10:25pm MDST
We Don’t Have to Break It to Fix It
[image: Donald Trump speaking at the 2014 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland.] I constantly hear that only Donald Trump supporters can understand the Trump phenomenon, as if it were inaccessible to nonbelievers, like the secret knowledge of ancient Gnostics. But I don’t believe it’s a matter of comprehension. Trump supporters are so... more »
Run Against Obama
[image: WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 27: U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at the Righteous Among the Nations award ceremony honororing U.S. Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds at the Israeli Embassy January 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. Edmonds posthumously is the first American service member to receive the award for actions he took as a prisoner of war in World War II. International Holocaust Rememberance Day marks the 71st anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1945.] When a Republican has been in the presidency for eight years, as George W. Bush was, Democrats ru... more »
Too Rich And Powerful To Jail?
Ken, Gaius, Noah and I have, over the years, written a good number of posts about coal baron/murderer Donald Blankenship, mostly asking why he isn't in prison or when will he be in prison. It's taken a long, long time but yesterday he was finally sentenced to a year in prison-- but not for murder. He's too rich for that. The wrist slap is for "conspiring to violate federal mine safety standards." The sentencing, in Federal District Court here, came six years and one day after an explosion tore through Massey’s Upper Big Branch mine, killing 29 people. Although Mr. Blankenship wa... more »
Living in turmoil
When there is no security one is truly alive because to believe differantly is to die in so many ways and for most the truedeath far to young and most likely sucicde there are no walls to build to protect from life rather bridges to make to connect to the world and let the world know you communciate on every channel The Purge Saw Movies the Hills have eyes all have one purpose to make us think cause that fantasy is only three square meals over a week from reality Starving peasants can be a distraction or a threat and we play this game daily big time
Beyond the Map - Capturing the Feel of a Superhero City
As I work on mapping out Port Henry for our Icons game, I'm finding myself reminded of a challenge I often have when setting the scene. How much detail is enough? What is too little? I myself tend to be a bit on the sparser side, something which has its advantage as it allows players to fill in blanks, but presents its own challenges, especially if different players have fundamentally different views of what something looks like. At times like that I really wish I had some talent for drawing. I'm pretty handy at maps, especially when using digital tools like Campaign Cartographer. B... more »
Economic News & Views ( April 7, 2016 ) Overview For Thursday ( 1. Panama Papers Updates - Get Used To this Being A Daily Item For A Spell . 2. Venezuela - If Misery Had Another Name , Surely It Would Be Venezuela. 3. Al Douri Who Was Allegedly Killed By Shia Militia -Still Among The Living And Making Videos. 4. Libya Is Still A Hot Mess Politically. ) Europe In Focus ( 1. Greece Updates For Thursday. 2. Ukraine Fallout After Dutch Voters Reject Association Agreement With The EU. 3. Iceland - The Little Country That Could. ) Daily Odds & Ends ( 1. Around The Global Horn. )
Overview....... "Yesterday" ......... *FRANCE 24 English* @France24_en 2h2 hours ago Iceland's new PM sworn in: AFP http://f24.my/23mLKkG *fred walton* @fredwalton216 2h 2 hours ago fred walton Retweeted Gideon Resnick European Union threatened to impose sanctions on Panama and other countries if they allow tax evasion to prosper. fred walton added, *Gideon Resnick* @GideonResnick The EU is now threatening sanctions on Panama after the release of the Panama Papers. http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2016/04 /07/eu-threatens-sanctions-on-panama.html … ... more »
Rediscovered Ancient Planet Could Destroy Earth Any Day Now
An ancient planet believed to have wiped out life on Earth millions of years ago is heading in our direction once again according to a top scientist. Planet Nine – a planet discovered at the edge of our solar system this January – has already triggered comet showers that are capable of “bombing the Earth’s surface”, killing all life, according to Daniel Whitmire of the University of Louisiana. According to Whitmire, an apocalyptic shower could happen as earlier as this month, and certainly this year. Nypost.com reports: The astrophysicist says the planet has a 20,000-year orbit aro... more »
Enormous UFO Spaceship Spotted On Latest NASA ISS Feed
A UFO expert has spotted what he believes to be an enormous UFO ‘mothership’ whilst watching a live NSAS video feed from the International Space Station (ISS). Jadon Besson says he was watching the live stream with thousands of others when he noticed the large mysterious object in the background of the footage. Mirror.co.uk reports: He said the UFO was similar to the Millennium Falcon, a spaceship made popular in the Star Wars films. Jadon grabbed a screen shot and has sent the image to NASA and is still awaiting a response and explanation. Jadon said: I was watching the live strea... more »
Report: Hamas Employs 1,000 To Dig Tunnels In Gaza
Hamas terror operatives in Gaza tunnel. (photo credit:REUTERS) *Jerusalem Post*: *Report: Hamas taps over 1,000 terror operatives to dig Gaza tunnels* According to Israel Radio report, the terrorist organization invests hundreds of thousands of dollars each month in the subterranean digging activities. Hamas employs more than 1,000 operatives to excavate underground tunnels in the Gaza Strip, Israel Radio reported Thursday. According to the report, the terrorist organization invests hundreds of thousands of dollars each month in the digging activities, paying each operative enga... more »
Report: Vaccines Are Biological Weapons Of Mass Disease
A US-based pharmaceutical company has distributed vaccines laced with the deadly live Avian Flu Virus to 18 countries, putting millions of lives at risk. Baxter International Inc. have been accused by a Czech Republic laboratory of including the deadly virus in a recent shipment of vaccinations. Libertyforlife.com reports: When challenged, at first Baxter attempted to invoke trade secret laws (like the L-Bam Check Mate Apple Moth Spray issue). The facts were however irrefutable so Baxter changed their story and claimed to have distributed the Bio-WMD by ‘mistake’. Under the BSL3 c... more »
Japanese Citizens Flee Tokyo En Masse Following Fukushima Disaster
The elite and wealthy in Tokyo are evacuating en masse due to dangerous levels of radiation following the Fukushima meltdown. One nuclear expert has warned people that they should not only leave Tokyo, but evacuate Japan altogether if they have the financial means to do so. Agreenroad.blogspot.fr reports: She said that she would leave, if she could afford to do so. To find out more about this mega nuclear accident that has been mostly covered up, see; Nuclear Accidents, Recycling, Nuclear Fuel This same process happens after every nuclear disaster, such as Chernobyl, etc. The most ...more »
Corrupt Icelandic Officials To Free Jailed Bankers
Three jailed bankers from Iceland were freed on Thursday due to a change in law brought about by corrupt politicians in the country. Former Kaupthing Chairperson of the Board Sigurður Einarsson, former Kaupthing Luxembourg CEO Magnús Guðmundsson and former 10% owner of Kaupthing Ólafur Ólafsson have been released from Kvíabryggja prison, despite opposition from members of the public. Grapevine.is reports: They will instead move to a halfway house, Vernd, where they will have to return every night but will otherwise be free. A member of parliament has criticised the legislation is be... more »
IRS Headquarters Closes Just After Panama Papers Leak
Just two days after the Panama Papers were leaked to the press the IRS headquarters in Washington announced that they will remain closed for one week following a fire in the basement. Ap.org reports: IRS headquarters in Washington will remain closed for the rest of the week while repairs are made after a basement fire in the building. The agency said in a news release Tuesday that Monday afternoon’s fire affected the air handling system. No one was hurt in the fire. The IRS says telework-ready employees are expected to telework from their approved location. Officials say tax return... more »
Russia To Offer Free Land To Citizens And Foreigners
Russia has announced plans to offer free land to citizens and foreigners who want to build homes or start business in agriculture or tourism. Land in Russia’s far east is up for grabs after a Russian lower house committee approved a bill that offers the free handover of 1 hectare (2.5 acres) of land to foreign citizens. RT.com reports: However, foreigners will only be allowed to use the land, and the registration of full property rights is only possible after the naturalization of potential owners. The original bill was drafted by the Russian government in November last year. The e... more »
German Minister Tells Police To Remove “Rape” From NYE Sex Attack Report
A German minister put pressure on police involved in the Cologne sex attack investigation to remove the word “rape” from reports about the mass sexual assaults, in a bid to mitigate the sexual nature of the attacks that took place on New Year’s Eve. The German Express newspaper reported that the interior ministry of North Rhine-Westphalia forced a senior police officer to delete the word “rape” from an internal report on January 1. Dailymail.co.uk reports: ‘KHK told me that the state control centre wanted the report cancelled and the expression “rape” deleted,’ read a document writ... more »
Donald Trump's Criticisms Of NATO Is Gaining Some Support
*The Hill:* *Trump’s NATO criticism wins positive reviews* Donald Trump’s criticisms of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are winning positive attention from analysts who argue the military alliance should be getting more scrutiny from Washington. “When Trump talks about NATO being obsolete, it is dismissed as crazy rhetoric,” said Job Henning, a defense analyst who recently wrote a piece advocating for broad reform of the alliance. “But he is actually asking questions that are pretty similar to what a lot of people have been asking. Trump made headlines over the weeke...more »
Venezuela Makes Every Friday A Public Holiday To Save Electricity
Venezuela have declared that every Friday in the months of April and May will be a public holiday, in a bid to save electricity amid a prolonged drought in the country. President Nicolas Maduro unveiled the 60-day plan on Thursday, urging large shopping malls and hotels to generate their own electricity for nine hours each day. Bloomberg.com reports: Heavy industries operating in the country will be asked to cut consumption by 20 percent, he said. “This plan for 60 days, for two months, will allow the country to get through the most difficult period with the most risk,” Maduro said... more »
Will "Panama Papers" tax dodgers fight back and win?
Chris, KJ and Fee think their chances could be quite good... SOURCE GUARDIAN: Britain under pressure to end opposition to tax haven blacklist Pierre Moscovici, the European commissioner in charge of tax policy, urged member states to throw their support behind his plans for a blacklist of tax havens – an idea dismissed last year by UK officials. He cited the case of Lichtenstein as a
Going To The GOP July Convention Will Mean Taking Your Life In Your Hands
As the RNC gets ready for the July Paul Ryan coronation in Cleveland, the Trump forces are threatening for violence. Ryan-- one of the biggest NRA shills in Congress-- was smart-- albeit hypocritical-- to ban guns and then to respond to the petition to allow guns with a diktat from the Secret Service saying no guns would be tolerated. As we explained Monday night, Alex Jones and Roger Stone are asking for Trum-pests to show up ready for a fight. Jones called for 5 million of them to descend on Cleveland. Cash-strapped Cleveland has been forced to spend millions of dollars on heavy... more »
The War For Control of Afghanistan's Drug Trade Is Escalating
Farmers tended their opium crop last year in Helmand Province. Unlike previous years, there will be no serious efforts to eradicate the opium crop in Helmand because of Taliban advances and rampant corruption, with both sides battling over the drug trade. Credit Bryan Denton for The New York Times *New York Times*: *Corrupt Combatants Fight for Control of Lucrative Afghan Drug Trade* LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan — Afghans have an expression: “Well, whatever has happened, we are still skinny.” In other words, they have not gotten rich yet, try as they might. It is an expression heard ... more »
X22Report: US Government Is Strategically Positioning Military Assets In Syria And Iraq
*Source of photo: Daily Mail.* *Title: US Government Is Strategically Positioning Military Assets In Syria And Iraq - Episode 939b. Source: X22Report. Date Published: April 7, 2016. Description: * Wikileaks reports that the US Government leaked the Panama Papers. Obama and the IMF are pushing for a worldwide tax. France and Germany will back Ukraine in EU, Dutch say no. Turkey and Ukraine hold Black Sea drills. China will get delivery of the S-400 missile system this year. US might create more bases in Iraq. Turkey fired on journalists as they bombed the Kurds. The FSA has now tak... more »
Musical Interlude: Two Steps from Hell, “Colin Frake”, Playlist
Two Steps from Hell, “Colin Frake”, Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Named for the three astronomers instrumental in its discovery and identification, Wolf - Lundmark - Melotte (WLM) is a lonely dwarf galaxy. Seen toward the mostly southern constellation Cetus, about 3 million light-years from the Milky Way, it is one of the most remote members of our local galaxy group. In fact, it may never have interacted with any other local group galaxy. *Click image for larger size.* Still, telltale pinkish star forming regions and hot, young, bluish stars speckle the isolated island universe. Older, cool yellowish stars fade into the small galaxy's halo, exte... more »
April 7: The fading story of the Panama Papers in the Irving press
Here's an opinion on the Panama Papers that I don't agree with. I'm not at all sure it was investigative journalism that revealed this story. And, certainly, investigation has never been the strong point of journalists. And, in New Brunswick, it has never existed at all. http://www.theguardian.com/news/commentisfree/2016/apr/06/simon-jenkins-power-of-press-panama-papers-investigative-journalists I think this one too easily accepts the official version that this was all done by Clark Kent-type journalists. And, certainly, this is the one accepted by most western journalists (who shou... more »
Friday Morning Ramble, 08.04.16
“Requiring that employers pay the minimum wage to severely disabled workers is a great way to make sure those workers cannot be employed.” *Feeling good, doing harm – revisited* – Eric Crampton, THE SANDPIT *Jerry Brown: “Economically, the Minimum Wage May Not Make Sense”* - Daniel Bier, FEE “Another voluminous report into CYF; a long-winded ministerial response; multiple cabinet papers and a proposed radical overhaul promised. But when will the system that turns children into careless accidents or meal tickets be radically overhauled? Because until then, none of these other inve... more »
Visible Fukushima Emissions Down Substantially
I was able, with some difficulty, to load the TEPCO cams this morning. Perhaps the icewall is working (at least for now) because the visible emissions are down substantially. I also noted that work has been done to the common spent fuel pool. The work must have been done recently, perhaps yesterday. Here are shots from today (April 8, 2016): The unit 1 cam shows a sharp reduction in visible steam. Here is the unit 4 cam view from today: Notice the common spent fuel pool building and compare with the bottom screenshot from April 3, 2016: April 8, 2016: April 3, 2016: It... more »
The Coming Train Wreck
[image: Ted Cruz Donald Trump Headbutting Explosion - 900] WASHINGTON -- Yes, the big Wisconsin story is Ted Cruz’s crushing 13-point victory. And yes, it greatly improves his chances of denying Donald Trump a first-ballot convention victory, which may turn out to be Trump’s only path to the nomination.... more »
After Latest Bangladesh Murder, US Considers Refuge for Bloggers
[image: Blood stained glass and a photograph of the Hindu goddess Durga is seen near the spot where three motorcycle-riding assailants hacked student activist Nazimuddin Samad to death while walking with a friend, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, April 7, 2016. Police suspect 28-year-old Samad was targeted for his outspoken atheism in the Muslim majority country and for supporting a 2013 movement demanding capital punishment for war crimes involving the country's independence war against Pakistan in 1971, according to Dhaka Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Nurul Amin. (AP P... more »
Has World War III Already Begun?
Soldiers take pictures as flame and smoke are seen following air bombardments during the Northern Thunder exercises, in Hafr Al-Batin, near Saudi Arabia’s border with Iraq, March 10, 2016. REUTERS/Abedullah al-Desori *Peter Van Buren, Reuters*: *World War Three may have already begun in Iraq and Syria* The recent death of a Marine in Iraq exposed the fact the United States set up a firebase there, which in turn exposed the fact the Pentagon misrepresented the number of American personnel in Iraq by as many as 2,000. It appears a second firebase exists, set up on the grounds of one ... more »
On second thoughts, that vegetarian genomic study did show that not eating animals is not good for you.
Generally, a study that purported to show that vegan and vegetarian diets are harmful would be welcomed by meat eaters, who get a lot of pseudoscientific criticism from members of those groups, some of it disguised as sober science. But no-one was much impressed by the Pune vs. Kansas study. Even Tom Naughton wrote it off as meaning the same thing the head of the NZ vegetarian society said it meant - that omega-6 seed oils just aren't good for us anyway. But I thought about this, and, not so fast. Seed oils high in omega 6 are harmful for the descendants of long lines of vegeta... more »
Pugnacious Parasites and the Provocation
*Zen Gardner* - Psychopaths are running the external world. It’s more evident by the day to more and more people.
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- April 7, 2016
*The Guardian:* *The Panama Papers: what's been revealed so far?* *The unprecedented leak of 11.5m files is causing upheaval across the globe. Here is what has been revealed by the Guardian* The leak of 11.5m files from the Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca continues to create upheaval around the world. The documents were leaked to the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung, which shared them with the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, the Guardian, the BBC and other media organisations. This is a list of principal revelations by the Guardian. M... more »
Obama, Susan Rice Tell Generals to Shut Up About China
[image: Navy Admiral Harry Harris] President Barack Obama's National Security Council has placed a gag order on military officials who want to challenge China over its aggressive posturing in the South China Sea. Navy Adm. Harry Harris believes in pioneering a much stronger confrontation with China, but... more »
Major Union Makes $2 Million Magically Disappear
[image: Protesters hold up a sign bearing the Wisconsin Jobs Now logo at a demonstration against General Electric on April 25, 2012.] One of the most powerful unions in the country allegedly made roughly $2 million disappear through questionable transactions with front-groups, sources said Monday. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is one of the most politically active unions at 1.9 million... more »
In Bahrain, Kerry Treads Carefully on Issue of Human Rights
[image: Bahrain's Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, left, and U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain William Roebuck, right, greet U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, second right, as he arrives aboard his plane at Bahrain International Airport in Manama, Bahrain April 6, 2016.] MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry dealt delicately on Thursday with concerns about persistent human rights abuses in Bahrain, stressing America’s close military ties to one of several Persian Gulf countries with which it wants to...more »
Chet Raymo, "Know Thyself"
*"Know Thyself"* by Chet Raymo "The ancient Greek aphorism, attributed to Socrates and others. Good advice, I'm sure. If only we knew what it means. Is it the same as the "examination of conscience" we were asked to perform as young Catholics? "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned." Well, yes, it is good to ask ourselves if we have lived up to our highest moral aspirations. But surely "Know thyself" means more than that. Does it mean to be aware of our self-awareness? That is to say, not to act impulsively, but reflectively. Thoreau's "I went to the woods because I wished to live d... more »
School of Law' Is a Hilarious Name For a Law School
http://fortune.com/2016/04/06/antonin-scalia-school-of-law/ *School of Law' Is a Hilarious Name For a Law School* by Michal Addady @michal_addady April 6, 2016, 5:35 PM EDT At least Twitter seems to think so. George Mason University ran into an unforeseen problem when it tried to change its name. The school recently received a $20 million naming grant from an anonymous donor who requested that George Mason rename its law school in honor of the recently passed Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. The university announced the new name at the tail end of March, calling it the Ant... more »
Down Time
I've been having health issues that have kept me away from the computer. With a little recovery time, my back and legs should be renewed. I hope to be back in about a week. Best wishes to all. Image: mindmeister.com
Book Launch - Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State
*"Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic lllusion of an Islamic State"* *By Tarek Fatah.* *Title: Book Launch - Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State. Source: Kautilya Books. Date Published: June 24, 2015. Description: * Shri Ajai Sahni, Executive Director, Institute of Conflict Management at the book launch of 'Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State' by Tarek Fatah.
Kyiv, Washington Agree: Russian Threat Isn’t Going Away
[image: Ukrainian Soldiers, Ukraine, Exercise Rapid Trident] KYIV, Ukraine -- The Ukraine war is going into its third year, and leaders in Washington and Kyiv are bracing for the possibility that Russian military brinksmanship may be the new status quo in Eastern Europe. In Ukraine, some worry... more »
Former Secretaries of Defense Rip Obama Over Inexperienced, Ideological National Security Council
[image: Robert Gates] In a Fox News program on military readiness in the face of growing threats, all three of President Barack Obama's former secretaries of defense confirmed the National Security Council is essentially drunk on power and running wars from an office...more »
World News Briefs -- April 7, 2016 (Evening Edition)
U.N. Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura, the mediator of Syrian peace talks, speaks during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, April 5, 2016. REUTERS/SERGEI KARPUKHIN *Reuters*: *U.N. Syria envoy delays peace talks to ensure players are serious* The start of a new round of peace talks on the Syrian war has been pushed back by two days so that U.N. mediator Staffan de Mistura can travel to Damascus and Tehran to sound out their position on a political transition, the envoy said on Thursday. De Mistura told a news conference he wanted to verify the... more »
New York Times: Hundreds of Convicted Terrorists Are Already Being Held In U.S. Prisons. NYT Gives Locations On Where They Are Being Held
Fortress-like: The super-maximum-security federal prison in Florence, Colorado *New York Times*: *The Terrorists in U.S. Prisons* Republican leaders have blocked the closing of the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, because they say they do not want terrorists held on United States soil. But American prisons currently hold 443 convicted terrorists, far more than the 89 men who remain imprisoned in Cuba. The New York Times was able to confirm locations for about a third of the terrorists, shown on the map above. The Department of Justice would not release the names or locations of the... more »
Imagine a World with More Participation, Less Government and Less Tax
*Makia Freeman* - The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws. Can you imagine life without all of this?
Untitled
*3 Months of Louisiana Festivals!* 3 Months of Louisiana Festival Fun 3 Months of Louisiana Festival Fun 3 Months of Louisiana Festival Fun
AP-GfK Poll: Americans Overwhelmingly View Trump Negatively
[image: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally, Wednesday, April 6, 2016, in Bethpage, N.Y. A devastating indictment of Donald Trump emerges from new AP-GfK poll. Americans overwhelmingly view him unfavorably. In every part of the country. Men and women, black, white, Hispanic.] WASHINGTON (AP) -- For Americans of nearly every race, gender, political persuasion and location, disdain for Donald Trump runs deep, saddling the Republican front-runner with unprecedented unpopularity as he tries to overcome recent campaign setbacks. Seven in 10 people... more »
Married Celebrity Couple In Threesome Scandal Named On Social Media
The identity of a married celebrity couple currently embroiled in an extramarital threesome scandal has been blocked from being reported in the UK after a High Court judge granted an injunction barring British media outlets from naming the famous pair. The outdated and draconian privacy law have forced British readers to take to social media to find out couples identity, whilst the UK press have had to remain silent – much to their frustration. The well-known couple were first named in the U.S. as Sir Elton John and husband David Furnish. It was reported in the National Enquirer tha... more »
WikiLeaks Take on the Leak
Washington is behind the recently released offshore revelations known as the Panama Papers, WikiLeaks has claimed, saying that the attack was “produced” to target Russia and President Vladimir Putin.
Are We Entitled To Be Sure The Government Will Protect Us From Licensed Financial Predators-- Ask Elizabeth Warren
Because of the systemic corruption of careerist pols like Chuck Schumer, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Steny Hoyer, Steve Israel, Chris Van Hollen, etc, many Democrats have become so fed up with America's politicians that some are coming around to the Republican position that government is hopeless and useless. But then you see the exceptions-- real public servants like Alan Grayson, Donna Edwards, Ted Lieu and-- as you can see in the video above-- Elizabeth Warren. Watch her just hammer a former Bush-era Federal Reserve (anti-)regulator, now is a crooked Wall Street lawyer, someone t... more »
Life In the Slow Lane
Regulars will have noticed the drop in output of late and, I'm afraid to say, that's likely to continue for the time being. As I'm fond of lists, here's my rundown of reasons why. 1. Blogging constantly is a massive drain. Last year, I managed 366 posts, most of which were original articles/think pieces/rambling rambles (delete as appropriate). All of these were written in my own time and mostly in evenings after a day at work. It inevitably meant evenings out were passed up, the rare decent television offering was ignored, and too many books were left glowering at me, unread. I'd ... more »
OK, Liberals
Fix this. It doesn't matter how many mayurasana JT can do on his desk or how gender-balanced your cabinet is. Lying to us about the state of the nation's finances or how you spend our tax money, or anything really, is despicable.
Trump’s Inferior Organization is Hurting Him Now, and It May Point to a Bigger Problem
[image: Republican presidential candidates, businessman Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, argue a point during a Republican presidential primary debate at Fox Theatre, Thursday, March 3, 2016, in Detroit.] Is Donald Trump still a winner? His decisive defeat in Wisconsin is raising that question. Trump should have done well in a purple state with few of the evangelical voters who are Ted Cruz’s core constituency. Trump’s Wisconsin debacle is... more »
First Syrians Arrive in US Under Surge Resettlement Program
[image: Syrian refugee Ahmad al-Abboud, center, waits with his family at the International Airport of Amman, Jordan, Wednesday, April 6, 2016.] AMMAN, Jordan (AP) -- The first Syrian family to be resettled in the U.S. under a speeded-up “surge operation” for refugees left Jordan on Wednesday and arrived in Kansas City, Missouri, to start a new life. Ahmad al-Abboud, who is... more »
Israeli Drones Are Being Used To Kill Armenians; Lying Islamic Organization Accuses Armenia of "Aggression"
*Israel, Turkey, Pakistan, the United States, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation are all bullying tiny Armenia, whose only international defender is Russia and its great son, Vladimir Putin.* *An excerpt from, "Azerbaijan said using Israeli drones against Armenians" By Sue Surkes, Times of Israel, April 7, 2016: * An Israeli-made kamikaze drone has apparently been spotted in the skies over Nagorno-Karabakh in the Caucasus. Artsrun Hovhannisyan, a press spokesman for Armenia’s defense ministry, said on his Facebook page that the Azerbaijani army was using the using the Isr... more »
Pak Using American Weapons To Brutally Suppress Balochis - Dana Rohrabacher
*An excerpt from, "Human Rights in Balochistan: A Case Study in Failure and Invisibility" By Hamid Yazdan Panah, The World Post, March 25, 2016: * Last month a shocking story gained little traction in the mainstream press, despite its horrific implications and brutal reality. A report from Iran emerged which detailed how every male from a village in the province of Sistan Balochistan had been executed. The Baloch, an ethnic minority in both Pakistan and Iran, continue to face systematic repression in both of these countries, yet remain largely ignored in both the East and the West.... more »
The Poet: Theodore Roethke, "The Geranium"
*"The Geranium"* "When I put her out, once, by the garbage pail, She looked so limp and bedraggled, So foolish and trusting, like a sick poodle, Or a wizened aster in late September, I brought her back in again For a new routine- Vitamins, water, and whatever Sustenance seemed sensible At the time: she'd lived So long on gin, bobbie pins, half-smoked cigars, dead beer, Her shriveled petals falling On the faded carpet, the stale Steak grease stuck to her fuzzy leaves. (Dried-out, she creaked like a tulip.) The things she endured! The dumb dames shrieking half the night Or the two of us, al... more »
"Yellowstone Volcano: 'Whole Lot a Shakin' Goin' On'"
*"Yellowstone Volcano: 'Whole Lot a Shakin' Goin' On'"* by U.S. Reporter "Less than 48 hours after public display of volcanic activity at Yellowstone was intentionally taken OFFLINE from public view, we now know why: Looks like "there's a whole lot a shakin' goin' on!" Take a look at this reading from Bore Hole 944 inside the super-volcano at Yellowstone National Park: *Click image for larger size.* Folks within 500 miles of Yellowstone National Park may want to keep close watch on the super-volcano there. With readings like you see above, now closed-off to the public, it seems th... more »
NASA Confesses to Dosing Americans with Air-borne Lithium & Other Chemicals
*Christina Sarich* - There really is no better way to create a nation of obedient slaves than to lobotomize them from above.
Islamic State Has Kidnapped Hundreds Of Syrian Cement Workers
A general view shows damaged buildings as seen from the rebel held Qaboun neighborhood of Damascus, Syria March 13, 2016. The Islamic State group launched an attack near Damascus this week, and over 250 civilians are reportedly missing. Reuters *Reuters*:* Syrian state TV says 300 workers kidnapped by Islamic State* Islamic State fighters have kidnapped 300 cement workers in an area northeast of Damascus where the militants launched an assault against government forces this week, Syrian state television said on Thursday. The workers and contractors of Al Badia Cement company were t... more »
The Top 10 Reasons Donald Trump Could Give If He Truly Wants to Leave the Race
[image: US Republican Presidential hopeful Donald Trump waves after addressing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) 2016 Policy Conference at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC, March 21, 2016.] A series of stories are swirling around suggesting that Donald Trump never intended to be elected President, is surprised by his success, and may be looking for an honorable way to get out. Before the cable news networks weep over the loss of ratings... more »
Merle Haggard Once Said Reagan ‘Gave Me a Second Chance at Life’
[image: In this May 28, 2003 file photo, country music legend Merle Haggard smiles during a news conference at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington where he and his sister Lillian Haggard Hoge donated belongings taken on their family's Dust Bowl-era move from Oklahoma to California on Route 66. Haggard died of pneumonia, Wednesday, April 6, 2016, in Palo Cedro, Calif. He was 79.] Merle Haggard, the country music icon who died Wednesday, credited President Ronald Reagan for playing a central role in helping him realize his dreams. "He was a wonderful man... more »
Scientists: Mars’ Former Life-Supporting Habitat Helped By Comets
When Mars was being bombarded with giant asteroids and comets over four billion years ago, the giant space rocks were enhancing the climate. A new study from the University of Colorado Boulder says that the comets and asteroids actually enhanced the climate enough to make Mars’ environment more conductive to life for a time. According to NBC News: The bombardment occurred during a period known as the Late Heavy Bombardment, which was about 3.9 billion years ago when the solar system was developing. CU-Boulder Professor Stephen Mojzsis said if early Mars was as barren and cold as it ...more »
Info On 19th Century UFO Sighting In New York Recently Unearthed
An account of a UFO sighting in New York in 1861 was recently discovered. The Syracuse New Times reports: Around midnight in a Five Points slum house on Baxter Street in Manhattan, Mrs. T. Richard Kinder was looking eastward out of an upstairs window toward the Church of Transfiguration. In the clear moonless sky she saw a cross-like object with a flaming luminosity move across the sky. She woke her husband and he too saw the radiant cross. This story comes to us from an obscure entry into a Baptismal record from St. Peters Church in Jersey City, NJ. Perhaps the woman thought this ... more »
Newly Discovered Fish Virus Threatens Global Tilapia Supply
A new virus that attacks both farmed and wild tilapia has been identified by a team of international researchers. Tilapia is one of the most widely consumed inexpensive proteins globally. The virus, called the Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV), is said by the researchers to be the cause of the mass die-offs of the fish which occurred in Israel and Ecuador in the last few years. A paper produced on the virus by the research team lays out a plan for developing a vaccine to protect the global tilapia supplies from contracting TiLV. According to Phys.org: “Tilapia is one of the most important f... more »
Midday Musical Interlude: Two Steps from Hell, "Downstream"
Two Steps from Hell, "Downstream" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9Lf2qtNTUc
The Daily "Near You?"
Sofia, Grad Sofiya, Bulgaria. Thanks for stopping by!
"The Question To Ask Is..."
"Don't spend your precious time asking "Why isn't the world a better place?" It will only be time wasted. The question to ask is "How can I make it better?" To that there is an answer." - Leo Buscaglia
Is Obama Abusing His Authority to Try and Stop American Tax Inversions?
[image: U.S. President Barack Obama delivers a statement on economy at the James Brady Press Briefing of the White House April 5, 2016 in Washington, DC. President Obama made a statement in response to the Treasury Department announcement on corporate tax inversions that would stop companies from avoiding U.S. taxes by moving their tax base overseas.] The U.S. tax system makes it extremely difficult for international businesses to compete in the global market. A prominent and recent example of the lengths American businesses will go to escape our anticompetitive system is Pfizer, a l... more »
"Work, Life, and Everything"
*"Work, Life, and Everything"* by Paul Krugman "Ryan Avent has a lovely essay about the reasons modern professionals tend to put in such long hours. As he says, it’s not just drudgery: for many people work is satisfying, a source of a lot more than just money. It can, of course, also be a form of avoidance, a way to avoid the messiness of real life. But anyway, for those lucky enough to have the right kind of work, it’s much more than a paycheck. I just thought I’d add a note from further down the pike, as someone who’s a quarter-century older than Avent: the nature of the reward f... more »
"Visible..."
"I remember asking a wise man, once, 'Why do Men fear the dark?' 'Because darkness' he told me, 'is ignorance made visible.' 'And do Men despise ignorance?' I asked. 'No,' he said, 'they prize it above all things- all things!- but only so long as it remains invisible." - R. Scott Bakker
"No Cure for Old Age"
*"No Cure for Old Age"* by Bill Bonner BALTIMORE – “Who’s the president of the United States?” Last night, we had an encounter with the U.S. health care system. Your editor’s mother, 94, was having trouble breathing. So, we took her across Baltimore to an outfit called Patient First on the campus of The Johns Hopkins Hospital. This was probably your editor’s fault. On Monday, he had wheeled her all around town. She might have gotten a chill. *The Old Hood: *The idea was to explore the old “hood” by pushing her around in a wheelchair. Mother grew up on Park Avenue in Baltimore, onl... more »
Public school watch: The way to prove that black kids don't count!
*THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2016The joy of liberal script:* What sorts of things could the nation do to help black kids and/or low-income kids enjoy their years in public school? What could we do to help such kids emerge from public school with better academic skills? To help them feel wanted in school? To help them feel they know why they're there? To help them feel that they want to go on to college? In theory, those are important questions. (In practice, nobody cares.) We put our question about enjoyment first because public school is often a very unpleasant place for wonderful kids ... more »
Oh Mothers, Tell Your Children: don't trust museums on climate change
Source: The GuardianMothers, and fathers concerned about your children getting a fair and balanced view of climate variation, please read the article from which the following is an extract: 'A few years ago, I went to the museum and gave a quiz to a class of high-school students who had just toured it. I asked about two long-term trends in the United States: Was air pollution getting better or worse, and was the amount of forestland increasing or decreasing? None of the students—nor their teacher—got both questions right. Most had no idea that air pollution has been declining for de... more »
Migrant Flow Sealed Off – Greek Arrival Numbers Plummet
Just last week we reported about Greece deporting migrants to Turkey as part of a mutual deal with the EU. Now, nearly a week later, the number of migrants has dropped severely. According to a report from DW.com: The number of irregular migrants making the dangerous boat journey from Turkey to Greece plunged to 78 in the past 24 hours, the Greek refugee crisis committee said Saturday. Closed borders and the prospect of migrants being sent back to Turkey appears to be stemming the flow. Before a controversial EU-Turkey deal to send migrants back to Turkey went into effect last Sunday...more »
Laser Cloaking Device Suggested To Hide Earth From Hostile Aliens
A couple of scientists have devised a way for the people of Earth to conceal themselves from hostile aliens. David Kipping and Alex Teachey recommend the controlled use of lasers as “a cloaking device” in their recently published paper According to GeoBeats News: Two scientists with Columbia University have come up with a way for people on Earth to try and hide our existence from extraterrestrial beings. In their recently published paper, David Kipping and Alex Teachey recommend the controlled use of lasers as “a cloaking device.” Their proposed solution is based on the fact that Ea... more »
World War Drum Beats: China Builds Lighthouse On China Sea Island
The tensions between China and the world continued to escalate this week when China began operation of a lighthouse on its recently-built island in the South China Sea. The man-made islands have caused tensions between China and the US and her allies to grow increasingly in the past few months. According to Asia Times: China claims most of the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. But neighbors Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims. China’s transport ministry held a “completi... more »
Landmark Slavery Lawsuit:14 Nations Suing Britain, France, Others
14 Caribbean nations are suing their former colonizers (including Britain, France, and the Netherlands) in a landmark lawsuit demanding reparations for the slavery trade. According to Time.com: Fourteen Caribbean nations have resolved to sue their former colonizers — Britain, France and the Netherlands — for lingering harms that they attribute to the slave trade. The AP reports that the leaders of the Caribbean Community, a regional consortium, adopted a 10-point plan that would seek an official apology, a cancelation of debts and assistance for cultural and educational institutions... more »
Russian Mi-28 Helicopters Hunt And Destroy Islamic State Fighters (Video)
*RT*: *ISIS vehicles hunted & destroyed by Russian Mi-28 helicopters in Syrian desert (MILITARY VIDEOS)* Newly-released videos depict the hunt of Russian Mil Mi-28NE Night Hunter helicopters after vehicles of Islamic State forces in Syria. Some of the videos were posted by Dmitry Rogozin, deputy prime minister in charge of the military industry. The Mi-28NE reportedly use Ataka (NATO designation AT-9 Spiral-2) anti-tank guided missiles with shaped charge warheads, designed to eliminate armored vehicles; the pickups and trucks of the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) terrorists ar... more »
Rip-off News round-up. Our pick of the last week's media (Thu 7th April)
Top UK earners to receive as much in handouts as poorest by 2020 A new analysis by the Fabian Society shows the budget was just the latest step in a radical reshaping of the welfare state, which has shifted resources from the poorest in society to the better-off. The wealthiest 20% of Britain’s earners will receive almost as much support from the state through the “shadow welfare” of generous
Life is What Gets in the Way When You're Trying to Blog
...to paraphrase John Lennon. While surfing in to my own little back yard pool here at P'ville today, I was mildly horrified to see I haven't added anything here since April Fool's Day or one solid week. It's not as if I haven't had any material with which to work. The Wisconsin primary, won by Sens Sanders and Cruz on their respective sides, was just a reprise of the incredibly corrupt bullshit we saw in Arizona. Hillary is still pretending as if she's going to actually legitimately win the nomination despite losing six consecutive primaries and caucuses to Sand... more »
The voice of the Palestinians that the institutionally anti Israel BBC won't report
'A former Palestinian official cited the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a forged text produced in Russia at the turn of the last century that purports to outline Jewish plans to take over the world, as proof that the world economy was controlled by Jews. "Global Judaism, which controls the world's financial markets, constitutes a virus and a plague which strikes at the entire world," said Dr. Fouad Bseiso, the former governor of the Palestinian Monetary Authority, according to a translation provided by the Middle East Media Research Institute.' More here http://www.timesofisra... more »
Ryan Dawson: Panama papers, call in to Mike Rivero + Jack Dallas: Examining the Biased Media Coverage of the Panama Papers
*Title: Panama papers, call in to Mike Rivero. Source: Ryan Dawson. Date Published: April 6, 2016. * *Title: Examining the Biased Media Coverage of the Panama Papers. Source: Jack Dallas. Date Published: April 7, 2016. Description:* As expected, the usual Western mouthpieces are framing this already suspicious story in a way which solely benefits their own governments.
When People Come Together....
Iceland has a New Prime Minister“I believe, when people come together they can achieve huge political change.” - A message from Icelanders to Americans. Posted by AJ+ on Wednesday, April 6, 2016 “The government hasn't resigned yet...so we will keep protesting until they do."The people of Iceland are continuing... Posted by Channel 4 News on Thursday, April 7, 2016
Hierarchy in the Forest
Christopher Boehm is a professor of anthropology and director of the Jane Goodall Research Center at the University of California. He has read hundreds of anthropological studies on a variety of human societies. He also spent time with Goodall at Gombe National Park, observing the behavior of wild chimpanzees. These experiences inspired him to speculate on our evolutionary journey, and to attempt the daunting challenge of defining “human nature,” the core essence shared by all humans. He presented his ideas in *Hierarchy in the Forest*. Before we begin, the goal of my work is to... more »
The Forgotten Voyage: Alfred Russel Wallace and his discovery of evolution by natural selection
*Related: **Darwin's Heretic: Did the Co-Founder of Evolution Embrace Intelligent Design?* *Title: The Forgotten Voyage: Alfred Russel Wallace and his discovery of evolution by natural selection. Source: blaberus1. Date Published: Oct 24, 2013. Description: * The dramatised story of Alfred Russel Wallace, the 19th century naturalist who published the theory of evolution by natural selection together with Charles Darwin in 1858 - more than a year before Darwin's book "On the Origin of Species" was released. This film was directed by Peter Crawford and was broadcast by the BBC as pa... more »
Author appeared to use phony Caltech co-authors, up to 8 retractions
A journal has retracted three articles from a chemist in Portugal with a history of problems with co-authors and data — the exact problems cited by the new notices. Specifically, it appears as if Rodrigo J.G. Lopes made up the affiliations of multiple co-authors from the California Institute of Technology, causing the journal to “doubt the existence of […] The post Author appeared to use phony Caltech co-authors, up to 8 retractions appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Obama Says He Wants to Keep Pressure on ISIS, And Yet He Considers Withdrawing Troops From Key ISIS Territory
[image: MFO - 900] President Barack Obama announced that he and the top military officials in the Pentagon are looking for ways to increase the pressure on Islamic State. Yet a report from CNN's Barbara Starr Tuesday claims that his administration is now considering... more »
Panama Papers Fallout Finally Wafts Over US Banking
[image: Mossack Fonseca, Panama Papers, Offshore Accounts] The Department of the Treasury is expected to move on a rule proposed in 2014 requiring banks to look into the identities of those who hold shell company accounts in the wake of the release of the Panama Papers. The leak of more than... more »
Paris Vigil for Loreal Tsingine Photos
Photos by Roger Nymo Vigil in Paris France for Loreal Tsingine, Dineh (Navajo) 27, murdered by Winslow Arizona Police Officer. The officer had a history of misconduct and is linked to right wing extremists. More at Censored News http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2016/04/winslow-police-protest-justice-for.html?m=1
Is There A De Facto Russia-U.S. Alliance On Syria?
(Click on Image to Enlarge) *Bloomberg*: *Russia and U.S. Near De Facto Alliance in Syria* * Assad army could cut off ISIS's main Iraq-Syria supply line * Kremlin aims to forge anti-terror front with U.S. in Syria Fighters allied with the U.S. and Russia, long on opposing sides in the Syrian civil war, are both zeroing in on Islamic State’s center of gravity. After routing the self-declared caliphate in the ancient city of Palmyra March 27 with the help of Russian air power, the Syrian army’s next major objective is cutting off the terror group’s main supply route between Iraq and ... more »
NASA’s Mars Rover Takes Cool Photo On The Cold Planet
NASA’s Mars Opportunity rover captures a one of a kind photo of a ‘dust devil’ whirling on the surface of the Red Planet. The rover was perched on a ridge overlooking a valley when the opportunity was presented and the image was then sent home to NASA. abc News: Mars Dust Devil Photobombs NASA Rover Photo The Mars Opportunity rover snapped a photo of the dusty vortex while exploring the crater Endeavour. RT reports: The photo shows the six-wheeled robot’s tracks in the foreground, leading up the north-facing slope of “Knudsen Ridge“, which forms part of the southern edge of “Maratho... more »
Computer Prints High-Tech 3D Fake Rembrandt Using AI
Computer uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) and 3D printing to create The Next Rembrandt, a counterfeit reproduction of the style of the great 17th century Dutch painter Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn. Microsoft and ING in collaboration with the Technical University of Delft and two museums in the Netherlands, including the Rembrandt House Museum have created a new painting that is remarkably similar to a genuine Rembrandt, something that might have been painted 350 years ago. Gizmag reports: To create the new painting, the team of experts used computer software and a deep learning ... more »
Family Of ‘Mr Palmyra’ Murdered By ISIS, Reveal His Final Moments
The head of antiquities in Palmyra was tortured and beheaded by ISIS last August, rather than telling the terror group where the ancient city’s treasures were hidden The family of Syrian archaeologist Khaled Mohamad al-Asaad tell their story and the death of a man who served for forty years and eventually died protecting Palmyra’s honor. The Independent reports: Before his death, Khaled al-Asaad, 81, who was chief of the Unesco world heritage site, had been dubbed “Mr Palmyra” in recognition of his work on the 2,000-year-old buildings and works of art in the city. When Isis took co... more »
Police Search For Missing Goodman Family
Wiltshire police are appealing for help to find the whereabouts of a family of three from Swindon who have not been seen for several weeks. Swindon24 reports: Robert Goodman, 35, is described as a white male, Suphan Goodman, 44, is an Asian female and James Goodman, 9, is a mixed white/Asian male. They were recently reported missing by the local authority, as James has not been seen at school for a number of weeks. A Wiltshire Police spokesperson said: “We would like to find the Goodmans as soon as possible. We are concerned for their welfare, which is why we are looking for them. “... more »
Stanford Censors Palestinians for Justice
. Why was the Nakba Tour Canceled at Stanford? April 7, 2016Berkeley, CaliforniaBy Paul Larudee Censored News Last night, Mariam Fathalla and Amena Elashkar were scheduled to speak at Stanford University, sponsored by Students for Justice in Palestine. The previous day, I had asked Alison Weir, who has been giving talks on Palestine for 15 years all over the country, to
Prayer Is A Powerful Tool - A Quotation From Nikki Karis
*Source:The Pajama Guru G+*
Venezuela Orders Long Weekends to Stave Off Power Crisis
[image: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro] CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Public employees in Venezuela will take long weekends under the government’s latest bid to ease a nationwide power crisis. President Nicolas Maduro announced late Wednesday that he would sign a decree giving state workers Fridays off... more »
Seth Abramson: Media Support May Have Set Clinton Up to Fail
*Bernie Sanders criticizes Donald Trump's remarks on punishment for abortion, and criticizes the media for fixating too much on Trump's distractions and not focusing enough on issues of substance. I cued this up at the "media criticism" part.* *by Gaius Publius* I'll have a lot more to say about this terrific piece by Seth Abramson in the Huffington Post in the coming days. The title, "The Democrats Are Flawlessly Executing a 10-Point Plan to Lose the 2016 Presidential Election," is both provocative and accurate, and it's well argued. But here I want to focus on comments about th... more »
Saudi Arabia Used US-Made Bombs In Market Attacks In Yemen
Saudi Arabia used US-made bombs in two recent airstrikes on a busy market in Yemen, which killed scores of civilians according to Human Rights Watch (HRW) The Saudi led strikes killed at least 97 civilians, including 25 children, in northwestern Yemen on March 15 The UN has also said that Saudi led airstrikes account for 60% of the civilians killed in the conflict, with strikes hitting markets, clinics and hospitals. Press TV reports: The March 15 bombing targeting the northwestern town of Mastaba marked the second-deadliest airstrike conducted by the Saudi campaign since it began ...more »
Russian President Putin: Russia Has Completed Its Main Mission In Syria'
President Vladimir Putin attends the Russian Popular Front's third media forum, Truth and Justice, featuring independent regional and local media. April 7, 2016. © Sergey Guneev / Sputnik *Sputnik*: *Putin Explains Russia's Main Role in Syria is Completed* *Vladimir Putin said that Russia has completed its main mission during the military operation in Syria, which was to strengthen the Syrian statehood*. ST. PETERSBURG (Sputnik) – Russia has completed its main mission during the military operation in Syria, which was to strengthen the Syrian statehood, Russian President Vladimir Pu... more »
Round-up of articles about antisemitism and anti-Zionism
This morning I saw a severe-looking woman in her late 60s wearing a keffiyeh in M & S and I thought ‘what are you doing in here? Aren’t you supposed to be BDSing?’ Maybe she was just following fashion, but it was a proper black and white chequered Arab-style keffiyeh with a straggly fringe, and her facial expression was definitely ‘from the river to the sea’. Since antisemitism is a hot topic at the moment, due to Jeremy Corbyn’s meteoric rise to prominence and other BDS-related developments, I feel another item on the subject wouldn’t be completely OT. Oh, and I spotted a letter ... more »
CET Temperature Trends In March
By Paul Homewood http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/summaries/actualmonthly As is the case with most months, trends in maximum temperatures in England took a step up in the late 1980s. (Mean temperatures also show a similar picture). But does this mean that all days are getting warmer? Or that the warmest days are getting hotter or more frequent? […]
'Mass Gathering' Ordinance Tabled in Bath
Last night a packed city hall chambers here in Bath, Maine watched in excitement as the council voted 6-2 to indefinitely postpone a vote on a new 'mass gathering' ordinance. Several of us from the local peace movement spoke and requested that the 12-page ordinance be tabled. A local weekly newspaper called *The Forecaste*r reported this morning on their web site: Bruce Gagnon of Centre Street, who has served as coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space, was the first of the residents to state their opposition to the rule. “To me, this ordinan... more »
Paper Crane Mobile
I first started sharing my girls paper crane themed room last summer and then we decided to move. My girls new bedroom didn't have a closet and the contractor took longer than I ever thought possible. Worst. Contractor. Ever. Finally months later my girls room is finally put back together and I love it even more in this house than I did in our other house. This crane mobile is fairly easy to make and honestly only costs a few dollars. *From my first post:* Paper cranes have always been a favorite of mine since I first read Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. It is the story of a ... more »
Protest Ordinance Tabled in Bath
Last night a packed city hall chambers here in Bath, Maine watched in excitement as the council voted 6-2 to indefinitely postpone a vote on a new 'mass gathering' ordinance. Several of us from the local peace movement spoke and requested that the 12-page ordinance to be tabled. A local weekly newspaper called *The Forecaster* reported this morning on their web site: Bruce Gagnon of Centre Street, who has served as coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space, was the first of the residents to state their opposition to the rule. “To me, this ordi... more »
ISIS Militants Abduct 300 Cement Workers Near Syrian Capital
[image: Map shows site of abduction of 300 cement workers.] BEIRUT (AP) -- In a brazen assault near the Syrian capital, Islamic State militants on Thursday abducted 300 cement workers and contractors in an area northeast of Damascus, Syrian state TV reported as fighting elsewhere in the country also worsened.... more »
Migrants Ushered in From Muslim Countries Double Those From Europe
[image: Naturalization Ceremony] The United States issues twice as many green cards to migrants from Muslim-majority countries than from Europe, adding to a Middle Eastern migrant population in the country that is one of the fastest growing demographics. From 2009 to 2013, the U.S. issued... more »
Untitled
*From* *Jenna Orkin* Saudi Arabia is buying US land to feed its cows The world's going to need 50% more food by 2050 There's another terrifying public health crisis in Michigan *U.S. Sues Halliburton in Effort to Block Baker Hughes Deal* Days After Iceland's PM Resigns Over "Panama Papers", Its Bankers Are Released From Jail Years Early EU President Is "Sad" After Dutch Reject "Closer Ties" With Ukraine In Huge Victory For Euroskeptics Japan Prints Additional ¥10,000 Bills As People Scramble To Stash Away Cash Shocking Statistic: Over 40% Of Student Borrowers Don't Make Payments... more »
The Iraq Military Campaign To Retake Mosul Has Fallen Apart
*RFE:* *Iraqi Army Puts Offensive To Retake Mosul On Hold* The Iraqi Army is putting on hold an offensive touted as the first phase of a campaign to recapture the northern city of Mosul from Islamic State (IS) militants. Major General Najm Abdullah al-Jubburi said in a statement on April 6 that Iraqi forces were waiting for federal police units and extra local tribal fighters to hold territory after it is retaken. That would free up his forces to go on the offensive against the insurgents, Jubburi said, dismissing what he described as efforts to disparage the army. "We do not wan... more »
The BBC's suspect fact checking
This BBC piece http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35990076 claims to fact check the government's pro EU pamphlet. Here's an extract: 'The claim: Less than 8% of EU exports come to the UK while 44% of UK exports go to the EU. Reality Check verdict: That's true, although looking in percentage terms makes UK trade look less important to the EU. In cash terms, the UK in 2014 exported £227bn worth of goods and services to other EU countries and imported £288bn from them, which makes the UK look like a much more important customer for the rest of the EU.' Does that 44%...more »
Stephen Colbert Examines Donald Trump
Stephen Colbert looks at Republican candidate Donald Trump’s recent loss in Tuesday’s Wisconsin presidential primary and his reluctance to talk about real issues. Business Insider reports: The “Late Show” host called Trump’s loss in the Badger State a “huge upset, because even if you voted for Ted Cruz you’re still pretty upset about it.” So why did the real-estate mogul lose? Colbert joked that “analysts say Trump lost because of ‘things he said and done.'” That’s broad. Always looking to dig deeper, the host found that “things he hasn’t said” about his plans if he were elected pre... more »
New Footage Of ‘Man In Hat’ Brussels Terror Suspect
Belgian anti- terror police have released new footage of the third suspect in last months Brussels terror attacks. The Mirror reports: The suspect – who is believed to have discarded his suicide bomb after it failed to detonate – is seen walking away from the carnage before ditching his jacket in a bid to escape detection. The chilling footage has been released by Belgian anti-terror police at a news conference today. Brussels was hit by suicide bombings at the airport and on the Metro which killed 32 victims and wounded 270. The attacks were claimed by the Islamic State group. The ... more »
Updated: SPHERE ALLIANCE MESSAGE #142 An Unexpected Announcement of Energy Changes, A Fly By by Riggolt, A Purported Sphere Coming out of the Sun,The White Hats Blog,CLOSURE: Panama Papers and the Connection to the Ancient Royals
Received some unexpected messages, which does not happen often unless much is happening... On Apr 6, 2016, at 6:25 PM, Denice wrote: *HEART OF SOURCE OF ALL THAT IS** [their name for HTJ, she continues to maintain that every ones heart is a "heart of source"]*. *TERRAN. THE "FREQUENCY ALIGNMENT" ACCELERATES. NOW. ALL GOES 'ONLINE'. I AM IN AWE. NABRAC.* *Updated: April 7, 9:56 CDT:* On Apr 6, 2016, at 11:46 PM, Heather Ann Tucci-Jarraf wrote: *NABRAC. IN LOVE. ALL HEARTS OF SOURCE ARE NOW EXPERIENCED. IN AWE. IN GRATITUDE. HEART OF SOURCE OF ALL THAT IS.* [4/5/16, 7:2... more »
Iraqi Military War Crimes?
*Observers*:* Video: Is the Iraqi army executing IS fighters?* Videos on the Iranian version of YouTube, “Aparat”, claim to show the darker side of how the Iraqi army carries out its war against the Islamic State (IS) group. The conflict engulfing Iraq is undeniably bloody. There are numerous, well-documented cases of atrocities carried out by the Islamic State group — and the group itself flaunts the carnage it carries out by publishing videos. Human rights groups like Amnesty International have also documented alleged war crimes carried out by both Iraqi Shiite militias and Kurd... more »
Image splicing, duplications, inversions kill paper for well-known longevity researcher and alum of lab
A well-known scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who studies longevity has retracted a paper for “numerous examples of unindicated splicing of gel lanes,” as well as other problems. This is Leonard Guarente‘s second retraction. He shares both with Gizem Donmez, an alum of his lab who now has three retractions. Donmez left her post as a Tufts professor in […] The post Image splicing, duplications, inversions kill paper for well-known longevity researcher and alum of lab appeared first on Retraction Watch.
“Boys II Bums”
*“Boys II Bums”* by Linh Dinh Spider in Kensington, Philadelphia, 2015 “Though no millennial metrosexual, I sleep next to my laptop, and this morning, an email came from a Japanese literary journal, Monkey, to ask me to name a short story I wish I had written. Editor Motoyuki Shibata also requested a one-hundred word explanation, which I promptly knocked out while sipping an Earl Grey at my kitchen table. Done, I had a breakfast of spaghetti with tomato sauce, SPAM, salami and chunks of cheddar cheese. You had to see it. Though I immediately thought of Borges, Kafka and even Walser... more »
Newtown, Conn. Teacher Brings Gun to School, Faces Up to Five Years in Prison
[image: Gun-Free Zone, No Gun Zone, No Weapons Allowed on Property, Gun Control, School Building] A teacher in Newtown, Connecticut, the site of 2012's Sandy Hook shooting, is facing up to five years in prison after being arrested for carrying a gun on school grounds. Newtown Middle School teacher Jason Adams has a permit to... more »
The Panama Papers Scandal: George Soros Is Absolutely Behind The "Leaks"
I am so surprised that there are people out there that just do not get it in regards to these "Panama Papers" scandal... SOMEONE is definitely out there behind these shocking financial reports about corruption, and as I pointed out in the previous article, all that anyone has to do is to ask the simple question as to WHO gains from all this upheaval? The answer should be obvious.... Once again, I want to present some interesting facts that have just been brought to my attention today that shows that the person that is behind these "Panama Papers" is indeed probably the most evil pe...more »
Government To Spend Over £9m Of Taxpayers’ Money On Pro-EU Propaganda
The British Government is to spend almost £10 million of taxpayers’ money sending leaflets to every household in the country setting out their case for Britain to stay in the European Union. The move has been described by leave campaigners as “disgraceful” Boris Johnson said it was wrong to try to “stampede” voters while Nigel Farage said the document was “full of lies”. Downing Street signed off on plans to spend £9.2m printing and distributing a 16 page glossy leaflet outlining why Britain would be better off in the EU. The Mail Online reports: Environment Secretary Liz Truss toda...more »
La Nina Likely By Summer – NOAA Failed To Predict Due To Faulty Models
By Paul Homewood http://www.reuters.com/article/us-weather-lanina-braun-idUSKCN0X215F Sounds as if Reuters are just catching up with I’ve been saying for a while! The decay of El Niño and the onset of La Niña, the cold phase of tropical Pacific Ocean surface temperatures, are occurring more rapidly than it would appear. The timing of La Niña’s […]
Clinton, the Media, and Money
No more Mrs. Nice Candidate. Hillary Clinton was rapidly losing ground to democratic socialist Bernie Sanders, She was sticking to her depressing impression of the banally evil Margaret Thatcher, who thrived before she died on a strict diet of lecturing the downtrodden that "there is no alternative"" to predatory capitalism. Now, I realize that I'll be accused of anti-corporate feminism by making the witch comparisons so beloved of the Right Wing Attack Machine. But if the cackle fits.... This week, in light of her tanking poll numbers and recent primary defeats, she's imitat... more »
Backreaction mostly right on quantum mechanics
Sabine Hossenfelder may have liked a serious enough endorsement concerning her comments on quantum mechanics and Bill Nye. And that may be a reason why she's gonna get some more for her 10 Essentials of Quantum Mechanics I won't grade her because that's not what Gentlemen do to Ladies but if I were grading her, she would get a B today – a much better grade than the D of Mark Alford and Steve Hsu who believe that the EPR correlations are due to some kind of nonlocality – or at least that it's (pedagogically etc.) useful to invent new awkward phrases whose goal is to keep this fundame... more »
U.S. Wants More Bases In Iraq To Wage War Against The Islamic State
US Marines fire a Howitzer artillery gun during the Second Battle of Fallujah. / Photo by Lance Corporal Samantha L. Jones, USMC. *Daily Beast:* *U.S. Pushes for More Bases to Fight ISIS in Iraq* It’s another indication that the U.S. military is increasingly conducting offensive operations even though President Obama has never publicly acknowledged the U.S. is back at war. The U.S. military is planning to expand the number of so-called “fire bases” in northern Iraq to prepare for an assault on Mosul, ISIS’s Iraqi capital. The bases will be there to support local Iraqi forces. But t... more »
what i'm reading: reckless: my life as a pretender by chrissie hynde
I'm a big fan of The Pretenders, but more than that, I'm a Chrissie Hynde fan. To me, she has always been the epitome of the female rock frontman. She's the whole package - guitar player, singer, songwriter, commanding stage presence, pure rock image, and smoldering, tough-girl beauty. I was naturally interested reading her memoirs, even more so when I learned she wrote the book herself, without a professional writer. *Reckless: My Life as a Pretender* is aptly titled. Hynde's story is one of rash decisions, massive drinking and drug use, and a sizeable amount of danger. It's also ... more »
Nagorno-Karabakh Ceasefire On The Verge Of Collapse
*Al Jazeera*: *Azerbaijan says Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire broken* Separatists violated ceasefire in breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region 119 times in past 24 hours, Azerbaijan says. Azerbaijan says it will stop fighting Armenian-backed separatists over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region after two days of clashes, but the other side denounced Baku's gesture as hollow and said violence was continuing. Nagorno-Karabakh is a mountainous enclave with a large ethnic Armenian population that lies inside the territory of Azerbaijan. The violence was a re-awakening of a long-festering ethn...more »
Here’s Why Republicans Are Demanding Names in Fetal Tissue Probe
[image: Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., leaves the House Republican Conference meeting at the Capitol Hill Club on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)] Confronting critics who say she is conducting a "witch hunt," the chairman of a special House panel investigating the supply of tissue from aborted babies to researchers said in an interview with The Daily Signal that the panel can't do... more »
You Can Now Pay Your Taxes at 7-Eleven
[image: 7-Eleven, Convenience Store] If you don't have a bank account or credit card and still need to pay taxes, local 7-Elevens will now accept cash payments. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced Wednesday it was introducing the new option allowing individuals to make payments at 7,000... more »
Australian Journalists Detained in Lebanon, Tried to Reunite Mother With Children
[image: Two employees enter a compound that houses the Australian Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, April 7, 2016. Lebanese authorities have detained four Australians, including journalists, on suspicion they were involved in the abductions of two children in Beirut, police officials and Australian media said Thursday.] BEIRUT (AP) -- Lebanese authorities have detained four Australians, including journalists, on suspicion they were involved in the abductions of two children in Beirut, police officials and Australian media said Thursday. The officials added that a British citizen ... more »
David Cameron Intervened To Shield Offshore Trusts From EU Crackdown
David Cameron has come under fire yet again after a 2013 letter emerged showing he shielded offshore trusts from an EU crackdown. The British prime minister personally intervened to prevent offshore trusts from being dragged into an EU-wide crackdown on tax avoidance The letter came to light as Cameron faces increasing pressure over his late father Ian Cameron’s offshore trust Blairmore Holdings, details of which were revealed in the Panama Papers leak. RT reports: In the 2013 letter to then-European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, Cameron argued that trusts should not be subje...more »
World News Briefs -- April 7, 2016
A man whom officials believe may be a suspect in the attack which took place at the Brussels international airport of Zaventem, is seen in this CCTV image made available by Belgian Police on April 7, 2016. REUTERS/CCTV/Belgian Federal Police/Handout via Reuters *Reuters*: *Belgium launches appeal to find 'man in hat' bombing suspect* Belgian prosecutors appealed for help in finding a man suspected of leaving a bomb at Brussels Airport on March 22, saying they were eager to find a coat he had discarded and to speak to people who saw him on his hour-long walk back into the city. Fed... more »
Philosophy journal spoofed, retracts hoax article
A philosophy journal that focuses on the teachings of philosopher Alain Badiou has apparently fallen victim to yet another Sokal hoax, and has retracted a fake article submitted by authors trying to expose the publication’s weaknesses. The paper, “Ontology, Neutrality and the Strive for (non-)Being-Queer,” attributed to Benedetta Tripodi of the Universitatea Alexandru Ioan Cuza in […] The post Philosophy journal spoofed, retracts hoax article appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Politics: "America’s Ignorant and the Offended"
*"America’s Ignorant and the Offended"* by Barry M. Ferguson “If you've got a business. you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen.” - Barack Obama "It takes an ignorant person to offend everyone. America has become the land of the ignorant and the offended. Citizens remain profoundly ignorant of truth and everyone seems to be chronically offended. Maybe if people weren’t so ignorant, they wouldn’t be so offended. For instance, the nation is in an election year and citizens are lining up behind their favorite candidates. Sadly, my party, the party of ‘NO’, and my cand... more »
THE TRIBE IN THE MIRROR: Sarandon and the new Salon speak!
*THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2016Part 3—We too can tilt toward dumb:* By any rational standard, the thrilling piece at the new Salon was just plain flat-out dumb. Right at the start, it urged you to loathe a candidate for the things she thought and did in 1963-64. It failed to mention a sad, sorry fact: In the summer of 63, the candidate was 15. At least since 1992, we've been struck by the dumbness and heartlessness it takes to judge adult candidates on the basis of things they said and did when they were 15 years old—or, in the case of one major profile of Candidate Gore, when they were... more »
Reports That Trump Blew Off Pro-Life Phone Call Overblown, But Some Worry It’s Part of a Pattern
[image: Donald Trump - 900] GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump’s abortion drama continued yesterday, as two leading news outlets reported he first accepted, then ignored, the chance to address top pro-life leaders. However, the organizer of the group that was allegedly snubbed said this morning... more »
Babil Government Still Not Allowing Citizens Of Iraq’s Jurf al-Sakhr Return Home
Jurf al-Sakhr in northwest Babil province was once the bastion of the Islamic State’s operations from central to southern Iraq. The government tried again and again to clear out the area, until finally succeeding in October 2014. As part of the operation to free the town the entire population was forced out. Since then none has been allowed to return. The Babil government claims the area is unsafe due to improvised explosive devices left behind by IS, but it is really due to mistrust of the population and wanting to keep routes to the south safe that is leading to the decision. ... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- April 7, 2016
Iraqi security forces ride in vehicles travelling to Mosul to fight against militants of Islamic State at an Iraqi army base in Camp Taji in Baghdad, February 21, 2016. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad *Wall Street Journal*: *Iraq Stumbles Early in Northern Military Campaign* Army’s effort, seen as first step in reclaiming Mosul, is rocky, as some troops get bogged down MAKHMOUR, Iraq—Two weeks ago, the Iraqi army launched an operation seen as the first step in retaking Mosul from Islamic State. Troops logged multiple victories within hours. Now, there is little talk among military officials of... more »
"Why Hillary Clinton’s Paid Speeches Are Relevant"
*"Why Hillary Clinton’s Paid Speeches Are Relevant"* by Eric Zuesse "On the fake-‘progressive’ (actually conservative-Democratic-Party) website that’s run by a longtime CIA asset Markos Moulitsas, “Daily Kos,” there was posted on February 24th an article by “motocat”, headlined, “I have personally been to a closed door corporate Clinton speech. This is what I experienced.” This person, he or she, didn’t indicate what the speech said, other than “how disappointing the whole thing was,” and, that it was a speech by Bill Clinton, not Hillary Clinton, and “It made me feel sort of sad t... more »
Musical Interlude: Laurent Aknin, “Irène”
Laurent Aknin, “Irène” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqUVXcsDUfI
Venezuela's Electricity Crisis Escalates
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro (L) waves next to Diosdado Cabello, deputy of Venezuela's United Socialist Party (PSUV), during the broadcast of his weekly TV program ''Hitting with the Sledge Hammer'' in Caracas in this handout picture provided by Miraflores Palace. REUTERS/MIRAFLORES PALACE/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS *Reuters*: *Venezuela decrees Fridays a holiday to ease energy crisis* Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has decreed that all Fridays for the next two months will be holidays, in a bid to save energy in the blackout-hit OPEC country. "We'll have long weekends," Mad... more »
\(P=NP\) and string landscape: 10 years later
*The newborn Universe was a tiny computer but it still figured out amazing things* *Two new papers:* First, off-topic. PRL published a Feb 2016 LIGO paper claiming that the gravitational waves (Phys.Org says "gravity waves" and I find it OK) contribute much more to the background than previously believed. Also, Nature published a German-American-Canadian paper claiming that supermassive black holes are omnipresent because they saw one (with mass of 17 billions Suns) even in an isolated galaxy. Also, the LHC will open the gate to hell in 2016 again, due to the higher luminosity (or ... more »
The Clintons And Their Machine Define Political Dishonesty
Hillary's in a trap of her own making. As exit poll after exit poll has shown, Democratic primary voters for whom truthfulness and trustworthiness are decisive ballot motivators, are casting 'em for Bernie, not her. Her campaign is built on lies and built on the old style politics of deception that 2016 voters are disgusted with. Hillary Clinton is Rahm Emanuel. Hillary Clinton is Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Hillary Clinton is everything that high-info Democratic voters detest about their own party. And she and her advisors have a plan to make it even worse by tearing the Democratic ... more »
Untitled
*Credentialism is alive and well in Australia* *The value assigned to more and more education is a great folly. Jobs that were once done perfectly well by a high school graduate now mainly go to university graduates. Teaching is a good example. You mostly now have to have a 4-year teaching degree to become a teacher. Yet for two years I successfully taught senior High School geography even though my highest qualification for it was junior High School geography. I just kept a chapter ahead in our geography book.* As the ups and downs of the mining boom stole the headlines Aust... more »
U.S. General: U.S. Army Is Becoming Too Small To Meet Current Operational Demands
*Army Times*: *Budget cuts are forcing the Army to lose its competitive edge* The Army is being forced to sacrifice modernization in favor of readiness even as America’s enemies become increasingly capable, senior leaders testified Tuesday on Capitol Hill. “Our competitive advantage we’ve continually banked on is decreasing, [and] the Army risks losing its qualitative overmatch in future conflicts,” said Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center. “With the 74 percent decrease in Army modernization total obligation authority since 2008, the risk ... more »
Sanders Questions If Clinton Is ‘Qualified’ to Be President
[image: Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton holds her Metrocard as she goes through the turnstile to enter the subway in the Bronx borough of New York, Thursday, April 7, 2016. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)] NEW YORK (AP) -- The race for the Democratic nomination took a decidedly negative turn, with Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders exchanging a series of barbs over each other’s qualifications for the presidency. In overlapping press conferences, the two Democratic... more »
The U.S. Army Wants Its Soldiers Equipped With Tiny Drones
A Black Hornet drone takes off from the hands of a U.S. Army soldier. LAUREN K HARRAH/ 24TH PRESS CAMP HEADQUARTERS *Wired*:* The Army Wants You to Make Its Soldiers Pocket-Sized Drones* DRONES FIRST GLIDED into the public imagination in the early 2000s when the US Air Force and the CIA started using school bus-sized Predator and Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles for surveillance and airstrikes in the Middle East. These days, the US Army wants something a bit smaller: Pocket-sized drones that soldiers can use in battle zones to see around corners, over hills, or behind trees to aoid a... more »
Untitled
*Some Whales Like Global Warming Just Fine* *What they are talking about below is Arctic warming, not global warming. Arctic warming is not global. It's way out of step with global temperature* Humpbacks and bowheads are benefiting—for now, at least—from the retreat of polar sea ice: It's making it easier for them to find food. In May 2009, Ari Friedlaender, an ecologist with Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Institute, was cruising along the Western Antarctic Peninsula when he encountered something he’d never seen. In Wilhelmina Bay, the water was so thick with humpback ... more »
The South China Sea Has Become A New 'Strategic Strait'
*CNBC*: *South China Sea: Is Beijing making a new 'strategic strait'?* The South China Sea doesn't appear at first glance to be a geographical bottleneck. China can, however, effectively create a strait by locating sufficient military assets on two sets of land it controls. A major test for the future of Asia is on the horizon, and it's centered on the South China Sea. Within the next three months, a tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is expected to rule on China's expansive and somewhat ambiguous territorial claims in the South China Sea, which the Phil... more »
Poll: Growing Support In Europe To Close Their Borders
*The Local:* *Two-thirds of Germans want end to open borders* Germans appear to be losing faith in the idea of a borderless Europe, as the results of a poll published on Tuesday showed that two-thirds would prefer the government to end the Schengen free-movement zone. The survey by French pollsters Ifop found that while 60 percent of Italians were against Schengen - an agreement which allows people to travel within the EU without showing a passport - across the Rhine the number of French people wanting borders closed was as high as 72 percent. It shows that the terror attacks in B... more »
German Newspaper Says It Won’t Publish All the Panama Papers
[image: In this April 4, 2016 file photo, a marquee on a building in Panama City, Panama, lists the Mossack Fonseca law firm, one of the leaders in setting up offshore bank accounts for the rich and powerful. Offshore accounts conjure up images of malicious misdeeds, but many people use them for more than just hiding bribes and laundering money. And offshore accounts can be a financial tool for more than just the ultra-wealthy, too. (AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco, File)] BERLIN (AP) -- The German newspaper that first obtained the so-called Panama Papers, a vast trove of documents on offsho... more »
Do Not Fear the Trump Talk Chalk
[image: Trump chalk message - 900] Students at the University of Michigan called police the other day -- because someone had written Donald Trump’s name in chalk. No arrests were made. The episode is part of a nationwide trend of Trump supporters writing pro-Trump messages on sidewalks,... more »
Nuclear Agency Has Less Work Than Ever, Still Fights Budget Cuts
[image: Nuclear Regulatory Commission Headquarters] Lawmakers grilled the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Wednesday because it has an enormous backlog of licenses for new and existing reactors despite the agency having a huge budget. The NRC budget has grown 50 percent over the last decade, but the agency still... more »
Don’t be fooled – Elon Musk’s electric cars aren’t about to save the planet
By Paul Homewood http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2016/04/06/dont-be-fooled—elon-musks-electric-cars-arent-about-to-save-th/ I doubt whether you will see this reported by the BBC: From the Telegraph: As Elon Musk presented the new Tesla 3, a fawning press announced that the “world-changing car” could “dominate” the market. Within days, 276,000 people had put down $1,000 to pre-order the car. But […]
Behind the Gay Anger There is Often Deep Pain
[image: Anger, Angry, Pain, Screaming, Mad, Rage] I had no idea who the man was, but he ended his note to me on Facebook with these words: "You're a monster, and you do not exhibit anything near 'Christ' like. You are a demon. You are a plague... more »
China’s Xi Predicted to Survive Revelations in Panama Papers
[image: In this March 3, 2016 photo, Chinese President Xi Jinping, attends the opening session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing's Great Hall of the People.] BEIJING (AP) -- For graft-busting Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping, the Panama Papers revelations that show his brother-in-law and relatives of two other members of the party’s elite inner circle owned offshore companies, often referred to as tax havens,... more »
Mississippi Has Taken a Bold Step to Defend Religious Liberty
[image: Republican Gov. Phil Bryant, right, walks past reporters on his way to a meeting of a youth jobs program board, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss., Friday, April 1, 2016. Reporters asked him if he would sign a bill that would let government employees and private businesses cite religious beliefs to deny services to same-sex couples who want to marry. Bryant would not say whether he will sign House Bill 1523, noting he had not received it yet and would need to study it first.] Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant signed a religious freedom law Tuesday that will protect people who be... more »
Wisconsin: GOP Outlier or Signs of Trouble for Trump?
[image: In this April 4, 2016, photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses the crowd during a rally at the Milwaukee Theatre in Milwaukee.] WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) -- In the end, maybe the “Cheeseheads” just weren’t angry enough for Donald Trump. Wisconsin Republicans were less incensed than GOP primary voters in most states where Trump had previously triumphed, according to exit polls from the... more »
A Top Haven for Tax Cheats That May Surprise You: The US
[image: This April 5, 2016 file photo shows the entrance of the regional head office of Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca, one of the world's biggest creators of shell companies, in Hong Kong. America's openness to foreign tax evaders is coming under new scrutiny after the leak this week of 11.5 million confidential documents from the Panamanian law firm. The Panama Papers show how some of the world's richest people hide assets in shell companies to avoid paying taxes.] WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. lambastes and strong-arms countries that help drug lords and millionaire investors ... more »
BBC Provide Advertising Space For Tesla
By Paul Homewood h/t Stewgreen http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03plwjc We all know about the BBC’s love for everything green, but it appears they have now crossed the line and gone into the advertising business on behalf of Tesla. The above Radio 4 interview ran on 31st March, and allowed Ben Hammersley, described as a […]
Two Sisters: The Horror of a Lifetime of Abduction
There exists a whole literature on abductions that I have largely ignored on this blog. Opinion is deeply cast and the phenomena described is powerfully suggestive and highly repeatable. We lacked then equally powerful working conjectures to deal with plausible explanations. That changes with the new understanding of the physicality of the second tier of matter. It makes powerful sense that a being slightly more advanced than ourselves would use access to the second tier to manipulate matter as a matter of course. This report strongly suggests that a primary motive for ... more »
Trump Changing Party System?
Is this true? The core problem with the party system is that it acts as a natural magnet for what is described as the far left and the far right who naturally dominate between campaigns when the majority simply do not show up. Their strength is that they show up. Their weakness is that they have no other place to go. Read my lips. They are not particularly important. Anyone who plans to actually win must merely placate the extremes. What he must do is mobilize the ninety percent of the population who does not otherwise show up. All successful politicians do just this. Afte... more »
Dolores Cannon, the Three Waves of Volunteers and the New Earth
Jump past the promote to the points claimed. Others are making similar claims as well. I have heard a lot about the shift underway. This clarifies it a bit better. The shift is internal for the most part and this allows those not participating to continue along. Thus those not participating in the future will simply not be allowed back after a normal passing. Obviously elsewhere exists for them to then continue their own development. In the meantime we have a sense of flux and internal changes. The prophetic promise has been the creation of Heaven on Earth and this blog h... more »
Anti-Carbon Tax Movement Gains Momentum Around the Globe
[image: Protesters at an anti carbon tax rally in Melbourne, Australia.] Coalitions are rising up in the U.S. and Europe to oppose taxes on carbon dioxide emissions to keep industries from fleeing high energy prices. In The U.S., conservative groups have joined together to oppose attempts by federal lawmakers to impose... more »
US Using ‘Mythical’ Russian Threat To Justify Military Spending
The US is using a ‘mythical Russian threat’ to frighten Europe in order to justify increased defense spending according to Russia’s envoy to NATO “The United States and its representatives have repeatedly said that Russia poses a threat to the United States. Many said it was almost an existential threat, but the underlying reason, in my opinion, is obvious,” Russia’s permanent envoy to NATO Aleksandr Grushko, said in an interview with Russia Today They write: “The United States and its representatives have repeatedly said that Russia poses a threat to the United States. Many said it... more »
US Reluctantly Admits Al-Qaeda & Al-Nusra Are The Same
Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook has begrudgingly admitted that terrorist groups Al-Qaeda and Al-Nusra are one and the same. In reply to persistent questions from reporters at a Pentagon press briefing, as to whether the two terrorist groups that are being targeted by the U.S. are somehow distinct from one another, Cook gave up and said: “Yeah, ok, ok! Al-Nusra and Al-Qaeda are one and the same! There I said it.” Russia Insider reports: Well what do you know. When the present Syria ceasefire (which now hangs by a thread) was being first arranged in Geneva in February the talks dr... more »
You are not you - Many Inter-galactic Giants - Creativity, Passion and Kinship
*ON THE QUESTION OF ONE'S INDIVIDUALITY:* "People (are so brain-washed, so indoctrinated into one filter that overlays 'reality', that they) assume that a car is driven by just one person," but a sedan is carried by many men, a queen ant is the sum total of her workers... *What if we are the size of Intergalactic Giants and galaxies and stars and solid reality are just our innocent Play Things...* What if we, these so-called Human Souls, are just many beings driving a molecular machine... what if all our 'individuality' is just a compound result of many inter-stellar inputs h... more »
The slowly growing marriage "crisis" in Taiwan
[image: DSC01589] *My good friend Eva, one of Taiwan's many attractive, accomplished unmarried 30-somethings.* Apple Daily ran a short piece on stats from the Ministry of Interior on marriage in Taiwan, noting that the reason for the falling rate of marriage, which matches Taiwan's falling birth rates, is commonly known as "2 Low 4 High"... 根據《好房網 》報導，截至2014年底為止，內政部統計30至34歲人口有將近5成未婚，25至29歲的未婚比例更高達8成。統整出結果後發現，就是這以下「2低4高」的因素讓七年級生、甚至八年級生遲遲不敢成家生子。 According to a report from HouseFun News, as of the end of 2014, statistics from the Ministry of the Interior showed that 50% of those aged 3... more »
Military Photo of the Day: April 7, 2016
[image: Kansas National Guard-900] Soldiers with the Kansas National Guard conduct reconnaissance and fire suppression missions in south central Kansas during Easter weekend, 2016. Thank you to the brave men and women of the National Guard for protecting each and every one of us.
Myanmar's "Driver" President
*April 7, 2016 *(Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - American and British media agencies are celebrating the nomination and ascension by Myanmar politician Aung San Suu Kyi of her driver and aid as "president," as well as her pledge to "rule above" the president - effectively rendering the office as symbolic and subordinate to the unelected Suu Kyi. *Image: The Western press admits Myanmar's president (standing on Suu Kyi's left) would be but a proxy for the un-elected Suu Kyi, yet the word "dictatorship" is never once mentioned. It is not mentioned because it is a dictatorship the West fully... more »
Tweet For Today
Marine chef fired for blasting women on 'Hell's Kitchen' https://t.co/nnfaez0eTb pic.twitter.com/ezWBkZ9NVm — Jeff Schogol (@JeffSchogol) April 6, 2016
Ukraine's Military Is Building Up To Defeat The Russian Rebels In The East
US and Ukrainian soldiers attend an opening ceremony of the joint Ukrainian-US military exercise 'Fearless Guardian' at the Yavoriv training ground in the western region of Lviv on April 20, 2015 (AFP Photo/Yuriy Dyachyshyn) *Samuel Bendett, The Compass:* *How Ukraine's Military Will Defeat Russia's Rebels* Tensions between Ukraine and Russia show no signs of abating, and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko was unsparing when he recently criticized Russia for destabilizing his country. Speaking on March 25 at a government meeting marking the creation of the Ukrainian Security Se... more »
Lessons for Christchurch non-recovery from the Kobe earthquake
*A new paper contrasts the recovery of Kobe, Japan, with the continuing non-recovery of Christchurch. “The article describes well known earthquake recovery initiatives that took part in Japan twenty years ago,” explains the author, Dr Ljubica Mamula-Seadon, Director of urban planning consultancy Seadon Consulting & Research, Auckland, New Zealand. “The results are there for everyone to see. It’s an interesting mix of rampant capitalism, enlightened democracy and traditional reliance on strong community networks. “I wrote the article to demonstrate by example what is possibl...more »
Picture Of The Day
Su-27 fighter jets of the Russian Knights aerobatic group and MiG-29 of the Swifts group flying above Moscow’s Red Square during the general rehearsal of the Victory Parade. © SPUTNIK/ GRIGORIY SISOEV *WNU Editor:* A photo gallery of the Russian Knights aerobatic group *can be seen here.*
Navajo President Calls for Federal Investigation into Police Shooting of Loreal Tsingine
More coverage at Censored News: Winslow Police Officer had history of misconduct and is linked to right wing extremists. http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2016/04/winslow-police-protest-justice-for.html?m=1ry
Russia Gets Ready To Fight A 'Big War'
© Sputnik/ Valeriy Melnikov *Patrick Armstrong, Sic Semper Tyrannis*: *Russia Prepares for a Big War: The Significance of a Tank Army* People who already understand how armies are put together should skip Part 1. Part 1. How armies are put together One of the things that I find irritating about battles in movie is that the director seems to think that battles are about getting an inchoate mass of soldiers together, giving a rousing speech and yelling "Charge!" That is absolutely not how it works nor ever has worked. Real armies are assembled out of groupings made from smaller grou... more »
Impeachment Proceedings Against Brazil's President And Vice President Are Moving Forward
*Reuters*: *Brazil congressional report favors impeaching President Rousseff* Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff moved closer to impeachment when a key member of a Congressional committee said on Wednesday there were grounds for the Senate to put her on trial for manipulating budget accounts in 2014 to boost her reelection prospects. Congressman Jovair Arantes told the 65-member lower house committee there were "minimal indications" that Rousseff had committed an impeachable crime, but that it was up to the Senate to judge the president. Arantes had been asked by the committee to...more »
The Republican Party's Grassley-McConnell Blockade Of The Supreme Court Continues
*Iowa Republicans obstructing the Supreme Court* If I was a senator, I'd be predisposed to vote against Merrick Garland. He's just too conservative. I wrote about it on the day President Obama nominated him. But I would have not the slightest reticence about speaking with him and examining him in an open hearing. Anything less is strictly anti-democratic, hyper-partisan obstructionism, disrespect for the Constitution and for the American voters who elected Barack Obama. If I remember correctly, Obama's approval rating is 53% (45% disapprove) whereas the Congress is barely in double ... more »
The Money Go-Round
The Panama Papers leak is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to global tax havens. I want to see some names of leading western politicians....why were they not released? The United States government is behind the recent tax avoidance-related leak known as the Panama Papers, in order to target Russia and President Vladimir Putin, renowned whistleblower group WikiLeaks claimed early Wednesday. WikiLeaks say the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project or OCCRP, "which targets Russia and (the) former USSR," receives funding from the U.S. Agency for Internationa...more »
Louise Benally: Big Mountain Terrorized as Peabody Coal Goes Bankrupt
Benally Cattle Seized at Big Mountain US holds Dineh hostage with huge fees to release cattle By Louise Benally Dineh, Big Mountain Censored News We are asking you to take action. Big Mountain is under siege again because Peabody Coal is losing its income from coal mining, so it is pressuring the tribal government to attack its own people. We've been opposed to the mining since
Riding the ‘Turnaround’ Merry-Go-Round in the Continuing Assault on Philadelphia Public Schools: Part II
by Ken Derstine @ Defend Public Education! April 6, 2016 Part I of this series detailed how Mastery Charter is using the hostile takeover methods of the corporate world to takeover more Philadelphia Public Schools each year. But education deals with relationships between human beings, not the industrial products and natural resources of the corporate world. Thus, these hostile takeovers aggravate historic class and ethnic tensions (watch the video). Philadelphia schools have struggled for years with underfunding at the state level; now charters bring the added disparity in funding ... more »
Why Helen Clark will not be UN Secretary General
Why without a mirable will Helen Clark never become Secretary-General of the world’s most corrupt political organisation? Simply because it *is* the world’s most corrupt poilitical organisation, and those deciding the question don’t want someone knowing where their bodies are buried. Jim Rose expains it, starting with a story told by (former Aussie PM) Bob Hawke: *Bob Hawke told us a story about a conversation he had with Margaret Thatcher on the candidature of [Hawke’s predecessor] Malcolm Fraser. Hawke said that Thatcher said do you really want Malcolm Fraser beatin... more »
Musical Interlude: Chuck Wild, Liquid Mind, "My Silent Knowing”
Chuck Wild, Liquid Mind, "My Silent Knowing” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f__Ml77XTQ
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Jupiter has auroras. Like near the Earth, the magnetic field of our Solar System's largest planet compresses when impacted by a gust of charged particles from the Sun. This magnetic compression funnels charged particles towards Jupiter's poles and down into the atmosphere. There, electrons are temporarily excited or knocked away from atmospheric gases, after which, when de-exciting or recombining with atmospheric ions, auroral light is emitted. *Click image for larger size.* The featured illustration portrays the magnificent magnetosphere around Jupiter in action. In the inset imag... more »
Chet Raymo, “The Sound And Fury”
*“The Sound And Fury”* by Chet Raymo “Not so long ago, I mentioned here Himmler and Heydrich, two of Hitler's most terrible henchmen. A friend said to me: "If there's no afterlife, no heaven or hell, then those two diabolical creatures got away with it. Their fate was no different than that of any one of their victims, an innocent child perhaps." And, yes, if there is no God who dispenses final justice, then we are left with an aching feeling of irresolution, of virtue unrewarded, of vice unpunished. Heydrich was gunned down by partisan assassins, and Himmler committed suicide a fe... more »
The Poet: Kuroda Saburo, "I Am Completely Different"
*"I Am Completely Different"* "I am completely different. Though I am wearing the same tie as yesterday, am as poor as yesterday, as good for nothing as yesterday, today I am completely different. Though I am wearing the same clothes, am as drunk as yesterday, living as clumsily as yesterday, nevertheless today I am completely different. Ah... I patiently close my eyes on all the grins and smirks, on all the twisted smiles and horse laughs- and glimpse then, inside me one beautiful white butterfly fluttering towards tomorrow." - Kuroda Saburo
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Stanley Kubrick Moon Landing Set Up For Auction At Sotheby’s
An advance copy of a Sotheby’s Auction House brochure shown to Your News Wire suggests an enormous trove of Stanley Kubrick’s film props, accessories, and memorabilia, spanning five decades of work, is being prepared for auction in London. The items set to receive the most attention, not to mention the largest financial windfall for Sotheby’s and the heirs to the Kubrick estate, are 71 historical artefacts from the top secret moon landing film he directed as part of a joint NASA/CIA co-production in 1969. The space suit worn by Neil Armstrong during his epochal moon walk is already ... more »
BIA Hopi Rangers Seized Big Mountain Cattle
. April 6, 2016 Big Mountain Dineh Resisters to PL 93-531 434-607-7677 and 937-479-4214 Or Black Mesa Indigenous Support blackmesais@gmail.com April 6, 2016 – Big Mountain Dineh Bikeyah: Today, there
"Summon Your Aliveness: Being Fully Present"
*"Summon Your Aliveness: Being Fully Present"* by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM "When we live fully in the moment there is an aliveness that comes easily. When we are fully present, we offer our whole selves to whatever it is that we are doing. Our attention, our integrity, and our energy are all focused in the moment and on the task at hand. This is a powerful experience, and when we are in this state, we feel completely alive and invigorated. This kind of aliveness comes easily when we are absorbed in work or play that we love, but it is available to us in every moment, and we can l... more »
Psychology: "The Kafka Effect"
*"The Kafka Effect"* by Nick Tasler "A few years ago, researchers at the University of British Columbia brought two groups of study participants into their lab and asked them to read a short story. One group read an adaptation of a story by the great German author, Franz Kafka. "The Country Dentist" was a typically Kafkaesque story, meaning that its twists and turns made absolutely no sense—from the neighbor who kindly but inexplicably acts like a horse to the family who begs the dentist to pull a tooth from their toothless child. The second group of participants read a version of... more »
Does The U.S. President Now Have A 'Blank Check' To Wage War?
President Bush is seen here in 2008 with Democrat candidate Barack Obama. The Telegraph *Andrew J. Bacevich, War Is Boring:* *The U.S. President Has a Blank Check for Waging War* *How the United States became a prisoner of war and Congress went MIA* Let’s face it — in times of war, the Constitution tends to take a beating. With the safety or survival of the nation said to be at risk, the basic law of the land — otherwise considered sacrosanct — becomes nonbinding, subject to being waived at the whim of government authorities who are impatient, scared, panicky or just plain pissed ... more »
Grand Mufti Says Israel Are Using ISIS To Blackmail Syria
Syrian Grand Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun has said that Israel continues to blackmail Syria by claiming that they can tell ISIS to stop attacking Damascus if the government make concessions to Israel in return. According to Hassoun, since the outbreak of the foreign-backed militancy, Israel has constantly offered deals to end ISIS’ terror campaign if Syrian officials agree to cut their ties to Hezbollah – indicating that ISIS and Israel are working very closely together. Alalam.ir reports: Since 2011, “we have been receiving unofficial offers to make a deal that would end it... more »
German Comedian Faces Prison After Insulting Turkish Leader
A popular young German comedian may face a jail sentence of up to five years for insulting Turkish leader president Recep Tayyip Erdogan live on TV. Jan Böhmermann read out a self-penned poem on Thursday evening which mocked the President, and Turkey have threatened to press charges against the comic. Thelocal.de reports: He introduced the piece by speaking directly to the Turkish president. “What I’m about to read is not allowed. If it were to be read in public – that would be forbidden in Germany,” Böhmermann said, before proceeding to perform his “smear poem” which, among many i... more »
Brussels Bomber Worked In EU Parliament
One of the Brussels bombers who killed 32 people on March 22 had previously worked within the European Parliament six years earlier, an EU assembly spokesperson has confirmed. 25-year-old Najim Laachraoui worked as a cleaner in Parliament in 2009 and 2010, just a few years before helping suicide bombers in the Paris attacks last November and then blowing himself up at the Brussels airport attack a few months later. Curiously, Najim Laachraoui had also taken a selfie with German Chancellor Angela Merkel shortly before the terrorist attacks. Reuters.com reports: In 2009 and 2010, “on...more »
The Truth About the “Panama Papers”
*Guest post by Chris Campbell from Laissez Faire Books.* In case you’re not caught up: 11 million documents have been leaked, via an anonymous source, out of the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca. These documents reveal nearly a half a century of offshore tax evasions committed by a den of capitalist thieves, out to rob the public of their “hard-earned” plunder. Kidding. Really, the shadiest of the revelations come from actors of the State, those who siphon off tax money and stuff it away in Central America — not “greedy capitalists” trying to “hoard all the milk” from th... more »
Governor Faces Racketeering Suit Over Flint Water Crisis
[image: Attorney Marc Bern speaks during a press conference announcing a racketeering lawsuit targeting Gov. Rick Snyder and other state and local officials over lead contamination of the city’s drinking water, in Flint, Mich., Wednesday, April 6, 2016. It accuses Snyder and others of hatching a “wrongful scheme” to reduce Flint’s indebtedness by stopping the impoverished city from buying treated Lake Huron water from Detroit, instead of “invoking time tested, well-honed federal bankruptcy protections for restructuring the debts of municipalities.”] FLINT, Mich. (AP) -- Hundreds of r... more »
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It CAN happen here: the rise of fascism in the United States(sott.net)- What's that, SOTT ? I remember there was an American Nazi Party in the 30's and on, Operation Paperclip brought refuge to ex Nazis and SS in the USA. Prescott Bush et al paid for Adolph's education ( not to mention the British programming him in their country retreat ) and funded war materiel....war being a money making scheme. Not that the plan to oust President FD Roosevelt worked.
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