10:37pm MST
Why Would Russia Invade The Baltics?
Image from The Economist *Doug Bandow, National Interest:* *Why on Earth Would Russia Attack the Baltics?* When the Cold War closed many people believed that history had ended. Peace had descended upon the earth. The lion was about to lie down with the lamb. The Second Coming seemed on its way. Europe was certain to be free and undivided. Alas, it hasn’t worked out that way. But no worries. At least NATO officials are happy. Following Russian intervention in Georgia and Ukraine the alliance rediscovered a sense of purpose through its old enemy, Moscow. The Obama administration ju... more »
Alex Law-- Fighting Back Against Corruption In South Jersey... On A Bernie Platform
If Bernie Sanders wasn't running for president this year, Alex Law would still be a compelling candidate for Congress in the badlands of South Jersey where politics are under the control of the state's most corrupt family, the Norcross Machine, something that harkens back to past darker decades. When the grotesquely corrupt retainer who had been serving as the Machine's Member of Congress, Rob Andrews, was given the option of leaving Congress or going to prison for improper use of campaign funds, he resigned and Boss Norcross stuck his right-wing younger brother into the seat. An... more »
Are stocks overvalued?
No, says Olivier Blanchard and Joseph Gagnon.
At the Dawn of an Age of Wonders - Some Thoughts on a Superhero Campaign
I received some discussion, both within and outside my gaming group when I mentioned my desire to at some point dive into Hero System and Traveller. I've a few further thoughts on those two settings and I figured I'd explore them a little bit more. The earliest I see a new game would be the late-March/early-April time frame, fitting in with my grad school schedule. Given I'm currently doing a science fiction game I figured I'd mull over some thoughts about superhero campaigns. It may just be a thought exercise but what GM doesn't like such exercises... I've grown to think that wh... more »
Musical Interlude: Secret Garden, “Silent Wings”
Secret Garden, “Silent Wings” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf9ShbKxCv8
Delicious Irony Re CSIRO and Prof Bob Carter
Image by Bob's Friend John SpoonerProfessor Bob Carter often revealed the flaws in C.S.I.R.O's statements. (Bob called CSIRO - Sigh-Row) As an example, when talking of the now defunct Flannery-led Climate Commission said: The game is rather given away by the following style of disclaimer, which is inserted inside the front cover of all climate consultancy reports prepared by CSIRO, one of the groups that acts as a model-provider to the IPCC: This report relates to climate change scenarios based on computer modelling. Models involve simplifications of the real processes that are ... more »
North Korean Patrol Boat Retreats From South Korean Waters After Warning Shots
*The Guardian*: *South Korean navy fires warning shots at North Korean patrol boat* Tensions rise further after North Korean patrol boat strays over disputed maritime border one day after rocket launch The South Korean navy has fired warning shots at a North Korean patrol boat, further heightening tensions already raised after Pyongyang’s launch of a long-range rocket over the weekend. The defence ministry in Seoul said the North Korean vessel crossed the disputed Yellow Sea border just before 7am (2300 GMT Sunday). It “quickly retreated” at 7.15am after five warning shots were f... more »
South Korea Considers Going Nuclear to Counter North Korea
[image: South Korean army soldiers watch a TV news program with a file footage about North Korea's rocket launch at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016. North Korea on Sunday defied international warnings and launched a long-range rocket that the United Nations and others call a cover for a banned test of technology for a missile that could strike the U.S. mainland.] South Korean officials are mulling the idea of obtaining nuclear weapons in response to recent provocations from neighboring North Korea. North Korea's successful launch of a long-range rock... more »
Pentagon Orders Top Officials To Consider The Impact Of Climate Change On All Military Actions
An Air Force reserve pararescueman from the 920th Rescue Wing scans the ravaged Texas landscape in the aftermath of hurricane Ike. Photograph: Tech. Sgt. Paul Flipse/U.S. Air Force photo *Matt Smith, VICE News*: *The Pentagon Just Issued Marching Orders on Climate Change* A bit over a year after identifying climate change as a "significant challenge" for the US military, the US Department of Defense has given its top officials orders for handling the hazards posed by a warming world. The boring-but-important 12-page document issued in January tells the armed service chiefs and top... more »
Minister: Washington Is Prepping For Military Strike Against Russia
Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, Sergei Ryabkov, has said that Washington is preparing to launch a global military strike soon. The U.S. is deliberately destabilising relations with Russia, according to Ryabkov, by creating a global missile defense system, and continuing to develop tools capable of inflicting a disarming strike without using nuclear weapons . Fort Russ reports: Ryabkov noted that negotiations may resume when the concerns and priorities of Russia will be taken into account, “That is, when a situation is created, which ensures equal security for al... more »
NATO Planning Biggest Army Build-up Against Russia Since Cold War
NATO have announced plans to build-up its biggest military presence on the Russian border since the Cold War, in an effort to deter Russia from invading surrounding countries. As relations between Russia and NATO-backed allies continue to deteriorate, NATO have decided to bolster defenses on its eastern flank by stationing 40,000 troops permanently at Russia’s doorstep. Japantimes.co.jp reports: NATO defense ministers will this week begin outlining plans for a complex web of small eastern outposts and warehoused equipment ready for a rapid response force, with troops on rotation an...more »
Epidemic: 25,000 Infected With Zika In Colombia
Over 25,000 people are now confirmed as being infected with the Zika virus in Colombia, with 3,100 of them being pregnant women, President Juan Manuel announced over the weekend. As the disease continues to ravage the America’s Brazil is investigating the link between Zika and microcephaly, a birth defect marked by an unusually small head size. Alarabiya.net reports: Researchers have identified evidence of Zika infection in 17 of these cases, either in the baby or in the mother, but have not confirmed that Zika can cause microcephaly. There are so far no recorded cases of Zika-link... more »
Queen Elizabeth Vetoes Electoral ‘Proportional Representation’ Idea
Queen Elizabeth opposed a change to the British voting system which would have allowed “proportional representation” – a type of electoral system that decides the make-up of a parliament by allocating seats on the basis of the number of votes each party received. The Queen told Labour peer Joyce Gould, Baroness Gould of Potternewton, during a 20-minute conversation that she utterly opposed a change to the British voting system, even though the change would have made voting fairer and more representative of the British public’s needs. Breaking from protocol to discuss the incident, ... more »
Erdogan Gives Ultimatum: Choose Your Ally – Turks Or Kurds?
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned the U.S. that they need to decide who their ally is, Turkey or the Kurdish people in Syria. The ultimatum was given over the weekend to journalists as Erdogan made his way back to Turkey from a Latin America trip. Dailysabah.com reports: He said a security summit would be held when he returned to Turkey. “I don’t want the mistakes committed in Iraq repeated in Syria,” adding that he saw the rejection of the resolution allowing U.S. troop deployment in Turkey and Turkish troop deployment overseas in February 2003 just before the secon... more »
North Korea: We Will Launch More Rockets, Not Less
North Korea have issued a defiant warning to the west, saying they intend to continue launching more long-range rockets in the future, despite international warnings to stop. Pyongyang say the most recent rocket launch on Sunday was so that North Korea could send a satellite into space, strongly denying claims by the West that the launch was used as a means of testing ballistic missiles. Sky News reports: In a state TV broadcast, a female North Korean announcer wearing a traditional dress said the “epochal” launch, personally ordered by leader Kim Jong-Un, had “successfully put our... more »
British Man Sells ‘Fresh Air’ In A Jar To Chinese For £80
A UK businessman is making thousands of pounds in cash by selling jars of fresh air to wealthy people in China for £80 per jar. Leo De Watts says he sells British countryside air shipped in jars to people in polluted cities such as Shanghai and Beijing, where he says the elite pay a large sum of money to inhale the air for a few seconds. Independent.co.uk reports: The Aethaer products include air from Somerset, Wales and Dorset, with each area said to create air with different qualities. Watts’ website boasts: “Aethaer is filtered organically by nature as it flows between the leaves... more »
Governments should address Climate Hazards instead of trying to stop Climate Change
Revisiting a 2011 address by Professor Bob Carter on "Climate Context as a basis for Better Policy", given at the University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba. The main theme of Bob's address was that Governments should not waste money on trying to stop climate change, but rather should use funds preparing for Climate Caused Disasters. Some of the main points: Horses for Courses. (53m) There is no such thing as a Global Climate. It doesn't exist. It's an imaginary construct for the scientists to think about and play with. Nobody lives in a Global Climate. We all live in a loc... more »
Russia Launch Space Rocket Into Orbit
Russia have launched the Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket containing the navigation satellite Glonass-M into space from the Plesetsk space center on Sunday. “On Sunday, at 03.21 a.m. Moscow time [24:21 GMT] a squad of Russian Space Forces of Russian Aerospace Forces successfully carried out a launch of a Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket with the navigation satellite Glonass-M,” the press service told Russian media outlets. Tass.ru reports: “It will take several hours for the Frigate upper stage to bring the Glonass-M spacecraft to the intended orbit,” the Defense Ministry added. The Soyuz-2.1b r... more »
‘God Bless America’ Signs Fly After Atheist Group Targets Post Office Banner
[image: 1454872687796] A Midwestern community has united in a show of patriotism after an atheist organization targeted a local post office's "God Bless America" poster. Freedom from Religion Foundation cried foul after the group noticed a "God Bless America" banner that employees... Continue reading *“‘God Bless America’ Signs Fly After Atheist Group Targets Post Office Banner”* at *foxnews.com*.
Musical Interlude: David Schombert, "A Space Journey"
David Schombert, "A Space Journey" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un5SEJ8MyPc&feature=related
Utah Legislators Back Plan to Declare Porn a Health Crisis
[image: In this March 2, 2015 file photo, Republican Sen. Todd Weiler speaks on the senate floor at the Utah state Capitol in Salt Lake City. Weiler, wants to declare pornography a public health crisis, echoing an argument being made around the U.S. by conservative religious groups as porn becomes more accessible on smartphones and tablets. Utah lawmakers are scheduled to discuss the resolution Friday, Feb. 5, 2016 in a legislative hearing.] SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- A state senator in Utah wants to declare pornography a public health crisis, echoing an argument being made around the U.... more »
Trump: Bush Family Used Eminent Domain to Build a Baseball Park
[image: trump_donald_20] Following attacks from primary rival Jeb Bush about his past use of eminent domain, Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump on Sunday accused the Bush family of using the practice to build a baseball stadium in Texas. Continue reading *“Trump: Bush Family Used Eminent Domain to Build a Baseball Park”* at *thehill.com*.
2 Dead, 4 Hurt in Shooting After Mississippi Mardi Gras Parade
[image: Mardi-Gras-Shooting-Pass-Christian-90000] PASS CHRISTIAN, Miss. (AP) -- South Mississippi police say a shooting after a Mardi Gras parade in Pass Christian has left two people dead and four others wounded. Police Chief Tim Hendricks confirmed the number of dead and wounded to... more »
The End Of Open Borders Within The EU
*The Telegraph*:* The EU's €110bn problem: slow death of Schengen risks new crisis for Europe's battered economies* One of EU's harshest critics calls on Brussels to preserve passport-free travel at all costs to stop the continent from descending into economic turmoil. The collapse of the Schengen system of open borders risks plunging Europe into fresh economic turmoil, Hungary’s foreign minister has warned. Europe’s escalating migration crisis - which saw over a million people pour into the continent last year - has led to the re-introduction of temporary border controls in the ... more »
House Hearing on Massive Cyber Insecurity at US Dept. of Education
from February 2, 2016:
If You Don't Think Hillary Is Part Of The Establishment, You Should Probably Go Back To Fifth Grade
I hope you read yesterday's post, The Pervasive, Sickening Impact Of Wall Street On Politics, which made the case-- strictly based on cold, hard facts-- for why Hillary should drop out immediately and endorse Bernie for president-- for the sale of the country. She won't ,of course; she is a breathtakingly corrupt careerist. No one even defends her except people on her payroll, people who want to get a job in her administration or those who, tragically, refuse to look at her horrifying public record of deceit and corruption. A few minutes ago one of her morons on Twitter repeated ... more »
Super Bowl 50: Dominant Defense Leads Denver Broncos to 24-10 Victory
[image: Panthers Broncos Super Bowl fumble - 90000] SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -- If this was the final game of his magnificent career, what a Super way to go out for Peyton Manning. He can thank Von Miller and the Broncos’ swarming, big-play defense for his second NFL... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
"A gorgeous spiral galaxy some 100 million light-years distant, NGC 1309 lies on the banks of the constellation of the River (Eridanus). NGC 1309 spans about 30,000 light-years, making it about one third the size of our larger Milky Way galaxy. Bluish clusters of young stars and dust lanes are seen to trace out NGC 1309's spiral arms as they wind around an older yellowish star population at its core. *Click image for larger size.* Not just another pretty face-on spiral galaxy, observations of NGC 1309's recent supernova and Cepheid variable stars contribute to the calibration of the... more »
Chet Raymo, “Silence”
*“Silence”* by Chet Raymo “A gray, drizzly day. As I take my place in a quiet corner of the college Commons it is still dark. I open my laptop and there on the screen is the poem I was reading yesterday afternoon in the library, as I closed my laptop for the day: “Silence”, by Billy Collins. "These lines particularly resonate: And there is the silence of this morning Which I have broken with my pen, A silence that had piled up all night Like snow falling in the darkness of the house- The silence before I wrote a word And the poorer silence now." When I was a young man I read a littl... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Bridgetown, Saint Michael, Barbados. Thanks for stopping by!
US Exports Fell in 2015 for First Time Since Recession
[image: In this Friday, Jan. 29, 2016, file photo, an Icelandic cargo ship is loaded with containers in Portland, Maine. On Friday, Feb. 5, the Commerce Department reports on the U.S. trade gap for December.] WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. trade deficit rose in December as American exports fell for a third straight month, reflecting the pressures of a stronger dollar and spreading global weakness. Those factors contributed to the first annual drop in U.S.... more »
License Plate Readers a Double-Edged Sword for NY Village
[image: In this Nov. 19, 2015 photo, Freeport Mayor Robert Kennedy demonstrates the village’s license plate scanner system at Village Hall in Freeport, N.Y. Since November 2015, the ring of 27 cameras has scanned more than 15.4 million license plates, resulting in 25 people being arrested, 500 cars being impounded and more than 2,000 summonses being issued.] FREEPORT, N.Y. (AP) -- When this Long Island village switched on its “ring of steel” last fall, it knew it was getting a potent policing tool. The system of 27 cameras would scan the license plate of every single vehicle... more »
Some Super Bowl Info
#SB50 #Broncos #KeepPounding #SuperBowl #SuperBowlSunday pic.twitter.com/dpPwafSeZ0 — AFP news agency (@AFP) February 7, 2016 *WNU Editor:* I am watching the game with some friends. For the latest score highlights,* go here.* *Update*: Some more Super Bowl info .... *Super Bowl 50 - What Has Changed In The US Since 1967 *(Zero Hedge).
"Something You Already Know..."
“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now if you know what you're worth then go out and get what you're worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fing... more »
"To Witness Victory of This New Bravery"
*"To Witness Victory of This New Bravery"* BY Omid Safi "There is a Native American story that has long been meaningful for me. It is a conversation between grandparent and a child: One evening, an elderly Cherokee brave told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said: “My son, the battle is between two 'wolves' inside us all. One is evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good. It is joy, peace love, hope serenity, humility, kindness, b... more »
Mormon Church Comes Out Against Utah Medical Marijuana Bill
[image: Medical Marijuana, Marijuana Plants, Pot Plants, Cannabis Sativa] SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The Mormon church has come out against a Utah bill that would allow the medical use of edible pot products, a position that could be a serious blow to one of two medical marijuana proposals... more »
If Aleppo Falls Will This End The Syrian War?
*Nancy A Youssef, Daily Beast:* *Is This Game Over For Assad’s Enemies?* If Aleppo falls, the Syrian war could quickly turn in President Bashar al-Assad’s favor—and spell the end for the rebel bid for freedom. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could make his biggest gains in the country’s long civil war—and potentially tip its outcome in his favor in a matter of weeks—by wresting control of the city of Aleppo from opposition forces, two U.S. military officials told The Daily Beast on condition of anonymity. If government forces are able to successfully encircle the city and hold i... more »
Ukraine – Masks of Revolution
The film is a special investigation carried out by Paul Moreira, which covers the events in Ukraine in 2014, particularly the far-right Neo-Nazi groups backed by the US, as well as the deadly violence in the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa. The film recently aired on French premium pay television called Canal Plus. The US puppet regime in Kiev protested and unsuccessfully attempted to halt the airing of the program.
Squeezing Mexico
In the second installment of this two-part episode, Abby Martin continues her investigation of the hidden war on the U.S.-Mexico border, looking at the root causes of the epidemic of migrant deaths. The Empire Files documents an inflated, paramilitary Border Patrol, the devastating impacts of NAFTA, how the U.S. Empire benefits from immigrant labor and what can change the equation. Featuring interviews with Todd Miller, author of 'Border Patrol Nation', and Araceli Rodriguez, mother of Jose Antonio, a 16-year-old boy murdered by Border Patrol.
US Adds Just 151,000 Jobs in Jan; 4.9% Jobless Rate
[image: In this Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016, photo, Angelo Falcone, left, is interviewed by Eric Larkee for a bartender job at a job fair held by The Genuine Hospitality Group, in Miami. The restaurant group is expanding in South Florida and is hiring for all positions at its restaurants. On Friday, Feb. 5, the U.S. government issues the January jobs report.] WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. employers added 151,000 jobs in January, a deceleration from recent months as companies shed education, transportation and temporary workers but hired others in manufacturing, retail and food services. The u... more »
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry On Syria: 'What Do You Want Me To Do, Go To War With The Russians?!'
John Kerry (right) expressed his concerns to Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. (Reuters: Brendan Smialowski) *Zero Hedge:* *An Exasperated John Kerry Throws In Towel On Syria: "What Do You Want Me To Do, Go To War With The Russians?!"* *“Russian and Syrian forces intensified their campaign on rebel-held areas around Aleppo that are still home to around 350,000 people and aid workers have said the city - Syria's largest before the war - could soon fall.”* Can you spot what’s wrong with that quote, from a Reuters piece out today? Here’s the problem: “could soon fall” implies that Al... more »
Cruz: Drafting Women Is ‘Nuts’
[image: In this Jan. 19, 2016, photo, Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas speaks during a campaign stop at the Freedom Country Store in Freedom, N.H.] PETERBOROUGH, N.H.--Ted Cruz on Sunday said he opposes requiring women to register for a potential draft, breaking with Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush and Chris Christie, all of whom indicated support for opening up the Selective Service to women during Saturday... Continue reading *“Cruz: Drafting Women Is ‘Nuts’”* at *politico.com*.
Jakarta harbour
Left alone in Jakarta harbour on a beautiful sunny day I could not help but feel like an ant in an anthill where the rain forest was being taken away with a twinge of orangatan fur mnaking it sureal
China Creates Artificial Sun Via Nuclear Fusion
Chinese scientists have successfully managed to create temperatures of 50 million degrees celsius – for 102 seconds, inside a nuclear fusion reactor. The breakthrough could pave the way for a future that does not depend on fossil fuels, but on alternative, sustainable clean energy sources. Press TV reports: The experiment was conducted in the doughnut-shaped chamber of a magnetic fusion reactor last week at the Institute of Physical Science in Hefei, the capital of Anhui province, where nuclear scientists heated hydrogen up to a temperature of around 50 million degrees Celsius, the... more »
Alfred North Whitehead Philosopher & Mystic
*"Alfred North Whitehead, (15 February 1861 – 30 December 1947) was an English mathematician and philosopher." (Wikipedia).* "When he advises his students on what's most important, he said what's wanted is an immense feeling for things, not this mind that acquires facts, but he encouraged his students to feel into things. And he said an enormous part of our mature experience cannot be expressed in words. We need to sort of open ourselves to something beyond what we can even articulate. And as for someone as erudite as him to be emphasizing a knowingness that is greater than our int... more »
Two Play Recommendations
I recently had the opportunity to see a couple of great plays in New York. One is *Our Mother's Brief Affair* by Richard Greenberg. Rich was my roommate at Princeton many years ago and has gone on to become a highly successful playwright. You can read a review of his new play here. The other play I saw is *Fun Home*, an autobiographical musical about a woman coming to grips with her sexual orientation and with her father, a closeted gay man who never fully came to grips with his own sexual orientation. It is based on the graphic memoir of the same title. I highly recommend both.
These Two Container Ships Will Be Carrying Enough Plutonium To Make 80 Nuclear Weapons
*Daily Mail:* *Guarded from terrorists by Royal Navy sub and 50 commandos...the UK ghost ships with enough nuclear fuel for 80 missiles* * Pacific Heron and Pacific Egret ships will sail to Japan for plutonium * Precious 331kg load could make an incredible 80 nuclear warheads * Vessels are accompanied by military ships and armed with cannons Two top secret British ‘ghost ships’ carrying enough plutonium for a huge nuclear arsenal wend their way through the world’s oceans –guarded against terrorists by 50 commandos. It may sound like a tantalising target for a villain in a James Bond... more »
North Korea ‘To Invade Europe’ Through The Arctic After Signing Treaty
The rogue state of North Korea has apparently given itself the right to conduct economic and industrial activity on the Norwegian territory of Svalbard after signing an ancient treaty. The country signed the Svalbard Treaty on 25 January according to The Korean Central News Agency. The Sunday Express reports:. The agency said in a news bulletin: “The accession of the Treaty gives the country the right to practice economic activities and research on Svalbard Islands.” It is unknown what the rogue state’s agenda on Svalbard is. The Arctic island is a base for one of the world’s most e... more »
Meteorite Crashes To Earth, Kills Man In Garden
A meteorite is believed to to have killed a bus driver and injured three others in southern India. If confirmed it would be the first recorded human fatality from a piece of space rock. The meteorite crashed into the gardens of a private engineering college on Saturday. ars technica reports: According to local reports, a bus driver was killed on Saturday when a meteorite landed in the area where he was walking, damaging the window panes of nearby buses and buildings. Three other people were injured. On Sunday, various Indian publications, including The Hindu, reported that the chief... more »
What’s the Truth About the Super Bowl and Sex Trafficking?
[image: 1sextrafficking] Today, millions of Americans will gather to watch men slam into each other in the most-watched sports event of the year. It’s also time for the annual debate over whether the Super Bowl draws high numbers of sex traffickers and... more »
UN Pledges Significant New Sanctions Against North Korea for Launching Missile
[image: In this image released by Japan's Kyodo News agency, an unidentified object is photographed in the sky from Dandong, China, near the North Korean border, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016, at the same time a North Korea rocket was allegedly launched. North Korea on Sunday defied international warnings and launched a long-range rocket that the United Nations and others call a cover for a banned test of technology for a missile that could strike the U.S. mainland. (Minoru Iwasaki/Kyodo News via AP) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT] SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- The U.N. Security Council on Sunday s... more »
Quote of the Day: Two different crises, two different regulatory regimes
*“The banking crisis that began in August 2007 shocked markets and precipitated the Great Recession. To fully explain the banking crisis, one must account for its timing, severity, and global impact. One must also confront a startling historical contrast. “If we define ‘banking crisis’ to mean bank failures and system losses exceeding 1 percent of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP), we find that in the period 1875-1913, a period of [light regulation,] marked expansion in international trade and capital flows comparable to the last three decades, there were on... more »
New York Orders Probe After Nuclear Plant Leaks Radioactive Water
In a groundwater leak at the Indian Point nuclear power plant, three monitoring wells were discovered to contain “alarming levels of radioactivity” The Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo has ordered an immediate environmental probe into the issue. Health and environment commissioners were ordered to begin an investigation into the leak of “radioactive tritium-contaminated water” at the Indian Point nuclear power plant after the operator, Entergy Nuclear Operations, raised the alarm. In a statement, Cuomo said one of the wells reported a 65,000% spike in radioactivity. The governor h... more »
The X files are coming back to British TV
https://youtu.be/rbBX6aEzEz8 Mulder and Scully return to British TV on Monday!
Feb. 7: You must respect those whom God has sent to rule us.
The idea of competition to create wealth didn't begin with capitalism. It goes all the way back to stone age tribes that fought for the best hunting grounds and the choicest women. Civilization just made it more sophisticated with bronze and iron weapons; but the general idea was still the same – to fight for material gain. At first, the rulers led the armies made up of citizens. That's why the pharaohs of Egypt were expected to be outstanding warriors. That loosened under the Roman emperors who found it more relaxing to stay at home, and who found it cheaper to hire barbarians to d... more »
The Politics of Diminishing Expectations-- Guest Post By Erik Peterson
*Erik, founder of Bending the Arc Strategies, wrote this after listening to the Hillary Clinton/Bernie Sanders Debate in New Hampshire last week.* When did politics become the art of diminishing our expectations? When did it become naïve and impractical for leaders to speak of their dreams? When did it become the role of politicians to convince us about what we can’t become, or dream about, or dare hope for because they couldn’t realistically deliver it? I recently re-read FDR’s Economic Bill of Rights, perhaps the one memorable State of the Union address ever given. Delivered si... more »
U.S. Air Force F-15s Ready To Defend Super Bowl Airspace
*Scout.com*: *Armed Air Force Fighter Jets Will Patrol Skies Above Super Bowl* *The Air Force jets will be protecting the game and enforcing an FAA established temporary flight restriction zone.* Armed Air Force fighter jets will be protecting Sunday's Super Bowl game from the skies above, working to ensure an FAA-established Temporary Flight Restriction for the area is upheld, service officials told Scout Warrior. "They will go up and bastically patrol the skies to make sure there are no violators of the TFR (temporary flight restriction)," Maj. Katrina Andrews, Chief of Public... more »
Husband Who Pushed Wife Off Cliff On Anniversary Sentenced To Life
A husband lured his wife to the Rocky Mountain National Park on their 12th wedding anniversary and pushed her over a 130ft cliff after taking one last photo. Harold Henthorn from Denver, Colorado has been convicted of first-degree murder of his second wife by a federal jury and been sentenced to life in prison without parole. He is now suspected of the death of his first wife who also died in tragic circumstances. The Daily Mail reports: Harold Henthorn, 59, who was found guilty of murdering second wife Toni Henthorn in September, was given the mandatory sentence by U.S. District Ju... more »
The United Arab Emirates Ready To Send Ground Troops To Syria
Following hot on the heels of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said that it was also ready to send ground troops to Syria to fight ISIS Syria’s Foreign Minister said earlier that any ground operation in Syria, carried out without consent from Damascus, would be viewed as an act of aggression, warning that any potential aggressors would return to their country in a wooden coffin RT reports: The UAE’s preparedness to participate in a ground military operation in Syria was confirmed by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash, who said that “US leader... more »
Is Al-Shabaab Making A Come-Back In Somalia?
Al-Shabaab militants in a passing-out parade in 2011. Photograph: Feisal Omar/Reuters *Business Insider*: *One of the world's most dangerous al Qaeda affiliates is having an alarming resurgence* In September of 2012, Somali and African Union troops moved against Kismayo, the last major city in the country still under the control of al Shabaab, Somalia's al Qaeda franchise. As the offensive approached, Shabaab beat a tactical retreat into the country's hinterlands, ending a period in which the jihadist group controlled substantial territory and represented the country's most powerf... more »
Midday Musical Interlude: Kevin Kern, “Greatest Hits”
Kevin Kern, “Greatest Hits” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKV-o0hPNBI
"How It Really Is"
Oh my... what have we here? “Clintons's $200,000 an Hour Pay From Goldman Sachs is Nothing to Laugh At” - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ Hmmm, nice work if you can get it... *Please do click the link below to see enlarged image.* “The Complete Breakdown Of Every Hillary And Bill Clinton Speech, And Fee, Since 2013” Two years, 2013-2015, $21,667,000 in speaking fees. Nice... - http://www.zerohedge.com/ Very understandable she should seize the same opportunities available to us all, right? Since, in her own words, "We came out of the White House not only dead broke, but in debt." Oh, t... more »
South Korea: North Korea Is Preparing A 5th Nuclear Test
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reacts as he watches a long range rocket launch in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang February 7, 2016. © KCNA / Reuters *Asia Times/Reuters/RT*: *After rocket launch, North Korea ‘readying’ for 5th nuclear test* North Korea is preparing for its fifth nuclear test, the South’s intelligence services have said, as cited by Yonhap agency. The news come hours after Pyongyang claimed it had successfully put an earth observation satellite into orbit. Yonhap cited a Seoul lawmaker who said the North ... more »
Is North Korea Close To Weaponizing A Long-Range Rocket With A Nuclear Payload?
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *James Griffiths, CNN:* *How close is North Korea to weaponizing a long-range rocket?* (CNN)While North Korea claims that its space program is entirely peaceful, many analysts and foreign government officials worry that it is designed to mask testing of inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBM). Other countries -- including the U.S. and the former Soviet Union -- have previously used the same kind of rockets to transport satellites to space. Developing successful ICBM technology capable of transporting a nuclear payload accurately over vast distance... more »
Ishoos versus personalities
Andrew Marr's interview with UKIP's Douglas Carswell today was entirely dominated by questions about the structure of/infighting within the 'Leave' campaign(s), plus the personalities involved in that campaign. So much so that Mr Carswell didn't actually get any time to spell out his arguments in favour of leaving the European Union. This made me realise that any attempts to monitor BBC impartiality in the run-up to the EU referendum simply by counting and comparing the numbers of pro-Leave and pro-Remain interviewees on a given programme over a particular period of time... ...s... more »
Rightwing Nuthouse: “5 Right-Wing Absurdities This Week: Jeb! Stumbles in NH”
*“5 Right-Wing Absurdities This Week: Jeb! Stumbles in NH”* by Janet Allon “Furious campaigning in New Hampshire in the run-up to the primary resulted in a litany of absurdities from the right-wing conserv-o-verse this week. Republican candidates and Fox newsians had a great deal of trouble with the fact that President Obama visited and spoke at a mosque, obviously completely forgetting that George W. did so (though considerably less eloquently than Obama). Just in case you missed them, here were some of the truly head-scratching right-wing moments this week. *1. Marco Rubio has a ... more »
U.S. And South Korea Meet To Discuss Deployment Of A Missile Defense System To Counter North Korea's Missile Ambitions
Japanese Self-Defence Force's soldiers next to the unit of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles on the southern island of Ishigaki, Okinawa prefecture, on Sunday after North Korea launched a long-range rocket carrying what it has said is a satellite. PHOTO: KYODO/REUTERS *WSJ:* *North Korea’s Rocket Launch Triggers Missile-Defense Moves* Washington, Seoul move to formalize talks on deployment of advanced missile shield to South Korea SEOUL—North Korea’s long-range rocket launch sparked international condemnation and prompted Washington and Seoul to formalize talks over d... more »
Iran Dares Saudi Arabia To Intervene In Syria
*New York Times*: *Iranian Commander Dismisses Saudi Role in Syria* TEHRAN — A top Iranian commander reacted with ridicule to Saudi Arabia’s suggestion that it was prepared to take part in ground operations in Syria, saying Saturday that the kingdom would not dare send troops there. Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, the head of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards Corps, said Saudi forces were not capable of operating in an environment as complex as Syria, where a multifaceted civil war has been raging for nearly five years. Saudi Arabia backs some of the rebel factions there, while ... more »
Putin: Western Governments Are Enslaving Humanity Through Vaccines
An insider from the Ministry of Health in Russia has revealed that an explosive report is being prepared that will be presented to the Kremlin on Tuesday regarding the huge vaccination cover-up being perpetuated by the US government agencies and its regulatory bodies, which is having disastrous consequences around most of the world. It is understood President Putin personally requested the report. He instinctively mistrusts the vaccine agenda and wants the report to investigate the state of play regarding vaccines, Big Pharma, and Western governments, in order to formulate a solid, ...more »
dispatches from ola 2016, part 2: libraries and prisons
I've had a longstanding interest in prison libraries, and was happy to meet another librarian-friend who shares this. But I was very pleasantly surprised at the large turnout for the talk *Prisons and Libraries: A Relationship Worth Incubating *at the 2016 OLA Super Conference. A panel of three librarians who serve incarcerated people in different capacities gave the presentation. Why prison libraries? From a rehabilitation perspective, there is a high correlation between illiteracy and crime, and illiteracy and recidivism. Certainly education can only help inmates successfully re-e... more »
I am tracking so much Eviel
I got amnesia about what I played to rock
North Korea's Missile Test -- News Updates February 7, 2016
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (C) watches a long range rocket launch into the air in North Korea, in this photo released by Kyodo February 7, 2016. Mandatory credit REUTERS/Kyodo *Reuters*: *North Korean rocket puts object into space, angers neighbors, U.S.* North Korea launched a long-range rocket on Sunday carrying what it called a satellite, but its neighbors and the United States denounced the launch as a missile test, conducted in defiance of U.N. sanctions and just weeks after a nuclear bomb test. The U.S. Strategic Command said it had detected a missile entering space, a... more »
The Cop Who Arrested Rubio As A Gay Prostitute In 1990 Says He Had "Very White Teeth"
Illinois Republican Aaron Schock hasn't announced if he's reached a final agreement with TitanMen for his new gay porn career. I bet the million dollars they're negotiating is *a lot* more than sweaty little Marco Rubio was ever offered by the down-market Miami Cuban gay porn operators he got involved with when he was a teenager. Rubio has been the most obsessively homophobic of all the anti-gay Republicans running for office-- careful to never let Ted Cruz get to the right of him on homophobia-- and has obviously been over-compensating to hide his own shady past as a gay-for-pay... more »
The Boys in the Band
The Tufted Fabric circa 1854 at the time of the release of their debut album 'The Circus of Phenomenology.'
UAE Has Become The Latest Country Willing To Send Ground Forces Into Syria
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash has said the UAE would send troops to fight ISIL. Christopher Pike / The National *Gulf News:* *UAE backs sending ground troops to fight Daesh* Campaign against terror group has to include genuine political process and a ground force, minister says Abu Dhabi: The UAE said on Sunday it backs sending ground troops as part of an international coalition to fight against Daesh, a top official said yesterday. “Our position throughout has been that a real campaign against Daesh has to include genuine political process [in Iraq] and a... more »
Musings On Iraq In The News
I was mentioned in “’Muhammad Taught Us How To Fight’: The Islamic State and Early Islamic Warfare Tradition”by Norvell De Atkine for the Rubin Center, and in "The US uses Iraq's Shia militias to fight ISIS. They just got accused of ethnic cleansing," by Zack Beauchamp for Vox.
Latest Decadal Forecast From The Met Office
By Paul Homewood http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/seasonal-to-decadal/long-range/decadal-fc The Met Office has published its latest decadal forecast of global temperatures, commenting: During the five-year period 2016-2020, global average temperature (see blue shading in Figure 3 below) is expected to remain between 0.28°C and 0.77°C (90% confidence range) above the long-term 1981-2010 mean […]
Review
What about Sunday Morning on BBC 1? Politics, religion, ethics. What’s not to like? The Andrew Marr show was a little bit extra-boring this morning, though. Jeremy Hunt has an impish expression that makes him hard to take seriously. Is he laughing at us? He’s like a sprite. I would like to see him in a leprechaun outfit. Or in a Robin Hood hat with a feather, and shoes with curly toes. Douglas Carswell. What is he like? He sounds quite posh and self-assured. He’s like, like, a politician. He speaks like a politician who is making you think he’s a safe pair of hands. All that E.U. ... more »
Love Productions
I forgot the name of a disturbing programme I watched the other day on Channel four. It was about ‘migrants’ so, to remind myself I Googled ‘Immigrants + Channel 4’. Up came “Immigrants Street”, which was *sister production* to the entertaining and controversial series, ‘Benefits Street’. Last February’s ‘Immigrants Street’ had been set in Derby Street, Southampton, and the project had, apparently, caused quite a stir when locals and residents, not wishing to be ridiculed, pelted the TV crew with eggs, and sent them packing. Instead of the intended series, it was shown as a one-... more »
Geopolitics: “Syrian Endgame: Saudi Arabia And Turkey Poised To Invade?”
*“Syrian Endgame: Saudi Arabia And Turkey Poised To Invade?”* by Joshua Krause “As we speak, the most decisive battle in the Syrian Civil War is being waged, and it’s a make or break moment for the Assad regime, and for Putin. Forces allied with the Syrian Army such as Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, have surrounded Aleppo, a hotly contested rebel stronghold and previously the largest city in the country. Thousands of civilians are fleeing the city en masse as these forces close in, while the Russian Air Force pummels the area day and night. If the Syrian government ...more »
The Economy: “Paths of Glory”
*“Paths of Glory”* by Tim Knight "A couple of Thursdays ago, we were all wringing our hands (or at least I was) about the powerful bureaucrat and lifetime government employee Haruhiko Kuroda and what his next move would be. He dropped a big bomb - negative interest rates - and created precisely the kind of market reaction he wanted... for less than a single day. Since then, his world has once again fallen to pieces, since the cold fact of the matter is that Japan is doomed to be an old age colony, hopelessly mired in debt, with its economic glory of the 1980s an increasingly distan... more »
I am going through a cognitive dissionce denial phase. Thus my posts make no sense, but its reality
Yeah I am all fucked up about everything trying to keep it down low but my mind as expressed by this bog] is totaly blown considreing all the atacks and possible solutions we are just about done I got lots of reasons to keep on living and I will till the bitter end but I have to question why the masters of the universe do not love thier family like me and seek the profit that will mean the end
Could Communism Work
I really dont know it depends upon how easy it is to create wealth. Right now we are in super facsim and its going to explode in a blody fashino somethning akin to the Frech Revolution but there will be no plan exept the Gillouine when history repeats itesefl
Is OPEC And Russia About To Call An Emergency Meeting On Stabilizing The Price Of Oil?
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *OilPrice.com: **Six OPEC Members, Plus Russia, Now Open to Emergency Meeting* Oil prices have whipsawed back and forth over the past two weeks, largely due to the rise and fall of expectations that OPEC might call an emergency meeting. Comments from several Russian oil executives and government officials sent oil prices surging at the end of January. Then prices retraced their gains when officials from OPEC dismissed the stories as just rumors. Nothing had changed, OPEC officials argued, even though some people in Russia were hinting at a meeting. ... more »
Stop signs and speed bumps
They are all artificall and humans do not hink that way if your on speed you need something to control you but humans we know\ the driveway so be h*uman my aas sss son*
Big Data Needs Your Personalized Data Points
As you take a few moments to listen to this super snail oil salesman, think about the implications of this technology in the hands of Zuckerberg and the Wall Street crime bosses who want to control the worldwide education industry. The battle to preserve student autonomy and anonymity from the efficiency zealots running Big Data will be the next great battle for teachers, parents, civil libertarians, and all freedom-loving people. The war against high stakes testing is now even more critical than before. The expansion of opt out options will be required for parents who will need ... more »
So many ridiculos conversations
Yeah they fill the airwaves and blog spots destracing the humans from the best news they ever heard someone is in love Reality do not matter my friends cause when your in love eveything is rose coloured and the little things that piss you off are all contained in a porty potty I have been in love so real for such a long time sometimes the edge looses sharpness but when she smiles at me that special way I am damasus steel and I expecpt my life will continue on this way For those who have not meamt the soulmate contiue your lives of easy pleasure but your not going anywhere in the world ... more »
Nobel Prize official resigns in wake of Macchiarini case
The secretary general of the Nobel Assembly, the body responsible for choosing the Nobel Prizes, has resigned from his post because “he may be involved” in the Karolinska Institutet investigation of trachea surgeon Paolo Macchiarini. Urban Lendahl, professor of genetics at the Karolinska, has also resigned as secretary general of the Nobel Committee in Physiology […] The post Nobel Prize official resigns in wake of Macchiarini case appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Is Andrew Marr's show biased against the SNP?
Watching *The Andrew Marr Show *is just one possible way of experiencing it. Another is to read the accompanying social media commentary about it (of which there is a heck of a lot). Inevitably there are plenty of political partisans commenting on Twitter, Facebook and other blogs and a surprising number of them get a real kick out of shouting 'BBC bias' at Andrew Marr - a lot of whose claims don't hold water when you investigate them. Something I often see is political partisans complaining of 'BBC bias' because someone from a political party they don't like is on, or because so... more »
Road trip on Superbowl Moring
Will I find salvation or just more beer maybe the same thing in the adversting built ecomic foundation Am I the only one freaked out by the fact the only companies going up are all getting their profits from dissemiteating lies ADVERTISING IS MANIPULATION and they pay experts million to establish this fact. But if all the stock market darlings are in love with manipulation is this not some kind of itellectual syphilis that we rot our brains?
You cant buy secrity
You have to share you have to want you cant be exclive you cant be a neghboruhood dictator You got to be a funtiong village no one can stand out the Japanese have the expression and it goes both ways but in terms of human interactin its true the nail that stands out gets hammared down Take it both ways for full effect cause I love my nails but I realize what they were talking about you can not bring waves to WA and escape with respect and we gotta get along with people cause they are not some program you can just update no they are your father and mother and they trust you to make this pl...more »
Commuism was a call center with no employees
The question is was it free will or fear of death that prevented the arrival
Northerntruthseeker Rant For Sunday, February 7th, 2016
[image: rant-jpeg-b] Sunday... And again time for my usual weekly rant.... First, I want to answer again so many of my critics that constantly come forward and put their "comments" in the comment section of my articles...Many come in just to spew their hatred of me, and of course I get the periodic "comment" from the JIDF/Hasbara trolls that again I call my "favourite fan club"... To them, I say they can stop wasting my time for I usually add them quickly to my spam listing or just delete their "comments" without reading much into them... But of course there are others that come i... more »
Communism has never been tried
Like Harry Potter the cirumstanc es have always bee way in advance of the power Communisim is what you do with your wife or lover or husband or best friend Its human bliss expressed as an ecomoic system I think in many ways its an aborginal system No one got rich in native culture or had PSTD or commited suicide I admit the whole thing was a bit fucked up and centralized but communism as written by Lein and Marx was a prescriuption to live on the other side of native lore with outcome pre descriebed Lazy useless people will alway fill the pipeline of people the colour is irrelevant th...more »
The Debate On the 'Top Secret' Classifications Of Hillary Clinton's Emails
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton checks her phone while sitting next to South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan (R) at the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan, South Korea, November 30, 2011. REUTERS/Saul Loeb/Pool *New York Times:* *Agencies Battle Over What Is ‘Top Secret’ in Hillary Clinton’s Emails* WASHINGTON — Some of the nation’s intelligence agencies raised alarms last spring as the State Department began releasing emails from Hillary Clinton’s private server, saying that a number of the messages contained information that should be classified ... more »
Opinions R Us
I was just reading *Biased BBC *and saw a comment there saying that BBC News Channel presenter Martine Croxall had made an extraordinary biased statement during one of Friday night;s paper reviews: BBC News 24 couple of nights ago: Vacant-looking Martine Croxall reviewing the papers with 2 achingly left-wing commentators. Comes to the story about the ECJ forbidding the UK from deporting Abu Hamza’s daughter-in-law for terrorist activities due to her ‘right to a family life’. Martine opines: “That’s why we need the ECJ, to tell us what do do in cases like this”. Her two comrades ... more »
little minds doing little things to keep golden rings
Yes that is the people who are paid to not know what they know and they are the key to controlling everything If somehow we could break that cycle we could move forward instead of being perpetually backward The solution is so simple its pure socialism but its always under attack by the Kings who are agasst at parlimaint We can do this we can move to a Star Trek Universe some would call it commusit and it would be true Communism never failed it was never tried The best examples came from Isreal and political pressure means the demise but if you want to Kibitzit go there for the Jews one ... more »
Christianophobia in America: What Is it, What Feeds It?
[image: Cross, Christianity, Christian] I have studied the nature of anti-Christian sentiment in America for years, and the term I use to describe what I found, and the one David Williamson and I used in our academic book on the subject, is Christianophobia. The... more »
Anti-Islam Groups Rally Across Europe
[image: Participants of a counter demonstration gather in downtown Dresden, Germany, Saturday Feb. 6, 2016. Police in Dresden say they expect about 15,000 protesters to take part in a rally organized by the group Patriotic Europeans against the Islamization of the West, Known by its German acronym PEGIDA, the group emerged in Dresden two years ago and has become a magnet for far-right and anti-immigrant sentiment. About 10,000 people were expected to take part in a counter-demonstration Saturday on the other side of the river Elbe, which divides the city.] DRESDEN, Germany (AP) -- Pr... more »
Military Photo of the Day: February 7, 2016
[image: Tunnel Rat Vietnam - 900] Operation “Oregon,” a search and destroy mission conducted by an infantry platoon of Troop B, 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), three kilometers west of Duc Pho, Quang Ngai Province. An infantryman is lowered into a tunnel... more »
Giving Permission to do Your Job Is Big Business for the State
[image: Hairdresser, Hair Salon, Hairstyle, Hair Straighteners, Hair Cut] A new issue governing requirements job seekers must satisfy to work in fields ranging from interior design to cosmetology is gaining bipartisan support on Capitol Hill and at the White House. Policymakers have turned their focus to occupational licensing, and... more »
Leonard Peltier '40 Years in Prison'
'On February 6th, I will have been imprisoned for 40 years! I'm 71 years old and still in a maximum security penitentiary.' -- Leonard Peltier By Leonard Peltier International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee Censored News February 6, 2016 Greetings friends, supporters and all Native Peoples. What can I say that I have not said before? I guess I can start by saying see you later to
Jumping the Track Revisited
*Update: I think this text still holds up and can be applied to issues that we face in the 2016 election. My conclusions point to thinking errors that Bernie Sanders has inherited from a sorta pseudo liberal ideology that he calls Socialism, but is not in fact derived from classical Socialism. Indeed, Bernie's ideology owes much to the Distributionist ideology that in turn is based on Roman Catholic dogma. Distributionism was popular among American hippies during the 1970's and served as a basis of Amory Lovins' energy thinking and through Amory Lovins, it influences the work of Mark... more »
SPHERE ALLIANCE MESSAGE #131 Status of Red Dragons Participation in the Sphere Alliance
*The Chinese tendency to continue the practices of Sun Tzu has not abated, we can only hope they remember which 老师 (lǎo shī) instructed Sun Tzu .... All is ONE. There literally is no enemy but the belief "THAT THERE IS AN OTHER/ENEMY. The practices of the past will not work in the new energies... -AK* [2/7/16, 3:01:18 AM] *AK/Terran: AK Edwardo requests status of Red Dragons to Sphere Alliance involvement/membership/unity of purpose.* [2/7/16, 3:57:39 AM] *DEAR ONE/AK/TERRAN. THE RED DRAGONS ARE INDEED IN UNITY WITH THE SPHERE ALLIANCE. STAN X. END. * *[AK Note: This DOES N... more »
Is Syrian President Bashar Al Assad Finally Winning?
*Hassan Hassan, The National:* *Rebel setbacks in Syria have far reaching consequences* Is Syrian president Bashar Al Assad finally winning? One can feel a deep sense of grief running through opposition factions whether inside or outside Syria over how events have unfolded over the past two weeks. Pro-regime forces have made a series of major gains in northern, central and southern Syria over the past week. More strikingly, they broke a three-year siege imposed by the rebels around the Shia towns of Nubbol and Zahraa, 20 kilometres from Aleppo city, which represents a major setba... more »
Sometimes sumptin has to be less to accomplish more
B ut I am all kinds of serious this Superbowl Sunday. The game against Carolina is a Roach test of sensibilities if not intelligence. You have black vs white, hip hop rap alot against country, and I am not talking about the supposed rift between PFK and Patches in the room. I am not talking about the first non dog fighting "black quarterback" Cam Newton. I have always wondered what would have happened if we had drafted OJ. Obviously the shaved ape would be long dismembered and a bloody hockey glove found somewhere. But it would be small and when they did the Cinderella test, it wou... more »
Sometimes something has to be less to be more
But I am all kinds of serious this Superbowl Sunday. The game against Carolina is a Roach test of sensibilities if not intelligence. You have black vs white, hip hop rap alot against country, and I am not talking about the supposed rift between PFK and Patches in the room. I am not talking about the first non dog fighting "black quarterback" Cam Newton. I have always wondered what would have happened if we had drafted OJ. Obviously the shaved ape would be long dismembered and a bloody hockey glove found somewhere. But it would be small and when they did the Cinderella test, it woul... more »
Economic News & Views ( February 7 , 2016 ) Asia ( 1. China New Year Almost Here - Year Of The Monkey . 2. China - Pakistan Economic Corridor - Ex-IM Bank Of China To Lend Pakistan 11 BN To Build Roads . 3 HSBC Returning To East ? 4. TTP & China - Can US Isolate China In Trade ? 5. China Data - New Home / Existing Home Sales , Foreign Reserves Drop Almost 100 BN. 6. Chinese Strikes - January 2016 . ) North Korea ( 1. Starved For Attention From The World , North Korea Allegedly Launches A Satellite ) MENA - Economic News For Sunday ( 1. Gulf Bourses Take A Dip , Oil Prices And Global Markets Weigh . 2. Saudi Health Ministry Cuts Could Hit 50 % . 3. Qatar To Tap Global Debt Market To Plug Budget Deficit. 4. Low Oil Hammering All Sectors Of Gulf Economy - Yet They Various Gulf Nations Are Considering Sending Ground Troops To Syria ? )
Asia ....... *Birmingham UpdatesVerified account* @BhamUpdates 37m 37 minutes ago Happy *Chinese New Year*! 2016 is the year of the monkey. [image: Embedded image permalink] *BBC Radio 4Verified account* @BBCRadio4 28m 28 minutes ago "*Chinese New Year* falls on the first day of the first month of the ancient lunar calendar…" http://bbc.in/1XbJEAM [image: Embedded image permalink] *chen cong* @palominochen 5m 5 minutes ago South Gate of the fortifications of Xi'an, *China* (© eastphoto/Moment/Getty Images) © (Bing Australia) #bing [image: ... more »
The Worm Has Turned-- Barring Unforeseeable Events, Bernie Sanders Will Be The Democratic Nominee
The Clinton campaign is collapsing. Built for an outdated presidential race from the past two decades, it underestimated the changing times, a unique opponent, and increasingly savvy voters. Its first mistake was to take the traditional approach of sitting on a lead. That would have seemed a safe bet. The party's elected politicians would rally to her as the presumptive nominee-- and they did. Donors were lined up for a big hau-- and they gave. The media would willingly marginalize Sanders-- and they tried. And the voters could be quickly frightened with specters of Republicans in... more »
Obamacare and Insurers Create More Barriers for Consumers
[image: Obamacare] When the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), more commonly known as Obamacare, was enacted, Americans were promised a healthcare system in which insurance companies would be held accountable and patients would have access to affordable care. Six years... more »
Beautiful Churches: Church of St. George in Ethiopia
[image: Church of St. George Main - 900] One of 11 monolithic churches in Lalibela, Ethiopia. The church was carved from tufa, a variation of limestone. It is dated to the late 12th or early 13th century AD. ... more »
Why Does The Pentagon Have A 'Puppy Project'?
Pentagon 'puppy project' scientist defends work as research, not waste: https://t.co/H6JGF8OPrP pic.twitter.com/jVieg4nbDr — ArmyTimes (@ArmyTimes) February 6, 2016 *Military Times:* *Pentagon 'puppy project' scientist defends work as research, not waste* Gregory Berns bristles at critics attacking his $1.1 million “Pentagon puppy project” research as wasteful and frivolous. For starters, none of his dogs are puppies. “All of the dogs we use are older,” the Emory University neuroscientist notes. “We can’t work with puppies.” More importantly, he believes his work studying canine... more »
Americans Are Avoiding Latin America Because Of The Zika Virus
A woman looks on next to a banner as soldiers and municipal health workers take part in cleaning of the streets, gardens and homes as part of the city's efforts to prevent the spread of the Zika virus vector, the Aedes aegypti mosquito, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, February 6, 2015. REUTERS/JORGE CABRERA *Reuters*: *Exclusive: Zika virus discourages many Americans from Latin America travel* The rapidly spreading Zika virus is discouraging many Americans from traveling to Latin America and the Caribbean, with 41 percent of those aware of the disease saying they are less likely to take... more »
MENA Report ( February 7, 2016 ) Libya ( 1. Political Process Updates. 2. Battlefield Reports. 3. UK Military Involvement In Libya To be Made Public ? ) Syria ( 1. Turkey , UAE , Saudis Contemplating Involvement Directly In Syria. 2. Daily Advances By SAA In Syria. 3. Opposition Forces Overtly Teaming Up With ISIS Now . ) Refugee Situation ( 1. Visualization - Model Showing Magnitude of Crisis. 2. Along Turkey - Syria Border. ) Iraq ( 1. Kurds In Focus. 2. Mosul Dam . 3. Baghdad Wall Panned By PM Abadi. 4. Abu Ghraib Scandal Re-erupts.
MENA....... . Libya..... *Chris Stephen* @reportingLibya 57s 57 seconds ago #Libya UK opposition leader wants Britain to make public its military involvement in Libya http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi cs/jeremy-corbyn-demands-to-know-british-war-plan-against-isis-in-libya-a6858386.html … *Chris Stephen* @reportingLibya 6m 6 minutes ago #Libya Unidentified jets bomb Derna http://www.reuters.com/article/us-lib ya-security-idUSKCN0VG0E1 … *Chris Stephen* @reportingLibya 6m 6 minutes ago #Libya Extended deadline for recognised parliament (To... more »
Has Putin Cornered Himself In Ukraine?
*Diane Francis, Atlantic Council:** Putin Corners Himself in Ukraine.* *We Would Be Crazy to Placate Him Now* The recent backroom bilateral talks between the United States and Russia about Ukraine have caused anxiety in the region, raised hopes that sanctions could be lifted, and elevated Russian President Vladimir Putin's status to super power level. All are counterproductive. Since the bilateral talks and optimistic statements by US Secretary of State John Kerry about possible peace in Ukraine, Russian proxies in Ukraine responded by moving people and weapons westward from Done... more »
Monbiot Grandstands At Environmental Committee, But Expert Witness Is Banned
By Paul Homewood Booker reports on some shameful goings on at the Environmental Audit Committee this week: The Great Moonbat comes up with two impossible theories in a day Last Wednesday was quite a day for that grand “environmental” campaigner George Monbiot. He began by regaling Guardian readers yet again with that IMF […]
Somebody Pour the CDC — and America — a Glass of Reason
[image: pregnant belly womb] Did you see the Center for Disease Control’s nifty infographic about women and alcohol consumption? What an education! Apparently, women have babies. Not only that, women get pregnant with babies. And, it’s a bad idea to do things to harm the developing... more »
Johnny Cash: The Unsung Disciple
[image: Johnny Cash] On the February 26, legendary singer/songwriter and iced-cool customer Johnny Cash would have celebrated his 85th birthday. Even as I write, his live version of "Folsom Prison Blues" click-clacks through my earbuds like a Southern Pacific boxcar over oily railroad ties. The... more »
CDC Warnings about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Encouraging Sterility in the Nanny State
[image: fetal alcohol syndrome] According to a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) spokesperson, its recent infographic advising women on how to avoid Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders (FASD) was intended to empower women to make the best choices for themselves and their children, in consultation... more »
Rescuers in Taiwan Pull Survivors From Quake Rubble
[image: In the early morning, emergency rescuers continued to search for the missing in a collapsed building from an earthquake in Tainan, Taiwan, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016. Rescuers on Sunday found signs of life within the remains of the high-rise residential building that collapsed in a powerful, shallow earthquake in southern Taiwan that killed over a dozen people and injured hundreds.] TAINAN, Taiwan (AP) -- With anxious families waiting nearby, rescuers on Sunday painstakingly pulled more survivors from the remains of a high-rise apartment building that collapsed a day earlier in a p... more »
GAIA PORTAL : Simulation similarities are noted in hu-beings
*Simulation similarities are noted in hu-beings* by ÉirePort Simulation similarities are noted in hu-beings. *Energetic lamp posting**s* are conveyed in confidence. *Stargate potentials* are expanded. Forefronts of discovery are transcended. ÉirePort | February 7, 2016 at 09:09 | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/p2sFUY-xo
Iran Now Wants To Be Paid In Euros Instead Of U.S. Dollars For Its Oil Sales
Iran says it wants to settle payments for its new and outstanding oil sales only in euros. *Reuters*: *Exclusive: Iran wants euro payment for new and outstanding oil sales - source* Iran wants to recover tens of billions of dollars it is owed by India and other buyers of its oil in euros and is billing new crude sales in euros, too, looking to reduce its dependence on the U.S. dollar following last month's sanctions relief. A source at state-owned National Iranian Oil Co (NIOC) told Reuters that Iran will charge in euros for its recently signed oil contracts with firms including ... more »
Hollywood Screenwriter: There’s Nothing Liberals Won’t Attack, Smear And Demean
[image: Hollywood Sign] Screenwriter and author Michael Walsh is an unabashed fan of Western culture because it is "the foundation for medical, scientific, moral and intellectual progress." And in his latest book The Devil's Pleasure Palace, Walsh spells out the "cold civil war" being... more »
North Korea Tests, Praises Long-Range Rocket; Others Insists It was a Banned Test
[image: In this image released by Japan's Kyodo News agency, an unidentified object is photographed in the sky from Dandong, China, near the North Korean border, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016, at the same time a North Korea rocket was allegedly launched. North Korea on Sunday defied international warnings and launched a long-range rocket that the United Nations and others call a cover for a banned test of technology for a missile that could strike the U.S. mainland.] SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- For North Korea’s propaganda machine, the long-range rocket launch Sunday carved a glorious trail of... more »
Untitled
*UK: State schools grow in popularity among wealthy parents as experts warn poorer children could miss out on good education* *Not mentioned below is that many British State schools are now "academies" (charters)* State schools have become more attractive to wealthy parents in comparison to 30 years ago, according to the editor-in-chief of the Good Schools Guide. Ralph Lucas, an old Etonian and hereditary peer, said state schools had improved beyond all recognition since the 1980s. While in 1986, his publication only included 10 state schools, last year there were 264 – represen... more »
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*Another example of not telling the whole story: The standard Green/Left deception technique* *It's difficult to know where to start on commenting on the scare below but let me start by noting that an increased level of CO2 absorption by water is a sign of COOLING -- carefully not mentioned below. And because there are great uncertainties in measuring ocean temperatures exactly that could be going on.OK. Next point. If CO2 levels in the ocean are "too" high, global warming will cure it. Because warming water will cause the CO2 to outgas. Just open a can of coke or P... more »
How Law Enforcement Will Protect the Super Bowl From Terrorists
[image: Super Bowl 50] One of the most iconic American events of the year is about to occur - the Super Bowl. Thousands of Americans (maybe even a few Canadians who have caught the bug) will be attending the game. If you were a... more »
First Week Back.
With parliament resuming its been an interesting week both in the House and elsewhere, our new Prime Minister continued with his almost unrelenting schedule of travelling around actually talking to people (something the previous PM avoided at all costs) and with everybody from Mayors to Provincial leaders asking him to do the impossible and reverse the decade of reduced federal support overnight. (Where is that instigator of democratic destruction anyway, I thought a sitting MP was supposed to actual show up when the House was sitting?) *The Auditor General revealed* what many of u... more »
New Blogs January/February 2016
It's the first Sunday of the month, so time for a new left blog round up. A View from the Attic (Labour) (Twitter) Bad Tempered Brummie Bitch (Labour) (Twitter) Disclaimer Magazine (Unaligned) (Twitter) Electable Labour (Labour) (Twitter) Megan Corton Scott (Labour) (Twitter) Middle Vision (Labour) (Twitter) Theo Bertram (Labour) (Twitter) The Queerness (Unaligned/LGBT rights) (Twitter) If you know of any new blogs that haven't featured before then drop me a line via the comments, email, Facebook or Twitter. Please note I'm looking for blogs that have started within the last 12 m... more »
Upstream, Downstream
http://www.thestar.com/ At the end of January, Environment Minister Catherine McKenna and Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr announced new guidelines to evaluate the impact of new pipelines. Jason Maclean writes: The new regulations stipulate that oil pipeline decisions will be based on science and traditional indigenous knowledge; the views of the public, including affected communities and indigenous peoples; and the direct and upstream greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that can be linked to pipelines. During their press conference an... more »
At the Great Cosmic Super Bowl Celebration, How Will You Celebrate?
[image: American Football Celebration Victory - 900] TOM GILSON -- It's Super Bowl Sunday. Imagine two very different players on one of the teams. One of them is totally committed to the team, to winning every game, all the way through to the Super Bowl. He practices... more »
Zika: Why Biotech is Imperative to National Security
*February 7, 2016* (Ulson Gunnar - NEO) - When we think of national security, we think of tanks, jets, missile defense systems and more recently, information space. But what about the realm of the microscopic, the biological or the genetic? Whether you think biotechnology, genetics and microbes constitute another plane upon the modern battlefield or not is irrelevant. Someone else already does, and they have a head start on the rest of the world. *Genotype Specific Bioweapons* The Project for a New American Century or PNAC for short, penned a particularly unhinged policy paper in ... more »
Light relief
While we're on with *The News Quiz, *there were some especially funny clippings sent in by Radio 4 listeners this week, which I feel like sharing with you. From the BBC News App: A 3,500-seat arena and an aquarium will be part of a £500 million transformation of Swansea city centre, which will lead to about 1,700 permanent jobs. It will be the biggest transformation of the landscape since the city was blitzed during the Second World War. From the Evesham Journal: Two fire engines were deployed to a farm following a report that a cow was stuck in mud up to its belly. Firefighter... more »
The Dan Burisch and Marcia McDowell 2009 Zurich Presentation... J-rod and our living others.
*the retention of personal identity across all multiverses* *is the real miracle, let's say...* if "Multiverses" exist then ALL POTENTIAL UNIVERSEs are always on, ALL POTENTIAL YOUs are always on. All the time. And we (the multiversers) are just smoothly blending from timeline to timeline like it's the most natural thing. And it is. It must be. We exist, if we're all multiverse'd, we can all blend from timeline to timeline, having our micro-effect on the vast number of universes. Every moment is made of a melange of innumerable scales and definitions and other-us's-- now that's all ... more »
Feb. 6: I knew this would be a bad day......
…...when I opened the Canada and World Section to see that four of the eight pages were taken up with photos of babies born in 2015. In this world teetering on the edge of World War Three, with Europe stumbling into chaos because of the refugee question, with thousands being killed or dying of hunger every day in the middle east, with ISIS spreading into Asia, with the U.S. planning to send more troops to Europe (perhaps to intervene in Ukraine, the Irving press had room for only two stories outside Canada – the collapse of a crane in New York, and “Canada eases sanctions against ... more »
The BBC's Style Guide
Talking about the BBC Style Guide... (and does it having anything to say about people constantly beginning posts with the phrase 'Talking about...'?) If you read *Breitbart London* you'll know that the BBC's Style Guide isn't free from controversy itself. For starters, on the subject of Islam, it declares: "Our style for the founder of the faith is the Prophet Muhammad (at second reference, Muhammad or the Prophet)". There *isn't *a section on Christianity, however, or any BBC 'style' concerning how to describe Our Lord Jesus Christ - though there is a bit saying "Do not use '... more »
Samantha Keely Smith - oceans of pain - abstract sorrow
Samantha Keely Smith is a young British artist from Harlow in Essex who paints seascapes, except she doesn't... *Smith paints views of a place between here and there.* It's as simple as that, Smith applies subtle layerings of paint to the canvas and it's our job to work out what she's doing - *our art is our eye of our beholder*.
IPR and Innovation 30, Patents and pharma issues in Asia in 2007
The first time that I attended a formal discussion on IPR issues like patents of newly-invented medicines was nearly 9 years ago, during the 1st Pacific Rim Policy Exchange in Hawaii. There was one special topic on IPR-busting policies like issuance of compulsory licensing (CL), special CL, "international exhaustion" of a patent worldwide once a patent has expired in one country. I just found my notes last night, no soft copy, so I took photos of one brief handout. The speaker was from an innovator company. He said that below were the important issues in the industry, ie circa 2007.... more »
Did President Obama Betray The Syrian Rebels?
*Foreign Policy*: *Obama’s Disastrous Betrayal of the Syrian Rebels* How the White House is handing victory to Bashar al-Assad, Russia, and Iran. What a difference a year makes in Syria. And the introduction of massive Russian airpower. Last February, President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and its Shiite auxiliaries mounted a large-scale attempt to encircle Aleppo, the northern city divided between regime and rebels since 2012 and battered by the dictator’s barrel bombs. Islamist and non-Islamist mainstream rebels — to the surprise of those who have derided their performance, let alon... more »
Will there be a Snap Election in 2016?
Toby Perkins caught the punditocracy unawares last night by floating the possibility of a snap election later on this year. Now hold on a minute, doesn't the Fixed Term Parliaments Act prevent an election from being called at the Prime Minister's convenience? Yes, that's right. *Unless* two thirds of Parliament think otherwise. Here, Toby sets out the circumstances under which this may happen: I believe that the forces unleashed within the Conservative party are so great that, whether Cameron wins or loses [the EU referendum], many of their MPs and activists will feel it is time fo... more »
U.S. Navy Modifying It's SM-6 Missile To Be Used In Targeting Enemy Ships At Sea
*National Interest:* *Sinking Enemy Warships: the U.S. Navy’s Fiery New Weapon* The United States Navy’s fleet of Aegis cruisers and destroyers are getting a massive boost in lethality. For years, many believed that America’s mighty surface combatants were on track to be outgunned by their Russian and Chinese counterparts—however, a newly unveiled modification to the Raytheon Standard SM-6 changes of all of that. “I'm announcing today new capability for the SM-6. We're modifying the SM-6, so that in addition to missile defense, it can also target enemy ships at sea at very long r...more »
Christian and Muslims
Sunday morning. 7.15. Switched on *BBC Breakfast, *and they are promoting a Muslim Council of Britain initiative. Today (Sunday) more than 90 of the UK's estimated 1,750 mosques are opening to doors to non-Muslims to allow Muslims to "explain their faith beyond the hostile headlines". *BBC Breakfast *presenter (and former BBC Paris correspondent) Christian Fraser is all agog. "I think it's a great initiative", says Christian to a polite chap from Khizra Mosque, Manchester, thus giving it his seal of approval. He later asks: "We've got to touch on a difficult issue: Islamophobi... more »
Privatization 12: PH government corporations sold, retained as of 2007
I just found a hard copy of my paper presented at the 1st Pacific Rim Policy Exchange, held at Sheraton Waikiki Hotel, Hawaii, in late May 2007 or nearly 9 years ago. The event was jointly sponsored by the Americans for Tax Reforms (ATR), Property Rights Alliance (PRA), International Policy Network (IPN), Grassroot Institute Hawaii (GIH), and a Japanese foundation. Below is the 5-pages Annex of my paper, the list of PH GOCCs and GFIs. Those that were fully privatized, those that were retained. Hundreds of government corporations, typical 70s and 80s model of "state as saviour, plan... more »
GOP Candidates Clash and Surprise in New Hampshire
[image: Republican presidential candidates participate in the Republican Presidential Candidates Debate February 6, 2016 at St. Anselm's College Institute of Politics in Manchester, New Hampshire. From left are: Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Donald Trump, and Ted Cruz. Seven Republicans campaigning to be US president are in a fight for survival in their last debate Saturday before the New Hampshire primary, battling to win over a significant number of undecided voters. / AFP / JEWEL SAMAD (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)] The Republican presidential candidates had the... more »
Amazing Time-Lapse Of The Disassembly Of An Entire U-2 Plane
*We Are The Mighty:* *Watch this U-2 spy plane get torn down in 2 minutes* The iconic U-2 spy plane debuted in 1955, and it’s still deployable thanks to a meticulous inspection called the Programmed Depot Maintenance every 4,700 flight hours. This incredibly complex process requires technicians to disassemble and strip the paint off the entire plane to analyze every part and make repairs. Over 1,800 individual parts are removed and revised and 40,000 rivets inspected. After completion, the aircraft is reassembled and repainted before returning to the flight line. For a plane that... more »
Tweet For Today
#UPDATE: N. Korea triggers fresh fury with space rocket launch https://t.co/rSrlMkSSON pic.twitter.com/eXxWpdNHPW — AFP news agency (@AFP) February 7, 2016
Northrop Grumman Ad Teases Its Version Of A 6th-Generation Fighter
*Popular Science:* *Northrop Grumman Ad Teases 6th-Generation Fighter* *A gray wedge of danger with a pilot* If this Northrop Grumman ad is any indication, we haven’t seen the last of the piloted fighter jet. The defense giant is best known for its long line of flying wings, including the iconic B-2 Spirit stealth bomber and the yet-to-be-unveiled Long Range Strike Bomber. Their new 30-second clip doesn’t show us any new details about that bomber, which remains under wraps in ads even after winning a major Air Force contract. Instead, it gives us a trio of arrow-head-shaped grey w... more »
Picture Of The Day
Army Pfc. Jose Gil engages targets during a live-fire exercise at Pabrade Training Area, Lithuania, Feb. 2, 2016. The exercise enables soldiers to improve their tactics, techniques and procedures. Gil is assigned to 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Behlin
A Look At Why The Multiple Launch Rocket System Is A Deadly And Effective Weapons Platform
*We Are the Mighty*: *This U.S. Army artillery unit savaged 41 Iraqi battalions in 72 hours* During Desert Storm the 3rd Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment provided artillery support to the 24th Infantry Division throughout the invasion of Iraq. During one phase of the war they took out 41 Iraqi battalion, two air defense sites, and a tank company in less than 72 hours. 3-27 entered Desert Storm with a new weapon that had never seen combat, the Multiple Launch Rocket System. Nearby soldiers took notice, to put it mildly, as the rockets screamed past the sound barrier on thei... more »
Sometimes When It Sounds Like A Crackpot Idea, It Is-- Meet Run For America, The Idiots Primarying Raul Grijalva
As if Wall Street front groups like Third Way and No Labels weren't enough, there's a new bunch of assholes in town with a similarly self-righteous "mission." Meet David Burstein-- and self-proclaimed spokesperson for millennials-- and his nutty little project, Run for America. He claims to be "a bipartisan political consulting firm with a mission to reimagine politics and reinvigorate government. We strategically identify and work to elect bold leaders to Congress who are committed to innovative approaches that tackle our nation’s major challenges." His infantile dream continues ... more »
Peg with Pen: Billions for Online Testing, Online Curriculum & T...
Peg with Pen: Billions for Online Testing, Online Curriculum & T...: As Obama rolls out coding for everyone , updates his technology plan , his testing action plan , the relaunch of peer review of state as... more »
Russia Simulated A Nuclear Strike Against Sweden In 2013
NATO report: A 2013 Russian aerial exercise was actually a 'simulated nuclear attack' on Sweden *Newsweek*: *Russia Practiced Nuclear Strike on Sweden: NATO Report* Russia’s air force has practiced a nuclear strike against Sweden, according to a report by NATO’s secretary general. The Russian training mission, which took place in March 2013 by the eastern edge of the Stockholm archipelago, attracted a great deal of media attention and some Swedish media outlets speculated the maneuvers resembled what a Russian aerial attack on Sweden would look like. The incident involved a rapid ... more »
Saudi Arabia Mobilise Tens Of Thousands Of Troops For ISIS Fight
Saudi Arabia will join the UK in military exercises in preparation to fight ISIS in Syria, two sources have revealed to CNN. Saudi will deploy up to 150,000 troops in March to run a multinational military training exercise to prepare for future anti-ISIS operations. CNN reports: Two Saudi officials told CNN that the kingdom plans to run in March a multinational military training exercise — involving as many as 150,000 troops — to prepare for future anti-ISIS operations. Most of the personnel will be Saudis; troops from Egypt, Sudan and Jordan have already arrived in the kingdom for ... more »
Former Reagan Advisor Says North Korea May Launch EMP Attack Soon
Former U.S. Ambassador Henry Cooper has warned that North Korea may launch a ‘satellite’ concealing an electro-magnetic pulse (EMP) device, capable of completely crippling the U.S., wiping out the countries electrical grid for years. Cooper, who was President Ronald Reagan’s chief representative in the Star War program, says that the U.S. doesn’t have the capabilities to defend itself against a potential attack from Pyongyang, whether its in the form of a nuclear device or an EMP weapon. Superstation95.com reports: He said it would be impossible to distinguish a test from an actual ... more »
Woman Suffers Miscarriage After Cops Beat Her During False Arrest
The New York Police Department is being sued by a woman who claims that cops “battered” her during a false arrest, causing her to suffer a miscarriage during an incident at her home over a year ago. According to Emelda Fitzroy, officers brutally struck her in the stomach, threw her to the ground and stomped on her, on November 2nd, 2014. Silive.com reports: Fitzroy’s civil complaint does not specify why cops came to her home, although it notes she was arrested on charges of felony and misdemeanor assault, misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administr... more »
Why The South China Sea Is Important
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* Eighty percent of Japanese and 39 percent of Chinese oil imports pass through the Indian Ocean en route from the Middle East. Chinese firms also have billions of dollars of investments in East Africa, concentrated primarily in the oil and gas, railways and roads, and other mining sectors. *Robert D. Kaplan, Business Insider:* *The South China Sea will be the battleground of the future* The South China Sea functions as the throat of the Western Pacific and Indian oceans — the mass of connective economic tissue where global sea routes coalesce. Here is ... more »
Unmasked: Zodiac Killer Turns Out To Be Convicted Serial Killer
The infamous Zodiac Killer who may have killed up to 27 people between 1968 and 1969 has finally been unmasked by a former detective. Kimberly McGath believes the killer to be a convicted serial killer named Dennis Radar. Radar is better known as the BTK Killer – a name derived from the fact that McGath Bound, Tortured and Killed his ten victims in Wichita, Kansas between 1974 and 1991. Dailystar.co.uk reports: Rader was in the US Air Force from 1966 and 1970 before settling down with a wife in Kansas. The BTK Killer sent numerous letters to the media but suddenly stopped. He then ... more »
A New Push For Afghan Peace Talks
*Reuters*: *Nations aim for Afghan peace talks with Taliban by end-February* Officials from the four nations seeking to end Afghanistan's 15-year-old war agreed on Saturday to press for direct talks between Taliban groups and the U.S.-backed government in Kabul by the end of the month. Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States and China have for weeks been trying to lay the groundwork for talks with the Taliban, which has made gains since the withdrawal of NATO troops from Afghanistan in 2014. Rival factions competing for leadership of the Islamist movement have expressed different... more »
Was the Iowa Democratic Chair in the tank for Clinton? Some idiot neighbor told me that.
*-by Melody Siegler* Oh, just shush. Or course not. She’s a Woman. Women always hold to higher moral values than men. And to stray a bit, in the South where I now live, they are always kinder. They say things like “I really like your dress. Did you make it yourself?” I’ve been an expert seamstress since the age of 12 (really) so clearly that was a Supreme Compliment. Especially because Betsy Ross was an expert seamstress. And, given their (our) higher values, that of course explains why any “real” woman would want Hillary for President. And, anyway, we women in America live in th... more »
Let The Debate Begin
http://www.americandailynews.com/ Last week, Chrystia Freeland signed the Trans Pacific Partnership. While doing so, she maintained that her signature was in no way her government's ratification of the accord. There would be, she said, extensive public consultation and debate before the Liberals made that decision. Murray Dobbin writes that, if history is any guide, the consultation will be shallow and the debate short lived: For many of us who have dealt in the past with the trade bureaucrats promoting these investment protection agreement... more »
F-35 Makes First Transatlantic Crossing
AL-1 Arrival at NAS Patuxent River, MD on 5 February, 2016. This was the first time a foreign assembled F-35 to land on US soil. (Photo: Andy Wolfe) *Defense News*:* F-35 Makes First Transatlantic Crossing* NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – An Italian Air Force F-35 completed the fighter jet’s first transatlantic crossing Friday, a historic event that kicks off a landmark year for the international program. The aircraft, an Italian Air Force F-35A dubbed AL-1, touched down here Feb. 5 after a seven-hour flight from Lajes Air Base, Portugal. The plane, which began its journey... more »
Musical Interlude: Gandalf, “Blossoms Unfolding”
Gandalf, “Blossoms Unfolding” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRf9scJDbb8
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Is star AE Aurigae on fire? No. Even though AE Aurigae is named the flaming star, the surrounding nebula IC 405 is named the Flaming Star Nebula, and the region appears to have the color of fire, there is no fire. Fire, typically defined as the rapid molecular acquisition of oxygen, happens only when sufficient oxygen is present and is not important in such high-energy, low-oxygen environments such as stars. The material that appears as smoke is mostly interstellar hydrogen, but does contain smoke-like dark filaments of carbon-rich dust grains. *Click image for larger size.* The br... more »
U.S. Admit Defeat In Afghanistan As Russia’s ISIS Victory Stuns West
A Russian Ministry of Defense report states that America have conceded their total defeat in Afghanistan within hours of holding peace talks with the Taliban in the Pakistani capital city of Islamabad. At the same time the West have expressed concern that Russia’s ongoing defeat of ISIS in Syria is likely to have a huge impact on U.S. and Europe’s future for generations to come. The American defeat in Afghanistan mirrors the defeat of the Soviet Union in 1989 when the Afghan war led to the death of 14,453 Russian soldiers, which eventually led to the collapse of the Soviet Union tw... more »
Syria Warns That Any Foreign Troops Would Be Sent Home In Coffins
*Voice of America:* *Syria Warns Saudi Arabia, Other States Not to Send Troops* CAIRO - Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem warned Saudi Arabia not to send troops to his country, threatening, during a press conference Saturday, that troops would be sent back home in coffins. The audience of journalists, top government officials and other invitees applauded politely as veteran Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem spoke defiantly about U.N.-sponsored peace talks in Geneva and about continuing military operations “until terrorists are defeated.” Muallem insisted that the Sy... more »
Chet Raymo, “The Maintenance of Self”
*“The Maintenance of Self”* by Chet Raymo "Ah, yes, the pitcher plant. Those devouring goblets. Those caldrons of digestive juices. And now naturalists have found the biggest one yet, as big as a chalice, on a mountaintop in the Philippines, its punch bowl filled with beetles, flies and wasps. *Come hither, ye who flitter. Admire my colors. Sip my nectar. Yes, yes, just like that, * *touch my milky pool. I'll be your Tar Baby. Your flypaper paramour. That's it. * *Sniff my irresistible scent. My buffet waits. Sip. Lap. Gorge yourself. * Gotcha! Countless plants use insects to consu... more »
"There For All Of Us..."
"We are hurt; we are lonely; and we turn to music or words, and as compensation beyond all price we are given glimpses of the world on the other side of time and space. We all have glimpses of glory as children, and as we grow up we forget them, or are taught to think we made them up; they couldn't possibly have been real, because to most of us who are grown up, reality is like radium, and can be borne only in very small quantities. But we are meant to be real, and to see and recognize the real. We are all more than we know, and that wondrous reality, that wholeness, holiness, is t... more »
Twitter Doesn't Have to Die
If you're someone who sinks endless hours into Twitter, you couldn't have failed to spot #RIPTwitter trending overnight and for a good portion of the day. It has been suggested that the company wishes to introduce a fundamental change to the service. As every Twitter user knows, the feed is constantly updated with most recent tweets first. The powers that be apparently want to do away with this function and introduce an algorithm into proceedings. This will look at your missives, the accounts you retweet, and the people you follow to filter your feed and deliver tweets it thinks y... more »
“5 Sad Truths About Success And Happiness”
*“5 Sad Truths About Success And Happiness”* by Bernard Marr “Even as medical science and quality of life continues to increase our life spans, it seems as though many of us are not really living the life we’re given. Too often we are caught in the “busy” trap, running, running, running—but never getting much of anywhere. But how would you live differently if you knew you were going to die? Finding true success and happiness: Not to be maudlin, but we all are going to die—sooner or later. And while death is something we humans pretty universally fear, thinking about our own demise ... more »
Free Download: "The Rubaiyat" by Omar Khayyam
"We are no other than a moving row Of Magic Shadow-shapes that come and go Round with the Sun-illumin'd Lantern held In Midnight by the Master of the Show; But helpless Pieces of the Game He plays Upon this Chequer-board of Nights and Days; Hither and thither moves, and checks, and slays, And one by one back in the Closet lays. The Ball no question makes of Ayes and Noes, But Here or There as strikes the Player goes; And He that toss'd you down into the Field, He knows about it all- HE knows- HE knows! The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit Shall ... more »
BREAKING NEWS: North Korea Has Launched A Long-Range Rocket
*CNN*: *North Korea launches long-range rocket* Seoul, South Korea (CNN)North Korea has launched a long-range "missile," a South Korean defense ministry official said Sunday, in defiance of U.N. sanctions and warnings from neighboring nations. Though North Korea had said it planned to put a satellite into orbit, the launch was viewed by other nations, such as Japan and South Korea, as a front for a ballistic missile test. South Korea said the launch was at 9:30 a.m. local time and the rocket headed south. A senior U.S. defense official said he can "confirm that we have detected a...more »
Jihadists Have Been Reinforcing Other Rebel Groups In Aleppo Since January
An Al Nusrah Front convoy streams into Aleppo province in late January. *Long War Journal*:* Jihadists reinforce other rebels during key battle in Aleppo province* Al Nusrah Front, al Qaeda’s official branch in Syria, sent a massive convoy of fighters to the Aleppo province in late January. The jihadists’ redeployment was promoted in a short video posted on Twitter. More than 100 vehicles filled with fighters streamed into the province. It was a harbinger of the heavy fighting to come. Bashar al Assad’s regime, backed by Russian airstrikes, Iranian-sponsored Shiite militias and He... more »
Aleppo Assault Intensifies As Syrians Flee To The Turkish Border
*New York Times*:* Syrian Forces Press Aleppo, Sending Thousands Fleeing* BEIRUT, Lebanon — Syrian government and allied forces pressed their most significant advance in months on Friday, sending insurgents scrambling and tens of thousands of civilians fleeing toward the border with Turkey. The advance has accelerated in recent days, with new momentum from heavy Russian airstrikes in the northern province of Aleppo, according to Syrian state news media, residents and antigovernment activists. The government’s gains have given a morale boost to loyalists and prompted opponents of P... more »
The Iowa Election Proves Christians Can Rescue America from Obama
[image: Cross on Flag - 900] America is changing, but not for the better. The election of the first black President could have been a cause of ongoing celebration, but Americans who understand what he has done are mourning. As an American of African descent, I... more »
Carson: Iowa Rumors a Benghazi Moment for Cruz
[image: In this Jan. 19, 2016, photo, Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas speaks during a campaign stop at the Freedom Country Store in Freedom, N.H.] Republican presidential hopeful Ben Carson is comparing rival Ted Cruz's failure to discipline staffers who spread rumors on the night of the Iowa caucuses to Hillary Clinton's testimony about the 2012 Benghazi terrorist attack. Asked whether he was satisfied with... Continue reading *“Carson: Iowa Rumors a Benghazi Moment for Cruz”* at *thehill.com*.
Bad Bear's Photos 'Reno AIM Rally for Leonard Peltier'
. . Photos today in Reno by Carl 'Bad Bear' Sampson Western Shoshone AIM Rally for Leonard Peltier Thank you to our friend from the Longest Walks, Western Shoshone photojournalist Carl 'Bad Bear' Sampson for today's photos from Reno, Nevada. Now, on Saturday evening in Carson Colony, Nevada, the American Indian Movement is hosting a feast in honor of
Taxi Drivers In Japan Report Picking Up Ghosts Of 2011 Tsunami
Taxi drivers in Japan have reported that they are picking up ghost victims of the 2011 tsunami. Seven drivers have come forward claiming that ghostly passengers have entered their vehicle only to disappear into thin air shortly before reaching their destination. Theepochtimes.com reports: One driver described a young woman dressed in a coat climbing into his cab near Ishinomaki Station and telling him: “Please go to the Minamihama (district).” In response, the driver noted that the area was “almost empty,” and asked her if she was sure she wanted to go there, reported the Asahi Shi... more »
Russia Prepares Syrian Army To Defend Against Turkish Attack
Russia are anticipating a Turkish ground invasion in Syria and have said that they are training the Syrian army to be militarily capable of repelling any Turkish ground incursions. The Kremlin say that any invasion by Turkish forces will be met by military action and not diplomacy. Fort Russ reports: Abdullah Al-Muhaysini runs the judicial system in Aleppo, so how is it that Kerry is defending The Army of Conquest’s control on the city? “We call upon the regime and its supporters to halt their bombardment of opposition-held areas, especially in Aleppo, and to lift their besiegement... more »
North Korea Launches Long-Range Rocket On Sunday
North Korea have launched a long-range missile, in an obstinate move against U.N. sanctions and amid Western warnings not to go ahead with the launch. South Korea have confirmed that the launch was conducted at 9.30am local time, and have accused Pyongyang of conducting the test as a front for a ballistic missile test. CNN.com reports: A senior U.S. defense official said he can “confirm that we have detected a missile launch from North Korea. Based upon its trajectory as we are tracking it, it does not pose a threat to the U.S. or our allies. We will have more updates soon.” The Ja... more »
Democrats Use Artful Smear To Bash Each Other Over Corrupt Bankers
Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are attacking each other over the fees that corrupt bankers have given to politicians for speeches and endorsements. Both candidates have declared their intentions to focus on the suspicious escapades of elite bankers once they are elected to office. The bankers nearly brought the world economy to its knees in 2007/2008 and have caused the worst recession in modern history. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, have made millions by giving public speeches, some of t... more »
Report Says UK Nukes Can Be ‘Hacked’ By Cyber Terrorists
An embarrassing new report has highlighted the poor security of Britain’s nuclear weapons. The study, commissioned by the European Leadership Network (NLP), highlights the fact that UK nukes could be hacked by cyber terrorists, allowing them to launch a missile from a submarine. The study worryingly concludes that Britain’s nuclear weapons can never be fully protected against a cyber attack. Presstv.ir reports: According to the report, there is evidence hackers have sought to compromise radio communications used to send launch approval messages, in an attempt to attack the nuclear ... more »
UK Government Request Ability To Serve Warrants In U.S.
British authorities are negotiating a deal with the U.S. that will allow them to directly serve wiretap warrants on U.S. communications companies in criminal and national security inquiries, U.S. officials have confirmed. The new wiretapping powers will give agencies such as GCHQ the ability to monitor live communications of British suspects. Usatoday.com reports: Under the proposed plan, British authorities would not have access to records of U.S. citizens if they emerged in the British investigations. Congressional approval would be required of any deal negotiated by the two coun... more »
London’s Transport Bosses To Test Google Driverless Cars
London’s transport bosses are actively discussing plans with Google to bring trials of its autonomous cars to the UK. The deputy mayor for transport Isabel Dedring met with Google to encourage the American tech giant to extend its pilot scheme from across the Atlantic to the streets of London. It would be the first time Google’s self-driving cars would be tested outside of the United States. Google Self-Driving Car Project YouTube video: Belfast Telegraph reports: Ms Dedring said: ” It’s going to have to work in big cities so why don’t we start trialling it now? “Google have said th... more »
Super Bowl This Sunday Will Resemble A War Zone
Security at this years annual Super Bowl games around the Levi Stadium in California will resemble a war zone. Patrolling F-15 warplanes, tanker planes, police sharpshooters, bomb-sniffing dogs, metal detectors, helicopters, and a no-fly zone imposed in San Fransisco are just a handful of measures authorities are taking to prevent a terrorist attack from taking place. sjlendman.blogspot.com reports: Anyone who’s watched football games, especially NFL ones the way they’re played today, close to the action, understands their extreme violence, what television doesn’t show – or discuss... more »
Relying on BMI as a health metric is a bad idea
While it may be generally true that an exceedingly high body-mass index score suggests poor health, it is not always true, and a UCLA study, according to an LA Times story, suggests relying on BMI as a health metric is a bad idea: *“A new study from UCLA finds that some 54 million Americans who are labeled as obese or overweight according to their body mass index are, when you take a closer look, actually healthy. The findings, published in the International Journal of Obesity, reveal that employers could potentially saddle people with unfairly high health insurance costs based o... more »
AP NewsBreak: Deal Reached on Provisional Haiti Government
[image: Government supporters cheer as armed members of Haiti's disbanded army pass by their protest demanding presidential elections in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, Feb. 5, 2016, while the runoff vote to choose the president's successor has been indefinitely postponed.] PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) -- Top Haitian leaders negotiated an agreement to install a short-term provisional government less than 24 hours before President Michel Martelly was scheduled to step down, an official with the Organization of American States and local authorities... more »
Untitled
*From* *Jenna Orkin* 65,000% Spike In Reported Radioactivity After Tritium Leaks At Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant Syria civil war: Up to 70,000 refugees head to Turkey, says PM Zika nations should allow access to contraception, abortion: UN 'Intriguing data': Kickstarter crowdfunds to publish 700,000 CIA declassified docs How much damage is the Porter Ranch leak doing to the climate? Michigan Officials Absent At Flint Water Crisis Hearing As Madoff Airs On TV, Two Anonymous Whistleblowers Are Pounding On The SEC's Door Again Flint Officials Could Have Prevented Lead Crisis for $... more »
Russian Su-35 Fighter Jets On Standby At Latakia
Russia have placed their new-generation Su-35 fighter jets on 24-hour standby at the Latakia base in Syria, just in case they are needed to perform aerial operations in the region, the Russian forces have said. A Russian Air Spaces Forces group spokesman has said that there will be a constant presence of two Su-35 jets ready to take-off in 60 seconds at Russia’s Khmeimim Air Base in Latakia. RT.com reports: The fighter jets will provide cover for Russian aircraft and increase their total field of view. According to the Russian Air Space Forces group spokesman in Syria, there will a... more »
Man Accused of Islamic State-Inspired Plot to Attack Detroit Church
[image: Detroit skyline] DETROIT (AP) -- Authorities have arrested a 21-year-old Michigan man whom they accuse of supporting Islamic State militants and plotting to attack a Detroit church. Khalil Abu-Rayyan, of Dearborn Heights, appeared Thursday in U.S. District Court in Detroit and remains... more »
Almost a dead cert
True story... Just checking out the running order for tomorrow's *Sunday* on Radio 4, this is the first item listed: The Israeli government has announced plans to build a mixed gender prayer section at the Western wall. Campaigners are celebrating a groundbreaking decision, but Palestinians, the ultra Orthodox and archaeologists are not happy. We hear from Anat Hoffman from "Women of the Western Wall". Journalist Judy Maltz gives us the background. My immediate thought on reading that, knowing the BBC, was to place a non-monetary bet with myself (a win-win situation for me) that "... more »
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The Poet: Eugene O'Neill, "Free"
*"Free"* by Eugene O'Neill "Weary am I of the tumult, sick of the staring crowd, Pining for wild sea places where the soul may think aloud. Fled is the glamour of cities, dead as the ghost of a dream, While I pine anew for the tint of blue on the breast of the old Gulf Stream. I have had my dance with Folly, nor do I shirk the blame; I have sipped the so-called Wine of Life and paid the price of shame; But I know that I shall find surcease, the rest my spirit craves, Where the rainbows play in the flying spray, 'Mid the keen salt kiss of the waves. Then it's ho! for the plunging deck of... more »
"Regret: The Weight of the Past"
*"Regret: The Weight of the Past"* by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM "Holding onto regret is like dragging the weight of the past with us everywhere we go. Holding onto regret is like dragging the weight of the past with us everywhere we go. It drains our energy, leaving less available for life in the present because we are constantly feeding an old issue. This attachment can cause illness the same way watering a dead plant creates decay. We know that something new and beautiful can grow in its place if we only prepare the soil and plant the right seeds. We also know that we create ou... more »
“The Individual vs. The Illusion Of Consensus Reality”
*“The Individual vs. The Illusion Of Consensus Reality”* by Jon Rappoport “This is such a supercharged subject, I could start from a dozen places. But let’s begin here: the individual is unique, because he is he. He is unique because he has his own ideas, because he has his own desires, because he has his own power. That power belongs to no one else. In particular, it doesn’t belong to the State. The State will try, will always try to suggest that it is granting power to the individual, but this is a lie. It’s an illusion broadcast with ill-intent. While everyone else is trying to... more »
Clinton’s 31 Point Lead Evaporates in Six Weeks, Trump’s Shrinks but Holds
[image: Poll sheet] Having led Bernie Sanders among Democratic voters by a huge 61% to 30% margin in mid-December, Hillary Clinton found herself leading only 44% to 42% -- within the margin of error, which means that Sanders ma
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