11:36pm MDT
What is the Real Reason?
Last year the US spent 34% of the world total in military spending - Russia spent 4.8%......who is the real threat to global peace? The US has 1,000 foreign military bases - Russia at most has 4-5 bases outside their borders. Who is provoking global instability?
August 1: The greed that makes our world go round - and burst
I am desperate. I have two documents to e mail. But they are on paper, not in my computer. And my printer does not have a scanner, so I can't put them into my computer for mailing. Both are important. Does anyone know if anyone in the Moncton area offers such a service? (Staples doesn't.) ____________________________________________________________________ http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-khans-feud-1.3703044 Trump certainly deserves the pasting he's getting from the story above. But there's more to it.Mr. Khan is certainly an intelligent man - and a fluent speaker. But, again we'r... more »
David Bain, finally?
David Bain has been granted $925,000 by the government, not because they accept the court’s finding of not guilty and therefore agree he deserves compensation for being falsely locked up, but because they want his legal team to go away. Not good enough. David Bain is not important here. Respect for justice from the minister in charge of the system dispensing it should be. As I argued before… *The justice system is the best means humans have produced to determine the guilt or otherwise of someone accused of a crime – and it’s a whole lot better the a medieval ordeal by fire. ... more »
We Need a Clothespin Campaign for Hillary
- by Helen Klein In this monumental upcoming election, it would behoove Americans to take a lesson from the French and strongly encourage Republicans, Independents and Democrats – including progressives – to hold their noses and vote for Hillary. In a March 3, 2016 *New Yorker* article, Adam Gopnik describes how, in 2002, the French found themselves in a situation that was similar to our current presidential election. Jacques Chirac was running against Jean-Marie Le Pen. As with Bernie Sanders, the French progressive socialist candidate, Lionel Jospin, had lost in the primaries a... more »
Way Cool: Cache of Japanese Military Maps of Asia
*Yup: Yuanli's town slogan is "A vision of the future."* A friend passed this around Facebook: a trove of Japanese military maps made prior to WWII with incredible detail and information. A teaser... These maps were captured in the waning days of World War II as the U.S. Army took control of Japan. American soldiers confiscated thousands of secret Japanese military maps and the plates used to print them, then shipped them to the United States for safekeeping. .......... Not surprisingly, the Japanese surveyors weren’t always welcomed in other countries. In 1895, angry locals in Ko... more »
It Could Be Years Before The F-35 Is Ready For Combat
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brian West watches an Air Force F-35 Lightning II joist strike fighter aircraft approach for the first time July 14, 2011, at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo by Samuel King Jr.) *David Axe, Daily Beast*:* It Could Be Years Before Billion-Dollar War Toy F-35 Is Ready for Combat* Don’t get too excited about the U.S. Air Force possibly declaring the long-delayed F-35 fighter jet ready for combat—if history is any guide, it won’t be sent into a fight for years. The U.S. Air Force could declare its new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter stealth jet comb... more »
Left-Leaning Military Families Group to Trump: Apologize for Comments to Khans
[image: In this Thursday, July 28, 2016 file photo, Khizr Khan, father of fallen US Army Capt. Humayun S. M. Khan and his wife Ghazala speak during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump broke a major American political and societal taboo over the weekend when he engaged in an emotionally-charged feud with Khizr and Ghazala Khan, the bereaved parents of a decorated Muslim Army captain killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq. He further stoked outrage by implying Ghazala Khan did not speak while standing alongside ... more »
Yellow peril update
So, are New Zealand houses being snapped up in their droves and taken away to China, as so many of the commentariat have been chattering about? No, say the figures. For the second month running, figures show that the numbers of Chinese buyers in the market are … trivial. Just 1.5% of all buyers. Put another way” %98.5 of buyers are not Chinese, and 97% are New Zealanders (defn.: “those who are tax-resident in NZ”). Sorry if that bursts so many bubbles (but not yet this housing bubble), but there it is. NZ’s houses are not seriously unaffordable because of the yellow peril, too... more »
Kevin Roberts: suspended for honesty
NZer Kevin Roberts was “suspended” from his job as head of the Saatchi advertising empire for saying companies should be judged by how happy they make their female employees happy, not by how many with female parts occupy the boardroom. The feminazis rose up in droves. “People like Kevin Roberts no longer belong in ad agencies,” thundered the politest of the commentariat.We’re supposed to back his sacking say Twitterati, because this is apparently offensive to all right-thinking social-justice warriors. Get with their programme, Kev! But what did he say that was so wrong, wond... more »
Yale Forms Special Committee for Renaming Offensive Things
[image: The Calhoun College at Yale University.] Yale University has established a new committee dedicated to deciding when and how the school should rename buildings, monuments and other campus features it believes are too offensive for a modern university campus. The Committee to Establish Principles on Renaming is exactly... more »
More On The Drift Towards Partisan Realignment
At one point Trump was sending out feelings to see if Mark Cuban, an actual self-made billionaire, would run with him. Cuban laughed at the prospect and this weekend endorsed Hillary in Pittsburgh, his hometown, mentioning along the way that Trump has gone batshit crazy. Cuban is friendly with Trump-- they have many similarities-- and says he "told him directly, at some point you have to learn, at some point you have to read and that that job is all about uncertainty and if you don't do the work, that is not good for this country. And he just doesn't do the work." At the event he ... more »
1000+ Ukrainian Soldiers Have Died From 'Non-Combat Injuries'
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko *New Europe: **Drugs, negligence suicides in Ukraine army* Three Ukrainian soldiers have died in non-combat situations in the span of one day, according to the country’s military prosecutor Anatoly Matios on July 29. Speaking to the local 112 channel, he said: “Nobody brings up the everyday non-combat losses in Ukrainian army. The reasons are social problems among the conscripts, alcohol, narcotics to a lesser degree, military hazing, negligence while using weapons and so on”. As reported by Kyivpost online... more »
Flag-Burning Hillary Supporter Beats Up Old Man
[image: In this screengrab from video, Joshua Sturman is seen crouching over 67 year old Richard Dillon.] A Hillary Clinton supporter was arrested Saturday after attacking an elderly gentleman outside of a Clinton rally in Pittsburgh. According to CBS Pittsburgh, 23 year old Joshua Sturman approached a group of Donald Trump supporters outside of the Convention Center in Pittsburgh... more »
Blog stats, July, 2016
[image: NotPCJuly2016-Google] I started posted my blog stats here again last month because a few donors were asking. (And donors almost always get what they ask for, right.) So right up there is what Google says my stats are for last month, which does look wildy overblown. Statcounter has the more sober and probably more serious figures here: [image: NotPCJuly2016-Statcounter] If you’re wondering about the reach of NotPC, that’s probably the more accurate. (And if you’re thinking that’s pretty good and want to encourage it too, then why not head to the PayPal link on the l.... more »
Climate Exit - Clexit
Summary Statement by Viv Forbes, Founding Secretary of Clexit A new international organisation aims to prevent ratification of the costly and dangerous Paris global warming treaty which is being promoted by the EU and the present US administration. “CLEXIT” (Climate Exit) was inspired by the Brexit decision of the British people to withdraw from the increasingly dictatorial grasp of the EU bureaucracy. Without any publicity or serious recruiting, Clexit has attracted over 60 well-informed science, business and economic leaders from 16 countries. The secretary of Clexit, Mr Viv Forbes... more »
Did Former NATO Commander Breedlove's Office Help To Fuel The Ukraine War
Former NATO Supreme Allied Comander Europe Philip Breedlove at a press conference in 2015. AFP *Spiegel Online:* *Dangerous Propaganda: Network Close To NATO Military Leader Fueled Ukraine Conflict* Working with dubious sourcing, a group close to NATO's chief military commander Philip Breedlove sought to secure weapons deliveries for Ukraine, a trove of newly released emails revealed. The efforts served to intensify the conflict between the West and Russia. In private, the general likes to wear leather. Philip Mark Breedlove, 60, is a well-known Harley-Davidson fan, and up until a... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- August 1, 2016
*Roy Gutman, Daily Beast:* *As Obama Dithers, Syrian Rebels in Aleppo Brace for Putin’s Onslaught* The Russians are pursuing a strategy lifted from their playbook in Grozny during the last Chechen war, and Aleppo could soon become the new “most destroyed city on earth.” ISTANBUL — When Russia dropped its bombshell announcement of a plan to bring “stabilization” and “assistance” to rebel-held Aleppo by emptying it of its inhabitants and its defenders, the U.S., the UN, and any number of countries working to end the war in Syria were taken aback. Gen. Sergei Shoigu, the Russian def...more »
World News Briefs -- August 1, 2016 (Evening Edition)
*Daily Mail*: *US launches new wave of deadly airstrikes on ISIS targets in Libya * * Pentagon announced military intervention against ISIS fighters in Libya * Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj said the airstrikes caused 'heavy losses' * It comes as growing ISIS presence in Libya causes concern in the West * Sirte considered one of ISIS' most important bases outside Iraq and Syria The US has launched air strikes on ISIS strongholds in Libya, causing 'heavy losses' among jihadists. The Pentagon announced the military intervention, which is the first co-ordinated with the Libyan governm... more »
How Would A President Clinton Handle Russia, China, International Trade, And Guantanamo Bay?
U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. (Reuters/Jim Young) / Reuters *USA Today/Global Post*: *How would a President Clinton handle Russia, China, Guantanamo Bay?* Her fans say she evolves, rejecting and embracing logical foreign policy initiatives based on the context at the time. Her critics say she shifts her positions based on political convenience. Regardless, First Lady Hillary Clinton is different from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and neither are the same as candidate Hillary Clinton. And a President Hillary Clinton? That remains to be seen. And so we'd thought... more »
Washington Post Gives Hillary 4 Pinocchios for Her Latest Round of Email Claims
[image: Hillary Laughing - 900] Donald Trump wasn’t the only one who made a mess of things during a Sunday morning talk show appearance this weekend. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton made a statement about her emails and the FBI that was so demonstrably false that... more »
New FBI Docs Show IRS Tea Party Applications Were Sent to ‘Black Hole’
[image: IRS Building - 900] Internal Revenue Service (IRS) officials orchestrated a complex scheme to dump conservative and Tea Party non-profit applicants into a bureaucratic "black hole," according to FBI documents made public Monday by a government watchdog group. The documents describe how the IRS... more »
Hot Air Balloon Pilot was Able to Keep Flying Despite Drunken Driving Record
[image: Flowers and a New Testament lay near crime scene tape at the scene of Saturday's hot air balloon crash near Lockhart, Texas, Monday, Aug. 1, 2016. Sixteen people were killed in the crash.] LOCKHART, Texas (AP) -- The pilot of a hot air balloon that crashed in Texas, killing 16 people, was able to keep flying despite having at least four convictions for drunken driving in Missouri and twice spending time in prison.... more »
New blog: making housing affordable again
A new local blog focussed on making New Zealand housing affordable again: *Making New Zealand*. It’s mostly by the good guys. A shame about the byline, although I’m told it’s to help capture local searches about urban planning (you see what I did there?): [image: MakingNZ] So who are these good guys? They’re folk with a few smarts tackling New Zealand's biggest issues on housing and infrastructure: *The politically unaligned Making New Zealand blog was launched yesterday by an independent group of professionals who want to raise the level of public debate and understandi... more »
Trump Suggests General Election Could ‘Be Rigged’
[image: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump walks away after speaking to reporters before a town hall event, Monday, Aug. 1, 2016, in Columbus, Ohio . (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)] COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump suggested Monday that he fears that the general election “is going to be rigged.” Trump, speaking in Ohio, said he felt the Democrats had fixed their primary system so Hillary Clinton... more »
Donald Trump Honestly Thinks The Election Is Rigged
During a campaign event in Ohio on Monday Donald Trump suggested that the U.S. presidential election is rigged. At a town hall in Columbus, Ohio, Trump said “I’m afraid the election is going be rigged, I have to be honest” Yahoo News reports: The Republican nominee pointed to Bernie Sanders’ unsuccessful Democratic primary campaign as an example of elections being rigged. Trump has frequently claimed that Hillary Clinton only won the primary because national Democrats intervened on her behalf. At his Monday campaign rally, Trump added that the Republican Party could not stop him in ...more »
Eating More Plant Protein Reduces Risk Of Death
Research suggests that replacing a diet of animal protein with that of plant protein could increase life expectancy. Scotsman reports: A large study found that every 3 per cent increase in calories from plant protein reduced the risk of death from all causes by 10 per cent. It was also associated with a 12 per cent lower risk of death from heart disease. In contrast, raising the animal protein share of calories by 10 per cent led to a 2 per cent higher risk of all-causes of death and an 8 per cent greater chance of dying from a heart problem. Animal protein foods include all types o... more »
As Syria Transition Date Passes, WH Announces No Policy Change Despite Promise to Get Tough
[image: FILE - In this Oct. 2, 2012 file photo, smoke rises over Saif Al Dawla district, in Aleppo, Syria. The United States is outlining no change in its Syria policy as an August 1 target date for a political transition passes. In May, Secretary of State John Kerry issued an Aug. 1 ultimatum to Syrian President Bashar Assad's government and its main backer, Russia. "Either something happens," he said, "or they are asking for a very different track." But on Monday, Kerry said the U.S. would continue its effort to "get a cessation of hostilities in place that is meaningful." (AP Pho... more »
Cannabis Traded As Commodity Between East & West For Millennia
People have been dealing in cannabis for over 10,000 years. The weed may have been responsible for the opening up of ancient trade routes between east and west. Assyrian King Esarhaddon Belfast Telegraph reports: A new study, published in the journal of Vegetation History and Archeobotany, has linked the increased use of cannabis in East Asia with the rise of transcontinental trade between Europe and the East between 4,000 and 5,000 years ago, at the start of the Bronze Age. The researchers have presented a systematic review of archaeological and palaeoenvironmental records of canna... more »
Black Lives Matter-Affiliated Groups Demand Reparations for Slavery
[image: Protesters rallied in Philadelphia on July 26, 2016, during the Democratic National Convention. The demonstration was organized by the city's Black Lives Matter chapter.] With the second anniversary of the Ferguson shooting fast approaching, approximately 60 groups affiliated with Black Lives Matter released a list of 6 demands aimed at the "collective liberation" of black people. The "Movement for Black Lives," an organization that wants...more »
Nick Hurd MP – GOV.UK
Our new Minister of State for climate change (and in his spare time, industry), is the son of well known Tory wet, Douglas Hurd. He is also the fourth generation of Hurds to be elected to Parliament. He also went to Eton, so we need have no worries about him being one of the despised […]
Europe’s Prisons are Becoming ‘Jihad Factories’
[image: Prison - 900] European jihadists are using jail time to radicalize at-risk Muslim youth and forge connections with other terrorists, turning Europe's prison systems into Jihad factories, The Wall Street Journal reports. The only surviving member of the November 2015 Paris attacks was... more »
China's Military Is Pressuring The Leadership For A Stronger South China Sea Response
Soldiers of People's Liberation Army (PLA) take part in a search and rescue exercise near Qilian Yu subgroup in the Paracel Islands, which is known in China as Xisha Islands, South China Sea, July 14, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo *Reuters*:* 'Give them a bloody nose': Xi pressed for stronger South China Sea response* China's leadership is resisting pressure from elements within the military for a more forceful response to an international court ruling against Beijing's claims in the South China Sea, sources said, wary of provoking a clash with the United States. China refuse... more »
Hotel Bombing Is Latest To Rock Kabul
*Reuters*: *Taliban claim Kabul bomb attack on compound used by foreigners* A Taliban truck bomb exploded outside a protected hotel compound used by foreign service contractors in Kabul on Monday, ripping a deep crater in the ground and leaving a tangle of wreckage but causing few casualties. The loud blast was heard around Kabul at about 1.30 a.m. (2100 GMT on Sunday) and electricity was cut off in many areas, heightening uncertainty in a city on edge after a suicide attack a week earlier that killed at least 80 people. One attacker was killed after detonating his vehicle and two... more »
What Does Al-Nusra's 'Rebranding' And Break From Al Qaeda Mean
Screen grab of al-Nusra Front leader Abu Mohammad al-Golani from a video statement announcing his group's split from al Qaeda. AFP *The Hill*: *Pentagon will strike rebranded Nusra Front after split from al Qaeda* The Pentagon is planning to strike Islamist group formerly known as Jabhat al Nusra, or the Nusra Front, even though it has split from al Qaeda, its parent organization, a spokesman said Friday. “It remains a terrorist target as it has been for some time,” Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook told reporters during a briefing. The group, now called Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, ... more »
Has The White House Given Up On Defeating The Islamic State?
US Marines fire a Howitzer artillery gun during the Second Battle of Fallujah. / Photo by Lance Corporal Samantha L. Jones, USMC. *Kimberly Dozier, Daily Beast*:* Have U.S. Officials Given Up on ‘Defeating’ ISIS?* *You don’t hear national security leaders speak of ISIS like an enemy to be beaten. They talk about the terror group like a chronic illness in the global body politic.* ASPEN, Colorado — Officially, the Obama administration is still committed to defeating ISIS. But at the annual gathering of national security chiefs in Aspen, no one was talking about beating the terror a... more »
Where Did YOU First Hear About Debbie Wasserman Schultz?
I first met Democratic activist Bob Lord in 2008 when he ran for Congress in Arizona. He didn't win that race in a deep red district but he gave entrenched incumbent John Shadegg, a far right extremist, a hard enough time that Shadegg announced he wouldn't seek reelection. Bob and I stayed in contact-- he even wrote some guest posts for us-- and he's proven to be an astute observer of Arizona politics, primarily on the popular Blog for Arizona. Yesterday he had some comments on every progressive's least favorite nemesis, Debbie Wasserman Schultz: *On Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Down... more »
Breaking: Russia Says Rebel Attack in Aleppo Repelled
* 7:00 pm Syrian time:* *BEIRUT (AP) -- The Latest on the developments in the war in Syria (all times local):* *7 p.m.* *The Russian military says the Syrian army, relying on Russian air cover, has fended off a massive rebel attack intended to break the siege of Aleppo, killing over 800 militants.* *Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi of the Russian military's General Staff said about 5,000 militants launched an offensive late Sunday southwest of Aleppo in a bid to rupture the government's blockade of the rebel-held part of the city. Rudskoi told Monday's briefing that the rebels also lost... more »
Assange: Emails Prove Hillary Armed ISIS In Syria To Oust Assad
Julian Assange has said that Hillary Clinton approved of the US arming ISIS militants in Syria when she was Secretary of State, in an effort to oust Assad. Clinton knew that the US was sending arms from Libya to Syria in 2011, one year before the Benghazi consulate attacks. Thegatewaypundit.com reports: Hillary Clinton denied she knew about the weapons shipments during public testimony (under oath) in early 2013 after the Benghazi terrorist attack. Senator Rand Paul questioned Hillary Clinton about this gun running program back in January 2013 during her testimony on the Benghazi ter...more »
Court Upholds Decision To Jail Young Boy For Burping In Classroom
A 13-year-old boy from Albuquerque, New Mexico was arrested and thrown in jail after burping in class at his local school. Despite outrage from the media and parents at the school, the 10th circuit court of appeals ruled that the cop who arrested the boy and school staff were “immune” from any subsequent lawsuit against them on behalf of the child. Thefreethoughtproject.com reports: The law the court cited in their ruling prohibits anyone from interfering with the educational process. The original incident happened in May of 2011 at Albuquerque’s Cleveland Middle School. After repe...more »
Mother Says Antidepressants Made Her Want To Kill Her Children
A British mother has appeared on national television condemning antidepressants, saying that when she was prescribed them she began fantasising about killing her own children. Katinka Blackford Newman appeared on ITV’s This Morning saying that the antidepressants prescribed by her doctor caused her to become aggressive, delusional and psychotic. Naturalnews.com reports: What happened to her might only happen in one out of every 100 to 1,000 cases, but that’s far too many when an entire family’s well-being is at stake. It all started when her marriage broke down and she had to sell h...more »
NASA Launch Urgent Investigation Into ‘Armageddon’ Asteroid
NASA have launched an investigation into the so-called ‘Armageddon’ asteroid that appears to be heading towards Earth. Scientists will collect rock samples from the asteroid named Bennu, in an effort to understand just how much of a danger it poses to life on Earth. Independent.co.uk reports: Bennu, which is around 500 metres in diameter at its equator and travels around the sun at 63,000mph, will pass between Earth and the moon in 2135. “That 2135 fly-by is going to tweak Bennu’s orbit, potentially putting it on course for the Earth later that century,” Dante Lauretta, professor of... more »
Clinton Was Director Of Company That Donated Money To ISIS
Wikileaks have released documents proving that Hillary Clinton took $100,000 of cash from a company she ran that also funded ISIS in Syria. The documents reveal that French industrial giant, Lafarge, handed over money to the Islamic state so they could operate its cement plant in Syria, and purchased oil from ISIS. Lafarge is the very same company that Hillary Clinton was a director of. Clinton took $100k cash from & was director of company that gave money to ISIS https://t.co/4B2rOTG7sl docs: https://t.co/fJGNXEHPHi — WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) August 1, 2016 Thecanary.co reports: Laf... more »
Selfridges Opens For Christmas With 145 Shopping Days To Go
Selfridges department store in Oxford Street has opened its doors to early Christmas shoppers enjoying the summer weather. The store claims to be the first in the world to kick start the festivities and has set up a summer Christmas shop on its fourth floor, complete with 50,000 decorations. The Daily Express reports: Customers, including many foreign tourists ignored temperatures outside of 66F(19C) to start hunting for present even though there are 145 shopping days left to Christmas. Geraldine James, Christmas home and decorations buyer, said: “Despite the summer weather, we’re i... more »
5 Key Senate Races That Could Tip the Balance of Power in November
[image: 1senatebuild] November will feature fierce incumbency races that will decide if the Republicans keep the U.S. Senate or the Democrats reclaim it. Thirty-four Senate seats are up for reelection in 2016, and Democrats only need to flip five (or four if they retain the presidency) to... more »
Turkish Troops Surround US-NATO Base
[image: An F-16 Fighting Falcon takes off from Incirlik Air Base, Turkey in support of Operation Inherent Resolve Aug. 12, 2015. This followed Turkey's decision to host the deployment of U.S. aircraft conducting counter-ISIS operations. The U.S. and Turkey, as members of the 60-plus nation coalition, are committed to the fight against ISIS in pursuit of peace and stability in the region.] Turkey surrounded a U.S.-NATO base Saturday, calling the inflammatory move a "safety inspection." Elements of the Turkish military closed entrances and exits at the U.S.-NATO airbase at Incirlik. Tu... more »
Celebrating Life's Milestones with Basic Invite
I have a bit of a confession. I love cards. If you close my front door and look behind it, you will find all of last year's Christmas Cards still covering the back of the door. I have binders full of wedding invitations that I can't bear to part with. These is something about a wedding invitation, baby announcement or even Christmas Card that says so much about the people that sent it. I love other people's cards and sending them myself, so when Basic Invite offered me the chance to review some of their cards, I jumped at it. Designing six different cards with their easy software ... more »
Strawberry Banana and Chocolate Drizzled Popsicles
[image: Get It Together Link Party] New Cohosts!Don't miss another week of the #BloggersGetSocial Get It Together link party. We pin, tweet, and/or Facebook share ALL of the posts here! We are all about networking, action, and accountability. This week we are celebrating our NEW cohosts: Kori at Home, Oh Chic Mom, Practical Mommy, and For the Love of Crust! They join Bloggers Get Social, Sunny Soirees, Mama's Got It Together, and Housewife Eclectic. We all met in the Bloggers Get Social Facebook group, so be sure to join to find collaboration parters or share your posts with our net... more »
Obama Says Services for Veterans Better But Need More Work
[image: President Barack Obama speaks at the 95th National Convention of Disabled American Veterans in Atlanta, Monday, Aug. 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)] WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama is touting strides in reducing homelessness among military veterans as his administration reaches the halfway point in building a massive database on veterans’ health. Overall veteran homelessness has been cut nearly in half, by 47... more »
Bad Economic Growth Could Be Good News for Trump
[image: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally, Friday, July 29, 2016, in Colorado Springs, Colo.] With U.S. economic predictions last Friday reporting sluggish and historically low growth, it could have some interesting implications for the ongoing presidential election. In a race featuring two drastically different economic platforms, the reported 1.2 percent growth rate in GDP... more »
ISIS Say They Will Carry Out Jihad In Russia
A new video released by the Islamic State features ISIS militants warning Russian President Vladimir Putin that they are preparing to carry out Jihad in Russia. The nine-minute video, shared by ISIS networks on Sunday, threatens widespread jihadi attacks across Russia in response to Putin’s blistering campaign against Daesh in Syria. Jpost.com reports: “Listen Putin, we will come to Russia and will kill you at your homes … Oh Brothers, carry out jihad and kill and fight them,” a masked man driving a car in the desert yelled while wagging his finger in the last couple of minutes of... more »
Kim Jong-un Declares War On America, “You’ve Crossed The Line”
Kim Jong-un has warned the U.S. that he is prepared to declare war against America if Washington go ahead with planned ‘war games’ next month in South Korea. North Korean Director – General Han Song Ryol for U.S. affairs said that Washington has clearly “crossed a red line” with its repeated declarations of war against Pyongyang. His response is in reaction to the U.S. listing Kim Jong-un as a “sanctioned individual”. Anonhq.com reports: It also highlights the current tensions regarding the annual U.S.-South Korea ‘war games’ in the South Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone. Ha... more »
ISIS Plan To Explode Dirty Bomb At Rio Olympics
The United Nations have sent advanced detection technology to Brazil over fears that ISIS plan to use a dirty bomb to attack the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have shipped hi-tech radiation monitors over to Rio in order to protect the Games from a ‘likely’ attack. Pravdareport.com reports: According to the publication, UN security experts sent special equipment to Brazil to help prevent the potential threat. It was also said that the IAEA provided portable dosimeters to delegates of the Games. A “dirty bomb” is a radiological weapons... more »
US Launches Airstrikes Against ISIS In Libya
The US have begun bombing targets around the Libyan city of Sirte, which they say is an ISIS strongold. The Pentagon have said that the action followed a request by the UN-backed government there and that this was the first strike of a new campaign that currently has “no endpoint.” Monday’s strikes, which were authorised by President Barack Obama, were in support of government forces currently fighting IS militants. RT reports: “The presidency council, as the general army commander, has made a request for direct US support to carry out specific airstrikes,” Fayez Serraj, the head of... more »
The Dog Most Likely To Bite You Is A Family Favourite
The dog responsible for the highest number of attacks on people is not the usual suspect. It is a Labrador Retriever, according to insurance data. The Labrador Retriever is responsible for the highest number of personal injury claims filed by people bitten by dogs in an insurance survey. Liverpool Echo reports: The data, from leading pet insurer Animal Friends, also revealed that almost a third of claims come from from postal and delivery workers. The dog breed most responsible for attacks on posties is the German Shepherd, followed by the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the Border C... more »
Summary Statement on the Formation of Clexit – CLEXIT – Climate Exit
A new international organisation aims to prevent ratification of the costly and dangerous Paris global warming treaty which is being promoted by the EU and the present US administration. “CLEXIT” (CLimate Exit) was inspired by the Brexit decision of the British people to withdraw from the increasingly dictatorial grasp of the EU bureaucracy. Without any […]
Obama-Backed Solar Plant Incinerated 1,145 Birds Last Year
[image: The Ivanpah Solar Plant California's Mojave Desert has three towers that collect the concentrated solar energy from more than 170,000 mirrored heliostat panels.] The Ivanpah solar plant in Southern California killed 6,185 birds in 2015. That includes burning about 1,145 birds with the intense heat coming off its many mirrored heliostat panels, according to a recent report on the government-backed solar project. An... more »
The Times takes PA off the map!
*MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2016This too might be comic relief:* Who's going to win the November election? We don't have the slightest idea. Given the lunacy of this campaign, no one else really knows either. That said, we had to chuckle at something we saw on the front page of yesterday's New York Times. We've heard this bite a million times, but Burns and Haberman came close, at the start of their front-page report, to awarding the state of Pennsylvania to Candidate Hillary Clinton: BURNS AND HABERMAN (7/31/16): Donald J. Trump, confronting a daunting electoral map and a significant fin...more »
Men beat women in self-citations
*Does it really imply some foul play?* There are still tons of highly annoying, bogus, feminist propagandist texts about the "subtle discrimination of women in STEM", such as this today's article by a fat Indian American feminist, but I chose another one that was released on the first day of August. The Washington Post has printed a weird story about "women in science": New study finds that men are often their own favorite experts on any given subject which builds on a preprint by Molly, Shelley, Jenny, and two co-authors who are nominally male: Men set their own cites high: Gen... more »
Comic relief continues apace!
*MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2016Cable star's memory loss:* Why did we ever start our series of posts on comic relief? Granted, they're award-winning posts. But why did we ever start them? Oh yes! We'd been struck by the inanity of much that we see on the Maddow Show. Last Friday night, for example, the program's host made the highlighted statement below. We take these words live and direct from the Nexis transcript. Maddow spoke with Dan Rather about the previous night's speech, the address by Khizr Khan: MADDOW (7/29/16): Joining us now is Dan Rather, who has covered more than thirty co... more »
Japan Grinds To A Halt Following False 9.1 Earthquake Warning
Japan comes to standstill on Monday after an official agency issued a false 9.1 earthquake warning causing thousands of people to panic. The Japanese meteorological agency sent out a warning that a massive earthquake was about to strike the capital Kanto Region which is home to 40 million people. RT reports: The warning was issued at 5:09pm local time on Monday, and quickly relayed to mobile apps that warned millions of Tokyo residents about an earthquake measuring 7 out of 7 on the scale used within the country – equivalent to 9.1 on the Richter scale, and as bad or worse than the... more »
Journal retracts nutrition paper, citing authors’ “unethical behavior”
A journal has retracted a paper for a somewhat unusual reason — and swapped the article with an entirely new paper by different authors. The journal, Materia Socio-Medica, said it’s retracting a paper about diet in dialysis patients because of some of the authors “un-ethical behaviors” in previous issues of the journal. In its place, the […] The post Journal retracts nutrition paper, citing authors’ “unethical behavior” appeared first on Retraction Watch.
Security In Iraq, July 22-28, 2016
The fourth week of July 2016 saw another limited amount of violence in Iraq. The number of reported incidents and casualties remained low for the fifth week after the Islamic State’s spring offensive concluded. There were a total of 114 incidents in the media from July 22-28, 2016. Baghdad had the most with 65, followed by 18 in Ninewa, 9 in Salahaddin, 7 in Kirkuk, 7 in Diyala, 5 in Anbar, and 3 in Babil. Those led to 227 deaths and 366 wounded. The dead consisted of 1 Sahwa, 2 Peshmerga, 5 Hashd, 27 members of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), and 192 civilians. Another 10 Hash... more »
Special Relations, Special Needs
"I say to you: never fall again for the doctrine of isolationism. The world cannot afford it. Stay a country, outward-looking, with the vision and imagination that is in your nature. And realise that in Britain you have a friend and an ally that will stand with you, work with you, fashion with you the design of a future built on peace and prosperity for all, which is the only dream that makes humanity worth preserving" *"Ready to fight to the last American...?" * *National Security Adviser Sandy Berger* *White House Oval Office* *April 1999* *"Sandy Berger just served up waffle... more »
House Republicans Demand Answers From Obama on Bathroom Policy
[image: All Gender Bathroom Sign] A group of House Republicans sent a letter to the Obama administration demanding it explain the reasoning behind a recent order compelling every public school in the country to accept transgender bathroom usage. The Obama administration sparked a massive row with... more »
Walking for Peace on Jeju Island
*VFP members Ken Jones (left), Bruce Gagnon (center) and Will Griffin (right) remembering the two Korean-American women who were to lead our trip to Korea but were denied entry into the country due to their work against US deployments of the THAAD 'missile defense' system here that will be aimed at China and Russia.* We gathered at the new Navy base front gate this morning just after 8:00 am in order to get registered for the six-day peace walk around Jeju Island, South Korea. Many in the crowd walked down an entry road to the main gate that of course was blocked off with higher t... more »
Governor: 14 Florida Zika Cases Likely Caused by Mosquito
[image: Aedes aegypti mosquito, the species which transmits the dengue virus, chikungunya fever and zika is photographed on March 4, 2016 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.] WYNWOOD, Fla. (AP) -- Gov. Rick Scott announced the number of Zika cases likely spread by local mosquitoes had increased to 14 and asked Monday for a federal emergency response team to help the state combat the spread of the... more »
Clinton Gets Convention Bounce, Regains Slight Lead Over Trump
[image: The Latest: Poll Shows Trends in Nevada Democratic Caucuses] Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is back on top after last week's Democratic Convention, having regained her lead over Republican nominee Donald Trump in the latest RealClear Politics (RCP) average of national polls -- though not by much. Trump pulled even a week...more »
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*Clinton walks fine line on carbon tax* Hillary Clinton’s campaign is leaving the door open to supporting a carbon tax, hinting that the Democratic nominee could eventually back the controversial idea. Statements from top campaign officials made during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia could endear her to environmental activists who are pressing her to adopt more of the progressive positions of primary rival Bernie Sanders — a vocal carbon tax supporter. But it could be a difficult decision for Clinton with clear political costs. Putting a price on carbon dioxide... more »
Nick Hurd confirmed as Climate Change and Industry Minister
God help us! Heaven knows why we need a ‘Climate Change and Industry Minister’, surely the two are incompatible? But if there has to be one, why does it have to be this prat? http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2466562/nick-hurd-confirmed-as-climate-change-minister
As Crazy As Ahab
Donald Trump is certifiable. The evidence of his megalomania is overwhelming. Michael Harris writes: Need examples? Let’s start here: Trump, who aspires to lead the free world, criticized Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Kaine as the horrible Governor of New Jersey, a guy who wanted to raise taxes in that state by four billion dollars as soon as he was elected. That could be construed as a damning indictment, except for one thing: Tim Kaine was never Governor of New Jersey, Tom Kean was — between 1982 and 1990. Not that it matters, but Kean was a Republican. Kaine is a ... more »
The DCCC Refuses To Lift A Finger To Help, But Meet The Democrat Working To Replace Kevin McCarthy
Blue America endorsed Bill Ostrander in the 9 person race for the Santa Barbara/San Luis Obispo CA-24 congressional seat. He ran a strong issues-oriented campaign, very much in line with Bernie's political revolution, to which he ascribed. He wasn't left standing on election night and voters in the 24th will have to pick between a garden variety careerist Democrat or a corruption-tainted GOP extremist. There are no good choices there. A few days ago, Bill called me and told me he's backing another "Berniecrat" though, Wendy Reed, who made it through the primary and will face off ... more »
Everyone's Favorite Trumpanzee Lines From His Stephanopoulos Interview Yesterday
Bill Clinton must feel pretty brilliant for having encouraged Trump-- lured him?-- into running for the Republican nomination this year. Could Hillary have possibly beaten the more legitimate, less insane candidates? These Trumpisms from yesterday are in chronological order: *•* I have one of the great temperaments. I have a winning temperament. She has a bad temperament. She's weak. We need a strong temperament. *•* I think I have a great temperament. *•* I have a temperament where I know how to win. She doesn't know how to win. Honestly, she lies a lot. And she really-- she sho... more »
Owners Say They’ll Reopen Pulse Nightclub as Memorial Site
[image: Police cars surround the Pulse Orlando nightclub, the scene of a fatal shooting, in Orlando, Fla., Sunday, June 12, 2016.] ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- The owners of Pulse nightclub in Florida say it will reopen as a memorial to the 49 people who died there. The announcement was posted Sunday on One Pulse Foundation’s social media accounts. The foundation was... more »
U.S. Begins New Airstrike Campaign Against Islamic State Targets In Libya
U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles © US Air Force / Reuters *NBC:* *U.S. Begins New Airstrike Campaign Against ISIS Targets in Libya* The U.S. began a new campaign of airstrikes in Libya on Monday, four defense officials told NBC News. The strikes will target ISIS in and around Sirte, a city halfway between Tripoli and Benghazi that has become an ISIS stronghold in the country, the officials said. The officials described the pending strikes as targeted and well-planned. The head of the United States Africa Command said this past spring that ISIS had about 5,000 fighters in Sirte. ... more »
Is There A President Obama ‘October Surprise’ In Iraq That Will Impact The U.S. Election?
A member of the Kurdish peshmerga forces stands guard at a security point on Mount Bashiqa, overlooking Islamic State-held territories in Mosul, March 7, 2015. (photo by REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih) *Mark Perry, Politico*:* Get Ready for Obama’s ‘October Surprise’ in Iraq* If Iraqi and Kurdish troops—with stepped-up U.S. support—retake Mosul as planned, it could be a big boost for Hillary. The American public could be treated to a major U.S.-led military victory in Iraq this fall, just as voters are deciding who will be the nation’s next president—but U.S. military officials insist the ti... more »
Russian Military Transport Helicopter Shot Down In Syria. 5 Killed
Men inspect the wreckage of a Russian helicopter that had been shot down in the north of Syria's rebel-held Idlib province, Syria August 1, 2016. REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah *RT:* *Russian helicopter on Aleppo aid mission shot down, all 5 aboard dead* A Russian Mi-8 helicopter has been shot down by ground fire in Syria following delivery of humanitarian supplies to Aleppo, the Defense Ministry said. Three crew and two officers from Russia's Reconciliation Center died, according to a Kremlin statement. *"On August 1, an Mi-8 transport helicopter has been shot down by ground fire in Idl... more »
World News Briefs -- August 1, 2016
*The Guardian*: *Syrian rebels launch operation to break Aleppo siege* Fighters say they have pushed back Assad forces, as Russian helicopter shot down over Idlib province Rebel fighters in Aleppo have launched a major military operation aimed at breaking a weeks-long regime siege of the opposition-controlled eastern part of the Syrian city. About 250,000 civilians are believed to be living in the rebel-controlled territory, and their plight has led to growing international alarm. The area has been subjected to a brutal aerial bombing campaign from the forces of Bashar al-Assad ... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- August 1, 2016
*The Hill*: *Classified briefings to begin for Clinton, Trump* Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are set to begin receiving the classified intelligence briefings historically given to the presidential nominee of each major party every four years. “Now is the appropriate time, since both candidates have been officially anointed,” Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said on Thursday during public remarks at a security conference in Aspen, Colo. Clinton officially accepted the Democratic nomination on Thursday night. Trump officially became the GOP nominee the week pr... more »
Is Donald Trump Correct When He Says That Retired Gen. John Allen Was A Failure?
*ABC News*: *Clinton: Trump's Comments on Gen. Allen 'Prove' He Should Not Be Commander-in-Chief* Hillary Clinton on Saturday ripped into Donald Trump for his critique of retired four-star Gen. John Allen, saying it's unpresidential to "insult and deride our generals." "Just yesterday, he went after retired Gen. John Allen who commanded our troops in Afghanistan. General Allen is a distinguished Marine, a hero and a patriot," the Democratic nominee said during a stop on her bus tour at a manufacturing business in Johnstown. "Donald Trump called him a failed general. Why? Because ... more »
Gary Johnson joins the Pigou Club
From an interview with the *LA Times*. "*I’m open also to the notion of a carbon tax*. That it does have an impact, that it ends up being revenue-neutral. I’m not looking at this as a revenue generator, as much as there are costs associated with, there are health and safety issues with carbon."
Nuclear Folly
Fukushima Daiichi produced over 1,000 radioactive isotopes, according to TEPCO. Radioactive isotopes of Iodine (e.g., Iodine-131, Iodine-133, etc) are but a tiny fraction of the contaminants produced in a nuclear disaster. Parents who think iodine jelly is going to protect their children from exposure and internalization of other radionuclides - such as radiocesium, radiostrontium, uranuim, etc. are deluded. However, delusion is no doubt the goal for nuclear proponents: Takashi Sugimoto. August 1, 2016. Iodine jelly for infants to be stocked up for nuclear disasters. The Asahi Shim... more »
Turkey Update
High Ranking US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dunford is heading to Turkey for talks: US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford arrived at the Turkish southern Incirlik airbase on Monday, local private broadcaster NTV reported. Sputnik News,. http://sputniknews.com/military/20160801/1043823916/dunford-incirlik-airbase.html ANKARA (Sputnik) — According to the Turkish broadcaster, Dunford is expected to meet US troops and hold talks with Turkish high-profile military officials in Ankara. The Department of Defense has this description of the talks: Chairman in T... more »
Fukushima August 1 at 23:58, 2016
Fukushima is still very steamy looking. The humidity there is very high so hopefully that alone is responsible for the thick steam/fog that has enveloped the plant for the last 24 hours:
art - mucha - tarot
basically, art, mucha, tarot - this isn't - but it would be lovely
US Launches Airstrikes Targeting ISIS in Libya
[image: Libyans gather next to debris at the site of a jihadist training camp, targeted in a US air strike, near the Libyan city of Sabratha on February 19, 2016. A US air strike on a jihadist training camp in Libya killed dozens of people Friday, probably including a senior Islamic State group operative behind attacks in Tunisia, officials said. / AFP / MAHMUD TURKIA (Photo credit should read MAHMUD TURKIA/AFP/Getty Images)] WASHINGTON (AP) -- The United States launched multiple airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Libya on Monday, opening a new, more persistent front again... more »
Untitled
*Wages for graduates don’t justify huge university fees, unless you’re a doctor, dentist or go to Oxbridge, says report * *Comment from Britain* Student debt payments wipe out the benefit of higher 'premium' earnings for most graduates who don't attend top universities, according to a new report. Campaigners behind the report say the 'carrot of higher graduate earnings' should not be used to justify increased fees at universities - some of which are now topping £9000 - as unless you attend an Oxbridge university or become a doctor or dentist, the wage gap is too great. Politici... more »
Should we support “teacher villages?”
There are concerns that teachers are not from the communities in which they teach, particularly in urban areas, where differences in race and social class between teachers and students are magnified. Housing costs are often named as a culprit. One solution to this problem has been to build new “teacher villages.” These are typically lower […]
Transpicuous News: US Elections, Sultan Erdogan, and the Olympic Charade
Just 10 days.... I was out of the loop for just 10 days, and WHAMMO! Todays' Transpicuous News is half hour update of the highlights of the insanity of this past week. From the US Election Circus, to Rio's Olympic Disaster in the making, to this generations "Pol Pot"- Sultan Erdogan, and a brief skip and jump through the financial fiasco that is currently playing out and other ridiculous pieces of news. Oh the Insanity of it all!!!!! One last minute addition that I forgot to mention during TN: This weekend, Turkish military surrounded the Incirlik US and NATO airforce base ... more »
Scientist with three retractions settles lawsuit against George Washington University
A researcher whose work has been subject to three retractions and two expressions of concern has settled a lawsuit he filed against his university for breach of contract and emotional distress. Rakesh Kumar had sued George Washington University for $8 million, claiming that his employer had relieved him of department chair duties without following the […] The post Scientist with three retractions settles lawsuit against George Washington University appeared first on Retraction Watch.
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*From* *Jenna Orkin* Turkey's failed coup puts it on the path to becoming a major world power What it's like to work for the Valley's most secretive startup, Palantir Farmers who voted Leave are regretting their vote after realising they may lose the EU's subsidies Geophysicists just debunked a key assumption about how Earth's continents formed The Cyberwars Begin: NSA Hackers Target Russian Cyber Spies As Kremlin Says It Is Being Attacked Ireland Jails 3 Top Bankers Over 2008 Collapse... Instead Of Bailing Them Out Outbreak? Russian Bio Warfare Troops Rushed To Arctic Due To "Dang... more »
SADLY, WHERE MATTERS STAND: Columnist Krugman enlists in the tribe!
*MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2016Part 1—Weaker and dumber apart:* The general election is now underway. The weekend gave us many sad signs of where matters stand. Two top-shelf examples: Beyond any lingering reasonable doubt, we learned that New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd is supporting Candidate Trump in the November election. There's no longer room for doubt. Meanwhile: Dowd's colleague, Gail Collins, wasted her latest column with her latest silly election quiz. The day before, Collins devoted an on-line post to an updated form of the silliest question of all. This is the headline... more »
Should Christians Engage the Culture?
[image: Breakpoint Christians Engage the Culture - 900] For more than two decades now, one of the most important voices on the subject of Christians' relationship to culture has been Andy Crouch. From his work editing re:generation quarterly to books like Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling, Crouch... more »
Life term for IS-inspired Tube attacker Muhiddin Mire per BBC News
The headline says 'life' but read on in this BBC report http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-36942245 and you discover that: 'Mire will begin his sentence at Broadmoor secure hospital, where he will serve a minimum of eight-and-a-half-years before he is considered for parole.' Eight and a half years is not really a life sentence is it?
8-Year-Old Boy Dies Day After Being Named Honorary Marine
[image: Wyatt Gillette and his parents at the ceremony where he became an honorary Marine.] SAN DIEGO (AP) -- An 8-year-old boy with a rare, genetic, developmental disease has died a day after being made an honorary Marine. The boy’s father, Jerimiah Gillette, told KABC-TV and the Marine Corps Times that his son, Wyatt, died... more »
Top GOPers Join Democrats in Slamming Trump Over Khan Comments
[image: Donald_Trump_(25218642186)__1469712766_71.164.139.145] NEW YORK (AP) -- Donald Trump’s presidential bid has thrived on controversy of his own making. Now, the Republican nominee kicks off the first full week of the general election campaign having put his strategy of saying the politically unimaginable... more »
Khizr Khan wants to maintain his dignity?...
*then he should have declined to speak at the DNC.* What does his son's death while in service to the U.S.A. have to do with crazy Muslims killing people all over the world? Nothing. And not allowing crazy Muslims to enter our country has nothing to do with his son, either. Khizr Khan told CNN on Monday that “We want to be out of this controversy. That is not our style. … We want to maintain our dignity,” even as the couple kept up a round of TV appearances. source That's all I have to say about Mr. Khan. *More:* Shoebat: *What The Media Is Not Telling You About The Muslim Who ... more »
Chinese Accused of Crackdown on Protesters; Transparency Urged by Human Rights Activists
[image: China Lawyers Crackdo_perr__1470057879_71.164.139.145] TIANJIN, China (AP) -- Around two dozen supporters of a prominent Chinese human rights lawyer and three activists charged with subversion protested outside a northern city court Monday amid widespread concerns that authorities were holding their trials in secret. Flanked... more »
Biotech journal pulls well-cited review that plagiarized from several sources
A biotechnology journal has retracted a 14-year-old review after an investigation concluded that the authors had plagiarized from numerous sources. The last author of the paper — which has been cited 289 times, according to Thomson Reuters Web of Science — told us the authors took a few lines from other reviews, and unintentionally left off the […] The post Biotech journal pulls well-cited review that plagiarized from several sources appeared first on Retraction Watch.
A Look Inside 4 Important Goals of the LGBT Movement
[image: IMG_5268-1024x768] PHILADELPHIA--Despite being proud of advances they've made during eight years under President Barack Obama, leaders of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender movement say they still have work to do. "The future of the LGBT movement hinges largely on the... more »
Burdened With VA Scandals, Obama to Tout Progress in Monday Speech
[image: 14334287411_ee533d1e64_k] WASHINGTON (AP) -- In a valedictory address to veterans during a presidential campaign in which their issues have been front and center, President Barack Obama will argue that getting ex-military members the health care and benefits they’ve earned is a... more »
Former Top Commander Of U.S. Forces In Afghanistan: Electing Donald Trump Could Result In ‘Civil Military Crisis’
*Politico*:* John Allen predicts 'civil military crisis' if Trump is elected* The election of Republican Donald Trump as president could mean a breakdown in the relationship between civilian and military leaders, a former top commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan warned Sunday. In an interview on ABC's "This Week," retired Marine Gen. John Allen criticized Trump for his rhetoric on the wider use of military force and torture. And if Trump followed through with those pledges, Allen said, it would create "a civil military crisis, the like of which we've not seen in this country b... more »
The Pentagon's Accounting Practices Will Fail An Audit
*Eric Pianin, Fiscal Times*: *Pentagon’s Sloppy Bookkeeping Means $6.5 Trillion Can’t Pass an Audit* The Defense Department over the years has been notorious for its lax accounting practices. The Pentagon has never completed an audit of how they actually spend the trillions of dollars on wars, equipment, personnel, housing, healthcare and procurements. An increasingly impatient Congress has demanded that the Army achieve “audit readiness” for the first time by Sept. 30, 2017, so that lawmakers can get a better handle on military spending. But Pentagon watchdogs think that may be m... more »
What It's Really Like To Live And Work On An Aircraft Carrier
*Matt Lutton, Mashable:* *Life in the 'Danger Zone'* *What it's really like to live and work on an aircraft carrier* I grew up fully under the spell of Top Gun. I wore out my VHS copy of Top Gun when I was 8-years-old, fast-forwarding to all of the scenes with airplanes nearly everyday after school. I fell completely into the movie's world of fighter jets and macho sailors protecting the free world. My dream, like the dreams of so many other kids of the 1980s, was to grow up to be a naval aviator like Maverick. As I grew older and began to watch how America fought its wars, I beca... more »
How to Cook a Lobster Tail
It's red. It's from the ocean. It has a hard shell. It screams fancy. Yes, lobster is intimidating. At least it seems that way. For a long time the only way I enjoyed lobster — one of my favorite foods — was by eating out at overpriced seafood restaurants. I remember walking by the meat department at my local grocery store one day and seeing how affordable lobster can actually be, if you watch the sales. For weeks I approached the counter, building up the courage to buy it. But in the end I would always chicken out. One day, the lobster was on a killer sale and I figured this was... more »
Russian Helicopter Shot Down in Syria, Killing All 5 Onboard
[image: FILE -- In this in this Sept. 18, 2002 file photo, a Mi-8 helicopter flies over the Chechen regional capital Grozny, Russia. A helicopter similar to the one pictured has been shot down in Syria and Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman says all people aboard it have been killed, Monday, Aug. 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Musa Sadulayev, File)] MOSCOW (AP) -- A Russian transport helicopter was shot down in opposition rebel territory in northern Syria on Monday and all five crew and officers onboard were killed, the Kremlin said, in the deadliest single incident for the Russian mil... more »
The Latest in Transanity: More Male Mothers and the End of the Male Body
[image: Thomas_Beatie_på_Stockholm_Pride_2011] These are the kinds of things you cannot make up. A report from the Daily Mail documents the "March of the Male Mums" while an article on Slate.com declares, "There is plainly no one type of body that we could... more »
Trump’s Khan Attack, His Fatal Flaw, and the Way Past It
[image: Donald Trump - 900] Donald Trump’s recent criticism of a slain Muslim U.S. army captain's family, just the latest in a long line of reckless insults from the presidential contender, points up an alarming weakness in Trump. I am praying that the root of this uncontrollable... more »
Participate In Community.... A quotation from M.N. Hopkins
*Many thanks to Frank for the picture and to Pam for the text added to his photo.* *This quotation came from a poem that I had written. To read the poem in it's entirely, please click on the link proved below:* *Never Wander Far From Your Heart's Light*
Welcome To The Sixth Annual Inspirational August
*This annual event on my blog will begin on Monday, August 1st. I will devote the entire month to only positive inspirational pictures, writings, poetry and art. I will concentrate on writing some new material of my own during this month also. I will have guest posts also so others can share their inspirations.A warm welcome to all.* *Mike* *If you would like to see the history of this annual event, please click on the link provided below:* *A History Of Inspirational August*
Transformation, X-Ray Eyes and the Lifting of the Veil
*Zen Gardner* - It’s an individual fight, but we each help each other massively by overcoming. The post Transformation, X-Ray Eyes and the Lifting of the Veil appeared first on Waking Times.
Vaccines: “Preventing Every Bad Thing”
*Jon Rappoport* - The vaccinators are creating a synthetic world of pretended immunity. The post Vaccines: “Preventing Every Bad Thing” appeared first on Waking Times.
"Syrian Kurds" aka PKK/YPG Terrorists Reject Syrian Request to Leave Aleppo
*Kurdish lying leader rejects presence of their NATO backed terror forces then acknowledges their presence and refusal to evacuate Aleppo.* NATO supported and supplied Kurdish Sunni Muslim Terrorists in Aleppo- Notice the Kurdish flags hanging on buildings.*I don't mince words when it comes to NATO backed terrorists of any ilk:* *First the denial *"A senior commander of the Kurdish forces of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) in Syria’s northern Aleppo province rejected the images showing a regime soldier wearing a YPG patch as propaganda.*"**It’s well-known that there are tensions ... more »
It Takes 4 Times Longer to Become a Hair Braider Than an EMT in Oklahoma
[image: Hair extension.] For aspiring hair braiders in more than half of the United States, obtaining the license needed to work this job can take as few as six hours and as many as 2,100 hours, or about 262 eight-hour days. But in 10 places... more »
Windfuckers Inc.
*Turning, and turning in the widening gyre,* *The Magickian longs 2 C,* *The Centre cannot hold;* *Things Fall Apart -* *One chants out between 2 Worlds, * *mere anarchy is loosed upon The World, * *The Best are full of shame and doubt,* *while The Worst are seized with a furious intensity,* *Fire, Walk with Me.* *What rough beast is this?* *It's hour come round at last,* *slouches towards Bethlehem, To Be Born....* *I'll cut You with my Death Bag !!* *You may think I've gone insane,* *But I promise You - * *"I WILL KILL AGAIN"* Wer mit Ungeheuern kämpft, mag zusehn, d... more »
Suspect in ISIS Plot on U.S. Capitol Due in Court for Plea Hearing
[image: Capitol Terror Plot_perr__1470050861_71.164.139.145] CINCINNATI (AP) -- An Ohio man accused of plotting to attack the U.S. Capitol in support of the Islamic State group is due in court for a change-of-plea hearing. Christopher Lee Cornell, 22, has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming... more »
Now That You’ve Awakened How Do You Awaken Others?
*Paul A. Philips* - Are you doing your part to contribute to critical mass in our collective awakening. The post Now That You’ve Awakened How Do You Awaken Others? appeared first on Waking Times.
Monsanto, Bayer, Cargill: Doing Business Or Corporate Imperialism
India celebrates independence from Britain in August. I'm reposting this article from June. It questions the concept of independence in an age of neoliberal globalisation. Don't take free content on the web for granted. Please read *this* Describing itself as a major ‘global communications, stakeholder engagement and business strategy’ company, APCO Worldwide is a lobby/PR agency with firm links to the Wall Street/corporate America establishment (arguably, part of it) and functions to serve its global agenda. India PM Narendra Modi turned to APCO to help transform his image and tu... more »
Russian Military Helicopter Shot Down In Syria Killing All On Board
A Russian military helicopter has been shot down by rebels in Syria’s Idlib Province killing all five crew members on board according to the Russian Defense Ministry. The ministry said that chopper was shot down after delivering humanitarian aid to the city of Aleppo and as it was making its way back to Russia’s main air base in Syria. The BBC reports: The Mi-8 transporter came down in Idlib province. It was carrying three crew and two officers, Russia’s defence ministry said. The helicopter was returning from delivering humanitarian aid to the besieged city of Aleppo, it said. It is... more »
Palestinian Shot Dead By Israeli Forces Over Alleged Stabbing Attack
Another Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli forces on Sunday north of the occupied West Bank. The Israeli military claimed that he was trying to carry out a stabbing attack on their soldiers. The Palestinian health ministry confirmed in a statement that Rami Awartani, 31, was shot dead by Israeli forces near the Huwwara checkpoint, south of Nablus city. Press TV reports: Palestine’s Ma’an news agency said the young Palestinian was shot dead on Sunday afternoon at the Huwwara checkpoint near the city of Nablus. Israeli media said the man had attempted to stab Israeli soldiers station...more »
#RPGaDay2016 Day 1 - How Do I Prefer to Roll?
I'm not 100% sure I'll be doing all of these but given participating in this event last year brought my blog out of hibernation, I'll give it a whirl. Given most of my gaming is now done via Roll20 with a group that spans the eastern seaboard, I've definitely been all about the virtual dice - though even with that, I find it worth the CPU cycles to see the darn things actually roll, even if it is virtually. If I'm in a real face to face game, then my preference is to break out the old dice pouch - heck in a recent online game I participated in as a player we used real dice. I thin... more »
Ben Shapiro: The Myth of the Tiny Radical Muslim Minority
https://youtu.be/g7TAAw3oQvg This should be compulsory viewing for all lefty PC media types especially those at the BBC
Danish Scientist Targets Claim that Gulf Stream Is Slowing
By Paul Homewood http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/07/14/danish-scientist-demolishes-another-hyped-global-warming-claim-gulf-stream-slowing/ From Breitbart: A Danish climatologist is pouring cold water over another misleading global warming claim. Thermographic images released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) last year showed a mysterious blue blob of cold seawater off the coast of southern Greenland and Iceland. At the time, researchers […]
Mike Smith Enterprises Blog: “Climafornication” DNC-Style
Meteorologist, Mike Smith slams the DNC climate video introduced by Sigourney Weaver and from James Cameron – ‘recycled footage from two years ago’ ‘The only problem with that segment is the drought in west Texas broke long ago. Currently, no part of Texas is experiencing drought conditions.’ ‘Apparently, the climate has been so benign that […]
H.A.H.A.
*"Here is an exact identity of these cards as told to me by Christy's son: the ace of diamonds with a heel mark on it; the ace of clubs; the two black eights, clubs and spades, and the queen of hearts with a small drop of Hickock's blood on it."* McMurphy has a dead man's hand tattooed on his shoulder, "a poker hand fanned out across his muscle - aces and eights".
Wildfires Threaten Homes in Central Valley, on California Coast
[image: Western Wildfires_perr__1470049868_71.164.139.145] BIG SUR, Calif. (AP) -- A surging wildfire that broke out over the weekend in California’s Central Valley damaged homes and forced hundreds of evacuations, while a 10-day-old blaze on the Central Coast kept growing and causing problems for firefighters... more »
Clinton Campaign Manager Talks Clinton’s Post-Primary Policy Partnership With Sanders
[image: 23857676745_fdce3ebc4f_h] Clinton Campaign Manager Robby Mook said Sunday that Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton worked with self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders on a number of policy issues following the primary. The candidate appears to have shifted further to the left due to... more »
Hey, ‘Science Guy’ Bill Nye: Come Out of the Ark and Face the Flood of Evidence Against Darwinism
[image: Bill Nye Science Guy - 900] Bill Nye, host of the popular 1990s kids' program Bill Nye the Science Guy, has become a celebrity spokesman for science. Nye's hero status got a major boost in 2014 when he debated young earth creationist Ken Ham. I couldn't... more »
Russia Hopes That Its New Fleet Of Combat Vehicles Will Control The Battlefield
Sputnik *Sebastien Roblin, National Interest*: *Russia Hopes Its New Super Combat Vehicle Will Rule the Battlefield* *Meet the Kurganets-25.* Russia’s new T-14 Armata was unveiled in 2015 to much fanfare in Russia and hand-wringing in the Western world. Much less attention has been paid to the new family of vehicles unveiled alongside it, the Kurganets-25. Compared to the T-14, the Kurganets’s features may seem more pedestrian: it represents Russia’s effort to upgrade its vast fleet of BMP infantry fighting vehicles to the level of protection offered by the American M2 Bradley or... more »
Pope Francis Says Islam is Peaceful, Equates Terrorism to Domestic Violence
[image: Poland Pope_perr (2)__1470048128_71.164.139.145] ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) -- Pope Francis on Sunday said he won’t label Islam as “terrorist” because that would be unfair and not true. Reporters aboard the papal plane flying him home after a pilgrimage to Poland that began... more »
When the Critics Come After You
[image: Art Critic Taking Notes - 900] "Stay away from a fool, for you will not find knowledge on their lips." (Proverbs 14:7) Jesus never wasted time answering critics. You see, critics are spectators, not players. My good friend Rick Godwin recently preached a message titled "Posers... more »
What's Unfair About Wimbledon?
https://youtu.be/-8HpzZVdhqU Oops that fact didn't go down well with the usual pc crowd
Five Most Popular Posts in July
Most read last month were: 1. What is Happening to the Labour Party? 2. Splitting the Labour Party 3. The Eagle has Floundered 4. Remembering Eddie Truman 5. Making Sense of the Meltdown Thought last month's viewing figures were a spike? Nope, turns out they were not an aberration at all. In July, the blog received over 103,000 page views, which is just insane. Okay, about 5,000 of them are because of an attack spike but still, these are silly numbers I never expected in a million years. Just goes to show *there is* an audience hungry for nuanced analysis and sensible socialism. If... more »
This Is Where World War 3 Can Start At Anytime
*Zero Hedge:* *Seven Places Where WW3 Could Start At Any Time* It seems like you can’t watch the news anymore without stumbling onto a story that contains terrifying global implications. Not since the Cold War have tensions been so high among the nations of the world. You can strike sparks just about anywhere. The threat of another global war is downright palpable. Most people shrug at the thought of World War Three, either because they’re ignorant or because they don’t think there would be any chance of surviving it, so why bother? But preppers know better. Just about anything can... more »
Trump Suggests US Accept Russia’s Annexation of Crimea
[image: In this photo taken July 1, 2016, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks in Denver. As he turns his attention to the general election, Donald Trump is signaling that he is ready to tone down his fiery rhetoric on illegal immigration — at least behind closed doors.] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is suggesting the U.S. accept Russia’s annexation of Crimea if it would lead to better relations with Moscow and stronger cooperation in fighting Islamic State militants. That view runs counter to the... more »
King Henry IX
*"If circumstances lead me, I will find* *Where truth is hid, though it were hid indeed* *Within the centre."* Sonnet XVII Who will believe my verse in time to come, If it were fill'd with your most high deserts? Though yet, heaven knows, it is but as a tomb Which hides your life and shows not half your parts. If I could write the beauty of your eyes And in fresh numbers number all your graces, The age to come would say 'This poet lies: Such heavenly touches ne'er touch'd earthly faces.' So should my papers yellow'd with their age Be scorn'd like old men of less truth than tongue, And... more »
Britain's Entire Fleet of Advanced Warships Are Docked Together For The First Time In Years
Warships HMS Daring, HMS Dauntless, HMS Diamond, HMS Defender, HMS Dragon and HMS Duncan are all sitting idle in Portsmouth *Daily Mail*:* So who's guarding the oceans? Royal Navy's ENTIRE fleet of their most advanced £1billion warships are docked in port together for first time in years* * Six Type 45 destroyers are docked in Portsmouth Harbour for reasons including giving crews time off over summer * £1bn vessels have either just returned from operation, about to be deployed or having maintenance done, MoD said * MoD added scenario was 'unusual but not unprecedented' and ships cou... more »
CIA Director John Brennan Not Optimistic Syria Will Remain One Country
*Al Jazeera*: *CIA chief not optimistic Syria will remain one country* John Brennan fears it may be impossible to save Syria from partition, amid conflict in which nearly 400,000 have died. The head of the US Central Intelligence Agency has said he is not optimistic about the future of Syria remaining one country. John Brennan's comments are a rare public acknowledgement by a senior US official that Syria may not survive a five-year civil war in its current state. "I don't know whether or not Syria can be put back together again," he said on Friday at the annual Aspen Security Fo... more »
China Tourism Numbers: Massaged?
*Period* *Chinese* *HKK + Mac* *All China* *MovChi * *MovHkk* Dec 13 240,629 122,365 362,994 Up Up Jan 14 268,861 73,629 342,490 *Up * *Down* Feb 14 305,390 91,294 396,684 Up Up Mar 14 361,470 98,332 459,082 Up Up Apr 14 377,197 146,097 523,294 Up Up May 14 333,845 116,585 450,430 Down Down Jun 14 315,166 133,550 448,716 *Down* *Up* Jul 14 343,709 132,831 476,540 *Up* *Down* Aug 14 312,549 147,903 460,452 *Down* *Up* Sep 14 341,729 105,865 447,591 *Up* *Down* Oct 14 347,778 95,217 442,995 *Up* *Down* Nov 14 332,517 99,443 431,960 *Down* *Up* Dec 14 346,941 135,024 481,965 Up Up Jan 15 32... more »
Book Review: Taiwan: A History of Agonies by Ong Iok-tek
*Egrets resting on mangroves (I think) near Hsinchu.* Taiwan: A History of Agonies Ong Iok-tek Avanguard, Taipei 367 pages 450 NT Many years ago I was given a copy of this book in Chinese. Like thousands of others who love Taiwan and have come to support independence and democracy on the island, *Taiwan: A History of Agonies* was an inspirational text for me. Everyone from exiles in the US in the 1970s to Sunflower leaders has read this book, and its influence on the movement in decades following its publication in Japanese and later in Chinese (in 1977) should not be underestimate... more »
America's Self-Inflicted Defense Woes
*August 1, 2016* (Ulson Gunnar - NEO) - The United States poses as a champion against the great threats facing global security and stability, an uphill battle it claims requires equally great sacrifices, especially in terms of defense spending. It must be just a coincidence that the many policy think-tanks promoting this notion just so happen to be funded by huge multinational defense contractors. The Atlantic Council, for instance, includes among its corporate members, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Thales, Boeing and Northrop Grumman, just to name a few. So when Atlantic Coun... more »
Six More State Officials Charged For Flint Water Crisis Cover Up
Six more state officials have been charged in connection with the Flint water crisis, taking the total to nine people facing criminal charges – however Governor Rick Snyder and senior staff continue to evade responsibility for the humanitarian disaster. The scandal highlighted the state of America’s infrastructure crisis and worried parents across the nation due to the alarming levels of lead tested in children, while the government cover up prompted outrage. Attorney General Bill Schuette vowed that “the families of Flint will not be forgotten; we will provide the justice they dese... more »
Father Cures Son’s Severe Epilepsy With Cannabis Extract
A father has appeared in a video online documenting the rapid progress made by his severely epileptic son while undertaking cannabis extract therapy, showing that people diagnosed with severe epilepsy, including children, can recover and go seizure-free in very short periods of time. “At four months old, Jayden had his first seizure, and it was a downhill road from there for the next few years,” Jason David said. His son Jayden’s epilepsy was crippling. He was having up to 500 myoclonic seizures and grand mal seizures (now called tonic-clonic seizures) lasting 60-90 minutes. By four... more »
Syrian Rebels Launch Offensive To Break Aleppo Siege
Smoke rises after an airstrike on the rebel held al-Rashideen neighbourhood, Western Aleppo province, Syria July 31, 2016. REUTERS/AMMAR ABDULLAH *Reuters*: *Rebels launch major assault to break siege of opposition-held Aleppo* Syrian rebel fighters launched on Sunday a major assault on government-held southwestern parts of Aleppo in the first major drive to regain ground after major losses last week when the army and its allies tightened its siege of opposition-held parts of the northern city. A rebel military command center that includes the newly formed group Islamist Jabhat F... more »
Military Photo of the Day: Waiting to Engage a Convoy
[image: Rocket Launcher] A U.S. Army soldier waits to engage a convoy with a rocket-propelled grenade simulator during an exercise at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin on July 12, 2016. Thank you to Sgt. Robert Farrell for taking this photograph.
Turkey Coup: Incirlik Airbase Blocked By Turkish Militia
Thousands of police in Turkey have surrounded the Incirlik air base used by NATO forces in what some are saying is a reaction to a new coup attempt. Over 7,000 armed police with rifles and armored TOMA vehicles surrounded the base in Adana in an effort to thwart a second anticipated coup. Zerohedge.com reports: Which brings us to today, and the news that NATO’s critical Incirlik Air Base was hours ago completely blocked off by Turkey, with all inputs and outputs to the Adana base having been closed according to Turkey’s Hurriyet among rumors of yet another coup. As the Turkish Mini...more »
All Tourists In France To Be Accompanied By Armed Soldiers
Tourists in France will be accompanied by armed soldiers throughout the summer, as the French government ramp up efforts to protect the public against an ‘imminent’ terrorist attack. All tourist attractions will have beefed up security measures put in place after intelligence agencies discovered a plot to target tourists visiting France. Heatst.com reports: And yesterday the council in Cannes banned backpacks and other large non-transparent containers from its beaches in an attempt to lower the likelihood of a bomb attack there. The moves come after the Bastille Day attack in Nice ... more »
Nostradamus Predicted Hillary Clinton Presidency
An author has deciphered a Nostradamus quatrain that apparently predicts a 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential win. In a book entitled NOSTRADAMUS: The Complete Prophecies for The Future, author Mario Reading lists a future timeline with significant events that take place between 2001 and 7074. Abovetopsecret.com reports: The book itself was first published in 2006 by one of the world’s most renowned experts on Nostradamus. While there have been countless works evaluating the predictions of Nostradamus, there has been little success in deciphering the dates or periods to which the pr... more »
Palestinian Teenager Arrested For Criticising Israel On Facebook
A Palestinian teenage girl has been arrested for criticising Israel on her personal Facebook page. Qamar Manasra, a 16-year-old girl from Reineh, was apprehended by Israeli forces on July 19, who arrested her on charges of “incitement” for her posts on the social media giant. Richardedmondson.net reports: The Israelis were apparently quite violent–toward Qamar as well as other members of her family. An article about her has been posted here, although you won’t be able to read it unless you read Arabic. But you will be able to see additional pictures, including a photo of her with he... more »
Whistleblower: NSA Has All Of Clinton’s Deleted Emails
A National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower has revealed that the agency have every single one of Hillary Clinton’s deleted emails in their possession. William Binney, a former senior NSA official, told a radio interviewer that the FBI could gain access to the trove of NSA emails any time they wanted. Breitbart.com reports: Speaking as an analyst, Binney raised the possibility that the hack of the Democratic National Committee’s server was done not by Russia but by a disgruntled U.S. intelligence worker concerned about Clinton’s compromise of national security secrets via her per... more »
Assange: Hillary Email Leak Is Bigger Than Russia
Julian Assange has told reporters that the ongoing release of DNC and Hillary Clinton emails via Wikileaks has nothing to do with Russia. Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press” show, Assange insisted that the trove of emails ought to be the focus of media attention rather than whether or not Russia was behind the leak. Politico.com reports: “The difficulty that WikiLeaks has, of course, is that we can’t go around speculating on who our sources are. That would be irresponsible,” Assange said in the interview from Ecuador’s Embassy in London, where he has sought protection. “We don’t give... more »
Clinton Cash: Hillary received Millions Via Russian Bank
Hillary Clinton received millions of dollars in cash from Russia in exchange for giving Russians special access to advanced US technology. A report released Monday, “From Russia With Money — Hillary Clinton, the Russian Reset and Cronyism,” raises serious questions about the cash connections between the Clintons and participants in the State Department’s failed five-year effort to “reset” US-Russia relations. Nypost.com reports: Key players in a main component of the reset — a Moscow-based Silicon Valley-styled campus for developing biomed, space, nuclear and IT technologies called... more »
Strings 2016 look more stringy than in previous years
*The picture is meant to convey the idea that people of Mongolian appearance have played with strings long before Veneziano* The Strings 2016 annual conference has gotten started in Beijing, China (Tsinghua University): *List of talks*, schedule, fresh pics, videos (soon), *main page* Looking at the list of talk titles, I do think that the composition of the talks is much more stringy than at the previous annual string conferences. In particular, a huge and growing fraction of the talks were about "ordinary quantum field theory" that was just being studied by people who have a... more »
Explosion Rocks Rio’s Olympic Stadium Days Before Games Begin
A controlled explosion has rocked Rio’s Olympic stadium days before it’s set to host the opening ceremony for the 2016 Olympics. Police found suspicious toolbox on Sunday at the Maracana Stadium as rehearsals were underway for the opening ceremony. Express.co.uk reports: The controlled explosion raises serious concerns about the safety of athletes and spectators alike at the Rio Olympics, with the opening ceremony starting in just five days. The Games have been blighted by controversies amid fears for the safety of athletes and those attending. In April, a newly built cycle path – ...more »
U.S.-Backed Forces On The Verge Of Seizing The Islamic State Stronghold Of Manjib
*Reuters:* *U.S.-backed forces win control of most of Syria's Manbij from Islamic State: spokesman* U.S.-backed forces have now seized control of almost 70 percent of Manbij in northern Syria from Islamic State after making rapid advances over the past two days, a spokesman said on Sunday. Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) have pushed back the ultra hardline Sunni militants into the old quarter after seizing most of the western, eastern and southern sectors of the city, Sharfan Darwish of the SDF-allied Manbij military council told Reuters in Beirut by telephone. "They are now mainly... more »
Dakota and Lakota Runners: Protest Dakota Access Pipeline in DC Aug. 6, 2016
. Watch news coverage in Dayton, Ohio: Dakota and Lakota youth runners, from Cannonball, ND, to DC: 'No Dakota Access Pipeline!" http://www.whio.com/videos/news/lakota-youth-stop-in-area-on-trek-to-fight-oil/vDq2rj/ . Join us in Washington D.C at Lafayette Square on August 6, 2016, at 1 p.m. to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline! WE ARE NOT GIVING UP! Spread the word about
Zapatistas: Words of Moises at CompARTE in Oventik, Chiapas
WORDS OF THE GENERAL COMMAND OF THE EZLN, IN THE VOICE OF SUBCOMANDANTE INSURGENTE MOISÉS, AT THE OPENING OF THE ZAPATISTA’S PARTICIPATION IN CompARTE, CARACOL OF OVENTIK, CHIAPAS, MEXICO, MORNING OF JULY 29, 2016. WORDS OF THE GENERAL COMMAND OF THE EZLN, IN THE VOICE OF SUBCOMANDANTE INSURGENTE MOISÉS, AT THE OPENING OF THE ZAPATISTA’S PARTICIPATION IN CompARTE,CARACOL OF OVENTIK,
Would You Trust Trump With National Security Secrets? Should Obama?
There are a lot of Americans nervous about the prospect of the Trumpanzee getting national security briefings. Harry Reid even suggested that the intelligence services prepare "fake" briefings for him so that if he sells them to the Russians or whomever else, it doesn't endanger the country's security. Carl Bildt, the former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Sweden, a country Trump used to routinely-- and falsely-- claim as part of his ancestry, tweeted last week that he "never thought a serious candidate for US President could be a serious threat against the security of the ... more »
Tweet For Today
COMING MONDAY: Promises that Rio’s water would be clean before the opening of the Olympics didn’t come true. pic.twitter.com/a06KUx3zx8 — The Associated Press (@AP) July 31, 2016
Russia Celebrates Navy Day
*Sputnik*: *Russian Navy Day: 320 Years of Marine Glory (VIDEO)* Dozens of warships, submarines, aircraft, troops and amphibious vehicles were deployed in ports cities across Russia as the country marks its Navy Day on Sunday. The celebrations to commemorate Russian naval victories are traditionally held on the last Sunday of July, with parades of the Pacific, Northern, Baltic and Black Sea fleets as well as the Caspian Flotilla. The creation of the regular Russian Navy dates back to the reign of Peter the Great. During the Second Azov Campaign against Turkey in 1696, Russia used... more »
Picture Of The Day
*Saber Guardian* Soldiers commence a movement during exercise Saber Guardian 2016 at the Romanian Land Forces Combat Training Center in Cincu, Romania, July 29, 2016. The multinational military exercise involves about 2,800 military personnel from 10 nations. Army photo by Sgt. Tyler Meister
Tens Of Thousands Of Turks Rally In Support Of Turkish President Erdogan In GERMANY!!!
*Daily Mail:* *50,000 demonstrators march through the streets of Cologne to show support for Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan* * Waving the Turkish national flag, demonstrators held aloft pictures of Erdogan after a failed military coup earlier in July * Demonstration became the focus of increasingly strained ties between Germany and Turkey after a decision by Germany's top court on its eve prevented Erdogan from addressing the meeting via video-conference * Erdogan has said it is shameful that Western countries showed more interest in the fate of the plotters Around 50,000 demon... more »
To Label Tulsi Gabbard A "Progressive" Is To Eviscerate The Very Meaning Of The Word And Stand It On Its Head
*Tulsi loves Islamophobic genocidal Indian fascist Narendra Modi* I don't really know Tulsi Gabbard. When she was running for Congress in 2012 she called and asked for a Blue America endorsement. Her opponent was Mufi Hannemann, an especially contemptible conservative and a real nightmare for progressives. But Gabbard had some problems of her own. Her Republican family led the anti-gay crusade in Hawaii. Her father, a fount of homophobic psychosis is a state Senator who switched parties-- though not ideology-- so he could have more influence. I was worried about Tulsi but she sounde... more »
Turkey Issues Ultimatum To EU Over Visa-Free Travel
Refugees and migrants wait to be registered at the Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, November 5, 2015. © Alkis Konstantinidis / Reuters *DW*:* Turkey out of migrant deal if EU fails on visa-free travel: Cavusoglu* Turkey's foreign minister has warned of the consequences should the EU fail to deliver on visa-free travel. EU officials are wary of easing travel restrictions after the crackdown in the wake of the recent failed coup. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warned that Ankara would back out of an agreement to stem the flow of irregular migrants to the ... more »
RPG Review: Young Centurions
*Young Centurions *is an implementation of the *Fate Accelerated *RPG which I reviewed here a few weeks back. *Young Centurions *is a prequel to Evil Hat's first Fate RPG, *Spirit of the Century*. In both games the premise is on the first day of every century, at the stroke of midnight, are born a bunch of heroes, Centurions, who will embody some aspect of the spirit of the upcoming century. They aren't superheroes, but they are definitely a cut above your regular person. They make things happen, whether as inventors, psychics, explorers, crimefighters, etc. They are opposed by Sh... more »
The secret art of inviting happiness
The secret art of inviting happiness, The miraculous medicine for all diseases. At least for today: Do not be angry, Do not worry, Be grateful, Work with diligence, Be kind to people.
Armed Men Who Seized Armenian Police Station Surrender Ending 2 Week Stand-off
*The Independent:* *Armenia stand-off over as all 20 gunmen occupying police station surrender* The two-week stand-off left two police officers dead and several wounded on both sides The Armenian security service has said all 20 gunmen remaining inside a police compound in the capital have surrendered, ending a two-week standoff. A group of 31 men seized the building in Yerevan on 17 July, demanding the release of Jirair Sefilian, an opposition leader and former military commander, who was arrested in June. Sefilian has strongly criticised Armenia's President Serzh Sargsyan and... more »
Understanding KIPP Model Charter Schools: Part 3
Click to EnlargePart 1 and Part 2: Work Hard, Be Hard: Journeys Through "No Excuses" Teaching Chapter 3Neoliberalism Goes to Schoolby Scott Ellison *...just as modern mass production methods require the standardization of commodities, so the social process requires standardization of man, and this standardization is called ‘equality.’ *–Eric Fromm (Brookfield, 2004. p. 161) In popular debates over education policy, it has now become quite common to see terms such as neoliberalism and neoliberal education reform bandied about in political debates in order to describe thi... more »
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Sculpted by stellar winds and radiation, a magnificent interstellar dust cloud by chance has assumed this recognizable shape. Fittingly named the Horsehead Nebula, it is some 1,500 light-years distant, embedded in the vast Orion cloud complex. * Click image for larger size.* About five light-years "tall", the dark cloud is cataloged as Barnard 33 and is visible only because its obscuring dust is silhouetted against the glowing red emission nebula IC 434. Stars are forming within the dark cloud. Contrasting blue reflection nebula NGC 2023, surrounding a hot, young star, is at the lo... more »
"A Complete Substitute..."
"The Internet is so big, so powerful and pointless that for some people it is a complete substitute for life." ~ Andrew Brown Like this: http://secondlife.com/
"What Lies Beyond the Edge of the Observable Universe?"
*"What Lies Beyond the Edge of the Observable Universe?"* by Casey Kazan “The-big-bang-theory- few theories qualify for Nobel laureate Niels Bohr's famous question than the current Big Bang Theory of the origin of the Universe: "We are all agreed that your theory is crazy. The question that divides us is whether it is crazy enough to have a chance of being correct." *Click image for larger size.* There is a growing body of data and theory which question whether the Universe may have begun with a Big Bang 13.75 billion years ago. Several leading cosmologists, such as Sean Carroll of Ca... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Port-of-spain, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and TobagoThanks for stopping by!
Chet Raymo, “The Broken Web”
*“The Broken Web”* by Chet Raymo “Every fall, when a mysterious seasonal alarm clock tells them to go, the monarch butterflies of our New England meadows set off on one of the most remarkable migrations in the animal kingdom. They wing their way to a tiny patch of forest in the mountains of central Mexico that they have never visited before, where they are joined by millions of their cousins from all over eastern North America. They rest and feed and wait out the winter. Then, in the spring, they set out for northern meadows, breeding and dying along the way. There will be no Mexic... more »
"A Little Parenthesis In Eternity..."
"We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity." Paulo Coelho, "The Alchemist"
The Poet: Fernando Pessoa, “Since We Do Nothing”
*“Since We Do Nothing”* “Since we do nothing in this confused world That lasts or that, lasting, is of any worth, And even what’s useful for us we lose So soon, with our own lives, Let us prefer the pleasure of the moment To an absurd concern with the future, Whose only certainty is the harm we suffer now To pay for its prosperity. Tomorrow doesn’t exist. This moment Alone is mine, and I am only who Exists in this instant, which might be the last Of the self I pretend to be.” - Fernando Pessoa
"Oscar and His Donkey VS the Churchgoers"
*"Oscar and His Donkey VS the Churchgoers"* by CP In the 1940's my grandfather Oscar lived near a small town in central Louisiana bordering the Kisatchie National Forest. To call it "rural" would be kind, but it provided him all the fishing, hunting and other simple pleasures he enjoyed. He harvested vegetables from his own garden, smoked meat in his smokehouse, and had many dogs and other farm animal like goats, chickens, pigs and a few milk cows. One day Oscar was offered a donkey at a very cheap price, and bought him. That's when things got interesting for Oscar, and even more s... more »
The Economy: "Collapse Of the German Credit Market"
*"Collapse Of the German Credit Market as Berlin Suddenly Stopped Issuing New Debt.* * Earnings Down, US Economy in Worse Shape, 1.2% Growth and QE 4 is Coming"* by IWB "Top financial institutions in Europe have hardly been more vulnerable to an economic tremor, a situation worsened by the collapse of the German credit market as Berlin suddenly stopped issuing new debt. Europe’s top financial institutions are teetering on the edge of collapse as access to high quality debt products have created a liquidity freeze rendering many institutions near insolvent according to the European ... more »
"Trump, Hillary and the American Autumn"
*“Trump, Hillary and the American Autumn,” Introduction * by Brian Maher “We appear to be two separate and hostile peoples, living apart in two separate Americas...” So concludes that old political warhorse Pat Buchanan, after the Barnum & Bailey acts just concluded in Cleveland and Philadelphia. “Obama’s America is a country of all races, creeds, colors, lifestyles,” Pat continues, “a Kumbaya country to be made more wonderful still when Clinton takes the helm.” Then there’s Pat on Trump’s America: “Cry the beloved country. America has lost her way. She is in peril. A new captain i... more »
"Of Course..."
"To show mercy is not naïve. To hold out against the end of hope is not stupidity or madness. It is fundamentally human. Of course... we are all doomed; we are all poisoned from our birth by the rot of stars. That does not mean we should succumb to the seductive fallacy of despair, the dark tide that would drown us. You may think I'm stupid, you may call me a madman and a fool, but at least I stand upright in a fallen world." - Rick Yancey
Musical Interlude: Ludovico Einaudi, "Run"
Ludovico Einaudi, "Run" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-ca1ocriv0
"A Look to the Heavens"
“Sunlight ripples through a dark sky on this Swedish summer midnight as noctilucent or night shining clouds seem to imitate the river below. In fact, the seasonal clouds often appear at high latitudes in corresponding summer months. Also known as polar mesospheric clouds, they form as water vapor is driven into the cold upper atmosphere. *Click image for larger size.* Fine dust supplied by disintegrating meteors or volcanic ash provides sites where water vapor can condense, turning to ice at the cold temperatures in the mesosphere. Poised at the edge of space some 80 kilometers above... more »
Chet Raymo, “A Fear of Freedom?”
*“A Fear of Freedom?”* by Chet Raymo “It is almost a cliché to say that Western civilization was created by the Greeks. Our government, law, art, music, architecture, literature, drama, historiography, science, and mathematics are largely Greek inventions. The sublime refinement and sophistication of the Parthenon have been widely taken as reflecting qualities of the Athenians citizens who built the temple and adorned it with sculptures. No doubt something remarkable happened in the Greek world of the 6th to 3rd centuries B.C.E., with its epicenter first at Athens, then at Alexandr... more »
"A Real Church Sign"
"Yeah, we're doing ok, thanks for asking..." - CP
The Poet: Eugene O'Neill, "Free"
*"Free"* "Weary am I of the tumult, sick of the staring crowd, Pining for wild sea places where the soul may think aloud. Fled is the glamour of cities, dead as the ghost of a dream, While I pine anew for the tint of blue on the breast of the old Gulf Stream. I have had my dance with Folly, nor do I shirk the blame; I have sipped the so-called Wine of Life and paid the price of shame; But I know that I shall find surcease, the rest my spirit craves, Where the rainbows play in the flying spray, 'Mid the keen salt kiss of the waves. Then it's ho! for the plunging deck of a bark, the hoars... more »
Midday Musical Interlude: Vangelis, “Alpha”
Vangelis, “Alpha” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jG--3elufo
The Daily "Near You?"
Arvada, Colorado, USA. Thanks for stopping by!
History: “New Details Surface on Loss of WWII USS Indianapolis”
*“New Details Surface on Loss of WWII USS Indianapolis”* By GPD WASHINGTON – "A Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) historian recently uncovered information that sheds new light on a dark episode in U.S. Navy history: the loss of the WWII cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA 35), NHHC officials announced July 25. Saturday, July 30, marks the 71st anniversary of the sinking of the World War II Cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA 35). The plight of the crew after the loss of the ship was dramatically retold by actor Robert Shaw in the 1975 blockbuster motion picture "Jaws", and has since beco...more »
“Benjamin Franklin's 13 Virtues To Build Character”
*“Benjamin Franklin's 13 Virtues To Build Character”* by Scotty Hendricks “At the ripe old age of twenty, Benjamin Franklin set out to make himself morally perfect. Having studied the ancient philosophers and their ideas of the virtues required to be an ideal man, he created his own list of thirteen virtues. Like the virtue ethicists of the ancient past and more modern times, Franklin sought to develop his entire character rather than focus on the question of how to act in a certain situation. His hope being that with the perfection of his character, he would never again have to ask... more »
"Life Is Like A Deck chair..."
"Maybe I can put it another way. Life, Charlie Brown, is like a deck chair." "Like a what?" "Have you ever been on a cruise ship? Passengers open up these canvas deck chairs so they can sit in the sun. Some people place their chairs facing the rear of the ship so they can see where they've been. Other people face their chairs forward. They want to see where they're going! On the cruise ship of life, Charlie Brown, which way is your deck chair facing?" "I've never been able to get one unfolded..." - Charles M. Schulz
Psychology: "Why You Don't Know Your Own Mind"
*"Why You Don't Know Your Own Mind"* Alex Rosenberg "It is often said that we can never truly know the minds of others, because we can't "get inside their heads." Our ability to know our own minds, though, is rarely called into question. It is assumed that your experience of your own consciousness clinches the assertion that you "know your own mind" in a way that no one else can. This is a mistake. Ever since Plato, philosophers have, without much argument, shared common sense's confidence about the nature of its own thoughts. They have argued that we can secure certainty about at... more »
Huge Explosion Reported In Kabul. Compound Used By Foreigners Targeted In Attack
*RT:* *Massive truck bomb hits foreign hotel in Kabul, gunfight ongoing – reports* The Taliban claimed responsibility for a truck bomb attack on a foreign hotel in the Afghan capital of Kabul early on Monday. Several gunmen attacked the compound following a powerful explosion and engaged in a shootout with security forces. The blast occurred in the middle of the night, at around 1:30 am local time. The blast has been described on Twitter as being so loud that it woke up people “all over the city.” A “truck bomb” struck “a foreign guesthouse,” reported Lotfullah Najafizada, head... more »
Iran And Russia Discuss ways To Broaden Their Military Ties
© Photo: Russian Defense Ministry *Sputnik*: *Russia, Iran Discuss Possibilities to Broaden Military Cooperation* *Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and commander of the Iranian forces taking part in the 2016 International Army Games Brigadier General Vali Madani discussed ways to expand military cooperation between the two countries, Iranian media reported Sunday.* MOSCOW (Sputnik) – "Iran and Russia have the needed capacities to broaden their mutual cooperation in the defense field," Madani said as quoted by the Fars news agency The meeting was held after the opening cerem... more »
Will Third-Parties Upset The U.S. Election?
*The Hill: **Third-party support surging* Voters now confronted with the choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are making something abundantly clear: they want another option. Surveys over the last six weeks have found a steady but noticeable jump in support for third-party candidates. The biggest beneficiary has been Libertarian Gary Johnson, who has shot up from 4.5 percent to 7.2 percent in RealClearPolitics polling averages. Green Party candidate Jill Stein has also seen an uptick since June — from 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent. The surge in support for a third-party ca... more »
China Asks The Question: 'Who Would Suffer More In A U.S. - China War?'
*Global Times: **US would suffer more in war with China* *A report released by the Rand Corporation Friday illuminates four hypothetical scenarios for a US-China war. * According to the report, across a time frame from 2015 to 2025, as Chinese military capabilities improve, the US can no longer be certain a war would develop as it expects, nor can it achieve a decisive victory once a war breaks out with China. The closer to 2025, the more difficulties the US will have in defeating China, but yet it does not mean China is bound to succeed. The report holds that no matter what type... more »
Russia Scholar Stephen Cohen Shuts Down CNN Host Who Tries To Link Trump To Putin
*WNU Editor: *Could not have said it any better. On a personal note .... I have met Stephen Cohen on a few occasions in Moscow, and we usually disagree .... but if there is one thing that I learned about him is that he is a formidable debate opponent .... and you better know your facts when you face him. This CNN host was clearly not prepared.
Milton Friedman: Great advocate, bad economist
Today is the birthday of the late Nobel Pize-winning economist Milton Friedman. Born in the same year as Ludwig Von Mises’s great analysis of monies both hard and soft,The Theory of Money and Credit, Friedman would have been 104. And while he’s best known as a free-market economist, he was a much better public advocate of markets than he was an economist. As that articulate public advocate, he was immense. This is the person people call Uncle Milt. Many a person was swayed to freer markets by Milton’s articulate arguments – and even one president was sufficiently swayed by his ...more »
Bowie + Reed: Two shows, two nights, on two sides of the Atlantic
The weekend saw two international live-streamed musical events celebrating the work of two musicians very recently passed away, on whose music and careers each had a huge impact. In Britain, the Royal Albert Hall hosted Bowie Proms, as part of the regular Summer Proms season, bringing the rock god firmly into the establishment. Overly-respectful string arrangements of Bowie hits were performed by luminaries great, small and sometimes totally tuneless. So reverential were proceedings you longed for the intrusion of the laughing gnome himself to laugh uproariously at the going... more »
Why You Should Vote
(By *American Zen*'s @mikeflannigan59, on loan from Ari) Q: *Talk about the role of the opposition party, the Democrats.* Vidal: *It isn’t an opposition party. I have been saying for the last thousand years that the United States has only one party—the property party. It’s the party of big corporations, the party of money. It has two right wings; one is Democrat and the other is Republican. *Gore Vidal, Aug 2006 *W*.E.B. DuBois, the leading African American activist and reformer of his generation, was born at a crucial crossroads in history: Technically a contemporary of abolitio... more »
Energy 75, the PH solar confederation, electric coops and Meralco
From the DOE website, some group photos showing some of the major players in the PH energy sector. Below, one solar group, the Confederation of Solar Developers of the PH, Inc. (CSDP). *From left: DOE Chief-of-Staff Jesus Cristino Posadas, Engr. Arwin Ardon, Ret. Admiral Reuben Lista, Central Tarlac Biopower Inc. President Don Mario Dia, Equis Manager Craig Marsh, NV-VOGT Phils. President Vivek Chaudhri, North Negros BioPower, Inc. President Arthur N. Aguilar, Reynaldo Casas CSDP President, Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. Senior Vice President Juan Antonio Bernad, Carlos Aboitiz of Ab... more »
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