 If Vine Deloria, Jr. was correct when he claimed … finish reading Steve Russell : New Hampshire Berning: The Nationalist and the Socialist
Iran to the Rescue in Syria Plus: Roots of the Syrian Conflict
*Eretz Israel as established by HaShem* *Where's Syria on this Map? You might well ask!* In yet another brilliant geopolitical chess move, Vladimir Putin has outsmarted the West on the Syria crisis. He has arranged for Russia's ally Iran to step up and defend Syria's air space if Turkey and Saudi Arabia follow through and invade...with boots on the ground...as they have threatened. There would not be the same international fall-out if Iran started bombing the invading Turkish and Saudi Armies...as if Russian planes were doing the bombing. USrael/NATO cannot complain too much if... more »
What Scalia Taught Us
[image: In this Wednesday, April 7, 2004 file photo, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia speaks to Presbyterian Christian High School students in Hattiesburg, Miss. On Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016, the U.S. Marshals Service confirmed that Scalia has died at the age of 79.] Antonin Gregory Scalia has died. For some, it is the painful loss of a husband or father. For those who knew him, it is the loss of a good friend. For law students, it is the loss of a justice... more »
Pope Warns Against Devil in Visit to Violence-Wracked Mexico
[image: In this photo taken on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016, Pope Francis waves to people as he arrives to the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico City, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016. Francis will celebrate Mass at the Basilica, considered the largest and most important Marian shrine in the world.] ECATEPEC, Mexico (AP) -- Pope Francis urged Mexicans to shun the devil and resist the temptations of wealth and corruption Sunday as he celebrated an open-air Mass for hundreds of thousands of people in this drug-and violence-riddled city on the...more »
Road To World War III Live Coverage: “MORE FIGHTING As Saudis and Turks Attack Syria”
*Live Coverage: “MORE FIGHTING As Saudis and Turks Attack Syria”* by U.S.Reporter "This article resumes our live coverage with updates every few minutes, which halted at Midnight eastern US time on 2-13 into 2-14." "Informed regime source: #Russia has decided to close all Syrian-Turkish border crossings by force." "UPDATE 6:59 PM Eastern US Time- YPG Media Center: Russian Air Force is bombing border area between Syria & Turkey." - https://www.superstation95.com/index.php/world/890 ◆ *Related:* - http://southfront.org/ ◆ “Breaking: Saudi Arabia moves planes to Turkey, Joint attack on... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Why does the Sombrero Galaxy look like a hat? Reasons include the Sombrero's unusually large and extended central bulge of stars, and dark prominent dust lanes that appear in a disk that we see nearly edge-on. Billions of old stars cause the diffuse glow of the extended central bulge. *Click image for larger size.* Close inspection of the bulge in the above photograph shows many points of light that are actually globular clusters. M104's spectacular dust rings harbor many younger and brighter stars, and show intricate details astronomers don't yet fully understand. The very center o... more »
Chet Raymo, "Pigeons"
*"Pigeons"* by Chet Raymo "That old curmudgeon H. L. Mencken wrote: "The most common of all follies is to believe passionately in the palpably not true. It is the chief occupation of mankind." Admitting that no one - including this writer - is immune to self-delusion, still it is hard for anyone who respects empirical evidence to argue with Mencken. Half of Americans believe in ghosts. Almost seventy percent believe in angels. More people believe in astrology than express interest in astronomy. Almost anything paranormal - ESP, UFOs, channeling, etc. - is deemed more interesting t... more »
Paulo Coelho, “Solitude Is Not The Absence of Love”
*“Solitude Is Not The Absence of Love”* by Paulo Coelho “Without solitude, Love will not stay long by your side, because Love needs to rest as well, so that it can journey through the heavens and reveal itself in other forms. Without solitude, no plant or animal can survive, no soil can remain productive for any length of time, no child can learn about life, no artist can create, no work can grow and be transformed. Solitude is not the absence of Love, but its complement. Solitude is not the absence of company, but the moment when our soul is free to speak to us and help us decide ... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Incline Village, Nevada, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
"Fortune’s Fools"
*"Fortune’s Fools"* by Phil Rockstroh “Sometimes you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself.” — Miles Davis "As a general rule, musicians, artists, and writers, as well as those possessed of an ardor for self-awareness and a commitment to political activism have been advised to avoid a habitual retreat to comfort zones…to take note of the criteria that causes one’s pulse to quicken, brings flop sweat to the brow, causes sphincters to seize up, and delivers mortification to the mind. In order to quicken imagination and avoid banality, it is imperative to explore ... more »
The Poet: Rainer Maria Rilke"Sonnets to Orpheus, Part One, IV"
*"Sonnets to Orpheus, Part One, IV"* "You who let yourselves feel: enter the breathing that is more than your own. Let it brush your cheeks as it divides and rejoins beside you. Blessed ones, whole ones, you where the heart begins: You are the bow that shoots the arrows and you are the target. Fear not the pain. Let its weight fall back into the earth; for heavy are the mountains, heavy the seas. The trees you planted in childhood have grown too heavy. You cannot bring them along. Give yourselves to the air, to what you cannot hold." - Rainer Maria Rilke
Saudi Arabia Establishes Joint Operations HQ With Turkey
Saudi Arabia has set up a Joint Operations HQ with Turkey in anticipation of an invasion and are boasting that the Russians will fail to protect Syria’s President Bashar al Assad. As the Turkish army enters Syria, Saudi Arabia steps up the rhetoric by threatening an invasion of Syria, a country that has been ravaged by years of civil war following the Arab Revolution of 2011. Russia Insider reports: Saudis step up their rhetoric as Turkey shells Syria for second straight day: According to reports (not in English, but we will try to dig up a proper translation as soon as possible),... more »
Is America's Newest Aircraft Carrier Already Obsolete?
USS Gerald Ford *Harry J. Kazianis, National Interest*: *The Most Expensive Warship Ever Built Might Already Be Close to Obsolete* The U.S. Navy’s latest and greatest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, when completed, will join the ranks of the world’s most advanced warships ever put to sea. It will carry an air wing with firepower second to none. It will be defended by some of the most powerful naval vessels on the planet. And yet, coming in at an astounding $15 billion dollars—the most expensive naval vessel ever—its time as the symbol of U.S. power projection and military d... more »
Is Northrop Grumman Building A Sixth-Generation Stealth Fighter Jet?
Motley Fool: Is Northrop Grumman Building a Super-Jet? Defense contractor kicks off the Super Bowl with an ad featuring a sixth-generation stealth fighter jet. *"There are those that see JSF as the last manned fighter. I'm one that's inclined to believe that."*-- Adm. Mike Mullen, former chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff *"[The F-35] almost certainly will be the last manned strike fighter aircraft the Department of the Navy will ever buy or fly."* -- Ray Mabus, current Secretary of the Navy For years, U.S. military top brass has insisted that once Lockheed Martin finishes... more »
Is the Zika threat Overhyped?
*You just know it is! * Haven't had time for this one. But from the little I've heard and read. *This is over hyped*. No real connections have been made between the virus and the birth defects. There are many curious aspects about Brazil that need to be factored in. One being the attempts to oust the leader. Another being the heavy, heavy use of pesticides. Which are designed to attack the nervous system of insects in many cases. CAUSE AND EFFECT:“The alternative theory has also found support from the Brazilian Association for Collective Health, which named Pyriproxyfen as a likel... more »
UN Report: Civilian Casualties In Afghanistan Hit Record High
*New York Times*: *Afghanistan Had Record Number of Civilian Casualties Last Year, U.N. Says* KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban suicide attacks and a fierce battle for the northern city of Kunduz made 2015 the worst year for Afghan civilian casualties since the United Nations began tracking the data, officials said on Sunday, in a sobering reminder of the cost of the conflict at a time when the prospect of peace seems as distant as ever. The United Nations documented 3,545 civilians killed and 7,457 injured last year, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the United ... more »
The Economic Value of Marriage
[image: Marriage Proposal, Proposing, Engagement Ring, Wedding, Diamond] In honor of National Marriage Week, consider this question: Does marriage impact the economic well-being of societies? For the past 50 years, our country has been losing the war against poverty. More than $22 trillion and 80 government means-tested welfare... more »
Brutality & Depravity Rampant In Modern Afghanistan
A shocking UN report says that last year there were more civilians killed or wounded in Afghanistan than in any year since 2009. The 87-page report reveals the statistics on the yearly cull of civilians, the beheadings, executions by single shot, kidnapping of women and ransom that has come to define a state of terror and depravity prevalent in modern Afghanistan. According to Robert Fisk, the veteran Middle East correspondent of The Independent: “I have long nursed the suspicion that Taliban units, Isis and government militias are not fighting about religion or government at all, m... more »
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