Simplified flow chart of the United States Navy's organizational hierarchy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
An artist rendering of the Zumwalt class destroyer DDG 1000, a new class of multi-mission U.S. Navy surface combatant ship designed to operate as part of a joint maritime fleet, assisting Marine strike forces ashore as well as performing littoral, air and sub-surface warfare. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)The Pentagon Resumes A Second Training Program For Syrian Rebels (Updated)
The US attempted a program in 2015 to train and arm Syrian rebels. (AFP/Fadi Al Halabi) *Washington Times:* *U.S. military launches second training program for Syrian rebels* The U.S. military said Friday is has started training dozens of Syrian opposition fighters to combat the Islamic State terrorist group, a revamped program that officials hope will not run into the same problems that doomed the first rebel training program in Turkey last year. New recruits are being trained how to identify targets for U.S.-led coalition airstrikes to allow coalition aircraft to better strike I... more »
State Of The Race: Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania
This morning CBS put out YouGov tracking polls for Wisconsin, New York and Pennsylvania, three big states with a combined 208 delegates at stake for the Republicans and 597 delegates for the Democrats. Wisconsin's primary is this Tuesday. New York's is 2 weeks later (April 19) and Pennsylvania voters come up to bat a week after New York on April 26. OK, first the easy part-- the horserace stuff. Wisconsin first: Republican winner-take-all primary *•* Cruz- 43% *•* Trump- 37% *•* Kasich- 18% Democratic primary *•* Bernie- 49% *•* Hillary- 47% New York is the next big prize... more »
China Developing A Warship To Surpass The USS Zumwalt
*New American:** China Developing New State-of-the-art Warship to Outperform the U.S. Navy's Best Destroyers* In yet another indicator of China’s rapid military progress, the Chinese are hard at work to develop a new battle cruiser, the “Type 055,” which will be as advanced as the ultra-expensive, Space Age-looking USS Zumwalt – but will be much more heavily armed. The new Zumwalt-class DDG-1000 guided missile destroyer, of which the first of three vessels scheduled to be built is now undergoing sea testing preparatory to being integrated into the Pacific Fleet, is a triumph of s... more »
"Sunny Days”. Sleazy Sell-Out.
"Sunny Days”. Sleazy Sell-Out. ...........part I *Written by Robin Mathews April 2016* Anthony Hall writes about *“ballot-box colonialism”,* “*imperial globalization*” and its “*licence for lawlessness*” – as well as the present “*terror economy*” - in Earth Into Property (*McGill-Queen’s, 2011).* Hall focuses attention on the relentless and brutal shapes of U.S. imperialism growing since 1492 and now expressed in almost every form of international finance, banking, trade organization, military initiative, and ... more »
Rada, Bada, Dada all the way to Xvada
Intersellar dialects speaking in touguies to me so now I am on earth all comfy but in the star people still talk to me
More U.S. Special Forces To Be Deployed To Syria
Photo Credit:Reuters/Shamil Zhumatov *Reuters*: *Exclusive: U.S. weighs ramping up deployment of special forces to Syria* The U.S. administration is considering a plan to greatly increase the number of American special operations forces deployed to Syria as it looks to accelerate recent gains against Islamic State, U.S. officials told Reuters. The officials, with direct knowledge of the proposal's details, declined to disclose the exact increase under consideration. But one of them said it would leave the U.S. special operations contingent many times larger than the around 50 tro... more »
Syrian War News Updates -- April 3, 2016
Forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad take positions on a look-out point overlooking the historic city of Palmyra in Homs Governorate in this handout picture provided by SANA on March 27, 2016. REUTERS/SANA/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS *Reuters*: *Syrian forces seize Islamic State-held town near Palmyra* Syrian and allied forces backed by Russian air strikes drove Islamic State militants out of the town of al-Qaryatain on Sunday after encircling it over the past few days, Syria's military command said. Surrounded by hills, al-Qaryatain is 100 km (60 miles) west of the ancient c... more »
Yesterday's Future
For some reason I've got myself wondering... If I'm kicking off a superhero game set in the late 1950s, what is the future of that world like? The ability to predict the future is challenging. A high school student in the 1980s, all the science fiction I read and watched pretty much assumed the Soviet Union would be around in the year 2016. Either that or the USA and Soviet Union would be competing to dig themselves out of the rubble of a thermonuclear war. I'm not certain how much people really believed in the idea that we'd have flying cars, though as a kid who grew up obsessed... more »
Panama Papers: Biggest Leak In History Reveals How The Rich And Powerful Hide Their Money
*Daily Mail:* *Putin and the 'Dirty Dozen': 11million leaked documents reveal how TWELVE world leaders – plus Russian leader's inner circle, British politicians and Lords – hide their millions in tax havens* * 11million financial documents have been leaked from Panamanian law firm * Show how world's rich and powerful use offshore tax havens to hide wealth * Twelve current or former world leaders implicated along with UK politicians * Russian president Vladimir Putin's friends appear to have earned millions * Leak is bigger than the amount of data stolen by Edward Snowden in 2013 * Ge... more »
Chet Raymo, “A Fishy Tale”; “You Now Have A Shorter Attention Span Than a Goldfish”
*“A Fishy Tale”* by Chet Raymo "As dumb as a goldfish. I mean, what could be dumber than swimming around in murky water all day - glassy eyed, slimy scaled, cold blooded - waiting for someone to sprinkle food flakes into the pond or tank. On a scale of smarts, goldfish would seem to fall somewhere between a limpet and a stone. Conventional wisdom has it that fish have a memory span of about a second. But conventional wisdom, it turns out, is wrong. Goldfish are not the dummies they are made out to be. Scientists at Plymouth University in England have successfully trained goldfish t... more »
Inside The Collective Mind Of A Trumpist Mass
I don't want to call Trump and his followers animals; I like animals. Besides, some of Trump's followers aren't just stupid, violent, racist bricks. They have real grievances against a rigged system and haven't figured out that the only presidential candidate offering a path out is Bernie, not Trumpy. Reporter Gwynn Guilford decided to take a little trip into the belly of the beast and see what made these people Trump fans *aside* from the economic conditions thrust onto them by bad trade policies and a society rigged, like most, by the status quo-preserving political class. What ... more »
The Poet: Rainer Maria Rilke, "Sunset"
*"Sunset"* "Slowly the west reaches for clothes of new colors which it passes to a row of ancient trees. You look, and soon these two worlds both leave you, one part climbs toward heaven, one sinks to earth, leaving you, not really belonging to either, not so helplessly dark as that house that is silent, not so unswervingly given to the eternal as that thing that turns to a star each night and climbs – leaving you (it is impossible to untangle the threads) your own life, timid and standing high and growing, so that, sometimes blocked in, sometimes reaching out, one moment your life is a s... more »
"5 Frightening Psychological Experiments"
*"5 Frightening Psychological Experiments"* by Rebecca Sato "Man is a marvelous curiosity. When he is at his very, very best he is a sort of low grade nickel-plated angel; at his worst he is unspeakable, unimaginable; and first and last and all the time he is a sarcasm. Yet he blandly and in all sincerity calls himself the 'noblest work of God.'" - Mark Twain, "Letters From the Earth" "It’s a given that Earth cannot survive indefinitely, if for no other reason than that the sun will eventually expand and roast the planet. Of course, many scientists believe that by the time that hap... more »
"You Better Decide..."
“A wise man once said you can have anything in life, if you sacrifice everything else for it. What he meant is, nothing comes without a price. So before you go into battle you better decide how much you're willing to lose." - "Grey's Anatomy"
Random links for Monday
[image: image] “The Police Association is backing decriminalisation of drugs as a way of reducing the harm done by drug-dealing gangs.” *Decriminalised drugs 'would reduce gang harm'* - RADIONZ.CO.NZ To be fair, something similar can be said about every UN programme. *Report slams Clark's programme: unable to bring significant change to the world's poor* – STUFF “Of all the wildly impossible assertions made by Donald Trump, the notion that he could eliminate the nation’s $19 trillion in debt in just eight years ranks near the top. Trump suggests he can manage this feat simply... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Tauranga, Gisborne, New Zealand. Thanks for stopping by.
“The Panama Papers: Dirty Little Secrets: Inside the ‘Wikileaks of the Ultra-Rich and Ultra-Powerful’”
*“The Panama Papers: * *Dirty Little Secrets: Inside the ‘Wikileaks of the Ultra-Rich and Ultra-Powerful’”* *Implicates World Leaders, Giant Corporations* By Frederik Obermaier, Bastian Obermayer, Vanessa Wormer and Wolfgang Jaschensky "The Panama Papers is a global investigation into the sprawling, secretive industry of offshore that the world’s rich and powerful use to hide assets and skirt rules by setting up front companies in far-flung jurisdictions. Based on a trove of more than 11 million leaked files, the investigation exposes a cast of characters who use offshore companies ... more »
“Climate Catastrophe, Coming Even Sooner?”
*“Climate Catastrophe, Coming Even Sooner?”* by Elizabeth Kolbert “One of the first people to propose that climate change could result in rapid sea-level rise was an eccentric British geographer named John Mercer. A hesitant speaker in public, Mercer was less restrained in private. He was once arrested for jogging naked. It was said that he liked to do his fieldwork in the nude—a curious habit for a man who studied glaciers. In a seminal paper published in 1968, Mercer proposed that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, known in scientific circles as WAIS, was vulnerable to collapse. The r... more »
"How It Really Is"
Pending indictment, *if* there is any rule of law left...
Untitled
*From* *Jenna Orkin* Storm 'Unfreezes' North Pole, Causing Temperatures to Rise 50 Degrees Fahrenheit Above Normal Brazil (Like Russia) Is Under Attack By Hyrbid War Wikileaks Reveals IMF Plan To "Cause A Credit Event In Greece And Destabilize Europe" Shocking Video From Brussels Anti-Islam Protest Of Moment Muslim Woman Is Run Over By Car IMF's Christine Lagarde: "When The World Goes Downhill, We Thrive" "Production Freeze" Narrative Collapses In Two Days: Russian Oil Output Hits New Post-Soviet Record Chicago Disintegrates - Gun Shootings Soar An Unprecedented 89%: "It's The... more »
Sen. Graham to Arab World: Trump Or Not, Congress Retains Foreign Policy Role
[image: In this photo provided by Egypt's state news agency, MENA, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, right meets with Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, left, at the office of the Presidency in Cairo, Egypt. On Sunday, Graham told reporters in Cairo, that Republican candidate Donald Trump’s campaign does not mean that the U.S. has “fundamentally changed in terms of the way we view the world,” and even if he wins, the congress will be around doing its job.] CAIRO (AP) -- Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham sought to reassure the Arab world Sunday over the prospect of Donald Trump beco... more »
Middle, High School Students To Receive Satanic Books From School
Many are horrified that a middle and high school district in Colorado will soon be distributing both satanic and atheist literature to its students. This comes on the heels of pressure from atheist groups. According to CBN News: Beginning April 1, the Delta County School District will provide students books from Freedom From Religion Foundation, the Satanic Temple, and Western Colorado Atheists and Freethinkers after the groups complained. FFRF Co-president Dan Barker said the push to hand out satanic books happened in response to Gideon Bibles being distributed in a passive way to ... more »
Deaths From Overwork Are Rising At An Unsettling Pace In Japan
In Japan, the death of a person from overwork is called “karoshi”, and now it is on the rise in the country. According to Reuters: Labor demand, with 1.28 jobs per applicant, is the highest since 1991, which should help Prime Minister Shinzo Abe draw more people into the workforce to counter the effect of a shrinking population, but lax enforcement of labor laws means some businesses are simply squeezing more out of employees, sometimes with tragic consequences. Claims for compensation for karoshi rose to a record high of 1,456 in the year to end-March 2015, according to labor minis... more »
Economic News & View ( April 4, 2016 ) Sunday News / Events Catch ( 1. Refugee Crisis News For Sunday. 2. Moscow Blaze At Ministry Of Defense. 3. Crude Oil News De Jour. 4. IMF- Greece "Leak " Situation - Sunday Development. 5. Around The Horn - Libya Political Situation On display. 6. Panama Papers - "Unprecedented Leak" Exposes The Criminal Financial Dealings Of Some Of The World's Wealthiest People. )
Refugee Crisis..... *Hugo Dixon* @Hugodixon 3h 3 hours ago Critical day for Greece tomorrow. Country supposed to start return of migrants to Turkey. IMF/EU also return to discuss financial troubles. *Hugo Dixon* @Hugodixon 3h 3 hours ago 2 what happens in Greece on both migrant and financial fronts could have a big impact on #Brexit referendum. *World Economic ForumVerified account* @wef 4h 4 hours ago What are the economic challenges of #Europe's #*refugeecrisis*? http:// wef.ch/1S2UQLu #EU *fred walton* @fredwalton216 7h 7 hours ago fred walton R... more »
Tigers In China Live In Horrific Conditions To Make Aphrodisiac
Tigers held in captivity in China are being held in abhorrent conditions so that they can produce “tiger wine” – an aphrodisiac for Chinese men According to GeoBeats News: It’s technically illegal in the country to breed the big cats in captivity, however, an exception allows tiger farms to do so if they are professedly in place to deter poaching, reports RT. Animal rights activists say it’s all just smoke and mirrors–that the farms are intentionally starving the tigers to death for profit. Once the emaciated and often sick cats have died, their skins are saved and their bones are a... more »
College Cheerleader Set To Plead Guilty On ISIS/Terror Charge
A 20-year-old Mississippi State University sophomore is expected to plead guilty on a terrorism charge. Jaelyn Young’s plea comes after she and her fiancé, Muhammad Dakhlalla, were arrested last year. They had plans to join ISIS. According to BET: The couple were originally arrested after undercover federal officials got word of their planned trip to Syria for their honeymoon. Both were jailed in Oxford. Dakhlalla has already pleaded guilty to the charges and is awaiting his sentence. According to prosecutors, Young was the “the leader of the plot [and] by the time Young began datin... more »
Young Boy Remembers Past Life As Hollywood Actor From 1930’s
A young boy from Oklahoma is making headlines for his alleged past-life memory. The young man, only 10 years years old, has vivid memories of his former life – as a Hollywood actor from the 1930’s! According to Spirit Science: This 10 year old boy from Oklahoma named Ryan, was born with the memories of his past experiences. He is able to remember vivid details of his past life, which took place in 30′s Hollywood. He says he was an actor on broadway who worked for an agency, travelled the world and was married 5 times. They were actually able to open a book and have him point to a man... more »
Monsanto’s Big Secret: GMO Insect Planned To Replace Honey Bee
Don’t worry, Monsanto is coming to the rescue! When it comes to human food crops, 70 out of the main 100 are pollinated by bees. In the last 60+ years, honey bee populations have declined 90% from 3.2 million hives to 2.4 million. Monsanto is now working on a way to solve this crisis…. According to HealthyLife-Online.com: Beekepers in Western countries have been reporting slow declines of stocks due to impaired protein production, changes in agricultural practice, or unpredictable weather. On 2007, an abnormally high die-offs (30–70% of hives) of European honey bee colonies occurred... more »
China Near Completing Nuclear Missile That Can Reach U.S.
The missile that is known as “the world’s longest-range missile”, China’s DF-41, is expected to be complete as early as this year. The DF-41 is capable of striking the United States from anywhere in China. Yahoo News reports: “Given the number of real reported tests, it is reasonable to speculate the DF-41 will be deployed to PLA Strategic Rocket Force bases in 2016,” Richard Fisher, senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center in Washington told the Financial Times. Once fielded, the DF-41 will absolutely change the game for the People’s Liberation Army’s Rocke... more »
The Infuriating Secret Reason Marijuana Is Really Banned
Could there be a secret motive behind the ban on marijuana? Many wonder why the herb is still criminalized. The reason behind the ban is more infuriating than most could ever imagine. According to Raw Story: Most of us assume it’s because someone, somewhere sat down with the scientific evidence, and figured out that cannabis is more harmful than other drugs we use all the time—like alcohol and cigarettes. Somebody worked it all out, in our best interest. But when I started to go through the official archives—researching my book Chasing The Scream: The First and Last Days of the War ... more »
Campaign Latest: Trump Says Wisconsin ‘Has the Feel of a Victory’
[image: A supporter of Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, gives Trump the thumbs up during a town hall Saturday, April 2, 2016, in Rothschild, Wis.] WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Latest on the 2016 presidential campaign, with the focus Sunday on Wisconsin, which holds its primaries Tuesday (all times Eastern Daylight Time): 2:05 p.m. Donald Trump is predicting a “great success” is Wisconsin, despite polls showing... more »
Quote of the Day: On merit versus privilege
*“The Money-Maker is the discoverer who translates his discovery into material goods. In an industrial society with a complex division of labour, it may be one man or a partnership of two: the scientist who discovers new knowledge and the entrepreneur— the businessman— who discovers how to use that knowledge, how to organize material resources and human labor into an enterprise producing marketable goods. “The Money-Appropriator is an entirely different type of man. He is essentially non-creative— and his basic goal is to acquire an unearned share of the wealth created by... more »
SAS Soldiers To Use ‘Transformers’ To Fight ISIS In UK
The SAS have a new deadly weapon in their fight against ISIS terrorist attacks on UK soil. The elite special forces of the British Army could deploy to any part of the UK in the event of a terror attack using a tilt-rotor multi-mission military aircraft nicknamed the “Transformer,” capable of vertical take-off and landing. The Mail On Sunday reports: In the event of an attack, the UK’s elite fighting force will swoop into action on a £43 million heli-plane nicknamed the ‘Transformer’. The Mail on Sunday can reveal that SAS troops on high alert to respond to a Paris-style strike in t... more »
I Still Don't Know For Sure Who Beat Harry Reid Within An Inch Of His Life And Got Him To Retire But...
This probably isn't directly connected to Reid's beating but I got an e-mail yesterday from Derek Washington, who identified himself as the press secretary for Jesse Sbaih, the Nevada congressional candidate Reid, a notoriously corrupt sleazebag, tried driving out of the race. A Muslim Democrat running for a U.S. House seat in Nevada says that-- in a private meeting last year-- Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) had encouraged him to end his campaign by saying, “a Muslim cannot win this race.” “He said, ‘You should not run for this office,’” said Jesse Sbaih, an immi... more »
“Oliver Stone Makes Impassioned Plea for Sanders”
*“Oliver Stone Makes Impassioned Plea for Sanders”* By Oliver Stone/Huffington Post "When fear becomes collective, when anger becomes collective, it’s extremely dangerous. It is overwhelming. The mass media and the military-industrial complex create a prison for us, so we continue to think, see, and act in the same way. We need the courage to express ourselves even when the majority is going in the opposite direction because a change of direction can happen only when there is a collective awakening. Therefore, it is very important to say, ‘I am here!’ to those who share the same ki... more »
Rightwing Nuthouse: "5 Right-Wing Lunacies This Week: Things Get Even Weirder on Team Trump"
*"5 Right-Wing Lunacies This Week: * *Things Get Even Weirder on Team Trump"* by Janet Allon "Sadly, as many a comedian noted on Friday, Donald Trump did not come out and announce that his whole campaign has been a giant April Fools’ joke gone badly and dangerously astray. Trump did attempt to declare his call for a ban on abortion, and his statement that women should be punished for having illegal abortions, a kind of April Fools’ prank. Just kidding, he seemed to say. I was misquoted. I mispoke. The media has it in for me. It’s very unfair. It may be April, and Donald Trump may b...more »
Over 100 Refugee Children Missing Since ‘Calais Jungle’ Demolition
A British charity has revealed that over a hundred refugee children have gone missing from the Calais migrant camp after authorities demolished parts of the makeshift shelters last month. According to a census by Help Refugees UK, 129 unaccompanied minors from the camp have gone unaccounted for. “We are deeply shocked and very concerned to report that 129 unaccompanied minors cannot be accounted for,” the charity wrote on its Facebook page. RT reports: The southern section of the camp was bulldozed in the first week of March, despite the migrants housed there clashing with police to... more »
Satire: “Trump: Decision to Consider Women Humans Should Be Left to States”
*“Trump: Decision to Consider Women Humans Should Be Left to States”* by Andy Borowitz WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)— “Attempting to repair some of the fallout from his recent remarks about women, Donald Trump said on Sunday that the decision of whether women should be considered humans should be left to the states. “I wouldn’t want to tell Texas whether women are humans, for example,” he said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “They obviously have some very strong opinions about that.” When asked point-blank whether he considered women humans, the billionaire responded, “It should be a... more »
US Deploys F-15 Fighter Jets To Iceland & The Netherlands
The US has deployed around 350 airmen and a dozen F-15C fighter jets to Iceland and the NetherlanDs as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve (OAR). The Pentagon’s is attempting to demonstrate a show of force, designed to deter what the US has called ‘Russian aggression’ against Europe. However, Moscow says the Western hawks are simply using the perceived Russian threat in order to justify greater military spending. RT reports: The aircraft and troops were sent from the Barnes Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts and the Fresno Air National Guard Base in California for a six-month t...more »
Amtrak Train Accident Kills Two In Pennsylvania
Two people have been confirmed dead and 17 injured when an Amtrak train partially derailed after hitting a mechanical digger left on railway tracks outside Pennsylvania on Sunday morning. abc7 reports: The accident was reported at 7:53 a.m. Sunday near Booth Street on the Palmetto Train 89 in Chester. The train was operating from New York to Savannah. All Amtrak service is suspended between New York City and Philadelphia at this time. Updates available at https://t.co/0oilXAZsFc. — Amtrak (@Amtrak) April 3, 2016 Amtrak suspended all service between Philadelphia and New York City. Am... more »
Far-Right ‘Terrorists’ Attack Muslim Woman In Brussels
Far-right terrorists posing as activists mowed down a Muslim woman during a right-wing anti-Islam rally in the Brussels district of Molenbeek. Police clashed with far-right protesters while a car drove at speed, ploughing through a police line towards a Muslim woman. The woman was deliberately run over and severely injured as the car passenger was sen filming through the window as the barbaric act was being committed and while police officers stood by with their weapons drawn. Warning: Video footage contains upsetting scenes The Independent reports: Video footage shows a white Audi ... more »
April 3: Change of pace on a Sunday
The sermonette on yesterday's Faith page talks about the leading role Christianity has played in bringing social equality to women. I'm suprised that it didn't mention Pope Joan, the woman of 1200 years ago who pretended to be a man in order to be ordained as a priest. She eventually, it is said, became pope, but was found out when she had a spontaneous birth of a child during a church procession. (The story almost certainly isn't true. But the sermonette is - um - misleading, anyway.) Certainly, women of the time of Christ were profoundly repressed. That was true over most of th... more »
Musings On Iraq In The News
I’m mentioned in the in the revised version of *ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror *by Michael Weiss and Hassan Hassan.
Zappa: Moving Toward Fascist Theocracy
Frank Zappa on right-wing TV talk show many moons ago....he got it right.
What is Data Fiction?...
*something to think about.* Kay Scarpetta talking to her niece Lucy in *Depraved Heart *by Patricia Cornwell. *KS: "Jill Donoghue mentioned something about a case involving data fiction. I'm curious if you have any idea what she might have been referring to because I'm not familiar with the term."* *Lucy: "Data fiction is a trending concept on the Undernet, the underground of the Internet."* *KS: "The Undernet where most of what goes on is illegal?"* *Lucy: "Depends on who you're talking to. For me it's an extreme frontier of cyberspace like the wild wild west, just another... more »
Obama's Nuclear Summit - It Wasn't....
*Obama speaks during his 'nuclear summit' in Washington. Russia skipped the show.* Obama gathered 'world leaders' in Washington this past week to once again attempt to justify his 'Nobel Peace Prize'. He failed. (In the final group photo Kiev's Petro Poroshenko is standing behind Obama. He grabbed $335 million in US military aid while at the event. That should tell you all you need to know.) When the US can't get the other country with an equivalent size stock of nukes as your own to come to its party then something ain't working right. Russia skipped the meeting for these pr... more »
Weekly Dinner Menu #11
Don't know what to make this week? This meal plan lays out a dinner for each night so you don't have to think about it! [image: Weekly Dinner Menu] Weekly dinner menu hostesses are: [image: Hostess Image] Summer Scraps – Housewife Eclectic – Embellishmints – The Crafty Blog Stalker Liz On Call – Mom’s Messy Miracles – It’s Me Deb CB – Organized Island Sunday Lemon Honey Dill Salmon [image: Lemon-Honey-Dill-Salmon-15MinuteSuppers-1] Monday Oven Pork Kabobs [image: Oven-Pork-Kabobs] Tuesday Asian Inspired Turkey Meatballs [image: Asian-Inspired Turkey Meatballs with Carrot Rice] Wednesday ... more »
precariously yours: notes from the 2016 cupe ontario library workers conference
Last week I attended the CUPE Ontario Library Workers Conference, my second year, and my first since being elected to the organizing committee. This year's theme was *precarious work*, and nothing could be more relevant to library work today. All three keynote speakers were excellent, with engaging, eye-opening presentations that brought our picture into sharp and disturbing focus. *Count it and name it, so we can change it* Wayne Lewchuk, professor of economics and labour relations at McMaster University, is the go-to guy for research into precarious work. Michelynn Lafleche is th... more »
Hillary Clinton's End Run Around Democracy-- Follow The Money
*Presiding over a horrifying culture of corruption she must have learned when she was still a Republican* Cory Doctorow's BoingBoing post about Hillary campaign state-level money laundering shenanigans pointed me to an investigative piece by Margot Kidder that I had missed at *Counterpunch*, How Hillary Clinton Bought The Loyalty Of 33 State Democratic Parties. Doctorow: The Supreme Court's 2014 McCutcheon v FEC ruling eliminated aggregate caps on individual campaign donations, and this paved the way for the DNC and the Hillary Victory Fund to collaborate with 33 state-level Democr... more »
Northerntruthseeker Rant For Sunday, April 3rd, 2016
[image: rant-jpeg-b] Sunday.... First Sunday in April... And I am back.... AND as usual, time for my weekly rant.. Yes, I did take a well deserved vacation for the last two weeks... But as I could not afford to take an extravagant vacation to some distant land or resort, but instead I did take a stay at home vacation where I basically turned off my PC and laptop and preferred NOT to blog at all.... I spent most of my time doing some work around my house and went to the local YMCA on an almost daily basis to try to burn off a few excess calories..... It was a much needed period of r... more »
El Nino, Oplan Bayanihan, CPP-NPA and Kidapawan road closure
If the issue of rallyists and demonstrators in Kidapawan, Cotabato was asking government for subsidy to deal with El Nino crop failure, why (1) most plackards were campaigning against Oplan Bayanihan (OB), (2) farmer demonstrators were supposed to be very poor and hungry yet have neat, uniformly-printed plackards, (3) there were flags with hammer and sickle, (4) occupy an important highway connecting Davao-Cotabato, among the major urban centers of Mindanao? Photos from http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/561130/news/regions/farmers-killed-dozens-hurt-in-dispersal-of-protesters-i... more »
Musical Interlude: Susan Ciani, "Anthem"
Susan Ciani, "Anthem" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnCl1zWYl6k&list=RDWnCl1zWYl6k
We Want War on War on Want. When do we want it? Now!
Remember this? (September 2015) Charity Appeal. “Fighting Global Poverty! That sounds good. What’s not to like? I'll just get my cheque book out. I’ve just heard a querulous old lady making a desperate, emotional appeal on Radio 4 on behalf of impoverished garment-makers in Bangladesh. Better hurry, it sounds as though she’s about to gasp her last breath - So have you got a pencil ready? Hang on a mo. Good Grief! It’s Vanessa Redgrave appealing on behalf of War on Want.” +++++++++++++++++ A complaint was fired off to the BBC. The complainant was advised to re... more »
Argentina: A First-Person UFO Sighting
*Argentina: A First-Person UFO Sighting* *By Quique Mario, CEUFO* A UFO of striking characteristics was seen today, Thursday, April 1, at 12:36 hours in the vicinity of the intersection of Routes 7 and 10 in the Province of La Pampa. Other potential witnesses are asked to contact CEUFO (www.ceufo.blogspot.com) in order to determine a possible landing site. The title of this report implies that as a researcher and student of the phenomenon, I was the privileged witness to an event of extraordinary characteristics and in spite of my experience [in the field], I understand what an ey... more »
Boycott Israel's Apartheid on Palestinian Lands
I went to a statewide meeting of the Maine BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) Coalition yesterday. Folks were reporting on their efforts here in Maine around the boycott RE/MAX campaign. Some interesting things happening. A 2013 United Nations report exposed that the international realtor agency called RE/MAX illegally profits from the sale and rental of homes in Israeli-only settlements on occupied Palestinian Territory. These settlements violate international law, have created a serious refugee crisis, and are an impediment to peace. RE/MAX is now on the list of companies... more »
Statism in a Nutshell: From Thievery to Tyranny in Five Easy Steps
*Gary ‘Z’ McGee* - Statism is tyranny, no matter how you try to rationalize it.
"Inglorious isolation"
As part of my April Fools' Day cavalcade of hilarity (well, it *might* have made Baroness Afshar laugh), I mooted the possibility that the BBC might soon start pumping out a variety of pro-EU programmes on Radio 4. One of my jokes imagined a programme "canvassing views about a possible Brexit from the people and politicians of all those [other EU] countries". Well, it turns out that my little joke might actually turn out to be not much of a joke at all (which I rather suspected, on more than one level).....and even more quickly than might have been expected. Radio 4 is running a ... more »
NPE's Attempt to Coopt Opt Out
--> The world of anti-corporate education reform is a small one, and the fiercest and most effective elements are represented by the non-negotiating and in-your-face teachers, students, and parents who comprise the high stakes testing opt out movement. Their disobedient presences have been the tiny drops of life in a dead sea of testing, from Long Island to Colorado, from Florida to Washington State. But one thing is for sure: when these overwhelmingly out-financed troublemakers sweat or bleed or cry into that vast dead standardized ocean, the colors change, the sun can once aga...more »
Editor's Note
Blogging will return later tonight.
Congress Can Push Back Against the Imperial Presidency
[image: Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., talks to reporters following a closed-door caucus meeting at Republican National Committee headquarters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Tea party conservatives have blocked a budget plan backed by GOP leaders, a blow to Speaker Ryan and a reflection of the anti-Washington mood pushed by GOP front-runner Donald Trump. The move by the House Freedom Caucus, the same band of conservatives that toppled his predecessor, would mean that the House would fail to pass a budget for the first time since Republicans reclaime... more »
Is the best way to stop illegal immigration really to make them all legal?
https://youtu.be/ILsXwp5QM_4
Pope Francis Announces Special Collection for Ukraine
[image: Pope Francis leaves to make a tour of St. Peter's Square at the end of a Mass for the the Holy Year of Mercy, at the Vatican, Sunday, April 3, 2016.] VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Pope Francis has announced a special collection to help people in Ukraine suffering amid conflict “who thirst for peace and reconciliation.” The pontiff told the faithful Sunday following a Holy Year Mass that Roman Catholic parishes... more »
Two Reported Dead in Train Accident South of Philadelphia
[image: This photo shows an Amtrak train following an accident Sunday, April 3, 2016, in Chester, Pa. Amtrak said the train was heading from New York to Savannah, Ga., when it struck a backhoe outside of Philadelphia. (Glenn R. Hills Jr via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT] (Updated) -- CHESTER, Pa. (AP) -- An Amtrak train struck a piece of construction equipment just south of Philadelphia on Sunday causing a derailment, and some injuries are being reported, according to authorities. Service on the Northeast Corridor between New York...more »
Baroness Afshar cracks up live on TV
Only Baroness Afshar gets the joke (tough crowd for Prof Glees!) I wonder if more chemists might care to open their doors on Sunday mornings. I suspect they'd do a roaring trade in blood pressure tablets and calming herbal remedies during Nicky Campbell's *The Big Questions*. It certainly doesn't make for the most restful viewing on a Sunday morning, Take Baroness Afshar. (Please!). She laughed and put her head in her hands theatrically through out pretty much everything Professor Anthony Glees said this morning on the subject of Islamic radicalism and the PREVENT strategy, and was ... more »
Words to live and die by
Lone Survivor is a great war movie. Bellow is a motivational video by the real guy. Teamates like this win.
Grey World story from the Grey Lady
Very Grey. Somewhat redacted.
$15 Minimum Wage Activists Setting Sights on More States
[image: Map shows states with minimum wages compared to federal minimum wage.] NEW YORK (AP) -- California and New York -- where almost 1 in 5 Americans live -- are on their way to raising their minimum wage to $15 an hour, and the activists who spearheaded those efforts are now setting... more »
Former Secretary of Defense Says Obama ‘Double-Crossed’ Him
[image: Robert Gates - 900] Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday in an interview on Fox News that President Barack Obama "double-crossed" him. Obama pledged to Gates there would be no major changes to the Pentagon budget, Gates explained. That promise, however, was quickly broken.... more »
Gold Prices See Largest Quarterly Gain Since 1986
[image: gilder] The price of gold skyrocketed by 16.5 percent to $1,235 an ounce in the first quarter, the largest quarterly gain seen since 1986. While the markets have rallied since the start of the year and the March jobs report was stronger than expected, the jump... more »
Azerbaijan Declares A Unilateral Ceasefire After Fighting Kills Dozens In Nagorno-Karabakh
*CNN:** Azerbaijan declares unilateral ceasefire amid Nagorno-Karabakh violence* (CNN)Azerbaijan says it is laying down its weapons in its recent conflict with Armenia, according to state media, a day after 30 soldiers from both sides were killed. "In the light of persistent calls from international organizations and given the fact that the government of Azerbaijan is pursuing a peaceful policy, the Azerbaijani armed forces took a unilateral decision to stop counter-attacks and retaliatory action against the enemy in the occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan," the co... more »
Russian Nuclear-Capable Iskander Missiles Have Been Spotted In Syria
DEBKA *IHS Hane's 360*: *Iskander missile launcher spotted in Syria* Russia has deployed at least one Iskander missile system to its Humaymim Air Base in Syria, although it is unclear if it is the ballistic or cruise missile variant. The Iskander transporter erector launcher (TEL) was spotted in footage broadcast by Russia's Zvezda TV channel on 27 March. The system could be seen on the east side of the runway at Humaymim as an An-124 transport aircraft took off from the base. The TEL, which is 13 m long, can be seen at the same location in Airbus Defence and Space satellite imag... more »
Today's Andrew Marr show
This morning's *Andrew Marr *show was dominated by the Tata Steel crisis. Even the paper review was largely taken up with it. The *Daily Mail* had a fascinating pair of articles yesterday under the overall headline *Should we Save Our Steel? *One article (by Alex Brummer) answered 'Yes', the other (by Dominic Sandbrook) answered 'No'. I was thinking of that genuinely two-sided, 'neutral' act by the *Mail *when Andrew Marr began today's show by saying: *Ours was a country that led the world with an industrial revolution led by coal and steel. Within weeks we could be out of both, a... more »
See, It's Not All Banksters Financing Her: LIUNA-- The Laborers Union-- Gave $4 Million To The Clinton Campaign
Hillary's single top campaign donor is George Soros, in so far for $7,039,800. I have nothing negative to say about him and I suspect he honestly believes in the status quo centrism she represents and isn't actually trying to bribe her or even guarantee any more access into the halls of power than he already commands. Still, I sometimes point to this gigantic contribution as evidence of why Hillary is the wrong candidate for a Democratic Party collectively sick to its stomach of the corrosive effect of big money on the political system and of rigged elections and a rigged economic... more »
Untitled
*For California Teacher Taking on Unions, Supreme Court Ruling Isn’t the End of Her Case* Two years after California teacher Rebecca Friedrichs first mounted her challenge to public-sector unions, she’s hearing the same thing today that she’s heard from fellow teachers all along: Keep fighting. The Supreme Court ruled 4-4 Tuesday in the case that bears her name, Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, leaving in place agency fees public employees pay to public-sector unions and delivering a victory to labor organizations. But Friedrichs and her legal team contend that the... more »
‘The Night Watch,’ by Rembrandt (and King Crimson)
[image: nachtwachtrh] *Artist**: **Rembrandt**, **Dimensions**: 3.63 m x 4.37 m, **Location**: * *Rijksmuseum**, **Created**: 1642* Rembrandt’s painting of Amsterdam’s compnay of militia men: *The picture was a huge success at the time, not least because it turns a fairly humdrum subject into a dynamic work of art.* Not many rock bands write a song about a classic painting, not like an Old Master like this one. But King Crimson have never been any ordinary band of rock masters, have they. (But neither have their videos ever been up to much...) Content is copyright PC.BlogSp... more »
The Latest: Syrian Forces Push Into Another ISIS-Held Town
[image: Syrian soldiers flash the v-victory sign in the ancient city of Palmyra on Friday, April 2, 2016. An Associated Press crew visiting the town Friday witnessed firsthand the destruction inflicted by the extremist group on the town’s famed archaeological site, less than a mile away from the modern-day town of the same name, now completely deserted. (AP Photo)] BEIRUT (AP) -- The Latest on the fighting in Syria that’s threatening to undermine a U.S.-Russia-brokered cease-fire that has held for over a month (all times local): 12:50 p.m. Syrian state media and an activist group say ... more »
Clashes Between Armenia and Azerbaijan Threaten Widening Conflict in the Middle East
[image: Nagorno Karabakh region, Armenia, Azerbaijan] Officials in both Armenia and Azerbaijan have confirmed their military forces engaged in fighting with one another, killing around 30 people. The battle took place Friday night in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, which lies near the border of the two Caucasus countries.... more »
Austria’s Hard-Nosed Stance on Immigration Credited in EU Migrant Deal
[image: In this photo taken Thursday, March 31, 2016, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Vienna, Austria. “I believe that we played a significant role in ... finding a solution for the migration crisis,” Kurz said ahead of the first expected migrant returns from Greece to Turkey on Monday. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak)] VIENNA (AP) -- Just weeks ago, thousands of migrants a day were streaming into northern Europe. Now the influx has been dramatically crimped and Austria is claiming much of the credit. The small country at the hear... more »
Untitled
*Mauna Loa CO2* The Mauna Loa CO2 record seems to be the one most referred to by Warmists so I have for some time been greatly amused by what it shows for 2015, that "record" year for warming, according to Warmists. It is so amusing that I think there is a fair chance that it will be "adjusted" -- as the temperature record often has been. So I have decided to take a screen capture of it while it is in its original state. See below. The 4th column is the actual average CO2 level in ppm. As you can see, the actual CO2 levels just bobbed up and down around 400ppm, showing that ... more »
The Globalisation Of Bad Food And Poor Health: Sustainable Development Or Sustainable Profits?
CounterPunch, RINF, Countercurrents, Global Research Don't take free content on the web for granted. Please read *this *I could not continue to produce these articles without public support. The proportion of deaths due to cancer around the world increased from 12 percent in 1990 to 15 percent in 2013. Globally, cancer is already the second-leading cause of death after cardiovascular diseases. In India, government data indicates that cancer showed a 5 percent increase in prevalence between 2012 and 2014 with the number of new cases doubling between 1990 and 2013. The incidence o... more »
Intelligent Design Critics: ‘Never Mind What You’re Saying. What I Say You’re Saying Is Stupid’
[image: Lawrence Krauss (L) and Stephen C. Meyer at 2016 Toronto Debate] What is the theory of intelligent design (ID), and what do you think of it? It probably depends on which of two general categories you fit in. There are those who think intelligent design is, or at least may be, a valid... more »
IRS Union Whistleblower Alleges Vast Abuses
[image: Close up to IRS website through a magnifying glass on the laptop. IRS is a United States government agency tasked with collecting yearly state and income tax from working residents and businesses.] Unionized government tax collectors have been subjected to consistent abuse and corruption from their labor representatives, according to an inside source. Attorney Jane Kim has worked for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in New York for roughly 12 years. She... more »
Beautiful Churches: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
[image: BNSIC Main - 900] The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is the largest Roman Catholic church in North America and one of the ten largest churches in the world. It was built between 1920 and 1961. Its neo-Byzantine dome, which... more »
library workers are precarious workers
Local 4948, Toronto Public Library Workers Union, a/k/a the most kickass library workers' union in North America, produced two videos about the state of library work today. Here's the short, humourous version. And here's the longer documentary version; it's about 19 minutes long. If you care about libraries, about the lives of working people, and about our communities - or, like me, if you are passionate about all three - I hope you'll watch. More on this subject coming soon.
Trump on Defense Trying to Regain Momentum in Wisconsin
[image: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event, Saturday, April 2, 2016, in Racine, Wisc. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)] RACINE, Wis. (AP) -- Following one of the worst weeks of his campaign, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was on defense Saturday as he kicked off a three-day sprint to Wisconsin’s primary. Trump began the afternoon with a rally in... more »
Clinton, Sanders Back Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Cautious About Cloning
[image: Clinton, Sanders had Opposing Views on Embryonic Stem Cell Research and Cloning] NEW YORK (AP) -- Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were on opposing sides of certain types of biomedical research while they served in Congress, differences that have gained notice by scientists and advocates on the forefront of stem... more »
Radical Environmentalist Wonders if It’s Immoral to Have Kids in a Warming World
[image: Earth with a fever] Former Vibe editor and current author Dave Bry wondered publicly in a Saturday editorial for The Guardian whether or not it is moral to birth a child in a world that could supposedly become uninhabitable within the next few decades.... more »
Hillary Clinton’s Contradictory Stance Against Oil Money Donations
Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton is confusing her stance on campaign contributions from big oil and other fossil fuel companies, and opposition attacks on candidates who accept such monies, according to unconfirmed video evidence. The former Secretary of State recently blew her top at an environmental activist who had dared ask if she would stop taking money from oil and other fossil fuel companies. “I am so sick of the Sanders campaign lying about me. I’m sick of it.” Flashback 2008: Clinton Attacked Obama For Taking Oil Money [VIDEO] Note: The video is unlisted... more »
New Blogs Feb/April 2016
Didn't do one of these last month because reasons. Here it is now. Bob Said It (Unaligned) (Twitter) Fifth Opinion (Unaligned) (Twitter) Frank Podmore (Unaligned) (Twitter) Labour Insider (Labour) (Twitter) Language: A Feminist Guide (Unaligned/feminist) (Twitter) Mosquito Ridge (Unaligned) (Twitter) Tom (Labour) (Twitter) Renie Anjeh (Labour) (Twitter) Rob Francis (Labour) (Twitter) Robin Wilde (Labour) (Twitter) The Argument (Labour) 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 loo... more »
When is our raise coming?
Members of Parliament and senators *will get a $3,000 increase Friday* in their base salary, while cabinet ministers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will receive a larger raise – at a time when Canadians are struggling with stagnant wages and rising unemployment. The wage hike of 1.8 per cent for MPs and 2.1 per cent for senators is about four times what the federal government has offered public sector unions and executives in the federal public service................. Federal legislation automatically gives MPs an annual pay hike on April 1 that’s equal to the average percentage i... more »
Englishman Shoots Off His Socks Using A Rocket Launcher
An Englishman from Lincolnshire has found a novel way to take off his socks while sitting at the back of a truck… Inventor, Colin furze removes his socks off with the aid of a rocket launcher and has posted a video showing how he does it on youtube Lincolnshire Echo reports: It shows him sitting in a field with some string attached to his black socks. The other end of the string is tied to a rocket launcher mounted on his shoulder. The video shows Mr Furze fire the rocket and his socks shoot off – he then appears shocked that it went to plan. The inventor has previously posted videos... more »
The U.S. Navy Will Continue To Buy F/A-18 Super Hornets Over The F-35
F-18 and F-35. Defense Industry Daily *Dave Majumdar, National Interest*:* America's Lethal F-35 vs. F/A-18 Super Hornet: Who Wins?* The U.S. Navy is continuing to buy the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet at reduced rates while increasing its buy of Lockheed Martin F-35C Joint Strike Fighters. However, the sea service has always been somewhat lukewarm toward the stealthy single-engine fighter. Instead, the service has shown a strong preference for more Super Hornets, while either developing a stealthy long-range unmanned strike aircraft or skipping ahead to a next-generation F/A-XX. ... more »
Why Conservatism Is Cracking Up in the Age of Trump
[image: Golden egg1] Thursday I was talking on the radio to my old friend Eric Metaxas, who had brought me on to balance out an appearance by Ann Coulter -- one of Donald Trump’s loudest supporters. I was grateful for the opportunity, but I’ll... more »
Air France Stewardesses Decline Head Scarves As Part Of Uniform
Air France stewardesses will refuse to fly to Tehran later this month when the airline resumes service. They have been ordered to wear headscarves as part of their uniform to show respect for local Islamic laws while in the Iranian capital. The stewardesses find it hard to reconcile their duties as female workers and their indelible rights to liberty and equality The Telegraph reports: Female members of flight crews have been ordered to cover their hair once they disembark in Tehran and unions are demanding that the flights be made voluntary for women. The resumption of a thrice-wee... more »
A Former CIA Soldier Gives His Account On What is Happening On The Ground In Afghanistan And In The Middle East
*New York Times:* *A C.I.A. Grunt’s Tale of the Fog of Secret War* WASHINGTON — In Douglas Laux’s final days as a C.I.A. officer, the futility of his mission prompted him to quote George Orwell to his boss. Mr. Laux had spent months in 2012 working with various Middle Eastern nations that were trying to ship arms to Syria to help disparate rebel groups there. But it had become clear to him that the C.I.A had little ability to control the squabbling and backstabbing among the Saudis, Qataris and other Arabs. He told a senior C.I.A. officer he felt like Winston Smith, the character ... more »
Booker On The Looming Energy Disaster
By Paul Homewood http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2016/04/02/were-following-germany-to-an-energy-disaster/ Booker takes from three of my recent posts in his column today: A far darker shadow is hanging over Britain than that of the collapse of our steel industry. As she is the sister of a leading figure in the campaign to keep Britain in the EU, we […]
Can scientists have empathy for crackpots?
Tetragraviton tells us that he doesn't have any understanding for crackpots. Who may exactly boast the label "crackpot" is a bit vague question (despite attempts to quantify the word) – and as you know, I am using a more inclusive definition than others. But Tetragraviton's basic idea is clear: A crackpot is someone who believes that despite his lack of training, he (or much less often she) can solve the deepest questions that none of the experts could have hacked, or who believes that he's right and everyone else is wrong even if he doesn't have any background in the field. Tetragr... more »
"the government probably trying to make out that..."
I was watching the BBC News Channel this morning and saw an interview between *BBC Breakfast *presenter Ben Thompson and BBC reporter Susana Mendonça about the steel industry in Britain. Nothing struck me as untoward about it until I read a comment at *Biased BBC *shortly after, beginning: AsISeeIt April 3, 2016 at 8:36 am “The Government is probably trying to make out that….” I would welcome this form of robust sceptical and frankly challenging phraseology – if it were uniformly applied to all state initiatives, which it isn’t. Note the wording prefixed a beeboid on beeboid conver... more »
Donald Trump: The U.S. Is Heading Into A 'Massive Recession'
*Washington Post:* *In a revealing interview, Trump predicts a ‘massive recession’ but intends to eliminate the national debt in 8 years* Donald Trump said in an interview that economic conditions are so perilous that the country is headed for a “very massive recession” and that “it’s a terrible time right now” to invest in the stock market, embracing a distinctly gloomy view of the economy that counters mainstream economic forecasts. The New York billionaire dismissed concern that his comments — which are exceedingly unusual, if not unprecedented, for a major party front-runner —... more »
Some shocking PC events at Harvard
*Pro-freedom scholars, students have to start a real tough fight* Two days ago, Harvard student Rachel Huebner talked to Megyn Kelly at Fox News. Her written essay, A Culture of Sensitivity, was published by The Harvard Crimson. At both places, Huebner describes the disappearance of basic freedoms at the campus. When I was leaving that place, things were already insufferable but these reports indicate that the situation has gotten much worse. In the name of "sensitivity", students were prevented from attaching the American flag above their own bed. A brainwashed class of female s... more »
President Obama: Iran Not Following The 'Spirit' Of The Nuclear Deal
U.S. President Barack Obama hosts a meeting with members of the P5+1 during the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington April 1, 2016. Flanking Obama are French President Francois Hollande (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping. REUTERS/KEVIN LAMARQUE *The Hill*: *Obama: Iran not following 'spirit' of deal* President Obama on Friday criticized Iranian leaders for undermining the “spirit” of last year’s historic nuclear agreement, even as they stick to the “letter” of the pact. In comments following the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, Obama denied speculation that the United Sta... more »
Military Photo of the Day: April 3, 2016
[image: Released POWs Hanoi Taxi March 1973 - 900] Recently released United States POWs from North Vietnamese prision camps being flown on-board the “Hanoi Taxi” (C-141A 66-0177) from Hanoi, North Vietnam to Clark Air Base, Philippines. 1973 - Wikipedia
Should Former U.S. Navy SEALs Profit From Being A Former Navy SEAL?
An image taken from the website of Eric Greitens’s campaign for governor of Missouri, which prominently features his experience in the Navy SEALs. *New York Times*:* Rift Among Navy SEALs Over Members Who Cash In on Brand* Eric Greitens’s bid for governor of Missouri hinges on his experience as a Navy SEALs member, which he has chronicled in three books and promotes on his campaign web site, where he is pictured wearing his combat uniform, holding a rifle. “In the SEALs we learned, ‘there is no prize for second place in a gunfight,’ ” he said recently on Twitter. Now Mr. Greitens, ... more »
Islamic State Are Planning To Use Drones To Spray Nuclear Material Over A Western City
*The Telegraph:* *Isil plotting to use drones for nuclear attack on West* Isil terrorists are planning to use drones to spray nuclear material over Western cities in a horrific “dirty bomb” attack, David Cameron has warned. World leaders are concerned that jihadists want to buy basic drones that are widely available online to transport radioactive material into the heart of major cities in a strike that could kill thousands. The Prime Minister warned that the dangers of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) getting hold of nuclear material was “only too real”. Mr Cameron on ... more »
Tweet For Today
ICYMI Friday: The Army just bought a new sniper rifle -- https://t.co/MPapov3OCX pic.twitter.com/PA1CaoPgAg — ArmyTimes (@ArmyTimes) April 3, 2016
President Obama Has Not Fulfilled His Promise To End America's Wars
President Obama, meeting Thursday with his National Security Council, wants more intelligence experts to see information intercepted by the National Security Agency. Credit Zach Gibson/The New York Times *Edward Delmand, The Atlantic:* *Obama Promised to End America’s Wars—Has He?* The president’s military record, by the numbers In his recent cover story for The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg notes that when Barack Obama first entered the White House, with George W. Bush’s long wars in Afghanistan and Iraq ongoing, “he was not seeking new dragons to slay.” Just the opposite: He fit th... more »
Picture Of The Day
Female Kurdish Peshmerga attend their graduation ceremony at a police academy in Zakho district of the Dohuk Governorate of the Iraqi Kurdistan province, Iraq. March 30. © REUTERS/ ARI JALAL
The U.S. Navy Is Still Going Strong
*James A. Warren, Daily Beast:* *The U.S. Navy’s Improbable Rise to Power* *From the very first, when it punched well above its weight in the Revolution, America’s seagoing military has enjoyed an almost unblemished rate of innovative success.* The United States Navy is paradoxically the most traditional and innovative of America’s armed services. It is also by far and away the most diverse in terms of missions and capabilities. In addition to its fleet of cutting-edge surface ships and submarines, the Navy possesses its own ground force—the Marines—and an air force, both land and ... more »
South Australia's Hottest March
*Guest Post: Chris Gilham* *The News, Adelaide, 27 March 1940* The 90.2ºF (32.3ºC) by 27 March 1940 was, according to CDO, followed by four days at West Terrace of 36.8ºC, 36.9ºC, 33.6ºC and 18.7ºC. That should have resulted in a March 1940 average max of 31.7C. March 1940 ended up 31.3ºC (88.3ºF) at West Terrace according to RAW and 31.8ºC according to ACORN. However, the 88.3ºF (31.3ºC) for March 1934 is 30.1ºC in RAW and 30.6ºC in ACORN. Was the West Terrace screen change to Stevenson between 1934 and 1940 and is that the justification for altering both RAW and ACORN? March 2016... more »
After Chemo
I get up at 4 am and slave away at the computer all day. I consider myself lucky that I can take some time out to swim and hike and do some errands. I still haven't found the time to do my taxes. But when a neighbor told me one of her dearest childhood friends was doing badly with a lung disease and couldn't eat or sleep I took them both to an above board medical marijuana dispensary. It was strange because here I was driving to a marijuana place with a frail little lady with an oxygen tank, telling me she's a Republican and wanting to debate me about Choice. She's vehemently anti... more »
Elephant in the Room
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past year and change, its hard to ignore the fact that the price of oil tanked (no pun intended) and things are very different from the way the used to be. Paradoxically, I've found work very busy the past few weeks due to plant outages and maintenance but I'm wary of the fact the despite the steady work it isn't all sunshine and roses. November through most of January was actually very slow and I found myself getting anxious at times about the proverbial hammer falling. Indeed I've seen a number of people who have decided to move on... more »
Fukushima’s Former Residents Return Home To Ghost Town | 3tags
In “Retracing Our Steps,” French photographers Carlos Ayesta and Guillaume Bression asked some of the 80,000 nuclear refugees forced to evacuate areas near Fukushima to return to the places they once knew, a process that took nearly four years of detective work and jumping through administrative hoops. What they found was a world that had become almost unrecognizable, but also stories that were deeply human, calling to mind Auden’s famous poem “Musée des Beaux Arts...” *more: Fukushima’s Former Residents Return Home To Ghost Town | 3tags* no nukes (ever) – – – whats up nuclear blog
Edward Snowden Is Still Optimistic That Whistle-Blowers Will Still Disclose Secrets
Former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. © Mark Blinch / Reuters *The Guardian*: *Edward Snowden: 'I'm not an unhappy ending' for future whistleblowers* Speaking at a conference Snowden refused to be seen as a warning sign to future leakers, saying of his time in Russia: ‘I am actually more effective now’. It’s not hard to argue that Edward Snowden is a warning to future leakers of government secrets. He’s stuck in Russia. Can only show up at parties as a video screen. And many of the western surveillance programs he outed continue three years later. But i... more »
Is The U.S. Now Spying On Reddit?
Reddit CEO Steve Huffman: "I've been advised not to say anything one way or the other." (IBTimes UK) *CNN:* *Reddit hints that U.S. now spying on its customers* It seems that the federal government has made a demand -- in a controversial secret court -- to spy on Reddit users. Normally, the discussion website Reddit would never be allowed to even acknowledge that it received such a request. But thanks to a legal hack, the company has tipped off its customers. Federal agencies have a tool of mass surveillance called a "National Security Letter." It's a formal request that's usually... more »
Film Review: Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice
"He has the power to wipe out the entire human race and if we believe there is even a one percent chance that he is our enemy, we have to take it as an absolute certainty." - Bruce Wayne I'm going to do my best to avoid any big spoilers in this review though I'm sure a little will slip through. I've a tough time deciding how I felt about *Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice *(henceforth referred to as BvS). I think the thing that keeps coming to mind is I don't think Zack Snyder really gets the appeal of Superman. In the comic books Superman is clearly a force for good. Despite ... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
"Sculpted by stellar winds and radiation, a magnificent interstellar dust cloud by chance has assumed this recognizable shape. Fittingly named the Horsehead Nebula, it is some 1,500 light-years distant, embedded in the vast Orion cloud complex. *Click image for larger size.* About five light-years "tall", the dark cloud is cataloged as Barnard 33 and is visible only because its obscuring dust is silhouetted against the glowing red emission nebula IC 434. Stars are forming within the dark cloud. Contrasting blue reflection nebula NGC 2023, surrounding a hot, young star, is at the low... more »
The Poet: Langston Hughes, “Life is Fine”
*“Life is Fine”* "I went down to the river, I set down on the bank. I tried to think but couldn't, So I jumped in and sank. I came up once and hollered! I came up twice and cried! If that water hadn't a-been so cold I might've sunk and died. But it was Cold in that water! It was cold! I took the elevator Sixteen floors above the ground. I thought about my baby And thought I would jump down. I stood there and I hollered! I stood there and I cried! If it hadn't a-been so high I might've jumped and died. But it was High up there! It was high! So since I'm still here livin', I guess I w... more »
Kahlil Gibran, "The Madman"
*"The Madman"* by Kahlil Gibran "It was in the garden of a madhouse that I met a youth with a face pale and lovely and full of wonder. And I sat beside him upon the bench, and I said, “Why are you here?” And he looked at me in astonishment, and he said, “It is an unseemly question, yet I will answer you. My father would make of me a reproduction of himself; so also would my uncle. My mother would have me the image of her seafaring husband as the perfect example for me to follow. My brother thinks I should be like him, a fine athlete. And my teachers also, the doctor of philosophy, ... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Oakes, N. Dakota, USA. Thanks for stopping by.
Winslow Police Protest 'Justice for Loreal' Photos Klee Benally
Photos by Klee Benally Native Americans joined by Southwest residents protested the Winslow, Arizona, Police Department today, April 2, 2016. Loreal Tsingine, 27, Navajo, was shot five times and killed this week by a white police officer. Winslow, located on the southern border of the Navajo Nation has a long history of violence toward Native Americans. Read
NYT Owners Outed as Clintonistas (Clinton Campaign Collapse/Deb Was Schultz to Resign?) Neoliberalism/Neofeudalism Destruction and Playing the Identity Politics Card Against Trump Whites? (Max & Stacy Out the Bums)
***GOING TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!******TAR HEELS ALL THE WAY*** Were Changes to "New York Times" Sanders Article "Stealth Editing?"Because if so, the owners have been revealed fatally as not only Clinton backers, but journalistic integrity quislings. Click the link and decide for yourself. (Right-click for a private window.) Then read the 1000+ comments like the ones immediately below, and
This Is How The NSA Can Listen In On Undersea Cable Communications
*Popular Mechanics:** NSA Used Submarine Probes To Listen In on Undersea Cable Communications* Spying in plain sight. LinkedIn is the stodgy, respectable sibling to the business-casual feel of Facebook or the teens-past-curfew chic of SnapChat. Filled with work-centric blogposts aimed at thinkfluencers and colleagues, the network is a soft, focus-grouped level of gray, as thrilling as a watercolor conversation about quarterly reports. That blandness is deceptive: sometimes people's resumes reveal secret programs, like that time the NSA used submarines to splice into underwater ca... more »
DARPA Unveils Game-Changing High-Tech Weapon
*WNU Editor: *Before anyone blows a gasket .... this video is just satire (maybe).
Did The Paul Ryan For President Campaign Leak The Information About Cruz And The DC Madam?
Everyone's going to think it was Trump, right? I mean, it was certainly Trump who got his pal Pecker to run the *National Enquirer* piece Rubio had been unsuccessfully shopping around for months that claimed Cruz had had affairs with at least 6 women (nearly as many as Rubio's had). But the sudden revelation that of the old DC Madam phone numbers include Ted Cruz's phone number did not-- we've been told confidentially-- come from anyone connected to Trump. My source, who I don't know well enough to vouch for, would only say it rhymes with Cruz's first name. I started guessing. Fre... more »
Help a New Teacher Avoid a Big Mistake
This showed up in the comment box today: I'm about to graduate in May and after receiving an invitation to interview at a KIPP school recently, I received a folder of candidate resources where essentially all of their procedures were spelt out. I was confused by whether I was looking at a juvenile detention center or a school? I started doing some research and came across your blog, wow. How can these places exist? Discount has been extended by publisher--20 percent off Rowman & Littlefield price or at other online booksellers. The perfect, and potentially career saving, gift for ... more »
April 2: a child in Yemen. And you and me.
Yesterday evening, I watched BBC News. It opened with some of the most dreadful footage I have ever seen. It was of the children of Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the world. There was a picture of a baby with the hideous facial bloating and the dead eyes that can come from malnutrition. There was a boy of 9 or 10. His eyes were dead. His body was very thin and hideously scarred - as were his legs which were also twisted, crippled - and will be for the rest of his life. I saw a school class - in a school missing most of it walls and ceilings. The children, perhaps of grad... more »
From Joe's Vault, April 2011: Tax Time Again
By Manifesto Joe In the five years since this post first appeared, I've gotten in trouble with the IRS. Looks like I may end up getting an attorney before this is over. Conservatives may laugh, but hey -- if not for your moronic Iraq War, and your giving zillionaires and big corporations a tax pass, perhaps I wouldn't owe so much. BTW, I didn't post for a few months, but I've been busy with a little thing called life. One week ago I got out of the hospital after surgery and am recovering at home. I finally have a lot of time on my hands, so I'm back on the blog trail. Without furt... more »
Mormon Leader Urges Tolerance of Those With Other Religious, Political Views
[image: People walk near the Salt Lake Temple on the way to the opening session for the semi-annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Saturday, April 2, 2016, in Salt Lake City. Mormon leaders are set to deliver guidance to their worldwide membership in a series of speeches this weekend during the religion's semiannual conference in Salt Lake City. More than 100,000 Mormons will attend the five sessions over two days, with millions more watching live broadcasts from their homes. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)] SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Mormon leaders called o... more »
What Will It Cost To Rebuild Iraq?
Destroyed buildings are seen in the city of Ramadi, Iraq, Jan. 16, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani) *Omar al-Jaffal, Al-Monitor*: *What it will cost to rebuild Iraq* BAGHDAD — “Ramadi has turned into ruins,” said Ouda, a soldier who has been fighting in the Iraqi army’s Seventh Division since mid-2015. Ouda took part in the liberation of Anbar province from the Islamic State (IS), which took hold of the city of Ramadi in May 2015. Al-Monitor met Ouda (a pseudonym), who is a resident of Baghdad, in one of the cafes of the capital during his day off. He recalled, “We fought... more »
Are Russian Attack Helicopters And A Few Thousand Soldiers Form Hezbollah And Iran The Reason Why Syria's Assad Is Winning The War?
Technicians at Syria's Hmeimim airport where Russian aircraft are deployed. © Dmitriy Vinogradov / RIA Novosti *James Miller, Foreign Policy:* *Putin’s Attack Helicopters and Mercenaries Are Winning the War for Assad* *Taking advantage of a ceasefire, the Russian strongman is doubling down in Syria — not withdrawing.* The George W. Bush parallel was lost on very few analysts when Vladimir Putin proudly announced that he was withdrawing a significant amount of Russia’s forces from Syria because their “mission is accomplished.” The announcement came just four days after the Atlantic... more »
"Real Glory"
[image: B4INREMOTE-aHR0cDovLzIuYnAuYmxvZ3Nwb3QuY29tLy1wU2RZY3NsZ1FQdy9VNXVIdWxNcGZCSS9BQUFBQUFBQlRKcy9lNEwwTDAtX0xhUS9zMTYwMC9icnVjZS1sZWUtcXVvdGUtZGVmZWF0LWUxMzU1MzI1MDk0MTgyLnBuZw==] “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” - Maya Angelou *“How Buster Douglas Beat Mike Tyson” * by johnnysmack7 “Going into the fight, Mike Tyson was the undefeated and undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. He held the WBC, WBA, and ... more »
"Three Positions..."
"The image that comes to mind is a boxing ring. There are times when... you just want that bell to ring, but you're the one who's losing. The one who's winning doesn't have that feeling. Do you have the energy and strength to face life? Life can ask more of you than you are willing to give. And then you say, 'Life is not something that should have been. I'm not going to play the game. I'm going to meditate. I'm going to call "out". There are three positions possible. One is the up-to-it, and facing the game and playing through. The second is saying, Absolutely not. I don't want to s... more »
"Fukushima- The Real Story"
*"Fukushima- The Real Story"* Lecture by Helen Caldicott, M.D. "Dr. Helen Caldicott is co-founder of Physicians for Social Responsibility, and she is author/editor of "Crisis Without End: The Medical and Ecological Consequences of the Fukushima Nuclear Catastrophe," The New Press, September 2014. For over four decades Dr. Caldicott has been the embodiment of the anti-nuclear banner, and as such, many people around the world classify her as a “national treasure”. She’s truthful and honest and knowledgeable.In late 2014, Dr. Caldicott gave a speech about Fukushima at Seattle Town Hall... more »
"What’s Really Going on at Fukushima?"
*"What’s Really Going on at Fukushima?"* by Robert Hunziker (June 15, 2015) "Fukushima’s still radiating, self-perpetuating, immeasurable, and limitless, like a horrible incorrigible Doctor Who monster encounter in deep space. Fukushima will likely go down in history as the biggest cover-up of the 21st Century. Governments and corporations are not leveling with citizens about the risks and dangers; similarly, truth itself, as an ethical standard, is at risk of going to shambles as the glue that holds together the trust and belief in society’s institutions. Ultimately, this is an ex... more »
Fukushima Update: Your Radiation This Month, March 12 to Apr 2, 2016"
*"Your Radiation This Month, March 12 to Apr 2, 2016"* By Bob Nichols "I didn't say it would be easy. I just said it would be the truth." - Morpheus (San Francisco) April 2, 2016 – "Good Day, this is “Your Radiation This Week.” These are the Top Fifteen (15) cities with recorded radiation highs exceeding 1,000 CPM that affected people for the past four weeks in Your Rad Weather around the United States. Let’s get right to it. *All Radiation Counts reported are partial Counts. Uncounted types of radiation include Alpha, Beta, **Gamma, Neutron and X-Ray radiation. **Uncounted radiat... more »
Bilingual education has the data and the research!
Sent to the Dallas Morning News, April 2, 2016 "Pioneers in bilingual education to reunite at TWU in Denton" (April 1) concludes with an important statement by Prof. Martha Morolez-de Anda: “We have the data, the research, and the skills, but not enough bilingual education teachers.” The public is not aware of how right Prof. Morolez-de Anda is. Studies done over several decades have shown that bilingual education works: students in bilingual programs outperform students with similar backgrounds in all-English programs on tests of English reading. The data and research supporting ... more »
UFO's and the National Security State
UFO's and the National Security State complete lecture
Two-Year-Old Twin Dies After Routine Vaccination
An 18-month old twin baby has died 24-hours after receiving a “routine vaccination” at the doctors office. Shannon McDonald said she took her 2-year-old twins to the doctors to receive routine vaccinations, and the very next day one of the twins, Nevaeh Kennedy, was rushed to hospital where she was pronounced dead. McDonald told CTVnews.ca that she felt something was wrong the entire time. “Something in my chest was telling me,” McDonald told CTV Atlantic. “That big scary feeling that every mother has — that they’re going to walk into a room and their kid who is supposed to be slee...more »
Putin: Illuminati Plans To Use Islam To Spark World War 3
Brave Vladimir Putin is determined to destroy the Illuminati, describing the destruction of the world’s most elusive organisation as the ‘most important legacy’ he could possibly leave behind, and according to Kremlin sources he understands the role of Islam in the Illuminati’s plan is to start World War 3. In Russia there is an old saying that roughly translates to ‘If you don’t understand the past, you won’t be able to understand the present, or shape the future.’ Putin lives by this saying. According to sources he has been studying the history of the Illuminati so he can understa... more »
Trump Urges Tennesseans To Rise Up Against The Establishment
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump is having a hard time against the establishment. After snookering himself over the last couple of weeks by giving interviews to the establishment media and being led down the garden path in tricky question and answer sessions, the Donald is now fighting back to secure the delegates he won in Tennessee. Trump has tweeted for his followers to rise up against the Tennessee Republican Party on Saturday raising concerns over security, according to Politico. “We won the votes. They are trying to steal them. I can’t believe I am writing thi... more »
Eugenics: CIA Plot To Exterminate Haitian Population Exposed
In 1937 the CIA authorised a plan to ethnically cleanse the entire Haitian population by orchestrating Plan Osorio – a U.S. government-backed project that allowed the brutal murder of 6,000 Haitians in the Dominican Republic. Over the next few decades, the U.S. government continued its eugenics program on the Haitians via biological and weather warfare. Abreureport.com reports: The dictator of the Dominican Republic, Rafael Trujillo, was not a very articulate man, and he was a poor orator; most Dominicans today would not recognize his voice. Even after he perpetrated genocide in th... more »
Sailing to F***ing Byzantium
As part of the BBC's exhaustive commemoration of the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising, Monday-hating Bob Geldof will be presenting a 90-minute film on BBC Four called *Geldof On Yeats.* In the BBC's blurb, the Boomtown Rats singer (still?) "reflects on the events of 1916 in Ireland and the f***ing impact they had on the f***ing works of WB Yeats". *This morning's Today* plugged the programme (as *Today *is wont to do). During his discussion with Bob Geldof, Nick Robinson said that a Yeats poem had been read at his own wedding, which was nice.... ....especially as the poem ... more »
Turks Protests Against Migrants’ Return From Greece and Turkey, Greeks Protest Their Remaining in Greece
[image: Residents gather to protest against plans to build a refugee camp under the new EU-Turkey deal in Aegean resort of Dikili, Izmir, Turkey, Saturday, April 2, 2016. Under the new deal refugees and migrants who arrived on Greek islands after March 20 will be sent back to Turkey starting on Monday. The placards read: " No to a refugee camp! " and " Don't touch my Dikili! "(AP Photo/Mehmet Guzel)] IDOMENI, Greece (AP) -- Anti-migrants protesters staged demonstrations in Turkey and Greece against the plan to send back migrants from Greece to Turkey that is set to be implemented sta... more »
ISIS Plan To Use Nuclear Drones To Attack West
British Prime Minister David Cameron has warned the public that ISIS terrorists are planning to spray nuclear material over Western cities using drone technology – in a horrific “dirty bomb” plot uncovered by intelligence services. According to Cameron, ISIS militants are buying basic drone hardware online and preparing them to transport deadly radioactive material into the heart of major European and U.S. cities. Telegraph.co.uk reports: Mr Cameron on Friday met world leaders, including the presidents of America, France and China, to plan how they would react to such an attack. Fo... more »
Researchers Find LSD Makes You Happier, Smarter and Healthier
Scientists have begun experimenting with the therapeutic effects of LSD drugs again, years after the government declared a “war on drugs” and dissuaded the medical community from studying them. Researchers have found that despite the prevalent misconception that LSD is “dangerous” they have had success at healing various ailments with the hallucinogen. Washingtonpost.com reports: They helped alcoholics drink less; terminal patients eased more gently into death. And it’s not just the infirm who are helped by the drugs. Psychedelics can make the healthy healthier, too. On this subject... more »
People disagreeing on the internet
As a fairly long-term inhabitant of the blogosphere, and still a close reader of other, like-minded blogs, I just can't stop myself from being fascinated by some of the exchanges that go on elsewhere. That said, I try *not *to stick my oar in these days. But nevertheless, here goes... Stonecrops - the cause of so much grief on the blogosphere today There's a rumpus going on at *Biased BBC *tonight over this afternoon's *Woman's Hour *omnibus. Someone said something at *Biased BBC*. A 'troll' slagged her off for saying it. Claim and counter-claim have been flying about ever since... more »
A future of coastal, connected cities | David Kilcullen | TEDxSydney 2014
*"Out of the Mountains: The Coming Age of the Urban Guerrilla" By David Kilcullen. * *Title: A future of coastal, connected cities | David Kilcullen | TEDxSydney 2014. Source: TEDx Talks. Date Published: May 26, 2014. Description:* Did you know that one and a half billion more people own a cell phone than have access to a toilet or running water? In this thought-provoking talk David Kilcullen explores the major trends, including a rapid increase in access to technology, shaping the most populous, troubled cities on the planet. He lays out a plan for using this connectivity, in pa... more »
An Update On The Story Of A Russian T-90 Tank Being Hit By A U.S. TOW Missile In Syria
Here's the T-90 allegedly hit by Suqur al-Jebal #TOW last 26th Feb.in W. #Aleppo. Right Shtora broken. @MinsterTX pic.twitter.com/oBUrHj0TJk — Qalaat Al Mudiq (@QalaatAlMudiq) March 20, 2016 *Defense Tech*: *On the Russian Tank Damaged by a US Missile in Syria* The incident involving a Russian-made T-90 tank that was struck by a U.S.-made TOW missile in Syria is making headlines again after a picture surfaced allegedly showing the damage. Last month, a YouTube video was published that depicts a Syrian rebel in Sheikh Aqil, a town near Aleppo, firing a BGM-71 TOW (for tube-launched... more »
On The California Campaign Trail With Bill Ostrander-- Getting Special Interest Money Out Of Elections
Bill Ostrander's e-mail sign-off is "Elections must depend upon the Voters, not the Funders." You get an idea where he stands right away. And lot of independent-minded voters are starting to question the Establishment case for the "inevitability" of Salud Carbajal, the anointed candidate of the DCCC. When I started talking to Bill in March I thought the race had been neatly wrapped up and it was too late to do anything to help the real progressive in the contest for a blue California seat that Obama won in 2008 57-41% and in 2012 54-43%. Generally speaking, in a presidential year... more »
Israeli Cyber Security Helped FBI Unlock Apple iPhone
The FBI used an Israeli cyber security firm to unlock San Bernardino gunman Syed Rizwan Farook’s iPhone. Israel’s cyber security industry with its military connections is a flourishing business and has an eye out for expansion. The recent battle between Apple and the FBI to unlock San Bernardino shooter’s mobile phone has aroused the interest of many involved in Israel’s security industry. The Independent reports: Not least because at the American government’s request, a recent court hearing in the FBI’s legal fight to force Apple to unlock the iPhone was cancelled, with the FBI say... more »
Eerie Baby Faces Keep Popping Up Near Denver Airport
Mysterious baby doll faces have been appearing in and around Denver Airport for the last few months, and authorities have said they are unable to explain what the eerie faces mean. Freaked out members of the public have posted various photo’s of the faces on social media that have appeared on curbs, medians and buildings. Kdvr.com reports: “I’ve seen one over at Capitol Hill and another at Speer and Downing at the bridge,” Elaine Wahlquist said. “I’ve commented to my husband, ‘Look at those.’ But he never seems to notice them.” Most of the faces are pink and less than 6 inches long... more »
Los Angeles Father Charged With Killing Son For Being Gay
A father from Los Angeles has been charged with killing his child for being gay. NBC News reports: Shehada Khalil Issa, 69, was arrested Tuesday after police responding to 911 calls at the family’s home discovered the body of Issa’s wife and his 29-year-old son, Amir Issa. The felony complaint includes a special allegation that Issa “personally and intentionally” shot his son “because of his sexual orientation.” It is “alleged that the murder was committed because of the victim’s sexual orientation and because of the defendant’s perception of that status and the victims’ associatio... more »
Gene Therapy For Children Approved In Europe
In a global first, gene therapy that could prove life-saving for children has been recommended for approval in Europe. The pioneering technology to fix faulty genes has been developed by Italian scientists and GlaxoSmithKline FOX News reports: The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Friday it had endorsed the therapy, called Strimvelis, for a tiny number of children with ADA Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (ADA-SCID) for whom no matching bone marrow donor is available. Around 15 children a year are born in Europe with the ultra-rare genetic disorder, which leaves them unable t...more »
WW3 Drum Beat: U.S. Plans 3rd Patrol of South China Sea Islands
Some believe that China’s dispute with America’s allies in The South China Sea may be the cause of the next world war. Now, the U.S. Navy has announced plans to patrol the disputed islands in the South China Sea in April. This mission comes after China has repeatedly told the United States to stay away from its international affairs. According to The New York Times: The exact timing of the exercise and which ship would travel inside a 12-nautical mile limit around a disputed island was not immediately clear. The United States has conducted what it calls “freedom of navigation” exerc... more »
Brazil Arrests Worlds Richest Banker
The government in Brazil have arrested and charged one of the world’s richest bankers, Joseph Safra, for bribing officials in order to avoid paying tax. Brazilian prosecutors say that Safra had knowledge of a 2014 plan by executives at his Banco Safra SA to bribe federal tax auditors with $4.2 million dollars. Reuters.com reports: The accusation is based on tapped phone calls between Banco Safra executive João Inácio Puga and tax officials, the statement added. Safra, who alongside his family owns Banco Safra SA and a number of private-banking institutions including Switzerland’s J... more »
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