http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/further-disability-benefit-cuts-are-on-the-way-new-dwp-secretary-stephen-crabb-signals-a7023916.html
The Final Solution ?
10:37pm MDST
The Final Solution ?
10:37pm MDST
Picture Of The Day
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* Cars drive past the Russian Foreign Ministry building in Moscow on May 5, 2016. © AFP 2016/ JOEL SAGET
Millennials Embrace Socialism, But Do They Know What It Is?
[image: Bernie Sanders Supporters, Millennials] Socialism is having a moment. I’m not just referring to Bernie Sanders’ surprisingly strong showing in the Democratic primaries. Various polls show that millennials have a more favorable view of socialism than of capitalism. And millennials generally are the only... more »
Does The Islamic State Have A Plan 'B'?
Photo Credit: Anadolu/Contributor *Brian Michale Jenkins and Colin P. Clarke, Foreign Policy*:* In the Event of the Islamic State’s Untimely Demise…* Even a caliphate needs a Plan B. Here's what Baghdadi's might look like. The power of the Islamic State is waning. With its loss of Ramadi and Palmyra over the past several months, and the steady advance of U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in northern Syria and Iraq, the group is shedding territory. It is also losing recruits to casualties and desertions, as its finances are being squeezed by coalition strikes on bulk cash storage sites ... more »
Which Florida Politicians Should Be Serving Time In Prison Instead of Congress?
*Patrick Murphy and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, as bad as any Republican* At the end of March PolitiFact weighed into the fight between Tim Canova and Debbie Wassermann Schultz over her career-long practice of soliciting bribes from the finance industry in return for carrying their agenda even when it conflicts with the interests of her own constituents. PolitiFact looked at a statement by Canova that Wasserman Schultz disputed: "After taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from Goldman Sachs and other Wall Street banks, (Debbie Wasserman Schultz) has voted to prevent the Consumer Fi... more »
Of wage slavery which means death to the slaves when the robot mind comes from above
I always like to believe the last chapter in in flux. Last couple of years my flux capacitors have had a total recharge. I just see total chaos comming and that is my area of expertise, I have doged many a imaginary bullet with out wire effects. simply by using my supposedly bullet proof intellect that traveled me so far. Right now I am on some kind of third world skid row with Canadian wages but the same whip of corporate whipsaw mentality where good boys are pitted against Pinoy men in a fight for a dollar. That Girl
Federal Judge Rules That Obamacare May Be Unconstitutional
U.S. district judge Rosemary Collyer has ruled that Obamacare has been unconstitutionally funded without the appropriate approval from Congress. House Republicans have been given the go-ahead to sue the Obama administration for the government’s illegal implementation of Obama’s signature healthcare law. Latimes.com reports: On Thursday, she ruled the administration is violating a provision of the law by paying promised reimbursements to health insurers who provide coverage at reduced costs to low-income Americans. The judge’s ruling, while a setback for the administration, was put ...more »
Teenage Girl Dies After Getting HPV Vaccine
A teenage girl from the UK has died 5 days after receiving the controversial HPV vaccine at her local high school. Shazel Zaman, aged 13, complained of feeling ill and suffering from dizziness and headaches after receiving the HPV jab. Telegraph.co.uk reports: Doctors told the teenager’s family that they believed she might have a stomach bug and told them to bring her back to hospital if her condition worsened, the Manchester Evening News reported. An hour later she was found unconscious with no pulse at her home in Bury. She was declared dead in hospital around four hours later. S... more »
Young Rape Victim Given Euthanasia Drugs By Doctors
A young rape victim has been given euthanasia drugs by doctors in the Netherlands who agreed that the woman in her 20’s had nothing left to live for. The unnamed sex abuse victim says she suffered abuse from the age of five to 15 and, although suffers no severe mental health problems now, has decided she wants to end her life via lethal injection. Independent.co.uk reports: As a result of her abuse, she suffered from post-traumatic-stress disorder (PTSD), severe anorexia, chronic depression and hallucinations, MailOnline reports. Despite improvements in her mental state after “inte... more »
Elderly Indian Woman Gives Birth
An elderly Indian woman has given birth at the ripe old age of 72 through IVF treatment. Daljinder Kaur and her 79-year-old husband became parents in March following two years of fertility treatment in Haryana, India. Sky News reports: The baby was conceived using the couple’s own egg and sperm and, despite being very small at birth, weighing just two kilograms (4.4lbs), was now “healthy and hearty”, the National Fertility and Test Tube centre said. Mrs Kaur said she did not believe she was too old to be a first-time mother and said she felt very well and fit enough to cope. She s... more »
Caitlyn Jenner Says She Regrets Sex Change
Caitlyn Jenner regrets transitioning from male to female and desperately wants to revert back to being Bruce Jenner, according to a Kardashian biographer. According to Ian Halperin, multiple friends of Caitlyn have said that Jenner wants to re-transition back to male in the next 2 years. Foxnews.com reports: Halperin said while doing research for his book “Kardashian Dynasty: The Controversial Rise of America’s Royal Family,” several sources indicated Jenner is unhappy. “One source confirmed to me Caitlyn has made whispers of ‘sex change regret,’ hinting she might go back to being ... more »
New Evidence Confirms Saudi Arabia’s Role In 9/11 Attacks
The FBI have announced that they were forced to hide up to 80,266 classified papers from the official 9/11 report which strongly implicates Saudi Arabia in the 9/11 terror attacks. A former Republican member of the 9/11 Commission said that the report contains smoking gun evidence that the Saudi regime were involved in the orchestration of the September 11 attacks. Sputniknews.com reports: The remarks by John Lehman, who was Navy Secretary for President Reagan, signaled a split among the 10 commissioners after the 2004 report was initially billed as an exoneration of Saudi Arabia, ... more »
Tories Abolish BBC Independence Amid Privatization Bid
The Conservative government in the UK have begun the process of privatising the BBC, by abolishing its governing body the BBC Trust. Britain’s state broadcaster is to suffer a Tory shakeup which will see the Trust being replaced with a ‘unitary board of governors’, half of which will be government officials. RT.com reports: The overhaul will make the BBC more “accountable to its listeners,” Culture Secretary John Whittingdale said in a statement. However, Shadow Culture Secretary Maria Eagle said the reforms could be seen as a way of exerting government control over the broadcaster.... more »
Turkey To Send Migrants Back Into Europe, Erdogan Warns
Turkey have threatened to send migrants back to Europe if the EU Parliament don’t grant visa-free travel to Turkish citizens. The Erdogan regime issued a stern warning to EU officials, saying that “The European Parliament will discuss the report that will open up visa-free travel in Europe to Turkish citizens. If it makes the wrong decision, we will send the migrants back!” RT.com reports: Kuzu made several statements on Twitter in anticipation of Wednesday’s session of European parliament, at which visa exemption for Turkish nationals in the Schengen zone – as part of a migrant de... more »
If Caitlyn Jenner Reverts to Bruce …
[image: Caitlyn to Bruce Jenner Transition - 900] Although Bruce Caitlyn Jenner's rep is denying it, there are reports claiming that within the next few years, Caitlyn will revert to Bruce, the alleged reasons being that: 1) living as a woman has "been very hard" for him; and... more »
Friday Morning Ramble–13.05.16
*“Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously & the politicians as a joke.” *~Will Rogers. National budgets room for corporate welfare, but none for tax cuts. *The Taxpayers’ Union is fuming after the government rules out tax cuts* – RADIO LIVE *PETITION: Corporate welfare or tax cuts?* – ACTION SPROUT Auckland Council. It just keeps right on borrowing, right on getting further into debt – right on into an ever-lower credit rating, and ever-higher repayments. “Credit rating agencies have warned of a rating downgrade if its debt-to-revenue ratio approac... more »
The Assault To Retake Mosul From The Islamic State Has Been Delayed Again
The wreckage of a car belonging to Islamic State militants lies along a road after it was targeted by a U.S. air strike at the entrance to the Mosul Dam, northern Iraq August 21, 2014. REUTERS/YOUSSEF BOUDLAL *Nancy Youssef, Daily Beast*: *Taking ISIS Stronghold Is Delayed Again* U.S. and Iraqi officials have been promising to topple the Islamic State’s headquarters in Mosul for more than a year, but now the deadline is pushed back again. The war to reclaim Iraq’s second-largest city from the self-proclaimed Islamic State has been pushed back yet again, three Pentagon officials tol... more »
Russia Says U.S. Missile Defense System A “Direct Threat”
Russia have accused America of risking nuclear war by installing a long-awaited missile defense system in Europe. Moscow have said that the American-built system put Russia’s security in danger, suggesting that the country hosting the system, Romania, could be reduced to “smoking ruins” as a result. Nytimes.com reports: “We have been saying right from when this story started that our experts are convinced that the deployment of the ABM system poses a certain threat to the Russian Federation,” the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, told reporters in a conference call. “Measures ar... more »
Retired Bishop Explains Why the Church Invented Hell
*Vic Bishop* - The church's survival depends on your belief in the concept of Hell.
better man 4U
Pearl Jam covered this pretty well so its understandable if your thinking you would expect I could not do nearly as well as a rock god when it came to finding a women to love But I did exceed the altitude of even Nirvana waves of pleasure filling the neighbour hood full of love where everybody knows they are there for you no matter what the colours even a few black and blue as long as they were inflicted by distant planets not joined forever by gravity like me and you So I still dont know if I am rocket fuel or just sniffing fumes at Johnny Rockets hamburger emporium where the order is p... more »
better4 u man
Pearl Jam covered this pretty well so its understandable if your thinking you would expect I could not do nearly as well as a rock god when it came to finding a women to love But I did exceed the altitude of even Nirvana waves of pleasure filling the neighbour hood full of love where everybody knows they are there for you no matter what the colours even a few black and blue as long as they were inflicted by distant planets not joined forever by gravity like me and you So I still dont know if I am rocket fuel or just sniffing fumes at Johnny Rockets hamburger emporium where the order is p... more »
Turkey's Visa Deal With The EU Is Unravelling
*AFP*: *Turkey visa deal unravels as Erdogan defies EU on key condition* Ankara (AFP) - A deal to grant Turks visa-free travel to most of the European Union was hanging by a thread Thursday after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan defiantly vowed Ankara would not fulfil a key condition set by Brussels. With alarm growing over the deal's future, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker bluntly told Erdogan that Turks would only enjoy travel to the passport-free Schengen area if all conditions were met and it would be "his problem" if this failed to materialise. The promise of vis...more »
Russia, Kenya Track Teams May Miss Rio After Doping Rulings
[image: In this Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016 file photo, Kenyan athletes train just after dawn, in Kaptagat Forest in western Kenya. World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) officials declared Kenya's drug-fighting agency out of compliance Thursday, May 12, 2016, a move that places the track powerhouse's participation in this summer's Olympics in jeopardy.] MONTREAL (AP) -- Together, Russia and Kenya won 27 medals at the last Olympics in track and field. Their total at the next one could be zero. The Olympic hopes of the powerhouse teams from both countries took serious blows... more »
Is The U.S. Army Exaggerating The Russian Threat?
U.S. military vehicles parading near Russia's border in Narva, Estonia on Feb. 24. (Estonian Defense Forces) *Mark Perry, Politico*: *The U.S. Army’s War Over Russia* Top brass profess to be really worried about Putin. But a growing group of dissenters say they’re overreacting to get a bigger share of the defense budget. During the Battle of the Wilderness in 1864, a unit of Robert E. Lee’s army rolled up some artillery pieces and began shelling the headquarters of Union commander Ulysses S. Grant. When one of his officers pleaded that Grant move, insisting that he knew exactly wh... more »
If The Whole World Could Vote, Hillary Would Trounce Trump In The Biggest Landslide Ever Recorded
Finder.com endeavored to find out who voters-- non-American voters-- in other countries would vote for if they could vote in the U.S. election this November. They asked 18,256 people over the age of 18 from France, Japan, Canada, the U.K., Germany Australia, Spain, Mexico, and Brazil to pick between Hillary, Trump, Cruz and Bernie. Hillary, who has tremendous name-ID overseas, won everywhere but Canada. Canada gets a lot of American media so they are more aware of the intricacies of American politics and of the election cycle and, obviously, they chose Bernie. Across all 9 countri...more »
Secret Service to Investigate Trump’s Former Butler
[image: Donald Trump poses for a photo with longtime butler Anthony Senecal.] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Donald Trump’s former butler has drawn the attention of Secret Service for threats online he’s made against President Barack Obama. Anthony Senecal, who served the presumptive Republican nominee at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, has a Facebook... more »
White House Defends Aide Who Admitting to Creating False Iran Nuke Deal Narrative
[image: President Barack Obama confers about the Cairo speech with Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Denis McDonough, right, and speechwriter Ben Rhodes on Air Force One en route to Cairo, Egypt, June 4, 2009.] WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House locked horns on Thursday with a House committee chairman over whether a senior aide should testify before Congress about his role in crafting President Barack Obama’s public relations campaign in favor of the Iran... more »
Iran Declines to Take Part in Hajj Over Dispute With Saudis
[image: Hajj - 900] TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran will not send pilgrims to Saudi Arabia this year for the annual hajj, an Iranian official said Thursday, the latest sign of tensions between the two Mideast powers after a disaster during the pilgrimage last... more »
Italian Defense Minister in Iraq for Mosul Dam Talks
*Mosul Dam Talks? * *According to the US this dam is in danger of imminent and apocalyptic collapse!* “Italian Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti made an *unannounced* visit to Iraq on Monday to discuss logistics for* deploying 450 troops* near the front line with Islamic State *to protect workers carrying out repairs to the Mosul dam.”* *Unannounced?* *450 more troops? **Because there are already Italian troops stationed at the dam. And the area around the dam is completely militarized. Both points covered more then once here at the blog.* *“Pinotti met in Baghdad* with Prime Min... more »
Russia Talks About Nuclear War
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (L) and Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos arrive for an official inauguration ceremony at Deveselu air base, Romania, May 12, 2016. Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea/via REUTERS *New York Times:* *Russia Speaks of Nuclear War as U.S. Opens Missile Defense System* MOSCOW — As American and allied officials celebrated the opening of a long-awaited missile defense system in Europe with a ribbon cutting and a band, the reaction in Moscow on Thursday was darker: a public discussion of how nuclear war might play out in Europe and the prospect that Roman... more »
Kansas to Toughen Rules on Transgender Birth Certificates
[image: birth certificate - 900] TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Kansas is pursuing regulations that would give it one of the nation’s toughest policies against allowing transgender people to update their birth certificates, prompting anger from advocates and threats of a lawsuit. State health department officials... more »
WW3: U.S. And Russia At Odds Over New Anti-Missile Site In Romania
U.S. and Russia are about to face a nuclear stand-off that has the potential to lead to WW3. The two old super-power rivals are talking past each other when it comes to the deployment of the new U.S anti-missile system in eastern Europe aimed at allegedly stopping Iranian missiles. Russia understandably sees it as a direct threat by the fact of its proximity, likening it to Russia deploying anti-missile systems in Cuba and arguing that it is not directed at the U.S. but a rogue state beyond. The United States and her allies celebrated the opening of a long-awaited ground-based missi... more »
Economic News , Data & Views ( May 12 , 2016 ) Overview For Thursday ( 1. Market Moving News - Fed Reserve Chair Yellen Comments on NIRP , China's Big 4 Banks Cut Back On New Loans By 50 % , US Markets Daily Gyrations - Crude Oil Whipsaw Stocks Generally / Transports Specifically , Gold Back In Favor In Q1 , Global Oil Demand Surprises To Upside. 2. France Gov't Survives No Confidence Vote. 3. EU - Turkey Refugee Deal Unravels A Bit More Today . 4. Brexit News For Thursday. 5. Brazil In Focus - Life After Rousseff For Brazil. , Zika In Focus With Olympics Looming In Ninety Days )
Markets and Market moving news......... *zerohedge* @zerohedge 2h 2 hours ago YELLEN: WOULDN'T RULE OUT NEGATIVE RATES IN VERY ADVERSE CASE *zerohedge* @zerohedge 2h 2 hours ago YELLEN: MUST CONSIDER UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF NEGATIVE RATES. When will the Fed consider unintended consequences of ZIRP and QE *zerohedge* @zerohedge 2h 2 hours ago The party is over: CHINA 4 BIG BANKS' APRIL NEW LOANS MORE THAN HALVED M/M: MNI *zerohedge* @zerohedge 2h 2 hours ago Crude Chaos Sparks Stock Schizophrenia, Trannies Trounced http://www. zerohedge.com/news... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 12, 2016
*Washington Times editorial*:* John Kerry’s world without borders* *Utopia sounds nice, but no one has ever found it* “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,” wrote poet Robert Frost in a meditation on the competing needs of security and freedom. Borders and boundaries disappear as Planet Earth becomes a smooth blue orb with continents divided only by the seas in the view from space, suggesting that man is one happy family. But down at street level in the world where men and women actually live, there’s something that does love a wall. There’s a name for the society that is... more »
Rest In Peace Dr. Edgar Mitchell
Dr. Edgar Mitchell Dr. Edgar Mitchell interview Apollo 14 Mission To Fra Mauro (1971)
Bob Graham: "Release the Uncensored Truth about 9/11"
Very interesting editorial in The Washington Post that I strongly recommend reading at the link below: Former senator: Release the uncensored truth about 9/11 By Bob Graham The Washington Post, May 11 at 7:10 PM https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/former-senator-release-the-uncensored-truth-about-911/2016/05/11/3ad4a9f6-1620-11e6-9e16-2e5a123aac62_story.html?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_headlines As co-chair of the Joint Inquiry Into the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001, I have read the 28 pages. My oath of confidentiality forbids me from discussing the specifics of that material... more »
8 Secrets to Living Beyond 100 from the World’s Healthiest People
*Christina Sarich* - In a lost kingdom high in the Himalayan mountains, live a people with incredible secrets for longevity.
Forgotten Americans.....
In this corner of the Navajo Nation, just 100 miles west of Albuquerque, N.M., an estimated 40 percent of residents don't have access to running water. Their savior is Darlene Arviso, born and raised on the Reservation, who drives her precious cargo - a tanker truck filled with water - to make monthly deliveries to 250 families. Lee Cowan reports.
U.S. Opens 'Missile Defense' Base in Romania, Breaks Ground on Another in Poland
Reuters reports from Romania: The United States' European missile defense shield goes live on Thursday almost a decade after Washington proposed protecting NATO from Iranian rockets and despite Russian warnings that the West is threatening the peace in central Europe. Amid high Russia-West tension, U.S. and NATO officials will declare operational the shield at a remote air base in Deveselu, Romania, after years of planning, billions of dollars in investment and failed attempts to assuage Russian concerns that the shield could be used against Moscow. The United States will also s... more »
Kristof and Political Scientists Agree!!!: Congress is playing with fire by avoiding Zika
Nicholas Kristof’s op-ed in the New York Times today, Congress to America: Drop Dead, laments Congress’ inaction on appropriating funding requested by the White House for proactive public health measures intended to stem the expected spread of the Zika virus in the United States. In April, I raised similar concerns here on the Duck, Chasing […]
May 12: The Irving Press - Brains in Idle.
When the Panama Papers gave us some insight into the meaning of "tax haven", they revealed the greatest theft in history. And that's only one, small piece of a much larger story of tax havens and other avoidance schemes. But, for the Irving press (and many other newspaper chains), the big, world news story was Jian Gomeshi's apology for a sexual assault. We've read many, many stories about Jian Gomeshi and other meaningless people. A man named Oland springs to mind. But, after the first announcement, not a word about this 'tip of the iceberg' story called the Panama Papers. It is no... more »
Gboard: Google’s New iPhone Keyboard
Gboard is Google’s new cool keyboard for iOS devices. A noteworthy app that is not yet available for Android. Tech Insider reports: Keyboards are increasingly seen as a critical part of mobile operating systems, because they can work across multiple apps, and can collect some of the most personal user data. The key feature for Google’s iPhone keyboard is that it integrates Google Search into the keyboard — one example Google provides is that you can search for an address right from the keyboard, so you don’t have to copy and paste from a separate app. Other banner features include e... more »
Who Should They Serve?
Your local post office used to be a bank -- until 1968. That's when Canada Post got out of the banking business. But, Linda McQuaig writes, there are good reasons for restoring banking services to Canada Post's mandate: As they’ve turned their attention to catering to the wealthy, Canada’s six big banks have shut down more than 1,700 branches across the country in recent years. In many rural communities today, you’re no more likely to see a bank than a buffalo. This has left hundreds of thousands of Canadians without bank accounts, including many low-income city dwellers – notably... more »
Feeling the Brand
Granted that you have take anything you read in* Politico* with a grain of salt, but this little trial balloon sounds plausible enough if you happen to suspect that the Bernie Sanders campaign has already embarked on the first leg of its road to Clinton capitulation: * A group of Bernie Sanders staffers and volunteers is circulating a draft proposal calling on the senator to get out of the presidential race after the final burst of Democratic primaries on June 7, and concentrate on building a national progressive organization to stop Donald Trump.* *Operating under the assumption ... more »
Untitled
*5 Years Later, Deaths Caused by Radiation Leak at Fukushima: 0* *Good disproof of the Leftist contention that there is no safe level of radiation. Moderate doses can even be beneficial* Since the horrific earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear reactor meltdown in Japan on March 11, 2011, there have been no deaths directly caused by the radiation leak from the nuclear plant in Fukushima, which is located on the northeast side of Japan. The latest update (in April) by the World Nuclear Association on the Fukushima disaster states, “there have been no deaths or cases of radiation sickne... more »
Benghazi Backup Never Got the Order to Deploy
[image: Fox News Anonymous Witness Benghazi Attacks - 900] A member of a U.S. Air Force squadron based in Italy has claimed he and his team could have come to the rescue of U.S. personnel under fire in Benghazi, but they never received the order. The airman, who has... more »
World News Briefs -- May 12, 2016 (Evening Edition)
*Reuters:* *Brazil's Rousseff vows fight; incoming interim president sets sights on economy* Suspended Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff vowed on Thursday she would fight to prove her innocence after the Senate voted to put her on trial for breaking budget laws, its historic decision fueled by deep recession and a sprawling corruption scandal. In a dramatic changing of the guard that signaled a political shift in Brazil, Rousseff, a leftist who has been in office since 2011, departed Brasilia's Planalto presidential palace just hours after the vote. Centrist Vice President Miche... more »
Pop-Bottle Pseudo-Science for Climate-Scaremongering in the Classroom
The use of misleading experiments with glass boxes, jars or pop bottles in classrooms has been happening for a while: *' **The experiment as presented by Al Gore and Bill Nye “the science guy” is a failure, and not representative of the greenhouse effect related to CO2 in our atmosphere. '*One correspondent to a Canadian web-based news magazine recently reacted to this sort of insidious nonsense with a powerful letter. Reproduced below from 'My Kawartha.com' :Pop bottle science ‘grossly exaggerates’ CO2 Kawartha Lakes This Week To the editor: Re: pop bottle science. One of the half d... more »
Untitled
*Is Harvard risking its reputation? The hits keep coming* Harvard is in the news again, and for all the wrong reasons. On Friday, Harvard Law Professor Mark Tushnet came dangerously close to comparing Christian conservatives to Nazis in a blog post. Specifically, he said this of those who he proclaims “lost” the culture war: “Trying to be nice to the losers didn’t work well after the Civil War, nor after Brown. (And taking a hard line seemed to work reasonably well in Germany and Japan after 1945.)” The comparison speaks volumes about the tolerance of opposing views and the regar... more »
Intellectual overload watch: Now they've even got Friedersdorf!
*THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2016Mistaken claim about Trump:* The craziness of Candidate Trump is causing circuits to misfire. Now it's even happened to Conor Friedersdorf. In a brief post at the Atlantic, he quotes Trump's "extravagant praise" for Hillary Clinton, as stated by Trump on Fox in November 2012. Trump told Fox that Clinton is "terrific." This is Friedersdorf's assessment: FRIEDERSDORF (5/11/16): Many Trump supporters feel that their candidate is the only one who says what he really thinks and tells it like it is. That cannot be true, for the simple reason that so much of what ... more »
Turkey Threatens ‘Anti ISIS’ Operations In Syria
Turkey has threatened to launch unilateral “operations” on Syrian soil allegedly against ISIS and amid long-running speculations on Ankara’s covert plans for a military intervention in Syria Last week the Turkish prime minister said that that Ankara was in a position to send ground troops to Syria if necessary Press TV reports: On Thursday, Turkish President Erdogan said Ankara “is doing all the necessary preparations to clean the other side of the border because of the problems in” Kilis Province near the southeastern frontier with Syria, which has come under several rocket attacks... more »
Albert Omoss - naked organic architectures - codified human flesh
*original source* Californian motion graphics artist Albert Omoss, according to his website: *works around the existential motifs of computer simulation. His surrealist blending of organic and inorganic raises questions about human technological progress. His pieces often explore the fragility of the human form, the aesthetic complexity of physical processes, and the relationship between organisms and advanced technologies.* What this means in practise, and prepare yourselves, is this... form r03 - mountain shelter from Albert Omoss on Vimeo. form o16 - mutualism from Albert Om... more »
Catholic School Teacher Under Fire for Handout on Abortion’s Black Genocide
[image: Pregnancy Dark Skin - 900] Gavin Ahern teaches theology at the Catholic girls’ high school Xavier College Preparatory in Phoenix. He is under fire from critics for handing out a flyer (pictured below) to students that discusses how abortion is genocide against blacks. A former... more »
Burning an Empire
Long, long ago, around 1910, writer Stewart Holbrook met John Cameron, an old logger who had many stories to tell. Cameron had witnessed the great fire at Peshtigo, Wisconsin (map) which began on October 8, 1871. The town was a booming metropolis of 2,000 souls on the banks of the mighty Peshtigo River, and a hub for enterprises related to forest mining and wood products. There had been little snow the previous winter, and just one rain between May and September. Streams were shallow, and swamps were drying up. Logging operations left large amounts of slash in the woods (pile... more »
Donald Trump Warns He Would Strike North Korea’s Nuclear Base
Outspoken U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump has claimed in a book that he would be willing to bomb North Korea’s nuclear facilities if he became president. Trump said he would advocate a surgical strike if negotiations failed to negate the threat of a nuclear attack by the rogue nation on U.S. cities. Trump is a successful business man in the real estate market and is recognized for his art of negotiating a deal. He also has experience as a judge on the TV reality show, The Apprentice. The Donald recently said that he admired the young dictator Kim Jong-un for taking over the... more »
Female Passenger Punches EasyJet Pilot In The Face
An EasyJet flight to Cyprus was delayed after a female passenger punched the pilot in the face for ordering her out of his plane before take-off. The 25-year-old woman was arrested at Manchester Airport for assault. Independent.ie reports: It is understood the woman attacked the captain of the plane as she was being led away. The airline issued a statement, which read: “EasyJet can confirm that the police were called to attend flight EZY1973 from Manchester to Paphos prior to its departure on 11 May to assist with a disruptive passenger. “The passenger was subsequently arrested. The... more »
More on Sadiq Khan
There's a thought-provoking piece on Sadiq Kahn over at *Harry's Place, *if you care to read it (as I'd recommend you do): *Won’t The Real Sadiq Khan Please Stand Up?*
Turkish President Erdogan Threatens Unilateral Action Against The Islamic State In Syria
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech during the Balkan Countries Chiefs of Defence Conference in Istanbul, Turkey May 11, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer *Wall Street Journal: **Turkey Threatens Stronger Military Action in Syria* President Erdogan hints at sending troops to end rocket attacks, confirms no U.S. backing for move ISTANBUL—President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened Thursday to take stronger military action inside Syria to halt relentless Islamic State rocket attacks that have brought life in parts of one Turkish border town to a standstill. After weeks of deadly ... more »
Guest Post By Jim Keady-- Why I Cannot "Just Do It" On Nike And The TPP
One of the issues that has united people across the political spectrum in this campaign cycle is the fact that for the past three decades the United States has signed onto trade policies that have crushed middle class workers and only benefited the uber-wealthy and giant multinational corporations. The most recent incarnation of these failed trade policies is the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). While I agree with President Obama on a range of key issues (increasing access to healthcare, fighting to reverse climate change, etc.) on this issue we differ. I am particularly trouble... more »
Russian Casualties Continue To Climb In Syria
© Mikhail Metzel/TASS *Reuters:* *Russian military losses in Syria continue despite withdrawals* Russia on Thursday buried its eighth serviceman officially acknowledged to have been killed in its military campaign in Syria, suggesting as many have died in combat since the Kremlin announced a partial pullout as before the March announcement. Moscow has continued sending military hardware to Syria, according to a Reuters analysis of shipping and aircraft data, and its capability is roughly the same as before it announced the drawdown. Since mid-March, when Russian President Vladimir... more »
Syrian War News Updates -- May 12, 2016
*Reuters*:* Fighting erupts north of Aleppo as ceasefire expires* Syrian government forces battled rebels north of Aleppo on Thursday as a ceasefire expired in the city itself, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and rebel sources said. The fighting was focused around the rebel-held Handarat area which is important because it is near the last route into opposition-held areas of Aleppo, Syria's biggest city before the conflict and now divided between the government and rebels. The Observatory said pro-government forces had launched an attack in the area, supported by air strik... more »
The Pentagon's DARPA Is Showcasing Future Technologies
*VOA*: *Sci-Fi Made Real: Pentagon Unveils Stunning Technology* PENTAGON—Unmanned submarine hunters, gecko-inspired wall climbing material and even "upward falling" containers that spring into action from the ocean floor — that's just a taste of the U.S. military's latest technological innovations on display Wednesday at the Pentagon. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, better known as DARPA, showed off more than 60 of its inventions, concepts and programs as part of the agency's Demo Day. The annual event provides the Defense Department community with an up-close look ... more »
Pentagon Embraces Artificial Intelligence
Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter, center, in Mountain View, Calif., on Wednesday. He said the military faced challenges in translating civilian technology. Credit Andrew Burton for The New York Times *New York Times*:* Pentagon Turns to Silicon Valley for Edge in Artificial Intelligence* MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — In its quest to maintain a United States military advantage, the Pentagon is aggressively turning to Silicon Valley’s hottest technology — artificial intelligence. On Wednesday, Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter made his fourth trip to the tech industry’s heartland... more »
BREXIT The Movie
You need to watch BREXIT The Movie Or you can see it here in several parts that will play one after the other... This is important, you won't get the truth from the BBC, so watch this and spread the word.
Thirteen Year Old Dies Five Days After HPV Vaccine
A thirteen year old fell ill just hours after receiving a second dose of HPV vaccine at school and died five days later. Shazel Zaman started suffering with a severe headache, vomiting and dizziness a few days after having the cervical cancer vaccine and her symptoms became so bad a few days later that her family took her to hospital. Shazel’s family claims that a doctor dismissed that her condition was linked to the HPV vaccine jab saying she “came across as a lazy child” and diagnosed her illness as a stomach bug before sending her home. Her family strongly believe that there was ... more »
As We Shift - This Is Not A Fairy Tale
This slave to sovereign transformation is not happening in isolation or behind veils or doors. We are, in full view, realizing our authenticity. In chat rooms and board rooms, on social media and on playgrounds; we are deciding Oneness. This is not a fairy tale, it’s our life. Spend 20 minutes with us and watch the video shared below, you’ll see. Complete strangers will remind you what you came to do. You came to help us all. There are no easy answers and things haven’t been figured out yet. It is *us* providing those answers and unravelling the rhetoric. Never before have t... more »
The Destruction Of Nations Is Upon Us: With Open Gates - The Forced Collective Suicide Of European Nations
I have already stated so many times in so many previous articles, and even in my weekend rants, that this "migration problem" that we have been witnessing in the last few years in Europe (and soon coming to North America as well) has been by design and is being implemented for the destruction of white Caucasian nations all over Europe..... And I say to those that say that THIS ISSUE is just "change for the better" are either kidding themselves, or are part of the problem.... Yes, Europe is being systematically destroyed, and everyone should be waking the hell up and see the real age... more »
Study Uncovers Major Cancer Fighter: Marriage
[image: marriage - 900] Let’s call this the most unsurprising headline of the year so far: “Marriage Increases the Odds of Surviving Cancer, Studies Find.” Next thing you know they’ll be discovering that salt makes you thirsty. I’m not actually belittling the science, more...more »
"The Confessions of 'Congressman X'"
* "The Confessions of 'Congressman X'"* by David Martosko "A new book threatens to blow the lid off of Congress as a federal legislator's tell-all book lays out the worst parts of serving in the House of Representatives – saying that his main job is to raise money for re-election and that leaves little time for reading the bills he votes on. Mill City Press, a small Minnesota-based 'vanity press' publisher describes 'The Confessions of Congressman X' as 'a devastating inside look at the dark side of Congress as revealed by one of its own.' 'No wonder Congressman X wants to remain ... more »
"If I Try My Best..."
- Steve Jobs
“The Perfect Storm Circling Hillary Clinton”
*“The Perfect Storm Circling Hillary Clinton”* by Andrew Napolitano "The bad legal news for Hillary Clinton continued to cascade upon her presidential hopes during the past week in what has amounted to a perfect storm of legal misery. Here is what happened. Last week, Mrs. Clinton's five closest advisers when she was secretary of state, four of whom remain close to her and have significant positions in her presidential campaign, were interrogated by the FBI. These interrogations were voluntary, not under oath, and done in the presence of the same legal team which represented all fi... more »
Musical Interlude: Liquid Mind, “Timeless and Tender”
Liquid Mind, “Timeless and Tender” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEQJePXOhQE
Musical Interlude: 2002, “Sea of Dreams”
2002, “Sea of Dreams” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JllFeTxxZ_Y
"A Look to the Heavens"
"What's happening at the center of spiral galaxy M106? A swirling disk of stars and gas, M106's appearance is dominated by blue spiral arms and red dust lanes near the nucleus, as shown in the featured image. The core of M106 glows brightly in radio waves and X-rays where twin jets have been found running the length of the galaxy. *Click image for larger size.* An unusual central glow makes M106 one of the closest examples of the Seyfert class of galaxies, where vast amounts of glowing gas are thought to be falling into a central massive black hole. M106, also designated NGC 4258, i... more »
"Alas..."
“Alas, regardless of their doom, the little victims play! No sense have they of ills to come, nor care beyond today.” - Thomas Gray
Paulo Coelho, “Declaration of Principles: Statutes For The Present Moment"
*“Declaration of Principles:* *Statutes For The Present Moment"* by Paulo Coelho "*1]* All human beings are different. And should do everything possible to continue to be so. *2]* Each human being has been granted two courses of action: that of deed and that of contemplation. Both lead to the same place. *3]* Each human being has been granted two qualities: power and gift. Power drives a person to meet his/her destiny, his gift obliges that person to share with others which is good in him/her. A human being must know when to use power, and when to use compassion. *4] *Each human bein... more »
"The Heart..."
"People link the heart to stupidity. They say the heart wants what it wants; it is foolish and driven. They play the victim and blame their emotions for every pain they suffer. The truth is that we own our body. Therefore we own our heart and it will feel whatever we attract to it. Be certain that the heart you call stupid has greater sense of intuition than brilliant minds combined. It aches, dreams, hates, loves independently; while the rest of your body awaits signals from the brain to function. The heart is the lighthouse that guides all our senses and it is the essence of our ... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Haltom City, Texas, USA. Thanks for stopping by!
"Winning Isn’t Everything: Competing with Yourself"
*"Winning Isn’t Everything: Competing with Yourself"* by "When we are satisfied with our life, we do not look for experiences of winning and losing to define our self-worth. The urges that drive us to compete with others tend to be straightforward. Years of both evolution and societal influences have shaped us to pit ourselves against our peers. The needs and desires that inspire us to compete with ourselves, however, are entirely personal and thus far more complex. A need to outdo our earlier efforts—to confirm that we have grown as individuals—can motivate us to reach new heigh... more »
"Life Is About..."
"Life is about discovering things that *do* matter in the end." - Robert Brault
The Poet: Mary Oliver, “Wild Geese”
*“Wild Geese”* "You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again. Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagi... more »
Midday Musical Interlude: André Rieu, “Kalinka”
André Rieu, “Kalinka” André Rieu performing "Kalinka" live in his hometown Maastricht. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuF9N0VFcfk To escape the vile economic news below...
"The Truth..."
Consider this while reading the following 2 posts...
The Economy: "5 Charts"; "Why It's Time To Give Up"
*"We Need a Complete System Overhaul: * *5 Charts That Blow Up the Status Quo"* by Charles Hugh Smith "The promises made when there were 7 workers for every retiree cannot be kept when there are only 2 workers for every retiree. In an auto-mechanic analogy, the Powers That be are assuring us those grinding noises under the hood and the black smoke chugging out of the tailpipe are no big deal and can be fixed with a minor tuneup. They're wrong; we need a total overhaul to avoid a total system breakdown. The grinding noises and black smoke are telling us the engine of our economy is ... more »
The Economy: “11 Signs That The U.S. Economy Is Rapidly Deteriorating Even As The Stock Market Soars”
*“11 Signs That The U.S. Economy Is Rapidly * *Deteriorating Even As The Stock Market Soars”* By Michael Snyder “We have seen this story before, and it never ends well. From mid-March until early May 2008, a vigorous stock market rally convinced many investors that the market turmoil of late 2007 and early 2008 was over and that happy days were ahead for the U.S. economy. But of course we all know what happened. It turned out that the market downturns of late 2007 and early 2008 were just “foreshocks” of a much greater crash in late 2008. The market surge in the spring of 2008 was ... more »
Musical Interlude: Guy Farley, “Drawing”
Guy Farley, “Drawing” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOlTKEdzM54
"Russians Have All Clinton Server Email- US Secrets Totally Compromised"
*"Russians Have All Clinton Server Email- * *US Secrets Totally Compromised"* by Newsroom "While Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton used a personal email server in her home for government business. Emails sent through that computer were all copied by Russia! The Kremlin is debating whether to release the 20,000 emails they have hacked off of Hillary Clinton s server. Beginning in 2011, the Russians began monitoring Romanian computer hacker Marcel Lazr Lehel (aka Guccifer) after he attempted, unsuccessfully, to break into the computer system of the Russian funded RT television net... more »
Champagne corks everywhere
Jane and Dame Jenni's morning refreshment today? The BBC does seem happy today. Delirious, even gloating, too - if Nick Higham's BBC News website piece is anything to go by. His opening paragraph, all in bold, runs as follows: And after 'behaving condescendingly' towards Mr Whittingdale there, what do you make of *this*, contrasting the ideological Mr W with "more pragmatic Tories" who appreciate the wonderfulness of the beloved BBC? Impartial? I think not.
Obfuscatory capture: Now they've even got Kevin Drum!
*THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2016Trump on the minimum wage:* Is well-known candidate Donald J. Trump in favor of raising the federal minimum wage? By last evening, they even had Kevin Drum saying it! For unknown reasons, Drum based his claim—which may have been tongue on cheek—on a tweet from the reigning king of constant gorilla dust: DRUM (5/11/16): So what does Trump really think about the minimum wage? There's no telling. Maybe he really has changed his mind over and over. Maybe he didn't realize there were separate state and federal minimum wages until someone clued him in on May 8. *B... more »
Top Republicans Praise Court for Stopping Obamacare ‘Power Grab’
[image: President Barack Obama pauses while speaking in the White House briefing room in Washington, Friday, May 6, 2016, about the economy and new steps to strengthen financial transparency and combat money laundering, corruption, and tax evasion.] Top House Republicans are praising a federal court for halting the Obama administration’s efforts to use a tax credit program inside the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to fund $175 billion in insurance reimbursements they say Congress never intended to spend... more »
Donald Trump Confirms That He Will Visit Israel Soon
U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump has confirmed with reporters that he will visit Israel after the Republican convention in July and before November’s general election. Israel National News reports: His confirmation came after the Trump campaign on Monday denied an Ma’ariv report last Friday, according to which he will visit Israel, Russia and Germany after the convention. A close adviser to Trump was cited in the report as saying the trip was meant to improve his image and to keep him more abreast of foreign affairs. But the real estate mogul’s spokesperson Hope Hicks denied ...more »
Wendy’s Automates to Overcome the Minimum Wage
[image: Wendy's Fast Food Chain, Old Fashioned Burgers] The fast-food chain Wendy’s plans to start automating all of its restaurants in an effort to overcome recent minimum wage increases and a weak market, according to reports Thursday. Wendy’s will install self-serving kiosks at it's over 6,000 locations later... more »
The Real Robinson Crusoe
"One may see that solitude and retirement from the world is not such an insufferable state of life as most men imagine, especially when people are fairly called or thrown into it unavoidably, as this man was." Captain Rogers commenting on Alexander Selkirk's fate when he rescued him. The Real Robinson Crusoe
Comparing and contrasting
Tonight's BBC One *News at Six *began with another pro-Leave point: Bank of England governor Mark Carney's dire warnings about a vote to leave the EU: *A warning from the Bank of England: Leaving the EU could trigger a recession.* The bulletin's reporting was 'impartial' *in the BBC sense*, in that: - (a) the bulletin kept using words like "stark" and "strong" to describe the governor's comments. - (b) the BBC's economics editor Kamal Ahmed, after laying out Mr. Carney's anti-Brexit case in detail, said that "many economists agree with the Bank's gloomy prognosis" an... more »
Trump: Master Negotiator...
*giving cover to the GOPe.* This whole meeting thing going on today between Trump and the GOPe reminds me of the person who declares he "put one over" on the car salesman who just sold him a car. Sure you did. You just negotiated a deal for a new car, something you do maybe every 4 - 6 years. Meantime, if the salesperson is good, he or she has 10 to 20 years of sales training under their belt. They've studied under master sales people, read every book on sales and on closing sales he or she could get their hands on, studied neuro linguistic programming, and learned how to naviga... more »
Federal Judge Rules Obamacare Spending Unconstitutional
[image: obamacare medicaid] WASHINGTON (AP) -- A federal judge ruled Thursday that the Obama administration is unconstitutionally spending federal money to fund the president’s health care law. The ruling from U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer is a win for House Republicans who brought... more »
29-Year-Long Study Shows Cell Phones Don’t Cause Cancer
[image: Young Man Talking on Cell Phone, Mobile Phone] A new study busts the infamous myth that cell phones cause brain cancer, giving millions of Americans one less carcinogen to worry about on a daily basis. The study, published online Monday in the medical journal Cancer Epidemiology, examined the association between... more »
Back to Bruce? Jenner Suffering ‘Sex-Change Regret,’ Author Claims
[image: Caitlyn to Bruce Jenner Transition - 900] Bruce “Caitlyn” Jenner is suffering “sex-change regret” and has considered transitioning back into life as a man, according to an author of a new book on the Kardashian family dynasty. Meanwhile, Jenner’s rep is denying the report. “Not worth commenting on such an idiotic... more »
Bone of contention
Today's *The World at One *on BBC Radio 4 began, as you'd expect, with coverage of the BBC Charter Renewal review. (Naval-gazing is a BBC speciality.) After a short review of events in parliament came a discussion between the BBC's Martha Kearney and Steve Hewlett of the *Guardian*/BBC Radio 4's *Media Show, *which suggested the review wasn't as bad as the BBC and its supporters feared but that there are still issues of concern for the BBC and its supporters. Then came a much shorter interview with Peter Bone MP, a BBC critic. It was the 'balancing item' -even though it lasted ... more »
“I shared:” Can tagging papers that share data boost the practice?
After a journal began tagging papers that adopted open science practices — such as sharing data and materials — a few other scientists may have been nudged into doing the same. In January 2014, Psychological Science began rewarding digital badges to authors who committed to open science practices such as sharing the data and materials. A study published […] The post “I shared:” Can tagging papers that share data boost the practice? appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Brazil's Problems Are Only Just Starting
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *Zero Hedge*: *Following Rousseff's "Coup", Brazil's Problems Are Only Just Starting* Following today's Brazilian Senate vote, which as reported earlier was expected to vote overwhelmingly to endorse Dilma Rousseff's impeachment and did just that in a 55-22 vote, Rousseff appealed to the public in a televized broadcast and condemned the move to impeach her as a "coup" and a "farce", denying she has committed any crimes. She was addressing the nation on TV for the first time since senators voted overnight to suspend her for budgetary violations and put... more »
9/11 Commission Member Believes Saudi Officials Supported The 9/11 Hijackers
*The Guardian*: *Saudi officials were 'supporting' 9/11 hijackers, commission member says* First serious public split revealed among commissioners over the release of the secret ‘28 pages’ that detail Saudi ties to 2001 terrorist attacks. A former Republican member of the 9/11 commission, breaking dramatically with the commission’s leaders, said Wednesday he believes there was clear evidence that Saudi government employees were part of a support network for the 9/11 hijackers and that the Obama administration should move quickly to declassify a long-secret congressional report on ...more »
What Is The Islamic State's Iraq Strategy?
Wissm Al-Okili / Reuters *Nancy Youssef, Daily Beast*: *Behind the Carnage in Iraq: ISIS Intends to Divide and Conquer* At least 150 people were blown up in Iraq’s capital Wednesday as ISIS ratchets up efforts to provoke ethnic cleansing and weaken the overstretched Iraqi security forces. Baghdad suffered its deadliest day in months during a series of attacks Wednesday. The carnage not only shocked the capital, but also raised questions about whether Iraqi security forces are capable of reclaiming Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, which has been occupied for almost two years by ... more »
U.S. Waging A Number Of 'Small Wars' Against Global Terror Groups
*CNN:* *U.S. special forces wage secretive 'small wars' against terrorists* Washington (CNN): President Barack Obama is increasingly calling upon Special Operations forces to carry out so-called "small wars" across the Middle East and Africa to challenge both ISIS and al Qaeda in places where the U.S. maintains a footprint beyond Syria and Iraq. In his first trip overseas since taking command of U.S. Special Operations a month ago, Gen. Raymond Thomas told a Middle Eastern audience recently that "complex" fails to adequately describe the current security environment. That comple... more »
Al-Shebab Militants Launch An Attack On U.S. Special Forces In Somalia
Al-Shabaab militants in a passing-out parade in 2011. Photograph: Feisal Omar/Reuters *CNN:* *U.S. Special Forces in Somalia firefight* (CNN)U.S. Special Operations forces came under fire from Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia Thursday when a mission to help Ugandan troops turned into unexpected combat for the Americans. The incident occurred west of Mogadishu, according to a U.S. military official familiar with reports from the scene. No U.S. troops were wounded in what quickly turned into a firefight. Ugandan troops, who are in the country as part of African forces backing the So... more »
World News Briefs -- May 12, 2016
*Reuters*: *Brazil's Rousseff bows out defiantly after historic Senate vote to try her* Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff bowed out defiantly on Thursday, suspended from office after the Senate voted to put her on trial for breaking budget laws in a historic decision brought on by a deep recession and a corruption scandal. Rousseff, in office since 2011, will be replaced by Vice President Michel Temer, for the duration of a Senate trial that could take up to six months. Rousseff, speaking shortly before she left Brasilia's Planalto presidential palace, said was notified of her s... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- May 12, 2016
*Military Times*: *U.S. military operations in Iraq expand on paper, but not on the ground* Nearly a month after Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced plans to expand the U.S. military mission in Iraq, little additional combat power has reached the front lines outside Mosul where the Iraqi army has been slow to reclaim ground from well entrenched Islamic State militants. Those plans, announced in April, authorize the deployment of several American "enablers," including more than 200 additional troops, the addition of combat advisers within the Iraqi army's combat brigades and ba... more »
Is Osama Bin Laden's Son Being Groomed To Be The Next Leader Of Al Qaeda?
Bin Laden hoped his son Hamza would eventually succeed him (file image) *The Independent*: *Hamza bin Laden: Could Osama's son be the future leader of al-Qaeda?* The younger Bin Laden appears in audio message calling on all Syrian jihadist groups to unite and 'liberate Palestine' Osama bin Laden’s son and heir apparent has resurfaced in an audio message after many months of silence, prompting renewed speculation over the leadership of al-Qaeda. Hamza bin Laden, understood to be 23 or 24 years old, was not found among the bodies after the 2011 CIA raid on the compound in Pakistan h... more »
China Boasts That It Has Widespread Support For Its South China Sea Policy
An oil rig (C) which China calls Haiyang Shiyou 981, and Vietnam refers to as Hai Duong 981, is seen in the South China Sea, off the shore of Vietnam in this May 14, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/MINH NGUYEN/FILES *Reuters*: *China says has wide support for stance on S.China Sea case* China has widespread support in the international community for its decision not to have anything to do with a legal case lodged by the Philippines against Chinese claims in the South China Sea, a senior diplomat said on Thursday. China has been stepping up its rhetoric ahead of a ruling expected in a few ... more »
What Is The F-35 Actually Supposed To Do?
*Ryan Faith, VICE News*: *What Is the Pentagon's Multi-Billion Dollar F-35 Jet Actually Supposed to Do?* The F-35 Lighting II is the most expensive weapons program in the history of the human race, and production is now being kicked into high gear. The main Lockheed Martin factory for the F-35, located in Fort Worth, Texas, is beginning the long ramp-up to get to full-scale production, which is expected by 2019. The F-35 is supposed to replace in whole or in part a large number of different aircraft types and is intended to operate for at least 50 years. So, naturally, one of the... more »
A Look Inside The Romanian Based Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System (Video)
From *YouTube*: NAVAL SUPPORT FACILITY DEVESELU, Romania (May 10, 2016) File video depicting inside the Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System (AAMDS) Combat Information Center (CIC) and the Combat Systems Maintenance Center of the deckhouse at NAVAL SUPPORT FACILITY DEVESELU, Romania. The AAMDS uses a nearly identical configuration of the Vertical Launch System, fire control system, and SPY-1 radar currently in use aboard Aegis cruisers and destroyers deployed around the world. The AAMDS is a key element in Phase II of the European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA). (U.S. Navy video/R... more »
NATO - U.S. Missile Defense System Activated
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (L), Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work (R) take part in an official inauguration ceremony at Deveselu air base, Romania, May 12, 2016. Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea/via REUTERS *Reuters:* *U.S. activates Romanian missile defense site, angering Russia* The United States switched on an $800 million missile shield in Romania on Thursday that it sees as vital to defend itself and Europe from so-called rogue states but the Kremlin says is aimed at blunting its own nuclear arsenal. To the music of m... more »
Brazil's Senate Votes to Impeach President Dilma Rousseff. Vice President to Take Over
*New York Times:* *Brazil’s Senate Suspends President Dilma Rousseff* BRASÍLIA — After an all-night debate, Brazil’s Senate voted Thursday morning to suspend President Dilma Rousseff and begin an impeachment trial against her, ousting a deeply unpopular leader whose sagging political fortunes have come to embody widespread public anger over systemic corruption and a battered economy. In a vote of 55 to 22, lawmakers accepted the charges against Ms. Rousseff, accusing her of borrowing from state banks to conceal a looming deficit, a budgetary sleight of hand that critics say was ai... more »
No brain at all
Yesterday’s survey of websites and blogs was more dispiriting than ever. First thing was Melanie Phillips addressing an American audience on the topic of antisemitism set the mood. (Craig posted the video below) ISGAP stands for Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy. Melanie’s frustration at the false equivalence between antisemitism and Islamophobia being parroted over and over again on the BBC and in much of the British media, the lack of coverage of the antisemitism that pours out of the Arab world (specially on Palestinian media) and the media’s apathy over th... more »
"Event Risk" and the Remaining Presidential Candidates
*"the beak would openAnd inside there was darkness, the stars and the moon"* *–Randall Jarrell, "The Black Swan" (image source) * *by Gaius Publius* Part 1 of my "Look Ahead" series — a look at the U.S. political landscape between now and the early first term of the next president — dealt with the the ground on which political events will necessarily play out, which means the role and character of today's independent voters who make up more than 40% of the electorate: A Look Ahead: Neither Party Can Win Without Winning Independents Part 2 dealt with the optics on the Democratic si... more »
Rain is constant, videos are van Goghized
A comment about two interesting enough papers. The changes in global mean temperature are discussed all the time but what has happened with the rain since 1850? Has it been increasing or decreasing? The Journal of Hydrology has published a paper giving a clear answer: Changes in annual precipitation over the Earth’s land mass excluding Antarctica from the 18th century to 2013 Hat tip: Not a lot of people know that and Climate Depot. Physicists W.A. van Wijngaarden and A. Syed from Toronto took 1,000 stations into account and the trends (changes of precipitation expressed in percen... more »
Former accounting prof adds 4 more retractions, bringing total to 37
We’ve found four more retractions for an erstwhile accounting professor, bringing his total to 37. The latest retractions follow a 2014 investigation into the work of James H. Hunton by his former employer, Bentley University in Massachusetts, which found him guilty of misconduct, resulting in more than two dozen retractions. Here’s the list of retractions released by the American Accounting […] The post Former accounting prof adds 4 more retractions, bringing total to 37 appeared first on Retraction Watch.
ONCE AGAIN, THAT'S RICH: Take the Berkeley pink-dot challenge!
*THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2016Part 4—Incompetence at the Times:* Let's start with a slightly puzzling question. Our question concerns Motoko Rich, the New York Times education reporter. Question: Where did Rich get the idea that Evanston, Berkeley and Chapel Hill are among the nation's "wealthiest communities?" By paragraph 4 of her recent report about a new study of public schools, Rich was advancing that idea, which is just basically false. She also said it was "puzzling" to find that public schools in such wealthy communities would feature large achievement gaps. As we explained yes... more »
Parkour Dog
H/T Twistedsifter Border Collies are amazing. Of course human breeds are all the same.
Orwell meets Dick
The New York Police Department has been ordered to release information on health risks associated with X-ray vans used to detect explosives, a court of appeal ruled Wednesday. *Orwell * meets *Dick* today I always like to believe the last chapter in in flux. Last couple of years my flux capacitors have had a total recharge. I just see total chaos comming and that is my area of expertise, I have doged many a imaginary bullet with out wire effects. simply by using my supposedly bullet proof intellect that traveled me so far. Right now I am on some kind of third world skid row wit... more »
Lego playing Guitar
H/T Laughing Squid and fasty the fast cat
Analysis Of February CET
By Paul Homewood http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/summaries/actualmonthly I looked at DECC’s statistics on thermal growing seasons earlier, which suggested that seasons were growing longer, principally because of the earlier onset of spring. On average, it appears that the season tends to run from mid Feb to mid Nov. Remember that the definition of a growing season […]
UPDATED: Brazil latest victim of US Economic Hitmen
*UPDATED: May 11, 2016* Geopolitical analyst and journalist Pepe Escobar has a very good and detailed analysis of all the ins and outs of the USrael removal of Brazil's democratically elected President from office *Brazil President Dilma Rousseff* *‘Brazilian senators have voted to put President Dilma Rousseff on trial for breaking budget laws. She is to be suspended from her post after five years in power.“Today we are trying to overcome this situation by removing an irresponsible government. We have no alternative,” said Senator Blairo Maggi, as cited by Reuters.The senate vot... more »
Clash of the Doctrines
Now that the U.S. presidential race has been whittled down effectively to Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, and after Trump’s much anticipated foreign policy speech last week, we now have a Trump Doctrine, a new Clinton Doctrine—different from Bill Clinton’s pro humanitarian intervention doctrine—to contrast with the often misunderstood Obama Doctrine. As foreign policy has […]
Orwell meet Dick
The New York Police Department has been ordered to release information on health risks associated with X-ray vans used to detect explosives, a court of appeal ruled Wednesday. *Orwell * meets *Dick* today
Military Photo of the Day: Machine Gun Fire on a Starry Night
[image: Night Training] A U.S. Army Reserve military police soldier shoots an M240B machine gun at Fort Hunter Liggett in California on May 3, 2016. Thank you to Master Sgt. Michel Sauret for taking this stunning photograph.
ITV stitch-up?
Is there an ITV stitch-up? One can understand that the Tories don’t want to highlight “blue-on-blue” disunity, but bear in mind the fact that the media helps boost the ‘toxicity’ factor of Nigel Farage by continually adding the label ‘far-right‘ every time they mention his name. In fact, I don’t believe David Cameron would necessarily win over the undecideds in a televised debate. The debate, however, isn’t actually a head to head debate. It’s a ‘one after the other’ affair, in front of an audience. "toxic" Ellie Price, the Daily Politics’s political correspondent must have me... more »
Islamic State’s New Spring Bombing Campaign In Iraq
It appears that the Islamic State is in the midst of a spring offensive. One of its main tactics has been to use more car bombs in terrorist attacks. In May there have been two major days of vehicle bombs. The first was on May 1 when two car bombs went off in Muthanna’s Samawa killing 38 and wounding 86. Afterward three IS members were arrested and admitted to carrying out the operation. According to Al Mada they had a scout check out the locations for the bombing in Samawa. Once one was found a day and time for the bombing was picked. Suicide bombers and four car bombs were then... more »
Enshrining diversity
I’ve been religiously watching John Whittingdale. My attention kept wandering. I did hear “enshrine diversity”[...]“Black and ethnic minorities”[...]“must reflect the whole of the UK population” and more global something or other. Most controversial areas of interest are: top salaries, independence from government, the Importance of ‘Strictly’. "I'm paid too much. Pay us less" Ofcom is to replace the BBC Trust, but Rona Fairhead remains in her post till 2018.The consensus appears to be that the BBC is the most respected, trustworthy and impartial broadcaster in the world; I fee... more »
Ever been asked to review your own paper? This economist was
“Eerily familiar”: That’s how Serdar Sayan of TOBB University of Economics and Technology in Turkey says it felt to read a submission to the Scandinavian Journal of Economics, after the journal asked him to review the manuscript. It turns out, it was Sayan’s paper, word for word, equation for equation, down to the last punctuation […] The post Ever been asked to review your own paper? This economist was appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Untitled
*From* *Jenna Orkin* World's Co2 Concentration Reaches Point Of No Return NYPD anti-terrorist X-ray van locations can stay secret Brazil's Senate has suspended President Dilma Rousseff Here's who 'insiders' say Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton would choose for a cabinet position A huge sinkhole swallowed up a car overnight in south-east London This Cambridge security startup now has a billionaire, an ex-MI5 chief and an ex-CIA tech leader on its board This incredible video takes you inside a North Korea political gathering that hasn't happened in 36 years Regulators Want To Know What...more »
How Pelosi's Incompetent DCCC Guarantees The GOP Will Control The House Again
*Losers, Inc-- this is what's become of the Democratic Party in DC* The DCCC suffered another stunning defeat by local Democrats Tuesday. Once again their handpicked recruit-- this time some guy named Cory Simpson in West Virginia-- was rejected by local voters in West Virginia's second congressional district, who voted to nominate former state legislator Mark Hunt and tell Steve Israel and his corrupt Beltway party bosses to stay out of their affairs. The DCCC had put Simpson on their Red to Blue list, helped him raise money and sabotaged Hunt's fundraising capacity. In the run up ... more »
‘Wong House’ by Claude Megson, 1968
Architect Claude Megson would have been incensed to feature so far down *Home & Buiding *magazines presentation of the “50 best New Zealand house designed [last] century.” (Particularly as David Mitchell’s Gibb House, a commission Claude coveted – and about which he would tell many stories -- features at number 2!) Considered a New Romantic rather than a modernist, the house chosen by the magazine to represent Claude is his gold-medal winning Wong House, of which a small taste can be seen here. [image: HomeEntertaining-Top50-2000] The Auckland Architecture Archive’s handy Megs... more »
Obama Admin Released Almost 20,000 Criminal Immigrants Last Year
[image: get out of jail free card] WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. tried repeatedly to deport Jean Jacques, an immigrant living in the U.S. illegally, but his native Haiti wouldn’t take him back after he served more than a decade in a state prison for attempted murder... more »
Report: Persian Gulf Sheiks Gave Bill and Hillary’s Foundation $100 Million
[image: hillary and bill clinton__1438433103_70.119.142.63] A Daily Caller News Foundation investigation reveals that Bill and Hillary Clinton received at least $100 million from autocratic Persian Gulf states and their leaders, potentially undermining Democratic presidential candidate Hillary's claim she can carry out independent Middle East policies. As... more »
How to Make Sidewalk Chalk Paint
*This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WhatInconvenience * *#CollectiveBias* I love to get outside and do things with my kiddos. My favorite days are when we are outside playing. We love to jump on the trampoline, run through the sprinklers and we especially love to make chalk paint and paint our driveway all sorts of vibrant colors before washing it away with a hose. There was a time when it was a lot harder for me to get outside and play with my kids. I have arthritis and sometimes every single step hurts. I did... more »
Evolutionary Psychologists Claim Religion Is Explained By Energy Use. Seriously.
[image: Brain Neurons Nerves Signals science - 900] It has become clear that the common statistical techniques used by scientists are responsible for the production of vast quantities of silliness. (For advanced, technical readers, here and here are hints why.) A new case in point: The press is... more »
Trump, Sanders and Other Politicians Dismiss the Moral Obligations of Government Debt
[image: Sanders Trump - 900] America's total consolidated public debt, as reported by the U.S. Treasury, is now over $19 trillion. So it was inevitable that Donald Trump would be asked how he proposed to tackle what many economists view as a significant drag on...more »
Brazil’s Senate Impeaches President Dilma Rousseff
[image: Brazil] BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) -- Brazil’s Senate voted Thursday to impeach President Dilma Rousseff after a months-long fight that laid raw the country’s fury over corruption and economic decay, hurling Latin America’s largest country into political turmoil just months before it... more »
New Transgender Policy at TX School District Draws Line to Meeting ‘As Far as the Eye Can See’
[image: Hundreds showed up May 10, 2016 to discuss the Fort Worth Independent School District's new "Transgender Student Guidelines."] The Fort Worth Independent School District’s (FWISD) regular board meeting went into overflow Tuesday night as hundreds gathered to discuss the district’s recently -- and quietly -- adopted “Transgender Student Guidelines.” The new policy allows a student to use the... more »
What’s in Trump’s Returns? A Look at How He Plays the Tax Game
[image: This image from Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign shows Trump signing his tax return. Trump says he won’t release his tax returns until an ongoing audit wraps up, raising the intriguing question: What’s he hiding? A speculative look at what he doesn’t want voters to see. (Trump Presidential Campaign via AP)] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Donald Trump told The Associated Press this week “there’s nothing to learn” from all those income tax returns he won’t release until an ongoing audit wraps up. Really? Tax experts say the feet-high stack of returns that... more »
A Response to Montel Williams on Bathroom and Locker Room Privacy
[image: Megyn Kelly Montel Williams - 900] I appreciate Montel Williams taking the time to respond to my "Open Letter to Megyn Kelly," in which I referenced his appearance on The Kelly File last week, discussing North Carolina's Bathroom Privacy Act (H.B.2). I also appreciate him notifying... more »
Trump, Ryan, Pledge to Work Together; Endorsement May Come
[image: House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis. meets with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, May 12, 2016, following his meeting with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan pledged to work together despite their differences after a meeting Thursday aimed unifying a party torn over Trump’s rise to the cusp of the Republican presidential nomination. The speaker stopped... more »
Frat Told Not To Use Face Paint Because It’s ‘Cultural Appropriation’
[image: Frat Told Not To Use Face Paint Because It’s ‘Cultural Appropriation’] Fraternities at Millikin University in Illinois have been warned that members cannot use face paint during an upcoming event, or they may find themselves punished for engaging in "cultural appropriation." It is a tradition for Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) and several other fraternities...more »
U.S. Says Banks Won’t Be Punished for Lawful Business in Iran
[image: Britain Kerry] LONDON (AP) -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry tried Thursday to reassure European banks they won’t be penalized for conducting or facilitating business with Iran, as he worked to address Tehran’s grievance that businesses are still staying away despite... more »
North Carolina Fights Back
[image: UNITED STATES - MARCH 8 - North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory speaks at the Wake County Republican Party 2016 County Convention at the N.C. State Fairgrounds, in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, March 8, 2016.] Standing on principle, not to mention common sense, is so rare these days that when someone does it they make headlines. That’s because you can quickly be labeled a “bigot” if you oppose a lot of the sludge dumped on...more »
THIS IS MY LAND - A Song by Sofia Jannok
*Published on March 22, 2016* *Reclaiming the land.* Song: This Is My Land (Sápmi) Music & lyrics: Sofia Jannok Producers: Sofia Jannok & Henrik Oja Director: Sofia Jannok Edit: Mattias Andersson Photo Romsa (Tromsø): Matti Aikio Photo Paris: Ayşe Gürsöz John E Utsi, Dan Jåma Photo Svalbard: Marcus Krogtoft Photo collage from all over Sápmi: Nila Jannok, Mats Berg, Pávva Pittja, Ina-Theres Sparrok, Emma Charlina Graméus, Ánne Márjá Guttorm Graven Most thanks to Indigenous Environmental Network for clips from Paris during the direct actions around COP21, Dec 2015. Stay posted at www.... more »
New Study Says 25 Percent of World’s Pregnancies End in Abortion
[image: Abortion Hands Fetus - 900] LONDON (AP) -- The rate of abortions in the developed world has dropped to an all-time low while remaining steady in poorer regions, where nearly 90 percent of the abortions worldwide occur, researchers say in a new study published Wednesday... more »
Whose Narrative of Events Will the Media Report? NHK Reports Government Version Alone for Nuclear Plant Conditions
Japan apparently has a citizen group that monitors NHK. I'm uncertaint whether it has any actual power or is purely symbolic. Regardless, what is important about this group is that its members are challenging a policy established by NHK President Katsuto Mommii to rely strictly on government sources for information about nuclear plant conditions. This policy was asserted in the wake of the recent earthquakes in Kyushu. The quakes were unremitting, lasting days and totaling over 1000 with two very large quakes, raising concerns about nuclear power plants in Kyushu. The Asahi Shim... more »
Kaley Cuoco regrets wearing quite such a short dress... A Rule 5 Post
Kaley Cuoco regrets wearing quite such a short dress... the dress tugging and cushion placement is quite a clue!
Learning to Appreciate and Fully Be in the Moment God Has Given
[image: Alarm clock in garden with flowers - 900] Ever notice that we rush through our days with so much to do, so much we think we should be doing, so much we think we're missing out on? How often do we give the proper time and attention to... more »
Right Wing Hindus Ask The Gods To Help Donald Trump Win Election
Donald Trump’s anti-Muslim stance has gained favor among some of India’s right-wing Hindus who share his views about Muslims. Members of the Delhi-based Hindu Sena are asking for divine intervention to help Donald Trump become the next U.S. president. Hindu Sena organised a Hawan (prayer ritual) on Wednesday at the popular monument Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, chanting invocations, asking for the Republican nominee’s success in the 2016 US elections. International Business Times reports: Hindu Sena members were pictured conducting the ritual while surrounded by statues of Hindu gods,... more »
Patricia Tsurumi Passes
The author of *Colonial Education in Taiwan*, which I used in my first Taiwan studies class. From H-Asia: E. Patricia Tsurumi, 1938-2016 by Janet Goodwin Posted on behalf of Christina Laffin. I write to inform colleagues about the recent death of E. Patricia Tsurumi, historian and professor emerita at the University of Victoria in Canada. Known for her thoroughly-researched scholarship grounded in a strong sense of social justice, Paddy contributed to the history of women, education, colonialism, and labour. Paddy Tsurumi is best known for her groundbreaking study of labourers,... more »
China Is Building Weapons To Wipe-Out U.S. Bases In The West Pacific
China's road-mobile ICBMs. Chinese Defense *Washington Free Beacon*: *China Building Missiles to Strike Guam* *Ballistic and cruise missile threat to U.S. island is increasing, congressional commission says.* China is building up intermediate-range ballistic and cruise missiles that pose a growing threat to Guam, the strategic Pacific island that is central to the U.S. military pivot to Asia, according to a congressional report made public Tuesday. Six different missiles capable of reaching Guam from China are deployed or in late stages of development, says the report by the U.S.-... more »
Tweet For Today
US weighs lifting Vietnam arms ban @AFP https://t.co/aMmy9RstJY #newsgraphic : big players in US arms industry pic.twitter.com/cHfrxE3dIV — AFP news agency (@AFP) May 12, 2016
Female Military Styles From Around The World
A joint parade detachment of the Military University of Russia's Ministry of Defense take part in a Victory Day Parade at Red Square in Moscow. May 9, 2016. © SPUTNIK/ EKATERINA SHTUKINA *Sputnik*: *War Couture: Female Military Style Around the World* This year's Victory Day Parade in Moscow apparently attracted considerable media attention in no small part due to the crisp and stylish uniforms of its female participants. But were their parade attires that different from those worn by servicewomen of other nations' militaries? Browse this gallery and find out.
Picture Of The Day
*Evacuation Drill* Corpsmen board an MV-22B Osprey to practice treating patients while the aircraft conducts evasive maneuvers to simulate the stresses of evacuating from a hot landing zone on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., May 9, 2016. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brandon Maldonado
Only Israel Will Be Permitted To Customize America's F-35
An F-35C Lightning II at Hill Force Base, Utah on April 15, 2016. R. NIAL BRADSHAW/U.S. AIR FORCE *Wired*: *Why Only Israel Can Customize America's F-35 (At Least for Now)* ANY BIG-TICKET MILITARY technology purchased from the US comes with rules. Big stacks of strict guidelines outline exactly what allies can do to the hardware and the systems that run it. Generally, it comes down to: nothing. No modifications, no additions, no deletions. You can’t even make repairs without written consent from the Pentagon. Uncle Sam typically responds to such requests with a resounding no, espe... more »
Pesticides, GMOs And Corporate Control: The Poster Child Is Monsanto But Neil Young Is The Main Act
CounterPunch, Global Research, RINF, Countercurrents Come together on Twitter: *here* Don't take free content on the web for granted. Please read *this. *I could not continue to produce these articles you see on this site without public support. Neil Young has a long history of activism. He is a co-founder of Farm Aid, which works to support small and family farmers in North America, while his song Ohio is often considered to be one of the greatest protest songs ever made. Last year, Young pledged a $100,000 donation to Vermont's legal fight against the GMO-labelling lawsuit, and h... more »
In The Diplomat today on the Kenya 45
[image: DSC01874] *Once defended the island, now makes a nice flowerpot...* Right here. Neither title nor lede was mine -- and the lede was much better than anything I could have thought of... If you have read my blogposts you already know what is here... On the morning of Tuesday, April 12, 2016, the news broke in Taiwan that eight Taiwanese fraud suspects had been deported from Kenya to China the previous Friday (Mainland Affairs Council officials said they knew at midnight on Friday). That group was quickly followed by the deportation of another 37 to China. This caused a media f... more »
The Mathematician’s 90th-Birthday Party
The enduring strength of mathematics is that the corpus never becomes obsolete. We can still love and work with problems inspired by Euclid. Thus a willing student can imbibe all his long life. Better than all that is that all other knowledge involving the physical world is informed by mathematics and is otherwise a disorganized mass of data. Even the idea of order is a mathematics easily mapped into abstract forms. Thus my own journey focused first on understanding the corpus of mathematics itself. From there i personally focused on foundation issues as that is critical ... more »
Japanese Priests Collected Almost Seven Centuries of Climate Data
[image: Lake Suwa] This is important because it clearly established the cold spell between 1500 to 1800 during which change came very slowly. I did not think that the cold spell was so long and potentially much longer. Nor is much variation indicated at all. In practice there was none. Memories of the Thames freezing was rare enough but not so anomalous either. Could we have been looking for a cycle that did not exist.What we do have is a much clearer association between industrialization and a warmer planet. Yet that may also be misleading as well. The warmin... more »
Mass Grave of 3,000 Human Giants Discovered in Ashtabula County, Ohio
This is another conforming Indian town site conforming to the Bronze Age culture influenced by the Atlantean copper trade from 2500 BC through 1159 BC. We have both locals and giants although again in a minority. Add in earlier reports in Ohio and at Aztlan in Illinois and elsewhere around the Great Lakes, it appears that significant. town development took place throughout the Great Lakes Basin. Presume these cultures lingered long after 1159 BC. We have this comment regarding the Algonquin culture which i want to question. It is an easy end to the story except it makes ... more »
Power Dense Zinc-manganese Power unit as Cheap as a Car Battery
This work is promising. We obviously need a robust batter system that is also as cheap as the lead acid system. That was always a matter of using cheap materials. They have gotten 5000 cycles and that is good enough. This can now be used to replace car batteries at the same price point with a better product. We have seen many different systems been explored to little avail because of the inherent cost. That lithium has emerged is because of power density but not ever has it been cheap. I do not think this will replace lithium in cell phones but industrial applications are... more »
World Gets Behind Putin’s Vow To Destroy New World Order
Brave Vladimir Putin has rocketed up the popularity charts of world figures according to a British poll, proving that his determination to destroy the New World Order has started to resonate with people all over the world. YouGov surveyed people across 30 different countries and President Putin was the fastest riser on the list of 3000 world figures, being voted the six most admired man in the world. ‘It’s a unique window onto the shared values of humanity in 2016,’ said Freddie Sayers of YouGov. Putin, a judo enthusiast who can bench 230, has been hitting the New World Order where i... more »
Return to Source – The Spirit’s Journey Home
*Alex Vandenberg* - How do you know if you're making progress on your true path?
It's Never Easy To Fight Tammany Hall On Your Own-- They Fight Back... And Really Dirty
The *Ring of Fire* interview (above) will give you a very good idea why he is so hated by corrupt shills like Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer. When they hear him saying things like he said in the interview, they know that although he doesn't mention their names, they are exactly who he;'s talking about-- and should be talking about. ProgressivePunch grades Harry Reid's lifetime voting record a "C," which seems very generous of them. There are 10 conservative Senate Democrats with even worse scores than Reid's pitiful 76.83. Even Dianne Feinstein, Bill Nelson and Bob Casey vote more ... more »
Polls Are Delivering A Clear Message To Democratic Primary Voters-- Nominating Hillary Puts America At Too Big A Risk
Yesterday, Democratic primary voters in another state swung heavily for Bernie and against the conservative candidate of the status quo and of the Wall Street/K Street axis of plutocracy. Bernie beat her in West Virginia 51.4-36.0%, and winning every single county in the state, although she did OK in the two counties that are considered DC suburbs, Jefferson and Berekley. The evening before, Monday, everyone had been entertained when PPP released their latest polling data early and exclusively to Rachel Maddow and she led her show with a story about how both the generic band Nick... more »
Another Holistic Doctor Murdered In Her Home
Another holistic doctor has been found murdered in her home, stabbed more than thirty times by somebody that police say had “no motive” to kill her. 76-year-old Dr Rasmussen, a former Quincy College Professor, taught nutrition at college and advised students on how to use nutrition to live a healthy life. Healthnutnews.com reports: She was 76 and “a devoted grandmother, and former foster mother to at least 20 kids,” said her daughter. The article states: “She stated that her mother, a native of Denmark, who moved to Massachusetts from Indianapolis after her retirement to be close t... more »
Court Orders Father To Treat 11-Year-Old Daughter As A Boy
A Supreme Court judge has ruled that a father must treat his 11-year-old daughter as a boy, at the request of the child. The father wants his daughter to cease taking hormone blockers, but the court ruled in favour of the child and its mother, saying the father must respect the wishes of the girl in becoming a boy at such a young age. Lifesitenews.com reports: Though the case is about whether the 11-year-old can give informed consent to such serious medical treatment, which is intended to delay the onset of female puberty, the judge appears to have already conceded the point by ref... more »
Rio Olympics Will Spark Global Health Disaster
Doctors have warned that the 2016 Rio Olympics will spark a “full-blown public health disaster”, due to the ongoing Zika virus emergency in Brazil. The Zika virus has spread throughout South America since May 2015 and latin America has been officially declared a health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO). Rio de Janeiro has the highest number of suspected cases than any other area, and doctors have warned that the 2016 Olympic Games could create a global health disaster if they go ahead. Independent.co.uk reports: The continued presence of the virus ahead of the summer... more »
ATF: Intentional Fire Caused Fatal Blast at Texas Plant
[image: West explosion - 900] WEST, Texas (AP) -- An intentionally set fire caused the 2013 explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant that killed 15 people, federal officials said Wednesday, saying the fire was “a criminal act.” Federal and state investigators said no arrests have been made,... more »
Inside Russia’s Intelligence Services
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *Mark Galeotti, Council on Foreign Relations*: *Putin’s hydra: Inside Russia’s intelligence services* Far from being an all-powerful “spookocracy” that controls the Kremlin, Russia’s intelligence services are internally divided, distracted by bureaucratic turf wars, and often produce poor quality intelligence – ultimately threatening the interests of Vladimir Putin himself. Drawing on extensive interviews with former and current intelligence officials, “Putin’s hydra: Inside Russia’s intelligence services” explains how the spy agencies really work, an... more »
The Stars Are Right: Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition Arrives!
These Great Old Ones, Castro continued, were not composed altogether of flesh and blood. They had shape — for did not this star-fashioned image prove it? — but that shape was not made of matter. When the stars were right, They could plunge from world to world through the sky; but when the stars were wrong, They could not live. But although They no longer lived, They would never really die... - H.P. Lovecraft, "The Call of Cthulhu" It's about two and a half years after the original target date, but at long last the physical copy of *Call of Cthulhu* 7th edition arrived at my house ... more »
CDC Say Painkillers Kill 40 Americans Per Day
A new CDC report states that prescription painkillers are responsible for killing at least 40 American citizens every single day. Drugs such as OxyContin (oxycodone) and Vicodin (hydrocodone) were found to kill almost 15,000 Americans every year. Naturalnews.com reports: The numbers from the CDC report show that more people are now killed by opioid prescription drugs than they are by overdoses from both heroin and cocaine combined. These numbers match ones released as part of 2009 study conducted by physicians at St. Michael’s Hospital and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Scie... more »
Saudi Arabia Prepare For 9/11 Report Release
Saudi Arabia are bracing themselves for the imminent release of the secret 28-page section of the official 9/11 report, which implicates its leaders in the attacks. U.S. officials have expressed concern that the release will stir public fury at the Saudi regime for their role in the September 11 attacks. Yahoo News reports: In December 2002, a year after the attacks, the House and Senate committees on intelligence published a report into the US investigation into them. But the then president, George W. Bush, ordered that 28 pages of the report be classified to protect the methods an... more »
Central Banks Panic Buy Gold
Central banks have begun panic buying gold as statistics show that the cost of gold has risen by 19% in the last 15 months. The price of gold recently crossed the $1,300 per ounce price for the first time, due to the sudden surge of demand from banks. Businessinsider.com reports: Buyers have come back into the market in India, the world’s largest buyer of gold, after a strike by the country’s jewelers associations brought business to standstill. In the US, demand for bullion is the strongest it’s been in 30 years. But it’s not just everyday people who are scrambling to get their ha... more »
Kremlin To Release 20,000 Hacked Hillary Clinton Emails
The Kremlin have threatened to release 20,000 emails that Russia have hacked from Hilary Clinton’s email server. Russia say they managed to extract the Clinton emails in 2013 after monitoring Romanian computer hacker Marcel Lazăr Lehel (aka Guccifer) after he attempted to break into the computer system belonging to Russian funded television network Russia Today. Thegatewaypundit.com reports: After monitoring Guccifer, the Russians were reportedly able to record (both physically and electronically) his actions which allowed the Russian intelligence analysts, in 2013, to not only de... more »
India Sue US Over WTO Violation
India are filing 16 cases against the US for violating WTO treaties, according to local media reports. Delhi say that some U.S. programs in the renewable energy sector violate global standards. RT.com reports: When asked whether Delhi is planning to “to file 16 cases against the US for violating WTO treaties,” Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman replied positively. India to file 16 cases against US for WTO treaty violation https://t.co/nNWY2i0I5L pic.twitter.com/SvurqHPi8i — Hindustan Times (@htTweets) May 11, 2016 According to the Indian minister, quoted by local med... more »
Global Corruption Costs Trillions
*Reuters*:* IMF: Global corruption costs trillions in bribes, lost growth* Public sector corruption siphons $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion annually from the global economy in bribes and costs far more in stunted economic growth, lost tax revenues and sustained poverty, the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday. In a new research paper, the IMF said that tackling corruption is critical for the achievement of macroeconomic stability, one of the institution's core mandates. The Fund argues that strategies to fight corruption require transparency, a clear legal framework, a cred... more »
Baltimore Mayor Bans Travel to NC and Mississippi Over Religious Freedom Laws
[image: Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake speaks at the Brown & Black Presidential Forum at Drake University's Sheslow Auditorium in Des Moines, Iowa on January 11, 2016.] Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake sent a letter to city officials announcing she banned official travel to Mississippi and North Carolina because of their new "religious freedom" laws. Rawlings-Blake sent the letter Tuesday, which says she will not authorize any official city travel... more »
Campaign Latest: Bloomberg Says He’ll ‘Think About’ Endorsing Trump or Clinton
[image: In this Dec. 3, 2015, file photo, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks during the C40 cities awards ceremony, in Paris. Bloomberg, the billionaire former three-term mayor of New York City, has decided against mounting a third-party White House bid in 2016.] WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Latest on the 2016 presidential campaign (all times Eastern Daylight Time): 8:40 p.m. Michael Bloomberg says he will “think about” whether to endorse either of the two presidential candidates likely to face off in the November... more »
Planned Parenthood Sues Ohio to Regain Tax-Payer Funding
[image: Defund Planned Parenthood Success - 900] Planned Parenthood sued Ohio's Department of Health Wednesday in an effort to regain access to tax-payer funding. A law signed in February by Gov. John Kasich, HB 294 prohibits state and some federal funds from being used to perform or promote nontherapeutic... more »
Iran Vows To Sink US Ships If Threatened
Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi (YouTube screenshot) *Washington Times:* *Iran threatens to sink US ships with secret arsenal* *‘Carrier killer’ in the midst* The Iranian Revolutionary Guards have threatened to sink American ships if they approach Iranian waters. The senior naval officer making the threat referenced a “secret arsenal” of weapons Iran has developed or acquired that would be effective against American naval vessels. Most likely the Iranians are referencing anti-ship missiles acquired from China or Russia, whose navies ha... more »
Expect Russian Blowback Against NATO
Military might: At the weekend a Yars RS-24 intercontinental ballistic missile system was paraded through Red Square during the Victory Day parade but there was no sign of the RS-28 Sarmat *Steven Pifer, Brookings*: *Russian “countermeasures” to NATO are coming* When NATO leaders gather in Warsaw on July 8 to 9, they will announce steps to beef up the alliance’s conventional force presence on its eastern flank. NATO also will shortly announce that the SM-3 missile defense site in Romania has achieved operational status. These moves will spur the Kremlin, with some fanfare, to annou... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 11, 2016
People gather at the scene of a car bomb attack in Baghdad's mainly Shi'ite district of Sadr City, Iraq, May 11, 2016. REUTERS/Wissm al-Okili *Ranj Alaaldin, The Guardian*: *It’s Iraq, not Isis, that’s on the way out* If today’s atrocity in Baghdad draws Shia militias into reprisals against Sunnis, it would kill off hopes for the democratic restoration of the Iraqi state and society “Isis is an idea, not the first of its kind and not the last of its kind,” said a powerful security official when I visited Iraq last month. Indeed, as the international community boasts of Isis’s demis... more »
Trumpeting American debt default
*Guest post by Simon Black* I’ve often joked very tongue-in-cheek that Donald Trump is the only person qualified to be President simply because he’s declared bankruptcy four times. Trump himself talks up his own debt credentials, saying “I’m the King of Debt,” and “I know more about debt than practically anybody.” He’s flat wrong, of course. Trump may have racked up billions in debt for his companies, but Barack Obama has racked up more debt for America than anyone else in the history of the world. That said, Trump does have mad street cred when it comes to debt. In 199... more »
Dieudonne Barred by Free Speech Loving Canada!
Of course, I’m being completely facetious. The* only speech that is acceptable here is state approved *speech- And *Canada hates freedom*, anywhere. Anywhere at all. That's why* Canada is a NATO member*, *killing people globally*, particularly in the middle east/asia area in order to redraw borders for their latest insane episode of *playing global overlord alongside the US and the UK.* Canadians need to wake up to the reality. *Dieudonne blocked from entry by Canada Customs:* *Canada Customs allowed George Bush into the nation years ago*. Despite thousands and thousands prote... more »
(Bernie WV Win Meaningless?) Rigged SuperDelegates Over (NC Dismisses Cancer-Cluster Fears) Bernie Hillary's Nader or Just McGovern? (The Very Dangerous Sy Hersh Still Alive and Reporting the Secrets: Saudis Syrian Pipeline Still Not Built But Lots of Visas Still Being Issued)
Bernie Sanders Wins West Virginia Democratic Primary Sanders' latest win, though, will do little to keep the nomination from Hillary Clinton The result in the West Virginia Democratic primary underscored the awkward position Clinton and the party’s establishment face as they attempt to turn their focus to the general election. Clinton is just 155 delegates short of the 2,383 she needs to
When media make themselves the news
In less than 24 hours, the amount of flat-out garbage talked about a proposed media mega-mergers has only confirmed for me why taking these media maves seriously. There are none so self-obsesssed as media types talking about themselves. Seems too there are none fewer with such a deluded sense of self-importance. For me, the nadir of this maudlin group grope was this morning on State Radio, when two men who as much as any others (former heads of Fairfax and *3 News*) have helped ensure he decline of NZ’s media standards were talking crap about the talked-up media merger meaning ...more »
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*The Working Coast: As Louisiana Loses Oil Jobs, Lafayette Feels It Worst ~Tegan Wendland, WWNO *
Queen Caught On Tape Calling Chinese officials ‘Very Rude’
Her 90-year-old Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has been heard making unguarded remarks on tape about China during a garden party at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday. The Queen was not pleased with Chinese officials in their dealings with their British counterparts. Her Majesty gave the thumbs down to certain Chinese officials who accompanied President Xi Jinping during his first state visit to Britain last year, calling them “very rude.” Her comments were picked up by a microphone. USA Today reports: The monarch made the comments to a police official at an event at Buckingham Palace on Tues... more »
Economic News , Data & Views ( May 11, 2016 ) Overview For Wednesday ( 1. Markets In Focus - NIRP-Land News - Selected 2 Year Yields Comparison Between Nov 2011 and Today , S&P 500 Advance Between Feb Lows & Present , Central Bank Rate Hike Expectations Watch , Commodity Watch - Lumber At Highest Level Since Feb 2015 & Crude Oil Items Of The Day. 2. UK & Brexit News & Views . 3. EU-Turkey Deal Seems Trapped On The Ropes - Stalling AT European Parliament , Erdogan Back-Tracking On Agreed Measures While Turkey Threatens To Unleash Millions Of Refugees Toward Europe. 4. Refugee Crisis / Border Security Items For Wednesday. 5.Brazil Impeachment Drama , Olympics Debacle Coming , Grim Retail Sales Data For March. 6. Libya News De Jour. 7. MENA- Non Libya Updates. 8. Odds & Ends. )
Markets....... *Charlie Bilello, CMT* @MktOutperform 1h 1 hour ago 2-Year yields: Nov 2011 => Today Italy: 7.7% => -0.07% Spain: 6.1% => -0.07% US: 0.27% => 0.73% *Charlie Bilello, CMT* @MktOutperform 3h 3 hours ago 17% vertical advance from Feb-Apr to new ATH, minor consolidation since. Interesting to see so much angst out there. *Charlie Bilello, CMT* @MktOutperform 4h 4 hours ago Market Expectations for next rate hike in... US: Feb 2017 UK: Oct 2019 Eurozone: May 2020 Japan: Sep 2020 *Charlie Bilello, CMT* @MktOutperform 7h 7 hours ago Dr. Lumber a... more »
Liberal Majority Electoral Reform Committee
Electoral Reform Committee announced today: Liberal Chair. Six Liberals, three Cons, 1 NDP. Elizabeth May and one Bloc sit in but no voting rights. That's likely 9 to 1 against adopting any form of proportional representation. For a preview of how 9 to 1 committee dynamics work, take a look at last week's Finance Committee vote, same numerical party makeup as above, as they debated a motion to "compel" KPMG to account for hiding Canadian tax dollars offshore. How'd that work out for us? Last word goes to PM Justin Trudeau : "A good political party that has the right kind of platf... more »
Proposed home-loan to income restriction
[image: sldgh] It has to make you laugh: everyone everywhere these days purports to be against price controls, except when it comes to money. The central banks have a firm grip on the price of interest, controlling the price at which money is lent and borrowed – yet nary a yelp is heard about their right to tinker as they send rocket fuel into the housing markets, and then seek to sop up the price explosion (as they are again now with more “new house price curbs”) by making it harder for new entrants into the housing market to enter anyhow at all. To solve the problem of high... more »
Science Is A Single Mind, Learning
The Notrickszone has a post on the trouble with peer review, and the following is my (by now habitual) response: *Ordinary people need to understand that there are basically two kinds of scientist when it comes to the peer-review process: 1) Principal Investigators, and 2) Everyone else, including a) Research Associates, who are simply employees, without tenure, who can be "terminated"--fired--without cause, and b)"expert" (a meaningless word these days) consultants from other fields or other institutions (also known as "pals", as in "pal review", get it?).* *When the subject of pee... more »
James McEnteer : The geopolitics of generosity
For the USA, offering little help to Ecuador’s earthquake victims, political calculation takes precedence over compassion. By James McEnteer | The Rag Blog | May 11, 2016 QUITO, Ecuador — On April 16, Ecuador suffered an earthquake registering 7.8 on … finish reading James McEnteer : The geopolitics of generosity
Russia Plays Positive Roll in Syria
The ceasefire in the embattled Syrian city of Aleppo is holding, according to the Russian Monitoring Centre in the country. The truce, brokered by Washington and Moscow, has given some respite to the residents, with US Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledging Russia's role. RT's Eisa Ali reports.
Planned Parenthood Shooter Found Mentally Incompetent to Stand Trial
[image: Robert Dear Jr. is photographed during an outburst while talking directly to Judge Gilbert Martinez at a court appearance December 09, 2015, where El Paso County prosecutors filed formal charges against him in the Planned Parenthood attack. University of Colorado Colorado Springs police officer Garrett Swasey, Iraq war veteran Ke'Arre Stewart and Jennifer Markovsky, mother of two were killed during the attack on November 27, 2015.] The man who shot up a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic last year was found mentally incompetent to stand trial Wednesday and ordered to a mental... more »
May 11: a humbling experience...
I've just returned from a visit to Montreal. There, I saw a copy of The Gazette. It was always a stodgy paper with a heavy bias - though the bias never showed as crudely as it does in the Irving press. But I was shocked by The Gazette's similarity now to our very own Irving press. It's become a thinner paper, with news that is mostly trivial, and not much of it. There was only one column of commentary, and it wasn't worth reading. The editorial was brainless. The whole thing might have been very slightly better than the Irving press. But not much. And this seems to be true of mos... more »
The Pressure Is Building
Tim Harper writes that Justin Trudeau will soon be under pressure to approve a pipeline -- whether he wants to or not: When the economic cost of this tragedy is tallied, Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government is going to be under renewed pressure to approve a pipeline and get oil to market from a province staggering under the weight of historic economic troubles. Oil production in Alberta is down a million barrels a day — this in a province already coping with jobless rates unseen in 20 years, which bled 21,000 jobs last month before the fires, and now must cope with oil patch shu... more »
Ami Bera's Father Is Going To Jail For Campaign Finance Fraud-- What About Patrick Murphy's Parents?
*Mastermind of DCCC corruption: Steve Israel... with the useful idiot* I'm in the middle of an intense investigation of how sleazy Republican Justin Fareed from Santa Barbara is funding his congressional campaign from just a few wealthy families with very special interests involving the healthcare industry. The investigation is still on-going but, basically, Fareed has taken in over $180,000 from eight families representing four healthcare companies, particularly the Kolodny family-- all of whose adult members have declared bankruptcy in the past as a way of escaping debts-- who are... more »
World News Briefs -- May 11, 2016 (Evening Edition)
*Reuters*: *Islamic State bombs kill 80 in deadliest Baghdad attacks this year* Three suicide bombings claimed by Islamic State across Baghdad killed at least 80 people on Wednesday, Iraqi police and hospital sources said, in the deadliest attacks in the Iraqi capital this year. Security has gradually improved in Baghdad, which was the target of daily bombings a decade ago, but violence against security forces and Shi'ite Muslim civilians is still frequent. Large blasts sometimes set off reprisal attacks against the minority Sunni community. The fight against Islamic State, which... more »
Untitled
*California Teachers Unions Force Nonmembers to Pay for LGBT, Other Political Goals* A large California teachers union and its national affiliate are forcing nonunion teachers to pay for political activism, according to a disclosure form acquired by The Daily Signal. Under a category called “human rights,” both the National Education Association and the California Teachers Association require nonunion teachers to finance LGBT leadership training and other political goals that may run counter to the teachers’ convictions, The Daily Signal’s analysis of the disclosure form shows. ... more »
Alien Autopsy and the H-Beam
While the majority of us understand that the Alien Autopsy was a hoax created to make money, and that the participants in it have declared it a hoax, there are still those who hang on. They provide a variety of explanations for this. My favorite is that after Ray Santilli paid big dough for all these canisters of film, most had disintegrated before he could get them transferred to another medium, so they “recreated” the footage. There was a very small portion of those films that could be salvaged and they were added into this recreated footage, which to my mind ruined their value if... more »
Untitled
*Climate Crisis and Political Power* April 22nd was Earth Day and also the day that 175 countries came to the UN to sign a “climate pact” they hope will limit any rise in global temperatures to well below two degrees Celsius. Global temperatures, the Times reports have risen about one degree since the onset of the Industrial Revolution 250 years ago, in the middle of the 18th century. This, of course, is all part of the so-called fight against “climate change.” But is climate change the existential threat such people as Al Gore and the actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who spoke at Friday... more »
Israeli Court Refuse To Extradite Paedophile Headmistress To Australia
Extradition proceedings against an Australian headmistress accused of sexually abusing students at an ultra-Orthodox girls’ school were halted on Sunday, after a judge ruled her unfit to stand trial. According to Haaretz: The move has imposed a significant delay on an already-prolonged effort to extradite Malka Leifer, a former headmistress at Adass Israel School, who faces 74 counts of indecent assault and rape in Australia, brought against her by three former students of the school, located in the Melbourne suburb of Elsternwick The girls say they were routinely sexually abused by ... more »
David Attenborough & The Population Matters Organisation
By Paul Homewood Apparently the new Antarctic research vessel is to be named after David Attenborough. It is perhaps worth reflecting then that he is a patron of the Population Matters organisation, which quotes him as saying: http://www.populationmatters.org/ Their website lists these Policy Positions: We recommend policies to […]
Lion Rock 19, Not enough capitalism in Hong Kong
A good article by Bill Stacey, former Chairman of Lion Rock Institute (LRI) in Hong Kong. Reposting here. *Not enough capitalism!* (Next Magazine, 2016/5/5, A002, Second Opinion, Bill Stacey) Hong Kong has many contentious public issues, but the underlying source of our discontent is fifteen years of stagnant real wages. For many in Hong Kong we are simply not progressing and the upward mobility from a dynamic economy seems absent. After decades of some of the strongest growth in the world, why has this stagnation happened？ It is all too easy to blame China and the emergence of la... more »
What is Leanne Wood Playing At?
Plaid Cymru. They're a nice party, aren't they? Leanne Wood's a good lefty sort who found a niche for herself in British politics as Labour's external leftwing conscience, especially in the days of Blair and Brown. More radical than either Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, a lot of Labour folks had a soft spot for her even when the aforementioned would have many of the same spitting feathers. And as a party, Plaid weren't that threatening. We compete with them here and there, but there was and remains little sense that they're about to do an SNP and give Labour a routing. Even after... more »
US Gears Up Missile Defense System in Europe to Russia’s Ire
[image: Europe missile - 900] WARSAW, Poland (AP) -- A U.S. missile defense system aimed at protecting Europe from ballistic missile threats is moving into higher gear this week, with a site in Romania becoming operational on Thursday and officials breaking ground at another site... more »
Ancient British Kings - 1,500 BC to 600 AD - the Khumry and their Coelbren Alphabet
*King Brutus, Lemnos stele written in the ancient Coelbren alphabet* Free Planet has written (more than) one or two blogposts about Alan Wilson and Baram Blackett's assertions that the descendants of the sixty ancient Kings of Britain kicked out the Romans (that the southern English tribes invited into Britain) and pursued them across Europe in the fourth century, at their head one King Arthur. Wilson & Blackett certainly have a colourful history with a long list of petty crimes/accusations attached to their cause but they claim to be able to apply their Coelbren alphabet cypher to ... more »
Snowden Calls For Reassessment Of Our Relationship With The Media
Whistle-blower and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden calls for a free press that serves the people, which is not corrupted by money and power. “If we can’t have faith in press, we’ve lost,” says Snowden. Journalism is stronger today than it has ever been but is less willing to serve the people. RT reports: He outlines his views on the present state of journalism and the increasing role that those in power play in controlling it in an interview he gave to the Columbia Journalism Review. “One of the most challenging things about the changing nature of the public’s relationship to m... more »
Mohawk Nation News 'Business as Usual'
BUSINESS AS USUAL Posted on May 11, 2016 Please post & distribute. MNN. May 10, 2016. The colony of Canada refused help from seven countries offering aid from Russia, US, Mexico, Australia, Taiwan, Israel and Palestine to put out “the largest forest fire in Canadian history”. Prime Minister Trudeau and his business partners have a different agenda – to scorch the land and force us to
Mohawk Nation News 'Flat Currency is Play Money'
FIAT CURRENCY IS PLAY MONEY Posted on May 10, 2016 Please post & distribute. MNN. May 10, 2016. Paper money made out of thin air is breaking wind. The bag of wind called “bankers” have nothing. They want control of all our assets, gold, diamonds, oil, minerals, land, trees, water, wind and every resource which are a part of us. They try to put a dollar value on everything. For
U.S. National Security Experts: Growing Debt Threatens U.S. National Security
*The Hill:* *National security experts sound alarm on long-term debt* A bipartisan group of prominent national security figures on Tuesday will call on U.S. leaders to reduce the country's long-term debt, which they consider the greatest threat to the nation's security. "As individuals who have served the nation in both international and domestic leadership roles, we continue to believe that our long-term debt is the single greatest threat to our national security," the group said in a statement, first obtained by The Hill. The group warns that federal debt is projected to climb t... more »
Indian Couple In Their 70s Celebrate The Birth Of Their First Baby
An Indian couple in their seventies are celebrating the arrival of their first child, a baby boy who was born last month. The mother underwent IVF treatment that resulted in their first successful pregnancy after 47 year of marriage. The Mirror reports: Pensioners Daljinder Kaur, 72, from Amritsar, and her 79-year-old husband Mohinder Singh Gill, gave birth to a healthy baby boy on April 19. The couple, from India, have been married for 47 years – but only decided to seek fertility treatment following the end of a family feud. Gill, a farmer, said: “I felt upset as I was unable to p... more »
US Activating Missile Shield Over Europe Despite Warnings From Russia
The United States is about to activate its missile systems across Europe, despite Russia warning against increasing US-led arms deployment near its borders. The missile defence shield that cost billions of dollars will go live tomorrow almost a decade after Washington proposed protecting NATO from Iranian rockets. American and NATO officials will declare the shield, which is located at a remote air base in Deveselu, Romania, is operational despite Russian warnings that the West is threatening the peace in central Europe. We now have the capability to protect NATO in Europe,” said Rob... more »
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