NASA photograph showing aircraft contrails and natural clouds. The temporary disappearance of contrails over North America due to plane groundings after the September 11, 2001 attacks, and the resulting increase in diurnal temperature range gave empirical evidence of the effect of thin ice clouds at the Earth's surface. Travis, David J. (2002). "Contrails reduce daily temperature range" (PDF). Nature 418 (6898) : 601. doi:10.1038/418601a. PMID 12167846 . . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)10:28pm MDST
Formal Announcement of Thinking Taiwan's closing
*Two of the most beautiful dogs I've ever seen.* A sad and shortsighted decision (original link). Now, more than ever, Taiwan and Tsai need voices to explain what is going on to an outside world whose discourses are dominated by Beijing frames. *+++++++++++++++++* *CEO'S ANNOUNCEMENT: * *TTF'S English Website Suspended Effective May 20, 2016* Following Dr. Tsai’s election to the Office of the President last January, and as part of TTF’s overall post election reorganizational plan, the English section of Thinking Taiwan (www.thinking-taiwan.com) website will be suspended effective... more »
Is NZ still “on the cusp of something special”?
Remember if you will the last NZ election, in which the only ‘tangible’ thing John Key offfered –aside from his already-broken promise not to introduce new taxes – was his forecast that New Zealand was on the "cusp of something special" and he would like to lead the country there. We heard it many times. It anchored many of his election speeches, making up for the lack of any detail about how this “something special” would emerge. We know today that – unless that something special was an out-of-control asset bubble -- it hasn’t, and won’t. We all wondered at the time what adma... more »
Malcolm Roberts and Pauline Hanson
*by Anthony Cox* I attended a talk given by Malcolm Roberts on the 5th May 2016. Malcolm has been a real trouper in his quest to reveal the lies, manipulations and waste of man-made global warming (AGW). Using his impressive credentials and real world experience, Malcolm has distilled his research into a simple and devastating critique: *AGW has no empirical evidence to support it.* Science is based on empirical evidence. If there is no empirical evidence to support a science theory then it is not science. And this is the point about AGW: it is an ideological imposition on Wester... more »
"Please step away from the car." Darrell Issa has competition.
*CA-49-- this year's candidates, Darrell Issa and Doug Applegate* *- by Tracy B Ann* Darrell Issa, Representative for CA 49th district, a red-leaning (R+4) district that stretches from the northermost neighborhoods of San Diego into southern Orange County, is the richest member of Congress, with a net worth of over a quarter billion dollars. He is an asshat according to *Salon*, as well as a career criminal criminal, as *DWT* has documented for over a decade, having been indicted twice for auto theft. Which is a bit ironic considering he made his money with a car alarm, the Viper, ... more »
Obama’s Press Secretary Brushes Off Story About Iran Deal Lies
[image: Josh Earnest Planned Parenthood - 900] On Friday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest dismissed a New York Times Magazine essay that concluded the Obama administration’s messaging on the Iran nuclear deal was “actively misleading” as the deal was being negotiated. “The administration is quite proud... more »
London’s Muslim Mayor
Commentators around the globe have leapt on the victory of a London Muslim in the London mayoral election as “the beginning of the end" for the west. The first electoral sign of the “demographic deluge” that (in an echo of Progressives Past) alt-right loonies and tantrum-throwing Trumpeters tar as “race suicide.” Contrary to what many critics both foreign and domestic have argued, it could be however that *the victory of London’s new mayor as a non-Islamist Muslim is as much a blow to Islamist bigots as it is to anti-Muslim bigots. This victory speaks to the possibilities of... more »
Why All Roads In The Middle East Now Lead To Moscow
TeaPartyTribune *Dennis Ross, Politico*: *Why Middle Eastern Leaders Are Talking to Putin, Not Obama* Russia’s less dominant militarily but more willing to act, and that has changed the dynamics in the region. Thhe United States has significantly more military capability in the Middle East today than Russia—America has 35,000 troops and hundreds of aircraft; the Russians roughly 2,000 troops and, perhaps, 50 aircraft—and yet Middle Eastern leaders are making pilgrimages to Moscow to see Vladimir Putin these days, not rushing to Washington. Two weeks ago, Israeli Prime Minister Be... more »
Will U.S. Secretary Of Defense Ash Carter Stay As Defense Secretary In The Next Administration?
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter addresses U.S. military personnel during a meeting near an F-16 fighter jet at Osan U.S. Air Base in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, South Korea Thursday, April 9, 2015. Reuters/Lee Jin-man/Pool *Austin Wright and Connor O'Brien, Politico:* *The Democrats' secretary of war* President Obama's fourth defense secretary is looking a lot like he could be Hillary Clinton's first. STUTTGART, Germany — After a Navy SEAL died in Iraq last week in an Islamic State attack, Defense Secretary Ash Carter was quick to hail him as a warrior who “died in combat.” An... more »
British Prime Minister Cameron Warns That A Vote For Brexit May Mean War
British Prime Minister David Cameron addresses the media after a European Union leaders summit in Brussels, February 2016. Reuters *The Telegraph*: *Cameron: Brexit will increase risk of Europe descending into war* A Brexit will increase the risk of Europe descending into war, David Cameron will warn as he says that Britain will pay a high cost if "we turn our back" on the EU. The Prime Minister will invoke Sir Winston Churchill and say that the foundation of the European Union has helped bring together countries that have been "at each others throats for decades". He will highli... more »
Zimbabwe Braces for Turmoil
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe addresses a speech, on April 18, 2008 during celebrations for the country's independence. Photograph: Alexander Joe/AFP *New York Times:* *Seeing President Mugabe’s Frailty, Zimbabwe Braces for Turmoil* HARARE, Zimbabwe — The independence festivities took place just as they have for decades: led by President Robert Mugabe, the only leader Zimbabwe has ever had. But as Mr. Mugabe, 92, inspected a military parade during the celebrations last month, he did something unusual. When his vehicle stopped in front of a framed picture of the president, Mr.... more »
U.S. Army Shrinks To Its Smallest Level Since Before The Second World War
U.S. Army Soldiers participate in tactical range training using M-9 Berretta handguns on Normandy Range Complex in Basra, Iraq, July 15, 2009. The Soldiers are assigned to Company B, 445th Civil Affairs Battalion. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt Chrissy Best *Army Times:* *Army shrinks to smallest level since before World War II* The Army’s latest headcount shows that nearly 2,600 soldiers departed active service in March without being replaced, an action that plunges manning to its lowest level since before World War II. During the past year the size of the active force has been... more »
Should U.S. Intelligence Be Worried That Donald Trump Will Spill Secrets?
Dominick Reuter / Reuters *Shane Harris, Daily Beast:** Spies Worry Candidate Trump Will Spill Secrets* Take a conspiracy-minded, shoot-from-the-hip GOP candidate. Add classified briefings. Watch current and former intelligence officials squirm. After Donald Trump is formally chosen as the Republican presidential nominee, he’ll be able to receive classified U.S. intelligence briefings, which could include some of the same sensitive information that President Obama is given in the Oval Office. And that prospect has some spies sweating. Trump, who can’t seem to dam his stream of co... more »
Time for a drinking story
[image: 2-Winston-Churchill-drink-tatler-23jan15_pa_b_400x600] Whatever you think of Churchill’s numerous misadventures with history, you can’t fault his dogged desire for a drink. A regular and often quite large drink. But this almost caused a serious problem. When he toured the US in1932 to sell his book series on *The Great War*, prohibition was still in full swing in the New World -- so Churchill did the obvious thing: he asked his doctor to write him a note. [image: churchill-alcohol-letter] Aver useful note, that. Full(er) story here. . Content is copyright PC.BlogSpot... more »
John Kerry Says Prepare For New World Order ‘Borderless World’
Secretary of State John Kerry has outlined the U.S. government’s plans for a New World Order type of “borderless world,” that he says is our inevitable future. During his commencement speech at Northeastern University, Kerry slammed Donald Trump for suggesting the U.S. builds a wall to keep out terrorists. Washingtonexaminer.com reports: “Many of you were in elementary school when you learned the toughest lesson of all on 9/11,” he said. “There are no walls big enough to stop people from anywhere, tens of thousands of miles away, who are determined to take their own lives while the... more »
Musings On Iraq In The News
eKurdre-printed my interview with Wladimir van Wilgenburg on the relationship between Iraq and Syria’s Kurds. I was mentioned in "Who is Muqtada al-Sadr? The Man Leading Iraq's Anti-Government Protests" by Alessandria Masi in the International Business Times.
It’s Official: Vaccinated People Responsible For ‘Spreading Mumps’
The recent outbreak of mumps at Harvard University was due to the fact that vaccinated students spread the disease throughout the campus, according to the Public Health department. Researchers are now saying that any new outbreaks of mumps are likely to originate from people who are vaccinated against the disease, and not from those who remain unvaccinated. Mercola.com reports: Four other campuses in Boston are also starting to see cases, as have four universities in Indiana. About 13 cases of mumps have also cropped up in California. One ridiculous explanation offered by Dr. Amesh... more »
Panama Papers Leak: Saudi King Funded Netanyahu’s Rise To Power
Documents from the Panama Papers leak reveal that Saudi king Salman bin Abdulaziz financed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rise to power. Isaac Herzog, member of the Knesset and Chairman of the Israeli Labor party, revealed that the Saudi king has been overtly influential in the election campaign that saw Netanyahu get elected. “In March 2015, King Salman has deposited eighty million dollars to support Netanyahu’s campaign via a Syrian-Spanish person named Mohamed Eyad Kayali. The money was deposited to a company’s account in British Virgin Islands owned by Teddy Sagi, ... more »
Democratic Superdelegates Are Officially Abolished
An amendment has been made to completely eliminate the influence of superdelegates at the Maine Democratic Party’s statewide convention this week. Rep. Diane Russell, who introduced the amendment, said that once it passed the crowd erupted into chants of “Bernie! Bernie!,” in celebration. USuncut.com reports: “I never expected this kind of response from the amendment,” Russell said in a phone interview. “I’m suddenly seen as the hero of the convention.” The adoption of the amendment means that Maine’s superdelegate votes will now be allocated proportionally according to the overall... more »
DHS Release Gas In NYC Subway As Part Of ‘Bioterorrism Drill’
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are to release gas in the NYC Subway system as part of a “bioterrorism drill” this coming week. The DHS claim that the drill poses no threat to the public, as the gas contains “harmless particle materials”, but have refused to say what the particle’s actually contain. The drill is similar to another one conducted in California last winter for Anthrax. These new drills have raised suspicion that the intelligence agencies have some kind of foreknowledge about an impending terrorist attack on New York City, despite reassurances from officials ... more »
Court Rules It Is Illegal To Film Police Officers On Cellphones
A U.S. court has ruled that citizens have “no constitutional” rights to record police officers on their cellphones, regardless of whether cops are acting unlawfully. Judge Mark Kearney in Philadelphia said that citizens must explicitly explain to cops that they are recording them for the purpose of criticizing police – otherwise face arrest. “We find there is no First Amendment right under our governing law to observe and record police officers absent some other expressive conduct,” Kearney said in reference to two cases involving Philadelphia police. Mcall.com reports: Standing sil... more »
Researchers Discover Water Can Exists In Six Places At Once
Scientists at the US Department of Energy have discovered that water is able to exist in six different physical locations at the same time. The researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory published their findings in the journal Physical Reviews Letters. This fourth new form water can take (aside from it being solid, liquid or gas) was discovered through the use of quantum mechanics. Vice News reports: “It isn’t something that your physicist much less your average guy can go out and stand on his front porch and see,” said Oak Ridge geologist Larry Anovitz. While this new water ... more »
Halton Arp - the true source of red shift - Quasars at the edge of Spiral Galaxies
for the longest time, I've rattled on in my HC Unit-conceptual way that, *"Big Bang never happened. The universe isn't expanding. Large red-shifted light is not Receeding Light but TIRED LIGHT i.e. light that's shifted into the microwave over the aeons that it's been travelling towards our detectors."* I still don't know if I'm right or wrong, but... I just got into an online conversation with Wal Thornhill of the Thunderbolts Project (The Electric Universe People) and he genially put up with my HC Unit 'tired light' pestering questions for a few rounds before referencing the wor... more »
Globalization and capitalist disruption
Many people who endlessly campaign for more labor protection, more capital regulations and restrictions, assume that big businesses will be there forever, that they have the "security of tenure" in business for the next 20, 50, 100+ years. So it is immoral for those big companies not to give their workers security of tenure in their work. Some nice data on twitter here from Vala Afshar @ValaAfshar. The numbers show that the above assessment is wrong. Many companies, big and small, do not have such "security in business" for the next 10, 20, 50+ users. Some or many of these compani... more »
Election 23, Leni for VP, the Senatoriables
Only 2 main contenders for VP tomorrow. Leni Robredo ha. For the Senators, sure winners but I will still vote for them: Pangilinan, Osmena, Drilon. These 7 candidates will fight for slots 9-12. Will vote for Gordon, de Lima, and Guingona. Aside from sure defeat of Binay, the other consolation of this election is that lefties like Colmenares and Bello are losing. Last night, I passed by this street in Makati around 8pm. When I came back at midnight, this lefty's supporters showed their dictatorial instinct by making this white-painted wall become ugly. Shame Colme and ACT, or your... more »
Michael "Mikey Suits" Grimm's Wrist Slap Ends Early
The litany of criminal behavior that marked the life of Staten Island's Mafia ex-congressman, Michael Grimm, was never going to be something that became public in court. Like Al Capone, when he had finally pushed his criminal enterprises to the breaking point, the Feds put him away on a tax evasion charge. A former double agent-- working for the Gambino Crime family and the FBI-- has way too much on the FBI for a real trial for his life of crime. So a gentle wrist slap, a congressional resignation and a few months in jail was all part of a plea deal. April 27, after serving 7 of th... more »
The CIA and the Ramey Memo
Since it has come up in the discussions here a couple of times, I thought I would identify that high-power government lab that was supposedly involved in an effort to decrypt the Ramey Memo. According to Colonel Richard Weaver, who answered my question about it without reservation, it was the National Photographic Interpretation Center which was part of the CIA back in 1994. I filed a FOIA request with them and received a fairly rapid response. I told them that I was requesting information, documentation or anything relating to an examination of a photograph taken of General Ramey ... more »
World’s First KFC Fast Food Chain Run By Robots
KFC opened their first ever fast food restaurant staffed entirely by an army of robots in Shanghai on April 25th. The restaurant, called Original +, features its own robot manager named “Du Mi” who greets guests at the front counter. “‘Du Mi’ marks the first commercial use of artificial intelligence in the fast food industry. The artificial intelligence robot was launched by China’s leading Web services company Baidu during its World Conference in 2015,” reports Sohu. Activistpost.com reports: KFC hopes that the hip new automated restaurant will attract young customers with its free...more »
Untitled
*From* *Jenna Orkin* No Wonder We're Poorer: Wages' Share Of GDP Has Fallen for 46 Years Dramatic Footage Of Assassination Attempt On Turkish Journalist Since 2014 The US Has Added 450,000 Waiters And Bartenders, And No Manufacturing Workers Never Before Seen Photos Show Bush’s Response To 9/11 Attacks Social Security Move Could Be Devastating For Benefit Seekers The wildfire ripping through Canada could be the costliest natural disaster in its history Halliburton lays out why its massive merger with Baker Hughes was doomed all along Venezuelan Opposition Leader Assassinated Days Af... more »
(Why Did They Cut the Domestic Spending So Radically? To Pay for the Continuing Spectacles) The F U Voters (Lesser Evilism Uncloaked) What is TTIP? Six Reasons Why the Answer Should Scare You (Why Sy Hersh and Others Have Disappeared from View) Happy Mother's Day!
Corporate control on both sides of the Atlantic will be solidified should the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership be passed. Any doubt about that was removed when Greenpeace Netherlands released 13 chapters of the TTIP text, although the secrecy of the text and that only corporate representatives have regular access to negotiators had already made intentions clear. Words to the wise.
Western Shoshone Mother's Day at Peace Camp Nevada Test Site
Sunday, May 8, 2016 Photos by Carl Bad Bear Sampson Western Shoshone Censored News Article by Brenda Norrell Censored News The weeklong Western Shoshone Peace and Friendship Walk and Run culminated with prayers, and a meal for the mothers at Peace Camp this morning, across from Yucca Mountain, on land recognized as Western Shoshone in the Treaty of Ruby
Mohawk Nation News 'Akwesasne Putsch'
AKWESASNE PUTSCH Posted on May 8, 2016 Please post & distribute. MNN. MNN. MAY 7, 2016. A rotiskenrakete recalls when Akwesasne was surround by the military in 1989. “Somebody from the band/tribal/handsome lake longhouse reports to the military. “Antis” were trained and put into position ahead of time. Corpo’chiefs in the war room. Control over us is critical because we never
Kansas City event analyzes the border war
As I noted last time, there is finally a real possibility that the $200+ million job piracy border war between Kansas and Missouri could have a real, legally binding truce. As we wait to find out if this materializes, American Public Square in Kansas City is sponsoring a public forum Wednesday, May 11, at the Plaza Branch of the Kansas City Public Library at 6:00pm. "Cents and Sensibility" will examine the pluses and minuses of economic development subsidies, turning to research on the effects and effectiveness of these incentives, whether it can be justified to give subsidies to pr... more »
This Is Why Recep Erdogan Has Become The Most Powerful Man In Europe
German Chancellor Angela Merkel (R) and Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. © Tobias Schwarz / Reuters *Douglas Murray, The Spectator*: How Recep Erdogan became the most powerful man in Europe Turkey’s thuggish president has European leaders exactly where he wants them. *Update: Since this article was published Ahmet Davutoglu has resigned as Turkey’s Prime Minister. Reports suggest this comes as a result of a rift with President Erdogan caused by the increasingly ‘Presidential’ nature of Turkey’s politics.* Is Turkey part of Europe? For most of our civilisation’s history, to ... more »
Why Russia In The Long Term Will Abandon The Kurds
*Paul J. Saunders, Al-Monitor*: *Why Syria's Kurds can’t count on long-term commitment from Russia* It’s understandable that some Syrian Kurdish fighters worry that Washington will “dump” them once they are no longer useful, and that Russia is feeding their fear to play up its own position. But anyone harboring such worries about the United States should take an equally hard look at Moscow’s past conduct and likely future objectives. Russia had a long czarist and Soviet engagement with the Kurds. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has long-standing experience with the Kurdish... more »
The U.S. Air Force Is Looking For Pilots For Its Next Stealth Bomber
*Popular Mechanics:* *Apply Now To Pilot America's Next Stealth Bomber* Well, maybe. It's classified. A job listing on the web site of defense contractor Northrop Grumman may be linked to the company's development of a new stealth bomber. The job listing calls for a test pilot with plenty of flight experience—and capable of securing top security clearances. Hmmm. Want to apply? The job requires the applicant to be a graduate of the Military Test Pilot School, a minimum of 1,500 hours pilot time, and a Master's degree in engineering or similar discipline. The applicant must be rat... more »
False Narratives in Media Echo Chambers
The New York Times Magazine has a very interesting article on Obama's Director of Strategic Communication, Ben Rhodes. The article was itself considered noteworthy and was discussed in *The Washington Post* because it demonstrates how changes in the political economy of news production have arguably given strategic communication specialists, such as Ben Rhodes, unprecedented influence over official narratives reported across the mainstream press. The Washington Post briefly encapsulates the gist of the New York Times Magazine account here: Paul Farhi. Obama official says he push... more »
Pentagon Admits US Soldiers in Yemen
*Not a surprise:* The US military said Friday it had deployed *"a very small"* number of forces to Yemen to offer intelligence support for the United Arab Emirate's efforts on the ground against al Qaeda's affiliate. US Navy Captain Jeff Davis said the US military has stepped up air strikes against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) fighters and* an unspecified number* of US personnel have been working from a "fixed location" with Yemeni and Arab coalition forces. The naval spokesman's briefing to reporters was *the first public admission of US ground troops* since the Pentag... more »
Riding the 'Turnaround' Merry-Go-Round in the Continuing Assault on Philadelphia Public Schools: Part IV
by Ken Derstine May 8, 2016 The Philadelphia School Reform Commission – April 28, 2016 *Crossing the Rubicon* The Rubicon has been crossed in the privatization assault on Philadelphia public schools. On Thursday, April 28th, the Philadelphia School Reform Commission voted to turn three more public schools over to charter companies. The Battle for Wister has been decided in favor of Mastery Charters over the objections of many parents at the school. (See The Battle for Wister in Part I of this series.) What makes this turnover different than all preceding turnovers is that Wis... more »
Canada To Consider Russia’s Offer To Help Put Out Alberta Wildfire
Russia has offered to send fire-fighting aircraft to assist Canada in dealing with the Alberta wildfire. Communications Adviser for Public Safety Canada, spokesperson Mylene Croteau, told domestic Russian-language news agency RIA Novosti on Friday, that Ottawa will review Moscow’s offer in due course. Sputnik reports: “We can confirm that we have received a letter from the Russian Federation offering their assistance,” Croteau said. “We will review the offer received from the Russian Federation and will respond to them in due course.” On Thursday, Russian Minister of Civil Defense, ...more »
So, what the f**k is a ‘cuck’?
Every now and then a word you’ve never heard begins to become a thing. Galt knows why. One word you may have heard, emanating from the more fetid ends of the blogosphere, is “cuck.” Indeed, it rears its head here and elsewhere in blog comments from braindead folk who find words of more than one syllable too difficult. No, readers, I didn’t know either what its intended to connote. So I did what I usually do when the kids are talking and headed to the Urban Dictionary, Turns out a “cuck” is a *short verb form for cuckold, to make your spouse a cuckold. [A word deriving fro... more »
Thousands Protest As Greek Parliament Adopts New Austerity Measures
Clashes with police erupted as thousands gathered outside the Greek parliament in Athens to protest controversial new austerity measures. MPs in Greece voted in favor of new measures, which will include pension cuts and tax hikes as well as new taxes on internet and TV. Greek police reportedly fired teargas during the protest ahead of the Sunday night vote Russia Today reports: At some point, the rally took a violent turn when protesters, supposedly from an anarchist group, started throwing flares, Molotov cocktails, stones, and other objects at the parliament building and police o... more »
Political Realities and the Election Results
The election results are exasperating. Not because of percentages or seats won or lost, but because of *the reactions*. "These elections were awful", opines Andrew Rawnsley. New MPs Jo Cox and Neil Coyle said "these elections were a terrible missed opportunity". Meanwhile, someone conjured up this idiot infographic, followed by another that were duly, earnestly circulated on social media by Jeremy supporters. So in the core plus ultra corner, or whatever ludicrous badge they have wittily appropriated for themselves, we have a one-dimensional analysis of the election(s) that pays no ... more »
Nursing Homes Accused of Evicting Difficult Patients
[image: nurse with elderly patient - 900] NEW YORK (AP) -- Nursing homes are increasingly evicting their most challenging residents, testing protections for some of society’s most vulnerable, advocates for the aged and disabled say. Those targeted for eviction are frequently poor and suffering from dementia, with... more »
Teachers Union Accused of Forcing Nonmembers To Fund Gay Activism
[image: gay marriage American flag_compressed] California nonunion teachers were allegedly forced to fund gay rights conferences and other progressive causes because their school union categorized the spending as nonpolitical. The California Teachers Association (CTA) spent nearly 2.3 million dollars to advance progressive causes between 2013... more »
Should you feel bad when you buy things made with child labour?
Short answer: no – not if the labour is voluntary. But, but … *Does child labour help children?Progressives: "Of course not! We should ban it!"People [like Professor Benjamin Powell] who actually study this issue for a living: "Yes, and banning child labour would leave destitute kids even worse off.* *Children don't work because their parents are mean or stupid. They work because they are desperately poor and they don't want to be prostitutes.Best thing we one percenters* can do: 1. Buy cheap goods. 2. Donate to bottom billion, or pay them to go to school. 3. Promo... more »
Dash-cam Footage Captures Inferno Sweeping Across Canada
The entire population of Fort McMurray in northern Alberta, Canada, were forced to flee a raging wildfire engulfing their city. Dash-cam captures the experience of one driver having to flee with 80,000 other residents as the fire moved from the outskirts into populated neighborhoods on Tuesday. The Mirror reports: The haunting video shows trees engulfed in flame, creating a towering wall of fire as the vehicles carefully edge forward seeking safety. Firefighters combating the raging wildfires have described the situation as “catastrophic.” The massive blaze has so far destroyed almo... more »
Second US Serviceman Killed In One Week In Iraq
U.S. officials have confirmed that a soldier lost his life fighting Islamic State militants in northern Iraq. This is the second casualty that the U.S. army has suffered in a week. Last week a Navy Seal was killed when ISIs attacked Kurdish forces in northern Iraq. It seems that the latest casualty was also a result of that attack. Fars News reports: “The soldier died as a result of an injury,” a brief statement issued by the US-led coalition forces said, without revealing further information on the incident, Alaraby news website reported. But an Iraqi military source suggested the “... more »
A Reunion and Public Celebration:October 13-16, 2016
Reunion and Celebration Events Include: October 13: Gentle Thursday Reunion at Vortex Theater October 14-15: Panels and Presentations at ACC Eastview campus October 14: Documentary film premiere at ACC Eastview campus: The Rag: Underground Newspaper 1966-1977 Exhibits: Multiple locations October … finish reading A Reunion and Public Celebration: October 13-16, 2016
President Obama Politicizes Mother’s Day
[image: Mother Comforting Sad Child] In honor of Mother's Day, President Obama issued a proclamation celebrating "those who are the first to welcome us into the world." He continued, "Performing the most important work there is, mothers -- biological, foster or adoptive -- are our first role... more »
Reversal Unlikely as Deadline Approaches on North Carolina Bathroom Law
[image: Pat McCrory, North Carolina Governor] RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- North Carolina government and university officials were given until Monday to tell federal attorneys whether they would stop enforcing a new law requiring transgender people to use public restrooms that correspond to their biological sex. Republican... more »
Victims’ Families Sue Colorado Theater Over Batman Shooting
[image: Pierce O’Farrill] DENVER (AP) -- Nine months after the Colorado theater shooter was sentenced to life in prison, some victims are returning to the same courtroom in hopes of holding the suburban Denver movie theater accountable for not doing more to prevent... more »
Bigger, Hotter, More Frequent
Canadians have been appalled by the Fort McMurray Fire. But, Ed Strurzik writes, some people saw it coming: Fire scientists and fire managers actually saw this coming back in 2009 when 70 of them gathered in Victoria to address the issue of climate change and what impact it was going to have on the forest fire situation in Canada. Each one of them was already well aware that fires were burning bigger, hotter, faster, and in more unpredictable ways than ever before. ''We're exceeding thresholds all the time,'' said Mike Flannigan, who was at the time a research scientist with the ... more »
Only Trump Could Win The Indiana Senate Race For Reactionary Blue Dog Baron Hill
*Another garbage candidate Chuck Schumer likes* The DSCC is hoping against hope to slip another truly horrible right-wing Democrat into the Senate from Indiana this year. It was an unexpected miracle when reactionary Blue Dog, Joe Donnelly, knowing he had zero chance of being reelected to his House seat, threw a Hail Mary pass and ran for Richard Lugar's Senate seat. Might as well go out in a blaze of glory, right? But then something incredible happened. A deranged teabagger, Richard Mourdock defeated the popular Lugar in the GOP primary and immediately made it clear during a debate... more »
Billboard Erected In South Jersey To Educate People About Chemtrails
In a first of its kind, a South Jersey billboard is warning passersby about the dangers of chemtrails. The billboard which is located in Woodstown, Salem County, says “LOOK UP Your Weather is Engineered” and directs people to find out more at the website byebyebluesky.com Part of their mission statement reads: “BBBS is a dedicated global public environmental movement who seeks to be a voice for all living creatures and ecosystems, to protect human health and safeguard the natural environment, air, water, land and which our sustenance depends. “We use education, peaceful protest and ... more »
Northerntruthseeker Rant For Sunday, May 8th, 2016
[image: rant-jpeg-b] Sunday, and again time for my weekly rant... Yes, today is indeed Mothers Day here in Canada and in so many nations around the planet, and again I do want to honour my 85 year old mother for her hard work and her efforts in raising both myself and my siblings.... I have been spending a bit more time this last while in trying to visit her in her personal care home here in Central Canada, and THAT is indeed one of the reasons why this blog has been put to the sidelines from time to time... Hopefully everyone understands.... And of course I do want to do a shout... more »
Greek Police, Protesters Clash Ahead of Austerity Bill Vote
[image: A petrol bomb explodes in front of policemen during clashes in Athens, on Sunday, May 8, 2016. Protesters in Greece have hurled firebombs and other projectiles at police in front of parliament before a controversial vote on an austerity bill.] ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Greek anarchists hurled firebombs, chairs and wooden planks at riot police in brief clashes outside parliament while lawmakers were debating a controversial austerity bill, disrupting a much larger peaceful rally on Sunday. Police responded with stun... more »
Out, out, brief candle!
I'm sure I can speak for Sue here as well as for myself... Though I've heard nothing about this at the BBC, it's a* big* story. And I'd just like to echo Robert Colvile at the* Spectator* in sounding a huge 'Hurray!' that Gorgeous George Galloway got a mere 1.4% in the London Mayoral election - quite some way behind Sandi Toksvig's Women's Revolutionary Equality BBC Party. Though this is a sober, indeed highly po-faced blog, whose reputation for iron-jawed impartiality puts the BBC to shame, let me just say the following to the indefatigable, silly-hat-wearing, milk-licking, leot... more »
London Mayor Sadiq Khan Attacks Tories For Nasty Campaign Tactics
London’s new Mayor Sadiq Khan has accused Prime Minister David Cameron and defeated Tory candidate Zac Goldsmith of maintaining a nasty, negative and divisive campaign during the recent mayoral elections. Khan says the conservatives set out to divide London’s ethnic communities by adopting Donald Trump style campaign tactics during an election that broke records, with a 45.6% turnout on Thursday. The Tories have defended their tactics. Chancellor Osborne called them a robust bit of “rough and tumble,” common in today’s politics and necessary for democracy. International Business Tim...more »
British Aid To Syria May Have Been Diverted To ISIS
Millions of pounds worth of British aid to war stricken Syria ‘may have’ ended up in the hands of ISIS, according to a Government report. The revelation was made in a December report by the Department for International Development (DFID), a British government institution responsible for administering foreign spending According to the Mail Online, the DFID admits that ‘the most serious risk’ to its programmes in the war-torn country is ‘from the large scale diversion of aid, including for the purposes of terrorism’. Officials say that aid may have been diverted, possibly to the Islam... more »
Cat-astrophic
Mishal Husain, tonight On the subject of tonight's BBC One early evening news bulletin, I can't resist adding to the point I made in the previous post - that it led with yet another pro-Remain talking point on the EU referendum debate (namely the anti-Brexit warnings of the two ex-MI5/MI6 chiefs) and that, as a result, our running total counting 'which side's angle comes first in either the headlines or the whole bulletin' now stands at *9* for Remain and *3* for Leave. The imbalance just keeps on growing. Though the balance of direct speech (clips) from each side was *precisely* ... more »
Iraqis Are Not Convinced That US Does Not Support ISIS
After more than 5,000 US-led coalition airstrikes against ISIS targets some Iraqis believe that the U.S. is not doing enough to eradicate the terror group. Some Iraqis blame the U.S. for supporting IS and question the effort it has made over the past two years to help Iraqi forces defeat the terror group. The U.S. military has been providing advisers and equipment to Iraqi and Kurdish forces to roll back the Islamic State. 5,000 US-led coalition airstrikes have been carried out against ISIS targets, mostly in Iraq and some in Syria, at a total cost of $7 billion. Despite the cost and... more »
Despite Palmyra Exorcism....USrael destruction of Syria Continues
*Scene from the movie "The Exorcist"* What happened in Palmyra last Thursday, with the Russian orchestra playing beautiful music on the very site that just more than a year earlier had been the site of a summary execution of more than 25 Syrians was nothing more or less than* an exorcism. * It was a calling out of the Demonic forces behind the actions of the child soldiers of ISIS...created, trained and funded by the US/UK/Saudi/Israel....who shot their victims in the head while they were kneeling in the ancient Palmyra amphitheater....on the very spot where the Russian Orchestra n... more »
A Response to the Lies of “A Sacred Androgen”
Recently, the Antioch Review has published an article full of hateful lies, stereotypes, and absolutely incorrect medical information about transgender people titled “The Sacred Androgen” (link marked as “nofollow” so as not to boost the page’s rank). In response to this, Brynn Tannehill wrote a scathing condemnation of the article and The Antioch Review itself, […]
For once I am going to forgo composing a preamble, thus allowing you to read Paul Craig Roberts' latest super-important column exactly as he intended.
------------------------------ *Somnolent Europe, Russia, and China — Paul Craig Roberts * ------------------------------ May 5, 2016 | Original Here | If you wish to receive his newsletter via email go to Original and sign up at bottom. *Somnolent Europe, Russia, and China* *Can the world wake up?* Paul Craig Roberts On September 19, 2000, going on 16 years ago, Ambrose Evans-Pritchard of the London *Telegraph* reported: “Declassified American government documents show that the US intelligence community ran a campaign in the Fifties and Sixties to build momentum for a united Eu... more »
AA & AA
I’ll expand on Craig’s piece about Any Answers and Anita Anand. I thought the purpose of Any Questions, Any Answers and Question Time was hear answers from a panel of experts - (silence at the back!) to questions raised by ordinary members of the public. The panel are supposedly not given forewarning of the exact nature of the questions. The public are invited to phone in next day with their observations on the panel’s views or to express an opinion on the topic itself. I assumed that the whole outfit travels, at the invitation of the public, to a location anywhere in the country... more »
Should we be proud of the British Empire?
After last week's absolutely disgraceful edition on the subject anti-Semitism I really couldn't face watching today's *The Big Questions *on the question: *Should we be proud of the British Empire?* I've not looked at the guest list yet but if I know *The Big Questions *the front row *won't* be full of mutually-respectful academics and authors. It *will* probably be full instead of flame-throwing controversialists. So let's look at the programme's website now: Taking part are the writer and historian Lawrence James, writer and historian Charles Allen, Owen Jones of the Guardian, ... more »
Eurovision 2016 Preview
As Howie has reminded me, it's time for the European referendum that truly matters. As I work my way through piles of undergrad essays, I have listened to every single entry not once, *but twice* - all so you don't have to. Here then is my preview of this year's contest. Who stands out? Who's any good? Who will win? I always like it when contestants push the envelope a bit, and a few have had a go this year. Whether they've tried too hard is up to the Eurovision voting public to decide. But in the originality stakes, there's Samra for Armenia, which seems pointlessly innovative but... more »
Andrew Marr and Sadiq Khan
There was a strange opening line of questioning from Andrew Marr to Sadiq Khan this morning: Welcome, Sadiq Khan. Congratulations on your victory. As you were going through that campaign did it feel to you like it was a racist campaign directed at you? Did you think it was racist? Did you feel that in effect they were saying, Sadiq Khan is a Muslim and therefore we can’t trust him with Londoner’s safety? And, strangest of all, this *apparently spontaneous* question from the BBC man: The Labour Party’s now got an inquiry into anti-Semitism inside the party which I think you ... more »
Keeping tabs on BBC One's News at Six - Another update
Anyone wondering what's happened to our monitoring of BBC One's *News at Six*'s EU referendum coverage since last Sunday, well, from our last post until today that prime-time bulletin has included *no* EU referendum coverage. Today's early evening bulletin marks BBC One's return to the subject. (It will feature in next week's update.) It's leading with a pro-Remain talking point.
BBC 'friendly fire'
Here's an amusing bit of BBC 'friendly fire', courtesy of blog favourite Hugh Sykes... It concerns *Newsnight*'s Gabriel Gatehouse, whose *Newsnight *reports on the EU this week have been given a thorough fisking by David Keighley over at News-watch for 'promoting EU myths'. Anyhow, here's Hugh doing the right thing (and especially so as Gabriel was actually singing his praises!): Add caption Quite right, Hugh! The European Union *isn't* Europe. And pro-EU Gabriel *shouldn't *have put it like that (and revealed his own biases in the process). ****** And while I'm praising our H... more »
Pulling Paxo
Interesting. As per *The Sunday Times*...*BBC pressure leads Paxman to bin article criticising EU*. It is not easy to muzzle a journalistic pitbull but Jeremy Paxman has withdrawn an article critical of the European Union from a forthcoming issue of Radio Times after coming under pressure from the BBC. The article was commissioned by the magazine to coincide with Paxman in Brussels, a BBC1 documentary about the EU presented by Paxman and due for transmission on May 19. Typically pugnacious, Paxman expressed doubts about the EU, its bureaucracy and, in particular, the loss of B... more »
Editor's Note
Spoiling my mother for Mother's Day. Blogging will return early this evening.
The DCCC's Midterms Problem
*Carol Shea-Porter* The DCCC wants you to think Democrats can't win in midterm elections and it isn't their fault. But Democrats *can* and have won in midterm elections and when they do lose, it is certainly at least in part due to the incompetence and corrupt nature of the DCCC and the basic Republican-lite philosophic underpinnings of the organization itself. Generally, it has been the party that's in power that loses seats during the midterms. There are, of course, exceptions but let's go back ten years and look at how the Democrats captured the House in 2006, a midterm while Bus... more »
Da Boom!
[image: Boom's supersonic passenger jet] Son of Concorde makes sense but likely more vapourware.
Much ado about nothing in Ukraine, silence and acquiescence in Turkey
Everyone is compared to Hitler, maybe this guy beats Goodwins law.
Alberta’s Wildfire
By Paul Homewood http://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/albertas-aging-forests-increase-risk-of-catastrophic-fires-2012-report It did not take Jeff Masters at Weather Underground to link the Alberta fires to climate change. The Fort McMurray fire arrived months ahead of when summer wildfire typically races through the boreal forests of northern Alberta. A low-pressure center arcing far north of a typical early-May track […]
Perfect gift for Mother's Day: Bales of straw...
*you read that right.* Does your Mom like to garden? You may want to turn her on to straw bale gardening and pick up a few bales for her. It's particularly wonderful way to garden if she's getting up in years and gardening chores are becoming harder for her to perform. Instead of spending insane amounts of money and time to build raised beds, straw bale gardening may be just the thing for her. *The beginning*Plunk a couple of straw bales down on weed fabric, season them, plant them, and watch them thrive. I'm transitioning to almost all straw bales. Our local Ace carries them ... more »
The Pentagon Wants To Build A Better Plane
The Boeing / NASA X-48B blended-wing design research aircraft in September 2010, NASA/Tony Landis *David Axe, Reuters:* *The Pentagon again vies to build a better 'X-plane’* After decades of being MIA in the skies, Washington is getting back into the business of building cutting-edge experimental aircraft that can expand the boundaries of state-of-the-art aerial. With this, the United States could reclaim its long-prized title as the world's leader in high-tech aerospace developments -- a title that Russia and China are now ferociously working to win. A new generation of experimen... more »
The F-35s Production Line Is Being Set To Quadruple
Norway's first F-35 is lifted by an overhead crane in Lockheed Martin's assembly plant in Fort Worth in April 2015. LOCKHEED MARTIN *Defense One:* *F-35 Production Set to Quadruple As Massive Factory Retools* After years of delays, the Joint Strike Fighter program is finally ready to hit the afterburner. FORT WORTH, Texas — As green-skinned, half-assembled F-35 Joint Strike Fighters take shape, this massive factory that once cranked out thousands of World War II bombers is preparing to get real busy again. F-35 production is slated to hit full steam in 2019, and Lockheed Martin is ... more »
New Forest Fire Reality
We need a clear cutting strategy. Remember when clear cutting was a bad thing, time to think again. In Europe the forests are managed like farmers fields. We need armies of robots clear cutting and replanting fire resistant patterns like the ants of God.
Faith discust and reward
The Supreme Court, and the fact I do not even have to say the US Supreme court is set to legalise bribery. What an oxymoron institution it has become with the even with the death of Scalia. I guess money is a person now as well. The rule of law just got wobbly. Sadiq Kahn elected mayor of London England in a landslide. A openly Muslim leader ruling perhaps the most important city in the world. Maybe we all can live together in peace and prosperity.
Two women sitting smoking on a bench outside a supermarket...
Mark Mardell went to Thurrock for *The World This Weekend *to investigate how UKIP is eating into the Labour vote there, before discussing the matter (and Jeremy Corbyn and the EU) with Labour's Remain leader Alan Johnson. Mr. Johnson appeared to complain that UKIP receives too much coverage and had various sly digs at the party (and the Leave side). Fair enough, of course (though Mark *could *have challenged him more). What troubled me however was the dog-whistle 'tone' of Mark Mardell's report, especially when it came to describing those UKIP voters. See what you make of the f... more »
Musical Interlude: Liquid Mind, “Awakening (Cosmic Sea)”
Liquid Mind, “Awakening (Cosmic Sea)” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCa4dpKyzwo
“Supporting Clinton is a Sign of the Battered Spouse Syndrome”
*“Supporting Clinton is a Sign of the Battered Spouse Syndrome”* By Rick Staggenborg, MD “Okay, I'll admit it. I have often lost patience with long-time friends who support Clinton. I have been impatient and said disrespectful things that I regret. I don't want to make excuses for my behavior, but in my defense I have to say that it is very frustrating that so few of them seem to be willing to take a look at why "Bernie bros" are so adamant in their support of Sanders. It seems obvious to us that we have an historic opportunity to decisively reject the assumption that a person can o... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“The eggs from this gigantic chicken may form into stars. The featured emission nebula, shown in scientifically assigned colors, is cataloged as IC 2944 but known as the Running Chicken Nebula for the shape of its greater appearance. *Click image for larger size.* Seen toward the top of the image are small, dark molecular clouds rich in obscuring cosmic dust. Called Thackeray's Globules for their discoverer, these "eggs" are potential sites for the gravitational condensation of new stars, although their fates are uncertain as they are also being rapidly eroded away by the intense ra... more »
The Poet: Denise Levertov, “Sojourns in the Parallel World”
*“Sojourns in the Parallel World”* “We live our lives of human passions, cruelties, dreams, concepts, crimes and the exercise of virtue in and beside a world devoid of our preoccupations, free from apprehension- though affected, certainly, by our actions. A world parallel to our own though overlapping. We call it "Nature"; only reluctantly admitting ourselves to be "Nature" too. Whenever we lose track of our own obsessions, our self-concerns, because we drift for a minute, an hour even, of pure (almost pure) response to that insouciant life: cloud, bird, fox, the flow of light, the dancin... more »
"The True Dream..."
“Maybe we accept the dream has become a nightmare. We tell ourselves that reality is better. We convince ourselves it’s better that we never dream at all. But, the strongest of us, the most determined of us, holds on to the dream or we find ourselves faced with a fresh dream we never considered. We wake to find ourselves, against all odds, feeling hopeful. And, if we’re lucky, we realize in the face of everything, in the face of life the true dream is being able to dream at all.” - Dr. Meredith Grey, "Grey's Anatomy"
The Daily "Near You?"
Dillingen, Saarland, Germany. Thanks for stopping by!
"No Cure..."
"What came to me later in those dark, dreaming hours put “paid” to that though, and as always my mind led me treacherously back to the bleak and inescapable truth. There was no cure for what one had seen or done." - Hannah Blatchford
"The Truth About the Mind and Who You Really Are"
*"The Truth About the Mind and Who You Really Are"* by Gina Lake "The mind is a wonderful tool for thinking, but it has a dark side. There is an aspect of the mind that is not useful but pretends to be useful, which is called the egoic mind. It is the aspect of our mind that chats with us as we move about our day. It is the "voice in our head," as Eckhart Tolle calls it. Much of the time, this voice seems like our own thoughts and our own voice, and we often express these thoughts (e.g., "I love doing that!" "I can't wait until tomorrow." "I wonder what will happen"). At other time... more »
"How It Really Is"
Talk about getting what you deserve...
"The Next Employment Crisis Is Here: Job Cuts At U.S. Companies Jump 35 Percent In April"
*"The Next Employment Crisis Is Here: * *Job Cuts At U.S. Companies Jump 35 Percent In April"* by Michael Snyder "Should we be alarmed that the number of job cuts announced by large U.S. companies was 35 percent higher in April than it was in March? This is definitely a case where the trend is not our friend. According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, U.S. firms announced 65,141 job cuts during April, which represented a massive 35 percent increase over the previous month. And so far this year overall, job cut announcements are running 24 percent higher than for the exact same peri... more »
Fukushima Update: "Your Radiation This Week, April 30 to May 7, 2016"
*"Your Radiation This Week, April 30 to May 7, 2016"* By Bob Nichols "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” - Shiva (San Francisco) May 7, 2016 – "Good Day, this is “Your Radiation This Week.” These are the recorded Radiation Highs that affected people this week around the United States and in your neighborhood. There is no way to recover from these kinds of exposures. There is no medicine and there is no cure. Millions now possess a shortened life span due to their radiation exposures. What city or country will be next? Let’s get right to it. *All Radiation Counts re... more »
West Point Investigates Black Female Cadets For 'Black Power' Gesture In Photo
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* Carrie Morgan/Twitter *The Independent*: *US Military Academy investigates black female cadets for 'Black Power' gesture in photo* Critics of the gesture say it violates Armed Forces guidelines; supporters say the women are expressing solidarity with each other The US Military Academy, commonly known as West Point, launched an inquiry into a group of 16 black, female cadets set to graduate after they posed in a traditional group photo raising their fists - a gesture historically associated with black resistance. The image prompted an investigation on ... more »
Does The U.S. Navy And Marine Corps Have A Drinking Problem?
Drinking at cafes (The Ghost Army/PBS) *Reuters*: *Problem drinking starts before military deployment* Binge drinking and alcoholism is a big issue in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, and the problem may begin even before sailors and marines deploy, a recent study suggests. More than a quarter of sailors and marines who were anonymously surveyed within two weeks before their deployment admitted to binge drinking regularly, and nearly 40 percent reported dangerous drinking. A small but significant number also reported that they had been drugged against their will. Previous research... more »
F-35 Pilots Do Not See The Point Of Performing A-10 Comparison Tests
The F-35, left, and the A-10 will be compared in close-air support head-to-head, military officials say. (Photos by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force) *National Interest*:* F-35 Pilots Not Happy to Perform A-10 Comparison Tests* J. Michael Gilmore, the U.S. Defense Department’s top weapons-tester,confirmed on April 26 that the Pentagon will conduct a head-to-head test of a new F-35 stealth fighter and an old A-10 attack jet in the close-air-support mission. Critics of the high-tech, budget-busting F-35 and fans of the tried-and-true A-10 — a rugged, purpose-built ground-attack pla... more »
Is The U.S. Complicit In Somalia's Use Of Children As Spies?
*Washington Post*: *Exclusive: U.S.-funded Somali intelligence agency has been using kids as spies* MOGADISHU, Somalia — For years they were children at war, boys given rifles and training by al-Qaeda-backed militants and sent to the front lines of this country’s bloody conflict. Many had been kidnapped from schools and soccer fields and forced to fight. The United Nations pleaded for them to be removed from the battlefield. The United States denounced the Islamist militants for using children to plant bombs and carry out assassinations. But when the boys were finally disarmed — s... more »
Bulletproof Spray Paint?
New York Daily News: *Watch: Daily News staffers try destroying items covered in Line-X's indestructible coating * You'd think cracking an egg would be much easier than this. The Daily News recently got to test the durability and strength of Line-X, a spray-on protective coating that makes things "indestructible." Staffers tried breaking eggs, light bulbs, clay pigeons and red solo cups, but none of them broke, cracked or even dented. Line-X is mostly used for truck bed liners, but it's also been used for blast-protection on military vehicles and inside the Pentagon. Dennis Weese... more »
Islamic State Launches Deadly Attack Near Cairo
*CNN:* *Gunmen kill 8 police officers in Egypt* Cairo (CNN)Four gunmen killed eight police officers dressed in plainclothes south of Cairo on Sunday, authorities said. The officers were traveling in a government minivan and conducting security checks in Helwan district when they were attacked, the Egyptian Interior Ministry said in a statement. The gunmen shot and killed all of the officers before escaping, the statement said. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted by a supporter of the terror group. It described the attackers as a "security unit of the... more »
Signalling A Tougher Policy, Afghanistan Begins Executing Convicted Taliban Militants
*PHOTO:* Ashraf Ghani has vowed a new hardline stance against the Taliban. (AFP) *ABC News Online/AFP*: *Afghanistan executes six Taliban inmates, Government sources say* Six Afghan Taliban inmates on death row have been hanged, in the first set of executions endorsed by President Ashraf Ghani since he came to power in 2014, Government sources say. Mr Ghani last month vowed a new hardline stance against the Taliban after an insurgent attack killed 64 people in Kabul, in what appeared to be the deadliest attack on the Afghan capital since 2001. The executions occurred despite a th... more »
Alberta's Massive Forest Fires Have Spread To The Main Oil-Sands Facilities North Of Fort McMurray
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *Bloomberg:* *Alberta's 'Vicious' Wildfires Spread to Suncor Oil-Sands Site* * Syncrude, Husky join list of companies shutting production * Blaze threatens Cnooc Ltd.'s Long Lake production facility Wildfires raging through Alberta have spread to the main oil-sands facilities north of Fort McMurray, knocking out an estimated 1 million barrels of production from Canada’s energy hub. Fire officials say the out-of-control inferno may keep burning for months without significant rainfall. The blaze, forecast to expand to more than 2,500 square kilometers (9... more »
Saudi Arabia Fires Its Oil Minister Of 20 Years
*CNN*: *Saudi Arabia just fired its oil minister* Saudi Arabia has fired long-serving oil minister Ali al-Naimi as it seeks to limit damage from crashing oil prices, effectively ending the career of one of the industry's major power brokers. Al-Naimi, 80, was named oil minister in 1995, and has long been the public face of Saudi Arabia's energy policies. He will be replaced by Khalid al-Falih, the chairman of state oil firm Saudi Aramco. The oil ministry has also been renamed the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mining as part of a larger reorganization announced by official stat... more »
Tweet For Today
MT @NWSRapidCity: Smoke now expanded over large portion of CONUS; Expect hazy conds on and off for at least few days pic.twitter.com/kBlw2KMIjP — AccuWeather.com (@breakingweather) May 8, 2016
Venezuela's Political And Economic Crisis Deepens
*BBC*: *Left in the dark as Venezuela's crisis deepens* I have seen worse conditions in a hospital. I have seen patients even more deprived of the medicines they need. But rarely have I seen an institution that appears to have gone into such steep decline as University Hospital, Caracas. A long queue stretches from the hospital entrance as people wait in line for the lift. That's lift in the singular, because only one has been operating for the past few months. It is unclear whether the others are broken or are simply not being used because there is insufficient electrical power.... more »
Retweets
I think it was *Breitbart London's *Raheem Kassam who first highlighted the following retweet from BBC economics correspondent Andy Verity: The BBC man's brief response... ...*hasn't* met with much approval: Read more here.
A Ken Livingstone joke
As it's a lovely sunny day, here's a joke from BBC radio comedy producer Ed Morrish:
Former Pitt postdoc admits to faking data
A former postdoc at the University of Pittsburgh has admitted to committing research misconduct in published papers and in National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant applications. The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) said on Friday that Kenneth Walker, who was studying the development of the urinary tract, falsified and/or fabricated quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) […] The post Former Pitt postdoc admits to faking data appeared first on Retraction Watch.
New Hope in the Hustle for Children of the CO2 Scare
Dramatic, widespread, and influential scaremongering about our impact on the environment has been a feature of life as reflected in the mass media since the 1960s. But of the scares, all of which have turned out to be false alarms or grossly exaggerated, the one about airborne carbon dioxide (CO2) has been the most sustained and the most damaging to societies around the world. One class of victim has been children exposed to adults who have seen them as potential recruits for political and lifestyle campaigns, and who have seen fit to scare them first to get their attention. This is ... more »
Untitled
*Protestors Have Jumped the Shark* Victor Davis Hanson “Jump the shark” is an American pop-culture expression that derives from a 1977 “Happy Days” sitcom episode and describes a moment of decline. At a certain point, a TV show becomes so predictable, empty of ideas and gimmicky that in desperation its writers will try anything — like the character “The Fonz” jumping over a shark on water skis — just to keep on the air. Contemporary protestors have reached that moment, when demonstrations exist for demonstrations' sake, without any consistent or coherent agenda of dissent. At ...more »
EPA Head Says Obama May Want to Create New Carbon Tax, but Her Regs Do Just Fine
[image: Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy testifies before the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee about the Gold King mine disaster in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill September 16, 2015 in Washington, DC. EPA personnel and contractors were attempting to work on the tailing pond at the closed Gold King Mine when they accidentially caused the release of toxic wastewater near Silverton, Colorado Aug. 5, 2015.] The head administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Friday it was her job to create overarching regu... more »
Kim Jong Un Says Pyongyang Won’t Use Nukes First
[image: In this image made from video by North Korean broadcaster KRT, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks at the party congress in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, May 7, 2016. North Korea will not use its nuclear weapons first unless its sovereignty is invaded, state media on Sunday, May 8, quoted Kim as saying during a critical ruling party congress. Kim also said he is ready to improve ties with "hostile" nations in a diplomatic overture in the face of international pressure over its recent nuclear test and long-range rocket launch. He called for more talks with rival South ... more »
Clinton: I Am ‘More Than Ready to Talk to Anybody, Anytime’ About E-Mails
[image: Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton talks to media as during a visits to a polling place a Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, March 15, 2016.] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Hillary Clinton says “no one has reached out to me yet” from the FBI to discuss the investigation into her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state. She says she’s “more than... more »
Report: Turkey Attacks ISIS in Syria; 55 Militants Killed
[image: Kashmiri demonstrators hold up a flag of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) during a demonstration against Israeli military operations in Gaza, in downtown Srinagar on July 18, 2014. The death toll in Gaza hit 265 as Israel pressed a ground offensive on the 11th day of an assault aimed at stamping out rocket fire, medics said. AFP PHOTO/Tauseef MUSTAFA (Photo credit should read TAUSEEF MUSTAFA/AFP/Getty Images)] ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Turkish artillery has fired at the Islamic State group across the border in Syria, killing 55 militants and destroying three rocke... more »
Energy 65, World Bank's anti-coal drama
The World Bank religiously follows the "save the planet" marching order of the UN. Let there be more expensive and unstable electricity in developing countries so long as no cheap and stable energy sources like coal are built. See these news reports. The Guardian, July 2015, The Guardian, May 2016, The Nation Thailand. The Economic Times 2015, World Coal, Myanmar Business. From Climate Home. It added that "the world’s top lender to developing countries announced it would spend 28% of investments on climate-related projects by 2020." Good move, WB. Then more Asian developing c... more »
Is There A Better Poster Child For A Culture Of Corruption Than Debbie Wasserman Schultz?
I haven't read a Krugman column for months; I wonder if I ever will again. More recently I gave up on my evening Rachel Maddow ritual. Now when Chris Hayes' show is over, I flip off the TV. It's certainly healthier to eat an hour earlier. I stopped watching Maddow when she ceased being a professional journalist and became part of the Clinton campaign. Journalists are entitled to their preferences, just like anyone else but they shouldn't color their reporting with their own prejudices without announcing those prejudices. Maddow is now more like Chris Matthews than she is like Chr... more »
Untitled
*The crook Cook again* *John Cook is a bald-faced liar and I would be delighted if he sues me for saying so. He trots out below the old 97% myth when his own research showed that two thirds (66.4%) of climate scientists TOOK NO POSITION on global warming, which is what any skeptic would do in the present climate of censuring and censoring dissent. The only 97% consensus was among the one third who DID take a position. Check it for yourself. The abstract of his paper says: "We find that 66.4% of abstracts expressed no position on AGW". Anybody who can read can see what a ... more »
Economic News & Views ( May 8 , 2016 ) Overview For Sunday ( 1. Greece - Ahead Of Monday's Important Euro Group Meetings , Key Developments Touching Upon Greece- Creditors & State Of Play In Greece. 2. UK Referendum - Leave And Remain Items To Consider For Sunday. 3. Spain - Three Kidnapped Spanish Journalists Freed - But Was Al Qaeda Paid Off To Secure The Release ? Spain Reports First Zika Related Case Of Microcephaly , Politic Deadlock Set to Continue After June Election. 4. Odds & Ends. )
In Celebration Of Mother's Day...... *Serdar* @serdargoknur 7h 7 hours ago *Serdar* @serdargoknur 6h 6 hours ago Greece...... *Manos Giakoumis* @ManosGiakoumis 4h 4 hours ago #Tsipras gets full support in pension & income tax vote, moves on to #Eurogroup https://shar.es/1e8rtW #Greece #politics #ec #ecb #esm #imf *Nick Malkoutzis* @NickMalkoutzis 5h 5 hours ago All 153 of the Greek coalition's MPs have voted for the pension & income tax reforms (worth 2% of GDP) via @kathimerini_gr #Greece *Daphne Papadopoulou* @daphnenews 30m 30 mi... more »
Trump Just Cleared the GOP Field. Is It Time to Start a True Christian Political Party?
[image: Christian Voters Candidate Voting - 900] Like many people I was very disappointed in the Indiana primary results. I will never support Trump. I was #nevertrump before #nevertrump was formed. He is routinely caught telling lies, he shows signs of egomania, and he has demonstrated little... more »
Tornadoes, Icy Roads and Rain Pound Western US, Two Left Dead
[image: Debris lies on damaged vehicles after a tornado was reported in Weld County outside Wiggins, Colo., Saturday, May 7, 2016. Spring storms menaced parts of the West on Saturday, bringing hail and a tornado sighting in Colorado and deadly driving conditions in Arizona.] A series of tornadoes swept across eastern Colorado, causing several minor injuries and damaging motorhomes and buildings. Another spring storm brought deadly driving conditions to northern Arizona. The National Weather Service said at least four tornadoes hit in Yuma County... more »
Pacific Islanders Shut Down World's Largest Coal Port
On Sunday in Newcastle, Australia, Pacific Islanders shut down port and rail line of world's largest coal port. Leave it in the ground! Twitter photos Live news updates at: http://www.theherald.com.au/story/3894106/newcastle-harbour-coal-blockade/
The same coin
This morning's *Sunday* ended with a discussion about Islam in Britain, following criticism of a Muslim association in Blackburn by Justine Greening for saying that women should not travel over 48 miles without a male guardian. *Sunday* invited on two of its Muslim regulars, Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra of the Muslim Council of Britain and Lancaster University's Dr Shuruq Naguib. Both of them prevaricated over whether the call should be condemned and refused to condemn it, despite some pushing from Ed Stourton for them to clarify their positions. The professor was much more willing though ... more »
Monday Filipino Election Pits Continuity of Reforms Against Promises To End Corruption
[image: Residents receive t-shirts on front-running presidential candidate Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of Davao city, his hometown in southern Philippines Sunday, May 8, 2016. Millions of voters are expected to troop to polling precinct all over the country to elect the successor of President Benigno Aquino III.] MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- Thirty years after emerging from a brutal dictatorship, Filipinos will face a dilemma when they pick a new leader on Monday: Should they choose a sharp-tongued mayor with an audacious promise to wipe out crime and... more »
Police Say Alleged Wife Killer Left Two More Dead Over Carjackings
[image: Police take Eulalio Tordil, 62, a suspect in three fatal shootings in the Washington, D.C., area into custody in Bethesda, Md., Friday, May 6, 2016. Tordil is an employee of the Federal Protective Service, which provides security at federal properties. He was put on administrative duties in March after a protective order was issued against him.] ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) -- Malcom Winffel’s family was not surprised to learn that he died in an effort to help others. “He was always helping people,” said his sister, Pilar Winffel, of Columbia. “If a friend of a friend was... more »
Trump Says GOP Unity Would Be Nice But Not Essential Since He Can Get Democratic Votes
[image: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a rally Saturday, May 7, 2016, in Lynden, Wash.] WASHINGTON (AP) -- With a growing number of prominent Republicans refusing to fall in line, Donald Trump is standing firm in his assertion that the Republican Party doesn’t have to be unified because he will gain Democratic votes to win...more »
The Pro-Life Art of the Deal: Can We Negotiate with Trump?
[image: Donald Trump speaking at the 2014 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland.] One of the things the voters find most attractive about Donald Trump is his vaunted success at making deals -- at outbargaining, outwitting, and outmaneuvering the people with whom he negotiates, so that he comes out on top. Whatever we... more »
With the Peshmerga on the Front Lines Against ISIS
[image: Kurds1] GWER, Iraq--First you notice the sound of jet engines. The sky is overcast, so you can't see the coalition warplanes. But you can hear them. And you know what the snarl of jet noise and the occasional thud of an... more »
Afghan Official: 52 Dead After Buses Collide With Tanker
[image: Injured Afghan men lie in an ambulance after an accident on the main highway linking the capital, Kabul, to the southern city of Kandahar, in Ghazni province eastern of Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, May 8, 2016. Officials say two buses and a fuel tanker have collided on a major highway in Afghanistan, killing at least 14 people. Dozens more people were wounded in the accident, which set all three vehicles ablaze, and the death toll is expected to rise.] KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Two buses and a fuel tanker collided Sunday on a major highway in Afghanistan, killing 52 people, o... more »
Nuclear War: Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) Turned On Its Head
Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander General Wesley Clark expects the U.S. to retaliate against Russia in case of a nuclear war in Europe. The four star retired General of the United States Army, told CNN that if Russia attacked hypothetically “say, Warsaw,” then “Putin-dominated” Russia should expect a retaliation. “We’re going to play back then,” he said. The Russians are fearful of NATO expansion eastwards encroaching into their sphere of influence. NATO is being influenced by former Soviet States that were freed from communism to help modernize, financialize and westernize their...more »
Who’s Really Obsessed With What Happens in Bathrooms? The Left
[image: NC bathroom law - 900] According to the social justice and LGBT left, conservatives are too focused on what people do in bathrooms. One popular Facebook meme claims that while people are focused on bathrooms, no one notices that nuclear power plants are leaking radioactive... more »
AmCham DiHua Street Tour
[image: DSC01865] *Lots of spraying these days...* AmCham sent this around... ++++++++++++++ AmCham Travel and Tourism Committee Special Event *Exploring Dihua Street* *Casual Exchange with Taipei Tourism Department Commissioner Chien and Walking Tour* SPEAKER Commissioner Yu-yen Chien 簡余晏局長 Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government 台北市政府觀光傳播局 DATE/TIME Friday, May 13, 2016, 14:15 – 17:00 MEETING POINT Fleisch 福來許茶樓 1樓 COST Member: NT$1,100- Non-member: NT$1,300- No. 94, Dihua Street, Sec. 1, Datong District, Taipei 103 / 台北市大同區迪化街一段94號 (Includes coffee/tea, t... more »
Thanks, US! Taiwan gets its WHA invite as the economy keeps tanking....
*Richard Kagan sent me this nice poster he made of Tsai making Taiwan green.* Taiwan finally got its invite to observe the World Health Assembly. The Taipei Times noted the problem: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday announced that the long-expected WHA invitation has finally arrived, yet, for the first time in history, UN Resolution 2758 and the “one China” principle are reported to have been specially noted on the invitation. This looks like manipulation by China to force president-elect Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration to recognize the so-called “1992 consensus.” The... more »
Get Corbyn
It was interesting watching the early evening news bulletin on BBC One last night to see how they reported Sadiq Khan's inauguration as Mayor of London in Southwark Cathedral. They had three main angles on it: (1) that fact that the first Muslim mayor of a major European capital was "celebrating diversity" throughout his swearing-in; (2) the criticism of the tone of the Conservatives campaign and, above all, (3) the absence of Jeremy Corbyn. Almost one minute of the less-than-two-and-a-half-minutes-long report was spent on the latter question, ending with BBC reporter Alex Forsy... more »
Putin Offers Free Land To Foreigners
Land in Russia’s far eastern wilderness is being offered for free to both Russians and non-Russian nationals wishing to settle in the region. The land will be handed over to Russians and foreigners who want to build homes and start businesses in agriculture or tourism in the region. After five years, foreign nationals will be able to apply for naturalization as Russian citizens and acquire full property rights to the land they have been working. The plots on offer are 2.5 acres in size and are located in an enormous region stretching from the Arctic Circle to the Chinese border, wh... more »
Iranian Soldiers Suffer Heavy Losses Near Aleppo
Iranian soldiers supporting President Bashar al-Assad have suffered their heaviest losses in a single-day fighting Islamist Syrian rebels near Aleppo, according to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Trade Arabia reports: Russia meanwhile said that a truce in Aleppo itself had been extended until Monday. Islamist forces seized Khan Touman village, about 15 km southwest of Aleppo, on Friday and dozens of people were reported to have been killed in the fighting. The attack was launched by an alliance of Islamist insurgents known as Jaish al-Fatah, including the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front. I... more »
Denmark could hike tax on red meat in a bid to boost vegetarianism to help environment
By Paul Homewood http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/28/denmark-hikes-tax-on-red-meat-in-a-bid-to-boost-vegetarianism-to/ If you like your Danish bacon, turn away now! From the Telegraph: Would you be upset if this initiative was implemented around the world? The Denmark Ethics Council have called for a higher tax on red meat after coming to the conclusion that “climate change is an ethical […]
Uncertainty and ignorance are basically synonyms
Mark Alford's wrong paper claiming that there's nonlocality has the first followup, Anthony Sudbery's physics.hist-ph paper The future's not ours to see Sudbery has chosen a formidable foe in the physics world, namely Doris Day. He presented evidence that her 1956 song is, in fact, incorrect and that he may be an even better physicist than Doris Day. ;-) Doris Day was singing: Que sera sera Whatever will be will be The future’s not ours to see Que sera sera. Sudbery sensibly argues: I will argue that quantum mechanics casts doubt on the second line of the song, which suggest... more »
Military Photo of the Day: Battle of the Coral Sea — May 1942
[image: USS Lexington Explosion Battle of the Coral Sea - 900] Battle of the Coral Sea, May 1942. A “mushroom cloud” rises after a heavy explosion on board USS Lexington (CV-2), 8 May 1942. This is probably the “great explosion” from the detonation of torpedo warheads stowed in the starboard side... more »
My Friend Mike Lux's Mother's Day Tribute
My friend Mike's mom passed away in March. We've written about Mike over the years, primarily because of his incredibly important book, The Progressive Revolution: How the Best in America Came to Be, but today, as we prepare to honor our mothers or their memories, I want to share the gorgeous video Mike made to honor his mother. She must have been a very special person. Please watch it.
President Putin Claims Queen Elizabeth “Is Not Human”
Brave Vladimir Putin has told senior staff and associates that Queen Elizabeth II is not human but is a ‘reptilian that shapeshifts between human and reptile form’ and according to sources close to the President he has witnessed her shapeshift ‘in the flesh, before his very eyes, and in his opinion, as a warning to him personally.’ Putin met the Queen at the 70th anniversary of the D Day landings in Normandy, France in 2014. He was widely criticised by the Western media for failing to help the monarch up the stairs, and keeping his distance from her in general. It has now emerged t... more »
11 Cancer Doctors All Found Murdered Within Three Months
Eleven cancer doctors were all recently found dead under suspicious circumstances within three months of each other. The doctors all had one thing in common: they discovered that the nagalase enzyme protein was present in vaccines administered to humans. Anonews.co reports: Nagalase is a protein. In autistic children this protein is present in very high concentrations. Not only that every kind of cancer cell produces this protein. Are you comfortable with that in your vaccines? Vitamin D is needed to fight cancer and it also prevents autism, nagalase is known to prevent your body f...more »
MMR Vaccine Whistleblowers Sue Big Pharma
Two MMR whistleblowers have begun a lawsuit against leading vaccine manufacturer Merck, claiming that the pharmaceutical giant fraudulently misled the government and omitted, concealed, and adulterated material information regarding the effectiveness of the MMR vaccine. The two former virologists for the company, Stephen A. Krahling and Joan A. Wlochowski, launched a devastating lawsuit, which could finally see the vaccine manufacturer held to account. Activistpost.com reports: In 2010, the whistleblowers filed a suit against Merck. The suit drags on in court (“UNITED STATES OF AME... more »
George W. Bush Skull And Bones Secrets Made Public
Archivists at President George W. Bush’s presidential library in Dallas are planning on releasing thousands of documents about one of the most prestigious secret societies at Yale University – the Skull and Bones society. 1,000 pages of letters, memos, a draft speech and other documents about Skull and Bones are to be released this July, unless President Obama or Bush legally block the disclosure. Politico.com reports: “Included is correspondence from individuals, organizations, and children to President George W. Bush, Laura Bush, Andrew Card, and Karl Rove; routine memoranda rega... more »
Turkey Becomes First European Country To Jail Journalists
Two journalists working for the Cumhuriyet newspaper in Turkey have been sentenced to five years in prison, in the first ever case of its kind in Europe. Can Dundar and Erdem Gul were convicted on charges of “revealing state secrets”. RT.com reports: The Turkish court has reportedly acquitted them on some of the charges, including that of “coup attempt,” according to the newspaper. The two had also faced life sentences for publishing their report which claims that Turkey has delivered weapons to terrorists in Syria. Earlier in March, the court named Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip ... more »
Ron Paul Could Become Trump’s Secretary Of State
Neocon journalist Jennifer Rubin has said that she is afraid that Donald Trump will select Ron Paul to be Secretary of State in a Trump administration. Rubin, a Washington Post journalist, is an ardent supporter of American military intervention and the ongoing war on terror. Ronpaulinstitute.org reports: What is it that keeps the Washington Post’s hyperventilating neocon scribbler Jennifer Rubin up at night? The fact that Ron Paul’s lifelong efforts to promote a peaceful foreign policy continue to light fires in the imaginations of his fellow Americans. Any chance her fellow neocon... more »
Florida Election Hacking Results In Criminal Proceedings
A young hacker says he managed to expose a serious security flaw on the Florida voting website, allowing potential election hacking to occur during the Presidential race. David Levin, a political consultant and computer security expert, was charged by the state on three felony charges of unauthorized access to computer systems, which could see him serve a potential 15-year prison sentence. Levin insists the hacking of the online election system was designed to help the government to improve its security. Charlotteobserver.com reports: The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said ...more »
Members Of Congress To Abolish IRS
A proposal to permanently shut down the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is to be considered by Congress soon. The Republican Study Committee (RSC) submitted the proposals to the House Republican task forces for consideration. Forbes.com reports: As part of its proposal on tax reform, the RSC slammed the IRS, writing: In its current form, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is at best an inefficient behemoth weighing down our economy. At its worst, the IRS has shown a capacity for outright corruption and political targeting. The proposal went on to claim: Under the Obama Administrati... more »
Labour Claim Election Fraud In Local UK Elections
A Labour councillor thwarted attempts of potential election fraud during local elections in Oxfordshire recently. Duncan Enright says he had initially lost his seat due to the fact that a bundle of votes were hidden under a pile for his Conservative rival. The Witney candidate luckily rectified the situation upon discovering the pile of ‘misplaced’ votes and won his seat. Independent.co.uk reports: He posted: “Lost by 70 votes or so. Thanks for the opportunity to serve. The fight goes on.” He soon after followed up by announcing: “Miscount in Witney East, result now in, I win by 70!... more »
Picture Of The Day
Two F-16Cs with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds joined a F-35A over Ft. Lauderdale for a 3-ship photo flight on May 5. U.S. Air Force *WNU Editor: *The photo gallery for this picture is here .... *U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and F-35A 3-ship flight over Ft. Lauderdale* (Alert 5).
Iran Reports That 13 Iranian Revolutionary Guards Were Killed In Combat Near Aleppo In Syria
*Reuters*: *Iran suffers losses in Syria, Aleppo truce extended* Thirteen Iranian soldiers were killed in a battle with Islamist militants over a village near the Syrian city of Aleppo, Tehran said on Saturday, in one of Iran's biggest single-day losses since it sent forces to support President Bashar al-Assad. Russia meanwhile said that a truce in Aleppo itself had been extended until Monday. Islamist forces seized Khan Touman village, about 15 km (9 miles) southwest of Aleppo, on Friday and dozens of people were reported to have been killed in the fighting. The attack was laun... more »
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Says He Won't Use Nuclear Arms Unless Attacked
*Voice of America*: *Kim Pledges No Nuclear Arms Use Unless N. Korea Is Threatened* North Korean President Kim Jong Un told a ruling party congress that his country would not use nuclear weapons unless its sovereignty was threatened by other nuclear powers, North Korea's state news agency said Sunday. Kim also said he was willing to normalize relations with states that have been hostile toward the Pyongyang government, and he called for more talks with South Korea to reduce distrust and the potential for further misunderstandings, the Korean Central News Agency report said. "As a... more »
Two Romanian Soldiers Killed In An Insider Attack In Southern Afghanistan
*Long War Journal:* *2 Romanian soldiers killed in insider attack in Afghanistan* Two Romanian soldiers were killed and another was wounded today in an insider or “green-on-blue” attack, where Afghan security personnel turn their weapons on coalition forces. The Romanian troops were ambushed on a base in Kandahar as they were training Afghan forces. The assault is the first of its kind recorded in Afghanistan in more than a year. Resolute Support, the NATO mission in Afghanistan, confirmed that two soldiers were killed today “when two individuals wearing Afghan National Defense a... more »
Pentagon Tells Members Of Congress To Limit Their Trips To Afghanistan Because Of The Security Situation
*(Click on Image to Enlarge)* *Politico*:* Pentagon caps congressional travel to Afghanistan* The Pentagon is asking members of Congress to limit their trips to Afghanistan over the next few months as the Taliban prepares to ramp up its attacks during the summer fighting season. The military has urged lawmakers in years past to cut down on visits to Afghanistan during the fighting season, but this latest request comes at an especially sensitive time in the 15-year war. The U.S. military acknowledges the security situation in Afghanistan deteriorated last year after President Barac... more »
Film Review: Captain America: Civil War
One of my issues with *Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice *was it was so damn grim.* Captain America: Civil War* deals with a similar idea - superheroes finding themselves on opposing sides. I think *Civil War *handled it better - partly because these were characters we've come to know and partly because *Civil War* was able to mix some light-hearted moments in among all the gloom. I'm not planning on any massive spoilers but I will be discussing the plot in general terms, so be warned if you plan on seeing it totally unspoiled. At its core, *Civil War *deals with the Avengers fi... more »
Alice Embree : Accessing history in the digital age
Three hundred issues of The Rag are now available in a digital format. By Alice Embree | The Rag Blog | May 8, 2016 Those of us who came of age in the ’60s remember library research as a visit … finish reading Alice Embree : Accessing history in the digital age
Executive Orders, Transition Act & Presidential Interregnum
Another Executive Order was signed by Obama on Friday May 6th, 2016. And Yes, it is not unusual for an outgoing president to add an amendment to the “President Transition Act" of 1963, and for the amendments to happen within 6 months of the next election. What IS unusual are some of the amendments that Obama added on Friday. Some of the language used in these amendments is ambiguous to say the least, leaving some points widely open to interpretation, which always sets off alarm bells for me. But for me there is one Glaring addition that stands out like a beacon of neon light, s... more »
Moldova Next in Line for US-NATO Regime Change
Look at a world map and see where Moldova is located..... more »
U.S.-NATO Pirate Alliance Gone Fascist
- Made it home about 11 pm last night after a 22-hour trip. Watched five good movies on the plane coming from Istanbul on Turkish Airlines. Food was not so hot. Although the food in Odessa was excellent. - Regis and I are very happy with the response our 10-minute video is getting on YouTube. Already over 600 hits - people appear to be sharing it widely. Got lots of emails from people complementing us on it. Seems to be helping people understand the Ukrainian issue. Glad to hear that. - The pro-US *Georgia Today* media site is reporting: NATO... more »
Will The DCCC Welcome Teabaggers Angry At Establishment Republicans?-- PA-09
In the off-chance that the all-white Republican voters in deep red PA-09-- basically the leftover bits and bobs of the southern and central Pennsylvania: Altoona, the exurbs south of Pittsburgh to Chambersburg halfway across the state-- roused themselves on primary day a couple weeks ago to puke on their crooked, philandering congressman, Bill Shuster, we took a little look at the second primary challenge Shuster was getting from wealthy extreme right soiopath and teabagger, Art Halvorson. In 2014 Halvorson had scored 35% in a 3-way primary, to Shuster's 53%. Two weeks ago Halvors... more »
IPR and Innovation 34, When 95% of WHO's EML are off-patent
I am reposting this good article by a good friend, Philip. Enjoy. MAY 3 — Debates on how to improve healthcare in developing countries often start from the same premise: patents can potentially raise drug prices, so they should be abolished for better public health. In the early 2000s this argument drove the campaign against patents on HIV drugs in South Africa. This week it is motivating campaigners against the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership in Asia — a proposed Free Trade Agreement between 16 Asian countries that may impose new intellectual requirements. NGO disqui... more »
This Just In From Hillary's Think Tank
Stop the presses! Straight to my in-box from the blog of the "progressive" Center for American Progress (founded by Clinton campaign manager and lobbyist John Podesta) were *the* top two click-bait teaser headlines to make your Mothers Day Weekend like, totally, *rock the vote: * *Hillary Clinton's faith is poised to play a big role as she turns to the general election.* *And, how Secret deodorant miserably failed at explaining the wage gap.* You might think this was just another one of one of those unintentionally funny non sequiturs, but hold on a sec. I think it signals that Don... more »
Klee Benally's 'Power Lines' Film Premiere Flagstaff May 21, 2016
http://powerlinesmovie.com/ Power Lines is a politically charged coming of age story about a young Diné (Navajo) poet who runs away and finds home. Featuring Nezbah Ragdoll, Kayla Dailey, Tony Skrelunas, Belinda Ayze, & Sam Minkler.
Western Shoshone at Nevada Test Site: Prayers for Mother Earth on Mother's Day Weekend
Photos by Carl Bad Bear Sampson Western Shoshone Photos by Carl Bad Bear Sampson Article by Brenda Norrell Censored News On the weeklong Western Shoshone Peace and Friendship Run and Walk, walkers and runners arrived at the Nevada Test Site on Saturday, the site of the US atomic bomb testing, on land recognized in the Treaty of Ruby Valley of 1863 as Western Shoshone
COMMUNIQUE BY CNI AND EZLN ON REPRESSION AGAINST CHABLEKAL
JOINT COMMUNIQUE BY THE CNI AND EZLN ON REPRESSION AGAINST THE COMMUNITY OF CHABLEKAL To the media To the Human Rights organizations To the Union of Inhabitants of Chablekal To the people of Mexico Sisters and Brothers We, the peoples, communities, tribes, neighborhoods, organizations, and collectives who make up the National Indigenous Congress (CNI) denounce and condemn the events
7 Astonishing Quotes From Auschwitz Survivor Viktor Frankl
[image: Jewish Concentration Camp__1462664718_71.123.204.254] This week Israel celebrated Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Memorial Day, in memory of the six million Jews who were killed by the Nazis during World War II. The Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl survived for three years in several concentration camps --... more »
Blamelessness
Acts of Gord -- floods, fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, ice storms -- devastate everything and everyone in their path. Acts of humans like war, train derailments, oil rig blowouts, and pipeline failures likewise do not discriminate in their victims. We consider these victims to be blameless and deserving of all our help and compassion. (Well, except maybe when victims do not share our skin colour, religion, etc. Then we might come around to [minimal] help and [grudging] compassion if the scale of the disaster is massive enough.) Right now the fire in Fort McMurray is gripping Canad... more »
Look Within - A Poem by David Carse
*Look within* *Look within* *Unimginable, perfect beauty* *In the still, silent heart.* *The one perfect blazing radiant Jewel* *All that is* *What you Are * *True Self * *Look and see in the Brilliance.* *Nothing to do to know this:* *Do not think, and this is known.* *When the mind is still* *When the mind is not other than the heart* *Still, silent, radiant heart.* *Look within* *Don't miss this!* *Don't live a life not seeing, not knowing* *This ultimate blinding beauty* *Look and be* *Do not think - look within - you will know* *Who you Are.* *David Carse*
life's a game that we're meant to lose
a girl, a boy, and a graveyard
A Small Non-Profit Is Actually Organizing Raids on ISIS to Free Sex Slaves
[image: Since August, 2014, militants of the Islamic State have been abducting and enslaving Christian and Yazidi women and girls.] A collection of brave individuals acting on behalf of a little-known non-profit is running daring operations to free Islamic State sex slaves, including literally cutting the chains binding a woman to a bed. The Liberation of Christian and Yazidi Children in Iraq... more »
5 Comfortable and Cute Pieces For Summer
Summer fashion has always been harder for me. I love sweaters, boot and scarves. In summer, I always feel like I wear the most boring outfits because I am trying to stay cool. I have put together 5 must have pieces that are light weight, temperature appropriate, comfortable and most importantly super cute! Stay cool AND cute this summer! Denim Romper by Cents of Style * A Denim Romper*- This piece was totally out of my comfort zone but I ended up having a lot of fun with it. It is so comfortable and I love that you can change the look up so much by adding a colorful shirt. I pa... more »
From Our Biased Correspondent
Also while catching up with comments here at *ITBB*, Mishal Husain's new BBC Radio series *From Our Home Correspondent *contained a remarkable report from the Corbynistas' *bête noire* Laura Kuenssberg on the EU referendum debate. Given that Laura is the BBC's Political Editor, I'd have hoped for her to be scrupulously neutral here. 'Scrupulously neutral' she most certainly* wasn't *though. Why was it biased? Well, try this: *When the Chancellor marched onto the gleaming floor of a high-tech factory to deliver the economic Exocet at his rivals who want to leave the EU...* Was it... more »
Can California Democrats Clean Their Own Sacramento Pigsty? Will Doug Kriegel Replace Matt Dababneh
*- by Dorothy Reik,* President, Progressive Democrats if the Santa Monica Mountains "You even spelled my name wrong!" Matt Dababneh’s voice echoed from my cell phone speaker as a crowd of Democrats gathered around while we waited to check into our hotel for the E-Board meeting. They were listening to Matt raging about one of my diatribes, one that called him out. I can’t even remember what he had done because his litany of bad votes and crooked donors are both so long. How he got my number I don’t know. From Eli Broad? Yes, the evil emperor of charter schools who wants 50% of LA s... more »
How Saudi Arabia Is Linked To 911 Terror Attacks
US analyst Daniel R. DePetris asks why Washington is hesitant to release the secret 28 pages of the 911 report. The conclusion is that the 28 pages are irrelevant in linking Saudi Arabia with Al Qaeda and the September 11 terrorist attacks of 2001. The link between the Saudis and Al Qaeda has been documented from before the attacks up until now with terrorist activities in Syria. If anything in the missing 28 pages of the 9/11 Commission Report implicates the Saudis, it is the fact that the pages are missing. Afghan freedom fighter Ahmad Shah Massoud was assassinated 2 days before 9...more »
Politics As Air Rage
These days, we hear frequent stories about the passenger on an airplane who loses it and has to be restrained by the flight crew. Mark Kingwell writes that air rage has overtaken our politics. The root causes of both are about class: So there we have it, the perfect image of democratic society circa 2016. This is airborne hyperdemocratic dysfunction, the condition in which everyone has been promised everything, but where some kinds of everything are never enough to go around. Because they can’t all be first-class seats. Some people are just happy to have a seat on the plane, may... more »
The Real Story Behind Middle Class Wages
From 1950 to 1970, the percentage of US GDP devoted to wages, salaries, and other compensation, in other words, what the vast majority of us call “income” hovered near between 50% and 52% of GDP overall (see St. Louis Federal Reserve chart for more information). Beginning in 1970 that number began to decline. Under Ronald Reagan […]
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