11:34 pm MST
Happy New Year
WNU Editor: I say the same thing every year .... another year .... another 10,000 posts .... 1,000,000+ visitors .... 2,000,000+ page views .... reaching an worldwide audience (and this is what always amazes little me) that includes Generals, diplomats, soldiers, intelligence officials, foreign governments and their military organisations, politicians, students, teachers, well known cartoonists, actors and actresses, journalists and bloggers, and finally .... the average Joe and Jane. Yup .... it's been an interesting year. But first things first .... I want to wish a Happy New Year... more »
Radiation Free Lakeland: Review of 2017
The Beautiful Lake District – pre National Park the whole of the Lake Counties included the Lakeland mountains to the…
Here Are The Top 21 Biggest Military Stories Of 2017
*Adam Weinstein, Task & Purpose*:* We Asked You For The Biggest Military Stories Of 2017. Here Are The Top 21 * How do you make sense of 2017? Maybe you don’t. But you can’t deny that it was a defining year for the United States military, which got a shiny new chain of command, renewed interest from the U.S. public at large, and a whole lot of weird news day after day. Task & Purpose asked you, our readers, what you thought our community’s biggest stories were this year, and these are the results. *Read more* .... *WNU Editor*: My top two stories for 2017 are .... (1) the elect... more »
Political Survivor
*-by Tom Sullivan* (Part 1 of 2) From a post last December: There is a lot of "old-boyism" in party politics. Mostly because people who have the time and/or resources to pursue party work are older. But older doesn't always mean more skilled; experienced doesn't always mean the right kind. Political leaders tend to hang onto power and neglect cultivating heirs who have mastered technologies they don't understand. They would rather turn over the reins to trusted chums. Kathy Sinclair was not in the club. Sinclair had been the driving force in organizing an unofficial John Kerry ... more »
How to Do Squats: 8 Reasons to Do Squat Exercises
https://fitness.mercola.com/how-to-do-squats.aspx Advertisements
The 5 Big National Security Challenges of 2018
*Daniel R. DePetris, National Interest*: *Peace, War or Chaos?: The 5 Big National Security Challenges of 2018* Will North Korea conduct an atmospheric test? Will the frozen conflict in Ukraine turn hot? Daniel DePetris makes his predictions for 2018. If, before Election Day 2016, you predicted Donald Trump would win the presidency, that a special counsel would be appointed to investigate potential collusion between Trump campaign officials and the Kremlin, and the U.S. military would take military action against the Syrian government, there’s a good chance that your family or fr... more »
New studies point to less intense, less frequent storms due to global warming
“The studies fly in the face of a recent Nature editorial piece, one filled with the usual worn out alarmist propaganda language of climate doom we’ve been seeing for over a quarter century. The editorial claims some scientists have already found the … Continue reading →
A Middle Finger Symphony New Years Eve
** Happy New Year ** *Brought To You By BLUESJUNKY: Honorary Chair of Music - Middle Finger Symphony Music Director*
In 1969, Nuclear War Almost Broke Out Between Russia and China
*Kyle Mizokami* *Security, * It would have been World War III. *On the minus side, a nuclear strike against China would have earned the Soviets worldwide condemnation. An attack into Manchuria would have also played to China’s “People’s War” strategy of slowly dissolving invading forces with a combination of Chinese army forces and peasant militias. China’s leadership, which had already proven itself bloody minded against its own people, would have had little compunction in sacrificing millions in a war against the Soviets. From the Soviet perspective, a grinding, never-ending ... more »
Happy New Year North Korean Style
Here are the new year celebrations in Pyongyang, North Korea #HappyNewYear pic.twitter.com/tMXwxlZWpZ — BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) December 31, 2017 *Daily Mail:* *Now that's a COLD war! North Korea marks the New Year by showing off its nuclear ambitions with ice sculptures of an intercontinental ballistic missile* * Many of the isolated nation's citizens spent New Year's Eve at the Pyongyang Ice Sculpture Festival * Visitors took pictures in front of large ice sculptures of Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile * It comes after a former top US military officer said the ... more »
Huge ISIS bombing in east Syria by German jihadist leaves nearly 100 US-backed fighters killed, wounded
BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:45 A.M.) – The Islamic State terrorist group has carried out a huge suicide bombing in eastern Syria against US-backed forces, killing and wounding nearly one hundred pro-Coalition fighters according to its own accounts. The attack was delivered by a German jihadist within the faction’s ranks. On late Sunday afternoon, the ISIS media […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز
Pictures: Syrian Army floods east Damascus with massive reinforcements to annihilate jihadist offensive
BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:30 A.M.) – Only hours ago, reports (which are now confirmed) came in that on late Sunday afternoon, jihadist militias operating in eastern Damascus had isolated a key Syrian Arab Army military vehicle base in the district of Harasta following three days of heavy clashes for the site. According to newly emerging reports, […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز
Breaking: Jihadists cut-off key Syrian Army base in east Damascus amid renewed offensive push
BEIRUT, LEBANON (2:52 A.M.) – Al-Qaeda and Muslim Brotherhood affiliated jihadist factions operating in eastern Damascus have managed to cut-off a key base held by the Syrian Arab Army in the capital city’s district of Harasta amid a now three-day long offensive that has seen both side trade heavy blows. Several hours ago, opposition and […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز
Trumps global warming tweet
I often find this. I hear someone in the public eye say something I think is extremely mild and so hardly give it a passing thought, and then when I finally start reading about it, it turns out to have … Continue reading →
North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Un Says Nuclear Launch Button Is On His Desk To Hit All Of The U.S. Mainland With Its Nuclear Weapons
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un delivers a New Year message on Monday. (Yonhap) *Reuters:* *North Korea's Kim says nuclear weapons will prevent war with U.S.* SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Monday that the United States will never be able to start a war against North Korea now that his country has developed the capability to hit all of the U.S. mainland with its nuclear weapons. “The entire United States is within range of our nuclear weapons, and a nuclear button is always on my desk. This is reality, not a threat,” Kim said during a televised New Ye... more »
Despite all pains and attacks : Happy New year From Egyptian Chronicles
Happy New year From Egyptian Chronicles. I know that 2017 was very hard in Egypt with all the terrorist attacks that took place across the country, most recently on Friday with that failed attack against a Coptic Orthodox Church in Helwan district in Cairo where ten people were killed *“Yes, it is a failed attack thanks to God then to the Egyptian people”* but we should not lose hope in better tomorrow or better Egypt that is inclusive of all people regardless of their race, gender, color, religion as well nationality. [image: Egypt's Nile] So Happy New year 2018 And I chose a pho... more »
Does Maine Really Need A Congressman Representing Wall Street?
Frank Schaeffer’s last roadtrip for 2017 took him from Agua Dulce in California’s Santa Clarita Valley to Lewiston, Maine to talk with progressive Democrat Jared Golden. Frank bonded with Jared over the service Jared and Frank’s son both experienced as marines in Afghanistan. If you’re not from a military family, you may find what Frank and Jared had two say about that in the video enlightening. Give it a watch. [image: Goal Thermometer]Jared is running on a change ticket in Maine’s second district. His opponent, multimillionaire Republican Bruce Poliquin is a Wall Street shill w... more »
Famed Washington Post reporter Carl Bernstein says that Trump's lawyers have an "out of control client" who they are trying desperately to manage.
Courtesy of Raw Story: *Addressing Trump’s belief that he will be exonerated, Bernstein said Trump is lying but also may be in the dark because his legal team is afraid of what he might say or do if he knew what was really going on. * *“There is no reason to believe almost anything Donald Trump says because what we know is that the president of the United States and his presidency is characterized, above all else, by the lying of the president of the United States,” Bernstein explained.”That doesn’t mean that lying by the president is a crime, but it does mean that we see him cover... more »
Russia's Tsar Bomb: The 57 Megaton Nuclear Weapon North Korea Wish It Had
*Steve Weintz* *Security, * So was the Tsar Bomb really a functional weapon? *Multi-megaton thermonuclear weapons rely on staging. A first-stage fission device generates the heat, pressure and radiation to ignite nuclear fusion in a second-stage fuel vessel, and the more fusion fuel, the bigger the reaction. A third stage can be added by cladding the second stage in weapons-grade uranium metal—the fusion reaction induces nuclear fission in the uranium cladding and adds many megatons of yield. All-up three-stage thermonuclear weapons can be very dirty bombs, with more than half t... more »
North Korea: It's About America's Allies (or Should Be)
*Wallace C. Gregson* *Security, Asia* [image: U.S. President Donald Trump greets South Korea's General Kim Byeong-joo (L) and U.S. Army General Vincent Brooks (C) as he arrives to receive a briefing from military commanders at the U.S. Eighth Army Operation Command Center at U.S. military installation Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, South Korea] North Korea has been an “existential threat” to our allies, Japan and the Republic of Korea, for quite some time. Throughout the Cold War, the Soviet Union and China supported North Korea. When the Soviet Union collapsed their support to No... more »
America Would Benefit from a Balance of Power in the Persian Gulf
*Doug Bandow* *Security, Middle East* Saudi Arabia's current tradjectory is toxic and threatens America’s interests in the Middle East. President Donald Trump once was skeptical of the totalitarian dictatorship commonly known as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). He complained, correctly, that Saudis had funded terrorism against America and wondered why the United States subsidized the protection of a wealthy petro-state. After taking office the president, perhaps affected by abundant flattery judiciously employed by people highly skilled in the art, acted like just another West... more »
President Vladimir V. Putin greets all Russia for the New Year Celebrations.
New Year’s Day in Russia is a unique experience. While each nation may have its own special traditions, for this American, the Russian way is simply astounding. From the Communist times, the relevance of Nativity (Christmas) celebrations has never been what it became in the West. The suppression of Christianity in Soviet Russia was probably […] More The post President Vladimir V. Putin greets all Russia for the New Year Celebrations. appeared first on The Duran.
Palestinian Authority Recalls It's US Envoy 'For Consultations'
*The Independent:* *Palestinians recall US envoy 'for consultations' after Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital* Leaders deciding on shape of future relationship with US The Palestinian Authority has recalled its envoy to the US following Donald Trump‘s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The move will allow for “consultations” over leaders’ future relationship with the US. Days of protests followed Mr Trump’s announcement, leading to arrests and a number of deaths. *Read more* .... *More News On The Palestinian Authority Recalling Its US ... more »
Happy New Year 2018!
*I wish you all a very safe, happy and prosperous New Year!* *And, as always, thanks for stopping by!*
As 2017 Ends
*I wish you all a Happy 2018 *- which will be *Year of the Dog* on February 16th. It's an auspicious day because there are no dogs in North Korea. It's the only country with no dogs. They were eaten by the Norks long ago. The AIDS Advisory Council - was disbanded on December 31, 2017. It was one of MANY generally useless commissions and councils that abound in Washington DC and are largely used by members to puff their CV's. The gender confused are howling that President Trump is a monster, but the commission was just another paper tiger that needed to go into the shredder. Let th... more »
"I Wish You Enough"
"I Wish You Enough" by Bob Perks "I never really thought that I'd spend as much time in airports as I do. I don't know why. I always wanted to be famous and that would mean lots of travel. But I'm not famous, yet I do see more than my share of airports. I love them and I hate them. I love them because of the people I get to watch. But they are also the same reason why I hate airports. It all comes down to "hello" and "goodbye." I must have mentioned this a few times while writing my stories for you. I have great difficulties with saying goodbye. Even as I write this I am experienc... more »
"Promise Me..."
“Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” - Christopher Robin to “Pooh”
"Always Remember..."
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” - Harriet Tubman
Unrest In Iran -- News Roundup December 31, 2017
*Daily Mail:* *Iran blacks out social media as President Rouhani slams Trump in address to his nation after defiant protesters face water cannon and hundreds of arrests on the fourth day of demonstrations* * Rouhani hit back at Donald Trump saying he had called Iranians terrorists * Trump supporting protesters 'but has no right to sympathise with Iranians' * Iranian regime blocked Instagram and messaging app Telegram amid protests * Comes after regime vowed protesters would 'pay the price' for causing unrest * Despite clampdown on social media, protesters continue to take to the st... more »
"Sometimes We Have To See For Ourselves..."
"The early bird catches the worm; a stitch in time saves nine. He who hesitates is lost. We can't pretend we haven't been told. We've all heard the proverbs, heard the philosophers, heard our grandparents warning us about wasted time, heard the damn poets urging us to ‘seize the day'. Still sometimes we have to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. We have to sweep today's possibility under tomorrow's rug until we can't anymore, until we finally understand for ourselves like Benjamin Franklin meant. That knowing is better than wonder... more »
"I Wish You Enough"
"I Wish You Enough" by Bob Perks "I never really thought that I'd spend as much time in airports as I do. I don't know why. I always wanted to be famous and that would mean lots of travel. But I'm not famous, yet I do see more than my share of airports. I love them and I hate them. I love them because of the people I get to watch. But they are also the same reason why I hate airports. It all comes down to "hello" and "goodbye." I must have mentioned this a few times while writing my stories for you. I have great difficulties with saying goodbye. Even as I write this I am experienc... more »
“Walking Through Your Fear: Emerging Courageous”
*“Litany Against Fear”* “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” - Frank Herbert *“Walking Through Your Fear: Emerging Courageous”* by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM “Frequently, in walking through our fear, we discover that the strength of our fright was out of sync with reality. The situations, activities, and individuals th...more »
The Poet: John O'Donohue, "In These Times"
*"In These Times"* "In these times when anger Is turned into anxiety, And someone has stolen The horizons and mountains, Our small emperors on parade Never expect our indifference To disturb their nakedness. They keep their heads down, And their eyes gleam with reflection From aluminum economic ground, The media wraps everything In a cellophane of sound, And the ghost surface of the virtual Overlays the breathing earth. The industry of distraction Makes us forget That we live in a universe. We have become converts To the religion of stress And its deity of progress; That we may have co... more »
"How To Cure A Hangover, Or Not"
*"How To Cure A Hangover, Or Not"* By Colleen Graham "Now you've done it and it's official, you have a hangover. Now what? No matter what you do sleep and water or juice should be included. There are many folk cures that are supposed to help cure a hangover. Many of them will help you cope by replenishing the vitamins and liquid you lost over night, while some like avoiding caffeine are very important to a quicker recovery. There is no one size fits all cure, find what works for you but the list below is a good place to start. There are also a few suggestions from readers who found... more »
"I Wish You Enough"
"I Wish You Enough" by Bob Perks "I never really thought that I'd spend as much time in airports as I do. I don't know why. I always wanted to be famous and that would mean lots of travel. But I'm not famous, yet I do see more than my share of airports. I love them and I hate them. I love them because of the people I get to watch. But they are also the same reason why I hate airports. It all comes down to "hello" and "goodbye." I must have mentioned this a few times while writing my stories for you. I have great difficulties with saying goodbye. Even as I write this I am experienc... more »
"Write Your Worries On The Sand..."
"I walked slowly out on the beach. A few yards below high-water mark I stopped and read the words again: WRITE YOUR WORRIES ON THE SAND. I let the paper blow away, reached down and picked up a fragment of shell. Kneeling there under the vault of the sky, I wrote several words, one above the other. Then I walked away, and I did not look back. I had written my troubles on the sand. The tide was coming in." - Arthur Gordon
2017 Was A Bad Year For China
*Douglas Bulloch, Forbes:* *2017 Was A Bad Year For China. Will 2018 Be Worse?* It seems like a long time since China was routinely the source of good news. Growth rates remain impressive, but it is increasingly obvious that they are being bought at the cost of ever rising debt. Aside from that, there are routine announcements that indicate senior figures are trying to address a range of problems, and bold proclamations about China's ascendant place in the region, but these announcements now seem to raise many questions as once they merely raised expectations. Warnings from the I... more »
Baby It’s Cold Outside – evidence of solar cycle affecting Earth’s cloud cover
Originally posted on Watts Up With That?: Guest essay by David Archibald News comes that the light reflected back from Uranus is affected by the solar cycle. “The atmosphere around Uranus is one of the coldest in the solar system, but still contains clouds and ice, like our own atmosphere here on Earth. “The changing brightness of…
Chinese President Xi Delivers New Year Speech Vowing To Implement Reforms In 2018
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a New Year speech to extend New Year greetings to all Chinese, and best wishes to friends all over the world, in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 31, 2017. (Xinhua) *Xinhua:* *China Focus: President Xi delivers New Year speech vowing resolute reform in 2018* BEIJING, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping Sunday delivered a New Year speech, vowing that China would resolutely carry out reform in 2018. "We will take the opportunity of celebrating the 40th anniversary of the reform and opening-up in 2018 to further carry out reform, as r... more »
Volunteers with chain rescue herd of elk that fell through the ice on Wyoming reservoir
About a dozen elk were roped, lassoed and dragged to safety Friday morning after they fell through the ice into Palisades Reservoir. A group of more than 20 concerned citizens, law enforcement officers, wildlife biologists and others gathered between 7 and 8 a.m. after morning commuters outside Alpine noticed elk struggling in the reservoir, said Gary Fralick, a wildlife biologist with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. "I was heading to work going to Jackson and saw a cop and one other truck pulled over," said Alpine resident Dusty Jones. "Then I saw them out there on the ice ... more »
The Charge of the Invisible Army of Kremlin Trolls
[image: undefined] There is no holiday truce in the propaganda war. On this Christmas day, The Washington Post offered its readers a scare story entitled “Kremlin trolls burned across the Internet as Washington debated options.” The article is long – nearly 4000 words. The only part that is sure to be read in these busy times of short attention spans is the headline, whose two themes are rich in subliminal messages. First, a slash and burn operation by an army of Kremlin trolls is laying waste to the Internet. Second, official Washington in its benevolent innocence is having troubl... more »
So who exactly is using the taxpayer funded helipad at Mar-a-Lago?
Courtesy of the Palm Beach Daily News: *On Dec. 22, 2017, the Friday before Christmas, the new helipad at Mar-a-Lago was used for only the second time. A private business helicopter with the corporate Trump logo landed and took off from there a few hours before President Trump’s arrival in the area via Air Force One. The only other time the new helipad has been used was on April 8, 2017. In that instance it was also a private business helicopter with the corporate Trump logo that landed and took off. * *Helicopter takeoff and landing in the town of Palm Beach is strictly regulated... more »
NASA : Arctic Ice Free And Manhattan Underwater – In less than a day...
'NASA's top climate expert, James Hansen, predicted that by 2018 the Arctic would be ice-free, and Lower Manhattan would be underwater. Democrats call him a "climate prophet."' Will anyone hold James Hansen to account for those comments? Of course not, the religion of climate change requires unthinking belief and the likes of the BBC would rather push the agreed narrative than look at the evidence. More here https://realclimatescience.com/2017/11/nasa-arctic-ice-free-and-manhattan-underwater-in-six-weeks/
Which Hunt
Kensington Wine Rooms, Notting Hill. Via Britain Magazine.Here we are again, trying to figure out which emails we're talking about. The new Papadopoulos episode in The New York Times, in which young George, in the Kensington Wine Rooms with Australian High Commissioner to Great Britain (which is the Commonwealth equivalent of ambassador, that's bonus info that even Matty didn't have) Alexander Downer, drunkenly informs his excellency that Russians are in possession of thousands of emails that could sink Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, in May 2016, which the high commission... more »
Joe Kennedy III Is Campaigning-- For Elizabeth Warren
“Is Joe Kennedy III a progressive?” is a question I get a lot-- including from some of his colleagues in Congress. He seems to have chosen *progressivenessish* as his identity, at least for now. As with anything, including the color tie he puts on what he has for dinner, everything is weighed in terms of a likely run-- at some point-- for president. He’s only 37 and hasn’t accomplished much, so he has time. He’s smart enough-- unlike, say Kamala Harris-- to know that too. Several Beltway insiders have told me he's running for president in 2020. Elizabeth Warren, who is also consid... more »
The female NHS nurse I asked for came with stubble per The Times
'A woman who requested a female NHS nurse to perform her cervical smear test was "embarrassed and distressed" after a person with stubble and a deep voice summoned her for the intimate procedure. When the patient pointed out the mistake, the nurse replied: "My gender is not male. I'm a transsexual." This weekend, the woman, who decided not to go ahead with the examination, said it was "weird where somebody says to you: 'My gender is not male' and you think: 'Well, what does that even mean? You are clearly a man.' " The nurse "had an obviously male appearance . . . close-cropped ha... more »
New Years Day Bowls and The CFP
With the new year comes sadly the end of the college football season. After Monday all there is left is crown the King in Atlanta. But the final day of the season gives us the College Football Playoff semis as well as some of the better non regional match-ups. *THE O**UTBACK BOWL* *South Carolina v Michigan* *11AM CT ESPN2* Anytime I see the mighty Michigan Wolverines and Jim Harbaugh lose is a good day. It all depends on whether Jake Bentley has time enough to pass on Wolverine secondary. *"If you want to keep Wolverine out of your yard put up a goal post"* *I'm Going wit... more »
Former Chairman To The Joint Chiefs Of Staff: U.S. And North Korea Are Closer To A Nuclear War 'Than We Have Ever Been'
*CNN:* *Former Joint Chiefs chairman: Nuclear war with North Korea closer than ever* The United States is "closer to a nuclear war with North Korea" than ever before, Adm. Mike Mullen, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Sunday, adding that he does not "see the opportunities to solve this diplomatically at this particular point." In an interview on ABC's "This Week," Mullen warned that President Donald Trump's provocative rhetoric aimed at North Korean leader Kim Jong Un likely indicates he would prefer to take a more aggressive approach to countering the rogue r... more »
Is the BBC biased?: Paddy O'Connell mounts his high horse and promptly falls off
This pieceifhttp:// isthebbcbiased.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/paddy-oconnell-mounts-his-high-horse.html from the ever wonderful isthebbcbiased.blogspot.co.uk is a must read for anyone who believes that the BBC is committed to accuracy. I'd raise a complaint with the BBC but there's really no point as they'd brush it off. And as for an apology on the same programme next week, good luck for anything more than a begrudging aside.
From the (BBC) House of the Dead
A comment at *Biased BBC *(from David W) strikes me as making an interesting point about the BBC: In its 2017 online death roll, the increasingly ludicrous BBC has managed to forget the death of Jiří Bělohlávek, principal conductor of its own BBC Symphony Orchestra from 2006 to 12. That 'online death roll' is headlined *In memoriam: Entertainment and arts figures we lost in 2017 *and contains many names (including the odd classical music figure) but, yes, poor old Jiří Bělohlávek is missing, even though his near namesake Japanese manga artist Jiro Taniguchi is present-and-correct.... more »
Declassified Cable: Death Toll at Tiananmen Square Was at Least 10,000
[image: declassified-cable-death-toll-at-tiananmen-square-was-at-least-10-000] A newly declassified British diplomatic cable is shedding new light on the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. According to the document, written on June 5, 1989 — just over 24 hours after the mass killing — the death toll was at least 10,000. This is more than three times the estimate of nearly 3,000 commonly reported.
Full Wolf Moon: New Year's Supermoon Is the Biggest of the Year
Amid the bitter cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Native American villages. It was also known as the Old Moon or the Moon After Yule. Some tribes called it the Full Snow Moon. The moon reaches fullness at 9:24 p.m. EST and will arrive at perigee (its closest point to Earth in its orbit) about 4.5 hours earlier, at 5:00 p.m. EST, at a distance of 221,559 miles (356,565 kilometers) from Earth. (A full moon that takes place during perigee is sometimes known as a supermoon.) Because the full moon coincides with perigee, it will appear to be the bi... more »
Major Banks Reportedly Just Began Freezing Accounts of Bitcoin Users
[image: bitcoin]The "Big Four" banks are remaining tight-lipped about freezing customers' accounts over bitcoin purchase but angry account holders are crying foul.
In Praise of Baron Bragg
As it's New Year's Eve, here's a tweet from Tim Montgomerie: Though I *wouldn't* agree that it's "on its own, just about worth the licence fee" (that would be going *way* too far), but it* is *"unparalleled in its consistent excellence" (and forget the 'almost'!). Plus Baron Bragg of Wigton FRS, FBA, FRSA, FRSL, FRTS is incomparable as its guiding light. So well done Melvyn, and please keep up the good work in 2018! *P.S.* Here's an ITBB exclusive. Lord Bragg's name actually came first on this year's Honours List - at least according to the Government's official NY18 Queens List ... more »
How fake news plagued 2017
Georgina Rannard Ah yes, fake news! Never mind about Lord Adonis's famous career as an elected MP (fake news!), Georgina from the BBC has a 'thorough' review of this year's fake news for you on the BBC News website. Or at least the kind of fake news that the BBC considers 'fake news'. Read it and you'll come away with the impression that fake news appears to come exclusively 'from the Right' and from social media ("right-wing blogs" get a mention). What about 'respected' media outlets who messed up badly this year (the major US networks especially, who've had to fire staff for f... more »
350 Million Latin American Voters Go To The Polls To Elect Their Leaders In 2018
*The Guardian:* *More than 350 million Latin American voters to elect new leaders in 2018* Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, Costa Rica and Paraguay will elect new presidents in what could be a popular reaction against corruption. The anti-establishment tide that has swept much of the world is set to break over Latin America in 2018. Some 350 million voters are due to head to the polls in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, Costa Rica and Paraguay to elect new presidents – and in several cases, potentially slam a defibrillator into their ailing political systems. “Attempting t... more »
Happy Freezin’ New Year: Canada’s (Most of the US too) Extreme Cold To Extend into 2018
*So, it’s been a week of extreme cold already.... Starting December 25th and still going. News from the local FREEZE- This morning hubby and I were out to take our daughter to the GO stop in St Kitts aka St Catharines.* * It was -24 C or -11 F at 8:00 am December 31/2017. Wind chill sitting at -29 C* * It is presently 1:08 pm EST and it's -15 Celsius or 5 Fahrenheit * Gosh that map makes me think of the glaciation maps during the last ice age... *The image above shows Alaska as being "mild". However that is measured? * *You'll notice that Alaska was not totally glaciated. As above,... more »
Clearly worried about the 2018 midterms Donald Trump is arguing that electing Democrats will undo all of his hard work. Damn, I hope so.
If the Dems (Crooked Hillary) got elected, your stocks would be down 50% from values on Election Day. Now they have a great future - and just beginning! https://t.co/9TzSC8F8vY — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017 Okay there is literally NOTHING to suggest that this is true. Trump is simply making yet another fact free assertion, not realizing that the Democrats being mobilized by his presidency are typically are far better critical thinkers than the slack jawed morons who voted for him. Why would smart voters want to put Democrats in Congress in 2018 Election wh... more »
This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 31
1981 End of 1st yr of Iran-Iraq War 22,000 Iraqi 38,000 Iranian dead 2002 UN inspector told press they were finding no evidence of Iraq’s WMD and Western intel providing nothing substantive 2003 Bush said couldn’t tell whether Iraq had a nuclear weapon or not 2003 Car bomb at Baghdad restaurant killed 8 wounded 30 2007 Deadline to hold referendum on future of disputed territories under Constitution’s Article 140 passed 2007 Deadline for committee to revise Iraqi constitution missed Was 4th time delayed Never finished job 2011 US withdrew forces f... more »
New Year Greeting by Helga Zepp-LaRouche
Video of Bai6fegYvCM Happy New Year from Helga Zepp-LaRouche! Here is a short message to from her to you on the occasion of the New Year, and new potential for the future of mankind.
Hurray for 'Hootenanny'!
As it's New Year's Eve, I thought you might like to read John Dugdale in *The Sunday Times *(eagerly) looking forward to that BBC festive staple (though I've never watched it), *Jools’ Annual Hootenanny*.
Sunday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. - Tom Parkin discusses how the growing pile of Liberal disappointments is creating opportunities for Canada's opposition parties. - Julie Ireton reports on the continued problems being caused by the federal government's Phoenix privatization debacle - including by forcing retirement-eligible employees to hold on until their retirement income comes into focus. And Mike De Souza reports on the National Energy Board's focus on stifling any flow of accurate information to the public in the name of resource-sector corporate profits. - Rupert Neat... more »
What To Expect From Russia In 2018
Russian President Vladimir Putin (RT photo / Semyon Khorunzhy) *Shaun Walker, The Guardian:* *Russia in 2018: Putin's re-election and a World Cup, but what else?* *The president seems certain to be re-elected in March, but the manner of his win will influence how the year develops.* Barring severe illness or the most extraordinary electoral upset of the 21st century, Vladimir Putin will end 2018 in the Kremlin, having won a new six-year mandate in March elections that will take his rule over Russia to 2024. Even if the result is in little doubt, the manner of Putin’s victory will ... more »
Seven Resolutions For A Better Earth in 2018
Prevent species from going extinct - Preserve the rainforests - Protect areas with high biodiversity - Curb water pollution (Water Is Sacred) - Consume less - Resolve to get trained up on making change- Protect What you love 2018 is here, and everyone is busy making (or already breaking) their New Year's resolutions. Mother Nature took a few minutes out of her busy schedule to share a few thoughts on how to improve the situation here on our planet with some New Year's resolutions that should be taken up by mankind. Here are the top seven resolutions for the Earth in the New Year.... more »
Bah, humbug!
I don't feel it's Christmas unless I've watched or listened to or read a version of *A Christmas Carol *(if not the original)*. * Having starred as the scary, silent, black-clad Ghost of Christmas Future in my primary school days, memorably tripping over Scrooge's bed, I feel very close to the story. This year I watched the classic Alastair (Campbell) Sim version where the (spin doctor) miser Scrooge scowled and later danced a jig in black and white, as superbly as ever. (His performance is admirably consistent, year in and year out, despite being dead these one-and-forty years.... more »
Israeli soldiers fire sonic bombs at Hezbollah protesters in southern Lebanon
BEIRUT, LEBANON (6:25 P.M.) – The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) fired two sonic bombs, yesterday, at Lebanese protesters that attending a demonstration behalf of Jerusalem. According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, the IDF soldiers threw two sonic bombs towards the Fatima Wall inside the town of Kferkela, forcing many of the youth protesters to disperse […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز
Turkish regime dead set on establishing new government in Syria
BEIRUT, LEBANON (6:00 P.M.) – The Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told the provincial congress of the AKP during his trip in Burdur that his regime have been working with Russia and Iran to end the Syrian. “We have taken initiative with Russia and Iran to end the civil war, which has been going on […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز
Four FSA fighters killed by roadside bomb in Daraa
BEIRUT, LEBANON (5:15 P.M.) – A roadside bomb killed four Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters inside the Dara’a Governorate, pro-opposition pages reported on Sunday. According to pro-opposition activists, a Free Syrian Army group’s vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb along the road between Karak Al-Sharqi and Rakhim in eastern Dara’a. The Free Syrian Army […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز
Breaking: Syrian Army retakes town in southeast Idlib
BEIRUT, LEBANON (5:00 P.M.) – Minutes ago, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) managed to recapture the town of Al-Khuwein after launching another powerful attack inside the southeastern countryside of the Idlib Governorate. Led by their elite Tiger Forces, the Syrian Arab Army was able to once again breakthrough Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham’s front-lines at Al-Khuwein, forcing […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز
Russia carries out 1,300 humanitarian missions in Syria in 2017
The Russian center for reconciliation of opposing sides in Syria has carried out nearly 1,300 humanitarian missions since the beginning of 2017, the center said on Saturday in a daily bulletin. “In total, the center has held 1,296 humanitarian missions this year,” the bulletin says. “Syrians have received over 2,000 tonnes of food, medicines and […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز
Mass protests against planned execution of activists continue in Bahrain
DAMASCUS, SYRIA (04:40) – Mass protests by citizens of Bahrain continue to grow, as people take to the streets to protest against the regime of the Khalifa dynasty. Local sources report heavy crackdowns on demonstrations all over the country, adding that people chanted slogans which called for an end to the Khalifa family’s rule over […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز
BBC’s Fake Claims About Hurricanes
By Paul Homewood Another grossly misleading piece of propaganda from the BBC: The past year has been a busy one for hurricanes. There were 17 named storms in 2017, 10 hurricanes and six major hurricanes (category 3 or higher) – an above average year in each respect. The 10 hurricanes formed consecutively, without […]
Who's on Ethical Thin Ice in the Hargan v. Garza Abortion Case?
*By Marty Lederman and David Luban* This coming Friday, the Supreme Court Justices are scheduled to consider, at conference, the government’s nominal “petition for certiorari” in No. 17-654, *Hargan v. Garza*. Marty has already *written at length* on the petition, and we won’t repeat here the many ways in which it is deeply problematic. Since that first post, there have been further revealing proceedings in the case (see, e.g., *this post* and *this one*), and Carter Phillips/Sidley Austin have filed *a terrific brief in opposition* on behalf of the Respondents, in which they (amon... more »
what i'm reading: what i haven't read and am not reading
Many of my co-workers keep colourful lists like this, or use Goodreads or Shelfari to track their reading. I prefer plain old text.Like most avid readers, my to-read list contains far more titles than I could ever read in a lifetime, even if I did nothing but read. Although I add books at a considerably faster rate than I tick them off, I do still keep The List, and I consult it when I'm looking for my next book. I do this with movies, too. I also read books *not* on my list, much more so now that I work in a library, and my reading tastes have broadened. But I don't keep a list of ... more »
Unauthorized Disclosure—Episode 42: Farewell, 2017!
Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola bid farewell to 2017 in the season’s finale. During the show, the hosts talk about Donald Trump’s foreign policy and what liberal imperialists and neoconservatives disliked about Trump’s first year. We celebrate what parts of Trump’s agenda grassroots resistance was able to stall while The post Unauthorized Disclosure—Episode 42: Farewell, 2017! appeared first on Shadowproof.
new year's un-resolutions
I don't do New Year's Resolutions, but I do enjoy using the revolution of our Earth around the Sun as an excuse to take stock in where I am and think about where I'm going. This is not a Big Promise To Do Something; it's not even goal-setting. In my ongoing work to free myself from a strong tendency towards All Or Nothing, to not paint myself into a corner, to not create Rules which I then use to limit my experiences, I don't even set concrete goals. My thinking takes the form of general precepts that I'm trying to remember. When the weather is nice, spend more time outdoors. Walk... more »
Guess who?
And to round off today's string of posts about this morning's *Broadcasting House* on Radio 4, can you guess which three public figures the programme selected to express their hopes for 2018? (Samira Ahmed will be pleased. Nigel Farage wasn't among them). Well, there was space scientist Monica Grady, *League of Gentlemen *member Mark Gatiss...and, somewhat provocatively, anti-Brexit crusader Gina Miller. Yes, *that *Gina Miller! Gina, naturally made the kind of anti-Brexit point you - and, surely, the BBC too - would expect her to make. Hmm.
New Years 2018
*with much to be thankful for.* Number one is dodging the bullet with the name Hillary etched on it's casing. I find it odd to have New Year's Eve fall on a Sunday. It's hard to be debauched on a Sunday. Sigh. I must dash off to church and then pick up a take-and-bake pizza for tonight's dinner. My usual New Year's birthday feast of crab legs has been replaced. I took the advice I gave to Zilla re: a fancy Christmas dinner and decided that a pizza for this evening sounded like a jolly good idea. If you live somewhere super cold, take care and have a lovely evening. This is an... more »
Paddy O'Connell mounts his high horse and promptly falls off
Lord Adonis Returning to this morning's *Broadcasting House *on Radio 4, I really do have to note this startling confrontation between presenter Paddy O'Connell and Leave Means Leave co-chairman John Longworth: *John Longworth*: I find this quite remarkable because Lord Adonis, of course, is a classic example of somebody's who's not been elected, has been appointed, doesn't represent anybody and is a classic of the Whitehall problem which is... *Paddy O'Connell*: *[interrupting] *But he was a minister, he was elected, he was an MP. *John Longworth*: Well....he has been in the past... more »
Emerging Technological Threats In 2017
*Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists:* *Neuro, cyber, slaughter: Emerging technological threats in 2017* Nuclear weapons have threatened humanity for more than 70 years. Anthropogenic climate change, though largely unrecognized until recent decades, had its beginnings in the 19th century. Wouldn’t it be nice if advances in technology stopped throwing new problems at the world? No such luck. Several emerging technological threats could—soon enough—come to rival nuclear weapons and climate change in their potential to upend (or eliminate) civilization. In 2017, the cyber threat began... more »
2019 Will Be More Palatable With Alan Grayson In Congress Denouncing Trump's Lies Daily
The polls Morning Consult has been doing for * Politico* have been relatively benign for Trump. A couple of weeks ago, while almost every other poll showed Trump struggling to keep his job approval from slipping out of the low 30s and into the 20s-- which is widely believed will trigger impeachment hearings-- Morning Consult had him at 45% approval (and 51% disapproval). That’s about the best Trump has had from any legitimate polling firm-- "the best," that is, until you look more closely and realize that most Americans now realize Trump is a liar. Alan Grayson did a dif... more »
Insane unreliables: to cost 10,000 Euros per household – Happy Newyear
An interesting tweet across came I Destroyers of wealth. https://t.co/UPUw8DMHdA — Patrick Moore (@EcoSenseNow) December 31, 2017 It contained the following graph First we need to recognise that capacity is nowhere near the same as average delivered power. I think … Continue reading →
Global Boring
As a scientist, you’d expect me to make decisions rationally. So why have I stopped being a full time sceptic. The reason is that people just didn’t seem to be interested in the subject any longer. I couldn’t point to … Continue reading →
BBC’s Fake Claims About Hurricanes
Originally posted on NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT: By Paul Homewood ? Another grossly misleading piece of propaganda from the BBC: ? The past year has been a busy one for hurricanes. There were 17 named storms in 2017, 10 hurricanes and six major hurricanes (category 3 or higher) – an above average…
7 New (2017) Papers Forecast Global Cooling, Another Little Ice Age Will Begin Soon
From NoTricksZone: 7 New (2017) Papers Forecast Global Cooling, Another Little Ice Age Will Begin Soon During 2017, 120 papers linking historical and modern climate change to variations in solar activity and its modulators (clouds, cosmic rays) have been published in scientific journals. It has been increasingly established that low solar activity (fewer sunspots) and […]
Droughts and ecosystems are determined by the interaction of two climate phenomena
Originally posted on Tallbloke's Talkshop: Iberian Peninsula [image credit: NASA] Study of long-term oceanic influences on a regional climate has turned up some interesting results, as Phys.org explains. What is causing the droughts that the Iberian Peninsula regularly endures? Why are the winters sometimes mild and rainy and other times cold and dry or…
The Great American Eclipse of 2017 left ‘bow waves’ in Earth’s atmosphere
Originally posted on Tallbloke's Talkshop: Credit: NASA Researchers say: ‘Study of wave characteristics reveals complex interconnections between the Sun, Moon, and Earth’s neutral atmosphere and ionosphere.’ The waves in the upper atmosphere are similar to the V-shaped waves left behind by a ship moving through water, reports The IB Times. The 21 August total…
China’s Underwater Surveillance Network Is Now Operational
Chinese Navy submarines and warships take part in an international fleet review to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army Navy in Qingdao, Shandong province, April 23, 2009. Guang Niu/Pool/Reuters *SCMP:* *China’s underwater surveillance network puts enemies in focus along maritime Silk Road* Hi-tech system will help Beijing protect its growing network of interests and investments from the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean, experts say. A new underwater surveillance network is expected to help China’s submarines get a stronger lock on tar... more »
Another sign of the times
Another sign of the times. This morning's *Broadcasting House *paper review heard Helen Pidd of the *Guardian *bringing up a *Daily Mail *piece headlined *Our swimming pond is NOT gender fluid: Fury of Hampstead Heath ladies after men identifying as women are allowed into their famous bathing lake. * I'd already read a similar story in *The Times*, headlined The female NHS nurse I asked for came with stubble which began, "A woman who requested a female NHS nurse to perform her cervical smear test was “embarrassed and distressed” after a person with stubble and a deep voice summone... more »
Tom DeLong, Disclosure and an Analytical History of UFOs
It would seem that Tom DeLong’s program has had some success and I wonder if his status as a member of Blink 182 didn’t provide him with access to some high-level people that the rest of us might not have enjoyed. At any rate, just recently, those he had been working with, and who talked about a sighting along with gun camera film made by Navy fighter pilots, was confirmed by the Pentagon. In fact, we were all told that there had been a secret study made of UFOs for several years, though that study was concluded in 2012. New reports and various commentators told us that the Air Forc... more »
The good news is that they caught one of the guys behind that Nigerian Prince email scam. The better news is that he is not Nigerian, not a prince, and lives in Louisiana.
Courtesy of The Times-Picayune: *Slidell police say they have arrested a "Nigerian prince'' who is accused of helping scam people out of thousands of dollars. * *Michael Neu, 67, has been arrested and charged with 269 counts of wire fraud and money laundering following an 18-month-long investigation by the Slidell Police Department's Financial Crimes Division. Police said Thursday (Dec. 28) that Neu, of Slidell, is suspected of being the "middle man'' in hundreds of scams to separate people from their money. * *In the scam, an email arrives from someone claiming to be or represent ... more »
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