Climate Commentary - GHGs
11:14 pm MST
11:14 pm MST
Christmas In Moscow (Picture Of The Day)
Tverskaya Street decorated for the New Year. © Sputnik/ Alexander Vilf New Year decorations on Red Square in Moscow. © Sputnik/ Evgeny Biyatov *WNU Editor:* The photo gallery is here .... *Most Magical Night of the Year: Moscow Getting Ready for New Year Celebrations* (Sputnik).
Musical Interlude: Afshin, “Prayer of Change”
Afshin, “Prayer of Change” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75SGQ65QhaU Onward, into the new day...
Russian President Putin Talks About The 1917 Revolution
© Sputnik/ Alexey Filippov *Sputnik*: *Necessary to Work Toward Reconciliation When Recalling 1917 Revolution - Putin* Ahead of the centennial of the 1917 revolutionary events in Russia it is important to move toward reconciliation rather than enlarging the gap in society when recalling the revolution, President Vladimir Putin said Friday. MOSCOW (Sputnik) – In 1917, Russia witnessed two revolutions, in February and in October. By the end of the year the imperial rule in the state was over and the first Soviet government was established. "In the conditions when we now recall the ... more »
2017: A Year of Transition and Trouble
*December 24, 2016* (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - Predictions aside, there are obvious trends, plots, and paradigm shifts that will continue onward into the new year, that geopolitical observers should be distinctively aware of. *1. The War in Syria is Not Over * The United States conspired as early as 2007 to overthrow the government of Syria through the use of armed militants - particularly those aligned to Al Qaeda and who enjoy state sponsorship from America's Persian Gulf allies. The goal of eliminating the Syrian government was not an isolated objective, but rather fits into a mu... more »
A hopeful holiday musical greeting from G. F. Handel -- and another from L. van Beethoven
*HANDEL: Messiah: No. 2, Accompagnato, "Comfort ye"* Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. -- *Isaiah* 40:1-3 *by Ken* Last night ( For Christmas Eve, we hark unto the openings of Berlioz's *Childhood of Christ* and Handel's *Messiah*") I took a stab at explaining how it came that, given this year's unusual three-day Chris... more »
"A Look to the Christmas Heavens"
“Clouds of glowing hydrogen gas fill this colorful skyscape in the faint but fanciful constellation Monoceros, the Unicorn. A star forming region cataloged as NGC 2264, the complex jumble of cosmic gas and dust is about 2,700 light-years distant and mixes reddish emission nebulae excited by energetic light from newborn stars with dark interstellar dust clouds. Where the otherwise obscuring dust clouds lie close to the hot, young stars they also reflect starlight, forming blue reflection nebulae. *Click image for larger size.* The tall, telescopic mosaic image stands up about 3/4 degr... more »
Remembering The Fall Of The Soviet Union 25 Years Ago
*WNU Editor*: 25 years .... wow .... how time flies. When I think of how life was in the Soviet Union .... and now .... what life is like today. Sighhh .... I am just shaking my head .... the memories are too many. That is why if given a choice .... I would rather live in the new Russia of today in a heart-beat .... warts and all .... because it is infinitely far better than what it was then. As to those Russians who long for those days .... I know only too well who these people are ....they are those who miss the days when they had privilege and power .... and cannot understand w... more »
A Look At Russian, U.S., And Islamic State/Al Qaeda Styles Of Urban Warfare
A general view shows a damaged street with sandbags used as barriers in Aleppo's Saif al-Dawla district, Syria March 6, 2015. REUTERS/Hosam Katan/File Photo *David Kilcullen, The Australian*: *Terror, Aleppo and Mosul: three styles of urban warfare* As Aleppo’s ordeal ends, Americans and their allies are in their own urban fight around Mosul. These twin battles illustrate how the world’s militaries have been forced to relearn combat in cities. Three distinct styles — we might loosely call them the Russian, “caliphate” and American schools of urban warfare — are having a direct imp... more »
US Forces Have Been Embed Deeper With Iraqi Forces To Retake Mosul
*ABC News Online:* *Mosul: US embeds more extensively to help Iraqis retake northern city from Islamic State* US forces assisting Iraqi troops in the battle lo retake Mosul from Islamic State (IS) are embedding more extensively, a senior commander has confirmed, in a move that could accelerate a two-month-old campaign which has slackened after quick initial advances. More than 5,000 American service members are currently deployed in Iraq as part of an international coalition advising local forces. In October, Defence Minister Marise Payne confirmed that Australia had about 80 per... more »
Russian Plane, Headed For Syria, Carrying Iconic Entertainers, Crashes. No Survivors
Planes crash. I realize that. Sometimes, some plane crashes are very, very suspicious. *This crash is one of those suspicious ones. *When I first saw the news this morning three initial thoughts crossed my mind- *Timing. Timing. Timing * *And after taking the time to read- more impressions began to form-* *1st the Timing?* * -Aleppo's liberation. * *- Ambassador Assassinated. * *- Deal with Turkey and Iran* *- And finally Christmas* *2-Plane heading to Syria* *3- Cultural Icon * *This famed group was apparently a cultural icon- A big part of the Russian narrative* *So the demise ... more »
Isaac Newton: Money Must Have Fixed Quantity of Precious Metal
In Isabel Paterson’s classic book *The God Of The Machine*, there is an informative discussion on the nature of sound money in the chapter, “Why Real Money Is Indispensable.” Paterson says that the economists who advocate fiat money (paper currency not redeemable in gold) are below the mental level of savages. She shows that the economic prosperity of a nation directly linked to the soundness of its currency. When money gets debased, economic activity comes to a standstill. She says that “the material used for money must be durable, divisible, incorruptible, portable, not easily im... more »
George Michael, Protest Singer-- RIP
SONY Records— they were still called CBS at the time— had just bought my independent label, 415 Records and I was over in England hanging out with the Clash, Generation X, the Boomtown Rats and Wire and scouting for bands I could sign to 415 now that we would have CBS’ marketing muscle behind us. I met a young unknown singer from a small indie label, Innervision, George Michael and he played me a tape of a kind of protest song called Wham Rap. It was a little slick for 415 but… 415 could change. One thing I knew instantaneously— it was a hit. Another thing I knew: this kid was goi... more »
Samantha Power’s Syria Problem?
*It's WSJ, okay? Read between the lines and leave some comments* *I couldn't pass on this prime example of perception management via the msm * As Aleppo falls, the* anti-genocide activist* (??) turned U.N. ambassador argues that Syria differs from past crises in which the U.S. intervened When Samantha Power’s 7-year-old son recently asked her, “Why are all the kids in Syria always painted white or gray?” the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations recalls wishing that she had a better answer. Her son, who had* often heard his mother talking about the country’s agonizing civil war,(??)... more »
A Look At 5 Major Historical Military Events That Occurred On Christmas Day
Leutze's depiction of Washington's attack on the Hessians at Trenton. Wikipedia *Business Insider*: *5 momentous military events that took place on Christmas Day* Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays on earth. But that doesn't mean that conflicts simply freeze every December 25th. Here's a look at some of the major military events that have fallen on Christmas, a date with a surprisingly rich history. *Read more* .... more »
Merry Christmas
From our home to yours. Happy Holidays.
Afghanistan's First Female Pilot Is Requests Asylum In The U.S.
*Daily Mail:* *'I'm scared for my life': First Afghan female pilot in the country's military since fall of the Taliban who defied death threats to take to the skies seeks asylum in the US* * Capt. Niloofar Rahmani, 25, is the first female pilot in the Afghani military since the fall of the Taliban in 2001 * She and her family have been forced to move several times after receiving death threats from the Taliban * Rahmani was awarded the US Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award in 2015 * She traveled to the US last summer for training with the US Air Force in Arkn... more »
Our conception of God isn't big enough
By Kevin Barrett, Veterans Today Editor According to Aldous Huxley, the brain’s main function is not to create consciousness, but to reduce it. That would explain why primates with very big brains start wars, excrete in drinking water, vote for major party candidates in national elections, and otherwise exhibit a level of consciousness far below that of your average self-respecting rock. Here is the Huxley quote in full: To make biological survival possible, Mind at Large has to be funnelled through the reducing valve of the brain and nervous system. Huxley’s point, a good one, is ... more »
Native American firefighters fighting wildfires across the country
Firefighting crews from several Native American tribes have been battling the deadly wildfires in Sevier County. “We had a lot of Native American crews — Navajo, Apache, and others — on this fire,” said Warren Bielenberg, a spokesman at the wildfire command center. "This is because this fire hit when most of the fire crews across the country had shut down for the end of fire season. The Native American crews were the only ones still active.” Bielenberg said among the crews in Sevier County are the Navajo Scout Type 2 Initial Attack Crew, Mescalero Apache, Fort Apache No. 1, Hopi 1,... more »
Singer George Michael Is Dead At 53
*Daily Mail*: *BREAKING NEWS: George Michael dies peacefully at his home in Oxfordshire on Christmas Day, aged 53 * * Wham! singer, 53, died at his home in Goring, Oxfordshire this afternoon, his publicist announced * Popstar Michael had previously fallen ill with pneumonia in 2011 and had battled substance abuse * However, the medical circumstances around artist's death are yet to be released at this point * Elton John has led the tributes to the star on social media and called him the 'kindest, most generous soul' George Michael has died at his home in Oxfordshire. The musician... more »
Peace on Earth
Clearing my spam this morning, my moderator sent me this choice morsel to enjoy, posted as a comment by a regular troll. Contemplate that the author of this screed took time out on Christmas Day to sit down and pen this very special, thoughtful and caring message... *May you contact Aids , Ebola and a massive dose of Anal Rot , in the New Year , Faggwell You truly are a Vile little Rat that needs to see the inside of an Oven We ALL know you are an INSANE JEW LOVING WAR MONGER that Hates the White Race Merry Christmas from TRUMP and the Deplorable's [sic]* Nice. . [image: Post... more »
Christmas 1914: When Rank and File Imposed Truce During Imperialist War by Henry Hagins
Dandelion Salad by Henry Hagins Workers World, Dec. 16, 2014 Originally published Dec. 24, 2015 December 25, 2016 The “Christmas Truce of 1914” was a short-lived, unofficial lull in combat between two antagonistic rival forces, determined to exercise military, political and economic supremacy over each other in Europe and in the colonized world, to which […]
Will The Democrats Give The GOP Any Payback For Merrick Garland? Meet Joe Donnelly
I’ve never been very enthusiastic about Obama’s final Supreme Court pick, Merrick Garland, but he was the president and he’s the one who gets to pick Supreme Court nominees, not me. And not the opposition party. But the opposition party figured out how to do it— and it looks like they’ll get away with it— basically because Chuck Schumer shoved unelectable Senate candidates down Democratic voters’ throats, particularly Patrick Murphy (FL), Katie McGinty (PA), Ted Strickland (OH), Patty Judge (IA) and Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ). Despite polling showing that Joe Sestak would have won the P... more »
Ziofascist Rogue CIA Cabal Murders Entire Russian Choir on Christmas Day
*Red Army Choir Sings Silent Night* Can you just imagine the planning session for the terror bombing of the Russian Choir on Christmas Day? Picture a slimy, dark cavern or bunker deep under the Virginia hills. A group of fat, greasy men are sitting around a table, drinking scotch from the bottle...oblivious of the heavy stench of Sulphur hanging in the air. One of them chortles: "I know! We'll bomb the plane carrying the choir to sing in Syria on Christmas Day! That will show them!" He brushes the hair back from his flat, slanted forehead, showing two small horns protruding o... more »
Progress towards next-generation solar cells
Scientists have identified an unexpected cause of poor performance in a new class of flexible and cheap solar cells, bringing them closer to market. Solar cells are the building blocks of photovoltaic solar panels. They are made from light-absorbing materials that convert sunlight into electricity. Normally the light-absorbing material is silicon, which has an energy-intensive manufacturing process. In the new study, scientists looked at solar cells made from materials known as perovskites. These can be produced cheaply from chemicals mixed into printable or sprayable ink, which the... more »
Oskar Linke - Update
The thing about the Internet is that it allows you to communicate with people all over the country and all over the world which helps us get at the truth. For example, J. Allen Hynek said the Oskar Linke UFO landing story was in the Project Blue Book files, so I looked for it. Hynek dated the case as July 9, 1952, but other sources said the sighting was June 17, 1950. I searched the Blue Book index around those dates. July 1952 was a period of intense activity and while, at other times in other years, the index might feature all the sightings received during two or three months on ... more »
Russia should begin production of the 3M22 hypersonic missile in 2017
In March 2016, the Russian Defense Industry began tests of the new Tsirkon 3M22 hypersonic missile, which is designed to be carried by advanced and modernized warships and submarines. Production of the missile is expected to be launched in 2017. The Admiral Nakhimov and the Pyotr Veliky nuclear-powered missile cruisers will be the first to receive the new weapons. On October 25, Russia successfully tested a hypersonic warhead for advanced intercontinental missiles. The hypersonic vehicle (known under the development codename Izdelie 4202) was launched from a range in the Orenburg R... more »
Imperial College of London makes world's most heat resistant material at 4232 kelvin
Researchers have discovered that tantalum carbide and hafnium carbide materials can withstand scorching temperatures of nearly 4000 degrees Celsius. Being able to withstand temperatures of nearly 4000°C could pave the way for both materials to be used in ever more extreme environments, such as in heat resistant shielding for the next generation of hypersonic space vehicles. Tantalum carbide (TaC) and hafnium carbide (HfC) are refractory ceramics, meaning they are extraordinarily resistant to heat. Their ability to withstand extremely harsh environments means that refractory ceramic... more »
Ebola vaccine provides high protection against disease
An experimental Ebola vaccine was highly protective against the deadly virus in a major trial in Guinea, according to results published in The Lancet. The vaccine is the first to prevent infection from one of the most lethal known pathogens, and the findings add weight to early trial results published last year. The vaccine, called rVSV-ZEBOV, was studied in a trial involving 11,841 people in Guinea during 2015. Among the 5,837 people who received the vaccine, no Ebola cases were recorded 10 days or more after vaccination. In comparison, there were 23 cases 10 days or more after va... more »
Colorado Animal Shelter Celebrates When All Its Dogs Adopted in Time for Christmas
*“What happens when your last available dog gets adopted? Volunteers jump into the kennels to celebrate!”* One Colorado animal shelter has a lot to celebrate this Christmas. All of the dogs at the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, a nonprofit animal shelter in Colorado Springs, have been adopted thanks to the shelter's "Bring Them Home for the Holidays" campaign. The shelter waived pet adoption fees for those wanting to take home a furry friend before the holidays. A video of the staffers cheering the shelter's empty cages quickly went viral on Facebook with more than 150... more »
First true brain to brain communication could start in 2017 because of recent huge advances
The first true brain-to-brain communication in people could start next year, thanks to huge recent advances. Early attempts won’t quite resemble telepathy as we often imagine it. Our brains work in unique ways, and the way each of us thinks about a concept is influenced by our experiences and memories. This results in different patterns of brain activity, but if neuroscientists can learn one individual’s patterns, they may be able to trigger certain thoughts in that person’s brain. In theory, they could then use someone else’s brain activity to trigger these thoughts. Researchers h... more »
Bruce Cockburn: Night Train (music video)
Dandelion Salad April 21, 2006 From: chauncygard Maoist Internationalist Movement pres… Source Lyrics: Not a knife throw from here you can hear the night train passing That’s the sound somebody makes when they’re getting away Leaving next week’s hanging jury far behind them Prisoner only of the choices they’ve made Night train Ice cube in […]
Merry Christmas to all!
Dandelion Salad Merry Christmas to all! Glory to God in His Highest, Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men from the archives: Rev. Chris Hedges: Christmas, Charity, Anti-Empire and the Revolutionary Jesus + Transcript Christmas In Hell by Rocket Kirchner The Jewish Roots of Christianity Christmas Dawn: The Shepherds Glorified God For All They Had Seen In case […]
Tragic death of the Alexandrov choir is a big loss for Russian culture
Way too many well-known people died in recent days. Physicist Sidney Drell. Astronauts John Glenn and Piers Sellers. Czech actress Luba Skořepová was another. Vesna Vulović, a Serbian flight attendant, died on the same day, December 23rd. She's been a remarkable entry in the Guinness book of records. In 1972, a Yugoslav aircraft exploded 10 kilometers above a Czechoslovak village miles from East Germany – village that is paradoxically called Sorbian Chemnitz [Stoneville] (Sorbs were the "other", now mostly assimilated, Slavs who have lived in East Germany – in the Czech language, w... more »
As US Berates Russia For Political Meddling, It Openly Meddles in China
*December 26, 2016 *(Joseph Thomas - NEO) - Despite a concerted backlash against what US political leaders and policymakers claim is Russian interference in America's internal politics, the US continues to openly interfere in the internal politics of other nations worldwide, including most recently, China. *Berating Russia Over Alleged Hacks * In an effort to redirect attention and blame for America's unravelling political fabric, the US political establishment and its media has spent an inordinate amount of time blaming Russia for allegedly "hacking US elections" by infiltrating... more »
Turkish President Erdogan Seeks President-Elect Trump's Support In The War Against The Islamic State
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (L) and his US counterpart-to-be Donald Trump. Daily Sabah *Bloomberg:* *Turkey Moves Arms to Syria Border, Seeks Trump’s Backing in War* * President vows to move toward Manbij after al-Bab in Syria * Erdogan urges U.S. to cooperate with Turkey instead of Kurds Turkey’s military deployed tanks and guns on the Syrian border as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged joint action with the Trump administration against Islamic State in its de facto capital, Raqqa. The deployment, including long-range guns and armored personnel carriers, followed Erdogan’s r... more »
Noah's Christmas card to FOX "News"
*by Noah* I woke up this morning and, filled with Christmas spirit, thought it would be very generous of me to send a Christmas card to someone or some entity that I despise and hold in 100% contempt. How better to combat evil in the world than to make a kind gesture? Democrats do this with republicans all the time, and it works so well, doesn’t it? So, here it is: my Christmas card to FOX "News," because it will both enrage them and confuse their tiny little short-circuited minds. You see, on the one hand, sending the paragon of Goebbels-style “news” a Christmas card is a way t... more »
Mexico: UFOs Reported Over the Mérida-Tixkokob Highway
*Source: PLANETA UFO and SIPSEDate: 12.22.2016An article by Jorge Moreno for SIPSEhttp://sipse.com/milenio/avistamientos-fenomeno-ovni-carretera-merida-tixkokob-235553.html* *Mexico: UFOs Reported Over the Mérida-Tixkokob Highway* MERIDA, Yucatan - With two new UFO sighting reports along the Mérida-Tixkokob Highway, this stretch of road is becoming known due to sightings of this sort. Localities such as Ticul and the Muna and Homún roads are also UFO hotspots. Reports came from employees working on the construction of a highway exit toward Tixkokob: "We were heading home in la... more »
André Rieu, "Jingle Bells"
André Rieu, "Jingle Bells" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqDigoGBsko
The Holiday Moves Forward
Seasonal Snapshots: The LL Tree with presents this morning My youngest daughter, Emilie on Christmas morning, wearing a very progressive unicorn onesie (right). It's the perfect gift for a rabid Trump supporter...
MSNBC it wasn't 'fake news' that lost Hillary Clinton the US Presidential Election
https://youtu.be/-AeQ_PgVG3o And note that revelation near the end. The USA really dodged a bullet not having Hillary 'control freak' Clinton as President.
Mosul Campaign Day 69, Dec 24, 2016
There was some movement on the eastern and western fronts. The Iraqi forces (ISF) freed two towns in the east, while the Hashd liberated a village in the west. The Ghazlani base in southern Mosul continued to be shelled as well. Some Iraqi papers claimed this showed that the Mosul campaign was back in action, but as of now this appeared to be more like minor clearing operations. Otherwise, the Golden Division was removing IEDs from the Zuhur neighborhood in east Mosul, and the Hashd was still working on securing the roadsaround Tal Afar. Members of Kataib Hezbollah and the Imam Ali... more »
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Blasts U.S. President Obama Over UN Vote
*CBS: **Netanyahu blasts U.S., says "friends don't take friends to the Security Council"* Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lambasted the Obama administration on Sunday for the U.S. decision to abstain from the United Nations Security Council vote on a resolution that demanded an end to Israeli settlement construction. “Over decades, American administrations and Israeli governments have disagreed about settlements, but we agreed that the Security Council was not the place to resolve this issue,” Netanyahu said in English at his weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem. Netany... more »
Holiday Physics Card, 2016
Just put them in the mail on December 24... It was a fun year of thinking, whether the idea is right or wrong. Since the core idea fits on a Christmas card, it is worth continuing to think about in the new year. Peace to all, and to all a good night.
Drug War Fail: Govt’s Own Study Shows Fatal Overdoses Have Doubled Over 15 Years
[image: drug]Even the government's own studies are now proving that the immoral and violent war on drugs is an utter failure only serving to grow the police state.
102 Years Ago Today, WWI Soldiers Called a Christmas Truce and Refused to Fight — Here’s Why it Failed
[image: truce]The famous Christmas truce in 1914 during World War I has been so gilded over time, the fact the men began killing when it ended is frequently ignored.
Extra Bonus Song for the Holidays
Thinking of my son Julian today. He was born just days after John Lennon was killed in 1980. We named Julian Gagnon after John's son Julian. Julian lives in Taiwan now.... MB and I will be going there just after the first of the year to attend his wedding to a wonderful woman named Emily. Paul McCartney wrote this song for Julian Lennon after his parents were divorced. It's a beautiful tune that always makes me cry. Happy holidays to all of you! Bruce
Russian Military Plane With 92 On Board Crashes In The Black Sea En Route To Syria
*Daily Mail*:* Singer escapes death on doomed Russian military plane after being turned away at the gate because his passport had EXPIRED but young couple and famed choir among 92 others who perish after jet crashes into Black Sea * * The Tu-154 model plane went missing just minutes after it took off from Sochi * Plane carrying 92 people was travelling to Russia's Hmeimim airbase in Syria * 64 members of the Alexandrov Ensemble, the army's official musical group, and its conductor Valery Khalilov were on board the plane travelling to Syria * The famous military band was on its way... more »
Untitled
*Mark Ingram, Jairus Byrd star in Saints' redemption win ~Mile Triplett, ESPN*
Pakistan Defense Minister Tweets Nuclear Threat To Israel In Response To A Fake News Story
Israeli def min threatens nuclear retaliation presuming pak role in Syria against Daesh.Israel forgets Pakistan is a Nuclear state too AH — Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) December 23, 2016 *Times Of Israel*: *Pakistan makes nuclear threat to Israel, in response to fake news* Defense minister in Islamabad reacts to false news item featuring non-existent quote by ex-Israeli defense chief Ya’alon Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif tweeted a veiled nuclear threat at Israel, apparently after taking affront at a fake news article where Israel purportedly warned Islamaba... more »
Tweet For Today
These are 6 of the worst places American troops fought during Christmas https://t.co/0iOXWYdf8i — Close Danger (@CloseDanger) December 25, 2016
Merry Christmas Everyone
People gather by a Christmas tree near damaged buildings during Christmas eve in al-Hamidiyah neighborhood in the old city of Homs, Syria. © REUTERS/ Omar Sanadiki *WNU Editor*: This is my favorite time of year. The music. The food. The excitement in the air. Being with family and friends. Merry Christmas everyone.
WATCH: Hero Cop Tells the Truth, Holding Police Accountable is Not Anti-Cop, It’s “Anti BullS**t”
[image: police]Whistle-blowing cop Dominick Izzo has come forward again to set the record straight — holding police accountable isn't "anti-cop, it's anti-bulls**t."
"May You One Day Find..."
"May you one day find the place where your dreams and reality collide." - R.S. Novelle
Meet The Black Man Who Made Hundreds Of Racists Quit The KKK By Befriending Them
[image: black-man-kkk]A remarkable man, who happens to be black, has figured out a way to conquer racism in the KKK through the simple act of spreading love.
DHS Wrongfully Takes Daughter from Mother, Places Her in Custody of Alleged Sex Abuser
[image: child]An innocent mother is living a nightmare after DHS took her child from her and placed her in the custody of an alleged child molester.
The North Carolina GOP/KKK Never Got Over Obama's Win In 2008 In Their State
North Carolina is pretty evenly divided between supporters of a progressive vision of governance and supporters of a conservative or reactionary vision. Trump won the state last month— 2,362,631 (49.8%) to 2,189,316 (46.2%). Hillary won all 7 of the state’s biggest counties— Wake, Mecklenburg, Guildford, Forsyth, Durham, Buncombe and Cumberland. Trump won all but one of the state’s 20 smallest, backward, rural counties. But on the same day Trump won, divisive Republican governor Pat McCrory was beaten by Democrat Roy Cooper 2,281,155 (49.0%) to 2,276,383 (48.9%). Democrat Josh St... more »
Organic Christmas Food Arrives for Standing Rock Water Protectors
*Winter Solstice at Standing Rock was warmed by the generous donation of hundreds of pounds of organic food for all the Water Protectors, delivered from Organic Valley, in La Farge, Wisconsin.* What began as a spirit camp of prayer in April 2016 with some 50 people, who opposed the Dakota Access pipeline coming onto ancestral Sioux territory, has turned into the largest gathering of American Indians in over a century. It is difficult to have an official count, but literally thousands of American Indians have come to Standing Rock during the past several months in the effort to sh... more »
Untitled
*'Minneapolis School Embraces Family-Style Dining'* "What if school lunchtime was more than just a wait in line and a race to find a seat and eat, but instead was more like a traditional family meal – a time when friends gather to enjoy their food, engage in meaningful conversation, build relationships and gain important life skills?" That's the question posed by the principal of a Minneapolis public elementary school in a blog posted Tuesday on the Agriculture Department website. The principal explains that her school decided to abandon the typical chaotic and impersonal lunchro... more »
A not so Merry Christmas?
As many of us gather with family and share conversation, memories, good food and presents I hope that I, my handful of readers, and any others that have been taking notice can, however briefly, ignore the ever increasing turmoil across the world. More than 6 years ago I started this blog to speak out against what I saw as an increasingly authoritative and power hungry government lead by one Stephen Harper and was therefore greatly relieved when he was tossed from power last year. Whilst our new government is far from perfect let us not forget how close we came to loosing so many of ... more »
Untitled
*Coral adaptability again* *Easily able to cope with a bit of warming* Gene expression plasticity as a mechanism of coral adaptation to a variable environment Carly D. Kenkel & Mikhail V. Matz Abstract Local adaptation is ubiquitous, but the molecular mechanisms that give rise to this ecological phenomenon remain largely unknown. A year-long reciprocal transplant of mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) between a highly environmentally variable inshore habitat and a more stable offshore habitat demonstrated that populations exhibit phenotypic signatures that are consistent wi... more »
Celebrations: A Comparative Analysis
Last year, Ravi launched his important Fair Celebrations campaign. Yours truly chimed in last Christmas with an exposure of Cadbury's Heroes. This year, there's none of that sugared down Kraft Foods muck as Santa has brought us *two* tins of Celebrations. Never one to miss an opportunity to advance the frontiers of human knowledge, here's the break down of each of the two tins. My, there isn't much variation between the two tins, but there is still plenty of inequality. We're not talking Britain-since-1979 levels of injustice here, but a noticeable shortchanging guaranteed to upse... more »
Happy Xmas
Happy Xmas to everybody! And all thanks to all of you who read and comment. It makes the whole thing all worthwhile. Paul
Mikhail Gorbachev’s Resignation Speech
Twenty-five years ago, on December 26, 1991, Mikhail Gorbachev, the last President of the Soviet Union, resigned and declared his office extinct. Gorbachev was forced to resign because four days earlier 11 of the former Soviet republics had established the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), effectively throwing the Soviet Union into the garbage dump of history. In his resignation speech, Gorbachev accepts that in the Soviet Union people were doomed to cater to a totalitarian ideology. He says that the communist regime had caused unimaginable devastation, and he sees the rej... more »
Donald Trump vows to shut controversial Trump Foundation per BBC News
It's all about the narrative for the BBC. This report http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38429496 is entitled: 'Donald Trump vows to shut controversial Trump Foundation' Oddly I can't remember the BBC ever describing the Clinton Foundation as controversial. But then the BBC supported Hillary Clinton and oppose Donald Trump, which is an odd fact about a supposedly impartial news reporting organisation.
Michael Brenner’s: “How Autocracy Will Come To America”
Another great piece about the rise of American authoritarianism that I’ve read recently is “How Autocracy Will Come To America” by Michael J. Brenner. Brenner is a Senior Fellow, the Center for Transatlantic Relations, and Professor of International Affairs at University of Pittsburgh. Brennan argues that anti-democratic sentiments are clearly leading the way toward fascism. He begins like this: http://ieet.org/archive/capitol-32309_960_720.png
Thoughts on Christmas
*Merry Christmas* There are so many voices out there that are arguing against today and I ask myself why anyone no matter who they are, could deny the need for hope, salvation, redemption, charity and joy. It's a time of expression of love, giving and a yearning for peace and good will. It's a celebration of that spark of divinity that exists in all of us and of our innate desire to make that spark grow. I read an article written by a Christian who expressed concern at cultural appropriation of Christmas. I have no idea which rock that person crawled out from under, but it's just p... more »
New 'Ring of Steel' planned for London Square Mile per BBC News
This BBC report http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-38418877 that the City of London is going to have to beef up its security includes this sentence: 'The advice comes in the wake of the Berlin Christmas market terror attack on Monday in which Tunisian Anis Amri, drove a lorry at shoppers, killing 12 and injuring 49 people.' So is the threat from Tunisians? I thought it was from Muslim terrorists in general. Merry Christmas from the religion of peace?
Bill Nye, The Science Guy shouldn't believe everything he reads about the Common Core.
*Stephen Krashen* *http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=6623§ion=Article* *On Big Think, Bill Nye (The Science Guy) advises us to *"use your critical thinking skills. Evaluate evidence. Don't believe everything you read or see" (December 20, 2016). Mr. Nye is a good example of doing exactly that, reading and evaluating evidence carefully from all sides of an issue. Except in one major case: The Common Core. Mr. Nye is an enthusiastic supporter of the Common Core standards, because, he says, there are some basic principles everybody needs to know. On Big Think in Se... more »
United Nations: 5,000 Migrants Drowned In 2016 Trying To Reach Europe
*Reuters:* *Mediterranean death toll is record 5,000 migrants this year: agencies* A record 5,000 migrants are believed to have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea this year, following two shipwrecks on Thursday in which some 100 people, mainly West Africans, were feared dead, aid agencies said on Friday. Two overcrowded inflatable dinghies capsized in the Strait of Sicily after leaving Libya for Italy, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said. "Those two incidents together appear to be the numbers that would bring this year's total u... more »
Is Kissinger The Right Person To Broker A Deal Between Russia And The West?
Vladimir Putin and former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. © ITAR-TASS/Alexandra Mudrats *Politico: **Kissinger, a longtime Putin confidant, sidles up to Trump* America's pre-eminent ex-diplomat gets back in the mix. Could he help broker a deal with Russia? Back in the 1990s, Henry Kissinger, the legendary former U.S. secretary of state-turned-global consultant, encountered an intriguing young Russian and proceeded to ask him a litany of questions about his background. “I worked in intelligence,” Vladimir Putin finally told him, according to “First Person,” a 2000 autobiogra... more »
For Christmas Eve, we hark unto the openings of Berlioz's "Childhood of Christ" and Handel's "Messiah"
*In the Sunday Classics era, Christmastime provided a bountiful musical opportunity. Since 2016 brings us a "three-day Christmas" -- Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Christmas holiday celebrated -- I thought I would dip back to 2011, when Sunday Classics had a three-day sequence that began with the openings of Berlioz's oratorio L'Enfance du Christ (The Childhood of Christ) and Handel's eternal Messiah, then zoomed in on that opening tenor solo of Messiah, and finally expanded to encompass the whole of Part I, the only one of Messiah's three parts that is in fact Christmas-conne... more »
China Aircraft Carrier Carries Out Fighter Drills Over Open Seas
*The Independent*: *China warship carries out fighter drills over open seas* Capabilities of carrier closely watched since Beijing announced it was ready to 'fight enemies' China has said its first aircraft carrier has carried out a set of combat drills in the Yellow Sea ahead of further planned missions, sparking fears the group could soon venture into the fiercely-contested South China Sea. Aircraft performed air conflict manoeuvres along with practising launch and recovery from the Soviet-era warship, which China bought off Ukraine in 1998 and has since spent years refurbishing... more »
GAIA PORTAL: Stretchings begin as Essence Awareness expands
*Stretchings begin as Essence Awareness expands* by ÉirePort Stretchings begin as Essence Awareness expands. Nasturtium* communities come to the forefront. Lilies are carried for the fallen. Star Lights are recognized in full. airport | December 24, 2016 at 10:10 | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/p2sFUY-B8 * From wikipedia nasturtium (/nəˈstɜːrʃəm, næ-/; literally "nose-twister" or "nose-tweaker") Fresh salad with Nasturtium flowers, Italian Alps summer 2015.
#ChristmasMyths, #7: So why December 25?
*A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS to all of you, and a Salacious Saturnalis!* *Why are we celebrating morning drinking today? There’s a very good reason, and it’s not quite what you think …* ------------------------------ As every child knows, Christmas falls on December 25th every year. Every year. But is it because it says so in the Bible? Hell no! You won’t fnid any concept of that there. The very few early Christian churches who did observe the Nativity2 celebrated it sometimes in May, sometimes in April, and even occasionally in January. So clearly they had no clue when their leg... more »
Justin Trudeau's Christmas Gift to Canadians, Lumps of Coal and Diluted Bitumen
Chasing distant billboards and dumbing down the electorate.... Sandy Garossino recently wrote an op-ed piece for the National Observer...and I must say, what a load of gibberish it was.. Sandy opined that ....The Kinder Morgan pipeline battle is not "*the hill to die on" *and that environmentalists should be happy to surrender.. Her reasons were, to say the least, not thought out, at all.....in fact Garossino said in her article that Justin Trudeau had appeased environmentalists by bringing forth a national carbon strategy and a 100 megaton cap on tar sands emissions.... Sandy... more »
“Ave Maria”
Schubert, “Ave Maria” by Placido Domingo And Wiener Sängerknaben (Vienna Boys Choir) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4vBAR4EaHY
Merry Christmas, 2016!
*“A Prayer for the World”* “Let the rain come and wash away the ancient grudges, the bitter hatreds held and nurtured over generations. Let the rain wash away the memory of the hurt, the neglect. Then let the sun come out and fill the sky with rainbows. Let the warmth of the sun heal us wherever we are broken. Let it burn away the fog so that we can see each other clearly, So that we can see beyond labels, beyond accents, gender or skin color. Let the warmth and brightness of the sun melt our selfishness, So that we can share the joys and feel the sorrow of our neighbors. And let the ligh... more »
Josh Groban, "O Holy Night"
Josh Groban, "O Holy Night" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDFvKQm26b4
“How Christmas Was Nearly Canceled – Permanently”
*“How Christmas Was Nearly Canceled – Permanently”* by Bill Bonner POITOU, France –” Well, it was a quiet Christmas in this corner of Christendom. On the eve, we went to Mass in our local church – a cold, stone relic of the 12th century. The best seats were taken by the time we got there, but we found a row of chairs in the back. We are considerably taller than most of the French in this area. So, we had no trouble seeing over the heads of the indigenous Catholics. The local people are short; many are almost dwarfish. What caused it? Malnutrition many years ago? Was there a partic... more »
Bernie's Revolution Is Winning-- Let's Not Let It Be Derailed By Idiots
*Jimmy Gomez* California elected 5 new freshmen this year— all Democrats replacing Democrats: Ro Khanna, who won a primary against Mike Honda, Jimmy Panetta, who took the seat Sam Farr retired from, Salud Carbajal, who took the seat Lois Capps retired from, Nanette Barragan, who took the seat Janice Hahn retired from and Lou Correa, who took the seat Loretta Sanchez gave top when she ran, unsuccessfully, for the Senate. Politically all the freshmen are pretty much like their predecessors. Lou Correa is, by far the most conservative, and like Sanchez, he’s part of the Blue Dog caucus... more »
Intel spending $50 million to develop silicon qubits that they would scale to quantum computers with millions of qubit
Intel has a team of quantum hardware engineers in Portland, Oregon, who collaborate with researchers in the Netherlands, at TU Delft’sQuTech quantum research institute, under a $50 million grant established last year. Earlier this month Intel’s group reported that they can now layer the ultra-pure silicon needed for a quantum computer onto the standard wafers used in chip factories. This strategy makes Intel an outlier among industry and academic groups working on qubits, as the basic components needed for quantum computers are known. Other companies can run code on prototype chips ... more »
Six13: Chanukah (Shake It Off) + Jewish Voice for Peace: End the Occupation of Palestine
Dandelion Salad Happy Chanukah! Six13Sings on Dec 11, 2014 CHAG SAMEACH! Life got you down? You should be thinking about the miracle of light. Just shake it off… it’s Chanukah! *** Against enormous odds we are making change. Jewish Voice for Peace on Dec 14, 2016 Together we will succeed. Join Jewish Voice for Peace. […]
Bionic eyes and Arms
1. The NHS will pay for 10 people with an inherited form of blindness to be fitted with “bionic eye” implants. Five patients with a condition known as retinitis pigmentosa will be treated at the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital and five at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London next year. They will be given a pair of glasses mounted with a camera that captures light and sends wireless signals to an implant in the retina. The implant will then relay information to the brain to help patients regain some sight. 2. DARP delivered the first two advanced “LUKE” arms from a new production line... more »
Christmas falls on the 25th again!
*SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2016Producing holiday travel:* Just as predicted by major news orgs, Christmas had fallen on the 25th once again. This has us heading for the train and for northbound travel. We don't expect to post again until the end of the week. At that time, we'll continue our posts about the year(s) in review. We spent two years pretending to conduct an election. During all the folderol, which topics didn't you hear discussed? Which topics *never* get discussed? Which facts never get explored, even by liberals and progressives? If we liberals could get people to listen... more »
How To Fight Voter Suppression, A Guest Post By Alice Marshall
*On Wednesday Alice Marshall did a guest post about grassroots electoral organizing, riffing on the book she authored, The Precinct Captain's Guide To Political Victory, and the response was so overwhelming that we asked her to do a follow-up, which she did (below). When Harry Reid happened to mention the other day that under the chairmanship of Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the DNC was a worthless organization (his word, not ours), this is precisely the kind of thing he probably had in mind. Apparently Wasserman Schultz was too busy doing something else to attend to her job.* The 201... more »
Good and Evil in Star Wars
If you like *Star Wars*, it's a must-see. If you like space action movies, you should watch it. If you're at a loose end and the kids are mithering, take 'em to the cinema - it'll knock their socks off. Don't go in expecting multi-layered narratives and nuanced characterisation, *Rogue One* is a disciplined journey from A to B. It's a tightly plotted, entertaining romp with no loose endings, and works fantastically well as the immediate prequel to *Episode IV*. Like many millions of people, I'm a fan of *Star Wars*. Not a superfan mind, I'm not into the expanded universe, the nove... more »
Israel settlements: Netanyahu orders UN ties review per BBC News
The BBC report http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-38429385 on Barack Hussein Obama's final fuck you to the world's only majority Jewish state. Unfortunately for the institutionally anti Israel BBC they have to end their joyous report with this: '... Mr Trump, who will be inaugurated on 20 January, tweeted after the vote: "As to the UN, things will be different after Jan. 20th." On Thursday, Mr Trump had urged the council to reject the motion.' January 20th cannot come soon enough for sanity to return to the world.
American Indian Airwaves -- Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin Lead NO! DAPL Action Los Angeles
Watch videos Part I and Part II: NO DAPL Action Los Angeles More on this video -- A virtual media blackout, again no surprise. Also, upon all of encroaching the Wells Fargo branch on 1600 Vine Street, Los Angeles, CA, Wells Fargo officials closed their doors and prohibited anyone from entering or existing. Inside the Wells Fargo branch, however, was Gloria Arellanes, a Tongva
Once in Royal David's City
Alexandra Coghlan has an interesting piece at *The Spectator *on 'the wartime origins of Carols from King's'. Her post begins: Christmas, for many people, began at exactly 3 p.m today, Christmas Eve. The moment when everything stops, frantic present-wrapping, mince-pie making and tree-decorating ceases and calm briefly takes hold. The reason? A single boy treble whose voice, clear and fragile as glass, pierces through the chaos with those familiar words: ‘Once in Royal David’s city/ Stood a lowly cattle shed…’. The service of Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College, Cambri... more »
Mohawk Nation News 'Trudeau's Pipe Dream'
TRUDEAU’S PIPE DREAM Posted on December 24, 2016 Mohawk Nation News Please post & distribute. MNN. Dec. 24, 2016. Last week prime minister ‘Patsy” Trudeau announced his plans to decolonize Canada. He can’t because Canada has always been occupied by illegal invaders. Canada is a Mohawk word that designates a rotino’shonni settlement. The kaia’nere:kowa, great peace, signifies our tie to
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment