Saturday, July 27, 2019

27 July - Blogs I'm Following - 3 of 4

10 pm MDT

Decline of civilizations: fragmentation of knowledge, unsustainable growth of bureaucratic complexity

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 13 hours ago
Edwin has brought us a one-hour-long talk by Jonathan Blow, a world's top coder (currently working on a new programming language), given in Russia in May 2019: Jonathan Blow - Preventing the Collapse of Civilization (English only) I've watched it and it's amazing. Also, I agreed with every sentence he presented – including quoted sentences from the CEO of SpaceX whom I otherwise dislike. Blow has talked about the decline of the civilizations – such as the Roman civilization and, maybe, the current one. Our civilization may be in the process of the decline also because the technology... more »

Russian police detain 1,000 as Muscovites protest barring of opposition from city council election

Just In - 13 hours ago
Russian police say they have detained more than 1,000 people in central Moscow as protesters demand opposition candidates be allowed to run for the Moscow city council.

Ariarne Titmus claims bronze in wake of Shayna Jack scandal

Just In - 13 hours ago
Ariarne Titmus collects bronze in the women's 800 metres freestyle at the world swimming championships, only hours after learning her training partner Shayna Jack had tested positive to a banned substance.

Wallabies post rare win with 16-10 triumph over Argentina

Just In - 13 hours ago
In what is just their fifth win from their last 17 Tests, the Wallabies get home against Argentina with a 16-10 victory in their Rugby Championship Test in Brisbane.

Protagoras: Plato Versus the Sophist

Unknown at The Verma Report - 13 hours ago
Democritus (center) and Protagoras (right) Painting by Salvator RosaPlato’s dialogue *Protagoras* is an attack on the sophists—in it there is a direct contest between Socrates and Protagoras, who is an elderly and celebrated sophist. At one point, there is a breakdown in the conversation when Socrates and Protagoras start bickering about how long their answers to each other’s questions should be—Socrates, being a dialectician, favors short answers and rapid questions, but Protagoras, being a sophist, prefers long answers and fewer questions. Socrates is on verge of walking out of th... more »

Supreme Court slaps down leftists on border wall funding

Uriel at 'Nox & Friends - 13 hours ago
Supreme Court says Trump can spend military funds for border wall construction A section of a new bollard wall stands on the border between the U.S. and Mexico near El Paso, Tx., Feb. 23, 2019. AMBER I. SMITH/U.S. ARMY Stars and Stripes Jessica Gresko – AP July 26, 2019 The Supreme Court cleared the way Friday for the Trump administration to tap billions of dollars in Pentagon funds to build sections of a border wall with Mexico. The court’s five conservative justices gave the administration the greenlight to begin work on four contracts it has awarded using Defense Department money... more »

RED ALERT! GLOBALISTS HAVE INTRODUCED MAJOR ERROR INTO US EBOLA PROTOCOLS

Jane Burgermeister at BIRDFLU666 WORDPRESS BLOG CONTINUES HERE - 13 hours ago
*In a repeat of a scandal in 2014, the CDC has once more made a vital mistake in its protocols for identifying and handling possible Ebola patients, thereby, increasing the risk of the spread of Ebola in the USA.* *The protocols wrongly instruct nurses and doctors to only isolate patients who have a history of exposure and who are showing signs and symptoms.* https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/pdf/ed-algorithm-management-patients-possible-ebola.pdf *By the way, my computer and blog were hacked to stop me putting up the above screenshot. See below.* *I had to rename the screenshot to ... more »

Mueller Should Have Subpoenaed Trump

Marjorie Cohn at Marjorie Cohn - 13 hours ago
During Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s televised appearances before the House Judiciary Committee and the House Intelligence Committee, he testified to facts that amount to lawbreaking by Donald Trump. Contrary to Trump’s mantra of “No Collusion, No Obstruction, Complete and Total EXONERATION,” Mueller affirmed that his 448-page report did not exonerate the president or reach a conclusion about whether... Read more »

Syrian Army launches heavy attack in southern Aleppo

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 13 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:40 P.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) began a heavy attack across southern Aleppo on Friday, targeting a number of sites belonging to Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham and their allies. According to a military report from nearby Aleppo city, the Syrian Arab Army’s artillery and rocket teams unleashed a heavy barrage on the […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Hashd Al-Shaabi issues stern warning to US about staying in Iraq

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 13 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:00 P.M.) – An official from Hashd Al-Sha’abi reportedly stated this weekend that the U.S. Armed Forces inside Iraq must withdraw or else face future repercussions. The Hashd Al-Sha’abi official, Mu’in Al-Kazhimi, was quoted by Baghdad Today as saying that Iraq has reached stability and does not need the U.S. Armed Forces inside […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Several Syrian soldiers killed after jihadist suicide attack in Daraa

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 13 hours ago
BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:30 P.M.) – Several Syrian Arab Army (SAA) soldiers were killed on Saturday morning when a jihadist rebel detonated his suicide belt in northeastern Daraa. According to a military source in the town of Izra’a, the jihadist rebel detonated his suicde belt during an army raid on his group’s hideout in the town […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Russia test launches Topol intercontinental missile from Kapustin Yar range

News Desk at AMN – Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - 13 hours ago
Russia’s strategic missile forces have test launched a Topol intercontinental ballistic missile from the Kapustin Yar practice range, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Friday. “On July 26, 2019, a combat unit of the strategic missile forces conducted a test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile of the Topol mobile ground-based missile system from the […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source

Supreme Court Allows Trump to Use $2.5 Billion in Pentagon Funds for Border Wall

21wire at 21st Century Wire - 13 hours ago
*21WIRE* | Democrats are up in arms over latest SCOTUS decision on southern border wall.

Cambridge Botanical “Too Compromised” For Climatological Purposes

Paul Homewood at NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT - 13 hours ago
By Paul Homewood Thanks to reader calvertn, we have finally pinned down the Stevenson Screen at Cambridge Botanical Park: At the top right is the cafe already identified. And as Tonyb commented, the site really is far too compromised to be used for climatological purposes: It’s poorly placed anyway With a variety of […]

This Is How The X-37B Spaceplane Can 'Disappear'

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 14 hours ago
US Air Force X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle 4 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility in Florida, May 7, 2017. US Air Force *Popular Mechanics:* *Here's How the X-37B Spaceplane 'Disappears'* *The winged spacecraft can alter its orbit to confound adversaries.* Former Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson revealed to an audience last week that the X-37B spaceplane can pull off maneuvers in space that drives potential adversaries “nuts.” Although maddeningly unspecific, experts believe she was referring to the X-37B’s ability to change its orbit, throwing off both am... more »

Fmr Police Chief Gets NO JAIL for Helping Convicted Rapist Son Escape to Mexico

Jack Burns at The Free Thought Project - 14 hours ago
[image: escape]An Asst. Police Chief, his wife and his daughter helped their son escape to Mexico after he raped and reportedly robbed the neighbor’s maid.

Business Is Good For America's Defense Industry

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 14 hours ago
The F-35 Lightning II production line at Lockheed Martin’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas. Lockheed Martin *CNBC:* *There’s no business like the arms business: Here’s how the top US defense companies did in Q2 earnings* * Here’s how America’s top five defense firms — Boeing, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon — did during second-quarter earnings. * Next week, the Senate will vote on a $1.3 trillion budget deal that includes $738 billion for defense spending. WASHINGTON — Nobody spends money on arms like the United States, and it shows in the bottom lin... more »

U.S. Special Ops Are Adopting The Secret Service's Command SUV For Crisis Response Missions

War News Updates Editor at War News Updates - 14 hours ago
A WHCA Roadrunner with the cakepan-style satellite communications antenna on top. Paul Carter *Warzone/The Drive:* *Look Inside The Secret Service's Command SUVs That Are Being Converted For Special Ops Use* These "Roadrunners" will now support special operators during crisis response missions in the United States and elsewhere in North America. Special Operations Command North, or SOCNORTH, is in the process of converting six Chevy Suburban sport utility vehicles to better meet the needs of its Crisis Response Team. The White House Communications Agency had previously used these ... more »

World War III? How Russia, China, Japan and South Korea Nearly Started a War

Sebastien Roblin at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*Sebastien Roblin* *Security, * Showdown over the Sea of Japan? The morning dawned peacefully enough on July 22 as Chinese and Russian warplanes soared towards a rendezvous point over the Sea of Japan for what was to be their first-ever joint patrol. As Russia’s defense ministry put it, this was intended to deepen “Russian-Chinese relations within our all-encompassing partnership, of further increasing cooperation between our armed forces, and of perfecting their capabilities to carry out joint actions, and of strengthening global strategic security.” Representing the PLA Air F... more »

How an F-22 Stealth Fighter Snuck Behind an Iranian F-4 Phantom

Robert Beckhusen at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*Robert Beckhusen* *Security, Middle East* [image: By Photograph by D Ramey Logan, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35715405] That's power. *The March 2013 episode happened only a few months after a two Sukhoi Su-25 attack planes operated by the Pasdaran (the informal name of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards) attempted to shoot down an American MQ-1 flying a routine surveillance flight in international airspace some 16 miles off Iran.* Back in 2013, Pentagon press secretary George Little said that an Iranian air force F-4 Phantom combat plane attempt... more »

Bad News: China is Building Three Huge Helicopter 'Aircraft Carriers'

Sebastien Roblin at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*Sebastien Roblin* *Security, * What will Beijing do with them? Along the Huangpu River in the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyards in Shanghai, the hull modules of two huge new vessels have been captured in photographs taken by passengers in overflying airliners. Then early in July 2019, ground-level images of the construction leaked onto Chinese social media. Measuring the length of two-and-half football fields and estimated to displace between 30,000-40,000 tons once in the water, the vessels appear to be the first of three Type 075 Landing Helicopter Docks (LHDs), essentially moving na... more »

The Story of the F-14 Tomcat’s First Air-To-Air Victory

Dario Leone at The National Interest - 14 hours ago
*Dario Leone* *History, Middle East* [image: By Camera Operator: PH2 BRUCE TROMBECKY, USN - ID:DN-ST-89-11148 / Service Depicted: Navy, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3318509] What a fight. *On Aug. 19, 1981, that belief would be put to the test when two Nimitz F-14A Tomcats from the VF-41 Black Aces intercepted two Libyan Su-22 Fitters.* The more than two-centuries-old relationship between the U.S. and Libya has long been punctuated by moments of unfortunate conflict. In the opening years of the 19th century, the young U.S. Navy battled the Barba... more »

Is This the Reason the FedRes is Freaking Out?

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 14 hours ago
Is This the Reason the FedRes is Freaking Out? by Graham Summers, https://gainspainscapital.com/ Just what exactly is terrifying the Fed? Over the last week, multiple Fed officials have surfaced to suggest the Fed needs to start cutting interest rates right now. Indeed, on Thursday, John Williams, who runs the NY Fed (the branch in charge …

India calls out Trump lie

Keith at musingsofanoldfart - 14 hours ago
A story that got very little press occurred this week regarding India and Pakistan. It was overshadowed by the Mueller testimony, budget bill and the presidential seal issue, but it was a major faux pas and harmed relations with India, … Continue reading →

UK Record Temperature Stays Intact

Hifast at Climate Collections - 14 hours ago
Originally posted on NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT: By Paul Homewood ? ? The Met Office have been desperate to declare a new UK temperature record this week, but the weather gods said no! ? ? ? The Cambridge temperature fell well short of the all time record of 38.5C set at Faversham…

Cambridge Botanical “Too Compromised” For Climatological Purposes

Hifast at Climate Collections - 14 hours ago
Originally posted on NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT: By Paul Homewood ? Thanks to reader calvertn, we have finally pinned down the Stevenson Screen at Cambridge Botanical Park: ? At the top right is the cafe already identified. And as Tonyb commented, the site really is far too compromised to be used for…

Weekend reads: A sleuth whose work has led to hundreds of retractions and corrections; an “unethical, risky and misleading” eye study; genetics’ high retraction rate

Ivan Oransky at Retraction Watch - 14 hours ago
Before we present this week’s Weekend Reads, a question: Do you enjoy our weekly roundup? If so, we could really use your help. Would you consider a tax-deductible donation to support Weekend Reads, and our daily work? Thanks in advance. The week at Retraction Watch featured the story of how “pure, utter nonsense” appeared in a … Continue reading Weekend reads: A sleuth whose work has led to hundreds of retractions and corrections; an “unethical, risky and misleading” eye study; genetics’ high retraction rate

Russia And China Display Strategic Coordination In Asia-Pacific

M. K. BHADRAKUMAR at OrientalReview.org - 14 hours ago
For both Russia and China, the Far East will be of increased importance in the period ahead as forming a gateway to the Northern Sea Route, the shipping lane which the two countries are jointly developing to connect the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean along the Russian coast of Siberia and the Far East.

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jonjayray at EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL - 15 hours ago
*UK: Two-thirds of Boris Johnson's cabinet went to private schools* *Because that is where the talent is* Nearly two-thirds of prime minister Boris Johnson’s cabinet were privately educated, according to research. The proportion of ministers who went to independent schools is twice as high as Theresa May’s 2016 cabinet, at 64% compared to 30% according to the social mobility charity Sutton Trust. In David Cameron’s 2015 cabinet, the rate was 50%. The figures mean that ministers in the prime minister’s cabinet are nine times more likely to have attended a fee-paying school for all ... more »

Hong Kong police fire tear gas after protesters defy marching ban

Just In - 15 hours ago
Police in Hong Kong fire tear gas at protesters defying authorities' warnings not to march through a neighbourhood where a mob had brutally attacked people in a train station six days earlier.

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JR at GREENIE WATCH - 15 hours ago
*Record heat envelops Europe* *You thought that referred to this month? Note the date below* As Solomon said, there is nothing new under the sun *Automakers Adopt CA's Rigged Fuel Standards* California seeks to pressure Trump's EPA with its own efficiency standards for the entire country. Four auto companies — Ford, Honda, Volkswagen, and BMW of North America — recently joined together to sign a deal with California to meet its higher fuel-efficiency standards rather than the new and lower efficiency standards proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency. Under Pres... more »

Australian Daily Electrical Power Generation Data – Friday 26th July 2019

TonyfromOz at PA Pundits – International - 15 hours ago
By Anton Lang ~ This Post details the daily power consumption data for the AEMO coverage area in Australia. For the background information, refer to the Introductory Post at this link. Each image is shown here at a smaller size to fit on the page alongside the data for that day. If you click on […]

Dutch Company Reveals An Electric Car That Charges Itself With Sunlight.

zedie at SOMEONE SOMEWHERE - 15 hours ago
https://www.healthyfoodhouse.com/dutch-company-reveals-an-electric-car-that-charges-itself-with-sunlight/ Advertisements

It's Almost Shakespearean

Owen Gray at Northern Reflections - 15 hours ago
It could be that history is repeating itself -- or at least rhyming. Susan Delacourt writes: Forty years before Justin Trudeau has been forced to contend with Trump and Johnson, there was Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher — also transformative conservative politicians — and another Trudeau serving as Canadian prime minister. Pierre Trudeau, like his son today, didn’t have much in common with the leaders chosen to head Britain and the United States, or with the brand of conservative politics that swept Reagan and Thatcher to office at the dawn of the 1980s. There are differenc... more »

Some People Are Already Saying "Anyone But Trump" And They Include Status Quo Joe

DownWithTyranny at DownWithTyranny! - 16 hours ago
As Philip Bump pointed out yesterday in his *Washington Post* column, after Trump's latest anti-Fox Twitter-tirade, "Trump’s objection to Fox News polling is possibly largely due to the fact that they’re good polls. Fox’s on-air programming is often heavily weighted in Trump’s favor, but their polling isn’t." The poll shows Trump's overall disapproval 51-48% and even worse on the key issues he plans to fight the 2020 election on. Underwater on every issue but the economy: *•* Border security- 44-52% *•* Immigration- 41-54% *•* Trade- 40-49% *•* Race relations- 32-57% Worse yet... more »

Magic angles of twisted di-graphene

Luboš Motl at The Reference Frame - 16 hours ago
The Quanta Magazine has recently revived its campaign to promote the superconductivity of graphene twisted by a magic angle. Pradeek Mutalik just added some solution to his previous puzzle. From an MIT press release In an April 2018 Nature paper, Cao et al. have reported the remarkabke phenomenon of superconductivity observed in a pair of graphene layers that are twisted by 1.1 degrees before they are placed on each other. In just 15 months, the paper has acquired almost 700 citations which indicates that it's one of the most thrilling trends in current condensed matter physics. Wel... more »

Incredible Shrinking Europe–Between Climate Utopia & Green Energy Crisis

Paul Homewood at NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT - 16 hours ago
By Paul Homewood Benny Peiser has just given a presentation for the Heartland Institute about the EU’s obsession with climate: https://www.thegwpf.com/benny-peiser-incredible-shrinking-europe-between-climate-utopia-and-green-energy-crisis/ It is worth downloading the slides, which have some useful charts. I would highlight these in particular:

Seeking the real story.....

Bruce K. Gagnon at Organizing Notes - 16 hours ago
A very compelling investigation. Five years ago, on July 17, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was blown out of the sky while flying over eastern Ukraine. It was on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. All 283 passengers and 15 crew on board we killed. It was immediately claimed that Russia was responsible, something that Russia vehemently denies. Bonanza media investigative team of independent journalists take exclusive interviews with one of the suspects of downing the MH17, Malaysian prime minister; colonel that collected black boxes and much more. Eye opening testimonies f... more »

Political correctness versus reality - Chicago edition

Peter at Bayou Renaissance Man - 16 hours ago
I see the new mayor of Chicago - now Heronner instead of the traditional Hizonner - is trying to blame outside factors for her city's culture of crime and death. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot weighed-in over the weekend on her city’s unprecedented gang violence; blaming nearby Indiana for the flow of guns into the region. “Previously we had a law enforcement first and only strategy and it wasn’t working. It’s not working when you talk about neighborhoods where the unemployment rate is 25% or higher. It’s not working when you think about the fact that in many communities, 90% or mor... more »

Brazil’s Top Government Officials Were Hacked by “Spoofing” Attacks

Iolanda Fonseca at The Rio Times - 16 hours ago
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Four people were arrested this week during Operation Spoofing by the Federal Police on suspicion of having hacked into the cell phone of Minister Sérgio Moro and other high ranking government officials, including president Jair Bolsonaro and Economy Minister Paulo Guedes. The decision ordering the temporary arrest of the four […] The post Brazil’s Top Government Officials Were Hacked by “Spoofing” Attacks appeared first on The Rio Times.

The hottest day on record in the western US

drinkingwateradvisor at The Drinking Water Advisor - 16 hours ago
“There have been 11,500 summer days since 1895. July 18, 1936 was the hottest and the only one which averaged 100 degrees (99.6F) in the western US.” click here

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Jenna Orkin at From the Wilderness' Peak Oil Blog - 16 hours ago
From Jenna Orkin Major U.S. cities are leaking methane at twice the rate previously believed "When burned for heat or power, methane emits less carbon dioxide than fossil fuels such as coal. But when leaked directly into the atmosphere, its warming effect can be dozens of times stronger than CO2." Military eyes 16-year-olds as ranks and candidates dwindleMake environmental damage a war crime, say scientistsU.S. to Resume Executions of Federal Inmates on Death Row States talk tech antitrust concerns with AG Barr Lawmaker says she’s been told to back off call for probe of Jeffrey Epstei... more »

Death by Air: Check out the Video of an F-35B Testing Its Gatling Gun

Dario Leone at The National Interest - 16 hours ago
*Dario Leone* *Technology, Americas* [image: By U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Katerina Slivinske - U.S. Air Force Eglin Air Force Base photo 140521-F-SG137-061, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34551101] A lot of firepower. *The demonstrated versatility, coupled with significant combat lethality, makes the GAU-22/A gun an ideal candidate for air, land and sea platforms requiring an effective weapon for a variety of missions against a broad range of targets.* Taken at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pax River, the interesting video in this post shows F... more »

We've Got the List of the 5 Best Sig Sauer Handguns

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 16 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *Technology, Europe* [image: By Askild Antonsen - SIG 210-2, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56166144] Ranked. *The Sig P210 is the original handgun that started the company’s entire line of P2XX pistols.* The Swiss-German company Sig Sauer has been in the arms business for a long time. Swiss SIG (*Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft*) a company founded in 1853, partnered with the German Sauer in 1976 to produce firearms. The joint company rode the European wave of handgun manufacturers in the late 1980s and 1990s with its series of h...more »

Supreme Court Allows Trump To Build 100 Miles Of Wall With Military Funds

Kevin Daley at The National Interest - 16 hours ago
*Kevin Daley* *Supreme Court, * What happens next? The Supreme Court allowed President Donald Trump to reprogram $2.5 billion in Pentagon funds to start construction on 100 miles of border wall in a late Friday order. The five conservative justices voted with the government in full. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan indicated their full dissent. Justice Stephen Breyer proposed a compromise in a partial dissent. “The government has made a sufficient showing at this stage that the plaintiffs have no cause of action to obtain review,” the Court’s order... more »

Fact Check: Does Trump Have the Most Successful Judicial Nomination Record Since George Washington?

Fred Lucas at The National Interest - 16 hours ago
*Fred Lucas* *Politics, * We take a look. President Donald Trump has had what many would consider a successful record on judicial appointments—and has repeatedly cast that success in historical terms. “We have many appeals court judges—many—that we’ll have appointed. The courts are a whole different thing,” Trump told a largely teenage audience gathered Tuesday in Washington, before giving them a quiz. “I will be up to 147, not including the two Supreme Court justices. Now, percentage-wise, I blow everybody away except one person. One person I’ll never beat. You know who the ... more »

Will Turkey Buy Russian Su-35s Instead of F-35s?

Michael Peck at The National Interest - 16 hours ago
*Michael Peck* *Security, * What happens now? The plot was predictable. Turkey buys Russian anti-aircraft missiles. The United States kicks Turkey out of the F-35 program. Then Russia offers Turkey Su-35 fighters. “If our Turkish colleagues express an interest, we are ready to discuss the deliveries of the Su-35," announced Sergei Chemezov, head of Russia’s state-owned Rostec arms firm, according to Russian news agency TASS. Russia’s Sputnik News quoted an unnamed Turkish source as saying that Turkish president Recep Tayyip *Erdogan* would consider Russia’s offer. “It is still ... more »

DC Metro Likely Flushed Away Over $500,000 Maintaining A Broken Down Self-Cleaning Toilet

Andrew Kerr at The National Interest - 16 hours ago
*Andrew Kerr* *Society, * The swamp has some issues. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) likely spent over $500,000 maintaining a single self-cleaning toilet between 2003 and 2017, the Metro’s Office of Inspector General revealed Thursday. It’s unclear exactly how much the D.C.-area Metro system spent maintaining the northern Virginia-based toilet, which hasn’t been in operation since fall 2017. WMATA was unable to provide maintenance invoices for the toilet in the years of 2007, 2012, 2013 and 2014, the inspector general stated in its report. Welp – Me... more »

Turn the Post Office Into a Bank? Progressives Love This Idea.

James Gattuso at The National Interest - 16 hours ago
*James Gattuso* *Society, * And it won't work. Here's why. If a company lost $66 billion in 10 years and was on track to lose another $10 billion this year, would that company make a good banker? Some in Washington think so. They are urging that the United States Postal Service start providing banking services ranging from checking accounts to short-term loans. That would be a mistake, not only for the Postal Service, but for the U.S. taxpayer, who ultimately would foot the bill for a failed venture. The idea of postal banking is not new. From 1910 to 1967, post offices offer... more »

Here is What a Socialist U.S. Economy Woud Look Like

Fred Lucas at The National Interest - 16 hours ago
*Fred Lucas* *Society, * Bad. Just bad. If the United States were to adopt the socialist policies of Venezuela, the move would slash the economy by 40 percent—or $24,000 per year for the average American, according to a report by the president’s Council of Economic Advisers. “Coincident with the 200th anniversary of Karl Marx’s birth, socialism is making a comeback in American political discourse,” says the council’s report, “The Opportunity Costs of Socialism.” “Detailed policy proposals from self-declared socialists are gaining support in Congress and among much of the electo... more »

The Top 5 Machine Guns Finally Ranked

Kyle Mizokami at The National Interest - 16 hours ago
*Kyle Mizokami* *History, Americas* Check out these bad boys. *Developed by FN Herstal, one of the most prolific gun companies in the world, the P90 Personal Defense Weapon is a clean design break from other submachine guns. * The submachine gun was invented during World War I as a weapon to deal with the confines of trench warfare. Short, fully automatic and chambered in a pistol caliber, the submachine gun could quickly clear a trench line or bunker of enemy troops armed with less wieldy, slower-firing bolt-action rifles. The “SMG” later armed paratroopers, vehicle crews and g... more »

Links 7/27/19

Yves Smith at naked capitalism - 17 hours ago

Mark Coyne resigns from NRL commission after drunken night in Singapore

Chloe Hart And David Mark at Just In - 17 hours ago
Retired Queensland State of Origin representative Mark Coyne resigns from the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) following an incident in Singapore, leaving NRL chair Peter Beattie "devastated".

'Collective shrug': UN slams international indifference as hundreds killed in Syria

Just In - 17 hours ago
While around 100 civilians including children have been killed by airstrikes in a little over a week, the UN suggests war crimes are occurring and laments that Syria is "no longer on the international radar".

Australian swimmer Shayna Jack failed doping test before world titles

Just In - 17 hours ago
Swimming Australia confirms rising star Shayna Jack tested positive to a banned substance, which forced the 20-year-old to withdraw from the national squad before the world championships being held in South Korea.

FL: Next Surveillance State Deadline Approaching

Peter Greene at CURMUDGUCATION - 17 hours ago
In the wake of the murders at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, the great state of Florida decided to make a giant leap forward in establishing a surveillance state, proposing a data base that would collect giant massive tanker cars full of data from every public sources imaginable as well as social media. It will provide a one-stop shop for singling out every troubled child in the state. What could possibly go wrong? We should soon find out. Governor DeSantis set a ready-to-go date of August 1, 2019. Well, we're supposed to find out. An EdWeek investigation back in May revealed that ... more »

Best of: SPARK Autism Research - You're Going The WRONG Way!!

Age of Autism at AGE OF AUTISM - 17 hours ago
Note: Kim is taking a summer break and we're running our favorite "Best of" posts. Please consider a donation to our "Stop the Summer of Censorship" campaign . Many mainstream platforms have censored articles that discuss health and vaccination choice,...more »

Open Thread

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 17 hours ago
Thank you for your comments... more »

A 'special' report from Nick Bryant

Craig at Is the BBC biased? - 17 hours ago
Last night's BBC One *News at Ten *carried a reporter by the BBC's North America Correspondent (as he was introduced) Nick Bryant. I'll post a transcript below, with my added comments in red italics: *Newsreel footage*: During his visit, the Prime Minister and Mr Roosevelt consulted with members of the Pacific War Council. *Nick Bryant*: The special relationship has often turned on personal relationships between the leaders in Washington and Westminster. Churchill and Roosevelt formed a close wartime alliance. Reagan and Thatcher were like ideological newlyweds. Bush and Blair we...more »

Trump vetoes resolutions to block Saudi arms sales

Uriel at 'Nox & Friends - 17 hours ago
Proving Trump knows how to hit the Veto Button, he actually vetoes three resolutions. All three were introduced by Sen. Menendez.(D-NJ). They are basically dead now since it takes 2/3 majority to override a presidential veto and that has happened very few times. S.J.Res.36 – A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval of the proposed transfer to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Kingdom of Spain, and the Italian Republic of certain defense articles and services. Votes: 238/190 House and 53/45 Senate. The usual R... more »

The folly of “climate emergency”

Collister Johnson at CFACT - 17 hours ago
There is so much misinformation, disinformation, misunderstanding and blind obeisance to climate alarmism orthodoxy that one hardly knows where to start. The post The folly of “climate emergency” appeared first on CFACT.

Exclusive — U.S. Virgin Islands Senator on Epstein: ‘Widespread Corruption’ in Territory, ‘He Has People on His Payroll’

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 18 hours ago
*[image: This Tuesday, July 9, 2019 photo shows a view of Little St. James Island, in the U. S. Virgin Islands, a property owned by Jeffrey Epstein. The 66-year-old billionaire bought the island more than two decades ago and began to transform it, clearing the native vegetation, ringing the property with …]* Now the tide has truly changed. It was impossible to speak up up to now because it was futile. The fix was always in. Now that whole network is been exposed and they all fear justice as they can see it playing out in real time in Washington. Now the weak will come forward... more »

Deporting Illegal Aliens Saves Americans Billions in Tax Dollars

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 18 hours ago
The economic reality has been that a whole lot of industry has been based on wage exploitation of illegals. It is wrong in the same way that slavery happens to be wrong. Ending it will not put businesses out of business but make them reprice their product and service. There will be an adjustment period but also a response that allows in migrant workers legally who then earn competitive and legal wages as well as real credit for immigration purposes. Who knows, perhaps we can also end gross agricultural subsidies as well. *Deporting Illegal Aliens Saves Americans Billion... more »

How the 2019 coffee crisis might affect you

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 18 hours ago
This does help explain the present arrival of migrants. The industry and most grower industries require a restructuring that preserves and natually supports the small operator, not leat because agriculture has never had true economis of scale except through risk abatement for bankers and that is not really true either. The key solution to all this is to establish a small holder price premium paid by buyers wanting access to the total supply. Large producers then make up the balance as needed. This rule can readily be applied throughout all regions to the same effect. It sho... more »

How Did This Poisonous Plant Become One of the American South’s Most Long-Standing Staples?

arclein at Terra Forming Terra - 18 hours ago
You must boil it three times to remove the toxins. I have never had it, but would certainly try it at the hands of an experienced cook. Do not forget that taro is also toxic until cooked and potato peels are likely worse. Toxic goes with most plants and cooking hugely expanded mankind's ability to exploit a wide range of options. We are now re-investigating every plant out there and well we should. Recall that goats eat just about everything and that means a biochemical process exists to temper all threats. We will be surprised just how many attractive dishes are out there t... more »

Another Chinese Bank Failure? Contagion & Counter Party Risk Post Baoshang Bank Getting Worse?

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 18 hours ago
WallStForMainSt Streamed live 7 hours ago Hedge fund manager Kyle Bass reported earlier today that the Bank of Jinzhou has failed. Other news agencies reported earlier this week that the bank had been having liquidity problems because of its dollar denominated debt. Chinese Bank With $100 Billion In Assets Is About To Collapse https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-0… – …

Trump is Right, the Fed is Lost and It Will Get Ugly, Says Ron Paul

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 18 hours ago
Kitco NEWS Published on Jul 25, 2019 The current monetary system is broken, and the economy may be worse before it gets better, said former congressman Ron Paul. “It’s a system that isn’t workable, and this is the reason why getting out of this recession hasn’t been so good. We got into it because there …

Russia Warns of ‘Large-Scale’ Conflict as Iran Tensions Rise

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 18 hours ago
Russia Warns of ‘Large-Scale’ Conflict as Iran Tensions Rise by https://www.presstv.com/ Russia says tensions with Iran have made the prospect of “large-scale” conflict real, calling on world countries to support a Russian security doctrine of zero extra-regional military presence in the Middle East to prevent such a scenario. – Speaking at a BRICS foreign ministers …

Will Spiraling Debt Sink Ship of State?

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 18 hours ago
RT America Published on Jul 25, 2019 The House intends to raise the spending limit by $324 billion. While President Trump bragged about the deal with Democratic leaders, the bill has fierce critics on both sides of the aisle. Former Georgia state Representative LaDawn Jones and Ted Harvey of the Committee to Defend the President …

Protest Against Demolition of West Bank Houses Ends in Clashes with IDF

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 18 hours ago
[image: http://socioecohistory.x10host.com/2018/11/07/modern-jews-admit-they-are-not-semitic-people-not-the-descendants-of-the-12-tribes-of-israel-the-bible-says-ashkenazi-jews-90-of-modern-jewry-are-not-semitic-people/]Revelation 2:9 New King James Version (NKJV) 9 … I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a [a]synagogue of Satan.

‘Space Superpower’ India to Kickstart Space War… Drill

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 18 hours ago
Preparations to attack the Lord Jesus Christ on His 2nd coming. Don’t be fooled. Emphasis mine: – ‘Space Superpower’ India to Kickstart Space War… Drill by https://www.rt.com/ If any UFOs – or adversaries within Earth’s orbit – start behaving badly, India wants to be ready, as it prepares to take war drills literally to a …

Chinese Bank With $100 Billion In Assets Is About To Collapse

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 18 hours ago
Chinese Bank With $100 Billion In Assets Is About To Collapse by Tyler Durden, https://www.zerohedge.com/ While the western world (and much of the eastern) has been preoccupied with predicting the consequences of Trump’s accelerating global trade/tech war and whether the Fed will launch QE before or after it sends rates back to zero, Beijing has …

Andrew Maguire: The Levers Used To Manipulate Gold & Silver Prices Are Being Removed

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 18 hours ago
Andrew Maguire: The Levers Used To Manipulate Gold & Silver Prices Are Being Removed by https://www.silverdoctors.com/ Andrew has just been called into Parliament, and more than once. Where does this all lead? It leads “to the top”. Andrew explains… Andrew Maguire interviewed by Craig Hemke of TF Metals Report: – A few weeks ago, you may have seen the …

Palestine’s Abbas Suspends ALL Agreements with Israel

mosesman at Socio-Economics History Blog - 18 hours ago
Palestine’s Abbas Suspends ALL Agreements with Israel by https://www.rt.com/ Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has announced that all standing agreements with the state of Israel will be suspended indefinitely, following the bulldozing of homes in the occupied West Bank. – President Abbas announced the decision on Thursday afternoon, and said it would take effect by Friday. …

Five Faulty Premises of Russiagate

The Duran at The Duran - 18 hours ago
Unfortunately, a majority of Americans today, including many conservatives, have swallowed hook, line, and sinker one or more of the following five (5) faulty premises of Russiagate. The post Five Faulty Premises of Russiagate appeared first on The Duran.

Russiagate continues because it masks the defense of globalism [Video]

Seraphim Hanisch at The Duran - 18 hours ago
Keeping Russiagate alive protects globalism. This is the unreported story behind all the activity surrounding Robert Mueller’s appearance and party-line slug-fest this past Wednesday. Robert Mueller III appeared before two Congressional committees on Wednesday. In what would be a grueling session for the strongest of us, the former Special Prosecutor endured some seven hours of… The post Russiagate continues because it masks the defense of globalism [Video] appeared first on The Duran.

Desperate Dem Rep Goes Full Conspiracy Theorist: Claims “Somebody Got To Mueller”

Zerohedge at The Duran - 18 hours ago
This is starting to feel like a Twilight Zone episode. The post Desperate Dem Rep Goes Full Conspiracy Theorist: Claims “Somebody Got To Mueller” appeared first on The Duran.

How North Korea Could Launch a Nuclear War from the Sea

Sebastien Roblin at The National Interest - 18 hours ago
*Sebastien Roblin* *Security, * Meet Kim's new submarine that can fire nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles. North Korea’s Kim dynasty has long practiced an unsubtle form of political signaling which can be summed up: when things aren’t going its way, *launch some missiles*. Thus after National Security Advisor John Bolton, who has long advocated forceful “regime change” in North Korea, met with South Korean officials in July 2019, Pyongyang celebrated his arrival by test-firing two new short-range ballistic missiles. And as U.S. troops prepared to embark on their its first major m... more »

Sorry, AOC: Socialism is the Zombie Ideology of Our Time

Daniel Davis at The National Interest - 18 hours ago
*Daniel Davis* *Society, * Why does it refuse to go away? Socialism is the zombie ideology of our era: It fails everywhere, and yet it keeps rising back from the dead. Despite embarrassing socialist failures in China, Russia, North Korea, Cuba, and now Venezuela, the true believers march onward. Good intentions are unassailable. The revolution must go on. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., arguably has done more than any other living American to market socialism to the next generation. And with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., following closely in his wake, rest assured we’ll be... more »

The Navy Reportedly booted SEAL Team 7 out of Iraq

Task and Purpose at The National Interest - 18 hours ago
*Task and Purpose* *military, * What led to this? When the commander of Special Operations Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve unceremoniously booted SEAL Team 7 out of Iraq this week, the U.S. Special Operations Command justified it "due to a perceived deterioration of good order and discipline within the team during non-operational periods." But according to an alarming new report in the New York Times, "deterioration of good order and discipline" seemed to be an understatement. While the Navy initially indicated that an alcohol-soaked July 4th party was the core driv... more »

Meet the Old Plane That Could 'Kill' an F-22 or F-35

Dario Leone at The National Interest - 18 hours ago
*Dario Leone* *Security, Americas* [image: By Rob Shenk from Great Falls, VA, USA - F-22 Raptor, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6414481] Well, maybe, in a training mission. Read on. *According to Michael, finding those weaknesses is what the exercise was all about.* The 27th Fighter Training Squadron’s (FTS) T-38 Talon played the role of the opposing force for the U.S. Air Force (USAF) fifth-generation aircraft and partnering nations’ fourth-generation aircraft, during the recent allied exercise, Atlantic Trident 17. Even though as we have recentl... more »

5 Worst-Built Guns You Would Never Want to Shoot

Charlie Gao at The National Interest - 18 hours ago
*Charlie Gao* *Security, Americas* Very dangerous. *While the Sten was the primary submachine gun for almost all of the Commonwealth for World War II—and slightly beyond—it was notorious for being rather dangerous to the user. * Almost every gun is designed to be safe as possible for the shooter. Countless mechanisms have been designed to facilitate this and prevent the gun from firing when the shooter does not intend it to. However, in some guns, these safeties simply do not work, due to poor or thoughtless design. Other guns might fire when the trigger is pulled but could be d... more »

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